Mad Demon Disease

"Jingle, jingle~"

The hoarse, mournful sound of a bell roused Chen Mo from his sleep.

His mouth was dry, his whole body numb and sore. It took him a long time to adjust before he managed to open his eyes with difficulty and turn his head to look around.

"How could this be..."

He was currently "crouching" inside a wooden vat, with only his head exposed. Right in front of the vat stood an altar table, with an incense burner and several porcelain bowls on it. The bowls held apples, bananas, sacrificial meat, and a half-raw, half-cooked pig's head.

Several female Paper Figures in red dresses stood on either side of the altar table. Their cheeks were painted red, their eyes dotted in red, and their big red lips curved upward in a smile. Red and white talisman papers covered the rafters, fluttering in the breeze.

Chen Mo could smell the sacrificial meat on the altar, along with the fruit.

"Gurgle!"

He instinctively moved his right hand, and a stabbing pain shot through him at once.

Four iron spikes, each over a foot long, had pinned his hands and feet inside the vat.

The slight movement just now had sent scarlet blood running down from the wound on his right wrist, carrying a faint metallic tang.

"It's the third day... Every time I wake up, I'm nailed inside this wooden vat."

Chen Mo let out a despairing cry, on the verge of breaking down.

He had been a college student, originally. He'd applied for a job as a Taoist priest at a temple. Later, a film crew came to shoot there and needed a Taoist priest to appear on camera, suspended from a wire. The temple's abbot thought Chen Mo was well-educated and suited to promoting the temple's image.

So Chen Mo went. The wire snapped, and he really did "go"...

When he opened his eyes again, he'd found himself in this place, nailed inside a vat.

Over the past three days, every time the sun set, the strange sound of a bell woke him. Then an old man in a yellow Taoist robe would come in to perform a ritual, muttering things like "May Goddess Hong Deng bless us."

Fortunately, the language, writing, and accents here were more or less the same as in his previous life. But the surroundings were downright terrifying.

"What kind of place is this? Why have they nailed me inside a vat?"

The extreme fatigue and pain kept his mind in a groggy, overloaded state. It was an agonizing ordeal. But Chen Mo knew very well that if he wanted to survive, he had to do his best to adapt to all this and figure out his situation as soon as possible.

Just then, he heard footsteps outside the door.

Chen Mo immediately let his head slump to the side, pretending to be asleep. He left his eyes open just a sliver.

Sure enough, the old Taoist in yellow robes came in.

Unlike the previous times, when he'd only brought a Dust Whisk and a Peachwood Sword, today the old Taoist was also holding a statue in both hands. It was covered with a Red Veil, so Chen Mo couldn't make out what it depicted.

The old Taoist placed the statue on the altar table, then knelt and prayed devoutly.

"Your devotee Li Yuanlong bows to you, Goddess Hong Deng. We beseech you to grant your blessing and heal the Second Young Master Chen of his Mad Demon Disease."

After that, the old Taoist bowed three times and knocked his head against the ground nine times, then rose and began his ritual.

The ritual was much like the ones Chen Mo had seen performed by sorcerers in his previous life. The old Taoist muttered incomprehensible jargon, waving his Peachwood Sword this way and that. Suddenly, he took out a piece of Talisman Paper and set it alight, then circled around in front of Chen Mo. Finally, he sprayed a mouthful of liquor onto the paper, setting off a burst of flame that surged toward Chen Mo's face.

He not only singed a few of Chen Mo's hairs, but also sprayed spit all over his face.

Chen Mo: "..."

That was going too far.

But Chen Mo had no idea what kind of place this was, and he didn't dare move. He forced himself to endure the discomfort and kept pretending to sleep.

The old Taoist sprayed out a few more mouthfuls of liquor, then suddenly shouted, "I respectfully beseech the Empress to work her divine arts! May the Second Young Master Chen awaken at once, awaken at once!"

?

So I can wake up now, right?

I couldn't go on pretending to sleep and stay locked in this vat forever, could I?

Why not just play along?

With that thought, Chen Mo steeled himself, no longer hesitated, and pretended to open his eyes in pain.

Hiss!

When the old Taoist in yellow robes saw Chen Mo open his eyes, he was greatly astonished. He stared at Chen Mo with his eyes wide open.

The old Taoist's stare made Chen Mo feel a little flustered. Could it be that he wasn't supposed to wake up yet?

But he'd already woken up... There was no going back now.

So he looked utterly bewildered. "Taoist priest, what happened to me?"

"Boundless Celestial Venerable!"

The old Taoist chanted the phrase, then put away his Peachwood Sword and called toward the door, "Master Chen, Madam, after three days of ritual, your son has awoken. You may come in."

With a creak, the main hall's door opened. A middle-aged man in splendid brocade clothes came in, a jade pendant hanging from his belt, cloud-patterned boots on his feet, and a hairpin in his tied-up hair.

