I am a male Daji?

Dayuan Dynasty, Jiangzhe Province, Hangzhou Road, Qiantang County.

In a humble thatched hut east of the county, Ge Xian sat half-reclined on a cold cot, his face frozen in disbelief. His gaze slowly swept across the poverty-stricken room, finally settling on the peddler's cart standing in the corner.

Bowls, plates, straw sandals, scissors, beaded necklaces, hairpins, paper kites, clay figurines... the goods were numerous and dazzling. A fan was stuck atop them, its surface bearing two lines of large characters: "When the form roars, do not shake the future."

"I... I'm a peddler?"

Ge Xian blurted out the words subconsciously. It was as if a light had suddenly turned on in his skull, a roar echoing within. Immediately, a tide of memories surged.

Before long, the dazed and unfamiliar look on his face began to disappear, replaced by a deathly pale fear, a helpless resentment that made him want to curse the heavens.

It wasn't surprising, given that Ge Xian had just learned he had transmigrated.

The original body was also named Ge Xian, a peddler living in Qiantang, orphaned.

That wasn't the worst part. What truly terrified Ge Xian was discovering, through the original body's memories, what kind of insane and horrifying world this was.

It was indeed ancient, and seemed to be the Yuan Dynasty, but not that Yuan.

This dynasty was called the [Dayuan Dynasty], an immensely savage empire spanning multiple continents with infinite territory, boasting, "Wherever the sun rises and sets, it is ours."

But this dynasty, no, this entire world was wrong. Demonic creatures were everywhere, and the supernatural was rampant, as if anything could become a spirit.

Even more terrifying was the ruling class of this world. Whether it was the emperor, officials, or even immortal monks, they were no longer "human." They were all demonic creatures, spirits, or evil gods.

They were originally human, but after cultivating and gaining power, they had become a different, ferocious species. Humans and other races alike were treated as livestock, farmed, harvested, and devoured at will.

In the Dayuan Dynasty's prime, there seemed to have been many restrictions and rules, allowing commoners a chance to breathe and reproduce.

But in recent years, the Dayuan Dynasty had begun to crumble, with smoke rising from battlefields everywhere. As signs of the dynasty's decline appeared, the "rulers" of all sizes began to reveal their true forms and their unsightly appetites.

Take the Qiantang County Magistrate, Lu Hualong, for example. Half a month ago, he revealed his true form: a bizarre demon, neither tiger nor not, with bat-like membranes on its wings. That night, the fiend spewed demonic fog, encircling Qiantang County, claiming it as his territory and herding tens of thousands of county residents.

Magistrate Lu had a great appetite for human flesh. Fearing he would eat all the residents, he dispatched ghouls daily with copper gongs, sharp blades, pushcarts, and cauldrons. They went from house to house to cut flesh, measured by the head: three taels for adults, children were exempt.

After the flesh was cut, he would issue hemostatic medicine. Once applied, the wound would heal quickly, not costing any lives.

He also distributed a strange grain called [Tai Sui Grain]. It tasted extremely delicious and was very filling. Within a few days, the cut flesh and blood would be replenished.

One would think that with such a demonic magistrate, tens of thousands of county residents would either revolt or flee en masse. However, not a single household in Qiantang had fled. In fact, many residents had welcomed relatives and friends fleeing from outside.

The reason was simple. In the current world, a magistrate who ate human flesh but provided compensation could gain a good reputation, unlike the cruel, shameless local officials and even provincial governors who were everywhere.

As for fleeing to the wilderness, deep mountains, hidden valleys, or watery areas, that was even more impossible. These places were extremely dangerous, filled not only with demons and monsters but also with countless unsolvable mysteries and strange phenomena. Lingering there meant certain death.

Because of these factors, Lu Hualong, the human-flesh-eating magistrate, had an excellent reputation among the magistrates of the nine counties under Hangzhou Road. As he favored thigh meat, his ghouls often cut from there, earning him the elegant moniker "Thigh-cutting Magistrate."

"What kind of world is this?"

"The Demon County Magistrate, who sends ghouls to cut off a piece of your thigh every day, is actually thanked and has an excellent reputation?"

Ge Xian cursed loudly, instinctively wanting to ask if there was any hope left for the common people in this world.

Where were the proper immortal gods? Where was the heavenly law and justice?

He quickly got his answer from his memories. This world did indeed have many cultivation paths that allowed humans to cultivate and possess extraordinary, otherworldly power. As long as one had talent and found the right path, they could ascend to the heavens in a single step and transcend the mortal world.

Take Lu Hualong, for example. He was originally human, but he was born with tiger marks and tiger eyes. After achieving success in cultivation, he was granted a title by the imperial court and became the county magistrate.

But for some unknown reason?

Most cultivators, regardless of their origins, became corrupted once they gained power.

There were exceptions, but they were extremely rare.

As Ge Xian received the memories up to this point, he suddenly discovered that his original body also possessed cultivation talent.

Supernatural Perception!

This was the talent Ge Xian had awakened a month ago.

He had a strong sense for all supernatural things in the world, whether living or dead.

With this talent, coupled with his identity as a peddler, the original body had accumulated many strange and unusual "curios." At the same time, he had been cautiously exploring how to formally embark on the path of cultivation, transforming from a weak human into one of the immortal gods.

Surprisingly, he had actually found some paths.

After all, this world was ruled by those demon gods and immortal beings. Therefore, whether it was the imperial court or other forces, they would select those with talent to cultivate when recruiting subordinates. Especially now that the chaotic world had arrived, with heroes vying for power, many new forces had emerged, expanding rapidly and recruiting personnel on a large scale.

