Human Skin Woman
Swordsmanship depends on spirit and destiny; it cannot be forced.
Wu Qi and Yi Shen went to buy a sword, hoping to use its sharpness for self-defense.
Just as the two were about to turn and step into the sword shop, Wu Qi tugged at Yi Shen's sleeve and shook it, saying, "There's a rice cake up ahead, I want to eat some. Let's go buy some rice cake, okay?"
Yi Shen nodded.
After passing the sword shop, the two went straight to the pastry shop and bought some rice cakes. Then they bought several new clothes.
The store was crowded, so the two of them found a corner.
Yi Shen asked, "Did those two people leave?"
Taking advantage of the opportunity to get some cloth for Yi Shen to test the color, Wu Qi looked towards the door. One person was passing by seemingly casually, while another continued to hawk his wares.
Only these two people followed them.
Wu Qi said softly, "No, they probably don't know we know swordsmanship yet, otherwise they wouldn't have only sent two people."
She said, "Even if I don't cause trouble, this trouble is probably going to happen anyway."
"It's nothing," Yi Shen said.
Wu Qi acted as if nothing was wrong despite being followed, and instead found amusement in the shop, having Yi Shen try on fabrics of different colors.
Yi Shen usually prefers to wear light-colored clothes, but Wu Qi thinks he looks good in black clothes too.
"Buy a black robe, Young Master Yi. You've never worn a black robe before."
"good."
Wu Qi picked out about five or six outfits for Yi Shen. She thought Yi Shen looked good in black clothes and light clothes, and she was also thinking of buying him a red one.
This person seems to have never worn red clothes in their entire life.
If you have the chance, you should definitely let him wear red.
Just as Wu Qi was happily selecting clothes, Yi Shen placed a peach blossom dress among the clothes Wu Qi had chosen for him.
Wu Qi doesn't have a particular color preference and usually wears clothes of any color, but perhaps because the flower pattern is peach blossom, Madam Qi always likes to buy her pink clothes.
Therefore, Wu Qi still wore pink clothes more often.
But she didn't want to buy a pink dress today. However, when Yi Shen paid, she found that there was a peach-colored dress.
Without needing to ask further, Wu Qi knew that Yi Shen had bought it.
In this world, apart from her mother, Madam Qi, only Yi Shen loved to buy her pink clothes.
Wu Qi pointed at Tao Yao's dress and deliberately asked Yi Shen, "What is this?"
Yi Shen said, "Your beautiful dress."
"Young master, you have excellent taste! This is our shop's newest dress, and there's only one left!" The woman, whose face was painted with lines symbolizing many children and good fortune, took out a pink veiled hat from behind her back and said, "I think this veiled hat goes perfectly with this dress. Would you like to buy it for the lady? Tomorrow is the Fire Festival, and a lady can't go without a veiled hat!"
Yi Shen said, "No need."
"Just this one pink veiled hat! Women must wear veils during the Fire Festival!"
"She doesn't want to wear it."
The woman looked at them suspiciously, then took the money.
After buying the clothes, the two saw that the other two were still there, so they went back to the inn to rest.
The next day at 6:45 AM.
Before dawn, firecrackers went off one after another, signaling the arrival of the Fire Festival.
There's a custom in Pingwu City: you must set off a string of firecrackers before dawn to drive away bad luck. After the firecrackers are set off, everyone in the family must wait at the door and step out of the house at the moment of sunrise.
This is to drive away misfortune and welcome good fortune.
Wu Qi ignored the servant's advice, did not draw the line for many children and good fortune, nor did she wear a veil. Instead, she braided her black hair in front of the mirror, inserted flowers into her hair, and had two peach-colored hair ribbons hanging down, fluttering in the wind.
She drew her eyebrows, applied makeup, and put on a peach-colored dress.
Like a peach blossom that never fades.
Wu Qi opened the door and saw Yi Shen standing outside.
He was dressed in a moon-white robe and looked like he had been waiting outside the door for a long time, but he didn't seem anxious. It was as if he had been waiting for a long time, or as if he would have waited outside the door even if Wu Qi had stayed inside for another hour. He didn't even knock on the door to urge him.
Wu Qi, dressed in her new peach blossom robes, twirled in front of him, her flowing skirts billowing in the breeze.
"Isn't it pretty?" she asked.
"nice."
“Then let’s go,” Wu Qi said.
"Um."
After the two went downstairs, they met the servant.
The servant hurriedly stopped Wu Qi and reminded her, "Lady!! You forgot to draw the 'many children and many blessings' line on your face, and you forgot to wear your veil!"
"Thank you for reminding me." Wu Qi smiled. "But I don't want to draw any lines about having many children and good fortune, nor do I want to wear any veils. I just want to go out and meet people like this."
"How can this be!" Seeing that no one was around, the servant quietly stepped forward and approached Wu Qi, saying, "A lady as beautiful as you should be. Going out like this might cause trouble!"
"What trouble?" Wu Qi asked.
"If a beautiful woman doesn't draw the line for many children and blessings on her forehead, and doesn't wear a veil to the Fire Festival, she'll encounter a woman in human skin coming to claim her life!" the servant said, shuddering. "It's like this every year, lady, don't disbelieve me!"
