We were supposed to be doing horror movie guides, but what the heck is this "mysterious resurre

Chapter 187 The Bride Who Keeps the Books, The Bleeding Portrait (1 words)

Clearly, Xiong Wenwen was quite frightened, and she started talking nonsense.

From his perspective, he was lifted into the air, surrounded by a misty haze, with four stilt-walking ghosts beneath him wearing masks with painted facial features.

The most terrifying thing was that dull thumping sounds kept coming from the coffin he was sitting in, along with the sound of sharp fingernails scraping against the wooden planks.

At first, the knocking sound was very faint, but later, the entire coffin lid began to tremble, as if it was about to be opened at any moment and the contents inside were about to rush out.

Sitting on the coffin lid, Xiong Wenwen felt the most direct and fearful emotions.

The ghost was very, very close to Xiong Wenwen, and he was unable to move or even control his limbs. This sense of powerlessness would make people feel fear from the bottom of their hearts.

······
On the country road, Lu Ming's mind raced.

"During these three days of the ghost feast, there are specific tasks to be done each day. If you don't follow the rules, you will be killed. This is somewhat similar to the seven days in the haunted house."

"As long as you can enjoy the feast for half a day and not be killed by the ghost, the first day is over. But the second day is obviously not that simple; it's no longer just about enjoying the feast."

At four o'clock in the morning, the red lanterns outside the mourning hall turned into white lanterns, and the red coffin turned into a black coffin. The ghost also took Xiong Wenwen away.

Lu Ming speculated that the reason why the ghost chose to take Xiong Wenwen away among them was because Xiong Wenwen was the youngest and most suitable to ride on the coffin to "ascend the coffin".

However, these are not the most important things right now.

Time is running out for them, or rather for Xiong Wenwen.

If no action is taken, Xiong Wenwen will be carried into the depths of that fog and never come back.

Just as Lu Ming was about to set off to rescue Xiong Wenwen, everyone suddenly noticed that the four ghosts on stilts had stopped.

Many dense, dark shadows appeared in the thick fog in front of Xiong Wenwen.

These dark figures stood numbly in place, just like the ghosts they had seen on the first day; none of them had faces.

They faced Xiong Wenwen with their featureless faces, remaining motionless for the time being, as if they had come to pay their respects.

However, Xiong Wenwen clearly remembered that the lid of the coffin was opened by one corner, and looking through that corner, she could see that there was no corpse inside the coffin.

So whose funeral are these ghosts attending?

At this moment, Xiong Wenwen realized that the knocking sound from the coffin beneath him had stopped, and he had regained control of his body.

But he still dared not move.

With so many ghosts, each with their own unique killing patterns, any action could lead to certain death.

His supernatural ability is precognition, making him more suitable as a support in a team than a lone wolf.

Therefore, the best choice at this time is not to act rashly.

Lu Ming's voice came from afar: "Take out the ghost camera and the ghost candle first, and don't touch them."

He had tried to get closer to where Xiong Wenwen was earlier.

However, in this haunted place, the terrain and distance can change at any time.

Once Lu Ming tried to get closer, he found that the distance between him and Xiong Wenwen not only did not get closer, but was actually pulled further apart.

If a powerful invasion using the Ghost Domain is employed, this approach is even less feasible.

If so many vengeful ghosts were to trigger their killing patterns simultaneously, not only Xiong Wenwen, but even Lu Ming might not be able to withstand it.

Moreover, the fact that Xiong Wenwen was not injured at this time is very likely because the black coffin provided some protection.

Any ghost tamer other than Xiong Wenwen who tries to get close will suffer a terrible fate.

The paper figure that Liu San had before is a good example.

Therefore, Lu Ming instructed Xiong Wenwen to take out the ghost camera and ghost candle that he had obtained from headquarters, in order to buy some time.

While still suspended in mid-air, Xiong Wenwen suppressed her fear and, as Lu Ming had instructed, took out the ghost camera and a scarlet ghost candle.

The ghost camera was originally prepared for the paranormal events in Taiping Ancient Town, but I never expected it would come in handy at this time.

Xiong Wenwen lit a ghost candle with one hand and held a ghost camera in the other, sitting on the black coffin.

