The Crazy and Horribly Hysterical Adventures of Shen Yuan

by greenteabean

Summary:

Local millennial dies of food poisoning and ends up in another world, with a system in tow, and now as the demon protagonist Shen Qingqiu! Follow him as he tries to fix the plot, survive to the next chapter, and get a happy ending!

Notes:

A/N: Hello! This is my first ever published work, so I apologize for any mistakes and grammar. I would also like to note that English is my second language! :')

(also my train of thought is usually a mess so this will definitely reflect that :D)

This is the first draft that has only been edited lightly, chapters will be longer in the future. I will update as I write, so yah! :D

All names not from canon were made up through research, as well as any lore not mentioned by canon. The name of the novel (PIDW) will be kept the same as canon for simplicity!

Chapter 1: So it begins

Shen Yuan registered one thing as he woke up, he was cold. No, make that two things, he’s starving! Shen Yuan blearily opened his eyes and looked around the small alley he was in. Some wooden boxes and crates were stacked in the corner and he vaguely registered being seated atop a small stack of dirty hay.

“.....................”

As if being struck by lightning he sat up and looked from side to side, almost mimicking a nervous sleep deprived college student about to cross the road. Where was he??!!? Was he kidnapped, robbed and dropped, aliens?!!? Yes aliens, but give Shen Yuan a break, he was confused and scared ok?!

Shen Yuan finally noticed that the alleyway he was in looked like it belonged in one of those wuxia dramas his sister liked. That idea brought no more comfort to him than a woolen sweater on a summer day, he had a bad feeling about this. And a suspicion that he would not like what was going to happen next...

[System #0909 activated! Welcome to Proud Immortal Demon Way Host! o(^o^)o Role: Shen Jiu / Shen Qingqiu activated! Location: Qiutian Village. Inventory Status: empty!]

WTF!!!

This couldn’t be happening, he was dreaming, or maybe in a coma! He would wake up and this would all be a dream!!! Thought Shen Yuan as he looked around wildly, as if trying to find a random open portal back home. Not that there would be one of those anywhere, unless of course, he went into the demon realm and found Xin Mo…. yeah, denial it is then.

[Host is not dreaming! This system was tasked with guiding Host to a great and happy ending!]

Shen Yuan wasn’t a millenial for nothing however, because he happily began his interrogation of the ‘system.’ “Happy ending my foot! Where am I? And what do you mean by Proud Immortal Demon Way?!??” Shen Yuan only knew one thing that went by that name, and he did not like it. Not one bit, he only read it to see if it would redeem itself…. Not because he enjoyed it.

[This system will happily explain! Host died and the system decided to give Host another chance! The only vacancy was in world #4665 AKA PIDW! That is why Host is here, and with free reign on his choices! The OOC function was removed on the house! :)]

Then the system chimed quietly: [There was a small error however! Host is now in the protagonist's child body! But this can be good! More options and opportunities. ‘:)]

As if by magic, the words ‘died’ managed to bring back Shen Yuan’s memories of his death. He was dead…. Shen Yuan didn’t know how to feel about it, he could never see his family again. Nor could he read web novels and watch crappy anime till the crack of dawn. But he was Shen Fucking Yuan and he would not let something as little as his death from ruining his chances of a new life.

If only all of his thoughts coalesced into one big thought that agreed with itself because all that came out instead was; “vacancy?!!?! What is this, a vacation? Why was I dropped into the fucked up childhood of the protagonist?? He’s not even my favorite character!!!” Bemoaned Shen Yuan as he gripped his dirty, matted hair. Remember, Shen Yuan had read the thousands of chapters of PIDW, and he knew very well that it wasn’t much of a childhood!

[Don’t worry Host, this system is here at your disposal! As of now your current goal is to meet Yue Qi and become Xiao Jiu! Host will have many opportunities for satisfaction in the future!]

Shen Yuan absently nodded and turned his head to look out into the main street. So this is what his life had become. He’d died, now he was living as the protagonist of the novel he died hate reading, and he was a child. Did he mention the horrible childhood that made up the protagonist's back story? That he was now going to live in?

But he was nothing if not adaptable! Shen Yuan would protagonist so hard the cannon fodders and NPCs would get whiplash!!! “Hahaha… PIDW here I come!!!” Cackled Shen Yuan as he made his way onto the street, and thus beginning his new life.

Chapter 2: I would like to speak to the manager

Notes:

This was mostly written at 1AM so please forgive any mistakes! I will probably come back to this chapter in the next few weeks (if I don't procrastinate ':D), reviews and constructive criticism are greatly appreciated! :3

I hope y'all enjoy the chapter! :D

First complaint; you see, Shen Yuan was wrong about one thing. He forgot that he, a modern day man, now had to live in the worst possible conditions on the streets. He’d read, and had written thousands of words of commentary on this arc, he knew what was going to happen.

