The Twelve Spirits: Ugly Spirit

[Prologue]

'I paid a visit to Xiao Yan before she passed away. She said that though she was about to die, she had already given you the reward you wanted, so you had to fulfill your promise to her. This is her face. She wants you to give her face to a woman named Ning Xishi.'

His slender hand, white as jade, hovered above me before pressing down on my shoulders.

My gaze wandered past his hand and paused at the wooden box he carried. The wooden box was a fraction larger than a person's face, and several grotesque demons had been carved onto its surface. At once, I recognized this as a box Painted Skin masters used in preserving a person's face. My expression grew somber.

He continued, 'Ning Xishi was Xiao Yan's playmate in their childhood. Xiao Yan said that she had not managed to do anything for Ning Xishi in this lifetime, so now that she is dead, she wants to give Ning Xishi her own face. At least... to let Ning Xishi's husband treat her better.'

––

I was a Master of Destiny, tasked to uphold God's will. I was able to understand the movement of celestial bodies, familiar with concocting strange potions, and privy to the mysteries of life and death. My responsibility lay in protecting the balance on Earth by defending it when things went awry, but occasionally, I would use my abilities to earn extra income.

Xiao Yan was my previous customer. She sought a potion from me but passed away before I could give it to her. Yet she still entrusted someone to deliver my payment to me, and the person who had come was my senior, Mo Ran. But apart from the night pearl I sought from her, Mo Ran also brought with him a wooden box containing Xiao Yan's face.

'And,' Mo Ran continued, 'Xiao Yan instructed us to never let Ning Xishi know that this face belonged to her, for she would never accept it, even though she does require a face.'

Mo Ran lifted his wine goblet and took a sip from it. He added, 'A beautiful face.'

'En.' I nodded, raising my head to stare at Mo Ran, who was leaning against the wall, slowly savoring his wine.

Beyond the windows, the rain which trickled across the grounds was translucent against the dark skies.

Standing, I accepted the wooden box from Mo Ran and moved to retrieve my umbrella.

'I understand.'