Chapter 342: Madam Spider

"Why not make him your groom, hmm?"

The voice of Mr. Piaodang drifted in, and Xu Yuan stared, dumbfounded.

In the main hall, the red candles on the table burned dimly, casting large shadows.

In the corners, beneath the tables and chairs, darkness seemed to writhe with sinister things.

A large red "Double Happiness" character was pasted on the main wall, yet it looked unnaturally dark, as if it were congealing blood.

The bride and groom wore wedding robes adorned with large red flowers on their chests.

But Mr. Piaodang's red flower seemed grown of flesh and blood, writhing restlessly against his chest.

As Mr. Piaodang spoke, he kept signaling Xu Yuan with frantic eye movements from afar.

"Gek gek gek…"

The bride let out a tinkling laugh—not like silver bells, but like funeral chimes.

It slithered into Xu Yuan's ears, chilling his brain and leaving his nape icy cold.

"My lord, to say such things makes me truly heartbroken."

"I am utterly devoted to my lord; our bond is firmer than gold."

"Even if I've taken a fancy to your friend, I can first consummate the marriage with my lord, then devour him, mourn him for three incense sticks' time to honor our marital ties, and only then wed this young master."

Xu Yuan silently cursed: "Wò nímǎ…"

Now he could see clearly—the bride's body floated lightly, her face stiff and lifeless.

Her eyes and nose were painted on, crudely at that, with two copper-coin-sized patches of crimson rouge smeared on her cheeks.

She was a paper effigy, yet somehow become a bride.

Today is "Forbidden for Weddings"—this thing is Fu Daxiong.

Yet Xu the Lord still couldn't fathom why Mr. Piaodang, himself a malevolent spirit, seemed held captive by this bride.

Mr. Piaodang favored tormenting scholars—the whole "red sleeves adding incense, ghostly maidens reading with them" routine.

Could it be… he'd accrued romantic debts?

After the bride finished speaking, Mr. Piaodang said: "Then, my lady, what are you waiting for? Let us hurry to the bridal chamber."

Mr. Piaodang kept signaling Xu Yuan, imploring him not to enter.

Xu Yuan's foot accidentally stepped on Da Fu's webbed foot.

Da Fu had been pulling his legs back, but Xu Yuan's foot pressed down hard—he couldn't pull free.

"Gaa?" Da Fu squawked at Xu Yuan, bewildered.

Let go, I'm going in!

Xu Yuan was still observing.

Inside the hall, the things writhing in the shadows were the poisonous insects that had slipped in through the door crack.

They had merged with the shadows.

Xu Yuan's mind stirred, then he lifted his foot—Da Fu shot upward—

Xu Yuan followed almost instantly, stepping through the doorway.

"Ugh…" Mr. Piaodang was speechless.

Xu Yuan grinned: "It's your big day—I've got to drink a cup of wedding wine."

"Gek gek gek!" The bride laughed again: "Of course, of course—you'll soon be drinking wine from our own wedding."

Young Master, don't worry—my lord… will be quick."

Her painted eyebrows flicked playfully as she threw him a seductive glance.

Xu Yuan felt like vomiting.

What the hell is this thing?

This paper effigy maker's craftsmanship is terrible.

The bride rose on her own; a wine flask and cups appeared on the table. She poured a cup herself, swaying her waist as she brought it to Xu Yuan.

As she walked, bamboo slats and white paper creaked with a strange, grating sound.

"Young Master, please accept this wine."

Xu Yuan reached out one hand—not for the wine, but downward, grabbing Da Fu's neck and yanking him back to stop him from rushing forward.

"What exactly are you?" Xu Yuan suddenly asked.

The bride covered her mouth and laughed, her eyes gliding with unnatural stiffness.

"I am your soon-to-be bride."

"You dare!" Xu Yuan roared, and spat—his internal fire erupted violently.

This time, Xu Yuan held nothing back.

The Sixth-Level internal fire exploded fully, like a dam bursting, flooding the entire hall in an instant.

Crackling, popping…

Countless poisonous insects in the shadows burst into flames.

Da Fu cried "Aong aong aong!"—lamenting, lamenting.

The bride shrieked, her paper body instantly reduced to ash.

Xu Yuan drew his blade and slashed out.

Lightning flashed, illuminating the entire hall in blinding white.

The lightning surged like furious dragons, racing and crashing in all directions.

The hall's pillars and beams instantly carbonized and shattered.

The walls and windows ignited rapidly in its wake.

This entire house revealed its true form: it was all made of paper offerings.

The beams and pillars were bamboo strips; the walls, doors, and windows were paper pasted and painted.

Amidst the lightning and flames, a glint of sharp light flashed.

Three hairpins flew out and pierced the ground.

They pinned a poisonous spider, the size of a washbasin, to the earth.

"Ah—"

The poisonous spider let out a shriek; from the wounds on its body, black poison seeped out, and wisps of thick Yin Qi rose up!

The Three Hairpins were a Fifth-Rank Artisan Object.

Otherwise, it truly might not have been able to pierce this evil spirit with a single strike!

Da Fu was startled.

This insect was far too large.

If Fan Zhezi hadn't stopped him just now, and he had recklessly rushed in... who would eat whom was truly uncertain.

Da Fu had smelled it from the very beginning; the main hall was full of insects!

When the main gate opened, Xu Yuan first used "Gaze at Fate" to take a look.

He could only see the fate of the evil spirit, but not exactly what kind of evil spirit it was.

Different evil spirits require different methods of dealing with them.

Since Da Fu was determined to rush in and kill, Xu Yuan could confirm that what lay inside was not something like a Yin Soul.

If it were a Yin Soul, Xu Yuan might have released the Six-Eyed Eyed Minge.

To capture a great ghost and make it serve under his command.

That would have been somewhat troublesome; the Six-Eyed Eyed Minge had just been caught by the poisonous spider.

On the round, plump belly of this giant poisonous spider grew white patterns that looked like the poorly painted "beauty's face" on paper effigies.

The nature of this creature was... to eat the male after mating.

After becoming an evil spirit, it desired to be a bride every single night.

Over these years, it had eaten countless men and refined countless souls; aside from its extreme poison, it was wreathed in Yin Qi and could wield the methods of ghostly beings.

The Three Hairpins pinned the evil spirit down tightly; in its pain, it shrieked repeatedly, spewing out poison and spider silk all at once.

My Lord Xu had anticipated this; he discarded the carriage first, covering it completely.

All the poison and spider silk sprayed onto the carriage.

But this time, Xu Yuan did not spray fire inside to smolder it again.

Instead, he flicked his finger, tossing that set of counting rods inside.

They crisscrossed, completely jamming the spider evil spirit within.

Xu Yuan did not intend to kill this evil spirit right now.

"The poison and spider silk are fine materials."

"Take it back to fire up the furnace!"

"See what good things can be refined."

Xu Yuan retracted the carriage, and the Fu Zhong Huo in his belly burned the poisonous insect and the house clean.

Mr. Piaoyang trembled uncontrollably.

When the flames suddenly erupted, they rushed toward his face.

Mr. Piaoyang silently cried out, "My life is ended," yet he did not expect that the flames roared around him, burning the mass of bloody red flesh on his chest to ash, and the restriction on Mr. Piaoyang's body was removed.

Yet he still dared not move a muscle.

If he moved recklessly, what if the fire grazed him...

Xu Yuan retracted the flames and the long blade; Da Fu, following the scent, swallowed the charred insects one by one.

They were actually quite crispy and fragrant!

Xu Yuan looked at Mr. Piaoyang with a grin: "A sin, a sin; I have disturbed Mr.'s romantic fortune."

(End of this chapter)