A Long-Held Wish (18)-Rising from the Dead

After Yu Xing entered the wedding hall, she quickly glanced around.

He could hear the conversation between Madam and Si, and knew that if Madam wasn't stupid, she would definitely notice something was off about Si's words. After all, no matter how well Si fit the role of Xiao Meng, no matter how smart she was, the words she made up on the spot would always be full of loopholes and seem deliberate.

In order to avoid harming the priest or himself, he had to find a place to hide before his wife realized what was happening.

Otherwise, it would be awkward if the lady turned around and met his gaze, given that he was a tall man of 1.85 meters.

Oh, you can't say that. Xiao Jin doesn't seem to be 185cm tall.

In a very short time, Yu Xing didn't have time to identify what was in the room. Her gaze swept over the large and small objects one by one, finally settling on a table used for offering incense burners.

The table is square, covered with a thick red cloth that drags all the way to the ground, making it very suitable for Tibetans.

Yu Xing immediately crouched down, walked to the table, lifted the red cloth, and crawled inside.

The red candlelight was dazzling, but Yu Xing was often surrounded by candlelight during his deductions, so he adapted quite well. He lowered the curtain, thought for a moment, and then disliked peeking out from a small, inconspicuous corner.

Almost as soon as his gaze reached the doorway, he saw his wife turn around and stare into the wedding hall for a long while with a gloomy expression.

"Tsk, the timing is good, the plan works." Yu Xing thought to himself.

He wouldn't be spotted from this angle, so he simply lay down on the ground, propped his chin up, and waited comfortably.

He planned to stay there until the Master finished resurrecting the corpse and left, then he could sneak out and interfere with the wedding ceremony.

However, before Yu Xing could put down the red cloth, he saw a Black Shadow figure silently step in while the lady was questioning the shrine. Then, this person looked around and actually set his sights on the table where Yu Xing was hiding, and came over here!

Yu Xing: "..."

He thoughtfully moved further in, intending to cover the other person's mouth to prevent them from screaming in fright after they came in, and then kindly offer half of the space for them to hide.

The figure quickly walked to the table, quietly lifted the curtain, but did not go in directly. Instead, it cautiously glanced inside first.

At that glance, he spotted Xiao Jin, lying casually on the ground.

The figure. "..."

Yu Xing mouthed, "... Hi? Oh, it's Brother Jiu ~"

Because the character she was playing looked and acted in was quite different from her own appearance, Zhao Yijiu, who wasn't recognized by Yu Xing at first glance, paused for a moment, then said nothing and crawled under the table.

Once the red cloth was lowered, all the candlelight outside was blocked, and Yu Xing was plunged into complete darkness. His night vision was suppressed, and he was now no different from an ordinary person, feeling as if he couldn't see his own hand in front of his face.

Zhao Yijiu, on the other hand, seemed to see things very clearly, and placed his hand on Yu Xing's shoulder to help Yu Xing locate him.

He asked in a voice so soft that only the two of them could hear, "How did you get in?"

Yu Xing embarrassed to continue lounging around like a couch potato, so he sat up. "Same method as you."

The implication was that they all barged in when the lady wasn't looking.

Zhao Yijiu seemed more at ease in the darkness than usual, even the gloom that usually lingered within him seemed to dissipate somewhat. He then said, "Planning to watch the show here? There are three more people outside, are you going to help them or not?"

"The red silk is affected by Liu Xue. Once the wedding ceremony begins, the silk will stop moving, and those three will be fine." Yu Xing, who was nearby, keenly sensed Zhao Yijiu's difference. He was somewhat surprised by Zhao Yijiu's ease in the darkness and became more interested in Zhao Yijiu's past.

"Fang Pian said he has a way to get in, and with Si constantly digging into the plot by the Madam's side, it shouldn't be difficult for their group to explore 60% of the information. But Luo Liang 'Group One..." Zhao Yijiu analyzed in a cold tone. Anyone who didn't know better wouldn't understand that he was weighing whether or not he needed help; they would probably think he was talking about some kind of murder plan.

"You want to help?" Yu Xing raised an eyebrow in the darkness.

Zhao Yijiu hesitated for a moment, then said, "Whatever you say."

It means, if you say you'll help, then I'll help; if you say you won't, then forget it.

Yu Xing laughed, and whispered, "The Righteous Path, it's terrifying."

Zhao Yijiu shifted slightly, then a muffled voice came through. "What's wrong with following the Righteous Path?"

"No, no, it's really good. I especially like the Righteous Path." Yu Xing denied jokingly. He did admire the Righteous Path deducers. He was just marveling at how Zhao Yijiu's cold personality made sense for being assigned to the Righteous Path, because beneath his icy exterior, his heart was quite warm.

