The group hurried into the town. Transporting a coffin made it awkward to check directly into an inn. Fortunately, there was a coffin shop in town, so they first took the coffin and the donkey cart there, leaving them for safekeeping.
They then assigned watches to ensure someone was always by the coffin, while the others went to eat a hearty meal and afterward found an inn to stay in.
The first thing they did was ask the innkeeper to bring hot water so they could take a proper bath; after all, they were starting to smell quite bad...
Of course, for people of that era, going unwashed for extended periods was quite normal.
Neither the coachman nor the attendants seemed to mind, and even Aunt Zhang silently endured it.
The only ones truly uncomfortable were Hu Ma and Housekeeper Zhou. Hu Ma retained some habits from his life as a Reincarnator, while Housekeeper Zhou, having served at the Li Residence, was accustomed to a more refined lifestyle.
「」
After a nap, Hu Ma accompanied Aunt Zhang to browse the paper craft shops in town. They purchased items necessary for Ghost Walkers, such as incense candles, yellow paper, paper men, white banners, vermillion talisman paper, red ropes soaked in black dog's blood, wooden nails, and more.
They had exchanged some supplies with a merchant caravan earlier. However, those were only basic necessities, barely sufficient, and certainly not enough for Aunt Zhang to fully utilize her skills.
Hu Ma had brought plenty of Silver, and Aunt Zhang was accustomed to being thrifty, so purchasing these items posed no problem.
However, Hu Ma was curious. No matter what Aunt Zhang bought, he would ask about its purpose. Aunt Zhang, being good-natured, patiently explained each one.
Incense candles and yellow paper, not to mention, were common. Paper men were burned for Wandering spirits to serve as their attendants. Vermillion talisman paper was used to suppress evil spirits. Red ropes soaked in black dog's blood and wooden nails could perform exorcism and dispel evil.
Even old Copper Coins, worn and with missing edges, were useful. Imbued with human qi, they could anchor a Living Soul, serving as a conduit.
"These are the Ghost Walker's suppression objects?"
Hu Ma recalled the descriptions in the Age Suppressing Book and realized that many aspects indeed related to Ghost Walkers, though their methods seemed more diverse and practical.
"At most, these are yin objects, not true suppression objects," Aunt Zhang said, seemingly a little surprised that Hu Ma knew the term "suppression objects." She smiled and explained, "True suppression objects are imbued with Mana, allowing them to restrain evil spirits to a certain extent, assist an altar person in casting, or even be used directly as tools.
"Besides everyday experience and methods of control and counteraction, suppression objects are the most important thing for a Ghost Walker. With them, many tasks become much easier.
"What we're buying now are just commonly used items, things that might be tainted with a bit of human qi or yin qi. They don't yet count as suppression objects, though their usage is similar."
Hu Ma committed all of this to memory.
He noticed a difference between the Age Suppressing Book and Aunt Zhang's methods: Ghost Walkers used Mana-infused items to aid their casting, an aspect not mentioned in the Age Suppressing Book.
According to the Age Suppressing Book, any such item, once placed on the altar, would become a suppression object.
Of course, he had already realized that the more powerful the suppression object, the more effective the ritual, so he had already begun to pay attention and collect them.
Now was a perfect opportunity to observe how Aunt Zhang selected these items: what kind of incense was good, what type of paper was best, what sort of vermillion to purchase, and how to identify suitable items among old objects.
Aunt Zhang was very experienced and had her own selection methods.
Some of her reasons and logic were clear to Hu Ma once she explained them. However, there were other things he didn't quite understand. It seemed Aunt Zhang herself only knew these items were useful but couldn't articulate exactly why.
This, it seemed, was a characteristic of the Ghost Walker's Path.
The skills of a Shousui man, once learned, are inherent. Whether it involved early techniques like sealing the fire furnace or later ones like the art of refining life into death, one might lack practice or experience, but the abilities were already part of them.
Ghost Walkers, however, were different. Their skills had to be used; the more they were used, the richer their experience became, and the greater their abilities grew.
Additionally, they didn't keep their knowledge secret. They would share if asked.
Naturally, they were just as open to learning useful skills from others.
So these are skills from outside the Path... Hu Ma thought. Having listened to Aunt Zhang explain so much, he suddenly grew curious. "Then what are the skills that lie within the Ghost Walker's Path?" he asked.
When he asked other questions, Aunt Zhang had answered casually, but at this one, she merely glanced at Hu Ma.
Have I been too blunt?
Hu Ma wondered, thinking that if Aunt Zhang got upset, he would immediately apologize. With her good nature, she probably wouldn't get angry at him.
Just as he was worrying, he was surprised to hear Aunt Zhang say, "Ghost Walkers don't really distinguish between skills inside or outside the Path. Ultimately, being a Ghost Walker means dealing with all sorts of grievances. The more you deal with them, the more you learn, even things you didn't know before.
"But if you had to pinpoint something essential, then it would be inviting spirits."
She slowly explained to Hu Ma, "Just knowing some methods to interact with grievances isn't enough. After all, not every grievance is willing to talk, nor does every one of them listen to reason.
