After Marrying the Evil God - Chapter 3

After staying in Jincheng for a few days, Xie Chouzhuang returned to Hua Ting. Shortly after his arrival, several police officers arrived at his home accompanied by two young men dressed in plain clothes.

“Mr. Xie, we are from the National Occult Association,” one of the young men said, presenting his identification. “We’ve come today because we would like to go over the details of your situation.”

The Xie family was positioned at the very peak of the social pyramid; they frequently dealt with state departments and had naturally heard of the Occult Association.

“Please, have a seat,” Xie Chaoding said with a slight wave of his hand, gesturing for them to sit.

A well-trained domestic servant stepped forward immediately, skillfully serving tea to the guests before silently exiting the living room.

Once everyone was settled, one of the investigators spoke up. “Mr. Xie, you previously mentioned that you climbed out of the coffin yourself. However, according to our reports, when the police arrived at the scene, the coffin was completely intact! May I ask exactly how you managed to get out?”

Hearing this, Xie Chaoding’s expression darkened. He countered with a touch of displeasure, “What? Do you imply that Chouzhuang is lying that he fabricated this story to deceive everyone?”

Seeing Xie Chaoding’s annoyance, the investigator quickly explained, “Please don’t misunderstand, Mr. Xie. We mean no such thing. We simply wish to understand the specific circumstances of that moment. Our department has also investigated the Min family; they have committed many atrocities over the years and are responsible for several lives. We have no intention of letting them off the hook.”

Xie Chouzhuang shook his head blankly. “I don’t know. When I woke up in the coffin, the corpse came to life. I was desperately prying at the coffin lid, and then I felt a wave of dizziness. The next thing I knew, I was outside.”

“Were there any suspicious people around at the time?”

Xie Chouzhuang shook his head again. “No. I was the only one there.”

Hearing this, the two members of the Occult Association exchanged a look.

“In that case, we won’t trouble you further. If you remember any other details, please contact us.”

“I will.”

The Departure

Back in their car, the two investigators buckled their seatbelts.

“Do you think that Xie Chouzhuang was telling the truth?”

“It’s possible he really didn’t see anything.”

“I still feel like something is wrong. Headquarters investigated and found that Min Shuang’s cause of death was a backlash from the Ghost Marriage Contract. But the one who was supposed to be bound by the contract was Xie Chouzhuang. How did it suddenly switch to Min Shuang?”

“Are you suggesting there’s a powerful master backing the Xie family?”

“Well, the case is essentially closed now. To put it bluntly, even if a master from the Xie family did intervene, Min Shuang deserved what he got. The Xie family has been law-abiding all these years; there’s no need to dig too deep.”

“True. Let’s just submit the report and close the case once we get back to HQ.”

On the second floor, Xie Chouzhuang stood by the window and watched the Occult Association’s car drive away. He pulled out the jade ring he had been wearing and thoughtfully rubbed the pattern on its surface.

Buzz.

His phone vibrated. Xie Chouzhuang opened it to find a notification from his high school classmates’ group chat.

Monitor (Li Yang): [Classmates, university is about to start. Is anyone free to get together tomorrow? My uncle just opened a new restaurant, my treat.]

Academic Rep (Tan Shanshan): [I just got back to Hua Ting. Count me in.]

Sports Rep (Xing Qiang): [I’ll go too. If I stay at home any longer, my parents are going to start hating me.]

Zhang Zhe: [I’m in. It’s been so long since we gathered. Is our ‘Study God’ coming? @Xie Chouzhuang]

The moment those words appeared, the entire chat group seemed to hit the mute button. It fell into a sudden, dead silence.

Everyone knew that Min Shuang’s actions were trending all over the internet. Anyone who knew Min Shuang was well aware that the victim of the incident was Xie Chouzhuang. Being young and sincere, they harbored no ill will, but they were hesitant. They were worried that reaching out might trigger the “fragile” heart of the Study God after such a traumatic event.

However, they also worried that not inviting him would make him feel excluded. They hadn’t expected Zhang Zhe to bring it up so directly.

Xie Chouzhuang felt a spark of warmth in his heart, knowing his classmates were simply trying to avoid poking at his scars.

Xie Chouzhuang: [I’ll be there. What time? What’s the address?]

With that simple sentence, the previously quiet group chat instantly became lively again.

Monitor Li Yang quickly sent a detailed location pin and added, “Everyone who plans to come, let me know in advance. We’ll start at 6:00 PM tomorrow. After dinner, we can go to KTV to relax!”

The Midnight Visitor

After scrolling through his phone for a bit, Xie Chouzhuang washed up and went to bed. Late into the night, he fell into a deep sleep.

A wisp of black energy drifted in through a window that hadn’t been fully closed, the moving air causing the curtains to sway slightly. The black mist began to crawl up from Xie Chouzhuang’s leg, which was peeking out from under the quilt.

In his deep slumber, Xie Chouzhuang seemed to sense danger. He shrunk back instinctively but soon succumbed to an even deeper dream state.

The black mist expanded, eventually manifesting into a blurry, humanoid silhouette that took Xie Chouzhuang into a full embrace. It tightened its hold as if trying to embed him into its very flesh and blood.

Xie Chouzhuang felt as though he were trapped in a bottomless quagmire, unable to move. A sense of suffocation made him struggle subconsciously, but he only sank deeper. His breathing became labored as he greedily tried to gasp for oxygen, but his chest was constricted so tightly it could only rise and fall weakly.

“No…” Xie Chouzhuang murmured. Tears slipped from the corners of his eyes, soaking into the pillow.

The black mist let out a sigh and wiped away the tear tracks. A faint flush rose to Xie Chouzhuang’s cheeks. The mist seemed to ravenously consume his aura. In his dream, Xie Chouzhuang felt himself sinking until he was completely swallowed by the mire.

The intense suffocation caused him immense pain; in reality, his brow was locked in a tight frown.

The black mist prepared to take more, but it was suddenly seized by a hand. It was violently torn away from Xie Chouzhuang’s body.

“You’re courting death! I told you it isn’t time yet!” Ji Sixian looked down at the struggling black energy in his hand, a hint of madness in his eyes. He squeezed suddenly, and the black mist shattered, fleeing in panic.

A trace of blood leaked from the corner of Ji Sixian’s mouth. He reached out to gently smooth the frown from Xie Chouzhuang’s brow before vanishing from the room.

Xie Chouzhuang felt his body grow light, as if someone had yanked him out of the swamp. A second later, he jolted awake, coughing violently. Even the corners of his eyes were stained with a flush of red.

Once he had calmed down slightly, he instinctively raised his hand to touch the jade ring around his neck. It felt cool to the touch, and a faint, lingering scent of agarwood seemed to cling to the ring’s surface. The subtle, elegant fragrance drifted around his fingertips, bringing a sense of peace.

Only then did Xie Chouzhuang realize he was covered in a thin layer of sweat.

Snap. The lights flooded the room.

Xie Chouzhuang grabbed the glass of water by his bedside and drained it in one gulp, the cool liquid soothing his dry throat. He took a deep breath and walked toward the mirror.

He noticed a reddish mark on the side of his face a flush that looked as though an invisible hand had carelessly brushed against him, leaving a lingering trace behind.