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

"Zombie resurrection? Drowned corpse?"

Upon hearing Zeng Gui's words, Zhao Qi's face turned deathly pale.

He initially thought it was some powerful figure with wicked tastes breaking into his home to hunt for women, but little did he know that things were far more horrifying than he had imagined.

What kind of corpses come back to life? What kind of creatures grow scales and possess immense strength? This sounds too eerie.

Why are there so many strange things happening in their alley lately?

"Zhao Qi, right?"

Mu Yang looked at Zhao Qi.

"Yes, sir!" Zhao Qi immediately came to his senses.

Mu Yang asked, "Did Liu Zhuang practice martial arts before his death?"

The canal gangs were a mixed bag, and most of the lower-level canal porters were not skilled in martial arts.

He wanted to know whether Liu Zhuang's strength came from his own cultivation or from the changes after his transformation into a zombie.

"I've learned it. As long as you join our Cao Gang, you will be given a low-grade martial art called 'Black Water Fist'."

"Old Liu has also studied it, and his talent is quite good. He has already entered the first level of the flesh and skin realm of martial arts." Zhao Qi replied immediately.

"The Realm of Skin and Flesh..."

Mu Yang murmured to himself.

"Do you know exactly what this so-called 'unclean thing' is?" Mu Yang asked Zeng Gui.

Zeng Gui shook his head: "Your Excellency, I only heard my master talk about it when I was young. This is the first time I've seen it with my own eyes."

"However, I think this matter is very likely related to demons."

"Oh?"

Mu Yang's eyes lit up: "Tell me about it."

Zeng Gui said, "I once heard my master say that there is a kind of tiger demon that, after killing someone, will use its demonic energy to bind the soul of the deceased to its body and turn it into a vengeful ghost."

"It is said that this ghost is also painless, spiritless, and incredibly strong; perhaps the two have something in common."

"Of course, these are just small guesses, and I dare not make any rash judgments."

Zeng Gui then shared his guess.

Mu Yang nodded.

That seems to be a possibility.

Because there was indeed a demonic aura on Liu Zhuang's corpse, although it was extremely faint, it was naturally impossible for him to hide it under his extremely keen sense of smell.

As for whether it's related to demons, we can only investigate the places Liu Zhuangsheng visited before his death, such as the river he fell into.

Or perhaps, to check if there's anything unusual about it.

Mu Yang turned to Zhao Qi: "Zhao Qi, your canal gang makes a living on the river, have you seen anything unusual?"

Zhao Dahai looked embarrassed. After recalling for a moment, he said, "Sir, I am just a water drinker at the Water Hall. I am responsible for giving directions and guiding boats. I have never seen anything unusual."

The others also shook their heads repeatedly, claiming they knew nothing when asked.

These members of the Canal Gang, busy making a living all day, live at the very bottom of society. They have neither the time nor the strength, so even if there is a problem, they probably wouldn't be able to find out.

Take Liu Zhuang, for example, in this case.

They all thought it was just a simple cold.

After all, it is already autumn, and the river water is bone-chillingly cold in the deeper parts. Even a martial artist at the physical level might not be able to withstand it for long.

Seeing that he couldn't get any information, Mu Yang changed the subject: "Do you know the legend of the bride in the wedding dress?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Qi's expression immediately became somewhat unnatural.

He opened his mouth, as if weighing something, but when he felt the chill in Mu Yang's calm eyes, his heart tightened, and he realized that the situation was beyond his control and he had no choice.

Zhao Qi quickly replied, "Yes, sir, we understand."

"That thing appears on the nights of the 5th, 14th, and 23rd of each month, specifically targeting strong, healthy men. Many of our brothers in the Canal Gang have died that way."

The 5th, 14th, and 23rd of the lunar month?

Or does it appear on a chosen day?

Mu Yang narrowed his eyes slightly.

According to Zhao Qi, the woman in the wedding dress seems quite strange.

But how did Zhao Qi know all this so clearly?

Mu Yang looked at Zhao Qi.

Zhao Qi met Mu Yang's gaze and was immediately terrified. His heart skipped a beat, his legs went weak, and he knelt on the ground: "My lord, we only know when that thing appears, but we really don't know what it is!"

"How did you find out the exact time?" Mu Yang asked calmly.

Zhao Qi knelt on the ground, cold sweat sliding down his forehead, his voice trembling: "This is a taboo incantation passed down in the gang. We were forced to memorize it."

"What formula?" Mu Yang asked in a flat tone.

Zhao Qi swallowed hard and muttered, "Red wedding dress, born at an inauspicious time, good man, don't look back. Avoid on the fifth, hide on the fourteenth, and come to hide again on the twenty-third."

After reciting the incantation, Zhao Qi quickly added, "At first, the brothers didn't take it seriously. They thought it was just a folk tale made up by some storyteller. Everyone just treated it as something to talk about and laugh about after dinner."

"But on the 23rd of last month, and on the 5th and 14th of this month, people died tragically in Guaizi Alley one after another."

"Those who died were all strong, healthy men. When they were found, their bodies were shriveled up like cucumber strips pickled in a jar, and there were still traces of terror on their faces."

"From then on, no one dared to take this incantation lightly anymore."

As Zhao Qi spoke, his voice grew increasingly low, as if afraid of disturbing something unclean.

"Your guild doesn't handle this matter?"

Mu Yang didn't ask Zhao Qi why he didn't report it to the authorities.

Although the Canal Gang was very famous and could be compared with the Pingwei Escort Agency, in the end, it was just a shady force.

Their daily business dealings were already somewhat shady, naturally creating a barrier between them and the government.

It's unrealistic to expect them to voluntarily report to the authorities.

Moreover, most of the members of the Canal Gang were rough men trying to make a living, barely literate and lacking in worldly experience.

When faced with such a strange occurrence, the first reaction is not to find out the truth, but to think about how to avoid it.

Zhao Qi sighed and lowered his voice: "Our leader of Rushui Hall also knows about this, but he only warned us not to talk about it and not to believe or spread rumors."

"We are even strictly forbidden from discussing these two passages in private."

"We have no choice but to try to go home early on the nights of the 5th, 14th, and 23rd of each month, or simply stay out all night."

The more Zhao Qi spoke, the more somber his expression became.

He had no idea when this unsettling life would end.

Mu Yang remained silent for a moment and did not ask any further questions.

"Alright, get up."

After a moment, Mu Yang waved his hand: "You guys clean up Liu's wife's body."

"As for Liu Zhuang's body, I took it with me."

As he spoke, Mu Yang stepped forward and put Liu Zhuang's headless corpse into his sleeve.

"Thank you, sir!"

Zhao Qi felt as if he had been granted a pardon. He quickly got up and called to the men behind him to start cleaning up the scene.

Mu Yang didn't look at them and turned to leave the courtyard.

By the time we walked out of Guaizi Alley, it was already getting dark.

Mu Yang looked up at the sky, where the fiery clouds stretched out in a deep crimson.

Today is the 23rd.

He wanted to see if this so-called red wedding dress could withstand a fist weighing a million pounds.