Bizarre: Forced into an arranged marriage, his wife turns out to be a demon emperor?

Heavy rain.

Large raindrops pounded on the muddy ground of the village, splashing up murky bubbles.

In front of the ancestral hall, hundreds of villagers were dressed in mourning clothes. Their pale white mourning clothes, soaked by rain under the dim light of the lanterns, clung tightly to their bodies, giving off an eerie feeling.

Lin Che knelt down in the mud.

The rough hemp rope bound him up like a rice dumpling, and bloodstains were already visible on his wrists and ankles.

His mouth was stuffed with a rag soaked in grease, and the disgusting smell went straight to the top of his head, making him feel nauseous.

He struggled desperately, making muffled "ooh" sounds in his throat, his eyes bloodshot as he stared intently at the middle-aged man standing in front of him.

The man's name was Lin Guofu, and he was his second uncle.

Lin Guofu, dressed in a brand-new dark Tang suit, stood out starkly from the surrounding villagers who were dressed in mourning clothes. He held a yellowed bamboo scroll in his hand, his face expressionless, his voice soft yet drowning out the sound of the pouring rain.

"Linjia Village has been established for three hundred years and has clan rules. Whenever a major disaster or calamity occurs in the village, there is always a cause and effect."

"That 'one' on the mountain behind the village has been unleashing its fury lately. Three people have already died in the village, and the cattle and sheep are being gutted every night. If this continues, the entire village will die."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the surrounding villagers before finally settling on Lin Che, his eyes devoid of any warmth.

"The master the village invited has done the calculations. You are the youngest in our village with the purest birth chart. Only you are worthy of that 'one'."

"Sending you to be married off is to give the whole village a new way to make a living."

"Lin Che, don't blame your second uncle for being heartless; blame your bad luck."

As soon as he finished speaking, the surrounding villagers stirred with suppressed unease.

Some people lowered their heads, not daring to look Lin Che in the eye.

Some people whispered among themselves, their faces showing a hint of relief and joy.

"Sigh, there's nothing we can do about it..."

"We can't expect our entire village to die with him, can we?"

"His parents died early, so he has no ties and is the most suitable person to go with him."

These sounds weren't loud, but every single word reached Lin Che's ears.

His body trembled violently with rage.

He couldn't understand how his second uncle, who had been so caring and attentive to him just a few days ago, had suddenly become a vengeful demon overnight.

These same villagers who greeted him and offered him cigarettes yesterday are now watching him die without a trace of remorse on their faces.

In order to survive, they can justify pushing another person into the abyss.

This is human nature.

Lin Che struggled more and more violently, the rope digging deep into his flesh, and blood flowed down his arm, mixing with the rainwater on the ground.

His venomous gaze swept over everyone, as if he wanted to etch their true colors into their very bones.

Lin Guofu frowned, seemingly dissatisfied with Lin Che's "lack of cooperation".

"The time has come, make your move!"

At his command, two burly men immediately stepped forward and grabbed Lin Che's arms from either side.

Lin Che stomped his feet hard on the ground, veins bulging on his neck, like an enraged beast. But a person who had been starved for two days had limited strength.

He was easily dragged up from the mud and towards the coffin that had been prepared in the center of the ancestral hall.

That was a coffin.

A bright red nanmu coffin, eerily red, emitted a strange light in the gloomy rainy night.

The suona band was already in place beside the coffin.

Seeing Lin Che being dragged over, the lead musician took a deep breath and puffed out his cheeks.

"Whoo-wah—"

The piercing and high-pitched sound of the suona pierced through the rain and resounded throughout the entire village.

This melody, which should have been joyous, now sounds more chilling than any mournful tune.

"The auspicious time has arrived! Send the groom to the bridal chamber!"

Lin Guofu responded loudly, even managing a stiff smile on his face.

The villagers echoed along, their voices filled with a morbid excitement.

"Send the groom off!"

Congratulations to Lin Che on his wedding!

Lin Che was roughly held down by two burly men, while two other men stepped forward and together lifted the heavy coffin lid.

A complex aroma, a blend of fresh wood scent and musty, musty smell, wafted towards me.

Lin Che's pupils suddenly contracted.

He doesn't want to die!

He must live!

He wants to make these people pay for their crimes in blood!

"Waaaaah! Waaaaah!"

He roared with all his might, but only desperate sobs came out.

The strong men threw him heavily into the coffin.

His back slammed against the hard wooden board, the pain making his vision go black.

Before he could catch his breath, the heavy coffin lid slammed down.

"Bang!"

The light vanished instantly.

Endless darkness and silence engulfed him.

He could hear his own heartbeat, each beat heavier than the last.

"Thump!"

A dull, loud bang came from overhead.

It's the sound of nails being hammered.

"Thump!"

Another sound.

The hammer struck the coffin nails, the sound penetrating the thick wooden planks and making his eardrums buzz.

Each tap felt like a blow to his heart.

This also makes the air inside the coffin even thinner.

A feeling of suffocation began to surge in from all directions.

Lin Che's consciousness gradually blurred, his lungs burned with pain, and he opened his mouth wide, but couldn't breathe in a single wisp of air.

He thought of his parents who had died young.

He thought of his second uncle, who nominally adopted him but treated him like a farmhand, and the villagers' eyes that held either pity, disdain, or indifference.

It turns out that from the very beginning, he was just an outsider, a "price" that could be sacrificed at any time.

"Thump!"

The last coffin nail was driven in.

The sounds from the outside world suddenly became distant and indistinct.

But before he fell into complete silence, he could still vaguely hear his second uncle Lin Guofu's relieved voice and the villagers' cheers of relief.

"The ceremony is complete!"

"Send them to the bridal chamber—!"

In the darkness, where no one could see, Lin Che's lips slowly curled into a ferocious arc.

Resentment, bitterness, and insane hatred coalesced into a blood-red oath in his dying consciousness.

If there is an afterlife...

No.

If I don't die!

I will ensure that not a single chicken or dog is left alive in the entire village!

Let all those who betrayed me and plotted against me taste a despair a thousand times worse than what I am experiencing right now!

I want you...

They'll all be buried with them!

In the last moment before resentment and darkness consumed Lin Che's consciousness, the suffocating pain suddenly disappeared.

The cold air rushed into his lungs, carrying a peculiar smell of stale sandalwood mixed with decay, which made Lin Che cough violently.

Am I not dead?

Lin Che suddenly opened his eyes.

The despairing darkness inside the coffin was no longer before my eyes.

A dim red light enveloped the surroundings; this was no longer a narrow coffin, but an unbelievably huge ancient room.

White lanterns hung from the tall beams, each bearing a large "囍" (double happiness) character written in blood-red cinnabar. Light filtered through the lanterns, casting swaying shadows on the ground.

The air was cold and still.

Lin Che looked down and realized that the coarse cloth clothes he was wearing, which were soaked with mud and water, were gone.

Instead, she wore an elaborately made red wedding dress with a large red flower hanging on her chest.

He was sitting on a cold armchair, the ropes binding his hands and feet long gone, with only the deep bloodstains on his wrists proving that everything that had happened was not a dream.

Where is this place?

The bridal chamber?

The bridal chamber of "that person" mentioned by the villagers?