And here was Shen Yuan, looking dirty, ragged, and like he’d been through some rather difficult times. Thinking it would all be as easy as hitting a fast forward button. It was not.

Really, the realization began to set in almost immediately after walking out into the street. He’d gotten pushed over twice, stepped on, and he was pretty sure someone had spit on him. He was not very pleased with the outcome of this situation, he’d very much like to speak to the manager!?

[Host! Please proceed down this street to begin the mission: “Xiao Jiu is home!” Once completed Host will be assigned another one, remember the OOC function has been removed but Host still needs to follow the plot somewhat.]

Shen Yuan thought about what the system had said, and remembered something that had been bugging him. “Wait, do I have to be Xiao Jiu? Couldn’t I use Yuan, it isn’t like any of the important characters will notice,” Shen Yuan kicked a pebble, sending it rolling underneath a cart, “the only person in canon who even remembered it was Yue Qingyuan.”

[This system must consider Host’s request! I also must inform Host… There is a point system attached to this system..]

“Point system?!? Why didn’t you tell me this before you cheap system!” Screamed Shen Yuan, looking up at the sky in an angry manner. Just his luck, was this going to be like a crappy version of the hogwarts point system, or was he going to end up dead in the first month because the system was crap? Who knew, certainly not him.

[Well Host, if you complete missions you get points, if you fail them you lose points or don’t get any. The points are perhaps, maybe, the reason you are able to stay here….. ‘QwQ]

“You’re telling me points are the most important part of my existence right now, and you didn't think to tell me this?” Shen Yuan pointed at the alley, “My dirty stack of hay is in danger!” Now don’t get him wrong, he did not like the alley, or the stack of hay, but it was his.

Shen Yuan took a deep breath, “can I at least know how the point system works?”

[Certainly Host! >.<

 

Plot hole filling: 100-1000 points
Side missions: 50-200
Character missions: 100-1000
Mandatory missions: 500
Special missions: ???

Current Point Balance: 200

Is this to Host’s satisfaction? OuO]

“It doesn't look too bad I suppose,” Shen Yuan stared at the glowing characters and asked, “if I fail a mission the points will be removed right? Or will I just not get any points?”

[Host is partially right! Only certain mission failures will result in the removal of points; Mandatory missions!]

Shen Yuan pondered what he’d just been told as he stood alone on the side of the street, wondering what he was going to do next. This just meant he really had to succeed on all of the missions, he needed to secure his position very soon. This brought Shen Yuan back to the other issue. His name..

If the system did not let him keep his name, then he’d have to live as a stranger for the rest of his life. Maybe he could be like movie spies, he’d just be undercover for…… the rest of his life. If he even lived that long...

[Host after much consideration this system will allow Host to keep the name Yuan, but please consider that the plot will change to accommodate the new name. Things will be different! >-<]

“That doesn’t sound too bad…. Right?” Muttered Shen Yuan, he looked up and saw an old woman crossing the street. She spotted him and smiled in a grandmotherly way, but kept walking away, she would not feed a street rat Shen Yuan thought. This was his life now.

“Alright then,” said Shen Yuan with conviction “System does this mean that I can go find Yue Qi now?” He looked up and down the street, as if the boy would mysteriously appear with a blinking sign above his head.

[Host is correct! Please follow the markers in order to complete Host’s first mission! >u<]

Immediately a marker popped up further down the street, and as Shen Yuan walked towards it a new one popped up further down the street. Shen Yuan walked for about fifteen minutes, weaving in and out of alleys and side streets. Shen Yuan found himself standing in the mouth of an alley that was slightly bigger than the one he woke up in.

Well this is it…. Right?.....
[Host must enter the alley for the mission to continue!]

So Shen Yuan walked into the alley, and at first glance it seemed to be empty. Just some crates and hay, and maybe some trash…. Is Yue Qi really here???

“Who are you?” Spoke a soft voice behind Shen Yuan, he whirled around quickly and came face to face with a young boy. Surprisingly, like Shen Yuan had imagined, there was a blinking sign above the boy’s head reading ‘Yue Qi.’

“Ah, sorry, I got lost in the crowd” Shen Yuan needed to get this boy on his side so, who needs dignity anyway? “And accidentally wandered into your alley, I’m sorry Gege.” And if Shen Yuan shed a few crocodile tears? That was between him and Yue Qi…

“No, no it’s alright! What’s your name? Are you alone….” Asked Yue Qi, looking Shen Yuan up and down in concern.

[Congratulations Host!!! Mission ‘Xiao Jiu is home’ complete!!! 100 points awarded! Keep the hard work going Host!]

