USWHC -Chapter 420 Slaughtering in All Directions (Part 10)

“Bride, open the door! The groom has come to fetch you!” In the village, weddings weren’t burdened with all the elaborate formalities; in fact, they were even livelier than those in the town. The villagers shouted loudly in unison.

Yet, much to everyone’s surprise, the door remained absolutely still. Not a single person came to open it.

No way—was the door really this hard to open? Could the bride be shy?

Even more villagers began shouting: “Bride, don’t be shy! Your husband is almost impatient!”

Hearing the commotion, Ji Yi’s face turned bright red. He stepped forward and gently knocked on the door. “Zhu Jie, open the door!”

He was polite and proper, but the villagers were having none of it. They shouted even louder: “Groom, haven’t you eaten? Your voice is too soft; the bride probably can’t hear you!”

Ji Yi let out a small laugh at their teasing but raised his voice: “Zhu Jie, marry me!”

This shout rang out loud and clear. The villagers erupted in laughter: “The groom isn’t shy! Bride, come out quickly!”

But no matter how lively it got outside, the door remained unmoved. It didn’t make sense—so many Jin Yi Wei were here, their ears practically trained to catch even the faintest sound, yet they hadn’t noticed anything?

Ji Yi’s worry deepened. Could something have happened? He stopped calling Zhu Jie and instead shouted Huaihua’s name: “Huaihua! Huaihua! Is Zhu Jie inside?”

Still, there was no movement inside the courtyard. Some villagers even joked, “Oh no, maybe the bride ran away with someone!”

The words struck Ji Yi like a thunderclap. A terrible thought surged into his mind. But he kept telling himself: No, she wouldn’t leave. She… last night…

Yes, last night she had been strange, so strange that it made Ji Yi’s heart uneasy. He even felt a pang of regret. Why? Why had he trusted her words so easily in front of so many people, believed her explanations so readily?

BANG! The courtyard door was suddenly thrown open. The villagers, who had been joking and laughing, froze. No way—had the bride really run off? That was impossible! Weren’t these two supposed to be a loving couple?

Yet the next moment, everyone fell silent. Complete silence. Dead silence. The entire courtyard seemed frozen, every pin drop audible, except for one thing—the festive joy that should have filled the air.

Ji Yi, as if gone mad, rushed in, searching every room for that crimson figure. She had worn the red wedding dress before leaving, smiling sweetly at him and teasingly asking: Am I beautiful?

But now, at the most important moment, she was gone. Ji Yi’s heart tightened, filled with frustration and emptiness. What was happening? Why hadn’t he noticed the trace of sadness always hidden in her smile?

Had he trusted her too easily, thinking it was just pre-wedding nerves? Or had he been avoiding the worst possibility, unwilling to consider that he might actually lose her?

“Zhu Jie! Come out!” he shouted, a hysterical cry that echoed through the courtyard and across the sky.

Tears fell from her eyes. She had cried countless times, yet hearing this desperate shout pierced her heart anew.

“I’m sorry,” Zhu Jie whispered softly. But who was her apology for? Her heart was no lighter than Ji Yi’s. That indescribable pain, which she could not voice, made her wish she could scream—but there was nowhere to call out to.

“Your Highness, it’s time to depart!” Zhao Xuguang said respectfully.

It was time to leave. Zhu Jie lifted her head to the vast blue sky. Hadn’t she already made her decision when she called the Jin Yi Wei back?

Yet she still felt a lingering sense of unwillingness. Was it because she had been deceived? Or because she truly, truly did not want to leave?

“Zhu Jie! Come back to me!” Suddenly, a shout rang out, as if drifting from the sky. Zhu Jie turned her head. Could he really see her?

So far away, hidden behind the hills—they couldn’t possibly see her. That shout was only the last desperate struggle of a man in despair.