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“Shizun? Are you already awake?”
Startled, Shen Qingqiu barely held himself back from flinching, blinking and straightening himself up instead. He had actually been reading about his quest of the day, and had spaced out a little. Feeling a yawn threatening to spill out of his lips, he muffled it by getting up from his bed and groaning, stretching as elegantly as he possibly could and waving the System's pop ups away.
“My apologies. This master had some trouble falling asleep yesterday. We do still have quite some time before the morning lessons start, don’t we?” He asked, picking up his favorite fan, left on his bedside table.
“Don’t worry Shizun, this disciple made sure to come and call you two hours before they start, like you instructed me to do! And here are the clothes you wanted me to get ready!”
“Thank you, Binghe.” Shen Qingqiu said, immediately making him beam with the force of a thousand suns. Shen Qingqiu felt his hands twitch, aching to pat his white lotus of a disciple’s head. Sadly, despite the fact that he had managed to get rid of the OOC feature around a year ago, Shen Qingqiu knew that he still had some kind of reputation to keep. He instead accepted the robes he was given with a smile of his own.
Half an hour later, his face was washed, his hair was brushed, a headpiece gathering some of it on the crown of his head and most importantly: he had managed to put on his clothes without having to find a non suspicious way to ask for his disciple's help! It had taken him some time, but it seemed like he had finally gotten the hang of it. The band of silk tied around his waist didn’t look as crooked as it used to be when he dressed himself in the past, and he had even managed to put on the outer robes without wrinkling them up at all.
System, where was his reward? DIdn’t he deserve at least a hundred B points for his dedication to getting the details right?
With a satisfied smile, the immortal left his sleeping chambers, shutting his doors softly behind him. Inside the living room they shared, Luo Binghe, his brows furrowed, was sitting in front of a wooden table, seemingly fascinated by a book he was reading carefully. Shen Qingqiu stood still for a few seconds, endearment taking over him. The young disciple was truly the striking image of a quick witted and clever protagonist, looking like he was about to recite flowery words and clench his fist because they filled him with determination! Hopefully that determination wasn’t going to turn against his Shizun in the near future, Shen Qingqiu’s inner voice commented dryly. He cleared his throat a little, surprising his disciple who immediately shut the book he was reading to hide it behind him, turning nervous eyes towards his master.
Uh, sure, that wasn’t suspicious at all.
Luo Binghe, have you been exchanging letters with some pretty maiden?! Are they hidden in that book? Shen Qingqiu tried to hold back an amused laugh, smiling instead and joining Luo Binghe at the table.
“My apologies, Shizun, this disciple lost track of time! Your breakfast will be brought to you, right away,” the young boy apologized, bowing like he had committed some sort of terrible sin. With a flick of his wrist, Shen Qingqiu gave him a feathery light tap with his fan, shaking his head.
“Didn’t this master tell you to only apologize when you’re at fault? You couldn’t have predicted when I was going to be ready, and there is nothing wrong with being focused on the task you’re working on.”
Even when said task was reading love letters. Heh.
“Shizun is too kind with this lowly disciple,” Luo Binghe insisted, getting up and run-walking at full speed to go and get the wooden tray he had left on a desk.
A warm bowl of fluffy and fragrant congee later, the master and his disciple were ready to leave their bamboo house. Distractedly greeting fellow cultivators, echoed by Luo Binghe behind him, Shen Qingqiu was actually mentally rehearsing the lesson he was about to give to his disciples. Thanks to Liu-shidi, he wasn’t often in charge when it came to martial arts or war strategies, the original goods instead specializing in the arts of music and literature. It was easy to memorize concepts and theories he read about the night before, the same way he used to cram knowledge into his brain the day before his finals, after all, and Shen Qingqiu’s body seemed to know what sounded right, or what was played wrong when he sat and listened to his disciples play the guqin.
Today, however, the System had given him a special kind of mission: he was to teach his young pupils about the arts of demonic cultivation, and the demon race itself. It truly made Shen Qingqiu want to laugh nervously: who would actually dare to teach anything about demonic cultivation to the future ruler of the demonic realm himself? Shen Qingqiu, apparently, since the quest would take away an ungodly amount of points away, were he to refuse it.
“Stand up straight,” a clear voice suddenly instructed, as the both of them finally reached the pavillion reserved to teaching his disciples. Lined up like well trained soldiers, a few rows of young girls and boys dressed in the pale green colors of Qing Jing Peak bowed at once, led by a Ming Fan who was as fired up as he always was. “Greeting Shizun!”
