Chapter 1: Protocol 'Reload'
Chapter Text
Luo Binghe’s memories are hazy. He is drifting through an empty space that is sometimes black, sometimes red, and other times made of smoke or confusing images that could be his memories ─ or his nightmares. He’s not sure where one ends and the other begins. At some point, he’s pretty sure that everything around him begins collapsing. As it probably should. There are many details he is not clear on, but one thing he knows for certain.
I destroyed Xin Mo.
The black blade wrought with dark power that has accompanied him for so long that it’s merged together with his very soul ─ he shattered into a million shard pieces.
What does it mean, destroying a sword powerful enough to merge the realms? Destroying a part of his soul? Is it even possible? Or did he, in the end, only end up destroying himself?
Shizun ─
In reality, the only thing Binghe knows for sure is that he destroyed Shizun.
He doesn’t remember it, not really. A few flashing images squeezed between rare moments of clarity, all cruelly ripped out of his hands in a wave of demonic power tearing him apart from the inside.
He can't escape the aftermath.
Shizun’s trembling body under him, pale and sweaty skin exposed under the clothing that was ripped to shreds. Shizun’s hands, desperately holding onto him with the strength of a butterfly. And the blood…
There was so much blood.
A light flashes in the corner of his eye.
[The advanced System function ‘Reload’ was successfully activated! Role binding successfully completed. Role bound: ‘the Protagonist’. The user’s life points have been restored to their maximum value! We welcome you to the System!]
The blinking lights cloud his vision. Luo Binghe sees the words for what they are, but he doesn’t understand their meaning. What is it saying? Does it even matter? Shizun is… Shizun…
Luo Binghe closes his eyes and the sight of Shizun once again sacrificing his life to run from Luo Binghe consumes him. Shizun is… Shizun…
Luo Binghe feels Shizun’s body going limp in his arms, warmth leaving his skin, the same way it did back in Huayue city. Not again. Please. Please, please. Not again─
A sudden, sharp screech sends goosebumps down his arms. Before Luo Binghe can bring himself to look for the source, metal clangs against metal and wood crashes against wood, devastatingly loud in the wake of his empty misery. But there is no hellfire to make him suffer and no monsters to feed on his flesh. There is just a gasp. A surprised, high-pitched noise, slipping out in a moment of carelessness.
“A-Luo!”
Luo Binghe can’t remember anyone addressing him that way, so gently, so fondly, so fearfully .
What is happening? Hasn’t he just destroyed Xin Mo deep inside the Maigu Ridge? Who could have possibly lived through that? Luo Binghe remembers clinging onto Shizun’s body desperately as he risked destroying their entire existence in a single desperate move, but now there’s nobody in his arms. In fact, his arms are stretched up quite uncomfortably. He can’t move. Twitching his fingers feels like pushing at a mountain.
Shizun is gone from his grasp, but somebody else is there when there should have only been death ─ so Luo Binghe puts everything he's got into opening his heavy eyelids.
At first, all he sees is darkness.
It’s not absolute blackness, nor is it the deep shadow of the dream realm. It is… darkness of the night. It takes a few moments for his eyes to adjust and the vague human shape in front of him begins to take a more concrete, more familiar form of a person. The longer he stares, the clearer it gets. The face of the girl shrouded in moonlight and her many braids, the trembling hands covering her mouth and the tears glistening in her eyes.
“A-Luo… what… why…” Her voice shakes. “When Ming Fan said it, I didn’t believe it… I couldn’t believe it… how is this… How could Shizun do this to you?”
Funny. If Shizun strung him up by the arms and whipped him with a spiked metal whip, Luo Binghe wouldn’t mind. Shizun can do anything. Hit him, stab him, destroy him. If that’s what Shizun wants to do, then Luo Binghe will not oppose it, even if Shizun decides to permanently end him.
But there’s something accusatory in this voice that Luo Binghe doesn’t like. A tinge of fear and desperation that upsets him, because the person it’s coming from has no right whatsoever to speak of Shizun so disrespectfully.
“Ning Yingying─” he says warningly, but his voice breaks, scratchy and too weak to make a sound.
Instantly, the girl is beside him, experimentally tugging at the ropes binding his wrists to the overhead beam. She speaks through her tears, but her words are unclear, disjointed and lost in her sobs ─ Luo Binghe is getting a headache just trying to follow what she’s saying. It’s annoying, because there are things he wants to ask her urgently, but he isn’t getting a chance.
If he was tied up by Shizun, does that mean Shizun is still alive? How is Shizun doing? Has he recovered from Binghe’s─
But he can’t ask any of it, because Ning Yingying won’t stop rambling. He catches the tail-end of her words, however, and they’re as confusing as it gets.
“Even if Shizun gave the order, I don’t care! This can’t be happening! A-Luo, brace yourself! Shijie will free you now.”
Wait, wait, wait a moment! Shizun is issuing this punishment for a reason, he’s doing this─
But with a single swing of her training sword, Ning Yingying cuts the ropes holding Luo Binghe upright. With trembling legs unable to sustain his weight, he topples over to the ground, his head caught by Ning Yingying a moment before it hits the dirt. Before his barely functional voice can protest, the girl removes the remnants of the ropes around his wrists and it hurts . Burns, as if the ropes have been digging into his skin for a long time, leaving deep red marks and traces of blood.
It’s not Immortal Binding Cables. Even so, after the ropes are removed, Luo Binghe’s skin doesn’t begin to heal.
Gently, Ning Yingying brushes the sweat-damp hair away from his forehead. “A-Luo, do you need a medic?”
Luo Binghe wants to decline, his body is perfectly able to fix itself no matter the calamity it encounters, but for some reason, he doesn’t even have the arm strength to support himself, or god forbid, stand .
Ning Yingying continues rambling. “I can’t believe Shizun would do something like this. He has to have had a reason, right? Something happened that makes sense, right? Because otherwise, why would Shizun do this to you? A-Luo has been the most devoted ever since he joined Qing Jing Peak, what could you have possibly done to upset Shizun so?”
Oh, if you could only imagine ─
But Luo Binghe doesn’t say it. He manages, with difficulty, to break out of her hold and gather enough strength to arrange his body into a sitting position. Almost immediately, his back leans against a wooden wall at an awkward angle and Ning Yingying rushes to help, but at least she’s not obstructing his movements.
From his scorching dry throat, Luo Binghe manages to croak out a few words: “How… is… Shizun?”
Rapidly, Ning Yingying shakes her head, her many braids swinging wildly in all directions as she does, no rhyme or reason to it. “It’s true then? That Shizun collapsed inside the woodshed? Ming Fan said so, but I really can’t believe a word that comes out of his mouth anymore… ah, but Mu-shishu says it was a Qi deviation. Well, his explanation was much longer, but the gist of it is, Shizun cultivated some dangerous techniques in the past and now the consequences hurt his body. He’s still unconscious. They’re not sure when he will wake up.”
Luo Binghe wrecks his mind to figure out what a woodshed has to do with the Maigu Ridge, but something in his brain doesn’t work, so he gives up. Anyway, there’s the other, far more alarming part of what she’s said to address.
“Qi… deviation?” he croaks out, and curses his barely functioning throat. Why does he sound like a breathless child?
“That’s what they say,” Ning Yingying says. “Quite a deviation, too. You could feel it on the whole mountain.”
What? That’s not how Qi deviations work.
Luo Binghe says, “Will he… get better?”
Ning Yingying sighs solemnly. “Mu-shishu says he’s done all he could and the Sect Leader hasn’t left Shizun’s side for a moment over the last few days since it happened. Everything’s been so chaotic, no one even realized you were missing until Ming Fan just casually mentioned at dinner that Shizun locked you up. A-Luo, this Shijie, I… this is truly unfair to you.”
Luo Binghe grimaces. And what has not been unfair to him? Life has always been unfair and the odds were stacked against him from the start. He’s gotten used to it. Watching someone who contributed to his troubles over the years suddenly regret it all doesn’t make him feel any different. Luo Binghe cares about one thing and one thing only.
“Did Shizun… talk… about me?”
Does Shizun want to kill him? Does Shizun want to punish him? Whatever it is, Luo Binghe will accept it. He just wants one chance. One chance to explain, one chance to express his feelings. Dark and dangerous as they may be, it’s the one thing that’s kept him going for many, many years and Luo Binghe just wants Shizun to know ─ it didn’t start out so twisted that way. If Shizun won’t accept him, well… Luo Binghe doesn’t deserve it anyway. He will make do. Xin Mo no longer controls his mind, so Luo Binghe can understand the lines he’s crossed go beyond Shizun’s capacity for forgiveness.
It’s not fine , but if Shizun is alive, then… It’s enough. Luo Binghe doesn’t dare ask for more.
But the way Ning Yingying is staring at him, so cluelessly confused, reminds him back of his childhood, the long forgotten disciple days, where a clueless expression such as this one so often led him directly into heaps of trouble.
“A-Luo,” she says slowly and very carefully, “what could Shizun possibly have said? He suffered a Qi deviation right while whipping you. See? That nasty thing is still on the ground. Obviously, he can’t have hurt you because he wanted to.”
“But… he was fine… before? He’s… recovered, before?”
“... what did Shizun need to recover from? A-Luo, what are you saying? Are you confused after being locked up for so many days? Shijie promises it’s not that bad. You’re not injured. Shizun must have done this to scare you, but the whipping wasn’t that bad. If you let me look, it probably didn’t even leave bruises.”
Luo Binghe isn’t sure how to explain to her that bruises are not at all what he’s worried about. In fact, the longer this conversation goes, the more he thinks that he and Ning Yingying are not at all understanding each other. The answers he’s getting don’t make any sense. Has he accidentally fallen into the dreamscape while unaware? But he’s usually pretty good at separating the dream realm's formations from the grim reality. This, as odd as it may be, feels very real.
“Ning Yingying.” He inhales, deciding that there’s no point in beating around the bush anymore. “What happened in Maigu Ridge?”
The response he gets is a blank stare and a highly eloquent, “What?” And then a hand is on his forehead, as if measuring his body temperature. “Is A-Luo delirious? Did you have a nightmare? Why would a disciple of a cultivator sect dream about a place from the demon realm? A-Luo, you shouldn’t talk so carelessly! If that’s what Shizun was beating you for, I can’t even be upset at him on your behalf!”
What?
Wait a damn minute.
A thought comes to Luo Binghe’s mind and he looks around himself, a little fearful. Stacked firewood in one corner, rusted tools and axes in the other, and a single set of folded bed sheets in the corner… For some reason, everything is just as he remembers it. But that’s not right. Luo Binghe burned those horrible bed sheets and only took the pillow with him when Shizun allowed him to move into the bamboo house. The pillow is the one his mother made for him back when he was still a child, so no matter how old and tattered, Luo Binghe would have never left it here─
But it’s here, together with the hole-streaked covers that the other disciples left him after Luo Binghe was denied a spot in the Qing Jing dormitories.
That shouldn’t be possible.
Unless it’s inside a dream realm, this shouldn’t be happening─
“Ning Yingying,” he says, and his voice trembles slightly. “How long has it been since I joined the Cang Qiong Mountain sect?”
Ning Yingying puts a finger to her chin thoughtfully, then says, “About three years? Give or take?”
Quickly, Luo Binghe does some mental math that makes his head spin. “Then… have we already gone to the mission in Shuang Hu city?”
Again, Ning Yingying stares at him blankly. “We were supposed to, but Shizun Qi deviated shortly before it. Was A-Luo supposed to join, too?”
Luo Binghe’s whole world is spinning. This can’t be. How can it be? It’s not possible. But it’s happening. How is it happening? He’s not dreaming, is he? He’s not losing his grip on reality, right? But when he closes his eyes and reaches into himself, for a power sufficient to shock him into awakening ─ there’s nothing. Not a single shred of demonic power inside him.
“A-Luo, is everything okay? Should I call someone over from Qian Cao Peak? You’re very pale.”
“No,” Luo Binghe says immediately. “I’m─I’m fine. I just… spent more time here than I thought.”
“Shijie will talk to Shizun for you,” Ning Yingying promises. “I believe Shizun would not punish you for no reason, but certainly there are better disciplining methods than this . Rest assured, A-Luo. Shijie will take care of this.”
“No, I…”
“Should I take you back to the dorms now?”
“I’d… rather stay.”
“Mhm, sure… wait, what? ”
Very carefully, Luo Binghe repeats, “I’m going to stay here. This is where I usually sleep anyway.” Although, perhaps saying that wasn’t the best idea. The sheer horror on the girl’s face is a surprise.
“You sleep here ? Not the dorms?”
Is it… possible that she had no idea? For so many years? Luo Binghe stares at her. Then again, it is Ning Yingying. If anyone can stay oblivious for so long, it’s definitely her.
“We can talk about it some other time,” he says, finally. “I’m going to stay here. Shijie should come and get me once Shizun wakes up. Don’t forget it. No matter what, once Shizun wakes up, I must see him.”
“Oh, okay. But, what about─”
“ Leave ,” Luo Binghe insists, leaving her no room for argument. She tries a few more times, but he is unrelenting. He gathers enough energy to get up and eventually push her all the way out of the woodshed before slamming the door shut in her face, then collapses down on the ground with his back against them, staring at his own hands in horror.
His very dirty, calloused, scarless hands.
Well, shit.
Somehow, he’s really been thrown back into his fourteen year old body. Luo Binghe closes his eyes, breathing rapidly. He doesn’t understand what is happening or how it is possible. But he is here now. In the past, living his life all over again, long before everything went wrong.
Has he died and been reborn? Or has he traveled through time? Is that possible? But how? Every ancient scroll he's ever gotten his hands on claimed otherwise. Was it perhaps something he'd done?
Luo Binghe’s memories between now and the Maigu Ridge events are as confusing and as hazy as they get. He can’t make head nor tail from any of it, nor does he have any clue on how he ended up here. He just knows that he’s still breathing, he is free from Xin Mo’s influence and Shizun….
Shizun has suffered a devastating Qi deviation.
That certainly hasn’t happened before. Not that Luo Binghe remembers it. Shizun did collapse from a fever once in his youth, roughly at around this same time, but he also recovered rather quickly. Definitely, the events didn’t go this way. In fact, at no point does Ning Yingying even visit him in the woodshed, ever.
Clearly, this has already deviated from the life that Luo Binghe once lived.
But that’s… that’s fine. If his assumption is correct and he truly has been reborn, then… then this is his second chance. Something he never thought would be possible. It’s a chance to fix things, a chance to save Shizun from a fate worse than death. A chance to get Shizun to actually look at him and do it right. Luo Binghe’s whole body trembles at the mere thought of it.
That’s… he’s not going to waste this chance. Not in a million years.
But first things first. He has to make sure Shizun is alive.
“System!” he barks into the empty night, fists clenching.
In the corner of his vision, a shiny rectangle appears.
[This System provides comprehensive 24 hour service and user friendly interface. Please, make your inquiry.]
Luo Binghe takes a deep breath. He doesn’t know what this System is yet, but it has already helped him destroy Xin Mo. Whatever it may be, it’s got power beyond his comprehension. Now, Luo Binghe isn’t silly enough to trust a power that he doesn’t understand, especially when it’s so different from anything he has ever known ─ but he is also not the type to not utilize every tool at his disposal.
“Tell me. Shizun ─ Shen Qingqiu. What’s wrong with him? Do you know?”
The answer is quick. A brand new shiny rectangle pops up in front of his eyes with a ding noise in his ears, many strange words filling the empty space.
[Currently, User Account 002 bound to role ‘Shen Qingqiu’ has been set to sleep mode. Does the Protagonist wish to engage Advanced System function 'Reload' for the inactive user instance?]
Wha… what? Again with words that sound like his language, but he doesn’t understand anything that’s been said. But… does that mean… that Shizun is asleep? Or what? Luo Binghe truly feels like he’s been reverted to his teenager self, stupid and naive and bafflingly ignorant. He doesn’t understand anything .
[Advanced System function 'Reload' allows the Administrator Account to activate all User Accounts currently set to sleep mode and reload them to their last save. Activate Protocol Reload for User Account 002 ‘Shen Qingqiu’?]
… right. So Luo Binghe doesn’t even need to speak for this damn System thing to know what he’s thinking. Fine, then! Stop messing with me! Either save Shizun or get lost!
[...]
[Activating Protocol 'Reload' for User Account 002. Loading default user account settings. Retrieving user data…]
[Warning! By activating Protocol 'Reload', the Protagonist role will automatically lose all the temporarily acquired administrator rights and be set back to default mode. Proceed with Protocol Reload?]
Proceed, proceed, proceed!
Luo Binghe has much more important things to worry about than some stupid administrators . Shizun is waiting for him.
[Protocol 'Reload' successfully activated for User Account 002! Data reload ongoing… … ETA: 06:50:39]
That… hopefully means that something will happen… in seven hours? Maybe? Is Luo Binghe interpreting this correctly? There was another countdown, shortly before he woke up here. At some point, it had gotten close to zero and the next thing Luo Binghe remembers is opening his eyes here. Is this the same thing?
Is Shizun going to be in as much pain as Binghe was, prior to waking up in this place? Is Shizun going to be reborn as well? Or is Luo Binghe just helping this world’s Shizun recover from his own troubles?
[...]
Yeah, fine, whatever. He'll figure it out. Luo Binghe is too exhausted to care much for the details now. Eventually, he turns to his side and closes his eyes, snuggling back into the old bed sheets like it hasn’t been well over a decade since he last used it. He digs his nose into his mother’s gift and breathes in the scent desperately. For some reason, the stupid, smelly cloth gives him the peace of mind that he didn’t know he needed.
When the rays of morning sun break through the cracks in the woodshed walls, Ning Yingying comes screaming at him that Shizun is awake. Still bleary from sleep and exhausted from the shocking realizations he’s encountered, Luo Binghe’s reaction is almost non-existent.
However, he doesn’t fail to notice that the countdown notice that’s been going in the corner of his vision since last night is sitting on a bunch of zeros. So Luo Binghe fixes his hair and clothes as he stands up and makes his way out of the woodshed. Ning Yingying rushes back towards the bamboo house, where a bunch of Peak Lords and disciples have already gathered, all too eager to hear the details. Luo Binghe lingers several steps behind, but even as he comes close, he dares not move forward. Frozen in fear, he stands and he waits, until even the Qian Cao Peak Lord steps outside, nodding his confirmation for the others to go in.
Luo Binghe does not move.
But on the inside, it feels like a tight knot in his chest has been undone.
Under his breath, Luo Binghe whispers, “Thank you, System, for saving Shizun for me.”
A window blinks in the corner of his eyes.
[♡⸜(˶˃ ᵕ ˂˶)⸝♡]
It’s a strange answer to see, but Luo Binghe doesn't give it much thought. His mind settles into a state of frigid calm after a very long time.
Shizun is awake. Shizun is alive. As long as that’s true, then Luo Binghe will make do with anything .
Chapter Text
Shen Qingqiu wakes up to a warm, tickling liquid bubbling up deep from his throat. Before he can think to do anything about it, he coughs out a mouthful of blood ─ all over his chest and the pristine white sheets. Instantly, several heads gather around him.
“Shidi!”
“Shen-shixiong!”
“Shizun!”
Oh, fucking hell. Not this again.
Shen Qingqiu opens his eyes for a moment, but he closes them immediately, bringing his arm up to cover his face. But even with his eyes firmly shut, he sees the familiar Windows XP notification regardless.
[The advanced function ‘Self-Saving’ was successfully activated! Role binding completed. Role bound: ‘Shen Qingqiu’. The user’s life points have been restored to their maximum value! We welcome you back to the System!]
God fucking damn it.
Not this, not again. It was supposed to be over. Didn’t Luo Binghe use the last of his power to destroy Xin Mo, taking Shen Qingqiu and himself out in the process? Yet after an undisclosed amount of time spent falling through empty air and shadowy darkness, here he is, again. Back in the bamboo house, on his canopy bed, scented sachets swinging cheerily around like they are laughing at him. Shen Qingqiu is back in his bed, restored back to full health like the greatest piece of shit master to ever walk the planet, and the one person who should have lived through this chaotic mess of a storyline disappeared in front of his eyes in a veil of light, and now he has to─
“Shen-shidi─”
Someone reaches out to him and subconsciously, Shen Qingqiu flinches away from the touch. His fan is in its place, right next to his pillow, so he snaps it open to cover his face. He’s not sure why he’s being so dramatic. This was clearly a reflexive reaction from the other party too ─ Yue Qingyuan, always such a kind and concerned big caring bear ─ but now it’s just, no.
It’s too much. Too soon.
Moments ago, he was still feeling like his insides were splitting apart through the middle, watching his disciple shatter into millions of glowing particles. Now he’s all fine, brimming with almost as much energy as he used to have in that silly plant body. Who knows how long that transition lasted in the outsider’s perspective, but to Shen Qingqiu it feels instant. His body is just there, stitched together and fixed like it hadn’t been falling apart and Luo Binghe is ─ Binghe is…
“Shen-shidi, are you… alright?”
Ah, Sect Leader! Always so kind and observant. Was it obvious that Shen Qingqiu is in the middle of a mental breakdown? What is he even supposed to say? He just got papapa’d to death by his disciple and then watched the said disciple disintegrate before him. But hey, his life points are restored, so he’s fine and dandy! One mental case back on his shaky feet right this instant!
Like hell.
Shen Qingqiu grits his teeth and keeps his fan over his face, in fleeting efforts to hide what little of it he still has left. Since he’s here, back in Cang Qiong Mountain, that means someone had to have found him in that state… somewhere. He remembers holding onto Luo Binge even in his very last moments, desperately clinging to a body of light that turned to dust in front of his eyes.
Whoever found him… they would have found him like that. Shen Qingqiu, with his clothes torn to shreds, legs spread apart, blood everywhere, hugging dust. Anyone would assume the worst and the most upsetting part of it all, they’d be right! Except everything he’s done has been to save one person and one person only ─ and in the end it was all for nothing.
Maybe he should just go and jump off the peak, cut his losses while he still has a chance. What’s even the point in sticking around? Without Binghe─
“Alright, I think he’s made his point,” a stronger voice says. Mu Qingfang, this time. Shen Qingqiu can’t see him, but by the sound of it, he’s ushering multiple people out of the room. Among the protesters, there’s a few well known voices. Qi Qingqi’s stubborn hiss, Liu Qingge’s indignant huff, Ming Fan’s protest which is a little like the sound of a child’s pathetic cry. What a drama queen his disciple is. Shen Qingqiu has somehow gone and made all his disciples into emotional ticking timebombs. What a fantastic master!
But even when they’re all out, disciples and fellow Peak Lords alike, the weight on the corner of Shen Qingqiu’s bed doesn’t go away. Mu Qingfang sighs, all-knowing. “Sect Leader, please?”
Of course, not even he dares kick the Sect Leader out without being super polite about it first. Is it too late to try and transplant some courage points over and let him finish the job? Shen Qingqiu wants his peace and quiet, but does he even have any points left to spare?
[...]
Ha. What a joke.
“Ah, I… I will go,” Yue Qingyuan says, reluctant. “It’s just, all that blood has me worried.”
Mu Qingfang sighs impatiently. “It’s a natural consequence of Qi deviation. I would’ve been more worried if it hadn’t come out. Please understand, Zhangmen-shixiong, I don’t mean to kick you out, but after an ordeal like that, Shen-shixiong requires peace. Any conversation can be saved for later.”
“I understand.” It’s soft and heavy with emotion unsaid, but finally, the weight on the bed shifts.
Shen Qingqiu nods to himself behind his fan. That’s right, that’s right. Tell him, Mu-shidi! Peace and quiet is certainly the best medicine─
Wait a moment. What Qi deviation?!
Shen Qingqiu almost coughs out another mouthful of blood out of sheer indignation. Was this payback for all the times he originally should have died but didn’t? What damn Qi deviation?!
“Shen-shixiong, let me examine your wrist for a moment.” After escorting the Sect Leader out, Mu Qingfang is back to his professional demeanor; even his voice is cool and business-like. He must’ve noticed Shen Qingqiu’s ashen face, otherwise he likely wouldn’t have bothered asking. Shen Qingqiu snaps his fan shut before obediently offering his wrist out of curiosity alone.
Mu Qingfang inspects the energy flow and his meridians, humming to himself in what Shen Qingqiu hopes is satisfied doctor noises. Although he is still a little lightheaded, what with going from gruesome death to perfect health in a matter of moments, at least physically, he feels great. It’s as jarring as it gets.
Mu Qingfang clears his throat as he gently places Shen Qingqiu’s wrist down on the bed. “Well the good news is, your cultivation has made some progress. Once again, at the price of nearly killing himself, Shen-shixiong has achieved remarkable results.”
It’s not exactly sarcasm, but it has its bite. Most of the time, Shen Qingqiu wouldn’t mind a little attitude. He’s given Mu-shidi more headaches than he can count, so nitpicking is fair. But really, now? Mu-shidi hasn’t been this cold to him since… ever. Nothing like a disgraceful near-death to remind him that some stains truly never go away.
“Here,” Mu-shidi says suddenly, offering a… handkerchief?
Shen Qingqiu stares at the white piece of cloth blankly, before looking up at the man offering. He blinks, uncomprehending.
Mu Qingfang says nothing, just tilts his chin, like somehow that explains everything. Shen Qingqiu doesn’t get it, but he takes the handkerchief and pretends like he does. It doesn’t hit him until a moment later that there’s still blood on his clothes and covers, and likely some around his mouth. He wipes a little blindly, and the white cloth comes back stained. He sits like that, with a bloody handkerchief in hand, for a while longer, until Mu Qingfang’s steadily rising eyebrow reaches the stratosphere.
It hits him that the stinging on his cheek has nothing to do with his past experiences, and everything to do with something warm trickling down from his eyes.
Well, as if that isn’t fucking embarrassing.
Shen Qingqiu wipes off the tears with the most grace and elegance he can muster under the circumstances, before folding the handkerchief neatly and placing it in his lap. He swallows, and there is still some of that coppery aftertaste. Disgusting. “Thank you, Mu-shidi,” he says with some dignity.
Mu Qingfang looks at him as if he’s just told the man to piss off.
The Qian Cao Peak Lord is nothing if not a professional, however, and he recovers quickly. Awkwardly, he clears his throat and says, “Well, you know how it goes. You’re fine, for the most part, but maybe don’t stress your meridians for a while. If you still feel off, then your body’s just not used to the current state. It’ll settle, soon enough.”
Yeah, there’s no way Shen Qingqiu is settling for anything, after the shit he’s been through.
He dismisses Mu Qingfang, so that he can change out of the filthy robes and scream in his pillow without even further shredding his dignity. But even once he’s all clean and dressed up, when he buries his face into the pillows, the screams never come. He’s just there, suffocating himself for abso-fucking-lutely nothing, not even a tear. For all he wants to cry, it doesn’t come. Probably because nothing around him feels real. He feels a little like he’s woken up from a scary nightmare, except the nightmare is reality and everyone around him acts like that reality isn’t actually real. Or something. He doesn’t get it, either.
“System, what’s…” he hesitates, words stuck on the tip of his tongue, threatening to choke him. Somehow, he forces them out. “What about Luo Binghe…?”
[The user account’s junior VIP status has no right to make database queries. Thank you for your understanding!]
Now, Shen Qingqiu actually screams. It’s weak and it’s muffled and really, it sounds like a sob… but fuck it. No one’s in the room anymore, who even cares─
A thud comes from the outside, and Shen Qingqiu can’t help a long-suffering sigh. Obviously, he’s forgotten something important ─ the impeccable talent of those disciples of his to be incorrigibly nosy. He turns around to lie face up, before covering up with his fan again.
“Ming Fan!” he barks, and it’s good that he’s prepared ahead of time, because his wreck of a disciple comes running. He doesn’t even try to hide that he’s been caught climbing a log to sneak a look into the bedroom.
“Shizun called?”
Shen Qingqiu opens his mouth, but words betray him. He wants to fall back into the role of the gracious peak master, but he still feels like if he tries to talk, the words he says would inevitably go in the exact opposite direction from what he wants. With great difficulty, he says, “This Master needs a cup of tea and fresh bed sheets.” It’s probably the most self-deprecating, miserable and disgruntled thing he’s ever uttered.
Ming Fan, like the clueless lump of cannon fodder that he is, nods obediently. “Right away, Shizun.” He sounds so young, so eager to please, like a cute little puppy.
“Wait! Before you go─” Already, Shen Qingqiu regrets stopping him. Hasn’t he made enough of a fool of himself? But he can’t not ask. Not after everything. Not after…
He closes his eyes and grits his teeth, trying to keep his voice level. “Ming Fan, tell this Master…Luo Binghe… he… is he…”
He doesn’t know what he’s asking.
He already knows all the answers ─ Luo Binghe’s body and soul shattered in the light in front of his eyes. One moment he was there and the next there was… nothing. It was just a half collapsed Maigu Ridge, with nothing but Shen Qingqiu’s broken body among the wreckage.
He knows this, yet there is a part of him, a tiny piece of his soul that hopes, prays, that the System is bullshitting him, that the stupid Self-Saving thing wasn’t him-only, that there’s still a chance that maybe… just maybe… Argh! What stupid system kills its protagonist, anyway?!
And why is Ming Fan refusing to answer his question?!
“Ming Fan,” he prompts sharply, startling his disciple.
“Ah, Shizun… about Luo Binghe…”
“Never mind. Forget it. I shouldn’t have asked─”
“... he’s locked in the woodshed, still.”
Exactly. Just like Shen Qingqiu expected, it was the worst─
Wait.
“Woodshed?” he croaks, and it sounds a little like he chokes.
Ming Fan shifts his weight from one foot to the other, uncomfortable. “He’s been, uh… locked in the woodshed… ever since… well. Shizun knows.”
What do I know? What woodshed? Who is locked?! Binghe, locked? And Luo Binghe hasn’t broken out of there yet? Impossible. It shouldn’t be any more difficult than plucking a leaf off the tree, what is that silly child thinking─
Somehow, he asks, “How long?”
“A couple days? Ning Yingying went there last night, but I warned her not to…” Ming Fan clearly sounds dismayed that Ning Yingying hasn’t listened, but Shen Qingqiu doesn’t care.
Luo Binghe is in the woodshed.
Luo Binghe is alive.
A part of him is indignant, because if Luo Binghe is fine, then why didn’t that silly child come to see him? After all he’s done just for a little reciprocity, why is his sticky disciple not at his bedside?! He tries not to dwell on it. It’s good as long as his disciple is still there, after turning into a whole lot of nothing. Shen Qingqiu could kiss the System for this back-from-the-dead ass pull, no problem, if only he didn’t have a face to keep in front of his disciples. It takes all his self-control not to scream when he says, “Let him out, now.”
Heck, he wants to go see him, to make sure… but that expression on Luo Binghe’s face, his skin breaking with the demonic power ruining him from the inside, the guilty tears spilling over his cheeks… Shen Qingqiu wants nothing more than to go see him, make sure he is real, he is here, but he fears nothing more than doing… exactly that.
He can’t do it. Not now, not after everything. Maybe, once his flurry of thoughts has settled a little. Maybe, once he is at least sure of what he wants to say, what he can say. This would’ve been easier in the heat of the moment, stuffing it all in a figurative box and chucking it into the Maigu Ridge together with his conscience and all common sense, but that opportunity is long lost. Now he has to face the music responsibly, like an adult, like the only somewhat reasonable mind at the scene of the crime.
What could he even say to those guilty eyes? Binghe did nothing wrong, you just did your Shizun, is all. Shizun is fine with this.
But is he ?
Is he?
No. No, he is not, and it’s got nothing to do with Binghe himself, but everything to do with his absolutely wrecked mental state and the shitty story milking the insanity for all its worth! What is this? Highly toxic love story about a chuunibyou who wants to destroy the world? Who’d want to read that? Who is writing this shit? ARGH.
A system notification helpfully pops up. [The genre of <Proud Immortal Demon Way> has already been modified.] A pink little female gender symbol glows in the corner, and the ‘Danmei’ tag flashes like it’s laughing at him.
The System is such a freaking jerkass.
“Wait,” Shen Qingqiu barks, stopping Ming Fan right as the disciple is about to leave for the second time. Sitting up in his bed, the fan still hiding his face, all of Shen Qingqiu’s nerves vibrate like beehives. “Luo… Luo Binghe… Make sure he’s fed and that he receives any medicine he might need.” Unlikely, as his OP protagonist powers should have healed him already, but it doesn’t matter. “Oh, and find him a place to stay. Somewhere comfortable.”
Not his bamboo house, not yet, please. Not until they can at least talk, or this whole shawarma of confusion in his head might just get worse.
Ming Fan pauses, puzzled. “Shizun, he already stays in the woodshed, isn’t that good enough?”
The bite to those words is strong and bitter, laced with childish petulance that Shen Qingqiu hasn’t heard from Ming Fan since… well, not for a long time. Ming Fan, however, takes that silence to mean something else entirely, because he asks sullenly, “Anything else, Shizun?”
“That’s all,” Shen Qingqiu says, distractedly. Maybe he should call Yue Qingyuan back here. Some retirement plans are long overdue…
He doesn’t, in fact, invite Yue Qingyuan over to discuss retirement. He does, however, call Ning Yingying over, because he most certainly doesn’t have sufficient emotional fortitude to go see the person he wants to see the most. Like a true coward, he also lacks the patience to wait until he does. So interrogating the cute little sister is the exact thing the responsible Peak Master would do. Right? Right.
Except now he’s a little confused.
“Ning Yingying. Did, uh… did you shrink?”
The question slips before he can stop it, but it’s a legit one. Shen Qingqiu has always been proud of just how well most of his disciples have grown out, even if he couldn’t entirely save them from the Original Good’s emotional damage. Still, under his watchful eye, Ning Yingying has gone from an oblivious young girl to a kind and intelligent young woman, truly a work of art!
Except, no, apparently, not really.
What’s standing in front of him is still the cute and adorable Ning Yingying. But she’s… cuter. Her face is rounder, lines of baby fat making her cheeks into these addictive little squeeze-balls… ahem.
Ning Yingying is a midget.
Ning Yingying is a thirteen year old midget that has yet to grow into her mature little-sister beauty and… it’s just not fair.
Shen Qingqiu knows the setting of Proud Immortal Demon Way well. He knows of its thousands of plot-device flowers, papapa pollens and thrice as many questionable wife-plots that thousands of on-demand special lotuses kick off. He is pretty sure that somewhere on that list, there is a revert-to-childhood plant or lotus or device of some kind. The plot is so cliche and ingrained into the genre that there is no chance Airplane-bro would ever miss out. So yes. Applying Airplane-logic, midget Ning Yingying is not that unlikely. Really.
Midget Ming Fan, on the other hand… how did he not notice that before?
Fuck. Shen Qingqiu is pretty confident that even in the world of PIDW, plot device flowers aren’t generally wasted on cannon fodder. Not this way, at any rate.
Both his midget disciples are staring at him with their big, round, childish eyes… Shen Qingqiu snaps his fan open then closed, then open again to cover his expression, physically unable to look at their hopelessly innocent faces.
No. Just, please. Don’t let it be what he fears…
“Actually, Shizun, Yan-shijie says this disciple has grown a little in the past month,” Ning Yingying says dutifully.
Oh for fuck’s sake. System, please don’t tell me you’ve pushed me back to the very beginning…
[...affirmative. Protocol 'Reload' and the ‘Self-Saving’ functionality have automatically been aligned with the User Account 002’s initial activation point.]
Oh.
Oh, shit.
Absolutely horrified, Shen Yuan turns back to stare at his disciples, frozen in his tracks. Ming Fan takes that as permission to speak.
“Shizun, this disciple brought Ning Yingying over. Luo Binghe has also asked to see Shizun, but as per orders, this disciple sent him scurrying. He is now being moved over to… uh, to the dormitory. Would Shizun like for this disciple to do anything else?” he speaks like a petulant child who’s just been forced to clean up a mess someone else made. It’s spoiled and bratty in the most pathetic ways, and it’s the exact same behavior as Shen Qingqiu remembers of him, from the moment he first woke up in the world of Proud Immortal Demon Way.
He… he really should have expected this. There was no way such an expensive option such as 'Self-Saving' would just set his life points to the maximum and leave it at that. Clearly, this System is not only biased against happy endings in whatever form, but blindly dedicated to most obfuscating ass pulls.
It’s almost comical in how tragic it really is.
Luo Binghe is… alive.
But that’s… that’s not his Binghe anymore, is it? His Binghe is… gone. Lost to his own pain and regrets, having made his desperate last ditch effort to destroy something undestroyable. All that’s left now is a ray of sunshine Binghe, a ball of purity and innocence and gentleness who knows nothing other than the cold merciless Shizun, the Shizun who locks him in the woodshed, whips him and pours tea over his head. The very Shizun who might've started the confusing turmoil of feelings inside him, apparently.
Shen Qingqiu doesn’t know what to do with this realization. What if the Original Goods had no hand whatsoever in this? What if it was solely his fault from the beginning? Shen Qingqiu has, in the early days, really done his best to accommodate Luo Binghe in all the ways the System would allow it ─ and okay, perhaps he went a little too far sometimes, but making a Stallion Protagonist gay is certainly the author’s fault, no?
Except, Luo Binghe is clearly more than just a random stallion protagonist and simply thinking of him as a character in a book makes Shen Qingqiu feel sick to his stomach. After everything, there is no way. Could the System really just go and decide to wipe the slate clean and erase everything?
Shit, Shen Qingqiu feels a little lightheaded, yet his chest feels uncomfortably tight. He grips onto his fan as though he’s gripping onto his life, but his heartbeat is so loud in his ears, like someone is pounding on drums inside him. His head spins so bad that the room around him might as well be spinning too.
“Shizun?”
It’s almost a relief when the ground tilts to the side.
“Shizun!”
He hasn’t actually fainted, but maybe it would’ve been better if he had. Within minutes, everyone gathers in his bedroom again, and he has to watch multiple heads crowd around him while he can’t get his breathing in order… Really, is this not embarrassing enough? Does he have any face left to lose? He just wants some peace and quiet, okay? Why does it have to be like this?
“Qi deviation again? So soon?” Yue Qingyuan asks, the Sect Leader’s voice steady, but chock full of unvoiced concerns.
Really, Sect Leader, it’s not worth it. I’m just panicking. Give me a minute. Crowding around a person suffering a full-blown panic attack is the exact opposite of what you should be doing!
“No, I’m pretty sure it’s not,” Mu Qingfang says, but he’s gone from examining Shen Qingqiu’s wrist to inspecting his chest and really, if he pushes those robes to the side just a little further with all these people watching, Shen Qingqiu is going to lose it.
Thankfully, Mu-shidi stops soon enough, unfolding his sleeves. “Physically, everything’s fine. Nothing’s wrong with his Qi flow, but the heartbeat is a little rushed. Like I said, not at all unusual after the Qi deviation he suffered, since the body still has to adjust. Something similar might repeat once or twice, but it’s not a major cause for concern.”
And that, Shen Qingqiu thinks, is what’s called a doctor’s misdiagnosis, the kind that kills people. Nothing is fine and he is very concerned.
He waves the mass of people off dismissively with his fan ─ bye, bye ─ before simply keeling over his pillow out of sheer misery. Once upon a time, something like this, feeling like he’s suffocating to death, would have constituted an emergency of the highest order. It would have sent him into a downward spiral of endless panic and countless strings of curses as the dreadful realization comes down on him that it’s over. No cheating the plot, no coming back from the dead, no restart button. Oh my! My points are gone! I’M GOING TO DIE!
Actually, there might still be a part of him, somewhere deep down, that is appropriately panicking at this highly catastrophic time travel scenario. Maybe.
Mostly, Shen Qingqiu is just thinking: Damn you, shitty System! Damn your time travel bullshit. Damn your self-saving!
Small Scenario Pusher Luxury Edition, what a fucking scam. Shen Qingqiu is done with this System, with this plot, with this world.
Maybe he should call Yue Qingyuan back over and start working on that retirement plan after all.
Notes:
Y'know, the best thing about SQQ's pov is the sheer amount of insanity rolling in his head that nobody else will ever know about and we love him for it
Chapter Text
Shen Qingqiu watches from afar as Luo Binghe hugs an old pillow close to his chest. He walks with his shoulders hunched over and a slight limp, but his gaze full of rage is directed at every single person who has so far attempted to take that pillow from him. In other words, nearly half his new dormitory.
It’s a dirty, old thing, handmade and clearly a single tear away from entirely falling apart, but Luo Binghe holds onto that pillow like it’s the most precious thing in the world. About four different arguments have erupted over that pillow since early this morning. The other disciples called it ugly and smelly and threw it out the window, shouting at the girls who were hanging outside to throw it into the trash.
Qing Jing Peak raised no maids, however, so one of the elder disciple sisters picked the pillow up and threw it right back where it came from, hitting Ming Fan square in the face. It’s been pure chaos ever since.
At some point, Shen Qingqiu found himself a handful of sunflower seeds and just hid on top of a nearby tree to watch.
Luo Binghe, the sweet white sheep, bright ray of warm sun, innocently clueless protagonist, has done all he could to protect that poor pillow from all the undue attention it’s gotten, but in the process of it getting thrown around left and right, it sustained quite some damage. Shen Qingqiu’s heart clenches a little tighter with every new scratch, rip or stain he spots.
This has been going for several long hours and everyone is at the end of their wits. Even the most patient monk would have lost their balls by now. That’s precisely why Shen Qingqiu is so dedicatedly watching.
In other words, he trusts not a single word from the bullshitting System, nor a performative action. Self-Safing? What damn Self-Saving? Better just call it the World’s Sneakiest Reset button. What’s more, Shen Qingqiu is not entirely sure if this Reset button is even a reset button in the real sense of the world. In what world does Luo Binghe spend five nights starving and hanging up his wrists in the woodshed, with no food or water? In what world does Luo Binghe hold onto a dirty pillow like his lifeline while everybody else goes about making his life that much more miserable for just daring to move into the dorms?
Seriously. If bullies were so easy to deal with, Shen Qingqiu would have just gone and made it a public order not to bully Luo Binghe, but that will just make those silly children sneakier and Luo Binghe in the early days is nothing but everybody’s punching bag.
This problem requires a different solution, a very black lotus protagonist type of solution.
And with every next time that Luo Binghe’s pillow gets flung out of the dormitory window, the closer that naive and gentle child comes to turning into a full on blackened monster.
Shen Qingqiu supports this development wholeheartedly. Go, Luo Binghe! Put those brats back in their place! Grow some spine before the evil sword mind-rapes you into committing genocide!
Give me some sign, please, that you’re the Binghe that I’m looking for.
Nothing meaningful happens, though.
After a while of back and forth, the poor pillow gets thrown around like a hot potato until there’s nothing left of it but shredded pieces on the ground. Eventually, Luo Binghe stops coming out of the dorm to pick it up. Shen Qingqiu waits patiently for any signs of an argument or perhaps some signs of violent confrontation over it, but nothing happens. The sun goes down and eventually the windows are all firmly shut and the curtains drawn, and Shen Qingqiu can see it in his mind’s eye, the image of young Luo Binghe curling into a ball on top of his bed and mutely crying himself to sleep.
While something like this has never happened in the original Proud Immortal Demon Way, Shen Qingqiu remembers a scene dedicated to Ming Fan throwing a pillow down a cliff at some point. He’s not made the connection that the pillow might’ve held some deeper meaning until now.
It’s really unfair.
Hours into the night, after Shen Qinqgqiu has already taken a long walk around the peak with no one to bother him, he comes back to the clearing behind the dorms to find the pieces of the pillow in the same place where he left them. With nothing better to do, he picks up the pieces one by one, taking care to pick up even the smallest one, and takes them back to the bamboo house. He’s bored and can’t sleep. Might as well amuse himself a little.
The next morning, Liu Qingge kicks open the door of the bamboo house hard enough to crack the wall. A single teacup topples off of a nearby shelf and hits the ground, shattering to pieces. The main culprit doesn’t even glance at it, as he stomps inside without so much as taking off his shoes.
“Oi! Shen Qingqiu!” he roars, only to come to a complete stop out of sheer bewilderment.
Shen Qingqiu, for his part, doesn’t look up from where he’s adding the finishing touches to his pillowcase embroidery. He hasn’t slept a wink all night, doing this. He will not let the Bai Zhan brute ruin this for him!
Ah, what a good job, really. Shen Qingqiu is tempted to wipe a fake tear from his cheek. Such masterful work! An elegant mixture of fresh greens and white silk, woven into an intricate streak of leaves carried by the wind, almost identical to the original except for some small details he had to amend for aesthetic pleasure. Clearly, the skill of the four arts that the Original Goods mastered translates great to fancy needlework. Who would have guessed?
“What the hell are you doing?” Liu Qingge growls, looking as green in the face as the leaves on the pillowcase. He might actually throw up.
Shen Qingqiu takes the needle from between his lips and puts it aside, admiring his work. “It’s called artistry, Shidi. Mastery of flair and finesse, not that you would know what any of those words mean. What are you doing in my humble abode in this wee hour of the morning?”
“What the hell is wrong with you?” Liu Qingge grumbles, like a true art enthusiast would. Without waiting for the answer, he plops into the empty seat across from Shen Qingqiu, glaring at the work-of-art pillow restored to absolute perfection like it somehow offends him. Then, unceremoniously, he pulls out a stack of papers from his Qiankun pouch and dumps them in front of Shen Qingqiu.
Shen Qingqiu slowly puts away his sewing tools, but he can’t bear to part with the pillow quite yet. Setting it down in his lap, he eyes the stack suspiciously. “What is this?”
“The work you’re refusing to do, so it’s been passed over to me,” Liu Qingge says, but he may as well be seething. Shen Qingqiu is a little surprised that the Bai Zhan War God hasn’t drawn his sword yet, given how much steam is exploding out of his ears.
“Ah, that,” he comments dismissively, adding fuel to the already raging fire. “What do you expect Shixiong to do about it?”
“That’s it! Shen Qingqiu! I’m going to fucking kill you!” Liu Qingge slams his fists down on the table between them, scattering the paperwork everywhere. Fortunately, Shen Qingqiu has put the sewing tools away in time, or someone could have gotten hurt. His eyes linger on a single piece of paper from the freshly disheveled pile, chest heavy with recognition.
Liu Qingge’s sharp eyes naturally catch what he’s looking at, and he crosses his arms over at his chest. “Yes, that . Shuang Hu city, nine dead. Why the fuck is that labeled as a training exercise?”
Shen Qingqiu stares at him blankly. “... I don’t know. It’s the Skinner, isn’t it?”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Liu Qingge snaps. “The Skinner types are a fucking joke, everyone knows that. Why would your Peak bother with these? Don’t we usually forward these straight to the smaller sects?
“... do we?”
“What the hell is wrong with you? Are you still loony from the Qi deviation? It’s been days─!”
“Shidi should not talk so carelessly, given your own tendency towards Qi deviations,” Shen Qingqiu mumbles under his breath, which earns him a whole lot of embarrassing sputtering and a brand new set of death threats.
Seriously. The ever devotedly reliable Great Master Liu is normally much cuter than this. Shen Qingqiu is tempted to push this battle obsessed maniac into a Qi deviation just so he can save him from it faster.
“Don’t bother with this, it’s not worth the effort,” he says instead, sighing deeply. Ha! Take that, shitty System! This Peak Lord won’t be falling for your stupid easy mode bullshit again!
[...]
“Someone has to do it, otherwise it wouldn’t have ended up on my plate,” Liu Qingge hisses. “So you’re fine if I just pass it over to another sect?”
“Asking me? Shidi, are you okay with it? I couldn’t care less about what happens to this Skinner demon.”
“Fine,” Liu Qingge snaps. “And the rest of this?”
Shen Qingqiu glances back over the pile of messy papers all over his low table and grimaces slightly. He thinks about it for a few moments. Then solemnly, he takes the pillow from his lap and places it beside him so he can stand up. His bones and muscles complain at the movement after the many hours he’s spent sitting in the same position, but he pays it no mind. At Liu Qingge’s questioning look, he gravely says, “Shidi, follow me.”
Naturally, Liu Qingge mouths off a bunch of complaints at him, but he follows. He grows more and more silent as it slowly becomes clear what Shen Qingqiu’s destination is.
All the disciples greet them respectfully on the way, but someone must have broken off from the crowd to inform the Sect Leader, because by the time Shen Qingqiu and Liu Qingge reach Qiong Ding Peak’s Grand Pavilion, both the Sect Leader and Mu Qingfang are already waiting for them. No doubt, the two must’ve been talking behind his back again.
“Shidi,” Yue Qingyuan says cautiously, clearly unsure whether to be encouraged by this visit or concerned.
“I have an announcement to make,” Shen Qingqiu says, uncaring of the odd looks that the statement earns him. Some things need to be nipped in the bud, before they can grow into oversized man-eating plants. Besides, Shen Qingqiu really, really doesn’t feel like doing the same paperwork all over again.
“An… announcement?” Sect Leader Yue blinks owlishly. “What kind of an announcement?”
“You’ll hear in due time. Just invite everyone over.”
Liu Qingge almost punches him for the lack of respect in his tone, but Shen Qingqiu willfully ignores it. He’s not being rude for the fun of it! There is a point to this.
Admittedly, in his first draft of this plan, Shen Qingqiu had intended for everyone to show up, Masters and disciples alike, but that’s not how the Sect Leader understood it, and maybe it’s for the better. More importantly, not all the Peak Lords are currently present at the Cang Qiong Mountain, which is perfectly normal. Outside of actual crisis and world-breaking emergencies, it’s nigh impossible for the twelve Peak Masters to gather on a whim.
It takes a while for the Peak Lords to show up, but a solid eight of them makes an appearance, eventually, which is more than Shen Qingqiu could have hoped for. That’s just three absences, including Airplane-bro. Which, hey, even better. Wouldn’t be fun to ruin the game from the very beginning.
“That’s everybody, I presume?” Sect Leader Yue says, eventually, and a few people share glances between each other before nodding affirmatively.
“Shang Qinghua is on a mission, Huan Qingyan is out assisting some temple or other again, and no one knows where Hou Qingyu is, as usual,” Qi Qingqi rattles off impatiently. “So, why are we here?”
“Ah, well.” Yue Qingyuan clears his throat awkwardly, before his eyes land on Shen Qingqiu like laser pointers. “Shen-shidi, will you take it from here?”
“It’s nothing much,” Shen Qingqiu says dismissively, appearing even more bored with the whole proceedings, if at all possible. Once he’s sure that he’s got everyone’s pissed and undivided attention, he adds, almost as an afterthought, “In spite of my appearances here as I currently sit in front of you, I’m not actually Shen Qingqiu.”
For a moment, the silence is deafening.
Then the entire meeting room descends into chaos.
Shen Qingqiu wishes he’d remembered to bring the sunflower seeds with him. It would have been worth it for the look of pure shock on Yue Qingyuan’s face alone.
In spite of his opening line casting the entire Cang Qiong Mountain sect into an instant pandemonium, Shen Qingqiu does have a very long list of reasons as to why it had to be done. He doesn’t need to go much further than the gathering itself. Just a few choice words, and Yue Qingyuan gathered everyone on his behalf without so much as one question.
The identity of Shen Qingqiu comes with incredible power.
Somewhere deep inside, Shen Yuan has known that from the start. Instead of taking deeper consideration and putting more thought into what that name represents in-universe, Shen Yuan has instead spent years and years wasting away and worrying about his role as the scum villain ─ without it ever crossing his mind that the role can and will be changed as the new storyline unfolds.
Well. He’s learned a thing or two from that disastrous run. And no matter what, Shen Yuan won’t make the same mistake twice.
Case in point: if the role can be changed, why can’t other things be changed as well?
Scum villain-turned-love interest Shen Qingqiu is now water under the bridge. That person has never existed in this world. On the other hand, the pure scum Shen Qingqiu hasn’t actually committed any atrocities that would have sparked his villain career yet, the Qiu family massacre notwithstanding. He will cross that bridge when he gets to it.
The point is, he’s sick and tired of the System pushing narratives on him however it pleases. Screw that BL-fantasy schtick. Screw the scum villain status. Shen Qingqiu is most certainly not going to bend over backwards to fit the role of a shy and bashful shou, nor is he going to take the human stick's fate lying down. The original protagonist ripping his limbs off once was painful enough. His Luo Binghe tearing him apart from the inside destroyed them both in the end.
Now he’s back to square one and Shen Qingqiu knows better. He has to know better, do better, think better.
He can’t shut himself in a box and let the rules of narrative exploration throw him around like a ragdoll in a fucking tornado. He is Shen Yuan, goddamn it! He’s a spoiled, lazy brat from the modern world stuck in the body of a cultivator with attitude issues, but he’s not a prisoner. The System can limit him, punish him, maybe even kill him… but Shen Yuan has already seen his whole world fall apart in front of his eyes. He’s died enough times that he doesn’t have it in him to be afraid anymore.
If he dies, he dies.
But as long as he’s alive, there are still countless things he can do, countless things he should do.
Reclaiming his name is just the first on the list.
Cang Qiong Mountain’s Shen Qingqiu is many things: an arrogant prick, an overly proud dumbass and a nasty child abuser. But he is not the evil bastard that the Proud Immortal Demon Way made him into, not entirely. And he is most definitely not Shen Yuan. Wearing those shoes once was more than enough. They don’t fit him and he doesn’t want them anymore. He’s got better things to do with his time than become the narrative punching bag for the second time.
“So, your name is… Shen Yuan… and you come from… an alternate reality?” Yue Qingyuan speaks very slowly and very carefully, as though terrified he might’ve gotten the whole thing right. In his eyes, it’s clear that every fiber of his being is hoping that the words coming out of his mouth are just utter nonsense, but the reality ─ or rather, Shen Yuan himself ─ keeps bashing those hopes into the ground mercilessly.
“Have I not repeated that enough times by now?” Shen Yuan retorts, not even bothering to keep up a shred of politeness anymore. It doesn’t benefit him whatsoever and instead it just seems to further be playing with the Sect Leader’s complicated feelings.
It’s been a while since his single sentence took the whole sect by the storm. How long, Shen Yuan isn’t sure, because almost immediately, he’s been assaulted and bound with Immortal Binding Cables, only to unceremoniously be thrown into a holding cell in Qiong Ding Peak’s basement to wait for his interrogation.
That said, this conversation has been going for a while and it’s been going in circles with next to no progress whatsoever. Yue Qingyuan’s mind seems like it’s breaking.
On the other hand, Shen Yuan’s head is killing him due to the bright red warnings flashing in the corner of his vision and, since clearly that hasn’t been enough, the System has been playing fire truck siren into his ears like someone is beating on the drum directly inside his ear canal.
Really, if he’d known this would be the result, perhaps he would have thought of a better way to deliver the news. As it is, though, there is very little he can do now to fix things ─ and obviously, Yue Qingyuan is not going to have an easy time of it, either. His face has been having that odd greenish tint ever since he got here.
“What─” he begins to say, but then his voice breaks, and it takes him a few moments to string together the words he intends to say. “What happened to the owner of this body?”
“I don’t know,” Shen Yuan says honestly, biting at his tongue before he can ramble off his many different assumptions. It won’t do any good and he doesn’t know anything for sure anyway. Who knows, the Original Goods could just as easily be sleeping off his headache in a brothel somewhere. Or he could be entirely wiped out of existence. Or maybe sunbathing somewhere on the Mediterranean using Shen Yuan’s parents’ money. Who the heck knows? Shen Yuan would certainly like to know, cause he has quite a few things to say to that bastard ─ but he’s as clueless as everybody else. And clearly, Yue Qingyuan isn’t buying that.
The glare the sect leader directs him would scare a lesser person to death. Shen Yuan only holds on to his courage because he truly has no reason to fear. Everything he’s saying now is actually true.
Still, under the pressure of those heavy eyes, he clears his throat. “The Qi deviation he suffered is obviously not an accident. But it’s not instigated by me, either. When I went about my day, I never imagined I would next wake up in the body of a stranger.”
Yue Qingyuan is silent for a very long time. When he speaks, his voice falters briefly, but it’s steadier than before. “Then, are you… are you the alternate version of my Shidi? His soul from a different life?”
Shen Yuan is momentarily stumped. What? “No…?” he manages, but he doesn’t sound very convincing, so he quickly adds, “At least, I don’t think so. We don’t have anything in common. Shouldn’t reincarnated souls be similar in some ways? We don’t even look alike. For one, I’m much shorter.”
“Oh.” Yue Qingyuan keeps staring at him, and the longer he does it, the more uncomfortable it gets. “You have the same family name.”
“So what?” Shen Yuan explodes. “Where I come from, that’s a damn common name! No relation whatsoever!”
“Is it the same written character?”
… again, Shen Yuan is stumped. “You know what? I’m not having this argument. The point is, I’m not your damn Peak Lord. And I’m not any weirdass alternate reality version of him, either. I’m just me. Shen Yuan. Take it or leave it.”
“... Then, do you have a way to bring him back?”
“Do I look like a magician to you?”
“A… a what?” Yue Qingyuan blinks.
“... forget it.” Very tiredly, Shen Yuan covers his face with his hands. At least, they’ve bound the Immortal Binding Cables in a way that still allows him to move. It’s limited, but hey, still better than nothing. It offers him a little cover from all the exposing he’s performed under duress. After a moment, he says, “Do I look to you like I really want to be here? Because I actually don’t. I really don’t. If I could, I’d put your Shidi right back in this place and go back home, never to look back. I would. I’m not the one who made this choice and I don’t know how to fix it. I’m telling you all this because you’re the genius here. If there’s anyone who can figure this out, they’re right here, in this sect. In this room.”
Sect Leader Yue stares at him for a very long time. Eventually, he says, “You seem rather familiar with the inside workings of this sect for someone who claims they woke up in the body of a stranger.”
Shen Yuan grimaces. Damn nitpicker. Why does he catch every detail so expertly? Sect Leader Yue is really too good at this. He takes a deep breath. “... I told you. I’m from a world that is very different from this one. That is to say, where I come from, the tale of Cang Qiong Mountain as a whole is common knowledge to almost everybody. Or, maybe better to say, to anyone who wants to know about it, researching it is just a matter of opening a book.”
“So what you’re saying is, you opened the book?”
“... devoured it,” Shen Yuan mumbles under his breath. “Long story short, I probably know more about this sect than even you. Not that it’s useful knowledge, because now that I’m here, certainly things won’t play out the way I know they did. Anyway, that’s not the point─”
“And how did things play out for this sect where you come from?” Yue Qingyuan asks pointedly, almost as if he’s making a test out of it.
Shen Yuan refuses to play this game, refuses to weave in more lies with the truth, refuses to keep up the game of deception. He says, “All good things come to an end, eventually.” At that dangerous look in the Sect Leader’s eyes, he adds, “If anyone knows the reason for it, it’s you, Sect Leader. I’m not about to go around spilling your secrets for all the curious eavesdroppers to listen in, but I’ll say this much. For as long as there is something in this world that you care about even a little, you better never, ever draw that sword.”
All color drains from Yue Qingyuan’s face. He reaches for the hilt of his sword almost instantly, only to hesitate when the realization dawns on him. “You…”
“Mm, I know,” Shen Yuan confirms. “I know a whole lot of other things, too. I wasn’t going to tell you that, but doubt and mistrust are enemies to success. Sect Leader Yue, I wish no harm to your sect nor any of your people. I may not be one of them, but I have no reason to get in the way of anything you’ve built here. I’d rather we both put in the effort into helping each other than waste time squabbling and interrogating each other. I know that trust isn’t easy to build and I can’t promise that our interests will stay aligned until the very end. But trust this one thing. There is not a single person in this sect I would hurt if I can help it.”
“Because you already know how it all will come to an end?” Yue Qingyuan asks softly.
“Because I know that it doesn’t have to end that way,” Shen Yuan corrects him. “I don’t know if what I’m doing is the right thing. But I’m not the kind of person that will bend to the winds of fate, either. You want your Shidi back and I want to go home. Whether we work together to achieve this, or apart, the choice is yours to make.”
“Very well, then,” Yue Qingyuan says.
Unexpectedly, Shen Yuan feels the Immortal Binding Cables come apart around him, slipping to the floor with a single cut from a dagger hidden inside Yue Qingyuan’s sleeve. In surprise, he stares up at the man, but the sharp glint in the Sect Leader’s eyes is impossible to read. In all fairness, the only reason Shen Yuan has even bothered saying all this was ─ well, it wasn’t a nice reason. A means of control, really, something to keep the Sect Leader busy looking for a solution that may not exist. Shen Yuan already knows his way back is only death, but Yue Qingyuan doesn’t need to know that.
In fact, as long as Yue Qingyuan thinks there’s something else out there, he will busy himself searching for that something, no matter how unlikely. As long as he thinks there is a way to save his childhood friend, it will keep him going, keeping him from entirely breaking down, surrendering to the fate of the original in PIDW and all the more so, it will keep him away from the jaws of suicidal tendencies that Shen Yuan had barely wrangled him away from in the last run.
So yeah. He is lying through his fucking teeth just to give this man the reason to keep going no matter what. Not very honorable, but eh. Screw honor. Shen Yuan hates this fucking story.
“You say you want to build trust and achieve the same goal,” Yue Qingyuan comments slowly. “You make many dangerous assumptions, but you spin your words well. You say you are nothing like my Shidi, yet you speak the same way he would, given half a chance. Fine, then. If you want my trust, you will need to earn it. And I will only offer you one way to do so.”
Just as Shen Yuan is about to correct him, a familiar sword lands directly into his arms. The comfortable weight of Xiu Ya settles in his hand and Shen Yuan gawks.
“Fight me,” Yue Qingyuan says sharply. “Do that, and then maybe I will consider your words as something other than the ramblings of a mentally debilitated spirit.”
… Well, shit.
Shen Yuan gulps, very audibly. Goddamn isekai tropes. Why…? Isn’t there some other way to solve this? Like, a civil conversation, maybe? Why does everything need to turn violent so quickly? Damn you, Airplane! Once I get my hands on you, you’re toast!
To do that, though, he needs to survive going up against the Sect Leader first.
Shit, shit, shit, shit!
What in the world made him open his stupid mouth?!
Shen Yuan regrets everything.
Notes:
LBH: *frantically trying to keep the white lotus act while committing mass murder in his head*
SQQ, watching from the shadows: GO BINGHE, KICK THEIR ASS, COME ON
Chapter 4: Possessed
Summary:
Shen Yuan tempts fate. Fate strikes back.
Notes:
Trigger warning for gore, I guess?
Anyone who survived the ghost spiders in canon should be fine though
Chapter Text
“Everyone! Breaking news! I repeat, breaking news! Shizun and the Sect Leader are fighting!”
Luo Binghe, coincidentally smack in the middle of a fight himself, forgets all that he’s been thinking and slams Ming Fan’s face directly into the dirt and keeps it there, as he looks up at the senior sister who brought the news.
“What did you just say?” he asks ─ too early, damn it, because not a moment later, Ming Fan elbows him directly into his nose. Which, ow. Luo Binghe clearly forgot what pain feels like, because this shit hurts. Not to mention, Ming Fan keeps elbowing him around until he finally wrestles himself free ─ only to do the exact same thing Luo Binghe did a moment ago.
“What did you say?!” he all but cries, almost grabbing the senior sister by the hem of her robes.
The girl is staring at both of them, taking in the sight of all the dirt, the blood and the grime on the two disciples, and her nose scrunches up in disgust. “Ew. What have you been doing?”
“Forget that! Didn’t you just say Shizun was fighting?!” Ming Fan shouts.
“Aren’t Shizun and the Sect Leader always fighting?” someone else asks, which almost earns them a smack from Ming Fan directly.
“They argue, that’s different,” Ming Fan insists. “They’ve never actually… Are they trading blows? Sword fighting? Training? What is it?”
“If you want to know so bad, go run to Qiong Ding Peak yourself,” the senior martial sister shoots back at him. “I’m only telling you what I heard.”
Still, she’s not the only one to come back with such an unusual piece of news. A few more older disciples come running, hurriedly whispering amongst themselves as though they’re saying something shocking. Luo Binghe and Ming Fan’s violent confrontation ─ the third one today ─ is long forgotten in the wake of whatever all these senior disciples are sharing between themselves. And the only ones pushed aside and ignored, all due to their dirty and smelly state of dress, are the two of them.
After grudgingly changing clothes and cleaning up, Ming Fan goes around the mass of people hurriedly whispering like a child, jumping up and down in hopes that he’ll find his way in on the juicy gossip, but eventually the crowd disperses. In the meantime, Luo Binghe and Ming Fan are both left behind in the dust, with only Ning Yingying standing there to scowl at them.
Huffing, Ming Fan fixes his clean robes and pretends the fight did not at all happen, before saying, “Ning-shimei, oh our warm ray of sunshine. Clearly, you must have heard what the senior disciples were saying. What in the world is happening?”
If anything, Ning Yingying makes a weird grimace at him. “Don’t want.”
“Don’t want what? Don’t want to tell me? Shimei, who else has taken care of you so well as I did? Tell this shixiong, what is happening?!”
Ning Yingying just shakes her head more rapidly. “Don’t want, don’t want, don’t want!” Then she runs off as well, leaving two very stunned boys to stare at each other.
After a moment, Ming Fan pokes at Luo Binghe’s chest with his finger. “This is your fault.”
Luo Binghe doesn’t spare him a thought. He just grabs that wrist and twists it up until Ming Fan is twitching before him with all his limbs and bones sticking out at weird angles, crying out, “Enough! Enough! Enough already! You made your point! I won’t touch a single thing of yours ever again! Ow, ow, ow! Fine! I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I called your stupid jade fake, but I only did it cause it’s true─ fucking ouch!”
“Will you try to touch that again?” Luo Binghe asks, his voice perfectly controlled.
“I won’t! I won’t! I won’t! I promise!”
“And my pillow?”
“It’s already gone─ow, ouch, ow─ okay, okay! I’ll go dumpster diving to find it if I have to, just let me go!”
Luo Binghe makes a show of pretending to be thinking about it for much longer than it’s truly necessary, but eventually, he does release Ming Fan’s wrist. Then he dusts his hands off, and says snidely, “Should’ve just said that from the start. Would have saved you a lot of trouble.”
Rubbing at his aching wrist, Ming Fan mumbles, “Who could’ve known it mattered so much… I won’t touch your stuff anymore. You’re way too scary when you’re angry. If people knew how mean you can be, they’d stop bullying you much faster.”
“You don’t know a thing about what I’m like when I’m truly angry,” Luo Binghe informs him absentmindedly. “What they said about Shizun… do you think that’s true?”
“What? That Shizun is fighting the Sect Leader?” Ming Fan frowns. “They’re not exactly fond of each other to start with… but I do think it’s odd. I don’t remember anyone ever provoking Shizun into a fight other than Liu-shishu, and I have a much harder time imagining that the Sect Leader would do that.”
“Same,” Luo Binghe says. “Shizun wouldn’t fight the Sect Leader. He respects the Sect Leader too much. Let’s go and hear the rest of the story. Something else must have happened.”
Ming Fan follows him obediently, but under his breath, he mutters, “Respect? What respect? Don’t you have a very warped image of what that word means?”
Luo Binghe ignores him entirely. It’s true that Shizun has a strange relationship with the Sect Leader, but the other disciples haven’t seen how much Shizun truly respects that man. It’s enough to make Luo Binghe’s stomach twist and gnarl in protest at the sight of it. They most certainly would not fight, not unless something very serious is amiss. But what could that be?
No matter how much he thinks about it, Luo Binghe can’t think of anything. Not about Shizun from this time, nor Shizun that held Luo Binghe in his arms until his very last moments. For a moment, he was hopeful that this could be the sign that Shizun here is his Shizun, the very Shizun who stayed with him until the end… but now he doesn’t dare to wish it, because that Shizun would never show any kind of disrespect to Yue Qingyuan, no matter what.
It doesn’t take long to find a disgruntled senior running around, eager to spread the rumors. Luo Binghe is small and scrawny for a fourteen-year old, but Ming Fan next to him is nowhere near as hopeless and for once, their goals are aligned. Ming Fan grabs the senior by the scruff of his uniform and says, “Alright, spill it.”
And so the senior tells them everything.
About Shizun calling a Peak Lord meeting, about Shizun getting possessed by an evil spirit and brutally fighting the Sect Leader to death and winning…
Luo Binghe doesn’t listen to the rest of the nonsense. Next to him, Ming Fan laughs at it and calls it all bullshit, but Luo Binghe’s head is spinning. What if it’s not bullshit? What if this is somehow his fault? What if that stupid System somehow tricked him─
[...]
You shut up! What have you done to Shizun?!
[...]
[User account 002 is currently active and running. No abnormalities detected. Does the Protagonist want to run the System Security Check protocol?]
Luo Binghe shudders at the mere sight of the word ‘protocol’ lingering in the corner of his vision. Hell no. He’s had it with the headaches and the protocols and… whatever this is. Obviously, something is wrong with Shizun. That may or may not be his fault. Regardless, until Luo Binghe finds out what is wrong and how to fix it, this System thing is not to be trusted.
“I need to go to the library,” he says.
“To the library? Now? At this hour?” Ming Fan is stunned.
“If Shizun is actually possessed, then I have to do something─” but just as Luo Binghe turns around to go, he bumps face-first into something very strong and very firm. It hurts his already aching nose to the point he yelps and covers it to protect it ─ only to realize that the smell assaulting his senses is somehow very familiar, very alluring. An odd heat builds up inside him ─ only for Luo Binghe to look up and all his nerves to cease functioning.
“If your Shizun is possessed, what are you going to do?” a familiar voice asks, very dry, very bored, very…
Luo Binghe shudders slightly. The person standing in front him is none other than Shizun in all his fame and glory. He is also currently glaring daggers directly at Luo Binghe, Ming Fan and even the rumor-spreading senior, all of whom are currently very, very afraid.
“S-Shizun,” Luo Binghe’s voice falters. The person in front of him is definitely Shizun, no doubt about it. Luo Binghe has seen demonic possessions, he’s seen evil spirits taking control over the human body, he’s seen dark magic used to take over the mind. All of them have very obvious signs, very dangerous consequences. Currently, the Shen Qingqiu standing in front of Luo Binghe is exhibiting none of them.
Relieved, he gets down on his knees and bows his head. “This disciple was careless. Shizun, please punish me.”
“Whatever for?” Shizun replies flippantly, pulling a fan from out of his sleeve and playing with it. “You’re not wrong. Your Shizun’s body truly is possessed. By me.”
Luo Binghe’s blood runs cold. Very slowly, he looks up, to find his Shizun’s face grinning down at him, in a way that Shizun has never done before.
“Surprised?” the not-Shizun says, snapping his fan open, then shut, open, then shut. “It’s true. I’m not actually Shen Qingqiu. What were you planning to do about it?”
Luo Binghe’s hands are shaking. His instincts are battling his senses, screaming at him that something is amiss, but he can’t figure out what it is. Shizun is behaving very oddly, but he doesn’t feel odd. If it were truly an evil spirit possessing him, Luo Binghe would be able to tell. Evil spirits reek─
Except, no they don’t.
Evil spirits only started reeking like rotten eggs after the seal on Luo Binghe’s demonic blood disappeared. Before that, Luo Binghe’s senses weren’t much different from an ordinary cultivator’s senses. An evil spirit possession, dark magic or demonic possession ─ for Luo Binghe the half-Heavenly Demon, all of those are easy to identify. For a highly skilled human cultivator, it would be difficult, but not impossible. For a scrawny fourteen-year-old with a broken meridian system who has spent years cultivating with a wrong manual, it’s an exercise in futility.
“Hahaha, that’s a good joke, Shizun,” Ming Fan says awkwardly, to ease the tension. “I didn’t know Shizun had such a good sense of humor.”
“Oh, do I look like I’m kidding?” the not-Shizun replies, smiling with all his teeth. “I’m not. If you don’t believe me, that’s fine. Tomorrow, your Shibo will come and inform you how this Peak will operate from now on. I’m only here to get my hands on some blackmail material before I’m truly imprisoned.”
“... what?” Ming Fan says, very shakily. “Ha ha ha…” but he stops bothering with the pathetic act, because not-Shizun does not stop smiling.
“Well, have a nice evening, then,” the not-Shizun says. Then he leaps over them with the kind of flashy qinggong technique that Shizun would never use, disappearing in the sunset in a flash.
“That’s… I’m not crazy, right?” the senior disciple mumbles, rubbing his eyes. “We all saw that, right?”
“Yeah, we did.” Ming Fan nods blankly, head swinging around a little like a broken pendulum.
His knees still on the ground, Luo Binghe clenches his fists. “I have to fix this,” he whispers.
“Fix what? Obviously, something’s broken, but how are you going to go about fixing it─”
But Luo Binghe pays no mind to what anyone says anymore. Clearly, using that protocol reload bullshit did nothing to help Shizun, but everything to harm him. In his desperation to do something for Shizun, Luo Binghe has once again gone and made things worse.
Picking himself up to his feet, Luo Binghe doesn’t ever look behind. Fear and hesitation evaporating, he sets his determination on a single minded goal and pursues it relentlessly. No matter what, he must bring Shizun back.
And he’s going to start by figuring out what the hell this damn System thing is.
“So, to summarize. Qi-shimei will reach out to Shang-shidi, make sure he receives the news on time and bring back all the items that Wu-shidi has requested. Mu-shidi will reach out to Huan-shimei and invite her back to prepare for the exorcisms, if deemed required. Finally, Wei-shidi, you have permission to send out a team to retrieve the stolen weapons as reported earlier this morning. Any other questions?”
Sect Leader Yue’s words are met with absolute silence.
As much as Liu Qingge wants to complain about the Sect Leader not allowing him to bash in that damn impersonator’s head, he holds back. As instinctive, battle-loving being that Liu Qingge is, even he knows when to back off. Whatever it is that’s been going on with Shen Qingqiu has affected the Sect Leader very deeply. Enough that he has, allegedly, lost in a duel for the first time in the entirety of his Cang Qiong Sect Leader career.
Yue Qingyuan doesn’t make this distress obvious, but anyone who has spent five minutes in his presence in the past knows that Qiong Ding’s Peak Lord is normally nothing like this. Grim, serious, speaking words that are down to the point and completely lacking any semblance of emotion ─ all that while his hand twitches to reach for a weapon. It reminds Liu Qingge of himself, when he’s at his worst. And that’s ─ that’s really bad. Because Zhangmen-shixiong is not like that and should never be like that. Liu Qingge is angry with Shen Qingqiu for making the Sect Leader this way, angry enough that he wants to beat the shit out of the man ─ possessed by an evil spirit or otherwise.
The problem is, the Sect Leader won’t let anyone near him.
Ever since that brutal fight flattened a forest near the Lingxi caves, Yue Qingyuan has not spoken a word of what actually went down back there. His single comment on anything Shen Qingqiu related has been: “Let him do as he will,” and then when Qi Qingqi nearly lost her mind, he added, very dangerously, in a voice completely unlike his normal self, “If he tries to leave the mountain, I’ll take care of it myself.”
And that’s that. Not a single person was brave enough to ask anything further and the Sect Leader hasn’t deigned it important to inform them, either.
The widely-accepted consensus is the following: Shen Qingqiu’s body has been taken over by an evil spirit. Sect Leader Yue can and will do everything in his power to fix that. And if anyone else pries into it without permission, they’re going to finally find out what Yue Qingyuan is like when he truly gets angry.
Not to lie, Liu Qingge is tempted to go and kick the beehive just for the fun of it. He’s always loved a good fight and someone who can harness Shen Qingqiu’s abilities and last long enough in a fight to make the Sect Leader sweat has to be a worthy challenge. There are too many worms crawling in that can, however, for Liu Qingge to actually do it. Patience, he tells himself over and over. Obviously, the situation now is critical, but the worst that can happen has already happened. Now they can either put Shen Qingqiu’s body into forcefully induced sleep until they find a way to fix him, or leave him this way. Really, Liu Qingge isn’t sure why there’s so much drama about it. They’ve been sitting here in meetings and discussions for too many hours and nothing has been achieved whatsoever.
And now, just as Yue Qingyuan is finally about to dismiss them, a Qiong Ding disciple with a ghastly face runs inside the meeting room and quickly whispers something into the Sect Leader’s ear. The disciple then runs out as fast as he’s shown up, but the weight of his words must have been serious, because Yue Qingyuan’s disposition changes entirely.
“Liu-shidi,” he says, and Liu Qingge shifts in his seat uncomfortably. Has he fucked up something recently? He doesn’t think so. His disciples have been pretty well-behaved, too. No undue property damage or gang beatings. Really, no matter how he thinks about it, he’s done nothing to deserve that kind of a look from the Sect Leader.
“Among the missions I passed over to you yesterday, was there something about Shuang Hu city?”
Shuang Hu…? “Oh, right,” Liu Qingge jumps. “The Skinner demon. I was gonna pass that over to their local sect for review─”
“No,” Yue Qingyuan says, and rubs at his temples as though he’s warding off a headache, then sighs heavily. “I just received the news. Over a hundred people in that city lost their lives overnight. Don’t waste time with the commission. Head there immediately and find out what happened.”
“Yes!” Liu Qingge says instantly, but his fists tense up. Didn’t Shen Qingqiu say ─ wait.
Shen Qingqiu is an evil spirit.
Skinner Demon, what fucking bullshit. Everyone knows those are useless! Of course it has to be something bigger. Liu Qingge is stupid for believing a word coming out of that man’s mouth─
“This isn’t right,” Wei Qingwei says then, just as Liu Qingge is about to go.
“What?” he barks. “Now what’s wrong?”
But Wei Qingwei pays no heed to the ugly tone of his voice. One of his own disciples has brought a report in the meantime and his face is even uglier as he reads it.
“What’s the matter, Shidi?” Yue Qingyuan asks, but obviously, they’ve both reached the same conclusion. The one that is currently to Liu Qingge completely eluding.
“It’s just the timing of this. It’s suspicious,” Wei Qingwei says. “Our batch of spiritual weapons gets stolen on their way to Tian Yi Overlook. Not an hour later, Shen Qingqiu claims himself to be an evil spirit. And now this info that a city under our protection is slaughtered. More than a hundred residents, all killed. No matter how I think about it, something feels wrong.”
“Sitting here and talking about it is not going to do anything,” Liu Qingge points out. “I’m heading out.”
“Liu-shidi─!”
“I know,” Liu Qingge says before the Sect Leader can get a word in. “I’ll handle it. I gotta make a detour before I go, but consider it done.”
Liu Qingge wastes no more time lingering there. He’s been itching for a fight all day long and now that he knows that danger is waiting for him, he’s even more impatient to get moving. He’s got just one thing to do before he sets out.
The Qiong Ding’s holding cell is cold and damp, and in spite of being lit up with multiple torches, it remains dark and unsightly. Cang Qiong Mountain, in fact, is not like the Huan Hua Palace. They rarely take prisoners and it’s even rarer that they issue internal punishments, so the sect doesn’t actually have a proper prison to hold criminals. What they call a holding cell is, in fact, nothing but a few shitty basements with a wooden door, rusty lock and key each ─ and an abundant amount of Immortal Binding Cables just carelessly lying around.
Case in point, one of those old basement rooms is exactly the ‘holding cell’ for the evil spirit possessing Shen Qingqiu ─ and the man rests in it like he’s resting on a fucking throne. He sits like an otherworldly being with a book in his hand, not shifting his gaze away from the book even for a moment when Liu Qingge walks in. Immortal Binding Cables are wrapped from his wrists to his shoulders, all around his torso and ultimately tied together in a place where he can’t reach, but they otherwise leave him quite some freedom to move, regardless.
Really. The Sect Leader is way too lenient with this bastard.
“I see you’ve gotten comfortable,” Liu Qingge comments idly, the urge to open that door and beat the shit out of this spirit too visceral to handle.
Shen Qingqiu does not look up from his book. “I didn’t take Liu-shidi to be the type of person to chatter idly when he’s bored.”
“You have no right to address me that way,” Liu Qingge bites back. “Who’s here for idle chatter? I’m just here to ask you one thing. Is Shuang Hu city your work?”
“By god, this Shixiong has no idea what you are saying.”
“Don’t get smart with me!” Liu Qingge snaps. “Over a hundred people died in a single night! The other day, you dismissed my question with some bullshit answer, but I ain’t letting you get away with it now. What the hell do you know about Shuang Hu city?!”
Finally, Shen Qingqiu lowers the damn book. It’s only once he does it that Liu Qingge realizes that this whole time, the book has been turned upside down. He doesn’t get a chance to call that out when Shen Qingqiu speaks up.
“From what I know, the only demon with its stronghold in Shuang Hu city is the Skinner,” he says, deceptively calm. Liu Qingge speaks the Shen Qingqiu language fluently after all those years of bloody rivalry, though. Those hands seem to be holding onto that book with ease, but in reality, they’re quite tense. Now figuring out the why is the tricky part.
“A Skinner demon can’t kill a hundred people in a single night,” Liu Qingge says. “What are you hiding?”
“Whoever is doing the hiding, it’s most certainly not me,” Shen Qingqiu answers simply. “Besides, what stops Skinner from slaughtering an entire city, if he gets his hands on a powerful body? Isn’t it dangerous to underestimate your enemy?”
“You shut the fuck up!”
“If that’s what you want, then why did you come to speak to me?”
“Tha─” Liu Qingge stops himself at the last moment. Hell no. He won’t fall for this. Word games are Shen Qingqiu’s best weapon, always have been, and clearly this damn spirit has inherited the talent. Fuck that.
Shen Qingqiu takes a deep breath, before glancing back at Liu Qingge, seemingly hiding amusement behind those murky eyes. He says, “Be careful, dealing with the Skinner. It’s a low level demon, yes, but don’t leave it to chance. You don’t have an easy mode to save you if it goes awry.”
Something inside Liu Qingge snaps. What? Is this bastard trying to jinx him?!
“Does your evil majesty find me incompetent?” he snarls. Oh, he’ll show you incompetent! Shen Qingqiu has not won a single fight against him, not once, and this stupid evil spirit ain’t gonna have any better time of it.
Briefly, Shen Qingqiu smiles at him. “I’ll see you around, Liu-shidi. Please visit often.”
“...”
What is Liu Qingge even doing, wasting his time here, falling for this provocation? People have died.
Without a word, he turns around and leaves. Once he is out in the open, he wastes not a moment before drawing Cheng Luan and flying off into the night. Shen Qingqiu may have been lost to an evil spirit, but dealing with him is just as frustrating as it’s always been. He wants no more of it.
The flight to Shuang Hu city is swift, but it is still almost dawn when Liu Qingge finally lands down at the outskirts. The smaller sects which also help maintain peace in the city have all banded together to further analyze the massacre that has happened right under their noses, and Liu Qingge isn’t here to get in their way. His sole job is to get rid of the abomination that dared to commit the atrocity.
“It won’t be hard to find, Master Liu,” a youth from a tiny sect informs him fearfully. “Just follow the blood.”
Right. Because hearing that isn’t ominous at all.
Liu Qingge isn’t the type to get spooked by gory shit. Still, as he follows the instructions and takes the road stained with blood, he quickly becomes very glad that he’s missed out on dinner.
Blood and corpses are everywhere, which is disgusting. But the true horror comes not from the gory display, but the very state of the discarded corpses thrown onto the ground. Every single one of them has had their heart gouged out of their chest in the most cruel way possible. If his crude inspection isn’t too off the mark, this would have been while all these people were still alive.
Hiding a shudder that goes all the way from his neck down to his heels, Liu Qingge instantly knows that this isn’t the simple demon going haywire as usual business. Oh, no. He doesn’t need the corpses nor the hastily scrawled symbols in trees, all drawn in burnt blood, to tell him what he needs to know.
All these murders are fucking ritualistic.
Liu Qingge draws his sword and prepares himself to confront the most eldritch abomination that he’s encountered in his cultivator career as of yet.
A couple hours later, kneeling in a pool of his own blood, a dagger digging into his diaphragm down to the hilt, Liu Qingge thinks: Fuck. Shen Qingqiu really was trying to jinx me.
It was the Skinner.
More importantly, the disgusting skin-shedding demon escaped.
Chapter 5: Sleepover
Chapter Text
As far as confinement and imprisonment goes, Shen Yuan has honestly had so much worse. Qiong Ding Peak’s basement versus Huan Hua Palace’s water prison? Qiong Ding Peak wins this hands down. Seriously. Sect Leader Yue even allowed him to walk all the way back to Qing Jing Peak and get a book all on his lonesome! Truly, the Sect Leader treats him too kindly!
Shen Yuan would be completely fine with it if he had to spend the rest of his days living this way. Locked up in a basement with a few books and zero responsibilities. It’s not that different from the life he used to lead way back when. He could get used to it again.
Except, every time he closes his eyes, the miserable picture of Luo Binghe dispersing into shining particles of dust right in front of his eyes comes to mind, and suddenly he can’t breathe.
It’s stupid. It’s stupid characters in a stupid fucking book and Shen Yuan’s heart is literally tearing to pieces at a boy’s unshed tears. Where’s the logic there?! He can’t do anything for Luo Binghe anymore. Not his Binghe, and especially not this poor youth he could barely stand to see.
Yeah. He could barely stand to look at that child without feeling a visceral need to scream, thus here we are.
He removed the Original Good’s overbearing presence from the boy’s life by denying Shen Qingqiu’s identity. He also removed the designated love interest ─ namely himself ─ by freaking imprisonment. Anyway, both the influences that have turned the white lotus protagonist into a blackened monster who smashes two worlds together like a pair of contrasting toy slimes and expects the colors to blend well have now been taken out of the storyline. Already, Shen Yuan has done everything in his power that could help Luo Binghe live a better life.
So, yes. If his fate is to die sitting in this basement with a book in his hand, then that’s the kind of dignified death that Shen Yuan will accept with his arms open wide.
Of course, it doesn’t take long for the bell of thrilling plot twists tolling to prove him otherwise.
Liu Qingge fails to kill Skinner.
Because of course he does.
If Shen Yuan ever suspected that the narrative as a whole is as biased against Liu Qingge as it’s biased towards bullshit plot holes, this is it. This is his evidence. It’s more than he particularly cares to know.
The news of Liu Qingge’s humiliating defeat reached Shen Yuan early in the morning on day eleven of his imprisonment, and apparently, the entirety of Cang Qiong Mountain Sect hasn’t been taking the reality of it too well. Shen Yuan, in fact, only hears about this particular piece of gossip because the disciples bringing his meals over can’t keep their mouth shut even if you pay them, and apparently Liu Qingge suffering a miserable defeat is a big deal for everyone.
It takes Shen Yuan a moment to remember that in this world, the War God of Bai Zhan Peak has yet to have his first clash with the protagonist, therefore the power scaling should still be working in Liu Qingge’s favor. Apparently not. Not that the logic of his defeat holds up against deeper analysis. How does a Skinner demon villain of the day live to get away from the actual God of War? Excuse me! Here’s a plot hole the size of a continent!
All things considered, Liu-shidi seems to have been dealt a really terrible card in life. Dead in the original story, utterly defeated by Luo Binghe in Shen Yuan’s trainwreck version of the events, and now this. What is that cocky God of War title even here for? How has Liu Qingge offended the universe for the plot to nerf him so badly every single time? Bad writing! This is the prime example of bad writing and good characters being wasted to nothingness.
Airplane-bro, just you wait. One of these days, I’ll send Liu-shidi your way. See how you can nerf him without the protagonist halo, hah!
But yeah, that will have to wait. Apparently, Butterfly had not only escaped from Liu Qingge’s ruthless grasp, but had left over a hundred corpses behind and poisoned the Bai Zhan Peak lord with something that not even Mu-shidi seems to be able to identify. Which is bullshit. If Mu-shidi can’t figure it out, no one can! These disciples have no idea what they’re gossiping about.
Shen Yuan catches himself sighing exasperatedly at their chatter, only for a Qiong Ding Peak disciple to slam his hand on his door and snap, “And what are you laughing about, you evil spirit?! Are you not the one who sent him there in the first place?!”
And that’s like, ouch. Technically true. But damn. Ouch.
Who’s laughing, though? If anything, Shen Yuan’s wiping proverbial tears of anguish for his Shidi. Truly, these kids are being way too dramatic.
“What?” the same disciple snaps. “Proud of your work, are you?! I’ll ask the Sect Leader to punish you personally!”
…
Honestly, this is starting to get tiring.
Though Shen Yuan spends most of his day reading in silence and doing nothing to further incite the disciples, it seems as if their displeasure and outrageous claims do eventually find their way to the Sect Leader’s ears. By next evening, Yue Qingyuan comes to visit Shen Yuan personally, which he has not done since initially ordering his arrest.
“And to what do I owe this pleasure?” Shen Yuan asks courteously, although he would’ve preferred it if he’d been left alone to laze around and finish the same book for like, twenty fifth time.
Yue Qingyuan waits for a few moments, just watching him, before he says, “Quite a few people have grown suspicious of your actions… and your intentions.”
Shen Yuan blinks at the Sect Leader slowly, then lifts up the book in his hands. It is a humanoid demon handibook, first edition, mandatory reading for every new disciple. He’s chewed it up page by page who knows how many times and he already knows it by heart. “This is suspicious?”
“I don’t suppose that if I were to ask you about the ritualistic sacrifices in Shuang Hu city, you would offer answers willingly?”
… is that a question? Wait.
“What ritualistic sacrifices?” Shen Yuan asks before he can help it. Has Skinner had some other goal than pure survival back when it kept switching between all those pretty concubine skins?
“You tell me. You did say that the adventures of Cang Qiong Mountain have been recorded in books where you come from. Which of those books are we in now?”
Shen Yuan has nothing to say ─ mostly because he has no context to what is happening. But Yue Qingyuan looks like he hasn’t gotten a moment of rest in the past ten days or so, which means that all the dramatic nonsense the disciples were spouting over the past few days must have some basis in truth.
“How is Liu Qingge doing?” Shen Yuan asks, his stomach twisting uncomfortably at the notion that the infamous War God might actually be tethering on the line between life and death. That particular death was enough to kickstart the Original Shen Qingqiu’s downfall, and clearly, Shen Yuan isn’t going to fare any better based on association at all.
Yue Qingyuan’s face darkens at that question to the point he looks menacing. It’s a look that does not at all sit there naturally, and frankly, it scares Shen Yuan to bits.
“If you ask, then you must have already heard enough,” Yue Qingyuan responds. His tone is measured and controlled ─ but those words are like daggers digging into Shen Yuan’s flesh. Clearly, the Sect Leader also holds him responsible, even if he won’t outright say it. And that ─ that upsets Shen Yuan. This is not his fault! How could he have known that the universe would backlash at Liu Qingge if he were to step out of the Scum Villain role? It doesn’t make sense!
“I’m currently under the impression that the news of Liu Qingge’s defeat has been wildly exaggerated,” Shen Yuan says, just as courteous and measured as the Sect Leader, but with none of the bite. “Please correct me if I’m wrong.”
Yue Qingyuan’s fist clenches his robes tightly. “The Peak Lords want me to organize a public interrogation,” he says, with not even a hint of emotion to his voice. “The current consensus is that Liu Qingge’s current state is a result of your carefully constructed plot to bring down Cang Qiong Mountain from the inside.”
“That’s stupid. What would I possibly gain from that?”
Yue Qingyuan’s eyebrow quirks slightly. “Indeed,” he drawls. “What do you gain? For an evil spirit, isn't the despair and the pain of others exactly the sort of thing you feed on?”
“... first things first, what makes you think I’m an evil spirit?” Shen Yuan retorts, grimacing slightly at the implication. He doesn’t even remember saying anything that would have implied it. Someone must’ve gone and jumped to some conclusions and viola, here’s the evil spirit possessing the Scum Villain. Because how would anyone not-evil possibly do it? So much negative bias, and for what?
“If you are adverse to a public interrogation, then a private one will do,” Yue Qingyuan says. “But in that case, you will be subject to an additional examination, to determine the nature of the possession you’ve performed.”
… why does Sect Leader Yue speak as though he expects Shen Yuan to object? He would very much like to know what kind of possession this is, too! He’s also quite confident that there is not a single in-universe way they can possibly explain it.
“Sure,” he says, regardless. “Go ahead, examine all you want. Like I said before, the closer you get to the answers you want, the closer I get to the answer I want. Working together for a common goal is far more beneficial than trying to achieve the same thing on our own.”
“Very well, then,” Yue Qingyuan says.
What Shen Yuan doesn’t expect from him, however, is for the man to wave his hand and get the disciples to unlock the door for him ─ and even remove the Immortal Binding Cables from around his person. This is the second time he’s done it and Shen Yuan dreads the thought of another duel. One has already scarred his psyche enough. But Yue Qingyuan says nothing of the sort, gesturing for him to follow instead.
Ahh, feeling all of his cultivation slowly trickle back is too odd. Shen Yuan has only just gotten used to being ordinary again. He raises a single questioning eyebrow at the Sect Leader, but the man turns around, indicating for the rest of them to follow. As they all step out into the open for the first time in days, Shen Yuan has to cover his eyes from the bright sunshine.
Yue Qingyuan says, “Like you said, working towards a common goal is more beneficial. As things stand, my goal right now may not be matching up to yours at all. However, if you can help me achieve my goal ─ then perhaps I will consider your proposal again.”
… right. Because Yue Qingyuan obviously trusts him so much. Yeah, right.
Shen Yuan knows better than to challenge that. Instead he lets the Sect Leader lead the way ─ only to very soon find out just how understated the news of Liu Qingge’s defeat truly is.
The place where the Sect Leader takes him to is a building on Qian Cao Peak. That is to say, it is probably the best equipped medical center in the entire damn story universe. But the moment they step inside a room, the smell of blood and rot assaults them. To Shen Yuan, who has been expecting disinfectant and medical herbs, this is jarring enough to make his eyes water. It doesn’t take long to find the cause ─ a bucket next to the only bed, half filled with blood. And an ashen-faced Liu Qingge on the bed, vomiting a mouthful of blood straight into said bucket.
It’s… quite a sight.
Liu Qingge looks more dead than alive as he clutches at his chest, falling back into the pillows as if he’s exerted the last of his energy, getting all that blood out of him. There’s still a trickle of red sliding down the side of his mouth, which a Qian Cao disciple quickly wipes away with a handkerchief. This has clearly been a common enough occurrence that no one bats an eyelash anymore.
Aside from Liu Qingge himself and a pair of Qian Cao Peak disciples, Mu Qingfang is also there ─ and he looks almost exactly like the Sect Leader: pale and exhausted.
His fingers are on Liu Qingge’s wrist and his face is twisted into a frown, like he’s not at all satisfied with what his examinations have found. He briefly nods in the Sect Leader’s direction and acknowledges Shen Yuan’s existence with barely a glance, before focusing back on the matter at hand.
Liu Qingge is nowhere near as forgiving.
“The fuck is he doing here?” he croaks, and then throws up another mouthful of blood. Shen Yuan is alarmed on everyone’s behalf, but nobody else blinks. The Qian Cao Peak disciples just dutifully go about wiping the blood away. Damn. They’re all far too used to this.
“Zhangmen-shixiong,” Mu Qingfang says gravely. “I understand your intention, but I’m still against this─”
He doesn’t get a chance to finish that, because Liu Qingge suddenly coughs violently enough for his whole body to shake. The sound is awful, and what’s even worse is that he can’t seem to stop. In a flash, he’s once again lifting himself up by trembling arms, trying to bring himself closer to the bucket, but his hands give out under him.
Shen Yuan moves before anyone can stop him. He catches Liu Qingge by the shoulder to keep him from toppling over, then lays his palm directly against the front of his chest, sending out a burst of his spiritual energy to support the man who may or may not be seconds away from taking his last breath. Frankly, Shen Yuan can’t tell anymore. All he knows is that under his fingers, Liu Qingge is feverish and trembling, the state of his spiritual power and meridians is somehow worse than back in the Lingxi caves where a Qi deviation nearly killed him. And that’s certainly an achievement. How does it get worse than that?
From the corner of his eye, Shen Yuan catches Mu Qingfang moving ─ only to realize the man is gesturing for everyone else to back off. Apparently, Shen Yuan’s unpredictability has led to several people drawing their weapons, Sect Leader Yue almost among them.
He’s definitely there, standing and looming, ready to strike at any point if time if Shen Yuan so much as twitches. But he really is just trying to help.
Mu Qingfang, for his part, is glaring at Shen Yuan distrustfully, as if to ask, how did you know that would work? Frankly, Shen Yuan knows shit. He just had to do something, because no one else seemed capable enough. And it worked.
Heck, he’s doing the same thing he’s done the last time, just borrowing his Qi and hoping Liu Qingge will know what to do with it himself. He isn’t entirely sure. Liu Qingge obviously doesn’t have the energy to keep his body upright, so once Shen Yuan is certain that no more blood is going to be dropping into that smelly bucket, he gently assists the man in settling back on the pillows. Almost instantly, Liu Qingge’s eyes fall shut. Shen Yuan doesn’t ease on the spiritual power transfer until it feels like enough, and even then, he wants to continue, but it feels like he’s pouring all his power down the drain, like it’s done nothing at all but kept Liu Qingge alive for a few moments longer.
What the hell is going on?
Once he’s finally all out of spiritual power to spare, Mu Qingfang says, “Well, that was useless.”
Shen Yuan grimaces slightly, but yeah, he can also tell. Ten minutes or so, and they’ll probably be in the exact same scenario all over again. No wonder Mu-shidi looks like a barely functioning human being, must’ve been doing this same nonsense for days.
“What’s wrong with him?” Shen Yuan asks.
“Well…” Mu Qingfang waits for Sect Leader’s decision before launching into an explanation.
Long story short, Liu Qingge’s luck really is out of this world. Double-teamed by Skinner and some other demon, then stabbed with a poisoned dagger and left for the dead. The poison has been acting up ever since, preventing anyone from meaningfully helping him recover. One must have made a sworn enemy of the goddess of fortune to end up like that.
In fact, they’re not even sure how Liu Qingge is alive, let alone how he climbed back up Cang Qiong Mountain on foot with half his internal organs hanging out of his body. Apparently, the crazy man just ripped his wound further open and stuffed them back inside like a madman.
This is all Shen Yuan’s fault.
[...]
[System notice: too much plot deviation triggers new plot developments as per the Theory of Narrative Causality. Do you want to default back to the original plot setup?]
… because of course that’s it. This is his punishment for opening his stupid mouth.
Shen Yuan exhales tiredly. Yes, please? Revert back to a series of developments that make sense, please.
[System error! User has no access rights to change the new plot setup settings.]
… right. Because of course he doesn’t. Screw you, System.
Well, at least Liu Qingge is not actually dead.
No, really.
It’s so much worse.
“It’s Without a Cure.”
Several heads snap up sharply to look at him, and Shen Yuan instinctively wants to hide his face behind his fan, but he hasn’t actually brought it with him. Honestly, though. Do they need to look at him like that? It’s obvious, not in the least because Shen Yuan has spent years living under the effects of the very same poison. He didn’t even trigger all the symptoms, at least not the way Liu Qingge is triggering them right now. The rash, the struggle, the almost visible Qi blockages, further damaging the already strained meridians. Even if they don’t tell him, Shen Yuan would have to be blind not to recognize it.
“You have a good eye,” Mu Qingfang comments idly.
“How did it get this bad?” Shen Yuan asks. “He’s on the verge of a Qi deviation with every breath he takes. That poison can kill, but this is too extreme─”
“Because it’s not the poison that’s killing him,” Mu Qingfang replies simply. “Of course, it’s not helping him… but the problem is the Qi deviation. The poison makes it worse, but it’s not the root cause.”
“Then fix the root cause, and the rest will fix itself,” Shen Yuan says… and that one annoyed look from Mu Qingfang tells him that the man has probably been trying to do exactly this very obvious thing from the start. Uh… “You don’t know the root cause,” he groans. “You don’t know the cause… so you can only treat the unfixable and hope it will help you identify it.”
He doesn’t need the Sect Leader’s faint nod to know what that means. This happened well over a week ago. Whatever Liu Qingge’s initial condition, now it’s gotten much worse, and they likely wouldn’t have brought Shen Yuan here if they had any idea what else they could try.
Luckily for him, Yue Qingyuan cuts to the chase. “You have already bragged plenty about your vast knowledge that surpasses our own… Well, let’s put that knowledge up to the test. Do you know of a way to remove this incurable poison?”
Ah. Well, of course. Shen Yuan’s stupid mouth, working overtime when they’re not supposed to. Like that even matters. He glances around for the sight of any other System warnings, but eh, his attitude must’ve triggered all of them already.
When he looks back at Yue Qingyuan, it wouldn’t be inaccurate to say that he is a little menacing. Truly, they couldn’t have asked a better person for this.
“Well, there is one method I can suggest that will remove the poison and any lasting damage.” He chooses his words carefully, watching in mild amusement how even Liu Qingge’s ears perk up at the sound of it. He adds, “You will not like it.”
“What is it?” Liu Qingge croaks, blood dripping down the side of his mouth again. He doesn’t look awake but clearly he’s listening, and he keeps talking even around the poor girl stuck with wiping the blood off his chin. “Shen Qingqiu, if you don’t speak, I swear to god─!”
“You have to die, Liu-shidi.”
On the inside, Shen Yuan cackles at how all the faces in the room turn ghastly instantly. Ah, it’s so funny. But also, so mean of him. Why is he being so mean? It’s not Liu Qingge’s fault his life went to shit and his fate card paints a bleak future. No need to take it out on Liu-shidi, especially since the stupid poison is much more of a death sentence to Bai Zhan’s War God than it would have ever been to Shen Qingqiu.
Oh, wait.
Liu Qingge is suffering from Without a Cure.
Liu Qingge is nerfed by a power-limiter death flag poison. The one that literally won’t let him fight a proper battle. Ever.
Oh heavens, for Bai Zhan Peak Lord, this really is so damn unfair. Does that ever reliable battle loving maniac know how to live without picking a fight? More importantly, aren’t there other battle loving maniacs challenging him every other day? This stupid poison, even if it doesn’t kill him, will cut his inner flow to half at best, or a trickle at worst. If it happens in the most inopportune times ─ read, overly dramatic plot mandated scenes ─as it used to for Shen Qingqiu, then this… argh. It might not even be just a death flag. It might be a selfless sacrifice plot. Not that Liu Qingge would ever sacrifice himself willingly, but neither would Shen Yuan ─ and it happened anyway.
Or it could be─
Another, much scarier thought gallops through Shen Yuan’s mind.
Suddenly, he feels very uncomfortable, standing here, and clears his throat. “Like I said, Liu-shidi, if you really want to get rid of the poison, it’s possible. First, you need to get the Sun and Moon Dew Flower Seed and add some of your blood to it, then wait until the seed grows into a backup body and then you can die. Preferably with a transportation array set to move your soul directly into the new body. That will move your soul over to a new vessel and there you go. No more scary poison, no consequences, no risk whatsoever.”
It’s a good method. Very efficient, if Shen Yuan says so himself.
Why are they all staring at him? It worked, alright?!
“...”
“...”
“...”
In spite of the blood leaking out his mouth, Liu Qingge croaks, “Are you fucking kidding me?”
“Well, if you don’t like this, you could try dual cultivation with a Heavenly Demon… Up to you, Liu-shidi.”
The moment the words are out, Shen Yuan regrets it. The whole point was to get a little snippy and smart with all these people staring at him, maybe mess up some of the System’s naughty plans while he’s at it with foreknowledge, but the way Mu Qingfang’s face immediately turns thoughtful sends chills down his spine.
Fuck, fuck, fuck. Why did he have to say that of all things? Why?!?!?!?
At least, Liu Qingge seems to have lost all the color in his face and all his patience.
“That’s it. Shen Qingqiu, I’m going to fucking kill─”
A mouthful of blood drowns out the rest of the threat, and Shen Yuan can’t help but shake his head dejectedly. Ah, the Xianxia tropes. The blood from the mouth, the cough of death. Trigger more death flags, why don’t you, Liu-shidi?
But damn it all, the terrifying thought is back.
What if it isn’t just a death flag? It is a bit too on-the-nose, right? But the alternative… Shen Yuan grimaces. There’s not many of those. A death flag, a selfless sacrifice plot… or a wife plot. Knowing the setting, it’s probably some deformed amalgamation of all three.
Assuming the plot circumstances change, would Luo Binghe even show any interest in Liu Qingge? The resentment between them runs rather deep… Or it used to, before Shen Yuan somehow turned the story right back to the beginning.
Is the System broken and just throwing random things together into a mixer and hoping something sticks? Or is this also the consequence of Shen Yuan’s meddling?
Ugh. Just thinking about this makes his skin crawl. Luo Binghe is fourteen. A pure, innocent white lotus who has no idea the entire damn law of the universe is out to get him… and apparently Liu Qingge doesn’t have it any better, with the plot consistently trying to end him early on and he doesn’t even get the benefit of the protagonist halo to save him in the nick of time. It’s really not fair. It’s also a very good thing that nobody yet knows what they have hiding under their nose.
“I mean, you can also experiment,” Shen Yuan says, finally. “For example, one of the things that could potentially work is finding a way to isolate the poison in the body and then transfer that over to the Dew Flower Seed. Just a thought.”
“... is that possible?” Yue Qingyuan asks, looking up hopefully.
Mu Qingfang frowns. “It… depends. There are quite a few ways we could make poison move through the body, maybe even hold it at a certain point… but would this remove all of it? Without a Cure is one of those poisons that feed on the spiritual energy of its hosts. No matter how much of it we expel, a little will always stay behind. It won’t offer sufficient relief.”
“You’re not looking to get rid of it completely, you’re just looking for temporary relief to find the root cause of the Qi deviation,” Shen Yuan reminds him. “Fix that, and it’s possible to live with the blockages that Without a Cure creates.”
“Either way, all of those take time,” Mu Qingfang says. “As you must’ve noticed, we’re rather lacking that right now.”
Shen Yuan frowns. Then, is it really that bad? His fingers seek out Liu Qingge’s wrist, but he can barely get any sense of what the chaos in there means. All he knows is that it feels much, much worse than a regular Qi deviation would.
“Well, you best prepare a team to head to the Bailu forest, then,” he comments dryly. “Root cause or no, you’ll want a Dew Flower Seed at hand if all else fails.”
“Indeed, but keeping Liu-shidi alive while that is prepared…” Yue Qingyuan trails off, sharing a glance with Mu Qingfang as he trails off. The look on Mu-shidi’s face is grim and not at all in agreement with whatever the Sect Leader is trying to say, and the back and forth that goes between them through their eyes alone implies an argument that goes beyond what they’re willing to say out loud.
Suddenly, Shen Yuan has a sinking feeling that he knows what his role here is intended to be.
“You need someone with sufficient spiritual power to ward off Liu-shidi’s Qi deviations while you work out an actual solution,” he says, more to himself, but just the unchanging expressions on both the Peak Lord faces hint that he’s hit the nail on the head. “You didn’t bring me here to show me this. You did it as a test, to see if I know how to share my spiritual energy… Ah, Zhangmen-shixiong, have we not spoken about this already? If this is what you had in mind, you could have just asked…”
Yue Qingyuan’s eyes hold just the tiniest hint of apology, but not his voice when he says, “Like I said, I have a goal to achieve.”
Ah, well, yes… Shen Yuan could have imagined it’d be saving Liu Qingge, one way or the other… but the way this has been arranged still feels in bad taste, somehow.
It changes nothing, though, how it comes about, or whether or not Shen Yuan is being manipulated to play along. Liu Qingge is dying. It is very much Shen Yuan’s fault. What’s more, he does know a way to fix it, a real, thorough way, and he knows just how easily he could do it, too. Luo Binghe at this age is gullible enough to do anything he’s told. Fuck the System and its goading. Is that it? Playing the jealousy card?
Shen Yuan won’t fall for that. More importantly, future promiscuous harem overlord or not, Luo Binghe of right now is a child with shiny eyes and way too much trust for a half-demon who has had his glass heart shattered over and over again. No matter the reason, Shen Yuan can’t do that to him. He’d much rather just take the risks on himself.
He’s not a Heavenly Demon, though, he can’t fix problems like this with a round of papapa. So if Yue Qingyuan and Mu Qingfang intend to make him into this Xianxia version of life-support system, Shen Yuan won’t make an issue out of it. More importantly, it is his fault, in some very roundabout way no one will ever understand.
“Well, then,” he sighs heavily. “Have someone bring me a pillow and a change of clothes. Liu-shidi, looks like we’re having a sleepover.”
Yue Qingyuan’s eyes linger on Shen Yuan’s retreating back as his disciples escort him out the room, and the Qian Cao Peak disciples take it on themselves to find him a suitable place of stay. It’s a few moments before only himself, Mu-shidi and Liu-shidi are left inside, and immediately as the door shuts, Mu Qingfang throws a silencing talisman encompassing the entire space.
“Alright, Zhangmen-shixiong. What is happening here?” Mu-shidi demands, visibly displeased. “I thought I made it clear just how delicate the situation is, and you still went and brought him here. What if it didn’t work out?! What if he’d killed─”
“They handle spiritual power differently,” Yue Qingyuan says.
“It doesn’t matter! Liu-shidi’s condition right now is too─”
“No, I can tell,” Liu Qingge grumbles, a little hoarse. “Completely different. Shen Qingqiu hoards that shit like he’s gonna lose it any moment. This one ─ this one doesn’t know what holding back means. Temperament is different too.”
Mu Qingfang is relentless. “All of that can happen if a person receives a sufficient enough psychological shock─”
“Is that why you took him out for that duel?” Liu Qingge grunts, frowning at Yue Qingyuan knowingly. “Not cause you cared about ability, but to test out how he works with it? He’s obviously got full control of Shen Qingqiu’s spiritual power, no mistake there.”
Yue Qingyuan shudders, but tries to cover it. Indeed, Liu Qingge is not wrong. He’s only forced his hand with that duel to test out a theory ─ a fear, perhaps, that he has selfishly hidden deep in his heart. There was no desire in him whatsoever to either harm that person or get anything else out of it ─ merely information. If it’s any kind of demonic possession at all, it will falter at the use of spiritual power to begin with. But to this Shen Yuan person, there was nothing to fear. At no point did he expect Yue Qingyuan to come for his life, nor did he fight with his heart in it. It could barely be considered a spar ─ or at least, it was so until Yue Qingyuan decided to push his hand a little too far.
Drawing Xuan Su out of its sheath is not a preferred solution no matter the situation, but doing it just once to test out the reaction has achieved more than he could have hoped.
That spark of fear in Shen Yuan’s eyes ─ that told him everything. The person in front of him was not Xiao Jiu. More importantly, that spark of fear pushed Shen Yuan to use all of Xiao Jiu’s spiritual power to get in Yue Qingyuan’s way, finally ending the stupidity that the duel almost ended up becoming.
“I haven’t achieved much,” Yue Qingyuan admits, a little shamefully. “I was hoping for more. But the most I can tell now, he is trustworthy enough. That said, I wouldn’t want to risk it, but keeping him in Qiong Ding Peak any longer is not a solution. So I hope Mu-shidi will allow us to keep him busy here on Qian Cao Peak. As evidenced just now, he is one of the rare few people who can assist Liu-shidi and has enough free time to do so.”
Liu Qingge grimaces, visibly not thrilled to hear that ─ but after a moment, he starts coughing again.
“I will allow it one more time,” Mu Qingfang grunts, unwillingly. “But I need to be present to see it, before I actually approve of this whole arrangement. I don’t mind utilizing him on Qian Cao Peak until we come up with something better, but keeping him around Liu-shixiong now is… I’m not confident. What do you say?”
The person he turns to is ultimately Liu Qingge ─ and his expression is quite dark, quite unreadable. He doesn’t say anything for a very long time.
Eventually, however, he sighs and closes his eyes. He lets out a shaky breath.
“I’m still alive, right? Anyway, if I gotta leach off of anyone to keep living, might as well make it someone who isn’t busy saving a bunch of other lives.”
Mu Qingfang scowls. “I told you this, I don’t mind─”
“You’re gonna run yourself fucking dry by the end of the day, shit’s exhausting,” Liu Qingge rasps. “Keep him. If anything comes up, we beat him up and that’s that. Simple.”
Explicitly, he doesn’t say that ‘anything coming up’ is more or less equivalent to his eternal demise, but it’s something they’re all keenly aware of.
Mu Qingfang glares at Yue Qingyuan, quietly furious ─ but these are facts.
Mu Qingfang cannot keep up with the spiritual energy transfers. He is a powerful cultivator with great experience, but he has his limits and he’s already crossed all of them, staying by Liu Qingge’s side for days without break. Worse, Liu Qingge wouldn’t let anyone else try… and even if he looks like he’d rather not accept this compromise to begin with, after Shen Yuan’s little demonstration, Liu Qingge is at least no longer as dismissive about it.
It is very little progress, overall, but Yue Qingyuan will take what he can get. Having three of his peak lords indisposed at the same time is simply too great of a blow for the sect. But if he can free up Mu Qingfang as much as possible by forcing Shen Yuan and Liu Qingge to keep an eye on each other…
Well.
Personal feelings aside, Yue Qingyuan has a sect to run. Even if it crushes him on the inside, there are some decisions that must be made, some risks that must be taken and others that he cannot play with under any circumstances. Until he knows exactly what is the background behind Shen Yuan and his appearance, what has happened to Shen Qingqiu and how this switch came to pass, he cannot afford the luxury of trust.
“Then it’s final,” he says softly. “We leave Shen Yuan to handle impending Qi deviations for Liu-shidi. Mu-shidi will oversee, decide with due diligence if the arrangement will stay short term or long term. For any issues that come up, don’t wait. Inform me immediately.”
“Yes, Zhangmen-shixiong,” the two mumble, unwillingly.
Yue Qingyuan smiles apologetically, then takes his leave.
Not every decision he makes will be something the others approve of ─ but as long as they challenge him, challenge his authority and have the courage to express exactly why they’re against it, then, Yue Qingyuan will do his best to accommodate them in return. Right now, neither of these two are yet willing to do so ─ but Yue Qingyuan will not force them. He can only hope that eventually, they will find the courage within themselves to trust him, and not just respect him.
The nuance, he has learned the hard way, makes far more difference than it should.
Chapter 6: Poison vs Poison
Notes:
Trigger warning for... Skinner? But like, def not the way you expect it
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
“Ready or not, here I come!”
“N-nngh!” In spite of Liu Qingge’s attempted protest, a wave of spiritual power comes crashing into his back in the form of two steady palms lined against his shoulder blades. It is fast, it is cooling, it is overwhelming. Liu Qingge is already sitting cross-legged on the bed, but he stumbles forward anyway, his body unable to keep up with the spiritual energy that’s being pushed into him.
And that’s a whole new thing to get used to. His body cannot keep up.
Not ever did Liu Qingge think that he would end up in the state where his body just… won’t be able to handle Qi. His own or otherwise. It just never crossed his mind, even as a conjecture. But it’s been weeks since the Shuang Hu city mission went to hell in a handbasket and Liu Qingge has been a cripple since. It’s not even an exaggeration.
He wishes it was.
Turns out, Without a Cure is the kind of poison that leaves lasting effects even when you’re pricked with the tip of a blade. A tiny scratch is more than enough. Liu Qingge got a whole dagger coated in that poison buried into his abdomen down to the hilt and kept fighting, only to end up with the blade tearing a hole the size of a palm in his middle.
Mu Qingfang still insists it’s a miracle he’s alive.
Liu Qingge insists it’s a miracle that he ended up like this to start with. That kind of rotten luck can’t possibly happen twice. Shen Qingqiu jinxed him ─ he is convinced. The man said the Skinner is easy. And fine, Liu Qingge agrees. Heck, he might've said it first, he doesn’t remember anymore.
As a general rule, Skinners are easy. They are ugly, weak and absolutely worthless demons and Liu Qingge kills those with a fervor rivaling a predator relishing in the chase. More importantly, Skinners don’t have any special skills, except for the whole disgusting skin detachment trick and quick change of their demonic signature. Like, aside from the masking thing, they are generally useless. Liu Qingge isn’t sure why they exist, other than to be disgusting.
Or at least, that’s how it should be.
This one was… different, somehow. Liu Qingge doesn’t quite get it. The demon’s monologuing got tiring after a while, but how many demons are stupid enough to word vomit all about their grand evil plans in front of the person trying to kill them? It seems counter productive at best… except this Skinner weaponized it.
Like, the demon was stupid. It left traces all over the place, making the hunt embarrassingly easy. It behaved stupid, talked stupid, made stupid decisions… Everything about the demon was stupid. Going in for this mission, Liu Qingge truly felt like things were falling in place a little too easily.
He followed the bloody trail of corpses left in the wake of some creepy ritual or other to a cave just outside the city, knowing that he will find the demon inside. He recognized the bastard on sight and prepared for capture. He drew Cheng Luan─
And found his head pounded into the ground from behind and the Skinner demon spitting at him, cackling about how it won’t ever again be beaten by an overhead beam or something.
It makes no sense. There was never a second demonic presence nearby, not a sound of movement, not even a change in the air currents. But an incredible force slammed Liu Qingge in the ground, knocking him nearly senseless. It is as shocking as it is humiliating. The beast that came from behind him was twice his height and three times the width, there is no way ─ quite literally no way ─ that Liu Qingge could have missed it.
But that thing didn’t have a presence.
It didn’t breathe, it didn’t make any noise… in some inexplicable way, Liu Qingge is pretty sure it didn’t even exist. At one point, Cheng Luan went through it, the blade cutting directly through its spiky armor and into the heart of the beast ─ only to come back spotlessly clean. No blood, no flesh, not even a dent in what is obviously metal.
How in the fuck?!
Liu Qingge isn’t sure if he was just confused after getting his head bashed in or if it really happened. The monster disappeared right in front of him after giving him a mild concussion, never to be seen again.
Instead, he had the Skinner demon coming at him with a little too much speed for what is supposed to be a delicate concubine, and even though he tried to defend, he did quite literally all he could ─ but Cheng Luan passed through the Skinner like the demon wasn’t even there. Even the condensed Qi as his last resort did nothing against the dagger that cut a gaping hole in his middle.
In seconds, Liu Qingge went from a literal War God to… to… to this.
Weak, powerless, relying on someone else’s Qi to just keep breathing.
And that someone providing him all this Qi just has to be Shen Qingqiu. The not-quite-evil-spirit-possessed Shen Qingqiu. It boggles the mind.
There is a cosmic joke in there that Liu Qingge isn’t seeing.
At least, there is a joke there that this not-Shen Qingqiu obviously sees, because every time he has to help Liu Qingge clear his meridians, he looks beyond delighted. If his spiritual power wasn’t actually helpful in more ways than he dares admit, Liu Qingge would have killed him by now. He itches to try, even if the man is quite literally saving his life.
This, he muses, must be shelved for later consideration.
As it is now, he really can’t do anything. A lot of the time, he can’t even walk. Whatever happened has messed up his body so badly that even weeks later, he coughs out a mouthful of blood at least once per hour. It is ridiculous.
“Hmm, this is a little strange,” Shen Qingqiu says at some point ─ or Shen Yuan, as he insists on being addressed. Liu Qingge is happy that the man doesn’t actually expect an answer, so at least that’s one headache he can keep at bay… although his words of choice sorely tempt him to open his mouth, if only to tell Shen Qingqiu to shut up. He knows his body is a mess, he doesn’t need additional reminders. Shen Qingqiu, however, has never cared for what Liu Qingge wants or doesn’t want, and he keeps talking ─ just like the damn Skinner demon. “You know, after almost a month of this, I really expected things would start getting better for you. But not only do I feel no progress, it’s like every time I come to clear out the blockages, I find that they’ve gotten worse.”
Well, yes. Why does he think that Liu Qingge literally can’t get out of bed? His body hasn’t healed the physical damage, so his Qi is trying to make up for his barely functioning organs, but the more it helps, the more blockages it creates. It’s a vicious cycle, and something Mu Qingfang already warned him will be the most difficult part to overcome. In his words, it’s what truly makes this poison lethal, at the end of the day.
Shen Qingqiu, on the other hand, seems to have a whole different theory.
“I didn’t consider it before, but is there a chance that Liu-shidi has somehow had his spiritual core damaged? Without a Cure is a nasty poison for sure, but the damage it keeps making is…” he doesn’t finish that sentence, and Liu Qingge is glad, because he really can’t listen anymore.
“Just shut up and finish it,” he croaks, cringing at the taste of blood that fills his mouth. Damn it. If he has to keep living this way, he’d rather just die. What Qi deviation? At this rate, he’ll bash his head into the wall by the end of the week.
“Let’s try something new for a change,” Shen Qingqiu says, all too brightly, and the way his Qi circulates through Liu Qingge’s body changes in some subtle ways. The warmth sticks to his stomach uncomfortably, then spreads further, throughout his whole body. Every little thing Shen Yuan does is ridiculously gentle. “I want to inspect if your core is negatively impacted─”
“Don’t you fucking dare─!”
Liu Qingge chokes, but the force of it is so bad this time that his entire upper body lurches forward as he coughs. His chest tightens and his heart feels like it’s been grasped into a hand, squeezed until it’s just about to burst─
Then he’s coughing his soul out, watching the small pool of red as it hits the ground… and then he realizes that something inside that puddle of blood is moving.
“Oh,” Shen Yuan says, peeking over his shoulder. “That’s not good.”
No shit!?!!?!
Shen Yuan stops pouring spiritual power into his back and flicks the back of his head instead. It actually hurts, even if Liu Qingge won’t allow himself to complain about such a small thing. He feels too sick to move.
The not-Shen Qingqiu, however, abandons him completely. He picks up one of Mu Qingfang’s metal instruments and nudges at the tiny movement in the puddle. Something twitches at the intrusion. It is tiny and ugly and completely misshapen, oddly resembling a particularly large bug. Shen Qingqiu pokes the thing again, his eyes glowing with interest.
Voice barely above a whisper, Liu Qingge says, “Stop it.”
“Don’t be silly, I just─oooh!” Shen Qingqiu is delighted as he manages to catch the thing with the metal thing, finally giving it a more concrete shape. It looks a bit like a snail ─ a twisted, ugly snail, with no difference between the side that is supposed to be its face and what isn’t. Liu Qingge hasn’t put a single bite of food into his mouth in way too long, but the sight of this still makes him want to throw up.
That… came out of his body?
… is he allowed to just die?
Shen Qingqiu looks like he’s going to laugh. He says, “Congratulations, Shidi. You are a father!”
If all the blood wasn’t already out of his system, Liu Qingge would have thrown up another mouthful. “The fuck?”
The look Shen Qingqiu offers him is something on the borderline of sympathy and disgusted amusement. It is soft ─ and that’s probably the most terrifying part of it. Shen Qingqiu has never looked at him that way, like he wants to smother Liu Qingge in pillows and comfort him. It makes him itch to take Cheng Luan right away and kill himself before the man explains whatever the hell is wrong with him.
“I’m afraid I’ll have to invite Mu-shidi over for this,” Shen Yuan comments, eyes back on the disgusting thing stuck to the metal as though it’s trying to suck it. “Safe to say, you can forget about the Sun and Moon Dew Flower Seed. Liu-shidi, Liu-shidi, what terrible luck.”
Liu Qingge doesn’t ask. Really, he doesn’t want to know.
He’ll find out anyway, because the moment Mu Qingfang comes back to Qian Cao Peak a scant few hours later, the man looks about as pale and sickly as Liu Qingge feels. “Where did you say it came from?” he asks, a tint of vague green coloring his skin. Honestly, the man looks ready to abandon all contents of his stomach and Liu Qingge is ready to join him.
Shen Qingqiu doesn’t answer that question ─ it’s a rhetorical one to start with. He’s already debriefed Mu Qingfang with all the details. However, his sympathy for Liu Qingge seems to be ever increasing, and that’s telling on its own.
“... Liu-shixiong, you don’t happen to have saved the dagger you were stabbed with, have you?” Mu Qingfang asks, but it sounds like a question he already knows the answer to.
“Obviously not,” Liu Qingge says. “Why? Is this another side effect of the poison?”
Shen Qingqiu and Mu Qingfang share a look. It is as unnerving as it gets. Liu Qingge really doesn’t need or care to know the answer.
“You, uh, don’t happen to be familiar with the Skinner demon reproduction method, do you?” Mu Qingfang says, and every word feels like it’s forced out of him.
Liu Qingge wants to cover his ears. He really, really, really doesn’t want to know. Really.
“They, uh… they don’t actually ever have a body of their own,” Mu Qingfang continues. “That’s why there aren't that many of them around. Usually, when they uh, decide to reproduce… they need to use their host body… female… to um, implant… seed… into the other host body… male or female.”
Oh please, stop talking─
“Blood parasites,” Shen Yuan says, unhelpfully. “They mix their current host body’s blood directly into the desired host body. A little like poison.”
If his head wasn’t already spinning, Liu Qingge would think Shen Qingqiu was covertly laughing at him. But honestly, behind that perfect poker face of his, he also begins to look a little green.
“Of course, host blood alone isn’t enough…” Mu Qingfang trails off, realizing too late that the reason Shen Qingqiu must’ve said that was to spare Liu Qingge the nastier details… but honestly, it’s bad enough. Liu Qingge might actually cry. “Anyway, there are preconditions that must be met. This kind of thing can’t be done carelessly. The desired host needs to have sufficient spiritual energy to support the parasite development and even then, only one of the implanted parasites will actually be able to grow enough to take over the body… the rest will have to be… expelled out. But the longer they stay in the body, the greater the damage. So the experience will only get… worse… over time.”
“Are you done?” Liu Qingge croaks, but it sounds more like he whimpers.
“What Mu-shidi is saying is that Liu-shidi got caught in a rather elaborate trap,” Shen Yuan says, and there it is again, the wince of sympathy. Liu Qingge wants to throttle him. “Don’t fret too much. Regular cultivator body usually isn’t a great host for Skinner demons. The stronger the cultivator, the worse the experience for them. None of these parasites can survive a cultivator on the level of a Peak Lord. This isn’t so much reproduction as it is… torture.”
Right. Because that’s somehow better.
Then on second thought, enduring torture is better than becoming a host body for a Skinner, anyway.
“How long?” Liu Qingge grunts out.
“How long what?” Shen Yuan asks, would-be innocent.
“How long until they’re all out?”
Shen Yuan gives him a contemplative look. “Depends on your recovery speed, I guess? Mu-shidi correct me if I’m wrong, but since Liu-shidi has suffered a grievous injury, it might take a little longer than usual, but soon as his spiritual power recovers, even under the Without a Cure poison, it should still be more than enough to get rid of these parasites. My estimate would put it at around a month and a half, two months, maybe. What do you say, Mu-shidi?”
Both of them turn to Mu Qingfang… who stays suspiciously silent throughout. At first, they’re both of the opinion that the man is just thinking, calculating… until Liu Qingge realizes the man is staring at him.
Oh. Oh.
Liu Qingge says, “Shen Qingqiu, get the fuck out.”
The not-Shen Qingqiu stumbles, clearly taken by surprise. “What? I’m just trying to help─”
“Get out.”
“You are literally keeping me under arrest here─”
“Shen-shixiong,” Mu Qingfang says suddenly, his voice leaving no room for argument. “I understand you only have good intentions. Give us a moment of privacy, please.”
Shen Qingqiu is clearly annoyed that he has to go ─ but he doesn’t object. With one last sympathetic look in Liu Qingge’s direction, he shuts the door behind him. Liu Qingge opens his mouth to speak, but Mu Qingfang is faster ─ a silencing talisman hits the door before he can get a word out. Shoulders slumping, Liu Qingge allows himself to relax a little. Safe to say, finally they know the root cause behind his Qi deviations. Already, he feels his head ache in that agonizingly familiar way.
“Okay, he’s out,” he chokes, voice barely above a whisper. “How bad is it really? Don’t hold back and just say it.”
Mu Qingfang says nothing for a long time. Finally, his eyes close and he says, “Shen-shixiong isn’t actually wrong about the timing. Two months is a good estimate. He’s just mistaken on one part.”
“What?” Liu Qingge has a sinking feeling that he already knows what it might be.
Mu Qingfang seems to be trying to think of a way to word it nicely, but really, there’s no point. How much worse can it get? Liu Qingge already knows he’s screwed. He knew from the moment that dagger sunk into his flesh, it’s just that the scale of screwed-up wasn’t entirely clear until now. What’s there left to sugar-coat?
Mu Qingfang seems to come to the same conclusion, as he eventually says, “With Liu-shixiong’s constitution, the parasites likely won’t die. Your spiritual core and life force are fused together, so there is no barrier the parasites need to cross between feeding on both. More importantly, with the sheer amount of spiritual power you possess, it’s highly likely that your body could support more than one parasite to fully develop.”
… Right. No surprise there. Fuck.
“Solution?”
Mu Qingfang shifts in place uncomfortably. “Wait it out, treat the symptoms as they come… and pray that once the demonic consciousness is fully formed, you’ll be able to destroy it before it kills you.”
He doesn’t say the obvious, and that’s the part that Liu Qingge wants to hear the most. He doesn’t need to hear it, anymore, he knows exactly how it will play out. The demon is feeding on his spiritual power and his life at the same time. Once it actually forms itself with that power, given the tyrannical nature of it, Liu Qingge won’t stand a chance.
“And before that?” he asks. “Is there any other way to get them out?”
“Nothing reliable,” Mu Qingfang says. “Usually the best way to fight this is poison against poison, but while Without a Cure is in your system, the odds that any kind of poison will get rid of the parasites without killing you first are… insignificant. In fact, I’m pretty sure those parasites are the only reason that Without a Cure didn’t kill you by now. They’re absorbing your Qi before the full force of a deviation can hit you…”
… How bloody ironic. Two different things in his system are trying to kill him, but they work in such a way that they are actively working against each other… resulting in prolonged torture and a whole lot of disgusting imagery.
“Right, then.” Liu Qingge nods firmly to himself. “In that case, might as well. Bring me some ink and paper. I should write a note to Mingyan.”
Mu Qingfang stares at him. “Why? There’s nothing she can do about this.”
“I know. I’d rather she not know the details on why her brother died, but she should know what to watch out for─”
“Liu-shixiong!” Mu Qingfang gasps, scandalized.
“What? You know what this means. You’re the only one who does. The Sect Leader won’t agree with this, so if you really want, you can explain everything to him after I’m gone, I don’t care. But if Mingyan ends up in tears because of this, I’ll come back from hell to haunt you as a vengeful ghost. Are we clear?”
“Liu Qingge!” Mu Qingfang exclaims, and the thunder in his voice sends a chill down his spine. The man is breathing hard ─ he is pale and his face is dotted in sweat, but he is defiant. And that’s annoying. Does he think Liu Qingge wants to die? There’s obviously no other option─
“Listen to me,” Mu Qingfang says, and his voice is… tense. On the edge of something, annoying and assuring at the same time. “This isn’t… there will be a solution. I’m sure of it. I ─ I’m considering what Shen-shixiong said very seriously.”
“What? The plant body thing? That’s bullshit. Even Shen Qingqiu said that won’t work─”
“Yes, there’s not enough time to prepare it… but I’m talking about the other one.”
What else was there? Liu Qingge takes a moment to think about it, and blanches. “No.”
“Yes.”
“They’re fucking extinct. Never mind that I would never─”
“Actually, that…” Mu Qingfang hesitates, teeth tearing at his lip. “There is a chance that not all of them are extinct. I can’t tell you the details… The Sect Leader only mentioned it in passing, a long time ago, so anything I say will likely be wrong. But that’s not what I wanted to suggest to start with.”
“No,” Liu Qingge repeats firmly. “I am not dual cultivating with a Heavenly Demon, are you all fucking insane?”
“It’s not ─ not dual cultivation,” Mu Qingfang says quickly. “That’d get the whole sect in trouble. Anyway, I have a theory based on Shen-shixiong’s earlier ramblings. It’s not going to have the same effect as dual cultivation, it might not be enough to clear out the poison… but it’s probably more than enough to get rid of the Skinner parasites. It won’t be a pleasant experience for you, especially since… uh. Well, your constitution doesn’t take well to demonic invasion of any kind, as we can see. Still, it’s better than waiting it out.”
“... I’d rather die, while I still get to have a fucking choice,” Liu Qingge says. Fuck, he already feels the blood building up in the back of his throat again.
“Well, either way, we can’t do anything until all your wounds heal,” Mu Qingfang says, bitterly. “At this rate, it will be a very painful recovery, but you must endure it, Liu-shixiong. I’ll calculate it just in case, but I think you will have a time frame of roughly two weeks between the time your injuries are all healed and before the Skinner parasite is fully formed. At that time, you can still decide if you want to try this method. Just… the longer you wait, the worse it will get. In the meantime, you cannot skip your medication, no matter how awful the taste.”
Ugh. As if he doesn’t know that already. What do they take him for, a fucking idiot?
Liu Qingge takes a deep, shaky breath. Finally, he says, “I… I’ll think about it.”
“You will? Really?”
Liu Qingge bites his lip until it hurts. “I have to talk to Mingyan first.”
“Of course, I understand you don’t want her to know─”
“No, she has to…” Liu Qingge grimaces. “This is her area of expertise, technically. If we are going to do anything at all that isn’t essentially killing me… she might have to know. Not everything, hell no. But she has to know what you want to try. She’s the only one who can say for sure if it can work.”
Mu Qingfang frowns. “She is just a kid─”
“I know, do you think I want her involved?!” Liu Qingge snarls. He breathes hard, the headache overwhelming. “But this can’t… it won’t work, without her. She is the only one who can tell you if this crazy plan of yours can possibly work. But you can’t tell her. Under no circumstances are you allowed to tell her what’s wrong with me, do you get it? If she knows, she’s going to cry and then I ─ the biggest piece of shit older brother ─ ”
“We… we’ll take it all into account, Liu-shixiong,” Mu Qingfang promises, clearly just to calm him down before he can lose it to hysterics. “Just in case, is there anyone else you want informed, before we start forming a plan?”
“No. The hell is wrong with you? I wouldn’t even be talking to you if I had a choice…” he trails off, however, as Mu Qingfang gently squeezes his shoulder.
“No need to exaggerate, Liu-shixiong. I understand that all of this must have… rattled you greatly. But nothing is unsolvable yet, so don’t give in to the fear─”
“Who’s afraid? I’m pissed off, I’m not─”
But he squeezes his eyes shut, because it burns and damn it all he hasn’t cried since he was a fucking kid, why is this even happening?
Mu Qingfang pats his shoulder gently. “I’ll go talk to Young Miss Liu first, then. By now she likely heard who knows how many ugly rumors anyway. Best for me to talk before there are any misconceptions. Meanwhile, are you okay if we leave Shen Yuan to handle the blockages? If he hangs around you too much now, he might notice─”
“If he were really an evil spirit or something, I’d know by now,” Liu Qingge says hoarsely. At Mu Qingfang’s unconvinced look, he adds, “Whatever the hell is wrong with him, a resentful spirit he is not. … leave him, for now. He hasn’t killed me yet.”
“Alright,” Mu Qingfang says. “Don’t hesitate to reach out to me, if you notice anything else. I’m serious. I know you won’t ever willingly complain, but it’s imperative that we know exactly how this goes, we don’t have much room for mistakes.”
Does he look like he’s able to endure anything, now? He hasn’t cried since was a child, and now there are tears burning the corners of his eyes. Even if he wants to be stubborn, he likely won’t be capable. It’s a shitshow, all of this.
“Just get out, already,” he manages, covering up his face before it really turns unsightly. “I swear, if Mingyan cries because of what you tell her, I’m going to take these damn parasites and shove them up your─”
“I’m leaving, I’m leaving,” Mu Qingfang says quickly, and he’s out, the silencing talisman removed before the door shuts. Liu Qingge can still hear him exchange a few words with Shen Yuan ─ seemingly only pleasantries, but knowing Mu Qingfang, it’s probably laced with subtle warnings.
Liu Qingge wants to get up, wash his mouth, wash himself inside and out … but almost as soon as he stands up, his knees buckle and he’s down on all fours again, too weak and rasping for air. For fuck’s sake! At least the door is shut so Shen Yuan doesn’t have to see him this way, otherwise he really would die out of sheer humiliation.
What does he even want to achieve by standing up anymore? He’s been stuck in Qian Cao Peak for weeks on end! Even if he gets out of this room, he won’t be able to go any further. Either he will collapse on his own or someone else might tell him to rest and… Fuck that. Fuck rest. Liu Qingge has been in bed ever since he got back and he’s sick of it.
Can’t he just have Cheng Luan back for a little while? One slash and it will all be over. Just one.
Fuck this life.
Notes:
Y'know, back when I first started writing this story, this chapter was the turning point... Like, Liu Qingge and skinner parasites? Yeah, nope. That was NOT the plan. But then my brain went OMG LETS TORTURE THIS CUTIE A LITTLE MORE and uh here we are
I swear there is a point to all this. It'll just take time to get there...
That said, no updates for a few days, hosting a friend from abroad! See you Tuesday!
Chapter 7: Deal with the Demon
Notes:
Aaaaand we're back! Updates to stay more or less every other day from now on!
Chapter Text
“This map makes no sense! Who the hell gave you this?!” Luo Binghe growls, after another left turn takes them into… a medical supplies room? Another one? How many of those have they found already? How many of those does Qian Cao Peak have? It’s not Luo Binghe’s first time visiting this Peak, but why is it now that he discovers the place is built like a goddamn maze?
Behind him, his lackey is suspiciously silent. Has been silent, come to think of it, for much longer than he usually is. Some sort of grumbling and complaining should have been over and done with by now. Suspiciously, Luo Binghe turns around to glare at Ming Fan ─ only to find that the older disciple is visibly sweating.
“What? Cat got your tongue?”
Ming Fan shakes his head into a fervent no, which is even more suspicious. Luo Binghe internally debates on pressing the matter further or dropping it entirely, but Ming Fan finally gathers enough courage to speak.
“I did it,” he says, very quietly.
“... you did what?”
Ming Fan audibly gulps. “The map. I drew it.”
Oh. Luo Binghe looks back down at the unfolded piece of paper in his hand. No wonder it’s so atrocious, then. He raises an eyebrow, because it looks like Ming Fan is about to say something else, but he seems to be chickening out. Come on now, say it. Luo Binghe hasn’t decided on a punishment yet, but he’s sorely tempted to get rid of the dead weight right this second.
Ming Fan may or may not be fully aware of everything that Luo Binghe is thinking, but he speaks eventually, very softly, “Ning Yingying tricked me.”
… say what now?
“How?” Luo Binghe asks, reasonably calmly, given how much time they’ve wasted.
“She stole the original map I snuck out of my friend from Qiong Ding,” Ming Fan says, very softly. “And then she told me how to draw it from memory.”
… in other words, Ning Yingying bullshitted out the map and sent them running in circles while she, what…? Snuck in to visit Shizun herself? Why would she do that? Luo Binghe can’t think of any reason. Sure, Ning Yingying always adored their Shizun and she must have also heard of the same rumors as Luo Binghe and Ming Fan, but ever since Shizun has been allegedly moved to Qian Cao Peak, there’s been not a single word of him. Thus, this whole thing. Getting Ming Fan to sneak info around like some stupid spy, ask around even when no one was willing to talk. Has Ning Yingying decided to use their plan to her benefit? Without including them?
Wow, what a sneaky kid. Impressive.
Luo Binghe crumples the map in his hands.
“Fine,” he says. He’ll make Ming Fan pay for keeping this quiet for the entire time later on. The priority right now is to find Shizun. Too much time has already been wasted. Luo Binghe must know what is going on. “Do you have a way to track down Ning Yingying?” he asks.
Ming Fan gulps. “How could I possibly─”
“I know you have something up your sleeve, so spill it while I’m still in the mood to be nice,” Luo Binghe warns him.
Again, Ming Fan is sweating. Does he actually have a way, then? Luo Binghe said it on the off chance he might, but he couldn’t have imagined─
“You absolutely cannot tell her,” Ming Fan says under his breath. “No matter what. Not a word to her. Do we have a deal?”
Luo Binghe considers it for a moment, then nods. Ming Fan nods back. Then he quickly whispers the details into his ears. Honestly, Luo Binghe is a little impressed. There’s an idea to try, the next time Shizun tries to run away.
For the time being, however, he nods very seriously, and tells Ming Fan, “Lead the way, then.”
Ming Fan stares at him blankly. “You… you really promise not to tell her?”
“Are we going or not?” Luo Binghe snaps back, with every intention to tell Ning Yingying all about it the first chance he gets.
