In burial grounds, it’s sometimes possible for an outsider to occupy a fox’s den, and even more unlikely events can happen, such as a corpse taking over a fox’s nest.
Foxes are wild spirits, particularly the white fox, which is an extremely sinister creature.
When a corpse occupies a fox’s den, the fox will seek revenge. This leads to the phenomenon known as "White Fox Covering the Face." At this point, both the feng shui of the location and the corpse itself will undergo changes. The descendants of the corpse’s family will face immense danger.
Su Qing’s master explained that dreaming of a coffin with a corpse inside generally symbolizes favorable outcomes, a sign that things are progressing well. But because Su Qing’s dream involved the White Fox Covering the Face, it signified turning fortune into misfortune. Furthermore, the black carbon coffin is a cursed coffin, which made the dream even more ominous.
Su Qing had been experiencing this dream for over ten years, and her master believed that a great calamity awaited her in the future. There was a high chance that she would meet a tragic end because of this, but the dream also suggested a turning point. Since she would always wake up before the old woman could drag her into the coffin, this meant that life and death were unpredictable, and there might still be a glimmer of hope.
"Sigh, the beautiful ones have short lives," I sighed after hearing Su Qing’s story.
"Hey! Are you cursing me to die? You tattoo artist, can you say something nice?!" Su Qing quickly kicked me.
I felt wronged—hey, I was just repeating what her master had said! I was simply lamenting, what’s it got to do with me?
Su Qing glared at me and said that her master could say it, but I couldn’t. She was still alive and kicking, so what’s this nonsense about a short life?
This woman had a sharp temper, and despite her looks, she was not someone to mess with. I decided not to bring up anything else, and focused back on the ghost tattoo.
This dream was too strange for me to break, but there was a ghost tattoo that could suppress nightmares and stop her from experiencing them again.
The tattoo I had in mind was a Dream-Eating Baku, a mythical creature that feeds on bad dreams. It has the ability to consume nightmares and bring peaceful sleep.
According to the Classic of Mountains and Seas, the Baku has the body of a horse, the nose of an elephant, the face of a lion, the forehead of a rhinoceros, the tail of a cow, and the legs of a tiger. It is said that the leftover pieces of animals that the gods created were used to form the Baku.
On full moon nights, the Dream-Eating Baku emerges from the dark forests and emits a sound similar to hypnosis. Once people fall asleep, the Baku collects their dreams and takes them back to the forest to devour them.
If Su Qing had this tattoo, she shouldn’t have to endure that nightmare anymore. However, whether she would face any other misfortune in the future, I couldn’t guarantee.
Su Qing agreed to go ahead with the tattoo. After all, she had been suffering from this nightmare every night for over a decade and hadn’t had a good night’s sleep. She couldn’t keep going like this, and if she had to suffer a little, it was worth it.
I told her the price: a Dream-Eating Baku tattoo would be complicated, with every part of it representing a different animal. The work was intricate and would take time. I quoted her 30,000 yuan.
"Are you kidding? Thirty thousand for a tattoo? Are you going to rob me?" Su Qing exclaimed.
Stolen story; please report.
I explained that ghost tattoos are different from ordinary tattoos, so the price had to be higher.
Su Qing initially didn’t agree, but after a few seconds of thinking, her eyes turned, and she nodded. I wasn’t sure what she was planning, but she seemed to have made up her mind.
I asked her to lie down on my new tattoo bed and told her to remove anything unnecessary.
Dreams come from the heart, so the Dream-Eating Baku tattoo had to be placed over the chest. I asked Su Qing if she understood what I meant.
She smirked and said, "I get it, you just want to take advantage of me."
I chuckled. A tattoo artist is like a doctor; the body is nothing in front of me. I have professional ethics, so if she didn’t want to, I couldn’t force her.
After some hesitation, Su Qing finally gave in. She didn’t want to keep suffering from the nightmare, and she figured taking a little loss now would be worth it. But in the end, she still tightly covered herself with her hands, not letting go even a little.
