The other chosen sacrifice was originally very excited, but was stunned when he saw this scene. Bai Liu, on the other hand, calmly pulled the stunned Sota into the room and bowed slightly to the dead sacrifices of the Kitahara family.

The old servant held down the other two children who had not reacted and bowed to the offerings in the shrine with an indifferent look: "Pay tribute to your predecessors who died for the Kitahara family."

When the two children walked out of the shrine, they looked dazed and their shoulders were shaking.

This seems to be different from the comfortable life of the upper class that they imagined.

The old servant seemed not to notice the sudden change in the two children's expressions. He bent his body and continued to take small steps, moving forward very quickly: "The residence of the sacrifice masters is in the highest place of the Kitahara family."

"That place is also the closest to the shrine. When you wake up every morning, you will see the largest shrine in Luming. It is also the place where you will be enshrined."

"The shrine contains the beautiful body of the evil god. We cannot disturb it often. The shrine is only open to the public during the hottest and coldest seasons of winter and summer when the county holds a grand evil god festival."

"The boat houses and the offerings raised in the major families will go to the shrine to pay homage to the evil god, but the evil god lives in the shrine. Only the tears of the offerings that are in enough pain can make him open his eyes and wake up."

"On weekdays, the offerings should not go up the mountain. The evil god is sleeping and does not like to be nagged. The door of the shrine is always locked, so there is no need to do daily prayers."

Bai Liu's eyes flickered slightly: "The shrine is locked, who has the key to the shrine? Is it in the hands of Lord Kitahara?"

The old servant paused, glanced at Bai Liu and said, "Yes."

"The key to the shrine goes to the highest taxpayer every year. Two years ago it was the Uefune family, and this year it's the Kitahara family."

The old servant led Bai Liu and the others to a secluded and spacious attic, bowed and raised his hand to respectfully make way for them: "This is the residence of the sacrifice masters."

"Although I understand that the sacrifices are curious about the Kitahara family, it is already late, so I kindly suggest that you do not run around."

The old servant raised his head slightly, revealing a pair of old and cloudy eyes: "The Kitahara family is very dangerous after nightfall. If the sacrifices are accidentally killed by some evil spirits, the bodies cannot even enter the Kitahara family shrine."

Bai Liu noticed that Sota and the other two children were frightened and turned pale, and immediately responded loudly: "Yes!"

The old servant turned his eyes to Bai Liu: "Where is Master Bai Liu?"

Bai Liu slowly lowered his eyes and said in a submissive tone: "I will serve the Evil God well here."

The old servant looked away with a look of satisfaction, bent his waist, held the door and bowed to leave: "We will help deliver your things in the boathouse in a while, please go to bed early."

The people of the Kitahara family moved very quickly. It took only a moment for Bai Liu and his friends to move into the attic. Less than ten minutes after they moved in, the hesitant and taciturn servants brought in their luggage.

When Cang Tai saw the little black cat trapped in the cage, his eyes lit up. He opened the cage and was about to hug the cat, but the little black cat twisted its butt and crawled out from under the cage, meowed in a high-pitched voice, and ran to Bai Liu who was sitting by the attic window.

Bai Liu used the back of his two fingers to gently stroke the two cats huddled at his feet. His sight passed through the open window, through the gradually dimming and dark night, and fell on the Luming Shrine deep in the jungle.

Sota walked up to Bai Liu and asked quietly, "Is Bai Liu's lover the evil god who lives in that shrine?"

"Not living." Bai Liu retracted his gaze, his eyes falling on the little white cat in his arms, "I am trapped in that shrine."

"So I'm going to go get him out."

"...Just now you asked for the key to the shrine." Sota swallowed nervously, "Bai Liu, are you going to steal the key after dark?"

Bai Liu hummed calmly.

Sota tensed up instantly: "But the old servant said that there would be evil spirits in the Kitahara family at night, and Bai Liu, you don't know where the key is in the Kitahara family. This risk is too great!"

