Otherworld Advance Team
Chapter 1456 - 1449: the Ghost Race Banquet

Chapter 1456: Chapter 1449: the Ghost Race Banquet

After putting on the mask, Cheng Ziang’s identity no longer mattered in front of the old woman; he was now a distinguished guest on Aximiya Island, undergoing his own shamanic ritual.

Covered in dense smoke, Cheng Ziang began to emit a strong smoky odor, which he found quite unfamiliar. However, according to Zisu, such a smoky scent was beneficial as it could prevent guests who landed on the island from being eroded by miasma.

As is well-known, the so-called miasma is actually a source of viral transmission like mosquitoes. From this perspective, being covered in a smoky smell was not objectionable, as the odor effectively prevented mosquito bites and, to a certain extent, prevented diseases, somewhat similar to the effect of Wind Oil Essence.

After the ceremony, the elder formally invited Zisu and her companions into the house. They ascended the bluestone steps and entered the wooden house.

The lighting inside the house was somewhat dim, with both the scent of fire and a strong fishy sea smell. Fish oil lamps hung on the pillars, emitting a very unique aroma.

After entering the house, the old man’s grandson bent down to help his grandfather take off the straw shoes from his feet. People of the Ghost Race essentially all wore shoes, mainly durable straw shoes. Only those entering the house or going out to fish needed to remove their shoes.

Ghost Race fishermen would place their shoes at a fixed spot on the pier, and put them on again when they returned from fishing. If someone went out to fish and could not return for a long time, the family would take the straw shoes to the great shaman for prayers, hoping for the fisherman’s early return.

Because of Leviathan, most Ghost Race fishermen only fished in shallow waters, though occasionally reckless novice fishermen strayed into deep waters, at a considerable cost.

When Cheng Ziang and his companions arrived, they saw a Ghost Race woman with a child on her back standing on the pier, holding her husband’s straw shoes and gazing at the horizon. After the great shaman finished the shamanic rituals for Cheng Ziang and his group, he agreed to the woman’s request to pray for her husband.

Inside the Ghost Race’s houses, wooden flooring was installed, so one needed to take off their shoes when entering. However, there were exceptions, such as when guests visited, they did not need to take off their shoes.

In this regard, the Ghost Race people showed great respect for the traditions of their guests. They would cover the guests’ shoes with a layer of straw mats, so guests could wear their shoes in and out of the house.

Directly opposite the entrance was the hearth, built on a slab of stone by the Ghost Race. The area around the house’s hearth was recessed, without wooden flooring, mainly composed of bluestone slabs. Above the hearth hung smoked meats, including not only fish but also a lot of meats from livestock.

Around the hearth, there were several straw mats woven from dry grass. The elder signaled everyone to sit down while he, assisted by his grandchild, kneeled at the host’s spot.

This kneeling custom somewhat surprised Cheng Ziang because it reminded him of ancient traditions. Before chairs were introduced to Huaxia, the ancients all sat on the ground.

Visiting a Ghost Race home, the first thing was not to discuss matters but to have a meal. The Ghost Race would cook the best ingredients in their house to entertain guests, and only after the meal would they seriously listen to the guests’ requests.

It seemed Zisu was already accustomed to this, so she kneeled casually at the guest seat. Seeing this, Cheng Ziang, Baiyue, and the others exchanged glances and also kneeled around the hearth.

After everyone sat down, Zisu casually chatted with the Ghost Race elder, apparently discussing the purpose of her visit. Although formal matters needed to be discussed in the living room, some small talk could be made while eating.

While chatting with the elder, Zisu occasionally looked towards Cheng Ziang and the others. Seeing their somewhat restrained posture, she coughed softly to draw their attention and then said, "If you don’t understand the Ghost Race language, feel free to talk amongst yourselves, but remember, when it’s time to eat, absolutely do not speak, not even whisper, understood?"

"Is it that serious?" Cheng Ziang asked curiously.

"This is a matter of etiquette; the Ghost Race people value etiquette very highly, and violating it would be seen as an offense by them," Zisu explained.

After a pause, she didn’t wait for Cheng Ziang to speak and continued, "Also, when it’s time to eat, hold the bowl up to your mouth, then shift the mask upward to reveal your mouth. Just eat with your head down like this. Absolutely don’t casually look up, and if you must look up, immediately cover your mouth with the mask again. Understand?"

"It feels a bit complicated," Cheng Ziang said, though he had almost understood.

"It’s for your own good. If you accidentally see the face of a girl from the Ghost Race, you’ll have to stay here and become a son-in-law," Zisu said with a smile, in a teasing tone.

"Seeing a face means marriage?" Cheng Ziang asked, widening his eyes in surprise.

"Otherwise, what? Ghost Race girls only show their faces to their husbands. Seeing their faces is almost like sleeping with them," Zisu shrugged and said.

"That indeed requires caution," Cheng Ziang nodded.

While Cheng Ziang fell silent, Baiyue curiously asked from the side, "If we are outside, can we take off the masks?"

"Of course, outsiders are not bound by the customs of the Ghost Race. However, I still suggest you wear the masks. It helps to hide your identity and avoid many troubles. More importantly, if you want the people of the Ghost Race to respect you, it’s best not to casually take off the masks. In the eyes of the Ghost Race, taking off your mask in public is as vulgar as stripping," Zisu explained calmly.

"Such strange customs..." Cheng Ziang couldn’t help but mutter.

He had been wondering, if the people of the Ghost Race never take off their masks, how do they eat or drink? He hadn’t expected such complicated etiquette.

Soon Zisu re-engaged in idle chat with the elder, and the elder’s family members began arriving at the hearth to prepare food for the guests.

The cooking utensils of the Ghost Race primarily consist of clay pots, and their cooking methods mainly involve boiling, though grilling is also practiced. Typically, a Ghost Race household has two kitchens: the main kitchen at the hearth and a smaller room as the secondary kitchen.

When guests sit by the hearth, people of the Ghost Race may not handle ingredients directly in front of them. This requires moving to the secondary kitchen to process the ingredients, including some grilled food which is also prepared there.

After the food ingredients are prepared, the Ghost people then serve them into an already prepared clay pot for direct stewing.

The staple food of the Ghost Race is a type of bean product made predominantly from starch and protein. The wild beans are highly toxic and require special processing. The cultivated ones are somewhat better, still poisonous but not fatally so, and can be consumed with minor processing.

These beans are as large as ping-pong balls with about five or six in a pod. Due to their high toxicity, island animals never dare to touch them, only the Ghost Race knows how to process them.

The people of the Ghost Race usually boil the beans, chop them, process them, and then sun-dry them for storage. When it’s time to eat, they add water, press them into sheets, and bake them into palm-sized thin cakes.

Since they taste bland and have a rough texture, this food is generally for personal consumption and the Ghost Race rarely uses this staple food to entertain guests.

The food they serve to guests resembles a root vegetable similar to cassava, still primarily composed of starch. After grinding, the residue is removed to preserve the starch, which is repeatedly washed to remove any bitter taste and, like the beans, finally baked into thin cakes.

But since the main component is starch, the cassava cakes once cooked are relatively sticky and elastic. Compared to the bean cakes, these cassava cakes are generally not eaten directly but rather added to stews to make a soup for consumption.

Soon, the Ghost women brought the ingredients to the pot at the hearth, starting the stew. They added a wide variety of ingredients including meats and various exotic seafood. With the inclusion of cassava cakes, the stew in the pot appeared thick and hearty, exuding a very appetizing aroma.