Those thirty women of the Nova family didn't have to die at all. So why did the human skin slaughter them and hang their bodies from the ceiling?
The human skin hesitated before answering: Nova now bore the Chitipati tattoo. Once the skin possessed her, it would no longer fear that corpse.
With nothing left to fear, the Nova family had outlived their usefulness. Killing them all meant the skin could seize full control of the household—no longer needing the Novas as cover.
There was another reason: intimidation. Seeing so many corpses, I should have fled in terror. And if caught, fear would have made me compliant. But it never expected me to turn the tables—not even the poisoned blade could finish me off.
"Hmph. This is what they mean by 'the devil may be taller, but the righteous path stands firmer.' You underestimated me," I sneered.
At this, the human skin's gaze flicked to the Copper Coin Sword embedded in the cage. Its expression shifted—something between resignation and dread.
"What? You recognize this sword?" I pressed.
Esteban had never explained the sword's origins, only that it couldn't be "enlightened." Yet even dormant, its power was undeniable. If Esteban had known its true value, he'd have gouged a far higher price—assuming, of course, someone could unlock its potential.
"I do," the skin admitted. "The Three Purities Taoist Priests' Holy Bronze Sword. Legend says the coins used to forge it were gathered by those priests through ritual prostration—three kowtows per coin. It's devastating against demons and ghosts. After the last Three Purities priest died, the sword vanished. No one's seen it since."
Holy Bronze Sword. The name alone radiated authority. And these "Three Purities Taoist Priests" sounded like formidable masters. So why had this relic moldered in Esteban's warehouse? I'd stumbled upon a treasure. I had to find a way to awaken it. No blade this potent could remain dormant forever.
But back to the skin. One final question: What was that corpse chasing it? And why the relentless pursuit?
At this, the skin trembled violently—genuine terror.
It confessed: After losing the harem power struggle, her rival became Empress Dowager. In retribution, the Dowager fabricated charges against her, then ordered her flayed alive while her body burned to ashes.
The skin was presented to the emperor, who wept bitterly. But with the Dowager's decree, even the emperor couldn't intervene. Later, he built her a tomb and entombed the skin within.
Yet the corpse that pursued her... that was another horror entirely.
The human skin's ghostly resentment festered after death. Combined with the cursed jade and the accompanying cat buried in her coffin, within a few years, the skin transformed into a full-fledged demon. She killed a tomb raider who broke into her resting place, then possessed his corpse by wrapping him in her own flayed skin, intending to infiltrate the palace and murder the Empress Dowager to take her place.
But the Empress Dowager was no fool. Surrounded by powerful masters, they saw through the deception immediately. Fortunately for the skin, the palace teemed with potential hosts—allowing it to jump bodies effortlessly, rendering even the most skilled masters powerless against it.
At this critical moment, the Empress Dowager produced a corpse—one both dead and alive, more terrifying than the skin itself.
Dead, because it was indeed a corpse. Alive, because it moved and spoke like a living man, indistinguishable from the breathing. This paradox existed because of a Tattoo of Gods and Ghosts inked upon it—though none knew which specific design. That tattoo had resurrected it into this half-state.
This was no ordinary corpse. In life, it had been an immensely powerful underworld profiteer. Its undead nature made it immune to the skin's possession—for the skin could only cling to living flesh.
The corpse became the skin's natural predator. It swiftly identified each of the skin's hiding places, pursuing relentlessly until the skin fled back to its tomb. Strangely, the corpse never followed inside, though it clearly knew the location.
Decades passed. When the skin sensed its tomb might be discovered, it assumed its hunter had faded into history. Possessing another dead grave robber's body, it orchestrated the move to the Nova family—events we now know well.
But the skin's nightmare returned. The corpse reappeared, fixated on the Nova household. Terrified, the skin restrained its activities, fearing detection.
Frustration mounted—while the skin itself couldn't perish, neither would its pursuer die or disappear. It seemed determined to chase the skin through eternity.
Meeting me presented the skin's final gambit: fabricate a story, manipulate me into inking the restraining tattoos. Yet ironically, it fell not to the corpse, but to me.
"I've told you everything! Now release me! I swear I'll get you anything!" the skin pleaded.
I shook my head. The full picture was clear now—the Nova family's tragedy finally made sense. There would be no deals.
I smashed the jade pendant, killed the cat spirit, and with the remaining human skin, it was time to dispose of it.
This kind of thing carries too much ghostly resentment. After becoming a goblin, it would absolutely scourge the world with extremely cruel methods. Keeping it was inviting disaster. Nova's family was proof of that—now only two were left alive, and dead besides. Don't mention how miserable it was.
"Carry it out and burn it. We can't wait for tomorrow's sun, in case something happens," I said.
"Hey! Why don't you keep your word? Lying to me? That's no way to treat people who help you! Let me out!" The human skin yelled frantically.
But we ignored it. So what if we lied? Hadn't it lied to us enough? Besides, I'd never actually promised to let it go earlier.
The others were scared. Antonio and I carried the cage out and doused it with petrol.
The human skin struggled, screamed, and cursed. We felt no sympathy or pity. I lit a fire directly onto the cage.
Poof! Flames surged over half a meter high as the blaze mercilessly engulfed the skin.
It let out horrible wails and mournful screams until finally reduced to ashes by the fire.
Nova felt relieved; her family was finally avenged. Tears welled in her eyes uncontrollably.
Now, only Nova and her brother remained in their family, and Zephyr was still... simple-minded. I wondered if he could be cured to carry on their family line.
Nova's family matter was settled, though not by my Tattoos of Gods and Ghosts, but by the Copper Coin Sword.
I pulled the Copper Coin Sword from the cage. It wasn't scorched black by the flames, as if the fire hadn't touched it at all.
Looks like I'll need to find a better fortune-telling opener tomorrow. If I can get it to glow, I'll make a fortune.