Chapter 5
A black umbrella rested amidst the flower stands outside the shop, and soon several kittens huddled inside, peering out curiously.
“The restroom is inside, with clean towels and a hairdryer.” Ning Zhixia pointed towards the house. He and Audrow had only known each other for a short time and weren’t very familiar, making the overly quiet atmosphere even more awkward. After Audrow went inside, he casually turned on the TV.
Spring was a rainy season. The windowsill was stained with a dark, mottled patch. Ning Zhixia frowned, taking a cloth to wipe it clean. The damp, earthy smell of moss wafted into his nostrils.
In the midst of this perfect atmosphere for sleep, the door vibrated, sounding like a hard object rhythmically knocking against the door.
“Knock, knock.”
“Knock, knock.”
“…” Ning Zhixia looked at the clock. It was 7:28, as expected.
Round two. He didn’t want to open the door for now.
As the standoff continued, the noise outside gradually subsided. Ning Zhixia listened for a while, then couldn’t resist his curiosity. He squinted through the peephole—
He saw a figure leaning on a chaise lounge, flipping through a scroll. Separated by a silk screen, the scene outside was like a shadow puppet show.
The flickering lamplight wavered. She stood up to add oil to the lamp, her figure gradually merging with a dark shadow behind her. She seemed to sense something and turned her head. It was unclear what she saw, but she let out a bloodcurdling scream.
“Thud!”
A sharp weapon pierced through flesh and bone, splattering blood across the plain screen like blossoming red plum flowers.
A jade hairpin fell to the ground with a crisp sound. The woman collapsed, her black hair scattered, half of her body visible from behind the screen. She slowly turned her face, half of it covered in blood, her wide eyes staring straight at the stunned young man.
“Ahh!!!”
A shiver ran up his spine. Ignoring his fear, Ning Zhixia yelled at the top of his lungs, “Audrow! Quick, quick, quick! Someone’s being murdered outside!”
The bathroom door opened, and Audrow emerged quietly. His clothes were clean and tidy, looking quite refreshed.
But even if the other party had rolled around in mud, Ning Zhixia wouldn’t have minded.
He rushed towards him excitedly like he had seen his savior, but his knees buckled, and he tripped, sliding across the polished floor on his knees.
Faced with the sudden and unexpected acrobatic display, Audrow paused: “Impressive.”
“…” The air was suffocating. Ning Zhixia opened his mouth, and a hearty, deep laugh came from the TV screen at just the right moment—
“Hahahaha, my dear concubine, please rise.”
Ning Zhixia: “…………”
The awkward atmosphere vanished without a trace. He got up expressionlessly, patted his knees, and silently muttered to himself.
“Yes.”
Audrow paid no attention to the changing expressions on his face, only glancing towards the door: “You called?”
“Yes, yes, yes!” Ning Zhixia pulled him towards the door. “It’s connected to another plane again. I didn’t dare open the door, but I saw a girl die through the peephole!”
Audrow nodded, giving a light “hmm,” and directly pressed the doorknob, opening the door nonchalantly amidst Ning Zhixia’s small gasp.
A cold wind blew, scattering his silver-gray hair. Unexpectedly, the eerie green lights flickered outside the door, but apart from a bloodstained sword lying on the ground, there was nothing else.
Ning Zhixia peered out from behind him, recalling the knocking sound of a hard object hitting the door, and gulped.
He murmured, “It was real, that sword just pierced her chest…”
Hearing this, Audrow picked up the sword and closed the door: “What did you see?”
“Through a very elegant folding screen, there was a girl reading…” Ning Zhixia gestured as he recounted the scene.
Audrow: “Did you see the murderer?”
Ning Zhixia thought for a moment, then hesitantly nodded.
Audrow asked, “What did they look like?”
Ning Zhixia modestly said, “My description might be a bit abstract.”
Audrow was curious: “How abstract?”
Ning Zhixia lowered his voice, speaking seriously and mysteriously, “Like the black silhouette in Detective Conan.”
“…?” Audrow was silent for a few seconds, then changed his question, “Anything else?”
“Um… well…” Ning Zhixia scratched his head, spotted the paper and pen on the workstation, and directly drew the scene he had just witnessed.
Audrow glanced at it and said, “She’s one of the heartless corpses. She died last night.”
“Last night? Then, then what I saw just now…” Ning Zhixia looked at the sword, his eyes wide with shock.
He never thought he could communicate with spirits. Wouldn’t this be another side hustle? Following this golden finger trope, he would become famous among the rich and powerful, debut in the entertainment industry, and achieve both fame and fortune!
Beautiful, simply beautiful.
Under the bright, soft light, no one paid attention to the stopped clock. Audrow held the sword hilt, examining it from tip to toe, his light-colored eyes carrying an indifference not seen during the day, as if he wasn’t curious or concerned about who killed whom, or who committed the evil deed.
