The Ghost Insists on Giving Me a Beautiful and Powerful Wife! - Chapter 53.1

The ghosts surrounding Yu Ruoyin pointed at Xia Yu. Some screamed “Ruolian,” others shrieked “Demon!” Yu Ruoyin’s heart skipped a beat; she hadn’t expected that Xia Yu, who had separated from them, would end up occupying the role of the Zou girl in this historical vision. While the rest of them were drifting between the scripted plot and their own identities, Xia Yu seemed completely submerged in the character.

Xia Yu looked lost. Her face was streaked with tears as she argued in a faint, trembling voice: “I… I am not a demon.”

The Taoist turned and glared at her, suddenly plunging a short blade into her arm.

The blade pierced the flesh, but no blood flowed. Instead, the blade snapped instantly, and the fragments embedded in her skin were expelled as her wound healed at an incredible speed.

The Taoist remained unfazed. She drew another dagger, bit her index finger to smear blood on the blade, and stabbed Xia Yu’s arm again in the same spot. This time, the moment the dagger entered her flesh, it burst into flames. A pale green mist surged out along the blade, and as the weapon sank deeper, they finally saw bright red blood.

Pointing at the green mist coiling around the dagger, the Taoist roared: “And you still say you are not a demon!”

Witnessing this, the crowd that had been debating whether Zou Ruolian was a demon suddenly fell silent. They instinctively shrank back, fear welling up in their hearts. Their faces were filled with cowardice as they fell into a collective, eerie silence.

It was so quiet that Yu Ruoyin could almost hear her own heartbeat. The plot was moving forward officially, and she realized she could no longer speak. Even with her mouth wide open, no sound came out.

Kang Shuming suddenly let out a sob, burying her head in Kang Miaoxian’s embrace: “A demon… a demon!”

Unable to resist the rhythm of the scene, Yu Ruoyin grabbed Kang Miaoxian’s arm tightly, her nails nearly sinking into the flesh. “Bro… Brother, I’m scared.”

As they spoke, other characters began to react as well.

Timid children started crying, and frail women panicked, fussing over children and the elderly. Only a few “men”—played by women, yet still appearing oily and lecherous to Yu Ruoyin—stepped forward, circling Xia Yu. “A demon, eh? No wonder she’s so pretty.”

Normally, if someone circled or stared at Xia Yu like that, she would have ruthlessly twisted their heads off. But now, Xia Yu was beyond that; she only retreated in panic, her pale face looking utterly helpless and pitiful. “No, I am not a demon.”

Her voice was soft and weak. This was entirely different from the willful Xia Yu she knew. If not for the familiar face, Yu Ruoyin would have thought she was looking at a different person.

The Taoist snorted coldly and yanked the rope. “A monster is a monster. Even now, you don’t forget how to bewitch people’s hearts.”

The Taoist pulled so hard that Xia Yu stumbled and fell. Her face hit a sharp stone, leaving a jagged wound. She instinctively tried to cover her face, but her arms were bound, and she couldn’t lift her hands.

The “men” circling her looked somewhat regretful, but the Taoist showed no mercy. Without even a thought of pulling her up, she simply dragged Xia Yu along, letting her body and face scrape across the muddy ground. A sharp stone pressed deeper and deeper into Xia Yu’s right cheek.

Ever since the Taoist’s blood-smeared dagger entered her body, Xia Yu seemed to have lost her regenerative abilities. With every drag, the stone and the embedded dagger sank deeper, and her cries of pain grew louder. Blood mixed with tears fell into the mud, leaving a dark trail.

It was painful even to watch.

They weren’t just watching a fake performance; they were trapped in a reenactment of the past. Everything Xia Yu was experiencing had actually happened to the girl named Zou. Yu Ruoyin recalled Jiang Huaining’s story of the Mountain Demon and Miss Zou. Hearing the story was tragic enough, but witnessing it brought a visceral empathy. She couldn’t help but wonder: Why did the Mountain Demon turn Miss Zou into this but fail to protect her? Why did the demon’s friend forget to take her away? And why was the village, once warm and kind in her memories, so cold now?

