Chapter Text
His death is actually a lot less painful than he thought it to be. He had imagined something excruciatingly painful, something only that Beast could come up with. That Beast is the kind of demon who would return every wrong a hundred fold. (Ah, but it was his spite and scorn that birthed the monster, was it not?)
Shen Qingqiu had splashed the Little Beast with hot tea (it had a pain reliving tonic in it, he thought it would help) and the Little Beast drowned him in the acidic and biting waters of the Water Prison.
He wouldn't deny his scummy attitude is what molded Luo Binghe into who he is today. He won't deny that he held a whip to a child and that child returned every lash with fifty of his own. He won't deny that he had Ning Yingying give medicine to the Little Beast and forbade her from saying his name.
He won't deny that he had singled Luo Binghe out, making him the target for abuse and mistreatment.
But is his student not the emperor of the three realms? Is his student not the strongest being in the world right now? Is it not his student who rose to the top and trampled on everything that stood against him?
Shen Qingqiu hadn't known about the manual nor the Guanyin pendant. But he did have Luo Binghe get accustomed to the more harsh ways of life. He had Luo Binghe's body trained for physical cultivation as well as spiritual cultivation. He had pushed the boy into the Endless Abyss because it was the only possible choice. How is he supposed to explain a Heavenly Demon to armed cultivators in the midst of a demon invasion lest they both have their heads on the chopping black?
Shen Qingqiu has long accepted the fact that he would die a wretched end.
"Wretched beginning, wretched end."
-He Xuan
Shen Qingqiu could only pray for a taste of Meng Po's soup and forget all this.
You know what, screw the afterlife and screw Meng Po's soup. He hadn't forgotten jack shit.
Shen Jiu, his parents came up with that name for him after he had been born on the ninth day. Truly, a masterpiece of a name . . .
Contrary to what he thought though, he hadn't been reborn as a pig or something befitting of karmic punishment. Rather, he was born with both his father and his mother, an older brother, and later on, a younger brother of poor health and a younger sister with . . . interesting tastes.
His mother worried for him when he woke up screaming. At first, she just consoled him with comforting pats and reassuring words. His father did the same too. And it was enough, then it wasn't. And his parents had no choice but to consult a professional who would be able to help him better than they could.
Shen Jiu hadn't understood how talking was supposed to solve a lifetime of pain and regret. After all, he could talk and demand for answers all he wants, and no one would ever respond to him. But as begrudging it is to admit, he could see how it helps.
Life is good, being reborn is a blessing.
Not drinking Meng Po's soup allowed him to fix old scars and heal. He no longer wants to forget the past that shaped him into who he is nor the present that made him better than who he was.
What's more is the fact that he's been born rich. His father is the head of some company and his mother is an actress known for her cold and aloof personality. But she's warm to her family. So warm that it hurts sometimes. (He doesn't want to think about ever losing this warmth.)
If you had told Shen Qingqiu he would be reborn into a wealthy household with loving parents and adorable siblings, he would laugh cruelly in your face and throw a few barbed words at you.
But he had.
And it's such an experience that it still feels unreal sometimes.
Shen Jiu finally got to know how a childhood feels like and his parents and older brother pamper him endlessly. They tend to do that, and it rubbed off on him as well when his little bother and little sister had been introduced to the world. But his love is different. He has a thin face and hates being embarrassed. But he still tries his best to make sure A-Yuan and Mei-Mei are happy.
And no, Shen Yuan, he's not a tsundere.
(He totally is.)
Shen Jiu lives a life without want. It's easy to push your old life to the back of your mind when it's not haunting you. He doesn't experience a day without food and his parents are wealthy enough for him to pursue whatever career he wants without having to think about finances. His Da-ge plans on taking over the family business and he's so sickeningly indulgent that he's the reason their Mei-Mei has all those yellow books in her room.
Sometimes, Shen Jiu would work part time as a teacher. Other times, he's an advisor to his Da-ge. When he's not busy, he would spend his free time with a friend he made during his childhood days. His friend spoils his sweet tooth endlessly and Shen Jiu affectionately called him A-Zhu and sometimes Xizhi Lang.
Overall, life is doing well for him.
Then life comes crashing down when he spots Yue Qingyuan.
Shen Jiu quickly turns the other way before he could be seen. It's cowardly, he knows. But he can't face Yue Qingyuan yet. And something as simple as a glance from across the street is enough to send him running away.
He can't do this.
The thought repeats in his head as he slid down the wall, desperately trying to regain control of himself.
