Chapter 58: Bride

 

Next, they found Huo Mo (Fire Demon) near the stage in the west of the inner courtyard.

The stage had been abandoned for many years, with tattered curtains hanging, covered in dust both on and under the stage. Huo Mo sat on a stool, staring at the stage with lifeless eyes, as if a grand play was being performed on the empty stage.

Zhang Yuanqing's face turned grim as he saw the gloomy aura enveloping Huo Mo. His soul was on the verge of departing, close to death. He hurried over, placed his hand on Huo Mo's shoulder, and the blackness in his eyes surged as he continuously absorbed the gloomy aura into his palm, devouring and digesting it.

Huo Mo shivered, and his vacant eyes regained a glimmer of vitality. Subconsciously, he cried out, "So cold, so cold..."

He trembled while looking around, spotting Zhang Yuanqing beside him and Xie Lingxi not far away, and exclaimed, "Damn, where did you guys go? After leaving the main hall, you all disappeared..."

"Everyone scattered," Zhang Yuanqing waved his hand, interrupting Huo Mo's questioning, and asked, "How did you end up here?"

"After I separated from you guys, I somehow ended up here. Then I heard someone singing on the stage..." Huo Mo recalled, "I followed the sound and saw this stage, with a woman singing on it. I glanced at her, and then, then I don't remember anything."

At this point, he shuddered all over, and looking at the dilapidated stage in the distance, he wondered where the singing woman had come from. Huo Mo looked gratefully at Ye You Shen beside him, "Did you save me?"

"It's quite obvious," Zhang Yuanqing said with a smile.

Huo Mo breathed a sigh of relief, thinking about his experience just now, and felt a lingering fear. "My skills and items were useless against the evil spirits. Brother Wang Tai, thank you very much."

Although each profession had its unique characteristics, controlling the fire demon without a sound most likely depended on level suppression. Supernatural creatures like the "monsters" were mysterious and unpredictable, so it would be troublesome to deal with them if your profession wasn't a perfect match. However, they had the disadvantage of not having straightforward methods of harming people. Stabbing with a knife would be more efficient.

The three of them found a golden hairpin in the dressing room next to the stage, covered in cobwebs.

Huo Mo held the hairpin, feeling relieved to have received a bridal gift. Then he asked, "What about Xi Shi and the Great Sage Equal to Heaven?"

Xie Lingxi shook her head, "We haven't found them yet. I hope they are as lucky as you."

Huo Mo glanced at her and asked, "Do you want them dead?"

Xie Lingxi looked pitiful and full of grievances, "How can you say such things, big brother? We are companions."

Huo Mo couldn't be bothered to deal with her. They had quarreled before, and her sassy attitude had annoyed him quite a bit, so he didn't like her very much. Of course, it was also because the young girl was not in Huo Mo's XP; otherwise, it would be another matter altogether.

The three of them left the place and went to another courtyard. The mansion here was bigger than they had imagined, with the back yard divided into small courtyards, some used as gardens, and some with makeshift stages.

After walking for a while, Zhang Yuanqing, who had night vision, saw a figure in the distance stumbling towards them. The person was dressed in sneakers and tight pants, with a youthful appearance; it was indeed the Great Sage Equal to Heaven.

"Why are you all here?" he approached them with delight. Zhang Yuanqing's eyes surged with darkness as he examined for a moment, confirming that it was the real one.

The four of them met up and shared their respective encounters. After getting separated, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven had entered a courtyard where a room was lit with candles. He pushed open the door to take a look, but there was no one inside, only a neatly folded bridal bed.

The Great Sage Equal to Heaven guessed it was one of the bridal gifts, but he chose to follow his heart's will and silently retreated. Afterward, he ran into Zhang Yuanqing and the others.

Huo Mo listened in astonishment, "The most cowardly person turned out to be the safest?"

"What kind of talk is that? I am cautious, not cowardly," the Great Sage Equal to Heaven defended himself.

That made sense; sometimes the ones who survive are not necessarily the smartest or most capable but the most cautious... Zhang Yuanqing interrupted their pointless argument and looked at the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, asking, "Where is the bridal bed?"

The Great Sage Equal to Heaven looked behind him.

Led by him, the four of them arrived at the courtyard where they indeed saw a room lit with candles. Seeing the fearful expressions of the team members, Zhang Yuanqing helplessly sighed, "I'll go and get it for you."

This was Night Wanderer's territory.

He immediately entered the room, and as he stepped over the threshold, the lattice door closed automatically. Outside, Xie Lingxi and the others saw the moment the lattice door closed, 'Wang Tai's' figure disappeared. The room inside dimmed, but his shadow was not reflected.

Anxious, they waited for a few minutes until the lattice door was slammed open with a bang, and 'Wang Tai' rushed out carrying the bridal bed. He looked somewhat disheveled, with his clothes torn and bloodstained.

"Great Sage, catch!" Zhang Yuanqing threw the bridal bed to the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, who caught it with joy and held it tightly in his arms. He was about to ask him about what happened inside the room when Zhang Yuanqing said, "Let's go, let's find Xi Shi."

