Chapter 135: The Ghost-Devouring Divine Ability (Two Chapters Combined)

Amidst the children's startled cries, Zhou Bai brushed past them. The air visibly rippled with currents, a testament to the sheer speed of his blade.

Shortly after, several corpses toppled into the roadside drainage ditch. Even in death, their eyes remained wide open, each bearing a finger-thick hole right between the eyebrows, from which blood and brains oozed.

Far from finding the scene gruesome, the children cheered and jumped for joy. Having grown up amidst disasters, this batch of youngsters was well-accustomed to the sights of life, death, and corpses.

As Zhou Bai drew closer to the gathering place of the Stray Dog Gang, hundreds of thugs rushed out from every corner, most of them wielding makeshift weapons like wooden clubs.

Yet, no matter how many ants there are, they cannot shake an elephant. Anyone who stood in Zhou Bai's path was instantly reduced to a corpse.

Ordinary people could not catch his movements at all; they merely felt a blur flash by, followed instantly by the crisp sound of a blade being drawn and sheathed.

When the gang members attempted to flee, Zhou Bai's calm voice rang out: "Anyone who steps beyond a hundred meters from me dies. Feel free to try."

The synchronized sound of people swallowing hard rippled through the crowd. Most had already recognized Zhou Bai as an immortal and dared not act rashly, forcing themselves to huddle together instead.

Naturally, there were a few fools who failed to read the room, but before they could run far, their heads were cleanly severed from their bodies.

They soon reached the stronghold. In a district so filthy and dilapidated, a relatively clean and tidy building stood prominently in the center, its entrance flanked by numerous potted plants and greenery.

A few guards gazed into the distance, watching a dense crowd of over a hundred people approaching. At the head of the group was a towering, burly figure with a small child riding on his shoulders and a yellow dog trotting beside his feet.

Looking closer, they realized these people belonged to their own gang, and hurried inside to report.

However, instead of alerting the gang leader, the guard rushed in to brief several other figures inside.

The leader of the Stray Dog Gang was a massive, three-hundred-pound fat man nicknamed Butcher Zhang, who sat heavily upon an oversized chair.

He was guarded on all sides by heavily armed men, while attendants continuously shoved food into his mouth.

Upon learning that the gang was facing a massive crisis, Butcher Zhang—who was little more than a puppet—desired nothing more than to flee. He struggled mightily to move his gargantuan frame, but sweat poured from him like rain from the sheer exertion.

Zhou Bai pushed the door open, kicked Butcher Zhang aside with a single stride, and seated Qingniuer directly upon the leader's chair.

"You must be Gang Leader Zhang?"

Butcher Zhang felt as though a thousand-jin boulder were crushing his chest, leaving him utterly unable to breathe. Just as he felt he was on the brink of death, the oppressive weight suddenly vanished.

"I... I... Have mercy, Immortal Master! Everything I have here... you may take it all."

As he spoke, blood continuously welled from Butcher Zhang's mouth, followed by a series of wracking coughs that nearly expelled his lungs.

"I'm quite curious, why such a name?"

Zhou Bai patted the fat man's body and channeled a breath of Yin Qi into him. Butcher Zhang immediately felt a wave of relief, though it was merely a temporary reprieve bought by burning away his life force.

Daring not to resist with an immortal sitting right upon him, Butcher Zhang forced a ingratiating smile and stammered, "This humble one's family came from seven generations of butchers. But due to the calamity, our lineage was long since cut short."

Zhou Bai glanced down and noticed thick calluses wrapping around the webbing of Butcher Zhang's thumbs, confirming his words. "Interesting. Then how did you ever come up with doing such filthy deeds?"

Daring not to conceal anything in front of his gang members, Butcher Zhang began to recount his story. He knew his days as gang leader were over, but staying alive was what mattered most now.

"This humble one has always suffered from an intractable affliction; no matter what I do, I cannot control my weight. After the calamity, I merely took in a few orphans intending to pass down my family's butchering arts. But as time went on, the operation grew larger, and the power simply spiraled out of control."

At this, he raised a trembling hand and pointed toward the figures gathered in the room. "I never wanted to do these dirty deeds, but there were those who forced me to do them, and those who forced me to die."

"Is that so?" Zhou Bai swept his gaze around the room. After sending Salted Fish to scout ahead, he had actually discovered that among the three gangs and four guilds, only this Stray Dog Gang leader could still be considered relatively untainted, though his time was running short.

Now, the situation appeared even more complicated than he had imagined. Butcher Zhang did not suffer from an ordinary illness; he was born with the innate divine abilities of a demonic path.

However, the sheer burden his body placed on him, combined with his subordinates feeding him massive amounts of food to keep him docile, had prevented his powers from ever awakening.

Zhou Bai sensed an intense malevolent aura radiating from Butcher Zhang, but it certainly didn't stem from taking human lives—it was undoubtedly accumulated from years of slaughtering pigs.

