Dread King's Bride

Xiao Chenyuan: "..." He thought back to the fleeting moments of last night—the crisp, snow-like fragrance that lingered in his senses now seemed to stir again, igniting an inexplicable heat within him. It was as though a blaze surged directly into his mind.

Bang!

QingWu watched as Xiao Chenyuan stormed out of the room, his face grim, and the door slammed shut behind him. Rolling her eyes, she muttered, "Childish," before pulling the covers over herself and continuing her sleep.

Outside the door, the personal guards, who had been on edge all night, collectively exhaled in relief.

Elderly Attendant relaxed visibly upon seeing him emerge but froze alongside the others as they caught sight of Xiao Chenyuan's face and neck. Their expressions shifted into astonishment, as if they had just seen a ghost.

Realizing their stares, Xiao Chenyuan's expression darkened, and his brows furrowed. "To the study room." he commanded sharply.

Halfway there, a messenger guard arrived hastily. "Your Majesty, Yun Houxing has arrived."

Mockery gleamed in Xiao Chenyuan's eyes. It appeared the man had waited all night in vain for news of his demise and had finally run out of patience. "What of the demoness named Wushuang? Any progress?"

"She's still unconscious, Your Majesty. Despite severe methods, she shows no signs of waking. From her appearance, it doesn't seem like she's faking it," replied Situ Jing.

Xiao Chenyuan paused mid-stride, his gaze narrowing.

Shrugging, Situ Jing added with a meaningful glance, "I've tried every method I know." He then gestured subtly toward the estate. "Perhaps the one who recently entered the manor prefers for her to remain asleep."

A glimmer of suspicion flickered in Xiao Chenyuan's eyes. "Take Yun Houxing to the Zhaixing Courtyard. And bring Yun Yujiao and that coffin as well. Let him, as her father, have a proper look at his daughter."

He wanted to see what kind of reaction Yun Qingwu would have when she saw her "wonderful" father, Yun Houxing.

In the Zhaixing Courtyard, Yun Houxing stumbled to his knees when he saw the miserable state of his daughter Yun Yujiao in the coffin. Tears glimmered in his eyes as he turned toward the man sitting under the veranda, wrapped in fur and sipping medicine. "Your Majesty! My perfectly healthy daughter was married into the Dread King's Manor, and now she's dead?!"

Xiao Chenyuan lowered the medicine bowl. Though his illness made him seem frail and worn, his voice still carried a sharp, oppressive weight. "Has Lord Yun forgotten? The deceased was carried from your residence, yet you dare question Me about her death?"

Feigning indignation, Yun Houxing protested, "It's true that my elder daughter died unexpectedly before the wedding, but my second daughter, Yujiao, was alive and well when she married into the manor!"

"Really?" Xiao Chenyuan raised a brow in mock surprise.

Elderly Attendant interjected with a feigned gasp. "Lord Yun must be mistaken. The one who married in alive was your elder daughter, and the one who died is your younger daughter!"

Yun Houxing froze in shock. Beside him, a young Taoist priest who had been silently meditating suddenly opened his eyes. This was Wu Ji, the senior brother of the female Taoist priest who had been by Yun Yujiao's side the previous night—and the true culprit behind the creation of the Living Curse. The night before, he had sensed the successful activation of the curse and had assumed the Dread King's Manor would be doomed. However, something unusual had occurred, and he hadn't received any word from his junior sister. Concerned, he had decided to accompany Yun Houxing on this visit.

Yun Houxing insisted, "Impossible! The one in the coffin, the one who was married into the manor, is clearly my elder daughter, Yun Qingwu!"

Xiao Chenyuan tapped his fingers on the table, his tone calm yet sharp. "How peculiar. Did I marry a corpse last night?"

Yun Houxing, utterly baffled, instinctively glanced at Wu Ji. What exactly happened last night?

"Someone, summon the Queen. Let her meet her dear father."

Inside the room, Qingwu had already been awakened by the commotion. However, she leisurely took her time tidying up and fixing her hair, not in any rush to appear. "Scheming as always," she murmured. "Well played, Xiao Chenyuan. You sure know how to stir up trouble for me."

