Chapter 24: Tonight, Chen Mo Is the Groom!

Li Yuan suddenly flipped over, twisting her waist and hips, and pinned Chen Mo onto the bed like a female tiger.

Fueled by her fury, she actually gained the upper hand for the moment.

"You lecher, how dare you—how dare you… I'll fight you to the death!"

Li Yuan's eyes flashed with rage as she raised her palm and brought it chopping down.

Chen Mo seized her wrist in one hand and said in a low voice, "Get this straight — you're clearly the one who fell under an illusion and kept clinging to me. I was only trying to bring you back to your senses."

Saying this, Chen Mo was more than a little guilty.

At first it really had been to wake her up, but the feel was too good, and the more they grappled the more exhilarating it got…

He got too immersed and lost himself a little.

"An illusion?"

Thinking of the Illusion Realm, Li Yuan's expression turned a touch unnatural.

"Even so, you're a man and I'm a woman — you can't hit *there*…"

Chen Mo shook his head. "Chief Li is overthinking it. I've never once looked at you as a woman."

Hearing this, Li Yuan's gaze went cold.

"Bastard!"

She raised her hand to strike, only to find both wrists firmly pinned.

Seeing Chen Mo's smug look, she flew into a rage and, heedless of everything, sank her teeth viciously into his shoulder!

"Hiss—!"

Chen Mo sucked in a sharp breath.

What a she-tiger — she bites too?

Just then, the sound of a gong being struck rang out from the street outside:

"Dong! — Dong! Dong!"

One slow, two quick — meaning it was now the third watch of the night.

Chen Mo's brows knit.

With murders running rampant in the city and every household keeping its doors shut, who could possibly still be out keeping the night watch?

That's awfully dedicated to the job!

"I said, stop biting — something's wrong!"

"Mm-mm-mm!"

Li Yuan couldn't possibly hear him now; she bit down hard and refused to let go.

Chen Mo, well-practiced at this, raised his hand and landed a slap.

*Slap! *

"Mm~"

A strange sound escaped Li Yuan's throat.

Amid the searing sting, an indescribable sensation crept in, draining the strength from her limbs; she unconsciously released him.

Chen Mo didn't tangle with her any longer — he rose and dashed out of the room.

Li Yuan collapsed limply on the bed, her bosom heaving, as if every bone in her body had been pulled away.

It took her a long while to come back to herself.

Once she calmed down, she realized the situation was urgent.

She forced herself up, leaned on her saber, and staggered out in pursuit.

……

The night was dim.

Chen Mo leapt across the rooftops, streaking through the air.

"Dong! — Dong! Dong!"

The watchman's gong echoed along the street, keeping a distance from him that seemed now near, now far.

Every time he felt he was about to catch up, the next moment the sound would appear on another street.

"Playing hide-and-seek with me?"

Chen Mo's eyes darkened slightly.

Judging by the pattern of one death every three days, there was a high chance a murder would occur tonight.

And the fact that Lady Liu was willing to expose her identity just to stall him meant tonight was crucial to her.

It was already the third watch — less than half a shichen remained until dawn.

Whatever she was plotting, the key moment was now!

Chen Mo didn't hesitate for a second, pouring his remaining True Spirit into "Wind and Thunder Dash," pushing this movement martial art from "Proficient" to "Minor Mastery."

True essence circulated, and lightning gathered beneath his feet.

His speed surged in an instant, and he shot off like rolling thunder!

Boom!

Crossing several blocks, his figure wrapped in thunder-light crashed down in the middle of the street!

"Dong! — Dong! Dong!"

Chen Mo looked up.

The gong was right at his ear, yet not a soul stood before him.

Suddenly, the gong fell silent.

The night wind whimpered; the flagstone street lay empty and bare, and the washed-clean moonlight stretched shadows long and thin.

"The hour has come."

A sigh seemed to drift within the wind.

Immediately after, a burst of clamor shattered the silence.

From the far end of the street rose a lively wedding procession tune, the blaring of horns and the crackle of firecrackers coming one after another, piercingly harsh.

The air echoed with children's laughter and play, accompanied by a crisp folk song:

"Big red wedding character hung upon the wall, the mouse daughter is to be married off."

"The daughter doesn't know who she'll marry, she can only go ask father and mother."

