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Ghosts (鬼, Guǐ), also called demons, refer to one of the three main states of existence for mortal humans in the world. Mortals, when one walked upwards, they become a god; when one walked downwards, they become a ghost.
Canonical Setting[]
In contrast to the Heavenly Officials who established their own dynasty and clearly separated themselves from the mortal realm to rule from above, ghosts, demons and monsters share the same realm as mortals. While some hide away in the dark, others would disguise themselves as mortal and walk among them.[1]
Ghosts are all mysterious identities. The story and deeds of their mortal life, as well as their current true appearance, is usually unknown. The only ghost to have obtained a notorious reputation is Hua Cheng, who is also noted to be one of the few or the only one to have mortal worshippers.[1]
Unlike Heavenly Officials who dispersed based on their lack of followers and offerings, ghosts are tied to the mortal world via their ashes and emotional connections. Ghosts can linger in the mortal realm for a variety of reasons such as love, resentment or regret. Unless their ashes are destroyed, ghosts can reform themselves which can continue to pose a risk to those in the mortal realm.
Hence it is important to either resolve the emotional connection of a ghost or destroy their ashes to permanently dissipate them from the world. [2]
Appearance[]
The form of a ghost can take many different forms, ranging from fully humanoid appearances to those with animal parts. Their ghostly form can be linked to the deeds of their mortal life. Ghosts that can take on human appearances include, Jian Lan, Lang Ying or Hua Cheng.
Examples of appearances are people fused with animals, such as Butcher Zhu, or decapitated ghosts who carry their own heads around.
It is also possible for a ghost to fuse with an inanimate object. For example, Rong Guang, who fused with a sword due to both holding a grudge against the same person. This allows him to switch between human form and sword form. [3]
Categories[]
The Heavenly Court divides ghosts into the following categories: Malice, Menace, Wrath and Supreme.[4]
Rank | Capability | Ghosts⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ |
---|---|---|
Malice (恶, è) |
Ghosts of the ‘Malice’ rank are able to kill single targets. | • Cuo Cuo |
Menace (厉, lì) | Ghosts of the ‘Menace’ rank are able to wipe out a household. | |
Wrath (凶, xiōng) |
Ghosts of the 'Savage' rank are able to massacre a whole city. | • Qi Rong • Ban Yue • Xuan Ji |
Supreme (绝, jué) | Ghosts of the 'Supreme' rank are able to destroy a nation and cause suffering to the people, turning the mortal realm into a mess. Gaining this rank is a prerequisite to being titled as a Ghost King. All known Devastations so far have been born from Tonglu Mountain. | • White No-Face • He Xuan • Hua Cheng |
The ranks of other ghosts in the series are unknown.
Trivia[]
- Being sealed under a mountain is a common punishment by Heavenly Officials for the ghosts and monsters that would cause havoc.[5]
- There is a tradition amongst the ghost realm to gift your ashes to your dearest and most important person.[2]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Novel, Book 1, Chapter 12: Red-Clad Ghost; Burning of the Martial and Civil Temples
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Novel, Book 1, Chapter 14: Clothes Redder Than Maple, Skin as White as Snow
- ↑ Novel, Book 5, Glossary Character & Name Guide
- ↑ Novel, Book 1, Chapter 6: The Ghost Holds a Wedding, The Crown Prince Climbs Onto the Marriage Sedan
- ↑ Novel, Book 1, Chapter 11: Mountain-Locked Ancient Temple; Forest of Hanging Corpses III