Cataclysm Chapter 123: Extras · Ghost Marriage 03

Chapter 123: Extras · Ghost Marriage 03

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

 

Ghost Marriage, also known as a “yin marriage,” can involve either a living person and a deceased one, or two deceased people. In the case of the living and the deceased, if the couple is unmarried, and their bones are buried together, they are considered married. The process of a Ghost Marriage must be followed strictly, with no step overlooked. Chen Yang, being a living person, would naturally marry a deceased individual from the underworld, but not just any ghost—this one is a ghost official from Fengdu, the city of ghosts.

Chen Yang was shocked. “Fengdu ghost official? Will the other party agree? Grandpa Wu, you didn’t trick anyone, did you?”

Grandpa Wu blinked nervously, but his face remained unchanged as he replied, “I had a ghost matchmaker personally arrange it. The other party agreed. I hear he’s a fine young man, capable and competent—he’ll surely be promoted. If you marry him, a ghost official from the underworld, he’ll be able to help you build connections down there. Plus, once you marry a ghost, it’s as if you’re half a citizen of the underworld, and your fate will change halfway.”

Chen Yang’s fate was unusual; he couldn’t afford to lose even a second. As long as he married someone from the underworld, his fate would change and he would escape the current destiny of being used as a vessel for ghosts. A “ghost matchmaker” was someone who arranged marriages for the deceased, calculating birth dates, performing divination, and understanding rituals. It was a rare profession nowadays, so the fact that Grandpa Wu had found one meant he had truly put in a lot of effort for Chen Yang.

“However, you might never have your own children,” Grandpa Wu continued, feeling guilty. “Your fate is too harsh and domineering. The only ghost official willing to marry you is the one I found.”

Chen Yang had never really thought about marriage or having children. Being alive was already a luxury, so he wasn’t concerned about passing on his lineage. He said, “I never considered having children. If I did, they might die because of me. It’s better this way.”

Grandpa Wu sighed. “Your partner is a man.”

Chen Yang froze, blinking. After a long pause, he hesitated and asked, “Do we need to… consummate the marriage?”

Hearing this, Grandpa Wu looked even more sorrowful, his gaze filled with sadness as if he were about to cry. The thought of his beloved grandson, whom he considered his own, having to marry a man upset him deeply. Fortunately, there was no need for consummation; otherwise, he would feel he had wronged the Chen family.

Chen Yang quickly reassured him, “I’m fine, anyway. I won’t have children.” He had never fallen for anyone, nor had he ever been romantically interested in anyone, man or woman. Living in constant fear and being unable to tell if the people around him were human or ghost, he hadn’t even thought about love.

Chen Yang was terrible at comforting others; his words only made Grandpa Wu feel worse. In a fit of impulse, Grandpa Wu almost wanted to cancel the marriage arrangement. But when he saw Chen Yang’s innocent and youthful face, he became even more worried. Who would protect him if he wasn’t around? Sending him to the ancient tomb wasn’t a solution either. Could he really live there for the rest of his life?

“No need for consummation. That ghost official owes the Chen family an old debt, and he’s just helping you extend your life,” Grandpa Wu sighed after a while. “Since you agree, I’ll give you the Dragon and Phoenix wedding invitation. Next, we need to prepare for the betrothal gifts. Since you’re both men, everything will be treated as part of the betrothal gifts, and there’s no need for a bride price.” He took out a red Dragon and Phoenix wedding invitation from his bag and handed it to Chen Yang.

Chen Yang took the invitation. This was the first step in traditional marriage rituals; if both sides were satisfied, they would go to the destiny office to match their horoscopes. If everything aligned, they would present the Dragon and Phoenix invitation and proceed with the betrothal. Normally, there would be small and large betrothal gifts, but for a ghost marriage, everything would be settled at once.

Grandpa Wu continued, “Since it’s a Ghost Marriage, it involves both red and white events. You’ll need to remember the betrothal gift list and start preparing tomorrow.”

Ghost Marriage was a combination of both joyous and funeral events. Therefore, half of the betrothal gifts would be real, and half would be paper items—real food, but paper clothing and jewelry. There would also be a wedding procession, a grand canopy, a feast for relatives and friends, and preparations for the bridal chamber. When the topic of inviting guests came up, Chen Yang softly asked, “Do we need to invite Auntie and the others from next door? Won’t that disturb them?”

Grandpa Wu was silent for a moment before saying, “Don’t invite them.” After all, it was a Ghost Marriage, and many ghosts and spirits would come to join in. If any living person was accidentally disturbed, they could fall gravely ill. It would be better not to involve them.

