The rain poured relentlessly, thunder booming in the distance.The old neon sign for "Silent Tattoo" buzzed in the storm.Chen Mo slouched on the couch, the blue light from his phone illuminating his face.He was scrolling through short videos when his phone vibrated.A message popped up on WeChat: [Chen Old Coffin].Just seeing the name made Chen Mo's head throb. He tapped on the voice message."Son!" His father's voice crackled through the speaker, the storm raging in the background. "At Old Li's mansion in the East City—there's a cursed coffin made of golden silk nanmu, it's causing a lot of disturbances. The coffin lid can't hold anymore!""You've got strong yang energy and a tough fate, come back and help put the 'Soul Lock' on it!"Chen Mo typed a response: "Not going. I've told you a hundred times, I'm a tattoo artist, not a coffin-carrying Taoist. If the coffin's not holding, get a carpenter, what's it got to do with me?"He tossed his phone aside."Old man's so superstitious..."He resumed scrolling through videos, wanting to forget about the family's "funeral business."What "cursed coffin"? It was just a piece of good wood.Soul lock? He only knew how to ink chains on people.
Suddenly, a loud bang! The shop trembled.The wooden door was slammed open by some unseen force, creaking as the frame groaned.The rain and wind rushed inside, scattering tattoo sketches across the room.The scent of blood quickly replaced the air's usual calm.Chen Mo sat up straight.A figure stumbled through the door, backlit by the storm.She crashed to the floor with a soft grunt.Chen Mo studied the unexpected visitor.The woman wore a tattered palace gown, soaked in blood and mud.Her long hair stuck to her face.Even in this state, her face was still beautiful.She was barely conscious, clearly gravely injured.Chen Mo looked outside.Through his Yin-Yang Eyes, the rain wasn't empty.Three shadows made purely of resentment floated at the door.They had no physical form, only blood-red eyes locked on the woman.A screeching noise like nails scraping glass filled the air.Chen Mo's temple throbbed.The woman struggled to lift her head, extending a trembling hand.She pointed to her back, her voice hoarse. "Please… tattoo me…"Chen Mo's demeanor changed.The laziness disappeared; he became calm.He knew.The woman's injury wasn't physical—it was her soul torn open.The vengeful spirits outside were drawn to the released power from her wound.Chen Mo's mind flashed back to his childhood.A yard full of green snakes.The blind village sorcerer trembling and pointing at him: "Born with an underworld contract, this kid's destined for the afterlife...""Damn it, not again," he cursed inside."I just want to tattoo a cool sleeve, earn a few thousand, drink beer, play games—why can't I escape these damn ghosts?"The spirits outside grew impatient.One charged into the shop, and as it touched the doorframe, an ancient symbol flickered on it.The ghost was repelled, screeching in pain.Chen Mo took a deep breath, almost resigned.He stood up and walked toward the woman on the floor."Fine," he said, his tone returning to a lazy, street-smart drawl. "Just so you know, tattoos here… are expensive.""Expensive enough… you might need to pay with your life."Ignoring the spirits outside, he walked to the dusty counter in the corner.He didn't grab the electric tattoo gun.Instead, he bent down and struggled to pull out a pearwood box.The box was engraved with vermilion symbols.He scratched his nail across the brass lock.The lock clicked open.Inside, the box was lined with dark red satin.On the satin, rows of needles of varying sizes lay.The materials were different—some as white as bone, others as black as ink, or translucent like jade.Each one exuded an ancient aura.Chen Mo picked up the thinnest one, a bone needle crafted from a crane's leg.Under the light, the needle gleamed with a cold glint.He grabbed the needle and walked toward the woman on the floor.His shadow stretched long over her as he knelt beside her.He helped her onto the tattoo bed.Her back wound was a swirling vortex of soul energy, constantly releasing black mist.The spirits outside crashed against the door.The wooden door creaked, cracking with every hit.Chen Mo picked up the bone needle and stabbed it into the edge of her wound.A cold voice echoed in his mind:[Detected host's first contact with 'Divine Canvas', activating Yin-Yang Tattoo System!]A virtual panel appeared before his eyes:[Mission: Repair the shattered soul of the Red Lotus Empress. Plan: Tattoo the 'Nine-Turn Soul Lock Lotus'.]"Red Lotus Empress?" Chen Mo thought, confused.His hands kept moving as the system automatically imprinted the design of the "Nine-Turn Soul Lock Lotus" in his mind.His hands moved swiftly, each needle piercing the skin as a faint golden light radiated.The woman's pained moans quieted, and the black mist from her wound dissipated under the golden light.The spirits outside, sensing the shift, screamed in terror.They retreated, no longer daring to approach.The last needle fell.A nine-colored lotus bloomed on the woman's back, absorbing all the dark energy.The system chimed again:[Congratulations, host! Completed your first divine-level tattoo!][Rewards: 1. Divine Physique · Wànxiàng Dao胎 (Your body is the perfect canvas and forge); 2. Beginner's Gift Pack (One bottle of Divine Blood Ink, one set of Purifying Needles, Basic Tattoo Encyclopedia: "Yang Seal Edition").]Chen Mo felt his body changing.His blood sped up, his bones cracking.His muscle fibers realigned, and his skin tightened.The sensation of transformation left him groaning.The woman on the bed slowly woke up.She looked around in confusion, grabbing Chen Mo's shirt.Her voice was clear, but unfamiliar:"Who… are you?"