Su Qing had a truly great figure. Despite her hands blocking me, I could still see parts of her, and her skin was as smooth and translucent as white jade.
There was nothing I could do. Since she was being modest, I had to work around it. And it was slow going because her hands kept getting in the way.
About two hours into the session, Su Qing, probably getting bored, closed her eyes and fell asleep.
When she wasn’t talking, she was actually quite the beauty, her face delicate as if she were a fairy. But once she started talking, I couldn’t stand it, feeling the urge to hit her.
At that moment, as Su Qing was sleeping, her hands relaxed. I...
Being a tattoo artist definitely had its perks. In such a world of beauty, wait a second—let me go clean up the nosebleed. Ethics? Yeah, we’ll just pretend that’s optional.
Without her hands in the way, I worked faster. However, since I wasn’t focusing fully, the Dream-Eating Baku I tattooed didn’t come out perfectly. But ghost tattoos were about the effect, not the design. As long as it could be recognized, it was fine.
Before long, Su Qing woke up. The first thing she did was cover herself again, and then she glanced at the tattoo.
"So cute!" she exclaimed.
Although the Dream-Eating Baku was a mythical beast, its body was composed of many different animals. If I made it bigger, it would look fiercer, so I made a mini version, especially since she was a woman.
After she dressed, I asked if she was happy with the tattoo. If so, she should pay up!
Su Qing said it was fine, and she transferred me the money, but it was only 10,000 yuan.
I was confused. "Are you sure this is the right amount? The price is 30,000."
Su Qing looked at me with a sly expression, like a little fox. "No, I didn’t make a mistake. It’s only 10,000. The other 20,000 will be paid after the tattoo works."
What kind of rule was that? I didn’t know her, so how could I track her down if she left? But my shop was here, and she could always come back if there was an issue.
Before I could argue more, Su Qing had already disappeared. She moved so fast that I couldn’t catch up, not even a trace. Despite being a woman, she ran faster than a rabbit.
Okay, now I understood—this was a case of the霸王纹 (霸主纹, "霸" meaning boss or overlord).
I had planned to get the rest of the money from her senior brother, Zhang Qing. But since we had only met once and barely knew each other, I decided to let it go. The 20,000 yuan could be written off, though I wasn’t too upset since I had gotten some... benefits in the process.
After Su Qing left, it was already 3 PM. Bored, I decided to promote my ghost tattoos in various group chats, hoping to get some business from familiar faces.
I had no choice. Being new to Zhonghai City, my tattoo shop was located in a remote area with little foot traffic and no reputation, so I had to rely on word of mouth from people I knew.
In the chat, I posted: "Thousand-year-old ghost tattoos! They bring peace, ward off evil, improve fortune, attract love, bring wealth, and more! Don’t miss out!"
But the post was like a stone thrown into the sea—no response at all. By 5 PM, I had almost given up hope.
Just then, my WeChat suddenly pinged. It was from Wang Xin, an old high school classmate.
Wang Xin used to be average-looking, and she once confessed to me, but I turned her down because I was into pure types, and she was the kind of woman who oozed seduction, which didn’t appeal to me.
After graduation, I dropped out of school, but Wang Xin went to college, got some plastic surgery, and ended up in the entertainment industry. Now she was a small-time star, though still on the fringe.
I had heard of her since then. Even though she wasn’t famous, she had made a lot of money, hanging out with bosses and directors. She was definitely earning well.
We hadn’t been in touch for years, and she hadn’t contacted me unless she needed something. After a few casual pleasantries, she cut straight to the point, asking if my ghost tattoos could really ward off evil.
I told her, of course, they could. If it didn’t work, I’d refund her in full. Honest business!
Wang Xin asked for my address and said she would be over soon. Though she wasn’t in Zhonghai, she was in a neighboring city,