Chapter 105: Joyful Wedding, Mourning Cry 36
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Due to the dangers experienced on Wild Wolf Peak, the production team sent a letter informing all participants of the possible risks before the start of the third episode. Guests were advised to carefully consider whether or not to participate.
Zhao Zhen hesitated, but in the end, he decided to continue participating in the show.
As one of the participants who suffered the most injuries in the previous episode on Wild Wolf Peak, besides Anthony and Rou Rou, Zhao Zhen even considered that he might die.
No, if it weren’t for Yan Shixun, he might have died in the Mountain God Temple on Wild Wolf Peak due to excessive bleeding and infection.
He was well aware of the implicit dangers of the show, and unlike some who were willing to gamble their lives for popularity and ratings, he didn’t harbor any illusions. He didn’t assume that the production team wouldn’t encounter dangers in the upcoming journey.
In fact, when Zhao Zhen signed that notification letter, he was already mentally prepared to face the dangers ahead.
This show could double his popularity and fan base, lifting him from the embarrassing position of being known more for gossip than acting, and transforming him into a truly renowned actor.
Because of this, he would have the privilege of selecting scripts he liked and playing the roles he wanted, turning down those mediocre dramas.
But it wasn’t just because of this.
Zhao Zhen’s decision to continue with this show had another, more significant reason —
He enjoyed the atmosphere of the production team, the camaraderie with other guests. He particularly liked the enigmatic aura emanating from Yan Shixun, something different from the reality he inhabited.
That elusive quality was hard for Zhao Zhen to describe accurately. Yet, he was willing to liken it to the essence of the cosmos itself, the boundary and answer between life and death.
“To obtain something one isn’t inherently qualified for, one must be prepared to face anything, right?”
Huddled on the other side of the coffin, Zhao Zhen gripped the lid with his palms, clenched his teeth, and pushed with all his might, attempting to overturn it.
The air inside the cramped, sealed coffin was thin, stifling, and suffocating.
Zhao Zhen’s clothes were soaked with sweat, and streams of perspiration trickled down his forehead, drenching his hair. Despite his disheveled appearance, he managed to divert his attention to the skeleton wearing a wedding dress beside him and spoke.
Zhao Zhen no longer looked as startled as when he first saw the skeleton in the coffin. He quickly adjusted his mindset and even took the time to reassure the skeleton.
“Though I don’t know what happened to you, since we’re here and still alive, we need to find a way out.”
Zhao Zhen gasped for air, appearing exhausted, yet he persevered. His tone as he spoke to the skeleton remained natural and friendly, like casual chatter between ordinary friends.
“To be honest, I never believed in the existence of ghosts or spirits. I thought it was just unexplored science, scenes that the human eye couldn’t capture at this stage. But that changed completely before—by someone named Yan Shixun, by this show.”
Despite his weary expression and the scarce air draining his strength rapidly, Zhao Zhen’s voice remained steady, with a hint of a smile. “Even though I’ve played many different roles, none of them are me. My true self is like stagnant water.”
“In all these years, I’ve lived a life of conformity, following the routine. My agent and assistants schedule my days, telling me what’s right, and I choose the most rational path under their guidance.”
He paused, his hand weakly falling onto his abdomen, breathing heavily in the stifling air. “But you see, human instinct is wild. We long to infuse our lives with excitement, to explore the unknown. It’s like how many people engage in extreme sports, seeking sensory thrills.”
“Even though I’ve portrayed characters who love extreme sports, I never truly understood the appeal of risking one’s life for thrills. I thought it was just a way for those who live too comfortably to break the monotony. But now, I get it.”
Zhao Zhen turned his head to look at the skeleton. In the dim red light, his eyes sparkled. “Because life needs surprises, whether they are too many or too few, life should never become stagnant.”
“And to gain this, sometimes we must face danger—it’s only fair, isn’t it?”
He chuckled. “I have a feeling that as long as I’m on this show, with Mr. Yan by my side, I’ll encounter these surprises again. I guessed right.”
As Zhao Zhen spoke with a smile, the skeleton remained silent, its empty eye sockets filled with the red light, resembling blood, gently swaying.
