To give or not to give?
Xie Lian sat quietly, pondering whether to continue sitting calmly or pretend to be a frightened bride and retreat.
The owner of the hand, however, was patient and composed, waiting for his response.
After a moment, as if guided by some unseen force, Xie Lian extended his hand.
He stood up to lift the curtain and step out of the sedan, but the other person had already lifted the red curtain for him.
The person held his hand gently, as if afraid of hurting him, giving an impression of carefulness.
Xie Lian lowered his head and allowed himself to be led out of the sedan.
As he stepped out, he noticed a wolf's corpse strangled by the ruoye ribbon at his feet.
He stumbled slightly, pretending to fall forward with a gasp.
The person immediately supported him, catching him.
In that moment, Xie Lian felt something cold.
The person was wearing silver wrist guards.
The wrist guards were ornate and ancient-looking, adorned with maple leaves, butterflies, and fierce beasts, unlike anything from the Central Plains, more like an artifact from a foreign tribe.
They fit snugly on the person's wrists, appearing both elegant and efficient.
The cold silver and pale hands seemed lifeless, yet carried a hint of danger and mystery.
His fall was intentional, a test, with the ruoye ribbon always ready under his wide sleeves.
However, the person merely held his hand and led him forward.
Xie Lian, with his head covered, couldn't see clearly and intentionally walked slowly to buy time.
The other person matched his pace, walking slowly as well, occasionally steadying him as if worried he might fall again.
Despite Xie Lian's vigilance, he couldn't help but think, "If this were truly a groom, he would indeed be the most gentle and considerate one."
Suddenly, he heard a light, tinkling sound.
With each step, the sound rang clearly. As he pondered the source of the sound, the low growls of wild beasts echoed around them.
Wolves!
Xie Lian tensed slightly, and the ruoye ribbon tightened around his wrist.
But before he could act, the person holding his hand gently patted it twice, as if to reassure him not to worry.
The pats were so gentle they could be described as tender, leaving Xie Lian momentarily stunned.
The growls subsided. Listening closely, he realized the wolves were not growling but whimpering.
It was the sound of beasts terrified to the point of being unable to move, struggling in their last moments.
His curiosity about the person grew stronger.
He wanted to lift the veil and take a look but knew it was inappropriate. He could only peek through the gap at the bottom of the red veil, seeing the hem of a red robe. Beneath the robe, a pair of black leather boots walked at a leisurely pace.
The tightly laced black boots led up to a pair of long, straight legs, making the walk look graceful. On the side of the boots hung two fine silver chains, which jingled pleasantly with each step.
The footsteps were carefree and light, like those of a young man. Yet each step was confident, as if nothing could hinder his path. Anyone who dared block him would be crushed. Xie Lian couldn't determine what kind of person he was dealing with.
As he pondered, something white caught his eye on the ground.
It was a skull cap.
Xie Lian paused for a moment.
He immediately recognized that the skull's placement was part of a formation. If disturbed, the entire formation would attack at that point. But the young man's steps seemed oblivious to the object. Xie Lian considered warning him, but before he could, there was a sharp crack, and the young man crushed the skull cap underfoot.
Then, as if nothing had happened, he walked over the crushed remains indifferently.
Xie Lian: "..."
He had just crushed the entire formation into dust with one step...
The young man paused. Xie Lian wondered if he should act, but the young man only paused briefly before continuing to lead him. After a few steps, a pattering sound, like raindrops on an umbrella, was heard. The young man had opened an umbrella over their heads.
Though the timing was odd, Xie Lian couldn't help but admire his thoughtfulness. But he was puzzled, "Is it raining?"
The dark mountain and wild forest stretched out. In the distance, wolves howled at the moon. Perhaps due to a recent fight in the mountains, the cold air carried a faint scent of blood.
The scene was eerie, yet the young man, holding his hand and the umbrella, moved forward with an inexplicable elegance, full of mystery.
The strange rain came and went quickly, and soon the sound of raindrops on the umbrella ceased. The young man stopped, seeming to close the umbrella, and finally released his hand, stepping closer.
The hand that had held his all along gently lifted a corner of the veil, slowly raising it.
Xie Lian had been waiting for this moment, standing still, watching as the red veil was lifted—
The ruoye ribbon moved!
It wasn't that the young man showed hostility, but Xie Lian had to act first, to take control!
Unexpectedly, as the ruoye ribbon flew out, the red veil slipped from the young man's hand, and Xie Lian only caught a glimpse of a red-robed figure before the ribbon passed through.
The young man shattered into a thousand silver butterflies, scattering into a dazzling, starry wind.
