Xie-laoshi had already grown used to his features, but everyone who saw him for the first time would gasp. Due to some unknown disease, half of his face—from forehead to neck—was covered in purple blotches, as if concealing rotting flesh. It was a horrifying sight, undisguised in its abnormality. “Freak!” “Stay away from him, it might be contagious.” “Hey! Half-and-half!”