Yu Ruoyin realized her emotions were uncontrollably shifting toward Zou Ruolian’s perspective. Her heart pitied her; her feelings were leaning toward her…

Was this a natural emotional shift, or the effect of the array?

She was prone to overthinking, and as the questions piled up, her thoughts spiraled. Jiang Huaining suspected the mastermind’s true goal was in the “Yin” side, which is why she forced Yu Ruoyin to the “Yang” side. That theory assumed the mastermind feared Jiang Huaining’s power. But if they feared Jiang, why wouldn’t they fear Xia Yu? Even if Xia Yu was weaker, how much weaker could she be?

Her train of thought was shattered by a scream.

“Ah!”

With a cry of agony, Xia Yu was thrown onto a haystack by the Taoist and slammed against a wooden frame. The Taoist didn’t linger; she used two hooked spikes to pierce through Xia Yu’s shoulders, pinning her to the frame. Blood soaked her clothes and dripped onto the hay below.

Yu Ruoyin’s thoughts stopped. Instinctively, she tried to rush forward, but her feet wouldn’t move. She was getting desperate; she truly felt that Xia Yu wasn’t “playing” Ruolian—there was no trace of Xia Yu left in her.

What happens if you completely lose yourself in the vision? Miss Zou’s ending was death. Wouldn’t that mean Xia Yu would…

When Yu Ruoyin first realized Xia Yu possessed the power she needed, she had felt a flicker of greed. But thinking it and doing it were two different things. She might not have a deep bond with Xia Yu, but Xia Yu and Jiang Huaining did. Out of respect for Jiang, she couldn’t watch Xia Yu walk toward her death.

But her body wouldn’t obey. She could only try her best to squeeze out a sound: “Xia… Xia… Sister Xia Yu.”

Finally, a voice escaped her lips, but it was so low that only Kang Miaoxian, standing right next to her, could hear it.

Kang Miaoxian, also bound by the script, spoke in a low voice: “Yu Ruoyin, you called her Sister Xia Yu? Is she an employee of the Four Spirits Shop?”

It wasn’t surprising that Kang Miaoxian could identify her from a name, but her expression turned strange upon learning the truth. She looked at the woman pinned to the haystack. “Is the Four Spirits really this pathetic?”

Yu Ruoyin instinctively defended the shop. “Sister Xia Yu is very powerful.”

“Powerful? Can’t you see?” Kang Miaoxian sneered with heavy mockery. “Like those ghosts, she has completely lost herself in the historical vision.”

Yu Ruoyin finally realized the reality of their situation. Aside from them and Zhuang Huishu’s group, everyone else’s consciousness was blurred—especially the ghosts, who were entirely shackled to the script, acting and speaking without any awareness of the observers.

…

Kang Miaoxian continued: “This ‘spirit’ is even worse than you. I’m starting to doubt if the Four Spirits can truly guard the seasons.”

“They can,” Yu Ruoyin argued. She had seen Xia Yu’s power and tried to explain how strong she was. “Not just guard, they can influence the seasons. I’ve seen it… when Sister Xia Yu was injured before, the temperature outside became very strange.”

Kang Miaoxian didn’t respond immediately. She was remembering the erratic weather from some time ago. However, she still didn’t buy it. “Influence the seasons? I might believe guarding them, but controlling them is impossible.”

Yu Ruoyin had to ask: “Why?”

“Because Guardian Spirits aren’t primordial beings,” Kang Shuming interjected. Despite her conflicts with Miaoxian, they shared a unified logic. “The seasons came first, then the Guardians. If you say they can influence the seasons, you’re saying they control them. But think about it—they are born from the seasons. Who guarded the seasons before the Four Spirits existed?”

