The Ultimate Horror Live Stream - Chapter 21 - A Higher Path

The room was filled with stunned silence, ninety percent of the attendees frozen in disbelief. My fellow Police Academy classmates at the table seemed to have turned to stone, their minds unable to process what had just happened.

“He disagrees? It’s their wedding, what right does he have to disagree?”

Even Tie Ningxiang, sitting beside me, hadn’t expected this turn of events. She tugged at the hem of my suit, whispering, “Gao Jian, have you lost your mind?”

“His name is Gao Jian?”

“Who is this guy? What kind of background does he have to disrupt the Jiang Family heir’s wedding?”

“Never heard of him in Jiang City. Could he be some rich kid from another province?”

“Judging by his plain attire, he doesn’t seem like he’s from a wealthy family.”

The room was abuzz with whispers, the focus of all the elite discussions centered on me.

“Gao Jian, don’t do anything foolish!” Ye Bing stood awkwardly on the stage, clutching her wedding ring, fearing the situation might spiral out of control.

As for the groom, Jiang Chen, his face was tense and unfriendly. Born with a silver spoon, he had always been treated with utmost respect and flattery. Yet here I was, disrupting his big day, making him lose face.

“What is he planning? The wedding has reached this point, is he really going to try and steal the bride? Even if Ye Bing were willing, there’s no way he’d get past the eleven security teams in this building.” Jiang Chen, poised to inherit Jiangjin Real Estate, was no fool. His apparent recklessness was mostly a facade.

Jiang Chen stared at me, eyes fixed. Until now, he hadn’t considered me worth his attention. After all, he was a privileged star, while I was just someone scraping by, running an adult shop-a shadowy figure in the underbelly of society.

The atmosphere was tense, the meticulously planned wedding thrown into chaos. The host, struggling to find the right words, was about to use his eloquence to ease the awkwardness when Jiang Chen suddenly snatched the microphone.

“I remember you. You’re Gao Jian, right?” Jiang Chen’s voice echoed from the speakers around the room, creating an almost “ambush” effect.

I stood by the table, ignoring him, lighting another cigarette.

“This guy’s really calm…”

“He’s the first I’ve seen to openly defy the Jiang Family.”

“Secretary Zhang, make sure to compile this guy’s information for me.”

The wedding was attended not only by Jiang Family’s business partners but also by competitors. The seasoned players sensed something unusual in the air.

Seeing that I had no intention of responding, Jiang Chen’s expression darkened further. Unlike me, he was the star of the day, representing Jiangjin Real Estate. He couldn’t afford to lose face for the Jiang Family here.

He stepped down from the stage, this handsome, wealthy groom, and approached me.

“I’m not unreasonable. You say you disagree, but you must have a reason, right? If it’s valid, I’ll accept it. But if you’re just here to cause trouble, don’t blame me for calling security.” His words were measured and calm, befitting a Jiang Family scion.

I exhaled a puff of smoke, watching the slight twitch in his eye, knowing the anger within him was brewing, barely contained.

“Do I need a reason to disagree? Fine, I don’t think you can make Ye Bing happy.”

“What?” Jiang Chen could hardly believe his ears. This jerk actually said he couldn’t make Ye Bing happy?

“If I can’t make her happy, do you think someone who smokes cheap five-yuan cigarettes can?”

“Jiang Chen treats me very well. There’s no man in this world who cares more about me than he does,” Ye Bing said, walking over with her wedding gown trailing behind her. She paused when she saw the table of former classmates, clearly surprised, as she had never invited so many people. She didn’t know that, except for me, the others were specially brought in by Jiang Chen from other cities.

“The man who supposedly cares about you the most in the world? Do you know that this man, who claims he’ll take care of you for a lifetime, is planning to pass on the little ghost he’s harboring onto you during this grand wedding ceremony? Is that love?” I spoke quietly, so only Ye Bing, Jiang Chen, and Tie Ningxiang, who was close by, could hear.

“What are you talking about?” The two women were confused, but at that moment, Jiang Chen’s face suddenly changed color, unable to hide his anger and panic.

“He never truly liked you. He just saw you as a convenient tool, like this suit I just bought. I don’t like wearing formal clothes, and I’ll throw it away once I leave here.”

“That’s nonsense!” Jiang Chen’s clenched fists showed bulging veins, his heart in turmoil. The secret of raising a little ghost in a wealthy family was not to be spoken of, as it would be disastrous if exposed.