"All of these can be solved." Bai Liu raised his eyes and glanced at Cang Tai, "As long as Cang Tai is willing to help me."

Sota was stunned: "How can I help you?"

Bai Liu: "Find Kitahara Xiaokui here."

After nightfall, the Kitahara family's courtyard was pitch black. The grass and trees cast vague shadows on the corridor. The stone stove next to the rockery worked day and night, flickering with a faint, ghost-like fire. A sticky, humid steam rose in the air.

Taking advantage of the night, Cang Tai ran out with his head down, running very fast on the corridor. He didn't dare to look up at the surrounding scene. He quickly recited the matters that Bai Liu had told him to do in his mind.

——As one of the Kitahara family's sacrifices, Kitahara Xiaokui and her brother were bought by the Kitahara family when the Evil God Festival was held in the first year.

Last year, Kitahara Xiaokui's younger brother was sacrificed.

This younger brother was intentionally raised by the Kitahara family, and he bore more than a year and nearly two years' worth of pain on his shoulders. The wish he got in return for the one-time sacrifice directly made the Kitahara family develop into the number one in Luming County. This is enough to show how painful Xiaokui's younger brother was in the Kitahara family in the past two years.

Not to mention how valuable Xiaokui, who has endured three years of pain, is to the Kitahara family. She is definitely one of the most valuable sacrifices of the Kitahara family. No wonder she was caught after escaping.

Bai Liu raised his eyelids and looked straight at Sota: "The key to the shrine should be in the possession of Kitahara Xiaokui, or Kitahara Xiaokui's brother."

Sota was stunned and confused: "Huh?! Isn't the key to the shrine a very valuable thing? Why would the Kitahara family put the key on the sacrifice?!"

"Because they are the people closest to God." Bai Liu looked at Sota, "This is a family that fantasizes about being closer to God. They built their house where they can look up at God's residence, and built the attic where we live so that we can overlook the shrine. They have an extreme yearning and worship for the evil god, so the key to locking up God will most likely be placed in the hands of the Kitahara family, who are closest to God, that is, in the sacrifice."

Sota was still a little hesitant: "But even if it was placed on the sacrifice, why is Bai Liu so determined on Xiao Kui and his brother? The Kitahara family has more than just these sacrifices..."

"There are more than just these few." Bai Liu said calmly, "But the ones who have made the greatest contribution to the Kitahara family and are the most memorable are these two siblings."

"If I'm not mistaken, Kitahara Xiaokui and her brother should be the first pair of [servants] and [sacrifices] of the Kitahara family."

"They are the first pair of offerings to enter the shrine on behalf of the Kitahara family."

Sota still can't forget the feeling of goosebumps when he heard Bai Liu's judgment.

He was now walking in the warm night, with flowers blooming and water flowing in the courtyard on his right. He took a deep breath, and it was filled with a rich and warm fragrance, but Cang Tai felt that this fragrance was like something produced by the resentment of the sacrifice when it was howling in pain. It seemed warm on the surface, but was actually freezing cold.

Bai Liu said that Kitahara Xiaokui, as the most noble and valuable sacrifice who had a three-year painful maturation period, must live in the highest attic of the Kitahara family, which is closest to the gods.

Sota ran around the place where they lived twice using various excuses, and finally saw a particularly high attic built opposite the attic where they lived.

There is only one room in this attic, and there are empty wooden frames underneath, just like a beacon tower. There is only a long staircase leading down from the attic door, and there are two servants guarding the entrance to the stairs.

Sou Tai secretly hid himself in the grass and trees, looked at the two guards, then looked up at the wooden attic with closed doors and windows, luxurious construction, and flowers all around.

Kitahara Xiaokui lives there.

"It looks just like the princess's residence." Sota whispered in a trance, "But it's actually just a sacrifice..."

After saying that, Sota squatted down in the grass and began to wait patiently.

After nightfall, these servants should leave their guard posts because there are evil spirits wandering in the courtyard. They should return to their own residences, or stay in the side room to watch over Xiaokui.

