Chapter 162: It’s All a Misunderstanding

Lu Bai didn’t know the Ghost Bride well, nor did they have any sort of connection.

The reason he’d thought of this plan was that the Corpse Refining Sect were the Ghost Bride’s true enemies.

The Ghost Bride’s sedan chair had returned to Bai Family Village, likely for reasons beyond just the Extremely Yin Land located there.

Perhaps it was also due to her lingering obsession, a desire to return home one last time.

The three of them, plus one dog and one chicken, stumbled and swayed through the air, finally making it to the vicinity of Renyi Manor.

Looking down from their high vantage point, Lu Bai immediately spotted the Ghost Bride still standing by the back of the mountain.

"Over there!"

Lu Bai pointed toward the mountain.

Ah Ming had carried the three people and one dog, fleeing for their lives the entire way, to finally reach this place.

"Husband, you’ve come back to see me so soon!"

Seeing Lu Bai return, Bai Chuchu was both shocked and overjoyed. She looked like a young wife who had been anxiously awaiting her beloved’s return, her expression ecstatic and her eyes brimming with tears as she hurried forward to greet him.

"Husband?"

Hearing this, Mo Tang shot Lu Bai a look of utter confusion.

He Liangzhi, on the other hand, wasn’t surprised, merely stealing a glance at Lu Bai.

It was as if Bai Chuchu only had eyes for Lu Bai. A shy blush crept up her fair cheeks as she whispered, "Husband, you said we would consummate our marriage the next time we met. Is that... now?"

"Consummate our marriage?"

Mo Tang’s eyes went wide.

’What is he playing at?’

’They were being hunted by the Corpse Refining Sect. Not only did Lu Bai lead their pursuers right to his own wife, but he also wanted to go through with the wedding night at a time like this?’

Lu Bai broke out in a cold sweat.

He’d been so focused on luring the Corpse Refining Sect’s cultivators over that he’d completely forgotten about this little detail.

’Tell enough lies to ghosts, and you’re bound to forget a few.’

Lu Bai felt the strange looks from Mo Tang and He Liangzhi and knew he was being misunderstood.

No matter how thick-skinned he was, his face burned with heat.

But he couldn’t spare a moment to explain. He’d deal with it later.

Lu Bai looked at Bai Chuchu and said seriously, "We have a crisis on our hands. Forget consummating the marriage for now. I have something important to tell you. The massacre of everyone in Bai Family Village, including your father being refined into a Jiangshi, was all the work of the Corpse Refining Sect cultivators."

Upon hearing this, Bai Chuchu’s expression turned frigid. Her gaze shifted, landing on the distant Corpse Refining Sect cultivators and their horde of Jiangshi giving chase.

The chill emanating from Bai Chuchu was now so intense that even Mo Tang couldn’t bear it; her Blood Qi felt like it was about to freeze solid!

Ah Ming grew even more frantic and agitated.

Seeing Bai Chuchu finally shift her attention to the Corpse Refining Sect group, Lu Bai breathed a sigh of relief and signaled for Ah Ming to get them out of there.

"I brought the Corpse Refining Sect to you! You’re welcome!"

Lu Bai called back over his shoulder as they left.

Mo Tang frowned. "Lu Bai, put me down. Go on, take your wife and leave."

Originally, she had held Lu Bai in high regard.

It wasn’t just because of his abilities, but more importantly, his character.

But now, seeing him sacrifice his own wife to save them... it was simply indefensible.

"My Lady, she’s not my wife! It’s a misunderstanding."

Lu Bai quickly explained how he and He Liangzhi had stumbled into Bai Family Village, encountered the Corpse Refining Sect cultivators, and then ran into the Red and White Collision Evil, only managing to escape with their lives after a series of harrowing events.

"Red and White Collision Evil!"

Mo Tang was shocked. "How did you escape from a Red and White Collision Evil?"

If she had encountered a Red and White Collision Evil, even she would have had no chance of survival.

"Yeah."

He Liangzhi was also curious. "Brother Lu, how did you break the Red and White Collision Evil?"

Since it involved the Ancient Mirror and his own secrets, Lu Bai had only glossed over that part earlier.

