"So, Aunt Zhang, the little ghost you found... it's quite a choice..." Hu Ma had been observing Aunt Zhang's words and actions with great curiosity ever since they set out. Now, he couldn't help but ask, "...An unusual one?"
"I originally thought that Ghost Walkers, having more interactions, would always choose the more obedient ones."
He remembered Yang Gong mentioning that the Red Lantern Lady's Club had many little ghosts. Some could move wealth, some delivered messages, some divined good fortune and calamity, and some even prayed for blessings and averted disasters for their masters. Of course, there was also the one Yang Gong raised, which only knew how to speak auspicious phrases, and then there was his own Little Hongtang, who was a jack-of-all-trades...
But what's the deal with Aunt Zhang's little ghost? Call it smart? It doesn't even have a head. Call it clever? Its paper head can fall off at any moment. It doesn't seem very agile either. Could it be meant to scare people?
After finishing burning incense, Aunt Zhang returned, took out a piece of flatbread from her bundle, and holding it with both hands, began to nibble on it slowly. Seeing Hu Ma's question, she said, "If I hadn't taken it in, it would've been eaten by a big ghost. But I saw that you, Shopkeeper, have one too, and yours looks quite well-behaved..."
Hu Ma turned to look. Little Hongtang was squatting curiously to one side, watching the headless little ghost. Aunt Zhang sat with proper posture, and the headless little ghost was equally still. It just squatted beside the incense Aunt Zhang had lit, continuously inhaling the wisps of fragrant smoke. Little Hongtang poked it with a stick, but it didn't react.
"The one I raise is an heirloom," Hu Ma said, full of pride when speaking of Little Hongtang. "It was passed down to me by my Granny. Actually, my Granny was also a Ghost Walker, but she passed away early and didn't have time to teach me."
"I can tell. Your family's little ghost hasn't suffered any hardship; it has even developed spirituality," Aunt Zhang nodded and said. "But not every little ghost is so fortunate. Their fates... are generally not very good."
Hu Ma was slightly taken aback. "What do you mean by that?"
"Raising little ghosts, well, it was originally started by Ghost Walkers. Later, people from various Paths learned how to do it," Aunt Zhang explained. "And Ghost Walkers initially started raising little ghosts because they felt sorry for them."
"My mother used to say, who knows when it started, but talk began of the gates of the underworld closing. In any case, the number of evil spirits in this world suddenly increased dramatically. With more evil spirits, it wasn't just the living humans who suffered, but also these little ghosts."
"They are pitiful. While alive, they hardly enjoyed the blessings of the human world. After death, they couldn't enter the underworld, nor could they enter the cycle of reincarnation. So they just floated in the night, bullied by big ghosts, and some were even eaten by other evil spirits."
"It's said that because of this, Ghost Walkers started taking some of the more pitiful-looking little ghosts with them, raising them and feeding them some incense. Over time, they could develop some spirituality, help run errands, and handle small tasks. As more people raised little ghosts, their benefits became apparent: they were obedient, easy to coax, and diligent when it came to work."
"Because of this origin, even now when raising little ghosts, people usually choose the small ones. Of course, some people specifically seek out powerful ones to raise."
She spoke with a hint of curiosity as she looked at Hu Ma. "Why haven't I seen you light incense? What does your little ghost eat?"
Hu Ma was momentarily at a loss for how to explain... My family's little ghost... never mind incense, it even turns its nose up at green food these days; it only wants Blood Food!
"Thank you for your hard work today, Aunt Zhang," he said respectfully, having learned a great deal. He took out his waterskin and some dried meat, offering them to her. "Have some of this."
"No need," Aunt Zhang replied. "I made a few pounds of flatbreads last night and brought them along. I haven't finished them yet."
"Then let's trade. I'd like to try your flatbreads too," Hu Ma said, still smiling as he gently took half a flatbread from her hand and gave her his steamed buns and dried meat. The buns were a bit cold now, but they could be toasted over a fire. Of course, eating them cold wasn't a major issue. Ghost Walkers who often traveled far and wide, and Shousui men with refined Five Organs, didn't have delicate stomachs. Even Housekeeper Zhou, who was staying with them, came from a trickster background and had roamed the jianghu.
Seeing Hu Ma's enthusiasm, Aunt Zhang had no choice but to accept. After tasting a bit of the dried meat, she was noticeably surprised, but she didn't make a big show of it, merely thanking Hu Ma softly.
At night, they slept by the carriage. Aunt Zhang had placed protective branches and burned an incense array. Hu Ma, it being his first night out on such a task, didn't dare sleep too soundly, keeping his sword close by. Surprisingly, the night passed without any evil spirits approaching, which felt somewhat magical. Normally, people traveling at night easily encountered evil spirits, especially when transporting a coffin, which should have made them even more prone to encountering malevolence.
The next day, after sharing some food and attending to their needs, they prepared to set off. After harnessing the donkey, Hu Ma turned to see Aunt Zhang had already removed the branches, dismantled the 'Yang Mansion,' and was burning some paper money on the spot where it had stood. Holding incense, she prayed specifically as she burned the offerings.
Once she finished and came to the carriage, Hu Ma asked curiously, "Aunt Zhang, I understand burning incense yesterday was to ward off evil spirits. But now that we're leaving, who are you burning it for?"
