IWBL: Chapter 46

It was clearly 9:30 in the morning and it was the time when the sun should be shining. There were no dark clouds in the sky and it should be a bright light. However, outside the ghost train was a desolate scene.

The moment the train stopped, the remaining reincarnators rushed to the door and looked outside carefully.

The second station was a suburban cemetery station, as the name suggested. It was surrounded by white fog that shrouded everything and was a desolate suburb in the eyes of the people. There were no characteristics, just gravestones on the vast hillside. Some of them were engraved with the birth and death dates of the deceased but some were just rough stones without any handwriting.

These gravestones were densely packed and the edges couldn’t be seen at first glance. It was hard to imagine how many lonely ghosts were screaming day and night.

The reincarnators stood at the door of the train and saw four figures walking towards the train. Wu Tianyi’s forehead was covered with sweat and her scalp was numb as she watched the four figures come closer.

The four people came from different directions and eventually gathered together. The first ones to get on the train looked like a couple. The boy had a shaved head and wore a large t-shirt while the girl wore an off-shoulder ruffled top with hot pants. Their hands were joined together and they looked very loving, like a pair of conjoined babies.

On the right side of the couple was a man. He was unusually tall, wore a black jacket and a pair of black sunglasses. His face couldn’t be seen but the atmosphere he gave off was like a beast that chose a human form. Xiao Li noticed that he wore a silver ring and the tail of the ring was in the form of an unusually realistic skull.

The reason why Xiao Li noticed this was because the little black cat on the ground growled towards the man. The cat’s fur was standing up and he looked extremely afraid.

The figure behind the man was the source of Wu Tianyi’s nervousness. It was a woman dressed gracefully just looking at her lower body and it even made people’s imagination roam. However, this was on the premise that they didn’t look at her upper body.

She wore an ancient red bridal gown that was embroidered with a golden phoenix. There was a phoenix crown on top and a layer of tulle attached to the phoenix crown. The face could be seen through the thin red yarn.

The left half of the face belonged to a young girl with a fair complexion and delicate features. On the other hand, the right half of the face was like a piece of flesh and blood had been dug out. There were locusts drilling into the naked flesh.

The couple was the closest and didn’t seem to see the two people behind them. They went straight to the train station and onto the carriage. The male in the couple looked at the reincarnators strangely, as if wondering why they were standing in the doorway.

The female in the couple stepped into the carriage and found it was empty. She casually picked a place near the door and sat down.

The single man placed one hand in his jacket pocket. He aggressively glanced at the reincarnators and walked through the middle of them. When he passed by Xiao Li, he glanced at the little black cat on the ground but didn’t speak as he walked into the carriage and sat at the end.

There was still the last ghost bride to get on the train. Tian Ji hated that the train had to stay for so long. He tried to push the door closed but it was stuck in place.

The ghost bride was getting closer and closer. Once it was only one step away, the reincarnators stepped back and watched as she came to the door of the carriage. The lotus foot gently stepped into the train and the rest of the reincarnators collectively retired to the next carriage. Only Xiao Li stood in his original place. As the ghost bride passed by him, Xiao Li faintly smelt something rancid. The ghost bride stepped into the carriage and took the middle seat.

The crowd waited nervously. The ghost train stopped for around half a minute before the door closed automatically. The whistling sound was heard again and the Dream Train started. Strangely, the ghost bride’s appearance was so conspicuous but the little couple and the strange man weren’t surprised at all.

The man leaned against the window and watched the scenery change, while the couple were glued together. The girl’s seat had been changed from next to the boy to the boy’s thigh, the two people become hotter. The girl even raised her head to kiss the boy. The boy was embarrassed at first but once he saw that no one noticed, he yielded after making a show of resistance.

On the other side, the ghost bright was sitting still and staring at a corner of the air.

“We… what should we do now?” Yu Chao had been staring at the ghost bride and his voice entered Tian Ji and Jiang Yishe’s ears. “Sure enough, there are ghosts coming up! In a few stops, I’m afraid this train will be full of ghosts!”

Tian Ji removed his gaze that was stuck on the ghost bride and glanced at the black-haired teenager still leaning against the junction of the carriage opposite them. However, the teenager was carefully looking at his task book. From time to time, this pen that was about to run out of ink wrote something on it, the teenager’s expression extremely dignified.

Sure enough, even Sherlock found the development of the Dream Train tricky? Tian Ji and Jiang Yishe thought the same way.

On the other side of the carriage, Xiao Li found it tricky but it wasn’t because of the ghost bride. It was due to the little yellow book.

Once the passengers at the second stop came up, the little yellow book started to vibrate uncomfortably. Xiao Li opened it and saw that it was written: 【 Isn’t the bride’s clothing very good? Do you like it? 】

Xiao Li, “???”

