Chapter 122: The Haunted Amusement Park

​​​The night was deep, and a pair of red candles burned in the bridal chamber.

When Li Zhi and her teammates arrived, the old matron had already been waiting outside the door with the maids for some time.

"Madam," the old matron reminded as she saw Li Zhi enter the courtyard, "it's time for the wedding chamber rituals."

Traditional Chinese weddings included ceremonies like sharing a cup of wine and tying hair together. Some places collectively referred to the rituals performed in the bridal chamber as "wedding chamber rituals," while others simply called it "teasing the newlyweds."

However, no one expected this ghost wedding to include such customs. Chi Yi really didn’t want to face that rotting corpse again and tentatively suggested, "Matron, it’s already late. Maybe we can skip the wedding chamber rituals?"

The old matron shot her a cold glare, her voice eerie, "If humans don’t tease, the ghosts will. If humans don’t call, the ghosts will scream. If you want to skip Miss’s wedding chamber rituals, then you’ll have to guard this bridal chamber tonight."

Chi Yi shivered in fear.

Li Zhi stepped forward. "We should still tease her. Whatever others have, Qingqing shouldn’t lack. Let’s go in—she must be getting impatient."

Only then did the old matron let Chi Yi off the hook. She turned and slowly pushed open the door.

The bridal chamber had been sealed all day. As the door opened, a nauseating stench of decay assaulted them. Several people turned green, barely suppressing their gagging. Ou Wendong, realizing he’d have to get close to that rotting corpse again, nearly fainted on the spot.

Inside, the candlelight flickered, casting a bloody glow on the bride’s red wedding dress.

"Groom," the old matron called ominously as she walked to the bedside, gesturing for Ou Wendong to approach.

With his teammates nearby, Ou Wendong mustered some courage and shuffled forward under the matron’s direction, sitting stiffly beside Pan Qiping on the bed.

Up close, the stench was unbearable. Ou Wendong recalled the face he’d seen during the ceremony, his lips trembling, drained of color.

The old matron knelt, tying their hems together, then turned to fetch a tray from the round table, presenting a red wedding scale to Ou Wendong. "Please lift the veil, groom."

Ou Wendong stared at the scale, swallowing hard before slowly reaching out to grip it.

The matron stepped aside, her voice oddly softened as she recited blessings, though her tone dragged like a funeral dirge:

"One scale of stars, sixteen inlaid bright,
North seven, south six, embrace fortune’s light.
Groom, raise your hand, take it slow..."

Ou Wendong turned sideways, facing the bride. With a clenched heart and closed eyes, he yanked the scale upward, lifting the red veil.

The veil fluttered to the ground. Beneath the beaded curtain, the bride’s face was even more decayed than before, her skin oozing dark yellow fluid through thick layers of powder—like a corpse’s tears.

Ou Wendong squeezed his eyes shut as the matron intoned, "Veil removed, hair entwined, together till the end of time."

He felt his hair being tugged and opened his eyes to see the matron binding a lock of Pan Qiping’s hair to his.

Their heads were forced close together. The matron smiled approvingly. "Heads and hands bound, love forever unbroken."

The stench was overwhelming. Ou Wendong’s peripheral vision caught white maggots writhing beneath the rotting flesh. His vision swam, and he nearly passed out again.

A hand suddenly steadied his shoulder. Li Zhi’s calm voice sounded above him. "That’s enough, Matron. Leave the rest of the night to the newlyweds."

The matron nodded. Before leaving, she reminded Ou Wendong, "Groom, don’t forget to share the wedding wine with the bride. Only after drinking together will you truly become one."

Ou Wendong’s lips twitched. "...Understood."

As the matron and servants left, the other players shot Ou Wendong encouraging looks before slowly exiting the chamber.

Li Zhi gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze, her words loaded with meaning. "Qingqing is in your hands now."

Tears welled in Ou Wendong’s eyes.

One by one, his teammates disappeared. The door locked behind them, plunging the room into silence.

Ou Wendong immediately untied his hair and hem from Pan Qiping’s, scrambling away like his pants were on fire, hiding behind a curio shelf.

By the bed, the ghost bride’s beaded veil swayed faintly, emitting soft clinks. Her eyes remained closed, her lips curled in an eerie smile, hands folded primly—as if patiently awaiting her husband.

Pull out the metal frame, find the exit, stick the immobilizing talisman, call the teammates, then escape together!

Ou Wendong repeated Li Zhi’s instructions in his mind.

