It was already the dead of night, pitch-black all around. One could not even see their own outstretched fingers, and even the dogs in the alley seemed to have fallen silent.
They were a pair of tiny three-cun-three feet. While an ordinary woman's feet were dainty and delicate, they were never this bizarre.
The owner of the embroidered shoes seemed to float inside, landing soundlessly in the courtyard.
Her game character had night vision. Nan Zhi turned the screen brightness up to maximum and indeed caught sight of a gorgeously dressed, glamorous woman.
The woman had fine raven-black hair combed into a rounded bun, with a solid gold hairpin slanted through it.
Draped over her was a thin yellow short-sleeved blouse, sheer enough to reveal the sultry, alluring red chemise beneath.
A bright red sash hung loosely around the waist of her pleated skirt, sending wafts of fragrant breeze with every step she took.
With cloudy temples and fragrant cheeks, vermilion lips and pearl-white teeth, a fair face and dark hair, she swayed gracefully like a willow branch as she walked.
In all honesty, she was easily the most beautiful woman Nan Zhi had ever seen.
Yet, perched atop her head was a hostile red character name:
【Painted Skin Ghost (Injured Status)】
Was this Painted Skin Ghost injured?
Nan Zhi was slightly surprised, but tightened her grip on the slaughter knife.
Catching sight of someone standing boldly in the middle of the courtyard to block her, the woman was taken aback at first, then looked Nan Zhi up and down.
Seeing that it was a dark, robust young girl, the Painted Skin Ghost immediately showed an expression of deep disgust:
“How is that pretty little lady's elder sister so ugly? I thought I would get two beautiful skins—”
Nan Zhi: “???”
You're a skin-flaying monster and you actually have the nerve to be picky?!
In this broken game, identities and appearances were randomized; did she have a choice?!
Fury surged from her heart, and ruthless resolve flared in her gut.
“Once you take off that human skin, who knows who's the ugly one!”
Nan Zhi raised the slaughter knife and slashed viciously at the Painted Skin Ghost's calf!
【You have entered combat state】
【Currently equipped title: “Butcher’s Daughter” Title (Constitution +1, Reputation +2, Deterrence against beasts +1)】
【Currently equipped weapon: “Nan Village Slaughtering Knife” (Combat power +15, Deterrence against ghosts +2, chance to intimidate enemy units)】
The Painted Skin Ghost originally hadn't taken this young girl seriously. Caught off guard by Nan Zhi's sudden attack, it failed to dodge in time, and its calf was actually struck by the slaughter knife—
The blade sank an inch in as if sinking into a lump of dough. No blood flowed from the wound; instead, it tore open like sliced white paper, a gash bitten out by the steel.
“Aaaah! This is my favorite skin! How dare you! You wench!”
Enraged, green light gleamed in the Painted Skin Ghost's eyes as it shrieked:
“You faceless hag, you actually have the guts! I'll gouge out your heart! No, no, I'll peel off your skin, find a dog skin to slap over you, and make you a mangy mutt for the rest of your life!”
With that, its eyes rolled back, and the beauty's skin split from the crown of its head. Like shedding clothes, a towering, zhang-tall evil ghost crawled out from the seam of the human skin.
This evil ghost had a blue face, fangs, and a bulbous head shaped like a flat peach. Its yellow eyes shot beams of chilling light. Bare-chested and exposed, its withered breasts sagged over its belly.
The evil ghost was grayish-blue all over. Looking closely, banyan-root-like blood vessels crept across its body. With eagle talons and bear paws, its appearance was utterly terrifying.
Combined with its zhang-tall frame, it looked identical to the hellish demons depicted in ancient paintings.
【Painted Skin Ghost (Injured Status): HP 1500】
Nan Zhi nearly slipped on her feet. Looking at the Painted Skin Ghost, she said with utmost sincerity, “If I say this is a misunderstanding, would you believe me?”
What the heck was the game designer thinking?
Her HP was only a hundred points, while the Painted Skin Ghost still had 1,500 HP even in an injured state. Did this make any sense?
Seriously?!
“Waaaaah! I'll twist off your head!”
The Painted Skin Ghost sneered savagely, lunging at Nan Zhi with outstretched eagle talons:
“Once I eat your heart, I'll go skin that little lady! Hehehehe!”
“The 3D modeling is genuinely exquisite, and having the ghost crawl out of human skin is a great touch—it really captures the flavor of Chinese ghost tales.”
Nan Zhi made her character roll across the ground, narrowly dodging the attack radius of the Painted Skin Ghost projected on the floor:
“Is the Painted Skin Ghost a novice village boss? Even though it's huge, its movements are sluggish, and its attacks lean heavily toward physical—”
Despite looking grotesque and dreadful, the Painted Skin Ghost's attack patterns seemed limited to slashing at the player with its talons and stomping the ground with its massive feet.
“I get it!”
An epiphany struck Nan Zhi, making her feel as though she finally understood the developers' thoughtful design:
“I knew it. How could a beginner area have an invincible boss? As long as players dodge the attacks of the 【Painted Skin Ghost】, they can slowly kite it to death—”
Looking at the red health bar over the Painted Skin Ghost's head, Nan Zhi brimmed with confidence.
As the saying goes: so long as you dare show a health bar, players will slay even gods for you to see!
Relying on her familiarity with the surroundings, Nan Zhi dragged the Painted Skin Ghost in circles around the courtyard, whittling down half of its health bar!
