As darkness fell, the guests who had come to the Cao family for the wedding banquet gradually left.
In the new house, after Mu Run finished eating the noodles, she sat on the bed. The faint fishy smell was masked by the aroma of scallions and noodles, and she couldn't smell it for a moment.
She stared at the closed door and listened intently for a while to hear what was happening outside. It seemed the wedding banquet in the front yard had ended, and the lively sounds of the social gatherings were gradually fading away.
Apart from that little girl named Hongmi, no one else had come to her place. The groom, who should have been the one to appear at the entire wedding, had also never shown up. This wedding was not only too simple, but also had a rather eerie feel to it. Thinking about what Hongmi and the other maid had said... suddenly, a chill ran down her spine.
Just as Mu Run was lost in her thoughts, a burning incense stick suddenly emerged from a tiny, inconspicuous hole, no bigger than a mung bean, on the wall behind her, which was covered with a large red "double happiness" character...
The incense had no scent, so as long as Mu Run didn't turn around, she would never notice it.
A moment later, Mu Run raised his hand and rubbed his forehead. He felt a little dizzy, so he leaned against the bedpost and tried to close his eyes for a short rest. Unexpectedly, he fell onto the wedding bed and lost consciousness.
After Mu Run lay down, the burning incense stick was also put away.
Soon, the entire wall moved...
To everyone's surprise, a secret passage leading underground appeared behind the wall!
The faint, fishy stench that Mu Run smelled emanated from the secret passage without any concealment, so strong it was nauseating.
Footsteps came from the secret passage... A moment later, two young men dressed in Taoist robes came out.
They lifted Mu Run by the arm and the leg, carrying him into the secret passage.
Just after they went inside, the wall returned to its original state. Now, the entire bridal chamber, except for the absence of the bride, remained eerily quiet!
At the end of the secret passage was a small, two-room-sized chamber. A ring of oil lamps hung on the walls of the chamber, their flickering flames adding to the eeriness of this secluded place.
Mu Run was placed on a round white jade platform in the center of the secret room. Her red bridal dress stood out conspicuously against the white jade.
After the two young Taoist priests finished setting out the shrine, they went out through a stone door.
Not long after, a stout old man with cloudy eyes and a Taoist priest with high cheekbones, graying temples, and cold, snake-like eyes entered.
The two looked at Mu Run lying on the stone platform.
The old man asked the Taoist priest, "Master Goufu, may we begin?"
The Taoist priest calculated with his fingers and nodded: "Please trouble Master Cao to invite your son out."
Master Cao immediately moved his plump body to the wall of the secret room and twisted the candlestick on the wall.
Another secret room slowly appeared as the walls rumbled and moved.
Meanwhile, the stench emanating from the secret room grew even stronger. Old Master Cao seemed oblivious to smell, his cloudy old eyes fixed intently on the interior.
The secret room was filled with ice, making the temperature extremely low, and there was also a white jade platform exactly like the one where Mu Run was lying.
Lying on top of him was another person, a young man. He was dressed in a bright red wedding robe, and his lifelike young face appeared to be asleep. However, the lividity below his neck betrayed that he was already a corpse!
Two streams of cloudy tears rolled down Old Master Cao's old eyes as he cried out in a mournful voice, "My son..."
Terrified, the dead man was Master Cao's son, Young Master Cao, who was also the groom Xinlian was to marry!
Master Goufu watched as Master Cao and his son secretly took out a pill from his sleeve and swallowed it.
Master Cao was unaware of the Taoist's subtle actions. He grieved for a while before wiping away his tears and emerging from the cold, secluded room.
The two young Taoist priests returned, carrying some items for performing rituals, including a golden and wooden magic sword, five-colored command flags, a wooden fish, an incense burner, a Three Pure Ones bell, a soul-summoning banner, and a token of the Boundless Heavenly Venerable, among other things.
Master Goufu said to Master Cao, "This resurrection technique is a forbidden technique of heaven and earth, which violates the six paths of reincarnation. I am using this technique at the cost of shortening my lifespan by thirty years. Whether this technique can truly bring your son back is a 50/50 chance. I hope Master Cao understands."
"Yes, thank you for your trouble, Celestial Master." Master Cao took out a stack of silver notes from his wide sleeves and presented them to Celestial Master Goufu.
Master Goufu nodded, took the silver note, glanced at it briefly, and then put it in his pocket.
Two young Taoist priests carried the cold, stiff body of Young Master Cao to Mu Run's side, then closed the door to the secret chamber, sealing all the gaps to completely isolate the chamber from the outside world.
Master Goufu first lit three red incense sticks, watching the smoke gradually swirl in the secret room. Then he took out a jade bottle with a talisman attached to it from his sleeve and handed it to Master Cao. "Feed this to the bride, and then use this pair of scissors with a talisman attached to it to cut off your son's clothes until he is completely naked."
Master Cao immediately agreed. He first gave Mu Run the Rejuvenating Dew, and then cut off Young Master Cao's clothes.
When the scissors were cutting off Young Master Cao's underpants, Old Master Cao looked at the still erect tent and sighed, "My son is good in every way, especially this place."
Goufu Tianshi walked over and looked at the spot as well. "Whether or not the dead can be brought back to life depends on whether your son can defile the bride's virginity."
"What if...we don't have it?"
Master Goufu glanced at the red incense sticks that were almost half-burnt, and said, "Then you, as his father, must go up and help him personally!"
Upon hearing that he might have to commit incest with this daughter-in-law, Old Master Cao's old face suddenly lit up with excitement!
His old face, covered in fat, trembled uncontrollably. "Very well! Thank you, Celestial Master. Let's begin the ritual."
Seeing the excited Master Cao, Master Goufu took out a handful of talismans from his sleeve and, by the light of the lamp on the wall, began to burn them one by one, scattering ashes throughout the secret chamber...
Old Master Cao's face grew increasingly red, and his eyes occasionally revealed an uncontrollable desire as he looked at Mu Run as if he were looking at a delicious dish.
After the three sticks of red incense burned out, Goufu Tianshi, holding the golden and wooden magic sword, began to jump and hop around, chanting incantations...
At the same time, the back door of the Cao family's residence opened, and a dozen masked men dressed in black entered. They killed indiscriminately, their methods ruthless and brutal. Often, their victims could only let out a terrified whimper before being decapitated...
The entire Cao family was filled with the blood-red, cold light of flesh being slashed open by sharp blades, until they were all slaughtered!
Outside the secret chamber, two young Taoist priests lay in pools of blood, their eyes wide with terror as they stared at the man who had killed them.
He was a tall, slender man with long, thin fingers gripping a dripping, jet-black longsword. He wore a blood-stained red robe, his chest wide open, revealing a patch of pale, firm skin with several drops of blood on it, like the flowers of hell blooming on his chest... alluring, seductive, terrifying, and ghostly!
The man's long, jet-black hair, reaching past his waist, was loose, mostly cascading down his back, with a few strands falling in front, partially obscuring his profile and revealing only a glimpse of his exquisitely defined jawline. His thin, crimson lips were pressed into a straight line, exuding a chilling and ruthless aura.
...
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