The Ghost Takes a Bride, the Crown Prince Mounts the Bridal Sedan
ONE OF THE SEDAN carriers wasn’t paying attention and stepped on an arm. He screamed without thinking, and then immediately the entire wedding procession was in an uproar. Good lord, that band of men whipped out their shining broadswords!
They yelled, “What’s the matter?! Has it come?!”
Commotion had broken out in the street. When Xie Lian looked closely, the body with its head severed wasn’t a real person but a wooden puppet.
“Too ugly!” Fu Yao commented again.
The tea master just happened to be coming over with the copper teapot. Xie Lian recalled his attitude yesterday, so he asked, “Shopkeeper, I saw that group of people banging drums and gongs yesterday, and I see them doing the same again today. What are they doing?”
“Seeking their own ruin,” the tea master said.
“Ha ha ha…” Xie Lian wasn’t surprised. “Are they trying to lure out that ghost groom?”
“What do you think?” the tea master replied. “The father of a missing bride will award a great sum of money to whoever finds his daughter and
captures that ghost groom, so that group has been messing around, all day every day, creating a foul atmosphere.”
The father who was awarding the bounty must be the lord official.
Xie Lian took another glance at that crassly built head of a woman, knowing the men were attempting to disguise the puppet as the bride.
Fu Yao commented in disgust, “If I were the ghost groom, I’d wipe out this entire troupe for sending such an ugly thing to me.”
“Fu Yao, you’re not speaking as an immortal should,” Xie Lian said. “And can you fix that eye-rolling habit of yours? Why don’t you set a small
target for yourself first and roll only five times a day or something like that?”
“Set it at fifty times a day and it still won’t be enough!” Nan Feng added.
Just then, a young man suddenly poked out from the procession, spunky and spirited. Judging by sight, he was the leader. He raised his arm and hollered, “Listen to me, LISTEN TO ME! It’s completely useless to keep this up! How many times have we made this trip in the past few days? Has the ghost groom ever shown itself?!”
The group of men agreed and started to grumble while that youth continued, “I think, since we started this, we should just do it and charge right up Mount Yujun. We’ll search the mountain and drag that ugly freak out to kill it! I’ll lead the way. Any good, brave men can follow me, kill the ugly freak, and we’ll split the bounty!”
There were only a small and scattered number of men at first who answered his call, but the voices gradually grew bigger and louder. In the end, everyone was roaring in agreement, surprisingly sounding rather
immense in strength.
Xie Lian wondered, “Ugly freak? Shopkeeper, what’s the ugly freak they’re talking about?”
The tea master replied, “Apparently the ghost groom is an
ugly creature living on Mount Yujun, and because it’s so ugly, no woman loves it. That’s why it grew hate in its heart and began robbing others of their brides to ruin their happy occasions.”
The scroll from the Palace of Ling Wen didn’t record this. Xie Lian wondered, “Is that explanation true? Is it not speculation?”
“Who knows,” the tea master replied. “Apparently quite a few people have seen it; its entire face is wrapped in bandages, with savage eyes peering out. It doesn’t know how to talk and can only growl like a wolfhound. The rumors are quite bizarre.”
“Just because its face is wrapped in bandages doesn’t mean it’s ugly. There’s also the possibility that it’s so beautiful that it doesn’t want others to see,” Fu Yao said.
The tea master was speechless for a moment. “Who knows. Either way, I’ve never seen it.”
Right then, a young girl’s voice came from the street. “Don’t…don’t listen to him, don’t go. Mount Yujun is a very dangerous place…”
The one who spoke while hiding at a street corner was the girl who was praying for blessings at the Temple of Nan Yang last night, Xiao-Ying. When Xie Lian saw her face, he could feel his own aching and subconsciously rubbed his cheek.
That youth appeared grim when he saw her, and he shoved her. “What’s a little woman doing, interrupting when the big men are talking?”
Xiao-Ying cowered a little when she was shoved, but then she gathered her courage and said in a small voice, “Don’t listen to him. Whether it’s faking a wedding procession or searching the mountain, aren’t you all seeking your own deaths by doing something so dangerous?”
“Well, don’t you make it sound nice,” the youth rebuked. “Us guys
are putting our lives on the line to exterminate evil for the people, but what about you? Selfish and greedy, refusing to play the role of the fake bride and get on the sedan; you don’t have half the courage of the people here, but now you’re here to obstruct us? What are you scheming?”
He shoved her with every word, making everyone inside the shop frown at the sight. Xie Lian looked down and unwrapped the bandage on his wrist as he heard the tea master speak. “That Xiao-Pengtou wanted to
coax that girl into playing the fake bride before, his words sweet like honey. But the girl refused, so now he’s changed face.”
On the street, the group of burly men also exclaimed, “Stop standing there blocking our way, move aside!”
When Xiao-Ying saw this, her flat face was flushed bright red, tears rolling in her eyes. “Why…why must you talk like this?”
That youth, Xiao-Pengtou, continued, “Was I wrong? I told you to play the fake bride, and did you not refuse?”
Xiao-Ying replied, “It’s true that I didn’t dare do it, but you didn’t have to slash…slash my dress…”
The moment she mentioned this, Xiao-Pengtou instantly jumped as if he stubbed his toe. He pointed at her face and yelled, “You ugly freak, don’t slander people around here! Me? Slash your dress? Are you taking me for blind?! Who knows if you didn’t do it yourself because you want to flash people! As if anyone would want to see an ugly face like yours even with a ripped dress! Don’t blame this on me!”
Nan Feng couldn’t bear to listen anymore, and the teacup shattered in his hand with a crack. Just as he was about to stand up, however, a white
silhouette drifted past. At the same time, Xiao-Pengtou, who was jumping a foot high, yelped and fell on his butt on the ground, holding his face while blood dripped from between the cracks of his fingers.
No one in the crowd had a chance to see what exactly happened
before the boy was already sitting on the ground. At first, they thought it was Xiao-Ying who went berserk. Yet when they looked at her, they
couldn’t actually see her. A white-clad cultivator had come and shielded her.
Xie Lian tucked his hands in his sleeves, not bothering to look back. He grinned happily at Xiao-Ying, bending slightly at the waist to meet her eyes. “Miss, I was wondering if I might have the pleasure of inviting you
inside for a cup of tea?”
