Volume Two: A Season of Turmoil Chapter 107: Masculine Traits in a Girl—A Peculiar Countenance

Chen Xin gave a shy smile. Chang Yu felt a bit awkward; her backside was indeed exposed, with a large hole in her clothing now slung over her shoulder—even a blind man could see it. She felt a wave of frustration, but as she looked at Yang Chengzi, that annoyance vanished instantly.

"You, you, you—what are you doing?"

Yang Chengzi was already intimidated by the look in Chang Yu’s eyes, and she was closing in on him step by step.

"Since you’ve already seen everyone else’s backside, why don’t you let your lady show you hers, husband? I am willing to suffer all punishments at once!"

With that, the two began to bicker. Watching Yang Chengzi’s earnest, rejected expression, Chen Xin felt that he would likely fall into Sister Chang Yu’s hands sooner or later. She looked at the innocent-looking Chen San beside her and gently stroked his head.

*Knock, knock, knock.*

The magistrate had not been gone long before another knock sounded at the door. Yang Chengzi frowned and looked at Chang Yu, asking, "Who is it?"

A frail voice came from outside: "I am a young woman seeking help from the Daoist priest. Might I trouble you for a moment?"

Upon hearing a woman’s voice, Chang Yu glared fiercely at Yang Chengzi, waving her small fist as if to say, *If you dare to meddle, watch out—I’ll beat you up!*

Seeing Chang Yu’s stance, Yang Chengzi was cautious. He didn't dare open the door directly for fear of her causing a scene, so he asked, "What is it you seek, Miss? Please, speak plainly."

Before the girl could reply, the sound of weeping came from outside: "I am from this town. I heard rumors that the Daoist priest subdued a demon at the Tianxiang Pavilion, so I came looking for you. My father suddenly became demented half a month ago; he doesn't recognize anyone and has lost his memory."

"We’ve seen many physicians, but they can't find the source of the ailment. I don’t know if he has encountered some evil spirit. I am desperate and came to ask the priest to come to my home to take a look at my father. If even you cannot help us, I truly do not know where else to turn."

The two exchanged glances and simultaneously looked at Chen San. According to the girl’s description, wasn't she talking about someone just like him? Yet the physician had said Chen San had merely bumped his head and it wasn't serious. What exactly was wrong with this girl’s father? How could so many physicians fail to find the cause?

*Creak.* Yang Chengzi opened the door. A frail-looking young woman stood outside with her head bowed. As she looked up, Chang Yu was struck dumb.

The girl was dressed in simple clothes, and her voice was delicate with a childlike, youthful quality, yet she possessed a face only a man should have—angular and sharp, with long, narrow eyes, a large nose, and a fuzzy patch of hair on her upper lip. Chang Yu was stunned.

Yang Chengzi, however, remained calm. His face showed no trace of discomfort; in his own words, in his eyes, there was no distinction between beauty and ugliness in the women of this world.

"Miss, please come in. Tell me the details, and if I can be of help, I will go with you."

The girl did not stand on ceremony. She nodded, uttered an "en," and stepped inside. Chen Xin pulled Chen San to the edge of the bed, making room for the girl and Yang Chengzi.

Yang Chengzi poured the girl a cup of tea and asked, "Miss, may I ask your name?"

"My name is Fang, with the given name Hua."

"Then I shall call you Miss Fang. Has your father ever suffered a fall?"

Fang Hua shook her head. "The physicians asked the same thing, but my father never mentioned it, and the physicians saw no signs of injury. He simply went to sleep and woke up dazed and foolish, not even recognizing me." As she spoke, tears welled up in her eyes.

"Miss, do not be sad yet. We must get to the bottom of this before I can help your father. Who did your father usually interact with?"

"My father set up a stall in the east of town selling wontons and noodles. There were many people coming and going; I really don’t know who he might have encountered."

"Does your father frequent gambling dens, brothels, or other such unsavory places? Forgive the blunt question, but such places are treacherous, and there might be a clue there."

"My father worked very hard at his stall. My grandparents are in poor health and need care. He worked from dawn until dusk, and as far back as I can remember, he never took a single day off. He would never go to such places."

