Chapter 23: 22, Pretending to Be a Spirit

22. Playing at being a god or ghost

The little boy wore a sly, fox-like expression, his voice even turning shrill and soft, as if a fox spirit had possessed him!

The two men with ruined faces stood beside the cellar pit, watching as Shi Danshi appeared to be haunted—they both showed clear terror on their ruined faces!

Even Qian Chaodong froze in place, hesitant to approach.

Given Shi Danshi’s bizarre condition, none of them dared to move.

Zhou Chang glanced at the grain piled beside the cellar pit—no wisps of delusion mycelium had sprouted from it—and turned his gaze back to Shi Danshi, still pleading for a “title” from inside the coffin.

He had figured it out, so he fixed his eyes on Shi Danshi and called out to Qian Chaodong: “It seems my uncle’s madness hasn’t improved at all—he must remain locked in the cellar, with even stricter measures—

Let’s keep him sealed in the coffin for now. Lock him up for three days.”

“Yes! Yes!”

Qian Chaodong nodded instinctively, his eyes uncertain as he stared at Shi Danshi, still wearing that possessed look inside the coffin. He waved to the two ruined-faced men: “Go, seal the coffin!”

The two ruined-faced men, who had earlier acted fierce, now cowered in fear; only under Qian Chaodong’s threatening gaze did they slowly lift the coffin lid.

Seeing himself about to be sealed in the coffin once more, Shi Danshi’s eyes flashed with panic—he suddenly kicked his legs, tilted his head, and convulsed violently!

“What’s happening? What’s happening?!”

Qian Chaodong and the two ruined-faced men were terrified, scrambling backward away from the cellar pit.

Only Zhou Chang stood calmly beside the pit, watching as Shi Danshi’s convulsions subsided and his previously vacant eyes slowly regained their luster.

Shi Danshi looked at Zhou Chang with a dazed expression: “What happened?”

“Your madness hasn’t been cured—you still need treatment,” Zhou Chang said gravely. “For now, you’ll be locked alone in this cellar. We’ll let you out only when your illness is gone.”

The boy stared at Zhou Chang’s solemn face, his eyelid twitching sharply.

Panic could no longer be concealed—it spilled over into his expression.

“I—I’m not mad!”

“No, you are mad. Just now, the Great Immortal Huang possessed you. Manager Qian, while he’s still lucid, seal his coffin at once!”

“I—I—I, Master Zhou—Brother Zhou, I’m really not mad!

I was just pretending just now!

I only wanted to scare them, so they’d never lock me up again and drive me out of this cellar…” Shi Danshi’s face crumpled as he blurted out his entire scheme.

Zhou Chang listened to Shi Danshi’s words, then suddenly curled his lips into a silent, wide grin.

Immediately afterward, he smoothed his face back into blank neutrality.

Qian Chaodong and the two ruined-faced men, having heard Zhou Chang and Shi Danshi’s exchange, now understood—they surged forward again, furious.

“Son of a bitch, you dare pretend to be a ghost to scare me?!

I’ll beat the shit out of you!”

Qian Chaodong’s fat face quivered as he crouched, clenching a fist the size of a vinegar jar, grabbing Shi Danshi’s clothes and yanking him out of the coffin—his other fist swung to smash down on Shi Danshi’s head!

This seemingly kind and gentle fat man suddenly erupted into madness, revealing his true, monstrous face!

Shi Danshi turned pale with terror, squeezed his eyes shut, and two tears immediately spilled from the corners.

“He came down into the cellar on a work voucher given by the Wen family.

His master has good ties with the Wens—if you hurt him, his master will surely go to the Wens to demand an explanation.” Zhou Chang stood beside Qian Chaodong like a wooden post, his voice quiet, almost imperceptible.

Yet this cold, sinister voice halted Qian Chaodong’s frenzy.

Qian Chaodong turned, glaring fiercely at Zhou Chang’s expressionless face, then grunted and lifted Shi Danshi, tossing him onto the edge of the cellar pit.

He even reached out to smooth out the wrinkles in Shi Danshi’s clothes: “You’re not mad. Don’t come back tomorrow.”

Shi Danshi was stunned, then elated.

“You come back tomorrow,” Qian Chaodong pointed at Zhou Chang’s face, repeating the same words he’d said to him earlier.

“Alright.”

Zhou Chang agreed readily.

The group followed Qian Chaodong up the winding, circuitous ramp.

Along both sides of the ramp, the rice mounds and grain hills had been dug open; men, women, old and young climbed out of coffins and stood lining the path.

Only now, as Qian Chaodong led them upward, did these wooden, soulless people seem to find a leader and fall in behind him.

Watching the people shuffle past with limp arms, Zhou Chang saw no spark left in their eyes.

These people came to the distillery to be cured of madness and hysteria—now they showed no signs of insanity—but each of them looked as if their souls had been drained, turned into fools…

Was this really a cure for madness?

Then why—why was Shi Danshi still lively and unharmed, showing no signs of becoming a fool?

Zhou Chang’s own condition was unique and couldn’t be compared to theirs; Shi Danshi, though he could fake possession, was still a normal person—why wasn’t he turning into a walking corpse like the others in the cellar?

The crowd moved in silence like sheep, driven by an invisible force, filing out of the rice mounds.

Inside the dim, windowless inner room, Zhou Chang suddenly felt watched—he lowered his eyelids, then suddenly turned his head toward a spot—

Among the crowd, the two ruined-faced men walked side by side.

As Zhou Chang turned sharply, they instinctively averted their gaze, then immediately glared back at him with even greater hostility.

Zhou Chang had already turned back, continuing forward.

Why were these two watching him?

What secrets did they hide?

The only black-lacquered wooden door in the inner room was opened by Qian Chaodong, who pulled the bolt and pushed the door open just wide enough for one person to squeeze through sideways.

Outside light leaked in.

The distillery overseer who had earlier brought Zhou Chang inside now waited outside.

“You go out first.”

Qian Chaodong shoved Zhou Chang.

Zhou Chang slipped through the gap, hearing Qian Chaodong tell the overseer: “His madness isn’t cured—he must come back tomorrow.”

The overseer glanced at Zhou Chang thoughtfully, then bowed and replied with a sycophantic “Yes.”

Then Qian Chaodong pulled Shi Danshi over and shoved him out through the gap.

He leaned close to the overseer and whispered something in his ear.

Zhou Chang’s ears twitched—he heard every word clearly: “This kid’s clever! Sharp!

Of all these people, only he and the one who was paralyzed from hysteria are still lively. We need a water watcher at Jade Maiden Pond—pay him extra and hire him.”

The overseer nodded, then glanced at Shi Danshi without expression.

He then led the dazed crowd through the distillery’s back courtyard and out through the main hall.

Beneath the towering gate of Yongsheng Distillery, the line of people waiting to buy liquor, those selling themselves for a sip, those straining their necks to catch the floating alcohol vapors—was longer than in the morning.

Voices buzzed thickly.

Some who had been waiting at the gate rushed forward as soon as they saw the overseer leading the group out of the hall.

They clamored to recognize the people who had gone into the cellar to be cured.

“Father, do you feel better?”

“Have you seen that fox in the flowered cotton coat again?”

“Overseer, my wife seems to have turned stupid—she doesn’t recognize me anymore?”

“Yes… my son can’t speak anymore…”