Chapter 313: Chapter 167: Incense Offerings

Yin Soul.

Food Fragrance.

Although both profession and talent appear somewhat ordinary, having some is always better than none.

Shen Hex sat in the room, continuing to absorb the incense and candle qi, and with the effect of Yin Soul Food Fragrance, the efficiency significantly increased, which greatly satisfied him, even giving him a sense of "rebirth."

In this manner, he didn’t know how long had passed, the scent of incense and candle in the room grew increasingly intense, and faintly, sounds of wailing and mourning music were heard, and soon after, there were voices of chatter.

Needless to say, it must be the Song Family holding the funeral for Song Xiang that’s coming to an end, relatives and friends have come to offer incense, preparing to feast and banquet.

Therefore, the power of incense within the Yin Residence grows increasingly intense, even slightly penetrating the barrier between Yin and Yang.

Shen Hex sat in the residence, unsure of how long passed, suddenly seeing golden light fall upon the offering table.

Shen Hex went forward to take a look, discovering it was actually two ingots of Yuanbao, along with five or six strings of copper coins.

"This is..."

Shen Hex reached out to touch the two Yuanbao, instantly feeling an intense gathering of incense qi within.

"Incense Money?"

"To the Ghost God, it is similar in nature to Spirit Stone."

"Except that Spirit Stones are classified into Upper, Middle, and Lower Grades, while incense money resembles silver coins used by mortals, measured in ingots and pieces."

"This time the Song Family burned a total of twenty taels of Incense Silver and five thousand six hundred and seventy-five pieces of incense money for Song Xiang’s funeral."

"One thousand incense money equals one tael of incense silver. Who knows if there’s anything above the silver coins level, like gold and jade grade incense?"

Shen Hex’s gaze shifted, and promptly stored the incense silver coins within his sleeve.

Twenty or so taels of incense money sounds a bit frugal, after all, in matters of ancestor worship, isn’t it common to burn several strings of gold and silver ingots? Not to mention the Song family is an official family, how can they only provide him with two ingots of Yuanbao and several strings of copper coins for the funeral?

Could it be someone secretly took a cut?

Of course not!

The "exchange rate" for incense money can’t be calculated this way.

Incense money, by its nature, is incense, not silver coins.

The amount of incense money depends on the number of people worshiping and whether the heart of worship is sincere enough.

If the number of people worshiping is not large, or the worshiper’s heart is not sincere, then even burning a mountain of gold and silver won’t be effective; nothing below will be received.

This is naturally the way it goes; if incense money were issued according to the "Heaven and Earth Bank’s" issuance equivalent, then inflation would have long occurred in the Underworld.

So, the twenty or so taels of incense Shen Hex holds is actually not small.

In life, Song Xiang was the County School Instructor, akin to the County Education Bureau Director.

Although the rank is not high, only Junior Eighth Grade, the power is significant, his status is esteemed as a scholar official, and all County Students are considered his disciples.

Song Xiang worked for over ten years, while not having students all across the world, he had quite a few pupils, coupled with his wife, children, Song Clan members, and social interactions with his official colleagues, neighbors.

Adding all these people together, only provided him with twenty or so taels of incense, which speaks to its value.

This is why those with status and prominence in life inevitably become Great Gods after death.

The starting line is different!

Those wealthy and high-ranking folks have many followers in life, and in death, major rituals are conducted, enjoying various incense offerings.

Meanwhile, common folks only have their family members and some friends, who can help conduct funerals and eat at the feast; even ignoring the small number, hearts may not be entirely sincere, as living people themselves are struggling, let alone thinking about the deceased?

Thus, whether in the Underworld or in the Mortal World, being powerful and powerless are two different concepts.

Of course, with people gone, sentiments cool, and even privileges can’t last forever.

Over time, emotions fade, and the quality of worship declines rapidly.

Shen Hex estimates that this funeral incense may be the greatest offering from the Song family.

Afterwards, even during New Year’s and monthly offerings, like Qingming and Zhongyuan, as sentiments fade, their sincerity diminishes, and naturally, incense won’t be as plentiful.

"Therefore, the survival of Yin Souls has no choice but to enter the Divine Dao!"

"Only by entering the Divine Dao and enjoying the world’s incense offerings can one last eternally."

"If not entering the Divine Dao, merely relying on the family’s meager incense, one is in a state of neither starving nor being satisfied, unable to aspire for more."

"People die and become ghosts, ghosts die and vanish, who knows if there’s a concept of Yin Life and Six Paths of Reincarnation in this world."

"Even rabbits bite when cornered. If the Divine Dao cannot be entered, then there’s bound to be malicious spirits that act out, devouring other Yin Souls, or even entering the Mortal World, harming the living."

"Surely, managing Yin Souls and restraining evil spirits are also the duties of the gods."

Gleaning insight from a glimpse, the incense money offerings brought much information to Shen Hex.

"However..."

Shen Hex waited for a while in front of the offering table, though more incense copper coins were sent after, no other food appeared.

Chicken, duck, fish, fruits, vegetables, no food offerings were seen.

Golden Boy and Jade Girl, lovely wives or concubines, no Yin people offerings were present either.

This puzzled Shen Hex greatly.

In the Mortal World there is the tradition of "burning papermen," burning papermen as servants to serve ancestors in the Underworld.

Yet now Shen Hex sees none of this.

Could it be that the Song family didn’t burn papermen for him?

Or is it that papermen simply don’t exist in the Underworld, and items burned are all converted into incense silver coins?

Shen Hex does not believe this.

During the Yin Official examination, the junior clerk who invited him for the test, as well as the white horse provided for him to ride, appeared stiff and had strange forms, clearly belonging to the realm of papermen and paper horses.