This immortal was clearly ordinary, yet he was unusually confident.

Mu Shuan was also a well-known idler in the village, but unlike Gouzi, he only occasionally stole chickens and dogs, and did not bully others like Gouzi did.

Once, when Mu Shuan was caught stealing chickens from his neighbor, the owner came to his house and beat him up.

Even so, he showed no remorse and instead seemed determined to antagonize that family, keeping watch day and night, and stealing something whenever they were slightly careless.

The other party was naturally very angry, and once even beat Mu Shuan so badly that he couldn't get out of bed.

But Mu Shuan remained unrepentant and went back to the door as soon as he was able to move again.

This put the other party in a difficult position. Although Mu Shuan was incorrigible, he hadn't actually lost anything valuable. They couldn't very well kill him.

In the end, the other party insisted on hosting a proper dinner and asked him what he wanted, but he just smiled and didn't say anything.

But after that incident, Mu Shuan stopped and never touched other people's things again. Sometimes, if someone's chicken got lost, he would even go out of his way to return it to them.

Therefore, in everyone's eyes, Mu Shuan was a strange person.

If you can avoid provoking them, then do so; if one or two chickens are lost occasionally, just turn a blind eye.

But Mu Shuan is a strange person; the less you hold it against him, the less likely he is to steal from you after one or two times.

In Mu Chunhua's memory, Mu Shuan was not a bad person. He had even gone out with a few other people in the village to help her look for her brother.

He took good care of her, especially during the time her brother was missing.

Moreover, Mu Chunhua could sense that Mu Shuan was different from the others; his gaze always carried a hint of apology, as if he felt guilty for not being able to find his brother.

Even later, when the dog bullied him, he tried his best to stop it.

Mu Chunhua remembered that Mu Shuan wasn't like this before. Although he wasn't exactly hardworking, at least he wouldn't cause trouble for the neighbors.

I don't know how it happened, but it gradually turned into what it is now.

"What happened? Did you know this dead person?"

Seeing that Mu Chunhua's expression was off, the kitten asked softly.

"I'm not familiar with him, but he's not actually a bad person. So why is the evil spirit haunting him?"

"Who knows? I think maybe we'll only know if we find that evil spirit."

Mu Chunhua stared at the kitten for a while, hesitated for a moment, and finally spoke:

"You, you're a monster, then can you defeat that evil spirit?"

The kitten immediately jumped up, as if its fur had stood on end, and said:

"What did you say! How could a mere sneaky ghost possibly be a match for me? If I were to encounter it, I would easily defeat it!"

Mu Chunhua was skeptical, hesitated for a moment, and then said somewhat embarrassedly:

"Then could you please find it? I don't want anyone else in the village to be killed. We are just ordinary people, and we can't do anything about it."

The kitten paused for a moment, then scratched its face with its paw. It was quite confident in its abilities; dealing with a ghost wasn't too difficult, but the ghost was always hiding in the shadows, so finding it wouldn't be easy.

But you can't just say you can't find it, because that would make you look bad.

Besides, it would be difficult if my older brother thought I was incompetent and abandoned me.

"That is of course no problem. It is not a difficult matter for me. However, we need to plan carefully. Otherwise, when I fight him, I may accidentally hurt you mortals."

Mu Chunhua nodded, and the way she looked at the kitten changed.

“I know, it would be great if you could help, but what if the evil spirits come here if you leave? Brother Zheng is still injured.”

The kitten couldn't help but laugh out loud:

“My older brother is really powerful. Even though he’s lying here unable to move, no little ghost would dare to come near him. By the way, I bet that vicious sword in your cabinet belongs to my older brother. Let’s go ask him.”

As she spoke, the kitten walked straight into the house, and Mu Chunhua followed her in.

Zheng Zhuang naturally heard the conversation outside, but he couldn't recall whether he had a sword.

"Brother, is that sword in the cabinet yours? Chunhua, hurry up and take it out so I can take a look."

The kitten couldn't wait. If it weren't for this sword, it wouldn't have come to this village. Moreover, this sword was always aimed at it from time to time. If it were its elder brother's sword, things would be much easier.

Mu Chunhua nodded, gently opened the cabinet, and the sword flew out with a "whoosh".

Then, with a swift turn, the sword tip was aimed directly at the kitten.

In an instant, an indescribable killing intent enveloped the kitten, which immediately lay down on the ground, trembling.

"Spare me, spare me! I... I didn't do anything!"

Mu Chunhua stared blankly, feeling a chill run down her spine. Even though the sword's killing intent wasn't directed at her, it still made her legs weak and unsteady on her feet.

When Zheng Zhuang saw the flying sword suspended in the air, a memory suddenly surfaced in his mind.

"Xiu...Xiu'er?"

The flying sword immediately stopped moving, its killing intent vanished abruptly, and then it slowly floated to Zheng Zhuang's front.

