Fellow Daoist, I gladly accept this heaven-defying opportunity.

Now only one question remained to be confirmed. She looked up at Xu Qingshu, her expression solemn: "Brother, do you still have feelings for her?"

Xu Qingshu froze, a look of struggle and pain flashing across his face. Finally, he sighed heavily: "What good is affection? Even if I don't care about her appearance or what others say, I am the next head of the Xu family. My father will never agree to me marrying such a woman."

He chuckled self-deprecatingly. "To be honest, my father has already arranged for me to marry the only daughter of the Wang family. We're getting married next month. I just hate that I'm so powerless to protect her and have let her suffer so much."

After saying that, he picked up the wine jar and gulped it down, wanting only to drown his sorrows in alcohol.

Xu Mofeng nodded slightly: "I understand."

I already have a plan in mind.

The next day, in Nanheng City, at the Dongfang Mansion.

Beside the peonies in the back garden stood a woman in purple, her face veiled, gazing intently at the shadows of the flowers.

A young maidservant rushed over, her head bowed low, not daring to lift it, her voice barely audible: "Miss, a young master from the Xu family is requesting an audience outside the manor..."

Her eyes flickered slightly beneath the veil, and the woman's voice was indifferent: "I won't see you."

The maid hesitated for a moment, then added in a low voice, "Miss, it's not the eldest son of the Xu family who's here, it's...it's the second son, Xu Mofeng."

The woman paused, as if she had remembered something.

After a moment of silence, she said softly, "Let him in."

"Yes."

Before long, a young man in a moon-white brocade robe slowly walked into the garden.

He was tall and handsome, with an air of otherworldly elegance that drew frequent glances from the surrounding maids, who even lowered their breathing.

The gaze from behind the veil fell on him, paused for a moment, and then quickly returned to its usual calm.

"Sister Yuzhu".

Xu Mofeng walked up to her and called out softly.

The woman trembled slightly, managing a weak smile: "You're back? I thought you were away cultivating, but it seems you've accomplished something."

Xu Mofeng's gaze fell on her, and the golden light of his destiny shone brightly on her.

He began, "I was passing through Nanheng City and decided to go home on the way. I heard about some things that happened to my sister, so I came here specifically to see her."

These words seemed to strike a nerve with the woman, and her voice instantly trembled: "Even you... are you here to laugh at me?"

Xu Mofeng knew that she had suffered countless cold stares over the years and was extremely sensitive, so he immediately said seriously, "Sister is joking. I have been practicing martial arts for many years and have seen many extraordinary people and things. The symptoms on your face are beyond the help of ordinary doctors, but it is not necessarily that I have no way to treat them."

Dongfang Yuzhu fell silent.

She wasn't without hesitation, but a glimmer of hope suddenly appearing amidst her despair made her unable to resist being moved.

"You...you really have a way?"

Her voice trembled slightly, almost imperceptibly.

"I can't say it's 100% curable, but I can give it a try."

Xu Mofeng spoke with certainty.

Dongfang Yuzhu took a deep breath, as if she had made up her mind, and slowly removed the veil from her head.

Xu Mofeng was mentally prepared, but when he actually saw that face, he was still shocked.

One side of her face was as smooth as jade, with delicate and exquisite eyebrows and eyes, making her a stunning beauty; but the other side of her face was covered with dark brown scars, as if the skin and flesh had been burned and then misshapenly healed, with malignant sores growing on them, and pus oozing out, which was shocking to see.

Half celestial being, half demon, the contrast is so stark it's chilling.

The moment the veil fell to the ground, the surrounding maids hurriedly turned their faces away. One of them, who was slow to react, glanced at it and couldn't help but gag.

Dongfang Yuzhu bit her lower lip tightly, her body trembling slightly, as humiliation and shame overwhelmed her like a tidal wave.

She was already prepared to face the disgust, disdain, or fear in Xu Mofeng's eyes.

But when she looked up and met his eyes, she froze.

Those eyes were clear and bright, without a trace of disgust, only shock, doubt, and a hint of heartache that couldn't be hidden.

Dongfang Yuzhu's heart skipped a beat, as if she had been hit hard by something.

Since her face was disfigured, she has become accustomed to being avoided, feared, and disgusted by others, even her closest relatives.

Those gazes were like needles, piercing her heart and leaving it riddled with holes; she had long since become numb.

But at this moment, for the first time, she saw concern in someone else's eyes.

Her tense mind suddenly relaxed, and she straightened her back, meeting Xu Mofeng's gaze with composure.

Xu Mofeng observed her carefully for a moment, then picked up the veil and gently put it back on her.

He naturally knew nothing about medicine and couldn't explain the origin of this strange illness, but he happened to have something that might come in handy.

With a flick of his finger, a lustrous pill appeared in his palm—the beauty-enhancing pill he had obtained during the Six Sects Martial Arts Competition.

"Sister Yuzhu, I obtained this pill by chance. Taking it might alleviate the symptoms on your face. Also, keep this top-grade spirit stone close to your body; it will be beneficial for nourishing your body."

As he spoke, he took out another top-grade spirit stone brimming with spiritual energy and handed it over as well.

