Boom!
A deafening explosion echoed outside, shaking the bridal chair violently. Hua Rong's breath hitched, her instincts screaming danger. Whatever the group was facing out there, it was more than they had bargained for. The sounds of clashing steel and snarling creatures filled the air, but her immediate focus was on the ghost looming before her.
"Is Mei'er your lover?" Hua Rong asked, her voice trembling but curious.
The ghost froze, his spectral form flickering as if the question had struck a nerve. His hollow eyes turned toward her, an emotion Hua Rong couldn't quite decipher flashing across his face. But before he could answer, chaos erupted.
With a roar, Wei Yu burst into the bridal chair, his sword gleaming with spiritual energy. His eyes burned red, unnervingly bloodshot, as he lunged at the ghost with a feral intensity.
"Die!" Wei Yu bellowed, his voice rough and unrecognizable.
"No, Wei Yu, stop!" Hua Rong screamed, but her voice fell on deaf ears. Her stomach dropped when she caught a clearer look at him. Those eyes... he's being controlled!
Wei Yu's strikes were relentless, each swing of his blade charged with deadly precision. The ghost parried with his own spectral energy, his translucent figure darting and flickering to evade the blows. The small confines of the bridal chair shook with the force of their battle, each clash reverberating like thunder.
This is my chance! Hua Rong thought. Taking advantage of their intense fight, she scrambled out of the bridal chair, her cumbersome bridal gown tangling around her legs as she stumbled.
"Wei Yu is being controlled!" she yelled desperately, her voice cutting through the din of battle.
Yu Chen, still locked in combat with an unending swarm of skeletons, heard her cry. His sword glinted as it cleaved through the final skeleton, scattering its brittle bones. But before he could take a breath, he caught sight of the scene ahead.
Wei Yu was down, sprawled unconscious on the ground, his sword clattering beside him. The ghost stood over him, a mix of fear and desperation on his face. His translucent hand trembled as he turned to Yu Chen.
"Will you truly... help me find her?" the ghost asked, his lips quivering and his once-menacing aura dimming into something almost vulnerable.
Yu Chen's heart pounded as he dashed to Wei Yu's side, checking his pulse. "He's alive," he muttered with relief, pulling Wei Yu close. He turned a sharp glare to the ghost, his hand tightening on his sword. "What did you do to him?"
"I didn't hurt him," the ghost said quickly, his voice trembling. "He attacked me first. I only defended myself. Please... I need your help."
Yu Chen hesitated, his instincts screaming to strike the ghost down. But Hua Rong's voice echoed in his mind. This ghost is being controlled... If that were true, then perhaps this wasn't as simple as it seemed.
"Help you?" Yu Chen asked cautiously, still holding his sword at the ready.
The ghost nodded, a glimmer of hope crossing his spectral face. "If you help me find Mei'er, I swear I'll stop this."
Before Yu Chen could respond, the ghost's hand glowed with a faint light, gathering spiritual energy into a swirling orb.
"Wait—what are you doing?" Yu Chen shouted, raising his sword.
"I have no time to wait!" the ghost cried, his voice laced with desperation. With a sudden motion, he released the energy, hitting Yu Chen square in the chest.
Yu Chen gasped as the energy enveloped him, his vision blurring and his limbs going numb. The world around him spun, and before he could react, he collapsed to his knees, falling into a deep trance.
"Yu Chen!" Hua Rong's voice broke through the haze, but she was too far away to reach him.
The ghost stood silently, his form flickering like a candle in the wind. He looked down at Yu Chen with trembling hands, his voice a soft plea. "Please... Mei'er is the only one I have left. Don't fail me."
Hua Rong watched the scene unfold, helpless and furious, her fists clenching as she tried to think of a way to turn the tide. Time was running out, and the stakes had just grown unimaginably higher.