I Can Devour Spirits

Chapter 39: Chapter 39: Hu Huanhuan

Hong Xue rested her flower-patterned umbrella on her shoulder, standing in front of Duan Rong, who carefully examined her eyebrows under the lamplight.

Hong Xue noticed Duan Rong’s focused gaze on her, and two flushes of red unconsciously appeared on her cheeks.

She felt shy.

Looking at Hong Xue, Duan Rong found himself in great spirits.

This is the kind of client he needs to serve. If they all were like Jiang Qingyu and Lan Ying, his painstakingly developed skills would be a waste of genius.

Holding a brush, Duan Rong diligently sketched, occasionally glancing at Hong Xue and pausing pensively.

Not only was Duan Rong looking at Hong Xue, but she also watched him in fascination.

Despite Duan Rong’s unassuming appearance, his focused demeanor and his eyes gleaming with calmness made Hong Xue momentarily dazed.

This time, Duan Rong painted even more attentively than the previous two times.

This felt like his professional showcase; the previous works relied on clever tricks.

Duan Rong carefully scrutinized Hong Xue’s eyebrows, pondering the degree of enhancement needed.

It needed to be stunning, yet true to the original!

After a full quarter of an hour, Duan Rong finally completed the painting. He glanced at it with satisfaction and declared, ”Miss Hong Xue, it’s finished.”

”Is it done?”

Duan Rong removed the painting, and Hong Xue eagerly took it, eyes widening like lychees as she laughed, ”This is exactly how I dreamt of myself! You painted wonderfully, sir!”

”As long as the lady is pleased!”

”I am extremely pleased.”

”Thank you, sir!” Hong Xue took the painting, curtsied briefly, and was about to leave, eager to share it with others.

”Hey, Miss Hong Xue,” Duan Rong called out to her.

Hong Xue turned her head and looked at Duan Rong.

”Ten taels per painting!” Duan Rong smiled lightly and pointed to the wooden board by his side.

Hong Xue suddenly realized she forgot to pay.

Her charming face turned red, and she retrieved a silver note, placing it on the horizontal beam of Duan Rong’s easel, saying, ”Please don’t blame me, sir. I was too impulsive.”

”No worries. Seeing the lady love this painting makes me too happy to be upset,” Duan Rong replied with a smile.

Hong Xue looked at Duan Rong with shining eyes, wondering why his words always resonated with her!

Hong Xue curtsied once more and turned hastily to leave.

Watching Hong Xue’s hurried departure, Duan Rong chuckled quietly and said, ”This girl is so impulsive...”

Just as Hong Xue reached the door, she was surrounded by several welcoming geishas who began chattering upon seeing the painting.

”Is this you, Hong Xue?”

”How could it not be me!”

”This is Hong Xue. Look at these brows, these lips.”

”This is called a portrait!” Hong Xue asserted confidently.

”A portrait?”

”Yes. With my brush, I restore you to... your true face.” Hong Xue awkwardly repeated the advertising slogan she had heard from Jiang Qingyu.

Soon, the six welcoming geishas at the entrance of Huaying Building all gathered around Duan Rong’s stall.

Seeing his business booming, Duan Rong smiled brightly as he maintained order, saying, ”Everyone line up, one by one!”

Soon, a queue formed under the old locust tree across from Huaying Building. These painted and jeweled geishas transformed the once desolate street into a lively, spring-like garden, filled with fragrant chatter.

Hu Huanhuan was already over forty years old this year, but she maintained herself well, neither her body nor her face showed excess flesh, though the corners of her eyes had crow’s feet due to overwork.

Her chin wasn’t a smooth curve, but had slightly firm lines, which, along with her slightly slender hands, seemed to suggest her strong-willed character.

Hu Huanhuan had just left her room, intending to go to the second floor, as the private rooms of the Four Great Flower Shadows were there, and notable guests seldom lingered long on the first floor.

As she reached the stairway, she suddenly halted, her brow furrowed.

Originally, she had arranged for six welcoming geishas, but now the entrance of Huaying Building was empty, with only two Turtle Slaves waiting outside to hitch horses for customers.