Her explanation was gentler and more detailed, making it easier for Yu Ruoyin to catch the point.

Right. Before the Four Spirits, who controlled the changing of the seasons?

Yu Ruoyin searched her memory. She was certain that Xia Yu’s injury had affected the climate; everyone in Yin City had felt that heat. She looked toward Zhuang Ciyue, desperate for a witness to back her up. Alone, she couldn’t find a way to refute the Kangs, and her thoughts began to follow their lead.

Faced with silence, Kang Miaoxian pressed her: “My aunt is asking you.”

Under the pressure, Yu Ruoyin subconciously whispered a single word: “God.”

It felt absurd at first, then gradually reasonable. If gods existed, it wouldn’t be strange for them to manage the seasons. And didn’t Kang Shuming mention that their ancestor, Kang Nanhua, had once betrayed a god? It wasn’t impossible.

But Kang Miaoxian hated that answer. “God? Have you seen a god? If there were gods, would there be this much tragedy? And why would a god’s power end up in them?”

Yu Ruoyin couldn’t explain any of it. She murmured, “But I really saw it. When Sister Xia Yu was hurt, the temperature in Yin City went crazy. They really can affect nature. I have no reason to lie to you.”

Their argument was cut short. The story had reached its grimmest point.

The village chief was helped onto the haystack, her cane stabbing ruthlessly at the center of Xia Yu’s forehead. “As you can see, the Zou Ruolian standing before us is no longer the girl we watched grow up. She is a demon. Demons eat people. Everyone, tell me: how shall we deal with her?”

The actors playing the villagers looked at each other—some cowardly, some terrified, others full of malice.

Suddenly, a child, prompted by his grandfather, screamed: “Kill her!”

With one person leading the way, the rest found their direction. More and more voices rose: “Kill her! Kill her!”

Even Yu Ruoyin and the others found themselves uncontrollably shouting: “Kill the monster! Kill it! Kill!”

The malice was so overwhelming that Yu Ruoyin found herself thinking: If this demon Zou Ruolian doesn’t die, we will! She must die! She deserves it!

The intense hatred almost swallowed her until the faint warmth of the red jade nut on her chest pulled her back to her senses. There is no Zou Ruolian, and I am not a villager here.

Coming to, she looked at Kang Miaoxian, who was still chanting: “Kill, kill, kill!”

Realizing Miaoxian was slipping, Yu Ruoyin yanked her hard. Kang Miaoxian stopped, a faint golden light flickering in her eyes as she regained clarity. She cursed under her breath, “They really do have some tricks.”

More than just “some.”

Kang Miaoxian slapped Kang Shuming a few times until she also snapped out of it. Seeing them almost fall for it made Yu Ruoyin worry about Zhuang Ciyue’s group. When she looked over, she saw that Nan He had already awakened Zhuang Huishu. Yu Ruoyin breathed a sigh of relief; it seemed that no matter the situation, that spirit who was so perceptive she could almost read minds would not lose herself.

Of everyone present, only they and those near Nan He remained conscious.

Things were turning dire. Yu Ruoyin asked frantically, “How long do we have to wait?”

Kang Miaoxian remained patient, her dark eyes fixed on the person on

The firelight reflected on her face, lending a touch of ferocity to a countenance that usually appeared calm and gentle. She curled her lips: “Village Chief, this demon… demon meat might have some special effects. Maybe… maybe we should eat her. It might even extend our lives.”

A sharp glint flashed through the Village Chief’s eyes as she laughed and patted her: “You’re not just afraid to light the fire, are you?”

“Who wouldn’t be afraid of such a thing?” The little nun shrunk her head back with a sycophantic smile. “Chief, what if this demon has accomplices… it wouldn’t be fair if I was the only one they sought revenge against.”

She held the torch higher. Many in the village were from her own clan, and they naturally protected her. Some suggested switching people, while others said they should listen to her.

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