At the start of the game, you have one equipment slot; the effects of unequipping the equipment rema

About a few miles outside Sujiazhuang.

Mu Yang tightened the reins, dismounted, and settled Xiao Hei in a shady spot beside the official road.

"Wait for me here."

"Snoring~~"

Little Black snorted and obediently lowered its head to rest.

After settling Xiao Hei in, Mu Yang headed towards Su Family Village along the side road that had been carved out from the main road.

About fifteen minutes later, Sujiazhuang came into view.

Calling it Zhuangzi is not entirely accurate.

The earthen and wooden wall, which was more than two zhang high, had a sharpened wooden stake stuck in it every few steps, like rows of jagged fangs.

People were pacing back and forth on the wall, carrying bows on their backs, knives at their waists, and holding long wooden spears in their hands, their eyes scanning the woodland outside the wall warily.

It would be more accurate to call it Sujiabao rather than Sujiazhuang.

"It's quite impressive..."

Mu Yang glanced at them and saw that although the patrolling youths were tall and strong, they had not actually entered the ranks and were mostly just ordinary people with some strength.

Only a few people who looked like team leaders had entered the ranks.

Considering that this is only the outer patrol, there are obviously stronger martial artists inside the manor.

No wonder the Su family wasn't worried about the appearance of the monster; they just casually sent someone to report it.

It turns out they were armed and unafraid of monsters.

However, based on this calculation, the level of that monster is probably not very high.

It's probably only second or third order.

"Well, it's better than nothing."

After sighing inwardly, Mu Yang did not rush into Su Family Village. Instead, as usual, he activated his keen sense of smell at a distance that was neither too close nor too far.

Seeing that the manor was heavily guarded, Mu Yang didn't have much hope.

However, just as his nostrils trembled slightly, a unique aura of a demon, like strands of silk, flowed into his nasal cavity.

Moreover, the flavor was not bland; in fact, it could be described as rich.

It was as if a demon had just swaggered into the manor from the gate.

"interesting."

Mu Yang felt that his guess might be wrong, and that Su Family Village was not as simple as it seemed.

He secretly activated his tracking technique, and with a flick of his finger, a wisp of almost invisible pale white energy condensed from the air and fell into his fingertip.

That was the lingering aura of the demon in front of the door.

The direction of the energy was very clear, extending directly towards the center of Zhuangzi, and judging from its sharpness, it was probably very close.

I guess they're still in the village.

"Another case of transgender people colluding?"

Mu Yang frowned slightly.

How could so many people dare to collude with a man-eating monster? Are they incredibly audacious, or are they forced into this situation?

Mu Yang thought of the Wang and Hu families that he had personally wiped out.

We'll only know the specifics once we go inside and see for ourselves.

With this in mind, Mu Yang walked out of the woods and headed towards the gate of Su Family Village.

The gate of Su Family Village was not very large, only about ten feet high. There were two middle-aged men in chainmail and holding iron spears in front of the gate.

Judging from his aura, he is a martial artist who has entered the physical realm.

Besides the two gatekeepers, there was also a middle-aged man with a rather square face, dressed in a gray short-sleeved shirt with a thick leather belt around his waist.

He stood in front of the door, seemingly chatting with the two men, but his gaze kept drifting towards the outside of the manor, as if he were waiting for someone.

Upon seeing Mu Yang approach, the middle-aged man frowned.

But after his gaze swept over the black gold four-sided mace at Mu Yang's waist and the vermilion "slay" character printed on his chest, his brows immediately relaxed.

He put on a warm smile and strode over to greet her.

"Oh my, isn't this the lord of the Demon Slayer Division!"

He bowed respectfully, his tone tinged with just the right amount of surprise: "I am Su Chuan, the lord of Su Family Manor. I was unaware of your presence, sir. Please forgive my lack of hospitality!"

"It's alright."

Mu Yang waved his hand and got straight to the point: "I heard that someone from your village has gone missing. I just happened to be passing by and came to take a look."

"You, sir, have tirelessly rid the people of this scourge; you are truly a role model for us all!"

Su Chuan offered a chuckle and a compliment, then continued, "In that case, sir, why don't you come to my estate to rest and have some hot tea, and then I'll tell you more about the demons?"

"Um."

Mu Yang nodded.

He wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but he felt that something was off about Su Chuan.

Logically speaking, if the other party, as the head of the manor, were to collude with demons, upon seeing someone dressed in the uniform of the Demon Slayer Division appear, they should not be afraid, panicked, or considering how to send him away or kill him.

But he acted very enthusiastically.

They were almost too enthusiastic.

It's a bit like the old man Huang he met the day he first awakened his equipment slot.

Could it be that he's overthinking things, and it's not that the Su family village colluded with the demons, but rather that they captured the demons?

Mu Yang glanced at Su Chuan. His cultivation level was third-tier, which wasn't high, but in a manor, he was already a top expert.

If he brings enough people, it wouldn't be difficult for him to capture a second or third-tier demon.

"My lord, please follow me!"

As Mu Yang pondered, Su Chuan smiled and gestured for him to proceed.

Mu Yang lifted his foot and followed Su Chuan into the manor.

Passing through the tall wooden gate, the scene inside the manor is completely different from the outside.

The main road, paved with gray flagstones, stretches straight into the depths of the village, with neat rows of blue brick and tile houses on both sides.

Occasionally, a few thatched huts are scattered among them, but they are all neatly repaired.

The villagers coming and going on the road were well-dressed, had rosy complexions, and were chatting and laughing. When they saw Su Chuan with Mu Yang, they would stop and greet him.

It was completely unlike the high-pressure situation of the Hu family back then, where they were controlled by demons.

"Could it be that I guessed wrong?"

Mu Yang muttered to himself.

Never mind, let's check on that monster first.

Mu Yang glanced at his fingertips without leaving a trace. The direction that wisp of energy was pointing in was exactly the same as the direction Su Chuan was leading.

The truth will only be known when he sees the monster.

"My lord, don't underestimate our Su Family Village just because it's small and can't compare to the prosperity of the county town. Compared to the surrounding area, it's a peaceful and prosperous place. Ordinary little demons can't harm us at all."

"I suspect that monster is a wild spirit that has wandered into the area. We'll have to trouble you, sir, to help us out!"

Su Chuan walked along, talking incessantly.

Mu Yang didn't respond, only nodding occasionally as a form of reply.

Before long, the two followed the gray stone path and arrived at a mansion that stood out from the surrounding buildings.

Looking up, there is a black plaque with gold lettering that reads "Su Mansion".

The plaque is surrounded by green bricks and gray tiles, with upturned eaves and corners, covering a very large area, and there are five steps in front of the door.

Its size makes it more like a mansion of a wealthy gentry in the county town than a residence in a village.

No, the wealthy and powerful in the county town wouldn't dare to be so ostentatious.

It just goes to show that powerful families often emerge from rural areas!

"Slap—slap—slap—"

Just as Mu Yang was looking around the Su residence, a very faint sound, like a whip lashing flesh, came from deep within the mansion.

The rhythm was sometimes fast and sometimes slow, and it didn't sound like someone practicing whip techniques, but more like someone venting their anger.