Ultimately, Ming Fan gives up and just pulls out a talisman from the inside of his robes. The silly thing isn’t too helpful, because it is directing them to walk directly into a wall, but eh. They make do regardless. Eventually it does lead them to what appears to be a room on Qian Cao Peak, the entrance just off to the side of the building they were previously in. Before they can sneak a look inside, however, a door opens, and Mu-shishu walks out, saying his greeting over his shoulder. To whom he is saying that to, they have no idea, because the door shuts before they can get a look in ─ but the two boys are confident.
“It’s Shizun inside, isn’t it?” Ming Fan whispers.
“Help me get in through the window,” Luo Binghe orders.
“What window?!” Ming Fan screeches. Then blinks, when Luo Binghe points out a very obvious window on the other wall, not too far off. “... right.”
There is just one problem with that window. It’s too high up for Luo Binghe to reach it. Which is frustrating. Luo Binghe used to be able to jump ten times the height without so much as putting in effort, but now he needs to rely on damn Ming Fan to be able to reach the edge of the window with the tips of his fingers ─ and even then, he doesn’t have the strength to climb all the way in.
In the end, it is an embarrassing tangle of limbs in which Luo Binghe ultimately ends up stomping on Ming Fan’s shoulders and head before he is finally able to get inside ─ through a wide open window, dammit! Huffing and puffing, he’s already breaking into a sweat, just for that much. So damn embarrassing!
A window flickers in the corner of his vision.
[Would you like to buy a Generic Strength Potion for 10 B-points?]
… you shut up, you nasty, scheming little bas─
“And who the heck are you?”
Instantly, Luo Binghe freezes with his knee still on the window sill. His hair stands on ends. For a moment, he fears that the question has come from Shizun, that it’s Shizun who doesn’t recognize him… but then on a second look, he realizes the only person in the room is the one resting on the bed right in front of him and that’s definitely not Shizun. Although, who that person is actually is even more of a surprise.
“Liu Qingge?” Luo Binghe blurts out before he can stop himself. Why the heck is Liu Qingge in Qian Cao Peak? More importantly, why is he on a bed, wearing a set of plain robes, with his hair down like some sort of a terminal patient─
“Qing Jing Peak?” Liu Qingge says, glaring at the uniform on Luo Binghe as though it somehow offends him. “The hell do you want? Who taught you to speak with such disrespect?”
Luo Binghe is just about to show Liu Qingge what the word disrespect means, when he remembers he is, in fact, just a Qing Jing disciple still. Putting aside the fact that acting out now could get him in trouble which he most certainly doesn’t need, it could also get Shizun in trouble ─ which on top of everything else that’s currently happening, Luo Binghe most certainly doesn’t intend to allow.
“I wasn’t aware that Liu-shishu got injured,” Luo Binghe says, would-be bashful, as he tries to think of an excuse that could get him out of this room at the earliest possible convenience. “This disciple apologizes for intrusion, I’ll be on my way─”
“What? Sneaking into the next room over?” Liu Qingge barks ─ and it would sound more intimidating, if he didn’t start coughing his lungs out the next moment. The sound is awful.
Luo Binghe is a little taken aback. After five years of fighting Liu Qingge on a nearly daily basis, not once has he seen the man look so… weak. So feeble. So exhausted. More dead than alive, more like a talking corpse than a wild uncontrollable beast with a talent for property destruction. There’s a little blood in the corner of his mouth after he finally stops coughing ─ and the weakness in his limbs is impossible to miss. The Liu Qingge that Luo Binghe knows would have already run his sword through any intruder no matter what. This Liu Qingge isn’t doing it not because he’s trying to be nice ─ but because he literally doesn’t have the strength to lift his arm.
“Your Shizun ain’t there, if that’s who you’re looking for,” Liu Qingge rasps.
“...”
“What? Startled to see a Peak Lord in this state? Well, that’s what happens when you act like a reckless fool, jumping into any room you see fit─” but then he falls into another round of heavy coughs, a little like he’s trying to force something out of him, but failing miserably. It sounds painful. Luo Binghe grimaces in sympathy.
“Well, um… Liu-shishu… this disciple will be on his way…” but before he can so much as turn to jump back down, Liu Qingge’s coughs intensify two fold ─ and he bends to the side right in time to cough out a mouthful of blood into the bucket on the floor instead of all over himself. If anything, his face grows even more ashen after that.
Out of pure curiosity, Luo Binghe tries to sneak a look too, only to notice movement inside the bloody bucket. Unmistakably, there is a trace of demonic residue inside it. Luo Binghe shudders all over. Blood parasites?
The way Liu Qingge’s head suddenly snaps towards him, he must have said it out loud. Shit.
Liu Qingge looks downright revolted. “The fuck does Qing Jing Peak teach you brats?” he chokes out, almost livid.
Luo Binghe ignores him as he jumps into the room instead, coming closer to take a look at the demonic parasite. It’s still feeding on the spiritual energy contained within the blood ─ but there’s not a lot of it. All the nutrition sucked in, the thing quickly runs out of anything to sustain itself with and shrivels up slightly. The longer it remains without anything to feed on, the more it twitches, like a nasty little piece of shit… until those twitches turn into weak little shudders that grow slower with every passing moment. Luo Binghe watches with morbid fascination as the parasite eventually runs out of its own stores of demonic energy and changes shape more and more until it turns into a shriveled, dead-bug shaped corpse.
“... stop staring, it’s fucking disgusting,” Liu Qingge says.
Luo Binghe can’t help but keep staring, but now at the man directly. How in the fuck does the Bai Zhan War God contract a demonic blood parasite infestation? What kind of twisted turn of events is this? Like, Luo Binghe doesn’t particularly care, but… damn. At some point, Liu Qingge was enough of a challenge to break a sweat, fighting him. How does a cultivator like that end up like this?
“Aren’t you going to go out already, or do I need to make you─”
“If you fight me now, you’re just going to die,” Luo Binghe informs him blandly, without even a trace of respect. “So while I’m in the mood to be nice, listen to me, and listen carefully.”
Liu Qingge looks like he wants to start an argument ─ like the fucking idiot that he is ─ but Luo Binghe doesn’t give him a chance. A set of quick hand movements gets the palm of his hand to glow in a faint red color. Then, before Liu Qingge can so much as open his mouth, he slams that palm directly against the man’s chest. Bai Zhan Peak Lord has just enough time to turn his head around and throw up another demonic worm onto the ground, only this time without the blood to complete the disgusting imagery. Liu Qingge’s entire body shudders violently.
“There, just seven of them left now,” Luo Binghe says, brushing his palms as if to clean them. With the back of his foot, he steps onto the twitching mass, crushing it to dust.
Liu Qingge stares at him, bewildered, but he’s so lifeless and spent that he can’t even complain when Luo Binghe politely fixes his rumpled robes and moves the messy hair back behind his shoulders, brushing out the tangles in the process. “I’ll try to keep the explanation short and simple. I just did you a huge favor, removing that disgusting thing from your body.” He lifts his palm to stop Liu Qingge from saying whatever he’s about to say. “I don’t care for any gratitude. And before you ask, yes, I am also able to remove the rest of them. Well, the ones that haven’t settled in your spiritual core yet, to be specific.”
Hearing that, Liu Qingge looks just about ready to vomit out more blood. Which, ugh, he really shouldn’t. Luo Binghe is not in the mood to be wasting time by cleaning his clothes.
“How’d you─” but Liu Qingge can’t finish that question, because Luo Binghe covers his mouth with a finger, lips stretching into a nasty smile.
“Wait for your turn patiently, Shishu. I’m not done yet,” he says, perfectly politely. “I said I can remove the rest of them. Not that I will do it. After all, this kind of a favor doesn’t come for free.”
From beyond the corpse-like exterior, on the inside, Liu Qingge is a raging ball of fire. Unfortunately for him, he’s really in no state to be picking fights with anybody and he knows it. Hahahah. Oh god. Had Luo Binghe known that Liu-shishu could make a face like this, he might’ve brought out the demon blood parasites himself. Shizun would certainly not approve, but eh. As long as Liu Qingge was alive, Shizun probably wouldn’t be too upset.
That was then, however and now is a different time.
Luo Binghe could certainly be the evil bastard and let Liu Qingge die. From what he’s felt of his internal energy, the man doesn’t have much time left anyway, and with those parasites nesting in his spiritual core, what little time he does have is guaranteed to be miserable. Letting Liu Qingge die is simple. Saving Liu Qingge and making that highly principled idiot owe him a life debt? Priceless.
Suspicious as though he obviously is, Liu Qingge does seem to understand that this is a rare chance. Throat raw and abused, he asks, “What… do you… want?”
“Not that fast, Shishu,” Luo Binghe says lightly. “You should probably understand what you’re getting yourself into, if you want my help. These parasites are a nasty trick. Many demon races are able to utilize them to torture their victims, but what you’re in for isn’t merely a torture process but also a reproductive one. Which… ugh. Awful. Anyway, I must set your expectations straight. Right now, you have seven blood parasites left in your body. Four of them are still going about, trying to find a long term way to sustain themselves, and they’re the ones causing you pain all over.”
“Like I can’t fucking tell,” Liu Qingge grumbles, far too weakly for a man who used to punch through walls by accident.
“Yes, well, getting them out all at once isn’t advisable either,” Luo Binghe says cheerily. “They’re all feeding on your Qi, after all. If I rush to expel another one today, it might just damage your meridians past the point of recovery. Patience, Shishu. Patience is a virtue”
The way Liu Qingge looks at him, like he’s oh-so-patiently holding himself back from throttling him is too fucking funny, though. As if those toothpick wrists could throttle anything right now.
“Anyway, those four parasites milling about are easy, but there are three that have settled into your spiritual core already,” Luo Binghe continues lightly, poking straight at Liu Qingge’s chest thrice. “That will be a problem.”
Looking much like he’d rather just make him eat the parasites, Liu Qingge says, “Can you fix it?”
“Maybe,” Luo Binghe says.
“You want me to trust a fucking brat on a maybe?”
“Well, do you have any other choice?” Luo Binghe asks. “There is no easy solution to this, none unless you want to further damage your cultivation. What? Did Mu Qingfang come up with some sort of an alternative? Or is Mu-shishu running on random guesses?”
”What the hell do you even know─”
“That’s a story for another time,” Luo Binghe cuts him off. “Anyway, here’s my offer. I will remove the demon parasites from your body. But once I do that, your life belongs to me. Take it or leave it, Shishu. I will only show you such generosity once.”
“... generosity, you call it?” Liu Qingge croaks. “Are you insane?”
“Maybe,” Luo Binghe says. “But given how much those parasites have grown, they’ve been in your body for well over a month now. Give it another month and it won’t be you controlling that body anymore, not unless Mu-shishu can create a miracle, which I wouldn’t be betting my money on. Like it or not, Liu Qingge, I’m your best bet at life. So my question is: Liu-shishu, are you even in a position to negotiate?”
Clearly, whether he is or isn’t, Liu Qingge is still not willing to bite and beg for help. That stick up his ass will need tempering before it’s flexible enough to be useful. Well, Luo Binghe has plenty of time to whip him into shape. After all, with three demon parasites living in his spiritual core, Liu Qingge truly doesn’t have a way out of this and he knows it.
“You can actually do it?” Predictably, Liu Qingge asks, quite suspiciously. “ You? A Qing Jing brat?”
“That’s right.”
“ How?”
Luo Binghe smiles sweetly as he leans to whisper into his ear, “If that’s what you want to know, Shishu, promise your life to me first. Trade secrets are secrets for a reason, after all. No lunch in this world comes for free.”
Liu Qingge glares at him like he might kill him with his eyes alone. “What are you?”
Luo Binghe smiles brilliantly. “Your love rival, obviously.”
“The fuck?”
“Or your worst nightmare, if you keep pushing your luck. The choice is yours, Shishu. What I’m going to deliver depends on you and you alone.”
Cautiously, Liu Qingge says, “And if, if I agree… with your proposal. You’ll…do what? The same thing you did before? What technique was that?”
Tiredly, Luo Binghe shakes his head. Obviously, this won’t be going as easily as he intended it. Fine, then. A little trust needs to be built, still. “Dew water,” he says. “The taste is absolutely disgusting, but if you mix it with that medicine Mu Qingfang makes for you, it should make the pain a little more bearable. As for my proposition, I’ll give you time to think it over until tomorrow. Make a decision by the time I come visit you again, Shishu.”
Without looking back, he heads directly for the window, pausing only for a moment before he is about to jump out.
“Don’t die, Liu Qingge,” he whispers under his breath.
Don’t die until I can kill you.
Or better yet. Don’t die until I get to fucking own you.
The following day, Ming Fan has way too many questions to ask about why Luo Binghe feels the need to sneak into Qian Cao Peak again, after so miserably failing to find Shizun the last time around. Luo Binghe doesn’t bother correcting him. Although finding Shizun is his first and foremost goal, especially determining the nature of Shizun’s possession, until he gets his demonic powers back, Luo Binghe can’t actually do much about it.
It’s not that different from Liu Qingge’s situation, frankly speaking. Without his demonic powers, Luo Binghe isn’t confident if he can, actually, get rid of the demonic parasites entirely. Not that he will ever let Liu Qingge know.
As he’s tested out already, getting rid of the parasites outside the spiritual core is as easy as it’s always been. It’s all about technique and the minimal amount of demonic power infused into his bait, to lure the little bastards to the right spot and then force them out with pure Qi. However, that little trick has spent all the little bits of demonic cultivation that Luo Binghe has managed to build up over the past month.
Yes, with some effort, he will be able to build up enough of it to get rid of the other four, too. But those three parasites in Liu Qingge’s spiritual core are far more difficult. If he gets careless, he might just spur them to grow faster. Or worse, he could straight up kill Liu Qingge. Which, hey, good riddance, overall, but not right now, when Luo Binghe still needs someone he can experiment on, before he dares test his limited powers on Shizun.
So Ming Fan can bitch about as much as he likes, but Luo Binghe is out on a mission.
A mission which nearly blows up right in his face, when he climbs up the same window for the second time in as many days, just to find that Liu Qingge already has another visitor over. It’s late in the evening, who the fuck would be visiting him now?! Just barely, Luo Binghe manages to catch himself onto the wall and hide behind the curtain, before another presence inside the room can notice him, but that also means he needs to keep standing on Ming Fan’s shoulders, in spite of the fellow disciple’s vocal complaints.
Shut up, Luo Binghe mouths at him, stomping on his shoulder when the grumbling gets too loud. Ming Fan almost drops him, damn it all. If Luo Binghe wasn’t so goddamn weak, he would have killed that stupid brat already ─ but he’s soon distracted by Liu Qingge’s indignant snort.
“I said it already, I don’t fucking care─”
“Just consider it, Shidi,” the visitor says ─ and Luo Binghe’s heart skips a beat at the familiar timber of that voice. Shizun, he thinks, and tries to sneak in a look from between the curtains. He only catches sight of one shoulder and a streak of long hair falling along it, but it’s enough for the warmth to spread all throughout his limbs. At least, Shizun is not imprisoned. In fact, he sounds quite like himself, when he keeps talking. “Mu-shishu is currently conducting an experiment. I’m not sure how he did it, but Zhangmen-Shixiong has gotten his hands on a Sun and Moon Dew Flower Seed to test out this theory. This should show you just how important this sect finds you to be. Trust them, Liu-shidi.”
“It’s not… I’m not… it’s not about trust, damn it,” Liu Qingge says, and he sounds very awkward and uncomfortable at the same time. “Mu Qingfang knows. Let him fucking explain. I don’t want to talk to you anyway, stupid evil spirit.”
Shizun ─ or not-Shizun ─ Luo Binge doesn’t even know, at this point… anyway, Shen Qingqiu laughs. It’s light and highly amused and it’s both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. Luo Binghe thinks that he may have made Shizun laugh like that, once or twice back in his youth. But at the same time, Shizun has never laughed so openly in front of him, ever. His heart clenches out of sheer jealousy.
“I'll inform you of the results once the experiment is over,” Shen Qingqiu says after a moment. “As for the spiritual energy transfers, same time, tomorrow. Mu-shidi gave his clearance to make it a morning thing only from now on. Your condition is improving, shidi, and I’m happy to see it.”
Liu Qingge says something unintelligible, but it makes Shen Qingqiu once again laugh heartily. Then he gives another greeting and eventually, the door to the room clicks shut. Luo Binghe waits a few moments before he finally climbs in through the window, and finds Liu Qingge watching him expectantly.
“You’re here,” he says, like he’s not at all happy to see this Qing Jing brat, yet at the same time, like he’s been waiting impatiently.
Luo Binghe smiles. “Indeed. But it looks like my presence is no longer necessary. My Shizun seems to have found a solution.”
Liu Qingge’s eyebrows twitch. “You’ve been listening in? Then again, you’re a sneaky little bastard. Why should I be surprised? You said that you can get rid of the damn parasites. Then, are you able to remove the poison as well?”
“Poison?” Luo Binghe questions.
“Without a Cure,” Liu Qingge clarifies. “Apparently, it has no cure, but it does have some tricky workarounds. Do you have one, too? A workaround?”
“... how the hell did you contract Without a Cure?”
“I asked you a fucking question!”
“No, I can’t fix that,” Luo Binghe admits. “But I’m curious. What workarounds to Without a Cure are there?” The one that immediately comes to mind is the body swap that Shizun did in his previous life, but that is a method that will take years to cultivate. Even for Shizun, it didn’t work out in the end ─ not for the lack of trying. Liu Qingge does not have that much time to invest into a maybe. Still, Luo Binghe blurts out, “A replacement puppet body?”
Liu Qingge grimaces. “One of the options, yes.” He doesn’t even need to explain why he isn’t too keen on it. Luo Binghe understands it with his whole being.
“And the others?”
At that, Liu Qingge’s face contorts as though he’s bitten into a particularly sour fruit. “Dual cultivation, apparently…” he says. At Luo Binghe’s suspiciously raised eyebrow, ─ because what the fuck, that’s not how demonic poisons work ─ he adds, “With a Heavenly Demon.”
… ? Huh…?
… oh.
Oh, shit.
Wait.
Wait just a moment.
Then, that means that all along… if Luo Binghe had just… oh.
The face he is making must be very strange, because Liu Qingge nods in what looks to be actual sympathy. “Yeah. Anyway, fuck that. I’ll survive the poison. It’s survivable anyway. If you can clear out the parasites, that’s good enough. I’ll take your stupid deal.”
Wait. What?
“That easy?” Luo Binghe asks, still a little lightheaded. His mind is still on the Without a Cure poison. If the solution to that all along was himself, then… then…
Oh god. How did he not think of it before? All those monsters in the Endless Abyss had been out to get him, yes, but rarely to kill him. They wanted his blood, his tears, even his goddamn sweat, and that never made any fucking sense, not until he realized why the blood of a Heavenly Demon is so different… but now it’s just… Ugh. Obviously, dual cultivation is about more than just exchange of bodily fluids, but that’s a part of it, and Heavenly Demons do have a trace of heaven's power still inside them. That’s the whole fucking problem with being what he is, isn’t it?
“Oi! Are you going to back out now?!” Liu Qingge suddenly explodes, and Luo Binghe is a little startled. “You said you can fix this. Keep your damn word. Get these fucking things out of me. If you can do that, then… then…” Liu Qingge grimaces, like every single word that comes out of his mouth hurts like pulling teeth. But still, he says, “If you can do it, my life is yours, then. Do with it what you will.”
“Oh,” Luo Binghe says, eloquently. Somehow, he expected that getting Liu Qingge to agree to this would feel more… cathartic, somehow. A little like beating an unbeatable enemy. Like outsmarting an eternal rival. But all it really feels like is ─ strange. Like he hasn’t achieved anything at all. Like it’s Liu Qingge dictating the terms and not himself, and he can’t quite understand it. Wasn’t Liu Qingge refusing to consider this just yesterday? Why such a change now? Was it Shen Qingqiu that said something to him that made him change his mind? And why does Luo Binghe feel like this is not at all the victory that he wanted to have?
“Will you make a blood oath on it?” he asks, then, just to drive his blade in deeper, but Liu Qingge doesn’t look like he cares.
“If you can do it, whatever’s fine,” he says. He sounds like even dying would be fine with him, if it came down to it. Luo Binghe isn’t sure why, but it’s making him very angry.
“Fine, then,” he says, and pulls a small practice dagger from inside of his sleeve.
Liu Qingge holds out his hand readily and that only infuriates him more. When Luo Binghe cuts a line in Liu Qingge’s palm, it’s much deeper than it needs to be. The man doesn’t even blink. Using the clean side, he cuts a line in his own palm, then covers Liu Qingge’s hand with his own.
“I will remove even the last damn blood parasite from your spiritual core,” he says softly, but menacingly. “And once I do, your life will belong to me. No matter what.”
Liu Qingge doesn’t even blink as he looks up at him, lifeless, but burning with the sort of vengeful spite that Luo Binghe has been well familiar with. Fucking finally.
“Make right on your word, Qing Jing brat,” he says. “Or else I’ll drag you to the underworld with me.”
Chapter Text
“Shizun, is there something I should do about this?” Ning Yingying asks softly as she stares out the window. Luo Binghe and Ming Fan must have finished whatever they came here for, and now she looks all nervous again, like it’s somehow her fault they are here to begin with.
Calmly sipping his tea over in the other corner, Shen Yuan says, “Just let them be.” He would never admit it, but he’s a little touched that not one, not two, but three of his disciples are all hell-bent on defending his honor, but there is truly no need for it. Because, first, he is the impersonator he claims himself to be. Second, his disciples, as he calls them so fondly, are not his disciples, not really, no matter how much he wishes for it sometimes. And finally, his detachment from this bunch of sentimental brats is very much intentional.
It’s bad enough that Ning Yingying has snuck into Qian Cao Peak to meet him. Luo Binghe and Ming Fan working together to do the same is enough to shake the very foundation of this world.
Eventually, Ning Yingying’s attention fully returns to him as she keeps sipping her tea, staring at Shen Yuan intently. He ignores her for as long as possible ─ or rather, for as long as she lets him ─ until eventually she says, “Shizun.”
It is so soft and so desperate. Damn it all, now he can’t ignore her anymore. Damn it, Yingying, making him feel so ridiculously guilty over something so simple.
Shen Yuan doesn’t answer, but he does put his cup down ─ which Ning Yingying interprets as permission to proceed anyway.
“Then, the person to bully and pick on A-Luo all along… that was our Shizun? Not… not… you?” The poor girl grimaces, her youthful innocence not quite allowing her to fully digest everything she’s heard. Shen Yuan hasn’t had any intention of explaining anything to begin with, but Ning Yingying has already come to him with a bunch of conclusions drawn, blaming him for Luo Binghe’s terrible treatment… and Shen Yuan could have gone along with any nonsense coming out of her mouth, but not that.
The insinuation that he has ever hurt Luo Binghe intentionally is just ─ he cannot handle that.
So he throws all caution to the wind and breaks her heart with reality… but now that’s triggered a brand new problem, because Ning Yingying has, in fact, believed every word coming out of his mouth. Which is weird, because she clearly adores the Original Goods at this age, but a lot of that adoration has automatically transferred over to him no matter how much he claims he is not that person… and now here they are. Sometimes, he’s Shizun, other times he’s not and it’s all starting to give him a headache.
He’s pretty sure that the poor girl is also giving herself a headache, trying to delve deeper into these difficult topics at such a young age, but if there’s one thing Shen Yuan will never do, that is to leave these disciples to fend for themselves without any guidance at all.
“I’m in no position to speak of anyone’s actions,” he says, even though he wishes he could have said so much more. “But I don’t believe things back there went according to your Shizun’s intentions. After all, if not for the Qi deviation happening so unexpectedly, your fellow disciple wouldn’t have ended up locked in the woodshed all alone. You could, in short, blame me for it just the same.”
“I thought about it for a long time before coming here,” Ning Yingying says very seriously. “No matter how I look at it, it’s obvious now that Shizun always treated A-Luo differently. We always made excuses for it, but I can’t do that anymore. Something must change.”
“This is entirely a matter to be brought up within your Peak,” Shen Yuan reminds her. “I’m honored that you find me trustworthy enough for this conversation, but this is not something I can assist you with any further.”
“I understand if you want to distance yourself,” Ning Yingying says softly, “But Shizun, isn’t that a little too much still?”
What, too much? If he could, Shen Yuan would launch himself straight into the stratosphere just to get away from all this. He’s a coward, what don’t you get about this? Ning Yingying truly has too high expectations of her Shizun and Shen Yuan alike!
“Shizun,” that silly girl continues, sneakily pulling a sip of her tea between her words, as if to water her dry throat. “If you’re not our Shizun, then why did you address me by name the moment you saw me?”
Shen Yuan’s hand freezes with his tea halfway to his mouth. Say what now?
When in the world did he ─ but he did, didn’t he? Both with Ming Fan and Ning Yingying, initially, he treated them as though everything was in order, as though they’ve been his disciples all along. No wonder these silly children won’t let this matter go. An evil spirit imposter would never bother remembering their names, right? Shen Yuan feels like an appropriate excuse for this should be easy enough to think of, but he comes up blank.
“I… if Shizun has some big reason for this, naturally, this disciple won’t speak about it to anyone,” Ning Yingying says softly. “I just… I just want to understand, Shizun. And help, if it’s within my ability.”
Shen Yuan’s heart skips a beat.
Why is it that he feels like he’s been in this exact scenario just a few minutes before with Liu Qingge, just standing on the other side? Continuously, he’s tried to get Liu Qingge to admit why he won’t accept their help and he’s repeatedly hit a brick wall ─ and now Ning Yingying is doing the same to him and Shen Yuan understands. He now understands that there are some things that shouldn’t be said, some secrets that should stay secret… but if Liu Qingge is his experiment, then he must be the example for Liu-shidi to follow. He can’t clam up and do the same thing he’s calling the others out for. Not anymore.
Of course, whether or not his disciple chooses to believe him or just deems him a mental case, well, that’s beyond him.
“It’s not the first time this has happened,” Shen Yuan tells her, like he’s talking about the weather. At her uncomprehending look, he takes a sip of his tea and continues, “It’s not the first time I’ve taken over Shen Qingqiu’s body.”
“... has Shizun had other Qi deviations, then?” Ning Yingying asks. “But I don’t know of any─”
“You wouldn’t know about it, because it hasn’t happened yet,” Shen Yuan says somberly. “Well, it has, but it also hasn’t. It’s complicated. Let’s just say it this way. The first time it happened, I made no effort to reveal myself to anyone, instead I proceeded to live on as though I was your Shizun all along. With time, people stopped questioning all the oddities and small changes I did, chalking it up to a Qi deviation the same way you just did. And here we are again. I don’t have the energy to pretend anymore, therefore I said it immediately. I’m not, in fact, Shen Qingqiu. But I do know a whole lot about him and the people around him for a multitude of reasons too complicated to explain. Does Ning Yingying believe my words now?”
Given the way the poor girl is staring at him, the answer is a steadfast no. However, Ning Yingying says nothing. Eventually, she just goes back to sipping her tea, but by her eyes alone, it’s obvious her thoughts are spiraling in multiple different directions.
Shen Yuan sighs heavily. “See? This is why I didn’t want to talk about it. Nobody will believe me anyway.”
“But, Shizun…”
“Shen Yuan. Or gege. Or Yuan-ge… or anything, please, because I’m not your Shizun…”
“Oh. Um. Yuan-ge, then?” Ning Yingying tests out curiously. Why of course she would pick that one, damn it all.
“Fine,” Shen Yuan grumbles under his breath, face on fire. “That name, you can use it. No one else.”
“Shen Yuan-ge, then,” Ning Yingying says brightly.
Oh god. Why did he say that? Now he’s going to blush every time she does that! Worse, he’s going to look at this silly disciple and really think of her as a little sister, not Luo Binghe’s little sister, but… Ugh. Curse his damn mouth. Shen Yuan should have just stopped talking the moment she got here.
“Shen Yuan-ge, then, if before you also took over our Shizun’s body, then how were you able to get out? You were able to get out, right?”
… right. A shot through the heart, right there. Ning Yingying, how are you always so precise about it? Aaaaaargh! Shen Yuan wants out of this conversation.
“I ended up here,” he mutters under his breath, but because the girl just leans over closer to hear him better, he really needs to think more about what he’s saying. UGH. “That time didn’t go over too well,” he says. “In the end, I pretended to be someone I’m not, and your favorite A-Luo got hurt the most because of it.”
That’s right. The absolute, factual truth. It leaps over all the nastier bits and pieces, but it summarizes everything and frames it just in the right way that will hopefully get Ning Yingying to stop asking him questions. If that pale face of hers is anything to go by, she’s truly spooked now. Successfully, he’s dodged the biggest bullet of them all, and now Ning Yingying is too stunned to ask him anything more! Finally!
And just on time, there’s a knock on his door, and all the color drains from the girl’s face.
“I’m not supposed to be here!” she mouths at him in blind panic and Shen Yuan has to hold back his laughter.
“Out the window, hurry, hurry!” he mouths back, and the girl picks up her practice sword and bolts.
She stops at the last moment, however, turning to throw a look over her shoulder at Shen Yuan. “Yuan-ge,” she says softly, “we will finish this conversation some other time, okay?”
Of course, of course! Just run now, so your Yuan-ge can go and drown himself in a lake while he still has the chance.
He smiles politely at her anyway, and Ning Yingying skillfully dives out the window on her practice sword. Of course, she is terrible at flying still, so she won’t go much further than the nearest tree over, but hey, it’s the effort that counts! Shen Yuan is impressed that she’s managed to master flight to the degree that she did, as she’s much faster this time around. The right motivation truly does wonders.
“Come on in,” he says, once she’s gone, and he’s not at all surprised to see the Sect Leader walking in.
Yue Qingyuan comes to sit into Ning Yingying’s seat with a raised eyebrow, his eyes also on the window. “The disciples are sneaking around again?”
“Seems like they think it’s forbidden for them to talk to me,” Shen Yuan confirms. “Don’t correct them. If they’re trying to be sneaky, that makes them easier to handle. If they find out there’s no actual restrictions, we might not be able to get rid of them.”
“They’re rather fond of you,” Yue Qingyuan comments.
“Eh, they think I’m their Shizun. I’m just fooling them. Some tea for you, Zhangmen-shixiong?”
“Please,” Yue Qingyuan allows, and Shen Yuan is quick to put Ning Yingying’s cup away and bring another one out for the Sect Leader. The guest room at Qian Cao Peak that he’s been occupying has steadily filled up with the most essential daily items, leaving his level of comfort quite similar to what he’s had as a Peak Lord in the past. He notices, however, Yue Qingyuan’s eyes lingering on the cup, oddly thoughtful, and Shen Yuan feels a little bashful.
“It’s, uh, a part of a set. The cup, I mean,” he says, a little awkward. It’s not the same set that he’s currently using, either, but beggars can’t be choosers. After all, it was the Sect Leader who equipped him with all the items he has here for the duration of his stay.
Sect Leader Yue says nothing, which only makes the whole situation even more awkward. Shen Yuan clears his throat to say, “So, what brings the Sect Leader over to my humble abode?”
“Mu-shidi spoke to me of the newest suggestion,” Yue Qingyuan says.
Oh, that. Well. Shen Yuan isn’t going to take that back, if that’s what they expect of him. But he doesn’t get a chance to get defensive about it, either, before the Sect Leader adds, “I think it’s feasible.”
Oh. Nice.
Why, though?
It must be showing in his face, because the Sect Leader allows himself a small smile. “The idea has potential. If Mu-shidi’s experiment succeeds, I will approve of your plan. That is, of course, if Liu-shidi himself is willing to go along with it.”
Shen Yuan sighs. “Yeah, he might need some convincing. I’m not sure why, but Mu-shidi has made it clear to me that without his explicit agreement, the whole thing is a no-go. Which, okay, fair. It’s Liu Qingge we’re trying to help, of course we need his cooperation. It’s the reason why he’s so against it that I don’t get. Is Sect Leader Yue willing to share some of his wisdom?”
“I’m afraid that if Liu-shidi won’t tell, then there’s nothing I can do to help,” Yue Qingyuan says sagely. Which, damn. What a blunt way of saying I know something you don’t. “However,” he adds, drawing Shen Yuan’s attention back, “if Liu-shidi is to agree, is it too much of me to expect you to keep assisting in his recovery?”
“... am I not doing that already?” He’s literally been transferring his spiritual energy over to Liu Qingge every single day, multiple times a day even. It wouldn’t be too far off the mark to say that he’s becoming an expert at it. What more can he do?
“Your idea requires execution outside of the protective wards of this Sect,” Yue Qingyuan says. “Just because I had one Dew flower seed for an experiment doesn’t mean I have any more of them stashed around and they’re not easy to acquire. Sending Mu-shidi out alone is too big of a risk and my presence is too conspicuous. Therefore, this one wishes to ask you.”
… and you would trust me to do that? After everything? Shen Yuan doesn’t say that though ─ there’s too huge of a lump in his throat to say anything at all.
Yue Qingyuan smiles briefly. “Don’t get me wrong. I wouldn’t trust you out of my sight. But there is something about Liu-shidi’s report that I very much dislike ─ and perhaps you could offer some of your otherworldly insight.”
“Mm, I heard.” Shen Yuan wishes he hadn’t. But Liu Qingge has not held anything back in his report. Starting with the detailed description of the ritualistic sacrifices, continuing with the double pincer attack on him and even every single word that the demons have said in his presence, Liu Qingge has reported everything ─ and what earned Yue Qingyuan’s undivided attention is the same thing that got Shen Yuan’s attention, too.
Namely, the demons were expecting Shen Qingqiu.
The mind boggling details of Liu Qingge’s brutal defeat aside, the fact remains that the attack was never intended for him in the first place. The whole thing was a setup intended to draw out Shen Qingqiu ─ and while Yue Qingyuan is of firm belief that the Shuang Hu city trap was intended for the Original Goods ─ Shen Yuan has read in between the lines something else entirely.
Namely, Skinner’s target is not Shen Qingqiu the original, but Shen Yuan himself.
Now, that could be pure speculation on his part. A random guess, blind paranoia, silly overthinking. It could be anything at all, but the reason Shen Yuan chose to interpret it this way is simple.
In his report, Liu Qingge mentioned ‘overhead beam’. On its own, meaningless. But within the context of everything else he was saying, it may not be so meaningless after all. But most importantly, the method of Liu Qingge’s defeat is very complex and thorough. Skinner parasites are not easy to implant, after all. Shen Yuan doesn’t know the details, but he knows that this kind of revenge would’ve required preparation, a few hours at least, a few days at most.
In the end, the assumption is the following: Liu Qingge took the revenge intended for him, based upon the events that have happened in a timeline that no longer exists.
How that is possible, Shen Yuan has not the slightest clue. Probably another intricacy of the iron clad rule of the protagonist's plot armor. Still, his intention to find out coincides with Yue Qingyuan’s intention to find out why Skinner was targeting one of his Peak Lords and ended up nearly killing another one, therefore they’re on the same page for the time being.
“In other words, if something goes awry, you expect me to go and dig deeper into it,” Shen Yuan concludes. “I can do that. I don’t know where to start, but I’m willing to do it.”
“Nan Jiang,” Yue Qingyuan says.
Shen Yuan blinks. “The Southern Demon realm? Why?”
“It’s not the first time a report of untouchable demons has reached my desk,” Yue Qingyuan says. “Whether or not it’s got anything to do with our problem now, the initial reports I got of this all came from Nan Jiang, which is currently without a leader. If an untouchable demon were to rise as the new demon lord there, then the trouble would quickly spread throughout all the realms.”
“... and you have reason to think that Shen Qingqiu might have a chance to appear in Nan Jiang?” Shen Yuan probes, and the single sharp look from the Sect Leader betrays him. Well, fine. If he’s desperate enough to hope that Shen Qingqiu the original might actually be stuck somewhere in Nan Jiang, that’s fine. Sending Shen Yuan to the demon realm is still a bit much, though.
“What if I won’t go?” he says. “I’m willing to help Liu Qingge, but what if I draw the line with entering the Demon Realm?”
“Then you won’t go,” Yue Qingyuan says simply. “I’m not here to force anything upon you. Just discuss.”
Right. Because he doesn’t already know that Shen Yuan is even more eager to get out of this body than Yue Qingyuan is to kick him out. Except, not possible. Blergh. How is that fair, Sect Leader Yue? Shen Yuan has been nothing but courteous this whole time! Being used this way is so unfair!
… that said, what happened to Liu Qingge is entirely his fault indeed, as he’s been relearning with every new information incoming. He’s truly got no grounds to stand on whatsoever.
“How much time do we have to prepare?” Shen Yuan asks.
“I already discussed all the details with Mu-shidi,” Yue Qingyuan informs him. “He will tell you everything accordingly.”
… sweet. Truly, Shen Yuan doesn’t know what he’s been expecting. Once again, Yue Qingyuan has taken upon himself the role of quest-giving NPC.
“Will I at least be allowed to step outside of this room now that we’ve established some basic trust?” he manages, trying very hard not to sound too disheartened.
Yue Qingyuan twists his teacup around as he deliberates over it. “That depends. What do you intend to do with that freedom?”
“... sunbathe?”
Yue Qingyuan almost drops the cup. He snorts then, slightly amused. “Very well, then. Go ahead and sunbathe on Qian Cao Peak, if that’s what you enjoy. I’ll inform the guards. Come close to the Rainbow bridge and this permission will be rescinded.”
Well. That went better than expected. Shen Yuan wants to push his luck and make one more demand ─ but he gives up in the end. One look and he’s pretty sure that this request will be met not only with a resounding no, but also much more strictness in the future.
He does, however, ask, “Those kids won’t be in trouble for messing around, right?”
“I told my disciples to let them visit you, why would you think they would be in trouble?” Yue Qingyuan asks curiously.
“I dunno. Just asking. Casually.”
“You show a surprising amount of concern for disciples that have nothing to do with you.”
Ow. That’s harsh. He already raised these kids once! Shen Yuan lowers his gaze regardless, reminds himself that any smart quips at this point in time are only going to be harmful, not so much to himself as much as they might get those silly kids in trouble. Or somehow encourage them to cause more trouble.
Still, after a moment, Yue Qingyuan’s expression softens. “Worry not. As per agreement, Miss Ning won’t be sanctioned for sneaking in to meet you. As for the other two ─ it seems that young disciple Luo has only gotten as far as to find Liu-shidi and he hasn’t given the boy any further instructions. He might come a few more times, but Liu-shidi has assured me he has it under control. Young disciple Ming has not stepped foot inside of any facilities, so there is no need to worry about it, either.”
… right. Because Luo Binghe coming to find Liu Qingge is somehow supposed to be reassuring.
Well. If nothing else, it’ll help Shen Yuan confirm the facts. If Luo Binghe is truly the person Shen Yuan wants him to be, it’ll show soon enough. He and Liu Qingge can’t go five minutes without trying to kill each other. And if not ─ well. It’s what Shen Yuan has been expecting all along. He’s not sure why he keeps hoping otherwise. Either way, it is what it is.
It’s too late to go back anyways.
Luo Binghe doesn’t gather enough demonic Qi to clear out the last parasite as per his plan.
The previous three have been a struggle to handle ─ far more than he initially expected they would be. It shouldn’t have come as a surprise, because his current body’s cultivation is entirely based upon a faulty manual, one that is ultimately deteriorating his meridians rather than helping them improve, so he’s spent more time trying to undo the damage than cultivating the demonic path… which, when he finds the time to do it, comes even harder.
Damn the stupid seal, damn his mixed heritage. Now that he needs the power, where the fuck is it? Stuck under a useless seal! No matter how hard Luo Binghe works, that seal on his power is like a prison cell, allowing him only to reach out a certain distance before trapping him in place, not allowing him to move any further. He spends almost the entirety of the afternoon in a highly focused cultivation session in a secluded part of Qing Jing Peak, skipping all of his lectures. He knows that by now, Qi Qignqi has called out his absence enough to give everyone a headache, but Ming Fan and Ning Yingying are both willing to cover for him, so he makes the best of it.
His best, however, is nowhere near enough.
The reality of his limitations hits him when it’s already too late to do anything about it. He’s just about made it to Qian Cao Peak, holding onto the sliver of demonic power inside him with the skin of his teeth. Liu Qingge’s room is not far from the Rainbow Bridge and the Bai Zhan Peak Lord has, ever since they made the blood oath, been leaving a clear path for him, one where he needs not sneak through the window like a secret stalker. But even with such little distance to cross, Luo Binghe feels it when his body starts giving out from under him.
He’s made it halfway up the stairs. There’s not many of them, Liu Qingge is not far up from the ground level ─ just a few steps, all due to how steep the Qian Cao Peak actually is ─ but at some point, the whole world around him tilts to the side.
Luo Binghe doesn’t remember hitting the ground.
When he wakes up, he is in some room that he doesn’t recognize and, for a moment, he thinks he’s dreaming. He hasn’t had any vivid dreams ever since he woke up in this new reality, and he’s sure that at least a part of it has to do with the limited power of the dream realm that he can currently barely access. He tries, but the limitations hit him like a brick to the chest repeatedly, leaving him unable to make sense of anything in the end. He’s just so dreadfully weak that it makes him want to break something!
Before he can act upon the aggressive streak inside him, however, a gentle touch of something chilly cools down his forehead. Too tired to fully open his eyes, Luo Binghe leans into the pleasant chill. When it disappears, he groans in protest.
“Is he awake?” comes a gruff question, and instantly, Luo Binghe’s heart climbs to his throat.
Liu Qingge?
He almost opens his eyes on instinct ─ he’s not sure why he doesn’t. But the following moment, a soft sigh reaches him, and Luo Binghe doesn’t need to open his eyes anymore at all. The pleasant chill comes back and he almost moans out of sheer need.
“Not quite, I guess,” Shizun says, and even if Luo Binghe knows that the one in charge of the body is not the person he wants it to be, he can’t help it. He’s missed this so much. That gentle touch on his forehead is so familiar that his whole body tingles. The not-Shizun sighs. “He’s quite feverish still. Are you sure we shouldn’t call any Qian Cao disciples over?”
“He’s here for you, isn’t he?” Liu Qingge barks. “If they find out we let him in, you’ll both be in trouble.”
“Zhangmen-shixiong is nowhere near as strict as you make him out to be. They already know he’s been visiting you for a few days and they let him.”
“Because I keep distracting him. What? Am I supposed to babysit your Peak for you?”
“... it’s not my Peak and you know it.”
“How does that detract from the fact that this brat is trying to find you in the middle of the night?” Liu Qingge returns testily. If it sounds too aggressive, then it’s probably because Liu Qingge knows shit about telling a lie. Luo Binghe was not, in fact, here to see Shizun. Not this time.
That’s the problem, really.
Luo Binghe does not dare look at Shizun right now. He’s too afraid of what he might see there. What sort of an evil spirit hides behind Shizun’s sharp gaze? Will he be able to see it? What if he can? More importantly, what if he can’t? If he looks at Shizun’s eyes and finds nothing else, what will that say about him? How weak is he truly that he can’t even see past possessions anymore?
He tries to pretend to be sleeping for a while longer, listening to how Shizun goes about and does his thing, arguing with Liu Qingge about some nonsense or other. Just the sheer level of habit in that banter springs fires of jealousy burning inside of Luo Binghe. Liu Qingge talks to Shen Qingqiu like he hates him and doesn’t believe a word coming out of his mouth, but to Luo Binghe it sounds like a clumsy expression of reverence and gratitude.
On the other hand, Shen Qingqiu speaks lightly and jokingly, as though to press all of Liu Qingge’s buttons knowing what reaction it will get, but to Luo Binghe it sounds fond and teasing, just like it did every time in the past that the two Peak Lords interacted it front of him. It makes his insides ache that he must listen to it, reminds him of his darkest moments where these moments were the only things he could see, sharply contrasted with all the instances where Shizun has gone out of his way to treat him harshly.
Luo Binghe knows and understands just how much Xin Mo had shaped those images and twisted them into something that ultimately consumed him ─ but he also understands that none of those feelings were ever created by it. Everything Xin Mo showed to him had already existed somewhere inside him before. Whether it was something Luo Binghe witnessed in person, feared consciously or subconsciously, Xin Mo never created things out of thin air for him to indulge on ─ only exacerbated what was already there to start with.
It makes him just as angry as it did in the past, just as willfully deviant to set the world on fire just to get Shizun to look at no one else but him.
But it’s different now.
When Luo Binghe tells himself not to do it, that now is not the time, there is no force to push back at him, no foreign voice in his head to tempt him with carefully chosen words and twisted images. When he tells himself no, there is only silence. And that silence is the most comfortable thing in the world.
He eventually manages to forcefully put himself to sleep ─ for a few seconds only, before someone suddenly kicks the foot of his bed.
“Do you expect me to keep on covering for you for the rest of the night?” Liu Qingge barks suddenly. “Shen Qingqiu stepped out for a bit. Do what you gotta do and get the fuck out.”
Dazedly, Luo Binghe tries to sit up. He’s still a little sleepy, but he doesn’t waste time arguing. Making the complicated gesture with his hand, he slams his palm against Liu Qingge’s chest as usual ─ but nothing happens.
“What? What’s wrong?” Liu Qingge asks.
Luo Binghe shakes his head. He blinks rapidly, slaps himself back to a state of wakefulness and tries again, only to get nothing.
“What? What is happening?!” Liu Qingge demands, all the more impatient, but Luo Binghe has no answers to offer him. He stares at his palm, but even at his third attempt at forming the seal, everything works out correctly. His demonic power is insufficient and he knows it, but he’s found a way to make up for it ─ except that even that is no longer working.
It can mean one of only two things.
First, his body is no longer capable of managing his Qi, putting him on the verge of a Qi deviation. Possible, but unlikely, as Luo Binghe has formed this complex seal no less than three times without feeling like he’s falling apart on the inside. He’s exhausted, yes, but not entirely spent… which means that it has to be the second possibility.
“The fourth one made it to your core, too,” he says, a little hoarse. “I can’t get it out anymore.”
“The hell? But you said─”
“I said it’s too weak,” Luo Binghe confirms, “but that was back when it had to fight its siblings for a piece of your spiritual energy. Once we got rid of them, then all the spiritual power that Shizun transferred to you became an instant all-you-can-eat contest… and now there’s no competition to get in the way.”
“... well, shit,” Liu Qingge says.
“Shit,” Luo Binghe agrees.
“Now what?”
Luo Binghe rubs at his temples, thinking. His initial intention was to slowly build up his demonic power then use the Heavenly Demon blood he implanted inside of Liu Qingge to put the parasites to long term sleep. It wouldn’t entirely be helping Liu Qingge, as any spark of demonic energy inside of his body could awaken their demonic consciousness, but putting their still undeveloped forms to sleep would slow down their feeding process tremendously, which should have bought time for Luo Binghe to either break the seal on his power or for Shizun to implement his own suggestion, but obviously that is not an option anymore.
The second plan, using the Heavenly Demon blood to outright murder the parasites is also a moot point. Luo Binghe can't do shit with his blood without his demonic powers and he’s nowhere closer to getting them back than he was at the start of this chaos.
The last resort is exactly what Liu Qingge stated as the solution to the Without a Cure poison. Luo Binghe has been thinking about… well… considering… that… as a potential solution to get the evil spirit out of Shizun’s body, too, but without a trial attempt first he has no idea if it can possibly work. On the other hand, even thinking of trying something like that after the disastrous effect it had the last time fills him with enough dread to regret all of it. Finally, given the current state of his body, the odds of dual cultivation solving anything are slim to none. The odds are greater that he will just summon the parasites from Liu Qingge’s spiritual core into his own, and that…
Well, it’s probably still an option, because at least Luo Binghe won’t die. Probably. No demon has been able to possess him so far ─ and they tried, many, many times.
But can he do that? Dual cultivate with Liu Qingge… just to save his puny life?
… after straight up killing Shizun?
Yeah, no. Luo Binghe would rather just let Liu Qingge die on his own. That’s much better.
“Let me just…” he says, but he doesn’t finish that sentence, because he closes his eyes and reaches out with his hand to touch Liu Qingge’s chest. It’s difficult, with the current state of his Qi, meridians and the whole utter weakness of his body, but he does try to get a better feel for Liu Qingge’s spiritual core. The three parasites he’s long since identified inside him are still there ─ and they’ve grown stronger much faster than expected. The fourth one, in comparison, may as well be a swatted fly.
Still, Liu Qingge’s spiritual core is like a bottomless well of fresh water for them to indulge in, so they’re no longer interested in fighting each other ─ for now. Fuck. How much spiritual power does one need to have to support the development of four different demon consciousness in their spiritual core?! This should not be a thriving environment for them, yet that’s exactly what it’s somehow become!
“Not much time,” he mumbles, frowning slightly. A few weeks? Maybe? “Eventually, they’re going to start forming their demonic consciousness…You need to remove them before that happens.”
“Tell me something I don’t know─”
“No, I mean it. Even two weeks might be a generous estimate─”
But Luo Binghe doesn’t get a chance to say anything else. A sound of breaking porcelain ruins his focus entirely, and he just needs to open his eyes briefly to find Shizun standing on the other side of the room, staring at them. Staring.
Instantly, Luo Binghe realizes where his hand is. In between the lapels of Liu Qingge’s robes, touching his naked skin in the most suggestive way right over an ancient scar on his shishu’s heart. He retracts his hand instantly. On cue, Liu Qingge coughs out a mouthful of blood, right between them… ugh.
Whatever thought Shizun must’ve had, coming in to find them like that, evaporates instantly, because in the three steps that it takes him to cross the room and reach Liu Qingge’s side, it’s too late. Liu Qingge hits the ground knees first, with one last outraged look directed Luo Binghe’s way before he collapses entirely.
Luo Binghe silently resolves to never, ever tell Liu Qingge that this particular relapse is the slightly delayed but also direct consequence of his failed attempt to kick that stupid parasite out thrice. Oops?
At least, since Shizun is so busy transferring his spiritual energy over to keep Liu Qingge from devolving straight into a Qi deviation, he doesn’t notice Luo Binghe collapsing back onto his pillow out of sheer exhaustion. Crisis averted. For a little while, anyway.
Luo Binghe is so not looking forward to waking up again.
Notes:
Aaand with this, we technically end the 1st introductory arc of the story, sort of. Next chapter kicks off the first real story arc though and by the end of it, it should be clearer what the direction of the story is meant to be
That said I do feel like there are tags missing... will get to that eventually
Chapter Text
“We can’t afford to wait for the results of the experiment,” Mu Qingfang informs the awaiting group of cultivators with a grim expression on his face the moment he steps out of Liu Qingge’s room. Two of Qian Cao Peak’s disciples have stayed behind to keep an eye on him, because in spite of Shen Yuan’s best efforts, Liu Qingge is nowhere near stable, but at least he’s alive. For now. Apparently that’s the best anyone could have hoped for at this point in time.
Among the people waiting outside of Liu Qingge’s room, of course, is Yue Qingyuan, for whom Mu-shidi’s sentence was primarily intended for. Right behind him are his disciples, the ones in charge of keeping an eye on Shen Yuan at all times, as well as Yue Qingyuan’s head disciple. None of them are supposed to know about the experiment, but Mu Qingfang has foregone all the doctor-patient confidentiality privileges and is not at all addressing it.
“What’s your proposal?” Yue Qingyuan asks, visibly distraught.
“Requesting permission to head straight to Bailu forest by sundown tomorrow. In addition to that, I need Wei-shixiong’s clearance to take Hongjing from the Sword Trials Terrace, Huan-shimei’s blessing to take her Holy Pendulum and Qi-shijie’s permission to take Liu Mingyan with us.”
Yue Qingyuan grimaces. “Wei-shidi is currently away. I’ll send someone to find him immediately, but you already know how it is. If he doesn’t make it back in time, you’ll have to make do without Hongjing.”
Mu Qingfang’s face darkens. “And Huan Qingyan? Is she back yet?”
Qiong Ding Peak’s head disciple shakes his head no.
Mu Qingfang curses under his breath. “So we have nothing?!”
“I will personally clear your way to Bailu forest,” Yue Qingyuan informs him. “As for the rest, we must take it up with the other Peak Lords accordingly. Peak Lord Qi has already declined the request to include Liu Mingyan into our plans. I can speak to her again, but─”
“Forget Qi Qingqi! Talk to Liu Mingyan directly! If she’s not there, her brother doesn’t stand a chance! See what Qi Qingqi will say about it later!” Mu Qingfang snaps ─ and Shen Yuan and Yue Qingyuan are both taken aback by the sheer aggression to his tone. He’s breathing hard and is visibly pissed off ─ and Shen Yuan, for all the times he’s managed to get on the medic’s nerves, has never seen him like this before. Even Yue Qingyuan is at a complete loss for words.
“Also,” the man adds, almost as though he’s completely forgotten. “Tell Luo Binghe to get his ass over here right now. I want to know exactly what he’s done down to the tiniest detail.”
At that, Yue Qingyuan frowns. “Luo Binghe? Shen-shidi’s disciple? What does he have to do with any of this?”
“Ask him!” Mu Qingfang snaps, pointing directly at Shen Yuan before he stomps back into Liu Qingge’s room and slams the door shut in both their faces. As Yue Qingyuan begins to slowly turn towards the person mentioned, Shen Yuan honestly doesn’t know what to say. Frankly, he has no idea what Luo Binghe can possibly have to do with any of this, aside from being the titular Protagonist! Really! And even if he does, in fact, have something to do with it, Shen Yuan has no freaking clue what that is, for once in his life!
But Yue Qingyuan doesn’t comment on any of that. He asks, “Where is Luo Binghe?”
And, well, damn it all. What’s Shen Yuan supposed to do now?
“... my room,” he mumbles like a criminal caught in the act.
At a single raised eyebrow, Shen Yuan honestly doesn’t know what excuse to make. He found Luo Binghe passed out on a freaking staircase less than an hour ago, he’s just as clueless as the rest of them. Really!
It doesn’t help, but then, Yue Qingyuan isn’t asking, either, and Shen Yuan doesn’t know if that makes things better or worse. Instead, he just takes the Sect Leader straight to his room without a word of complaint. Not like it’s far, just one door over. Luo Binghe, for his part, is still fast-asleep on the couch, just as Shen Yuan left him. He’s tested him for a fever and a potential Qi deviation before taking Liu Qingge straight to Mu Qingfang, and as his current state seems to be a consequence of pure exhaustion, he has let it be… but now he’s not sure if that’s the right choice.
Yue Qingyuan does nothing but watch Luo Binghe as the boy sleeps, so it’s up to Shen Yuan to get him to wake up ─ but he doesn’t know how to do it? Should he be gentle? Or harsh? Drag him out of the bed or splash water in his face? The preferred method would be to slap him twice on the face, really, but looking at him now, he’d rather just let the kid sleep. Not an option, obviously.
Ultimately, all of those options feel simply too cruel, so Shen Yuan shakes the boy’s shoulder slightly. “Binghe? Luo Binghe? Come on, wake up.” It doesn’t have much of an effect. Not until the shaking gets a whole lot stronger and Luo Binghe’s eyes finally snap open.
Like he’s been startled straight out of a nightmare, the boy stares at them in surprise, bottom lip trembling. “Shizun? What─”
“No time. Liu Qingge, urgent,” he says, then all but drags the boy off the couch.
Luo Binghe remains as confused as the rest of them, even as Mu Qingfang opens the door for him only, then slams them back shut without letting anyone so much as take a peek.
Luo Binghe doesn’t actually stay inside for long. It feels that way, because the rest of them have nothing to do but wait, but in reality, it’s not even a few minutes past when Luo Binghe is unceremoniously shoved out of the room, looking just as confused as he did when he went in.
After a moment, however, he asks, “Um, where are we supposed to go, exactly?”
And that tells them just about everything they need to know.
Yue Qingyuan looks at Shen Yuan in what is a very telling ─ “You deal with this”, without any actual words spoken. And well, that’s fine. Technically, Shen Yuan hasn’t been officially demoted from his Qing Jing Peak Lord position yet. He’s merely suspended.
Well, apparently that suspension has temporarily been lifted.
At a loss, he glances over at a hopelessly confused Luo Binghe and says, “Ah, um… your Liu-shishu needs our help and, well… To cut this matter short, we need to get him to Bailu forest by tomorrow evening. And your Mu-shishu has requested your presence there as well.”
“... oh,” Luo Binghe says, very smartly.
Shen Yuan honestly doesn’t know what to do with him. Does Luo Binghe even understand what’s happening? … Mu Qingfang wouldn’t have invited him here for no reason. Then again, if Mu Qingfang does have a reason, then that reason has everything to do with helping Liu Qingge recover… and Shen Yuan can only think of one way that Luo Binghe can possibly do that.
Image of Luo Binghe’s hand on Liu Qingge’s naked chest is seared into his mind and even though Shen Yuan does his best to get rid of it, it refuses to go away.
Shit. The System’s BL plotline sure is back with a vengeance.
It’s just, the notion of making a fourteen year old do… that… even if it’s for a good cause…
Yeah, fuck that. Shen Yuan cares none about the stupid fuck or die scenarios anymore. Binghe is a freaking child. If Mu Qingfang already knows that he has a half-Heavenly Demon under his nose, fine, not like Shen Yuan can erase it from his memory or something. But that’s as far as it can get. One word ─ just one ─ to guilt trip Luo Binghe into anything and he’ll be unleashing hell on everybody. His fingers curl into tight fists as he looks over at the clueless boy who seems to be trying to hide behind his robes.
Usually, when Luo Binghe catches him looking, Shen Yuan looks away on instinct.
Not this time.
When Luo Binghe looks at him now, Shen Yuan holds his gaze steadily. That kid seems to have a million and one questions to ask, but he voices none of them, instead putting it all in those young, heavily expressive eyes. They are tired and weary, confused but determined. Shen Yuan has gotten himself lost inside the swirling darkness of that void more than once. He can’t afford to lose himself to those eyes now.
“Mu-shidi insists on your presence for this and that’s one thing,” he says, much softer than the tension in his body would indicate him capable. “This one insists on nothing at all. If Luo Binghe doesn’t feel up to taking this challenge ─ then there is no need to push yourself.”
Luo Binghe opens his mouth as if to protest, but he holds back, ultimately lowering his head. “Shizun, I─”
“Luo Binghe,” Shen Yuan cuts him off, and the boy snaps to full attention, spine straightening as if he’s been called out to be slacking off in lectures. Shen Yuan gives him a moment to compose himself, then says, “First of all, I’m not your Shizun, so there is no need for you to address me so formally. Second, and far more important, is that whether or not something happens to your Shishu, the responsibility rests entirely on my shoulders. If Binghe feels obligated to participate solely due to the words of others─”
“No, Shizun! I─” But Luo Binghe pales, at a complete loss as to what to say. “Apologies for interrupting. However, this disciple is also partially responsible for what is happening. I… this disciple will follow Shizun no matter what.”
… well, that’s entirely not the point Shen Yuan is trying to make, but screw it.
Luo Binghe is the protagonist. Whether he wants to join this fun little mission or not, the plot is obviously going to force him into it one way or another. Might as well keep him where Shen Yuan can see him. And if at some point he can’t… well. He’ll stay secure in the knowledge that at least his meddling with the plot has achieved something. He wishes it were something other than launching a brand new BL loveline, but the System’s clearly set in its ways. Seriously, Airplane-bro! If you were so eager for a gay love story, then you should have written it that way from the start! Not bait your readers with a blackened stallion protagonist only to deliver a… a… ARGH! Damn it!
[...]
[Do you want to purchase a Small Scenario Pusher Junior VIP Edition for 1000 B-points?]
… does Shen Yuan look like he has a thousand B-points to spare?
[...]
[For a Junior VIP user, the Loan system option is available. Do you want to see the list of B-point Loans currently available to this user?]
As in, fixed amount, monthly installments, interest rate included type of loans? Those things exist?
… wait a moment. Shen Yuan is a second generation rich family kid. He knows exactly how loans work. If you’re broke enough to need one, you most certainly aren’t going to have a good time getting it. Oh, System, System. How clever. You almost had me.
Screw you, sneaky bastard. As if the Small Scenario Pusher hasn’t burnt him twice already. Shen Yuan is stupid, but not that stupid. He is not going to turn a straightforward BL scenario into a freaking love triangle! He’s got better things to do.
Mu Qingfang steps out of Liu Qingge’s room with just as dark of an expression on his face as he had it going in, telling them just the following words, “Go get ready.”
And then he’s gone, most likely to scold Sect Leader Yue until his ears fall off.
Oh, how happy Shen Yuan is not to be in that position, for once. Ha! Take that, Zhangmen-shixiong! When Mu-shidi orders you to do something, you do it and don’t ask any questions! Even if Zhangmen-shixiong is technically the boss, once Mu-shidi says his piece, even the boss has to do as Shidi says!
Ah, this whole Bailu forest business is going to suck.
Is it too late for Shen Yuan to back out now?
… probably.
Shit.
In spite of the dark shadow that the Bailu Mountain throws on Luo Binghe’s entire existence, he has still never imagined he would for the first time come to visit it this way. In a silent carriage, somber mood and a whole lot of strange tension. Saving Liu Qingge’s life with a last resort plant only growing in one place in the world is not his idea of how he’d be spending the weekend, but hey. It does still play into his agenda, overall, and getting to sit beside Shizun in the process is most certainly a benefit.
He does not fail to notice how, every single time when this one specific plant is involved, so is Shizun.
His Master. Qing Jing Peak Lord. Xiu Ya Sword. The one and only Shen Qingqiu.
Yet this person sitting beside him in the carriage has made a bold claim that he is a spirit possessing the body of one of the best cultivators the world has ever seen. And, basing his opinions on all the many oddities that Luo Binghe has noticed, waking up as a fourteen-year-old version of himself in this new reality ─ it did seem plausible. Now that it’s being put to the test, however, all of that plausibility is falling apart right in front of Luo Binghe’s eyes.
After a lifetime of delving deep into all sorts of dark, spiritual practices and a whole plethora of other types of cultivation, Luo Binghe considers himself quite knowledgeable in the area of possessions, demonic or otherwise. Of course, it’s not something everyone would experience the same way and there are countless different ways a spirit can come to possess a body, thus changing the outcome of that possession drastically ─ but there are always visible signs.
If the body and the soul inside of it don’t match, there will be clues.
Back in his glory days, Luo Binghe was able to see these clues with his naked eye. Of course, he had to know to look for it, but the point remains. He could see when the soul and the body did not match ─ a talent he developed from scratch sorely to keep himself alive within the depths of the Endless Abyss.
In this weak, young body, he’s crippled to the point of seeing and feeling nothing. So even if Shizun sits besides him, Luo Binghe has no way to tell if the consciousness inside the body is truly Shizun’s or someone else’s. But there are things he can infer merely from observing the man, and those are… a little strange, to put it simply.
Luo Binghe has spent a lot of time observing Shizun. And those tiny little habits that not even Shizun himself seemed aware of ─ they are still here.
When he needs to sit for a long time, Shizun’s shoulders inevitably scrunch over at some point and his spine bends forward slightly in a weird position. Luo Binghe has never actually seen anyone else sit that way ─ the decades of cultivation would have never let anyone dare. But Shizun does it, sometimes. As soon as he catches himself, of course he straightens up and sits properly ─ but it’s not always that he takes notice of it quickly. Luo Binghe always enjoyed guessing how long it would take him to notice next.
Shizun also always had this odd habit of playing with his own hair, as though admiring the length and the silkiness for no reason at all. One could chalk it up to vanity, perhaps, but to Luo Binghe it always looked as nothing short of childish wonder ─ as though Shizun can’t quite believe just how long and shiny his hair is. It’s cute and it’s funny ─ and it’s something he does too often when he’s bored but well aware of the need to remain stoic and serious. It’s something he’s doing even now with Luo Binghe right there beside him.
Finally ─ and this is Luo Binghe’s biggest reason to think that the possession that this person is claiming may be an utter lie ─ the fan. Shizun has always adored all his fans. Disciples would imitate him sometimes, but no one could ever match Shizun’s grace in holding it. With Shizun’s body in his possession for years, Luo Binghe has even attempted to recreate it with stiff limbs that couldn’t match Shizun’s fluidity, in hopes that his poor imitation might make Shizun angry enough to come back from the dead to scold him. It couldn’t and it ultimately didn’t. But watching the person beside him handle that fan as though it’s a part of his body is giving him the kind of whiplash that is making him question everything.
Luo Binghe takes his thoughts in many different directions, takes into consideration what he knows and what he thinks he knows. He accounts for what he’s tried to learn about the stupid dark magic that is the System, and what the System itself has told him ─ and what the System has intentionally left out. All of it invariably leads him to a single conclusion.
Shizun is either lying about his possession on purpose… or, for some reason, he truly believes himself not to be Shen Qingqiu. Each possibility comes with its own list of questions, both ridiculously long, but in the presence of everybody else, Luo Binghe doesn’t know how to ask any of them, and even with nobody around, he wouldn’t know where to start.
So he doesn’t. He just sits patiently and observes Shizun ─ a little like a creepy stalker ─ deciding to further act upon his suspicions once he has Liu Qingge’s life in the palm of his hand, as per his original intentions.
And Liu Qingge’s life ─ that’s a whole different can of worms.
To make good on his deal with Liu Qingge, Luo Binghe needs to be the one to get rid of the demon parasites from the man’s spiritual core. Worse, it’s not any demon parasites, but Skinner parasites, which should have been obvious in hindsight, but until Mu Qingfang flat out told him, Luo Binghe had simply not cared enough to make the connection. And now he’s here, as a part of the team sent out to put in motion a plan which only Mu Qingfang seems to know in its entirety. And that’s a problem.
Luo Binghe needs to find a way to insert himself into that plan… or ruin it entirely, but make a backup plan on his own. Under the circumstances, he’s not sure which one of these options is more impossible.
Putting aside the specifics of Mu Qingfang’s plan which he knows nothing about, there’s the pesky issue of his own uselessness. His body as it is ─ it’s literally worthless. He’s all spent. What little demonic Qi he’s cultivated is being actively dispersed by the seal on his demonic power, in spite of all his resistance. His meridians overall are messed up after years of cultivating with an ill-matched manual, covered in damages which he has not yet had the chance to repair. And his blood parasites are fucking useless ─ he’s planted them inside of Liu Qingge’s body, but it’s ultimately wasted effort as his blood right now is very much human with no special properties whatsoever.
As things stand, he’s barely holding his head up, trying hard not to fall asleep against Shizun’s shoulder solely so he can appreciate the contact for as long as possible.
If Shizun knows what he’s playing at, he leaves no sign of it and Luo Binghe appreciates it wholeheartedly. As a kid, he truly can get away with so much more than any adult. One cute little confused face and everyone’s straight up eating out of his hand.
Well, not Liu Qingge ─ but that’s the reason why Luo Binghe is trying so hard to keep the bastard alive to start with.
In spite of being an idiot, that man is not actually easy to fool. Not to mention, he is loyal to a fault. He may get pissed about it, but Luo Binghe won’t need much more than saving his life from a calamity once. Liu Qingge lives his life on a set of principles that he won’t break even with a sword on his neck, knowing he’s being used for someone else’s personal gain. He’s annoying that way ─ a pesky, persistent bug which simply won’t leave him alone to ogle at Shizun as much as his heart desires ─ but that boundless determination has pulled Luo Binghe out of a self-depreciating rut more than once during those five years of pure hell.
Liu Qingge is annoying, but he’s not useless. And Shizun likes having him around.
Luo Binghe won’t let him die. But he also can’t let anyone else be the one to save him, or all of this effort will have been useless.
Therefore, here he is, dutifully following his Shizun into the Bailu forest as though he hasn’t actually considered burning the whole place down more than once. He’ll have time to do that later. For now, his focus is entirely on Shizun as their carriage finally comes to a stop.
“Are we there?” he asks sleepily, keeping up the act of a youth with the air of a professional.
Besides Shizun, the only other person sharing the carriage with them is Liu Mingyan. She has spent the entirety of the carriage ride in absolute silence, her expression obscured by the silky veil hiding two thirds of her face.
Still, Luo Binghe has caught her staring at either himself or Shizun more than once. She’d look away quickly, as though embarrassed, but he’d inevitably catch her looking again soon enough and at some point, they seem to have come to a silent agreement. For as long as Liu Mingyan doesn’t betray the fact that he’s awake, Luo Binghe won’t bring any undue attention her way. However, her presence here is a problem he needs to work his way around, somehow.
When the carriage comes to a stop, Shizun doesn’t make any mention of whether or not they’ve reached the right place. He waits patiently, as per Mu Qingfang’s instructions, for the group from the first carriage to make contact first ─ and after a while of waiting in awkward silence, there’s a knock on the door.
As he takes a glance at the soft orange rays of the setting sun disappearing in the distance, Shizun says, “After you.”
Luo Binghe assumes he means Liu Mingyan ─ but the girl looks at him with wide-eyed panic, shaking her head subtly, so Luo Binghe takes the initiative and gets out of the carriage first.
The first person his eyes land on is Liu Qingge, impatiently waiting outside. Although he’s standing on his feet, dressed up in his Peak Lord uniform and with his hair secured up with a hair crown like everything’s normal, he still looks like he’s barely holding on. His arms are crossed over his chest and he hides his weakness under irritability, but it’s difficult not to notice how much of that muscle mass he’s lost over the past few weeks. The uniform hangs on him like it’s two sizes too large.
Next to Liu Qingge are Mu Qingfang and Yue Qingyuan, like a pair of bodyguards, and both are staring at Luo Binghe expectantly. The disciple that Luo Binghe remembers himself being would have undoubtedly gone weak in the knees at this undivided attention, but as he is now, Luo Binghe has to remind himself not to do anything that might challenge their authority.
It’s hard.
All he wants is to smirk at them cockily, as if to say, “Can’t do without me, eh?” but that will literally just be causing problems. So he physically forces himself to bow his head respectfully and get out of the way so Shizun and Liu Mingyan can have a taste of this scrutiny, too.
It’s good that he gets away quickly, because the moment Liu Qingge sees his sister step out of the carriage, the glare he levels at Mu Qingfang could crush mountains. “You ─ are you fucking crazy? Why did you bring her here?!”
The poor girl shudders, even if that man has yet to look at her. “B-brother─”
“Not you,” Liu Qingge cuts the girl off mercilessly, then full on turns on Mu Qingfang like he might just pull his sword at the man. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done? If a single hair is missing from her head, I’m going to feed you dead Skinner parasites, you hear me?!”
“Brother,” Liu Mingyan utters meekly, gently touching his wrist with the tip of her finger, but that alone is enough to mellow him out like pouring a bucket of hot water over a snowball. He’s still screaming bloody murder at Mu Qingfang with his eyes, but that anger is perfectly controlled ─ completely unlike Liu Qingge’s usual self.
Huh. So Luo Binghe wasn’t wrong in his previous life’s analysis. Liu Mingyan is Bai Zhan Peak Lord’s one weak point. Not that anyone would look at Liu Mingyan and call her weak to her face, back in that timeline.
Now, however, she’s weak compared to even Luo Binghe. She’s young ─ too young for this, that much is for sure. She’s technically a little older than Luo Binghe, by a year or so ─ but she has started cultivating much later. In fact, going by what he remembers, she can’t have been a part of Cang Qiong Mountain for more than a few months at this point. In that little time, she cant have achieved much. Why did Mu Qingfang even bring her along? And why did everyone else just… go along with it?
Liu Qingge, in the meantime, reserves one more dirty look for Mu Qingfang ─ before simply stomping away straight into the forest, without a single look back.
“... and he’s going straight towards the protective array. If he gets lost in it, who’s gonna get him back before he dies?” Shizun mumbles, smacking his forehead.
“I already asked Huan Hua Palace for their cooperation,” Yue Qingyuan says calmly. “Even if they don’t shut down their protective wards willingly, you have my permission to break them. Not that any of you care about permissions anyway.”
“Bailu mountain isn’t their territory anyway, they just abuse the proximity,” Shizun grumbles bitterly. “We don’t need their permission to be here.”
“As it may be, there is no need to start a conflict with Huan Hua Palace when the matters can be discussed civilly,” Yue Qingyuan points out. “We may not need their permission, but professional courtesy goes a long way. That said, the treasure we are looking for is something that Huan Hua Palace has been keeping secret for a long time. We must not, under any circumstance, damage that precious flower.”
“Just to be on the safe side, what did Zhangmen-shixiong tell Huan Hua Palace that we’re here to do?” Mu Qingfang asks suspiciously.
“Why, that we’re chasing a demon, of course. What else?”
Mu Qingfang blanches. “And pray tell, what are we supposed to do if we do encounter Huan Hua Palace people and have no demon to present for our efforts?”
“Shen Yuan has already confirmed that there is, in fact, a demon living in this forest. If you’re caught, you’ll have to make do.”
For his part, Shizun tenses. “Me again?” Looking like he’d much rather do anything else, he says, “Speaking of the demon in question ─ Zhangmen-shixiong, we spoke about this. There’s no need to poke at a sleeping bear.”
“Then please make sure that you don’t need to,” Yue Qingyuan replies calmly. “Mu-shidi, I know this won’t be an easy feat to achieve, but do what you must. We cannot afford to lose anyone.”
“I know,” Mu Qingfang says grimly, voice more grave and harsh than anything Luo Binghe has ever heard from him. “Don’t worry, Zhangmen-shixiong. Leave the matters here to me. You just go and make sure that Huan Hua Palace doesn’t get in our way.”
Yue Qingyuan smiles briefly. “Indeed.”
He doesn’t offer any parting greetings. Instead, Mu Qingfang just taps both of the young disciples on their shoulders and ushers them forward, to catch up to Liu Qingge before he truly gets himself lost inside the protective array. As things stand, odds are, he probably isn’t capable of breaking out of it on his own anyway. Luo Binghe casts one last look over his shoulder just to catch Shizun and the Sect Leader exchange a very odd look between them. Shizun, however, just lets his long sleeves flutter in the wind before falling behind the rest of the group, a solemn expression on his face.
What is that all about?
Luo Binghe is tempted to ask, but he doesn’t get a chance. Three steps in and suddenly, Liu Mingyan, who was right in front of him, is nowhere in sight. Huh. So that’s Huan Hua Palace’s protective array? Confounding their sense of direction? Luo Binghe looked away for just a moment and now everyone is gone. Who could have guessed?
The Goddess of Luck truly is on his side today.
Hand closing around the Jade Guanyin hanging safely around his neck, Luo Binghe smirks to himself. He won’t let this once-in-a-lifetime chance slip through his fingers.
Notes:
Huan Qingyan - a missing peak lord OC. Not the only named OC that will show up, but one of the few that will matter at some point
More importantly, most likely no updates over the weekend, see you Monday! Your comments give me LIFE, love you all
Chapter 10: Outwitted
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Contrary to the widely accepted misconception, it’s not often that Liu Qingge feels violently murderous. And most certainly, he never acts as such without a damned good reason.
Of all the people Liu Qingge has ever encountered in his life, the number of them that he has deemed trustworthy can be counted on the fingers of one hand.
Mingyan is, naturally, one of them. If there is one person in this world who could put a sword to his chest and Liu Qingge would still hug them even if he is to get pierced through the heart, it’s her, and it’s got nothing to do with the fact that Liu Mingyan is his little sister. Liu Qingge would walk into a fire for Mingyan. He’d lay down his life, tear open his chest and give her his heart if that’s what she asks him to do and he would do so even if she doesn't ask. He would. So, if Mingyan is, at any point in time, at risk of harm, then yes. Liu Qingge turns into a violent beast in a heartbeat. It’s not a conscious decision so much as an ingrained instinct.
The facts are simple. If he’d stayed behind a minute longer, face-to-face with Mu Qingfang, after that idiot brought his sister straight out of Cang Qiong Mountain after Liu Qingge repeatedly told him not to, one of them would have died right at that moment. Contrary to what his condition would imply, that person wouldn’t have been Liu Qingge.
So what if Mu Qingfang was the one who directed Liu Qingge to Cang Qiong Mountain back when he was a dumb kid wandering around the world with nothing to his name but a stolen sword and a whole bunch of nasty bruises? So what if Mu Qingfang is the next name on his list of trustworthy people right after his sister? It is that simple.
It’s a decade of friendship along with Liu Qingge’s current pathetic state of being, those are what saved Mu Qingfang a certain death today. He loathes it, but Liu Qingge is not a sore loser and he is able to admit defeat when he has to. If Mingyan is here, that means she knows too much ─ and that means she must’ve cried a bunch without him knowing. And damn it all, Mu Qingfang should get a beating for that alone ─ but fine. Liu Qingge knows his limits and he gets why Mu Qingfang would do something so stupid. He gets it. He concedes, for once.
But if his sister ends up with even a scratch on her body, if someone dares pluck a single hair from the top of her head ─ Liu Qingge will straight up murder them even if he has to come back from the dead. And then he will kill Mu Qingfang. Just because.
Fucking bastard, bringing his sister out of the damn mountain like he doesn’t know the hell Liu Qingge went through just to get her there in the first place. If Mu Qingfang has any sense left, he’ll rather kill himself than let a hair fall from Mingyan’s head, but who even knows what could go wrong at this point. As a big brother, Liu Qingge surely remains a failure.
Still, even walking away is better than letting Mingyan see him like… this. Weak, sickly, struggling to stand on his own feet even after hours of Shen Yuan transferring his spiritual energy to him…
It’s just… frustrating.
The way that every single function of his body is currently linked to his poorly fluctuating spiritual energy is beyond maddening. Just a little build-up of spiritual power in his hand now has equal opportunity to form an explosive attack, cure his headache and push him into a Qi deviation. In that same way, the tingling in his chest from those stupid fucking worms is just as likely to annoy him, cause him severe Qi blockages or quite literally kill him.
Goddamn you, Shen Yuan. If I ever fix this, I’m going to make you pay for it─
Preferably by stuffing a dead Skinner parasite straight down his throat. Or not. Liu Qingge doesn’t even know anymore. At first, he was convinced that Shen Yuan goaded him into going to Shuang Hu city on purpose… but now he’s no longer so sure of it.
For one, the Sect Leader is convinced that Skinner’s target all along was Shen Qingqiu ─ the real one, not this mixed bag, not-quite-evil-spirit currently possessing his body. He’s interrogated Liu Qingge and then Shen Yuan excessively to reach that conclusion, so Liu Qingge assumes that there is something the Sect Leader knows but isn’t telling him ─ probably for a good reason, given Liu Qingge’s tendencies towards choosing violence as the best solution.
It’s like the time that Zhangmen-shixiong said that it’ll be Shen Yuan’s job to be the source of Liu Qingge’s spiritual power for as long as needed. Liu Qingge nearly got into a fight with the Sect Leader ─ like the biggest idiot in the world. Even a fucking fool knows not to anger the Sect Leader, but Liu Qingge just had to be stubborn.
Fast forward two months and Liu Qingge is a little wiser now. Obviously, the Sect Leader didn’t do that because he suddenly blindly trusts this would-be spirit Shen Qingqiu, of course not. But the Sect Leader has successfully kept an idle spirit busy and exhausted at the same time, getting in the way of any potential schemes the spirit may or may not have had.
And that’s ─ clever. Sly. Even a little mean, coming from the Sect Leader, but hey. It worked.
More importantly, Shen Yuan is one of few people capable of transferring his spiritual energy over to Liu Qingge and not immediately making him feel worse in many different ways. Among the other cultivators of Cang Qiong Mountain who have tried, he was the only one who ultimately succeeded. The only one besides Mu Qingfang, of course, but that doesn’t count. After years and years of fixing him up at the most critical moments, Mu Qingfang has learned how to work around the limitations of Liu Qingge’s spiritual power and he’s thus very particular about whom he allows to attempt the same.
Shen Qingqiu was not one of those people. According to Mu Qingfang, the way that Shen Qingqiu had cultivated in the past prior to joining Cang Qiong Mountain would have doubtlessly murdered Liu Qingge if he were to attempt a spiritual power transfer at such a critical juncture.
But Shen Yuan is… something else.
The body is the same, but the soul inside it is definitely different. The spiritual power is the same but their way of working with it is too different.
After nearly two months of consistent Qi transfers under Mu Qingfang’s watchful eye, the Qian Cao Peak Lord has come to the conclusion that Shen Yuan knows nothing about the theoretical aspect of how Qi transfers work. For better or worse, the man is clearly self-taught and his technique entirely instinctual, otherwise Mu Qingfang would have never allowed him to continue with the process in the first place. More than once, he had suggested someone else take over the Qi transfers, if only because Mu Qingfang has always been a good friend who looked out for Liu Qingge’s wellbeing and could no longer stand playing risky games.
“The more opportunities you give him, the bigger the odds he’ll notice the one thing you don’t want him to know,” Mu Qingfang has pointed out ─ and that was a good point. Aside from Mu Qingfang, the fusion of his spiritual core and his life force is something that only one other person is aware of. Mingyan has ultimately had to follow a similar path so her presence here is a necessity, really ─ but Liu Qingge would rather end his life right this second than let anyone else know that about them. Going by that, Mu Qingfang was right and he should've found someone else for spiritual power transfers, as there is absolutely no sound reason for any single one of them to trust a word coming out of Shen Yuan’s mouth.
Except, it’s been two months.
Two months of Shen Yuan coming to check on him outside the scheduled Qi transfers. Two months of Shen Yuan showing up at his bedside in the middle of the night for no other reason than to see how Liu Qingge is doing and whether he’s been able to sleep through the night without waking up due to a violent cough. Two months of Shen Yuan pulling all sorts of bullshit nonsense out of his sleeve just to get Liu Qingge out of a rut ─ and yeah, sure. Most of the time, Liu Qingge would flat out tell him to get out. He is not a baby who needs coddling.
But sometimes… when shit really did get the better of him… it wasn’t so bad, waking up to someone else asleep on his bed because they stayed up the whole night looking out for him.
Who knows if Shen Yuan is just putting on an act and waiting to stab them in the back the moment they put their guard down? They might never know. But right now, Shen Yuan is essentially their prisoner.
A prisoner who selflessly gave away more of his spiritual energy than he could afford.
A prisoner who laughed off all the problems that came up and rambled all of his stupid thoughts just to get Liu Qingge to forget his own terrible condition for a moment.
A handsome, teasing prisoner who seems to have poked and prodded around until he found all the possible ways on how to get under Liu Qingge’s skin.
And now, Liu Qingge prefers having Shen Yuan around rather than anyone else.
At least, Liu Qingge doesn’t think that Shen Yuan is lying about not wanting to be there, stuck as a prisoner of Cang Qiong Mountain after he’s made it perfectly clear that he wants to go home. Liu Qingge has caught the man staring out the window wistfully more times than he can count and he’s caught him trashing in his sleep more than once. Whatever is hiding behind that mask of calm, it’s not pretty, and Liu Qingge can sympathize.
He can’t do anything about changing this, no, but he has the basic human decency to be understanding of the circumstances. It’s the least he can do, for a person who has saved him from near certain death countless times over the past two months. And Shen Yuan has done that, even if he may not know it. Liu Qingge won’t ever tell him, the man is annoying enough without knowing the kind of effect he has on people, but Shen Yuan’s timely interferences have just about saved him from at least six Qi deviations that Liu Qingge has brought about intentionally.
He’s not proud of that, not by any means, but hey. Desperate times, desperate measures.
Besides, most of those happened before Luo Binghe snuck in through his window and offered a brand new impossible solution, so Liu Qingge wants to call his terrible mental state at the time justified.
And Luo Binghe, the Qing Jing brat ─ he sure brought with him a whole brand new kind of headache.
Liu Qingge most certainly does not trust that kid. He can’t afford to and he doesn’t even want to consider it ─ but his crazy methods were the only ones that were at least somewhat effective. And Liu Qingge doesn’t get it. The kid dragged him into a fucking blood oath for no reason he can think of, and Liu Qingge went along with it because he though getting the kid to repeat his fancy trick one more time will be enough to figure out how it works ─ but the whole thing blew up in his face.
Enlisting Mu Qingfang’s help with it was probably not the brightest idea, but it’s not like the kid told him to keep this secret. Besides, neither Liu Qingge nor Mu Qingfang could recreate that brat’s technique no matter how hard they tried. The hand movements weren’t even the hard part. They’re fancy and complex, sure, enough so that Liu Qingge couldn’t recreate them with just one look, which is a rarity ─ but they’re not difficult. It’s not a high level technique by any means. Both he and Mu Qingfang have recreated the hand movement correctly a dozen times. But there is something else to the technique, something that both Liu Qingge, the resident martial arts genius, and Mu Qingfang, the designated medical prodigy, have both missed in their recreation ─ and that’s giving him a fucking headache.
At least, the kid wasn’t angry that Mu Qingfang knew about their deal. He didn’t suddenly say that the whole oath thing was void and that he now won’t help out of bitterness alone. The opposite, really. The kid had laughed at them.
“Well, of course you can’t,” he’d said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Then, “If you have a plan to fix that, include me, or he really will die.”
And so of course Mu Qingfang did precisely that. He is still upset that he doesn’t know where their mistake lies, but Mu Qingfang isn’t too proud of a man. Unlike Liu Qingge, he knows which battles are worth fighting and which questions are worth asking. For now, he's asking nothing.
And now Liu Qingge has stomped away all on his own, leaving what is probably his best chance at staying alive somewhere far behind, just because he wanted to punch a trusted friend of more than a decade right in the face. If he weren’t already so annoyed with himself, he would have turned around and walked back, screw this damn pride. But no, he had to walk straight into Huan Hua Palace’s protective array like he hasn’t been warned of it multiple times already ─ and he can’t even gather enough Qi to break it by force. He knows his limits far too well at this point. He can feel them disintegrating under his watch.
In the shadows of the trees as the night slowly descends upon him, he almost misses a slithering shape on the ground.
Instantly, Liu Qingge grips the hilt of Cheng Luan, but he doesn’t rush to draw the weapon. The old him would have already attacked indiscriminately, but the current him knows he stands no chance if he engages in a fight. He pretends to be looking around, like he hasn’t noticed the not-quite-snake hiding behind a nearby bush, then takes the resolute first step forward, acting as though he sees nothing. Unfortunately, just as expected, it follows.
The thing trailing after him is clearly a demon of some kind, but as far as demons go, it looks harmless. It seems to be some sort of a half-snake, half-human deformity, with no limbs to use and thus sentenced to clumsily slither on the ground, unable to match snakes in its subtlety nor humans in their dexterity.
If it weren’t a demon, Liu Qingge would feel a little sorry for it. After all, with so many scales so cruelly removed, the creature does seem to have endured quite a torture already. The problem is, it’s definitely a demon, and even up against that kind of a demon, Liu Qingge doesn’t feel confident right now. So he just keeps going, conspicuously not looking anywhere in that thing’s direction.
Idly, he wonders if drawing Cheng Luan at it would be enough to scare the damn beast away without things devolving into an actual confrontation?
… probably not.
The thing looks useless, but those eyes hold intelligence. It’s obviously following him with a purpose, not that Liu Qingge has any idea what that purpose might be. Eventually, after the thing has spent well over half an hour just clumsily trailing after him, he grows annoyed enough.
“What do you want? Do I look tasty? I’m literally a mess right now!” he snaps.
Those wide, clear eyes, completely mismatched with the pale, bloated face, stare blankly at him. The longer it lasts, the more annoyed Liu Qingge gets, but clearly the demon has no intention of leaving.
“If you ain’t gonna attack, what the hell are you after? I’m busy.”
He keeps walking, only to realize that the creature is still following him. It’s gotten more obnoxious about it, too. Does it know Liu Qingge can’t fight it? Can it tell that his spiritual energy is a disaster?
His heart beats a little faster and inside, he feels very uncomfortable. His body hasn’t encountered another Qi blockage ─ not yet ─ but it feels like it’s about to. Is the damn snake also able to tell? Realizing that there is a real risk of collapsing right in front of a demon who might be all too happy to chomp down on his limbs like it’s feasting on roasted chicken, Liu Qingge increases his pace to the point that he is all but running. It leaves the demon far behind him, and once Liu Qingge takes enough turns to get further lost in the stupid forest, he stops.
Lungs and sides in pain just from a little running ─ fuck this shit, really ─ Liu Qingge leans against a particularly wrinkly tree for a few moments, just to regain his breath.
It’s just a short time ─ moments, really ─ but that familiar, triangular head pops out of the bush next to his feet.
Liu Qingge will forever deny that this happened, but he screams. He screams like a young maiden when she spots an insect, like a child when it panics. It is high pitched and shameful and really, Liu Qingge has never known his throat could make that sound… but his scream surprises both himself and the half-human, half-snake, until there are several steps of distance between them and Cheng Luan is up in the air before he can stop himself.
The snake thing doesn’t move to attack, so after a few moments, Liu Qingge’s raging heartbeat settles back to a relatively stable pace.
“Shit,” he hisses, still feeling too much out of sorts. “Do you want me to kill you? I don’t want to kill you. Leave me alone. Damn it.”
The snake stares at him with those giant, intelligent eyes like it understands everything he’s saying, but doesn’t quite comprehend it. Liu Qingge doesn’t comprehend it, either. What does the damn thing want from him? Even to demons, with these many ailments inside him, he shouldn’t smell particularly delicious. If anything, he should smell like rotten meat or vegetables gone bad or ─ anyway, that’s not the point.
“You just… stay there,” Liu Qingge instructs, before sheathing his sword again and doing what’s probably the dumbest thing to do when encountering a demon. He turns his back on it, and walks away. This is very much intentional, even if, intelligence-wise, it’s subpar at best.
Even baby demons know that a cultivator turning their back on them is stupid and this demon certainly ain’t a baby. Liu Qingge’s instincts are screaming in protest as he does it, but there is no other way. He is currently betting on the fact that this demon is intelligent enough to understand that even though the person it’s stalking is a cultivator, he’s not looking for a fight. Heck, the message is basically ─ I don’t see you as a threat, so you shouldn’t see me as one either. Like, maybe later, if he ever gets his cultivation in order.
If he doesn’t, screw it. There are many ways to end his life other than baiting a demon into chomping him down for dinner. Either way, he does not want to fight.
And wow, that’s something Liu Qingge never expected from himself. He does not want to fight. And he is not even angry about it. Like, sure, there is a whole lot of built up anger bubbling under the surface for a multitude of reasons, but it’s not directed. It’s been sitting there for so long that Liu Qingge doesn’t know what to do with it… and channeling it into confronting this pathetic little demon feels a little like bullying the harmless. It’s… distasteful.
Now, bullying Shen Yuan, slamming him against the wall and scaring the shit out of him, that is a satisfying image to behold. And if he leans in a little closer and brushes his lips against─
Ugh.
In all this delirium, he must’ve truly lost his mind.
Shaking his head to clear it, Liu Qingge once again turns around and leaves the snake demon behind. Or tries to, at any rate. The damn thing keeps following him.
Pointedly ignoring the demon’s entire existence, Liu Qingge keeps going, until he realizes he’s walked past a similar tree not so long ago. He remembers it, because that’s precisely the tree he leaned onto in order to recover earlier. Shit.
“I really need to break this stupid array,” he tells no one in particular.
The snake next to him nods, a little like it’s laughing at him. Liu Qingge resists the urge to stomp on it.
Wait a moment.
“Do you know how to break out of the array?” he asks the snake demon suddenly, and damn he must be so desperate to rely on a demon for this, but maybe, just maybe─
Surprisingly, the demon nods. It is a very slow, very deliberate nod, and the twinkling clear eyes are pointedly staring at him.
“Fine,” Liu Qingge decides. “I don’t know what you want from me, but if you can get me out of the array, I’ll help you with what you need in return. Do we have a deal?”
The tip of the demon’s tail wiggles a little, like it’s trying to communicate, and it reminds Liu Qingge of a dog. That mental image is something he doesn’t need, so he just closes his eyes briefly and allows the snake demon to guide him. If he’s lured to the shadows and killed by this demon, well… at least it’s not the stupid Skinner parasites that got him.
The paths the snake demon takes are clearly not designed for anything other than crawling, so Liu Qingge spends most of his time hacking away at bushes and tree branches, trying to make enough space for himself to pass. If the strain is a little too much, forget it. He’ll sink down to his knees for a moment or two, then he’ll get back up and continue, it’s hardly worth complaining. This is the most he’s been active ever since that dagger tore his stomach open and he is not stupid to call it a scratch anymore.
When they reach the nearest clearing where Liu Qingge no longer has to bend his head anymore, he plops down on the ground and refuses to continue, not until the taste of blood disappears from the inside of his mouth.
The deformed snake makes no attempt to rush him, it only stares at him curiously, like it’s trying to figure out what is wrong with him. That’s not good. Liu Qingge would rather not reveal his weakness to an absolute stranger. Oh, come to think of it.
When he stands up, he pulls a talisman from the inside of his robes and sets it on fire.
Instantly, the snake is alarmed, but Liu Qingge shakes his head. “Don’t worry, it’s not harmful.”
The talisman leaves a wisp of thin smoke everywhere around the clearing. The little Qi that took to ignite it, however, is too much for him regardless. Before the talisman completely burns away, Liu Qingge hacks and coughs, his body completely out of control. He’s not sure if it’s the poison acting up or if the parasites have sucked away what little Qi he could muster, but it feels like his insides are on fire. When he finally opens his mouth, a torrent of blood comes pouring out.
Well, fuck.
Coughing up blood is common enough. Coughing up this much of it can’t be anything but bad news.
In spite of the strain, Liu Qingge wipes his mouth off with his sleeve and looks up in the direction where they are supposed to go. They’re not entirely out of the array yet, he can tell. They need to keep moving.
“Let’s go,” he insists, forcing himself to get up. The more stubborn he remains, the further he is going to get. If it hurts, it hurts. If he bleeds, he bleeds. But do not let anyone ever say that he didn’t give it his all, attempting to just stay alive.
The demon reluctantly leads him down a slippery slope and though Liu Qingge tries his best, his foot eventually slips ─ as does his vision. Blurring and disintegrating until there’s not a shred of consciousness left.
When Liu Qingge comes to, his head is still spinning and his whole body hurts. At least one of his feet is submerged in water, and that water doesn’t feel warm at all, but somehow it warms up his limb anyway.
“Where─” he tries to croak, but what comes out is blood instead, and Liu Qingge can’t even gather the energy to push himself up on his elbows. He stares up at the dark night sky and its thousands of stars that keep dancing in front of his eyes like they’re laughing at him. Has he reached the end of the line? Is this really it? All that struggle… and yet he now can’t even stand up anymore?
An image flashes in his mind, a familiar face, a familiarly cold set of eyes staring down on him while blood trickles down the side of his mouth.
“You asked for this,” the image says in Shen Qingqiu’s voice, that arrogant, gentle drawl that has had Liu Qingge imagining driving Cheng Luan through the man’s throat multiple times, but the person lying on the ground with a sword through his chest is him instead.
“You…” but the word won’t slip past his lips, he can no longer even take a breath.
Shen Qingqiu keeps watching him like he’s looking down at a bug that just won’t die after being stepped on, and for the first time, Liu Qingge becomes aware of the stark contrast that exists between Shen Qingqiu and Shen Yuan. Of course, he could always feel it, but the true extent of the difference only becomes evident in hindsight.
Liu Qingge has always suspected. Once Shen Qingqiu got the chance, the man would absolutely kill him. No mercy. The hatred between them runs that deep, and for what fucking reason?
Liu Qingge doesn’t know. All he knows is that on top of everything else that is wrong with him, hallucinations are a fresh new thing he hasn’t prepared for and he most certainly has no other option than to close his eyes and leave it be.
“Liu Qingge!”
The sound of his name faint from a distance.
It sounds familiar.
Is it his dead parents calling him over?
Fucking bastards. Leaving him alone in that hellhole and now they dare call his name.
Liu Qingge is so angry that it makes his chest burn with agony.
“Shit! Liu Qingge! Snap out of it!”
Go away, Liu Qingge wants to say. He wants to go home. He wants to punch somebody. He wants to─
A wave of spiritual power crashes into him, and instantly, Liu Qingge feels like he’s been slammed into the ground, slammed back into his body after a moment of weightlessness, and it freaking hurts. He chokes out another mouthful of blood as his whole body trembles. A steady hand presses down on his chest, pouring spiritual power into him. It’s not as much as he first thought ─ in fact, it’s very little spiritual power and it makes him nauseous just by association.
“Awake now?” Luo Binghe asks through gritted teeth, the flow of his spiritual power slowing down to a trickle.
Liu Qingge stares at the kid. Sharing spiritual power with him isn’t nearly as straightforward as one would think, but that young brat just did it without causing additional damage─
“If you’re awake, then get up,” Luo Binghe snaps, before grabbing a fistful of his clothes and pulling him up. In his arms, Liu Qingge is little more than a puppet with his strings cut. He moves without restraint and topples over just as easily, unable to manage any of his limbs. Most of the pain has subsided, somewhat, but his strength isn’t coming back. He’s not sure what’s wrong.
“You’re out of time, that’s what’s wrong,” Luo Binghe answers him, his own face a dark shadow, too eerie to see on a mere teenager. “What a great time for Qi deviation, isn’t it, Liu-shishu? If I was just a minute late, who knows what I would have found.”
Liu Qingge grimaces. Is that not why he activated the kid’s stupid tracking talisman? So Luo Binghe could find him? His tongue won’t move. Maybe he is dead.
At this point, he wouldn’t even mind.
“Get up,” Luo Binghe snaps, but he has no other choice but to pull Liu Qingge’s arms over his shoulders.
Liu Qingge is a little surprised that the child doesn’t topple over under his weight. Luo Binghe doesn’t look like a particularly strong one ─ but he has to be, given that his knees buckle for only a moment before he straightens up, dragging the entirety of Liu Qingge’s body like a sack of potatoes.
“I told you, you’re out of time,” the kid grumbles. “One of those damn parasites is gaining consciousness. It’s too busy trying to get rid of the others so I was able to bring you back, but we need to act immediately. Spill it, what was Mu Qingfang’s brilliant solution for your problem? What did he intend to do by dragging you here?!”
Liu Qingge keeps his mouth shut, not because he doesn’t want to talk, but because he literally can’t.
Warmth then spreads through his hand, and he realizes a moment too late that it’s once again Luo Binghe, sharing his spiritual energy. He offers the most he can under the circumstances, and little by little, Liu Qingge is able to get his muscles moving.
“Sun and moon flower,” he rasps, barely audible.
“What? Are you fucking kidding me?! That takes years to fully prepare! You cannot be serious!”
But Liu Qingge shakes his head weakly, grabbing Luo Binghe at the front of his robes with all the strength he can muster ─ which is barely any.
“Seeds,” he manages, shakily. “Spiritual power… into the seeds…” If anything, it sounds crazy, even to Liu Qingge. When he first heard it from Mu Qingfang personally, he laughed. Weren’t you the one who said the stupid flower is useless? But as it turns out, Shen Yuan had other ideas ─ and both Sect Leader Yue and Mu Qingfang jumped onto the bandwagon like a pair of overly excited chihuahuas until they found something that could, in theory do the job.
Luo Binghe seems to have understood something from those scant few words, however, as he frowns in thought.
“... if there is more of your spiritual power in the seeds than in your body, it will lure the parasites out on their own,” he says, contemplative. “The spiritual power inside those seeds has no signature. Even a little bit of your power will make the seed useless to anyone else, but to those stupid things, it won’t make a difference. They’ll be lured over due to the sheer quantity of it.”
In spite of himself, Liu Qingge nods in confirmation.
“But it’s still just a seed, it won’t have enough power…” but Luo Binghe trails off, looking at Liu Qingge suddenly, eyes widening as the rest of it clicks. “You would need to empty out your spiritual core entirely. If there’s nothing left in you, there is nothing for the parasites to feed on, there is no reason for them to stay.” The more pieces he connects, the faster he talks, until he’s running out of breath. “It’s not that Mu Qingfang wanted your sister there because you’re siblings and your spiritual energy signature is similar, of course not. He needs Liu Mingyan there not to save your cultivation, but to save your life…”
How the fuck do you know this? Liu Qingge desperately wants to ask, but he can’t voice it.
But Luo Binghe is deep in thought, he wouldn’t have heard the question regardless. He’s clearly not happy about what he’s thinking, but there is consideration, there is a pause, even a little relief.
“We have to hurry,” he says, and starts dragging Liu Qingge again like a ragdoll. Before Liu Qingge can do anything to resist, the kid draws his sword and points it directly at the… snake demon? What? That thing was here all along?! Luo Binghe obviously has no respect for its persistence. He barks, “Lead the way before I cut you into snake meat!”
The demon is clearly unwilling, but the way Luo Binghe stomps down onto his body and presses his weight on the snake’s vital spot is cruel beyond comprehension. Liu Qingge stares at the disciple in shock. Having killed countless demons in his life, not once had Liu Qingge chosen cruelty for cruelty’s sake… but that’s clearly what this is. Not only is Luo Binghe looking to cause pain, he does it in a way that inflicts the most pain imaginable while leaving the least visible damage possible.
The snake also looks far worse for wear than when Liu Qingge first encountered it. Clearly, between finding Liu Qingge on the ground and now, Luo Binghe found some time to beat it bloody.
“O-oi,” Liu Qingge manages, his unresponsive body somehow managing to lean over enough to distract Luo Binghe, forcing him to catch Liu Qingge before he hits the ground. “L-leave him,” he chokes out. “Don’t… torture…”
“If you knew what this thing did, you would have killed it already,” Luo Binghe snaps at him, but he doesn’t move to continue. “Do what you will, then. It’s your life hanging by a thread, not mine.”
Liu Qingge ignores him as he addresses the demon, “I made a… promise, remember?” His voice is barely audible even to himself, but clearly, the snake hears him, because the look in its eyes clears up somewhat. “You led me out… of the array, so I will help… But if I don’t… find the Sun and Moon dew flower… I…” he can’t finish. The blood building up inside him is too much.
The way those highly intelligent eyes keep staring at him is unnerving.
Finally, the tail works in that familiar way. It’s nowhere near as enthusiastic as before, but it’s identical, so Liu Qingge breathes a sigh of relief.
“Go,” he whispers to Luo Binghe, trying not to entirely rest his weight on the disciple, but failing spectacularly. Luo Binghe grimaces, but he doesn’t voice any complaints. He just holds Liu Qingge firmer and follows the snake into what seems to be a cave entrance of some kind.
It’s wide enough to only let a single person through at a time, but Luo Binghe is small and Liu Qingge is all soft and boneless, no energy whatsoever, so somehow they manage to squeeze through together.
“If I survive… this shit… I’m going to kill you,” Liu Qingge mutters under his breath, too weak even for his own ears to hear.
Luo Binghe snorts right back. “Don’t forget your oath, Shishu. If you survive, your life is mine to play with.”
Hah. As if Liu Qingge is a fucking toy or something.
But yeah, he did make that stupid oath, damn it all.
Fine, then. So be it. Liu Qingge is all out of fucks to give.
Notes:
ZZL: *exists*
LBH: *shaking fists* stupid dumb thing that messed with Shizun, I'm gonna -redacted-!!!!
Chapter 11: The Lushui Lake
Chapter Text
If it were up to Shen Yuan to decide, the entirety of Huan Hua Palace’s protective array would have been destroyed the moment he got caught in it, if simply for practicality’s sake. Wasting their time wandering around when Liu-shidi is running out of time is simply in bad taste, isn’t it?
Unfortunately, Xiu Ya is confiscated and currently in the hands of Mu Qingfang, sealed and unreachable in spite of Shen Yuan’s best efforts. It’s really not fair, leaving him so defenseless in enemy terrain, but eh . He understands. Sect Leader Yue simply can’t stand the fact that Shen Yuan is able to control the Original Goods’ sword as though it’s his, therefore, he can’t have it. Shen Yuan gets it. But also, that’s really not his fault. If Yue Qingyuan must blame anyone, he better just blame the System for making the rules so bonkers in the first place!
[Side-story mission: <Blizzard at Dusk> is now available. Do you want to activate the mission?]
… what mission now? Isn’t Shen Yuan smack in the middle of a mission already?!
[Currently, the User has no story missions assigned. Do you want to activate the side-story mission <Blizzard at Dusk>?]
Shen Yuan freezes in his tracks. So, hold up. If he’s getting this right, then his presence in the Bailu forest now has nothing to do with a System-triggered mission? Which actually makes sense, considering there have been barely any pop-ups over the past few weeks overall.
“Hey, System. Just for clarity, this whole, um, saving-Liu Qingge business that we have going? That’s not a mission, is that right?”
A familiar info window pops up in the corner of his vision.
[Currently, the User has no story missions assigned.]
… right. “And Liu Qingge? Does he have any missions assigned?” Which is a stupid question, obviously, because how could he? Liu Qingge is not a transmigrator, not as far as Shen Yuan knows it ─ and he is too much of an unreal personality to be a transmigrator anyway.
There are a few moments of pause before the info window pops back up.
[Character Liu Qingge is currently classified as a ‘minor character’. As per default setting, characters with tag ‘minor’ cannot undertake any missions. Do you want to see the character Liu Qingge’s list of tags?]
Shen Yuan does, out of sheer curiosity, but that’s beside the point. He files it for later consideration. “What about Luo Binghe? He’s the Protagonist. Does he currently have any story missions assigned?”
Again, there is wait time before the info window pops up. [Currently, the Protagonist Luo Binghe has no plot missions assigned.]
…
Interesting.
So. Shen Yuan has more or less been the one to initiate this whole thing. Although it unexpectedly ended up involving Luo Binghe in spite of his intentions to keep the kid out of it, this is still not a classified mission by the System, with rewards, punishments and objectives already set… Hm. If anything, it is strangely reminiscent of the time Luo Binghe was stuck in the Endless Abyss. The System is still working now, in less limited capacity than it did back then… but it has no control over the storyline. Why? Just because Shen Yuan meddled with it?
… no, that’s probably not it.
Is it because Luo Binghe has no personal goal at stake? Has he been relegated to a minor character in his own story?
But no. Then he wouldn’t have been involved at all. Mu Qingfang is the one who brought him in and Mu-shidi would not have done that without a damned good reason. Not unless he is the one controlled by the System. Which, hey!
“System! I know I’m repeating myself, but does Mu Qingfang have a story mission assigned─”
[Character Mu Qingfang is currently classified as a 'minor character'. As per default setting, characters with tag ‘minor’ assigned cannot undertake any missions. Do you want to see the character Mu Qingfang’s list of tags?]
… right. So, that’s not it, either.
Shen Yuan is all out of ideas. The System not actively interfering with him is one thing. It has happened before, under very specific circumstances and Shen Yuan would have been very happy if he could have made those circumstances permanent, but alas. No such luck. But now, here he is, and the circumstances are not the same, yet the System is not interfering… Does it like where the story is going? Is that it? Or is it just morbid curiosity, letting things unfold until it decides to kick back with its bonkers rules in full force?
“What about Shen Qingqiu’s character tags?” he asks, suddenly. “Is that list also available?”
[The list of tags for user account Shen Qingqiu: main character, scum-villain, Master Cultivator, Smug Snake, the Dreaded, Long-Haired Pretty Boy, Break His Heart to Save Him, Fate Worse Than Death, the Charmer, Knight in Sour Armor, Master of the Mixed Messages, Abusive Mentor, …] and a whole lot of others that make Shen Yuan’s head spin. He’s not sure if it’s a good thing that the majority of the words are faded out as though the tags are inactive, but just to keep his sanity intact, he doesn’t ask.
“So, obviously not helpful,” he mumbles to himself… which only brings him back to square one.
Namely, he is lost in Bailu forest, has no access to his sword and no way to break out of the space-confounding array. What a day.
Scratching at the back of his head, Shen Yuan takes another look around him. But really, the forest is not any less confusing than it was a minute ago. It’s ridiculous. He’s already gotten trapped inside of this array once before ─ and last time it required Gongyi Xiao’s assistance to get both himself and Shang Qinghua out.
Ooooh, wait a moment!
If Shen Yuan can recall the details of how Gongyi Xiao did that, maybe he won’t need to spend the rest of the night wandering around this place like a lost puppy! The key is in his memory! Which, if Shen Yuan does say so himself, has always been exceptional.
So. What were he and Airplane-bro up to before Gongyi Xiao showed up to save the day?
… better yet, what were they up to after Gongyi Xiao joined their flower-hunting party?
Why, sitting in the carriage, of course. Inside of which, neither Shen Yuan nor Shang Qinghua were paying any attention to where they were going… which begs the question, how did Gongyi Xiao even know where to take them?
Curse his poor memory.
Map. He needs a map. For better or worse, Shen Yuan does remember the map clearly. Bailu forest may be big and complicated, but this forest only has one grotto. More importantly, the protective formation over the forest works in very specific ways, making people go in circles over and over ─ but they are the same circles. There is no variation to it. Depending on where the formation is triggered, the circle changes, which means that if multiple people get caught into the formation, either they’ll be wandering in circles together for eternity ─ or if they’re caught while apart, they will be walking alone in circles that never meet, never to cross paths again.
Last time, Shen Yuan and Shang Qinghua had taken the carriage all the way, making it impossible to be caught into the array separately, so naturally they got caught in the protective formation together.
Now, Liu Qingge has moved ahead of everyone, triggering the formation all on his lonesome, and Shen Yuan has lagged a few steps behind the rest, pausing at the last moment to… do what? Get the Sect Leader to change his mind? Pfft, as if there’s any point to that.
Anyway, the point is, Shen Yuan has been walking the same circle this whole time, to reach the same spot where he started. Aligning that spot with the map of the Bailu forest in his head, it puts him in the northwest corner, one of the less frequently traversed paths, specifically chosen so that Cang Qiong Mountain Sect wouldn’t draw unnecessary attention to themselves. It is, therefore, the exact opposite route from the one that Shen Yuan and Shang Qinghua had taken previously. Moreover, since it has taken Shen Yuan little time to figure out he’s been caught ─ and where he’s been caught ─ it means that his designated circle in the array is also fairly small. Not a very helpful conclusion in the overall scheme of things, but hey, he’s onto something here. Small circles are easier to break out of than large ones ─ or so he hopes, anyway.
The point is, Shen Yuan is trapped in the array… but the residents of the Bailu forest shouldn’t be, or else the formation would truly be too troublesome to maintain. And sure, Bailu forest has barely any residents, but it has some. Zhuzhi Lang is one of them, not that Shen Yuan is particularly eager to encounter that familiar face this early in the plot. But anyway, aside from one very sneaky demon with a weird take on quid-pro-quo, there are other, lesser known residents, who could be just as helpful if so inclined.
“Gotcha,” Shen Yuan smirks, as he uses just the tiniest bit of Qi on the tip of his finger to invite a firefly over to himself.
The tiny bug is fearful and wary of this trap, but Shen Yuan truly intends to cause no harm. The tricky part is, how can he get this little bug to lead him the right way? He thinks about it for a long time, during which the shiny little creature decides that the tip of his finger is, in fact, a comfortable enough spot to rest.
In the end, he decides that he doesn’t need any tricks.
The firefly needs not bother taking him all the way to the grotto ─ Shen Yuan can make the rest of the way on his own. The little thing should just get him unstuck from the protective array ─ and that’s enough.
Whipping a tracking talisman from the inside of his sleeve, Shen Yuan sets it on fire with a spark and makes sure a little of the ash lands on the firefly. Of course, the poor bug is so terrified that it flies away immediately ─ but already, the power of the talisman has taken effect. As the small insect disappears off into the night, Shen Yuan follows the trail of smoke left behind in its wake.
At first, the trail of smoke leads him down a narrow forest trail, only to eventually veer off into the bushes and trees and even through rocks. Shen Yuan at some point closes his eyes and follows the smoke by the remnants of Qi alone. It’s not an ideal solution ─ he walks into a tree or a bush on multiple occasions, stumbles over the uneven terrain even more often. But the visual illusion is therefore bypassed, leaving just the physical limitations to get over.
Shen Yuan keeps at this for almost twice the amount of time it took him to figure out that he’s been trapped in the formation originally ─ just to be sure. So once he finally deems it safe enough to open his eyes, his hands are full of scratches and bruises, as are his knees, but the area of the forest where he finds himself is completely unfamiliar. Therefore, a success! Heck yes!
Thrilled that his last-minute makeshift plan worked, Shen Yuan does a little victory dance ─ only for a soft gasp to shock him like he’s been hit by thunder. Company?!
Before he can fall into a stance or even strike out in self-defense, a very hesitant, very familiar voice rings through the darkness.
“... Shen-shibo?”
Shen Yuan all but sags in relief. Which ─ not that great, because the person who just saw him embarrass himself is someone who already knows him, but he’ll take that over a sneak attack.
“Liu Mingyan, is it?” he retorts lightly. “Good to see that you’ve made it out of the array safely.”
“Shen-shibo speaks too kindly,” the girl mumbles as she steps out of the shadows ─ and Shen Yuan is not at all surprised to find Mu Qingfang following half a step behind her. The way he looks at Shen Yuan is not at all the respectful way she is looking, though.
As the Qian Cao Peak Lord walks past the little sister, he gives her a gentle pat on the shoulder. “Pay him no mind. We were only here to see why there were traces of Cang Qiong Mountain’s tracking talisman around here, but it’s just you.”
Indeed, Mu-shidi, it’s only me. Do you think Liu Qingge the blockhead would have remembered to bring a tracking talisman with him?
But Shen Yuan doesn’t say anything. He just catches the object thrown at him ─ only to blink in surprise when he recognizes the Xiu Ya sword. It’s still sealed beneath a bunch of talismans taken from Wan Jian Peak, but those are easy enough to rip off now that the weapon is in his hands. He glances back at Mu Qingfang skeptically.
“That’s a lot of faith to be putting into an evil spirit who might stab you in the back the moment you turn around,” he comments, but eagerly rips off the talismans like a kid ripping off the decoration paper from his birthday gift.
Mu Qingfang snorts. “If I was worried about that, I wouldn’t have let you come to start with.”
Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence, Mu-shidi.
“Where is Luo Binghe?” Shen Yuan asks, the Protagonist’s notable absence bothering him far more than anything else.
Briefly, the corner of Mu Qingfang’s lip twitches. “That disciple of yours is quite something. Out of my sight for a moment, and he successfully triggers a whole other protective array. Convenient, isn’t it?”
Shen Yuan snorts. Luo Binghe, duh. The adult version would have probably uprooted the entire array without so much as a moment of thought to spare. They’re really being too nice, letting Huan Hua Palace indulge in all this nonsense.
“What? Nothing to say?” Mu Qingfang grunts.
“I’m not Shen Qingqiu, remember?”
Mu Qingfang sighs tiredly. “Indeed, you’re not. Anyway, we should hurry and find that grotto. We’re running out of time.”
At that, Liu Mingyan tenses up. “And my brother? What if he─”
“He knows where to go, don’t worry,” Mu Qingfang says. “He’ll be there.”
The young lady quickly casts another look in Shen Yuan’s direction, as though she expects him to be equally convinced of this, but he really isn’t. It’s not so much that Shen Yuan doubts Liu Qingge ─ he would never. If anyone can find their way around a protective array with nothing but sheer determination, it’s that blockhead. But Liu Qingge’s life is hanging by a thread and he doesn’t have the protagonist halo to protect him. More importantly, the plot itself is out to get him and that alone instills very little confidence. All in all, he sees no purpose in lying to the girl for false comfort.
“Let’s go,” he says.
Mu Qingfang is the one leading all this. Shen Yuan is perfectly happy to sit back and let someone else be responsible with the reins.
And so the freshly reassembled party of three continues on their merry way.
As soon as Luo Binghe is sure that the stupid snake demon has led them down the right cave, he tries to kick him out of the way.
Liu Qingge, the fucking idiot, doesn’t let him.
“I… made… a promise,” he says and bleeds all over Luo Binghe’s shoulder.
Really, that fool doesn’t know what’s good for him. Luo Binghe is exhausting what little spiritual energy he has just to keep him alive, and this dumbass cares about a stupid promise made to a stupid demon. Hey! Demons are not the honorable kind! Stretching yourself thin just to keep a stupid promise will only get you killed and eaten faster! It’s just common sense!
Liu Qingge is nothing if not stubborn, however, so in spite of Luo Binghe’s efforts to get rid of the treacherous snake, he ultimately gives up the struggle. What’s the point? This is all on Liu Qingge, anyway.
That said, dragging the stupid snake along with them is really in bad taste. He’s already being merciful by not killing that demon for daring to feed Shizun his blood in the past. Not that it’s ever going to happen again, but Luo Binghe is quite insistent on his grudges, this lifetime or the other one. Besides, he’s put some rather painstaking effort into keeping Liu Qingge alive over the past month. Then this snake had to show up and undo all of it.
In all fairness, probably not even the stupid snake demon knows just how terribly he ruined everything. Liu Qingge’s Qi deviation is hardly unexpected, given the state of him, and trying to use demonic Qi to put it under control isn’t too terrible a thing to do to a cultivator, under normal circumstances. There are certainly worse ways to kill a Qi deviating person, anyway, and there are certainly much better ways to fix it.
This attempt at keeping Liu Qingge alive on part of the stupid snake, however, has also fed those damn parasites all the demonic Qi they were missing out on to finally gain consciousness, which made things undeniably worse. One parasite gaining sanity is bad enough. Four of them at the same time? It’s good enough that Liu Qingge is still breathing.
Then again, those four bugs are probably too busy going after each other to be killing Liu Qingge, so at least not everything is terrible. But time is running out and it’s running out fast, and this cave is really too damn narrow and too damn long for it to make any sense. This is what Shizun had to go through to prepare that stupid puppet body to hide from him?
Once again, Luo Binghe can’t tell if Shizun ever cared for him or had simply resented him from the bottom of his heart all along. But to endure all this just for a chance to never meet Luo Binghe again ─ it’s too much. If Luo Binghe had known from the start, he never would have… what? Chased after Shizun like a mindless beast? Wasted years trying to bring a living person back from the dead?
Looking back at his own behavior, he can’t truly fault Shizun for running away. It still stings, to know that the person he loves so deeply might’ve never felt the same… but it does put certain things into perspective.
Will Luo Binghe of today make a promise to Shizun to never do anything like that ever again?
Well, no, probably not. His feelings for Shizun run too deep to ever truly let go. But maybe he could reconsider his approach. Maybe.
Either way, it will have to wait, because he is currently busy half carrying, half dragging Liu Qingge’s useless body, counting down seconds before he has to grit his teeth and supply him more spiritual energy just to keep the stupid man breathing. He’s got nothing left to give, damn it! His current body is a fucking joke! Why did he even get himself involved in this? He could have let fate run its course. If Liu Qingge is meant to live, he will live. If he’s meant to die, then so be it. It wasn’t any of his business, getting involved into this disaster. If anything, Liu Qingge’s death would be beneficial to him.
If this somehow works out, Luo Binghe plans to hold Liu Qingge indebted to him forever.
Finally, the end to the maze seems to come near. Head flat against his shoulder, Liu Qingge coughs out some more blood.
“Just a little further,” Luo Binghe insists. “Keep going.”
If there is any answer, Luo Binghe can’t tell.
After what feels like eternity, the dark passage finally opens up in front of them, to a deep cavern filled with shimmering light. Luo Binghe is too exhausted to even feel joy over this achievement. The only source of light, it turns out, is from a giant opening on top of the grotto, making way for the sunlight and the moonlight to fill this special place with their unfiltered energy. Finally, that stupidly long name of the plant makes a little sense.
Luo Binghe crawls all the way to the edge of the lake before his knees give out under the weight, and both Liu Qingge and himself topple into the water. Dew lake, he realizes, because the purity of it prickles his skin. Since the seal on his demonic power is still firmly in place, it’s not harmful, but it’s annoying. He can feel the pull of the lake’s spiritual essence as it recognizes his soul for what it is. For a moment, it lights up in soft blue light, but it quickly fades.
To Liu Qingge, this water is a breath of life. The man drags himself by the use of his arms until he’s half-submerged, his labored breathing finally easing somewhat.
“What… is this…?” he asks, eyes widening in wonder.
“Your wonder plant,” Luo Binghe says. “Look over there.”
Liu Qingge follows his gaze to see exactly what Luo Binghe is staring at ─ a small island in the middle of the lake, glowing in precious moonlight. The many white beans seem to glow in the light, shimmering with power that even with a single look, they can tell how precious it is. Next to them, the snake demon’s eyes twinkle with amazement. Most notably, he has not touched the water.
Luo Binghe punches the top of his head mercilessly.
“O-oi!” Liu Qingge protests, but Luo Binghe ignores him, as he grabs a fistful of the demon’s hair.
“I know what you want those for,” he all but growls into the snake demon’s ears, until the beast is shuddering in his grasp. “If you want, I can get them for you. But it will come at a price.”
Great. Now both Liu Qingge and the snake are staring at him as though he is the bad guy. Luo Binghe scowls deeply. Liu Qingge he can ignore, that dumb idiot doesn’t know what’s good for him anyway. But the snake is a different matter. The treacherous little beast is dangerous ─ and not at all trustworthy. Luo Binghe truly is playing with fire here, proposing that kind of a deal.
“You heard that right,” he says anyway, because Luo Binghe never goes back on his word. “I know. If you could have gotten that seed without us, you would've taken it already. But you can’t, because the sunlight and the moonlight are so potent here that they can easily kill you. I will get it for you. But the one who must repay this debt is not you, but your master.”
“Master?” Liu Qingge croaks. “That thing has a master?”
Luo Binghe ignores him, staring intently at Zhuzhi Lang instead. “Well, what will it be?”
The stupid snake observes him for a very long time ─ only to finally nod once.
“Good choice.” Then, after a moment of thought, he adds, “If you don’t keep your word, I will make both of you regret it.”
Then without another word, he dives into the lake. The water at some point becomes deep enough to drag his drenched robes down, but Luo Binghe doesn’t mind it. Even the Jade Guanyin around his neck glows in a soft blue, reflecting what little light comes out of the beautiful night sky. After getting over the initial prickliness like he’s being poked with spiritual needles all over, the water starts feeling quite comfortable. This place is like a healing pond for any cultivator. It can’t fix their ailments, not really ─ but it can offer the kind of temporary relief that even Luo Binghe is able to appreciate. To Liu Qingge especially, it is almost like a panacea. Unfortunately, feeding him any kind of spiritual energy right now is just about the same as directly supplying those parasites as well, but screw it. With the kind of crazy gambit this idea is, Liu Qingge needs all the spiritual energy he can get.
Finally there, Luo Binghe reaches out to gently touch the precious white seeds. His fingers tremble slightly. In a different lifetime, his Shizun was here. What could he have been thinking at the time, holding this precious thing? In his mind, was he only ever thinking about running away from Luo Binghe? Changing his face and changing his name, hiding out somewhere where no one will find him?
NO!
It can’t have ─ it can’t have been that. It just can’t.
If Shizun only ever wanted to run from him, then why did he die for him?
I left him no choice.
Luo Binghe closes his eyes, feeling the burn in the corners of his eyes.
Even so. Shizun could have just left him. Back in the Holy Mausoleum, if Shizun had just left him there ─ well, Luo Binghe wouldn’t have died, not likely ─ but certainly, Luo Binghe would not have done… what he ended up doing. The idea of merging the realms back then ─ it hadn’t fully formed yet. Back then, it was Tianlang Jun’s idea, not Luo Binghe’s. Had Shizun left him there, then…
Luo Binghe bites his bottom lip and grounds himself back in reality.
Back then, if Shizun had left him, Luo Binghe would have entirely surrendered himself to a whole different kind of dark influence. Had Shizun not been there for him, the nightmares of the dream realm would have taken him instead, and Luo Binghe would have had no means to resist the darkness of his own mind.
What matters is, Shizun chose to save him.
Shizun knew what he was doing and he made the choice to protect Luo Binghe.
Maybe a loving, intimate relationship that Luo Binghe has been dreaming of won’t ever be possible between them. Maybe it’s truly an empty dream that he’s yearning for, an impossible goal to attain, especially when the Shizun beside him now may not even be his Shizun.
But Luo Binge has to try. He will take on any risk, do whatever he must.
If he must save Liu Qingge and allow Tianlang Jun to rise back to power, if that means that Luo Binghe will get a chance to take Shizun’s hand ─ just once ─ and have Shizun hold him back in return, then so be it. Luo Binghe will do it.
Luo Binghe returns to the shore with a handful of Sun and Moon Dew Flower seeds, all of which he’s picked very carefully. The weakest, most sensitive buds that he’s taken, he gives those to Zhuzhi Lang without a word. The snake eagerly puts them in its mouth and crawls away, not to be seen again. In the meantime, the remaining seeds, Luo Binghe takes to Liu Qingge.
“We have them,” he says. “Now what?”
Liu Qingge attempts to lift his hand and take one of those precious white beans ─ only for his hand to fall back down before it can reach halfway.
“Whoa, there,” Luo Binghe catches him, but obviously, the beneficial effect of the water is wearing off. Just as expected, the parasites are growing too powerful. He wants to get a feel for how bad it could be ─ but Liu Qingge shudders then, his hand clutching at the robes over his chest as though he wants to remove them, as though he wants to dig his nails into his own flesh and rip it apart. Shit.
In lack of any better options, Luo Binghe grabs the man by the robes and drags him out until only one of his feet remains in contact with the water, then pushes his arms aside and tugs at the tight clothing. Liu Qingge is either trying to help him or get in the way, but it’s all useless. Luo Binghe swats his hands away like he’s swatting a fly. Finally, once enough skin is uncovered, he places his palm directly against the naked skin.
Damn it, damn it, damn it! All out of time!
Under him, Liu Qingge shakes violently, once again trying to dig into his own chest, but Luo Binghe stops him.
“That isn’t going to help!” he roars. If the man hears him, it makes no difference. By this point, even if Liu Qingge’s eyes remain open, he’s lost to delirium. Shit!
Why is there no one coming yet?! Where is Shizun?! Where is Mu Qingfang?! At this rate, they’ll be just one step away from saving him, and Liu Qingge will still die!
“AAAAARGH!” Luo Binghe screams in frustration. He slams Liu Qingge’s wrist back down on the ground when the man tries to dig at his own chest again, but obviously, this isn’t going to work. Spiritual power transfers are useless, because now they’re feeding the parasites directly, and Liu Qingge himself is too out of it to transfer his spiritual power over to the beans─
Wait. Spiritual power needs to be transferred to the seeds for the parasites to follow it ─ but how are they going to exit the spiritual core in the first place?
Luo Binghe initially thought the process should flow naturally ─ but these seeds are too small and the parasites have grown too big. The parasites will gobble them up with ease and only grow more powerful, damn it all! Even if he plants the seeds directly into Liu Qingge’s blood, it will not make a difference─
“Who came up with this stupid idea?!” Luo Binghe roars into the empty space.
Screw it.
Screw everything. Mu Qingfang is a fucking quack, he should’ve known that much when the man told him Shizun was dead and there was no bringing him back. He should have known. Now there’s just one option left.
His fingers tremble when he tugs at his own uniform, the drenched clothing refusing to cooperate. With a whole lot of struggle, Luo Binghe removes the outer robes anyway, then reaches for his inner robes ─ but that knot refuses to budge. How did he tie it up so complicatedly?! It doesn’t make any sense! He tugs at it angrily, but it’s not like he’s strong enough to rip clothing with his bare hands anymore. It just won’t give!
“Get out of the way! Get out of my fucking way!”
Next to him, Liu Qingge convulses, and Luo Binghe has to slam him back down with full force to keep him in place. Nothing is going as planned! Nothing! How was he going to do this when he can’t even─
“AAAAARGH!”
Liu Qingge screams in pain, and Luo Binghe screams with him.
He’s never felt so weak, so useless, so worthless, as he feels right now. What’s the point in living his life all over again when he can’t even do this much?! Might as well just take this stupid practice sword and kill Liu Qingge while the man is still himself. He would have preferred dying that way, anyway.
With trembling hands, Luo Binghe picks up his discarded practice sword ─ but instead of striking at Liu Qingge, he moves to slash at his own clothes.
“BINGHE!”
Instantly, Luo Binghe’s head shoots up, the weapon stopping inches away before it could have cut the cloth. “Shizun?” His voice is shaking. His whole body is shaking. He is cold and he is scared and he doesn’t know where that voice is coming from ─ but that was undeniably Shizun’s voice.
“Binghe! Liu Qingge!”
Above─
“Shizun!” Luo Binghe shouts, a little in panic, a little in relief, and his heart clenches when a shadow comes over the hole on top of the grotto. Luo Binghe doesn’t need to have any special abilities to recognize the shiny sword under the feet of the cultivator descending towards him. Of course it’d be none other than Xiu Ya. Luo Binghe feels his bottom lip trembling, tears streaming down the side of his face. “Shizun,” he calls out weakly.
Shizun descends from his sword a moment later, Mu Qingfang and Liu Mingyan following right behind him.
“No time,” he says, as he grabs the back of Luo Binghe’s robes and pulls. “Huan Hua Palace disciples are here!”
What?! Why?
But Luo Binghe doesn’t get a chance to ask anything. Behind them, Liu Qingge gasps for air, and his sister falls to her knees by his side instantly.
“Brother!” she cries out, helplessly turning to Mu Qingfang. “I need ─ I need─”
Eventually, her frantic eyes land on Luo Binghe ─ and instantly, he realizes what Liu Mingyan wants to do. The moment he sees the twinkling glow inside them, mixing with the tears, Luo Binghe comes to understand that he’s never actually grasped their plan in its entirety to start with.
“You…” but he doesn’t finish that sentence. In the end, it never was about the seeds. Not the way he thought it would be, anyway. All along, the only person with the power to truly save her brother was no one other than Liu Mingyan herself.
“Do you even…” understand what you’re trying to do?
But he needs not finish that question. Liu Mingyan’s eyes are glowing. The faint white light inside them is intricately twisted with a flash of bloody red, reminiscent of the kind of mixture that Luo Binghe has only ever encountered once before ─ smack in the middle of the Endless Abyss.
Wordlessly, Luo Binghe hands all the soft white beans over to her.
“Thank you,” the girl whispers, then presses Liu Qingge back down against the ground, arranging all the seeds over his naked chest into a delicate pattern as she shouts over her shoulder. “Mu-shishu, I’m going to start!”
“Wait─”
But Liu Mingyan waits not a moment longer. She places her palm on top of her brother’s chest and she pulls.
Chapter 12: Trace of Heaven
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
The kind of things that Luo Binghe has encountered in the time that he’s been wandering the Endless Abyss are the kind of things that would have left most cultivators living the rest of their lives stuck in a nightmare ─ assuming they made it out alive in the first place. Among the countless ugly, nightmarish monsters, starved ghosts and vengeful demons that he had encountered, there was a child.
Luo Binghe had only ever encountered this little girl once, and immediately, it struck him that she didn’t belong. All the creatures in the Endless Abyss were either spirits lacking physical form or they were some sort of a deformed monster that inadvertently got stuck inside, having lost even the last shred of ability to reason under the nasty influence of the Endless Abyss’ dark power.
Not this child.
She had looked to be around seven, maybe eight years old, and she had looked entirely human. No demonic claws, no markings of a hungry ghost, not even the rotting smell of a moving corpse. The thing that set her apart from everything else inside the Abyss were her lifelike features even though she claimed not to have aged at all in the many years she'd spent in the Abyss, her gentle disposition and the mere fact she didn't try to kill Luo Binghe on sight. On the contrary, what set this child apart from all the humans he's ever seen was her eyes.
Luo Binghe doesn’t remember the color of that girl’s eyes. It should have been brown, maybe, but it wouldn’t have mattered either way, because it didn’t make a difference. It didn’t change that they were glowing in a complex mixture of white and red power, a combination of natural forces constantly working against each other at its most primal level. It’s a mixture of two different kinds of existences that rarely come together.
Luo Binghe understands that kind of life well ─ his whole existence is like that. A mixture of cultivation systems that are opposite in their nature, a juxtaposition of the spiritual and the demonic where one must prevail ─ but once it does, Luo Binghe suffers as a result.
In that way, this child was very much like him, yet not. After all, Luo Binghe is a half-Heavenly demon ─ the last of his kind, or perhaps it would be better to say, the only one. Demons, in general, don’t mix well with humans. Heavenly demons especially so, as it is the curse of their very existence. What sort of an abomination might come out of such an intercourse is anyone’s guess, and often it’s not a pretty sight. It would not be a stretch to say that Luo Binghe, coming to exist the way he did, is nothing short of a miracle.
That child was not as lucky. Or perhaps, she was luckier. He might never know.
Still, with the two conflicting forces reflected in her eyes, Luo Binghe only needed a moment to understand that, although the girl in front of him was human at her very core, the origins of the two powers inside her were nothing of the sort. The red is undoubtedly demonic. The white could have been spiritual cultivation, if the girl was old enough to cultivate a spiritual core for herself, which she clearly wasn’t. Which would have only left one possibility ─ that she is a child marked by the heavens.
Luo Binghe had heard of the concept before, through the many old legends told on Cang Qiong Mountain. It is a story wherein a child born with the mark of the heavens is the child destined to lead the world to greatness. A folk tale, in essence, one which quickly fell apart under the analysis of expert cultivators who bothered to hear it until the end. Even Shizun had once listened in when the older disciples were telling the story, poking a million holes in its logic and execution.
The truth is, there are no children born with the mark of the heavens destined to lead the world.
There are, however, children born with a trace of heavenly power inside them. They are not a rarity and more often than not, one would not be able to differentiate them from any other exceptionally talented kid. In fact, other than being a little more resistant to poisons and other worldly ailments, a little faster at grasping cultivation, establishing their meridians and forming their spiritual core, they don’t have any special talents. The only special thing about them is their lineage.
The heavenly lineage.
That’s right. Plenty of gods and heaven’s officials end up breaking the rules, returning to the mortal world when they’re not supposed to, siring children through borrowed mortal vessels when they know they shouldn’t. As per the legends told, punishments are never harsh enough to stop that and the consequences never dire enough for anyone to do anything about it. After all, the children born with the trace of heaven's power inside them are still mortal. They still bleed and die like anyone else and they’re just as unlikely to ascend as all the others. Unless they actively cultivate, they are as defenseless against the woes of the mortal world as any other commoner.
The four great sects are filled to the brim with such children. Luo Binghe had only learned more about the concept during his time in Huan Hua Palace, but it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that more than a third of Cang Qiong Mountain’s disciples fit the description and the rate in Huan Hua Palace is even higher ─ more than half. It’s a useless statistic, for the most part, because the trait is hereditary. It doesn’t make a difference if the god is the parent, the grandparent or an ancestor from well over a thousand years ago. In fact, that trace of heaven being hereditary is the only reason the Heavenly Demons as a race retain that moniker, ‘heavenly’, even if they are now more demons than anything else.
A long time ago, a god fell from the heavens and cultivated the demon path. Because of that, Luo Binghe is now an abomination known as the half-Heavenly Demon.
It’s all stupid.
What difference is there, fundamentally, between humans and demons? They all get hungry after a while. They all feel the cold. They all get betrayed, at some point in their lives. They all get their hearts broken and suffer. So why does heaven retain the right to call one race good and the other evil? The world doesn't work that way and it shouldn't. Why are these two natural states of being so opposite to each other? Why did heaven go so far to teach humans cultivation solely to rid the world of demons? Was the fact that these two existences were so completely incompatible not enough? The two races have been engaged into conflicts that have lasted millions of years, and yet what is it for? Who gains from it? Who loses?
Luo Binghe is a child of a human and a demon and he suffers for it every day of his life. He knows he is not the only child to have ever been sired that way, so must the rest of them suffer the same? In the many years he's spent roaming the world, the only answer he seems to have found is that yes, they must.
But there is one exception. One moment, where that combination of naturally opposing powers might come to coexist peacefully. A moment when it becomes a problem, yet at the same time, the solution. A moment when the heavenly and the demonic heritage come together in a single, mortal and undeniably human body.
Once upon a time that no longer exists, Luo Binghe saw that moment reflected in the eyes of a child stranded deep inside the Endless Abyss.
And now for the second time, Luo Binghe sees that moment reflected in the eyes of Liu Mingyan.
Wind blows around her under the force of spiritual power she exerts, blowing her hair in every which way and almost ripping off the veil covering her face. The color of her irises disappears under the glow of pure white spiritual power, intricately mixed in with the flashes of blood red sparks. The entire cavern glistens with the potency of what she's doing.
There are a thousand questions swirling in Luo Binghe's mind as he watches this. How? Why? Why has he not known that before, that Liu Mingyan's bloodline has always hidden a trace of heavenly power inside it? Huan Hua Palace had an entire library section dedicated to tracing all of these heavenly lineages, so why was the Liu noble family not once listed anywhere on it? And, perhaps most importantly ─ if Liu Mingyan has both of these opposing powers working against each other in her body, does it not mean that her brother is the same? So, after so many years of fighting him, how did Luo Binghe not notice?
And if he had, what difference would it make?
Luo Binghe isn’t entirely sure. At least, in the past, it would not have meant a thing.
Now, it explains everything. Liu Qingge and his insistent Qi deviations that kept happening over and over again even when by all rights he should've gotten better. Skinner parasites finding his spiritual power not only not-uncomfortable but actually suitable enough to grow. The sheer amount of that spiritual power.
It does not, however, even begin to explain Liu Mingyan. Because, whatever this thing that Liu Mingyan is currently doing to save her brother ─ it should not be possible.
Luo Binghe stands frozen ─ just as frozen as Shizun and Mu Qingfang ─ as he watches Liu Mingyan perform a miracle.
With her right hand positioned over Liu Qingge’s heart, she is pouring her spiritual energy into his body. Meanwhile, her left hand is hovering over a ball of pure white color, basking the entire grotto in bright, shimmering light, which she had pulled out directly out of her brother’s chest.
Luo Binghe doesn’t need to be a genius to guess what that might be. The ball of white energy is fluctuating wildly, flickering in and out of existence, barely maintaining the form it is in. In fact, it’s probably Liu Mingyan’s own spiritual energy giving it shape to start with. Regardless, Luo Binghe needs to look no further to understand what it is than to look at the four squirming, snail-like parasites, glowing a faint purple inside it. What’s more, all of the white seeds that Luo Binghe has given to Liu Mingyan are also floating there, maintaining the same pattern as they had when the girl originally positioned them.
The sweat rolling down the sides of Liu Mingan’s face could fill buckets. Her hands are shaking. Never mind that what she’s doing should be going against all natural laws.
It comes to him then, that this is rather similar to what she’s done the one time, too, in that different life. Early on after Shizun self-detonated his spiritual core, Luo Binghe fought against Liu Qingge particularly harshly. Usually, he would hold himself back at least somewhat, because Shizun wouldn’t have wanted him to kill anyone from Cang Qiong Mountain… but that one time, Luo Binghe had lost all control. Liu Qingge almost died. Had Liu Mingyan not showed up in the nick of time…
Luo Binghe hadn’t cared back then and he’d just let her do whatever she wanted. If she was there to save her brother, so what? But thinking back, it was like this, wasn’t it? Back then, Luo Binghe thought she was just sharing her spiritual energy… but seeing this up close now, it can’t have been that simple. Because, mixed in together with that spiritual energy, as though fused with it completely, is also something oddly resembling a cultivator’s life force.
For a cultivator, life force is one thing, spiritual cultivation another. Merging the two is either a blessing or a punishment─ a mistake of the highest order. But at the end of the day, it is a precondition to the stage of ascension, the moment the mortal transcends into a god, the moment that immortal cultivator body turns into the body of a god… but this is a moment that, ultimately, passes soon. What this looks like is more like a permanent state of being, a firm merger of what should be separate, a dangerous situation under any circumstances.
What… what is going on?
For a moment, the ball of energy loses its shape and Liu Mingyan falters, only barely stopping the whole thing from dissipating at the last moment. She gasps for air, but although both Mu Qingfang and Shizun jump to help, she doesn’t let them. A circular array of pure spiritual power pushes them away, throwing Mu Qingfang into the lake and Shizun against the rocks.
“One,” Liu Mingyan gasps, barely above a whisper.
It takes a moment for Luo Binghe to understand.
A single, snail-like parasite is gnawing onto a white seed, both of which have now been expelled from the ball ─ which is, in no simple terms, the entirety of Liu Qingge’s cultivation and life force given physical form. In a span of moments, Liu Mingyan has done what should have been impossible and expelled both the spiritual-power infused seed and the demonic organism hungrily feeding on it right out of Liu Qingge without causing him any harm. They hit the ground a moment later, with the parasite feasting on the seed like it’s the tastiest food in the world. Unlike what they all expect, however, instead of the parasite gaining a boost in spiritual power, the opposite happens. The influx of pure spiritual energy rots the damn thing from inside out, until nothing but dust remains.
