Gu Jiu found the melody eerily familiar.
To be precise, it wasn’t a song—it was more of a wordless humming, ethereal and indistinct, neither clearly male nor female. It had the same otherworldly quality as the music she’d heard when she first entered the game, wandering through desolate mountains and wilderness.
A sense of foreboding crept into her heart, prompting her to glance at Lu Ji.
Lu Ji, always keenly aware of her gaze, turned his head to look at her.
Gu Jiu: “…”
For some reason, she suddenly felt a little guilty. However, as a naturally headstrong young lady, she quickly suppressed the feeling, meeting his eyes with defiant confidence.
Lu Ji lowered his gaze, certain she knew something.
The humming grew louder, ethereal and untraceable, sinking into their hearts and lulling them into a hazy, drowsy state.
The players stiffened, realizing that this sound was far from ordinary. Not only were the zombies affected, but even the players themselves felt its influence.
Something was approaching.
Finally, the zombies all came to a complete halt. They stopped attacking the players, as if someone had pressed a pause button. It was as though they had been immobilized by a talisman; their eyes closed, and they stood silently in place, utterly still.
The players took advantage of the pause to retreat further, stepping out of the zombies’ encirclement.
At this moment, a group of figures slowly emerged on the street ahead. A faint mist rose around them, shrouding them in an eerie aura.
In the dead of night, on the quiet streets of the ancient town, the procession loomed out of the fog, spectral and ominous.
As the humming grew nearer, the players finally saw it clearly: a team carrying a lavishly adorned palanquin. It was like the entourage of a ghostly king, flanked on both sides by various ghostly generals. The entire street was enveloped in a chilling ghostly air, freezing the players to their cores.
A shiver ran down their spines.
Their earlier premonition was spot on—something terrible was indeed unfolding.
The zombie assault had already left them scrambling to survive. Now, another group of entities, so powerful even the zombies avoided them, had arrived. It was clear just how formidable these ghosts were.
Could this be the true crisis of the Death Notice?
Tan Lan and the others were already contemplating whether they should use their summoning cards to escape. Otherwise, they might truly face an inevitable demise.
Finally, the ghostly procession came to a halt.
They stopped in front of the zombie horde, as if facing off against them—or perhaps the zombies were merely blocking their path.
The ghosts stood there silently, carrying the ornate palanquin. As one, they turned to look in the direction of the players.
Under the scrutiny of so many ghosts, even the most composed players felt their scalps tingle and hearts race. They couldn’t help but wonder what this ghostly group wanted.
Two ghosts, dressed in elaborate red garments, stepped forward.
Their attire was exquisite, from some unknown dynasty, exuding an air of elegance and refinement. If not for their pale, deathly complexions, rigid features, and the unmistakable aura of death about them, their strikingly handsome and beautiful appearances would have been captivating.
The two ghosts stopped before the players, bowed slightly, and said, “Madam, the master requests you to board the palanquin.”
Madam?! Who were they addressing?
The players exchanged bewildered looks, instinctively glancing at their companions.
Among the group were three female players—Gu Jiu, Chai Yingying, and Tan Lan. Including Lu Ji, who was cross-dressing, that made four possible candidates. Logically, the title of “madam” should refer to a woman.
But what could a player possibly have to do with ghosts?
Just as they were puzzling over this, they noticed that the two ghosts’ gazes had landed on Gu Jiu.
Chai Yingying and Jiang Ze felt a jolt of unease. They immediately turned to look at Lu Ji and, sure enough, saw his expression darken. His pitch-black eyes locked onto the two ghosts with such intensity that it gave the impression he might draw his sword and decapitate them at any moment.
For some reason, Lu Ji seemed more terrifying than the ghosts themselves.
The other players stared at Gu Jiu in stunned confusion. What was going on?
Gu Jiu’s expression remained calm, and a faint, enigmatic smile began to play on her lips.
Hearing the ghosts’ words, she immediately understood the situation. She hadn’t expected the last Death Notice to have a follow-up, let alone one that would come looking for her in person.
Recalling the appearance of that ghost groom, her gaze shifted toward Lu Ji. Her thoughts started to wander.
Lu Ji seemed to realize something as well. His voice dropped to a cold tone. “Ah Jiu, I’ll kill him!”
For the first time in the game world, Lu Ji didn’t bother to hide his intentions. His murderous aura surged as he stared at the palanquin surrounded by ghosts, looking as if he wanted to slaughter everyone in sight.
Gu Jiu stopped him. “Don’t.”
“…You can’t bear to?” His eyes reddened as he looked at her, his entire demeanor vulnerable.
Gu Jiu almost rolled her eyes. “What nonsense are you spouting? I just want to confirm something.”
“There’s nothing to confirm—just kill him first and talk later.”
Lu Ji was adamant. The mere thought of Gu Jiu being tied to a ghost in an underworld marriage made his chest burn with fury. He wished he could set this entire game world ablaze.
“Hey, stop arguing!” Chai Yingying interjected. “If you drag this out any longer, those ghosts are going to make a move.”
The others nodded in agreement.
Though the situation was beyond their understanding and extremely bizarre, one thing was clear: these ghosts were not here with good intentions. They needed to act before it was too late.
Lu Ji said, “It’s fine. I’ll kill them.”
Everyone: “…”
The entire group turned to look at Lu Ji, as if they were in awe of a deity. Faced with so many ghosts, to declare that he would simply kill them—was he insane or just an unparalleled powerhouse? Based on his earlier performance with the zombies, it was undoubtedly the latter.
Being in the same game as such a powerhouse was undeniably comforting. They might just get to ride his coattails to victory.
“Stop messing around!” Gu Jiu pushed down on Lu Ji’s hand.
