The bride who wore the wedding dress and had her head covered by a red veil was definitely not a living person. Just standing next to it, Qi Xu could feel waves of eerie chill from the yin energy. The amount of yin energy on this fellow was greater than that of every ghost Qi Xu had seen before.
Faced with Qi Xu’s sudden act of lifting the veil, the paper effigies playing the roles of matchmaker and attendants nearby also wanted to come forward and drag her back onto the proper path of the wedding ceremony. At that moment, the bride beside suddenly spoke. “Ah Xu, don’t make a fuss anymore.” As it spoke, it also lifted its own veil, revealing a lotus-like face.
It was the woman from yesterday whom she had mistaken for Xia Zhiming!
She had only glanced hastily back then and hadn’t seen clearly. Now, under the dim candlelight, she could observe it carefully instead. Qi Xu was startled, only because this female ghost’s face actually bore some resemblance to Xia Zhiming. In truth, it was particularly similar. The impression they gave was exactly the same, though their features differed. This feeling of clearly looking different yet seeming very alike was truly bizarre.
It was undeniable that Qi Xu probably really liked this style of appearance. The instant she saw its face, Qi Xu felt a tiny flicker of wavering and thought it was truly beautiful.
But the next moment, she held firm to her original intent and inwardly scorned herself.
‘If she changed her affections just because the other was good-looking or her type, how was she any different from a scumbag?!’
She quickly calmed down, pursed her lips, and asked, “Who exactly are you? What do you want?! If you’re after me, then I’ll stay here—you can do whatever you want—but my friends are innocent, and these passersby have nothing to do with this. Let them go, okay?”
Qi Xu’s tone wasn’t too forceful; she wasn’t the forceful type to begin with. The Ghost Bride listened and let out one or two laughs. Qi Xu thought it would refuse, but it blurted out a “Good.” Yet things weren’t that simple. There was still the Ghost Bride’s demand afterward. “But Ah Xu, they are all your friends and thus my guests. Since they’ve come, why not complete our wedding, have a casual meal, and then leave?”
The Ghost Bride spoke gently and softly, but Qi Xu felt this wouldn’t do.
What kind of decent wedding could its ceremony be? And then eat a meal—who knew what was in that food? Qi Xu realized this Ghost Bride had no intention of letting them go at all.
Seeing that the soft approach didn’t work, Qi Xu toughened up. “If you don’t let them go, I won’t do the ceremony with you.”
‘As if she would, even if they were released.’
Qi Xu planned to stall forever inside. She said these things now just to let her roommates leave first. She remembered what Xia Zhiming had said: she absolutely could not do a wedding ceremony with anyone.
The Ghost Bride’s fine brows furrowed slightly, as if truly annoyed by Qi Xu’s tough attitude. It pursed its lips and stared at Qi Xu for a long while, then glanced at Qi Xu’s roommates. Only after a good while did its brows finally relax.
Qi Xu had been observing the Ghost Bride’s expression the whole time. Seeing this, she thought there might be a chance and even grew a bit expectant in her demeanor. But the next moment, the paper effigies suddenly pounced, yanking Qi Xu’s hands behind her back and pinning them firmly. Right after, Qi Xu heard the Ghost Bride’s voice ring out from above her head.
“ Ah Xu, that expression of yours just now—did you think I would grant your wish? No, this ceremony must be done, and these people must stay as witnesses. Hahaha, Ah Xu, that look on your face when you thought I was going to let them go was truly delightful!”
“…”
Damn it, these ghosts didn’t play by the rules at all, did they? Every one of them had a conscience rotten to the core!
The Ghost Bride’s next words made Qi Xu’s heart jolt. “ Ah Xu, even if you refuse, it doesn’t matter. No one asked me back then if I was willing either.”
Just one sentence made Qi Xu think of many things. This Ghost Bride wore an ancient wedding dress, and her words implied she had been forced into marriage back then. Perhaps that was why, after death, she had turned into such a ghost filled with seething hatred. Her cause of death was tragic and lamentable, but Qi Xu didn’t think she could hurt others or innocents because of it.
Perhaps because she realized her human body couldn’t handle this Ghost Bride, or maybe due to the heavy yin energy around her, Qi Xu felt a bit dizzy. This sensation was familiar; she always felt this way right before turning into her ghost body. She thought that transforming into her ghost body wouldn’t be bad. Though this Ghost Bride was strong, it was nothing compared to her ghost body. As long as she transformed, she could turn the tables.
That was what Qi Xu thought, and she relaxed her body to prepare for the change. But contrary to her expectations, the next moment, she suddenly felt an electric shock-like sensation on her body, similar to the feeling from the Peace Talisman Xia Zhiming had given her before. Only this was more painful, more agonizing. Because of the pain, her mind became utterly clear, and that pre-transformation sensation vanished completely.
‘Ah, we’re done for.’
Qi Xu looked up at the Ghost Bride and saw its eyes gleaming with cunning, carrying a hint of… mockery toward her. With that expression, it really did resemble Xia Zhiming.
