Chapter 195 - 10: If You Kill, Be Thorough

Chapter 195: Chapter 10: If You Kill, Be Thorough

"That’s right! Drink this bowl of wine, and you’ll have the strength you need for the wedding night!"

The surrounding villagers immediately chimed in, erupting in good-natured laughter.

Although Li Xiuwen couldn’t hold his liquor very well, it was his wedding day. He was so happy that he accepted every drink offered.

He was marrying the daughter of the Wang Family Village head. Their marriage had been arranged when they were children, and the two were childhood sweethearts with a strong bond.

Now that he was finally taking his beautiful bride home, the excitement and joy in his heart were impossible to conceal.

Li Xiuwen’s gaze kept drifting toward the village head’s house. His thoughts had long since flown to the woman who was about to become his wife.

The village head, his father-in-law, was an elderly man with graying hair but a hale and hearty spirit. He was currently greeting guests with a wide smile, occasionally coming over to pat Li Xiuwen on the shoulder and urge him to eat more.

Everything seemed so normal, so festive.

After several rounds of drinks and courses,

The auspicious hour had arrived.

At the matchmaker’s announcement, the bride, her head covered by a red veil, emerged slowly from the house, supported by two bridesmaids.

Seeing her slender figure, Li Xiuwen’s heart skipped a beat, and he was overcome with emotion.

He wanted to go up and say a few words to his bride, but felt it would be improper, so he held himself back.

After the ceremony was complete, the bride was helped into the ornate red sedan chair that had been prepared for her.

With musicians playing and villagers cheering them on, the grand wedding procession set off on the road back to Li Family Village.

Li Xiuwen rode a tall horse beside the sedan chair, frequently glancing toward it. His heart raced with passion as he began to imagine their wedding night.

The procession continued on its way, soon leaving the vicinity of Wang Family Village.

But just as the procession was crossing a stone bridge that spanned a small creek, something strange happened.

The sedan chair, carried by four sturdy men who had been moving at a brisk pace, suddenly lurched downward!

The four bearers felt an immense force press down on their shoulders, nearly forcing them to their knees.

"Ugh! What’s going on?!"

"Why did the sedan suddenly get so heavy?"

The bearers used every ounce of their strength, their faces flushing red with effort, but the sedan chair was as if it had grown roots on the bridge, refusing to budge an inch.

The procession ground to a halt. Everyone exchanged bewildered glances, unsure of what was happening.

Li Xiuwen sensed something was wrong. He quickly dismounted and hurried to the front of the sedan, his face etched with concern.

"Xiaocui? Xiaocui? What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

He called softly into the sedan but received no response.

Li Xiuwen’s heart tightened. Casting aside all propriety, he yanked open the sedan’s curtain.

The next moment, his pupils shrank to the size of pinpricks.

A thick, nauseating stench of rot billowed out from the sedan.

He saw his bride sitting silently inside, the red veil still perfectly in place over her head.

But the feet visible below, clad in embroidered shoes, were blue-black and swollen, and he could even see the dark mottling of lividity.

His bride... was long dead!

And she had been dead for more than a day!

"AHHH—!"

Li Xiuwen let out a choked scream and collapsed to the ground, shaking like a leaf.

The others in the wedding procession saw the scene as well, their faces draining of color as they began to tremble uncontrollably.

"Back... back to the village! Quick, back to the village!"

Li Xiuwen scrambled to his feet. His mind was a complete blank, save for a single thought: he had to get back to Wang Family Village and find out what had happened.

However, when they ran back to Wang Family Village in a panic, the sight that greeted them plunged them into even deeper terror.

The village, which moments before had been bustling with celebration and the sound of gongs and drums, was now deathly silent.

A thick, inescapable stench hung in the air.

All the villagers were dead, either in their homes or at the banquet tables.

Their bodies were in advanced stages of decay, yet their faces were still frozen in the smiles they wore while eating and drinking.

It was as if... they didn’t even know they were dead.

But just a short while ago, these very people had been vibrantly alive, talking and drinking with them.

Li Xiuwen stared at the village full of corpses, utterly stupefied. His legs gave out, and he collapsed to the ground.

The rest of the wedding party let out terrified screams, then turned and fled as if they had gone mad.

-----------------

As evening approached, the sunset clouds on the horizon burned like fire.

The Soldiers guarding the city yawned, leaning lazily against the walls and making small talk.

Just then, a group of people suddenly appeared on the main road in the distance.

Their clothes were in tatters and their hair was a mess. Their faces were masks of utter terror, and they let out shrill screams as they ran.

"Ghosts! There are ghosts!"

"The village... the village is eating people!"

"Help! Somebody help us!"

The young man in the lead wore a bright red wedding robe that was torn to shreds. His face was a mess of mud and tears. It was the groom, Li Xiuwen.

He was at the very front of the group. Upon reaching the city gate, he collapsed to his knees with a THUD and clutched at a guard Soldier’s leg, his body shaking like a sieve.

"Everyone’s dead. My bride is dead, too... I was supposed to be bringing her home, but she died in the sedan chair, and she was already... rotting..."

He was rambling, his words incoherent. It was clear he was on the verge of a total breakdown.

The guard Soldiers were startled by this sudden turn of events.