The shop owner and the police officer trembled before Su Fan, almost unable to speak.
The two of them had been assigned to bring Su Fan to the orchard as a sacrifice.
They never expected to encounter a terrifying, monstrous female priestess the moment they entered.
When that cold, black claw seized their necks, they couldn’t even hold onto their weapons, which dropped to the floor.
In a daze, they were brought to the living room. Only upon seeing Su Fan did a horrifying realization dawn on them.
The terrifying ghost behind them was actually obeying this Asian youth!
Seeing Su Fan’s displeased expression, the police officer hurriedly answered the question.
“We… we don’t know that. The main sacrificial rites are all handled by the Head Librarian. We just assist…”
Hearing this, Su Fan immediately understood.
The town’s educated elite and those with real power had secretly initiated the sacrificial ritual.
Using their positions and status, they effectively concealed all information, keeping ordinary people in the dark.
Luring people passing through the town was likely to avoid suspicion from local disappearances.
“Since you’ve chosen me as the male sacrifice, who is the female sacrifice?”
“The f-female sacrifice is…”
The officer began to stammer, but a sharp pain shot through his back the next second!
The female priestess’s claws easily pierced his clothes, breaking his skin. Warm blood flowed from the wound, soaking the fabric.
“I’ll talk! I’ll talk!”
The genuine fear of imminent death made the officer shriek, his voice cracking.
“The girl chosen as the sacrifice is the one who spoke to you earlier! The one whose parents died, the one living with her uncle and aunt!”
“That’s right! That couple is involved in the sacrificial rites too.”
“You’re using townspeople as sacrifices now?”
Su Fan frowned.
“No… The Head Librarian said she revealed information about past sacrifices to you, and since she’s an outsider, no one would pursue her disappearance…”
The image of the young girl who had spoken to him that morning appeared in Su Fan’s mind.
A truly tragic fate. After losing her parents, the relatives she sought refuge with turned out to be worshippers of an evil god.
Judging by her cooperation earlier, her heart wasn’t bad.
The Vanir deity’s true form was in the orchard, though it only became active at night.
Since they were to be sacrifices, they would certainly be tied up in the orchard before dark to await their fate.
The sky had remained gloomy after the rain, but judging by the clock, it was already evening.
The perfect time to act.
“Tie these two up for me. I have a use for them.”
As soon as Su Fan spoke, a skeletal, emaciated Hanged Man materialized in the room, carrying a hemp rope as it approached the two men.
—
In the dim cellar, a figure curled on the ground stirred and slowly opened her eyes.
She held her throbbing head, looking around at her surroundings.
Where was this?
Confusion filled Emily’s eyes.
She remembered she was washing a car when her aunt called her inside to help.
Then her memory abruptly cut off.
Clearly, someone had knocked her out from behind and brought her here.
Emily tried to stand but found her hands and feet securely bound.
A terrible suspicion formed in her mind, but she didn’t dare believe it.
Just then, the cellar entrance above opened, and the beam of a flashlight shone down.
After her eyes adjusted to the sudden light, the figures above made Emily’s heart sink in disbelief.
“Uncle Harry! Aunt Stacy?!”
“You!”
Besides the two of them, there were many other familiar faces she often saw around town.
The Head Librarian held a hunting rifle, pointed at Emily.
Perhaps to let her die with understanding, or perhaps out of a sliver of guilt for sacrificing their niece, old man Harry explained the truth about the town’s bountiful harvests, the Vanir deity, and the sacrifices on the way to the orchard.
“Child, becoming a sacrifice is your destiny…”
“No, Uncle Harry, I don’t want to… please…”
Knowing she was about to be killed, to become nourishment for this land, Emily tearfully begged.
But everyone’s faces remained cold and unmoved.
“Child, we don’t want this either, but it’s for the sake of the town.”
Old woman Stacy shed crocodile tears, gently stroking Emily’s cheek.
“You’ve lived in this town for over a year, enjoyed the Vanir deity’s blessings. Now it’s time for you to repay that debt.”
“All for the glory of the deity…”
Hearing this, Emily’s heart turned to ice.
These people were determined to use her as a live sacrifice. Pleading was useless.
They brought Emily to the orchard and tightly bound her to one of the trees.
“Hasn’t the officer brought the other one yet?”
Seeing the sky about to turn completely dark, the Head Librarian looked displeased.
As the sun set, the once verdant orchard grew dark and sinister.
White mist drifted everywhere. Under the faint light, the shadows of branches twisted and danced like ferocious demons.
The atmosphere shifted, and everyone felt a wave of discomfort.
“They don’t know how to be quick! This is the last day!”
