C21 Hell Wedding

Yu Bing's sobs came in fits and starts as the man ruthlessly grabbed her hair, scratching and knocking her without giving her a moment's respite. Ma Qiang, likely terrified, continued to kowtow on the ground uncontrollably. Even after the man released his grip from Ma Qiang's neck, he persisted in bowing his head, desperate not to provoke the man's wrath and suffer the same relentless torment as Yu Bing.

"Shall we consummate the marriage here?" the man asked, his piercing gaze fixed on Ma Qiang.

Ma Qiang, as if awakening from a nightmare, nodded then frantically shook his head, stammering out pleas of "no, no."

The man's sinister smile spread across his face as he said, "Fine, we've already paid our respects to the heavens and the earth. The wedding night can happen anytime. What now? You made me a promise, remember?"

Ma Qiang let out a cry and slumped to the ground, his eyes wide and innocent as a bird trapped in a cage, looking helplessly at Yu Bing and the man. "I... I already gave you money, didn't I?"

"I want more than just money," the man chuckled. "I want something else."

Ma Qiang, swallowing hard, bargained, "Anything, just name it. Just spare me, please."

"I want a person's heart to eat," the man declared.

"No, no, no, not mine," Ma Qiang protested, panic-stricken. "Go to Lee Fan, just let us go."

The man cocked his head, musing, "I'll naturally take his, but I need one from you two as well."

In desperation, Ma Qiang blurted out, "Take Yu Bing's then, just let me go!"

"You sure about that?" the man questioned with a hint of surprise. "You're willing to give up your wife?"

Ma Qiang, nearly in tears, pleaded, "I don't want anything anymore, just my life."

Yu Bing knelt on the ground, her hair a tangled mess, devoid of any remaining vitality. Her eyes were hollow, her gaze murky, as the man with the toad-like head callously toyed with her, his foot nonchalantly resting on her shoulder, treating her as if she were nothing more than a plaything.

Stripping off my jacket, I clung to the last shred of my will to survive, pressing the garment against my wound. I attempted to rise quietly, aiming to ambush the toad and rescue Yu Bing. But as I wobbled to my feet, Ma Qiang, in a sudden frenzy, warned, "Master, Master, watch out! That scoundrel is after you." Before the toad could react, I collapsed, the pain in my chest unbearable. Any movement sent tremors through my body, and the thought of attacking the toad was a distant dream, as even raising my hand proved to be an excruciating endeavor.

I shot Ma Qiang a withering look. His affection for Yu Bing was superficial at best.

It was no surprise that Yu Bing had no interest in him. With a contemptuous spit, I clutched at my chest. Even if it meant dying here tonight, I was resigned to my fate. The only regret I had was leaving my parents back in the countryside. I hoped that the money in my account would find its way to them after my passing. I had not had the chance to repay their kindness, and now I was departing too soon.

The toad sneered at me before turning to Ma Qiang, "Get out of here."

Ma Qiang, as if pardoned from a death sentence, bolted. As he passed me, he shot me a resentful glance and muttered bitterly, "This is all your fault, you curse. You're the reason Yu Bing is dead."

I was torn between laughter and tears. Once Ma Qiang had fled, the toad, apparently bored with Yu Bing, sauntered back to me with a mocking tone, "How does it feel? The heartache? Just wait until I rip your heart out; you'll enjoy that even more."

I spat back, "Go to hell, you sick freak. If I were your mother, I would have strangled you at birth. You're not just ugly; you're a blight on the very concept of ugliness."

The toad quivered and asked, "Are you calling me ugly?"

I retorted, "If you think you're not ugly, you're an insult to the word itself."

Seeking death!

With an enraged bellow, the toad's claws lunged for my chest again. In that moment of excruciating pain, I felt a desperate urge to end it all. Then, suddenly, a voice cut through.

"Let him go!"

The voice was familiar, yet now it carried a boundless rage. The toad retreated, warily eyeing the figure that was slowly approaching from behind me. I was sweating profusely, more desperate than I had ever been, even more than when I had nearly drowned as a child.

