Chapter 78: Stop 23: Transformation

Chapter 78: Stop 23: Transformation

Fortunately, although Ming Yiyang couldn't "see" with his Yin-Yang Pupils now, he could roughly "guess" the methods used by others after this period of training.

In those few seconds when the flames licked towards him, he released his "Light," manipulating it to cover himself thinly, isolating the illusion that felt incredibly real.

After the scream, the other two had already changed into the attire of sedan chair bearers, leaving only him unchanged.

Xi Yi: ...

Others: ?

With his hands in his pockets, Ming Yiyang smiled leisurely.

"Butler, this clothing of mine is an heirloom passed down through generations; it's fused tightly to my body. I couldn't change into anything else—my apologies."

Xi Yi glanced at him with serpentine eyes, which then transformed into vertical pupils, staring intently at him!

A wave of scorching heat washed over Ming Yiyang again, and he sensed that this time, the other party was using a forceful method to teach him a lesson. Unfortunately, his "Light" found these flames delicious and multiplied even more rapidly, sparing him from any harm.

Xi Yi remained silent.

The young man shrugged with a grin, saying, "I told you, just watch."

The servant holding the ledger, noticing the change in Xi Yi's expression, cowered and bent low, whispering cautiously, "Steward Xi Yi, what...?"

"Pay no attention to him. Assign him directly to the team and have him carry Second Miss' sedan chair!"

With a flick of his sleeve, Xi Yi's originally cold voice now held a hint of gritted teeth, "Second Miss is quite heavy. Make sure he takes up the rear position when carrying the sedan chair."

Fortunately, Si Shuhao had already entered the flower sedan, or else she would have certainly challenged Xi Yi upon hearing those words.

Ming Yiyang was indifferent to this and approached the second wedding sedan chair with an obliging attitude, not causing any more trouble.

Next came the selection of the newly arrived "servants."

The pageboy held up his book and sang out:

"Yi Hongda - Yu Kui -"

These two men had previously been among the bolder ones in the group, always trailing at the back.

Yi Hongda was fair-skinned, tall, and fond of joking, calling himself a sexy college student.

Yu Kui, on the other hand, was more reserved, barely speaking except for introducing himself.

Xi Yi assigned them casually:

"The old madam's kitchen is short of two rough-handed servants. You two will follow Miss's sedan chair first. When we arrive, someone will arrange for you to enter the kitchen."

Like the others, these two had also undergone the horrifying experience of being burned alive.

Yi Hongda was full of surprises; after being set ablaze, he could still manage a respectful bow with remarkable poise and a playful attitude, which truly impressed others.

Eventually, only Diao Qingchang, Yan Qiling, and Shi Wenguang were left.

Surprisingly, Xi Yi didn't maintain his stern expression. Instead, he relaxed and leaned in to say,

"Mr. Yan, Mr. Shi, the accounting department still needs your attention. On this special day, there can be no room for negligence."

As he spoke, flames emerged from beneath their feet again. Shi Wenguang let out a heart-wrenching cry, but Yan Qiling remained silent.

When the flames subsided, Yan Qiling was now dressed in a silk robe. The black satin shone luxuriously, clearly indicating its exquisiteness. Gray bamboo leaves adorned the hem, barely visible as they moved with the fabric, subtly enhancing its elegance.

His once-loose hair was now styled into a small braid at the back, gracefully cascading down and tied with a silver-gray ribbon.

In contrast, Shi Wenguang's robe seemed plain and uninteresting, as if it had been hastily chosen merely to signify his status.

Xi Yi couldn't help but be taken aback by Yan Qiling's attire. However, since the man had indeed changed into appropriate clothing as expected, it perplexed him even more, leading him to approach Yan Qiling with extra caution.

"A carriage has been specially prepared for the both of you. Please forgive any shortcomings in our hospitality."