The spiritual energy contained within a spirit stone is a priceless treasure for ordinary people. Wearing it close to the body year-round can strengthen the body and prolong life, making it a rare and precious item that even ordinary noble families struggle to find.

If even the basic spirit stones have such effects, one can only imagine the rare and exquisite spirit stones in the world.

Xu Mofeng's actions were entirely for Dongfang Yuzhu's benefit.

He had already secretly deduced that the golden opportunity on Dongfang Yuzhu's body was most likely related to the stubborn ailment on her face. As long as her face could be cured, the opportunity hidden in the shadows would naturally surface.

Dongfang Yuzhu accepted the two items handed to her by Xu Mofeng. Although she could not recognize the origin of the pill, the top-grade spirit stone, with its lustrous and translucent appearance and restrained spiritual light, was clearly a rare treasure.

A warmth filled her heart, and she whispered, "Thank you..."

There's no need for thanks between us.

Xu Mofeng shook his head slightly, looking at her with a smile in his eyes, "Sister Yuzhu, have you forgotten? We've known each other since childhood and are the best of friends."

Dongfang Yuzhu's heartstrings were slightly touched, and she responded softly.

"I need to take care of some chores first, I'll come see you later."

Xu Mofeng was always efficient; once the items were delivered, he didn't linger and immediately took his leave.

Watching his departing figure, Dongfang Yuzhu had a complex expression and sighed softly.

She waved away the maids around her and sat alone in the garden, staring at the spirit stones and pills in front of her, hesitating whether she should use them immediately.

Just as she hesitated, the top-grade spirit stone in her palm suddenly dimmed at a visible speed, and an incomparably powerful suction force surged out from her body.

The next second, a piercing pain shot through her left cheek. Dongfang Yuzhu cried out in pain and hurriedly grabbed the bronze mirror beside her to take a closer look. She was immediately terrified.

The birthmark on her left cheek, which had been there for many years, was slowly wriggling and twisting, gradually solidifying into a palm-sized ghost face.

The ghostly face opened its mouth and actually uttered a human voice: "It's actually an ancient beauty pill... Who is this kid? He's really sincere towards you."

Seeing the ghostly face that had suddenly appeared on her own face, Dongfang Yuzhu was so frightened that she almost fainted, screaming, "Ghost! There's a ghost! Help!"

"Go ahead and shout."

The ghost face said coldly, "The more people you call, the better. By tomorrow morning, the ugliest woman in Nanheng City will have to change her name to the ugliest ghost face."

The cries for help abruptly stopped.

Dongfang Yuzhu covered her mouth tightly, staring at the ghostly face in the mirror with terrified eyes, her voice trembling: "What are you? Why are you on my face?"

"I am the previous generation of the Ghost Spider Demon Mother."

The ghost face spoke calmly, "Our lineage of the Nether Spider Holy Body has a history of the previous host's demise, which is when the next generation awakens. The remnant soul of the previous generation resides in the Holy Body, serving as a guide and living as your twin."

Dongfang Yuzhu looked completely bewildered, clearly not understanding the convoluted rules of inheritance. However, she quickly grasped the key point, and exclaimed in shock and anger, "So my face became like this all because of you?!"

"Yes, and not entirely."

The ghostly face slowly said, "When the Ghost Spider Saint Body first awakens, it must go through a process of flesh and blood decaying and bones being rebuilt, and this process has always started from the face. Bearing such a fate, one is destined to be hated by both humans and ghosts. You have only just begun. When your whole face is rotten to the point of being neither human nor ghost, that will be the real torment."

Dongfang Yuzhu's pupils contracted sharply, and her whole body went cold: "You mean, I'm going to have to live with this ugly face for the rest of my life?"

The ghostly face's expression shifted slightly, revealing a hint of complexity: "Not necessarily. You're quite lucky; someone actually gave you an ancient beauty-preserving elixir. If you take this elixir and combine it with the secret technique I've taught you, you can stabilize your appearance before your sacred body fully awakens, and you won't have to worry about your face ulcerating anymore."

Dongfang Yuzhu was overjoyed and quickly said, "Then teach me quickly!"

The words had barely left her mouth when she suddenly came to her senses, her expression darkening. She said softly, "What conditions do you want for me to teach you?"

"It's easier to talk to smart people."

The clown chuckled, "The conditions aren't urgent. Take the beauty pill first."

Without further hesitation, Dongfang Yuzhu picked up the pill and swallowed it in one gulp.

The pill melts instantly upon entering the mouth, its gentle medicinal power spreading out in a flash.

A ghostly face whispered in his ear, "That kid just now might really be your lucky star. Not only did he give you a beauty pill, but he also brought you a top-grade spirit stone. If it weren't for the spiritual energy of the top-grade spirit stone breaking through the restriction, I would have been asleep for a long time, and you would have had to endure this face under the scorn of others for another ten years."

Dongfang Yuzhu's heart trembled, and an image of a delicate child's face involuntarily surfaced in her mind. The figure gradually grew up, transforming into a handsome and enchanting young man, looking at her with eyes full of pity and tenderness.

"Little Mo'er..."