The bridal sedan was completely covered in bright red silk, embroidered with auspicious symbols of dragons and phoenixes.
Nan Feng and Fu Yao walked on either side, guarding the sedan. Xie Lian sat calmly inside, swaying gently as the bearers carried him along.
The eight sedan bearers were all highly skilled martial officers.
Nan Feng and Fu Yao had disguised themselves as part of the wedding procession to find skilled bearers, showing off their abilities at the magistrate's residence, stating they were heading to Yu Jun Mountain at night.
The magistrate immediately lined up a group of strong martial officers.
However, the reason for choosing such skilled individuals wasn't to rely on their help, but to ensure they could escape if attacked by fierce ghosts.
In truth, these eight officers didn't think much of Nan Feng and Fu Yao.
They were top fighters in their own circles, leaders wherever they went.
Having these two pretty boys suddenly ordering them around and making them bearers was quite displeasing.
They couldn't defy their master's orders, but they were still annoyed, occasionally tilting or shaking the sedan on purpose, making it jolt and sway.
Outsiders might not notice, but anyone slightly delicate sitting inside would probably feel sick.
Sure enough, after a while, they heard Xie Lian inside the sedan sigh softly, which made the officers secretly pleased.
Outside, Fu Yao said coolly, "Miss, what's wrong? Are you so moved to tears by getting married at such an old age?"
Indeed, many brides cry in the bridal sedan.
Xie Lian found it both funny and exasperating, but his voice was calm and unaffected by the swaying.
He said, "No. I just realized something important is missing from this wedding procession."
Nan Feng asked, "What's missing? We should have prepared everything."
Xie Lian laughed, "Two bridesmaids."
The two outside exchanged glances, shuddering at whatever image came to mind.
Fu Yao said, "Just pretend your family is poor and couldn't afford bridesmaids. Make do."
Xie Lian replied, "Alright."
The bearers, hearing their banter, couldn't help but laugh, which eased their dissatisfaction and made them feel a bit closer to the group.
The sedan became steadier. Xie Lian leaned back, sitting upright with eyes closed, resting.
Suddenly, he heard a child's laughter echoing in his ears.
The laughter rippled through the mountains, eerie and ethereal.
Yet, the sedan continued smoothly, as if nothing was amiss.
Even Nan Feng and Fu Yao remained silent, seemingly unaware of any oddity.
Xie Lian opened his eyes and whispered, "Nan Feng, Fu Yao."
Nan Feng, on the left of the sedan, asked, "What is it?"
Xie Lian said, "Something's coming."
By now, the "wedding procession" had ventured deep into Yu Jun Mountain.
The surroundings grew quieter, making the creaking of the wooden sedan, the crunching of leaves, and the bearers' breathing seem loud in the silence.
The child's laughter hadn't faded. Sometimes it seemed far, deep in the forest, and sometimes close, right beside the sedan.
Nan Feng, looking serious, said, "I don't hear anything."
Fu Yao added coldly, "Neither do I."
The other bearers were even less likely to hear anything.
Xie Lian said, "So, it's letting only me hear it."
The eight officers, confident in their skills and thinking the ghost groom's appearances were unpredictable, weren't too afraid.
But suddenly reminded of the forty missing officers before them, some began to sweat.
Xie Lian noticed a pause in their steps and said, "Don't stop. Act like nothing's wrong."
Nan Feng signaled them to continue. Xie Lian added, "It's singing."
Fu Yao asked, "What's it singing?"
Listening closely to the child's voice, Xie Lian recited slowly, "New bride, new bride, in the red bridal sedan..."
In the silent night, his voice was clear, but the officers seemed to hear a child's voice singing along with him, sending chills down their spines.
Xie Lian continued, "Tears fall, over the hills, under the veil don't... show your smile... ghost groom... or something?"
He paused, "I can't make it out. It's laughing too much."
Nan Feng frowned, "What does it mean?"
Xie Lian explained, "Literally, it means the bride should cry, not smile."
Nan Feng asked, "Why is it telling you this?"
Fu Yao, always contrarian, said, "It might be misleading us. Maybe smiling is safe, and it's tricking us into crying. Who knows if past brides fell for it?"
Xie Lian said, "Fu Yao, an ordinary bride hearing this would be terrified, not able to smile. Besides, what's the worst that could happen?"
Fu Yao replied, "Being taken away."
Xie Lian said, "Isn't that our goal tonight?"
Fu Yao snorted but didn't argue further. Xie Lian said, "There's something I must tell you."
Nan Feng asked, "What is it?"
Xie Lian said, "I've been smiling since I got in the sedan."
As soon as he said that, the sedan suddenly dropped!
The officers outside were in chaos, and the sedan stopped completely. Nan Feng shouted, "Don't panic!"
Xie Lian raised his head slightly, "What's happening?"
Fu Yao said calmly, "Nothing much. Just some beasts."
Just after he spoke, Xie Lian heard a piercing wolf howl.
A pack of wolves blocked their path!
Xie Lian thought it was unusual, "Are wolves common in Yu Jun Mountain?"
One officer replied, "Never heard of it! This isn't Yu Jun Mountain!"
Xie Lian raised an eyebrow, "Then we're in the right place."