The moment the ghost candle was lit, it began to burn fiercely.

This was almost entirely predictable.

Although no vengeful ghosts attacked, the sheer number of them still created an extremely dangerous environment, and the ghost candle would only last for a minute before going out.

boom!
The four stilt-walking ghosts suddenly let go at the same time, and the heavy black coffin slammed to the ground, giving the impression that it was about to fall apart at any moment.

But under some supernatural influence, the coffin lid only shook slightly before returning to its original state.

"hiss!"

Xiong Wenwen bared her teeth, her fear somewhat lessened by her annoyance.

His buttocks were numb from the shock, but with one hand holding the ghost camera and the other holding the ghost candle, he couldn't free his hands to rub his buttocks.

"Do you really think your bear dad is a pushover? If you piss me off, I'll lock you all in the camera."

Whether they truly understood Xiong Wenwen's words or the sudden disturbance was a signal of some kind of change, the densely packed vengeful ghosts slowly turned their heads, staring directly at Xiong Wenwen with their featureless faces.

Xiong Wenwen's expression changed drastically, and she waved her hands repeatedly, saying, "No, no, no, your father was just joking. It would be no fun if you took it seriously."

Xiong Wenwen's actions left Lu Ming and the others, who were watching from a distance, speechless.

After all, only a few vengeful ghosts possess consciousness like the wishing ghost.

These ghosts didn't understand Xiong Wenwen's words, of course; rather, the coffin-raising ceremony ended, and some unknown killing pattern was triggered.

If Xiong Wenwen remains stationary, there is only one fate awaiting him: to be killed by the ghost.

He only possesses precognitive supernatural abilities; the ghosts he commands have no ghostly domain and no ability to protect themselves, so he can only rely on supernatural props to survive.

With just a ghost candle, surviving a typical paranormal event shouldn't be too difficult.

But facing so many vengeful ghosts, hoping to survive with just a ghost candle is nothing short of wishful thinking.

Sure enough, when all the ghosts turned towards Xiong Wenwen, the ghost candles suddenly started burning faster.

The ghost candle, which was originally able to last for a minute, will burn out in at most another ten seconds, judging from the current trend.

Xiong Wenwen was so frightened that she didn't know what to do. Just then, Lu Ming's voice came.

"Don't even think about running away. If you turn around, the ghost will kill you."

"What should I do then? Lu Ming, you have to think of something quickly..."

After all, she was just a child, and Xiong Wenwen's voice was already trembling with sobs.

Lu Ming's voice remained largely unchanged; he simply gave his answer after careful consideration.

"Using a ghost camera to take pictures of vengeful ghosts."

"Photograph?"

Xiong Wenwen's expression changed again.

The method doesn't sound very reliable.

Although his knowledge of the supernatural and his ghost camera seem like a perfect match, it's important to know that he's encountered more than one vengeful ghost.

Even if you're lucky enough to imprison one or two vengeful ghosts, what decisive role can that play?

"If you want to live, don't question me."

In paranormal events, various unexpected situations can change in an instant.

If you have to explain every arrangement and decision beforehand, you'll miss the best opportunities.

Xiong Wenwen gritted her teeth and finally believed Lu Ming.

He raised his old camera and pointed it at the ghost in the foreground, but instead of pressing the shutter immediately, he first used his precognitive supernatural abilities.

"In my premonition, I successfully imprisoned this vengeful ghost using a ghost camera."

After confirming the final result, Xiong Wenwen pressed the shutter.

Click!

With the appearance of a black and white photograph, the faceless ghost captured by the camera vanished into thin air.

More accurately, the ghost appeared in the photograph.

"That camera... it could so easily imprison a real, vengeful ghost..."

Li Yang, watching from a distance, couldn't help but be somewhat shocked.

This was the first time he had ever seen such a peculiar supernatural object.

Lu Ming said calmly, "The more powerful the supernatural object, the greater the price to pay. This ghost camera is very unusual. It can be said to be a life-or-death gamble with a vengeful ghost. If you're unlucky, the one trapped in the black and white photo will not be the vengeful ghost, but the ghost controller using the camera."

That's how the supernatural world is; there are gains and losses. If you want to use supernatural power, you have to pay a certain price.

