Seeing that Ji Heng didn’t seem like he was going to say anything for the moment, Wen Buyu finally managed to squeeze out a few words: “Isn’t this a bit… rash?”
Su Er believed this was the best option for now.
After a long pause, Ji Heng finally spoke: “In instances like these, ghost marriages are taboo—living people avoid them at all costs.” He reasoned calmly with Su Er, analyzing the downsides: “It might backfire.”
“I know.” Su Er’s tone was steady. “Avoiding ghost attacks is just one goal. If I can survive this through a ghost marriage, my Charm stat could see a significant boost after the final evaluation. Besides…”
His gaze swept over the two of them. “Zhou Linjun’s mother was the one who caused his death. So why didn’t he take revenge after becoming a ghost?”
Wen Buyu blurted out instinctively, “Matricide is a grave sin.”
“According to the Guad Chief, mother Zhou blamed her son because the man she liked lost the election. If it was just a fleeting crush from her youth, it wouldn’t have been enough to make her lose her mind,” Su Er said. “He was still her flesh and blood, after all.”
Wen Buyu’s expression shifted, and she hesitated. “Could it be… Mother Zhou had a lover on the side?”
Su Er nodded. “Not only that—Zhou Linjun might’ve found out. That’s why she struck first.”
In this town, familial bonds meant nothing compared to the rules.
Li Shouzhang poisoned his own father and uncles for the Guard Chief position. Naturally, Zhou Linjun might’ve wanted to eliminate his mother in secret to avoid being implicated.
Wen Buyu felt a wave of nausea. She wasn’t a good person, but killing her own parents was something she could never do.
“Having an affair definitely breaks the rules. Zhou Linjun would’ve had grounds to kill her,” Su Er’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Unless Mother Zhou had something that could keep her alive.”
Hearing that, Wen Buyu’s eyes lit up as if she’d grasped something. In these scenarios, there were always one or two hidden items waiting to be discovered by players. But finding them was nearly impossible.
“It’s just a theory. We’ll have to wait until we see Mother Zhou to be sure.” Su Er turned to Ji Heng and said, “The marriage can’t be for nothing. Find a way to sell me off in exchange for an item.”
“...” Ji Heng asked, “Are you serious?”
Su Er nodded, then suddenly asked, “Where’s Bai Yan?”
He remembered that female player liked to stick with Wen Buyu.
“When we first arrived, she spoke up more than us and took a few extra lashes. Her wounds got infected, so she’s resting,” Wen Buyu replied. “Let’s focus on planning the wedding.”
The town was traditional—it didn’t allow two men to marry. In terms of gender, Wen Buyu would be the more fitting choice. But since Su Er was the one who needed to guard the red paper, he had to be the one to get married.
Wen Buyu bought rouge and powder. The only tricky part was the hair. There were no wigs to be found in town, but after much effort, she located a veiled bamboo hat to help Su Er disguise himself. Compared to women, men had broader shoulders and more angular frames—crossdressing often looked unnatural. Luckily, Su Er was still young. As long as no one looked too closely, it wouldn’t be obvious.
After all the fuss, Wen Buyu had an odd look on her face. “Should we put you in a dress?”
Su Er shook his head. “Find something loose and gender-neutral. Long pants would be best—to cover the running shoes.”
Just in case something went wrong, he needed to be able to run.
Wen Buyu nearly choked. “You’re planning to escape the wedding?”
“Just a precaution,” Su Er replied seriously. “During the ceremony, we’ll need to find a way to draw that skeleton away.”
Wen Buyu knew she wasn’t up to the task. Instinctively, she looked to Ji Heng, who said calmly, “I’m officiating the wedding.”
Working with Wan Yi and Shen Jiangbei would’ve been the most efficient, but the lure of an item was too great. Even if it was just a possibility, neither of them would give up easily.
Ji Heng nodded at Su Er, who got the hint and asked, “You sure?”
Ji Heng replied, “Dragging Wan Yi into this will just make it messier.”
The next moment, a box suddenly appeared in front of Wen Buyu. Her breath caught.
