Chapter 19: Divine Power

Chapter 19: Supernatural Arts

"Get out," Zhou Xia gritted through clenched teeth.

Damn it, he was reacting again.

"Help me," Sang Xu persisted.

Fearing Zhou Xia might notice his physical response, he steeled himself and asked, "...How can I help?"

"I need to borrow your ashes."

"What do you need my ashes for?"

"To eat."

Zhou Xia: "???"

Sang Xu had thoroughly analyzed the contents of *Big Dipper's Dark Arts*. Below the "Knocking Gate" were three supernatural abilities: Underworld Gazing, Soul Binding, and Intermediate State. Underworld Gazing was a method to perceive the past. Through a medium (which had to be an antique or something imbued with spiritual energy), the practitioner could view events connected to that medium's history.

Soul Binding allowed one to detain newly deceased souls, harnessing some of their supernatural powers for personal use. Intermediate State, on the other hand, granted a living person ghostly attributes, such as enhanced speed and lowered body temperature. Its most remarkable feature was the ability to "transform into death," allowing the living to briefly feign being deceased.

After careful deliberation, Sang Xu concluded that "Intermediate State" was his most pressing need.

Firstly, he currently had no desire to delve into the past or predict the future.

Secondly, as a programmer who spent years hunched over a keyboard in an office, he desperately needed to improve his physical fitness. If he were ever chased by ghosts in his dreams, he could at least run away. Feigning death was also an excellent tactic to confuse malevolent spirits and escape perilous situations.

Thirdly, while Soul Binding was extraordinary, it required newly deceased souls. Sang Xu could barely protect himself at the moment, let alone bind someone else's soul.

Finally, and most crucially, learning Underworld Gazing required burning the talisman paper from the Impermanent Immortal (in its incomplete form) into ash for consumption, while learning Soul Binding demanded burning the Impermanent Immortal's hair into ash. He couldn't acquire the materials for either of these arts. What even was an Impermanent Immortal? He'd never even heard of it. Even if he knew, he wouldn't dare remove its talisman or cut its hair.

Only the material for Intermediate State—the ashes of an ancient corpse—was something he knew how to obtain.

Wasn't Ancestor Zhou Xia precisely such an ancient ghost?

With this thought, Sang Xu's gaze towards Zhou Xia intensified with a hint of longing.

Under that piercing stare, Zhou Xia's skin prickled with goosebumps.

Wait, what was happening? Zhou Xia was the malevolent spirit, so why did Sang Xu feel even more unsettling?

"Stay away from me," Zhou Xia pushed him.

Sang Xu looked slightly disappointed. "Is it not allowed?"

"Nonsense, of course not," Zhou Xia retorted angrily.

"But I can't eat anyone else's ashes."

"Why?"

Sang Xu stared intently at him. "Because it has to be you."

Ashes couldn't be consumed indiscriminately. According to the booklet, the original owner's temperament and characteristics would influence the consumer. For instance, if the original owner had been prone to debauchery in life, the consumer might gradually become similarly depraved. Zhou Xia, however, was trustworthy. Based on Sang Xu's understanding, consuming his ashes would, at worst, only make him a little dumber.

He gazed quietly at Zhou Xia, his eyes, deep as the night, utterly focused.

Under such a gaze, a heartbeat inexplicably echoed within Zhou Xia's otherwise empty chest.

Thump-thump-thump—

His ears flushed red.

Damn it, he couldn't waver. Sang Xu was merely coveting his ashes!

Zhou Xia righteously refused, "Impossible!"

He shoved Sang Xu away, sending him sprawling to the ground, where he lay quietly watching. Zhou Xia, however, remained impassive. He walked to the door without a backward glance, his back to Sang Xu, and said, "You audacious little brat, daring to covet my ashes. Stay here obediently. I'll come back to beat you tomorrow."

"Okay, I'll wait for you," Sang Xu replied.

Zhou Xia: "..."

Suddenly, his heart felt as if it were being tickled by an itch.

As if to prove his heart was as hard as iron and completely immune to Sang Xu's allure, he slammed the door shut and left.

***

For four whole days, Zhou Xia did not visit Sang Xu. The corporal punishment was changed from spanking to striking the palms, with Zhou Xia delegating the task to Zhou Anjin. The execution process was recorded and sent to Zhou Xia for review. Zhou Anjin, impartial and strict, carried out Zhou Xia's punishment to the letter, leaving Sang Xu's hands swollen like roasted pig trotters.

Through the screen, Zhou Xia no longer had to endure Sang Xu's focused, pitiful gaze, nor would he be bewitched by the little deceiver.

Four days later, he asked Zhou Anjin, "Did he beg for mercy?"

"No," Zhou Anjin replied.

"What is he doing then?"

Zhou Anjin opened his computer, displaying the surveillance feed from Sang Xu's room. Sang Xu was typing on his keyboard with his red and swollen hands, the computer screen's light flickering across his pale face.