The Great Sage Equal to Heaven didn't press further, and with his teammates, he continued to explore the inner courtyard. The night was pitch dark, with no stars or moon, and the only source of light was the red lantern hanging under the eaves, casting a crimson hue on this silent world.

Occasionally, a chilly wind blew, causing the lanterns to sway, making the atmosphere even more eerie. "Come over here, I'm here..." Suddenly, a soft and alluring voice came from the front.

Zhang Yuanqing and the others looked over and saw Xi Shi standing under the lantern at the corner, beckoning to them. She stood there, motionless like a statue, stiffly waving her hand. Her smile on her face also seemed rigid, with a hint of eeriness.

"Xi Shi!" The Great Sage Equal to Heaven was relieved to see her but was stopped by Huo Mo, who held his shoulder. At the same time, Zhang Yuanqing's voice sounded in his ear, "Look at her shoes."

Her shoes? The Great Sage Equal to Heaven focused and slightly contracted his pupils.

She was wearing a pair of red embroidered shoes.

She was not Xi Shi!!

"Come here, come over here..." Xi Shi continued to beckon, her face wearing a stiff and eerie smile.

"Pass by her, ignore her!" Zhang Yuanqing said in a low voice.

Seeing the serious expression on Night Wanderer's face, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven quickly averted his gaze, feeling nervous and dared not look again.

They continued walking for a while, and Zhang Yuanqing looked ahead and said, "Do you all remember when Xi Shi entered the house and said she saw a woman standing under the red lantern?"

Hearing this, Huo Mo couldn't help but turn back to take a look and vaguely saw the woman still standing in place, no longer beckoning, but quietly gazing at them.

"Damn, that's creepy..." Huo Mo cursed.

Xie Lingxi couldn't understand, "Why did she turn into the appearance of Sister Xi Shi?"

Zhang Yuanqing looked at a certain direction ahead and sighed, "You'll know when you go there yourselves."

What did he mean? At first, the three of them didn't understand, but as they walked a little further, they faintly saw a figure hanging under the eaves in front of them.

"Sister Xi Shi?" Xie Lingxi exclaimed.

The person hanging was indeed Xi Shi. Her beautiful face was distorted in suffocation, her round eyes staring, bloodshot, and her face pale. Her lips slightly protruded.

The sight was miserable.

The Great Sage Equal to Heaven and Huo Mo were both shocked and fearful. They didn't expect her to silently die here.

Zhang Yuanqing, with night vision, had seen it earlier and had already passed the stage of astonishment. He led the three people, whose expressions were complex, closer to the body.

Xi Shi was hanging silently. Zhang Yuanqing touched her hand; it was icy cold. The time of death was over half an hour ago.

"It's Xi Shi's wedding invitation." Xie Lingxi pointed to a red letter lying at the foot of the corpse.

Zhang Yuanqing glanced at the wedding invitation and ignored it. His eyes surged with darkness as he connected with the remnants of Xi Shi's spirit.

He needed to verify whether Xi Shi died because of the vengeful spirit or some other factor.

His forehead suddenly swelled, and memories that didn't belong to him rushed in.

He saw fragments of Xi Shi's past. This sister was a level 2 water ghost, a spiritual realm practitioner in Nanhang City of Tong Province. She was an unofficial member of a folk spiritual realm practitioner organization.

Her real-life profession was a nurse, and she had relationships with several men, including the head of the department, a wealthy businessman, and the manager of the spiritual realm organization.

She was a non-monogamist and didn't believe in love; men were merely resources in her eyes.

She was quite a skilled social butterfly.

"At the end of the memory, I saw a figure wearing a wedding dress appear, and then the scene abruptly stopped." Zhang Yuanqing opened his eyes, looking astonished and feeling a chill down his spine.

He thought it was impossible. How could the Ghost Bride act in advance? Wasn't she supposed to wait for her groom? If the Ghost Bride could strike at any time, then what was the point of playing this game?

Furthermore, if the Ghost Bride personally killed someone, why did she only target Xi Shi and not the rest of them? Or was it just a matter of time before she targeted them?

At that moment, he heard Xie Lingxi and the Great Sage Equal to Heaven discussing, "Why is her gender crossed out?"

"I don't know, maybe after death, everyone's gender is crossed out?"

Zhang Yuanqing was taken aback and immediately said, "Let me see."

Xie Lingxi handed him the wedding invitation.

As Zhang Yuanqing looked closely, Xi Shi's gender was indeed crossed out with thick ink.

Xie Lingxi gazed at him with clear eyes, "Brother Wang Tai, what did you see in Sister Xi Shi's spirit?"

The Great Sage Equal to Heaven and Huo Mo also looked over, waiting for his response.

"She was killed by the Ghost Bride!"

"What?!"

The three of them looked shocked, glancing around alertly.

If the Ghost Bride had acted, it was likely that none of them would have survived. In theory, it shouldn't have happened like this, even if it was an S-level mission with high difficulty, there should still have been a slim chance for them to survive.

"I have a thought, but the logic doesn't add up..." Zhang Yuanqing pondered for a moment and looked at the agile Xie Lingxi. "Can I see your wedding invitation?"

"Oh!" She was very cooperative and took out the wedding invitation from her waistband.

