In ancient times, the True Hou ran rampant across the Three Realms. Though Nuwa, Fuxi, and two other gods joined forces to hunt it down, they could only seal it away. Its soul split into four, giving rise to four great zombie progenitors: Ying Gou, Hou Qing, Nu Ba, and the Divine Tree of Heaven and Earth. They too were sealed once more, becoming secrets hidden in the river of time.
Time flowed on to the end of the Warring States period. Hou Qing’s seal weakened, and he broke free, but his body had been destroyed, leaving only his corpse-soul. It possessed the body of Xi Shi, who was on the verge of becoming a zombie. Taking the name Xi Qing, she began her flight to Xianyang.
At the Xianyang Palace, Xi Qing met Ying Zheng. His ambition and ability won her heart, while her mysterious gentleness drew him to her. Their feelings for each other gradually deepened. Xi Qing secretly helped Ying Zheng unite the six states. After he became emperor, she confessed that she was a zombie progenitor. Ying Zheng was not afraid in the least, and their bond grew stronger still. From then on, Xi Qing traveled with Ying Zheng and helped him govern the country. They also had two children, Ying Fusu and Ying Gao.
After Qin Shi Huang died of illness, Xi Qing turned him into a zombie progenitor. They witnessed the fall of the Qin dynasty and the founding of the Han dynasty, then began living in seclusion. Over the next two thousand years, dynasties rose and fell. They had a daughter, Ying Siman, and also brought historical figures such as Liu Che and Wei Zifu into the ranks of the zombie progenitors. Along the way came both amusing incidents caused by Wang Mang, a transmigrator, and dangerous, tangled conflicts as the zombie progenitors faced attacks from alchemists and cultivators and worked through disputes among themselves.
After the upheaval of the Republic of China era ended and the People’s Republic of China was founded, the zombie progenitors grew tired of strife and chose to live in seclusion. In the 1980s and 1990s, Xi Qing, Ying Zheng, and their family settled into a peaceful life. Looking back over a thousand years, their love had only grown deeper. In the end, the family enjoyed their twilight years in peace, while their story became a secret legend passed down through the ages.