Ji Heng said, “It should last about four hours. But if you use it wisely, you can make it to dawn.”
Su Er had only kept a few sheets of red paper; the majority had been given to Wen Buyu, and the rest were carried by Ji Heng.
Just before Wen Buyu left, Ji Heng suddenly said, “If you get scared and try to take the box to Shen Jiangbei to tell him everything—I’ll kill Li Shouzhang.”
At that point, everyone’s efforts would go to waste.
Wen Buyu’s pupils contracted slightly. She pushed down any stray thoughts. “Of course not.”
After she left, Su Er put on the veiled hat. “Let’s go.”
Describing Mother Zhou’s home as ‘secluded’ would be putting it mildly—there wasn’t a sound of life around. The courtyard was overgrown with weeds due to neglect. But when the door opened, the interior was unexpectedly tidy, though the windows had been deliberately sealed shut.
Ji Heng bowed slightly and introduced himself first, stating he was from the Yutang.
The old woman’s temples were streaked with gray, but her eyes were sharp. She clearly wasn’t easy to deal with.
Ji Heng said, “A few days ago, someone from the Yutang died.”
The old woman already looked impatient, ready to drive them out with her cane. Ji Heng spoke up just in time: “He was killed by a ghost.”
Thud thud—her cane hit the floor hard. The old woman scoffed, “Nonsense!”
“I saw it with my own eyes.”
Her tone was cutting. “Then why didn’t that ghost take you too?”
“He wanted to,” Ji Heng said calmly. “But in a panic, I begged him. I told him if I died, my little sister would have no one to care for her. That’s when he changed his mind.”
The Guard Chief had said the old woman was mad, but seeing her in person, she seemed rather shrewd.
Ji Heng enunciated each word: “That ghost claimed to be Zhou Linjun.”
At the mention of that name, the old woman’s expression changed drastically. Her lips trembled, and she instinctively tried to shut the door.
Ji Heng acted as if he hadn’t noticed. “He said he died too young, before he could take a wife. He asked me to marry off my younger sister to him in a ghost wedding.”
The old woman turned a deaf ear. “Leave! If you don’t go now, I’ll call the Guard Chief!”
Ji Heng gave a bitter smile. “I’m not a swindler. What kind of swindler would voluntarily bring his own sister to offer up?”
After a few seconds of silence, the suspicion in the old woman’s eyes slightly faded.
Ji Heng continued, “There are examples of living people marrying ghosts. It’s said that after the wedding, the dead can be pacified, and misfortunes in the family lessen.”
Behind him, Su Er was genuinely surprised. Ji Heng, usually such a serious person, could spin lies so smoothly—if you didn’t know the truth, it’d be easy to fall for it.
The last line about warding off misfortune seemed to touch the old woman. “And your sister agrees?”
Ji Heng nodded. “She’s mute and grew up in the orphanage. It would be hard for her to marry into a good family.”
Su Er played along, nodding timidly and hiding behind Ji Heng.
Ji Heng pulled out an envelope with some scattered coins and handed it over as he said, “This is the dowry. As for the betrothal gift, we’ll leave that to your discretion.”
Offering money up front made it clear they weren’t after her wealth. The old woman completely let down her guard.
Ji Heng struck while the iron was hot, suggesting that the wedding should take place that very night. “If word spreads around town, it’ll cause gossip. Once the ghost settles his regrets, he can reincarnate sooner.”
And just like that, Su Er’s ‘marriage’ was decided in just a few words.
Night fell. The moon hid behind clouds.
Two marriage documents with birth dates were placed side by side. In the courtyard, two white funeral banners over a foot tall fluttered in the wind.
Ji Heng had once experienced a zombie bride dungeon and understood the basic process of a ghost marriage. He more or less copied it here. While pretending to be busy decorating inside and outside the house, he was actually using the opportunity to search for a hidden item.
Su Er sat with his hands folded on his lap, his posture very proper. As Zhou Linjun’s mother stepped into the courtyard, he asked softly, “Find anything?”