As if on queue, Luo Binghe quickly left Shen Qingqiu’s side, jogging next to Ming Fan and also dutifully bowing to him. Ah, their discipline truly made one’s heart weep with pride, Shen Qingqiu thought, a smile hidden behind his paper fan. They were already so full of energy and the sun had barely risen, eager to absorb knowledge like the ambitious sponges they were!
“You can get up,” he said, closing his fan in a smooth motion. “Does anyone remember what this master told you we would be studying today?”
Immediately, two hands were raised, as fast and straight as arrows.
“Go on, Ming Fan,” Shen Qingqiu nodded in his direction, doing his best to ignore Luo Binghe’s dejected expression as he put his hand down. Your Shizun is sorry, Binghe! He just can’t be caught playing favorites too obviously!
“Shizun told us we would be learning more ways to further our cultivations today,” Ming Fan answered, a smug smile on his face. Those were actually the same exact words Shen Qingqiu had used last time, which was a bit flattering.
“Correct. However, after a bit of pondering, I have decided to teach you all about a very important matter which, because of my negligence, still hasn’t been discussed. Please sit down,” he instructed, watching as the disciples scrambled to their floor cushions. “I’m sure all of you remember the… encounter we had with a handful of demons, a few weeks back, when both the Bai Zhan Peak Lord and I were barely out of seclusion.”
The disciples nodded grimly, some of them holding back shudders, and Shen Qingqiu noticed that Luo Binghe had cast his eyes down, the fists in his lap clenched tightly. Was this white sheep still blaming himself for the Without A Cure poison accident? Ah, how pure, how filial! But also, how stubborn, they were going to have yet another talk, Shen Qingqiu simply couldn’t let the child burden himself for no reason.
“During today’s lesson, I want you all to get to know more about demons and their very peculiar type of cultivation, so I will be answering all the questions you have about these subjects, no matter how vague or complex they are.”
Shen Qingqiu had to admit, it was a bit entertaining to look at the various reactions this sentence caused. Some disciples looked taken aback, some of them excited, some anxious… Luo Binghe looked speechless, his bright eyes open wide, shining with something that suspiciously looked like hope.
Shen Qingqiu had to stop himself from keeling over and clutching his heart. This protagonist was too cute! Way too cute! Shen Qingqiu knew that ever since he had been pulled inside Binghe’s dream and his demonic blood had been revealed to the young disciple, the latter had been trying to find as much information on demons as he could, asking questions that he thought were subtle once in a while, as he brushed his master’s hair or during their shared meals. He probably thought of today’s lesson as a precious way to get answers to his questions, and maybe even further reassurance that his Shizun didn’t despise the demon race. Binghe, this master will do his best! Mentally waving away the System’s warnings that he would get points deducted if he revealed too much of his knowledge, Shen Qingqiu cleared his throat, and took a seat behind the low table in front of his pupils. As soon as he was comfortable, numerous hands were raised, none of them belonging to Binghe. The young boy was looking at his comrades, biting his lower lip like he wanted to participate but felt too nervous to do so.
That was okay, gather your courage Binghe, this master will be waiting!
“Ning Yingying, ask away.” Shen Qingqiu said, turning his gaze in her direction.
Happy to have been chosen, she bowed her head quickly and enunciated her question in a clear voice. “Shizun, how do demons develop spiritual powers? Are they born with some sort of core like us? How do they get stronger?”
“Interesting questions,” the immortal said, glad to see that Ning Yingying was getting more and more involved during lessons, nothing like the background character she used to be in the original work. The young girl beamed at him, happy that she was being complimented. “Your guess is right. Albeit innately stronger than most cultivators, demons master a hybrid type of cultivation that resembles both the techniques human beings and spiritual beasts use,” Shen Qingqiu explained. “This means that demons are born with a golden core, just like all of us, but that they can also further their powers by causing fear in the hearts of their opponents. This explains why non cultivators should always be your first priority when you’re faced with a hostile opponent from the demon race: they’re the most prone to get petrified by fear, which only furthers the demon’s strength.”
“Shizun, is that also why some of them take on such hideous appearances?” A young disciple in the back of the room asked, his eagerness making him forget to raise his hand first, making Ming Fan whip around to glare at him. Shen Qingqiu winced, looking at the way Luo Binghe cast his eyes down again. Don’t you dare think you’re ever going to be hideous, you self deprecating protagonist!
