This Painted Skin tattoo is sinister because after fifteen days of application, it must be removed—otherwise something terrible will happen. As for what exactly would occur, Grandpa didn't specify but only instructed me to follow this rule strictly.
The Painted Skin Yin-inspired Tattoo also has historical origins, tracing back to Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio.
At the end of the Ming Dynasty, a scholar named Wang Sheng encountered a homeless girl on the road. Young and beautiful, she was taken home by Wang Sheng and hidden in a secret chamber.
Unexpectedly, the woman was actually a heart-devouring demon in disguise. The fiend had a ghastly green face and teeth as sharp as a saw. She would often spread human skin on the bed and paint it with colored brushes. Once finished, she would toss aside the brush, pick up the human skin, and shake it out like clothing—transforming instantly into a stunning beauty.
This tale is profoundly eerie and horrifying. The Gods and Ghosts tattoo in Painted Skin draws inspiration from it. As for its effects, they might resemble those in the story—though not equally sinister—yet still chilling enough to make one's flesh crawl.
After hearing this, Stella seemed to break out in goosebumps, exclaiming, "Who would dare get such a tattoo? It's terrifying just to think about!"
But Freya declared firmly, "I'll do it! As long as there's even a sliver of hope to become beautiful, I won't let it pass. I'm not afraid of death—I'm afraid of ugliness!"
I reassured her that death wasn't the inevitable outcome. If she followed my instructions and returned in fifteen days to have the tattoo removed, she would be fine.
Since she had decided to proceed, I discussed the price with her. Given the extraordinary nature of this tattoo, the cost would be at least three hundred thousand dollars. Moreover, the tattoo wasn't permanent—it had to be washed off after fifteen days. As for the degree of beauty it would bestow, that depended on Freya's own constitution, as this was my first time attempting a Yin-inspired Tattoo.
Freya hesitated at first—three hundred thousand dollars was no small sum, especially with no guaranteed results.
After a long deliberation, she ultimately agreed. "Even if I'm cheated, I'll accept it," she said. For the sake of beauty, she was willing to risk anything—any chance was worth trying.
I assured her that the effects of the Yin-inspired Tattoo were potent—it couldn't possibly have zero effect. The only uncertainty was how dramatically it would enhance her beauty. Besides, since she had been referred by an acquaintance, she could trust my skills.
Hearing this, Freya relaxed slightly. I provided her with my account details, and she promptly transferred the three hundred thousand dollars online.
Today's earnings totaled three hundred and twenty thousand. Combined with the previous two hundred and thirty thousand, my savings had suddenly reached five hundred and fifty thousand. Later, I still needed to purchase a ghost from Christoph, which would leave me with five hundred and forty thousand.
There's still a long way to go before reaching a hundred million dollars, but I have to set myself a small goal first—to earn a million dollars!
After collecting the money, I called Christoph. The little old man knew business was coming and smiled at me, asking what kind of tattoo I wanted this time.
I said it was a Painted Skin tattoo and told him to bring me a ghost—quickly.
Christoph said my tattoos were getting more and more extreme, but he admired me for being a better businessman than my grandfather.
He mentioned he had some "merchandise" stored for quite a while that hadn't been sold—a woman who died in a cosmetic surgery accident. That woman had a miserable fate: she failed to become beautiful in life, and even as a ghost, she remained ugly. Christoph had almost released her out of pity.
I told him not to act like a wolf in sheep's clothing, pretending to be some kind-hearted savior. Would a fisherman throw back his catch? Would a hunter spare his prey just because it looked pitiful? "Stop playing smart and bring out the goods—the customer's waiting," I said.
My words left Christoph a little embarrassed, but he could only reply, "Fine, I'll be right there."
Soon, Christoph arrived in his big van. This time, I noticed several corpses in the back—all female, beautifully dressed, and giving off a fragrant scent.
Grandpa once told me that corpses left for too long develop a rotting stench, like spoiled eggs. So why did Christoph's female corpses smell pleasant? And what was he doing with them?
I didn't ask, and Christoph didn't explain—only deepening my curiosity.
He handed me the bamboo tube and then hurried off, saying he still had things to do. Clearly, he had to deliver those female corpses—but where? And for what purpose? I had no idea.
Once I took the bamboo tube, I heard a thumping sound from inside, as if something were banging against the walls.
No matter—it was weird, but I was used to it. I poured its contents into the pigment.
With the pigment ready, it was time to begin the tattoo. I brought Freya into the tattooing room and got to work.
Painted Skin is a Yin-inspired tattoo, so the placement doesn't matter—it can go anywhere. I asked Freya for her preference, and after some thought, she chose her back.
Since she picked her back, that's where I tattooed her. Honestly, if you ignored her face, Freya's figure was something else. She had a well-proportioned body—curvy in all the right places, both plump and sexy. She was the kind of woman who could "captivate an army with her back but scare them all away when she turned around."
I told her, "Your boyfriend's an idiot. At night, just turn off the lights and take her from behind—isn't that the same as being with a beauty? And he'd rather watch movies alone?"
While tattooing Freya, she told me that because she was ugly, she had been working out to make up for it with her body. But she was so unattractive that even with a perfect figure, she couldn't make up even one percent - this is an era that judges by looks. As she lay on her stomach, she shared her heartbreaking history with me, but I didn't listen carefully. After all, miserable lives are all the same; I've heard many such stories, nothing special, and I can't bring myself to sympathize with her.
The Painted Skin Yin-inspired Tattoo isn't difficult to do - it's a type of tattoo that's close to human skin and takes about four hours to complete.
After finishing the tattoo, I brought a mirror to show Freya her back. The design depicted a green-faced, long-toothed female ghost holding a beautiful piece of human skin in her left hand and a colorful paintbrush in her right, with an eerie smile on her face.
Freya shivered when she saw it, saying the tattoo was terrifying. I told her not to worry since it would be washed off after fifteen days anyway, and it was on her back where she couldn't see it, so she wouldn't get scared.
Just then, I suddenly saw the ghost's brush move in the mirror. I froze and asked Freya if she had seen anything... strange. Freya shook her head and said no, then asked what was wrong. I said it was nothing - probably just my eyes playing tricks on me.
After her tattoo was done, Freya left but first asked for my phone number, saying she would contact me. "Three hundred thousand dollars... if there's no effect, I might have to curse your ancestors and smash your store," she said. "Of course, if it works, I'll definitely give you free publicity and come back specially to thank you."
As soon as Freya left, Stein woke up. The moment he woke up, he started nibbling on the pig kidney I'd ordered for him - good stuff for kidney health!
While eating, he suddenly shouted, "Oh no! I think I've done something terrible!"