Shen Yuan breathed a sigh of relief, and prepared himself for the bullshit he was about to pull. Maybe he should feel guilty……. Nah this was the safety of his soul in the line. There’d be plenty of time for guilt in the future!

“This one’s name is Shen Yuan, this one was abandoned by his parents in a ditch as a baby,” Shen Yuan’s lips wobbled, “and been alone ever since..” Bingo!, Shen Yuan saw Yue Qi’s expression soften into a pitying smile.

“Well Shen Yuan, if you want, you could stay with this one.” Yue Qi finished calmly. Shen Yuan could see why the original adored the man secretly. There was some hilarity to the situation, two dirty raggedy children, standing in the middle of an alleyway conversing like a pair of old scholars. Yes, very hilarious.

“This one would like that!” Smiled Shen Yuan brightly. Again, Shen Yuan had no use for his dignity if he was dead. If he emotionally manipulated a child in order to hug his thigh, well no one but him needed to know!

Yue Qi seemed to brighten up himself, and walked past Shen Yuan further into the alley. “Shen Yuan, you can have this corner, if you’d like that is…” Said Yue Qi diplomatically. Shen Yuan thought that maybe Yue Qi was too mature for his age, but what did he know about kids? Nothing!

“It’s perfect Qi-ge!” Shen Yuan felt like he’d lost the last of his sanity. Back in his old world, Shen Yuan had entertained the idea of being transmigrated into a novel. Because, what self respecting nerd didn’t imagine himself as a strong hero with a golden finger. However, Shen Yuan did not expect to transmigrate into the body of a child. Not that he would complain though, he was still alive! But a man needed a bit of dignity alright….

The expression on Yue Qi’s face snapped Shen Yuan out of his reverie. “Does Qi-ge not like it?” Shen Yuan fluttered his eyes innocently, “This one can stop.” His lips wobbled, it was overkill though Shen Yuan.

“No! This one means…. Xi-Xiao Yuan can call this one Yue Qi.” Stammered Yue Qi, face flushed red.

[Congratulations Host! Mission ‘childhood friends’ started! :D]

Shen Yuan dismissed the system and looked around his new ‘home’ with wide eyes. Ok, maybe he was laying it a bit thick, but Yue Qi seemed to buy it.

“Qi-ge! This one wants to collect his belongings from the alley!” Finished Shen Yuan with a bright smile. Yue Qi looked a bit confused but seemed ready to help him. Now, there weren’t any ‘belongings’ in the alley, just hay and trash. But if Shen Yuan had learned one thing in the approximate three hours since his awakening. One man’s trash is another's treasure!

Perhaps Shen Yuan was too proud to leave his stack of hay behind…..no one but him had to know!

Shen Yuan grabbed Yue Qi’s hand, dragging the other boy out of the alley. “Come now, quickly!” Laughed Shen Yuan. Yue Qi on the other hand, seemed to have the beginnings of a fond look in his eyes.

Chapter 3: A Maze of Streets

Notes:

So uh, I'm back... *awkward smile*
I pretty much wrote this while sleep-deprived so yeah...
Please enjoy the chapter!

Shen Yuan realized one thing; getting back to the alley he woke up in proved to be more difficult than it seemed. Not only did he not remember where he was going, but having both Yue Qi and Shen Yuan in one place seemed to incur the ire of every single stall owner they walked by. Hence why they were running through back alleys, in seemingly random directions.

It seemed like even Yue Qi was put out by the stall owners' behavior, given his very pointed looks at said stall owners. Was this some sort of angst-driven plot point? Made to make Shen Yuan’s and by extension Yue Qi’s childhood that much worse. Almost like it had been waiting for a chance to be helpful the system piped in:

[Host! Would you like me to put markers in the direction of the alley? (OwO)]

Shen Yuan looked at the floating screen suspiciously, “what’s the catch? You don’t actually expect me to believe that you just want to be helpful?” Shen Yuan and Yue Qi were now hiding behind some crates in yet another dark alley (Shen Yuan was not catching his breath, he was perfectly fit), speaking of which just how big was this village?

[There’s no catch Host!!! (ㅠ.ㅠ) This humble system really just wants to help!!! No cost! Just markers, this one promises!]

Shen Yuan stared deeply into the glowing interface, it seemed like he’d gotten a broken system? It was actually helpful, and as far as he could discern, didn’t have evil hidden plans revolving around his doom. You know what? He’d take it. Better be it some broken Golden Retriever Puppy of a system, than a calculating and cold system.

“.... Fine, place the markers….” Shen Yuan said exasperatedly, “....Thank You…” was mumbled softly almost like an afterthought. But Shen Yuan’s reddened face did not help his case one bit.

[You’re welcome Host!!! (•¯ ∀ ¯•) This one will add the markers now!]

