Laughter rippled out across the mountains and fields, ethereal and eerie. Yet the bridal sedan did not pause, continuing steadily on its way. Even George and Emma made no sound, as if they hadn’t noticed anything unusual.

William Carter opened his eyes and said softly, “George, Emma.”

George, on the left side of the sedan, asked, “What is it?”

William Carter said, “Something is coming.”

At this moment, the “wedding procession” was gradually entering the depths of Yujun Mountain.

The surroundings grew ever more silent; even the creaking of the wooden sedan, the crunching of twigs and dead leaves underfoot, and the porters’ breathing all seemed somewhat noisy in this stillness.

And the child’s laughter had not faded. Sometimes it sounded far away, as if deep within the forest; sometimes it was close, as if right beside the sedan.

George’s expression grew grave. “I don’t hear anything.”

Emma said coldly, “Neither do I.”

As for the other porters, it was even less likely they’d heard anything.

William Carter said, “So that means it’s deliberately letting only me hear it.”

The eight martial officers had originally been confident in their skills, and since the ghost groom’s weddings seemed to follow no pattern, they were sure tonight would be uneventful and felt little fear. But somehow, they suddenly recalled the forty wedding escorts who had mysteriously disappeared before, and a few of them broke out in a cold sweat. William Carter noticed someone’s steps falter and said, “Don’t stop. Pretend nothing is wrong.”

George waved his hand, signaling them to keep moving. William Carter added, “He’s singing.”

Emma asked, “Singing what?”

Listening carefully to the child’s voice, William Carter recited, word by word, pausing between each line: “New bride, new bride, new bride on the red bridal sedan…”

In the dead of night, his slow voice was clear as day. Though it was obviously him reciting, the eight martial officers seemed to hear a childish voice singing this strange little rhyme along with him, sending chills down their spines.

William Carter continued, “Tearful eyes, crossing the hill, under the veil don’t… show a smile… ghost groom… ghost groom? Or something else?”

He paused, then said, “No good. It keeps laughing, I can’t make it out.”

George frowned. “What do you mean?”

William Carter said, “Literally. It’s telling the bride in the sedan to cry, not to smile.”

George said, “I mean, what does it mean that this thing came to warn you?”

But Emma always had a different opinion. “It might not be a warning at all. Maybe it’s deliberately saying the opposite—maybe only by smiling can you stay safe, but its goal is to trick people into crying. Who’s to say previous brides didn’t fall for it this way?”

William Carter said, “Emma, an ordinary bride, hearing something like this on the road, would be scared out of her wits—how could she possibly smile? Besides, whether I cry or smile, what’s the worst that could happen?”

Emma said, “Get taken away.”

William Carter said, “Isn’t that exactly what we set out tonight to do?”

Emma snorted but didn’t argue further. William Carter said, “Also, there’s something I think I have to tell you both.”

George said, “What is it?”

William Carter said, “From the moment I got in the sedan, I’ve been smiling.”

“……”

As soon as he finished speaking, the sedan suddenly lurched downward!

Outside, the eight martial officers were thrown into chaos, and the sedan came to a complete stop. George shouted, “Don’t panic!”

William Carter lifted his head slightly and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Emma replied coolly, “Nothing much. Just ran into a pack of beasts.”

No sooner had he finished than William Carter heard a piercing wolf howl cut through the night sky.

A pack of wolves blocked the way!

No matter how William Carter thought about it, it didn’t seem right. He asked, “Let me ask, do wolf packs often appear in Yujun Mountain?”

A martial officer outside replied, “Never heard of such a thing! How could this be Yujun Mountain!”

William Carter raised his eyebrows. “Well, then we’re definitely in the right place.”

A pack of wolves in the wild mountains was nothing that could trouble George and Emma, nor the martial officers who lived by the sword. It was just that they’d all been preoccupied with that ghostly song, so they’d been caught off guard. In the darkness, pairs of green, glowing wolf eyes lit up, and one hungry wolf after another emerged from the forest, surrounding them. But compared to the unseen, untouchable things, these visible beasts were much easier to handle, so everyone readied themselves for a fierce fight. However, the real show was yet to come. Following the wolves’ steps, a strange rustling sound arose—neither beast nor human.

A martial officer cried out in alarm, “What… what is that! What is that thing!!”

George cursed as well. William Carter sensed something was wrong and tried to stand up. “What is it now?”

George immediately said, “Don’t come out!”

As soon as William Carter raised his hand, the sedan jolted violently, as if something was clawing at the door. He didn’t lower his head, but his gaze dropped slightly, and through a gap beneath the bridal veil, he saw the back of something’s black head.

It had actually crawled into the sedan!