People worship their ancestors: I'm just burning some paper money, how did I become a Taoist ma

"Jiang Yiling?" Li Mu was also somewhat surprised. "What are you doing here?"

Jiang Yiling.

Li Mu's college classmate, from the same year and class, was someone he knew quite well.

"I was just about to ask you that," Jiang Yiling said, walking over and glancing at the trolley piled high behind him. Her surprise deepened. "Are you... moving or going to the cemetery?"

Li Mu smiled and said, "I've come to burn something for my great-grandfather."

"Burn something?" Jiang Yiling's lips twitched as she looked at the mountain of gold and silver ingots and paper offerings. "You call this 'burning something'? Are you trying to burn down a mountain of gold?"

"More or less," Li Mu said without denying it.

Jiang Yiling blinked, as if she had thought of something. Her smile faded slightly, and she sighed, "Sigh, I'm so frustrated. I've offered sacrifices at the Spirit Hall so many times, burning a lot of paper money each time, but I've never seen my great-grandfather or maternal grandfather appear, nor have they ever appeared in my dreams. Why is that?"

Li Mu glanced at her, then shook his head, recalling the worship scenes he had witnessed in the Tongling Hall yesterday.

"You were offering sacrifices in the main hall of the Spirit Hall, weren't you?"

"Yes, isn't that where everyone worships?" Jiang Yiling said matter-of-factly. "The Tongling Hall is a place of spiritual connection. Everyone says it's easier to communicate with ancestors when you worship here."

"When you pray, who are you thinking of?"

"Of course it's my great-grandfather and maternal grandfather. They're the only two people I knew who have passed away."

Li Mu smiled and said calmly, "Then let me ask you, are your great-grandfather and maternal grandfather's memorial tablets in the Hall of Spirits? Are their ashes buried in the Hall of Spirits?"

Jiang Yiling was stunned, opened her mouth, but couldn't say anything for a long time.

"They're not here, are they?" Li Mu continued, "You're in a place where there's neither a memorial tablet nor ashes for them, burning incense, lighting candles, kowtowing, and saying a bunch of prayers. Do you really think those things will reach them?"

"This..." Jiang Yiling frowned, "But everyone does it this way, and isn't it said that sincerity brings results?"

"Sincerity brings miracles?" Li Mu couldn't help but chuckle. "If sincerity truly guarantees miracles, then why do some people receive miracles while others don't? Does that mean those who didn't receive miracles weren't sincere?"

Jiang Yiling was stumped by the question. Her lips moved, but she ultimately did not refute it.

Seeing her like this, Li Mu's tone softened: "There are proper methods to worship ancestors. It's not that wherever you worship or how much you burn will necessarily get the message across. If the method is wrong, burning a lot of things is all for nothing!"

"Then... what's the correct method you mentioned?" Jiang Yiling asked subconsciously, her gaze falling again on the cart full of sacrificial items, a flash of understanding appearing in her eyes. "You bought so much stuff, could it be because... your great-grandfather appeared to you?"

Li Mu nodded and didn't hide anything: "My great-grandfather appeared to me in a dream yesterday and said that he was suffering a lot down there, and told me to burn more money for him."

"A dream?!" Jiang Yiling's eyes widened instantly, her voice rising several decibels. "Did your great-grandfather really appear in your dream? Did he really appear in your dream?"

"Absolutely true."

"How did you do that? Tell me quickly!" Jiang Yiling grabbed Li Mu's arm, her voice urgent.

Li Mu was a little embarrassed by her sudden enthusiasm. He pulled his hand back and coughed, saying, "Actually, there's nothing special about it. It's just... instead of praying at the spirit hall, we go directly to the cemetery and offer sacrifices at the grave. Then we write a petition, affix seals, chant scriptures, and go through the whole process."

Jiang Yiling was stunned for a moment before she came to her senses: "It's that simple?"

"It sounds simple, but there are many details involved." Li Mu shook his head. "How to write the petition, how to affix the seal, how to draw a circle when burning paper money, and how to burn paper money outside the circle to appease the ghost messengers on the road... there are specific rules for all of these. If you miss even one of them, the item might not be delivered."

Jiang Yiling's eyes grew brighter and brighter, as if she had discovered a new continent.

"Li Mu, could you... could you let me see how you perform the ancestral worship?" she asked somewhat shyly. "I just want to watch, I won't bother you. I'd like to learn so I can try it on my great-grandfather and maternal grandfather later."

Li Mu thought for a moment and decided there was nothing he couldn't let others see, so he nodded and said, "Alright, come with me, just don't make a sound."

"Okay!" Jiang Yiling was so happy she almost jumped up and down, and quickly followed Li Mu's cart.

The Tongling Temple annex cemetery.

Li Mu pushed the cart and found his great-grandfather Li Fengnian's tombstone with practiced ease.

The fruit and other offerings that were placed in front of the tombstone yesterday are still there, but they have been dried out by the wind.

Li Mu first unloaded the items from the cart one by one and neatly arranged them on the open ground in front of the tombstone. Then he took out three incense sticks and a pair of candles from the bag, lit them with a lighter, and respectfully placed them in the incense burner in front of the tombstone.

"Great-grandfather, your great-grandson has come to see you again." Li Mu clasped his hands together and bowed deeply.

Jiang Yiling stood quietly two meters away, watching Li Mu's every move intently, not daring to utter a sound.

After bowing, Li Mu squatted down and took out yellow paper, yellow paper, and a writing brush from the bag.

He first cut the yellow paper to the appropriate size, then dipped his brush in ink and began to write the seal stroke by stroke.

Each seal was written neatly and powerfully.

Jiang Yiling was secretly amazed; she hadn't expected Li Mu to write so well.

After finishing writing the seal, Li Mu began writing the memorial.

This time he wrote with even greater care, meticulously crafting each word as if it were not just a piece of paper, but a vital document concerning his very life.

Jiang Yiling couldn't help but take half a step forward and crane her neck to see what Li Mu had written.

On the yellow paper, rows of beautiful calligraphy characters were neatly arranged:

【dimension:

January 2026, 3 AD

February 10th, Bingwu year in the lunar calendar

Li Mu, the great-grandson of Yang Shangxiao, respectfully offers incense, candles, paper money, clothing, carriages, horses, servants, and other offerings before the spirit of his late great-grandfather, Li Fengnian.

In remembrance of my great-grandfather, his kindness was as vast as the heavens; the grace of raising and nurturing him will never be forgotten.

On this auspicious day, I devoutly burn fifty bags of gold and silver ingots, twenty bundles of Jade Emperor coins, ten sets of clothing and silk, two carriages and horses, etc., hoping that my great-grandfather will be at peace in heaven, receive and enjoy them, and be rich and prosperous for a long time.

Praying for my great-grandfather:

May your family be safe and sound, and may everything go smoothly.

All that was burned was delivered without hindrance at border crossings; this is absolutely true.

This is a formal report.

May you accept this offering.

Great-great-grandson: Li Mu

[bowing and prostrating a hundred times]

Jiang Yiling was even more surprised after reading the memorial.

The memorial was written in a very formal and meticulous style, with elegant wording... It was the first time she had ever seen such a document.

After writing the memorial, Li Mu carefully folded it and placed it aside.

Then, he took out a few pieces of yellow paper from the bag, lit them, and burned them in the open space in front of the tombstone while muttering incantations.