Li Village Chief! Second-Rank Rat Demon! Three Permanent Solidifications!

Li Village Chief! Second-Rank Rat Demon! Three Permanent Solidifications! The speaker was a gaunt, dark-skinned middle-aged man.

An incredulous look appeared on his face, and he even rubbed his eyes hard with his rough, callused hands.

"It's me, Seventh Uncle!"

Li Chuang swung down from his horse, unable to hide the excitement in his voice.

"You aren't... aren't..."

The middle-aged man called Seventh Uncle seemed unable to process it, stammering several times.

He clearly remembered that two months ago, the village chief had said Li Chuang's entire family had been killed by demonic beasts, with no survivors.

"That night, I..."

Li Chuang recounted what had happened that night. When he spoke of Village Chief Li's beastly deeds, his eyes reddened slightly.

Mu Yang stood nearby, silently watching the uncle and nephew reunite.

But what puzzled him was that when Li Chuang mentioned Village Chief Li, Seventh Uncle showed no great emotional change. He merely sighed.

Something was very wrong.

The next second, when Seventh Uncle spoke, Mu Yang understood.

"Everyone in the village knows Li Shoucai colluded with monsters. The day your family met with disaster, your Third Uncle said he was going to report it to the authorities. That very night, his entire family was wiped out. Sigh!" Seventh Uncle let out a long sigh, his face filled with numb despair.

"What?! Those beasts!" Li Chuang trembled with fury, his clenched fists cracking.

As Li Chuang raged, Old Fang, standing beside Mu Yang, twitched his nose and murmured gravely, "Head Constable, something smells wrong. There are monsters nearby!"

Mu Yang nodded slightly.

He, too, sensed eyes watching them from the surroundings, but he did not know exactly where they were.

It seemed that once he returned, he needed to get the Hundred Shadow Flying Needles as soon as possible.

Besides using flying needles as concealed weapons, this martial art also contained techniques for concealment and scouting. It would help him fight in complicated terrain such as the wilderness.

"Well, well, isn't this Li Chuang? Where did you run off to play madman these past two months? Why have you only returned to the village today?"

Just then, a sinister voice drifted over.

A fat, broad-eared middle-aged man in a brocade short jacket was slowly approaching with two burly men dressed in coarse hemp clothes.

"Li Shoucai, you beast! You colluded with monsters and brought disaster upon the village! You will die a miserable death!"

When enemies met, their eyes blazed especially red.

The moment Li Chuang saw that the approaching man was Li Shoucai, he immediately cursed him out.

Had Mu Yang not given the order, he would have wanted to draw his blade and hack this bastard to death on the spot.

"Food may be eaten carelessly, but words cannot be spoken carelessly!" Li Shoucai wore a mocking smile. After casually retorting, he walked right past Li Chuang and looked toward Mu Yang, who wore a black uniform patterned with red.

As the chief of a village, he possessed some knowledge.

He knew what that uniform represented.

A constabulary head constable, undeniably a ranked martial artist.

"I am Li Shoucai. By the Wang Family's favor, I serve as the chief of Li Village. I did not know you would honor us with your presence, sir. Forgive me for failing to welcome you from afar!"

Li Shoucai slightly cupped his hands. His words were polite, but his expression was anything but.

The implication was clear: I belong to the Wang Family, so know your place and get lost!

"The Wang Family?"

The moment Li Shoucai said that, Li Chuang and Old Fang's expressions changed.

Even a rookie like Li Chuang had heard of Qingxi County's Three Great Families, let alone an old hand like Old Fang.

Especially after seeing Li Shoucai's fearless manner, Old Fang secretly regretted his decision even more.

Had he known this matter would involve the Wang Family, he would never have come along no matter what.

Wouldn't it have been better to stay quietly at the constabulary, bragging, playing cards, and winning money from Old Ye?

He had no idea what the head constable would do. The Three Great Families were existences that even Wu Cai and the chief head constable did not dare provoke. Mu Yang was only a newly promoted head constable. He would probably have no choice but to swallow this grievance...

Swish—!!

Just as Old Fang's thoughts churned, the sound of a blade leaving its sheath and slicing through the air snapped him back to his senses.

A flash of silver suddenly streaked past.

Before the disbelieving eyes of Old Fang, Li Chuang, Seventh Uncle, and the others, Li Shoucai, who had just been talking animatedly with his head held high, was now separated from his head, reduced to a headless corpse.

Warm blood sprayed all over the ground.

"Quit yapping. What's with all that nonsense?"

Mu Yang casually shook the blood droplets from the tip of the Feather-Command Broadblade and sheathed it.

No strength to speak of, yet you dared put on airs before me.

Just a dog, yet you really thought you were a person?

Gulp!!

Li Chuang looked at the dead Li Shoucai, then at Mu Yang, who remained as calm as drifting clouds and a light breeze, and swallowed hard.

Indeed, he hated Li Shoucai to the bone. But upon hearing that the man had the Wang Family behind him, he had to admit that he had been afraid. He had hesitated. He had even considered enduring it for now, retreating to train for a few more years, and settling the score later.

Who would have thought that his own head constable was a man of few words and ruthless action, directly beheading the man?

It was simply...

So damn cool!!!

At that very moment, the noon sunlight poured down, as though it had gilded Mu Yang in a layer of golden radiance.

Li Chuang felt that if immortals truly existed in this world, they would surely be dazzling figures like his head constable!

"M-Murder!"

