The Rich Young Master

Chen Mo stared at Qiulan, his heart full of unease.

He'd known for a long time that cannibalism had existed in some feudal societies. Among certain uncivilized barbarian tribes, it had even been common to eat people for pleasure.

But he'd been raised in the civilization of his previous life. He could never accept something like that. If he'd really eaten Chun Lan's heart... The very thought was horrifying.

Fortunately...

"Fortunately, Master Zhou Wu, the head of the household guards, arrived in time and subdued the Second Young Master. He stopped him from eating Chun Lan's heart."

Whew!

Only then did Chen Mo let out a long breath. The churning in his stomach eased.

Even so, a lingering dread gripped him.

This Mad Demon Disease was terrifying.

Absolutely terrifying!

It took Chen Mo a long while to recover. "What is Mad Demon Disease? How did I catch it?"

Qiulan stared at Chen Mo, stunned and unable to believe her ears.

Only then did Chen Mo realize what was wrong. He said, "I was unconscious here for three days. Daoist Priest Li performed rituals for days before I woke up. I can't remember what happened before."

Qiulan relaxed, apparently accepting his explanation. "I don't know how the Second Young Master caught this disease, either. Perhaps you went somewhere you shouldn't have, or ate something you shouldn't have. People in the county have been coming down with Mad Demon Disease now and then, but none of them have survived. The Second Young Master was lucky to make it. The Eldest Young Master, though..."

At the end, Qiulan lowered her head, not daring to say any more.

Chen Mo noticed the fear in Qiulan's expression as she spoke. He realized Mad Demon Disease was even more terrifying than he'd estimated.

The thought filled Chen Mo with dread.

In his previous life, he'd been nothing more than a workhorse Daoist at a temple, living in a peaceful world. He'd been a flower nurtured in a greenhouse, and had never faced life and death.

Now, faced with such a calamity for the first time, he was truly frightened.

He didn't want to become a monster like that.

"Young Master, should I take the bowls and chopsticks to the kitchen and come back to keep you company?"

At Qiulan's question, Chen Mo immediately exercised the authority of his station. "No. Stay here with me."

Although Qiulan was afraid, she didn't dare refuse. "Yes."

As a maid sold into service at the Chen Mansion, she could be beaten to death on the spot if she angered her masters. The authorities wouldn't care about the life of a slave.

Chen Mo was too anxious, his mind a jumble of feelings, to tease Qiulan. He simply sat quietly, watching the incense smoke flow into the statue beneath the Red Veil.

When the incense stick burned out, Chen Mo said, "Qiulan, the incense has burned out. Go light three more sticks for Goddess Hong Deng."

Qiulan didn't dare move the statue of Goddess Hong Deng, but she could bring herself to light three more sticks of incense.

Trembling, she walked to the altar, knelt, and prayed devoutly. "Your servant, Qiulan, pays her respects to Goddess Hong Deng."

After praying, Qiulan lit three incense sticks and placed them in the burner.

Chen Mo stared fixedly at the three sticks.

Sure enough, the incense smoke once again flowed into the Red Veil.

Chen Mo's heart sank.

There really were ghosts in this world!

I just hope the disease doesn't flare up...

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

During that time, the elegant couple and Chen Yin Fu came to visit several times. Seeing Chen Mo's complexion gradually improve, smiles blossomed on their faces. But the couple had scrupulously followed the old Daoist's instructions and hadn't stayed long, afraid they might hinder Chen Mo's recovery.

Qiulan, on the other hand, had stayed by his side the whole time, as Chen Mo had ordered.

Through Qiulan's stories, Chen Mo had also pieced together a rough picture of this world.

This place belonged to Honghe County, which lay at the foot of Dayin Mountain.

One shouldn't underestimate this county town. The Red Lantern Society held sway here, and tens of thousands of villagers had gathered in the county, all followers of Goddess Hong Deng. On the first and fifteenth of every month, as well as on festivals and holidays, they went to the Red Lantern Temple to make grand offerings.

