Chapter 17 Borrowing a Marriage

"Hahahaha…"

Just as everyone was watching the arrival of the red sedan chair, feeling their hair stand on end, they suddenly heard a burst of joyful music, interrupted by a ferocious roar. Everyone turned to look.

Unexpectedly, it was the Wèi family's son-in-law. He had been sitting listlessly in a corner of the banquet, but suddenly he changed his demeanor. He stood up laughing, arms outstretched, as a group of little ghosts came forward to help him adjust his clothes.

In the eyes of the crowd, he had merely resembled a newlywed, but now he had suddenly transformed into a different person. A fierce aura radiated from him, his voice deep and coarse, carrying an indescribable balefulness. He stared directly at the sedan chair, a chilling smile on his face as he spoke:

"A marriage certificate seals the bond, an eight-carried sedan chair welcomes the bride."

"…"

As he spoke, he suddenly shook his arms. The little ghosts crowding around him, tidying his collar and ornaments, were thrown back. Then, dressed in a red robe, he strode toward the sedan chair, laughing loudly:

"You used to say there was no marriage certificate, no matchmaker's words, that it was all improper and irregular, and you kept making excuses to avoid me…"

"But now, I have found a pair of mandarin ducks and borrowed their names. Surely, I can finally marry you, right?"

"…"

As he spoke, he reached the red paper sedan chair and stretched out a hand to tear away the curtain hanging in front of the silent sedan.

Around him, countless little ghosts were overjoyed, playing music and singing.

It was at this moment that Hú Má, who had been sitting quietly beside him, suddenly felt a chill in his eyes. He understood what the man intended to do.

Borrow a marriage!

The Five Vengeful Gods had sent his incense burner subordinates to accumulate resentment and create chaos in Mingzhou, but he alone had set up a wedding feast here, the reason for which was unknown. Only now did Hú Má fully understand his purpose in doing all this.

He really intended to get married, to marry a zou gui ren (ghost walker), holding the wedding in front of the Hú family descendants, even presuming to use his rightful ceremonial guard.

Earlier, he used the title of "Five Benefits", which was already a provocation to the Hú family.

These next few actions were practically insults to their face.

But he wasn't bluntly provoking them, but calculating each step clearly. Even this marriage, on the surface, seemed to follow the rules, but was full of provocation.

He was a ghost, and Zhāng Āgū was a person. Forcing a marriage would violate the rules, not to mention his presumption in using the ceremonial guard.

Therefore, he had set his sights on this Wèi family's son-in-law. The Wèi family's son-in-law and the bride in the well were a karmic entanglement. He was officially betrothed, witnessed by the villagers. No matter whom Master Zhèng married, she held the rightful name.

The reason why she, as a wisp of wronged soul, could entangle the Wèi family's son-in-law, who had an extraordinary background, to this extent, was also related to this karmic relationship.

The Wèi family members only wanted to rid their master of the evil spirit, but were helpless. They only hoped that someone from the upper echelons would take action, erase this karmic entanglement, and set their master free.

That was why, after much back and forth, they sought help from Master Five Vengeful Gods.

But they didn't expect that the Five Vengeful Gods, as soon as he appeared, would use such a trick. He actually wanted to borrow this wisp of wronged soul to forcibly marry Zhāng Āgū. Of course, this wasn't so proper and legitimate, but to some extent, it also adhered to half of the rules.

Although the marriage certificate was borrowed, it wasn't under the jurisdiction of this sect. On the surface, it was enough to fool some people.

But what was his ultimate goal in doing so many seemingly irrelevant things?

Hú Má suddenly understood. It was actually very simple: his ultimate intention was simply to provoke the Hú family.

There were rules for zou gui ren in the world of zou gui ren, and for those at the altar to forcibly marry those who raised the altar was a great taboo.

That wasn't zou gui, but fu ling (burdening the spirit).

But he insisted on marrying, and even in front of the Hú family, using this sinister method. Although the name was borrowed, the Hú family had no control over it. So, not only did he marry, but he also wanted to gain a legitimate name!

There was no way to make the Hú family lose more face than this. The entire sect, all the rules, were instantly thrown into chaos because of this…

As for the Wèi family's son-in-law…

"Oh dear, Master, please spare him, let go of our son-in-law…"

The old servant was already trembling with fear, rushing forward to kowtow.

Master Five Vengeful Gods had said that as long as he came, he could blow away the evil spirit attached to their son-in-law in one breath. Now it seemed that these words were true.

The evil spirit that had plagued them for a full seven days, which no one in Mingzhou dared to save him from, was casually grabbed and thrown aside by the Five Vengeful Gods the moment he arrived, but the key was… it attached itself to him!

Their master had been plagued by the evil spirit for a long time, his body already hollowed out, just hanging on by a thread.

Now, being possessed by such a ferocious entity, how many days could he live?

But no one paid him any attention. Their son-in-law simply strode towards the sedan chair. Seeing the old servant rushing forward, he coldly laughed and waved his sleeve: "You asked me to help your master drive away the evil spirit. Now I've taken this evil spirit for him. Haven't I helped enough?"