The kitten suddenly felt a lightness on its body, and before it knew it, it had broken out in a cold sweat, its fur completely soaked.

Zheng Zhuang immediately noticed the two characters on the sword – “Tianxiu” – and he truly felt a close connection between himself and the sword.

But when Zheng Zhuang tried to control the Heavenly Show Sword, it suddenly trembled and fell to the ground.

"This……"

Zheng Zhuang was stunned for a moment, and the little cat was also taken aback. Who would have thought that the flying sword, which was full of murderous intent and spiritual energy just a moment ago, would actually appear in this situation?

Mu Chunhua was also stunned for a moment, but after realizing what was happening, she gently picked it up again.

"Chunhua, please put this away for now!"

Zheng Zhuang gave a bitter smile, because he could sense the emotions of the Heavenly Show Sword, as if it might go berserk if it got any closer to him, so it chose to remain silent.

Zheng Zhuang had a vague suspicion that this might be related to his current physical condition. If the Heavenly Show Sword were to get close, it might disrupt the balance that had been painstakingly established within his body.

Moreover, the Tianxiu Sword is currently in a precarious state. Although the sword spirit within it is still conscious, it cannot remain fully alert at all times.

His physical condition is secondary; what matters is that if the balance between him and the Heavenly Sword is broken, it will have terrifying consequences.

Therefore, given the current situation, it is best to maintain the status quo.

"Big brother, is this immortal sword really yours?" the kitten asked hurriedly.

"That's probably true, but its current condition isn't very good either; it could go berserk if we're not careful," Zheng Zhuang sighed.

"Big brother, who...who exactly were you before?"

The kitten was still shaken. It sensed the boundless killing intent emanating from the Heavenly Show Sword and couldn't imagine how many killings it had witnessed. It clearly didn't belong to a righteous cultivator.

But after spending the last two days together, it realized that Zheng Zhuang was not some wicked and evil demon.

This race possesses a unique innate ability: the capacity to sense a person's true nature, or simply put, to distinguish between good and evil.

When the kitten explored Zhengzhuang yesterday, it sensed that although he was in hell, his heart was turned towards the light, which is why it bowed down in worship.

How could such a person possess such a deadly sword?

Zheng Zhuang knew why the kitten had asked the question, and after pondering for a moment, he said:

"Who is it? They shouldn't be a bad person, right?"

Mu Chunhua quickly echoed:

"Of course, how could Brother Zheng be a bad person!"

The kitten secretly shook its head. This silly girl had clearly fallen in love with her elder brother at first sight, but given her elder brother's status as a cultivator, it was likely that the difference between immortals and mortals meant he would not have a good ending.

I'm different. I've always been a loner, free and independent. Why would I need a tigress?

"Brother, something's not right with this village lately. I was thinking of going out to investigate tonight, but every time I made a move, the Immortal Sword would lock onto me. Do you think it's possible to..."

Zheng Zhuang nodded. Since he was currently immobile and protected by the Heavenly Show Sword, sending the little cat out to scout wasn't a bad idea. So he said:

"Xiuer has calmed down now. She was probably worried that you would harm me before, but she shouldn't be targeting you now."

That night.

Mu Dazhuang lit several oil lamps in the room, making the whole room very bright.

The oil lamp burns the finest oil, something even his family wouldn't normally use.

He had previously lit many candles, but they were easily blown out by the wind, so he switched to oil lamps.

This oil lamp also contains some wood powder, which most wild animals will not approach. As for whether it can ward off ghosts, it's unclear, but at least it provides some psychological comfort.

The day the dog had the accident, Mu Dazhuang was so frightened that he didn't have time to send anyone to find out about the stranger.

But when the next day came, he still hadn't heard the news of the stranger's death, which made him suspicious. Had Mu Chunhua not discovered that the man was dead, or had the man not died at all?

He recalled the details of that night, and the more he thought about it, the more something seemed off. Just as Gouzi had said, the man died too peacefully!

However, he felt somewhat relieved. Even if that person was not really dead, although he didn't know how they killed Gouzi, he was different from Gouzi. There was more than one person in his family, and it wouldn't be easy for the other party to kill him silently.

Mu Dazhuang knew that there was no such thing as "guarding against thieves for a thousand days," so he even set up a trap at home. If that person dared to come, he could take the opportunity to get rid of him, not only to kill him and silence him, but also to put an end to Mu Chunhua's hopes.

However, to his surprise, the man did not fall for the trick.

But the very next day, Mu Dazhuang heard the news of Mu Shuan's death, the same way Gouzi died.

He was also puzzled at first. Mu Shuan had not participated in what happened that night, so how could he be implicated?

But at that moment, a long-forgotten memory suddenly surfaced in his mind.

Several years ago, Mu Chunhua's father was poisoned, and her brother went out to find herbs, but he never returned.