Instantly, right before Shen Yuan’s feet, a floating, glowing marker appeared. Many more continued to float serenely down the alley, luckily in the direction they’d been heading in. Shen Yuan was saved the embarrassment of having to turn back around, with little explanation as to why.

But if Yue Qi’s face was any indication, he seemed like the type to just go along with the whims of little children. However, Shen Yuan was not a little child and thus would not have to activate that big-brother-special skill.

“Qi-ge come on this way!” shrieked Shen Yuan with the exuberance of a small child on a sugar rush. And without waiting for Yue Qi’s response he grabbed ahold of the other boy’s hand and ran down the alley. Following the markers, which glowed like little lanterns.
This time, with an actual destination in mind, they made it back to Shen Yuan’s alley. And as Shen Yuan expected, there wasn't much there to pick up. A couple of raggedy hole-ridden blankets, a few miscellaneous pieces of broken pottery, and a very old-looking doll with an odd symbol on its back. Which would have gotten left behind, if Shen Yuan hadn’t been nudged by the system to look at that suspicious dent in the wall “a little closer.”

[Plot device: A-Yuan’s past! acquired. Would Host like to store it in the system inventory?]

It seemed like an odd object to have as a plot point, but Shen Yuan was quickly getting used to the odd quirks of the new world around him and agreed. Now that Shen Yuan had collected all of his belongings, it was time to return to his new home: Yue Qi’s alley. Where he’d hopefully be able to relax and take a much-needed nap.

This time Shen Yuan let Yue Qi lead the way. He’s not lost again, just distracted by his (new) belongings…. Yeah… Yue Qi looks like he’s got everything under control, Shen Yuan will just follow and zone the fuck out.

“…………..”

Shen Yuan came to realize that ‘zoning the fuck out’ was just not in his itinerary for the day. The stall owners still seemed to hate them– seriously was this the system’s influence?--and the back alleys and dark roads started to blend together in a blur of darkness and sketchy figures. Even Yue Qi was starting to look a little concerned. Just a little. Nothing to worry about! Yet.

“O-Yuan! Xiao-Yuan!--” Shen Yuan looked at Yue Qi, who seemed to have been calling him for a while.

“Yes, Qi-ge?” Shen Yuan shot Yue-qi his best puppy dog eyes and hoped it wasn’t anything too bad. Maybe Yue-qi wanted to leave him behind? It made sense, everyone seemed to hate them after Shen Yuan showed up.

“No, I was just wondering if you were alright Xiao-Yuan. You looked a bit spooked for a little bit there.” Said Yue Qi evenly, and fixing a concerned gaze on Shen Yuan’s face he continued, “don’t worry. If you’re scared of the adults, Qi-ge will protect you from them!”

He works fast... Shen Yuan thought idly, this boy took to being a big brother like a fish to water. “I am fine!” Chirped Shen Yuan, smiling brightly at Yue Qi. He didn’t seem to buy it but at least he let the matter drop. By now, they’d been walking for at least thirty minutes, and looking at Yue Qi’s face, Shen Yuan could tell they were almost at Yue Qi’s alley.

Thinking nothing of it, Shen Yuan sped up a bit, grabbed a hold of Yue Qi’s hand, and looked up at his face. He seemed surprised but didn’t let go of his hand, so Shen Yuan counted that as a win.

 

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

One year later…

 

It’d been a whole year since Shen Yuan had arrived in this world, and he can’t say that he hasn’t learned anything from the experience. He quickly grew accustomed to the people, places, and language around him. His living situation was not ideal, but he made do. And he had Qi-ge to keep him company so it wasn’t too bad!

Speaking of Qi-ge, he was going on his daily rounds: look after the youngest street children, beg for food, steal food if possible, beg for money, among other things. Not that Shen Yuan particularly agreed with the idea of stealing, but hey, desperate times call for desperate measures. And times were certainly desperate.

Shen Yuan’s job in this? Well, he just sat in a corner and looked pitiful for any onlookers. In the hopes that one would take pity on him and give him money or food. Which was rare, since it was one of the worst areas of the city, where pretty much everyone knew each other. And they were less tolerant of street children.

He loved the afternoons though, Qi-ge would come back from his rounds, and they’d go to the inner city. Usually, they’d go to scavenge for food (wealthy lords threw away a lot of food) and beg. But sometimes there were surprises!

This time, when Qi-ge and he made it to the inner city, it was almost dusk. Which meant that they probably wouldn’t get much, it would be stupid to stay there after dark.

“Xiao-Yuan, maybe it’s best we come back tomorrow,” said Qi-ge with a serene smile on his face. It made sense, but Shen Yuan always looked forward to a few hours with his Qi-ge.