Yet, Yun Houxing's foolishness in delivering himself to her doorstep saved her the trouble of tracking him down. She pushed the door open, her gaze meeting Yun Houxing's shocked expression. She flashed a dazzling smile. "Oh my! Father is here! What an honor!"

Yun Houxing's face twisted in horror. He staggered three steps backward, nearly blurting out, "How possible you are still alive?!"

Wu Ji's furious voice boomed, "What sort of spirit dares to wreak havoc in the Dread King's Manor?"

The Elderly Attendant feigned alarm, his eyes wide. "What spirit? Isn't this Yun Shangshu's eldest daughter, the Queen of our manor?"

"No! She's not my eldest daughter! She's a ghost! She's definitely not human! My eldest daughter, Yun Qingwu, died yesterday! I see it now—this vile spirit must have killed my daughter Yun Yujiao! Isn't that right?"

Wu Ji's eyes brimmed with malice as he glared at Qingwu, venom dripping from his voice. "The moment I stepped into the manor, I sensed the stench of a ghost. I was certain some wicked spirit was harming people, and now I've found it." He paused, eyes narrowing. Yun Yujiao was dead. And judging by the circumstances, his junior sister was likely dead too.

Xiao Chenyuan narrowed his eyes, his gaze falling on Wu Ji. "And who might this be?"

The young Taoist folded his hands, his tone solemn. "This humble one's Taoist title is Wu Ji."

Xiao Chenyuan's eyes narrowed slightly. Situ Jing immediately understood and acted without delay. Shortly after, a woman dressed as a maid, unconscious and lifeless, was carried in—it was none other than Wu Ji's junior sister, the so-called demoness Wu Shuang.

Wu Ji's expression darkened instantly. He strode forward and demanded sharply, "What happened to my junior sister?"

"Junior sister?" Xiao Chenyuan feigned confusion. "Isn't this woman merely a dowry maid of the Yun family's second daughter?" His tone was light, almost indifferent. "I thought her quite loyal—so unwilling to part with her former mistress that she fainted beside the coffin, perhaps wishing to accompany her in death. Strangely, no one can wake her."

Before being brought in, Wu Shuang had undergone treatment. Aside from a visible injury on her forehead, everything else seemed consistent with Xiao Chenyuan's casual explanation. But Wu Ji knew better—this was absolutely impossible. He immediately examined his junior sister's condition, and upon doing so, his face turned ashen. Her three souls and seven spirits were riddled with ghostly energy, perforated like a sieve. While she appeared alive on the surface, she was effectively no more than a walking corpse.

Anger and fear battled in Wu Ji's heart.

The next moment, Xiao Chenyuan's voice, cold and inscrutable, broke the silence. Though his tone carried no overt emotion, its latent murderous intent sent chills down everyone's spine.

"This woman is your junior sister? Then she's no ordinary dowry maid, is she? Now I'm curious—what intentions did the Yun family harbor, sending a female Taoist as part of the dowry?"

The surrounding Black-armored Guards simultaneously drew their blades. Yun Houxing and Wuji felt a tightness in their chests, fear flashing in their eyes as they looked at Xiao Chenyuan. However, they saw the man sitting calmly in his grand chair. Despite his weakened state, his hand still gently turned the prayer beads. Yet, the ominous and murderous aura within him was no longer hidden. "Minister Yun, have you figured out how to explain yourself?" he asked coldly.

Sweat poured down Yun Houxing's face as he exchanged a glance with Wuji, then pointed at QingWu. "It's her! She's the one who harmed them!"

Wuji quickly responded, "My junior sister entered the King's Manor as a maidservant with no ill intentions. It was only because of the special nature of yesterday's events that she feared evil spirits might ruin the wedding, which is why she came along." Wuji spoke earnestly, a look of sorrow on his face. "But unexpectedly, my junior sister was still harmed!" He glared at QingWu with venom, his voice sharp, "What the King doesn't know is that evil spirits capable of borrowing a body and returning to life are masters at seducing hearts and using dark arts like ghostly illusions to disturb people's minds. The killing of Miss Yu Jiao was only the beginning. After this, she will need to devour human hearts and livers every day to remain in the world. If this evil spirit isn't eliminated, there will be endless consequences!"