After a brief rest, Zhao Zhen placed his hand back on the wooden lid of the coffin, attempting once again to push with all his strength.
“Don’t worry, I’ll get us out of here. You won’t be trapped here.”
Zhao Zhen reassured, treating the terrifying skeleton lying beside him like a little girl in need of protection. While gritting his teeth and exerting effort, he continued to talk to the skeleton with a smile, “My name is Zhao Zhen, what’s yours?”
“Sigh… Hopefully this coffin isn’t nailed shut. Then we might have a chance to leave here.”
Feeling the weight of the coffin lid, Zhao Zhen realized his strength was no match for it. Unable to continue, he reluctantly released his grip and rubbed his sore muscles, preparing to gather strength for another attempt to lift the lid.
The skeleton remained silent, its white bones wrapped in a bright red bridal gown, exuding an eerie sense of horror.
However, Zhao Zhen was only initially startled, and then he spoke to her as if it were normal.
He wanted to rescue her and get her out.
Or sell her?
The skeletal fingers of the skull twitched, and after a while, as Zhao Zhen prepared to make another effort, she opened her jawbone and uttered a sound.
“My, name…”
“My name is Yang Duo.”
Zhao Zhen suddenly froze.
He turned, startled, remembering the villagers from the wedding scene, which seemed like a hallucination, calling him Yang Duo.
Yang Duo, the young woman in the bridal attire about to get married!
No wonder, so that’s why he was locked in the coffin with Yang Duo, right? He remembered, before losing consciousness, watching helplessly as the girl was thrown into the coffin by the villagers.
“Yang Duo…” Zhao Zhen looked at the skull beside him with a complex expression.
Zhao Zhen seemed to want to say something, still pondering his words.
But then, he suddenly felt a slight friction under his palm on the coffin lid, and the once heavy wooden board, which couldn’t be moved, suddenly shifted, lifted a bit by him.
Zhao Zhen’s face immediately lit up with joy. He took a deep breath and, seizing the opportunity, exerted all his remaining strength, forcefully lifting the coffin lid. With a sudden burst of effort, he successfully pushed the lid aside, allowing fresh air to rush in.
Gritting his teeth, he used his trembling arms to move the coffin lid to the side.
“Squeak… Creak…”
The sound of friction between the boards echoed as the moonlight spilled over Zhao Zhen.
He breathed in the fresh air in big gulps, feeling his lungs on the verge of exploding with pain, and his wrists and arms trembling from exertion.
But it was all worth it.
A smile spread across Zhao Zhen’s face as he glanced beside him. “Alright, we can leave now…”
His voice trailed off, and his smile froze.
The half of the coffin where the skeleton had been lying was now empty, without a trace of the skeleton.
There wasn’t even a scrap of clothing left behind.
Had the girl named Yang Duo already left…
Zhao Zhen’s expression remained blank, unable to react for a moment.
But then again, if she had turned into a ghost, it’s only natural she could come and go as she pleased.
He was well aware of this, he just…
Zhao Zhen shook his head with a helpless smile, then lifted himself up from the cramped coffin. He rested his palm on the edge of the coffin, seating himself on the ground beside it, and lowered his gaze to the coffin, now devoid of any trace of the skeleton.
The interior walls of the coffin were marked with scratches and streaks of blood, evidence of someone’s desperate struggle and self-inflicted wounds, a sight that was both horrifying and heart-wrenching.
Zhao Zhen let out a sigh.
He just wanted to ensure that this girl named Yang Duo would receive a response to her plea for help. He wanted her to know that she wouldn’t die alone, that he was willing to help her.
But he had arrived too late.
“Yang Duo,” Zhao Zhen whispered the name softly, shaking his head with a bitter smile. “I’m sorry. I only learned about what happened here after your death. I couldn’t come to help you in time.”
The name Yang Duo made Zhao Zhen realize that everything he had experienced before was likely all memories from Yang Duo’s lifetime.
If that was indeed the case, then being forced, defiled, drugged and coerced into marriage, being buried alive and suffocating to death… all the pain he had experienced was what Yang Duo had gone through.
But she was just a child!
