Zhao Hao's ability

The next morning, Fang Xiu was woken by a call from Zhao Hao.

"Xiu! Xiu! I figured out what my ability is!" Zhao Hao's excited voice came through the phone.

"What ability?" Fang Xiu asked calmly.

"Hehe... you're going to be shocked. The reason I couldn't sense my ability yesterday was that it only activates after eleven at night and lasts until one in the morning. After I got home yesterday, I couldn't sleep no matter what I tried. Then, as soon as eleven rolled around, my ability appeared on its own."

"Right. So what exactly is your ability?"

"Xiu, don't get jealous when I tell you. Your ability might be powerful, but mine is the one every man in the world dreams of having. You have no idea. I spent ages testing it yesterday, and it was just..."

Beep, beep, beep...

Fang Xiu hung up.

A moment later, Zhao Hao called again.

"Xiu, you..."

"If you're going to keep spouting nonsense, stop disturbing my rest."

Zhao Hao sounded aggrieved on the other end. "My ability makes me handsome after eleven, then boosts my physical fitness and gives me muscles all over."

"That's it? I'm hanging up."

Just as Fang Xiu was about to end the call, Zhao Hao hurriedly shouted, "Wait, wait! I'm not finished! You think my ability is that simple? The best part comes next! The physical boost is just a side effect. What it really enhances is... sexual performance!

"Xiu, you have no idea how powerful I am in that department. I tested it yesterday, and it was just..."

Beep, beep, beep...

Fang Xiu promptly hung up. Although he had never expected Zhao Hao to awaken some formidable ability, he had not imagined it would be anything this indecent.

Handsome looks, muscles all over, enhanced sexual performance-wasn't that just a male porn star?

"I should have known. What respectable ability could someone who overcame his fear with porn possibly awaken?"

A Spirit Tamer's ability was intimately tied to their mind. It was heart's reflection power: whatever they longed for inside would manifest in their ability.

As for why it only activated after eleven, Fang Xiu could understand that too. After eleven was generally when Zhao Hao lay in bed to sleep.

So what exactly had Zhao Hao been fantasizing about while lying in bed at eleven every night to awaken an ability like this?

The details were unknown. Probably only Zhao Hao himself knew.

"Darling, it's time for breakfast."

His gentle wife passed through the door, entered the bedroom, and spoke tenderly to Fang Xiu.

Fang Xiu's gaze did not waver in the slightest. He got up on his own, then made himself breakfast.

His wife called him to breakfast every day, yet she had never made it even once.

That damned bitch! She should swallow a thousand needles!

Meanwhile, a black van sat quietly beside the street below Fang Xiu's apartment complex.

A man and a woman sat inside.

The man looked to be in his thirties. Dressed in a black suit and wearing gold-rimmed glasses, he sat straight and looked highly capable.

The woman had delicate features and a small, beautiful face. She wore a black uniform skirt suit with black stockings beneath the skirt. Their fine weave and rich color made it clear they were not the cheap kind that tore at a touch. On her feet was a pair of high heels with exquisite cutout detailing.

Combined with her tall, slender figure and cool, haughty bearing, the outfit lacked the tackiness often associated with black stockings. Instead, it added to her icy allure.

They were Shen Lingxue and Li Wenhao from the Investigation Bureau.

Li Wenhao was wearing black headphones connected to the surveillance equipment in front of him.

A moment later, Li Wenhao took off the headphones.

Beside him, Shen Lingxue asked calmly, "Did you intercept their conversation?"

Li Wenhao nodded. "Based on their conversation, our preliminary assessment is that both were previously ordinary people. They ignited their Spirituality in the ghost domain at Hundred Willows Academy and became Spirit Tamers."

"What about their abilities?"

"Fang Xiu's ability wasn't mentioned on the call, but judging by what Zhao Hao said, it shouldn't be too bad."

"Let's hope it really isn't. The Investigation Bureau is desperately short-staffed right now. If Fang Xiu's ability is decent and he passes the mental contamination test, we can consider recruiting him."

"What about Zhao Hao?"

At the mention of Zhao Hao, hesitation crossed Li Wenhao's face. He clearly found it difficult to say.

Shen Lingxue frowned slightly. "What is it? Spit it out."

"Yes, ma'am," Li Wenhao hurriedly answered with a touch of deference.

Clearly, Shen Lingxue's status was considerably higher than Li Wenhao's.

That was only natural. Shen Lingxue was a Spirit Tamer, while Li Wenhao was merely an ordinary person.

Concerned about Spirit Tamers' mental states, the Investigation Bureau generally assigned an ordinary person to each of them as a supervisor.

This was meant to prevent Spirit Tamers from losing control mentally when provoked or doing something wrong.

The intention was good, but in most cases, the Spirit Tamer was the one in charge. After all, they had the power. Once a supervisor failed to talk them down, all they could do was report to their superiors, who would then impose the appropriate punishment.

Spirit Tamers and their supervisors were generally paired by opposite sex: male Spirit Tamers with female investigators, and female Spirit Tamers with male investigators.

Balancing yin and yang reduced the likelihood of conflict.

Li Wenhao said hesitantly, "According to Zhao Hao himself, his ability makes him handsome, muscular, and physically stronger between eleven at night and one in the morning every day. What it mainly enhances is... sexual performance."

When Shen Lingxue heard the words "sexual performance," a distinct trace of disgust appeared on her cold, haughty face.

"Hmph. His ability would certainly suit a job as a gigolo at a club."

Shen Lingxue snorted, then continued, "There's no need to recruit trash with such a filthy mind and disgusting ability into the Investigation Bureau. Also, Zhao Hao must be closely monitored from now on. Otherwise, there's no telling what vile things he might use his ability to do."

"Understood." Li Wenhao nodded and sighed inwardly.

Shen Lingxue's attitudes toward Fang Xiu and Zhao Hao were worlds apart. One could be recruited, while the other would not only be rejected but also placed under strict surveillance.

It was not that she thought particularly highly of Fang Xiu. Zhao Hao's ability had simply made far too poor an impression.

"Let's go. We'll meet Fang Xiu first."