We Have to Protect Eldest Senior Brother's Chastity

Just as the atmosphere grew eerie beyond measure, several spine-chilling shrieks of laughter rang out beside their ears.

"Pretty bride, pretty bride, put on bridal red, put on bridal red, once dressed in red, bow to the elders ahead..."

"Bid the elders farewell, to the bridal chamber go, wedding candles weep and the beauty loses sight, bones discarded, corpse exposed on a wild, barren height..."

"Hahahahahahaha~"

Zhu Lianqing frowned as two red figures flashed into view in the air above.

Blood-red flowers adorned their temples, and thick, vivid red rouge covered their faces, while their skin alone was as white as paper effigies.

Yan Qing said, "Are these... ghost brides? I heard that of all ghosts, those transformed from brides have the deepest resentment and are extremely difficult to deal with."

Xie Lingchuan studied the two red-robed ghosts circling above the crowd and shook his head. "No, these are only matchmakers."

Song Wensheng and Jiang Tingxue asked in unison, "Matchmakers?"

"Yes. Matchmakers who arranged marriages in life and became ghosts that specialize in hijacking bridal sedans after death. In that case, Mingzhu must be in their hands, and the vicious ghost being suppressed is a ghost bride." Watching the crowd draw closer, Shen Ji shielded his junior brothers and sister behind him as he backed away.

Suddenly, one of the two matchmakers swept through the crowd in a blood-red blur and appeared before Shen Ji in the blink of an eye.

Seeing the female ghost reach her long, pointed nails straight toward Shen Ji, Song Wensheng and Jiang Tingxue moved to draw their swords, only for Shen Ji to press both their hands down with his own.

"Senior Brother! She!"

They watched as the matchmaker lifted Shen Ji's chin, yet showed no intention of hurting him.

"Unless there is absolutely no other choice, don't draw your swords."

With that icy ghostly hand tilting his chin up, Shen Ji was forced to meet her hollow eyes, his handsome brows furrowing slightly.

The female ghost gave two sinister laughs, as though she had discovered something extraordinary.

"Hahahaha~ To think our Pingjiang City had such a beauty."

Her nails brushed Shen Ji's jade-like cheek, her scarlet lips opening and closing as she murmured, "Such gentle, refined looks. My lady likes this sort best. I'll take him back and present him to her. Ahahahahahahahahaha~"

A trace of displeasure showed in Shen Ji's eyes, but he just managed to hold it back.

Watching her three young martial nephews and niece seethe over their eldest senior brother being teased, Zhu Lianqing smiled and turned her gaze toward Xie Lingchuan.

Fortunately, Xie Lingchuan's features possessed a certain sharpness and edge, or he would have been the one being teased.

The crowd advancing toward them surrounded them completely, chanting "groom" and "bride" like a chorus of the dead as they pushed them toward the He family courtyard.

Shen Ji, meanwhile, had his hands bound with red thread and was personally escorted into the courtyard by the matchmaker.

"They said they were taking Eldest Senior Brother to some lady. Could that be the female ghost?"

Zhu Lianqing nodded. "Most likely. But perhaps Mingzhu was taken there too. Perfect. Let your senior brother scout the way."

Suddenly, a burst of eerie cheers erupted from the crowd.

They looked up to see several things resembling bridal sedans appear from somewhere, borne by hunched skeletons as they floated into the courtyard.

Finding them strange, Zhu Lianqing took a closer look and realized they were not bridal sedans at all, but coffins.

Rather than lying flat as usual, the coffins stood upright. The ghosts had probably lost their lids. Red silk was tied around the coffins, and lanterns with red tassels hung from their upper corners.

Coffins dressed up as bridal sedans.

"Where's Eldest Senior Brother? Wasn't he right here just now?"

Jiang Tingxue's startled cry drew Zhu Lianqing's attention away from the coffins and back to the courtyard. Shen Ji, whom the matchmaker had just taken into the wedding hall, had vanished.

Zhu Lianqing was about to speak when the matchmaker suddenly teleported in front of her and spoke in a shrill, chilling voice:

"Pretty bride, pretty bride~"

"You're the one."

