The moment when Miao Yunyou showed off the smart toilet and everyone freaked out about wasting poop for farming… I felt her frustration so strongly. These ancient people are so stuck in their ways they can't appreciate modern plumbing. But it also makes sense for their context - they've been self-sufficient on the mountain, using pigsty latrines, so a smart toilet that flushes everything away seems wasteful. The jab about "what will my pigs eat" was too real. It's a nice touch showing how ingrained their survival mindset is. Also, the fact that Little Sky Classmate only gave them bathrooms as compensation - the priorities are hilarious.
Ao Tian is a bit generic as a protagonist so far. He is strong, loyal, a little cheeky, and deeply traumatized. He doesn't have a distinct quirk or flaw that makes him stand out from a dozen other xuanhuan protagonists. I am hoping his time in the city and his sister's influence will flesh out his personality more.
I really appreciate that Liang He is not portrayed as some superhuman amazing person. She’s just someone who loves fluffy things and happens to be good with animals. Her reactions to Cedric are genuine and not overly dramatic. She doesn’t swoon over him as a marshal but treats him like a big cat who needs help. That grounded perspective makes her the perfect anchor for this story.
The bit about her old boss trying to embezzle her salary because she missed a day of work? Too real. That kind of petty workplace evil is universal. It grounds the story in everyday frustrations before diving into the supernatural and apocalyptic chaos.
Also, I love the phrase "ke ke" representing the zombie driver's growl before Thorne shoots him. It's a small audio detail that makes the scene feel gritty. The stark description of the zombie being shot in the head and then thrown out the bus was effective in showing how callous Thorne is in the moment, but also his efficiency. It sets the tone for the rest of the dream – no time for sentiment.
The author really knows how to make a setting feel alive, or rather, dead. The mortuary at night, the incense burning rules, the superstitious details about black coffins for young women being bad luck, it all feels so carefully thought out. I love that there's actual lore behind the stitching, like the special hemp thread soaked in black dog blood and cinnabar. That's the kind of world-building that makes me nerd out. It's not just random creepy stuff thrown together, it feels like there's a real system and history behind the craft. I wanna know more about how the grandfather learned all this, and why other corpse stitchers would use the same technique for evil purposes. Also the bit about Old Man Liu defiling the corpse was disgusting but added a layer of gritty realism. In this line of work, of course there are creeps like that. It makes the whole world feel less sanitized and more dangerous.
The whole “Immortal Aunt” and “Bag of Treasures” thing? I’m usually skeptical of rebirth + fantasy elements like this. They can make everything too easy. But here, it’s handled with a light touch. The mom accepts it almost too quickly, which could be a flaw, but given the terror in the room, I get it. When your kid makes a pillow disappear in front of your eyes, you believe her. I’m still on the fence, but I’m willing to see where this magical crutch goes.