Killing Dao Fruit
Chapter 75 - 73 Welcoming the Bride

Chapter 75: Chapter 73 Welcoming the Bride

Eerie screeches...

Although the sky was dark, the two groups were so close to each other that by the time Wang Yuan realized he needed to dodge, it was already too late.

Immediately, the bridal procession headed towards him at unabated speed.

Whoosh!

However, the anticipated scenario of being suddenly confined inside the sedan chair didn’t occur.

Instead, it was as if they were phantoms with form but no substance, passing through each other without any interaction at all.

Standing in place, Wang Yuan stared at the overly narrow, coffin-like blood-red bridal sedan and coldly spit out three words:

"Ghost marriage."

The procession, at first glance, seemed perfectly normal – the Golden Lamp Steward, bridal sedan, big drums, and flags with gongs and fans – all the trappings of a bridal procession were present and of a very high standard.

But as a Tomb Guardian living at the foot of Beimang Mountain, surrounded by graves, Wang Yuan was naturally very familiar with such funerary rituals.

Discerning between the living and the dead was quite simple.

Unlike the full complement of instruments present at normal bridal processions, a ghost marriage procession is typically led by a single drum, single horn, and single suona.

Moreover, the dowry chests that followed the procession were all open.

Inside, half contained real silk fabrics, gold and silver treasures;

The other half were fake items made of paper – jackets, cotton garments, single-layer clothes, earrings, bracelets, rings, and hairpins.

These items, known as Netherworld Artifacts, were intended for use only by the deceased.

Such ghost marriage ceremonies were mostly held at night.

Because he lived in Daling Village, there were times Wang Yuan would be rudely awakened from his sleep by the sound of music in the streets – a ghost marriage taking place under the cover of darkness.

Upon witnessing the scene of a ghost marriage, the skin-crawling singing would automatically fill Wang Yuan’s mind:

"On the eighteenth day of the first month, an auspicious date on the Yellow Path..."

It was precisely because not all ghost marriages were conducted by the book, matching a dead person with another dead person.

Many times, a living person would marry a deceased, or a living person would be turned into a deceased before the wedding could occur.

Immediately,

Wang Yuan used the Unsightly Observation but saw no sinister aura, and heaved a slight sigh of relief,

"I should still be inside the Underground Palace. I had smelled something strange earlier, this must be an illusion that once happened at some point in time, not actual ghosts causing mischief."

However,

When he noticed the direction the bridal procession was headed, straight towards the Vermilion Bird Bureau where the Construction Director was located,

His heart skipped a beat, recalling his previous suspicion, and he promptly followed them.

He even ran to the very front of the procession and turned to scrutinize them closely.

In the lead was a lotus-shaped Soul Summoning Lamp, and behind it a man carried the Soul Summoning Banner.

The surprise came from the fact that the banner only bore the lonely words "Yunhe," which was unexpected.

The Soul Summoning Banner should have the full name of the bride, often including her birthdate and zodiac, so that her soul would follow the corpse.

But the name "Yunhe" did not conform to the norm; indeed, it seemed less like a person’s name and more like a place name.

Of course, in this context,

"Yunhe" was more likely a sealing title like "Pingyang," "Yi’an," or "Guantao"... while also being a privileged lady’s title outside of a place name!

Wang Yuan mulled over it repeatedly to no avail, and could only put aside the matter of the name for the moment.

As Wang Yuan continued to look at the rest of the procession, his gaze paused on a guard. His brows furrowed in contemplation, and then his eyes suddenly shone with recognition.

"It is indeed you, Wei! An! Ning!"

He recognized him because they had just met the previous morning. The hesitation was because this man had somehow become at least a decade younger than before.

He looked to be under thirty and quite youthful.

Even if one practiced Taoist Military Skill to reach the highest realm of "Heavenly People No Leak," it could only lock the longevity technique and prevent eternal life; natural aging could not be stopped.

At most, one would age slightly slower than the average person.

Like a shadowy puppet master, the Luoyang Royal Mansion finally showed its tail in this illusion!

Combining the operation that demolished Grandma’s Ancient Locust Temple fifteen years ago, the person inside the sedan chair must undoubtedly be the very "Elixir" from back then!

