Chapter 74: Ritual

As for why most ghosts become muddle-headed, the reason is also very simple.

The Human-Ghost chapter of the Book of Invoker has a clear record: "When a dead person becomes a ghost, he knows nothing. How can this be verified? By the fact that he knew nothing before he was born. Before a person is born, he is within the Origin Qi; when he dies, he returns to the Origin Qi. The Origin Qi is vague and indistinct, and the Qi that constitutes a person exists within it. Therefore, a person knows nothing before he is born, and after he dies, he returns to the original state of knowing nothing. How can a ghost have knowledge? The reason why people are intelligent and wise is because they contain the Qi of the Five Elements; the reason why the Qi of the Five Elements exists in people is because the five organs are in the body. If the five organs are not damaged, people are intelligent; if the five organs are diseased, people become muddle-headed. Muddle-headedness leads to foolishness. When a person dies, the five organs decay, and when they decay, the Qi of the Five Elements has no place to reside. The organ used to store wisdom has decayed, and the Qi of the Five Elements used to produce wisdom has left the body. The form needs Qi to be formed, and Qi needs form to perceive. There is no fire that burns alone in the world, so how can there be a spirit that perceives alone without a body?"

The meaning is, when a dead person becomes a ghost, he has no intellect to speak of. What can be used to verify this statement?

It's very simple. Before a person is born, he exists within the Origin Qi of heaven and earth. After a person dies, he returns to the Origin Qi.

The Origin Qi is hazy and indistinct, and the Qi that makes up a person exists within it. Therefore, before a person is born, he has no perception, and after he dies, he will return to the original state of no perception. How can a ghost have perception?

This is what Reincarnation is. There is no such thing as Meng Po's soup. The Underworld simply recycles the Qi of all things, then washes it, and reintroduces it into heaven and earth, completing a grand cycle.

The reason why people are intelligent and wise is because they contain the Qi of the Five Elements. The reason why the Qi of the Five Elements can exist in the human body is because of the five organs within the human body. If the five organs are not damaged, a person has wisdom. If the five organs are diseased, a person becomes disoriented. Disorientation leads to ignorance and foolishness.

When a person dies, the five organs will decay, and when the five organs decay, the Qi of the Five Elements will have no place to reside.

The organ used to store wisdom has already decayed, and the Qi of the Five Elements used to produce wisdom has already left the human body. The form needs Qi to be generated, and Qi needs form to produce perception. There is no fire in the world that burns independently of an object. How can there be an essence in the world that produces perception independently of a form?

This is also why ghosts are taken away within seven days. Within seven days, the five organs have not decayed, and although his Qi of the Five Elements is already like rootless water and source-less fire, it still exists and can maintain a brief consciousness. Once the body decays, he will become completely muddle-headed.

A person's death is like the extinguishing of a fire. When a fire is extinguished, light no longer shines. When a person dies, his perception also ceases to function.

Therefore, ordinary ghosts cannot harm people.

Just as a chicken egg is not yet hatched, it exists indistinctly within the shell. When it is broken open, it looks like water. When a good hen incubates it, the body gradually forms, and after it forms, it can peck and kick. When a person dies, he returns to a state of Chaos. How can such Chaos Qi harm people?

But why can some evil spirits harm people?

Because they use tools, just as water and fire can burn and drown. All things that can harm people are things of the Five Elements. Metal harms people, wood strikes people, earth crushes people, water drowns people, and fire burns people. If a person's spirit becomes a "thing of the Five Elements" after death, he can harm people; if he does not, he cannot harm people. If he is not a thing, then he is Qi.

The meaning is that water and fire can drown and burn people. Everything that can harm people is composed of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. Metal kills people, wood beats people to death, earth crushes people, water drowns people, and fire burns people.

Therefore, if a person's spirit becomes a "thing of the Five Elements" after death, he can harm people. If he does not become a "thing of the Five Elements," he cannot harm people. As long as he can resist the things of the Five Elements, he can resist the attacks of evil spirits.

