Chapter 67 Why are you always getting married, but always the one marrying Akemi...?
Mingjian's plans regarding the jade pendant and the mission were completely forgotten after Gu Zhi's scream.
His and Yun Hanyi's expressions changed almost simultaneously.
"Miss Yun, let's go take a look first." Mingjian said in a very fast voice, then immediately picked up his sword and rushed into the alley like lightning.
Yun Hanyi immediately said to the Hehuan Sect disciples behind her, "The rest of you stay here and be on guard, ready to leave at any time!"
Having said that, she carried the guqin and followed closely behind Mingjian with light yet swift movements.
Mingjian rushed into the alley and, by the moonlight, saw Guzhi sitting on the ground, her face pale, her eyes filled with terror as she looked ahead.
Song Heyu, Shi Lian, and Xie Linzhao stood in a triangular formation, their swords gleaming coldly in the moonlight, their eyes fixed intently on a group of blurry, writhing shadows at the end of the alley. Even more chilling was the sight of several townspeople lying dead beside the shadows, people they had met that very morning.
Under the moonlight, the bodies of the townspeople were eerily split in two, their outer skin peeling away bit by bit like rotting tree bark, collapsing and revealing not bright red flesh and blood, but a pool of viscous black substance.
The dark shadow was writhing, enveloping a long-dead lamb, making a sickening crunching sound, accompanied by an extremely strong stench of blood that permeated the narrow alley.
When Gu Zhi saw Ming Jian arrive, it was as if she had grasped a lifeline. She scrambled to her feet, rushed over, and hugged Ming Jian's arm tightly. Her teeth were chattering, and she couldn't help but swear.
"Damn it! Mingjian, look at this! What the hell is this thing?!"
Seeing this, Yun Hanyi casually plucked a string, and a clear and melodious sound flowed out, seemingly carrying a soothing power that instantly calmed Gu Zhi's fear.
Gu Zhi blinked, feeling the chilling fear subside considerably. She was immediately amazed and stopped pestering Ming Jian. Instead, she moved closer to Yun Hanyi and asked curiously, "Miss Yun, so your music has this calming and concentration effect?"
"Young Master Gu flatters me; it's just a trivial skill." Yun Hanyi humbly lowered her head slightly and smiled softly, but her gaze remained fixed on the depths of the alley.
Mingjian composed himself, stepped forward, and stood shoulder to shoulder with Song Heyu and the others, solemnly examining the bloody and bizarre scene before him.
Mingjian asked, "So, are all the people in Qiyun Town made up of these things?"
“Yes.” Song Heyu’s voice was low as she explained, “This creature is called ‘Chang’. It is formed from the resentment of those who suffered extreme abuse in life and died with hatred. However, ordinary Chang do not have the ability to attack the living. They are just unwilling to leave the place of their death because their obsession is too deep. Usually, they can be put to rest in peace by performing a ritual to help them pass on.”
Shi Lian's expression was unusually solemn. "If it were just one or two chang ghosts, it would be fine, but now the entire population of Qiyun Town has turned into chang... The scale is so large that it means that something extremely tragic must have happened here before, resulting in no one in the town surviving."
These accomplices were unwilling to leave, and they needed to rely on devouring the flesh and blood of poultry to maintain their human-like appearance during the day. Furthermore, they selectively forgot the truth of what happened at night and stubbornly believed that evil creatures had stolen their livestock.
“But now, apart from us, we can’t sense any other living beings in this town,” Song Heyu added. “It won’t be easy to find out what happened here.”
He had already quietly spread his divine sense and carefully searched the entire town, confirming that only the presence of a few of them remained.
Yun Hanyi wore a gentle smile. Her gaze swept over Mingjian almost imperceptibly before turning to the others, her voice soft and gentle.
“I remember an ancient text from the Hehuan Sect that records that if low-level evil spirits like Chang are not exorcised for a long time, their resentment will accumulate, their physical form will grow, and their danger will increase. Coincidentally, the Hehuan Sect’s Purifying Mantra is quite effective in calming and exorcising Chang. If you don’t mind, may I give it a try?”
Shi Lian glanced at her twice, then looked at the strange creatures wriggling in the alley. After a moment's thought, he nodded in agreement, "Then I'll have to trouble Miss Yun."
Yun Hanyi smiled and said, "Master, there's no need to be so polite. Qiyun Town is located on the border, and it is within the jurisdiction of my Hehuan Sect. It is my duty to handle this matter."
She composed herself and gently placed her slender fingers on the strings.
Under the bright moonlight, the moonlight was hazy and indistinct.