“Okay.” Chen Yang finished writing and then asked, “When… um, when is the wedding?”

“September ninth.”

It was nearly two months until the wedding. Chen Yang lowered his head, the light casting on his neck, revealing his delicate and white skin like ivory. His side profile was handsome, with white teeth and sharp eyebrows, a perfect young man. Grandpa Wu sighed in his heart. He stood up to go into the kitchen and poured himself some wine. After taking a sip, he saw the disapproving expression on Chen Yang’s face. With a resigned sigh, he put the wine down and said, “Alright, alright, I won’t drink anymore.”

Chen Yang smiled faintly, “Mm.”

The time that followed was spent preparing for the betrothal. They ordered items for the marriage ritual, including paper-crafted gold and silver jewelry, clothes, and even paper models of modern appliances like televisions and refrigerators. When Chen Yang went to the paper shop to place the order, the shopkeeper kept staring at him. Having worked in this trade for a long time, the shopkeeper naturally knew the purpose of such items. As Chen Yang took the goods, the shopkeeper gave him a serious warning, “Young man, there are some things that only those without a conscience should handle. If you do it, you’ll incur bad karma. Be careful.”

Chen Yang looked up and smiled, “I understand. I’m not doing anything bad.”

The shopkeeper paused, then said nothing further. As Chen Yang turned and left, the shopkeeper muttered to himself, “He doesn’t seem like a bad person when he smiles.”

Chen Yang knew the shopkeeper’s concerns. Ghost Marriages had existed for centuries, but not all of them were voluntary. There were even rumors of people killing others for profit, using the deceased as a Ghost Marriage partner to sell to someone else.

The ninth of September quickly arrived, and Chen Yang took the day off from school. This was the lunar ninth of September, and he had been in his second year of high school for a little over a month. Chen Yang changed into the groom’s attire and stood in the room, feeling nervous. Outside, Grandpa Wu and the ghost matchmaker were preparing. The tables were set with cold dishes on one side and hot dishes on the other.

The cold dishes represented the underworld, while the hot dishes represented the human world. On the hot dish side, there were paper figures painted in red and green, representing living people. Inside, the room was draped in white sails and red silk, giving an eerie vibe. On both sides of the high platform, there were four paper figures—two men and two women—acting as servants.

Grandpa Wu and the ghost matchmaker entered, with Grandpa Wu sitting on the high platform while the ghost matchmaker carried a tablet. At that moment, Chen Yang felt as if the room was filled with spirits, all staring at them with blank expressions.

The ghost matchmaker approached him and said in a cold, expressionless voice, “Bride, take the groom’s tablet.”

Chen Yang swallowed nervously and picked up the groom’s tablet. His fingers trembled slightly. Holding it to his chest, he looked toward Grandpa Wu, unsure of what to do. The tablet was blank, with no writing. Grandpa Wu’s expression was unreadable as he exchanged a glance with the ghost matchmaker. The ghost matchmaker didn’t speak, just stared at the blank tablet.

The atmosphere grew tense and strange. Chen Yang dared not speak, as he knew he was not allowed to during the ceremony. Then, he heard the ghost matchmaker’s voice, “Bride, change the groom’s clothes.”

Chen Yang stood frozen, confused, staring at the ghost matchmaker. The ghost matchmaker pointed upstairs to the wedding room and softened his tone, “Go upstairs and dress the groom.” Chen Yang nodded and, still holding the tablet, made his way up to the wedding room. He stood there, staring at the massive wedding bed, wondering where the groom was.

He placed the tablet on the table and spoke to it, “Are you… there? Can you come out and get changed?” He called out to the tablet for a while, but there was no response. Chen Yang started to doubt if his marriage partner had fled.

“I’m behind you.”

The sudden voice startled Chen Yang. He quickly turned around, and when he saw the man’s face, he froze for a moment. This was the first time Chen Yang met Du Shuo, and it was on the day of their wedding, in the bridal chamber.

Chen Yang quickly averted his gaze and stammered, “Y-You… hello, I… I’m Chen Yang, and you… are you the one I’m marrying?”

Chen Yang’s gaze kept darting around, not noticing that Du Shuo’s brow had furrowed slightly. Feeling the awkwardness between them and not wanting to waste the auspicious time, Chen Yang picked up the groom’s attire from the bed and walked up to him, “This is the groom’s attire. I made it myself. Try it on and see if it fits. I… um, by the way, what’s your name?”