Hu Huanhuan strode forward, glaring at the Turtle Slaves outside the door, and asked, ”Where are the girls?”

The Turtle Slave pointed with his chin to the opposite street. ”Over there!”

Hu Huanhuan looked across the street and immediately became furious. ”What’s going on over there?”

”Looks like there’s a painter drawing portraits for them.”

”Alright, this is outrageous! Boldly causing trouble at my doorstep!” Hu Huanhuan’s eyes flashed like electricity, and the gold hairpin in her bun jingled noisily as she glared at the Turtle Slaves, saying, ”Go to the backyard and call some people, grab whatever you can!”

”I have to see who the oblivious fool is that’s causing trouble at my doorstep.”

Duan Rong was painting a geisha named Ju Xiang. She was plump, but her eyebrows were a bit too high from her eyes, causing a sense of disharmony.

Technically speaking, brows and eyes must remain untouched, as moving them would result in inaccuracy.

However, if this problem wasn’t addressed, it would be challenging to make Ju Xiang look good. Duan Rong finally decided to reduce the distance between the eyebrows and eyes, then not touch any part of the face below the eyes.

Indeed, once this flaw was fixed, Ju Xiang could immediately become more attractive.

Having made up his mind, Duan Rong was about to start painting when suddenly he heard a commotion in the crowd.

Hu Huanhuan, yanking the ear of a geisha named Chun Ming in the queue, scolded, ”You little hussy, just when it’s time to welcome guests, you’re all running around. Aren’t you afraid I’ll break your legs?”

”What are you standing around for? Smash his stall!” Hu Huanhuan shouted, her floral branches tossing as she ordered the Turtle Slaves holding batons.

The two Turtle Slaves at the front heard the order, picked up their batons, and charged towards Duan Rong’s easel.

Duan Rong leapt back to the old locust tree, stretched his hand and grasped the Cow Tail Saber.

Duan Rong sidestepped, flipped his wrist, and with the back of the saber up, lightly flicked the batons out of the two Turtle Slaves’ hands.

The two Turtle Slaves paused, realizing their right hand had been shockingly numbed, and instantly stepped back in fear.

Just as Hu Huanhuan was angrily reprimanding, suddenly a baton flew up from the front and clattered at her feet.

She focused her gaze and saw Duan Rong holding the Cow Tail Saber, and the two Turtle Slaves opposite him retreating in trepidation...

Hu Huanhuan’s anger immediately faded, which was also part of her personality; the more troublesome the situation, the calmer she became.

”So, he’s a martial artist after all!”

Even truly facing a martial artist, Hu Huanhuan wasn’t afraid.

She had Huaying Building earning gold daily, and naturally had martial artists in her employ.

Yet she treated those two like honored guests, never lightly troubling them. She initially thought it was just a painter, nothing but a poor scholar, and was surprised to find he was a martial artist!

Duan Rong stood with the saber, casting a glance across Hu Huanhuan and the Turtle Slaves, and immediately understood where the obstacle lay.

Duan Rong sheathed the saber, approached Hu Huanhuan, and promptly bowed, saying, ”Beautiful sister, I acted hastily.”

”During guest-welcoming hours, I was selling paintings here, causing the young ladies to come for portraits, delaying your important engagements.”

”Kind sister, forgive me, it was unintentional wrongdoing. Please spare me this once.”

With that, Duan Rong repeatedly bowed in apology.

Initially tense and confrontational, Duan Rong’s somewhat absurd antics instantly transformed the atmosphere.

Amused, Hu Huanhuan laughed, saying, ”Stop calling me randomly, who’s your sister?”

”Master Duan, we all call her ’Mama’,” said Xiang Ju at the front of the queue suddenly.

Once Xiang Ju spoke, the scene immediately erupted in laughter.

”You’re the talkative one, right at the front of the queue. So eager are you? Let me tell you, when you return, I’ll make sure you regret this!” Hu Huanhuan, hand on hip, scolded Xiang Ju.

Upon hearing this, Xiang Ju paused, her plump face showing a hint of fear.