Yu Nian cast a deep look at Feng Chengyuan. The next second, the scene before his eyes suddenly transformed. The cold and damp grotto disappeared, replaced by an extremely luxurious antique-style courtyard.
Giggles drifted from the front hall. Feng Chengyuan turned his gaze there and saw a high stage erected in the middle of the yard. People were playing music and singing on it, making a lively scene.
The banquet tables in the front hall were also full of guests, all of whom Feng Chengyuan knew well. However, their eyes were hollow, their lips curled into similar arcs, and they clapped their hands mechanically. Their pale lips opened and closed as they continuously repeated wedding congratulations.
Feng Chengyuan frowned. Although it was a joyous scene, he felt so oppressed that he could hardly breathe.
Suddenly, a strong fragrance wafted from behind, so intense that it was almost pungent.
Feng Chengyuan's eyes darkened. He slowly turned his head and saw Yu Nian, dressed in a bright red wedding dress, pacing up to his side. With a phoenix crown and colorful robes, red lips and white teeth, the enchanting skirt fluttered in the breeze like an endless surging blood tide.
Feng Chengyuan was pulled by Yu Nian and walked up to a towering tree. The trunk was so thick that several adult men couldn't even hug it. Strangely enough, the center of the trunk was hollow, and there was an extremely high offering table inside with a Buddha statue placed on it.
In the moonlight, the Buddha statue had eight faces and sixteen arms. It split into two from the bottom and was intimately intertwined and hugging, with a strange posture.
Feng Chengyuan stared at the Buddha statue for a while. Instead of feeling any mercy or peace, he felt a chill.
Several red ribbons were tied to the high branches and fluttered in the breeze.
Yu Nian curled her bright red lips, handed a red ribbon with their names written on it to Feng Chengyuan, and coaxed in a low voice, "Quickly hang it up."
Feng Chengyuan was stunned. His gaze lingered on the words "Yu Nian" for a long time, but he didn't move.
Yu Nian seemed a bit impatient, and there was a hint of annoyance in her tone. "Don't you like me? What are you hesitating for!"
"You're not her."
"......What?" The woman's smile froze instantly, and cracks appeared on her delicate face.
Feng Chengyuan looked up, and his eyes gradually cleared. "Yu Nian's handwriting isn't this ugly."
A person who could draw all kinds of complex talismans exquisitely would never write such crooked and ugly words like a dog's paw prints.
The woman: ......
Hu Yuzhi sneered twice but wasn't angry. Still wearing Yu Nian's face, she said softly, "You're really smart. You're becoming more and more to my taste. My illusory realm and barrier are extremely delicate. No matter how powerful your Yu Nian is, she won't be able to find this place." She paused and smiled coquettishly. "Don't you just love this beautiful face? Anyway, I look exactly the same as Yu Nian now. Why don't you just submit to me, marry me, and enjoy the pleasures of the bedchamber with me?"
The moonlight shone on Feng Chengyuan. Half of his handsome face was hidden in the shadow, and his eyebrows were so cold that they were a bit scary. "Yu Nian wouldn't talk in this tone or make such an expression. Even if you copy Yu Nian's appearance and voice, you'll never be her." He paused and continued, "Do you like imitating others so much because you're not confident in yourself?"
Hu Yuzhi was stunned for a moment and stared at Feng Chengyuan venomously. "What are you talking nonsense about?"
Feng Chengyuan looked at Hu Yuzhi indifferently. "I was a bit confused at first. Why was there a mirror covered with a black cloth in the grotto? Now I've completely figured it out. Although I don't know what you're worshipping, you must obtain what you want from the sacrifice, such as beauty. In the final analysis, you're disgusted with your original appearance. Going to so much trouble to capture me for a wedding is just one part of this sacrifice."
Hu Yuzhi's face turned deathly pale. It seemed that she recalled something, and a trace of grief flashed across her face. She scolded sharply, "Stop pretending here. All you men are the same. When a woman's beauty fades, your love for her will fade. When your love fades, your kindness will end! Since you don't want to accept the toast, I'll dig out your heart and liver first!"
Before she could finish speaking, there was a loud bang, and the door was kicked open. There was a sudden commotion in the entrance hall. Hu Yuzhi suddenly turned her head and saw Yu Nian standing coldly in the entrance hall.
Xie Yiming was shocked when he saw Hu Yuzhi. "Why are there two of you?!"
Yu Nian looked at Hu Yuzhi expressionlessly. "You've got a lot of nerve to hurt the person I care about in front of me."
Several talismans flew out of Yu Nian's hand and exploded when they landed on the guest seats. The pure golden flames connected into a sheet, and the guests who were clapping their hands instantly disappeared. Only then did Feng Chengyuan see their true appearance - a bunch of lifeless paper figurines!
Seeing her wedding being disrupted, Hu Yuzhi let out a roar. Her body suddenly emitted a dazzling blood-red light.
Feng Chengyuan was closest to her. He was pushed back a step by the crazy spreading malevolent qi on Hu Yuzhi's body. He saw Hu Yuzhi's face shrivel at a visible speed and finally turn into a skeleton covered with flesh and blood. Then she lunged at Yu Nian.
Yu Nian raised her eyebrows. "The White-Boned Demon?"
Xie Yiming reacted first. He took out a huge talisman net from his bag, chanted a spell, and the talisman net shone brightly with golden light. It came from the sky and firmly trapped Hu Yuzhi, restricting her steps.
Just when everyone was about to breathe a sigh of relief, Hu Yuzhi let out a "giggle" from her throat.
In the moonlight, the black qi around Hu Yuzhi continuously spread out. Finally, the thick and cold malevolent qi formed a circle, enclosing Yu Nian and the others inside.
There were several loud bangs. The sky suddenly became overcast, and dark clouds were densely arranged. The ground under their feet shook violently. Countless pale faces emerged from the ground. Their faces were swollen, with different expressions. They let out shrill screams and bit at everyone.
The talisman net was torn by Hu Yuzhi and thrown aside. Her fingers were like knives, and she was about to slash at Yu Nian's face ferociously. Yu Nian's eyes flashed, and she nimbly dodged.
Yu Nian threw a talisman backhand and slapped it on Hu Yuzhi's spine. There was a sudden "hissing" sound. Yu Nian gave a heavy blow to Hu Yuzhi's kneecap, and the skeleton lost its balance and fell heavily to the ground.
Two red ropes coiled around like snakes and tightly tied Hu Yuzhi up.
Hu Yuzhi felt the pain and wanted to struggle, but she saw Yu Nian leap to the side and stand in front of the ancient tree. She picked up the Buddha statue without hesitation and examined it carefully.
Hu Yuzhi's body suddenly swayed. "Don't touch it!"
Yu Nian looked up at her and was a bit confused. "You lured living souls to get married just to practice the Joyous Zen? But who on earth deceived you into thinking that practicing the Joyous Zen could change your appearance? Moreover, this Buddha statue isn't even consecrated. You've been busy for so long, but you've just been doing all this for others."
"......What did you say?!"
Hu Yuzhi suddenly froze in place. Everyone could even see confusion and collapse in her empty eye sockets. "Impossible! You're just jealous of me. You're lying to me!"
Yu Nian looked at the pale faces inside the malevolent qi circle. "You ordered the little ghosts to capture so many living souls. The resentment has been piling up, and they're constantly eroding your bones. Can't you feel it?"