Qingyu Street, West District, Binhai City, Longguo.
"Until We Meet Again" Funeral Services.
The old wooden signboard and door creaked in the wind, revealing the passage of time.
Behind the shop counter.
A thin, fair-faced young man sighed mournfully.
"Credit card bill, return 1820.36 yuan in March..."
"Shop lease expires at the end of March. One year renewal requires 22,000 yuan..."
"Paper effigy materials bill, water bill, electricity bill... Damn it all, it's all bills!"
Zhang Tian threw the bills onto the desk and slumped into his chair, staring blankly at the ceiling, questioning his existence.
Half a month ago, he had inexplicably transmigrated to this place called Blue Star Longguo, taking over the body of a host with the same name.
This world's modern history was largely the same as his previous life, with differences only in ancient history.
As a transmigrator, Zhang Tian had envisioned grand ambitions.
But after receiving the memories of the previous host, he discovered he was burdened with over 50,000 yuan in debt from the start!
Previously, his master, who had adopted him, passed away six months ago. Not only did he inherit the funeral shop, but he also left a considerable sum of savings.
However, the previous host was a gambler. Without his master's guidance, all those savings were lost.
Furthermore, the previous host had not inherited his master's skills, making him utterly useless.
Zhang Tian was on the verge of tears, overwhelmed by his tragic circumstances.
Debt was debt, but surely every transmigrator had a cheat system, right?
Yet, after half a month, he hadn't manifested any cheat, not even the most basic system.
"Others transmigrate, become rich and famous, and conquer the world. I, on the other hand, am alone, have no cheat, and am drowning in debt, damn it!"
Looking at the stack of bills, he felt stifled and angry, itching to abandon everything and run.
But the previous host's gambling debts had resulted in his ID being held by creditors. With only about a hundred yuan left in his pocket, he couldn't go anywhere.
Just then, Zhang Tian's phone pinged with a text message.
It read:
"Nickname: Sending You Off, ID: 7******, Dear Douyin User, your application for product endorsement has been approved. Embark on your sales journey!"
The message was from the Douyin platform, similar to TikTok from his previous life.
Zhang Tian recalled from the host's memories that the previous host had intended to live-stream sales of funeral products to repay his debts and had submitted an application a month ago.
However, due to the unusual nature of the products, the endorsement permit was only approved now.
But truthfully, live-streaming sales was indeed a path to wealth.
After all, there were plenty of netizens with peculiar interests online.
Seeing the endorsement application approved, Zhang Tian's hope of making money was rekindled, and he rolled up his sleeves to get to work.
Half an hour later, an old mobile phone stand was placed on the counter.
The phone camera turned on, focusing on the handmade gold and silver ingots, paper figures, paper horses, and other burial items in front of it.
Zhang Tian sat down in front of the phone, tapped the screen, and started the live stream.
Half an hour passed quietly.
The number of online viewers in the live stream remained at zero.
The viewership was a mere twenty people.
Each of them, upon seeing a screen full of burial items, cursed and immediately left the live stream.
"This shouldn't be. Logically, Douyin, like TikTok in my previous life, shouldn't lack viewers for such unique live streams."
As Zhang Tian pondered the issue, a video call request suddenly popped up on the screen.
The next second, five or six visitors appeared in the live stream.
[Damn, scared me to death! A screen full of burial items, I thought I'd entered the underworld.]
[Streamer, accept the call, Qingfeng Daozhang wants to compete with you!]
[Hurry up and accept! Qingfeng Daozhang wants to compete with you on who is better at fortune-telling!]
[If you refuse the call, we'll report you!]
Qingfeng Daozhang?
A fortune-telling competition?
Zhang Tian suddenly remembered that the previous host, in an effort to attract fans, had written a line in his account's profile description.
"I am a master of all trades, proficient in fortune-telling, physiognomy, Feng Shui, and burial rites..."
"Damn it, previous host, you've screwed me over again!"