The Chen Family was one of the wealthiest households in the county.

It owned more than a thousand mu of fertile farmland and ran several large pharmacies, shops, and other businesses. It was truly a prominent local family.

As the master of a wealthy household, Chen Yin Fu naturally had a wife and concubines. Fortunately, Chen Mo's mother, Madam Chen, was his principal wife, making Chen Mo the legitimate son. And since his elder brother had died of Mad Demon Disease half a month ago, Chen Mo was now the Chen Mansion's only legitimate son.

All this vast wealth would eventually belong to Chen Mo.

After learning these things, Chen Mo was very pleased with his transmigration.

Even if this world had a few ghosts and monsters, with the Chen Family's influence, protecting him shouldn't be difficult.

He could settle in and enjoy life as a rich young master.

The only thing he needed to figure out was whether Mad Demon Disease was a mental illness or a physical one.

This would have a huge impact on his life from here on out.

Fortunately, during these three days, Chen Mo had been perfectly fine. The disease hadn't flared up, and he hadn't felt anything unusual in his body.

At dusk on the fourth day, Qiulan's voice roused Chen Mo from his drowsy state.

"Second Young Master, wake up! The master sent someone to let you out."

Chen Mo lay on a warm bed.

A thick quilt covered him, keeping him warm and shielding him from drafts.

He looked around. The walls were made of green bricks, the beams of golden nanmu, and the table, chairs, and wardrobe were painted red. An exquisite Palace Lantern hung from the ceiling beam. Beside the bed sat a graceful young woman in a silk dress.

It was the maid Qiulan.

She was his personal attendant.

The wounds left by the nails that had been pulled from his hands and feet were still bandaged, making it difficult for him to move. He needed to stay in bed and recuperate. Even so, this was far better than the wooden jar he'd been stuck in a few days earlier.

Before long, the Chen Couple came in to see him.

When Madam Chen saw the bandages wrapped around Chen Mo's hands and feet, and the bloodstains soaking through them, her tears of distress began to fall. "My son, you mustn't let anything happen to you. If something were to happen to you, how could your mother go on living?"

Seeing that Chen Mo was unharmed, Chen Yin Fu finally let out a breath of relief. He called toward the door, "Steward Liu, has the doctor arrived?"

Steward Liu was a slightly plump man in his forties, yet he gave off an impression of sharpness. He answered from the doorway, "I've already sent someone to fetch him. He'll be here soon."

Before long, an old doctor came hurrying in with a medicine chest.

After examining Chen Mo's wounds carefully, the Old Doctor said, "The Second Young Master is in no serious danger. He's mainly weak from loss of blood. I'll prescribe a few courses of medicine to replenish his qi and blood. He should recover in half a month."

There were no anesthetics in this world, and the wounds on Chen Mo's hands and feet hurt terribly. He thought that the pharmacy must be closed this late at night, so they'd have to wait until tomorrow to get the medicine.

But Chen Yin Fu handed the prescription to Steward Liu. "Go to our pharmacy and get the medicine. Hurry."

Watching Steward Liu dash away, Chen Mo's heart lifted. A young master from a wealthy family really did get different treatment. They had their own pharmacy.

Madam Chen sat by the bed, sniffling through her tears. "Husband, go get some rest. I'll watch over Second Young Master tonight."

Chen Yin Fu said, "I'm going to check on the ancestral hall. Also, Second Young Master has only just recovered from a serious illness. Just to be safe... I'll have Master Zhou Wu stand guard tonight."

Chen Mo's heart gave a thump.

So his father still didn't quite trust him.

But it made sense, given that he'd bitten someone to death when the disease had flared up.

Chen Mo didn't dwell on it. Instead, he turned his attention to Master Zhou Wu.

Master Zhou Wu?

Wasn't he the head of the household guards Qiulan had mentioned? He must be the Chen Mansion's strongest guard, a formidable expert who likely knew a lot about Mad Demon Disease.

This was the perfect chance to ask him about it.