Chapter 6
“Boss Ning, thank you so much this time!”
“It was nothing.”
The more Su Qiushui looked at Ning Zhixia, the more he seemed like a treasure.
Only the exorcists in the Imperial City could use the Demon Locking Pagoda. Now that things were clearer, she didn’t want to impose any further. She picked up the stone, happily bid farewell to her precious discovery, and left.
Two days later, Ning Zhixia was invited to the Dimensional Management Bureau again by Audrow.
This time, the room was a cozy lounge, with many porcelain plates filled with delicate desserts floating in the air.
Holding a warm cup of milk tea, Ning Zhixia learned the whole story from Lu Huai.
The 103rd plane was teeming with Yokai. The exorcists, in order to consolidate their followers, deliberately disguised themselves as Yokai, ripping out hearts and causing chaos. The more panicked the Imperial City became, the higher the exorcists’ status rose.
The only thing Ning Zhixia found strange was why the short sword used as the murder weapon had come to his shop.
“The heart is the most vital and spiritual part. They imitated my habit of ripping out hearts but were reluctant to discard them, so they had Shan Gu forge swords with human hearts to enhance their magical tools.”
Su Qiushui tossed the stone in her hand, tilting her head to take a puff from her pipe. “That girl probably had lingering resentment and attached herself to the sword. After escaping from Shan Gu, she wandered aimlessly in the Yokai Market.”
Ning Zhixia munched on a plate of small cakes Audrow had given him, sighing, “What a coincidence… She avenged herself in a way.”
“Human hearts can be far more terrifying than Yokai when they turn evil.” Su Qiushui’s eyes flicked upwards, looking at Audrow. “Wouldn’t you say so?”
Audrow seemed to know he wasn’t being mentioned for no reason. He put down his cake plate and asked, “Want compensation?”
“Naturally.” Su Qiushui had already planned it out, pointing downwards with her pipe, “I don’t care about anything else, I just want a permanent pass to this world.”
“What?!”
Lu Huai and the other administrators’ faces changed instantly.
Ning Zhixia whispered to Lu Huai, “Is that not allowed?”
Lu Huai sighed, “Every plane has its own rules. If a troublemaker like the nine-tailed fox freely travels between planes, there’s no guarantee she won’t cause trouble. I think…”
Audrow: “Allowed.”
A single word fell, and everyone was shocked. He actually agreed just like that!
“Great!”
Su Qiushui was overjoyed. Catching a glimpse of Lu Huai’s ashen face, she wrapped a tail around him, pulled him closer, and gave him a playful kiss.
Audrow suddenly became serious: “Harassing a public official of the Bureau, privilege revoked.”
Lu Huai clasped his hands together: “Grateful!”
Su Qiushui: “…?”
Happiness was so fleeting, like a simple meal.
“How dare you, you tricked me!”
Su Qiushui reacted, immediately releasing Lu Huai, preparing to transform and jump around. Ning Zhixia instinctively hugged the sofa, ready for the immersive disco ball experience.
Audrow picked up his cake plate again and continued, “Changed to a 144-hour travel limit.”
Su Qiushui paused, tilted her head in thought for a few seconds, decided it was better than having it completely revoked, and gritted her teeth in agreement: “Fine.”
Ning Zhixia’s expression was complicated: “You’re so mean.”
Audrow picked up a piece of cake and stuffed it directly into the young man’s mouth: “Nonsense.”
Ning Zhixia’s mouth was full: “…”
The small cakes served as refreshments were dense and moist, the cream rich and smooth. But the desserts here were truly abundant. Ning Zhixia took a sip of milk tea, rubbing his stomach as he took a break.
He turned to ask Audrow, “I heard from Lu Huai that you haven’t been in office for long?”
Audrow nodded: “Hmm.”
Ning Zhixia was a little curious: “Then how did the Bureau handle situations like a plane going out of control before?”
Audrow thought for a moment, then said honestly, “The Lord God likes to extract the souls of those who died unexpectedly in other planes, implant them into a system, and send them in.”
