Chapter 16: True Face

Chapter 16 The True Face

At half past six in the evening, Sang Xu arrived at the Zhou family's ancestral home.

Night had already fallen, with an amber moon climbing over the courtyard walls, casting a gleaming light on the roof tiles. A row of red lanterns hung at the entrance of the old residence, their rouge-colored light illuminating the sleek, black cars parked at the doorstep. Elegantly dressed men and women stepped out of the vehicles—the men in suits, their leather shoes polished to a mirror shine, and the women in satin cheongsams, their willow-thin waists nipped in tightly, their fingers adorned with diamond rings the size of lotus seeds.

Sang Xu suddenly realized he was underdressed. Standing among these people in his hoodie, sweatshirt, and jeans, he stuck out conspicuously. The scene resembled a period drama, and Sang Xu felt like an anachronistic intruder from another time.

Bracing himself, he showed his company badge to the gatekeeper, who ushered him inside. They bypassed the spirit wall, traversed the winding covered corridor, and headed straight for the open-air grand hall. The hall was abuzz with conversation, filled with the extensive family of the big boss. Relatives from all corners of the country had all gathered for this family banquet, linking arms and catching up with one another.

Fragments of conversation drifted to his ears—this banquet was specially held for the chairman's great-great-uncle. Many were eager to offer toasts to the great-great-uncle. Sang Xu mentioned this in the work chat group, and everyone expressed puzzlement.

Don't Bother Me and I Won't Bother You: "Can the great-great-uncle even chew anymore?"

Iced Americano Less Bitter Than My Life: "Will all the dishes at the family banquet be liquid food?"

A long table stood in the center of the hall, laden with various dishes for self-service. At the head of the hall was a round table already occupied by several white-haired elders, likely senior members of the big boss's family.

Was the chairman's great-great-uncle among them?

The central seat was empty, just waiting for someone. No one paid Sang Xu any attention, which suited him just fine. He focused on eating, specifically targeting the expensive dishes. He had resolved to eat his way to triple his salary, treating it as a personal bonus.

His phone buzzed incessantly as the work chat group blew up with mentions.

Don't Bother Me and I Won't Bother You: "Brother Xu, how's the food at the big boss's place? Is it really liquid?"

Requirements in Progress, Nag Again and I'll Quit: "Can you pack some leftovers for our midnight snack? We're pulling overtime again tonight."

Iced Americano Less Bitter Than My Life: "LMAO, you think the big boss's home is a restaurant? Little Xu, go toast the big boss and get some face recognition."

Toasting was out of the question. Sang Xu, now full, prepared to leave.

The front of the hall erupted in commotion, as if someone important had arrived. The Zhou family members, previously scattered around, now gathered together. Sang Xu paid no mind, munching on chocolate cake while hailing a ride on his phone. Once the car arrived, he grabbed another piece of mango cake and turned to leave, only to hear a voice from the crowd snarl through clenched teeth—

"Liu Jianguo!"

Sang Xu froze, wondering if Jian Guo was here too.

Wait, why did that voice sound familiar?

He turned around slowly and saw the crowd part. At the elders' table, a tall man sat in the center. His hair was shorter, but he still wore the ornate ancient Nuo mask, with a string of vermillion tassels dangling from his right ear. He was dressed in a black wide-sleeved, knot-fastened outer robe embroidered with ghost faces and lotuses, intricate and vibrant.

Seeing him was more terrifying than seeing a ghost. Sang Xu's heart stopped.

He stood out vividly among the crowd, overshadowing all the pompously dressed men and women. Though a bizarre, unearthly being, he shone like a dazzling sun.

When had Zhou Xia escaped from the dream? And why was he here?

Wait, the big boss's family name was Zhou. Zhou Xia… Sang Xu suddenly understood.

The Zhou surname was one of the Six Great Families! They had succeeded in ascending, crossing from the dream into reality.

He turned to flee, but Zhou Xia shouted, "Stop him!"

Immediately, two hulking, bald bodyguards in suits rushed over and pinned Sang Xu. Someone kicked the back of his knees, and Sang Xu, unable to withstand the pain, dropped to his knees.

"Let me explain," Sang Xu pleaded, trying to save himself.

"Explain?" Zhou Xia walked over, pulled a handgun from a bodyguard's pocket, and pressed it against Sang Xu's forehead. "You mean lie?"

Since arriving in this world, he had made a point to learn many new things—primarily how to use modern language to curse Liu Jianguo and modern methods to kill Liu Jianguo.

