Volume 1, Chapter 1 – Desperate, He Pretended to Be His Own Fiancée

Volume 1: Is It Funny to Impersonate a Fairy and Marry Yourself?

In an inn in Ping’an County of the Western Radiance Dynasty,

Huang Qi sat before a bronze mirror. On the table to his right lay a box containing an eerily lifelike Human Skin Mask, while at his feet was a finely crafted purple dress—both prepared for himself.

That’s right. Huang Qi intended to disguise himself as a woman! To be precise, he was going to impersonate his own fiancée! And all of this was out of filial piety.

A month ago, Huang Qi had received a letter from his father. The gist of it was that his grandfather’s seventieth birthday was approaching, and the family was preparing a grand banquet. His father wanted him to bring his future wife home to meet everyone. At the end, there was an additional note: If you don’t have one, then wait until the guests leave in the evening before coming in.

“A wife? I don’t have a woman, but would a man do?”

Huang Qi had almost written back to ask his father that very question. Ever since the Great Horror had erupted in this world, vengeful spirits and wandering ghosts infested every corner. Women, in their struggle to survive, had flocked to cultivation sects, leaving the mortal realm devoid of even a single female mosquito. As for him? He was nothing more than a failed disciple who had been expelled from an immortal sect due to his lack of talent. How could he possibly find a wife?

Thus, marriage and children had become the greatest challenge for ordinary men like Huang Qi in the Western Radiance Dynasty.

However, there were always exceptions. His two cousins from his uncle’s side had somehow struck gold and found partners, which only made things worse for him—a man who had once cultivated immortality.

And indeed, during his previous visits home, Huang Qi had endured endless mockery from relatives and friends. Even his parents had been humiliated to the point of hanging their heads in shame. Perhaps that was why his father had told him to come home late—so he could fulfill his filial duties without becoming the butt of jokes.

“Dad, if I sneak in at night, sure, I’ll avoid embarrassment—but what about you and Mom?”

Huang Qi immediately sensed the problem. His own failures shouldn’t be his parents’ burden. So, for his grandfather’s seventieth birthday, he had to return on time.

“In that case, I absolutely can’t let those clowns mock me to my face this time.”

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After much deliberation, Huang Qi finally came up with a perfect solution—pretending to be his own fiancée. After all, his parents wanted to see their daughter-in-law, not their son. As for his voice? He could just make up an excuse not to speak.

The plan was sound, but execution was another matter. The biggest hurdle was psychological. Huang Qi was a grown man in his twenties—how could he cast aside his dignity and pretend to be a woman? Even now, as he sat before the bronze mirror, he was still struggling with the decision. And tomorrow was his grandfather’s birthday.

“If I disguise myself as a woman, the only thing I lose is my male pride. But if I don’t, my entire family loses face.”

With that justification, Huang Qi steeled himself and reached for the Human Skin Mask in the box beside him. This was the key to his cross-dressing scheme.

Holding the mask up to the light, Huang Qi examined it closely. It was as thin as a cicada’s wing, its texture finer than the finest silk. Though he had never touched a girl’s face before, he was certain no ordinary woman’s skin could be this smooth. He had tried it on once out of curiosity, and the transformation had been like turning a toad into a swan.

“Who would throw something like this away?”

Huang Qi marveled. Unbelievably, this exquisite mask had been something he’d stumbled upon by sheer luck.

Gently pressing the mask to his face, he found that it adhered naturally, requiring no glue—just careful smoothing.

But just then, his hand slipped. A fingernail grazed his cheek, leaving a tiny cut. Blood welled up.

“Mother of—!”

Huang Qi yelped, quickly dabbing the blood away with a tissue. Once the bleeding stopped, he reapplied the mask. The ultra-thin material melded seamlessly with his skin, reshaping his ordinary features into something extraordinary. Whoever had crafted this was a true master.

When Huang Qi looked into the mirror again, a delicate, fair-skinned face greeted him—soft as congealed milk, its features so exquisite they seemed carved by a divine artisan. With every smile, shallow dimples appeared, adding a touch of playful charm.

What was even more astonishing was that this was the result despite imperfections. Since the mask didn’t cover the edges of his face, a slight color mismatch could be seen upon close inspection.

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Huang Qi stared, mesmerized. Even though he knew the reflection wasn’t real, his heartbeat quickened. He had never seen such breathtaking beauty in real life—not even among the female cultivators of his former sect, the Honghua Sect.

“If only a girl like this were really my fiancée… I’d bring honor to my ancestors!”

