Ghost Marriage

The entire scene was much too bizarre.

Bo Shuo stared at the bruised handprint on the woman's neck, then slowly shifted his gaze to Aunt Wang.

Aunt Wang returned to normal at that moment, and she smiled at Bo Shuo and his group, saying apologetically, "Sorry to make a spectacle of yourselves. This person is simply a madman, and you should just listen to whatever she says."

Yet the people present were by no means fooled by those words.

They certainly did not believe Aunt Wang let the woman off out of a soft heart; there had to be some things they did not know about.

Thus, whether this 'useful' information was true remained to be examined.

"Aunt Wang, I am very interested in the local customs and practices of our village. Could you tell me about the events that have occurred recently?"

Bo Shuo became the first to break the deadlock.

Hearing this, Aunt Wang looked over with lingering suspicion. The handsome young man before her had a smile curving his lips, and although the aura around him remained cold and sharp, he was unexpectedly sincere.

As a result, her attitude softened slightly. "Things have indeed been a bit unstable in the village recently."

Halfway through her sentence, Aunt Wang paused, a hint of hesitation crossing her unchanging face.

"Are you thinking about something?" The young man did not urge her, though his gaze drifted toward the tightly shut doors of every household. "The customs and habits here are certainly interesting."

His voice sounded chilly. "Aren't you having a wedding banquet? Yet every household keeps indoors, doors tightly shut and locked. Could it be that the people getting married have poor popularity?"

The young man calmly drew a conclusion. "This wedding is as good as uncelebrated anyway."

Hearing these words, Aunt Wang's expression sank once more, this time carrying a distinct trace of anger. "The bride and groom are able to be together naturally because they are in love with each other. Living their lives well is more important than anything else, and there is no need to deliberately pry into other people's minds."

Bo Shuo nodded noncommittally, casually brushing his fingertips across his side earring. Without saying whether she was right or wrong, his half-smiling gaze landed directly on Aunt Wang.

"I didn't say anything harsh. Whether it's good or not is naturally not for us to judge, but why are you getting so worked up?"

"You!"

Aunt Wang also realized her emotions had gone a bit too far and began to rein in the anger she had displayed. She glared at Bo Shuo with that sinister gaze of hers, and said nothing more.

(Emotion Points from 'Aunt Wang' +1999)

Aunt Wang really was connected to the figures involved in this wedding.

007: "Aunt Wang's hostility value toward you is really high right now, eh."

"She can't kill me right now." Bo Shuo's palms broke out in a slight sweat. "If she could kill us, she would have made a move long ago."

Bo Shuo was not wrong in saying this.

Even though Aunt Wang's acting skills were exceptional, Bo Shuo could still perceive the malice she hid so well in her eyes.

Aunt Wang truly wished she could make everyone die right here.

Yet Aunt Wang did not make a move, meaning something was definitely restricting her.

Was it the rules? Or something else entirely?

Right at that moment of rumination, they arrived at the wedding banquet venue.

Yet it was completely different from what they had imagined beforehand—there was not the slightest festive atmosphere; instead, it was dead silence all around.

"Is this really a celebration banquet?" The trembling voice of an NPC rang out.

All around was a sheet of white, with spirit money fluttering across the sky. The red silks that ought to have been there had turned into pale white paper flowers, and the entire area welcoming guests dipped slightly downward, looking less like a wedding banquet entrance and more like a tomb.

And right now, they were the ones serving as the funeral procession.

"Guests who have come from afar." The Village Chief walked out from the entrance and said tremblingly, "Come inside with me quickly."

The flow of people around them was sparse—a uniform group of men wearing white cloth draped over their heads, yet with red flowers pinned to their chests, looking exceptionally awkward.

Seeing Bo Shuo and his group arrive here, their gazes could by no means be considered friendly.

Bo Shuo stood at the entrance for a short while, taking out the red string he had kept in his pocket. He twirled it on his fingertips, ultimately decided against wearing it, and headed straight toward the wedding banquet venue.

Someone with sharp eyes saw that Bo Shuo was not wearing a red string and followed suit, taking off the red string on their wrist to hide it. Gritting their teeth, they rushed inside as well.

The wedding banquet venue was set in a gloomy basement, the floor covered with a layer of white Hell Money. Two black-and-white photo frames stood before the main hall, showing two smiling newlyweds facing the guest seating.

Below the stage was the guest seating, but those taking the seats were not those men wearing white cloth on their heads. Instead, they were lifelike paper figurines, identical to the paper dolls seen that night, all marked with cinnabar-painted scarlet eyes.

They were not sitting facing the tables; rather, their heads were twisted in unison, staring sinisterly toward the entrance, perfectly locking gazes with the examinees entering the wedding banquet.

"!"

The first few examinees walking at the front felt their scalps go numb.

No matter how you looked at it, this was not right.

Bo Shuo's footsteps paused slightly, feeling only a cold wind brush past the back of his spine, scaring him so much his scalpel almost popped out.

He took a deep breath, forcefully suppressing his fear as he scanned his surroundings. His gaze suddenly paused on the mottled, peeling wallpaper not far away.

Faint, dried, and blurry handwriting lingered there, barely recognizable from the stroke tips:

Wedding Banquet Rules

Rule One: To avoid waste, please finish all the food on your plate after the banquet begins; do not leave leftovers.

Rule Two: To maintain the order of the wedding banquet, please do not leave halfway through while the banquet is in progress.