The melodious sound of the zither, like a clear mountain spring, began to linger and echo in the silent night sky. The music seemed to carry some strange power, and the dark shadows on the ground that had been frantically writhing and chewing gradually slowed down and eventually stopped.
However, just when everything seemed to be going smoothly, Mingjian faintly heard a very subtle ringing sound.
"Mingjian..."
The voice was ethereal, seemingly right beside his ear, carrying a very soft sigh, "Aren't you going to wake up?"
Mingjian felt a sudden jolt in his heart, and a chill ran through him.
He suddenly remembered something and said to Song Heyu, Shi Lian, and the others beside him, "Can't the Chang transform into human form at night?"
Upon hearing his question, Shi Lian, though not understanding its meaning, still replied, "If it is a lower-level Chang, that is indeed the case. They can only barely maintain their pre-death appearance during the day, and at night, they will shed their skin and reveal their true form as Chang ghosts."
The atmosphere suddenly became quiet for a few seconds.
Mingjian's voice trembled slightly, "If I remember correctly, the night before last, didn't Li Huan take a few villagers with him to patrol with us?"
As soon as the words were spoken, the air froze instantly, as if it were solidifying.
The eerie bell sound became incredibly clear and urgent at that moment.
"Mingjian..."
The call rang out again, carrying an undeniable air.
Mingjian blinked slightly. He had originally intended to ask others if they had heard the strange bell sound.
But the next second, he heard Xiao Bumian's voice.
He always spoke softly and gently, with a clear and crisp quality, his tone always seeming to contain a faint smile, yet at this moment it sent chills down one's spine.
"Forget it, it's too much trouble." The voice decided lightly, "I'll kill them all, and then you'll wake up."
Mingjian fell silent for a moment.
If he wasn't sure if it was Xiao Bumian before, he was now absolutely certain.
Only Xiao Bumian could say something like that without it sounding so out of place.
Mingjian's seemingly random statement also startled the others. They all looked in horror at the dark figures in the depths of the alley, who were temporarily subdued by the music, and felt a chill run down their spines.
Mingjian had no desire to continue thinking about it.
His heart was beating very fast.
"Bang--"
"Bang bang—"
A strong sense of crisis and the guidance of the ringing bell made him react almost instinctively.
He suddenly turned around and ran wildly in the opposite direction from the alley.
At the same time, he shouted with all his might behind him, "Don't stand still! Run this way! Hurry!"
Although the crowd was puzzled, seeing Mingjian's panic and urgency, they didn't have time to think and immediately followed in his footsteps, fleeing out of the town.
The moon in the sky began to change at some point. The original crescent moon was becoming full at a speed visible to the naked eye, its outline gradually being filled in, and the cold and eerie moonlight illuminated the earth in a pale white light.
They ran as fast as they could.
The wind carried moisture, which filled their lungs.
They passed through the maple forest, which looked as red as if it were weeping blood under the moonlight, and through the grass covered with dew. Finally, they stopped at the shore where their cloud boat was moored.
Gu Zhi, breathless from running, clutched her knees and asked, "Mingjian, what exactly happened?"
Mingjian did not answer immediately. He listened intently to the bell ringing beside him, which was indicating the direction, and his gaze swept around before finally settling on a spot on the shore where the cloud boat was moored.
“Right here,” he said with certainty.
"What's here?"
While rapidly searching for something on the shore, Mingjian explained in a very fast voice, "Those are definitely not ordinary low-level changgui! Their abilities far exceed our understanding! I suspect that when we left this morning, we were already being targeted by them and dragged into some kind of illusion without our knowledge."
"Or rather, the world they've created may have its entrance right where we first left. We must now find a way out of this false world."
Upon hearing this, Song Heyu's expression hardened, and she drew her longsword without hesitation.
He took a few steps back, focused his mind and gathered his energy, and shouted in a low voice, "First move, slash!"
The fierce and powerful sword intent crashed down like the creation of heaven and earth!
In an instant, the world seemed to suddenly spin and turn upside down.
A strange feeling, like being separated by the realms of Yin and Yang, washed over me. The earth seemed to be divided by an invisible midline, with the scenery on both sides completely reversed and disordered.
Mingjian felt as if his soul was being pulled back into his body by a tremendous force. Just as he was about to fully regain consciousness, he felt a burning sensation on his wrist.
When I opened my eyes again, the scene before me was completely different. The eerie blue flames burned quietly all around, but they had no heat at all; instead, they emitted a bone-chilling cold.
Ashes filled the air, and the red maple forest before them seemed to turn into flames.
Xiao Bumian stood at the center of this bizarre scene, his clothes fluttering, and the white ribbons in his hair billowing in the wind mixed with ashes.