“Holy fuck,” Shizun mumbles.
Mu Qingfang picks himself up from the lake and snaps, “Did you forget that we’re surrounded?! I’ll keep an eye on things here, you get rid of those Huan Hua people outside!”
“Ah, right,” Shizun says. Then his hand is once again grabbing the back of Luo Binghe’s robes. “You’re with me. Let’s go.”
Go where?! Luo Binghe wants to protest, but Shizun drags him all the way towards the cave entrance, where, once they take two steps inside, they can already hear people moving.
“Why is Huan Hua Palace sending people after us?” Luo Binghe asks. “I thought we had permission to be here.”
“Permission to visit and permission to steal are two different things,” Shizun grumbles, obviously displeased. “Although, technically, how is it stealing when it doesn’t belong to them in the first place? Huan Hua Palace needs to learn some manners.”
“How do we block their way?” Luo Binghe asks.
“I’m still thinking ─ oh, wait. That’s a good idea. Block their way. Luo Binghe, you tiny genius!”
“Wha─” but Luo Binghe gets his answer before he even finishes the question. Condensing a whole lot of Qi into hand, Shizun sends it flying out ─ explosively. The entirety of the cavern shudders from the explosions, while a bunch of rocks comes raining down inside the small cave passage, blocking it completely.
“There we go. Easy.” Shizun brushes his hands off, nodding in satisfaction.
“And what are we going to do about the big one over there?!” Mu Qingfang shouts irritably, pointing up at the giant hole gaping over their heads.
“Well, Mu-shidi, I was just about to say, we do still need a way out, ourselves,” Shizun says, all too cheerily. Not once had Luo Binghe heard Shizun sound so excited. “Miss Liu, how is it going over there?”
Liu Mingyan grunts in response, but she’s only just about expelled the second parasite. With its tiny, ugly teeth sinking into two seeds at once, this one disintegrates before it even finishes consuming them ─ but that’s also when Liu Mingyan falters. The ball of white light almost disappears under her hand entirely.
“Shit!” Mu Qingfang tries to get close, but the protective array the girl has set stops him. “Mingyan! Stop! You won’t be able to handle more of this─!”
But the girl shakes her head stubbornly. “I… must…”
Inside the white light, the two remaining parasites chase after the floating seeds like sharks on a hunt. The moment one of them makes contact with the seed, Liu Mingyan spurs into action. Once again, the sphere momentarily loses shape and then the third parasite is out, rotting on the ground.
The ball of spiritual power, however, does not reform. Instead, it breaks apart completely, freely flowing in all directions. With what little energy that she can still muster, Liu Mingyan slams her palm back down against her brother’s chest, forcing all that faint energy back where it belongs, before entirely collapsing next to him. The protective array around her falls apart a moment after.
Mu Qingfang and Shizun are beside her instantly, but even as Mu Qingfang lifts her up, the girl is completely out of it, not at all reacting to any attempts to wake her up.
“Exhausted,” Mu Qingfang mutters, but when he inspects her wrist, his eyes go wide.
“What? What’s wrong?” Shizun asks, but Luo Binghe can already tell with one look ─ and so can Mu Qingfang.
“Shit!” he snaps, followed by a string of unintelligible curses.
Luo Binghe says, “Break them apart, now!”
Shizun doesn’t need to be told twice. Mu Qingfang grabs Liu Mingyan over to himself and dunks her straight into the lake, while Shizun drags Liu Qingge over behind him, pressing his hand against the man’s chest to check the state. He seems to breathe a sigh of relief, but Luo Binghe is not at all convinced.
Mu Qingfang is still cursing a string of words that Luo Binghe has never heard come out of his mouth, but at Shizun’s bewildered look, he explains, “She was buying us time. She couldn’t get rid of the last one, so she was using her own energy to support it, she wanted the parasite to move to her body…”
Which… fuck. Luo Binghe would have never even thought of such an option. What Liu Mingyan has done is a good thing, no doubt about it. Supporting four of those parasites for any longer would have likely pushed Liu Qingge's meridians beyond the point of recovery, so she really did great, removing them.
The problem is, there is still one Skinner parasite left ─ and it’s got no more obstacles in its way.
“If she wakes up, can she…” but even Luo Binghe knows that’s an unreasonable question he’s asking. Liu Mingyan is a lot more like him than she is like her brother. She has not only hit her limits, doing what she’s done, but pushed far beyond them. By Mu Qingfang's face alone, this was not at all what he'd intended.
“We need to get them both out of here. You,” Mu Qingfang says, and Luo Binghe tenses up, realizing the man is staring at him. “Do you have a way to finish this?”
Luo Binghe’s mouth dries up to a desert, but he nods. “Yes.”
“Can you fly a sword?”
Luo Binghe nods.
He does not, however, expect Mu Qingfang to draw the sword from the scabbard at his waist ─ not once has he ever seen the man use it. Mu Qingfang, however, clearly doesn’t intend to use it even now. Instead, he throws it over to Luo Binghe. He scrambles to catch it. After all, the practice blade he has with him is all but useless in the face of any real threat.
“Shen Yuan will clear your way. You get Liu Qingge out of here, and you get that disgusting thing out of him. Leave Mingyan to me.”
“Mu-shidi,” Shizun says sharply, his tone instantly turning dangerous. “Exactly what do you think you’re doing here? Luo Binghe is a kid─”
“A kid who already got rid of half of those things before they could form. This isn’t the time to get in the way! If you’ve got something to say, say it after we all make it out of here alive.”
“Shizun─” Luo Binghe interjects, and right on time, too, because Shizun looks about ready to charge at Mu Qingfang for no reason whatsoever. But even though he is looking at Luo Binghe, the ice in his eyes doesn’t melt in the slightest. What… What is he thinking that is happening here? Does he think Luo Binghe is going to offer up his own spiritual core or something? Even if he wanted to, he literally can’t!
“Shizun,” he repeats, very calmly, considering how tense he is. “I can help him. I just need time─”
Shizun suddenly swings his sword then, and Luo Binghe nearly jumps out of his skin even if he doesn’t attempt to avoid, expecting the sword glare to throw him back ─ but it doesn’t. Instead, a man in a distinct yellow uniform crashes into the lake from the giant hole above. “Seems like they remembered the other way in,” Shizun hisses under his breath. “Mu-shidi, any other terrible ideas I should know about, or are we done for today?”
Mu Qingfang says nothing.
Luo Binghe, however, sees his chance ─ and grabs it. Hauling Liu Qingge’s unconscious body over his shoulders, Luo Binghe curses his weight. His spine and joints all scream in protest, but he still puts all his efforts into making Mu Qingfang’s weapon hover in the air as a test. It works, so he takes a deep breath, bracing for the trouble that looms ahead.
Shizun curses when he sees him, but he relents. He jumps onto Xiu Ya and launches into the air, doing precisely what Mu Qingfang asked. Two more Huan Hua Palace disciples fall into the water before Luo Binghe even rises in the air. Although he makes it work, Luo Binghe’s flight is far less graceful and much, much slower than anything even he himself had expected. High up in the air, Shizun effortlessly knocks three more of Huan Hua Palace’s disciples with just one swing of his sword. Seeing that side devoid of any obstructions, Luo Binghe doesn’t need to think much about it.
North it is, then.
The flight takes him directly towards the mountains, looming high and mighty over the Bailu forest. It is a waning moon night, almost moonless, and the biggest source of light are the millions of stars ─ and the glow of Xiu Ya, as Shen Qingqiu gets in the way of every single cultivator attempting to follow Luo Binghe. Before long, even that stays far behind him ─ far enough that not even the sounds of fighting reach him anymore.
Luo Binghe doesn’t know how long he flies, but the mountains ahead of him only seem to come closer. He can never go around them. His head feels heavy and stuffed with cotton. Multiple times, he must shake himself awake before both he and Liu Qingge end up toppling over, lost to the trees below.
The energy in the air around him feels suffocating.
At first, Luo Binghe thinks it’s just him. His weak body, failing to handle a challenge once again. How pathetic is he, that he can't even fly over one damn mountain? That wouldn’t even be a surprise, given how much his body has already failed him. However, with Liu Qingge’s heavy chest pressed up against him, he can feel every single pulse of the parasite inside him too ─ and that has grown weaker as well.
That’s not an accident.
But the alternative explanation is that it’s not his body that is weak, but that there something in the energy around him, something deeply oppressive to demonkind─
Wait. Hasn’t he already flown into the range of the mountain?
Bailu forest… Bailu mountain… oppressive…
By the time the pieces connect, Luo Binghe on Mu Qingfang’s sword is already fast charging towards the ground, too powerless to stop it. They come crashing into a field of grass with force, rolling over the ground and onto the single clearing, dazed and dizzy. Luo Binghe finds himself lying flat on his back, feeling like the weight of the whole world is crashing down on his chest. The Jade Guanyin his mother left him burns like a brand mark seared into his skin. He can’t breathe.
“What… what…” he gasps, but there is nobody in the darkness to answer him.
It feels like the Endless Abyss all over again, painful and suffocating and unreal. Like his body is in one place and his mind in another, trapped and disconnected from everything that makes him whole. Like he’s once again trapped in a nightmare that refuses to end, raw and agonizing.
“Let me…” he gasps, but stars dance in front of his eyes. Pain spreads from his chest to his fingertips, cold like ice and burning like fire. It feels like every piece of his body is being torn apart and pieced back together, only to be torn all over again. His head feels like it's pulsing with agony, matching with a heartbeat that does not belong to him, and Luo Binghe cannot ─ he can’t─
“Please…” he whimpers in a place where no soul can hear him. “Set me free.”
Notes:
Just so y'all know, from here on I'm taking a lot of liberties with how all these xianxia concepts are supposed to work... I mean, you can basically tell I grew up on anime and danmei only caught on much later lol
That said I've done what I could to make it make sense in my head and then translate that over to the story I'm trying to tell so I hope it works out as is... I'm no fan of heavy info dumps all at once
Seriously tho, love you guys. Thanks for all the support ♥
Chapter 13: Earthquake
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
When the ground shakes for the first time, Liu Qingge thinks he’s dreaming. Or that he’s dying. He certainly feels like he’d rather die, given just how much every part of his body hurts. But no, still alive. The vague sensation of something squirming in his chest is still there, unfortunately, and Liu Qingee is going to have nightmares about it forever at this rate.
At least, he does seem to have some control over his limbs, which is more that he could say before, so he puts to use everything he’s got in him to get up ─ only to promptly fall back down face-first, because fuck. He wasn’t wrong the first time. The ground is shaking.
What the hell?
This time, Liu Qingge is a little more careful, getting up. He’s not entirely convinced yet that this isn’t a freak nightmare of some kind, but for the moment, he’ll take what he can get ─ and that’s not a whole lot.
He is sitting smack in the middle of a meadow, as it turns out ─ and it is a very strange meadow. Nestled between many dense trees that seem to be forming a circle around him, like a prison. Most of those trees are glowing . The faint brown glow, with streaks of gold spread throughout pulses rhythmically, a little like they’re all breathing in sync. On a better look, the gold seems to be forming some sort of a symbol.
Liu Qingge doesn’t recognize what it means, and his head doesn’t feel clear enough to waste time thinking about it ─ but on a surface look, it reminds him of an array, some sort of protective formation. In Bailu forest?
… has he not made it through the protective array already? He could have sworn he heard Luo Binghe say at some point that they’ve made it─
Wait. Luo Binghe!
Liu Qingge looks frantically around himself, only to find the boy lying on the ground not too far off. He doesn’t yet have the strength to get up and walk to him, so he just crawls instead, on the verge of screaming at the kid for making him do that ─ only to realize that something is wrong. Something is profoundly wrong with Luo Binghe, and Liu Qingge’s mind is too scattered to figure out what that is.
The kid is lying on the ground, twitching, like he’s been hit by lightning or something. Static electricity sparks all along his skin in twitches of red and purple, through his clothes and even a jade amulet hanging around his neck. There is a mark on his forehead, burning a blinding red. Isn’t that a… a demon mark? Whatever. Liu Qingge had already guessed the kid might be a demon in disguise. Who else would know in so much detail how demon parasites function?
But why the fuck is that mark glowing?
And why does it look like it’s hurting him?
Too slowly, Liu Qingge crawls even closer. It’s only then that he notices the boy is muttering something. It’s not clear enough to make sense of it and his eyes are half-open, but completely unfocused. Whatever is happening, his consciousness is somewhere else, fighting something that Liu Qingge can’t see. And his palm burns, the moment he touches the boy’s skin. Not good.
“Luo Binghe,” he calls out, shaking the disciple slightly ─ but just as expected, it has no effect whatsoever. “HEY!”
Luo Binghe’s hand closes around his wrist in an iron grip, claws that are growing out of his fingers digging into Liu Qingge’s skin. The boy pulls him closer, and finally, all those mutterings become audible to his ears.
“Set me free, set me free, set me free,” the kid repeats, weak and broken, but the strength in his grip is nothing that Liu Qingge is able to resist.
“You set me free!” he roars back, slamming a fist into the brat’s stomach. Finally, the kid lets him go, but the agony he’s in only seems to become worse. Liu Qingge takes a moment to put some distance between them ─ but it’s only when he does so that he notices that the grass underneath his feet is gone. Moments ago it was right there, but now it’s all gone, leaving nothing but ash and barren ground underneath. Barren land ─ and a glowing array, in a combination of brown and gold, everywhere around the clearing.
Every third, no, every second tree seems to have a symbol on it, and the symbols are identical to the ones burnt into the ground, glowing brighter and brighter. Moreover, now that he’s paying attention, that same golden light is rising everywhere around them, high up in the air, fooling him to think it is daytime rather than middle of the night. In the air, he can see the symbols flickering in a pulsing golden light.
Liu Qingge knows he can’t identify what those symbols mean, not without a whole set of instructions behind it, but he knows on a base level how these arrays are made to work. On their own, the symbols might not have any special meanings, but combined together, they form something intricate, something powerful. Or, in this case, something dangerous and sinister. Every hair on Liu Qingge’s body stands up at a chilling conclusion.
“Five elements suppressing array.”
The ultimate demon suppressing array. Probably the most powerful one ever created ─ and made with the sole purpose of trapping a single demon lord.
A Heavenly Demon Lord.
Liu Qingge’s head whips around to look at Luo Binghe, but he can’t ─ that can’t be him. He’s too young. That battle happened well over a decade ago. Liu Qingge had only just climbed Cang Qiong Mountain when he first heard about it. That’s… not it. But a demon-suppressing array of such magnitude is bound to have adverse effects on any other demon that ever comes close to it. That’s what’s gotta be happening here. Somehow, Luo Binghe has triggered the array holding the Heavenly Demon Lord trapped under the mountain… and now he’s enduring a similar punishment, maybe?
Shit. Think, Liu Qingge, think. The five elements array is called that way because it works off the energy flow of all five elements, each of them there to suppress something specific. In theory, it’s not that complicated.
There are multitude of ways specific elements can be set to seal something, but the most basic is as follows: earth to bury the body; fire to melt the skin; water to dilute the blood; metal to bind the meridians; wood to seal the soul. But something here is missing.
The wood and the earth are all around him, buried in symbols, so not that. Then, metal… should be the chains, which would have either had to be buried somewhere around here or placed on the demon directly to take effect… so not that, either. Fire? The ground under him is scorched. Even if it’s no longer here, the essence of it remains, or else all those plants wouldn’t have turned to ash so quickly.
It only leaves water.
Does Bailu Mountain have a spiritual source of water?
More importantly, if it doesn’t, and the purpose of spiritually dense water is to dilute the demon blood, doesn’t that mean that the Five elements suppressing array is flawed to start with?! If an array like that is flawed, upon interference, won’t it break? Or is it made to be self-sustaining? In that case, the array itself might attempt to make up for its weakness by─
Liu Qingge’s eyes land back on the kid on the ground, struggling in agony. Forget the array. It’s not like it’s Cang Qiong Mountain’s job to maintain it. He needs to get Luo Binghe out of here.
Grabbing Luo Binghe’s foot around the ankle, he drags the boy and crawls, little by little, until he’s managed to move him deeper into the line of trees, outside the range of the array.
It is only once they’re out that Luo Binghe’s breathing begins to even out. He’s still gasping for air like he can’t get enough of it, but he no longer sounds like it pains him to do so. His eyes snap open to full awareness as he looks around him, finally lucid enough to recognize his surroundings.
“What… what happened?” the kid rasps, but his voice is weak ─ and that blood red demon mark on his forehead is still glowing.
“Pull yourself together,” Liu Qingge says. “Do you know where we are right now?”
The boy looks very confused. “I ─ no ─ is it Bailu mountain?”
Liu Qingge nods in confirmation.
“How did…” but he trails off, distracted as he looks at his hand, where his claws have yet to fully retract. Instantly, all color drains from his face. “What just… what…”
“Are you sure you’re alright?” Liu Qingge asks when the kid tries to stand up. “You were all out of it now. The thing on your head is still there and your skin was…” but he trails off, because when Luo Binghe looks at him, the piercing gaze in those void-like eyes is downright murderous.
Liu Qingge tenses slightly. “O-oi. Luo Binghe─”
But he doesn’t get to finish that. Luo Binghe grabs him by the front of his robes and lifts him up with ease ─ then promptly drops him, as though shocked by his own strength. He looks at his hands, then at Liu Qingge again, before finally looking behind him, where the traces of the suppressing array have yet to fade.
“That thing…” he rasps faintly, “That… did this … to me?”
“What the hell is wrong with you?” Liu Qingge snaps. Has he not just drained himself dry to help this brat and this is what he gets in return?! But what is the point? Luo Binghe obviously isn’t listening. He picks Liu Qingge up by the front of his robes again, dragging him with far too much power for such a tiny body ─ straight back into the array. Just after Liu Qingge had so painstakingly dragged him out of there.
“Are you trying to get yourself killed?!” he all but roars, kicking and thrashing around uselessly. If Luo Binghe hears him, he shows no sign of it.
The kid is looking for something. Obviously, the adverse effects of the array slam down on him in full force once again the moment his foot crosses the threshold, his whole body crackling with electricity like he’s been struck by lightning, but now that he knows what he’s up against, Luo Binghe pushes on despite the obstruction. He fumbles around, a little shakily ─ until he finds what he’s looking for.
Liu Qingge stares. “That’s Mu Qingfang’s─”
Luo Binghe ignores Liu Qingge entirely as he brandishes the weapon over his hand. And then, he slices. Blood comes gushing out of the wound on his palm, crackling with demonic energy running wild.
“What the─”
Liu Qingge’s shout is muffled under the bloody palm that’s forced directly into his mouth. Warm, disgusting liquid pours down his throat in spite of all of Liu Qingge’s efforts to resist it. He hacks and sputters and coughs, but Luo Binghe won’t have any of it ─ and he is so much stronger. The lucidity from his eyes seems to be rapidly fading away, filling instead with raw aggression and hatred, vicious enough to taste in the air.
“Hungry, still, aren’t you, you piece of shit?” Luo Binghe growls like a literal monster, eyes glowing blood red with rage as he pushes his palm deeper into Liu Qingge’s mouth. “Stuff yourself with this, then!”
The pulse of demonic power that follows is almost an equivalent to blowing up his spiritual core to nothingness. Liu Qingge screams. It is a guttural scream, the most raw and uncontrolled reaction to the pure agony inside him. It feels like it might’ve lasted forever, leaving him breathless and shaken in its wake, too broken and weak to even twitch. Luo Binghe’s face twists into a half-lucid smirk, as all the red light slowly fades from his void-like eyes.
“You are… mine,” he declares loftily. And then his eyes fall shut. The boy’s entire weight crushes over Liu Qingge, toppling him to the ground until neither one of them is able to move. Still, after a few moments, Liu Qingge’s breathing gets a little easier. Even if it hurts, even if he can barely feel the air in his lungs, even if there is something missing inside of him…
A presence he has detested with every fiber of his being, a squirming creature that should have never ended up there in the first place. It’s gone.
The Skinner parasites are gone.
More importantly, his spiritual core is perfectly fine, undamaged, slowly stabilizing after the torture it’s had to endure.
“Luo Binghe, you…” but the kid resting on his chest is completely unconscious, burning under an even higher fever than before. What’s more, visible cracks in the array are starting to appear at the same rate that they are appearing on the kid’s skin. At this rate, the entire Five elements suppressing array might collapse in on itself, killing everyone in vicinity.
Fucking shit!
Liu Qingge doesn’t know where he finds the strength ─ his limbs are shaking the whole time, more than even the ground is shaking under him. Which is an achievement, considering the earthquake is bad enough for the ground under their bodies to crack. But somehow, he does it. He grabs Luo Binghe and he crawls out of the array, as far away from it as his abused limbs can take them. It’s only once they are far away enough that Liu Qingge can no longer see the faint light of the suppressing array behind them that the ground finally stops trembling.
Just as he suspected, the array truly is that masterful. The moment the interference disappears, it stitches itself back together seamlessly, like nothing was ever wrong in the first place. Truly, a state of the art self-sustaining array. Whoever came up with this had to be nothing short of a genius, not to mention the amount of spiritual power required to make it work.
But in comparison, what does it say about Luo Binghe, when his presence alone was enough to disrupt it?
Shakily, Liu Qingge takes a good, long look at the unconscious kid next to him.
There’s sweat dotting the boy’s skin, but his face is peaceful now, like he is fast asleep, rather than enduring endless torture. His hand is cut deeply and it’s still bleeding. The ugly cracks on his skin have all but faded away, and even the demon mark on his forehead is fading as though it’s being painted over, one layer after another, until eventually it’s just perfect, unblemished skin left behind.
That mark, though.
Is Liu Qingge crazy? Or was everyone wrong this whole time? If that demon clan mark is what Liu Qingge thinks it is… then it’s highly likely that not all of the Heavenly Demons have been killed. There are Heavenly Demons still out there that no one knows about ─ and Luo Binghe could be just one of them.
Oh, shit. I need to… I need to tell the Sect Leader…
A heavenly demon still exists.
A heavenly demon is not allowed to exist. Liu Qingge has saved Luo Binghe now out of sheer necessity, but that kid…
No matter how young, that Heavenly Demon is too dangerous.
Liu Qingge climbs back on his unsteady feet, but instantly, blood comes rushing to his head. He tries to shake it to clear it, but it changes nothing. Now is not the time, damn it! He needs to ─ he needs to warn the Sect Leader. He needs to warn Mingyan─
With the first step Liu Qingge takes, his whole world tilts to the side. He’s unconscious before he hits the ground.
When Shen Yuan fights off the Huan Hua Palace disciples, he’s a little ashamed to admit that he’s taking all his bottled up anger out on them instead of those who actually deserve it. Sure, a part of him doesn’t really care. They’re canon fodder anyway. Who told them to show up at the worst possible time, really?!
The other part of him is a little more morally upstanding. That part of him is also currently deeply enraged with the stunt that Mu Qingfang pulled ─ enough so that once Luo Binghe is truly out of his sight and mostly forgotten by all the disciples who have come chasing them, Shen Yuan stops fighting entirely.
He lands back down in the grotto and puts his sword back into the scabbard, all while Mu Qingfang is currently busy trying to bring Liu Mingyan’s fever down.
“What the hell are you doing?” Mu Qingfang hisses in between swapping the washcloths drenched in lakewater from the girl’s forehead, alternating between passing her spiritual power and simply wiping sweat from her brows.
Shen Yuan comes to stand next to him and says, very calmly, “Exactly what you told me. You used me to clear their way. Now I’m going to use you to do the same.”
“What do you─” but Mu Qingfang cuts himself off, as over a dozen beat up Huan Hua Palace disciples come charging at them from above. He utters a curse under his breath ─ Shen Yuan gasps in shock at his choice of words! Mu-shidi! Who would have thought you had such a potty mouth? But ultimately, he doesn’t make a single move to attack the Huan Hua Palace disciples.
For his part, Shen Yuan smiles as they surround them in a full out circle, blocking their every way of escape. As the thoroughly beaten up cultivator comes out on top of this ragtag little bunch ─ all of his bruises, naturally, Shen Yuan’s work ─ the disciple yells, “In the name of Huan Hua Palace, I order you to surrender immediately!”
Seamlessly producing a fan from inside of his sleeve, Shen Yuan spreads it open to hide his laugh. “We surrender, we surrender,” he says lightly. He can feel Mu Qingfang glaring daggers at him, but really, this is his fault, for thinking of such a terrible plan in the first place. Mu-shidi, Mu-shidi, stick to your role as the medic, as you certainly ain’t fit to be the strategist.
The Huan Hua Palace disciples are not gentle, wrapping the Immortal Binding Cables around their wrists and securing them with some particularly nasty knots. Shen Yuan lets them do it. Mu Qingfang has no means to fight them even if he wanted to and Liu Mingyan ─ honestly, she is the only one Shen Yuan feels bad for in this whole scenario. Poor girl did nothing to deserve this kind of treatment, yet here are these idiot boys, trying to sneak a look through her drenched clothing.
Shen Yuan kicks one of them straight into the Lushui lake and laughs. “Apologies. My foot slipped.”
Mu Qingfang is not impressed.
Well, if he had handled this whole situation a little better, things certainly wouldn’t have ended up like this. Shen Yuan has to improvise now, and if one more person dares to touch Liu Mingyan like a fucking creep, forget the peaceful surrender. Limbs will be flying.
A sword comes to rest next to his neck, sharp and threatening.
The leader of the Huan Hua Palace disciples is glaring at him, looking like the word ‘peaceful’ doesn’t belong in his dictionary. Ah, well, at least it’s not Gongyi Xiao they’re facing up against. Shen Yuan would have felt terrible if that were the case ─ but since it isn’t, he really doesn’t care one bit.
Patiently, he shifts the blade away from skin with his bound hands, smiling politely. “There is no need to get violent. We have surrendered willingly, see?”
The disciple in question ─ a tall, bodybuilder-like youth, with an expression on his face like he’s biting into a chili pepper, instructs the rest of the group to check all the corners inside the grotto, as though Shen Yuan hadn’t collapsed in the only ground entrance and the whole place isn’t circular to start with. When the rest of the disciples, understandably, find nothing but Luo Binghe’s discarded outer robe, the youth looks ever more pissed.
“Where’d the others go?!” he all but spits in Shen Yuan’s face, and Shen Yuan takes notice that one of his teeth is missing. Someone had to have punched it out ─ the youth does have such a punchable face.
It’s only once he lifts his sword in threat again that Shen Yuan responds.
“What others are you talking about? There’s no one here but the ones you can already see.”
“No, I know there were others! You! Go check!”
The lanky youth that finds the finger pointed at him tenses slightly. He looks over to the rest of the group, at a loss. “Shixiong, was there really somebody else? I thought we were only fighting this elder.”
The others shake their heads and share looks among themselves, just as clueless. Inwardly, Shen Yuan smirks. Good to know that the average IQ of the NPCs is the same as it’s always been.
The leader ─ in absence of any real authority ─ turns back to glare at Shen Yuan. “Who are you, and how dare you trespass the boundary of Huan Hua Palace?!”
“... boundary?” Shen Yuan notes curiously. “Isn’t that quite a few li further south? What boundary are we talking about here?”
Again, the disciples are stumped. They seem to be on the verge of arguing amongst themselves all over again, until one of them says. “Hold on. Dashixiong, does this uniform not look familiar to you?”
“Now that you say it, it looks a bit too expensive to be just a random piece of clothing. Is the elder perhaps from a real Sect and not a rogue?”
“I think it looks like Cang Qiong Mountain’s uniform,” another one says.
“Ooooh, now that you say it, that sword looks familiar, too! It’s similar to that Xiu Ya sword, isn’t it? At least, I think it is!”
“Ooooooh,” several more of the disciples nod along, excitedly. Shen Yuan raises a single eyebrow at them, but they truly look like an all too innocent bunch when they get so energetic. Eventually, the only girl in the group turns to Shen Yuan, putting a finger to her chin as she says, deep in thought. “If that sword is Xiu Ya, then isn’t this elder the Peak Master Shen Qingqiu?”
“Why, that’s exactly who I am,” Shen Yuan agrees solemnly.
The girl jumps in place, all too excited. “See?! SEE?! I got it right! I got it ─” and then she freezes, all color draining from her face. “Are you really Cang Qiong Sect’s Peak Master Shen?”
Shen Yuan nods, perfectly patient. “Indeed, that is me.”
He catches Mu Qingfang glaring and all but sticks his tongue out at the man. SEE? It’s me they recognize! ME. Not you! Ha!
Not that that is a good thing, all things considered. Sect Leader Yue specifically asked them not to throw the sect’s name around, if at all possible. Too late.
He can see the kid’s heart climb to her throat, then sink back all the way down to her heels. Next to her, the bodybuilder-like disciple has also changed the color of his face several times. From gray to red to purple ─ and then back to a raging red.
Instantly, he rounds back on his fellow disciples. “What are you all doing?! Let them go right this instant! What is the meaning of this?! Guests from Cang Qiong Mountain, and you treat them like this?! You!” He points a finger at the kid still trying and hopelessly failing to finish the knot binding Mu Qingfang’s arms. “Get your act together! Go inform the search party that we found the missing Cang Qiong Mountain delegation! Move it!”
“Y-yes, Dashixiong!”
The leader is still breathing hard, his beady eyes and round cheeks flaring with barely contained rage, like this current situation isn’t entirely his fault. His eyes land on another shaky kid, and he barks, “You! Remove those bindings!”
The kid is downright shivering, but he nods quickly. Not a total of three minutes after he’s been bound, Shen Yuan’s hands are once again free from the Immortal Binding Cables ─ and he’s even earned them an apology. Take that, Mu-shidi. This is how an expert does it!
Surprisingly, it’s only once the Immortal Binding Cables are removed that Liu Mingyan slowly comes around. She’s dazed and disoriented, especially to suddenly see so many new people around them ─ but she’s obviously not the sort of clueless heroine to run her mouth and say something instantly incriminating, such as, “where is my brother?”
Instead, as she slowly rises to her feet, unsteady as she is even with Mu Qingfang’s assistance, she merely utters, “This one humbly apologizes.”
Ah, Liu Mingyan, Liu Mingyan! What do you have to apologize for? Truly, that is unbecoming! No wonder she’s always been the highest ranking in popularity of all the female leads! If any single one of those devoted fans of hers had seen what Shen Yuan got to see today, they’d all be kissing the ground she walks on! Hah, they’d probably then lay down and become the ground she walks on. And then this precious white flower goes on to apologize for being the most metal badass lady that Shen Yuan has ever seen. Truly, too humble! Shen Yuan wipes a tear of respect for the humiliation that this wonderful angel has had to endure.
Truly, Airplane knows nothing about writing a proper leading lady. Shen Yuan would honestly be surprised if any single woman besides his own mother had ever willingly spoken to him. No respect to his leading ladies whatsoever and a ruthless treatment of his males. Airplane-bro, what the hell are you compensating for?
Anyway, have they not wasted enough time standing here? Elsewhere, Liu Qingge and his white lotus disciple could be up to who knows what kind of naughty business, all thanks to Mu Qingfang’s efforts, and they’re just standing here, wasting time?
“Then, are we planning a sleepover here?” Shen Yuan asks, and watches carefully how the bodybuilder disciple’s ears explode with steam from his barely contained rage.
“No, no, of course not, Master Shen,” the kid says quickly, perfectly diplomatic although his face is anything but. “Let’s head back to Huan Hua Palace first, and we can discuss the rest─”
He doesn’t finish that sentence, as a loud rumble reverberates through the entirety of the grotto, perhaps even throughout the entire mountain. From a hill not too far away, a flock of birds has taken to the air, leaving feathers in their wake as they fly over the hole above their heads. Everybody looks around themselves in surprise.
“What was that?” a disciple asks curiously. “A landslide?”
The disciple next to him smacks the poor kid on the back of his head. “Bailu Mountain doesn’t get landslides, idiot.”
But even as they keep arguing about whether or not a landslide is possible, Shen Yuan hears Mu Qingfang as the man whispers in his ear: “The ground is shaking.”
Great observation, Shidi ─ and Shen Yuan is being entirely sincere in his admiration here. It’s rather subtle, really, even most cultivators are unlikely to notice. He himself certainly hadn’t, until Mu Qingfang pointed it out. What Mu Qingfang doesn’t say, but Shen Yuan hears from the tone of his voice anyway, is that this shaking is certainly not a natural occurrence.
“Don’t mind it, don’t mind it,” the leader of the Huan Hua Palace disciples says to break up the newly ensuing argument, his eyes lingering on the three Cang Qiong Mountain people in their company. Obviously, even if something is amiss, they wouldn’t want the cultivators of another sect to know. Perfectly reasonable.
Shen Yuan smiles at him politely. It is not a nice smile.
“L-Let’s just go,” the disciple grumbles.
“Um, Dashixiong─”
“Now what?!”
The poor kid who spoke up now cowers back, gulping. “I was just gonna ask if we should all fly on our swords, or if we should take Cang Qiong Mountain guests with us…”
“Why in the world would we─” but the kid cuts himself off, noticing belatedly that not all of the Cang Qiong Mountain people have their swords. Most notably, Mu Qingfang’s scabbard is conspicuously empty.
Shen Yuan tenses up, waiting for the damning realization to come crashing down on this ragtag bunch ─ but it never does. The lead disciple just says, “Then we take them with us.” As if it really is that simple.
Of course it isn’t.
Almost as soon as the kid says it, the ground starts shaking all over again ─ this time far more violently. Several of the kids are thrown off balance so completely that they fall straight on their butts. Weak and unsteady still, Liu Mingyan likely would have joined them, if not for the fact that Mu Qingfang catches her right on time.
“You alright?” he asks under his breath, just softly enough for the girl to hear it ─ and Shen Yuan, because he hasn’t actually dared to take his eyes off of her once for the duration of this whole thing.
Liu Mingyan, however, shakes her head. She clings onto Mu Qingfang desperately, pale and worried. “Something… something’s not right.”
Shen Yuan takes a step closer, his hand settling on Xiu Ya just in case while they wait for the shaking to settle down ─ but it doesn’t. If anything, it only gets worse ─ and then there’s a crack. Deep and resonating, it reverberates through the entire grotto. Although the shaking eventually stops, no person in this place dares to ignore that sound. Not even the Huan Hua disciples.
“Ah, um. Dashixiong.”
“... just say it already.”
“That earthquake just now was pretty bad, wasn’t it?”
“Your point?”
The disciple gulps. “There’s a crack under your feet.”
All eyes instantly focus on the lead disciple’s feet, from underneath where a thousand smaller cracks have begun spreading like a spiderweb ─ and it’s only further spreading.
“Oh, crap─”
And then the ground under their feet caves in, plunging them all into darkness.
Notes:
The inspiration for the array setup came from Back from the Brink cdrama lol
For all of those who may have expected the Dual Cultivation is the Solution to Everything tag to come into play so soon, sorry to disappoint. For legal reasons, LBH needed to get a little bit more creative with his solutions, BWAHAHAHAHAH
Chapter 14: Secret Under the Grotto
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
[Temporary reversal of the Five Elements Suppressing Array, the Protagonist’s coolness points, +500!]
Shen Yuan spends an ungodly amount of time staring at this info pop up flickering in and out of his vision, a mixture of many different emotions battling for dominance inside of him. In the end, it’s outrage that comes out on top and Shen Yuan fully surrenders to it. Oh, System, you sneaky bastard, you! Did we not already establish that this mission was not a story mission?! What the hell is it with this notification!? What array reversal?! What bullshit is this?!
Of course, this complaint, the System ignores willfully.
At least, Shen Yuan now knows the reason behind the earthquake, which is more than anyone else can brag about at the moment. Good for him, huh?
Now, if only he weren’t stuck somewhere underground, with the ground having straight up disappeared from under his feet, that would have been so much better! Seriously! Shen Yuan has been just about alert enough not to break his neck falling together with all the rocks, but someone could have gotten seriously injured!
The many groans and complaints at least assure him that the level of injury isn’t too great. If someone had broken a limb, there would have been screaming, not all of these “Ow! Get off my foot!” which keep popping up left and right. Even Shen Yuan trips over a sword under his feet ─ luckily it hasn’t been unsheathed.
Annoyed beyond measure, Shen Yuan pulls a talisman from the inside of his sleeve, before multiplying that one into a whole bunch of them ─ all of which he launches up into the air. The talismans burst in a flash of light, hanging up in the air and burning like the torches, illuminating the pitch dark space in warm light. And boy, what a sight it makes.
Shen Yuan stares around them, wide-eyed, as he takes in the space around him. As does everybody else. Several of the Huan Hua Palace disciples outright gasp in surprise, and Shen Yuan doesn’t blame them. This place is… damn. He swallows thickly. With the ground under their feet having collapsed, all that’s left now is a bunch of misshapen rocks, haphazardly thrown around. Those rocks, however, don’t detract in the slightest from what’s out there, covering the wall of the cavern.
Writings.
Complex formulas; mathematics, physics and otherwise. Among many strange ones that shouldn’t make any sense, Shen Yuan recognizes the formula for calculating the centrifugal force they taught in elementary school somewhere in between the array-casting instructions and a set of complex symbols with no attached meaning whatsoever. That and similar sorts of text cover the entirety of the walls from floor to now non-existent ceiling ─ but that's not even the most surprising part.
This place is the exact replica of the cavern above them ─ the one that should have been above them ─ as well as the island and the lake. All of which no longer exist.
The ground has caved in. Where once was a lake now is nothing, but identical space to the grotto exists underneath where the original ground level should have been. There's not a drop of water left and not a single sign of the Sun and Moon Dew flower seed having ever existed. There's just wide, rocky cavern, and a whole lot of confused cultivators tripping over each other in their attempt to stand up.
Staring up at the empty space above them, then at the small round hill in the middle of the cavern, Shen Yuan deduces that this is where the little island should have been ─ was, back when Lushui lake still existed. However, the indents around that hill are all dry and full of cracks, having clearly dried out long ago. What’s more, the entire space where the lake water would have been is filled with the same kind of complex writings as the rest of the walls. To Shen Yuan the cultivator, it looks like array writings. To Shen Yuan the transmigrator, it is nothing but a brand new headache.
“An elemental formation,” Mu Qingfang identifies, his voice audible only to Shen Yuan’s ears. “If I’m not wrong, this seems like some sort of a reversed water flow formation, but it’s… I don’t understand a fifth of what it’s intended to do.”
“You mean, other than to form an illusion of the lake above ground solid enough to fool everybody?” Shen Yuan returns dryly.
“That’s the thing. I don’t think ─ none of that was fake,” Mu Qingfang says, rather confidently for a person who has spent about the same amount of time stuck in here as Shen Yuan.
“Reversed recreation,” Liu Mingyan says from behind them, surprising both the Peak Lords. A little shy now that they’re both staring at her, she covers up her embarrassment as she looks around them. “This place that we’re in right now, this is the basis for the formation. The writings on the cavern walls are likely the intentions of the original array… and what you see on the ground is its reversed recreation, the repurposed version of the same formation around us. Therefore, reversed recreation. This is likely not the work of one cultivator or even a dozen. This is the work of either a true prodigy… or a god.”
Shen Yuan opens his mouth to say something, but comes up blank ─ so he just leaves his jaw hanging. Good for you to know that, Liu Mingyan. Good for you.
“Reversed recreation also means that there needs to be an anchor somewhere, as well as a key to activate the reversal process,” Mu Qingfang says. “It needs to have something as a trigger and it has to have sufficient spiritual power to draw from, especially since this entire location is already a place with high density of spiritual energy.”
“There is something,” Liu Mingyan agrees. “Earlier, I…” she faces away from them, clearly conflicted on whether she should say it or not ─ but ultimately she takes a deep breath and says, “There is something under the mountain nearby. Something powerful.”
A shudder runs down Shen Yuan’s spine as he meets Mu Qingfang’s eyes. He needs no words to know that they’re thinking the same thing. Liu Mingyan doesn’t know what ─ or rather, who is sealed under Bailu mountain ─ but Mu Qingfang is a Peak Lord. Even if he isn’t privy to the details of how it came about, even if it all happened before his promotion, he would still know about the sealing of Tianlang Jun which would have happened ─ what? Fourteen years ago? Fifteen? He had been a part of the sect already by that point, hadn’t he? So he has to know.
But, perhaps more pressingly ─ if it’s Tianlang Jun being used as a power source to run the Lushui Lake formation as is… then… then… Why did the lake disappear?
Has the formation broken apart naturally? Did it have an expiration date? Or… has Tianlang Jun somehow broken out of the suppressing array that has kept him trapped for over a decade? But then, what does it mean, what the System said, that Luo Binghe temporarily reversed the suppressing array?
Hey, uh, System! If I’m to inquire about Tianlang Jun’s whereabouts right now… would you happen to be nice enough to give me a detailed answer?
[...]
[Hidden character 2, Tianlang Jun: 100% complete!]
Yes. Because that’s exactly what Shen Yuan is asking. Um, hey, System, are you even working?
[The System is currently encountering issues reestablishing connection with the Source of All Power. Current system power level is below 5%. Thank you for understanding!]
Oh. Oh, wow.
Wait, hold on. Does that mean that Luo Binghe’s power level is also below five percent?! Shit! Shen Yuan was so busy trying to figure out this mystery under the grotto that he’s forgotten about the Protagonist entirely!
“I need to go,” he informs Mu Qingfang and Liu Mingyan instantly, then jumps on top of Xiu Ya before they can get a word of protest in. “If you can, get the Sect Leader to have a look at this ─ he must see it personally, before Huan Hua Palace tries to wipe it from history.”
“Shibo─”
“Don’t worry,” Shen Yuan says. “I’m going to protect both of them. Mu-shidi, you take care of things here.”
He doesn’t wait for approval. Mu Qingfang understands the relevance of this far better than Shen Yuan ever will. The only thing he cares about is Luo Binghe and what that silly wayward child may have done! With one final wave bye-bye at a bunch of confused Huan Hua Palace disciples, Shen Yuan is up in the air, heading directly towards the epicenter of the quake and the very source of all this trouble.
The closer he gets to the looming peaks of Bailu Mountain, the more he is able to feel the overwhelming spiritual power surrounding it. It’s contained entirely within the suppressing array made to hold Tianlang Jun underneath, but it’s heavy and potent, now making both the demonic Qi and the suppressing array visible to the naked eye, as its golden glow slowly fades in the distance.
Oh, there is not a snowball’s chance in hell that Huan Hua Palace has missed this lightshow.
Faster! I need to go faster!
But Shen Yuan is already going the fastest he can. The distance itself isn’t too great, but the difference in the altitude is significant. Even if he wants to hurry, there is a limit to what he can do, and that limit is being mercilessly pushed further and further away. But there really is no time to spare.
His disciple is actively messing up the suppressing array keeping Tianlang Jun stuck under Bailu mountain. And while really, Shen Yuan is all for giving the man a chance for a family reunion without the constraint of a rotting body, acquiring that freedom now when Cang Qiong Mountain is already neck deep implicated into the chaos is really too much!
Seriously, what the hell is happening?! Did Luo Binghe somehow discover the truth behind his origin too early and decide that now is the time to come and break his old man out of prison? Think about the timing! The timing! Could this not have waited until we at least got Liu Qingge out of here alive?
Ah, scratch that.
With his luck, Liu-shidi is probably as deeply implicated in this as Luo Binghe. Nothing else can explain that look of utter bewilderment on Liu Mingyan’s face. Really, this sibling pair is completely bonkers! What nonsense did Airplane cook up for them in that wretched outline before scrapping it by lynching Liu Qingge out of the storyline? What was he so afraid of?
By the time Shen Yuan reaches the clearing high up on a hill, the ground has long since stopped shaking and the remnants of the suppressing array have almost entirely faded away. The burnt earth under his feet glows briefly in gold when Shen Yuan’s foot lands within its lines, lighting up a multitude of symbols similar to those he had found underneath the grotto, but they fade quickly and nothing else happens. It doesn’t at all seem broken or damaged, nor does it have any adverse effects on him. If not for the burnt outline and the smell of scorched plants, there would be no sign that there is an all-powerful suppressing array hidden here at all.
Much to Shen Yuan’s complete lack of surprise, he finds both the fugitives he’s been looking for not too far away from the scene of the crime, hidden among the trees, both beaten and bloody.
He goes to Liu Qingge first, who is lying face-down on the ground, pale but breathing steadily. Under careful inspection, there’s not a single trace of Skinner parasites left in his spiritual core. Shen Yuan double-checks to make sure of it, but there really isn’t anything amiss. Liu Qingge’s spiritual energy is nowhere near stable, not by a long shot, but a lack of parasitic organisms inside his body actively trying to kill him is doing wonders for his cultivation even if it's still somewhat hindered by the effects of Without a Cure. Truly, Luo Binghe has outdone himself this time.
Shen Yuan moves over to the kid, lying a few steps further away, fingers trembling before he dares to actually touch him. He knows ─ knows ─ that the kid is alive. He can see his chest rising and falling, beads of sweat trickling down the side of his face. Luo Binghe may not be fine, but he is alive, and that’s a good thing. Heaven knows that if Shen Yuan got to see that body disappear in glowing particles of dust in front of his eyes one more time, he wouldn’t know what to do.
Luo Binghe is alive. The seal on his demonic power is untouched and his cultivation is neither crippled nor hindered in any way. He is just… exhausted, apparently.
At least, Shen Yuan can’t detect anything wrong with him. He’s tempted to go and drag Mu Qingfang here to have a look too, as he is the actual expert ─
Shen Yuan can’t bear to leave now, though, so he settles for transferring a little of his spiritual power over to his disciple. It’s not much. Luo Binghe doesn’t need it, but Shen Yuan does it anyway ─ and it does seem to have an effect, because a moment later, Luo Binghe’s face twitches, almost like he’s making a pained grimace. The word that slips past his lips is too soft.
“Shizun…”
“Everything is fine. Shizun is here,” Shen Yuan assures him gently, one palm still pouring spiritual energy into him while the other one rests against the boy’s forehead.
The boy murmurs something unintelligible to the side, and it physically hurts to listen.
“Binghe, wake up,” Shen Yuan whispers, as he gently pats his head. “Come on. Now is not the time to sleep. Wake up and look at Shizun.”
Gently lifting Luo Binghe off the ground, Shen Yuan embraces the boy fully into his arms, maximizing contact, offering all the spiritual power that he can afford. It’s a while before the outrageous heat of Luo Binghe’s skin slowly begins to cool. Shen Yuan is starting to feel the strain by that point, but he doesn’t slow down. It’s not until he feels the boy stir in his arms that he finally lets himself breathe a sigh of relief.
Luo Binghe blinks his bleary eyes open and turns to look at his face, but he is not entirely there yet. “Shizun?” he whispers, but he doesn’t sound very sure of it.
“Mn,” Shen Yuan says. His hand brushes the hair out of Binghe’s face, and very unwillingly, he allows the boy to squirm out of the hug. “How is Binghe feeling?”
“I… what?” Luo Binghe looks around himself, but he still looks confused. “What… happened?” But then the memories seem to come back all at once, and he jumps. “Liu Qingge─”
Shen Yuan pushes him back down, before that silly child passes out all over again, but nods in affirmation. “Perfectly fine.” Well, as good as he can be, under the circumstances. But those words do get Luo Binghe to calm down.
Luo Binghe looks down then, to where Shen Yuan’s fingers are gently drifting across the deep gash on his bloodstained palm. Really, looking at that alone is enough to explain how Luo Binghe must’ve resolved the blood parasites problem. He doesn’t need to see the blood in the corners of Liu Qingge’s mouth and he most certainly doesn’t want to find out how exactly Luo Binghe came up with this idea in the first place.
But he doesn’t ask anything. He can’t, suffocated under the weight of guilt at just how deep that gash on his palm is.
“It’s the same hand again,” Shen Yuan whispers, not at all realizing that it slips out loud in a moment of carelessness. He cuts a piece of his own robes and wraps it around Luo Binghe’s palm, tying it up expertly, the whole time feeling like his chest might explode from the pressure. He doesn’t notice the way his disciple jerks and looks at him, the flurry of complicated emotions blazing in his eyes.
“Listen to Shizun now,” he instructs softly, patting the boy on the head the whole time. “There will be cultivators from Huan Hua Palace on their way here soon, if they haven’t headed out already. Binghe should take Liu-shishu and leave this place immediately. I know you must still be feeling out of sorts, but there is no time to be afraid.”
Luo Binghe is staring at him with wide eyes, uncomprehending.
Shen Yuan smacks his forehead lightly and regrets that stupid habit instantly, because the boy grimaces in pain. He doesn’t dare speak of it, however, and instead just says, “Take your Liu-shishu and go.”
Luo Binghe blinks at him, at a complete loss. “Go…? But, then… what about Shizun?”
Shen Yuan can’t help it. He’s just smoothed out the hair on top of the boy’s head, but now he messes it up again out of sheer need to just touch the kid, make sure he is really there, really safe. “There’s nothing to worry about. Shizun will take care of everything.”
Luo Binghe’s face loses all color. “But, Shizun─”
“Go,” Shen Yuan insists. “You still owe this master an explanation as to what you were doing at the limits of a very powerful, very dangerous array, but this is a conversation for another time. After the matter with Huan Hua Palace is taken care of.”
Finally, Luo Binghe nods. He doesn’t say anything, but he clenches his fists, then goes to pick up Mu Qingfang’s sword, lying on the ground not too far off. As he picks up the weapon with a trembling hand, Binghe whispers, “This disciple will trust Shizun. No matter what Shizun says, this disciple will believe it.”
What? What’s up with saying such an ominous statement at a time like this?! Can’t you tell we’re all screwed if Huan Hua Palace finds you here?! That nasty old man will recognize you on sight!
“Go!” Shen Yuan snaps. He knows he is being unreasonable. Even as he helps get Liu Qingge up on his feet, Luo Binghe doesn’t look at all like he’s able to carry the weight. But there is no choice. Shen Yuan can’t let Huan Hua Palace find them here, but he can’t go with them either, if he is going to make sure there is no one to accidentally discover their presence later on.
Luo Binghe doesn’t say a word of protest, though, as he pulls Liu Qingge’s unconscious body over his shoulders with practiced ease.
“This disciple will wait for Shizun in Cang Qiong Mountain,” he promises softly. And then he’s up in the sky, and Shen Yuan can’t shake the feeling that the look that Luo Binghe directed his way before he took off is… knowing.
Knowing what, exactly?
He has no idea. But there is something there, something that shouldn’t be there, a veil of innocence removed.
One way or another, there is nothing Shen Yuan can do about it now. He stands in place for a long time, watching his disciple disappear in the distance, until eventually, the leaves behind him rustle from movement.
When he turns around, it’s right in time to find more than twenty cultivators of Huan Hua Palace surrounding him with their weapons drawn, all of them alert and ready to fight. He waits for no instructions before lifting his arms up in surrender, smiling slightly. “Took you long enough to get here.”
“Silence! Under the authority of Huan Hua Palace, you─” but the cultivator cuts himself off, at a gentle pat that rests on his shoulder, then moves aside, along with several of his fellow sect members, parting ways to let someone else come through.
A booming voice breaks through like thunder: “Who dares disrupt the seal on Bailu Mountain?”
The voice, of course, belongs to the one and only, Old Palace Master, who has clearly deemed this incident important enough to come out personally.
Oh, the trouble that is about to rear its head is going to be nasty .
The Old Palace Master’s face shadows at the sight of Shen Yuan simply standing there, eyes narrowing slightly as he takes in the state of him and state of the burnt grass behind him. Shen Yuan’s uniform, in the state that it’s currently in, is borderline shameful for a master cultivator. Dirty, stained and even damaged in places ─ of course it all paints a dubious picture.
“Shen Qingqiu,” the man identifies darkly, in a tone that in no way approves of his presence here. “This is quite a strange place for first introductions, isn’t it? Immortal Master Shen, should you not explain yourself?”
Shen Yuan’s hand twitches in absence of his fan, but that has been lost somewhere underneath the many rocks that have collapsed inside the grotto. Still, his face remains politely neutral. “Indeed. Given the severity of the incident that has occurred, this Master is quite surprised that it has taken so long for the esteemed Huan Hua Palace cultivators to finally appear.”
“Shidi.”
It’s just one word, gentle and soft-spoken, coming from somewhere behind the Old Palace Master ─ and it makes Shen Yuan’s stomach twist up into a knot far more than seeing the nasty old man’s face. In the past, that mellow voice brought with it the promise of protection, putting Shen Yuan’s mind at ease with so little as saying a single word. Not anymore.
One of the things that Shen Yuan had lost, denying the character role that he’s been thrust into, was Yue Qi’s unconditional loyalty, the broken promise and the unbearable weight of guilt for breaking that promise. As it’s only natural. None of those things ever belonged to him, nor had he ever earned them with his own efforts. But for once, Shen Yuan misses that blind devotion with which Yue Qingyuan has followed Shen Qingqiu into eternal damnation more than once.
Shen Yuan doesn’t dare contradict him. At the sight of Yue Qingyuan’s face when the man comes to stand next to the Old Palace Master, he merely bows his head in greeting. “Zhangmen-shixiong.”
Yue Qingyuan smiles briefly. It doesn’t reach his eyes. “Would Shidi mind providing an explanation for both the Sect Master and myself? What happened here? Why is the protective array on Bailu mountain acting up?”
Shen Yuan puts his hands out in a gesture of respect and bows his head. “This Shidi humbly apologizes. Unfortunately, this one has only reached Bailu Mountain after all signs of interference faded naturally. As things stand, there is no additional information I may offer. This matter requires deeper analysis by all the four great sects.”
The Old Palace Master’s face shrouds in darkness. “Naturally, the urgency of this matter necessitates a thorough investigation. But Immortal Master Shen, did you not state this yourself? This place is under the watchful eye of Huan Hua Palace. Whether or not it calls for the participation of the other sects, is that not the decision that Huan Hua Palace must make by ourselves?”
Hah. As if you would. Had the Old Palace Master voiced his support, Shen Yuan might’ve still been a little suspicious, but he also would have been appeased enough to let the matter resolve itself. However, the Old Palace Master is not only denying him the opportunity, but he’s obnoxiously pointing a finger away from himself as if to scream, “We’re being shady on purpose!” Plus, openly claiming Bailu as his territory in front of two Peak Lords, both well aware of the fact that it isn’t. Isn’t that a little too bold, even for this old man?
Shen Yuan, however, maintains the air of politeness and nobility. “Deepest apologies for overstepping the boundaries. This Master is merely offering advice out of the kindness of the heart. The matter at Bailu Mountain and Lushui Lake has left quite an impression.”
The Old Palace Master may as well have bitten into a sour grape, for all that his face contorts ─ clearly, he’s already heard of something on the way. Yue Qingyuan, however, is an entirely different matter. His eyes widen slightly as he voices his surprise. “Is that not somewhere at the bottom of Bailu Mountain? Has something happened there as well?”
Ah, Sect Leader Yue ─ what a terrible actor you are. Please, why not point a finger smack at him and say, “I know what you’ve done!” But still, Shen Yuan is grateful for the opportunity. The man could have just as easily brushed this matter off as the Old Palace Master undoubtedly would, if he ever got a chance.
Like hell would Shen Yuan let him try.
The Lushui lake and its impressive grotto have been under Huan Hua Palace’s watchful eye for well over a decade. The disciples may or may not have been aware of the second cavern hidden under the grotto, but there is no way, not a chance, that the Old Palace Master doesn’t know of the highly complex formation setup hiding smack under his nose. In fact, Shen Yuan wouldn’t have put it past the man to have been the one to set it up in the first place.
But no, that is too much of an assumption to make still. Liu Mingyan had said not one cultivator alone could have possibly achieved that. And while Shen Yuan doesn’t necessarily consider her words false, they are all working with limited information here. One way or another, Shen Yuan won’t allow Huan Hua Palace to cover up this matter.
He says, “The story is too long for this Shidi to tell. It is better to just show you in person.”
“Wait a moment,” the Old Palace Master cuts in, before Yue Qingyuan can voice his approval. “Immortal Master Shen, why are you in such a hurry to go? Have you not come all the way here to look into the matter of the seal on Bailu mountain? Why change your mind?”
“Why of course, because this Master has full faith in Huan Hua Palace to investigate this matter thoroughly. The matter over at Lushui lake, however, concerns the safety of a Cang Qiong sect disciple, so please understand my priorities,” Shen Yuan lays it on thickly, but on the inside, he is seething. Why is this stupid old man getting in his way?! He needs to show those writings in the grotto to Sect Leader Yue as soon as possible! After all, aside from the Old Palace Master, it’s only him here who has taken place in the sealing of Tianlang Jun. One look and the Sect Leader should know whether those symbols were arranged from the start ─ or if they were covertly added later on. For the moment, Shen Yuan’s money is on the latter.
“Sect Master, if I may add,” Yue Qingyuan puts in, before the ugly old man can get a word out, “the disciple in question has already raised health concerns prior to this hunt. I’m worried that something may have gone awry, since my sect fellows have been chasing this demon all the way from Cang Qiong Mountain’s territory with no rest ever since it first appeared.”
Hah. Shen Yuan has to hand it to him ─ when prepared in advance, the Sect Leader sure can pull off an act. With how convincing the man sounds, even Shen Yuan’s forgotten that they have not, in fact, been tracking a demon all the way from Cang Qiong Mountain.
It leaves the Old Palace Master with very few options.
The burn marks aside, the array suppressing Tianlang Jun is clearly still in place and undamaged. Between two people who recognize that since they were both present to set it up, it’s obvious what is a greater priority. There’s no point in dilly dallying. If he wants to point fingers at anyone for triggering the array in the first place, he can only point them at Shen Yuan ─ but Yue Qingyuan’s presence alone is enough of a deterrent. Accusing Shen Yuan of any foul play now is the same as accusing the entire Cang Qiong sect ─ and not even the Old Palace Master is bold enough to make enemies of the world’s most powerful sect so recklessly.
On the other hand, the matter of Lushui lake, whether or not the man is aware of its current condition, is something he clearly doesn’t want made public. Whether that is to protect himself from criticism or wash himself off all responsibility remains to be seen. Either way, Yue Qingyuan is smart enough to read between the lines. Given the option of saving the Old Palace Master’s face or corroborating Shen Yuan’s lies, he’s made his choice clear. Checkmate, motherfucker.
Clearly aware of his loss, the Old Palace Master sighs heavily. He speaks in the sickeningly sweet tone, as though indulging a child, “Very well. Let’s make haste, then, lest Cang Qiong Mountain’s disciple needlessly risks their health.”
As they make their way back to the grotto and its secret lake, Yue Qingyuan attempts to subtly inquire about Liu Qingge’s state ─ all of which Shen Yuan willfully ignores. He’s not trying to be stubborn. Anything he could say would risk triggering Huan Hua Palace’s already sky-high suspicions, and Shen Yuan would rather eat dirt than let the old man learn of Luo Binghe’s existence at this point in time. He knows that it’s bound to happen. Some things are just inescapable like that. But it doesn’t need to be today, it doesn’t need to be now ─ and it most certainly does not need to be Shen Yuan’s mistake. Sect Leader Yue will survive a while longer with his curiosity unsated.
Instead, Shen Yuan weaves a brand new set of lies into an exciting tale of hunt and chase that had inadvertently led him and his fellow sect members to a jewel hidden deep in the Bailu forest, a beautiful grotto with a secret lake inside it ─ which had disappeared right before their eyes.
They’ve just about made it to the giant hole in the grotto, when Shen Yuan begins to describe the strange writings they found on the walls and its many confusing structures. As his example, he points in the direction of the centrifugal force formula─
“But Shen-shidi, I see nothing there,” Yue Qingyuan says. And he’s gotta be joking. It’s right over─
There.
Where Shen Yuan’s hands are pointing is nothing but blank cavern walls, not a single sign of any notes, writings, secret arrays ─ nothing. Rocks upon rocks upon rocks, but not a sign of anyone ever tempering with them. Even the Lushui lake, once dried out, now glistens in the starry night, refilled with its spiritually condensed water. Precious beans of the Sun and Moon Dew Flower shine under the stars like glowing rocks.
Well, then. How about that for a fucking plot twist.
Shen Yuan hates it here.
Notes:
Hi hi hi... poor SY has no idea the avalanche he's started
Chapter 15: Hidden Expectations
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Luo Binghe knows he’s not great at flying swords. He used to be good at it, back when he still had Zheng Yang by his side, but ever since he had taken up to using Xin Mo, it was simply… no longer necessary… for him to fly on a sword the way he was taught in Cang Qiong Mountain. Fast forward one death and one rebirth and suddenly he can’t do without it.
If it wasn’t both his demonic and spiritual cultivation acting up like crazy, Luo Binghe might’ve been upset about it. But as it is, temporarily disabling his demonic seal has messed up his whole body and if not for Shizun’s timely interference, Luo Binghe likely wouldn’t have been able to fly a sword in a very long time.
So when Mu Qingfang’s sword under his feet suddenly tilts forward a little too much, Luo Binghe doesn’t even blink. He lets go of Liu Qingge’s unconscious body to fall on its own while he braces for impact. At least, they’ve passed the limit of the Bailu forest and there are village lights flickering in the distance. Walking the rest of the way should be possible. Then Luo Binghe hits the ground and rolls over several times, until he comes to a stop flat on his back, staring up at the stars above him.
“Ohhh, we got something! We got something!” someone shouts at a distance. Luo Binghe tenses up instantly. Why does that voice sound so familiar?
“What ‘something’?!” an equally familiar voice responds, highly annoyed. “Shizun only told us to catch a demon and we caught enough! So what are you doing, making a mess now?!”
“Oh come on, Ning Yingying! The formation is just there to trip up demons! What else could it─” but the excited shout comes to a halt instantly as he comes closer. Luo Binghe tilts his head up slightly, only to find himself staring at Ming Fan upside down. He blinks. An inconspicuously dressed Ming Fan blinks back. He’s wearing black from head to toe, as if that is somehow intended to hide who he is. “Did I mess up the formation?” he asks, frowning.
Ning Yingying comes to a stop right next to him, a little surprised. “Oh,” she says, looking just as weird when observed from upside down as Ming Fan. “Hi there, A-Luo.”
“Stop right there!” Ming Fan shouts, blocking Ning Yingying’s way as the girl moves to help. “The formation is set up to trip demons only! What if this is a demon wearing Luo Binghe’s face?!”
Ning Yingying shoves his arm away unceremoniously. “Oh shut it. Your formation managed to trip me when you first set it up. Am I also a demon, then? Come on, A-Luo, don’t mind him. Are you okay? You look a little pale.”
Luo Binghe gladly accepts her assistance in sitting up, mumbling in surprise, “What are you doing here?”
“Shizun asked us to come and stand by in case a demon tries to escape from Bailu forest,” Ning Yingying answers dutifully. “Shizun only asked us to keep an eye around the forest and pose as witnesses if asked about it, but someone─” she pointedly glares at Ming Fan “─decided that Shizun must have meant for us to capture any demons we find, so he’s gone and set up traps everywhere.”
Ming Fan crosses his arms and puffs out his chest. “What? We got them all, didn’t we?”
“In which case, you should have gone and removed the traps! Shizun did not ask for this!”
Ming Fan snorts. “Just because you didn’t hear him out until the end doesn’t mean that I didn’t! Shizun went all the way to Bailu forest because of those demons, of course we can’t let them escape!”
“Forget it, I’m not arguing with you,” Ning Yingying grumbles, before turning back to Luo Binghe. “A-Luo, are you okay? That fall must’ve been nasty…”
Luo Binghe shakes his head no. That fall aside, at least he now has an excuse not to fly any further. “I’m fine,” he insists. “It’s Liu-shishu I’m worried about. How is he doing?”
“Liu-shishu? Is Liu-shishu also here?” Ning Yingying blinks owlishly. Without waiting to hear the answer, she lifts her head to look around ─ and her face blanches. “Oh lords! Liu-shishu!”
“What?! Where?!” Ming Fan cries out in blind panic from behind her.
Luo Binghe doesn’t bother with them anymore. If Shizun was the one who asked them to come, then that’s how it is. Shizun… Luo Binghe closes his eyes and thinks about that single moment frozen in time and the butterfly light touch of Shizun’s hand, brushing seamlessly along the self-inflicted gash on Luo Binghe’s palm.
“It’s the same hand again,” he’d said. So softly. So mournfully. Like it pains him, when the wound isn’t even his to bear.
Luo Binghe couldn’t immediately understand, at the time. What was the same? His hand? His blood? Was it supposed to be different? Compared to what? Is the blood of a demon not supposed to be red? … but then it hit him like a lightning strike.
The scar Xiu Ya left on his palm in Jin Lan city. It used to sit right in the exact same place. Luo Binghe had refused to let it fade, a memory of the pain Shizun inflicted on him, a punishment he more than deserved for everything he’d done wrong. Then, the same subconscious need to have that scar in the same place again, even if it wasn’t Shizun who made it.
The earth shattering moment of realization smacked him on the face soon after.
Shizun knows.
Shizun knows.
Shizun has known all along. From the moment Luo Binghe opened his eyes in his teenager body and took this new life by a storm, going around and wreaking havoc in his struggle to understand Shizun’s many strange behaviors… During all that time, Shizun must have known─
Shizun remembers everything.
Is he just like Luo Binghe, reborn in his old body, before everything in their lives went wrong? But if so, why claim otherwise? Why claim possession, when that’s so clearly not the case? Or… or does Shizun hold himself responsible over the decisions Luo Binghe has made? If Shizun is blaming himself for Luo Binghe attempting to merge the two realms, if he’s expecting it to happen again…
Then the first thing he would do is try to wedge a clear line between himself and the sect. To protect them from Luo Binghe’s wrath, he would with no hesitation even deny his own identity…!
Instantly, Luo Binghe burns with rage and hatred. Eyes shifting to Ming Fan and Ning Yingying, to the unconscious Liu Qingge carried between them, Luo Binghe is overcome with the urge to end their lives on the spot. Because of them, Shizun won’t ever look at him. Because of them, even in this new life, Shizun has already given up on Luo Binghe. Because of them, Shizun would rather let Luo Binghe destroy him all over again, than ─ than─
No.
Luo Binghe takes a deep breath, stifling that line of thought.
Where has Shizun said that he fears Luo Binghe might follow the same path as before? Where has Shizun shown he hates Luo Binghe?!
Even tonight, Shizun held his hand and bandaged his wounds. When Mu Qingfang initially allowed Luo Binghe to join this mission, Luo Binghe had feared Shizun’s reaction the most. Yet Shizun had said nothing at all to his face. He had not berated Luo Binghe, had not made any accusations ─ because he must have known. All along, he must have known─
But then, a tiny, treacherous voice in his head says, did he want to use me to save Liu Qingge?
Because if somebody knows that Luo Binghe had a way to do so from the start, it’s Shizun.
But again, Shizun had said nothing of the sort.
If Luo Binghe lets himself keep following this line of thought, it will be the Holy Mausoleum all over again, the betrayal and the misery and the pain ─ all for nothing. He can’t assume. He can’t afford to make mistakes again.
At least ─ at least for now, Shizun doesn’t want him dead. If nothing else, Shizun would rather risk himself than let Huan Hua Palace find him, but that could just as well all be due to Liu Qingge─
Stop.
Fuck. What is wrong with his brain? Luo Binghe swears he has a better handle on his feelings most of the time. Why is it that when it comes to Shizun, it all gets so muddled up so fast?
It’s gotta be the demonic side.
That’s right. Those powers have been locked away from him for a very long time, it’s only natural that the effect of getting them back ─ even in limited capacity ─ comes with its set of drawbacks.
Still, as Luo Binghe holds his hand out and frowns, no demonic Qi comes out whatsoever. Already, the seal on his powers had dispersed the demonic Qi inside him entirely. He stubbornly tries to gather it over and over again, but nothing comes of it. Argh! He’s done better months ago when he first woke up in this pathetic state! Why does it feel like his seal had been reinvigorated after this incident?!
Clenching the Jade Guanyin at his chest tightly, Luo Binghe closes his eyes and tells himself not to mind. There’s still time. If he’s truly so desperate, he can just go challenge Mobei Jun to a fight. For the moment, Shizun takes precedence. Luo Binghe must talk to him first.
And what am I going to say?! Sorry for killing you thrice?!
Argh! Why is everything so messed up already?! Luo Binghe just… he just wants to hug Shizun, he just wants to hold Shizun close and take in his scent, to relish in the fact that the person he loves is still alive.
“A-Luo?! Why are you still sitting there?! Come on! Get up! Let’s head to the inn!”
Luo Binghe clenches his fists at Ning Yingying’s call and pushes himself to get up.
That’s right. This isn’t over yet. Shizun has yet to come back from Bailu Mountain and Liu Qingge ─ well, he’s alive and parasite-free. Luo Binghe is confident that, having witnessed the sorry display of Luo Binghe’s true origins right in front of his eyes, the man will be even more insufferable to deal with now than he was in the past, but the blood oath between them is still there. Even if it’s not magically binding, it should come as a moral obligation in some form ─ and Liu Qingge holds those in much higher regard than Luo Binghe ever would.
In short, it might take some more work, but the foundation has been laid out. Liu Qingge is his loyal dog now. Training him to hunt at his beckoning is all that’s left.
He half drags himself, half jogs to catch up with Ning Yingying and Ming Fan, the beginnings of a plan already forming in his head. Before he puts any of that into action, however, he does intend to take a break. A very good, very long break, during which he just might check if his power over the dream realm remains untouched. It probably would have been greatly reduced one way or another, what with his overall terrible cultivation at the moment, but that is one of the few things he’s learned that doesn’t depend on his demonic cultivation to work nor does it need for his spiritual cultivation to be at an all time high.
In some capacity, he should still be able to do plenty of things with it ─ and he knows just how to start.
When they finally make it out of Bailu forest and away from Huan Hua Palace’s bulging eyes, having resolved absolutely nothing, Shen Yuan is pretty certain that nobody is planning on a pause in a village just outside the forest limits. He definitely isn’t ─ he’d much rather just go straight to bed and scream his frustrations out into his pillow, thank you very much ─ but Mu Qingfang stops the carriage at some point and gets out without a word. That leads to everyone else getting worried and stepping out as well and even Yue Qingyuan softly asking, “Shidi, is something the matter?”
Mu Qingfang just stands there, in the middle of frigging nowhere, damn Bailu mountain still casting a shadow over them all, cryptically frowning at nothing. Eventually, he says. “My sword is around here somewhere.”
Before anyone can say a word, he holds his palm out ─ and his sword zooms into their sight in a flash, startling everybody.
Liu Mingyan turns to the three Peak Lords in her company, worry evident in her eyes. Shen Yuan has long since told them about the aftermath at Bailu mountain and the fact he’s sent Luo Binghe flying home, so her concern is rather justified. Who knows what could have happened on their way back? Not like either one of them was doing that great, overall ─ even if Shen Yuan has done his best to leave out the details about Luo Binghe out as much as possible.
Now, however, he takes one look at Mu Qingfang’s sword, which the man is currently looking over suspiciously, and catches the familiar remains of a yellow paper talisman.
“Are there any inns or restaurants nearby?” he asks mildly, but he needn’t have bothered.
“Right there, it seems like someone has followed us here all the way from Cang Qiong Mountain,” Mu Qingfang points a finger, a knowing look directed at Shen Yuan. Clearly, not only has he snuffed out the trap, he’s also snuffed out those who’ve set it, too.
Shen Yuan merely covers his face behind his sleeve and admits to nothing.
Yue Qingyuan sighs as though he’s warding off a headache. “Let’s not keep them waiting, then.”
To Shen Yuan’s absolute lack of surprise, Luo Binghe and Liu Qingge have made contact with ─ drum roll ─ his unruly pair of disciples, who seem to have taken everything he’s said to them completely out of context. Rather than standing guard as they were supposed to, posing as witnesses if asked, they have instead captured a fair number of small fry demons, a hunt which Ming Fan is very proudly announcing went great for them!
Shen Yuan doesn’t know whether to smack his face or just walk away. Preferably, he’d pretend to not know any of these people ─ except there is one issue.
Among the small fry demons captured is one very familiar, pale and bloated face.
As Ning Yingying and Ming Fan proudly present their achievements to the now reassembled Liu Qingge rescue team, Shen Yuan is blurting all sorts of curse words deep inside his own head, starting with a very basic ‘fuck’, only to quickly deviate to some much harsher and far more creative directions.
Why, oh why, is this happening?! Why is Zhuzhi Lang of all demons tied up in Immortal Binding Cables? Why are they tied up so girlishly in a neat little bow? And why, dear god, is Zhuzhi Lang’s hair all neat and full of cute little braids? It does not match with that snake-like face and his scary demon aesthetic at all!
Apparently, someone else must’ve made a similar comment, because Ning Yingying instantly says, “I think it looks cute,” trying not to make it sound defensive ─ but those braids are exactly like her own! And does she think Ming Fan would know how to fix that mess of a hair and braid it that way?
… wait. Why is Ming Fan blushing?!
Who made this abomination?!
Or was it… was it teamwork?
Ning Yingying must be reading his mind, because she says, “A-Luo helped.”
And there it is. A mental image of Ming Fan and Luo Binghe, led by Ning Yingying, as they all work together on traumatizing poor Xizhi Lang with haircare.
… Shen Yuan needs a drink.
Somewhere behind him, Mu Qingfang is laughing.
Shidi, please. If Zhuzhi Lang takes offense to this, your life may as well be forfeit.
Yue Qingyuan, however, clears his throat awkwardly. “Ah, um. Master Shen. Have you truly instructed your disciples to…” he doesn’t finish that question. Probably, he also has no idea how to proceed.
“No,” Shen Yuan says flatly. “I said nothing of the sort. I have nothing to do with this.”
Ming Fan and Ning Yingying gasp, then quickly try to cover it up, then fall to their knees, muttering apologies they don’t mean and coming up with excuses that make no sense. All in all, the act is pathetic and not only does it not absolve him of his involvement, but it also makes everything even more obvious and harder to deal with. Yue Qingyuan eventually just gives up. Only Luo Binghe remains seated in his chair behind them, still wolfing down his breakfast as though he has had nothing to eat in days. After he finishes chewing up the veggies like a good boy, he says, “This disciple also finds it cute.”
His voice betrays no emotion whatsoever, but Shen Yuan can see the vision of a less-wild and not so filled with resentment Luo Binghe madly cackling at the sight of this. Then he looks back at Zhuzhi Lang, who, for all that he’s been tied up in Immortal Binding Cables from head to toe, looks like he is far more afraid of Ning Yingying than anyone else. Apparently, it was ultimately her decision to keep Zhuzhi Lang as the so called ‘evidence’ and everyone has just… gone along with it. Or something. Shen Yuan stops listening to their excuses midway, instead silently praying in his head that Zhuzhi Lang forgets all about his disciples by the time Tianlang Jun rises again. Which fuck it all, might not be a decade away anymore. Ugh.
Ultimately, Yue Qingyuan permits them a stay at the inn until the next morning, so that everyone has a chance to rest and recuperate after the sleepless night they’ve had. Naturally, the villagers are mystified as to how come a single sect has come to occupy their entire inn so early in the morning, but really, once Yue Qingyuan gets the money pouch out, they are all too happy to nod along and bring out the most expensive delicacies. Power of money in any world is utterly unmatched.
Shen Yuan, for his part, says nothing and chooses to spend time with no one, climbing up to his room and shutting the door in everyone’s faces.
He just ─ he really needs a break.
Liu Qingge is alive. Luo Binghe… is looking perfectly fine. A little heavenly demon blood at just the right time and the whole dilemma’s been wrapped and sealed! Everyone got out of Bailu forest alive! That’s really all that matters. All that stress was ultimately for nothing and Shen Yuan is just… tired. It feels a little unfair, really, that this little white lotus is slowly beginning to lose all that precious innocence at an even faster rate than before… and somehow, it is still all Shen Yuan’s fault.
The inn bed is, for some reason, cold and awfully uncomfortable. Shen Yuan tries, but he can’t sleep for shit. It’s gotta be the stupid, uncomfortable bed and the damn morning sun that keeps shining in his eyes. He shuts the curtains and then keeps tossing and turning, unable to turn his brain off at any point in time, until there’s a knock on his door and he loathes the idea that he must stand up and open it. But then the knock is there again and he really, really cannot stand the notion that it might repeat for the third time.
Lazily, he fixes his robes and stands up, tries to somewhat fix his hair but gives up midway. Finally, he opens the door to receive the visitor ─ just to get punched in the gut for his troubles.
Okay, fine. Not punched. But before he has a chance to see what it is, something body-slams into him and a pair of trembling arms wraps around his waist and… really, Shen Yuan would have to be an idiot, not to realize what any of this means.
Luo Binghe hugs him tightly and refuses to let go. His shoulders are shaking. That silly child. At what point did he get the idea that something like this is fine in any capacity? Had he not been sitting there like a perfectly reasonable disciple, minding his own business when Shen Yuan got here? What is this now? Shen Yuan has done nothing this time around, so how does he still end up with his hands full dealing with such a bunch of crybabies?
From his sleeve, he produces a fan and whacks Luo Binghe on the head with it.
The kid hugs him tighter. Stubbornly, he just won’t let go. He seems to be saying something, but he’s murmuring it into Shen Yuan’s midriff like a baby, as if it doesn’t cross his mind at all that his voice might be too muffled for the other party to hear.
Shen Yuan doesn’t have the heart to whack him on the head a second time.
Instead, his hand rests on the top of the boy’s head, rubbing at it softly. Finally, the kid looks up at him, eyes brimming with tears. “Shizun,” he whispers, finally audible, for once. “Thank you for coming back with me.”
Coming back? From where? Bailu mountain?
What? Did this silly kid really think Shen Yuan was just gonna send him back and not follow the first chance he got?
Even now, his hand is shaking as it parts from the boy’s head. Slowly, Shen Yuan is coming to a startling realization ─ and he doesn’t know what to do with it. The thing is, it’s always been there, in his head. The fear. Deep inside, wrapped into silks and lies and delusions he tells himself when he’s got nothing better to do. No matter what, he doesn’t want to be the source of Luo Binghe’s pain ever again. But even more so, what he wants, desperately, is to pull Luo Binghe into his arms and make him a promise ─ and he is absolutely terrified. Because the longer he stares at this child in front of him, the more he realizes ─ they are too much alike. This Luo Binghe and that other Luo Binghe, Shen Yuan’s Binghe, the one whose glass heart he personally shattered to pieces over and over again…
If there’s one thing that never made sense to him in time travel stories, how in the fuck do the protagonists just… chase after the same love interest without the suffocating feeling of guilt over the future they’ve lost?
Shen Yuan can’t do it.
He looks at this innocent Luo Binghe and he sees his black lotus there and it makes him want to scream every single time.
But then there’s another knock on his door and those tearful eyes staring into his soul dissipate from in front of him. Shen Yuan wakes up in the same uncomfortable bed, in the same darkened room. He holds his head for a moment, blinking away the unshed tears while he tries to figure out what in the world is happening. Is it his own mind playing tricks on him? Or is it that Luo Binghe has somehow already tapped into his powers over the dream realm?
But that’s not right. The timing is off. Good old Dream Demon elder has yet to show his face, so how would that kid possibly─
The knock on the door is more impatient this time. Shen Yuan ignores it as he searches his sleeve and finds his fan missing. He dropped it somewhere in the cavern hidden under Lushui lake and has seen neither hide nor hair of it ever since. Definitely awake now.
Fuck his dreams, making him regret every single decision he’s ever made all over again. Damn it all.
The knock on his door sounds again and this time, Shen Yuan forces himself to get up, forces himself to forget the eerie similarities with his dream, forces himself to not think about that pretty white lotus face.
He opens the door, almost fearing he’d find Luo Binghe standing there ─ except it’s not.
“Liu-shidi,” Shen Yuan says in utter relief, instinctively stepping out of the way so the Bai Zhan Peak Lord can enter. Wow, to have made the sick man come visit him. Shen Yuan should be feeling ashamed. Then again, for someone who’s been on the verge of death for well over two months, Liu Qingge looks oddly healthy now. Or at least, his face no longer looks like the face of a sunken ghost. Shen Yuan’s eyes narrow a fraction. “Is Shidi doing well?”
“Mm,” Liu Qingge grunts, a total non-answer, his eyes taking in Shen Yuan’s disheveled state from head to toe. “And you? Mu Qingfang said you haven’t shown your face ever since you all got here.”
Shen Yuan tries to awkwardly fix his hair without making it obvious, but that’s really not doing him much good, because Liu Qingge’s eyebrow merely shoots up. Ahh, what must a man do to get a little alone time around here?!
“Would Liu-shidi allow me to inspect his meridians?” Shen Yuan asks instead, perfectly polite. Liu Qingge shoots him a suspicious glance, but ultimately says nothing. Instead of sitting over at the table, he goes over to sit cross-legged on the bed in what’s been a well established practice between them. It’s like the mess of covers doesn’t even exist.
More than a little satisfied, Shen Yuan joins him there, fingers gently probing at the small of his back, then up and around, little by little. Liu Qingge puts up with his very detailed inspection for a while, but the more Shen Yuan probes at him, the more he is curious. There truly aren’t any signs left to show that Liu Qingge has had demonic parasites feeding off of his spiritual core for so long. Of course, he’s not doing great, not yet, not even close. His body is steel reeling from the consequences and it will take a while for his cultivation to go back to being even a quarter of what it used to be, but the state of Liu-shidi from a couple days ago and the state of Liu-shidi right now ─ two entirely different people! Truly, Luo Binghe has outdone himself.
Curiously, Shen Yuan sets off a small spark of Qi just to see how Liu Qingge would respond.
“You can stop now,” Liu Qingge grunts, but the sharp intake of breath is all the clue Shen Yuan needs. Still, he keeps probing at Liu Qingge’s back, until the man truly grows too annoyed to stand it. “If you don’t stop, I’m going to hit you, and I’m not going to apologize, because I fucking warned you.”
Ah, the Renowned Master Liu. Harsh with his fists and with his words. Shen Yuan has almost forgotten, having spent months taking care of a depressed kitten.
He complies, but also, he wishes he could whack Liu Qingge on the head with his fan ─ just because. Thus, he’s rather surprised when Liu Qingge shifts on the bed suddenly, holding something out for him over his shoulder. “Take it. Mingyan said you lost yours.”
Ehm. Excuse me?
Shen Yuan blinks down at a brand new fan between him and Liu Qingge, this one mainly white and nothing like the soft olive green one he’s lost. Instantly, his heart softens.
“Don’t mind if I do,” he says, smiling as he spreads the fan and admires the designs. White background contrasting the green landscapes, faintly reminiscent of the Bailu mountain range looming out his window. Clearly, the locals quite enjoy the scenery, if they’re able to replicate it so thoroughly. In spite of himself, Shen Yuan says, “It’s quite beautiful. This one expresses his deep gratitude to Liu-shidi who has taken his precious time to get this for me. Your taste is impeccable.”
“Tch… it’s just a fan…”
But Shen Yuan happily spreads it wide, fanning himself a little too dramatically. He has all but forgotten about the previous notion of whacking Liu Qingge with it. It’s too funny, just how much his Shidi’s ears are burning. Awww, Liu-shidi is begrudingly learning the art of gift giving. Must be so embarassing! At least he hasn't shoved a tiny hairless monster at him this time around. To distract him a little, Shen Yuan says, “I take it that Shidi has already had his consultation with Mu-shidi?”
“What do you think? The stupid poison is still there, duh. Was that what you were checking for? I could have told you, if only you’d asked. Not like your crazy idea could have gotten rid of that.”
Oh, is that bitterness Shen Yuan hears there? Since when does Liu Qingge dare get snippy with ─ ah, forget it. Shen Yuan would take this snippy, angry, fist-throwing but utterly embarrassed Liu Qingge over the borderline suicidal one any time of the day.
Gently, he brushes his finger along Liu Qingge’s hair, to untangle a few strands caught together over his shoulders. He doesn’t speak for the moment and neither does Liu Qinnge ─ this silence is something they’ve both grown accustomed to over time. In fact, Shen Yuan is even a little sad. Knowing Great Master Liu, the man can’t wait to go back to the battlefield, sowing chaos and destruction everywhere. Another teasing target ─ out of range. This world is not treating Shen Yuan fairly at all.
“Luo Binghe is a demon.”
… and apparently Liu Qingge did not come here for a friendly chat after all.
Sighing tiredly, Shen Yuan wonders what he could have possibly expected, especially after having caught the tail winds of the chaos back at Bailu Mountain. Liu Qingge isn’t asking, so Shen Yuan doesn’t answer, but the silence between them doesn’t stretch for long either way.
Liu Qingge’s face is quite calm, as he shifts one more time and then slowly turns. Now they’re sitting face to face with nowhere to escape ─ but why would Shen Yuan even want to? It’s Liu Qingge in front of him, but there is none of that rage or grimacing from that other timeline that no longer exists. Progress, maybe? Have Liu Qingge’s priorities changed? Why even breach this topic with Shen Yuan of all people? Not like he can do anything about it. He’s technically not even a Peak Lord anymore.
“I’m not going to ask how you know. Your face just now confirmed what I suspected for a while, anyway,” Liu Qingge continues, like he’s talking about the weather. “But you’re the outsider… and I need a second opinion.”
“... that’s… a very strange thing to say to a person who is essentially a prisoner in your sect,” Shen Yuan notes, but a little of that unspoken tension abandons his body.
“Did you also know from the start that Luo Binghe is a Heavenly Demon?”
Hah. Well, of course Liu Qingge would not have missed that detail. Shen Yuan quickly makes a tally of all the pros and cons of keeping Luo Binghe’s secrets for him ─ and finds the whole thing ultimately pointless. Not like the matter of Luo Binghe’s identity was ever an intentional secret to start with ─ and it’s not like Luo Binghe would thank him for his silence either. Keeping quiet once on that boy’s sad birth story has given him enough mental scars for a lifetime, thank you very much.
“What does Shidi want to hear from me, exactly?” Shen Yuan asks neutrally.
“I can ignore the rest. But a Heavenly Demon hiding under the sect’s nose is a death sentence one way or another. I can’t ignore that.”
At Shen Yuan’s slight raise of eyebrow, Liu Qingge scoffs. “It doesn’t matter what the truth is. If this matter comes out, all of Cang Qiong Mountain Sect will become the outlaws, the heretics, the demonic cultivators. He can’t stay.”
The gaze in Liu Qingge’s eyes is quite intense. Shen Yuan holds it steadily and without reservations, for a single word wrong said here might easily push this very strange conversation in an even stranger direction. And indeed, what a conversation it is!
Two men, facing each other on a single, tousled bed, discussing matters of life and death as though they’re whispering sweet nothings. If someone else were to see this, who knows what their minds would’ve come up with? Poor Luo Binghe’s glass heart might shatter at a mere glance, let alone if the poor child knew what they were discussing. Yet Shen Yuan rests in the resolute knowledge that at least with Liu Qingge, it’s certain that the Bai Zhan’s Great Lord is as straight of a man as they come! Nothing to worry about whatsoever!
Shen Yuan stubbornly ignores the fact that Liu Qingge’s antagonism towards Luo Binghe relieves him, visibly so.
“Well, is Shidi’s solution to this matter to simply force that child out of the sect? Either way, I don’t see what any of this has to do with me.”
Liu Qingge’s expression sours. It seems everyone and their mothers still expect for Shen Yuan to take on the responsibilities of a Peak Lord ─ while receiving none of the respect.
“Killing a demon for being a demon isn’t wrong,” the Bai Zhan Peak Lord says, a little stubbornly. Shen Yuan isn’t sure how they’ve gone from discussing making Luo Binghe an outcast from the sect to straight up execution, but that jump in logic seems quite natural for the person in front of him. He adds, a little childishly, “It’s their nature to plunder and kill and live off rotten human flesh. If we don’t exterminate them, they will exterminate us. It’s just how it is.”
“Killing a human for being human isn’t wrong. It’s their nature to subdue, conquer and kill even those demons who have done nothing at all. If we don’t exterminate them, they will exterminate us. It’s just how it is,” Shen Yuan retorts, without a moment of hesitation.
If anything, Liu Qingge’s expression darkens even more.
“So it’s fine? A demon sneaks into our sect and that’s fine, but if we retaliate, that’s not fine? That kid almost released the Heavenly Demon Lord last night. Do you realize how close we came to an outright war with Huan Hua Palace?”
… Shen Yuan is honestly at a loss for words. “What is it that you want to hear from me, Liu-shidi? If you expect me to judge Luo Binghe from the same standpoint as yourself, you’re talking to the wrong person─”
“You know what? Forget it,” Liu Qingge says, suddenly facing away from him to stand up ─ and Shen Yuan is once again mystified. He has never seen Liu Qingge act quite so childishly. But before he can say anything, Liu Qingge throws over his shoulder, “When we get back to Cang Qiong Mountain, I’ll ask the Sect Leader to grant you permission to visit Shuang Hu city.”
Shen Yuan can’t possibly imagine what anything that happened in Shuang Hu city could possibly have to do with Luo Binghe, in this specific situation.
“... Why?”
“You heard of my report on what happened there?” At the immediate affirmative nod, Liu Qingge continues, “So you know that the whole thing was ultimately a sacrificial ritual. But that’s been bugging me this whole time. The thing about the spiritual and the demonic energy ─ they don’t mesh well together. A demon feeding on a freshly ripped out human heart? Maybe, if they’re fucking desperate. But a demon ritualistically slaughtering well over a hundred people that way? Whatever for? The power boost is temporary and eventually more of a weakness than a boost anyway. So why? What’s the fucking point?”
Huh. That’s actually a good question that Liu Qingge is asking. What is the point of all that? Skinner was a nasty piece of work, but he never struck Shen Yuan as the wild, megalomaniac type of villain. If anything, he was the villain of the day, there to be introduced and disposed of within a short breath, allowing the story to further develop in any given direction. There should indeed be no reason for Skinner to be starting some ridiculous sacrificial rituals.
System! A little help here. Is this a part of some brand new inane subplot for Luo Binghe to handle?
[Currently, the User has no story missions assigned.]
… he really should have not expected anything better from this quack System.
Shen Yuan frowns thoughtfully. “If I’m hearing this right, what Liu-shidi is implying is that Skinner might not have been the one behind the incident ─ but that he might’ve been taking orders from someone else?” His face darkens considerably. “The alternative could only be a human cultivating the demonic path, but that─”
“It’s either that, or a Heavenly Demon,” Liu Qingge says. “Because the only demon race that can have some benefit from spiritual cultivation is the Heavenly Demon race.”
Huh. What a leap. Who would have guessed?
But then, it does make some narrative sense. Firstly, Luo Binghe certainly benefited from his many cultivator sect wives in the original Proud Immortal Demon Way. But Luo Binghe is a half-Heavenly Demon, not a full blooded demon stud, and his benefits were mostly reaped via dual cultivation anyway, all for the sole purpose of keeping Xin Mo’s powers at bay… and personal entertainment. What Liu-shidi is implying here has the subtext of something else entirely, and Shen Yuan isn’t quite certain of what that might be. Nothing good, either way.
“Think about it,” Liu Qingge continues, when Shen Yuan says nothing in way too long. “Why would a Skinner demon rip out human hearts and brag about it?! Skinner gets nothing out of it. But someone behind Skinner might. Besides, what are the odds that a rogue human cultivator could force a demon into submission anyway? No one would believe that!”
Sadly true, because no demon would willingly lower their head before a human cultivator no matter what. They are quite the proud race. However, any demon would doubtlessly bow their head to a Heavenly Demon, even if said Heavenly Demon doesn’t necessarily go out of its way to establish its place at the top of the food chain.
“I get now, what Shidi is saying. Luo Binghe is a liability no matter what. Something needs to be done,” Shen Yuan says with a heavy heart. He wishes he were kidding. The cultivation world may as well be lying in wait to pin Luo Binghe down with the blame for things he hasn’t ever done ─ just because he might. Just like Shen Yuan had done, over and over. A self fulfilling prophecy of the worst kind.
All of it still hinges on a series of what-ifs. What if the cultivation world finds out that Luo Binghe is a half-Heavenly Demon? What if the cultivation world blames Luo Binghe for Shuang Hu city deaths? What if the cultivation world blames Cang Qiong Mountain Sect for raising him?
None of those things have happened yet, but Liu Qingge acts as though it is a matter of time.
Perhaps he is right. Huan Hua Palace doesn’t know about Luo Binghe yet, but they know something has messed with their precious array ─ and they’re deadset on finding out what in the shadiest way possible. Luo Binghe eventually becoming the punching bag of the entire Jianghu is definitely something the System with its mindless adoration for devastating melodrama will go for. How Shuang Hu city’s massacre may factor into it all is beside the point. To Liu Qingge, the danger is evident and its consequences imminent ─ and the way to mitigate all of that is right within his grasp.
“I’m going to tell the Sect Leader,” Liu Qingge declares. A little like he is asking for support. Or someone to tell him not to do that. When Shen Yuan does neither, he says, “I’m going now.”
Shen Yuan keeps his mouth firmly shut. He has resolved long ago not to get himself too deeply involved ─ something which he has repeatedly failed. He’s confident that this particular mess won’t skirt around him, either. But telling Liu Qingge to either do or not do something is only further inviting trouble to his own doorstep. Luo Binghe is the Protagonist. One way or another, the plot will do its best to either maximize his utility or his misery, and Shen Yuan no longer wants to be a source of it. But then, he can’t expect Cang Qiong Mountain to take that place for him.
Perhaps, Sect Leader Yue’s suggestion prior to them heading out here hasn’t been so unreasonable after all.
When Liu Qingge steps out of the room, a pop-up flashes before his eyes.
[Story mission: <Shadows of the Southern Realm> is now available. Accept the mission?]
And under it, faintly glowing, [Yes] and [No].
Shen Yuan pinches the space between his eyes. So, here it is. His first official mission in this second trial. From its name alone, he cannot possibly fathom what its purpose might be. Either way, Shen Yuan knows better than to delude himself that he may run from the System. It’s time for him to face the music head on.
Time to have a talk with Yue Qingyuan after all.
He doesn’t get in the way of Liu Qingge’s conversation first, and it is already late in the evening when Liu Qingge finally says everything he’s got to say and gives the Sect Leader his much needed space.
Shen Yuan is tempted to wait a while longer, give Yue Qingyuan a little time to rest in between getting smacked with plot developments, but in the end, a timer on the mission question pops up with promise to go with the default option unless Shen Yuan makes a decision soon ─ so he throws all the common sense out the window and knocks on the Sect Leader’s door.
“Come on in,” Yue Qingyuan answers, and he is a little surprised to find Shen Yuan of all people standing in his doorway. “Shidi…” but he trails off, doing that tiny, miniscule head shake whenever he must reset his head to remind himself he is talking to Shen Yuan and not Xiao Jiu. “How… how may I help? Master Shen, is something…?”
“That thing you wanted me to look into in the Southern Demon Realm,” Shen Yuan says. “Tell me more about it. It’s related to those reports that Liu-shidi gave us, on demons that don’t have physical form but can harm the living anyway, right?”
“Ah…” Yue Qingyuan blinks at him. “I thought Shen-shidi already said it doesn’t concern him─”
“Changed my mind,” Shen Yuan dismisses, which is the absolute truth. It’s just that he’d rather never disclose what exactly made him change his mind to start with.
Yue Qingyuan stares at him for a long time. Belatedly, Shen Yuan notices that his hair is down. It seems as if he’d already been preparing to go to bed before Liu Qingge got in his way and now Shen Yuan too. Eventually, he says, “Is this related to what Liu-shidi came to inform me about, a little earlier?”
“No? Yes. No. Well, kind of.” Shen Yuan grimaces. “Anyway, I’ve got something else to say about that later. You tell me first. You wanted me to do something over in Nan Jiang. What is it?”
“Ah.” Yue Qingyuan takes a deep breath ─ and then he opens his mouth.
Immediately, the system prompt in Shen Yuan’s field of vision lights up with the default answer already selected, and Shen Yuan is only left with one begrudging thought.
Fuck the fool that made Yue Qingyuan into a mission NPC. Fuck them with a pointy stick.
Notes:
LBH: *jumping and screaming* Shizun look I'm exactly who you want me to be!!!
SY: *feigns blindness* NOPE
Chapter 16: The Shadow Soul Phenomenon
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Absentmindedly tracking a single dot of brilliant white light as it slowly fades away in the orange glow of sunrise, Yue Qingyuan is almost startled by a knock on his door. He stands by the window of his inn room, facing Bailu Mountain looming over them like a shadow of damnation, his eyes not for even a moment abandoning the single fading spot in the distance.
“Come on in,” he says to the person outside.
Mu Qingfang steps inside, a little surprised to find the sect leader just standing there, doing nothing. Yue Qingyuan can rarely afford himself a chance to stand and do nothing. His Shidi brings no attention to this matter.
“Everyone’s ready to go,” Mu Qingfang says. “It’s just Zhangmen-shixiong left.”
Indeed. It’s just Yue Qingyuan left now.
“Have you had a chance to examine everybody? Are they all doing well?” he asks, without moving a step from his spot at the window, without so much as averting his eyes from the fading dot in the distance.
Mu Qingfang covers his indignation with a cough. “More or less, I suppose. Nothing that should stop us from heading home.”
“That’s good,” Yue Qingyuan says. “And that other matter we spoke about?”
At that, Mu Qingfang frowns. Without the invitation, he takes a seat at Yue Qingyuan’s table, looking much like he’d rather not have this conversation at all, but at the same time preparing to talk his ears off. Yue Qingyuan isn’t sure why he’s asking this to begin with. There’s only so many answers he can get and none that will satisfy his need to understand. More importantly, Mu-shidi takes his words very seriously. He’s all fun and games most of the time, but when it’s time to get to work, then nothing will ever shake him.
“Just as Zhangmen-shixiong asked, this shidi made sure to keep a diligent eye on Shen-shixiong in your absence. Aside from what we’ve already established, I’ve noted nothing of concern. Zhangmen-shixiong, I don’t know what you’re hoping to hear from me every time we have this conversation, but I have already said all I needed to say. There is nothing more for me to add.”
“Were there any issues with his flow of spiritual power lately?” Yue Qingyuan asks.
“No.”
“Increased risk of Qi deviation?”
“No.”
“Any evident signs of psychological trauma or issues of heart demons?”
“Zhangmen-shixiong!” Mu Qingfang raises his voice and Yue Qingyuan jumps a little. If Mu-shidi feels regretful over causing such a reaction, he shows none of it. In fact, the Qian Cao Peak Lord first takes a deep breath to compose himself, then finally continues speaking. “Over the past few weeks, you have had me do every examination imaginable on Shen-shixiong. I don’t know what you want to hear anymore. I have found no signs of any sort of external meddling, no evidence of any type of possession known to our libraries and not a single hint that his mind has somehow broken. Medically and spiritually speaking, there is nothing wrong with him or his cultivation ─ so I no longer understand the point of asking. These matters don’t change overnight.”
“He changed overnight,” Yue Qingyuan points out, not at all moving his gaze away from the window. The single dot of white has long since disappeared from his vision. Yue Qingyuan doesn’t know what he is waiting for anymore.
Mu Qingfang’s attempts at an argument all fall apart at this juncture.
“Have you had him tested with Hongjing?” Yue Qingyuan asks, still facing away.
“Thrice already. Why do you think Wei-shixiong won’t let me take that sword from his sword terrace anymore? It would’ve been of much better use in Bailu forest, snuffing out the parasites from Liu-shixiong, but we just had to waste all of Wei-shixiong’s goodwill on the same thing over and over.”
Yue Qingyuan pretends not to hear that sharp jab hidden between those not-quite diplomatic complaints. “So your conclusion, based on everything so far, is that there is no evidence of Shen-shidi being under the influence of any kind of dark possession, revenge-hungry spirit or even a demonic puppeteer?”
“It’s not easy to trap a cultivator at the level of a peak lord that way,” Mu Qingfang says. “If it was any of that, we would have already seen the signs.”
“That still leaves one possibility,” Yue Qingyuan concludes. “Heart Demons induced mental breakdown.”
The very possibility that his shidi might’ve given in to the darkness of his mind fills him with dread and trepidation. To go so far to denounce his own identity and rebuild another one from scratch ─ it’s as devastating as it gets. Yue Qingyuan would rather his precious shidi turn back to his many strange and questionable habits than lose him to the demons of his own heart. Where does one even begin to fix that kind of a mental ailment?
“Heart Demons can’t do that kind of psychological damage,” Mu Qingfang says. “Of the many things that could have caused a mental breakdown, Heart Demons are not one of them.”
“Then how do you explain it?” Yue Qingyuan asks, for what feels might be a hundredth time. They’ve been having this conversation over and over, yet somehow no breakthrough seems to come. They always go round and round in circles only to come back right where they started, with nothing to show for the efforts they put into it.
“Will shixiong hear me out while I say my piece until the end now?” Mu Qingfang asks, a little bemused.
Yue Qingyuan returns a woeful smile. “Don’t I always?”
“You try,” Mu Qingfang allows. “For all it’s worth, Shen-shixiong ─ I don’t think his mind is broken. And while we’re at it, I don’t think he’s lying, either.”
“The Shadow Soul Phenomenon, then,” Yue Qingyuan says, lips quivering slightly. “I do pay attention to what my shidis say.”
Mu Qingfang smiles back, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. “The Shadow Soul Phenomenon happens sometimes, when two souls with a similar signature come in close contact with one another. How that shows in reality is what we call possession, in lack of any better term, but the core of it is indeed that a different soul ultimately ends up taking the place of the original soul. What Shen Yuan described has from the beginning sounded exactly like the Shadow Soul Phenomenon to me.”
Yue Qingyuan’s face darkens. The sun has all but risen. The blue skies are bright and vibrant, few white clouds lingering near the top of the mountain range. This retreating dot that he has been carefully watching over for a while has long since disappeared from his sight. Taking a deep breath, he takes his seat across from his shidi, and says, “As Shidi informed me, this phenomenon may only happen once all the conditions have been met. Has Shidi finally determined which of those conditions we should further investigate?”
“You know most of them already.”
“Indeed,” Yue Qingyuan says. “Night of the new moon when the sky is at its darkest and the flow of power between heaven and the earth at its weakest. A shared emotion to link the souls together. And, of course, the shared energy signature of the soul. Already, the first condition is not achieved. The night of Shen-shidi’s Qi deviation was a waxing gibbous. Shift it a few days earlier or later, it changes nothing.”
“Perhaps. But the most important condition for the Shadow Soul Phenomenon to occur is none of those. Zhangmen-shixiong, I didn’t want to say it because I didn’t want to dash your hopes, but we’ve both seen enough that we cannot ignore this possibility anymore,” Mu Qingfang says. “The most important precondition for the Shadow Soul Phenomenon is the shared time of death.”
Yue Qingyuan’s fists clench unconsciously and he has to put effort into getting them to unclench. Flatly, he says, “I was at his bedside all along. Had Shen-shidi’s heartbeat stopped for nary a moment, I would have known.”
“Were you, though?” Mu Qingfang says, and Yue Qingyuan’s eyes narrow a fraction.
“What do you imply?”
“When Shen Qingqiu collapsed that night, the first person at his side was no one other than his disciple,” Mu Qingfang says. “He was the one to alert the rest of the peaks and the reason I was able to arrive at the scene so quickly. When I got there, Shen-shixiong was alive, but struggling. However, between my arrival and subsequently your own, there was still a sufficient lapse in time for the Shadow Soul Phenomenon to take place. By this, I don’t mean to claim anything for sure, but Zhangmen-shixiong, we must truly consider the possibility. Shen-shixiong… may no longer be among the living. The person we speak to, Shen Yuan… is most likely all that remains.”
Yue Qingyuan maintains impeccable control of his breathing ─ and achieves a miracle in controlling his temper. He doesn’t want to listen to this. He doesn’t dare entertain the notion nor does he dare consider the implications. For his shidi, a prisoner to his past and forever trapped in the darkness of his youth, to lose his life in such a way is simply cruel. Yue Qingyuan is a believer of one truth ─ there is no honor in death. Something like that would imply that there is also no dishonor in losing your life, however, this time, he truly feels as if the world has turned its back on Shen Jiu in the most vicious way imaginable. If not for Yue Qingyuan’s continued existence, no one would know Shen Jiu lived. This way, if Mu Qingfan is correct, no one would even know if he’d died.
It’s too much. Too unfortunate. Too harsh.
Yue Qingyuan closes his eyes and latches onto his last feeble hope. “What Shidi is saying also implies that Shen-shidi may still be living his life the same way Shen Yuan does. In an unknown place, surrounded by people he doesn’t know, in a body that does not belong to him.”
“Nowhere has it been recorded that the Shadow Soul Phenomenon goes both ways,” Mu Qingang says softly.
“Nowhere does it imply that it doesn’t,” Yue Qingyuan counters.
“Either way, we might never know,” Mu Qingfang says. “The books you found on Qing Jing peak are too broad and only touch upon this matter. Besides, this phenomenon isn’t something that can be undone ─ at least, not according to this one’s knowledge and experience. Of course, we can do as Zhangmen-shixiong suggested and keep him prisoner until we’ve collected all the records on this matter, but that might take years─”
“No, we cannot,” Yue Qingyuan says.
“Of course, if Zhangmen-shixiong disagrees, we don’t have to do that ─ Shen Yuan doesn’t seem like a terrible person, either way. Letting him stay as the Qing Jing Peak Lord isn’t going to be breaking any rules either─”
“We cannot.”
“But, those kids are already─”
“I don’t mean to say I’m the one who won’t permit it,” Yue Qingyuan says, his eyes drifting back towards the window. “Shen Yuan has already left of his own volition. Earlier, he expressed his desire to go as we’ve previously discussed ─ and I did not stop him.”
“WHAT?!” Mu Qingfang explodes, slamming both his palm on the table as he rises. “Sect Leader, you ─ how could you just let him go?!”
Yue Qingyuan forcefully shifts his eyes away from the window and smiles briefly. “He wanted to go. And, as you already know, my heart cannot bear to keep him prisoner for any longer. So if he wishes to go, he should. If he wishes to come back, the door of Cang Qiong Mountain will always stay open to let him in.” Not to mention, Shen Yuan has decided to do so to respect Yue Qingyuan’s wish to investigate a problem, with only a single demand in return. It is natural that Yue Qingyuan has no choice but to comply.
Mu Qingfang has hardly calmed down, but he asks, “Where did he go?”
“The Southern Border Realm. Nan Jiang.”
“Zhangmen-shixiong! I told you! The rumors there are mere hearsay. There is no evidence at all that a Shadow Soul Phenomenon can be reproduced there!”
“That’s not the reason he went and it’s not the reason I allowed it, either,” Yue Qingyuan says. Then, after a moment, he pulls a letter from within sleeve and hands it over to Mu Qingfang.
Hurriedly, the man picks it up to read the contents, and his face grows darker the more he reads. “A recreation of the Shuang Hu city massacre near the Southern Border? Who reported this?”
“It spread among the southern demon clans first. Our informants caught wind of it just the other day. The Old Palace Master confirmed it for me when we were conversing earlier, prior to… well, you know. Already, the four sects are discussing what actions must be taken to respond to this. And I suspect Liu-shidi has voiced his concerns to you as well. This issue of demons with no physical form cannot be ignored.”
“But sending him there alone… Does he even know what he might encounter there?”
“Shen-shidi insisted. His words were quite convincing. I offered to send any person of his choice with him, but he declined.”
Mu Qingfang gapes at him. “Zhangmen-shixiong! You cannot just allow such things out of your own personal interests! Was what happened to Liu-shixiong not enough?!”
“What about me?!” comes from right outside the window, and both Mu Qingfang and Yue Qingyuan freeze in their tracks. Absently, Yue Qingyuan looks out the window again. Indeed, there he is, Liu Qingge, standing together with his sister and the group of Qing Jing disciples, the demon they captured neatly tied among them all. “Are you all not coming down already?! We’re supposed to leave!”
“We’ll finish this conversation some other time, shidi,” Yue Qingyuan informs him gently. “Let’s not keep the rest waiting.”
Mu Qingfang, however, has other concerns. “Are we really taking that thing with us, too?” Clearly, he is frowning at the half-snake demon trapped in between the pair of Qing Jing disciples.
Yue Qingyuan shrugs noncommittally. “That demon was of great help, according to Liu-shidi’s account.” Besides, it’s certainly not the only demon they are taking back with them. Luo Binghe’s identity as the Heavenly Demon still makes Yue Qingyuan’s head spin when he thinks about it beyond the surface level. For the moment, he’s trying not to ask too many questions.
Shen Yuan, however, has made himself perfectly clear before leaving. One way or another, it is now Yue Qingyuan’s duty to make sure that both Luo Binghe and the snake demon are comfortably settled back in Qing Jing Peak. Truly, whether or not that person is his Shidi, he chooses his words too well. Yue Qingyuan cannot possibly imagine himself going against his wishes.
“Let’s go home,” he says.
As expected, no one is thrilled to hear that Shen Yuan will not be joining. Liu Qingge’s face especially darkens in what is either concealed suspicion or perhaps even thinly veiled concern, Yue Qingyuan doesn’t ask. The Qing Jing Peak’s disciples try very hard not to throw a tantrum, but those barely concealed tears in their eyes burn Yue Qingyuan like the sting of a scorpion.
He reassures them with empty words, promising that their Shizun will return in due time ─ but he himself is not sure he will be able to keep that promise. That decision has not belonged to him from the beginning, and the shelter he has offered to his Shidi is merely an offer, not a prison sentence. He could not keep any version of Shen Qingqiu in any place by force, not if he can possibly help it. His conscience would never let him live a day free of guilt.
No one speaks a word of it on their way back, but Yue Qingyuan feels the absence just as deeply as the rest of them. But even if that youth, Luo Binghe, may afford to look over his shoulder many times in search of his Shizun, Yue Qingyuan cannot afford to do the same.
He is the Sect Leader of Cang Qiong Mountain, the master of the Qiong Ding Peak and the pillar of the whole central plains. If he is to falter at this point, then he never should’ve strived for this position to start with.
Shen Yuan will return, eventually. Whether he returns as Shen Yuan, or he comes back as Xiao Jiu ─ Yue Qingyuan will welcome him back with wide open arms regardless.
Liu Qingge is dreaming.
There is no question about this, not a shred of doubt about it even inside his own head. It’s not even the first time that he’s having this dream. Ever since the dramatic reveal of the Skinner parasites nesting in his chest like some overzealous pets, Liu Qingge has been having some wild dreams on a regular basis and he’s hated every moment of it. Now, however, it's gotten a completely new spin. Mostly, it’s the dreams of himself, lying on his back in a pool of his own blood, a sword piercing deep into his chest, right through his heart.
This current dream is also like that.
Liu Qingge never gets to see the circumstances leading up to this moment, or what unfolds afterwards. He thinks he might’ve caught a whiff of it, a few times, maybe, but if that actually happened, he can’t remember for sure. Everything that comes before and after this moment is wrapped in a haze of smoke and mist, intangible and unreachable, no matter how hard he tries to attain this impossible enlightenment.
He wants to know.
Desperately, he wants to understand.
The blade piercing his heart is cold and rageful, sharp and merciless.
The face of the blade’s owner is sometimes clear and sometimes it flickers. Sometimes, the way it looks down on him is sharper than his blade, yet other times, it is as elusive as the clouds. Sometimes it speaks, other times it watches him in somber silence, as though mourning the moment of death that never seems to pass.
It is always this same moment.
The moment the blade sinks in, piercing through flesh and his heart, the moment Liu Qingge realizes he is about to die, the moment after which there is no going back.
The pain is torrid, frigid, agonizing. Not so much the physical aspect of it, but the emotions it evokes inside him, a flood of many different things at the same time, none of which Liu Qingge can recognize. There is just one thing that he is vividly aware of every single time, and it is a tear in the corner of his eye. It burns his skin and and makes his gut twist in self-hatred, as if he isn’t allowed, as if he doesn’t have the right─
The tear never rolls down his face. It stays there, frozen in time just as Liu Qingge, a painful reminder of all the things he doesn’t understand, all the explanations that keep evading him.
Why does Liu Qingge keep having this dream?
He feels like he would have the answer, if he listened to the person who did this to him, if he were able to hear him out, whatever it is that the bastard has to say. But he can’t. Even when the other party is speaking, when his mouth is obviously moving, no voice ever reaches Liu Qingge’s ears.
Sometimes, when the pain isn’t too overbearing on his consciousness ─ generally the case whenever Liu Qingge’s spiritual energy is stable enough before he falls asleep ─ he tries to lip read. It doesn’t do much, because Liu Qingge has never actually learned how to, but now he’s trying to learn, just to be able to decipher all this crazy nonsense inside his own head. But at the end of it, every single time, the results are always the same.
Liu Qingge lies down with phantom pain in his chest and a bitter taste of betrayal in his mouth, forever asking the same question over and over again.
Why would Shen Qingqiu do this to me?
And then he wakes up ─ and that’s it. Here’s another thing to unpack when awake. Shen Qingqiu, repeatedly killing him in his dreams.
Liu Qingge can’t say that he was ever especially fond of that man, but he is certain that they never had such a deeply resentful relationship between them. They’ve fought a lot as disciples, and even more so later on. A natural consequence of Shen Qingqiu’s arrogance and Liu Qingge’s short temper, and the common need to come out on top regardless of everything else. It was a personal unresolved rivalry, but it was never hatred… not on Liu Qingge’s side, not really.
Shen Qingqiu is a lot of things. He is arrogant, ambitious and aggressive. He is overly proud and a sore loser, could never accept defeat without making a dramatic exit full of spiteful words he probably didn’t mean, but said them anyway just to ruffle the feathers and poke at someone else’s pride in vengeance. Liu Qingge hates this type the most ─ it reeks of a disrespectful, pampered son of some rich noble family who takes all his anger out on other people instead of working through it like a normal person. Not only that, but his personal history is also a hot mess, what with his dabbling into dark cultivation, terrible personality and insatiable womanizer habits. Regardless of innate talent, a person like that doesn’t deserve to be a cultivator, and this is something that Liu Qingge has made clear many times in the past, especially after the previous Sect Leader’s controversial announcement that Shen Qingqiu really will be made into the Peak Lord of Qing Jing Peak.
It was outrageous, it was preposterous, it was completely ridiculous.
But the decision was made regardless of Liu Qingge’s opinion ─ and after Yue Qingyuan took the mantle of the Sect Leader, his positive perception of Shen Qingqiu and obvious favoritism became even more of a hot topic among the twelve peaks. That was roughly around the time Liu Qingge stopped voicing his complaints quite so argumentatively.
It wasn’t so much that he couldn’t see the purpose of it. Oh, the Sect Leader is obviously biased, let’s just leave it at that ─ that was the other Peak Lords complaining, but not Liu Qingge. Never Liu Qingge.
In fact, the main reason Liu Qingge stopped complaining and started just fighting the man is fairly simple. He could see the other side ─ the side that as a disciple he simply never had a chance to see.
Shen Qingqiu was good at this shit.
Sure, his style of leadership left a lot to be desired, but he was actually good at running his Peak, no matter what anyone else had to say about it. He was certainly better at it than Liu Qingge was. At least, his disciples weren’t trying to kill each other and all the other disciples just to let off steam on a daily basis. Shen Qingqiu took his wishy-washy batch of scholar brats and made them into a bunch of bitter, but dangerous youths ─ brats who knew how to take a punch and were vicious when hitting back.
Shen Qingqiu cultivated a peak full of disciples who were exactly like him. Bitter, ambitious, starved for achievement and recognition. And someone will say that’s a bad thing, maybe, but Liu Qingge doesn’t see it that way. At least when Shen Qingqiu’s disciples head out for a mission, they have a tendency to come back alive.
Whereas, whenever Liu Qingge approves of his disciples’ adventures in the wild, whatever number of them has left, the number of them that returns is inevitably smaller. Sometimes that number is down by one ─ those are the times to celebrate, really. But sometimes that number is equivalent to the number that left in the first place and it’s only their corpses that ever make it back, and sometimes it takes way too long to notice that those stupid brats haven’t made it back at all.
Others will just wave their hands and say, well, that’s just Bai Zhan Peak for you, isn’t it? No one tracks how many disciples join Bai Zhan Peak anyway ─ Liu Qingge certainly doesn’t, so why would anyone else? Moreso, why would they track how many of them leave and don’t come back? It’s not their responsibility and Liu Qingge doesn’t want to make it so in the first place. Bai Zhan Peak has always had the biggest disciple turnover rate from way before even Liu Qingge’s disciple days. It’s just always been that way. It is how it is.
… but is that how it has to be?
Shen Qingqiu is the one who has been calling this out repeatedly, to the point that even the other Peak Lords could no longer bear to listen to him. Mu Qingfang stands by him sometimes, stands against him at other times, but at least in this regard, those two share some common ground.
And Liu Qingge gets that. The fact that the two of them are the only ones who dare call out his mistakes to his face gives him all the more reason to respect both of them, even if they both have their many annoying points. Shen Qingqiu is far more unbearable to listen to than Mu Qingfang ever will be, but it doesn’t change the fact that they’re right.
They’re right in many things that they say, they’re right in calling out every single decision Liu Qingge makes and they’re right in their insistence that a change must be made.
They just don’t get one thing ─ Liu Qingge is trying. But Bai Zhan isn’t like the rest of the twelve peaks. In fact, no two peaks are ever alike, that is the whole point of having twelve of them to start with… but Bai Zhan Peak, especially, is different from the rest. Most other peaks have one thing in common ─ with the change of the authority figure on the peak, the peak itself changes to move in respect of that authority.
Shen Qingqiu is the prime example of this. Prior to him taking over the Peak Lord position, Qing Jing peak was the widely known four arts peak, the best of the best among the scholars, musicians, artisans, poets. Before Shen Qingqiu, however, they were also the most useless, forever bullied by all the rest, relegated to librarian roles and bookkeeping duties, never to step outside the mountain limits. In fact, the Qing Jing Peak of the past was much like what An Ding is today, except weaker. The second highest peak of them all, yet the one earning least respect.
At least, with Shang Qinghua, it’s obvious why his Peak won’t ever rise above that. The stupid idiot doesn’t have a single ambitious bone in his body.
But Shen Qingqiu would never be satisfied with Qing Jing Peak as it used to be ─ so he changed it. The peak of wimpy scholars became a peak of angry, vicious little beasts… but those annoying little fools started raking in some ridiculous achievements running on pure spite. It’s downright impressive, if Liu Qingge grudgingly says so himself.
In contrast, Liu Qingge has achieved nothing at all ─ and he’s praised for it over and over.
Bai Zhan Peak has always been the peak of the violent, the uncontrolled, the throw-themselves-at-danger types. And that’s fine. If it wasn’t that way, Liu Qingge never would have climbed the damn peak in the first place. But that recklessness comes with a hefty price.
The disciples on Bai Zhan Peak come from all sorts of different backgrounds, with different scars and different goals in life. Many of them, had they not found their way to Bai Zhan first, would have become hoodlums, bandits or outright criminals of the worst order. It stands to say that controlling that temper is no easy task, but then, it’s not impossible either.
In fact, it’s sometimes devastatingly simple. Give Bai Zhan Peak something powerful to fight against and they’re satisfied. Either they will defeat the crazy thing and further feed into the Peak’s already wild reputation, or they will die and leave no blemish on it regardless. In fact, the worst punishment for that group of idiots is to let them fight something weak and pathetic, something that the other peaks would call a respectable, average problem.
No. Bai Zhan must always achieve the impossible. Bai Zhan must always outdo themselves.
There are certainly ways that excess of aggressive energy could be put to better use than the disciples getting uselessly killed trying to surpass each other in strength, but Liu Qingge has tried more or less anything that came to mind over the years and has ultimately achieved less than nothing.
The spirit of Bai Zhan Peak transcends even the Peak Lord.
The ways of Bai Zhan Peak have been built over many centuries, set in stone not as rules written to be broken, but the expectations, the respect and the glory. To Bai Zhan Peak, authority is merely your place in the food chain. If you’re strong enough to come out on top of everyone else, then they will listen ─ but only as much as they want to.
Many seem to regard it as such, but Bai Zhan Peak is no army. They show their respect to Liu Qingge by trying to shove him out of his position every so often and Liu Qingge puts them back in their place for their efforts with brutal beatdowns and lots of enthusiasm ─ this is the sort of natural way things have always been over at Bai Zhan Peak from the beginning. In fact, if Liu Qingge weren’t so crazy about putting everyone in their goddamned place, he likely wouldn’t have become the Peak Lord to start with. He never wanted that, either. Shizun made him take up the mantle as punishment rather than a reward and ─ well.
Liu Qingge used to think that it was ridiculous, for that stupid old man to be calling the Peak Lord position a punishment. The man had put himself there, after all, because if he hadn’t, the disciples would have eaten him alive already…
He gets it now.
Bai Zhan Peak has always been home to the violent, to the ruffians, to the untamable. Trying to bring order to chaos paints an ugly target on one’s back and no one ─ not even the other Peak Lords, are crazy enough to do that to themselves. Not the Sect Leader, all too busy with keeping the peace. Not any single one of the rest ─ except Shen Qingqiu.
So, yes. Liu Qingge hates Shen Qingqiu’s guts, but he also respects the man to a degree ─ not that he will ever admit it out loud.
Still, Shen Qingqiu’s take on Bai Zhan Peak’s behavior is correct and Liu Qingge has done his best to take the criticism and make changes accordingly, make the best of what he can ─ but there really isn’t much that he has achieved.
If he doesn’t give his approval for a night hunt because he deems it too dangerous, the disciples will go ahead and do it without the permit anyway. If he calls the hunt too pathetic to be worth their time to dissuade them, if they think otherwise, they will go anyway. Whether he tells them to do something or not, they will still do whatever they want. If he punishes them with beatdowns, that’s just normal. If he does it in different ways, the punished disciples just go and take their frustration out elsewhere, on other peaks, and Liu Qingge is once again at the receiving end of criticism over stuff he cannot change.
So Liu Qingge does the only thing he can. Since his authority is only measured in how many disciples he can beat bloody in a day, that’s what he does ─ and he does so mercilessly. The logic is simple. The more he exhausts and beats them up on the Peak, the less likely they are to die outside of it. It’s not a good compromise, not really, but it’s the only one that’s worked so far. Although on a personal level, Liu Qingge thinks it’s nowhere near good enough. A thought which Shen Qingqiu voiced out loud, every damn time.
Liu Qingge sometimes wishes he could throttle the man.
He knows Shen Qingqiu thinks alike. Know thy enemy, or however that goes.
But not once had Liu Qingge ever thought about truly killing Shen Qingqiu. Neither did he ever feel, in their many clashes, that Shen Qingqiu wanted him buried deep under either. Beaten and bruised and dishonored? Yeah, sure. But dead? The kind of ruthless one-hit-kill? Never.
So the fact that these recurring dreams won’t leave him alone is nothing but a bad omen.
Liu Qingge is not a big fan of prophetic dreams, but he knows one when he sees it. This shit can’t be anything but. Either Shen Qingqiu is somewhere out there plotting to murder him in his sleep, or it’s Liu Qingge’s conscience warning him that he’s doing something that Shen Qingqiu would consider worth killing him over.
Most likely, it’s the latter.
Even more likely, it’s directly related to that one annoying demon disciple that Shen Qingqiu had taken under his wing personally. A direct disciple to Shen Qingqiu and a Heavenly Demon. A match made in hell right there.
Liu Qingge feels the kid’s eyes on him every so often when he stops by Qing Jing Peak, dutifully taking over Shen Qingqiu’s responsibilities in his absence. No one asked him to do it and no one would dare, but Liu Qingge does it anyway. He needs something to do other than beat up his overzealous disciples, who seem to have made it their personal mission in life to find a Skinner demon to skewer so that they would prove themselves better than their Shizun. One daring brat even made it into a fucking bet. Obviously, Mu Qingfng is moderating. Now other peaks are joining the race too.
Honestly. Just when one thinks that things cannot get any worse, that’s precisely what happens. At this rate, Liu Qingge might as well take his Peak Lord mantle and throw it out there for any random dumbass to take.
Like HELL.
Shizun didn’t leave that bunch of overzealous, arrogant fools in Liu Qingge’s hands just so he’d get them all killed in the end. But if they keep heading out there, looking for Skinner, they’ll be walking straight to their deaths, and Liu Qingge can’t have that. He needs to do something about this ─ and he has just the idea.
“Hey, you!” he snaps, just as he makes his way over to Qing Jing Peak and finds exactly the person he’s looking for.
Luo Binghe looks over at him from where he’s sitting, meditating on top of his rock, but shows no respect whatsoever. It’s only when they’re alone that the brat dares act with such disrespect. But now, they’ve reached a whole new level of disrespect. Luo Binghe smirks at him.
“Liu Qingge, huh? What do you want?”
Liu Qingge pushes down the urge to pulverize the brat against that rock and says, “I noticed your meridian setup sucks like shit. For a demon trying to build a spiritual cultivation system from scratch, mediation will get you nowhere.”
Luo Binghe frowns slightly, but he says, “Then, does Shishu have a better idea?”
Liu Qingge ignores just how mocking that title sounds, coming out of Luo Binghe’s mouth and says, “Perhaps I do.”
At this, Luo Binghe’s lips stretch into a thin smile. It looks eerie on a child’s face. “I’m listening.”
And so, Liu Qingge blurts out his very stupid, very thoughtless, very ridiculous idea. But the longer he talks, the more amused Luo Binghe gets. In fact, by the time Liu Qingge says everything he’s had to say, Luo Binghe’s eyes are positively shining with bloodthirst and interest. That can’t possibly be a good thing, but screw it. Liu Qingge is past the point of looking for a good solution.
“Well?” he barks, when the kid doesn’t so much as say a word to his whole damn speech. Say something already! Is this kinda thing below your demonic honor?! Screw that shit!
“I’m a little impressed,” Luo Binghe notes dryly, visibly amused. “Who could’ve guessed that you would come up with that?”
“Are you in or are you not?!” Liu Qingge snaps. “Offer expires in three, two─”
“I’ll take it, if that’s what Shishu is offering,” the boy says with a smile. “But Liu-shishu must also do something for me in return.”
“What is it?” Liu Qingge hisses. Better get this over and done with. The brat knows Liu Qingge has a debt to pay and clearly plans to abuse that to hell and back. The sooner he repays that debt and the slate between them clears, the better.
Luo Binghe smiles brightly. Then he beckons him over, like he’s talking to a child.
Liu Qingge seethes inside, but compiles, all the while promising painful vengeance in the future. The kid invites him closer and closer, until his nose is practically brushing against the tip of Liu Qingge’s ear. The contact sends cold shivers rolling down his back with just how intentional it is.
Then Luo Binghe whispers his condition into Liu Qingge’s ears, and the Bai Zhan Peak Lord’s eyebrow shoots up.
What?!
What the hell?!
Notes:
And with this, we're technically starting a new arc! Some tags have been a bit adjusted and yeah we're kicking off some brand new plots... sadly, no updates before the weekend as I'm gonna be pretty busy in the meantime. Love ya!
Chapter 17: Mutual Benefit
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
“What?” Luo Binghe asks teasingly, as he finally moves his face away from Liu Qingge’s, whose face has changed a number of colors already. From white to green to purple, he’s eventually settled on angry red, looking just like a dam about to burst. “Is Liu-shishu not able to do what I want? All I want is just one item. Is that so much?” he taunts, all too gleefully.
For a long time, Liu Qingge glares at him like he can’t decide whether to kick him or draw his sword at him, but eventually, he settles on a one-word question, “Why?”
“What ‘why’?” Luo Binghe returns. “Is it not enough that I ask Shishu to do it? Why must I also provide an explanation?”
“No,” Liu Qingge says, seemingly genuinely confused. “What the fuck does a demon want with a holy item? Isn’t that shit… harmful… to your kind?”
“It’s a tool, Shishu. Whether or not it’s harmful is entirely dependent on how you use it. What? Is Shishu going to say he can’t even let me borrow it from the ancient artifacts room? It’s not like I’m going to destroy it.”
“No,” Liu Qingge says, frowning. “What makes you think that thing is among the ancient artifacts anyway?”
Not yet, then? Luo Binghe sighs. “Well, does it matter? I just want it for a little while.” Well, for a long time, frequently, in an easily accessible place. But there is no need to go into specifics, especially not with this person.
“I can’t get it,” the Bai Zhan Peak Lord says flatly, then as Luo Binghe is about to speak, he quickly adds, “even if I wanted to, I can’t. If it were in the ancient artifacts room, sure. But it’s not. That thing is one of Huan Qingyan’s precious keepsakes. She’d rather break it herself than let me have it.”
The Ku Xing Peak Lord? Luo Binghe frowns. In his previous life, in between this time and Luo Binghe’s raid of Cang Qiong Mountain many years later, that person had already surrendered all of her precious items to the ancient artifacts room on Qiong Ding Peak. Apparently, that hasn’t happened yet, which is a little strange. Luo Binghe was certain that all of those items had been collecting dust in Qiong Ding Peak’s artifacts room for a very long time before he destroyed all of them.
“Shishu could merely ask to take it for a short time,” Luo Binghe points out calmly. “Or is it that Shishu doesn’t actually want my help and has just said what he’s said to entertain me?”
Liu Qingge makes a face of disgust, looking like he’d much rather be throwing punches than talking.
Luo Binghe smiles at him as brightly as before when he says, “In that case, I’m afraid I can’t help Shishu with his request─”
“Tell me why,” Liu Qingge blurts out, cheeks flushing an angry raid. “Explain, and I will consider it. That incense burner isn’t anything special, anyway. It’s just a trinket blessed in a temple. What could it possibly be for?”
“It’s not a special trinket, but Shishu still knows so many details about it?” Luo Binghe asks curiously, only mildly trying to annoy Liu Qingge with his attitude. Fortunately, he doesn’t need to extend much effort at all, for Liu Qingge looks like he’d gladly strangle him, if only he could.
“It’s a trinket. Useful on occasion, but ultimately worthless,” the Bai Zhan War God is saying, irritated, as he pointedly faces away from Luo Binghe. “I saw Huan Qingyan use it on a demon once and it wasn’t pretty. That’s why I cannot possibly fathom why you, a demon, would want it.”
“I heard it’s a holy item that can trap quite a lot of demonic Qi inside it,” Luo Binghe admits, rather honestly. “Is that not true?” Of course, he knows it is, but that’s not why he’s asking.
“That and more,” Liu Qingge grumbles, passing this quiz with flying colors. “What? Do you have some demonic Qi that you want to lock in there?”
“Mhm,” Luo Binghe confirms cheerily. “My own.”
Liu Qingge blanches at him, jaw hanging.
Luo Binghe smiles. “Why so surprised, Shishu? You know the current state of my meridians so well, so you must also be well aware of the fact that my body’s ability to handle demonic Qi is basically nonexistent at the moment. Otherwise, getting those Skinner parasites out of you would have been so much easier.”
Initial surprise aside, Liu Qingge does seem to put some thought into what he’s saying, because after a moment, he nods. “Can’t work with it, better to store it away. But so, that means you can cultivate both spiritual and demonic Qi at the same time? How?”
“Se-cret~” Luo Binghe sings-songs at him, almost laughing at the sheer annoyance it earns him. “Maybe I will tell Shishu about it someday. Or maybe I will even show you, if you get this for me. Come on, Shishu, you already know there’s not that many nefarious things I could use it for. Don’t you want my help, too?”
With a bitter expression on his face, Liu Qingge stalls for a very long time. However uneasy he may be with this idea, though, he still can’t seem to find a good enough reason to reject it ─ and Luo Binghe knows that it’s his personal curiosity refusing to let him make the righteous choice.
“It will take time,” Liu Qingge says, ultimately. “Huan Qingyan isn’t back. Who knows when she might be. Her pilgrimages tend to last a while. Remind me again when she comes back─”
“Then it’s a good thing that this disciple pays attention to the news from the other peaks as well, as it appears Lady Huan has returned just last night. What? Did Shishu really think I would request something unreasonable?”
He can see the flicker of panic on Liu Qingge’s face as he says it, wild and unrestrained, but he hides it quickly. Instead, he glares at Luo Binghe ragefully. “You set me up.”
“How could I? It’s Shishu who came looking for me first.”
At that Liu Qingge truly looks ready to explode. But even though he would obviously like to blame all his problems on Luo Binghe, this time he really can’t afford to. As much as Luo Binghe would like it otherwise, the chaos on Bai Zhan Peak truly has nothing to do with him. Yet.
He’s just about to make another snarky remark, just to irritate the man, when suddenly, Liu Qingge disappears from in front of his eyes and reappears behind him. Before Luo Binghe can so much as get a word out, a firm hand grabs him by the back of his robes, lifting him up until legs are helplessly dangling a few inches off the ground. Instantly, his face flushes.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?!” he snarls, only for Liu Qingge to smack the top of his head with his knuckles.
Within a heartbeat he’s up on Cheng Luan, flying in the air. In spite of all of Luo Binghe’s protests, the hand on his back stays there, carrying him like a sack with no support under his feet and absolutely no dignity.
“Liu Qingge, I’m going to kill you!” Luo Binghe shouts along the way, seething and swearing bloody revenge. ARGH! He was stupid for thinking the man would ever submit willingly! Instead, Liu Qingge takes him for a flight over Cang Qiong Mountain in the most humiliating, embarassing way possible.
Still, Luo Binghe bites his anger back when he’s dropped into a heap on the ground smack in the middle of a bunch praying monks, face flushing further as none of them so much as even blink in surprise. Without ever opening their eyes, they all bow their heads deeply to Liu Qingge. “Ku Xing Peak respectfully greets Liu-shibo.”
Liu Qingge merely grunts at them, walking straight up to… huh. Luo Binghe lifts himself off the ground just enough to see the half-disgusted look on Liu Qingge, as he comes to stand in front of the only woman atop Ku Xing Peak.
Interest sparked, Luo Binghe quickly shifts around on the ground, until he is sitting as respectfully as the rest of the monks, his own white uniform just enough to let him seamlessly blend with the crowd ─ all of whom are currently keenly watching the interaction between the two peak lords and holding their breaths.
For his part, Luo Binghe doesn’t know much about the person in charge of the last of the twelve peaks, other than the fact that she was the only woman who had ever successfully snuck among the peak of abstinent monks and won praise from their Shizun for that stunt. That ultimately made her the target of criticism from inside and outside her peak. Allegedly, the story spread among the disciples is that Ku Xing Peak’s current leader had been sold as a slave in youth, escaped and snuck into Ku Xing Peak pretending to be a male, until the previous Peak Lord discovered the plot shortly before ascension. Other stories aren’t too different, other than painting her as a daughter of a noble clan who escaped due to family pressure to marry.
However, looking at the master of Ku Xing Peak, Luo Binghe doesn’t understand how she could have ever fooled anybody into thinking she was a male to begin with.
The lady of Ku Xing peak isn’t much taller than himself, who has not yet had his growth spurt. Even for most women on Cang Qiong Mountain, she is simply too short. Compared to Liu Qingge’s towering figure, she could have passed for a child, if not for the delicate embroidery work of her robes and the busty bosom that goes against everything that Ku Xing Peak stands for. And as she stands there, her prayer beads in hand, focus interrupted… well. Luo Binghe wouldn’t say that the look in her eyes is terrifying or anything, he has seen things much scarier than that. But when she levels those eyes at Liu Qingge, she may as well have stabbed him with daggers.
Liu Qingge himself doesn’t seem to realize he’s flinched, as he clears his throat awkwardly and hisses, “Hey, Huan Qingyan.”
The silence on the entire peak is palpable. Luo Binghe doesn’t know what kind of a relationship these two Peak Lords have ─ aside from Liu Qingge’s interest in his Shizun, he has never paid much attention to his interactions with the others ─ but some sort of a deep seethed rivalry must be there, otherwise Luo Binghe cannot imagine anyone scrutinizing Liu Qingge so carefully and so… suspiciously? To the point where even the Bai Zhan War God is visibly uncomfortable.
Is that even the right way to put it?
Liu Qingge looks like he loathes every second he must spend here, meanwhile the lady of the twelfth peak of Cang Qiong Mountain looks like she wouldn’t trust him to breathe in her direction.
Very slowly, she returns her beads back into her sleeve, clearly without a doubt in her mind that the prayer she’s started won’t be finished.
Liu Qingge, meanwhile, is getting rather impatient. “What?! Are you just gonna ignore me?! Hey, Huan Qingyan! Remember your place─”
“Liu-shixiong looks very energetic these days. And here this Shimei prayed all night for his quick recovery. Ah, what a waste of prayers that could have gone elsewhere.”
“Who the heck asked you for that?!” Liu Qingge explodes, face flushing in bright red. “I’m perfectly fine, you─”
“Shimei can tell, Liu-shixiong looks very well. Reports of Shixiong’s injury must have been greatly exaggerated.”
Whatever spiteful curse Liu Qingge is about to bite out, he chokes it back down, grasping the hilt of his sword unconsciously, then relaxing it.
He says, “Your incense burner. Can I take it for a while?”
The whole peak gasps in shock at the sheer audacity. Even Luo Binghe is a little caught up in the anticipating mood, as everyone waits for something to blow. Liu Qingge is blunt and shameless in his request and Huan Qingyan has that look on her face as though she has just been unforgivably slighted. She takes in a breath, maintaining her calm as she asks, very patiently.
“Liu-shixiong, out of respect for your senior position, you are well aware that this Shimei cannot refuse your request. But need I remind you of our personal agreement, made the last time you dared request an item from my collection?”
Liu Qingge says nothing, but the tension to his fists is blindingly obvious. Oooh, Luo Binghe has done something interesting here. Who could have known?
The woman of Ku Xing peak, however, only intensifies in her demeanor. “Tell me, Liu-shixiong. How many of my holy items has Bai Zhan taken over the past years?”
Liu Qingge keeps his mouth firmly shut.
Huan Qingyan walks around him, the featherlight sleeves of her robes fluttering in the gentle wind. “If you have forgotten, allow this Shimei to remind you. Ever since our appointment as the Qing generation, Peak Lord Liu has taken exactly nineteen items from Ku Xing Peak’s holy collection. Isn’t that right?”
Again, Liu Qingge says nothing, but Luo Binghe doesn’t miss the way his ears burn a bright red. Well, how interesting is that indeed. This wild beast of a man does know what embarrassment is. Anger is not his default state of being after all.
“Nineteen indeed,” Huan Qinguan says lightly, but her sweet voice couldn’t have fooled anybody. Underneath the fancy hairdo and pure white robes, she hides taunts as sharp as blades. “Next question, Liu-shixiong. How many of those items has Shixiong returned to Ku Xing Peak?”
Absolute silence.
From somewhere behind him, Luo Binghe sees a monk lean over to his other fellow monk and say, “Should we get the betting polls started?”
Luo Binghe glances over his shoulder, just in time to see the other monk indicating something quickly. Silence descends upon everyone once more, but nowhere is it more obvious than between the two peak lords. Huan Qingyan has stopped pacing around, has instead come to stand right in front of Liu Qingge, staring him down as though she is the one in charge of this conversation, as though she fears nothing, Liu Qingge’s explosive temper not even a concern.
Then she lifts her index finger, holding it up between them meaningfully.
Instantly, Liu Qingge explodes. “Hey! I told you! It wasn’t my damn fault─!”
“One,” Huan Qingyan talks over him, with enough force to her voice to overpower even Bai Zhan’s crazy master. “Out of nineteen precious items you have taken out of my collection, you have only returned one ─ and even that one was no longer in usable condition. Tell me, Liu Qingge. Why should I let you have anything of mine ever again?”
“I ─ I had my fucking reasons, alright?!”
“Oh, spare me the excuses. As if I haven’t already incurred additional damages thanks to your Peak’s ruffian ways. I dare you to go make this request via the Sect Leader. Unless he personally requests it, you will get nothing from my Peak whatsoever. Not now, nor ever again.”
“That’s fucking it!” Liu Qingge snaps, drawing his sword instantly. “Fight me right now!”
Luo Binghe gasps dramatically ─ but he is the only one. Behind him, the money has already started changing hands. Clearly, this has been a frequent enough occurrence that setting up the betting system is just a matter of seconds. Luo Binghe regrets not having remembered to bring some snacks with him, or even money. Admittedly, immediately heading to Ku Xing Peak hasn't exactly been the plan, but things have worked out much better than intened. This is far more entertaining than anything he could have anticipated.
Huan Qingyan regards Liu Qingge's drawn blade as nothing more than a toy, as she scoffs and pushes it away with the tip of her finger. “As if you’re worth fighting in that state. Go crawl back to your peak on your own before I send you there myself.”