"A-Jiu should stay home," Shen Zheng said. As the eldest of four, he had a responsibility of protecting all his adorable cute siblings.
"I'm fine," Shen Jiu said. But was he really?
If Yue Qingyuan is here, what about the others? What about Luo Binghe? If that demon hasn't had enough, he would surely go after his family. In his first life, Shen Jiu didn't have a family except for Yue Qingyuan. And now that he does and he has experienced such blessing, it wouldn't take much for him to crack should Luo Binghe truly go after them.
"Er-ge should stop being such a tsundere!" Shen Yuan yells.
He gets bonked on the head for it.
Shen Jiu comes to a conclusion. He's not Shen Qingqiu. He's not Peak Lord Shen. He's not the mutilated corpse in the Water Prison.
In this life, he's just Shen Jiu.
And he plans on living as Shen Jiu. He's not going to let another life get in the way of this one. So what if Yue Qingyuan has been reborn as well. And who cares if that means everyone else has probably been reborn as well.
Out of sight, out of mind.
As long as he continues his life as Shen Jiu, he doesn't care if others remember him or not.
He can just pretend. He's good at that.
Shen Jiu's first encounter with someone from his past life is actually Liu Qingge. Unlike the others, he saw Qi Qingqi at the supermarket and spots Ning Yingying at a cafe with Liu Mingyan, he actually has a conversation with Liu Qingge.
"Shen Qingqiu."
He will not answer. That is not his name and he will not answer to something that only brought him pain. So Shen Jiu continues to browse through the selection of cakes.
"Shen Qingqiu."
If he ignores the man long enough, maybe he will go away. But when has ignoring Liu Qingge ever worked in his favor?
"Shen Qingqiu."
Shen Jiu sighs, then he turns around. Liu Qingge is exactly as he remembers him to be but with shorter hair and dressed in modern clothes. He's still more than handsome enough to make any girl fall for him and his physique is sure to make many men jealous.
"Sir, that is not my name. Please stop calling me that," Shen Jiu tries to say as professionally as he can.
Liu Qingge's brows furrow. "But you're Shen Qingqiu," He says stubbornly.
This stupid brute.
"No, I am not."
He is not Shen Qingqiu.
He is not Peak Lord Shen.
He is not the Scum Villain.
He is just Shen Jiu.
"If you don't have anything better to do, please find someone else for your little identity crisis," Shen Jiu turns around.
But not even a second later, his arm is roughly pulled. Did the stupid brute not realize they're in an establishment with wandering eyes?!
"Let go of me!"
Liu Qingge shakes his head.
"Shen-Shixiong, Shidi apologizes. Don't go," Liu Qingge begs like some petulant brat.
Ha!
As if his apologies stopped him from making sure Shen Qingqiu knew he was inferior in every way except for a title that he didn't earn. As if his apologies stopped his sister from tearing out his arm and using his body as a practice doll for her sword routines. As if his apologies could stop their martial siblings from convicting him of a murder he didn't do.
"What are you apologizing for?" He plasters a confused look on. "And you shouldn't call me Shixiong. This isn't one of those Xianxia dramas or danmeis."
Shen Jiu pulls his wrist out of the brute's grip and makes his order. He will get his cakes and go. He will share them with Zhuzhi Lang and he will go on pretending as if Liu Qingge doesn't exist.
It's worked with every encounter he's had before and it will keep working. (Because if not, he's not sure how he's supposed to handle burdens from another lifetime.)
Liu Qingge doesn't try to grab him again. It relieves Shen Jiu. Hopefully that Bai Zhan Brute can get it through his head that he's not Shen Qingqiu anymore.
He's already paid all his debts and more. He never even tried to kill Liu Qingge that day but he should have paid back in full. Liu Qingge should be happy now. So there shouldn't be any need to go after him.
Shen Jiu decides that this city has to be cursed. He only came here because he found the university's location to be rather good and the cake shop nearby makes him return. But after that meeting with Liu Qingge, he stopped visiting so often.
This city has to be cursed. There is no other explanation as to why he keeps meeting people from his past life. Of course, he avoids each and all of them save for that one accident with Liu Qingge.
Sha Hualing was seen fighting with Xiao Gongzhu. Wei Qingwei owns a dojo and Liu Qingge owns a martial arts studio. Qi Qingqi sees him the second time but he simply pays for his purchase and doesn't spare her a single glance. She's just a stranger, nothing more, nothing less. Mu Qingfang stares at him too long for his liking and just like with everyone else, he doesn't spare him a glance.