Ning Zhixia paused. Hmm, that sounded familiar.
Audrow licked the remaining cream off his fork and said sideways, “But it easily leads to side relationships and complications. I personally don’t recommend it.”
Side relationships and complications?
Ning Zhixia’s pupils trembled. So the headquarters of system novels was here!
Seeing his dazed expression, Audrow curiously leaned closer and asked, “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” Ning Zhixia shook his head. “The influx of information is a bit overwhelming.”
While they were chatting, the new Heavenly Dao team came to report that they had reconnected with the 103rd plane. Su Qiushui wagged her tail leisurely upon hearing this.
Ning Zhixia was taken aback: “How are you going to handle it?”
Audrow rose from the sofa, preparing to leave the sweet-smelling lounge with his subordinates. Hearing this, he paused at the door for a moment, then turned back and asked, “Coming?”
Ning Zhixia hurried over: “Let’s go!”
They went down one floor and entered a room labeled “103,” which was furnished like an ordinary office, except that the entire wall facing the door was a giant screen emitting white light.
At this moment, in the newly built Stargazing Tower of the Imperial Palace, the floor was paved with golden bricks and the roof was made of glazed tiles. The exorcists were dressed in magnificent brocade robes, ordering their disciples to throw the captured Yokai into a three-legged cauldron.
Looking out from the Stargazing Tower to the outskirts, corpses were strewn everywhere, blood flowed like rivers, and raggedly dressed commoners knelt on the ground, piously facing the tower, kowtowing and chanting, their heads bleeding, but they didn’t stop, only praying for protection and for their families to be safe from the Yokai disaster.
Ning Zhixia’s relaxed expression froze. The sight was too intense, and even though it was a strange, unrelated world to him, anger still gradually rose in his heart.
Audrow said to the waiting Heavenly Dao team, “Proceed when you’re ready.”
“Yes.”
Soon, the sky on the screen was instantly covered with dark clouds. The exorcists were ecstatic, thinking that even the heavens were willing to help them. Countless commoners craned their necks to witness their Yokai-slaying ritual.
Thunder rumbled, and bolts of purple lightning struck down before the exorcists finished their chants. With continuous loud booms, the Stargazing Tower exploded with sparks, and everyone covered their eyes in fear.
When a blinding light pierced down from the clouds, they found that the exorcists, who claimed to be messengers of the gods, had been reduced to charred remains. The three-legged cauldron was intact, but the Yokai inside had long since disappeared…
It was like a boulder had fallen. Although the dust had settled, the aftershocks of the scene still reverberated in Ning Zhixia’s heart.
He turned to look beside him. The white light from the screen illuminated Audrow’s silver-gray hair, as if adding a touch of divinity, making him look no different from a god looking down on ants.
“Misfortune and fortune have no gate, they are brought upon by oneself; the retribution of good and evil is like a shadow following the body.”
As if sensing the young man’s gaze, Audrow said calmly, “The rules of 103 are quite interesting. I’m just its maintainer.”
The unease and bewilderment churning within him gradually dissipated. Ning Zhixia nodded and returned to the lounge with him.
Seeing them return, Su Qiushui didn’t ask what had happened, instead wagging her tail and coming to greet them.
She took Ning Zhixia’s hand and shook it up and down: “Boss Ning, thank you so much this time. I’ll come often to support your business!”
“Hee hee, you’re welcome.”
Ning Zhixia scratched his head, took out his phone, and said, “If you don’t mind, I’d like to ask you to be a hand model and take some photos to post on the shop’s account as promotional images.”
“I don’t mind!”
Su Qiushui extended her hands under the lens, but the screen remained blank.
Su Qiushui: “…”
Ning Zhixia: “…”
Damn, the plane’s settings were strict.
He looked at Audrow, his eyes flickering, the meaning quite clear: Xiao Ao, help.
Audrow understood, took the phone, and handed it to the technical team. He soon returned it, allowing them to take photos.
