Within the pitch-black courtyard, a red lantern floated toward them, glowing a crimson hue. Strangely, its light seemed sealed within the lantern, failing to illuminate the surrounding darkness.
It drifted to the doorway and stopped in front of Zhang Yuanqing. Between him and the lantern was only a single threshold.
He could clearly sense that on the other side of the threshold was a ghost—sharp, cold, and full of malice. But no matter how he stared, he couldn't make out the figure hidden in the shadows.
Quietly, he summoned his Taiyin Force, ready to devour the spirit at a moment's notice.
As a Night Wanderer, he naturally suppressed spiritual entities—so long as they weren't more powerful than himself.
From the darkness, a hand slowly reached out. In the dim red glow, Zhang Yuanqing saw it clearly—a hand with bluish-black skin and long, pitch-black fingernails.
The ghostly hand was holding a stack of red wedding invitations, seemingly offering them to Zhang Yuanqing.
He didn't take them.
The hand remained outstretched.
The two sides were locked in a stalemate, as if playing a game of chicken.
After a long, tense silence, Xishi's trembling voice broke in quietly: "Wang Tai?"
Seeing him frozen in place, she feared he had unknowingly triggered a deadly trap and already perished.
Sigh, whether you face it or not, it's the same blade in the end... Zhang Yuanqing reluctantly accepted the wedding invitations. The ghostly hand instantly withdrew, and the red lantern swayed gently as it floated back into the depths of the courtyard.
Zhang Yuanqing stepped off the stoop and returned to his teammates, raising the stack of invitations in his hand.
"Five of them. Looks like they're for us."
He handed out one to each teammate. They unfolded the red-covered invitations, revealing black characters written inside—detailing the bride's name and birthdate. The groom's side, however, was left blank.
The bride's name was "Bai Lan."
Just then, a system notification echoed in their ears:
[Ding! You have received a wedding invitation from the ghost bride. Please fill in your name. The bride will choose a groom in one hour.]
Fill in a name? And then she'll choose one of them in an hour?
What would happen to the one chosen?
Everyone stood clutching their invitations, minds spinning with speculation.
Zhang Yuanqing, who had introduced himself with the false name "Wang Tai," now hesitated. Should he write "Primordial Supreme" or stick with "Wang Tai"?
He couldn't tell if using a fake name would lead to punishment.
As he weighed his options, a thought struck him. He turned to his companions:
"Do you guys remember the amusement park intro? An indescribable being came here and ordered the ghosts to find a young man. That young man's name had four characters."
Xishi and the others nodded—they remembered—but didn't understand why he was bringing it up now.
Xie Lingxi, quick on the uptake, glanced at her wedding invitation and said, "You're saying... there might be a connection?"
Following that line of thought, the girl's expression changed: "The indescribable entity told the ghost bride to look for a young man, and now she's having us fill in our names? Doesn't that mean the one she's looking for... might be a Spirit Realm walker?"
"No way..." Xishi muttered in disbelief.
All of them were veteran Spirit Realm walkers. Normally, the instance's introduction served as nothing more than a backdrop—a way to help players understand the setting and history.
Up until now, they'd assumed that the young man being sought was just a character inside the instance, maybe even a monster—not one of the players.
What Spirit Realm walker could be significant enough to change the nature of an entire instance?
"It's just a coincidence," Qi Tian Great Sage muttered with a frown. "It's a ghost marriage. Of course it needs names."
No, it's not a coincidence... Zhang Yuanqing thought grimly. The old version of the strategy guide never mentioned wedding invitations. This must have been added in the updated version. Combine that with the introduction... there's no way the two aren't connected.
Strangely, he couldn't shake a strong sense of déjà vu from the opening narration.
"Zzzzt... That day, she came to Jinshui Amusement Park..."
Suddenly, a voice crackled from the Elvis Presley speaker in Zhang Yuanqing's pocket.
Everyone turned to look, but the device fell silent again.
Why did it stop? Zhang Yuanqing waited a few seconds. When nothing else came out, he gave up and said:
"Let's just fill in our names."
He opened the invitation and used the referential pen to write "Wang Tai" in the blank field.
His logic was simple—since the ghost bride needed names written down, she likely couldn't see their true Spirit Realm IDs. Otherwise, this whole formality would be meaningless.
That suggested the instance allowed walkers to disguise their identities. It just didn't say it outright—you had to infer it.
Of course, writing "Primordial Supreme" probably wouldn't cause any problems either. It just might create trust issues within the team...
