"The bride is here!" Amid the cheers, the bride, dressed in her wedding gown, was escorted out.
Bai Siyao's gaze swept across the crowd. Most of the guests appeared normal, though their smiles seemed a bit delayed. However, those organizing the wedding, such as the old man who had earlier welcomed them, seemed faintly shrouded in a dark aura. Surprisingly, the bride herself appeared clean...
Huo Chongxiao shared her assessment, exchanging a glance with her and Yue Yunqiao.
Uncertain of Huo Chongxiao's intention, Bai Siyao watched as he suddenly rushed forward just as the call for the "marital bow" rang out.
"Mother, Mother! Why have you come here? Have you abandoned me, Yun'er, and Meng'er? Come home with us! The children are waiting for you!"
Bai Siyao's eyes widened in shock.
Was this tearful, snot-covered man really Senior Brother Huo? Could this possibly be the same Huo she knew? Had he lost his mind instead?! Before she could think further, Yue Yunqiao was already pulling her sleeve and rushing forward, crying into her hands while grabbing the bride's hem. "Mother, Yun'er was wrong. I won't be mischievous anymore, I'll listen to you from now on. Please come home with us!"
Yue Yunqiao kept throwing Bai Siyao urgent looks.
Bai Siyao twitched, but followed suit, rubbing her eyes hard until they reddened, then looked up at the bride with a pitiful expression and called out, "Mother..."
Everyone was stunned.
What was going on? The bride already had two children? She didn't look it at all! The family elder sitting in the middle hall quickly came to his senses and shouted, "Who are these hooligans? Our daughter-in-law is a pure maiden! What nonsense is this? Quickly, throw them out!"
The dark-aura-infused men pushed forward, looking fierce.
Huo Chongxiao had anticipated this. His outburst was merely an excuse to start a fight. As he dodged and weaved, he unleashed hidden attacks, quickly turning the entire hall into chaos.
Others moved to seize Yue Yunqiao and Bai Siyao, but the two "children" only cried louder, darting around the bride and avoiding capture while causing havoc.
"Hey, who stepped on my shoe? Can't you watch where you're going?"
"Why are you grabbing my wife? Trying to take advantage? Get lost!"
"Who pushed me…?"
The crowd watching the ceremony was too large. One person's fall caused a domino effect, with shoes being stepped on, hairpins falling out, and clothes being torn. It was a mess. Not only did they fail to capture anyone, but they got tangled up themselves.
Seeing the opportunity, Huo Chongxiao grabbed the bride and bolted, shouting, "Mother, since you've had a change of heart, let's go home!"
Their pursuers stumbled, giving Huo Chongxiao the lead, with Yue Yunqiao assisting and Bai Siyao covering the rear as they all dashed out of the courtyard.
They ran full tilt, causing the onlookers outside to hurriedly scatter out of the way.
"Quickly," Huo Chongxiao urged in a low voice. "The demonic energy is spreading. A demon beast is about to be born. We need to get everyone out of here."
Once the demon beast fully formed, its danger would multiply. At that point, the entire village would be doomed.
The bride, dragged along in a daze, struggled and shouted, "Who are you people? Let me go…"
None of them paid her any mind as they sprinted out of the village, heading for the less populated areas.
Halfway out, Bai Siyao sensed something wrong and turned to look. "The groom is chasing us!"
Yue Yunqiao looked back and saw the groom, still in his wedding clothes, charging after them with a ferocious expression. "Damn it! None of you are getting away!"
Huo Chongxiao calmly assessed the situation. "Looks like the demon beast is the groom."
The demon beast had somehow infiltrated the village, taking the groom as its host. The people around him had been corrupted by demonic energy, gradually turning into his accomplices. The rest of the villagers were affected but had not yet lost their minds.
As for the bride, she had a pure soul, the perfect nourishment for the demon beast.
"It's time," Huo Chongxiao said. In the desolate surroundings, he tossed out a few formation flags. With a few sharp cracks, the flags stood upright in the wind, forming a barrier of spiritual light.
The three stopped running. Yue Yunqiao shoved the bride into a corner and said, "If you want to live, don't move." The bride was still in shock, staring wide-eyed as the three dropped their disguises, revealing their true identities.
"You... you all…"
The groom closed in, demonic energy pouring from his body, his appearance becoming more grotesque by the second. His face darkened, limbs elongated, his features twisted, and horns sprouted from his head... His human skin hung loosely, revealing a monstrous form beneath.
The bride screamed, pointing at him with a trembling finger, "A monster!"
None of them paid her any attention. Huo Chongxiao shouted, "Junior Sister!"
Yue Yunqiao responded, planting herself at the formation's core, sword in hand, keeping her eyes fixed on the approaching demon beast.
As the demon beast stepped into the formation, Huo Chongxiao attacked first, his sword strike accompanied by the crack of thunder.
The demon beast let out a low growl, its massive hand sprouting razor-sharp claws as it swiped at him.
Bai Siyao quickly assessed the situation. Huo Chongxiao had already reached the Foundation Establishment stage, with a solid foundation. He should have no trouble handling the demon.
So, like Yue Yunqiao, she took up position at a formation point, occasionally casting spells to lend a hand.
The demon beast was still incomplete, with little intelligence. Each of Huo Chongxiao's strikes cleaved off more of its demonic energy. He took his time, slashing off its hand, its arm, and finally, its black horns...
The demon beast's form shrank bit by bit until it let out a final wail, revealing the groom's exhausted body, collapsed on the ground.
Huo Chongxiao breathed a sigh of relief, sheathing his sword before turning to ask, "Junior Sister, how are you feeling?"
Yue Yunqiao smiled brightly. "I'm fine."
This was her first mission, tagging along with her senior brother to gain experience.
To be honest, tonight had been quite thrilling! So exciting.
Huo Chongxiao nodded, smiling, as he took out a demon-sealing jar to clean up the remnants.
"Senior Brother, have we completed the mission?" Yue Yunqiao asked while gathering the formation flags.
"It's done. We just need to hand everything over to the Disciplinary Hall."
As Huo Chongxiao sealed away the remaining demonic energy, the groom deflated like a punctured balloon, leaving behind only an empty human skin.
It seemed like everything was resolved, but Bai Siyao frowned deeply.
She crouched down, carefully examining the human skin.
If the disappearances were merely the demon's instinctual hunting behavior, then what about the ghost servants? An incomplete demon couldn't have created ghost servants.
"Miss Bai, what's wrong?" Huo Chongxiao asked.
Bai Siyao quickly absorbed the last trace of demonic energy into her fingers, then pointed ahead. "Someone's coming."
Huo Chongxiao looked over just as the sound of hooves approached. Soon, a group of uniformed officers appeared before them.
"Who's there?" The leading officer held up a lantern and barked, "State your name!"
They were guards from Qingyun City, likely having sensed the disturbance in demonic energy during their patrol.
Just in time! Huo Chongxiao stepped forward. "Officers, we are disciples of Danxia Palace..."