Zhang Yuanqing took it and unfolded it, looking strange, "The gender is male?"

Huo Mo and the Great Sage Equal to Heaven leaned over to see, and indeed, the gender section was marked as "male."

The Great Sage Equal to Heaven sighed sorrowfully, "You little girl looks delicate, but I didn't expect you to be a guy?!"

"What are you talking about?" Xie Lingxi blushed and explained, "I thought the Ghost Bride was looking for a husband, so the husband must be a man. If I filled in 'female,' it wouldn't comply with the rules, right? It would directly disqualify me."

Huo Mo and the Great Sage Equal to Heaven fell into contemplation.

If Xie Lingxi's gender was marked as male, then my guess is correct. In the old version, female characters could directly clear the game, while in the new version, female characters would directly fail because this is an S-level spiritual realm. In the old version, there was a direct clearance, but it's impossible for something that easy to happen... Zhang Yuanqing's speculation was validated.

Xi Shi was directly erased by the Ghost Bride because she didn't fit the groom's requirements.

He explained his reasoning, and upon hearing it, Xie Lingxi looked sad and said:

"I was just guessing, not sure, so I didn't say it earlier. If I knew, I would have warned Sister Xi Shi," Zhang Yuanqing said regretfully.

"What you say is what you say!?" Three men's thoughts coincided.

Now the team was left with only four people, and one more person could die here with the Ghost Bride, but at most, only one. That's alright, that's alright... Bearing in mind their acquaintance, Zhang Yuanqing took down Xi Shi's body and gently placed it on the ground. He glanced at his three remaining companions and said, "Time is running out, we should find the bridal chamber."

Although they couldn't precisely measure time, they could roughly estimate that it had been almost an hour since they entered the house. Xie Lingxi, Huo Mo, and the Great Sage Equal to Heaven quickly put Xi Shi's matter aside and focused their minds.

Each holding their respective bridal gifts, the four continued to move forward, deep into the house. They silently wandered through different gardens, accompanied only by the red lanterns.

After walking for a while, they suddenly saw a courtyard ahead, with the eaves curling upward, and the windows and doors adorned with the word "joy." Warm candlelight leaked out from within.

The courtyard was carpeted in crimson as they walked towards the main house.

"When the time comes, the bridal chamber will appear," Zhang Yuanqing observed his teammates' tense expressions and said softly, "Let's go."

He had originally wanted to make a humorous remark, such as "Don't be so nervous, the Ghost Bride might be a well-endowed mature woman." However, seeing his three companions with solemn faces, Zhang Yuanqing wisely dispelled the idea of lightening the mood.

As of now, they still didn't know the Ghost Bride's way of choosing her groom: was it one out of four, or did she want all of them?

Similarly, they didn't know if they would survive.

Entering the courtyard and walking across the red carpet, Zhang Yuanqing stopped in front of the door, took a deep breath, and pushed the lattice door with force.

"Bang!" The two lattice doors swung open, and Zhang Yuanqing stepped over the threshold, his muscles tense as he scanned the layout inside the room.

The entire room was adorned in festive red. There were "joy" characters pasted on the walls, and in the hall, there was a round table with two candlesticks on it. Half-arm-length red candles flickered, and on the table were plates of fruits and peanuts, with osmanthus and peanuts.

On the east side, there was a large bed with red curtains and sheets, but there were no blankets.

Next to the bed, it was empty, without the imagined bride in wedding attire and red veil.

The Ghost Bride wasn't here... Zhang Yuanqing's tense heartstrings gradually relaxed, and he let out a deep breath. He turned around to speak to his teammates but found that he was the only one left in the bridal chamber.

His three teammates were also missing. "Am I the only one who entered the bridal chamber?" Zhang Yuanqing shivered suddenly, then realized, muttering to himself, "The Ghost Bride really knows how to play, arranging a bridal chamber for each person..."

The current situation matched his previous second conjecture: the four bridal gifts corresponded to four grooms, and the rest were dead.

"Next, I'll just wait for the bride to come and choose someone... I wonder who she'll pick..." Zhang Yuanqing closed the door behind him and quietly summoned his little partner, letting it lie on his head as he stood on high alert.

He patted the little baby's head and looked at the festive scene in the room, inexplicably thinking of an online joke, "Just married, already a husband and a son, the Ghost Bride has reached the peak of life!" And the son is even a black-skinned one.

The candlelight was bright, illuminating the room. Zhang Yuanqing had originally planned to sense the passage of time through the burning of the candles, but the candles were strangely different; they didn't seem to be consumed no matter how long they burned.

After an unknown period of time, the room's door 'clang' was blown open by a cold wind. The candles extinguished instantly, and a chilling wind howled through every corner of the bridal chamber.

The room plunged into darkness. Zhang Yuanqing's heart trembled, and the baby on his head shivered violently, overwhelmed by extreme fear as if facing the end of the world.

He stiffly turned his neck and looked towards the open door. Outside, it was pitch-black like ink. With his night vision ability, he faintly saw a figure dressed in wedding attire, with a red cloth covering her head, treading on the red carpet, walking towards the bridal chamber...