The bride, with her head covered by a red veil, moved gracefully, her steps light and elegant. The groom was fair and handsome, with features as delicate as a painting. They looked like a perfect match made in heaven. However, the groom’s smile seemed frozen, his lips unnaturally fixed in an upward curve, as if someone had forced them into place.
He moved slowly, bowing and greeting the guests as he scanned the room with his eyes, clearly searching for someone.
“Xiao Tang! Over here!” Jiang Xiaosi jumped up and waved enthusiastically.
When Xiao Tang saw them, tears of relief nearly welled up in his eyes. He desperately blinked and gestured for help.
Lin Qiang tried to stand up, but Shen Mo held him back.
“Don’t rush.”
“But they’re already getting married! Are we really going to wait until they’re officially wed?”
“That Lu fellow isn’t simple. Xiao Tang is still in their hands. We can’t make any reckless moves unless we’re sure.”
Frustrated, Lin Qiang had no choice but to sit back down, while Shen Mo remained calm, watching Xiao Tang being led to the altar to perform the wedding rites.
Xiao Tang had initially thought that once his friends arrived, they would immediately rescue him. But to his dismay, they simply sat at a distance, as if they were really just there to enjoy the banquet.
He wanted to cry. How had he, a grown man, ended up in a situation where he was being forced into marriage? He had no idea what spell the Lu family had cast on him. While his mind was clear, his body was completely beyond his control, and he couldn’t even speak.
After completing the entire wedding ceremony, Xiao Tang was filled with despair. ‘Mom, Dad, I’m sorry—I’ve failed you. Our family line is about to end…’
Jiang Xiaosi, on the other hand, was filled with admiration. For centuries, she had watched as other young women got married at fifteen or twenty, while she remained forever a child, her mind never fully maturing. Now, she had finally fallen in love, and her heart was sweet like cloud cakes, rolling with happiness. She recalled the frustrations of being misunderstood when she first met Shen Mo, the tension of being around him, and all the efforts she made to become his student just to stay close to him. She had probably fallen for him long ago, right?
But all that love, thanks to the Forget Heart Water, had made her forget who she loved. She remembered how, on that Christmas Eve, he had wrapped her cold body in his coat, and it had felt like a net enveloping her so tightly that she couldn’t escape. She had waited all these centuries, it seemed, just for him. The moment she fell in love, it was as if she had started to grow up faster—every part of her body screamed for her to hurry and mature.
‘One day, I’ll be your bride too…’
Jiang Xiaosi smiled sweetly at Shen Mo, tilting her head. He glanced up, meeting her gaze, and quickly looked away without a word. Next to him, the girl who had been eating sunflower seeds blushed and shyly tried to engage Shen Mo in conversation. He responded only with nods and shakes of his head.
Yixiu leaned in and whispered to Shen Mo, “That Lu fellow is very unusual.”
“Yes, there’s ghostly yin energy, the spiritual energy of a demon, and even a hint of celestial aura. I’m not sure what he is.”
Initially, dealing with the minor ghosts and that low-level spirit, Pink Piaopiao, would have been easy for Shen Mo and Yixiu. They could have snatched Xiao Tang and left. But then this Lu fellow appeared, and even with their experience, they couldn’t quite figure him out. So they decided to wait and observe, looking for the right moment to act.
After the wedding ceremony, the banquet began. Jiang Xiaosi stared hungrily at the table full of dishes, but under the icy gaze of Shen Mo, she didn’t dare touch her chopsticks.
The sunflower seed girl next to her enthusiastically served Shen Mo dishes, and he accepted them without protest, trying a few bites.
Jiang Xiaosi knew he was using illusions, but unfortunately, she couldn’t do the same. Neither could Lin Qiang, and Yixiu didn’t eat meat, so the three of them just stared at each other.
Around them, the hall buzzed with cheerful chatter, laughter, and the clinking of wine cups. The groom came around to toast the guests, and Jiang Xiaosi was amazed at Xiao Tang’s impressive alcohol tolerance—cup after cup, and he didn’t even stagger.
But inwardly, Xiao Tang was in agony. He was so drunk that he was about to pass out, yet his body kept moving on its own.
Lu Lin came to their table, exchanging pleasantries.
“You must be friends of Xingzhi. I apologize if our hospitality has been lacking—please, feel at home.”
“Not at all, Lu Gongzi.” Jiang Xiaosi said cheerfully, clasping her hands in greeting.
The others felt awkward at Lu Lin’s old-fashioned, almost theatrical manner of speech. Lin Qiang discreetly squeezed Xiao Tang’s hand and whispered, “Xiao Tang, are you okay?”
Xiao Tang smiled stiffly at him, his expression handsome yet unnervingly rigid, which made Lin Qiang jump in surprise. ‘Could Xiao Tang also be a demon in disguise?’