He was dressed just like a wealthy landowner from ancient times.

Right behind him followed a beautiful, elegant woman in a blue silk skirt, adorned with gold and silver.

"My son, you've finally woken up! You gave your mother such a fright."

The beautiful woman rushed over to the wooden vat and grabbed Chen Mo's head, sobbing uncontrollably. "The Eldest Young Master died from Mad Demon Disease. If anything happens to the Second Young Master too, then his mother won't go on living."

This woman was my mother?

I'd become the Second Young Master of the Chen Family?

When Chen Mo remained silent and dazed for a long while, the woman burst into tears again, her nose running. "Second Young Master, don't you recognize your mother?"

Chen Mo stared blankly at the woman in front of him, thinking, I'm seeing you for the first time too. How could I recognize you...?

He was wondering whether he should just call her "Mother" to play along, when the old Taoist spoke up. "Madam, please don't worry. Your son's Mad Demon Disease was beyond saving, but he managed to pull through this time thanks entirely to Goddess Hong Deng's protection. It's normal for him to be a little dazed after waking from a serious illness. A few days of rest will do him good."

"Thank you, Taoist priest. Thank you," the woman said, finally feeling somewhat reassured.

The middle-aged man hurriedly took out a bag of silver and pressed it into the old Taoist's hand. "It's all thanks to your ritual, Taoist priest, that my son survived this calamity. This is a small token of my gratitude, from me, Chen Yin Fu. Please accept it."

The old Taoist smiled as he accepted the money, then left in high spirits.

Before he went out, he didn't forget to remind them, "Your son has just recovered from a serious illness and needs to rest for three days. If he shows no signs of madness within that time, you may have someone remove the spikes from his body. Also, the Red Veil on the statue of Goddess Hong Deng must not be lifted, and the statue must not be moved. It must remain in the Chen Family Ancestral Hall to protect the household and keep your son safe. Remember this well."

"We will heed your instructions, Taoist priest."

Chen Yin Fu saw the old Taoist out, then returned a moment later in high spirits. He offered three incense sticks to the statue beneath the Red Veil, then knelt before the altar table. "My Chen Family has honored you for many years, Empress. It's all thanks to your protection that my son came through this unharmed."

After saying that, Chen Yin Fu gave the woman a look. She immediately understood and knelt before the altar, prostrating herself in prayer. "The Eldest Young Master died young. The Second Young Master is our only child left. We owe his safety to your protection, Empress."

Watching the woman weep as if her heart would break, Chen Mo couldn't help feeling a little sympathy for her.

A parent's heart was the same beneath the heavens.

It seemed he really had transmigrated.

It was just a pity that he hadn't inherited the original owner's memories.

And this couple should be his parents in this world. Judging by their expressions, they doted on him, their Second Young Master.

After the prayer ended, the woman still wouldn't leave. In the end, Chen Yin Fu had to drag her away.

"The Taoist priest said the Second Young Master needs to rest. Don't disturb him here, or you'll delay his recovery."

Only then did the woman wipe away her tears and leave reluctantly.

With a click, the door closed.

The enormous room immediately grew dim. The windows were covered with talisman papers, so little light could get through. Only two Horn Lanterns lit the room.

The wavering candlelight spilled across the Paper Figures, making them look even more sinister. The statue beneath the Red Veil on the altar table in front of him seemed especially like a demon staring at him, sending an inexplicable chill down Chen Mo's spine.

Fortunately, he'd spent three days in a place like this and had gotten somewhat used to it, so he wasn't too frightened.

Once he'd suppressed his shock, Chen Mo began to mull things over.

"This place should be an ancient society. Judging by the surroundings, I must have transmigrated into a wealthy family."

And not just any wealthy family.

The rafters around him were made of golden-threaded nanmu.

Even if golden-threaded nanmu wasn't as precious in this world as it had been in his previous life, it was certainly worth a fortune. The Chen Family must have a considerable estate, and as their only legitimate son, he wouldn't have to worry about food or drink in the future.

Besides, it was true that his parents cared about him.

All this brought Chen Mo some comfort.

That left only one problem.

Mad Demon Disease.

The original owner had probably died from Mad Demon Disease.

And the beautiful woman had just said the Eldest Young Master had died from it too.

That meant he had an older brother, who had also died of Mad Demon Disease.

This illness must be terrifying.

What exactly was Mad Demon Disease?

Was it a physical illness or a mental one?

If it was a mental illness, then now that he'd taken over the original owner's body, perhaps the disease no longer existed. He could enjoy the life of a pampered young master from then on. Wouldn't that be wonderful?

But if Mad Demon Disease was a physical illness, that meant he still had it.

That would be dangerous!

At the thought, Chen Mo felt a wave of unease.

For now, he needed to find someone and ask what was going on. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to rest easy.

