In our impression, hairdressers in barber shops have trendy hairstyles, wear flashy clothes, and make themselves look stylish with well-groomed appearances.

There are two other barber shops in town, both with young hairdressers whose hair is dyed in various colors. In this relatively secluded small town, it can be considered a trend.

Even the most traditional barbers wear white coats and have crew cuts, looking energetic.

To be honest, it was the first time I saw a hairdresser dressed in a black robe, which didn't give the impression of a hairdresser but rather a funeral director. Of course, I kept this thought to myself and didn't say it out loud.

The entire barber shop gave off a strange feeling, especially this hairdresser who seemed somewhat eerie.

Chubby said, "Master, aren't you afraid of scaring away customers by dressing like this?"

The hairdresser replied calmly, "This is an ancestral craft that I have inherited. I rely on my skills to make a living. If you don't like it, you can go elsewhere!"

The hairdresser's tone was cold and his service attitude was rigid, showing no enthusiasm at all. It seemed like he didn't care whether we wanted a haircut or not. It was hard to understand how he could sustain his business with such a cold attitude.

However, it was evident that the hairdresser had confidence in his skills.

Chubby and I certainly couldn't go elsewhere. It would cost at least ten yuan for a haircut elsewhere, while here it only cost a few yuan. Plus, we just needed a crew cut and didn't require any particular hairstyle. When it came to crew cuts, the skills of these old master barbers were the most authentic.

The hairdresser opened his toolbox and took out a razor, rubbing it back and forth on a leather strap. "Who's going first?"

Chubby sat down on the chair, saying, "I'll go first!"

I nodded and sat next to him, inadvertently glancing at the razor in the hairdresser's hand.

The hairdresser was performing pure craftsmanship. He really used a razor to cut hair, unlike the electric clippers used nowadays.

As the hairdresser rubbed the razor, I felt something was off about it.

According to common sense, the blade should be shimmering with a cold light.

But the blade of this razor was dark and lacked any luster, and there were some strange carvings on the handle.

The razor emitted a creepy and chilling aura.

Chubby didn't notice any of this and chatted with the hairdresser, "Master, it's almost sunset. Why don't you turn on the lights in the shop?"

The hairdresser spoke without any emotions in his tone, coldly saying, "I never turn on the lights in my shop. When the sun sets, I close the door!"

I became even more astonished. This was actually a barber shop that never turned on the lights? Moreover, the hairdresser's temperament was also peculiar. While others do business to make money, he seemed to have no feelings towards money and operated entirely based on his own mood.

The hairdresser brought out a black cape and draped it around Chubby's neck to prevent hair from falling on his clothes.

The cape had a yin-yang symbol on it, and Chubby smiled, saying, "Boss, this cape is quite special!"

The hairdresser didn't speak, raised the razor, and prepared to cut Chubby's hair.

Suddenly, I exclaimed, pretending to panic, "Oh no, Chubby! Didn't our homeroom teacher ask us to go to his office after school for a talk? How could we forget about this?"

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Chubby looked confused and asked, "Did our homeroom teacher call us?"

"Why didn't you realize? You're so forgetful at such a young age? Hurry, our homeroom teacher's temper is something you know!" I said anxiously.

Chubby said, "Since we're here already, why don't we get our haircuts first and then go back?"

"No! There's no time! I don't want to be scolded by our homeroom teacher!" Without giving him a chance to argue, I pulled Chubby off the chair.

"Boss, sorry about that. Our homeroom teacher has something urgent to discuss with us. We'll come back tomorrow! Tomorrow!" I apologized and smiled at the barber, helped Chubby take off the black cape, and then ran out of the barber shop with him.

As the sun set, I turned around and saw the strange barber shop owner, holding the razor, standing at the door, looking at us with a cold gaze. The barber shop was dark and gloomy inside.

I didn't dare to look back again, so I pulled Chubby and ran back across the street to the school, only stopping when we arrived at **.

Chubby gasped for breath and asked, "You said our homeroom teacher wanted to talk to us, why did we end up coming to **?"

I patted my chest, took a deep breath, and said in an annoyed tone, "Idiot, can't you tell I made up a lie?"

Chubby was stunned for a moment, then reached out to hit me, saying, "Yang Cheng, damn it, I knew you were lying to me! I was just thinking, when did our homeroom teacher call us? Why did you lie to me for no reason? Are you crazy?"

"I was just trying to save you!" My voice involuntarily raised by eight degrees.

"Save me? What do you mean? I was just getting a haircut! Could it be that the barber wanted to eat me?" Chubby said, sticking out his tongue at me.

I shook my head and said, "With how greasy you are, he probably wouldn't want to eat you!"

Chubby pouted and turned to walk outside the school.

I quickly pulled him back and said seriously, "Chubby, listen to me. There's something wrong with that barber!"

Chubby looked at me in confusion and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Don't you think that person was strange?" I asked in response.

"Just a strange temper, nothing peculiar!" Chubby dismissed it.

I sniffed and asked Chubby, "Have you heard of a barber for the dead?"

Chubby looked innocently, "What's a barber for the dead? Isn't a hairdresser also a barber?"

It seemed that Chubby was still too naive, so I patiently explained to him that a barber for the dead was a very special profession in the countryside. A barber for the dead, also known as a yin-yang barber, doesn't cut the hair of the living but specifically works on the hair of the deceased. As we know, before a deceased person is laid to rest, they need to be groomed, especially those who died in accidents, requiring careful makeup and grooming.

Because Chinese people pay great attention to the deceased, regardless of whether the person died of an illness or tragically, they must be presented in a clean and tidy manner when they leave this world.

Therefore, make-up and hairstyling are necessary. The barber shops in the city have dedicated morticians, but there are no morticians in rural areas, and these tasks are performed by yin-yang barbers.

The fee for a yin-yang barber is quite high because it is a specialized skill. Moreover, not just anyone can work with the deceased. Those who become yin-yang barbers are extremely rare and have very strong natural abilities. So, true yin-yang barbers are in high demand.