Chapter 15: The Wedding Dress Ghost’s Frustration at Failed Expectations

“Did a human get on this bus?”

The bespectacled boy repeated the question.

He paid no mind to how Huan Xiao had managed to deceive the Bride Ghost; many players had tried disguising themselves as ghosts or monsters, yet without exception, they all slipped up somewhere.

Humans could never fully masquerade as spirits—this was common knowledge among veteran players.

Now, the boy in glasses only wished to uncover the origin of this Bride Ghost. Only by banishing this vengeful spirit could they secure a brief moment of safety.

“Can you describe in detail what that person was wearing?”

“A white, off-shoulder mid-length dress, with no other accessories.”

Huan Xiao was curious about what he was thinking, but the young man deep in thought showed no intention of sharing.

“Wait, you said she wore an off-shoulder white dress?… The woman I just saw hit by the car was wearing the same kind of dress.”

The bald man beside them was now utterly panicked, his fear intensifying.

“The one I saw… could it be a ghost?”

“Hee hee…”

At that moment, the Bride Ghost suddenly laughed.

Everyone jumped in fright, especially the bald man, who was so terrified he lost control of himself.

“You say… which stop will I get off at?”

This time, the question was directed at the middle-aged woman who had just scolded Huan Xiao.

Originally farthest from the Bride Ghost, she was shocked when it teleported right before her, its bloodstained, terrifying face looming close.

Its hollow eyes were piercing, sending chills straight to her heart.

Under its eerie gaze, the woman collapsed in terror.

Meanwhile, witnessing the Bride Ghost’s behavior, Huan Xiao felt an inexplicable sense of warmth.

This ghost wasn’t so bad after all. Just as the woman was lecturing her, the Bride Ghost chose to confront her instead—it was truly a considerate spirit!

“W-what…”

The woman’s voice dwindled from loud to a whisper. Her mouth hung open, frozen like a statue.

How could this be… Why was the ghost targeting her, of all people? Among so many, why choose her?

At that instant, her mind went blank; all she could see was the vivid red hem of the dress and a pair of intricately embroidered but bloodstained shoes…

Seeing the bespectacled boy still deep in thought, Huan Xiao, detached, hung back with mild curiosity, watching the Bride Ghost.

To be honest, the ghost’s facial features were quite beautiful—a sharp, delicate oval face. If its eyes hadn’t been gouged out, it would have been a stunning classical beauty.

It wore a phoenix coronet on its head, though clearly a modern creation. The Bride Ghost must have died recently.

The red antique-style wedding dress was finely crafted, with hand embroidery rather than machine stitching—a garment no ordinary person could afford.

Moreover, Huan Xiao had noticed earlier that when the Bride Ghost saw the white-dressed woman who had mistakenly boarded bus 404, its spiritual aura swelled like a rising steamed bun, as if stirred by intense emotions.

Despite being wounded by Huan Xiao, the Bride Ghost showed no emotional fluctuation, yet upon seeing that young woman, it unleashed a strong resentment.

Could the woman who just boarded have some connection to this ghost? But Huan Xiao clearly saw that the Bride Ghost did not recognize her. Was there some information she didn’t know?

“You’re not scared at all. If I’m not mistaken, you must be a player like us,” the bespectacled boy said, scrutinizing Huan Xiao.

Such a newcomer—did she have some special backing?

“I have you here trying to figure things out,” Huan Xiao said casually, waving her hand as she sat down.

These ghosts wouldn’t harm her; judging by spiritual energy, she was actually stronger. So decoding this mystery was better left to other players to puzzle out.

Why bother with thankless tasks?

“Is that so? I actually think you’re capable of walking away unscathed.”

The boy pondered for a long time, unable to determine at which stop the Bride Ghost would disembark. He felt close to the truth but something invisible was blocking him from the key.

Now he was even considering whether to seize any life-saving items from Huan Xiao for his own use.

Since he sensed no spiritual aura from her, he didn’t take her seriously.

Though he didn’t know how she had tricked the Bride Ghost, he assumed she couldn’t fool a normal human.

…If danger arose, it might be best to let this girl take the hit.

Unaware of the boy’s thoughts, Huan Xiao’s attention was drawn outside by the rain.

Outside the window, the once dark and murky scene had cleared, revealing the landscape.

Though night had fallen, her keen eyesight made out clusters of tall weeds towering above people and a fleeting glimpse of a white skirt…

Strange, had she just seen something strange?

“Ah!… No…”

Inside the bus, the middle-aged woman, having failed to answer the Bride Ghost’s question, was suddenly bitten through the neck.

Huan Xiao’s gaze snapped back, attracted by the scream.

She turned to see the Bride Ghost tearing into what remained of the woman’s human body.

Bloodshot eyes gleamed, the ghost’s once cherry-red lips stretched grotesquely toward its ears, sharp teeth dripping with chunks of soft flesh. The stench of blood filled the bus…

Perhaps it was her imagination, but Huan Xiao felt as if the Bride Ghost was staring at her.

No, why look at her with such disdain? What was with that contemptuous expression?

She was actually being scorned by a ghost!

Blood trickled down her pristine wrist, blending with the crimson wedding dress.

Having devoured the woman, the Bride Ghost did not pause; it turned toward a trembling young man nearby with ill intent and asked:

“Guess… at which stop… will I get off?”

Since boarding, the young man had not dared to speak — the same one who initially tried to stop Huan Xiao to ask questions — and now, regrettably, he was the Bride Ghost’s next target.

“Help me! Who… who knows the answer?”

His voice quivered as he pleaded, looking toward the bespectacled boy and Huan Xiao.

Among them, only these two still conversed casually, so he instinctively believed they knew the answer.

“Please, tell me the answer. I’ll pay you after we get off—any amount, even take out a loan if I have to. Please, have mercy and save me.”

The young man knelt before them, utterly humiliated.

He still had a bright future ahead; he refused to die here in the game. He hadn’t yet awakened as a Spirit Master and still had a chance to become powerful.

If he survived this game, he would even sell his house to buy a vessel to awaken. No more hesitation!