From noon until late afternoon, Lin Feng and Nie Chuxia spent five hours lingering here. The funeral parlor could only be described as desolate. Anyone who came by to inquire about the job openings for morticians, crematorium workers, or other related positions fled as if escaping a nightmare upon learning the details.
Few ordinary people enjoy staying in such a place.
As a result, Director Wang's recruitment drive was a complete failure.
Lin Feng glanced at the flyer and muttered, "Old Wang, who did you hire to design this? The art style is way too creepy. I told you not to hire those designers who read too many ghost stories…"
The flyer depicted several Japanese-style ghost faces, a group of mourning attendants dressed in funeral attire, and a backdrop featuring a full moon. Under the moonlight was a procession carrying a coffin, with a half-open lid revealing a corpse sitting upright. The eerie and melancholic design tugged at the soul and left viewers uneasy. Was this truly a promotional flyer for a funeral parlor?
Director Wang also seemed to realize something was off. He muttered, "My niece designed it. She's a senior designer at some advertising company. How was I supposed to know that little girl would come up with this?"
Lin Feng was speechless. "Old Wang, couldn't you have at least reviewed it before printing? This flyer looks like a summoning contract issued by the underworld! Even if you were a VIP guest of Fengdu, this is over the top!"
Director Wang's face flushed with embarrassment. He retorted gruffly, "Who's in charge here, you or me? What's wrong with trying something new this year? The old-fashioned flyers didn't bring people in either!"
Lin Feng had to concede, but it wasn't as if he had any better solutions. The funeral parlor offered a base salary of just over 2,000 yuan. While the bonuses, commissions, and allowances were decent, those required at least a year of work. In today's fast-paced society, where everything revolved around instant gratification, a monthly salary of 2,000 yuan in a large city like Nanyang couldn't even compete with construction work.
"So what do we do? Hey, aren't you good at face-reading? Why not help us identify someone suited for this job? I'll go poach them myself."
Lin Feng came up with an idea.
They had no other choice—if they couldn't recruit, maybe they could steal talent. Most of the older staff at the funeral parlor were nearing retirement. Aside from himself and Director Wang, who was the youngest, they desperately needed fresh blood.
He still remembered a few years ago when he was an unemployed laborer in the job market, struggling to get by. He'd moved to the city from a small town, barely able to feed or clothe himself. If it weren't for Director Wang convincing him to join the funeral parlor, who knows where he'd be now?
Since the older staff were aging, Lin Feng felt it was his duty to contribute to the funeral parlor's future.
"Poach? Our funeral parlor doesn't offer bad benefits, so why bother poaching? Back in the day, people had to bribe their way in to work here. When did things change so drastically?"
Director Wang rambled on, but even he was at a loss. At some point, funeral-related professions had lost their appeal. Meanwhile, small shops selling paper effigies and funeral goods were thriving, especially during festival seasons.
Seeing no other options, Director Wang finally agreed to Lin Feng's suggestion. "Fine, it's your idea, Xiao Lin. Whether we succeed this time depends on you! Here's the plan: Old He will stay and hold the fort. I'll go scout for potential recruits, and you and Xiao Chu hand out flyers on the other side. If I find someone suitable, I'll call you."
"Deal!" Lin Feng agreed.
Lin Feng and Nie Chuxia left the crowded job market and sat on a bench outside a shop, guzzling cold drinks.
"Lin Feng, my grandfather mentioned that Director Wang was once quite the figure in the field of life and death. How did things end up like this? Is your funeral parlor really in such dire straits?" Nie Chuxia asked, recounting what Elder Chu had told her.
Back in the 1970s, cremation was gradually becoming widespread, and the funeral industry was improving. At that time, Nanyang's funeral parlor was still called the "Nanyang Crematorium." Even then, Director Wang was a prominent figure in the field.
Funeral traditions involved a series of elaborate rituals—keeping vigil, guarding the coffin, delivering eulogies, writing memorial essays, performing ceremonial bows, lamenting, clearing the way, and escorting the deceased. Since ancient times, people believed these rituals ensured a safe passage for their loved ones into the underworld. Practices like scattering paper money, playing funeral music, and wailing were meant to show the ghosts how much the family cared, thereby touching the spirits of the netherworld to guide their loved ones to the afterlife.
