[Reckless, arrogant ghost general × stone-faced, adorable lotus flower Taoist]
Before the apocalypse began, An Ziqing's entire sect went down the mountain to save the world.
All they left their newest, youngest disciple was a leaky Taoist temple, a spring that could purify viruses, and a tea pet that had been kept for a thousand years.
A few days later, black smoke rose from the tea pet.
An evil ghost, sealed away for a thousand years, broke through the formation, grabbed An Ziqing by the throat, and laughed without a care.
“So you're the little lotus the old Taoist raised for me?”
An Ziqing: o-o?
The next second, a binding talisman smacked onto the evil ghost's forehead.
So it really was the apocalypse. Even things like this dared to come out and scare people.
His master left a letter telling An Ziqing to guard the Taoist temple and keep an eye on the thousand-year-old ghost.
So while everyone else is busy fleeing, An Ziqing is busy farming, building houses, drawing talismans, and fighting zombies.
And the infamous ghost general?
He repairs the roof, carries lumber, drives off zombie hordes, and occasionally has to serve tea to the little Taoist.
As time passes, the rundown Taoist temple becomes the most sought-after safehouse in the apocalypse.
Demon vines grow cream strawberries, ghost soldiers patrol in formation, and even the man-eating willows have been trained to serve as clotheslines.
The spirit spring purifies viruses, while mountain spirits and monsters take up apocalyptic courier work. More and more survivors fight tooth and nail for a residence pass.
An Ziqing takes people in, but he never makes a bad deal.
Some trade gold for one peaceful night. Others only need to hand over a hair tie.
As for what he'll ask for today, even the residents can't guess.
Everyone thinks Master An's greatest passion is running the Taoist temple.
Only Xiao Jin knows that this seemingly otherworldly little Taoist will stand in front of strangers during a siege of zombies, and will silently redraw talismans for him when he's injured.
And the ghost general, who once crawled out from a mountain of corpses filled with hatred, has somehow learned to rein in his murderous intent for one person.
He ties An Ziqing's Taoist robe for him, then leans close to his ear and smiles, wicked and flirtatious.
“Wifey, can I come into your room tonight?”
An Ziqing's ears turn red. Without changing expression, he pushes him out.
...This is bad.
When his master comes back, will he really break the ghost general's legs?
Volume One: Zombies Besiege the Temple
The zombie tide draws near, and the crumbling Taoist temple is on the verge of collapse.
Xiao Jin waves his sleeve and summons ghost soldiers, then turns to the little Taoist to ask for a reward. “I fixed your house and saved your people. Little lotus, would it be too much to ask for an arm to eat?”
Volume Two: Mutating Plants
Zombie corpses nourish rapidly growing mutant plants, and the entire mountain becomes a man-eating forest.
An Ziqing is busy drawing talismans and saving people, while Xiao Jin keeps trying to ask for a different kind of reward.
“Wifey, I saved so many people today. How are you going to reward me?”
“Go pick some wild vegetables.”
The ghost general gazes at the man-eating vines covering the mountainside and falls into deep thought.
Volume Three: The Mobile Taoist Temple
After the natural disasters come one human-made disaster after another. Various factions covet the Taoist temple, so An Ziqing decides to move the entire place elsewhere.
And so, the apocalypse gains a moving castle and a pair of Taoist partners who get into trouble everywhere they go.
As hellfire consumes the infected, Xiao Jin toys with a lock of An Ziqing's hair and laughs softly.
“You protect the world. I'll protect you.”
An Ziqing: “What's burning, anyway? Stop being so dramatic. If you're bored, go plow the fields.”
Ghost general: QAQ
Reader's Guide
*Apocalyptic farming and homesteading, from a ruined Taoist temple to a mobile castle. The safehouse keeps upgrading.
*Stone-faced, adorable little Taoist × unhinged, devoted ghost general. Fight monsters, build things up, recruit followers, and fall in love along the way.
*Happy ending, one-on-one romance. The past life is angsty, but this life is sweet.
*They grow together: one goes from being socially clueless to caring for the world, while the other goes from consumed by hatred to willingly tempering his sharp edge for one person.
Theme: Persevere and survive against all odds.