A silver-haired old man approached and whispered something into Zhou Xia's ear. Zhou Xia exploded in anger. "Even your name was a lie! There isn't a single word of truth in your mouth."

The gun barrel was cold, quickly leaving a red mark on Sang Xu's forehead. His mind raced, searching for a way out of this predicament.

The elder beside Zhou Xia looked familiar. Sang Xu recalled—this man actually resembled the big boss from the annual meeting speech video.

"Chairman," Sang Xu said, "murder is illegal!"

Zhou Yinan said with a regretful smile. "Young man, how did you manage to offend the ancestor? Making a body disappear is difficult, but not impossible."

They clearly had no regard for human life. Sang Xu couldn't understand—how could such lawless elements exist in a society governed by law? If he died at the big boss's home, would it count as death in service? Would insurance pay out? But even if it did, he had no family to benefit from it.

His heart sank. Looking around at the Zhou family members, he saw them all standing by watching indifferently, as if enjoying a spectacle. Sang Xu lifted his eyes to Zhou Xia. "Give me one more chance, please?"

Zhou Xia gripped his chin and said sinisterly, "What did you say back then? 'Wish you an early ascent to bliss'?"

"..." Sang Xu sighed. "I was wrong."

This time, he truly had made a mistake—

If he was going to deceive Zhou Xia, he should have seen it through to the end. Breaking ties at the final step was a wasted effort.

"I spent who knows how long in that damned place, waiting for these unfilial descendants to summon my soul," Zhou Xia said with a venomous smile. "I knew we'd meet again. Sang—Xu," he spat out each syllable, "after all this time apart, have you missed me?"

Well, actually, it hadn't been that long, Sang Xu thought. They had only been apart for a day.

Zhou Xia, seeing him lost in thought, grew even angrier. "How dare you zone out!"

Sang Xu said earnestly, "I'm really reflecting on my mistakes."

"Lies," Zhou Xia snarled through clenched teeth. "You little brat, you're out of chances. Take your lies and go back to hell."

With that, he pulled the trigger.

Sang Xu's heart nearly stopped, his entire body freezing up. However, the expected gunshot never came—the cold barrel remained pressed against his forehead.

The gun had jammed.

Zhou Xia pulled the trigger several times in succession, but the handgun seemed broken, utterly unresponsive.

"You idiots, what kind of junk did you buy?" Zhou Xia cursed. "Who bought this piece of crap? Get out of the Zhou family."

He turned the handgun over, peered into the barrel, and inadvertently pulled the trigger again.

This time, the gun did not jam. With a loud "bang"—it fired.

Everyone recoiled in shock, and screams erupted around them: "Ancestor!"

Sang Xu: "..."

Suddenly, floating text appeared before his eyes—

["Mother of the Dipper's Gaze" has been exhausted.]

Belatedly, he realized it was nighttime—the time when "Mother of the Dipper's Gaze" took effect.

The divinely bestowed luck had caused the gun to jam when aimed at him, allowing him to survive by sheer chance.

Amid the exclamations, a round hole appeared on the forehead of Zhou Xia’s Nuo mask. From that hole, cracks spread out with a sizzle. The ancient Nuo mask shattered into pieces, clattering as they fell to the ground. All the Zhou family members quickly turned their faces away, none daring to look him in the face. Only the clueless rookie Sang Xu, unaware of the situation, tilted his head up and happened to meet the golden eyes behind the mask.

It was an extraordinarily handsome face, like an immortal from an ancient painting—boldly inked, with profound, striking features. The most captivating were his golden eyes, which blazed like eternal flames. Yet, his expression was filled with clenched teeth, giving him an almost childish air that seemed at odds with his age.

The bullet left no mark on his face; it had passed through the mask and vanished to God knows where.

"What are you looking at?" Zhou Xia snarled. "Keep staring and I’ll gouge your eyes out."

"Why are they afraid to look at you?"

Zhou Xia couldn’t help but think to himself that this bastard was nothing but lies and questions.

Even facing death, he was still as curious as a kid.

"Didn’t I teach you that some things aren’t meant to be seen? Hmm?" Zhou Xia said.

"Am I going to die then?"

Zhou Xia deliberately tried to scare him, grinning sinisterly. "Yes, you’re about to be done for, just like those villagers who became monsters. Scared?"

"No," Sang Xu said.

"Why not?"

Sang Xu looked at him calmly and said, "Because you're beautiful."

Author's Note:

Sang Xu is a person with immense inner strength.