The Husky and His White Cat Shizun

Chapter 13: This Seat's New Bride

Chu Wanning had already noticed without Mo Ran's reminder.

Amidst their laughter and chatter, the voices seemed to float from an unknown source. Those sitting or standing, engaging in drinking games, all had blank faces like they were made of paper.

"What do we do? Are we supposed to join them for a drink?"

Chu Wanning didn't find Mo Ran's ill-timed joke amusing. He lowered his head in deep thought.

Suddenly, rustling footsteps echoed from afar. Two long lines emerged from the hazy mist, slowly approaching the main building.

Instinctively, Chu Wanning and Mo Ran hid behind the rockery. As the two groups drew closer, they saw a pair of smiling golden-haired boys and jade-like girls leading the way. These two had distinct facial features with vivid colors, resembling the paper figurines of children burned as offerings to the deceased in the night.

Each held a red candle in their hands, as thick as a child's arm. Dragons and phoenixes coiled around the candles, and with their burning, a rich scent of butterfly flowers filled the air. Mo Ran nearly lost consciousness again, but fortunately, the pain from the wound Chu Wanning inflicted on his hand was still sharp. He prodded it harshly to maintain clarity.

Chu Wanning glanced at him.

Mo Ran: "…Ahem, that trick works quite well."

Pausing, he added curiously, "Shifu, why don't you need to pierce holes in yourself to stay awake?"

Chu Wanning replied coolly, "This scent is ineffective on me."

"Ahh? Why?"

Chu Wanning replied coldly, "Good self-control."

Mo Ran: "............"

With the Golden Boy and Jade Girl leading the way, the two groups began climbing the steps. Chu Wanning shifted his gaze back and studied them for a moment before softly uttering an "En?"

It was rare for him to be surprised, so Mo Ran became very curious and followed his line of sight, only to be startled as well.

Among the procession, he saw lifeless corpses shuffling along with their eyes closed. Their skin was pale, and they retained the appearances they had in life. Most of them were young, appearing to be no more than twenty, both male and female. One figure in particular seemed eerily familiar to Mo Ran—

The eldest son of the Chen family, whom they had seen inside the coffin earlier, had somehow reappeared in the group. He was walking with his eyes closed, slowly moving forward guided by the peculiar fragrance of the candles. Unlike the others who had another corpse accompanying them, his side was empty except for a paper ghost bride floating beside him.

If the sight of the eldest Chen son wasn't startling enough, when the procession reached the end, Mo Ran's face paled upon seeing who was at the tail end of each line.

Shi Mo and Madam Chen Yao were both lowering their heads, following behind the corpses. Their eyes were closed, their faces as pale as snow, their walking posture no different from those lifeless figures ahead. It was unclear if they still breathed.

Mo Ran's scalp tingled, and he leaped to his feet, ready to rush forward, but Chu Wanning suddenly grabbed his shoulder. "Hold on."

"But Shi Mo—!"

"I know," Chu Wanning said, staring at the slowly advancing group. He spoke softly. "Don't act rashly. Look over there; there's a security barrier. If you barge through carelessly, that barrier will trigger an alarm, and I'm afraid all the faceless ghosts in the courtyard will swarm towards you. The situation could spiral out of control."

Chu Wanning was a master of barriers, skilled at setting them up and discerning them. Mo Ran followed his gaze and saw that there was indeed a nearly transparent membrane at the entrance to the feast courtyard.

The golden and jade children approached the yard, gently fanning the flames in their hands, causing the fire to blaze brighter. Then, they slowly—passed through the barrier and walked into the courtyard.

The men and women behind them followed suit, effortlessly passing through the transparent barrier. The faceless revelers in the courtyard turned their heads to watch the new arrivals, beginning to laugh and clap.

Chu Wanning said, "Come, follow them. Remember not to breathe or open your eyes when crossing the barrier. And whatever happens, mimic the corpses; don't speak under any circumstances."

Mo Ran, desperate to save Shi Mo, didn't need further urging. He immediately merged with the group of corpses alongside Chu Wanning.

There were equal numbers in each pair of corpses. Since Chu Wanning stood behind Shi Mo, Mo Ran had no choice but to position himself behind Madam Chen Yao. The procession moved slowly, and several times Mo Ran glanced over at Shi Mo, catching only a pale profile and a limp, white neck.

With great effort, they finally reached the barrier. Both held their breaths and passed through it smoothly, entering the courtyard. Upon entering, they realized that the space inside was far larger than it appeared from the outside. Apart from the lavishly decorated three-story main building, there were small, interconnected annexes on either side of the yard, numbering approximately a hundred. Each annex had a large, red "double happiness" symbol pasted on its windows and a red lantern hanging below.