"And your mother?"

"My mother died in childbirth. Because I look like this, the people around me say I was the one who cursed her to death. If my mother hadn't died, perhaps my father could have rested, and perhaps he wouldn't have ended up like this." Before she could finish, tears began to stream down her face again.

"Your mother died? I don't see how you could have cursed her. Furthermore, your physiognomy is strange, though I haven't quite figured out why yet."

"My father said my mother died in childbirth, so that must be true. I have been like this since I was a child, and I have suffered endless cold shoulders and ridicule because of this face, but I am used to it."

"No, Miss Fang, that is not what I meant. I don't mean that you look strange, but that your facial features are anomalous. May I ask, when did you start looking like a man?"

"Daoist, I came to you in desperation to save my father, but why must you humiliate me? My appearance was given to me by my parents; if I had a choice, I wouldn't want to endure such ridicule."

"Miss, please do not be angry. I am a Daoist, not a deity. Some things may seem unimportant, but they are actually crucial, which is why I must ask clearly. Regardless of whether I can cure your father, I am quite certain about your facial features."

"Certain? Certain of what?"

"A person’s physiognomy consists of the five senses, the three segments, and the twelve palaces. By examining these, one can determine a person’s destiny and fortune. But you are different. You are the first person with 'ten senses' I have ever seen."

"'Ten senses'? What are those?" Chang Yu asked curiously.

"A person only has five senses. To be born with a deformity might result in six or even seven senses."

"Oh, a major deformity!" Chang Yu interjected before he could finish.

Yang Chengzi rolled his eyes. "But a deformity is obvious at a glance. Having six or seven senses usually just means having an extra mouth or nose. Miss Fang’s 'ten senses' are clearly not a deformity."

Chang Yu, now curious, leaned in to examine Fang Hua’s face carefully, nodding as she looked.

"According to you, she only has five senses! Where do you see ten? Are your eyes playing tricks on you?"

Fang Hua felt embarrassed under Chang Yu’s gaze and grew nervous.

"Daoist, if you have something to say, please say it directly. I am used to cold words; I can handle it."

"There is a man’s face covering your original one!"

Once these words were spoken, everyone in the room was stunned. Fang Hua stared with her small, squinting eyes in disbelief. Chang Yu’s face twitched, and she looked at Yang Chengzi suspiciously, wondering if he was pulling their legs.

"You have ten senses. The three segments are fine, but the twelve palaces on your face are all offset. An ordinary person wouldn't notice, but a skilled physiognomist should see it at once. That is why I asked when you began to take on this man’s face."

Fang Hua had not yet recovered from the shock, but since the man before her was a Daoist who could banish evil, and she needed him to look at her father’s dementia, what reason did she have to doubt him?

She blinked, recalling the past. "Come to think of it, it was when I was in my teens. Ever since then, no one has ever said I looked pretty."

"Pretty? Did people used to say you were pretty?" Yang Chengzi asked.

Fang Hua nodded. "Yes, the neighbors seemed to like me when I was young. But as I grew older, the other children stopped playing with me. Come to think of it, I grew up quite alone."

"Do you look like your father?"

Fang Hua shook her head. "Although my father is old, one can tell at a glance that I don't look like him at all. Not only do I not look like my father, I don't look like my grandparents either."

Yang Chengzi asked no more. Chang Yu wondered if the girl had been picked up by her father, but having been educated in propriety and shame, she did not voice the question. If Chen San hadn't damaged his head, he certainly would have asked that out loud.

"To be able to shift a person’s face and change their destiny, the culprit must be an evil practitioner or someone with malicious intent. Your destiny was not meant to be this way; it became like this because of the face you now wear. You were young then, so you couldn't have known what happened. Who this face truly belongs to—it seems we must ask your father."

"But my father..." Fang Hua lowered her head, leaving the sentence unfinished.

"Come here. Take a look at him and see if he is the same as your father." Yang Chengzi stood up, walked over to Chen San, and gestured toward him.

Chang Yu looked astonished. "Is this the reference for the fool?"

"You could say it is a reference. Knowing the basics helps me have a better grasp of the situation."