My lord, spare his life!

The woman's pupils suddenly contracted.

It felt as if countless thunderbolts exploded in her mind, momentarily robbing her of her ability to think. Her ears rang, and she couldn't hear anything from the outside world. She didn't know how much time had passed—perhaps a moment, perhaps a breath—before her blank mind gradually regained its color.

Her voice was extremely hoarse.

"You said..." The woman swallowed, trying to ease the dryness and burning sensation in her throat, "...restore my appearance?"

"Yes, didn't you see that painting?"

The woman suspected that Zhang Yang's voice had a bewitching power, enticing her to keep recalling the young image in that painting.

That was the most carefree and spirited age of her life. How many people were infatuated with her appearance and rushed to please her, just to catch her eye? Even though she didn't like these empty-headed fools who were only interested in physical desires, she had to admit that these people did give her a lot of emotional value.

She doesn't see beauty as a burden, nor does she feel ashamed of using her beauty to gain fame that overshadows her talent. She won't imitate the foolish act of some people who deliberately dress plainly just to draw attention to their talent. The pursuit of her beauty by others won't overshadow her talent, because talent is innate, as is appearance; both, like her family background, are her assets.

How could she not be in pain after losing her beauty?

How could she accept that she was neither human nor ghost?

now--

Someone told her that she could pay a price to restore her appearance?

If she were to think rationally, the woman's first reaction would be that Zhang Yang was a liar or that he was playing her for a fool. But right now, pure emotion was dominating her body. The obsession with regaining her appearance was burning like wildfire, making her brain boil and unable to think straight.

She blurted out, "What do you want?"

The second sentence expresses an uncontrollable excitement and fervor.

"I can afford to pay any price for anything I have!"

Once she regained her face, she wouldn't tremble at the sight of a mirror or water anymore—the person reflected there was so unfamiliar; she even felt like a lost soul, shamelessly possessing someone else's body. She missed her face so much! The woman took a large step closer, her breath almost touching Zhang Yang's face.

Zhang Yang was forced to look up and take a step back.

His usually indifferent expression now held a hint of doubt.

I don't understand why women are so passionate and excited.

Zhang Yang even frowned and advised the woman: "Don't make such promises lightly. You say you can give me anything, but what if I were a man and asked you to offer yourself to me? What if I didn't want anything but your life? What if I were insatiably greedy and wanted to take all your wealth? What if I were a pervert and asked you to kill your whole family? What if I asked you to do something you didn't want to do? Could you agree to any of these?"

The woman was brought back to her senses by Zhang Yang's series of "what ifs".

but--

"Not all of these things are unacceptable."

Zhang Yang raised an eyebrow: "For example?"

"Even if you're not a man, I'm still willing to offer myself. Money is just an external thing; if you really want to take it all, Lord, killing your entire family is impossible, but picking a few to kill is no problem. For a demon in disguise, there aren't many things he'd rather not do."

People who are possessed by ghosts have very low moral standards.

Zhang Yang took a step back: "..."

Her peach blossom eyes widened in shock, clearly stunned by the woman's words. Seeing Zhang Yang's reaction, the woman suddenly broke into a smile. Such a pure and virtuous young man was a rare find in this world.

The woman spoke with a serious expression.

"I'll say it again—"

"Whatever request Your Excellency may make, I will grant it without fail."

This was the biggest promise she could make.

Zhang Yang didn't agree immediately. Instead, she habitually glanced at the woman's basic information and then remained silent for several breaths. She said in a low voice, "Promises are only real at the moment they are made... Never mind, I don't want anything else."

Her words sent a shiver down the woman's spine.

They were certain that Zhang Yang had discovered something.

Making a promise is one thing, keeping it is another. The woman may have made the promise from the bottom of her heart, but—reneging on a promise is a human thing, what does it have to do with a ghost? And what does it have to do with a ghost that needs to change its skin every now and then to survive?

However, as expected of the Painted Skin Demon, his skin is indeed thick.

The woman showed no sign of guilt despite Zhang Yang's accusations.

She simply maintained a calm and profound smile.

Zhang Yang glanced at the woman's data again.

"Let's go see Uncle Yan and the others first."

Zhang Yang was worried that he would be tricked if he talked to the other party, because this NPC's morality score was higher than Fan You's but lower than Du Fang's.

The woman nodded in agreement.

The steward hesitated, looking at the woman with concern.

The woman gently comforted her, "Go back and wait for news."

The steward had no choice but to bow and leave.

Zhang Yang whistled, her finger to her lips. A few moments later, large dark clouds descended from the sky. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a large, colorful worm that had almost walked through the air, landing lightly on the ground and obediently bowing down to make it easier for Zhang Yang to sit on it. This scene had a greater impact on the woman than Zhang Dami selling eggs with chickens and ducks. Star beasts are proud; even when subdued, they will not easily grovel.