Xiao-Pengtou was sprawled on the ground. His mouth and nose were in excruciating pain; his entire face was in agony, as if he had just been cracked brutally by a steel whip. Yet this cultivator clearly didn’t carry any weapons, nor did Xiao-Pengtou see how the man had struck or what he had used to strike.
He scrambled to crawl up, then brandished his blade and yelled, “This man used wicked magic!”
When the group of burly men behind him heard “wicked magic,” they all brandished their broadswords. Yet unexpectedly, Nan Feng suddenly struck with his hand from behind, and crack! A pillar snapped and broke.
Having witnessed such godly strength, the group of burly men instantly lost color in their faces. Although stricken with fear, Xiao-Pengtou still remained stubborn and shouted at them as he ran away. “I’ll concede defeat today—where did you fellow good men come from? Leave your names, and we’ll meet again someday…”
Nan Feng didn’t even care to answer him, but next to him, Fu Yao replied, “Very kind, very kind, this one is from the Temple of Ju…”
Nan Feng struck out another hand, and those two began to spar soundlessly. Xie Lian wanted to invite the little maiden in to sit for a bit at first, order some fruit tea or something, yet before he could, she walked off on her own while wiping away tears. He sighed, watching that retreating back, then went inside by himself.
When he entered the tea shop, the tea master chided, “Remember to pay for that pillar.”
Thus, when Xie Lian sat down, he turned to Nan Feng. “Remember to pay for that pillar.”
“…” replied Nan Feng.
“Before that, let’s focus on proper business,” Xie Lian said. “Who can lend me some spiritual powers? I need to enter the communication array to verify some information.”
Nan Feng raised his hand, and the two clapped palms as an oath, counting it as binding an extremely simple contract. Thus, Xie Lian could finally enter the communication array once more.
The moment he entered, he heard Ling Wen say, “Your Highness finally managed to borrow some spiritual powers? Is everything in the north going well? Were the two junior martial officials who volunteered
themselves any help?”
Xie Lian looked up and glanced at the pillar Nan Feng snapped with his palm earlier. Then he glanced at Fu Yao, who was currently resting with his eyes closed, wearing a cold and distant expression. He then replied,
“The two junior martial officials both have their own values, and they are both talents worth nurturing.”
Ling Wen chuckled. “Then we must congratulate General Nan Yang and General Xuan Zhen. On Your Highness’s words, the future of those junior martial officials must be infinite, and they will soon ascend
themselves.”
It wasn’t long before Mu Qing’s voice surfaced coolly. “He didn’t inform me of this outing, so let him be. Either way, I don’t know anything.”
You really are lurking in the communication array all day… Xie Lian thought.
“Your Highness,” Ling Wen said. “Where have you settled? The north is guarded by General Pei; his worshippers are abundant. If Your Highness has any need, you can stay temporarily at his Temples of Ming Guang.”
“There’s no need for the trouble,” Xie Lian replied. “We didn’t find any Temple of Ming Guang nearby, so we settled in a Temple of Nan Yang. A quick question, Ling Wen, about this ghost groom: do you have any more information?”
“Yes,” Ling Wen replied. “The result of its rank evaluation was just processed by my palace. It’s a wrath.”
A wrath!
In regard to the monsters, demons, and ghosts that caused great turmoil within the Mortal Realm, the Palace of Ling Wen had categorized them based on their abilities. The ranks were as follows: fierce, malice, wrath, and supreme.
A “fierce” murdered one, a “malice” could murder a sect, a “wrath” could slaughter an entire city. As for the most fearsome “supremes,” once they were born into this world, they were destined to bring ruin to nations and people and complete disorder everywhere.
This ghost groom that had been holing up in Mount Yujun was ranked a wrath, only one level lower than a supreme. That meant no one who saw it could escape unharmed.
Thus, after Xie Lian exited the communication array and informed the other two of this, Nan Feng said, “Then the ‘ugly bandaged male’ is probably just a rumor. Or they saw something else.”
“There’s another possibility,” Xie Lian said. “Like for example, under certain circumstances this ghost groom will not or cannot cause harm.”
Fu Yao said disapprovingly, “The Palace of Ling Wen is so inefficient, taking this long only to come up with a rank. What’s the use?!”
“At the very least, we have an understanding of the enemy’s
strength,” Xie Lian said. “But since this is a wrath, the ghost groom’s
spiritual powers must be very strong, and a fake puppet will not be able to deceive it at all. If we want to lure it out, then we can’t cast a camouflage spell on puppets for the wedding procession, and we can’t carry weapons either. The most important thing is: the bride must be a living person.”
“We’ll just find a woman on the street to use as bait,” Fu Yao said. Nan Feng, however, rejected the idea. “No.”
“Why not?” Fu Yao said. “Think they’ll be unwilling? Give them a
sum of money, and they’ll be willing then.”
“Fu Yao, even if there are women who are willing, it’s best if we don’t employ this method,” Xie Lian said. “This ghost groom is a wrath. If there are any mishaps, nothing will happen to us. But if the bride is kidnapped, a meek woman won’t be able to escape or fight back, so it’s certain death for her.”
“If we can’t use women, then we have to use men,” Fu Yao said. Nan Feng said, “Where are we going to find a man who’s willing
to…”
He trailed off, and the two gazed over.
Xie Lian was still sitting there, smiling. “???”
***
Nighttime, the Temple of Nan Yang.
Xie Lian emerged from behind the back of the temple with his hair down and flowing, looking disheveled. The two standing guard by the
temple entrance looked, and Nan Feng swore “Fuck!!” right on the spot before charging out.
Xie Lian was speechless for a moment, then said, “Was that necessary?”
No matter who looked, they could tell with one glance that this was a handsome man with gentle brows. But this was precisely the reason why many would be unable to stand the image of a perfectly good, handsome
man wearing a woman’s wedding dress. Nan Feng, for example, couldn’t bear it at all, which was why his reaction was so extreme.
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Xie Lian saw Fu Yao was still standing there, scanning him up and down with a complicated look.
He asked, “Is there anything you wish to say?”
