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墨書 Inktalez
That night, I drove for two hours to a large cemetery in Zhengguo Town, Zengcheng. By the time I arrived, it was already past ten o'clock. The cemetery was quite remote, with few houses around, ensuring that I wouldn't be disturbed.
It was a vast burial ground with many entrances. The gates had already closed for the night, but fortunately, I knew someone who worked there. He called the security guard and let me in since I had previously accompanied several clients to select Yin Caves. I had visited this cemetery a few times and was familiar with its layout. I knew where the more spiritually active areas were, so I drove directly to one of those spots.
The cemetery at night appeared calm on the surface, but many old friends would come out during such hours—some wandering, some lingering, perhaps reminiscing about their last days in Yangjian. Of course, not all Yin Houses had a Spirit God; only newly buried Spirit Gods would linger in their resting places for a while before moving on.
With the cemetery being large, there were naturally more New Souls present. The intersection I sought was located to the west and was somewhat shaded. If any Wandering Souls needed to leave quickly, that spot would be their path.
I had initially thought that aside from the gravekeepers, there would be no one else in the cemetery at that hour. To my surprise, there were two other people at my chosen destination who were burning paper offerings.
A young woman stood at the intersection with a girl of about ten years old, both of them burning paper offerings. A red sedan was parked not far away.
In cemeteries, paper burning is typically done in large Iron Buckets to prevent the flying Joss Paper from causing fires. Therefore, one cannot kneel on the ground to burn the paper.
They stood on either side of the Iron Bucket, tossing Joss Paper into it one by one. At first, I thought I was seeing things because this wasn't typical behavior; usually, offerings are made at gravesites. Moreover, this was a cemetery filled with Wandering Souls, making it an unsuitable place to burn paper at an intersection. Those who came here must have had deceased relatives buried nearby.
They appeared to be a mother and daughter duo; the red flames from the burning Joss Paper cast a somber glow on their sorrowful faces, creating a heavy atmosphere.
I chose not to disturb them and instead found a small patch of ground not far from them to lay out my Offering Rice, candles, incense, meat offerings, and fruits. To enhance the effect of my offerings, I also brought along a Little Spirit Flag.
They glanced at me with curiosity and whispered something to each other. I smiled politely at them and began my ritual of Feeding the Hungry Ghosts.
Seven bowls of Offering Rice and twenty-one sticks of incense—this was the most suitable configuration for Feeding the Hungry Ghosts. Arranging them in a specific formation could amplify their effectiveness several times over. Unlike others who burned paper offerings without much thought, I recited some sutras while burning mine; this would help guide any Wandering Souls more smoothly toward their rightful destinations.
As I pondered this, a significant question arose in everyone's mind: where exactly do my offerings go when I Send Soul? Is it to Fengdu City, Yellow Springs Road, Cycle Path, or the entrance of the local Land Temple? The truth is, it's none of those places. I had previously asked my master about this, and his response was simply that they go where they are meant to go. It wasn't until I met Liu Bi, the Spirit God who had traversed the Underworld, that I learned precisely where the Spirit Gods I send actually end up. I will discuss these matters in detail in the next book about Liu Bi.
I brought a lot of Joss Paper, and it burned slowly. The quality of the Incense was also quite good. Generally speaking, whether it’s for worship or prayer, it's better to wait until the incense has completely burned before leaving. It's akin to inviting someone to dinner; if they haven't finished eating and you leave, it’s clearly impolite. While there may not be severe consequences, it's a matter of basic respect.
Speaking of incense, I must elaborate a bit more here. Many of the Incense available on the market are subpar products. The incense sold outside many temples is best avoided because it is often made from inferior wood mixed with synthetic fragrances. Although they may not look different at first glance, their significance is entirely different. The smoke produced by these low-quality incenses tends to be dark, which is not much different from burning garbage.
Using such incense for worship or offerings is highly inappropriate. Good Incense should contain sandalwood or Agarwood. Whether it's straight sticks or circular incense towers, the materials used in making incense are crucial. Offering low-quality incense during prayers is akin to burning trash before a deity or at a grave. The only effect of such incense is to irritate the eyes, making it harder for the deity or the object of worship to see you. This type of incense not only fails to achieve your intended worship effect but also undermines the sincerity of your offerings. Imagine how you would feel if someone burned garbage right in front of you.
Therefore, when it comes to offerings, especially Incense, one should not be tempted by cheapness or convenience. If you can use better quality Incense, do not settle for inferior ones; good Incense isn't significantly more expensive and is affordable for everyone. You can find such incense on Taobao.
Returning to the matter at hand, during that session of Feeding the Hungry Ghosts, I spent nearly an hour on it. During that time, a mother and daughter left once but returned just as I was finishing up, carrying a black plastic bag filled with more Joss Paper.
Their actions puzzled me. Once I completed my Feeding the Hungry Ghosts, I could no longer contain my curiosity and approached them. I couldn't understand why they were doing this; it seemed unusual to me since this was a cemetery. They could have come during the day for their worship; why choose this time? It was already past midnight, and their presence here didn’t guarantee safety—especially that little girl, who appeared dazed and unwell. Moreover, when they burned the paper, they said nothing and simply continued silently with their task. Who were they burning for? Were they here for Feeding the Hungry Ghosts like me?
As I walked over, they looked at me with confusion. Not knowing what else to say, I awkwardly smiled and asked, "Who are you honoring with your offerings?"
The little girl seemed ready to respond but glanced at her mother first and then lowered her head to continue burning the Joss Paper.
Her mother appeared to be in her thirties—still relatively young and well-preserved—with an average appearance but exuding an air of sophistication.
She looked at me and forced a smile as she said, "Hehe, we are burning paper for my husband. By the way, young man, I saw you were also offering something; who are you honoring?"
Upon hearing this, I felt a pang of sadness; this mother and daughter had lost their family member. "Yes," I replied softly, "I was guided by someone wise who told me to bring my daughter here every night for an hour of burning Joss Paper for three consecutive days. Today is our first day; we might have burned too quickly—one bag wasn't enough—so we went back to get another." Then I added, "By the way, my surname is Li."
I nodded and said, "Hello, Sister Li. My surname is Liu. Are you saying that the master mentioned this money is to be burned for your husband? Then why do it here instead of at his grave? How long has it been since your husband passed away and was buried?"
Sister Li's expression stiffened, and she could no longer force a smile. With a sorrowful face, she replied, "He passed away just six days ago. Today marks the fourth day since we buried him."
I was taken aback; it hadn't even been seven days since his death, and yet they were already holding a memorial at the crossroads.
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