Infinite Puzzle City

Chapter 696 The Strange-Haired Prince

Deep in the alley paved with bluestone slabs, in the air thick with the aroma of tea and the smell of sweat, a sudden commotion arose.

The vermilion-lacquered and gilded sedan chair rolled over the puddles, startling the porters who were squatting by the wall eating steamed buns, causing them to hurriedly stand up. When the sedan curtain was lifted, half of the face of a noblewoman covered with pearl powder was revealed; it was none other than the wife of Minister Chen, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue.

"This is the fifth one!" Old Wang, who sells steamed buns, held up his greasy finger.

“Yesterday it was the son of the Salt Commissioner, and the day before yesterday even the old lady of the Nine Gates Admiral’s Mansion came!” He lowered his voice mysteriously, “They say that when that hairdresser scrapes the scalp with his comb, people can see their dead mothers.”

The more people talked, the more mysterious it became.

However, they were quite happy. This alley was originally just a market where ordinary people bought and sold vegetables. Although it was lively, it was mostly a place for poor people. Now that a hairdresser had come, the business of the whole street suddenly became booming.

Some clever people stopped selling dishes and started a business selling tea and snacks. The young ladies and gentlemen of wealthy families naturally wouldn't eat them, but when these people went out, they were always accompanied by maids and servants.

These people always need to eat and drink, and they need to rest, so business will come in.

The water clock dripped, and the hour was approaching the late afternoon.

The shadow of the locust tree at the alley entrance was stretched long and slanted, splashed boldly on the bluestone slabs.

In the past few days, Xiao Ran's small hair-cutting stall has become the most bustling center of attention on the entire street. The onlookers' gazes, which initially held a playful curiosity, have long since fermented into a burning reverence. The air, which was originally filled with the smells of rotten vegetables and fish, now faintly carries the aroma of expensive incense and sweet pastries.

Several brand-new square tables and benches were placed opposite and beside Xiao Ran's stall by someone who seemed to care for them.

Old Wang, the tea seller, grinned from ear to ear. His greasy, black copper kettle was almost always burning, the boiling water dissolving the coarse tea leaves and sending up plumes of cheap white steam.

At the makeshift snack stalls nearby, sesame seed cakes and glutinous rice balls sizzled in the oil, emitting an enticing aroma.

Xiao Ran lowered his eyes, as if the surrounding noise was separated by a thick layer of water. The blue stone slab in his hand was dipped in water in the basin and slowly swirled.

"Whoosh...whoosh...whoosh..."

The whetstone scraped across the thin, willow-leaf-like razor, producing a monotonous, steady sound with a strange penetrating power that carved out a small, tranquil space amidst the clamor of voices.

Find tranquility amidst the clamor, and see the true nature of all beings.

Xiao Ran really liked the feeling of the pace slowing down. Although the [Razor] in his hand was only an E-grade cursed item, it seemed to have undergone some different changes on the blade after Xiao Ran's light sharpening.

In just one month, the barber's skills had become superb, transcending the ordinary and reaching the pinnacle of understanding.

Xiao Ran's rapid progress is not only due to his high level of comprehension, but also because he has already reached the level of profound understanding.

Whether it's knife skills or the craftsmanship of stitching corpses, Xiao Ran has already firmly established herself at that level.

Learning by analogy, relearning the skills of a barber is simply repeating the process; the path becomes smoother and the way becomes clearer with each step.

only……

Ultimately, we are on different paths and cannot make plans together.

The swordsmanship is profound, yet it is a technique for killing.

Sewing up corpses with thread is a skill that requires a compassionate heart.

Xiao Ran always felt that this barber's skills were still lacking something, if one wanted to reach the pinnacle of mastery.

He had been stuck on this step for a long time, without any clue, or rather, he was just missing a catalyst.

But he wasn't in a hurry. There was still time. His reputation was growing, and Jin Chanzi and the others had probably heard of him to some extent.

Why haven't they come looking for me yet?
The day passed quickly, and the sky gradually darkened. After giving haircuts to the last old woman, Xiao Ran declined several invitations to come to her home to give haircuts, and prepared to pack her things and go home.

When everyone saw that Xiao Ran was about to pack up, they all dispersed, since it was indeed getting late.

After cleaning up the stall, the strands of hair he had cut off were neatly draped over the carrying pole, accumulating into a thick stack by the end of the day.

The hair was mixed together, emitting a musty, rotten smell. Some hairs were gray, some were white, some were curly, and some were short. Xiao Ran did not throw the hair away. Instead, she wrapped it in a red cloth and put it in a bamboo basket.

These strands of hair carry the bad luck of a person; they can be braided into ropes and used as excellent amulets.

After extinguishing the fire in the stove, he picked up the carrying pole and headed home.

"Xiao Li, it's time to go back!"

"Ugh."

"Come on, there are still plenty of glutinous rice cakes left, take them home and eat them."

"Here are some snacks, which I saved especially for you. You should come early tomorrow morning."

As Xiao Ran left, the people in the alley approached her and offered her some snacks and pastries, their faces full of smiles, urging her to come early the next day.