Fu Yao nodded. “If I were the ghost groom and someone sent a woman like this to me…”
“You’d wipe out the entire town, was it?” Xie Lian finished for him. Fu Yao replied frigidly, “No, I’d kill the woman.”
Xie Lian smiled. “Then I can only say: thank goodness I’m not a woman.”
Fu Yao said, “I think… Why don’t you go ask in the communication array now to see if there is any heavenly official who is willing to teach you transformation magic? That would be more practical.”
There certainly were several heavenly officials who, on account of their own unique needs, knew transformation magic. However, it was probably too late to learn now. Over on the other side, Nan Feng came back in with a gloomy face. He was much calmer after having sworn; a trait that was truly entirely the same as the general he served.
Seeing it was getting late, Xie Lian said, “Whatever, it’s all the same when the veil goes on.”
He was about to put the covering on when Fu Yao raised a hand and stopped him.
“Hang on, you don’t know how that ghost groom harms people. If he raises the veil and feels deceived, wouldn’t that just provoke unnecessary
trouble? Rage is unpredictable, and events can take unexpected turns.”
Xie Lian thought that made sense, but when he took a step, he heard a
rrrrrip.
This red wedding dress Fu Yao got him really didn’t fit that well.
A woman’s form was much daintier. After he put on the dress, while the waist was surprisingly just fine, he was severely restricted in raising his arms and lifting his feet. When the movement was too wide, the robes ripped. Just as he was looking everywhere to see where the fabric was torn, a voice came from the entrance of the temple.
“Excuse me…”
The three looked to the source of the sound and saw Xiao-Ying, holding a properly folded white robe in her hands while standing at the entrance of the temple. She was watching them with trepidation.
“I remember it was here where I met you, so I wanted to come over to see if I’d run into you again…” Xiao-Ying said. “I’ve washed these clothes; I’ll put them here. Thanks so much for yesterday and today.”
Xie Lian was just going to smile in response when he suddenly remembered his own appearance and decided it was best if he didn’t speak to scare people.
Yet unexpectedly, not only was Xiao-Ying not frightened, she took another step forward. “Are you… If you like, I can help?”
“…No, Miss, please don’t misunderstand, this isn’t a hobby of mine,” Xie Lian explained.
Xiao-Ying quickly replied, “I know, I know. What I meant was I can help you, if you don’t mind. You guys…you guys are going to go catch the ghost groom, right?”
Her voice and her expression both lifted instantly. “I-I know how to tailor clothes, I’ve got needles and thread on me at all times, I can help fix anywhere that doesn’t fit, and I can even help with makeovers—let me help you!”
“…”
Two incense time passed, and Xie Lian once again emerged from the back of the temple with his head down. This time, the bridal veil was already in place. Nan Feng and Fu Yao had wanted to take a look at first, but in the end they decided to cherish their eyes. The sedan they called over was already waiting by the entrance of the temple, and the carefully selected sedan carriers had also been waiting for a long time.
It was a night where the moon was obscured, and the winds raised.
Adorned in a brand-new wedding dress, the crown prince thus mounted the bright red bridal sedan.
The entire body of that bridal sedan was dressed in bright red satin, which was embroidered with colored threads spelling the words “Blooming
Flowers and Full Moon” and “Dragon and Phoenix Bring Prosperity,”
idioms meaning “perfect happiness” and “extremely good fortune.” Nan Feng and Fu Yao were on the right and left respectively, escorting the bridal sedan on either side. Xie Lian sat poised within the sedan, swaying along with the movement of the sedan carriers.
The eight sedan carriers carrying the large palanquin were all outstanding military officers. In order to find expertly skilled sedan carriers to play the part of the wedding procession, Nan Feng and Fu Yao went directly to that lord official’s residence and demonstrated their power, then revealed that they planned to probe Mount Yujun that night. Without a word, the official summoned a squad of big, tall military officers. However, it wasn’t in the hope of extra help that the expertly skilled were chosen.
Rather, it was so that when the wrath ghost launched attacks, they could run away and protect themselves.
But in truth, it was actually those eight military officers who were secretly looking down on them. They were the top, number one experts at the government office, and leaders of outstanding heroes wherever they went. Yet those two pretty boys were riding over their heads and had ordered them to be sedan carriers? It wouldn’t be wrong to say they were quite upset. The master’s orders had to be followed, so they forcibly suppressed the disdain in their hearts. Nonetheless, it was difficult to avoid the frustration flaring up, so every so often they’d purposely jerk their legs or shake their hands, making the sedan ride quite bumpy. Others might not be able to tell, but if the one sitting inside the sedan was just a bit weaker and more delicate, they would have probably puked their guts out.
The sedan bumped and bumped, and sure enough, they heard Xie Lian inside the sedan let out a low sigh. The military officials couldn’t help but feel rather proud inwardly.
Outside, Fu Yao said coolly, “What’s the matter, Miss? Tears of joy at finally marrying at your old age?”
Indeed, when a bride left home for the first time, many teared up and wept in the bridal sedan. Xie Lian didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, but when he spoke, his voice was calm and natural, revealing nothing of the discomfort from the bumpy ride.
“No. It’s just…I suddenly realized that this wedding procession is missing something very important.”
“Missing what?” Nan Feng asked. “We’ve prepared all that we need.” Xie Lian smiled. “Two accompanying maids.”
“…”
The two outside exchanged a look, then they both shuddered violently, seeming to have imagined something.
Fu Yao replied, “Just pretend that the family’s poor, that there’s no money to buy maids, and deal with it.”
“All right,” Xie Lian said.
When the sedan-carrying military officers heard all this gag, they couldn’t help but chuckle. With this, the displeasure did indeed disperse
quite a bit, and a bit more camaraderie developed, making the sedan much steadier. Thus, Xie Lian leaned back into a proper sitting position and closed his eyes to rest his mind.
Unexpectedly, not long after, a child’s laughter abruptly sounded by his ears.
Hee hee ha ha, kee kee chee chee.
The laughter rippled across the mountain, ethereal and peculiar.
However, the bridal sedan neither paused nor stopped, continuing steadily on its way. Not even Nan Feng or Fu Yao made a noise, seeming to not have noticed anything amiss.
