clergé

Chapitre 32

"You think just because someone has a face like a white lotus flower, they're a pure white lotus flower girl?" He scoffed, his eyes flickering.

"Then what else needs to be done?" Pang Wan looked up at him, somewhat puzzled.

He Qinglu took out a snow-white silk handkerchief and covered her face, bringing a cool and fragrant scent.

"How can one serve a ruler with beauty for long?" Long, slender fingers slowly traced her face through a silk handkerchief, as if outlining her features. "Besides, even if you have a beautiful fake face, can you wear this mask forever?"

Just as Pang Wan was about to speak, that finger came to her lips and pressed down hard.

"You can wear it forever, as long as I made the mask." A chilling voice echoed, "But only if you don't mind your flesh eventually becoming one with the mask."

Pang Wan gradually fell asleep amidst the incense-filled room.

In her dream, she returned to the Mary Sue continent of her past life, where her invincible, intelligent, and dashing husband was cooking for her in the kitchen.

"Darling, do you love me?" She looked at his busy figure and felt a little sad.

"Of course I love you!" The handsome husband was busy chopping vegetables, not even looking up.

"How much love?" Pang Wan suddenly felt that his face was somewhat unreal.

"Just like fish can never live without water, you are the fish and I am the water." The handsome husband turned to look at her tenderly, "My darling, you are my mermaid and I am your vast ocean. I will always hold you in my heart and let you sway however you want."

Having not heard such sweet words for so long, Pang Wan's nose turned red, and she was about to be overcome with sadness.

"Ah, honey, wait a minute, the water's boiling." The handsome husband suddenly turned around, picked up a gutted, bloody fish from the cutting board, and threw it into the pot. "We're having tomato fish tonight!"

So Pang Wan stopped wailing and watched helplessly as the boiling water cooked the swaying fish until it was torn to pieces...

You are the fish, I am the water...

A slight, dull ache came from my face.

Pang Wan opened her eyes and found that the silk handkerchief on her face was gone, and He Qinglu was tapping her face with a delicate little silver hammer.

"What are you doing?" She was startled and quickly tilted her head back.

“Observe your bone structure.” He Qinglu glanced at her, turned her chin and continued tapping. “A face without any flaws is slowly honed.”

Pang Wan dared not act rashly, so he could only stiffen his neck and stare wide-eyed: "How long will it take to make this mask?"

He Qinglu frowned, as if deep in thought: "About three to five years."

Pang Wan choked, then angrily grabbed his collar: "You're kidding me! How long have you been using Wang Gang's face? It's definitely not a month!" Because Wang Gang had been with her for less than a month.

He Qinglu sidestepped, easily dodging her vicious attack.

“Wang Gang’s face is certainly simple.” He smiled and said slowly, “but with your facial features, it would indeed take three to five years to achieve a flawless, stunning beauty effect.”

He looked at her with a compassionate gaze.

Pang Wan's mouth remained open for a long time without closing.

"Is there any way to speed things up?" She curled up in the chair like a deflated balloon.

"Haste makes waste." He Qinglu put away the hammer and continued to admire her dejected appearance.

Just when Pang Wan felt hopeless about the future, He Qinglu said something that made her heart ache even more.

"Do you have money? I charge for facials." He looked down at her.

Pang Wan's eyes widened quickly: "Didn't you promise that if I provided you with the Flame Needle for research, you would give me a face in return?"

“That’s how it was supposed to be.” He Qinglu shook his head and sighed. “Unfortunately, after examining your face today, I found that you are far from being a peerless beauty. It will probably take me dozens of times more effort than I usually do, so this deal is really not worth it.”

Pang Wan's face flushed and paled in turns. After hesitating for a moment, she stammered, "I... I don't have any money right now..." Her package was still at Gu Xiju's residence; she had left in such a hurry, pretending to be carefree, that she hadn't bothered to retrieve it...

"No money?" He Qinglu exuded a chilling aura. "If you don't have money, don't do it. I don't offer credit here." He made a move to put away his tools.

"No, no, no!" Pang Wan panicked, reaching out to grab his collar. "Wait for me! I'll go back and get it!"

He Qinglu turned to look at her, a half-smile on her face: "Friendship price: five thousand taels."

"You rob me?!" With veins bulging on his forehead, Pang Wan gripped his collar, gritting his teeth. "I'll kill you, you untrustworthy, unscrupulous merchant!" As he spoke, three red needles slid out of his other hand, about to be plunged in.

He Qinglu remained unfazed, a confident smile playing on her lips: "I'll not only give you a face, but also a nanny with bewitching powers as your teacher, how about that?"

The raised hand slowly slid down.

"Is there really such a thing as a soul-snatching technique?" Pang Wan looked at him, her face full of surprise.

"Of course you can! Once you learn that soul-snatching technique, you can have as many people as you want to like you."

He Qinglu gazed at her with an inscrutable expression.

"Deal!" The hand that had been radiating menace landed squarely in his palm, and Pang Wan's face was now flushed with joy.

"You really want to become an unparalleled beauty who can captivate all living beings?"

He Qinglu was not infected by her excitement at all. Instead, she frowned and said, "Could it be that the Moon Worship Cult uses beauty to determine the rank? With your looks, you must be doing very poorly over there?" This little girl is not that bad-looking!

Pang Wan lowered her long, soft eyelashes and did not answer.

Why should one become a pure and innocent person?

Why can't we be pure and innocent?

The white lotus will receive a lot of love and care.