The Ghost Bridegroom Lu Li

Lu Li opened his eyes to an unfamiliar ceiling.

No, it was actually pitch black here, and he didn't see anything.

I reached out and touched the ceiling; it was a bit low.

It feels like wood.

Lu Li narrowed his eyes and took out a Zippo lighter to light it.

The bright firelight illuminated this cramped and narrow space.

Lu Li turned his head left and right to look around, and roughly realized where he was.

Inside the coffin.

It's a pity there's no one to share a room with, otherwise we could chat.

Alone in the coffin, Lu Li felt a little uneasy.

Loneliness.

He remembered playing with Ouija boards, spirit tablets, and chopsticks at home, but he probably went a little too far and suddenly everything went black before his eyes, and he knew nothing more.

When I woke up, I found myself in this coffin.

Moreover, he felt like he was standing.

That's absolutely outrageous!

He initially thought that either those three things would be killed by his bug or they would attack him.

He did take action, but he never expected that he would be dragged into this coffin.

By the way, where is this coffin?

Could it be that they buried it...?

Lu Li raised his hand and pushed the coffin open easily.

It seems they weren't buried alive.

He rolled forward and landed out of the coffin. Lu Li clutched his waist and held onto the coffin for a long time to recover.

Damn it, I've strained my back.

Clutching his aching back, Lu Li looked around.

This is a courtyard with one entrance.

Lu Li was in the main hall at that moment, and the upright coffin he had just been standing in was placed in the center of the hall.

Moreover, the paint on it is completely dark red.

Red coffin...

Outside, the rain pattered softly, accompanied by the sound of raindrops splashing on the bluestone slabs. Lu Li slowly walked into the courtyard.

Looking back, the elegant calligraphy of the couplets on both sides of the main hall has been worn away by time, and later generations can no longer distinguish what the original owner wrote.

Stepping across the stone path, worn smooth by time, Lu Li walked out of the courtyard with his hands in his pockets, leaving tiny ripples in the puddles behind him.

Just as his hand touched the door, someone patted him on the shoulder. "Young man, you absolutely mustn't go out!"

Lu Li turned around and saw an old man standing in front of him.

He had a gray buzz cut, sparse eyebrows, dark skin, drooping eye bags, and deep wrinkles on his face, as if carved by a knife.

He was wearing loose shorts that covered his knees and a somewhat worn but clean white vest.

How can I best describe it?

That probably only applies to the word "old man".

Lu Li glanced at the dark red vertical coffin in the main hall a little distance away out of the corner of his eye, and then looked at the old man in front of him.

A typical old man from the village would be even more perfect if he weren't looking terrified and instead carrying a palm-leaf fan and a small radio.

"Uncle, where is this?"

"This is Laohuai Village, young man, what brings you to a place like this?"

I also want to know how I came to be.

However, Laohuai Village...

Isn't it just the answer given by the Ouija board spirits?

The third question Lu Li asked at that time was, "Where is my wife?"

After hesitating for a long time, they finally gave the answer "Old Locust Village".

So this is Laohuai Village?

That saved Lu Li a lot of trouble, at least saving him travel expenses or fuel costs.

So here's the question.

Who is his "wife"?

It's impossible for Bai Muli to be with Luo Qianning.

If someone of their caliber were to descend upon this world, it would pollute the world.

But the world is not polluted now.

No... my worldview has changed.

And there's another female monster who's already come to this world and is eyeing my youthful, juicy body!

Sophora japonica order!

She lives in Laohuai Village!

No, that's not right. According to Lu Li's understanding, she should have been by his side from the beginning.

So it's another girl?

It's unlikely; it should be the Huaixu.

So what was her purpose in bringing herself here?

Kill yourself?

Using the light in the hall, Lu Li took another look at the old man in front of him.

The light stretched out the shadows beneath his feet.

Lu Li narrowed his eyes and asked, "Uncle, why can't we go out?"

He took out a cigarette to light it for the old man.

The old man didn't take the cigarette; his face looked particularly sinister in the light of the lighter. "It's full of ghosts outside..."

"Oh?"

Lu Li's eyes lit up. He put away his cigarettes and lighter. "Grandpa, I love excitement. I came to Lao Huai Village specifically because I'm looking for ghosts. I wouldn't have come if there weren't. You know 'Approaching Science'? I'm an investigative reporter from the 'Approaching Science' program."

"By the way, sir, why do you have a red coffin in your house?"

The old man was taken aback, then waved his hands repeatedly, "This is not my home. I only came here to escape for my life! It's raining heavily outside today, and I was on my way, so I had to temporarily run to this village to take shelter from the rain."

"Turns out the village is full of ghosts! I had to run into this yard to find a place to hide. To be honest, I never expected you to crawl out of that coffin."

The old man looked Lu Li up and down, his fear still lingering on his face. "To be honest, if it weren't for the fact that you have a shadow and your feet create ripples in the water, I really wouldn't have dared to come up and greet you."

"Alright, then you stay out of the way, I'll go get some help."

"Hey! Young man! Young man!"

Lu Li waved his hand, ignoring the old man's repeated calls behind him, and resolutely pushed open the courtyard gate and walked out.

After leaving the yard, he also respectfully closed the gate behind him.

The old seal on the gate, its writing washed away by time, was a bit jarring.

But Lu Li has always been indifferent.

When he turned around, he was stunned for a moment.

Because what appeared before him was not an empty street.

On the contrary, it was quite lively.

Despite the rain, the long street was lined with all sorts of stalls, each covered with a rain awning.

Tourists with umbrellas strolled along the bluestone path.

A middle-aged man in a gray long coat approached with a slick smile. "Oh, what brings you here? We were just thinking of welcoming you back in a couple of days!"

He glanced at the dilapidated courtyard gate behind Lu Li, and his expression changed immediately. "Why are you talking here? It's bad luck! Come with me."

He led Lu Li to the side.

Lu Li raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong with that courtyard?"

The middle-aged man brought his hand closer to his mouth, then lowered his voice, "That courtyard is haunted!"

Lu Li nodded, thinking to himself that this was indeed the usual tactic.

Those inside the courtyard say there are ghosts outside, while those outside say there are ghosts inside.

Are you guys putting on a charade here?

Lu Li pointed to the middle-aged man's long gown and cloth shoes, "If you changed into more modern clothes, I might believe you."

He's dressed in an outfit from the early Republic of China era and is standing right here with me!

Lu Li was certain that the creature in the courtyard might not be human, but the thing in front of him was definitely not human.

The middle-aged man in front of him was taken aback for a moment, then revealed a sinister smile.

The once bustling crowds in the night market fell silent instantly, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

They stood still, their faces turning at the same time.

Even some people who originally had their backs to Lu Li had their necks twisted 180 degrees.

Then everyone stared at Lu Li expressionlessly.

The middle-aged man bent down and extended his hands, "Groom, please."