Chapter 1, Ancestral Teachings

After my father finished speaking, he took his last breath. Seeing the satisfied smile on his face, I knew he felt comforted by my promise to take over the shop. I also made up my mind that for the sake of my father, I would never change my profession for the rest of my life

We ran back to the town, shouting for someone to rescue Ermao, who had long since died. The three of us little ones huddled together, all terrified to the point of losing our senses. This time, my father surprisingly did not punish me; instead, he took me home and explained that Ermao had been taken away by Hu Jiang, who had drowned in the pond two years ago. This man had become mentally unstable after his wife ran off with someone else. If it weren't for my father frequently giving him medication, he might have caused even more trouble. My father, this time, surprisingly did not punish me; he took me home and explained that Ermao had been taken away by Hu Jiang, who had drowned in the pond two years ago. This man had become mentally unstable after his wife ran off with someone else. If it weren't for my father frequently giving him medication, he might have caused even more trouble. And it was because he saw the ghostly matter related to this peach wood tablet that he spared my life; otherwise, I would have met the same fate as Ermao.

My girlfriend is very pragmatic; she asked me one question: "Are you going back to the provincial capital or not?"

At this point, some may wonder how our establishment can thrive when the customers we attract are all spirits, possessing only ghost money and unable to traverse the mortal realm

After the splash of water, a pale face faintly emerged, extremely frightening. The face suddenly extended a long tongue, as long as that of a ghost hanged in a play, and wrapped around my neck, pulling me down with great force. I was so scared that I cried out, desperately pulling back. Two classmates also helped to hold me, and while struggling with all my might, the buttons of my cotton-padded jacket popped open, revealing the peach wood talisman.

The profession passed down to me is from my ninth-generation ancestor, my great-grandfather. He was once a disciple under the Maoshan sect, practicing authentic Maoshan techniques. After entering the field, he exorcised demons and subdued monsters, becoming quite renowned in the martial world at that time. In his old age, he realized a principle, which can be considered a summary: exorcising demons and subduing monsters can only bring temporary peace to the world; it addresses the symptoms but not the root cause. The root lies in the demonic and evil forces. To truly resolve the issue, one must tackle the source of these demonic forces. The harm caused by these evil entities in the world has many reasons, but those who harm others without cause are few. Most often, it is due to deep-seated grievances before death, lack of offerings after death, being troubled by illness without a spiritual healer, or experiencing a drastic change in temperament due to being bullied by demons or feeling indignant about difficult situations, leading them to seek revenge against the world.

Because I have been thin since childhood, they all call me "Shrimp." There are two classmates happily skating on the ice, and they do not come over, so I hurriedly ran up to them. Er Mao was rolling up the sleeves of his cotton-padded jacket, with his entire right arm plunged into the ice hole. I squatted beside him, excitedly asking if he had caught any fish. He said he had touched one and was about to pull it out.

"Hey, come here, there's a hole here, let's catch some fish and have fun," Ermao called to me, waving his hand in the center of the pond

Before my father passed away, he mentioned that he had already checked in the underworld and that his lifespan of fifty-six years had come to an end. Life and death are predestined, so I should not be too sorrowful. He wanted me to take over the ghostly affairs specialty store, as this was a legacy left by our ancestors. In a family with male offspring, it is essential to inherit; if there are multiple sons, the eldest son inherits, unless there are no male descendants, in which case the lineage would be severed.

Hehe, you need not worry about this. My great-grandfather was very clever. By assisting a ghost once, he collected a ghost's tooth, and using Taoist alchemy, a hundred ghost teeth can be refined into a single black pearl. This item, whether in ancient times or now, is a treasure of considerable value, currently worth over one hundred thousand. Over the course of a year, there are always several hundred ghost teeth accounted for, resulting in quite a substantial income

My father was very strict; when he got angry, I dared not make a sound. Seeing that I was wronged, my mother raised my collar and had me tuck the wooden tag into my clothes to keep it hidden, which reduced a lot of humiliation at school. However, I was still unwilling; I had to wear this thing to bed every night, which left me feeling quite unhappy. Nevertheless, an incident that occurred later made me fully understand my father's intentions.

Er Mao cried out loudly, saying that a big fish had bitten his finger and wouldn't let go, no matter how hard he tried to pull his hand out. I panicked as well and quickly called over the other two classmates who were ice skating to help. However, our small bodies combined didn't have much strength, and Er Mao was pulled into the ice hole, creating a splash of water and disappearing from sight.