Zhao Zhen felt anger swelling within him, but on the other hand, he also sadly realized that all of this was something that had already happened and could not be changed.
He sat quietly on the mound of soil next to the coffin for a while, feeling his strength returning to his body. Then he lifted his head to look around, trying to figure out where he was now.
It was quiet all around, and Zhao Zhen noticed what seemed to be a grand place next to him. High pillars with dragon carvings danced on the pillars, and the calligraphy on the couplet was vigorous. At the top, there was a plaque with four large characters, “Yang Clan Ancestral Hall.”
Zhao Zhen was puzzled. Was he in front of the Yang Clan Ancestral Hall?
…Wait a minute!
The ancestral hall triggered Zhao Zhen’s memory, reminding him that in the recent illusion, he saw the place where Yang Duo was buried alive, which seemed to be the Yang Clan Ancestral Hall.
Looking around, Zhao Zhen found the coffin he had just been in, indeed buried in front of the ancestral hall. However, he had no idea what had happened. The coffin was clearly buried in the soil, but now the soil had been dug up, exposing the coffin. The coffin lid he had just moved was leaning against the ground.
Obviously, if the coffin hadn’t been dug out, with the weight of the soil layers, he wouldn’t have been able to come out no matter how hard he tried.
After waiting for a while until he felt his strength was almost restored, Zhao Zhen slowly stood up with his still trembling legs, preparing to step out of the coffin and climb onto the ground.
But as he reached up, preparing to grab onto something to help him climb, he suddenly felt his knee hit something angular.
Lowering his head to look, he saw a sharp corner of wood protruding from the side of the soil layer.
If you had asked Zhao Zhen what it was before today, he wouldn’t have known. But now, he was very clear.
—It was a corner of a coffin, very similar to the one he had just climbed out of.
Beside him, there were other coffins buried!
This realization suddenly struck Zhao Zhen’s mind. He paused for a moment, then quickly climbed to the ground and hurriedly searched around. Finding an iron farming tool nearby, he swiftly returned and plunged it into the soil, quickly digging through the earth beside him.
What if there were others buried beneath? What if someone was still alive, still capable of being helped?
Zhao Zhen knew his thoughts were absurd, but he couldn’t restrain himself from imagining what it would be like if there were still living people in the coffins. How desperate would they feel, watching themselves slowly suffocate to death despite being aware they were still alive?
He had missed the chance to help Yang Duo, so he couldn’t afford to miss the chance to help others!
With each shovel of dirt, the coffin below began to take shape.
Zhao Zhen paid no mind to the elaborate red wedding gown he still wore, adorned with jewels and precious stones.
He roughly hoisted the hem of the gown, tying it around his waist to prevent it from hindering his movements. Then, he knelt beside the coffin, his trembling arms exerting themselves as he attempted to pry open the lid.
The coffin was heavy, but Zhao Zhen persisted, trying several times before successfully lifting the lid aside. Gasping for breath, he leaned forward to peer inside.
Zhao Zhen was prepared to encounter a skeleton or a gruesome corpse, but what he saw instead was a familiar face.
Lu Xingxing!
The usually spirited and independent musical genius lay pale and lifeless in the coffin, his eyes closed and lips devoid of color. His chest barely rose and fell, resembling death itself.
H-How could this be?
Zhao Zhen couldn’t fathom why someone he had seen before falling asleep would now lie in this state. But he couldn’t dwell on it for long. He quickly jumped into the coffin and reached out to help Lu Xingxing, probing for a pulse.
Fortunately, although the pulse was faint, it was not entirely absent, and Lu Xingxing’s body was still warm.
Lu Xingxing was still alive.
Zhao Zhen breathed a sigh of relief, his frantic heart settling back into his chest.
He couldn’t waste any time. He quickly reached out and slapped Lu Xingxing’s cheeks, hoping to wake him up. “Lu Xingxing, wake up! You can’t sleep at a time like this!”
But Lu Xingxing weakly followed Zhao Zhen’s movements, his head tilting to the side without any strength of his own. It seemed he had fallen into a deep coma.
Zhao Zhen roughly guessed the reason behind Lu Xingxing’s current condition.