【 I like it very much. The red wedding dress against your skin will look very white. I always dream of peeling the wedding dress off you. A falling scene and you are lying on the wedding dress. Soft, joyful, water, let me give it. 】

【 But the Western style clothing is also good. White is very good-looking and it will be more prominent than the Chinese style. It is more convenient to take off and we can exchange rings as an eternal token. 】

【 If it is a wedding by the sea, we can go directly to a seaside cave and roll on the beach. I will have you with the moon as a witness. 】

Xiao Li, “!!!!”

In broad daylight, he saw such words and then saw the righteous eyes of the group of reincarnators on the opposite side. Xiao Li couldn’t stabilize his hands and almost dropped the little yellow book. For this reason, Xiao Li didn’t stand with Tian Ji. He chose to stay in a corner and use the pen to write in the little yellow book. “You have changed.”

Little yellow book: 【 Where have I changed? 】

Xiao Li was said as he said, “You are becoming more and more yellow.”

Little yellow book: 【 It is because you are never willing to kiss me. I can only approach you in my fantasies. There is an infinite vast world and I only fantasize about you. 】

Xiao Li turned the pen in his hand, hesitating before continuing, “You can fantasize but can you not tell me about them?”

Little yellow book: 【 But I want to tell you. I want to tell you everything. 】

【 I am sure that I like you. I want to be close to you and enter you, which is why I want to know you. Don’t you want to know about me? 】

Xiao Li, “………”

Honestly, to some extent, Xiao Li liked mysterious things like unknown puzzles and a world that was never static. Therefore, the real identity of this little yellow book and the reason for finding Xiao Li caused Xiao Li to feel a lot of curiosity. Still, the things he wanted to know definitely didn’t include the yellow section of the little yellow book.

Xiao Li wanted to write something again but at this moment, the ghost bride moved. She got up from her seat and walked towards where Xiao Li was located, asking, “I am hungry. Is there any food available here?”

Due to the missing part of her right face, her voice was a bit leaky and was accompanied by a hissing sounds as worms moved over her face. Wu Tianyi saw a worm falling to the ground and still wriggling. She covered her mouth, afraid she would call out in the next second.

Xiao Li put away the little yellow book and replied to the ghost bride, “There should be. What do you want to eat?”

Tian Ji heard the answer and didn’t feel good. How could they let the female ghost choose? If she said she wanted to eat people, where would they get it?”

The ghost bride stated, “Okay, please bring it to me.”

Then she turned and went back to her seat.

“We want to eat too.” The little couple told the reincarnators before sticking to each other again.

Tian Ji glanced at Xiao Li and they walked out of the carriage belonging to the new passengers. After leaving and confirming that the ghosts couldn’t hear their conversation, Tian Ji asked, “Where do we get food to give it?”

He didn’t blame Xiao Li for agreeing to the ghost bride’s request. The reason was very simple. Once the ghost’s request was rejected, the ghost would kill the other person. As long as the request wasn’t excessive, the reincarnators would generally agree.

“Go to the kitchen first.” Jiang Yishe spoke first. “If it isn’t possible… I have some compressed biscuits here that can serve as food.”

In the morning, the snacks were still present because the chef of the Dream Train had prepared it in advance. Now that the entire train had become a ghost train, no one could be sure if there was any food supplied.

The kitchen of this train was very clean. The dishes had been sorts and all types of pots and pans were available. There just wasn’t a chef. Tian Ji picked up a bundle of small green vegetables. “There are only ingredients. Do we have to cook it ourselves?”

He first looked at Xiao Li who hadn’t hesitated to agree to the female ghost’s request. The second master of the Xiao family responded honestly, “Don’t look at me, I can’t cook.”

Tian Ji finally found something that Sherlock wasn’t good at and joked, “You really don’t want to try? Cooking is fun.”

“I can do it,” Xiao Li told him. “However, do you dare to eat it?”

Tian Ji was silent before he turned to the only girl in the team. “Wu Tianyi, can you cook?”

“Just a bit…” The teenage girl replied.

It seemed it wasn’t possible. Tian Ji shook his head before rolling up his sleeves. He picked up a pot, put it on the stove and skillfully turned on the fire, looking like a family’s chef. Seeing that someone on the team could cook, Yu Chao let go of his worries. He stood beside the stove and muttered, “Tian Ji, I didn’t think you could cook.”

“What’s wrong with this? I live alone. If I don’t cook, how will I eat?”

“It is because you look like an elite businessman. I always feel like you are the type to go to a Western restaurant to buy food or have someone to cook for you. The type who is very demanding about food and doesn’t like to waste time.”

“Then you looked at me wrong. I usually go home from work and cook for myself. Takeaway isn’t clean and for people like me, hiring someone isn’t convenient.”

Tian Ji moved while talking to other people. He adjusted the heat of the pot, poured the seasoning and ingredients and stirred three times in a row. After a while, a plate of stir-fried green vegetables, green peppered pork and fried noodles were ready.

“The dough is a bit mushy, the vegetables a bit light and the green peppered meat is just right.” The young man placed the food into bowls and placed them on the table, greeting the others enthusiastically. “Do you want to try it.”

