Chapter 42: The Wedding

Chapter 42: The Wedding

"Are you threatening me?"

Lu Li pulled out a Glock and pressed it directly against the middle-aged man's forehead, tilting his head to lean in closer. "Say that again. I didn't catch it the first time."

As if. You think I’ll just leave because you told me to? Do you take me for a pushover?

The middle-aged man dropped the pretense. His skin suddenly peeled away like melting wax, revealing his true form beneath. It was a paper figure dressed in a long gown, wearing a small skullcap. Its eyes were shaped like diamonds in a mocking sneer, its face deathly pale, with cheeks and lips painted a deep, blood-red, as if fresh blood were dripping from them.

"Bridegroom, please don't make this difficult for me." Its voice was shrill. "This hand-cannon of yours... it can't hurt me."

Bang!

Lu Li pulled the trigger without hesitation. A small hole appeared in the paper figure's forehead. The pistol in Lu Li’s hand, named "Soul-Breaker," was modeled after a Glock 18. It was a fully automatic pistol, though it used standard 9mm rounds, which didn't possess immense stopping power. However, aside from its infinite ammunition, this gun was also lethal to spirits.

The paper figure froze in shock, and then a large amount of foul-smelling black blood spurted from the hole in its forehead. It clutched its head, collapsed to the ground, and began to writhe while emitting a shrill, piercing scream.

The hundreds of paper figures surrounding them were stunned. Then, as if enraged, they tore off their outer skins and charged at Lu Li.

Lu Li smiled slightly. At the moment they were about to close in, he activated the Dream World.

Every charging paper figure heard a heartbeat that seemed to resonate right against their ears, and then the world shattered like glass. The heavy rain in the dark night grew even more torrential. In the distance, everything was shrouded in fog, while beneath their feet, they stood in an arena, with iron cages rising from the ground and overhead to seal off all paths of escape.

Lu Li stood outside the cage, holding an umbrella, with the shot paper figure at his feet. He took out a cigarette, placed it between his lips, and lit it with his Zippo. He took a drag and exhaled a plume of blue smoke. Then, pinching the cigarette between his thumb and forefinger, he flicked it casually.

A spark of bright red flew into the iron cage.

Boom!

A violent heatwave swept through, and the iron cage erupted in roaring flames, accompanied by the screams of the paper figures! It turned out that it wasn't rain falling from the sky—it was oil.

Lu Li tossed the paper figure with the hole in its head to the ground, returned to reality, stepped on it, and pulled out his phone. He glanced at the top right corner of the screen. As expected, there was no signal.

"Tsk, another one that slipped through the net of the three major carriers?"

Putting the phone away, Lu Li looked down at the paper figure’s small, flushed face. "Anything you want to confess?" He tapped his pistol against his left palm.

The paper figure on the ground laughed. "Bridegroom, your ability shouldn't be able to last much longer, right? If I’m not mistaken, your mental energy must be nearly exhausted by now."

Lu Li chuckled. "Nice. The last time I saw someone as optimistic as you, it was the Japanese national table tennis team and the fans of our national football team. I actually appreciate that kind of optimism."

This paper figure was quite the optimist.

The paper figure also gave an eerie laugh, speaking in the most cowardly tone while saying the most courageous words: "Bridegroom, if you have the guts, use that ability to kill me right now! But I’m afraid you can't."

"Ha! A crude provocation." Lu Li smiled slightly. "Fine! I’ll grant your wish."

The provocation was crude, but he still fell for it hook, line, and sinker. Lu Li decisively activated the Dream World once again.

"And I won't mind telling you, I’m basically invincible—huh?!"

As the surrounding world teetered on the edge of shattering, Lu Li suddenly felt a wave of dizziness, nausea, and revulsion. His body swayed, his vision went black, and he collapsed.

The paper figure: "..."

It struggled to crawl out from under Lu Li’s body, stood up, and brushed off the footprints on its clothes. As it turned out, the muddy footprints wouldn't come off at all.

"...As expected of the bridegroom, your stage presence is top-tier. No wonder She wants to marry you."

It didn't dare to offend Lu Li. After all, if Lu Li really married Her, he would be a personage second only to Her among all ghosts. Perhaps, in many respects, he might even be above Her.

The paper figure sighed in a very human-like manner, then gestured with its hand. Eight paper figures floated out of nowhere, carrying a red sedan chair. Lu Li was then floated into the chair. The nine paper figures, along with the sedan, drifted away into the rainy mist and vanished.

Afterward, things began to peek out from various corners of the village. Seeing that the danger had passed, the village returned to its usual bustle.

Pan Shuai put down his phone and shook his head at Xing Tian and the others. "I can't get through to Old Lu."

Hao Liang added, "The two colleagues who went in to scout ahead are also unreachable."

Pan Shuai glanced at Xing Tian.

Xing Tian indicated that apart from knowing the clue to the source of the urban legend was in Da Huai Village, he knew nothing else.

Taoist Shan Xin flicked his horsetail whisk and offered a suggestion: "Shall we start with an artillery barrage?"