It's cruel, but it's also fair.

Xiong Wenwen, who had successfully used the Ghost Appraisal Mechanism to subdue a vengeful ghost, did not appear particularly happy.

On the contrary, his already pale face became even worse, making him look like a real vengeful ghost.

Xiong Wenwen only controlled one ghost, and there were no other vengeful ghosts in her body to balance it.

This means that every time he uses his precognitive supernatural abilities, he gets one step closer to the resurgence of the vengeful spirit.

So even if Xiong Wenwen were given an incredible luck buff, allowing him to successfully imprison a vengeful ghost every time he presses the shutter, he still wouldn't be able to survive in that situation.

However, Xiong Wenwen was calmer than before, seemingly having accepted the final outcome, and thus chose to completely trust Lu Ming, even if it seemed hopeless.

Click!

Click!

I had two more premonitions and pressed the shutter twice.

Two vengeful ghosts without facial features were imprisoned inside a black and white photograph.

The ghost candle burned out completely at this point.

The countless vengeful spirits who had come to offer their condolences, standing amidst the thick fog, also began to move.

Finally, Xiong Wenwen didn't press the shutter this time. Instead, her face turned grim as she said, "Lu Ming, we can't use the ghost camera anymore. My premonition tells me that this detention will fail, and I'm afraid I won't make it back alive. Could you please take care of my mother...?"

Xiong Wenwen wasn't joking this time. His expression was pale and solemn, like a dying man entrusting his last words.

For many people, the truth is often hidden in casual jokes.

Xiong Wenwen used to think about introducing his mother to Lu Ming. It seemed like he was joking, but in fact, he knew that as a ghost tamer, he would die sooner or later, so he wanted to find a powerful support for his mother.

He might not normally say these things, but his intuition told him that if he didn't say them now, he might never have the chance to say them again.

However, Lu Ming did not agree to this request.

"Don't overthink it, just keep pressing the shutter."

Upon hearing Lu Ming's instructions, not only Xiong Wenwen, but also Li Jun and the others were quite puzzled.

Xiong Wenwen's predictions are usually accurate. Since she knew that pressing the shutter this time would trap her in the photo, why did Lu Ming still have Xiong Wenwen use the ghost camera?

Click!

At this moment, Xiong Wenwen, who was in danger, hesitated for only a very short time before pressing the shutter button on the camera as Lu Ming had instructed.

At the last moment, Xiong Wenwen understood the meaning behind Lu Ming's instructions.

He reacted quickly, knowing that this was a last resort.

He'd put himself inside the photo; how to get him out of it was up to Lu Ming.

Just as Xiong Wenwen had predicted, the old camera emitted a blinding flash. At the same time, whether it was her imagination or not, Xiong Wenwen heard a scratching sound in her mind.

This time, the vengeful ghost captured by the ghost camera did not disappear; instead, Xiong Wenwen vanished from the spot.

A colorless black and white photograph was ejected from the camera, looking like a funeral portrait.

The pale-faced child above is Xiong Wenwen.

A young child was photographed in a funeral portrait, and it looked quite gruesome.

"Captain, are you... planning to lock Xiong Wenwen inside a black-and-white photograph to protect her from these ghosts' attacks?"

Li Yang admired Lu Ming for coming up with such a solution in a dangerous situation.

But at the same time, I have some concerns.

Can the demon tamer trapped in this black and white photograph really be rescued?

If the ghost tamer's consciousness is supernaturally erased the moment he is locked up, then who is rescued, Xiong Wenwen or the ghost inside him?

Lu Ming had, of course, already considered the issues that Li Yang was considering.

However, locking himself inside the ghost camera was the only possible way for Xiong Wenwen to survive.

Just before Xiong Wenwen was about to be locked in the ghost camera, Lu Ming cast Freddy's curse on him.

"You are Xiong Wenwen, not a ghost."

This curse comes from that vengeful, idealistic ghost in the island nation.

Before killing the pianist from the King's Organization, Lu Ming merged the ghost with Freddy as a puzzle piece.

After being subjected to this idealistic curse, Xiong Wenwen's consciousness will be protected to a certain extent.