Moreover, Zhao Yijiu is not a saint; he simply chose to help others when his own safety was assured, and he sought his teammate's opinion as much as possible.

Yu Xing smiled and agreed, "Okay, after the Master finishes what he needs to do and leaves, we'll find a way to bring Luo Liang and his teammates back in."

Zhao Yijiu asked, "What if the Master and his wife want to watch the wedding ceremony before they leave?"

"I'll just smash this place up. Anyway... now that they're out of the Master's control, even if Young Master Fang and Liu Xue's ghosts are completely out of their minds, they won't attack me first. They'll definitely seek revenge on their old enemies first!"

The size of the wedding hall was exactly the same as that of the mourning hall in the first stage, which was enough to show that, for Young Master Fang, the wedding hall decorated with swaying red shadows was just like a mournful funeral hall, making him feel depressed and desperate.

At least through this imagery, Yu Xing can ascertain Young Master Fang's attitude towards funeral-themed weddings.

This young master shares their general stance, and even though he poses a certain danger, he can be utilized or used to provide assistance.

Yu Xing guessed that Zhao Yijiu could see everything, and this could be considered a test. After he finished speaking, he gave Zhao Yijiu.

Zhao Yijiu's tone took on a strange tinge. "What are you doing?"

"It's nothing, I was just seeing if you could see. Hey, your night vision is that good?"

"... Um."

The lady probably never dreamed that two such audacious fellows would be hiding under the table, chatting in this cold and eerily quiet wedding hall.

After chatting for a bit, Yu Xing lifted a corner of the tablecloth again, and this time, he carefully examined the furnishings of the wedding hall.

In the spacious rectangular space, red candles were inserted one by one into candlesticks placed on the floor. In the middle of the room were two empty wooden chairs, with a couplet hanging between them.

Red floral patterns hung above the couplet, giving it a very festive look.

According to custom, the parents-in-law should sit on the wooden chairs during the wedding ceremony, while the other side is for paying respects to heaven and earth. I wonder what kind of people will sit on the chairs during a funeral wedding.

Every pillar in the house is decorated with red characters "", and an unlit brazier is placed next to the threshold...

Many details were consistent with the wedding ceremony of ordinary families, but no matter how you looked at the Fang Mansion's wedding hall, you could not get rid of that eerie atmosphere.

Because, in front of the wooden chair, lay a huge black coffin.

Yu Xing's gaze involuntarily drifted towards the coffin; its presence was so strong, no less so than the corpse dressed in Da Hong wedding dress sitting upright on the empty chair on the other side.

The corpse was facing away from the coffin, so Yu Xing could only see a figure that should have been slender, but was wrapped in layers of cloth and looked very heavy.

The candle burned shorter and shorter, its wax dripping like blood, drop by drop, the cold temperature seeping into my bones.

The corpse remained motionless, its red veil concealing its coiled black hair, giving the illusion that the body was about to stand up like a living person and smile sweetly.

Yu Xing felt that the figure was very familiar, just like when he went to Liu Bingxian's shop on Funeral Street to find Liu Xue and saw Liu Xue making paper figures with her back to him.

"Tsk, if after I die, someone preserves me perfectly, dresses me in red, and has me marry the soul of a strange woman..." Yu Xing muttered under her breath, her brows furrowed tightly. "Ugh, that's so damn immoral."

Zhao Yijiu: "..." Why do you always find yourself identifying with things in such strange places?

A strange feeling crossed his mind for a moment; he felt that Yu Xing was implying something, but he couldn't quite pinpoint the exact meaning.

There was no time for Zhao Yijiu to sort things out. The moment finally arrived. The door creaked open and three figures flashed past, stepping into the wedding hall.

The Master walked ahead of the lady, taking evenly spaced steps, and arrived at the coffin.

The lady did not approach the coffin too closely, as if she was somewhat wary. She leaned weakly against the low cabinet, while Si obediently followed behind her, standing silently.

The Master looked around, pressed his hand against his mask, and said slowly in a deep voice, "There seems to be a small insect here."

"What? Someone's come in?" The lady's gaze suddenly sharpened.

The Master remained silent, a mocking smile playing on his lips, "Some little insects overestimate themselves, always thinking they're well hidden, but in reality... they've simply walked right into the trap."

Zhao Yijiu's pupils contracted under the table. The Master had already discovered him and Yu Xing!?

Was this something the Master predicted, or does the Master possess other perceptual abilities?

If that's the case, the Master's fearless behavior probably means that his and Yu Xing's intrusion into the Wedding Hall was exactly what the Master had anticipated, or even allowed.

