Those who reincarnate must die.

Why did Zhang Lang change his direction at the last minute?

He remembered a former coworker who came from Changle Village.

According to him, the village head had a relative who worked in the Imperial Works Department, and he heard that the position was quite high. Two years ago, on the village head's sixtieth birthday, that relative sent a gift through someone: a revolver made in Tanyang!

Tanyang is not the largest military factory in Lu State, but it is the most famous in the industry.

Because that place is home to many superhumans who can manipulate metal and fire. With these abilities, they can maximize the potential of metals, smelt super alloys with extremely high performance, and then forge the finest weapons in the world.

However, these supernatural products can only be specially made and cannot be mass-produced. Therefore, what Tanyang produces are generally experimental products, that is, flagship versions. Other military factories imitate them, trying to copy the formula and process as much as possible, and then controlling the cost. In the end, the products are basically stripped-down versions, with performance several levels worse.

Because of the widespread presence of superhumans in this world, arms control isn't actually that strict. Ordinary people can directly purchase firearms for self-defense as long as they have the necessary permits from the imperial court. It's not uncommon for high-quality firearms produced in Tanyang to circulate through legal or illegal channels, ending up in the hands of officials and wealthy merchants. These weapons are essentially treated like precious swords, porcelain, and calligraphy—collectibles. As long as there isn't large-scale trading, the imperial court turns a blind eye.

So after obtaining the precious gun, the village head showed it off quite a bit in the village. According to Zhang Lang's coworker, the gun was frighteningly large and had a fierce design; it was said to have been specially made for the village head by a relative.

Because the village head himself was an extraordinary individual with enhanced strength, capable of effortlessly carrying a strong ox with one arm and walking swiftly along mountain paths, this oversized firearm was a perfect fit for him.

I heard that the village head once took this thing to hunt in the mountains and blew the head off a demon bear with one shot!

That was a notoriously ferocious beast, standing over two zhang tall, with thick, rough skin and bones as hard as steel; ordinary firearms and crossbow bolts couldn't even penetrate its hide. There, they were using a pelt to make a coat, not only warm but also for self-defense. The fact that such a monster could be killed with a single shot speaks volumes about the power of that pistol.

Back then, when everyone in the factory was just chatting idly, Zhang Lang was just listening for the fun and even suspected that his coworker was bragging. Now, passing through Changle Village, he remembered his old joke and decided to go in and find out for himself.

If we can really find that gun, even if it's not as powerful as the rumors say, the reputation of the Tanyang-made gun is still much better than the standard equipment in the county town!

As they continued along the path, they encountered a monster that resembled a wolf but was about the size of a bull. Zhang Lang's crossbow bolt struck it, but only the arrowhead was missing and the skin was slightly broken. In the end, Zhang Lang had to use his hand to cut it open.

[At this point, I hope readers will remember our domain name 1110 ...

Shaking his bloodied hands, Zhang Lang glanced at the monster's corpse and thought to himself, "A year ago, I would have run away at the sight of such a beast. Now, killing it is as easy as killing a chicken. I've definitely become stronger..."

They cautiously made their way into the village along the path and encountered no further threats. This was partly due to Zhang Lang's carefulness, and partly because the area was inhabited by humans, and there weren't many wild animals in the surrounding mountains and forests. On the contrary, the closer one got to the village or town, the easier it was to encounter monsters.

Most of them are monsters that humans have turned into.

According to Zhang Lang's observations, monsters transformed from humans are usually more powerful than those transformed from wild beasts. Moreover, because humans transform at different speeds, many of the first monsters to complete the transformation will kill the humans around them who are still transforming. As a result, in the end, only a handful of monsters will remain wandering around villages with a population of several hundred. These monsters are often so powerful that they deter the wild monsters in the surrounding mountains and forests from approaching.

The earthen houses in the countryside are naturally not as sturdy as the concrete houses in the city. They are generally low brick and tile houses, and many of them have been demolished by the villagers who suddenly turned into monsters, leaving ruins everywhere.

Zhang Lang carefully made his way through the ruins and soon found the village head's house!

Although he had never been to Chang Le Village, he could guess what it was based on the largest house he saw.

The walls, eighteen feet high, and the tall houses built with blue bricks, lime, and mortar are indeed not on the same scale as other low bungalows, and the main structure has been basically preserved.

The mansion's main gate was locked, seemingly blocked from the inside. There were scratch marks on the gate, likely a resistance taken to prevent monsters from entering when the mutation first occurred.

Zhang Lang didn't force his way in. Instead, he nimbly vaulted over the wall covered in thorny vines. This was a mutated plant with inch-long thorns growing on its vines and secreting a poisonous sap. Many animals had been paralyzed by the toxins after being entangled in the vines, becoming unable to move, and were then slowly eaten by the digestive juices secreted by the vines...

However, to Zhang Lang, these splinters, resembling toothpicks, were like a cat's whiskers—they couldn't hurt his tough skin at all...

"What a huge mansion..."

Zhang Lang sighed softly. Since the Industrial Revolution, houses in towns have been built taller and taller, and living conditions have become more and more crowded. These grand mansions with their vast lands are basically no longer seen.

Bypassing the shadow wall, I followed the wall to the main hall, seeing several mutilated skeletons along the way. Some were still human-shaped, while others had undergone partial mutations, growing horns, claws, and long tails. However, it seemed they had been killed by more advanced monsters during the mutation process.

Upon entering the lobby, a thick layer of dust covered the floor, the hanging plaques were crooked, the calligraphy and paintings were torn and weathered, the tables and chairs were broken, and even the thick beams were covered with scratches.

After searching around, Zhang Lang shook his head. The treasure was unlikely to be displayed in the main hall; it was most likely in the bedroom or storeroom at the back… Such a beloved weapon was more likely to be kept in the bedroom.

Thinking of this, Zhang Lang made his way into the backyard. There were many rooms there, with servants' and laborers' rooms on both sides, and several large rooms inside, which must belong to the master family. Most of the doors were open and collapsed, covered with cobwebs.

Zhang Lang found the village head's bedroom and quietly slipped inside. He found that unlike the other rooms, which were covered in dust and had no furniture such as tables, chairs, or beds, which had been smashed and thrown on either side of the door, there was a thick layer of dry grass in the corner, which seemed to have been pressed down by something and was dented in the middle.

Could someone still be living here? Zhang Lang felt a surge of excitement, but quickly dismissed the thought. If someone were, why would they leave the house so empty, with a perfectly good bed lying around instead of dry straw?

Just as they were wondering what was going on, a noise suddenly came from outside.

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