Nevertheless, he made a sound of agreement, and they both began to walk back to the outer city. Maybe he could guilt Qi-ge into spending the evening with him, instead of running right back to the other children.

Just as they were exiting the inner city, a man's voice rang out across the entire area.

“Hey! Someone stop those brats!! They stole from me!”

Shen Yuan couldn’t see who was screaming, but they were close enough that he and Qi-ge began to run back to ‘their’ alley with vigor. The crowds parted like the red sea around them. No one wanted to get caught helping thieves, especially if those thieves were street children. You see, the ‘cities’ as Shen Yuan called them, were really just two different areas of the village they lived in; separated by poverty and wealth, outer and inner cities respectively.
The inner city housed nobles, merchants, and other wealthy individuals. It also housed schools, government offices, and a rather extensive slave trafficking network. He only knows this because Qi-ge had told him to never go to the inner city by himself.

Of course, Qi-ge and he lived in the outer city, at least there, people stuck together out of necessity.

[Good evening Host! (^o^) Host has a new mission, join the Qiu household! Do you accept? Yes! No. If Host declines, he will be penalized.]

Shen Yuan felt every hair on his body rise in alarm. These men chasing them were not just random people who mistook them for someone else. They were slave traffickers.

“Is it that time already?” Shen Yuan asked the system idly. He remembered reading the original novel and thinking that Shen Qingqiu was overrated and unrealistic. Now that he’d actually lived as Shen Qingqiu, despite the time really just being a year, he understood why someone would act like the original.

[Host must decide now! Or this system will be forced to choose. (>.<) This humble system believes in you!]

Shen Yuan quickly assented and resigned himself to the fate he just signed Qi-ge up for. He knew that Shen Qingqiu needed to be raised by the Qiu family, he didn’t remember that Yue Qi would follow.

[Great choice Host! This system wishes you luck! (^o^)]

“Qi-ge… We didn’t steal anything. Why are they chasing us?” Shen Yuan looked over at Qi-ge’s face, and it was set in stone-cold determination.

“I don’t know Xiao-Yuan. Keep running!”

They weaved in and out of alleys and backstreets, but their pursuers were much older and larger. Shen Yuan felt something grab his arm and yank him back.

“Ahh–” He fell hard on the muddy street, but Qi-ge was at his side in moments. They were surrounded, and there was no running away anymore. Especially considering the dull throbbing sensation he felt in his ankle.

“We’ve gotcha little brats. Thought you could run?” The man’s menacing smile was missing some teeth, and overall he looked like a pirate. If a pirate was half bald, and living in a village so far inland that not even climbing a mountain would give way for a glimpse of the sea.

Shen Yuan looked at Qi-ge and they shared a look. No matter what, the both of them would always stick together.

Shen Yuan heard laughter.

Then his vision went dark, and he knew no more.

Notes:

I had a whole plan for this chapter, SY took the reigns from me lol
The system dialogue pains me-

Chapter 4: What the future holds

Notes:

ok so let me be honest here-
this is basically a blend of every headcanon, theory, and crazy idea I've had put together
so please be kind ~

When Shen Yuan awoke, he realized two things: his head hurt, and was not outside anymore. One was of much greater concern since almost no one in the village would allow any street children in them.

Now that Shen Yuan’s head was clearer, he realized he was not only inside, but in a cellar of some kind. It was huge from his child-height point of view and looked like it was built for an adult or maybe an animal. There was no bed, no sheets, not even a pile of hay. Just dirt, rocks, and grime. So yeah, not good.

Shen Yuan was startled by a man suddenly walking into his view.

“You’re awake? Good. We have some buyers coming in, behave.”

It suddenly hit Shen Yuan just where he was, these were traffickers. It made sense, they would catch children, and take them to secondary locations to be sold. It made perfect sense, and it was also terrifying because he realized one more thing. He would be meeting the Qiu’s.

The man moved away from the cell, and Shen Yuan heard distant voices. They seemed to move closer, and when the figures stepped into view, Shen Yuan saw that Yue Qi was with them.

“Qi-ge!!!” Shen Yuan scrambled up from the floor and grabbed the bars of his cell.

“Xiao-Yuan! You’re alright!” Said Qi-ge as he pulled on the ropes tying his arms together. The wealthy man who could only be Qi-ge’s new owner pulled on the ropes harder and dragged him along.

“I’ll be alright Xiao-Yuan! Just stay calm–”

Qi-ge was gone. Shen Yuan was not calm. Distantly he noticed his eyesight turn blurry, and he found his back to a wall. Arms wrapped around himself, he stared straight ahead, eyes unseeing. Of course, he couldn’t forget just what was coming to get him in what was possibly minutes.