Xie Lian opened his eyes and called in a low voice, “Nan Feng, Fu
Yao.”
it?”
From the left side of the bridal sedan, Nan Feng answered, “What is “Something’s come,” Xie Lian replied.
By that time, this “wedding procession” had gradually entered the
deeper parts of Mount Yujun.
Quiet blanketed the wilderness, and the creaking of the wooden sedan, the crackling of broken leaves and branches when stepped on, the breathing of the sedan carriers, all seemed to sound louder in this silence.
And that child’s laughter still hadn’t died. It was sometimes distant, as if it came from deeper within the woods, and sometimes close, as if it was leaning over on the edge of the sedan.
Nan Feng grew serious. “I don’t hear anything.” Fu Yao also said coldly, “Me neither.”
In that case, it was even more impossible for the sedan carriers to
have heard anything.
“That means it’s purposely letting only me hear,” Xie Lian said.
The eight military officers considered themselves experts in martial arts, and also felt there was no pattern to the ghost groom taking brides, so they were confident they would go home empty-handed tonight and weren’t frightened in the least. Yet for some reason, the forty-some military officers from before who mysteriously went missing delivering the bride suddenly
came to mind, and cold sweat appeared on some of their foreheads.
Xie Lian sensed that some had stalled in their steps and said, “Don’t stop. Pretend nothing is the matter.”
Nan Feng waved, gesturing for them to keep going. Xie Lian then said, “It’s singing.”
“What’s it singing?” Fu Yao asked.
Xie Lian listened carefully to that child’s voice, then repeated verse by verse, a pause after each one. “New bride, new bride, new bride in the red bridal sedan…”
In the quiet of the night, his somewhat slow voice was clear. But while he was clearly the one reciting, it was as if those eight military officers were hearing the voice of a young infant singing this odd little nursery rhyme along with Xie Lian, making their blood run cold.
Xie Lian continued, “Brimming tears, past the hills, smile not…under the bridal veil…the ghost g…is it the ghost groom? Or what is it?”
After a pause, Xie Lian said, “No. It keeps laughing. I can’t hear clearly anymore.”
Nan Feng frowned. “What did that mean?”
“It means exactly what you heard,” Xie Lian said. “It’s to tell the bride inside the sedan to only cry and not smile.”
“I meant, what’s the meaning of this creature running over to give you hints like this?” Nan Feng said.
Always having the opposite opinion, Fu Yao said, “It might not be giving hints. It’s also possible that it’s purposely trying to encourage the opposite, and only smiling can keep one safe and sound, but its objective is to trick people into crying. It’s hard to say if the brides from the past were deceived like this.”
“Oh, Fu Yao, when hearing such a voice on the road, any normal bride would be scared to death. How could they smile?” Xie Lian said. “Besides, what’s the worst that can happen whether I cry or smile?”
“Getting kidnapped,” Fu Yao said.
“And isn’t that our objective for tonight’s outing?” Xie Lian asked. A hard sniff came out of Fu Yao’s nose, but he stopped his rebuttals.
Xie Lian continued, “And there’s another thing I feel I must tell you
both.”
said.
“What?” Nan Feng asked.
“I’ve been smiling ever since I mounted the bridal sedan,” Xie Lian
“…”
Just as he spoke, the body of the sedan abruptly dipped.
There was suddenly a commotion outside among the eight military
officers, and the bridal sedan came to a complete stop.
Nan Feng shouted, “DON’T PANIC!”
Xie Lian raised his head slightly. “What’s going on?”
Fu Yao replied coolly, “Nothing. We’ve run into a bunch of beasts, that’s all.”
Just as he answered, Xie Lian heard the sharp howl of wolves pierce the night sky.
A pack of wolves was blocking the way!
This didn’t feel normal no matter how Xie Lian thought about it. “Quick question. Are there often wolves running about on Mount Yujun?”
One of the military officers carrying the sedan answered, “It’s unheard of before! How is this Mount Yujun?!”
Xie Lian raised his brows. “Mn, then we’ve come to the right place.”
These were only wild wolves of the mountains; they couldn’t do anything to Nan Feng and Fu Yao, nor could they do anything to those military officers who spent years rolling around the edge of danger. It was just that they were all focused earlier on deciphering that bizarre and eerie nursery rhyme, which was why they were so taken by surprise.
From deep within the woods in the dark of the night, pairs and pairs of haunting green wolf eyes lit up. One starving wolf after another slowly emerged from within the forest, surrounding them. However, it was so much better to face beasts one could see and hit than to face a creature one could neither hear nor touch. And so, the group started rubbing their hands and clenching their fists, ready to get down to slaying.
However, the good part was yet to come. What followed closely behind the wolves was the sound of rustling and crackling, a series of odd noises that sounded like beasts but not quite, and like humans but not.
A military officer exclaimed in alarm, “What…what’s that?! What is that thing?!”
Nan Feng also cursed. Xie Lian knew that something unexpected had happened and tried to stand. “What’s happened now?”
Nan Feng immediately replied, “Don’t come out!”
Xie Lian had only just raised his hand when the sedan violently jolted as if something had pressed against the sedan door. He didn’t lower his head, but he dropped his eyes slightly, and from beneath the bridal veil, he
saw the back of the head of something black. It had actually climbed into the sedan!
That creature crashed headfirst through the sedan door but was then forcefully dragged out by the man outside. Nan Feng swore in front of the sedan. “Fuck, it’s a binu!”
Xie Lian knew this was going to be downright troublesome the moment he heard it was a binu.
Based on the evaluation of the Palace of Ling Wen, binu were
creatures that didn’t even deserve to be ranked fierce. Allegedly, binu were once humans. But by the looks of them now, even if they were considered humans, they’d be deformed humans. They had heads and faces, but the
features were smeared and unclear. They had arms and legs but were too weak to walk. They had mouths and teeth, but they couldn’t bite anyone to death no matter how much they tried.
But, if there was a choice, everyone would rather run into the scarier fierce- or malice-ranked ghosts than these creatures.