“Gao Jian, whatever you say is useless now. Stop bothering me, and I hope you find your own happiness soon, alright?” Ye Bing, unaware of the truth, thought I was acting out because I wanted to be with her.

“Rest assured, since you went abroad to study alone, I’ve had no expectations of you. The reason I stood up today was to repay a favor. When I was detained in the rain-soaked serial murder case, you were the only one who believed in my innocence.”

“Why bring that up now…” Ye Bing’s voice softened as she recalled those days five years ago. “We’ve grown up.”

“Yes, precisely because we’ve grown up, I’ll only give you a warning now, rather than sacrificing myself to save you like before.” The ash fell from my cigarette as I looked at Ye Bing, who avoided my gaze. “Remember what I said earlier; that should be the last conversation between us.”

There was no need to stay any longer. My eyes swept past the stunned “old classmates” and took in the room full of guests with ulterior motives.

Despite the lavish expense, this wedding banquet lacked any real joy. I almost wanted to grab the microphone from Jiang Chen and speak my mind: “With all due respect, you’re all trash.”

Seeing my intention to leave, Jiang Chen’s expression shifted unpredictably. Letting me go would mean losing face for the Jiang Family, but stopping me might cause a scene that would ruin the wedding.

Caught in a dilemma, as I turned to leave, a sinister look appeared on Jiang Chen’s face.

“Since you’re here, why rush off? Sit down and have a drink!” His left hand rested on my shoulder, and at that moment, I felt as if I was being watched by a venomous snake, a strange chill slowly creeping over me.

If I were to use my Large-Screen Smartphone to watch right now, I would see the little ghost nurtured by Jiang Chen crawling along his arm towards me, its two deformed little hands clearly aiming to gouge into my eye sockets!

I shivered, the sensation eerily familiar, reminiscent of that night at Anxin Inn when the vengeful ghost gripped my neck from behind.

As the ghost sought to harm me, I instinctively bent my hand inward, having used the Heavenly Thunder Talisman before. My index, middle, ring, and little fingers were pressed together, with my thumb pressing against their nails, forming a palm thunder seal.

“Gao Jian, there are some people you can never provoke, destined to look up to them for a lifetime. Today, I’ll let you suffer a bit, and later, I’ll slowly play you to death!” Jiang Chen moved the microphone aside and spoke through gritted teeth, in a voice only the two of us could hear.

“Anger has clouded your judgment, revealing your true nature.” My mind raced, quickly understanding the chill behind me. As Jiang Chen’s lips moved, whispering incantations, I silently recited the Thunder Talisman seal taught by Liu the Half-Immortal.

“Still stubborn, today I’ll collect some interest! Gouge out his eyes!”

The chilling sensation felt like two daggers piercing my eyeballs, but I couldn’t just stand by helplessly.

“Thunder Command, As Urgent As A Shooting Star, Gods of All Directions, Make Me Natural, Spiritual Talisman Command, Universal Announcement to the Nine Heavens, Qian Luo Da Na, Cavernous Void of Great Mystery, Slay Demons and Bind Evils, Kill Thousands of Ghosts! Disperse Evil Pollution, The breath of the Dao endures forever!”

With the thunder seal formed, I struck Jiang Chen’s arm. Though I held no talisman and couldn’t summon the Gods of All Directions, the residual power of the talisman prototype infused into my palm!

To outsiders, it seemed like I merely tapped Jiang Chen’s arm lightly, but in reality, the residual power of the Thunder Talisman directly injured the little ghost, which screamed and retreated back into Jiang Chen’s body.

Under normal circumstances, this palm strike wouldn’t have been so powerful. The anomaly lay in the fact that it was broad daylight, when yang energy and human vitality were at their peak, making malevolent spirits inherently fragile. The little ghost itself wasn’t meant to be a lethal entity.

Not only did I remain unharmed, but the little ghost, frightened, retreated into Jiang Chen’s body, causing a backlash that drained his vitality.

“You!” His arm felt as if struck by lightning, Jiang Chen jerked back, his face pale as he stumbled, crashing into a table and landing on the floor.

Honestly, I hadn’t anticipated the backlash from the little ghost to be so severe, but self-inflicted harm is beyond redemption, and I felt no sympathy for Jiang Chen.

“Are you, the heir of Jiangjin Real Estate, resorting to petty tricks like those who feign injury for compensation? Everyone saw clearly, I merely gave you a light tap.”

Looking down at Jiang Chen, who once seemed invincible, now half-sitting on the floor, his pristine white suit drenched in colorful sauces, resembling a free-range chicken.