He didn’t leave, tilting his head slightly, his light blue eyes blinking as he watched for a while, then turned to get a plate of small cakes, quietly staying by the side, continuing to eat and watch Ning Zhixia arrange the setup.
The dark velvet on the table was used as a light-absorbing cloth. Su Qiushui took out her long, crimson and gold-painted pipe, twirling it between her fingers, casually striking her usual smoking pose.
“Perfect! Just like that!”
Ning Zhixia quickly chose an angle and took a few photos, then started adjusting the parameters for the detail shots.
Lowering the contrast, saturation, and color temperature, increasing the brightness, highlights, and sharpness, zooming in on the image, and shifting the focus slightly to the upper left.
Su Qiushui cooperatively put down the pipe, her fingers naturally curling, instinctively pressing her middle finger down slightly.
It was a pose close to the “orchid finger” gesture, but more relaxed and natural, allowing the composition to be captivating while clearly showcasing all the details of the nails.
Ning Zhixia, when working, lost his usual playful and relaxed demeanor, pursing his lips and not speaking much, his eyes dark and bright, looking particularly energetic.
Audrow looked down at the small dark chocolate ball on top of the cake, gently poking it with his fork.
From seemingly similar angles, Ning Zhixia took dozens of photos in a row, comparing and selecting them in the album, his fingers incredibly nimble, constantly adjusting various parameters. The series of smooth operations left the administrators stunned.
“Is this… my hand? This little device of yours is quite something…”
Su Qiushui glanced at the photos, extremely excited, her nine tails swaying like cotton candy, almost engulfing Ning Zhixia in a giant ball of fluff.
Ning Zhixia struggled to pull the fur away from his neck, his face flushed as he gasped for air.
The fox’s enthusiasm was a bit suffocating.
Su Qiushui, this top-tier hand model, had beautiful hands. Excessive editing and retouching would only distort them. Without much adjustment, Ning Zhixia was satisfied with the photos he had longed for.
Seeing that he was finished, Audrow put down his plate and asked, “Shall we go?”
“Let’s go, let’s go.”
Ning Zhixia knew he wanted to get off work again, so he put away his phone and waved goodbye to the others.
It was late. Audrow, as usual, took him back to the shop. Before leaving, he asked, “Will you continue running this shop?”
Ning Zhixia hesitated: “I’m not accepting investments at the moment.”
Audrow: “?”
Ning Zhixia patted his shoulder: “When my business grows bigger and stronger, I’ll prioritize you.”
The warm touch made Audrow pause slightly. He turned his head, gently took the young man’s wrist, and said, looking down, “You might encounter more and more non-human beings in the future. If you don’t want to, I can close the passage for you.”
“I think I’ll pass.”
Ning Zhixia thought for a moment and shook his head, saying seriously, “Who could have a life as exciting as mine?”
“…”
The corners of Audrow’s lips twitched. His cool-toned eyes were filled with the image of the vibrant young man’s face. After a while, he suddenly called his name.
“Ning Zhixia.”
For a being not of this world, the pronunciation was a bit difficult. The short syllables were rolled around on his tongue before being slowly uttered. His voice was always pleasant, and when softened, it was like a feather brushing against the eardrum, making his ears and head tingle.
Ning Zhixia blinked: “Hmm? What’s up?”
Audrow said softly, “You’re strange.”
Ning Zhixia tilted his head: “So?”
Audrow thought for a moment and said, “I’m a little curious about you.”
Hmm, what kind of assessment was that?
Ning Zhixia didn’t understand, quietly watching the other’s figure disappear into the night, then turned and opened the door.
After entering the house, Ning Zhixia immediately selected a set of photos and pinned them to the top of the shop’s Sweet Potato account.
The account was newly created after the shop opened and didn’t have many followers. The photos, tagged with keywords like “spring manicure,” were quickly posted.
The set of manicure photos included both atmosphere shots and detail shots, showcasing the slender, jade-like fingers from various angles. No filters were added, and the thumbs weren’t deliberately obscured to attract comments and inquiries, but unexpectedly, it garnered a small wave of traffic.