Xiao Ran's hair dyeing wasn't cheap, but the people weren't envious; in fact, they hoped Xiao Ran's business would become more and more successful.

He single-handedly boosted the business of the entire street, allowing many people to taste the sweetness of making a fortune every day during this period.

Even in this era, these people still possessed a conscience, even amidst the ghost capital. If this were in reality, Xiao Ran would become famous today, and tomorrow morning, countless competitors would likely spring up on this street.

They might even fence off the spot where Xiao Ran sets up her stall.

After leaving the alley, Xiao Ran walked home along the main street. The number of pedestrians on the street gradually decreased. Xiao Ran did a rough calculation in her mind and found that she had actually earned a lot of ghost money in the past month.

There were nearly two hundred pieces of ghost money.

This amount of money isn't a lot, but it's not a small amount either.

"If this ghost city of Chang'an were to be established, and ordinary people were to flock in, as long as they adapted to the rules here, or if they could get help from the company, perhaps a large number of ordinary newcomers could make a living here."

Xiao Ran mentally calculated how likely this was.

It's definitely not feasible for ordinary people. It's more feasible once most people have a job and become beginners, or beginners at level D or above.

After all, although the Chang'an city created by Huang Chao had an eerie atmosphere inside and out, it was not a deadly place with a harsh environment.

The real danger is not directed at the public, but at ourselves.

Just as Xiao Ran was lost in thought, he suddenly stopped and looked around suspiciously.

The street suddenly fell silent, with only one or two lights flickering on the blue brick path.

Xiao Ran passed by here every day, so she was very familiar with the place. It was a short walk, about a minute or two, and the salt shop was not far away after crossing the street.

But after walking for so long, he still hadn't made it out. Xiao Ran looked back and saw that it was pitch black, and even with his good eyesight, he couldn't see clearly.

"Ghost hits the wall?"

Just as Xiao Ran was wondering what was going on, the door not far in front of her was opened.

A lamp pierced a hole in the dimly lit street, and an old man walked out with a smile, beckoning to Xiao Ran: "You, the one who got the haircut, come here."

Suddenly, a strong sense of unease washed over me.

This strange feeling was very familiar to Xiao Ran; it was the feeling when a ghost story was triggered.

"Strange, why am I encountering a ghost story here?" I've walked this street every day this month without ever encountering anything unusual, so why did I have to run into one today?
With doubts in her heart, Xiao Ran stepped forward and came to the old man, who was about the same age as the Ghostly Eater she had encountered before.

However, his attire was much more elaborate than that of the Ghostly Eater. He wore a turban on his head, a bright green robe, and had no beard. Despite his dignified demeanor, he exuded an air of wealth and nobility.

A faint blue glow flickered in his eyes, and the Eye of Retrospection silently opened, attempting to penetrate the old man before him and the past of this house.

However, all that could be seen was a chaotic void.

The old man's figure is like a phantom at the bottom of the river of time, leaving no trace. Behind the open door is a viscous blank space, as if this place has just been "cut and pasted" from nothingness by some force, untouched by the dust of time.

Xiao Ran's gaze passed over the old man's shoulder and landed inside the house. The scene was so simple it was almost eerie.

In the center stood a solitary high-backed armchair, its dark wood obscuring its age. Opposite the chair stood a massive bronze mirror, over six feet tall and three feet wide. Its surface was polished to an exceptionally smooth finish, clearly reflecting Xiao Ran's figure at the doorway and the hunched profile of the old man.

At this moment, a strange rule appeared in front of Xiao Ran.

"You have triggered the ghost story [The Strange Hair Guy]. The Strange Hair Guy heard about your skills and came to ask you to comb his hair and shave his face. During this time, you cannot use any cursed items. After the completion, the Strange Hair Guy will give his evaluation of your skills."

"Complete this ghost story to receive a special reward."

"If your ghost story fails, you will suffer a special punishment!"

Looking at the strange tale that appeared before him, Xiao Ran's heart pounded heavily in his chest: "Isn't this the same strange tale, the Ghostly Eater, that Wu Man encountered before?"

The same invitation method, the same rules and restrictions, the same unknown rewards and punishments! This is no coincidence.

It seems that this strange tale is related to one's profession; it appears that the better one's professional skills, the easier it is to trigger this strange tale.

"Interesting, I never expected to encounter this strange tale."

Judging from Wu Man's feedback, although this strange tale is very eerie, it is not unsolvable. Rather, it seems to be a kind of test of her profession.

However, whether or not one can receive the appropriate evaluation does not depend entirely on one's own skills, but more on the other person's mood.

Thinking of this, Xiao Ran boldly walked into the room, looked at the old man in front of her and smiled as she put down the carrying pole on her shoulder: "Grandpa, are you getting your hair cut or shaved?"

The old man lay back in his chair, looking at the bronze mirror in front of him, and said, "Hair combing and shaving are both essential."

"Okay." Xiao Ran nodded, walked behind the old man, untied the turban, and took it off the old man's head.

But when Xiao Ran took off her turban and took a look, her eyes widened immediately.

"Hiss... Baldy???"

(End of this chapter)