Chapter 124: Piercing Yin Qi, Where Ghosts Gather in Swarms

Even after being kicked away, the look of joy on Song Rupiao's face did not diminish in the slightest. He had just tried to step forward again to strike up a conversation, but was quickly grabbed by several green-faced, fang-baring malevolent ghosts that rushed out of the small garden.

Without allowing him a word of explanation, they immediately treated him to a ferocious beating with heavy fists.

Only after beating Song Rupiao until he miserably clutched his head with both hands and begged for mercy multiple times did they impatiently hoist him under an arm, holding him much like a bundle of firewood.

"I get it! It's not that you haven't eaten good pork before; you've simply never tasted the flavor of pork in your entire lives!"

Looking at Chen Heng, who stood a few paces away with a calm and detached expression as if none of this concerned him, Song Rupiao felt a deep, piercing grief in his heart:

"With pearls and jade already before you, why must you hound me to death? Even if you've become ghosts now, how could you have gone blind to such a degree? Can you really not tell black from white?!"

"It was the young lady herself who insisted on marrying you, Song Rupiao, not this old woman..."

The long-tongued ghost, who had leisurely and slowly pursued them out of the small garden, glanced at Chen Heng. After a momentary pause, it looked back at Song Rupiao and sighed,

"Son-in-law, today is the day of the wedding. Every ghost in the manor, large and small, has been looking forward to this day for a long time, all waiting to heartily feast on blood and flesh on this joyous occasion. Do not ruin yourself any further!"

The long-tongued ghost looked at Song Rupiao with a sinister, malevolent glare, baring its vicious nature:

"Since the young lady has taken a fancy to you, that is your fortune! Even if you are unwilling and wish to play some ghostly tricks, you must not choose to stir up trouble today and delay everyone's meal in the manor! Otherwise, you will definitely not be spared!"

The malevolent ghosts holding Song Rupiao chimed in, lowering their heads in unison to stare fixedly at Song Rupiao with expressions full of malicious hostility.

As if waiting for Song Rupiao to dare offer another word of argument so they could tear him apart alive and devour him until their bellies were full.

"My original intention was merely to come and beg for a cup of plain wine to drink. How could I have brought this disaster upon myself?"

Song Rupiao's heart turned as dead as ash:

"Had I known this would happen, I should have stayed hoarded away in my dwelling cave and never come out, letting you pack of slavish beggars search for a hundred years without ever finding the threshold..."

The long-tongued ghost sneered without a word, then with a wave of its hand, ordered the other ghosts to carry him back to the room to wash up, groom, and change into new clothes.

Chen Heng watched as Song Rupiao wailed continuously, struggling with all his might like a pig with bound trotters about to be placed on a butcher's block.

Yet after just a few breaths, he was gradually carried far away and unceremoniously thrown into a side room.

"Who is that?"

Chen Heng asked Ziying, who stood beside him.

"Song Rupiao, the new son-in-law for this time."

An embarrassed look involuntarily appeared on Ziying's face as she lowered her head and muttered,

"This one, just like Young Master Bai, is a refinement cultivator who does not consume blood and flesh. What a coincidence."

Chen Heng had assumed the alias Bai Daoquan this time, claiming he took the name from an ancient book, and Ziying simply attached this casually fabricated surname to her previous way of addressing him.

"This Son-in-law Song doesn't seem very willing to get married. Judging by his appearance just now, did he mean to drag me down into the water with him?"

Chen Heng smiled slightly.

"Might I ask, Fairy Ziying, is there some hidden story behind this?"

"What hidden story could there be? It's nothing more than this brat being too proud, and perhaps the young lady's appearance is... slightly, just a fraction lacking..."

Ziying shook her head, a trace of imperceptible sneer flashing across her face. Unwilling to say more, she led Chen Heng all the way through the small garden and pavilions, stepping into the main hall of the estate.

What met the eye was a bustling scene of brilliant lanterns, colorful banners, and gongs and drums.

Although the main hall of this ghost mansion was quite spacious and vast, it could not possibly accommodate so many ghost guests.

Consequently, across the horse-racing-sized open ground outside the main hall, twelve grand canopies had been erected, each fitted with rugs and set with banquet tables beneath.

