Zhu Xiaofu, once the top workaholic in the archives office of the former Main God Palace, is now an unemployed reemployment-seeking god of death in Baisui Town. He is facing the biggest crisis of his career:
Three overdue "Are You Dead Yet?" requests are glaringly displayed on his performance review.
His number-one target is the sickly beautiful young man next door, Bai Yuan, who coughs every three steps and looks like he could drop dead at any moment.
To meet his quota, Zhu Xiaofu tries everything he can think of:
He mixes arsenic into the man's food, but all he gets is an upset stomach.
He covers him in poisonous bugs, but the bugs run away from him faster than they would from a ghost.
Even the hidden weapon he tied to the headboard only earns him a casual, "Sleep with me. I'm cold."
And every old person in Baisui Town has lived past a hundred and is full of energy, working so hard that even the god of death is about to lose his job.
To make matters worse, sinister evil spirits are causing trouble at the border, an eerie envoy has come for help, and new clues have surfaced in the cold case of the stolen noble archives.
Every sign points to a conspiracy buried for a hundred years, and a purge targeting this land's ancient protectors.
Then, on a snowy night, Zhu Xiaofu witnesses his sickly neighbor, who even covers his mouth with a silk handkerchief when he coughs up blood, tap his staff against the ground and freeze a thousand miles of land.
Bai Yuan adjusts the fox-fur cloak he never takes off and gazes over quietly with his crystal-colored eyes.
"So, Lord God of Death, do you still want to take me in and trade me for your monthly performance bonus?"
Zhu Xiaofu looks at the shabby skull pen in his hand, then at the snow staff that reaches from heaven to earth. He decisively puts away his ledger and declares righteously, "No. I think... my career might need to be redefined."
Reader's Guide:
1. A lazy, carefree, fiercely protective god of death as the bottom, versus a seemingly frail and quiet mountain god who is actually powerful and scheming as the top.
2. The author has a poor memory and too many ideas. Each story will probably be around a hundred thousand words before a new idea comes along. If you're looking for a million-word epic, proceed with caution!
3. The author is easygoing. Chat is welcome. If this isn't to your taste, feel free to click away. Please don't leave malicious comments. Thank you!
Theme: Dispel the fog, and may the gods protect the Four Kingdoms.