Lu Ji stared at her with reddened eyes but finally relented, though he looked utterly heartbroken.
Chai Yingying and Jiang Ze were left dumbfounded.
So this was how the mighty Lu Ji acted in front of the young lady? So submissive? And the young lady herself—was she really this heartless? She didn’t even offer any comfort to her “girlfriend”!
Seeing Gu Jiu leave with the two ghosts who had come to summon her, Lu Ji looked as pitiful as an abandoned wife. Chai Yingying couldn’t bear the sight and tried to comfort him. “Lu Ji, this is the game world. The mission comes first. Everything else can be sorted out after we’re back. Don’t you agree?”
Lu Ji remained silent.
“Miss Gu is so smart; she must have noticed something important. That’s why she insisted on going. Don’t take it personally, okay?”
Lu Ji finally gave a faint “hmm,” but the sheer grievance in his tone was so palpable it tugged at everyone’s heartstrings.
Not far away, Gu Jiu felt the urge to facepalm.
Ever since discovering her boyfriend’s true nature, how could she not know he was putting on an act again? Like a drama queen, he could conjure up grievance at a moment’s notice, whether it was genuine or not, whenever he found it convenient.
If she let him continue like this, Chai Yingying and the others might genuinely believe she had betrayed him and start criticizing her behind her back.
Gu Jiu followed the two ghosts to the palanquin.
The palanquin was lavishly adorned, with red curtains hanging from all sides. Dark golden spider lilies were intricately embroidered on the fabric, exuding an air of luxury and signaling the high status of the “person” inside.
A pale, slender hand extended from within the palanquin, followed by a voice filled with a gentle smile.
“Madam, please come in.”
Gu Jiu didn’t need to turn around to sense the murderous intent radiating from behind her. If she dared to step into the palanquin, she was certain someone would draw their sword and charge right in.
“There’s no need,” Gu Jiu replied. “I only came to tell you that I am not your ‘madam.’”
“We were wed just yesterday,” the voice inside insisted.
“That was not my intention.” Gu Jiu gazed at the curtain, her tone gentle as water. “You know that better than I do, don’t you?”
The ghost inside the palanquin fell silent.
Gu Jiu waited, saying nothing further. It was as if she were both anticipating the ghost’s response and lost in her own thoughts. Behind her, the players were on edge, terrified that the ghost might fly into a rage and slaughter everyone.
Suddenly, a night breeze swept through, causing the curtain to sway slightly.
In that brief moment, the players caught a glimpse of the ghost’s face behind the curtain. They froze in shock, their expressions full of disbelief, and instinctively turned to look at Lu Ji.
Lu Ji’s brows furrowed slightly.
After a long pause, the voice from within the palanquin spoke again. “Regardless of the circumstances, the fact remains that we were wed. As long as heaven and earth acknowledge this marriage, it cannot be undone. I will allow Madam to play outside for a few days, but three days from now, I will personally come to escort you to the Youdu City.”
With that, the ghosts began to move.
They lifted the palanquin and started walking forward.
The once-motionless zombies slowly stepped aside, clearing a path.
A faint mist rose into the air as the procession carrying the palanquin quickened its pace, disappearing into the thick fog at the end of the road.
The zombies followed shortly after, leaving as well.
The ancient town returned to its former silence, and then faint human voices began to echo in the distance.
From a lifeless ghost town, it had come back to life.
The players slowly twisted their stiff necks and looked ahead, realizing that the previously empty street was now populated with people again. Shops that had once been dark were now brightly lit, their warm lights spilling onto the streets.
They had finally left the Death Notice time and returned to reality.
Everyone wore a look of confusion, unable to comprehend what had just transpired. What exactly had happened? And how had they suddenly avoided the fatal conclusion of this Death Notice?
Could it have been because of the ghost in the palanquin?
“Ah Jiu,” Lu Ji called out, his voice steady yet carrying an undercurrent of tension.
Gu Jiu turned her head toward him, then slowly walked over.
Lu Ji stood rooted in place, his eyes fixed intently on her until she reached him. Without a word, he grabbed her hand tightly, as if afraid she might disappear.
Seeing this, Tan Lan and the others seemed to understand something. So these two were actually a couple? No wonder Lu Ji had been ready to go on a murderous rampage earlier—who wouldn’t be furious seeing their girlfriend being taken by a ghost as his bride?
Chai Yingying mustered her courage and asked, “Miss Gu, was that ghost in the palanquin the ghost groom from yesterday’s underworld wedding?”
The moment the words “ghost groom” left her mouth, she was met with Lu Ji’s deathly glare.
Chai Yingying shrank back, muttering silently to herself. No matter how angry he got, didn’t he still have to listen to Miss Gu in the end? Clearly, Miss Gu was the one in charge of this relationship. She was just that strong and domineering.
Gu Jiu simply nodded and, without further explanation, tugged Lu Ji along toward the Xiao Qiao Inn.
The other players instinctively followed behind the pair, glancing at Chai Yingying to silently urge her to keep asking questions.
Chai Yingying swallowed her nervousness and pressed on. “Miss Gu, why does that ghost groom look so much like Lu Ji?”
It wasn’t just a resemblance—it was practically a male version of Lu Ji.
“How would I know?” Gu Jiu answered nonchalantly, though her tone lacked any real commitment. “When I saw him yesterday, he already looked like that.”
Inwardly, however, she had already pieced it together. That ghost must have used some method to discern her feelings for Lu Ji, deliberately adopting his appearance to perform the wedding rites with her. It was likely an attempt to make her accept the marriage more readily.
As for the consequences of accepting such a marriage…
Recalling the name of this game—Death Notice—Gu Jiu immediately realized that this was no ordinary event. It was a carefully crafted death trap.