Director Wang not only excelled in funeral work but also possessed some supernatural abilities, akin to the ancient masters who could read omens and examine a person's aura. Over time, dealing with the dead so frequently, he gained a reputation for being able to identify those with a "weakened life force" at a glance.
However, people in this line of work tended to be low-key. As Director Wang aged, he quietly focused on the funeral business without showing his talents. Who would have thought the industry would decline like this?
"Rituals, rituals… The ancient people cared about rituals because they believed in them. I haven't read many books, but even I know these rituals are just psychological comfort. It's no wonder the funeral industry is waning. These days, anyone can learn the basics of a funeral. Who still hires professionals?"
Lin Feng sighed. If it weren't for Director Wang holding onto his title, he might already be out of a job.
Nowadays, even buying a cemetery plot came with an all-inclusive funeral package. The commercial atmosphere was overwhelming.
Nie Chuxia asked, "Lin Feng, have you ever thought about what you'd do after training some apprentices?"
Lin Feng froze for a moment. He was only 22, a young man despite his early entry into society. Time stretched out before him, but he had no idea what to do with it.
Counting on his fingers, he replied, "I don't need much money. I already have a place to live. In a while, I'll buy a new motorcycle. As for the rest, as long as I can cover my sister's college expenses and her future dowry, I'm good. Why don't you help me figure out what I should do?"
Considering Nie Chuxia's broad knowledge, Lin Feng thought she might have some good ideas.
Nie Chuxia lowered her head in thought, then smiled brightly at him. "Why not join the Seven Stars Temple? We'll pay you double the salary. My grandfather says you're quite talented and even wants to teach you how to perform rituals!"
Lin Feng rolled his eyes. "Miss Nie, don't tease me… Your grandfather just has his eye on the 'passage toll' I'm holding. Don't worry, the moment I get it, he'll be the first to receive it."
Nie Chuxia stuck out her tongue, surprised that Lin Feng had seen right through her intentions.
She then added, "Honestly, the 'life and death path' boils down to jobs related to the dead. Whether it's funeral services, paper effigy crafting, or ghost exorcism, there are all sorts of oddities in the world. Since you're a ghost hunter, why not open a 'Ghost Hunting Agency'?"
Nie Chuxia continued, "You've got a few strong ghost subordinates under your command, right? Bring them along. Even though you don't have the abilities of the Three Sects, your direct control over ghosts is unmatched in the South! There are plenty of wealthy folks along the coast who believe in your skills."
A ghost-hunting agency...
Lin Feng thought it over. Right now, completing Grim Ghost Missions was merely a way to sustain his ghost subordinates. There weren't many small ghosts in Nanyang, and he couldn't gain karma points without completing missions. However, if he could help others resolve their troubles by exorcising ghosts, perhaps the system would generate tasks automatically!
This was an idea worth considering!
He could help people solve their problems and earn money.Catching ghosts could allow him to refine spirit candles and earn karma points.If the system generated tasks automatically, even better!
However, traveling to other locations to catch ghosts might be complicated.
The local professionals wouldn't take kindly to competition, and the ghosts he'd be called to deal with would likely be fierce or even malevolent spirits. The risks would be high.
"I'm only at Level 20 right now. I should try the Grim Ghost Arena to spar with other system hosts and see where I stand. I'm sure the issues I face are shared by other hosts, so this would be a good chance to ask for advice."
With that, Lin Feng decided to wait and gather more information at the Grim Ghost Arena before considering the ghost-hunting agency further.
As Lin Feng and Nie Chuxia chatted, Director Wang called.
Lin Feng answered, "Hello, Old Wang, did you find someone suitable?"
"I did! But… there's been an incident."
"Incident? What kind of incident?"
Director Wang hesitated for a moment before replying, "A blood-hiding birth chart."
"A blood-hiding birth chart?"
Lin Feng was baffled by the terminology and asked in a low voice, "Are you saying the person's a murderer?"
Director Wang let out a bitter laugh. "I'm saying… that person was killed but didn't die. They're a living dead!"
Lin Feng's hand froze, clutching the phone.
Turning to Nie Chuxia, he blinked. "Nie Chuxia, has your grandfather ever mentioned what a 'living dead' is?"