Ning Zhixia finished his fantasy, paced back and forth with his hands behind his back, and seeing that Audrow remained silent, shook his head and clicked his tongue.
Audrow looked up, hesitated slightly, and held the sword out to him: “Seen this before?”
“Well, of course.” Ning Zhixia countered, “Do you know Biluo Mountain?”
It was a famous mountain with a long history on the outskirts of Yucheng.
Audrow narrowed his eyes, unsure what he was going to say. After a few seconds of thought, he nodded.
Ning Zhixia gestured towards the sword with his lips: “At the Taoist temple halfway up the mountain, these things, fifty yuan for three!”
“…” As expected.
Audrow gave him a meaningful look and took the sword away.
Ning Zhixia was puzzled: “Hey, aren’t you going to ask me anything else?”
Audrow shook his head, saying firmly, “No.”
Audrow still took the bloodstained short sword with him. According to him, it belonged to the 103rd plane, and it was more appropriate to give it to Su Qiushui as a clue for her investigation.
Ning Zhixia continued his leisurely days at the manicure shop. At night, when the time for the plane connection arrived, the cold green lights flickered in pairs outside, thankfully not approaching to disturb him.
This was good, saving him the trouble of being treated as fresh meat.
However, just a day later, Su Qiushui visited the shop again.
Based on the short sword Audrow had given her, she had managed to capture a powerful swordsmith Yokai named Shan Gu.
The sword was his handiwork, but he seemed to be under someone’s control and refused to reveal who he had forged it for.
Ning Zhixia asked, “Where is he now?”
“I’m about to send him to the Bureau.” Su Qiushui said sullenly, “His true form is a stubborn stone, I really can’t do anything with him!”
Ning Zhixia thought for a moment and suggested, “No need to bother, bring him here and I’ll interrogate him for you.”
“Hmm?”
Su Qiushui raised an eyebrow, looking at the young man in surprise. Seeing that he wasn’t joking, she agreed without hesitation.
She acted swiftly, leaving and returning shortly after, wagging her tail as she opened the door.
Four pairs of red dots glowed in the dark night. As sharp claws clicked against the floor, Ning Zhixia saw what was happening at the door and his expression relaxed.
At the open doorway, two fluffy white foxes were biting a red rope, pulling hard at the Yokai behind them. Two others were occasionally poking the Yokai with their noses, crouching low and growling menacingly.
“Okay, that’s enough.”
As soon as Su Qiushui nodded, the little foxes let go of the rope and happily rolled around in front of her. Seeing Ning Zhixia peeking, they shrank their necks and scurried out of the shop in a line, wiggling their butts.
The happy beasts of King Zhou truly were charming. Ning Zhixia’s eyes were practically sparkling when he suddenly heard a furious roar.
“Hmph! Su Qiushui, stop playing tricks! What kind of hellhole have you brought me to!”
A round-faced woman in black was tied up with a red rope, turning her head to look around.
Su Qiushui rolled her eyes, holding a pipe in one hand and pushing Shan Gu forward with the other.
A table lamp clicked on, revealing a young man with a friendly smile sitting in the bright light, waving welcomingly.
“Hi~ ^_^”
Shan Gu twitched her nose, her expression puzzled: “Who are you? You smell strangely fragrant.”
Ning Zhixia took out his tools: “Not important, just an ordinary craftsman.”
“Craftsman?” Shan Gu stared at him for a moment, then suddenly sneered, “Well, well, the fox has become more and more useless, I thought she came up with some vicious method… but it’s actually asking a powerless mortal for help!”
Ning Zhixia shook his head: “She wants to know who you made that sword for, but there’s nothing she can do if you don’t tell her.”
Shan Gu looked smug, raising her chin at him: “Since you know, what’s the point of bringing me here?”
“I heard about the recent events and asked Qiushui to bring you here. Let’s ease the tension, shall we?”
“So the hard approach didn’t work, and now you’re trying the soft approach.” Shan Gu waved her hand dismissively, “You, a mere mortal, can neither serve me nor offer any rare treasures. What benefits can you give me?”
Ning Zhixia smiled slightly, taking her hand and placing it on a soft hand pillow: “I have my own skills.”
Shan Gu looked suspicious, wanting to pull her hand back, but Su Qiushui pressed down on her shoulder.
The fingers resting on her black clothes were shimmering and exquisitely manicured. Su Qiushui chuckled: “See? This is what Boss Ning did for me. I specifically brought you here for this.”
Shan Gu turned her head away. Her fingers were short and stubby, the skin around her nails rough and dark with accumulated dead skin. Because of her swordsmithing, she didn’t care about hand care.
Ning Zhixia glanced down, assessing her, and immediately put away the shiny, beautiful decoration box.
