Running A Cemetery in North America

"Old Sun, what on earth is going on? How do you know about the existence of the Tomb Guardian?" Sun Yan sat down and asked seriously.

"It was a long time ago. Your grandfather used to be a Feng Shui Master in San Francisco. He made quite a bit of money with that craft in the Chinese community of North America.

But the turning point came one year when your grandfather suddenly said he wanted to open a graveyard. The family advised him against acting impulsively, but your grandfather still came to Saint Anna City and opened a graveyard in the nearby Gospel Town. It's been running for decades now.

I once asked him about this over drinks, why he gave up being a good Feng Shui Master to open a graveyard and live with the dead. That was when your grandfather accidentally mentioned that he had inherited the responsibilities of the Tomb Guardian, saying it was a duty. But he also said it was very dangerous, that one could die without knowing how, so he didn't want me to inherit his position.

I thought he was just talking nonsense, but who would've thought... that the tomb guardian's duties would end up being passed on to you." Sun Dabiao sighed.

"Old Sun, do you really believe in the existence of a Tomb Guardian?" Sun Yan asked.

"At first, I didn't believe it, but the old man was making so much money, you know? Even more than when he was a Feng Shui Master. We didn't even know how he was making that much money. If he wanted, our entire family could move right into the most luxurious neighborhood in New York, living next to the Kardashians. You are actually a hidden third-generation rich kid, you know?

But the old man said not to flaunt wealth because it was too dangerous. That's why all these years our family has been cautiously running a restaurant in Chinatown. But I never expected the old man to pass away so suddenly."

Sun Dabiao rubbed his temples, looking a bit troubled. "Since you are already the Tomb Guardian, I believe in what you say. I'll make sure to bring your mother back to China quickly. I assume you've run into some trouble, and that's why you want us to go back for your peace of mind, right?"

Sun Yan shook his head. "That's not it, you don't have to worry too much. I just simply feel it's safer domestically."

"You kid, I get it. I'll make sure to get the arrangements done quickly. Please be careful in America. Your mother and I have no other children. If something happens to you, we'd be heartbroken."

Sun Dabiao patted Sun Yan's shoulder, speaking earnestly.

"I understand."

...

The conversation with the family went unexpectedly smoothly, with Sun Dabiao already starting to prepare for returning to China, which surprised Sun Yan.

With the money he had earned as support, his parents could live quite comfortably back home.

After staying home for a few days, enjoying the warmth of ordinary life, Sun Yan left the house and drove to a big river near Saint Anna City.

The natural ecosystem in America is quite outrageous. In the wild, you can encounter pythons, lizards, badgers, and all sorts of wildlife.

This has led to the emergence of a kind of people known as 'Hunters' in the city.

These people usually patrol the river on boats, holding rifles, and as soon as they spot an overabundance of wildlife on the shore, they immediately pull the trigger to shoot.

According to local state law, this behavior is not illegal but rather encouraged.

"This river is really big."

Standing beside California's largest river, the Sacramento River, Sun Yan couldn't help but marvel as he stepped out of his car.

The main business of the graveyard, besides having people come to negotiate burials, involves the Tomb Guardian going out to find families whose loved ones have passed and promoting their graveyard to them.

And no matter where you are, there are incidents of accidental drowning. Retrieving the bodies and waiting for the deceased's family to claim them can earn a hefty corpse-collecting fee.

This sort of thing is also very common in North America, but the job of a Corpse Collector is not an easy one and can be quite dangerous.

After all, the resentment of drowned people is very strong. They linger in the water, looking for a scapegoat, and if the Corpse Collector lacks certain exorcism skills,

they might not only fail to retrieve the body but also fall victim to a Water Ghost's harm.

"But how do I collect bodies without a boat? This is ridiculous." Standing by the river, Sun Yan took out a notebook, feeling somewhat frustrated.

Just then, some information suddenly changed on the notebook.

[You are adding the profession of 'Corpse Collector' to the graveyard]

[You have become a Corpse Collector, gaining profession-exclusive entries: Super Hydrophilia, River Exorcism, which will disappear when the profession is revoked]

[Profession task template unlocked]

——

Profession Task: [Patrol the Waters]

Task Difficulty: ☆☆☆

Task Description: As a newly appointed Corpse Collector, you may need to get used to your new job. Every big river may be hiding something unclean, and your job as a Corpse Collector is to ensure the safety of the waters.

Task Requirement: Eliminate one River Evil Spirit

Task Reward: Wangchuan Ferry

——

"So suddenly, where am I supposed to find a River Evil Spirit?" Sun Yan scratched his head, still somewhat unaccustomed to this new profession.

But at least the appearance of this task was good news for him, as Sun Yan no longer had to worry about not having a boat to collect bodies.

...

Nighttime.

A Range Rover drove out of the darkness and stopped on the deserted riverbank.

Several muscular men got out of the car and walked to the trunk to take out a couple bound tightly with ropes.