If Pan Qiping’s death was truly related to her mother and elder brother, or even tied to the entire Pan residence, then even if they fulfilled the duty this identity demanded, and successfully married her off, I fear it would still not end well.
Qi Yongyi was somewhat worried: “We still haven’t received any prompt from the system, and don’t even know what the mission of this dungeon really is.”
“Don’t think of it as a dungeon. In essence, it’s nothing more than a haunted house.” Li Zhi said, “The gameplay of a haunted house is to pass through terrifying areas and leave from the safe exit.”
“We need to find the exit?”
Li Zhi nodded: “The system hasn’t given prompts. Most likely, the way to clear this stage is to find the safe exit. Once the ceremony ends, the afternoon will be the banquet for the guests. At that time, we will have more freedom. The exit is most likely either in the Pan residence or the newlywed courtyard. You take Han Wenlin back to the Pan residence. I’ll stay here with the others in the new courtyard, and we’ll search separately.”
Qi Yongyi nodded in agreement.
Red paper money was scattered across the entire street.
The bridal procession, with its noisy music, arrived at the new courtyard purchased by Madam Pan for the newlyweds—Qingyuan. A great red flower hung from the plaque above the gate, red lanterns dangled on either side of the eaves, and double vermilion doors were pasted with the character double happiness.
Only the two stone lions at the entrance bore two white mourning flowers.
Stone lions were always meant to guard a residence.
Li Zhi swept a glance, then stepped down from the carriage.
The coffin-like bridal sedan stopped at the entrance to await her. Beside it, Owen Dong, clutching the scarlet memorial tablet, trembled all over, casting a pleading gaze at Li Zhi.
Li Zhi returned to him an expression of helplessness.
The old matron came forward: “Madam, please enter first.”
Li Zhi took the lead and stepped into Qingyuan.
Behind her, the sedan bearers lowered the sedan. Chi Yi, who had been nearly suffocated the whole way by the stench of corpses, came out from inside. Her complexion was paler than a ghost’s, her face full of hopeless despair. Yet as the bride’s personal maid, she clearly could not run away.
The old matron came over and said to her: “Help the young lady down from the sedan.”
Chi Yi drew a deep breath, resigned herself, turned around, and together with the old matron propped the bride out of the sedan.
At the side, You Jingmeng let out a sharp, falsetto ceremonial cry: “The bride descends from the sedan, auspicious blessings arrive!”
Chi Yi: “…………”
Why is the gap between people so vast!
The old matron and she supported the bride one on each side, walking her inside. That pair of brand-new embroidered shoes dragged along the ground, brushing over the paper money scattered everywhere. Owen Dong, holding Pan Qiping’s memorial tablet, followed beside them, his face darkening further with every step.
By the time they reached the wedding hall, Li Zhi was already seated at the high place.
The watching guests stood packed in circles inside and out. On the wall at the front of the hall was pasted a large double happiness character, while on the two great armchairs at the sides sat Pan family elders and relatives. Qi Yongyi, under the guidance of maids, also sat down.
The room appeared entirely joyous. The bride was supported as she walked in, her wrists drooping naturally, her head tilted to one side. The red bridal veil and wedding robe swayed faintly with the dragging of her steps.
And beside her, Owen Dong, clutching her memorial tablet, looked like one mourning the dead.
He desperately blinked signals toward Li Zhi, seated opposite at the high place, hoping she would think of something. But at this point, even if Li Zhi were a celestial immortal, she could not conjure a way to extricate him. Once one’s actions exceeded the character’s original setting, arousing suspicion, no one could tell what sort of trouble it might bring.
You Jingmeng walked in, shoved one end of the great red flower into Owen Dong’s hands, and tied the other end onto the bride’s drooping wrist. Seeing the corpse-bruises of bluish-black on that wrist, she once again shed tears of sympathy for her teammate.
She tied it up in two or three swift motions, then retreated to the side and cried out in a falsetto voice: “The newlyweds have arrived, first bow to Heaven and Earth.”
Chi Yi and the old matron turned Pan Qiping’s corpse around, bowing it toward the direction of the doorway. Owen Dong stood frozen stiff, clutching the memorial tablet, his lips trembling, remaining rooted to the spot without moving.
The old matron turned her head, coldly staring at him: “Young master, it is time to bow to Heaven and Earth.”
Owen Dong shuddered subconsciously, turned his head, and glanced at the bride beside him.
She bent her waist, her head lolling sideways toward him. From beneath the scarlet wedding robe, the arm that Chi Yi was propping slipped into view. Owen Dong saw the great swaths of decayed flesh, the stench of corpses wafting in waves, until he could no longer restrain his reason.
With a sharp crack, Owen Dong flung the memorial tablet to the ground, shouting as he bolted for the outside: “I won’t marry!!! I don’t want the money anymore!!!”
“Stop him!!!”
The old matron roared angrily. From the crowd immediately rushed out several of Pan residence’s servant boys, the very same who had just been part of the bridal escort. Han Wenlin was also among them, and under the lead of the others, they dragged back the fleeing Owen Dong.
Owen Dong struggled frantically, but four people pinned him down tightly. His hands were wrenched behind his back, two held his shoulders from either side, and no matter how he shouted, it was useless.
In his fury he tried to bite the hands clutching his shoulders, but his body’s flexibility was insufficient—he could not reach. Eyes almost bursting, he raised his head, only to meet teammate Han Wenlin’s embarrassed, apologetic expression.
Owen Dong broke down utterly, tears and snot running down his face: “We’re brothers, no need to go at it this hard, right???”
Han Wenlin whispered an apology: “Sorry, brother, this is my character setting. I can’t help it. Just bear with it.”
Owen Dong wailed from the depths of his lungs: “Let me go!!! I won’t marry!!! Help!!!”
