Don't provoke mentally ill people in the infinite flow genre!

This is the second night for this bureau.

A wind rose over the imperial city, the cold moon hung high, and thick fog shrouded the Qionghua Imperial River, plunging the entire area into darkness.

All members were in place. Yi Zanglan, with her hair tied up in a golden crown, stood at the front, wearing a bright red wedding dress embroidered with dragon patterns, her clothes fluttering in the wind.

Ling Ye, Shen Yubai, Qin Shaoyu, and Du Songzi, also dressed in wedding attire, stood on either side, gazing into the distance with her.

Due to the short notice and lack of time to sew them on the spot, these wedding dresses were taken out by Li Siqi from the Yuanli Pavilion. They are said to be the wedding attire of the late emperor.

It doesn't matter who it is; there are no hard and fast rules, as long as you can wear it.

"They're here."

Yi Zanglan spoke in a low voice. She saw the painted boat slowly emerging from the thick fog. It was painted entirely in vermilion, with rotten edges. The lanterns with large red "double happiness" characters hung dimly, and the wedding curtains embroidered with dragons, phoenixes, and auspicious clouds hung from the sky, seemingly soaked with moisture, swaying gently in the night wind.

As the saying goes: Auspicious patterns conceal resentment, and beautiful scenes give rise to sorrow.

She took the sword from Yan Zhao, and as she left, she glanced around and smiled in a calm and relaxed tone.

"Who will be boarding my wedding boat later? Everyone, please be careful."

She stepped onto the Denglan Bridge and slowly walked towards the painted boat, her figure quickly disappearing into the hazy mist.

The lanterns' light gradually dimmed, and the painted boat drifted further and further away, clearly heading slowly toward the center of the river.

"……Time is up."

Yan Zhao used a water clock to keep track of time, and after a quarter of an hour, he signaled to the four people who were waiting.

Four small boats were moored on the riverbank, each with a stick of incense sticks stuck in its bow and the birth dates of Ling Ye and the other three people in this instance engraved on their sterns.

As Li Siqi lit the incense, Yan Zhao watched them board the ship and gave them a stern reminder.

"This incense is probably used to attract those who are not part of the main stream, so that they can clear the way for the correct boat. Whoever is chosen must return as soon as the incense burns out, so that they can light the lamp and guide the way, and avoid any unforeseen complications."

"clear."

The four agreed, then each boarded the boat, took oars, and sailed away along the same path the painted boat had taken.

Tang Yunxi stared in the direction they had gone, and after a long while, sighed with considerable annoyance.

"We can't go with them. We feel like that wedding boat is too eerie. We hope nothing goes wrong."

Yan Zhao and Wu Ying, who were standing nearby, nodded and remained silent. Tang Yunxi's words could be considered a positive wish, but they dared not make a bad one.

However, if it is Yi Zanglan who goes.

Even the most bizarre situations should be easily resolved, right?

* * * * * *

The painted boat was approaching the center of the Imperial River, shrouded in thick fog on all sides, as if forming its own barrier, and gradually nothing could be seen clearly.

Yi Zanglan inspected the cabin thoroughly and found it filled with faded wedding decorations, the candlelight dim, the ship planks soaked and rotten, and the red silk curtains still dripping wet.

Yes, this ship had sunk to the bottom of the river, so it should naturally have such a cold and eerie appearance.

On the carved table were a nuptial wine cup, a marriage certificate, and two matching jade pendants.

She sat at the table waiting for a long time, when suddenly she heard, on the wind, the faint strains of a mournful opera aria drifting closer:

Sitting alone on the dragon throne, old memories remain, but no one understands the autumn in my heart.

The Qionghua River, tonight, is draped in brocade, serving as a stage for the wedding ceremony;

As the land flourishes, I have no desires; a wisp of longing crosses the darkness.

Though separated by death, our love remains; the knot of longing is untied, and I will never let it rest in this lifetime.

The opera was sung three times in a row until it was drowned out by the sound of surging waves, the echoes lingering as if something was rising from the bottom of the river.

Yi Zanglan paused, then turned away with a cold expression.

……

The four small boats moved at a steady pace through the thick fog. At first, the four people on board could vaguely see each other, but as time went by, the incense sticks burned down to almost nothing, and they lost their sense of direction.

Only when one of the small boats is selected can the other three see the way they came again.

Soon, they also heard the lyrics of the opera. The lyrics were plaintive and were sung three times in a row before abruptly ending, leaving only the sound of the wind brushing past their ears.

At the same time, the fire went out, and the three incense sticks at the bow of the ship were completely burned out.

...The fog had not yet dissipated. Qin Shaoyu stared at the lingering incense stick that was still emitting light smoke for a long time before belatedly looking around.

The surroundings were dark, and he couldn't tell where to row, or whether he should continue forward or turn back.

Has a candidate been chosen to board the pleasure boat?

Based on the current situation, it's definitely not him.

That's fine, since in his mind he was just there to make up the numbers.

Both Ling Ye and Shen Yubai are more helpful to Yi Zanglan. Even Du Songzi, who has lower combat power, can definitely help at critical moments because of the Thirteen Ghost Needles.

So what should I do now? Perhaps I should wait a little longer, until one of them officially reunites with Yi Zanglan, and then I can return to shore to light the lamp?

wow-

Suddenly, a strange sound of water breaking came from ahead. Qin Shaoyu looked up sharply and saw a wooden boat emerging from the fog, heading straight for him.

Did the teammate return to base?

His first thought was this, but upon closer inspection, he discovered that it wasn't Ling Ye and the others, but Yi Zanglan dressed in wedding attire.

"Captain... oh no, Your Majesty?"

The next moment, Yi Zanglan threw away the oar and leaped into the water, landing lightly on his boat.

"There's something wrong with that pleasure boat," she said coldly. "Tonight's show is a trap; we can't continue."

"A trap?" Qin Shaoyu exclaimed in surprise. "Then what do we need to do now?"

"Get ashore immediately, don't delay, go back first and then we'll discuss a solution."

"But Lao Shen, Ye Wang, and Song Zi don't know about this yet. What if one of them gets chosen and ends up on the pleasure boat?"

"They're not in danger for now. Once we get ashore and light the lamps, they'll understand what I mean." Yi Zanglan frowned, and as she spoke, she reached for the oar in his hand. "It's too late. If we don't hurry back, something unclean might follow us."

Qin Shaoyu subconsciously gripped the oar tightly for a moment. He stared at her in a daze and spoke in a low voice.

"...Your Majesty, if it were you, who would you choose to board the pleasure boat tonight to complete the ceremony?"

"I hope it's you," Yi Zanglan answered without hesitation. "You are intelligent, determined, and brave; you are the most suitable candidate in my heart."

"Yeah?"

"certainly."

Qin Shaoyu suddenly smiled, looking very happy. He reached out his hand, as if to hand her the oar.

Just as Yi Zanglan was about to receive the punch, he suddenly launched an attack, delivering a powerful punch to his opponent.

"You're not her at all! At least try to be convincing, you bastard!"

Before he finished speaking, he quickly took two steps back, decisively abandoned the boat, and plunged into the river.