Ji Heng nodded. “I’ve got a lead.” He glanced at the paper clothes and shoes. “Once the marriage documents are burned, there’s a good chance he’ll sense it. If we back out now, it’s still not too late.”
Su Er asked only one thing: “After this dungeon, is there any chance we’ll run into the Ghost King again?”
Ji Heng gave a wry smile. “That’s even less likely than running into the same host again.”
Su Er let out a breath and said crisply, “Do it.”
On the cold, deserted street, Wen Buyu felt chills all over. She had barely walked a few steps before glancing around anxiously, on guard for a ghost suddenly emerging from a corner. Her nerves were so taut she started to hallucinate—was that the sound of firecrackers and drums in the distance?
Other people had their wedding nights. She was out in the cold drawing ghost aggro. Truly tragic.
But then again, Su Er was marrying a ghost. Her current suffering was still kind of reasonable by comparison.
Clang!
There was a sound.
This time, she was certain it wasn’t her imagination. Wen Buyu immediately opened the box. Inside, the flower petals began to slowly bloom.
She could feel the target nearby, yet the skeleton seemed trapped in a ghostly maze, unable to approach. Furious, it let more maggots crawl out from its eyes. It was the first time Wen Buyu had faced such a thing head-on. She covered her mouth and pressed tightly against the wall.
The skeleton turned in circles a few times and finally started inching in the right direction.
Her heartbeat pounded in her ears. She held her breath, but it couldn't mask the thumping of her heart. Just when she started to wonder if tonight would be her end, the skeleton suddenly slammed into a large rock nearby. The flying debris cut a bloody line on her cheek. She quickly pressed it with her hand to keep the scent from drawing attention.
Unexpectedly, the skeleton was just venting its rage. It turned and sped off in another direction. It had no lower half and moved like a crawling creature, leaving claw marks on the ground.
Who knew how long had passed before Wen Buyu finally collapsed against the wall, soaked in cold sweat.
As the Ghost King passed, all other creatures of the night scurried back into their lairs, not daring to provoke his wrath.
He was being forced into a wedding!
If he still had eyes, the skeleton’s face would be twisted in fury.
In the Ghost King’s heart was bitter hatred. He should’ve killed that old hag long ago. He had died because of ‘rules.’ He both feared and hated them. But what he loathed most… was unbreakable blood ties. Other ghosts had long shed such bonds, but he still had half a body left behind—like he owed that woman half his existence.
The marriage documents were burning brightly in the brazier.
Ji Heng subtly gestured toward something. Su Er looked—around the old woman’s neck hung a pendant, faintly revealing a red coral pattern.
“A jade charm blessed by a high monk,” Ji Heng said. “It has umbilical blood infused inside.”
Su Er asked, “How can you tell?”
Ji Heng replied, “A treasure-identifying item.”
Su Er didn’t ask further and thought privately that Ji Heng must’ve been a treasure-hunting rat in his past life.
Black powder scattered into the air. The documents turned completely to ash. The white banners in the courtyard suddenly shook violently. The old woman, frightened, staggered back from the brazier and ran into the house, trying to shut the door.
As usual, Ji Heng left the decision to Su Er. “Run or go in?”
“Go in,” Su Er said without hesitation.
Running wouldn’t help. How could a person outrun a ghost?
The two of them moved fast, squeezing through the door just before the old woman could close it.
She was pale with fear. “Is he… dissatisfied with his new bride?”
Ji Heng said, “Don’t worry, ma’am. Go drink some tea and calm down.”
Doing something was better than standing there uselessly. The old woman muttered to herself and turned to pour water.
Su Er whispered, “The ceremony’s complete. The skeleton shouldn’t kill me.”
At that moment, Ji Heng still had the nerve to joke. “The old woman has the charm to protect her. Now that you’re married, I suppose I’ll be the first one he comes for.”
Su Er shook his head. “I’m your sister now. Which means… you’re his big brother-in-law.”
As they spoke, the noise outside grew louder. The two white banners in the courtyard snapped clean in half.
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