Chapter 32: Signature

Chapter 33: Had an Attack Again

Currently, Xu Xiaoshou already possesses five passive skills. Among these, three are innate, while the remaining two are still at Level 6 and urgently need upgrading.

He has reserved ten thousand passive values, leaving him with a substantial balance of over thirty-eight thousand to spend.

Last time, he drew "Sheng Sheng Bu Xi" and also obtained three passive keys. So, Xu Xiaoshou bought seven more keys, planning to go for a ten-draw set.

He clasped his hands together and silently prayed to the heavens for good luck.

The red turntable in the shop was still shrouded in gray mist, and Xu Xiaoshou inserted the keys one by one.

He hesitated for a moment, then shouted loudly:

"Ou Huang Fu Ti!"

Nothing can change fate except profound power—Xuan Ke Gai Fei, Ke Neng Gai Ming!

This was a principle Xu Xiaoshou always believed in.

In the waiting area, the two staff members heard the loud shout and exchanged glances:

"Not again!"

They slipped to the corner of the wall, one squatting and one standing, their faces full of curiosity as they quietly observed Xu Xiaoshou.

The staff member below nudged the one above with his head:

"Go get the emergency tools ready."

"Hold on, let me watch a bit!"

"Hurry up, or what if something happens again?"

Xu Xiaoshou squatted on the resting chair and looked at the information bar:

"Xie Xie Hui Gu!"

"Zai Lai Yi Chi!"

"Xie Xie Hui Gu!"

"Zai Lai Yi Chi!"

"Xie Xie Hui Gu!"

Thud!

Behind the wall, the two staff members watched Xu Xiaoshou's devout expression and seemed to turn to stone, both collapsing heavily to the ground with expressions that said, "Just as we thought."

The one on top instantly turned and grabbed the pills and tools, while the one below dashed out, wondering on the run if CPR would be needed.

Xu Xiaoshou, who had fallen to the ground, suddenly turned his head:

"What are you doing?"

One staff member stood there with his mouth puckered in a daze, and the other, wearing heat-resistant gloves and holding two bottles of pills, stopped in his tracks.

"You're okay?"

The two exclaimed in surprise.

"Heh, what could be wrong with me?"

Xu Xiaoshou sneered. This crappy system was getting harder and harder to get anything from, but he had prepared himself in advance and wasn't shocked into fainting.

He waved them off:

"Stop making a fuss and go back!"

"Oh, oh!"

The two staff members left, glancing back every few steps and whispering:

"He doesn't seem feverish today—this glove is probably useless."

"Who knows? Better safe than sorry with it on."

Once the two disappeared around the corner, Xu Xiaoshou's expression twisted in pain, and he clutched his chest.

What a rip-off!

This junk system had just sunk another ten thousand passive values into the void.

Even with preparation, who could handle that?

"Heh, ten thousand passive values, two keys..."

He remembered that the first time he used the turntable, three keys got him "Feng Li" plus a "Zai Lai Yi Chi." But now?

Hmph!

Xu Xiaoshou exchanged for eight more keys to make up the number, then forcefully inserted them into the holes of the red turntable.

He had nine left...

Insert another!

Keep going...

"Ha! Ou Huang Fu Ti!"

Xu Xiaoshou roared defiantly and stared intensely at the information bar, as if the force of his gaze could increase the drop rate.

"Xie Xie Hui Gu!"

"Zai Lai Yi Chi!"

"Xie Xie Hui Gu!"

"Obtained extended passive skill: Gan Zhi!"

"Xie Xie Hui Gu!"

With a bang, the resting chair beneath him was kicked to pieces by his out-of-control innate body. Xu Xiaoshou was so excited he leaped up and hit his head on the ceiling.

"So satisfying... Ow!"

Wood chips rained down as his head got embedded in the ceiling.

From behind the wall, the two staff members watched Xu Xiaoshou bracing against the ceiling and struggling to pull his head out, exchanging bewildered looks.

"He's generous, sure, but definitely got issues."

"Uh-huh!"

"After all, he took the pills, and the chair and ceiling are damaged—we'll just fix it ourselves and not make him pay."

"Uh-huh!"

"Sigh, such a good person, but what a pity—only half is still useful..."

"Uh-huh!"

Xu Xiaoshou was halfway through pulling his head out when he suddenly froze in place against the ceiling, leaving the two behind him anxious.

Stuck?

Need help?

Of course, Xu Xiaoshou wasn't actually stuck. He froze because, even though his head was embedded in the wood and he couldn't see, he was somehow "seeing" the anxious figures of the two staff members behind the wall.

More precisely, blurry images of everything within a few meters around him appeared in his mind.

He could even sense their emotions to some extent.

This is...

"Gan Zhi!"

Xu Xiaoshou was over the moon. This passive skill was incredibly powerful—it could manifest the surroundings directly in his mind. Wasn't this perfect for defending against sneak attacks, spying on...

Ahem,

What a great skill!

"Can you get down from there?"

A concerned voice came from below.

In his mind, the blurry scene showed the staff members had brought out a ladder. Xu Xiaoshou almost fainted—seriously, over a little thing like this?

He quickly pulled his head out with a pop, jumped down, and waved them off to show it wasn't necessary.

The two staff members sighed, feeling utterly exhausted.

They'd never encountered such a bizarre competitor in previous years—going crazy, self-harming, jumping around, pulling out all sorts of weird tricks.

They silently carried the ladder out, then silently carried it back, as if they'd lost the ability to speak.

"Cursed, passive values +2."

Xu Xiaoshou slapped his forehead. Come on, you two, can't you be less obvious!

He grabbed another chair to squat on, exchanged for ten skill points without a word, and threw them all on "Gan Zhi."

"Gan Zhi (acquired Level 2)."

"..."

"Gan Zhi (innate Level 1)."

The visible range in his mind expanded to about ten meters, which was fine, but what shocked him most was the sudden improvement in image clarity.

Xu Xiaoshou closed his eyes, and what was once a fuzzy, mosaic-like view turned into high definition. He could even clearly see the two cowering heads peeking from the corner behind him.

Xu Xiaoshou whipped his head around, and their eyes met.

Bang!

Clang!

The two behind the wall jerked back, but crashed into each other, knocking over the teapot on the table, and whispered in astonishment:

"Does this Xu Xiaoshou have eyes in the back of his head?"

"Damn, that scared me to death—how did he know we were watching him?"

"Shh!"

Xu Xiaoshou was stunned. He could see everything they said and did...

Before, he might have noticed they were peeking, but he wouldn't have known the details of their words or actions.

Now, it was like having a surveillance camera on his head, feeding the footage straight to his mind.

"My goodness!"

Xu Xiaoshou imagined Wen Chong sneaking up on him again, but this time, he'd counter with a divine dragon swing tail combined with innate-level "Feng Li," slicing him in half from below.

"Another ultimate sneak attack move..." Xu Xiaoshou exclaimed excitedly.

His passive values in his mind dropped by twenty thousand in an instant, leaving two thousand. He gritted his teeth, went all in, and bought nine more keys.

Adding the one he had left, that made ten!

"I haven't tried drawing right after a hit—what if I get another one in a row..."

Xu Xiaoshou steadied his pounding heart and carefully inserted the keys into the red turntable one by one.

"Ha! Ou Huang Fu Ti!"

Let the storm come even fiercer!

"Xie Xie Hui Gu!"

"Zai Lai Yi Chi!"

"Xie Xie Hui Gu!"

"Zai Lai Yi Chi!"

With a bang and a clang:

"Ah—"

Behind the wall, hearing the thunderous roar, the two staff members' teacups shook in their hands, nearly spilling over.