Chapter 56: Deathly Silence

Chapter 56: Dead Silence

Golden Vase Lady's beautiful face suddenly twisted with terror and fear. "I cannot say."

"Why?" Sang Xu pressed.

Golden Vase Lady whispered, "Because his past is related to divinities."

Sang Xu glanced at Zhou Xia, whose brow was tightly furrowed, his golden eyes shadowed and unreadable.

Related to divinities?

Had Emperor Xia had encounters with gods?

"Is there anything else you can tell us?" Sang Xu continued.

Silence filled the ancestral hall. On the altar where tall red candles burned, the eerie human head, as if afraid of being overheard, lowered its voice and uttered a phrase.

"His true name is Xi Huang."

Sang Xu, insatiable, wanted to ask more. But Golden Vase Lady had completely shut down. She could answer at most ten questions a day, and having already answered one extra, she refused to say anything more no matter what. Later, when Sang Xu asked how to contact her, she contorted fiercely and reluctantly revealed a method.

To prevent Golden Vase Lady from leaking their secret as outsiders, Zhou Xia locked her inside a crate in the ancestral hall's storage room. This place was rarely visited and wouldn’t be discovered for a while.

Leaving the ancestral hall, Zhou Xia crouched on the ground, picked up a twig, and wrote the two characters: "Xi Huang."

"Did you remember anything?" Sang Xu glanced down at him.

His expression was gloomy. "Nothing."

"At least now we can confirm your family name is Xi, not Zhou," Sang Xu said softly.

If the ancestor learned he wasn’t from the Zhou family, then if Sang Xu ever had conflicts with the Zhous in the future, he wouldn’t have to choose between Sang Xu and the family. Sang Xu had to make the ancestor aware of this but couldn’t reveal that he possessed a corpse worm bead. Using Golden Vase Lady to disclose the truth today was a perfect opportunity.

Likely out of self-interest, to distance the ancestor from that father and son, all the festival offerings sent by the Zhou family were sold for scrap by Sang Xu. Now, everything the ancestor wore from head to toe was bought by Sang Xu—his toothbrush matched Sang Xu’s, his shower gel and shampoo shared the same scent, and even his pajamas and underwear were matching sets.

Objectively speaking, this was excessive, but Sang Xu felt it wasn’t enough and decided they should even wear matching slippers in the future.

However, Zhou Xia snorted and said, "Idiot, she’s lying to you."

"Lying to me?" Sang Xu frowned.

"I remembered the formula your grandfather mentioned," Zhou Xia discarded the twig. "For the Full Yin Body, you must lie in the coffin of a preserved corpse overnight. For Soul Binding, you must smear the bodily fluids of an Asura corpse. That wretch deliberately told you the opposite. If you actually follow her instructions, you’re doomed. It’s clear she doesn’t speak a word of truth—she’s a complete little liar, just like you."

Sang Xu: "..."

"Sang Xiaoguai," Zhou Xia erased the characters on the ground and stood up. "I advise you to give up any thought of sowing discord between me and the Zhou family. I would never betray my kin for you."

Silence fell before the ancestral hall, the ground littered with withered grass, a scene of desolation.

Family?

The word felt like a thorn, pricking at Sang Xu.

"Is that so? Am I not your family?" he suddenly asked.

Zhou Xia scoffed. "What kind of family are you? We’re not related by blood. At most, I’m just looking after you on behalf of your elders."

"So, ancestor, don’t you love me?" Sang Xu met his gaze calmly.

Meeting the young man’s dark eyes, Zhou Xia hesitated. Sang Xu’s expression was blank, his dark eyes devoid of emotion. He was always like this—distant, like a passing breeze. Zhou Xia could never see through him.

"Why ask that all of a sudden?" Zhou Xia tilted his head, studying him.

"I’m very selfish," Sang Xu said slowly. "Even though I’ve deceived you many times, I still hope you love me—deeply, above all others, and only me."

Zhou Xia: "..."

Even as a centuries-old ancestor, he had never met someone so shameless.

He had swindled all his assets, even consumed his ashes, and now he wanted to con his true heart!? And to say it so brazenly, as if it were natural—Zhou Xia suspected his brain had been eaten by evil spirits.