Of course, that has the exact opposite effect than intended. Liu Qingge strikes at her with his sword, not holding back whatsoever. Ku Xing Peak’s lady doesn’t even bother drawing any weapons, countering his strikes with her hands covered in a thin layer of spiritual power, in a manner of grace and elegance that is a rare sight to see. In fact, Luo Binghe can’t think of anyone moving so gracefully except for his Shizun ─ so fluidly and with ease that it appears as though it’s a dance.
Liu Qingge, however, is a true ruffian in that regard. No mercy, no holding back, all brute force attacks. The two styles couldn’t be anymore different if they tried, yet they seem to be on par, evenly matched to the point Luo Binghe is a little surprised. Wasn’t Liu Qingge supposed to be the best among the best?
Before he can say anything, the monks behind him all start dejectedly shaking their heads.
“Ah, not again, our Lady… Please, our Great Lady…” They all bow their heads and chant together, and Luo Binghe is a little surprised. He catches the nearest monk by his sleeve, pulling the man closer.
“Is it always like this? What are you all praying for?”
But the monk merely shakes his head, gesturing back to the front where the battle is still taking place. Luo Binghe looks just in time to see Liu Qingge strike with so much force to throw a shockwave all around Ku Xing Peak’s reception pavilion. When the dust clears, the battle has already come to an end.
Huan Qingyan’s hands are outstretched, as though she is about to strike at Liu Qingge’s neck with a rough palm strike but falling short ─ and Cheng Luan’s blade is already firmly pressed against her own throat, drawing a single line of blood. The Lady of the Twelfth Peak looks like she might just kill Liu Qingge with her eyes alone.
“Not worth fighting, you said?” Liu Qingge grunts, unkindly. “I’ll take the incense burner. Thanks.”
The woman scoffs disdainfully, then sharply turns and leaves so she could enter the building sitting behind her. When she comes back shortly later, not enough for Liu Qingge to even clean the dust off his sleeves, the item in her hand is exactly as Luo Binghe remembers it. It’s by no means an expensive one and it has no remarkable decorations. In fact, it’s probably the kind of incense burner one could find in any temple. But in spite of its common appearance, this is still an item blessed by the heavens, granted its special ability. Luo Binghe holds his breath as it passes hands from Huan Qingyan to Liu Qingge, watching attentively just how carefully they are both handling it.
“You better bring this back to me until the winter solstice, or else I will insist the Sect Leader never allows this again,” Huan Qingyan says under her breath, almost rageful.
Liu Qingge says nothing. He just looks over his shoulder to where Luo Binghe is sitting, indicating to him to get up.
Luo Binghe doesn’t need to be told twice. Obediently, he rises and stalks over to Lui Qingge’s side, respectfully accepting the item as though he is just doing his duty as a disciple.
In the corner of his vision, light flashes.
[System notice: Key Item <Jiwu Temple Incense Burner> successfully acquired! The Protagonist B-points, +10! Would the Protagonist like to store the item in the System Inventory?]
… what inventory? Luo Binghe is taking this because he wants it. Two Peak Lords have quite literally simply handed it to him. Not like he needs some special place to store it away, thank you very much.
Peak Lord Huan, however, takes one look and scowls at him, eyes especially focused on the markings of his disciple uniform. “You… Qing Jing Peak?” Then she turns around, regarding Liu Qingge suspiciously. “What are you doing, hauling around a Qing Jing kid? Have you fallen so low as to poach Shen Qingqiu’s disciples?”
Liu Qingge snorts. “Like I would. Exactly what do you take me for? Anyway, whether you get your item back undamaged is out of my hands. If you have something to complain about, talk to Shen Qingqiu. We’re going now.”
More than satisfied that he’s gotten exactly what he wanted, Luo Binghe obediently treds after Liu Qingge, until the man suddenly draws his sword and climbs on top of it, without even looking back at Luo Binghe. “You know what to do,” he says ─ and then he flies off, leaving a completely unarmed Luo Binghe to take the Rainbow Bridge all the way from the twelfth peak back to the second one. Luo Binghe stares at the retreating figure in the air with his jaw slack. Where the hell does that audacity come from?
But, if the circumstances of it weren’t so entertaining, Luo Binghe would have been a whole lot more upset at this waste of time.
As it is, he just shakes his head with slight amusement, as he takes another look down at the incense burner in his hand. Finally, his demonic Qi will no longer disperse as easily under the influence of the stupid seal on his power. Finally, he can start doing things instead of just sitting and waiting around, poking holes everywhere for some of his influence to finally slip through.
Then again, he has just made a very interesting deal with Liu Qingge.
Instead of heading back to his peak, Luo Binghe heads to Bai Zhan Peak first. He has nothing with him ─ nothing to defend himself with if those bullies on the battle obsessed peak take things too far, nothing to attack with in case he decides to push things past the limits of his ability. However, Liu Qingge did give him a good suggestion earlier.
What is the quickest way to improve his meridians outside of the boring mediation and repeated technique practice? Pushing yourself to the limit, of course. And those Bai Zhan brutes are always pushing themselves to their limits.
“As long as you respect their rules, they will respect yours,” Liu Qingge had said.
Well. Time to put that to the test.
Let’s see how those dumb brutes can be useful for Luo Binghe to improve his cultivation quickly.
“Bai Zhan here,” Liu Qingge says as he steps into the Round Room of the Qiong Ding Peak, belatedly taking notice of the fact he is among the last Peak Lords to arrive at this meeting. Of course, there are several empty seats at the table, Shen Qingqiu’s among them, but Liu Qingge also takes note of the fact that Qi Qingqi and Huan Qingyan’s seats are also empty, as well as Shang Qinghua.
The last one is barely a surprise, Huan Qingyan rarely shows up for meetings even when she’s around, but Qi Qingqi’s absence is notable. Liu Qingge frowns slightly as he takes a seat next to Mu Qingfang. The man briefly smiles at him in greeting, but Liu Qingge ignores him.
The Sect Leader nods curtly at all of them, his expression devoid of the warmth he usually displays on such gatherings. “Ah, Liu-shidi is also here. So, we may begin. I will try not to take up much of your time today, as we will forgo all discussion of our regular daily activities in favor of a report sent from the edges of the Hong province. First things first, I’m not sure if you all have heard, but late last night, we received news of some… unusual… events in the Hong province, at the very border of our territory with Zhao Hua Monastery.”
Wei Qingwei scowls. Initially, he seemed not at all interested in the meeting, however, now his attention spikes. “That’s not the first I hear of this. Qi-shimei has brought it up before, unusual demonic activity in that area, weeks ago even. Especially suspicious due to how dense in spiritual energy that district is. We’ve been in the middle of a discussion to set up practice weapon forges there.”
“Indeed, the auspicious energy in that area is quite high,” Yue Qingyuan confirms. “However, as of recently, more and more demons have appeared in that district and the cultivators from Zhao Hua Monastery have reported a rapid decrease in the spiritual energy. This is unheard of as of yet. Thus, Qi-shimei sent several disciples from her peak over the past few weeks to check out the situation. We have had no reports sent back from our disciples in the meantime, until the rumors last night and then this morning, Zhao Hua Temple sent their missive. Many of the Xian Shu cultivators have lost their lives. Moreover, the site appears to have been made into a place of a similar ritualistic event that took place in Shuang Hu city a few months ago. I need not say more to make the importance of this matter obvious.”
Liu Qingge stiffens slightly, the memory of the bloody scenes in front his eyes vividly clear. “How many victims?”
“As of this moment, it’s unknown,” Yue Qingyuan says gravely. “Multiple sects have sent cultivators to investigate, but so far only few of the bodies have been recovered. They’re… not easily identifiable. And there are indications that the number of victims is much higher than we anticipate.”
“I’ll go,” Liu Qingge says immediately, before anyone else gets a chance to speak.
“Liu-shidi─”
“If the ritualistic signs are similar to what happened in Shuang Hu city, then the only one who has encountered this incident head on and lived through it is myself. The demons attacking me at the time were in no way the regular kind. They had no physical form and had too much resentful energy inside them. The more inexperienced people we send, the more of them will die.”
“Qi-shimei has already taken charge of retrieving the bodies of her disciples and investigating the matter herself,” Yue Qingyuan says. “So far, she has only requested for Huan-shimei’s assistance, and Huan-shimei is on her way there as we speak.”
Liu Qingge grunts in acknowledgement. It’s neither permission nor forbiddance. In other words, Yue Qingyuan has not given him an all-out permission to do whatever he likes, but he isn’t going to stop him either. Good. Besides, Huan Qingyan is probably the best cultivator they have to tackle such matters. If not for a slightly unconventional approach to most matters and the eternal devotion to taking care of abandoned temples, Ku Xing Peak wouldn’t be any different from the Zhao Hua bunch anyway. If anyone can purify the resentful energy without death and destruction abound, it’s them.
But Liu Qingge is still restless.
The Skinner demon that cut his guts open is roaming around like a wild beast and it's joined hands with another, equally dangerous beast that Liu Qingge never got to see. This is not a matter of ability alone.
“Has anyone perhaps considered that this matter might be a trap?” Hou Qingyu asks suddenly, his handsome face hidden in a shadow. When no one immediately answers, he drags out a pipe from deep within his sleeves, takes a mouthful of the stuff inside and lets out a puff of white smoke, slowly rising above their heads. “First, Liu-shixiong is ambushed within Shang Hu city. Then, the matters of Nan Jiang take precedence, drawing Shen-shixiong away from the Mountain for an undisclosed amount of time. Now, a similar incident has taken place on the border of our territory, luring away Qi-shijie and Huan-shimei. Northeast. East. South. Am I the only one finding this suspicious?”
“It’s demons,” Wei Qingwei says. “Their logic is often so full of holes it may not even be worth calling it logic.”
“My point, Wei-shixiong, is that all of our Peak Lords have been drawn outside the limits of our Mountain in the past few months by matters unrelated to our usual activities. You need look no further than Qi-shijie and Liu-shixiong, but let me provide more examples. Huan-shimei has been absent for almost a year now. The day after her return, she’s drawn outside again, without getting a chance to rest. Qi-shijie has been handling the matters of expansion in the north ─ and just before she’s hit the breakthrough, this incident pulls her away to the east. Wei-shixiong, you yourself spent months tracking down weapons sent to Tian Yi Overlook that never made it, yet made no progress whatsoever. And finally, Shang-shixiong bears no mention. No one knows what he’s been up to ever since early last summer. Have we ever been as disconnected as we are at the moment?”
“Hou-shidi, have you forgotten yourself, then?” Wei Qingwei strikes back instantly, eyes narrowed into slits. “When my Wan Jian Peak requested support, where was your esteemed grace, enjoying the scent of flowers in Warm Red Pavilion?”
“Wei-shixiong, my peak has already done all we could to support your investigation. Asking for more is simply ludicrous. What do you even know of my purpose in Warm Red Pavilion? As if this humble shidi has not been running an investigation of his own.”
“We call out Shen-shixiong for his frequent brothel visits, but has Hou-shidi not been visiting these places even more frequently lately? As if we didn’t have plenty to see going there ─ one flower clinging to Hou-shidi’s limbs each. What investigation would require such strict adherence to pleasures of the body? Are you not ashamed of yourself?”
“Wei-shixiong should not express his dissatisfaction with his own inability to get female attention on this shidi, I’m happy to provide instructions. However, as Zhangmen-shixiong is already well aware, my visits to Warm Red Pavilion have nothing to do with pleasure and everything to do with business.”
“That’s enough,” Yue Qingyuan cuts in, just as things are truly about to get interesting. There is steam rising from Wei Qingwei’s ears, and the Sect Leader’s intervention is the sole reason things have not yet turned violent. With a hand rubbing at his temple, Yue Qingyuan is as well aware of this as the rest of them. He says, “Putting aside the matter of absences, is Hou-shidi’s suspicion related to the matters uncovered inside Warm Red Pavilion?”
“Well, more or less,” is the answer he gets, light and airy and completely useless. “The matter requires further investigation and approvals that Zhangmen-shixiong has already declined. Unless Zhangmen-shixiong changes his mind, there is truly not much this one can do.”
“Let’s discuss this further after the matter at the Hong province is resolved,” Yue Qingyuan says diplomatically.
From thereon, Liu Qingge’s interest in the conversation dies entirely. A few more arguments ensue and Liu Qingge struggles not to audibly yawn while they last. Clearly, this is how all the other Peak Lords feel whenever Shen Qingqiu aims for an argument with Liu Qingge. Wei Qingwei is just not willing to let the matter go so easily. It’s strange to watch such conflicts from an outsider’s point of view ─ Liu Qingge doesn’t care which one of them is right and he cares even less about their interests and level of propriety. He is just curious about Mu Qingfang’s continued silence on the matter. Before, he had plenty to say on matters related to demons with no physical form, but now he’s mute, not having spoken a single word since the meeting started.
Liu Qingge throws a glance in his direction every so often, but other than attentively listening to the ongoing arguments, Mu Qingfang remains silent until the very end. Even when Yue Qingyuan suddenly addresses him, he is silent.
“Mu-shidi, if possible, would you please stay a few moments longer…”
Mu Qingfang nods mutely, and just as Liu Qingge is about to also leave and give them the requested privacy, the sound of his own name stops him in place.
“Liu-shidi, unless you are in a rush…”
Of course, even if Liu Qingge were in a rush, he would not leave anymore. He stays back obediently, waiting for the final edge of a robe to disappear through the exit, leaving only three peak lords inside.
Suddenly, Yue Qingyuan appears far more exhausted and weary than a few moments ago. He says, “If it’s not too much trouble, I would like for Qian Cao Peak to take a good look at our fallen comrades’ remains before the burial proceedings. We expect their return tomorrow.”
“Of course,” Mu Qingfang says immediately. “We have already prepared for this. If someone from Ku Xing Peak can assist in detecting the ritualistic interferences, that would also be good.”
“From my information, only a few people at Ku Xing Peak have dabbled in understanding the dark ritualistic practices in detail and they have all been dispatched together with Huan-shimei. We might need to asks others sects for their help in this matter─”
“No need,” Liu Qingge cuts in, all too easily. “You won’t find anything. The rituals are all based on ancient dark practices. Xian Shu Peak’s cultivation method would not at all be beneficial to such things ─ the opposite, really.”
Yue Qingyuan shifts in his seat slightly and Mu Qingfang raises his eyebrow.
“I’ve seen the remains,” Liu Qingge clarifies, awkwardly. “The humans in Shuang Hu were all sacrifices and they’re not suitable sacrifices to start with, when it comes to such rituals. It’s not so much about what the ritual does, but the blend of energies involved. But now in Hong province, it’s just cultivators who were the known victims. I’m not saying there aren’t others, but this doesn’t appear to be the same situation.”
“From what I hear, the Xuan Shu disciples who have headed to Hong Province were also chasing Skinner. If so, does Liu-shidi still insist on the differences? Even if the victims all died in similar ways?” Yue Qingyuan says, frowning.
“Have the hearts of the Xian Shu disciples been ripped out of their chest white still alive?” Liu Qingge asks sharply. “If not, then it’s definitely not the same thing, but a poor imitation instead. If yes, we are then not dealing with demonic rituals, but with crooked cultivators dabbling into dark cultivation with some very dangerous practices. It sucks either way, but there’s a huge difference there. I wouldn’t even put it past Hou-shidi’s initial judgment. This could easily be a trap of some kind.”
“A trap for our Cang Qiong Mountain?” Yue Qingyuan asks, clearly unconvinced.
Liu Qingge shrugs. “Why not? Obviously, our sect’s taken multiple hits from this already. If someone wants our attention elsewhere, this is the easiest way to get it.”
“And what would they be drawing our attention away from, then?” Mu Qingfang asks. “Is there some other incident we could have missed in the meantime?”
“How should I know?” Liu Qingge shoots back. “I just know that the thing in Shuang Hu City was definitely a set up to lure out Shen Qingqiu, which ultimately failed. What’s to say this thing in Hong district is any different, only the target has changed?”
“The target has…” Yue Qingyuan trails off. “You think someone is targeting Lady Qi now?”
“Xian Shu Peak is well-versed in all sorts of different cultivation styles, but the ability to purify dark energy and nullify danger from rituals is something more suited to Zhao Hua Monastery,” Liu Qingge points out, then amends, “Or Ku Xing Peak.”
At the deadly silence that follows, he clears his throat awkwardly. “To put it plainly, I think Qi Qingqi is the bait. And the target is either someone from Zhao Hua Monastery, probably one of their higher ranked cultivators… or Huan Qingyan.”
“Everyone knows Qi-shimei and Huan-shimei are closer than blood sisters,” Mu Qingfang comments thoughtfully. “But the logistics around drawing Huan-shimei anywhere ─ not even people inside our own sect knew when she would come back. This suggests that either someone has been following her all along, knowing when she would return and timing everything perfectly ─ or she is not the primary target at all.”
“Well, my impression is that someone is rather set on finishing what they’ve started with, involving Liu-shidi,” Yue Qingyuan says then, startling both. “I do have reasons to think that way outside of things that were mentioned in today’s meeting. Liu-shidi may not consider them meaningful, however I would still implore Shidi to not act recklessly.”
“Why?” Liu Qingge asks, his gut twisting into knots. What has Sect Leader missed to tell him?
But Yue Qingyuan’s eyes betray nothing. He says, “There have been three different units dispatched from Xian Shu Peak over the troubles in Hong province. Out of a total nine disciples sent out, six of them have been confirmed deceased. As for the remaining three, there have been no signs or clues left behind. No one knows what happened and there have been no reports for well over ten days. That is the main reason Qi Qingqi rushed out without even a disciple to back her up. There is a chance some of them are still alive.”
“If the disciples can’t handle it, it’s only natural that the Peak Lord does it,” Liu Qingge says, but he still feels distinctly uncomfortable. What is Yue Qingyuan trying to tell him in all but actual words? Liu Qingge is not good at reading between the lines this way.
However, Mu Qingfang inhales sharply. “Sect Leader, you mean─”
Yue Qingyuan lowers his head, but when he looks up, he looks at Liu Qingge directly. “Those three missing disciples from Xian Shu Peak ─ Liu Mingyan is one of them.”
... ah. So that's what it is.
Liu Qingge sighs tiredly. Just like his sister, to end up smack in the middle of the nastiest mess he's ever seen.
Damn it.
Notes:
Aaand we're back! Poor SY is taking a break to sort himself out while in Southern Demon Realm, meanwhile everyone else is stuck doing actual work. Tee hee...
Anyway, gotta say, at this stage of the story, LQG and LBH dynamics is by far my most favorite thing to write. They're just sooooo AAAAAAAHHHH. Gotta love those idiots
Chapter 18: Formless Demons
Notes:
Quick update, but a shorter chapter! Enjoy!
Chapter Text
“Those three missing disciples from Xian Shu Peak ─ Liu Mingyan is one of them.”
Even though Yue Qingyuan says it as though he fears the reaction he might get and suddenly all the eyes are on him, Liu Qingge doesn’t immediately react beyond that first tired sigh. He’s not sure what they’re afraid of, exactly. Do they think he’s gonna lose his mind over the fact his sister’s out doing her cultivator duties like a disciple should? If Liu Qingge had any qualms about that, he never would have let her climb Cang Qiong Mountain in the first place.
Or is it not his reaction they fear, but the lack of news they’ve had related to the situation overall? Do they think Liu Qingge intends to hold them responsible for not knowing what exactly is going on the whole other side of Central Plains? Just how unreasonable are they? But Yue Qingyuan clearly looks like he’s eaten something very sour and Mu Qingfang is pale as a ghost ─ both clearly still under the influence of death threats Liu Qingge aimed at both of them the last time they involved his sister without his consent.
Except, that’s different. This is different.
Liu Qingge knows better than anyone just how strong his sister is. He knows her limits, her strengths and her weaknesses as well as he knows his own. He’ll never talk about that, not because he isn’t proud of her, but because Mingyan’s status as Qi Qingqi’s direct disciple is important. That crazy woman likely already knows just what sort of training from hell he’s put his sister through before even letting her come near Cang Qiong Mountain, but as long as he doesn’t say a word of it, it will not impose on her authority and will not lead to unnecessary squabbles on who gets the right to keep Liu Mingyan around anyway. After all, Liu Qingge only gave his permission for Mingyan to climb the mountain under two conditions: first, she would absolutely not try to climb Bai Zhan Peak under no circumstances; and the second, she would be taken in as a direct disciple to another peak lord. Any other Peak Lord.
In the end, of all the Peak Lords with the chance to express their willingness to accept her, Qi Qingqi was the only one. At the time, Liu Mingyan was so seemingly unremarkable that nobody else could look past the veil hiding her face to see the force of nature hidden underneath. And even Qi Qingqi only did it so she could gain some blackmail material over Liu Qingge, not because she saw Mingyan as worthy. He knows it, Liu Mingyan knows it, everyone knows it.
Qi Qingqi has learned her lesson, though. Now she will under no circumstances let anyone have their dibs on Liu Mingyan ─ and even Liu Qingge’s due credit in training that child has been fully erased. That’s fine. The less people know about his sister’s capability, the better, really. Liu Qingge can put his own protective urges aside and leave it to Qi Qingqi to handle. But now, apparently it’s expected of him to lose his mind over such a small thing ─ it’s ridiculous.
“She’s not dead,” Liu Qingge says, at a lack of anything better to say.
Yue Qingyuan’s gaze softens. “Of course, Shidi. No one had implied otherwise─”
“No, you don’t get it ─ she’s not dead,” Liu Qingge repeats. “If something happened, I’d know.”
Yue Qingyuan still has that patronizing look on his face. It is disgusting. “Of course, shidi─”
“Soul Link?” Mu Qingfang cuts in suddenly, unexpectedly. Then his eyes go wide. “Did you perhaps perform the Soul Link with─”
“Of course not, the fuck do you take me for?” Liu Qingge snaps back. “Anyway, you pay attention to every damn detail, so you must have seen that stupid jade she carries all the time. I heard you retrieved it for her after the Lushui Lake nonsense.”
“Ah,” Mu Qingfang says. “Indeed, I did notice it. It was a little strange, like it held a trace of life force inside it.”
“Yeah, mine,” Liu Qingge grumbles, unwillingly. “That shit is something our mother made. We don’t normally carry it around, but since you all scared the shit out of her over what happened to me, she’s been carrying mine around all the time and refuses to take it off. So I have hers, too. She’s not dead.”
“So then… is Qi-shimei also aware of this?” Yue Qingyuan asks.
“No? Why the hell would she know?” Liu Qingge pointedly faces away from them. “I’m only mentioning it now cause I know Mu Qingfang ran his mouth and told the Sect Leader some stupid stuff. Spread it further and you’ll lose both of us. I’m not kidding. If a word of this gets out to anyone, even Qi Qingqi, both Mingyan and I will leave the sect.”
Yue Qingyuan gasps. “Shidi, there is no need for such threats. I’m only asking ─ Qi-shimei may as well be heading straight into danger this way. If she knew what you told us just now─”
“I’m just informing you ahead of time, not threatening,” Liu Qingge clarifies, perfectly calm. “I owe Cang Qiong Mountain more than I’ll ever be able to repay in a lifetime, but there’s a limit regardless. Expose Mingyan and I’ll personally raze this place to the ground. Now that is me threatening. See the difference, Zhangmen-shixiong?”
“... indeed,” Yue Qingyuan sighs, very tiredly. He shoots a glance over to Mu Qingfang, who has been standing there beside them, silently rolling in his own sweat. “I take it that this means that Peak Lord Liu plans to head to Hong province as well?”
“Obviously.”
“I also assume that Peak Lord Liu plans not to take any disciples along to support him?”
Liu Qingge is just about to confirm, hell knows they don’t need more dead disciples to deal with, but then he pauses. “Out of curiosity alone, am I able to pick even another Peak’s disciple?”
Yue Qingyuan blinks. “If the Peak Lord permits it─”
“I want Luo Binghe,” Liu Qingge says immediately. “Shen Qingqiu’s out, so the only one with authority to grant permission is the Sect Leader. Do I have permission?”
Everyone can tell he’s asking only to be polite. The moment the words come out of his mouth is the moment Liu Qingge decides on his course of action. He has already given Luo Binghe something to keep him occupied, but this takes precedence. Out of everyone so far, he’s shown himself to be the most knowledgeable on all matters of demonic nature. Which only makes sense, as he himself is a descendant of the single most terrifying demonic bloodline.
Yet knowing all this, Yue Qingyuan still says, “May I ask why?”
It’s a feeble attempt, at best. Yue Qingyuan already has a good idea. He knows what the brat is, knows that Shen Qingqiu took him in as a direct disciple and he personally approved it. His own grievances with the matter aside, not even the Sect Leader can overlook just how potentially useful Luo Binghe can be out there, dealing with this ritualistic mess. Of course, the risks are equally as high as the gains, but Liu Qingge thinks it’s worth it. It’s a good chance to test the kid’s loyalty too ─ as well as his fixation on Qing Jing Peak. Is this Heavenly Demon worth the risk they’re taking, allowing him to stay in the sect?
Liu Qingge doesn’t know. But he’s gambled on Luo Binghe once already and that gamble has unexpectedly kept him alive when he least expected it.
If there is a chance someone else might encounter the similar issues as Liu Qingge had, then Luo Binghe may be their best chance of survival, too.
Yue Qingyuan knows all of this as well, but his reluctance is much more obvious. Even though Liu Qingge voices nothing, the Sect Leader may as well be reading his mind, but not sharing the same opinions. After the moments of silence stretch for too long, he says, “Permitted.”
He doesn’t ask and he doesn’t push. He just looks like he can’t quite accept the decision he’s made, like it leaves him restless and ill at ease.
Mu Qingfang, however, frowns. He has not been informed of Luo Binghe’s true origins, and neither has anyone else, therefore the meaning of the whole subtle exchange of looks between Yue Qingyuan and Liu Qingge goes completely over his head. He’s not stupid nor blind, still. He can tell something important is not being said. He doesn’t ask, but that’s not reassuring whatsoever. With Mu Qingfang, it’s always better if he asks.
“We’ll head out immediately,” Liu Qingge says.
With that, the plan is made and all arrangements have been put in motion. When Liu Qingge and Mu Qingfang finally step outside the Qiong Ding pavilion, the silence between them is tense enough that it might just suffocate them both.
Finally, before Qian Cao Peak Lord can get a word of his many questions out, Liu Qingge says, “Before I leave, do me one favor.”
“Liu-shixiong… a favor?” Mu Qingfang is stumped. The only time Liu Qingge has overtly asked him for a favor this way was the time that cost both of them a price neither could afford. Still, they both took the risk and reaped the gains in the end, achieving what might as well had been considered impossible at the time. Now, however, Liu Qingge’s favor is nowhere near as big.
“Test me for Heart Demons,” he says ─ and Mu Qingfang blanches.
“Wha─ what? You want me… to test you for Heart Demons? Liu-shixiong, you─”
“Do it or don’t, just don’t waste my fucking time.”
“No, no, of course this shidi will do as asked,” Mu Qingfang says very quickly. “It just hasn’t been so long since I last… does Liu-shidi have any reasons for concern?”
What? Other than the fact he’s far more susceptible to Heart Demons than most? Liu Qingge almost snorts right in his face. He doesn’t say anything, but the look in his eyes speaks for him. Mu Qingfang no longer asks anything. He just directs Liu Qingge directly to his peak, where just as expected, all tests come back negative.
“It’s nothing out of the ordinary, really, but if Shixiong has any reasons to be concerned, perhaps it would be best to share them, so this shidi could know better what to look for,” he says, which is about as good as ‘tell me what the fuck is wrong with you’, coming from Mu Qingfang.
Liu Qingge doesn’t tell him anything, though. It’s just the price he’s gotta pay for involving Mingyan with the Bailu forest nonsense anyway. He’s positive, convinced with every cell of his being, that the reason Mingyan is involved with the Hong province chaos now is precisely because of everything she saw in Bailu forest. Hunting for Skinner or whatnot because she thinks she knows something more than the others do. That kid is tenacious at the worst of times. Mu Qingfang was the one to tell her, the only one who knew the urgency behind why Liu Qingge explicitly told him not to ─ so Liu Qingge will not let that slight go unpunished. So what if Mu Qingfang did it for his own good?
Liu Qingge gets it. It’s just, he’d rather die than risk Mingyan that way. So Mu Qingfang better just deal with knowing he’s screwed up. At least, Liu Qingge hasn’t actually punched him yet.
… although Mu Qingfang has that look on his face as though he would prefer that.
No shit.
He can forget about it.
When Liu Qingge comes back to his own peak a little while later, it is to find his bunch of rowdy disciples gathered in a circle around a pair of disciples, probably fighting. Liu Qingge doesn’t plan to spend much time there, just grab a few things and head to Qing Jing Peak ─ when he notices a familiar head of messy hair among them.
It’s a highly unexpected turn of events, to find the person he’s been looking for positioned right there, on his peak, currently dueling it out with one of his weakest disciples and no weapon at all at his disposal. Clearly, the kid has taken Liu Qingge’s advice to heart. Training with swords and sword forms at this point in time is not going to help his sabotaged cultivation at all. Best just to work with no weapon at all and brute-force his spiritual flow to work in his favor rather than against him. Liu Qingge just didn’t expect that the kid would warm up to that idea so quickly.
“Shizun!” someone exclaims suddenly, and multiple people turn around, echoing the noise like squeaky parrots. After forty or so greetings from the various levels of Bai Zhan disciples, Liu Qingge can finally stop acknowledging their attention to look over at Luo Binghe, who is all bruised and bloodied and barely standing on his own feet.
“What is this?” Liu Qingge asks, and Ji Jue rushes to explain.
“Shizun, we swear, we’ve done nothing about this! It’s he from Qing Jing Peak who came to challenge us first and wouldn’t leave until someone dared to fight him barehanded!”
Luo Binghe has that look on his face where, in spite of looking thoroughly beaten up and exhausted, he is also very very satisfied with his results. Liu Qingge turns over to the other side, where at least five of his junior disciples all look about as beat up as Luo Binghe.
“What? You all took him up on that and dared to lose?”
A dumb kid whines. “Shizun! Since when has Qing Jing Peak started accepting beasts on their Peak?! Beating Luo Binghe is impossible!”
“It’s just you all brats who are stupid,” one of the older disciples snorts loudly. “He’s not beating you on strength, he’s beating you in brains, dumbass.”
Hah. Clearly, Liu Qingge’s plan to keep his rowdy bunch of disciples busy has worked wonders. He says, “Fine, then, you’ve all had your fun. You, you and you. You saw all that happened, right?” He points fingers at a few older disciples, those he knows are slightly less reasonable than most ─ and have made it their personal goal to catch Skinner demon in the shortest time possible. At their confused nods, he grunts. “You teach the rest of them. And you, Qing Jing brat. Follow me.”
Luo Binghe has the audacity to point a finger at his own chest, feigning surprise, before he obediently rises to his feet and runs to catch up to Liu Qingge ─ Liu Qingge who is very obviously heading towards his own private residence on the Peak. Instantly, Luo Binghe frowns.
“What? What is happening? Weren’t you the one who asked me to─”
“We’re going demon hunting,” Liu Qingge informs him. “You’re not yet cleared to get your own spiritual weapon from Wan Jian Peak, right?”
“No. I’m nowhere near that level yet, I─” But Luo Binghe cuts himself off, catching a weapon that Liu Qingge tosses at him out of literally nowhere. The weapon is not a spiritual kind, but it’s not a practice sword either. Clearly, Luo Binghe already knows it has some special properties. He frowns. “Why me?”
“The demon we’re hunting is either Skinner or very similar,” Liu Qingge says. “It’s not often you encounter demons lacking physical presence. Anomaly, really. I’m hoping to throw you at them to figure out how the hell it’s possible.”
Luo Binghe’s face, however, only gets more thoughtful. “Demons lacking physical form? How is… wait, you mean Formless Demons? The Skinner that attacked you is a Formless Demon?”
“So you know about those? Are they like a special race or something?”
“I… heard a thing or two,” Luo Binghe says, low and cautious. “Formless Demons… they’re common enough in the Endless Abyss. But I never heard of such demons breaking out of the Endless Abyss before. Are you sure we’re talking about the same thing?”
“Undetectable resentful energy in the appearance of a demon, lacking physical form at will but still fully capable of cutting a cultivator open when it wants to?” Liu Qingge blurts out impatiently. “I could literally only feel that deep resentment after my guts were split open. My sword passed right through them, damaging nothing. Like they don’t even exist.”
“...” Luo Binghe blinks. “Same thing, then.”
“Any idea how to get rid of them?” But unexpectedly, Luo Binghe shakes his head. Liu Qingge looks at him one more time, suspicious. “Nothing?”
“...”
“Nothing at all? Not even a slightest clue?”
There is no way. Luo Binghe has that look on him ─ he knows what Liu Qingge is talking about and he’s clearly disgusted. So how could he possibly not know─
“In the Northern Demon Realm, there is some kind of a practice that is able to fully get rid of them,” Luo Binghe says, carefully. “But I only heard about that. I never had the chance to apply it myself, nor was there ever a need. Formless Demons can sometimes pass the border between the Endless Abyss and the Demon Realm, but coming to the human realm should be beyond their ability. They lack physical form. At best, they would manifest as resentful spirits, but unable to interact with the world at large. It shouldn’t be possible.”
“And if someone performs a summoning ritual to invite them?” Liu Qingge asks. “A dark cultivation practice of some kind?
“What kind of a ritual would that be? Formless Demons have nothing, not physical body, not even their soul. What kind of a ritual could bypass those limitations?”
That’s… huh. That’s a good point, actually. He hasn’t considered that. Liu Qingge thinks about it for a moment, but ultimately concludes he doesn’t have enough information to work with to make any actual judgment.
“Get ready,” he says. “We’ll stop by Qing Jing Peak so you can pack and we’re going straight to the Hong province then. No delays.”
He doesn’t notice the contemplative look Luo Binghe directs his way, nor does he notice the thoughtful expression that crosses his face. But because Luo Binghe makes no outward objections to any of what Liu Qingge says, they ultimately leave the Bai Zhan Peak in silence, stopping over at Qing Jing for just a short time before once again heading out and away from Cang Qiong Mountain. With the Hong province sitting so far away, it is unlikely that they will make it before sunrise two days from now, but Liu Qingge plans to push for the speed as much as he can. Even if, at some point, it involves just picking up the nearly exhausted brat over to his own sword to keep him from falling from the sky.
Luo Binghe going exhausted into a dangerous scenario won’t benefit anyone whatsoever, even if Liu Qingge is tempted to just leave him behind. He doesn’t, however, and by the time they reach the edges of Hong province, Luo Binghe has rested just enough not to look too tired. Almost immediately, the Heavenly Demon’s nose scrunches up in distaste.
“What?” Liu Qingge asks.
“Rot.”
“Huh?”
“It’s faint,” Luo Binghe continues, with no context whatsoever. “I think someone may have performed a ritual nearby after all. Not the kind that could summon a Formless Demon, but one which may be able to open the Endless Abyss.”
Instantly, Liu Qingge tenses. “Why would anyone want to do that?”
“I… don’t know. Those rituals wouldn’t work anyway. The Endless Abyss is not… that place has a will of its own. If it won’t open its doors, then no summoning ritual can possibly make it otherwise.”
“Not even with a sacrifice?”
Luo Binghe scowls. “The Endless Abyss is chaos, the chasm between the demon and the human realms, a space that takes into itself what no other place will. Human or demon, dead or alive, it makes no difference. Once you’re inside, you’re a prisoner. That place lacks neither the living nor the dead ─ no sacrifice would be enough to summon it. But there are other things… things that might just lure it into opening on its own.”
Liu Qingge scowls deeply. “Such as?”
Luo Binghe shakes his head. “Nothing that’s been achieved here. Either way, this place reeks of death. Demonic and human alike. Whatever did it cares not for the difference between the two.”
“And Formless Demons, or whatever you called them? Do they have a preference in picking victims?”
Luo Binghe snorts mockingly, as though the question itself is ridiculous. However, for a moment, Liu Qingge thinks he may have heard something ─ a single word answer, so quiet that it may as well have been his imagination.
“Me.”
Chapter 19: The Demonic Consciousness
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
“BWAHAHAHAHA! Tears of a Heavenly Demon! Mind of a Heavenly Demon! Nightmare of the Heavenly Demon! Give me, give me, GIVE ME! Let me have my bloody vengeance!”
Luo Binghe firmly closes his eyes and then opens them again, reminding himself that the past stays in the past. Liu Qingge’s quick and blunt recollection of his experience with the Skinner demon has awakened memories better left buried, the time in Luo Binghe’s life he’d rather not experience again if at all possible.
However, no matter how hard he tries to forget, the details just keep coming back to him, one vivid moment by one, one flash of phantom pain after another. Even if Liu Qingge has successfully made contact with two other Peak Lords ─ Qi Qingqi and Huan Qingyan ─ Luo Binghe barely has the focus to listen in on their conversation.
For the moment, both the women are losing their minds that Liu Qingge has dared to bring someone as young as Luo Binghe into this kind of a dangerous place, and the volume of their screaming is simply too high for Luo Binghe to tolerate. He skips the formalities entirely, not even bowing in greeting, too busy sorting out the mess inside his own head.
Another System notice pops up then, informing him of some sort of mission activation, but Luo Binghe ignores it. He’s got far more important things to worry about.
Formless Demons, Formless Demons, Formless Demons.
No matter how hard Luo Binghe thinks about it, even calling those things demons is a stretch of the word. He doesn’t know much about them, other than the fact there is literally nothing demonic about them except for the way they choose to appear. Those things were more like evil spirits with the ability to momentarily grasp dark energy and cause physical damage despite the life and death barrier between them.
In fact, Liu Qingge’s experience with Skinner is not too different from what Luo Binghe himself had encountered back in the Endless Abyss, in that other life.
Those Formless Demons truly were out to get him and they were vicious about it. Luo Binghe had spent hours hacking at them, throwing stones and trying to in any way physically injure those things ─ but nothing had worked. Stones passed through them, broken weapons never connected. Even with a broken sword in its chest, those Formless Demons had neither wounds nor pain inflicted, only black smoke to hold up an illusion of a beast as it laughed maniacally at his wasted efforts. Unlike with Liu Qingge, however, those demons were incapable of causing Luo Binghe physical pain.
“AHAHAHAHA, Luo Binghe, you cannot harm us! We exist because of you! We exist to end you! Now it is time for us to take back what you’ve taken from us!”
And they did. After hours and hours of running, Luo Binghe was too exhausted to keep going. He had been lured into a trap and had his insides pierced by jagged rocks and sharp tree branches, while the monsters munched on the horrors inside his head like it was the sweetest meal they had ever tasted. The Formless Demons didn’t want to kill him, nor did they have the ability to do so ─ they just kept him as a food supply, a failsafe in case their shapeless existence suffered in some unexpected ways, a source of nightmares to feed their wretched existences.
It felt like it had lasted an eternity, but Luo Binghe escaped in the end. He doesn’t remember how. He just remembers that he’d been on his knees, screaming for Meng Mo to help even if the Dream Demon had been unreachable long before that.
Afterwards, he fell asleep and woke up elsewhere, clothes torn and body still full of wounds which were slowly healing. Meng Mo later told him that at the time, their connection had still been broken, that Meng Mo had done nothing to help and Luo Binghe had saved himself… but try as he might, Luo Binghe can’t remember how.
Now, this incident that Liu Qingge described sounds uncannily similar ─ except with one twisted detail. Those damn things now can affect the physical world. How?
In fact, what is a Formless Demon to start with? Luo Binghe has given them that name in his head to differentiate them from the actual, real demons who have wanted to cause him a different kind of harm, far more physical and far easier to counter, but he’s never been able to find out much more than what Liu Qingge himself has figured out already.
Still, this matter is serious.
Formless Demons striking aggressively once is an accident. Striking out twice may still be a coincidence. But this? All these many odd things happening with an eerie air of familiarity underneath it. This is a dangerous, deadly pattern, one that’s been plaguing Luo Binghe in his nightmares for a very long time. Naturally, he cannot allow this incident to escape his notice.
“You!” Qi Qingqi suddenly exclaims, her finger pointedly directing at Luo Binghe’s chest. He straightens up, back to full attention, but fearless. “You get that sword of yours and fly back to Cang Qiong Mountain right this second!”
Luo Binghe opens his mouth indignantly, ready to argue, but he doesn’t get a chance.
“Out of the question!” Liu Qingge roars back, crossing his arms at his chest. “He’s not flying back, you have no authority to send him.”
“You had no authority to bring him! Shen Qingqiu is going to skewer you if you kill one of his disciples!”
“Sect Leader already agreed so what the fuck are you even arguing about?!” Liu Qingge exclaims back, the shouting match between them growing increasingly louder. If there was any intention to keep their presence here at the edges of the Hong district secret, it has now been thoroughly ruined.
“He ─ he what?” Qi Qingqi’s jaw drops. “Is Yue Qingyuan fucking insane?!”
“Shijie,” Huan Qingyan says then, and under her gentle voice, the tension seems to drop somewhat. Of course, she’s not looking at Liu Qingge like she approves of this, but it’s already too late to do anything about it and Luo Binghe has no intention to fly back anyway. Not that he could even if he wanted to ─ he’s too tired to bother. However, Luo Binghe doesn’t miss the way the lord of the Twelfth Peak narrows her eyes at him, her odd gray eyes shining with unspeakable insight.
“Whether or not Sect Leader Yue truly gave his permission, this is something we can discuss later on,” she says. “For the moment, the disciple is already here and we have no time to waste. Our priority should be the missing disciples.”
“Exactly,” Liu Qingge barks at that. “My sister is among them. Don’t you think I don’t already know that.”
Qi Qingqi looks ready to restart the shouting match any second, by Huan Qingyan tugs at her sleeve, pulling her back and away from Liu Qingge. “Anyway, the trail of blood hasn’t led us anywhere so far. Zhao Hua Monastery reported that the victims were all found at the bottom of Yuju mountain. More than thirty different remains, but we have only confirmed twenty of them to be cultivators. Majority are from the smaller sects, one is from Zhao Hua Monastery and one from Huan Hua Palace. Six of them are Qi-shijie’s disciples─”
“My head disciple was among them,” Qi Qingqi says then, all too sharply. “Whatever did this to those poor girls, I am not going to let this matter go.”
“Regardless,” Huan Qingyan cuts in. “For the moment, we know nothing about what did this and nothing about the ritual performed. We have tried to recreate some of the symbols involved, but the ritual site has already been burnt to ash. There is nothing left to find. For now, we are trying to track down the recent rumors of similar occurrences on the mountain, but there have only been a few smaller incidents over the past year or so. Aside from unexplained animal killings, we have found nothing of note.”
“Animals were slaughtered back in Shuang Hu city, too,” Liu Qingge informs her immediately. “Hearts ripped out, definitely for the purposes of a ritual. I don’t know how many, but the statistics observed later on indicate hundreds.”
“Here, no more than a few dozen,” Huan Qingyan says. “Wolves and wildlife mostly. An occasional bear. It seems that the purpose of this bloody ritual is quite different from the one performed at Shuang Hu city.”
“Maybe,” Luo Binghe says, cutting into their ‘adult’ conversation uninvited. “Or maybe it got interrupted halfway.”
Instantly, Qi Qingqi’s eyes narrow at him. But her suspicion is not enough to have her explode at him again, because soon she prompts, “What gives?”
“It’s simple,” Luo Binghe says. “The first unit dispatched here has yet to be found. It’s those who have come later that have all been killed. Seems to me that whatever the triggering incident may be, it’s not related to what happened afterwards, which is nothing but cover-up. They’re not covering up a successful ritual ─ they’re covering up for a failure. And failures are far more indicative of the original purpose than a successful ritual ever could be.”
“...”
“...”
“...”
“Liu Qingge, what the hell is this thing you brought here with you?” Qi Qingqi asks suddenly, very suspicious.
Liu Qingge snorts. “You were the one insisting on sending him back.”
“How do we know he’s not intentionally spouting horseshit?”
“He’s not wrong,” Huan Qingyan says then, not that she looks kind about it. “When it comes to dark ritualistic practices, successfully performed rituals rarely leave behind traces to betray its purpose ─ not unless your timing is perfect enough to come see it for yourself. However, the burnt remains this time do not appear like a failure. A cover-up, perhaps, but not a failure. There is too much dark energy residue for things to be so simple.”
“Not if the Endless Abyss opened,” Luo Binghe counters. “The smell of rot and acid is characteristic of the Endless Abyss. The ritual may have been a success or a failure, but the Abyss reared its head regardless.”
“In other words, what you are suggesting is that we have multiple different incidents going on at the same time,” Huan Qingyan surmises. “First, the first group of Xian Shu Peak disciples encounter someone performing a dark ritual and interfere with it. Second, the Endless Abyss opens and other monsters slip into the human realm. Finally, these beasts now roaming around slaughter everyone who comes to investigate afterwards.” She nods once, curtly. “It’s a sound theory. Of course, merely an assumption, as we have no evidence to back up any of the three crucial events mentioned. But it’s a possibility we cannot dismiss.”
“Either way, we get nothing by standing here and waiting for something to come after us,” Qi Qingqi snaps. “We should go further into the mountains.”
The trail they follow is a bloody one. The corpses several weeks old intermingle with the ones that can’t have been killed more than a day ago. Luo Binghe gives them no more than a passing glance as he goes, but the pattern is obvious. Each of the bodies has had its heart dug out of their chest, ripped out with something sharp and thick, likely a claw. It wouldn’t have been obvious at first glance, especially with so many different stages of decomposition and the additional damage done after… but once noticed, it’s impossible to ignore.
The further they go, the heavier the air gets. Luo Binghe can’t quite make sense of it. It’s not in a way like there isn’t enough air to breathe or that the humidity is too much to endure, not really. It’s not even like the suffocation inside the Endless Abyss, where the smell of acid and rot made his gut twist uncomfortably for months before he finally got used to it. If he truly had to find something it reminds him of, it is the way highly spiritual places make his skin tingle, except this place does it in the exact opposite way. It makes him uneasy, uncomfortable, entirely on edge. The energy isn’t quite so demonic as it feels… corrupted, somehow. Dark and twisted, going beyond what he’d faced even deep inside the Abyss.
It’s quiet.
Everything is quiet. Aside from the rustle of leaves in the wind high above their heads and his own raging heartbeat, there is no sound worth mentioning. Not even a single bird flying over their heads. Nothing about this place feels natural.
Suddenly, Qi Qingqi, going at the forefront, stops and gestures for the rest of them to stop too.
The whole group roots themselves to the spot, looking around themselves, but there is barely anything to see. Trees, the rays of the morning sun slipping through them and casting beautiful glossy shine over the green leaves. They haven’t seen a single decomposing corpse in a while now, but Qi Qingqi suddenly stopping them isn’t because of that, either.
In the absolute silence as everyone gets even more alert, Qi Qingqi suddenly walks off the beaten trail, signaling to Huan Qingyan especially to stay right where she is. Then, a little further from the trail, she picks up a single bloody scabbard, no weapon inside it. The insignia on it is undoubtedly the style of Wan Jian Peak.
Huan Qingyan gasps at the sight of it. “That’s─”
“Demonic blood, rotten to the core,” Liu Qingge says. “See the silver linings? Ruined. Poisonous demon blood.”
“O-oh.” Huan Qingyan breathes a miniscule sigh of relief. Clearly, for all her experience as a leader of one of Cang Qiong Mountain peaks, the sight of bloodshed still comes as a surprise.
Qi Qingqi’s nose wrinkles at the description, but she passes the scabbard to Luo Binghe to carry, as though he’s only here to be their lackey. Luo Binghe has to remind himself not to throw it back out of sheer protest. He made a promise to Shizun that he will wait. It wouldn’t be worth it, to make enemies of Cang Qiong Mountain too early.
“Something’s wrong,” Liu Qingge says suddenly. His hand is already on his sword, but he hasn’t drawn it yet, looking around them, searching for that source of wrong that Luo Binghe can feel in his bones. Indeed, something is very, very wrong.
“THERE!”
The first person who turns around is Huan Qingyan, launching a talisman from inside her oversized sleeve like an arrow, but it pierces nothing. A howl shakes the entire forest then, shrill and guttural, like a battle cry of a vengeful beast. However, rather than be intimidated, the Ku Xing Peak Lord performs many complex hand gestures before making a grand show of launching something into the air, where it explodes into a million little lights, raining upon them like a summer drizzle. Obediently, all her disciples imitate the gesture.
Once all the lights hit the ground, they form an array glowing a faint white color, in an area much wider than anything Luo Binghe anticipated.
“This is the Blessed Array of the Gujin temple,” Huan Qingyan identifies, speaking fast. “Once cast, no spiritual or demonic energy can pass through its range, but the time is limited. Whatever is here with us in this forest, it’s trapped now. Go. We might not be able to catch it once the barrier breaks.”
Instantly, Liu Qingge and Qi Qingqi move ─ one taking one side of the barrier while the other heads the opposite way, with the intention to find whatever it is that has alerted them in the first place. Most of Ku Xing disciples disperse as well.
“You would rather stay?” Huan Qingyan questions then, her eyes on Luo Binghe who has yet to move from where he’s stopped.
He gives her only a moment of attention, before nodding once. “This disciple doesn’t feel confident yet to go charging at a demon he hasn’t identified. Also, there is something about this demon blood on the scabbard…” he trails off, scowling at the bloodstained piece. What’s so strange about it? It clearly comes from a spiritual weapon, not a practice one. Could it belong to one of the already deceased Xian Shu disciples? Or has it been discarded by one of the missing ones? Somehow, neither one feels like the right answer.
Huan Qingyan hums to herself. “Shen Qingqiu teaches you well. What a surprise.”
It’s likely because her comment reeks of insincerity and borderline malevolence that Luo Binghe simply can’t let go. Stubbornly, he says, “Shizun is the best.”
The Lady of Ku Xing Peak says nothing in response. She just turns, looking around them thoughtfully, before asking, “Is it just me? Or do you also feel the flashes of some demonic presence in the distance?”
Luo Binghe, with his current constitution, has nothing but his gut instinct to rely on. He feels no demonic presence whatsoever, nor any other. But the tiny hairs along the back of his neck are rising uncomfortably, tickling him underneath the high ponytail. “Something is coming.”
“Indeed. Something is… but not for us!” Suddenly, Huan Qingyan launches another talisman out of her sleeve, in the direction where Liu Qingge has disappeared ─ but the thing doesn’t make it past the first line of trees. Caught up in something dark and demonic, it burns before reaching its destination, and immediately, Huan Qingyan pulls something else from the inside of her sleeve ─ the prayer bracelet, full of beads glowing in white spiritual power. “LIU QINGGE!” she bellows, sending a shudder throughout the entire mountain, before turning the other way and blocking a strike coming directly for Luo Binghe’s head.
Wide-eyed, Luo Binghe watches the spot where the white glowing beads connect directly to the head of the Red Clawed Eagle, its beak mere hairs away from Luo Binghe’s neck. The flying beast remains locked in that mid-air position for a few moments before it shudders, the white light leaving it as nothing but a pile of flesh, all of its awareness gone instantly. Luo Binghe has never once seen anything like this in his life.
“H-how…?” he mumbles, wide-eyed. “It just touched… but it’s dead?”
“No, not dead,” Huan Qingyan says, observing the demonic eagle twice the size of the regular animal cautiously. “I’ve merely scattered its consciousness and purified its soul. As long as the body is preserved, this demon will still be able to regain its consciousness, no matter how scattered it may be, but not all of its power.”
“Scattered… its consciousness?” Luo Binghe shudders at the mere thought. Scattering the demonic consciousness, the very source of demonic power? It’s more vicious than he could have possibly imagined.
“Are you not yet familiar with the basic makings of a demon?” Ku Xing Peak Lord asks, almost kindly. “It’s not too different from a regular human, but it’s not the same either. All demons have inside them the soul of a living being ─ it is as susceptible to reincarnation as any other. However, many demons, due to their absence of morality and empathy, fall into the trap of living a life based on bloodthirsty and bestial desires. For a human, once their memories are erased and their soul cleansed, they enter the reincarnation cycle to be reborn with all their great deeds and misdeeds wiped from the slate, allowing a chance for a new beginning with only the karma of all their previous lives to guide them. For demons, oftentimes the misdeeds far outweigh the good they’ve done, leading to far too much bad karma gathering with their souls. So, long ago, the heavens separated the demonic soul from the demonic consciousness. Once a demon’s body dies, the soul reincarnates the same way a human’s soul would, however, the demonic consciousness which contains all of their demonic power, vindictiveness and hostility is cleansed and that consciousness is scattered. Eventually, once purified, it comes back to the world as spiritual energy.”
“The Heaven’s Wrath curse invoked by force,” Luo Binghe mutters, blood in his veins as cold as ice. “That’s worse than killing them.”
“I suppose that to a demon it would seem that way,” Huan Qingyan confirms, amused. “But we’ve merely swapped the order of the steps. The body and the soul may still continue on living, but only the most basic self-preservation instincts remain intact. To beast-like demons, it’s not too different from simple amnesia. But for most humanoid demons, it is indeed a harsh punishment.”
Luo Binghe can’t describe the chill rolling deep down his spine as he watches the empty eyes of the red clawed eagle staring up at him. It’s not the first that he’s heard of the cultivators having this ability, nor is the first time that he has seen a demon with purely its consciousness removed ─ but it is still unsightly.
It is still frightening.
Just imagining that someday, somehow, his consciousness could scatter entirely, leaving behind an empty shell of a body and a soul with none of Luo Binghe left inside, it fills him with dread he cannot describe. Not once in the past has Luo Binghe ever considered such an ending or what it might mean to himself and to other demons, to all sorts of other beings that also inadvertently end up inviting the forceful activation Heaven’s Wrath curse upon themselves while still alive.
The demon in front of him has done nothing of note. Yes, clearly he’s out to strike at Luo Binghe mercilessly, take his life in one hit, but he is also clearly a beast from the Abyss and most of the creatures inside the Abyss have regarded Luo Binghe’s mere existence as something worth destruction.
The Red Clawed Eagles were one of the rare non-malicious races inside the Abyss. At least, not unless provoked. Luo Binghe has come in conflict with them a few times and most of the time, arranging for an armistice wasn’t too difficult ─ it lasted until he greatly offended one of their ladies by refusing to become her boytoy. The vengeance they all started seeking upon him afterwards was cruel, but not to the level of bloody murder. Quite a few times, Luo Binghe has talked them out of rash decisions with sweet words alone. Watching that incredibly intelligent bird race be reduced to this soulless puppet within a moment feels like letting the Fire Snails incinerate his insides all over again.
A moment. A moment in which all of his intelligence, demonic power, years of training and determination won’t make even the slightest difference.
“How long have you been a Qing Jing Peak disciple?” Huan Qingyan asks suddenly, and Luo Binghe needs to remind himself he isn’t allowed to ignore her, he isn't allowed to make any mistakes.
“Little over three years,” he says, but his voice shakes slightly.
“Ah. Too early for this concept to be presented to you yet. Usually, most lords will wait at least a few years of active field experience before teaching their disciples about this.”
Shizun has never done that for him, Luo Binghe realizes. Not in his early years before the Immortal Alliance Conference, not after they’ve become enemies upon Luo Binghe’s return from the Abyss, not even later, once Luo Binghe intentionally made everyone his enemy. Clearly, other major cultivator names would have loved to make him suffer such a terrible destiny. The way Huan Qingyan has done this as though it’s nothing out of the ordinary is reverberating in his skin, in his bones, in his blood, like millions of icicles piercing through because they cannot flow properly.
Huan Qingyan is the kind of person who could have done that without a shred of regret on that saintly face… but Shizun never… Shizun never entertained the possibility. Shizun never─
Luo Binghe swallows a lump in his throat, shuddering slightly.
“How… how difficult is it to attain a tool that can achieve that?” he asks, but his voice is barely above a whisper.
Huan Qingyan smiles teasingly, not at all interpreting the fear in his words as what it is, but as awe instead. “Not easy at all. Gods from the Heavens must truly look favorably upon you before blessing you with such a gift. And even then, it must be used responsibly. If you cleanse a consciousness that does not deserve it, the consequences may indeed be dire. It is a heavy responsibility.”
“And… Ku Xing Peak… received something like that? So easily?”
“This is an inherited item, something passed down through many generations of Ku Xing Peak Leaders,” the woman explains softly. “I don’t know how many centuries it's been with our sect, but to master it takes a long time. Even now, I’ve only scratched the surface of its true potential.”
“And there are no others? Only this one?”
Huan Qingyan chuckles briefly. “No, I’m afraid, this is one of a kind. What? Have I lured you in to come over and join my Peak? Zhao Hua Monastery has a scepter that has a similar attribute to it, but it’s a much crueler tool to use. They rarely ever use it to start with ─ the Elder Monks consider it too much of a responsibility while the youths are too reckless with it. Either way, these are the only two similar tools that I know about. Perhaps, if you are determined and diligent enough, you might someday be able to receive a third one.”
Luo Binghe already knows nothing of the sort will ever happen, so he doesn't comment on it. He is almost relieved once Liu Qingge comes back, hauling several heavy animalistic demons behind him.
“All Endless Abyss beasts,” he says, obviously annoyed. “All of them ravenous but weak. How they made it past the barrier between the Human Realm and the Abyss is beyond me.”
Luo Binghe never thought he would feel relieved, seeing dead demon bodies covered in fresh blood. He used to consider Liu Qingge ruthless in his approach to battle, but now the single-slash kill almost feels like mercy in comparison.
In fact, even Liu Qingge is slightly startled when he notices the empty-eyed eagle on the ground, alive. “What happened here? You were also attacked?”
“A minor inconvenience, nothing of note,” Huan Qingyan says. “I take it we are nowhere closer to finding our missing disciples yet? Where is Qingqi─”
“Right here, and I’ve actually got something,” Qi Qingqi says from behind them all, carrying something in her hand that is as covered in blood as the scabbard was previously. It’s a precious silky robe, purple and stained, but once it was clearly a luxurious piece of clothing. Dry blood stains cover the precious cloth. Luo Binghe needs not guess to whom it may have belonged. Next to him, Liu Qingge is as stiff as a rock.
A soft, “Mingyan,” slips out his lips, barely loud enough for anyone to hear.
Notes:
Honestly, I love MXTX stories, but my one gripe with canon is that there's so many female character with great potential for badassery... and nothing's ever done with it. So here. More confusing lore, but canon left us with so much unexplored stuff that I just had to add a spin to it. Next up, we find out exactly what our Queen LMY has been up to!
Like, not promising that I'll do much better, but I gotta at least TRY
Chapter 20: The Lingering Soul Ritual
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Mingyan is fine.
Liu Qingge repeats that in his head like a mantra, almost says it out loud, but contains himself at the last moment. Obviously, Qi Qingqi is alarmed about the state of the robes she’s found and Huan Qingyan is urging them to move faster, but he finds it difficult to move his feet. He keeps staring at that cloak, identical to the fabric that makes the veil covering his sister’s face, that pretty piece he’s always loathed seeing her wear more so than anything else. Now this piece of clothing reeks of death and blood. The blood could be his sister’s blood. Maybe. Liu Qingge dares not assume. But Mingyan is most certainly still alive ─ and that suddenly fills him with the sort of dread he hasn’t felt in a very long time.
Mingyan is alive.
Is it because his genius little sister found a way out of the predicament that not even her senior disciples could follow? Or is it because those demons somehow know exactly what they have stumbled into, and that silly child is now worth more alive than dead?
“Shishu? Are you listening?”
Liu Qingge feels his blood pressure rise at the false respect in that youthful voice, but it also brings it to his attention that Luo Binghe has been trying to talk to him for quite a bit, and now everyone is staring at him with varying degrees of concern. Face aflame, Liu Qingge is just about to snap at all of them ─ when the back of his neck tingles.
“Scatter, now!” he exclaims. Cheng Luan in his hand is already swinging through the air, but reaching nothing. The fact that he’s jumped back in the process is the only thing that saves him from a spiked fist coming at him, missing his chest by a hair.
Shit, shit, shit! Of course these bastards know what they’ve got in their hands. They didn’t leave Mingyan’s robe out here just because, they left it out to lure them into a fucking trap!
Suddenly furious, Liu Qingge throws all caution to the wind. Ignoring Qi Qingqi’s urging to regroup and Huan Qingyan’s call to withdraw, he charges forward, swinging his sword repeatedly and with no restraint, all in his efforts to cut that disgusting fist into minced meat.
It doesn’t work, of course.
It was that spiked fist that struck him from behind, back in Shuang Hu city. It was that same fist that nearly knocked him completely out of commission in one hit, giving way for Skinner wearing concubine skin to stab him with that poisoned dagger. At the time, Liu Qingge had done everything in his power to stab and slash and blow up both these ugly beasts with everything he had, yet the poison had taken effect too quickly. Organs falling out from the tear Skinner created in his midriff, Liu Qingge was left with nothing but a feeble chance to hold himself in place and stay alive , make his way back to Cang Qiong Mountain even if it killed him.
Now, things are different. Liu Qingge’s life, whether or not it’s at stake, is of no importance to him whatsoever.
“What have you bastards done to my sister?!” he roars, striking at the wild beast of a demon covered with armored spikes, all of which his sword passes through as though they don’t exist, like he's fighting a goddamn ghost.
That asshole demon gathers himself enough to try and attack Liu Qingge again ─ and that fist once again comes too close. Liu Qingge ducks under it, only to see it change trajectory disregarding all laws of physics, to come slamming at him from above.
SCREW THAT!
Liu Qingge meets that fist with a full blast of Qi, prepared to take the hit just so long as the moment the fist forms and makes contact ─ but the hit never lands.
Instead, where Liu Qingge’s Qi blast reigned, half of the demon’s arm has turned into a swirly mass of black, smokey substance, hovering in the air around like a black cloud. Suddenly, the beast lets out an ear piercing roar, reverberating through the entire mountain.
Liu Qingge stares at the mass of smoke in shock, then his own hand. That Qi blast is enough? How? Last time, he─
But he wastes no time thinking about it. Instead, he charges another blast of Qi straight at the frozen demon, watching it do nothing more but further scatter the already scattered black smoke. The demon seems frozen in place, unable to move from where his arm has been blasted off, restrained by nothing visible to the naked eye, but it has also not sustained any further damage. Liu Qingge, however, has finally realized how this formlessness works. Finally, Liu Qingge has found their weak point. The timing! The timing has always been the key!
It’s not impossible.
It’s not fucking impossible!
Oh, he’s going to make these demons regret ever existing.
He throws another blast of Qi directly at the slowly reforming black mist, dispersing it further and drawing yet another scream from the beastly demon with his spiked armor. The giant cannot move, no matter how much it wants, but it glares at Liu Qingge with resentment running deeper than the deepest ocean.
“You,” its purplish eyes glowing in rage. “I should have made sure you died.”
Liu Qingge grins, canines flashing gleefully. “Do a better job next time, then. If you can.” Then he shouts at the top of his lungs, “Huan Qingyan!”
“Got it!”
Huan Qingyan gestures for her disciples to get into position, her hands already moving. The demon turns around to follow her actions with his beady eyes, but Liu Qingge kicks a rock at his face. It harmlessly passes through right between those nasty eyes, and a faintly discernible flower tattoo under its spiked helmet, but it gets his attention regardless.
“Oi, you shithead,” Liu Qingge calls out, lazily sweeping his sword out. “Eyes on me.”
Then he charges forward, striking at the mist over and over, noticing that with each strike, he’s able to disperse more of it.
“Pure Qi!” Qi Qingqi exclaims suddenly, wide-eyed. “That’s not a demon at all, that’s just a─”
But Liu Qingge doesn’t hear what she says over the sudden, piercing pain stabbing through his palm. It takes him a moment to realize that the demon has decided to meet his attack with his other fist just before Liu Qingge could unleash another Qi blast at it. One of the spikes has pierced right through the middle of his palm, a familiar redness and prickliness spreading from the injury rapidly.
Shit! Without a Cure?
So it wasn’t Skinner's dagger that poisoned him the last time, but this thing?!
Before Liu Qingge can question it, he uses the unexpected opportunity to Qi-blast that same spike entirely out of existence, gleefully watching the demon roar in pure agony.
“What? I figured your trick out so now all you can do is sit there and cry? Fight me like you mean it, bastard!”
Ignoring the burning in his arm, ignoring the added dosage to his already slowly building Qi blockage, Liu Qingge charges again, further pushing the demon into their trap, further luring it into its own damnation. With a final blast of Qi, the most powerful he can manage, the closest in range as he can possibly get, Liu Qingge disperses the mist as far as it can go, before suddenly the ground under him lights up in the blinding white light of an array.
With many of Ku Xing’s disciples in their position, the Peak Lord whips her hands out in a set of complicated motions, and the array on the ground comes to life in a flash of bright light. White ropes come to life, moving a little like tentacles, before they firmly wrap around each and every single part of the demon, heedless for its size, spikes or any form of resistance. They wrap around it tightly one by one, holding on where Liu Qingge’s sword could touch nothing, creeping further and further up its limbs, torso and head, leaving absolutely nothing untouched. It confounds the demon, the pure energy of heaven’s blessing burning away the corroded black smoke little by little, until the beast entirely stops resisting, trying to cover its pained hisses until he entirely disappears in a cocoon of white.
“It… it worked?” Huan Qingyan watches her handiwork with wide eyes, staring at her own hands and down at the still glowing array in a mix of surprise and barely contained excitement. “It worked!”
“Still not over,” Liu Qingge grunts. “I doubt this bastard works alone. He didn’t, before.”
“How did you do it?” Qi Qingqi asks, staring at the motionless mess of glowing white ropes shaped like an oversized chicken egg. Even Luo Binghe comes closer, wide-eyed. They’re all staring at the mass of white in wonder.
“Don’t treat them as demons,” Liu Qingge says. “They’re some sort of mutilated form of resentful ghosts, with memory and abilities intact. Physical attacks can’t hurt them cause they don’t physically exist anymore, not until they actively burn up dark energy to gain form. Those rituals are probably what they use to build up the dark energy to start with, otherwise they'd be no better than actual ghosts. Or maybe, they’re using up the very essence of their soul to just…” interact with the world, he wants to say… but that’s not correct, either. It feels more complex than that.
“How is that possible?” Qi Qingqi mutters. “How can demons turn into resentful ghosts? Aren’t their souls thrown straight into the reincarnation cycle? They don’t get that ghost fire grace period, right?”
“They shouldn’t, normally,” Huan Qingyan mutters, thoughtful. “The path of a demon is straight into reincarnation, but their consciousness is erased before that. Something must have gotten in the way of their passing.”
“What could possibly interfere with that?!” Qi Qingqi explodes.
Not that any single one of them has the answer. Liu Qingge sneaks a look over at Luo Binghe, but he looks just as surprised by this realization. In fact, surprised and unconvinced, if that dark look on the kid's face is anything to go by. Liu Qingge is tempted to call him out on the silence, but he doesn’t get a chance.
Huan Qingyan’s blessed array starts quivering. For a few moments, it’s like the demon is doing everything to resist its bindings, then it all stops. The ropes fall in on themselves, binding nothing.
“Oh shi─”
“What the fuck? Where did it go?!!” Qi Qingqi cries.
“Eep!” Huan Qingyan jumps.
The demon reappears behind their back, entirely unrestrained and in one piece. By the time they notice, it’s too late. Both women attempt to strike back regardless; Qi Qingqi swings her sword instinctively and Huan Qingyan throws up a defensive barrier ─ but none of it is able to hold the demon back. A spiked fist passes right through the shimmering white barrier, the spikes connecting directly with Huan Qingyan’s abdomen. The punch throws her back a distance, bright red staining the pristine robes as she crumples into a ball on the ground, unable to rise.
“BASTARD!” Qi Qingqi screams as she throws a blast of Qi at the demon’s face, but it does nothing at all. She strikes with a Qi blast after Qi blast, but the result is just a little better than what Huan Qingyan got. A single thin wisp of black smoke, and a completely reformed demon, now aiming his attacks at Qi Qingqi alone. The Xian Shu Peak Lord barely dodges its spikes, her reinforced Qi blasts keeping the beast somewhat occupied and away from doing her damage, but it’s a fight at a stand still. No matter what she does, it’s not causing any damage whatsoever. How?
Liu Qingge watches it with wide eyes and he doesn’t understand. How did it work for him, but not for her? What is the difference? What is she doing that─
“ZHAO MENG!” the demon suddenly roars, his voice rumbling like thunder.
“Brother!”
Liu Qingge turns right in time to see another demon coming at him. An oversized grasshopper with a pair of nasty looking pincers misses his neck by mere hairs, as Liu Qingge throws himself to the side and swings Cheng Luan with all the Qi he can muster ─ which is next to nothing. Blood comes gushing out of his mouth as a Qi blockage throws him into the ground, rendering him helpless in an instant. Liu Qingge grips his sword tighter, urging his body to move despite the restrictions. He screams, but it does next to nothing. His body just falls forward instead, entirely useless under the effects of Without a Cure.
“Brother!” Mingyan cries, appearing as though she’s jumped out of thin air, getting in the way of those pincers before they can grab Liu Qingge.
Immediately, the pincers are retracted before her practice sword can touch them, the oversized grasshopper roaring insults under its breath as it retreats. A Formless Demon retreats. In between his heart pounding in his ears and the Qi blockage sending waves of searing pain through his meridians, Liu Qingge manages to push himself up just enough to take in the sight of his little sister.
His beautiful, unharmed little sister, slashing her practice sword over her palm, until the edge of the blade glistens in her blood along its entire length. That bright red trail of blood turns into solidified blood-red energy coating her blade, infused with immense spiritual power. Then Mingyan slashes at the beast, forcing it away from the group, luring it to run towards where two of her fellow disciple sisters already await, having mimicked the same technique of coating their blades in their own blood with just a slight bit less potency, before all the three girls strike in unison, as though they've done this countless times before. The insect demon shrieks in pain for just a moment, and then the entirety of its grasshopper body dissolves into a mass of thick, black smoke, hovering in the air like a particularly nasty cloud bearing storm.
As soon as she’s convinced the beast is at bay, Mingyan sheathes her practice blade and rushes over to Liu Qingge. A wave of familiar spiritual power washes over him, but it’s not enough to even quell the pain, let alone free him of the constraints of the Qi blockage. Still, with trembling arms, Liu Qingge rises until Mingyan’s face is cupped in his palm, the silky veil hiding her expression, but not the tears glistening in her eyes.
“Brother,” she whispers, and her voice shakes slightly.
“How’d you─”
But Liu Qingge doesn’t get to finish the question. That spiked armor beast has given up on Qi Qingqi and is now heading back for him and Mingyan, having judged his little sister a far bigger threat, and it's now charging forward through all the defenses Qi Qingqi and the Ku Xing disciples try to put up between them.
Liu Mingyan once again brandishes her sword, her entire body shaking slightly in the process ─ but this time, there is no need to swing it.
Luo Binghe’s sword is coated in a thin sheen of his blood in a similar way the Xian Shu girls had done, but with none of the matching trail of solidified Qi. It's just pure blood covering the blade as Luo Binghe gets in the way of that spiked armor and does as much damage to the demon as the Xian Shu Peak girls did ─ if not even more so ─ with a single slash of his blade. The spiked armored bastard doesn't get a chance to so much as gasp before it dissolves into dark smoke, dispersed far and wide.
For a moment, the whole mountain rests in eerie silence, watching the two swirling black masses of smoke hover in the air, almost mixing together, yet at the same time entirely distinct. Finally, Qi Qingqi manages to say, “What… What the hell was that? Are we done here?”
“No,” Liu Mingyan murmurs softly, her head lowered to hide the entirety of her face in shadows. “This will only contain them for a short time. Minutes and they will reform once again. We… we haven’t found a way to get rid of them long term.”
Alarmed, Liu Qingge looks at her as he slowly rises back to his feet, but only now he realizes that ‘unharmed’ may not have been entirely correct, when speaking of his sister. She is as beautiful and graceful as she’s always been ─ but her eyes are weary and her hands, full of countless freshly bleeding and half healed cuts. She is shaking slightly, visibly exhausted. Clearly, they have been using this method of suppression for a long time, and yet they haven't been able to escape the mountain. Days upon days of chase with no results to show, and it has taken quite a toll on all the three girls. Not so clearly, but something that Liu Qingge has picked upon the moment his sister shared her spiritual energy with him ─ it’s not only blood mixed with spiritual power that’s made the trick work for them.
“Who taught you to infuse life force into your blood in that way?” he asks ─ and he doesn’t mean to make it sound so aggressive. But it still makes the girl flinch, before she hastily looks over in the direction of her fellow senior disciples, visibly panicking.
“You did what?!” Qi Qingqi roars suddenly, turning to stare at all three of her girls with an equal amount of shock.
All of the girls suddenly don’t know where to look. They keep looking into the ground, pale and weak, shaky on their feet. Finally, the eldest of them whispers, “Shizun, we had no choice. If we hadn’t done it, we would have ended up like those Zhao Hua Monastery cultivators a long time ago. We are aware this is considered a dark practice, but─”
“Dark practice?” Qi Qingqi roars. “Do you have even the slightest clue what you were doing?! Who suggested this insanity?! Who told you─”
“Me,” Liu Mingyan mumbles suddenly, startling everybody. “It was my idea, Shizun.” She closes her eyes, awaiting judgment, both from her Master and her elder brother ─ but they are both at a loss. To Qi Qingqi, it must be very confusing. Liu Mingyan hasn’t spent even a year under her mentorship yet. How could she have possibly come up with such a messed up idea?
Unfortunately, Liu Qingge knows exactly how she could have come up with it, and why ─ and suddenly he understands the background behind its effectiveness. Truly, his little sister is such a piece of work.
At a loss for what to do, Qi Qingqi is staring at him, as though gauging his reaction, perhaps to measure her own level of scolding afterwards ─ but that’s the thing. Liu Qingge has nothing to say. He just places his hand on top of his sister’s head, ruffling her hair around like she’s a pet or something, and not a cultivator with her elegance and pride.
“We’ll discuss that later,” Qi Qingqi decides, then. “First things first ─ we need to find a way to permanently get rid of these… things. Maybe, a strong enough Qi blast─”
“It will only increase the time that it takes them to pull themselves together,” one of the Xian Shu girls whispers. “They… they took too many. We cannot do anything.”
“Too many?” Liu Qingge asks. “Of what?”
“Hearts,” the other girl mumbles, her face vaguely greenish. “They feed on… raw hearts… human, demon, animal… the summoning ritual to open the Endless Abyss brought too many demons out to the surface and they have been hunting them ever since, killing everything in their path. Over the past few days, they must have devoured hundreds, just to increase their own power.”
“Wait,” Qi Qingqi says suddenly. “All along our way, we found animal and human bodies, but not demons. If they truly killed so many of them, how did we not find any─”
“Not just kill,” Liu Mingyan says, shuddering. “They… consumed them. Body, soul, consciousness… as long as it had anything demonic on them, they could consume all of it, leaving nothing behind. It appears that they cannot do so to humans, however.”
“Then, this…” Liu Qingge stares at the swirling mass of black smoke coming closer and closer together, forming more and more of a vague shape. “If we can’t cut them and we can’t blast them with Qi… how do we get rid of them?”
The girls all shake their heads. They are on their last legs. If they hadn't gotten lucky enough to find a way to contain these abominations, they would have died a long time ago. But even with this, they could only do so much. Contain and follow these creatures, push them into a corner and interfere with their activities to the best of their abilities, until they no longer could. Even Minygan is swaying, subconsciously leaning against Liu Qingge’s arm for support. When she realizes, she tries to straighten and stand properly, but very soon, she sways again.
“Perhaps…” Luo Binghe suddenly speaks into the heavy silence, his own eyes stuck on the swirling mass of black, unable to look away. “Perhaps─”
“We destroy the power of the ritual that made them,” Huan Qingyan speaks over him, struggling to keep her voice level as her hands cover the deep gash in her side, bleeding violently. The bottom half of her robes is more red than it is white, soaking in all the blood leaking out of her wound. Already, the edges of her hands are breaking out in a similar red rash as Liu Qingge’s. Without a Cure is taking effect so quickly. Qi Qingqi comes to assist her instantly, even if Ku Xing Peak Lord attempts to decline.
“What ritual?” Liu Qingge asks, refusing to let this matter go undiscussed. If she knows something, she better say it, while they still have a chance to act. There is no space for mistakes. The swirling mist is reforming too quickly.
“This… is the result of the Lingering Soul Ritual,” Huan Qingyan whispers, gripping tightly onto Qi Qingqi to remain standing, all too pale in the face from the blood loss. “This is a dark practice of summoning souls back from the dead, calling to their rage and resentment, then using those regrets to put vengeful souls into the hands of dark cultivators. One ritual alone… requires too heavy a sacrifice. But to perform this not on a human, but a demon…” her words trail off, lost to the heavy coughs and blood sliding down the side of her mouth.
Liu Qingge’s fists clench. Of all the many dark practices he’s heard, this is the first he’s ever heard of the Lingering Soul Ritual.
It is, however, clearly not the first that Luo Binghe has heard of it. The more he listens, the paler his face appears, until the very end of Huan Qingyan’s words where he’s left looking more ghoulish than even Huan Qingyan herself. His eyes are still firmly fixed onto the two swirling masses of black, wide and unblinking, almost tearful. His bottom lip is trembling.
“How do we do it?” Qi Qingqi asks.
Huan Qingyan shakes her head, attempting to speak, but only more blood comes out of her mouth. Giving up on words, she reaches into her sleeve, attempting to find something ─ but then the heavy coughs shake her whole body. Even though Qi Qingqi catches her in time, that crazy woman has already lost all sense of self. In spite of Qi Qingqi sharing spiritual energy with her repeatedly, she doesn’t wake.
“Shit, we have to do something. We have to─”
“Leave,” Luo Binghe whispers.
Instantly, Qi Qingqi rounds on him. “We must solve this or else who knows what other damage these demons might do?!”
“No, he’s right,” Liu Qingge says suddenly. “Retreat. Take Huan-shimei and the disciples with you and go.”
“Absolutely not─!”
“I’ll take charge here and you leave,” Liu Qingge snaps. “My Qi blockages won’t allow me to keep Huan Qingyan alive until she gets to Qian Cao Peak. It’s gotta be you. And the disciples don’t look like they’re gonna last much longer here either. Anyway, I know what it is now, I can find a way to fix it. If we don’t make it back, then…” Well. There’s no need to send reinforcements, Liu Qingge is about to say, but Qi Qingqi takes the words out of his mouth.
“What damn reinforcements?! What ‘we’?! You don’t think that you and Shen Qingqiu’s disciple alone are enough for this─”
“Fucking go. Do you want her to die?!” Liu Qingge roars.
Finally, Qi Qingqi realizes just how terribly pale Huan Qingyan looks. For all her fancy holy trinkets, that crazy woman has always been too soft when it comes to physical blows. The moment Liu Qingge stops fighting with spiritual power and starts using force in their many confrontations, she loses miserably.
“Fine,” Qi Qingqi hisses. “Ku Xing brats. And my girls. You're all with me. Let the lunatics kill themselves if they’re so inspired.”
Instantly, Mingyan pales, her head snapping around to plead with Liu Qingge directly. “Brother, I can help─”
But he pushes her away too, shaking his head. “You did enough. I saw what you did. I know how, too. Now go, I’ll take care of the rest here.”
If anything, the corners of her eyes fill with tears. “Brother, please. I can still be reckless, but you can’t─”
But Liu Qingge pushes her even harder in the direction of Qi Qingqi, listening not to a single word more. Fortunately, that crazy woman all but drags her away. Goddamn it. This is all Mu Qingfang's fault, traumatizing her so much. Liu Qingge is going to beat the shit out of him when he gets back to Cang Qiong Mountain. He locks his eyes with Luo Binghe, who still looks slightly ill to his face, but he grips the sword in his hand as though it’s his lifeline. He is still staring at the black mass now far more clearly demon shaped as though waiting for something.
Liu Qingge waits until everyone else has retreated far enough before he comes to stand next to Luo Binghe, briefly touching the kid’s shoulder. It was just intended to get his attention, but the way the kid jolts, his mind may as well have been trapped elsewhere this whole time.
“What? What?” he asks, but his grip on his sword only tightens.
“The way you’re staring at it, you look like you have an idea,” Liu Qingge says. “Spill it.”
Luo Binghe says nothing for a very long time, his brows creased with worries that go far beyond his young age. “I… if this is really the result of the Lingering Soul Ritual… then there will be a mark. Somewhere on their bodies, there should be a flower of death. If we destroy it, it’s over.”
“... but?”
Luo Binghe swallows. “But… if this is not the soul of a demon that's been gathered with the use of that ritual… if this is just demonic consciousness, then… then…” he trails off, voice shaking. His point remains unsaid, but Liu Qingge can substitute it with a multitude of his own. None of which they have the answers for.
“One way or another, we’re gonna find out,” Liu Qingge says. “They’ve almost reformed.”
“Minutes,” Luo Binghe whispers, as though it is something that goes beyond his imagination. “These things… shouldn’t exist.”
One thing we agree on, Liu Qingge thinks grimly. Then he draws his sword, and mimicking his sister, draws a thin bloody line on his palm with the entirety of Cheng Luan’s blade. Calling on both his spiritual power and life force to become his blade, the crimson-red swirl of energy that covers Cheng Luan is far more tempestuous and intense than Mingyan's could have ever been.
As soon as the first demon reforms, he strikes.
Notes:
It wasn't intentional when I first started writing it, but LMY somehow became the problem solver early on in the story... So naturally, that becomes a subplot eventually, BWAHAHAHAHAHA. Gotta love the Liu siblings and how they're so damn different yet so similar in some ways. Ride or die babe, ride or die...
That said, like, the further I go with this, the more ensemble-cast-like it becomes... uh oh... When I started publishing this, fic was around 300k words, but now we're closer to 400k and there's still ways to go. That 60-chapter count is def going up... yay, I guess?
Chapter 21: Trace of Heaven II
Notes:
Trigger warning for gore.
We're nearing the end of this arc, with one more chapter to wrap up this part of the story before we see what SY has been up to this whole time... and then canon arcs are back on track... or the mangled version of them, at any rate
Chapter Text
The Lingering Soul Ritual…
The Lingering Soul Ritual.
Does Luo Binghe know what that is? Of course he knows what it is. For years, he thought about it day and night, thinking of how he could get his Shizun back to life… and this was one of the methods that came up. At first, what he learned about it seemed like a less reliable, more incomplete option compared to the methods hidden within the Holy Mausoleum, but he’s dug deeper just in case, to see if there were ways to change the process and get different results, see if there’s a chance to repurpose it and save Shizun’s soul, rebuild the broken link between the body and the soul. Instead, what he learned is that the depth of human malice knows no bounds ─ and the Lingering Soul Ritual has a pretty name, but that’s the only thing pretty about it.
This method had from its inception had the goal of turning deceased human souls into resentful spirits, fitting tools to twist the human mind and turn their suffering, grievances and all their deepest regrets into weapons, all with the intent of using that raging darkness for its own ends. The work was a legacy of rogue cultivators lost over time and for good reason. After all the years Luo Binghe invested into putting these many different records together to create a coherent set of instructions, not once could he have imagined that applying this concept to demons instead of humans would result in… this.
The Formless Demons plaguing the Endless Abyss and the Formless Demons stalking around the human and demon realms are not a natural phenomenon at all. They are a man-made sacrifice, built upon hundreds of other sacrifices, all with the sole purpose of spreading darkness and despair as far as their influence could reach.
And now even the cream of the crop of Cang Qiong Mountain Sect knows not how to contain these wisps of demonic consciousness, left behind in the wake of some crazy chessmaster’s wicked game. Liu Qingge next to him brandishes his weapon, observing the mass of ugly black with more and more distaste as two shapes come closer and closer to regaining their sense of selves. The moment Tian Chui’s form materializes in front of them first, Liu Qingge strikes.
Once again, his attack harmlessly passes through, but that ugly beast is smarter this time. Using Liu Qingge’s momentum against him, Tian Chui strikes out with his spikes before Liu Qingge can do anything to dodge. Luo Binghe shouts out in alarm, but Bai Zhan’s God of War title is no joke. Liu Qingge blasts the heavy fist coming at him from behind with all the Qi he can muster, once again dispersing the fist into smoke before it can touch him.
But even so, this is not a solution.
The Xian Shu girls have kept these two under control with similar methods for many days, but ultimately they have achieved nothing. Qi-infused blood isn’t a solution at all.
But there has to be a reason why Qi-infused blood works when nothing else does.
Think, Luo Binghe, think.
What can create a creature like this is also what can destroy it… but what could have created this in the first place? Just how much must the original ritual be modified for the results to turn out like this?
Suddenly, Liu Qingge strikes at the insect demon as the mass of smoke finally becomes its image, but it is exactly like fighting air. The demons are there but they are not. The resentment is there, but it’s not. The dark energy fueling their rage is under their perfect control, giving way to those perfectly timed attacks that Liu Qingge dodges at a narrower range with every retaliation. The Formless Demons are gaining ground quickly, as though they already know what to do, as though they’ve been playing these games of attrition for a very long time.
The key is in the blood, Luo Binghe already knows. The solution relies upon the use of Qi-infused blood, but how does the temporary solution that Liu Mingyan and her fellow martial sisters implemented become a permanent one?
Liu Qingge clashes with those demons mercilessly, but the one driven in the corner is neither Tian Chui nor the stupid grasshopper, but it’s Liu Qingge, whose insistence on fighting in spite of the poison in his body is rushing him towards a Qi deviation at a record rate.
Think, Luo Binghe.
Blood alone is not enough and destroying the flower of death somewhere on their non materialized bodies might not be either. Liu Qingge is nearing his limit, if Luo Binghe doesn’t─
Finally, Liu Qingge, pushed to his absolute limit, imitates his sister’s move and slices a deep line in his palm, coating his weapon in a new bout of fresh blood. Then he strikes at the grasshopper, against all odds, turning him into a black mass of smoke with just one swing of his sword.
A faint trace of white lingers in the air, and suddenly to Luo Binghe, it all clicks together.
The Formless Demons. The corpses littered everywhere with their hearts missing. The demons in the Abyss and their single minded obsession with Luo Binghe, his nightmares and fears. Feeding on his pain as though it relieves their aches and reinvigorates their rage further beyond what one could imagine. The missing link, the difference between the demons and the humans, the single most focal point of why summoning a soul back from the dead is so infuriatingly difficult.
“The Heaven’s Wrath.”
The beast Tian Chui’s eyes flicker over to him, shining with malice. “Oh, Great Lord Luo. Have you finally realized?”
Of course he has. He would have been a fool if it had taken him any longer.
Many spiritual cultivators have inside of them a trace of the heavens, carried on by their bloodline for all eternity. Even from the Xian Shu disciples on the scene, the three of them were lucky enough to notice that their blood could cause harm to these things, even if they had failed to grasp why. Perhaps not all of them even carry the Trace of Heaven, the temporary action would still work due to the very nature of infusing aggressive Qi into blood. That’s why Liu Qingge could also apply the same methods and get the same results.
However, Luo Binghe is different. He is a demon child born to a Heavenly Demon and a spiritual cultivator, a hybrid of convenience, belonging nowhere.
Assuming that his cultivator mother also carries the trace of heaven in her blood, and already knowing that his father the Heavenly Demon certainly does, this could have resulted in many different issues. After all, Heavenly Demons rarely produce anything other than half-blooded abominations. They mix terribly with other demons but even more so with humans, precisely because of the curse of their own bloodline.
The Heavenly Demons are the original bearers of the Heaven’s Wrath curse. It’s what makes their power the greatest and ultimately their demise most thorough, for their demonic consciousness is the hardest to cleanse. But that is only true for full blooded demons.
If a half-blooded Heavenly demon isn’t already deformed at birth or doesn’t die in infancy from the backlash of that curse… moreover, if that half-demon first grows up a cultivator, only to unleash the power of his blood heritage later on, then… then…
Luo Binghe shudders slightly, cold sweat drenching his back.
“From the beginning, it was me,” he says.
He has no way to know for sure if what he’s thinking is correct. He is only concluding this based on his experience in the Endless Abyss and a few assumptions, only coming to this realization because no other can possibly explain it. But with the way that Tian Chui is watching him, as though he’d want nothing else but to sink his teeth deep into Luo Binghe’s neck, what more does he need?
The Heaven’s Wrath curse can only be undone by Heaven’s power.
It is possible that, of all the demons and half demons in all the realms, the only one who has broken the Heaven’s Wrath curse by merely breathing is Luo Binghe. And now these stupid things think he is their solution, too.
Luo Binghe clenches his fists, glaring hatefully at the demonic beast. Liu Qingge is now watching the exchange keenly, but whether or not he’s caught onto the reality of this is completely irrelevant.
Very calmly, Luo Binghe says, “So what if I’m the one who is able to save you? How does it detract from the fact that I’m also the one able to destroy you?”
Tian Chui dares snicker in his face.
“Great Lord Luo should understand better than this humble servant does,” he says. “However, as things stand, Great Lord Luo has not yet come close to attaining his birthright. Who’s to say I will not kill you first?”
Tian Chui moves before Luo Binghe can digest the threat for what it is. He dives back and out of the way, but there’s a limit as to how far he can move when he is in a thick forest surrounded by dense trees. For him, all these things are limits and obstacles, but for Tian Chui, who can make contact with the living world on a whim, all these obstructions may as well not exist.
Liu Qingge’s impeccable timing skill strikes again as he blasts the fist coming for Luo Binghe out of existence a moment before it connects, but once again, that fists starts rebuilding itself, much faster than before.
“Shit,” Liu Qingge spits. “If you have ideas, now’s the time to tell them.”
But Luo Binghe’s eyes are still stuck on the swirling black smoke, the remnants of the demonic consciousness brought back together under the influence of the great resentment inside him.
“Have you seen the flower mark on his body yet?” Luo Binghe asks. “That’s where you aim.”
“That simple?” Liu Qingge is naturally unconvinced.
“No,” Luo Binghe says. “But you’re no fool. You already know it’s not about where you hit, but how you do it.”
Liu Qingge’s eyes narrow a fraction.
Luo Binghe smiles at him with no mirth to it whatsoever. “You still won’t say it? I already know. Both you and your sister carry a trace of heaven in your blood. The difference between the two of you and everyone else is that you both know how to use it. Or did you think I missed this, back in Bailu forest?”
“This isn’t a fucking game!” Liu Qingge roars, suddenly furious.
“Indeed. Between the two of us, if I’m the one to do it, chances that I’ll kill them or strengthen them are equally divided. I have no control over my demonic powers ─ but I could still end up becoming a source of their power instead. You, however, know exactly what you are able to do with that trace of heaven inside you. So make use of it!”
Liu Qingge roars in full alignment with the roar of the grasshopper as it comes back to its original shape, coming to attack him from behind.
Obviously, the Bai Zhan War God refuses to submit to this kind of a backhanded trick. This time he uses no blood whatsoever to coat his blade for better effect. Instead, with his other hand, he holds out two fingers in front of himself, a faint trace of white and red swirling deep in his pupils ─ and then he moves.
It is but a flash of movement. A single gust of wind, a faint trace of spiritual power that is unlike anything Luo Binghe has ever seen before. When Liu Qingge moves, it is as though he disappears from sight for barely a moment, reappearing back somewhere behind the grasshopper, his sword glowing a soft white color.
The demon, previously cackling, now starts gushing out black blood with a scream. It comes instantly ─ pouring out of the wound left in his middle, but also its misshapen eyes, nose, ears and mouth, like a flood staining the ground with a shade of obsidian black. Luo Binghe’s brows are furrowed, eyes focused. He’s been expecting Liu Qingge to land the hit, but not to cause this… this carnage.
The demon obviously expected none of it. It screams as its form rapidly draws in on itself and… withers? It’s still there, but it’s rapidly turning into a moving corpse, its limbs losing power and dexterity and even shape in a way that looks nothing like the black mist from before.
Did Liu Qingge even hit the vital spot, the flower petal of the Lingering Soul Ritual?
Luo Binghe doesn’t know.
It is horrific to watch regardless.
Even Tian Chui is watching with his eyes wide open, horrified.
“So that’s how it is,” Luo Binghe whispers, a shudder running down his spine. All along, it was the Heaven’s Wrath. The same Heaven’s Wrath that curses the demons to never be reborn as demons ever again. The same Heaven’s Wrath that prevents the Heavenly demon race from ever properly reproducing. The same Heaven’s Wrath that separates the demon’s consciousness, power and sense of self from the rest of their soul, for the consciousness to disappear to nothingness as soon as the soul and the body die.
Inadvertently, it is the combination of the Heaven’s Wrath curse and the Lingering Soul Ritual that creates these abominations ─ and the only way to fix it is for heaven’s power to willingly destroy the remnants of the Heaven’s Wrath curse, destroying the demons entirely.
Unlike a human whose death is final once the soul moves on, a demon with his consciousness intact in the living world will never truly disappear. It can always reform. It will forever stay a shadow, a formless spirit unable to interact with the world under the curse of Heaven's Wrath… but if the curse can somehow be worked around… if the dark rituals can make that curse into a weapon against others rather than the demon itself… then who’s to say that there are no other, even worse ways, to pit these remnants of filth against the human and demon realms?
Liu Qingge suddenly coughs out a mouthful of blood, then his knees hit the ground.
He’s reached his limit, Luo Binghe thinks, he’s on the verge of another Qi deviation ─ until he sees the blood has turned as black as the grasshopper demon’s shortly before his demise. A backlash?
“Liu Qingge,” he calls out in alarm, but behind him, Tian Chui cackles.
“Ahah! Ahahahahah! BWAHAHAHA! You cannot stop us!”
Luo Binghe moves, then.
He doesn’t think about it. He doesn’t hesitate. Clearly, he must have done this once already, or else those demons never would have stopped coming after him, never would have let him escape. So what if he doesn’t remember it?
Luo Binghe is furious.
He is so furious that he doesn’t even care to ask how Tian Chui knows to identify him, so full of rage that he doesn’t stop to consider any further implications. He just grips the Jade Guanyin around his neck tightly while striking out with his borrowed sword, aiming for the spot he cannot see, only vaguely guessing exists. He jumps.
Tain Chui also moves, but it’s too little, too late.
Luo Binghe’s sword pierces right in between his two eyes, where he had previously cast a stone as a test.
Where the sword meets the skin, ugly black blood comes gushing out. A faint trace of a flower blooms around the wound then disappears, shattering as though it's made of glass. Tian Chui roars in pure agony.
“Say it,” Luo Binghe whispers then, something inside him ablaze. “When you struck my Shishu back in Shuang Hu city. Was it because the person you set your trap for was my Shizun? Or was that also for me?”
With ugly black blood pouring out of all the holes on his face, Tian Chui says nothing at all. He just chokes for a few more seconds, until all remnants of sanity abandon him entirely. Then his giant body crumples down, shriveling and rapidly decaying the same way the grasshopper’s did, until nothing but dust remains.
Luo Binghe lands on the ground with ease, flicking his borrowed sword to clean it before sheathing it back, then looks somewhere over his shoulder, eerily calm.
“This warning is for you, Skinner,” he says.
Not too far off, Liu Qingge tenses. He looks around, but there is nothing around them, absolutely no sign of anything, anywhere, not even the slightest demonic presence in vicinity.
Luo Binghe smiles the kind of smile that could slaughter a person with dread alone. But it’s undeniable, he has felt that presence for a moment and he would never mistake it for anything else. “I know you’re watching. So listen carefully, Skinner. Take my words to the one who sent you here. Shen Qingqiu and Liu Qingge are under my protection, as is the rest of Cang Qiong Mountain. Threaten their safety one more time, and the suffering for the rest of you will be much, much worse than what you’ve seen now.”
Satisfied that the warning is out, Luo Binghe doesn’t care if Skinner remains in his hiding place, far and away from them, or does anything else. In fact, other than his gut instinct alone, he has nothing to prove that Skinner was there at all.
Still, Luo Binghe is no fool. No Skinner would plant his parasites into someone without the full intention to use them. That it just happened to be Liu Qingge is unfortunate for Bai Zhan Peak Lord, but if the target of capture was Luo Binghe and the target to implant the parasites was indeed Shizun, then it all points to one thing and one thing alone.
Luo Binghe is not the only one with the memories of a life that exists no more.
Which, come to think of it.
In a flash, Luo Binghe is down on his knees, palm pressed against Liu Qingge’s back. Just as expected, the damage to his meridians is immense.
“Right when I almost fixed you, you had to go and mess it all up again.” Luo Binghe grumbles, offering what little spiritual power he can. It takes time before it’s enough to push Liu Qingge out of the risk of immediate Qi deviation, but it’s not enough to improve anything. At this rate, even getting close to Cang Qiong Mountain’s spiritual energy might push him over the edge.
Liu Qingge tries to sit up, hissing in protest every single time Luo Binghe pushes him back down. “What the hell was that?” he grits out eventually, clearly dismayed.
“Formless Demons,” Luo Binghe answers dryly.
“No, I mean…” but Liu Qingge hesitates. It’s not like Luo Binghe doesn’t know what he wants to hear. He could, of course, share some of his vast knowledge… but what’s the point? Liu Qingge will just later use it against him, painting him an even greater demon than he is. No doubt, this man will return a life debt, Luo Binghe knows better than anyone. But he also knows that everything that comes afterwards is fair game. Liu Qingge will not hold back his punches against a demon, not under any circumstances.
Thus, Luo Binghe says nothing.
He just keeps offering spiritual power, as much as he can manage, doing his best to clear out the blockages. “How many times is it now? Three times? That I’ve saved Liu-shishu’s life. Your debt to me just keeps increasing.”
Liu Qingge grits his teeth, glaring at him, but whatever complex feelings that gaze hides, they are not directed at Luo Binghe, not entirely. He says, “Life’s debt is one thing. But the issue of Shen Qingqiu being targeted intentionally─”
“You heard that?” Luo Binghe interrupts. Really. Even in this life, Liu-shishu can’t let go of that obsession. Well, fine. If he won’t do it on his own, then Luo Binghe will have to force him to let go. Not that there is any need to bother much with it now, when Shizun is away from both of them. So he says, “It’s nothing for Shishu to concern himself with. That is now resolved.”
“The point is─”
“The point is that Liu-shishu definitely took my Shizun’s place in whatever scheme these demons had going,” Luo Binghe spits out in disgust. “I’m half ready to bet that they weren’t just luring you here for the fun of it, but because they were trying to bring out Shizun instead.”
Liu Qingge staggers, like his whole world has been shaken. “You faced it before?” he mumbles, then, unable to even keep the anger present in his voice. “You and Shen Qingqiu, you faced these demons together before?”
“It’s a long story,” Luo Binghe says cryptically. “If Shishu behaves, maybe I’ll share it someday.”
“You─!”
“Sit back down,” Luo Binghe pushes him lightly on the shoulder, and Liu Qingge nearly topples over. “Mu Qingfang will fix the damage to your meridians, but for the blockages, you’ll need patience. I can’t get rid of those now.”
“When did I even ask─” Liu Qingge’s words disappear in a hiss as Luo Binghe clutches his shoulder tighter.
Qing Jing disciple smiles. “This disciple can’t leave his Shishu to suffer forever. Endure it, for now. Meditation is your friend, all-out fights your enemy. Treatment will help manage it.”
“Is it treatment if I punch you in your damn face?”
Unexpectedly, Luo Binghe laughs. Hah. He has been yearning for a good fight for a very long time. And Liu Qingge is just the right type of crazy that could maybe weaken the seal on his demonic blood. He says, “You can try, once your body settles a little.”
The look on Liu Qingge’s face is like the man is ready to do it now. Luo Binghe has to stop himself from cackling at his face.
“Recover first, Shishu, or this will be no fun whatsoever.”
Liu Qingge’s fingers itch for his sword, discarded a distance away, so Luo Binghe politely picks it up for him. It’s funny to watch that face twitch up so badly. He could do this for pure amusement alone.
“Take it easy, Shishu. We’ve gotten rid of two Formless Demons today, but the rest are still out there, and they have a leader. A leader who seems to be dead set on ending your life prematurely. Any enemies you may wish to inform me about now while we still have time to plan ahead?”
Liu Qingge looks like he’s going to bite him like a rabid dog. “Didn’t you say it yourself? They’re using me to bait Shen Qingqiu?”
“Perhaps,” Luo Binghe allows. “But it could be that there’s more to it. I wouldn’t rule it out, at any rate. Anyway, we should go find Peak Lord Qi and Peak Lord Huan as well. They weren’t doing too great before.”
“They’ll live,” Liu Qingge grunts out. Speaking from experience, no doubt. Luo Binghe rolls his eyes.
Once he is done transferring spiritual power over to Liu Qingge, in the corner of his vision, he takes notice of the many System notifications that have accumulated. He’s been ignoring them for a very long time. Many of them that have popped up today, however, are eerily similar. Only the newest one stands out.
[Story mission <Fragments of Regret> has been successfully completed! The Protagonist’s coolness points, +100! B-points, +200! Overarching mission <Forms of Nothingness> successfully activated! This System wishes you good luck!]
The rest are all among the lines of [System warning! System error!] and [System warning! Critical system error!]
However, these are all followed with a meaningless list of [System notice! Error #1101 fixed!] and the like. The note itself has barely changed, only the number is different. Luo Binghe is no fool. He has already guessed that the error in this notice straight up refers to the Formless Demons he’s encountered.
“Hey, System, do you perhaps have a total count of all these things inside the Endless Abyss?” he asks out of curiosity alone.
[...]
[Currently, the System cannot access any information about the Endless Abyss. Please try again later.]
That’s a no, then.
Luo Binghe closes his eyes and briefly says, “System, one more question.” He hesitates for a long time. But… if that’s the case, if his second hypothesis is right… then the critical error count might not be coinciding just with the number of Formless Demons. So he closes his eyes and forces himself to ask, “System… is one of those errors… also my Shizun?”
[...]
[Affirmative. User Account 002 is currently running with a system error #108. Do you want to see the error logs?]
Luo Binghe’s heart sinks, but he has already guessed as much. “Show me,” he says.
Luo Binghe may have been the one who brought Shizun’s soul back with him, but obviously, neither one of them makes for a resentful spirit or a Formless Demon. Clearly, there is a line drawn between who gets to recall a life they no longer live and who doesn’t, but whether or not that has anything to do with the demonic ritual he and Liu Qingge encountered is still up in the air. One thing is for sure. Not all Formless Demons are System Errors. Not all System Errors are Formless Demons.
Luo Binghe can’t allow any detail to slip through his fingers about this. He must understand all of it.
Shizun’s life may be depending on it.
Chapter 22: Blind Trust
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Liu Qingge submits his written report about the Hong province’s Yuju mountain incident about a week after the mission concludes. It’s a bunch of sprinkled nonsense that he’s put together under the duress of Luo Binghe’s undivided attention, bullshitted and fictional almost in its entirety ─ while still somehow containing the most crucial aspects about the Formless Demons included as accurately as possible. The kid is a control freak through and through, and won’t let a single detail slip past him, that much is for sure. If it weren’t so damn impressive, Liu Qingge would be very concerned.
Heck, as it stands, he already is.
He doesn’t get it. What the hell does Luo Binghe want from him? He doesn’t know and most of the time he doesn’t want to know, but when the kid wastes hours away dictating word by word what Liu Qingge should put in his report to the Sect Leader, he can’t help but wonder.
He almost slips up when he delivers the verbal report.
Qi Qingqi delivers her report first, as it is only natural. The mission was entirely under her command, yet it all fell apart fairly quickly, concluding with Qi Qingqi herself completely unaware of the details. She doesn’t fail to mention that Luo Binghe was the last person to stay on the scene, something that Liu Qingge has notoriously left out. And yes, she obviously notices something fishy about it, but Liu Qingge doesn’t give any wind to her sails of suspicion, thus she sulks in the corner bitterly. Sooner or later, she’ll come asking actual questions, though, and Liu Qingge doesn’t know what he will do when she does. He tries not to think about it.
The Sect Leader already knows Luo Binghe is a Heavenly Demon under the guise of a cultivator. That should be enough comfort, but it really isn’t.
Huan Qingyan’s report is more focused on the other aspects of the mission, the Formless Demons themselves and the threat they pose to the cultivation sects and the human world at large. Just three demons that they know of have been responsible for the slaughter of at least several hundred humans, animals and demons alike. Who knows how many other victims they don’t yet know about. She analyzes the far reaching effects of this nobody would have thought of, pointing to risks that, quite frankly, Liu Qingge would only realize were there once they already slapped him in the face.
Sect Leader Yue listens to her with rapt attention, clearly having come to similar conclusions himself and just waiting for someone to give him reason to take action about it.
Among her many points, Huan Qingyan does bring up an interesting matter. An entire damn village got exterminated over a span of a few weeks, other sects must have recieved similar reports, yet Cang Qiong Mountain is the only one taking actions about it. How is that reasonable?
Of course it isn’t. Certainly, other sects have also encountered something similar, if not even more egregious, they are just keeping quiet about it intentionally. Zhao Hua Monastery, for all the help they provided in the transport of the deceased disciples, have kept their mouth tightly sealed on everything else, refusing to let even a whiff of Formless Demons, Endless Abyss and dark rituals make it past their lips. Keeping the peace, if you so will. Well, Liu Qingge tries really hard not to envision it in his head, what chaos would unfold otherwise, but it’s hard.
The burning problem has been resolved, for the most part, he reminds himself.
Skinner’s absence in the entire affair reeks. Luo Binghe has his own theories, about the demon serving a master or other, and Liu Qingge isn’t trying to deny it. He just thinks that the demon hasn’t actually left them alone yet. It’s like he can feel its presence, prickly on his skin as though he’s been bitten by a mosquito. It’s still out there, buzzing around his ears, making its presence known, it’s just that Liu Qingge can’t see it.
When Huan Qingyan finishes her own rendition of the report, it is Liu Qingge’s turn, and he…
“Just as I wrote,” he says stiffly, as annoyed and irritated as every time the Sect Leader pushes for these silly procedures. What else is he going to say? He said everything that he needed to when he put those words down on the parchment. Saying anything else just risks exposing another huge issue that isn’t worth the struggle right now.
Or wait, there might be one thing.
“Actually, since we’re at it. Does the Sect Leader have any information about Shen Yuan’s progress?” Liu Qingge asks unexpectedly, much to the surprise of everybody present. If someone was about to make him recite his report all over again, that is instantly rendered impossible. All Peak Lords in Yue Qingyuan’s fancy pavilion turn to look at him.
Huan Qingyan looks the most surprised. She’s been absent for a while, and aside from the rumors of the entire Shen Qingqiu-Shen Yuan identity debacle, she hasn’t heard anything. She is now staring at the Sect Leader with a questioning look in her eyes, but as every respectful Shimei, she asks nothing.
Qi Qingqi, on the other hand, is suspicious. “What does he have to do with any of this?”
Sect Leader Yue awkwardly clears his throat, like he hasn’t actually been praying to breach this topic since months ago, just couldn’t find a good enough excuse to do it.
“As a matter of fact ─ yes. Yes, Shen-shidi has sent word back from Nan Jiang,” he says. “The Formless Demons are a phenomenon that has been plaguing the Southern Demon Region quite extensively. As it happens, however, the origin of the phenomenon seems not to be the Demon realm. It is the Endless Abyss.”
His words are met with absolute silence, and Liu Qingge’s heartbeat drumming in his ears.
Absolutely fucking not. Clearly, they’re the result of some freak cultivator ritual ─ and he almost runs his mouth, saying that, but stops himself at the last second. Luo Binghe has intentionally made him leave out that detail from his report over and over again for reasons unknown. Liu Qingge would stubbornly include it again and again… but now, with this information… Perhaps there may have been a reason after all.
Wisely keeping his mouth shut, but only barely so, Liu Qingge listens to the Sect Leader intently.
Huan Qingyan frowns briefly, her face darkening as a cloud bearing storm. “Shen Qingqiu makes this claim based on what evidence?”
“Huan-shimei, Shen-shidi will not make such bold claims without evidence to back it up. I ask for your patience. Upon his return, evidence will certainly be presented.”
“When will he return?” Liu Qingge asks over the woman’s huff, unwilling to let this go so easily. “The last time, Sect Leader presented it as though he might not return at all─”
“I am certain that Shen-shidi will return,” Yue Qingyuan says. “However, when that is… is entirely up to him.”
“In other words, you have no idea,” Qi Qingqi concludes. “You let an evil spirit in Shen Qingqiu’s body roam around freely under the banner of our sect ─ who knows what he might do?!”
Yue Qingyuan sighs, rather gracefully for a man who just outright admits to knowing next to nothing about his missing Peak Lord. It would be laughable, if it wasn’t entirely rooted in facts. Yue Qingyuan has no idea, no more than the rest of them.
He knows what Shen Yuan is doing out there, obviously, something which he has repeatedly refused to clarify to everyone else, but Liu Qingge has had enough context to guess and he knows that he is the root cause behind it. Had he not opened his stupid mouth and told Shen Yuan what he suspected about the Formless Demons way back when, the man likely wouldn’t have gone looking for them like he has a fucking death wish. The goddamn idiot. He could have at least brought someone to help him.
Not that Liu Qingge could have gone, even if he wanted to. Mu Qingfang has yet to forgive him for the Bailu forest mess and now this Yuju mountain outing ─ Mu Qingfang has all but put him on house arrest, and Yue Qingyuan has fully supported him. All the good progress he’s made over the past month, and now he’s stranded again, not allowed to partake in any missions without the Sect Leader and Mu Qingfang both giving their approval. Worse, they’ve now jointly agreed to trap him on Qing Jing Peak, of all damn places.
“The spiritual energy there is much calmer so it guarantees faster recovery. Besides, smaller chances of you dueling the disciples, since they’re not yours to bully,” Mu Qingfang had gleefully said, and damn it all, Liu Qingge hates it, just how well Mu Qingfang knows him.
His disciples, meanwhile, have to manage their time without their Peak Lord all over again, only with Luo Binghe to provide entertainment whenever that stupid demon feels like doing that. It’s stupid.
Shit. Liu Qingge used to be able to brush off even the most debilitating injuries with ease, those were never permanent. It annoyed Mu Qingfang forever and ever that Bai Zhan Peak gave him more work than all the other Peaks combined… and so this is what he gets.
And Liu Qingge now ─ Liu Qingge has changed, a little. His priorities have changed. A little. He understands that all they’re doing is for his own good, but they don’t understand that from among all these people on Cang Qiong Mountain, the only one who can reliably get rid of these vile remnants of demonic consciousness is Liu Qingge. And he can’t even say it in front of all these people, because… because…
Fuck.
Liu Qingge needs to talk to the Sect Leader in private. He doesn’t know what Mu Qingfang has actually told the man. Mu Qingfang said he told him everything, but what does Mu Qingfang even know? Liu Qingge never explicitly said a word to him ─ the man had just gone probing around his spiritual core from his childhood, so he understands the key differences, but not the full background of it. He has some context, but not all of it, and fuck, Liu Qingge is fine with it. Opening his own chest and exposing his vulnerabilities in front of Cang Qiong Mountain is one thing. He can deal with the consequences. Mingyan can’t ─ and every single thing Liu Qingge does here will impact her much more than it could possibly impact him.
And Yue Qingyuan… he is a good man. It’s not a stretch to say that he’s one of the few people around that Liu Qingge wholeheartedly respects… but he’s seen similar people turn around and do horrific shit the moment they realize what they have within their grasp… and Mingyan is his responsibility and his alone.
Luo Binghe told him to keep his mouth shut, but Liu Qingge didn’t listen because that kid has some sort of authority over him. Liu Qingge listened because he realizes, too, that he doesn’t have a choice.
“Liu-shidi?” Yue Qingyuan questions, a little curious. “Is there something else you wish to address today?”
It takes Liu Qingge a moment to realize that once again, the meeting has been dismissed and it’s only he left sitting in his chair, lost in thought. He glances over at Yue Qingyuan, once again debating over his options, but then his eyes linger on Mu Qingfang’s retreating back and he sighs.
“No, Zhangmen-shixiong, it’s nothing. I’ll take my leave.”
“... I see.”
Yue Qingyuan leaves him just enough space to change his mind, but Liu Qingge has already made his decision. He bows to Yue Qingyuan respectfully, then he walks out, back straight as his dragon-weaved robe flutters behind him. He catches up to Mu Qingfang soon enough, although it wouldn’t be a mistake to say that Qian Cao Peak Lord has also been waiting for him. Perhaps he thinks Liu Qingge wants to ask him for a potion prescription, or another quick check of his meridians. Ever since that bullshit at Yuju mountain, his Qi blockages have become far more frequent, which may only be expected. Liu Qingge has asked him about that quite a few times recently.
Not now. This is something else.
“Test me for Heart Demons,” Liu Qingge grits out, and after about tenth or so time that this has come out of his mouth, it no longer sounds like it’s being pulled out of him by the skin of its teeth.
Mu Qingfang blinks at him, bemused, as though he expected nothing less. “Again?”
Liu Qingge nods curtly. Yes, again. What’s so fucking weird about that?
“Fine,” Mu Qingfang says. “Not that your results are likely to change since the last time I’ve done it. I can look into brewing you some less potent dreamless sleep potions, if you’d like─”
“Hell no,” Liu Qingge hisses. He’s had enough of that shit for a lifetime. Those things put him to sleep for way too long, and they hold no benefit whatsoever. These days, Liu Qingge only goes to sleep when he wants to dream. The rest of the time, he just cultivates.
Mu Qingfang obviously knows all of this, and he really has nothing useful to say.
“Fine, then, might as well.” He sighs. “I did want to check on the state of your meridians one more time, before we need to cleanse them again. By my estimate, all the damages should be resolved relatively soon, leaving only the Qi blockages. Once the meridians have been entirely restored, it’s likely that the frequency of the blockages will drop even more.”
Liu Qingge grunts. The sooner Mu Qingfang clears him to go back into the active field, the better.
Of course, the check up is, as expected, disappointing. Mu Qingfang finds nothing noteworthy. No heart demons, no outside influences aside from what they already know, no even significant improvement in his meridians. Nothing. He sends him back to Qing Jing Peak with a warning that if he asks for a heart demon check up one more time, Mu Qingfang will also have to start testing himself for it because of the violent urge to strangle Liu Qingge… so Liu Qingge ultimately doesn’t punch him.
He’s sorely tempted to, either way.
In the end, however, it just isn’t worth the effort. Mu Qingfang doesn’t get why he’s so worried about heart demons to start with, and as long as he doesn’t make the connection himself, Liu Qingge won’t speak a word of it. He has enough to annoy already. The ghosts that can stay buried are better left untouched, after all.
Qi Qingqi doesn’t take charge of the Qing Jing peak again.
That sneaky woman saw her chance and she took it, laughing in Liu Qingge’s face as she reasoned, “Liu-shidi is staying on Qing Jing Peak more than he’s staying over on Bai Zhan, might as well just let him do.” And as much as Liu Qingge wanted to argue, that his stay on Qing Jing Peak is purely recovery ─ he didn’t. It gives him something to do, something that won’t make Mu Qingfang nag even more at his terrible self preservation habits. And if he hugs Shen Yuan’s pillow a little tighter at night, struggling to catch the almost faded scent, well. That’s between him and the pillow.
Qing Jing Peak disciples really are a handful, though.
Liu Qingge thought it’s tiring to run a peak full of hyperactive warriors, but that was before he ever set foot on Qing Jing Peak and got to witness its complex artistry first-hand for longer than a few minutes. It shouldn’t be new to him anymore, but when he catches a third kid having a mental breakdown over a wrong streak in a calligraphy piece, he just about joins him with a mental breakdown of his own.
“It’s… it’s not that bad,” he tries to say, because frankly, he can’t even see what's wrong with that calligraphy, but that just makes the kid cry harder.
“Shizun will hate it!” The kid bawls his eyes out like he has buckets hidden behind his eyes, and Liu Qingge is absolutely helpless.
Shen Yuan wouldn’t hate it, he wants to explain, because he can’t imagine that mess of a man ever hating anything… but he doesn’t even know what these brats know about their Shizun anymore. He is so helpless, to the point that even Luo Binghe shows him some mercy and steps in, wordlessly coming to sneak a look over the bawling boy’s shoulder before nodding slowly to himself.
“Mm, Shizun will hate it,” he confirms sagely. “Shixiong, maybe just a line over here and add… ah, that’s right. There. One line here and another one there, and you will keep the aesthetics and the poeticism. It will change the meaning and Shizun will still see the mistake, but he won’t be as upset about it.”
The boy sniffs, as if he isn’t the older one between the two. “Luo-shidi is certain about this? Shizun… will Shizun forgive me?”
“Mm, Shizun will,” Luo Binghe confirms. “But he might still make you redo the whole thing anyway.”
The disciple sniffs. “That’s better than having Shizun deem me worthless.”
Luo Binghe looks all too amused at that comment, but he does agree with it. Sort of. If a happy little nod can be considered agreement. anyway. Why does he look so gleeful at the prospect of another disciple being called worthless? What kind of competition was Shen Qingqiu promoting in his peak, damn it?
“Oi,” he hisses, once the other disciple is gone and Luo Binghe is about to go as well.
“Does Liu-shishu also need my help with calligraphy?” the demon boy asks cheekily, and Liu Qingge wants to smack him.
He pushes back the urge and says, “Why did Shen Qingqiu single you out specifically?”
“Liu-shishu is not in a position to address my Shizun so impolitely.”
Argh, this kid!!! You dare talk of politeness?!
“Qi Qingqi told me,” Liu Qingge persists. “From day one, the disciples here were encouraged to pick on you. You slept in a freaking woodshed until this year. What the hell? And your Shizun did nothing about it?” In fact Liu Qingge himself found that very hard to believe, at first. Perhaps it’s because whenever he saw Luo Binghe and his Shizun interacting, it was in the light of the events at Bailu forest, and there, Shen Yuan has shown some rather protective tendencies. But aside from that, not much else. To think the treatment the kid received from the original Shen Qingqiu was diametrically opposite boggles the mind. He can’t help but want to know more.
Luo Binghe clenches his fists, all amusement gone from his face, leaving only ice. “Shizun did what Shizun felt was right to discipline this disciple.”
“So you’re saying he encouraged peak-wide bullying because he knew of your origin?” Liu Qingge pushes ─ just to irritate the kid. Shen Yuan obviously knew from the start. But is it the same for the actual Lord of Qing Jing Peak? Anyway, Liu Qingge already knows the details of the terrible treatment the kid got. Qi Qingqi fished it out of other disciples with a few well-directed drinks and precise questions, and the latest reveal in her obsessive nosing around ─ the reason Shen Qingqiu picked on his best potential disciple was… dum dum dum! Because Liu Qingge praised him first!
And that’s just. That’s exactly the lowest level of pettiness that Liu Qingge can see Shen Qingqiu succumbing to, just to prove his damn point. Whatever that point may be. Liu Qingge doesn’t even remember which kid he’s praised. Could have been anyone! What he’s probing around for isn’t that.
He just wants to know… did Shen Qingqiu know from the start, what he allowed to enter the peak? Was that also the reason for his biased treatment of a child to start with? But the weird look the kid gives him, doesn’t seem like he knows.
“Shizun… discouraged me, at first,” Luo Binghe says, eventually. “He likely knew the path I’m trying to cultivate isn’t something that comes to me naturally.”
“So he tried to get you to leave on your own? Is that what you’re telling yourself? Then why accept you in the first place?”
Luo Binghe glares at him, almost hatefully. “What are you implying?”
“Was Shen Qingqiu aware of your origin from the start?” Liu Qingge presses. Everything Liu Qingge knows about the man would suggest that yes, he likely was. But Qi Qingqi’s words made him reconsider it. After all, it’s one thing if Shen Qingqiu took a demon under his wing accidentally with the intention to bully him because he is a bastard. It’s something else if it was to prove some nefarious demonic cultivation hypothesis or theory or some shit.
Luo Binghe doesn’t answer that question.
He says, “Perhaps Shishu should ask Shizun that question when he comes back. This disciple would also like to know.”
It’s as non-answer as they get, avoiding the point type that drives Liu Qingge up the wall, because that’s exactly what he intends to do ─ assuming he ever gets the chance. It also clarifies that Luo Binghe himself knows nothing ─ and that’s even harder to believe, when the crazy demon seems to know too much most of the time.
Liu Qingge ultimately lets the matter go. He’s waited for three months already. He can wait a little longer.
Even if all these many strange things are really starting to bother him.
The wet cloth Luo Binghe uses to clean the sweat and dirt from his face and neck is dripping with ice cold water. It drenches the collar of his robes and his hair, comfortably refreshing against the heat of his body struggling to process through the excess spiritual energy.
Recently, Luo Binghe has done his best to push his limits ─ initially by challenging only the weakest of the disciples of Bai Zhan Peak, all of whom have made him feel like he might never catch up ─ until now that he’s comfortably sparring with the middle tier and winning without feeling like he’s fighting for his life.
A lot of that is due to the System and its great assistance in providing him all sorts of useful information. If prompted, the system of dark magic that’s been sticking to his head ever since waking up in his young body is more than willing to provide him many things. It ranges from identifying plants, animals, demons, and even people ─ to straight up hinting which tactics are better to use in a fight with the B points surplus he’ll get if it succeeds.
To this day, Luo Binghe doesn’t understand what those B points actually are, but just like Coolness points, they seem to have at least some, if indirect, connection to the increase of his spiritual power. A jump in 50 or even a 100 B-points doesn’t do as much for his cultivation as he initially hoped it would ─ but it’s nothing to scoff at either.
More importantly, the jumps in point scores have actually been useful in more ways than he's expected. First, the B-points, whether or not they’re related to cultivation, work a little like a monetary system, allowing him to do all sorts of exchanges, starting with some generic healing potions, small equipment upgrades, hints in which directions to move in order to get the best out of his training. Finally, the most crucial aspect of the System’s power are these things called ‘Story Missions’.
Sometimes, those are very small things. Doing a favor for Ning Yingying, finishing a chore, cooperating with Xian Shu Peak and so on. The increase of B points for such things tends to be very low, something between 5 and 10, but if it’s enough small things to keep himself busy with, the ultimate result is sometimes worth the effort.
The real Story Missions, however, usually take much longer to complete. Not only are they time consuming, they can stretch on forever, have one final goal and multiple small ones along the way and many many hidden traps he’s never warned about. In general, the higher the points he’s promised, the higher the chances the mission itself is some messed up shit that’s going to exhaust the shit out of him.
Case in point, the most recent mission called Fragments of Regret, which had put him smack in the middle of a confrontation between Liu Qingge and a bunch of wild Formless Demons. Luo Binghe would have gone along with the whole thing even if the System hadn’t made it into a mission, but ultimately, at the prospect of gaining a whopping 200 B-points, Luo Binghe had more or less launched himself at the whole thing without a moment of hesitation.
Now, however, he’s reflecting back on everything that’s happened ─ and he’s quite conflicted.
First of all, this System thing is definitely some form of dark magic. It’s not necessarily the harmful kind, but the payment system of giving something away to get something back is the hallmark of how dark magic and dark cultivation generally work.
If Luo Binghe offers his B-points, an arbitrary number that stands for nothing he can quite understand, what he gets back tends to be just as arbitrary. Most of the time, it is just information, because that’s what Luo Binghe asks for. Sometimes it’s information about the cultivators around him, sometimes about cultivation techniques, sometimes about general stuff that Luo Binghe would otherwise qualify as high astrological philosophy. The answers the System gives back are sometimes very concrete, other times very vague and misleading and sometimes flat out nonexistent. But they’re not wrong. Not really. The System’s observation of the world differs from Luo Binghe’s in many ways… yet the common ground they share is far more than he expects sometimes.
Finally, the most crucial detail. The System cannot directly interfere with the world around him ─ but either it has some crazy predictive abilities, or else it has some power to flap the butterfly wings and cause a hurricane.
Luo Binghe has given away a whole of five thousand B-points which took him months to gather just to get access to that useful sounding Mission-List. In his head, that should have been like an ultimate illustrated map of certain things that must be achieved for his cultivation to progress fast ─ but what he got instead was something else entirely.
Missions, events, certain sorts of life changes that’d make people’s heads spin. A list of tens of thousands of possibilities, all of which are a word away from happening, if only Luo Binghe wills it ─ except, not really. Some missions, to activate, require more B-points. Other missions are triggered on their own, without Luo Binghe doing anything consciously to start them. And sometimes, a trigger is some sort of a completely random event he knows nothing about, but the System has apparently somehow determined that now is the right time for it so that’s how it is. Luo Binghe has always suspected that such a list existed, just from the System's general attitude, but having that in his hand ─ well. Perhaps five thousand B-points was a bit of a hefty price, but his expectations have been met nonetheless.
Mission names, mission goals, mission rewards, B-points and a whole bunch of other point scores… whatever he sees, he can choose and he can get something out of it. Well, most of the time. Some missions are ultimately disabled and he cannot see anything but the names grayed out in front of his eyes, without even a single additional sentence to inform him of what that mission’s purpose is.
One way or another, Luo Binghe has been spending a lot of time analyzing what sort of an information sheet he’s gotten his hands on, what sort of a tool could so certainly put him in a scenario of his own choice if only he wanted to make it so and what kind of power this System must possess to make that possible. Then his eyes landed on one particular grayed out piece and he couldn’t look away.
[Side-story mission: <Porcelain Puzzle Piece: Living in a Dream>]
Luo Binghe stares at this option for a very long time before finally asking, “Hey System. How do I activate that?”
[Story mission <Porcelain Puzzle Piece> is an overarching mission with multiple stages which must be activated in a sequence.]
“Right. So can’t you order them all in an actual sequence? Which comes first? Which comes last? From what I see here, there is no order to it whatsoever.”
It takes a little bit of shuffling around, but even once the list forms, it’s not entirely clear. The Porcelain Puzzle Piece missions are thrown around in between many other unrelated pieces ─ one of them is inevitably linked to a single grayed out mission that is already active.
[Shadows of the Southern Realm]
Luo Binghe has been trying to learn more about that mission for a long time. But even since he got to see the list of all missions System could ever think of, this one has been grayed out and active. Luo Binghe knows not what it’s about and he hasn’t been able to fish out any additional information ─ only a few crucial pieces, all of which have only made him interested in learning more.
The reason the mission is grayed out for him is because it is already being done by somebody else. So naturally, Luo Binghe has been curious about who else in the world has access to System missions. That is something the System adamantly refuses to reveal, so Luo Binghe has gone about randomly poking and prodding about what else he could possibly discover, to eventually come to the biggest discovery of them all.
When the System speaks of his Shizun, it always refers to him as User Account 002.
More importantly, even if the System refuses to reveal who is doing the mission in question, there are still some tell tale signs which Luo Binghe has uncovered ─ including that ‘002’ moniker getting linked to a not-so grayed-out side quest linked directly to the overarching <Shadows of the Southern Realm> mission. Thus, the natural conclusion is, the person who’s activated that mission is none other than Shizun.
Which… is not too shocking. If the System has been throwing out hints to his Shizun the same way it’s been doing to Luo Binghe, that would certainly explain a lot. Especially, if for Shizun, it had started even before. It would explain how Shizun always knew things he never was supposed to know.
Ages ago, Luo Binghe had resolved to never, ever ask about that unless Shizun decides to share it first… and to this day, he is not sure if that was the right decision. Ultimately, the Shizun from back then is also the Shizun who is here now. More importantly, they are not the only ones who have come back… and there is way too much going on that Luo Binghe simply doesn’t understand.
He wants to see Shizun again.
And the only <Porcelain Puzzle Piece> mission linked to <Shadows of the Southern Realm> mission is precisely the <Living in a Dream> mission.
Luo Binghe says again, “System, how do I activate the <Living in a Dream> mission?”
[Side-mission <Porcelain Puzzle Piece: Living in a Dream> is a time-sensitive mission only triggered when the circumstances are right. It is not possible to override this setting. This restriction is not imposed by the System.]
Then who is imposing the stupid restrictions?! Luo Binghe groans internally, highly irritated. “How do I know when it’s going to be active?!”
[...]
[Activate the Countdown option for 20 B-points!]
Luo Binghe groans audibly. He’s done so much just to gather all these B-points, and he’s still got so little left. If he buys this, too, he’s going to be under a hundred again.
“Fine,” he grits out irritably. If this collision of two different missions will somehow allow him to bring back Shizun faster, so be it. He can just earn the B-points again. Quickly, he looks over the time sequence and sees plenty of time-sensitive missions waiting ahead, all of them with varying B-point rewards. He can be greedy for a change. “The countdown I can set to any mission I want, right? More than one? Get me the countdown for that <Living in a Dream> now… and do inform me immediately as soon as the details of the mission are available. Do we have a deal?”
The System, predictably, doesn’t answer ─ but 20 points off his B-points score are removed and a small, flashing countdown starts in the corner of his vision.
Luo Binghe almost screams out of sheer frustration.
Three months!! THREE WHOLE MONTHS!
He’s wasted 20 B-points just for this stupid thing to tell him he isn’t going to get what he wants for another three months. Luo Binghe almost revolts out of sheer anger. Exactly what kind of a scam is this?!
But before he can properly let out his frustrations, a messy head of hair wearing a Bai Zhan Peak uniform suddenly jumps out from somewhere behind him, shouting at the top of his lungs, “SHIXIONG! FIGHT ME!”
Luo Binghe inwardly groans, but he throws his cleaning cloth aside and gets up.
Another flashy notification in the corner of his eye lights up. [<Training From Hell: Bai Zhan edition> side-mission #113 activated! Defeat the mid-tier cannon fodder for extra 10 Coolness points!]
Ah, fine. His B-points score is awful, sitting at mere 85 now, but at least his Coolness points have been steadily climbing up into the four-thousands. Luo Binghe still hasn’t figured out what he can do with those, but the more the merrier, really.
Besides, these Bai Zhan lunatics have been all the more reinvigorated over the prospect of hunting Skinner after it’s been made public that Luo Binghe was also a part of that mission ─ and now every Bai Zhan disciple is pissed that their Shizun choose a Qing Jing brat to go with him. Defeating Luo Binghe is no longer a matter of personal entertainment as much as it is a matter of peak pride ─ and Luo Binghe is pretty sure that Liu Qingge is fanning the flames intentionally.
This is fine. Luo Binghe has three months of time he doesn’t know what to do with. Might as well put a few rowdy battle maniacs in their place when he has a chance. And if it benefits his cultivation, then all the better, really.
Liu Qingge has made a damn good deal on this after all.
Notes:
Aaand here we are! The Formless Demons wrapped up, sort of! LQG fishing for some logic in the chaos that is PIDW's original set up! And LBH beating the System in its own game, with some minor setbacks!
Next up, SY's chaotic ass turning the demon realm upside down!
Stay tuned!
Chapter 23: Interlude: Nan Jiang
Summary:
Shen Yuan takes the Southern Demon Realm by storm. The demon realm strikes back.
Chapter Text
[System notice: <Shadows of the Southern Realm> mission, 22% complete!]
Shen Yuan, currently in the middle of running away from a particularly outraged Black Moon Rhinoceros Python ─ one with no physical form to slash at whatsoever ─ can’t help cursing at this popup. Now what?! He’s been running around the place over and over, narrowly escaping certain death every so often, only for the ghost Rhino to nearly catch him unawares. And now that a damn Rhino horn nearly tore his clothes off, the mission completion stat has gone up!
System, excuse me! What kind of a score setup do you have here?! So many of his robes were ruined in the process of handling this beast and only now the score goes up. What logic is that?!
Shen Yuan wants his completion status much higher!
[...]
[System notice: Due to outside interference, the completion status for <Shadows of the Southern Realm> mission has now been corrected. Completion status: 20% complete!]
… well, fuck you too. And the forever moving goalpost.
Two can play this game.
Coming to a stop deep within the ravine inside the demon realm, Shen Yuan now waits patiently for the ugly Rhino to catch up to him. The moment it comes close enough, Shen Yuan picks up something from deep within his sleeve.
It is a kid’s toy, shaped a little like a tiny tentacle monster. Expertly, Shen Yuan slaps a talisman on said toy, then throws it somewhere quite far. The moment the Rhino’s eyes land on it, they burn with rage. Immediately, Shen Yuan launches up into the air and lingers on top of Xiu Ya just in time for the Rhino to harmlessly pass below him, roaring as he chases for the stupid toy as if it somehow offends him.
Of course, what he’s chasing is the talisman with Shen Yuan’s spiritual power attached to it, while Shen Yuan has circulated the spiritual power in his own body to a near standstill. Since this particular demon seems incapable of recognizing anything but that, it keeps chasing for a flying toy until eventually the ravine opens its way to the end of a cliff, high above a nasty smelling miasma. The beast blissfully dives straight into it without a moment of hesitation.
Moments later, roars of pure agony rise from the chasm.
Seriously, pitting a demon masterfan against these poor creatures was truly a moment of brilliance on System’s part. Shen Yuan grimaces slightly, because those sounds are just awful on the ears and doing this to any living creature simply feels way too cruel. But unfortunately, so far, this is the only solution that Shen Yuan has found to keep these Formless Demons ─ term coined by the System itself, otherwise better known as system errors ─ from coming back to sow chaos. He’s gotten rid of several dozens of them the same way so far, and it’s not getting any more bearable. The System’s nasty attitude is not helping.
Screw the demon realm’s chaos. Screw these strange demons going around slaughtering their own kind! System challenged him to remove the problem, so Shen Yuan has done his best to comply ─ but if this is the kind of unfair treatment he’s getting for his troubles, forget all of it. Shen Yuan is going back to Cang Qiong Mountain right now!
[...]
He’s been stuck on low progress missions for way too long! Forced to single-handedly decimate this strange demon kind from existence! For months! Running for his life aside, Shen Yuan is bored out of his mind here in the Southern Demon Realm. When nothing is trying to kill him, he’s busy killing others instead and that’s just. Ugh. Is there nothing else for him to do here? Something actually useful? Shen Yuan did not sign up for this! He wants to do something other than slaying unslayable demons day and night! It’s a thankless job with no benefits whatsoever, cruelty for the sake of cruelty, and why?! Why did he go along with it to start with?
Ah, damn it all. Yue Qingyuan wanted him to look into this matter, yes. Learn more about these strange demons, yes. But now that Shen Yuan has seen them first hand, he’s just…
He doesn’t know anymore.
These Formless Demons are not alive, not really. Most of them can’t do much more than float around and wallow in their harmless misery. Some of them, like this Black Moon Rhinoceros Python, do have some control on whether or not they can cause actual damage to the world around them. What the difference between the two is, what makes one kind able to interact with the world and the other not, is something Shen Yuan hasn’t been able to figure out yet, but he’s figured out the most important thing.
All of these Formless Demons are lacking something crucial. Whether it is a sense of some kind, the ability to speak or straight up common sense, there is always something crucial about them that isn’t working as expected.
Really, watching them makes Shen Yuan quite sad. From what he’s learned so far, all of these demons were supposed to have lost their lives at some point, but ultimately, their death was somehow incomplete, and has left them aimlessly wandering the Endless Abyss without a chance of ever moving on. Majority of them don’t seem to realize they’ve crossed the borders between the realms and that knowledge doesn't impact them whatsoever, forever silently bemoaning their cruel fate.
Some, like the Rhino, are still trying to fight their disappointing fate by chasing whatever living thing they can find, hoping it will bring them back to life… but all of that chase has ultimately achieved nothing.
In the end, recognizing these Formless Demons as the titular system errors that he’s been chasing as per his mission objective is the easy part. Resolving the errors, in this case, unfortunately equals extermination. That’s not so much the problem, even though, morally and ethically speaking it should be, as Shen Yuan has been single-handedly committing genocide against this one particularly odd demon race, unsightly as they may be.
Recognizing what upgrades these Formless Demons from regular system errors to critical system errors is a whole different matter. Never mind that critical system errors are much more difficult to get rid of, because these actually fight back ─ and earnestly so. Those are just like the Rhino, capable of tearing Shen Yuan's clothes and breaking through rocks. If not for the deep chasm with the nasty miasma just sitting there smack in the middle of Southern Demon Realm, Shen Yuan would have had no means to get rid of them at all, because Xiu Ya is quite literally not able to touch them.
It’s really nasty business, all of this. Shen Yuan has always known that the demons and the monsters in the Proud Immortal Demon Way universe were dealt the absolute worst cards in life, but this is still a brand new low. Was this even a part of the original story or is this somehow his fault, too?
He doesn’t even want to know.
Having successfully gotten rid of the Formless Black Moon Rhinoceros Python, Shen Yuan heads back to the more civilized settlements of the Southern Demon Realm that he’s managed to find. In fact, this place ─ or rather, an underground city, by all demonic standards ─ is the reason why the Southern Demon Realm is often simply called Nan Jiang.
Within the confines of Nan Jiang’s walls sits the palace that was formerly the Southern Demon Lord Tianlang Jun’s humble abode and one thing that stands out about it is ─ it’s not humble at all. Shen Yuan isn’t sure what he’s been expecting, having exchanged a few sentences with the demon as he had, but it was not this. The size of this palace, towering over even the monstrosity Luo Binghe had built in the North, had clearly once been a magnificent castle, lavishly decorated and, quite frankly, well-matching Tianlang Jun’s aura of pure nobility.
From what little Shang Qinghua revealed of that ruined wretched outline of his, Tianlang Jun ruled over the Southern Demon Realm quite laxly, spending most of his free time sneaking out of there to explore the human realm instead. Throughout the entirety of his rule, even if the conflicts between the demons and the cultivators never stopped, they were far less frequent than those that arise today and the Southern Realm could have, arguably, been called far more prosperous than the North.
Now, however, this once majestic castle sits in ruins. Many of the walls have caved in, most of the architecture’s visible damage having come from violent clashes that happened in the vicinity of these walls ─ or inside them. The castle still sits in the middle of Nan Jiang like a reminder of the scars that the realm had suffered. Its immediate surroundings aren’t any better, wrought with demons who have nowhere to go, violent beasts that attack anything they see.
Nan Jiang of today has been split up between many demon elders who have survived the ongoing conflicts and built their tiny empires in the corners of the city, taking small sections under their control and protecting them viciously. Each of these elders has a small group under their command, and those groups are clashing amongst themselves all the time, desperately fighting for resources and territory like some sort of a post-apocalyptic movie setup. Although many have tried, none have yet dared claim the abandoned palace as their territory, none have yet risen high enough to take charge of the entire South.
As far as Shen Yuan’s presence goes, most of the demons of the Southern clans don’t care much that he is a cultivator wandering around their realm. On a day-to-day basis, most regular demons are far busier trying to survive the internal clashes among the many opposing demon clans threatening to raid their homes rather than waste time worrying about a singular human cultivator they’ve never seen before.
In fact, as long as Shen Yuan willingly comes to trade some human trinkets with them, many of these demons are far happier to offer him replacement clothing or their not-quite edible meals or even a place to sleep. They warn him, not so subtly, that they will not help him in case some particular clans discover Shen Yuan in their house and will act like they’ve tried to eat him, but really, it’s nice of them to even warn him.
Really, the more time he spends here, the more Shen Yuan thinks it’s no wonder that, when Luo Binghe finally conquered the Southern Realm, the residents have been all too thrilled to help him dethrone the bloodthirsty clans one by one. It felt like terrible writing at first, the protagonist aura at its most shameless, no doubt. These animalistic demons in-story had no real reason to be so stupidly NPC-like. The actual storyline had given no background whatsoever as to why these many demons living in poverty and misery would so quickly align with the first outside force that comes knocking on their front door ─ but seeing it first hand, just the kind of lives these demons lead, then Luo Binghe would have absolutely been the savior and the messiah in their eyes.
If Shen Yuan were a demon living here for so long while everything around him kept falling apart little by little, he would have kissed the ground Luo Binghe walked on, too. Heck, he wouldn’t even need that much. Already, he’s missing his black lotus more and more with every day he’s spent here.
More than anything, Shen Yuan has left Cang Qiong Mountain because he couldn’t bear that child’s hopeful eyes on him, couldn’t stand the notion that the eventual darkness he will find in there will not be the same one that he’s ruined with his own two hands... couldn't accept that even if they're not the same, Shen Yuan still wants to just... be there around him like a fucking creep. Now, however, the absence is even more agonizing. He’s got nothing more than his memories to turn to ─ and every time he does that, he wants to scream at himself for not having made a different choice while he still had a chance.
