The zombie liked the stolen harp very much, but unfortunately, except for the tunnel, he had never had the opportunity to go on a music tour. All the waiting was worth it. Although he was not very smart, he knew that today was a big event and he could perform on stage.
Manager Li knocked on the door again. This time he stood outside the house and did not leave: "Sir, there is one more thing you need to prepare."
Wen Shi glanced at Youshi, and without him having to explain much, Youshi hid in the closet with the zither in his arms.
After the door opened, a mixture of fragrant and smelly rain drifted in obliquely. Manager Li was holding a tray. The bright red veil was so thick that it seemed to be dripping with blood. A copper coin was hung on each of the four corners of the veil. The ancient coins were originally used to ward off evil spirits. However, this coin was rusty and there was yellow mud stuck in the lines, as if it had been unearthed not long ago.
Wen Shi looked at the hunched Li in front of him and raised his eyebrows: "Isn't this thing for the bride?"
Manager Li answered fluently: "The master lost his beloved daughter. To him, you are a part of his daughter. You put on this veil today, which is both a marriage and a marriage."
Wen Shi really wanted to lift up the skulls of this family and see what they were thinking.
The housekeeper glanced around the room and asked, "Where is the child who came with you?"
Wen Shi didn't know whether the tea party was over or not. He was about to make an excuse that he had been playing around and didn't know where to go when the empty box in the room suddenly opened from the inside, and the child showed half of his overly pale face: "Hide and seek, do you want to play?"
The program team did not reveal the cause of death of the woman in the red jacket, as no one would believe it even if they did. The host only said that something strange happened in the mountains and that the woman in the red jacket was in great danger.
If it were any other time, the Red Coat Woman and her family would definitely investigate everything. But now it was almost the time when the gates of hell would open. Every year at this time, all kinds of strange things happened frequently, and if one was not careful one would offend some evil spirit. The people in the old house subconsciously thought that the Red Coat Woman had bumped into something she shouldn't have bumped into, and that was why she suffered such a disaster.
"From now on, the young master will also be a member of our family." Old Li said with a smile: "Let's go together, the time has come."
Under Lao Li's motionless gaze, Wen Shi sneered, pulled the veil off the plate and casually put it on his head. The system prompt sounded almost at the same time -
[Side quest 1: Ghost marriage.]
In the blind date show, you who have been single for a long time finally succeeded in holding hands. However, accidents happen, and the unlucky girl stayed on Nanshan Road forever. Fortunately, her family is understanding and willing to rekindle your relationship.
This is a special wedding, and the process of such an important occasion must not go wrong! Please follow the following three points:
1. Worship the heavens and the earth. Always remember the gift from the elders and do not refuse it.
1. Respect the guests from all directions. The left hand is the sacrificial hand, so do not hold the cup with the left hand.
3. Entering the bridal chamber. "No matter how old or small, the three days are for the bridal chamber" is also the rule of Fengguan Village. No matter what happens during the process, you can't get angry. Remember, smiling is very important. In the cheerful atmosphere, please don't forget the time. You must successfully enter the bridal chamber before midnight.
The wedding is almost here, go enjoy this unprecedented and unique ceremony!
Mission reward: A Fengguan Village calendar.]
In order to make it easier to see the road, Wen Shi covered his head with a veil that was shorter in the front and longer in the back.
Seeing this, Ah Sang took the initiative to come over and hold his hand, helping to lead the way. The wishing bottle hanging around his neck swayed with his movements. There was no sunshine on a rainy day, and the eyes in the bottle seemed to have robbed the room of the last bit of light and shadow, making the whole room even darker. There was damn red everywhere, and the red stimulated the weird eyes in the bottle. Thunder roared in the sky in the distance, and lightning illuminated the small house. Under the red veil, the loud noise made Wen Shi's long eyelashes tremble slightly. His eyebrows and eyes were like a painting, but the corners of his mouth were slightly raised in the lightning and thunder.
"Rainy days are suitable for exterminating families."
The silent murmurs of one's self should have been unknown to anyone, but now they all fall into the eyes of the wishing bottle.
The anger in his eyes gradually subsided, and someone outside shouted, "Welcome—"
Rows of servants stood in the rain, leaving the same space between each person. The protagonist of the wedding finally appeared. When Wen Shi crossed the threshold and took his first step, everyone tilted their heads and smiled in unison on their pale faces. A cold wind blew, and a corner of the light veil was lifted. Wen Shi could clearly see the scene around him. All the servants were dressed festively, but too formally, as if they were the ones getting married today.
