Running A Cemetery in North America

Just like the last time we visited the Spirit Realm, the timeline doesn't align with our own.

After Sun Yan and Lin Wan wandered around Chai Family Village with a few others, they gradually determined that the era of this village was definitely not the 21st century.

Most villagers still used outdated large-head color TVs.

Calendars with tear-off pages hung on walls, and even the stoves burned wood, exuding a strong 90s vibe.

On the streets, kids played games like spinning tops, rolling hoops, and beanbags. Young women even led them in playing hopscotch and eagle-catch-the-chickens.

Inexplicably, Sun Yan felt a sense of déjà vu, akin to a dream.

"If we want to inquire about Saintess Cizhou, we need to find an elderly person in the village. Generally, older folks know more."

Shi Langfei scanned the surroundings and finally settled on an auntie fetching water by a well: "Gu Xing, it's your turn, go ahead."

Gu Xing protested, "Why is it always me?"

"You graduated from a 985 university, excelled academically since childhood, and are the good kid in the eyes of neighbors and parents, the darling of middle-aged women. Who else but you?"

Shi Langfei crossed his arms and said, "I graduated from a low-tier university. I look like trouble and might scare the auntie."

"Nonsense, just look at her, she won't know anything about 211/985 schools. If I go, it'd be pointless. Lin Wan, you go. You're a girl, and you have the Kitchen God's Assistance Divine Power, perfect for gathering information."

Gu Xing quickly shook his head, revealing that he's not a social person. Asking him to get information was like a fate worse than death.

"Let me go then. You two are hopeless," Lin Wan sighed and immediately volunteered.

She touched her forehead, and instantly, a radiant light enveloped her, emitting a pleasant aroma.

Sun Yan couldn't help but sniff, finding the scent fascinating. It wasn't any specific fragrance but gave a delightful sense that somehow made him want to treat himself to a feast.

"Smells nice, right? This is a power from the Kitchen God. It makes ordinary people feel a subconscious sense of intimacy, particularly effective for use on common folks," Shi Langfei explained to Sun Yan with a thumbs up.

"Since Lin Wan has this ability, why not just send her to ask questions directly and not Gu Xing?" Sun Yan asked puzzledly.

"I thought Gu Xing was slacking too much. Look, along the way, I've been responsible for communication and reconnaissance, you've been on magical combat and security, Lin Wan on logistics, while Gu Xing hasn't done much. I had to push him a bit," Shi Langfei grinned cheekily.

"Do you want a beating or what? Haven't hit you for days, now you're getting itchy again," Gu Xing's hand suddenly sprouted scales, swinging a slap towards Shi Langfei.

Shi Langfei deftly leaped back, easily dodging Gu Xing's surprise attack, and said cheekily, "In magical combat, I may not be worse than you."

While they were talking, Sun Yan had already turned his attention to Lin Wan's side.

True to form, the Kitchen God's emissary was engaging in a warm and friendly chat with the auntie fetching water.

The auntie seemed like she met her long-lost granddaughter, holding Lin Wan's hands and chatting endlessly.

After over ten minutes, Lin Wan returned with a weary face.

"My goodness, I've never spoken so many caring words in this lifetime. Auntie Chai invited us to her home for lunch."

Shi Langfei hurriedly asked, "Forget the food for now, how did the inquiry on Saintess Cizhou go?"

"The auntie said that, long ago, when Chai Family Village was much smaller, they fled from war from elsewhere, continuing all the way to the time of the Great Tang. Monsters appeared in the sea, eating many fishermen and boats,

During that widespread panic, officials from the Great Tang funded the construction of a Divine Temple here. Since then, people have worshiped an unnamed Divine Spirit, said to oversee this sea. Fishermen prayed before setting out to sea for safety and success.

Later in the Great Qing period, the Goddess Temple was renovated. It was then that the Divine Spirit's name was confirmed as Saintess Cizhou, spreading in the fishing villages around the East Sea."

Lin Wan carefully added, "But listening to this, there's no crucial clue."

"No wonder. As a coastal southerner, I've never heard of this Saintess Cizhou. It's likely the villagers invented this Wild God as solace. When common people face mysterious, unsolvable issues, they often imagine an omnipotent deity to help them, a psychological comfort," Gu Xing nodded indifferently.

"Let's first visit the auntie's house, after a night at sea, my stomach's starving," Shi Langfei suggested, clutching his grumbling belly.

Lin Wan: "Glutton."

Gu Xing: "Useless."

Both turned their eyes towards Sun Yan, who looked embarrassed.

Sun Yan had to smile awkwardly, "Alright, let's go then."

...

Auntie Chai's house is situated at the highest point in Chai Family Village, halfway up the mountain.

Before reaching there, one must first climb some stone steps and then pass through two vegetable gardens.

She said that back in the day, Japanese pirates often raided coastal fishing villages. After her ancestors settled here, they built the house high up to avoid raids by those pirates.