All of this was knowledge Li Qi obtained last night by flipping through books and asking Shen Shuibi.

Based on this knowledge, Li Qi could determine that the ghost he was currently facing could not only harm people but even curse them, which showed that he must have preserved a portion of his power. This also meant that his corpse was still intact and had not completely decayed.

In that case, he should offer sacrifices using the method for sacrificing "dead people."

Because, for Invoker, "dead people" and "ghosts" are two completely different concepts.

Li Qi muttered to himself: "The history of sacrifices also has auspicious and inauspicious days. For example, days of Blood Taboo and Moon Killing are certainly inauspicious. If sacrifices are offered by slaughtering animals, there will certainly be calamities. Sacrifice is to feed ghosts; ghosts are the spirits of dead people. By analogy from serving the living to serving the dead, and from serving people to serving ghosts, since living people have food and drink, when they die and become ghosts, they should still be able to eat and drink. Feeling things and thinking of relatives, therefore, sacrifices are offered. And for the shrines of other gods and various ghosts, although they are not dead people, the rituals for serving them are also the same as for dead people—"

This is the record in the Book of Invoker about the method of sacrificing dead people.

To explain, it means to extrapolate the practice of providing for the living to providing for the dead, treating the dead with the same etiquette as the living.

However, the first sentence specifies that one needs to pay attention to special times like Blood Taboo and Moon Killing. During these times, no sacrifices should be offered, otherwise, it will invite disaster.

Through his knowledge, he confirmed the timing of the sacrifice. Today was not a problem.

So, let's begin.

According to the Book of Invoker, the ritual to be used at this time is the "Feeding Sacrifice," which means the ritual of offering cooked food.

The ritual process is very complex. First, Invoker enters, then he offers two dou (ancient containers), one filled with pickled mallow, and one filled with snail sauce, with the dou containing snail sauce placed to the north.

Using a dagger, the body of the sacrificial animal is lifted from the container and placed on the zu (an ancient vessel for holding meat during sacrifices). The assistant sets up the zu for the honored corpse, placing the sacrificial zu west of the eastern steps, with a covering cloth over the zu. (Note: zu, an ancient vessel for holding meat during sacrifices.)

Li Qi had already had the Wang family prepare these things yesterday.

Then, the fish is brought in and placed east of the pork. The mutton is specially placed north of the pork and fish.

Two bowls containing millet and panicled millet are placed south of the zu, with the western one being superior.

Two xi (ancient vessels for holding soup) containing meat soup and vegetable soup are then placed south of the dou, arranged southward from the dou.

At this time, Invoker must wash the wine goblets and cups, pour wine into them, and place them south of the xi. Then, he opens the lid of the dun (an ancient vessel for holding food) and places it upside down south of the bowls.

Then, Invoker stands up, takes his position to the right of the altar, and begins to make his statement.

"Spirit of the lower earth, Li Qi respectfully greets you at the outskirts. This child is ignorant, yet calm and peaceful."

"Now, the sacrificial rites are prepared, to invite and appease you… I earnestly ask for your forgiveness, to come and partake of this food. If you have a spirit, can you tell me?"

This was a plea for forgiveness.

Li Qi grew nervous.

Because the next step was: "Invoker welcomes the 'corpse' outside the door. The host descends and stands east of the eastern steps."

What does that mean?

Technically, Invoker invites the "corpse" to ascend the steps and enter the hall. The host descends from the hall and stands east of the eastern steps, waiting quietly.

If the main entity heard, he should come.

(The main body of this set of rituals comes from the "Feeding Sacrifice" in the "Book of Rites" from the Zhou Dynasty. I combined it with some ancient customs and parts of the "Lunheng" from the Eastern Han Dynasty to create this original sacrificial ritual. If there are similarities, please do not hold me accountable.)