Chapter 69.2 Crazy Love Season
When they looked up again, in the sole light of the fire, the young man standing by the table now sported a pair of cat ears that weren’t there before. He lowered his brows, his gaze fixed on the flames, appearing calm. Only his long tail quietly revealed the unease he suppressed. The cat tail swayed inadvertently, instinctively seeking something to cling onto for security.
The scarecrow, which should have been fearful of fire, inexplicably got close to Wen Shi, even pushing the host to the side.
In the next second, Wen Shi took a shallow breath, his gaze growing determined.
He reached out and pushed the door wide open, instantly letting in the cold wind and mist.
The action of pushing the door had no hint of hesitation. By the time those inside the room tried to stop him, it was too late.
Wen Shi intentionally activated the transformation, enhancing his agility and perception.
The stench from outside had already surpassed the lantern’s light. Despite being mentally prepared, facing the monsters in the dark night still caused Wen Shi’s hand to tremble slightly.
Unlike the visitors from the Ghost Market, these creatures emerging from the Ghost Gate exuded a strong scent of blood. Their outlines were human-like, but not a single patch of decent flesh could be seen on their bodies. Foul black liquid oozed from their pores. At this moment, pairs of murky eyes fixed onto Wen Shi in the firelight.
Bigger than the eyeball?
With cat-like pupils, Wen Shi stared back at them without hesitation.
Just a few lights away, the terrifying monsters sensed the familiar scent, and the horrifying dead fish eyes eventually moved away from Wen Shi’s body.
The smell of corpses was only present within the range of the light. Players hesitated between staying inside and going out for a second before ultimately choosing to follow.
Injured as she was, Tian Wanling was somewhat relieved that she wasn’t seeing things too vividly. She closed her eyes and asked softly, “Is he always… this fierce?”
Even with a godly weapon, she wouldn’t dare to charge into a pile of corpses.
She directed this question to Liu Yun and Ji Yuanzhi, both of whom had gone through instances with Wen Shi. Not receiving a response, she instinctively turned her head to look. Liu Yun was tightly gripping her whip, attentively scanning the surroundings. As for Ji Yuanzhi… he had vanished at some point.
Amidst the inky darkness, the cat-eared young man walked at the forefront, passing by one lifeless body after another. A’Sang obediently trailed beside him, while the scarecrow remained silent, walking on the other side of Wen Shi.
The cameraman observed this scene through his lens and suddenly felt like it resembled a small family of three, albeit an odd-looking one.
The moment Wen Shi walked out of the village, the host sounded most pleased, “Darling, are you deciding to leave this place?”
Choosing to leave the village at this moment was surely a death sentence!
Behind, Zhou Lulu frowned slightly. Indeed, leaving the village was impulsive, but she couldn’t think of any other options at the moment. The village held no signs of life either.
At the host’s words, Wen Shi’s lips curled slightly. When the【Eternal Lamp】burned, it emitted no warmth, even a chill. Just like the gaze of the one who held the lamp at this moment, “Yes, darling.”
The wind from the northwest brought an even stronger scent of blood. Once again, Wen Shi plunged into the depths of the northern mountains.
Mentioning the north could only bring one place to mind. Zhou Lulu’s eyes widened abruptly, “The graveyard?!”
It was the first time she couldn’t control her surprise and voice.
The host, too, realized Wen Shi’s final destination. His malicious grin softened slightly, “Why are you going to the graveyard?”
Even the production team had reservations about the graveyard.
“Not born on the same day, month, or year, but to die on the same day, month, and year.” Whispers like those of lovers reached his ears. Wen Shi’s somewhat pale face smiled even more, “Of course, I’m going to the graveyard to witness our love.”
Whether out of instinct or reason, the host was unwilling to go there and immediately raised objections.
His dainty cat ears twitched, first drooping and then closing altogether, an expression that said, “Go ahead and voice your opinions, but I’m not listening to you.”
The host was itching with hatred.
Meanwhile, the scarecrow nearly exploded from the cuteness.
The earth trembled and rocks rolled down from the distant mountaintop. Endless monsters were still pouring out from the Ghost Gate, filling the entire forest with ghosts and monsters.
