Ghost Village Sunset Glow (2)

"Where did you go?" The moment Wen Jian stepped over the threshold of the residence, Feng Yue asked with a dark expression.

Wen Jian raised his eyes and saw that the other senior brothers and sisters had all returned and were gathered in the main hall. Nearby, the village chief was anxiously asking them about their findings, his gaze brimming with expectation.

Seeing this, Wen Jian instinctively lowered his voice and leaned close to Feng Yue. "I happened upon some clues, so I went to take a look."

As he spoke, he kept watch on the village chief's movements.

"Don't act alone next time." Feng Yue followed his gaze and glanced at the village chief before turning away. Though there was reproach in his tone, there was even more concern.

The group gathered together and pooled the information each of them had collected.

Yet as the discussion deepened, everyone's expressions grew increasingly grave.

They discovered that although the entire village was permeated by soaring resentment, like tangible black mist shrouding every inch of land and making it hard to breathe, no matter how meticulously they searched—from one end of the village to the other, from every household to the most remote corners—they could not find a single substantive clue.

There were, however, talismans plastered haphazardly around the village, faintly possessing the power to ward off ghosts.

According to the village chief, because they had long suspected that ghosts were causing trouble in the village, they had hired several Rogue Cultivators to help catch the ghosts before seeking assistance from the Profound Heaven Sect.

Those Rogue Cultivators had not been particularly skilled, so they had posted these ghost-repelling talismans around the village. They had originally intended to set up an array to prevent ghosts from entering the village.

But who could have imagined that the Ghost Bridegroom's magic power would be so far beyond expectations? At some unknown time, he had silently broken the array and swaggered into the village.

After hearing the village chief's account, everyone fell silent. With no further clues, the atmosphere grew ever more oppressive.

Seeing that everyone's face bore some degree of dejection, it was clear that today's investigation had yielded no ideal progress. He frowned slightly and said in a deep voice, "It's late. Everyone has been running about all day and must be exhausted. Rest first, and we'll make plans tomorrow."

"Right, right. Look at this brain of mine—I was so single-mindedly preoccupied with the ghost that I forgot none of you have been settled in yet. Come, come, I'll take you to the guest rooms." The village chief piled a fawning smile onto his face, hunching even lower as he led the way.

The group followed behind him through winding corridors. The lanterns on either side gave off a feeble glow, stretching and shrinking their shadows.

Once everyone had settled in, the surroundings swiftly fell quiet.

After the night watchman struck the third watch, the entire village sank into stillness. Only the occasional bark of a dog broke the silence of the night. Feng Yue pressed himself against the wall to avoid the patrolling servants and knocked on Wen Jian's door.

"It's me."

Hearing the voice, Wen Jian drew the bolt. As the carved wooden door opened, fine dust rose and drifted like mist beneath the moonlight.

Feng Yue sharply noticed the silver needles hidden in his junior brother's sleeve, glinting with cold light. The two exchanged a glance. Wen Jian turned to brighten the candle flame, and Feng Yue's shadow abruptly stretched across the mottled wall.

"Tell me. What did you find?" Feng Yue swept aside his outer robe and sat down in a chair, leaning slightly forward as he fixed his full attention on Wen Jian.

Wen Jian recounted what had happened to him that night. After listening, Feng Yue knitted his brows tightly, a flicker of vigilance flashing through his eyes. He nodded. "Your suspicion is correct. Even a little maid in the residence knows there is something wrong with the back mountain. As the master of this place, it is impossible for the village chief to know nothing. There must be something fishy at work.

Leave this matter to us. Pretend you know nothing and remain in the residence these next few days. Keep a close eye on the village chief's movements, and notify us at once if there is the slightest stir in the wind or rustle in the grass. Be careful in all things."

Wen Jian nodded earnestly. "All right."

The next day, Feng Yue was still uneasy and left a junior sister behind to accompany Wen Jian. Feng Yue then went out to investigate with the other senior brothers and sisters.

When no one around them was paying attention, Feng Yue used voice transmission to tell the others of Wen Jian's discovery. Upon hearing it, everyone's expressions tightened, and they exchanged looks, silently keeping their guard up.

Over the next several days, the senior brothers and sisters appeared to have found nothing, but in truth, each had made quite a few discoveries. Though they seemed shrouded in disappointment, they had secretly made preparations of their own.

Just as everyone seemed to be at their wits' end—pretending to be, anyway—one clever junior brother came up with an idea: since the Ghost Bridegroom would come out to snatch away any bride who was getting married, why not have someone disguise herself as a bride and use her as bait to lure him out?

The moment this plan was proposed, the junior sisters all volunteered eagerly. However, Feng Yue considered the danger of the task. His junior brothers and sisters were still weak in cultivation; if the Ghost Bridegroom truly got hold of them, they might not even have the strength to fight back and could very well be driven into a dead end.

After weighing the matter, Feng Yue ultimately decided to have Wen Jian disguise himself as a woman and serve as the bait.