"Why don’t you just go fly a kite?" Zhou Xia sneered, pinching his cheek. "You have no sincerity yourself, yet you demand others’ sincerity? How preposterous. Sang Xiaoguai, wanting me to love you is impossible."

"Then how can I make you love me?"

"I said, it’s impossible." Zhou Xia’s tone was hard and cold.

"Give me a chance." Sang Xu pleaded earnestly.

The young man stared at him unblinkingly, as if his whole world contained only him.

Zhou Xia didn’t understand—did Sang Xu, this little liar, look at everyone so intently?

Zhou Xia turned away. "Depends on your behavior."

Sang Xu asked humbly, "How should I behave?"

"You need me to teach you that? No sincerity."

"Alright," Sang Xu boldly proposed. "Let’s have sex tonight."

Zhou Xia exploded in anger. "Get lost!!!"

Han Rao returned from smoking and, seeing Zhou Xia beside Sang Xu, wasn’t surprised but delighted. "Mr. Zhou!"

Having witnessed Mr. Zhou’s prowess at the haunted house of the Impermanent Immortal, he knew this was a formidable expert. Even Shen Zhili, that deranged fool, had been put in his place by Mr. Zhou.

It was normal for an expert to appear and disappear mysteriously. Han Rao said, "I’ve been wanting to repay you but never had the chance. I know mainlanders love Maotai. What’s your address and phone number? I’ll send you some."

Sang Xu: "..."

The company was already overflowing with Maotai. Sang Xu not only had more Maotai than he could drink but had more than he could handle. Well, he could always sell the excess secondhand.

The three relied on Han Rao’s Love Charm ability to inquire about the Xu family’s whereabouts. Reaching the western end of the village, they spotted a three-story building. It was much more refined than the other single-story houses, resembling a small Western-style home common in rural Jiangsu and Zhejiang, standing out conspicuously in this poor, remote mountain village.

Outside the courtyard was an iron railing, with a large guard dog lying at the gate. Han Rao took off his glasses and glanced at the dog. Initially baring its teeth, the wolf dog immediately wagged its tail upon seeing Han Rao’s eyes.

Just as the three were about to climb the railing, shouts came from the building. A young girl and a black cat burst out together. Taking a closer look, wasn’t that Shen Zhitang? Shen Zhitang carried a huge bundle on her back, swiftly scaled the railing, and flipped over it like a swallow, while the black cat with a swollen belly squeezed through the bars.

A middle-aged man ran out of the building—the father of Xu Ernu, who had drowned herself in the pond. One of his arms was missing, blood gushing from his shoulder. He pointed at Shen Zhitang and shouted, "She’s run away! Sannu has run away! Catch her!"

At his words, doors burst open everywhere. Seeing the fierce, menacing looks of the villagers, Sang Xu knew things had gone sour. What was going on? It was just a girl running away—was it really such a big deal? Had they discovered Shen Zhitang was an outsider? No, that didn’t seem likely. If that were the case, Father Xu should have shouted "There’s an outsider!" instead of calling her by her role name.

Without another word, Sang Xu made a quick decision: "To the woods."

The group hid in the forest, playing cat and mouse with the locals. Although everyone had divine powers, the four people and one cat were too large a group, forcing them to split up. Zhou Xia disappeared again, invisible to the naked eye.

Sang Xu hid to the south, remaining hidden in the jungle all day. Only when twilight fell, the surroundings shrouded in darkness, did the torch-bearing locals finally retreat.

It was about time to regroup. Sang Xu turned on his flashlight and headed toward the designated meeting spot. The bushes were dense, and the weeds reached up to his knees, making the going tough. The surroundings were plunged into absolute darkness; beyond the small circle of light from his flashlight, it was pitch black, he couldn't see his own hand in front of his face.

Sang Xu called out softly, "Husband?"

Zhou Xia’s lazy voice answered in his ear, "Here."

