Stein's analysis shocked both Antonio and me. Worried he might be delirious, I quickly waved my hand in front of his eyes.
"Don't fuck around—I'm completely lucid, and everything I just said makes perfect sense," Stein said, pushing my hand away. His unusually solemn demeanor suggested he feared time was running out, treating each word as potentially his last.
Antonio objected, "If the person in the coffin wasn't Kongqing, Dreaming Nun would've noticed immediately."
Stein admitted he'd thought the same, but proposed an alternative: the coffin contained a hollow human skin replica, meticulously crafted to resemble Kongqing.
"All they'd need is a corpse and this fabricated skin draped over it," he explained. "Even if the body beneath transforms into a blood-covered zombie, the outer shell remains intact—which is why we found that discarded skin crammed underneath."
According to Stein, the coffin held two layers: the actual corpse at the bottom, and atop it, a counterfeit Kongqing skin. This was the secret someone desperately wanted to hide—hence the dark magic ensuring anyone who opened the coffin would die to the blood-covered zombie within.
Though Stein's explanation was lengthy, the core revelation stunned me: The real Kongqing might still be alive. Someone had staged her death using this elaborate ruse.
While I could reluctantly accept the blood-covered zombie theory, the ghost sightings troubled me. Kongqing's alleged spirit not only controlled the nunnery's nuns but also manifested freely—like the apparition Antonio saw hanging from a tree.
Stein pressed Antonio: "Did you see the ghost's face?"
Antonio shook his head. "No, not this time or during our last visit. It always changes faces or hides behind a mirror while combing hair."
"Exactly!" Stein slapped his knee. "This proves the haunting spirit isn't necessarily Kongqing. The nuns assume it's her because of the black comb and their own superstitions—their testimonies are unreliable. And Dreaming Nun's never actually seen the ghost's true form either."
His conclusion upended everything: Neither the corpse nor the ghost was definitively Kongqing. The real Kongqing could be alive, replaced by this elaborate deception.
Only one puzzle remained unsolved: how had Kongqing evaded her conspirators while hiding in the very nunnery they controlled?
She supposedly hanged herself from a tree and was discovered by the nunnery's inhabitants. If this was faked, how did she conceal her survival?
Stein's theory was so unbelievable that Antonio and I struggled to accept it. We almost wished he were delirious - a common symptom of corpse poisoning - but his eyes remained clear, showing no signs of confusion.
If Kongqing isn't dead, where is she now? Who set this trap? And who was the woman who died in her place?
The mystery grew deeper and more complicated.
Stein couldn't continue his explanation. He suddenly clutched his throat, complaining of thirst. His eyes began turning red, his face taking on an increasingly unnatural pallor.
We were in the woodshed. "Where are we supposed to find water here?" Antonio asked, though he immediately moved toward the door, telling us to wait while he searched.
I grabbed his arm. "Don't bother. It's not water Stein wants - it's blood! Forget water, find the glutinous rice quickly. Stein's already undergoing zombie transformation."
Sure enough, Stein curled into himself as if freezing, trembling violently while emitting occasional guttural cries. His head twitched uncontrollably, fingernails elongating, teeth slowly protruding.
He was turning into a jiangshi.
"Stein, hang in there!" Antonio crouched to comfort him, but Stein suddenly snapped his head like a rabid dog, teeth - now visibly longer - aiming for Antonio's arm.
Antonio dodged just in time, scrambling backward. "Mr. Roger, this..." His voice broke with grief, eyes reddening.
"Don't panic," I said. "There's still time before the poison takes full effect. He can be saved - if Dreaming Nun returns with the rice soon."
"Go... just go," Stein managed, his last coherent words before devolving into horrifying "wah-wah" sounds. Humans speak - jiangshi don't.
At that moment, footsteps approached outside. I signaled Antonio to turn off his phone light, but too late - a group of nuns burst in.
Perfect timing. Of all moments, they had to arrive now.
I'd known we'd encounter them eventually, but not during this critical juncture.
Leading them was the young nun Qingyin, who instantly recognized Antonio. "You little brat! I knew you'd return. I spotted you earlier - impressive how you escaped despite my locked doors!"
Antonio raised an eyebrow and said, "Wake up! When you're possessed, you don't realize how many people you're hurting. Once you regain your senses, the guilt alone will haunt your nightmares every night."
The group of nuns, under the control of the evil spirit, were incapable of understanding human words. They shook their heads grotesquely, their faces twisted into hideous expressions—no different from demons themselves.
There were about a dozen of them, and together they lunged at us, clearly intending to capture us alive.
The woodshed wasn't large, and with so many people suddenly crowding inside, we were immediately backed into a corner. At this point, fighting was unavoidable.
Antonio charged forward first. These nuns had all trained in martial arts, and despite his skill, facing a dozen opponents while still recovering from his earlier injuries quickly put him at a disadvantage. Yet he held his ground stubbornly, weathering their punches and kicks without retreating.
Just then, Stein let out a savage roar, crossed his arms in front of him, and leaped forward—exactly like a jiangshi.
The nuns, caught off guard, were immediately thrown into chaos. Stein grabbed several of them by the throat and hurled them aside with terrifying strength.
Those who weren't knocked down scrambled back in fear, but the ones who fell became easy prey. Stein pounced on them, pressing down to bite into their flesh.
"No!" I shouted. "If he drinks live human blood, it's over!"
Antonio heard me and immediately launched himself into the air, delivering a powerful double kick straight into Stein's chest.
Even in his half-transformed state, Stein was no match for Antonio's strength. The 1.9-meter-tall man was sent flying through the air before crashing heavily to the ground.
Stein landed on his back, his body convulsing violently—as if in extreme pain.
He still feels pain.
That meant the transformation wasn't complete yet.
There was still hope to save him.