After all, Wen Jian was one of only two direct disciples in the group. Though he was a medical cultivator, he was ordinarily highly valued by the elders, and his means of preserving his life naturally far surpassed those of ordinary inner disciples.

As for why Wen Jian had been chosen rather than Feng Yue... whoever had the bigger fist had the final say. Feng Yue said Wen Jian would go, so even if Wen Jian had objections, he could only obey.

Thus, the battle plan was settled.

Wen Jian watched helplessly as the senior and junior sisters around him lit up as if ignited, brimming with excitement like they had been pumped full of chicken blood. Their faces shone with barely restrained anticipation as they beamed and approached him.

He groaned inwardly, his eyes filled with helplessness and resistance. At that moment, the gazes of his fellow disciples before him were comparable to a pack of fang-baring, claw-brandishing demons, each seemingly eager to swallow him whole.

He instinctively shrank back, wanting to put some distance between them. Yet before he could struggle any further, they surrounded him and half-pushed, half-coaxed him into the room.

Upon entering the inner chamber, the bronze mirror directly before him clearly reflected his gritted-teeth expression, as though silently accusing this entire absurd farce.

The senior and junior sisters paid no heed to his feelings. The instant they entered the inner chamber, they each took up their tasks and began fussing around him.

Some picked up combs and arranged his hair, their movements gentle yet swift. Others stared intently at the dazzling array of accessories on the table, excitement glittering in their eyes as they carefully selected the ones best suited to him, occasionally muttering under their breath about which piece matched better. Still others earnestly arranged the wedding robes, lightly smoothing every crease from them.

Amid their bustling, feverish flurry of hands, in no more than a moment, Wen Jian was dressed head to toe in red bridal attire.

The wedding robes were smooth as silk. Under the soft candlelight, they gleamed with a gentle, warm luster, while the exquisite embroidered patterns upon them revealed ultimate refinement in every stitch and thread.

Once he had been washed and dressed, the senior and junior sisters carefully supported him as they brought him outside. His steps were somewhat stiff, and his expression was full of discomfort.

Feng Yue, who had always devoted himself single-mindedly to cultivation, could not help but pause in slight surprise the instant he saw Wen Jian emerge.

The pearl ornaments on the phoenix crown swayed gracefully with Wen Jian's movements, producing crisp, pleasing chimes. They set off Wen Jian's face perfectly, making it appear especially small and delicate.

His features had already possessed a refined air, and now they had been painted with rich makeup. The vivid colors did not seem jarring in the least; instead, they added a few shades of unique charm.

The scarlet hibiscus flower in his hair seemed to have been granted life beneath the candlelight, blooming with extraordinary allure. Its petals flashed with an uncanny sheen, dazzling as though they had drunk their fill of blood, creating a powerful visual impact.

Wen Jian's build was not particularly tall among men, but compared with women, he was still far more slender and tall. Clad in wedding robes, his figure appeared all the more long and straight, his bearing uniquely striking.

Though he could not be called a beauty capable of toppling kingdoms and cities, such an enormous transformation still left all the senior brothers and sisters present utterly stunned. One by one, they widened their eyes and parted their lips slightly, their faces full of disbelief.

After coming back to their senses, the senior brothers and sisters exploded like lit firecrackers and could not help teasing him a little.

"Ninth Senior Brother, if you went to a beauty pageant looking like this, the judges would probably fight until their heads were bloodied over giving you first place. You might just take the crown without a shred of suspense!"

"Exactly! Dressed up like this, you're several times prettier than a real bride! If the village matchmakers saw you, they'd probably fight to arrange a marriage for you!"

Wen Jian's face instantly flushed red like a ripe tomato. His eyes were full of fury, his hands clenched tightly into fists, and his body trembled faintly as though he were about to explode. Fortunately, everyone knew when to stop. Before they truly enraged Wen Jian, they hastily ceased and turned to the main matter.

After all, this "wedding" was only meant to lure out the Ghost Bridegroom, so all the usual wedding procedures were simplified, with none of the excessive formalities.

Everyone moved quickly and simply decorated the residence, pasting bright red double-happiness characters onto the walls and hanging festive red lanterns everywhere. Afterward, they specifically borrowed a room from the village chief to serve as the bridal chamber. Though it was only temporary, it was arranged convincingly enough.

Once everything was ready, Wen Jian was sent into the bridal chamber. He sat unwillingly on the wedding bed, his body stiff as a wooden post. The gloom in his heart would not disperse, as though a thick, heavy cloud were pressing down upon it.

Seeing his reluctance, Feng Yue strode forward, his expression exceptionally solemn and earnest.

He stared fixedly into Wen Jian's eyes and made a grave promise, word by word. "Junior Brother, rest assured. I will protect you with all my strength. I will never allow that evil ghost a chance to harm even a hair on your head."

After speaking, he gently extended a hand, moving softly and slowly as he picked up the bridal veil beside him and lowered it over Wen Jian.

At the instant the veil fell, it was as though an invisible barrier had silently separated Wen Jian from the outside world, leaving behind only stillness and endless unknowns that permeated the cramped space.