Lu Lin glanced at the table. “Is the food not to your liking? Yao, please bring these guests a new spread and prepare some vegetarian dishes as well.”
“Amitabha.” Yixiu said, nodding in gratitude.
“It’s getting late. You should all rest here tonight. Xingzhi lost his parents early, and on such an important day, I urged him to invite more friends. He invited only you, so you must be very close. Our village is small but picturesque—stay for a few more days, and let Xingzhi show you around.”
Lu Lin’s smile was warm and sincere, and his clear gaze made it difficult to refuse him.
Xiao Tang silently raised his cup to them in a toast. Lin Qiang and the others eyed the plates that the servers had just brought out, waiting for Shen Mo’s approval. When Shen Mo gave a slight nod, they all raised their cups and drank. Xiao Tang then followed Lu Lin to the next table for more toasts.
Jiang Xiaosi’s tongue burned from the spicy wine, and she turned to Shen Mo for help, only to see that he had used his illusion and hadn’t actually drunk anything.
“What about the wine?”
“That’s the one Lu Lin personally selected. It’s safe. You can eat now, so fill up if you’re hungry.”
“Then why aren’t you drinking?”
“I don’t drink alcohol.”
“So when you’re at social events, do you always use illusions?”
Shen Mo turned to look at her. “I don’t need to attend social events.”
“Alright then.” Jiang Xiaosi had nothing to say, so she dug in and began devouring the food.
That night, the four of them were given rooms upstairs to rest. Shen Mo, Lin Qiang, and Yixiu all experienced staying at an ancient inn for the first time, while Jiang Xiaosi felt as if she had returned to a long-lost home.
Lin Qiang paced back and forth in his room for nearly half an hour, growing increasingly anxious as he imagined Xiao Tang already in the bridal chamber. Finally, when the inn grew quiet, he slipped out of his room and knocked on Shen Mo’s door. Once inside, he saw that Yixiu was already seated at the table.
“When are we going to rescue him? We can’t wait all night, can we? If we take too long, Xiao Tang might…”
“Don’t worry. As long as he’s not willing, nothing irreversible will happen.” Shen Mo assured him.
Yixiu nodded. “I just scouted the area. The village isn’t large, about seventy to eighty households. I suspect that some kind of disaster happened here in the past—a landslide, earthquake, or mudslide—that buried the entire village and wiped out its population overnight. That’s why there are so many spirits here.”
“Are we at the bottom of the lake?”
“Essentially. Over time, the village site became submerged under the lake, and since it was never discovered or excavated, it remains buried. These spirits are still clinging to life and often use the bodies of those who drown in the lake to possess and return to the living world. Pink Piaopiao was likely one of them. She was originally Miss Lu of this village, who grew up with Tang Xingzhi as childhood sweethearts. They were betrothed, but Tang Xingzhi left to take the imperial exams and was gone for five years. During that time, Lu Xiaowan waited for him, refusing to marry anyone else. But before he could return, disaster struck the village, and no one survived.”
Lin Qiang was stunned. “So Xiao Tang is the reincarnation of Tang Xingzhi?”
“Since Lu Xiaowan sought him out to complete the marriage ceremony, it seems highly likely.” Yixiu replied.
Shen Mo added, “Earlier, I snuck into Lu Lin’s residence and gathered some information. If I’m correct, he’s a tree demon, specifically a Lianli tree demon, close to attaining immortality. His true form was severely damaged in the disaster, and he’s been trapped under the lake ever since. He has cultivation and magic, unlike the other ghosts here. We’ll need to be especially cautious of him.”
Lin Qiang fell silent, feeling a bit embarrassed.
He realized that while he had been worrying, Shen Mo and Yixiu had already pieced together the entire backstory. For a moment, he wasn’t sure who was the real police officer here.
Shen Mo understood that Lin Qiang was acting out of concern for his friend. Usually, they were both stubborn and aloof, often at odds with each other, with Xiao Tang playing the role of mediator between them.
“So, what’s the plan?” Lin Qiang asked.
Shen Mo said, “I have a way to stall Lu Lin. Yixiu will handle rescuing Xiao Tang. You’ll need to keep an eye on Jiang Xiaosi. The villagers here aren’t malicious ghosts; as long as they aren’t provoked, they won’t harm anyone. Don’t worry.”
Lin Qiang nodded. “Where’s Xiaosi?”
“She’s in the room next door. She should be asleep by now—she drank quite a bit earlier.”
Shen Mo sighed helplessly. No sooner had the words left his mouth than a piercing scream echoed from upstairs. It was Jiang Xiaosi, screaming as if she were being murdered.
The four of them rushed out of the room and found Jiang Xiaosi’s room door wide open, but she was nowhere to be seen.
They dashed upstairs, only to find that the screams were coming from Xiao Tang and Lu Xiaowan’s bridal chamber.