In this way, as long as the degree of resurgence of the vengeful spirit inside Xiong Wenwen is not too high, it is highly likely that Xiong Wenwen will survive in the end, rather than the ghost inside him.

"The problem now is that although Xiong Wenwen in the black and white photo is still alive in a special way, she is missing a body and a supernatural prop that can transfer consciousness."

"As for the body, Liu San's paper doll is the most suitable. It can suppress the resurgence of the evil spirit and also make Xiong Wenwen's condition more stable, making her a special kind of anomaly."

"As for transferring consciousness... Xiong Wenwen's consciousness is sealed in a photograph; transferring it using a blood-stained old newspaper is definitely not an option..."

"We still need to use the ghost spirit tablet."

Lu Ming ultimately decided that it would be safer to "borrow" the ghost tablet from Guo Fan.

This behavior wasn't very humane, but Lu Ming thought about it and realized that this wasn't the first time he had done something like this; the Ghost Embroidered Shoes were something he had taken from Qian Yi.

Moreover, strictly speaking, Lu Ming himself is not a real person, so this doesn't really matter to him.

"Before coming here, I heard that Guo Fan's condition was very unstable and that he was about to be resurrected by a vengeful ghost... After we get out, we can ask Wang Xiaoming about the situation."

Of course, Lu Ming did not intend to feed the borrowed ghost spirit tablet to the ghost child after he finished using it; instead, he planned to keep it for himself.

This thing is related to funerals, and it is highly likely that it is one of the pieces of the White Demon puzzle.

When Lu Ming heard about the ghost memorial tablet, he remembered the photo on it, which was in the same format as the photo taken by the ghost camera.

If nothing unexpected happens, the photo on the memorial tablet was taken with a ghost camera. The memorial tablet itself is a ghost, and the photo on it is another kind of supernatural object.

"Could the portrait I saw in the funeral hall last night also have needed to be taken with a ghost camera?"

Lu Ming recalled the portrait of the deceased displayed on the altar in the center of the mourning hall.

It's more accurate to call it a picture frame than a memorial portrait.

The actual portrait is missing, and it seems to be waiting for someone to fill in the gap.

However, Lu Ming dismissed the idea shortly after it came to mind.

"It's unlikely. The size doesn't match. The photo of the deceased was probably not taken with a ghost camera. There must be something else going on."

Freddy's curse is used to protect consciousness, the ghost spirit is used to transfer consciousness, Liu San's paper doll serves as a new body, and there is also an old black and white photograph.

Everything that Xiong Wenwen retrieved from the photos has been prepared.

Overall, the probability of success is quite high. However, since it involves the supernatural, there are bound to be risks, which is unavoidable.

My mindset was similar to when I first let Li Yang control the Ghost Corpse Spot.

For Li Yang and Xiong Wenwen, this change is both a danger and an opportunity.

If they hadn't encountered such danger, using a ghost to handle paranormal events would only exacerbate the resurgence of the vengeful spirit within them each time they used the supernatural, and they would die before long.

Especially Xiong Wenwen.

Although this kid is always talking big and seems quite mischievous, in reality, Xiong Wenwen basically obeys orders from headquarters.

Whether dealing with the paranormal events at Caesars Hotel or Taiping Ancient Town, Xiong Wenwen never refused after receiving instructions from headquarters.

With such frequent use of precognitive supernatural abilities, it's only a matter of time before vengeful spirits resurface.

Lu Ming's current actions have provided him with a new possibility.

···········
After Xiong Wenwen was turned into a black and white photograph, the atmosphere became somewhat silent.

Even if Xiong Wenwen makes careless remarks, people generally don't take it to heart.

It's because, in their eyes, Xiong Wenwen should have been carefree at that age, but he has suffered too much because of controlling vengeful spirits.

Unexpectedly, he died in a paranormal event.

Although a black and white photo remained, Li Jun and the others were unaware of Lu Ming's plan and only felt that Xiong Wenwen was unlikely to be saved.

Seemingly near yet far, the countless ghosts, including the few carrying coffins, vanished, disappearing once more into the thick fog.

They carried it away along with the black coffin.

Xiong Wenwen's black and white photo drifted to the spot, unnoticed by them.