At first, Wen Jian remained on high alert, pricking up his ears to listen to every sound around him. Yet at some unknown point, perhaps because of the earlier bustle of preparations, or perhaps due to exhaustion in this peculiar setting, he gradually let down his guard and fell into a deep sleep.

When Wen Jian slowly awoke, he found himself inside a bridal sedan chair. He lifted the veil and parted the sedan curtain to peer outside. The night had already grown deep, and the surroundings were black as ink. He could not see his hand before his face, much less make out what was carrying the sedan chair.

Alarm abruptly surged in his heart. He hurriedly reviewed the plan his senior brothers and sisters had made—set an ambush, draw out the ghost, then catch the turtle in the jar—yet there had clearly been no such scene in it.

He immediately understood that the Ghost Bridegroom must have successfully been lured out.

He swallowed, forcefully suppressing the tension in his heart. He did not act rashly and instead waited quietly for the right moment.

Only when the bridal sedan reached a certain place did Wen Jian's expression beneath the veil abruptly change, for he clearly felt the evil-warding red cord around his wrist suddenly tighten, biting into his skin painfully.

He inwardly cried that things were bad. This was no ordinary cinnabar thread, but Binding Demon Silk soaked in the waters of Peach Blossom Pool. Peach wood held immense restraining power over ghosts. This Binding Demon Silk had soaked in peachwood water for a long time, so it naturally possessed some deterrent power over ghosts as well—at the very least, it would be enough to protect his life while surrounded by a host of ghosts.

Now that the red cord had reacted so strangely, it could only mean that the ghost had made its move.

"Welcome the bride, welcome the bride... the bride smells so good—"

Voices that made one's hair stand on end rose one after another. The wind lifted the sedan curtain, and beneath the light of the moon in the sky, Wen Jian finally saw what was carrying the sedan chair—it was actually a group of paper effigies made from colored paper!

The paper effigies carrying the sedan all turned their heads in unison. Their faces, white as paper, split eerily all the way to their ears, revealing exaggerated, utterly horrifying grins.

Then, they suddenly flung aside the sedan chair and pounced at Wen Jian inside in perfect unison.

Wen Jian's heart tightened. He instinctively reached into his sleeve, but before he could make a move, an icy hand seized his wrist tightly. The touch was like gripping a block of ice, making him shudder despite himself.

At the same time, amid the fluttering veil, he caught sight of a figure in dark red robes swiftly stepping in front of him.

"Presumptuous! Mere mindless puppets, and you dare covet my wife!" The voice was low and cold, as though it had risen from the depths of the Nine Nether Hells, carrying boundless majesty and fury that chilled one to the bone.

Wen Jian did not see what became of the paper effigies. He only heard a burst of harsh rip, crash sounds as paper tore apart, but he could guess that the paper figures had been instantly shredded to pieces beneath the newcomer's overwhelmingly powerful force.

Then the newcomer's voice softened, and he asked with concern, "Wife, are you all right? It was my negligence that let you suffer such a calamity. If you wish to blame someone, blame your husband instead."

Every movement and gesture of his was refined and courteous. If Wen Jian had not known his true identity, he might almost have believed that he was truly a good husband concerned for his newlywed wife.

Wen Jian suppressed the fear in his heart and tried his utmost to remain calm, focusing completely on facing the layers of unknown dangers ahead.

"Lin, why aren't you speaking? Could it be that you are still blaming me for arriving late?" The Ghost Bridegroom's sinister voice seemed to assault him from all directions at once, making his scalp tingle.

He muttered to himself, his tone even carrying traces of deep affection, but to Wen Jian, it only felt revolting to the extreme.

"Indeed, you should blame me. I once swore that I would give you the best life, yet on this day of great joy, I allowed you to encounter such danger. Now that the bridal sedan has been ruined as well, how about your husband carrying you back as punishment?"

The Ghost Bridegroom called him "Lin" one moment and "your husband" the next. Such intimate forms of address made Wen Jian tremble uncontrollably with rage. He wanted nothing more than to strike immediately and beat this hateful ghost until its soul scattered and spirit dispersed.

Yet just as he was about to move, his body abruptly ceased to obey his control. It was as though an invisible, powerful force had bound him tightly. Following the Ghost Bridegroom's movements against his will, he slowly lay across the other's back, his hands wrapping around the other's neck without obeying him.

His mind remained clear, yet his actions were beyond the command of his will. Wen Jian struggled with all his strength, trying to reclaim control of his body, but every struggle was futile.

Although Wen Jian was a medical cultivator, he was at least at the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage. Yet before this Ghost Bridegroom, he had no ability to resist whatsoever. It seemed that the village chief had not been entirely lying—this ghost was truly formidable.

As the Ghost Bridegroom carried Wen Jian onward, he chattered endlessly about the past, recounting every little moment between himself and that "Lin," his tone as though he were utterly immersed in beautiful memories.

Wen Jian had no interest whatsoever in listening to his tender romance with that "Lin." He was frantic with anxiety, thinking only of why his senior brothers and sisters still had not taken action.