"They're having a wedding tonight and the bride is indeed Sister Zhang Xue."
Xiao Yu closed the door leaning against it, her voice muffled.
Lu Cai had already accepted this fact but he still pretended to be a little shocked and asked, "But Zhang Xue is dead. Who is she going to marry?"
Xiao Yu moved her lips but didn't say anything, her eyes drooping, her eyelashes trembling slightly.
The room seemed to block out the fishy smell and with the three of them there, Lu Cai hardly noticed anything unusual.
"Bride... bride... hehehe..."
Xiao Yao, the fool, didn't react. He squatted beside Lu Cai, flatteringly and carefully grasping the corner of Lu Cai's clothes gently tugging to attract his attention.
Lu Cai paused, then asked somewhat complicatedly, "They're going to marry Zhang Xue to Xiao Yao?"
Xiao Yu rolled her eyes. "That joke isn't funny at all."
Lu Cai thought to himself life isn't easy these days so I just have to make do. Otherwise, I'd just commit suicide.
It was already completely dark and outside came the crisp sound of dishes clattering.
Uncle Zhang's voice was high and excited, chattering away as he began his speech and the villagers followed suit with laughter and flattery.
But through the shattered, spiderweb-like windows one could see no light outside. If it weren't for the noise coming in one wouldn't have noticed a "wedding banquet" was taking place outside.
The attendees seemed quite happy, their steps pausing, their glasses clinking and laughter unceasing.
What a sight!
Lu Cai's breathing was weak, a reflex of his own in the face of danger. He looked up at Xiao Yu who was pale and swallowing slowly her resistance against the door seemingly growing stronger.
"You..."
Lu Cai was just about to say, "Come sit here for a while," when Zhang Daquan's excited voice suddenly rang out from a short distance outside:
"Where's Xiao Lu? We promised to treat him to a few drinks. Where's the young man?"
Xiao Yu's face paled even more. She stared up at Lu Cai and made a "hush" sound.
The sound of chairs being pulled back was clear in the still night. First, one person then several more followed leaving the table. They began searching for Lu Cai.
"Xiao Lu—"
"Where's Xiao Lu—"
"Come out for a drink—"
Outside the pitch-black room the shouts spread, spreading with unnatural joy.
Xiao Yu, leaning against the door, trembled even more violently. Her face was pale and her lips were bleeding from biting.
The idiot Xiao Yao seemed to have passed his peak of excitement. His mumbling of "bride" became increasingly softer and he was already curled up beside Lu Cai's legs almost falling asleep.
At this moment, Lu Cai had a clearer understanding of Xiao Yu's initial words, "You shouldn't have stayed."
"Xiao Lu—come out to the wedding banquet—"
"Xiao Lu—"
The knocks on doors were heard from house to house, the sound growing closer. Lu Cai sat still in a chair, his face dimly illuminated by the small candle in the darkness.
The polite knock finally reached their room and Xiao Yu almost jumped back. Then she pressed harder against the door, panic-stricken and on the verge of tears.
"Xiao Lu—are you in there—"
"Xiao Lu—"
The middle-aged man's hoarse, low cry, through the door sounded like a call to the dead.
Lu Cai sighed and stood up trying to pull Xiao Yu away.
He didn't think it was the best time to attack but Xiao Yu looked terrified.
However, before he could say anything Xiao Yu gritted her teeth, stared at him and growled, "Hide!"
Then Xiao Yu yelled at the door, "Fuck you! You're so annoying! You're here yelling at ghosts instead of doing your own thing so late at night!"
At that moment a strong fishy smell filled the room.
Lu Cai paused, watching as Xiao Yu squeezed through a crack, slammed the door shut and sprinted away!
The surroundings were indeed quiet. The next moment, Lu Cai heard footsteps scattering in the direction Xiao Yu had left and his face suddenly darkened.
"Bride... Bride, don't go..."
He was about to chase her out the door when Xiao Yao, who had been nearly asleep was aroused by the noise and crawled over to hug Lu Cai's legs. "It's dark outside! The water's icy!"
Lu Cai turned around and asked calmly, trying to be calm. "What do you mean, dark outside and icy water?"
Xiao Yao opened his mouth but fear quickly spread across his handsome face. He refused to say anything.
This idiot...
Lu Cai had no choice but to knock the man unconscious and carry him to the bed. He turned and rushed out the door with a sullen face.
The moment he emerged Lu Cai could no longer find his way back.
He turned around coldly gazing at the back road blocked by thick fog. He reached out and pushed but where the door should have been there was nothing. Only a wisp of mist drifted across his palm chilling him to the bone. The air was thick with moisture and an indefinable, decaying odor. Lu Cai took a single breath then raised his left hand slightly casting a divine purification decree upon himself.
He calmly surveyed his surroundings. It was quiet, no sign of a wedding banquet just minutes before. Even when he tentatively released a circle of spiritual energy he encountered no sign of life.