This was because binu often appeared at the same time as other monsters, demons, and ghosts. While the prey was distracted battling with the enemy, they’d suddenly pop out and use their untiring, pestering limbs, their sticky and gooey bodily fluids, and their endless reinforcements of
companions to tangle up the prey like sticky candy. Even though their combat power was extremely low, because their vitality was exceedingly tenacious and they often appeared in large groups, it was impossible to
shake them off and also very difficult to kill them all quickly. Gradually, they would drain your strength and you’d get tripped up. That instance of carelessness, the opportunity for which your enemy was waiting, would spell your end.
And when the prey was killed by the other monsters, demons, and ghosts, the binu would pick at the remnant broken limbs the stronger beings left over after eating. They’d eat with keen pleasure and gnaw the bones full of holes and scraps.
This was truly a very disgusting creature. For any heavenly official in the Upper Court, all they needed to do was to release their spiritual light and summon their weapons, and those creatures would withdraw in fright.
But to the junior officials of the Middle Court, those creatures were exceedingly vexing.
Fu Yao spat with disgust from a far distance, “I. Hate. Those. Things.
Did the Palace of Ling Wen mention their presence here?” “No,” Xie Lian said.
out!”
“Then what do we need them for?!” Fu Yao exclaimed. “How many have come?” Xie Lian asked.
“About a hundred, possibly more!” Nan Feng replied. “Don’t come
Creatures like binu were strong in numbers, and over a dozen were
already very difficult to manage. Over a hundred? That was more than enough to drag them to their deaths. They usually preferred to stay in areas heavily populated with people; he had never imagined there’d be so many on Mount Yujun. Xie Lian pondered for a moment, then raised his arm slightly, revealing a wrist that was half-wrapped in bandages.
“Go on,” he said.
The moment those two words were spoken, that white bandage suddenly slipped off his wrist on its own like it was alive and flew out of the curtain of the bridal sedan.
Xie Lian sat poised within the sedan and instructed gently, “Strangle them to death.”
In the black of the night, it was as if the white silhouette of a viper suddenly slithered forth.
When that white silk band was pretending to be a bandage wrapped around Xie Lian’s wrist, it looked like it was only several meters long. Yet when it was slaughtering with such devilish lightning speed, it was like it was endless. A seamless series of cracking sounds later, dozens of wild
wolves and binu had their necks wrung in an instant!
The six binu wrapped around Nan Feng instantly fell to the ground dead. He sent a wild wolf flying with the strike of a hand, never dropping
his guard once. He shouted with disbelief toward the sedan, “What was that thing?! Didn’t you say you can’t manipulate spiritual devices without spiritual powers?!”
Xie Lian replied, “There are always exceptions…”
Nan Feng was furious, and he slapped the sedan door. “Xie Lian!
Explain properly right now what that thing was!! Was it…?”
His slap almost broke the entire sedan completely. Xie Lian had to quickly raise his hand to support himself against the door, slightly taken
aback. The way Nan Feng spoke actually reminded him of how Feng Xin used to be when he was mad. Nan Feng was about to say more when suddenly, the wailing of military officers came from the distance.
Fu Yao said icily, “If there’s anything to say, say it after fighting this wave off first!”
Without any choice, Nan Feng had to rush over to rescue the people. Xie Lian swiftly snapped out of it and ordered, “Nan Feng, Fu Yao,
you guys leave first.”
Nan Feng whipped his head around. “What?!”
Xie Lian explained, “If you guys are around the sedan, the creatures will keep coming and the fight will never end. Take the men away first; I’ll stay behind and meet this groom.”
Nan Feng was about to swear again. “You’ll be by yourself…”
However, Fu Yao said coldly, “He can control that silk band, so nothing will happen for the moment. If you’ve got the time to drag your feet, why don’t you settle this group first, then come back and help? I’m off.”
Well, he certainly was snappy and carefree, leaving without a thought, dragging not a single step. Nan Feng clenched his teeth, knowing what Fu Yao said was true, so he turned to the military officers who were there.
“Come with me first!”
Sure enough, after they left the bridal sedan, while that pack of
wolves and binu were still pestering them, there weren’t any new waves joining the fray. The two each escorted four military officers, and on the way, Fu Yao fought as he spat hatefully.
“I can’t believe this. If I wasn’t…”
He stopped mid-speech. The two met eyes, and the look was odd. Fu Yao swallowed his words and turned his head away, both temporarily stopping and not bringing it up. They then continued to hurry forward.
Around the bridal sedan, corpses were strewn all over the ground.
The silk band Ruoye had already strangled every wolf and binu that had lunged forward. It came flying back, gently wrapping itself back onto Xie Lian’s wrist on its own. Xie Lian sat within the sedan quietly, surrounded by the infinite darkness and the rustling of the sea of trees.
All of a sudden, everything fell quiet.
The sound of wind, the sound of the sea of trees, the howling and roaring of demonic creatures, all sank into a deadly silence in an instant, as if they were afraid of something.
And then, he heard a very soft chuckle. It sounded like a man, but also a youth. Xie Lian sat poised and quiet.
The silk band Ruoye was quietly encircling his hand, ready to strike at a moment’s notice. If whoever had come showed a trace of killing aura, it would instantly, wildly strike back with ten times the power.
Yet unexpectedly, what came wasn’t the anticipated attack or any murderous intent but something else.
The curtain of the bridal sedan was lightly lifted, and from underneath the bright red veil, Xie Lian saw the person had extended a hand to him.
The fingers were well defined. A red string was tied on the third finger, and on that long, slender, fair hand, it looked like a bright and colorful affinity knot.
Should he give his hand, or no?
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Xie Lian maintained his composure. He hadn’t decided yet: should he continue to sit tall and still, or pretend to be a bride who was frightened and at a loss, dodging back? The owner of that hand was rather patient, however, and incredibly well mannered. Xie Lian didn’t move, and so that hand didn’t move either, seeming to be waiting for his response.
A moment later, as if something had taken control of him, Xie Lian reached out.
He rose to his feet, ready to push aside the curtain to descend the sedan, but the man had already moved first, lifting the red curtain for him. This man who had come grasped his hand but didn’t squeeze too hard, as if he was afraid of hurting him, somehow giving the impression of taking the utmost care.