Relieved, Sang Xu kept going, picking his way through the rough ground. After a bit, his flashlight beam lit up the area ahead, where he saw Shen Zhitang crouching in the grass, waving at him. To the east, another flashlight came on—likely Han Rao. Just as Sang Xu was about to continue toward Shen Zhitang, a light suddenly appeared to the north as well, another flashlight beam.

Sang Xu stopped in his tracks.

That wasn't right. Why were there two flashlights?

Shen Zhitang was waving from ahead, so there should only be Han Rao’s flashlight.

"Ancestor?" Sang Xu called out again, his voice low.

"Not me, I didn’t turn on a flashlight," Zhou Xia said faintly.

Sang Xu switched his flashlight on and off, flashing Morse code.

"Identify yourself."

The flashlight to the east received the message and began responding in Morse code—

"Han Rao."

The flashlight to the north sent a longer message, saying—

"Shen Zhitang and Black Girl."

Shen Zhitang was to the right, so what was that thing waving at him from the middle?

Zhou Xia materialized and said, "Tell them to turn off their flashlights and flank that thing. On my signal, all of you pounce."

With that, Zhou Xia headed west. Sang Xu flickered his flashlight again, passing the order in Morse code. Both the northern and eastern lights received the signal and turned off. Sang Xu activated his Intermediate State, crouching low and moving forward stealthily. Feeling he was very close to the thing, he stopped and crouched in the grass, waiting for Zhou Xia’s signal.

One minute, two minutes… Something was wrong. It was taking too long. Why hadn’t Zhou Xia given the order yet?

The darkness around him was dead quiet, he couldn't see a thing. Out here alone in the dark, the longer he waited, the more dangerous it became. He really should fall back in the darkness, but Sang Xu was worried about Zhou Xia.

As Zhou Xia had said, he wasn’t all-powerful. In his incomplete state, he was far less powerful than when he was emperor. Back at Dong'an Apartments, he couldn’t deal with those things speaking through the tenants. What if they encountered something of a similar level this time?

He hesitated for a moment, but Sang Xu ultimately stayed put. He turned on his flashlight and shone it ahead, intending to find Zhou Xia first. Just a few steps away, the spot where the waving thing had been crouching was now empty. Sang Xu then swung the light to the right to look for Shen Zhitang. As the light fell, he made out two dark figures standing there.

Had Han Rao and Shen Zhitang met up? Weren’t they supposed to be flanking?

Just as Sang Xu was about to approach, something felt off.

Shen Zhitang was standing way too stiff.

And where was Black Girl, who was always by her side?

As he was thinking, the two figures slowly turned around.

It was then that Sang Xu saw their faces—milky white eyes, rotted faces, and what looked like parasites wriggling faintly in their eye sockets.

They weren’t Han Rao and Shen Zhitang. They were dead floats.

Something was terribly wrong. Sang Xu broke out in a cold sweat.

Raising his flashlight, he saw dozens of dark figures standing stiffly like bamboo poles deep within the forest. There were too many of them, and probably more he couldn't see beyond the reach of his light. Perhaps they'd been in the water too long, unused to being on land, they moved toward Sang Xu at a snail’s pace.

He wasn't surrounding them—these things had flanked him.

In an instant, Sang Xu went cold all over.

In a place like this, not making the right call fast enough, delaying even for a second, could have fatal consequences.

Sang Xu made his move decisively and activated Nuo Invocation.

Intense patterns immediately spread across his cheeks, and a headless, bloodied suit of armor appeared before him.

This was the Guardian Deity.

As soon as the Guardian Deity emerged, the dead floats halted their movement.

At least he had something to protect him now. Just as he was about to let his guard down, the armor suddenly raised its narrow-bladed saber and pointed it at him.

What was happening?

Wait, something wasn’t right. Then it hit him.

An idea flashed through his mind, and his heart stopped. He put on his Nuo mask, shone the flashlight on himself, and slowly turned his head. On his shoulder was a pale, wet face. As he turned, he came face to face with its narrow, sinister eyes slit like cracks.

This dead float appeared to be an ancient corpse that hadn't rotted to bones, clad in tattered, decaying deep robes.

It stared at Sang Xu, leaning in real close as if nearsighted and unable to see clearly, like it was trying to make him out.