“Well, not all of them,” Shen Qingqiu answered. “Some do enjoy making themselves look as frightening as possible, but there are hundreds of types of demons, and none of them look alike. Some even have appearances that come extremely close to a human being’s and you wouldn’t be able to tell they aren’t human unless you get access to their spiritual flow and examine the type of qi running inside their veins.”
Wait until you see the future Supreme Ruler of the Demon Realm’s face, young one, you’re in for a surprise if you think they all look like they crawled straight out of hell!
A few disciples looked frightened hearing that information, but it was better to teach them mefiance than carelessness, after all. The next question was asked by Ming Fan, his face solemn.
“Shizun, how does their hierarchy work? Who rules the demon realm, and do they have titles passed on to future generations?”
“Just like us, their lands are divided into different countries, all of them governed by different rulers. Most of them also honor traditions by making their firstborns the rightful heirs, however, at any given point in time, challenges can be issued and if the ruler’s defeated, whoever beat them takes their place. Demon empresses and emperors also wield the same amount of power.” Whew, this question was kind of difficult to answer. If Shen Qingqiu wasn’t the peculiar kind of reader who took interest in all the lore he could find about novels he got really invested in, this would have been awkward. “Additionally, after the heir’s coronation, it is common for them to hold executions, to rid themselves of any potential rivals in the bloodline.”
A collective gasp resounded inside the quiet room.
“D-does that mean they kill their own siblings?” Ning Yingying asked, her eyes wide. Shen Qingqiu nodded, fanning himself slightly. As usual, he couldn’t help but look in Binghe’s direction, but unexpectedly, while the other disciples were whispering to each other, everyone looking shellshocked, the young boy had his hand raised, a grim expression on his face. His master nodded, giving him permission to ask whatever made him look so troubled.
“Shizun, isn’t that too cruel? Do they… really stoop as low as to kill their own? How could something so barbaric be considered the norm?” Luo Binghe asked, his voice trembling a bit at the end of his sentence.
Had Shen Qingqiu not known about Luo Binghe’s origins, he would have simply thought that the young boy had a particular kind of aversion for their race. But with the knowledge he held, it was easy to see that his disciple was actually scared out of his mind, his thoughts filled with self hatred for the half of him that wasn’t human. Shen Qingqiu felt his heart drop, realizing that he’d been too careless at handling this question.
“Everyone, pay attention.” He said, immediately making every disciple in the room shut their mouth and look at him. Shen Qingqiu didn’t use this stern tone of voice often and Ming Fan looked ecstatic, probably thinking that Binghe was about to get scolded. Binghe also seemed to think so, looking down to his lap yet again, frowning like he was holding back a sob.
System, take the wheel! Hold me back! Shen Qingqiu internally screamed. You haven’t even done anything wrong, I didn’t intend to make you cry Binghe!
“This master would like you all to realize a crucial thing. Just like the entire human species cannot be reduced to a few sentences, it is impossible for me to tell you about the entire demon realm in one ridiculously short lesson. The things I tell you today are general rules and observations, which you can rely on to then make your own wise judgement when faced with a demon yourself. Not all of their rulers have ascended to their throne by shedding blood around them, but some of them did, and it is important for you all to realize that while some demons can be violent and hostile, they aren’t always born with an innate taste for evil.” Remembering the words he had told Binghe after their shared dream, and how reassured Binghe had seemed after he had heard them, he made sure to repeat them once again. “You have witnessed countless occurences of demons attacking humans, but who’s to say humans haven’t been doing the same exact unspeakable things to weaker demons, going unnoticed?”
Making sure to lock eyes with Binghe, Shen Qingqiu smiled as gently as he possibly could, willing the unshed tears in his disciple’s eyes away.
“As long as nothing deliberately wrong is done, as long as the heart is righteous, there can be allies and friends on whichever side you’re on. Do not forget that demons are naturally born with stronger cores than ours. As I have told you before, if their strength can be put to good use, used for righteousness, how can this be anything other than good?” He had inadvertently addressed Binghe directly with his last sentence, referring to a past conversation, but if someone noticed anything, they didn't say so.
The disciples nodded solemnly, all of them reflecting on their Shizun’s words, unlike anything they’d ever heard about the demon race before. Shen Qingqiu wanted to pat himself on the back, truly, he had dodged a gigantic bullet right there. Turning his eyes back to the protagonist, he fully expected a huge grin to be sitting on his lips and-
Luo Binghe?! Why are you crying like someone has been bullying you?!
Big, shiny drops of tears were streaming down his disciple’s cheeks and he was wiping them away to the best of his abilities, but as soon as he met his Shizun’s gaze again, his face suddenly took an interesting scarlet color and all the disciples watched, puzzled, as he got up and left the room in a hurry.