A pack of wolves in the wild couldn't trouble Nan Feng, Fu Yao, or the seasoned officers.
They were just caught off guard by the ghostly song.
In the dark forest, green wolf eyes shone, and hungry wolves emerged, surrounding them.
But these visible beasts were easier to deal with than the invisible threats, so everyone prepared to fight.
However, the real trouble was yet to come. Following the wolves, came a strange sound, not quite beast nor human.
An officer exclaimed, "What... what is that?!"
Nan Feng cursed. Xie Lian sensed something was wrong, tried to stand, and said, "What's happening now?"
Nan Feng quickly said, "Don't come out!"
As Xie Lian raised his hand, the sedan jolted as something clung to the door.
He lowered his gaze, seeing a black head through the veil's gap.
It had crawled into the sedan!
The thing crashed into the door but was quickly pulled out by someone outside. Nan Feng cursed at the front, "Damn, it's a Bi Nu!"
Hearing it was a Bi Nu, Xie Lian knew this was trouble.
In True Lord Ling Wen's records, Bi Nu was something not even worth a "bad" rating.
They were said to be originally human, but now, even if human, they were deformed.
They had heads and faces, but unclear; hands and feet, but couldn't walk straight; mouths and teeth, but couldn't bite effectively.
Yet, if given a choice, people would rather face more terrifying "evil" or "fierce" beings than encounter them.
Bi Nu often appeared with other monsters.
While the prey fights, they suddenly emerge, using their clingy limbs, sticky fluids, and relentless companions to entangle the prey.
Though weak in combat, their resilience and numbers make them hard to shake off or kill quickly.
Eventually, they tire the prey, causing a moment of carelessness, and the real enemy strikes.
After the prey is killed by other monsters, Bi Nu feast on the leftovers, enjoying the scraps.
They're truly disgusting. In the Heavenly Court, a divine light or weapon could scare them away, but for lower gods, they're a real nuisance.
Fu Yao said disdainfully, "I hate these things! Didn't Ling Wen Hall mention them?"
Xie Lian said, "No."
Fu Yao said, "What's the point then!"
Xie Lian asked, "How many are there?"
Nan Feng said, "Over a hundred, maybe more! Don't come out!"
Bi Nu get stronger in numbers, and over ten are hard to handle. Over a hundred? They could easily exhaust them.
They usually lived among large populations, never expected so many in Yu Jun Mountain. Xie Lian thought for a moment, slightly raised his arm, revealing a bandaged wrist.
He said, "Go."
With those words, the white ribbon unwrapped from his wrist, moving like it had a life of its own, flying out of the sedan.
Xie Lian sat inside, calmly saying, "Kill."
In the dark, a white shadow darted out like a venomous snake.
The ribbon, appearing only a few feet long when wrapped around Xie Lian's wrist, seemed endless as it flashed through the fighting crowd.
A series of sharp cracking sounds followed, and dozens of wolves and Bi Nu had their necks snapped in an instant!
The six Bi Nu entangling Nan Feng fell dead, and he struck a wolf, still not feeling relieved. In disbelief, he shouted at the sedan, "What is that?! I thought you had no power to use treasures?!"
Xie Lian said, "There's always an exception..."
Nan Feng, enraged, slammed the sedan door, "Xie Lian! Explain, what is that?! Is it..."
His slam nearly broke the sedan apart, making Xie Lian hold the door. He paused, reminded of Feng Xin's anger in the past by Nan Feng's tone.
Nan Feng wanted to say more, but distant screams from officers interrupted. Fu Yao coldly said, "Save it for after we deal with this!"
Nan Feng had no choice but to help. Xie Lian quickly regained composure, "Nan Feng, Fu Yao, you should go."
Nan Feng turned back, "What?"
Xie Lian said, "As long as you're around the sedan, more will come. You can't finish them. Take the others and leave. I'll meet the groom."
Nan Feng cursed, "You alone..." but Fu Yao, ever practical, said, "He can control that ribbon, he'll be fine for a while. You better settle them first and come back. I'm leaving."
He was decisive, leaving without hesitation. Nan Feng gritted his teeth, knowing he was right, and told the remaining officers, "Follow me!"
Indeed, away from the sedan, the wolves and Bi Nu still harassed them, but no new waves joined. Each guarded four officers, and as they moved, Fu Yao muttered, "Ridiculous, if not for me..."
They exchanged a glance, eyes strange, both stopping the topic for now, and continued on.
Around the sedan, bodies lay everywhere.
The ruoye ribbon had killed all the wolves and Bi Nu that attacked and returned, wrapping gently around Xie Lian's wrist. He sat quietly inside, surrounded by endless darkness and rustling trees.
Suddenly, everything went silent.
The wind, the forest, the monsters' cries—all fell into a dead silence, as if fearing something.
Then, he heard two soft laughs.
Sounding like a young man, or perhaps a boy.
Xie Lian sat silently.
The ruoye ribbon coiled on his wrist, ready to strike. If the visitor showed any hostility, it would retaliate fiercely.
But instead of an attack, he received something else.
The sedan curtain was slightly lifted, and through the veil's gap, Xie Lian saw a hand reaching out to him.
The fingers were slender, with a red thread tied around the third finger, like a bright bond on the pale hand.