Suffocation.
Because he had just experienced the same pain inside the coffin. If the coffin hadn’t suddenly loosened while he was talking to Yang Duo, allowing him to push open the lid, then in another ten minutes, he might have ended up like Lu Xingxing.
“Lu Xingxing, I’ll give you three counts. If you don’t wake up, don’t blame me. I hope you don’t mind that I’m a guy—no, I hope you can distinguish between CPR and kissing. I don’t want to, but it’s for your own good.”
Zhao Zhen shrugged with a wry smile, pinched Lu Xingxing’s mouth and nose open, then took a deep breath and bent down to give Lu Xingxing artificial respiration.
The situation was urgent, and Zhao Zhen couldn’t afford even a moment of hesitation. Every second counted, and any delay could mean Lu Xingxing, who was already in a precarious state, might lose his life. Zhao Zhen didn’t know how long Lu Xingxing had been unconscious due to suffocation, but he had to ensure Lu Xingxing resumed breathing on his own first.
Zhao Zhen watched as he approached Lu Xingxing, his heart silently lamenting the situation. Despite being an actor for so many years, this was the first time he had such close contact with another man.
Honestly, he felt a bit uncomfortable.
Just as Zhao Zhen was about to reach Lu Xingxing, he suddenly gasped for air and then opened his eyes wide in an instant.
Lu Xingxing saw a large face looming closer and closer from above, as if it wanted to kiss him.
Lu Xingxing: “……??”
“What the hell!! What are you doing, Brother Ghost? You’re not only trying to kill me, but also embarrass me? Are you disgusting or what?” Lu Xingxing quickly pushed away the face, cursing at this unreasonable and unprofessional ghost.
While other ghosts plotting murder for money seemed normal to him, why did a lecherous ghost suddenly appear? Take a good look, he was a man!
Zhao Zhen, caught off guard, was pushed backward and stumbled, falling back into the coffin. He sat down heavily, hitting his lower back on the edge of the coffin, grimacing in pain.
“Can’t you be like other ghosts and just kill people straightforwardly? Do you have to be so fancy? I’ve been a Taoist for so many years, even if I haven’t caught ghosts alone a few times, but you’re the first of your kind I’ve seen! Don’t you know the difference between humans and ghosts? I know I look good, but that doesn’t give you the right! Do you know how many fans I have? Last year, I was voted one of the top ten most desirable faces in the music industry. Your actions would break so many young girls’ hearts, do you even realize it?”
Lu Xingxing seemed genuinely scared, not even bothering to look up to see who it was after pushing Zhao Zhen away, just incessantly ranting with no intention of stopping.
Perfect.
Zhao Zhen grimaced as he rubbed his lower back, calmly thinking to himself: So much energy, at least it means Lu Xingxing is okay, and I don’t need to worry.
“Lu Xingxing, could you please look up before you start cursing at someone?”
Zhao Zhen sighed, “I’m Zhao Zhen, from the same show as you. We met before we went to sleep, don’t you remember?”
“And I have to emphasize, I was about to perform CPR on you, not trying to kiss you—don’t make me sound like a pervert, okay?”
Lu Xingxing skeptically raised his head, only to see Zhao Zhen at the other end of the coffin, wearing a vibrant red bridal gown with elaborate accessories and a wig adorned with gold and jewels.
But what was even more eye-catching was that Zhao Zhen had tied the hem of the gown around his waist, revealing two hairy legs protruding from the red dress.
—Imagine, when a man who usually presents himself as a tough guy, with broad bones, sturdy muscles, and wheat-colored skin, suddenly appears in front of you dressed in a vibrant red bridal gown adorned with jewelry, what would you feel?
The stark and vivid visual contrast was almost breathtaking for Lu Xingxing, leaving him momentarily stunned, his mind blank, unsure how to react.
After trembling for a while, Lu Xingxing finally found his voice.
“Zhao, Zhao Zhen?”
Zhao Zhen nodded with relief. “Yes, it’s me. I was just buried in the coffin next to yours. I didn’t expect you to be my neighbor…”
“You said you’re not a pervert! The moment I opened my eyes, I saw you trying to kiss me—while wearing women’s clothes!”