“My apologies, Shizun! I’ll make sure he is disciplined properly for his lack of manners!” Ming Fan immediately said, loudly.
However, far from the cold mask of anger he should have been wearing, Shen Qingqiu looked as shocked as they all were. He waved his hand dismissively and got up in a swift motion. “Ming Fan, supervise your fellow disciples for a few minutes. The lesson will resume in a moment.”
In the back of the room, Ning Yingying sighed with admiration. Their Shizun truly cared about each and every one of his disciples so dearly!
Luo Binghe probably hadn’t expected to be followed, seen as he hadn’t even taken the time to find some dark corner to retreat to. He was standing in front of a tree, in the middle of the pavillion’s backyard, snifling loudly and kicking tiny pebbles around.
“Binghe? What happened?” Shen Qingqiu asked, hurrying his steps so he could come stand next to him and potentially stop him from running away.
“I’m so sorry, Shizun!” The boy immediately apologized. He tried to bow, once again, but his teacher stopped him from doing so by grabbing his shoulder lightly.
“Tell me what’s wrong. Has this master said anything that upset you?”
Shen Qingqiu knew he wasn’t particularly good with words, but he didn’t happen to insult someone without meaning to, did he? Hearing those words, however, made Binghe’s eyes widen.
“No! This disciple apologizes if he made Shizun think so! It’s just… uh, Shizun’s words were very touching. This disciple had never heard such tolerant words about demons before,” the young boy mumbled, red rising to his cheeks again.
Shen Qingqiu felt a sigh of relief threatening to slip past his sealed lips. So those were tears of relief, right? Damn it Binghe, couldn’t you find a way to warn your master before you started crying out of nowhere? Maybe wave a sign around? These maiden tears were truly dangerous, too dangerous.
Well, if this was the price to pay for Binghe to have a bit more confidence in himself, Shen Qingqiu could definitely endure it, this being said. Amost absentmindedly, he patted his disciple’s head, giving him a reassuring smile.
“Well, does Binghe have any more questions? This master noticed that you seemed to be holding back earlier.” He asked, after sweeping the backyard with his eyes quickly, and making sure the coast was clear, in case a slip of the tongue made Binghe reveal his origins to him and someone overheard them. Ah, he had screwed himself over again, playing favorites so clearly! Was it his fault, if spending days and nights with this white lotus was starting to make him grow on him?
Wait a second now, why did Binghe look even redder than earlier?
“S-Shizun! This disciple was wondering… do demons also get m-married?”
Are you worried about your future harem, Binghe?!
Clearing his throat, Shen Qingqiu pondered for a moment. In Proud Immortal Demon’s Way, the demon concubines had been featured in countless wedding chapters, but did demons get married to each other? Think, Qingqiu, think… Eventually, a paragraph he’d read on the novel’s wiki came back to his mind, and he nodded.
“They don’t get married the way human lovers do, but they do find lifelong mates. Most of the time, those mates are chosen after one saves the other’s life. I’m sorry Binghe, I don’t know much more about their traditions than that.” He answered, a bit hesitantly.
“No, that entirely answers my question, Shizun! Many thanks,” the young boy replied, and finally, finally! A smile appeared on his face. What a romantic little flower, Shen Qingqiu thought. Ah, youth!
As they were making their way back to the pavillion, Shen Qingqiu immensely relieved now that the protaginist’s tears had disappeared, he felt a tug on his sleeve and turned around again. “What is it?”
“Does Shizun know if demons have the ability to practice human cultivation? And can human beings cultivate the way demons do?” Lup Binghe asked, with a hint of shyness in his voice.
Happy that his disciple was finally asking questions that could help him develop his gigantic potential, Shen Qingqiu answered gladly. “Both of these things are possible.” Refer to chapter 32 in which you master both a technique you copied from another disciple, and a spell you learned from the Dream Demon in the same hour! “It all comes down to studying the right methods, and practicing them often.” He sure hoped Binghe wasn’t trusting enough to ask these kinds of questions to just anyone, though. If another cultivator were to hear these words, they’d for sure understand that the young boy intended to study forbidden demonic cultivation techniques.
“This disciple understands, thank you, Shizun.”
Looking at Binghe’s eyes fill with determination, Shen Qingqiu couldn’t help but feel a little impatient and excited. How far would this disciple of his end up going, at the rate he was evolving? Just how strong would he get?
Even the original novel’s storyline couldn’t predict the answer to this question; only time would tell.