Unfortunately, he was not afforded the kindness of breaking down in peace. Within moments two sets of footsteps were coming down the hallway and stopped right in front of his cell. Shen Yuan looked up at the two blurry figures (of course they’d find him crying, it was just stress, obviously) and the man from earlier, along with an older man who by all means looked like he was told to touch the underside of an outhouse barehanded. If Shen Yuan hadn’t already been panicking–which he hadn’t–he would start right about now.

The next few moments were a blur, one moment he was crouched in a corner of a dirty cell, and the next, he was being dragged along by ropes. The hallway led out to one of the many dirty alleys in the village, and consequently, it led straight to the inner city. Why wouldn’t it, since the primary buyers of people tended to be rich, and judgemental.

Shen Yuan remembered being told to keep quiet as they walked through the much cleaner streets. This was the furthest he’d ever been in the inner city, and you know what? It sucked, there were hardly any vendors, just stuffy shops with scowling attendants. There were no children playing in the streets, if anything, the atmosphere screamed ‘I am boring please ignore me.’

Not that Shen Yuan had any room to complain, all of the dead fish eyes of the rich people seemed to turn and find him, which was fair since he looked like he was drowned in mud and then rolled in a compost bin. The thin robes he wore, which were quite old, fell right about knee-high. Though it was much better than some of the others in the streets, Shen Yuan abandoned any dignity pretty early on, turning bastardized puppy eyes and pouty lips at anyone who would listen. But hey, it worked.

And if anyone ever came digging into his past? Well, the only ones who would remember it would be Shen Yuan himself and Qi-ge. But Qi-ge would never betray him so who cares.

The house–if it could be called that, it was bigger than any house Shen Yuan had seen, in either life–they’d stopped in front of had the Qiu family name etched right above its entrance. Two women stood next to the door, they looked to be servants or slaves, he couldn’t tell. They seemed almost surprised when they saw him, weird.

“Nuli-si, nuli-liu take him to get cleaned and clothed.” With those parting words, his new master–ew–left him alone with the two women.

Shen Yuan stared at them blankly, realizing that he was one, still tied up, and two, in a much better mindset for panicking. The two women seemed to realize he was about to burst because they dragged him by the arms to the back of the house(?).

Some hallways, and a bit of hyperventilating later he was in a room that can’t be described in mere words. It seemed like it masqueraded as a sort of outhouse-laundry room-kitchen hybrid. It was barely six meters across, and maybe four wide. Qi-ge would know. He startled at the thought, Qi-ge!

Before he could spiral any further, the women–who’d been working the ropes off of him–were looking at him expectantly. He was not paying attention, he stared at them.

With a huff, the older of the two repeated herself, “I said when was the last time you cleaned yourself?”

Shen Yuan thought back on the last few months, the brothel ladies were too busy to let Qi-ge and him mooch on their water, and the rivers were either too cold or too crowded to actually bathe in.

“I don’t remember,” he mumbled pitifully. It did get some reaction out of them though, the reaction was one of pity, but hey, better that than jade statue imitations! Yeah... Humor was not helping, at all. The younger of the two–he really should get their names, he couldn’t call them ‘younger’ and ‘older’ forever–was boiling some water.

Even if the water didn’t look like it’d been used to mop the floors, Shen Yuan was not about to complain, it was the first real bath in literal years. Really, it would be fine, he could think of it as some sort of backward immune-system-strengthening-bath. What will all of the mysterious gunk that was sure to enter the various scrapes on his legs.

The water was just as heavenly as he’d imagined, even if it bordered on a bit too hot. The women scrubbed at his body with relentless determination. Really, they’d put Mr. [redacted] to shame, Shen Yuan would shine by the time they were done. With nothing else to do, he thought back to Qi-ge. He’d be fine obviously, he made it to sect leader, couldn’t do that while dead. But he was still worried, what if he’d changed something in Qi-ge’s character and made him vulnerable.

[This humble system greets Host! :D This humble one reminds Host that side characters are bound to the story.]

Shen Yuan nearly jumped at the sudden voice. Was the system trying to comfort him?
More importantly, where the hell had it been?! Almost as if sensing his thoughts the system spoke up once again.

[Pardon Host for the disappearance, the system was updating.╰(▔∀▔)╯]

That made more sense. It was somewhat reassuring, but then again the system had made itself scarce on most days since he began to live with Qi-ge. He assumed it was because nothing of value to the plot was occurring.

The women seemed satisfied with his new, much cleaner appearance and pulled Shen Yuan out of the wooden bucket-turned-tub. They fitted him with new robes that actually fit him, and for the first time since he’d arrived in this world, he had shoes. It felt heavenly. Shen Yuan looked down at his new clothes in awe.

“Alright, since we finished bathing you, here are the basic rules for living here,” began the older woman. Shen Yuan was startled and looked up at the women, who were gazing at him expectantly. “One, don’t ever, for any reason, talk back to the master. If he asks you something, you wait until he tells you to speak. Just nod or bow, and never make eye contact, look at the floor.”