Several stark white bone chains were wrapped around his wrists as if they were alive, emanating a chilling aura. He seemed to sense something and turned his head.
Those eyes, which had been listless and indifferent, suddenly lit up the moment they saw Mingjian's figure, radiating an astonishing brilliance.
He stopped what he was doing, and the bone chain obediently retracted into his sleeve.
Then, he walked step by step toward Akemi.
Mingjian had always thought Xiao Bumian had a very pleasant, faint scent, which he had previously thought resembled the fragrance of crabapple blossoms. But at this moment, that scent had become extremely cold, chilling, and piercing, making one want to shiver upon smelling it.
The eerie red lotus pattern on Xiao Bumian's forehead was now so red it looked as if it were about to bleed.
He walked up to Mingjian, bent down slightly, and looked at Mingjian at eye level.
Suddenly, he curved his lips into a slight but genuine smile. All the distance and coldness from before vanished instantly.
He said, "You're awake."
Mingjian was still in a state of shock and disorientation, and almost subconsciously responded with a "...Mm".
At the same time, the others also gradually regained consciousness from the dizziness.
Seeing this scene, which resembled the arrival of the underworld, everyone was shocked and horrified.
But this is clearly not the time to ask further questions.
A female disciple of the Hehuan Sect looked at the distant town shrouded in eerie blue flames, appearing exceptionally desolate, her voice filled with fear and a hint of reluctance.
"Can't those ghosts in Qiyun Town be released from their suffering? They must have suffered great injustice in their lives..."
Yun Hanyi reached out and helped the female disciple onto the cloud boat, then sighed and explained:
“Those accomplices were able to pull us all into their fictional world without any of us noticing. This is something that ordinary accomplices could not do.”
"They have been entrenched here for at least a hundred years. The disciples who came to Qiyun Town to investigate but whose soul lamps went out before probably died in the same way. They probably thought they were just dealing with ordinary accomplices, but they never expected that these accomplices could not only fabricate worlds, but also perfectly disguise themselves, making them impossible to guard against."
As she spoke, she turned her gaze to Mingjian, her cheeks slightly flushed, filled with sincere gratitude, "If it weren't for Mingjian's quick thinking in recognizing the illusion and finding a way out, we would probably have already become nourishment for those accomplices to grow."
Mingjian: "..."
There's no need for that now!
He was pleased that the mission was progressing and that Yun Hanyi's feelings for him had grown even stronger, but he couldn't be so obvious under Xiao Bumian's watchful eye.
Mingjian pretended not to notice, forced a couple of dry laughs, and tried to shift the credit, "It wasn't all my doing..."
It was Xiao Bumian who kept ringing a bell in his ear; otherwise, he might not have woken up.
Although he didn't know what that bell was either.
Just as he was about to say something, Xiao Bumian suddenly curved his lips into a smile and said in a proud tone, "Insight is naturally the most powerful."
Upon hearing this, everyone's gaze fell upon Xiao Bumian.
Xiao Bumian's gaze swept across Yun Hanyi's face for a fleeting moment, icy cold and devoid of any warmth, before shifting away.
He naturally reached out and took Mingjian's hand, his eyes crinkling as if he were smiling, but there was no genuine smile in the depths of his eyes; instead, there was an invisible sense of oppression.
Yun Hanyi also felt the chill in that instant. She glanced at Xiao Bumian but didn't say anything.
Although Song Heyu didn't know why the atmosphere suddenly became a bit strange, she still tried to smooth things over, saying, "Indeed, but we were able to escape danger this time thanks to Junior Brother Xie's help from outside, who promptly eliminated those accomplices, allowing us to get out of the illusion so quickly."
Xiao Bumian merely responded with a faint reply, appearing uninterested.
After all that trouble, they not only failed to find the evil creature that stole the livestock, but also discovered that the entire Qiyun Town was already the lair of a ghost that had been dead for hundreds of years. The group almost perished inside, and were all exhausted, both physically and mentally.
After arranging rooms for everyone, Song Heyu took her sword and went back to her room to rest.
As Gu Zhi followed behind Song Heyu, she couldn't help but whisper and quickly say as she passed Ming Jian, "Can you two be a little more mindful of your image? Don't be so obvious!"
Mingjian: "..."
That's probably not up to him.
Yun Hanyi smiled, bowed to Ming Jian, and left with her guqin in her arms.
Mingjian walked in front, with Xiao Bumian following behind him.
When they arrived at Mingjian's room, Mingjian pushed the door open and went in. Xiao Bumian followed him in very naturally and closed the door behind him.
