Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Jiang Qingsong stood rooted to the spot as if he had been nailed there, his body trembling nonstop. His chest heaved violently as he panted for breath.

Raspy Voice was still baring his teeth in a stupid, cackling grin as he patted Jiang Qingsong on the shoulder.

“Brother Song, your acting is pretty convincing.”

I praised him too.

“You’re pretty convincing at playing an idiot, too.”

Lou Qianqian said, “Does he even need to act? He’s just being himself.”

As she spoke, she hugged Ling Ling’s arm even tighter. The two of them looked like they wanted to shrink into one ball.

“Qiao Moyu, stop wasting your breath on them. Those things standing below… I’m really scared.”

Ling Ling’s voice trembled. “Me too. I need to pee.”

Forget the two of them. Even I was scared now.

I hadn’t expected there to be this many ghosts around the village.

Below the stage was a dark, endless mass that seemed to stretch as far as the eye could see. And it was only just past noon, when yang energy was still strong. Anything that could appear now had to be a vicious ghost.

The row closest to the stage had hanged ghosts with long tongues dangling from their mouths, resentful weeping ghosts in red bridal gowns, and one playing with its head clutched against its chest, its skull split right down the middle like a pair of scissors.

They came in every grotesque shape imaginable, and every one of them had died a miserable death.

With this many ghosts, if a fight broke out later, I’d still have to protect the bridesmaids. How many talismans would I have to burn? How much money would that cost me?!

Just thinking about it made my heart ache like someone was carving it out with a knife.

My face went deathly pale. I swallowed in fear and couldn’t help taking a step back.

The groomsmen burst into laughter.

“Now you know fear? Too late!”

Raspy Voice said, “I’ll count to three. Strip off your clothes and kneel in front of me-”

Before he could finish, Jiang Qingsong’s legs went weak beside him, and he collapsed against him. His voice carried a sob. “G-Ghosts… ghosts!”

Raspy Voice said, “Brother Song, stop acting. I can’t wait anymore.”

Jiang Qingsong jumped up and slapped him across the face.

“Acting, my ass! Ghosts! Run!”

The slap knocked Raspy Voice’s face to the side, just in time for him to get a clear look at the dense crowd below the stage. No, the dense horde of ghosts.

Raspy Voice froze in shock for three seconds, then instantly turned into a screaming chicken.

“Aaaah-aaah-ghosts! So many ghosts!”

Raspy Voice plopped down on his butt and scrambled backward. Suddenly, a shirtless young man drifted up from below the stage and stopped right in front of him.

“Big brother likes watching people without clothes so much? Then why don’t you take a look at me?”

The male ghost wore only a pair of shorts. His upper body was bare, and a round hole went straight through the center of his chest. Through that hole, you could see the scene behind him.

As the male ghost spoke, he reached out. His long nails stabbed straight into Raspy Voice’s chest. Then he pulled his hands apart, and Raspy Voice’s skin split open to either side along with his clothes.

Just like that, Raspy Voice’s human skin was torn off. His whole body was bright red and mangled with blood and flesh as he screamed and rolled on the ground.

It was like a drop of cold water falling into a boiling pan of oil. Everyone started screaming and running around in a frenzy.

Seeing an old ghost’s nails about to stab into Lou Qianqian’s forehead, I planted one foot on Jiang Qingsong’s back and used the momentum to leap high into the air, flinging the copper coins in my hand out at lightning speed.

I chanted the Demon-Slaying Incantation: “Fierce gods and evil ghosts, none shall dare stand before me. Those who follow the Dipper shall live; those who oppose the Dipper shall perish. Wherever the celestial talisman arrives, misfortune shall be severed forever. The Supreme Emperor has decreed: slay all evil demons. When the fire bell trembles, devils and spirits shall be annihilated.”

The Demon-Slaying Incantation was the most lethal incantation in Taoism. Taoism emphasized karma and the cycle of cause and effect, so when dealing with ghosts and spirits, it usually focused on salvation and deliverance rather than directly scattering their souls.

But right now, I urgently needed to establish my authority and intimidate the ghosts. So I showed no mercy. When the handful of copper coins struck, the old ghost had only just lunged in front of Lou Qianqian before it let out an agonized shriek. Flames burst from its entire body, and in the next instant, it turned into a wisp of pale smoke and vanished into the air.

One strike had instantly killed a vicious ghost. Everyone was stunned.

The ghosts were clearly taken aback as well, their faces showing hints of fear.

I seized the chance to shove a copper coin into each bridesmaid’s hand.

“Hold the copper coins tight and follow me!”