Though the timing was inappropriate, Xie Lian couldn't help but be amazed by the dreamlike beauty of the scene. A silver butterfly fluttered past his eyes, and as he tried to look closer, it circled him twice before joining the butterfly wind, becoming part of the shimmering silver light, flying into the night sky.
It took Xie Lian a moment to recover, wondering, "Is this young man the ghost groom?"
He felt it unlikely. If he were, the wolves in Yu Jun Mountain would be his subordinates, and they wouldn't have been so terrified. Moreover, the formation on the road should have been set by the ghost groom, yet he had casually... crushed it.
But if not, why did the young man hijack the bridal sedan?
The more he thought about it, the stranger it seemed. Xie Lian tossed the ruoye ribbon over his shoulder, thinking, "Maybe he was just passing by. Better set it aside for now, focus on the main task." Looking around, he exclaimed, "Oh!" Not far away was a building, standing quietly.
Since the young man had brought him here, and the building was hidden within a maze, it was necessary to investigate.
Xie Lian took a few steps, paused, then returned to pick up the veil, dusted it off, and continued toward the building.
The building had red walls and high courtyards, with bricks and tiles showing signs of age. It seemed to be an old city god temple, and based on Xie Lian's experience, likely a martial god temple. Sure enough, he looked up to see three large characters above the door:
"Bright Light Hall"!
The Northern Martial God, Bright Light General, was the same General Pei that Ling Wen mentioned in the Spirit Communication Array, who was very popular in the north. No wonder they hadn't found Bright Light Hall nearby but had found Nan Yang Temple. It turned out this Bright Light Temple was hidden in Yu Jun Mountain, sealed by a maze. Could the ghost groom be connected to Bright Light General?
However, this Bright Light General was a highly successful and influential god in the north, and Xie Lian personally didn't think such a god would want to be involved with a dangerous figure like the ghost groom. Being unknowingly taken over by a malicious spirit wasn't unheard of. The truth would only be revealed by investigating further.
He approached the temple, finding the door closed but unlocked, and pushed it open. A strange smell wafted out.
It wasn't the dust of an abandoned place but a faint stench of decay.
Xie Lian closed the door behind him, making it look as if no one had entered, and stepped inside. In the center of the main hall stood a statue of a martial god, naturally the Northern Martial God Bright Light General. Statues, dolls, and portraits often attracted evil, so Xie Lian carefully examined the statue.
After a thorough inspection, he concluded: the statue was well-made. Holding a sword and wearing a jade belt, it appeared handsome and dignified. There was nothing wrong with it, and the stench wasn't coming from the statue, so Xie Lian turned his attention to the back of the hall.
As he turned, he froze, his pupils shrinking.
A group of women in red bridal dresses, veils covering their heads, stood upright before him.
The faint stench of decay emanated from these brides.
Xie Lian quickly regained his composure and counted them one by one, all the way to seventeen.
These were the seventeen brides who had gone missing around Yu Jun Mountain!
Some brides' dresses were faded and worn, likely the ones who had been missing longer. Others had new dresses, with only a faint hint of decay, likely the more recent ones. After a brief thought, Xie Lian lifted a bride's veil.
Under the bright red veil was a pale face, slightly green, terrifying in the dim moonlight. The most horrifying part was the twisted muscles of her deathly face, yet it bore a stiff smile.
Xie Lian lifted another bride's veil, finding the same upturned smile.
This room full of dead women, all wearing bridal dresses, all smiling.
Xie Lian's mind echoed with the eerie children's rhyme: "New bride, new bride, in the red sedan... Tears in her eyes, crossing the hill, don't let the smile show under the veil..."
Suddenly, he heard a strange noise outside the temple.
It was a truly strange sound, difficult to describe, like two thickly wrapped sticks striking the ground, or something heavy being dragged. The sound approached quickly, reaching the temple door in no time. With a long creak, the temple door was pushed open.
Whether it was a person or something else, it was likely the ghost groom. And now, it had returned!
With no way out or place to hide in the back of the hall, Xie Lian thought for a moment and then stood among the brides, covering himself with a veil, standing still.
If there were only a few bodies, it would be obvious that the numbers didn't match, but with seventeen brides, unless counted one by one, it would be hard to notice someone had joined them.
He had just blended in when the strange sound, "thump, thump," entered the hall.
Xie Lian stood motionless, thinking, "What is this sound? It resembles footsteps but muffled. It can't be the young man who brought me here; he was so carefree, with a jingling sound as he walked."
Suddenly, he realized something: "Not good, the height is wrong!"
These bodies were all women, but he was a genuine man, naturally taller. Though it wasn't immediately obvious, one taller figure among the bodies would stand out.
But then he reconsidered and calmed down. He was indeed taller, but Xiao Ying had only simply tied his hair, while these brides were elaborately dressed, with high hairdos and some wearing crowns, making their heads appear taller. Some might not be shorter than him, so he shouldn't be too conspicuous.