It's not just the Peak Lords. Everyone is in this city.
If he's already met them, then he'll meet him.
Luo Binghe.
The little monster hiding in sheep's skin. A beast who tore him apart and reconstructed him for the sake of tearing him apart.
Shen Jiu is no cultivator. Cultivation does not exist here. But there is something ingrained very deep within his soul that makes him want to avoid Luo Binghe at all costs.
It's probably fear. (And regret for creating a monster and releasing it into the world.)
Shen Jiu takes a deep breath and walks into the coffee shop. He had been frequenting this one but now that it's been ruined, he'll have to go to another one.
He's pretty sure that everyone from his past life already met each other and 'caught up' with each other. Why else would all the former Peak Lords plus a couple extra others be here? And right as he's about to order his daily coffee as well.
Coffee, that's all he's here for. And perhaps a puff pastry if he's able to pull through this bullshit. If Zhuzhi Lang were here, maybe it would have been easier to deal with all those stares.
Shen Jiu makes his order and stands near the wall to wait. He pulls out his phone and goes through his texts with Zhuzhi Lang. On the top, he affectionately nicknames the other 'Xizhi Lang'.
The staring from everyone around him is crippling him. It feels like they're stuck to his skin and no matter how much he wants to remove it, it won't go away. It's suffocating, it's uncomfortable, it's everything he wants to avoid. He hates it.
The barista calls him to tell him that his order is done. Shen Jiu thanks her and makes his way out the door. He maintains a steady pace, just a few steps away from the door. But it's not short enough, not when they keep staring at him.
Finally, he can breathe easy.
He has a tutoring session to teach today and he can't let something like this throw him off track.
(Hasn't he already paid his debt?)
Shen Jiu took a sip of the coffee. It's still hot and loaded with sugar. The burning liquid helps him take his mind off of that coffee shop.
He's not Shen Qingqiu.
He's just Shen Jiu.
This was a mistake. From the very moment he saw anyone from his other life, he should have just packed up and left the city. His parents would be happy to have him back. His Da-Ge would gladly have him in his villa. His Didi would need the extra supervision and no, he's not a tsundere. His Meimei wouldn't mind him at all.
"And this is Shen Jiu. He's a part time tutor here who offers remedial classes on the weekends," A staff member explains.
"Is that so?" Luo Binghe tilts his head.
Shen Jiu tries his best not to flinch. Ah, years of living a happy dream really has softened him.
He holds out his hand and Luo Binghe takes it, gripping it not to gently but not too tight either. He's not sure how he's supposed to feel about the touch.
"If you're doing poorly in class, I will be your tutor," Shen Jiu explains.
He tries not to pay attention to how Luo Binghe's grip lingered for an extra second after he let go. He's not Shen Qingqiu. He already paid off his debts.
"Of course Shizun~," Luo Binghe practically purrs.
Shen Jiu wrinkles his nose at the title. "I'm not interested in role-play."
"Sorry, sorry. Laoshi then?"
"En."
Fucking brat.
The staff in charge of Luo Binghe's tour takes him elsewhere not too long after their little encounter. Once the door closes, Shen Jiu feels his legs go weak. He grabs on the side of his desk, finding some way to keep himself upright.
His stomach feels nauseous and his sight is starting to disorientate. His throat is suffocating, his head is pounding, and-
He hurls into the trash can.
The meager breakfast ends up in the trash and so does his lunch. The acidic and sour smell only serves to irritate his stomach further. Sickening, absolutely sickening.
Shen Jiu wipes the corner of his mouth with his sleeve. Seeing Luo Binghe like that should not get this much of a reaction out of him.
Did seeing everyone from his past life also stir something within him? Was it Luo Binghe's reappearance that finally overflowed the cup and set him off? Ah, he can't keep going on if seeing these people would become the everyday norm. He can't go hurling his guts out nor can he start suddenly avoiding that coffee shop right after seeing his old colleagues and whatnot.
That would be way too suspicious!
Then there would be no way for them to not know he remembers. Years of therapy and comforting words, down the drain. Years of keeping up a facade and avoiding everyone, down the drain. An entire lifetime of lying, only to bite him in the ass in another life!
Shen Jiu realizes that the only way for him to continue his life peacefully is to leave the city.
He has to leave.
But not too soon, he has to plan his departure. He'll continue teaching for a few more days. Then he'll send his letter of resignation and after a while, he'll pack up his stuff and head back to his Da-ge and parents.
He can't stay in this city.
This has to be a fucking joke.
