"I'm not much better off. When I took a bath yesterday, I had the maid light two candles. I thought the room was quite bright, and since the person selling the candles said they would last for ten days, I didn't feel any remorse. But the more I soaked, the more smelly I became. At first, I thought it was the water, but then I realized it was the candles. If it hadn't been so dark last night, I would have come to this shop and made a scene. They're really heartless, selling all sorts of rubbish!"
The customers, each demanding a refund, were all talking at once.
Like sparrows in a tree.
twitter.
Upon hearing this, He Chuwei's face turned from black to white, then white to green, like a palette of colors, and he began to panic.
Trusting them, he received the batch of candles the day before yesterday and rushed to start selling them yesterday without checking them. As a result, he didn't smell the stench that the customers mentioned, so he naturally didn't believe them.
With a skeptical attitude, he picked up the candle lamp placed outside the shop and brought it to his nose to smell it.
"vomit--"
The next second, his mind went blank, and he actually vomited.
"Hahaha, look at this! The shopkeeper himself has vomited. Let's see how you try to deny it now!"
"Exactly, these candles stink horribly and you're still selling them? Don't you have any morals?"
"Refund! Refund!"
"Yes, refund the money, refund it now—"
He Chuwei was seen bending over and vomiting violently.
The guests holding candles were laughing uncontrollably.
They held up candles, laughing and shouting for their money back.
Before He Chuwei could speak, a rough, hoarse voice rang out from the crowd.
"Young brother, may I borrow this candle to take a look?"
The speaker was an old man.
He was wearing a Taoist robe, and his beard was very long, white like his hair.
He looks very old.
In ancient times, Taoist priests, like Buddhist monks, were highly respected.
So the man did not refuse and readily handed the candle in his hand to the Taoist priest.
"Old Taoist priest, do you want to buy candles? I suggest you go to Yang's Incense and Candle Shop across the street. Their candles are cheap and good. Unlike this shop, the shopkeeper is heartless. He sells candles for 200 coins each, claiming they can burn for ten days without going out. In fact, the candles smell terrible, and we don't even know what they're made of. We're making a fuss about getting our money back. You must not buy them."
The man thought the Taoist priest wanted to buy candles.
They quickly tried to dissuade him.
"No, no, no, I didn't intend to buy candles, but these candles... sigh, what a terrible thing! They dare to use anything to make candles. Here, take this talisman, I'll give it to you. Take it home, burn it to ashes, soak it in water and drink it. Everyone in your house who has smelled this candle must drink it! Also, sprinkle a handful of coarse salt in each of the four corners of the room where the candle was lit and on the threshold. And remember to bury the candle stand in the ground, never to be used again. If you ever feel unwell in the future, buy a peach wood sword and hang it on the wall, and you will be back to normal."
The old Taoist priest took out a yellow talisman from his clothes and handed it to the man.
He shook his head as he spoke.
It's terrifying.
"What exactly happened? Please tell me, Master. I'm not the only one who bought this candle; there are many others. We won't feel at ease until you explain!"
The man took the talisman and asked anxiously.
"Yes, Master, what exactly is going on? Why light a candle, drink talisman water, and hang a peach wood sword? Isn't this a way to ward off evil? Where did this candle come from? Master, please tell us."
"I've smelled this in my house, Master. Could you sell me some talismans? My little girl woke up this morning crying and saying she dreamed of something unclean. Her complexion is all wrong. Is this candle only for use in ancestral graves?"
"It can't be that serious. Last year, after my father passed away, I used the two candles left over from the funeral at night, and nothing happened."
"Master, please don't leave things unsaid. You're making me very nervous."
"......"
Every customer who had bought candles felt a chill run down their spine and a cold shiver in their heart upon hearing the old Taoist priest's words.
They wondered in their minds where the candle came from.
The more I think about it, the more scared I get.
"Well, fine, it's better to tell you than to be kept in the dark. This shopkeeper, were the candles bought from the south?"
The old Taoist priest sighed and walked to He Chuwei's side.
Ask him.
After vomiting, He Chuwei's eyes were bloodshot and tears streamed down his face. He was stunned by the stench of the candles.
Hearing the Taoist priest's words, he nodded blankly.
"That matches up! Last autumn harvest, I passed through the south. There was a county there with a large population, but a flood killed tens of thousands of people! That's a full 20% of the county's population! The magistrate blocked the news, so it didn't spread. The flood destroyed crops and collapsed many houses. Every household had dead people. Because the autumn harvest was delayed, the grain was destroyed, and the price of grain in the county skyrocketed. Many people were living in misery. In order to make money, many unscrupulous people went around collecting corpses to extract corpse oil."
They originally intended to make candles from the corpse oil and sell them at a high price, but who knew these candles had a fatal flaw: once lit, they reeked like dead rats. The merchants weren't stupid; they refused them after just one sniff. Unexpectedly, these candles survived until now, and somehow ended up in Shuxian County. Look at these corpse oil candles in your hands—each one emanates a sinister aura! Anyone who bought them must properly cleanse themselves of this bad luck, or it will shorten your lifespan!
The old Taoist priest stroked his beard and spoke slowly.
He traveled around and visited many places.
These candles, which were thought to have been destroyed, have surprisingly survived to this day.
commit a sin.
This is truly a terrible sin.
They use it to harm people in order to make money.
The old Taoist priest's gaze towards He Chuwei changed.
It added a touch of sharpness.
"What? Corpse oil candles?"
"Oh my god, this is terrifying! You are utterly despicable! You dare to sell candles made from corpse oil? Have you lost your heart and soul because you're so greedy for money? Report this to the authorities! You must report this to the authorities! No wonder my son didn't wake up until dawn today. He never gets up early. He must have inhaled the corpse fumes from these candles and injured himself. You must pay compensation!"
"Everyone, come and see! The He family's incense and candle shop is actually selling candles made from corpse oil! I, Tian, have never seen such a treacherous merchant in all my years! You've turned your heart to dust just to make money! This is corpse oil! You dare to sell anything! I wish your whole family would be childless and extinct, that you'd make money but not live to enjoy it!"
"Well said! You dare sell this stuff? Aren't you afraid you'll die before you can afford it? You'll definitely get your comeuppance! Ugh, you piece of junk! I've been holding onto this stuff for ages. Haven't my hands been indirectly touching those corpses? God, I feel like dying! What sins have I committed to deserve this? Oh dear, what am I going to do? If you don't give us an explanation, I'm not finished with you!"
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