Great Ancestor decided to open a specialized store for ghostly matters, dedicated to resolving the difficulties faced by ghosts and soothing their emotions, which would lead to a reduction in malevolent spirits from the underworld, resulting in greater peace in the world

I was overjoyed as soon as I heard it. At that time, it was not out of greed for food, but simply for fun. I even helped him grab his arm and pull him out. As a result, the fish was too large, and it suddenly yanked us down, causing both of us to slip and fall on the ice.

What profession does my father actually have

In my childhood era, in our ancient town, the tradition of men providing for the family while women supported their husbands and raised children was still upheld. My father had a mysterious profession, having been the sole heir for nine generations, and he strictly adhered to the ancestral teachings, keeping his wife's inquiries at bay. My mother was a very rule-abiding woman; since my father did not speak of it, she never asked. Thus, even after many years of marriage, my mother remained unaware of what business my father was actually engaged in.

The so-called ghost matters pertain solely to ghosts, encompassing all aspects such as illness, injury, being bullied by other ghosts, and any grievances suffered in the human world. As for living beings, they are entirely disregarded

Later, when I entered elementary school, my classmates saw the wooden plaque around my neck and all mocked me, calling me a "Yin-Yang person" (a person with mental issues). The teacher also specifically approached me, saying not to wear such superstitious items. I went home crying, refusing to wear it, but my father scolded me sternly, saying something about superstition. He added that if it weren't for his profession, there would be countless harmful spirits in the world, and today, your teacher wouldn't dare to say such things. The plaque cannot be removed; otherwise, I would have my legs broken. I went home crying, refusing to wear it, but my father scolded me sternly, saying something about superstition. He added that if it weren't for his profession, there would be countless harmful spirits in the world, and today, your teacher wouldn't dare to say such things. The plaque cannot be removed; otherwise, I would have my legs broken

That face suddenly released its tongue, gave me a chilling smile, and then vanished in an instant

Ghost Specialty Store

I said I would not respond anymore. She immediately said goodbye to me and took a bus back to the provincial capital. We parted ways for three years, with no further contact. This incident made me feel sad and distressed for a long time

After my recovery, I found a job in the provincial capital and started a relationship with a girlfriend, planning to stay here and not return. To be honest, the incident from my childhood when I saw the ghostly face has always haunted me; I do not wish to inherit the family business and deal with ghosts all day. However, contrary to my wishes, not long after, I received the distressing news from my hometown that my father was critically ill, and I hurried back home with my girlfriend.

My name is Xi Feng. From the moment I was born, it was destined that I could not lead an ordinary life, for my family is unique. Although my mother is an ordinary woman, my father is a very exceptional person in the world, and his profession is also one of a kind.

From the moment I was born, my father hung a peach wood plaque around my neck, inscribed with the words "Ghost Affairs." This served two purposes: first, the peach wood is believed to ward off evil spirits, and second, it signifies my identity as a descendant of the specialized store for ghost affairs, causing all spirits to avoid me. Since I became aware of my surroundings, my father began teaching me the art of Maoshan. At that time, it was an era where filial piety was enforced through discipline; if you were unwilling to learn or tried to be lazy, you would either receive a bamboo stick on your palm or face severe consequences. Even the most stubborn temperament would be corrected.

I truly hate myself for not turning to a girl, otherwise I wouldn't have to deal with this matter. In the earnest gaze of my father on his deathbed, could I say no? In the end, he said that I had been a soldier for three years and had not been by his side, missing out on many skills. There is an ancestral ancient book in the shop, containing all the spells. In his lifetime, he only learned trivial things, and he urged me to work hard and surpass the achievements of both him and my grandfather. He reiterated that I had been a soldier for three years and had not been by his side, missing out on many skills. There is an ancestral ancient book in the shop, containing all the spells. In his lifetime, he only learned trivial things, and he urged me to work hard and surpass the achievements of both him and my grandfather.

This incident occurred when I was in the second grade, one morning on my way to school. There is a pond between my home and the elementary school, and during winter, the northern climate is extremely cold, causing the ice to become quite thick. A few of my classmates and I walked to school together, and when we passed by the pond, we couldn't resist our childish impulses to go ice skating. Although my father often reminded me before leaving that many people had drowned in that pond and that I must not go play there, the playful nature of children made us quickly forget those warnings.

Since then, I no longer thought about removing this peach wood plaque, and I carried it with me for three years while serving in the military after graduating from high school, without encountering any further ghostly incidents.