A woman in human skin! That sounds pretty scary.
"Taking lives!" That sounds even more terrifying.
The servant had expected the two to be terrified after hearing this, but to his surprise, the young master remained calm and seemed unafraid of ghosts. As for the lady, well…
The servant frowned as he looked at Wu Qi.
Why is this lady smiling?
Wu Qi smiled so hard her eyes narrowed, her smiling eyes filled with a faint glimmer of starlight. She said, "You mean this human skin woman only takes the lives of women who haven't drawn the line for many children and blessings on their faces, and who aren't wearing veils?"
The servant nodded.
"Could it be that a man in human skin took the lives of the men of Pingwu City?"
The servant shook his head.
“That’s not right.” Wu Qi blinked and continued, “Why only take the woman’s life? How can a man live carefree? Besides, I have no grudge against that woman in human skin. Why would she want my life? Shouldn’t she take the life of whoever killed her?”
The wronged should have their perpetrators, and the debtors their just accomplices, right?
"She's a ghost!" The servant had never seen a woman in human skin before, but he had heard how terrifying she was. He exclaimed in despair, "A woman in human skin is a ghost! What sense does she have for reason? Humans can kill two people for no reason, so it's normal for a ghost to kill a few more!"
Wu Qi thought about it for a moment and said, "That makes sense."
If humans can kill people, why can't ghosts?
She asked, "What does this woman in human skin look like?"
Mentioning the woman in human skin sent a chill down the servant's spine. He shivered and, suppressing his fear, said, "Legend has it that this woman in human skin has no bones and can stand upright. Her face is painted with lines symbolizing many children and good fortune. A red veil covers her ugly face, and her skin is rough like the bark of a hundred-year-old tree demon. Moreover! This woman loves to eat pastries, especially 'tiao tou gao' (a type of pastry)!"
Tiao Tou Gao (a type of rice cake)?
Yi Shen glanced at Wu Qi.
Wu Qi laughed and said, "That's quite a coincidence, I also love eating Tiao Tou Gao!"
"This has nothing to do with fate!" the servant warned with a mournful face. "If a woman dressed in white and wearing a red veiled hat leads you to 'Li's Pastry Shop' on East Street, whatever you do, don't go! You'll die if you go!"
"That woman is Li Ji's daughter! She's a woman in human skin!"
Wu Qi said, "Okay, thank you."
Yi Shen took out the silver.
The servant waved his hand and retreated repeatedly, saying, "I don't want this kind of money that goes against my conscience. I'm afraid the woman in human skin will come after me for my life!"
He couldn't hide his fear when he mentioned the woman in human skin. If he accepted the money, he was afraid he wouldn't be able to sleep well for three years, worrying every night that this woman in human skin would come and take his life!
He knew perfectly well which was more important, money or life!
In any case, the servant refused the money, as if it were something dirty. Wu Qi suggested using the money to buy him some things he wanted.
Unexpectedly, the servant shouted, "Do you think I'm stupid? Hurry up and go! The Fire Festival is about to begin! Don't bother me! I still want to see Lord Zhou Lang's statue!"
Helpless, Wu Qi and Yi Shen had no choice but to take the money back.
It was still early, and the group gathered at the entrance of the inn, peering intently at the sky, waiting for the moment of sunrise before stepping out of the inn.
Suddenly someone exclaimed, "Sunrise! The sun has risen!"
The crowd surged forward, nearly breaking the inn's door. Unfortunately, the inn was unattended, and the owner and his servant were also pushing their way out in the crowd.
No one can get out for the time being.
Wu Qi stood listlessly behind the crowd, watching them jostle and push. She yawned, and something cold and hard was quietly slipped into her palm.
She looked down and saw a dagger.
The silver scabbard was adorned with a circle of pink jade beads, and the blade was thin and sharp. Ordinary daggers are made for men, but this dagger fits perfectly in a woman's hand, and she doesn't feel its weight when carrying it. It seems to be the masterpiece of a craftsman who has been working for centuries.
Yi Shen succinctly replied, "For self-defense."
"Does Young Master Yi think that woman in human skin will come after me?"
"There are no ghosts or gods in this world; everyone is made of flesh and blood." Yi Shen looked at the corner of black clothing peeking out of the window. "That person is still here."
Wu Qi put away the dagger and asked, "Did you buy this last night?"
Yi Shen nodded.
Wu Qi pursed his lips and asked, "And what about you?"
"Don't worry, I have a soft sword wrapped around my waist."
"Be careful, Young Master Yi!" Wu Qi said, "I have a feeling that we are in deep trouble!"
The two walked out of the inn side by side.
The women on the street were all dressed in beautiful dresses and wearing veils. Even women from other places who came to Pingwu City to join in the fun had their fertility lines drawn and wore veils.
Only Wu Qi was not wearing a veil or having the "many children, many blessings" line drawn on her face. She had fair skin, long, curled eyelashes, and flowers in her hair. Her hair ribbon fluttered in the wind, leaving a lingering fragrance.
Wu Qi tugged at Yi Shen's sleeve and tiptoed closer to him.