This star beast is far too familiar with the process of being used as a mount.

Zhang Yang sat down, about to send Zhang Dami to the prefectural government, when she turned her head and found the woman still standing there motionless. She asked, "It's a bit far from the prefectural government. Should we wait for you to find a carriage?"

The woman swallowed hard, forcing her gaze away from the star beast.

"No need, please do as you please, Your Excellency."

The temporary prefectural government had been repaired, showing no signs of being trampled by the star beast. Zhang Yang jumped off the tiger's back and waved for Zhang Dami to attend to her own business. The woman followed behind her, silently observing the layout of the place. In the woman's eyes, this prefectural government was truly shabby, simple and plain, not even comparable to the county government of an ordinary small county.

Zhang Yang clearly did not think so.

She approached the main hall entrance in high spirits.

"Yuan Yi, look who's here."

Du Guan stepped forward, his expression showing no surprise. In fact, the woman had subtly released her aura the moment she entered the temporary prefectural residence, letting Du Guan know she had arrived. Looking at the woman's unfamiliar, ordinary face, Du Guan was overwhelmed with complex emotions.

"Many years have passed since we last met. I hope Xiuying is well."

"I have also missed Yuan Yi for a long time."

Du Guan: "Where is Xiuying staying now? If you don't mind, you can stay at my place for a while. My husband heard that you will be coming to Weiyin County soon, and he has already started preparing a welcome dinner for you."

The woman looked slightly displeased.

Everyone knows why.

Xiuying had never thought much of her husband; he wasn't very talented, came from a humble background, and wasn't particularly handsome—in short, he was always considered to be marrying above his station. During their correspondence, Xiuying even mentioned sending her one or two women who were good at social maneuvering.

I'll also offer you a contract of marriage with a woman who understands my words.

If you get tired of it someday, just give them some money.

Du Guan politely declined the suggestion and dared not let his husband know of the letter's existence. However, Du Guan suspected that the other party actually knew, otherwise they wouldn't have acted so nervously and guarded upon learning of their friend's impending arrival. Du Guan sighed.

"I found a guesthouse to stay in, and it's quite comfortable. I'd better not disturb Yuan Yi." Since the stay was acceptable, she didn't want to bother her friend at her house. The woman tentatively said, "I came here this time because of the human skin, so it's not advisable to stay any longer."

Du Guan's expression seemed to change.

His gaze subtly drifted towards Zhang Yang.

"How well did you use Xiu Ying's persona?"

"Of course it's good. Since the calamity of the stars, I haven't felt this relaxed in so many years. Apart from the fact that the person in the mirror doesn't look like the young man I used to know, everything else seems like nothing has happened." The woman didn't beat around the bush. "Just now, the Lord said he could restore my appearance, and that's why I came. Yuan Yi, I think you'll understand."

She understands how important this matter is to her.

More important than appearance is a stable supply of highly compatible human skin. She'll only consider appearance once that's resolved. Ideally, she'd have both.

But she also knew that good luck wouldn't always be on her side.

"I cannot make this decision; it depends on the Prefect."

Du Guan kicked the ball back to Zhang Yang.

Zhang Yang looked at Fan You.

"Human skin is hard to come by, and skin that fits you is even more precious. Senior Xiuying, have you considered what will happen if this skin gets damaged? Will you have to send someone to deliver it every time? The world is vast; it can confine a hidden dragon for a time, but not forever. When my lord soars to the heavens in the future, we will be thousands of miles apart. How will he be able to take care of you, Senior Xiuying?" Fan You's words were tantamount to an explicit statement: a stable supply is only a temporary solution; there will always be a day when it's too late. "Furthermore, the world is becoming increasingly chaotic, and the fall of star lords is becoming more and more frequent. Is there any end to the number of times the stars are descending to wrath? If I remember correctly, the higher the level of the painted skin ghost, the faster the human skin will decay?"

Naturally, the frequency of skin replacement also increases.

Each replacement of human skin severely depletes his vital energy, and sooner or later he will run out of strength and die from exhaustion. If he consistently uses highly compatible human skin, he can minimize this damage and extend his lifespan accordingly. He doesn't believe women don't understand this.

Woman: "In your opinion?"

Fan You laid it all out: "What my lord urgently needs is not material possessions, nor uncertain promises to be fulfilled in the future, but simply you as you are now. Senior Xiu Ying, have you ever considered switching allegiance?"

Woman: "...Her?"

Zhang Yang retorted, "What's wrong with me?"

Is she some kind of terrible boss?