Instead, Shen Yuan wanders the demon realm and eventually makes his way to the house where he’s been staying, at a loss for what else to do. He’s still trying to think of which human trinket he’ll pick out to trade this time. He’s brought plenty, and he’s torn between using a comb because those tiny baby demons have been absolutely thrilled when he first demonstrated its use, or perhaps that oddly shaped twig he’s picked up from the ground and called a massage tool just cause the edges of the branch are dull and actually really work great to scratch his back where his hands can’t reach.
He hasn’t yet come to a decision when he knocks on the door ─ only for the door to open by itself, revealing nothing but an empty hut inside.
A sudden feeling of foreboding comes over him, but Shen Yuan ignores it as he pushes the door out of his way and crosses the threshold. “Excuse me? Anyone in?”
The hut is seemingly empty, but there’s demonic Qi residue all over the place. Shen Yuan tries not to think much about it. After all, this demonic family is a set of five, three of the young demon babies which love tearing at each other with everything they’ve got, leaving their demonic power everywhere to find. Unsurprisingly, those fights tend to be even more destructive than anything the Bai Zhan demolition squad delivers on the regular, which explains precisely why this particular band of demons might never be able to rise out of poverty.
Still… Shen Yuan has been around to observe a fight or two, and no matter what the cause of it was, this eerie silence was never the end result. The hut is not big and doesn’t have much empty space. Shen Yuan has looked through all of it and the whole place is deserted ─ no signs of struggle whatsoever.
He wishes it were uncommon, but it’s not the first time he’s come back to something like this. Usually, all it really means is that the host demon that’s been helping him has gotten a hint of some inspection or other happening in their neighborhood, and they bolted, leaving everything behind. Demons, as it turns out, are far more nomadic creatures than anyone gives them credit for, by force of circumstance. They will uproot their entire lives in a matter of a moments, if they so wish, out of fear for their safety or simply their desire for freedom.
Shen Yuan tries not to take this personally, but it stings a little that they’ve left without so much as a goodbye. He’s become quite fond of those bouncing baby tigers with a little too much destructive force behind their cat-like paws.
“I guess it’s time for me to pack, too…”
All that said, Shen Yuan doesn’t have many things that he’s left here. Most of his stuff he carries with him in his ever expanding Qiankun pouch, leaving behind only some spare clothes or random items that these demons could later use for their benefit. In this particular case, the only thing he is finds one of his old robes, thrown on the ground in a messy heap. Hhe’s about to straighten it out and make it usable ─ when a tiny little whimper comes from deep inside of it.
… what?
Shen Yuan swings the robe a little again, not yet fully lifting it off the ground, and there’s another whimper. The sound is definitely familiar ─ is the tiniest of the demons playing a prank on him? It’s not the first time Shen Yuan would have found a tiny tiger demon making itself a nest out of his clothes. Rather than rip the cloth away forcefully, he instead begins to shuffle it around, until eventually it reveals the bright white and red fur of a fire tiger demon that’s been hiding deep inside his sleeve. The little demon has curved itself into a ball smaller than the size of his palm and Shen Yuan isn’t sure if he finds it adorable or concerning.
“Why hello there,” he says courteously. “It seems that little Red Paw is playing hide and seek with me again. I’m afraid I must say, you’ve been caught.”
The little demon lets out an awful little desperate sound deep from within its throat, then jumps at Shen Yuan. He almost misinterprets it as an attack until he realizes the tiny demon is just trying to hide itself deep in his robes, whimpering and wailing and making all sorts of inhuman noises.
This little demon is sadly all too young to have mastered the art of human speech. The only thing it responds to is its name, Red Paw, which comes from the fact that its hind paw is the only one with a bright red birthmark on it. Demons and their weird naming ─ but at least with the way the little thing is so hopelessly trying to hide itself in between his inner and outer robes, Shen Yuan no longer needs to guess at what might’ve happened. The little thing has been violently shaking this whole time ─ now it’s clear that it is absolutely terrified.
Gently, Shen Yuan grabs it by the skin of its neck and lifts it out of his robes, letting it sit on the top of his palm. The small furry beast is wailing sounds of pure desperation out of its young throat, and only the softest scratching on top of its head gets it to stop. Shen Yuan doesn’t at all want to find out the devastating story that would have left a fearless fire tiger demon such a sobbing mess, but he can’t just leave this tiny little demon alone, either.
“Will you show me what happened?” he asks softly, moving his finger away from rubbing the top of its head to instead scratch below his chin. “Where did everyone else go? Do you know?”
The tiny little beast lets out another desperate cry ─ this time of sheer rage, then jumps off of Shen Yuan’s hand and sniffs at the ground for a few moments, then the air, then even the edge of Shen Yuan’s robes. Then it lets out a soft meow, like a cat trying to get his attention, and slips straight out of its home.
Even if the animalistic demons can’t always master speech quickly ─ or sometimes, ever ─ their intelligence and power far surpasses human babies. This particular fire tiger is only a few weeks old, but his intelligence is closer to the level of a young child already in early education ─ no doubt from all the beatings its older siblings gave it. It leads Shen Yuan in circles along the edges of Nan Jiang for a little while, seemingly aimlessly, but Shen Yuan soon discovers that every hut where the little demon makes a break is almost identical to his own ─ devoid of any demon inside it.
Something has been hunting the demons in this neighborhood, he realizes, and this little demon of the Fire Tiger race somehow got away ─ most likely by covering his own scent with Shen Yuan’s. Human scent in a demon home is not so rare, after all, especially if they trade in human trinkets ─ so unless it was particularly Shen Yuan they’ve been looking for, any kind of human item could have easily been overlooked. But nobody ever looks for Shen Yuan here. After all, humans may as well be aliens for all the other higher priority issues that plague the demon realm. Aside from some healthy curiosity, the majority simply doesn't care.
The place the little fire tiger leads Shen Yuan to sits outside the borders of the underground city, but also much closer to the borderlands where the Southern Demon Realm’s boundary with the human realm is unstable enough for any unlucky soul who finds themselves nearby to cross it. Shen Yuan himself had used this place as his entry point and back then, it was entirely deserted.
Now, under the cover of the night, there are roughly a dozen demons gathered around. All of them are Formless Demons. They’re moving through rocks and terrain as though they’re not there, going aimlessly about their business without ever speaking to each other. Most of them seem to be guarding the nearby cages ─ all of which are made of wood, their bars wrapped in nets of Immortal Binding Cables. Inside those cages are many, many demons from all over the southern border realm. Some tribes Shen Yuan recognizes as the ones Luo Binghe had done business with in the original story. Others, however, are their sworn enemies ─ and yet they all are now in the same plight.
Shen Yuan swallows thickly. Of all the things he’s expected to find, it’s not this.
Next to him, the little fire tiger is trying to stab its miniature claws into his leg to make him move, but Shen Yuan picks it up and hides it in his sleeve.
“Patience,” he murmurs. “We have no idea what’s happening and I don’t see your parents or siblings anywhere. Let’s not rush.”
That upsets the little one even more, but even if his parents are in there, Shen Yuan can’t just rush in and help them. It’s not that he doesn’t want to do it ─ it’s just, he’s seen first hand what happens to cultivators who carelessly rush into conflict with Formless Demons and all of Shen Yuan’s plans of successfully removing the Formless Demons hinged on a whole lot of thinking, plotting and scheming. One Formless Demon is bad enough to deal with. Dozens of them, and who knows what could happen. They must wait.
And so they do.
They lay in wait, hiding just outside this temporary camp, watching carefully for something to happen, but for a very long time, nothing does.
Not until, around daybreak, a small team of demons walks into the camp, talking amongst themselves. Shen Yuan is stirred from where he’s almost fallen asleep, the little fire tiger restlessly biting all over his fingers with barely any teeth marks to show for his efforts. Still, it’s bile leaves small burns on Shen Yuan’s skin, which he quickly wraps with some cooling plant salve before it can turn into an actual blister.
“Psst, patience.” He brushes its head. Obediently, the pocket-sized tiger curls into a ball on top of his hand. They both lean closer to listen in.
“Junshang, it looks like what that human woman said was true. Let these wild beasts have a taste for blood and they will follow every command you give,” a demon comments, a bit chirpy, yet also a bit fearful. “What are we supposed to do with them now? Can we truly trust that the rest of what that woman said is true?”
“That human is a Skinner demon,” Junshang replies ─ and Shen Yuan tenses up. Not just because of this declaration, but because he also recognizes this demon elder. It’s none other than Jiuchong Jun, that crazy demon girl Sha Hualing’s father. What the hell is a leader of a northern clan doing here?
The little fire tiger, as though it can feel his tension, rises up on his palm, looking like it’s about to pounce, but Shen Yuan pushes it back down with the tip of his finger. They need to hear more.
“Regardless, the trial attempt was a success,” another demon from Jiuchong Jun’s entourage comments. “Junshang has Formless Demons under his control. The only thing that’s left is to awaken his consciousness.”
“But that’s the thing ─ can we really trust Skinner’s word on this?” another demon grunts, with much skepticism. “If Skinner’s words are false, won’t this just invite the ire of all the Southern clans on us?”
“The Southern clans have already revolted,” the other demon from the entourage reasons. “They must learn their lesson. The North reigns supreme. And once the Mobei Clan is removed from their position, it will be us ruling it. May as well use this chance to make the South behave themselves.”
Their Junshang, Jiuchong Jun, ignores their words entirely as he circles around the cages, eyes lingering on the trapped, fearful demons of the south, pushed into cages. He’s frowning deeply, visibly dissatisfied, seemingly counting something, over and over again, but giving up halfway.
“Junshang? What will we do?” the other demons ask. Having realized that arguing amongst themselves achieves absolutely nothing, now they all look to their leader, who is still pacing around, twisting something in his hand. It’s too small to see what it is exactly, but the power it exudes is dark and wicked.
Jiuchong Jun finally comes to a stop not in front of a cage, but in front of a Formless Demon instead. It is one of those mindless beasts that’s been guarding the cages ─ and now that Shen Yuan is really looking, he recognizes Jiuchong Jun’s general who had been there in both the versions of Proud Immortal Demon Way during the attack on Zhao Hua Monastery. If Shen Yuan’s memory hasn’t failed him, this should be one of Jiuchong Jun’s most trusted generals ─ yet he is now floating around aimlessly, passing through rocks and cages with empty eyes, his translucent form dissolving and reforming every so often.
Jiuchong Jun’s fist clenches at the sight of this, his expression beyond ugly. “Do it,” he orders. “Just as Skinner said, round them all up and do as instructed.”
Screams and cries fill the area as captured demons are hauled out of their cages and forced into a circle surrounding Jiuchong Jun and this Formless general of his. The rest of Jiuchong Jun's entourage pours some sort of a nasty smelling liquid around them. Immediately, the southern clans panic, but this liquid that’s been poured on the ground has a whole lot of pure black energy climbing in the air, blocking their escape. Even the Formless Demon are caught, clashing against this makeshift barrier, but are then redirected to float along its border. In the middle of all this, Jiuchong Jun watches the pandemonium mercilessly, kicking away every demon of the south that attempts to beg for mercy.
"Oh mighty lord, please! What have we done to deserve this?! How have we upset the north?!"
But all of their cries go ignored. In Jiuchong Jun's hand is something, glowing with a deep and dark purple color. He twists it between his fingers, the only action betraying his tension. Then he draws a small blade and cuts his own hand, allowing the blood to cover whatever it is that he holds in his hand.
“I will start the awakening,” he declares.
The demons within the confines of the array grow far more panicked, as though they already know what awaits.
In the air, using this purple something in his hand, Jiuchong Jun draws symbols and sigils in the air, directing them into the ground under his feet, right at the edges of the barrier preventing everyone from escaping.
The demons inside the array are only growing more panicked, shrieking and fighting for freedom, but getting nothing. One of the high pitched roars gets the attention of the little furball on Shen Yuan’s palm, however ─ and before he can do anything to stop it, the little beast jumps off his palm, charging towards the barrier where the ritual is already taking place, directly towards where it heard the cry of his sibling.
Shen Yuan curses under his breath and debates on what to do ─ but before he can do anything, the tiny little baby demon crosses the threshold of the barrier, charging into the fray with no fear whatsoever.
Jiuchong Jun doesn’t even look at it while he chants under his breath.
The demons all part ways wherever he goes, screaming and wailing to be set free, but Jiuchong Jun pays no attention to nothing but his Formless, wandering general, who is still aimlessly moving in circles along with the rest of the Formless Demons within the boundary. Jiuchong Jun comes to a stop directly in front of him, then uses the tiny piece of deep purple light to draw something on the palm of his general’s hand. Against this purple light, the shape of a flower on the demon’s skin looks almost like a tattoo. Jiuchong Jun's fingers, covered in his own blood, press directly against that flower as he passes only the tiniest amount of demonic power with it.
“Demonic consciousness, gather,” he finishes his chant ─ and the flower glows a blinding white.
A white chrysanthemum.
The flower of death.
Shen Yuan moves at the same time as Jiuchong Jun does, but what they’re doing is the exact opposite.
Jiuchong Jun withdraws from within the confines of the array while Shen Yuan tries to break through the array ─ but while Jiuchong Jun is successful in his action, Xiu Ya may as well have come crashing against the brick wall. Blinding light explodes from where Shen Yuan attempts to use spiritual power to break through with no effect whatsoever ─ and the demon elder laughs in his face.
“Shoulda done that a little earlier, if you were so intent on becoming dinner,” the demon says, cackling.
And then he watches how more and more, his formerly Formless general becomes solid and almost lucid, his empty eyes now hungry and desperate for life.
“What have you done?” Shen Yuan asks, his voice shaking slightly. He doesn’t understand what’s happening, but every bone in his body is screaming bad, bad, run away.
But he can’t run. Not with the Red Paw still in there, now hissing at the Formless Demon general.
Again, Shen Yuan tries to swing his sword and break through the array, uselessly. The demon’s empty eyes fill with a spark of life, and Shen Yuan gets the front seat view as the demon’s claw digs through the chest of the nearest demon, the still beating heart grasped within its hold. It beats for a moment longer before dissolving to dust, all of its life force sucked away. The Formless Demon general roars with delight, then charges for the second demon, then another, and another, in that exact same way. One by one, corpses are thrown on the ground ─ male, female, child… the demon has no reservations over the victims it chooses, but his preference stirs towards the youngest first, slaughtering them left and right.
Shen Yuan screams, charging against the array over and over, but no matter how hard he tries, there is nothing he can do to stop this. “Red Paw!” he calls out, desperately. “Get out of there! GET OUT!”
But the tiny little pocket sized tiger, no matter how much it struggles, can't pass through the barrier.
He is among the last living demons left when the Formless Demon general finally moves to get him. The little tiger is fast and nimble, running and hiding away swiftly, but there is nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide. Shen Yuan works even harder to break the barrier ─ by attacking the dark energy, the ground under it, even from above ─ but nothing works. So much of his effort, but all he manages is to create a smallest crack.
The demons on the outside are all laughing.
Shen Yuan ignores them. That one crack is enough. It’s more than enough. He attacks it, over and over, until it grows, until its size is just big enough for the little pocket sized tiger to pass through. “RED PAW!” he calls out, watching as the clever little kitten realizes exactly what Shen Yuan is doing. It charges towards him, jumping up as high up as its little legs can lift it ─ only to jump directly into the Formless Demon general’s waiting hand as it blocks his way out.
The little fire tiger demon of white and red fur only gets a chance to whimper once before its entire body shatters to dust.
Shen Yuan stares, uncomprehending.
It was there… a moment ago, it was… it was right there. So where… how… was this thing not only going after demonic hearts…?
But the more he watches, each of the southern demons in front of him slowly begins to dissolve, turning into black dust that is slowly gravitating towards the Formless Demon general, whose beastly eyes are slowly gaining shape, gaining intelligence.
What the… what the actual fuck?
Shen Yuan takes a step back, his grip on Xiu Ya falling so lax that he nearly drops the sword entirely.
“You…”
From the several dozen southern clan demons that have been trapped within the confines of the dark array, there is nothing left. Just a single Formless Demon, who after having absorbed every last remnant of the demonic existence within the array, steps through the array as though the boundary doesn’t exist. He walks up to Jiuchong Jun and falls to his knees, head bowed. “My lord. Should I remove the cultivator pestering you as well?”
Jiuchong Jun’s eyes meet Shen Yuan’s for a moment and the demon smirks.
“Cultivator energy isn’t so good for you right now. Stand back. I’ll handle this Immortal Master myself.”
Shen Yuan’s hand is shaking.
The demon noble licks his lips, smirking as he plays with his demonic claws ─ then charges.
If it had been a different time, perhaps Shen Yuan would have acted differently. If it were any other time, perhaps his head would have been cooler, his mind clearer and he would have been able to notice the disgusting intent of all the demons circling around him. Perhaps, if things have played out in some different way, he would have cared to learn more about it all, understand what they’ve done.
But that’s not how it is.
Shen Yuan has just watched demons eradicate their own kind in cold blood and do the same to a tiny little creature that had done absolutely nothing to get in their way ─ and now there is only one course of action he can possibly take. After all, that demon noble is strong, but not particularly smart. His plots were always easily ruined, his demise always imminent. Shen Yuan, however, never expected that he would be the one to bring about this death, this time around.
He doesn’t rightly care.
The fight with Jiuchong Jun is a short one. Shen Yuan mercilessly cuts through him for his efforts, stabs his chest in one move and removes his head in the other. He cuts down every other demon that comes after him in revolt, slaughtering an entire party of half a dozen demons until there’s nothing but a circle of dead bodies around him.
His eyes, brimming with tears, land on the Formless Demon general, the one who has been watching all this from the side and reaping the benefits, feeding on his fallen comrades like that’s just natural, how it’s supposed to be. The demon’s eyes are firmly on him now, too, and his lips spread into a thin, nasty smile.
“Shen Qingqiu,” he identifies, all too intelligently. It was you who killed me. How suitable, that it’s also you who is here to see my rebirth.”
Shen Yuan remembers no such thing. He doesn't care, either.
“Get me then, if you can,” he taunts instead.
Just as expected, the demon charges at him instantly. Ridiculously stupid. Shen Yuan takes flight on Xiu Ya, charging towards where he knows the Southern Realm’s miasma rests. This Formless Demon has only recently gained his sanity. Even if Jiuchong Jun perhaps knew that the miasma is their ultimate weakness, he still wouldn’t have had the time to impart that knowledge on his underling. Therefore, there is no need to waste time.
Shen Yuan flies while the Formless Demon follows him on the ground, jumping up to slash at him from time to time and narrowly missing. At some point, one of those jumps ends with a handful of Shen Yuan’s robes, all of which Shen Yuan happily encourages with his shocked little gasps and narrow defensive maneuvers.
However, as the miasma comes into his sight, he makes a dangerous move.
Turning in midair, Shen Yuan keeps flying back first towards the miasma, on his way there throwing one talisman after another which serves no purpose at all except to make the Formless Demon laugh at his face.
“YOU CANNOT HARM ME! THE WAY I AM NOW, I AM INVINCIBLE!”
Shen Yuan throws more talismans, all of which miss expertly. But they do exactly what they’re supposed to, creating a smokescreen right where the chasm of the Southern Demon Realm full of nasty miasma sits.
“Get me then, if you can!” Shen Yuan shouts, further baiting the demon to follow him by sound alone, through the smoke as though there’s nothing that could possibly get in its way. And it can’t. These Formless Demons are Formless, after all. They can pass through anything and everything, even falling through the ground below their feet unless they remember to float. But while the mindless beasts do so instinctively, what Shen Yuan has learned about the demons who have gained their consciousness back is that most of their instincts come back, too. Including walking on the ground as they always did, including instinctual control over the soles of their feet to make that possible.
So when, suddenly, the demon general runs out of the ground to run on, there is nothing but a shocked, empty gasp as it falls into the chasm below.
For a few moments, screams of pain echo from the chasm. They fade quickly.
Shen Yuan hovers over the miasma as the smokescreen he’s made slowly clears. The only thing that can still be seen is the wisps of purplish smoke rising into the air, a nasty smelling vapor of absolute nothingness that has remained behind. Certain that this one too won’t be coming back, Shen Yuan turns his back on the miasma and flies away. He makes his way back to the borderlands area where the entirety of the bloodbath had taken place, but aside from a few burned markings in the ground left, there is no evidence of anything ever happening there.
Still, his heart rests heavy.
Somewhere near where the faint edges of the dark array sit burned in the ground, Shen Yuan finds a rock. It has the vague shape of a curled cat, if one squints, and so Shen Yuan picks it up and uses a little of the Original Good’s artistry skills to carve the name into the bottom of that rock, before positioning it so that, unless someone knows to look for it, they will never be able to see.
His throat is dry and his eyes wet. He rubs the moisture away with the sleeve of his robes, sitting in that place for a very long time, staring at that piece of rock, and doing nothing.
Eventually, the flashiness of the notification in the corner of his eye becomes unbearable and Shen Yuan dismisses it without ever looking. It, unfortunately, just creates a brand new one.
[System notice: <Shadows of the Southern Realm> side mission: <Heartbeat> 100% complete! B-points, +15! <Shadows of the Southern Realm> completion status: 22%]
Side mission, that’s what it’s called now. What a load of horseshit.
Shen Yuan blinks away the wetness from his eyes more urgently, then picks himself up. Perhaps he could have sat here for a lifetime, if he were shameless enough for it… once, perhaps, he has been. Not anymore.
[System warning! User is currently approaching the section of the demon realm outside of the System’s Area of Effect. Caution advised!]
What caution?! Shen Yuan is pissed. He wants to blow up, but there’s nothing to blow up at, nothing to destroy but his own flimsy self, ignorant and foolish. If anything, he should blow himself up, if only to stop this stupid mechanical voice from further ruining his life this way. In the distance, something flickers out the corner of his eye. Shen Yuan squints briefly, but he cannot tell what it is.
[System warning! User is currently approaching the section of the demon realm outside of the System’s Area of Effect. Caution advised!]
Shen Yuan ignores the warning as he lets his feet take him directly to the purple flicker on the ground. Come to think of it, that shade of purple is quite familiar. Is it not identical to what Jiuchong Jun had been holding in his hand before? The thing he’d used to create that disgusting abomination?
On the ground, it looks like nothing but an obsidian black triangle, smaller than even a fingernail, but its edges are sharp. The purple glow is some form of dark wicked power, curling and coiling around the tiny object, as nasty as before. Shen Yuan dares not approach it too much, but there is something immensely familiar about it, something very… hm. He cannot place it.
[System warning…] but Shen Yuan brushes off the notification before it can fully form, his eyes firmly on the black metal piece, expelling purple glowing energy out of itself like the pulsing of a heartbeat. Before he can crouch to the ground to better inspect it, the tiny thing floats up in the air, slowly rising until it's at Shen Yuan’s eye level, hovering in the air, pulsing a little stronger, a little faster.
Shen Yuan almost touches it out of curiosity alone, but withdraws his hand at the last moment, the System’s words of caution still stuck in his mind. Who knows what this thing could be? Proud Immortal Demon Way has had no shortage of wicked plot devices and Shen Yuan isn’t so keen on triggering yet another non-canon plotline with no one to back him up, not after what he just experienced. Yet still, that tiny thing seems to be moving closer and closer towards him.
Something about that black metal is… simply too familiar. Shen Yuan leans his face a little closer to better look at it, but suddenly the purple light flashes brightly. The metal piece shakes in the air, as if vibrating excitedly. Then it launches forward to pierce directly into the skin of Shen Yuan’s forehead.
Instantly, it feels like fire has been set alight on his skin, in his head. It burns like a furnace and quickly spreads through the entirety of his body, including the tips of his fingers and the soles of his feet. System warnings flash in his sight, but Shen Yuan doesn’t have the presence of mind to read any of them. The pain is so awful and so intense, unlike anything that he’s ever felt before. Shen Yuan opens his mouth to gasp, to scream, but not even a faint breath passes through. His chest constricts, pain flashing in his brain until the reality blends with flashes of light, all dangerous and indistinct, all too bright and too dark at the same time.
Shen Yuan clutches at his head, trying to maintain a sense of balance, but he doesn’t know if he succeeds.
Images flash in his head, visions.
His hand, reaching out for a similar item like this before. The pulsating light feels almost familiar and welcoming, inviting him closer and closer. Shen Yuan remembers faintly seeing the watch on his wrist, a gift from his eldest brother for his coming of age. It was some stupidly expensive Swiss brand, not even matching Shen Yuan’s style. He doesn’t remember why he loved that wristwatch so much. He remembers wearing that watch everywhere except to shower, remembers carefully fastening the belt around his wrist as he sat down to read the final chapter of Proud Immortal Demon Way together with his dinner in hands.
Those moments are so clear and sharp in his mind, as though he is watching them from outside of his own body.
As though he is watching somebody else wearing his face, setting his meatballs aside while cleaning a stain from his wristwatch. Watching someone with his face pause mid-way as a flicker of purple near the screen draws his attention. For a long time, the imposter in his body stares at the identical triangular piece hovering in front of his computer screen. The intent in those eyes is clear. As though muddled by the purple light, the hand with the wristwatch subconsciously reaches out to touch it.
Inside the person that Shen Yuan is now, something screams.
DON’T! DON’T DO THAT! Don’t you dare! Turn around and run! Run right now! RUN!
But the faint image of Shen Yuan from the past doesn’t turn around. Within the black void of his eyes, purple swirls deep. His eyes slowly grow hazy and unfocused, the meal at his side all but forgotten as it’s knocked to the ground.
“Don’t,” Shen Yuan tells himself, not knowing what’s going to happen, but knowing that this past version of himself is undoubtedly committing a grave mistake. “Stop. You can still─”
No, he can’t.
The Shen Yuan of the past never actually touches the black triangle half the size of a fingernail. Instead, the triangle suddenly gains speed, embedding itself directly into the past Shen Yuan’s forehead. A single drop of blood seeps out and coagulates, hiding the tiny black shard under it. The past Shen Yuan’s eyes roll in his head and he slumps back, his youthful face calm and his eyes closed as though he’s fallen into a deep sleep.
In the night sky high above them, the bright light of a hundred million stars is slowly fading away.
There is no moon in sight.
Shen Yuan snaps awake to find himself lying between a pile of jagged rocks, head spinning and Xiu Ya resting on the ground beside him. There is nobody and nothing around him. There is no breeze or chill, yet his whole body is trembling anyway. His hands are shaking. He stares down at his palms and the faint traces of dried blood on them, but he doesn’t know where it’s come from.
Faintly, he mutters, “What the… what the hell was that?”
Tightly, he grabs at his robes, trying to pull them off himself, but they’re fastened too tightly. He pulls and drags with unsteady hands, but the robes just refuse to give in, neither outer nor the inner ones. He keeps tugging regardless, until he’s too tired to repeat, but the most he’s managed is to reveal the little of his sweat-streaked collarbone and wildly beating heart. Nothing hurts anymore, but he still feels unlike himself, still feels like everything is wrong.
This body does not belong to him.
This body DOES NOT BELONG to him!
Get it off, get him out, get him─
An image flashes in his mind then, a distinct memory that he once witnessed as an outsider, now as clear as though it is he himself who experienced it. The dark power surging at his fingertips, the sheer thrill inside him as he walked away, reveling in the bloodshed of the Qiu manor ablaze behind him.
“Not me, not me, not me!” Shen Yuan roars. “Get out of my fucking head!”
Suddenly, the spot in the middle of his forehead burns with agony. A moment later, something wiggles itself out of his skin, until it obediently falls down on his palm. It’s a tiny, black triangle piece, sharp and glowing with a sheen of blood on top of it.
“Screw you, you fucking piece of shit world breaking plot device,” Shen Yuan spits out. He wonders how in the world he didn’t immediately recognize it. Looking at it this way, without a single trace of purplish energy flowing around it, it’s very obvious what this thing is. A piece of Xin Mo’s shattered blade, blazing in all of all its natural power.
Shen Yuan is fucking furious, staring at this. To think this thing could go create that bullshit of a demon monstrosity, that this tiny little thing is enough to wreck his mind so easily ─ he can’t imagine how Luo Binghe has possibly withstood the influence of the whole thing for so many years without going insane. The image of him back in Maigu Ridge, fighting demons only he himself could see… Shen Yuan has always had sympathy for him, but now especially, that memory tugs at his heart.
Binghe…
If only he could, Shen Yuan would wrap that child in his arms and protect him there forever.
Instead, he closes his fist around that stupid shard piece, his eyes burning. He lets his guard down once ─ once only, and this sort of shit happens. If it’s not the System intentionally screwing him over, then it’s Xin Mo doing the same damn thing. If it’s not Xin Mo, then it’s himself, allowing his stupid imagination to build up a wicked story in his own head for Xin Mo to feed upon.
Screw all this. Screw it. Shen Yuan is furious.
Covering his eyes with his hand, Shen Yuan stays sitting. Currently, he’s at the Southern Demon Realm’s borderlands. He is not far from where the human realm meets the demon realm, he is not far from finding his way back home. Yet for the life of him, he can’t make himself move. Already, he can feel the warmth of Luo Binghe’s arms as they wrap around him, his shaky voice loud in his eyes. “Shizun. Please don’t turn your back on me.”
Never. Never again. Shen Yuan wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he had to close his eyes one more time and allow Luo Binghe to suffer the same amounts of misery as before. He won’t! He refuses!
But he can’t ─ he can’t go back. Not right now.
“Please,” he mumbles into his chin, his fists shaking. “Get out of my fucking head.”
But if anything, the illusion of Luo Binghe’s steady arms around him only becomes more forceful. How the hell was Luo Binghe able to withstand this kind of mindfuckery in his head for so many years? It’s only been a few moments, but already, there are tears rolling down Shen Yuan’s cheeks. He wipes them away one by one, but the need to scream only ever increases.
“Fine, if you want to mess with me, do it,” Shen Yuan blurts, all too angry, “But since you’re the source of all these Formless Demons, you better make yourself useful and show me how to find them. I’m not going back until I’ve destroyed them all.”
After all, it’s not hard to guess that, no matter how this shard piece of Xin Mo came to be in the Southern Demon Realm, what it wants more than anything is to return back to its owner ─ even if it’s gotta mess with Shen Yuan to do it. Fine, then. Shen Yuan doesn’t mind being the messenger pigeon this time. Between the System’s naughty machinations and Xin Mo's manipulation, seemingly the only thing that can make the System shit its pants, Shen Yuan would much rather sell his soul out to a demon sword, too. At least there, he knows what he’ll be getting back.
“Come on!” he snaps. “I said Formless Demons! Lead the way! Stupid damn plot device!”
In the corner of his eye, a tiny purple dot flashes.
Hah. So of course that is enough to make it behave.
Shen Yuan scowls in the given direction. “There? And it’s a Formless Demon for sure?”
Once again, a purple dot flashes, all but affirmative. Fine, then. Once again, the System’s bright red alarms blare at him at full volume, but Shen Yuan ignores them. He picks himself up and then picks up Xiu Ya, sorting out the mess of his clothes slightly and taking a deep breath. Once again, his eyes seek out Red Paw’s rock. I’m sorry, he mouths at it without actually saying a word.
Then he sets out without looking back.
To hunt, he goes.
Notes:
SY: Choosing between System and Xin Mo, "I'll just take Xin Mo, thanks"
System: *scandalized gasping*Soooooo with this, we've caught up with all the chapters I had edited ahead of time! Update rate is gonna slow down to one chapter per week so there's enough time to properly edit the rest and hopefully finish the story before the published chapters catch up to what's already done, but we'll see how that goes!
Also, some may have noticed that I finally got around to fixing the summary and the tags into something more indicative of the actual story! There's a lot going on, most of which we've barely scratched the surface, but hey, this is a long journey and I sure hope it'll be worth it!
Chapter 24: Unexpected Visitor
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
It doesn’t take a long time for Luo Binghe’s life to settle into a routine after the fiasco with the Formless Demons concludes. In fact, he’s very careful about maintaining that routine, because the current state of his meridians doesn’t allow for much else.
Luo Binghe has invested quite a lot of effort, resetting and realigning his meridians in ways that would allow him to properly handle spiritual energy inside him, but the final step of setting them up in a way that will eventually make it possible to use that energy in alignment with his demonic powers is still out of his reach, at least if System’s arbitrary numbers are to be believed. Not that there is any real reason to doubt it. There is simply not enough demonic power in him to do anything with it, no matter how hard he tries.
Of course, Luo Binghe has been planning for that eventual result ever since he flew out of the range of Bailu Mountain, trembling from the aftershocks that the seal on it had put him through. The demonic seal on his power seems to have been reinforced under its effects, which made his work twice as difficult. Now the best he can get is a secluded spot for meditation, a whole lot of physical activity and the incense burner taken from Ku Xing Peak to store away all the demonic energy his body can’t handle, in hope that once the seal unravels, he will be able to make himself recover much faster than the last time around.
When cultivating like this, in some hidden corner of Qing Jing Peak, of course the demonic Qi is all he cultivates. Liu Qingge’s machinations and the System’s hints have shown him new horizons. Improving his spiritual meridians via physically confronting those Bai Zhan brutes all the time is far more efficient than trying to cultivate two very different styles at the same time. Now, his meridians have mostly aligned so he can practice all techniques without too much difficulty, but he also has enough time to reset his mind and cultivate the demonic path on the side, hiding everything he is able to create hidden in the incense burner before the seal can disperse it all away. Three months of this has pushed his progress much further than years of cultivation previously have, and Luo Binghe just regrets that Shizun isn’t yet here to see that with his own eyes.
See? This is what I can do. As long as Shizun will trust me, I can do so much more─
But Shizun isn’t watching him. The countdown in his vision has finally fallen to under a day, but there is nothing to indicate Shizun will show up the way Luo Binghe hopes for.
Instead of there being any reliable information about his Shizun at all from this silly System, there is a pair of eyes hidden deep in the shadows of the bamboo and the trees, two beady, yellow pupils, observing him like their job is to keep him in check all the time. Most of the time, Luo Binghe ignores that presence, no matter how annoying. Now, however, he doesn’t have the patience.
“I know you’re there. Come out and stop wasting my time.”
The demon doesn’t crawl out from his hiding place in the shadows, not entirely. Even with his cultivation entirely sealed off, Zhuzhi Lang is still heavily negatively influenced by the light of the sun and the moon, so he spends most of the time hidden away in some corners of Qing Jing peak that no one knows about, hiding from the sun, the moon and Ning Yingying.
Luo Binghe doesn’t blame him. Shizun told that girl to keep an eye on Zhuzhi Lang for him and she’s been doing her job diligently and with way too much enthusiasm. If she had any idea what she was nurturing there, she’d likely be disgusted with herself, but Luo Binghe has nothing to do with that. He understands, to some degree, that Shizun may still hold that snake as something to protect. His reasons fully elude him, because that stupid beast has poisoned Shizun with its blood, stabbed Shizun in the back under the order of his equally treacherous master and ultimately… set him free, that one time.
So even if Luo Binghe doesn’t know why Shizun is so protective, it doesn’t matter now, he won’t kill the stupid beast until Shizun makes his intentions clear.
Trust, Luo Binghe reminds himself over and over, goes both ways.
If Shizun can afford to trust Luo Binghe enough to let him leave Bailu Mountain safely after fully knowing how his life ended once, then Luo Binghe won’t allow petty jealousy to get in his way of protecting Shizun from that same fate. Treating the beast nicely, however, is a whole different can of worms.
“Keep doing that and I’ll just call Ning Yingying over,” he threatens. “If there’s something you want to see, then come look properly. I’m exactly who you think I am.”
The beast does come crawling out, eventually, but he doesn’t come very close. Zhuzhi Lang, as always, just watches him from afar, his eyes unreadable. Occasionally, they dart over from Luo Binghe to the incense burner in front of him, then back, seemingly not able to grasp its purpose, nor why Luo Binghe cultivates so diligently around it, when all of his demonic energy is sucked inside almost as soon as it’s created. Luo Binghe doesn’t bother explaining. He does, however, say the following, “The time I warned you about is drawing near. It’s time for you to decide as well. Are you going to be of use to me? Or should I just allow Ning Yingying to put you back in your cage?”
Zhuzhi Lang doesn’t immediately answer. He can’t, even if he might’ve wanted to. Luo Binghe doesn’t take that personally.
This abomination in front of him is exactly what he imagines, having researched how the half-Heavenly demon hybrids usually end up. It is a sad sight, all the more so because ending such a wretched life isn’t even worth the struggle. Without somebody powerful to rely on, Zhuzhi Lang himself may be less trouble than a typical beginner disciple. He is even more worthless than an insect. And yet that awful bastard of a demon lord still likes having him around. Luo Binghe is tempted to steal him away out of spite alone.
He says, “What you choose to do is entirely up to you. That said, as long as you keep that master of yours away from my business, I’ll be lenient. As long as you don’t get in my way, I won’t get in your way either.”
The snake blinks up at him innocently.
“Either way, you can’t leave this place without my help,” Luo Binghe reminds him. “And I think you and I will both be much happier once you get off this mountain.”
Unsurprisingly, the snake enthusiastically agrees.
“So, do we have a deal?”
The tip of Zhuzhi Lang’s tail moves accordingly, its meaning very clear. Luo Binghe allows himself a brief smile. “So we do.” Then he sets the incense burner back into his Qiankun pouch and jumps off his rock, slowly heading towards Zhuzhi Lang’s deformed body. Politely, he says, “Would you like me to remove those silly ribbons from your hair?”
Too eagerly, the beast twitches the tip of his tail, obediently keeping his head positioned so that working around his braided hair is much easier than it ever was before. Luo Binghe takes off the ribbons, one by one, pulling along the twigs and leaves that got caught onto the ribbons, but he doesn’t undo the braids Ning Yingying made, not entirely. First, there’s no point, because these braids are keeping his giant mane in one place and under control. Second, Zhuzhi Lang doesn’t actually seem to dislike the hairstyle itself as much as he dislikes how it gets in the way of his slithering around. Finally, it just doesn’t look that bad. At least, not now that the braids are no longer curled up to make hearts and all other random shapes Ning Yingying has come up with.
The ribbons are nasty, though. Bright and colorful and very conspicuous. Luo Binghe helps remove them patiently, not even certain why he’s bothering.
Mostly, though, he just has nothing to do with Shizun gone. He tries to cultivate and prepare for the future that may come, but this present moment is almost entirely lost on him.
When will you be back, Shizun? How much longer must this hopeless disciple of yours wait before you look into my eyes?
How much longer must he endure? The countdown in his sight has fallen to under a day, yet there has been no additional information of the mission available. Things have never played out this way before. What if the mission is grayed out still because Luo Binghe can’t do anything about it? What if it was never his mission to take?
Luo Binghe will wait regardless, for as long as it takes, no matter what… but he’d like to know, maybe. He’d just like to know a little about that, so that he can… be patient. Be patient in the right way.
“You should probably go now,” he tells Zhuzhi Lang as soon as he’s done. The snake blinks up at him innocently, but Luo Binghe only waves the ribbons in front of his eyes. A moment later, Zhuzhi Lang hears them, too ─ footsteps, as multiple people approach this area. Immediately, the snake withdraws deeper into the shadows, hiding from whoever may be coming.
Luo Binghe, of course, already knows who it is, so he doesn’t move a step. He just sits patiently, as though cultivating, when finally the two annoying disciples reach him.
“A-Luo, you were here!” Ning Yingying exclaims, thrilled to see him. “Why did you skip the afternoon lectures again? One more time, and you could get in so much trouble!”
Luo Binghe scoffs. Without Shizun around, why would he even bother going to these stupid lectures? He’s already attended all of them once and they weren’t particularly useful back then either. He says, “This shidi got too focused and lost track of time. Did I miss anything important?”
“Something about the introductory demonic constitution, not too relevant,” Ming Fan says. “You likely heard of it already, since you already went for that special mission with Liu-shishu…”
Ooooh, is that jealousy Luo Binghe is hearing from his own peak too? He has to try hard not to smirk and call him out on his pathetic little ego. So he just grunts, acting as though it’s nothing special indeed. But perhaps that’s one reminder lesson he could have used. As a half-Heavenly demon, he already knows well as to what makes his constitution from full-blooded demons so different, but perhaps hearing the theory behind it all would have been helpful. It's too late now. He’ll just stalk some books later.
“Was it Liu-shishu doing the lecture?” he asks, only mildly curious. He cannot imagine that violent man holding any kind of a lecture without drawing his weapon for demonstration first.
“It was Huan-shishu,” Ning Yingying informs him. “That lecture is now going around every peak these few days, apparently Sect Master gave the order.”
Quite a speedy recovery for that woman, then. Luo Binghe hums along in agreement, not particularly interested anymore.
“Actually, A-Luo,” Ning Yingying says again, almost hesitantly. “I know I’ve asked you already, but have you perhaps seen Shizhi Lang? Shizun asked us to take good care of him until he comes back, but it’s been weeks since I last saw him─”
“He’s somewhere on the peak,” Luo Binghe says dismissively. “He’s a demon, not like he can get through the protective barrier even if he wanted to.”
“I know, but it’s been so long─”
“He’s a demon,” Luo Binghe reiterates. “Were you going to keep him in a cage like a pet the whole time and make braids for him when you’re bored?”
“Is… is there something wrong with it? It’s better than letting him stumble someplace dangerous, there’s quite a few places on Qing Jing Peak with spiritual energy that he might not be able to handle. What if he wanders in there by accident? He’s too sensitive to sunlight and moonlight anyway, what if he gets hurt?”
“Don’t you think that as a demon, he would be able to tell where he can and can’t go?”
“A-Luo! You’re too careless─”
“Alright, enough, both of you,” Ming Fan cuts in. “Shizun only said we should keep an eye on that demon. He did not explicitly say ‘take care’, nor did he insist we should trap it. Who even cares what that thing is up to? If it’s stupid enough to get itself killed, that’s not on us.”
“Ming Fan!” Ning Yingying is appalled.
“What?!” the boy shouts back defensively. “Wasn’t it bad enough that we misinterpreted Shizun’s order once already? Just let that demon be. Like Luo Binghe said, it's not like it can get off Qing Jing Peak on his own anyway.”
Ning Yingying, however, huffs rather than to yield, then crosses her arms at her chest. “He told me to take good care of him. Whatever. You’re just such typical boys. I’ll go look for him on my own.”
And then she stomps off stubbornly, leaving both boys behind to stare at her back. Luo Binghe doesn’t particularly care, but Ming Fan instantly launches into his own set of complaints. “What is wrong with her? It’s just a demon, they’re notoriously hard to get rid of anyway, not like it’s truly stupid enough to go where it’s not supposed to. Are we friends or not? What did I do to get this kind of treatment?”
“... if that’s all, can you go somewhere else? I’m trying to cultivate here,” Luo Binghe says.
“And you’re such a weird one too,” Ming Fan complains. “Fine, whatever. We’ll see what Shizun says when he comes back anyway. You’re both out of your mind. I won’t cover for you skipping lectures anymore.”
Luo Binghe ignores him entirely. When Ming Fan leaves, his complaints are still audible enough even when his back disappears behind the bamboo.
Seriously.
At least they agree on one thing.
Luo Binghe also wants Shizun to come back soon.
“Ah. So Liu-shixiong… lives here now?”
It is late in the afternoon with the final stretches of orange sundown disappearing behind the trees. Liu Qingge has just returned from disciplining his own Peak’s disciples, to find an unexpected visitor waiting for him inside Shen Qingqiu’s bamboo house. Shen Qingqiu’s disciples are nothing if not polite and diligent about servicing the unannounced visitors. They have already led her inside the house, served tea and instructed her to wait for Liu Qingge to come back. Now that Liu Qingge is back, however, he isn’t sure what to do. Of all people, he didn’t expect Huan Qingyan to come visit. For that weirdo to come look for him and find him using Shen Qingqiu’s house as his own must be… very strange. Liu Qingge was weirded out by it, too, at first. Couldn’t they have come up with some better arrangement?
Apparently not. The spiritual energy at Bai Zhan Peak is too explosive for Liu Qingge’s recovery process to go smoothly and apparently nobody trusts him to follow the instructions anyway, so it was either Qing Jing Peak or Qian Cao Peak, and Liu Qingge has had enough of Qian Cao Peak’s smelly herbs for a lifetime. So Qing Jing it is.
Three months later and now he’s not thinking about it all that much. Sometimes, the bamboo house feels more like home than his actual house ever did.
Mu Qingfang has yet to explicitly withdraw his house arrest order, but implicitly, he’s not trying to enforce it anymore. Sometimes, he brings over random alcohol from different regions to drink there in his company, just to make sure Liu Qingge is actually following his instructions. Which is ridiculous. Liu Qingge has gone out on missions more and more often over the past few weeks. They’re nonsense, mostly, but his condition has overall improved and even though Mu Qingfang still clears out his blockages on a weekly basis, Luo Binghe has also been doing the same from time to time, and his method is far more helpful, as much as Liu Qingge hates to admit. If Mu Qingfang has figured it out, he doesn’t make any mention of it, and Liu Qingge certainly isn’t about to bring any attention to it. But the arrangement works as it is… for the time being.
But this is the first time Liu Qingge is receiving any visitors other than Mu Qingfang and frankly ─ he doesn’t know what to do about it. Others have attempted to visit before, if only to laugh at his expense. He can see it in their faces, all these busy bees taking the time of their day to come visit when they know he’s busy herding around Shen Qingqiu’s disciples like a bunch of sheep.
Wei Qingwei and Qi Qingqi especially are like a pair of evil twins, coming to mess with his life and poke him back for all the times he’s given them a headache, intentionally or otherwise. Even Shang Qinghua has visited once in their company, looking shell-shocked to find that the rumors were true, but at least having the common sense to quickly get out before Liu Qingge kicked the rest of them out by means of Cheng Luan.
Really, all his fellow peak lords are relishing in this, in messing with him any way that comes to mind. Liu Qingge has a tendency to just beat them up mercilessly for their efforts, slamming Qing Jing gates shut in their faces before they even open their mouths. But this is different. This is the first time someone’s shown up without him around to make a statement about it first. And apparently, she’s here on official business. Come to think of it, Huan Qingyan really is the only one who hasn’t visited at all until today. And even now, the ever-serious Ku Xing Peak Lord doesn’t look like she’s here to laugh at his expense. Not too much, anyway.
Liu Qingge sets Cheng Luan aside and hangs his cloak near the door. Huan Qingyan waits patiently before he’s all settled, clearly amused that he comes to take Shen Qingqiu’s favorite seat at the table just to speak to her, rather than challenge her to a brutal beatdown. She doesn’t wait for him to say anything, however. The moment he’s dismissed the disciple offering to bring him tea, she pushes a scroll onto the table between them and says, “For you. A mission.”
… What?
A mission forwarded by Ku Xing Peak? To him? The fuck?
“Pass it over to Mu Qingfang,” Liu Qingge informs her blandly. “If he approves, I’ll take it.”
Huan Qingyan stares at him. Clearly, she’s not used to him behaving himself. Even clearer is that she hasn’t ever pissed Mu Qingfang off enough to know what he gets like when he’s really annoyed.
He doesn’t offer any explanations.
She obviously isn’t buying it. Probably she thinks he’s messing with her intentionally. Well, joke’s on her. He wishes he was. Again, Ku Xing Peak Lord clears her throat. “Are you not interested? I was certain you would be up to the challenge? Don’t we have a score to settle?”
“Sect Leader’s order,” Liu Qingge grunts, annoyed. “No Mu Qingfang’s approval, no mission for me. Take it up with them.”
Huan Qingyan gapes at him.
Liu Qingge gets very annoyed, seeing that. When she has the gall to look so much like his sister, she shouldn’t be using that face in such stupid ways. But he’s long since used to this insufferable woman’s attitudes, so he just ignores it. Ignores her, and his instinct to kick her out of the bamboo house.
“One of the temples south of Hajun town has been ransacked,” she says slowly. “Rumors claimed it to be a monster bull. Investigation by Zao Hua Monastery suggests otherwise. They think it's a Formless Demon again. And so far, Liu-shixiong is the only one who has gotten rid of these demons successfully.”
“Forward it to Mu Qingfang first. If he clears it, I’ll go. If he doesn’t, you’ll have to find someone else.”
“...” Huan Qingyan keeps staring. “Am I speaking to the right person? Liu-shixiong, is something the matter with you? Since when do you take orders from your Shidis? And how do I become one of them?”
Liu Qingge snorts. “Born to disappoint, eh?”
“No, not at all,” she notes, amused. “Very well, then. This Shimei will ask nicely one more time. Join me for this.”
Liu Qingge merely raises an eyebrow.
She sighs. “Fine, not funny. Of course, this Shimei will bring this matter up with Mu-shixiong first. In the meantime, would Liu-shixiong care for a cup of tea down the mountain?”
Liu Qingge stares at her like she’s crazy. … Why would he go down the mountain for tea with Huan Qingyan of all people? Isn’t it getting late? Going down the mountain now for tea is ludicrous. Heck, doesn’t Shen Qingqiu have a disciple whose family makes tea? This house alone probably has more tea options than all the nearby tea shops combined. Is this woman crazy?
She blinks up at him, would-be innocent, but really, Liu Qingge doesn’t have a clue what she wants from him now. Is she trying to challenge him to a duel covertly? They do have a score to settle, a lot of scores, after all, not that Huan Qingyan will ever be able to beat him. She’s just stubborn. Haven’t they grown out of such juvenile behavior ages ago? If she wants a duel, she should just ask for it… er. Ask Mu Qingfang to permit it, first. Which, obviously, she hasn’t done. So really, whatever the hell she wants, it’s going to be a no, still.
Even if, right now, Liu Qingge is itching for a duel. Really, really itching for it. Damn it. Why does Mu Qingfang have the right to order him around? The Sect Leader is being entirely unfair, giving that man such authority, it’s ridiculous.
Huan Qingyan’s smile falters briefly.
“Ah, so I suppose that’s not to Liu-shixiong’s interest after all. Is there something else that this Shimei may suggest to enjoy the luxury of Liu-shixiong’s company this evening?”
… so she wants to speak privately? Aren’t they already doing that? Or is it just because she can hear the disciples cleaning around the bamboo house? Should he put up silencing talismans then?
… but why would he? Anything he’s had to say to Huan Qingyan, he’s said it long ago. She stood in the defense of both the Huan and the Liu clans back then, denied Mingyan the chance to join her peak when Liu Qingge brought it up to her privately and then did the same shit again when Mingyan enrolled the disciple selection officially. Thus, there’s really nothing about the past that is worth talking about anymore.
“Just say what you want,” Liu Qingge says, eventually. “If it’s about the missions, Zhangmen-shixiong has the final word on it. His final word is that Mu Qingfang decides the missions for me. Which I told you enough times already. If it’s something on the family side, just spill it and be done with it.”
“Oh…” Briefly, Huan Qingyan’s cheeks light up in faint pink. Liu Qingge isn’t sure, but he thinks she is looking at his midsection, as though she can somehow look at what’s underneath the clothes. The deep, rugged scar left behind by Skinner back in Shuang Hu city. Ah, so that's what it is. Ugh.
She probably has a similar one, now, come to think of it, from where that other demon hit her. If anything, Liu Qingge is being quite inconsiderate. Women with scars will find it far more difficult to talk about it than a man ever would. He briefly considers that option. Or could it be that she’s worried about the poison? Not that it matters. Heck, if poison is what Huan Qingyan wants to talk about, how is he supposed to breach this topic first?! Why does she keep staring at him? Either way, this insistent staring is making him very uncomfortable. He shifts in his seat slightly, and that alone is enough to break the woman out of her daze.
“Ah, I… this Shimei was meaning to ask…” but she trails off again, far too politely for what Liu Qingge is used to seeing from her. “Liu-shixiong has recovered from his injuries well.”
Liu Qingge stares blankly. Since when does she care enough to say that without being sarcastic about it? “Did you hit your head too? Don’t you hate my guts?” he blurts out before he can think better of it. “I know you tolerate my ass cause my rank is higher, but stop pretending you give a shit. It’s fucking creepy.”
Instantly, Huan Qingyan freezes. Very slowly, she says, “In light of everything that’s happened, this Shimei… um… isn’t it better that this animosity between us is buried…”
“So it’s about the poison? Really?” Liu Qingge asks, still unconvinced. “Do you think that, if I had a solution for it, I’d keep it to myself?” He snorts. “What do you think of me, exactly? If I truly had a way to get rid of it, I wouldn’t hide it, not even from you.”
“O-oh,” Huan Qingyan deflates somewhat, at a loss. All the wind seems to have been taken from her sails, leaving her with nothing to grasp for. That’s fine, Liu Qingge would rather go back to dealing with that rageful, vengeful beast of Huan Qingyan, no matter how weak she is, than this demure, well-behaved noble miss. The act doesn’t suit her and she’s well justified in hating Liu Qingge anyway.
However, she still seems unwilling to give up. “Then, how about─”
But she doesn’t get to finish that, when suddenly the alarms go off. Many alarms, different ones, all at the same time. In shock, she turns around, eyes darting all over the place in panic. “What is happening? Are we under attack?”
“No, not Qing Jing Peak,” Liu Qingge says grimly. This is clearly Qiong Ding Peak’s alarms going off for whatever reason. Alarm flare ups happen sometimes, or maybe they’re just testing their regular defenses ─ but things like that usually have a warning given in advance. Isn’t it too late in the evening for this to start now? And why does it sound like, in the distance, he can also hear Bai Zhan Peak’s alarm going off? Isn’t this Qiong Ding Peak only?
A blast in the distance proves otherwise, which earns him a bewildered look from the woman.
“Shit! Not just Qiong Ding peak,” Liu Qingge corrects, jumping to his feet instantly. “It’s the Rainbow Bridge. Someone is attacking the Rainbow Bridge!”
“How can you tell?!” Huan Qingyan all but screeches, as another blast not too far from the bamboo house echoes through the quiet.
Liu Qingge doesn’t answer. He just draws Cheng Luan and rushes outside, Huan Qingyan half a step behind him. A bunch of Qing Jing Peak disciples outside are staring at a wall of smoke rising in the distance. It takes Liu Qingge to smack one of them before the kids finally come to their senses. “Go alert the other Peak Lords. Zhangmen-shixiong is out, meeting the other great sects, he won’t be back until tomorrow. Get everyone you can. Whoever it is, we can’t let them make a mess while the Sect Leader is not around.”
“Yes, Shishu!” several kids shout, scattering instantly.
“What about you?!” Huan Qingyan asks suddenly, her eyes uncharacteristically full of concern. “What if something goes wrong?”
As if it would. Liu Qingge snorts. “You go find Wei Qingwei. Sect Leader is out, Shen Qingqiu is out. If someone needs to take charge, it's gotta be him.”
Huan Qingyan nods, but before she leaves, the concerned look she shoots him is just enough to additionally piss him off. Cang Qiong Mountain is currently under attack, what does it matter, whether or not he can fight? Mu Qingfang may have the final say on what he is and isn’t allowed to do outside the mountain, but he’s not outside right now. The trouble has come knocking on his front door. He can’t possibly ignore that. Naturally, Liu Qingge is going to kick some ass.
Let’s see if Mu Qingfang dares reprimand him for it.
Notes:
LBH: *sullenly waiting for SY in the corner*
SY: *kicking ass in demon realm*
System: LETS ADD SOME SPICEit's me
I'm the system
Chapter 25: Living in a Dream
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Luo Binghe has just about reached the dormitory to take a bath when the first sound of alarms blaring spreads over the entirety of Cang Qiong Mountain. The sound is as unexpected as it is deafening, forcing him to curse under his breath and cover his ears as he looks around in wonder. Now what?! It’s not time for any trouble to rear its head yet, so what the hell is happening!?
A see-through window pops up in front of his eyes.
[System notice: story mission <Sha Hualing’s Invasion> has been triggered. Mission assignee: Luo Binghe. This System wishes you the best of luck!]
Uh … what was that, again?
Isn’t it too early for this? A month too early for Sha Hualing to come calling? Anyway, if Sha Hualing is invading, obviously Luo Binghe has to go. Not to mention that he wants to, if that cute little number is to be trusted, this mission is going to boost him with additional +500 B-points, which is amazing. Just what he’s been missing! Not only does he also want to take this chance to make contact with one of his former generals, but there is a whole different problem at hand. With both Shizun and the Sect Leader absent, that crazy woman might just flatten the whole damn mountain!
That said, however, Luo Binghe notices something important in the corner of his vision.
The countdown for the <Living in a Dream> mission has stopped entirely.
That alone stops him in his tracks, leaving him to stare into the empty air blankly. Five hours. He was just five hours away from… and now this!
“System,” Luo Binghe growls. “What the hell is going on with my mission set up?”
[Story mission <Sha Hualing’s Invasion> has been triggered. Assignee: Luo Binghe. Mission category: standalone main arc that fits into the overall narrative structure. Thus, all the side-missions are currently postponed indefinitely.]
FIVE HOURS.
Luo Binghe was just hours away from reuniting with Shizun and now this damn thing is telling him that’s indefinitely delayed?!
Forget that. Luo Binghe does not care at all if Sha Hualing is here.
Browsing through his options, he discovers that finally there are more details available for <Living in a Dream> mission. First, this is a side mission linking together the Porcelain Puzzle Piece and the Shadows of the Southern Realm missions ─ but for this mission to be activated, the precondition of some other grayed out mission seems to have been essential. Heartbeat? The heck? At least, that one is marked complete. And yet the one mission Luo Binghe has been eyeing for months now is once again out of his reach. Hell no, he’s not going to just accept that.
“I’m not dealing with Sha Hualing,” he declares stubbornly for the System to hear. “Either activate <Living in a Dream> or I’m sitting out everything.”
[System warning! It is not possible for the Protagonist to sit out the high grade story missions or else System punishments will be issued!]
“Do it, then!” Luo Binghe snaps. “I’m not moving a finger about Sha Hualing here. You deal with it.”
[System Warning! System Error! Protagonist must take place in the <Sha Hualing’s Invasion> mission or else 2000 B-points will be deducted.]
Luo Binghe eyes his score, but he’s well past the three thousand mark now. “Do it,” he challenges. “See what happens.”
[...]
[System Warning! System Error! Protagonist must take place in the <Sha Hualing’s Invasion> mission or else 3000 B-points will be deducted.]
Luo Binghe smirks. “Threats, is that all you can do? Are my B-points not the fuel that keeps you running? Did you think I didn't know that?”
[...]
Luo Binghe smirks, all too satisfied. After all, not noticing this detail once or twice, that’s one thing. But actively hoarding B-points and not noticing the increased rate that the System demands them back ─ ridiculous. All dark magic requires a form of give-and-take to function. Luo Binghe couldn’t, for a long time, figure out what was being taken from him, for all the little gifts he got from the System. Not his spiritual power, not his demonic power or his life force… but it had to be something, right?
In the end, however, with dark magic, the most obvious answer is usually the most accurate one, too.
In this case, what was being taken from him? B-points.
The System would shower him with everything else at any given opportunity, but in exchange, it would keep taking his B-points like something of a currency, keeping him in poverty and at the mercy of its whims. Manipulating him for certain decisions just to feed him like a dog for good behavior, then punish whenever he strayed. Luo Binghe has played his role very diligently. But now he’s figured out some limitations ─ and the System can’t do shit about it.
“You can’t actually make me do a thing, can you?” he challenges, all too smugly. “You can mess with the weather, affect the inanimate objects and even control certain sequences of events, but you have no control over anything that has its own consciousness. You wanted to make me think you did, you demonstrated your power in all sorts of ways to make me believe you really can make anything happen ─ but that was never true. What can you do, really? If I decide to sit down on the ground here while Sha Hualing goes around razing the mountain, what can you possibly make me do about it? Exactly what are you hoping to achieve?”
[...]
“That <Living in a Dream> mission ─ that is somehow reliant on me finding Meng Mo, isn’t it?” he surmises. “But if I do that, then getting me to confront Sha Hualing personally is not going to happen and you know it. So what? There’s plenty of cultivators on this mountain that can handle whatever she dishes out. So what’s your point with this? What are you trying to get out of pitting me against her?”
[...]
[Please note, the Protagonist may still act according to his inclination when it comes to accepting missions, including the side-mission <Living in a Dream>. However, if the Protagonist chooses to do so without the System support active, there will be no System assistance in critical moments, no System rewards and no System support for the mission duration. Please, select an alternate character to assign to <Sha Hualing’s Invasion> arc.]
Luo Binghe smirks. Just as expected. So, someone else gets to deal with Sha Hualing. And he gets the chance to decide? Good. What are his options, then?
A very unhelpful list opens up in front of his eyes. The obvious options, such as Shizun, Sect Leader Yue and Liu Qingge aren’t on it. Which is annoying. He gets why Shizun and the Sect Leader may be exempted, but why the hell is Liu Qingge not on the list? Why the fuck is he gone, when his sister’s name is right there?! If anyone can stop a rampaging Sha Hualing before she flattens the mountain, it’s him. Is the System trying to piss him off on purpose? To spite him now that he’s figured out the limitations?
[...]
[In the overall story structure, character Liu Qingge is tagged as ‘One scene wonder’. Minor characters cannot temporarily take over the Protagonist role under any circumstances. These limitations are not imposed by the System, therefore they cannot be changed.]
… the fuck does that even mean? What the hell is imposing limitations, then?
“What are my options?” Luo Binghe demands again, beyond frustrated. “Make it so I can include someone actually useful.”
Heaven knows Luo Binghe doesn’t care about what happens to Cang Qiong Mountain in the grand scheme of things. But Shizun is not yet back, so no way in hell will he allow it to get destroyed early.
[System has considered 1458 possible solutions to your dilemma. Do you want to see the list?]
“Who’s got time for that?! She’s already here! Narrow it down!”
[Narrowing possibilities to top three most likely solutions to make the plot changes impactful and exciting for the overall storyline! Option A, select one of the lead characters from the edited list to temporarily take over the Protagonist role. Option B, activate Small Scenario Pusher VVIP Extended Edition. Option C, change a minor character’s tag to a more impactful tag that allows previously insignificant characters to greatly impact the storyline. Please note that all of these changes require a payment surcharge of 3000 B-points.]
Right. Obviously. Luo Binghe has far more important things to do than waste time on any of this nonsense.
“Option C,” he snaps. “If I change Liu Qingge’s tag, he can go and clean this mess up, is that what you’re saying?”
[Affirmative. Please, choose the new tag to assign to character Liu Qingge from the dropdown options. Please note, it is possible to assign multiple tags.]
These new options, it turns out, are even more nonsense than the ones that came up before. What the hell is a ‘Damsel in Distress’ tag supposed to represent?! It sounds useless! Token Harem Tsundere? Violently Protective Girlfriend? Why would Liu Qingge need a violent girlfriend? The man is the very definition of violence!
Then there’s ‘Blood Knight’ and ‘Hair-trigger Temper’, which, ARGH! Why does it keep getting worse?! Go back, back! There. Knight in Shining Armor. That sounds useful in combat, at least, unlike all the other snippy nonsense. Is that enough to put Liu Qingge in charge of resolving this nonsense?
[Minor character tag ‘One scene wonder’ removed from Liu Qingge character description. Temporarily assigning the Protagonist role with the ‘Knight in Shining Armor’ tag. Character ‘Liu Qingge’ to be permanently assigned to ‘Main Character’ category. Proceed?]
Proceed, proceed, proceed! Just get him out there, damn it, before Sha Hualing really destroys the whole sect! Luo Binghe has better things to do than waste time on this.
[Character Liu Qingge has been permanently assigned to the Main Character category. The following tags are automatically added: ‘Breakout Character’, ‘Spanner in the Works’, ‘Love Interest’. ‘Star-crossed lovers’ tag restored. Story mission <Sha Hualing’s Invasion> assigned to Liu Qingge.]
[The side-mission <Living in a Dream> countdown restored. Please note that the events outline has changed to fit the overall narrative. The official triggering of the mission now must be done manually.]
Luo Binghe rolls his eyes, but at least is it done. From his position in front of the dorms, he cannot see if the man in question immediately jumps to action or if something else will indirectly force him to go, but it doesn’t matter. Clearly, his impression of the System is not wrong. That thing speaks to him in code and uses terms that are unfamiliar, but it clearly has an impact on real life events with its dark magic solely through indirect means. How much he can trust it for anything important is anyone’s guess, but for the moment, Luo Binghe has decided to take the risk.
Already, he has guessed correctly that Meng Mo’s presence in this is crucial. And Meng Mo was among those third rate demons that Sha Hualing brought with her the last time she invaded.
Now, however, Luo Binghe does not intend to participate in any duels to get the Dream Demon’s attention. However, he still needs a way to lure Meng Mo out of his hiding place, some sort of a bait to dangle in front of the elder demon’s face to get his attention. His powers over the dream realm haven’t entirely disappeared, unlike his spiritual and demonic cultivation… but they have also been working in rather limited capacity. Even if he wants to, Luo Binghe cannot use them to find Meng Mo now.
That said, he doesn’t particularly want to do that, either.
This time, there is something he wants from Meng Mo, something completely different than the last time, along with triggering this stupid System mission. And to get it, the Dream Demon’s cooperation is unlikely. He needs to catch the elder demon unprepared, he has to trap the old man before he gets a chance to trap Luo Binghe instead. This playing field needs some serious leveling ─ and Luo Binghe can’t afford to be polite about it. That’s why it’s crucial that someone else gets rid of Sha Hualing, that someone else keeps her busy while Luo Binghe sets his trap properly.
Liu Qingge, you better do your damn job!
A tower of smoke is rising in the distance. Luo Binghe doesn’t actually have the time to ask anyone anything, or call for Qing Jing Peak disciples to band together and head to the Rainbow Bridge when Ming Fan runs past him and drags him by the back of his disciple robes.
“Not good, not good, not good! Three peaks invaded. Rainbow Bridge under attack! They brought a black moon rhinoceros python!”
“They what?” Luo Binghe chokes on his own words. Since when does Sha Hualing have control over those? They’re notoriously hard to tame, damn it!
“I just heard! There’s one on Zui Xian Peak! It’s destroying everything!”
Oh. Well, that’s not good for Zui Xian Peak. Not that Luo Binghe cares. They’re far enough from Qing Jing that the rhino can’t make it without the Rainbow Bridge anyway and that seems plenty damaged already. It’s far likelier to just end up falling into the chasm between the peaks than make it across.
“What about Qiong Ding Peak?” he asks. Sect Leader Yue’s peak didn’t exactly have a great time of it the previous go around, even if Sha Hualing did ultimately get kicked out. Can’t imagine this round going any better for them, especially with a freaking rhinoceros involved.
“That’s where the smoke is coming from!” Ming Fan cries. “Explosions, too!”
Wait. Hold up. “Those explosions. That wasn’t from our peak? At all? Not even from the Rainbow Bridge?”
“Rainbow bridge on our side, yes! But mostly NO!”
Oh. Oh shit.
So Sha Hualing isn’t just messing around. She didn’t come for a test of power. That girl is out for blood.
Hah. It would have been too much to hope for that Tian Chui hadn’t informed his control freak mistress of his misadventures in the human realm, even as a Formless Demon. Or, she could be out for a whole different kind of revenge. Who even knows at this point? Obviously, Luo Binghe has changed too much in this timeline and it’s all out of control.
“We need to gather everyone and head to Qiong Ding Peak immediately,” Ming Fan is saying with great urgency, and it finally clicks to Luo Binghe why the older disciple is dragging him along.
He stares at the idiot incredulously. “You want me to go?”
Is the System behind this nonsense, trying to drag him there against his will?!
“Obviously not, what can you even do?” Ming Fan snaps back at him. “You and the juniors should protect the Rainbow Bridge with your lives!”
Is that not even worse?!
Wait, no. It works out perfectly. Sha Hualing won’t be interested in the bridges, nothing except destroying them, and she won’t waste time on that personally. She’s far likelier to just be sitting in Qiong Ding Peak Lord’s seat, painting her nails and watching the destruction unfold on its own, the most humiliating act to the sect she is after. If she’s waived off all excuses, that means she’s also waived off all the patience too, and that can’t possibly be a good thing, especially not for Qiong Ding Peak.
“I’ll do it! I’ll go! Stop dragging me!” Luo Binghe shouts, pointedly striking Ming Fan’s wrist so that the older disciple is forced to let go of him.
Ming Fan doesn’t stop running. He just looks over his shoulder, shouting at the top of his lungs. “Counting on you!”
… what? Counting on him for what? Since when does Ming Fan dare to expect anything from him?
Argh. Luo Binghe doesn’t have time for this, so he just takes notice of where the other disciple left him. Conveniently, it’s right next to the female dorms, where some of the sleepier Qing Jing disciples still haven’t realized the whole sect is under attack.
“Get up!” he barks at a pair of girls who have yet to wash their faces and go to sleep. “To the Rainbow Bridge, now!”
“What? Luo-shidi, what are you saying?”
“GO!” he snaps, shuffling through the girl dorms until he finds the room he is looking for. Unlike most of the others, Ning Yingying is awake and dressed up, but still very sleepy and very confused. She’s spent all day long searching for Zhuzhi Lang, only to get shouted at all of a sudden. When she sees Luo Binghe break into the girl's dorm, her eyes widen.
“A-Luo, what’s happening?”
“A raid. Demons are out destroying the sect. Gather everyone and go protect the Rainbow Bridge, now!”
“Eep! Got it!” Ning Yingying looks around her for a few moments, then claps quickly. It doesn’t really do anything, so she picks up her sword and jumps out of the window, hovering on it in a place where most people can’t help but notice. “Everyone! Prepare to fight! To the Rainbow Bridge, now!”
A few sleepy heads stare at her blearily. “Is it Bai Zhan raiding again?”
“Demons, demons,” someone else slaps her back, before dragging the other girls into the quickly growing fray of outraged juniors calling for a fight.
Satisfied with the results, Luo Binghe quietly withdraws from the group. No one really notices. They are too busy planning on how to counter demons to care where the most useless one of the lot has gone to. Well, the disciples are, but Luo Binghe feels a pair of eyes on him, carefully watching him depart from the shadows. He doesn’t turn around to look ─ just lets the creature follow until they’re far enough away from any settlements on the peak.
“Great timing,” he says, once they are both safely hidden in the shadow of a giant bamboo.
Zhuzhi Lang tilts his head at him. Clearly, he knows the time has come.
Luo Binghe wastes no words. “I heard that snake demons are able to sense where there is… something… attached to other demons. And one of the demons currently invading Cang Qiong Mountain will have another demon attached to them. A dream demon. Are you able to sniff him out?”
Zhuzhi Lang says nothing and does nothing. There’s just the slightest bit of narrowing of his eyes, as if to ask, “What’s in it for me?”
“The protective wards around Cang Qiong Mountain are now in shambles,” Luo Binge says. “Qing Jing Peak wards will still prevent you from escaping, but as a disciple here, I can allow you to slip through unnoticed. You will have to make your way down the mountain on your own, but I don’t doubt your ability to do that. However, I will only permit it if you do what I ask.”
Of course, the snake is not convinced. He also sees the fallacy. If Cang Qiong’s protective wards are down, it’s only a matter of time before Qing Jing Peak’s protective wards collapse as well. And that much is true.
What is also true is the following: “If you won’t, then I’ll personally trap you under my own wards and you won’t be able to move at all. It won’t make a difference then, which barriers are broken and which aren’t.”
It’s not so much an offer as it is blackmail and Luo Binghe knows it. Whether or not Zhuzhi Lang will play into his hand or stay stubborn until the end is another matter entirely. And the snake seems very determined to spite him now that the time to make good on their deal has come.
“Need I remind you that your lord is still trapped under that damn mountain? I know you’ve been doing your best to protect the Sun and Moon Dew seeds in your possession, but if you leave them here, they’re going to be discovered soon. Consider your options well. All I want is to catch a dream demon. You can have your freedom and your stupid replacement bodies in exchange for that.”
Finally, the tip of Zhuzhi Lang’s tail moves. It is very slow, very deliberate… but ultimately affirmative. Good.
If you try to be clever, you are going to regret ever breathing, Luo Binghe decides, before he says, “Lead the way, then.”
Intellectually, Luo Binghe knows there are ways to go about this that don’t require Zhuzhi Lang’s unwilling cooperation. Heck, he’s certain that if he just walks up to Meng Mo and asks what he wants to know, he will get his answer. This isn’t about getting his questions answered. This is about going beyond it, learning the gritty, ugly details that no one will willingly tell him, not unless he dives deep into the dirt himself and digs them out. The System mission is just a bonus.
Meng Mo is a Formless Demon.
Meng Mo has always been a Formless Demon.
This is something that has been spinning around Luo Binghe’s head for many years, before he ever truly figured out what Formless Demons are, let alone how they are created. But now he knows and now he understands ─ and he is absolutely positive that this deduction is correct. The first notion of this possibility hit him back in the Endless Abyss. Back then, the notion that Formless Demons are remnants of demonic consciousness has never occurred to him. When he had called his teacher’s presence similar to theirs, he got all the predictable answers.
“I’m not like those filthy shadows, don’t you dare compare!” and “After all this elder taught you, this is how you disrespect me?!” and all that nonsense. Summed up after countless curses and insults that Meng Mo has thrown his way at the mere suggestion that they may be similar, the short answer is fuck off.
In the end, Luo Binghe let go of the matter entirely, because they really weren’t the same. The Formless Demons in the Endless Abyss were the bane of Luo Binghe’s existence, chasing his nightmares and relishing in his suffering at every turn where they could get it. They ran on anger, spite and vengeance, sowing death and destruction wherever they went, eager to regain their physical forms, so they did whatever they could to achieve it. Thus, the difference between Meng Mo and the Formless Demons is even more highlighted. Formless Demons are what’s left of demons after death, after their body and soul have already been destroyed, the parts that for some reason ultimately were not erased. They are just shadows of consciousness that exist when it shouldn’t, bound by a curse tied to all demonic existence. By all means, they are just wraiths unaware of their own permanence.
Once reformed, they rely on the life force of humans, demons, animals and all the other existing beings to keep existing, just so they can gather a little more of themselves. Spiritual energy of humans is especially not compatible, therefore they need so much more of it, slaughtering harmless ordinary people for what little breath of air they can get. That’s why there are next to none in the human realm, a few struggling oddities in the demon realm and many thriving bastards in the Endless Abyss, where death and destruction abound and energy of the heavens is at its weakest.
That’s why, even though Meng Mo is a Formless Demon, he is still different. Meng Mo exists only inside the dream realm. Whatever body he’s had, he lost it long ago and would never tell how. That is the first thing Luo Binghe wishes to find out.
Second, Meng Mo has been sticking to other demons for a very long time. He does not consume their life force, he is not too reliant on the notion of getting his soul and body back. He is merely a consciousness, but a consciousness with enough of its power and sense intact to control the dream realm as he sees fit. How that is possible, that is the second thing Luo Binghe must learn.
Third, Meng Mo has stayed at Luo Binghe’s side for a very long time, content to just exist and observe. He has never tried to take advantage of Luo Binghe’s vulnerabilities even at times when doing so would have benefited him much more. Why? That’s the third thing that he must figure out.
Compared to these other crazy wraiths, Meng Mo is… reasonable. As reasonable as a demon can be, at any rate. That’s precisely what’s so unsettling about it all.
How does a demon become a Formless Demon to start with? How do the body and the soul die, but the consciousness stays behind, lingering way past what is allowed? How exactly did Meng Mo go from having a living, breathing body and soul, to having none?
Luo Binghe has tried to breach similar topics of conversation in the past and got no answers whatsoever. All he knows is the following: Meng Mo knows about Formless Demons and at least some of their specifics, but he hasn’t shared any of that knowledge willingly. He has consistently denied any relation and similarity. He’s known all along, but when Luo Binghe wasted weeks trying to think of a way to counter these demons in the Abyss, he’d said nothing.
If Luo Binghe was to go back to that moment before he woke up back in time and ask his Dream Demon mentor why he’d never said anything, he is certain that Meng Mo would give him a logical answer. It’s just what Meng Mo does ─ shares details and insights at will, teaching Luo Binghe what he wants and skipping over the irrelevant details as if they don’t exist. Sometimes, it’s those details that matter the most. Sometimes… sometimes…
“I saw your Shizun’s past. The man you’re doing all this for is nothing what you imagine him to be, you silly child.”
That was everything Meng Mo had said on the topic of Luo Binghe merging the two realms. Not a complaint. Not an attempt to talk him out of the act, or worse, talk him into it. Just those two sentences, but by the time Luo Binghe heard them, his consciousness was too consumed by anger to truly understand their weight. After that, he’d shut Meng Mo out of his mind completely, never allowing him to say anything ever again.
Now, Luo Binghe wants to ask, what do you know about Shizun’s past that would make you tell me that? What are you hiding from me? What have you been hiding from me all along?
He wants to make the demon show him, make him spill everything… and maybe his past self would have caved in and asked it, eventually. Luo Binghe respected the old demon just enough not to force him, but not enough to blindly trust him.
If he’d asked, would Meng Mo have answered? Would it be another half-truth, hidden in a lie and wrapped in deception?
Luo Binghe can’t be patient anymore, not when all these many different issues seem to be coming together around him, around Shizun, hanging a threat that should no longer exist over both their heads. That said, Luo Binghe has long since held a belief that prying into someone’s deepest secrets is a last resort, something to do only when there are no other options left. And even then, never for the purpose of blackmail.
Luo Binghe is not above using blackmail, not at all. But he never wanted to use that to make Shizun stay. From the very beginning, all he wanted was for Shizun to make that choice himself. To choose Binghe over everyone else, to choose Binghe just once. Things have, however, ended up a disaster regardless.
Last time, Luo Binghe had pushed everything to the extreme. Just once, he told himself, if Shizun stands by him when everyone else stands against him, Luo Binghe will forget all past grievances and let go of all the resentment. He will. Even with Xin Mo corroding all his senses and twisting his mind into something not even Luo Binghe could recognize anymore, Xin Mo couldn’t corrode this. By the time Shizun made that choice, it was too late.
Luo Binghe doesn’t want to go through that again. Not with Shizun, not with anyone else.
If Shizun is only going to choose him when he knows he is going to die, then Luo Binghe would rather not make him choose at all. He’d rather do everything else that keeps Shizun happy, even if apart from him, just so long as he doesn’t give up his life one more time. Anything, just to keep Shizun safe.
Thus, all this trouble of catching Meng Mo unaware, unguarded.
He can respect the old man, but he cannot trust him.
He can count on the old man to help him, but he cannot ask him for the truth.
He must see it with his own eyes.
He’s been preparing for this for a very long time.
Zhuzhi Lang leads him to the edge of Qing Jing Peak, unable to proceed any further. However, the connection of Rainbow bridges the snake has led him to points straight in the direction of Zui Xian Peak.
Smoke is rising from the drunkard peak, sounds of fighting echoing everywhere. From the very edge where they stand, observing the tenth ranked peak, Luo Binghe doesn’t know which demon he is looking for, exactly. But the demons have already ruined the whole peak for him. He won’t need long to find the one he is looking for, relishing in the memories and the suffering of the cultivators below.
Zhuzhi Lang slithers a couple feet away from him, leaving behind himself a small vial borrowed from Qing Jing Peak’s kitchens, carefully sealed. There’s just a few drops of snake venom inside it, but it’s enough. This is it. The most crucial part of this plan.
“Good boy,” Luo Binghe praises, smirking as hides the vial in his robes.
Then he draws his practice sword and fishes out the incense burner from his hidden pouch. The incense burner has accumulated much of his demonic energy over the past few months, so much more of it than Luo Binghe had expected. Carefully trailing his finger along its edges, he shifts the tiny little rune from sealing to release. The item in his hand glows a wicked red.
Then, with the practice blade coated in that dark power, Luo Binghe mercilessly slashes at the remnants of Cang Qiong Mountain’s protective wards. He tears them instantly, leaving a whole lot of demonic residue behind.
“Tell your lord to behave, if he doesn’t want me ruining his plant bodies before they’re ever made,” Luo Binghe warns the snake one last time. “If Tianlang Jun decides that merging the realms is the way to go, then he will once again fall under my blade.”
Zhuzhi Lang says nothing at all. He just blinks with those highly intelligent eyes firmly fixated on Luo Binghe ─ and then he’s gone. In the blink of an eye, he’s slithering down the mountain like a clumsy half-man, half-snake that he is, relishing in his puny existence.
Sealing back his demonic power, Luo Binghe replaces the incense burner with the other vial and pops it open, letting the few drops of snake venom burn his tongue. He doesn’t have much time, so he wastes none of it. While he still has access to his spiritual power, he rushes straight to Zui Xian Peak, hacking and slashing at any and all demons he can find, fighting like a rabid beast. He doesn’t care for any injuries, doesn’t retreat from any pain. To Zui Xian Peak’s disciples, he must look like a hero who’s come to help them once they’ve fallen on their last leg.
In reality, Luo Binghe is doing anything he can think of that might fool Cang Qiong Mountain later on, making sure that they never realize he’d ingested the venom willingly.
It’s not long before the adverse effects begin to show. Luo Binghe feels his consciousness slipping long before the spiritual restrictions get him. Meng Mo’s work, no doubt. The dream demon certainly took the bait swinging before him eagerly.
It’s just at the right time, too. Luo Binghe runs out of demons to slaughter.
When his body hits the ground, he’s already long walking down the memory lane of his own life, following Meng Mo like the dream demon’s very own shadow. Hidden and undetected, yet with just enough power over the realm to explore Meng Mo’s memories in the same way the Dream Demon explores his.
Finally. Let the show begin.
Notes:
Next up,
LQG: *actually kicking ass*
Meanwhile, LBH: strategic warfare against the System, Meng Mo and Sha Hualing combined...Yo, I was done with this early so figured might as well, as I'll likely be busy over the weekend! So there we go!
Chapter 26: Invasion of Qiong Ding Peak
Notes:
TW for body horror towards the end of chapter, sort of.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
“What’s the situation over there?” Liu Qingge shouts over his shoulder, slashing at yet another boar demon that’s decided that Qiong Ding Peak's training grounds are the perfect place to test his horns on. Two slashes and the beast is over and done with, but there is no bead token to keep track of the tally like the Immortal Alliance Conference. Still, Liu Qingge is pretty sure he’s hit a hundred. A hundred small-fry demons, killed on his way from Qing Jing to Qiong Ding Peak. All on his lonesome.
Where the fuck did they all come from? How did all these stupid weaklings get the balls to invade Cang Qiong Mountain? They’re barely enough for him to break a sweat even with all these stupid Qi blockages getting in the way, yet still these bastards somehow made a mess everywhere. HOW?
“Not good!” Qi Qingqi shouts as she lands next to him, neatly slicing a butterfly-shaped demon behind his shoulder into two. “Just got a report from Zui Xian, casualties are in the double digits. Had Luo Binghe not gone wild there, the whole Peak might’ve been killed.”
Well, shit. Good for them, apparently.
“And the Peak Lord?” Liu Qingge asks as he cuts through an antelope demon, grimacing at all the blood that sprays over his robes.
Qi Qingqi shakes her head. “Absent. No words yet.”
Damn it!
Aren’t these mostly Southern Demon Realm's monster clans? Why come so far to strike at Cang Qiong Mountain, damn it all? Wouldn’t Huan Hua Palace Sect be the first one on their hit list? It’s not like Cang Qiong Mountain even sends people to the Southern Demon Realm that often! If anything, they should be coming after Liu Qingge alone, not the whole damn mountain!
“This is a pattern! This is a fucking planned attacked! They picked out the peaks with the lords absent and just went for it!” Qi Qingqi exclaims out of pure rage, kicking two smaller frog demons with enough force to kill them just to let off some steam.
“Not Qing Jing peak,” Liu Qingge points out, slashing at an eagle coming overhead. He almost cuts off the wing entirely, but the damn thing still won’t quit it!
“You were at Qing Jing!” Qi Qingqi roars. “You were there and so they went to Bai Zhan instead! They knew it! I’m telling you! This shit was planned ahead! These bastards knew exactly what they were doing, coming here now!”
“Shit,” Liu QIngge spits. “Zui Xian, Bai Zhan, Qiong Dong. All without a leader, all attacked, obvious coordination. Any other Peak Lord with whereabouts unknown?”
“All of them,” Qi Qingqi snaps, but it’s not like she checked personally.
Liu Qingge had sent Huan Qingyan and Qing Jing disciples to find the others, but the Ku Xing Peak Lord has yet to come back, and the disciples have all gone off to fight the demons on their own. The only authority figure that he’s seen so far is none other than Qi Qingqi, who arrived at the scene minutes ago, looking much like she’d spent the past few hours the same way Liu Qingge did. Slaughtering small fry demons everywhere.
Liu Qingge, meanwhile, has been holding the entire demon invasion on the outer edges of Qiong Ding peak under control, with the occasional aid of a bunch of rattled, injured and absolutely devastated senior Qiong Ding disciples, who barely had any clue what kind of chaos awaited them after they came back from the regular evening inspection. With Qiong Ding Peak being so obnoxiously large, even their combined efforts are likely nowhere near enough.
Half of the juniors are gone. Killed or missing or otherwise unaccounted for, which might arguably be worse, because who the fuck knows what demons might do to a bunch of weakass cultivators with barely a few years of training? Liu Qingge has found two bodies. Two, only, and the seniors have reported that more than forty junior disciples have vanished into thin air. He doesn’t even want to imagine what could have happened to the rest. Not that the demons themselves are particularly dangerous ones, but the sheer numbers make up for the lack of firepower in some truly devastating ways.
“I think it’s time to confront the facts,” Qi Qingqi says, brutally stomping on a deformed cockroach demon and crushing it to nothingness. “We have a spy in our midst.”
Liu Qingge wishes he could argue, but he’s come to the same conclusion, himself.
It’s not a secret that he’s been taking care of Qing Jing Peak in Shen Qingqiu’s absence. Not inside the sect, that is, and the disciples are very likely to let it slip that he lives on Qing Jing Peak for grapevine points alone. Still, ever since he started taking up missions again, Liu Qingge has spent his days divided between Bai Zhan and Qing Jing peaks almost equally, but without any set schedule. Aside from spending the nights over at Qing Jing Peak without anyone really knowing, he’s been to many different places. How would any outsider know?
Still, the information leak had to have come from the inside. How else would demons be able to guess which Peak Lords would be absent accurately enough? They had to have held help, or at the very least, access to internal info. Either that or it was a lucky guess. But an attack of this magnitude couldn’t have come purely based on a gamble. These demons have come looking for blood. Qi Qingqi is right. There’s definitely a spy in Cang Qiong Mountain.
His mind automatically singles out one possibility, and he hates that it’s the first thing that comes to him, because it’s obviously not the case, but the question that slips from his mouth is a ruthless implication regardless.
“What did you say about Luo Binghe, again? Where’d he go?”
“Oi, stupid muscle brain! I’m talking about a potential spy here! Why are you asking me─” But Qi Qingqi freezes then, turning to stare at him in so much surprise that Liu Qingge needs to slash at the eagle demon coming for her head before she remembers to function again. “You’re not suggesting what I think you’re─”
Shit. Already, Liu Qingge regrets it. “I’m asking you a fucking question! Where is Luo Binghe?!”
“Qian Cao Peak,” Qi Qingqi says, eventually. “After almost single handedly clearing out the demons at Zui Xian, he collapsed under the effects of some poison. Zui Xian disciples took him straight to Qian Cao.”
… Well. That’s definitely not the answer he expected to hear. Luo Binghe, poisoned? Did he go into the fight not knowing the risks? How does a Heavenly demon get poisoned by other demons?
… too easily, probably, if they’re as reckless as Luo Binghe.
“And Zui Xian Peak is now under control?”
Qi Qingqi confirms with a nod. “Zui Xian is clear and Bai Zhan managed to fight off the invasion by themselves. It’s just this place left, I checked personally.”
This place. Qiong Ding Peak, with a whole lot of weakass demons to distract them, a black moon rhinoceros python laying waste to everything and countless missing disciples. Even with two Peaks clear of any danger, the problems at Qiong Ding are terrible enough to forget about the other two peaks entirely. Is that what the invaders were counting on? Is that why only a few weaklings were out there, trying to break the Rainbow Bridge apart? A smoke screen, to keep them busy while the true target was Qiong Ding Peak all along?
“We need to get rid of the rhinoceros,” Liu Qingge says. “Once we get rid of that, the rest of them are nothing but toothpicks.”
“We need to find it first,” Qi Qingqi snaps. “That thing is almost as elusive as those damn Formless Demons for its fucking size.”
True. And they must make sure that there aren’t other demons hiding, waiting for them to put their guards down before they attack the other peaks. Liu Qingge says, “The Rainbow Bridge thing is bothering me. If they were aiming to destroy it, why not just send the rhino there?”
Qi Qingqi scowls. “You think it’s a trick? That they’re just using it to divert our attention away from something else?”
“I don’t know!” Liu Qingge is just sure of one thing. If he were a demon planning to raid a cultivator mountain, he wouldn’t have his best weapon running around destroying useless buildings all over one Peak, even if it is the most important one. There’s gotta be something more to it.
“Shishu! Liu-shishu!”
The person calling is none other than Yue Qingyuan’s head disciple, but the youth barely looks recognizable with all the blood on him. He still finds time to greet Liu Qingge and Qi Qingqi properly, before launching into a report, entirely unprovoked.
“The seniors of Qiong Ding with help from Wan Jian disciples have finally managed to fight through to get to the Sect Leader’s pavilion. Just as we suspected, the juniors are all there… but…” the kid gulps, pale and frightened.
“But what?” Qi Qingqi barks. “Is Wei Qingwei not with them?”
“Wei-shishu is there, yes… but he… he can’t do anything,” the disciple says. The hesitance in his voice instantly alerts both the Peak Lords, who share a look, before Qi Qingqi’s eyes narrow.
“Why? What’s going on?”
Wei Qingwei is an unparalleled swordmaster of the sect, there is no way a man like him could be pushed back easily. Claiming that Wan Jian’s Peak Lord isn’t able to do anything is not just discouraging, it’s downright insane. Unless there really is something holding him back from acting. And that something is bound to be a big deal, obviously. Big enough to make Qiong Ding’s head disciple break into shivers, apparently.
“The juniors,” he utters. “The juniors are all being held hostage.”
Qi Qingqi’s face turns ghastly.
Liu Qingge’s heart climbs to his throat. What?
“How many demons are there?” Qi Qingqi asks, the scale of this absolutely baffling to her. Over forty missing junior disciples, all held hostage. How is that even possible for a sect at the level of Cang Qiong Mountain? How many demons would it take to make that happen?
Too many, is the obvious answer! More than hundreds of demons of the south have invaded and overturned three peaks in a matter of hours. The completely baffling case of cooperation and coordination of what should be a raging mob of instinctual monsters that follow no command and show zero respect any of the Southern elders, this whole scenario should have been entirely impossible to create! How did the entire sect fail so utterly at protecting their own that this could happen?
“How many?!” Liu Qingge all but roars, every cell inside him itching to fight, itching to hurt, itching to kill something.
The Qiong Ding head disciple shudders. He says nothing.
“How many?” Qi Qingqi repeats.
“I-it’s the young saintess of the northern clan, Sha Hualing,” the disciple says. “S-she… she invites the Peak Lords over to negotiate the lives of the… of the junior disciples. I was merely sent here to deliver the message.”
“What?” Qi Qingqi’s voice is faint. She knows what she heard, they both do. It’s not that Liu Qingge has trouble believing it. Demon saints, as the name suggests, are at a whole other level of destruction than the small fries that have been wreaking havoc all over the place. It’s not so much by the ‘what’ that he is surprised. It’s the how.
A single demon saintess from the north, to gather such a huge support from all sorts of different southern demons… and now she is holding Qiong Ding Peak juniors hostage. All that, in such a short time. Planned out so impeccably as to catch Cang Qiong Mountain with all of its powerhouses either away or forcefully subdued, unable to do anything but fall to their knees to preserve the lives of their disciples. It is unprecedented. How?
Unless she had all the insider info imaginable, this should not have been possible. But who? Who in Cang Qiong Mountain is crazy enough to collude with the demons?
You are, a small voice says in his head. Is that not precisely what you’ve been doing all along, indulging Luo Binghe as you were?
Except, no! That is different! Luo Binghe saved his life. He’s repaying a debt, nothing more, nothing less─
Either way, it doesn’t matter, because Luo Binghe is obviously not the one behind this! What does he have to gain from this mess? No, far more likely is that this is someone else’s reaction to Luo Binghe’s very bold announcement, made when killing that Formless Demon. Protect Cang Qiong Mountain, that kid had said? Why would he?! But then, Luo Binghe suspected those demons had a master coordinating their actions and Liu Qingge hadn’t thought much beyond it. It’s obvious now. Luo Binghe had hit the nail right on the head, and this is the price for it. Except it’s the entire Cang Qiong Mountain paying for it.
“Let’s go,” Liu Qingge says, fist clenching and unclenching repeatedly. “If the saintess wants to negotiate, then that’s what we do.”
Qi Qingqi stares at him. “You can’t be serious. Not you to say that, of all people. Liu Qingge, are you fucking crazy?”
Crazy? Yeah, probably.
Liu Qingge has learned a lesson or two lately, though. Crazy as he may be, he is absolutely certain that none of this will end, even if they ultimately kill the rhino. Whatever terms that girl has come to negotiate, they are not her terms. Most likely, she is acting on someone else’s behalf, the same way those other demons were. Someone who clearly isn’t after destruction alone, but has a bone to pick with the entire sect.
“We’ll go,” he declares even firmer. “If nothing else, we should give Wei Qingwei some space to hunt down the rhino for us. He’s killed quite a few of them.”
He pointedly doesn’t mention that he’s killed more of them, because, really, what’s the point? The Liu Qingge of the past and Liu Qingge today are two entirely different people. One is an unstoppable war machine. The other is an overworked Peak Lord with his cultivation halved and on the verge of a blockage at any given time. If he’s going to make a reckless bet on the sect’s disciples' lives, he certainly won’t be betting on himself.
Qi Qingqi makes no comment on it, but she’s aware of the facts as well as he is. She’s not going to blindly run in and make things worse.
Unlike the rest of Qiong Dong Peak, the Sect Leader’s pavilion sits without even the slightest hint of damage, as grand and as majestic as it’s always been. The doors open wide for Qi Qingqi and Liu Qingge to enter unobstructed, but they are notably guarded by a pair of demons that look a little too human to be anything but uncanny. The only thing sticking out is the nails ─ claws, on their hands, and they’re all bloody.
Liu Qingge tries not to pay attention to how easily they let them pass, as though they’ve been patiently waiting, but he doesn’t address them either. Qiong Ding’s head disciple leads them inside and does all the introductions for them. When the boy leads them further into the reception room of Qiong Ding pavilion, however… The place is full of people. But even with so many people crammed into such limited space, only one of them truly stands out.
In the Sect Leader’s designated seat, a single girl sits.
Although ‘sits’ may not necessarily be the correct term. Back carelessly leaning against the handrest on one side, her legs thrown over the other, she seems preoccupied with her nails, painting them a crimson red as though all the other people aren’t even there. Touching up the ruined edges of her nail polish on her claws longer than her entire damn hand, she doesn’t even look up when Qi Qingqi and Liu Qingge enter.
All around her, disciples of various peaks stand with their hands on their weapons, tense but never daring to draw them. Most of them are Qiong Ding Peak seniors, but Liu Qingge catches uniforms from other peaks as well. An Ding, Wan Jian, Qing Jing, Bai Zhan and even his sister, quietly standing in the back with her head lowered, next to the few of Xian Shu’s elder disciples. In the back of his head, however, Liu Qingge thinks of only one thing.
Ah. So that’s where all the Peak Lords have gone.
Majority of them stand together with the disciples, irritated but waiting. Qiong Ding and Qing Jing Peak lords are notably absent, and so is Mu Qingfang. But everyone else is there, including Zui Xian Peak lord, Wu Qinggang, who seems to be on the verge of unleashing destruction upon the whole room. That’s probably the reason why he’s the only one tied up with Immortal Binding Cables from head to toe, his weapon pushed off to the side. It’s bloodied and bent at angles, which means he must’ve served as an example to put everyone else on their best behavior. Next to him, Huan Qingyan has bitten her plump lip bloody, fingers ceaselessly working around around the beads wrapped around her wrist. Obviously, calling this whole scene not good is an understatement of the century.
“Xian Shu and Bai Zhan Peak Lords are present,” Qiong Ding’s Head Disciple announces shakily as he gets down to his knees, bowing his head. “Saintess Sha, this disciple did as requested. Please, let go of my younger martial siblings.”
The demon saintess, a tiny little girl dressed far too skimpy for her evident age, doesn’t even look at him. This kid ─ because damn it all, she is a kid! What is it with demon brats being so goddamn brazen? She isn’t even showing any interest in the fact that she is surrounded by several dozen cultivators, all of them itching to draw their weapons at her, let alone a disciple prostrating on his knees in front of her. She just… doesn’t care.
Liu Qingge naturally notices the absence of Qiong Ding’s junior disciples in the pavilion and he is not the only one. The head disciple rises back up on his feet when he looks pointedly in the side of the room that is… completely empty. Which is an achievement, given how cramped the rest of the space is. It can’t be anything but intentional.
“Saintess Sha! Please! This disciple has done all you asked! Please look at me!”
Finally, Sha Hualing turns her head away from her nails with great difficulty, observing the room in no rush whatsoever. She does not look at Qiong Ding’s head disciple.
“Xian Shu and Bai Zhan,” she sing-songs and she sounds so ridiculously young. Her eyes immediately land on the newcomers and she smiles. It’s downright savage. “Now we’re missing only one.”
As she says that, she jumps out of the sect leader’s seat and lands into the middle of the room, instantly commanding attention. Liu Qingge's eyes are immediately drawn to a red crystal pendant hanging around her neck. There is something about it, about the way the light reflects off of it that feels distinctly eerie. Or perhaps, it's just Sha Hualing herself eliciting such feeling. That demon saintess is young, but her power is considerable. Moreover, a young demon from the north has gathered such a huge support from the south. Most certainly, she is not someone to be underestimated. Even now, as she stands so brazen and open to attack, no one dares make a move.
She paces around the pavilion as though it belongs to her, pausing occasionally to look at a decoration or two that catch her attention. She’s in no hurry at all. The opposite, really. It may just be an assumption, but Liu Qingge feels as though she is stalling for time, spending it purposefully on trivialities just to amp up the tension. For what reason, he has no idea, but after all too much time spent watching her pace around ─ he’s certain. She’s waiting for something. What is it?
Just as he’s thought that, Sha Hualing clasps her hands together and grins. The red crystal around her neck shimmers brightly. Then, she announces, “Dear esteemed cultivators of Cang Qiong Sect. If you will have a little more patience, please, let’s wait for the final lord to join this beautiful gathering!”
Now, she looks at Qiong Ding’s head disciple, her eyes positively glowing. “Go. I told you to gather everyone and you still haven’t done it. Should I kill another child to show you how it’s done?!”
Instantly, the kid rises to his feet, pale in face. He doesn’t even put up an argument. He just runs straight out, under careful watch of a bat demon flying after him, hidden in the shadows. Liu Qingge wonders if the kid even knows he’s under constant surveillance… or rather if he does, how cruelly did he have to find out?
Not at all interested that he’s left, Sha Hualing turns back to the room as though she is a performer and not a wicked beast holding people hostage, bringing her hands back together.
“Well, we’ve all gathered today in such big numbers, so it’d be a shame to waste anymore time. I’m sure you all have been impatiently waiting to hear why this Ling-er decided to pick today to pay this heartfelt visit to your great sect? Well, here it is!”
She claps twice, and the pavilion entrance which had closed behind Qiong Ding head disciple’s exit opens again. A pair of demons come through, carrying something huge and chunky between them ─ Liu Qingge is not the only one who gasps when he recognizes the sect’s engraved sign.
This engraving usually sits at the pavilion entrance, elegant and imposing, and carries the name and the legacy of the sect. It is the utmost symbol of the sect’s power and respectability, carrying with it the weight of their influence and history behind its single engraved plaque. The fact that a demon saintess dared remove it is an open invitation to war.
“What a pretty engraving,” Sha Hualing says like she knows it, and relishes in the way the whole room full of people instantly tenses up and holds their breaths. “Wouldn’t it be a shame if, say… something happened to it?”
Before anyone can so much as think of moving, those claws on her hand come down with immense force behind it, cutting the name plaque to shreds.
Liu Qingge can’t stand it. He draws his sword at the same time as Wei Qingwei does ─ but Sha Hualing lifts her hand in a gesture to stop.
They do. They both freeze instantly as though they’ve been locked in place with ice, unable to even breathe.
At the gesture of Sha Hualing’s hand, the veil behind her that Liu Qingge has thought nothing about until just now, instantly falls.
Finally, he knows where all the poor Qiong Ding juniors have disappeared to. With the veil removed, it is now clear to everyone in the room that behind it were more than forty disciples, all hanging upside down. The immortal binding ropes tying their feet together aren’t attached to anything at all. Instead, countless flying demons are holding them up in the air, keeping the disciples’ faces mere hairs above all sorts of sharp nails, daggers and metal pieces.
Sha Hualing grins at them like a savage beast. “If something happens to Ling-er, the ropes will fall and all these poor disciples shall suffer for life. These cute little weapons under them ─ Ling-er is sacred. They’re all poisoned.”
Liu Qingge grips his sword so tight that it hurts. “What do you want?” he barks, fighting the urge to jump and slash at her himself.
“So impatient, tsk tsk. We’ll get there, settle back down,” Sha Hualing says, with no trace of respect whatsoever. When Liu Qingge doesn’t move back a single step, she scowls. “I said settle back.”
One of the bird demons loosens the immortal binding rope in its beak. A disciple comes a hair’s breadth away from falling directly on top of a sharp nail with his eye first.
The boy gasps and whimpers as he struggles, utterly terrified, just trying to lift his head high enough to not cut the tip of his skin, sweat rolling down the side of his face.
“Mm, Ling-er wonders which poison we’ve used here… You see, esteemed cultivators, Ling-er’s family has gathered samples of many different poison from all sorts of different origins. We’re also been making our own poisons for generations! Actually! We have so many that we no longer know which is which! Will this one permanently cripple this cute little disciple’s cultivation? Or will it just burn his skin off? Nobody knows! Not even Ling-er! But Ling-er is very excited to find out.”
“Cut to the chase,” Qi Qingqi grits out. “Name your terms. Let’s end this civilly, while it’s still possible.”
“Civilly?” Sha Hualing echoes, seemingly amused, but her face is icy. “Esteemed cultivators have no right to be speaking about civility to Ling-er. How hypocritical can you all get? And here Ling-er wanted to offer you a chance of reconciliation. You can forget about it now.”
“There is no need to be hasty,” Huan Qingyan cuts in, tensing when Sha Hualing turns her glare on her suddenly. Still, she continues on calmly. “As you said, you will wait for all the Peak Lords to gather, and then you will state your terms. Please, then. Respect your own words”
“We’re only missing one!” Sha Hualing roars, but then she quickly shakes her head. “One,” she spits. “No matter, if it’s one. Ling-er has waited long enough. Name your terms, is that what you said? Ling-er will name her terms. Ling-er demands a sacrifice.”
When she turns on the rest of them, her eyes are burning with fury. “Cang Qiong Mountain Sect has wronged my clan first, therefore I will make Cang Qiong Mountain pay the price for it! Come out! If any single one of you great Peak Lords dares endure my punishment alone, I will allow the rest to go free. Now come, if you dare.”
“That’s not what you said!” Huan Qingyan exclaims. “You said once we gather all the Peak Lords here, the disciples can go! Let the kids go!”
Sha Hualing smiles at her, but it’s all teeth. “Ling-er lied.”
Wei Qingwei moves before anyone can stop him. He swings at the demon saintess, but she jumps out of the way with ease, before landing on top of the Sect Leader’s seat and snapping her fingers.
One of the Immortal Binding Ropes gives out, and a scream of a young girl reverberates through the room. Instantly, Wei Qingwei freezes. The girl has fallen face first on top of an arrowhead, the sharp tip leaving a deep gash in her cheek. Blood drips down to the floor, but the smell that fills the room is like her skin has been set on fire.
“It… hurts. It hurts! IT HURTS!” the girl screams, and the entire side of her face that’s been injured looks like it’s burning from the inside.
Sha Hualing winces audibly. “Oopsies. I forgot we have that. Should have checked where it is, doing this to a girl is too cruel.” She rounds back on Wei Qingwei and sticks her tongue out at him. “This is your fault. Don’t say Ling-er did not warn you.”
“Why do you want a sacrifice?” Qi Qingqi cuts in testily, before things get too out of control. “You say Cang Qiong Mountain wronged you first. What have we done to provoke the anger of a demon saintess?”
“No,” Sha Hualing hisses suddenly. “We will wait for all the Peak Lords to gather first. You insisted on this. Let’s wait for the last one to finally join us. Then… this Ling-er will show all of you what it means to make enemies of the wrong demon.”
Notes:
Queen Sha is out for some justice, uh-oh!
Chapter 27: Living in a Dream II
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Luo Binghe isn’t entirely sure where his plan has fallen apart.
At first, everything was going well. He has successfully infiltrated himself into his own memories as a shadow of Meng Mo, following the dream demon as he went around, exploring the corners of his mind. It didn’t seem like Meng Mo was looking for anything specific, rather like he was browsing the market, watching the trinkets displayed with the investment of a young lord vying for the attention of his money-spending fiancee. That is to say, he didn’t care much for the memories at all. Not nearly as much as he cared about understanding Binghe’s overall person.
He started with more recent memories of Qing Jing Peak and its lectures, focused more on Binghe’s own lack of interest in the lectures than what is actually being taught, to eventually move onto the confrontation with the Formless Demons, then further back, to Cang Qiong Mountain disciple selection and Luo Binghe’s youth. Sometimes, the dream demon would hum approvingly and sometimes he would scowl in displeasure, but overall, he just seemed curious about the events ─ not like he was looking for something specific. However, not once did that curiosity leave him open enough for Luo Binghe to sneak into Meng Mo’s memories.
Still, Luo Binghe is a patient person, he doesn’t mind sitting in wait for the right time to come. Watching his own life from Meng Mo’s perspective feels rather strange, however. Seeing himself, young and frail and broken among the children who detested him is painful, in more ways than he can describe, or even remember.
He’s forgotten too much of all this. The village kids in his youth, kicking him around, mocking him over silly things, calling him names… He can forgive the slights to himself, but when his mother is brought into the question, the young Luo Binghe loses it. The beatings he gets for fighting back the ugly names they use for his mother are worth every single ounce of effort he puts into it, even if the young version of himself is ultimately the one who walks away from the fight all bloodied and beaten. Ultimately, the little child goes off to wash himself clean of blood and dirt in the cold river before he dares to go home.
It painfully tugs on his heart to watch this, to watch himself be so weak and useless, but even more it hurts to feel all those emotions again, the weakness, the fear, the helplessness. It doesn’t consume Luo Binghe anymore, not in the way those moments used to do, nor the way Xin Mo exploited all of that later on. He has grown stronger than whatever terrible things he is able to recall… but it sits in his chest uncomfortably, makes his insides clench and twist with barely controlled rage.
I should not have let this happen.
I should not have ever been afraid of such weaklings.
I… I… I…
But there is nothing Luo Binghe could have done differently, back then. It’s not like he hasn’t tried. He watches himself get beaten up for attempting to speak up, for attempting to defend his mother and himself, but in the end, all he gets for it is more beatings than he can count. And his mother’s voice, gentle in his ears, while she strokes his hair even as her health declines day by day. “Binghe is a gentle boy. Binghe is kind.”
Meng Mo in particular seems curious about his relationship with his mother, lingering on many such memories longer than all the others. He watches keenly as the poor washerwoman cradles the child Luo Binghe’s head in her lap, providing that boy the only comfort he’s ever known.
“My Binghe should not let himself get swayed by such small things,” she would say, her fingers softly removing the leaves and branches from his hair, betraying her keen awareness of his many misadventures, but not quite having insight into the gravity of his injuries. She would comfort him regardless, stroking his hair and bringing him medicine even when he did his best to pretend he didn't need it. They couldn’t afford enough of it, yet she wasted it all on him, when she was the one actually in need.
She would repeat, “My Binghe is a nice boy, much more honorable than those silly children could ever hope to be. Don’t let them sway you. Don’t let them drag you down to their level. Rise above it instead.”
Little Binghe had sniffed, mulling those words over in his young, naive mind, never quite able to understand. “Rise… above? B-but how? How, when they say such mean things about my mother?”
“One day, my Binghe will be better and stronger than those pathetic little plebs could ever dream to be. But Binghe must promise mother one thing. No matter what, Binghe’s heart must always stay kind.”
Luo Binghe isn’t sure why those memories dig at his heart so hard and so painfully now. It feels like claws have pierced into his chest, digging and grabbing at the soft flesh, uncovering hurts long forgotten.
This was all such a long time ago. A lifetime.
Mother is long gone. As a stranger in his own dream, one hiding in the shadows of his own memories no less, Luo Binghe is not able to cry even if he wants to… which he clearly doesn’t, because he understands that the past cannot be changed. But it stings to know that in the end, the one thing his mother made him promise was the one thing he wasn’t able to do.
I’m sorry, mother. Kindness… it looks like I forgot all about that.
Can he fix it, if he keeps her words in mind from now on?
But no, he knows there are mistakes that can’t be undone. Decisions that can’t be changed.
After everything he’s done and all the lives he’s taken, is Luo Binghe even allowed to be kind? Won’t any kindness on his part just become an excuse to beg forgiveness for things that should not be forgiven?
Meng Mo doesn’t linger there much longer. He seems to have found what he was looking for, so he moves back to the more recent memories, more of his disciple days. Some things he finds are moments that Luo Binghe has long forgotten. From Shizun pouring tea over his head to that time when several senior disciples ganged up on him, screaming into his ears, “Bai Zhan never retreats!”
They’re random and messy and confusing… Luo Binghe isn’t sure at which point his plan folds in on itself, but at one moment he catches himself watching a memory of himself, bruised and beaten and bloody, picking up himself and his broken practice sword as he drags his barely functioning feet over the Bai Zhan peak’s practice field…
Hold on a second.
Luo Binghe remembers many instances of himself visiting Bai Zhan Peak in both his lives, but not once has he recently lost to them. Only in the past. The past past, the one where he already destroyed Shizun and himself. But even then, was it really like this? Perhaps he’s gotten bullied by those brutes once or twice, but Shizun went ahead and got vengeance for him immediately. Why is he seeing this? Why is Meng Mo watching─
Where did Meng Mo disappear?
Luo Binghe looks around himself, but he can’t find his former mentor anywhere, not even a trickle of his presence. Has he walked into a trap? Has Meng Mo been sprinkling in false memories together with the real ones to confuse him and invade his consciousness instead? Has he been tricked by the Dream Demon Master himself?! Damn it!
Luo Binghe tries to fast forward the memory, but the most he manages to do is form a door leading into a dream and then another. Meng Mo has weaved him a complex web of lies as a true master would, trapping him in his own game! How did Luo Binghe end up this reckless?! How did he not notice before!?
“LET ME OUT!” he roars, breaking through another door, but it’s too much force. Not only does he destroy that door entirely, flooding this new dream or memory or whatever it is all over his consciousness, he also merges with his barely maintained shadow form, with the Luo Binghe in the dream.
The next time he opens his eyes, Luo Binghe is no longer himself. He is the Luo Binghe in the false dream that Meng Mo weaved for him, trapped and doomed to live through and feel everything the fake Luo Binghe feels. And that’s a whole world of numbing pain, as a whip strikes down the middle of his back and rips the skin.
Goddamn it! What kind of memory is this?!
Luo Binghe is no stranger to all sorts of physical pain. The Endless Abyss is the kind of a hellish place that made him endure both physical and psychological torture of the worst kind, ripping him to shreds then putting him back together, only to destroy him all over again. After that, really, the only thing worse than what he’s already lived through is to hold in his arms the dead body of his loved one ─ and he’s done that, too. More than once.
Really, this whip on his back is nothing ─ nothing!! ─ compared to the pain he has already endured.
So why does it hurt so freaking much?!
It takes every shred of consciousness to remember that the Luo Binghe of the dream is not himself, it’s a dream fragment weaved into existence by Meng Mo, and this fragment’s experience is nothing like the real Luo Binghe’s. He must put up a barricade, a defense of some kind─
When the whip digs another deep line in his shoulder, this fake Luo Binghe screams.
Unfortunately, the difference between the fragment and the reality is no longer discernible enough, and Luo Binghe has no means to resist the feelings imposed on himself. The pain consumes him, wild and burning, drawing tears to the corners of his eyes that he cannot distinguish. Are they his own? Or the fake’s? He doesn’t know.
The next whip burns even harder, and harder and harder, drawing either a gasp or a scream every time it connects. When it comes to an end, the fake Luo Binghe doesn’t even have it in him to lift his head and let the real Luo Binghe get a look at the bastard who dared do this to him, the pathetic weakling!
But no, restricted by the fake’s twisted memories and existential limitations, Luo Binghe is left in this damp, cold place overnight, pushed face down onto the floor and left with nothing to cover himself, not even a blanket. He doesn’t understand how things have come to this. All he feels is pain, the pain of injustice, and the cold that creeps up his bloody skin.
All he has on himself is a pair of pants tied loosely at his waist and thin blood-drenched robes sticking to the open wounds on his back. Every single movement of his body, every twitch of his muscles hurts like he’s being whipped all over again, an endless agony unlike any other, so Luo Binghe just doesn’t move. He curls in on himself, holds onto his knees and waits for the fake to collect himself enough so that he stops crying.
If the line between fake’s tears and Binghe’s own doesn’t exist… well. No one will ever know.
In the morning, Luo Binghe is carried out of the place that he then recognizes as Huan Hua Palace’s water prison, in the most unkind and inconsiderate way possible. Just the way how Huan Hua Palace disciples drag him around opens up the wounds that have only barely stitched themselves together, leading to a brand new sticky mess on his back.
The fake is overwhelmed by this so much that he cannot even bring himself to function, and Luo Binghe hates how it makes him powerless to act on the fake’s behalf. Why the hell would he just take this stupid beating? What gives Huan Hua Palace the right?!
The problem is, when one sinks into a dream this way, not as a third party observer but rather as the owner of the dream… it is impossible to change what has already happened. Whether the dream is real or fake, it doesn’t make a difference. Until it comes to a definite end, Luo Binghe is trapped here, doomed to endure whatever the fake endures, feel whatever the fake feels.
In reality, it’s not that different from the Endless Abyss’ many psychedelic plants.
It’s just a little bit more invasive, because it’s not just an out-of-body experience, but entirely potent immersion, to the point that even Luo Binghe can’t tell where the fake ends and the real begins.
Eventually, he is hauled onto a stand in the middle of a wide, circular room, where all the most important cultivators of the four great sects are looking down at him from seats high above. The only thing helping him anchor himself is the firm conviction that this never happened to him, he was never put on a stand to be judged by the cultivation world this way. As if these mere weaklings could ever imprison him. He was the one who judged the cultivation world instead.
But here, in this fake dream, that’s exactly what happens.
Luo Binghe stands on trial, as the representatives of Huan Hua Palace read the accusations made against him, and Luo Binghe relishes in how pathetic those accusations are. Mass murder, destruction of property, a danger to general peace of the human realm… Seriously. If Luo Binghe wants to go out and indiscriminately kill cultivators during the Immortal Alliance Conference, then two hundred victims would be a warm up exercise.
But the fake Luo Binghe doesn’t take those accusations as a joke. He doesn’t laugh at the ridiculous high and mighty way Huan Hua Palace frames it and he doesn’t look up at these people, laughing at their faces for being stupid enough to believe it. The fake keeps his head down as tears stream down his face, burning hot trails along his cheeks.
As the list of accusations eventually gets longer and longer and longer, to the point Luo Binghe can no longer bring himself to pay attention, the fake finally begins to settle from his shock. Through the many tears, he whispers, “It wasn’t me.”
Nobody listens.
Luo Binghe wants to laugh, but the helplessness keeping him locked to this body won’t allow it. He keeps shuddering from the cold and the pain, as he continues whimpering, “That wasn’t me… It wasn’t me…”
“Say that again?” someone laughs, like they heard a particularly good joke. “That was not you? Then, the one behind the wave of demonic energy that devastated the Juedi Gorge was also not you? The one caught with the demonic mark burning on his head while the demonic energy consumed his essence and killed dozens of young cultivators around was also not you? Luo Binghe! Do you take the four great sects for fools?!”
Ah, finally, Luo Binghe recognizes what this is.
It’s not so much a fake dream as it is one of the nightmares he’s repeatedly had in the Abyss, after his demonic seal was first broken and Shizun pushed him into hell with his own hands. It’s just one of many similar ugly dreams that wouldn’t leave him alone, reminding him over and over again of a legacy he never wanted to have in the first place. The recurring dream is in part a product of his own subconscious and in part work of the Endless Abyss’s psychedelic substances, which somehow gave form to his biggest fears and regrets, making them into something of a reality wherein Luo Binghe would stay trapped until he learned to recognize illusions for what they are.
In this context, this is the perfect trap for Meng Mo to recreate and keep him stranded indefinitely, a prisoner of his mind all over again. Except now, knowing the difference between the real and the fake will not at all help him break free. The only thing that can free him is waiting for the dream to come to its natural end, or rather, the moment where Luo Binghe himself finally broke out of it the first time.
If his memory serves, then soon they will sentence him to magical core extraction and then execution, all in the hopes that it will be enough to permanently murder a half-heavenly demon.
It isn’t.
Extraction of his core hurts like absolute hell, one of those hellish physical tortures in which he is shattered and pieced together and then shattered and pieced up all over again ─ but ultimately it’s useless, because all it does is remove the spiritual cultivation side out of him, leaving him reliant solely on his demonic power.
One should never allow a half-Heavenly Demon to rely solely on his demonic power.
Just as it happens in Luo Binghe’s original nightmare, the four great sects learn this the hard way. Half the trial committee dies when his demonic power goes berserk, exploding the trial site out of existence. He is soon subdued and trapped again, bound with immortal binding cables and imprisoned all over again, left to rot while the cultivation world picks up the pieces Luo Binghe shattered.
Time gets muddled somewhere along the way, between the accusations made and the punishments executed. In some of Luo Binghe’s nightmares, all this lasted a few days. In others, it was months. In this particular rendition, it’s somewhere in between. Not long enough for the seasons to have changed, but long enough that Luo Binghe can no longer tell if the body he is stuck in is truly his own or the fake construct of his dreams.
What difference does it make? The pain is all the same.
His chest ─ cut by a knife, piece by piece, as everything that made up the human inside him is removed little by little. Now they hope to do the same by removing his heart completely. It is torturous, it is agonizing, it is exhausting, enough to muddle his awareness and confound his senses, make him question if it is really a dream or if everything else that he knows is a bunch of lies strung up together just to keep his sanity.
It is endless, and it hurts. It hurts so much that he screams until he no longer has any voice left to scream, until his lungs no longer function and he is not able to breathe.
At this point, he tells himself over and over, when he hits the rock bottom and the moment of misery cannot be any worse ─ this is it. This is when Shizun will come to save me.
So many times, it’s just a lie to feed himself some hope, a lie to keep himself from fully falling into desolation.
Be patient, Shizun is coming.
Just a little longer, Shizun is coming.
Endure this one more time. Shizun is coming.
But for too long, there is nobody to speak up on Luo Binghe’s behalf. His shattered cultivation core is removed, his still beating heart is cut out of his chest, but he isn’t even able to die, left instead to suffer like a broken puppet, begging all these cruel monsters to just finally end him.
By the time the wall of his prison is blown into smithereens, Luo Binghe doesn’t even have it in him to insist that his prediction has come true. See? He wants to tell no one in particular, this is what Shizun would do for me. This is what Shizun has done for me, every time.
But this time, it’s too late.
Even though Shizun has broken through the walls of the execution site, knowing he will make himself the enemy to everybody there, Luo Binghe is too broken to appreciate it. There is none of him left. Shizun is doing this regardless of the risk to himself and with absolute conviction that Binghe is not an evil creature, that he doesn’t deserve the pain inflicted on him, but Binghe no longer knows.
He has been waiting for this moment for so long, but now that it’s finally here, everything that’s made him human is long gone.
Is Luo Binghe even allowed to look at Shizun, now that all that’s left is this unsightly part of him?
Luo Binghe can’t open his eyes to see him.
He just feels the warmth enveloping him, as a sword cuts through the bindings keeping him locked and upright. He feels a pair of strong arms catching him when his body slumps uselessly, not a single one of his muscles able to respond to his will.
It’s over.
The demonic beast inside him will recover from all this damage, eventually.
Luo Binghe the human never will.
“What have you done to him?” Shizun asks, his warm hand pressing into Luo Binghe’s cheek. He strokes along the side of his face gently, hot tears streaming down his face and falling on top of Luo Binghe’s skin.
It burns.
“What have you done?” Shizun aska, clutching onto Luo Binghe’s limp arms tightly. Then he turns around and bellows. “WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HIM?!”
It doesn’t matter, Shizun.
It doesn’t matter… what they did to me.
Shizun is here.
Shizun is with me.
As long as Shizun is here, Luo Binghe doesn’t care what they do.
“Shizun,” he whimpers, so weak that he can barely hear himself. Shizun hears him, and the arms around him hold him tighter, firmer, warmer… They rest him against Shizun’s chest, as the man attempts to share his spiritual energy… but finds nothing he could possibly share it with.
“You…” and his voice is unlike anything Luo Binghe has ever heard from Shizun before. Low and rageful and murderous, but also barely restrained. Almost broken. “You dared… you all dared …” it’s like he cannot even make himself say it, cannot make himself acknowledge it. He pours more spiritual energy that goes nowhere but into the void inside Luo Binghe, lingering uselessly until it's eventually swallowed up into the current of demonic hatred underneath.
“Luo Binghe, look at me.”
Luo Binghe would give anything to be able to look at Shizun, but his body won’t respond to him. It is limp and weak and useless ─ weaker than the body of a newborn baby, more useless than even a corpse. Shizun eventually lifts his head, just high enough so that Luo Binghe's unfocused eyes can see the line of his chin, the shadow of his lips. The strand of Shizun’s hair frames his face and tickles Binghe’s nose.
Luo Binghe in reality can’t see anything. Just a mix of black and white, one over the other, blinding him entirely to what is in front of his eyes, as cracks spread through the dream like a spiderweb of cracks spreading along the frozen surface of a lake. But he can imagine Shizun looking down on him with concern, the furrow of his brows and the thin line of his lips, piercing eyes entirely focused on him as he holds Luo Binghe closer to himself, like he’s never wanted Binghe to suffer like this. Even if he was the one to reveal his identity to the world, the one to condemn him and frame him as the monster he first, he never wanted this .
“Hold onto me,” Shizun whispers into his ear, lips brushing against it in that faint, blood curling way they always did. “Don’t let go. Let me get you out of here.”
Binghe lets him. He wouldn’t fight it even if he could. Against Shizun, he wouldn’t dare.
The warmth from how Shizun wraps his arms around him and Luo Binghe does the same to him in return spreads through his ice-cold body. Head resting against this gentle, lovely person’s shoulder, Luo Binghe somehow finds the strength within himself to crack open an eye, to take in the sharp, angular edges of that jaw, the hair tied high up in a ponytail that whips behind him like a wild, raging silk in a storm. Around the dream, cracks spread faster and faster. In a moment of pure desperation, Luo Binghe brushes his lips against the flawless skin of that beautiful neck, soft and light and barely present, flat against a tiny, almost hidden mole.
“Let me… go…” he whispers softly, unable to even lift his head anymore. The cracks have spread everywhere now, even over Shizun’s face. They blind him even with his eyes closed, but Luo Binghe does his best to open them no matter what, to look at his Shizun’s face one last time.
Then the cracks explode and the dream falls to pieces, leaving Luo Binghe the real person pondering a single confusing thought as his consciousness falls apart around him.
That… was not Shen Qingqiu… was it? Or has he simply lost it completely?
The next time Luo Binghe opens his eyes, he is back in Cang Qiong Mountain, and the nightmare is not yet over. Or maybe it is. Luo Binghe doesn’t know anymore. Everything hurts so much.
He tries to open his mouth, but all that comes out is a an empty little huff. Instantly, there’s a hand on his chest, pouring spiritual energy there. There is no void in his chest, Luo Binghe realizes faintly. His spiritual power is still there, weak but present, his meridians gladly accepting this infusion of spiritual energy from the outside. His heart is racing, still beating. He can hear it drumming in his ears, can feel the sweat sticking his hair and clothes to his skin, damp and cold.
He is not gone. The human side of him… is also not gone. He doesn’t know what to do with this realization.
“Ah, you’re awake,” someone says and its stark familiarity is enough to bring Luo Binghe back from his shock.
It’s not Shizun’s voice.
Shizun is not here.
Instead, when he forcefully pries his eyes open, it is to see another familiar face lingering over him, inspecting his chest and his wrist, then pressing some sort of a pill into his mouth. Luo Binghe almost chokes on it.
What… What happened to me?
Qian Cao Peak Lord seems to be reading his mind from his face alone, as he says, “I managed to flush out most of the poison, but you still might feel some adverse effects. Don’t move around too much and definitely don’t try to use any Qi techniques for the time being. I’m not sure if it’s from the poison or the dream technique you were trapped in, but your Qi flow is very unstable. It would be best if you just lay down and rest for a while. A few days, at least.”
“Oh,” Luo Binghe says, smartly. That’s right. He did drink that snake’s venom to lure Meng Mo in. Not that it did him much good. He feels horrible.
“Seriously, it’s just your luck to run into a Dream Demon, of all things…” Mu Qingfang shakes his head, bemused. “Your Shizun once told me you and trouble are like moths and flames, but I didn’t believe it until now. Just… rest, for the time being. You will feel out of sorts for a while, I’m sure of it.”
“Is the Dream Demon still…” Luo Binghe trails off, unsure what he wants to achieve with this. Oust himself as a demon to everyone on this mountain way too early? After getting a very painful reminder of why that is a terrible idea? Ugh.
“It’s still with you, yes,” Mu Qingfang confirms. “We’ll need to think of something to get rid of it, but there’s no rush. You’re not the only one who got a little disoriented by that technique. If I’m not wrong, it hasn’t entirely escaped its own trick yet. I only managed to pull you out with extensive application of dreamless potion and borrowed spiritual power. This Dream Demon attacking you sadly doesn’t get to enjoy that luxury.”
“Oh…” As if Meng Mo would ever fall for his own trick. Probably, the old teacher is better aware of Luo Binghe’s current plight than even Luo Binghe is. At least he’s there, which means they can probably talk it out, this one of Luo Binghe’s crazier ideas. Hopefully. His memory is still a little hazy on what exactly he wanted to learn from taking over Meng Mo’s mind after utterly failing at it. It has to be something important, though. Something about Formless Demons in general, and how they all seem to be after Luo Binghe in particular.
“Are all Dream Demons Formless Demons by default?” he blurts before he can think better of it.
“What?” Mu Qingfang freezes, eyes growing wide.
Luo Binghe blinks back at the Peak Lord. Was he not involved in the discussions before? Then again, he was involved with the Bailu forest plan, not the Yuju mountain incident… but he should know, right? Has this not been discussed with all the Peak Lords? For some reason, Luo Binghe feels like Mu Qingfang should know the answer, even if others might not.
“Dream Demons are… Dream Demons,” Mu Qingfang says, slowly, as if that much isn’t already obvious. “They’re not a race. Not really. They’re just demons who picked up the art of controlling dreams over time. Anyone with the basic grasp of how cultivation works can do so, if they’re determined enough.”
Luo Binghe… does not get this at all. Obviously, his mind is not yet functioning at a regular capacity, because the only thing he gets from this is that dream demons are supposed to be regular demons with physical form, like all the other demons. But Meng Mo was never…
Meng Mo used to have a body, a long time ago. He said he’d lost it after… What was it? Was it his Master who betrayed him? Or him who betrayed his Master? Luo Binghe can’t remember anymore. Everything is confusing. Just like that time he first broke free from the Endless Abyss, he can’t tell what is a dream, a memory and what is a nightmare forced upon him.
It must show in his face, because Mu Qingfang pats his shoulder briefly. “Take your time. I’ll go see if that other dreamless potion brew is finished. They don’t take too long to make, so I’ll give you a recipe to make it yourself later. Make sure to drink it every night before you go to sleep, otherwise you could be caught into these tricks again. If you’re caught once, you’re weaker and more susceptible to such attacks in the future.”
Ugh, Luo Binghe knows. He’s used and abused the very nature of this countless times. Still, like a respectful righteous cultivator, Luo Binghe nods obediently.
It’s just as he does it that the door to Mu Qingfang’s pavilion slams open, and a face that looks vaguely familiar rushes inside. The disciple, breathless and winded, doesn’t even care to look if he’s interrupting something when he says, “Mu-shishu, please follow this disciple to Qiong Ding Peak immediately!”
“Is this about the demon invasion? I heard already, I’ll set out as soon as I’m done here─”
“This is far more urgent, Mu-shishu. Please follow this disciple immediately.”
“But…” Mu Qingfang glances over to Luo Binghe, who can instantly understand what he wants to do. His Qi is still too unstable to be left unsupervised. If something happens and he goes straight into a Qi deviation, there won’t be anyone there to help him in time.
Rather than address those very reasonable concerns as utter rubbish that they are ─ Luo Binghe is not going to lose control now that he is awake, most certainly not ─ he just says, “I’ll go, too.”
“You are in no state to be going anywhere─”
“If I stay, then Mu-shishu needs to stay too. I will go. I won’t engage in any fighting if I can avoid it.”
Not the least because he currently feels incapable of throwing hands with a plant, let alone a demon trying to kill him, but Mu Qingfang probably knows that better than Luo Binghe does, at any rate.
“Fine,” Mu Qingfang says. “At any sign of danger, you’re to go to Liu Qingge directly.”
Luo Binghe loses what little color he still had in his face out of sheer indignation. “What? Why?!”
“Do you want to come with me or not?” Mu Qingfang asks, and Luo Binghe is left with no choice.
Shakily, he rises to his feet with no complaint. In the corner of his sight, a popup flashes.
[Side-mission: <Living in a Dream> has concluded. Mission objective: Uncover the reason behind the Protagonist’s terrible luck in love. Mission status: total failure!]
[Story mission: <Sha Hualing’s Invasion> is automatically reactivated! The story mission is about to enter its final stages. The Protagonist must make an appearance at the scene or else 3000 B-points will be deducted!]
Well, shit. Even the System’s found a way to get back at him for all of that stubbornness before. It’s like those translucent messages are pointing their fingers at him madly, asking, “Who’s laughing now, dumbass?!” Suddenly, Luo Binghe wants to take his words back and simply stay in bed after all.
Rubbing his aching head, he glances once more in Mu Qingfang’s direction and the Peak Lord’s testy mood and visible unease. Whatever is happening over on Qiong Ding Peak is already bad enough. Really, if Luo Binghe goes there now, it’s just gonna get worse, he’s sure of it. Unfortunately, every fiber of his being is screaming at him that losing those 3000 B-points right now is going to be much, much worse. Luo Binghe seeks out the score showings, grimacing at the mere 200 B-points he has available. Can B-points go into the negatives? Or will he just hit a zero? What happens when he hits zero? He glances at other point categories, looking for anything with a sufficiently high number and coming up short.
System! He calls out in his head. Is it possible to exchange Coolness points for B-points in some way? That score, at least, is in the thousand range.
[Negative. B-points and Coolness points are two separate categories valuing different aspects of the Protagonist’s impact. No exchange between them is possible.]
… then, what happens if he hits the zero?
[If the Protagonist’s B-points reach zero, the Protagonist will return to his initial starting point and the Total System Reset will be triggered.]
Inwardly, Luo Binghe gulps. Yeah. That definitely does not sound good. Qiong Ding Peak it is.
With all the strength he can muster, Luo Binghe picks himself up and nods to reassure both the Qian Cao Peak lord and that disciple from Qiong Ding Peak. He will go. He has to go. One way or another, he's been given no choice.
"Let's go," he says. Sha Hualing better be ready.
Luo Binghe is furious.
Notes:
Honestly though, this one hurt to write. But at the same time, there's a little bit of that author glee, because there's always a tiny bit of pleasure to find in pain, right? Or maybe my head's just messed up. Uh-oh.
Next up, Sha Hualing vs everyone?
Chapter 28: Sha Hualing's attack: Resolution
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
The tension inside the Qiong Ding Peak’s reception hall is palpable, thick enough to cut with a knife. Liu Qingge’s hand rests on Cheng Luan’s hilt, but he doesn’t dare recklessly draw it. One sobbing child with a scar on their face to last them forever is bad enough on his conscience. He doesn’t need another one. More importantly, that Sha Hualing’s temper is clearly out of control. At first she was spitting threats, then she was pouring insults and now she’s just walking in circles all around the room, completely at ease with the lives of more than forty junior disciples in her hands.
“What have you done, what have you done… you ask me what have you done? You ask me what crimes you’ve committed? You bastards dare ask?” she says as she walks, sometimes chuckling besides Huan Qingyan’s ear, other times teasingly tickling Qi Qingqi under her chin. Eventually, she laughs outright, until that laugh turns into a cackle, wild and unrestrained.
She comes to a stop directly in front of Liu Mingyan, teasingly playing with the edge of the veil covering her face. “Oooh, look at those defiant eyes. What are you hiding underneath? Let Ling-er steal a quick glance─”
“Make your damn point,” Liu Qingge hisses through his teeth, thoroughly distracting the demon girl from his sister. Liu Mingyan shoots him a look, but he ignores her, entirely focused on drawing Sha Hualing’s attention back to himself. “You come to our home to make trouble, fine then. Consequences are yours to bear. But since you claim to have a reason for it, out with it already.”
Sha Hualing scowls at him, but he’s annoyed her enough that she forgets about Liu Mingyan. She comes to a stop right in front of Liu Qingge, staring at his face from all angles like a particularly obnoxious and blind grandmother. She sniffs a few times, a little like a dog.
“You smell good too. And for an immortal master, you sure have quite a pretty face. I’ve rarely had the chance to see such beautiful men. Let this Ling-er─”
Her claws come just short of scratching at his chest, the highest point the tiny demon girl can comfortably reach, only to stop herself at the last moment. For a moment, the red crystal around her neck seems to flicker with a dull glow that could have been a trick of the light. But undeniably, Sha Hualing’s face changes for the darker.
She sniffs at Liu Qingge again, shuddering as she scowls. “So much of my fellow underlings’ blood on you. I should kill you for that alone.”
Liu Qingge’s eyebrow shoots up as he slaps her hand away, without restraint. “You came here and made a mess first. Spill it. What do you want from this Sect? Let’s end this farce already.”
The girl spits, clearly displeased. “Your tongue is nothing like your face. What a shame.”
She turns around then, lazily strutting back to the Sect Leader’s esteemed seat.
“You dare ask why I do this?” she says as she takes a seat, crossing her legs one over the other as though the seat belongs to her. “Is sending one of your esteemed elders to Nan Jiang not good enough for you? If not, then let Ling-er tell you what crimes you have committed!”
Her voice raises steadily, as do the angry hisses from all the other, animalistic demons surrounding them. One of the bone eagles almost drops another junior disciple straight into the poisonous weapons waiting below out of sheer indignance. With the amount of angry noises it makes, it’s a miracle it catches the end of the immortal binding cable in the nick of time. Multiple people shudder. Yet there's nothing they can do, lest the child is dropped intentionally. Sha Hualing growls softly.
“You, Cang Qiong Mountain, have sent your great elder to the Southern Demon Realm. To plunder and destroy their homes, to slaughter and ransack their territory! While this Ling-er is not of the South and couldn’t care less about what you cultivators do there, my fellows here demand retribution! My kin demands vengeance! Who gave you permission to go where you don’t belong?!”
As Sha Hualing roars, all the demons in her presence hiss and chirp in agreement, filling the room with many angry, vengeful animal noises.
Liu Qingge, however, freezes in place.
This… this can’t be what he thinks it is, right? But there’s only one elder absent from Cang Qiong Mountain who could have gone to the demon realm. Only one that they know for sure he has. But… would Shen Yuan really go there to slaughter demon saints of the South?!
Liu Qingge doesn’t believe it.
Liu Qingge cannot believe it.
But Sha Hualing doesn’t care whether or not anyone believes her. “This Ling-er could have overlooked the uninvited aggression against the Southern Realm. Wasn’t it enough that you cultivators have taken their leader once already?! Must you truly take everything else from them as well?! But the South is not Ling-er’s territory, Ling-er has no right. Ling-er told herself over and over, it is not her place to fight for justice. Since when do demons care about something so silly as justice anyway?!”
If anything, the angry noises inside the Qiong Ding pavilion only get louder. In that chaos, Sha Hualing raises her hand and instantly, all noise dies.
Her voice drops to a near whisper, cold and murderous, “But who gives you the right to touch my clan?”
The silence is heavy and filled with tension. Nobody dares breathe, nobody dares speak.
Liu Qingge wouldn’t know what to say even if he dared. If Shen Yuan has truly gone and slaughtered demon elders unprovoked, who’s to blame him anyway? That’s the job of a cultivator… but then, demons would also not forgive such a slight against themselves.
On the other hand, isn’t recklessly letting an Immortal Master attack the demon realm under Cang Qiong Mountain’s sect banner the same as inviting war upon the whole mountain?
Liu Qingge doesn’t understand. How could Shen Yuan possibly do that?! Why do that?! Isn’t he─
An intruder, trapped inside Shen Qingqiu’s body, kept prisoner for months, blackmailed into sharing his spiritual energy with Liu Qingge as a means to control him but also provide fictive freedom. Perhaps, they have been wrong about him all along.
Sha Hualing is still talking, her voice cold and sharp like a cutting blade. “My father was out subduing the rebels in the south, as he always does. Is this not the same as doing your dirty work for you? Is there not a shred of respect when we demons do what you’re supposed to do yourself? But no, of course not. Without restraint, your great elder slaughtered my father and his whole entourage in Nan Jiang together with all the rest! So Ling-er has now joined hands with all the races that have suffered at your sect’s hand. Ling-er will slaughter your elders in return!”
Liu Qingge’s stomach twists inside his body. Shen Yuan.
No matter how he thinks about it, Liu Qingge cannot imagine that person doing what this girl has just said. Not as long as he has another way out, not unless he’s been pushed into a corner and had no other solution.
All the righteous anger inside him burns at him to move… but what right does he have? Demon Lords and Demon Saints… There are reasons why sects usually don’t go out looking for trouble with them and this sight in front of him is precisely the reason for it. Either Shen Yuan seriously messed up… Or he had no other choice. Either way, it doesn’t change anything now. One way or another, this girl chose the entire Cang Qiong Mountain to take her anger out on. That can’t be permitted.
“Ling-er waited patiently for all Peak Lords to come here because Ling-er still retains a little demonic dignity,” the girl says then, her sickeningly sweet voice grating to the ears. “The more Peak Lords come here today, the more options you have to choose who you will make into my first sacrifice. Well, take your time thinking, then. Ling-er will wait patiently for a volunteer.”
And then she plops back down onto Sect Leader’s seat, to continue fixing her nails after the damage they sustained from ripping their sect’s nameplate to shreds.
Liu Qingge can taste ash in his mouth. It’s dry and frozen and even if he wanted to speak, he wouldn’t know what to say. The other Peak Lords are just as frozen, just as silent. They’re all aware of just how unreasonable these terms are, just how crazy the demon who made them is.
And yet there is nothing they can do.
That young Qiong Ding disciple’s face, ruined by the arrowhead is now all bloated and burned from a single cut on her cheek, the poor child can’t even cry anymore, just let out pained gasps. The poison is obviously doing more damage than the eye can see. She’s not even the only one curling in on herself in pain, either. Every single child poisoned there is directly the fault of the Peak Lords taking matters into their own hands. It’s too much. Too cruel. Too inhumane, even for a goddamn demon. Liu Qingge cannot look at them, so he closes his eyes instead, gritting his teeth.
“Where is Mu Qingfang?” Qi Qingqi suddenly says, addressing nobody in particular. “Where the hell is he?!”
“Here! I’m here! I─”
But Mu Qingfang, who has just rushed into the Qiong Ding pavilion, comes to a complete stop once he takes in the sight in front of him. Sha Hualing on the Sect Leader’s seat, the many tearful disciples hanging limply, five or six children already on the ground, painfully wailing or unconscious, and countless other sect members frozen in the middle of the room.
