Inside the wedding hall, a thick, bloody stench permeated the air, stinging their noses and making them want to vomit.
"Do you have any money on you?" Lu Jiuling spoke up. "Give it to him!"
When Xu Shaowei heard this, her eyes went wide, and she nodded hurriedly.
"Yes!"
"Yes!"
Xu Shaowei fumbled in her pocket and pulled out a portable wallet printed with Pikachu. "I have some!"
Even her bestie of over two years was pretending not to see her, afraid of bringing disaster upon herself. Truthfully, Xu Shaowei hadn't held out much hope for Lu Jiuling, but unexpectedly, he had spoken.
Although she didn't know if this advice would be useful, Lu Jiuling's warm and steady voice was like a bonfire on a snowy winter night, giving Xu Shaowei a trace of warmth. She even felt that perhaps she could survive that little ghost creature.
Swish!
Everyone looked at Lu Jiuling, astonished that he dared to speak up at a time like this.
After all, that little ghost creature had just used a sewing needle to kill Ning Qian and Zhou Yuanhang.
"At the critical moment, it's still you!"
Jiang Shan looked at Lu Jiuling, appreciation in her eyes, while her heart stirred with excitement again.
Exactly!
The little xitong was looking for "guests" at this time; it had to be to ask for wedding money.
Give it money,
and they would definitely pass!
Tang Weimin was startled and hurriedly warned Lu Jiuling, "Don't speak recklessly!"
The professor hadn't mentioned any precautions regarding this Taboo Contamination, so Tang Weimin didn't know how to purify it either. Right now, they could only wait.
As long as Lu Jiuling didn't die, there was still a possibility of completing this Promotion Ritual.
Nowadays, electronic payments had long been widespread, but when people traveled, they would definitely carry some cash for emergencies. If their phones were lost or broken, they wouldn't be penniless and unable to even afford a ticket home.
Xu Shaowei had three hundred and fifty yuan in her wallet. She grabbed it all out and handed it to the little xitong.
"Here!"
"It's all yours!"
Xu Shaowei's slender right hand trembled, her fair forehead covered in beads of sweat.
*Please, just take it!*
Xu Shaowei prayed continuously. As long as the little xitong took the money, she should be safe.
Unfortunately, things went contrary to her wishes. The little xitong didn't move its head, but rotated its eyeballs, glanced at the bills in Xu Shaowei's hand, then continued staring at her.
Stare...
It didn't work!
Xu Shaowei's hands and feet went ice-cold!
"Fuck!"
Xu Shuo cursed under his breath.
He had thought there was a turning point; he hadn't expected it still wouldn't work.
The other students also showed expressions of disappointment.
What could they do about this?
"Maybe it's too little?" Jiang Shan guessed. "Do you have more money? Give it all to him!"
There were some wedding crashers who always asked for money to the extreme. Perhaps this little xitong thought the wedding money was too little.
"My cash is all here!" Xu Shaowei touched her pocket and thought of her bestie Feng Xiu first. "How much cash do you have? Lend me some!"
Feng Xiu was still lying on the table. Hearing this, she reached into her pocket, but just as she pulled her hand out, she stuffed it back in.
"What's wrong?" Xu Shaowei urged. "Hurry up!"
"I... I...!"
Feng Xiu muttered quietly; no one even heard what she said.
Lu Jiuling and Jiang Shan instantly understood.
What if that little ghost creature came looking for Feng Xiu afterward and she couldn't give enough wedding money?
She could only wait to die.
So she had to keep a large sum of money for self-defense.
Xu Shaowei wasn't stupid. She froze for a moment and understood too, immediately asking others for help, "Who among you brought cash? Lend me some?"
"Sorry!"
Feng Xiu cried, her face full of shame at refusing her best friend.
No one responded!
Everyone was poor students. Forget cash; they didn't even have much money in their mobile e-wallets. It wasn't enough for themselves.
"Zhang Shuai, lend me five hundred!"
Xu Shaowei looked at Zhang Shuai.
She knew this kid wasn't short on money. His monthly allowance was more than an ordinary three-person family's monthly living expenses.
Zhang Shuai chuckled. He had originally wanted to make a sarcastic remark. *You finally think of me at a time like this? If I lend you money, what will you give me in return?*
But then he thought of how Zhou Yuanhang had spoken out of turn, saying quickly think of a way to help Ning Qian, and as a result, the little xitong came knocking, stabbed him with a needle, and turned him into a human-skin balloon...
Zhang Shuai immediately restrained his urge to mock her.
Xu Shaowei had big breasts, a rare commodity, but as long as he stayed alive, there would always be chances to meet even bigger ones.
"Zhang Shuai!"
Xu Shaowei called out again.
Zhang Shuai glanced at Xu Shaowei and remained silent.
Xu Shaowei's entire body went cold.
His attitude made it abundantly clear that he wouldn't lend.
Xu Shaowei looked at Lu Jiuling. She opened her mouth but still didn't say the word "borrow" because she knew Lu Jiuling's family was poor. He definitely wasn't carrying more cash than her. If he lent her money, what would he do later?
"Shaowei, I can only give you two hundred!"
Jiang Shan held a palm-sized pink wallet, took out two hundred yuan, and handed it to Xu Shaowei.
"Thank you! Thank you!"
Xu Shaowei was incredibly moved.
Two hundred yuan didn't look like much, but it was like sending charcoal in snowy weather.
She took it and immediately held it out toward the little xitong full of anticipation!
*Take it quickly!*
Xu Shaowei wanted to shout this at the little xitong.
Everyone was secretly paying attention to this little ghost creature. Because if giving money worked, it meant no one would have to endure being stabbed by a sewing needle, swelling into a human-skin balloon, and then exploding into a lump of flesh and blood.
But the little xitong still didn't take it!