All the faceless guests suddenly rose to their feet, as a harmonious barrage of salutations echoed, accompanied by the vibrant sounds of firecrackers and the melodies of suona horns.

A faceless officiant, in a ceremonial dance, intoned before the grand edifice, "The auspicious moment has arrived. The groom and the bride have entered the garden—"

Mo Ran was taken aback. What? So these two rows of corpses were the bride and groom?

Desperately seeking assistance from Chu Wanning, I found the Supreme Immortal of the Northern Dipper deeply engrossed in his own thoughts, completely indifferent to Mo Ran's plight and not deigning to spare him a glance.

...Mo Ran felt that his uncle's painstaking efforts were in vain. Going down the mountain for training with such a master was truly more demeaning than going without one at all.

Suddenly, a group of giggling, young children with their hair tied up in small braids with white strings rushed out from the courtyard. They were clad in vibrant red garments, resembling playful fish as they swarmed to the sides of the procession, each pulling an individual along, guiding them towards the adjacent chambers.

Mo Ran found himself at a loss, his anxiety palpable. He wordlessly mouthed the question to Chu Wanning: "Master, what should we do?"

Chu Wanning shook his head and gestured towards the multitude of corpses parting like waves before the children. The implication was clear — they should follow the youngsters.

With no other choice, Mo Ran allowed himself to be tugged along by the topknot-wearing child, stumbling into one of the chambers. The moment they entered, the boy swished his sleeves through the air, and the door slammed shut with a bang.

Mo Ran glared at the tiny figure, uncertain what this faceless imp intended to do to him.

In his previous life, Chu Wanning had saved Shi Mo first before breaking the illusion. Mo Ran himself had done nothing but effortlessly vanquish the demonic forces, then became lost in the lingering sweetness of kissing Shi Mo. He hadn't paid much attention to Chu Wanning's subsequent explanation.

Given the change in circumstances now, he had no idea what was coming next and could only steel himself to face it.

Inside the room stood a dressing table with a copper mirror and an ornate black-red robe embroidered with auspicious patterns resting on a wooden rack.

The child patted the stool, gesturing for Mo Ran to sit down.

Mo Ran noticed that the ghosts here weren't particularly clever; they were quite slow-witted. As long as he didn't speak, they couldn't tell the difference between the living and the dead. Thus, he followed the child's instructions and sat down in front of the dressing table. The child crept closer, starting to groom and dress him...

Suddenly, a flowering crabapple drifted in through the window, gently landing in the water inside the copper basin.

Mo Ran's eyes lit up. This particular species was called Late Night Yu Heng, and it was a means Chu Wanning used for silent communication.

He plucked the flower from the water, and in an instant, it blossomed in his palm, revealing a pale golden glow within its pistil.

He twirled that golden light around his fingertip and placed it to his ear. Chu Wanning's voice resonated within his ear.

"Mo Ran, I've verified with Heavenly Inquiry that this is an illusory realm created by the Ghost Conductor of Butterfly Town. Fed by the villagers' offerings for a hundred years, it has gradually attained enlightenment. The more ghost weddings it conducts, the stronger its power becomes, hence its fondness for these ceremonies. Those corpses lined up in two rows must be the ghost couples from Butterfly Town that were paired under its witness over the centuries. It enjoys the festivity, summoning them every night to reenact the ghost weddings, and each time it does, its strength increases."

Mo Ran thought to himself—what a pervert!

Other deities might busy themselves matchmaking young boys and girls, but this so-called Ghost Conductor, despite having a divine body, lacked a functioning mind. Its sole interest was pairing male and female corpses together, doing it once was one thing, but to summon them from their graves every night for the same ritual again and again—was there something fascinating about corpse coitus?

This single deity truly had a deranged obsession.

Chu Wanning said, "Its true form isn't here, so don't act rashly. Follow the instructions of the Golden Boy and Jade Girl momentarily. Since it's drawing strength from these ghost weddings, it will eventually reveal itself."

Mo Ran wanted to ask about Shi Mo. How was he?

"There's no need to worry about Shi Mo. Like Madam Chen, he's been bewitched by the incense powder and temporarily lost consciousness," Chu Wanning considered everything, addressing all potential concerns. "Take care of yourself, and leave the rest to me."

With that, his voice vanished.

In the meantime, the child had finished dressing Mo Ran. Looking into the bronze mirror, he saw a handsome face with naturally upturned lips, clear eyes, and tidy brows. His collar and lapels overlapped, the wedding attire was fiery red, while his long hair was bound with a white ribbon, indeed resembling a groom for a ghost wedding.