Only when Li Shoucai's head rolled onto the ground did the two burly men behind him react.

These two thugs who had followed Li Shoucai in bullying the villagers had never seen someone as ruthless as Mu Yang, someone who killed at the slightest disagreement. They immediately panicked and shrank back, wanting to turn and flee.

Mu Yang could not even be bothered to spare them a glance. He merely waved his hand casually. "You two handle them."

Li Chuang nodded.

Old Fang also came back to his senses and stepped forward helplessly.

At this point, he could only obey orders.

He could only hope Li Shoucai had been boasting. He had better not truly have ties to the Wang Family. Old Fang had not lived long enough yet!

However, just as Old Fang and Li Chuang prepared to step forward and subdue the two burly men, a bone-chilling coldness suddenly swept over them.

"Hehehe, boy, you killed one of my people. You've got some nerve!"

A cold voice rang out.

Old Fang and Li Chuang stiffly turned around.

On the branch of a thick old tree squatted an enormous Rat Demon with sleek, glossy fur.

It had a huge body, thick arms, and a pair of claws gleaming with black, icy light.

Its mouth stretched open, revealing sharp fangs, while its pair of green, oily eyes stared fixedly at Mu Yang.

At a single glance, Li Chuang recognized the Rat Demon. It was the enemy who had devoured his entire family that night!

"A... a Second-Rank Rat Demon!"

Seeing the Rat Demon's body, which stood nearly half again as tall as an ordinary man, Old Fang's face turned deathly pale. Even his voice trembled.

Finished, finished. They were completely finished this time.

If they had offended the Wang Family, there might still have been a sliver of hope for survival.

But encountering a Second-Rank Rat Demon meant certain death, ten deaths and no life!

Had he known that the monster in Li Village was a Second-Rank Rat Demon, then even if Mu Yang made things difficult for him afterward, he would never have followed them here.

My life is over!

Old Fang was not the only one afraid. Li Chuang was also trembling all over, his legs going weak.

Though the creature was his enemy, when faced with its savage aura, he once again felt fearfully afraid.

What unsettled him even more were Old Fang's earlier words.

Second Rank. This Rat Demon was actually Second Rank!

Li Chuang did not understand the relationship between a monster's size and its strength. He only knew that the monster Mu Yang had slain yesterday was First Rank, while this Rat Demon was Second Rank.

In terms of martial cultivation, it was the difference between the Skin and Flesh Realm and the Tendon-Bone Realm, the difference between a newcomer like him and Head Constable Wu Cai.

There was simply no comparison!

His desperate thirst for revenge had brought calamity upon the exceptionally talented Head Constable Mu!

Watching the Rat Demon slowly leap down from the tree and walk step by step toward Mu Yang, Li Chuang gritted his teeth until the pain jolted his body awake. He suddenly clenched his long blade and stood in front of Mu Yang.

"Head Constable! Run! I'll hold it back!"

His voice trembled, and his face was full of fear, but his footing remained firm.

Even knowing that stepping forward meant certain death, he could not stand by and watch Head Constable Mu die here because of his own recklessness and personal vendetta.

"This kid..."

Mu Yang was first taken aback as he looked at Li Chuang standing before him. Then the corners of his lips curved upward slightly.

This foolish child does have a kind heart.

"Hahahaha, run? Where could you possibly run?"

Watching this little display of deep affection before death, Hui Wu's eyes became even more mocking.

However, the next second, his smile froze abruptly.

Clang—!!!

The sound of metal striking metal suddenly exploded.

Mu Yang, who had just been "protected" behind Li Chuang, suddenly gripped the hilt of the Feather-Command Broadblade with his right hand and stepped forward at a speed too fast for ordinary eyes to follow.

The Perfection-level Dragon-Subduing Blade Technique erupted with full force. Carrying the weight of a thousand jun, the broad blade tore through the air with a howling wind.

The blade light was like a bolt of white silk, carrying an unstoppable, fierce force as it hacked viciously toward Hui Wu!

The blade's edge was blinding. The mockery on Hui Wu's face instantly turned to terror.

He never could have imagined that this young-looking constable possessed such terrifying strength!

He wanted to dodge, only to discover there was nowhere to evade. In his panic, he could only raise both arms and use his hard rat claws to block.

Crack!!

A crisp sound burst forth.

Under Li Chuang's gaze, still filled with the resolve to die.

The blade passed. Claws broke. Head flew!

Scalding demon blood splashed over the ground. The massive demonic body crashed down, kicking up a cloud of dust.

[ Ding! It has been detected that the host has slain a Second-Rank Rat Demon. The equipment Fox Demon Corpse has met the conditions for permanent solidification. This equipment has been permanently solidified!]

[ Ding! It has been detected that the host has slain a Second-Rank Rat Demon. The equipment Tendon-Splitting Bone-Dislocating Hand has met the conditions for permanent solidification. This equipment has been permanently solidified!]

[ Ding! It has been detected that the host has slain a Second-Rank Rat Demon. The equipment Iron Cloth Shirt has met the conditions for permanent solidification. This equipment has been permanently solidified!]

[Current number of empty Equipment Slots: 3]

The sound of equipment solidifying rang in Mu Yang's mind, but he paid it little attention. Just as when he had killed Li Shoucai,

He flicked his wrist, shook off the blood, and sheathed his blade.

Then he strolled over to Li Chuang, patted his shoulder, which had gone rigid from excessive fear and tension, and said evenly,

"Full of spirit. I have high hopes for you."