Amidst the thick, undispersable gloom, the host’s expression gradually grew serious. The crew members weren’t solely focused on the cameras anymore. They were cautiously observing their surroundings.
Cats walk silently, just like Wen Shi at this moment. He didn’t turn back throughout, as if he were more adept at blending in with the numerous malicious spirits.
“The most dangerous place is also the safest. We’ll be around there, so let’s dig a hole and hide.”
This nonchalant remark was even more indifferent than the host’s earlier gloating tone.
The group reached halfway up the mountain, and the graveyard lay ahead.
However, at this point, it seemed as if the heavens and earth drew a dividing line. A cotton-like fog, as red as the scorching sun, piled up ahead, obscuring everything. Even the【Eternal Lamp】couldn’t illuminate more than a small area.
The big eyeball was the only thing that could barely see anything among everyone present, though not too clearly.
Zhou Lulu grabbed Liu Yun’s whip and attempted to take a step into the mist. Instantly, she became dizzy and disoriented, losing her sense of direction.
Liu Yun pulled her back.
“No way out.” The host deliberately got closer to see the lamp in Wen Shi’s hand. “It seems like it’s about to go out soon.”
Liu Yun understood Wen Shi better and didn’t believe he would come here unprepared. “What’s next?”
Wen Shi turned his head back and slowly spoke a word: “Wait.”
Standing halfway up the mountain, he gazed in the direction of Sealed Coffin Village. No one knew what he was looking at.
Tian Wanling sent her blessings, thinking of the missing Ji Yuanzhi.
……
Anything coming out from the Ghost Gate passed through Sealed Coffin Village.
This place had nearly become a playground for ghosts and demons. Ji Yuanzhi, using his illusion skill, moved among the crowd of creatures.
Finding a relatively open area, he took off his glasses and narrowed his eyes slightly. In his clear pupils, countless lines suddenly appeared, crisscrossing and forming intricate grids.
Ji Yuanzhi’s lips moved, silently forming one word: “Omniscient.”
The entirety of Sealed Coffin Village condensed into silhouettes, entering the intricate grid in his field of vision.
This was Ji Yuanzhi’s first skill:【Omniscient Seer】
It could decipher any information, even game rules. However, skills like Zhou Xiaochun’s【Divination】, if deciphered beyond one’s capacity, would cause a backlash leading to death.
Ji Yuanzhi had once deciphered Wen Shi and obtained the number【82】, but he hadn’t used his ability for a second time.
Deciphering the same thing for a second time increased the cost exponentially.
Wen Shi had a vague idea about Ji Yuanzhi’s skill, thinking that he could uncover clues without any leads. That was why he had asked Ji Yuanzhi if he could find someone in the village.
The person Wen Shi wanted to find wasn’t a crucial NPC. Ji Yuanzhi quickly locked onto a spot in his vision and headed toward a certain house at full speed, breaking the door open without hesitation.
In the middle of the night, the chief attendant sat on the kang bed, cracking melon seeds. Faced with the unexpected guest, the melon seeds scattered everywhere as he exclaimed, “Who are you?”
Ji Yuanzhi put his glasses back on and said, “Excuse me, could you please work an extra shift?”
……
Less than a quarter of an hour remained before the【Eternal Lamp】extinguished.
Wen Shi sat quietly by the road. Earlier, the scarecrow thought the ground was too cold that it almost made itself a grass mat. Now it stood blocking the chilly night breeze coming from the direction of the wind, shielding Wen Shi with its tall body.
Wen Shi’s slender fingertips toyed with the flames, his gaze fixed on the eye beneath the brim of the scarecrow’s hat, lost in thought.
The two, one shielding from the wind and the other lost in contemplation, oddly appeared harmonious.
A’Sang watched this scene blankly, with only one thought in his mind: he was against this marriage arrangement.
The scarecrow’s brain was made of straw, and for the zombie that highly valued brains, the scarecrow was as different from them as a toad from a swan.
Suddenly, the cat ears twitched alertly, and Wen Shi snapped back to attention, turning his head in that direction.