The thugs dared not speak out of turn, but one bolder individual—none other than the middle-aged vendor from earlier—stepped forward and said,

"Reporting to the Immortal Master, Butcher Zhang is the head of the gang after all; how could he possibly be entirely ignorant of these matters?"

Hearing this, Butcher Zhang nearly vomited another mouthful of aged blood. Stuck sitting in his chair all day long with trouble even moving a step, where on earth would he have the energy to manage the gang?

"Did I give you permission to speak?" Zhou Bai smiled, though his eyes radiated pure killing intent. Ah Huang seized the opportunity to act fierce on his master's behalf, baring its teeth in a rather comical display.

The middle-aged man instinctively took a step back, only to watch as thick smoke poured from the intruder's mouth, rapidly enveloping the entire room.

Panic gripped several individuals who, feeling uncertain of their fate, attempted to make a break for the main doors, only to find them immovable no matter how hard they slammed against them.

Amidst the billowing smoke, Zhou Bai transformed into his White Bone True Form. With a swift grab, he snatched the middle-aged man into his grasp. Countless tendrils of Yin fire crawled over the man's entire body, while a pair of eerie, ghostly lights glowed deep within Zhou Bai's eyes.

A few moments later, the middle-aged man was reduced to ashes in Zhou Bai's grip. Having digested the man's memories, Zhou Bai instantly comprehended the full truth of the situation.

As the thick smoke gradually dissipated, the remaining occupants of the room wore expressions of uncertainty and dread. Glancing around, they realized that apart from the group of children, only a little over thirty people were left standing.

Zhou Bai remained seated upon Butcher Zhang's back, surrounded by a thick layer of ash on the floor, his eyes closed as if deep in thought.

A moment later, he opened his eyes. Several new martial arts techniques had appeared on his system panel, alongside a brand-new skill left behind by the middle-aged man, aptly named Sugar Crafting.

This prompted a quiet sigh of admiration within him—consuming humans to cultivate was indeed far more efficient, though unfortunately, it could not be used as a routine method.

"To those of you remaining, congratulations on surviving. From this point on, you may stay if you wish. If not, I can provide you with some silver so you can settle down properly in Songdu."

Calming their nerves, only a handful of individuals chose to leave the Stray Dog Gang, while the rest elected to stay.

"Gang Leader Zhang, you said it yourself—everything here belongs to me now, correct?"

Butcher Zhang nodded repeatedly. How could he fail to recognize the profound and unfathomable methods of this immortal? Having such a figure as a backer would ensure a much safer survival in these chaotic times.

"Do you know what the most valuable thing in this place is?" Zhou Bai asked with a hint of bemusement, rising slowly to his feet.

"This humble one does not. Could there truly be something here that catches an immortal's eye?" Butcher Zhang stammered as he picked himself up from the floor.

"You wouldn't understand." A ripple of emotion crossed Zhou Bai's eyes. It was solely thanks to his Yin-Yang Eyes that he could perceive the extraordinary nature hidden within these children—a feat even someone at the True Soul Realm could not match with such precision.

Originally, he had merely intended to recruit some helping hands to search for cicadas, but it now seemed this was a stroke of fortune sent his way.

Zhou Bai retrieved a massive quantity of provisions from his storage pouch, depositing them in the center of the room until they formed a veritable mountain.

The children swallowed hard, having never laid eyes on such an abundance of food in their lives, and turned their gazes toward Zhou Bai filled with reverence.

"From today onward, none of you need go hungry. All you have to do is help me catch cicadas."

Zhou Bai instructed the children before turning his attention back to Butcher Zhang.

"As for the Stray Dog Gang, put an end to petty thefts and such low-end crimes. Use the gang's funds to purchase a few storefronts; I'll have use for them shortly."

With that, he flicked his finger in the air, sending dozens of wisps of Yin Qi scattering onto the bodies of the children.

Since Songdu harbored a Ghost Mother, these protective wisps would allow Zhou Bai to instantly sense if they encountered any demons and rush to their aid.

Having thoroughly arranged these matters, he approached Butcher Zhang, patted him down, and retrieved a book.

Opening it, Zhou Bai browsed through pages filled with detailed records on butchering pigs—far more exhaustive than the manual passed down by his own ancestors.

"Immortal, this..."

"Rest assured, I'll return it in a few days." Zhou Bai felt a twinge of regret; having acquired so many martial arts and skills all at once, his lack of points meant he could only pin his hopes on the upcoming encounter with the Ghost Mother.

He then injected a substantial amount of Demonic Qi into Butcher Zhang's body, which would help accelerate the awakening of the man's innate ability while stabilizing his life force.

Reaching out to pat Ah Huang on the head, Zhou Bai murmured a few instructions, telling the hound to stay behind to safeguard the Stray Dog Gang in case anyone attempted to make a move against them.

With many tasks still awaiting him, Zhou Bai had no intention of lingering. Just as he was preparing to leave, Qingniuer suddenly grabbed the hem of his garment.

"Big Brother Bai, my sister didn't come. She's fallen ill, and she's blind as well. Could you please go and take a look at her?"

"Very well, a minor task." Zhou Bai patted the boy's head, signaling him to lead the way.