"No, the three of them are still inside."

Pan Shuai turned back and asked, "Liangzi, haven't you found information on Da Huai Village yet?"

"The city police department just sent over the files." Hao Liang’s expression was strange. "Young Master Pan, you should take a look at this village yourself."

Pan Shuai leaned in toward the laptop. After a long while, he frowned. "This is a ghost village?"

According to household registration records, no one had lived in this village for over seventy years.

"Wait! The colleagues sent by the bureau to visit the families that relocated have sent a message!" Pan Shuai perked up and read the new information.

Over sixty years ago, a major event had occurred in this village. Specific details were unknown, as the elders at the time were tight-lipped, and now, no living participants remained. In short, after that event, all the residents moved to the county town. Now, seventy years later, the younger generation knew nothing about the affairs of Da Huai Village.

"Keep digging, and check the county gazetteers and such from back then." After instructing Hao Liang, Pan Shuai said to the others, "Masters, come inside with me and take a look."

Shi Yongfa smiled slightly, pulling the bolt and disengaging the safety of the Type 95 assault rifle in his hands. "Amitabha... This poor monk has been waiting for Young Master Pan to say those words."

Behind him, dozens of shiny, bald heads simultaneously pulled their bolts—the movement was absolutely uniform!

Pan Shuai couldn't help but squint his eyes, then turned his head and shouted, "Tell logistics to dim the lights, damn it! Do you have any idea how expensive electricity is?!"

That’s right, his eyes were being stabbed. It was mainly because the light was reflecting off dozens of bald heads. Damn it, bald heads reflect light.

Shi Yongfa suddenly realized, turned around, and commanded, "Disciples! Grab your gear!"

The dozens of bald men were stunned for a second, then responded. They each pulled a headscarf from their robes and covered their reflective, shiny domes.

Only then did Shi Yongfa say to Pan Shuai, "Young Master Pan, we can set off now, can't we?"

Pan Shuai was dumbfounded. "Master, what is this..."

Shi Yongfa gave a shy smile. "Amitabha... When practicing shooting at the monastery's range, we were occasionally blinded by the reflected sunlight, and sometimes accidental injuries occurred. This is all from experience."

"..." Pan Shuai sighed and waved his hand. "Let's go!"

"Bridegroom? Wake up! Wake up!"

Lu Li opened his eyes. What greeted him was a circle of strange, grotesque figures. Paper figures, water ghosts, hanged ghosts—everything imaginable was there.

He attempted a kip-up but nearly tripped over the hem of his robe. Looking down at himself, he discovered that he had been changed into a set of red, ancient-style wedding attire. He looked just like the male lead in a period drama about to get married.

"The bridegroom is awake?" Seeing him wake up, the paper figure with the hole in its forehead and the visible footprint on its chest walked over with a smile. "The auspicious hour has arrived, Bridegroom~ Please come with me~"

With that, it waved its hand, and several paper figures hoisted Lu Li up and floated him into the main hall of the ancestral shrine.

A woman with the upper half of her face covered by a translucent red silk veil was already waiting there. Lu Li’s legs felt weak—a side effect of overusing his strength. It was likely due to the mental strain from killing so many paper figures when he opened the Dream World earlier.

He quietly observed his surroundings. The two sides of the main hall were lined with memorial tablets. In front of him was an altar with three thin sticks of incense burning. On the table sat two ink-black tablets with a deep crimson hue. One tablet had only the character "Dong" written on it.

The other tablet bore Lu Li’s name!

Cold sweat beaded on his forehead. He turned his head abruptly, staring at the person standing beside him.

Her waist-length, milky-white hair was bound atop her head by a phoenix coronet made of kingfisher feathers and hollowed-out gold filigree. A celestial lock collar protected her slender neck. Over her red satin gown embroidered with gold patterns, she wore a gold-threaded longevity lock. Her exposed, slender wrists were wrapped in silver bracelets. She wore red trousers and a red skirt, with bright red embroidered shoes on her feet.

As the man looked at her, her porcelain-like, bloodless cheeks—behind the red silk veil covering her eyes—revealed deep black pupils without whites, shimmering with pink irises that reflected his image.

Lu Li’s gaze settled on her lips, which were as red as blood. He didn't know how much lipstick she had applied, but it actually looked quite nice.

As if sensing Lu Li’s wandering thoughts, the woman suddenly raised a hand and pinched his chin. A soft, yet bone-chilling cold sensation came from his lips.

The next moment, Lu Li felt a bead and a mouthful of glutinous rice being pressed into his mouth. It was slightly fragrant and slightly sweet. He chewed the rice twice, and the bead slid down his throat.

Then, he lost consciousness.

The woman gestured, and the unconscious Lu Li was scooped up into her arms in a bridal carry. She then floated into the back hall.

The paper figure clapped its hands and shouted, "Enter the bridal chamber!"

*Diary of a loser’s blind date: Sometimes there’s no need to lower your standards. Because even if you can barely tolerate the other person, they might not necessarily care for you.*

Good night~