As the pen moved, the ink solidified into deep black text:
Wang Tai
He then fabricated a birthdate and checked "male" for gender—which, to be fair, was the truth.
The other four followed suit, using their own pens.
Xie Lingxi tiptoed over and peeked at Zhang Yuanqing's invitation, then filled in her own name. She hesitated a moment before writing "male" under gender.
Once the forms were complete, Zhang Yuanqing tucked his invitation into his pocket and stepped over the threshold.
"Let's go in. Stay close behind me."
Seeing how tense everyone looked, he cracked a joke to lighten the mood: "My birth chart is off the charts—female ghosts usually ask me for maternity leave first."
The others: "..."
Now? You're making jokes now? Are you fearless, or just an idiot? There's an actual ghost bride waiting in there...
Wasn't that funny? Zhang Yuanqing noted their grim expressions and dropped the banter, silently stepping into the mansion.
Beyond the threshold was a large outer courtyard. A cobblestone path cut through the middle, flanked by corridors running along the outer walls.
As they entered, rows of red lanterns beneath the eaves lit up, casting a sinister red glow. They looked like bloodshot eyes, silently watching the living intruders.
At the end of the path stood a grand hall, its upturned eaves shrouded in gloom. The lattice doors were shut, with dim yellow light spilling out from behind them.
"Huh..." Zhang Yuanqing's eyes lit up. "Check your skills and inventory—see if anything's sealed."
The others quickly tested their powers and rummaged through their items. To their pleasant surprise, nothing was sealed.
A mix of relief and dread spread among them. On the one hand, they had their tools and powers—on the other, it meant this instance was likely extremely dangerous.
Led by Zhang Yuanqing, they walked slowly down the stone path. Only their footsteps broke the silence of the night.
"Ah~!"
Suddenly, a scream rang out, making them all flinch.
Fire Demon snapped his head around, glaring at Xishi. "Why the hell are you screaming?"
Pale-faced, Xishi pointed a trembling finger at the corridor ten meters ahead. "There... under that lantern... a woman..."
Everyone whipped around.
But the corridor was empty, the lantern swaying gently. No ghost in sight.
The scare only deepened their unease.
Zhang Yuanqing, having experienced a ghost-themed instance and being a Night Wanderer, didn't feel the same primal fear.
To him, ghosts were no different from Autobots—just another set of rules and challenges.
The aura here is thick with ghost energy. It dulls my senses... I can't detect spirits that are too far or too weak. But at least I can use the Demon-Subduing Pestle again. Let the ghost bride come—I'm ready...
While calming the others, he said:
"Did you notice? The instance only gave us a timer for when the ghost bride chooses a groom."
Blind fear wasn't helpful, so he offered some analysis to refocus their thoughts: "I think the next hour is a kind of test. Our behavior will determine who the bride chooses.
"Though we don't know whether being chosen means survival—or death."
And if the ghost bride happens to be into looks... well, as the most handsome guy on the team, I'm feeling the pressure...
Soon, they reached the main hall. Zhang Yuanqing stepped forward and pushed open the lattice doors.
Creak—
The grating sound echoed through the night.
Inside, candlelight illuminated the space. A red carpet covered the floor. Red drapes hung from the pillars. At the end of the carpet stood two ornate armchairs, with an altar laid with candles and offerings of fruit. A large red "Double Happiness" character hung on the wall.
On either side of the carpet stood seven or eight paper figures dressed as ancient servants. Their painted faces were eerily lifelike, with bright red lips slightly upturned in a smile.
The most unsettling part—their heads were twisted at unnatural angles. Empty eyes stared straight at the door... at the intruders.
Thump thump thump...
Xie Lingxi stumbled backward in terror, her small hand covering her mouth to stifle a scream.
Even Zhang Yuanqing felt his scalp tingle for a moment.
It wasn't fear—it was recognition.
These aren't just paper figures... they're all ghosts...
After sensing carefully, he exhaled in relief.
Just minor ghosts.
The bride might be trouble, but you bunch? Daring to posture in front of your elder—how shameless.
He summoned his Taiyin Force, his eyes darkening with spectral power. Taking a deep breath, he bellowed:
"Scram!"
The paper figures collapsed in a heap as howling wind swept through the hall. Amid the echo of wailing spirits, they scattered and fled in all directions.
Behind him, Xishi, Xie Lingxi, Fire Demon, and Qi Tian Great Sage were left in stunned silence.