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Chapter 242: The Ghost Walker's Tools
Chapter 242: The Ghost Walker's Tools
The group hurriedly entered the town, carrying a coffin. They couldn’t just stay at any inn, but fortunately, there was a coffin shop in town, so they temporarily stored the coffin and the donkey cart there.
They then divided the tasks among themselves, ensuring that someone was always by the coffin, while the others went to find a meal and a place to stay.
First, they asked the innkeeper to bring hot water so they could take a proper bath. After all, they were almost starting to smell.
Of course, for people in this world, it was a common occurrence.
The cart driver and the helpers didn’t make a fuss about it, and even Zhang Agu quietly endured it.
Among the group, Hu Ma and Zhou Manager were the ones who couldn’t help but show some discomfort. They had retained certain habits from their previous lives as reincarnators and, as a result, were used to a more refined lifestyle.
After a good night’s sleep, Hu Ma and Zhang Agu went out, accompanying her as she shopped for items needed by Ghost Walkers, such as incense, candles, yellow paper, paper figures, white banners, cinnabar talismans, and red ropes soaked in black dog blood, among other things.
Though they had exchanged some of these items with the caravan, they were only sufficient for basic use and not enough for Zhang Agu to fully utilize her skills.
Hu Ma had brought plenty of silver, and Zhang Agu, being used to frugality, had no problem with the purchases.
However, Hu Ma was curious and asked about the purpose of each item as Zhang Agu selected them. Zhang Agu, being patient, explained everything to him.
For instance, the incense, candles, and yellow paper were common items. Paper figures were burned to serve as servants for the spirits, while cinnabar talismans were used to suppress evil spirits. The red ropes soaked in black dog blood and wooden nails could both suppress ghosts and ward off evil.
Even old, worn-out copper coins had their uses. The human touch on these coins could stabilize a person’s soul and serve as a guide.
“Are these the tools used by Ghost Walkers?”
Hu Ma recalled the descriptions in the Year-Guarding Book and realized that many aspects indeed related to Ghost Walkers, though their methods were more varied and down-to-earth.
“Most of these can only be considered minor Yin objects, not true binding objects,” Zhang Agu explained, seeming slightly surprised that Hu Ma knew about “binding objects.” She smiled and continued, “True binding objects have magical power and can suppress evil spirits to a certain extent, aiding the practitioners in their rituals or serving as tools directly.”
“Besides practical experience and the principles of suppression, binding objects are crucial for Ghost Walkers. With a good binding object, many tasks become much easier.”
“What we’re buying now are just commonly used items, perhaps with a bit of human or Yin energy, but they don’t qualify as true binding objects. However, their usage is quite similar.”
Hu Ma listened attentively, noting the differences between the Year-Guarding Book and Zhang Agu’s methods. The Year-Guarding Book described objects that, once placed in the ritual altar, became binding objects.
Of course, Hu Ma had already realized that the more powerful the binding object, the better the results of the rituals, so he had been collecting and studying them.
Now, this was a good opportunity to observe how Zhang Agu selected these items: which incense was best, which paper was suitable, what kind of cinnabar to buy, and how to find useful items among old objects.
Zhang Agu was very experienced and had her own methods for selecting items. Some of her choices were based on solid reasoning, which Hu Ma understood, but others seemed more intuitive, as if Zhang Agu knew they were useful but couldn’t explain why.
This was a characteristic of the Ghost Walker’s path: once you learned a skill, it was yours to use, and the more you used it, the more proficient you became.
Additionally, they were open to sharing their skills. If someone asked, they would explain.
Of course, they were just as eager to learn useful skills from others.
“Those are the skills outside the path of the Ghost Walkers…”
Hu Ma listened to Zhang Agu’s explanations and suddenly became curious. “So, what are the skills within the Ghost Walker’s path?”
Zhang Agu glanced at Hu Ma, who thought he might have been too direct with his question. He was ready to apologize if she was upset, but Zhang Agu’s good temper reassured him.
“Ghost Walkers don’t really distinguish between skills within or outside their path. After all, they deal with all sorts of spirits and wronged souls. The more they interact, the more they understand.”
“But if you want to be precise, it’s about summoning spirits.”
She continued, “Just knowing some tricks to deal with spirits isn’t enough. After all, not all spirits are reasonable or willing to communicate.”