Xie Lian had his head bowed and let the man guide him slowly out of the sedan. Below the veil, Xie Lian could see by his feet the dead body of a wolf that the silk band Ruoye had strangled. An idea came to him, and Xie Lian lightly tripped, falling forward with an alarmed gasp.
The man immediately reached out and caught him.
Xie Lian also twisted his hand to catch the man’s helping arm and felt something cold. It turned out the man was wearing a pair of silver
vambraces around his wrists.
The vambraces were exquisitely beautiful, with primitive decorative patterns. Maple leaves, butterflies, and savage beasts were engraved upon them, quite mysterious and quite unlike anything from the Central Plains, more akin to the ancient artifacts of foreign tribes. The vambraces appeared polished and refined, locked around the man’s wrists.
Icy cold silver and fair white hands. Both were without a trace of life but carried an evil, killing aura.
Xie Lian’s trip and fall earlier was a feint; he had a mind to test this man who’d come. Ruoye had been circling languidly inside the large,
expansive sleeves of his wedding robes, ready to strike at a moment’s notice. However, the man only took his hand and guided him forward.
Xie Lian purposely walked extremely slowly. This was because: one, he couldn’t see the path clearly with the veil on, and two, he wanted to stall
for time. Yet this other person matched his pace and walked slowly along with him, the other arm coming around to support him every now and then, as if afraid Xie Lian would trip again.
No matter how high on his guard Xie Lian was, to be treated this way, he couldn’t help but think: If he was a real groom, then he’d genuinely be a most gentle and considerate one.
Then, he suddenly heard an exceedingly soft clinking sound. With every step the two took, that sound would ring crisply. Just as he was mulling over what that sound could be, there was suddenly the low, suppressed growls of wild beasts from all around.
Wild wolves!
Xie Lian jerked slightly, and the silk band Ruoye abruptly snapped tight around his wrist.
Yet unexpectedly, before he could do anything, the man who was holding his hand softly tapped the back of that hand like he was comforting him, telling him not to worry. The two taps were so soft they could practically be called gentle. Xie Lian was slightly taken aback, but the low growling was already suppressed. When Xie Lian listened closely, he suddenly realized that these wild wolves weren’t growling but whimpering.
It was clearly the whimpering of beasts that had reached the peak of fear and could not move while they struggled before death.
Now his curiosity for who this man was grew even stronger. He wanted to lift the veil to look first and worry about everything else later, but he knew that wasn’t the best course of action at the moment. So he could only peek through the crack below the red covering, his view limited, and miss the larger picture. The only thing he saw was the lower hem of a vividly red robe. Below the red robe were a pair of black leather boots, walking languidly.
Those black leather boots were wrapped tight around long, slender legs, looking mightily beautiful as they walked. On the sides of the black boots there dangled two fine silver chains, and with every step, the silver chains would sway, clinking and crinkling, sounding extremely pleasant to the ear.
The steps were nonchalant but sprightly, much like those of a youth.
However, his every step was also confident, like there was nothing that could stand in his way. If anyone dared to block him, he’d rip them to pieces. Because of this, Xie Lian couldn’t quite say just who exactly this character was.
Just as he was deep in thought, something hauntingly white on the ground suddenly intruded on his vision.
It was a skull.
Xie Lian’s steps faltered for a moment.
He could immediately tell that the way the skull was placed was amiss. This was clearly a point in some magic formation, and if moved, the entire enchantment would probably attack this spot in an instant. But judging by that youth’s steps, it was as if he didn’t notice there was anything here at all. Xie Lian was just considering whether he should warn him when he heard the crisp sound of a tragic crack! The youth stepped down and instantly crushed the skull to dust.
And then, as if he sensed nothing, he walked over, stepping through that mound of dust indifferently.
Xie Lian was speechless. “…”
With just one step, he crushed the entire enchantment into a mound of wasted dust…
Just then, that youth’s step paused. Xie Lian tensed, wondering if he was about to act, but the youth only stopped for a moment before continuing to guide Xie Lian along. After a couple of steps, suddenly there was pitter-patter from above, as if beads of raindrops were beating down on the surface of an umbrella. Turns out, that youth had opened an umbrella and raised it over both of their heads.
Although it wasn’t the time for it, Xie Lian couldn’t help but praise inwardly that he really was quite thoughtful. But at the same time, he was also very curious.
Is it raining?
On the mystic black mountain, within the vast wilderness,
somewhere deep in the far distant ranges there came the long howls of the
wolves. Perhaps it was because a slaughter had just occurred on the mountain, but the faint scent of blood was still permeating the cold, frigid air.
Everything about this situation was eerie to the extreme, but that youth held him in one hand and the umbrella in the other as he walked leisurely on, appearing for no reason to be bewitchingly romantic and deeply affectionate.
That strange shower came strangely and ended strangely as well; it wasn’t long before the dripping sound of raindrops hitting the umbrella ended, and the youth also came to a stop. He seemed to have put away the umbrella while at the same time, he finally let go of Xie Lian’s hand and moved one step closer.
The hand that had been holding his own this entire way softly folded a corner of the veil and slowly lifted it upward.
Xie Lian had been waiting for this moment the entire time. He stood still, watching as the clinging red curtain was slowly pulled up—
The silk band shot out!
It wasn’t because the youth exuded a killing aura but rather because he must be apprehended: seize him first and talk later!
Yet unexpectedly, when the silk band Ruoye flew out and carried with it a blast of wind, that bright red veil left the youth’s hand, fluttering up, then down. Before Xie Lian had the chance to see the remnant shadow of that red-robed youth, Ruoye had shot through him.
The youth shattered into thousands of silver butterflies, scattering into a breeze of silver twinkling stars.
While it wasn’t the time for it, after Xie Lian had backed a couple of steps away, he couldn’t help but sigh in awe. This sight truly was as beautiful as a fantastic dream.
Just then, one silver butterfly errantly flew past his eyes. When he tried to look closer, however, that single silver butterfly fluttered twice around him before joining the whirl of butterflies, melting into a part of the silver that enveloped the sky as they fluttered their wings to fly into the night.
It was a good while before Xie Lian came back around, and he wondered, So was that youth the ghost groom?
In his opinion, he didn’t think so. If those wolves on Mount Yujun
were his subordinates, why would they appear so terrified upon seeing him? And that enchanted array on the way must have been set up by the ghost groom, yet he so casually…crushed it.
