Chapter 1629: Heaven's Mandate Seven Sons' Monster-Hunting Log 20

At dusk.

They didn't need to deliberately look for the way; they just had to follow the crowd going to see the festivities, and they could find the residence of the main branch of the Gu clan where the wedding was being held today.

A Da happened to be keeping order outside the residence, but his expression was even more flustered than when they had met in daylight, jumpy at every shadow.

Seeing them approach, A Da stared for a moment, then relaxed a little and gave Rong Zixu a slight bow.

"Immortal," A Da whispered quickly as they passed: "Be careful."

Rong Zixu nodded, but saw A Da quickly leave again, pretending they weren't acquainted.

Just then, a shout broke the bustling crowd, the originally lively wedding atmosphere suddenly fell silent, and all the guests spontaneously formed two lines, looking toward the direction the sedan chair was coming from.

"Ah..." Jing Xingcan questioned in a breathy voice: "Is the bride here supposed to ride in a black sedan chair?"

All they saw was mist swirling at the intersection; a few white-clad men blowing suona horns led the way, followed by four black-clad bearers in front and behind, lifting a black sedan chair that lacked any festive air.

Even the bride's family following behind the sedan chair wore solemn faces.

This atmosphere feels more fitting for a coffin, Jin Chen muttered to himself.

Rong Zixu swiftly glanced at the eight bearers' shoulders and legs as they stepped, "The sedan chair's weight is off."

"If a person were inside, it shouldn't be this light."

"Heavens," Gong Simu exclaimed, her bare hand instinctively pressing to the whip at her waist, "Could it be that Xiao Chen was right, and this is actually a ghost marriage?"

"Xiao Liu, test it out." Xu Qie poked Jing Xingcan.

"Okay, I understand."

Jing Xingcan covertly turned his palm over and silently chanted a few Daoist incantations.

In an instant, a gust swept past; before the black sedan chair reached the Gu residence, several bearers were blown off their feet, the embroidered sedan curtain depicting goldfish playing among lotus flowers was blown open, revealing… a wooden figure seated inside.

The Heaven's Mandate Seven Sons were all startled, and Bai Shiyun gasped in fright.

What sat inside was no bride, but a wooden figure dressed in black funerary garb, adorned with flowers and bracelets, with a taro stalk for a head and almonds for eyes!

The almonds serving as eyes were huge, crudely daubed with red pigment, resembling wide-eyed wooden dolls, eerie and soulless, making no other movement, just staring fixedly at everyone.

Only they reacted strongly; the other guests showed no surprise at all, instead revealing a somewhat complex sorrowful expression.

The bride's family, who had been following behind the sedan chair, rushed forward, knelt in reverse before it, took out paper money to burn at the altar, weeping as they did so, and murmured words to coax the bride into the residence.

"Mei'er, be good; our Mei'er is getting married today, don't be reluctant to leave your parents and sister."

"Older sister, older sister and brother-in-law, be well; from now on you'll be the Young Master's wife of the Gu family—this isn't what you've hoped for since childhood, and I'm happy for you!"

The wooden figure in black funerary garb could not respond, its almond eyes staring fixedly.

Watching this, Yang Yu said softly: "Earlier I only heard that when carrying a coffin, if it falls to the ground, the family must kneel and wait for it to be lifted again; I didn't expect the same custom for a sedan chair."

Jin Chen bluntly said: "It's essentially a corpse; what difference is there between a coffin and a sedan chair?"

After coaxing for a while, the bearers still couldn't lift the black sedan chair; then the young girl in pink, the sister of the wooden figure, glared angrily at the groom on horseback—the Young Master of the Gu main branch, Gu Yinghong.

"Are you blind? My sister refuses to enter your home, and you won't come coax her?!"

Gu Yinghong's face looked somewhat grim; he glanced warily at the wooden figure seated in the black sedan chair, dismounted, and knelt as well, softly coaxing as if to his beloved.

But the fear and guilt in his expression were genuine, unlike anyone else's.

The Heaven's Mandate Seven Sons watched; Jin Chen also jabbed Jing Xingcan, "Alright, Sixth Senior Brother, don't scare these people to death."

"It's… not me, I only did that first bit." Jing Xingcan said, looking at the wooden figure's eyes, and instantly felt a creepy chill.

"Then isn't that a ghost?" Bai Shiyun, startled, instinctively reached for Chang Wuming's sleeve—normally she'd hide behind him—but this time Chang Wuming actually pulled his hand away.

Bai Shiyun was even more surprised, widening her eyes at Chang Wuming, unable to understand why he had suddenly changed his demeanor; just moments ago they had clearly… been on the verge of mutual understanding.

But the situation was urgent, not the time to discuss it; Bai Shiyun could only keep her doubts to herself, peeking from behind the seven people to look at the sedan chair.

Gu Yinghong knelt on the ground coaxing for a long while; that eerie wind truly gradually dissipated, and the sedan curtain fell back down.

At the moment it lowered, the wooden figure transformed into the likeness of a lovely maiden—visible only to Jin Chen and his companions.

The onlooking guests also collectively exhaled in relief, following the newlyweds inside to worship heaven and earth.

The wooden figure, supported by two maidservants, completed the three kowtows; to the Heaven's Mandate Seven Sons, it seemed the wooden figure and the lovely maiden alternately appeared in an unstable illusion, yet the maiden's gaze toward Gu Yinghong also held affection.

"Send them to the bridal chamber—"

The clan elder shouted, and in an instant the two maidservants supporting the wooden figure went inside; all the guests raised their cups, smiling broadly, then exited.

Two rows of servants filed in, swiftly replacing the hall's white cloth with red, their movements quick and well-practiced.

"What… is this?" Jing Xingcan asked, bewildered.

Their confusion was quickly answered.

Not even half a cup of tea later, a red sedan chair arrived outside.

Jin Chen was astonished; he'd never seen such a scene: "Do they around here marry both the living and the dead at the same time?"

At that moment, the guests were in utter chaos, and Rong Zixu said: "Split up to investigate—Old Two and Old Four go ask A Da about the situation, while Third Month and Little Five go to the rear courtyard to examine the wooden figure."

"Yes."

Bai Shiyun took the chance to leave: "I… I'll go to the city's medical clinic to see if I can get some medicine, so we can prepare early."

Bai Shiyun departed in haste, not seeing Chang Wuming frown and see her off, nor noticing the struggle and inquiry in his expression.

At the wedding hall, the coming and going guests were in turmoil, and no one noticed their departure.