A few steps behind, Qiong Ding Peak’s head disciple joins them, half carrying, half dragging Luo Binghe with him. Luo Binghe who is ghastly pale, with dried blood lingering to the corner of his mouth and the edges of his robes. Clearly, he cannot even stand on his own two feet after whatever mess he encountered in Zui Xian Peak. So why the hell is he here? More importantly, now that he’s here, his eyes are locked in on Sha Hualing and Sha Hualing only.
Liu Qingge doesn’t miss the way Sha Hualing’s eyes pause on Luo Binghe in return.
Then she turns her head around, as though she doesn’t at all care who came in, and says, “Well, then. You’ve gathered. Make your decision.”
Mu Qingfang, of course, is the only one who doesn’t know what decision they are supposed to make. However, his eyes are flying over each and every single one of Qiong Ding disciples suspended in the air, face contorting more and more with every single face that he takes in. Some of the hanging junior disciples have long since passed out from all the blood rushing to their head, others have tears rolling down their faces and some have given up the struggle entirely.
Suddenly, a voice pipes up.
“I… I have a suggestion to make.”
It doesn’t come from Mu Qingfang, nor does it come from anyone on Sha Hualing’s side. In fact, Liu Qingge takes too long to notice, but the one to speak up is none other than one of Cang Qiong Mountain’s Peak Lords. It’s too difficult to tell, because the words are so soft and shaky, but they’re audible to everybody.
“Mm, who volunteers?” Sha Hualing asks, and instantly, this cowardly presence shrinks back.
“I, uh, um… this one…um, Lady Sha? Would you mind hearing this elder’s proposition first?”
Shang Qinghua has mostly been hiding behind Wei Qingwei’s shoulder, but now that all the eyes in the room are on him, he no longer has a place to hide.
“Speak,” Sha Hualing lazily drawls. “Are you offering yourself up? You don’t look very satisfying, but might as well.”
Shang Qinghua shudders, but he tries to maintain a smile. “Ah, this elder dares not. This elder is confident Lady Sha could best me even on my better days. Please, oh great demon saintess, perhaps just hear me out and consider my words for a moment. What this elder wishes to discuss is something else.”
“Speak, then,” she says, as though dismissively, but she is obviously interested enough not to kill him on the spot.
Shang Qinghua looks like he regrets ever opening his mouth. Notably, however, he doesn't take any words back.
“Do not take this wrongly. This elder only has everyone’s best interest in mind,” he begins, diplomatically. “This elder has noticed that it takes quite a bit of our esteemed guest’s energy to hold up so many hostages at once. So what he wishes to suggest is… for Lady Sha to at least release the hostages who have already been harmed by Lady Sha’s great poisons. Cang Qiong Mountain doesn’t actually spend that much time researching demonic poisons. Even if you were to let us all go, it is unlikely that we will find an antidote in time. But isn’t watching all these children struggle tiring for all of us, great Lady Sha included?”
While he talks, Sha Hualing’s face changes multiple times. From curious to offended, to absolutely outraged ─ but eventually it goes back to thoughtful, like she isn’t quite convinced, but is taking those words up for consideration… which is more than they could have hoped for.
“This can be easily settled if you just let me kill you all,” she says, very reasonably.
Shang Qinghua blanches. “Well, if Lady Sha truly intends to kill everybody here, why go through all the trouble? Let the youths go. There’s plenty of elders here to take their place. There is no need to make this matter more complicated than it has to be. All these youths only do exactly what their elders tell them in the first place. Is Lady Sha not trying to make herself rise above us dirty cultivators?”
Liu Qingge turns to stare at Shang Qinghua with newfound respect. The man can’t be considered anything but a coward on a regular day, but in a crisis… huh. His brain doesn’t actually function. Impressive. The craziest part of it all? Sha Hualing doesn’t immediately kill him.
“As if this one cares about morality anyway,” she grumbles. But she looks over the hostages one more time, a tinge of sympathy to those demonic eyes.
Suddenly, she beckons several bone eagles over to herself, before pointing them in the direction of an empty corner. “Drop the injured ones over there. They’re useless anyway.”
While the demon eagles are busy hauling off the unconscious and already poisoned disciples, Sha Hualing looks over the whole group of cultivators once again, her eyes lingering on one person only for a fraction of a moment longer than any other. Liu Qingge notices anyway.
Luo Binghe.
That crazy demon kid is still staring at Sha Hualing, as though some silent communication has traveled between them through their eyes alone, but there is not a trace of fear nor respect within either one of them. Sha Hualing is completely dismissive, while Luo Binghe himself is…
Liu Qingge doesn’t know.
Liu Qingge isn’t sure why he feels better and worse at the same time, seeing that kid there. Luo Binghe has certainly seen better days. He is deathly pale. His facial expression is barely controlled and he would have looked like he’d just rolled out of bed to anyone else ─ but Liu Qingge had seen him around enough to recognize exhaustion and that haunted look on him as something far more serious than a sleepless night.
Teeth clenched and eyes set on the Sect Leader’s seat that Sha Hualing uses like it’s her own, Luo Binghe is watching her like a cat that is about to pounce. Yeah, no friendship there whatsoever. Liu Qingge doesn’t know what he’s thinking.
“So, who will it be?” Sha Hualing demands almost impatiently. “I need my first elder to volunteer. Will you decide among yourselves? Or should I take my pick?”
Her eyes, very unsubtly, run over Liu Qingge, then Qi Qingqi, then Wei Qingwei, and she makes it very obvious just how eager for a fight she is when she wets her mouth.
“We ─ we’ll talk it out,” Shang Qinghua says quickly, putting his foot in his mouth before anyone else gets a chance. He’s hardly the most competent person to make decisions here, but it’s not like they have a whole lot of time to think about it. Shang Qinghua bought them a little time, but it’s not going to be enough, not unless they find a different solution to set the kids free first. He takes a deep breath, then continues. “We’ll discuss it among ourselves and decide. But allow Mu Qingfang to take a good look at the poisoned disciples first.”
“That’s not how we said this will go,” Sha Hualing tuts disapprovingly. “Bold, aren’t you? Ah, right. An Ding Peak. You certainly like to talk. Why should I listen to anything you say?”
“Fine!” Liu Qingge snaps. If they have no way out, they don’t have it. But Mu Qingfang needs time to make sure those kids survive. There’s no luxury to argue about this like some consortium of stupid idiots. “You wanted someone to step up, then I’ll do it. But the condition is that you let our healer have a look at the poisoned disciples first.”
“Oh.” Sha Hualing smiles brilliantly. “You should have said so from the start.” She claps twice, all too satisfied. Demons immediately follow her command, and begin to undo the ropes on the unconscious disciples one by one. Without so much as a word, Mu Qingfang and Huan Qingyan both rush to check on the kids. Nobody gets in their way.
“You, Bai Zhan,” Sha Hualing snaps then, long before they are anywhere near finished. “Follow me. The rest of you, if any single person steps out of this place, I will personally slaughter all your precious disciples.”
Taking a deep breath and ignoring absolutely everyone trying to get his attention, Liu Qingge heads after the demon saintess ─ only to realize he can’t quite ignore all of them.
Luo Binghe grabs him by the sleeve right above his vambrace when Liu Qingge walks past him, shaking his head at him, as if saying, Don’t do it. So what? Luo Binghe almost kills him and almost saves him a bunch of times, and now of all times he decides to get in the way? Liu Qingge rips his arm free and proceeds anyway. What else can they do? What other option do they have? At least of all the people here, Liu Qingge has been living with demonic poison long enough to know it won’t kill him. And every single soul in this room can tell that this girl can’t beat him when it comes to spiritual power or combat skill, not even in this mangled state. Really, poison is her best bet if she plans to kill anyone here, and Liu Qingge is the most likely one to survive it, thanks to no one other than Luo Binghe. So yeah. Might as well.
Turning to throw a look over her bare shoulder, Sha Hualing smirks at him as she saunters past another door and into one of Sect Leader Yue’s rarely used rooms on the side. Liu Qingge settles down his heart rate and follows her inside.
The moment he steps past the threshold and the door closes behind him, he knows he’s walked into a trap.
Cheng Luan moves before Liu Qingge can think about it. His instincts take over, dodging sword glares and sharp blades, narrowly avoiding the edge of a sword coming for his throat. Having expected demonic attacks, what actually comes at him is enough to strike him senseless. He blocks one sword attack and throws back the other one, explodes his Qi straight up to blast these bastards out of the way ─ but other than lifting a whole lot of dust and smoke in the air, it does nothing.
When the next strike comes for him, Liu Qingge closes his eyes and surrenders his body to his senses. He moves with the wind, united with his sword, striking out mercilessly. The bastards who dared attack him barely constitute a challenge. Two slashes and blood stains his sword, clothes and the floor, as two heavy bodies fall beside him.
Cultivators, Liu Qingge realizes in shock. The bodies on the ground are undoubtedly human cultivators ─ and if he’s not mistaken, from the way the skin has shriveled up so quickly, they can’t have been good at it. More than likely, they’ve cultivated dark techniques. Their robes lack any emblems and their weapons… Expensive swords, and a single five petal flower jewel embedded into one of them which looks ridiculously familiar for some reason. The faint red glow is slowly fading from the jewel. Once it fades completely, everything suddenly makes sense.
Stolen, Liu Qingge realizes.
Not only stolen, but taken directly from Wan Jian peak, if the signature hilt is anything to go by. Most likely, this weapon comes from the highly specialized batches that disappeared on the way to Tain Yi Overlook. It’s been so long since that incident, and no clues at all had been found about the missing weapons or the thieves behind it for all this time ─ and now here they are.
“Fucking finally,” Sha Hualing suddenly exclaims from the whole other side of the long hall, watching those dead cultivators with rage burning in her eyes. She rips the crystal necklace from her neck, embedded with an identical red flower as the one on the sword hilt, and stomps it into the ground until only shattered pieces remain.
She roars at the top of her lungs. “We’re all FREE! Go, go, go! Stomp them all into the ground! NOW! DESTROY EVERYTHING!”
Before Liu Qingge can think so much as ‘what the hell’, demons come blasting through the entirety of Qiong Ding Peak, breaking through doors and windows and walls on all sides, attacking him and all the other people within the pavilion. Black moon rhinoceros python breaks through one side of the wall and then out the other, almost stomping over Liu Qingge as it moves between different rooms as though the rock solid walls are mere screens. The entire peak shakes under its stomping, like a major earthquake that's shaken the entire mountain.
In the midst of all that, Sha Hualing cackles.
“A willing sacrifice! BWAHAHAHA! You bunch of fools actually bought that!” She jumps on top of the rhino, laughing maniacally as all the other monsters demolish the entire pavilion within moments, drawing screams everywhere. “I just needed one of y’all to get rid of these stupid bastards on my back. As if Ling-er would ever bow her head to a cultivator! Ling-er is gonna stomp on y'all who dared murder my shitty old man! Go! Flatten the entire Cang Qiong Mountain with the ground! Leave nothing standing!”
Hundreds of demons roar as they launch into their chaotic attack. Their destructive power is truly, truly too much for Qiong Ding Peak to bear.
That said, well.
Sha Hualing gave up her hostages in favor of total pandemonium.
She should have known what that meant, as well.
“FIGHT THEM!” Liu Qingge exclaims as he breaks through the chaos to go back to the pavilion. “FIGHT BACK NOW!”
“GET RID OF THEM ALL!” Wei Qingwei roars at the top of his lungs the moment the words reach him, killing three demons with one swing of his sword. “DO NOT LET A SINGLE ONE ESCAPE!”
Truly, the hatred between demons and cultivators runs too deep to behold. The bloody battle that ensues is far more brutal than any of the night hunts that Liu Qingge has ever caused personally, let alone witnessed someone else cause. With the cultivators no longer fearing for the disciple’s lives, the way they strike back at the demonic invasion is bloody and ruthless. Chaos unfolds as fights erupt left and right. And a chaotic battlefield is a place where a war god thrives.
No demon that comes anywhere within the reach of Liu Qingge’s sword survives. Cheng Luan cuts the beast down one by one, one after another, with power and speed and unstoppable rage. Within minutes, the cultivators of Cang Qiong Mountain have slaughtered the small fry demons with ease and next to no damage to themselves. The only ones left standing are a small band of demons with actual functioning brains, and they are sticking close to the damn rhino’s buttocks, getting in the way of anyone who attempts to follow Sha Hualing.
“Shit! Luo Binghe!”
The shout unexpectedly comes from Mu Qingfang, and the problem is instantly obvious.
Namely, Shen Qingqiu’s demon disciple, bound in immortal binding cables, is caught and dragged up by a bunch of eagle demons until he’s dropped on top of the rhino, right into Sha Hualing’s waiting arms.
“Gotcha, sweetheart,” she grins, cutely licking the shell of his ear.
“Oh, shit!” Liu Qingge exclaims. “Get him back! GET HIM BACK NOW!”
Seamlessly, Qi Qingqi and Huan Qingyan move as one, rushing to get into the rhino’s way. Huan Qingyan erects one of her restraining rope techniques while Qi Qingqi launches into the offensive. The rhino stomps, brute forces his way through everything, only for its hind leg to get trapped for a moment. That moment is enough. Qi Qingqi cuts off the rhino’s entire hind leg, and the beast trashes so crazily that it throws both Sha Hualing and Luo Binghe off its back.
Liu Qingge kicks a nearby discarded dagger, one of those poisonous ones Sha Hualing used to threaten the disciples, with the aim of a true genius. The dagger pierces right into Sha Hualing’s arm which had been trying to hold onto Luo Binghe, forcing her to drop the kid entirely. She hisses and spits, furious at the loss.
Qi Qingqi jumps to catch Luo Binghe into her arms, while Liu Qingge gets on his sword in pursuit of Sha Hualing ─ only for all of them to get a faceful of red smoke blasted at them. Damn it!
Grabbing onto an eagle demon’s foot high in the air, the little demon saintess cackles from above as it flies her away. “Just you wait, Cang Qiong Mountain! Ling-er will return for her vengeance soon! Until I do, take care of my precious little demon lord in my stead. Lord Luo, wait patiently. Ling-er will come back to save you from our enemies soon enough!”
And then she’s gone, all out of reach, laughter echoing as she leaves behind the utter destruction in her wake.
Destruction… and…
The impact of her words only strikes Liu Qingge a few moments later. At that point, it’s too late to do anything.
Qiong Ding Peak is in shambles, many of its disciples injured, a few outright killed. Almost the entirety of the sect has gathered in this place with the intention to put an end to the demon's invasion in the most brutal way possible. Too many of them are injured. Too many of them are burning with rage. Too many of them scream for revenge.
And this girl. With just a few words of choice, has now moved the target post from her own back onto the back of someone else. From making herself the sworn enemy of Cang Qiong Sect, she has made sure that she has done the same for Luo Binghe. And she’s done it in the way that every single person on Qiong Ding Peak could hear it ─ would inevitably hear it, whether or not they wanted to.
The entire sect’s rageful eyes rest on a single dazed Luo Binghe. A half-conscious kid, the one who is now trapped in Qi Qingqi’s arms. In the arms of a trigger-happy, pissed off cultivator who’s already got her weapon in hand and no qualms whatsoever about using it.
One slash and it’ll all be over. And if she does, no one would ever blame her, because…
The demonic seal on Luo Binghe’s forehead is glowing a blinding red.
Notes:
This is not the shortest chapter of the fic overall... but the rest of them are just gonna get longer and longer, tee hee
Chapter 29: The Heavenly Demon Mark
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Luo Binghe follows behind Mu Qingfang, using all his strength to hold onto Qiong Ding’s head disciple just so he wouldn’t fall flat on his face in his rush to get to Qiong Ding Peak. In the meantime, the System has oh so kindly activated another countdown in the corner of his vision to trigger even more urgency and anxiety for no reason whatsoever, leaving him even more annoyed. He is already all but running! What more is he supposed to do?!
[ETA for the grand climax of <Sha Hualing’s Invasion> is 15:51! This System urges the Protagonist to move faster, or else 3000 B-points will be deducted!]
AAARGH!
Qiong Ding Peak is coming into view now, but the flashing of the light in his vision only makes his head hurt more. Usually, Luo Binghe just goes with whatever suggestion the System makes, to test the chances, see what he’s going to get. Test its power, to determine just what it really is. But every fiber of his being is screaming at him now. Not this! Not this! Definitely not this!
Obviously, the damn thing is just getting back at him for not listening to its advice before, but try as he might, Luo Binghe has no idea how to get the damn thing out of his head. Heck, his head is spinning so bad from the combined impact of his dream realm plan backfiring and the snake venom side effects. His heart is drumming in his ears. Qiong Ding disciple falters once Luo Binghe misses a step, a little surprised, but apparently, getting him to Qiong Ding pavilion in pieces is more important than giving Mu Qingfang another reason to stall, another reason to hesitate.
The angry red timer flashes even more urgently.
Inside his head, Luo Binghe screams, “LEAVE ME ALONE ALREADY! HOW MANY TIMES DO I NEED TO SAY IT BEFORE YOU FUCKING STOP?”
Finally, the noise inside his head lessens. The notification fades slightly, but it doesn’t disappear from the corner of his vision, ominously reminding him of a confrontation yet to come. Eventually, as they walk through the door of Qiong Ding pavilion, Luo Binghe half-carried, half-dragged inside, the timer fades off to near invisibility, however it does not stop. The seconds are still ticking down, one by one. Luo Binghe is too exhausted to care for what any of that means. As long as his head is clear and those stupid numbers are gone from his vision, it’s fine. There are far more pressing issues to handle than the stupid System throwing a fit.
Namely, Sha Hualing has outdone herself this time.
Luo Binghe doesn’t know how long this issue with the System has distracted him, but now that they stand face to face, it takes one look alone to understand that Sha Hualing didn’t come here to mess around. Outwardly, she seems crazy and even delusional, but those eyes of hers are shining with malice and calculation. Even as she looks at Luo Binghe, he isn’t sure whether or not all that loathing is intended for himself or someone else entirely. But he knows one thing: not once has he ever seen Sha Hualing so coldly seething.
And, as she once again demands for some stupid nonsense sacrifice or whatever made up bullshit she’s saying, Liu Qingge surrenders himself to her willingly. The goddamn idiot.
Luo Binghe uses the last of his strength to try and stop him, clutch onto his sleeve and get him to reconsider, because obviously Sha Hualing is being naughtily deceptive for no obvious reasons, but he cannot get the words out of his mouth. He’s too nauseous to think. If he tries to do anything more, he might just collapse. So he just grips onto that sleeve feebly, almost desperately.
Don’t you dare go, you stupid idiot─
But Liu Qingge rips his arm free and goes anyway.
If not for Qiong Ding’s head disciple already holding onto him, Luo Binghe would have fallen down flat on his face right there, from the sheer momentum.
You stupid idiot, this is obviously a trap!
But Liu Qingge clearly doesn’t care. Regardless, it doesn’t take long for Luo Binghe to be proven absolutely correct in his deduction.
It’s just a short time after they both disappear that demons burst into the building through all the doors, windows and even straight up breaking through the walls. Quickly, the entirety of Qiong Ding Peak devolves into straight up anarchy with everyone fighting everything, no one recognizing a friend from a foe.
For his part, Mu Qingfang’s directive for Luo Binghe to stick to Liu Qingge is obviously useless, Mu Qingfang is too busy helping the hostages and everyone else seems to have no common sense whatsoever, because explosions start blasting all over the inside of the building, one after another. That’s not even the worst part. The worst part comes in the form of Bone Eagles subtly circling around Luo Binghe before he gets a chance to get them off his back, wrapping the Immortal Binding Cables tightly around his body.
Hah. As if Sha Hualing would ever settle on one fucking sacrifice.
Luo Binghe only gets a moment to brace for trouble and the Bone Eagles grab the end of a rope one each, then launch up into the air as a flock of very nasty, very stubborn demonic birds that loves to sow discord everywhere. They quickly drag him outside the ruins of Qiong Ding Pavillion and fly him up in the air, with no cultivator ever noticing.
In the corner of his vision, the stupid timer is still ticking down. Two minutes left. The hell is System trying to tell him? Has Luo Binghe not already shown up in the right place? Has he not done enough by letting these Bone Eagles take him? Minutes ago, for every step the Qiong Ding head disciple slowed down, the System bombarded him with warnings. But now when Sha Hualing’s lackeys are quite literally trying to kidnap him, nothing. Make it make sense, damn it!
Or so he thinks ─ until the bone eagles drop him right into Sha Hualing’s waiting arms.
“Gotcha, sweetheart,” she grins, sending goosebumps all along his back. Comfortably perching on top of a Blood Moon Rhinoceros Python, she eagerly drags her tongue along the shell of his ear and hugs him close to her bosom. “Behave, demon lord boy, or Ling-er might have to force you.”
Luo Binghe twists his head away, rage burning inside him. “I dare you to fucking try.”
Sha Hualing cackles, all too confidently. Already, she has trapped him and taken him away, escaping cheerily on top of a giant rhino, as if Luo Binghe is not the one who tamed hundreds of them before. Sha Hualing can barely keep this one under her control, only barely directing it to go where she wants. And she is kidnapping him. She is the one kidnapping him.
If this is a cosmic joke at his expense, Luo Binghe is not laughing. System! The hell have you done?!
Sha Hualing's voice is soft in his ear, but there is nothing gentle about what she’s saying. “If not for you, Lord Luo, I wouldn’t have had to go through all this trouble to bring out everybody to start with. Why didn’t you just show up on Qiong Ding Peak on your own? Making my mission harder for me, such a nuisance. Sit patiently. Someone wants to have a talk with you.”
Excuse me? Who wants what with him? And who the hell is Sha Hualing to touch him like that?! Does she want to die?!
… ah forget it. Luo Binghe is too tired for this. Let it be.
If she’s so dead set on kidnapping him straight from Cang Qiong Mountain, so be it. Luo Binghe might even feel better with the distance. As it is, just looking at the surroundings makes his stomach queasy, remembering things he’d rather forget. It was just a bunch of nasty dreams and he can barely pick himself back up after it. So might as well just go along with this.
So of course, that’s not how it goes for him. Of course it isn’t. Because Luo Binghe is never allowed to have things go the easy way. As soon as he decides on something, even the smallest little thing, it’s bound to be ripped from his hands mercilessly.
Or perhaps better to say, this time it is him who is ripped straight out of Sha Hualing’s arms.
Apparently, someone ultimately did notice his absence, alerting the rest, and now Liu Qingge, Qi Qingqi and Huan Qingyan have all moved in sync to get him back. The two women between them have successfully pissed off the Rhino to the point it shakes its buttocks strong enough to throw everyone off, including Luo Binghe and Sha Hualing.
At that, Liu Qingge’s speedy reaction of throwing something in Sha Hualing’s direction prevents her from keeping her hold of Luo Binghe, allowing Qi Qingqi to fly up and grab him instead. Of course, this couldn’t have come a little earlier. That stupid demon girl blows up a full blast of Black Lotus Fire Flower’s pollen right into Luo Binghe’s face.
Liu Qingge and Qi Qingqi are both caught into the cloud of red as well, covering their mouths and nose a moment too late to truly avoid it. Meanwhile, the familiar, tickling scent in Luo Binghe’s nose brings forth many shameful memories better left buried in the Abyss, where they fucking belong.
Really. This is going to be so bad. So, so awful. Already, Luo Binghe feels the tension build up inside him, restrained solely by the Immortal Binding Cables still bound tightly around him. He is almost glad that the Immortal Binding Cables are there, or else there is no saying whether or not this stupid powder in these insane amounts would have been enough to break the seal on his demonic power entirely.
Either way, he is trapped in Qi Qingqi’s arms, the woman having caught him right in the nick of time so as not to break any bones. Luo Binghe almost wishes she hadn’t bothered. The powder will not affect her for more than a few sneezes, but for him, this whole situation just prolongs the torture. Already, his skin is sensitive. Every little touch feels like a burn, like someone pouring molten lava against his skin. His head is spinning even worse.
Mu Qingfang is going to nag at him so much later. But it’s really not his fault! The man said to stick to Liu Qingge, so he did. Not his fault that stupid Bai Zhan lord literally pushed him away to walk face first into Sha Hualing’s trap. Seriously, one look at her face and all the bullshit alerts should be going off. Are all these people stupid? Luo Binghe can’t deal with this. He just can’t. He doesn’t have the energy.
When the Immortal Binding Cables come undone around him, sliced off of him in one motion by none other than Qi Qingqi, the full force of his unstable qi and the aphrodisiac powder hits him all at once. Sweat builds up on his face, neck and back, cold and uncomfortable against his feverish skin. He stumbles away from where Qi Qingqi attempts to grab him again, but that only gets him more attention from everyone, and instantly he knows that from this, he won’t be walking away. Not that easily. It’s already too late.
“Luo Binghe, you…”
And that’s Qi Qingqi again, her eyes reflecting the bright red heavenly demon symbol burning on his forehead.
Fuck.
To her credit, she doesn’t immediately attack him. But that’s not so great either. Luo Binghe’s head is spinning so bad. His whole body is out of his control, the huge amounts of demonic rape powder surging all the deepest, darkest demonic energies inside him, fighting the seal on his blood and throwing him in a world of agony. All his limbs are shaking. Helplessly, Luo Binghe tries to cover the mark betraying his identity, but Qi Qingqi grabs his arm, doesn’t let him. She rips all the covers away from him, staring at the sigil on his forehead like it blinds her.
“... a heavenly demon?” she utters in absolute disbelief.
More and more people gather around them, armed and dangerous and very, very angry. Whatever Sha Hualing has said and done has put the entire Cang Qiong Mountain into full on rage mode, and somehow, Luo Binghe is now the sole target of it all. The rage burning inside him is almost equal to theirs, if not worse, restrained solely by the terrible state of his body already damaged by Zhuzhi Lang’s venom.
It hurts… Everything hurts.
This powder ultimately isn’t strong enough to break the seal, but it has made it obvious, displayed it for everyone… and Luo Binghe can’t even afford to worry about it, because the entire lower half of his body feels like it might explode, forced into a state of awareness he’s been fighting tooth and nail to avoid.
Don’t … he wants to stay.
Don’t get close to me.
Don’t touch me.
But why are they all coming closer?!
Why are they all ─ why are they staring at him ─ why are they acting like─
Like they want to devour him. Kill him. Rip his core out of his body and cut his heart to pieces.
Is this another one of Meng Mo’s illusions?
Is Luo Binghe still caught in a trap?
How did things come to this?
He doesn’t understand. It hurts. It hurts so much.
He wants to turn, he wants to run. But Cang Qiong Mountain's cultivators are everywhere around him. He has nowhere to go.
Is he still trapped in that stupid dream? Or is this a brand new nightmare shaped into this fake reality solely for his personal enjoyment? Whichever it is, can’t it come to an end already? Luo Binghe can’t do this one more time. Please, not again. No more pain. No more whipping. Has he not endured enough already?
Shizun, please…
But Shizun isn’t here. Of all the many faces staring at him and promising suffering, Shizun’s face is always absent.
Someone grabs him by the back of his robes, almost identical to how he’s been grabbed in that stupid ugly dream and hauled onto that execution platform and Luo Binghe loses it. A roar tears itself free from the depths of his throat, claws lashing out in order to remove whatever restraint dared touch him, regardless of whether it’s an Immortal Binding Cable or somebody’s hand.
It’s too much. Everything is too much. Too many people around him, closing in, and Luo Binghe lets out another roar. The person whose arm he’s clawed has stepped away, but many others have come closer instead, the closest of those faces one very familiar. It is Qiong Ding’s head disciple, Feng-shixiong, something or other, whatever his name is… A very livid Feng-shixiong, his normally gentle eyes burning with rage.
“You─you! TRAITOR!”
The hit that lands on Luo Binghe’s face throws him off to the side, his body unable to withstand it. Luo Binghe stumbles and eventually just hits the ground on his knees, dizzy. Memories, dreams and nightmares all converge with reality. The reality of the pain, abandonment, betrayal. Slaps and whips and kicks, all a dream, yet all feeling very, very real. His face burns. His skin burns. His body might just explode or it might not, he doesn’t know anymore.
Please…
Let me go.
Qiong Ding’s head disciple kicks his chest, throwing him back with enough power behind it to force all the air out of Luo Binghe’s lungs.
“Traitor! You demon! You traitor! My Shidis suffered because of you! My Shidis died because of you! Qiong Ding Peak will never forgive you!”
Luo Binghe roars back, wordless and animalistic, but he has no spiritual power at disposal to defend himself whatsoever. Just his claws and his desperation. When has he ever asked for anyone’s forgiveness?! When has he ever cared for such bullshit?! He’s only ever wanted one thing ─ and that is for the cultivation world to leave him alone!
The next strike that comes for him, Luo Binghe catches with his bare hand. It is Feng-shixiong’s foot, trapped between Luo Binghe’s bloody claws, stopped in time before it could come anywhere near its actual target. The disciple has tears streaming down his face as he tries to wrench his leg free, but Luo Binghe doesn’t let him.
His spiritual power is gone, his demonic power struggling, but his claws and his demonic strength are right there, for Luo Binghe to do with them what he will ─ and Luo Binghe is merciless. Twisting the ankle in his hold, he drags and throws Feng-shixiong into a mass of other disciples, rejoicing at the sound of soft little crack coming from the bones.
“LUO BINGHE!” someone roars with too much aggression, but Luo Binghe cares for nothing anymore.
Anyone that comes near him will suffer.
Anyone who tries to touch him will die.
A weapon comes at him, this one far more powerful than the disciples. A Peak Lord, but Luo Binghe cares not which one of them it may be. He catches the already damaged spear and twists it before it can harm him, roaring with anger as he uses the weapon as leverage to drag the attacker to himself.
Zui Xian Peak. Wu Qinggang, Luo Binghe recognizes.
Immediately, that same face pops up in his memories, watching from the high podium as Luo Binghe’s Spiritual Core is taken from him bit by bit.
Like a wild beast, Luo Binghe roars and tries to grab the man’s throat with his claws, just for the man to get out of the way at the last second, ducking under the attack. Luo Binghe tries to chase, but his body is not yet free, the struggle and the pain are too much to bear. He is too slow. It’s his wrist that’s caught instead, twisted behind his back, the back of his knees kicked until he’s down and face first in the dirt, helplessly wailing and roaring and screaming in pain under the restraint of the knees pressed into the small of his back.
Let me go, he wants to scream, but cannot find the words.
I wasn’t trying to kill you, so why are you doing that to me?!
LET ME GO!
And then it’s gone.
The pressure disappears, his wrist free as is the rest of his body, while gasps of shock and outrage ring all around him.
“THE HELL, SHIXIONG?!” Somebody is roaring ─ Wu Qinggang, most likely. His voice is still too close. Luo Binghe wants to dig his claws into that man’s throat, make him never be able to speak again, but he doesn’t have the strength to move anymore. It’s just barely that he lifts himself up ─ but no matter how hard he tries, he cannot rise past getting up on his knees. Instantly, there is a sharp tip of a spear leveled at his chest, right next to his heart.
Luo Binghe bends his head down to look at it, but he cannot even bring himself to move.
“Oi, Wu Qinggang. Was that kick not enough? Get away from him,” someone says, perfectly calmly. The voice is low and quiet, yet it reverberates throughout the Qiong Ding Peak as though it’s been screamed.
“Liu-shixong!" Wu Qinggang roars back. "Didn’t you see this!? He almost killed a disciple! The demon mark is right there─"
“Get that thing away from him!”
Luo Binghe doesn’t know what’s happening anymore. The spear is piercing through his clothes, only its tip opening a small wound in his chest, the pain of which he barely feels. But then that spear is kicked out of the way as someone comes to stand in front of him.
The robes are white, bearing an intricate silver embroidery of a dragon all over the back. Luo Binghe should know to whom those robes belong, but he cannot even find the strength to lift his head anymore.
“Liu-shixiong! What the hell is the meaning of this?! You’re protecting a demon! If you plan to keep that up, don’t blame me for assuming you’re a traitor too and attacking you!”
Liu Qingge snorts. “Do you dare?”
His voice is perfectly calm. But that’s definitely Liu Qingge.
Liu Qingge, standing up in Luo Binghe’s defense.
If things weren’t so insane already, Luo Binghe would’ve laughed out loud due to sheer incredulity. As things stand, not even his knees are strong enough to hold him up anymore. His whole body is swaying. The stupid poison is further antagonizing all of demonic blood running through his veins, triggering the most hungry, the most disgusting and shameful parts of himself. He wants to growl out of sheer rage, but most that comes out is a little whine, low and desperate and pained.
Immediately, Liu Qingge is down beside him, a cold hand pressing against his burning cheek. It sends bolts of electricity running every which way through his body, drawing another painful little moan.
“Shit,” Liu Qingge says ─ and catches him before Luo Binghe can collapse into a heap on the ground.
Funny. Looking up at Liu Qingge’s face from this angle, it’s ridiculous just how pretty it looks.
More importantly, for some reason, even though it should be, Luo Binghe feels like this is not the first time he’s seen Liu Qingge’s face from this angle. It’s looking down on him, a single lock of hair framing the side of his face. He looks worried. Genuinely worried. Luo Binghe cannot possibly imagine the circumstances in which Liu Qingge would ever show any kind of concern for him. And yet here they are.
“Shishu─” he tries to speak, and somehow it manages to sound both painful and wanting, an agony wrapped into desperation and packaged into hunger.
Liu Qingge’s arm under his back presses Luo Binghe closer to his chest, then, firmly holding him in place, Liu Qingge lifts them both up until they’re standing ─ Luo Binghe with no strength to his legs whatsoever, and Liu Qingge making up for that with his own.
It’s funny how even now, Luo Binghe’s face barely comes up to this man’s chin. He could’ve sworn he was taller. Perhaps he was, in that other place, in that other life.
But now, in Liu Qingge’s arms, he’s little more than a fifteen year old child, pressed tightly against this unshakable mountain, not allowing him to crumble.
“Shishu,” Luo Binghe whispers again, breathy and desperate, but even his voice betrays him.
Liu Qingge looks back down at him, expression hard and unreadable. “Don’t talk,” he says. “I know there is an explanation behind this. Shen Yuan trusts you, so I will as well. But for now, don’t say anything.”
Weakly, Luo Binghe nods in agreement. “Liu-shishu… this disciple… thanks… you…” Then all semblance of reality disappears and Luo Binghe sinks deep into dreamless sleep.
Even with his full weight leaning against Liu Qingge, Luo Binghe is still as light as a feather. The bright demonic mark on his forehead has yet to fade, pulsing in sync with his heartbeat, and the kid is clearly no longer conscious even if his eyes are only half-shut. That's probably not good, right? Because for a moment, he was pretty sure those void-like eyes had cracks spreading through them, the same cracks now spreading all along the skin of his neck and face, with a single difference. The light in them shattered like a broken teacup.
Liu Qingge doesn’t know what sort of demon possessed him to straight up point his sword at Zui Xian’s Wu Qinggang before the fool almost pierced the kid’s heart with that spear of his, but he doesn’t care either. Everything is wrong here! The whole world has gone crazy! The entirety of Cang Qiong Mountain has been uprooted on the spot, yet this entire group all seems to be salivating at the idea of burning Luo Binghe at the stake. And Luo Binghe maybe, just maybe, could be dying in his arms. So who is crazy here? All of these people jumping to action without thinking through anything? Or Liu Qingge, for risking his whole life, reputation and years of dedication to a cause just to protect one demon from utter slaughter?
He doesn’t know.
More importantly, he doesn’t care.
Things have already gotten to this point. Someone needs to put a stop to this before it’s too late.
Liu Qingge passes spiritual power to Luo Binghe to keep him from deviating just straight out, but somehow that seems to only make things worse. Adjustments needed, damn it all, but he doesn't have the ability nor the time to figure out what's going wrong. And everybody else is just─
“Liu Qingge, you let him go right now, or I─”
“You what?” Liu Qingge snarls back, all too pissed that it’s Wu Qinggang again. “You think you can fight me?! Try it, then! I’m Bai Zhan’s God of War, challenge me if you dare. See how quickly you’ll regret it!”
“What… What if it’s not him?” someone mumbles, suddenly. “Weren’t there rumors before that Liu-shixiong was infected with demonic parasites in the past? What if he never got rid of them? What if that’s what is now controlling him─”
Liu Qingge spots movement from the corner of his eye and moves instinctively.
Cheng Luan clashes with Wei Qingwei’s sword in mid-ar. Sparks fly, but the weapon stops mere inches before it could have cut through Luo Binghe’s neck. Instantly, Wan Jian’s Peak Lord withdraws that blade. The look on his face is grim, but the way he doesn’t move to charge again proves this one attack was nothing but a test. A confirmation, of sorts. “It’s Liu Qingge, alright. No demonic trace to speak of. Liu-shidi, speak. What the hell are you doing, protecting a demon spawn?”
“What the hell are you doing, attacking a Qing Jing disciple?!” Liu Qingge spits back.
“Whether or not he is our disciple is yet to be determined, but that mark has made his demonic identity clear!” Qi Qingqi shouts. “Liu Qingge! Step aside or suffer the consequences!”
Liu Qingge only holds Luo Binghe’s unconscious body closer to himself, away from any hands that reach for him, taking the endless stream of demonic power into himself rather than waste time trying to fix the balance of demonic and spiritual that refuses to fix itself. He doesn’t need anything more to know the kid is running a deadly fever, on top of everything else. Fuck. This is too much like what went down on Bailu mountain before, only the cause of the stupid seal going haywire is not outside, but inside the kid’s body. There is nothing Liu Qingge can do to dispel this, even if the kid is rapidly falling in the direction of a bad Qi deviation. He can feel it in his bones, the sheer amount of demonic power trying to rise to the surface and failing, and the total lack of spiritual power to balance anything out. No matter what, he cannot let go.
The moment someone moves, Liu Qingge lashes out with Cheng Luan. He misses intentionally, but the intention is clear.
“The limb that touches him is the limb I will cut off,” he promises, at the same time pressing Luo Binghe’s limp body closer. “Get the hell away from him.”
“Even if the person who does it is me?”
Instantly, Liu Qingge feels like he’s been doused in icy water. The rest of the Peak Lords all share skeptical looks, but the few that stand close still part to let this person come through. Still, even with his heart threatening to beat out of his chest, Liu Qingge doesn’t move. Very calmly, Mu Qingfang comes closer and closer, until the length of Liu Qingge’s sword is all that keeps them apart, the tip of the blade resting against his closest friend’s neck. The blade crackles with spiritual energy.
Mu Qingfang moves deliberately, until the blade pierces the skin and a drop of blood rolls along his neck until it stains his white robes. The other Peak Lords look ready to attack if there is even a moment of inclination that Liu Qingge is about to hurt their martial brother, like they know nothing about him. Like they don’t fucking know Liu Qingge would rather stab himself than ever hurt Mu Qingfang. Stupid fucking idiots.
Liu Qingge withdraws his blade slightly, just enough not to be causing any injuries, but he doesn’t put it down.
Mu Qingfang’s face is dark, but his eyes are firmly set on Luo Binghe. “Liu-shixiong, that boy has already nearly died under the influence of one demonic venom today. Then he had his mind invaded by a Dream Demon and now this. If you keep pushing for a fight so stubbornly, your own unstable condition might push him into a Qi deviation which could kill you both. Let him go.”
“Hell no,” Liu Qingge says.
“Liu-shixiong─”
“The moment I let him go is the moment he’s sentenced for life. Fuck no.”
“Liu Qingge!”
“MU QINGFANG!”
Qian Cao Peak Lord hesitates, unaccustomed to such a lack of control from his shixiong. Liu Qingge loses his temper easily and he fights with everyone, but not a single soul has ever seen him fight with Mu Qingfang. Those who have known them from the beginning also know their friendship goes back a long way, much longer than Liu Qingge has ever been a part of the sect, but they don’t know how it came about. They just know that in the entire Cang Qiong Mountain, there are only two people who can make Liu Qingge behave. One is, naturally, the Sect Leader. The other is Mu Qingfang.
They know that if Mu Qingfang says Liu Qingge is not to take any missions, Liu Qingge won’t take them even if it kills him inside. They know that if Mu Qingfang orders him seclusion, that’s what he will do. They know if Mu Qingfang says no, Liu Qingge will listen.
Not this time.
All these fools have no idea what any of that means. They have no idea why it matters or why Liu Qingge won’t let this go.
But Mu Qingfang understands.
He’s known Liu Qingge long enough to know where the lines are drawn, he trusts Liu Qingge enough to know he is not possessed or out of his mind, that from the moment Liu Qingge has laid his hand on Luo Binghe today, the option of letting him go simply never existed.
“Shixiong,” the man says softly, even as he takes a small step back. “This isn’t the way. This won’t solve anything.”
“I don’t care to solve this shit,” Liu Qingge says. “He’s not the one who’s dangerous here. I am. So get these fools away from here while I still have a little self-control. If someone dies because y'all didn’t care to listen to me, I won’t fucking apologize.”
Instantly, Mu Qingfang’s eyes comically widen. “You actually─” but he cuts himself off, realizing that the power glowing within Liu Qingge’s eyes is anything but natural, that the crackling of the energy along Cheng Luan's blade is far more volatile than anything Liu Qingge could have done willingly. Besides, from all the influx of demonic power in his body, Liu Qingge's eyes are probably more red than anything else, really. That should've been a dead giveaway.
“Shit.” Mu Qingfang turns around instantly, waving his arms. “GET AWAY! GET AWAY FROM HERE RIGHT NOW! GO!”
Coming from Liu Qingge, such words would have been laughed at and willfully ignored, all of his credibility having already been ground to dust. But Mu Qingfang is different. When the most dedicated medic of them all shouts at you to run, only true fools would fail to listen. But even as the crowds hastily retreat, there are too many of them. Qi Qingqi and Wei Qingwei get their hands on any silly disciple that’s fallen, but it’s nowhere near enough. They can’t get far enough.
Up in the air, Liu Qingge’s sword arm is trembling. Already, Cheng Luan is going haywire with all the restrained Qi he refuses to unleash. The combination of Luo Binghe’s Qi going insane is triggering Liu Qingge’s own naturally tyrannical power, further debilitated by the poison wreaking havoc on his meridians, threatening to explode both of them out of existence. No matter how much effort he puts in, Liu Qingge cannot possibly redirect it elsewhere. He has to hold on, for as long as he can, until the rest of the cultivators are far enough away that the damage to them is minimal. All of these people are hastily running, but they still cannot run far enough.
At the same time, fighting against the flow is a single person, coming closer when they all should be getting away.
“Brother!” Liu Mingyan shouts, struggling to pass between Qi Qingqi and Wei Qingwei, eyes wide and panicked, glowing with faint hints of white and red inside them. Shit. Liu Qingge forgot she was here too.
“LEAVE!” he roars.
“No!”
Hah. Not once had his baby sister refuted him so soundly. With two quick hand gestures and a soft sparkle of white flashing in her eyes, Liu Mingyan successfully gets rid of Wei Qingwei and Qi Qingqi’s hold on her arms, then runs forward as fast as she can, the tips of her index and middle fingers glowing with brilliant white spiritual power. Then, while still quite a distance away, she suddenly stops, moving her hands swiftly in a series of complex gestures, drawing symbols and sigils in the air and sending them flying until they’re circling all over the clearing on Qiong Ding Peak, leaving herself only half a step out of range. The spark of bright red flashes in her eyes among all the white, a little like a warning sign.
Faintly, Liu Qingge smirks. His baby sister sure has grown up, huh. No one else knows shit, but Liu Mingyan took one look at him and knew exactly what he was going to do. Damn his stupid ass, teaching her so much.
From outside the array, Liu Mingyan gives him a small, almost imperceptible nod of permission.
Liu Qingge closes his eyes. Immense amounts of both spiritual and demonic power flowing through him are already trying to break through, leaving cracks in his skin, Liu Mingyan's array the sole reason they're redirected up in the sky and not indiscriminately everywhere. Then, with a shaky hand twist that barely responds to his command, Liu Qingge stabs Cheng Luan into the ground.
As the final shred of control he's got crumbles away, the entirety of Qiong Ding Peak explodes in a flash of power, unrestrained and unprecedented.
Notes:
Yo guys, anyone remember that demon talk between SY and LQG in ch15...? Now go check ch23 and then read this again. uno reverse on life philosophy, hell yah!
Also, someone compared this to a shonen earlier and it honestly didn't hit me why until I was editing this last scene. But holy shit, you had it right. Keep going! Your comments give me life. I feed on that suffering the same way Xin Mo feeds on LBH's misery.
Next up, SY saves the day! Or makes it worse? Ah, who even knows at this point? See you next week!
Chapter 30: Shortcut Through the Abyss
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Narrowly dodging the swing of a Formless Demon’s claws, Shen Yuan has no choice but to curse inside his own head, too breathless and exhausted to do much else. The demon he is currently chasing is some sort of a hybrid that has gained consciousness in yet another ritualistic mess over in the South. Usually, Shen Yuan goes straight after the root cause ─ usually the demon elders of tribes that have been starving for way too long ─ before handling the Formless Demons themselves, except this time, he has no idea who is behind it.
In fact, to catch this one, he has relied not on the System’s lacking hints nor Xin Mo’s treacherous advice, but instead on pure cooperation with the Taotie demon clan. It’s not exactly ideal, to team up with one of the most dangerous man-eating demon clans in the Southern Realm, but they’ve sought his help first in resolving this, and as long as they could provide reliable information for Shen Yuan to follow, he didn’t really care much who he had to rely on to finish it.
The elder of the Taotie demon clan, meanwhile, had confirmed something that Shen Yuan had suspected for a while, anyway ─ the generals of his clan wanted to revive their fallen comrades and ended up crunchy dinner instead. It is more honest than most demon clans felt like they could afford, especially when it was Shen Yuan asking questions. Other crucial details, such as the fact that the instructions on how to perform the ritual, once again, trace back to damn Skinner, are simply to be expected.
Damn Skinner, looks like, seems to have made it his life mission to go around spilling nonsense about these dangerous, disgusting practices all over the demon realm like it’s nobody’s business. Whether or not a shard of Xin Mo is a standard part of the process is beyond what Shen Yuan has been able to figure out, so far. At first, he was convinced it would not work without Xin Mo. However, the Taotie demon clan passed what little knowledge they could to him on the ritual steps, too, and none of them have ever mentioned anything the likes of a dimension-cutting, world-breaking plot device.
It doesn’t mean anything, either, because Formless Demons keep popping up all over the Southern Demon Realm one way or another, further worsening the poverty and famine already abound. Shen Yuan has done his best to stay away from the underground slums ─ and perhaps it’s for the better. Now that he’s gotten to see them first hand, he’s almost tempted to go wrangle Tianlang Jun out of his confinement a few years too early and sic the sowers out on some naughty bastard cultivators that seem to be assisting this chaos.
Because no matter what, this ritual is of no demonic origin. The demons know it, the System knows it, Shen Yuan knows it. This ritual thing that makes dead demons formless is entirely rooted in cultivator practices and it is pissing him off that there are actual cultivators out there, actively assisting Skinner in spreading it further.
Unfortunately, until he gets rid of this nasty piece of work, Shen Yuan can’t get started on figuring it out, either. Taotie demons are rapacious creatures with the body of a goat and the face and hands of a man, with eyes under its armpits and a lion's maw in their bellies. They feed on humans in some of the most disgusting practices ─ or they used to, until Tianlang Jun subdued them and made them into his glorified prison maintenance staff, a slight against the gluttonous race greater than any other. This particular clan is probably the closest to getting the biggest pie slice of Nan Jiang’s territories ─ except a third of them got slaughtered by this one general of their own clan. The same one that Shen Yuan has been repeatedly failing to catch.
Ever since its inception, this Taotie general has been tearing through the Southern Realm’s edges, decimating the slums and reveling in destruction, while at the same time knowing exactly what dangers the chasm with the miasma poses for him. He will not go near it, no matter how hard Shen Yuan tries to lure him.
Still, Shen Yuan has been very careful in his approach this time around. The Formless Demon has initially had little interest in attacking him, but Shen Yuan has been pushing the damn thing closer to the imperceptible edges of the cliffs by means of small amounts of contained miasma within his talismans, just to piss him off. Then, using the narrow paths and difficult terrain as natural cover, lead him exactly where he wants the demon caught. It is the most remote part of the Southern Realm that he’s explored so far, and the only terrain which allows not for anyone to spot the steadily rising miasma before it’s too late. Now, it’s just a few steps left.
And just then, Xin Mo’s shard piece trapped in a paper talisman wrapped around Shen Yuan’s wrist decides to act up, burning his skin like some sort of an alarm clock from hell.
“The hell do you want?!” Shen Yuan all but cries out. “We already took down the hungry bastard, so aren’t you happy? Be patient a bit, we’ve almost got this one too─”
But then, the System notification flashes in his vision, just as wild.
[System Warning! System Warning! Failure to establish a secure connection to the Source of All Power! Outside interference required!]
[Story mission <Sha Hualing’s Invasion> arc is about to enter its final stages! Mission objective: raise Luo Binghe’s reputation points by 200! Otherwise, punishment is a loss of 1000 B-points!]
[System Warning! System Error! Establishing secure connection to the Source of All Power status: TOTAL FAILURE! Retry in 3, 2, 1…]
Oh, screw your mother! What is it with this notification bombarding?! I’m in the middle of something! Do I look like I can make my way over to Cang Qiong Mountain now?! Screw reputation points and secure connections!
The System warning flashes brightly, but what flashes even brighter is the searing pain on his wrist as Xin Mo all but burns itself into his skin, burning away the entirety of the protective talisman around it in an instant. Shen Yuan pulls another one to protect his aching wrist, but this one barely helps. Clearly, one thing that both these world breaking devices have in common is their obsessive need to protect Luo Binghe’s non-existent rep.
Come to think of it, if both these things are acting up, then what is wrong with Luo Binghe?! THE HELL?! SYSTEM!
[System notice! Establishing a secure connection with the Source of All Power failed! Retry #3 in 3, 2, 1…]
I know that, I can fucking see it! WHAT IS WRONG WITH HIM?!
A list of errors opens up in front of him, too long to keep track of while Shen Yuan is actively hiding between two narrow rocks, trying to get the Formless Demon to come his way! He skims over it and when he sees nothing but numbers and a whole lot of rubbish, he almost throws a gasket. Luo Binghe is in danger. What damn nonsense is this?!
Suddenly, the flashing pain on his wrist intensifies tenfold and Shen Yuan wants to hit the cancel button that much more desperately. The last time reputation points were at stake, Shen Yuan got Luo Binghe the Original ripping his limbs off one by one. So why would he rush back now? To get his limbs ripped off a second time? Why is he in such a hurry to his death?
It’s just a story, with characters doing what characters should do! Shen Yuan finally managed to get himself out of the spotlight and push that onto somebody else, finally managed to wrestle himself out of Xin Mo’s nasty influence, if only barely, so why is the universe as a whole so eager to push him back into the chaos knowing what danger awaits?
But you already know. You cannot see him in pain again. You cannot see him suffer. Because if you do, the one who will suffer most is yourself─
Fuck.
Shen Yuan shakes his head, ignoring Xin Mo’s distinctive voice inside it to the best of his ability. But no matter how little he wants to listen to Xin Mo’s nonsense, the fact remains ─ Luo Binghe is in danger. What the hell is going on?! Could Sha Hualing have found a way around his plot armor somehow? Bullshit! The Protagonist’s Plot Armor is as unshakable as the law of the universe! Something else has got to be at stake!
The pain on his wrist flashes again and in front of him, a light of a portal flashes in a piece of rock. Xin Mo, turns out, cares more for its master’s reputation too, as opposed to the Formless Demon that Shen Yuan promised to feed him. In shock, Shen Yuan stares at the shard piece on his wrist. “You can do that? You? A miniature piece? Are enough for a wholeass functional portal?!”
If anything, the dark purplish light on his wrist seems to glow with self-satisfaction.
Fine, then. Forget the plan, forget everything. Without a moment of hesitation, Shen Yuan picks up Xiu Ya and takes off, ignoring the roaring of the Formless Demon that comes from somewhere behind him.
He expects to come out on the other side of the portal, where Cang Qiong Mountain awaits, just outside the protective wards. Except, that’s not what happens. The passage opens up into some sort of a dark, reddish smoke that is almost like acid, stinking and awful, yet familiar all the same. Tumultuous demonic energy rages all around him, countless wails and cries and whines piercing his ears like drums. Black fog blinds him.
Xin Mo has opened a passage, sure. But that passage leads not back to his sect, but straight into the Endless Abyss instead, AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!
Xiu Ya flies forward regardless, swiftly dodging the many demonic arms that attempt to grab him from the air, but the very air he inhales is acid to his lungs. It burns inside, making it nearly impossible to breathe at all, no matter how much he circulates spiritual power around to make its impact less drastic. Ah, this has got to be payback for the time he pushed Luo Binghe into this hell, and it’s only natural. Karma is a bitch.
The damn Xin Mo is just like the System! Both the damn things! They’re exactly like a fraudulent insurance company, writing out all the nasty contract details into the smallest font and printing it out at the very bottom where nobody will ever read. If the damn System ever offers him a loan again, and if Xin Mo ever opens a friggin portal without his input, Shen Yuan would be better off just offing himself first.
Assuming he even makes it through the Abyss alive, given how dizzy he is just inhaling the awful air all around him. It burns the inside of his mouth, throat and lungs, obstructing his movement and slowing him down greatly. His spiritual power is not a deterrent to it at all.
[System warning! User Account 002 life points rapidly decreasing! Alert! Alert! Eyes on the exit point!]
Exit point?
Does Endless Abyss even have an exit point?
Shen Yuan squints, but he can’t see anything ahead of him, just an intersection of dark fog that makes his eyes water and crimson ghost light which effectively blinds him. How does one even notice an exit point in this madness?
Instantly, something burns at his wrist. Ah. Right. World breaking plot device seems to have run all out of its own power, opening a one-way passage straight to hell. Lifting that hand, which feels heavier than ever before, Shen Yuan focuses all his spiritual power directly towards the Xin Mo shard on his wrist in ways he’s already done countless times already, every time he needed a little naughty assistance.
“Get me out of here!” he roars, bracing for who even knows what at this point.
The System’s exit point countdown matches up almost exactly to the ragged breaths Shen Yuan takes ─ until blinding, red light tickles his skin and blinds his eyes ─ and then it’s all gone.
The pain, the light, the alarms in his ears, the flashing dialogue windows in his eyes. The air he inhales is fresh and the wind that blows against his face is chilly. Shen Yuan blinks rapidly, to get rid of the tears in the corners of his eyes, and for his efforts, he is rewarded with a beautiful arrangement of a million dazzling lights in the starry night sky. The wind around him is getting wilder, rageful and whipping, like he’s flown straight into a storm… but that can’t be. There’s not a single cloud in the sky, not a single trace of any storm around him… is that not Cang Qiong Mountain’s twelve peaks rising in the distance? But… why are they tilted the wrong way?
Or not.
It’s him. He’s the one tilting wrong, freefalling out of the sky.
FUUUUUUUUUUUU─
With a speedy hand gesture, Shen Yuan summons Xiu Ya to catch him moments before he hits the ground and makes himself into a bloody pancake. Not that almost landing on the wrong side of the sword is any better. It’s a narrow one, really, and Shen Yuan only barely catches his balance. Once he does, he doesn’t immediately dare to fly ─ or even move. For a moment, he simply hovers in the air, dizzy and lightheaded, taking in deep, uncontrollable breaths to calm his raging heart.
Fuck, fuck, fuck.
He should have known the damn thing would drop him straight out of the sky. Of course the Endless Abyss couldn’t just open like a hole in the ground like the last time. Of course not! Shen Yuan wants to hit something!
[System notice! Secure connection with the System Power Source successfully reestablished! Thank you for your patience! System is now back online!]
THE FUCK?! Then what was all this for?! What the actual fuck?!
But Shen Yuan’s answer this time is not in the form of a popup window. Instead, it is a bone eagle demon flying high over his head, carrying on its massive body a madly cackling Sha Hualing with blood rolling along her arm, as though she’s come out of the battle an absolute victor.
Then the notification blares up, bright as ever.
[System Warning! Story mission <Sha Hualing’s Invasion> arc has entered its final stage! Mission objective: raise Luo Binghe’s reputation points by 200! Otherwise, punishment is a loss of 2000 B-points!]
What do you mean the mission is in its final stage when Sha Hualing literally just flew off? What’s with the moving goalpost, damn it? How is Luo Binghe suddenly fine and Sha Hualing gone and the reputation points of all things are at stake?! AAARGH!
Shen Yuan stares, beyond befuddled. He has inadvertently landed not too far from Cang Qiong Mountain, but even as he looks at it from here on, this… can’t be anything good. This invasion happened too early in the story, and not only that, Sha Hualing’s mad laughter is still echoing in his ears. What the hell happened over there?
Pushing the awful need to bend over and just retch from the tumbling ride through the Endless Abyss, Shen Yuan sets course for Cang Qiong Mountain. Even from afar, he can see that all the protective wards have been torn apart, leaving no protection whatsoever behind. The barrier that should have been able to determine whether he is a friend or a foe may as well have never existed, allowing everything through with no regards for what it may be. Smoke is rising from multiple settlements all over the mountain. In some sections, the Rainbow Bridge is no more.
Shen Yuan mercilessly slays the few rare demons still trying to escape the Mountain that he comes across, targeting specifically those he notices have cultivator blood all over them. Battle seems to have mostly come to a standstill, however. His eyes linger on the largest wall of smoke climbing into the heavens, coming from Qiong Ding Peak, the damages the tallest peak incurred several times worse than all the others combined. But what follows the smoke is something that not even Shen Yuan could have prepared for.
A pillar of blinding crimson light explodes out of Qiong Ding Peak with no warning, not far from the Lingxi caves, sending a blast of wind stronger than a hurricane everywhere around. Shen Yuan covers his face with his sleeve to protect it from the dust, debris and the rocks that shoot out like tiny projectiles, so he only manages to catch it with a corner of his eye, the moment when the light finally fades.
Shen Yuan is no genius, but he needs not be one to recognize that blinding light as an immense wave of pure demonic power, all cast away. Many confusing thoughts swirl in his head, intersecting with questions and speculation with no basis. The Xin Mo shard on his wrist feels like it’s been picked out of a volcano against his skin. The protective talisman has once again burned away and the shard is back to attempting to embed itself into his skin. Shen Yuan ignores all of it in favor of flying faster.
The dust on Qiong Ding Peak has yet to settle. Most people there seem to have been out of the range of the blast, but they’re either too blinded or shocked; most of them don’t even notice when Shen Yuan flies a mere foot over their heads. Others, who seem to have been closer to the epicenter of the blast, seem to have been straight up blown away. There are many people all over the peak on the ground, dazed and confused, but there is only one person who seems to be doing their damndest to get up and head to the center of the blast with urgency.
Liu Mingyan is grabbed and restrained back by means of Mu Qingfang holding her around the waist before she can get anywhere near, however, and all Shen Yuan catches is her piercing eyes, glowing with a faint tinge of white and red as she sees him.
“Shibo!” she shouts, as though desperately trying to warn him of something, but there’s no time to wonder what.
Shen Yuan jumps off of Xiu Ya and lands smack in the middle of the giant cloud of dust that has yet to settle. He can barely see through the mist, but it feels as though all of Qiong Ding vegetation within the limits of some sort of an array has been burnt to ash, and even a small stretch outside it. Under his feet, the marks of the array seem to have been burnt into the ground. Shen Yuan jumps over it, hurrying towards the center.
In the midst of all the ash, two people lay on the ground.
Shen Yuan doesn’t need to make a guess as to who it is. If he’d bet a thousand gold, he’d get ten thousand back. If he bet a hundred thousand, he’d get millions. In the midst of the still smoking ground of Qiong Ding Peak, Luo Binghe and Liu Qingge lie down in almost identical positions to the ones they were in when Shen Yuan found them on Bailu Mountain. Their robes singed, smoking slightly. One look, fortunately, confirms that they’re both breathing. Choking on all the ash around them, really, but Shen Yuan doesn’t dare rejoice too early.
His hand finds Luo Binghe’s back first, and all he can tell is that whatever the hell happened, Luo Binghe is most certainly not fine. He’s burning up, the flow of his Qi erratic and unstable, but also pitifully, pitifully weak. The demon mark on his forehead seems to be fading away, having left a burn scar on the skin, raw and painful to touch. Shen Yuan tries to offer some of his spiritual energy, but finds that it only seems to make the situation worse, so he retracts it quickly. Something very strange is happening with his meridians and it’s best not to mess with it until someone actually knowledgeable can have a feel for it. In the meantime, Luo Binghe is completely out of it. Alive, but listless and unconscious, completely unresponsive.
Inside Shen Yuan, rage burns. Who dared to do this? Who dares hurt─
But he bites his cheek on the inside until it draws blood, snapping away from Xin Mo’s rage. Hell, his own, further fueled by Xin Mo’s aggression, damn it all. Because Shen Yuan is furious, too, and doesn’t even care to deny it! Except, responsibility is irrelevant right now, damn it! Luo Binghe’s wellbeing matters more!
Even so, his head inadvertently snaps over towards Liu Qingge, his hands trembling with dark, violent urges that don’t belong to him. Liu Qingge, for his part, after that bout of a coughing fit, seems clearly awake. He’s struggling to get up, arms faltering under his weight a few times.
“Shidi?” Shen Yuan moves over to him, shoving Xin Mo and its violent tendencies away in favor of inspecting Liu Qingge for any injuries and helping him sit, but finds none. All power seems drained out of him, too, leaving him pale and unsteady, but at the same time, more clear headed than anyone could have guessed. He looks at Shen Yuan almost like he can’t quite believe what he is seeing.
“Shen… Shen Yuan?”
Funny, This is the first time anyone’s said that name in so long and all Shen Yuan really wants is to deny it. He says, “That’s right. Seems like quite a bit has happened since I left. Would Shidi mind giving this one a quick summary?”
At a loss, Liu Qingge shakes his head dumbly, still leaning on Shen Yuan for support. Eventually, however, his eyes dart away from Shen Yuan and move onto the masses slowly gathering around them, instantly sharpening into blades. “Luo Binghe─”
Protectively, Shen Yuan darts in between the two, blocking Liu Qingge’s arm and pretending like he doesn’t feel the need to break it, just to get this person away from Luo Binghe. Which is fucking stupid. Liu Qingge is obviously not trying to hurt him, Xin Mo you dumbass!
But Shen Yuan’s grip on Liu Qingge’s arm remains firm. “Got him right here. Worry not, Liu-shidi. I’ve got this.”
“No, he─”
But Shen Yuan doesn’t need this hasty, unfinished explanation. He’d rather piece together the whole picture later on, once the situation has settled, once his own mind settles a little. For now, he doesn’t need more than his own two eyes to see that whatever must have happened here, it has drawn quite a bit of negative attention to his poor disciple and has instantly made Xin Mo into a wild, unrestrained monster wreaking havoc in his head.
Seriously, that hopeless white lotus. Will the universe ever stop treating him as everybody’s punching bag? What good is it, thoroughly torturing your Protagonist in all the ways under the sky? Really, what gives? What has Luo Binghe done to deserve such rubbish treatment when he himself is barely holding on to his life?!
Suddenly, someone moves, and Shen Yuan knocks a spear out of the air with Xiu Ya before he even knows what it is. Instantly, his eyes narrow. The people have yet to stop gathering and the dust hasn’t settled yet. He can barely see who threw that weapon… but that doesn’t mean he can’t tell.
“Is someone going to explain to me why Zui Xian Peak Lord is after my disciple’s life?” Shen Yuan asks icily, as if he isn’t a not-quite-Peak Lord who’s been absent from his post for months on end. Ahem. He is still officially the senior to all of these people here so they better all keep it in mind before someone calls him out on it. In fact, since Sect Leader Yue obviously isn’t present, the person with the most seniority is Shen Yuan. Even if they want to complain about his interference, they better have some damn good explanation to make up for it.
Nobody steps up to say anything for the longest time.
In fact, the longer things remain at a standstill and the dust finally settles, the more Shen Yuan realizes how unusual this situation is, to say the least.
Cultivators from many different peaks, including his own, have gathered on Qiong Ding Peak, which looks like it's been run over by a bulldozer with its breaks malfunctioning and was then set on fire. Half the Qiong Ding Pavillion is just straight up rubble. Liu Qingge and Luo Binghe both have blood over their robes, they are both smack in the middle of an array, while a whole bunch of cultivators surround them like a flock of angry birds about to peck at them with their beaks and claws. Seriously. Even when the most immature brats argue in this sect, things rarely get so out of hand for someone to throw a weapon at an unconscious target.
More importantly, it’s Liu Qingge more than anyone who seems alert by this bout of aggression directed towards Luo Binghe. He is glaring at Zui Xian’s Wu Qinggang as though he’s a hair away from throttling the man. And that’s ─ that’s gotta be the most disturbing part of it all. Liu Qingge, defending Luo Binghe… from the entire Cang Qiong Mountain. Shen Yuan shudders slightly. Which fucking universal law was broken in his absence, exactly?
“Well?” he prompts, when the silence stretches for way too long to be anything but uncomfortable.
“Liu Qingge!” Qi Qingqi shouts in warning, drawing her weapon but doing nothing with it. It does alert everyone else, however, including Shen Yuan.
He sees what everyone else sees, and that is Liu Qingge as he places his palm against Luo Binghe’s chest, offering up a tiny amount of spiritual power. It is almost palpable to watch, with just the way Liu Qingge begins sweating a few moments in, like he’s only barely holding through the process. Something in Shen Yuan burns at the sight of it, and he’s tempted to throw something off the mountain. Preferably himself. For Liu Qingge, it’s working, for some stupid reason, but when Shen Yuan did the same thing moments ago, the result was Luo Binghe almost thrashing around. How is that fucking fair?
Shen Yuan takes that train of thought and tosses it into trash, fixating his eyes on Qi Qingqi instead.
The woman is unusually alert, unusually tense and skittish. Like she’s waiting for something to strike at Liu Qingge, something to blow up, and she is only doing this to be prepared for whatever it might be. But what is there to be worried about? There are no demons left here other than their dead bodies. What─
Shen Yuan’s eyes fly over Luo Binghe subconsciously, and he realizes what’s wrong.
To him, it’s almost a natural thing, to see the heavenly demon mark on the boy’s forehead.
To everyone else… well. It’s about as terrible of a betrayal as it gets.
Shen Yuan almost subconsciously moves to hide Luo Binghe behind him, but stops himself at the last moment. Not good, to interfere until he knows the details. Obviously, everyone else has already made up their mind on something, and until he knows what that something is, doing anything might cause more harm than good. Xin Mo screams at him to pull the boy into his arms, possessive and demanding and rageful, but Shen Yuan freezes, refusing to give in for even a moment.
Just as good that he doesn’t move, because Mu Qingfang does. He gets down on the ground next to Liu Qingge, inspecting Luo Binghe’s wrist and frowning instantly.
“What? Now what?” Liu Qingge snaps, like he can tell whatever it is, it can’t be good.
Mu Qingfang, at least, doesn’t look like he wants to burn someone at the stake, but he is clearly not thrilled about what he finds. He says, “Shen-shixiong, a moment, please?”
Shen Yuan’s stomach drops at suddenly being addressed, but his body moves almost eagerly to get into the fray. Before he knows it, he’s cradling Luo Binghe’s head in his lap, repositioning it so that he is more comfortable, his hands barely restrained from pulling the child into his arms like that’s the only place where he belongs.
“What is wrong with my disciple?” he asks, fingers gently running down the side of the boy’s face, down the skin which is burning up under a fever dangerously.
Mu Qingfang doesn’t answer. He looks down, and Shen Yuan takes the hint and inspects the spiritual power flow himself. But Mu Qingfang shakes his head, eyes traveling elsewhere, so Shen Yuan follows and… Ah…
Hello there, Heavenly Pillar.
Why is Shen Yuan not surprised that the most devastating state that Qiong Ding Peak has ever been in is somehow a result of the Protagonist getting a little hard? Ah, good old Proud Immortal Demon Way. Can’t go an arc without inconveniencing its main characters in the most shameful ways imaginable.
At least it seems Mu Qingfang isn’t trying to advertise it and no one else has paid enough attention to notice yet, not even Liu Qingge, who is sitting right there, staring at the kid’s face. Actually, Liu-shidi seems quite preoccupied thinking his spiritual energy is going to somehow fix this. It probably might, in a very different way than how he imagines. It could fix them both! One stone, two birds, that kind of thing! Which, plot development wise, could make sense.
Do it, and I’ll tear you to fucking pieces─
Ugh. For once, Shen Yuan is in full agreement with Xin Mo. Luo Binghe is a child! A literal child! System, a little propriety please! Not on this Shizun’s watch, thank you very much!
Thank goodness that Liu Qingge is the type who wouldn’t notice any romantic or sexual advances even if they slapped him on the face. Small blessings, small blessings. At some point, it seems to hit him he cannot keep up with the spiritual power transfer and he gives up on his own, a rare bout of self-awareness from him. But really, this is just not fair, that Shen Yuan has to be the one to step in and fix… whatever this is. Seriously. He knew coming back was a terrible idea. He knew it. Why does he do this to himself every single time?
“I’ll… take it over from here,” he says, before picking up the unconscious boy in his arms like a young maiden. There. At least this way, no one else needs to see. The dark, hungry urges that sprout up in the back of his head are better left ignored.
“Shen… Shen-shixiong,” Liu Qingge mutters, like a warning. But really, the fact that he willingly calls Shen Yuan shixiong is more alarming than anything else he could have said. Shen Yuan tenses up, waiting for an intruder to jump out from behind his Shidi and stab him in the back. It doesn’t happen, of course, but the sound of genuine respect from Liu Qingge is more unnerving than anything else he’s encountered as of yet.
Of course, what Liu Qingge is trying to warn him about is… well. The entirety of Qiong Ding Peak. Or rather, every single person in his sight, all of whom are all watching Luo Binghe like he is the public enemy number one!
“What is the meaning of this?” Shen Yuan demands, raising a single eyebrow at them.
Instantly, half the group quivers and sinks back, all his Qing Jing disciples included.
The rest, who remain stubborn, now glare at him instead of Luo Binghe, which, hey, objective achieved! Attention successfully redirected! To himself, damn it all.
“That demon is suspected to be the spy for the demon clan and the direct cause of the invasion that Shen-shixiong has just missed,” Zui Xian’s Peak Lord says, the rage in his voice barely controlled. “The demon saintess invaded and destroyed three peaks, including my own, all for the sake of getting this traitor out of Cang Qiong Mountain. So, Shen-shixiong, please step away from him and let us finish this properly.”
“And what proof does the demon saintess provide, to throw an accusation like that at one of Cang Qiong Sect’s disciples?” Shen Yuan asks, slightly narrowing his eyes.
Wu Qinggang’s spear is back in his hand and he seems to hate the notion of putting it away so much that he’d rather just stand there, looking like an idiot. “What proof do we need?” he growls. “The demon mark on his forehead is proof enough! We have a demon in our midst!”
“I told you to shut your damn mouth!” Liu Qingge explodes, unexpectedly. “If you’ve got nothing but a demon’s claim for this, then I might as well call you a spy!”
The gasps that echo among the gathered cultivators are downright scandalous. It’s almost funny. It’s also probably the only thing that prevents Xiu Ya from straight up slaughtering the man under Xin Mo’s influence, but eh. Shen Yuan works very hard to not think about that.
“Alright, settle down,” he says, but really, he’s not in the mood for this particular sitcom. His disciple needs… attention. And it feels so awful to even think that, knowing what kind of attention that is, but just… ugh. He really doesn’t want to be dealing with this. Xin Mo, however, wishes for nothing but. Not once did Shen Yuan ever think he himself would become a danger to his disciple’s innocence, but here he is, relying only on the nails he’s dug into his own skin to prevent himself from doing something he might resent himself over for the rest of his life.
He says, “Luo Binghe is a disciple from my peak. If someone has a problem with him, they may come to me personally. Later, after I’ve made sure he’s no longer at risk of a Qi deviation.”
With that said, Shen Yuan wastes no time waiting for the crowd to part for him.
Xiu Ya lands in front of his feet at a single gesture and then flies him directly back to Qing Jing Peak, despite the many protesting gasps and shouts. He leaves everyone behind in the dust without a care in the world.
There is only one of the younger disciples present when he reaches his own Peak, a girl whose face Shen Yuan barely recognizes. She’s guarding the bamboo house with all the attention a skittish kid can muster, and when she sees Shen Yuan fly in on his sword, she nearly falls all over herself.
“Shiz─is it actually Shizun? Shizun!” she bursts into tears. “This disciple is so happy to see Shizun! Guarding here alone has been terrifying! Is the demon invasion finally over?!”
“Go rest now,” he says, and the girl is more than happy to run off. In fact, she is so happy that she doesn’t even look over her shoulder to ask what happened to Luo Binghe, which is fantastic, given how nosy his young disciples tend to be.
Shen Yuan takes the boy into the bamboo house and places him on the bed, throwing the covers over him as soon as he does. Luo Binghe is, as expected, completely out of it. His energy is fluctuating wildly, the seal fighting to subdue the demonic power that keeps trying to rise inside him, reinvigorated now that Xin Mo shard sits closer. In fact, his ragged breathing is almost perfectly in sync with the pulses of pain on Shen Yuan’s wrist. What kind of a connection can possibly exist between white lotus Binghe and Xin Mo is beyond him, but whatever it is, it’s not helping either one of them. It seems as though the demonic Qi in Luo Binghe’s body is completely out of control, rising too quickly for the seal to disperse it, while spiritual energy is only barely recovering. The result, apparently, is a very awful, very painful boner that’s throwing Luo Binghe into a feverish state. Ahhhh damn it all. Plot armor! Plot armor! How do we turn it back on?!
Right as he is trying to think of something to do that doesn’t include undressing his disciple, Mu Qingfang and Liu Qingge enter the bamboo house behind him. Before Shen Yuan can react, Liu Qingge rips the covers over from Luo Binghe. Unruly hands rummage all over the insides of Luo Binghe’s robes, and Shen Yuan’s scandalized need to raise a hand and send a blast of Qi into his Shidi’s face only lessens when Liu Qingge pulls out a Qiankun pouch from inside of the kid’s robes.
Jaw on the ground, Shen Yuan watches his shidi go through its contents intently until he fishes out… an incense burner? The thing doesn’t look like anything special, but Liu Qingge seems greatly relieved to see it in one piece. He sets it down on the bed next to Luo Binghe’s head, and a whole bunch of demonic energy is instantly sucked into it, somewhat improving the boy’s raging breaths and weakening the tremors shaking his young body.
Both Mu Qingfang and Shen Yuan openly gape at him, and Liu Qingge’s face is bright red. “Don’t fucking ask. I don’t know either.”
… Right.
That seems to be a staple around Luo Binghe, at this point.
Shen Yuan rubs at his aching temple, sighing deeply. Clearly, this won’t be enough to fix anything, since that stubborn Heavenly Pillar refuses to go down, but Shen Yuan was vigilant when he shifted Luo Binghe’s robes around. Unless they know to look for it, no one should notice… for now, at least. Immediate fire put out the simple way, he now turns around to the pair of intruders in his house and delivers a single, dangerous line.
“Explain.”
He’s not sure who he is addressing it to, exactly, but it might not matter, because when Liu Qingge and Mu Qingfang share a sheepish look between them, it’s clear that neither one of them knows where to start. Fine. Let’s go with the most important part first.
“Mu-shidi, start,” he orders, and watches the medic sweat bullets as soon as he realizes he’s up first.
“I, uh… um… argh.”
Mu Qingfang caves in and tells him everything.
Notes:
LQG: *does all the heavy lifting*
SY: *fashionably late, flips hair in everyone's faces* "alright, losers, lets talk business! Who dares bully my disciple?"
all of CQM: "..."
Chapter 31: Tender Touch
Notes:
Warning for dub-con, kinda? Things do get heated, but def not the way you'd expect
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
So. Zui Xian Peak demon attack. Unidentified snake demon venom. Dream demon infestation.
Shen Yuan wishes he could take Mu Qingfang’s hasty explanation that is severely lacking in detail and shove it somewhere where the sun doesn’t shine… except he can’t do that, because… well. Of course this is his fault, again, somehow.
“I’m not yet sure what’s causing this kind of a heavy reaction yet, but given a chance to cross reference it with the demonic poisons we have in our library, I’m sure something will come up,” Mu Qingfang continues, visibly exhausted. Then his eyes on Shen Yuan settle, not quite accusatory, but not very forgiving, either. “I take it that Shen-shixiong has been… aware… of Luo-shizhi’s demonic constitution from the beginning?”
Shen Yuan grimaces and waves his hand dismissively. Pass, pass. If Mu-shidi has any sense as a pro medical representative, he should know better than to openly discuss such sensitive things this way. Unfortunately for all of them, Mu Qingfang takes that answer for what it is and turns to Liu Qingge next, with that exact same look and that’s just… ugh.
“Shixiong?” he prompts, without a hint of emotion to his face.
Liu Qingge, for his part, manages to look both guilty and defensive at the same time. “What?! Like hell I was gonna say shit about that.” His ears are all red. Oh goodness, it’s almost cute.
Shen Yuan averts his eyes away from that face that seems to be drowning in guilt and shame. Before Mu Qingfang can go and make this already embarrassed Shidi look even worse, he says, “This was priorly discussed between myself and the sect leader. Unless it’s to become a danger to the sect, Luo Binghe’s… origins… shouldn’t be considered of any importance.”
“Ah,” Mu Qingfang says, blankly. “And I don’t suppose anyone had the bright idea to inform me, in case a severely injured heavenly demon ended up in my patient room, with a dream demon infestation that I’ve treated as though it’s happened to a human.”
Shen Yuan rubs at his forehead with his fan, avoiding any and all eyes. Frankly, the notion hasn’t even crossed his mind. What with his crazy healing factor, the last time that child spent barely any time with anyone from Qian Cao Peak wasn’t until… well… Shen Yuan got his own core detonated. Not exactly a great bonding moment, one he hoped to avoid at all costs in this second round… except now that’s come to bite him in the ass, because of course all the backlash of the universal changes he’s making have somehow broken the camel’s back. In which case, Luo Binghe is the camel. Again.
“Wait,” Liu Qingge says then, his face scrunched up in thought. “There are… differences? In handling dream demons?”
“Why, Shixiong, of course there are,” Mu Qingfang says, visibly fighting his own frustration. “Dream demons are more akin to heart demons than… well, physical attacks. Thus, handling the dream demons is very different, depending on whether they’ve invaded the mind of a cultivator or a demon. Don’t you think that, if cultivators were easy targets, we’d have dream demon infestations happening far more often?”
Liu Qingge says absolutely nothing.
For his part, Shen Yuan feels like he’s been slapped.
Meng Mo, Meng Mo, Meng Mo, ahh… of course it always made sense for that sleazy old dream demon to latch onto Luo Binghe for power, but not once has it crossed his mind that the elder demon could have done it simply out of convenience, too.
Mu Qingfang, however, is clearly not done lashing out with his own frustrations. “The natural difference in human and demon mindset, alongside many physical differences, is the demon race’s naturally lowered inhibitions. We call them cruel and dangerous creatures whereas demons are simply far more emotional existences relying upon their base instincts to survive. Dream demons are their antithesis, so to speak. As their influence can only be exerted within the dream realm, the instinctual aspect of their behavior is almost entirely lost to the calculations of their sharp minds, leaving even the most dangerous and powerful of the demons easily susceptible to their influences. Demon minds are simpler to understand therefore their dream realm is easier to control, whereas cultivators will get caught up in such attacks easily in the short term, but grow more immune to them long term. Thus, when handling a dream demon infestation, with cultivators, the dreamless sleep potions are oftentimes more than sufficient. Given time, their minds isolate the influence on their own and are able to defend themselves without external aid. When that target, however, is a demon…”
“Dreamless potions erase the lines between real and fake, make them more vulnerable,” Liu Qingge concludes, his face losing a little color as his eyes fly over to Luo Binghe on the bed. “So, on top of the snake venom and this powder that we have no idea what it was, his head is also…”
Mu Qingfang rests his hand upon Luo Binghe’s forehead and Shen Yuan shudders with the instinctual need to remove that hand, entirely, from Luo Binghe’s skin and the rest of Mu Qingfang’s body. Xin Mo, you dumbass, don’t you realize Mu-shidi is just trying to help here?! But Shen Yuan’s gut is twisting and spinning uncomfortably, almost as if under the effects of heavenly demon blood mites that are trying to make themselves known. He forces his nails into his own skin not to accidentally end the life of his martial sibling.
“I fed him two full bowls of dreamless sleep potion before and his body is inherently human, it seems, so I don’t expect that to have made the situation worse, for now,” Mu Qingfang says, but his face is dark. “If I’m to say anything for sure without forcefully invading his fragile psyche, I would need to leave him under observation for several days.”
Absolutely fucking not!!!
Pushing aside the fact that there’s not a snowball’s chance in hell that Meng Mo would do anything to harm his prospectively most powerful disciple, right now Shen Yuan cannot bear the thought of Luo Binghe being apart from him.
Fuck, Xin Mo is such a possessive bitch of an evil sword, but hell if Shen Yuan will deny him now. Luo Binghe… ended up this way… without Shen Yuan around. If his proximity puts him in danger and his distance apparently even more so, in a different way, then… then what the hell was the point in going to the Southern Realm to begin with?
Shen Yuan was able to put all his fears aside and simply leave because at no point in time did he expect that Luo Binghe would… that he could… Shen Yuan was the Scum villain, alright?! If anyone was going to actually hurt that white sheep, it’s him! So if he’s gone, no one else should have─! But then, all that effort and he’s changed absolutely nothing.
The fact that Sha Hualing was trying to kidnap this child barely registers in comparison to the rest of the issues he now sees and Shen Yuan is rapidly losing all rationality. What he wants to know isn’t what everybody else thinks about Meng Mo and his dream powers, at least Meng Mo of all things has never wished Luo Binghe harm before… but is that true now? What if Shen Yuan’s meddling has somehow changed that, too? How the hell did things turn out this way in his absence?!
His white lotus disciple, barely past a Qi deviation, hot and bothered and unconscious in his bed.
Obviously, Sha Hualing is behind it, but no one seems to know the motive behind it and just… ugh. Shen Yuan just knows in his bones that this is his fault, too.
Touch him.
Like hell he’s gonna do that, after all of this. His mind recoils at the mere thought, while the rest of him coils with a certain kind of hungry urge that Shen Yuan does his utmost to pretend doesn’t exist. His fingers curl into fists and then uncurl, eyes fluttering shut as his back drenches in ice cold sweat. Ah, Xin Mo you bastard, don’t you be acting up now!
“Then, about the demon attack─” he begins, but the notion is quickly snatched by Liu Qingge, who jumps a little, suddenly alert to something.
“There was someone acting behind Sha Hualing. I don’t know ─ don’t ask me,” he says, all too quickly. “The thing is, the trap she lured me into ─ the cultivators were on her back, somehow, and she needed someone else to remove them. Hell if I know why she couldn’t do it herself. The bastards had Wan Jian’s weapons on them, though. From the batch that was reported stolen by Tian Yi Overlook. Our shipment, the one that never made it. Remember?”
“I remember,” Shen Yuan notes. He doesn’t, actually, but who even cares?! Obviously, if it’s cultivators again, it’s gotta be the same bunch as the one making a mess in the Southern Demon Realm. “And you’re sure of this? It’s not a speculation?”
“Their bodies and weapons are still in Qiong Ding Pavilion… or what’s left of it, anyway,” Liu Qingge snaps back. “Something needs to be done about it.”
In other words, what Liu-shidi is saying is ─ if it’s puzzle work and not fighting, you solve this shit. I’m out.
Which, ugh. Shen Yuan is not happy about it, taking up this matter, but with Luo Binghe’s reputation points on the line, he’d rather not miss something important. One disastrous failure was enough for eternity. And it’s a good thing, to have something else to focus on while his disciple… recovers. Or else Xin Mo really might make him into a villain of the most rotten kind. Except, even considering taking a step out of this room while Luo Binghe stays there is unbearable.
“And you?” Mu Qingfang says, then, frowning. “From what I hear, the accusations Sha Hualing made don’t exempt you. The motive behind her actions is you murdering her father in cold blood.”
Shen Yuan pauses, a vivid memory of Xiu Ya tearing Jiuchong Jun apart flashing before his eyes briefly. Xin Mo relishes in that memory, though it had next to no impact in creating it. “A cultivator killed a demon. How in the world is that questionable?”
“The hell?” Liu Qingge hisses. “She’s out to take her revenge on you. Do you have nothing else to say?”
“For a demon who would have killed her own father given half a chance, it’s difficult to think of this as a groundbreaking issue, especially when the root of half the issues in the South is precisely the Northern clans making use of their vulnerabilities,” Shen Yuan replies flatly. “If that’s all the most important matters covered, please excuse me. I have a disciple to attend to.”
Before either of the two can voice their complaints, Shen Yuan ushers them out of the bamboo house and shuts the door in their faces. Leaning back against the door to make sure they stay closed, he glances over his sleeping disciple, still struggling in his current state.
Luo Binghe is drenched in his own sweat and clearly not dreaming peacefully. All his muscles are tense and the tent under the covers is only rising. Shen Yuan is pretty sure that even if he tries to shake him awake now, it won’t do him any good. He is also pretty confident that if he stays near him for even a minute longer, it won’t do either of them any good.
Covering his eyes briefly, he cannot bear the sudden weariness that comes over him. His shoulders curve into themselves in ways they haven’t done since his twenty-hour days in front of the computer screen, which feels like an eternity ago. It is almost comforting to know that this body can actually manage such a position. Yet, he can’t help it. Before he knows it, Shen Yuan is sitting down on the bed, tips of his fingers gently brushing against Luo Binghe’s cheek.
The skin under his fingers is burning up, and the incense burner is still drawing demonic power out at a silly rate. What the hell did Sha Hualing poison him with?! It can’t have been just any random aphrodisiac, right? Are there other demonic poisons with the side effect of uncomfortable boners? Knowing Airplane’s tendency towards idiocy, too many, probably. Not once did such things ever strike the Protagonist in the past, though. His desires were already insatiable enough that he didn’t need any. And if someone else got saddled with it instead, usually a wife-plot of the cheapest kind, then naturally it was Luo Binghe coming to the rescue with an all-healing round of middle school grader papapa fantasy.
What the hell is he supposed to do now when the one adversely affected is Luo Binghe?
Don’t you already know what to do? A treacherous voice in his head says. It’s not difficult. You have already done it before, you’ve dreamt about it. You want to do it, you want it so badly, you’ve wanted it all along…
Shen Yuan closes his eyes and clenches his fist. The Xin Mo shard made into a bracelet on his wrist burns like fire. The skin under it is a flaming red. The protective talisman is all burnt away, and the shard seems to be trying to bury itself in his skin.
Yet no matter what, Shen Yuan can’t make himself stand up.
His hand, trembling with his efforts to control it, is brushing Luo Binghe’s hair away from his face, soft and tentative and… and…
Shen Yuan catches his thumb running across Luo Binghe’s lower lip and nearly retches on the spot
Fuck off. The hell do you think I am, Xin Mo, you bastard?! The thing is a friggin sword, what does it care if Shen Yuan wants to… to… Argh! His feelings are his, damn it! Definitely not something for the stupidass piece of metal to be pushing onto Luo Binghe, especially not… not… at a time like this.
But the mere notion of pressing against those slightly parted lips is so overpowering that every instinct in Shen Yuan’s body is screaming against it. For it. He can barely tell anymore. He just knows, on the fundamental level, that if he gets any closer than this now, it’s gonna… the control he still struggles to retain…
A faint image stirs his mind.
Shen Qingqiu’s flesh, seductively cradling Luo Binghe, lightly clinging to him. His breaths come in gasps, on the brink of sobs, and after a particularly hard thrust, his lips draw tight, low whines seeping out from his nose.
“Fucking stop it already!” Shen Yuan bursts, digging his nails into his own flesh to break the illusion.
The images in his head go away, but the goosebumps on his skin don’t, the sensitivity heightened to the point he doesn’t know what to do with it. He’s breathing hard, trying to calm down, but he is about to burst with fury. Where the hell is all this shit coming from?!
He isn’t going to pretend that his mind has never wandered off in many different what-could-have-beens even before Xin Mo started messing with him. Whose mind wouldn’t, knowing they’re the great Stallion Protagonist’s sole sexual obsession? That the Luo Binghe has forsaken his entire harem of pretty and powerful ladies just to fantasize about a stupid old teacher with more pride than sense? More than anything, if Shen Yuan could take his Luo Binghe back and hide him from the world, that’s what he would do. Hold that silly child in his arms and keep him there until his insanity releases the iron grip it holds on his insecurities.
But this is different.
This kind of cruel, almost wanton delusion is nothing like the image of Luo Binghe in Shen Yuan’s head, and it’s nothing at all like the unconscious child on the bed too close to him. It’s not what he wants and it’s not what Luo Binghe ever wanted ─ it’s all Xin Mo’s imagery, born in who knows what kind of rotten mess of a twisted mind. So why does Shen Yuan feel the heat on his skin, the need of Luo Binghe’s lips as they suck at his neck?
The images fade as quickly as they arose, but the illusion of physical sensation continues, a phantom feel of strong arms embracing him tightly, restraining him against his disciple’s chest─
“Screw this shit!”
Shen Yuan digs into his wrist and rips the shard off, careless for all the blood he draws. Curse his damn right hand, always attracting so much trouble.
He crosses the whole bamboo house in two steps to dig up a more powerful talisman from the box on his shelf, sticks it to the bracelet and then throws it somewhere, anywhere, as long as he no longer has to see it. Finally, the heat in his spine seems to settle down a little.
God fucking damn it.
How is it that he’s falling under the influence of Xin Mo’s trap so quickly?! For months, he’s held his own against this, managed to keep his head at least somewhat clear, the awful symbiotic connection between the stupid sword and his spiritual power at least somewhat compatible, given how this one friggin shard let Shen Yuan access so much of that excessively dark power… So what is this now? The game turns on him the moment he comes near something he actually cares about?! This isn’t fucking fair!
What’s even more unfair is how quickly Liu Qingge kicks down the front door of his house until they hang crooked, eyes narrowed into slits. “What’s going on?”
Damn those inhuman senses of his. Liu Qingge’s hand is on Cheng Luan, his eyes scanning for some sort of danger from the doorframe. But suspicious as he may be, whatever he might’ve noticed from the outside, there really is nothing to see inside. Long sleeves covering his self-inflicted injuries, Shen Yuan is pacing around the main room and Luo Binghe is still unconscious on his bed, so what could possibly be going on?
More importantly, Shen Yuan is desperately grateful to Liu-shidi for choosing now to break in, or who knows what might’ve happened a little while later. Who knows how long the new talisman will hold? Shen Yuan’s gone through hundreds of them already.
He says, all too calmly, “I see you’re still here. What about Mu-shidi? Has he left yet?”
Liu Qingge shakes his head, but the look on his face is very complicated. Clearly, he can smell something is wrong and he doesn’t plan to leave without sniffing out what it is. “Did the kid do something?”
“Like what? In his condition, it’ll be a miracle if he’s able to get up anytime soon.” Which he clearly isn’t going to do, because Shen Yuan won’t let him move until he’s sure Binghe is fine. Except he can’t ever make sure of that, not while he himself is still in the room, his mind Xin Mo’s sandbox to play with. Fuck.
“If Mu-shidi is still here, call him back for me,” he decides quickly. “It’s best to transfer Luo Binghe over to Qian Cao Peak for the time being.”
Liu Qingge snorts. “He’s been itching to say the same damn thing.”
He goes back to get Mu Qingfang without complaint, not even apologizing for the damage he’s done to the front door. A little while later, the Qian Cao Peak Lord gives both of them a few more instructions on what to do once Luo Binghe’s condition improves, especially regarding the dream demon infestation, but Shen Yuan hears none of it. The jealousy inside him at someone else touching his Binghe is too much to bear. Every inkling of his willpower is fully focused on letting Mu Qingfang walk off this peak alive.
It’s not until both Mu Qingfang and Luo Binghe are out of his sight that Shen Yuan allows himself to breathe a little. There. One landmine successfully disarmed. What he’s gonna do about the other one, he has no idea.
For some reason, Liu Qingge stubbornly refuses to leave. Too tired to bicker about it with this tricky Shidi, Shen Yuan does his best not to slump as he sits behind the low table and glances over at the man. Xin Mo is still spouting nonsense at him, anger and lust mixed with a deep need to track down Mu Qingfang and kidnap his disciple back, but eh. Those are easier to ignore when Luo Binghe isn’t around to muddle his thoughts even more.
“What about you?” Shen Yuan makes himself speak, a little feebly. “How is Liu-shidi feeling?”
Liu Qingge rolls his eyes as if that’s a very stupid question. “Fine. Why?”
Shen Yuan raises a skeptical eyebrow. “I hear you also got your face full of this powder that made Luo Binghe… like that.”
Thinking back to Liu Qingge’s unlucky encounter with the aphrodisiacs the last time around, he’s pretty sure the same thing is happening all over again ─ Liu Qingge, interpreting lust as a need for violence, which, at this moment, Shen Yuan is very envious about. His spine is tingling even without the sight of Luo Binghe’s face to make it worse. Shen Yuan wishes he had an aphrodisiac as an excuse. As it is, the darkness of his own mind further multiplied by the Xin Mo factor is eating him alive.
That said, aside from looking very confused, Liu Qingge does look fine. No flush to his cheeks, nothing that he’s seemingly trying to hide, nothing to even hint at any adverse effects of stupid powder. Could it be a demon-only papapa pollen, then?
“I’m fine,” Liu Qingge says, visibly confused over why this is even a discussion. “I nearly ruined my own cultivation base with all that demonic energy, but I did it. I’m fine. That crazy disciple of yours isn’t. Tough luck.”
… Right. Tough luck indeed.
Liu Qingge, for better or worse, seems very averse to the notion of leaving, however. His eyes fly over Shen Yuan and his disheveled state, with a small dose of concern that is borderline uncharacteristic for him.
“And you?” he says. “You look like shit.”
Shen Yuan chokes with a need to scream and a need to laugh, all at the same time. Shidi! Leave me some face, why don’t you?! It’s not as though the Southern Realm has lots of places for cultivators to bathe in!
And the ones they do have, naturally, Shen Yuan has examined every single one. But, ahem! Not the point! Although, perhaps a good, long soaking bath with someone to keep him company…
Shen Yuan catches himself before he can drift down that lane and mentally slaps himself. He did not just picture the Shidi in front of him gingerly removing his sweat soaked robes as a part of some naughty seductive dance… Xin Mo, you freak, have a little loyalty! You can't just go switching the target of your affections like socks!
“Certainly, I’d feel better if…” but Shen Yuan trails off, suddenly keenly aware just how close he’s come to saying ‘you touch me ’, as opposed to… whatever it is he was intending to say before. He can hardly make his brain function.
Liu Qingge, his face blank, thankfully understands nothing. “If…?” he prompts, visibly confused.
“Ah, forget it,” Shen Yuan huffs, rising to his feet as he attempts to bully his hopeless Shidi out of his house. “Off you go now, off you go.” He nudges the man around by stepping on his boots, damn things soaked in mud and blood and covered in a layer of dirt thick enough that it’s not even dirtying his floor. The logistics of it make no fucking sense, but Shen Yuan takes any distraction he can get his hands on ─ even if somehow, that’s ultimately the Bai Zhan Peak Lord’s shoulders, as he forcefully turns his shidi around and pushes him to walk towards the exit.
“The hell?” Liu Qingge is saying, twisting his head around and digging his heels in. “You can’t just ─ what are you…?! HEY! I live here too!”
… What…?
Suddenly, no matter how little Liu Qingge resists, Shen Yuan’s own feet stay rooted to the floor.
He stares at his shidi blankly, uncomprehending. What the…?
“Mu Qingfang’s orders,” Liu Qingge grits out, unwillingly, as he suddenly faces away. “The spiritual energy in Qing Jing peak is calm and that’s beneficial to my messed up Qi blockages, apparently.” The dry, icy way the words slip from him indicate that even he is aware of just how ludicrous that sounds. Shen Yuan’s jaw is on the floor. What the actual fuck? Who the hell gave their stamp of approval for this?! Not this master, sure he didn’t!
Not that anyone would have cared to ask for his opinion, what with his I’m not Shen Qingqiu business. The fact that they’ve indulged him for this long is a miracle, really.
Liu Qingge, meanwhile, finally seems to lose some of that composure. Corners of his eyes, his cheeks and even the edges of his ears are dusted in soft, pinkish hue. He blurts, “Forget it. I’ll go pack.”
Then he expertly circles around Shen Yuan and heads straight for the sideroom, leaving Shen Yuan to stand in the middle of the house, openly gaping. What the─?! That’s not ─ he has no authority to kick him out, damn it! Mu Qingfang will definitely not let him, especially if that health benefit nonsense excuse is not total bullshit ─ but more than anything, Shen Yuan is left gaping in shock because ─ putting aside the fact that in his head, the side room has been Luo Binghe’s sacred space for years ─ the room is a mess.
It sits, filled to the brim with the Original Good’s scrolls, books, paintings and god only knows what else, all the stuff Shen Yuan has intentionally pushed there in his first few days just to erase the notion of who is missing from it. And Liu Qingge has simply pushed all of the mess into one corner, just enough to free the bed to be a comfortable place to rest in. His clothes are thrown over the rest of the mess, over the tower of books, the chair and the small desk, hanging on the bookshelves and there is even sleepwear hanging over the bed frame. Liu Qingge picks that up first then starts throwing the rest of the cloth pieces over his arm, busying about while pretending his face hasn’t gone from somewhat pinkish to a flaming red.
However, more than anything else in this vivid picture of Liu Qingge picking up his clothing from what was once Luo Binghe’s private space, the thing that catches Shen Yuan’s attention the most is a pillow.
For a moment, his heart drops in absolute terror that Liu Qingge has perhaps dared touch the protagonist’s precious keepsake ─ but he hasn’t. That one has been neatly packaged and sheltered from the dust just as Shen Yuan left it. Instead, the pillow on the bed is the one that Shen Yuan himself used to use. Apparently it’s been moved over from his bed to here and ─ Shen Yuan shuts down that train of thought before it can form. Are there any other pillows in the house? Nope. And if yes, also no.
“Get out of my way,” Liu Qingge says, now that Shen Yuan is the only thing standing in between him and his way out the door, and Shen Yuan can hardly remember to function. Is Liu Qingge really going to… walk out of this room in the middle of the night with a bunch of his clothes under his arm like that? It’s too funny and too much like kicking a spouse out of the house after a fight… There’s no way. There is no fucking way this is happening.
Liu Qingge’s face is all red and visibly twitching as he grinds his teeth. “Get out of my fucking way.”
“No,” Shen Yuan says, and he’s a little surprised at himself, at just how firm it comes out.
He’s not… like, he isn’t telling Liu Qingge to stay for the rest of his life or anything. But it’s not like he can just kick him out, is it? Because that would be in terrible taste. He’s only just gotten back and technically this place doesn’t even belong to him, so he doesn’t have the right to make the call─
Liu Qingge moves to go around him and Shen Yuan gets in his way again. From staring up and down at his shidi, somehow Shen Yuan’s eyes end up lingering on the man’s bottom lip, the teeth tearing into it and leaving bright red marks like Liu Qingge is barely holding himself from spitting out curses. Perhaps, if he let Shen Yuan bite it, the red might be even prettier… like a lipstick?
Do it.
Except, no, Shen Yuan did not just think that. But his throat bobs up and down, feeling like a lump is stuck to it, his eyes not moving away from where that tortured bottom lip looks so ridiculously inviting.
He swallows, then says, “Put the clothes down. Does it look like I’m kicking you out?”
Liu Qingge ignores him, moving to the other side to get around him again ─ but Shen Yuan gets in his way again, grabbing that wrist before his Shidi can go about punching the door open.
Now Liu Qingge lets go of the clothes, letting them spill all over the floor, if only so he’d reverse-grab Shen Yuan’s wrist and body-slam him into the wall, hard. He’s breathing hard and is beyond livid with the kind of rage Shen Yuan hasn’t seen from him… ever. His grip is merciless and his face flushed, chest rising and falling quickly.
Too close, something screams in Shen Yuan’s head, a tiny voice of blind panic budding deep inside his belly, barely noticeable against the much louder melody singing, Come closer. This other voice is too much like his own.
Liu Qingge is staring directly into his eyes and there is red inside those dark pupils, dancing like a blinking firefly in the middle of the night. Then he spots the white as well, flashes of it that dance in similar ways, like glitter breaking through the darkness, like stars glistening in the night sky. The more he stares at it, the more Shen Yuan loses himself in it. He may be wrong, but to his eyes, it appears as though the white only exists. The red, however, screams to consume. Consume Liu Qingge in all the ways that count, take everything that makes this person human and turn him into a beast.
It should be the other way around. Shen Yuan is the monster here. The red… should go to him.
But then he blinks and… Where… where did the red go? That’s… Shen Yuan’s gotta take that. Like a possessed man, he attempts to touch that face, but now both his wrists are seized and Liu Qingge’s eyes, all dark and normal, seem to be cluing in on something, seem to be noticing something amiss.
“The hell are you doing?! I warned you, get out of my─”
But then Liu-shidi isn’t saying anything anymore, because Shen Yuan brushes his mouth softly against the curve of Liu Qingge’s bottom lip, stealing those words away like they're the most precious treasure he can possibly get.
Logically speaking, Shen Yuan doesn’t know why he’s done it. In a moment of blind panic, he wants to blame Xin Mo for it. The damn evil sword has been messing with his head for months on end ─ but his mind is all blank and seemingly free of that grating voice that’s been edging him on for so long. In contrast, his body screams for it ─ for Liu Qingge to come closer, let him do this again and take away the red that doesn’t belong. That’s… there’s something inherently wrong about that which he cannot figure out and doesn’t care to try. All he knows is that when he, almost terrified, looks again into Liu Qingge’s eyes ─ it is to find the red inside them flashing brighter than ever. Good.
Liu Qingge is clearly trying to say something, but Shen Yuan cares for none of that. He lets his eyes fall shut as he inches forward again, little by little, his mouth softly, desperately clinging onto Liu Qingge’s bottom lip. With his arms restrained, Shen Yuan barely has any leeway to come so close, but he puts his all into craning his neck out, kissing softly, hesitantly, trying to reach out for something intangible from within those eyes with nothing but his lips.
The logic of it is not at all sound and if someone were to ask what Shen Yuan is even trying to reach, he’d have no idea how to explain. He just feels this deep, hungry, needy desire inside of him, to feel everything, to take everything, no matter what it may be. And Liu Qingge is… he…
If Shen Yuan has to do this, then… it’s okay. If it’s Liu-shidi, it’s fine… because… because…
Liu Qingge is… awake. He is awake, fully aware that every little thing Shen Yuan does to him is something he can stop at any point in time, something he can reverse and backtrack on, something he can… decide. That’s… really, the only thing that lets Shen Yuan take the risk and move again, to satiate this confusing mess inside him. If anyone can stop this, then Liu Qingge has the absolute power, and if he doesn’t want to use it, then…
Then Shen Yuan will keep kissing him, a little more urgently, every next time, a little more desperately. Until the monster in him is sated, or until his Shidi decides that he will no longer take it. It doesn’t matter.
They part for merely a moment, just enough to catch their breaths, and the heat of Liu Qingge’s exhale tingles on Shen Yuan’s skin.
“The hell is─”
But Liu Qingge’s words are cut off again, as Shen Yuan angles his head the other way and assaults those lips again, with far less restraint this time. Kisses are meant to be soft, warm and loving, but his mouth must’ve missed the memo, or perhaps it’s taken a page out of Luo Binghe’s book, because he spends much more time gnawing and biting and hungrily sucking onto those lips than what he should be doing, kissing away the bestiality out of a person that shouldn’t have any.
But his Shidi… lets him. The shidi that should know nothing about what lust is and what desire feels like, the noble and upright renowned master Liu, is kissing him fervently back, just as demanding, or perhaps even more so, lost in the passion of the fleeting moment.
Both the reassurance and the horror of that realization tear Shen Yuan’s conscience to shreds, yet those are ultimately washed away under the machinations of those slick and heated lips, dismantled step by step by the skillful workings of that burning tongue as it slips into Shen Yuan’s mouth, wrestling back control as though this is a competition and not… not… whatever it even is. Slowly, moving like he can predict what every little one of his demanding takeovers do to Shen Yuan, Liu Qingge twists the situation until Shen Yuan is falling apart at every single pressure of that mouth, gasping around that tongue like he’s some… some… argh.
What was it that he thought about Liu-shidi’s catastrophic lack of sexual interest after that stupid succubi cave? If this is what he acts like in a moment of confusion, then just how dangerous would he be if he did it intentionally, to someone he actually cared for? And to think Shen Yuan used to think… ah, he takes it all back. Is this why Liu-shidi must always end up dead or humiliated in every iteration of the storyline? Because the universe can’t handle giving the Protagonist competition? Good lord, Airplane knows nothing at all about writing proper character foils, damn his stupid airplane.
Liu Qingge kisses Shen Yuan as if this is the only chance he’s ever going to get, presses himself up against Shen Yuan’s while body like a man starving and Shen Yuan ─ Shen Yuan doesn’t know what the fuck he’s doing, letting himself indulge in this so desperately. It’s Liu Qingge who’s been hit by an aphrodisiac! Liu Qingge! So what if it’s sex pollen strong enough to render Luo Binghe unconscious? It doesn’t explain why Shen Yuan is the one acting like he’s been hit harder. But he can’t ─ he can’t stop himself. Every little contact of Liu Qingge’s tongue against his mouth sends spasms of electricity running down his entire body until they reach the forbidden zone, stirring something better left untouched.
The most awfully unfair thing of all is that Shen Yuan doesn’t… he doesn’t dislike it.
The opposite, really. He craves for more, spurred on by the hungry licks and barely-there gasps that his shidi tries desperately to hide, possessed by the need to move and just create more of them… but his wrists are restrained. Liu Qingge has at some point gone from holding those wrists with both his hands to only pinning them in place with one hand alone. If he tries, Shen Yuan is sure he could break himself free, but there is something about the way he can’t easily move his arms and do something stupid that is wickedly satisfying.
For his part, between raving, open-mouthed kisses that leave them both breathless, Liu Qingge uses his free hand to undo the straps holding Shen Yuan’s robes in place one by one, tugging on them roughly when they refuse to cooperate, but never damaging them. Every time that naughty hand tries to feel up naked skin, it runs into more and more layers in its way, until the frustration reaches its boiling point. By the time he’s down to the innermost layer, Liu Qingge loses it. He rips the last piece, the tear of clothes echoing through the silence in the dead of the night. Finally, his hand finds what it’s been looking for.
Shen Yuan gasps around Liu Qingge’s tongue as the searing hot palm presses against his pecs, rubbing circles all over his chest. There is no reason, absolutely no logical reason as to why something like that can stir so much unbearable pleasure. Overwhelmed, Shen Yuan breaks the kiss and turns his face away from Liu Qingge, his breaths uneven and uncontrolled. It’s too much. All of this ─ way too much. His head is spinning. He’s not sure if it’s because he simply can’t get enough air into his lungs or because every single nerve is burning with arousal, but somehow, the currents in his body are alternating between pleasure and pain and it ─ it makes no fucking sense, why it makes him so dizzy in the process.
All he knows for sure is that the hand over his chest is the only thing that grounds him to reality, the only even remotely stabilizing force keeping him from losing his mind completely. Why, why, why…?
Shen Yuan can’t breathe. More… he wants more, he needs more… he…
If Liu Qingge doesn’t take this chance to push into him, he really is going to lose his fucking mind.
But Liu Qingge… lets him go.
With nothing to hold them up anymore, Shen Yuan’s wrists fall limply by his side, his hands itching to touch, to hold, to take… but take what? He doesn’t know anymore. It takes everything just to keep standing, against his limbs that want to crumble from under him as though they’ve lost all support.
Liu Qingge’s hand is still rubbing circles into his chest, massaging softly, but that no longer feels grounding at all. His other hand is on Shen Yuan’s cheek, trying to get him to turn his face, to look at him, but Shen Yuan… he doesn’t dare. For some reason, he’s terrified of what he’ll find. Is… this not what Liu Qingge also wants? If not, then why… what exactly has Shen Yuan been doing? What kind of a line has he crossed?
He doesn’t know, doesn’t care and is, for some reason, absolutely frightened of finding out. His guts stirring in the most uncomfortable way, he squeezes his eyes shut and refuses to budge, resists to the best of his ability.
Liu Qingge’s hot breath is unsteady against his skin. Shaky, wrought with a similar kind of desperation that Shen Yuan tries to deny. He can’t tell if that little ‘please’ heating up the skin of his ear is imagination or reality, but it is like a command he cannot ignore. Slowly, he relaxes his strained muscles, lets the heat on his skin guide his face to where it should go. The coaxing, encouraging way in which that thumb presses into his cheek and lifts his face gives him the courage to open his eyes, if only for a moment.
The first thing he sees is those wet, reddened lips that look like they want to devour him every waking moment of the day. He wants to kiss them, bite them, tear into them and possess them, but he… He swallows and with great effort, forces himself to look up, look at Liu Qingge’s eyes.
There, the first thing that gets his attention is that the red has quelled. It is still there, but not as bright, not as overbearing. The white is there too, brighter than before. It’s not exactly equal ─ Shen Yuan suspects that achieving that impossible balance is what makes both these contrasting forces disappear, and the little flashes of it are only visible because the disbalance is purposeful and intentional. Forced, even. Shen Yuan could get lost in those eyes regardless, forever wandering without having a clue where he’s going.
He’s not sure why that scares him, or why that look of mild concern on Liu Qingge’s face makes him want to scream.
“I…” he chokes, as he feebly grasps the lapels of Liu-shidi’s robes. They’re wide open too, baring the naked skin of his chest in the same way Shen Yuan’s clothes betrayed him and that’s… Shen Yuan wants to push them out of the way instead of clinging on like a child, but he can’t make his hands move. His mouth is so dry. He knows the best way to fix that is to kiss this person in front of him, kiss him more, more, more…
But his eyes travel downward, where his fingers have, without his conscious intention, slipped past the waistline of Liu Qingge’s pants, trailing along the skin, down, down, down…
“No.”
Shen Yuan blinks, uncomprehending. Liu Qingge’s voice is calm, but firm. It’s so calm that it actually sounds completely unlike the beast that is the Renowned Master Liu, but that’s… Shen Yuan heard it clearly. It is a definitive no. Slowly, he withdraws his fingers one by one ─ and he swears it up and down that the way he suggestively drags them along Liu Qingge’s abs is not intentional.
The muscles under his fingers twitch and tighten and relax and it sounds like the words are being punched out of him when Liu Qingge says, “No. Look at me.”
No, then, for sure?
Alright. Okay.
Slowly, Shen Yuan’s eyes travel up, pausing only briefly on the line of that neck and the thin sheen of sweat that’s built up, traveling downward until it disappears behind the collar of Liu Qingge’s robes.
Shen Yuan swallows thickly, forcing his eyes to go further up until they finally find Liu Qingge’s face again, scrunched up into a deep frown and watching him intently.
“Good,” Liu Qingge says and the resolute calmness to his voice is only firmer. Forced. Then, as though he’s not quite sure of himself, he adds, “Now sit ─ sit down.”
Compelled by the mere sound of that voice, Shen Yuan moves to obey, only to get stopped midway, Liu Qingge gripping his arm by the elbow.
“No ─ not the floor, damn it!” he snaps and curses under his breath. Then he guides Shen Yuan and eventually sits him down on the bed of the side room, not once letting his arm go, not once breaking the contact between the palm of his hand and the naked skin of Shen Yuan’s chest. It’s ─ it’s been pouring spiritual power there all along. Shen Yuan jerks out of sheer surprise, trying to shrug it off ─ how the hell did he never notice that?! He tries to pry it off, instantly─
“No,” Liu Qingge snaps, and there it is again. His voice in that strange tone and every word coming out of his mouth is a command that Shen Yuan can’t possibly disobey. He settles down on the bed, trying to figure out what to do. Should he take his clothes off all the way first, then? Is that what this is? But the moment he tries, Liu Qingge drags his robes back up from his elbows to his shoulders and groans.
“Just, stop. Whatever you think you need to do ─ stop it,” he commands.
Listlessly, Shen Yuan’s hands fall down into his lap. For the first time, the ache of his building erection takes second place to give way to the sheer confusion. What the hell is happening? Why is he so…?
“Succubi essence,” Liu Qingge grits out through his teeth. He is visibly conflicted over something, silently cursing again, but then he slowly squeezes himself in to kneel in between Shen Yuan’s legs as the hand on his chest shifts a little to the side, over his heart, while his other hand rests on Shen Yuan’s lower belly, under his navel and far too close to where all the crazy heat is pooling. All that spiritual power that comes with that touch is not helping. Shen Yuan tries to hold back ─ he’s been warned to back off, damn it ─ but he can’t help the needy little moan that slips past him.
Liu Qingge’s face darkens considerably. “Were you poisoned?”
Shen Yuan can’t focus on speaking over the heat spreading through his nether regions. It’s just a hand, it’s not even touching him there, and if it keeps going, he might just burst. Liu Qingge, damn you, if you don’t stop that─
Except Liu Qingge does withdraw that hand and Shen Yuan catches himself whining at the absence even more.
“Shit! What the… what is wrong with you?” Liu Qingge whines back. “Your spiritual power is fine, your dantians are fine. Why are you…?” The hand comes back to his lower belly and Shen Yuan can’t help but relax into that heated touch. More of that, yes, please. It feels too good. Even the spiritual power flowing through him. A little intimate, initially, but now he feels like he can barely function without it.
“Damn it, you’re just reactive to anything at this point,” Liu Qingge is muttering under his breath. “Shen Yuan, what the hell did you do?”
Nothing that he’s wanted to do, unfortunately. The sudden absence of warmth over his belly gets a whiny, needy little breath out of him, but Liu-shidi ignores it mercilessly this time around. His hand goes back to resting against his chest, rubbing all over it, spreading spiritual power through him in ways that feel more invasive than actual penetration would be and Shen Yuan moans with sheer pleasure. He’s so close at this point, he might actually come just from this.
“Just stop,” Liu Qingge groans. “I know I’m ─ this shit, just making it worse. But, give me a bit… I’ll figure it out.” And then he’s doing something with his spiritual power that feels more pleasurable than anything Shen Yuan’s ever felt. His head lolls back first, the sound that escapes him getting Liu-shidi very worried, so instead he tilts forward, letting his sweat-drenched forehead fall onto Liu Qingge’s shoulder. His hair spills over the entirety of his Shidi’s arm, draping and hiding everything away from the darkness of the night. His spine shudders as the spiritual power within him recoils momentarily, the change leaving him desperately gasping for release.
The reaction startles Liu Qingge to the point that he simply doesn’t move. “S-Shen Yuan?”
Shen Yuan whines into his skin, a little pathetically. If the front of his pants is wet, so be it, damn it all, but Shen Yuan can’t, he… He presses his nose against Liu-shidi’s neck, inhaling the tantalizing scent as though it’s a drug and he can’t help it, as another shudder rocks through him. It’s not good enough, so he presses his lips into the crook where neck meets shoulder, then changes his mind and comes for it with his teeth. Liu Qingge shudders under him and Shen Yuan feels a vindictive amount of glee over it. At least, he’s not the only one suffering.
A hand settles on his knee then, and Liu Qingge says, sounding very annoyed, “If it’s not your lower dantian and it’s not poison, it’s your head, isn’t it?”
Shen Yuan presses another soft kiss, now in the upper section of Liu Qingge’s neck, right under the ear, then rubs circles with his tongue. There’s a fist flexing in his robes, only further spurring him on.
“Oi, Shen Yuan. If you don’t stop this, I’m going to hurt you.”
Shen Yuan murmurs something unintelligible directly into his skin, but really, Liu Qingge can do anything to him right now. The more it hurts, the better. Anything, to get rid of the ache between his legs.
The foreign spiritual power coursing through his body disappears entirely, only for both those hands to press their weight into Shen Yuan’s knees, as Liu Qingge forces himself to stand up. What with him rising up to his full height and Shen Yuan staying seated on the bed, the neck becomes too far out of reach. Mind blank, Shen Yuan searches for something else to latch onto. The only thing close enough is the naked skin of Liu Qingge’s midsection and the nasty edges of the scar that rests there. Skinner, was it? Shen Yuan moves to place a soft kiss against it, only for a hand on his forehead to stop him before he can connect.
It’s Liu-shidi’s hand, and it’s covering his eyes, keeping him in place.
“Shidi?” Shen Yuan whines softly.
“No,” Liu Qingge says, gritting his teeth. “Just shut up and listen. Succubi essence is messing with your head. That shit’s worse than any aphrodisiac. But you’re a goddamn cultivator. Don’t you know how to handle it?”
How to handle aphrodisiacs? Mm, Shen Yuan knows how. It’s Liu-shidi who seems to be having trouble─
“You… have you ever run into a lust demon before?” Liu Qingge snaps, impatiently. At Shen Yuan’s affirmative nod, he grunts back. “You should be able to tell the difference then. Aphrodisiacs mess with the body, lust demon essence messes with the mind. Get what I’m saying?”
Shen Yuan finds himself nodding slowly. Aphrodisiacs make you wanna bang. Succubi essence decides who you wanna bang with. Makes perfect sense, really. If only Liu Qingge would now let him move─
“Like hell you do.” Liu Qingge curses silently. “Lust demons use their essence to make others obsessed with them. This shit now ─ that’s what it is. And that’s my mistake, alright? I screwed up. For a good minute, I…” but he trails off, the hand covering Shen Yuan’s eyes twitching slightly. “But I didn’t make you like this. Pay attention, damn it.”
From where Shen Yuan has successfully managed to trace a wet trail along Liu Qingge’s scar with the tip of his tongue, he pauses just long enough to consider those words.
“... is Liu-shidi telling me in a very roundabout way that he is a lust demon in disguise?” he asks, between his attempts to mold his lips against the skin of his abdomen.
“NO! ”
Shen Yuan hums approvingly. Then he tries to teasingly bite at the skin in front of him only to come up empty. Liu Qingge has moved just out of reach again. The disappointment hurts him physically.
“I’m ─ gonna do something,” Liu Qingge grits out through his teeth, like he’s straining. “It’s going to hurt. But it’s also going to help. Probably. What you gotta do is tell me exactly where it hurts. Be precise about it.”
Shen Yuan whines softly. Without something for his lips to reach for, it feels like everything hurts.
Then a flash of purest spiritual power burns through the entirety of his body and it feels like his nerves have been instantly set on fire. Shen Yuan doubles over, choking. It hurts too much to breathe, and he squirms and writhes, because he can’t even willingly make a sound. The only reason he hasn’t hit the floor face first is because Liu Qingge holds onto him, holds him steady around his chest and shoulders while he gasps for air, like he can barely break past the water surface suffocating him. But where moments ago, Liu-shidi’s touch felt warm and comforting, now it feels like the very root of the agony inside him.
“Where does it hurt?” Liu Qingge’s lips brush against his ear, burning like acid.
Shen Yuan tries to keep himself grounded, but it’s too much all at once. He’d rather just scream, but he can’t even open his mouth. “E-every…” he tries, as tears involuntarily break through. “Stop… stop … make it stop…”
But it’s unclear whether Liu Qingge even hears those breathless sobs. He certainly does not stop. If anything, the longer it goes on, the worse it gets, to the point he can’t even mask the sobs with gasps anymore ─ cannot string a single word.
“I know,” Liu Qingge says softly, “but there’s gotta be something that hurts differently. Tell me.”
Shen Yuan feels like his whole body is being ripped apart, piece by piece, then set on fire. Differently? What the hell can hurt differently? He wants to cry, wants to scream, wants to take a sword and stab himself just to end the agony. What different?! He’s going crazy here─
Something does hurt differently, though. While the entirety of his body feels like it’s charred and burning, there’s one place that feels like it may as well be burning, but from cold instead. Shen Yuan can’t ─ he doesn’t even know what part of his body it is, hell if he can say a word. But he tries to move it. The softest twitch, the most helpless little tremble, the best he can manage under the circumstances. But Liu Qingge’s senses have always been ridiculously sharp.
“Gotcha now, bastard,” he hisses.
Shen Yuan forces himself to open his eyes, blurred and flashing with stars as his vision may be ─ just in time to catch a blinding white light burn in Liu Qingge’s eyes. There’s nothing holding him anymore. Shen Yuan is lying down on the bed and he doesn’t remember how or when that happened, doesn’t remember anything but the pure agony coursing through his veins.
Liu Qingge’s eyes are intensely focused. The white has almost completely overshadowed the red, the hidden power in his eyes pulsing together with the spiritual power lingering on the tips of his fingers. It’s crackling with energy unlike anything Shen Yuan’s ever felt ─ too pure to be spiritual, too earthly to be godly. Liu Qingge brings all of that power directly onto Shen Yuan’s right wrist ─ ah, that accursed hand again.
It’s always the same one, too. The accursed hand that clicked on Proud Immortal Demon Way. The one that contracted Without a Cure. The one that got saddled with bearing Xin Mo’s shard.
Shen Yuan sees it only for a moment ─ the flash of wicked purple trying to counter Liu Qingge’s pure white ─ before it shatters to nothingness. The shockwave that follows shakes the entire bamboo house like a minor explosion, toppling over a pile of books to the ground. Shen Yuan barely feels anything other than a set of chains untangling from somewhere inside him, cold and disorienting, leaving him dully throbbing with a sudden absence.
Liu Qingge feels all of it.
The shockwave passes through him, the backlash bad enough to shake his whole body. He seems dizzy, for a moment. Shaking his head wildly to shake it off, and visibly failing, only to culminate in a mouthful of blood that forces its way out of his throat. Then he simply falls against the bed like a puppet with its strings cut, trembling slightly.
“Shidi…?” Shen Yuan croaks, his voice barely above a whisper.
Liu Qingge shakes his head against the bedsheets, breathing ragged. Fingers clutch at his chest, as though trying to break the skin. “Fine,” he chokes out, the most obvious lie.
If Shen Yuan had the strength to move, he’d try to help, but really, he barely knows what’s wrong with him. Nothing hurts anymore, but this emptiness is somehow worse. “Shidi, you─”
“I’m fine,” Liu Qingge snaps, strangled and breathy. “Just the damn blockages acting up. Fuck. That was one hell of a blood curse.”
“Huh?” What curse? Xin Mo? Shen Yuan’s mind is barely functioning. Did Liu Qingge just destroy a piece of a world breaking plot device in front of his eyes? With just two fingers? And survived?
Liu Qingge tries to stand up, only to just straight up collapse against the bed a moment later. His arm lands on the mattress and Shen Yuan catches it, holding it steady while his Shidi struggles to get his breathing back under control.
“Liu-shidi?” he mumbles, trying to get a feel for his spiritual power from what he can grasp of his hand, but he’s too much of a mess to be able to tell anything. Just the blockages building up, and he can’t even spare a thought to clear them.
“Gotta… rest,” Liu Qingge mumbles, breathlessly. Then he just slumps, his head collapsing on top of his arm. Shen Yuan panics mildly, at first, until a gentle little hand squeeze confirms the man really is just sleeping. Then he… he laughs.
Shen Yuan laughs, hollowly and helplessly, until laughter turns into tears which devolve into outright sobs. His head is clearing slowly. He has no idea what the fuck just happened here. Hasn’t had a single clue what he’s been doing all night long.
Bringing his shaky arm to cover his face, Shen Yuan trembles slightly. Tears spill, one by one, soaking into the fabric, until his ragged breathing turns into muffled little sobs that quickly break completely out of control. All the pain, rage, helplessness and grief that he’s been shying away from, denying, ignoring all along ─ all of it comes back to get him now. A tight knot in his chest he’s been pretending doesn’t exist, a need to scream and get it all out of him that he’s been resisting at every turn. It all comes pouring now, with nothing to get in its way, nothing to stop it. Shen Yuan might just drown in it, the way it feels like all the old wounds have been ripped open against his will.
The hand he’s desperately been holding onto twitches like it’s trying to break free. Shen Yuan wrestles between the need to hold it tighter and let it go, ultimately resolving on the latter ─ only for the fingers to shift only slightly. Right until they slip through and in between Shen Yuan’s fingers, squeezing softly.
“Shidi, I─” but Shen Yuan can’t come up with any word of explanation, not a single excuse. There doesn’t seem to be a need for it, either. Liu Qingge’s eyes are closed, his breathing calmer.
Shen Yuan sniffs into his sleeve as he drowns in misery, but not shame. Not right now. Not after everything. Slowly, he shifts over to his side, managing to squeeze a little bit of spiritual power through his weakened body, passing it over to Liu Qingge through where their hands rest intricately linked together. Even if he tried, he probably wouldn’t be able to pry it off. So he doesn’t. He gives what spiritual power he can instead, to sort out the mess of blockages building up in Liu Qingge’s meridians, holding onto that hand like a lifeline.
Shen Yuan lets himself drift off only once he’s sure there’s not a single blockage left needing clearing, once he knows he’s got them all. He lets himself shut his eyes and relax only once he’s sure nothing can happen, anymore.
But even as, eventually, his eyes fall shut against his willing input, at no point does he ever let Liu Qingge go.
Notes:
The way this chapter was intended to be full on smexy smut in its first draft, except my boys simply did NOT vibe with those plans... so we got this abomination instead. Despite my best efforts, the canon flavor of sex-is-suffering for our leads is still going strong. Not forever, my honeys. NOT FOREVER.
That said, it's straight up facts that SY can't recognize any sort of romantic prospect without said prospect getting to shove their tongue down his throat first. Meanwhile LQG would rather DIE than act upon any fuzzy feelings... and so this ship is bound to sink before it ever sets sail, unless external forces meddle in the most drastic and unsettling ways possible.
Really, Xin Mo is such a fun literary device to use as a harbinger of disaster. No matter what mental blocks our adorkable idiots have in place, this bastard of an evil sword is bound to punch right through... and if Xin Mo gets punched back in return, that's just fair play, no?
Chapter 32: Control
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
When Liu Qingge stirs from sleep, it’s to find late afternoon sun sneaking in through his lashes and the windows. It’s annoying, because he’s sleepy and feeling like he’s been trampled over by a rampaging horde of Black Moon Rhinoceros Pythons, so he doesn’t immediately move. Just the state of awareness brings with it the many aches from the awkward way he’s fallen asleep, spine bent at a weird angle, arm under his head numb and prickling with pins and needles as he tries to move it. Except, it’s not the numbness alone keeping it in place.
Liu Qingge forces his eyes to open against the blinding daylight, blearily fighting wetness that blurs his vision, only to find his hand trapped in a death grip by… somebody else’s hand. With the fingers laced together, holding on as though they’ve been molded together… Liu Qingge tenses up. But in his attempt to move, it stirs the other person as well ─ and before Liu Qingge can start breathing from the shock of whose face he finds there, Shen Yuan tightens the hold on his hand and yanks it back, hugging it closer to his chest.
Liu Qingge’s breath catches. How in the fuck─
Wait, no. There… there was a blood curse. Shen Yuan, acting all weird like he was out of his fucking mind. And… fuck. Like that, Shen Yuan kissed him. Shen Yuan actually kissed him. Right after the inane amounts of Luo Binghe's demonic energy stirred the dormant aspect of Liu Qingge's power that he'd never consciously used before. Shit.
Shen Yuan went absolutely, mindlessly crazy as if he had no fucking clue his head was being messed with at all and he’d… kissed… Liu Qingge. Like that was gonna fix it and not just make things worse.
Perhaps he really didn’t know. Liu Qingge… there are things he'd rather hide from the world even if he has to die, and the legacy of the Liu clan is one such thing. But there are those who will still take one look at him and see through the specifics of his bloodline instantly. Most demons can tell by his smell alone, that he is different from other cultivators, even if they cannot specify how. To this day, he cannot tell if Luo Binghe is one of those demons who sees through him entirely or not, but with Shen Yuan… Liu Qingge has always done his best, to hide the unsightly parts of himself from Shen Yuan. To pretend like they don't exist. This kind of thing should have never, ever gotten a chance to affect him.
Except, somehow it has and… Liu Qingge doesn’t actually know shit about… anything, really. What the hell has Shen Yuan been doing away from Cang Qiong Mountain?
More importantly, Shen Yuan kissed him the moment he came back to the sect and Liu Qingge… Liu Qingge lost his mind, sense and control completely ─ but it was just seconds! Moments! Fine, maybe he really enjoyed that kiss for the time that it took him to remember that they should not be doing this, but… but he definitely wasn’t the one to start it. The stupid demonic essence in his blood is not an aphrodisiac, damn it all, and even if it can be used as such, Liu Qingge has never learned how…
But something else did trigger it.
He could feel it, the moment his demonic essence overpowered his consiousness, spurred on by the blood curse on Shen Yuan and now… now…
Liu Qingge gulps. Now, whether or not either one of them likes it, Shen Yuan is high on the lust demon essence like it’s a drug and that’s… gonna take time to fix. Fuck, forget the way it might affect the body, the way it messes with the head is way worse. If Shen Yuan opens his eyes now, is he gonna be able to see Liu Qingge as anything other than a walking sexual obsession to satisfy himself with? More importantly, would Liu Qingge even mind it, if it’s…
He cuts off that thought, closes his eyes and loathes himself for ever daring to picture what that scenario could have looked like. If he… lets it… is that even… bad? No matter what he pictures, it can’t be worse than what already happened.
Shen Yuan is resting next to him, curled up in a ball with traces of tears having dried all over his face. He’s hugging Liu Qingge’s hand close to him, and it doesn’t take more than a look to confirm his worst fears. The person in front of him is a sticky mess and all of it ─ all of this, is because Liu Qingge let himself get distracted for only a moment. Holy fucking shit.
His mother’s words ring in his ears, like an ominous warning from hell as she says, “Control, within the Liu clan’s power, is ultimately what dictates the fate of its descendants. Lose it, if only for a moment, and you become a slave at the mercy of whatever has taken it from you to begin with.”
Except… if it’s Shen Yuan, Liu Qingge wouldn’t even mind surrendering everything. If it’s him, Liu Qingge would… he would…
Fuck. Mother only ever called this shit dangerous to him. Not once has she ever said how dangerous he might be to… to others. Especially those who… who he… ugh.
A shudder travels down his spine, cold and uneasy. The shit that caused all this, it… it had come from the outside, that much he is sure of. Using his eyes with the purpose of grasping the spiritual world has never come naturally to him, even before he'd sacrificed the majority of that talent for Mingyan, so even barely tapping into it now is too overwhelming. But for Shen Yuan, he’s braved the risk, called upon a power he should’ve long since abandoned and looked inside…
And what he saw there terrifies him still.
Even the mere glimpse of the spiritual flows in Shen Yuan's body makes him feel like there is ice flowing through his veins, a thorny fist gripping his heart and squeezing. Possession, Shen Yuan called it. He’d died, kicked out the righteous owner and made do with the body as is. Even if it's not his body, he's all fine and dandy and ─ what rotten fucking bullshit was it?! Liu Qingge never should have taken those words at face value. Before, he never would have thought to look… for Shen Qingqiu, he wouldn’t have cared…
But Shen Yuan spent months, giving away the last of his spiritual power, sharing all he could in the most intimate way possible without any actual physical intimacy and… already the first time he’d done it, Liu Qingge knew he was walking out of Qian Cao Peak a changed man. But he’d thought a few days, a few weeks even ─ he could bear it. Mu Qingfang had gone to similar lengths before, to help him, and those had never made him feel raw and exposed and helpless the way Shen Yuan did in just one try.
Months of it had left its mark, however, and to this day… Liu Qingge wanted to think it was just his own sensitivity. He really wanted to think that his own growing feelings had everything to do with the forced proximity and the legacy of his family and nothing else. He’d kept pestering Mu Qingfang to check him for heart demons, because every single thing that’s made him feel attraction towards others before, it has only ever had root in the demonic essence running through family bloodline for centuries. It was a flimsy excuse from the start. The demonic essence isn’t… it’s not something he can turn on or off at will. It’s a part of him, a stupid inherited trait that messes up his internal balance and makes him nothing but a sensitive freak of nature, the sole destabilizing factor to his cultivation on the whole… by all means, it should have had no effect on anyone other that demons that can't tell the difference between their wants and needs anyway.
But now… now things are like this and…
Safe to say, Liu Qingge probably won’t be able to look Shen Yuan in the eye ever again. And that notion of ever actually expressing… anything that he may have felt… to his face? Yeah, not happening. Liu Qingge wouldn’t be able to live with it, the chance that something like this might happen again if he slips up, if only for a moment.
Not that blood curses of this magnitude are an everyday thing, fuck no. But whatever the thing latching onto Shen Yuan was, it was vicious. Liu Qingge could feel the extent of its power as it rebounded through him. If it had been at full force, it might have turned him to dust on the spot. And Shen Yuan ─ his body, mind and soul were all under the influence of that power. Just one segment is bad enough, but all of it?!
Even now, Liu Qingge is not confident that he managed to clear all of that influence away or if he just… destroyed the physical representation of it. Because that thing on Shen Yuan’s wrist seemed to be the root cause, but it… it was feeding off something. In his body, in his mind, his soul. Heart demons, maybe? Liu Qingge can think of few other things that could affect all the aspects of human life all at once. But those cracks he saw, the damage the curse has done to the soul…
Even in the past, when Liu Qingge’s heavenly sight still worked for him more reliably… he had never seen a human soul… damaged that way. Wrought with cracks on the surface that seem to hint at countless small heavenly punishments, or perhaps just one big one. The damning one. The one that could cost him the reincarnation if… if…
But in the end, Liu Qingge knows nothing about Shen Yuan and his soul. If its current state is a consequence of his own past decisions or the blood curse, is that something Liu Qingge is allowed to ask? And even if he is, is that something Shen Yuan will know or want to answer?
The sheets under Shen Yuan’s face are wet from tears even hours later. It doesn’t look like the sleep he’s fallen into is a nice kind. And sure, Liu Qingge could break the spell and wake him and ask everything that he wants to know. The whole thing between them would inevitably become infinitely more uncomfortable, but at least, maybe then he would know how to fix it…
But Shen Yuan needs that rest.
Blood curses are nasty to deal with even when they’re at their most basic. Liu Qingge would know, for he’s destroyed many. The nastiest of them all had ultimately cost him his heavenly sight in all but brief bursts, but that’s… Knowing the consequences, he’d still do the same thing all over again.
This is different. The blood curse that Shen Yuan had clinging to him ─ that was much, much worse. Destroying this one was too much, even for Liu Qingge. For Shen Yuan, who must’ve been stuck under it for long enough that it took such deep roots, the whole experience must’ve been a whole lot worse.
Liu Qingge rubs small, gentle circles into the back of that delicate hand. Porcelain skin, smooth and pale, those fingers so long and slender. In comparison, the rough, scarred skin of Liu Qingge’s hands is almost unbearable to look at. For a moment, he’s tempted to lean his face in to press his lips over it, but that’s…
The more he lingers around, the more trouble he’ll have letting go, once the time comes. And it’s ─ it’s coming soon. Outside it’s clear that it’s late in the afternoon. Cang Qiong Mountain has just encountered an attack unlike any other, so everything must be chaotic… and yet two of the peak lords are nowhere to be found. Someone would notice, right? Someone will come looking. Before they do, Liu Qingge… he will need to go. Because his reputation doesn’t fucking matter, but Shen Qingqiu’s reputation has always been nasty and Shen Yuan ─ no matter what, Shen Yuan doesn’t deserve to be saddled with any implications, not right now.
Slowly, without risking to tug his hand free of that desperate hold, Liu Qingge shifts until he is actually sitting on the bed. Shen Yuan obviously notices that unrest to some degree, because his grip on Liu Qingge’s hand goes from lax to iron chains in a heartbeat, but it’s not like Liu Qingge wants to get away to start with. Shen Yuan still tugs his hand closer, until he’s gripping the whole arm, shaking slightly.
“No,” he’s whispering under his breath, barely audible even to Liu Qingge’s sensitive hearing. “No… no… Binghe… let… let me…”
Liu Qingge shudders slightly. What is he dreaming, exactly?
Before Liu Qingge can guess, there’s noise from outside the room, the sound of multiple different people approaching and he ─ where the hell is Cheng Luan? Before Liu Qingge can find it or even summon it to his hand, the intruders start speaking ─ and he releases a breath he didn’t know he’s been holding. It’s just Qing Jing brats.
“What in the world happened to the front door?” Ming Fan is asking. “Do you think Liu-shishu kicked them down again? What if Shizun sees this? We should call someone for the repairs immediately─”
“What repairs?!” Ning Yingying of the juniors explodes. “The entire mountain is a wreckage and you want to call someone to fix a crooked door? We were lucky the whole peak wasn’t blown up! Forget the front door and come help us clean the rest of the rubble! Shizun won’t care for the door one way or another until the other facilities are fixed!”
“But you’re sure, right? Ji-shimei wasn’t joking? Shizun is back, right?"
“Ji-shijie said Shizun brought A-Luo back with him,” Ning Yingying says. “But now A-Luo is definitely on Qian Cao Peak and no one has seen Shizun all day─”
A stronger, far more authoritative voice cuts in, then. “Your Shizun is indeed back. Wait patiently, there’s much work that needs to be done before the sect is back in order.”
“Shishu!” the kids jump, and it’s impossible to tell if they’re even more nervous now or simply excited. “Is there something we can do to assist Shishu? Shizun is not here, but─”
“It’s not your Shizun I’m looking for, either. I’m just here to pick up something quickly and I’ll be on my way. You can go back to what you were doing, it’s no issue at all. I already know where to look.”
There’s few moments of things just shuffling around, sounds of someone moving something, throughout all of which Liu Qigge sits with his back ramrod straight, ready to throw a Qi blast at the door at the sign of even slightest disturbance. It’s ridiculous, this is Qing Jing Peak, there should not be any disturbance, but─
The door of the side room cracks open, and Liu Qingge lifts his arm ─ only to put it back down when Mu Qingfang’s face peeks inside. But even if he’s no longer looking to attack, Liu Qingge’s expression is still dark.
“The hell are you doing here?” he grits through his teeth, raw and crooked and simply hoarse, barely like himself.
“Making sure I haven’t accidentally misdiagnosed my patients,” Mu Qingfang answers plainly, closing the door behind him as he noiselessly slips inside. “Are you alright?”
Liu Qingge grimaces and avoids his eyes. “… you’ve already been here before? So, you know…?”
“Twice already,” Mu Qingfang answers, but his eyes seem to be glancing over Shen Yuan more than Liu Qingge while he speaks. “There was something I wanted to check with Shen-shixiong… but I don’t suppose now is the time. Good to see that I wasn’t wrong, though. Whatever happened here, you were enough to handle it.”
Liu Qingge grimaces even harder. He’s not quite sure if handling it is the right way to call it. Without him around, it never would’ve gotten this bad to start with. “Do you know what’s wrong with him?” he asks gruffly instead, glaring as Mu Qingfang slowly makes his approach to inspect Shen Yuan’s wrist.
“Not quite, but I can guess the gist of it,” Mu Qingfang answers, tiredly. He looks like he wants to slump down and sit on the bed too, but he refrains under the sheer force of Liu Qingge’s glare. “Liu-shixiong, are you going to tell me what’s wrong if I ask?”
“Hell no.”
Mu Qingfang sighs. “Then I won’t press. It’s just good to confirm that neither one of you was in any immediate danger─”
“Did you know?” Liu Qingge cuts in sharply. Mu Qingfang pauses for a moment, his eyebrow twitching ever so slightly. He says nothing, which fuels Liu Qingge’s need to punch something even more. “I asked you, did you fucking know?!”
“Liu-shixiong is going to need to be a little more specific,” Mu Qingfang answers calmly. “What exactly do you want me to answer?”
Liu Qingge wants to kick him, but he refrains. Instead, he glares at the pile of toppled over books behind the man. In the giant mess all over the floor, there is one book standing out, the only one in the pile whose covers Liu Qingge actually recognizes, because the burnt corner of it is a direct consequence of his own short temper, lost many years ago. The book has fallen open to some random page or other, while the covers are in plain sight of everyone who bothers to look. Mu Qingfang follows that look until he inevitably finds it, too. He sighs.