“Professor!” Jiang Xiaosi cried out the moment she saw Shen Mo, her voice full of indignation. “He tried to take advantage of me!”
Shen Mo stood there, dumbfounded. It took him a moment to process what she was saying. He looked around and saw that Jiang Xiaosi and Xiao Tang were both seated in large purple sandalwood armchairs, their limbs pinned as if nailed in place, unable to move despite their struggles. Lu Xiaowan had removed her veil and was sitting calmly on the bed, her face serene and delicate, her skin as pale as jade. Lu Lin stood beside Jiang Xiaosi, hands clasped behind his back, with a faint, mocking smile.
“What do you want?” Shen Mo asked coldly.
“That’s the question I should be asking you. You’re all guests here. If you have any complaints, just say so. Why would you try to steal the groom on his wedding night?” Lu Lin replied with feigned innocence.
“Don’t be ridiculous! You’re the ones who kidnapped Xiao Tang and forced him into marriage!” Jiang Xiaosi retorted, her anger bubbling over.
“Oh, really? Xingzhi, did we force you?” Lu Lin’s gaze shifted to Xiao Tang. Xiao Tang desperately wanted to defend himself, but he was powerless to speak.
Suddenly, Lu Lin extended his hands and wrapped them around the necks of both Xiao Tang and Jiang Xiaosi. Jiang Xiaosi felt as if her entire body was being strangled by countless withered branches, making it difficult to breathe.
“Lu Lin, don’t hurt Xingzhi!” Lu Xiaowan cried out in distress, stepping forward but hesitating to get too close.
“What is it that you want?” Shen Mo’s voice dripped with cold fury as he glared at Lu Lin.
Lu Lin shrugged and forced two pills into the mouths of Xiao Tang and Jiang Xiaosi.
“It’s simple. I want all of you to get married immediately!”
Everyone was stunned.
Lin Qiang thought he must have misheard. “You want us to get married?”
“Yes. I want the three of you to marry the unmarried girls in the village. As for Miss Jiang, she can marry me.”
“What? Like hell I will! Only a ghost would marry you!” Jiang Xiaosi shouted, realizing too late that she had misspoken.
Lu Lin sneered and pinched her chin. “If you’re so eager to become a ghost…”
“Let her go. She won’t marry you. She’s already promised to marry me.” Shen Mo suddenly declared in an icy, authoritative tone that left everyone in the room stunned. Jiang Xiaosi was completely dumbfounded. ‘Oh my god, am I dreaming?’
Lu Lin looked up, meeting Shen Mo’s gaze. Shen Mo’s eyes were sharp, as if he saw through everything, with a hint of mocking pity that irritated Lu Lin.
“You intend to marry her?”
“She’s promised to marry me, so I will.”
Lu Lin remained silent for a moment before turning to the matchmaker who had entered the room. After whispering a few words in her ear, Lu Lin frowned and said, “Since there’s already an existing engagement, then you two shall marry. As for the other two, they will marry the remaining unmarried girls in the village. Rest assured, the girls of Xiao Li Village are all virtuous, beautiful, and refined. I will personally select the best for you. There’s no time like the present. We’ll hold the wedding tomorrow, and I’ll officiate.”
Yixiu’s expression changed drastically.
“Good sir, I’m a monk!”
“A life with a beautiful woman is far better than a life of solitary meditation. You should renounce your vows and return to the secular world.” Lu Lin replied with a smirk.
Yixiu said nothing more, but his heart was filled with both amusement and exasperation.
Shen Mo looked at Lu Lin and raised an eyebrow. “I was wondering what kind of demon you were. So, you’re a Lianli tree spirit.”
Lu Lin smiled nonchalantly and nodded. “Indeed. Years ago, Xingzhi and Xiaowan pledged their love beneath my branches. Today, they are finally able to marry under my witness. Is that not something to celebrate? I’ve witnessed 103 couples come together, and if I help bring five more together, I’ll be able to ascend. But with no more eligible bachelors in the village, and since you’ve all arrived, it’s only right that you marry before you leave.”
“Lu Lin, marriage cannot be forced. You’ve lived for so many years, witnessed so many love stories and heartbreaks, heard so many vows of eternal devotion, yet you still don’t understand such a simple truth? Moreover, your true form is damaged. Do you really think…”
“There’s no need to waste your breath! Of course I understand. But didn’t you say you and Miss Jiang are in love? I’ll ask you one last time: will you marry her or not?”
Shen Mo clenched his fists, grinding his teeth as he answered, “I will.”
With a wave of his white sleeve, Lu Lin turned to the matchmaker and said, “Madam, inform everyone to prepare. Tomorrow, we will continue the wedding! It must be even grander than today’s!”
Be my Patron~
✨Be a part of the story – support my translations✨
✨✨Advance chapter at Patreon✨✨
