Chapter 87 Yin Peach Blossom (17) "Now that's settled, I'm just waiting to get married..."
He doesn't remember.
He doesn't remember this happening.
Could there be something inside his body...?
"Don't go back." Xia Yongjuan looked intently at Xia Changfeng and said, "Be careful of the black goat."
These were Xia Yongjuan's last words before he left.
Even raising a tiger can be dangerous, let alone those who made their fortune through demons. Xia Changfeng's face was pale. Could it be that the Su family was behind everything, and that their agreement to come was just a self-directed act?
Inside the cemetery at the foot of Four Seasons Mountain, there is a secret passage leading to a classroom-sized ancestral hall beneath the abandoned graves. On the tiered altar, there are many names; the highest rows all bear the surname Su, and below them, various other surnames are listed.
In the middle section, there is a memorial tablet for the deceased that reads "Xia Wujin".
Xia Mianfeng took the memorial tablet down, kowtowed, offered incense, and muttered incantations.
Finally, he said, "Our ancestors have shown their power! Our ancestors have shown their power!"
The centipede's long body twisted and crawled out from the corner of the wall, and a human face squeezed in—it was Xia Mianfeng's face.
Xia Mianfeng: "Do you really have to come to see me like this?"
"That evil creature raised by that Taoist priest is indeed very useful. No wonder he put on airs and even tried to negotiate with the religious order. Qingyun Temple must have made a lot of money from the powerful and wealthy with these filthy things, right?" The centipede with the human face shook its head, its features melting and reforming, turning into Xia Wujin's appearance.
It circled the memorial tablet twice and said, "This person isn't even of your ancestor's generation."
"Although I've only met my aunt a few times," Xia Mianfeng knelt down even deeper, his face full of righteousness, "her wisdom and choices are worthy of my worship as an ancestor."
The centipede with the human face agreed, "She's a smart woman. She was the first to see through the Black Goat's decline and switched allegiance to a wise ruler. It's just a pity that your father is so stubborn. He didn't acknowledge her in the first place, which gives him even more reason to let her fend for herself. But it's also fortunate that no one in your family knows her name, so you can give her name to your brother's child."
Xia Mianfeng: "So it's time for the Xia family to find a wise leader, but I didn't expect the Black Goat to come."
"Of course they will come. They know that Xia Yuanchuan is not long for this world, but his eldest son's attitude is ambiguous. He actually wants to stay out of it and let the neutral ones die first."
“His attitude wasn’t needed in the game anyway. He was just a shell that my older brother kept for himself. My older brother is dying, and the Su family came to help him possess the body. After all, he is the most loyal to Black Goat.”
"Yes, he sold his sister to the Black Goat for experiments. But then again, she's your grandfather's illegitimate daughter, and your father probably didn't like her anyway," said the centipede with the human face. "It's a good thing your whole family are cold-blooded bastards. With your brother doing the possession thing first, your aunt's possession can be pinned on the Black Goat to confuse the situation."
"Of course, once Aunt takes over, she will be a powerful right-hand woman to the sect. Senior Yun Song, the sect is currently holding a Dharma assembly. Is there anything I can contribute?"
“Singing praises to the sun god inevitably involves human sacrifice. Fortunately, those in the know are celebrating your aunt’s impending resurrection, which will give the cult a significant boost.”
"Of course, of course, so what should the main offering be?"
"The higher-ups mean that with that 'catalyst,' all the monsters will flock to him; there's no one more suitable than him."
"This... I thought that boy was an ally of the sect? We just betrayed him like that?"
The centipede with the human face had clearly received instructions from above. It changed its apprehensive attitude and said lightly, "The cult only needs to submit. What need is there for allies? He just didn't see it clearly. Leave this matter to me. You can destroy the 'path'."
After saying goodnight to Lu Jinzhao, Xie Tan returned to the guest room, turned off the main light, and then turned on the jellyfish-shaped nightlight that Lu Jinzhao had placed there.
In the dreamlike colors, multi-legged animals crawled by, and human faces emerged from the holes at the top of the nightlights, shimmering in patches of green, blue, and pink.
It still remembered Xie Tan's words, and this time it was Xu Jinbo's face that changed, using the bitter face of a corporate slave to smile with a demonic aura.
If Xu Jinbo were still here, he would have been scared out of his wits on the spot.
Xie Tan paused on the page, sensing a hint of threat.
Doesn't this mean it knows what you've been doing these past few days?
