By dusk on the fifth day, everything was ready. Red had already notified Cao Wanzhi during the day, and the Five Wraiths—the female ghost—waited outside the woodshed. As soon as the sun set, she would possess the Fake Taoist and help Cao Wanzhi.
However, before the sun had set, the Fake Taoist took Red into the woodshed and closed the door behind them.
"Heh, what's wrong, young master? Isn't it time for a proper talk?"
The Fake Taoist spoke as he took out a small bottle and shook it in front of Cao Wanzhi. At this moment, the sun had not yet set.
"What are you trying to do?" Cao Wanzhi seemed to notice that the Fake Taoist was acting differently than usual.
"I wouldn't do this unless absolutely necessary, young master. Do you know what's inside this?"
The Fake Taoist shook the bottle again. Then, in an instant, he put the bottle down and suddenly pulled out a rope, strangling Red by the neck and holding tight. In less than two minutes, Red was strangled to death right in front of Cao Wanzhi.
At this moment, the sun still hadn't set. Cao Wanzhi seemed terrified. The Fake Taoist's eyes glinted with cruelty as he killed Red in front of Cao Wanzhi, then sat down heavily on her corpse. Cao Wanzhi's face turned pale with fright.
"Young master, people need to be wary sometimes. When I was young, I wasn't careful and almost got killed. So, with this woman here, I have to be extra cautious. I wrote a fake scripture, just scribbled some words. Last night, she flipped through it but didn't even check the contents—she can barely read. She wanted to betray me, heh. Besides, she's just a brothel madam. You promised her a lot of money, didn't you?"
The Fake Taoist grinned, showing his blackened teeth, his face twisted completely. Then he grabbed Cao Wanzhi, tied up his hands and feet with rope, pried open his mouth, and unscrewed the small bottle.
Do you know, young master? This is a special poison I've concocted. If you take it, you won't die, but something will go wrong here.
I stared in shock at the Fake Taoist, who pointed to his own head. He then took the small bottle and prepared to pour it into Cao Wanzhi's mouth. At that moment, the female ghost suddenly appeared, crying out in anger, trying to save Cao Wanzhi. But as she approached the Fake Taoist, a golden light flashed, throwing her back.
Heh, if a person isn't ruthless, they can't survive. Young master, if you'd listened to me before, I wouldn't have had to resort to this.
The Fake Taoist spoke, setting the bottle upright and beginning to pour the black liquid into Cao Wanzhi's mouth. The female ghost looked desperate and rushed forward again, but still couldn't get close to him. Her spirit was badly damaged, I could feel it, but she kept trying to break through.
At this moment, Cao Wanzhi screamed in agony, shouting as the drug took effect. In pain, he broke the ropes tying him with a loud snap, his whole body trembling, foam spilling from his mouth. The female ghost also vanished.
I clenched my fists, glaring at the Fake Taoist with gritted teeth. He was panicking too. The next day, he told Master Cao that the female ghost had killed the substitute, Red, the brothel madam. Master Cao ordered the servants to give some money to the brothel and quickly cremate and bury Red.
Finally, on the seventh day, the Fake Taoist used a knife to cut wounds all over his body and face, then staggered out of the courtyard.
Master Huang, what are you doing? Where's my son?
Don't worry, Master Cao. I've already eliminated the female ghost. Young Master Cao is safe now, but he may have some problems in the future. He'll be fine once he wakes up.
Afterward, Master Cao had the servants bring out the prepared 5,000 taels. The Fake Taoist didn't want silver notes, but several big chests of cash, loaded onto two carriages. Satisfied, he left the Cao family, packed his things, and prepared to depart.
When Cao Wanzhi woke up, the poison had ravaged his body, leaving him gravely ill. It took several months before he could get out of bed, but by then, he had lost his mind and become insane.
It was like a bolt from the blue. Because of her son's condition, Cao Wanzhi's mother fell seriously ill and passed away. Master Cao, too, was deeply troubled for months by his son's fate and his wife's death, his hair turning white overnight.
During these months, the female ghost stayed by Cao Wanzhi's side, constantly seeking ways to save him. The Cao family business began to decline. After Master Cao's death, the family lost its leader, and the estate was divided among relatives who took control.