Lu Xingxing, feeling aggrieved, interrupted Zhao Zhen. “Look at yourself! Cross-dressing is one thing, but why did you pick this outfit? You look like a flower now! What’s wrong with your sense of aesthetics? Even if you want to be a pervert, you should at least be a good-looking one, right?”
Zhao Zhen: “…”
Zhao Zhen: “???”
Feeling uncomfortable under Lu Xingxing’s accusing gaze, Zhao Zhen belatedly lowered his head and glanced at himself.
Then it dawned on him—
Just like when he saw Yang Duo’s memories earlier, he was dressed exactly like a newlywed bride, wearing the same bridal gown and jewelry as Yang Duo.
It’s just that the situation was too dire just now, and he didn’t have time to react or realize that he was wearing such clothes.
Zhao Zhen: “…F*ck!”
He felt like his lifetime of reputation was ruined in an instant.
“Wait! Let me explain, I can explain this situation…” Zhao Zhen hurriedly reached out to Lu Xingxing.
But Lu Xingxing’s voice was firm: “No, you don’t need to explain!”
“I’m not—”
“You just like cross-dressing, right? It’s not embarrassing! Although your hobby of running to the graveyard in the middle of the night dressed as a bride is a bit hard for me to comprehend. But don’t worry! I won’t tell anyone.”
Lu Xingxing scooted along the edge of the coffin, sitting next to Zhao Zhen and patting his shoulder solemnly, adopting the demeanor of a supportive friend. “Who doesn’t have personal hobbies? Besides, what’s wrong with yours? I know a rock musician who’s six feet tall and wears a big red flower skirt while prancing around in high heels on stage. That’s called personality! Music respects individuality!”
Zhao Zhen’s temple twitched, and he finally grabbed Lu Xingxing’s arm in frustration. “Enough! Shut up!”
Lu Xingxing immediately fell silent, blinking innocently at him.
“……”
Zhao Zhen sighed deeply, feeling the weight of the communication gap between his somewhat serious personality and Lu Xingxing’s carefree nature. It seemed like they were speaking different languages.
“I did intend to give you artificial respiration just now because you passed out from suffocation, remember?”
Trying to compose himself, Zhao Zhen spoke earnestly, “Do you recall what happened before you passed out? Do you know why you ended up in a coffin?”
Lu Xingxing looked up in confusion, the shock of waking up to a looming face fading as he began to examine his surroundings more seriously.
“Right, we’re in a coffin,” Lu Xingxing rubbed his chin in thought. “So, how did I end up in a coffin?”
“…That’s something you’ll have to figure out for yourself,” Zhao Zhen replied flatly.
Is this guy really the Taoist from Haiyun Temple? I heard that Mr. Yan is also from Haiyun Temple. How come they’re so different? Could this guy have falsified his credentials?
Despite the doubts swirling in his mind, Zhao Zhen didn’t have time to dwell on them too much.
He had inexplicably gone through a forced wedding as a new bride, been buried alive, experienced the suffocating pain of dying, woke up next to a skeleton, found himself in a completely different place from his room before sleeping, and Young Master Song Ci, who shared the room with him, was nowhere to be seen. Instead, there was Lu Xingxing buried in the adjacent coffin.
What in the world was going on?
Zhao Zhen rapidly recounted the series of events he had just experienced to Lu Xingxing, emphasizing the fact that he had been forced into a wedding and ended up in the bridal attire and jewelry.
Lu Xingxing finally grasped the situation. “So, you just got married?”
Zhao Zhen: “…”
This is a disaster!
“Lu Xingxing, haven’t your master from Haiyun Temple ever felt the urge to smack your head?”
Zhao Zhen felt like his earnest demeanor might not mesh well with Lu Xingxing’s personality. Otherwise, he might end up getting driven crazy by him.
He asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm, “Do you have trouble understanding what people are saying?”
I just told you that I experienced the memories of a deceased girl named Yang Duo, and you ask me if I just got married??”
With a sheepish expression, Lu Xingxing lifted his hand to touch his nose and let out a fake cough.
His master did indeed regret taking him as his disciple. There were times when he wanted to beat him to death.