... It was all very mysterious.
Lu Cai expressionlessly calculated his hand gestures. Based on his familiarity with and ability to measure energy he determined his direction and began to set off.
The villagers were chasing Xiao Yu towards the back of the village, possibly Dragon King Pond.
The road was clear even devoid of the giant worms he had encountered the night before. Lu Cai's pace quickened.
The faint sound of dripping water filled the air. As he approached the moisture thickened making the ground thick and sticky underfoot making progress increasingly difficult.
But after walking for a while, Lu Cai gradually realized something was amiss.
The sound of dripping water was getting close almost right next to his ear. After a few steps it was behind him.
He lowered his head and took a few more steps only to find no footprints on the muddy ground.
Lu Cai, always a germaphobe, even noticed that he hadn't even brought up mud or water.
It was as if he had been walking in the same place not taking a single step.
Before Lu Cai could figure out what was happening the dripping water in his ears suddenly shifted in direction.
He had just been watching his feet and hadn't moved so this time the dripping water... was something approaching.
Something was approaching in the mist. Its body seemed heavy making a splashing sound and then it landed heavily on the ground bringing with it a gust of fishy smell.
Lu Cai thought for a moment and stamped his feet hard. Hmm, the sound was similar. It should be the sound of something heavy hitting the ground, something coming ashore.
The creature seemed stunned when Lu Cai stomped his foot then stopped moving.
Lu Cai turned in that direction staring up for a moment, thinking, "Why aren't you taking the initiative?"
It's okay. Now that he's here he can take the initiative.
So Lu Cai pulled his leg out and this time he noticed he'd left footprints and muddy water behind.
...This was quite a game of playing hard to get.
Lu Cai pursed his lips in frustration and strode towards the sound. Through layers of thick fog he finally saw a different view.
By the pool a woman in a Xiuhe-style wedding dress stood with her back to Lu Cai. Her lower body was submerged, her black hair draped down her back, dripping wetly.
That's where the dripping sounds had come from.
Her shoulders moved slightly and only when Lu Cai approached did he hear a low whimper as if she were sobbing with her head bowed.
Lu Cai stopped about a meter in front of her and didn't move forward. His gaze fell on her noticing the water dripping from her head a crimson red that stained her body eerily and strikingly, a red that stood out against the surrounding murky fog.
He had located Xiao Yu roughly in this vicinity. Could it be this woman?
That couldn't be possible whether through his five senses or his intellect. She was well-proportioned, an adult, unlike Xiao Yu, a girl of sixteen or seventeen.
Who could it be? Lu Cai had a vague suspicion in his mind frowning and remaining silent for a moment.
As if noticing Lu Cai's absence the woman's sobs intensified slightly but she remained restrained concealing her feelings as if she were afraid of something.
All around him was quiet. Occasionally, Lu Cai glanced up and could see something emerging from the thick fog but he couldn't release his spiritual power to investigate, lest he startle the person before him.
He wanted to see what the other party was up to.
Perhaps Lu Cai was too patient; the sobbing woman finally stopped crying. Her voice faded and her lower body began to stir restlessly in the water.
At the same time, Lu Cai noticed that the air currents around them were spinning faster as if something was watching them from above urging them on with discontent.
Lu Cai thought, okay.
He moved, habitually clasping his left hand behind his back and leaning forward slightly so he could form a hand seal before the enemy noticed, then swing his fist for a decisive blow—
Of course, this was just preparation.
He pursed his lips and tentatively called out, "Zhang Xue."
The woman in her wedding dress finally stopped sobbing and the mist around her seemed to stagnate as well. Only the dripping water from her hair and the gurgling sound of her legs churning in the water remained.
In the silent space the sound of the water seemed to solidify giving a chilling sensation that made the skin behind the ears numb.
The woman didn't move her head, slowly turning in an extremely uncoordinated manner revealing a pale but delicate face as if it had been separated from her body.
The only bright red was her lips as if she had deliberately applied lipstick to emphasize the wedding but something had somehow rubbed against them, ruining the look. It looked as if blood was trickling down the corners of her mouth.
But Lu Cai only glanced at her casually and didn't observe. All he cared about was that it was indeed her.
"Zhang Xue" stiffly raised the corners of her mouth revealing a barely perceptible smile: "It's you."
Her throat seemed to be filled with water making her voice sound like bubbles and a low gurgling sound.
Lu Cai didn't respond. The other woman continued to smile gently and politely, "Thank you for coming to my wedding."
Lu Cai remained silent. He even thought to himself that if she continued to be so polite he would have to go back to bed. "Zhang Xue" paused. Seeing that Lu Cai still wasn't taking the bait she finally slowly raised her head and gave him a vulnerable look.
"Can you help me turn my head? It's tilted and I can't get it back."