The Twelve Spirits: Ugly Spirit

[1]

Ning Xishi was the main consort of Prince De, Su Zicheng.

She was originally the unfavoured daughter of a low-ranking official and his concubine, but after performing the Startling Swan dance in an imperial banquet, she caught Su Zicheng's attention and was immediately conferred the title of his main consort.

According to rumours, Ning Xishi's ugliness was incomparable, but when she had danced at the imperial banquet, her face had been veiled and she appeared to be a beauty. The amorous and unruly Su Zicheng was tricked into thinking that she was a peerless beauty to immediately ask for her hand in marriage, only to lift her veil on the night of their wedding to discover that his bride was a hideous woman.

Furious, he immediately banished her from his manor. Ning Xishi was exiled in a side manor from the night of her marriage and was never spoken of again. Therefore, during my first meeting with her, she was not residing within Prince De's manor, but was instead at a side manor located in the outskirts of the city.

'I heard you were looking for me,' Ning Xishi said, her voice lined with exhaustion.

Ning Xishi was the one who had searched for me and had me brought to her manor, and I guessed that this was the result of Mo Ran's interference.

Without delaying, I reached into my sleeves and retrieved the wooden box containing Xiao Yan's face.

Bowing, I said, 'I am Ye An, a Master of Destiny. I was entrusted by a person to help Your Highness change your face.'

'Change my face?' Ning Xishi was momentarily dazed. Slowly caressing her face which had been veiled by gauze, she continued in slight disbelief, 'Is that face beautiful?'

I did not reply, only uncovering the box to reveal Xiao Yan's countenance.

Xiao Yan's face was stunning. She possessed the features of a cold beauty, and just one look at it was enough to capture Ning Xishi's attention, her gaze lingering upon it.

A moment later, Ning Xishi laughed, clapping her hand as she stood from the bed. 'Beautiful. A beautiful face, not bad indeed.'

As she said this, she waved me over and led me into the bedroom, smiling as she walked. 'I, Ning Xishi, am indeed pitiful if even a stranger knew that I needed a beautiful face. What do you require from me?'

She turned to face me, and a pair of intelligent eyes met mine. Beneath the gauze, the faintest hue of grotesque pink scars could be seen. Ning Xishi's elegance was intertwined with terror, and she possessed a strange kind of deformed beauty.

I pointed towards the bed. 'Your Highness, please lie down. You can entrust everything to me.'

Wordlessly, she laid down.

I retrieved my tools from my medical box and prepared a potion for Ning Xishi ingest. Then I picked up a scalpel and walked over to stand next to her.

'You will not be in much pain, but there will be some discomfort. Why don't you talk to me? Perhaps you will feel better.'

'Talk to you?' Ning Xishi laughed lightly. She thought for a moment, then said, 'There is nothing for me to say. The only thing worth mentioning in my life is him.'

As she began her story, I lifted my scalpel, slicing it across her face, the blade reflecting silver.