“Liu-shixiong, the medical history of your martial siblings, no matter what kind, is not something you have the right to snoop into.”
“Like hell,” Liu Qingge hisses. “Is that why you were so adamantly against letting Shen Qingqiu anywhere near me after the mess with Skinner? Cause you knew he was chock full of heart demons that could bleed over to anyone else around him?”
“Liu-shixiong─”
“Don’t at me with that attitude,” Liu Qingge snaps. “The heart demons are Shen Qingqiu’s, right? The whole time I─” he takes a deep breath to calm down, the free fist shaking slightly. “Shen Yuan was under the effects of some sort of a dangerous curse. Shit like that should’ve wrecked his cultivation base first, then his mind. But his cultivation is fine. Accustomed or I dunno ─ the kind of instinctive body reaction, protecting the spiritual core at all costs. I had to… intentionally… I had to… but it didn’t do shit! Because his cultivation is fine. Nothing made sense until I saw that damned book! So Mu Qingfang, I swear to god, unless you start talking─”
“Liu-shixiong─”
“Shut up while I’m talking!” Liu Qingge explodes. “If you gave that book to Shen Qingqiu, then… then it had to be bad. Shen Qingqiu would know ─ he knew how to handle that shit. His cultivation started with dark practices first, so his whole base is just festering grounds for all sorts of dark ass shit… which is fine because he knows how to work with it. But Shen Yuan ─ Shen Yuan had no defenses whatsoever. What would it have taken? Minutes? Seconds? The moment any kind of dark shit feeding on heart demons came for him, he was done for. And you just. You sent him to the Southern realm, as if that place isn’t looking to eat cultivators alive─”
“Liu-shixiong. Perhaps, if you’d let me say a word─”
“What word?!” Liu Qingge explodes. “You knew. I could’ve made an excuse for Zhangmen-shixiong, but you─”
“Zhangmen-shixiong would not have even proposed the idea if I had not examined Shen-shixiong thoroughly and confirmed there is minimal risk for something like that happening. So yes. If Liu-shixiong wishes to hold someone responsible, it is indeed myself.”
Liu Qingge opens his mouth, wanting very much to blow up ─ because what the fuck attitude is that, admitting his fault so damn easily? What is even wrong with him, getting so agitated over… over… this? But fuck it, Liu Qingge is furious and seething and it’s all gonna blow over ─ and he just knows, knows that some of those goddamn heart demons have already been passed over to him. As if he, too, isn’t festering grounds for all kinds of nasty shit just because he’s breathing.
But Mu Qingfang sighs, and there is that pitying, knowing look on his face. “Should I check Liu-shixiong for heart demons? I don’t suppose that after such a level of dual cultivation, you would’ve gotten away unscathed.”
“Don’t ─ don’t use that fucking term!” Liu Qingge growls. “I didn’t touch him. I’d never─”
“Liu-shixiong, call it what it is,” Mu Qingfang says, and his voice is placating and patronizing at the same time. It is infuriating. “Not all forms of dual cultivation require physical intimacy and not all forms of physical intimacy make for dual cultivation to begin with. But if what you did is a removal of heart demons at their most adverse─”
“I had to or else the curse would’ve broken him completely!” Liu Qingge snaps, breathing harshly. Fuck, if Shen Yuan wasn’t holding onto his arm so firmly, he would have lost it long ago. “His primordial spirit is fucking damaged! I have to fix it─”
“Liu-shixiong will do no such thing,” Mu Qingfang says sharply, and Liu Qingge almost, almost lashes out at him with all the rage he can’t seem to hold back. Mu Qingfang presses two fingers against his chest, ignoring how Liu Qingge flinches from the touch, ignoring how Liu Qingge refuses to look him in the eyes.
“Mm,” Mu Qingfang hums softly into his chin, and Liu Qingge already knows his damn diagnosis just from the tone of that tiny noise he makes. “Indeed, it seems that Liu-shixiong has developed something that needs attention, soon. And before you shout at me again, take a moment to think for yourself. During last night’s chaos, when young Luo Binghe fell into a Qi deviation, did Liu-shixiong not already overexert himself expelling all the excess demonic energy?”
Liu Qingge opens his mouth to tell him to fuck off ─ then closes it promptly.
“It’s different,” he grits out stubbornly, after a moment of thought. “Luo Binghe’s demonic energy seemed to be going crazy, but his seal and the stupid incense burner were handling it. The root of his Qi deviation was a misalignment in his spiritual meridians, so I just expelled everything to clear that. Easy.”
“After rerouting it through your own body first, I presume,” Mu Qingfang sighs. “Either way, all that tells me is that Liu-shixiong may have picked up either Luo Binghe’s heart demons or Shen-shixiong’s ─ or both. Either way, you will need a thorough examination later and a whole lot of rest to recover. Again.”
“Check him first,” Liu Qingge mumbles, forcing himself to not immediately glare at Mu Qingfang. Fuck, he can feel his face burning. Can heavenly demons even get heart demons plaguing them? Fuck, how does that make sense? They are the demons! The heavenly moniker is a fucking joke, because there is nothing heavenly about them except their damn origin. In comparison, even Liu Qingge has more heavenly heritage inside him as a human.
As Mu Qingfang dutifully takes to examining Shen Yuan, like a prim and proper medical worker that pretends to have no idea just what kind of insanity happened here, Liu Qingge doesn’t have the face to watch. He shuts his eyes firmly and takes a shaky breath.
“The curse was using heart demons as fuel so once I suppressed those, I was able to destroy the root of the curse too… but I don’t… I might’ve missed something. The damage was too much. Just… make sure I didn’t make it worse.”
He makes no effort to get his hand free whatsoever. Mu Qingfang, wisely, doesn’t comment. Instead, he pulls something from his Qiankun pouch and Liu Qingge is even more stubborn about turning his face away and closing his eyes. He just knows Shen Yuan’s just gonna end up butt naked by the end of it and he absolutely dares not look.
By the time Mu Qingfang is done with all his stupid procedures, it’s already night outside and Shen Yuan hasn’t stirred from his sleep. At least the dreams that have been plaguing him seem to have become somewhat more pleasant, because he no longer holds onto Liu Qingge’s arm as though he wants to chain it there forever.
“Well, while I can’t claim everything is fine, at the very least, I can assure Liu-shixiong that if some side effects do appear, it won’t be anything permanent. We will know best, however, once he wakes up,” the medic surmises, wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead.
Liu Qingge is still stubbornly not facing that way, but he grunts in affirmation.
Mu Qingfang sighs tiredly. “Overall, your presence here has likely been most beneficial to his quick recovery. But Qingge, speaking as a friend. You do realize what staying close to him is going to do long term. It’s not my place to say anything, about whether or not such a thing is advisable, but─”
“Then shut up,” Liu Qingge snaps. Realizing, though, that it may have been too harsh, he adds, “I’m not gonna ─ I don’t want that. Shit. You of all people should know. But I can’t just ignore… his primordial spirit is damaged. How the fuck does that even happen? I just want to fix that, I don’t want─”
“Shixiong,” Mu Qingfang says softly, so gently that Liu Qingge can’t believe he’s even talking. But as his head snaps around to glare at the man, Mu Qingfang looks exactly the kind of composed and serene as he’s always been. “Even if you do want that kind of thing, nobody should have the right to judge you. Especially not yourself. In fact, you understand better than I do just how much the circumstances and the small nuances make a difference, you know exactly where the lines are drawn. And you know even better when those lines should be crossed and when they shouldn’t.”
“I told you to shut up already. I don’t need you to tell me this shit─”
“Then, Shixiong, isn’t it time to let him go?”
Liu Qingge’s hand around Shen Yuan’s tightens. Ah, crap. He’s the only one holding on now. Turns out, Shen Yuan has long since let go. Liu Qingge cannot possibly make himself do it.
“A couple hours at this point isn’t gonna make any difference,” he snaps. He’s blurred all the lines already, after all. They’re all so muddled that they may not exist anymore.
“Your spiritual power makes all the difference,” Mu Qingfang reminds him gently. “He is a powerful cultivator with a strong temperament. No matter what happened, it won’t take him more than a few days to recover. You’ve already done the best you could. Let him figure out the rest. Give him a few days to clear his head and after that, Liu-shixiong should feel comfortable enough to do exactly what his heart desires.”
“You know damn well I ain’t gonna do shit,” Liu Qingge spits out.
With great force of willpower, however, he finally does force himself to let go. Shen Yuan lets out the softest little huff of air in protest, before dragging his hand back under the covers, proving every damn word coming out of Mu Qingfang’s mouth undeniably true. Liu Qingge wants to punch something out of sheer rage.
Mu Qingfang, however, is frowning. His eyes are now back on Shen Yuan and there’s conflict visible on his face, the kind of shit that Liu Qingge only ever sees when he is the root of all of Mu Qingfang’s headaches.
“Spill it, what are you thinking?” he says.
But Mu Qingfang shakes his head. “Nothing of note.”
“Think you can pull that shit on me?! I literally just scraped his body and soul apart for a goddamn minute. If I messed up something─”
“No, no,” Mu Qingfang says quickly, shaking his head. “It’s just… well. Perhaps Liu-shixiong might’ve been able to tell, too. But that faint trace of Shen-shixiong’s soul? That wasn’t… a misjudgment, on my part?, was it”
“Shen Qingqiu?” Liu Qingge grimaces. “Mm, that’s been there from the start.”
“The start?” Mu Qingfang asks, faintly. “But I never noticed, before─”
“Not like you’d be able to notice,” Liu Qingge says, unwillingly. “Spiritual power is all Shen Qingqiu’s, so that a thread of his soul lingers is just natural. Hong Jing wouldn’t be able to isolate that shit, so how would you? You’re only noticing now cause I had to scrape everything apart. Give it a few hours and it’ll blend together again.”
“So it’s ─ it’s not Shadow Soul Phenomenon, then? That would require a total, irreversible split, no?” Mu Qingfang asks, wide-eyed. “But then, what…?”
“Hell if I know,” Liu Qingge grunts. “If… not for what happened in Tianyao, I’d be able to tell you more. But that’s not the case, so yeah… Fuck it.” Mingyan might be able to figure it out, given time and the opportunity to try, but ─ hell nah. Liu Qingge isn’t going to willingly reveal that to anybody, not even his sister. Even if Mu Qingfang may have guessed it by now.
“Then, perhaps…” Mu Qingfang scowls, thoughtful. “Qingge, is there something that we know of that isn’t strictly Shen Qingqiu’s? I can’t be confident about this, but I think… The distinction is important, right now. We don’t know the extent of the damage and if those heart demons were truly stemming from Shen Qingqiu and not Shen Yuan…”
“You think the aftershocks might hit him?”
“I think they might hit both of you,” Mu Qingfang clarifies. “Whatever you’ve taken on, it hasn’t originated in your own consciousness so it won’t be difficult for you to recover from it. But with him… it’s difficult to tell. Zhangmen-shixiong suspects that Shen Yuan may have more access to Shen Qingqiu’s life than simply what he said.”
“So what? Like actual memories and shit? Enough to confuse him?”
“It’s… a theory,” Mu Qingfang admits. “We haven’t pushed to ask and I don’t expect that Shen Yuan will volunteer the information even if we do… but for his own sake, that distinction right now… might prove important.”
Right. Because hell knows just how much the head gets messed up after a joint attack of blood curses and heart demons. Removing those gently over time is how things should be done, precisely to avoid messing up the mind… and Liu Qingge has foregone all that for the sake of brute force due to sheer urgency.
Looking around himself, he searches the room, until he finds something ─ a pillow, on a shelf, wrapped up in some silky silver material. Liu Qingge picks that up and removes the covers, confirming that it’s the same thing he saw Shen Yuan make with his own hands, way back when. Gently, he lays it down under Shen Yuan’s head. Although, frankly, he needn’t have bothered. Before either him or Mu Qingfang make it out the door, Shen Yuan is sighing contently and hugging that pillow to his chest, as if the damn thing actually belongs in his arms and not where Liu Qingge put it.
Whatever. Forget it. He’s got something to hold which is solely his.
Swallowing thickly, he turns his face away and says, “Let’s go.”
“As far as Liu-shixiong’s prognosis goes, it’s not terrible, but it certainly could have been much better,” Mu Qingfang announces once he’s done with his examination, finally signaling that it’s fine for Liu Qingge to put the rest of his clothes back on. He plans to, really, until he realizes both his outer robes and the inner ones are stained with blood and dirt, so he just gives up midway and tosses them on the floor. Mu Qingfang blinks at him. “Shixiong? Are you planning to go back like that?”
Liu Qingge grimaces. “Would it be the first time? No one gives a shit if it’s me.”
“… I think you gravely underestimate just what kind of attention you attract even fully dressed,” Mu Qingfang mumbles. “Forget it. Just stay there for a bit. Young miss Liu should be waiting outside.”
“WHAT?! Why the fuck did you call her here?!”
“I’m afraid I’ve called absolutely no one and Liu-shixiong only has himself to blame for his reckless decision-making. Besides, if not for Miss Liu, I’m sure both Liu-shixiong and young disciple Luo would have fared much worse ─ and she has been reminding me of it ever since.”
Ah, right. Fuck. Mingyan was on Qiong Ding peak. Mingyan saw everything. Shit. If this damn thing gives her ideas, Liu Qingge is gonna eat his own bloody robes.
“At least give me something to wear!” he complains testily. “You can’t just let her in while I’m like this, I’m supposed to be an example─”
“Oh, so now you care about modesty?”
“She’s a freaking kid─”
But Mu Qingfang ignores him entirely, opening the door to his private examination room, which is supposed to be very hard to access, very private ─ and Mingyan is right there in front of the door, impatiently hopping in place, waiting for someone to let her in.
Liu Qingge curses under his breath. Mu Qingfang rolls his eyes and walks out, allowing them a little peace and quiet and privacy ─ just as well, because Mingyan cares none for it. The moment she sees the opportunity, she grabs it, throwing her arms around his neck with enough force to knock them both down, if Liu Qingge hadn’t already learned to be prepared for it.
“Brother,” she mumbles, shaking slightly, and he can feel the instant warmth from where her hands touch skin, the spiritual power she’s sharing without even checking to see if he needs any.
“Stop that, I’m fine,” Liu Qingge grumbles, sheepishly, but for as long as she lets him hide his face in her hair, he doesn’t plan to actually push her away or anything like that. Hell knows he feels like shit. “Stupid brat. Who told you to get involved? Why are you here? The whole sect is a mess, don’t you have better things to do?”
Mingyan shakes her head, saying absolutely nothing. Her hands are shaking. Awkwardly, Liu Qingge rubs the top of her head, messing up her pretty hairstyle, but she doesn’t care for that either.
“Really, I’m fine. Don’t believe me? Ask Mu Qingfang, he’ll be right back─”
“Mu-shishu is a liar,” Mingyan huffs into his hair, hugging him tighter. “Every time he says brother is fine, I come to find it’s exactly the opposite. I don't believe anything he says until I see it.”
Well, yeah. Fuck. That’s probably not even Mu Qingfang’s fault, damn it all. Liu Qingge ruffles her hair, making an even bigger mess of it, until she finally grows annoyed enough to let him go and fix it. Not that it does much. Her hands are off him now, but her eyes are following every little scar she can see displayed on his naked upper half and, well, there is a lot of those. She looks like she just might cry. Or hit him. He’d prefer the latter, really.
“And you?” Liu Qingge grunts. “The barrier thing you did. That was nice. Qi Qingqi teaches you that shit?”
Mingyan huffs again, before ultimately sitting down beside him. “Shizun teaches us many things, but barriers are something I’ve been learning on my own. Did… did I really do well? It was supposed to hold no matter what, but it still shattered halfway through… Was my spiritual power not sufficient? Or, perhaps…” She trails off, when Liu Qingge’s hand once again rests on top of her head. He really isn’t trying to mess up her hair now, though. He just snorts.
“Told ya. Spiritual power just isn’t something you need to worry about, alright? It comes with time and even if it doesn’t, you can always make up for it. Control first. Force later.”
“Brother only ever does things with brute force, and yet teaches me about control,” Mingyan mumbles softly. She blinks up at him, the silky veil hiding her face from sight, but her eyes are far more expressive than the rest of her whole body. And right now, they exude worry and fear, the likes of which he hasn't seen from her in a long time. “Brother, are you really alright?”
Liu Qingge wants to assure her, say that everything’s perfectly fine… but fuck it, it’s never that simple. “You shouldn’t hang around me much for a while. Heart demons, Qi deviations, meridian misalignments… all that shit. I’d go for seclusion if I could, but no way in hell Mu Qingfang’s gonna approve it now. So I’ll just need to figure it out the good old way.”
“Because of that demonic poison?”
“Everything, more or less,” Liu Qingge admits. “Mostly, I was just overdue for seclusion anyway. The rest of it doesn’t really help.”
Mingyan nods, quietly understanding ─ but those gears behind her eyes are spinning, he can tell. Moving in many different directions. By her eyes alone, he knows what’s gonna come out of her mouth before she even opens it, though. “Perhaps, brother, if I help─”
“Forget it,” he says. “Like you said, I’m brute forcing my way through. It’s fine. It works for me. Qi deviations suck, but it’s nothing I haven’t dealt with before. I’ll sort it out. You shouldn’t do that shit though. I know you’re trying, but we didn’t… we didn’t start in the same place. What that shitty old uncle taught you at home isn’t that terrible anyway and your control is already great. My style doesn’t suit you. So just ─ stick with what Qi Qingqi teaches you, alright?”
“Brother, I─”
“Your barriers are awesome, too. Think I could pull that off? Never. Just focus on what works. No need to─”
“Brother,” Mingyan cuts him off, and he’s not sure when exactly she’s taken his hand. She squeezes softly, her eyes full of worry, but she’s completely interrupted his thoughts now and he has no idea what he was going to say to start with ─ but it also doesn’t matter anymore, because her tearful eyes are smiling at him and he… he wants to rip that damn thing off her face and tear it apart with his own hands, let the world know just what kind of a perfect smile his sister has. Damn that awful thing he’s had to put there himself.
He swallows thickly. “Sorry. I just─”
But Mingyan wraps her arm around him, guiding until his head is leaning down on her shoulder and he just… fuck, his eyes are burning. Mingyan is just running her fingers through his hair now, nothing else, but the whole thing makes him want to set something on fire. Himself, mostly.
“Brother must be really tired,” she says, soothing. “It’s fine, now. Brother should rest.”
Liu Qingge tugs on the corner of her veil, barely holding himself back from ripping it apart. “Take the damn thing off already. You don’t need it and it doesn’t belong there─” but Mingyan pries his fingers off one by one, gently moving his hand away and setting it back in his lap.
“When brother put this veil on me, he said that I should only ever take it off once I feel comfortable enough to do so,” she says. “So that’s what I will do. It’s not your decision anymore.”
“It never fucking should have been,” Liu Qingge growls. “I shouldn’t have─”
“What brother shouldn’t have done is this,” Mingyan says, a tip of her finger poking at the almost faded scar over his heart. “That was the biggest mistake. Your only mistake.”
“Would you even be here if I hadn’t done that?” Liu Qingge snaps back, brushing her hand away. “Ah, forget it. Shouldn’t have dragged you here to start with. You would’ve been fine back home. I just messed up your life for no reason.”
“No,” Mingyan says, softly. “No. Brother does troublesome things all the time, but not one thing you did for me was ever wrong. It’s only himself that brother doesn’t know how to care about. Don’t worry. I’ll go bring Mu-shishu over. I’m sure he won’t mind if brother occupies his office a little while longer.”
Liu Qingge’s head snaps up. “Huh? Whatever for─”
But Mingyan snaps her fingers in front of his eyes and Liu Qingge ─ he can feel it, the drowsiness washing over him. It comes like waves of water over his head, momentarily disorienting and suffocating, until his whole body rests along the flat surface, and Mingyan is brushing the tangles out of his hair with soothing fingers.
“Sleep,” she insists, covering his eyes with her hand, as if he can even stop her at this point. Damn that old uncle, teaching her these nasty tricks. When the hell did she get the chance to master them so well to use them on him?!
By the time she’s walking out, he can barely keep his eyes open and frankly, he doesn’t know why he’s trying. She’s right, he really does need the rest. But he hasn’t had any dreamless potions lately and the series of catastrophes one after another was just the right sort of messed up to bring bad dreams back… and shit. He’s totally slipping. What the hell did Mu Qingfang say about his heart demons again? Since they’re not his originally, who knows what they might do or something? Shit. Dreams have always been his weakest point. Slowly, his eyes shut on his own.
The next time Liu Qingge opens them, it is to find himself in a cave. Lingxi caves, to be specific.
The only person inside is himself, back ramrod straight, with Cheng Luan in hand as he practices a carefully selected set of moves. It’s a bit of a surprise, as it’s not often that Liu Qingge gets to dream this way, to see himself from the outsider’s perspective, see himself from a viewpoint he almost never gets. Inevitably, what that means is that he is either watching the past ─ or the future.
Liu Qingge is a little surprised. He’s been expecting Shen Yuan’s demons, or perhaps even Shen Qingqiu’s ─ but if the heart demons aren’t his, then why is it himself that he’s seeing in the dream? He doesn’t question it much, though, focusing instead on what is happening before him. After all, the dreams stirred up by heart demons always come with a certain kind of purpose. Figuring out what it is may also be the key to resolving them the painless way. If you’re lucky.
For now, however, Liu Qingge isn’t considering himself particularly lucky. For days on end, nothing remarkable happens. The sword techniques that the dream version of himself is practicing are not something Liu Qingge has ever actually practiced. The set of moves is long and complex, building up with high intensity and shifting the Qi inside him in some rather dangerous ways. It takes many repeats before Liu Qingge figures out why some parts of this set look so dauntingly familiar and ordered in completely opposite ways of what they should be ─ and it hits him like a boulder to the chest!
“Shit! Stop! You’re gonna─”
But this is a dream, Liu Qingge is not real in it and the dream version of him can neither hear him nor see him, no matter what he does. Over the many repetitions that he executes, something within the flow of his Qi begins to shift and Liu Qingge winces as he watches. Oof. He can only imagine how much that will hurt, if this continues. At the very least, he knows what this is now. Not the past, definitely not his past… but future, perhaps?
Before Skinner wrecked his cultivation, Liu Qingge had… things… he wanted to experiment with. Techniques of Wan Jian Peak, Xian Shu Peak and other strongly martial peaks on Cang Qiong Mountain. All of them had certain elements which stood out to him, all of these aspects had something that Liu Qingge wanted to work with, but had never been able to. After all, even if most people wouldn’t guess it, looking at him, Liu Qingge’s cultivation base ─ it’s quite fragile. The cultivation methods his mother taught him never focused on weaponry and those that did stood smack opposite of what she taught him anyway. With a tyrannical core to make his cultivator life even more difficult from the very beginning, going for grace and style over brute force and sheer power has been an afterthought, really. A luxury.
For many years, though, he’d toyed with the idea of experimenting with the opposing styles in seclusion. If, with nothing to disturb his mind and emotions, he could achieve the level of calm required to master such things, then certainly, a breakthrough is something that would come naturally. Perhaps, even the tyrannical nature of his core might calm down a little. Liu Qingge had many ideas, and theories, sadly none that he ever got a chance to follow through. With that stupid Without a Cure in his body, something like that is bound to be an empty ambition, forever unfulfilled.
But the Liu Qingge practicing these varied sword forms in Lingxi Caves seems to bear no such burden, struggling with no such scars. That first misalignment in his practice was bad, but not damning. It would have rendered Liu Qingge of the present temporarily immobile, or at the very least, would have enhanced the blockages of Without a Cure to the point of unconsciousness. This dream person, however, only hits the ground with his knee once. Then gets up and continues, as though it’s barely an obstacle.
The many times he repeats this set of moves, often it appears as though everything is going smoothly, despite the early blunder. To Liu Qingge of the dream who is already drenched in sweat, repeating the same motions over and over and feeling the strain, it likely wouldn’t have registered, the gradual crossing of a meridian misalignment from something meaningless into something dangerous enough to wreck his entire meridian system. As the outsider, Liu Qingge watches it all in mild fascination. Is it possible that he is so blind to his own pain that he’s never noticed?
Ever since Skinner utterly wrecked his cultivation, Liu Qingge has been doing nothing but putting his everything into making sure his meridian alignment remains flawless. Qi deviations based on conflicting flows are bad enough without the additional complications. Add demonic poison to the mix and they’re almost certainly fatal. No matter what, Liu Qingge cannot picture himself acting so recklessly ever again, even with the poison cured. So how is this his future?
And yet this can’t be the past, either. The last time Liu Qingge entered Lingxi caves, he was nowhere near this level of proficiency with Wan Jian’s style. What point in time is this, then? Because if it’s not somebody else’s heart demon’s he’s facing, then this has to be an issue of his own making that he must fix. But based on what? Liu Qingge no longer holds such great ambition as he did in the past. What about this could he possibly try to reenact? What reason could he possibly have? Could it be just a regular dream, then? Random training dream?
In response to his idle musings, the dream version of him suddenly goes wildly berserk against the rocks, as though he’s lost his mind. The meridian misalignment progressed all too quickly, tossing his entire spiritual power flow into outright chaos. Agonized, agitated and completely out of control, Liu Qingge of the dream seems to be lashing out at anything and everything, either from the sheer agony he’s feeling or…
Liu Qingge winces, as the agonized version of himself gasps and stabs Cheng Luan into a rock down to the hilt. Ouch, yes. So he was also testing out the possibility of turning a spiritual weapon into a soul-bound one, definitely. Not that anyone ever would’ve allowed him to walk out of Lingxi caves if he’d completed that, what with the Great Sects jointly abolishing the practice ages ago, but still. For years, Liu Qingge had wondered… is it possible for him?
Soul-bound weapons are potentially a death sentence, done wrongly. All the Great sects outlawed them together, after one too many disciples failed and suffered the consequences. To most cultivators, soul-bound weapons are a pipe dream anyway. An impossibility far out of their reach, the same way ascension is. Some people ascend without ever trying. Others work for it for centuries and never succeed. In that way, soul-bound weapons are similarly unattainable. Out of those who try, very few of them might actually succeed. But if they do, the power they get in return is… incomparable.
Liu Qingge had always wondered if he could perhaps be one of those few capable of crossing that line. With his messed up constitution housing three opposing forces which are constantly working against each other, his spiritual veins constantly shifting and changing depending which of the flows he relies on more often and finally, his tyrannical core and the tendency towards Qi deviations that has always been there even without the demonic poisons to make it worse, even at his healthiest, the answer should be obvious. At the very least, when he brought up the idea to Mu Qingfang the first time, the man looked ready to keel over and beg him to just kill himself the easy way.
The Liu Qingge in the dream seems like he’s attempting to do precisely that. Or perhaps he’s lost even that level of rationality and is just rampaging around, hoping it’ll kill him faster.
Still, watching this with a critical eye of an outside observer, the issue doesn’t seem to be Liu Qingge’s lack of potential as much as the meridian misalignment he’s failed to recognize before. Those are hard to notice in general ─ not unless someone is out there to point them out before they become a problem… but in this case, Liu Qingge is all alone. He would have had no one to point out to him that the disruption of the flow is the problem, and not his unsuitability to his ambition to begin with.
After all, the most difficult hurdle of soul-binding a weapon is the crucial aspect of soul binding. It requires the complete merger of the spiritual core with the cultivator’s life force before one can even dream of throwing a spiritual sword into the mix. For most cultivators, that first step is the end point of their life’s mission, the final achievement, the true immortality. Core formation stage is, in comparison, a precondition. Without a proper spiritual core, even attempting something like this is nigh suicide. It only makes sense that the practice was ultimately forbidden. Too few people would ever be able to complete it, and too many who cannot would die trying.
However, the most difficult hurdle for other cultivators to get through, the merger of spiritual power and life force, was the first step Liu Qingge had to make to even be able to cultivate at all. Comparatively, binding a spiritual sword to his soul should come easy. But in the end, it doesn’t, does it?
Liu Qingge of the dream is attempting the impossible and failing. To Liu Qingge who had almost entirely abandoned such ambition, this is nothing more but confirmation of something he’s already known from the moment Mu Qingfang identified the poison in his body. Why is he seeing this, exactly? What is the purpose of it?
The answer comes, unexpectedly, in the form of a man who enters the cavern where Liu Qingge of the dream is rampaging. His form is impeccable and his bearing noble, the mask of perfect disinterest enough to momentarily make Liu Qingge stumble. Who is he looking at? Shen Yuan? Shen Qingqiu? Normally, he’s able to tell by the little clues, the little signs, but now there is nothing that can possibly betray the truth. Xiu Ya is sheathed, the fan is not there. At no point in time does that face even show a hint of surprise at seeing Liu Qingge fall apart under a Qi deviation. Not a trace of concern.
Liu Qingge of the dream notices this new presence immediately. There’s no telling what could be going through his muddled head, but what’s the point in guessing? His eyes are crimson with the demonic essence currently overpowering everything else, turning Liu Qingge into a rampaging mess more akin to a monster than a human ever could be.
By all means, Shen Qingqiu should have long since recognized the demonic essence that does not belong and struck him down mercilessly, killed him, left him for the dead and celebrated over it. But he doesn’t. Instead, he mindlessly tries to run like the biggest fool in the world. What idiot turns their back on a rampaging freak, goddamn it?!
… Shen Yuan, of course it is. Only that fool would dare turn his back on a Qi deviating body of pure violence and mind of survival instinct. It is a miracle he doesn’t immediately die when Liu Qingge turns on him. Cheng Luan’s crackling blade wheezes through the air, narrowly missing his ear by a stroke of pure luck. That’s what finally gets Shen Yuan to abandon the notion of escaping, too. But! Turning back to fight this monster head on is no solution either, damn it!
Liu Qingge wants to roll his eyes out of sheer frustration. No one, not a single soul, has ever stressed him out as much as watching Shen Yuan fumble his way around cultivation laws does right now.
But luck is clearly on his Shixiong's side, because no matter what, the rampaging beast that is Liu Qingge hasn’t been able to put a scratch on him. In fact, in what might’ve looked like a coincidence, the one who lands a hit first is Shen Yuan. The spiritual power blast is strong enough that it throws Liu Qingge’s deviating body into the ground, knocking him out flat. For a long moment, even Shen Yuan seems surprised by this result. Then, slowly, he approaches.
As Liu Qingge of the dream, made fragile by his many ailments, falters in his attempt to rise, Shen Yuan places his hand on his back, holding him in place.
“Let me say this first. If I don’t help you now, it’ll be too late. I’m not familiar with how this works, though, so if you… you know. Anyhow, I’ll have tried my best, so don’t blame me.”
But in spite of those words, he… his right hand is in the correct place, pressing against the spot where the misalignment originally started. Whether by instinct, blind luck or who knows what other impossible combination of circumstances, when Shen Yuan starts slowly soothing out the mess in Liu Qingge's spiritual veins, the slow, gentle way he does it, with carefully measured control that should’ve been nothing short of impossible in the situation… It is identical to how he’s reacted to each and every single one of Liu Qingge’s instances of Qi deviations caused by Skinner's parasites.
Finally, seeing it from the outside, Liu Qingge understands what had Mu Qingfang so stubbornly against such a set up before. His biggest issue had always been the fact that Shen Yuan had no formal training and that if something were to distract him, the whole procedure could quickly become dangerous for both of them. What Liu Qingge is seeing now, though… There was never a chance of anything going wrong there at all, because Shen Yuan isn’t… it’s not a proper spiritual power transfer to start with.
The line between spiritual power transfers and dual cultivation is generally a thin one, easily blurred, and sometimes flat out nonexistent if one party’s entire cultivation is a fluctuating mess of shit trying to implode in on itself. The two can, in practice, appear very similar on the outside, but the nuance makes all the difference in the world.
Spiritual power transfers are generally a one-sided, forced influx of foreign power into a system that may or may not be able to handle it. To a cultivator struggling under a Qi deviation, they’re either a breath of life or a death sentence, depending on who does it and whether they are able to accurately estimate how much is too much and how little is too little. It is a narrow, dangerous margin that even someone like Mu Qingfang struggles to properly estimate and act upon. But Shen Yuan wasn’t wasting time estimating anything at all.
The only thing he does is create a contact point for spiritual power to flow on its own. He’d direct it consciously where the body needs it to go, but that isn’t… What Shen Yuan is doing is the base definition of dual cultivation, but what some people can’t achieve even with the most intimate physical connection, he does with a single hand. Does he have no self preservation instincts at all?!
If his cultivation base was any less stable, something like that could’ve ─ would have ─ cost him his life. Heck, it would’ve tipped them both over the edge, into the precipice, killing them or permanently crippling them or whatever might’ve happened under any other circumstances. But it doesn’t, because Shen Yuan is a stupid fucking idiot and Liu Qingge ─ Liu Qingge is a master of self-control. Not a single sane person would ever let themselves be used that way, like a wide open, free-for-all spiritual power feast, especially not in front of a monster starving for it. Shen Yuan does it like it’s breathing.
Does he have no fear whatsoever? Or is that the mismatch between the body and soul messes up his perceptions to the point that he simply doesn’t realize what dangerous threshold he’s crossing?
Liu Qingge is the one who is Qi deviating. By all means, panic should have long since kicked in… but one thing is plain to see. Liu Qingge, no matter what the state of him, still retains some control. It is minimal and faltering ─ by this point, miracle it’s still even there ─ but even in such a state, Shen Yuan still trusted him to offer the entirety of his cultivation, trusted that Liu Qingge would know what to do with it. And he knows it. It aches, to see. Tugs at Liu Qingge in all the uncomfortable ways, because that’s how Shen Yuan has always been with him.
Every single time he stepped up to help Liu Qingge get through a Qi deviation, the risk of it backfiring and hurting them both equally only ever grew. But throughout all of that, Shen Yuan never once… if he’d hesitated, if he’d been afraid… if only for a moment, he lost the unconditional trust he seemed to hold for Liu Qingge and tried to wrestle the control back…
By the time Shen Yuan removes that hand, what has long since become clear to Liu Qingge is that this, this whole situation ─ this is the past. He doesn’t know what past, or how it’s possible ─ but he is sure of it. In between what Shen Yuan had done in Lingxi caves and what he’d been doing for Liu Qingge in Qian Cao Peak for months, there’s been some sort of a shift that’s made him more guarded, less reckless in the process, but not any less trusting. Experience, maybe? Either way, the difference is too noticeable.
As if to punctuate that realization, a small little ding sound blares near Shen Yuan. Some sort of a shiny, translucent wisp of foreign power hovers in front of his face, rectangular in shape, with characters representing words sitting horizontally instead of vertically. But even so, they’re not impossible to read. Over Shen Yuan’s shoulder, Liu Qingge stares at it. The feel of that dark power fueling the tiny window… the dark crackling and the light purple undertone… Is this not all too similar to the power of the blood curse that Liu Qingge has flushed out of Shen Yuan by force?! But if so, why the hell is it here? In the dream? Liu Qingge has done all he could to set him free of that influence…
The past, he reminds himself. This is definitely the past. Perhaps a dream only, a nightmare that Shen Yuan might not even remember. Regardless, the one certain thing about it is that this darkness has been with Shen Yuan for much longer than he has been in the Southern Demon Realm. Perhaps even longer than Shen Yuan has been in Shen Qingqiu's body.
The rectangular manifestation of frigidly dark power then speaks to them, in a distinctly human voice that sounds eerily familiar to Liu Qingge's ears.
[Congratulations! System notification: The scenario <Liu Qingge’s Death> has been changed. The villain Shen Qingqiu’s grave-digging and hatefulness ratings have decreased, B-Points +200.]
Notes:
Fun fact! The detail with Liu Qingge's eyes being crimson during his Qi deviation in Lingxi caves is taken straight from the books! Here's the quote:
"In any other state, Shen Qingqiu might have declared, “What a beautiful man!” But a man could be as beautiful as he wanted, and if he glared at you with crimson eyes and bulging veins, you’d scramble to kneel, okay?!"
BWAHAHAHHA gotta love SY's messy head
That said, this bit along with LQG's attitude in Succubi extra is the root of half my ideas for this fic. Everyone's always like, awww LQG is soooo clueless, it's so cute and funny. I've read too many fics like that and I love them to bits! But here's another interpretation. What if, A) LQG knew exactly whats up? B) Choose to play it cool? and C) Was genuinely unaffected by the succubi stuff? After all, every single assumption SY ever made in SVSSS got turned on it's head, that's the whole point of the novels! Lemme enjoy my imagination pls
Chapter 33: Reputation
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Shen Yuan wakes up feeling like he’s slept for a very long time. Overslept through all the alarms, skipped whatever it is that he was meant to do in the morning ─ like nothing except sleep even matters. It’s a good feeling. The bed he’s in is soft and comfy and he’s pleasantly warm. It feels almost as though those months spent in the demon realm were all just a really long, really muddled-up nightmare. Subconsciously, he checks his wrist to make sure Xin Mo has not burned through the talisman yet ─ only for his body to immediately bolt upward.
Memories come flooding back like a torrent.
Shen Yuan is in the side room of his bamboo house, on Qing Jing Peak. Cang Qiong Mountain.
Luo Binghe, the invasion, the System…
The Xin Mo shard: gone.
Shen Yuan repeatedly inspects his wrist, but there is nothing there. Even the scratches have mostly healed, leaving soft red marks that are bound to completely fade soon. The silence in his head is uncomfortably pleasant. A shudder runs down his spine.
If Xin Mo is gone, then everything else that’s happened, that’s also…
Shen Yuan looks down, but the robes on him are tied up neatly and properly. A clean set, teal and white, the colors of Qing Jing Peak, far different from the tatters he’s been wearing all throughout the Southern demon realm. In his arms is a familiar pillow ─ the pretty thing of silvers and greens that Shen Yuan fixed with his own two hands. It’s Luo Binghe’s…
Very slowly, Shen Yuan puts the pillow down in his lap, loath to actually let it go, then looks around.
The side room looks… exactly as it used to. There’s not a mess of clothes on the floor near the door as there should be. The books that have fallen off the shelves have also been neatly aligned back. There’s no blood or dirt on the floor. Someone was here, while Shen Yuan was asleep, and he─
He looks out the window, where the sun looks like it’s only barely started climbing over the bamboo forest. It’s still early in the day. Yet… everything’s been cleaned. So… how long has Shen Yuan been sleeping?
Very slowly, very carefully, Shen Yuan gets off the bed. Nothing hurts. Nothing feels amiss.
On the ground near to where he sets his feet, there is a tiny little blood splotch that someone’s missed to clean. They’ve… cleaned everything else, though. The blood though ─ it was from Liu Qingge, wasn’t it? After he…
Shen Yuan swallows thickly, his mouth suddenly dry for some reason he cannot explain. Very pointedly, he doesn’t look down as he makes his way out of the side room.
The rest of the bamboo house looks… just as it always does. A little bit of the furniture appears to have been shifted, but only a little. The door that Liu Qingge kicked down hangs a bit crooked and there’s another crack in the wall from where they’d made a dent from the sheer force of impact. Shen Yuan stands just staring at the door for a very long time, at a complete loss, until suddenly they open and a disciple peeks through, slowly entering inside.
Ning Yingying is not all the way in yet when she spots him, just randomly standing there in the middle of the room, looking lost.
“Shizun!” she cries out ─ and before Shen Yuan has a chance to open his mouth, she launches herself at him like a tiny rocket, punching the air out of him as she hugs him around the waist. She nearly knocks them both down with that momentum. “Shizun is back! Shizun is back!”
She bawls like a baby, and Shen Yuan is completely helpless about it. He can barely make out the words she’s saying, because she’s hugging him around the middle and talking into his clothes… and this is all very silly. He could have been sleeping for days, hasn’t bathed properly in way too long and every piece of his skin feels ridiculously sticky… But Ning Yingying is crying in his midriff like none of that matters one bit.
Shen Yuan has barely put a hand over her back to soothe her a little when another projectile launches itself at his midriff and, this time, he doesn’t even sway from the surprise. Ming Fan is taller and heavier than Ning Yingying and definitely too old to be acting like a crybaby, but he’s arguably bawling even more than Ning Yingying and Shen Yuan doesn’t get it. Why is his peak full of crybabies?
“Pull yourselves together,” he says softly. “Come on. Are you children? Calm down and speak properly. Inform this master of everything that’s happened while I was gone.”
“Shizun, that’s gonna take hours,” Ming Fan wails.
“We’re just happy Shizun is back!” Ning Yingying sobs.
Ah, Shen Yuan doesn’t know what to do with them, really. He pats them both on the back to soothe them, but really, for some stupid reason, nothing feels real and his head feels like it’s stuffed with cotton.
“Come on,” he says. “Ning Yingying, go ask someone to prepare a bath for this master. Ming Fan, wipe your face and bring me a new set of clothes. Both of you, just… calm down. While this master waits, let’s all sit down for some tea and you will tell me what I’ve missed. Alright, hm?”
It takes a little bit more prompting before either of the two remember to move, but Shen Yuan isn’t too forceful. The bath will take a little longer than planned, so he just picks a tea brew carefully before setting it down, pouring a cup for his pair of crybabies. Both Ming Fan and Ning Yingying are awfully shy about actually receiving it when they come back, even more humble since Shen Yuan has just moved the low table by himself, allowing plenty of space for all three of them to sit.
Once they get over it, however, they talk endlessly to fill him in on all the information he’s been missing ─ about Sha Hualing, the invasion, the fallout… all the little details Mu Qingfang and Liu Qingge either missed to tell him, didn’t know or care for or he simply hadn’t heard over the evil sword’s whisperings in his ear. Shen Yuan only stops them at a certain point, when Ming Fan blurts out something actually relevant.
“Then, the Sect Leader is back?”
Ming Fan nods dutifully. “Since yesterday morning. This disciple heard all the meetings have been delayed until further notice, while the damages on Qiong Ding Peak are properly evaluated.”
“Ah, and our Peak? Have we─”
“Minor damage to the Rainbow bridge on the side connecting us to Qiong Ding Peak and a few of the facilities were set on fire,” Ning Yingying supplies helpfully. “Liu-shishu was here when the attack started and so the damages were minimal.”
“Ah.” Shen Yuan pretends his breath doesn’t catch at the sound of that name. “And the others? Wan Jian? An Ding?”
“It was only the Rainbow bridge that was attacked everywhere, Shizun,” Ning Yingying says softly. “Most of the other peaks saw a demon or two pass through, but only three peaks were attacked intentionally.”
That’s right. Qiong Ding, Bai Zhan, Zui Xian.
Nobody yet knows to say for sure which one the peaks suffered the worst damage ─ but they’ve all lost disciples in the surprise attack. There are conflicting reports about the numbers. At least, Ning Yingying and Ming Fan can’t seem to come to an agreement, with Ning Yingying insisting Qiong Ding had it the worst and Ming Fan claiming that Bai Zhan lost more disciples in total… but really, this is probably just rumors anyway. Officially, they will only know once a proper meeting is called.
If Sect Leader Yue returned yesterday, however, then most likely, that will be later today.
Shen Yuan thanks his two disciples for their detailed reports. He’s tempted to head straight over to Qiong Ding Peak to find out… well, more details… but in the end, he refrains and sticks to the initial decision he’s made to go for a bath first.
The distinct smell of herbs on the sleeves of his robes as he takes them off are telling. Mu Qingfang had made an appearance, at some point. Which means Mu-shidi would have had to have taken that off the clothes and seen─
Shen Yuan gulps, tensing up slightly as he settles into the heated water and tries not to let his thoughts drift… too much.
But he definitely, he’d been… aroused may be too weak a word, actually. And Liu Qingge ─ shit. Shen Yuan remembers every little thing he’s done and he cannot for the life of him figure out why. If he could bury himself underground and never come out, that’s exactly what he’d do, because, what the actual fuck?!
Face on fire, he sinks deeper into the tub until there’s water over his head too, but really, the water is also hot. It helps him with nothing. Before long, he’s back up and gasping for air, inwardly cursing Airplane, the System and every single thing that’s made it their life mission to turn his life an absolute mess. Is this the same Proud Immortal Demon Way he originally transmigrated into?! First the Stallion Protagonist with hundreds of wives forsakes all of his pretty flowers for one old man with aching hip bones, and now this. The pinnacle of male fantasy, the most revered Peak Lord among them all, the singular War God…
Shiiiiiiit.
Is Liu Qingge actually a lust demon in disguise?
Shen Yuan must get his hands on Airplane right this second and get some explanations, because WHAT. THE. HELL.
What’s next? The kind big brother Yue Qingyuan switching his enabler mode to straight up yandere vibes? Oh goodness. Shen Yuan can’t handle that. He’s not sure how he hasn’t died yet due to sheer shame.
System! What genre are we doing here?! BL love fantasy or the early stages of a straight up gang bang? Because if it’s the latter, Shen Yuan’s just gonna sink his head back under water and never dive out, thank you very much. It’s fine if one person if OOC, but if suddenly everyone is─
[...]
[... would the user like to freeze the OOC function again?]
NO! Who said ─ ah, forget it. The System is a scam, Xin Mo is a scam, everything’s terrible and Shen Yuan has long since given up on all common sense. Really, just the fact he’s here on Cang Qiong Mountain now is just plain senseless. Plot holes, damn it, plot holes. They’re bigger than the Southern Demon Realm’s fucking miasma chasm.
Hey System, old friend. Tell me honestly now, in percentages. How much of everything that’s going on now is you taking your anger out on me for ignoring all your alerts and warnings? Come on, be straightforward. Have we not been buddies for well over a decade now? Share some of that world wide wisdom with this foolish old man.
[Story mission <Shadows of the Southern Realm> completion status: 17%! Since the user has left the Southern Demon Realm, the completion percentages will keep on dropping steadily! Does the user want to activate a temporary mission pause for 1000 B-points? Please note, this function is only available to users who have successfully completed more than 20 Story missions!]
“… how many do I have?” Shen Yuan grumbles. “Gotta be fifty at least. I completed so many─”
A tiny little 21 flashes before his eyes and Shen Yuan has to resist the urge to curse.
“Fine,” he snaps. “Mission pause. Mission pause.” Stupid damn B-points. He hasn’t been farming them to start with, but once again, he’s gonna lose them all. “What about the system errors?” he grits out. “Is that under control now?”
[The current count of System errors: 11052. The current count of Critical System errors: 18. Please, continue your efforts!]
… at this rate, it will never end. When he started off, it was a thousand for the irrelevant errors and in the single digits for the critical ones. Why does it keep going up?
“What about… Luo Binghe’s reputation points?”
[The Protagonist Reputation Points: undecided! Due to Critical System error #17, current scores for the reputation points cannot be properly calculated! Please continue your efforts!]
“System, at this point, aren’t you just full of bugs? You don’t need me to continue my efforts, you need a wholeass disinfection, disinsectization and deratization squad. Or just brand new source code. Do I look like I have a programming background?”
Rubbing at his aching temples, Shen Yuan is forced to face the facts: everything is off the rails. Every little thing. Nothing is sacred. No one is safe. Everything he thinks he knows will get turned upside down by the time he gets to it for the second run. But damn it all, if Shen Yuan is once again mind raped into becoming some sort of a ─ a molester, he’s really going to lose it. Fuck, he’s already losing it. How the hell is he supposed to show his face in front of anyone now?! Especially…
Shen Yuan takes a deep breath, running a little more of the hot water over his face.
“System,” he says, his voice shaking slightly. “Tell me seriously now. What really happens if my points fall below zero?”
[You will automatically be deported back to your original world.]
“Alright,” Shen Yuan says, taking another shaky breath. Water drips down his face, scalding and chilly at the same time. “Okay, alright. If so, then, why am I still here?”
[...?]
Mouth beyond dry, Shen Yuan… well, honestly, he hasn’t been planning on saying that at all, on the off chance that bringing it up might actually get him blitzed out of existence. Safe to say, since it hasn’t happened, there’s gotta be a reason behind it, right? And this is something ─ he’s been ignoring the stupid points for a very long time, ignoring prompts and scores whatever other bullshit came up. Honestly, he might’ve ignored it this time, too, if not for a tiny little bit of desperate hope ─ but nope.
Glancing in the corner of the screen, it’s plainly obvious that Shen Yuan’s points haven’t meaningfully budged for a very long time. And more pressingly, for activating the mission pause feature bullshit, yet another thousand has been deducted, leaving Shen Yuan with a B-point score sitting squarely at negative three thousand eight hundred.
“Hm?” he prompts softly, his spine tingling at the sheer amount of silence he gets as his answer. “Come on, System, I’ve played your games for a long time. Play me a bit more, why don’t you? Why haven’t you sent me home yet? Is it because you’re broken? These silly errors not letting you function? Or is it because you were never able to do it in the first place?”
Predictably, he gets no answer.
Shen Yuan laughs, a little hoarsely.
Honestly, he would’ve liked it more if he could’ve stayed oblivious until the very end. He planned on it. He tried. Every little thing that tried to tell him something was wrong, he willfully ignored it. Every little clue that came up, he was more than happy to bury it back down again, pretending it was just a tiny little accident that didn’t mean anything at all. Yet still, he kept testing the limits, toeing the lines, hoping…
Fuck, Shen Yuan has no idea what he’s been hoping for. He closes his eyes and sees a faint image of him, staring at his own body as it falls to the ground… A single spark of purple in those eyes, flashing before they fall shut.
“System,” he whispers softly. “Were you even the one who brought me here to start with?”
The first time the alarm bells went off in Shen Yuan’s head, he’d been sitting in Qiong Ding’s basement, locked up and shell shocked from just how close Yue Qingyuan had come to drawing his stupid sword… and for what fucking reason? Shen Yuan didn’t know. He’d panicked and acted and really, using every bit of spiritual power he could muster at the time, he’d grabbed the Sect Leader’s wrist and yanked it right back, forcing Xuan Su to return inside the sheath and never get out. Then he’d ended up in the basement, wondering how the fuck the System even let him get away with the bullshit he’d started.
Cause that… that should’ve gotten him punished somehow, right? Taking the titular Scum Villain and dragging his name through the mud way too early? The System should have been pissed. Was pissed, shortly before Shen Yuan had gone and made a spectacle of it, blaring alarms and warnings, blinding and deafening him until Shen Yuan bullshited his way through it regardless. He’d fully expected to be blitzed back home to his dead body or otherwise tortured by the ill-tempered Bing-ge.
But then, the Sect Leader took his words at face value and took him off for that stupid, senseless fight and somehow, the world continued spinning on its axis. Shen Yuan won the duel, broke the universe in some form and somehow got away with it. He really, naively thought that the System actually liked the new developments and was figuring out how to work with it to come back and screw him over at a later date.
And then Skinner skewered Liu Qingge and surely that was the punishment, right? Cause it only made sense─
But nothing makes sense now.
Nothing’s made sense for a long time, but Shen Yuan kept telling himself that if he played along long enough, some things would clear up, they would become obvious in retrospect, the same way they did last time, even if he kind of loathed the end result… But the little things just kept piling up. The Formless Demons, the System errors, the ever moving goalposts and the cute little mercies he never asked for… Xin Mo was just the most obvious clue, the one thing he couldn’t ignore anymore.
If Shen Yuan had been pushed back to the start of his journey…if the System really saw the results of his previous mess and decided it just needs a redo from the beginning… then why the fuck is Xin Mo in pieces?
That sword should have been somewhere deep within the Endless Abyss, so why are pieces of it showing up around the human and demon realms, sowing chaos everywhere they go?
Shen Yuan understands a whole lot of nothing, but one thing is clear. Ever since that stupid shard piece embedded itself in Shen Yuan’s wrist, it’s been messing with his head, driving him crazy and making him question everything. But, most importantly, Xin Mo has been trying to show him something. Shen Yuan’s head hurts even thinking about it, but that’s what it’s gotta be, right?
From day one, Xin Mo has been planting dark little seeds all over Shen Yuan’s consciousness, sinking him into all sorts of confusing, twisted images that made him want to tear his own skin… but all of that wasn’t purely for the sake of torturing him, was it? Xin Mo was trying to show him something, tell him something… and Shen Yuan has no fucking clue what it is. If he’d been vaguely suspecting it before, he became a hundred percent convinced now when Liu Qingge of all people was able to destroy that shard piece like it’s nothing.
5:2, 5:2, 5:2… Shen Yuan has let those numbers blind him for well over a decade.
Wasn’t he the one always asking why the universe had it out for Liu-shidi so much? Why was it that the world as a whole seemed set out to nerf him and disgrace him? He’d blamed Airplane for his stupid lack of writing skills and the System for further building off of that… but he may have been wrong about that, to a certain degree. After all, the System made quite a big deal of rewarding Shen Yuan for saving Liu Qingge the last time around.
This time, it didn’t even need to bother, because Shen Yuan wasn’t gonna let anything happen to Liu-shidi out of guilt alone.
And now, well… it turns out that Liu Qingge is a deterrent to Xin Mo, of all things. Liu Qingge is a world breaking plot device in his own right.
And to that plot device, Shen Yuan… he’d… he’d…
He still gets a little hot down there, remembering what he’s done to his Shidi. It makes him want to bury his head underground and suffocate under sheer weight of shame. How is he ever going to be able to face his shidi again? Shen Yuan can’t do it. He can feign ignorance, flaunt his poker face in front of everyone and everything, bullshit his way out of any sticky situation… but how the hell is he supposed to do that in front of the one person who saw through him and… and…
Fuck, what does Liu Qingge even think happened, back in the side room?
Shen Yuan’s going to have to ask, but he has no fucking clue how to go about it without also addressing the… the…
He buries his face in his hands and wails.
Is this considered infidelity? Cause it feels a little that way, like the biggest betrayal of trust ever─
Except whose trust did he betray exactly? Liu Qingge’s? Hah, as if. That one had no trust in him to start with. Luo Binghe’s? Except that sweet summer child isn’t even…
Fuck. His own, then? Because that… Yeah, that’s not even new. Shen Yuan’s been digging holes for himself ever since the Endless Abyss and apparently now he’s hit a level of low he never suspected could exist. Way to go, really. Is there a pause button to press on this digging machine or is he gonna be stuck here until he comes out on the other end of the planet? Cause frankly, he wouldn’t even mind. A sword or three skewering him through don’t even feel fitting enough as a punishment, really.
Shen Yuan isn’t sure how he finds the dignity to get himself out of the bath and into a set of clean clothes. It feels dirty solely because he’s touched it and that ─ that’s stupid. None of this… none of it is real, none of it should matter… except that too is a lie and every little detail matters and Shen Yuan feels like he might just combust, from the influx of dangerous thoughts he doesn’t know what to do with.
“Shizun!”
A ball of energy bursts into the bamboo house before he gets the chance to dry his hair off, or even tie up his robes properly, giving him a minor heart attack. For a moment he’s terrified, expecting Luo Binghe there… but thankfully, it’s not.
With hands on his knees, breathing like he’s been running a sprint over marathon distances, Ming Fan barely lifts his head to say, “Shizun! Disciples from Qiong Ding and Zui Xian Peak banded together and invaded Qian Cao peak to attack Luo Binghe!”
For his part, Shen Yuan doesn’t even know what to think anymore.
… Well, of course they would. Apparently.
Shen Yuan throws in the towel and forgets all about his damp hair as he pulls a brand new outer robe over his shoulders in passing, his whole body wrought with tension. Luo Binghe… Luo Binghe is, naturally, on Qian Cao Peak. Shen Yuan hasn’t had the confidence to let the sweet lamb stay, hasn’t had the self control to do anything properly around that little ball of sunshine ever since he opened his eyes here… And now this.
“Shizun? Shizun?!” Ming Fan all but breaks into a run to catch up to him, the way he’s staring at Shen Yuan borderline uncomfortable. The longer he says nothing, however, the more intently Shen Yuan pretends everything’s fine, until the kid eventually stops staring and keeps running. Besides, the faster Shen Yuan walks, the more distracted his disciple gets. “Shizun? Then it’s true? Luo Binghe is really a Heavenly demon? Are we going to fight him too? But, if Luo Binghe is really a demon, then, doesn’t that mean my tripping array in Bailu forest worked from the start?!”
Shen Yuan almost misses his step.
He pauses just long enough to get his bearings and say, “... drop the nonsense. Tell this master, what actually happened on Qian Cao Peak?”
“Oh, well, like this humble disciple said, some disciples from Qiong Ding and Zui Xian peak banded together and invaded Qian Cao Peak. They went there to beat up Luo Binghe, but then Bai Zhan Peak got involved and now they’re all stuck on Qian Cao Peak for recovery.”
Shen Yuan must be looking very confused, because Ming Fan blinks up at him innocently. “Shizun?”
“Bai Zhan disciples got involved too?” Shen Yuan echoes, faintly. Seriously. Just how the hell is Liu Qingge running his peak?! But then, if it’s anything close to how he works that mouth ─ shit. Okay, his head is not clear. Forget it. Back to business. “Ming Fan, explain properly. What happened there? ”
“Well, the other peaks were mostly arguing amongst themselves, at first. About who had the right to go for Luo Binghe first, right? But then Bai Zhan disciples showed up and escalated everything. They’re the ones who made things physical,” Ming Fan dutifully answers, and that’s… why is it always Bai Zhan peak escalating things? Shen Yuan’s head is going places and he hates his brain for it.
“So everyone got beat up? Qiong Ding, Zui Xian, Bai Zhan? These disciples are all in recovery?”
Ming Fan shrugs. “Bai Zhan is mostly fine. The others had it worse. Those Bai Zhan brutes didn’t even spare the juniors from Qiong Ding. They beat up everybody.”
Sounds like Bai Zhan, all right.
Wait a sec.
“Bai Zhan disciples got into a fight with Qiong Ding disciples?” Shen Yuan says. Something here is not quite connecting. It’s not rare for Bai Zhan to have a beef with everybody, but Qiong Ding peak is one peak where they rarely dare make trouble. And especially now, after the hell those poor juniors had to endure. And somehow Bai Zhan went and beat up the already traumatized kids even worse… Oof. More importantly, Shen Yuan expected that the one handing out the beatings would be Luo Binghe… except the little ball of sunshine that he still is would never. So again, he is wrong.
“Bai Zhan beats up everybody,” Ming Fan says, as though that's just how things should be. “There were disciples from many peaks over at Qian Cao for check ups, even our own, but mostly it was Qiong Ding and Zui Xian group causing trouble… They said they have dibs on Luo Binghe… but apparently he’s been sparring over at Bai Zhan peak lately so he’s pissed off quite a few of their juniors. They keep losing.” The kid covertly snickers. At Shen Yuan’s look, he quickly wipes the smile off his face and presents a polite, poised facade… but Shen Yuan is at a loss.
Luo Binghe having a beef with the entirety of Bai Zhan peak is unavoidable, but having Bai Zhan come to his rescue from everyone else is unprecedented. Unfathomable, even… among a hundred other similar impossibilities. Shen Yuan can’t even bring himself to be surprised.
“What about Mu-shidi? I take it he’s aware of what happened?”
“Mu-shishu ordered everyone to behave or else Qian Cao peak won’t distribute medicine,” Ming Fan answers dutifully. “Also, Mu-shishu invited Shizun over for a discussion on where to let Luo Binghe stay from now on, as Qian Cao peak is not an option.”
… well, of course it isn’t. Who wants their peak rundown by a bunch of raging lunatics when they’re only doing their job? Qian Cao Peak earns their pacifist points with great diligence, but even they have their limits. But… bringing Luo Binghe back to Qing Jing, after what almost … ugh.
Clearly, he’s silent for too long, because Ming Fan rather softly asks, “Shizun. Is Luo Binghe really in trouble?”
“No,” Shen Yuan says immediately.
Luo Binghe is in for a world of trouble, but not yet. Not while Shen Yuan is here to take the burnt of that for him. If he even can. He doesn’t trust yet that his head is clear enough, but there is only one way to know for sure and ─ well, he feels brave enough to test the waters. Liu Qingge… has really helped him immensely. But seriously, if the whole thing with his Shidi wasn’t so mortifying, Shen Yuan would be pestering him for some answers. What the hell was Luo Binghe doing, getting bullied over on Bai Zhan Peak in his absence?
“Ming Fan should stay here and take care of things,” Shen Yuan orders, just as they reach the Rainbow bridge, fully ignoring his disciple’s instant disappointment that he isn’t invited along. “This master will go over for a discussion with Mu-shidi. Then later on we’ll see how to proceed.”
When he gets to Qian Cao peak, everything is very calm and quiet. A few disciples are out, cleaning up the gardens, but mostly, it doesn’t seem like anything big has happened over there. The disciples of Qian Cao don’t even bat an eyelash at his unannounced presence, one of them dutifully directing Shen Yuan over to the correct recovery room. Inside, the last thing Shen Yuan expects to find is Luo Binghe, sitting up, awake.
A little jolt passes through his spine at the sight. Luo Binghe’s face is pale and visibly exhausted, but the demonic mark and the burn scar it left on his forehead are both gone. But even though his disciple is awake, something is clearly not right, because he looks…
Shen Yuan doesn’t know what’s wrong exactly, but just looking at that child alone, he knows something is off. Is it because Luo Binghe is looking at him like he’s surprised to see him there? Alarmed, even? Or is it because there’s something other than surprise flickering in those eyes? Something very different, very unfamiliar. Or is it just him, feeling guilty over somehow letting this child down in so many ways when he’s promised him absolutely nothing?
At least, right now, all he feels is immense relief because his mind is not going places anymore. Looking at Luo Binghe now… is exactly how it should be. It stirs worry and concern and makes his heart hurt, but it’s not… it’s not like that unrecognizable monster.
So, that really was all Xin Mo.
Thank fuck.
Shen Yuan pushes down this sudden urge to hug his disciple and looks over to Mu Qingfang, who is sitting over a little further away, fingers gently testing Luo Binghe’s pulse. He doesn’t look away from what he’s doing, but he acknowledges Shen Yuan’s presence with a hum. For all it’s worth, Mu Qingfang looks far more exhausted than even Luo Binghe. He must’ve been running around all along, trying to help fix everyone who got hurt during the demon invasion, until he pushed himself to the brink ─ and he’s always the one telling others not to overwork themselves. What a fat load of shit.
“Shidi,” Shen Yuan greets stiffly. “This one heard there’s been quite a bit of trouble over at your peak. Rest assured, I will─”
“Never mind that. Come check this out.”
Curiously, Shen Yuan moves to stand next to Mu Qingfang ─ who positions his fingers over two very specific acupoints on Luo Binghe’s wrist. The boy is staring at both of them, as if he doesn’t know what to make of two peak lords hanging so close around him, but Shen Yuan is momentarily too preoccupied to worry about what must be going through his head. Mu Qingfang is trying to show him something, but for the life of him, Shen Yuan has no idea what that is.
“Shidi?” he questions, almost helplessly.
“Give it a bit. Can you feel it?”
Feel what? Luo Binghe’s pulse racing like he’s gonna hyperventilate any second now? Of course he can, and he’s not going to wonder about why─
“It’s faint, but you might be able to catch a feel for it. The meridian misalignment,” Mu Qingfang identifies.
“Ah. I ─ I see, now that I know to look for it. It doesn’t seem too major of an issue.”
“It wasn’t there when I examined him the last time.”
“Certainly, if there has been a significant amount of time in between─”
“Shen-shixiong. Luo Binghe was in my care for quite some time, shortly before things escalated up to now. No matter what, this kind of a misalignment forming during rest is a cause for concern. Already, the snake venom has done quite some damage to his cultivation base, but I fear that ultimately, the venom has nothing to do with these misalignments. It indicates a more permanent underlying issue.”
… Right. “What does Mu-shidi suggest?”
“Lots of meditation in a calm environment, but not actual cultivation for the time being, if the intention is to keep up with the spiritual cultivation at all. Otherwise, swiftly undoing the seal on his demonic power would be the best option.”
At the sound of that, Luo Binghe flinches, eyes growing wide as he stares at Mu Qingfang. He doesn’t say anything, but panic is written all over his face. Is this the first he’s heard of his demonic origin yet? If yes, then, damn, what hell of a way to learn about it. Sadly, Shen Yuan really can’t afford to coddle him much.
“Pass,” he says. Not only is he not thrilled to start his disciple’s blackening several years too early, but he is also well aware of just how excruciatingly painful the process of removing that seal is. He doesn’t want to imagine it, but he already knows in his bones that undoing of the seal will also imminently end with Luo Binghe entering the Endless Abyss all over again ─ and Shen Yuan is really not too keen on making that happen. If at all possible, he’d rather grant Luo Binghe the opportunity to never have to go through that at all.
“Shen-shixiong, this seal on his demonic blood is quite complex. The stronger his spiritual cultivation gets, the more unstable the seal becomes, the more difficult to get his spiritual meridians aligned. Luo Binghe’s spiritual cultivation has improved by leaps and bounds in the past few months. No wonder, that has only made the Qi deviations worse for him. This road with two opposing cultivation systems inside one body is very dangerous.”
As if Shen Yuan doesn’t already know all of this. He’s watched Luo Binghe rise to the top, utilizing both these conflicting parts of himself to the best of his ability, yet ultimately he still lost out on his sanity the moment Xin Mo inserted itself into his head. Having felt the power of such compulsions first hand, Luo Binghe of the past now appears almost levelheaded. If not for Shen Yuan consistently shattering his poor maiden heart of glass the moment his poor lotus barely pieced it together, then maybe…
But there’s no maybe here to look at.
Shen Yuan glances over the young child sitting there, looking like he’s been caught stealing candies, and once again imagines a flicker of darkness in those eyes that no longer exists. Subconsciously, his hand travels up Luo Binghe’s wrist, arm, until it finds his shoulder, and Shen Yuan pats it very gently. The boy flinches again, clearly doing his best not to panic in front of two Peak Lords, but there is really no need for it. Shen Yuan won’t ever let anyone point their fingers at him again, accusing him of crimes he didn’t commit.
“For the moment, we should just let Luo Binghe rest and recover properly,” he says. “Everything else, including the matter of the seal, is something we can discuss later. There’s no urgency. Priority is for my disciple to make a full recovery first.”
Luo Binghe gulps audibly. He’s been sitting there, next to them, very obedient and peaceful, but now he looks shell-shocked, like the rug has been pulled from under his feet.
Mu Qingfang says nothing, but he also notices just how uneasy that child looks. Whatever his private thoughts may be, he keeps them to himself, instead merely pulling a prescription he’s already mentioned he would prepare. Shen Yuan takes it, frowning slightly. “Should I prepare this personally?”
“No need, your disciples can do it as well, but you should be present when he drinks it, since, as we talked before, it might have some adverse effects on his demonic constitution.”
“Alright.”
“One more thing,” Mu Qingfang says, a little displeased. He glances over at Luo Binghe, as though he is conflicted over whether or not to say something, but in the end, he resolves the dilemma quite obviously. “Shen-shixiong, you might notice that your disciple is… a little confused… and even lost… on the details of what happened. This seems to be the result of the dream demon infestation. He may be a little confused over whether he’s dreaming or awake and you could find him dozing off at odd times. In that case, dreamless sleep potion is the way to go, but be careful not to give him too much. Stick to the instructions. Any potions that mess with the mind must be used carefully. Either way, we will need to consider a more permanent solution soon.”
“Such as?”
Mu Qingfang’s face darkens. “Depends on the dream demon and what their intentions may be. But so far, ritualistic exorcisms are the only ones that I know are able to resolve the matter entirely.”
“… Ritualistic exorcism?”
“It’s not as bad as it sounds… but it could prove detrimental to your disciple on the whole. A dream demon attaching itself to a cultivator is one thing, but it’s something else entirely when a dream demon does that to a heavenly demon, pureblooded or otherwise. We might not be able to get rid of it at all, if it puts Luo Binghe’s life at risk.”
“Do we need to do it?” Shen Yuan asks. “You just said, if the dream demon doesn’t have any dangerous intentions─”
“Whether or not it does, the damage has been done already,” Mu Qingfang says. “Luo Binghe is young, but whatever happened under the dream demon’s attack on him, it has affected his mind greatly. It took two full bowls of dreamless potion to snatch him out of one nightmare… and even that I’m not sure if it was due to my own efforts, or the nightmare itself had come to its natural conclusion. Regardless, when a cultivator under the effects of a dream demon infestation starts bleeding from his orifices, that’s never a good sign. It means that the demon has created some lasting damage that can also affect cultivation and life force. And disciple Luo…”
“All the more so,” Shen Yuan finishes for him, cursing under his breath. “Fine. We’ll consider our options and decide in due time.”
After all, no matter what he says now, if Yue Qingyuan decides otherwise, there will be little he can change without starting an all out conflict with the whole sect. Shen Yuan truly, wholeheartedly, hopes that things never come to that.
Just as expected, Yue Qingyuan arranges a Peak Lord meeting on that same day. It starts late and, for the first time since Shen Yuan has started this new chaotic storyline, it’s truly everyone that is present. Even Shen Yuan with his questionable identity is not left out of the chaos, instead he is personally invited over by Zhangmen-shixiong to give a report of his own, especially related to matters of Nan Jiang.
Naturally, Shen Yuan delivers, leaving out only the details about Xin Mo, for they contribute nothing to the discussion either way. Skinner’s hand in spreading the nasty practices is, however, discussed at length, with no conclusions forthcoming.
The meeting itself stretches for a long time. Very soon after it starts, it devolves into an argument between multiple peak lords on multiple different issues, leaving every single one of them unsolved by the end of it and Mu Qingfang with even a bigger headache, which has got to be an achievement. Shen Yuan with his sharp tongue and untrustworthy bearing somehow manages to stay out of the majority of the chaos until the very end, because apparently crucifying Luo Binghe is not quite the priority that it initially seemed ─ but it does come up eventually.
Shen Yuan’s got quite a few things to say, but he doesn’t get a chance.
“Are you all pigs for brains?!” Liu Qingge explodes and he’s clearly come to the point where he’d rather start bashing heads into walls than talk. “Forget the stupid kid! We had rogue cultivators infiltrating with demons and y’all still acting like this shit is the demons’ fault. Did your brain rot and become mush?!”
Wow. Ouch. Someone’s lost their temper. Sitting opposite of Shen Yuan, Liu Qingge is fuming, leaving all his reactions in plain sight of everyone, hiding absolutely none of his non-conformist impressions. Steam may as well be exploding out of his ears which are the color of blood… as is most of his face. Under that angry flush, those pretty features of his stand out all the more. Funny. Shen Yuan always thought Liu Qingge too beautiful for his pompous title, but now that sharp jawline feels more dangerous than the edge of a blade. Say if he were to run his fingers along─
Shen Yuan slaps himself mentally. But that’s not quite enough, because almost immediately he remembers that intense, focused gaze as Liu Qingge pressed him against the wall and kissed…
Shit. Not good. Not good, not good, not good. Shen Yuan glances over at his wrist, where there’s no longer a single trace of Xin Mo’s shards, scratches or any evidence of there ever being anything that could’ve messed with his head, which means he’s got no explanation for why his thoughts are wandering anymore. A full day should have been more than enough time to set himself straight─
And Yue Qingyuan is now talking, he has name dropped Shen Yuan, but for the life of him, Shen Yuan can’t hear what the Sect Leader is saying over the blood rushing to his head. It’s all he can do not to slam his head into the table in front of him, really. But then Yue Qingyuan is not talking anymore and now everyone is staring at him and clearly, Shen Yuan has just dug himself in deeper.
And now Liu Qingge is glaring at him too, looking royally pissed off at his silence and Shen Yuan still can’t distract himself from how alluring those reddened lips look. Was he the one who did that? Or did Liu-shidi find some other unsuspecting cultivator later on and had his way with them? Because clearly, Shen Yuan’s impression of him was totally off the mark. Who would have fucking known?!
Shut up already. Shut! Up!
Shen Yuan’s face is on fire. He is not sure if anyone can tell. He prays they can’t.
“Got nothing to say now?!” Liu Qingge explodes at him and Shen Yuan doesn’t even blink, because his train of thought is still milling about in questionable directions.
Still, doing his best to maintain his poised image, he says, “This one has said all he had to say on the matter. What else does Liu-shidi want to hear?”
Oops. Wrong answer. Liu Qingge is all but jumping over the table, looking like he’s about to smash his face into the marble. Qi Qingqi and Mu Qingfang grab him, one on each side, forcing him back in his seat.
Shen Yuan pretends he doesn’t care one bit for this, but his brain really is mush. Now what ?!?!?!#!?&*!?
Yue Qingyuan sighs softly. As if he too is warding off a headache, he says, “Then as initially suggested, the matter of investigating the rogue cultivators and the tempering they’ve done on our weapons will be jointly handled by Wan Jian and Ku Xing peaks. An Ding will make sure the repairs of the Rainbow bridge are handled swiftly and the peaks which incurred damages will either focus on their own repairs or will wait for An Ding’s assistance after the Rainbow bridge is settled. The rest can be arranged privately between the peaks themselves. Bai Zhan Peak, meanwhile, can… take up the issue with Skinner. Finally, as far as the matter of Luo Binghe is concerned…” His eyes briefly shift over to Shen Yuan, who is still making no effort to comment anything, before quickly drifting over to Liu Qingge, who is looking livid in his rage… and sighs.
Yue Qingyuan straightens his back and says, “The matter of Luo Binghe’s demonic origin is something that has already been brought up to this one in the past. Thus, I will repeat what I said back then. As long as Luo-shizhi shows no ill intent towards Cang Qiong Mountain, he is to stay as one of our own, protected and cared for as any other of our disciples.”
Liu Qingge huffs, lifting his chin over at Zui Xian Peak Lord as if this proves his damn point.
Huh. So clearly, what he’s been expecting is for Shen Yuan to put that shidi in his place. Now that the Sect Leader had to step in… eh.
Shen Yuan softly coughs into his hand, drawing the attention back to himself. He says, “This one has already made it clear that no careless suspicions thrown around at my disciple will be tolerated. If there’s something else you wish to know, you can turn to the disciple registry. All the information is already in there.”
“Yeah, right, the fuck it is!” Zui Xian Peak Lord explodes. “Where does the registry say the kid is a heavenly demon?!”
Shen Yuan raises an eyebrow. “Then I ask you, where does the registry require that information to begin with?”
“Oi, Shen Qingqiu!”
“Shen Yuan,” he corrects testily. “I’m asking you all a question now. Where does the disciple registry ask for such information?”
The silence is thick with tension. Quite a few peak lords ─ aside from Liu Qingge, who is finally somewhat placated ─ now look furious.
Qi Qingqi says, “That’s not the issue here. The issue is that Qing Jing peak has been housing a Heavenly demon without informing anybody─”
“And who was I supposed to inform?” Shen Yuan drawls lazily. “Zhangmen-shixiong already knows. That child’s parentage is listed properly in the disciple registry. So whose permission does Qing Jing Peak require to decide which disciples get to join? Xian Shu Peak? Or Zui Xian?”
“Wait,” Qi Qingqi hisses. “So you are saying Shen Qingqiu did that knowing the kid is─”
“Who do you think filled his registry information, then? Me?” Shen Yuan snorts mockingly. If not for Ning Yingying explicitly asking him about it earlier this morning, he wouldn’t have even known those dusty books exist. There’s another one among hundreds of dumb inconsistencies.
His words catch everyone off-guard, Liu Qingge and Yue Qingyuan included. In fact, rather than care about them, Shen Yuan seeks out someone else entirely and ─ yep. Of all the people here, Shang Qinghua has no right to look like someone’s slapped him across the face right now. Shen Yuan hasn’t yet had a chance to talk to ─ read, beat up ─ the Great Master Airplane, but he should know what details he’s written into his books. And even if he perhaps may not be aware of the whole story behind Shen Yuan’s disastrous take on Shen Qingqiu, he should still know the general outline of his own damn story. He should be well aware of just how far the whole thing has strayed off course. Is his System broken too?
Regardless, why hasn’t he approached Shen Yuan first? Does he know he’ll be receiving a kick to the balls as soon as he does? He better not. Shen Yuan intends to make that kick hurt.
“Well,” Yue Qingyuan says, very slowly. “On the matter of Luo Binghe, then, this discussion may be closed.”
“Zhangmen-shixiong!” Qi Qingqi gapes at him, mouth opening and closing like a fish. But really, that’s as far as she gets. Yue Qingyuan doesn’t look like he’s tolerant enough to listen to this any further, no matter how good his mask of polite patience appears to be.
“I do believe we’ve covered most things for tonight, then,” he says. “Thank you all, and rest well. We will proceed tomorrow. Difficult times still wait ahead.”
In the corner of Shen Yuan’s vision, a popup blinks. [Luo Binghe’s reputation points, +100!]
It should come as a relief, really, but inwardly, he can’t feel anything but a whole lot of ugly bitterness over everything. Including the fact that, in reality, those stupid points don’t actually mean shit. He is still here, Luo Binghe is still a punching bag and setting either one of them free from this chaotic hell is nowhere closer than it’s been back before he knew the whole System thing was a scam of the highest order.
On his way out of the ruins of Qiong Ding Peak’s pavilion, only minimally cleaned up after the destruction it suffered, Shen Yuan catches Liu Qingge looking at him. Immediately, his pace increases two-fold and before the moment’s passed, he’s on Xiu Ya, halfway to his peak. There is, after all, no need to make a mortifying situation between them even more so by acting stupid.
And, well, if his lips still tingle a little over how he kissed Liu Qingge before… no one has to know. Not Luo Binghe, ever. And especially not Liu Qingge.
Notes:
Yep, updates are def switching to weekly schedule from now. Thursdays or Fridays I guess, depending on how time goes. Y'all are amazing and I love you guys! I've read every single one of your comments and some I've read five times, kicking my feet around like a hopeless kid
Also, if anyone can guess what's up with Binghe, you get brownie points! And the 'uncannily sharp reader' reward!
Chapter 34: Dream Fragments
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Zhuzhi Lang has escaped.
It’s late in the evening and Shen Yuan has just been casually strolling along Qing Jing Peak, taking in the surroundings that used to be his home and yet now feel stranger than ever before. He walked a few circles before the thought eventually occurred to him, how would Zhuzhi Lang be handling the switch from Bailu forest to this bamboo forest? The change can't have come easy and, technically, kidnapping a half-Heavenly demon from his not-quite-stronghold in Bailu forest is a jerk move anyway. Shen Yuan had reasons, though, most of which kinda seem irrelevant right now, but still. So, rather than waste time arguing with himself, he sought out Ming Fan to ask him about it. Now here they stand, in front of a hut Ning Yingying and her fellow martial sisters made to house Zhuzhi Lang… and it’s empty.
Zhuzhi Lang has escaped sometime in the chaos of Sha Hualing’s invasion and no one has realized until now.
Ming Fan is already apologizing profusely and berating Ning Yingying for being too careless in the same breath even if the poor girl isn’t even there, but really, Shen Yuan just… he doesn’t say anything. He doesn’t have the energy. It was just a thought. Zhuzhi Lang is quite a capable demon at the end of the day and perhaps this is for the better. With his system of returning favors so skewered, Shen Yuan doesn’t want to imagine what the snake might do to his disciples once his master rises back to power.
“I swear, Shizun, that demon only ever spent time around Luo Binghe and Ning Yingying! I’ll surely scold them both over this!”
Right, because this is somehow better. Luo Binghe, spending his free time hanging out with his blood uncle who tried to kill him a lifetime ago. The mental image of the two half-heavenly demons building sandcastles fills him with all sorts of conflicting feelings.
“... no need. Where is Ning Yingying anyway? And Luo Binge? I haven’t seen them all day.”
Ming Fan pauses in thought. “This disciple… doesn’t actually know. Shizun, I last saw Ning Yingying at breakfast, but Luo Binghe even skipped that─”
“It’s fine, he had breakfast over at Qian Cao Peak again.” Shen Yuan waves his hand dismissively. “Have you at least seen him return from there?”
Ming Fan shakes his head, visibly distraught over it. But it’s really not a big deal. Even if there has been an ever increasing number of disciples looking to show off against Luo Binghe, thinking he is somehow weaker than the average demon, no fool would actually dare strike Luo Binghe from behind. And they have tried. So somehow, a whole bunch of sneak attacks got turned into an endless stream of duel requests and the very fact that no Peak Lord has done anything to discourage this kind of competition means that there have been well over thirty disciples from all over Cang Qiong Mountain who have made an official request to duel Luo Binghe.
For better or worse, Luo Binghe is still a patient of Qian Cao peak and so, all of those have been firmly denied by Qian Cao Peak Lord personally, without Shen Yuan even needing to open his mouth, but a tacit agreement between the peak lords has been silently achieved either way. Mu Qingfang will only give his okay for the duels to happen once Shen Yuan does ─ which he doesn’t plan to do anytime soon. And if someone does backhandedly attack his disciple, there are plenty of ways for Shen Yuan to make them regret it.
In fact, he’s only asking about his silly disciple because… He doesn’t even know. No matter what happened in the past, young Luo Binghe used to run to have breakfast with him, and lunch and dinner… he rushed to cook him five star meals, make tea for his Shizun and no matter how much Shen Yuan tells himself it’s the unreasonably, unscientifically delicious meals that he misses, he still thinks of the person more often than the food. He can’t even remember in detail what Luo Binghe used to make for him, only that face eagerly waiting to see if Shen Yuan will find that first bite mouthwateringly tasty.
And now this. His precious white lotus is either eating breakfast over at Qian Cao Peak while doing his health checks… or he eats with the other disciples or completely alone. Ever since the whole chaotic invasion has concluded, Shen Yuan has seen Luo Binghe’s face a grand total of three times ─ two of which the boy spent asleep and the one where his mind was addled enough he couldn’t even remember his manners.
This is… in a way, exactly what Shen Yuan wanted to achieve at the start of this second chance. A certain distance from this child who used to kiss the ground he walked on, enough space between them so that Binghe the cute white lamb could look for affection elsewhere, properly. That was the goal, no matter what messy steps Shen Yuan took in the meantime to achieve it.
Now that he has exactly what he’s wanted all along… Well.
Shen Yuan doesn’t feel like admitting anything to anyone, including himself, so he wanders around his peak instead.
He sends Ming Fan back to do his cleaning duties, then takes the long walk around the peak, the one that takes him far away from the areas the disciples usually frequent, the one that leads him to the very end of the cliffs that are nearly vertical. The wind there is particularly strong, and Shen Yuan feels good, feeling the cold air slap his burning cheeks. The wind blows like it whips him across the face, but really, the only thing that stings is a single thin trace of wetness on his cheek. Shen Yuan dries it off with his sleeve.
Zhuzhi Lang has disappeared.
The System is broken.
Luo Binghe, the future master of the dream realm, is allegedly confused over what his reality actually is. As opposed to what exactly? Who even knows?
And here Shen Yuan is strolling around the peak, reminiscing about the tearful face staring at him while the world around them shatters to pieces, moments before Luo Binghe too, turned into glowing particles of light before him. What the fuck is wrong with his priorities?
He takes a turn into a narrow passage between the bamboos, rarely ever used with how much the weeds have grown. Shen Yuan used to pluck those weeds sometimes, after Luo Binghe fell into the Abyss and he had nothing better to do. It's probably one of the nicest hidden gems of Qing Jing Peak. That tombstone he built used to be somewhere around here, too, holding only Zheng Yang’s broken shards for the longest time.
Now, obviously no one’s ever bothered pulling the weeds there. There is no tombstone to find. Shen Yuan is just about to pull a talisman and set the weeds on fire out of pettiness alone, when the sound of footsteps reaches him. Before he can think better of it, he dives straight into the bamboo to hide his ugly face.
Those footsteps, he notices moments later, belong to none other than Ning Yingying.
What is she doing here? Qing Jing’s beloved angelic little sister, sneaking around the remote corners of the peak so late at night? She seems to be carrying a bucket of… water? Throwing all sense of propriety off the cliff, Shen Yuan follows her at a distance. Anything, to distract himself from the fact that he's nearly tripped over and fallen into a chasm in the ground. Who even cuts the ground with sword glares on his peak?! This one is old enough that all sorts of plants and grass have grown over it, hiding it from sight completely! He's going to have a talk with lawn-maintenance team the first chance he gets!
Meanwhile, Ning Yingying strays from one not-quite beaten trail onto another one, even less traversed than the first one, which leads to a few select clearings on Qing Jing Peak. None of them are secret, per say, but they are often ignored as they are rough and remote, offering nothing substantial to keep the disciples’ attention. Ning Yingying particularly is not fond of such places. In his previous run, Shen Yuan heard her say so multiple times, mostly because the older disciples would often drag the younger ones there to bully. So truly, Shen Yuan can’t come up with any reason what she might be doing there, all on her lonesome, in the middle of the night. Of course, he has to find out.
Ning Yingying doesn’t go far. At the very next clearing, she puts the bucket down and leans over somebody on the ground, gently coaxing them with words too low for Shen Yuan to hear. She twists a wet rag in her hands, cleaning the face of the person curled up on the ground. Another disciple, judging by the streaks of white and green uniform peeking from behind her.
Shen Yuan almost stumbles out of his hiding place in sheer surprise! If one of the disciples on his peak is sick, isn’t he as the Peak Lord supposed to know?! The second rate substitute that he may be, he still cares for these cute little troublemakers! Of course he must react immediately! But he hesitates, and at a perfect time, too, as Ning Yingying’s voice finally rises slightly so he’s able to hear.
“A little better now?” she is asking, all gentle and soft, the angelic voice like a remedy for the soul. All she gets as a response is a pained little groan.
“It’s no good, Shijie can’t watch this anymore,” Ning Yingying’s voice cracks, like she’s about to cry. “Shijie will go get Shizun─”
Shen Yuan is nodding affirmatively, waiting for the perfect dramatic opportunity to jump out of his hiding place and assist his struggling disciple, but he never gets it. The words are barely out of the girl’s mouth before they’re lost in a gasp, her wrist seized with incredible force. The person on the ground is clearly not doing well, but they keep on shaking their head in refusal. “N─not… not him─”
“But, A-Luo…”
And that’s as far as Shen Yuan hears, over the blood freezing in his veins and thunder rumbling in his ears. He cannot move. He cannot even breathe.
Has Luo Binghe not been visiting Qian Cao Peak daily for almost two weeks now?! Even that should be an unusually long recovery time for the protagonist’s regenerative abilities! Just like the Proud Immortal Demon Way's plot, they must have taken a radical hit. But he should’ve been getting much better, if Mu-shidi claims so! What the hell is wrong now? Shen Yuan has to know.
When Ning Yingying leaves in a rush, likely to call for his help or something, she doesn’t even take the bucket with her. She runs away and a small voice in Shen Yuan’s head tells him that she’s looking for him, or maybe Liu-shidi, or any other authority figure she can find. But there is no need for it, because Shen Yuan is already there. The moment she’s gone, he steps out of the shadows, every single one of his steps heavier than a mountain. He walks towards Luo Binghe when he should be running, but he can barely make himself move.
What is that silly child thinking? What has he been hiding? Does Shen Yuan even have the right to know?
He has to, either way, because his conscience cannot stand the notion that his cutie protagonist is somehow suffering without him knowing about it.
“Back already?” his disciple rasps from the ground when Shen Yuan steps on a twig, like that child can’t tell only seconds have passed. His face is all drenched in sweat, expression scrunched as though he’s in pain. “I told you, he wouldn’t ever… not for me…”
But the words die on the boy’s lips as Shen Yuan kneels beside him. For a moment, those half-lidded, void-like eyes go impossibly wide… and then he closes them, as though he cannot bear to look.
“No,” he whispers. “I’m not dreaming. I’m not dreaming anymore. I’m not─”
He bites his lip when Shen Yuan gently places his palm against his forehead. Outwardly, aside from a pale face and white lips, there doesn’t seem to be much wrong. It’s not a Qi deviation, or at least, it’s not like any of the Qi deviations that Shen Yuan has encountered before. There’s no spiritual power going haywire, no demonic power surging. There is just a boy, curling into himself and hiding his face away.
His skin is as cold as ice.
“How long?” Shen Yuan asks, but all he gets is a rapid shaking of the head, wild and panicked. Mu Qingfang has warned him that Luo Binghe may require some assistance in setting his mind straight after the damage Meng Mo has done, but Shen Yuan didn’t think much of it. It's Meng Mo, what would that demon elder even do? He adores Luo Binghe almost as much as Shen Yuan does. Besides, for two weeks, Luo Binghe has behaved perfectly normal. So what is this now?
“How long?” Shen Yuan insists.
Luo Binghe attempts to push his hand away only for Shen Yuan to grab the wrist, mercilessly. His grip is neither lax nor too strong, but that child still panics, thrashes around, cowering away from him like… like he… is afraid?
“Binghe?” Shen Yuan says, much gentler than before. The boy shakes his head again, hiding his face, muttering something under his breath, something too quiet to make any sense of. Gently, Shen Yuan runs his fingers across his skin, pushing a lock of hair away from his face. “Binghe? Will you tell Shizun what’s wrong? Come on, Binghe. I can only help if I know…”
But the boy is too stubborn. He keeps squirming away, hiding his face almost helplessly.
“Luo Binghe!”
It’s only the stern command that makes the disciple look at him ─ actually look. And his eyes look… strange. Like they are clouded over, the same way they were when he first woke up after what Sha Hualing had done to him. Shen Yuan isn’t sure what that boy sees, but he knows that what he is seeing and what Luo Binghe is currently seeing are two entirely different things. Somehow, this life or that other life, they can never align, they can never see eye-to-eye.
This time, when Luo Binghe tries to squirm away, Shen Yuan doesn’t let him. He takes the boy’s wrists and pins them to the ground ─ and he sinks.
The whole world feels like it disappears from under him, tilting to the side and then all around him, spinning until he loses all sense of balance. Shen Yuan is falling, falling and falling, through the darkness he cannot discern, through the light he cannot understand. When the world reforms, he is back on Qing Jing Peak, but it is a very different Qing Jing Peak.
Razed to the ground, without a single bamboo left standing. Everywhere is gray, barren and charred, surrounded with an ugly fog. However, in spite of Qing Jing Peak looking nothing as it should, the heavy air around it feels eerily familiar.
He’s in the dream realm, of course. He’s been pulled in so many times that not recognizing it on sight would be laughable. It’s the when that is bothering him, the timing, everything. Why now? Why this way? Why while he’s obviously awake?
“You’re here,” a voice says from behind him, and Shen Yuan almost jumps out of his skin.
“You,” he growls, low and dangerous, and barely under control. Meng Mo, for his many schemes and slippery tricks, was never one to wish harm upon Binghe before. So what the hell is all this?
“What have you done?” Shen Yuan all but snarls. As expected, behind him, there is merely a shadow of a fog. Meng Mo has no power to sustain his appearance in the dream realm, he hasn’t been around Luo Binghe long enough to gather that kind of power. But when he speaks, the voice is solid and loud, everywhere and nowhere at once.
“What have I─ how dare you?!” the dream demon is outraged. But forcefully, he calms himself down. “No. You answer my question first. What meaning does Maigu Ridge hold to you?”
The… what? What? What meaning… does… what?
Shen Yuan’s treacherous face burns with rage, but he’s no longer worried about keeping up appearances. “Speak clearly! Make your damn point while I’m still listening.”
“So you do know.” Meng Mo doesn’t sound pleased. But he isn’t surprised, either.
“What is wrong with him?” Shen Yuan snaps, far more impatiently.
“Hell if I know!” Meng Mo explodes right back. “The kid was always a weird one! I’ve been looking for him ever since I woke up attached to some stupid no-name weakling, but by the time I got here, it was already like this! His dream realm is in shambles! I cannot break through to him at all! What have you done?!”
“Me? Me?!” Shen Yuan sputters. What could he have done? He hasn’t done anything! That’s the problem, isn’t it? If he hasn’t done anything, then why is Luo Binghe─
“His mind is completely broken!” Meng Mo all but roars. “His demonic consciousness has shattered! His self-awareness ─ ruined! Everything I’ve taught him is useless! When I try to piece him together, all I’m getting is a bunch of disconnected dream constructs! Fake memories, dreams of other people mixed with his own! Things that should have been buried in the past have somehow slipped to the surface and he’s lost his sense of reality completely! Every single fragment of his dream realm now thinks he’s the only one who is real! No matter what I do, he cannot hear my voice! The only one to have ever encountered something similar that I know about is you! So you answer me! What have you done?!”
Shen Yuan stumbles over his words, at a loss. He wants to argue, but the problem itself is too grave to tolerate pettiness. But he really hasn’t done anything. Is that the problem?
“I don’t… They said his mind broke under your influence,” he says. “Wasn’t it you who─”
“Two weeks ago, just as I finally found a way to connect to his dream realm, that silly brat sank into some sort of a deeply repressed dream that I could not see! Then his dream realm shattered for no reason I can identify! So I dug up the biggest, most unbroken fragment of his consciousness that I could find and pushed it to control the body, but now I cannot find even that anymore!” Meng Mo sounds like he’s on the verge of a meltdown. “Ever since I entered this place, it’s been like this! I wander around the dreamscape, pulling out bits and pieces! Fragments of his dreams, nightmares, memories, but too many match nothing that I know of! When he is awake, much of the time I am able to sort through these things, but when he falls asleep, it all falls apart, as though stirred up by himself personally! There’s no telling which construct takes control next!”
“Co-construct?” Shen Yuan says, faintly. “The… piece…the construct… the one currently in control of the body? What can you tell me about it?”
“Absolutely nothing!” Meng Mo roars. “It’s the same as the time I had to pull you out of that dream! I cannot see anything! If you know how it’s formed, you better tell me now, or who knows what’s been released out into the world! A figment of imagination in the body of a Heavenly Demon could cause more trouble than anything either of us is able to contain!”
Shen Yuan blinks rapidly several times. “A figment…? So… it might not even be Luo Binghe…?”
“Oh, it’s him, alright,” Meng Mo grumbles. “Of the many tortures he endured, the tortures of the mind were always the worst. It hasn’t broken him then, so I cannot begin to fathom why it’s breaking him now. The dreams, the nightmares a mind can cook up ─ hah, I don’t need to waste my words. Have you not seen that child murder dream constructs of himself in the past? That’s exactly what this is. Those fragments have broken out of control and came back to haunt him. They’ve broken his consciousness to the point he might not know which one he himself is! What I want to know ─ what set them free to start with?!”
“That’s…” Shen Yuan’s breath hitches in his throat. He doesn’t understand anything. PIDW never mentioned this. Airplane bro never said─
But isn’t that how it’s always been? From the start, things have never been what Shen Yuan wanted them to be. Is this, too, a consequence of something he’s done while unaware?
“What can I do?” he says instead, the steely determination inside him to do something urging him to move.
“It’s difficult to say,” Meng Mo says, very unwillingly. “Whatever we do, I’m not sure if he can be pieced back together seamlessly. But if we can find the part of his consciousness that we’re both familiar with, then we should at least be able to start with something.”
“Fine. How?”
“I can open the door to the dream of each and every construct that I find, but I cannot see inside the dream,” Meng Mo says. “You, however, will be able to watch these dreams without obstruction. Majority of the fragments inside them are too small, too weak, lacking true self-awareness. They will not be able to perceive anything outside said dream and they will feel like it is their reality regardless. Some of them, just like you, might find themselves misplaced and aware of it, but that means nothing at all. The one we’re looking for ─ that is the one who will be able to see you. He might not be able to do much else, but he will be able to perceive your presence. That one, you must take with you back through the door I make for you. That’s the only way.”
Shen Yuan thinks… if he thinks very hard, then he should be able to do this. It doesn’t sound impossible. “Right now?”
“Don’t ever close the door behind you, or I won’t be able to get you out until the memory or dream or whatever you get to see comes to its natural end ─ and who knows how long that might take. Time flows differently for every construct.”
Shen Yuan nods. Luo Binghe needs his help first. The rest, they can figure out later on ─ including how Meng Mo remembers something that no one else should.
When the seemingly simple, wooden door forms in front of his eyes, he wastes not a moment of time. He opens it and sinks through, absorbed deep into the dream.
The first place he emerges is a house.
Although, calling it a house might be a bit too generous.
The place has walls, a door and a window, but they’re all hollow and full of holes, letting heat and cold slip through with delight. It appears to be summer now, and the sweltering heat is scorching inside. There is one bed pushed over to a corner, made of a combination of old sheets, clothes and fur, all dirty and worn with use. But calling that bundle a bed… is too much still. On top of it is one pillow. The pillowcase is embroidered delicately in greens and silvers, but it’s much, much cleaner than what Shen Yuan remembers of it.
In the other corner is a small kitchen, where an elderly woman seems to be struggling to cut a few radishes.
The woman was once clearly an unprecedented beauty, with high cheekbones, sharp eyes and full lips, but now her face is full of aging signs, deep wrinkles and darkened skin shade. Her thin hair is pulled together into a low bun, secured in place with a precious hairpin made of wood as black as obsidian. The single jade embedded into the hairpin appears worth more than this entire hut and everything inside it multiplied a hundred fold, yet the clothes she wears are befitting of lowly servants in some rich households.
The knife keeps slipping out of the woman’s hand, thin and seemingly fragile and full of blisters. All her attempts to cut are too weak, not once piercing the vegetable. The knife appears so dull that it’s a surprise it can be used at all.
Shen Yuan doesn’t have the time to take a guess as to where he might be, when the door to the shabby hut slams open and a ball of energy bursts inside, shouting at the top of his lungs.
“Mother! Mother! Listen, listen! There was a show in town today, I ─ I ─” But the boy runs out of breath before he can finish, which gives the woman much needed time to hide a bloodied handkerchief behind her back. When she turns to face the boy, she is cold and stern, unyielding. There is a spark of emotion in her eyes that is impossible to decipher.
“Luo Binghe,” she says, with more strength than that frail body seems to possess. “What have I said about your conduct?”
Instantly, the boy’s back straightens, but there’s not much use to it. After a few moments, he relaxes again, taking notice of the knife forgotten next to the mangled radish.
“Mother, I said I’ll cook. Leave it,” he cries, then ushers the woman away from the small improvised cutting board with all the energy an overzealous child can muster.
Shen Yuan feels his heart clenching tightly in his chest. It is an angry, suffocating feeling. The bright-eyed little boy that barely reaches up to his waist picks up the knife and the radish like a true professional, cutting slowly and carefully ─ and very successfully, given what kind of a dull tool he is working with. Rather than pay attention to the visibly exhausted woman who has already moved over to rest on the bed, Shen Yuan instead comes over to look over Binghe’s shoulder, wondering what he can cook with this small amount of vegetables.
Not until the boy brings out two bowls and fills them with neatly cut radish pieces does Shen Yuan realize that there is no other food in the house. Not even a cup of rice. Instantly, his heart tears to a million pieces. He wants to take the boy into his arms and take him away from here, take him away from this kind of life ─ but on his way back to his mother with the two bowls in hand, Luo Binghe passes through him as though he isn’t there.
The one we’re looking for ─ that one will be able to see you.
That’s what Meng Mo said. That means that the boy who is currently shuffling things around so he can sit next to his mother is merely a construct, a fragment, one of many pieces of Luo Binghe’s vast dreamscape, a part which Shen Yuan might never know for sure if it’s real.
“Mother, did you know there will be cultivators coming from all over the Central Plains for the summer festival?” the boy is saying excitedly, his eyes shining brightly as he picks up pieces of the radish from his own bowl and feeds them to the woman next to him. She tries to refuse, but he keeps insisting, and eventually she relents, and silently listens as he gushes excitedly about the show he’s seen.
From his words alone, Shen Yuan is confident that what Luo Binghe is talking about is one of Huan Hua Palace’s regular events, which is hardly worth such excitement, especially to a person that Luo Binghe will eventually grow to become. But this child is young and impressionable, likely not much older than eight or nine, yet looking much younger regardless. The advertisement for the event that he has seen must have been the most exciting thing in the world and he speaks of it with great delight.
Shen Yuan knows that he should go. This Binghe is not the Binghe he is looking for, so there is no reason to stay. But he finds himself sitting down on the makeshift bed alongside him, leaning on the wall against his better judgment.
The kind washerwoman listens to everything Luo Binghe says aptly. She does not look like an elderly woman as much as someone whose energy has been sucked right out of her after suffering a difficult life, leaving only little of her faded youth and soft beauty behind, all of which swirls in her eyes as she watches Luo Binghe bounce around like a ball of sunshine. She makes no comments of her own. Not when the child poorly imitates the sword moves, not when he pathetically mimics the voices and their tone. It is, in a word, adorable. It also breaks Shen Yuan’s hearts into literal pieces.
“But Binghe,” the washerwoman later says, once the boy has run out of stories to tell, and he nestles back down on the bed next to her, resting his messy head of hair in her lap and clutching his favorite pillow to his chest. He looks up with his big eyes shining and Shen Yuan understands the kind of heavy feelings the woman must be feeling. Clearly, she doesn’t wish to encourage this, but she doesn’t have the cruel bone in her body that will allow her to dash his hopes, break his heart with grim reality.
“Mother?” he says eagerly, when she stays quiet for too long. “Would you disapprove if I wanted to walk the cultivator’s path?”
The smile that breaks out on the woman’s face is neither ironic nor fake ─ it is just sad.
As she repeatedly runs her fingers through Binghe's hair, she slowly says, “Not all cultivators are righteous people. Not all demons deserve to be hunted. In the face of the arbitrary rules that this world forces upon us, does Binghe think he can keep his spirits high and his heart kind, even in the face of difficult choices?”
It’s not the kind of a question that Shen Yuan expects to hear from a woman who should have had little education and more kindness in her heart, nor is it what Luo Binghe is expecting, either. Still, little Binghe takes these deep words very seriously. He thinks about them for a long time, with that childish look on his face, until eventually he seems to come to a conclusion.
“All I want is to be able to bring good food home for my mother to eat,” he says brightly. “If a cultivator can do that, that’s what I will do. If a merchant can do it better, then that’s what I’ll be instead.”
Shen Yuan’s insides twist uncomfortably, a knot inside him so tight that he simply cannot undo, a knot of fate that’s beyond anyone’s control. His mind conjures up an image of a wandering merchant with Luo Binghe’s face and recoils, when the merchant is ultimately dyed over by the shadow of darkness and blood.
The kind washerwoman who raised this child gently pats the top of his head, and Shen Yuan takes notice of the fact that she hasn’t put a single radish piece in her mouth, aside from the ones Luo Binghe himself had fed her. Her hands are very obviously shaking and her complexion is horrible. She doesn’t have much time left at all.
Softly, she runs her fingers through little Luo Binghe’s hair, a small smile on her face, but those eyes seem to be on the verge of tears.
She says, “Binghe has a long life ahead of him which he will not be able to spend alongside me. If Binghe wishes to walk the cultivator’s path, then simply doing it to put food on the table is insincere. A cultivator must be righteous in his heart, but that righteousness is worthless if it comes with insincerity. It is fine if others only wish to cultivate for themselves. I will not judge them. But if Binghe wishes to do so, then I will only support it if Binghe dares put his whole mind, body and soul behind it. Whatever my Binghe wishes to do, he must never do it half-heartedly. He must never do it in order to cause harm.”
“So mother disagrees?” Binghe asks softly, a little like he’s trying to hide his disappointment. Even to a child, her condition seems impossible to achieve. He leans into the gentle hand that brushes against his cheek.
“Mother only wishes for Binghe to stay true to himself,” she says. “How he chooses to do it is a choice Binghe must make alone. All guidance is precious, but Binghe must remember that guidance is all it is. Nothing is set in stone. Whatever you do, you must not think of it as a road with no going back. Opportunities always arise where one least expects them. And sometimes, the thing we always thought we wanted was something we only realized too late that we never really needed. It is the biggest hope in my heart that Binghe can come to understand that.”
“I understand already, mother,” the boy says, so convincingly that it is truly heart wrenching to hear. Shen Yuan’s heart hurts. All he sees is the washerwoman as she repeatedly strokes the boy’s forehead, forever unaware of the Heavenly Demon sigil that is bound to eventually show up there.
The washerwoman smiles. “In that case, mother will prepare a gift for you. If you ever decide to walk the path of a cultivator, mother hopes that you will carry her gift with you.”
Luo Binghe’s eyes light up with childish excitement at the mention of a gift, forgetting everything else immediately. Of course Shen Yuan knows what that gift is. The poor washerwoman has only ever been able to afford him one thing, a piece of fake jade that is able to ignite a hidden bundle of light deep inside of Xin Mo’s darkness. Now he understands why.
Shen Yuan bites his lip, blinking away the wetness from his eyes.
If he’d given it back… if only he’d given that jade guanyin back in time…
But what has been done has already been done. The mistake was made too long ago, it cannot be fixed. That world’s Luo Binghe suffered too much, but this Luo Binghe can still be spared. Shen Yuan has not once even thought of taking something of his away, never again. But he has also never dreamed that… his disciple might still be waiting, somewhere. And if Meng Mo knows of a timeline long passed, then… amongst these pieces… there has to be one particular black lotus that Shen Yuan longs to meet.
He must bring that child back, no matter what.
With a heavy heart, he forces himself to stand and summons Meng Mo’s door towards him. To the next dream, he goes.
Notes:
A bit shorter chapter this time, mostly because when originally written, this and the next chapter were one whole thing that got split into two due to length... anyway.
Am I taking MXTX's waved-off explanations on how the dream realm works and how SY's punishment in SVSSS could happen? Oh, yes I am. Am I also waving it off in my own, very-specific, super complicated way? Absolutely.
What else can I say other than... enjoy the pain?
Chapter 35: Porcelain Puzzle Piece
Chapter Text
Shen Yuan exits the memory of the tender moment between Luo Binghe and his mother figure with stones for limbs and lead for blood. He’s not sure how he is able to move, considering just how constricting everything around him feels. His lungs feel like they’ve been squashed together, his chest crushed and muscles barely functional, allowing him only those small, shallow breaths of air that make his head spin.
Meng Mo’s door leads him to a different dream, but Shen Yuan has yet to recover from the emotional wreckage the first one left him in. So when a rock comes hurling through his head, he screams like a girl. It is mortifying. Shen Yuan hasn’t lost his dignity so terribly ever, yet now that a rock harmlessly passes through the spot between his eyes, he loses it.
Of course, the rock can’t hurt him. He doesn’t exist in this place, so how could it? Even if he somehow did, the rock would still not be able to harm him. Knowing all of that changes nothing. His heart is still beating in his ears.
The person who threw that rock is naturally Luo Binghe ─ and what he was aiming for seems to be a beast that is growling somewhere behind Shen Yuan. It is approaching Luo Binghe threateningly, sniffing and hacking at him with its disgustingly long tongue, as if it’s not yet sure whether Luo Binghe is a prospective meal or a prospective threat.
Judging by the darkness and the heavy reddish tint to the air, this place is undoubtedly the Endless Abyss. It is dry and rugged, with rocks and cliffs rising everywhere at shallow heights, and at the bottom of one such cliff, Luo Binghe lies on the ground. He is soaked in fresh blood, his face streaked with tears and dirt. He is pressing his hand to his chest, covering up a bleeding wound and his breathing is shallow and raspy, like he’s on the verge of losing it completely. The wound he clutches onto so desperately is precisely the wound that Xiu Ya left on him, when the Endless Abyss opened.
Shen Yuan stares at that wound like it hurts him.
Not Shen Qingqiu, he realizes. The Original flavor, no matter how harsh his handling of the original storyline had been, he had never stabbed Luo Binghe’s heart in order to push him into the hellhole that is the Abyss.
Shen Yuan personally did that.
Yes, even if he is wholeheartedly aware of it, his breath catches in surprise anyway. It might’ve felt a little like he’d coughed out a mouthful of blood. Or got stabbed through the heart. All the more visceral, for how it is Shen Yuan himself holding the weapon.
Not much time would have passed since Binghe had fallen, judging how wet his face is with all the tears and how the blood has yet to begin drying. Minutes, at earliest. Hours at most.
By all means, Shen Yuan should not be able to see this. Nothing like this has had a chance to happen, yet. Luo Binghe on the grass of Qing Jing Peak is several years too young for it. And yet here he is, staring at a piece of a memory that this sweet child should have never become aware of, not by a single logical law of fictional time travel.
More importantly, is this not what Shen Yuan has been hoping for all along? A piece of his blackened disciple, scattered and buried deep under in his subconscious, never to come out, but still undeniably there?
What if it’s just a fear? A nightmare, cooked up by the System to frighten the fifteen year old Luo Binghe while he is still young and impressionable? After all, the set up of the arcs that Shen Yuan has had to endure hasn’t changed that much. Skinner had still attacked Shuang Hu city. Liu Qingge might’ve not entered Lingxi caves, but Shen Yuan still had to step in and help him. Sha Hualing still invaded. Inevitably, what should have come after is the confrontation with Meng Mo, as the Elder Dream demon attempted to take Luo Binghe as his disciple…
Except, Meng Mo has asked about Maigu Ridge to Shen Yuan’s face and that sort of thing can only mean one thing and… and…
Shen Yuan is staring straight into the face of that one thing. His eyes cannot part from that open wound on Binghe’s chest, that state of dress… that look on his face. The fear, the sorrow, the pain, the resignation.
The heartbreak.
That child looks like his whole world has shattered to the point he cannot look at the demon in front of him as some sort of a threat to his existence. He is not bothering to brace for another halfhearted attack, nor is he attempting to get up and run. Luo Binghe doesn’t even look like he is able to stand up.
The demon, the double-clawed poison mantis, screeches as it attacks him for the second time.
Shen Yuan doesn’t have the shamelessness to watch the outcome of this encounter, not when Luo Binghe doesn’t attempt to defend himself at all as the monster teeth sink into his flesh. The sound of it is unbearable, the guilt in the face of what he gets to watch overwhelming. Shen Yuan can’t stand it. Not when the heavily wounded Binghe is looking through him like his presence doesn’t compute, like there is nothing else out there but the monster coming for his life. Before the scene finishes, Shen Yuan has already dived through another door, into another piece, another dream.
If perhaps, there had been a spark of recognition, a flash and nothing more…then maybe, maybe he’d muster the self-respect and force himself to take this responsibility…
But there was nothing, so Shen Yuan forces himself to keep going. Shen Yuan reminds himself there is no purpose in beating himself up over things he cannot change. That certain things have happened too long ago for him to be in any sort of position to apologize for it, or god forbid, make amends.
The guilt, however, only grows more bitter inside his mouth. Like an ugly aftertaste that just refuses to go away, impossible to ignore.
The next punch to the gut comes in the form of the very next fragment he enters.
It hurts all the more because it cements one thing. The scenes he has seen so far? They’re all undoubtedly real. They have, at a certain point, without a shred of doubt, happened to Luo Binghe, enough that his recollection of it is near perfect. Starting with the reflection of the sun rays against the obsidian black hairpin in his mother’s hair, to the rough texture of the rocks and the Abyss terrain around him, obvious in spite of the muted reddish tint, all of those are memories.
This new dream is fuzzy and seems more like it’s happening on a small, fragmented clearing, resembling Qiong Ding Peak yet not at the same time, for nothing on it is positioned even remotely accurately aside from the sect’s name engraving, high up and clear to anyone who dares look at it.
At a certain point, the greenery simply ends in a cloud of white smoke showing indication of nothing. It doesn’t even look like a proper fog ─ just a dream construct that could never gain a detailed form, a fake location in a dream with little correlation to reality.
In the middle of this unfinished Qiong Ding peak, Luo Binghe rests on his knees, with his nose pressed to the grass and arms folded in front of his head. Small, weak whimpers break through his mouth every time a thick metal whip lands across his back, ripping apart his robes and leaving deep red marks on his skin.
The perpetrator behind these hits is a faceless stick figure, recognizable only by the dark color of his robes and a giant longsword strapped to his back. Yue Qingyuan of the dream looks nothing like the Cang Qiong Mountain Sect Leader actually does ─ but it is undeniable that the faceless figure of the dream is intended to bear his face, carry his authority. The countless other stick figures, with even less clear features as opposed to the dream version of Yue Qingyuan, are thus, undoubtedly intended to be the other members of the Cang Qiong Sect. It is only the color of the uniforms that draws a difference between these faceless observers, and even that does it poorly.
To Luo Binghe who feels nothing except one hit of a whip after another on his back, none of that makes a difference.
It probably wouldn’t make a difference to him that the Sect Leader in reality doesn’t even know how to wield such a tool. Shen Yuan writes a note to himself in his heart to repeatedly remind that child so, after he wakes up. With Shen Yuan there, no one on Cang Qiong Mountain will ever dare do that to him. Never.
Is it his black lotus that had to dream about this in the Abyss? Or was it Binghe the original? Could it have been both? Is there even a difference?
Regardless, Shen Yuan understands now where all the bitterness towards Cang Qiong Mountain must have come from, if these are the kind of nightmares Luo Binghe struggled with in his most vulnerable moments. The entire mountain turned on him over something he never could have changed with his own hands. The entire sect condemned his mere existence over parts of himself he never could have changed. Razing Cang Qiong Mountain to the ground must have been one of the easiest obsessions for Xin Mo to feed upon, if such fears have been there all along.
Shen Yuan would rather not bear witness to any of this. He cannot do anything to break the irrational fears of a mind that doesn’t even realize these are merely dreams, cannot tell for sure whether the Luo Binghe in these dreams has any self awareness. He drops down to his knees and begs that child to look up at his face, but no matter how much he pleads and cajoles and insists, those void-like eyes never look up at him.
When Shen Yuan attempts to touch him, his hands pass right through.
It is a long time before Luo Binghe opens his eyes.
Shen Yuan, in the meantime, endures the whipping with him, wishing he could do something, anything to make this nightmare disappear and never exist again. But those red, broken eyes that open up once again see through him ─ they are both monstrous and shattered all the same. They look through Shen Yuan as if he has never existed, as they swear vengeance through the tears that won’t stop rolling down his cheeks.
So ─ a construct. A fake. Shen Yuan lets out a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding. It passes like a poisoned arrow through his lungs, while a mixture of fire and ice rolls through his blood.
Is it guilt or is it relief or is it rage? He feels many things all at once, yet nothing at all at the same time. Even if he thinks about it, he doesn’t know how to handle it, so he just doesn’t think.
Step by step, he doesn’t even bother summoning Meng Mo’s door to him, but he takes one heavy step after another, walking like he can barely see where he’s going.
He enters many different dreams, after that. Some are just as pathetically constructed dreams with no basis in reality. Some are just straight up scenes copied verbatim from Proud Immortal Demon Way’s pages and made into three-dimensional reality. Some are moments that Shen Yuan has apparently personally lived through, just on the other side ─ the side of a corpse, smothered into a desperate hug by a child who could barely hold on to a shred of his sanity. A wounded soul who did everything within his power not to let a dead body rot.
Shen Yuan doesn’t know why Luo Binghe of this world holds such dreams, nor does he understand where they could have possibly come from. At one point, he thinks he sees a flicker of something in Luo Binghe’s eyes when they meet in one such dream. The child is hugging Shen Yuan’s body ─ Shen Qingqiu’s body, his mind revolts ─ and burying his nose in that silky hair. But that’s all he ever does. Holding those giant arms over the rigid, pale, whole body, and passing it spiritual power in such incredible amounts that it is a miracle he is even able to function in daytime.
During one of those times, those eyes flash with a spark of pain or possibly recognition or something ─ and so Shen Yuan stays there, holding that gaze for as long as he possibly can, calling out softly.
But Luo Binghe closes his eyes while a single tear rolls down the side of his cheek, just hugging the dead body in his arms tighter and giving move of his spiritual power until his eyes eventually fall shut and the dream dissolves as it comes to its natural end.
So Shen Yuan battles the complexity of guilt and pain and disappointment as he proceeds to the next fragment. And the next, and the next.
Shen Yuan loses all track of how many different dreams he’s shifted through, how many of the dreams and nightmares he’s witnessed. He can no longer muster the energy to look for the little clues and hints that would tell him whether the dream is just a dream or an actual memory, for the logic of it doesn’t make any sense to begin with.
Some scenes are more detailed. Some aren’t. Questioning what it all means at this point hardly feels worth it.
It is telling, however, that the scenes where he finds the most solace are the ones ripped straight out of Proud Immortal Demon Way. They, at least, seem to be showing him something other than utter misery that Luo Binghe’s life has always been. When it’s those fragments, then at least Shen Yuan allows himself to hope that maybe he’s getting somewhere. That Luo Binghe might still rise above the terrible things that have happened to him, that those wicked scars on his soul might eventually heal, even if they might never disappear. Because at least there, there is some sort of a fire burning in his eyes, no matter how ugly and blackened it may be. At least there, he looks alive.
The newest dream that he enters is one such thing.
At first, he can’t tell what it is ─ just a dream, a memory or something entirely fabricated? But slowly he recognizes the space as Luo Binghe’s inner palace in the demon realm, similar to one where Shen Yuan stayed briefly. The details of its construction are clear and there is no fuzziness when he looks out the window. The fancy rooms in this palace all look alike, at least based on how many times he’s already had to see them throughout this journey. This room, however, is lavishly decorated in all the fancy red silks and gauzes, their meaning painfully obvious.
A wedding night. Another one.
Shen Yuan grimaces, but waits patiently for the scene to set itself up. It’s hardly the first wedding night of the Stallion Protagonist that he got to witness and he has, frankly, expected himself to be far less magnanimous about it. The first time, he’d actually been quite concerned how his poor heart would take it. As things stand, though, his heart is already overwhelmed with countless other feelings and he’s lit so many candles for himself─ he no longer has the capacity for any kind of insecurity, scrutiny or even dejection over the fact that the flower Binghe so devotedly attends to is not him.
This wedding in particular seems to have been carefully thought out. The room is decorated with taste and sparing no expenses on the luxury and the comfort. Perhaps it’s a bit too much, even. Not once has Luo Binghe the original bothered to follow all the stupid traditional customs ─ until now. The single white sheet spread over the bed fills Shen Yuan with a visceral need to simply pick it up and rip it.
He’s of a half a mind to actually try it when the door to the fancy chamber opens and admits the couple of the night, both still adorning the red wedding gowns.
Shen Yuan spares no thought for the bride, but his eyes are immediately over Luo Binghe, his regal bearing and full height, the red that adorns his chest and the confidence that sits on his face. Sometimes, when he walks through those doors with a flower or two hanging on his arms, that confidence gives way to a kind of empty lust that is almost sad to watch.
This time, however, even if Luo Binghe has yet to shift his eyes away from his bride for even a moment, there is none of that hunger coloring his features. This time he is exceptionally calm, exceptionally controlled and wholly devoted. His eyes take in even the most miniscule body movement of the pretty girl clinging to him, her face still wholly hidden behind a veil of precious red silks adorning her entire person.
By all means, Luo Binghe should’ve ripped all of that clothes away from her by now, but instead as they reach the foot of the bed, they just stand there. Is his new wife shy, maybe? Those were quite rare in the harem overall, but mostly because they weren’t very popular. Most of that shyness melted away into screams of Binghe’s name by the end of the night anyway, so the empty chastity trope was meaningless anyway.
Shen Yuan really, really doesn’t want to be here to watch the papapa as it takes place. Unfortunately, it looks like he won’t have much choice, because Luo Binghe hasn’t looked in his direction yet, hasn’t looked away from his bride for even a moment.
In fact, unlike any of the other wedding nights that Shen Yuan has read about, this is the first time that Luo Binghe is keeping his eyes solely fixated on the sweet flower in front of him without immediately shoving her down on the bed and showing her why he’s the Stallion Protagonist Extraordinary.
The bride herself is also the patient type. A child of a noble clan, judging by the sheer luxury of those precious red robes she is wearing, the priceless jades and crystals sewn into it, some glistening with cute magical properties. A cultivator, no less, by means of a single concealed dagger that Luo Binghe carefully unfastens from inside her sleeve.
A little like it’s a form of foreplay, the bride lets out a soft huff that sounds decidedly amused.
Luo Binghe then proceeds to remove a dagger from inside her boot, several needles hidden within the luxurious sash around her waist and a precious looking hairpin from her fancy hairdo that looks just a little too sharp to be entirely innocent.
By all means, any such moment should come across as helplessly steamy and effortlessly sexy. Yet, Luo Binghe is uncharacteristically careful about not touching his bride in any way that is even remotely inappropriate, going out of his way to never directly make contact skin to skin, even if it’s just their hands. By all means, he should have long since torn those bridal robes off and smothered his newest conquest with endless affection, pounding into her until the pretty wife was beginning for more with her tear stained cheeks ─ exactly how all of the Airplane’s middle schooler fantasy level writing tended to go.
Not this time.
This time, Luo Binghe does the exact opposite of bedding his brand new wife the good old traditional way. He takes away her weapons, strips her of all physical defenses that may put up a barrier between them, but he never… Notably, not even for a moment, does he allow himself to touch this woman improperly. Almost as though… he fears crossing that line. It is… unusual, in a word.
Except, what Shen Yuan actually means by it is that it is unprecedented, unbelievable and unscientific. Not a single woman who formally entered the harem could be so ugly that even the protagonist refused to lay his hands on her, or else she never would have gotten that far to begin with. But at the same time, his amusement appears genuine and his bearing not at all imposing or even disgusted. If anything, Luo Binghe looks somehow nervous, somehow expectant… even afraid. Could it be his first formal marriage?
That should be Ning Yingying, then, no?
Except, Shen Yuan is pretty sure that Ning Yingying should be smaller, compared to Luo Binghe’s towering figure, and that marriage certainly did not take place in the Demon Realm. This woman, no matter who she is, is by no means tall compared to most men ─ but her bearing too, somehow, commands respect. As if two equally footed warriors have entered the arena and now they regard each other not as enemies, but friendly rivals who may have accidentally ended up married instead.
It is bizarre.
Shen Yuan needs to know more about it.
Luo Binghe, as always, is eager to provide. With the small smile yet to disappear from his face, his eyes fly over the assorted set of weapons he’s deposited on the corner of the bed. Then, for the first time, he speaks.
“After everything, is this still how much you trust me?”
His voice is soft, yielding. More curiosity than a statement, more entertainment than hesitation.
The bride says nothing in response, so Luo Binghe moves. Gently, he lifts the phoenix crown off her head, leaving it aside on a nearby table. He is downright hesitant when he begins to smooth out the fancy hairdo he’s messed up, gently unwrapping every single strand of hair that gets in the way, so tenderly as though this lady in front of him might break with the slightest pressure applied.
Shen Yuan’s breath catches. That line. The weapons. The phoenix crown. The sheer hesitation and tenderness… The sheer respectfulness of the encounter. There is not a single person that Luo Binghe has ever treated this way, in Proud Immortal Demon Way or otherwise. None except one.
Long silky hair falls free of all the complex braids, delicate decorations and luxurious hairpins. It hides those soft, yet infinitely intelligent eyes as those strands perfectly frame the bride’s face.
Even with the red silk covering the majority of her face, Shen Yuan would have had to be blind not to recognize the beauty of Xian Shu peak’s most legendary head disciple shining through.
As Luo Binghe finally finishes smoothing out her hair and letting it fall down into a cascade of perfection well below her waist, Liu Mingyan looks up at him, her eyes shining brightly.
“This humble one sincerely thanks the Demon Lord of the North for his boundless kindness. Fret not for the news that came in the midst of the ceremony, for this one devotes her mind, soul and heart to her husband and his plight.”
Luo Binghe looks at this beauty in front of him like he is barely able to breathe.
Shen Yuan… doesn’t blame him.
Liu Mingyan has always been stunning. A peerless beauty of righteous character is a dime a dozen in the cultivation novels in general, let alone the harem genre, but even if one were to look broader and take all the lead ladies of all the historical setting novels, caring not whether they are stallion novels, harems with cultivation setting or pure romances in general, Liu Mingyan still reigned a step above them all.
A part of it is certainly her appeal to wider audiences. Shen Yuan cannot be called a fan of such pure and innocent types, but the things that stood out to him about Liu Mingyan have always been her kindness and her intelligence. Of all the ladies helplessly fawning over the Stallion Protagonist, few have devoted their lives to things other than petty harem arguments and court manipulations. And while neither Sha Hualing and Liu Mingyan had been entirely above getting dragged into such side plots, courtesy of Airplane’s shitty pandering, these two ladies have always topped the popularity rankings for reasons other than being tropey harem girls molded into the archetypes they were made to represent.
The opposite, really. The more they broke those archetypes, the more popular they became, what with Sha Hualing’s sexscapades becoming some of the most legendary porn chapters amongst hundreds of them.
But then the highly anticipated marriage ceremony with Liu Mingyan came and went ─ and not a single papapa chapter ensued. The long-awaited marriage of an angel and a devil concluded with a shared glass of wine intentionally written to pander to the particular fans of indirect kisses ─ but not a single moment of tenderness made it on the pages. Not a single caring touch, not a single mistake of the passions, not even a stolen kiss in the dead of the night. And while the entirety of the fandom called total BS on Airplane’s take of this particular ceremony, especially because it had taken more than seventy other wives to get the highly anticipated BingYan ship to finally sail ─ Shen Yuan had actually been quite fond of this development.
In fact, the handling of Liu Mingyan’s character throughout the entire storyline is the only one that has been consistent, he’d say. That’s why she’s the best. She didn’t mindlessly fawn over Luo Binghe. She didn’t simply jump onto his pillar the moment the confines of the marriage had fallen upon them. The label is there, but the school-grade quality of papapa was never the main draw of the ship to start with so why did it fucking matter whether or not these two shared a moment of passion on screen? With so many other cheap porn chapters to throw around, adding in another such chapter just to show one of the most respectful and mindful characters to ever grace the pages of online books spread her legs to take the heavenly pillar despite everything already established about her seemed like a terrible offense to what this ship ever stood for.
Most of the dick-brain fans rioted anyway.
To Airplane’s credit, he never ended up writing a BingYan sex scene regardless.
To Airplane’s discredit, that hack of a writer ended up writing another wife plot with a different lady right after to make up for it, and Shen Yuan swears it to this day, he read those chapters in a fit of blind rage wishing he could wrangle Airplane’s keyboard away and smack him on the head with it.
The objectification! The pornification! The blatant disrespect to the Queen of all Queens! How the hell has Airplane Shooting Towards the Sky not had his writing licence revoked over that madness?! Shen Yuan feels the deep-seated need to wrangle his neck over it to this day.
But alas. The disrespect to Liu Mingyan aside, the mere fact Shen Yuan gets to see this moment with his own eyes ─ he’s not sure if the universe is throwing him a bone or making fun of his struggles. At the very least, Luo Binghe has shown not the slightest bit of disrespect to his rightful Queen, even if Airplane Shooting Towards the Sky has, and there’s another reason why Shen Yuan will never be able to look at Luo Binghe the original and call him a total disaster.
Even as they stand now at the foot of the bed, deep inside Luo Binghe’s innermost palace where not a single soul would dare bother them, Luo Binghe makes no attempt to push himself onto Liu Mingyan. He makes no attempt to flirt, talk or in any way proposition his wife, even if he has done so much worse to others. Is it love? Is it respect? Shen Yuan has not a single fucking clue, but his eyes are glued to them regardless, taking in every detail of the scene like a hungry monster that cannot possibly tear his eyes away from a mouthwatering piece of meat.
Liu Mingyan, surprisingly, breaks the stalemate first. Graciously, she removes her outer robes, folding them neatly and properly, then setting them down next to her phoenix crown. Luo Binghe follows her every movement with her eyes with the same hungry curiosity as Shen Yuan, but he remains rooted to the spot. He moves not a single muscle, not even for a moment, even as Liu Mingyan personally tugs at the edges of his outer robes, as if to ask, “May I?” exceptionally politely.
Luo Binghe’s expression at that gesture unexpectedly darkens.
Answering the unasked question, Liu Mingyan shifts her eyes to the bed ─ or more specifically, to the single white sheet covering it ─ before her eyes settle back on her husband, inquiring. It takes a moment for Luo Binghe to realize what it all means.
Then the room instantly chills, as though someone has opened all the doors and windows in the midst of a blizzard ─ as though all the candles have gone dark. The change in mood almost makes Shen Yuan dizzy. Luo Binghe’s fists close tightly and his jaw clenches shut audibly. It is a long, tense moment before actual words come out of that frigid mouth.
“I’ll have someone remove it. I didn’t do this… for that.”
“Ah.”
Liu Mingyan says no more, but her demeanor relaxes visibly. It is almost palpable how sensitive both of them are, because the moment the tension in her body dissipates, Luo Binghe’s own frosty expression seems to soften a little. Not entirely, not even close. But the change is almost visible with the naked eye.
Jaw set, Luo Binghe turns without another word and picks up the white piece of cloth. The ripping sound is harsh enough that even Liu Mingyan tenses, but Luo Binghe casts the pieces aside as though they mean absolutely nothing.
Shen Yuan understands nothing, but he desperately wants to.
All along, in Proud Immortal Demon Way, Liu Mingyan was the one wife never treated as such, the one whose relationship with the protagonist was the most intriguing and underdeveloped at the same time. Rather than bed playmates, they were always more like business partners, with the kind of trust between them that was forever more obligation-bound than romantic. But for all the intrigue behind it and the obvious attraction the two felt for each other, looking at this moment now ─ the tension between them is thick and heavy, but there is nothing sexual about it, nothing even remotely enticing.
Luo Binghe is staring at Liu Mingyan as though he doesn’t know what to do anymore, full of bottled up anger with nowhere to go, but it is by no means directed her way. In contrast, Liu Mingyan herself is silently watching as though she too doesn’t know what to make of it, as if the marriage ceremony earlier had been something they’ve both been striving for earnestly, but now that they’ve done everything they intended to do, they don’t know how to proceed.
It is simultaneously the most bizarre and the most relatable feeling ever.
“Now, what should I do?” Luo Binghe says eventually, downright ferocious, but all Shen Yuan hears is the vulnerability underneath. That child sounds like he is upset on someone else’s behalf, something that Shen Yuan has never heard from Luo Binghe, the original one or otherwise.
Liu Mingyan says, “You have me beside you now. What is it that you want to do?”
“You…” but Luo Binghe’s fist clenches and he is looking everywhere except at his wife. “Is this not what you wanted? Years ago, you said to me…” he trails off, however, leaving the words unfinished and for Shen Yuan to be ripping at his hair in frustration. Why is he not talking?! What's so hard about saying a few words, huh?! But Luo Binghe stays silent for the longest time, seemingly struggling with something internally, before he finally says, “The news about the Liu clan’s newest alliance… was it you who sent that to me?”
“Does it make a difference, if I say that it wasn’t?” Liu Mingyan responds, all too calmly.
“Then, I ─ I took you away. I went and strong-armed your clan into this. Forced you to commit before you were ready─”
“Luo Binghe,” Liu Mingyan says softly. “There is not a single person who could have forced me into this marriage, if I did not want it. Not even you.”
If anything, Luo Binghe’s fists only seem to clench tighter. “If you fail because of me─”
“Because of you, I can never fail,” Liu Mingyan says. Even from a certain amount of distance, her hand still chooses to rest over his fists, rubbing soft circles into the tight muscles. “The Jianghu allowed this marriage because they hoped they could use me against you. I was their last hope. Them selling me off to you in hopes I would be able to stop you ─ this has always been my intention. But Luo Binghe, I may have been raised into a weapon, but I don’t want to be that kind of a weapon. If the world must crash and burn to pay for the wrongs committed, then so be it. I will tear it apart with my own hands. From the moment my brother died, there was no going back for me. Every single choice I’ve made since, every step I’ve taken ─ all of it was done with the purpose of putting me here. Right next to you.”
“As an equal,” Luo Binghe growls, his voice almost pained. “How does any of this─” he gestures wildly around them “─translate to equal?”
Liu Mingyan looks up into his eyes as she steps closer, her hand gently settling on his cheek. “We never could have been equal,” she whispers. “You are a Heavenly Demon Lord, someone with incredible power in the palm of his hand, someone who has everything it takes to change this world into something better. But my battle could have only ever come from the shadows. Luo Binghe ─ everything you’ve done, everything you have achieved, every single person you’ve taken under your wing… it was the right choice. All of it.”
“And the one who paid the price was you,” Luo Binghe hisses, as he yanks Liu Mingyan’s entire body to him, pressing her up against him until there’s not a sliver of space between them. His fingers tangle into the edges of her veil as he tugs it upwards, without ever removing it. But he leans close enough that it’s clear enough he is asking for a kiss. Asking ─ not demanding it. Another oddity. He swallows thickly as he whispers, “Let me fix it.”
Liu Mingyan is a heart of stone, however. Her eyes fall shut only for a moment, eyelashes shuddering, but once she opens them, everything about her is resolute. “The consequences of my choices are my burden to bear. I hope that Great Lord Luo will respect that until the end.”
“I,” Luo Binghe tries to say, then chokes. He’s sweating, obviously, and Shen Yuan is sweating with him. The tension is killing him. Luo Binghe’s arm around Liu Mingyan’s waist presses her closer to him. “Is this really not─”
“Tell me,” Liu Mingyan cuts him off. “Who do I look like more? My brother? My mother? Or, perhaps…”
She trails off, as she takes Luo Binghe’s shaky hand into his own. It is precisely the hand fiddling with her veil, precisely the hand that seems to be doing everything in its power not to forcefully remove it. With the gesture of her hand, it appears as though Liu Mingyan, personally, is going to make him do it.
Shen Yuan leans in a little closer, like the creepiest pervert of them all.
But Luo Binghe’s hands are giant and shaky. Gently led on by Liu Mingyan, his fingers sink under the red silk covering up most of her face. For the longest moment, it is impossible to tell. Is Luo Binghe touching her chin? Her cheeks? Her lips? Her tongue?!
But then he sucks in a shallow breath and lets go as if he’s been burned. His eyes fall shut as Liu Mingyan presses her hand back against his cheek. Luo Binghe leans into it, almost desperately.
Shen Yuan wants to scream. He barely resists the urge to hit something. This is a once in a lifetime chance! Once in a lifetime! Don’t you silly child understand what that means?! You’re probably the only person in this entire world to have touched Liu Mingyan’s bare face other than her blood family, why couldn’t you have just scooted that veil over a little ─
Damn it all.
Luo Binghe doesn’t say anything. For a long time, he doesn’t speak at all, until eventually a snort escapes him. There is nothing gentle about it, nothing tender. It sounds like a growl of a monster rather than the tenderness of a husband mesmerized by his wife’s beauty.
The claws burst on his hands, seemingly out of his control, cleanly ripping through the thin inner robes cascading down Liu Mingyan’s back. At first it seems as though it’s her neck that Luo Binghe is kissing, softly, demandingly, but soon it becomes clear it’s not a kiss at all. His face is buried into Liu Mingyan’s shoulder and her hair, his shoulders quaking. It’s impossible to tell if he’s crying or laughing.
Liu Mingyan makes a sound that is something between a helpless sigh and a strained chuckle, her fingers gently combing through that messy hair. “Luo Binghe… your heart is too kind.”
“No,” Luo Binghe says, but it sounds strained. Finally, he pries his face away and looks up into Liu Mingyan as he sits her down on her bed and buries his head in her lap, the sudden softness in his voice indescribably wanton. “This isn’t kindness. This… even calling it selfishness isn’t enough. You…”
“Every decision I made was mine to make,” Liu Mingyan assures him. “Every decision I make from now on is also mine to make. If you want me to help you break the curse inside you, then I’ll have no choice but to do so, but it is a promise I already made─”
“No,” Luo Binghe growls, quietly furious. “You are mine to protect now. Mine,” he says. “As long as I exist, not a single person will ever touch you. Not even me.”
“I’m a weapon, Luo Binghe. Possibly the most dangerous kind that exists. The opportunity you’re passing up is something our world will never forgive you,” his wife answers as she plays with a lock of his hair, an ironically dry tone dancing underneath her eerie words. Luo Binghe takes her hand and closes his own around it. It is so much bigger. So… ridiculously protective. Gently, Luo Binghe brings it to his face and kisses the tips of her fingers.
“I’ve already done countless things that can’t be forgiven,” he murmurs against the soft skin. “What’s one more going to do?”
“Truly, this demon lord’s heart is too kind. This humble one will forever stay grateful,” says Liu Mingyan, mock-taunting.
Luo Binghe stands up then, looking over the damage that his claws have done to her clothes and sighs. Clothes, they've ruined. But it speaks volumes of his intentions that there is not a single red line on the naked skin. Removing his own outer robe, he drapes it over her shoulders and tucks it around her, the gesture both kind and patronizing. He takes Liu Mingyan’s hands back into his own hands before he kneels down in front of her again, looking up into her face as though he is making a promise.
“This palace is yours to command,” he says. “For as long as you choose to stay here, you do whatever you want. Whatever you tell me to do inside these walls, that’s what I’ll do. As for what happens outside ─ that’s for me to take care of.”
Liu Mingyan’s gaze softens. “This humble one thanks Great Lord Luo for his boundless kindness.”
“Not kindness,” he says, after a moment of thought. “What I’m doing now is far more cruel than even what your family has done. If I fail, you are the one who is going to suffer the most.”
“Then, are you going to fail?”
“Never,” Luo Binghe says, a silent promise set in stone.
Liu Mingyan chuckles. It’s soft, but it’s not a happy sound. “Then, this one has made the right choice. Best wishes to Lord Luo’s great conquest. Your wife will make sure everyone eagerly awaits for your victorious return.”
Luo Binghe says nothing. He just straightens up sharply, heading towards the single door in the private room. On his way, he walks past Shen Yuan, but he does so with his gaze focused firmly ahead, determined and unyielding, seeing nothing but whatever the grand conquest still waits ahead of him.
…
So, he’s not the one that Shen Yuan is looking for, either.
Before Luo Binghe ever reaches the exit, the dream itself dissolves, throwing Shen Yuan back into the intimately familiar red-tinted darkness of the Endless Abyss. Now, however, he has no spare thought to pay attention to the suffering that young Luo Binghe is experiencing there. His mind is a flurry of thoughts.
Luo Binghe and Liu Mingyan, that’s right. That marriage was a catalyst to something big, he remembers. Something that everyone called bullshit, because the highly anticipated marriage ceremony of the most beloved childhood sweethearts got cut short over something stupid. Such an enticing romance, the sincere exchange of vows that never got to happen but was relentlessly built up with countless scenes of both of them preparing for the ceremony separately, the most awaited kiss scene of the entire series─ only for the whole thing to fall apart in utter disappointment! No confession! No affection! Not even a passionate kiss after the trouble was dealt with and the marriage was already in full bloom!
But really, Shen Yuan has always known there must have been something. Something that Airplane bro never dared touch in the end. This wedding was the catalyst, the only on-screen wedding that followed all the traditional customs appropriately, the single most universally beloved moment among the fans and anti-fans alike… so naturally, everything that came afterwards ended in utter disappointment.
The arc that followed this grand wedding ended as anticlimactically as it started, but it was also what kickstarted the grand unification of the north and the south ─ Liu Mingyan was, unexpectedly, the glue that made the unification stick. So clearly, Liu Mingyan’s role in this is something that would have had to do with the themes of that universally detested arc. Shen Yuan remembers roasting those chapters to hell and back over and over, it was so stupid that it deserved the official title of the story’s worst chapters in the endless number of them. But what was it, again?
He’s still trying to remember which other wife conquest the arc ended up devolving into as the dream in the Endless Abyss dissolves and another takes its place. Could it have been the Little Palace Mistress, maybe? But that one should have come way before, Luo Binghe had her smitten well before Liu Mingyan ever made her grand on screen return. Or Shangguan Qian? That highly popular assassin sure had a wildly unpredictable turn that soared her position unexpectedly. But that should’ve been way later. … Lu Xiaodan, then? Or Liu Mingyue? Come to think of it, there had been a hell of a riot when Luo Binghe ended up bedding another Liu clan child on screen and the wildly beloved Queen never even received a proper kiss! Aaaargh! Airplane-bro is such a fucking hack. He really deserves a beating. Maybe Shen Yuan can finally deliver it, once he’s done with whatever hell of a mess is going on in Luo Binghe’s dream realm as is.
Shen Yuan is still busy tapping into the good old mnemonic link system he used to force his way through boring university topics, trying to figure out which wife exactly ruined Liu Mingyan’s wedding ceremony ─ when a familiar voice tickles his ears.
“S-Shizun?”
Already, Shen Yuan expects to have stumbled into an old dream of Binghe and himself from before all the terrible things have happened, so he isn’t in a hurry to pay attention. It’s not the first, certainly not the last and he’s more annoyed that his attempt at remembering is foiled by the very disciple he’s trying to figure out, a troublesome one no matter which fragment he is dealing with─
But he does look, eventually. And when he does, it feels a little like all his organs have been ripped straight from his body.
“Shizun?” Luo Binghe whispers again, like he can’t quite believe what he’s seeing. Luo Binghe is staring right at him.
