"I went out last night."
Wei Yanchi wiped the blood from his face. He glanced around, then walked through the blood covering the ground and kicked over the pot of cooking meat.
"What's actually cooking in this pot is a servant who attended the Wei Family's old patriarch. After the patriarch died, they murdered this servant, then sacrificed them to him during his burial today."
Xie De watched him in silence for a long moment, unable to suppress his disgust toward the Wei Family.
"Then why are you here?"
"I followed them all the way here."
Just then, something rustled in the grass. Little Coal Ball emerged and hopped over beside Xie De's leg.
They both looked down.
Wei Yanchi smiled gently, but his wan, pallid face did nothing to conceal his exhaustion. "They make sacrifices every year, trying to communicate with the gods and their ancestors. When necessary, they even sacrifice themselves."
Wei Yanchi staggered over, looking for all the world like a drifting ghost.
Xie De pulled a set of clothes from his storage space and draped them over him, then simply held him up, studying his lifeless eyes.
"What exactly did you do last night? I gave you so many items, and now you don't have a single one left?"
"Mr. Xie De, I wanted to uncover the truth quickly, so I resorted to some rather extreme methods. I... didn't really do much... and now, I need to hurry back."
Wei Yanchi pressed his hand down. His palm was hot and damp, as though he had a high fever. Feeling that scorching heat, Xie De realized Wei Yanchi had used the power of the Subconscious Space.
He asked coldly, "Didn't do much?"
Wei Yanchi looked up, startled. His grip tightened, but his expression turned pitiful. "...I killed