"Father and mother are both muddled with age, they argued and argued before settling it."

"Marry whoever looks the most splendid — let the daughter pick for herself!"

"Big red wedding character hung upon the wall, the mouse daughter is to be married off…"

The singing grew closer and closer, nearly sounding right at Chen Mo's ear!

A sudden chill swept over him, as though a cold wind had pierced straight through his body, every hair on his skin standing on end!

The sound cut off abruptly, and quiet was restored all around.

Drip… drip…

From behind came the sound of water droplets hitting the ground.

Chen Mo slowly turned around and saw a woman standing all alone not far away.

A red bridal veil atop her head, an embroidered red robe on her body, a cloud-like shawl draped over her shoulders, embroidered shoes upon her feet.

The crimson wedding gown was dripping wet, sewage constantly dripping from its hem.

The woman raised her hand, revealing a fair, slender wrist; her jade-green fingers beckoned, as if calling to him.

Chen Mo looked down and saw that, at some unknown moment, he himself had been dressed in a groom's robe…

He was tonight's groom!

At the same moment, a wave of foul, sinister aura wrapped around him, and his body moved of its own accord toward the bride.

This was the special ability of demons and ghosts.

Most likely, that Liu Yuan and that Imperial Rank 7 martial artist had died by such a method.

But Chen Mo was no ordinary martial artist.

Essence surged forth from his acupoints, and in an instant the evil aura was driven away.

"Well then, let me see what this bride who came for free looks like?"

Chen Mo walked up to the bride and reached out to tear off the veil.

What kind of face was that?

A narrow face covered in black fur, a pointed snout jutting out, two pitch-black eyeballs with not a trace of white.

It looked like…

A mouse?

Upon that graceful, shapely body, a mouse's head sat brazenly!

Its bulging eyes stared greedily at Chen Mo, thick drool sliding down from the corners of its mouth.

"Husband…"

"You must really be hungry — here, eat up."

Chen Mo stretched out his arm and held it to its mouth.

Seeing the other party so cooperative, the mouse bride froze for a moment, then revealed a savage grin.

"Eat you… and we… will be together… forever!"

It opened its great bloody maw, its pointed snout splitting into three flaps, the entire skin of its face peeling back, its mouth filled with rows of fine, dense fangs!

It bit down hard!

In an instant, raging flames surged forth!

A horizontal blade blazed with fierce fire, like a blazing sun rising in the dark of night!

"Aoo!"

The mouse bride let out a piercing wail, her red skirts sweeping as her form violently retreated.

"Wife, don't run."

High-end domestic violence often employs the most plain and simple way of drawing a blade.

The horizontal blade in Chen Mo's hand whistled through the air, sweeping her into its arc, tearing at her body again and again.

Bolstered by abundant true essence, the power of his Great Accomplishment saber art was unleashed to the fullest!

The eighth slash!

The saber momentum swelled to its peak, even the air being compressed and distorted!

As a demon, the mouse bride felt, for the first time, a terror rising from the depths of her heart!

When this saber fell, she would truly die!

"Sigh…"

A faint, mournful sigh drifted over.

A gust of black mist blew past; the saber qi tore through the wedding dress, yet the mouse bride had vanished without a trace!

Chen Mo sheathed his blade and stood, looking toward the shadows in the corner.

Lady Liu stepped lightly forward with lotus steps, gliding out gracefully, a small mouse perched on her shoulder, watching Chen Mo with a timid gaze.

"This concubine bears my lord no grudge or grievance — why must you press me so relentlessly?"

Lady Liu's apricot eyes were filled with quiet grievance.

"The Lady loves killing people, and I love killing demons—each according to their own skill."

Chen Mo said lightly.

In his eyes, these were no mere demons and ghosts, but a great bounty of true spirits!

Lady Liu shook her head and said helplessly, "I never wished to make an enemy of the Tianlin Guard, but things have come to this—I can only ask you to die, my lord."

Behind him came the rustle of footsteps, and several figures stepped out.

The wives, concubines, and family members of the Liu clan were all here, watching Chen Mo with expressionless faces.

Chen Mo nodded in satisfaction. "Good. A family should be neat and tidy together—saves me the trouble of hunting you down one by one."