Chapter 1: Ghost Play

Hearing his nephew's words, Shen Zengshou chuckled softly, revealing a few solitary yellow teeth, and said: "Why is it that every year during the ancestral worship, the offerings from your main branch are whole sheep and whole pigs, with the paper money transported by large carts? Meanwhile, us side branches, the old and young, can only share a stinking fish that is barely the length of a hand, and we only get two or three sheets of paper money? And that's not all; during the ancestral worship, those shameless people go to your main branch to bow and pretend to be filial sons and virtuous grandsons, neglecting their own ancestors! Why is it that your main branch has the surname Shen, while we side branches have to settle for surnames Wang and Zhao?"

On a certain night in early summer of 1919, at the theater stage in a large village town called Shenjiabao in Northeast China, several vividly dressed performers were singing in a melodious manner. Sitting in the audience were about thirty to forty people, among whom was Shen Liancheng, the local tycoon, who sat with a furrowed brow. Mr. Shen was a scholar from the Qing Dynasty and the head of the prominent Shen family in the area.

After recognizing these deceased individuals, Shen Liancheng's complexion was hardly better than that of his wife. However, Master Shen had seen a fair share of the world; he promptly took out a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from his forehead. Then, trembling, he stood up and, with a forced smile, said to his uncle beside him: "Uncle, I need to use the restroom, I will be back immediately"

These few sentences made Shen Liancheng realize where the problem lay. He was the eldest grandson of the Shen family, and being one of the wealthiest households within a hundred miles only added to his status. Every year during the Qingming Festival and the Ghost Festival, distant relatives from the Shen family would come to him to join in the festivities, neglecting their own ancestors in the process. He never expected that these deceased distant relatives would take offense. However, if there were to be any grievances, it should be directed at their own unfilial descendants, right? What was the point of coming to him to cause a ruckus?

The sentence was not yet finished when another thunderclap resounded in the sky. The sound of this thunder was immense, causing the entire ground to tremble. Shen Liancheng was startled and shivered, involuntarily closing his eyes. When he opened them again, the scene before him had undergone a tremendous transformation.

At that moment, Madam Shen was so frightened that she rolled her eyes and fainted on the ground, while Old Master Shen's knees buckled, causing him to kneel before Shen Zengshou. He repeatedly bowed to these old acquaintances, stammering as he spoke: "Please... all of you uncles and elders, say a word. If there is anything wrong with Liancheng... that has angered the elders, Liancheng will definitely make amends, will definitely make amends..."

Liancheng, you finally recognized your third uncle. Don't be in such a hurry to leave, stay and chat with your uncles and elders... Before Old Master Shen could rise from his seat, Shen Zengshou, who was sitting beside him, had already grabbed his arm. With a sinister smile directed at Shen Liancheng, at that moment, Third Uncle Shen's face was as pale as a sheet of paper, his eyes bloodshot. Staring at his trembling nephew, although Shen Zengshou's mouth did not move, an ethereal voice emerged: "If you don't give Third Uncle and us old Shen family members an explanation today, you will follow us down below. We will invite the lords of the underworld to judge and let the old masters assess your deeds and see if they are just..."

Tonight, Master Shen had already gone to bed, but was dragged out in a daze to watch a play. When did the village arrange for a theater troupe? How come he was unaware of it? Moreover, everything on and off the stage seemed wrong; the one on stage singing in a black face was Bao Gong, right? Why was he cursing at a瓦盆 on the ground? And the people around him, each one looked familiar, yet he couldn't recall their names. Their faces appeared as pale as if they had applied too much powder, and their gloomy gazes towards him were unfriendly. Had he offended them in some way?

