Lin Feng stared at the strange face outside, continuously channeling the Kindling Flame in his hand into his staff. His fingers tapped in a steady rhythm. Slowly, pinpricks of fire appeared in one household after another, one stove after another, transmitted from his Land God Staff into thousands of homes.
This was fire on another level.
Sacrificial Fire.
In Fukou, the Land God, Kitchen God, and Door God had all vanished, yet as Lin Feng extended his senses along the staff, he saw more than one spirit tablet.
Some were dedicated to the Kitchen God.
There were Land God shrines as well.
Fukou's worship of these deities had never ceased.
The offerings were abundant. Lin Feng even saw many offerings of Incense Offerings that exceeded the prescribed standards.
But what were they worshipping?
The Land God and Kitchen God were already gone.
Where had the Incense Offerings gone?
Wisps of Flame burned in the stoves. In ancient times, certain trades required their shops to keep a fire burning at all times. Tea sellers who plied the streets, for instance, had to keep a fire in their stoves constantly, as did blacksmiths and certain eateries.
The fires never died, and the stoves never grew cold.
After coming into contact with Lin Feng's flames, the fires in these places fed back into him instead, giving him warmth.
The fire of the multitude.
The wishes of all living beings.
And the ghosts of those who had just died gathered around Lin Feng.
Lin Feng became their guide.
Lin Feng lowered his eyes, understanding why the enormous face outside hated him so much.
He seemed to have spoiled its plans.
He had stolen someone else's food.
Lin Feng frowned slightly. He had no idea how many years that enormous face outside had spent scheming.