The most in-demand personnel were scouts, spies, and informants.

Forces intending to expand would cast a wide net, developing a large group of people first before formally screening and admitting them. The original body, due to his peddler identity and some peculiar reputation, had benefited greatly, receiving invitations from more than one organization.

The fatal part was that this guy had accepted them all.

With a swish, Ge Xian's face turned pale, his eyes filled with disbelief as he grumbled:

"Good heavens, a slave to multiple masters, huh."

Ge Xian thought he had received enough explosive memories by this point.

But not long after, as the last wave of memories surged in, and at the moment he completely adapted to this new body, an indescribable feeling, the lingering aftertaste of last night's bed, surged over him.

Ge Xian belatedly looked at the bed, a mess, unsightly, and utterly indecent.

On the bed, which should have only contained blankets and pillows, there were now a Bamboo Lady, a Mottled Bronze Mirror, an Ancient Lady Painting, and a Worn Green Umbrella. Furthermore, a broom wrapped in Seven-Colored Silk Thread lay on the floor beneath the bed.

All these items were, without exception, the curios collected by Ge Xian.

Each one possessed a mysterious quality.

Take the Bamboo Lady, for instance. Originally just a common item to beat the summer heat, this particular one seemed to have become a sprite. Merely holding it while sleeping would allow one to meet a Goddess in their dreams, alleviating longing and satisfying great desires, at the cost of a few days of weakness.

Then there was the Worn Green Umbrella. It was also a sprite. If one opened it and silently recited "Seek Wife Meeting," a beautiful woman in green would appear beneath the umbrella, speaking alluringly and temptingly.

The remaining bronze mirror, Lady Painting, and even the broom, all had similar properties.

The Original Body had awakened his talent for a month. After much effort, he had collected these five peculiar items. One could imagine what kind of person he was: a lustful youth.

He was fond of these things, and he died because of them.

Ge Xian's last memory: This fellow had accepted invitations from multiple Spy Forces. He felt he could embark on the Path of Cultivation no matter what. Last night, he was extremely excited and unexpectedly awakened a Second Talent.

Supernatural Charm!

At that moment, an Eerie Aura and an Exotic Fragrance began to emanate from his body. It possessed an infinite attraction to Supernatural Objects. Although it didn't spread far, it caused all the peculiar items in the room to go berserk, manifesting collectively and pouncing on him...

"So, I died from being drained dry?"

"If that's the case, why do I only feel Dragon Vigor Tiger Strength and utter comfort now, while most of these peculiar items are ruined?"

Ge Xian's face was filled with strangeness at first, then confusion.

The Original Body wasn't exactly foolish. Although extremely lustful and having collected these items, he also knew that no matter which one he used, he would have to pay a price after the pleasure. A large amount of Essence would be drained, and a few days of weakness was a minor issue. The terrifying part was that it would inevitably shorten his lifespan.

Among the five peculiar items, four had been responsible for more than one life. The most brutal was the ancient mirror, which contained a Mirror Slave that had killed at least a dozen people, and it was indiscriminate, killing both men and women, making it extremely vicious.

Ge Xian cherished his life greatly. Therefore, after obtaining them, he miraculously endured for a full month without indulging, only using his First Talent frequently to summon the sprites within for a glimpse, satisfying his urges vicariously.

Logically, with the commotion and the way things happened last night, Ge Xian should have been reduced to a dried husk by now.

Yet, as he sensed himself now, the feedback he received was: full of Essence, spirited, and his lifespan increased by one year.

Conversely, those peculiar items now felt like Mortal Objects to him, their contained sprites and oddities completely vanished.

Of course, there was an exception.

That broom was still a peculiar item.

Ge Xian suddenly reached out and took it. Then, in his past tone, he softly called out:

"Sister Bai, please don't panic. I have regained Clarity and can now control my Internal Aura. I am just utterly confused about what happened last night."

"I request Sister Bai to come out and meet me, and tell me what happened."

Perhaps out of fear, or perhaps due to the friendship developed over the past month.

As soon as he finished speaking, the Seven-Colored Silk Thread on the broom flickered, and then a woman in white, with above-average looks and a shy expression, appeared.

This woman was precisely the Broom Spirit. She had never killed anyone, possessed a naturally gentle disposition, and had a penchant for cleaning rooms until they were spotless. Her previous master was a Pauper Scholar surnamed Bai, hence she also took the surname Bai.

Fear still lingered in her eyes. After manifesting, she instinctively drifted back a few steps before bowing to Ge Xian and recounting everything that had happened after he fell unconscious due to his talent erupting last night.

It turned out that after Ge Xian awakened his Charm, it had indeed caused all the wondrous objects to go berserk. They manifested, intending to drain him dry, and had succeeded, absorbing all his Essence and Blood Qi.

Just as the sprites were about to leave, satisfied with turning the young man into a dried husk, who would have thought that the young man's body also possessed a devouring and absorbing power? In the blink of an eye, he had counter-absorbed them. Not only did he reclaim all his Essence, but he also crippled them, leaving only the Broom Spirit alive.

Ge Xian listened, his expression unchanged, but inwardly he couldn't help but marvel:

"So this is a blessing in disguise? My second innate talent isn't just Charm, it actually comes with a Counter-Absorption Divine Ability. Not only does it have a fatal attraction to extraordinary wondrous objects, but it can also absorb and seize their divine powers?"

"Isn't this the method of the Demon Fox from legends, Cultivate Yin Replenish Yang? Have I become a Male Daji?"

ps: Issues like insufficient human population to sustain this world's order will be explained as the story progresses, so don't rush to criticize Fatty Fish.