Back Alley
Beauty Salon, Second Floor.
"Miss, is the water temperature comfortable?"
Yang Baobao maintained a courteous smile as she looked at a woman with flawless skin soaking in a bath barrel.
The surface of the wooden tub was tightly locked shut, with only the woman's head poking out from the top.
The woman nodded, her face full of relaxation and enjoyment. She glanced at the strange bath barrel in front of her and said, "This tub of yours is quite peculiar. Can it really give me a new face?"
Yang Baobao offered a soft smile and explained, "Our shop uses a special enclosed steam bath technique. By heating the water to high temperatures and infusing it with our secret herbal blend, it steams toxins and grime out of the body. The effects are far better than traditional saunas or hot springs—not only effective for anemia, chills, rheumatism, and gout, but it also promotes blood circulation and metabolism, leaving your skin baby-soft and radiant."
"That amazing?" the woman smiled in satisfaction. "Haha, if you hadn't explained, I would've thought I was being stewed."
A sly glint flickered through Yang Baobao’s eyes. "Miss, our shop has zero negative reviews. You may relax completely."
"Good to hear, good to hear." The woman gradually relaxed her body, closed her eyes, and enjoyed the enclosed steam bath.
"Miss, I'm starting your facial treatment now. It'll help tighten your skin and improve its overall integrity."
"Mhm, go ahead."
The warmth of the bath made the woman feel utterly relaxed, as if her whole body was being wrapped in a stream of warmth.
Ten minutes later.
The woman was soaked in sweat from head to toe, her face flushed bright red.
"The water feels a bit too hot," she said, opening her eyes.
Yang Baobao gently shook her head and continued working on the woman’s face, calming her with a soothing voice: "Miss, you need to endure it a bit longer. The longer you bear it, the better the results."
"Alright, endure... endure..." the woman muttered through clenched teeth, her face glowing red like a ripe apple.
Yang Baobao continued applying various beauty and skincare serums to the woman’s face, massaging as she praised, "Miss, your face is the cleanest I’ve ever seen—not a single flaw."
"Is that so? Everyone says the same thing," the woman’s breath grew heavier, and her face even redder.
She gritted her teeth and furrowed her brows. "It's too hot. Lower the temperature a bit, I can’t take it anymore."
"I'm sorry, Miss, but that won't do. It wouldn’t be effective then," Yang Baobao replied with a gentle smile.
"But it’s really too hot! I can't take it!" the woman protested.
Perhaps she truly couldn’t bear the intense heat of the enclosed steam tub. She attempted to rise—
Only to find the latch on the tub tightly sealed. She couldn’t get out. Alarmed, she turned to Yang Baobao. "I'm done, let me out!"
"Miss, once a treatment begins here, it must be completed. We don’t allow interruptions mid-session," Yang Baobao said kindly, still smiling.
The water temperature in the tub continued to rise. It wasn’t just hot now—it was scalding. Her skin turned increasingly red in patches, her body’s moisture rapidly depleting. She was parched.
Something felt wrong. Panic gripped her. "I’m done! I’ll pay you, just let me out!"
"Shhh~" Yang Baobao placed a finger to the woman’s lips, a chilling smile spreading across her face. "Miss, please continue to endure."
To the woman, that smile was deeply unsettling—terrifying, even. She realized then: she had walked straight into a trap.
She had recently heard stories of many women mysteriously disappearing around this area, never to be seen again. And now, she understood.
No! She had to get out!
Just as the thought crossed her mind, a surge of eerie power rose from within her. She was about to undergo demonic transformation—
But a clawed hand slammed into her face, instantly suppressing her eerie energy.
"Miss, it’s only seventy-five degrees celsius. Already too much for you?"
Her body trembled. She couldn’t move. She couldn’t even speak.
But she could feel it—the scorching heat invading every inch of her body. Her fluids evaporating rapidly. The searing pain wrapped around her like flames. Her breath became labored, each inhale filled with heat.
The temperature continued to rise. Steam poured from the sealed tub.
Water temperature: 100°C.
The pain was unbearable—soul-crushing.
In the end, she passed out from suffocation.
"Miss, I’ll now give you your new face."
With that, Yang Baobao reached out and peeled the woman’s face off as if it were silk. She placed the fully steamed face into an ice-filled insulated box.
"Meow meow, it’s dinner time~" she called out sweetly, then carried the cold box downstairs.
"Meow~"
"Meow meow meow~~"
From the dark corner came a chorus of cat cries.
A black cat with a disturbingly human face stepped out from the shadows, followed by a dozen others.
One by one, they leapt onto the tub and began their first meal of the day.
Underground Ice Chamber
In front of an icy wall lined with “masks.”
Yang Baobao stared at it with burning passion in her eyes, as if admiring a gallery of masterpieces.
Each mask was a face she had taken from a beautiful woman. Through steaming and icing, she preserved the perfect balance of firmness and softness. Then, with her unique spells and serums, she could fix each face at its most radiant moment.
She believed those women should thank her—for preserving their most beautiful selves.
“Eek!”
A cloud of black mist suddenly exploded in front of Yang Baobao.
Out leapt a tiny devilish imp, black as coal, resembling a mischievous little demon.
Yang Baobao blinked in surprise, frowning.
"Xiao Houji..."
The little demon baby caught sight of the faces on the wall—and clearly didn’t like them.
Under Yang Baobao’s puzzled gaze, the baby flew up to one of the faces. A single touch from her little hand—
The flawless human face transformed into a plastic monkey mask.
"Ultema!"
Another tap from her tiny hand—
The next face morphed into a goofy mask with bulging cartoonish eyes.
Yang Baobao froze, staring in disbelief as the masterpieces she had painstakingly collected turned into bizarre novelty masks under the imp’s mischief.
Her lips twitched. Rage flared. "Stop! You little brat!"
"Piggy-pig!"
With another flick, the imp turned several more masks into absurd plastic disguises.
Yang Baobao lost it. She turned into a streak of blood-red shadow and lunged at the baby.
Poof!
The demon baby turned into a puff of black smoke and vanished. In her place, a dark and formless gateway appeared.
Yang Baobao, now in full demonic form resembling a blood-soaked corpse, immediately felt something was wrong. She halted and stared warily at the mysterious void gate.
Swish swish swish!!
At that moment, six serpent-like blue tails shot out from the stairwell, wrapping around her like lightning.
Before Yang Baobao could react, she was flung into an empty room.
She whipped around, staring at the dark portal.
Her pupils shrank. In utter disbelief, she cried, "You!"
Standing on the other side of the gate: one man, one fox, and the tiny demon baby.
The man grinned eerily, waving goodbye. "Yang Shuo, you should've known this day would come when you messed with me."
"What did you do to me?!" she roared.
"The place you’re in now houses a creature—one with an artistic appreciation much like yours. It’s obsessed with faces too. You two are bound to get along. That’s all I can do to help."
"You bastard! Let me out!!" Yang Baobao charged at the portal.
Li Ran smiled coldly, turned around, and walked away. The dark portal vanished with him.
Yang Baobao landed face-first on the floor with a loud crash. Groaning, she picked herself up.
After a flurry of furious cursing at thin air, she finally calmed down.
Then—
A strange and bone-chilling creak echoed through the room...
She froze. Slowly, her head turned toward the sound.
The door opened just a crack.
And in that narrow gap—
A horrifying smiling face was staring straight at her.
"No... no no no, don’t come any closer!!"
…
(End of Chapter)