For these ghosts, Xiong Wenwen, the only one who triggered the killing pattern, was already dead, so it was time for them to leave.

Lu Ming casually pulled out a gold revolver.

boom!
A huge gunshot rang out.

A specially made gold bullet was embedded in the mud next to the black and white photograph.

Even if the location in the haunted land changes, the supernatural cannot affect the gold.

The location marked by the bullet is where Xiong Wenwen's black and white photo is located.

"We'll take Xiong Wenwen's photo after this paranormal incident is resolved."

Of the original team, Xiong Wenwen was lost, leaving Lu Ming, Li Jun, Li Yang, and Liu San.

And the two ghost tamers who were lucky enough to be assigned to the same table as Lu Ming and thus survived.

They were clearly much more sensible than the ghost tamer who wanted to replace Lu Ming as the ghost groom yesterday.

All he wanted was to save his own life; he dared not utter a single unnecessary word.

"Captain, there seems to be some movement in the direction we came from."

Li Yang pointed to the road they had come from.

At the end of the road, there was still a place for the banquet, and that eerie mourning hall.

Starting at four in the morning, the red lanterns in front of the mourning hall turned into white lanterns, which meant that the mourning hall was no longer safe and that ghosts could invade it at any time, or that there might even be vengeful ghosts in the mourning hall itself.

However, the noise Li Yang was referring to did not come from inside the mourning hall.

Instead, at the intersection, there was a dilapidated wooden table with a cracked stool in front of it. Both the table and the stool exuded an eerie aura, making one instinctively feel a sense of danger. What was most eye-catching was a sign placed on the table.

The sign had crooked, black lettering.

"Fifty yuan per person as a gift."

The handwriting on the sign was ugly; it looked like it was written by a vengeful ghost.

Lu Ming said, "It seems that Xiong Wenwen's experience of carrying the coffin and the rules of the second day of the Ghost Feast are unrelated. It's simply because he triggered an additional killing pattern... The rules of the second day of the Ghost Feast should be related to the table and the wooden plaque right now."

On the first day, everyone immediately began the feast without giving any monetary gifts.

On the contrary, the next day, each person was required to give a gift of fifty yuan.

Gifts given to ghosts are not made with ordinary currency, but rather with ghost money.

Liu San revealed a disdainful expression: "Attending the banquet is dangerous, and they didn't pay us. Now they're asking us for money instead. Since they still want money, we won't go. We'll wait until the day ends, until the white lanterns turn red, and then hide back in the mourning hall at night."

Lu Ming shook his head, rejecting his suggestion: "It's not that simple. Look over there."

He pointed in another direction.

The fog, which had dissipated shortly after Xiong Wenwen entered the photo, suddenly gathered again.

Within the thick fog, countless dark shadows could be vaguely discerned.

The ghost appeared once again.

These vengeful spirits surged toward them like a tide.

It's easy to guess that those who pay a gift can enjoy a feast in the courtyard, while those who can't afford to pay a gift will be kept out.

They were able to avoid many terrible dangers.

Conversely, if they are unwilling to pay the dowry, or simply cannot afford such a large sum of money, Lu Ming and the others will be killed by the swarming vengeful ghosts.

"Fifty yuan per person? That's outrageous."

Lu Ming silently complained to himself.

Aside from the two unfamiliar ghost tamers, there were four people in their group.

A total of 200 yuan in "ghost money" is required as a gift.

It is undoubtedly an astronomical figure.

Even if any ghost tamer from headquarters came, they wouldn't be able to come up with so much ghost money.

However, Lu Mingcai had robbed a coffin shop in the Ghost Street of Taiping Ancient Town and still had more than 300 yuan in his hands.

It was barely enough to pay the gift money to the few people on my side.

"Even the ghost who collects money isn't here, so it's definitely impossible for me to come up with this much money."

Being able to pay money and being willing to pay money are two different concepts.

Lu Ming, holding the ghost bride's hand, unleashed the Ghost Painting Ghost Domain.

They wanted to use the Ghost Domain to directly invade it.

However, to Lu Ming's surprise, the five-layered ghost domain, which had been effective when robbing the coffin shop, became extremely slow when invading the courtyard in front of the mourning hall.