It glanced at the five hundred-yuan bills in Xu Shaowei's hand, an impatient expression appearing on its face. Its small hand flipped, gripping the sewing needle.
The blood instantly drained from Xu Shaowei's face, leaving it deathly pale.
"Wait, I... I'll add more money!"
Xu Shaowei looked toward Jiang Shan pleadingly.
"Giving money is useless?"
Xu Shuo frowned deeply. Then what did this little ghost creature want?
"It's a money problem!"
Jiang Shan sighed.
This top student of the grade who was also the campus beauty had already thought of the reason for the little xitong's indifference.
They probably didn't recognize the paper currency used by humans. Even if ten million were piled before them, they would think it was waste paper.
They wanted silver or gold.
But where could she get such things?
Robbing a gold store wouldn't be in time!
Sigh!
They could only wait to die!
Just as Jiang Shan fell into despair, a sudden flash of inspiration came to her.
Wait!
Before, Lu Jiuling had given that lantern-bearing xitong a silver ingot!
Swish!
Jiang Shan turned her head and looked at Lu Jiuling.
"Xu Shaowei, catch!"
What Jiang Shan could deduce, Lu Jiuling naturally thought of too, and even faster than her. So when the campus beauty turned her head, Lu Jiuling had already pulled out a silver ingot and tossed it toward Xu Shaowei.
Xu Shaowei fumbled and didn't catch it.
The silver ingot landed with a plop on Xu Shaowei's chest. Normally, Xu Shaowei would definitely roll her eyes at Lu Jiuling, but now she couldn't care less. She hurriedly grabbed it and handed it to the little xitong.
On the little xitong's face, which was covered in thick white face powder and looked like a zombie face at first glance, its eyebrows curved and the corners of its mouth spread, finally revealing a smile.
"Thank you for the reward, young lady!"
The little xitong called out a greeting, squatted slightly, and performed a wanfu salute toward Xu Shaowei.
"Is she safe now?"
Li Yinuo was still worried, rubbing her eyes hard.
"Safe! Safe!"
Ke Xinyi patted her chest and let out a long breath. Knowing how to deal with this kind of little ghost creature, she wasn't panicked anymore. Then she looked at Lu Jiuling with an adoring gaze.
So amazing!
He had found the solution again.
"Holy shit, that works?"
Xu Shuo was shocked, then somewhat jealous. If only he had been the one to resolve the little xitong crisis; he would definitely win Jiang Shan's admiration.
"So it was about giving silver ingots!"
Tang Weimin suddenly realized.
So the little xitong was looking for guests to ask for wedding money, but they were ancient people who only recognized gold and silver. Copper coins would work too.
The students present all relaxed their tense nerves somewhat.
Having received one portion of wedding money, the little xitong wasn't satisfied. After finishing its salute toward Xu Shaowei, it strode over on its short little legs to Li Jiayao beside her.
Li Jiayao's body tensed, a fearful expression appearing on her baby face. Completely out of instinct, she looked toward Lu Jiuling.
Hoo!
Xu Shaowei leaned back, collapsing against the chair. Her entire body was soaked in sweat, like a drowning person just pulled out of a river.
That was terrifying!
Xu Shaowei was utterly exhausted, her body still trembling slightly. But she still stared unblinkingly at Lu Jiuling, her gaze full of attachment.
If not for the inappropriate timing, she really wanted to throw herself into Lu Jiuling's embrace and hug him tightly. Even if he pushed her away, she would shamelessly press herself against him again.
There was no helping it.
The sense of security Lu Jiuling brought was simply too overwhelming.
"Lu... Classmate Lu!"
Li Jiayao was introverted and shy. Normally, she didn't even dare to speak loudly, so this address of hers didn't make much sound at all.
Lu Jiuling looked at Li Jiayao's baby face. Without even reading her lips, he knew she was begging him!
"Catch!"
Lu Jiuling pulled out a silver ingot and tossed it over.
He had no feelings for Li Jiayao, but she had a crush on him. This affection made Lu Jiuling willing to help her.
Plop!
The silver ingot fell on Li Jiayao's body.
Li Jiayao hurriedly grabbed it, and then tears gushed out.
Wuwuwu!
Li Jiayao burst into tears.
She regretted it. She should have risked it all and confessed to Lu Jiuling.
Despite Li Jiayao having a crush on Lu Jiuling, the two of them had spoken fewer than a hundred sentences total over three years of high school.
During student days, such male and female classmates weren't rare. They didn't dare confess, only silently watching each other, liking each other. After many years post-graduation, they would still occasionally think of each other, wondering if he or she was doing well.
"Don't cry!" Jiang Shan persuaded her friend. "Hurry up and give the wedding money to him!"
Li Jiayao tightly clutched this piece of silver, unwilling to let go. She really wanted to keep it as a memento, pressed under her pillow for a lifetime.
"Jiayao, give it to him quickly!" Jiang Shan urged. "Don't waste Classmate Lu's goodwill!"
Before Li Jiayao could move, the other seven little xitongs who had been quietly standing and waiting saw their companion had received wedding money. They couldn't stand still anymore and floated over one after another.
This scene instantly caused the atmosphere in the great wedding hall to congeal.
"Holy shit!"
Li Yinuo's scalp went numb.
"We're done for!"
Wang Xingkun was utterly terrified. He immediately lay down on the table, praying in his heart that the little xitong wouldn't come looking for him.
"Don't come for me!"
"Don't come for me!"
Even Zhang Shuai, who normally feared neither heaven nor earth, was praying to the heavens for protection to turn misfortune into blessing. After muttering a few words, he suddenly reacted.
Rather than praying to the Tathagata Buddha, it was better to beg Lu Jiuling for an ingot of silver!
With wedding money, they could send away this kind of little ghost creature!