Shen Jiu knows more than anyone else that Luo Binghe is in no ways dumb. At least not academically. That damn brat is purposefully flunking his classes just so he could attend his own remedial classes.
Another factor that tells Shen Jiu that Luo Binghe is purposefully failing his classes, the tests and make-up work.
He tallies up the marks and grades the paper. A perfect grade, as expected of Luo Binghe. In his normal academic classes, Luo Binghe's grades are subpar. His grades don't meet the requirement but they aren't low enough to get him transferred to a different school. Just enough for him to be put into Shen Jiu's remedial classes.
'If that brat can do so well here, why can't he just do well in his normal classes?' Shen Jiu thinks to himself.
Letting out one last sigh, he stands up and starts handing the test papers back. He stills for just a split second once he reaches the little beast's table. Then he steels himself and hands the paper back.
"Not bad. You should be able to go back to your regular classes soon," Shen Jiu comments.
Luo Binghe has his chin resting on his palm as he stares at his teacher. "But I enjoy spending time with Laoshi."
Shen Jiu snorts. Even in this life, even with how softened he has become, he still has his sharp edges. Thank god that he's only here part time. The thought of having to see Luo Binghe everyday is enough to send his stomach hurling.
"I doubt that."
Luo Binghe hums.
Coming to this school was by chance. But being part of Shen Jiu's classes was something he did himself. Was it so wrong for him to want to be close to his Shizun?
There isn't much he knows about Shen Jiu here. He knows that Shen Jiu here only works part time. Not because he has another job he needs to go to in order to support himself, no. In fact, his Shizun wouldn't even need to work and he would still be able to live comfortably. How curious, for his scummy teacher to be born into a second generation wealthy family this time.
"But I really do want to spend more time with Laoshi," Luo Binghe says.
Shen Jiu sighs, then moves on to a different student. Luo Binghe narrows his eyes. Then he tries to calm himself by busying himself with his test paper. Shen Jiu praised him before. It wasn't exactly praise, but coming from that man's mouth, it might as well be. Even something as simple as 'Not bad' is something he's never heard from his cold and aloof teacher in his previous life.
For his Shizun to be so generous with his words, how lucky.
Finally, it's time for class to end.
Luo Binghe wouldn't have minded if time slowed down. He would have been content with just staring at Shen Jiu's face.
"Luo Binghe, stay behind."
Oh?
He can't help the excitement he feels. To spend more time, even a few seconds, makes his blood rush. He wonders what it is that he's done. It's only been several weeks since he transferred to this school and not once has Shen Jiu tried to lay a hand on him. Would this be the day then?
But instead of a harsh slap or another blow, Shen Jiu tells him something that makes his insides cold.
"You'll be having a different remedial teacher starting three days from now."
Luo Binghe feels something unpleasant crawling under his skin. Was Shen Jiu trying to throw him away? He finds himself hating that line of thought.
"Is there a reason for that?" It takes him great effort to not growl. Is Shen Jiu trying to run away? That's not something he can allow.
Shen Jiu shakes his head, slightly exhausted. Between dealing with the classes and helping his Da-ge with his own work, he's stressed. Meeting Luo Binghe was enough to make him throw up and having to deal with the brat is more than exhausting. It also doesn't help that people from his past are keen on making contact with him. Why are they still trying to go after him? It leaves a sour taste in his mouth whenever he looks at them.
"My younger brother has eaten expired yogurt and is in the hospital," Shen Jiu explains simply. Shen Yuan that stupid idiot. Shen Jiu also knows that Luo Binghe wouldn't simply let him go without an explanation. (Ha! As if he owes him anything!) "I'm going back to my hometown."
Luo Binghe is standing so close that Shen Jiu can smell his scent. It's actually kind of mild and pleasant to anyone else but the teacher. To him, it's overwhelming and pungent, and it makes his stomach turn.
"So you'll be back?" Luo Binghe presses.
"I already handed in resignation letter-"
There's a loud slam from Luo Binghe slamming his hands on his desk. His eyes are flashing and Shen Jiu can swear there's a red glint in them. He forces himself to stay still and impassive.
"Luo Binghe, you should watch your misconduct," Shen Jiu says cooly.
Luo Binghe still hasn't removed his hands from the desk yet. He's just staring intensely at Shen Jiu. He finally found this man again and he can't just let him go that easily. Even if he has to drag those imbeciles from their past life, he would do it.
"Shizun is so cruel, running away from his disciple."