The Painted Skin Ghost felt this dark, robust girl was as slippery as an eel!
Whether it reached out to gouge her heart or stomped down to crush her, this dark wench narrowly dodged every strike!
It was as though she could anticipate its every thought!
“Waaaaah! You black thief who only knows how to run! When I catch you, I will rip your skin to shreds! Swallow your heart raw! Then pull your tendons and toss them into the river to feed the fish!”
Seeming utterly furious, the Painted Skin Ghost raised its massive black foot to stomp toward Nan Zhi's chest. Nan Zhi maneuvered her character to leap sharply onto the wall!
A gust of fierce wind whistled past her ears; it turned out the Painted Skin Ghost had pulled a feint, slamming its giant ghost palm violently into the stone mill standing against the wall!
“Clang-clatter—”
Struck by tremendous force, the stone mill emitted a loud crash and shattered instantly. Fractured stones rolled across the ground, inevitably awakening the sleeping Nan family.
Nan Dazhuang's booming voice rang out, shouting with full vigor:
“Who's in our courtyard?! Where did this thief come from? My eldest son serves at the county yamen—”
Following this roar, commotions rose from neighboring houses as well, and people could even be heard yelling, “Catch the thief!”
Torches lit up in the surroundings, casting swaying shadows. Utterly terrified, the Painted Skin Ghost abandoned even the human skin on the ground, stumbling toward the gate—
“No way, players entering combat can't mute surrounding sounds?! Dog developers, do you even know how to design a game!”
Once again cursing the game company, Nan Zhi didn't halt her inputs for a second. Rolling, leaping sideways, executing back-slashes and slide-tackles, she chained together moves completely impossible in reality in one fluid sequence!
“Pfft—!”
She brandished the slaughter knife, the blade sinking deep into the Painted Skin Ghost's thigh as a spray of black blood spurted out—
“Aaaah! Give me your life!”
Agonized by pain and ignoring the slaughter knife still lodged in its flesh, the Painted Skin Ghost used all its might to backhand-grab her. Disarmed, Nan Zhi could only retreat on instinct!
In that split second, snowy light flashed. With a loud “crack,” a pair of thick ghost hands fell to the ground, black blood erupting like a geyser!
“Waaaah!!!!”
The Painted Skin Ghost collapsed screaming, its health bar finally bottoming out.
Nan Zhi looked back, only to see Nan Dazhuang drenched in sweat.
She would never curse the game designers again.
You did a great job!
Nan Dazhuang held a wood-splitting axe from which foul, reeking black blood dripped continuously, looking even more ferocious than the Painted Skin Ghost:
“Hold it, you evil ghost!! You've come to plague my family again! Back then, I failed to cleave you dead with one blade, and I only regret not being able to avenge my two dead sons and daughters! Today you dare show up again to harm my eldest daughter! Bah!”
This mouthful of spit landed squarely on the Painted Skin Ghost's peach-shaped head, deepening its agony:
“Spare me! Spare me! When did I ever harm your family—”
A butcher was brimming with Yang energy and heavy baleful aura. Already on its last breath, the Painted Skin Ghost felt its entire hide scorching under the spit, as though plunged into a boiling cauldron of oil!
Although it had indeed set its sights on the young maiden of this household, it hadn't even succeeded yet! Where on earth did harming their sons and daughters come from?!
Injustice!
A monumental injustice!
Yet Nan Zhi did not wait for its reply. Raising the long axe in her hands high, she swung it down with all her might!
“Crack.”
Like slicing a melon, the Painted Skin Ghost's head parted from its body. The ghost head rolled across the ground, coming to a halt beneath Nan Zhi's feet.
Nan Dazhuang was a rough man accustomed to heavy labor; this axe strike had been both precise and ruthless.
Yet the Painted Skin Ghost still wasn't dead.
Its plump corpse thrashed and writhed on the ground, its thick thighs kicking wildly.
The two severed ghost hands also crawled across the dirt, seemingly groping for the head to reattach it.
Nan Zhi gave it no such chance.
She picked up the slaughter knife and drove the long blade viciously into the head through the ghost's eyes:
“Schwing—”
Only after churning it vigorously several times until the brains were turned to mush did Nan Zhi finally stop.
It could be considered vengeance served.
At last, the head lost its unholy spark, and the colossal torso crashed heavily to the ground.
Fortunately, it was just a game; otherwise, the gruesome act she had just performed would have disgusted Nan Zhi so much she wouldn't be able to eat for three days.
Nan Dazhuang tried his best to squeeze out a “gentle” smile to soothe his daughter, speaking in a warm tone:
“Eldest Daughter, you weren't frightened, were you?”
Yet with splatters of the Painted Skin Ghost's black blood still on his face, paired with his full beard, he looked rather terrifying.
Nan Zhi: “...”
She had heard the “legends” about the Nan family's difficulty having children, and after brief thought, she realized what had happened:
Nan Dazhuang had probably mistaken this Painted Skin Ghost for the Greater Ghost from back then.
Simply put, he had gotten the wrong ghost.
The ghost head's eyes were wide open and its mouth gaped agape, seemingly refusing to rest in peace even in death.
No wonder even the Painted Skin Ghost cried grievance.
Holding her blade, Nan Zhi kicked the demonic creature's head on the ground.
Falling into her hands, this ghost was truly unfortunate.
Rate on N.U.
