Volume 1, Chapter 14 – Could “She” Actually Be a Man in Disguise?

Huang Qi came from humble beginnings. He entered the Honghua Sect at nine, was expelled at twenty-five, and then spent another three years struggling in the mortal world. As a result, his hands looked no different from those of an ordinary farmer.

But the hand before him now bore no resemblance to a farmer’s—or even a man’s. It was small, delicate, and fragrant, with slender, jade-like fingers as tender as freshly sprouted bamboo shoots. The rosy nails contrasted against snow-white skin, exuding an alluring charm.

“When did my hand turn into this?”

Huang Qi clenched his fist in disbelief. The tiny shape looked almost pitiful—he could probably swallow it whole. Calling it a “dainty fist” wouldn’t be an exaggeration.

“It must be that damned feminizing mask!”

He quickly realized and hurriedly examined his left hand—only to find it unchanged, still rough and thick-knuckled. Clearly, only his right hand had been affected.

Placing both hands side by side, the stark contrast was almost painful to behold, like comparing a father’s hand to his daughter’s.

To determine how much more of his skin the Human Skin Mask had consumed, Huang Qi rolled up his right sleeve—revealing an entire arm now milky white, with skin so smooth it lacked even a single visible pore. A faint glow seemed to ripple across its surface, and even the bones had become noticeably slimmer, shrinking by at least a third.

“Damn mask, if you’re going to feminize me, at least do it evenly! Now one of my hands is male, the other female—one big, one small. How am I supposed to show my face in public like this? People will think I’m some kind of freak!”

Huang Qi grumbled in frustration. He couldn’t understand it—everything had been normal before he went to sleep last night. Why had he woken up like this?

“The transformation must’ve happened while I was asleep.”

He quickly confirmed this suspicion. After his Adam’s apple vanished yesterday, he had kept checking his neck periodically and was certain the mask hadn’t spread even an inch further before he slept.

Recalling further, his Adam’s apple had still been intact when he left the county town yesterday. Yet by the time he returned home, it had mysteriously disappeared—and he had dozed off on the way.

“Does the feminization only happen when I sleep?”

It was a bold hypothesis.

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“What’s the point of guessing? Testing it is simple—just sleep again.”

Huang Qi decided to act immediately. At worst, he’d lose another hand—but at this point, having both feminized was preferable to being a mismatched monstrosity.

Pleased with his own cleverness, he pulled the blanket over himself, ready to sleep—only to bolt upright a second later.

“My God! I almost doomed myself! Who knows if this damned mask follows any logic? What if next time it doesn’t stop at just an arm?”

Cold sweat broke out on his forehead. Thank heavens he’d realized in time—the mask had already reached his chest. If he messed up now, there’d be no room for error.

Too terrified to experiment further, Huang Qi resolved never to sleep again. Whether he could actually manage that…

“I have to! Or else the mighty Young Master Huang will become Miss Huang!”

With a resigned sigh, he dragged himself out of bed to continue impersonating his “fiancée”. But as he reached for the veil, he hesitated.

“Everyone at home is trustworthy, and none would recognize a Honghua Sect fairy. Do I really need to cover my face?”

Then reality struck.

“No, I must. Neighbors drop by unannounced. If outsiders see this face—even if they don’t recognize it—its beauty alone would cause a sensation. And then endless trouble.”

Reluctantly, he fastened the veil.

His caution wasn’t paranoia. In this world, women were already scarce—beautiful ones even rarer. Each became a target of envy and desire. In the Huang family’s current state, protecting such a “daughter-in-law” would be impossible.

With his face concealed, the next challenge was his mismatched hands—one large and dark, the other small and pale. Aesthetics aside, explaining this to others would be impossible, especially since everyone had seen him yesterday. They had to be hidden.

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After rummaging through the house, he dug out a pair of worn gloves. Wearing just one would seem even stranger, so he donned both.

Disguise complete, he stepped out to wash up. His parents were already gone—no room for laziness in these times, especially for farmers.

Finished with his ablutions, Huang Qi stepped outside, taking in the village. Dozens of households clustered tightly together, like people huddling for warmth in the snow.

And that was precisely the case. After the Great Horror’s outbreak, wandering spirits infested the land. Ordinary folk couldn’t afford many protective talismans, so they gathered to combine their yang energy for defense. Thus, Huatian Village’s ancestors had moved their homes side by side—unlike in the past.

Knowing where his family’s fields lay, Huang Qi headed over to help—only to overhear his parents’ conversation.

“Huang Kairong, stop dawdling! Put some effort in!”

Li Fen’s voice carried impatience.

“What’s the rush? It’s just one small plot, and the crops grow slow anyway. What difference does it make?”

Huang Kairong’s retort held truth. Since the Great Horror, distant fields had been abandoned, leaving only nearby land. With pervasive yin energy lowering temperatures, crops grew at a snail’s pace. No amount of toil could change that.

“No excuses! Look at our future daughter-in-law—not just pretty, but a wealthy maiden from a rich family. Who knows how much bride price she’ll demand? If we can’t pay, do you want our son resenting you forever?”

Li Fen’s warning was stern.

“Ah! I hadn’t considered that. You’re right—this could be trouble.”

Huang Kairong paused, then added awkwardly, “Wife, maybe you could… sound her out? She’s seen our home. Whatever she wants from here, she can take—I won’t bat an eye. But beyond that… this old man’s capabilities are limited.”

“Fine. But we can’t shortchange her either. We must offer what we can. So work harder.”

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“Bride price?”

Huang Qi cringed at his parents’ discussion. Not daring to intervene, he quietly retreated home.

By mid-morning, Huang Kaiyou’s family still hadn’t emerged. After yesterday’s humiliation, they couldn’t face the villagers.

“I just don’t get it. How could a noble young lady fall for my plain-looking nephew?”

Huang Kaiyou’s resentment lingered.

“Who knows? But if she’s a sheltered rich girl, maybe your nephew sweet-talked her?”

His wife, Zhou Fang, offered a theory.

“Come on, Mom! No way. If Uncle had that kind of silver tongue, why’s he still single?”

Huang Long immediately refuted her.

“Exactly! A man who couldn’t even find a match in an immortal sect—what kind of charisma could he have?”

Huang Bo’s tone dripped disdain.

“And judging by that woman’s behavior yesterday, she didn’t seem like some naive young miss either.”

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Huang Bo’s lover, Qu Zhen, chimed in.

“What’s the point of speculating? Huang Qi’s already engaged. Their courtyard won’t be ours anymore. Where will you two live after marrying?”

Huang Kaiyou massaged his temples. With two sons but only one home, he’d long coveted his elder brother’s property.

“That’s your problem. I’ve said it before—no house, no marriage.”

Qu Zhen’s ultimatum was blunt. This was why, despite being with Huang Bo for years, she still hadn’t joined the family.

Huang Kaiyou’s face darkened. Even in peaceful times, building a new house was difficult. Now, with resources scarce, it was a pipe dream.

“What do you think, Sister Mei?”

Qu Zhen turned to Xie Mei beside her.

“I’ve been wondering something.”

Xie Mei, silent until now, spoke slowly. “Why did that woman seem so… off?”

“Off? You mean the veil? She said her face was swollen from toothache.”

“Not just that. Yesterday, I noticed her hands—unusually rough, with thick knuckles. Nothing like a woman’s hands.”

She hesitated before whispering, “Do you think… ‘she’ might actually be a man in disguise?”