Records of Strange Tales from the Profound and Yellow

[A female exorcist of an immortal sect, gifted at solving cases and making snarky jokes but hopelessly oblivious when it comes to romance × a proud, jealous divine beast of a male lead, whose moods are as changeable as the weather]

A lighthearted supernatural mystery about a detective duo hunting demons.

Originally titled: Taken in by a Divine Beast of Ten Thousand Years, Then Saddled with Him

Yin Jinling was born into a renowned immortal sect, but after descending the mountain, she couldn't land a single demon-hunting job. So poor she could barely get by, she had no choice but to make a living writing racy illustrated stories.

Just when she was about to starve to death, a timely windfall arrived: she actually got a commission from a wealthy merchant in Jiangnan!

But while fighting a demon, she fell into a rift between worlds. When she came out, she had not only caught the demon, but also brought back a person.

Yin Jinling: ? Who are you?

Ye Nanfu: Didn't you kidnap me and bring me here? Why are you asking who I am?

Yin Jinling figured that, although she was poor and had entertained a few questionable money-making schemes, she probably wasn't capable of abducting a divine beast over twenty thousand years old from another world.

But the other party wouldn't listen. Convinced she'd kidnapped him, he latched onto her, demanding she feed and house him while saying all sorts of bizarre things every day.

Like asking whether she was satisfied with her life, constantly provoking her fellow disciples and other immortal-sect cultivators, and insisting she call him big brother.

She knew it: whenever something good happened to her, it was bound to be trouble!

To stop him from clinging to her and mooching off her, making her already impoverished life even harder, Yin Jinling decided she should send this troublesome ancestor home properly.

But his home was in the Wusheng Realm, on the other side of a barrier as impassable as a dimensional wall!

With no other choice, Yin Jinling took on demon-hunting jobs while searching for a way to open the barrier.

A series of fires at the Song family estate in Jiangnan, each accompanied by the bark of a dog that wasn't there; piles of bones stacked like mountains in an ancient tomb in the wilderness, and a girl whose nature was somewhere between human and ghost;

During the mourning period for the late Empress Dowager, strange phenomena appeared on every memorial day: a black bird crashing into a pillar, white candles flaring up, and a horrifying case of demonic poison that everyone was afraid to discuss;

An immortal-sect swordsman who had once made a name for himself by slaying a demon king was commissioned by the Immortal Alliance to investigate a mystery, only to suddenly disappear. Days later, he turned up on the Alliance's wanted list.

The misty rain of Jiangnan, the bustling imperial capital, the ethereal Mount Qingxiao, the eerie city of Fengdu...

The two bickered and traded insults as they solved one strange case after another.

But Yin Jinling gradually realized that Ye Nanfu hadn't been brought to this world by chance. Someone had carefully laid an elaborate trap for him.

Yin Jinling: Oh no, someone's set us up!

Urgently seeking advice: How do you safely send home a divine beast who hasn't left the house in ten thousand years?

*

Ye Nanfu once met a young girl, innocent and naive, lively and free-spirited. She called him big brother and blushed as she confessed her feelings.

Having accidentally wandered into this world, she was frightened and lost, so he promised to escort her home.

But in the end, she died on an icy plain, just one step from home.

He never thought he would see that girl again, years later.

She was lively and quick-witted, just as before, and said to him:

“If you're going to mooch off someone, find someone rich. Look at me, I can barely afford to eat.”

* (Bonus scene)

Ye Nanfu: “I'm from the ancient divine beast clan Chenghuang. Legend says we live as long as the heavens, and anyone who rides one can gain two thousand years of life...”

Without a word, Yin Jinling started climbing onto his back.

“Hey! Get off me! That's not how you're supposed to ride!”

After he flipped her off his back, Yin Jinling stared at him with shining eyes, thinking that next time, she'd try riding him again when he wasn't paying attention.

Wouldn't that be a lot better than working hard to improve her cultivation?

*

Tips:

1. Both leads are each other's one and only. One-on-one romance.

2. The male lead is based on the Shanhaijing: “There is a Chenghuang, shaped like a fox, with horns on its back. Riding it gives one two thousand years of life.” He has no spiritual power, but his vitality is endless. That's right, he's a healer, and his ultimate move can heal the whole party.

3. The female lead has no memories of a past life. The male lead falls for her first.

4. A mystery anthology with an overarching plot: the female lead tries to send the male lead home while solving various cases along the way. Some mysteries may remain unresolved at the end of the first few cases, but don't worry, they'll be addressed in the main plot.

5. The main story has a goofy tone and plenty of jokes and snark.

Theme: Guilt is a poison that eats through the heart, gnawing at the bones and offering no escape