Yinshan Record

Chapter 171 The Famous Artifact of the Painted Skin
The shop was small, with only two employees, including a pretty young woman holding a book and flipping through it behind a large counter.

The walls were covered with framed scrolls, but they weren't the usual landscapes; they were mostly figure paintings. There were handsome scholars in wide robes and sleeves, and imposing generals with beards. Of course, the most numerous were all kinds of beauties. In a few corners, you could also see animal paintings such as horses, cats, parrots, and mynas.

"Oh my, brother, you are a rare guest indeed."

The beautiful woman spoke with a rough, masculine voice.

"When will you have time to come over?"

"I came with a friend."

Taigong Chong laughed heartily and then introduced the shop to the shopkeeper.

"This is Young Master Zuo from the Ghost Ancestor Palace. He has very high standards, so don't try to fool him with inferior goods."

After Taigong Chong finished speaking, he explained to Su Che.

“Young Master Zuo, the things sold here are similar to paper effigies, but they are more durable and look better. Among all the painted skins in the entire Five Yin City, theirs are the best.”

"Young Master Zuo is from the Ghost Ancestor Palace, do you, an old ghost, need to bother him?" the shopkeeper said in a rough voice, pointing with his fingers: "Which of your fellow disciples doesn't know the reputation of my little shop?"

Good heavens, this place used to be a designated enterprise for exporting goods to the Ghost Ancestor Palace from the Yin-Yang realm.

Su Che looked at the shopkeeper in front of him and thought he was indeed a handsome man.

"Don't talk nonsense. Young Master Zuo is not like those decadent people in the Ghost Ancestor Palace."

Taigong Chong said solemnly.

That's true. They live a life of debauchery, while I crave a life of debauchery but cannot attain it.

The shopkeeper was a sensible man. After thinking for a moment, he suddenly stretched out his right index finger and tapped his forehead three times.

He slowly collapsed like a deflated balloon. Layers of white mist flowed from his seven orifices like streams, eventually condensing into a scroll in front of him.

Behind the scroll is a short, red-haired, blue-eyed demon with a mouthful of fangs.

"Young Master Zuo, please take a look."

The short-legged shopkeeper slowly unrolled the scroll, revealing a slender young girl whose appearance was quite similar to that of the girl the short-legged ghost had just transformed into.

"The art of 'painting skin' is actually a branch of illusion magic, nothing special. But the effort that Xiaohao has put into it, hehe, I dare not speak for the East Sea, but in the Central Plains, there are only three or four families that can surpass my family."

"That's what the dwarf is saying," he continued.

"You might say that all brands are pretty much the same, but the beauty of our products lies in their exquisite craftsmanship."

His dark fingers touched the painting.

"Take this painted skin for example. No other brand has hair colors as natural as ours, not to mention the body lines and the texture of the skin." The red-haired, blue-eyed shopkeeper grinned, revealing his fangs. "That's just the surface. We also have substance. Things like the Jade-Melting Ice Snail and the Fire Dragon Rhinoceros Horn—let's just say, we're among the most renowned in the world..."

"Stop."

A sense of dread rose in Su Che's heart, as if the shopkeeper would cause some trouble if he continued talking.

"Shopkeeper, you've worked hard. I now understand the benefits involved."

"Hehe, it's not that I'm acting like an old man. Young Master Zuo can ask around. I can't speak for the North, but in the South, who doesn't know my family's reputation for keeping concubines?"

Su Che sincerely said, "The shopkeeper will surely make a fortune."

"Since Young Master Zuo was brought by my elder brother, he can be considered my friend." The shopkeeper said rather proudly, "If it were for wealth and status, wouldn't I just focus on my cultivation?"

"My main concern is for those in the world who keep ghost concubines. Think about it, these friends are misunderstood by the common people and bear the reputation of being heretical..."

"That's enough. After you've explained all the intricacies of this, I could cultivate myself into an immortal being."

Taigong Chong stopped the shopkeeper from his impassioned speech.

"Young Master Zuo, how many paintings would you like to choose?" The shopkeeper then asked, "Young Master, I wonder how many concubines you have? If you don't have many, then you don't need to buy too many. Just three or four to rotate will be fine."

"We still need to consider the concubines' feelings. You know, this has caused a lot of trouble, like whether they like the skin or the person underneath..."

Diabolo?
Su Che remembered that the little fox seemed to have practiced a great technique called the Heavenly Demon Soul Splitting Secret Technique, which could create many Yin spirits.

"I am ashamed to say that if we are talking about ghost concubines, I only have one..."

After Su Che finished speaking, the shopkeeper sighed softly with some disappointment, his eyes also showing some disdain.

"...But having one of her is equivalent to having a whole group of her."

Oops.

Taigong Chong, Lu Bai, and the shopkeeper were immediately filled with respect.

Speaking of the little fox, Su Che frowned slightly. He felt like he had done something to wrong her, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

Su Che carefully selected seven or eight paintings, each depicting a different figure, from a series recommended by the shopkeeper. Even the seemingly honest Lu Bai chose three. As he put it, although he didn't have any ghost concubines yet, he still needed to look to the future.

"Indeed, one who does not plan for the long term is not fit to plan for the short term."

Su Che wholeheartedly agreed with Lu Bai's foresight.

As for why so many were chosen, and why an entire series was selected, it wasn't because Young Master Su had transformed into a beast and wanted the diabolo girl to transform into thousands of forms; it was entirely for safety reasons.

With these painted masks, she wouldn't have to spend time making several paper figures every day, and she could also better conceal her identity and serve the strategic goals of the Zhongshan Society.

That's right, that's it.

It seems we should go to Cloud Recesses to propose marriage as soon as possible. This isn't about losing the whole forest for the sake of one tree; the cute little fox actually has the potential to become a forest on its own.

Just as Su Che was putting the scroll into the Yinquan Nine Bends, he heard a strange voice.

"Young master, haven't we met somewhere before?"

His voice was clear and crisp, with an indescribable sense of refreshing quality.

Su Che turned his head to look outside and saw a young man in white, wearing a jade hairpin in his hair, with a handsome face and eyes that looked like deep pools beneath his sword-like eyebrows, staring at him.

This person looks somewhat familiar to me.

Su Che looked at the guy who was trying to chat him up.

He looks a bit like Vivian Chow. Who is this guy? It's really unfair for a man to look like that.

"It's strange, but I find your face somewhat familiar, as if you were an old friend."

My current appearance is a mirage created using magical artifacts; it would be a miracle if anyone had actually seen it.

The young man in white didn't stand on ceremony and walked straight into the small shop. He first circled around Su Che, looking him up and down and left and right, as if he were looking at some merchandise.

"Not bad, um, not bad, not bad."

He muttered something to himself, then turned around and looked around.

Are you here to buy a painted skin?

"Ah."

"These are just ordinary pieces. If you like them, I'll send you some better ones later."

He then brought his face close and sniffed it.

"Young master smells very nice."

(End of this chapter)