Moreover, while he was invading, a large group of fierce ghosts in the mist suddenly accelerated their pace as they walked stiffly toward this side.

Their steps remained slow and uncoordinated, but every two steps they would suddenly appear far away.

"It seems that forcing our way in won't work."

Lu Ming promptly withdrew the Ghost Domain.

If this continues, he's not sure if these ghosts will end up like him, barging into the courtyard where the banquet is being held without paying any gifts.

At that time, it will be the same whether we enter the courtyard or not; we will still have to deal with such a large number of vengeful ghosts at the same time.

Even so, Lu Ming still had no intention of paying.

It's only a little over three hundred yuan in total. It's absolutely impossible for him to take out more than two hundred yuan for such a strange thing.

"Captain, what should we do? Do we still have to pay? If we don't have enough money, you can go in first."

In Li Yang's view, apart from Lu Ming, all other ghost tamers were only second-rate or even third-rate, including himself.

The most important thing is that Lu Ming survives.

Only when top-tier ghost tamers like Lu Ming are still alive can the overall social situation remain stable.

"No need to rush, they're just a few brats who think they can steal money from me."

Lu Ming's expression darkened, and he turned his gaze to the cracked chair in front of the old wooden table.

The chair was empty; there was no ghost guarding it and collecting gifts.

There is a high possibility that there are no actual regulators here, and it is just operating based on a set of rules.

"Perhaps we can start by looking at this damn thing itself."

Once Lu Ming had the idea, he immediately took action.

He led the ghost bride to the cracked wooden chair.

I originally planned to just sit down.

But after thinking about it, Lu Ming decided to let the ghost bride sit first.

This cracked wooden chair is tainted with a terrifying supernatural aura. Anyone who tries to seduce a ghost would likely meet a terrible end if they sat on it. This thing is clearly made specifically for vengeful ghosts.

Even though Lu Ming's mental strength far surpasses that of ordinary ghost tamers, and he also controls Freddy, he is able to protect his consciousness.

Sitting on it doesn't necessarily mean you'll be assimilated immediately.

However, Lu Ming's strong mental power does not mean that he is invincible and can ignore the influence of the supernatural.

It simply means that it can make the rate of supernatural invasion extremely slow.

It's better to let the ghost bride take this unnecessary risk.

The ghost bride wore a bright red wedding dress, and her body and face were exactly the same as He Yuelian's, making her perfect.

However, despite her voluptuous figure, due to supernatural influences, she became almost weightless, as if made of paper.

After the ghost bride sat on the cracked wooden chair, the chair creaked and groaned.

This is certainly not because of the weight of the ghost bride, but because the ghost bride is fighting against the ghostly presence of the wooden chair.

"As I guessed, if I were the one sitting there, it would have been quite a hassle."

Not long after, the creaking sound stopped.

The bride, holding a ghost pen in one hand and Lu Ming's hand in the other, sat at the wooden table at the village entrance, looking perfectly at ease.

"Success."

Lu Ming's heart stirred slightly. He took out a stack of colorful ghost money and handed it to Li Yang, saying, "This is a gift. Just give it to me."

Not only Li Yang, but the others were also stunned by Lu Ming's actions.

"Is this okay?"

"Giving money yourself and receiving money yourself, isn't this just going through the motions?"

Lu Ming didn't explain much.

Often, paranormal events are just like that—they don't make sense. Some seemingly absurd actions can be resolved smoothly as long as they conform to certain rules.

As is the case now.

Since giving money as a gift is required for attending a banquet, Lu Ming will give money, but in the end, this money will still end up in his own hands.

Li Yang roughly counted the ghost money Lu Ming had given him.

These colorful ghost coins total one hundred yuan.

If it were just ordinary money, one hundred yuan would be nothing to these ghost tamers.

But Li Yang knew very well that this was extremely precious ghost money. Back when they were in the ghost street of Taiping Ancient Town, they needed to use this ghost money to trade with the evil ghosts.

Even the vengeful ghosts on the ghost stage, who cannot be seen without a medium, will fight over the ghost money when they see it.

One hundred yuan is, without exaggeration, a huge sum of money.