"Therefore, to become a true Ghost Walker, one must know how to perform the ritual of setting up the altar.
"Only after setting up the altar can one distinguish between various grievances, understand the rules, and then try inviting spirits, Asking Spirits, and Spirit-suppressing.
"However, once you've invited a grievance even once, you'll likely never be able to separate yourself from these matters again.
"It's said that Ghost Walkers who have invited spirits carry a certain aura that grievances can recognize, and they will all come looking for you."
Is this why Ghost Walkers are so entangled with cause and effect?
Hu Ma pondered for a moment and came to an understanding. Whether inside or outside the Path, a key characteristic of Ghost Walkers was their tendency to get entangled in matters.
Outside the Path, no matter how many methods one learned, they only became effective through repeated use and understanding gained from experience. This inevitably meant dealing with all sorts of strange occurrences. Once on the Path, even if you didn't seek out grievances, they would come looking for you.
Back in the village, Little Hongtang had said that Ghost Walkers didn't dispel evil spirits but rather attracted them; this was probably the reasoning behind it.
"Of course, Ghost Walkers don't invite spirits lightly," Aunt Zhang said, sighing softly, her expression tinged with sorrow. "Once invited, they must be sent away properly. You can make offerings after inviting them, but you cannot keep them.
"Otherwise, the Ghost Walker is no longer a walking ghost but becomes a negative spirit person..."
"Yes, I'll remember that."
Hu Ma, grateful for Aunt Zhang's earnest advice, quickly thanked her. A sudden curiosity arose in his mind: Setting up the altar is a Ghost Walker's first step, and inviting spirits is the crucial part.
Aunt Zhang isn't old, yet even an elderly man like Old Man Zhao calls her a great walking ghost. She must possess skills far beyond those of ordinary Ghost Walkers. I wonder what kind of spirits she can invite?
He didn't voice this question, feeling it was too probing.
Even with Aunt Zhang's good nature, asking something so personal would be impolite... It's better to observe quietly!
"Let's get going then!"
After accompanying Aunt Zhang to buy the necessary items, they replenished their food and water. They also relieved the attendant who had been guarding Xiang at the coffin shop. Once everyone had rested for a full day, Hu Ma decided on the next day's itinerary: they would travel another thirty miles to cross the Sand River.
Beyond the Sand River lay the prosperous lands of the old capital, which would likely make the journey much easier.
The journey so far had taken nearly half a month. Although they had faced several dangers, overall, things had proceeded smoothly.
Seeing that their journey was nearly half-completed, even the old housekeeper felt a degree of relief.
「」
Early the next morning, after settling the bill for their rooms, they hitched up the donkey cart. They enjoyed a hearty breakfast of lamb-filled buns and soy milk from a roadside stall, and then, refreshed from their day of rest, the group set off with renewed spirits.
They traveled for the better part of the day, and by mid-afternoon, they could see in the distance a vast, mist-shrouded river flowing from west to east.
The fine mist from the water drifted over, bringing a chill to their faces.
They had made inquiries beforehand and had specifically come to a narrower part of the river where a large stone bridge offered passage to the other side.
However, upon arriving at the bridgehead, they found a crowd of people gathered, none of whom were crossing.
They could hear snippets of anxious discussion: some were saying they should turn back and wait a few days before trying to cross; others suggested pooling their money to buy offerings to properly appease Old Master Qiao, lest they carelessly fall into the river.
"Friend, what's going on here?" Hu Ma asked with a polite smile, approaching a kind-looking man to inquire.
"Ah, these days, strange things are happening everywhere," the man said, his face etched with worry. "This bridge used to be bustling with traffic. We'd take vegetables to the restaurants on the other side several times a day, and everything was always fine. But just a few days ago, for some reason, this bridge became haunted.
"There's something on it now, I don't know what, but when people try to cross, they get halfway and then, all dazed, they fall into the river.
"Just yesterday, a bridal sedan chair was halfway across when a gust of sinister wind blew. The chair, people and all, plunged into the river. When they were pulled out, they weren't breathing anymore."
"Is there really such a thing?"
Hu Ma felt a slight chill. He glanced at the bridge; it showed no signs of collapse or cracks. It was a dark, sturdy stone bridge spanning the Sand River, appearing perfectly normal.
He curiously asked the man, "Then is there no other way to cross the river?"
"There is!" the man replied. "You can either walk downstream and find someone to ferry you across by boat, or you have to go over there and buy offerings..."
As he spoke, he lowered his voice and glanced towards a nearby tea house. Under a straw shelter, seven or eight fierce-looking men, bare-chested and armed with knives and staves, were brazenly drinking tea. "They're the ones selling the offerings," he added.
"Some people say that gang of thugs deliberately summoned an evil spirit to block the bridge so they can extort money for passage!
"We don't know what's really going on, but if you don't buy offerings from them or find a boat to cross, you're just stuck on this side of the river...
"And even if you do buy the offerings, they're terribly expensive..."