Beneath the redwood spirit tablet placed on the grand master's chair, the image of a woman gradually emerged.
There was a gash as long as two inches on her neck, looking like a wide - open mouth constantly oozing frothy blood.
Her face was deathly pale, and the kind and amiable smile that used to be on it was gone. Now her eyes bulged out, and wisps of black mist kept pouring out of her seven orifices. It was as if there was a basin of burning charcoal in her body. Even her skin was burning like pieces of yellow paper on fire, charred and curled, falling to the ground.
"…Isn't that Qiu Zhuqing? How could she be dead?"
"The concubine of the Si family. Why is her soul suppressed beneath her sister's spirit tablet?"
"I heard that someone died in the Si family during the welcome banquet three days ago... Could it be this concubine?"
"Don't talk nonsense! Is Qiu Zhuqing a member of the Si family?"
"She's from the Li family... She's Li Jiuming's wife."
...
Although the guests at the ceremony were whispering to each other, no one dared to really voice their doubts. After all, Si Cheng was the clan head, and all clan affairs were up to his decision.
The murmurs, though soft, really reached Si Cheng's ears.
He couldn't see the miserable state of Qiu Zhuqing's soul. He could only look at Si Jiangchen nervously and say, "Achen, today is your big day. Don't let anything unexpected happen."
"Father, sixteen years have passed in a flash. Today is truly a happy day. Not only for me, but also for my mother to avenge her great grievance."
Si Jiangchen's cold voice rang in my ear. "Today is my wedding day, and also your day of doom!"
"Brother, what are you talking about?!"
Si Xirui screamed. "Mom died of a serious illness during the postpartum period. What does it have to do with father?"
"Shut up!"
Si Jiangchen glanced at his younger sister. "I've told you countless times to stay away from Qiu Zhuqing and Li Mingyue. What have you done?"
"I... I... I think Auntie and Cousin are very nice!"
Si Xirui mumbled in defense, but in her heart, she recalled all the times her elder brother had interfered with her.
Si Jiangchen was ten years older than Si Xirui. Since Qiu Zhuqing came to the Si family when he was young, he had warned Si Xirui not to get too close to her aunt.
But how could Si Xirui reject a woman as gentle as a mother who always brought delicious snacks and beautiful clothes, and a cousin of similar age who took her around to have fun... These were things her brother Si Jiangchen couldn't give her!
She even thought that her brother was jealous of her close mother - like relationship with her aunt.
"Woo woo woo..." Li Mingyue, standing beside her, buried her head on her shoulder and cried again.
"Xirui, stop talking... I know Brother Jiangchen has always thought that we've taken Auntie's place. He doesn't like us. Today is his big day. Don't defend us anymore and make him unhappy."
I was suffocating under the red wedding veil. Hearing Li Mingyue's words, it seemed as if Si Jiangchen couldn't tolerate her and her mother.
"Don't act like a victim!"
I simply lifted the veil and showed my face. "Doesn't your shoulder hurt? Carrying two poor little infant spirits on your shoulders all day long, how can you expect Si Jiangchen to like you?"
Li Mingyue's face instantly turned deathly pale. She looked around nervously, then kept stealing glances at Si Cheng. Si Cheng shook his head imperceptibly. Only then did Li Mingyue heave a sigh of relief and look at me, saying, "Miss Du, I've given up. I won't compete with you for Brother Jiangchen. So, you don't need to slander me anymore... Maybe you don't care about a girl's reputation, but I cherish it as much as my life."
"Hehe..."
I looked at the pathetic expression on Li Mingyue's face as she said those words softly but firmly. Coupled with the two hideous little ghosts on her shoulders, a sense of irony and absurdity made me sneer.
"Uncle Six."
Si Jiangchen had no intention of arguing with them. He turned to an old, thin man with gray hair among the guests and said, "You are a highly respected and powerful mage in the Si clan."
Uncle Six sighed softly, then stood up from his chair and walked slowly towards us with measured steps.
"Achen, although I don't know what happened more than a decade ago,"
He looked at Si Jiangchen and said, "But so much time has passed. Why are you still so persistent?"
"That's easy to say."
Si Jiangchen seemed to have known that the clan members would say this. He then continued Uncle Six's words, "I don't want my mother's soul to be annihilated. In the past, I was powerless... But now..."
He gave a cold look at Si Cheng sitting in the master's seat.
"I'd like to ask Uncle Six to show everyone what will happen to a man who kills his wife and children in the end."
Si Cheng was already panicked. He stood up abruptly and slapped the table hard. "You little bastard! How dare you?! Don't forget the blood contract of the Si family. If you dare to lay a hand on me, you'll be struck by lightning!"
Since ancient times in China, loyalty and filial piety have been of utmost importance, especially in the lineage of Taoism that manipulates celestial beings, gods, and ghosts. If there is a scoundrel who kills his father or master, a thunderbolt will surely strike him, and he will never be able to reincarnate!
"Hehe!!"
Si Jiangchen just sneered and looked at Uncle Six. "Uncle Six, after this, I won't be the clan head of Si Cheng's lineage. Please take my place and carry forward the Si family!"
His words clearly meant that he was giving up the position of the clan head, which was coveted by everyone!
It not only brought fame but also countless wealth, industries, and power!
Uncle Six sighed again. He took out a talisman emitting a faint purple light from his pocket, silently chanted some incantations, and then threw it towards the ceiling of the main hall.
The talisman floated straight under the roof beam as if pulled by a thread. With a "whoosh", it turned into countless light purple rays, making everyone look up involuntarily.
"Ah... That's..."
"Ah!!!"
Suddenly, more people gasped in horror. Si Xirui, standing beside Si Cheng, let out a scream.
"Ah!! Sister Mingyue, there's... on your shoulder..."
Si Xirui jumped away from Li Mingyue like she had seen a monster and desperately grabbed Si Jiangchen's arm, hiding behind him.
"Don't just focus on your Sister Mingyue."
I pointed to the miserable - looking female ghost kneeling on the ground beneath Qiu Zhuying's spirit tablet and said to Si Xirui, "Go and say hello to your dear aunt too!"
"Aaaaah..."
Si Xirui was even more frightened. Her scream almost lifted the roof.
She was just an ordinary girl who hadn't practiced the Taoism of the Si family and had never seen any ghosts before. Seeing the two little ghosts on Li Mingyue's shoulders and thinking that she had been staying with Li Mingyue every day, even sleeping in the same bed, she didn't know how much slime from those two terrifying little ghosts had dripped on her head and face...