However, he remained indifferent, as if he hadn't seen the centipede. Master Yun Song, who was behind the centipede, spoke first, verifying the information with him and explaining Xia Wujin's situation.
Zhang Chengxiao is the son of another Xia Wujin's lover. He has their token of love from back then. This meager connection serves as a link, connecting the dreams of the two Xia Wujins and forming a path so that the other Xia Wujin can possess his body.
"The other Xia Wujin is the illegitimate daughter of the Xia family who was expelled, Xia Yuanchuan's aunt. She was made into an observer by the Black Goat. There are people in the cult who are good at divination and made a corresponding judgment. She should be the seventh observer. Su He came here to revive her."
Xie Tan nodded indifferently, his gaze still fixed on the book: "That's something the Black Goat would do."
The centipede with the human face smiled, but in his heart he thought, "He really doesn't know anything."
The Black Goat's goal is to have Xia Yuanchuan possess Xia Changfeng's body and continue to be the Black Goat's dog, while the cult's goal is to have Xia Wujin possess the current Xia Wujin, seize the Xia family, and use him for the cult's purposes.
He had been so respectful at first, thinking this was someone the cult had to treat with caution, but the new instructions from above made him realize the significance of the situation. As the leader's attitude changed, his attitude naturally changed as well.
Who cares what the relationship is between Xie Tan and Su He? Su He didn't even tell him the purpose of this trip. In the end, he is not Su He, so what is there to be afraid of?
In the eyes of the cult, the boy was just a pawn, useful as long as he was useful, and it was time for him to make his move.
However, the centipede with the human face was still somewhat wary. Seeing that Xie Tan didn't even raise his head, it took another look and thought it was some kind of secret ancient book. But it found that it was just a dry theoretical work on landscape painting, without a single picture. It didn't talk about techniques and was mostly full of mysterious and esoteric words.
It could only praise it as "elegant," which amused Xie Tan.
Because Xie Tan recalled the even more tedious beginning of the second volume, where the artist who drew the turtle had written a comment:
[I don't understand it, but it's perfect for pretending to be sophisticated. Those who are just trying to appear cultured will be captivated by it, praising it as "refined" and "high-class."]
What a sarcastic person. Xie Tan closed the book, a smile still lingering on his face, seemingly in a good mood: "Then, according to Master Yunsong, what should we do?"
"I do have an idea, but I don't know if Mr. Xie has anyone in mind."
A red talisman was rolled out from the centipede's many legs and placed down. Underneath the layers of talismans were familiar names, birth order, and birth dates.
"This is Xia Wujin's birth chart. I've used magic to make it into talisman water. If you drink it, you can exchange birth charts with her for seven days. Since they can confuse the issue, so can we."
"Her real birthday is the day she is married off. Time is running out, young master, please make a decision as soon as possible."
The centipede with the human face spun back into the nightlight and disappeared.
Xie Tan glanced at the red talisman. The centipede hadn't explicitly said anything, but he sensed its unspoken meaning: it wanted him to drink it.
He took a picture and sent it to Xi Rui, seeking advice from a professional in a very pragmatic way.
The other person was still busy and didn't reply.
He decided to forget about the idea of a substitute bride. He put away his books, turned off the light, and went to sleep.
However, in the middle of the night, he experienced sleep paralysis for the first time in a long time. He couldn't move his body and had a strange taste in his mouth.
He opened his eyes and saw his own pale face right in front of him, grinning like a monster.
Centipedes pounded on him, and Xie Tan, thoroughly annoyed, uttered a cold word: "Get out."
"Oh dear, still has that fiery temper. I helped you get rid of the pests, and this is how you thank me?" The centipede with the human face slowly retreated.
Xie Tan, however, sensed something from that irreverent tone. Right, Master Yun Song wouldn't use his face, so this must be... Su He.
Young Master Song's skills are indeed mediocre. How many people have snatched away such a useful messenger?
"You shouldn't have that much free time." Xie Tan remembered Yun Song saying that this person was busy helping the Xia family possess bodies.
"They ran away. They're quite clever. It's possible they tipped them off."
Xie Tan didn't understand for a moment. Xia Wujin was right next door, but the one who ran away was another Xia Wujin, the female ghost?
The key point is, he can't complete his task, so why is he so careless and idle that he has time to provoke him?
"I told you to sweep up the small trash, but you didn't. Now look what's happened, you can wait to get married." The centipede with the human face looked at the bedside table; the talisman was gone, and the water was empty.