"Fifty yuan per person, the team leader gave me one hundred yuan, probably wanting me to give him the gift money as well."

Although Lu Ming didn't remind Li Yang, Li Yang instantly understood what his captain meant.

Without warning, an accounting book appeared in front of the ghost bride.

This is no ordinary ledger; writing on it with a regular brush will leave no trace.

However, the ghost bride was able to record things clearly using the ghost pen in her hand.

"and many more."

Just as Li Yang was about to put the money on the table, Lu Ming suddenly remembered something.

“Li Yang, don’t follow the instructions on the wooden sign to pay fifty yuan per person. It could be a trap.”

After saying that, Lu Ming took out two more three-yuan ghost coins and handed them to Li Yang.

"Fifty-three yuan per person, give an extra three yuan."

"Okay, Captain."

He accepted the ghost money without asking any further questions.

He was unaware of Lu Ming's plans.

Long ago, Lu Ming had heard from the older generation about a special taboo.

In earlier times, guests who came to offer condolences could not give an even number of money as a gift; they had to give an odd number.

Otherwise, it would be a grave mistake, like having plates overlapping, which is considered an unlucky taboo.

Good things come in pairs.

This means that someone else will die.

Judging from the rules of the first day of the Ghost Feast, it's not that Lu Ming was overthinking things; such rules are very likely to actually exist.

As for why they didn't give forty-seven yuan...
It's very simple. Giving three yuan more is no big deal, but giving three yuan less is a big problem.

After Li Yang gave the betrothal money, the ghost bride held the ghost pen and began to record things in the supernatural ledger.

"Lu Ming, Fifty-Three Yuan."

"Li Yang, Fifty-Three Yuan."

After recording the two people in the ledger, Lu Ming and Li Yang both had a strange feeling.

They are now free to enter and exit the courtyard in front of the mourning hall.

Subsequently, Lu Ming gave the money he received to Li Jun and Liu San in turn, repeating the previous operation.

They all entered the courtyard in front of the mourning hall without any hindrance.

Until the last two.

Before Lu Ming could speak, Ji Yuan proactively said with a smile, "Captain Lu, please feel free to ask if you need our help in the future. We will definitely cooperate fully. Look at this..."

He carefully examined the ghost money in Lu Ming's hand, the meaning of which was self-evident.

"Alright, you two are too low-level. If I really needed you, I'd probably send you to your deaths."

"Just don't cause me any trouble."

After saying that, he gave Li Yang a look, and the latter handed a stack of ghost money to Ji Yuan.

At the same time, Li Yang kept a close eye on Ji Yuan and another ghost tamer, on guard against the two of them doing anything that might threaten Lu Ming or steal the ghost money.

The two ghost tamers were moved to tears and thanked Lu Ming repeatedly.

"Thank you so much, Captain Lu. You're really too kind."

Lu Ming shook his head indifferently: "This is only the second day. Nobody knows what the rules will be on the third day of the Ghost Feast. You may not even survive, so there's no need to thank me."

Upon hearing this, Ji Yuan's expression became more serious, and he solemnly said, "Captain Lu, that's not how it works. If it weren't for you, we would have died on the first day. How could we have survived until now? You provided us with the possibility of survival. Even if we died on the third day, it would only be our own fault for not being capable enough, and we can't blame anyone else."

"It's best if you have this awareness."

The courtyard in front of the mourning hall was filled with tables for the banquet, just like yesterday.

On the second day of the ghost feast, the vengeful ghosts responsible for serving the dishes all wore masks shaped like human faces. Some had stiff smiles, while others had their lips pressed down as if they were crying.

However, to Lu Ming's surprise, these ghosts not only did not guide the ghost tamer to trigger their killing patterns as they did on the first day, but they also took away the vengeful ghosts that Lu Ming could not send away after the food was served.

They were just like real restaurant waiters.

"Is this the treatment we get after paying money?"

Lu Ming couldn't help but smile wryly.

No matter where you are, those who have paid money definitely make a difference.

However, these ghosts will probably never know that the money they paid went back into Lu Ming's pocket.

The day passed quickly while we waited.

The second day of the ghost feast has ended.

There's only one day left.

