Human-Fat Lamp

"The dead can't come back to life, and this was their own choice." The Rich Merchant patted the Roving Exorcist Disciple's shoulder and said, "Let's just follow the Evil God's rules. These might be offerings for when the Cinerary Urn is buried."

"If only that were true..."

The Roving Exorcist Disciple sighed.

Ye Qianfan heard the unspoken meaning behind the Roving Exorcist Disciple's words and asked, "Are you saying these offerings make up a set? You're worried there won't be enough dead people to complete it?"

The Roving Exorcist Disciple nodded. "Exactly!"

"Then... how can you be sure?"

The others drew several sharp breaths when they heard this. "Couldn't it just be a coincidence?"

"I think you've got it wrong! These things may be sinister, but that doesn't necessarily mean they're a set of offerings!"

Several people began arguing with the Roving Exorcist Disciple.

Ye Qianfan had no time to waste words on people who only knew how to contradict others. He swept his hand forward and said, "Come on. We'll know once we check the other rooms!"

However...

As they entered the other rooms, the Roving Exorcist Disciple's expression grew increasingly grave!

The second room they visited contained only one Offering Plate. Apparently, its occupant had strictly followed the night watchman's instruction to stay one person to a room!

Unfortunately, he had violated a taboo when entering the temple!

So even though he had stayed alone, the Evil God had still eaten him as an offering, leaving behind only a bowl made from his skull, filled to the brim with blood!

It seemed the Evil God had held the man's corpse over the bowl and poured his blood into it. Blood had splashed all over the floor, with a particularly large pool beside the Offering Plate!

Once the skull bowl was full, the Evil God had carried the man outside, leaving another trail of blood leading to the door!

Drip, drop...

Like a little path carpeted with plum blossoms!

"The Human Blood Bowl is also one of the Evil God's offerings!"

The Roving Exorcist Disciple took a deep breath and left the room with a grim expression. He then walked up to another house and asked, "Is the person who stayed here still around?"

"..."

No one answered.

That meant the person who had stayed there was already dead!

The Roving Exorcist Disciple pushed open the door and was about to step inside when a wisp of black smoke drifted out, as though something had been burned.

"Do you smell that?"

The Rich Merchant sniffed. "Why does it smell like someone's rendering lard in here? And it seems they've cooked it a little too long. There's a burnt smell!"

"It's not lard being rendered. It's..." The Roving Exorcist Disciple pushed the door open and walked inside, looking at an oil lamp in the middle of the room. "It's corpse oil!"

Everyone entered the room, and sure enough, it was just as the Roving Exorcist Disciple had said!

They saw slightly golden fat in the golden Offering Plate inside the room. A black wick lay in the oil, looking as though it had been braided from hair!

"No need to look any closer," the Roving Exorcist Disciple told Ye Qianfan. "The wick is made from human hair. This is called a Human-Fat Lamp!"

"How many offerings does worshipping the Evil God usually require in total?"

Seeing that the offerings in each room were exactly as the Roving Exorcist Disciple had described, Ye Qianfan felt unease stirring within him!

Now he feared there wouldn't be enough offerings, and that everyone would have to slaughter one another when the time came!

Compared to ghosts, humans were the truly terrifying ones!