By this time, Chen Heng seemed to have arrived rather late; not only the main hall, but all twelve banquet tables on the open ground were already packed to capacity.

Ghosts big and small ran back and forth from north to south, scurrying all over the sky.

A chilly wind whistled, and black mists drifted everywhere.

Red-haired ghosts, black-faced ghosts, ox-headed ghosts, hanging ghosts, drowned ghosts, blade-scratching ghosts, night-weeping ghosts, disheveled-hair ghosts, corpse ghosts, plague ghosts, birth ghosts, belly ghosts...

Cliques of ghosts with broken waists and severed arms, some footless, others headless, revelled in wild joy, eating human flesh and drinking blood. The countless sounds of chewing mingled with uproarious laughter, making the atmosphere eerie to the extreme.

Seeing this, Chen Heng gave a slight smile, cupped his hands toward Ziying, and said no more.

After sweeping his gaze around, he casually picked a banquet table that was slightly less crowded and filled an empty seat.

"Young Master Bai?"

Ziying frowned slightly at the sight. She had originally intended to lead him into the main hall, but seeing that Chen Heng had already comfortably chosen a seat himself, she hesitated for a moment and ultimately let the matter drop.

"Sitting in the open yard? That's fine too... Though the surroundings are filled with nothing but wandering orphan ghosts unworthy of high society, it is far from the young lady, which is not a bad thing after all."

Ziying thought to herself:

"With that reckless temperament of the young lady, upon seeing Young Master Bai, she would undoubtedly start fighting me for him again. It's only hateful that my background is lowly, and I cannot win against her... To drag it out for a day is a day; best to wait until I tire of playing with him before giving Young Master Bai to the young lady!"

Thinking up to this point, a fire of resentment inevitably welled up in her heart.

More than once...

The young paramours she fancied had been forcibly demanded away by Miss Yue, snatched away before she could even enjoy herself to the fullest.

For goods that had been trampled upon in such a manner, even if they were returned completely intact afterward, Ziying would still find them filthy and would simply chew them up in one bite to serve as dry snacks with her wine.

After several such repetitions, even deep within her own heart, she had developed an indescribable and complex emotion.

Had it not been for her dread of the long-standing, ferocious might of Mountain Pot Old Man and Flying Flower Granny, which left her utterly incapable of resistance, Ziying would have dearly wished to torture Miss Yue with a hundred different cruel punishments before swallowing her alive in one gulp.

"Judging by Young Master Bai's rather delicate physique, he probably can't withstand much play anyway. In any case, I, Ziying, am definitely going to have the first taste today, and not even the Jade Emperor himself can snatch it from me!"

She took one last deep look at Chen Heng, turned around and walked away, thinking to herself:

"This lady here knows how to cherish jade and appreciate warmth, but that Miss Yue certainly doesn't... If you want an audience with Mountain Pot Old Man and Flying Flower Granny, Young Master Bai, you'll have to see if your bones are hard enough not to be crushed to death by that cheap wretch rolling over in bed!"

Meanwhile, elsewhere.

Chen Heng had already calmly edged aside a few ghosts trying to contend with him for the empty seat, pulled over a chair with his own hand, and sat down. Ignoring the curses of those ghosts, a slight smile still lingered on his face.

The two ghosts seated on his left and right both cast sideways glances at him, their eyes tinged with a hint of curiosity.

One was a cachectic, skin-and-bones consumption ghost, its entire body tinged with green, emanating a bizarre mixture of medicinal herb scents that blended into a cloying odor that made one want to vomit and felt dizzying to smell.

The other was a towering tall ghost, fully three zhang high, resembling a little giant.

Instead of using a chair, it squatted directly on the ground, yet it still towered above every other ghost at the banquet, its tapered head nearly brushing against the canopy above.

"Your younger brother, Bai Daoquan, pays his respects to both elder brothers."

He cupped his fists and said.

All the ghosts at the table were indulging in hearty meals; fighting for food, some even rolled into a ball and brawled, creating a chaotic scene for a moment.

Only the consumption ghost and the tall ghost paused from their busy efforts to look up and size up Chen Heng, who had just taken his seat.