“Alright, I get it. Something definitely doesn’t seem right.”
Trying to appear as serious as possible, Lu Xingxing nodded, stood up from the coffin, and reached out to help Zhao Zhen up.
“I actually have no idea why I ended up in the coffin. I opened my eyes, and there I was, inside it. Then I passed out, and when I woke up again, you were there, all dolled up, looking like you were about to give me a big smooch—no, I mean, perform CPR. I thought you were a ghost…”
With a cough, Lu Xingxing said, “It seems like no one else is around. We need to figure out what happened. I have to find the others quickly and make sure they’re safe.”
Zhao Zhen looked at Lu Xingxing skeptically.
Lu Xingxing rubbed his nose and said with feigned indignation, “My master sent me to participate in the show to protect the crew. After all, I’m a Taoist from Haiyun Temple. What are you doubting?”
Zhao Zhen’s expression remained indifferent: “Oh.”
But Lu Xingxing was right, they needed to make sure everyone else was safe.
Zhao Zhen felt a sense of relief now, grateful that he hadn’t just left the coffin there without checking. If he had walked away, Lu Xingxing might have ended up dead in the coffin.
—— Full-service burial, no need for digging graves and filling soil, just burying the deceased on the spot.
But precisely because of this, Zhao Zhen couldn’t help but wonder if there were others from the production team in similar situations, needing help.
If that were the case, every second they delayed could be fatal for the others in the production team.
“Wait a minute, this… seems to be the village.”
Lu Xingxing looked around at the scenery, hesitating. “When we passed through the village earlier today, I remember this architectural style, but we didn’t see the ancestral hall.”
“So, how did we go from the farmstay to being in front of the ancestral hall?” he wondered. “But if it was ghosts or monsters, why didn’t they just kill us outright?”
Zhao Zhen remarked, “If I hadn’t found the coffin just now, you would have been buried here without anyone noticing, which is as good as being killed.”
“Speaking of the coffin…”
Lu Xingxing’s gaze shifted downward, landing on the coffin lid that Zhao Zhen had moved aside. “I’ve been meaning to ask, how did you lift the coffin lid? It’s nailed shut with nine-inch nails.”
He reached out and pressed on the hole left by the nail in the corner of the coffin, surrounded by a ring of rust. It seemed to have been corroded by rainwater and soil for many years.
“I remember now, before I passed out, I also tried to lift the coffin lid, but I wasn’t successful. In my confused state, I heard the sound of coffin nails being hammered, it must have been this.”
As a formal disciple of the Haiyun Sect, although he had been scolded by his master, Taoist Song Yi, he still considered himself a professional. So, when he saw the full picture of the coffin, his face, which had just been smiling, became serious.
“The four corners of the coffin are all nailed with nine-inch nails, and from the cross-section of the coffin board, it appears that molten iron has been poured, making the coffin tightly sealed, almost impossible to pry open. Previously, there were only two reasons for treating coffins like this. First, the family of the deceased was wealthy and didn’t want insects to enter and eat the corpse. Second.”
Lu Xingxing paused, then turned to look at Zhao Zhen. “To prevent the body inside the coffin from becoming a walking corpse.”
“It’s very solid. Zhao Zhen, how did you manage to lift it? I don’t think someone who is completely unfamiliar with non-scientific methods could have the strength to lift this.”
Lu Xingxing said, his expression serious and guarded. “Are you really the actor Zhao Zhen that I know? How can I trust that you’re not a ghost in disguise as Zhao Zhen?”
Zhao Zhen was also somewhat bewildered by Lu Xingxing’s words.
Following Lu Xingxing’s gesture, Zhao Zhen indeed saw the long nails nailed to the four corners of the coffin. When he turned to look at the coffin he had just lain in, he found similar marks on the lid of that coffin as well.
However, he had indeed been talking with Yang Duo when he suddenly felt the immovable and heavy coffin could be pushed open.
Thinking back now, he really didn’t know how he had managed it.
But…
“Lu Xingxing, have you been watching too many cartoons? ‘Journey to the West’?” Zhao Zhen snorted. “Then what are you? Zhu Bajie?”