Fan You said, "Yes, it's her."

The woman neither immediately refused nor readily agreed. Her purpose in coming was to obtain the secret of human skin; establishing a stable supply through cooperation would be ideal, but Fan You's words were not unfounded. Such a cooperative relationship was not reliable.

Only further mutual benefit could bring her the greatest advantage—before her lay not only human skin but also the face that originally belonged to her. In just a few breaths, the woman had made her decision, though she had some unpleasant things to say.

"Many elders in the family have high hopes for Qin Shiming."

The woman was originally the eldest son of the clan, with the first in line to inherit the title. However, since the fall of the stars, she lost these titles and became an awkward figure in the clan. But she was, after all, the daughter of the clan leader, and possessed talent and ability. She was also related to the new eldest son as a sister, so she was never kicked out of the core circle of the clan and could still participate in important decisions.

Naturally, she was aware of the family's future direction—

They placed a heavy bet on Qin Huang.

The woman abandoned Qin Huang and chose the unknown Zhang Yang—even though he came from the Zhang family of Jiukan, he still couldn't catch the eye of those elders—this was a degrading act, and if she persisted, she would be kicked out of the core circle and have her remaining family capital taken away.

Perhaps if I go home, I'll be scolded for being confused.

"I also served under Qin Shiming for a while."

The woman is now Qin Huang's subordinate.

Are you sure you want her to have an affair?

Fan You: "None of these things matter."

Stealing Qin Huang's man?

Hehe, Fan You couldn't have asked for more.

What he wanted was for Qin Huang to end up being abandoned by everyone.

The person who takes Qin Huang away will excite him even more.

The woman didn't ponder for long; she already had her answer in her heart. But just to be on the safe side, she wanted to see some sincerity first, such as how to restore her face. Changing allegiances wasn't as simple as eating and drinking; it concerned her political career.

She naturally had to be more cautious.

To avoid getting on a pirate ship only to find out you've been deceived.

Fan You nodded: "That's natural."

The woman looked at Zhang Yang: "What does Your Excellency require of me?"

Zhang Yang said, "Take off the human skin."

She can't use the character customization tool on someone else.

Woman: "...I'm afraid it will frighten the Lord."

"I'm not that timid."

She's a zombie dealer who buys and sells zombies to players.

Zombies come in all sorts of bizarre shapes and sizes. She's killed countless rotting zombies without skin, so why would she be afraid of this?

The woman sighed and agreed: "A painted-skin ghost that has lost its human skin cannot be exposed to the air for too long. I will trouble you, Lord, to take good care of it."

"Oh, is that so?"

Next sentence—

"Never mind then, don't take it off."

Zhang Yang took out a new item from his game inventory.

Under the woman's shocked gaze, he made her unfold the painting she had brought, and then beckoned the woman to come closer: "I don't know how you recognized this style of portrait. I can only follow it. You watch from the side, and I'll adjust it if anything is not right."

The style of that painting is somewhat like a portrait of a lady. The lines are full, rounded, and smooth, yet restrained, simple, and expressive. However, the face lacks definition, making it difficult to capture the facial features. But with the person who created the face present, this problem is easily solved.

Zhang Yang rubbed his hands together to warm his palms.

Under the unwavering gaze of the three, she kneaded the facial features of the face-sculpting tool with both hands, like kneading dough. She then took out various small tools with hooks and crosses to shape the base of the face, lightly sculpting the contours of the features. From top to bottom, she smoothed the forehead and used the tools to gently press the brow bone and eye sockets, sculpting the nose and mouth. At this point, one could vaguely see the woman's youthful appearance, but the details were still rough and lacked expressiveness.

What eyebrow shape should I get?

"What about the lip color?"

"The nose needs to be even higher? That's unrealistic!"

The woman leaned closer, her eyes burning with fervor, and offered a barrage of suggestions.

She wasn't satisfied with her nose; the tip wasn't delicate enough, and her eyes weren't sharp enough. If she could add a small red mole under her eyes, it would draw everyone's attention to her most striking eyes. She also needed to work on her lips.

This also saved her the trouble of putting on makeup.

"My ear was slightly pressed against my face before..."

"Could you please pull your chin back a bit?"

"Could it be... around the neck?"

"My legs..."

"My hand..."

"My back needs it too..."

Zhang Yang: "..."

??(?_?)

It's heartbreaking; I guess I won't be able to receive welfare benefits anymore.

The new compensation plan is to return the remaining principal, but Mushroom withdrew the principal on the first profitable trade, leaving only the profit to play (don't risk your principal on private trading platforms!), so the account is now full of profits _(:3」∠)_

Frustrating! Why should money earned by luck be swallowed up???