He'd wanted to ask his parents from this life just now, but he couldn't bring himself to call them "Father" and "Mother" so soon after arriving. So he hadn't been able to ask.

Perhaps because he was so exhausted, Chen Mo drifted off to sleep. When he woke again, it was completely dark outside.

The statue beneath the Red Veil on the altar table in front of him looked even more scarlet in the glow of the Horn Lanterns.

At first, Chen Mo had assumed it was just a statue of Goddess Hong Deng and nothing to worry about.

But very quickly, he realized something was wrong.

The three incense sticks Chen Yin Fu had offered earlier hadn't finished burning. Yet wisps of incense smoke were flowing into the Red Veil and never coming out.

"This statue... is absorbing incense!?"

Chen Mo was startled. He quickly blinked and looked again. Sure enough, he wasn't mistaken.

Chen Mo stared fixedly at the incense smoke for a long, long time.

A chill crept down his spine.

He knew that in his previous life, temples enshrined statues of Bodhisattvas and offered them incense as a superstitious way of seeking peace of mind.

But this statue of Goddess Hong Deng was truly absorbing the incense.

Could it be that Goddess Hong Deng... really existed?

Could this be more than a simple ancient society? Were there demons and ghosts here too?

Just as Chen Mo sat there, stunned and uneasy, a series of knocks sounded at the door.

Chen Mo was already a little frightened. Hearing the knocks was like seeing a lifeline, so he hurriedly called out, "Who is it?"

A pleasant female voice came from outside.

"Second Young Master, it's Qiulan. Master sent me to bring you dinner."

"Come in quickly." Chen Mo was more than happy to have someone come in.

With a creak, the door opened, and a lovely young woman in a pink silk dress came in, carrying a food box.

She hadn't put on much makeup, but it did nothing to hide her delicate, pretty face. Still, the girl looked at Chen Mo with fear in her eyes. Only after gathering her courage did she walk over to him and open the food box.

There was fragrant white rice, braised pork, marinated duck, roast beef, braised shrimp, lotus seed soup... It was an extremely lavish spread.

He really was a young master from a wealthy family. The food and treatment were first-rate.

Chen Mo had been ravenous for ages. He pointed to the dishes he wanted, and Qiulan used her slender fingers to feed him. She even wiped the grease from the corners of his mouth with a handkerchief.

When Chen Mo wanted shrimp, Qiulan peeled them herself.

She waited on him very attentively.

Once he'd eaten his fill, Qiulan gathered the bowls and dishes and got ready to leave.

Chen Mo hurriedly stopped her. "Wait a moment."

Qiulan turned around warily. "Does the Second Young Master have any other orders?"

Chen Mo figured there was no chance Qiulan would free him, so he asked, "Could you take this statue beneath the Red Veil away?"

Qiulan seemed to have heard something terrifying and hurriedly shook her head. "This is the sacred image of Goddess Hong Deng. I wouldn't dare touch it. Master warned us again and again."

Were the people here all so afraid of Goddess Hong Deng?

Chen Mo lowered his expectations again. "Then... could you stay here and keep me company?"

Qiulan pursed her lips, clearly unwilling, but she didn't dare refuse. "As you wish."

And so Qiulan sat beside the wooden vat to keep him company, but she still watched Chen Mo warily, very much on her guard.

Chen Mo looked at the statue beneath the Red Veil. "Qiulan, can you see that statue? It's absorbing the incense."

He'd thought Qiulan would be astonished.

Instead, she seemed completely used to it. "I can see it. All sacred images of Goddess Hong Deng can absorb incense."

Sure enough...

There was something wrong with this world.

Chen Mo changed the subject. "Qiulan, are you afraid of me?"

Qiulan lowered her head. "Everyone in the residence is afraid of the Second Young Master. Except... Master and Madam."

Chen Mo asked, "Because of Mad Demon Disease?"

Qiulan didn't dare look him in the eye. "Yes."

Chen Mo asked, "Why?"

"Because the Second Young Master is frightening when the illness strikes."

Chen Mo grew uneasy. "How frightening?"

Qiulan looked up at Chen Mo, then lowered her head again. "Master told me not to say."

"Master isn't here now. I'm in charge. Hurry up and tell me."

Qiulan still didn't dare disobey. She shrank her neck back and stammered, "I still remember what the Second Young Master was like when the illness struck three days ago. It was dusk. Chun Lan and I were serving you dinner when you suddenly fell ill and leaped to your feet. You bit through Chun Lan's neck, then tore open her belly and wanted to eat her heart..."

Hiss!

Chen Mo sucked in a sharp breath, feeling a chill run from his head to his toes.

He'd known Mad Demon Disease wasn't a good name, but he'd never imagined it would be so horrifying.

No wonder the Chen Couple had nailed him inside a wooden vat.

Soon, Chen Mo felt his stomach turn. "Did I end up eating Chun Lan's heart?"