The child gestured politely, and the tightly closed chamber door creaked open.

In the corridor stood a row of corpses dressed in festive attire, both male and female. It seemed that the clay figurine of the ghost officiant was indeed lacking in comprehension; it only cared about couples kneeling before one another to be wed, regardless of whether they were male-male, female-female, or male-female pairs.

This side of the corridor held only a single column of corpses. The other column was on the opposite side, too far away for him to see if Chu Wanning and Shi Mo had emerged yet.

The line moved slowly forward, and from time to time, the sound of the officiant's recital could be heard from within the buildings. One by one, the ghostly weddings proceeded at a sluggish pace.

Mo Ran glanced at Madam Chen Yao, who was standing in front of him, and something didn't sit right with him. After pondering for a long while, as the line shortened and they neared the last few couples, this stubborn rogue finally caught on—

Ah! Following the order of the line, wouldn't he end up marrying Shi Mo? And wouldn't he be paired with that little bitch, Chu Wanning? This couldn't possibly do!

At that moment, the former ruler of the Human Realm was displeased. He pouted and rudely pulled Madam Chen Yao aside, inserting himself into the queue ahead of her.

The child following beside him was taken aback, but Mo Ran quickly assumed a posture of a head-down, half-paralyzed ghost, blending in among the corpses. The less skilled golden boys and jade girls standing around were confused and didn't quite grasp the issue, so they reacted foolishly, or rather, not at all.

Mo Ran was delighted. Eagerly, he followed the line, preparing to meet Shi Mo on the other side of the corridor when they reached the end.

Meanwhile,

Chu Wanning cast a glance at Shi Mo standing before him and pondered for a moment, uncertain about the dangers that awaited them ahead.

He had always been tough on the outside but soft on the inside. Despite his strictness bordering on disdain, in truth, he would never let his disciple take unnecessary risks as long as he was around.

Thus, he tugged at Shi Mo and pulled the drowsy young man behind him, taking Shi Mo's original position.

It was his turn now.

The ghost attendant standing at the end of the corridor held a black-and-red tray. Upon seeing Chu Wanning approach, it giggled softly, its featureless face emitting a girlish, melodious voice.

"Congratulations, my lady, compliments to the bride. A chance encounter like old friends, a beauty with hair as white as snow."

Chu Wanning's face darkened instantly.

Mistress...?? Do you have eyes?

Glancing again at the blank face of the ghost attendant, he held back his anger.

Damn, it really didn't have eyes.

The ghost attendant picked up the red veil on the tray with a grin, lifting his jade-like arm and delicate hand to cover Chu Wanning's face. Then, a cold hand reached out gently to support Chu Wanning, as the attendant cooed in a girlish voice, "My dear wife, please proceed."

Author's Note: My dear wife, please proceed.

In the next chapter, we'll have the wedding night. If there's no wedding night, I'll livestream eating dog feces! Are you all afraid or not?

Also, addressing yesterday's question, "Who did Mo Ran kiss in his past life?"

Firstly, nothing has changed for Chu Wanning; his actions should follow the same sequence as in his previous life. This means that since he saved Mo Weiyu first in this life, it was the same order in his past life.

In Mo Ran's recollection, he "depended on his master to fight monsters, but relied on himself to charm men." Chu Wanning had later settled everything and come for him after saving Shi Mo.

Their paths diverged at this point, making the following scenario highly plausible:

Back then, Chu Wanning might have first sought out Mo Ran, but for some reason, he left without Mo Ran's knowledge and went on to save Shi Mo instead.

Considering Chu Wanning's actions throughout his life, it could only be that, as in this instance, Mo Ran had mistaken him for Shi Mo. After being kissed, Chu Wanning, too shy to handle the situation, immediately pulled away and decided not to show himself, since Mo Ran was already out of danger. He then went to rescue Shi Mo and, with him in tow, pretended to be calm when they reunited with Mo Ran. At that time, Mo Ran's attention was entirely on Shi Mo, so he wouldn't have noticed any subtle change in Chu Wanning's demeanor.

This also explained why Shi Mo seemed unaffected by the illusion when it ended – because, for him, nothing actually happened...

So that year, it was actually your Master who broke free and escaped, you foolish attacker, Mo Ran! Poor Master lost his first kiss to you in both lifetimes, and you still thought you were kissing your senior brother, goodbye with a hand wave. Sobbing bitterly.

This is a filler text within the main story, providing an answer outside of the context for everyone's amusement. 23333 (Internet slang for laughter)