"To set up an altar, you must first choose a location, prepare suppression objects for the altar, and then establish the rules."
Even the hired carts and horses knew that being targeted by the Beggar Gang meant trouble, so they left without taking any money. Hu Ma and the others naturally understood that there was no escaping this situation; they simply stopped and prepared for a confrontation.
Seeing there was no way to turn back, Aunt Zhang patiently instructed Hu Ma on the principles of setting up an altar.
"For the location of the altar, it's best to choose a high place, a spacious place, a clean place, and a place with good feng shui."
She had already looked around. Then she drove the donkey cart to a hill, pointed to a spot, and said, "Since we're setting up a main altar, the place must be good. But some might set up an evil altar, which might be done oppositely."
"However, sometimes you can carefully choose when you have time to prepare for the altar. But in situations like this without much choice, you can only do your best to pick a good spot..."
"This hillside works. It leans against the hill overlooking the road, gathers qi, and hides the wind. The only place where people can hide is the forest below. We have the high ground, making it perfect for the altar."
"Yes!"
Hu Ma then stood at the spot Aunt Zhang selected and looked ahead.
Beside him, the cart driver and the worker busily moved the donkey cart to the roadside behind them, close to the mountainside, and mounted a guard.
Aunt Zhang unpacked her bundle and laid it in front of Hu Ma. She then sorted out the items inside, selecting the useful ones like incense, candles, paper money, an oil lamp, a bowl filled with clear water, and yellow banners, among other things.
While doing so, she explained, "To set up an altar, you need suppression objects."
"Suppression objects are not for suppressing evil spirits but for stabilizing the altar. With the altar secured, casting becomes more effective."
"My mother taught me that the best suppression objects have been worshipped in front of the incense table of a proper divine temple, absorbing the fire qi. Objects that have circulated among the people and been used, absorbing human qi, are considered standard-grade. Yin-evil contaminated objects are considered low-grade."
"Among the yin-evil contaminated objects, there's a distinction. They can have absorbed yin-evil and gained evil qi, but they must not be defiled. Otherwise, using such items to set up an altar will be harmful instead."
"So, the suppression objects I found before were actually low-grade instead of top-grade?"
Hu Ma vaguely understood. The Age Suppressing Book mentioned suppression objects but didn't emphasize them. Most of what he later gathered was based on guesses. Now it seemed some of what he collected was useful but couldn't be considered top-grade. However, to be fair, Aunt Zhang's selections, mostly bone fragments and copper coins, weren't top-grade either.
"Once you're ready, you enter the altar."
Aunt Zhang prepared the items before Hu Ma. The last thing she set up was an oil lamp, with a little lamp oil but no cover.
It looked as if, when setting up an altar in the wild, a gust of wind might blow it out. But Hu Ma had seen before how little ghosts couldn't blow out the oil lamp in front of Aunt Zhang. He knew this oil lamp wasn't as simple as it seemed.
"As a Ghost Walker, you enter the altar with your life at stake. Once the altar is set, it involves your life and fate."
When Aunt Zhang reached this point, she was especially solemn and serious, saying, "Shopkeeper, you must be careful. Once the altar is set, the lamp is your soul, the altar is your body, the curse is your words, and the spell is your life..."
"...This should never be taken lightly!"
Logically, the dharma methods in the Age Suppressing Book had already been used, so learning the Ghost Walker's techniques shouldn't pose much risk. But Hu Ma sensed Aunt Zhang's concern, so he earnestly agreed, gathering his spirits and listening carefully.
Aunt Zhang, being straightforward, taught Hu Ma the rules and considerations of setting up an altar: what to watch out for, what to observe, how to invite spirits, and how to protect oneself, sparing no detail.
Behind them, the donkey cart had already stopped. The cart driver and workers were hiding behind the cart, munching on flatbreads and sneaking glances at the two setting things up.
Seeing they had stopped, the beggars who had followed them all along sensed something and kept their distance, not daring to approach. It wasn't long before the sky had darkened. Looking up, only a sky full of stars could be seen, vast and expansive.
Hu Ma looked down and saw the stars reflected in the bowl of clear water before him, as if they had entered his Magic Altar.
He remembered the rules Aunt Zhang taught him one by one, comparing them to the dharma methods in the Age Suppressing Book. He became more certain that many things in the book aligned with the principles of the Ghost Walkers.
However, the Age Suppressing Book was indeed too profound and overbearing. At a glance, it had many differences from the Ghost Walker's rules, and some details were even contradictory. To sum it up, the Age Suppressing Book was direct, overbearing, and didn't bother much with preliminaries...
Of course, he came specifically to learn the Ghost Walker's skills. Although he had learned a lot secretly, he hadn't yet reached the point where he could integrate the two sets of rules, let alone understand what the differences in some details represented, so he didn't dare to make rash changes. If following the Ghost Walker's rules to set up the altar, then he would do so honestly.