Because these things would definitely not be used.
“Don’t worry, I won’t ruin my reputation.” Ning Zhixia softened his voice to soothe her, and while her expression eased, he took out a sanding band.
This Yokai was quite sensitive, so using an electric file wouldn’t help her relax. Shaping nails with a sanding band was more laborious, but it was simple, rough, and quick to start. With practice, it could save even more time than an electric file.
Ning Zhixia tested a few angles and chose a comfortable one, placing the band against the nail groove and pulling it back and forth quickly and gently. The appropriate pressure made the hand he was holding relax slightly.
He asked knowingly, “How does it feel? Should I be gentler?”
“It’s fine, no need.”
Shan Gu craned her neck to watch his movements, thinking that the little stick in his hand was quite useful.
Before she could get a good look, Ning Zhixia applied cuticle remover to the edges of her nails. After applying it to both hands, he used a cuticle pusher to loosen the dead skin.
This was a step many customers feared. Too light, and it was slow and ineffective; too much pressure, and it hurt.
Ning Zhixia had practiced on his own hands and knew the right amount of pressure for optimal efficiency. He used a thin cuticle pusher, applying light pressure and rhythmically pushing back the cuticles. The softened cuticles piled up along the arched edge and were then cleanly trimmed with nippers.
Shan Gu hummed comfortably, finding it quite relaxing.
After removing the dead skin from the short, rounded square nails, her stubby fingers looked more refined and elegant.
She stared, mesmerized, and urged with narrowed eyes: “Continue.”
“Sure, as long as you like it.”
Ning Zhixia applied base coat, saying casually, “As a famous master swordsmith, don’t you have any assistants or disciples?”
Shan Gu thought it was just small talk and replied casually, “Yes, I do.”
Ning Zhixia sighed, “Then why do you do everything yourself? It’s so hard on your hands.”
“I don’t want to, but…” Shan Gu stopped, suddenly feeling wary, and looked at him inquisitively.
The young man, however, seemed unconcerned, patting the table: “Here, switch hands.”
“Oh, okay.”
Shan Gu’s train of thought was interrupted. She put her other hand on the pillow, wanting to think further, when she heard him pat the table again, “Cure the applied coat under the lamp.”
Shan Gu looked down at the arc-shaped device, tentatively placing her hand inside, carefully observing the sudden purple light.
Ning Zhixia suddenly resumed the previous topic: “I understand, you must have encountered a demanding client who insisted on the most skilled swordsmith personally crafting it.”
“I am indeed the most skilled.” Shan Gu was flattered, then asked puzzledly, “What’s a client?”
“It’s someone who gives you a little benefit and then has a ton of demands for you.”
Shan Gu’s eyes flickered, nodding repeatedly: “Yes, yes, yes!”
Ning Zhixia changed the subject: “But a master of your level… shouldn’t encounter such people, right? I’ve seen that short sword, it’s truly exquisite.”
“Hmph, you have some discerning eyes.”
The conversation flowed, and Shan Gu sighed and then became annoyed: “Those guys are so nitpicky, making me redo it so many times.”
Ning Zhixia acted surprised: “Oh dear, how could that be?”
“Because…” Shan Gu seemed to realize she had said too much, quickly closing her mouth, and glancing at Ning Zhixia.
But the young man in front of her seemed to have no ulterior motives, still indignantly complaining: “They’re so difficult to please. They say they trust your ability, tell you to do as you see fit… but as soon as you submit a design, they come back with a long list of revisions… Here, switch hands.”
“Oh, oh.” Shan Gu, feeling like she had found a kindred spirit, obediently followed his instructions, “You’re absolutely right, let me tell you, that sword took so much effort…”
“Being a craftsman is so hard.” Ning Zhixia agreed, patting the table.
Shan Gu didn’t need reminding, switching hands as she spoke, and even taking a sip of the hot tea he offered when her mouth became dry.
Ning Zhixia smiled: “If I didn’t want to serve them, I’d just quit. If you’re not happy, just don’t do it.”
“I can’t…”
“Why not? Here, switch hands.”
The familiar sound of patting the table again.
Shan Gu followed the motion, and in a moment of distraction, her closed mouth seemed to have a mind of its own, blurting out, “They can lock me in the Demon Locking Pagoda and sink me to the bottom of the sea…”
As soon as she spoke, Ning Zhixia’s movements stopped.
In the corner, Su Qiushui, who had been patiently waiting, rose from the sofa, a sinister smile spreading across her face: “So, it was them…”
“You—” Shan Gu covered her mouth, tears welling up. For breaking her promise of secrecy to her employers, her terrified face gradually began to petrify.
“This concludes our truth-serum manicure service…”
Ning Zhixia stood up, shook hands with Su Qiushui, and turned to the petrified Shan Gu with a smile—
“Welcome back anytime!”