Zhou Anjin said, "Mr. Sang has been working remotely for four days."

Zhou Xia: "..."

"Ancestor, what do you think..."

"Think what?" Zhou Xia sneered. "He's just putting on a pitiful act for me."

With that, Zhou Xia promptly turned off the screen.

In the rear chamber, Sang Xu checked the date. He had only one day left before entering the dream again—time was running out. Over the past few days, he had tried listing the Nightmare Company building with a real estate agent, but the agent claimed they couldn't even locate the building. Sang Xu recalled the company's rule: only the boss and designated employees could enter. It seemed ordinary people were barred.

Owning a property in Beijing yet being unable to sell it pained Sang Xu deeply.

After joining the Zhou family's Outsiders Group, the Zhous provided him with a replica of an ancient text detailing three supernatural arts: Nuo Invocation, Fire Breathing, and Nuo Horse Galloping.

The essence of Nuo Invocation was that invoking a specific Nuo would grant its abilities. Fire Breathing was the power to inhale, exhale, and control flames, while Nuo Horse Galloping was a travel technique, which, according to the Zhou family, was faster than high-speed rail.

These supernatural arts were quite advantageous for newcomers, but the problem was that the Zhou family didn't provide the learning materials. For example, learning Nuo Invocation required collecting fragments of twenty-four century-old divine statues. Currently under house arrest by Zhou Xia, he couldn't leave. Searching online proved fruitless; these items were too niche, with nothing found on Xianyu or Taobao.

It was time to exploit the new employee.

He wrote an anonymous text message program, drafted a message seeking "fragments of twenty-four century-old divine statues," signed it "Boss," and sent it to Han Rao.

However, he didn't hold much hope, as he was well aware of Han Rao's limited capabilities.

He could only persist with the "Intermediate State."

Sang Xu looked out the latticed window. The sky was pitch black, and the garden was shrouded in deep night. The Zhou family's ancestral home was silent. They said Zhou Xia preferred quiet, so even during the day, no one spoke loudly in the mansion.

He wasn't deliberately working overtime these past few days. Although Liu Jianguo had approved his leave, the deadlines for his tasks remained unchanged. Any time off without a deadline extension was a sham, so Sang Xu had to ask Zhou Anjin to bring his laptop from the office so he could enter a frantic crunch mode.

After finishing the last task, he stood up, scooped a handful of soil from the flowerpot on the windowsill, went to the bathroom, removed the drain cover, dumped the dirt in, replaced the cover, and turned on the shower.

The plumbing in such an old house was typically poor, and since Sang Xu had tampered with it, the bathroom began to flood shortly after. Sang Xu called Zhou Anjin and said, "Sorry to bother you, but my bathroom drain is clogged. Could you come take a look?"

"Mr. Sang, I've already gone home and I'm quite far from the old residence. How about I schedule a plumber to come check it out tomorrow? For tonight, I'll have another side room set up for you."

"Alright." Sang Xu paused and asked, "Can I stay in the west wing? The garden view there is lovely."

"Of course."

***

Zhou Xia had Zhou Yinan arrange for some male escorts.

He suspected that he had been lying dormant for too long and, having never experienced carnal pleasures during his time among humans, he had been utterly captivated by a mere trifle like Sang Xu.

He decided to find new companions and completely banish Sang Xu from his mind.

But sitting in the flashing lights of the KTV, as one flamboyant, heavily made-up male escort after another passed by him, each reeking of perfume that made him want to sneeze, he found himself utterly repulsed.

"Get out of here," he commanded.

Zhou Yinan dismissed the escorts.

"Ancestor, what type do you prefer? Tell me, and I'll surely find them for you."

Zhou Xia thought for a moment and said, "A graduate student, doesn't talk much, but when he does, it gets under your skin. Speaks English, loves working overtime—do you have anyone like that?"

Zhou Yinan: "..."

Isn't there already one right at home? Why look elsewhere?

Zhou Yinan began, "Sang—"

"Don't mention him. You think I'm talking about him?" Zhou Xia angrily emphasized, "I have absolutely no interest in him."

"Yes, yes," Zhou Yinan quickly nodded. "You have no interest in him."

Zhou Xia grumbled into his drink, recalling when Sang Shoujia had first unearthed him. The one-eyed old man sat quietly by his graveside and said, "Ancestor, the Sang family has guarded the Ghost Gate for generations, and it's been long enough. I'm old, our ancestors are all dead, and I must send out the last remaining heir of the Sang family."

"Give me a compelling reason why I should help you," he sneered, "otherwise I'll devour you right now."

The old man smiled faintly and said, "Keep my grandson alive, and you will find what you've lost."

Zhou Xia fell silent at once.

"Why should I believe you?" Zhou Xia narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing him.

"Take a gamble. You have nothing to lose," the old man said softly. "What do you say?"