“So, to become a true Ghost Walker, you need to set up a ritual altar.”
“Once the altar is set up, you can distinguish between different types of spirits, understand the rules, and try to summon and communicate with them.”
However, once a ghost walker is summoned, it seems they can never truly escape these matters.
"They say that ghost walkers, once they start summoning spirits, carry a certain aura that old grudges and wronged souls can recognize, and they will seek you out."
"..."
"This is probably the main reason why ghost walkers are so entangled in these matters, isn't it?"
Hu Ma thought for a moment and understood. Whether inside or outside the path, ghost walkers are bound to deal with all sorts of strange and dangerous situations. Outside the path, the more techniques you learn, the more adept you become, and the more you understand the nature of these matters, which inevitably leads to more entanglements. Once you enter the path, it’s not just that you seek out these entanglements; they come to you on their own.
Back in the village, Little Red Tang had mentioned that ghost walkers don’t exorcise evil spirits; they only summon them. This is probably the same principle.
"Of course, when ghost walkers summon spirits, it’s not a casual affair."
Zhang Agu sighed softly, her expression somber. "Once summoned, they must also be able to send them away. You can’t just summon one spirit; you canably bound to the bridge. You can offer them offerings, but you can’t keep them around."
"Otherwise, the ghost walker isn’t a ghost walker anymore, but rather a spirit bearer..."
"..."
"Yes, I understand."
Hu Ma, seeing Zhang Agu's serious expression, thanked her earnestly. However, a curiosity suddenly arose in his mind: "From what I can see, setting up an altar is the first step for a ghost walker, and summoning spirits is the key."
"Zhang Agu is young, yet even old men like Old Man Zhao call her a Great Ghost Walker. She must have some unique abilities that set her apart from ordinary ghost walkers. I wonder what kind of spirits she can summon?"
"..."
However, he didn’t ask this question directly, as it would be too intrusive.
No matter how good-tempered someone is, asking such a secret would not be appropriate... It’s better to observe quietly.
"Let’s go!"
After accompanying Zhang Agu to buy supplies and arrange for food and water, Hu Ma replaced the helper guarding the incense girl at the coffin shop. After everyone had rested for a day, he decided to set off the next day. They would travel about thirty miles to cross the Sha River.
Beyond the Sha River lay the bustling old capital, which would make the journey much easier.
The trip had already taken about half a month, with a few dangerous moments, but overall it had been smooth.
Now that they were halfway through, even the old steward felt more at ease.
The next morning, they settled the bill, hitched up the donkey cart, and enjoyed a hearty breakfast of steamed mutton buns and soy milk at a roadside stall. Refreshed, they set off again.
After traveling for about half a day, just past noon, they could see a vast river ahead, its misty waters stretching from west to east.
The misty vapor made their faces feel cold.
Before they set out, they had heard that there was a large stone bridge at a narrower part of the river, which was the best place to cross.
However, upon arriving, they found a crowd gathered at the bridgehead, but no one was crossing.
"Old Brother, what’s going on here?"
Hu Ma, finding the situation odd, approached a kind-looking man with a smile.
"Ah, these days, strange things are happening everywhere."
The old man looked worried and said, "Previously, this bridge was fine, and we used to cross it several times a day to deliver food to the inn on the other side. But a few days ago, something strange happened to the bridge."
"Something on the bridge is making people lose their way and fall into the river halfway across."
"Yesterday, a person in a sedan chair fell into the river with the chair, and when they were fished out, the person was already dead."
"..."
"Such a thing?"
Hu Ma felt a chill and glanced at the bridge. The black stone bridge was solid and showed no signs of collapse or cracks, spanning the Sha River firmly, with no apparent issues.
He asked the old man curiously, "Is there no other way to cross the river?"
"There is!"
The old man said, "You could go downstream and hire a boat to ferry you across, or you could buy offerings and offer them to the Bridge Lord."
He lowered his voice and glanced at the nearby teahouse, where about seven or eight menacing men, bare-chested and armed, were lounging and drinking tea. "They sell the offerings there."
"Some say these men deliberately summoned evil spirits to block the bridge and are now extorting money from travelers."
"Who knows what’s really going on, but if you don’t buy their offerings or find a way to cross by boat, you’ll just have to stay on this side of the river..."
"Even if you do buy the offerings, they’re quite expensive..."
(End of Chapter)
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