According to village customs, rituals are observed early, not late.
At dawn, Aria Jackson and Hudson Chester followed Uncle Jones up the mountain. There were no proper roads, only narrow paths formed by footsteps, winding and unusually slippery in places, forcing them to hold onto nearby trees for support as they ascended.
After about ten minutes, they arrived at Lauren Jones' grave, a simple earthen mound with a stone tablet in front, surrounded by the remnants of burnt firecrackers and ritual money.
Aria Jackson felt disappointed.
She secretly tried the method taught by Hunter Dalton, but did not sense anything unusual, which meant Lauren Jones' spirit was no longer here.
As Hunter Dalton mentioned earlier, most spirits in this world do not survive past seven days. Even if they are lucky enough to become ghosts after seven days, if they don't understand how to maintain their existence, they will eventually fade with time.