Lost in fantasy, Huang Qi became even more determined to go through with his plan.

Next, he grabbed some cosmetics he had purchased—rouge, powder, and the like—and carefully covered the exposed darker skin at the edges of the mask. Then he trimmed his eyebrows, applied lipstick, and curled his lashes. These were techniques he had paid a small fortune to learn from a cosmetics shop owner. If he was going to impersonate his fiancée, he had to be thorough.

Half an hour later, the transformation was complete. The face in the mirror was now flawless—so beautiful it seemed almost unreal. The only minor flaw was that it still carried a hint of youthful softness.

“Such a refined mask… If bought, it’d probably cost hundreds of taels of silver. I really hit the jackpot.”

Huang Qi felt a surge of gratitude. But as he continued to stare, his obsessive tendencies kicked in. The face was stunning, but the rest of him looked shabby—his frame was too lean, his clothes too ragged. It was an insult to that beauty.

So, without hesitation, Huang Qi pulled out the dress and other cross-dressing accessories from the bag. First, he strapped two bun-sized cloth bundles to his chest with bandages. Then he slipped into the custom-made purple gown and wrapped a scarf around his neck to conceal his Adam’s apple.

When he looked in the mirror again, his slender frame now carried a delicate, feminine grace.

“If I go home like this, my parents will definitely be proud!”

Pleased with himself, Huang Qi could already feel his facial muscles stiffening from grinning too much.

After admiring his handiwork and confirming there were no flaws, he decided to remove the disguise—after all, the banquet was tomorrow.

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But just as he reached up, he paused.

“What if there’s still something I missed? If I get caught at home, I’ll shame my ancestors for generations!”

“No… I need to test this first. I can’t take any risks.”

After some thought, Huang Qi made up his mind. But the idea of walking outside in women’s clothing was another blow to his dignity.

“Whatever. Hardly anyone in this county knows me. Even if they recognize me, so what? If I don’t feel awkward, then the awkwardness is theirs to bear.”

Finally convincing himself, Huang Qi pinned his hair up with a feminine hairpin and stepped out the door. The sensation of the skirt brushing against his calves was unlike anything he had experienced in his coarse male robes.

“No wonder women’s clothes are so expensive—the fabric is in a whole different league.”

Huang Qi descended the stairs awkwardly. The innkeeper, dozing behind the counter, snapped awake at the sight of him, mouth agape.

Panicking, Huang Qi hurried outside—where the real test awaited.

Despite the Great Horror, the streets of the county were still bustling. Many villagers had relocated to the city for safety, though most were men—thin and malnourished from years of hardship.

In fact, this was true not just for the county but for the entire Huangtian Prefecture. The local Honghua Sect wasn’t powerful enough to protect the common folk, leaving most in poverty. As a result, outsiders mockingly called Huangtian the “Rat’s Nest”.

Huang Qi, however, was an exception. Thanks to his years in the immortal sect, he was better nourished and stood half a head taller than most men around him. Now, disguised as a beautiful woman, he was even more conspicuous—like a crane among chickens.

The moment he stepped outside, passersby gawked. Some even tripped and fell. After all, seeing a young woman in the mortal realm was rare enough, let alone one so tall and stunning.

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Even as a man, Huang Qi felt his face burn with embarrassment. He kept his head slightly lowered as he walked, but no matter where he went, the reactions were the same. Gradually, his awkwardness faded, replaced by smug satisfaction—his disguise was flawless.

“Junior Sister… Junior Sister Hongling …”

A voice like silver chimes called out, soft yet captivating. Huang Qi turned and froze.

A sword-wielding woman in her mid-twenties was walking toward him.

She wore her hair in a high ponytail, her sharp, mature features exuding an icy allure. A faint beauty mark graced the bridge of her nose, and her white, form-fitting dress accentuated her curves. Though not quite as breathtaking as the face Huang Qi now wore, she was still a rare beauty.

Huang Qi was stunned—not by her looks, but because he recognized her.

This was Fairy Lingyu of the Honghua Sect—the very sect he had once belonged to, and the most powerful immortal faction in Huangtian Prefecture.

Back when Huang Qi was still a disciple, Fairy Lingyu had been the object of admiration for many male disciples—himself included. He had often watched her from afar, too timid to approach.

“Who is she calling?”

Huang Qi stared blankly. This was his first time seeing her since his expulsion years ago, and memories came flooding back.

“Junior Sister Hongling, what’s wrong? Why aren’t you answering me?”

Fairy Lingyu drew closer, her tall, elegant figure moving with effortless grace.