The woman's face left no room for disagreement, and Shen Yuan idly thought that maybe this would be a lot harder than he’d originally believed. At their pointed looks, he nodded in understanding.

“Now, my name is Fengfang,” explained the older woman pointing at herself. “This is Biyu,” said Fengfang, gesturing to the younger. “Don’t misunderstand though, you can’t call us that around the masters, we are Si and Liu when outside of these walls.”

“What’s your name?” Asked Biyu quietly. She looked kind, Shen Yuan observed.

He looked at the floor and mumbled, “Shen Yuan.”

“That’s a nice name Shen Yuan,” smiled Biyu. Fengfang looked mildly upset for some reason.

With a hum, Fengfang said, “Yes, very nice. You are the ninth slave, therefore you’ll go by Jiu.”

Huh, so Shen Yuan really couldn’t get away from that name. He’d make sure Qi-ge never learned what he was called here. Things wouldn’t be like the original story. There was just so much heartbreak between the originals, Shen Yuan was sure he could prevent it.

[This system wishes you luck Host!!! ヽ(・∀・)ﾉ Host is very capable!]

Not for the first time, Shen Yuan wondered if he’d gotten a broken system. Aren’t systems supposed to be, who knows, evil? Not that he’d complain, if it makes his life easier, he’ll take it. Focusing on Fengfang and Biyu he noticed that they were both standing by the door, beckoning him to follow.

They showed him to another small room filled to the brim with sleeping mats. Which was where all the servants and slaves slept. Next was the kitchen, which was, well, a kitchen. There were some older women bustling about the stoves and countertops, presumably the ones who prepared the meals. He was assigned cleaning duties indefinitely, they probably thought he couldn’t be around the masters without making a fool of himself.

It was fairly early in the morning, so Fengfang and Biyu spent the rest of the day teaching him the ropes of cleaning, and the particulars of the house. It seemed like his presence brought with it a lot of gossip, the master hadn’t taken a new slave in years, and never before had it been a child–he was not, but that wasn’t what mattered. All of the servants treated him like a new pet and had taken to calling him Xiao-Jiu, which, at least, would end soon enough. He hoped.

-------------—------------------------------------*magic time skip powers*----------------------------------------------

Turns out having hope in this hell house was a bad idea. It has been four years, four whole years of suffering in the Qiu household. Seriously, it was almost surprising that the original had waited years before leaving. Qi-ge, within weeks of being sold, had fooled his new owners into letting him come visit, which was great, since Qi-ge was the only one, aside from Qiu Haitang and some of the servants, that didn’t treat him like dirt.

Two years later, Shen Yuan was cruelly reminded that there was actually a plot that his new life had to follow. Qi-ge left. He had to reenact the scene from the original, coupled with the shameful crying and broken leg analogy. It had been terrifying to know that he wouldn’t be seeing Qi-ge for years. The original had never actually revealed why Yue Qingyuan never returned for Shen Jiu and had made it a reason for Shen Jiu’s blackening.

The system had tried to placate him numerous times by reminding him that nothing could actually happen to Qi-ge until Luo Binghe came to Cang Qiong and the plot really started. The original had been interesting at the beginning, you have Luo Binghe, a new disciple at Cang Qiong, being horribly bullied by his martial siblings. Convinced that his shizun hates him and is even instigating the abuse, but truly, his shizun is being metaphorically bullied by the whole cultivation world. And is too busy to take notice of what is happening. Leaving Luo Binghe in the dark, resenting him. Shen Yuan had actually liked the story then.

The plot at the very beginning was risky, but it worked, you follow Luo Binghe all the way to the immortal alliance conference, where Shen Qingqiu is revealed to be a heavenly demon and cast into the abyss. All of the abuse he’s been through is revealed from his point of view. The audience realizing that the truly intended protagonist is Shen Qingqiu has to look back and realize that the roles in the world had been skewed all along. Of course, the plot went downhill from there, stupid airplane. But Shen Yuan digresses, he knows that everything will be relatively alright, but he still worries.

Two years since Qi-ge left and Shen Yuan was beginning to understand just what the original, Shen Jiu, was feeling during his time at the Qiu Household. Qiu Haitang was obsessed with him, and Qiu Jianluo abhorred his existence. The old master Qiu had passed away a year after Shen Yuan had arrived. Qiu Jianluo, unlike his father, decided to make Shen Yuan his personal servant, later he realized it was probably to torment him more.

He had heard rumors that the old master's niece had passed away around the same time as Shen Yuan’s awakening in PIDW. Rumors say she had a child out of wedlock with an outsider, meaning a man who wasn’t from the village. But that was how far he’d gotten before any and all attempts at finding more information were quashed by Qiu Jianluo. The system had awarded him points for filling one of the many plotholes within the quest called ‘Qiu Family Secrets.’