Village chief Mu Liang then organized the able-bodied men in the village to go out and search. Mu Dazhuang, Gouzi, and Mu Shuan formed a group of three, and eventually they found Mu Chunhua's brother, Mu Dongmei, in a forest.

That grove of trees never sees sunlight, making it extremely dark and damp, and a swamp has formed within it.

When they found Mu Dongmei, she was stuck in a swamp.

Mu Dongmei was an excellent hunter, so he remained calm and didn't move. He lay on his back with his head up, maintaining a balance between his body and the swamp.

He didn't sink, but he was completely trapped and couldn't escape on his own. He could only wait for someone to rescue him.

When Mu Dazhuang and his two companions arrived, Mu Dongmei was secretly delighted, knowing that someone from the village had indeed sent someone to look for her.

"So it's you guys, Dazhuang. Do you have any ropes? Just put them around me and pull me out. If you don't, you can look for some vines in the woods outside. But be careful, this wood is really strange. But it was also luck that I found the antidote. Now my father is saved."

Mu Dongmei waited for a long time, but found that Mu Dazhuang didn't move at all, and the dog stopped Mu Shuan from going to find the vine.

"Mu Dongmei, you've finally met your match. You and Mu Dashu used to be so arrogant, weren't you? My father sent people to propose marriage to you several times, but your old man still looked down on me."

"Bah! It's your family's good fortune to be favored by the young master, but you still don't know what's good for you. Now look what's happened, you're going to die, and your father is going to die too. Poor Chunhua, she'll be all alone and helpless. What will she do in the future?"

"How dare you speak to my brother-in-law like that? Chunhua will naturally be taken care of by me in the future. In a few years, I will marry her, haha."

"Young master is so kind and gentle, that girl is so lucky!"

"Of course! Haha!"

Mu Dongmei's veins bulged instantly. He knew perfectly well that these people weren't there to save him; they were clearly there to kill him.

After they kill me, they certainly won't be kind enough to help me take the herbs back. Without the herbs, my father won't last more than a few days. Then, all that will be left is young Chunhua, who will be at their mercy. They are truly vicious.

"You, you... Shuanzi, I've never treated you badly, are you going to join them in harming me too?"

"I...I..."

"If I were you, I'd better not move, or I'll bury you with me."

The dog pulled out a hunting knife and gently pressed it against the back of the wooden stake.

"Isn't all you want my precious baby? If you save me, I'll go home and save my dad, then he can give it to you!"

Mu Dongmei tried to stall for time. He knew that Mu Dashu was definitely looking for him too. As long as the others arrived, Mu Dazhuang and the others would not dare to make a move.

"Is that really true? If you had been this sensible earlier, there wouldn't have been so much trouble."

Mu Dazhuang was clearly tempted, but Gouzi quickly dissuaded him:

"Young master, please don't fall for it! If he goes back and denies everything, and then exposes what happened here, we'll be in deep trouble!"

Upon hearing this, Mu Dongmei panicked and said urgently:

"The herbs are in my bag. You can take them first. If I change my mind after I get back, you can destroy the herbs. I can't just abandon my father's life, can I?"

"That makes sense!"

"Oh dear, my young master, don't believe him. Even if I go back and get that thing, he can still collude with Mu Dashu and the others to take it back. And if everyone finds out, we might not be able to keep it! Wouldn't it be better to get it without anyone noticing?"

Mu Dazhuang gritted his teeth and slowly pulled out his hunting knife:

"Damn it, I almost fell for it! Let's do it!"

"Young master, wait a moment. Why use a knife to kill someone?"

The dog chuckled sinisterly, then pulled a few sheets of paper from its pocket.

"Soak this stuff, then put it on his face. When he can't hold on any longer, he'll struggle and sink on his own. Don't blame us then!"

"You're a real scoundrel!"

"Hehe, young master, you flatter me. Shuanzi, here, you take one too!"

Mu Shuan felt the hunting knife pressed against his back move forward. If he didn't do as Gouzi said, Gouzi would really kill him.

Mu Shuan took it with trembling hands, and then, under Gouzi's coercion, placed it on Mu Dongmei's face.

Mu Dongmei was able to hold on at first, knowing that he would sink if he moved. But when the third wet paper was stuck to his face, he suddenly felt short of breath and could no longer hold on. He moved and slowly sank down, leaving only a few pieces of paper floating on the swamp.

I watched quietly for a while, until the swamp became completely still.

The dog slowly sheathed its hunting knife and grinned at the wooden bolt, saying:

"Shuanzi, you were involved too. If word gets out... hehe!"

Mu Shuan looked at the spot where Mu Dongmei had sunk, his face full of shame. He sighed dejectedly and shook his head blankly, saying:

"I don't know, I don't know anything, we didn't see Mu Dongmei, we didn't see her, we didn't see her!"

"Haha, right, I didn't see it!"

Mu Dazhuang and Gouzi exchanged a glance and burst into laughter.