In the darkness, Ji Yuanzhi appeared with the chief attendant. The latter looked like he had suffered a great loss, his expression twisted as if facing death.
Wen Shi stood up, his smile returning to his face.
The unease in the host’s heart reached its peak when the chief attendant appeared.
“Long time no see, no…,” Wen Shi smiled and corrected, “just one day.”
The chief attendant’s former coldness when hosting the Dark Wedding was nowhere to be found. He shook his head vigorously, tears almost welling up.
“Lead the way.” In contrast, Wen Shi’s voice was terrifyingly gentle. “Don’t waste time.”
Reluctantly, the chief attendant stepped into the mist.
Strangely enough, from the moment he appeared, players no longer felt disoriented when entering the mist.
The host frowned, “Why are you here?”
The chief attendant’s eyes seemed unfocused as he replied, “To be a candidate.”
The host remained puzzled for a few seconds.
Him, a gold-tier host, was being pranked?!
Up ahead, as Wen Shi took a step forward, he calmly spoke, “Did I ever say I wanted to choose you as my match?”
According to the setup of the dating show, the candidates were selected. Just like on the first day on the village stage, merely walking out wasn’t enough, the decision power lay in the hands of the special guest.
He shamelessly continued, “I’m forming a pair, any objections?”
He was asking if there were objections, but the cat ears had already twitched closed.
The host had a lingering feeling that something was wrong, but couldn’t quite put his finger on it.
Approaching the vicinity of the graveyard, the crimson mist gradually dissipated, the trees became scarcer, and the only thing that didn’t dissipate but rather grew stronger was the putrid smell in the air. The number of coffins multiplied several times, and nearly half of the hillside was surrounded by closely spaced open coffins.
At the very center of this area, the space seemed distorted, and an area approximately the size of a hundred coffins was a blurry mass of colors.
Players watched helplessly as three or four evil spirits emerged from the indistinct mass.
The chief attendant’s footsteps remained suspended, still headed towards that boundary.
The host grabbed him and exclaimed sharply, “You—”
He barely got one word out before being interrupted by the chief attendant, who grinned slyly and said, “Can’t you tell by now? I’m actually here to host a wedding.”
This was a rule he had to abide by. Whenever a guest requested it, he had to appear to host a wedding.
The host turned his gaze sharply towards Wen Shi, “When did I agree to get married?”
Wen Shi reached out and took hold of the scarecrow’s arm, “No, I’m getting married to him.”
The big eyeball nearly popped out of its sockets in surprise.
Looking at the scarecrow, or more accurately, at that single eye, Wen Shi asked, “Are you willing?”
The scarecrow practically bowed its head in agreement.
With a definite response, Wen Shi’s gaze gradually turned distant. After a moment, he said a sentence that sent shivers down everyone’s spine except the scarecrow, “All weddings take place at the home of the candidate.”
Players were outsiders here, with no family, no land, and the only possibility was to hold the wedding at the candidate’s home.
At this point, the host finally understood what this madman was up to!
The scarecrow emerged from behind the Ghost Gate. He intended to enter the Ghost Gate!
Since his arrival from the other side to the graveyard, the host had been suspicious, but he hadn’t dared to consider this possibility. Whether actively marrying a demon or entering the Ghost Gate, neither could be described as mere madness.
Indeed, Wen Shi had this plan in mind.
Sealed Coffin Village was the source of the revival of countless spirits, so the Ghost Gate must be somewhere nearby. The staff had a deep fear of the graveyard, and he had also discovered many coffins that seemed to have freshly sprouted from the earth. The location of the Ghost Gate was self-evident.
For a living person to directly enter could trigger the death rules. To be on the safe side, he needed a legitimate reason to enter the Ghost Gate.
Marriage, what a festive and legitimate excuse it was.
The players were all guests, and the deceived host was responsible for broadcasting the event. The crew and the chief attendant had to accompany him into the Ghost Gate.
If things went awry, this wedding could turn into a funeral for everyone.
“It’s past two o’clock already,” Wen Shi murmured to himself, holding the lantern and walking forward, “Let us tread towards the grave of love.”
