Gamers Are Fierce

The monk Qi Yu felt a moment of surprise. He had been in the Central Plains for several years and was well-acquainted with various remarkable people, but he had never heard of someone named Xi Menzi.

Could it be a Direct Disciple from some reclusive sect, sent out to roam the mortal world?

Qi Yu involuntarily perked up his ears, listening intently as he gradually conjured an image of the scene in the private room next door.

Three middle-aged men—one short, one fat, one thin—were sitting around a round table, drinking and chatting leisurely.

The short man took a big gulp of wine and said, "Taoist Priest Xi Menzi? I've heard of him too. This priest is kind-hearted and roams the world only to slay demons and exorcise evil.

"I heard that he encountered such a strange case in Long County. Two families were to be joined in matrimony. Both the bride and groom hailed from distinguished clans—a perfect match—and their wedding procession was grand, with drums and gongs resounding.

"But as everyone was escorting the bride to the groom's house, a gale carrying dense clouds of dust suddenly swept in from afar, causing the wedding procession to fall into chaos. The bridal palanquin tumbled to the ground, leaving the bride terrified and pale.

"After the turmoil subsided and the dust settled, the procession continued on its way amidst the lively sounds of drums and gongs, arriving at the groom's home in Long County.

"As they finished the ritual proceedings, the attendants lifted the palanquin's curtain, and everyone was overjoyed to see the bride, wearing her red veil, step down from the palanquin, the groom naturally grinning from ear to ear.

"However, before the attendants could utter a word of good fortune, the curtain of the palanquin was lifted again..."

The fat man interrupted, "Was it the chambermaid hiding inside the palanquin? Or a pretty-faced adulterer planning to elope with the bride?"

"Heh, neither."

The short man shook his head and said, "The one who descended from the bridal palanquin was yet another bride wearing a red veil. Everyone present was instantly dumbfounded. The two brides stood side by side, identical in height, build, and dress, utterly indistinguishable."

The skinny man interjected, "Twin sisters?"

"Not at all."

The short man shook his head. "This bride is their family's only daughter, with no sisters from the same mother. The groom's parents and the bride's parents were all flabbergasted. They had no choice but to take both brides inside and lift their red veils so the families could identify them. To everyone's shock, the two brides looked exactly alike; even the birthmarks on their calves were identical. When asked to recount their past memories, both brides answered fluently without a mistake."

The fat man's eyes bulged as he exclaimed, "Such a thing actually happened?"

"Yes, indeed."

The short man continued jovially, "Both families were local nobility. Unable to determine which was the original bride, and unwilling to lose face by halting the wedding abruptly, they gritted their teeth and allowed both brides to complete the wedding rituals with the groom."

The lean man shook his head. "I reckon the only one happy in that situation was the groom."

"Precisely. He got to embrace one on each side, enjoying the kind of bliss that would make anyone green with envy."

The short man chuckled. "First, they paid respects to Heaven and Earth; second, to their parents; and then the couple bowed to each other. This was followed by a grand banquet. Both brides, accompanying their husband, greeted family and friends. All the while, they glared at each other, gnashing their teeth, furious and resentful that the other had suddenly appeared and disrupted their wedding. And the friends and relatives who had come to witness the ceremony had their fill of excitement and felt their trip was not in vain; they now had a story to boast about to outsiders.

"When night fell and everyone had left, the groom, nervous yet thrilled, led his two brides into the bridal chamber and onto the bed. At this point, although the two brides were reluctant, neither wanted to be second to the other, unwilling to let this imposter disrupt their wedding night. They had no choice but to share the bed with the groom under one large blanket."

The short man spoke with animated expressions, and both listeners displayed knowing smiles.

The Buddhist monk Qi Yu in the next room couldn't help shaking his head. Women, he had understood long ago, were devils.

The short man continued: "When sounds came from the room, the in-laws eavesdropping by the wall nodded in approval. As long as the newlyweds were safe and sound, there was nothing to worry about. However, just after the in-laws had returned to their room and settled down to sleep, they heard a piercing, tragic scream coming from the bridal chamber. They quickly climbed out of bed, called the household servants, and ran towards the bridal room with candles in hand. Everyone was anxious, wondering if something had gone wrong with the unusual bridal arrangement.

"The crowd hurried to the door, knocking frantically on it as it was locked from the inside, but there was dead silence from within, no response no matter how the in-laws shouted. Having no other choice, the in-laws ordered the door to be broken down. To their horror, they found blood all over the floor. The groom lay on his back, his eye sockets pitch-black empty holes, his eyeballs nowhere to be found. One bride lay on the inner side of the bed, submerged in a pool of blood, her fate unknown. The other bride had disappeared."

The fat man furrowed his brows. "Could it have been the work of a villain?"

The short man shook his head. "Suddenly, a chilling, inhuman laughter echoed from the rafters above. As everyone looked up, they saw a grey bird as tall as a man, its sharp claws hooked onto the beam, hanging upside down from it. Seeing the monstrous bird, the in-laws were both terrified and enraged, commanding the servants to prod at the rafters with pitchforks and bamboo poles. The strange bird effortlessly evaded the pitchforks in the cramped room and slashed through the bamboo poles with a sweep of its claws. Only when a fishing net was fetched did it leisurely flap its wings, burst out the window, and disappear into the night."

The short man took a sip of his drink and slowly began to speak under the eager gaze of his two listeners: "Thanks to the doctor's prompt treatment, the groom and bride were out of mortal danger, but their eyes had been taken by the bird, and they were blind beyond hope of recovery."

The fat man sighed deeply. "What a pity, what a tragedy. The wedding night should be a joyous occasion for a couple, but it ended with both husband and wife blinded."

The short man nodded. "After this accident, the family was naturally filled with grief and despair. The next morning, a young Taoist priest wearing a black cloak and short hair entered Long County."

The fat man inquired, "Was it Taoist Priest Xi Menzi?"

"Exactly."

The short man said slowly, "Once Taoist Priest Xi Menzi arrived in Long County and learned of the incident, he immediately paid a visit to the house and told the in-laws that the creature that had harmed the couple's eyes last night was a monstrous being called the Rakshasa Bird. This beast, born from concentrated Yin Evil Corpse Qi that failed to dissipate in a place teeming with yin energy, excels at taking human form, often transforming into human guise to sneak into homes and peck out people's eyes, fierce and cruel in nature. He speculated that the Rakshasa Bird must be lurking in a Chaotic Cemetery to the west of Long County, and already several isolated children and elderly from nearby villages had fallen victim to its pecking. Unable to contain their grief and anger, the master and mistress immediately ordered the servants to search the city for hunters, ready to spend all their fortunes, gathering a formidable force to advance on the Chaotic Cemetery, determined to end the life of the Rakshasa Bird."