Ning Wei's words carried weight, and the villagers were truly intimidated.
While they had a considerable number of people, the opposing group seemed formidable.
Furthermore, their sole interest was the corpse. The villagers exchanged glances, unable to discern anything special about the body, other than its remarkable lack of decay.
Could there be some treasure hidden within the corpse?
However, the villagers dared not lay a hand on Young Master Zhou.
After consulting each other, they nominated one person to speak. "You're telling the truth, you only want the corpse?"
Ning Wei didn't answer, instead gesturing for Li Ye to act.
With a single hand, Li Ye pulled Young Master Zhou's corpse from the coffin. A grown man, even as a corpse, would weigh well over a hundred catties, yet this young man moved it with effortless ease.
What did this signify?
It meant this group was no pushover!
If someone solely responsible for moving corpses was this strong, what about the others who hadn't even made a move yet!
The villagers silently congratulated themselves on not engaging in a fight, realizing they would have been at a disadvantage.
As Li Ye dragged the corpse aside, Ning Wei and the others followed.
Once the corpse was removed from the coffin, the treasures hidden beneath were revealed, their brilliance nearly blinding the villagers.
Zhou Wei stood frozen, glancing between the departing Ning Wei and her companions, and the covetous villagers. In the end, he too succumbed to the allure of gold and silver, scooping a handful from the coffin.
Li Ye pulled the corpse to a spot out of the villagers' sight. Ning Wei and her group formed a circle, ensuring no one from the outside could see their actions.
"Hurry!" Ning Wei urged Li Ye, eager to avoid further complications.
Li Ye cupped Young Master Zhou's mouth, and a faint glow appeared within.
He exerted more pressure, and a milky white, luminous pearl flew out. Li Ye, quick as lightning, caught it.
Deprived of the pearl, the corpse began to decompose at a visible rate, the stench of decay instantly enveloping them.
"Let's go!" Ning Wei, covering her nose and mouth, was the first to flee.
The others followed suit. As they passed through the graveyard, the villagers had already plundered everything from the coffins.
The once illustrious Zhou family, which had dominated for a century, met its definitive end at this moment.
Upon returning to the village, the Zhou residence became a scene of frenzied activity, with villagers rushing in to search for treasures.
Ning Wei and her group returned to their courtyard. Mei Nan patted his pocket, and the train ticket materialized.
He produced the ticket, a smile gracing his face. "We can leave now."
Ning Wei replied without looking up, "You all go ahead. I still have some things to do."
"Then we'll wait for you on the train."
It wasn't the first time Ning Wei had acted this way; it was what set her apart from the others.
While the others, upon receiving their tickets, would be eager to board and leave the station, she refused to depart until her tasks were completed.
"Don't forget the time," Tang Tang reminded her sternly before leaving.
Only after the other passengers had departed did Ning Wei's true, excited nature surface.
She summoned Yin Yin and her group, then brought out Young Master Zhou.
Without his precious pearl, Young Master Zhou was like a lamb led to the slaughter.
He who had once been the tyrannical ruler of Qiuyin Village was now nothing more than a piece of mud to be trampled upon by everyone.
The brides-to-be were filled with rage. They had prepared whips, and each one lashed out at Young Master Zhou, just as he had beaten them when he lost his temper.
A century of pent-up resentment finally erupted.
Young Master Zhou's ghost grew increasingly faint until, with Yin Yin's final strike, he vanished completely from Qiuyin Village.
"Seeing how excited you are, I thought you'd be the one to do it yourself," Li Ye remarked, standing beside Ning Wei as they watched Young Master Zhou's punishment.
"Usually, I don't need to do these things myself. A few words from me and plenty of people are willing to do them," Ning Wei said with a proud smirk.
With Young Master Zhou's complete disappearance, the brides-to-be were left wondering what to do next.
They had died wearing wedding dresses and could not escape their bridal attire even in death.
"Perhaps I can help you move on?" Ning Wei offered, in a rare moment of kindness.
The brides exchanged glances, then shook their heads in refusal.
"Since Young Master Zhou is dead, we sisters will remain in this village," Yin Yin said softly to Ning Wei.
Everyone had their own choices, and since they did not wish to leave, Ning Wei did not press the matter.
With this, the events of Qiuyin Village had truly concluded.
"In that case, we must depart. I hope your future days will be filled with joy and happiness," Ning Wei offered a heartfelt blessing.
As Ning Wei and Li Ye slowly walked out of Qiuyin Village, the female ghosts saw them off, their cold voices reaching Ning Wei's ears: "Thank you."
Ning Wei did not look back, merely waved, and continued walking away shoulder-to-shoulder with Li Ye.
As for the villagers who had taken the Zhou family's gold and jewels, they did not fare any better. These treasures, having been in contact with a corpse suffering from consumption for a century, were now poisoned.
The villagers clutched their newfound wealth, some hugging it ecstatically, others testing its hardness by biting it, unaware that the toxins were slowly seeping into their bodies.
The thirty-one brides, some from the village, others from outside.
Beneath the ground on the path leading into the village lay piles of white bones.
In this affair, no one was innocent, and thus, no one escaped retribution.
Ning Wei had planned an ending for everyone, including Zhou Wei, who had played the lamb to devour the tiger.
Did the village chief truly die by his own hand?
Was he really trying to escape the Zhou family?
Could it be that, upon learning of the Zhou family's treasures, he had harbored ambitions, but realizing his own limitations, he had used Ning Wei?
He had exploited Ning Wei's group to completely overthrow the Zhou family, and in return, had obtained enough wealth to live comfortably for a lifetime.
But was Ning Wei a fool?
At the last second before boarding the bus, Ning Wei glanced back at the village, faintly visible in the distance, a mocking smile on her lips.
The story concluded with an ordinary bus, on an ordinary night, its headlights piercing the darkness.
After boarding, Ning Wei handed her ticket to the attendant for inspection.
The attendant grumbled for a long time, complaining that Ning Wei was inconsiderate and had caused everyone to wait an extra hour for nothing.
Ning Wei ignored her incessant nagging, her hands in her pockets, intending to walk towards the back.
However, the attendant's hand suddenly shot into Ning Wei's pocket, pulling out a large bunch of Hui Hun Hua.
She glared at Ning Wei, her voice chilling, "You're not allowed to bring things on board casually!"