The exit would likely appear inside the room. He had to confirm its location before using the talisman—because thirty seconds was too short. If he wasted time searching after activating it, they might not make it out.

His teammates wouldn’t go far. They were waiting outside the courtyard. If anything went wrong, Li Zhi had promised to save him!

Don’t lose your mind to fear. Pull out the frame!

Ou Wendong steeled himself, forcing calm.

"...Heh."

A cold, mocking laugh suddenly echoed through the silent room.

Ou Wendong jerked upright, drenched in cold sweat.

Who?! Who laughed?! Was it Pan Qiping?!

Peering through the shelf, he saw her still motionless on the bed, as if the laugh had never happened.

No more waiting! The longer you stay, the worse it gets! Quick and decisive!

Gritting his teeth, Ou Wendong stepped out from behind the shelf and marched toward the corpse with forced bravado.

Chi Yi had said the metal frame was near the abdomen. She’d felt it earlier.

Ou Wendong crouched stiffly before Pan Qiping, his fingers trembling like chicken claws as he reached for the corpse.

The wedding dress was too thick.

Layer after layer.

Abdomen… lower down… where is it?!

Sweat poured down his face. In the dead silence, his heartbeat pounded in his ears.

"Husband..." A chilling voice suddenly spoke above him. "What are you looking for? Let me help you."

"AHHHHHHH!!!!"

Ou Wendong screamed, falling backward and scrambling away on all fours.

Beneath the beaded veil, Pan Qiping’s rotten, blackened eyes snapped open, fixed on him. Her expression twisted between a smile and hatred, forming a grotesque mask of malice.

Ou Wendong couldn’t speak. He shook his head violently, his legs useless beneath him.

A voice in his mind screamed: Ou Wendong! Get up! Pull out the frame!

But his body refused to move. He burst into tears—whether from terror or self-loathing, he didn’t know.

Creak—

Crack—

The corpse’s joints popped as Pan Qiping stiffly raised her arms, pushed off the bed, and stood.

"Husband..."

Her smile widened as she lurched forward, limbs jerking like a wind-up doll. The metal frame supporting her body scraped against the floor with a nails-on-chalkboard screech.

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHH—"

Ou Wendong’s scream tore from his throat.

The beaded veil swayed, the blood-red dress fluttering as Pan Qiping’s blackened hand reached for him—

Knock knock.

"Son-in-law, are you alright?"

Li Zhi’s voice!!!

Like a drowning man hauled to shore, Ou Wendong gasped for air. His limbs regained strength. He scrambled back, using the table to pull himself up.

Pan Qiping froze, her face twisting with hatred as she glared at the door.

She recognized her mother.

Her resentment peaked. The powder-caked face cracked like shattered glass, flesh and powder crumbling away. A bloodcurdling shriek tore from her throat, black tears streaking down her cheeks.

NOW!!!

Whether it was the familiar silhouette at the door or sheer adrenaline, Ou Wendong lunged.

Pan Qiping stood exposed, the frame clearly visible.

Ou Wendong grabbed it and yanked.

Squelch.

Pan Qiping looked down at her wound—long since drained of blood.

But it still hurt.

Even in death, the pain never left.

Ou Wendong clutched the bloody frame as she slapped him away. He landed hard, watching in horror as her limbs twisted, bones cracking back into place.

Beside the bed, a narrow arched door materialized, a green lantern glowing above it.

Green—the exit!

"THE EXIT!! IT’S HERE!!"

Fumbling for the immobilizing talisman in his sleeve, Ou Wendong watched in horror as Pan Qiping—now unrestrained—teleported to the door. She yanked it open and slammed her hand around Li Zhi’s throat, lifting her off the ground.

It happened in a blink. By the time Ou Wendong pulled out the talisman, Li Zhi was already dangling, her neck at a grotesque angle.

CRACK.

Her neck snapped.

Li Zhi’s eyes stayed open, her head lolling, limbs going limp.

"NO!!! LI ZHI!!!" Ou Wendong wailed, slapping the talisman onto Pan Qiping’s back.

Teammates rushed in from the courtyard.

Chi Yi’s voice: "Hurry! 25 seconds left!"

They sprinted for the arched door. Ou Wendong sobbed, "SHE’S DEAD!! DID YOU SEE?! LI ZHI’S DEAD!!"

"Ten seconds!"

Qi’s voice.

Ou Wendong wiped his snotty face and moved to grab Li Zhi’s body—

A hand gripped his wrist.

"I’m not dead. Move."

Ou Wendong looked up, stunned, as Li Zhi dragged him through the vanishing exit.