The deformed man had mentioned that between one and two in the morning, the Ghost Gate would fully open, the most dangerous time period. This meant that powerful ghosts and monsters had already poured out from behind the gate. While the outside was infested with countless creatures, the inside of the gate was relatively safer. The program viewers would always know their location. Going inside would at least help them escape most of the hostile creatures not interested in the show.
With the chief attendant leading the way, they easily reached the edge of the terrifying color block.
The host hated the chief attendant more than Wen Shi. If he had just revealed the truth, the host would have surely found a way to escape.
The chief attendant had also grasped this point. He knew that anyone could escape, but he couldn’t. He was the chief attendant and could at least drag along an unlucky soul with him.
Stepping into the twisted space, Wen Shi finally saw the world inside the color block.
Dozens of coffins were scattered all around, with two white jade coffins in the center. These flawless jade coffins held a rare and valuable quality that even someone unfamiliar with such matters could sense. Blood-red moonlight sprinkled upon them, as if the jade’s transparency was purifying the light.
Two coffins, one entrance and one exit, both without a bottom. There was no end in sight looking down into the abyss. From the left coffin, malevolent creatures constantly crawled out from beneath, while the other one revealed a seemingly bottomless darkness.
Wen Shi grabbed the host’s tie, pulling him to the edge of the coffin and pressing his hand against the host’s neck, forcing him to look down into the unfathomable abyss.
No, the Ghost Abyss.
The host was still stunned by Wen Shi’s intention to enter the Ghost Gate, and in that moment of inattention, he was pressed down beside the coffin.
The malevolent wind from below continuously slapped against his face, like a giant python opening its mouth, waiting for prey to fall in.
Just as he was about to break free from Wen Shi’s grip, a gentle whisper echoed in his ear, “Please, as the former host, how could you miss my big day?”
The show couldn’t be paused. The decision from higher-ups arrived without time for deliberation, instructing the host to enter first.
A crew member at the back tearfully delivered this news.
The host felt like he was struck by lightning.
The inconspicuous scarecrow, immensely strong, took advantage of the host’s momentary distraction and shoved him into the coffin.
“Aaaahhhh—”
Surprisingly, there was an echo from below.
Ignoring it all, Wen Shi smiled and winked at the chief attendant.
“I-I’ll do it myself.” Trembling, the chief attendant approached the coffin, his Adam’s apple visibly shaking.
Coincidentally, a malevolent creature climbed onto the adjacent coffin and stared at the uncertain chief attendant and the others with a puzzled expression. Distorted by the light of the【Eternal Lamp】, the ghost mistook them for its kind and seemed to be considering jumping over to their side of the gate. It politely inquired, “Are you okay?”
The chief attendant wanted to retort that it wasn’t him who had a problem, but before he could speak, the scarecrow energetically gave him a push from behind, causing the chief attendant to tumble headlong into the coffin—
“AAAAAAAHHHH!” His screams were even louder than the host’s.
The crew members’ legs went weak from fear, but they couldn’t leave their posts. They stood there, tears streaming down their faces as they held onto the equipment.
Wen Shi and the scarecrow each lifted one person and tossed them into the coffins, like dumplings being put into a pot of boiling water.
One agonized scream followed another as they were swallowed by the abyss.
Finally, Wen Shi clapped his hands to remove the dust and turned to look at the players.
Except for Ji Yuanzhi, all the players collectively retreated, their horrified expressions not any less than those of the NPCs. In response, Wen Shi just smiled faintly and said, “Feel free.”
With little time left on the【Eternal Lamp】, he activated his transformation skill again. Who knew what awaited him beyond the Ghost Gate? It was better to be cautious.
After making the necessary preparations, Wen Shi walked to the camera that the host favored the most. Amidst the fearful expressions of the remaining crew members, he adopted a tone even more sinister than that of the malevolent creatures and said, “I cordially invite all my devoted fans to attend my second wedding.”
As he finished speaking, his slender cat tail lifted at just the right moment to form a heart shape.
“……”
In an instant, the live chat fell silent.
If you enjoy this novel, support the Translator ginevre on her ko-fi account :))