Hearing Mo Tang and He Liangzhi ask, Lu Bai’s mind raced. He cleared his throat and started spouting nonsense, "Everything in this world has a counter. The Red and White Collision Evil may be powerful, but it just so happens to be countered by my Array of Ascension for Chickens and Dogs..."

"???"

Mo Tang and He Liangzhi were utterly bewildered.

"The Array of Ascension for Chickens and Dogs?"

Neither of them had ever heard of such an Array, but they had to admit the name sounded impressive enough to be real.

Red and White Collision, Chickens and Dogs Ascending. The names seemed to correspond.

At first, Mo Tang was still a bit skeptical.

But when she saw the mystical Chongming Bird that had revealed its true form beneath her, her skepticism waned.

Besides, Lu Bai was right. That everything has its counter was a fundamental principle of the Great Dao.

’If I’m lucky enough to survive this, I must record this Magic Technique and study it carefully.’

He Liangzhi marveled to himself, ’Brother Lu is truly full of surprises. To even know a Magic Technique as strange as the Array of Ascension for Chickens and Dogs...’

’No wonder he insisted on keeping that Black Dog and rooster with him when he left Bluestone City. It all makes sense now!’

He Liangzhi thought to himself, ’I should find myself a proper Five-Black Dog and an intelligent rooster when I get back. I’ll train them well. It could save my life in a pinch.’

Mo Tang suddenly spoke. "If the Ghost Bride is just a Fierce Ghost, I doubt she can stop those Corpse Refining Sect cultivators."

"She probably isn’t a Fierce Ghost."

Lu Bai said gravely, "I tried testing her with a Yin Soul Compass earlier. The Yin Soul Compass shattered on the spot!"

As soon as he said this, Lu Bai clearly felt Mo Tang’s body, tucked under his arm, tremble.

"What’s wrong, My Lady?"

Lu Bai asked.

Mo Tang was silent for a moment before saying slowly, "When I was out gaining experience with my master, I encountered a Corpse Ghost once. Even then, the Yin Soul Compass didn’t shatter..."

Lu Bai’s heart skipped a beat. "If not a Corpse Ghost, could it be a Flying Corpse, a Realm above it?"

"It might be a Flying Corpse, or it could be..."

Mo Tang paused before saying, "A Ba!"

When she saw the Ghost Bride earlier, she hadn’t sensed any Ghost Qi or Corpse Qi at all.

Even with a Corpse Ghost or a Flying Corpse, you could still detect at least a trace of Ghost Qi and Corpse Qi.

Once something has cultivated to the Realm of a Ba, it’s completely indistinguishable from a human.

It has truly attained the Dao through cultivation.

’Of course,’ she thought, ’it’s also possible my Cultivation Realm simply isn’t high enough to detect it.’

Lu Bai and He Liangzhi were both startled.

"But that’s not right."

Mo Tang quickly dismissed her own theory, frowning. "According to you, this Ghost Bride was only recently created. How could she have transformed so quickly? It defies common sense."

Lu Bai was just as confused.

In the Red and White Collision Evil, the young Water Ghost had been an ordinary Fierce Ghost.

This Ghost Bride was clearly far more terrifying!

At this point, Lu Bai glanced back.

Behind them, the night was empty.

The roars of the Jiangshi, the trembling ground, the sound of robes cutting through the air—it had all vanished.

It seemed the Ghost Bride had actually managed to stop the Corpse Refining Sect cultivators.

He guessed that they, too, were trapped in a Ghost Wall and couldn’t get out.

Otherwise, if a major battle had broken out, there wouldn’t be complete silence.

Mo Tang asked again, "Why does this Ghost Bride call you her husband?"

"I have no idea. It’s completely baffling."

Lu Bai shook his head, still confused. "I clearly saw Brother He performing the wedding ceremony with her, but for some reason, she calls me her husband. Perhaps she mistook me for someone else?"

Hearing this, He Liangzhi quickly interjected, "Brother Lu, I clearly saw you performing the ceremony with her! I was about to rush over and save you, but the next thing I knew, I was locked inside a coffin."

Lu Bai froze.

’They saw different things?’

Just then, He Liangzhi added, "Brother Lu, you don’t have to hide it anymore. Lying in that coffin, I... I heard everything."

Lu Bai: "???"