“I’ve been guarding against that trick of yours for a long time, Ah Xu. This Talisman Wedding Dress you’re wearing has densely embroidered runes on the inner side. This garment is useless against humans, but against ghosts, it’s a fine treasure. Right now, you’re just like someone bound by immortal-binding ropes—there’s no way you can transform into a ghost.”
This fellow knew quite a lot!
It had even prepared for something like this, which proved it was targeting Qi Xu specifically. Since this thing worked against ghosts, it definitely wasn’t made by the Ghost Bride herself. It must have been made by someone else—that Stinky Fortune-Teller who had told her fortune before and said her red luan star was moving.
A human and a ghost colluding together, all aimed at her!
But in the Ghost Bride’s eyes, Qi Xu saw no trace of the intense desire to devour her like that from the Stone Spirit or Tiger Granny. Instead, there was a bit more disdain and confusion. At this moment, Qi Xu understood.
This Ghost Bride only knew a little, probably less than even Tiger Granny. That meant the Stinky Fortune-Teller definitely hadn’t told the Ghost Bride everything—there was a rift between those two!
Qi Xu vaguely grasped something she could use for herself, but she didn’t know how to make use of it right now. The Ghost Bride in front of her ignored what Qi Xu was thinking and just chattered on, preparing to drag her into the ceremony.
Qi Xu twisted her neck and turned her head, refusing to bow, but the Paper Matchmaker and attendants, those paper effigies, already had her pinned down and were getting ready to make her bow to heaven and earth. Their strength was greater than Qi Xu had imagined. Though made of paper, their power clearly surpassed that of living humans.
Under their suppression, Qi Xu’s knees slammed into the ground with a loud thud. Qi Xu nearly bit through her teeth; she now reasonably suspected this paper effigy wanted to break her kneecaps. Before she could recover from the pain, her head was pressed down and smashed harshly into the ground.
Nearby, the officiating paper effigy shouted, “First bow to heaven and earth!”
As she bowed, Qi Xu caught a glimpse from the corner of her eye of the guests standing to the side. Her roommates wore faces of fear, but also deep worry. After all, compared to them, Qi Xu seemed the one in greater danger right now.
They wanted to say something or do something, but the ghosts around them made them afraid to move.
Facing the pitch-black sky outside the hall, Qi Xu kowtowed solidly. The paper effigy pinching her neck from behind used too much force, and pain shot through her forehead. She even had the leisure to think: she wondered if her head was broken open this time; she probably needed to be hospitalized for a concussion again.
Compared to her sorry state, the Ghost Bride beside her was much more graceful. That slender bow truly looked like a bride’s.
After bowing to heaven and earth came the bow to the parents. Qi Xu was yanked up by the paper effigy behind her and turned around to bow toward the empty high seats. That previous heavy thud left her head a bit dizzy now, but she still tried hard to keep her balance, so this bow wasn’t as wretched, and her head didn’t suffer a second heavy blow.
Afterward, Qi Xu was hauled back to her feet. She had recovered quite a bit by now; at least her mind was clear. Qi Xu clearly remembered what Xia Zhiming had told her: no matter what, do not do the wedding bows. She could let the first two—heaven and earth, high hall—slide, but for the couple’s mutual bow, she refused to bow no matter what.
Qi Xu actually had no confidence inside. With the paper effigies’ strength behind her, could she really refuse if she didn’t want to? But in reality, Qi Xu proved more resilient than she thought. She truly didn’t bow a single bit. The officiating paper effigy’s throat was nearly hoarse from shouting as it yelled at the top of its lungs, “Couple’s mutual bow!” The Ghost Bride opposite bowed gracefully, waiting for Qi Xu to kneel and prostrate fully for the mutual bow.
But seeing the Ghost Bride across from her, Qi Xu’s legs refused to bend no matter what, and she held her head high. A voice in her heart told her: she could not kneel. She would die before kneeling. Other than Xia Zhiming, she wouldn’t kneel to anyone in this lifetime!
Qi Xu’s legs stood ramrod straight like they were filled with lead. Her head was held high, her face full of defiance.
The paper effigies suppressing her got serious too. The Paper Matchmaker behind lifted its foot and kicked the back of Qi Xu’s knee. Qi Xu’s head was forced down a bit, but after clenching her teeth, she quickly raised it again.
That kick from the matchmaker truly hurt. Its strength was already greater than a human’s to begin with, and now it used full force with hands and feet. That one kick made Qi Xu feel like her bones were about to crack. But no matter what, Qi Xu remained unmoved and refused to kneel.
The Ghost Bride noticed no “rite complete” sounded for a long time, suddenly lifted its head, and saw Qi Xu across from it with a look ready for martyrdom, refusing to kneel no matter what.
“You—!” Qi Xu’s defiance clearly infuriated the Ghost Bride. It extended its pitch-black painted nails, wanting to force Qi Xu’s head down, but at that moment, one person among the guests stood up.
“Bride, don’t rush, don’t rush. Perhaps this other one just hasn’t made up her mind yet. Her friends are all here—why be in such a hurry?”
This voice was so familiar to Qi Xu. It was that Stinky Fortune-Teller!