Zhu Lianqing raised her brows.

This body could hardly count as beautiful, could it? Why had a ghost singled me out?

Being called beautiful at a time like this was no good thing.

After she was singled out, a group of festively dressed maids and older serving women suddenly rushed out of the residence. Without allowing a word of protest, they surrounded Zhu Lianqing and ushered her toward the inner courtyard.

Amid the confusion, Xie Lingchuan caught Zhu Lianqing's hand.

Zhu Lianqing looked up at him and shook her head. "Act as the situation demands. We'll take it one step at a time. Let me see just what tricks this lot are playing."

Xie Lingchuan could only release her hand.

After choosing Zhu Lianqing, the matchmaker returned to the crowd to search for her next target.

Xie Lingchuan stared intently at Zhu Lianqing's retreating figure as she was escorted away, until she passed through the archway and disappeared.

At the same time, on the other side of the residence, someone dressed in red wedding robes emerged, surrounded by a crowd.

The longer Jiang Tingxue looked, the more something seemed wrong. She shook Song Wensheng and Yan Qing. "Look! Isn't that Eldest Senior Brother?"

Song Wensheng and Yan Qing looked up. The approaching figure was tall and slender, his wedding robes setting off his outstanding good looks all the more. Though a layer of red gauze over his head concealed his face, one glance was enough to tell that he was a figure as exquisite as fragrant orchids and jade trees.

Who else could it be but Eldest Senior Brother?

Song Wensheng exclaimed frantically, "This is bad! They're not going to force Eldest Senior Brother to get married, are they? Everyone here is dead!"

Jiang Tingxue grew anxious at that. "How can we let that happen?"

"Exactly! That matchmaker just said the female ghost likes Eldest Senior Brother. They must be sending him to bow in a wedding ceremony with her!"

"No, absolutely not! Eldest Senior Brother is as noble and unblemished as a clear breeze and a bright moon, a model for our fellow disciples and an example to the sect. How can that female ghost forcibly seize an innocent man? We have to protect Eldest Senior Brother's chastity!"

While the three of them were imagining an entire drama, Xie Lingchuan sent Shen Ji a voice transmission.

"How is it?"

Shen Ji's wrists were still bound with red thread beneath the sleeves of his wedding robes. He could only just extend one finger and wag it, indicating that there was no danger.

Reassured by this, Xie Lingchuan looked toward the place where Zhu Lianqing had disappeared.

The matchmaker's song went, "Pretty bride, pretty bride, put on bridal red"... so had she been dragged off to change into wedding robes, just like Shen Ji?

At that thought, Xie Lingchuan abruptly turned his gaze toward Shen Ji, his eyes filled with displeasure.

Having finished imagining their drama, the three were about to consult Xie Lingchuan about what to do next when they looked up and were caught off guard by his extremely unfriendly gaze.

"Senior... Brother Xie, we..."

Xie Lingchuan came back to himself and looked at the three beside him, saying succinctly, "Lure the matchmaker over. Do the same thing as them. Don't fall behind."

With that, Xie Lingchuan touched the back of the person in front of him with a fingertip wreathed in circulating spiritual energy, and that person's head rolled off.

The matchmaker had clearly noticed the commotion as well, and her figure teleported in front of Xie Lingchuan.

She examined Xie Lingchuan. After an eerie silence, she erupted in a piercing, sinister laugh.

"Oh my~ How extraordinary! To only discover such an incomparable beauty now. I, Yuan Sanniang, must have poor eyes."

The matchmaker flew two circles around Xie Lingchuan, cackling strangely.

Just as before, a crowd rushed out and took Xie Lingchuan away.

The three stood rooted to the spot, dumbfounded by this act of walking straight into the net.

"They've all been taken away. Aren't we... going to follow?" Song Wensheng asked dubiously.

Jiang Tingxue thought for a moment, then nodded indignantly. "Senior Brother Xie said so. Of course we have to follow."

So Jiang Tingxue imitated Xie Lingchuan's actions, creating a small disturbance to attract the matchmaker's attention.

In the end, they successfully followed in Xie Lingchuan's footsteps, walking straight into the net.