Xiao Daidzhao

Growing up with eccentric materialistic parents who left him in the care of his grandfather for a job overseas, Zhang Heng had learned to adapt and be unfettered by the oddities and challenges in life. But he would soon learn the baffling truth about the world he thought he knew when one day at midnight time froze and he found himself in a world so quiet and still it was deafening. That night, he discovered that he had 24 hours more than everybody else and thus, marked the beginning of his adventures. The mysteries surrounding his newfound ability only deepened when a strange old man claimed to have given Zhang Heng that ‘gift of time’ and recruited the young man to participate in a cryptic ‘life-changing’ game on his behalf. Little did Zhang Heng know that accepting those terms meant embroiling himself in many versions of reality and exposing himself to the hidden secrets of the world—a decision he could never undo.

48 Hours a Day

Zhang Heng transferred the saber from his injured right hand to his left, and then blocked his opponent's two consecutive lances while taking two steps backwards. When the sailor fighting Zhang Heng saw that his enemy was weary from the prolonged scrimmage, he was very pleased. He stopped advancing and plunged his sword towards Zhang Heng's chest. It was straightforward attack, without any chicanery, purely relying on strength as an advantage.

Now, instead of dodging the sword, Zhang Heng welcomed it. Both weapons clashed, and the sailor of the navy ship felt a massive force come at him, forcing his arm to swing open. As shock registered on the man's face, Zhang Heng's saber found the sailor's neck.

Zhang Heng muttered under his breath, "It's over."

The terrified sailor dropped his weapon and surrendered.

Black Sail XXIII