Xiao Chen wasn't unfamiliar with this scene. Burning paper money at crossroads was an old custom passed down by the elders. The purpose was to ensure ghost messengers could travel easily in all directions and deliver the clothing bundles to the ancestors. There was also a notion that the paths of the living and the dead should diverge, never entangled. As the saying goes: "Crossroads connect all directions; Southeast, Northwest roads are clear. Various departed souls pass through here, collecting paper money with ease."
Seeing it in the dead of night was a bit creepy, but it couldn't be considered unusual.
"They're just worshiping their ancestors. Don't stare."
"'Worshiping ancestors'? If it was a normal instance of paper burning, would I be this worked up?"
Old Zhang shot him a glare but quickly returned his gaze to the hunched figure squatting at the crossroads. He squinted, continuing to scrutinize.