The more he pondered, the stranger this was. But then Xie Lian tossed Ruoye over his shoulder and thought, Well, whatever. He could also just be a passerby. I’ll leave this for now and focus on the matter at hand.
But after scanning around, he eh’d. It turned out there was a building not far away, standing there somberly.
Since that youth had brought him here and this building was so painstakingly hidden inside this enchantment array, Xie Lian decided he must go inside and take a look.
Xie Lian took a few steps, then halted abruptly. After some thought, he turned back and picked up the veil from the ground. He dusted it off and clutched it in his hand before continuing to make his way to the building.
This building was a tall structure with red walls, the bricks and wood appearing rather mottled, much like an aged local town temple. However, in Xie Lian’s experience, this design was most likely a martial god temple.
Sure enough, when he looked up, he saw the large, solidly metal words nailed on the top of the entrance:
“Temple of Ming Guang.”
The Martial God of the North, General Ming Guang, was also the General Pei that Ling Wen spoke of in the communication array, whose worship was abundant in the north. No wonder they didn’t find any Temples of Ming Guang nearby, but found a Temple of Nan Yang. Turns out, the
Temple of Ming Guang on Mount Yujun had long since been locked away by an enchantment array. Could this ghost groom have anything to do with General Ming Guang?
However, this General Ming Guang was a mighty and
unapproachable great heavenly official, flush with success. Additionally, his status in the north was very secure. Personally, Xie Lian didn’t think a heavenly official like that would have any connection with a malicious
creature like the ghost groom. It wasn’t strange to have one’s base be overtaken by a malicious creature without one’s knowledge; he’d have to wait and see what the truth really was.
He walked up to the temple and the doors were closed but not locked, so when he pushed, they opened. After pushing the doors in, a strange smell assaulted his senses.
It wasn’t the dusty air common to an unvisited place of many years but rather a faint stench of rot.
Xie Lian closed the doors behind him to make it seem like no one had entered, then crossed the threshold into the temple. At the center of the great hall was a martial god statue, naturally that of the Martial God of the North,
General Ming Guang. Humanoid objects such as sculptures, puppets, and portraits were easily tainted by the aura of evil. Thus, the first thing Xie Lian did was to go up and look closely at this martial god statue.
After examining it for a while, his conclusion was: this divine statue was exquisitely sculpted. Wielding a sacred sword and wearing a jade belt, his appearance was handsome with an imposing bearing. There weren’t any issues, and the rotting smell didn’t come from this divine statue either.
Thus, Xie Lian put it out of his mind and started to make his way to the back of the great hall.
When he turned around, Xie Lian froze completely, and his pupils shrank.
A group of women dressed in bright red wedding robes, their heads covered with veils, stood tall before him.
The faint stench of rot was exuding from these women.
Xie Lian quickly composed himself, then started counting. One, two, three, four…until he counted to seventeen.
They were the seventeen brides who went missing in the Mount Yujun area!
The red on some of the wedding dresses had faded, the robes looking exceedingly old and tattered, so he assumed they were the earliest brides who went missing. Some of the brides were still wearing brand-new wedding dresses, and the styles were new too. The smell of aged, rotting
corpse was still very light on them, so they must be the ones who went missing recently. Xie Lian thought for a moment, then removed the veil of one of the brides.
There was a tragically pale face under the bright red veil, so white that it was faintly glowing green. With the soft light of the moon shining upon it, it was quite horrifying. But the most horrifying part was that, while the muscles of this woman’s face were already contorted with death, on this face there hung a stiff smile.
Xie Lian pulled off the veil of the next woman, and there were the same curled lips.
An entire building full of dead people, and they were all dressed in wedding robes with smiles on their faces.
The strange nursery rhyme sung by that child seemed to be ringing in Xie Lian’s ears again: New bride, new bride, new bride in the red bridal
sedan… Brimming tears, past the hills, smile not under the bridal veil…
Suddenly, there was a strange sound coming from outside the temple. It truly was a strange sound. So strange that it was hard to describe:
like two rods wrapped in heavy cloth were violently thumping on the forest floor, but also like something heavy was being pulled with difficulty along the ground. That sound traveled far and came close very quickly. It was merely an instant before it reached the entrance of the Temple of Ming Guang. Creeeak, the doors of the Temple of Ming Guang opened.
Whatever had come, whether it be human or creature, was most likely that ghost groom. And now, it had returned!
There was nowhere to escape at the back of the hall, nor anywhere to hide. Xie Lian’s mind spun for a second. Seeing the row of brides, he instantly put on his own veil, joining the line and standing still.
If there were only five to six corpses standing there, then of course it’d be easy to see that the numbers weren’t correct. But there were seventeen bride corpses here, and unless each one was counted like he did earlier, it’d be difficult to notice someone was mixed in.
He’d only just joined the line before he heard that strange THUMP THUMP, THUMP THUMP “walk” in.
Xie Lian remained still while he pondered. What exactly is this sound? By the length and pauses, it’s a bit like the sound of footsteps, but what creature’s footsteps sound like this? It’s definitely not the youth who brought me here. He was extremely at ease, and when he walked, he clinked.
Suddenly, he realized something, and his heart jumped to his throat.
Oh no, my height is wrong!
These corpses were all women, but he was very much a man, and was born a notch taller than women. While an extra person couldn’t be noticed with a glance, if there was someone particularly tall in the group of corpses, then that was very noticeable!
But then again, Xie Lian’s mind turned, and he quickly collected himself once more. He certainly was taller than these brides, but the girl
Xiao-Ying had only bound his hair simply and didn’t do much else with it. The brides here were all dressed to the nines, their hairdos shooting for the skies. There were even some who were wearing phoenix crowns, a giant
piece rising high on their heads, so they might not be shorter than him, considering. Even if he was taller, he shouldn’t be that conspicuous.
Just as he was thinking this, he heard a sshhhh sound that was about six meters away from him.
A moment later, there was another sshhhh, and this time, it was a bit closer.
Xie Lian realized what the ghost groom was doing now.
It was pulling off the veil of each one of the brides and checking the faces of the corpses one by one!
