The town of fairies was adorned with the color red like a bride. A veil of red lanterns covered the walking street and red silk banners with beautiful golden calligraphy danced in the gentle wind. Love knots and charms were hanging in every inn and shop, to attract love and luck. At night, the lanterns together with the fireworks illuminated the whole town, creating a mesmerizing and magical atmosphere. Everyone set out to relish this magical moment. Donning their best outfits, in hopes of making a great first impression on their future partners. Love was in the air. One could see it, one could feel it.
The sound of giggles and laughter caught the attention of some passersby. In a corner of a famous inn, an exceptionally good-looking man was being entertained by a group of pretty women. Some were singing and some were dancing, some were pouring him wine and some were feeding him delicious food. What a sight of envy he was to the poor observers. Little did they know that behind all the false pretense this man had put on display, deep down his heart was trembling in fear.
Jin thought, "Who would've ever imagined that I, the legendary swordsman Jin, would end up becoming bait for the ghost bride ya."
He lifted his cup close to his lips and sneaked a peek at the opposite corner where Yang was seating with his not-so-great disguise, a plain cloak, and a black leather eye patch. He felt a sense of relief, at least his friend was here to protect him. But in that exact moment, Yang suddenly stood up and raced outside. Jin choked on his wine as his heart sank into the dark abyss. Even his dear friend had left him to be a meal for the ghost bride. So much for childhood friendship.
Yang scurried his way out of the inn, only to have his path barricaded by the swarm of people in the walking street, searching for love and maybe food. He picked something up from the ground and dusted it off. He scoured the whole area through his eyes, one of the many advantages of his tall height but the person of his interest was no longer in sight.
He decided to wait it out for a while, an hour passed, and still nothing. So he returned back to his seat, still closely examining the object he had just found. Jin was drunk as a lord by now, with bloodshot eyes, his speech didn't make any sense and he could hardly keep himself in an upright position. The guests started exiting the inn, some stumbled their way out while some were dragged out by their peers. Other than the drunken ruckus, the rest of the night passed with peace.
They followed the same routine night after night, but nothing out of the ordinary ever happened. Everything was normal and everyone was having the time of their life, excluding Jin and Yang. Jin had been drinking an excessive amount of wine due to the demand of his wealthy alcoholic womanizer's role. With no time for recovery, his hangovers were getting terrible by the day. Yang, on the other hand, couldn't help but wonder about the stranger he saw on the first night of the festival. It may have been for a brief moment but this person had left a lasting impression on him, the one he didn't quite understand it himself.
Lady Ai entered the room with a bowl in her hand and placed it on the table. Yang followed her and stood in a corner with his usual blank face.
"Here, drink this spicy soup. It is a great cure for a hangover.", she said.
"Thank you ya, Godmother."
"I hope this will make you feel better. There's still a lot of drinking you need to do tonight."
He blew his hot soup and thought, "I don't know about the ghost bride ya but this every night drinking session might just become the cause of my death. I swear if I am still alive by the end of this mission, I will teach this sly old hag a lesson ya."
Lady Ai smacked Jin's head as if she could hear his thoughts.
"A little bit of drinking won't kill you, little brat. Didn't you boast to us about how you could drink a sea of wine and still not get drunk? So what happened?"
Based on the severe headaches and gut-wrenching nausea, the once self-proclaimed wine master had come to an enlightening realization that drinking was not his specialty. He couldn't help feel a little embarrassed. So instead of throwing a tantrum like he usually did, he decided to swallow his words along with the lukewarm soup and remained quiet.
"Everything is going as it should, but why does this calm resemble the one before the storm than the after. Why hasn't the ghost bride made her move yet? Is she taking a break from her killing spree or is it that she doesn't find our little bait captivating enough to ignite her desire to kill?"
After saying that Lady Ai studied Jin from head to toe with her watchful eyes. The expression on his face indicated that he wanted to say something but he continued to slurp his soup.
She shifted her gaze to Yang and said, "I heard you went to the tranquil bamboo forest. Did you find anything unusual?"
"No, Godmother. There were no abnormalities in the forest but on my way back, I met an old lady who was looking for her son."
"Her son? Could there be another victim whose body is yet to be found?"
"No, it can't be because her son disappeared a year ago."
"As far as I can remember, there were no missing cases last year."
"The old lady said she is from the northern region. Her son visited the town of fairies during the festival of love last year but even after months of waiting, he never returned home again."
"Do you think he could be a victim of the Ghost bride too?"
"We can't say for sure until we find out what happened to him. It could also be a case of a runaway because his mother said he was a problem child. His behaviors were often disruptive and odd. I have promised to help her with her son's case."
"That is very kind of you, Yang. Anyway, it is the last night, I want you two to be extra vigilant. I have a feeling the ghost bride will show up tonight."
It was the end of the festival of love. The exuberant town of fairies brimmed with the hopeful and joyous energy of its visitors. Young and old couples romancing. Families and friends strengthening and cherishing their bonds. Love of every kind was being celebrated to the fullest.
As usual, the two men sat on their usual side of the corner doing their usual thing. Jin drinking pot after pot of wine while Yang's observant eye noticed every bit of the slightest movement and detailing of his surrounding.
Amidst the hustling and bustling inside the busy inn, a melodious tune started to play in a distance. The louder it got, the closer it felt and the stronger its effect. Yang had only heard about this melody but there was no mistaking it. This was the melody of sorrow mentioned in the ancient prophecy. Though not perfect enough to have its full effect. It felt like the time had frozen. Soon after the guests and courtesans started dropping like flies as they lost their consciousness, Yang pretended to faint as well.
His cloak covered most of his line of sight, but he could see a slim figure approaching Jin. She walked like a cat, light steps, her hips swayed from side to side. She wore a robe that flaunted her snowy-white back, a wide silk bow with long trains tied around her sylphlike waist. She positioned herself seductively in front of Jin, her bridal headpiece slightly titled on her head while her unreasonably silky long hair mopped the floor. The long-awaited ghost bride had made her appearance at last.
An unsetting feeling filled Yang's heart when he saw an old bamboo flute in her hand. This was the flute used to play the melody of sorrow. He peeped at Jin who was staring blanking at the woman as if he had fallen into a trance. He kept chanting the same lines over and over again.
"Rare beauty with bewitching eyes and cherry red lips.
Long black hair, melodious voice, and thin hips."
The ghost bride leaned over to Jin and whispered something in his ears. She lifted his chin with her flute and glared at his face hungrily. But as if she had sensed something, she suddenly turned around in Yang's direction. He shut his eyes tight and continued to suppress his spiritual energy, blending it with the fallen ones. When he opened his eyes, the ghost bride was gone and his childhood friend Jin was missing.