Aunt Zhang replied, "For the local spirits, to thank them for not disturbing us last night!"
Hu Ma asked, still curious, "Is it necessary to be so meticulous with these rites? What would happen if we left without burning the incense?"
"Probably nothing would happen if we didn't..." Aunt Zhang's weathered, dark-red face showed a hint of confusion. "But these are the rules. My mother taught me this way, and the Ghost Walkers I met later taught me the same. Anyway, whatever Method works, that's the Method you use."
Hu Ma had been curious about certain things since the incident with the green-clothed evil spirit. He took the opportunity to ask, "It seems Ghost Walkers are very particular about rules?"
"It doesn't matter if you're a Ghost Walker or from any other Path; you have to follow the rules," Aunt Zhang said, looking at Hu Ma with some surprise. "Without rules, there's no Method for doing things. Anyway, when I help people with expelling evil, I always start by laying out the rules. If they listen to reason and can be persuaded, they'll leave. If they want some incense or offerings, we give it to them, and they depart. Life isn't easy for anyone. If we all abide by the rules, things can be discussed. No one needs to make things difficult for others."
Hu Ma then asked, "But what if the living abide by the rules, but the spirits don't?"
Aunt Zhang glanced at Hu Ma. "If you encounter those who don't follow the rules, you need to know the Methods to deal with them. If you can't handle them, you can't be a Ghost Walker."
So, these rules... are they primarily for better communication? Hu Ma began to understand. Since communication was key, rules naturally had to be in place to facilitate it. With dusk as the boundary, any spirit appearing in broad daylight was breaking the rules and would be in the wrong when confronted with reason. With yin and yang demarcated, evil spirits shouldn't dare disturb the living, and the living, of course, shouldn't disrespect the ghostly gods. The main principle was for both sides to take a step back and maintain peace.
Of course, these were just the basics. Perhaps Ghost Walkers also had rules for setting up the altar and making offerings—for instance, once an offering was made, you had to spare the entity, and if it accepted your things, it had to perform its side of the bargain. But rules always needed power to be maintained. Where did Ghost Walkers get this power? He hadn't figured it out yet, but there was no rush.
He felt that hiring a Ghost Walker for this trip had been the right decision, especially this unassuming Aunt Zhang. She seemed to be a Ghost Walker from a hereditary lineage, knowledgeable and honest. She wasn't guarded with him at all, answering whatever he asked.
「 」
Setting off again, the group followed the main road, traveling by day and resting by night, heading straight for Anzhou.
To be honest, traveling in these times was already hard. Even if one was willing to spend Silver, comfort wasn't guaranteed. Often, they couldn't reach an inn by nightfall and had to stay in rustic roadside taverns or seek lodging in villages. Having a basin of hot water to wash their feet at night was a luxury.
Especially since Aunt Zhang was so devout and honest, her actions were meticulous in every way. And as everyone respected her for her role in escorting the spirit, they followed all her rules, which made the journey even more arduous. Observing her many practices along the way, Hu Ma found some sensible, while others seemed pedantic or even rigid, but he complied with them all. He just told himself that this trip was for gaining experience and learning, so a bit of hardship and fatigue was to be expected, and he kept his complaints to himself.
This continued until one day, a sudden afternoon shower caused the donkey cart to get stuck in the mud. Hu Ma helped lift it out several times. Although the rain eventually stopped, their journey was significantly delayed, and they couldn't reach the village or town thirty li away to find lodging. With no other choice, the group found a recessed rock hollow by the edge of a forest cliff to rest for the night.
Wet firewood was difficult to light, and the sky remained overcast. It took quite some time to get even a small fire going. They used it to dry their clothes and toast their dry rations. The rock hollow wasn't large, with hardly any dry spots. They had to give what little there was to the donkey, while the humans huddled together in a corner, which was naturally uncomfortable. But everyone was exhausted from the day. Warmed by the fire and having eaten some hot food, drowsiness soon overcame them, and they quickly fell asleep.
Hu Ma had remained vigilant every night since they set out. He woke suddenly around midnight. An inexplicable cold wind brushed his face, and he instinctively reached for his sword.
Suddenly, a hand pressed down on his arm. Aunt Zhang whispered, "Don't move..."
Hu Ma reacted quickly, freezing his movement and looking out.
It was deep into the night, with no stars or moon. Hu Ma hadn't yet refined his eyes to see in the dark, so he couldn't see clearly. Everything around seemed pitch black. In the distance, from the depths of the forest ahead, two lanterns floated out.
Focusing his gaze, he could make out two young maidservants carrying lanterns, their hair neatly combed. They floated lightly to the edge of the forest, weaving as they circled once, and said softly, "Are there any passing travelers?"
"It's cold outside. Why not come to our manor to rest and have a bowl of hot soup?"
As they spoke, they circled once more, then lifted their lanterns and retreated into the forest. Just as Hu Ma was about to speak, Aunt Zhang's hand still gripped his arm. Sure enough, a short while later, the two maidservants emerged from the forest again.
This time when he looked, they had become paper men. Yet, they still floated so stiffly, carrying their lanterns and circling once, their voices wooden as they said:
"Are there any passing travelers..."
"It's cold outside. Why not come to our manor to rest and have a bowl of hot soup?"