Pumpkin Town was another small town inhabited mostly by mortals.
The town had been especially lively lately, for the annual Longjoy Festival was approaching.
On the day of the Longjoy Festival, many young men and women would openly confess to the people they liked, so the streets saw an especially large number of young people coming and going.
Various performances would also be held in streets and alleys throughout the town to heighten the festive atmosphere.
Backstage at an opera troupe on one of the streets, the troupe master was explaining the performances they would put on during the festival, along with a few rules.
One point he emphasized repeatedly was that they must not offend the guests.
Among the performers, an actress whose role was unclear finally couldn't help laughing when she heard the troupe master stress for the third time that they must not offend the guests.
Perhaps she was naturally a bright, outgoing person, for she spoke without the slightest restraint. "Just tell Qingyu not to show her face, and be done with it. There's no need to keep repeating yourself!"
Yet although the woman seemed straightforward, her words were far too hurtful, and even carried a trace of contempt.
A serving woman standing at the back of the crowd bent her already stooped back a little lower.
Everyone's gazes fell on the woman called Qingyu. Some were disgusted, while others were sympathetic.
Still, no one thought the outspoken woman was wrong, because the serving woman named Qingyu truly was an unpleasant sight.
Across the most conspicuous part of her left cheek were three claw marks, as though some large animal had raked its claws over her face. They had since scarred over, looking sickening and frightening.
The three scars ran all the way from her ear