This is not a simple matter of ghosts welcoming a bride, arranging a ghost marriage.

It is... a Weird welcoming!

The Prince Mansion is arranging a marriage for the Yili King, who has already transformed into a Weird in the Owl God Tomb, or more precisely, preparing a sacrifice for the upcoming Killing Banquet.

However, even though Wang Yuan reluctantly reached out several times to lift the sedan curtain to see the "bride’s" true face and verify his guess, he couldn’t touch it at all.

He couldn’t help but feel so anxious it was like scratching an itch in his heart.

Just then, the young Wei Anning suddenly spoke:

"Lady Gao, we’re about to arrive at the companion tomb soon. As the ’Ghost Matchmaker,’ you should have properly handled the bride by now, right?"

Wang Yuan turned his head at the sound.

The person responsible for arranging the ghost marriage is called a "Ghost Matchmaker," who wears a large red paper jacket over her regular clothes.

She is instantly recognizable.

This "Ghost Matchmaker" looked like one of those widowed old palace maids who had always stayed within the Prince Mansion.

Not only was her appearance ugly, but her psyche was also twisted from seeing the world’s filthiest things, and she emanated a pervading chillness.

"General Wei, you can rest assured.

This old woman has trained countless beauties for the Prince in her life; when has there ever been a mistake?

Don’t mind my bluntness, but where exactly did you find such prime merchandise?

The fact that she has such peerless beauty at such a young age is one thing, but her temperament is something I’ve only seen once in my life.

I think even the precious daughters of high officials and giant merchants couldn’t nurture such nobility."

Seeing that Wei Anning had no interest in answering her question, the self-deprecating old palace maid whipped out a dark whip and continued with a feigned smile:

"But once they fall into our hands, what does it matter if they scream for their parents every day, or if they cry until they are hoarse?

This ’Soul-Beating Whip’ I hold, made from human hair, black python skin, and willow bark strands, leaves no marks on the surface but causes bone-deep pain and injures the soul.

Stick a few ’Drilling Heart Needles’ into her delicate fingertips, like those of an orchid, and serve her with a set every day; she will have no choice but to submit, won’t she?

The Prince says the more painful the ’Elixir’ is, the better the wine will taste. What this old woman is best at is making these little hussies understand the feeling of ’better dead than alive’, heh heh heh..."

Obviously, this twisted old woman took pleasure in tormenting young girls who were distinguished in both appearance and temperament, acting as an accomplice for the Luoyang King.

"That young girl, just of age, couldn’t withstand the pain and obediently drank the liquid extracted from the pod shell of the Dragon Biting Flower.

After the first cup, her divine soul disengaged, leaving her in a stupor.

After the second cup, her soul wavered, nearly taking flight.

By the time she drank the third and fourth cups, the connection between her soul and body was completely severed; her spirit left the body, memories faded, and she gradually turned into a ghost!"

After wilting, the Dragon Biting Flower leaves behind a pod shell resembling a skull.

Magicians discovered its demonic properties and found that liquid squeezed from the pod shell, when used in medicine, could let a person’s spirit exit the body and see one’s own flesh being manipulated like a puppet by the spirit.

If the dosage is increased, the spirit could even gain complete "freedom" and turn into a ghost upon bodily death.

"A young girl just come of age, a ghost with erased memories..."

Hearing this, the identity of the bride in the sedan chair became all too clear, and the suspicion that had been lingering in Wang Yuan’s mind was now just short of being confirmed.

He couldn’t help but envision a small girl in a Luan Robe who was tragically abducted by these evildoers fifteen years ago.

Beaten with whips, pricked with needles, she endured all manner of torment, cries to heaven heard not, pleas to earth unanswered.

Her tears dried up, her throat cried hoarse.

All to make the "wine" she brewed taste even better.

And after a life worse than death, what awaited her was the deepest despair.

Creak, creak...

Wang Yuan couldn’t help clenching his fists tightly, eyes reddened, teeth gritted so hard they creaked.

"Damn it! Yi King, Wei Anning, you old thing, you all deserve to die! To slaughter you! I must slaughter you!"

ps: This has been revised twice.

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