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Eternal Marriage: The Underworld Husband Appears
墨書 Inktalez
A soft thud echoed as the door was locked from the outside by my mother.
I shivered slightly.
July 15th, the Ghost Festival, a time when families pay their respects to the spirits.
And I, Gu Yanxi, was unable to celebrate with my classmates by releasing lanterns or enjoying the blessing cakes. While everyone else honored the deities, I was left to spend four hours in this dark room.
In our village, the Ghost Festival is a significant occasion, but in our household, it is a day that must not be mentioned.
Every year on July 15th, my usually warm and friendly mother would don a serious expression and lock me away in the wooden shed in the backyard.
I would remain there for a full four hours before being released. In this place, I had no phone, no television, and not even a sliver of light.
I couldn't shout, couldn't run; I could only lie quietly bound to the bed, unable to move.
Since I can remember, every July 15th has been spent this way.
This year was no different.
Before leaving, my mother handed me a glass of milk. Every year, it was this cup of milk laced with sleeping pills that allowed me to sleep through the dark hours.
But this time, as I held half a cup of milk in my mouth, I spat it out when my mother turned away.
The dim light made it so that my mother did not notice my movements.
My limbs were restrained at the four corners of the bed, and I quietly stared at the dark Flower Board, the sound of the Watch ticking in my ears.
Tick, tock.
Each sound marked a second.
Tick, ding.
At the top of each hour, the Watch would emit a "ding" as a reminder.
I was locked in at five in the afternoon, and this was the seventh "ding" from the Watch, which meant it was now midnight.
With my limbs immobilized and half a cup of milk already taking effect, my eyelids grew heavier. To keep myself from falling asleep and to know what would happen next, I bit down hard on my tongue.
The sudden pain brought me back to some semblance of awareness, sharpening my senses.
Tick...
Suddenly, the ticking of the Watch stopped.
I froze.
The watch on my wrist was mechanical; it couldn't have stopped due to a dead battery. How could it just stop like that?
A cool breeze swept through, and the blanket my mother had covered me with before leaving was suddenly blown away.
This room was tightly sealed; where could the wind come from to blow the blanket away?
As I thought about it, I felt a chill run down my spine.
“Wife, is that you?”
At that moment, a man's voice suddenly echoed in the darkness.
“Wife…”
The voice grew louder, as if it were getting closer, and I trembled all over.
Who was it?
Who was speaking?
But the next words from that voice froze me in place.
“Yan Xi, answer me quickly.”
The man's voice came again from outside the door, deep and hoarse, devoid of warmth.
Damn it, why did it feel like he was right at my door, talking to me?
“Yan Xi…”
The voice came again, and this time I couldn’t hold back. I shouted towards the door, “Who…”
As soon as the words left my mouth, a chill ran down my spine.
My mother had warned me countless times not to speak in this room, and I had completely forgotten.
What if something happens?
A sense of unease gripped my heart, growing stronger by the second.
“Ha ha…”
The man suddenly chuckled, his voice rising from a low murmur to an exhilarating laugh, finally erupting into a loud guffaw. It was deep and ethereal, as if it came from the depths of hell.
“So you’re here.”
Before I could comprehend what was happening, the locked door creaked open with a sudden sound.
Bang!
A shadowy figure floated into the room.
I could hardly believe my eyes.
At that moment, a remarkably handsome man entered the room, wearing a deep blue robe embroidered with golden patterns of the Five-Clawed Dragon. Han Che's cold eyes sparkled with a hint of amusement as he looked at me.
A phrase suddenly flashed through my mind: "A smile that could topple a city."
His features were exquisitely proud, like a meticulously carved piece of art. His obsidian-like cold eyes emitted a chilling brilliance that created an overwhelming sense of pressure.
"Who are you?" I heard my own trembling voice echoing in the room.
"Yan Xi, I'm here," the man said as he approached me. His hand gently brushed against my face, his long and powerful fingers carrying an icy chill.
I was bewildered.
Who was he, and how did he know my name?
"Wife, come on, it's time for us to consummate our marriage," he whispered, his cold, thin lips suddenly descending upon mine.
Wife? Consummation night?
These two phrases kept flashing through my mind, and I felt my body becoming uncontrollable.
"You call me Wife?"
My head was spinning, and I hesitantly asked aloud.
"Yes."
As the man's voice fell, the surrounding environment changed.
What was once a pitch-black room instantly transformed into an antique-style boudoir.
Looking down, I realized I was no longer wearing the floral long dress; instead, I was clad in a red ancient-style wedding dress embroidered with a phoenix pattern.
Gazing at my hands, the rough hemp ropes that had bound me were replaced by several intricately carved gold bracelets.
The scent of sandalwood lingered softly beneath the red canopy.
I found myself unable to resist the urge to reach out and touch the man.
What was happening to me? Why were my actions beyond my control?