With eager anticipation burning in his eyes, Qingniuer set off briskly in a specific direction.

Along the streets, everyone went about their own business. Even though they could sense changes stirring within the Stray Dog Gang, such affairs were of no consequence to ordinary folk.

The two stopped before a dilapidated shack. Judging by the remnants outside, it had once possessed a courtyard, but most of the walls had collapsed, leaving the ground choked with weeds due to total neglect.

"This is it." Qingniuer stepped forward and gently pushed open the door. Pitch-black inside, the room carried a pungent, stagnant odor.

Hearing the coughing of a young girl, Zhou Bai stepped inside and found the walls roughly patched up in numerous places, with a simple bed in the corner and a bedroll spread across the floor.

It was evident that Qingniuer routinely slept on the bare ground. While tolerable during milder seasons, the freezing winter floor made it sheer luck that he hadn't fallen seriously ill.

"Brother Qingniu, has someone come?" The girl strained to hoist herself up, prompting Qingniuer to rush forward and support her.

"I... I've brought an immortal... to cure your illness, Juan'er. You'll be healthy from now on."

The girl named Juan'er harbored not a shred of doubt regarding Qingniuer's words, nodding continuously.

The two children embraced and wept. Surviving in such a chaotic world was difficult enough on its own, let alone burdened with a sickly younger sister.

As Zhou Bai observed the young girl, he couldn't help but shake his head.

"Her constitution is manageable; I can restore your sister to health, but her eyes are a different story."

The girl's eye sockets were hollow, indicating a congenital defect. Ordinarily, this wouldn't be too difficult—Zhou Bai simply needed to feed her a deity-fruit associated with vision.

The real issue lay in her congenital organ failure; her body was far too frail to ever endure an alien divine ability.

Despair flooded Qingniuer's face. He clutched Zhou Bai's leg and pleaded, "Big Brother Bai, I beg you! My sister's eyes can definitely be healed, I promised her!"

"I can try."

"Many thanks, Immortal. As for my eyes, this humble girl dares not ask for more..." Juan'er murmured with a sigh of relief upon learning she could at least be cured physically.

A thought struck Zhou Bai. He bent down, stared directly into Qingniuer's eyes, and said, "There is a way, provided you are willing to give her your own eyes."

"No..." Juan'er immediately tried to protest, but Qingniuer broke into a wide smile.

"Then let it be so. Come ahead, Big Brother Bai."

Overwhelmed by a sudden surge of panic and despair, Juan'er let out a stifled groan and fainted away.

"Big Brother Bai!"

"She's fine, don't worry."

Zhou Bai summoned the Ghost Tree. Countless root tendrils extended toward Qingniuer's eyes, swiftly and cleanly plucking them out.

To prevent his sister from worrying, Qingniuer bit down hard, enduring the excruciating pain without uttering a single sound.

Instructing the Ghost Tree to perform the ocular transplant for Juan'er, Zhou Bai spoke softly,

"Qingniuer, do you have any regrets?"

"Never. A man's word is his bond. From now on, whatever Big Brother Bai needs, just ask—you can even take my life and I wouldn't mind." Qingniuer sucked in a cold breath from the lingering pain, yet showed not a trace of regret.

"There are no immortals in this world, only a band of monsters and ghosts. I am one, and so are you."

Peering past Qingniuer's flesh, Zhou Bai's eyes locked onto the boy's unusually formed stomach.

There existed a demonic entity known as the Sea-Swallowing Toad. Legend had it that its stomach could swallow an entire ocean—an exaggeration, no doubt, but the stomach of such a creature could indeed be refined into a storage pouch, which was why they were typically hunted and gutted while still young cubs.

By sheer coincidence, upon death, a Sea-Swallowing Toad could transform into a ghostly entity. Lacking a stomach, they adapted by relying entirely upon their eyes to absorb Yin Qi.

Zhou Bai produced a divine fruit shaped like a peach, its surface covered in intricate black speckles.

Crushing the fruit between his palms, he squeezed the resulting juice directly into Qingniuer's mouth.

A miserable scream escaped Qingniuer's lips. He clamped his hands over his eye sockets, thrashing violently on the floor.

Moments later, the convulsions ceased. His eye sockets were now filled with a pair of pitch-black pupils, while his stomach had successfully transitioned from a demonic divine ability into a ghostly one.

Though interconnected, the two remained distinct, leaving him with a single awakened ability.

Zhou Bai attempted to cautiously strip away a portion of Qingniuer's original ability. To his surprise, due to the mutual fusion of the two attributes, the process went exceptionally smoothly.

On his system panel, a rather lackluster ghostly ability designated as Yin Absorption was promptly updated to Devouring Ghosts.

"Every bite and sip is predestined by heaven. I bestowed fortune upon you, and you have done the same in return."

Qingniuer's situation provided Zhou Bai with a profound realization: although certain disparate divine abilities might manifest differently, their underlying true forms could be identical. If one managed to possess them simultaneously, a profound connection was bound to emerge.