Shen Qingqiu may have fooled those idiots but not him. They can believe that Shen Qingqiu drank Meng Po's soup and forgot about them. But Luo Binghe knows better. He can easily tell that his words have some sort of impact judging by how his teacher's shoulders tense then relax. Luo Binghe fell for his act at the beginning, but he knows better.
"I have told you multiple times that I am not interested in your role playing." He jots a name and classroom on a sheet of paper then hands it over. "This is your new remedial teacher and classroom."
Luo Binghe takes the paper but he doesn't even bother looking at it. He just stuffs it in his pocket without a care.
"Where would Laoshi be teaching then?"
"I'm going to quit the education industry and just watch over my brother."
Maybe. He's definitely going to forgo any teaching jobs from now on. He doesn't doubt Luo Binghe's skill in tracking him down and somehow find his way into his classroom. And Shen Yuan definitely needs someone to watch over him lest he eats more expired yogurt and lands himself in the hospital. But Shen Yuan is also a full grown adult and Shen Jiu will not be spending all his time fussing over his little brother. Maybe he could just do what his A-Yuan always does. What was it again? Oh, yes.
"A distilled beauty waiting to die."
If Shen Jiu is lucky, he can just move into an apartment near where his older brother lives and waste his meager life away. A resounding part of him wants to kick himself in the teeth for thinking like that. But he would rather spend his days reading novels and watching brain numbing cartoons than spend it playing teacher with Luo Binghe.
"Binghe is going to be sad now that Laoshi isn't here," Luo Binghe says ruefully and with a bit of something else.
"You'll manage."
Him too, he'll manage too. He always does.
Luo Binghe does not remember his memories immediately after his rebirth. He remembers them in fragments, then all of them within time. It helps that they come in fragments starting with his six hundred plus wives. It makes it easier to accept the less than pleasant ones.
Shen Qingqiu is not a good person, no matter how deceiving his appearance may be.
Luo Binghe has met the reincarnations of just about everyone from his past life. They're all doing well, he supposes. When he first met his brother in law, Liu Qingge punched him in the face. It starts an all out brawl and it's hard to see who would win. He's not a Heavenly Demon and Liu Qingge is not a cultivator. He's not the Tyrant of the Three Realms and Liu Qingge is not the Bai Zhan War God.
There isn't much difference to his former wives. Some of them are instinctively attracted to him, others reconciled and he parted on decent terms with most of them.
Ning Yingying was once a naive and stupid young girl who he used to bring the downfall of his Shizun. Liu Mingyan needed to be supervised in this second life after realizing that it wasn't Shen Qingqiu who had killed her brother. Both her and Qiu Haitang had gone into hysterics after realizing the truth of their situation.
Shen Qingqiu did not kill his martial brother, did not burn down Qiu Manor because he's an ingrate and he actually burned down a hellhole, did not lust after his disciples. But Shen Qingqiu did abuse his students and they were nothing more than children.
Luo Binghe is not sure who it is that he hates more. Shen Qingqiu for not knowing that he's not in the past anymore, or Yue Qingyuan for enabling and pushing Shen Qingqiu down a path of self-destruction.
Does he pity his Shizun? He supposes he does.
Does he hate his Shizun? He supposes he does.
Does he still love his Shizun? He supposes he does.
How does it feel, to love someone so much you hate them and to hate them so much you love them. His Shizun is a horrible scum and so is he. So it's only right that scum sticks with scum.
He wants to cut and tear down Shen Qingqiu, then spoil him with sweets and soft comforts. Ah, he wants to give so much to his Shizun while also taking everything away from that man.
But now is not the time to contemplate his feelings. That's what his imaginary therapist is for. He has bigger issues to deal with.
Luo Binghe stepped into the cafe, not really minding the hostile glares that came his way. So what if he burned down their sect, they were just as bad as he was. (Maybe not, but they were still horrible people as well. Always having their head so far up their own ass and only ever listening to what they want to hear.)
"Iced oolong tea please," Luo Binghe handed the cashier the correct amount of money and once he got his drink, he took a seat.
Ning Yingying started working part time here and so did Ming Fan. More often than not, Luo Binghe and those who were once from Cang Qiong Mountain would come here. If they got there at a specific time, they would be able to catch a glimpse of the former Qing Jing Peak Lord.
Luo Binghe pulled out his phone and started to scroll through it, taking a sip of his drink here and there. He could tell that Liu Qingge wanted to pummel him but couldn't due to the threat of public misconduct.
Finally, he spoke in a clear nonchalant tone.
"Shen Qingqiu is moving out of the city."
Several chairs clatter and he can hear a few phones drop as well.