"Where did younger brother learn this appearance of yours? Fine skill, truly fine skill!"

The consumption ghost swallowed the piece of dried meat in its mouth and offered a compliment:

"Old brother here looks a right mess, yet younger brother has managed to sculpt himself such a dignified and handsome visage. How did you pull that off? Could it be some kind of ghostly secret art?"

It licked the corner of its mouth and spoke with lingering appetite:

"If I had a fine skin-bag like younger brother's, I would have long since gone to be Flying Flower Granny's kept favorite, to become a fellow traveler with that Mountain Pot Old Man! With endless blood and eating tender, smooth-skinned, sweet little humans every single day—what joy would that be!

"Unlike now, where just to eat a mouthful of blood and flesh, one has to sell one's backside!

"Risking half your life, all you get for your trouble are a few human bones, and only the thigh bones of old hags and old men at that! How utterly pitiful!"

The surrounding ghosts all burst into jeering laughter at this, erupting into a ruckus.

"This younger brother does look unfamiliar. Truly, this is my first time seeing him."

The tall ghost on his right slowly chewed on a set of heart and liver. Once he had meticulously finished and cleaned every morsel, he pulled down the ribbon trailing from the canopy above his head and earnestly wiped his mouth.

He looked at Chen Heng, cupped his fists, and said:

"I saw Fairy Ziying escorting younger brother here just now. I wonder if younger brother is well-acquainted with her?"

As soon as the tall ghost uttered these words, not only did the consumption ghost halt its feeding, but several ghosts who had consistently kept their heads down and gorged themselves also raised their heads in surprise, looking over.

"Just a chance encounter. Your younger brother here is merely a wandering ghost, how could I ever hope to climb so high and enter such a grand estate? I pray you all stop mocking me."

Chen Heng sighed and shook his head.

"Damn it! These pretty boys are always so good at putting on airs; there's not a single true word in their mouths!"

The consumption ghost cursed inwardly, managed a strained smile in response, and reached out to grab more food once again, clattering the plates and bowls into a chaotic din.

At that moment,

it seemed to sense that the moisture in the air had suddenly increased somewhat.

Upon inhaling it through its nostrils, it felt entirely damp and watery.

The consumption ghost gave a burp, sniffed a few more times forcefully, shook its head, and quickly cast the thought to the back of its mind, dwelling on it no more.

And it was not alone.

Dozens of ghosts beneath the main hall and the twelve canopies vaguely sensed this subtle change.

However, the sudden increase in moisture remained well within normal bounds without anything peculiar about it—soft and faint, easily missed if one was not paying attention.

Thus, suspecting nothing amiss, they continued their merrymaking.

Cups and goblets crossed paths amid the banquet, accompanied by eerie, blood-curdling laughter.

Vivid reds were hearts and livers, five-colored hues were intestines...

One could only hear the continuous, wet sounds of smacking lips. The ghosts devoured the meat like tigers tearing into lambs, acting as if they had starved for three days and nights. In an instant, they ate away the flesh and blood on the tables until not a scrap remained, refusing to spare even the bones, which they meticulously chewed to pieces, swallowing the fragments right down along with the grit.

Seeing that Chen Heng still hadn't touched his chopsticks,

the tall ghost beside him earnestly licked away the remaining blood-juice left on its plate.

While casually knocking over a few ghosts that attempted to contend with it for the plate-licking rights, it asked in puzzlement:

"Why is younger brother not eating? This is genuine human flesh and blood, not some substitute made of chicken, duck, beef, or mutton. The flavor is at its absolute most tender and delicious; once you miss this village, there'll be no more shop like it."

"Exactly, exactly!"

The consumption ghost also chimed in indistinctly:

"This time, Miss Yue is truly generous. Anyone willing to come to the banquet gets blood and flesh to eat—what an imposing and extravagant figure! I wonder what kind of great fortune the new son-in-law has; could he have been a philanthropist for ten generations to cultivate such karmic affinity?"

"I am a refinement cultivator, so I have no need for blood and flesh."

Under the tall ghost's gaze, Chen Heng shook his head.

A refinement cultivator?