In recent days, Master Shen has been feeling quite uneasy and restless. About five or six days ago, the county magistrate personally brought along several Westerners with prominent noses, stating that these gentlemen were British engineers invited by General Zhang to explore mineral resources, and requested Master Shen to find a guide for them. Shen Liancheng, an elder who had genuinely experienced the Eight-Nation Alliance, naturally had no good feelings towards these British devils. However, out of respect for the county magistrate and General Zhang, he still arranged for Er Zhuzi, a villager who made a living by foraging for medicinal herbs, to lead the foreigners. They had agreed on a payment of one silver dollar per day, expecting that Er Zhuzi would be able to earn a few silver dollars for a prosperous year. Yet now, five or six days have passed without any sign of them. In these days, Er Zhuzi's family has been causing a commotion, sitting at the entrance and wailing loudly. Neither beating nor scolding seems effective, and Master Shen has been driven to distraction by that woman, feeling as if his head has grown larger from the stress.

However, at this point, it had escalated to Lord Shen, and he could no longer deny it. At that moment, Shen Liancheng continued to bow and said: "Liancheng understands now. In the future, whether it is the Qingming Festival or the birthdays of our elders, the first branch will take the lead in organizing everything together. The offerings of three animals, paper figures, paper horses, and all other necessities will be fully prepared... If the elders have any reprimands, please express them, and Liancheng will certainly comply."

At this point, Shen Liancheng stole a glance at Shen Zengshou in front of him. Noticing that his expression had softened a bit, he continued, "If there is nothing else, let us return home. My wife has never been exposed to the outside world, and I wouldn't want to frighten her..."

The play being performed on the stage is "The Tale of the Black Basin". The two previous plays were "Exploring the Yin Mountain" and "Zhong Kui Marries His Sister". All three plays are ghost stories

"Don't be in such a hurry to leave... Do you think these uncles and elders came back to see you just for those trifling offerings?" At this point, Shen Zengshou's expression grew even darker. After a pause, he looked at Old Master Shen and continued, "To tell you the truth, we are here to deliver a warning tonight. Tomorrow, our Shen family will face a catastrophic disaster. If things go poorly, it won't just be your branch that suffers; even the old and young of our collateral Shen family will be implicated. If it gets really bad, the Shen surname might be completely eradicated. Liancheng, this is not a scare tactic from the uncles and elders. Before dawn, you must take everyone in the fortress and escape from here. Head towards that area of Fengtian; the closer you are to Fengtian, the safer you will be. Remember, it is Shenyang. Do not foolishly run towards the Frog's Mouth, or else no one from the old and young will be able to save you. Remember, remember..."

The first thing Master Shen saw was the dark ceiling, and after a while, he realized he was in his own bed. At this moment, Shen Liancheng's clothes were already soaked with cold sweat, and he was panting heavily. Suddenly, he heard his wife, who was sleeping beside him, let out a loud scream. Then, Madam Shen sat up abruptly, gasping for breath, her body drenched in cold sweat. With wide eyes, she trembled as she said to Master Shen, "Dear... I had a nightmare. We were watching a play with a group of ghosts... It scared me to death..."

Before the sentence was finished, all the old acquaintances of the Shen family sitting around, along with the performers on stage, stood up. Countless pairs of eyes were fixed intently on Shen Liancheng, and in unison, they shouted in sharp voices: "Unreasonable..."

At that moment, a thunderclap suddenly echoed in the sky. After a loud bang, it instantly cleared Shen Liancheng's mind. In the moment following the thunder, Shen Liancheng already understood where the problem lay

Sitting beside Master Shen is Madam Shen, yet her complexion is not good. This woman in her forties has a pale face and tightly closed eyes, with sweat beads the size of soybeans continuously trickling down her temples. Shen Liancheng looked on in confusion and tugged at his wife's clothing corner, wanting to ask her what was wrong. However, Madam Shen seemed oblivious, allowing Master Shen to pull her back and forth. This woman remained silent with her eyes tightly shut.

At this moment, the people around him were all recognized by Old Master Shen. Sitting next to him was his distant uncle Shen Zengshou, who had died of tuberculosis two years ago. The woman sitting beside his wife was his cousin's wife, who had died after being beaten up by his drunken husband, unable to recover from the trauma. The rest were not outsiders; they were all relatives who had passed away over the years. No wonder he couldn't remember who they were just now; he had not thought of the dead at all. Looking at the onlookers around him, all wearing gloomy smiles, made Shen Liancheng's heart nearly leap out of his chest.