He moved his right hand, intending to take out the [Stop Killing] to ensure he could counterattack immediately in case of danger, when a hand with distinct knuckles placed on the back of his right hand, the force neither too light nor too heavy, but clearly stopping his movement.

Zhao Yijiu looked at Yu Xing, puzzled, only to see Yu Xing calmly shake his head and mouth, "He's bluffing."

Zhao Yijiu was stunned and froze, waiting for the Master's next move.

Unexpectedly, Yu Xing reached out and covered his eyes again, shaking her head. "Don't look. Some people are very sensitive to gazes, especially those filled with strong emotions."

Zhao Yijiu could barely make out Yu Xing's lip movements, and lowered her eyelids.

Why does Yu Xing seem to have a lot of experience in spying...?

His heartbeat, which had been startled by the Master's words, gradually calmed down, and he regained his composure.

As expected, the two of them waited quietly, but the lady lacked the patience. Seeing that the Master hadn't made any move after speaking, she pressed, "Who came in? Where is he?"

The Master waited two more seconds before laughing and saying, "Madam, you misunderstand. I was just talking about an insect that crawled onto me."

Having said that, he extended his hand.

Between his index finger and thumb was a dead black crawling worm, about the size of a fingernail.

The lady said, "... You tried to scare me, but you ended up scaring me instead."

The Master did not reply to her, but walked to the coffin and touched the end of the coffin with a gap.

"Close the door."

The lady turned around and obediently closed the door.

The Master stretched out a hand behind him, and the priest in charge of the ceremony preparations immediately stepped forward with a jar, walked to the Master's side, and lifted the lid of the jar.

A strong, pungent smell of blood wafted from the jar, causing Yu Xing was under the table, to curl her lip in disgust.

He smelled the same odor on the blood array in the ear chamber, even stronger than half the smell of blood, making him nauseous.

The Master took the small spoon handed to him by the shrine, scooped a spoonful of blood from the jar, and skillfully poured it onto the coffin lid. Yu Xing could only judge from the Master's arm movements that the first stroke was an arc.

The priest held up the jar expressionlessly, watching the Master spoonful by spoonful complete the miniature blood array on the coffin lid. Finally, the Master used a knife to cut his finger and squeezed out his own blood in the empty spaces corresponding to the five human sacrifices in the large blood array.

Blood fell, the formation was complete.

An unprecedented chill quickly enveloped the entire room, and the lady, dressed lightly, began to get goosebumps.

The Master dismissed the priest and focused intently on the black coffin.

Thump.

Suddenly, the coffin shook, and in the silence, a knocking sound came from inside, which was particularly eerie.

The Master chuckled and said, "That's it. You may leave now."

"Thump, thump..."

The knocking inside the coffin grew more and more rapid. From an outsider's perspective, the coffin was shaking incessantly, as if the thing inside was about to burst out of the coffin at any moment.

The lady watched this scene, her beautiful eyes lowered, her hands clasped together, and she said softly, "Ah... I hope you like your new wife."

The Master pushed open the door, turned around, and said, "Someone needs to keep an eye on things inside. In case of any unforeseen circumstances, knock on the window to alert them."

The lady snorted coldly at him, then looked at Si with some reluctance. "Xiao Meng, as we said before, you stay in the room. Remember, stand by the window and disguise yourself as a paper doll decoration, so that the young master and Liu Xue don't find you. After it's over, don't worry about anything, just escape through the door, understand?"

Si, who was pondering how to stay inside, paused for a moment, then calmly replied, "I'll be careful."

She was unaware that "she" had discussed this matter with the lady; presumably, this must have happened before the time jump to today, during Xiao Meng's life.

What a pleasant surprise!

The lady and the Master left the room, and the moment the door closed, Si looked around.

She wouldn't obediently stand by the window pretending to be a paper doll. The lady and the Master might not have intended to sacrifice her, but as a diviner, she knew that Liu Xue was best at making paper dolls.

If she were to actually become an observer, standing there foolishly without moving, she would be stepping right into a dead end.

Liu Xue will definitely recognize her as a living person.

It can only be said that Xiao Meng, the character she plays, has access to many plot points and clues that others cannot, but there are also one pitfall after another, and a slight carelessness can lead to utter ruin.

Fortunately... she wasn't one to be trifled with.

Thump!

"Knock knock knock!"

The coffin shook more and more violently. Suddenly, five pale fingers squeezed out from the gap and grabbed the coffin lid.

The creature inside clearly realized that this was the only way to get out, and instead of continuing to pound on it, it slowly pushed the coffin lid down with its hands...

The red cloth covering the table to the side was lifted to a very conspicuous height, Yu Xing peeked out and waved to her.