Who Knew? My Nemesis Had Me Hooked from the Start!

Sharp-Tongued Unorthodox Cultivator Top × Proud, Tsundere Orthodox Cultivator Bottom (Human-Ghost Romance)

The things Zhong Buwen, a genius exorcist of the orthodox path, spent his life doing: catching ghosts, crushing criminal gangs, and hunting down the unorthodox cultivator Xie Changyan.

He thought he would live out his days with a clear conscience, but suddenly met a violent death in a bend of the river outside Qicheng. A three-inch iron rivet pierced his heart, and his soul was bound to his corpse, unable to leave. He died without knowing why.

Zhong Buwen was stunned.

Even more astonishing, he hadn't spent a full day at the bottom of the river before his sworn enemy fished him out! Literally fished him out!

Zhong Buwen: ???

Xie Changyan raised an eyebrow. "Congratulations, Exorcist Zhong. You've won a one-day river-bottom cruise."

Zhong Buwen: ...

A celebrated champion of the orthodox path, he chased unorthodox cultivators around while alive, only to be fished out by one after dying! What a humiliating disgrace!

But the next moment, Xie Changyan kicked him back into the river.

Xie Changyan: "You're filthy."

Zhong Buwen's spirit trembled with rage. "Xie Changyan! You bastard! Could you show the dead some respect?! You jerk! May you die a miserable death!"

Xie Changyan curled his lips. "By the looks of it, you're the one who died a miserable death."

Zhong Buwen: ...

And so, an absurd oddity appeared in the Three Realms:

The feared master of the unorthodox path had a stubborn, sharp-tongued yang-spirit puppet hanging around him every day.

Others caught ghosts and drove out evil spirits.

Xie Changyan: "My personal little ghost. Exorcism prohibited."

People assumed Xie Changyan would destroy the orthodox prodigy's soul after capturing him. Instead, they watched in disbelief as Xie Changyan raised Zhong Buwen as a puppet, clearly enjoying himself.

Everyone: "You're not going to kill him?"

Xie Changyan ignored them. He merely smiled and leaned close to Zhong Buwen's ear, his voice beguiling. "Shen'an~"

The tips of Zhong Buwen's ears turned red. "Shut up."

Older top, alternate-universe setting.