Manager Li stood right in front, his old face painted with rouge and powder, as if he was also one of the grooms, waiting for the bride to approach.
The veil fell again, and Wen Shi walked straight forward, passing through the door and entering another courtyard.
The moment he appeared, four people carried the coffin at the same time. There were too many incense sticks burning on the ground, and countless wisps of green smoke intertwined, creating a false illusion that the smoke was like a lotus.
The coffin bearers waited until Wen Shi came close and was level with the coffin before they began to move forward.
The coffin was lifted very high, as if it was level with Wen Shi's shoulders. When passing through the last door, Wen Shi adjusted his sleeves and threw away his overly long wedding gown, his expression cold.
"The bride and groom are here!"
The guest looked towards the door and saw a young man wearing an inappropriate red veil appearing amidst the beating of gongs and drums. Steward Li reminded him, "You have to carry the coffin in."
The white hands resting on the edge of the coffin contrast sharply with the dark wood.
Wen Shi walked all the way to the main hall and finally met the father of the woman in the red coat through a layer of red gauze.
The real owner of the old house had gray hair on his temples and looked energetic, with a pair of bright eyes that seemed to be glued to Wen Shi.
"Bow to Heaven and Earth, our parents—" the best man shouted.
Fengguan Village is different from the outside world. People in it bow to heaven, earth and parents.
Wen Shi perfunctorily bowed to the old man, muttering to himself: "Don't be angry, don't be angry, it's all money for the funeral..."
The mumbling appearance pleases the eyes in the wishing bottle.
The old man handed Wen Shi a cup of tea after he bowed.
Ever since entering Fengguan Village, Wen Shi has been avoiding anything with soups and water. This tea gives off a strange fragrance, and it's obvious at first glance that it's not a good thing.
He was covered with a veil, so even if he didn't drink and pretended to drink, he wouldn't be discovered. Considering that the elders' gift in the mission requirements was not something he could refuse, Wen Shi hesitated for a second, raised his head and drank it all in one gulp.
A hint of satisfaction flashed across the old man's face.
"A tribute to the guests—"
There was no wine or people sitting on the table in front. The best man was walking behind Wen Shi with a pot of wine in his hand.
Wen Shi did not ignore the empty table and stopped in front of the main seat.
You can't hold the cup with your left hand, but he used his left hand. Relatives usually sit in the front row, but the guests who eat the rice mixed with incense ash are definitely not human. Holding the cup with the left hand represents respecting the deceased ancestors, and these few empty tables just meet the needs.
The best man saw him stop and then poured a glass of wine for each empty seat.
When clinking glasses, Wen Shi deliberately lowered his glass by one level to each position to show respect.
This scene was seen by the players. Yan Yan looked at the other players who wrote down every detail and sneered, "So, what's the point of putting up a memorial archway? Fortunately, Pei Wenwei went up first."
If it were them, it would be difficult for them to consider it so carefully.
"Husband and wife bow to each other!"
Without waiting for Wen Shi to greet the villagers and other guests, the servants picked up their knives to kill the chickens and geese. The coffin bearers changed the direction of the coffin to face Wen Shi, who bowed again.
The best man's mouth opened a little: "Enter the bridal chamber—"
The wind made the wooden door creak and the red lanterns suddenly began to shake violently. Except for the players, everyone present knew that the most lively part had begun: the bridal chamber prank.
All the villagers who visited stood up and surrounded Wen Shi. The ceremonial team outside, beating gongs and drums, came in. The lion dancers and paper money scatterers ran into the house happily and continued to sing and dance. Amid the singing and dancing, the paper on the outer layer of the red lanterns melted little by little, and the flames burned vigorously. The lion dancers threw away the lion heads in their hands and started to play with fire. The fire spread all over their bodies, but they were unharmed. Sparks flew everywhere, and Wen Shi was inevitably contaminated.
In an instant, his shoulder caught fire. Although Wen Shi put out the fire immediately, his shoulder was burnt directly, and the pain did not subside immediately after taking the medicine.
There were laughter and joy all around, and the villagers' coffin faces finally had human expressions, clapping excitedly. A group of demons and ghosts shook their shoulders and kicked their legs in a weird dance in the mottled sparks:
"Teasing the groom, teasing the bride, not letting the groom enter the bridal chamber—"
The cameraman stood on a chair, unwilling to miss any embarrassing moment of Wen Shi.
The host introduced enthusiastically: "Dear audience friends, let's shout together, for three days, no one will be separated by age, the newlyweds should not cry but laugh... hahahahaha..."
He himself was laughing so hard that he was shaking with laughter.