Sure enough, after a while, the two servants climbed up to the attic and went into the side room to sleep, one on the left and one on the right.

Cang Tai let out a long sigh. He hid in the bushes and hung on the back of the stairs. He gritted his teeth and climbed up one step at a time. Then he carefully grabbed the gap of the windowsill and knocked lightly.

"Xiao Kui." Sota asked very quietly, leaning against the window. "I'm Sota, are you there?"

After a long, long time, so long that Cang Tai thought Xiao Kui would not open the window, the window slowly opened from the inside, and Xiao Kui, wearing a close-fitting shirt and with a haggard and pale face, appeared at the window. She said in a cold tone: "What are you doing here? Is this some new trick played by the Kitahara family to trick me into escaping, catching me back, and then making me suffer even more?"

Sou Tai was startled. Before he could say anything, Kitahara Xiaokui was about to close the window again. He was anxious and forced his way into Xiaokui's room. He shook his head while explaining, "No, I was chosen by the Kitahara family as a servant."

"I'm here because my sacrifice, Hakuroku, wants the key to the shrine."

Cang Tai looked at Xiao Kui anxiously, clasped his hands together and begged: "He said you would help me. Do you have the key?"

Xiao Kui was silent: "Bai Liu, why did he ask you to come to me for the key to the shrine?"

Sota scratched his head, and after much thought, he decided to tell the truth: "He said that the evil god in the shrine is his lover, and he wants to elope with her."

Although Bai Liu didn't say it so directly, this is roughly what Sou Tai meant.

Xiao Kui's face changed and she was stunned. She clapped her hands on the ground and laughed out loud as if she had really heard something very funny. She laughed so hard that tears came out of her eyes: "Run away with the evil god...hahaha, hahahaha!"

This frightened Cang Tai so much that he knelt down and covered Xiao Kui's mouth: "Stop laughing! If you call the servants over, we'll be in trouble!"

"No." Xiao Kui lazily lay on the ground with her back to the sky, staring at the ceiling of the attic with unfocused eyes, muttering to herself, "I often laugh like this insanely in the middle of the night, and they don't care."

"They just need to make sure I'm alive and in pain, that's all."

Sota's expression was complicated and full of doubts: "What were you laughing at just now?"

"Xiao Bailiu just made up a lie and you believed it." Xiao Kui lazily raised her hand to wipe the tears from the corner of her eyes, "He and the evil god can't be lovers, let alone eloping with the evil god."

Cang Tai was not convinced, and he retorted: "But when Master Bai Liu talked about the evil god, I felt that he was very serious!"

"Serious..." Xiao Kui whispered, "My brother is also a very serious person. He once said that he would take me away from this place."

Sou Tai paused, hesitating for a moment, and finally asked, "You and your brother, are you also a pair of sacrifice and servant?"

Xiao Kui closed her eyes: "Yeah."

"I am the sacrifice and he is the servant."

"My brother is three years younger than me. He is ignorant about these things and cannot understand the meaning of many things. So it is difficult for him to feel pain. Even though he was tortured by the Kitahara family and beaten until he was covered in blood, he would burst into laughter when he saw me after a while, hugged me and called me sister, and acted coquettishly with me."

"He only knows pain, not suffering."

Tears fell from Xiao Kui's tightly closed eyes, and her voice became hoarse: "But when I saw him like that, I was scared and I was in pain all the time."

"Even if we were tortured in the same way, my pain was far greater than his. It was as if the pain he didn't understand was transferred to me, so I was always a sacrifice."

"I thought it would go on like this, and then one day I would be sacrificed, and he would be exiled by the Kitahara family, and might return to the boathouse to live as a caged child. Even if that were the case, I think it would be better than staying in the Kitahara family as a sacrifice."

"Because he has been growing up in this environment, I know that even if he is caged, he can live happily and will not suffer, because this is the world he has known since he was a child. He doesn't understand anything."

"He thought this was the way the world was, and that this was how cruel it was."

