After Keqing left, the enormous main hall was left with only Song Yinjian—and Mister Zhang, lying sealed in the ice coffin.
Before coming to this world, Song Yinjian's family had worked in the funeral business for three generations. His father had even chosen his name for its homophonic meaning: "sending someone to the underworld."
So staying alone with a corpse didn't scare him.
The only thing that made the atmosphere eerie was the cold breath leaking from the ice coffin, seeping into the bones.
Outside the hall, servants and guards came and went, asking questions with complicated expressions.
Once they learned the master of the estate had been poisoned to death by Pan Huilian and Zhang Feng, many chose to go to the storeroom, collect the remainder of their wages, and leave without hesitation.
As they filed out one by one, the once lively, bustling estate turned eerily quiet. Then footsteps sounded.
Hu Tao and Zhongli walked in together.
Hu Tao rushed right up to Song Yinjian, her big eyes sparkling with schadenfreude. She looked so excited she practically wanted to dance.
"Heehee, bastard Song! Business went down the drain, didn't it? That's what you get for being shameless!"
Song Yinjian looked at the mischievous girl and replied flatly, "Director Hu, I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you. Madam Pan already paid the deposit for the funeral arrangements."
He paused, then smiled slightly. "Two million mora."
Hu Tao froze on the spot.
Her expression switched instantly from smug delight to utter disbelief. Her eyes widened, jaw hanging open, and for a long moment she couldn't even form words.
Finally, she shouted, "A two-million-mora deposit?! Why don't you just rob people?! The most expensive package at Wangsheng only costs one million!"
Song Yinjian continued calmly, "I did recommend Wangsheng to Madam Pan at the time." His eyes curved faintly.
"But who would've thought—when Madam Pan heard you could escort souls to the afterlife, she immediately changed her mind."
Zhongli understood at once why Pan Huilian would rather spend far more mora to avoid Wangsheng and choose Song Yinjian instead.
Hu Tao, however, was far too straightforward to catch the implication. Instead, she puffed up with pride.
"Some souls are still attached to the world and don't want to leave. Of course I, Director Hu Tao, have to send them off properly so they can rest in peace!"
She grinned smugly.
"Clearly Madam Pan thought I was too amazing, and her little bit of mora couldn't afford me—so she picked you instead!"
She even stuck her tongue out at Song Yinjian.
Song Yinjian's lips curled slightly. "Director Hu, let's set that aside. I have a job I'd like to discuss with you."
Hu Tao blinked. "Discuss a job with me? Do you even remember we're rivals in the same trade?"
Song Yinjian waved a hand, face serious. "Director Hu, that's not the right way to see it. We're all in the same line of work—eating from the same pot. One prospers, all prosper; one suffers, all suffer."
He continued smoothly, "For the healthy development of our industry, we should support each other. Don't you agree?"
Hu Tao found it absurd. This bastard Song stole business more shamelessly than anyone—now he wanted to talk about mutual support?
She squinted suspiciously. "So how exactly do you plan to 'support' each other?" Song Yinjian replied, "Like this: I plan to outsource corpse-guarding to Wangsheng." Hu Tao's face reddened in anger. She planted her hands on her hips.
"Wangsheng escorts the dead onward! We're not here to guard corpses!"
Song Yinjian's expression didn't change. "Corpse-guarding requires two people. Ten thousand mora per day."
Hu Tao's eyes lit up immediately.
Her mind raced through the math, fast and sharp.
Then she said decisively, "Fine! Deal! Starting right now, Consultant Zhongli and I will guard it here."
She added quickly, "But you reimburse our food expenses too. Don't even think about skipping that."
"Food expenses can't exceed two thousand mora per day," Song Yinjian answered without hesitation.
Hu Tao grumbled, "Bastard Song, you're way too stingy!" Song Yinjian chuckled. "If you won't do it, plenty of others will."
Hu Tao's teeth ground together. She wanted to refuse on principle—but when she thought of Wangsheng's disastrous finances, she could only swallow her pride.
"Hmph. You're lucky this time."
"Then I'll leave it to you two," Song Yinjian said.
With that, he turned and left, heading deeper into the estate to find his senior sister.
After he was gone, Zhongli sat down in the chair Song Yinjian had used and closed his eyes, looking as composed as ever.
Hu Tao, meanwhile, couldn't suppress her curiosity. She ran straight to the ice coffin to study it. She leaned in to inspect it closely, then circled it, clicking her tongue in amazement.
"This ice coffin is way too useful… If I had a Cryo Vision, that'd be perfect!"
Then, unbelievably, she clasped her hands together, face full of sincerity, and began praying. "Oh great Cryo Archon! Please grant this Director a Vision!"
She spoke with complete earnestness.
"And if you ever—uh—happen to pass away someday, I'll escort you for free! Not a single mora! What a bargain!"
Zhongli opened his eyes slightly, feeling a headache coming on. He spoke with measured calm. "Director Hu, by common logic, no one in this world has ever held two Visions."
He should've stayed silent.
The moment he spoke, Hu Tao launched into endless complaints.
"Consultant Zhongli! If you didn't keep sending your bills to Wangsheng, would I have to take a corpse-guarding job like this?!"
"And just thinking about that bastard Song's face earlier makes me want to punch him!"
"Consultant Zhongli, seriously—don't you just bring in a little business for Wangsheng? How can the money possibly be enough for you to burn like this?!"
"I really don't get Grandpa. Why does he insist that a young girl like me—blooming in the prime of youth—has to support a grown man like you, huh?! Hmph!"