Hunting Zombies Starts with Apprenticing to a Heretic

[The top is completely insane. Set in an alternate, chaotic Republican-era fantasy world where demons, ghosts, and zombies coexist. No historical figures or events are involved; it's entirely fictional.]

Sui Chaosheng transmigrated on the eve of his internship turning into a full-time job.

The good news: He'd arrived in the Republican era, which was a little better than feudal society.

The bad news: He'd brought his whole body with him.

After living diligently for three years, Sui Chaosheng suddenly realized that something seemed off about this world.

Why were so many people in town encountering ghosts? Why did corpses rise from the dead at the public mortuary every few days? Why did wealthy landowners keep changing the feng shui of their ancestral graves for no reason? Why did Taoist priests in robes visit his rice shop every day to buy glutinous rice? Why did warlords all keep a few Taoist priests around for peace of mind?

Wasn't the Republican era supposed to have guns and cannons, not talismans and occult arts?

Something was wrong. This definitely had to be a parallel world.

Sui Chaosheng's worldview was beginning to crumble.

Then a handsome Taoist came to his door and asked him to help catch zombies, promising to teach him Taoist arts. He spoke about how it was everyone's duty to uphold justice, and Sui Chaosheng was so stirred that he nearly bowed down to him on the spot.

Learn? He'd learn Taoist arts.

Catch? He'd catch zombies.

Sui Chaosheng thought he was the chosen one and that his golden finger had finally arrived.

Until he saw the wanted posters from Maoshan, Longhu Mountain, and countless other orthodox sects.

What a coincidence. The evil cultivator Chen Wangyou on the wanted posters looked exactly like the cheap master who'd come to find him.

His crimes were betraying and murdering his master, and practicing heretical arts using zombies. He was wanted dead by everyone.

"Master, do you have an identical twin?" Sui Chaosheng tried desperately to wriggle out of this.

"Unfortunately, I have no family at all. I'm entirely alone," Chen Wangyou said with regret. "Otherwise, a blood relative could take the curse for me and help me ascend."

Help, this Taoist is an evil cultivator!

"Keep your voice down. Do you think this is something to be proud of?" Sui Chaosheng covered the other's mouth.

So much for taking me along to fight zombies. You just wanted me to help you practice heretical arts?

"In a chaotic age, human life is as cheap as grass. In my life, I've never seen anyone with a fate as strong as yours over the first twenty-two years of your life. Yin and evil forces avoid you. Only you can help me complete my merit, attain the Dao, and ascend."

Sui Chaosheng believed him. He'd arrived here at age twenty-two.

Born under the red flag and raised in the spring breeze, his fate was better than anyone else's in this chaotic world.

"Once I ascend, I'll help you return home," the evil cultivator Taoist coaxed.

What evil cultivator? This is my dearest friend! What a terrible slander!

A top who'll do anything to become immortal × a bottom whose worldview crumbles every day

P.S. It's a parallel zombie world. I watched too many zombie movies as a kid and wanted to try writing one.

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