He looked around the room with some disdain, but soon a smile appeared on his face. He bent down and hugged Mingjian, burying his head in the crook of Mingjian's neck, and said in a muffled voice, "We haven't seen each other for three days."
He complained, "Your room is no good at all. Don't you want to come to my place? Fine, I'll come to yours then."
The hug was so intimate that Mingjian, who was initially a little angry because Xiao Bumian in the original novel liked Shi Lian, blinked gently and her heart softened involuntarily after Xiao Bumian's embrace.
Fine, then he'll have to reluctantly forgive him.
However, Mingjian was still preoccupied with the plot of the substitute bride. In the next few days, he really needed to find a way to "cultivate feelings" with Yun Hanyi, and couldn't always hang out with Xiao Bumian.
Anyway, once this plot point is over, his cannon fodder life will probably be over. At that time, he will not only be able to get the generous rewards promised by the system, but also win the heart of the yandere, which is simply killing two birds with one stone.
Therefore, Mingjian decided to talk to Xiao Bumian first to make things clear, lest he go crazy again.
Xiao Bumian's lips began to wander.
He gently lingered on Mingjian's neck, his warm breath brushing against her sensitive skin, almost touching it, just lightly brushing against it like a feather tickling, bringing waves of subtle itch and a fleeting, teasing sensation.
Seeing that his rubbing against her made her breathing slightly erratic, she quickly reached out and pushed him away.
His eyes were moist, the corners of them red, and he stared unblinkingly at Mingjian.
"Don't you like it?" Xiao Bumian asked.
Mingjian quickly replied, "I like it, I like it."
If he says he doesn't like it, Xiao Bumian will really have to stay in his room all night.
Yun Hanyi is, after all, the Holy Maiden of the Hehuan Sect. Although she knew before that her relationship with Xiao Bumian was extraordinary, she did not consider herself the owner of the jade pendant at that time. Now it is different.
Yun Hanyi mistakenly believes the jade pendant belongs to him. If he continues to be seen with Xiao Bumian, this plot point may never end until next year.
When Xiao Bumian heard him say he liked it, his eyes immediately crinkled into a smile.
He extended his slender, pale fingertips and gently wiped away the slight dampness he had left above Mingjian's Adam's apple. The cool touch brought a ticklish sensation, and Mingjian's Adam's apple bobbed uncontrollably.
Xiao Bumian seemed to have discovered something extremely amusing, her fingertips continuing to linger and rub against that sensitive skin, while asking in an innocent yet dangerous tone, "Then why won't you let me hold it in my mouth? Didn't you say you liked it?"
Mingjian: "...?"
They didn't do anything substantial just now!
What kind of inappropriate and lewd words is Xiao Bumian spouting?
Based on his understanding of Xiao Bumian, if he didn't confess now and Xiao Bumian discovered the truth himself, the consequences would be unimaginable. Rather than passively waiting for death, it was better to take the initiative and try to get lenient treatment.
“No, not exactly.” Mingjian decided to tell the truth. “The sect leader is seriously injured and needs the sacred artifact of the Hehuan Sect to remove the remaining demonic energy from his wounds, otherwise his life will be in danger. And in order to obtain that sacred artifact, I may have to marry Miss Yun.”
After saying that, Mingjian quickly added, "But you have to remember, it's fake. My marriage to her is also fake."
Xiao Bumian's fingertips stopped there.
Cool fingertips pressed against the throbbing veins on the side of Mingjian's neck. Beneath the thin skin, the sensation of life's pulse became exceptionally clear and fragile at that moment.
They're easy to strangle.
It was as if Mingjian's lifeline was held in his fingertips. With just a little force, that slender neck would easily break, and that mouth that always uttered words that displeased him would never utter another sound.
The air was deathly still, so still that you could clearly hear your own heart pounding like a drum and your suppressed breathing.
Mingjian waited anxiously for Xiao Bumian's reaction, even mentally rehearsing several explanations: for example, how Yun Hanyi had misunderstood, or that Xie Linzhao was, after all, brought back from the Demon Realm by Xiao Bumian, and that it was too humiliating for Jianming Immortal Mountain to have him snatched away by the Hehuan Sect...
However, Xiao Bumian did not ask him why the person chosen for marriage had changed from Xie Linzhao to him.
Xiao Bumian simply looked at him quietly, her beautiful eyes swirling with a gloomy emotion that was clearly unfathomable.
After a long silence, he suddenly chuckled very softly, a laugh that carried an almost absurd quality, and asked in a low voice, "Why are you always getting married?"
But it was never him who married Mingjian.
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