Du Shuo lowered his gaze to the groom’s attire. “You made this yourself?” Chen Yang nodded. Du Shuo took the attire from him, running his fingers over the smooth fabric, noticing the fine stitching—clearly, it was well-made. Chen Yang kept his head down, only looking up at Du Shuo’s chest, while Du Shuo, looking down, could see the delicate skin of Chen Yang’s neck, illuminated by the light.

Du Shuo’s fingers twitched slightly, as if wanting to reach out and touch it. His gaze deepened, but it was hard to tell whether his thoughts were light or heavy. Only the slight movement of his throat betrayed a bit of emotion. Du Shuo handed the groom’s attire back to Chen Yang, his expression dark and intense. “Help me put it on.”

Chen Yang froze, confused. “Oh… okay.” He began unbuttoning Du Shuo’s robes, only then realizing that Du Shuo was wearing a luxurious black robe with golden embroidery, looking regal and noble. Chen Yang thought to himself that his future ghost husband must have been a prince or a noble in life, given the lavishness of his attire. His demeanor was also extraordinarily dignified.

As the waistband hit the floor with a soft sound, Chen Yang removed Du Shuo’s robe and draped the groom’s attire over him, fastening the buttons and tying the belt. When he looked up again, he paused in awe. The ghost before him was already impossibly handsome, but dressed in the red groom’s robe, he seemed even more charismatic and alluring.

“It’s… done. I’ll go out now. You can come out later.” Chen Yang hurriedly ran out of the room.

Du Shuo called out to him. Chen Yang turned back, leaning in slightly, “Is there something else?”

“I’m Du Shuo.”

“Oh.” Chen Yang looked up and suddenly smiled faintly. “Got it.”

Once Chen Yang left, Du Shuo’s expression grew colder. A ghost officer appeared in the room and bowed respectfully, “Great Emperor, it was my greed and momentary lapse in judgment that led me to agree to a Ghost Marriage with a human from the mortal realm. I beg the Great Emperor to show mercy and not blame the human.”

After a moment of silence, Du Shuo asked, “Why did you agree to this Ghost Marriage?”

The ghost officer bowed three times, not daring to look up at the Emperor of the Underworld. He spoke reverently, “The Chen family’s ancestors did me a favor. I entered into this Ghost Marriage to repay the kindness and protect the Chen family’s bloodline.”

Du Shuo played with the jade ring on his thumb and spoke softly, “You may leave. Don’t interfere with the Chen family matters anymore. Return to the Underworld and guard the gates. After ten years, you may return to Fengdu.”

“Yes.” The ghost officer was relieved that the Emperor did not blame him, but he still felt guilty toward the Chen family. He couldn’t help it—he had only agreed to the marriage because the Chen family’s ancestor had accidentally been overheard by the Emperor, who then learned about the intention to change their fate by arranging a Ghost Marriage. It was also then that the officer learned about the extremely yin fate of the Chen family’s descendants. The Emperor, who had heard of it, was known for his cruelty toward those with such fates, killing them on sight.

Thinking of this, the ghost officer, under great pressure, spoke again, “The Chen family has always been kind to others, with ten generations of good deeds. Their descendants are blessed. Now, Chen Yang is the last of the Chen family’s bloodline. I hope… the Great Emperor will show mercy.”

“If not for the ten generations of good deeds, he wouldn’t have encountered so many opportunities.” Du Shuo murmured, then waved his hand dismissively, signaling for the officer to leave. He walked around the room with his hands behind his back and stopped in front of the mirror to examine the groom’s attire. “Quite skillful.”

Outside, Chen Yang knocked on the door, “The auspicious time has arrived. Will you come out?”

Du Shuo glanced at the door, then at the reflection of the wedding attire in the bronze mirror, his thoughts swirling in confusion and contemplation.

Outside, Chen Yang asked again, “Shall I open the door?” Just as his words fell, the door creaked open from the inside, and Du Shuo’s gaze met his. Chen Yang’s heart fluttered slightly, and he softly said, “The auspicious time has arrived.”

“Let’s go.” Du Shuo replied, his tone steady.

Author’s note:
The Great Emperor is essentially snatching the marriage and deceiving them, understand?

PS: Due to changes in the setting, the original plan was for them to marry at sixteen, but now it has to be modified. The ceremony is only a betrothal (this will be explained in the next chapter), with Du Shuo planning to protect Chen Yang for two years, and the true wedding night will only occur once Chen Yang comes of age.

 

 

 

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