Yi Shen listened intently and heard her say, "Yi Shen, many people are looking at me!"
There were indeed many people looking at Wu Qi, as if they were looking at a monster or an evil spirit.
Yi Shen shielded her behind him and said, "Ignore her."
Among the crowd, a woman glanced at Wu Qi, then seemed to have made up her mind to lift her veil.
The man accompanying her quickly stopped her, saying, "Are you out of your mind? That woman is stupid, and her husband is even more stupid! What will they do if they get entangled with that human skin...woman?!"
His voice was so loud that people around him turned to look.
Wu Qi naturally heard it as well.
She smiled and said to the man, "He's not my husband yet. If I were really entangled with that woman in human skin, he could probably kill her."
The man exclaimed, "What...what are you saying?!"
The woman took off her veil and threw it on the ground, angrily saying, "I don't want to wear it anymore! What kind of monster am I, wearing this thing in public every day? Or did I do something terrible in my past life?!"
"How can this be?!" The man hurriedly picked up the veil, and when he looked up, he saw that she didn't even have the "many children, many blessings" line drawn on her face. He couldn't tell whether he felt helpless or terrified. "You, you'll be killed by the woman in human skin if you do this!"
"What human-skin woman! When Lord Zhou Lang was alive, there were no human-skin women. Back then, we didn't need to wear veils, and we lived just fine. Why do we have to wear veils now that Lord Zhao has come?" The woman threw the veil on the ground again and stomped on it twice. "If that human-skin woman really comes to take my life, I will also ask on behalf of all my sisters: Why must women take the lives of other women?!"
A moment of silence.
Wu Qi leaned on Yi Shen's shoulder, watching all of this without saying anything.
She often thought that the women of Pingwu City didn't need anyone's advice; what they needed was a woman who dared not wear a veil or draw lines indicating many children and blessings; what they needed was a woman who dared to step on the veil and loudly proclaim, "I don't want to wear any veil, and I don't want to draw any lines. I want to be seen like this."
That's enough.
Another woman in the crowd threw off her veil, revealing a face painted with lines symbolizing many children and good fortune. She said, "That's right. Ever since we started wearing veils, they haven't been made of expensive silk anymore, but the price has gone up quite a bit."
When Lord Zhou Lang explicitly forbade anyone from forcing women to wear veils, these veils were thrown on the ground and no one picked them up. Now that women want to wear these veils again, their price has increased two or three times.
And what a tattered veiled hat!
It breaks when the wind blows and it gets ruined when it rains. Are they buying hats or their ancestors?
Ignoring her husband's objections, a woman lifted her veil and exclaimed indignantly, "And this rouge that draws lines for many children and good fortune is so expensive! Men can have it done once and it lasts a lifetime, but we have to draw these lousy lines on our faces every day. Who will pay for the money we spend?"
"Saying it won't ruin your appearance is just empty talk!"
Wu Qi knew that the veils in Pingwu City were expensive and easily damaged.
Only when the veil is damaged does a woman have to spend a lot of money to buy a new one, right?
Even if a few pearls adorn a veiled hat, increasing its price tenfold, people will still buy it.
If that's the case, then the same principle applies to red rouge.
If a red balm is mixed with a few beauty-enhancing herbs, the price will increase twentyfold, but people will still buy it because it's something to be used on the face, and women dare not gamble with their appearance.
Because you have no choice but to use it, you have to grit your teeth and buy it even if it's expensive.
But who says women have to wear veils and draw lines indicating many children and good fortune?
She is a woman in human skin.
Wu Qi thought to himself: What a clever trap.
Using a woman in human skin to frighten the crowd and forcing the woman to spend a high price on a veil and rouge, this Lord Zhao is quite a figure, only he doesn't serve the people.
But what does Lord Zhao intend to do with all this money?
Could it be?
Wu Qi looked at Pingwu Mountain in the distance and recalled the Liuge mentioned by Chief Zhou.
Could it be that this matter is related to Liu Ge?
The Fire Festival had just begun, and before Lord Zhou's statue even entered the city, chaos had already broken out here. The anger of several women caused a group of women to remove their veils.
A petite woman said, "Human skin woman, human skin woman, all you do is use human skin woman to intimidate us all day long. If you have the guts, let your human skin woman come out. If one person can't beat her, surely dozens of us can beat her?"
Snap—
These words earned her a sharp slap from her mother.
The crowd gasped. Wu Qi stood up straight, frowning as he looked at the woman's swollen cheeks.
"You bastard!" The mother showed no mercy, her fingernails leaving long, thin marks on the woman's cheek. If you looked closely, you could see blood seeping from the marks.
The woman who was beaten turned her head away and remained silent.
Her mother said in a shrill voice, "They're crazy, and you're crazy too? Don't you want to open your eyes and see who they are? They're all rich young ladies, pampered and spoiled since childhood. It's one thing for them to make a fuss, but what are you doing making a fuss about? What are you trying to do? Do you want that woman in human skin to take your life so you don't have to get married and you don't have to care about your father anymore?"
After scolding her daughter, she turned and glared fiercely at Wu Qi.
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