Turning around, I saw a girl in red, with long hair cascading over her shoulders, her teeth clenched, advancing towards us step by step. I gasped for air, each breath feeling like it could be my last. She was dressed in red shoes, red attire, with a red silk sash tied around her waist, and her lips painted with thick lipstick. Her bold eyebrows gave her the air of an ancient woman. An icy chill made me shudder uncontrollably. Already frail, I felt the air around me grow thin, as if it were filled with countless tiny ice blades, making it hard to breathe and torturing my skin.

The toad retreated nonstop until he backed up to the entrance of the old temple. With a hoarse voice, he warned, "This is the Yellow Immortal Temple. You mustn't act recklessly here."

A mere gatekeeper dares to be so insolent before me? He deserves to... die.

No sooner had the words left his mouth than the toad's grotesque face burst like a balloon, spewing black fluid in all directions. His claws flailed wildly in the aftermath.

Crack!

Then came another sound, as if an invisible knife hung in the air. The blade, exceedingly sharp, sliced through with a crisp snap, severing the toad's arm. Blood sprayed wildly as the toad collapsed to his knees, stripped even of the right to scream.

Crack!

His other arm was cut off, followed by his left and right legs...

By the time the toad was reduced to nothing more than a torso on the ground, I could no longer bear to watch. The image was seared into my memory. Yu Bing, tormented by hysteria, lay on the ground screaming. She was too terrified to run or to look.

Eventually, I noticed the toad was still breathing heavily. His belly inflated and deflated like a balloon... A chill ran through me. I had never imagined a toad could transform into such a creature. Just then, the girl let out a soft grunt, and multiple invisible blades plunged into the toad's belly. In the blink of an eye, he was breathless, his thick belly split open to reveal the intestines within.

A red silhouette stood before me, my lips so frozen I could barely part them. The biting cold snapped me back to the harsh winters of Northeast China, where temperatures plummet to minus forty degrees Celsius—a time when urine would freeze before it hit the ground.

For some reason, I wasn't afraid of the figure before me. Despite the chilling aura she exuded, she felt familiar, reminiscent of someone I knew. She stood there like a celestial being, her blood-red attire striking, her beauty captivating. I couldn't tear my gaze away. I thought to myself, even if this woman were a malevolent spirit, meeting my end at her hands would be worth it. After all, isn't there a saying that to die beneath the peony would make even a ghost charmed?

When her voice reached me, soft and gentle, I was struck by a sense of déjà vu; she bore a striking resemblance to the little girl who had lent me her clothes. Yet, I couldn't bring myself to believe that she was the same person...

"It doesn't hurt," I said. "I'm on the brink of death; pain is a distant memory now."

Her eyes shimmered with crystalline tears as she whispered, "You can't die, you just can't. You promised me you'd always be there for me."

The scenario felt hauntingly familiar, echoing the visions that frequented my dreams.

In those dreams, girls who were shorter yet older than me would insist I call them 'big sister,' but it was always they who ended up giving in to me...

She seemed so much like the girl from my dreams, yet not quite. She reminded me of a girl from the Ghost Building, but again, not exactly. She was herself—the most beautiful person I could imagine at that moment. I believed in love at first sight, ironically finding it as I faced death.

"After midnight, we'll be together, and you won't die," she murmured.

I replied, "After midnight, if the spiritual staircase remains open, I'll still die... Cough, cough, I might not even make it to midnight."

"You will," she said, her gaze ethereal. "You'll hold on."

I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath. Upon opening them, I felt that simply gazing at her in silence could grant me an extra minute of life.

As the seconds ticked by, I had no idea what was happening with Yu Bing. All I knew was that each additional glance at her would leave me with a beautiful memory to cherish, even in death.

Throughout my grueling college years, I never once did something purely for myself—always working for money, for my studies, for survival. But now, with time running out, I indulged in the last thing I wanted to do.

Suddenly, a cool sensation brushed my lips, gentle as a filtered spring quenching my thirst. I strained to open my eyes wider and saw her face just an inch from mine. Feeling her lips near, my heart pounded fiercely. I had thought it was nearly still, but this surge of life made me doubt my senses.

"Lee Fan, will you marry me?"

Without any hesitation, I nodded and replied, "Yes, I will definitely marry you."

"I don't need anything else, just your company. Is that alright?"

I assured her, "Absolutely, as long as you're okay with me. I'm just a poor guy."

"Lee Fan, I love you."

I responded warmly, "I love you too."