Yan Qiling bowed elegantly, his expression calm and composed. The sleeves of his long robe slipped slightly from his wrists, revealing a narrow strip of snowy white skin.

"This is an important day for our family, and we will spare no effort to ensure that our host's expectations are met."

Despite his words, Yan Qiling couldn't help but speculate about Xi Yi's vastly different reaction compared to before.

The arrangements for their identities seemed to be orchestrated by the butler, but in reality, the decision-making power didn't rest with him.

Xi Yi's face lit up with relief, revealing his yellow teeth in a smile.

At last, he turned his gaze towards Diao Qingchang, only to be utterly shocked.

"Mr. Diao, what happened to you?!"

Diao Qingchang had immediately adorned himself with a yellow talisman when the flames licked at him.

Presumably, the yellow talisman had buffered him from pain, as he appeared to have changed his clothes without any signs of distress. He could still feign worry and say:

"Oh, I have no idea either. I woke up with a concussion... Well, do you have a doctor at home? We should invite him to take a look."

Xi Yi hurriedly agreed:

"Of course, of course. This matchmaker's role is all thanks to you. The old madam has been waiting for you. She insists that you must taste this cup of congratulatory tea. Besides, there's still the matter of strengthening ties between our two families, so we hope you'll visit more often."

Diao Qingchang responded calmly and nonchalantly:

"No problem, I'll accept the old madam's kindness and definitely drink this tea."

A hint of a human-like smile finally appeared on Xi Yi's pale face.

As the smile faded, the towering servant led the ox cart over and knelt down, offering himself as a stepping stone for them to climb into the cart.

Shiweng Guang was hesitant about such behavior, and even Diao Qingchang hesitated for a moment.

Surprisingly, Yan Qiling, who seemed the most refined, stepped gracefully onto the servant's back to enter the ox cart without any trace of the awkwardness that modern people might feel.

With everything settled, Xi Yi turned around and called out:

"Let the sedan chairs rise."

Servants stepped forward, each taking their position, and chorused in unison:

"Our brides return home—lift the sedan chairs."

The two decorated palanquins were lifted off the ground. The two brides inside had given up on any resistance; no matter how much the carriers jostled outside, no sound emerged from within.

At this moment, only Yue Pengpeng, walking alongside the sedan chairs, clearly displayed her discontent.

She didn't want to walk.

Well, not exactly. Walking beside Lin Yongjian was tolerable.

But unfortunately, Lin Yongjian hadn't been assigned to carry Si Shuhao's sedan chair; instead, he was tasked with lifting the one carrying Yue Pengpeng.

It was infuriating.

Xi Yi, of course, paid no heed to the petty thoughts of a young maid. He said expressionlessly,

"Play the music!"

The servants echoed, "Play the music—"

Amidst the shrill sound of suonas and a symphony of instruments, a lively atmosphere filled this quiet mountain valley as if there was indeed some grand celebration taking place.

In front of the flower sedan chair, the servants held up two paper figurines of children.

Their papery limbs were pale, with two patches of crimson on their cheeks. Under the chilling moonlight, they trembled like sieves, their wails resembling the eerie howls of unknown creatures in the mountains or the mournful cries of ghosts – utterly abnormal.

Firecrackers exploded along the road with a crackling sound, scattering red fragments that resembled the deadly Mesembryanthemum, leading to an infernal path. The vibrant red was alarming and unsettling.

Yan Qiling sat on the swaying ox cart.

The moon, as big as a pearl, emitted almost negligible light, but anything with a glow tended to instill a sense of comfort.

Shi Wenming was still haunted by the pain of spontaneous combustion he had just experienced.

Seemingly realizing that this was not the escape room he had imagined, he urgently sought some sense of security and asked,

"Mr. Diao, where will we be taken?"

Diao Qingchang glanced at Yan Qiling, who showed no intention of answering, before he began to analyze,

"It should be that so-called Bai family."

