Barber of Fortune

"Shave and comb!!"

A series of jingling sounds rang out along the street as a young man carrying a shoulder pole strolled leisurely down a narrow lane in the market district.

A familiar vendor spotted Xiao Ran on the road and called out to him.

By now, Xiao Ran had become a regular sight on this street.

Although Xiao Ran had become a familiar face around here, no one had ever come to him for business. That wasn't surprising. The trade of shaving and combing hair was much like running a barbershop in the real world.

It relied on regular customers.

Generally speaking, unless a barbershop's skills were truly abysmal, most people would stick with the same shop for a long time, sometimes even years.

Xiao Ran wasn't in a hurry. He found a lane entrance with a decent amount of foot traffic, set down his pole, unfolded a stool, and took out a green whetstone. After wetting it, he began to sharpen his razor unhurriedly. The blade was as thin as a willow leaf, its edge gleaming with a faint, eerie blue light.

"Shing... shing... shing..." The rhythmic sound of sharpening carried through the morning breeze. It was unhurried and steady, with a strangely soothing quality.

"Hey, I saw you here yesterday. You're still here today?"

Xiao Ran looked up. The newcomer was a portly man carrying a birdcage, clearly out for a stroll. Looking at the razor in Xiao Ran's hand, he teased, "You've been here for a day or two without a single customer, and you're not worried at all?"

"If you've got a skill, you won't go hungry."

Xiao Ran looked up and smiled at him.

"A skill? What skill? You're just combing hair and shaving faces. Who can't do that?"

The man teased the bird