Then, the man took the iron lantern off the hook and led her across the calm, black lake, past rows of dark, silent statues, towards an unknown place.

As they went downhill, Zhao Zhilan followed behind.

Both of them remained silent.

The soft sound of footsteps rubbing against the steps was the only noise.

Eleven, twelve, thirteen!

There are thirteen steps in total.

Beyond that was a narrow passage.

As she descended, the passage became narrower, steeper, and seemingly darker, but Zhao Zhilan, already accustomed to darkness, was not afraid at all.

Soon, they reached the second floor of the basement.

The tunnel here is narrow and winding, and at the end of the road is a heavy iron gate that is closed.

The man gently tapped the key three times.

The door swung open with an oiled iron chain without making a sound.

After walking through the iron gate, the man said, "Sit down, the stool is to your right."

Zhao Zhilan groped her way forward and sat down.

Then, the man handed her a cup.

He told the girl, “Drink this,” and inserted a cup into her hand.

Zhao Zhilan drank it all in one gulp without asking what was in the cup.

And it tastes extremely sour!

Not long after, she suddenly found that light had appeared in front of her.

The outlines of the surroundings gradually emerged.

She glanced around instinctively and saw countless faces looking down at her.

Those faces...

They were hung on the walls in front of and behind her, at varying heights.

No matter where she turned or looked, they were there.

She saw all kinds of faces: old and young, pale and sallow, smooth and wrinkled, freckled and scarred, handsome and plain, men and women, boys and girls, even babies.

Masks, she told herself, these are just masks.

She suppressed her terror and forced herself to remain motionless.

Where is this?

"The Xuanhua Palace Secret Chamber!" the man replied. "In every major city of any country on this continent, there is a Xuanhua Palace Secret Chamber!"

"Are those masks on the wall made of human skin?" Zhao Zhilan couldn't help but ask.

"What, do they frighten you?" the man asked. "It's not too late for you to leave us now. Is this really what you want?"

Only then did Zhao Zhilan notice the man's face. "His appearance was extremely ordinary; you could say he would be completely unremarkable in a crowd."

She bit her lip. "This is what I wanted!"

"Very good!" the man said. "Now close your eyes."

She closed her eyes.

“It will hurt a lot,” he warned her, “but pain is the price of strength. Don’t move.”

She thought, "I'll remain as still as a stone."

The knife moves quickly, and the blade is sharp.

Logically, metal pressed against skin should be cold, but she felt it was warm.

She could feel the blood gushing down her face, like a waterfall flowing down her eyebrows, cheeks, and chin.

She understood why the man had told her to close her eyes. When the blood flowed down her lips, it tasted like salt.

She licked it, her whole body trembling.

"What kind of face do you want?" the man asked. "A face that could topple kingdoms? A face that could captivate all? An ugly girl with freckles?"

“No, I don’t need that!” Zhao Zhilan said. “Please give me an ordinary face!”

"OK!"

As he spoke, the man got up and began searching the wall.

Not long after, the man returned.

"The Faceless God uses divine power to weave light and shadow with desire, creating illusions that deceive our eyes. You should learn these techniques, but we've gone a step further now."

A wise person can see through a mask of artifice; divine power crumbles in a sharp gaze, but the facade you wear is as real and reliable as anything you were born with. Keep your eyes closed.

She felt his fingers combing her hair back. "Don't move. It'll be a little uncomfortable. You might feel dizzy, but you can't move."

A sudden, violent pull, accompanied by a rustling sound, and a new face replaced the old one.

The leather brushed against her eyebrows, dry and stiff, but gradually softened after being soaked in her blood.

Her cheeks grew warm and rosy. She felt her heart pounding in her chest, and for a long moment she couldn't even breathe.

It felt as if a pair of rock-hard hands were gripping her throat, suffocating her.

A wave of fear washed over her, and then she heard a terrifying creaking sound, followed by excruciating pain.

She heard the man say, “Breathe. Exhale the fear. Drive away the shadows.”

Slowly, the fear disappeared.

The pain then disappeared.

"You can open your eyes now!" the man told her.

Zhao Zhilan opened her eyes and subconsciously touched her cheek.

Roughness is the only feeling.

I have a new face: an extremely ordinary face!

The next moment, Zhao Zhilan discovered that the person had suddenly disappeared.

She held her breath and tried to adjust her mindset.

He then searched his memory and left the secret room.

Finally, it was already late when they left the secret room.

The air was damp, mixed with an unpleasant cold wind.

It's a good day for the dead, she thought.