The demon tamers who were sitting at the other round tables were all dead.

Today, even Xiong Wenwen from Lu Ming's team has been lost, becoming a black-and-white memorial photo.

The rest of the team members were somewhat moved and very grateful.

Fortunately, Lu Ming was leading the team, which is why they were able to survive such a dangerous supernatural event.

If the team leader were Li Jun or Liu San, they would have no problem handling ordinary paranormal events, but in a paranormal event like the Ghost Eats the Feast, they would definitely not be as perfect as Lu Ming.

After midnight, the two white lanterns hanging in front of the mourning hall turned red again.

"Come into the mourning hall with me."

In this eerie village, terrifying things happen at night; only the mourning hall is safe.

The interior of the mourning hall was not much different from last night, except that the coffin that was placed in the center was gone.

After the red coffin turned black, it was carried away by four masked, stilt-walking ghosts on the second day of the ghost feast.

Apart from that, the photo frame of the portrait, the black altar, and the rice with incense sticks remained unchanged.

Around midnight, the eerie wind outside the mourning hall intensified once again.

The two door panels that were not closed made a clanging sound.

Then came the sound of footsteps approaching from afar.

The footsteps were different from those of ordinary vengeful ghosts; they were not too heavy, but rather unhurried and quiet.

A ghost stood outside the mourning hall.

Thump, thump!
A rhythmic knock on the door sounded.

No one answered.

After a while, there was another knock on the door.

Thump, thump!
Still no one answered.

If Yang Jian were here, he might be startled by the sudden knocking.

Lu Ming didn't seem to notice anything about it, and didn't even ask Li Yang to go up and block the door.

Strange things happen in the village at night, which is normal.

As long as you don't open the door, nothing will happen.

The two red lanterns hanging outside the mourning hall will protect their safety.

Whether it was the loud pushing of the door last night or the strange knocking today, it was all an attempt to lure the people in the mourning hall to open the door.

Unsuspecting ghost tamers might be fooled, but Lu Ming was clearly not one of them.

The night passed just like that.

With the faint, sparse barking of black dogs, dawn broke again.

Finally, the third and final day of the ghost feast incident arrived.

Lu Ming knew this was the most crucial day, determining whether he could lead Li Yang and the others to break the curse of the Ghostly Feast and return alive.

This also determines whether he can integrate the important piece of the puzzle—the White Demon's Feast.

"The message from the paper effigy won't be wrong. For me, the key is restarting, but so far I haven't needed to restart anything..."

"Now we'll have to see what dangers await us on the third day."

boom!
There was no wind, and no one pushed the door open, but the wooden door in front of the mourning hall was suddenly opened.

The two large lanterns changed from red to white.

Lu Ming was about to lead the way out of the mourning hall.

But suddenly a shrill scream came from behind him.

"what!"

Lu Ming quickly turned his head and saw that one of the two ghost tamers who had been following them had his neck snapped by a ghostly hand that suddenly emerged from his spiritual platform.

The cabinet under the altar was opened, but the sound of it opening overlapped with the sound of the wooden door opening, so it did not attract anyone's attention.

Inside the altar, there was a complete corpse.

The corpse was already rotting, and when the cabinet was opened, it emitted a foul stench.

Li Yang, Li Jun, and Liu San also noticed the corpse in the spirit platform and prepared to deal with the ghost.

Li Yang, in particular, planned to go straight up and close the cabinet door to prevent the ghost from escaping from the spirit platform.

"Did the smell of incense mask the stench of a corpse? Did the ghost just spend the night with us like that?"

“No, this ghost appeared suddenly. There was no ghost in the spirit platform the night before, otherwise the ghost would have appeared under the lamp of corpse oil long ago.”

At the same time, the portrait frame on the altar began to tremble, and foul-smelling, viscous blood flowed from the gaps between the wooden joints, as if an old, lifeless object had suddenly come to life.

Lu Ming's expression shifted; he had a premonition that the rules for the third day were related to this photo frame.

There was no portrait in the frame, so who was this horrific funeral prepared for?

Lu Ming, holding the ghost bride's hand, took two steps forward, wanting to get closer to see if the portrait had appeared.

(End of this chapter)