Hmph. Zhou Xia muttered to himself. Now that he thought about it, both generations of the Sang family were full of lies—an old swindler and a young swindler. It's just that Zhou Xia had been lying underground for too long, his mind dulled, and he hadn't realized it at the time.

He was determined to torment Sang Xu thoroughly, making him beg for death but unable to attain it.

He drained all his alcohol and headed home.

Zhou Yinan buzzed in his ear, "Ancestor, my daughter-in-law is also an outsider. She's about to enter the dream. Do you think you could show her the ropes..."

Zhou Xia, still fuming, impatiently said, "Get lost. Don't bother me."

Returning to his wing of the house, he suddenly heard the faint, pattering sound of water. He had long instructed the Zhou household that he preferred silence; he wanted the estate to be as silent as a tomb. The continuous trickling sound annoyed him. He shoved the wooden window open angrily, to see who had the nerve to disturb the night.

Across the small garden, the originally dark window was now illuminated. The lattice-patterned windows of the Zhou family's old mansion were fitted with glass—the old-fashioned kind with frosted, crackle-patterned glass, yellowish and translucent, like squares of jelly. In one of those jelly-like panes opposite Zhou Xia, a faint, naked figure was visible.

He was bathing, the sound of water splashing clearly audible. His slender silhouette was cast onto the window, resembling a shadow puppet. He was a youthful and handsome young man, unlike those male escorts, entirely free of any hint of effeminacy. Zhou Xia had sharp eyesight; he could see glistening droplets trailing down the man's lean back, the dip of his lower back, his peach-like buttocks… Further down was obscured by the red-brick wall, a pity. Zhou Xia remembered his legs were straight and pale.

Sang Xu, in the midst of bathing, suddenly heard a creak behind him. A cold breeze fluttered against his back like a butterfly, sending a shiver through him. He turned around, water droplets falling from his dark hair. In his blurred, wet vision, Zhou Xia was crouched on the windowsill, glaring at him darkly.

"Trying to seduce me again?" Zhou Xia sneered.

"The drain in my room is broken. Zhou Anjin had me moved here," Sang Xu explained calmly. "You can ask him if you don't believe me."

Zhou Xia jumped down from the windowsill and closed in on him. He carried a faint scent of alcohol, mingling with the steamy mist. Sang Xu retreated until his back pressed against the cold tiles. The showerhead above was still on, water pattering down on both their shoulders.

Zhou Xia looked down at him—his dark hair, his dark eyes, dark and intense as ink. Cornered, Sang Xu felt the overwhelming presence of Zhou Xia, who stood 1.88 meters tall, looming over him. Zhou Xia was fully clothed, while Sang Xu stood naked and dripping wet, like a rabbit awaiting slaughter.

"Not seducing me?" Zhou Xia clicked his tongue. "Prove it to me, then."

Sang Xu frowned and pushed against Zhou Xia, but he stood firm, unmoving. Zhou Xia noticed his hands, red and streaked with ruler marks.

Sang Xu whispered, "Please, I'm cold. Let me put on some clothes."

The capital's winter wind cut like a knife. Zhou Xia glanced down; Sang Xu's shoulders were pale and trembling. He was genuinely cold, shivering so much that he instinctively burrowed into Zhou Xia's arms, as if seeking warmth.

Zhou Xia muttered a low curse, picked Sang Xu up, stepped onto the windowsill, crossed the garden, and returned to his own chamber. He tossed him into the bed, rubbing his hands and then his face. Sang Xu's dark eyes watched Zhou Xia intently, with focused stillness.

The alcohol burned like a fire; wherever Sang Xu's gaze landed, it seemed to ignite.

Zhou Xia thought he had two choices: either gouge out those hook-like dark eyes of Sang Xu's, or regardless of whether it was seduction or not, have him anyway. After all, Sang Xu was given to him by the Sang family as his spouse—wasn't it only natural to enjoy what was rightfully his?

Three seconds later, Zhou Xia made his decision.

Sleep!

***

Zhou Xia fell asleep.

Sang Xu slowly rose from his side. He must have drunk a lot, sleeping very deeply. Sang Xu poked his bare chest, but there was no response. Barefoot, he got out of bed, draped Zhou Xia's black silk outer robe over himself, put on his pants, and began searching the room. The multi-compartment cabinets were all empty.

Zhou Xia couldn't stray too far from his ashes; he must carry them with him.

Sang Xu then searched his bed and, sure enough, found a sandalwood box buried deep within the bedding.

Found it.

Sang Xu brought the ashes back to his own chamber and glanced at his watch. There were only thirty minutes left until midnight.

That unknown entity, Zhou Xia, had too much energy; it had taken too long, and time was running short.

Would there be side effects from consuming the ashes of an unknown entity?

Time ticked away, second by second. There was no time to overthink.

He took a deep breath, stirred in a little soy sauce, and swallowed Zhou Xia's ashes mouthful by mouthful.