At this time, Cao Wanzhi's wife returned to her parents. The courtyard became lonely, its doors and windows boarded up and the gate locked, except for the daily delivery of food.
Cao Wanzhi was completely mad, suffering from delusions and insanity. Only the female ghost remained by his side.
Wanzhi, don't drink that water. It's filthy. You peed in it yesterday, don't you remember?
The female ghost spoke, pulling the silly, smiling Cao Wanzhi to another side, next to a water bucket. She let him drink some water, brought him back to the house, bathed him, and changed him into clean clothes. When Cao Wanzhi fell asleep, she sat quietly by his side, washing his clothes.
Wanzhi, how can I ever cure you?
Over the years, the female ghost searched for remedies, visiting clinics and asking doctors everywhere. She tirelessly ran about for Cao Wanzhi's sake, but could not leave for long. Other than the person who delivered food, no one cared about Cao Wanzhi anymore.
During the day, as soon as Cao Wanzhi woke up, he would relapse, acting insane like a child. The poison had another effect: it left his lower body nearly paralyzed, forcing him to crawl.
Wanzhi, this photo is from before, isn't it?
The female ghost held a photo that Cao Wanzhi had taken in the past. At that moment, Cao Wanzhi angrily crawled over, trying to snatch the photo.
I'm not giving it to you. Stand up, Wanzhi. If you want it, stand up and take it.
The female ghost raised the photo. Cao Wanzhi reached out, desperate to get it. Tears dripped from the female ghost's eyes as she handed the photo to him. Cao Wanzhi held it like a treasure, clapping his hands and laughing happily.
The female ghost kept crying, deeply saddened. She hugged Cao Wanzhi and wept. Day after day, they lived together. Then, the female ghost thought of an idea: the camera. She gathered plenty of food from nearby.
She placed the food in the house before leaving, since she had to go to the city to find a camera. She calculated the amount of food needed and prepared to set off.
Wanzhi, I'm going to the city to get you the camera you like. Be good and listen, okay? I'll be back soon, and maybe you'll get better then!
After more than ten days, the female ghost returned with a camera. She could only travel at night. When she got back, the courtyard was a mess, filled with a foul stench. Inside, everything was chaotic. Cao Wanzhi was holding an old photo, biting it, drooling all over himself.
Wanzhi, look at what you've done to this place! I'm so angry. Didn't I tell you to behave?
Afterward, the female ghost cleaned the courtyard and bathed Cao Wanzhi. Then she placed the camera she had brought back in the courtyard. The moment she removed the white cloth, Cao Wanzhi's eyes lit up, and he cried out, crawling over.
Immediately, the female ghost grabbed Cao Wanzhi, afraid he would break the camera. But to her surprise, Cao Wanzhi clapped and smiled, gently stroking the camera as if cherishing it.
Things didn't turn out as the female ghost had hoped. Every day, Cao Wanzhi played with the camera, unable to put it down, but he still hadn't recovered. He remained insane.
However, unlike before, he was no longer as restless. Instead, he smiled every day, and the female ghost continued to stay by his side as always.
Years passed, and when Cao Wanzhi turned thirty, it was as if he had been forgotten. Even those who used to bring him food stopped coming. Fortunately, the female ghost went out every day to bring him food and herbs.
One clear night, the female ghost was hanging clothes in the courtyard when she suddenly heard a click behind her—the sound of a shutter. Then there was a bang and a puff of smoke. She turned around at once. It was Cao Wanzhi, who had pressed the camera's switch.
Wanzhi, what are you doing? You scared me!' the little female ghost said angrily, walking over. At that moment, Cao Wanzhi's expression changed, and suddenly, he burst into tears.
Thank you, thank you, thank you...
Cao Wanzhi kept saying thank you. He had regained his senses, though speaking was still difficult and stuttered. Thanks to the female ghost's tireless care, he finally recovered, but he could no longer walk or stand.
After resting for a few more days, with the platform the female ghost had built for him, Cao Wanzhi crawled out of the courtyard and onto the street. In an instant, the whole town gathered around in astonishment.