Lu Xingxing stood with his hands on his hips, feeling justified. “No, I’m the Great Sage Equal to Heaven!”
Zhao Zhen: “…”
“I know Mr. Yan, and I know you’re Mr. Yan’s Junior Nephew. I even asked Mr. Yan to help me draw protective talismans…”
Zhao Zhen rapidly recounted various situations about Lu Xingxing, then concluded, “So, do you still think I’m a skeleton ghost?”
Lu Xingxing shook his head decisively. “No.”
Relieved, Zhao Zhen was about to suggest that Lu Xingxing start by checking the nearest temple.
But Lu Xingxing continued, “Skeleton ghosts don’t have two hairy legs sticking out.”
Lu Xingxing cast a disdainful glance up and down at Zhao Zhen, then settled on his legs peeking out from under the skirt. “You’re saving money, Zhao Zhen. No need for long johns in autumn and winter, huh?”
Zhao Zhen: “…”
Expressionless, he gripped the raised portion of the nearby soil layer, using it to climb out of the coffin. Then he let down the skirt tied around his waist, covering his legs with the embroidered red dress.
Without hesitation, he turned and walked towards the temple.
Lu Xingxing was puzzled. “Zhao Zhen, where are you going? Are you reckless enough to wander without my protection?”
Zhao Zhen’s expression remained cold. “If it were Mr. Yan here, I’d certainly heed his words. But I’d rather not take your advice. I’m afraid if I stay around you any longer, I might end up knocking you out.”
Lu Xingxing: “??? It’s ‘Three Defeats of the White Bone Demon,’ not ‘Three Defeats of Sun Wukong,’ okay!”
…
A girl’s voice, seemingly from a distant place, faintly echoed, barely audible.
“The Yin God has gone soft, helping humans.”
“Unforgivable! Why is the Yin God protecting a living person!”
“The Yin God let him go. He’s a man.”
“Sigh… How did he find out? I thought he wouldn’t pay attention. This one didn’t die either, what a disappointment.”
“Hehe, it’s okay. If the Yin God won’t kill him, we will.”
“For ourselves, we must make everyone feel our pain.”
“They deserve punishment!”
The voice sounded angry, but soon, all the voices merged into a blur, barely distinguishable.
Only Lu Xingxing’s incessant voice echoed in the silent space.
…
Yan Shixun briefly paused in the side room, safely stowing the notebook left by Jiang Yanran into his coat upon Yang Tu’s prompt. He then noticed the anomaly outside the room.
He raised a slender finger to his lips, signaling Yang Tu to stay quiet, then silently approached behind the door. He slowed his breath, calming his heartbeat until it was barely perceptible, blending into the surroundings like air.
Yang Tu, seeing this, also followed suit and hid behind Yan Shixun.
Through the cracks in the wooden boards, Yan Shixun could see the elderly women in the courtyard, gathered near the door of the room. Some of the older grandmothers were dressed in red clothes, happily carrying small bamboo baskets tied with red ribbons and constantly reciting auspicious words.
This scene, accompanied by the sound of suona and drums, seemed very similar to the bridal procession Yan Shixun had seen before.
He knew that these respected elder women in the village were celebrating and blessing the newlywed bride. Afterwards, they would personally assist the bride out of the bridal chamber and onto the sedan chair, heading towards the groom’s house.
Sure enough, under the auspicious words of those grandmothers, the door was slowly pushed open from inside.
Behind the opened door lay a profound darkness, devoid of any light, as if it could swallow the souls of anyone who approached.
From Yan Shixun’s perspective, he could see that directly in front of the door, a pair of tall dragon and phoenix candles suddenly ignited, casting a faint crimson light in the darkness, illuminating the large “double happiness” character affixed to the wall behind.
Along with the incense burner on the table.
Yan Shixun furrowed his brow.
Why would there be an incense burner at a bridal scene? From the traditional perspective, this incense burner should be used for worship, meaning it should have appeared at a funeral, not here.
But he made no sound, instead holding his breath and focusing intently on the door, silently waiting for the moment when the bride would emerge from the room.