The man remained silent, merely smiling as he gazed at me, his hand tenderly caressing my face.
I initially wanted to shy away, but he wouldn’t allow it. His hand was somewhat cold, yet wherever it touched my skin felt electrifying, igniting sparks all over.
His broad palm rested on my chest as he unfastened the mandarin collar buttons of my wedding gown.
In my mind, I knew this was wrong, but my limbs refused to obey me; they simply lay helplessly on his hand, offering no resistance.
He first captured my lips in his mouth, gently sucking. I wanted to struggle, but that half cup of milk had left me weak and powerless.
My feeble attempts to break free not only failed to make him stop but instead encouraged him to seize my tongue even more forcefully.
A cold palm brushed against my skin, sending shivers down my spine, and I couldn't help but want to cry out.
With a wave of his hand, our clothes vanished completely.
Seeing his powerful lower body filled me with terror.
"It's thinking of you," he said in an ambiguous and cool voice that echoed in my ear, stirring a deep discomfort within me.
"I don't want it, please..."
Before I could finish my sentence, my body was pinned down, his long and strong legs spreading me apart.
That powerful presence pressed against me.
In an instant, I felt as if cold water had been poured over my head, waking me up.
I cried out; fear gave me strength as I pushed against him with all my might.
Yet, it was all in vain.
Suddenly, a rooster crowed, and the surroundings darkened instantly.
When I opened my eyes again, the man was gone, and standing before me was my mother.
Was everything that just happened a spring dream?
"Gu Yanxi, why are you being so disobedient? Are you trying to drive your mother to her grave? Are you trying to ruin yourself?"
My mother's expression was filled with anger, and my heart sank. Could something really have happened?
Seeing my father beside her, I cautiously asked, "Dad, what's wrong with Mom? Why is she suddenly so fierce with me?"
To my surprise, my father also looked at me with disappointment, shaking his head and letting out a long sigh.
"You, why can't you just listen?"
Recalling what happened last night, I felt a wave of fear wash over me. With tears in my eyes, I looked at my father and said, "Dad, I had a nightmare last night. There was someone who was my husband."
Crash!
My father accidentally knocked over the tea he was bringing to my mother, shattering the cup on the floor with a sharp sound.
He suddenly looked up at me, his gaze filled with sternness.
"Nonsense! What do you mean your husband? That was a ghost—a man-eating ghost."
I was startled by my father's reaction; this was the first time I could remember him being so fierce with me.
A ghost?
"I don't believe it," I explained to my dad. "Dad, it was just a dream, a dream."
"Shut up and go upstairs."
Fine, I'll go. Who's afraid of whom?
I turned and ran up the stairs, ignoring my parents behind me.
The house had been newly built a few years ago. In our village, the houses weren't very tall; ours was only three stories.
The staircase totaled six flights, and even if I walked all the way up, it shouldn't take more than a minute. So why was it taking so long?
My head felt heavier and heavier, and as I walked, I began to feel dizzy, so I closed my eyes for a moment to rest.
When I opened them again, everything had changed completely...
It was pitch black.
What was happening? Had I encountered a ghost again?
Cold sweat broke out on my forehead, and chills ran down my back. My scalp began to tingle uncomfortably.
Fear gripped me, and I quickened my pace, desperately wanting to rush back.
My parents were downstairs; if I could reach them, I would be safe.
But this Endless Dark Road seemed endless, and I kept running as it stretched on and on.
“Hahahaha…”
Laughter echoed in the darkness, a sharp and unpleasant sound that sent shivers down my spine. It was a woman's voice.
I remembered what the elders in the village had said about encountering ghosts: never show fear, for the more afraid you are, the more they will torment you. Also, ghosts are afraid of filthy things.
Steeling myself, I spat a few times at the wall and pointed at it with my hands on my hips, shouting, “Hey, who’s trying to scare me? Show yourself!”
The laughter around me suddenly ceased. Could it be that my tactic worked?
“Hmph, refusing a toast only to drink a punishment,” the woman’s cold voice rang out.
I didn’t quite understand what she meant when a gust of wind swept through, so strong that I could barely keep my eyes open.
When the wind finally died down and I opened my eyes again, I was met with a pair of blood-red eyes.
My neck was being gripped by someone; their icy hands sent chills throughout my body.
In the surrounding darkness, I couldn’t see who was in front of me, but a foul stench assaulted my nostrils.
I trembled all over and struggled, asking, “What do you want?”
The ghostly figure leaned closer and blew a cold breath towards me. Only then did I vaguely make out her face—it was a woman.
A pale, greenish face emerged, one side covered in scars, blood dripping down continuously. One eyeball was missing, while the other dangled outside the eye socket.
I was terrified, my face turning pale and my hair standing on end.
She opened her mouth and spoke to me, "Let me possess you, and I will spare you."
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