"The person who's currently hosting us, Xi Yi, seems to be a minor character without much authority. However, the old madam he mentioned sounds like she holds some power. Perhaps we should pay more attention to her later."

With an answer, though the future remained unclear, Shi Wen Guang felt somewhat relieved,

"To be honest, this scenario feels like a script for a ghost marriage... Do you guys watch folk horror films? You know, the kind where a daughter is tricked into marrying a dead person or used to appease some terrifying curse."

Diao Qingchang pulled out a handful of yellow charms for him; it seemed he had an endless supply,

"Hold onto these. I also feel that the situation resembles that."

"Si Shuhao and Su Bo were probably chosen, but that's not necessarily a bad thing, right? In general, the bride plays a central role. Before they're used for a ghost marriage or to fulfill a curse, they should have some form of personal safety guaranteed."

Seeing Yan Qiling remain silent, Diao Qingchang couldn't resist and specifically asked:

"What do you think, Mr. Yan?"

Yan Qiling lifted his head as if awakened from a dream, blinked his exquisite twin-colored eyes, and smiled at him:

"Whether it's one or the other, the ritual requires the body, not the soul. Perhaps the body won't be harmed, but if the soul is lost, what's the point?"

That smile, even in the dim light, shimmered beautifully, like a white night-blooming cereus.

The originally disastrous lighting, under the embellishment of such a captivating physique, somehow became uniquely charming.

Diao Qingchang felt as if a sea of white azaleas had suddenly blossomed before his eyes.

Schumann Guang, who didn't witness that smile, only felt a chill down his spine.

Amidst the music of blowing, plucking, and strumming, he suddenly experienced an eerie, prickly sensation on his skin.

It was as if millions of tiny insects were gnawing at him, leaving him momentarily frozen, stiff with fear, unable to move.

This pretentious revelry persisted until they passed by an ominous mansion.

Seated in the ox cart, the trio could clearly see the magnificent residence standing amidst the fields.

The band suddenly fell silent, and everything grew eerily quiet, almost absurdly so.

Unable to spot a signboard, Shi Wenming asked worriedly, "Is that the Bai family's residence?"

Diao Qingchang was the first to shake his head. "No. It's strange; some fragmented memories suddenly appeared in my mind just now. I think they were forcefully inserted by the Wujian Lord… How terrifying, for such keywords to pop up."

"I have an impression that this mansion belongs to the Wen family. I suspect it's the marriage that Xi Yi mentioned, the union between the Bai and Wen families… But I never imagined that He would actually create two mansions like this."

He rubbed his forehead, still deeply disturbed by the additional information. "Damn, it's really horrifying. The feeling of having information suddenly stuffed into my brain… If He were to implant something else, like memories of mental illness, I'd go mad without any need for the rules to intervene."

Yan Qiling's exquisite features were concealed in deep shadows.

For the Runic Lord, the Runic Rank is a threshold.

Below this threshold, even with terrifying power, their influence on outsiders remains limited.

At most, it's a brutal battle of flesh and a dance of machinery.

As long as an outsider can remain calm, survival is generally not difficult.

But after reaching the Runic Rank, the Runic Lord gains the ability to manipulate the minds of outsiders – a loophole transcending the rules.

A Celestial Runic Lord never needs elaborate schemes to reap souls; they merely extract the most humiliating and horrifying aspects of human nature and implant them into their target's mind. The victims will naturally lose the will to resist, submitting to their fate.

Even the strongest-willed outsiders, with enough implanted memories, will soon blur the lines between illusion and reality within a short time, swiftly being consumed by the world's order and becoming part of its machinery.

Should they leave this world, the confusion in their memories will haunt them for life. Returning to reality would only lead to madness, dooming them to be locked away in mental institutions.

The dangers in worlds of the Runic Rank or above often lie not in finding an exit but rather in the lasting consequences they impose.

It was a matter of whether the outsider was willing to leave through the exit they had found.