As he thought this, he heard a "swish" sound, two meters away.
After a moment, another "swish," closer this time.
Xie Lian realized the ghost groom was lifting the brides' veils one by one, checking their faces!
"Bang!"
Now or never! The ruoye ribbon shot out, striking the ghost groom.
With a loud crash, black mist filled the air. Xie Lian didn't know if the mist was poisonous, as he had no Divine Light Shield, so he held his breath and covered his mouth, urging the ruoye ribbon to create a breeze to disperse the mist. He saw a small black figure dart past the temple entrance. The door wide open, a mass of black mist rolled into the forest.
Xie Lian made a quick decision and pursued. But after a few steps, the forest was ablaze with light, and shouts echoed: "Charge—!"
A young man's voice rang out clearly: "Catch the ugly monster, protect the people! Catch the ugly monster, protect the people! We'll split the reward!" It was Little Peng. Xie Lian groaned inwardly. These people had said they'd come up the mountain and had actually done so. Initially, there was a formation blocking their way, but after the young man crushed it, they had stumbled upon the place. And they were coming from the same direction the ghost groom had fled!
Xie Lian hurried over with the ruoye ribbon, shouting, "Stop, don't move!" The group was stunned. Before he could speak further, Little Peng eagerly asked, "Miss! Were you taken by the ghost groom? What's your name? We're here to save you, you can relax now!"
Xie Lian was taken aback, amused, realizing he was still in women's clothing. There were no mirrors in Nan Yang Temple, so he didn't know how he looked, but judging by their reaction, Xiao Ying's handiwork must have been skillful, as the group mistook him for a real bride.
Little Peng probably hoped he was the seventeenth bride, to claim the reward. In any case, he couldn't let the villagers scatter, but he couldn't be sure the ghost groom hadn't fled further. Just then, two young men in black arrived, and Xie Lian immediately called, "Nan Feng, Fu Yao, help me!"
Unexpectedly, the two looked at him, stunned, and stepped back. It took several questions for them to respond. Xie Lian asked, "Did you encounter anything on the way?"
Nan Feng replied, "No."
Xie Lian said, "Good. Fu Yao, search this path thoroughly, check all around, make sure the ghost groom isn't escaping."
Fu Yao turned and left. Xie Lian continued, "Nan Feng, guard this place, make sure no one leaves. If Fu Yao doesn't find the ghost groom in the mountains, then it's definitely among these people!"
The crowd erupted. Little Peng, realizing he wasn't a woman, was the first to jump up: "None of us can leave? Who do you think you are! Is there no law? Everyone, don't listen to them..."
Before he could finish, Nan Feng struck a tree with his palm, snapping it in half. The crowd remembered his tendency to break things and fell silent, fearing they'd be next. Little Peng protested, "You think the ghost groom is among us? Everyone here has a name and a face. Use a torch to check everyone's face, one by one!"
Xie Lian said, "Nan Feng."
Nan Feng took Little Peng's torch and shone it on each face. Every face was sweating, some nervous, some confused, some excited, all vividly alive. Xie Lian couldn't discern anything, so he addressed the crowd: "Everyone, I apologize for the intrusion, but I injured the ghost groom, and it escaped. It can't have gone far. My friends didn't encounter it on the way, so it might be hiding among you. Please, look at each other carefully, see if there's anyone you don't recognize."
The crowd, hearing the ghost groom might be among them, was terrified and cautious, looking at each other. After a while, someone exclaimed, "Why are you here?"
Xie Lian's heart skipped a beat, rushing over: "Who?"
Little Peng grabbed another torch and pointed to a corner: "This ugly one!"
He was pointing at Xiao Ying. Her crooked face looked distorted in the torchlight, and she seemed uncomfortable being exposed, covering her face. "I... I was just worried and wanted to check..."
Seeing her fear, Xie Lian took the torch from Little Peng and asked the crowd, "What about the rest of you?"
The group shook their heads, saying, "No strangers here." "We've all seen each other."
Nan Feng asked, "Could it have possessed someone?"
Xie Lian thought for a moment, "It shouldn't. It was solid."
Nan Feng said, "But since it's 'evil,' it might change form, who knows."
They hesitated, and Little Peng was the first to shout again: "The ghost groom isn't among us, you see that, right? If you see that, let us go!"
The crowd murmured in agreement. Xie Lian glanced at them and said, "Please stay in front of Bright Light Temple, don't leave."
The crowd wanted to complain but didn't dare under Nan Feng's stern gaze. At that moment, Fu Yao returned, saying, "Nothing nearby."
Looking at the crowd in front of Bright Light Temple, Xie Lian slowly said, "Then, it must be among these people."