The tall ghost and the consumption ghost were momentarily dumbfounded, their gazes turning strange. It was a long time before they awkwardly turned their heads away, coughed, and wore extremely peculiar expressions.

"Refinement cultivators also taste quite good, like top-quality dry snacks... No, wait!"

The consumption ghost muttered subconsciously, only to realize it had let a slip of the tongue. It hurriedly turned its face away in embarrassment, not daring to look at Chen Heng again.

"Younger brother is still young and doesn't understand the wondrous flavor of blood and flesh. That's why you say such things."

The tall ghost also hastily swallowed a mouthful of saliva, withdrew its gaze from Chen Heng, rubbed its head, and feigned composure as it said:

"The dishes served so far are still just 'civilized dining' routines, which isn't very satisfying. Never mind that younger brother looks down on them; even this older brother finds them tasting like chewed wax, wholly un-enjoyable."

As the tall ghost spoke, several ghosts who had been knocked to the ground after losing the fight for the plate-licking rights let out sneers and spat on the ground.

Maintaining its composure, the tall ghost continued:

"The 'barbaric dining' that comes next—that's the true highlight of this occasion!

"This older brother is not spouting idle boasts; no matter what kind of refinement cultivator you are, after just one bite, you'll transform into a grand-refinement cultivator!"

The surroundings were filled with all kinds of eerie ghost shadows pacing back and forth, bustling in a noisy uproar.

The bloody stench of severed limbs and the rotting stench of the ghosts' bodies mingled together in a miasma that made one want to vomit.

Seeing that the so-called Miss Yue still had not arrived, Chen Heng had no choice but to suppress the killing intent rising in his heart.

To avoid appearing completely out of place, he struck up a conversation with the tall ghost beside him.

This ghost spoke endlessly when discussing the differences between "civilized dining" and "barbaric dining," evidently possessing its own unique insights and experiences, causing ghosts from several nearby tables to gather around, drooling and listening with rapt attention.

Civilized dining was merely cooking flesh and blood into culinary dishes.

Barbaric dining, however, meant devouring things raw and alive, emphasizing a completely intact state, where screams and cries served as top-tier seasonings to amuse oneself and accompany the wine...

Amidst the tall ghost's vivid and colorful narration, the nearby ghosts found their appetites thoroughly whetted, their bellies rumbling with thunderous, echoing sounds.

Quite a few ghosts also cast sinister glances at Chen Heng, this so-called refinement cultivator, their eyes harboring both malice and hunger.

Even the tall ghost

glanced at him once, then twice, then thrice...

"To think ghosts would actually engage in cannibalism among themselves? And judging by this momentum, the grand-refinement cultivators who eat blood and flesh also view refinement cultivators as food? The mysteries of this world are truly astounding—truly, hearing about it a hundred times is not as good as seeing it once."

Chen Heng's gaze flickered slightly as he thought to himself.

Just then,

the tall ghost was right in the middle of recounting his experiences during his very first "barbaric dining" session. Before he could finish his juicy narrative, however,

a heaven-shaking roll of gongs and drums resounded, followed by a symphony of wind and percussion instruments and ribbons fluttering across the sky.

Amidst the loud ceremonial chanting of the master of ceremonies, Song Rupiao, dressed in new wedding attire and wearing a blank expression, was the first to stumble out from the inner rooms, escorted by several female attendants.

He cast a glance about, his eyes instantly turning red. He stood frozen in place for a long time without moving, until he was pushed secretly from behind by several female attendants.

Only then did he unwillingly reach out his hand, close his eyes with the air of one facing certain death, turn around, and lead Miss Yue out into the main hall.

The ground shuddered slightly, suspending tiny gravel particles in the air for a brief moment before they fluttered back down to earth.

The clamor of the ghosts abruptly fell silent.

Even the heaven-shaking din of drums and music was violently suppressed into a sudden hush.

The earth-shaking footsteps drew closer step by step, growing louder and louder until, finally, like a thunderbolt, they shook the accumulated dust on the rafters down in a pattering shower.

"So this is Miss Yue? Truly living up to her name..."

Chen Heng looked over, his pupils contracting slightly.