Chapter 118: I Can't Reach It

Fang Mu had no intention of consuming these small fry just yet; he was biding his time for the big catch.

The trail of yellow paper continued to pave the path forward. After winding through several more streets, a grand-looking house appeared. It was called grand only in comparison to the dilapidated ruins surrounding it, as this structure appeared remarkably pristine. Beneath the eaves on both sides of the entrance hung rows of vivid red lanterns. Two lines of figures stood by the door—though to call them human would be a stretch, as they lacked human features; some were missing heads, others had severed limbs.

The apparitions led Fang Mu directly toward the entrance. As they drew closer, the frequency with which they scattered the yellow paper slowed. Fang Mu, seated upon his paper horse, stroked his chin; this appeared to be the destination. Since he had arrived, it was time to collect some interest.

A ferocious tiger's head manifested behind Fang Mu, accompanied by a fiery red sonic wave.

"Boom!"

The yellow paper fluttering in the sky was instantly reduced to ash by the fiery roar, vanishing along with the paper beneath the apparitions' feet, leaving the street spotlessly clean. The apparitions froze, blue smoke rising from their feet, accompanied by hoarse, agonizing screams. Fang Mu watched as the entities melted like candles within the smoke. When the intangible ripples of essence appeared, he slowly reached out his hand...

[You touched the Pathfinding Apparition, gaining a wisp of True Qi.]
[You touched the Pathfinding Apparition, gaining a wisp of True Qi.]
...

A full twelve wisps of True Qi flowed into Fang Mu’s body. The True Qi fish within him absorbed the energy ravenously, and another section of its scales began to glow. Ah Bai exhaled a cloud of black mist, consuming all the remaining apparitions.

The welcoming entities watched this scene unfold. They showed no surprise, no fear, and not even a flicker of expression. The paper horse vanished along with the last of the apparitions. Fang Mu touched down on the ground, staring directly at the entities before him. They looked back at him, and both sides fell into a strange silence.

Fang Mu looked down and frowned. The ground beneath this group of entities was clean—no yellow paper, no debris, just normal, solid earth. Seeing this, he thought to himself, "Have the rules changed?"

With no yellow paper to pave the way, the welcoming entities could still stand on the ground. It seemed the yellow paper was no longer a binding restriction.

"Step... step... step..."

Just as suspicion arose in his mind, the sound of footsteps approached from ahead, drawing his gaze. A charred, burned-all-over apparition walked forward, carrying a fire basin. When the burned entity reached Fang Mu, it set the basin down.

"Urgh... ah!"

A hoarse, guttural roar escaped the entity’s throat. It melted away like a block of ice, collapsing into the basin.

"Whoosh!"

Flames surged, the firelight flickering within the basin. Fang Mu curled his lip. "Stepping over the fire basin?"

Stepping over a fire basin was a wedding custom; as a bride entered her husband’s home, a small pile of straw or a basin would be lit at the threshold for her to step over to "ward off bad luck." It was said to ensure that life would be as prosperous and vibrant as the fire itself. But there was a problem—Fang Mu felt the roles had been reversed. He was the groom; why was he being subjected to this?

"Interesting. Very interesting."

He had yet to discover anything abnormal about this group of entities, and he was becoming increasingly curious about the master of the house. Given the nature of rule-based entities, the wedding process itself was likely the rule. Thinking this, Fang Mu simply stepped over it.

The moment he crossed, the basin turned into ash. Everything before his eyes shifted. The entities, previously terrifying in appearance, now looked normal. With smiles on their faces, they ushered Fang Mu into the house. Fang Mu swiped at them with his butcher knife, but still, he gained nothing.

Inside, they reached a courtyard. A banquet was laid out, and the surrounding entities dispersed to take their seats. However, the dishes served were unusual: incense candles and yellow paper. Ahead lay the inner hall, its doors wide open. Inside was a table with two chairs. Two paper effigies sat upon them, their faces painted with thick, garish red makeup.

In the center of the room stood a bride in a red dress. Her face was hidden beneath a veil, but even the voluminous wedding gown could not conceal her "rugged, mountainous" figure. The entities in the courtyard began to feast on the incense and paper. Within two breaths, the offerings were consumed entirely. As they finished, the entities began to transform from the tops of their heads, dissolving into wisps of blue smoke that drifted into the house, slowly merging into the paper effigies on the chairs.

This sight filled Fang Mu with excitement.

It appeared these entities were all products of this setup. If so, this bride in red was undoubtedly a massive harvest of "leeks" to be reaped. His goal was simple: take down the bride and have another go at "touching"!

The bride stood motionless in the room, facing Fang Mu in silence. With the red veil obscuring her face, he could not see her features. The room was deathly quiet. A bride in red standing in the center, flanked by two paper effigies—it was inexplicably unsettling.

Fang Mu thought for a moment and stepped inside. He had come this far; it would be a shame to leave empty-handed. Besides, could he even leave now if he wanted to? As he walked in, the previously stationary bride finally stirred. She moved toward him and reached out to grab his hand.

A deathly chill radiated from her touch. Fang Mu’s heart leapt with joy. He could make physical contact—could he do more? With that thought, he reached out and gave her a feel.

Complete silence. No sound at all. Fang Mu blinked, stunned. Something was off. He thought for a moment, then reached out again, exploring slowly. The entire process was quite unsightly and indescribable; please imagine it for yourself.

A moment later, Fang Mu sighed. As expected of a rule-based entity—even with a physical form, there was nothing to grasp.

"Huh? Is she shivering?" Fang Mu wondered in surprise. "Could there be something else? Was my technique wrong?"

He mused that that must be it—perhaps his posture for "touching" was incorrect—so he reached out again, trying a different angle. Still, he gained nothing.

Just as Fang Mu was deep in thought, the paper effigies in the back changed. A flash of red light appeared in their eyes. Suddenly, Fang Mu’s vision blurred, and he found himself in a small, intimate bedroom. The red decorations and the large, bright red quilt on the bed clearly indicated the room's purpose.

"We haven't even finished the wedding ceremony yet, and it’s already this fast?"

Fang Mu looked at the bride in red, who had somehow already seated herself on the edge of the bed, and walked slowly toward her...