“Oh my god, staying up late has its rewards! Look what I found!”
“These hands! This composition! It instantly captured my heart!”
“Politely asking for the price, how much would a complex design like this cost?”
“You guys are concerned about the price, I’m only concerned about how much glute strength is required QAQ!”
“Can you do this design? [picture]”
“It’s a pity the IP is in Yucheng. Will you offer press-on nails for this design in the future?”
“Hello, owner, I’ve sent you a private message for an appointment!”
Ning Zhixia woke up to find that the notification area of his account was filled with red “99+” for comments and likes, and many private messages inquiring about appointment times.
“0.0!”
Ning Zhixia wrapped himself in the blanket and happily rolled around, then sprang out of bed, stretching his arms towards the faint light filtering through the curtains.
Perfect!
He quickly scheduled appointments for the customers, limiting himself to two per day due to his capacity. Those who could accommodate the available times quickly came to the shop, specifically requesting the same ice lotus watercolor manicure.
The customers were mentally prepared. Everyone’s hands were different, and it was impossible to perfectly replicate the effect of the viral photo’s hand model.
“I don’t expect a perfect replica…” The new customer was a kind-looking office worker. Seeing that he ran the shop alone and was a rare male manicurist, she sighed, “As long as it’s not a complete disaster.”
A disaster? Impossible.
Ning Zhixia knew that many people had been deceived by overly edited photos online, but his motto was to make sure customers didn’t come in vain. He immediately went all out.
The prep work was comfortable and efficient, the builder gel application flawless, and even the watercolor outlining was incredibly steady. The office worker’s doubts gradually disappeared, and she chose a few Swarovski crystals.
Applying crystals could easily become a disaster if not done carefully. Ning Zhixia dipped the main crystal in glue, swirled it, and then placed it on the nail to secure it. This amount of glue was just right. Then, he used a striping brush with filling gel to outline the base, preventing glue overflow and ensuring a strong bond!
After the top coat was cured, the office worker was ecstatic with the result. Apart from the different nail shape, it was almost identical to the promotional photo, and even more suitable for her fingers. Her lowered expectations soared to the peak!
“450 yuan received!”
The cheerful notification sounded, and Ning Zhixia smiled and waved goodbye to the customer.
For the next few days, his appointments were fully booked. Ning Zhixia was either diligently sculpting ice lotuses or replying to private messages and scheduling appointments.
At 7:28 that day, the long-quiet door was knocked on again.
Ning Zhixia thought it was Su Qiushui and happily opened the door, only to find a young woman in white standing there, surrounded by many dark figures with green eyes.
“You are…” Ning Zhixia found her somewhat familiar, and after thinking carefully, gasped in surprise.
Wasn’t this the innocent woman who died at the hands of the exorcists?!
“After I died, my resentment lingered, and I became a sword spirit.” The sword spirit nodded at him.
Ning Zhixia: “I see, so you’re here to…”
“Sister Qiushui recommended me.” The sword spirit smiled brightly, “I’m here to get a manicure for my enemy’s seventh day memorial.”
“…” What a unique way to celebrate.
Ning Zhixia stepped aside and invited her in, “Please.”
The group of dark figures with green eyes behind the sword spirit also swarmed in, peeking around the room curiously and sniffing around the young man.
They said happily, “Little boss, you smell so good!”
Ning Zhixia nervously: “…Thank you?”
The dark figures became even more cheerful: “You’re welcome!”
Ning Zhixia: “…” They were quite polite.
The sword spirit sat on the soft chair, and the dark figures floated around her in a circle.
Ning Zhixia’s voice was dry: “Just a heads up, I can only do one at a time.”
“It’s okay, it’s okay, you do your thing, we’ll watch!”
The dark figures replied one after another, their green eyes shining brightly like headlights, floating around above him.
Ning Zhixia nodded.
Great, it was like a seventh-day memorial party for the exorcists.
