This Daoist Wanders Free

Su Shiyu, a laid-back scholar from Qingyang County, goes by the courtesy name Mochou. His only wish in life is to lie flat. But a bizarre case involving a cat demon accidentally turns him into an “expert” who can “identify evil spirits.” From then on, he’s forced down the “point of no return,” defeating demons with his silver tongue and banishing them through sheer acting skill.

When a tiger terrorizes the prefecture, he takes a dangerous “order” in a moment of crisis. Facing the “Mountain Lord,” a man-eating beast, he uses deadpan nonsense and the faint response of his family’s heirloom “Calming Ink” to bluff his way through, somehow turning an urgent, life-or-death case into a “long-term strategic plan.” He also has a blunt, brave lieutenant named Lin Wu, whose imagination is off the charts and who treats every word Su makes up as gospel, making it impossible for him to keep a low profile.

“Mr. Su, what is this demon’s weakness?”

Su Shiyu (thinking: How would I know? I made it up!): “This creature... well, it fears saturation feeding!”

Lin Wu (suddenly enlightened, drawing his sword): “Brilliant, sir! I’ll go round up every bun shop within ten li and bring all their buns to it!”

Su Shiyu (horrified): “No! That’s not what I meant...”

From the county magistrate’s back residence to the prefectural court, from deep mountain forests to a treacherous imperial court, Su Shiyu struggles to survive amid demons, ghosts, monsters, and the unfathomable human heart, relying on his clear-eyed snark, masterful bluffs, and astonishing luck. He only wants to quietly be a good-for-nothing, yet he keeps getting thrust into the spotlight and, before he knows it, starts thinking, “I’m getting carried away, Daoist-style.”

On this long road, can he hold fast to his carefree nature, or will he really be forced into becoming a “legend”? Come see how an ordinary man who hates trouble puts on a hilarious “expert revealed” performance in a bizarre and fantastical world.