Xie Tan: "..."
So, Master Dog is using this kind of forced buying and selling tactic, isn't he?
"Your parents' orders and the matchmaker's words, have you told your family? We're sending you off to get married." The centipede with the human face didn't bother to pretend anymore and used Su He's own voice.
Xie Tan sneered: "I see you're free, so you can deliver it."
The centipede with the human face fell into an eerie silence.
Xie Tan: "?" (Alert)
"Stay away from the cult," the centipede said before stepping back.
Xie Tan became even more vigilant.
Why did he feel that Su He had fully accepted the proposal and was already preparing for it?
Xie Tan cleared his mind and went to the living room to drink water to suppress the strange taste of the talisman water in his mouth. He found that Lu Jinzhao's bedroom door was open, the light was off, and he was not there.
He checked his phone and saw a message pinned to the top from Lu Jinzhao, saying that Chang Mingai had an urgent matter and needed his help. He had gone out and if he didn't return by morning, they should do as they pleased.
Mr. Good Neighbor added that he had handed over the right to eat to Xia Wujin, since in his eyes, high-end restaurant delivery was better than instant noodles.
But not only on the second day, but for two consecutive days, Lu Jinzhao did not return.
On the third day, Xia Wujin's real birthday, just after midnight, the Heshun residential area was quiet and deserted.
This is normal; Fuchiu City has no nightlife, or rather, it dares not have a nightlife.
Nighttime is for ghosts.
There was a knock on the window. Xie Tan looked up, and the ceramic wild goose, seeing that he was awake, flew away quietly.
He went to the window and saw a bridal sedan chair parked where the mourning tent had been removed from the community.
The prized possession of the Diqiu City Museum is a masterpiece created by artisans and embroiderers from two dynasties ago. It is even more luxurious than the bridal sedan chair of the royal family. Using a hundred techniques, a hundred materials, and a hundred colors, it creates a variety of vibrant flowers. From embroidery needlework to three-dimensional carving, it looks as if the flowers embroidered on the sedan chair are blooming out of the sedan chair, turning into gold and jade, and are lifelike.
The jade wild goose was placed next to the sedan chair and thus gained the title of "treasure of the museum".
Now, even the old and dilapidated houses appear somewhat magnificent.
Xie Tan: "..."
They actually came to pick me up. What a mess! There wasn't even a ghost to help me get ready.
The cultural relics bureau should probably arrest him.
On second thought, even the cultural relics bureau couldn't control it; in the end, he and the sedan chair would disappear together, and he would have to steal some more cultural relics as dowry.
He and Xia Wujin went downstairs together. The neighborhood seemed deserted, with no one in sight inside or outside the buildings, but red "囍" characters were pasted on the dark windows.
They watched in silence as the people, seemingly enjoying the spectacle, formed the character for "double happiness," then looked at the sedan chair. The night wind was bleak, and the decorations on the sedan chair jingled softly.
Just then, they both received messages on their phones, and their expressions changed slightly.
Xia Wujin received news from home that several masters had gone to the unclaimed tomb one after another, and all of them had lost contact.
Master Yun Song was the first to arrive, but after a short while, the amulet he left behind broke, indicating that he was in grave danger.
Then the witch Miss Qi entered, followed by Granny Yao.
Xie Tan finally received a message from Xi Rui: the talisman was indeed effective, and Xie Tan could consider it.
Secondly, this guy had a terrifying flash of inspiration. He said that such an interesting thing couldn't be left out. Considering their relationship, he had already gone ahead to the unclaimed tomb and killed the black goat-eyed woman who was trying to monitor Xie Tan. She was that old woman.
Finally, I'll stop here for now, because he's being hunted down by another observer who's been following him closely. After all, he pulled out their surveillance camera, but he did it on purpose, waiting for this moment to retaliate for being attacked.
In other words, after Granny Yao, Xi Rui also entered the tomb and killed Granny Yao. Observation Twelve, having lost contact with Granny Yao as her "monitor," also followed her into the tomb.
Now, all of these guys have disappeared.
Xie Tan: "..."
What kind of Calabash Brothers save Grandpa?
-----------------------
The author's note: Drinking the talisman water is to change the birth chart for seven days. I made a mistake when I was doing the ritual, but I've already corrected it.
I've unknowingly reached 10,000 followers! Thank you all so much for your support! I'll be doing a giveaway, the draw will be the day after tomorrow morning [please!].
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