Sitting on the high seat, the old man watched the noisy scene with a smile. The whole wedding was filled with smoke. He clapped his hands, but it was unclear who he was congratulating.
The paired guests were moved to tears, some leaned on the player's shoulders, some took the player's hand, and said similar words: "We will definitely have such a grand wedding in the future."
The player shuddered.
Zhou Lulu suddenly said, "There's something wrong with the tea."
After Pei Wenwei drank the cup of tea, he was like a fragile paper shell that could be ignited at a touch. Surrounded by a group of people playing with fire, if he continued like this, he would be burned to ashes sooner or later.
Zhou Lulu frowned, unable to think of a way out. Not only her, but all the other players were thinking hard, wondering if they would be the next person to be forced into a ghost marriage.
Ji Yuanzhi was considering whether to use illusion to get his son back when he heard a low, unfocused voice breaking through the annoying noise: "That's it?"
Wen Shi has been tolerating them for a long time. If it weren't for the need to complete the first two mandatory processes, he would not have waited so long.
Sensing a hint of annoyance in his words, the villagers who were making a fuss in the bridal chamber became even more excited. They held hands and circled around him. The lion dancers who were playing with fire made the flames spray higher and wider.
Amidst the noise, Wen Shi took off her red veil, looked at the group of demons and monsters, and said coldly: "Play some music."
The suona player thought he was talking to himself and wanted to blow into Wen Shi's two ears.
These people surrounded Wen Shi with his back to the door and circled around him. A tall and thin figure with a stiff body and strange behavior appeared silently at the door. Following Wen Shi's order, the zombie's long and blue nails began to pluck the strings.
A melody thousands of times more unpleasant than the cry of a crow sounded, and all the guests felt as if they heard ten thousand carpenters' saws in their ears. Covering their ears could not stop the impact of the sound waves, and every note was a heavy punch to the soul!
There was soup made from corpse oil and pieces of meat hidden with maggots at the banquet, but at this moment, compared with the sound of the piano, they could all be called the ultimate deliciousness.
Ah Sang cried and wanted to bury his head in the bowl. The eyes in the wishing bottle lost focus for the first time, as if the piano sound had materialized to the point where it was unbearable to watch.
"Your warrior is using the Harp."
The system's prompt sound was three seconds late.
Wen Shi closed his eyes, suppressed the urge to vomit, and activated [One Sword to Alleviate All Evil].
"Since this is your first time using this skill, the [Peerless Dancer] effect is activated simultaneously."
The noise caused all the guests to move slowly and their reaction abilities were greatly reduced, so no one noticed that the newlyweds, dressed in bright red wedding gowns, had a long green wooden sword in their hands.
The host was the first to notice something was wrong. Why did he take out a weapon out of nowhere
The staff seemed to be protected by the will of the game, and their bodies unconsciously retreated. The next second, they saw the most shocking scene in their lives. The wandering flames gathered into fireballs in the sword light. It was not Wen Shi who was dancing, but the sword. The sword body became the core of the fire, soaring into the air like a nimble dragon, passing through the bodies of the villagers. The black shroud was ablaze with flames. Wen Shi stood at the center, his skin looked even whiter, his eyes were branded with red light, and his wide sleeves fluttered in the wind.
The red light was also imprinted on the bottom of the eyes of the wishing bottle. The outline that should have been blurred in the firelight was seen extremely clearly, and its eyes outlined the lines of the young man's waist inch by inch.
The monster villagers screamed frantically in the firelight: "Help, help—"
When the fire burned Wen Shi’s shoulder, they danced with joy, but when it was their turn, they could only curse in pain.
Seeing the sword clanging wildly, the old man in the red coat was so scared that he almost fell off his chair.
All the players were stunned, only Ji Yuanzhi held up the frame and said, "Baby."
For some reason, the female guest next to him was frightened by his shouting.
"How can you see the dragon dance clearly from such a distance?" Ji Yuanzhi smiled, grabbed her wrist, and rushed into the fire without warning.
Judging from Wen Shi’s current expression, he is still rational. It would be better to burn more than one.
"Ahh—" The paired guests were frightened.
Wen Shi didn't mind helping Ji Yuanzhi to deal with a paired guest. After all, these paired guests, whether human or ghost, all enjoyed killing players. Unfortunately, in the current state, this female guest seemed to be barely half a person, and the game didn't allow her to be killed. Qingmu Jian just walked past the other's knee, and the female guest's leg was injured, and she fell to the ground and cried.
