Modern society flourishes, and spiritual qi revival sweeps across China. Taoists find cultivation easier than ever, while supernatural incidents keep cropping up in cities.
The authorities approve the establishment of the "123 Bureau," recruiting skilled cultivators nationwide. Employees receive civil-service positions, and their expertise is put to use banishing evil and upholding justice.
Jiang Wang and Su Zangling are both rising stars in the 123 Bureau.
They became deskmates at fifteen, were both accepted into the 123 Bureau early that same year, and are talented cultivators whom their sects place high hopes on.
From high school through college, they compete over grades on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays; over work performance on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays; and on Sundays they work overtime to get ahead of each other's cultivation progress.
Su Zangling thinks Jiang Wang is a dumb dog, while Jiang Wang finds Su Zangling unbearably fussy. The two stars of the rivals' route spark at the mere sight of each other, each determined to come out on top!
Things took a turn during an ancient tomb mission.
The two awakened a female diviner who had been sealed away for a thousand years. She called herself the founding matriarch of the divination world, and her record of uncanny predictions spoke for itself! She eagerly offered to tell their fortunes.
The two waited eagerly to find out which of them would become the leader of the Taoist world.
The diviner made a calculation, then suddenly exclaimed, "Oh! The two of you... will be very much in love."
"..."
A few very ordinary words had combined into a plain and simple sentence that shattered two innocent young men on the spot.
Su Zangling looked bewildered, while Jiang Wang's tongue tripped over itself. "V-very much what?"
"Very much in love! Yes, in love!" The diviner declared with conviction, honest and reliable. "You'll love each other so much you'll die and come back to life, eat from the same bowl every day and sleep under the same covers, just like a married couple."
Just like a married couple...
Just like a married couple...
A married couple?!
For a moment, Jiang Wang and Su Zangling stared at each other in silence,
a silence so profound it could dry them out.
**
Jiang Wang: A cool, aloof guy in public, but a chatterbox puppy of a straight man in front of his wife.
Su Zangling: A sweet and gentle beauty on the surface, but an arrogant, pampered fishing-type beauty in reality.
[Notes]
1. The romance is sweet, 1v1, silly, satisfying, and sweet. No secondary couples; the supporting characters are all just coworkers.
2. The plot isn't scary and follows an episodic format. The two plotlines each make up half the story.
3. The cultivation world is based on orthodox Taoist traditions, with original additions. Please don't conflate it with real-world Taoism.
4. This story is set in an alternate world! An alternate world!! It has a modern setting, but please don't conflate it with real life.
5. Don't mute the author's notes. There's content in them, thanks~ **/Blurb screenshot from April 24, 2025
Theme: Chinese culture
