Face (6)

The sound of another collision came from the bathroom. Shen Xing had no idea what was happening inside, but it was clear that something had been knocked over.

At the same time, Song Xiaoyu's body jolted. She seemed startled too, and abruptly stood up, staring at the bathroom in terror.

"What happened? Who's in there?"

"Just now... your parents went in."

Shen Xing looked at Song Xiaoyu in surprise. She didn't seem to be pretending; she really looked frightened.

As he scratched the back of his head, which had started itching, he asked, "Just now, behind your head... what was there?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the hair at the back of Song Xiaoyu's head bulged again.

Song Xiaoyu shook her head. "N-no... nothing! You... you, don't scare me!"

Her expression grew terrified, and she instinctively glanced around.

Just then, the familiar "Heh heh heh..." rang out from her mouth. Song Xiaoyu was still looking around in fear, and the laughter coming from her lips made the whole scene even more bizarre.

The terrifying laughter coming from that frightened face made such a jarring contrast that even Shen Xing was taken aback.

But Song Xiaoyu's fear wasn't an act. She was genuinely scared, trembling all over because she couldn't hear the eerie laughter Shen Xing had mentioned.

She moved two steps toward Shen Xing, as if seeking help, but he immediately backed away to keep his distance.

That only terrified Song Xiaoyu even more.

Shen Xing held out a hand to stop her from coming closer and warned, "Now, reach back and touch the back of your head."

He felt he might have stumbled upon another aspect of Song Xiaoyu that he didn't understand. If he could figure it out, identifying the person in front of him would become much easier.

At his words, Song Xiaoyu fearfully reached out. She was scared, but more than that, she seemed worried as she felt the back of her head.

The instant she touched it, a scream burst from Song Xiaoyu's mouth. Her whole body shuddered, and she instinctively moved toward Shen Xing. He had no idea what she had felt.

Shen Xing immediately backed away until his back pressed against the living room door. Pointing at Song Xiaoyu, he barked, "Stop! Don't move!"

Song Xiaoyu trembled violently, her eyes brimming with tears as she stared at Shen Xing in terror. She didn't dare move again.

A wave of intense itching flared at the back of Shen Xing's head. Clutching his head, he scratched it hard several times. He knew the Scalp Ghost was responsible, and asked, "Just now... what did you feel?"

Song Xiaoyu was trembling as she prepared to answer, but her body suddenly spasmed. Her face twisted in agony, and her torso seemed to be stretched by some eerie force until she stood rigidly upright.

Then a series of clacking sounds came from her mouth, as if something had caught in her throat. She couldn't breathe or swallow.

Song Xiaoyu's entire face contorted in unbearable pain.

Not only her torso but all four limbs stiffened rapidly. It felt as if this body no longer belonged to her.

A few seconds later, a scene that left Shen Xing dumbstruck unfolded.

Song Xiaoyu's face, twisted in agony, suddenly turned to one side with a crack.

At the sound, Shen Xing's first thought was that her neck had snapped!

Looking closely, he saw that Song Xiaoyu's neck had indeed twisted at an unimaginable angle. Her skin was wound up like a twisted rag, just like the bizarre sight he had accidentally witnessed at the orphanage.

Song Xiaoyu's consciousness had completely vanished. Her features remained contorted in pain as her head turned helplessly toward her back.

To Shen Xing's astonishment, as her face turned away, another eerie face rotated forward from behind.

The face was eerie because it wore a smile. Its features were identical to Song Xiaoyu's, but it looked stiff and wooden...

"Heh heh heh..."

The familiar laughter rang out, and Shen Xing suddenly understood. So that was where the eerie sound had come from!

Since it resonated from the same head, it was easy to mistake it for the real Song Xiaoyu's laughter.

But the fact that Song Xiaoyu hadn't even known there was a face on the back of her head—a face identical to her own—was terrifying just to think about!

Of course, now that this face had taken control of her body, the real Song Xiaoyu had no awareness at all.

The instant he saw that wooden smiling face, Shen Xing understood everything.

Now that Song Xiaoyu's head had fully turned around, the skin all over her body had gone deathly pale, and she stood stiff as a board. Her long hair, slightly parted where the back of her head should have been, partially covered the eerie face, making it look even more disturbing.

She stepped toward Shen Xing.

Song Xiaoyu was tall and thin, with long legs. Once she took a large stride, she would reach Shen Xing in the blink of an eye.

By then, Shen Xing had already begun piecing things together.

He could now be sure that when the scalp at the back of someone's head began to itch, it wasn't simply that long hair grew there. The scalp mutated, and another complete face identical to the possessed person's grew from it.

Normally, this face clung to the back of the possessed person's head and hid beneath their hair. If their hair was too short to cover it—like his own—then hiding would be impossible. Perhaps once the face had fully matured... it would simply cover the possessed person's original face!

Just thinking about it sent a chill through him. The next second, Song Xiaoyu was right in front of Shen Xing. With a smack, she reached out her long, thin arm and clamped a hand around his neck.

Shen Xing could feel her strength increasing. Instinctively, he reached for the kitchen knife concealed at his waist.

At the same time, he clenched his right hand. His knuckles cracked as immense strength surged through him, and he was about to punch Song Xiaoyu's stiff face.

But it seemed... there was no need anymore!

The familiar silver text appeared in his mind.

[Skin Face, current understanding of its characteristics: 95%.]

[Understanding of Skin Face's characteristics has reached over 80%. You can now lock onto Skin Face. Proceed?]

So the "Unknown Anomaly" that the silver text had displayed before was actually called "Skin Face."

"Lock on!"

Without hesitation, Shen Xing responded in his mind.

Song Xiaoyu, who had already grabbed him, suddenly shuddered. Her strength rapidly drained away, and her knees buckled as she fell to the ground.

The hair at the back of her head, which had begun parting under an invisible force, curled slightly and fell back into place, covering it once more. Everything grew still.

[Skin Face has been locked. Please preserve its characteristics within 10 days, or they will disappear completely.]

The doorway decorated with recommendation tickets yesterday looked great. Thanks, everyone! I'm asking for votes again this Tuesday!