Ji Yuanzhi half-knelt beside her and gently wiped away the cold tears on the girl's cheeks: "Don't cry, dear, even if you are disabled, I will not abandon you."
The sword energy was raging, and the entire Fengguan Village was shaking. Farther away, the coffins in the cemetery were shaking violently back and forth, and the corpses inside were almost shaken out.
One by one, the skeletons crawled up in a panic, with only two holed eye sockets left staring at the green mountains in the distance to the south.
Damn, is there going to be another landslide
The only one who remained unmoved from beginning to end was the best man.
The bodies of the monster villagers were roasted and eventually beheaded by Qingmu Jian. With a gurgling sound, their heads rolled to the ground like balls. Qingmu Jian danced to several empty tables in the front row and stabbed every empty seat with a wine glass.
Screams rang out in the air, and the smoke vanished, leaving behind an unwilling rebuke:
"Unworthy descendants, even after death they still want to betray their ancestors—"
The Qingmu sword moved around and returned to Wen Shi's hand.
Manager Li and his servants were so scared that they crawled on the ground. They didn't die because of the will of the game. Some NPCs in the dungeon can be killed violently, while others cannot, and can only be killed by rules or other means.
Wen Shi did not forget his mission, which was to enter the bridal chamber before midnight. With the tip of his sword against the ground, Manager Li, who was lying like a dog, raised his head tremblingly.
"Which one is the wedding room?"
Manager Li burst into tears: "The best man, only the best man knows."
He doesn't look like he's lying.
Wen Shi raised his eyes coldly and looked at the best man who was still smiling: "Lead the way."
A Sang wanted to follow, but the prime minister raised his hand to stop him.
Wen Shi nodded to A Sang, indicating that he would go alone. He didn't know if bringing the child into the bridal chamber would violate any rules.
He was forced to get a little wet in the rain before, which was one of the reasons why Wen Shi was easily ignited. Now that the wedding farce was coming to an end, he did not hesitate to open the big black umbrella that he had snatched from the old lady.
Before leaving, Wen Shi looked at Yan Yan and said, "Be prepared." He mouthed the last few words: You're next.
In terms of cunning, no one is better at exploiting the rules than Wen Shi, and it is not difficult to trick a player to death. However, it is not yet the collective game stage, and besides... Wen Shi doesn't mind letting the other party feel the fear that only a living person can experience.
Yan Yan tried his best to suppress the trembling in his voice: "Why are you so proud? We don't even know who will die first."
The strange attitude of the best man means that there are still difficulties to be overcome in the ghost marriage.
At this point, Yan Yan had no way out and even took the initiative to move closer to the camera lens, wanting to further create highlights for the audience.
After leaving the house, the best man walked in front, and Wen Shi walked in the rain with an umbrella. It was rare for him to look at the green scenery of the corridor around him with appreciation. Now that he was married, he would be the master of the house from now on.
The best man turned into the rain corridor, and Wen Shi's interest in enjoying the scenery gradually faded. He had walked for nearly ten minutes since entering this long path, and the front was still endless. The red lanterns hanging on both sides shone in the rain, and there were only two thin figures, one in front and one behind. Time passed by, and the rain gradually got heavier. Wen Shi's legs felt like they were filled with lead, and he felt more and more tired as he walked. The injury on his shoulder had not healed yet, and he felt a burning pain from time to time.
The smell of corpse oil became stronger and stronger, and the pungent smell affected his consciousness. Wen Shi felt as if he was back in the factory and was experiencing a ghostly experience.
Double images appeared in front of my eyes, and everything around me turned into a blur. There was only one thought left in my mind: walk, keep walking.
Supported by this thought, Wen Shi unconsciously walked through the corridor, out of the gate, and finally towards the dark forest in front of the villagers who were peeking at him from the windows at the entrance of the village.
The old lady whose umbrella was snatched away by Wen Shi didn't know what happened to the red coat girl's family. Seeing this, she closed the window with satisfaction and muttered happily: "The groom has gone up the mountain to feed the wolves!"
The mountain road was rugged, and the distance between Wen Shi and the prime minister was getting farther and farther. He tried hard to catch up with him, but in the end he could only watch the prime minister's figure gradually blur until it was dark all around.
The weeds on the ground were growing wildly, and Wen Shi tripped and fell accidentally, hitting his forehead on the ground and scratching his hand.
Wen Shi suddenly woke up from the double stimulation of the cool breeze and pain on his face.
"This is where?"
It was a strange environment, with no red lanterns to illuminate it, and no winding and mysterious rain corridor.
There was a rotten damp smell in the air. When Wen Shi got up, the eerie ancient trees made the light even dimmer.