“One with a gun, one with a knife, against an unarmed kid, and they take this long? Utterly useless!”
The Head Librarian couldn’t help but glance at the scarecrow not far away.
The life-like scarecrow still stood quietly on its frame.
But everyone present knew that as time passed, it would descend and take the lives of those here.
Growing increasingly agitated, the Head Librarian pulled out his phone and dialed the officer’s number.
The others stared intently, hoping the phone would bring the news they wanted.
In the quiet orchard, only the repeated ringtone sounded.
Just as the Head Librarian, looking annoyed, was about to hang up, an incoming call ringtone sounded from not far away.
It was the police officer’s ringtone.
The townspeople sighed with relief and began looking for the source, eventually pinpointing a spot behind a large tree.
“Enough of your childish games! What time do you think it is?!”
Old man Harry shouted towards the tree.
A moment later, a figure emerged from behind the tree.
Upon seeing who it was, the townspeople’s expressions changed.
“How is it you?!”
The newcomer wasn’t the familiar town officer, but Su Fan.
Wasn’t he supposed to be knocked out and brought here by the other two?
How did he find his way here?!
The Head Librarian suddenly realized something was wrong.
“Where are the two of them?!”
The answer came in two dull thuds.
Two large burlap sacks were thrown onto the ground in front of them.
The sacks twitched upon impact, clearly containing something alive.
Seeing this, how could the townspeople not guess where the other two were?!
The Head Librarian reacted fastest, raising his gun to aim at Su Fan.
He didn’t know how the young man had defeated the shop owner and the officer, but at this distance, with a firearm, the advantage was his!
Yet Su Fan, facing the gun barrel, showed no trace of fear.
He took a step forward and, in the blink of an eye, appeared right in front of the Head Librarian!
The latter instinctively pulled the trigger, but a tremendous force knocked the gun barrel upward.
The bullet meant for a level shot flew skyward.
Before the Head Librarian could fire a second shot, a sharp pain exploded in his head, and he fell unconscious.
The other elderly men and women, seeing even the armed middle-aged Head Librarian dealt with, were terrified out of their wits.
But before they could flee or scream, Su Fan delivered a swift slap to each, knocking them out cold.
In under ten seconds, everyone lay sprawled unconscious on the ground.
Not far away, Emily, tied up and waiting for death, stared in stunned disbelief, unable to process what she had just witnessed.
Only when Su Fan walked over to untie her did she realize this wasn’t a dream.
“Thank you for saving my life.”
She stood up, ignoring the numbness in her limbs from being bound for so long, and thanked Su Fan.
“Go.”
Su Fan said simply.
Emily nodded, cast one last look at the figures on the ground, then followed Su Fan’s advice and turned to leave.
After sending the girl away, Su Fan turned his attention to the unconscious townspeople.
He had been waiting here for quite some time while they were explaining things to Emily.
Naturally, he had heard their nonsensical theory of sacrifice and devotion.
It was clearly about using others’ lives for their own benefit, yet they spoke of it so righteously.
If they were so devoted to sacrifice, why not sacrifice themselves for the sake of others?
Weren’t they just a bunch of old folks halfway into the grave anyway?
Su Fan had nothing more to say to such people.
He had the Astrologer ghost appear, summoning the Tarot apparition to tie them all up securely, arranging them in neat pairs.
After a quick glance, Su Fan frowned.
The numbers didn’t seem quite right.
They didn’t make an even pair.
He turned and looked the Astrologer ghost up and down.
“Why don’t you lie down too? Pair up with the leftover one.”
The Astrologer ghost was silent for a moment, then waved a hand, summoning the Female Priestess.
—
Mist swirled, tree shadows danced.
As clouds shrouded the moon, a heavy, horrifyingly coarse breath sounded from the depths of the silent orchard.
On its frame, the lifeless scarecrow suddenly stirred.
It slowly turned its head, stretched its limbs, and descended onto the leaf-covered, rain-dampened earth without making a sound.
On its burlap-wrapped face, two red eyes glowed like lanterns, emitting a soul-shaking light in the darkness.
On the final night of the seven-day ritual, it had come to collect the offerings presented by the people.
For fertile land and bountiful harvests year after year, this sacrifice was necessary.
Failure to comply would result in all plants in this town withering and dying.
Such was his, the Vanir deity’s, wrath.
Its glowing red eyes fell upon the ground ahead.
Burlap sacks covered things carrying the scent of blood and life force.
Those must be the offerings it was about to receive—vibrant, youthful men and women.
The scarecrow walked forward step by step, raising the sharp scythe attached to its right arm to lift the burlap sack.
Beneath it lay two old men with white hair.