Wuji's words were forceful, and Yun Houxing nodded repeatedly. "Yes! This evil spirit killed my daughter! We cannot allow her to stay in this world to continue her evil deeds!"

These two were originally allies, and now they were sure that QingWu's vengeance on the exploded corpse meant that the true evil spirit was targeting them. After all, they were the masterminds behind the living corpse scheme. If they didn't get rid of her soon, they would certainly meet their end at the hands of the Dread King's Manor.

"Where did this so-called 'bull-nose' Taoist come from, speaking nonsense? Just because you say I'm a ghost, does that mean I am one?" QingWu sneered.

Wuji's expression darkened as he waved his Taoist staff, saying, "Still trying to argue? I'll make you reveal your true form!" He pulled out five yellow talismans, which ignited without fire and shot toward QingWu.

A fierce gust of wind arose, blowing the five talismans straight toward Wuji. One stuck to his sleeve, instantly igniting into roaring flames. Wuji yelped in panic, quickly shedding his outer robe, his eyes filled with fury. "What a cunning ghost! Your skills are not shallow!"

"And what a shameless dog Taoist you are—your audacity is remarkable," QingWu retorted with scorn, her gaze shifting provocatively toward Xiao Chenyuan. "Tell me, Your Majesty, are you just going to stand there and watch as these people come to your doorstep and trample on your Queen's dignity? Or are you no longer a man?"

A cold, emotionless snort echoed through the room. Xiao Chenyuan stopped turning the prayer beads in his hand and stood. His sharp gaze, as cold and predatory as a hawk's, fell upon the two men. As his expression hardened, the air in the room seemed to freeze. The oppressive aura he exuded was suffocating, silencing anyone who dared to meet his eyes. Yun Houxing and Wuji felt a chill run down their spines. They had been so focused on dealing with QingWu that they had foolishly forgotten the man standing before them was more dangerous than any ghost.

Xiao Chenyuan continued to roll the beads in his hand, his voice calm but laced with menace. "The Queen speaks with reason. Minister Yun, Taoist Wuji, if you are so certain my Queen is a ghost, then present your evidence. Otherwise..."

The recently sheathed swords of the Black-armored Guards were drawn once more, their blades gleaming and aimed squarely at Yun Houxing and Wuji. Xiao Chenyuan's voice dropped to an icy growl. "You both can join the realm of ghosts yourselves."

QingWu raised an eyebrow, smirking. Yun Houxing and Wuji froze, barely daring to breathe. Wuji clenched his teeth before blurting out, "I the humble Taoist has a way to prove it! Ghosts fear fire above all else. If we build a pyre and light a great blaze, any evil spirit possessing a body will surely be forced to reveal its true form!"

"Idiot," QingWu sneered, rolling her eyes. "Do you think humans don't fear fire? Toss anyone into a burning pyre, and whether or not they're a ghost, they'll end up a dead one. Why don't you suggest chopping off my head and seeing if I can still breathe?"

The crowd watching the spectacle stifled their laughter, their amusement barely contained. But QingWu wasn't finished. With a sudden shift in her tone, she added, "Still, if you want me to willingly endure this fiery trial, I'm not entirely opposed."

Wuji's heart sank as QingWu fixed her unsettling gaze on him, her smile dripping with malice. "But why should I face the flames alone? That's no fun. According to you, only ghosts fear fire. Since you're clearly human and unafraid of being burned, why not join me? Unless, of course, you're scared. In which case...maybe you're not human either."

"If you're not human...then you deserve to die by the sword!" Her words struck like thunder, leaving Wuji's face alternating between pale and flushed.

In his panic, he barely registered Xiao Chenyuan's cold voice ordering, "Men, gather the wood. Light the fire."