Wu Tianyi picked up chopsticks, grabbed a piece of green peppered meat to eat and praised, “Delicious!”

She couldn’t wait to swallow as she gave Tian Ji a thumbs up.

Wu Tianyi said this and the others couldn’t help themselves. They had been up all night and had long been hungry. They eagerly moved their chopsticks to the green peppered meat.

Xiao Li also mixed in with them but the chopsticks in his hand hadn’t touched the meat when he was blocked by Tian Ji. The young man and Xiao Li stared at each other for a moment, each understanding the other’s meaning.

Xiao Li thought for a moment before offering quid pro quo. “I will let you borrow Little Sheep.”

Tian Ji wondered, “Who is Sheep?”

Xiao Li pointed to the little black cat in the corner gnawing on fresh mackerel.

Tian Ji, “……”

He suddenly felt that the ‘Tian Ji (Frog)’ thing with Sherlock was completely meaningless. The other side’s brain circuit meant he might not even remember calling Tian Ji the ‘Frog’ nickname and it was sad for Tian Ji to seem so childish. Tian Ji let go of the chopsticks blocking Xiao Li and watched them taste a few dishes before stopping them in time. “Okay, I can make more at noon. Leave them to see if they suit the taste of the ghost bride.”

Wu Tianyi was the first one to put down her chopsticks. She was very conscious as she took a few bowls from the side and handed them to Tian Ji. The young man handed out a bit of each dish and prepared to take them to the new passengers.

Tian Ji was holding a rice bowl and passing by Xiao Li when  Xiao Li suddenly extended a hand to hold his shoulder.

“Sherlock, what are you doing?” Tian Ji trembled and almost dropped the food. Fortunately, Jiang Yishe grabbed it in time as he glanced at Xiao Li with a puzzled expression.

Xiao Li didn’t directly respond as he took a new bowl, bent down to open the freezer and placed a pile of raw meat into the bowl, handing it to Tian Ji. “I’ll also give this to you.”

“What? What are you talking abou—” Tian Ji didn’t react at the beginning and subconsciously spat out. Then he swallowed back his words at the end of his sentence as he understood Xiao Li’s meaning.

They had always been neglecting one thing and entered a misunderstanding caused by their limited thinking. It was to think of the female ghost with the mindset of a human.

The ghost bride asked the reincarnators for something to eat. Why must it be what humans wanted to eat? Did a ghost need food? Obviously, there was no need to eat human food. They liked flesh, blood and fear.

The female ghost had got on the train from Wilderness Graveyard. It hadn’t been long since she got on the train and no life-saving tips had been given. Then the instance world set various traps in its words and deeds to mislead the reincarnators. If Tian Ji had really given the ghost bride the green peppered meat then presumably, the ghost bride would let him be the next green peppered meat.

Xiao Li saw his understanding by carrying the bowl of bloody meat and Xiao Li let go of his hand. Then he made a ‘quickly go’ gesture.

“…Thank you, I owe you a favour.” Tian Ji spoke seriously as he passed by Xiao Li.

The group of people returned to the carriage where the new passengers were. The imposing man was leaning against the window with his eyes closed. No one knew if he was sleeping or not sleeping. The couple were still talking heatedly, kissing from time to time. It seemed that the next stage would be a limited story.

Tian Ji gave the green peppered meat and other dishes to the couple and then he came to the ghost bride. She was looking down at her red embroidered shoes in a daze and after hearing the movements, he raised his head and raised for the bowl of raw meat.

At the sight of Tian Ji, the ghost bride opened her veil. The strange and terrible face was even scarier close up. She stretched out her hand Tian Ji noticed it was really dry, like a chicken claw. The ghost bride grabbed the raw meat with her hand and threw it into her mouth. She chewed and licked each finger clean. “The blood is too little. Add a bit more next time.”

Sure enough, the trap was here. Tian Ji couldn’t help wiping his sweat. He nodded in agreement as he watched the ghost bride eat a bowl of raw meat.

She finished eating the meat and then used the wedding sleeve to wipe her mouth. She put on the veil again and faced Tian Ji. “It isn’t good but the amount is too much. I want to bring some back to my husband. He might be hungry waiting for me.”

The ghost bride spoke up to her and suddenly stopped like she had thought of a problem. She looked up at Tian Ji and repeated, “But… where is my husband?”

The flesh and blood on the right side of her face convulsed violently. It seemed like it was going to explode to look for its husband. Then the ghost bride changed her mind. She covered her mouth with her sleeves and spoke in a shy tone, “He must be in this carriage?”

The ghost bride’s eyes looked around the entire carriage, her gaze shifting from Jiang Yishe to Tian Ji, from Tian Ji to Yu Chao and finally it fell on Xiao Li’s body. She turned and her red veil fluttered, revealing her entire face. “Yes, who can let my husband come over and let me see him?”

The eyes of the reincarnators followed the ghost bride’s gaze and focused on Xiao Li’s body.

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Xiao Li: ?

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Little green book: ?