"But one day." Xiao Kui opened her empty eyes, "The Kitahara family sent a teacher to my brother and me."

“They started teaching us what the real world is like.”

"Every day, we see many people who are much happier than us, tens of thousands, hundreds of millions. They have parents who love them from birth, good friends, study normally, grow up, have someone who loves them, marry each other, have children, and then continue to live happily in this world."

"Those teachers would tell us that this is the normal life, the life that most people live, and we are different. We live an abnormal, lowly life that requires torture to survive."

"Then the Kitahara family taught us this while torturing us even more severely."

"For example, today they told us that parents love their children, and tomorrow they invited our parents to watch us being tortured, and then gave them lots of money."

"Today we were taught that everyone can play with their favorite animals. When I woke up tomorrow morning, I saw that the sunny doll hanging outside the window had changed from a doll to my puppy."

"The sun was so bright, and my little dog was hanging under the eaves, with his tongue hanging out. He had a collar with a small flower I made for him, and flies were flying around him."

"When my brother and I broke down and cried while putting the dead dog down," Xiao Kui cried numbly, "my brother finally understood."

"The world is not that cruel, it's just cruel to us."

"He said to me, sister, I must take you away from this place."

"He began to torture himself more and more, determined to make himself suffer more than me. He wanted to be a sacrifice. When he was almost going crazy from being tortured, he would come to me, crying and saying, 'Sister, as long as I sacrifice myself once, we can live a normal life.'"

"We will definitely live happily. The Evil God will definitely see our pain."

"As long as I offer my pain to Him, once the sacrifice is completed, we will run away and escape from this place."

"He cried and told me that if we escaped to the places we had seen in books and on TV, we could raise lots of puppies and not be hanged, nor would our parents have to watch us being pressed into a dog bowl and whipped while we ate dog food every day."

"Sister, there must be someone who loves us very much. We suffer so much just to encounter those happy things in the future. There must be hope."

Xiao Kui took a deep breath and trembled: "I know those teachers taught us these things just to give us hope."

"Only with hope can the pain brought by torture last longer, and we will not commit suicide easily. We will endure forever for the existence of hope until the day of sacrifice."

"My brother really became a sacrifice, and I became his servant."

"On the day he was sent to the shrine for enshrinement, I repeatedly confirmed with the Kitahara family that my brother would receive a large sum of money if he offered pain to the Kitahara family once, and they would not restrict his movements. He could indeed leave Luming County at any time."

"I watched him walk into the shrine, and then I heard the sound of the shrine loosening. People around were very excited, saying that the evil god had opened his eyes and walked down from the shrine. I was also very excited at the time."

"Then my brother walked out of the shrine with his head bowed and his hands shaking."

Xiao Kui turned her head and looked at Sota with a pair of tearful, dead eyes, but the corners of her mouth were smiling, smiling wantonly, and her voice was hoarse:

"The rest of the Kitahara family rushed to the shrine to make a wish, but I was the only one who stepped forward to hold up my brother who was about to fall. He raised his head and looked at me with a completely blank look. His hands were as cold as a corpse. His words were completely incoherent and saliva dripped from his mouth. But I still managed to piece together what he wanted to tell me based on the tacit understanding we had had for many years."

"He said, sister, this is a scam, a lie."

"If the suffering of the sacrifice cannot move the evil god, he will not open his eyes and come down from the shrine to fulfill people's wishes, and the sacrifice cannot leave here."

"If the pain of the sacrifice can move the evil god, and the evil god opens his eyes, the sacrifice only needs to look into the evil god's silver-blue eyes, and we will go crazy and commit suicide."

"We can't get away."

Xiao Kui laughed crazily, tears welling up in her eyes: "Then my brother, after returning, hanged himself outside my roof."

"——like a sunny doll."

"Tell me." Xiao Kui twisted and crawled up from the ground. She propped up her arms, and her messy hair fell from her bloodless face. She laughed nervously twice, "The evil god who can't even be looked at——"

"How did Bai Liu fall in love with Him and become His lover?"