You Jingmeng could hardly bear to keep reciting the ceremony, but the old matron urged her harshly: “Wedding matron! What are you waiting for!”
You Jingmeng cast Owen Dong an apologetic look, cleared her throat: “First bow to Heaven and Earth.”
Owen Dong’s mouth was gagged, and he was forced down into a bow.
“Second bow to the High Hall.”
The bride and groom, both propped up, bowed toward Li Zhi seated at the High Hall.
“Mmff—mmff—” Owen Dong’s face streamed with tears, eyes bloodshot, casting a desperate plea toward Li Zhi. Li Zhi lightly nodded, sending him a gentle, soothing gaze.
In that moment, Owen Dong seemed to hear her voice: Don’t worry, nothing will happen.
His struggles weakened somewhat, the groom panting heavily.
“Bow as husband and wife.”
The red flower tied between the bride’s and groom’s hands swayed faintly in midair. Facing the ghost bride so close at hand, the instant Owen Dong lowered his head, a breeze blew in. The red bridal veil upon her head lifted half a corner.
Owen Dong saw a rotten face. From the parts covered with face powder seeped foul, putrid fluid, caked in patches upon her skin, bits crumbling down with the lowering motion.
Whether because of the pulling motions or not, one of her eyes was tugged open, staring fixedly at the husband before her, as if assessing whether he was satisfactory.
Owen Dong squeezed his eyes shut, his legs kicked out, and he fainted completely.
“Rite complete!” You Jingmeng could hardly bear to look any longer: “Send them to the bridal chamber!”
The fainted Owen Dong and Pan Qiping were together sent back to the bridal chamber where he had stayed that morning, thrown onto the resting wooden couch by the servant boys.
The steel frame within Pan Qiping’s body had not been removed. Chi Yi and the old matron propped her to sit at the bedside. The old matron had Chi Yi support the corpse while she crouched to adjust the structure of the steel frame. Very soon, Pan Qiping’s corpse was propped up, able to sit upright by itself at the bedside.
Chi Yi took advantage of the old matron adjusting the steel frame to secretly slip over to the wooden couch. She fiercely pinched Owen Dong’s armpit.
Owen Dong was jolted awake by the pain, his miserable cry muffled by the hands still covering his mouth. He opened his eyes in terror, and saw Chi Yi standing before him, making a shh gesture.
Owen Dong’s eyes filled with hot tears, and he nodded repeatedly to show he understood.
Chi Yi released her hand, quickly leaned to his ear, and whispered in a low voice: “You can’t faint. If you faint, you’ll have to stay in the room with the ghost bride. The groom has to go out to entertain guests with drinks—go see Zhizhi, she’ll tell you what to do.”
Owen Dong nodded like a pecking chick.
The old matron soon finished adjusting the steel frame. Turning back, she saw Chi Yi standing by the wooden couch, and her face fell: “Butterfly, what are you doing?”
“The young master woke up.” Chi Yi blinked innocently: “I was checking on his condition.”
Owen Dong quickly jumped down, glanced once at the bride seated stiffly on the wedding bed behind the old matron, then hurriedly withdrew his gaze, not daring to look again: “Y-yes, yes, I’m awake! I need to go out to entertain the guests now!”
This was indeed a wedding custom, so the old matron could not object. She only fixed him with a dark stare: “You and the young lady have already bowed to Heaven and Earth. Even if you try to run, you cannot escape.”
Owen Dong shivered: “I know, I know, I won’t run.”
With that, he hastily fled the suffocating bridal chamber.
The old matron slowly turned back, gazing at the bride seated at the bedside. Her expression softened, sorrow flickering in her eyes: “Miss, to marry such a man, it has truly wronged you.”
She bent to straighten Pan Qiping’s wedding robes, then turned to leave.
Chi Yi hurried to follow, but just as they reached the doorway, the old matron suddenly turned, fixing her with an icy stare: “Where are you going?”
Chi Yi said: “I…I’m going out with you.”
The old matron stretched out her hand and shoved her back into the room. Expressionless, she said: “You are the young lady’s dowry maid. Wherever the young lady is, you are.”
Chi Yi: “???”
Aaaaahhhhhhh!!!
If she had known this, she wouldn’t have woken Owen Dong!!!
With a snap, the door closed. From outside came the sound of the lock sliding into place. The old matron’s voice drifted in, cold as ice: “Butterfly, you were always the most loyal. No matter where the young lady went, you always wanted to follow. Did you not most wish to accompany her in marriage? Then accompany her well.”
Chi Yi shuddered violently.
Outside, footsteps receded farther and farther, until finally all sound vanished. Chi Yi pressed against the door, tears brimming, her forehead resting on the crack of the frame as she despaired for a while. Then she tried to encourage herself in her heart.
It’s fine! Zhizhi will definitely come to save her! Besides, she was only a maid, and a loyal one at that—surely the young lady would not take her away, right?
Just as she was thinking this, a low, chilling laugh suddenly sounded within the room.
Chi Yi’s entire body trembled. She recalled how earlier, when leaving the gates, Qi Yongyi had asked her if she had heard someone laughing coldly.
She hadn’t heard it then. Now she did.
Chi Yi’s hands and feet turned icy. She slowly turned around.
Inside the bridal chamber, draped with red cloth, Pan Qiping sat upright at the bedside. Those corpse-spotted hands rested overlapped on her lap in a dignified posture. The doors and windows of the room were locked tight, no wind could possibly come in, yet the red bridal veil upon her head stirred without wind.
As if someone had just lifted it, revealing those venomous eyes beneath, peering at the living soul within the room—yet when Chi Yi turned her head, it had fallen back down.
Chi Yi’s legs gave way, and she slid down against the doorframe to the ground.
Wuwuwu, Zhizhi, save me!!!