Chapter 326
Chapter 326
The group entered the courtyard.
The gates of the Xie Residence closed behind them as usual.
This time, however, no one felt afraid. Instead, they were itching for action.
Jian Fan looked at the clearly suspicious area before them, then curled his lips. “Use the whips on the chairs.”
Whether the ghosts in that area were mere shadows or genuine ghosts, every last one of them had to die.
Everyone had already formed a vague suspicion, and Jian Fan’s words now gave them a definite answer.
Lu Jing stepped forward first.
After enduring frustration for so long, he had long been seething with anger. Now it was finally time for them to fight back.
Tremble, you useless ghosts.
Lu Jing grinned and swung the whip. It smashed apart several chairs, and the instant it struck them, flames sprang up along its length.
It worked, just as expected.
Seeing this, Yang Zhen immediately began swinging too. Flames soon flared along her whip as well.
Previously, they could hear those sounds only after entering that area. Now, although Qin Nan and the others were still standing by the gates, the wails and howls of ghosts rang clearly in their ears.
The more frightened they had once been of those ghosts, the more satisfying it was to hear their anguished cries now.
So satisfying, in fact, that even Yellow Hair began itching to join in.
He tightened his grip on the whip and appealed to Lu Jing. “Brother Lu, I’ve never used one of these before. Can I join you?”
Lu Jing laughed as he swung his whip. “Go for it.”
Yellow Hair immediately answered with an eager “Okay!” and stepped forward, lashing out with great anticipation.
He managed to swing the whip, but unfortunately it did not travel far enough and failed to hit any ghosts. Yellow Hair was not discouraged and tried several more times. He might not have Yang Zhen’s aptitude for learning, but he did not expect to wield the whip particularly well. As long as he could swing it out and touch a ghost, that was enough.
After several attempts, flames finally appeared along Yellow Hair’s whip when he lashed out.
Once Yellow Hair had been at it for a while, Qin Nan started itching to join in too. “Mu Xin, are you going to use yours? If not, lend it to me for a swing.”
Mu Xin handed the whip straight over.
And so Qin Nan became one more person who had finally turned the tables.
After watching Qin Nan and Yellow Hair vent their pent-up anger, Lin Junruo began itching to try as well.
“Um, I’d like to try too,” Lin Junruo said, a little embarrassed.
Yellow Hair immediately waved her over with a cheerful grin. “Come on, join the fun!”
Lin Junruo cautiously moved forward and accepted the whip from Yellow Hair. At first, she was somewhat hesitant, but gradually, her swings began to look quite accomplished. Seeing this, Mu Xin and Zhou Jingying could no longer sit still either.
In the end, everyone except Jian Fan and Xia Zeqin enjoyed the wonderful feeling of finally turning the tables.
By the time they finished venting, the wails and howls of the ghosts had vanished completely.
The danger in that area had now been eliminated once and for all.
“That felt great!” Yellow Hair shouted, utterly refreshed.
Qin Nan felt refreshed all over as well. He turned to Jian Fan. “You thought of this a long time ago, didn’t you?”
“Mm.” Jian Fan did not deny it.
Jian Fan had already guessed at the possibility when he first learned the area existed. That was why he had dared to test it by throwing a stone. He had not acted directly at the time because he knew too little about the situation and did not dare move rashly or waste the whips’ durability. Now, however, Jian Fan felt it was time for a final showdown with the person behind everything.
“It’s getting dark.”
Qin Weiyi suddenly spoke up.
They had first set fire to the scholar tree grove, then moved the stone statues, and finally spent quite some time fighting ghosts in the courtyard. Time had passed quickly.
When Qin Weiyi mentioned it, some light still remained in the sky. By the time his words faded and everyone looked around, night was already descending.
Darkness devoured the final trace of light.
A new night had arrived once more, but this time, there was far less fear in their hearts.
Night fell.
In a mere instant, countless lanterns lit up across the Xie Residence, illuminating it brilliantly. At the same moment, Squire Xie appeared out of thin air at the entrance, dressed in the same clothes as the previous two times and wearing a smile. He was about to receive his guests, but confusion abruptly surfaced on his face, as though he could not understand something.
Qin Nan and the others knew what had confused him.
Not a single guest had arrived today.
“Our theory was right,” Yellow Hair said excitedly.
Not only were there no guests coming and going, but the red lanterns hanging outside every household also remained dark that night. Apart from the red lanterns at the entrance to the Xie Residence, Leqing Town was now shrouded in darkness.
“But Squire Xie is still here,” Lin Junruo said softly. “Does that mean Miss Xie is still here too?”
No sooner had she spoken than firecrackers began exploding at the entrance.
Previously, servants had needed to light them. This time, with no servants present, the firecrackers obligingly lit themselves. Amid the continuous explosions, Miss Xie made her entrance on horseback once more.
Behind her was the same bridal sedan, with the matchmaker, the ceremonial procession playing music at the front, and the servants carrying the sedan all still present.
“They weren’t in the scholar tree grove?” Mu Xin asked, equally surprised.
Zhou Jingying watched the scene, her gaze shifting thoughtfully. “Perhaps they were never ghosts at all, but beings like the Groom.”
“Puppets?” Lin Junruo instantly understood what Zhou Jingying meant.
Those still active were neither human nor ghost, but puppets obeying their master.
Then was Miss Xie the master?
They had thought so before. After what happened the previous day, however, there was another possibility that seemed more credible.
While they pondered, Miss Xie had already gotten down from the carriage and welcomed the Groom out of the bridal sedan.
There were no guests, and the situation had become extremely strange, yet Squire Xie and Miss Xie did not seem to care. They stubbornly persisted in carrying on with the wedding.
Miss Xie had already led the Groom into the Xie Residence.
Seeing that another round of wedding bows was about to begin, Jian Fan suddenly said to Lu Jing, “Strike.”
At this point, Lu Jing struck wherever Jian Fan directed. The instant the command left Jian Fan’s mouth, Lu Jing’s whip snapped out cleanly.
Lu Jing’s lash was aimed at Miss Xie. Beside him, Yang Zhen quickly swung her own whip at the Groom.
Miss Xie reacted quickly and immediately dodged. As for the Groom?
The instant Yang Zhen’s whip struck him, he dissolved into starlight and vanished without a trace.
“I’m angry.” After seeing the Groom disappear, Miss Xie’s expression darkened completely. She turned and stared expressionlessly at Lu Jing and the others. “You will all die and offer yourselves to my master.”