With just a single glance, the incense that had been burning vigorously suddenly snapped in half. Sparks flew in all directions, and half-burnt ash drifted down onto the altar table.
Almost the exact instant the incense broke, Sangu shuddered. The hazy gray in her eyes gradually faded, returning to their usual bright and clear state.
She let out a long breath. Her face was pale, her forehead covered in fine beads of cold sweat, and her body trembled slightly. It was clear this planchette writing ritual had drained a great deal of her energy.
Sangu composed herself and looked at Bai Ci with a complex gaze. Her lips parted, and she spoke with hesitation and gravity. “Young lady, that curse of yours...”
Just now, borrowing the eyes of the deity, she had only barely managed to glimpse a portion of the curse's true nature on Bai Ci.
It was clear just how troublesome this thing was.
Fortunately, there was no possibility of the curse clashing with the spiritual entity.
However, this also meant that if the wedding failed to appease their ancestor's obsession, Bai Ci would have no way out.
Sangu wanted to warn Bai Ci, but before she could finish her sentence, she was interrupted.
Bai Ci met Sangu's gaze, her eyes resolute. “Sangu, I understand.”
“I know the risks involved, but I have no other choice. This is my only path. I'm counting on you.”
Sangu assumed the Bureau of Investigation had already briefed Bai Ci on this, so she didn't pry further.
Seeing Bai Ci's resolute expression, her mother realized that the girl was deliberately misleading them, wanting to shoulder all the danger on her own.
In the end, Sangu let out a sigh and nodded slowly. “Very well. Since your mind is made up, I will help you this once.”
“But remember, once you take this step, there is no turning back.”
“A marriage between a living person and a spirit goes against the natural order. Once you bind your fate to this ancestor's spirit, you may never be able to bind yourself to anyone else in this lifetime.”
“A spirit's obsession is incredibly strong. Once she sets her sights on you, she will haunt you forever. Any slight misstep could invite even worse retribution, or even shorten your lifespan.”
“When that time comes, even I won't be able to save you. Have you truly thought this through?”
Bai Ci nodded without a shred of hesitation. “I have, Sangu.”
Seeing Sangu agree, Mother Bai and Grandmother both let out sighs of relief, repeatedly thanking her.
Sangu waved her hand. “There is no need for thanks. I am only doing what I can.”
“This wedding cannot be a grand affair, nor can we let too many outsiders know about it. After all, a marriage between the living and the dead is highly unusual. Being too flashy might disturb the spirit instead and invite unnecessary trouble.”
“Only the three of us will handle the preparations. As the bride, you must not touch any of the wedding items.”
“We will also invite a few female relatives from the Bai family who are close in age to you. Having them present with their sincere blessings will be enough.”
Having agreed on the details, they began preparing for the wedding.
Sangu brought out her treasured red cloth, incense, candles, joss paper, and a blank wooden tablet. She also prepared a simple red bridal gown.
Grandmother went to notify the female relatives of the Bai family in the village. Since they all lived in the same village and knew each other well, she already had a few candidates in mind before she even set out.
Grandmother and Mother Bai personally paid them a visit, informing them about the wedding and asking them to attend and offer their blessings, while strictly reminding them not to spread the word.
As for Bai Ci, due to the rule that she could not touch any of the preparations, she ended up being the most idle one.
Taking advantage of this free time, Bai Ci informed An Shu about what was happening.
Upon hearing this, An Shu originally intended to come to the scene in person to keep an eye on things, and she had even asked for the address.
However, Chen Quan, who overheard nearby, reminded her that as investigators who dealt with all kinds of anomalous forces, they inevitably carried traces on them. This made them the type that could easily startle spiritual entities.
The only one who had been with the Bureau of Investigation for a short time and could theoretically attend the wedding, Xiao Wen, was still lying in a hospital bed.
The wedding was set for the following morning, and the chosen location was the Bai family ancestral hall.
All the ancestors of the Bai family were enshrined here, and it was also where Bai Zhen'er rightfully belonged.
Holding the wedding here would not only allow Bai Zhen'er's spirit to feel it, but also allow the ancestors of the Bai family to witness this unique union.
Regarding this choice of location, Mother Bai could not help but harbor some misgivings at first.
“Do we really have to choose the Bai family ancestral hall? What if the spirits of our ancestors don't approve of this wedding?”
“Our Xiao Ci and the ancestor are separated by so many generations, and on top of that, it's two women marrying each other...”
Putting herself in their shoes, Mother Bai grew even more worried.
If her daughter's life weren't on the line, even she, a modern person, wouldn't have agreed to this, let alone those ancestors.
“Something that goes so heavily against old feudal customs... those traditional-minded ancestors probably won't be able to accept it at all.”
Sangu, however, was incredibly easygoing about it, waving her hand dismissively.
People in her line of work, knowing the true existence of ghosts and deities, held the deepest reverence. Yet, because they understood these matters so intimately, they were also the most audacious.
“Who cares if they agree or not? If they have the ability, they can come out and stop it themselves. If they can't and stay quiet, then they've silently consented and can just watch quietly.”
“Though I'm getting on in years, I still have the strength to sweep aside these dusty old rules.”
The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, the ancestral hall was already fully prepared.
Sangu, along with Mother Bai and the few female relatives who came to attend the wedding, worked together to sweep the ancestral hall spotlessly clean.
Following the custom, incense, candles, fruits, and offerings were arranged on the altar table. Incense was lit in the censer, sending up curls of smoke.
Right in the center of the ancestral hall hung a red satin sash tied into a large rosette, adorned with a double happiness character cut from white paper.
Within the simple, festive atmosphere, the presence of this white paper character added an unspeakable chill.
Holding a carving knife, Sangu personally engraved the three characters of Bai Zhen'er's name onto the blank wooden tablet. She then wrapped the tablet in red cloth and placed it right in the center of the altar table.
This was now Bai Zhen'er's spirit tablet.
In life, she had not been entered into the genealogy book, and in death, she had not been enshrined in the ancestral hall. Now, these lingering regrets in her heart were being smoothed away one by one.
After her death, someone had recorded her name in the genealogy book, and now, someone was using their own way to let her remain in the Bai family ancestral hall.
Wearing a red bridal gown, her hair simply pinned up with a red hairpin, Bai Ci stood waiting just outside the ancestral hall doors.
Once Sangu indicated that she could enter, she would walk inside and begin the wedding.
Mother Bai and Grandmother stood by Bai Ci's side, keeping her company.
With everything ready, Sangu walked up to the altar table, pressed her palms together, closed her eyes, and began chanting under her breath to initiate the soul-summoning ritual.
She took three sticks of incense, lit them, bowed three times toward the altar, and inserted them into the censer. Then, she picked up a piece of yellow paper, lit it, and quickly traced patterns in the air.
While the yellow paper was still burning, Sangu's movements were incredibly swift, far exceeding the speed one would expect from someone of her age.
In Bai Ci's eyes, her movements had already blurred into afterimages.
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