WHAM!
If he didn’t strike now, when would there be a better time? The silk band Ruoye shot out and hit the ghost groom squarely.
There was a loud rumble, and black mist assaulted his face. Xie Lian didn’t know whether that evil mist was toxic or not, but since he had no spiritual light to shield his body, he immediately covered his nose and mouth. At the same time, he prompted Ruoye to whirl widely to vent the
air, dispersing the black mist. There was another THUMP THUMP, THUMP
THUMP, and when Xie Lian cracked open his eyes, he saw a small, short form by the entrance of the temple flash past. The entrance was thrown open, and a ball of black mist bolted for the forest.
Xie Lian made the decision on the spot and chased after it immediately. Yet who knew he hadn’t gone far before he saw fires blazing within the woods. The screams and shouts of a rampage came from the distance.
“Charge—!”
The voice of a youth was particularly loud and clear. “Catch the ugly freak and exterminate evil for the people! Catch the ugly freak and
exterminate evil for the people! We’ll split the bounty evenly!”
It was indeed Xiao-Pengtou. Xie Lian inwardly let out a frustrated cry; this group had said they were going to come to the mountain, and they actually did. There was originally an enchanted array concealing the area, but that array had been crushed to smithereens by the youth earlier. And this group, with their blind luck, actually found the place. Upon a second look,
the direction the noise came from just so happened to be the direction in which the ghost groom had fled!
Xie Lian grabbed Ruoye and charged out, shouting, “Don’t move!”
The group froze for a moment. He was about to say more when he heard Xiao-Pengtou inquire enthusiastically, “Miss! You were kidnapped by the ghost groom, right? What’s your name? We’re here to rescue you; you can relax now!”
Xie Lian was taken aback, finding this hilarious before remembering that he was still dressed in women’s attire. There were no mirrors inside the Temple of Nan Yang, so he had no idea how he looked right now, but from their reaction, Miss Xiao-Ying’s hands must be adept. In their shock, the group actually took him for a real bride, and this Xiao-Pengtou was probably hoping Xie Lian would be that seventeenth bride so he could go collect the reward money. However, given the situation, he could not allow these villagers to run amok under any circumstance. Moreover, he couldn’t guarantee that the ghost groom had continued to flee.
Coincidentally, right then, two black-clad youths came rushing over.
Xie Lian immediately called, “Nan Feng, Fu Yao, come aid me, quick!”
Yet who knew, when those two heard and looked over, they were both taken aback, then backed a couple of steps away in unison. Xie Lian had to ask many times before they came around.
Xie Lian asked, “Did you two come from that direction? Did you run into anything on the way?”
“No!” Nan Feng replied.
“Good,” Xie Lian said. “Fu Yao, follow this path immediately and search the surrounding area. Make sure the ghost groom hasn’t escaped.”
Fu Yao turned and left when he heard the instructions.
Xie Lian then said, “Nan Feng, you stay and guard this place, and make sure not a single person leaves. If Fu Yao doesn’t find the ghost groom on the mountain, then it must be in that crowd right now!”
Upon hearing this, commotion erupted within the crowd. Xiao- Pengtou had realized he wasn’t a woman by now, and he was the first to jump.
“Not a single one can leave? ON WHAT GROUNDS?! Are there no laws in this land?! Guys, don’t listen to them…”
He hadn’t yet landed from his jump when Nan Feng struck out a palm, and a large tree, as wide as a man’s hug, snapped and collapsed. The crowd instantly remembered that this young man chopped things whenever there was a disagreement. If he chopped them like that pillar, then any form of monetary repayment would be useless, so they all shut up.
Xiao-Pengtou exclaimed, “You said the ghost groom is among us? Every single one of us has a proper name and family. If you don’t believe me, use a torch to light up everyone’s face and check individually!”
“Nan Feng,” Xie Lian called.
Nan Feng took the torch from Xiao-Pengtou and went around to shine it over every single person. Each face was covered in sweat, or nervous, or at a loss, or excited, all extremely spirited.
Xie Lian couldn’t discern anything, and he came before the crowd. “Everyone, I apologize for any offense earlier, but I injured the ghost groom and it escaped. It definitely couldn’t have gone far. My two young friends
here didn’t run into it on the way here, so I’m afraid this creature is mixed
within the group. Will you please take a good look at each other, see each other’s faces clearly, and check if there’s anyone you don’t recognize in the crowd.”
When the crowd heard that the ghost groom could be mixed within their own group of people, their blood ran cold. They didn’t dare to be careless. They peered at each other, you looking at me and me looking at you. They had looked for a while when there was a sudden yell.
“Why are you here?!”
Xie Lian’s brows shot up, and he rushed over. “Who is it?”
Xiao-Pengtou snatched someone else’s torch and shined it at the corner of the crowd. “THIS UGLY FREAK!”
The one he was pointing at was Xiao-Ying. Xiao-Ying’s slanted eyes and crooked nose appeared somewhat contorted under the firelight, and she had her arms raised to block her face, looking like she couldn’t bear to be exposed under the firelight’s glare.
“I…I was worried, so I wanted to come up and look…”
Seeing how alarmed she looked, Xie Lian took away the torch in Xiao-Pengtou’s hand and turned to the others. “How is it, everyone?”
The group all shook their heads.
“There isn’t anyone we don’t know.” “We’ve seen everyone here.”
“Could it be possessing someone?” Nan Feng asked.
Xie Lian hummed for a moment. “It’s doubtful. That was a solid body.”
“Since it’s a wrath, it’s hard to say whether it can change shape,” Nan Feng said.
While the two were hesitating, Xiao-Pengtou was again the first to shout, “The ghost groom isn’t among us, do you see? If you see, then why won’t you let us go?!”
Scattered voices agreed here and there, and Xie Lian gave them a sweeping look.
“Will everyone please stay here in front of this Temple of Ming Guang and not move even half a step away.”
The group was about to complain again, but when they saw Nan Feng’s cold glare, they didn’t dare.
Just then, Fu Yao also returned. He reported, “There’s nothing nearby.”
Gazing at this heavily packed crowd before the Temple of Ming Guang, Xie Lian slowly said, “Then it must be one of these people.”
