I agonized over the decision but couldn't make up my mind. In the end, I told Olivia to leave first—I needed two days to consider it.
Olivia understood perfectly. If I was willing to consider it, that meant there was a chance. She left in high spirits, saying she'd wait for my good news. As she went, she threw me a flirtatious glance—women like her knew exactly how to please men and wrap them around her finger.
Watching her sway those hips with that smug look, I suddenly wanted to teach her a proper lesson—not for any personal reason, just to rid the world of such a troublemaker!
After Olivia left, I began thinking seriously. Around noon, Chloe arrived.
Chloe seemed in excellent spirits, beaming the moment she walked in. I asked what had her so happy.
She explained that Isabella, the woman who'd cursed her, had been dealt with by her boss. Her boss, Hames, owned the nightclub and had gang connections—a truly ruthless character.
Now that Chloe was the nightclub's top earner, harming her meant crossing Hames. And Hames wasn't about to let that slide.
After investigating, they discovered Isabella had indeed hired a dark master to perform a "revive by borrowing a corpse" ritual. The resentment from the corpse's spirit had latched onto Chloe's body—within seven days, that vengeful ghost would claim Chloe's life.
Hames had actually given Isabella a chance: find the master to undo the curse and lose a hand as punishment, then walk free. After all, Chloe was his golden goose now—he couldn't afford to let anything happen to her.
But Isabella refused outright, even vowing to drag Chloe down with her to the grave.
Enraged, Hames slashed her face a dozen times with a knife before selling her to human traffickers.
That fate was worse than death. Who knew where they'd take her? Maybe some impoverished village, or they might amputate her limbs to force her into begging. The worst would be harvesting her organs for the black market—at that point, biting off her own tongue would be a mercy.
Isabella had brought this on herself. Even facing death, she showed no remorse—refusing any chance at survival just to take Chloe down with her.
Hames was clearly brutal, but in this world, men like him needed both power and connections. Still, something felt off—no matter how much Isabella hated Chloe, this level of stubbornness made no sense.
Losing a hand was infinitely better than her current fate. Why wouldn't she take that deal?
Chloe didn't overthink it. With a life-threatening rival eliminated, she couldn't be happier. Now all that remained was getting the Tattoo of Gods and Ghosts to expel the ghost and save her life.
Isabella never imagined her master's curse could be broken by my Tattoos of Gods and Ghosts. She'd been determined to drag Chloe down with her even in death, but her plan failed—now she'd suffered for nothing. A true case of "losing the lady and the soldier both."
The Ghost-Begging Yaksha tattoo's effectiveness had been personally verified by Olivia, so there shouldn't be any issues. With the pigments ready, I prepared to give Chloe the tattoo.
Once inside the tattoo parlor, Chloe was completely at ease—she only covered her back, leaving everything else exposed. "My body's just merchandise," she said. "Makes no difference who sees it."
That said, since Chloe was an old acquaintance, I didn't dare let my thoughts wander. I focused strictly on tattooing, keeping my eyes firmly on my work.
As I worked, Chloe struck up a conversation. "Never been with a woman?" she asked with a smirk.
I gave a bitter laugh. At twenty years old, still girlfriend-less—it was embarrassing. At least Grandpa had arranged those twin brides for me, though who knew if that would ever happen now.
Chloe suddenly pressed her hand over mine. "If you need...I could let you have a go," she said casually. "Wouldn't matter to me."
She explained that in our entire village, only Grandpa and I had ever shown her real kindness. Everyone else just gossiped or pointed fingers behind her back.
Chloe's family circumstances had made her a target since childhood. At eighteen, when that incident happened, instead of sympathy, the villagers had only whispered maliciously.
Only Grandpa and I had occasionally helped her family—Grandpa sometimes slipping her money, while I'd even fought other kids over her when we were young. Those childhood heroics had faded from memory after Chloe left the village, but now she brought them up again.
While I appreciated Chloe's offer, sleeping with her would make me no better than those other men. She wasn't some plaything like Olivia.
Chloe had a good heart beneath it all. Despite how the village treated her, she still sent money back to help local orphans.
Her profession didn't define her worth.
When I refused, Chloe looked visibly disappointed. "You...disgusted by me?" she asked.
I shook my head vehemently. I'd never judged her—always treated her as a normal friend. At this, Chloe finally gave a genuine smile.
Later, I asked why she didn't find legitimate work. While people say "better poor than a prostitute," this line of work brought neither honor nor longevity—she could've done anything else.
Chloe sighed and said I didn't understand—the city was completely different from the countryside. With no education, no skills, nothing to her name, establishing herself here was harder than reaching the sky.
Working at the nightclub meant eating youth for a living, but if she worked hard, she could save enough to buy a small apartment. Then she could open a little shop and secure her future. She never wanted to return to the village.
As Chloe spoke of this, her smile grew brighter. Perhaps this was her cherished dream.
By six o'clock, the Ghost-Begging Yaksha tattoo was finally complete. It should have been faster than the first time, but chatting with Chloe had slowed the process.
When finished, Chloe complained the Yaksha looked too terrifying. Worried it might scare clients, I had to apply a fading solution—though it would take days to disappear completely.
With everything done, Chloe paid me twenty thousand dollars. As she left, she added with a smile that if I ever "needed anything," I should come find her—no charge. That girl even offered her body to me outright, leaving me thoroughly flustered.
At twenty years old and still a virgin, shouldn't I feel some shame?
Chloe I wouldn't touch, but Olivia? That one I'd have no qualms about.
After endless deliberation, I'd made my decision. Yang-themed Tattoos were child's play—real money lay in Yin-inspired ones.
I would do Yin-inspired Tattoos after all.
I called Christoph immediately. "I'll take Yin-inspired Tattoo orders!"
Christoph chuckled delightedly and asked which type I wanted to create. Yin-inspired Tattoo pigments differed entirely from Yang-themed ones, so specificity mattered.
"I need a Nine-Tailed Fox Demon," I said. Then, hesitating, I asked if he actually stocked Yin-inspired pigments—meaning... ghosts.