With a flick, the old servant's hand hadn't even touched the hem of his clothes before it was entangled by strands of black energy. Then, blood flowed from his eyes, nose, and ears. He became dazed and lost his voice.

The guards on both sides originally wanted to follow suit and kowtow, but seeing this, they were so frightened that they scrambled away, not daring to move.

"Huff…"

But just as the son-in-law reached out, wanting to tear open the curtain in front of the sedan, a stream of flames suddenly spewed out from inside the sedan.

His outstretched hand stopped abruptly, allowing the fire to burn his hand without any change.

But the fire burned the curtain, and quickly spread to the entire sedan. The suddenly ignited flames even burned the surrounding paper doll ghosts, causing them to jump and run in all directions, scattering countless sparks.

This escape burned even more people, causing them to panic even more, rushing around while shouting: "It's bad, it's bad, the bride doesn't want to marry, she's setting the house on fire…"

"Evil spirit…"

As the paper sedan chair burned away, it revealed Zhāng Āgū sitting inside.

She tore off her wedding dress, holding an altar jar in her arms, just coldly looking at the person in front of her. Hú Má had traveled with her for a month, and had only ever seen her gentle eyebrows, soft voice, but had never seen her with such a cold and indifferent expression.

Facing the Wèi family's son-in-law, or rather, the Five Vengeful Gods possessing the Wèi family's son-in-law, she just hugged the altar jar tightly, and sternly shouted:

"You are not the Five Vengeful Gods, you are an evil spirit!"

"I'm not here to marry you today, I'm here to take you in!"

"…"

With her voice, the surroundings were silent. No one said a word, just staring blankly. No one knew how this bride could suddenly say such words.

Seventh Aunt, who was gnawing on raw pork, was also shocked, raising her head and exclaiming with envy.

"This girl is pretty and imposing…"

"…"

If she had seen Zhāng Āgū's appearance earlier, she might not have become like this.

And Hú Má, at this moment, looked at Zhāng Āgū with admiration, and then quietly nodded to Little Red Táng beside him.

Facing Zhāng Āgū's angry reprimand, and the surprised and terrified gazes of the surrounding people, the Wèi family's son-in-law still wore an exaggerated smile on his face.

The expression on his face seemed to have died, frozen on his face, so carrying an extremely rich smile, but only making people feel a trace of weirdness. The voice from his mouth still had a smile: "The marriage was settled long ago, surely you don't want to break the engagement?"

"My mother hired you for me because you are a Dharma Protector on the altar, but you broke the rules first."

Zhāng Āgū faced the gaze of the Five Vengeful Gods, and sternly said: "Breaking the rules will be punished by the zou gui ren!"

While speaking, she suddenly raised an object, which was a piece of black bone with cracks on it. This was the betrothal gift that was forcibly taken from her back then, and it was also the offering she needed each time she wanted to invite the Five Vengeful Gods when she exorcised evil.

Now, she suddenly threw this bone into the altar jar, and then stared at the Five Vengeful Gods, and began to chant loudly: "Twilight is the boundary, Yin and Yang are divided."

"Living beings are divided into Yin and Yang, living people and evil spirits must abide by the rules. The Town Apparition Bureau has opened an imperial edict, with no mercy for punishment and reward."

"Now that the Town Apparition Bureau's decree is here, heaven and earth, underworld, each guard their own boundaries, those who cause trouble…"

"…"

Rather than saying that she was chanting a spell, it was more like she was restating a certain law. Her voice grew heavier and heavier, each word and sentence shaking in all directions, seeming to carry some kind of somber and heavy power.

The surrounding wandering souls and solitary spirits seemed to be frightened by this incantation, fleeing in all directions.

Even the Five Vengeful Gods' face changed greatly. With the sound of this incantation, he seemed to be bound by invisible forces, involuntarily starting to move forward, as if there was some strange power in this incantation that could suck him into the altar jar.

But just as he was pulled to the front of the altar jar by this incantation, his head about to go inside, he suddenly grabbed the altar jar in Zhāng Āgū's arms.

Zhāng Āgū was shocked and looked up at him in disbelief.

"The Town Apparition Bureau's decree?"

At this time, the smile on the Five Vengeful Gods' face was incomparably exaggerated, from which one could see endless ridicule: "Is this the method you have prepared for so long, thinking of dealing with me?"

"You got a broken jar left behind by the Town Guardian Bureau from somewhere, and chanted the imperial edict left behind by the Town Apparition Bureau, thinking that you can let me drill into the jar myself, and borrow the means of the Town Apparition Bureau to suppress me?"

"Hahahaha…"

He suddenly exerted force, and the earthenware jar in Zhāng Āgū's arms shattered into pieces.

The shards flew out, pushing Zhāng Āgū back several feet. A shard cut a bloody mark on her cheek.

The Five Vengeful Gods' voice shook the surroundings: "That family is all dead, the Town Apparition Bureau is already gone, and you're using their decree to scare me?"

While speaking, he reached out towards Zhāng Āgū. Although he borrowed a human hand, in Zhāng Āgū's eyes, it was infinitely large, as if it covered the sky and the sun. In her eyes, there was finally only despair, and her lips murmured: "Is there really no way?"

"Is there really… no one who can subdue this evil spirit?"

(End of Chapter)