Although Yang Tu knew roughly what had happened back then, he hadn’t personally experienced it and had only passively accepted the information from Yang Han and the village head. From Yang Tu’s mouth, Yan Shixun couldn’t glean detailed information about what had happened after Yang Duo’s death.
And what was it that caused Yang Han such pain and reluctance to recall, and made the village head so fearful that he built a Ghost-Dispelling Well in the backyard? Just how powerful was the ghost?
Then, Yan Shixun’s eyes widened slightly as he looked outside.
Amidst the jubilant and exuberant sound of the suona, those grandmothers in red clothes reached into the baskets on their arms and scattered the contents into the air.
Yan Shixun had initially thought it would be flower petals or red paper, but to his surprise, what drifted down from the sky in abundance was white paper money.
At the same time, Yan Shixun also keenly noticed that the celebratory red clothes worn by the villagers were slowly fading, transitioning from red to white.
Before Yan Shixun could delve deeper into this observation, all the villagers suddenly erupted into loud cheers.
The suona’s sound became urgent, its melody soaring.
A red embroidered shoe stepped out from the darkness of the room and landed on the ground outside the door.
In that moment, it seemed as if the blood moon in the night sky was moving, spreading from the heavens to the earth, being stepped on by that embroidered shoe.
Yan Shixun suddenly felt that beneath that embroidered shoe was not the ground, but a swirling pool of thick blood. The moonlight fragmented within it, like bodies suddenly broken apart, and blood flowed from it, converging at the feet of the embroidered shoe.
No, it was more than that.
The entire courtyard, in that moment, seemed to be engulfed by a sea of blood.
Yan Shixun’s sharp brows furrowed, his gaze slowly lifting upwards along the embroidered shoe.
A blood-red gown, embroidered with intricate patterns, swept over the threshold as the bride stepped out from her chamber, entering the courtyard beneath the blood-colored moonlight.
The bride’s wedding attire was layered and elaborate, draped over her abdomen. Her fingers, crossed in front of her belly, were slender and as pale as paper, except for her nails, which were as blood-red as blood itself.
Her face was veiled by a red cover, obscuring her features, but as she moved, the red veil swayed gently, revealing a small portion of her cold, pale chin.
Yet her lips were a deep crimson.
Amidst the villagers’ clamor and cheers, everyone respectfully lowered their heads as they watched the bride slowly make her way out of the courtyard.
Wherever she passed, white paper money fluttered up and fell down, scattering beneath her embroidered shoes.
Red and white.
The stark contrast of colors was the most striking, eerie under the melodies of the suona.
Yang Tu trembled uncontrollably with fear, tightly clutching the sleeve of Yan Shixun’s garment.
The villagers, however, seemed oblivious to anything amiss, continuing to cheer loudly, chanting “Yin God” with reverent yet fervent attitudes.
Yan Shixun furrowed his brow.
Given that Yang Duo had been a victim, the villagers’ demeanor should have been more domineering and aloof; their current reverence seemed out of place.
What was happening?
And what exactly was “Yin God”?
Through the fluttering white paper money, the bride turned her head slightly as she walked, inclining towards the direction of the side chamber.
With a slow, sly smile, she parted her crimson lips, silent yet suggestive.
It was as if he glimpsed something intriguing behind the red veil.
The paper money obstructed Yan Shixun’s view, preventing him from seeing the scene outside the door clearly. He decisively grabbed Yang Tu’s collar, then gently pushed open the door. Amidst the crowd of villagers escorting the bride, he followed closely behind them.
Yang Tu’s eyes widened in terror as he glanced at the stiffly moving villagers just a meter ahead, then looked back at Yan Shixun.
Tears welled up in his eyes, on the verge of spilling over. It was as if he was silently questioning: Why follow? Let me go, I don’t want to be here!
If it were before, Yang Tu might have had some courage left. But ever since he discovered that all these villagers were already dead, their bodies decaying in their respective homes, Yang Tu’s courage had completely vanished.
—These were dead people! Being in such close proximity to the dead!
Yan Shixun paid no attention, silently trailing behind the procession of villagers escorting the bride.
He needed to find out what had happened to Yang Duo to cause such a transformation.
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