The Japanese-fear sorcerer who started by taking in Tomie

Am I beautiful?

At the crossroads, the old streetlamp began to flicker again.

She wore a long, beige trench coat with a high collar, and her long, smooth hair cascaded down her sides, revealing only her two bright eyes.

The Slit-Mouthed Woman stood there, in the same posture as a few days ago, and even the quality of her voice hadn't changed; it was still like the sound of scissors rubbing against a whetstone.

This time, however, Tomie wasn't by his side.

Xin Hengyuan stopped and looked at the long, thin shadow cast by the lamplight, frowning slightly.

There was no fear, and no surprise.

Since he had easily dealt with the Slit-Mouthed Woman and hadn't sealed her away, it was perfectly normal for her to come looking for trouble.

Besides, if he could defeat her once, he could defeat her a second, a third... countless times.

Xinhengyuan was simply speechless.

"You've arrived."

"Um!"

The Slit-Mouthed Woman nodded heavily.

"You shouldn't have come."

The Slit-Mouthed Woman clearly hadn't expected this response. She tilted her head, her clear eyes, peeking out from behind her mask, fixed intently on Shin Hengyuan, as if afraid he would disappear.

Am I... pretty?

She asked again, her expression showing more nervousness.

Xin Hengyuan put his hands in his pockets and looked her up and down.

The trench coat was still the same trench coat, the mask was still the same mask, and even the posture was exactly the same as last time.

"Didn't you ask that last time?"

"And don't you ever change your clothes?"

"Won't it have a smell?"

Xin Hengyuan discovered a key point and asked a question.

Slit-Mouthed Woman: "..."

Her fingers curled slightly, gripping the hem of her dress. A hint of confusion flashed in her eyes again.

Why is this human not following the rules again? But she still honestly answered Xin Hengyuan's question.

"...No...I don't smell bad, I don't smell bad."

Xin Hengyuan sighed. He felt that the slit-mouthed woman had some intellectual problems.

"Hey, I didn't say you stinky..."

"Never mind, take off your mask, let me see."

The Slit-Mouthed Woman did not move.

"Didn't you want me to ask you if you're pretty? How am I supposed to see if you're covering your face?" Xin Hengyuan urged again, wanting to finish the story as soon as possible and go home to sleep.

During a casual chat with Tomie, Shingen learned that the place where the Slit-Mouthed Woman appears becomes her domain, which covers a small area located in the crack of the real world.

Only by completing the tasks within the rules or defeating the Slit-Mouthed Woman can one return to the real world. This is one of the reasons why the Slit-Mouthed Woman has no fixed territory and can roam all of Japan.

"Sweetie, hurry up and take it off."

The Slit-Mouthed Woman remained silent for a moment.

She had only ever taken off her mask after others broke the rules; no one but Xin Hengyuan had ever voluntarily asked to remove theirs. This unique feeling struck her deeply, making her unable to resist and completely captivated.

Then, the slit-mouthed woman obediently followed Shin Hengyuan's instructions, raised her hand, pinched the edge of the mask, and slowly pulled it down.

"Hmm, very good." Shin Hengyuan coaxed the Slit-Mouthed Woman like he was praising a child.

The slit-mouthed woman's face, split to her ears, was revealed again, with neat cuts and symmetrical curves, like a flesh-colored flower blooming on her face.

Her lips parted slightly, and the gaps on both sides opened to reveal her fine teeth and an overly long tongue.

To be honest, the Slit-Mouthed Woman's appearance is not actually ugly; on the contrary, it has a unique kind of beauty.

Am I... pretty?

Her voice grew softer, carrying an almost humble expectation, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Xin Hengyuan, like a puppy hoping for praise.

Xin Hengyuan stared at her for a while, then nodded seriously and gave her a thumbs up.

To be honest, the Slit-Mouthed Woman isn't actually ugly.

She had a curvaceous figure and good facial features. Although the two large clefts at the corners of her mouth did not detract from her beauty, but instead added a unique and eerie charm to her.

It can only be said that good-looking people will look good no matter what they do.

"It looks much better than last time."

The Slit-Mouthed Woman was stunned, a hint of joy flashing in her eyes, like a puppy wagging its tail wildly when praised by its owner.

Shin Hengyuan pointed to the corner of his own mouth, then to the corner of the slit-mouthed woman's mouth, indicating, "Your lips look much more moisturized this time. Did you put on lip balm?"

The slit-mouthed woman's Adam's apple bobbed, and she nodded heavily.

"That's beautiful! Keep it up!"

Shin Hengyuan praised the slit-mouthed woman.

"Is the next step to follow the procedures?"

The Slit-Mouthed Woman nodded slowly.

Then, those once clear eyes became bloodshot again, and in an instant, two sharp and enormous scissors appeared in her hands.

Xin Hengyuan snapped out of his thoughts, looked at the bloodshot eyes in front of him, and took a step back expressionlessly.

"bring it on."

He stretched out one hand, palm up, as if beckoning a puppy that was about to pounce.

The Slit-Mouthed Woman did not move.

Her bloodshot eyes were fixed on Xin Hengyuan, and her lips moved slightly, as if she were preparing something.

"Thank you for last time," she suddenly said, her voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz.

Xinhengyuan was taken aback.

"Thank me? Thank me for what?"

"Thank you... for saying I'm pretty." The slit-mouthed woman lowered her head, her fingers clutching the hem of her dress again. "Never... truly, no one has ever said I'm pretty. They all say... they all say I'm ugly, that I'm scary, that they want to kill me..."

"So since you've complimented my looks, I'll make you just as beautiful as me!"

The Slit-Mouthed Woman suddenly attacked, aiming two scissors at Shin Hengyuan's mouth.

"Duang!"

A crisp sound of impact rang out.

The huge blade of the scissors struck Xin Hengyuan, about ten centimeters from his face, but could not go any further, as if an invisible shield was blocking the way.

In fact, there is indeed an invisible shield.

[Shield Spell]!

New Hengyuan will not stand under a crumbling wall.

As soon as he saw the Slit-Mouthed Woman, he had already cast a [Shield] spell in front of him. After all, he was just a weak, pitiful, and helpless warlock, without the strong physique of a warrior, so he always had to be careful.

No, I need to find a way to improve my physical fitness when I get back. I can't stay this fragile forever.

Xin Hengyuan pondered to himself, but his hands didn't stop moving as he gathered [Magic Missile] in his palm.

Three scarlet darts shot out silently, piercing precisely through the slit-mouthed woman's body, arms, and chest, just as before.

The slit-mouthed woman stumbled and fell to the ground, the scissors flying far away with a clang. Then, she quickly turned into black smoke and disappeared.

[Defeat the monster Kuchisake-onna, experience +100]

"All done, time to call it a day and go home."

Xin Hengyuan nodded in satisfaction. He hadn't expected to gain 100 experience points for free on his way home; he was thrilled.

Then, Xinhengyuan started walking towards his home.

"I wonder if there are still trams running at this time. I hope I can catch one."

The dissipating black smoke slowly condensed and reformed into the Slit-Mouthed Woman. Her eyes were fixed on Xin Hengyuan's back, her gaze piercing through the night, following the figure that gradually disappeared on the horizon...