Chen Zhiruo

The copper mirror reflected the youth's tall, slender figure. At this moment, those cool Purple Eyes suddenly softened, a faint haze spreading through them.

The youth's low voice reached her ears, but instead of answering her earlier question, he repeated her name.

"Chen Zhiruo."

The Ghost Bride's unfocused pupils contracted slightly.

Hearing that familiar yet unfamiliar name spoken by someone else felt like a lifetime ago.

Not Er Ya. Not Zhao Di.

Chen Zhiruo.

The name her mother, who had died young, had given her.

"I understand your Resentment, and I'm willing to share it with you. But I think you never should have encountered these things. You never should have suffered any of this."

She never should have?

The Ghost Bride's hand beneath her wedding robes trembled. Perhaps for the first time, someone had said that to her.

She never should have.

She never should have suffered all of this.

More bloody tears spilled from the Ghost Bride's eyes, falling drop by drop onto the dressing table before being slowly wiped away by a pale handkerchief.

"She's still just a child."

Bo Shuo sighed and tucked the white handkerchief in her hand.

The Ghost Bride before him was clearly very young. Even beneath her thick makeup, her childishness could not be concealed, though it was now buried under hatred and Resentment.

Bo Shuo pitied her. Years ago, he had had a younger Sister, about the same age as the girl before him.

A child this age should not—and could not—be made to accept such a tragic ending.

If she had not suffered an injustice so monstrous, how could she have been engulfed by Resentment all this time, becoming a Fierce Ghost with countless lives' blood on her hands?

The Ghost Bride sat quietly before the dressing stool. After a long while, she stiffly raised her head. Her tone had calmed, carrying a faint plea. "Can you tell me where my husband is?"

She sobbed softly. "I can't find him anymore."

(Congratulations, Examinee Bo Shuo, for discovering the bonus question—Help the Ghost Bride find the Ghost Groom. (20 points))

(Time limit: 2h)

007 said, "The Ghost Bride's favorability toward you is rising sharply~"

"What do you want to do after finding him?" Bo Shuo asked.

"Do what?" The Ghost Bride was visibly lost for a moment. Then her entire body began to shake violently, as though her throat were filled with blood. "I want to kill him! I want to kill him!"

"I don't want to get married! I want to kill him!"

"I understand."

Bo Shuo looked at her, fell silent for a moment, then gave her his promise. "I'll do my best to help you find him."

"Thank you," the Ghost Bride said softly, lifting her eyes to Bo Shuo. "How should I address you?"

"Bo." The youth's thin lips parted, uttering a single word.

The Ghost Bride's voice was no longer as shrill as before. A trace of clarity spread through her once-clouded eyes as she said quietly, "Thank you, Mr. Bo."

(Congratulations, you have received the Ghost Bride's gift: B-rank item, Wooden Comb x1)

(Ghost item description: A Wooden Comb belonging to a B-rank Resentful Ghost. It may be used as a marker to enter the Ghost Domain. (Usable only during this exam))

As those words appeared, the entire space began to twist and blur, like an expired oil painting slowly fading.

In a dark, damp basement.

Several blood-covered, bedraggled Examinees huddled in a corner. Their Limbs were firmly restrained, thin iron wires piercing their flesh, sharp enough to cut straight through their Limbs with the slightest movement.

The lighting was dim as they tried to think of a way to escape.

Just moments ago, each of them had appeared alone before the Ghost Bride. For some unknown reason, they had lost their senses and admitted to being her groom. Then, they had been repeatedly tortured to death by the enraged Ghost Bride.

The basement was dimly lit, with only faint candlelight flickering.

A door in the distance creaked, then opened a narrow crack.

All the Examinees bound there nervously looked up, terrified that it was the Terrifying Place Ghost Bride again.

Instead, they saw the youth enter through the door unscathed. Light from outside fell behind him, making his red robes appear even more resplendent.

The youth walked in unhurriedly, as though he were not entering a filthy, chaotic basement. Those Deep Purple Eyes looked down at them from above.

"Mr. Bo!" One of the Examinees' eyes lit up. Forgetting his fear of Bo Shuo, he cried out excitedly, "Please, save us!"

In their current desperate situation, compared with the Ghost Bride, Bo Shuo undoubtedly gave them an Extremely Strong sense of security.

At the very least, they were fellow Examinees.

Bo Shuo looked at their miserable state, fell silent for a moment, then used his scalpel to cut them free.

"Thank you!"

One of the freed Examinees was somewhat flattered. After pulling the iron wires out of his flesh, he hurriedly went to rescue the others.

"Mr. Bo, did you encounter any Terrifying Ghosts outside?" The Examinee with Zhao Yiyun displayed above his head asked cautiously, his face turning pale as if he had recalled something dreadful.

"Before we were imprisoned here, we all encountered a Ghost—the Ghost Bride."

Once the topic began, the Examinees who had temporarily escaped danger all began talking at once, sharing what they had learned.

They went on and on about how Terrifying the Ghost Bride was, warning Bo Shuo to avoid her if possible.

"Stop." Bo Shuo interrupted them.

Bo Shuo looked at their somewhat bewildered faces and found that he could not quite bear to remind them.