Horror Movie Set: This extra is too good at playing the tricks.

Chapter 58: All Actors

One is born, the second is cooked.

This time, Lu Dan walked to the threshing ground and, without any further preparation, smoothly knelt down on the prayer mat.

To match the atmosphere, he even adjusted his kneeling posture to ensure that his kowtow would not hurt and would make a louder sound.

"Waaaaah—"

The wailing of hundreds of villagers behind me rose again, making my eardrums ache.

Lu Dan lowered his head, scrunched up his features, and let out a dry howl, banging his head against the ground repeatedly. With each bang, his consciousness became more and more hazy.

Just after my forehead touched the cold soil a few times, the light and shadow in my vision suddenly became disoriented.

The clamor of crying faded into the distance, and a sharp wind whistled past my ears.

He was huddled in front of the village chief's gate, his thin, tattered coat chilling him to the bone.

Warm yellow candlelight and the enticing aroma of meat wafted through the crack in the door, accompanied by the clinking of glasses—people inside were exchanging toasts.

Lu Dan was holding an even smaller child tightly in his arms.

"Brother, I'm scared." The child's voice was very soft.

"Don't be afraid, I'm here." His hands were trembling, but he knew he couldn't back down, because if he didn't hand himself and his brother over, that uncle in the leather jacket would definitely not let their whole family go.

The door creaked open, and a large hand reached out and grabbed his younger brother like a chicken.

"No!"

A heart-wrenching sense of despair exploded, piercing straight into Lu Dan's brain.

......

"Thump."

After kowtowing for the last time, Lu Dan raised his head, his forehead covered in dirt and grass clippings.

The illusion dissipated, leaving only lingering despair churning within my chest.

"So, according to the script, I'm a survivor?"

Lu Dan's eyes were gloomy.

If Ah Dan survived by handing over his younger brother, then his so-called "older brother" identity is itself burdened with original sin.

After the ceremony, the villagers dispersed with a morbid sense of satisfaction.

A pair of black cloth shoes stopped in front of Lu Dan.

"Ah Dan," the village chief said, his hands behind his back, every wrinkle on his old face like a deep ravine, "you're kowtowing louder and louder now. You'll have to keep a close eye on village affairs from now on..."

"Of course, of course." Lu Dan got up from the ground, patted the dirt off his knees, and smiled. "Don't worry, Village Chief, I'm willing to do anything!"

Then, he changed the subject, pointing towards the back mountain: "Oh, right, those leaders from the city looked at the feng shui of our back mountain and thought it was excellent. They insisted that I go and tell them about its origins. What do you think?"

"Go ahead, go ahead." The village chief waved his pipe, a hint of disdain in his eyes. "Since they are honored guests, let them have a good look."

After bidding farewell to the village chief, Lu Dan turned and headed towards the back mountain, the smile on his face vanishing.

......

The back hill, a small earthen slope.

The atmosphere was somewhat awkward in front of the two lonely little mounds.

The four outsiders stood in a fan shape, maintaining a safe distance from each other that allowed them to both support and defend themselves.

"Team Leader Ye." It was Da Lu who spoke. He pushed up his glasses, the lenses reflecting a cold light. "This 'census' is quite difficult, but I think that A Dan is a real talent. He's efficient and speaks very tactfully. Thanks to him, we've saved ourselves a lot of trouble."

Ye Jianguo stood with his hands behind his back, his eyes sharp as he stared at the two signs that read "Yaoyao" and "Yaoyao". His voice was clear and resonant, exuding a leader's air: "It's really not easy for a closed-off, backward, or even ignorant place like Shuangshan Village to raise such a courageous and organized young person. It's like a golden phoenix flying out of a chicken coop."

"That's really superstitious," Chen Hua chimed in, her hand still intentionally or unintentionally protecting her waist. "But when in Rome, do as the Romans do. We still need to be careful and not break the 'rules' here."

Zhang Min, standing at the very edge, seemed somewhat absent-minded. Her gaze was fixed on a few withered grasses in front of the mound, and her fingers nervously twisted the hem of her clothes.

"Oh, thank you for keeping us waiting, gentlemen."

Lu Dan intervened at just the right moment, breaking the stalemate between the four.

He came running up, panting, with an apologetic look on his face: "The village chief pulled me aside and nagged me for a bit, which took up some time. Did you all get bitten by the mosquitoes in these mountains?"

Ye Jianguo turned around, his gaze sweeping over Lu Dan. "It's alright, we just arrived. Dan, what kind of survey do we need to conduct at the back of the mountain?"

"There are too many things to 'survey'." Lu Dan walked to the middle of the group, lowered his voice, and glanced at the dilapidated temple that could be vaguely seen halfway up the mountain.

"Actually, if you want to see the scenery and culture, the Twin Temple halfway up the mountain is the best place."

"It's said that whatever you pray for there will come true, especially for outsiders who go there; it's quite interesting."

He deliberately emphasized the pronunciation of the three words "interesting".

The air fell silent for a second, and then the expressions on Ye Jianguo's, Da Lu's, and Chen Hua's faces changed instantly.

Just as they guessed, Ah Dan was not some overly clever villager at all, but a "senior" who had infiltrated the village long ago.

"I see." Ye Jianguo's smile became more sincere, and he nodded. "Since Brother Adan has said so, then we must go to this temple."

After a brief exchange of glances, the four-person team quickly divided up their tasks.

"Now that we're here, we should do our work thoroughly." Ye Jianguo pointed to the mountaintop. "Comrade Chen Hua and I will go up to the top and take a look. From here, we can get a clear view of the entire village's terrain. The scenery must be excellent."

Da Lu adjusted his glasses: "Then I'll go to the temple that Brother Adan recommended and pray again. These days, everyone cares about good luck in everything they do, and I'll also take a look at the local customs and culture."

Zhang Min, who remained, was pale and clearly didn't want to move. "I'll stay here," she said weakly. "I'm a little tired anyway, and I can also organize the cultural records here."

"Alright, then I'll stay with Sister Zhang Min." Lu Dan chimed in, "I can tell her some stories about this place so she won't be scared by herself."

With the assignments completed, the three groups prepared to split up and take action.

Before leaving, Da Lu turned around, his fat bulging in a heap, and his eyes lingered meaningfully between Lu Dan and the two grave mounds: "Brother Dan, and Comrade Zhang Min, you can tell stories here, but be careful. This is someone else's 'home' after all. Don't 'accidentally' knock it over, or things will get messy."

Lu Dan responded with a fake smile: "Don't worry, we're just taking a look."

Watching the three disappear into the mountains, Lu Dan turned around and looked at Zhang Min, who was trembling, and the two quietly standing earthen graves.

He took out a slingshot from his pocket and gently pulled the rubber band.

"Alright, everyone who's been standing around is gone. Sister Zhang Min, let's get back to what we're doing."