Having made the preparations, he patiently waited. Since the opponent hadn't arrived yet, there was no rush to light the oil lamp in front of him.
Taking advantage of this time, Hu Ma and Aunt Zhang both had a little something to eat first.
Hu Ma even secretly took out a Blood Food Pill he had prepared and gave it to Aunt Zhang to eat to replenish her strength.
Aunt Zhang, having been with Hu Ma for some time, had eaten many green food jerky. Though she was surprised, she didn't act too inexperienced. But seeing the Blood Food Pill, she was genuinely startled.
She knew the Blood Food Gang was wealthy, but to suddenly see such generosity was still unexpected.
Hu Ma whispered as he persuaded her, "Eat it quickly, don't let the steward see."
If he saw, I would have to give another one away...
"Hmm..."
Aunt Zhang, being steady by nature, was still a young girl who wanted to taste the Blood Food Pill.
But after eating it, she had some regrets. "I heard Blood Food Pills are very valuable..."
"Since I ate your Blood Food Pill, Shopkeeper, does it mean I can't ask for the thirty taels of silver that was agreed upon before?"
As they prepared, the night grew deeper, and everything fell silent. Even the forest birds had settled down to rest.
But suddenly, from the dark woods ahead, came a few crisp knocks of a rattle—clear and ear-piercing—startling the birds in the forest into a fluttering frenzy.
Both Hu Ma and Aunt Zhang felt a shock, looking towards the woods ahead. It was so dark they couldn't see anything, but there was vaguely a sense of danger silently creeping in with the night.
"The enemy has arrived."
Aunt Zhang whispered, "Set up the altar!"
"Yes!"
Hu Ma immediately agreed. He bit his middle finger, squeezed out a drop of blood, and let it drip into the oil lamp.
Then he took out the Fire Stick to light the oil lamp.
It was such a simple action. Watching the flame of the oil lamp jump lightly and then gradually brighten, Hu Ma suddenly had an incredibly strange feeling.
It was as if, for a moment, he had merged into the oil lamp, becoming that small flame. Simultaneously, his cultivation within his body seemed to be aroused, giving him a sense of merging with the oil lamp, as if the flame had become his cultivation, which he could control just as he could use his cultivation. Even the flame of the oil lamp grew slowly with his cultivation. However, since he was a Reincarnator, the Life Incense in the incense burner could be inserted or removed at will. So the flame stopped growing when it reached a strength equivalent to about One Incense. Even so, the flame was still significant, though it faintly glowed green, not as pure as the one Aunt Zhang lit.
"The altar is set..."
Aunt Zhang sighed softly, frowned at the oil lamp, and said, "But Shopkeeper, with the death qi in your body, the lamp fire is not pure and can be considered a ghost lamp, easily attracting evil spirits. Normally, I should advise you to close the altar quickly..."
Indeed...
Hu Ma's heart skipped a beat; he understood the reason.
He was a Shousui man. Similar to the principle of refining life into death, his body naturally contained death qi. What's more, he was essentially dead even without refining, so it would be strange if the lamp were normal. This was also probably why many Paths couldn't connect; staying on one Path for too long created barriers to others. But... why didn't he feel this way when setting up an altar using the dharma methods from the Age Suppressing Book? Upon reflection, the dharma methods in the Age Suppressing Book were indeed different from those of the Ghost Walker in this aspect. For Ghost Walkers, once the altar was set, it involved one's life and fate. The altar became one with the self, and any failure in casting would immediately lead to backlash. However, the altar described in the Age Suppressing Book was different. He didn't enter the altar; he could even observe the incense form and abandon the altar immediately if it seemed unfavorable...
Focus on the task at hand first.
He pulled back his thoughts, concentrating on the altar before him. The half piece of Red Fragrance remained unlit beside him.
He wouldn't rush to light it. He would wait until he understood the opponent's intentions, then he would invite the Red Lantern Lady over.
TAP. TAP TAP...
At this moment, the rattle sound in the forest started again.
In the quiet night, the sound was particularly crisp, and it gave a spine-chilling sensation.
Suddenly, with the rattle sound, several of the birds startled into flight in the forest fell to the ground. The remaining birds flew farther away in panic.
Hu Ma felt an instant shock in his heart and quickly looked ahead. He couldn't see clearly with his eyes, but he could distinctly feel that something was stealthily approaching in the night. Wherever it passed, death qi spread, silencing the insects, and the birds flying overhead fell to their deaths.
"Don't panic."
Aunt Zhang noticed as well and reminded him quietly, "What you can't see with your eyes, you can see by sitting at the altar."
"Once the Magic Altar is set, the area three zhang and three chi in front of the altar, three zhang and three chi behind, and three zhang and three chi to the left and right is all yours. You can see whatever enters!"
"At the altar, be it suppression objects or a blade of grass or wood, everything you seize can be used to cast your Magic..."