Currently, his field of vision can only see two meters away at most.
The leg muscles were extremely sore, but Wen Shi knew his body well and knew that he would not be so tired without two or three hours of race walking.
"Damn..."
He must rush back before midnight, otherwise the mission will fail.
The roar of jackals came from across the mountains, and Wen Shi subconsciously took a step back. The deep mountains and old forests were enough to trap him without a compass, even if he didn't encounter ghosts.
There were dots of blue light ahead, flickering like beacons in the darkness. Wen Shi hissed as he approached.
It's a will-o'-the-wisp!
The black umbrella was lost somewhere and his clothes were all wet.
Ever since Wen Shi drank that cup of tea and got caught in the rain, he became extremely sensitive to any source of fire. The will-o'-the-wisp fire, which was obviously not dangerous and would not burn anything, seemed to be able to ignite his internal organs.
"That's too much..." Wen Shi sighed softly, his voice like a ghost, "How can you abandon the groom?"
He originally wanted to save some money and tried to find his way back along the mountain road, but unfortunately the villagers of Fengguan Village did not give him the chance at all and took him to some shameful ravine.
The sound echoed in the inky night, and before it completely dissipated, cat ears and a tail grew out of Wen Shi's body.
Wen Shi spent 400 points to activate the intermediate skill of "Drunken Life and Dream Death": Homecoming. With this skill, he could always find his way home no matter how hard he tried.
There was a trace of blood in the full moon in the dome, and it was shrouded in silver mist. There was an additional sound in the mountains and forests... the sound of a strong wind. A cat-like flexible and light body shuttled freely in the mountains and forests, heading towards the old house in the distance.
House.
The best man came back alone. The wedding scene was in a mess. The father of the girl in the red coat seemed to have grabbed a life-saving straw: "That beast..."
He adjusted his breathing and changed his words in time, "Where is my good son-in-law?"
The red lanterns were burned, the house was dark, and the best man was half shrouded in shadows. "The new son-in-law seems to have some other ideas about this wedding. Maybe he regretted it and chose to flee the village."
The red-coat girl's father heard this and suppressed his joy. He slammed the table in an angry tone and said, "This is too much! I wanted to give my family property to him, but if he doesn't come back by the end of today, this marriage will be cancelled."
"I will also inform all the villagers," the bridesmaid picked up the red veil on the ground, "Fengguan Village does not need people who are unfaithful to love."
It was almost eleven o'clock now. The host regained his spirits and said to the camera in an exaggerated manner: "I wonder if Mr. Aaron will find his conscience and come back to complete this marriage."
Every ten minutes, he would announce: "Viewers can participate in the prize-winning guessing game on the program's official website and bet on whether the groom is a prodigal son. There are also mysterious prizes waiting for you~"
In a blink of an eye, it was already eleven forty, and Liu Yun felt a little anxious.
Unlike her, Yan Yan wished that one minute could turn into ten minutes and reach midnight quickly.
The other players had their own thoughts. Some hoped that Wen Shi would come back alive, while others did not. Ji Yuanzhi was still making gentle promises to the paired guest, as if he was not the one who caused her leg disability.
Outside the old house, A Sang sat on the stairs holding a bowl, waiting for someone quietly in the cold wind.
The blood moon was high in the sky, the wind and rain were raging, and in the distance, a familiar figure suddenly appeared from the end of the path. Under the moonlight, the pale skin seemed to be covered with a faint luster. The young man slowly approached, and his light-colored pupils were particularly clear.
"Pa... Dad," Ah Sang tried to find the right pronunciation, stood up and said, "Good, it smells good..."
A good fragrance is his highest praise for everything in the world!
The eyes in the wishing bottle were completely blank.
The wedding gown was wet and stuck to his body. His tail, which had been hanging to the ground, stood up after he saw the large house with three entrances and three exits. The cat groom stepped onto the stone steps, lowered his head slightly, and the rain flowed down his ears.
With pale fingers clenched in the air, Wen Shi knocked heavily on the door, and said in a seductive voice: "Open the door, open the door quickly—"
The one who came out to open the door was the best man. His face, devoid of any human emotion, was also stunned when he saw the person standing outside.
The dazzling wedding gown turned dark red after being soaked in the rain. The cat groom slowly smiled and said, "There is a kind of cat that can find its way home."
The prime minister held his breath, glanced at the long tail, and his heart beat wildly.
"Lead the way." There was a chilly tone under the upturned corners of his mouth, "Don't make my bride wait anxiously."
(End of this chapter)