Zhang Tian had intended to edit it before going live, but he was too excited as a first-time streamer and forgot.
Now, being challenged to a PK competition, wasn't that just asking to be humiliated?
As for Qingfeng Daozhang, Zhang Tian didn't know him at all.
But seeing the sudden influx of fifty to sixty viewers, all with fan badges, this Daoist priest must have some real skill.
Just as he hesitated whether to accept the call, two private messages popped up on the screen, with the name 'Qingfeng'.
"Little brother, it's just a script, we can improvise. I'll send you a rocket after the stream!"
"Please help me!"
Since it was a pre-arranged script, Zhang Tian agreed to the video call without hesitation.
The next second, a thin man in his thirties, wearing a Daoist robe, appeared on the screen.
However, the moment the call connected, the screen full of burial items startled Qingfeng Daozhang and the viewers.
"Hello, fellow Daoist!"
Before they could react, a voice suddenly emerged from the sea of burial items, making both the streamer and the viewers shiver.
Qingfeng Daozhang coughed, his surprised expression fading. "Hello, fellow Daoist!"
After the greeting, he seized the initiative. "Fellow Daoist, since we are both proficient in fortune-telling, how about we have a competition?"
Having agreed to the script before the call, Zhang Tian didn't refuse and readily accepted.
As soon as he nodded, Qingfeng spoke again. "Fellow Daoist, let me go first. Extend your left palm, and I will read your fortune!"
Zhang Tian extended his hand to the screen as requested, his mind filled with curiosity. Was this part of the script, or did the man truly possess such abilities?
Reading fortunes from palm lines seemed quite impressive!
"Fellow Daoist, I see your career line is exceptionally gifted, suggesting you've already earned a substantial amount from your funeral product business. Your love line indicates a recent breakup and discord with your family..."
Listening to Qingfeng's nonsensical ramblings, a vein throbbed on Zhang Tian's forehead behind the camera, but he still feigned amazement.
If it weren't for the promise of a thousand-yuan rocket, he might have been tempted to expose this fake Daoist priest.
As for the viewers in the live stream, they noticed the streamer behind the burial items remained silent, occasionally exclaiming in surprise.
The comments immediately flooded with "Qingfeng Daozhang is awesome."
"Fellow Daoist, were what I said factual?"
"Your skill is profound, I am truly impressed!"
Zhang Tian was about to respond when Qingfeng interrupted him.
"Fellow Daoist, it's your turn. If you cannot predict my fortune, the viewers will report you for false advertising!"
Qingfeng on the screen grinned maliciously, his face full of cunning.
Tricked, Zhang Tian's expression turned cold.
This scoundrel! He said it was a script, but he was backstabbing him!
No wonder he kept cutting him off, waiting for Zhang Tian to play along before exposing him!
He had the gimmick, the traffic, and if he successfully exposed Zhang Tian, he could even make money!
Zhang Tian believed that the viewers on the other side likely knew Qingfeng's background.
If he fumbled his words, he would be reported by hundreds of people.
Damn it, should he just end the stream and run?
Zhang Tian's finger instinctively moved towards the 'end stream' button.
But Qingfeng spoke again. "Fellow Daoist, if you try to feign death and end the stream, your fans can report your account directly to the pound."
Hearing this, Zhang Tian gritted his teeth in anger.
At this moment, a voice he had been anticipating for half a month finally appeared.
[Ding! Celestial Master System activated!]
[System binding successful!]
[System gift package issued!]
[Reward 1: Daoist Secret Art: Spiritual Eyes (Mandatory Celestial Master Skill). Reward 2: Host can choose any Celestial Master Art.]
[System detects host is about to engage in fortune-telling. Reward 2 can be chosen as a fortune-telling art.]
"New book "Yin Yang Live Stream, Fellow Daoist, Your Girlfriend Isn't Human!", may take some time to appear on Qimiao."