Chapter 332: Chapter 175: The Great Sacrifice (Part 2)
Nowadays, Little Huang Village is vigorously engaging in production, even offering substantial subsidies for pregnant women to have children, so it cannot just concern itself with digging but not burial, letting pregnant women venture alone to the gates of hell.
The Land God has already decreed that a medical center be established in the village, and suitable villagers will be taught medicine through the Divine Being’s dream-entering technique, training a batch of village doctors and midwives specifically responsible for childbirth matters.
"Having doctors without medicines is also unfeasible; father has instructed that the fifty acres of fertile land will no longer grow grain but will be converted into a medicine field. In a while, let Old Six enter the city to bring back some medicinal seeds for planting some commonly used herbs."
"With father’s Land God Power protecting us, not only is the grain having a bountiful harvest this season, but the chickens, ducks, and fish are also being fattened for market. In a while, there will be pigs, cattle, and sheep; after the school is established, the children studying and villagers practicing martial arts will be prioritized in supply, otherwise, if bandits come, everything will have to be given to them as bridal clothes."
"..."
Song Wen was deep in thought, planning for the future.
Thus, as the day drew near to dusk, the preparations for the sacrificial ceremony were finally complete.
In front of the Land God Temple, everyone gathered, led by Song Wen and the nine sons of the Song Family, along with many villagers, and elderly and women, each holding three incense sticks. The god statue in the Land God Temple sat on a high platform, with offerings of pig, fish, and chicken on the offering table, and an incense burner was placed.
"Our Little Huang Village is newly established, and everything is waiting to be revitalized. It all relies on the protection of the Land God above, causing the fields to yield abundantly and livestock to thrive. Today, I, Song Wen, the village head of Little Huang Village, lead all the villagers of Little Huang Village, sincerely worshiping the Land God, Song Xiang Boyu, praying for our Little Huang Village to have favorable weather year after year, without disease or disaster..."
"Bow!"
After Song Wen spoke, he bent to bow, and everyone followed his actions, bowing thrice toward the Land God Temple.
"Offer the incense!"
Then Song Wen stepped forward, entered the Land God Temple, and placed the incense into the incense burner, paying homage to the central Land God statue.
The people followed afterward, entering one by one, respectfully offering the incense, quickly filling the incense burner, making the inside of the Land God Temple smoke with incense as if it were the Immortal Realm, reflecting that clay god statue, which seemed to exude a divine presence, appearing even more majestic.
Thus, the sacrifice concluded, everyone exited the Land God Temple, with only Song Wen standing before them, announcing to everyone: "The sacrifice is complete, everyone take your seats, eat and drink to your heart’s content, and rejoice with the Land God!"
Upon hearing this, the previously solemn crowd immediately brightened with smiles, hurried to sit around the tables.
Various dishes were then served, steaming with hot wine and meat, and the rich aroma of rice all around.
"Mom, meat, meat!"
"I want to eat fish!"
"Alright, mom will get it for you!"
"This food, this fat and oil, even the banquet hosted by Wealthy Master Zhou in those days didn’t have this grandeur!"
"What’s Zhou Bapi worth, can he even compare to a hair of our master?"
"Exactly, I also attended that banquet of the Zhou Family, well, the rice was cooked with old rice, the dishes were picked scraps, barely any meat or oil at the table, let alone meat dishes."
"Come on, you weren’t even paying for that feast, what more do you want?"
"The way you say it, wasn’t today free too, look at this table, there’s chicken, duck, fish, meat, oh man, even the big inns in the county would serve like this, right?"
"That’s because the village chief is generous, and there’s the blessing of the Earth God!"
"Little dog, quickly thank the Earth God!"
"Thank, thank you, Earth God!"
"Hahaha..."
Everyone was seated, eating and drinking merrily, laughter and chatter filled the threshing ground.
"Hoo! Hoo! Hoo!"
Outside Little Huang Village, the eerie wind whistles; it is now dusk, under the blood-like setting sun. In the dark mountains and forests, many spectral Yin Souls emerged, looking enviously at the bustling village. Some were even tempted to select a person to devour, yet they feared the blazing golden light of the Land Realm, not daring to act.
The grand village festival, with its abundant incense offerings, greatly enhances the power of the deities and the magic realm, leaving these wandering ghosts no choice but to endure their hunger outside the village.
Hungry!!!
Though the Yin Souls are dead, unlike living people, they still feel hunger and need incense to satiate themselves.
But these roaming in the wilderness are mainly solitary ghosts, either dying far from home with no one to guide them back or having lost their families without any descendants for incense offerings; in short, they lack food.
When humans are extremely hungry, they can do anything, and it’s even more so with ghosts, so it’s not surprising that some Yin Souls become extreme, turning into malicious ghosts, devouring others and causing chaos between Yin and Yang.
Without incense offerings, this is their only way to survive.
However, with a divine being in the village, under the protection of the Land Realm, these wandering ghosts have neither the strength nor the courage to invade; they can only shift their hungry gazes toward other ghosts, harboring thoughts of fighting and hunting for food.
Just at this moment...
"Hoo!"
A gust of eerie wind arose, and a Shadow Soldier Paperman suddenly appeared, carrying a basket of buns to the village entrance, saying to the solitary ghosts: "The grand festival of Little Huang Village, with the Land God’s mercy, cannot bear to see you solitary ghosts desolate outside, wreaking havoc between Yin and Yang, has especially opened the door of convenience, allowing you to enter the village, to become Land Tax Collectors, those who come can receive incense food!"
After speaking, it placed the basket of buns at the village entrance.
Don’t underestimate this basket of buns; it’s also a divine method.
Only divine beings can use divine power to transform incense into food to satisfy one’s appetite.
Ordinary Yin Souls, even with offerings, can only consume incense smoke, satisfying their stomach but gaining no taste.
These lone wandering ghosts are even more so, unable to eat incense on regular days, let alone eat food transformed by divine power. Now looking at this basket of buns, it’s like seeing a gourmet dish.
Although eating these buns requires paying a price, becoming a Land Temple constable at the disposal of the Land God.
