Chapter 124: The "Spirit Offering Technique" of the Eight Outer Trades

Even though Uncle Yan was now in rags, covered in minor wounds, and seemed to have slightly sprained his lower back, he still forced himself to press on in pursuit after discovering the ghost of the Yin Amulet.

Qi Yan picked up his backpack for him and went over to support him. "Uncle Yan, if that really is the spirit of the Yin Amulet, then where is its master? Didn't they say it had disappeared for two or three years? Why would it suddenly pop up now?"

"I don't know, but since the Yin Amulet has appeared here, its holder shouldn't be too far away."

The two of them returned once more to that moldy, ancient village. The spirit floating a dozen meters ahead seemed to be waiting for them intentionally, leading the way as if to guide them to a specific destination.

Noticing such an obvious gesture, Qi Yan pulled Uncle Yan to a halt. "Is this really a good idea? We just spent all our strength barely managing to slay one demon, and now you’re still so weak and injured, yet we're following a ghost all over the mountain... I honestly feel like we’re courting death."

Uncle Yan gritted his teeth and insisted, "It's fine... It doesn't carry the malice of an evil spirit; I can feel it. We traveled thousands of miles to come here for the express purpose of finding it. Now that our target has appeared on its own, how can we turn a blind eye? Besides... don't we still need to head up the mountain to find those two?"

Qi Yan had no choice but to helplessly continue supporting him as they walked up the slope toward the dark, gloomy mountain, muttering under his breath, "Fine, have it your way. Everything's fine as long as 'Mom' is around... Wait, why do I sound like a spoiled rich kid?"

Uncle Yan freed one hand to tap Qi Yan on the head. "Little Qi, you’re treating my words like wind blowing past your ears, aren't you? Let me tell you, don't develop a dependency on the Yin Amulet, or you'll sink deeper and deeper. This isn't some god-given power. As long as I have a breath left in me, I will absolutely ensure your safety. Don't think of the Art of Spirit Offering as something so simple..."

"Yes, yes, the more I rely on it, the faster I die," Qi Yan said, nodding without arguing further.

As they walked, Uncle Yan kept a careful watch on the ground and inadvertently saw some white powder scattered on the dark earth. He bent down, touched a bit, and sniffed it. "Hmm? Insect powder..."

He looked up and saw that the long trail of insect powder led all the way up the hillside.

"Is this a mark left by Xuanxuan?" Qi Yan asked.

"It must be. Let's go, we're on the right track."

The spirit floated quite a distance ahead. Qi Yan couldn't walk very fast while supporting Uncle Yan, so whenever they fell behind, the spirit would stop at the right moment to wait. Once it was sure Qi Yan and his companion could see it, it would quietly move forward again.

Uncle Yan remained vigilant of the wind and grass around them, while Qi Yan no longer smelled that nightmarish fragrance. However, walking through the mountains in the middle of the night—especially on such undeveloped, narrow trails without a single paved path—was difficult. Every step was shaky, and even though the immediate threat of demons had passed, they still had to be careful not to lose their footing.

Along the way, they could constantly see that thin trail of insect powder, as well as the traces of branches disturbed by Xuanxuan, so they surely weren't heading in the wrong direction. But they noticed that the path the spirit was leading them on... was completely overlapping with the one marked by Xuanxuan.

Could it be trying to lead them to its lost companions?

Qi Yan couldn't make sense of it. Although all the amulets were produced by the Yin Palace, these seven ghosts seemed very different—their functions varied, and their temperaments were worlds apart, so they couldn't be compared.

Thinking of this, Qi Yan asked as they walked, "Uncle Yan, you mentioned 'Spirit Offering' just now. I've heard you use that term before, but if we interpret 'Spirit Offering' literally, it should just mean making offerings to spirits, right?"

Uncle Yan was getting tired, but he persisted. "Yes, that's right... It’s not just about offerings; it’s about sustaining, providing... It sounds similar, but in reality, different schools of Spirit Offering have different methods."

"Take people who wear Yin Amulets—well, excluding those forced like you and Little Ding, I'm talking about those who voluntarily seek them out. Wearing a Yin Amulet is essentially offering to a spirit, but I've already explained the cause-and-effect and the rules involved, so I won't repeat them. In short, this type of Spirit Offering is based on a kind of respect for the spirits, treating them like deities. Both parties must respect each other. This isn't actually some crooked or evil practice because the original intention is benign."

"But some Spirit Offering arts are completely different. Even though they all involve keeping ghosts, the... mindset is wrong. Take this 'Lu Ge' for example. As I mentioned earlier, I snatched it from a black wizard. That man was an out-and-out villain; his goal in keeping and refining ghosts was to satisfy his own evil desires. There was no respect for the dead whatsoever."

"Although the Japanese Onmyodo also commands spirits and demons, it is a master-servant contract, and they still maintain some level of contractual integrity. Unlike those people in Southeast Asia who specialize in refining ghosts—it’s simply inhumane. If you're interested, I'll tell you about it slowly when we have time..."

Qi Yan nodded and reminded him, "Watch your step... Well, besides the ghost black magic of Southeast Asia and the Japanese Onmyodo shikigami, are there other 'Spirit Offering' arts?"

Uncle Yan stopped to catch his breath, bracing his waist to stretch before continuing forward. "There are, plenty of them. As long as a living person uses the power of ghosts or demons, it is collectively known as 'Spirit Offering.'"

"Take our own local culture, for instance. The land we are currently on is Hunan Province. Have you heard of the corpse-raising in Western Hunan? That also belongs to a type of Spirit Offering, created by the 'Gu Sect' of the 'Eight Outer Trades'... That is the representative school of Spirit Offering in the southwest. There are also some in the Northeast; the famous 'Spirit Invocation Sect' of the Eight Outer Trades is one as well."

The so-called Eight Outer Trades refer to eight special professions outside of the well-known "three hundred and sixty trades." Known as "fringe trades," they have existed since ancient times, and some have continued to this day.

For instance, the most diverse "Thief Sect," which includes pickpockets, bandits, pirates, mountain brigands, and grave robbers—any trade that relies on seizing by force without capital can be classified under the Thief Sect.

The "Gu Sect" also exists and originated in Western Hunan.

There is also the "Qian Sect," skilled in divination and fortune-telling; the "Lan Sect," composed of official courtesans; the "Cai Sect," which performs magic tricks; the "Mechanism Sect," skilled in crafting and studying complex devices and traps; the "Life-Taking Sect," which specializes in being hired as assassins; and finally... the "Spirit Invocation Sect," which believes in gods and ghosts and practices Shamanism!

When you just say the words "Eight Outer Trades," most people might not have a concept of them, but if you explain them one by one, everyone knows at least some of them.

Thieves, prostitutes, fortune-tellers, assassins, shamans... don't these identities still exist today? Of course they do.

And among them, the witchcraft of the "Gu Sect" and the shamanistic rituals of the "Spirit Invocation Sect" are both forms of Spirit Offering.

As they reached this point, they simultaneously heard the sound of Xuanxuan calling for help from a dense cluster of bushes ahead. She must have heard their footsteps, which prompted her to cry out: "Hey! I'm here! Pull me up quickly!"