Chapter 78: The Last Drop of Blood Tears Falls
As the smoke seeped into the painting, the tiny figures within seemed to witness something terrifying and became frantic, abandoning the sedan and instruments, running in all directions. The thick smoke surged like a flood within the painting, leaving the figures nowhere to hide, and they were consumed by the white smoke, vanishing into ashes.
The smoke enveloped the bride inside the sedan and the two grooms at the mansion's entrance. Soon, the entire painting was covered in white smoke, with no more blood flowing out—it seemed to have dried up.
At this moment, Lu Fei's heart tightened. This was the critical moment; whether the souls of the three employees could be saved depended on what happened next.
Lu Fei squinted through the smoke, keeping his eyes fixed on the ancient painting without blinking.
One second.
Two seconds.
Finally, a translucent, ghostly figure slowly emerged from the painting. This figure looked confused and terrified, as if lost in the thick smoke, unsure of where to go.
"Light the candles!"
Lu Fei shouted to the three watching over the candles.
They hastily moved, their hands trembling as they lit the white candles.
The dim candlelight flickered in the smoke.
The ghostly figure drifted like a headless fly in the white mist until it suddenly spotted the candlelight and, as if finding its way home, drifted toward it.
As it neared the candle, the flame turned an eerie green, wavering as though blown by the wind.
Wan Chunhui, who was guarding this candle, shuddered and quickly shielded it with his hands.
He felt a chill down his spine, as though something was approaching.
Carefully lifting his head, he saw a ghostly, pale woman's face and gasped in terror.
Thankfully, he remembered Lu Fei's warning and bit his lip to stop himself from screaming.
The green flame gradually steadied.
The ghostly figure followed the red string on the candle and drifted into the female employee's body, vanishing instantly.
The flame returned to yellow.
Wan Chunhui stared, stunned.
"Good, the female employee's soul has returned!" Lu Fei was overjoyed, but this was no time to relax; there were still two security guards' souls to save.
He kept his gaze on the painting.
It wasn't long before the second and third souls emerged one after the other.
Their eyes were hollow, their faces blank with confusion.
"Don't move!"
Just as they detached from the painting, a pair of ghostly, pale hands suddenly broke through the smoky canvas, clawing at them fiercely.
"In life, we shared the same bed; in death, the same grave! We wed before witnesses, and none shall leave!"
Behind the ghostly hands was the bride's resentful and unwilling face.
The ghost bride had appeared!
"Let go!" Lu Fei, standing nearby, swung his heavy ghost-head knife immediately.
"Ah!"
The ghostly hands shattered into black smoke, and the ghost bride screamed in agony.
Lu Fei rushed forward, shielding the two souls with his blade.
"Why should I let go?" Black smoke coalesced again into hands. The ghost bride, adorned in a scarlet wedding dress and jewels, looked both terrifying and beautiful.
Dying in her prime, her heart was filled with resentment, hatred for everything in the world.
Even as the smoke seared her, causing her to disintegrate, she refused to relent.
"Bound by death, we go to hell together! You will not escape!"
The ghost bride fully emerged from the painting, claws outstretched, rushing at them like a malevolent spirit.
Lu Fei swung his knife forcefully, preventing her from getting close to the souls.
The two souls floated through the smoke, finally finding their respective candles and urgently drifted towards them.
The two flames turned green at once, swaying in the spectral wind.
Tiger was startled but quickly calmed down, protecting the flames with his hands to keep them from going out.
The second soul followed the red string and safely returned to its body.
Only one soul remained.
The security captain's hands trembled, making the flame flicker unsteadily.
The soul grew anxious, as though it was right at the doorstep but unable to enter, circling the candle frantically.
Tiger and Wan Chunhui watched, hearts pounding, but couldn't speak to remind him.
Lu Fei, occupied with the ghost bride, couldn't spare any attention.
"Oh no!"
The soul, anxious, floated around the security captain, who felt something beside him and couldn't resist looking up.
The moment he opened his eyes, he saw a horrifying face without eyes, and he screamed, jerking and bumping into the candle.
The candle tilted.
The flame was about to go out!
Wan Chunhui's mouth opened wide in shock, his heart pounding.
At the critical moment, a strong hand suddenly steadied the candle, cupping the dying flame.
The flame flickered a few times and finally came back to life.
The soul found its way and followed the red string back into the security guard's body.
Wan Chunhui let out a huge sigh of relief, his heart pounding like a drum as he gasped for air.
The one who saved the flame was Tiger.
Disregarding his own safety, he had stepped out of the protective incense circle. After the last soul returned, he shot a fierce glare at the security captain.
The guard, pale as a sheet, realized he had almost ruined everything, sweat covering his brow.
Wan Chunhui said nothing but nodded gratefully at Tiger.
Tiger withdrew his hand, knowing he couldn't linger outside the circle, and quickly stepped back inside.
However, just as he moved, the scene before his eyes changed.
No longer the smoke-filled room, but an approaching wedding sedan.
He stood at the grand gates in a groom's robe, welcoming his bride.
The bride in the sedan must be beautiful, someone he was willing to give everything for...
"Tiger!"
A sudden shout pulled him back from the brink.
He felt a sharp slap on his forehead, making his head throb with pain.
Everything changed back to the smoke-filled meeting room.
"Tiger, get back inside!"
Lu Fei, holding the large knife, stood beside him, tense and alert.
Luckily, the ghost bride had been weakened by the smoke, allowing Lu Fei to step away and save him.
"I'm fine, boss!" Tiger gritted his teeth through the pain and jumped back into the incense circle.
Lu Fei let out a breath of relief, not bothering with the guard whose body was halfway out of the circle, and focused on the ghost bride, who was now faintly visible in the smoke, knowing she wouldn't last much longer.
He strode to the fire basin and stoked the flames.
Thick smoke filled the room.
"Why?"
The ghost bride's body cracked like shattered porcelain, black smoke dissipating rapidly. Blood tears streamed from her eyes, her face full of anguish and sorrow.
"Why can they escape, and I can't? What did I do wrong?"
"It wasn't your fault but those who wronged you!"
The ghost bride was a manifestation of resentment and couldn't be reasoned with, but thinking of her tragic past, a trace of sympathy crossed Lu Fei's heart. He lowered his knife and spoke solemnly.
"Now, you can escape too."
"I hate it!"
The last drop of blood tear fell. The ghost bride, with her blood-red eyes, looked at the burning flames and suddenly dove in headfirst.