He assumed there were many, currently, he only had a 20% completion of the quest. And the system for once resembled a mime, it was keeping its little digital lips sealed. But he understood that it could make his life a lot harder if it wanted, so he relented. Shen Yuan was not in any rush anyway, he would hopefully have time in the future to solve all the little mysteries surrounding the Qiu’s.

—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Host! Great form! ☆ ～('▽^人) This system believes that Host is the best at cleaning the floors in the whole manor!]

Shen Yuan was pulled out of his thoughts by the system’s chirpy voice in his ear. Which was probably a good thing, considering just where his thoughts had been heading. The system had been doing that a lot lately, interrupting him for seemingly no reason.

[Host! (ಡ‸ಡ) This humble system is just trying to be friendly!! (／ˍ・、)]

Shen Yuan stared at the blue hologram. Bullshit.

He huffed and continued his chores. Which were many at this point, almost all of the servants and slaves had been sold away or released by Qiu Jianluo. Apparently, money was tight, though that didn’t make sense since there was seemingly nowhere for it to go. Fengfang and Biyu had been some of the last to go, and now, there was only one maid, one cook, a gardener who had to take on the harder upkeep of the building onto himself, and him. Shen Yuan helped where he was needed.

Not that Qiu Jianluo made it easy, giving him impossible chores.

“Go get water from the river Xiao-Jiu,” how he’d learned the name, Shen Yuan didn’t know. “Don’t worry someone else will help Old Huifen in the kitchen.”

“Listen to A-Luo, Xiao-Jiu. Haitang knows that he’s a bit hardheaded but he means well!” Qiu Haitang’s adoration of her brother was painful to watch, especially when she started to grow and Qiu Jianluo’s eyes went from brotherly adoration straight to lecherous. It was disgusting to watch, and Shen Yuan wanted no part in it.

“Yeah, yeah, I know what you’re about to say system. ‘Host, only a few more years! You can do it!!’” He mocked.

The river was truly freezing, he was sure that if this wasn’t some bullshit magic world the water would have frozen long ago. Because truly, who cares about the laws of thermodynamics? Not this river that's for sure!

[(-_-;)・・・]

Shen Yuan’s fingers were freezing, and he was just holding the handles of the two buckets he’d been ordered to fill, never mind actually touching the water. The thick winter robes he wore–which would leave a normal human incapacitated in the cold–did little to shield him from the elements.

Shen Yuan filled the buckets with the freezing water and lifted them. The only good thing that came from the increased chores was Shen Yuan’s new arm strength. He could probably bench press a small cow. But that was probably due to his… heritage.

[Yes Host! What a great outlook on the situation! (￣▽￣)]

Shen Yuan ignored the system and turned his thoughts to the original story. Of the long list of plotholes and mysteries, one of the greatest was Shen Jiu’s parentage. They had to be noteworthy, but the secret was never revealed. Shen Yuan thought back to the doll and items he’d found in the alleyway all those years ago. Perhaps they’d hold the answers to his questions.

[No! Host this system apologizes but it is too early to follow that plotline…]

Oh, that was another thing. The system had finally confirmed that, yes it can read his mind. It just chooses what thought process to interrupt.

“Wait, does that mean I’m right? Do the items hold the answers?!”

[Aiya, this system really can’t answer that… (＞﹏＜)]

Did it sound, sorry? Oh well, at least he somewhat had confirmation regarding the original's parents. Shen Yuan was walking through a forest path to get back to the Qiu manor, it was pretty secluded but luckily not many knew it was there. Hopefully, he wouldn’t run into bandits.

Just as he was about to exit the outcropping, he saw the shadow of a man, dressed in what seemed like dark robes, and a traveling cloak covering his features. Shen Yuan thought that maybe he was about to get mugged, or kidnapped, or murdered, who knew. But it seemed like the shadowed man was not moving any time soon.

Shen Yuan felt the man’s eyes following him as he entered the manor. He stopped one foot inside and looked over his shoulder, the man was standing at the treeline, watching him. He frowned and walked in, putting the buckets by the perfectly functional well in the back garden.

Qiu Jianluo and Qiu Haitang seemed to sense his unease because they both appeared in his peripheral vision. Shen Yuan prepared for the mental gymnastics he was about to experience in order to survive interactions between all three of them.

Deep down, Shen Yuan wondered about the man in the woods. He had a bad feeling about it.

Notes:

Thank you for reading ya'll :D
I apologize if it seemed a bit rushed, but I want to get to the CQ arc of this fic soon...

Notes:

Thank you for reading!
~ Queenie :3