But more than that, it’s Shen Yuan who can’t believe what he himself is seeing. Luo Binghe stands before him, beaten and bruised, with blood all over his pristine white robes. He’s too grown up to be in his disciple era, too humanly charming to be in his dark lord era. His eyes are glued to Shen Yuan, like he isn’t sure what he is seeing at all ─ but then they dart over somewhere behind him, focused on something else entirely, like that other sight is what truly left him speechless.
Shen Yuan looks with him.
A few steps away from them, a bloody scene unfolds.
There is a person on the ground, lying in a puddle of blood that is ever growing.
The white uniform is tailored with the trace of a silver dragon stained with mud and blood, and the head of its owner is tilted to the side, eyes lifeless and wide open, a thick trail of blood rolling from the side of his mouth. Even with the pale face bloodied and its expression distorted, it would be impossible to not recognize Bai Zhan’s singular War God.
“Shidi,” Shen Yuan gasps, stunned.
Liu Qingge is dead, and his empty eyes devoid of all life are set on Shen Yuan ─ as though he has seen something where he now stands that he couldn’t look away from until the very moment his life abandoned him. And in his chest is a familiar sword, a beautiful snow-white blade, luminous but not blinding. It’s piercing Liu Qingge’s heart, where the soft glow of a spell is slowly fading. Holding that sword is a person identical to Shen Yuan, watching his work below him like something to be proud of, like it’s something to celebrate. That person with the same face holds the very same sword as the one that Shen Yuan has been using for well over a decade, the sword he has grown immensely attached to, the sword that feels to be a part of himself more than anything else does. And this person is using it to kill someone who Shen Yuan has done so much for just to keep him alive.
… What?
What the actual fuck?!
This person is aware of neither Shen Yuan’s presence, nor Luo Binghe’s as he finally pulls the sword out, leaving behind a gaping hole in Liu Qingge’s chest.
Luo Binghe’s eyes are shifting over from one familiar face to another, a faint purple crack reflected in his irises. “S-Shizun…?”
The boy clearly doesn’t know who he is addressing. He obviously sees some sort of a difference between the two, but cannot identify it, perhaps doesn’t dare to try.
Shen Yuan wastes no time thinking about it. Luo Binghe’s dream realm has left him drowning in confusion for long enough, but not anymore. This Luo Binghe can see him. No doubt, he’s found the right person. Using all the spiritual power he can gather, Shen Yuan summons Meng Mo’s dream door over to himself, over towards Binghe.
Just as the door is about to catch them, Shen Yuan grabs Luo Binghe’s trembling wrist, instantly relieved that he is able to establish contact. He shouts, “Hold on tight!”
Whether instinctively or otherwise, Luo Binghe grabs an iron hold of his hand in return. He holds on as though he’s holding on for dear life, as the door sends them tumbling through the darkness, having only each other to cling to. Everything spins as they’re thrust out of one dream and into another, one after another, until they’re eventually thrown into the darkness of the unaffected dreamscape, then out again, until they’re both forced back right into their bodies.
It’s a heavy, ostensible pressure in Shen Yuan’s head that only begins to clear out once he realizes it’s all over. The dream around him has dissolved. The chilly wind on his skin prickles. The rustle of the leaves is more vibrant than he expects it. The body under him─
Shen Yuan finally snaps out of the haze and the dizziness to find himself lying on top of his fifteen year old disciple, crushing him to death. Luo Binghe is coughing and shaking, face drenched in sweat, so Shen Yuan hurriedly struggles to move off of him so they can both come to their senses. But Luo Binghe looks far more overwhelmed than Shen Yuan expects. Even when Shen Yuan sits up, hurriedly fixing his robes and his hairpiece, Luo Binghe doesn’t move. He doesn’t seem able to.
His breathing is shallow and ragged, his clothes drenched in sweat. His hands are flexing into fists, then relaxing with seemingly very little control and he’s blinking rapidly, the look in his eyes somewhat hazy.
Shen Yuan leans over him, not at all sure what to start fretting over, but when Luo Binghe’s eyes settle on him, they stay there, staring up at him in ways that look almost grounding.
Faintly, that child murmurs, “Shizun?”
He looks so lost and so confused. And so, so tired.
Shen Yuan moves before he can exert any restraint over himself.
Pulling Luo Binghe into his arms, he presses that light, limp body against his chest, fingers digging into his robes. He clutches the boy with so much force, telling himself that this is really him, not some stupid fake dream fragment, not a memory, not a nightmare. Convincing himself of it, if with no other evidence than the tone of his voice, the look in his eyes.
It’s Binghe who is right in front of him, tightly embraced in his arms, warmer than he’s been when Shen Yuan found him, livelier and younger than most of the renditions he’s seen in the dream realm. It is his Binghe. It always has been. He is not dust. He never was.
Shen Yuan doesn’t need to ask anything anymore. He doesn’t want to. He just holds Binghe in his arms, his chin resting on top of the boy’s head as he whispers into the night, “Shizun is here now. Shizun is here.” One hand clutching desperately, the other cannot stop running through that fluffy hair, brushing it with his fingers in all sorts of ways as though if he stops, the child in his embrace might disappear.
He can’t stop and he doesn’t want to.
The steady heart beating against him sets his mind at ease, while the shaky breaths burn his skin. It’s a long time before the child in his arms begins to relax, even longer before he also slowly wraps his arms around Shen Yuan. After a while, Binghe’s shoulders start shaking. When his mouth opens, nothing coherent comes out of it.
“Shizun… It’s really Shizun…”
Shen Yuan just holds him tighter.
And then the tears come and Luo Binghe holds him desperately as he breaks into a sobbing mess. Tears, snot, helplessness and devastation all seem to pour out of him in droves, the lax hold he has on Shen Yuan’s robes changing into unbreakable bonds.
Shen Yuan isn’t sure why Binghe is crying. He knows even less about why his own face appears to be wet. As it stands, he is so distraught he barely notices anything at all apart from Binghe’s warmth against him and he doesn’t rightly care about much else except keeping it there.
“Shizun,” Luo Binghe whispers, his shaky breath tickling the skin of Shen Yuan’s neck, hot and heavy. “Shizun… I… this disciple… I never wanted… I…”
But Shen Yuan shakes his head, holding the boy closer, hugging him tighter. “Don’t speak. Binghe is here now. Binghe is fine. Everything will be fine.”
“Shizun… I didn’t want to hide… I never wanted…”
Shen Yuan swallows a lump in his throat, but he doesn’t let go. “Later,” he whispers. “We will talk later. Firstly, how does Binghe feel now? Any pain? Any discomfort?”
The boy in his embrace gingerly shakes his head.
Shen Yuan forces his arms to relax a little, forces his hands to let Luo Binghe go ─ but only slightly. As soon as the boy is no longer hugging him with so much desperate strength, Shen Yuan is touching his face, inspecting for abnormal temperature, Qi deviations or anything even remotely similar, but finds nothing. The whole time, Luo Binghe just watches him, eyes glistening with tears.
“Shizun…”
“Does your head hurt? How about your memories? Have you pieced them together? What about─”
Luo Binghe shakes his head slightly. “Too… too much,” he whispers. “I don’t know… what I saw. What I…” but he trails off, eyes unmoving, entirely lost as he stares at Shen Yuan. “Shizun, do you know? I… I remembered, all along. Since that moment I woke up in the woodshed, I… but Shizun, for so long, I wasn’t sure… I couldn’t tell…I didn’t dare…”
He trails off, words lost when Shen Yuan wraps his arms around him one more time. It’s not intentional, merely instinctive. A need, rather than a want, to just hold him there, pressed up against him, warm and solid.
“Don’t talk,” he whispers, desperately hiding his face in Luo Binghe’s hair, letting it absorb his tears and hide them from the world. Softly, he promises what should have been promised long ago. The words he has wanted to speak in way too long. Words that in the end, he hasn’t had the chance to say until now, not to the right person.
“Luo Binghe… I… no matter where you wish to go, no matter what you want to do… this master will welcome you, this master will accompany you. I won’t ever leave you to suffer alone again.” He holds the child tighter in his embrace, trembling with him. “Relieved… this one is relieved. I…” but he gives up, at a loss for what more he wants to say. His Binghe is right here. He has been here all along. The relief that floods over him is almost unbearable.
Completely, Shen Yuan misses the single dialogue window pop-up in the corner of his vision.
[System notice: Congratulations! Special mission <Porcelain Puzzle Piece: Living in a Dream> status: 100% complete! Linked mission, <Shadows of the Southern Realm> overall mission set: 27% complete. Please continue your efforts!]
Notes:
Aaand with this, we've hit 200k words! Wish I could say we're halfway to the end, but at this rate, more like a third. Maybe a quarter... this is honestly turning out way longer than I initially planned. That's what happens, I guess, when you go digging deep in a fandom that has so much to give
Next up, LBH and SY try their hands at actual communication???? Uh oh, WONDER HOW THATS GONNA GO FOR THEM
Chapter 36: Fissures
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Luo Binghe happily accepts the warm cup of tea that Shizun offers as soon as they get to the bamboo house. He’s not doing this because he wants to avoid conversation. Shizun is too distracted to even start one. He keeps dropping things left and right, producing ceaseless noise into the creeping light of a budding sunrise as he collides with walls and household furniture. He may as well be acting as though he can just go through them. And he likely could. In a dreamscape.
All this begs a very uncomfortable question. How long has Shizun been shuffling through Luo Binghe’s dream fragments? How much time has Shizun spent searching for him there? And what has he seen that has made him so… jittery?
Luo Binghe really wants to ask. In fact, he’s not sure himself just how long he’s been stuck in there. Last he recalls before waking up in Shizun’s arms is, it was still daylight outside and he hasn’t actually planned on deep diving into the dream realm at all. He’d just… fallen into a quick nap, after overexertion got to him. Now it's almost morning and Shizun has been busying himself with everything but sitting down to actually breathe.
He will have to calm down, soon, or else the early riser disciples will catch him pacing around and they’ll catch Luo Binghe sitting on top of Shizun’s bed for the first time in forever─
Luo Binghe hopes that the way his cheeks flare up with immense heat isn’t too obvious.
It must be, however, because Shizun finally stops pacing around, bearing down on Binghe like a hawk before he can do anything to put his thoughts in check. A chilly hand touches his forehead, Shizun’s thoughtful face coming to rest just a small distance away.
“How does Binghe feel?” he asks immediately. “A fever? Is there any discomfort?”
“No, Shizun. This disciple is perfectly fine,” Luo Binghe answers dutifully, but on the inside he is a melted puddle of water. Earlier, Shizun hugged him. Shizun hugged him so tightly and he didn’t let go for so long, and it’s all Luo Binghe can think about.
No wonder his face is on fire. No wonder at all that Shizun won’t trust him, when his whole body is radiating heat like crazy. And that’s… that’s really not good. Obviously. The longer Shizun stares at him, the more heated Binghe feels, which only has Shizun staring at him that much more intently.
Eventually, Shizun asks, “Has Binghe been drinking his medicine regularly? What about the dreamless potion?”
Inwardly, Luo Binghe winces. How is he supposed to admit that he’s been avoiding that particular prescription on purpose? He can’t! Not now! Not in front of Shizun! Not after that avoidance resulting in this!
He needs to say something, however, and that something could very well be the end of him, if he picks the wrong words to slip. Shizun is now well aware that the person he’s talking to is the same person who hurt him so deeply in Maigu Ridge and there’s clearly still some apprehension when he speaks… but Binghe was never that good at acting defensive.
After a moment of thought, he gingerly touches the most untouchable topic of them all: “Shizun. The person inside that dream, the one who did that to Liu… shishu. That wasn’t Shizun, was it?”
Of course, Shizun stops in his tracks. His hand, just as he’s been pulling it away from Binghe’s forehead, freezes in the air. For a long time, he stands like that, his spine at an odd angle, until he gives up completely, and slumps down on the bed beside him. Luo Binghe's heart jumps to his throat from the sheer proximity. Shizun doesn’t say anything for a long time, and the longer the silence stretches, the more uncomfortable it becomes. Luo Binghe knows he has it right, though. Shizun may not be answering, but everything he needed to know is now in front of him, and Luo Binghe wonders how he could have ever missed it.
At some point, Shizun changed so much. So much that he may as well have become a different person.
“This disciple didn’t believe it, before. Of course, I always…” Luo Binghe gulps, already regretting the rubbish pouring out of his mouth, but now that he’s talking, he can’t stop. “Shizun did seem a little different, at times… But… not… not until Shizun himself said it, not once did this disciple think Shizun could be… anyone else…”
He trails off, eyes no longer daring to look at Shizun. Really. All his life, ever since the Holy Mausoleum, he’s been thinking about it, trying to understand how Shizun is so different, how could he have known so many things, at such a perfect time… What could have changed, really? Or has Shizun just always been impossible to read? But the way Shizun always seemed to know certain things and the way he let those slip at only the most dire times… It didn’t make sense. The best explanation that Luo Binghe had been able to come up with was that Shizun had seen something at some point in time that made him change from his core. A future, perhaps? The kind of future that would have given him the knowledge to handle the Holy Mausoleum so expertly, at the very least? Not until waking up back in this different time did it cross Luo Binghe’s mind that Shizun might have already gone through something similar, or as this Shen Yuan claimed, he might not even be Shizun at all…
But now this person is looking so… What if he’s taken these words the wrong way? What if he thinks… What if…? This Shizun is obviously the past lifetime Shizun, but at which point did Shizun stop being Shizun…? Are there really two of Shizuns? Did Shizun ever even stop being Shizun or did he just say that… for whatever reason? Actually, is the person that Luo Binghe knows even Shizun, or has it always been this other Shizun? Ahh. Luo Binghe’s head hurts.
Next to him, Shizun may as well not be breathing. It takes a very long time for the first words to finally make it past his lips.
“Is Binghe disappointed?”
Immediately, Luo Binghe shakes his head no. Never! Ever! How could Shizun even think─
But is he even Shizun? How long has─
Ah, the questions just keep coming. Luo Binghe doesn’t know what to say. That’s clearly not good, because Shizun takes his silence as something entirely different, judging by his face, but then he starts talking, too and─
“This master… ah, I probably shouldn’t be speaking like that anymore,” he says, with a little dry amusement, as his shoulders fall a fraction. “I wanted to have the chance to explain it myself, but I guess no matter what I say now─”
“No,” Luo Binghe blurts in blind panic. “Shizun will always be Shizun! It’s just. That dream.”
“The dream?”
“Mm, the dream where Liu-shishu… It’s actually his dream,” Luo Binghe says lamely and doesn’t know how to continue. How can he possibly explain that lately, he’s been stalking Liu Qingge’s dreams without Shizun looking at him weird? He really can’t. But he has to say something, because he can see it on Shizun’s face, him leaping to all the wrong conclusions right from the start, so he quickly adds, “I, uh, used it a few times to see if my powers over the dream realm improved, but I didn’t… I didn’t make it for him. It was already there. And um, the difference between Shizun in that dream and Shizun in front of me is… very clear.”
Not in appearance, no. The face may be exactly the same. But the air about him, the aura, just his whole bearing… Having the stark difference shoved into his face so bluntly… Luo Binghe cannot understand how he hasn’t noticed before.
“Ah,” Shizun says, blankly.
Luo Binghe clenches his fists tightly. Shizun looks… calmer? So is this crisis averted? Or has he just made things worse? Luo Binghe rushedly blurts out another silly question: “Does Shizun also dream about Shishu, sometimes?”
“... Huh?”
Very slowly, Shizun lifts his head to look at him. When he realizes the question is not a joke, a long time later, he says, “What? What the hell?”
Luo Binghe nods to himself, appeased. Shishu never stood a chance, did he now. He can delude himself as much as he likes. Luo Binghe will get rid of each and every single one of those dreams. Liu Qingge has most certainly lost.
“Shizun,” he says, a little calmer now. His chest feels a little tight and his palms all sweaty. He wants to wipe them on something, but there is only Shizun’s blanket, so he doesn’t dare. More importantly, Shizun is watching him again, and under those eyes, he is helpless. But Shizun looks unlike Shizun, tense and nervous, as though the mask he has been carefully tending to has been cruelly ripped off his face and now he fidgets around, unsure of what to do. Luo Binghe doesn’t know what to do about any of this.
He knows one singular truth ─ and something tells him that Shizun needs to know it, too. He needs to know it right now. So even though he feels like he’s ripping out a part of himself, cutting at his chest and ripping it apart to show what’s underneath, Luo Binghe talks anyway.
“Shizun. The one this disciple wants to see is you. The one this disciple wholeheartedly respects is also you. No matter what, if it’s a choice that this disciple must make, then that choice is always you.”
His face burns. He pointedly bends his head and stares at his own knees, unable to shift his eyes anywhere else. It feels like he’s buried his hands into his chest and took his heart into his palm, to offer it to the man in front of him… so exposed and vulnerable, waiting to be trampled over again and again, especially because Shizun isn't saying anything.
Still, Luo Binghe continues. “So please, Shizun, don’t ask such silly questions, like if I could ever be disappointed by you. There is nothing in this world that could make me sadder, than imagining a world without Shizun around.”
There.
Things that he has wanted to say countless times in the past, things he never truly dared to voice quite so… calmly… before. The closest he’s come to ever bearing his truth and every time, his heart was brutally crushed. Luo Binghe doesn’t know where all this courage is coming from right now, but since those words are out, he feels like there isn’t any of it left. He wants to run and he wants to hide, bury his face somewhere in the ground and never show it again.
If Shizun let him, he’d never fear saying words like that or even many more, but Shizun never did. So saying it now, so shamelessly and brazenly after everything that’s happened… has he made a mistake after all? Why is Shizun not saying anything? Why is Shizun not kicking him out?
But when Luo Binghe finally gathers the courage to sneak a look, it is to find Shizun’s expression once again frozen, mouth parted in an attempt to voice words that won’t come, fingers twitching for a fan he can’t find.
He looks beautiful, so taken like that, so distracted and overwhelmed, and Luo Binghe burns inside.
Shizun’s hand eventually comes to rest on Luo Binghe’s shoulder, gentle and warm. Luo Binghe can’t help himself. Even though he knows rejection is going to hurt, he lifts his head up to face Shizun properly, and Shizun is… not upset. His expression is stony, unreadable… but it’s not like before. It’s not cold, it’s not wary, it’s not… frightened.
Slowly, his hand starts running up and down Luo Binghe’s back, gently tracing circles along his muscles with the kind of softness that makes him want to moan, but he holds back the urge to do it by the skin of his teeth.
When Shizun finally speaks, his voice is soft and unexpectedly warm.
“Binghe must have suffered for a long time,” he says. “Don’t worry. This master won’t ever leave you.”
Luo Binghe’s heart skips a beat. What? What does that mean?
Does Shizun mean… What did Shizun just say?
It takes every ounce of self control for Luo Binghe not to jump him, tackle him on the bed and press him into the covers ─ but he just digs his nails into his palms instead and holds his breath before he can do something he will certainly regret.
This is not permission. This is not even acceptance. And Shizun has so expertly dodged saying anything substantial about it that Luo Binghe doesn’t know what to think. But Luo Binghe thinks he understands Shizun a little better now.
At least, he thinks he knows enough to be sure that this isn’t a cold-hearted, “No, get out of my face! Beat it!” kind of rejection. It’s not even a rejection, because this wasn’t even a confession, so it all works out anyway. Binghe is fine. Just a little hot in the nether regions, damn it.
Shizun may or may not know what is going through his head, but he says, “Binghe should rest now. This one will permit you to miss out on the morning lectures due to unprecedented circumstances, but Binghe should still attend in the afternoon. Of course, if Binghe feels up for it, he may also head straight to morning lectures─”
“Rest,” Luo Binghe blurts out quickly. “This disciple still needs rest. But this one will dutifully attend the afternoon lectures as usual.”
Briefly, Shizun’s lip twitches. Clearly, he’s well aware Luo Binghe has been skipping lectures for months now. It is very kind of him, not to have brought it up thus far. “Very well. In that case, please allow this master to escort you back to the dormitories first.”
Luo Binghe is very grateful that Shizun continues to turn a blind eye to his lack of attendance and he begins to nod ─ only to freeze in place.
Eh? What dormitories─what?
Will Shizun not let him stay the night?! But the sideroom is─! Ahh, damn it. At Shizun’s expectant glance, Luo Binghe knows now is not the time to test his limits. He gulps, quickly finishes the cup of tea that Shizun made for him and rises to his feet, almost tripping over flat ground before he can remind himself how his legs are supposed to function.
Shizun does find his fan along the way and hides a tiny little smile behind it, but Luo Binghe catches it from the corner of his eye anyway. It feels like all the air is punched straight out of his lungs at the sight, so coy and precious. Shizun is so fucking beautiful like that, hiding his face so cutely as he does. It takes effort for Luo Binghe to shift his gaze away and focus on what he’s supposed to be doing. Which is… walking. Yeah.
When he gets to the dormitories, his heart is still beating at triple the usual rate, sending heat rushing to his brain, chest and other places… some which would have had it better without the additional stimulation. The snake venom and that stupid aphrodisiac powder have made his body ridiculously sensitive to all kinds of things now. Even if both have since been removed from his system, Luo Binghe still feels as though he’s not entirely in control of what’s happening.
As he gets to the dorms, he frowns at the half finished bottle of dreamless sleep potion. But after a long internal debate, he downs it all. He is too excited to rest, so this thing better do its job.
Stubbornly, he buries his face in his pillow and waits for his mind to clear out. It will, eventually. Until then, he can just think about the softness of Shizun’s voice, the silkiness of his hair, and that tiny, fond smile that he tried so desperately to hide. It’s the little things, the smallest details. The smallest of them all give Luo Binghe life.
Not yet, he’s not yet there, he knows… but some day… Some day, he might actually get Shizun to look at him that way. Some day, maybe everything between them will finally get a chance to change.
Imagining all the possible ways it could go, Luo Binghe never notices when he drifts off to sleep.
Luo Binghe wakes up to a firm hand shaking his shoulder, a loud and annoyed voice hissing at him, “What are you doing, missing the afternoon lectures?! Ning Yingying had to cover for you again, you’re just lucky Shizun was busy! Are you going to sleep through the whole night, too?! Hasn’t it been enough that you slept through the day?”
Through the heavy drowsiness still keeping him in bed, Luo Binghe considers that the voice may or may not sound familiar. He can’t place it and he doesn’t particularly care to try ─ he doesn’t remember much past going to sleep without any pressing issues plaguing him, anyway.
“Oi, Luo Binghe? Hey!”
Luo Binghe grunts something unintelligible before burying his face back into his pillow, the rough and hard material of his pillowcase grating on his nerves. He’s too sleepy to care, though, so he just hugs the pillow tighter.
Meanwhile, more people gather around him.
“Is he okay?”
“He’s been like this the whole day, even when Ning Yingying tried to wake him up.”
Luo Binghe’s ears twitch slightly. Who dares speak of his Yingying so disrespectfully?
“That’s unusual. Isn’t he normally energetic? Or at least a little more... active? Maybe we can ask someone from Qian Cao peak?”
“Should someone go get Ning-shimei?”
“Pfft, don’t call her here, that’ll just make it worse.” There’s that grating, familiar voice again. Luo Binghe listens more aptly now, even if he doesn’t actually give any sign he is paying attention. He wants to catch the bastards in the act. Whatever the act is.
“So it’s true then? Luo Binghe and Ning-shimei are… they are like that?”
“What are you talking about? It’s obvious Luo Binghe has it down bad for Liu-shishu! Didn’t you see them interact?! Don’t spout nonsense!”
“Oh just shut up all of you, you’re all stupid,” the familiar voice is back, and finally Luo Binghe knows to whom it belongs. The good old Qing Jing Peak’s ant of a disciple, Ming Fan─
Hold up.
What is Ming Fan doing in his─
Wait.
Wait, wait, wait. Luo Binghe knows what this is. That stupid dream, again.
Ah, well. Since it’s a dream, he doesn’t have to waste energy and kill Ming Fan all over again. Acting too soon in the dream realm is sometimes far more trouble than it’s worth.
Groaning lowly to keep the disciples invested, Luo Binghe shifts his hips in a slightly suggestive way, before turning his head to the other side and continuing the act that he’s asleep.
Predictably, someone says, “What is he dreaming?”
Someone else smacks him. “Just leave him alone. If anyone asks, we know nothing.”
Huh. At least the dream version of Ming Fan seems to have some sense. More than the real person, interestingly enough.
By the time Luo Binghe gets up, freshly rested, the rest of his roommates are all in their own dreamlands. He blinks in the darkness several times, a little surprised. So this time, he’s in Qing Jing dormitories? Is this one of his younger self’s dreams, back when he was still uselessly hoping that someday he might actually belong…? Sometimes, his subconscious can cook up some really weird shit.
Then again, the last few dreams have been connected, so most likely, this one will be similar. After all, he still doesn’t quite remember how the previous one came to an end.
To find something to do, Luo Binghe stretches and notices that he is wearing the Qing Jing disciple uniform again. At the sight of it, he scowls in distaste ─ and the smell. Why does it smell like he’s slept in it for days? Since when are his dream powers so good to replicate scents so perfectly anyway?
Luo Binghe considers it for a moment, but in the end goes searching for clean clothes to wear. Much to his distaste, there is nothing but Qing Jing uniforms waiting for him, all white and plain and fucking boring. The internal revolt after having to wear this, even in a dream ─ ugh ─ and then he sneaks out of the dormitory in the middle of the night.
All things considered, Luo Binghe hasn’t actually been too keen on experimenting with the dream realm, even if he has been doing it a lot lately. Even so, he’s not entirely sure why he is here. Meng Mo sternly warned him that once all the realms have been merged together, his dream realm might get unstable… but there really shouldn’t be any reason for it.
Luo Binghe has finally achieved everything that he’s wished for. The demon and the human realms have successfully blended together. The need to rely on Xin Mo to control both of them has decreased, so his sword’s irrational power is also much easier to control. His harem has mostly settled into a routine, too busy taking care of the chaos he created out in the world to waste time on petty internal squabbles. It is, in a word, peaceful. Something that Luo Binghe has not once allowed himself to believe he’ll be able to achieve. Yet somehow, he’s done it. Even the voices in his head have all gone silent. Really, Luo Binghe had no business whatsoever messing with the dream realm now of all times.
Except for that one thing.
Yes. There was that one dream. The one moment that refuses to go away.
Shen Qingqiu.
Once again, it had to be Shen Qingqiu.
Luo Binghe’s fists clench and unclench subconsciously, just thinking about that man. Shen Qingqiu is dead. Luo Binghe made sure of it personally, ripping him apart limb by limb, until nothing but a human stick remained. He kept that human stick close at his side for a very long time, just to relish in the power he had over him, to relish in the damage he could now do. Shen Qingqiu was nothing. He was born less than a human, he died less than a human.
So why?
How did Shen Qingqiu get pulled into Luo Binghe’s deepest dream realm so long after his death? Why did it feel like the person who had so suddenly appeared in front of him was not a creation of his dreams but an actual, real person presented in front of him?
Luo Binghe hadn’t cared much about it when it initially happened. He hadn’t been in a very good mood back then. Sha Hualing went and made some stupid mess he had to clean up, he doesn’t even remember what it was about aside from the risk it ended up posing for Mingyan… but that’s as far as it went. Seeing Shen Qingqiu in his dream at the time had only irritated him further, so he didn’t ask any questions, didn’t test any theories.
He just grabbed the man and tore his arm off, the vindictive glee inside him rising to the highest level. That’s what the bastard deserves, he thinks, even now. Shen Qingqiu deserved everything he had coming for him. Had Luo Binghe known that tearing his limbs with his hands would feel so reinvigorating, he would have finished it back then rather than let the bastard escape. At things stand, he’d only gotten to snatch one arm and one leg.
Still, the actual problem with that dream wasn’t the dream itself ─ as unsatisfying as it ended up being ─ it was what came after that dream ended.
Luo Binghe is still puzzled by it. That, in fact, is the main reason he’s started re-exploring the dream realm after such a long time.
After ripping two of the limbs off of the dream version of Shen Qingqiu, the man had just… disappeared in front of his eyes. Vanished into thin air, somewhere where not even the master of the dream realm could find him, leaving behind a small fissure, a rupture of soft light with no logic or explanation.
Luo Binghe hadn’t thought of it much back then and had gone on with his life, dismissing the fissure as something momentary, but every single time after, when he would slip into the dream realm, he would notice it. So eventually, he could no longer ignore it. He walked through the fissure to see what it was all about ─ and the fissure opened up to a whole new reality inside that dream realm.
In that place, Luo Binghe is still young, still fifteen, and has just about gone through some sort of a traumatic event with his body and mind, leaving him in the care of Qian Cao Peak and… and his Shizun.
Luo Binghe still cannot forget it.
The first moment he opened his eyes in this dream. The first time he became aware of this new, ridiculous part of his dream realm, the first time he realized he had taken his fragmented consciousness’ place in it. His whole body had felt like it was in shambles, his power drained and muscles weak ─ far more so than Luo Binghe remembers himself ever being, even at his weakest.
At the time, Qian Cao’s Mu Qingfang had been the only person present, and he had still been fussing about whether or not the antidote dosage he was brewing was good enough ─ apparently, Luo Binghe had stayed asleep much longer than anyone could have predicted. But then he caught Luo Binghe awake and rushed to quickly explain the situation… Really, Luo Binghe doesn’t get the details, still. Somehow, in this new dream of his, the entire Cang Qiong Mountain is already aware of his demonic heritage.
Mu Qingfang is giving him unsolicited advice on how to better cultivate, his disciples have a million and one questions over how he’s been able to cultivate until now, and every so often someone steps in to question whether he’s really a demon spy ─ only for Mu Qingfang to kick them out with no real heat behind it, as though the whole thing is routine.
It is a little like the most childish wish-fulfillment scenario his young mind could have come up with, grounded in nothing but people’s goodwill and respect ─ none of which he ever got to witness in reality. It is disgusting, in a word.
So when, for the first time, Shen Qingqiu entered Qian Cao Peak’s room to visit, Luo Binghe had truly expected that the wish-fulfillment would finally come to an end. Even if, in all dreams of his youth, Shen Qingqiu’s appearance was ultimately set in stone, Luo Binghe has long since grown past the scars of his youth. Seeing Shen Qingqiu’s face at his bedside in Qian Cao Peak should’ve been crazy enough to shock him out of the dream entirely. It was unimaginable. Unhinged. Completely beyond the realm of possibility, and that alone should have made the dream collapse in on itself.
It didn’t.
In fact, Mu Qingfang flat out suggested his demon seal be removed in front of this person, only for his Shizun to refuse, citing rest and recovery as priorities. The sheer ridiculousness of such words coming out of Shen Qingqiu’s mouth is enough to give him the whiplash unlike anything Luo Binghe has ever encountered. He had not seen Shen Qingqiu again in that dream before it came to an end, but by the very end of it, Luo Binghe could still not reconcile his youthful naivety with the grim reality.
What exactly was he hoping for at this stupid age?
He doesn’t know.
The real problem, in the end, is that even though the dream stops at some point, it doesn’t actually end.
No. More like a daydream, like a fantasy, every next time that Luo Binghe falls into the dreamscape, it is precisely this dream that he falls into, the one where his Shizun doesn’t hate him from the bottom of his heart, the one where his Shizun doesn’t condemn him for parts of himself that he cannot control and neither does the rest of Cang Qiong Mountain ─ and all of this is making Luo Binghe irrationally angrier every next time he opens his eyes and finds that this stupidity has not yet come to an end! Why?!
Shen Qingqiu was a bastard, the scum of the worst kind, the most disgusting human to have ever lived!
So why is he out there, in some stupid hidden corner of Luo Binghe’s dreamscape, living his best life as though the man still has a single decent bone in his human stick body?
… Except, this Shen Qingqiu is not a human stick, not at all.
This Shen Qingqiu smiled at Luo Binghe when he saw him.
This Shen Qingqiu patted Luo Binghe on the head before leaving Qian Cao Peak.
This Shen Qingqiu didn’t ask about his demonic origin, but somehow, someone has let it slip to this crazy version of his Shizun that the powdered root of an obsidian tree growing at the edge of the human and demon realms is beneficial to Luo Binghe’s recovery. Now every time Luo Binghe enters his dorm, he finds a small bag of it under his pillow, with instructions on how to mix it with his tea.
It is ridiculous.
It is mind boggling.
It is beyond frustrating. Enough so that Luo Binghe wishes he could pull all his hair out just to make this stupid dream come to an end.
Why?! Why is a stupid corner of his mind able to come up with such a ridiculous scenario, when the reality is so much more colder and cynical and unforgivable?
Yet still. Luo Binghe knows he needs not come back to this place every time the fissure opens up in front of him. Luo Binghe knows that if he shuts his eyes and permanently ignores it, the fissure will indeed go away on its own.
Yet for the life of him, he cannot help himself.
Shen Qingqiu is dead.
Real Shen Qingqiu died a long time ago at Luo Binghe’s hand, so is it truly wrong to indulge in his youthful fantasies this way? It’s not like the man can come back from the dead and hate him for it ─ and even if he could, he would have far more things to hate him for than simply building up a false image of him in his subconscious. After all, up until the very end, the bastard had not shown his true colors, had not shown how far the darkness of his soul truly extends.
Luo Binghe wishes sometimes that he could have been the kind of scum who could push past all barriers of the mind to uncover the deepest, darkest secrets that Shen Qingqiu had never wanted him to know. But after years and years of holding Shen Qingqiu captive, after so many unforgivable things he had already done, pushing past that last barrier simply did not feel worth it.
He already knew everything. Other people had been happy to tell him every little detail of Shen Qingqiu’s dark past, hidden crimes and countless other misgivings. Perhaps, some of them might’ve not been true. Luo Binghe would have believed in Shen Qingqui’s nefarious intentions towards Ning Yingying, for the two had always been too close, sometimes to the point of unsettling. But when had Shen Qingqiu ever shown himself aware of who Xian Shu Peak’s Mei Yu was? Why the hell would Shen Qingqiu go molesting someone whose face he was not likely to even remember?
At the end of the day, it wasn’t as if the truth mattered.
It certainly didn’t to the human stick Shen Qingqiu who remained defiant until his very last breath, laughing at Luo Binghe even in his damnation. So what was the point, digging through the remains better left buried?
But… this is not the same thing, is it?
This Shen Qingqiu is not a real person. He is a construct of Luo Binghe’s dream, a childish, hopeless question given form: what if Shizun had his reasons? ─ all of which Luo Binghe is now making up for himself.
And even if he is the one making them up, Luo Binghe still cannot fathom what those reasons could have possibly been. He is nowhere closer to finding his answer, and he isn’t sure if it’s even worth searching for in the first place.
Eventually, Luo Binghe walks until he reaches some random corner of the restored Qing Jing Peak. There is a small, hidden space, in a corner of the peak with a really nice view. It might’ve been a sword mound, a long time ago, but is now overgrown with weeds and grass, completely unnoticeable unless one were to try and walk over it accidentally. Luo Binghe doesn't remember running into that befor, so he chalks it up to the dream itself, while he sits in front of it and closes his eyes. Slowly, he tries to work past his fragment’s wrecked cultivation in order to invite the fissure over to himself and end this madness. He can’t have been at it for more than a few minutes, unsuccessfully, when trouble comes calling.
“Are you stupid? Didn’t you hear everyone tell you to just meditate for the next few weeks?! Are you trying to get yourself in trouble?!”
The person who has slammed Luo Binghe’s hand down, and is unexpectedly still keeping a tight hold of his wrist ─ is none other than Ming Fan. Luo Binghe stares at the Qing Jing Peak disciple as he keeps lecturing him, the words of choice pouring out of him sounding decidedly alien.
“Shizun and Ning Yingying asked me to keep an eye on you on multiple occasions, separately, and you know what that means? That means trouble! Ning Yingying especially! She came crying to me the other night! Crying! What the hell did you do to make her cry? I should beat you up just for that! But this gracious shixiong won’t do it, because we still have a deal, okay? So just spill it already. What the hell is going on?”
Luo Binghe stares.
Is that not what he’s supposed to be asking here? Because, what is happening? Why is Ming Fan of all people scolding him? Where does he get the audacity?
This is a dream, Luo Binghe reminds himself. A dream of the past in which obviously, he hasn’t yet put Ming Fan in his place. Which, fine. Fair enough. He doesn’t get a chance as a disciple, anyway. He has to make it as a demon lord, and it’s totally worth it, for the sheer horror on the stupid idiot’s face afterwards.
In this dream, however, it doesn’t seem that Ming Fan is trying to… well, covertly beat him up in the middle of the night. No, really. Instead, it seems like the older disciple is following him to look out for him. Which. Luo Binghe doesn’t get it. In what world can he and Ming Fan possibly have an even remotely amicable relationship? This little bastard took his jade─
Subconsciously, Luo Binghe grips at his chest… only to find a very familiar weight resting under his shirt. Eh?
Immediately, Ming Fan scowls. “What? Aren’t we over that already? I told you, I had no idea it held sentimental meaning. I’m not stupid to touch that again.”
Oh. Well. Okay, then. Luo Binghe can roll with this. Sure. Bring it. Let’s see what happens, when he’s dealing with a Ming Fan who has some self preservation instincts left.
“There is something I’m looking for,” he says, keeping his voice low to gain interest.
It works easily. Ming Fan leans in closer, frowning slightly. “What is it?”
“A rip in space. A fissure.”
The older disciple glances at him blankly. “This nonsense again?”
Luo Binghe blanches. He feels a little like a rug’s been pulled from under him. What? What does he mean, again? How does a dreamscape person know─ how does he get to remember?! But asking that suddenly feels very dangerous, so instead, Luo Binghe says, “It has to be here. It disappeared after a while, but I’m sure it should be here now.”
“Yeah, yeah, I heard,” Ming Fan nods blithely. “Ning Yingying told me. Every few days or so, you come to her, asking her to help you find a fissure in space. You know, she’s a really nice person, you really shouldn’t be messing with her that way. What’s the point in pranking her? Don’t you think it’s enough now? She’s starting to really believe it.”
…
…
…
Luo Binghe doesn’t know what to say. Obviously, he’s in the middle of a dream that started a while ago.
“Every few days?” he repeats, carefully. He’s been aware of the fact that every time he wakes up here, the dream continues on from some arbitrary point… but that Ming Fan is somehow able to tell when that is? How? Ming Fan, however, takes this question the completely wrong way.
“Okay, fine, four times so far, whatever,” the disciple blurts, visibly annoyed. “My point is, Ning Yingying might actually go to Shizun if you scare her like that again. Seriously. She thinks you’re losing your mind, that you hit your head too hard. Obviously, I know that’s not the case, but she’s scared for you, silly. Even more scared of those idiots who want to beat you up just cause you’re a demon.” For good measure, Ming Fan whacks his head. It takes every ounce of self control for Luo Binghe not to break his wrist. “And that’s for not telling me that my tripping array worked, dumbass.”
… what?
More importantly, because of Luo Binghe choosing to treat Ning Yingying as his confidant in this dream, she is now… what? Afraid? Why didn’t she ever─
Luo Binghe pushes that thought aside to say, “So Yingying thinks I’m going crazy? ME?”
“Well, what else could it be?” Ming Fan says dismissively. Then his eyebrows quirk slightly and he frowns at Luo Binghe. “Is it something else?”
“... uh… what? Anyway, I’m not messing with her. I am looking for a fissure in space.”
“Yeah, right. Don’t push your luck with me! I’m still annoyed! But I don’t think you’re a traitor, though,” Ming Fan says. “But, say… that crazy demon woman was just spouting nonsense, right? You’re not actually a demon lord disguised as a disciple. Right?”
Luo Binghe’s jaw slacks. He tries to put it back in place, but it doesn’t stick. Just… what? What is this conversation, seriously?
Again, Ming Fan glares at him. “You’re not, right? Or Shizun would have kicked you out a long time ago. Then again, he did have us keep that snake as a pet, so maybe not. But if you were a demon lord, you would tell me, right?”
Luo Binghe can’t think of any reason under the sky why he would ever tell Ming Fan anything. Like, he would show it, alright. In the most terrifying, humiliating, brutal way imaginable, and he would be overjoyed to do so. But tell him? Like he’s revealing a secret, clearly what Ming Fan seems to be expecting…? More importantly, since when was Shen Qingqiu fond of snakes? What?
Ming Fan keeps staring at him. “You know, Shizun is probably a demon, too,” he says. “At least, that’s what some disciples insisted back when he was confined on Qiong Ding Peak.”
“Shen…er ... Shizun? A demon?”
That’s… that’s gotta be the dumbest, most ridiculous excuse for his behavior, ever. Luo Binghe cannot believe his own subconscious.
“What? You don’t think so?” Ming Fan says. He rolls his eyes. “I respect Shizun, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s true. But then, the Sect Leader let him off. I certainly don’t think that the Sect Leader would judge a demon wrong. Same goes for you.”
… right, then. Whatever the hell that even means. Luo Binghe has better things to do than stay stuck in senseless talks. He takes a good look over at Ming Fan and says, “If I go to take a bath now, are you going to follow me there too?”
The disciple rolls his eyes. “As if there’s anything worth seeing.”
… Obviously.
Luo Binghe walks away without a word.
Ming Fan does, in fact, follow him.
After a few steps, he’s forced to stop and glare at him, more than a little annoyed. “Now what?”
“Apologize to Yingying first,” Ming Fan says, ever the stubborn fool. “Did you think I followed you for some other reason? Go apologize for making her cry. Or else I will follow you around until you do, even to the baths.”
“It’s the middle of the night,” Luo Binghe hisses.
“Hasn’t stopped you from bothering her before, has it? Apologize.”
Luo Binghe can’t believe the audacity. If it were about anyone other than Yingying, though, he wouldn’t give in this easily. Really. He’s made Yingying cry enough in his whole life. There is absolutely no need to make her cry in a dream, too.
“Fine,” he grumbles, bitterly. “I'll apologize right now.”
“Good!”
Ming Fan does in fact follow him all the way to the girl’s dormitories. He does, in fact, ask the older girls to get Ning Yingying to come downstairs even though it’s well past midnight. He even stays throughout the whole awkward delivery of the stupid apology, because it is stupid, because Luo Binghe doesn’t know what he is apologizing for, and the whole time, Ning Yingying is staring at him as though he’s gone crazy.
Seriously. It’s her presence alone that prevents him from straight up ripping out Ming Fan’s jugular.
Ning Yingying, ultimately, meekly nods her head. “Shijie accepts this,” she says, before sheepishly adding, “Would A-Luo take a walk with me for a little while? Without Dashixiong around, please.”
Hah! Take that, Ming Fan, you dumb idiot!
Ming Fan has the gall to look offended. He glares at Luo Binghe before nodding his agreement unwillingly, then stalks off like he doesn’t care about the conversation whatsoever. Luo Binghe is fully convinced that the silly fool will definitely try to spy on them or something.
He glances over at Ning Yingying, offering a rare smile before extending his hand. “A walk, then?”
She smiles back at him, very awkwardly, but she doesn’t take his hand. She does fall in step with him, however, slowly directing their walk in the direction of the bamboo forest. As they walk, she steals a few shy glances over at Luo Binghe, unreadable enough to remind him just how shy this girl used to be in front of him in the bedroom, yet also so obnoxiously bold outside of it. Huh. Why is she acting so shy now? What is she thinking?
“Is A-Luo feeling better? Did A-Luo sleep a little?” she asks, almost whispering in how quiet her voice is.
“Mm, yes,” Luo Binghe confirms, because other than his noticeable lack of spiritual power, nothing else feels amiss. Not anymore, at least. The body has recovered well.
Ning Yingying smiles, but it’s nowhere near those bright smiles full of teeth that he’s used to.
“A-Luo,” she says. “Is everything truly alright?”
“What? Don’t I look fine?” he asks lightly, but that somber look on her face doesn’t go away. She just keeps watching him knowingly, but knowing what, he cannot even begin to fathom. “Yingying, is something bothering you? You know that you can always tell me, right? I…”
But he trails off, because she smiles and nods at him, then gently takes his hand.
She points her finger at a rock slightly off the trail and says, “Would you sit with me for a few minutes?”
Of course, Luo Binghe would never turn her down when she looks at him like that. Without a word, he follows her lead and sits where she sits, knowing Ning Yingying well enough not to push for any answers, knowing that she’ll just come and blurt out everything on her own. And when he offers space, that’s exactly what she does.
“A-Luo… are you able to sleep now? Are you still taking that dreamless sleep potion as you should? Last time, you refused, but then you got really sick, doing that. I wanted to help, but I didn’t know how. If it happens again, I really won’t know what to do. A-Luo, isn’t it better to just go and talk to Shizun? I can tell a little better now, when I’m talking to you and when I’m talking to that other A-Luo, but still… this is… Shizun should know. He can help you.”
Ah. So that’s what this is about. For once, Luo Binghe has confided to Ning Yingying about something… and once again, this is all about Shizun.
“Hell no─”
“Shijie knows,” Yingying interrupts him, gently taking his hand and squeezing. “I know you would rather not, I understand─”
“What do you know? He poured hot tea over my head! He gave me the wrong manual that completely ruined my cultivation! He whipped me in the woodshed─”
“Shijie knows.” Ning Yingying squeezes his hand warmly, and Luo Binghe finally calms down a little. His Yingying knew nothing about any of this until he told her, years into their marriage… and this girl. This girl now is holding his hand, patting comfortingly, as if her own heart is tearing apart for his sake… The longer he watches her, the less he knows what to do. So he just… lets her. He lets her comfort him clumsily, lets her finish what she has to say, lets her give him ideas, because he’s all out.
“Actually, the person who found you in the woodshed was me,” Ning Yingying says eventually, avoiding his eyes as she talks. “I remember, I really was very disappointed with Shizun back then. I wanted him to explain, I wanted to make him apologize for treating you that way, I wanted… but A-Luo, back then, the one who told me that Shizun must have had a reason for doing all that was you. And I don’t know what Shizun’s reason could be, but Shizun is different now. Shizun has changed so much.”
“I was stupid─”
“Shijie thought so, too,” Ning Yingying says solemnly. “But… many things have changed since. Lately, I do think that Shizun had a reason for everything. They say he knew the truth of your origin from the start and still took you in… so who knows? But Shizun, now… Yuan-ge… You didn’t see him that time, but when everyone on Qiong Ding Peak was slandering you that way, you didn’t see the look on his face. I only got there at the very end so I don’t know everything that happened. But that look on Shizun’s face was so scary. I will never forget it.”
What goddamn Yuan-ge? What Shizun?! Luo Binghe is pissed. He doesn’t want to hear any of this. Not from some stupid dream fragments, not even if it’s Ning Yingying ─ but he also doesn’t have the heart to lash out at her. Doesn’t have the heart to scare her again.
So he just turns his face away and grits his teeth. “It doesn’t mean anything─”
“It means everything.” Yingying squeezes his hand again. “Please, trust Shijie on this. I cannot explain now, not until Shizun returns… and I don’t know what Shizun’s reasons were to treat you so badly in the past… but there must have been something. If there is something I know for sure, though, I know that Yuan-ge cares for A-Luo very much. Really, A-Luo. I don’t understand what is happening with your mind right now, but if there is anyone who will, it is him. So please, listen to Shijie and go talk to him. If something goes wrong again, I really won’t know who else to call.”
Really, Luo Binghe wants to punch something. What goddamn Yuan-ge?! Has Shen Qingqiu swapped his fucking name together with that slick personality? He gnashes his teeth repeatedly, fists flexing under Ning Yingying’s gentle hands, until he eventually forces himself to relax.
“Fine,” he says, in the end. This dream is messed up enough that maybe, just maybe, he might not kill Shen Qingqiu the next time he sees the man. He wants to. But he can probably stay patient long enough until he figures out what's actually happening, what kind of an excuse he’s come up with for this bastard again. That list, it turns out, never comes to an end. “I don’t have a choice. I have to wait until morning to go.”
“If you want this Shijie to go with you─”
“No, it’s fine,” Luo Binghe says. “You just… I already told you not to speak of this to anyone else.”
Briefly, Ning Yingying nods. It goes unsaid between them that she is not likely to actually respect that. What also goes unsaid is Ming Fan’s presence, somewhere up on some random tree, but Luo Binghe doesn’t care for him. If that brat opens his mouth, he’ll lose his tongue before he ever gets a word out.
Thus, patiently, Luo Binghe waits for the morning to come, not searching for any fissure in space, not trying to cause any trouble. He needs nerves of steel if he is going to engage into any kind of conversation with Shen Qingqiu and a world of patience if that man is to walk out of that conversation alive. Or at least, not shredded to a dream figment remnant, as it usually goes at a time like this. Especially if the excuse ends up being stupid.
The sun is already high enough in the air when Luo Binghe gathers enough willpower to head to the bamboo house. The morning lectures are not yet over so he’s already mentally preparing himself for scalding words on his poor behavior, hiding a small ointment in his sleeve just in case Shen Qingqiu decides to make his attitude physical. Cold sweat rolls down his back.
He knocks on the door, once. Twice. No answer. He keeps knocking, but there is no answer for a very long time. Like every normal person, Luo Binghe doesn’t waste time waiting in place where nobody is showing up. Instead, he pushes the door open, and he is a little surprised at how easily they open. They squeak and complain, which is a bit odd. Why do they seem a bit out of alignment?
Ah, whatever.
Inside, the bamboo house is empty.
For all of Shen Qingqiu’s haughtiness, the place itself is oddly simple in both content and design. It’s somehow different from what Luo Binghe remembers ─ subtly rearranged, in some ways. Is it perhaps the low table? It appears as though it’s been moved a little further into the corner. Or perhaps the bed─ except, there is a sound, in the distance, and Luo Binghe tenses up.
His eyes stay glued to the wooden surface, along the edges of a dent which could have been a consequence of his own rough nails digging into it. A single moment when those nails dug in deep enough to rip themselves off─
Luo Binghe covers a wince and forces himself to look away from there, then slowly heads further inside. There is a sideroom there, the place that no disciple has ever gotten a chance to peek into. For the longest time, that door had been firmly locked away. It was the one place that Shen Qingqiu held dearer than any sanctuary, more protected from any outside interference than any other.
Or so it seems, until Luo Binghe opens the door to the sideroom to find someone inside.
Someone very naked above his waistline, as it turns out.
… since when has Shen Qingqiu been hiding naked men in his house and why did it take one hell of a dream for Luo Binghe to find out…?
Wait.
Technically, it’s his dream.
It’s not the first time he’s had some… interesting dreams. He doesn’t care for most of them, but one thing he knows for sure. Not one of those men in his dreams have ever had Mingyan’s face.
Fuck. This person is almost identical to Mingyan. Or, at the very least, the gorgeous smoothness of his face and the shape of their eyes is like they’ve been duplicated, even if their bearing and height don’t match up. Still, the face in front of him is more angular, slightly sharper. Not so much the wonder of the clear skies as the stormy skies, the beauty mark under the eye completing the image of a lightning strike cutting through the night. Luo Binghe takes it all in, entranced. This person is beyond beautiful, especially for a man, but it is a cold, unapproachable kind of beauty, the kind that would make him draw a sword for a fight rather than harden in his nether region…
Or, well, maybe a bit of both. It is Mingyan’s face, after all.
But Liu Mingyan’s body is not an option, never was an option, and if this person in front of him is who Luo Binghe suspects him to be, then the same goes for him ─ although, technically, he’s been dead for too long to even be a consideration. So, other than blatantly staring, Luo Binghe doesn’t do anything.
That perfect face, matched with such a muscular body, strong and perfectly sculpted, the curve of that waist aligning so perfectly… He turns, revealing a long, jagged scar horizontally stretching slightly below his ribcage.
When Luo Binghe looks up in shock, it is to find the very much alive Bai Zhan Peak Lord glaring daggers at him. The man pulls the missing piece of a uniform over his shoulders, seething. The tips of his ears are burning red and he looks ready to throw a punch. “And what the hell are you doing here?”
Ah. Well. Maybe Luo Binghe would not be opposed to a little bit of hand-to-hand workout. Who would’ve expected?
Notes:
BWAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!
Who saw this coming? HUH? HUH? *wink wink*
Chapter 37: Message on a Ribbon
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
“And what the hell are you doing here?” Liu Qingge all but growls, hurriedly covering up his naked chest with that robe in a way that is all too conspicuous, failing repeatedly to properly tie it up. Curiously, Luo Binghe’s eyes shift from the short, narrow, but very obvious scar over his heart to the other, far more faded scars over the rest of his body, only to finally settle back on the ugly jagged thing right under his ribcage, raw and fresh still. Subconsciously, Luo Binghe licks his lips. Those kinds of scars, all of them except for the single incision over his heart ─ they’ve all come from demons.
… is Luo Binghe projecting his expectations of the man based on what Liu Mingyan has told him about her brother? Or… can his dream realm shape the real thing in front of him, even if he has never seen it? Either way, the way those scars don’t match up that beautiful face is attractive in its own charming way.
“Apologies, Shishu,” Luo Binghe says, like he doesn’t mean a single damn word of what he says.
“Are you asking for a fucking beating?!” Liu Qingge snaps, obviously seeing through the act effortlessly. He’s trying to speed up with dressing, but his struggle only gets worse, as he hopelessly searches for the missing items.
Under Luo Binghe’s watchful eyes, it’s like he only gets clumsier, grabbing the first outer robe he can find… Luo Binghe waits patiently for the man to put it on, tie it up all nicely and neatly ─ and then, just as Liu Qingge is about to exit the side room, he smirks.
“Is that not Shizun’s uniform?”
The Master Immortal Cultivator, known for never once losing a battle in his entire life, the lofty, undefeated master of Bai Zhan Peak, one of the most powerful cultivators that has ever lived ─ he trips over his own feet.
Luo Binghe has to put some effort into not laughing at the man.
Unwillingly, Liu Qinggee snaps. “What?! Something to say?!”
“Nothing, Shishu.”
“Tch. Ungrateful brat.”
Luo Binghe watches appreciatively while Liu Qingge hurriedly removes the wrong robe to find his own somewhere in the mess. He hums to himself in satisfaction, while Liu Qingge, with his face on fire, fixes up and ties the uniform properly, far more concentrated now. Before he leaves, Luo Binghe says, “You can make that fade completely, you know?”
He’s talking about the rugged scar with a little bit of Skinner demon essence still sticking to the wound. Liu Qingge glares at him, but says nothing.
“A mixture of dried root powder of Pu Huang plant mixed with He Ye plant leaves and the traditional ointment, preferably Tian Yi Overlook’s scar removal cream. Apply it every morning and every night and it’ll be gone in a month,” Luo Binghe elaborates.
Liu Qingge scoffs. “You’ve improved the recipe? Tough luck, cause I don’t give a shit.”
Luo Binghe smiles, but on the inside, he’s curious. How is the other him involved in this well enough to have given his Shishu advice on how to remove the scar and the demonic essence? Idly, he comments, “I see that Shishu remembers the old recipe, even if he hasn’t used it.”
“Don’t waste your breath. I ain’t doing shit about it.”
Luo Binghe’s eyes narrow slightly, but amusement sticks to his face regardless. “So you intend to use what little of Skinner’s demonic power remains there to lure that demon back to you? Anyone who survives Skinner’s parasites once isn’t as likely to make it through the second time. It’s a dangerous gamble with dangerous consequences.”
Liu Qingge rolls his eyes. “Didn’t you already lay your claim on my life or some other stupid shit like that? If you don’t like this, you can always drop that stupid oath.”
Luo Binghe blinks, almost surprised. Has he? What oath is there to drop? This is interesting. Why would he keep Liu Qingge of people indebted to him? … then again, why the hell not? He says, mildly, “Shishu, if something were to happen to you now, isn’t your sister going to feel very sad about that?”
Not as soon as those words are out that the tip of Liu Qingge’s sword meets Luo Binghe’s throat, the murderous aura around Bai Zhan peak’s lord barely kept in check. Even if Liu Qingge can tell that Luo Binghe is trying to rile him up on purpose, it succeeds, either way.
“You stay the fuck away from my sister,” Liu Qingge hisses dangerously, knowingly, and Luo Binghe is wildly entertained by just how raw and immediate this reaction is. It’s almost like the Bai Zhan Peak lord has issued a challenge.
Boldly, Lup Binghe says, “What if she likes me? What if she comes to me first?”
She most certainly did.
But this Liu Qingge seems revolted by the mere possibility of it. “You go near her and I’m going to kill you,” he growls, and there is not a single thing that would make Luo Binghe ever doubt those words. This Liu Qingge obviously knows exactly what kind of a danger Luo Binghe is to someone like Liu Mingyan, he knows exactly what kind of temptation hides behind those pretty eyes of hers, what kind of secret sits behind that silky veil. But this Liu Qingge will never understand that no matter what, Luo Binghe won’t ever let anyone harm his woman. He will not let anyone touch what is his, go near her, or even understand what makes him dangerously possessive about her.
In some ways, Luo Binghe has, to Liu Mingyan, become exactly what this person in front of him always wanted to be. A confidant, a protector, someone to lean on when she no longer had the strength to fight on her own. And yet, where Luo Binghe comes from, Liu Qingge had already failed her spectacularly in more ways than he can count.
Luo Binghe never did.
Knowing that, he can’t help but let the corners of his mouth twist up into a mocking little smirk. “Thank you for the warning, Shishu. I’ll be sure to take your words to heart. But to make good on your threat, you should take care of yourself a little better first.”
“Oh just shut up already,” Liu Qingge snaps, unwillingly. Then he looks over his shoulder, between the window and the door, and says, “Is Shen Yuan around?”
Luo Binghe blinks. Yet another person who addresses his Shizun differently. Funny, however, that they’re both here, looking for the same person. Except, Liu Qingge’s state of dress was quite… questionable, to say the least.
“I haven’t seen him,” Luo Binghe admits.
“Good.” Liu Qingge nods firmly, then bolts out of the side room at lightning speed ─ only to freeze two steps in, as the front door of the bamboo house squeaks open to admit its owner.
Shen Qingqiu’s face is carefully blank as he comes face to face with Liu Qingge, who has that look on his face like he’s a thief who’s been caught stealing red handed. Shen Qingqiu says, flatly, with not the slightest hint of emotion to his tone, “Shidi, what…”
“I’m out.”
Then Liu Qingge bolts around Shen Qingqiu and disappears out the door like a whirlwind, nothing to betray he was inside to begin with. For his part, Shen Qingqiu doesn’t even blink at this. He just shakes his head dejectedly at the sight of his front door hanging even more crooked, not even bothering to fix them. When he looks up, however, it is to find Luo Binghe standing in the doorframe of the side room, watching him curiously. Instantly, Shen Qingqiu freezes, like he too has been caught committing some sort of a crime, as much as that poker face allows anything to slip through.
“Luo Binghe,” he says, and manages to sound only mildly surprised. Turning back and closing the crooked door behind him in what is a smooth and practiced motion, it stands to say that the damage has been there for a long time and Shen Qingqiu simply refuses to fix it. And that’s… strange. Luo Binghe cannot imagine his Shizun being able to look at that door without scowling at them deeply. He would not be able to stand it unless everything in his house was perfect, down to the very last detail. Damaged door going unfixed for so long ─ someone would have had to pay for it with blood.
Now, however, Shen Qingqiu moves about his house as though there’s no damage to his front door at all, like Luo Binghe randomly standing there and not saying a word is just a normal part of his day.
“Some tea?” he asks, far too lightly for his Shizun to have ever been able to manage.
Luo Binghe stares at him for a long time. Shen Qingqiu tries to pretend he doesn’t notice, with the way he goes about picking up some scrolls to read and some books to dust off ─ Qing Jing library editions of some kind ─ pointedly not looking anywhere in Luo Binghe’s direction. At the same time, even if he is trying to focus on his work, at no point does he attempt to kick Luo Binghe out and that’s… Luo Binghe doesn’t know what to make of that.
“Shizun,” he says.
“Mm?” Shen Qingqiu answers, without looking up from the dusty old books in front of him.
“Shizun,” Luo Binghe calls again, a little more expectantly.
“Hmm?” Shen Qingqiu is still not looking at him. But he is obviously not reading the book either, because it’s turned upside down and there is really no point in pretending anymore. Shen Qingqiu is acknowledging him yet ignoring him at the same time and Luo Binghe… Luo Binghe decides to test out a theory.
“Shen Yuan,” he says.
Now Shen Qingqiu looks at him, snaps that pretty neck up with speed that is almost audible in the room, his perfect facade of disinterest falling apart instantly. There’s panic and surprise and sheer unexpectedness of being addressed that way shining all over his face, some sort of a naked vulnerability which is downright incompatible with any expression that face has ever made in the past. In turn, Luo Binghe’s own curiosity jumps sky high.
Before he can think of any words to say, Shen Qingqiu awkwardly clears his throat.
“After helping you out with that surge of demonic power before, Liu-shidi’s blockages got worse again. Mu-shidi has ordered him peaceful meditation and seclusion on Qing Jing Peak for the time being.”
… right. Peaceful meditation and seclusion… as if that man looks capable of comprehending such words. On Qing Jing Peak of all places. Shen Qingqiu can’t possibly believe that, right? It’s obvious what’s going on here, isn’t it? Or is it just Luo Binghe, because this is his dream? But then, why he would ever dream about a secret love affair between two peak lords of Cang Qiong Mountain, both of which have been dead for years is beyond him.
Wait. Wait just a moment.
“Shishu helped me?” Luo Binghe reiterates in surprise ─ and this time it’s quite genuine. Liu Qingge doesn’t look like the type who’d help any demon, and knowing what he is, he wouldn’t have any reason to, either. In fact, Luo Binghe’s death would have probably been the most preferable scenario to him.
Shen Qingqiu, meanwhile, has the gall to look glad that the conversation has moved in that direction, of all the possible places it could have gone, and he is quick to elaborate. “When Sha Hualing poisoned you, he was the first to notice that the shock was so big that you were about to go into a Qi deviation…”
Luo Binghe grimaces instantly. If the one to help him was Liu Qingge, then he only would have had one way to do it. Isn’t that riskier to himself, far more so than letting Luo Binghe die of a Qi deviation?
Then again, this is a rather weird dream. No matter his reasons, Liu Qingge does seem to have a certain amount of trust in Luo Binghe. Not immediately stabbing him for a few naughty words about his sister ─ that’s a certain degree of tolerance, no? Or has perhaps that other Luo Binghe already tried to irritate him in similar ways before?
“Anyway, you should treat your Shishu with more respect,” Shen Qingqiu finishes, sighing as though he’s repeated these same words a million times already. “There is really nothing to worry about.”
Luo Binghe raises an eyebrow. Why would Shen Qingqiu think that there is something for Luo Binghe to worry about in this to be so obvious in… reassuring him? Is that what this is? That’s what it sounds like, at any rate. Either way, Luo Binghe’s thirst for pain and blood quenched momentarily under his sheer curiosity, he decides to drop everything else that’s been on his mind and just sit across from Shen Qingqiu at the low table, glancing over at the book the man is reading.
“Ancient arrays and their modern applications?” he reads off the title, which is conveniently still turned towards him instead of Shen Qingqiu. “What is Shizun looking for there?”
“Oh.” Shen Qingqiu relaxes visibly, his shoulders slouching in ways Shen Qingqiu would have never, ever done in front of anybody, especially not Luo Binghe. He scratches at his chin for a moment, fingers drumming against the book cover, but then he throws all doubt out the window and says, “Luo Binghe has read this before, correct? Then, do you perhaps know if these books hold any mention of dark ancient rituals? The series from this particular author.”
Luo Binghe sneaks a look over to catch which author it is, but then, it’s not like he’s so greatly versed in books to start with. Most of his knowledge comes from practical application, after all. “If Shizun could tell me more about what specific ritual he is looking for, perhaps I could be of more help.”
“Ah, that’s…” Shen Qingqiu somehow manages to look sheepish. It is… uncomfortable. It makes him look a decade younger, which is almost… Luo Binghe firmly closes his eyes, telling himself that he did not just think of the word ‘adorable’ in any context related to Shen Qingqiu, of all people. What the fuck is wrong with his head?
“Back in Nan Jiang there was this… I saw… a ritual happen,” Shen Qingqiu says then, slowly and carefully, not quite looking at Luo Binghe as he speaks. “I don’t really know how to explain it. But initially it looked like some sort of an array set up, a barrier which was able to trap demons inside it…”
“Many cultivator arrays can do that, with varying degrees of success depending on the demon you’re hunting,” Luo Binghe answers, all too calmly. “Shizun will need to be a little more specific.”
“Yeah, that’s ─ that’s the thing. The array was burned into the ground. But the actual border wasn’t the sigils making up the array, but some sort of dark liquid… it smelled awful and had this dark purple color… smoked a little, too. Disgusting, really. I don’t want to know what it is, but it’s the only piece of the puzzle I’m still missing…”
Luo Binghe frowns thoughtfully, but nothing that Shen Qingqiu mentions rings any bells. As far as dark rituals go, Luo Binghe can comfortably say that he’s never stooped so low as to attempt one ─ nor has he ever given a chance to anyone else to perform it on him. With that in mind, it does feel a little like he’s stupid, missing something obvious that he should definitely be familiar with, but isn’t. When it comes to spiritual cultivation in general, thanks to this person in front of him, most of Luo Binghe’s life has been an endless set of ‘fill in the blank’s popping up one after another. At some point, he’d given up completely and relied on dual cultivation to do it for him.
“Is there something about the array that stood out?” Luo Binghe asks, conversationally. “What it did, for example, or what else was used to set it up… was there something?”
Shen Qingqiu produces a fan somewhere from deep inside his sleeve and tucks it under his chin as he makes that thoughtful expression. He says, “Xin Mo.”
Luo Binghe falters. What?
“Xin… Mo…?” he all but mouths, but Shen Qingqiu is not looking at him as he speaks.
“The one who set the array was Jiuzhong Jun… but no. Actually, I think he used the Xin Mo shard to be able to get out of that array, not to actually initialize the whole thing… aaah, I don’t know. It’s too confusing. Anyway, yeah, I guess that whatever you did in that other timeline, it has also carried over to this one. Xin Mo is in pieces.”
Xin Mo is… what?
“No, it’s not,” Luo Binghe says, without even a moment of hesitation. Perhaps he is too hasty about it, because Shen Qingqiu gives him a very odd look, but that is the absolute truth. If Luo Binghe closes his eyes, he can still feel Xin Mo’s power flowing through him, subdued and weakened perhaps, but most definitely there.
“... can you tell?” Shen Qingqiu asks, and there’s not an ounce of doubt to that thoughtful expression that crosses his features, like he has no reason to doubt Luo Binghe’s words at all.
Luo Binghe shares none of that blind trust, yet he still finds himself saying, “Xin Mo is whole. The connection is muted, but it’s not gone. If I had to look for it now, the Endless Abyss would be the first place to go─”
“Out of the question!” Shen Qingqiu snaps harshly, startling him. Luo Binghe stares blankly at the passionate refusal, the disconnect in his head even greater. But Shen Qingqiu is still talking, he’s still shaking his head, even more determined about it. “Forget that. You don’t need that stupid thing. I’m stupid for even asking. Forget this whole thing. We’re ending this talk right now.”
Luo Binghe, for a long time, just keeps on staring. Eventually, he simply cannot help himself.
“Shizun,” he says, softly.
“Hm?”
“Shizun.”
“Hmmm?”
Luo Binghe swallows a lump, looking away briefly, then looking back up at the face in front of him. “Shen Yuan.”
The man in question is staring right back, and it's like his entire demeanor softens at the sound of that name coming out of Luo Binghe’s mouth. “Are you going to keep that up all day?” he asks. “I… I know that it must’ve been a shock, but I… really didn’t mean to keep it from you… I didn’t…”
“Have a choice?” Luo Binghe murmurs quietly.
The man grimaces, but his face alone makes it very clear that’s exactly what he’s been intending to say. To his credit, he doesn’t actually do it. Better, really, or Luo Binghe would have killed him on the spot. Of all the nonsense rubbish his brain could have come up with, it had to be this.
Luo Binghe almost wants to laugh at himself.
“Shizun,” he says softly, looking directly into the man’s eyes. “When you look at me now, what exactly do you think of me? Was I… a good disciple? Or… was I a failure doomed from the start?”
Shen Qingqiu’s whole body freezes at this shocking question. Like he’s been slapped, he looks as shocked as Luo Binghe would have expected any construct of his mind to be, faced with the risk of displeasing its creator. “Luo Binghe? What… what’s the matter with you now?”
Deflection. The natural defense, the most obvious solution when one wants to avoid answering. Come to think of it, Shen Qingqiu has been deflecting most of his questions thus far.
“Is that a difficult question to answer, Shizun?” Luo Binghe asks softly, almost voicelessly.
Thickly, Shen Qingqiu swallows. Completely taken aback, it’s obvious that he doesn’t know how to react. But after a few moments, that shock settles down and he takes a deep breath, glancing back at Luo Binghe with just as much intensity to that gaze, just as much seriousness and weight that goes beyond what words can say.
“No… I…” but after a few more moments of hesitation, his shoulders just fall, Shen Qingqiu’s expression melting into something incompatible with the arrogant Peak Master that Luo Binghe has always known. “Binghe, you…” that gentle voice says warmly, soft and tender and incredibly regretful. “You were always someone destined for greatness. Those who should have recognized that, those who should have known what kind of a thorny path lies ahead of you… those closest to you who should have helped you the most, they were the ones who… no, I was the one who failed you the most.”
The conviction, the sincerity… There is no reason to doubt. Every single word Luo Binghe has heard just now, it has been spoken from the heart, with utmost devotion and sincerity, complete and total conviction and guilt, escaping absolutely nothing.
It is everything Luo Binghe has wanted to hear for decades and longer, the words which, if he’d heard them back then, with Shizun in his captivity, would have been enough to make his resolve crumble. These words, if they had been spoken by this person, even with his limbs all torn off and his singular eye clawed out, these words would have been enough to make Luo Binghe regret everything. Undo it all.
His expression must be very strange, because this construct in front of him becomes visibly concerned. “Binghe? What…? Are you…?”
“I… need some time alone,” Luo Binghe murmurs quietly.
He stands up without another word, feeling like he’s dragging his feet over, one torturous step after another. Once he is already outside the bamboo house, he dares throw a single look over his shoulder, the feeling coiling deep in his guts identical to the awful, awful feeling he’d felt as a disciple, every rare time he’d been permitted to enter his Shizun’s sacred home. Luo Binghe still remembers the last time, sometimes. His young self, fighting a turmoil of complex feelings inside him, none of which had a label he could have attached to them. His nails, digging into the wood until blood pooled under.
He does have a name for those feelings now. He has many names.
Naivety. Foolishness. Delusion.
Youthful fantasy, giving way to eagerness and vulnerability which he’d never learned to hide.
His Shizun taught him how to hide that. That monster of a man that was Shen Qingqiu had taken a child’s glass heart and shattered it to pieces, all of which he later used for some sort of his messed up artistry, fueling his nasty cultivation habits, fueling the darkness inside him that had no limits.
No matter what, Shen Qingqiu had to die.
But for a moment, Luo Binghe has allowed himself to indulge a fantasy. For a moment, Luo Binghe has forgotten reality in order to let his heart’s deepest desire mess with his senses and cloud his judgment. But even in this dream, Shen Qingqiu’s tendencies towards seeking out the darkness have not lessened.
No more.
Luo Binghe closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, reminds himself that this is still a dream, that he still hasn’t found how to get out of it. This… youthful hope somehow still exists deep inside him, but what purpose does it serve? Luo Binghe doesn’t know. Either way, it will be the first thing he removes when he wakes up. That’s right. Once he wakes up, he will have to crush this dream in its entirety with his very own hands.
Eventually, Ning Yingying finds him sitting in a hidden spot at the very edge of Qing Jing peak, hidden in the shade of trees, absently staring out in the direction of nothing particular. It’s that pretty spot again, with a hidden sword mound. For some reason, Luo Binghe quite likes it there. Ning Yingying’s features soften at the sight of him, and she sits down on the grass beside him, turning to watch the sky with just as much fascination as Luo Binghe. There is a bottle of dreamless sleep potion in her hand. When she catches him looking, her face flushes slightly.
“I only brought it cause I thought you left it behind by accident,” she murmurs shyly. “Is… A-Luo sleeping better now?”
Luo Binghe takes the bottle from her, pops it open and takes a sniff. Dreamless sleep potion, definitely, and of especially high quality. The scent is familiar yet foreign at the same time, as though there is some flavor to it that is slightly different from what Luo Binghe is used to. He downs the entire bottle in a single gulp.
Ning Yingying gasps. “A-Luo! You’re only allowed one of these per day!”
Absentmindedly, Luo Binghe nods. What’s it gonna do if he takes more? This is one freaking annoying dream. If it can end faster, all the better. It’s not long before his eyes start closing on their own, little by little. He fights tooth and nail to keep them open, but he still catches himself slipping.
“Sleep on my shoulder,” Ning Yingying offers, softly. “Last time, you insisted that I should keep you awake and then you got sick. If you ask me to do that again, I won’t. A-Luo. If you need to rest, then just rest.”
Luo Binghe nods. What’s he got to lose anymore? What’s so good about being stubborn? At the same time, something inside him fears closing his eyes. He cannot explain it. There is this ridiculous, irrational notion that if he shuts his eyes, he might not wake up again. Luo Binghe hasn’t had such an irrationally frustrating dream in a long time.
What if he closes his eyes now and instead of waking up, he gets stuck in another dream? Or, more terrifyingly, what if he doesn’t? What if he opens his eyes and there is nothing waiting for him? Nothing and nobody, a vast emptiness and ceaseless longing for something he could never attain? Everything he’s ever known, all of that lost to nothingness?
At some point, in spite of all his efforts, his head drops.
Then he snaps wide awake a moment later, instantly shocked.
It seems like everything and nothing has changed, all at once. Like an instant, he closed his eyes and opened them again and nothing around him has changed ─ yet everything feels different.
His head is resting in Ning Yingying’s lap. Fingers of one hand are absently playing with his hair, while in the other she holds a book. She is quite immersed into its pages, not even noticing the gentle breeze of a warm spring wind as it ruffles her hair. Although Luo Binghe’s head rests on her thighs, she hasn’t yet noticed that he’s awake. The sun doesn’t seem to have shifted much in the sky since Luo Binghe closed his eyes. Either way, something feels out of place. What is it?
Luo Binghe stares at Ning Yingying’s face for a long time.
Something is different about his young wife. What is it?
He can’t tell.
The wind gently blows and a leaf tumbles off the tree, gingerly falling towards Ning Yingying. Luo Binghe catches it before it can connect, before it can touch the tip of her nose. Instantly, all of Ning Yingying’s muscles stiffen under him.
“You’re awake?” she asks softly, finally shifting her eyes away from her book. That book cover, too, looks very familiar.
Luo Binghe is no fool, he can tell when a comfortable physical contact becomes uncomfortable, so he lifts his head, putting some distance between himself and his not-quite-wife-yet. She’s watching him apprehensively as he does it, not letting a single move slip past her.
“How long was I…” Luo Binghe trails off, sharp pain between his eyes almost drawing a hiss out of him.
“You were sleeping for about an hour, maybe a little more,” Ning Yingying says. “Do you feel better now?”
Luo Binghe doesn’t remember ever admitting to not feeling fine. Doesn’t remember that she’s even asked. But something about the passage of time doesn’t feel right. Has the sun moved in the wrong direction? Or has Luo Binghe forgotten the orientation of Qing Jing Peak? Why does he feel like everything is flipped upside down? Himself included. It truly has been a long time. It’s not unthinkable─
His uniform is different.
It hits him like a rock, reverberating through his whole being. Looking down, Luo Binghe distinctly remembers a stain on his uniform sleeve, an ugly thing he can’t remember where it came from, pinkish and soft and smelling of nothing in particular. Perhaps blood that he’d failed to wash out properly, or god knows what else, but it had been annoying him so much that he couldn’t stop thinking about it. The sleeve in front of his eyes now is perfectly clean.
More importantly, there is a ribbon wrapped around his wrist that wasn’t there before. A white hair ribbon, undoubtedly his own, taken out of his hair directly, leaving his messy hair to fall loosely around his shoulders. He removes that hair ribbon from his wrist, only to find words scribed in black ink on its back side.
Furious, he immediately crushes the ribbon in his hand and slams it into the ground.
“What’s the meaning of this?” he growls at Ning Yingying, but that girl is still sitting there, unmoving.
“A-Luo, I─”
“What the hell did you do?! What is happening?!”
“I didn’t! A-Luo! Please! You wrote that yourself!”
Luo Binghe stares at Ning Yingying for a very long time. Clearly, if she knows what’s got him upset, then she would know how it got there in the first place! It only hits him later, that he finally knows what’s so different about her. The orange ribbons in her hair have been swapped with the green ones. Definitely, it’s been more than an hour since he was last awake. And yet he is still here, stuck in this same dream. Before he can reach any other conclusion, Ning Yingying pulls a folded piece of paper from the inside of her book.
“This is… for A-Luo, from yourself. For when the affectionate A-Luo wakes up.”
Luo Binghe all but rips that paper out of her hands. He unfolds it, reading the contents slowly. The more he reads, the angrier he gets. His face may as well be on fire and his hands shake violently. Who is a fucking dream construct?! What stupid shadow fragment?! Who dares call him a fragment?! He’s the Emperor of the Three Realms! The Demon Lord of the Unified Demon Realm and the overlord of the cultivation world! The ruler of everything under the heavens! Who is real and who isn't?! Who─
“A-Luo,” Ning Yingying’s hand touches his elbow and his limb shudders at the contact. Her expression contorts slightly, but she says, “You told me… you said… that I should tell you, once you wake up. So this is… what you should know: Your world is a nightmare that ended a long time ago. This what you see before you… this is the reality you have never known. Consciousness has cracked and the dream realm is in shambles. You can only fix this if you work together.”
Clearly, Ning Yingying doesn’t know what she is saying. Her words are rehearsed and even though she says them clearly, there are moments where it’s evident that she isn’t sure whether or not she said the whole thing correctly.
But there is that ribbon on his wrist, reading ‘know thyself’ in his very own handwriting, and then a letter left behind, delivered to him though Ning Yingying. Luo Binghe doesn’t believe a word coming out of her mouth, but there are countless things wrong with this situation that he doesn’t know where to start.
He doesn’t believe it.
He knows what dream constructs are. He knows how many fragments of himself exist in his dream realm. He knows how to differentiate dreams from reality. He is real. His pain is real, all the suffering he has gone through, the agony, the years of simply enduring… how could it all not be real?
No. No, Luo Binghe knows better than anyone. He is the Master of the Dream Realm, the Emperor of everything under the sun and the stars. The Three Realms all belong to him and the dreamscape is his playground. He will not be toyed with by some fragment of his consciousness that doesn’t know what’s good for him, in a dream he never wanted to enter in the first place!
Then he notices the odd cover of the book Ning Yingying has been reading. He snatches it from her hands, glaring at the title. “The Wise Tricks of a Calm Mind? Guide by Zhao Hua Monastery?”
“Shizun gave me─”
But Ning Yingying cannot finish what she’s saying. Enraged, Luo Binghe grabs her by the collar and slams her into the tree trunk, seething. “You told Shen Qingqiu about this?!”
Tears gather in the corners of her eyes as Ning Yingying struggles against him. She hits his arm and his shoulder, but Luo Binghe’s grip is cold and unforgiving.
“A-Luo… I… didn’t… nngh. Not me…! A-Luo! Wasn’t…! It wasn’t me!”
Tears spill down her round cheeks and Luo Binghe feels like he’s been stabbed into the heart. Hot wetness burns the back of his palm and instantly, he lets go. Ning Yingying falls down on her knees, coughing her soul out helplessly. Luo Binghe stares at her and his own hands ─ hands which would have already mercilessly killed this girl out of sheer rage ─ if only he had any demonic energy to spare for it.
But he doesn’t have any.
Even in a dream, something like that should not be possible. Not quite this way. Where has all his power disappeared? Why… why did he not even question it until now? Why… why…
Ning Yingying is on her knees, sobbing… and he… he was the one who did this.
Luo Binghe has not made Ning Yingying cry in decades. His hands are shaking.
Suddenly furious with himself, Luo Binghe picks up the stupid book off the ground, glaring at it like that will set it on fire, like this whole thing is the stupid book’s fault. It has fallen open to those pages Ning Yingying was reading, and now the words are there for him to see, too. Certain sentences sit marked with blank ink, tiny notes surrounding them. Luo Binghe has a distinct feeling that he's written these notes himself.
“... Soul Luminescence plant?” he reads off the markings, frowning.
A potion made of Soul Luminescence plant’s powder mixed with other plants and potions would allow a person to, temporarily or permanently, escape their deepest fears, anxieties and even nightmares that have plagued them for a long time. Without any additions, the powder calms the mind and illuminates all the best things they’ve experienced, allowing a broken mind to slowly mend. For someone with great knowledge of how the dream realm works, it would undoubtedly provide them an opportunity to clear their dream realm of all the clutter and mend the broken consciousness back together. The not so great part is that it is a spiritual plant and therefore a spiritual technique based solution, not at all an ideal one. With no demonic power, however, what other options are there?
Luo Binghe doesn’t know. He has already tried to enter his dream realm from this dream countless times and he has failed every single time. Perhaps… Perhaps this fragment of him isn’t entirely wrong. Perhaps the real and the fake have swapped places somehow, and now this stupid fake is wreaking havoc in his life, while Luo Binghe remains stranded in that fake’s dream, while each one of them thinks they’re the only one that’s real.
He looks at Ning Yingying, his expression dark, but his rage has all but disappeared. “Did this other version of me say anything else?”
Ning Yingying nods softly, fearfully.
“What was it?”
Ning Yingying shakes her head.
“What was it?” Luo Binghe repeats, harsher than strictly necessary.
Ning Yingying gulps. She’s struggling and clearly she is afraid of him, but she has always been a stubborn one. Pushing her this way is truly not worth it.
Taking a deep breath, Luo Binghe crouches down until they’re both on the same level, his eyes boring into hers, pushing past the fear and the hesitation. Gently, he wipes the tears off her cheeks. He doesn’t want to comfort her with lies. Ning Yingying was never the one to appreciate that and it will only hurt more later on if he cannot keep his empty promises.
“This one has gone too far, treating you this way. It is my fault, all of it. My anger was never your fault. But tell me, Yingying. If I’m to fix this, I should know what that other me has said. All of it.”
Ning Yingying stubbornly shakes her head. She’s rapidly blinking, trying to hide her tears without alluding to it, but it’s useless.
Luo Binghe sighs, gently wiping the wetness away with a butterfly-light touch. “Did I scare you? I know I spoke harsher than I should have. I won’t do that again. Will you forgive me, just this once? I really am not the Luo Binghe that you know. I went too far. Do you believe me?”
Slowly, the girl nods. She still looks wary and reserved.
Luo Binghe helps her rise to her feet. He cleans the leaves and the dirt off of her, helps tidy up her robes, until she’s finally looking like the young beauty that she’s always been.
“Will you tell me?” he asks softly, almost like he’s begging.
Ning Yingying hesitates visibly. “You… you said…”
Gently, he encourages her with a little hand squeeze.
She says, “He said… A-Luo… if you do anything to harm Shizun, that you… you will regret it. You… you cannot hurt Shizun.”
Luo Binghe… stares. He… cannot what?
What can’t he do? He can do whatever he wants.
Regret…?
When has he ever told someone so seriously that if they cross him, they will regret? Certainly, it can’t be that? Luo Binghe has always, always been specific about what exactly he plans to do to those who cross him. Clearly, with how pale Ning Yingying is, she must’ve heard something very explicit that she refuses to deliver. Luo Binghe can’t help it. He snorts.
“Regret,” he says, visibly amused. “Regret…”
In his head he mulls over it so many times that eventually, he bursts into all out cackles.
“Regret?”
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Fine, then. Regret. Let’s see how this stupid fragment of his consciousness can make him regret anything.
“A-Luo…” Ning Yingying murmurs softly, visibly frightened. “I really want to help you. But now you are acting so… so…”
“What? Am I strange? Am I scary? Am I unreasonable?”
But surprisingly, Ning Yingying shakes her head.
“What, then?” Luo Binghe asks, almost lazily. “Do you want to say that you don’t know me? That’s true. You don’t.”
“... I never did,” Ning Yingying utters. “But A-Luo, I really… I want to help. Shizun was the one who gave me that book, but I didn’t tell him anything. He already knows you’re struggling, just not the extent of it. He’s asked me to look out for you. He said… the only thing Shizun said… is that you should know you’re not alone in this. We… we really want to help.”
Those words from Shen Qingqiu are more like a death threat than the comfort that Ning Yingying wants it to be. But even so, deep in his heart, Luo Binghe still feels a little conflict, a little unease.
“Shen Qingqiu gave you that book… then, does that other me also know about the book?” he asks. “Does he know it was Shen Qingqiu who gave it to you?”
“Shizun only gave it to me because he couldn’t find you,” Ning Yingying says softly. “I gave it to the other A-Luo first… but then he asked me to give it to you, together with that message.”
Luo Binghe growls softly to himself. Consciousness has cracked, he says. The master of the dream realm to have his consciousness damaged? Might as well become a cockroach instead.
Still, Luo Binghe snatches the book into his grasp. “Make no mistake, even if I’m like this, it’s not Yingying I’m upset with. It’s not you I want to scare. But this is preposterous. Dream realm in shambles. Work together to fix it? What stupidity. I’ll resolve this asininity myself.”
Then he walks away, leaving the shell-shocked Ning Yingying behind to pick up the pieces of her own messed up interpretations.
Of course, Ning Yingying reports all of this in detail to Shen Yuan a little later, not a single detail left out. She talks meekly and dejectedly, but her words are precise and simple enough, avoiding none of the heavier topics.
Shen Yuan has mostly been warned about this possibility already, but hearing it so clearly laid out still makes his chest constrict painfully. He was in the middle of writing a report over something else when Ning Yingying came to see him, but now even with his brush still in hand, he can’t remember what it is that he was intending to write. Right when he thought the Protagonist was gonna catch a little bit of a break… Damn it all.
“Yuan-ge, do you think A-Luo will really try to find that Soul Luminescence plant from the book?” Ning Yingying asks, cheeks flushing with guilt. “Will that really help him get better?”
Shen Yuan takes a deep breath, at a loss himself. Since that one time, he hasn’t been able to reach out to Meng Mo to ask him anything, but since the Elder demon hasn’t reached out to him either, it can’t be anything good. Besides, Luo Binghe’s self-diagnosis sounds quite terrible. Mu Qingfang has theories of his own ─ all of which are laying the blame squarely on Meng Mo’s shoulders, but Shen Yuan knows it’s far too early to get behind that judgment. The problem is, unfortunately, multi-layered… and Shen Yuan has yet to figure out how many layers it truly stretches.
Luo Binghe called Ning Yingying his wife, at some point, much to the poor girl’s absolute terror.
In other words, Luo Binghe may or may not be remembering another timeline that no longer exists. That’s… not that shocking.
It also goes in line with something that Meng Mo of a different time has said to Shen Yuan a lifetime ago. Back in Zhao Hua Monastery, as a punishment for his failure, the System had thrown Shen Yuan into a ridiculous scenario, pitting him against a furious Luo Binghe who had long since made his Shizun into a human stick. Meng Mo had attempted to save him, but how could a minor character do anything against the System running the whole story?
The only thing Meng Mo had said, which Shen Yuan had all but forgotten about until now, was that Meng Mo had pulled Shen Yuan out of a dream realm. A powerful one, which not even the elder master of dreams could interfere with. And who is the only person with more power over the dream realm than the Elder Dream Master personally? Luo Binghe, yes. But who could be more powerful than even the Protagonist himself? The System? Well, maybe. But Shen Yuan has… concerns.
Besides, the System is clearly broken and entirely unreliable. Luo Binghe is also highly aware of the previous timeline, so that the dream realm insanity has somehow brought the original into the mix is not beyond the realm of possibility. It is, however, a giant fucking headache.
“Yuan-ge,” Ning Yingying whines, a little pathetically.
Shen Yuan sighs, ruffling her hair. Maybe he’s not sure how to go about the whole story universe collapsing in on itself, but he knows the Soul Luminescence plant that Ning Yingying is talking about. One of Airplane’s millions of special plot devices, this is another one of those that does exactly as its name suggests. Namely, the Soul Luminescence plant’s blooming flower can illuminate the unseen, whether that is a spirit of the deceased, a wound on the soul or anything at all related to the soul itself, for as long as the soul is still in the Mortal realm. When crushed into powder and mixed with other things, it can also do so much more. It was the go-to solution for everyone who got snatched up into Luo Binghe’s dream realm every time it got a little bit unstable, but ironically, it is Ning Yingying of the original story who relied on it the most.
To think that his Binghe would come up with the idea of using that on himself…
Shen Yuan closes his eyes, beyond exhausted. He’s not even in the mood to curse the System for such a bonkers turn of events.
“For the moment, let him try, if that is the solution he thinks it will work,” he says. “But in case of any troubles, inform me immediately. Like you said, as long as he’s not comfortable telling me himself, I… shouldn’t pry. I will only assist from a distance.”
“But, Yuan-ge… isn’t A-Luo a demon? Won’t the light of that plant be harmful to him?”
… and there it is again, Ning Yingying asking all the right questions.
Has that silly plant ever been used on a demon? Shen Yuan can’t remember. But he doesn’t think so. He also doesn’t think it matters that much. If the universe wants to make this hurt, it’s going to hurt no matter what other solution he and Ning Yingying try to find.
“Like this one said, if there is at any point a cause for concern, then Ning Yingying should inform me immediately.”
“Yes, Yuan-ge,” Ning Yingying mumbles miserably.
“Do you know where to find that plant?” he asks, only mildly curious.
Ning Yingying’s whole face is dull and disheartened, but she nods, all too serious. “There is a noble family in Qudu town that sells these plants to Qian Cao Peak. I asked a Shimei from Qian Cao and she said they’re low on stock so we should just go to their supplier directly.”
“Ah,” Shen Yuan says, frowning. “And you don’t need to, um… finish a commission for them or something? Or, uh, fight an Eight-Horned Antelope spirit?”
Ning Yingying looks at him weirdly. “Yuan-ge, we’re going shopping.”
“…”
“…”
“… is it expensive?”
Ning Yingying blinks up at him, all too innocently. Right. Another rich, noble brat, right there. Then again, Shen Yuan doesn’t care if the plant is expensive or not, just if the price itself is likely to be proportional to the amount of trouble this little side quest might cause to his disciples.
“Take Ming Fan with you,” he decides. Aside from that boy being an even more detailed gossip on all things Luo Binghe related than Ning Yingying could ever hope to be, he is the least likely of his ADHD disciples to get scammed in the streets chasing for snacks. Plus, he actually is senior to the hopeless pair, which means he does get some official allowance that the other two don’t yet. Someone in this ragtag bunch needs to know how to work with money. Anything, so long as Shen Yuan doesn’t need to force his presence onto someone who clearly cannot stand it.
Somewhere outside his window, one could hear a fist smash through the air and a giddy, “Yes!”... as if Shen Yuan didn’t already know that Ming Fan has been listening in all along.
Shen Yuan glances over to Ning Yingying to see that her face, too, is very resigned to her fate.
“Yuan-ge, are we allowed to buy some snacks while we’re outside? If I don’t get Shizun’s explicit permission, Ming Fan will never agree.”
Shen Yuan wants to tell her no on sheer principle ─ but her cheeks are just so cute, so round and puffy and red. He has to resist the urge to pinch them.
“As long as it’s within reason, this one sees no problem with it,” he says, ahem, very responsibly. As if he doesn’t know that ‘within reason’ to this girl translates to enough to feed the whole peak for a month. He’s only saying it because he expects she’s not yet as resourceful to buy more than she can carry.
Come to think of it… do these kids have those space expanding Qiankun pouches yet?
Binghe shouldn’t, but somehow he still sneaked one for himself, that clever troublemaker. Ning Yingying also shouldn’t, but who even knows with her? Ming Fan does on the account of being older than the two of them, but how likely are either one of those boys to share it? … not very.
Alright, so the Peak is probably safe for now. Maybe. Hopefully.
Ah screw it. Kids should enjoy their fun while it lasts.
The way Ning Yingying’s mood shifts the moment he gives permission is simply adorable. When sweets are confirmed, it’s like she’s forgotten all about the primary mission. Ah well, can’t be helped. That bright smile is just too adorable. Shen Yuan refuses to be the one to wipe it off her face. And when she throws her arms around his neck, that faint blush on his face is most certainly not there, nope.
“Thank you, Yuan-ge! We’ll go right now!” Then, she rushes out, all too excited.
… Luo Binghe in this original flavor is gonna be thrilled, being used as an excuse to shop for sweets, but some things just can’t be helped. Not like he can deny Ning Yingying things any better than Shen Yuan already has. Might as well just run with it.
And frankly, Shen Yuan would much rather stay as far away from the titular Demon Lord Extraordinary for as long as humanly possible. Eep.
Notes:
Yo guys, unrelated to the fic, but does anyone know about any Shen Yuan transmigrates into Liu Qingge fics???? Asking for a friend!
Chapter 38: Side-quest: Soul Luminescence
Summary:
The Qing Jing trio goes shopping. It gets a little... out of hand.
Notes:
Trying out new approach with a bit of an alternate POV, hihi
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
“Alright, so I’ve been thinking. Either we go with veggie dumplings, spring rolls or baozi─”
“Psst,” Ning Yingying hisses impatiently, before turning to brush a peacefully sleeping Luo Binghe’s hair from the side of his face. “A-Luo just drank his potion to get some rest. Don’t wake him.”
Ming Fan is quite bewildered by this request, but he obediently lowers the volume of his voice. “The hell is he sleeping for now? We just got to Qudu city.”
Ning Yingying ignores him in favor of playing with Luo Binghe’s fluffy hair. After the long flight and an even longer walk, it is only natural that they are all tired. Ming Fan is the weird one here. A-Luo is still recovering, and when he sleeps like this, he truly looks so innocent. The moment he wakes up, though, it’s a little like her grandma’s hundred-shades of curry… she can never tell which flavor exactly she’s going to get.
This boy she has always adored has grown colder to her over time and Ning Yingying doesn’t know when it all started. Luo Binghe used to both adore her and respect her, seek out her company even without Ning Yingying needing to drag him around… but now, there is none of that warmth left. He’s grown colder over the past year, harsher, towards himself and towards others, unforgiving of even the slightest mistake. He’s still the A-Luo that he’s always been… but this A-Luo seems to have lost those bright shiny eyes that first caught Ning Yingying’s attention and she doesn’t know how to help him get them back.
Just as her head dips, tending to A-Luo, Ming Fan pokes her shoulder, and this time Ning Yingying almost smacks him. It’s a close thing.
“What?” she asks, desperately. “What does dashixiong want? Does food matter so much?” To think that she is the one saying this, too. Insane.
Ming Fan flinches slightly. “Ah. Uh. I was just gonna say ─ he’s, um. Awake. And this is very awkward.”
Ning Yingying doesn’t have the energy to find anything awkward anymore. She looks over to A-Luo, and indeed he is awake. He is blinking up at her, his expression very odd.
Ning Yingying stops playing with his hair, but she doesn’t push his head out of her lap. “Ming Fan is bringing snacks,” she says instead of good morning or something else arguably more appropriate. “What would A-Luo like to eat?”
Luo Binghe looks up at her with tears glistening in his eyes, a finger rising to his cheek in a way that is strangely adorable. “Jiejie will buy food?”
“Ew, since when do you call Ning-shimei that way?” Ming Fan blurts, shocked. “Call her properly! Ning-shijie!”
“Ignore him, A-Luo can call me whatever he likes,” Ning Yingying assures him quickly. Anything is better than calling her a wife, really. “So what was it? Veggie buns? Spring rolls? Or baozi? What would A-Luo like to eat?”
Slowly, Luo Binghe sits up, but his eyes are glistening with even more tears and his mouth is openly watering. Ming Fan grimaces at his appearance, but even Ning Yingying is a little alarmed. Since when has A-Luo made faces like this? So cute! She would’ve pinched his cheeks, if the last time she’d thought of doing that hadn’t ended with her pinned to the tree by her neck.
“A-Luo?” she tests gently, when she gets no answer for a very long time. “What’s the matter?”
“Did… did Shijie perhaps mistake this humble one for somebody else?” Luo Binghe asks, his cheeks bright red as his face falls. “Why would a Shijie from a cultivator sect buy me food?”
“...”
“...”
“...”
“... dream demon madness acting up again?” Ming Fan asks, face twitching.
Ning Yingying nods faintly. “Probably. He’s like a little… hold on. A-Luo, can you tell this Shijie, how old are you?”
“Eight!”
That innocent look could certainly pass him for such age, but not the rest of him, of course not.
Ning Yingying sighs. That’s new. How many different A-Luo’s has it been so far then? The real, cold A-Luo, then the scary A-Luo who called her his future wife, these two are the most common ones to confront when he wakes up. But on the brief periods that last much shorter time, there have also been a trader A-Luo, the completely confused A-Luo, the ‘searching for his pet fish’ A-Luo… Ahhh, it’s just too many to keep track of them all. How many dreams is he dreaming at the same time?!
Ning Yingying nods to herself and says, far more cheerfully than she feels. “If this A-Luo is eight, then I definitely have the right person. Does A-Luo like baozi?”
Eagerly, Luo Binghe nods. Just the sheer cheer and enthusiasm makes Ning Yingying weep for the fact that the older him is nothing like that.
She says, “Good. Dashixiong is buying baozi for all of us. How about that?”
Once again, Luo Binghe nods. His eyes are shinier than any lake under the sunlight that Ning Yingying has ever seen. Her heart jumps a little.
Ming Fan, meanwhile, looks like someone’s dumped a bucket of water over him for no reason. Probably because over the past two days how long they've been travelling, it has always been him who had to do the shopping.
“Go,” Ning Yingying repeats, and so Ming Fan trods away, all too sullen about having to walk to a food stall all over again.
While waiting, Ning Yingying takes her chance to coax A-Luo back to sleep. It's fairly early in the day still and they are hiding from the sun in the shade of a giant tree, so it's a bit of a challenge. He doesn’t seem too sleepy, but with the mind of a child, he is easy enough to fool. The moment Ning Yingying pretends that she is the one falling asleep first, he dozes off soon after.
At least, all of these many different sides of A-Luo have one thing in common. They all get sleepy very fast after being sneaked the dreamless sleep potion. Yuan-ge warned her that he can only take one bottle per day at most, so Ning Yingying has been careful about how she doses it into his drink. The good thing is, even one drop is enough to make him drowsy and from there on he falls asleep very easily. But then, with just smelling it, Ning Yingying gets very sleepy, too.
Ming Fan sure takes his time, buying the food. Ning Yingying has almost fallen asleep by the time he gets back, but the strange expression on his face sobers her up quickly. The bag in his hands is strangely small. Immediately, she tenses. “What? Did they not have the baozi?”
“No, no,” Ming Fan shakes his head as he sits down, ripping the bag and putting it on the ground so they can all reach the baozi with ease. There are only three buns, and he is scowling at all of them, counting something on his fingers. “Yingying, I think I just got scammed.”
Ning Yingying… stares. “Dashixiong got… what?”
Ming Fan nods. His face is perfectly blank. He is not angry, but merely confused, which in turn confuses Ning Yingying even more.
“You … were scammed?” she repeats, very suspiciously. Ming Fan has always been the most diligent of them all when it comes to finances! Even on this trip, between Ning Yingying snatching up too many snack packages between fretting over A-Luo and trying not to snooze off, Ming Fan ultimately took this dreadful task on his own shoulders! So what is this now?
Next to her legs, Luo Binghe has curled up into a ball and is snoring softly. He seems to have forgotten all about the baozi, even with the delicious smell tickling his nostrils.
Ming Fan is scowling down at his own feet.
“It’s… really strange. I’m pretty sure it was a good deal. Ten coins for five buns. Three coins for one. I’m sure that’s what I saw written and that’s definitely what I heard. And I know I told the old man that I’ll take that five bun deal. But I gave him ten coins, and there are only three buns here. Right?”
Ning Yingying nods. They have enough money so it’s not like it matters much, but being scammed is very embarrassing. What kind of a person would scam cultivator disciples anyway? That’s a terrible thing to do if you want to run an honest business.
“Should I go back and complain?” Ming Fan asks, frowning. “Cause I’m sure I said─”
“Forget it,” Ning Yingying sighs. “We need to find the Huan clan’s botanical garden first. It’s more important to help A-Luo now. Dashixiong should just be more careful in the future.”
“Mm, of course,” Ming Fan agrees solemnly, and then his eyes land on A-Luo. “Should I wake him up before they get cold?”
“I have a talisman, I’ll heat them up again. Let him sleep.”
Ming Fan grunts and takes his bun to munch on without much complaint. He is not in a good mood, for sure, but at least he seems to have calmed down. Ning Yingying is very disappointed, however, when she bites into her bun to find out that it’s only lukewarm. Having Ming Fan do food shopping is clearly a waste of money.
This shopping trip, overall, is not going according to plan at all.
“What do you mean, you have no more Soul Luminescence plants left for sale?! We were directed here precisely because this place is the one that always stocks up on them! How can you not have any?!” Ming Fan is outraged. In fact, he is so upset that his words are no longer even falsely polite in their delivery.
Next to him, Ning Yingying is silently gaping.
The old seller of the Huan noble family’s botanical garden looks like he’d rather eat dirt than entertain them for a moment longer. “Like I said, we don’t have any! Scram!”
“B-but─ disciples from Qian Cao Peak said you always supply them!” Ming Fan’s face is as red as a tomato. He might actually lose it. Ning Yingying isn’t any better. Her mouth keeps opening and closing like she’s a fish. Is it because they didn't put in a proper notice ahead? Is it because they only have a handwritten request from Shizun to offer? Is it the money? But whatever it may be, where does this old man get the audacity to speak that way?!
“I said none! If you brats don’t get out on your own, I will kick you out!”
Ming Fan is ready to start a fight. Ning Yingying is not far behind.
Out of all of them here, Luo Binghe is the only person with an even remotely cool head on his shoulders ─ and he is the one who needs that plant to start with. For a very long time, he has just been quietly observing while this argument has been going around in circles, but now that it’s become clear they won’t be getting what they’re here for, he finally asks, in a voice that is calmer than even the shores of a frozen lake.
“Esteemed sir, do you really have no Soul Luminescence plant left for sale?”
“For you rude brats, absolutely none!”
Hey! Who you calling rude?! Ming Fan has been nothing but polite right up until the old man started trying to kick them out!
But Luo Binghe nods, perfectly polite. Ever since he’s woken up, he’s been especially calm and collected. Ning Yingying is not yet sure which A-Luo is now conscious and awake, but this isn’t the time to question anything. This A-Luo seems to be perfectly aware of something the rest of them aren’t, the way he speaks betrays him. But what is it? Ning Yingying has no idea.
Eventually, Luo Binghe says, “Very well, then. In that case, we will go back and inform the allied sects that they also should find a new supplier, since it seems like the Huan family’s botanical garden is going to be out of stock for a while.”
At that, the old man’s face twitches. He says nothing, but he glares hatefully at the three of them. Ming Fan is visibly confused. Ning Yingying herself isn’t sure what to do. Isn’t A-Luo also being harsh? But he’s also gesturing for them to leave. Should they really leave like this? At the very least, they should make the elder botanic apologize─
“What are you waiting for?” Luo Binghe asks, impatient. “It’s clear that the entire shelf of Soul Luminescence plants on the left has been sold to someone else. We should just go find someone else to supply the eastern sects now.”
Suddenly, Ning Yingying gapes. Of course! She and Ming Fan have never seen that plant outside of book descriptions before. They never would have realized! But A-Luo is too sharp! Not only has he called the old man out on his terrible behavior, he has also entirely laid the blame on him! As he should! The old man has been rude from the moment they walked in! Ning Yingying would smack him for that attitude if she didn’t have to keep the sect’s reputation spotlessly clean.
If anything, the glare the old man is directing their way is even nastier now. “Go! Get out now! See who in this Yuju district dares supply that hypocritical Qing Jing Peak with their precious merchandise!”
Luo Binghe, who has already half turned to head for the exit, now pauses. The expression on his face is frighteningly cold, unlike anything Ning Yingying has ever seen on him before, even scarier than how A-Luo looks when upset! Cold sweat drenches her back. No need to guess anymore, it’s definitely the scary A-Luo!
“What does this esteemed master have against Qing Jing Peak, exactly?” the terrifying Luo Binghe asks, the very timber of his voice conversationa, and his tone polite.
“Never mind, never mind,” Ning Yingying says quickly, to cut the matters short while there’s still a chance. This is exactly how A-Luo had looked for a mere moment before mercilessly pinning her to a tree and that’s ─ uhh. “Let’s just go and find a different place.”
“A moment, Shimei,” Ming Fan says, looking about as stubborn as A-Luo, only instead of carefully hidden ice, his voice is a blazing inferno. Not good. Not good! Not good at all! “This person dares to offend Qing Jing Peak in front of us. Naturally, this disciple cannot leave without finding out the following. What gives you the right?”
“Tch. And you brat dare speak so rudely to your elder?! No wonder, with that demon of a Shizun, it only makes sense the disciples wouldn’t be any better─”
Oh, now he’s done it.
Ning Yingying has been all about diffusing the situation to the best of her ability, but now that such nasty insults have been thrown for no reason whatsoever, she cannot help it.
“How dare you speak of our Shizun that way?!” she explodes, before either of the boys can react. From there on, it’s pure chaos. A-Luo and Ming Fan both attempt to hold her back from going too far, but the damage has long been done. Ning Yingying cannot forgive this!
Ultimately, all three of them are kicked out and the gates of the Huan noble family’s botanical garden slam shut into their faces.
Ning Yingying is furious enough to stomp her feet around endlessly in rage. “How dare they?! It’s one thing if they don’t want to run a successful business or if somehow we offended them, but how dare they throw insults at Shizun like that?! What has Shizun done to deserve it, huh?! What’s this mean attitude supposed to achieve?! I don’t want anything from these people! A-Luo, we must go elsewhere to find this Soul Luminescence plant for you! I won’t ever purchase anything from this place ever again and neither should anyone else!”
Both Luo Binghe and Ming Fan are staring at her, but Ning Yingying doesn’t care. If these people aren’t capable of running a respectable business, then they shouldn’t be running any business at all!
“While I fully support Yingying-shimei’s words, I’m afraid there is something that old man said that concerns me more,” Ming Fan says, the look on his face very dark.
“Mn,” Luo Binghe nods, his expression grave and just as dark. Probably the scariest thing of them all is how easily the two of them agreed on this point.
“What?” Ning Yingying asks. “What did I miss?”
“That old man is just a regular worker, he is not of noble blood. A hired commoner, really,” Ming Fan says. “If he dares to speak of Shizun that way and doesn’t get reprimanded for it… How does one of the most powerful families in this province perceive our Shizun? What gives them the audacity to allow it?”
“A sense of righteousness,” Luo Binghe says, his eyes gleaming dangerously. “Not even noble families would recklessly allow such slander of Shen Qingqiu’s name… not unless others were also slandering him behind his back. Ming Fan, which sect is in charge of protecting this territory?”
Briefly, Ming Fan frowns, lost in thought. “It’s… neutral, isn’t it? We’re not far enough south to have reached Huan Hua Palace’s territory, but we’re not yet west enough to enter Tian Yi Overlook’s provinces either. This place should be one of those that trades with everybody.”
“Not anymore, then,” Luo Binghe says. “This old man already knew we would be coming, so this behavior is definitely targeting the sect. Qudu town may present itself as neutral territory, but it looks like it’s sold its allegiances elsewhere.”
“Either way, that’s not how you run a business! I will have to tell Zhou-shimei all about it when we get back! Can’t believe this is the sort of people Qian Cao Peak works with!” Ning Yingying explodes. However, reality hits her soon after. “Now that we’ve burned this bridge, what do we do? We can’t very well go and just pluck this plant from its natural habitat? Right?”
Ming Fan blinks, eyes bright with an idea. “Why not? Not like they have the sole plucking rights and even if they did, how would they enforce them? Let’s just go and pluck one right now!”
“Yeah, let’s─”
Luo Binghe snorts, turning away from them and rolling his eyes. Instantly, what little enthusiasm Ning Yingying and Ming Fan mustered between the two of them, it dissipates. They stare at their fellow shidi, a shidi that is also a demon, a startling realization that’s only becoming clear now that they see his eyes turn so dangerous up close.
“A-Luo?” Ning Yingying tries hesitantly, but at the same time, all too earnestly. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” Luo Binghe says and it is not at all convincing. He looks at them oddly, frowning. “Do you two really want to go and pluck that Soul Luminescence plant for my sake?”
“What? Can’t we?” Ming Fan snaps. “You’re annoying, but we don’t want to watch you go crazy.”
“Even if I’m also a demon?” Luo Binghe tests, curiously. “That old man clearly had a problem with it, did you not notice the way he was staring at me? But you two insist that you don't care?”
“Are you picking a fight now?! What’s that got to do with anything?!” Ming Fan shouts.
“It’s just a question. Answer if you want to, otherwise shut up.”
“A-Luo,” Ning Yingying interjects, much softer. He glances over at her, but his eyes are still very cold. Mustering all her courage, Ning Yingying says, “Did you know, A-Luo? When everyone wanted to brand you a traitor, it was Liu-shishu who tried to help you first and then Shizun who got everyone else to beat it. I won’t blame you if you don’t remember, but you shouldn’t speak to the rest of us as though we are so shallow as to hate someone just because they belong to the demon race. None of us get to choose who gives birth to us. To this Shijie, it’s enough that Shizun has said that you are worthy of our trust. If Shizun says that you are my shidi who I must care for and protect from harm, then that’s what this Shijie will do. That’s enough.”
For a moment, A-Luo stands there, like he did not expect her to say that. He is a little stunned, a little lost. He looks like he wants to argue and doesn’t at the same time, like he wants to shout but also wants to smile.
Ming Fan, in the meantime, is nodding earnestly, a little like an over excited chick pecking at seeds. “What she said, mhm. Also, you’re fun to hang out with when you’re sane and not intentionally annoying.”
Luo Binghe looks like he’s having a really hard time opening his mouth. When his voice comes out, it sounds very small. “... really? You… that’s what you think?”
“Ignore Ming Fan,” Ning Yingying says firmly. “But yes. We do care. A-Luo is one of our Qing Jing peak disciples, so it’s only natural that we want to help. So, if A-Luo knows where we should go to find the Soul Luminescence plant, A-Luo should just say it and not waste our time anymore. We’ve wasted enough of it as is. We will go no matter how far it may be.”
Luo Binghe stares at her for a very long time, then says, “Alright, then.” He sounds like doesn’t believe it, but like he also dares not question it. “Yuju province is famously separated from Hong province by the Yuju mountain range, which is ironically considered to belong to Hong province anyway. The real border is the valley of river Tian, which flows down from countless small streams in Yuju mountain before flowing further east. The Soul Luminescence plants grow in that valley quite well. At least, that was what I saw on their maps in the shop. It should be correct, though.”
“Mhm, let’s go, then,” Ning Yingying says. Already, she’s fallen in step with A-Luo ─ who no longer looks nearly as stiff around her as he used to. She wants to tease him about it, break up this oddly heavy air between them, when suddenly, Ming Fan calls out from behind them,
“… a little help, please?”
It’s just how awkward he sounds that both Ning Yingying and A-Luo turn around to look ─ and they both freeze in place. Ming Fan stands a couple steps behind them, seemingly having tried to follow ─ only to get stopped midway by a pair of thin, muddy arms, wrapped intricately around his midsection.
Ning Yingying screams. Another, equally shrill voice, screams back.
Luo Binghe puts his hand on the hilt of his practice sword, but he doesn’t draw it.
Ming Fan, meanwhile, loses all color from his already white-ish face.
“Um, uh… um… what is going on? Is it a ghost? Is it a curse? Did that old man from the botanical garden curse me with a mud monster?”
Ning Yingying honestly doesn’t know what to tell him. Maybe? But what kind of a curse could grow such a thin pair of muddy arms and still hold onto his waist so tightly?
Luo Binghe, however, is far calmer than the two of them combined. “It’s a child. Hey, you. Do you like Ming Fan so much that you want to take him home with you? We won’t mind if you do it later, but we still need him around for now.”
There is the tiniest, softest whimper from a little girl who can barely be seen, given how well she’s been hiding behind Ming Fan. At Luo Binghe’s voice, she rapidly peaks out from behind Ming Fan and shakes her head. She seems young, but so thin and covered in mud and dirt ─ and she is walking around Qudu town in broad daylight this way? Ning Yingying is stunned.
“Are you… are you hurt?” she asks softly. “Are you afraid?”
The girl nods, sobbing softly. Tears staining her face only make it dirtier.
Helplessly, Ning Yingying looks at Ming Fan. She wants to get him free, of course. But at the same time, this little girl looks so scared. Can they just let this be? Luo Binghe has that odd look on his face as though he’s eaten something very sour, the moment he sees the girl’s face.
Ning Yingying, however, has no cruel bone in her body that would allow her to ignore this. Very carefully, she walks back to Ming Fan and then bends slightly, until she’s on the same eye-level with the poor girl.
“Will you let this jiejie help?” she asks softly. “These two are boys, I know they look reliable, but they’re actually very hopeless. See? Ming Fan is afraid of you when there is clearly nothing to fear. Come to jiejie. Jiejie will─” but Ning Yingying doesn’t get a chance to say anything more, because instantly, the thin pair of arms wraps around her neck instead and the little girl buries her face in her shoulder.
“Jiejie,” she cries, hoarsely and desperately. “Jiejie, please… take me away.”
Helplessly, Ning Yingying pats the little girl’s back, but nobody seems to know what to do. They are currently in the streets of a city they don't know, where the locals seem to have been glaring at them from the moment they got here. The longer they just stand there in the middle of the street, the more people whisper amongst themselves as though they are the ones doing something wrong and that's just─ugh! Why does it feel as though this whole place has something against their sect? It's so odd.
Finally, Ming Fan says. “Let’s just take her, then. Plant picking is priority one. Taking her home is priority two.”
But at the mere mention of home, the girl’s arms cling tighter around Ning Yingying’s neck and she desperately shakes her head. “Not home, not home, not home…”
“Fine, not there, then,” Ming Fan grumbles. “We’ll find you a place somewhere else later. For now, let’s just go. It's not that far, is it? We'll be back here by tomorrow, no?”
Tearfully, the little girl lets go of Ning Yingying and asks, in barely a whisper, “Will you really not force me to go home?” She looks so desperate, so hopeful.
Ning Yingying pats the girl’s head and tries not to wrinkle her nose at the smell. The poor girl is too dirty and smelly, yet they have no choice. “Jiejie promises, wherever you want to go, jiejie will take you there. But now, we have something to do. Will you come with us first? Once we’re done, jiejie promises that you can go wherever you want. Alright?”
“Yes! Yes!”
“But you have to let go of my neck first, okay? Jiejie can’t walk if you hold me this way…”
Finally, the death grip around her neck eases. Ning Yingying takes the little girl’s hand into her own securely as she rises up properly, before finally nodding to the boys beside her. “Alright, let’s go. Plant plucking comes first. Let’s go find this valley of the Tian river.”
It takes them about half a day to cross the mountain and reach the valley of the river Tian. Before they’re even halfway through, the young girl who has so far only introduced herself as Xiao Dan falls asleep while walking multiple times, so Ning Yingying bullies the boys into carrying her on their back so as not to lose out on time. Ming Fan is not too difficult to convince. For all his tough exterior and sharp words, his heart is as soft as a feather and Ning Yingying abuses that as much as possible.
Luo Binghe is a different matter. For one, his spiritual energy is not yet stable. He neither wants to participate nor does he have the extra energy ─ but he doesn’t get a choice in the end, because Ning Yingying and Ming Fan tire out too fast and, realizing that at their current rate they will not make back before sunset, he eventually takes it upon himself to assist them.
Young Xiao Dan, of course, takes most to this beautiful and kind big brother ─ to the point even Ming Fan gets jealous. Listening to him trying to start an argument over which one of them is more handsome all the whole way makes Ning Yingying’s ears hurt. She’s thrilled once they actually get there, that Ming Fan finally shuts his mouth.
Not that it’s intentional.
The sight before them leaves Ning Yingying just as speechless. The valley of the Tian river… truly is magnificent. Lush with vibrant green to one side and all the colors of the rainbow to the other. The river flows down from the impressive mountain range that lays far ahead of them, curling into a beautiful serpentine on its way, only to eventually straighten out in the distance, the view of it sparkling in the late afternoon sun. There are all sorts of special plants and flowers growing along the rainbow side of the river bank, all more wondrous than the next.
“Don’t let it fool you. The Tian river is a blessed river, but those flowers aren’t,” Luo Binghe says, a little too sharply. “When we get there, don’t touch anything. Especially if it looks pretty.”
“Eh? Why not?” Ning Yingying asks curiously, hurrying to catch up with him. “Are those flowers poisonous?”
“No,” A-Luo says.
“Then why not take them with us?” Ming Fan asks, stubborn. “Maybe we can sell them and outdo that old man in his own job, how about that? Shizun will be happy if we earn some money and not just spend it.”
Luo Binghe rolls his eyes. “Just don’t touch anything. When I see it, I’ll go get the Soul Luminescence plant on my own. Don’t move around carelessly.”
True to his words, Luo Binghe breaks apart from the rest of them as soon as they reach a rainbow meadow not far from the water surface. He gives them one last stern warning not to touch anything around them, so Ning Yingying dutifully pulls Xiao Dan’s hands away from the bright pink flower that she almost plucks.
“A-Luo said no,” she chides, instead snatching the chance to take the girl with her and wash her face with the river water. Some rivers tend to be quite muddy, once they reach flatter areas, but the Tian river is one of those that break out somewhere near the top of the mountain and remains crystal clear like a mountain stream even as it flows down into the flatter areas.
The little girl whines and complains at how thoroughly she’s scrubbed clean and later dried off with a talisman, but she really needs it. She’s so dirty that leaving her that way has truly been bothering Ning Yingying. She even wipes the pretty tear-shaped red crystal around the little girl’s neck. It shines under the sunlight especially brightly and looks more valuable than everything the Qing Jing disciples have on them put together. “That's a really pretty necklace,” Ning Yingying compliments, but she notes that Xiao Dan doesn't actually look so excited about it, so she doesn't push it.
Now that the young girl is clean, she looks so much better. The water couldn't quite wash out all the dirt from her clothes, but the materials still don't look too shabby. Her cheeks are bright and round and rosy and her giant, black eyes glisten like precious stones in the sunlight. If not for a nasty scratch on her chin, she truly would have looked like a precocious noble miss. Well, that, and the many small scartches, bruises and other injuries all over her arms and legs. Those are a little strange.
“Shhh, I’ll do your hair, so we can surprise A-Luo when he comes back,” Ning Yingying says cheerfully, to distract the girl from the pensive mood she's fallen into.
The young girl blushes and shyly asks, “Will Luo-ge like it?”
“Tch, Luo-ge,” Ming Fan mocks. “If Yingying and I hadn’t begged him, you do realize he would’ve left you behind, right?”
If anything, the girl’s cheeks flush redder and she bows her head in embarrassment. Ning Yingying resists the urge to smack Ming Fan, but only barely.
“Ignore him. Ming-ge just loves to talk bad behind his Shidi’s back.”
“Didn’t you see his face?! I was sure he was going to leave us behind at one point. Luo Binghe is a heart of stone. No cute face will make him soft, that’s just how he is.”
“Exactly, and if you don’t shut up, you’re going to find out what else is made of stone,” comes from behind them, as Luo Binghe cracks his knuckles. Whether or not he’s got what’s been looking for, he looks like he’s in a really bad mood ─ and what’s more important, the corners of his eyes seem to be shifting a little, like he’s struggling to keep his eyelids up. Oh, he must be getting sleepy again. But if A-Luo gets sleepy now of all times, who is going to show them how to go back? Ning Yingying is not so great with this area! All the hills look the same!
“I’ll finish Xiao Dan’s hair in a moment and we can go,” she says quickly. “I’ll be fast, I promise.”
Luo Binghe grimaces, but he throws one look at the sheepish girl and says nothing. He looks like he’d be the happiest walking away and leaving them all behind, but at the same time he waits patiently and says nothing, like a true soft-hearted boy that won’t admit it.
Ning Yingying tries not to snicker in a way that is too obvious, and instead just brushes Xiao Dan’s damp hair with her fingers and braids it for her gently. The young girl has that amused gleam twinkling in her eyes, like she’s seen through A-Luo’s guard, too.
“Psst,” Ning Yingying motions, and both girls giggle to each other.
“What? Aren’t you going to hurry up? We got the plant, so let’s go already,” Ming Fan grumbles. Clearly, he’s still jealous that he’s not the favorite boy as he’s always wanted to be. Ning Yingying and Xiao Dan share another cute chuckle. Ah, those silly boys. They never know just how obvious they are, acting stubborn that way.
“Alright, done,” Ning Yingying announces, all too satisfied with her work. It’s truly a cute braid. She had no hairpin to hold it in place with, so she improvised and made a heart out of it, and it’s too cute. She’ll have to bully her Shijie later to do the same to her hair, it’s really too adorable.
Eagerly, Xiao Dan runs around, showing off her clean face and pretty braid in front of the boys, none of which seem to appreciate it much. Disheartened, she finally stalks up to A-Luo’s side, mumbling shyly, “Luo-ge, will you carry me again? My feet hurt.”
One thing, which has become increasingly obvious after cleaning her up, is that Xiao Dan’s body is full of injuries. Not just arms and legs, as Ning Yingying initally thought, but also under the clothes. For a moment, when playing a little too harshly, she squeezed the girl a little too hard in a hug and discovered bruise under the clothes, too. None of those are serious injuries. But the deep, purple swelling over her ankle is something all three of the young cultivators caught onto the moment they saw her. So, even if Luo Binghe seems like he’d rather do anything else, he still says nothing and obediently picks up the girl, hoisting her up in a piggy back.
“Luo-ge is the best,” Xiao Dan sing-songs, all too cheerfully. It’s cute. A-Luo has no right to look so annoyed when all the younger ones have always adored him. However, at some point, Luo Binghe falls behind them, walking much slower. The path they are taking has narrowed by this point, so they have to go one by one anyway, but it’s not until a while later that A-Luo’s annoyed, “Stop that!” sounds like it’s coming from too far away. Ning Yingying turns around, to see A-Luo and Xiao Dan lingering at the bottom of the steep climb, but there doesn’t seem to be anything amiss.
Nothing, except for A-Luo’s face, flushing an abnormal red.
Immediately, Ning Yingying runs back. “A-Luo, is something the matter?”
“No!” he snaps, which means it’s exactly the opposite. Before Ning Yingying can ask anything, he drops the girl from his back, visibly annoyed. “You. Walk with them. Yingying, do I have something in my hair?”
“Eh? Oh…” Ning Yingying looks over his fluffy hair, but the only thing she finds is a tiny red flower, even its blooming petals only as wide as the tip of her little finger. She pulls it out from where it’s gotten stuck in his hair. “Only this. Don’t worry─”
Luo Binghe snatches the flower out of her hand, stomping it into the ground mercilessly.
“I told you not to touch anything!” he roars, face even redder, to the point it gets so scary it makes Xiao Dan burst into tears.
“A-Luo!” Ning Yingying shouts warningly.
“You shut up! You have no idea!” he growls, before rounding back on the other girl. “You walk with them. Try that again and I’ll just leave you here!”
If anything, Xiao Dan cries harder. Ning Yingying is stupefied. Aside from that one time A-Luo got upset with her enough to grab her neck so hard it hurt, she has never seen Luo Binghe angry. In fact, not once could she have imagined seeing A-Luo get this angry. It is much more intense than before. At the same time, it doesn't seem to be directed at Xiao Dan specifically, or even Ning Yingying, so in the end, she doesn’t argue and just talks Ming Fan into carrying the girl instead. The effort of hiking up a hill for the second time truly takes its toll on them. Before long, both Ming Fan and Luo Binghe are huffing and puffing, red-faced and breathless.
“Come on, we’re almost there. It’s just a little bit further to the town,” Ning Yingying tries to brighten them up, but both of them are too red faced to listen. A-Luo’s eyes seem to be shutting down without his approval, heavy lids falling shut and then snapping back open when he pinches himself awake. Hatefully, he glares at Ming Fan and says nothing.
Ming Fan, however, isn’t faring much better. His face is beet red and he’s sweating profusely. Even with the little girl on his back, he can’t quite keep walking as well as he used to. He says, “I don’t… I don’t feel so good.”
The night has already fallen. If they stop now, they might actually have to sleep in the hilly forest. Ning Yingying is horrified at the notion.
“Come on, just a little. We’ll get a room in an inn and sleep over there. You can see the lights over there! We’re really close now!”
That’s right. There are lights in the distance, if they can just hurry up a little, they can sleep in an actual bed and not on the dirty ground. Even Xiao Dan clings to Ming Fan a little tighter, begging softly, “Ming-ge.”
“Urgh! Fine! Go! Go! Go!”
And then Ming Fan breaks into a run, leaving Ning Yingying and Luo Binghe in the dust.
“Idiot,” Luo Binghe grunts, but he doesn’t look so well himself.
Gently, Ning Yingying touches his arm. “A-Luo─” but he pries his shoulder away from her, hissing something under his breath.
At a loss, Ning Yingying lets him do as he likes and just silently follows instead. A-Luo’s moods truly are too changeable lately. One moment, he is all happy and cheerful as usual, but then a little thing happens and suddenly his mood swings in a whole different direction. She never knows what to expect. They really should make powder out of that plant already, just to let him relax a little. Dream demons are terrifying. Ning Yingying hopes to never encounter one.
They don’t get very far.
Almost as soon as they pass the line of inhabited areas of the wider Qudu town district, Ming Fan stops walking, too red and flushed in his face to continue. He’s let go of Xiao Dan entirely, then just collapses on his knees like he’s going to be very sick. It’s now that Ning Yingying truly gets worried. Has he eaten something bad for his stomach? Those buns weren’t great, but they hadn’t been quite so terrible either. The berries along the way might've not been edible, either, but surely they would have noticed that earlier!
She tries to get close, but Ming Fan shakes his head and hisses through his teeth, “Stay away.”
“But, Dashixiong─”
“Stay away!”
SLAP!
Ning Yingying gapes in shock at just how mercilessly Luo Binghe smacks the back of Ming Fan’s head. No hesitation, no warning whatsoever! The corners of dashixiong’s eyes are watery as he turns to glare at Luo Binghe, but A-Luo merely shakes his head. “Endure. It’ll go away.”
Ming Fan’s cheeks burn so brightly he may as well be lighting up the street with his face alone. The little wetness in his eyes has turned into outright tears. “What do you mean, endure?”
Luo Binghe smacks the back of his head one more time, lighter this time.
“Ignore it, then,” he says. “Either way, do you want to make a fool of yourself in front of everyone here? Go ahead and do it, then. I won’t get in your way.”
“S-so, you also…”
Luo Binghe says nothing, but apparently that is answer enough.
Ming Fan gulps. “So when you told us not to touch anything, you meant… but I didn’t touch anything! I didn’t!”
“I know,” Luo Binghe says. “Just ignore it for now. It’ll go away.”
The whole time, Ning Yingying has not a single clue what they are talking about. But she doesn’t miss the few very angry glares from A-Luo directed at the young child in their company. Did something happen? Did she do something and Ning Yingying didn’t notice? But what could she have done?
“Are you─” but before she can come near Ming Fan, Luo Binghe takes her wrist and pulls her away. “What─”
“Just let him be. He’ll be fine.”
Ming Fan is almost sniffling. He is not fine in any capacity.
“A-Luo…” but Ning Yingying hesitates, noticing how mercilessly Luo Binghe walks over to the young girl. His expression is dark and menacing, and Xiao Dan gulps. All blood seems to leave her face.
“Luo-ge,” she mumbles, but Luo Binghe shakes his head. The girl flinches, but she doesn’t have anywhere to go. Behind her is a tree and Luo Binghe has essentially lured her into a trap where she has no choice but to face him. His face is dark enough to scare an adult. Faced with that, the little girl is trembling like a leaf in a storm. “Ge…”
“No,” Luo Binghe says, perfectly calm. “I’m not your Gege. I let you mess with me to see what you would do, but there was no point in crossing the line and involving that idiot too. You can tell who I am, right? Because I could tell the moment I saw you. Are you still going to pretend?”
The young girl shakes her head fearfully and Ning Yingying still doesn’t understand, but she is starting to fear that they’ve fallen into some kind of an elaborate trap.
Xiao Dan breaks into sobs. “Gege, I…”
“How old are you really?” Luo Binghe asks, mercilessly.
The little girl shudders and lowers her head. “... Thirteen.”
What?! She looks half that age! But Ning Yingying cannot even get a word in before Luo Binghe continues his interrogation without even a moment of surprise. “Mm. Born or bred?”
“B-bred.”
“Here in Qudu town?”
Xiao Dan nods miserably. Ning Yingying is still gaping.
Luo Binghe sighs heavily, as though he is not at all surprised, not even a little bit. “Who sent you out to follow us?”
“No!” the girl cries instantly, face full of tears. “Xiao Dan escaped! Xiao Dan, Xiao Dan…” but she can’t continue, breaking into all out sobs. “Xiao Dan doesn’t want to do this. So Xiao Dan ran. Xiao Dan saw cultivators talking badly to those people, so, so…”
“Ah… the Huan botanical garden?” Luo Binghe says, but he’s only humoring her. There’s not a trace of sympathy to his eyes. “That’s where they were holding you? Not the demon realm? Just that house?”
But the girl shakes her head. “The manor and the garden are connected… but I… Xiao Dan is too weak. At least, this way, Xiao Dan can give you a little strength, a little of her power…”
“Because they’re looking for you?” Luo Binghe asks. “Are they close to here? Can you tell?”
“They always know where I am,” Xiao Dan whimpers. “I can never run away.”
“Are they using something to…” but Luo Binghe trails off, his face scrunching into a frown. Xiao Dan holds a hand over to his stomach, as if to soothe him, but the longer she does so, the more srunched up his expression gets.
Tears spill along Xiao Dan’s cheeks. “Gege, I’m sorry. I really, really didn’t want to do this.”
Luo Binghe doubles over. For a moment, he throws his head over his shoulder, gasping for breath. “Yingying! Run!” he exclaims, but it’s already too late. Light of a widespread array shines under their feet right then and Ning Yingying looks at Luo Binghe in shock, still understanding nothing.
The most important thing is obvious. Young Xiao Dan has lured them into a trap.
Ming Fan is still on his knees, face switching between shades of red and shades of white. Luo Binghe has this strange expression on his face, almost pained ─ clearly, this array is not doing him any good ─ or perhaps it is Xiao Dan who is not making him feel good. Ning Yingying grips her practice sword with all she’s got, suddenly keenly aware of the danger she cannot see.
“Go,” Luo Binghe hisses, grimacing in pain. “It’s too… too late for us. Go, get Shen Qingqiu─”
But people have at some point started gathering around them ─ and Ning Yingying is horrified to recognize one of them. It is the worker from the botanical garden. The man is approaching them, slowly clapping as he comes closer. Around them, more than a dozen local villagers do the same, making a circle around them and cutting off their escape routes completely. Many of them are holding onto all sorts of weapons ─ not swords, but clubs and sticks and farm tools even! The man from the botanical garden gestures once quickly and snaps his fingers ─ and the crystal around Xiao Dan’s neck lights up with a crimson glow.
Instantly, the little girl wails and runs to hug his waist, only leaving the Cang Qiong Mountain trio inside the softly glowing array. Tears are still streaming down her cheek as she mouths voiceless apologies. The botanical garden seller is smiling with all his teeth gleaming sharply.
“Well, well, well, would you look at that? Truly, Cang Qiong Mountain has fallen beyond belief, to kidnap our lord's young daughter. From everything I’ve heard, I knew you all lost your minds… but to see that even the rumors of Qing Jing Peak harboring demons are true… how disappointing.”
“You dare speak,” Luo Binghe grits out through his teeth, but it’s undeniable. The red mark on his forehead is burning brightly. “Isn’t what you’re doing with that kid even worse?”
“Oh, you mean this?” the old man rubs Xiao Dan’s head, smiling. “That’s different. Xiaodan is not a beast. She’s very much human.”
Luo Binghe growls, but he’s sweating so much, his face so pale. Even if he tries, likely he won’t be able to move a single step. Ning Yingying, however, realizes that the array around them doesn’t affect her in the slightest. Why? What is the difference? Why are both her sect brothers struggling so much, but she’s─
Xiao Dan mouths something at her then, a soft, tearful little whisper nobody else notices.
“Flower.”
Ning Yingying’s eyes grow wide. A small, red flower, found in the valley of the Tian river. Something about it is very familiar, but she cannot remember. Clearly, it’s a special flower. Not poison, but something else, something─
“Get them,” the botanical garden owner says. “Let’s see which of the great sects will take it up on them to exact justice. These children cannot be allowed to go back.”
The armed men move, but Ning Yingying moves faster. In Shizun’s preferred way, she brings her two fingers together and launches her practice sword at them, getting in their way before they can touch A-Luo, who is clearly the main target.
“Get away from him,” Ning Yingying warns them. “I don’t want to fight you, but if you try to hurt them, I won’t care that you’re not cultivators.”
“You dare, little girl?!” the old man asks, laughing maniacally. “Don’t you realize what laws you’re breaking?! A cultivator, attacking a harmless old man─”
“No person who tries to harm our sect’s disciples is harmless,” Ning Yingying says calmly. Her hands are shaking, but her sword is still up in the air, the last line of defense between A-Luo and these people who are clearly not looking to treat him kindly. What are they going to do if they catch him? Bully him around? Kick him? Torture him? Ning Yingying cannot imagine. Either way, she can’t let it happen. They've been led here, into this trap ─ WHY?! She wants answers! But more than that, she wants to get away!
“You’re so young, yet so misguided,” the old man says then, all too coldly. “Your sect is hiding a demon and not just any! Heavenly Demons are the worst of the lot! The moment the word of this comes out, all of you will become the evil, the heretics! Is that what you want for your sect?! Let us take the demon and you can go back, no harm done! Cang Qiong Mountain would do well with a little clean up in their ranks─”
“And who are you to decide that?!” Ning Yingying explodes, scared out of her wits. Is this area not under the Huan noble family?! Many of the members of that noble family belong to other sects! Isn't the heir of the family a cultivator in Zhao Hua Monastery? Ming Fan has been talking her ears off all day about it. But more importantly, is Huan-shishu of Ku Xing peak also not one of the Huan noble family’s children?! So how dare these people do this?!
“Leave us alone!” she shouts. “We didn’t come here to hurt anybody!”
“Get them,” the old man says, and everything devolves into total pandemonium.
Ning Yingying does all she can, but she is just one girl going up against more than ten burly men, all of them armed with either farm tools or sticks or other dangerous weapons. She fights tooth and nail with them, doing her best not to actually hurt anuone, but even if she keeps four of them busy all by herself, she still can’t do anything when one of them sneaks up on A-Luo and bashes his head with a rock.
“A-Luo!” she screams, but it’s too late. That silly boy crumples to the ground, out cold and helpless.
“YOU LET HIM GO!” Ming Fan explodes then, red faced and furious, swinging at the cultivators who try to take A-Luo away, but he’s not looking good at all. He’s too distracted and unfocused, trying his best but only getting beaten up in return, and Ning Yingying can’t do anything to help him. She pulls out all the talismans she’s brought, but most of them are useless. They’re fireworks and for heating and a few other things, but what choice does she have? The best she can do now is make an even bigger commotion.
Desperately, she pulls three of the talismans and spikes her internal Qi. “Ignite!”
Then she throws them up at the nearby trees. Instantly, fresh green leaves burst into flames, startling everybody.
“Ming Fan!”
“Got it! But I can’t ─ he won’t ─ move ─ dammit!”
A-Luo is still trapped where he fell, not at all able to move. Clearly, they’re using something to trap him, to trap only him and nobody else, not even Ming Fan… but what could they be using? None of these people are cultivators. How would they know how to─
Flower.
Botanics. A botanist with knowledge of all the special spiritual plants in this neighborhood. Likely, he cannot trap A-Luo at all… But he would clearly know how to work with special plants… and one just like that is hidden right in A-Luo’s bosom. Ning Yingying has been thinking about the wrong flower all along!
“Ming Fan! The Soul Luminescence! Use it now!” she shouts over her shoulder.
“Use it ─ use it how?”
But Ming Fan soon figures it out on his own. As soon as he finds the plant inside of A-Luo’s robes, he can see it glowing a faint white color, the same as the color of the array all around them. Clearly, the flower has somehow been incorporated into this array as a trigger… but how would non-cultivators know how to set up such a thing? There’s no time to think now!
Ning Yingying shouts, “Powder! Crush it now!”
“Crush? Oh!”
With a burst of Qi, Ming Fan easily blasts the entire plant out of existence, directly into A-Luo's face. A blast of white powder explodes everywhere else, too, trapping everyone under its influence.
Truthfully, Ning Yingying doesn’t know much about the Soul Luminescence plant, not much more than what she’s read from the books over the past few days ─ and that is very little, overall. She just knows that this plant, in general, is not harmful. It soothes the mind and clears it of unnatural influences, but if not threaded carefully, it can also confound the mind, throwing it in disarray. Too much of that is not a good thing. It lulls the mind into a false sense of security, making those under the influence pliant and dazed. A-Luo is clearly in need of such a thing, for he has gotten more and more irritable and short tempered lately, but for the rest of them, that is very much unnecessary.
Luckily, A-Luo takes the brunt of the powder, breathing it in, and at last, the crease between his brows somewhat relaxes, even if he doesn’t immediately wake. Next to him, Ming Fan is all too confused. The men around them are all sneezing. As non-cultivators, it should not have any effect on them at all.
The old man from the botanics garden is the only one who covered his mouth and nose with his sleeves, but now the young girl hugging his waist is crying crocodile tears. The red crystal of her necklace has cracked.
“Ming Fan, take A-Luo and go!” Ning Yingying shouts then, an idea forming in her head. All of this was premeditated, and set up with the Soul Luminescence plant as the key. Now that the plant is gone, there is nothing to activate it anymore. Ming Fan proves that the moment he grabs Luo Binghe's limp arm and throws it over his shoulder.
“Not so fast─” but the man cuts himself off, as Ning Yingying’s sword nearly cuts his leg off. The young girl, terrified out of her wits, has thrown herself to the side to avoid the weapon she thought was coming for her ─ but all that has done instead is throw her right into Ning Yingying’s waiting arms.
Hugging the young girl to her chest, Ning Yingying summons her sword back and jumps on top of it, already climbing high into the air. “Ming Fan, come on!”
Too distracted still, Ming Fan finally remembers there is a sword strapped to his hip, the only actual spiritual weapon among all of them. Throwing A-Luo’s entire limp body over his shoulder, finally he takes off in the air as well, catching up to Ning Yingying a few seconds later. He scowls then, face full of concern.
“Will you be able to fly back to Qing Jing Peak?” he asks, eyeing the additional, sobbing weight in Ning Yingying’s arms.
“I’m fine, Dashixiong.” Besides, what choice does she have? If they land now, who knows what other trouble might befall them?! That old man is already running after them and cursing! “Just worry about A-Luo instead. The pure Soul Luminescence power is really not good for him. We should take him to Shizun quickly.”
Ming Fan grunts and says nothing else, only holding A-Luo tighter. “What are you mumbling about? Dan-er? Dan-er? That little brat sold us out, can’t you see, and now you call that little traitor so fondly?!” But A-Luo is asleep, hearing nothing, only mumbling in his dream.
Ning Yingying sighs, holding the sobbing girl tighter in her arms. She’s not sure if taking her along is a good idea. But Ning Yingying isn’t stupid. From the way A-Luo spoke to her at the end there, he’s clearly noticed something no one else has from the start, yet he has still let her follow them. More importantly, she’s crying so much, she can’t have liked being used as bait to draw them there. And if they're already being accused of a kidnapping they didn't do, might as well give these mean people something to accuse them for!
“Xiao Dan,” she asks softly, brushing the little girl’s hair. “Did the adults make you do this? Do you know why?”
The girl, however, just buries her face in Ning Yingying’s shoulder and cries harder. Fine, then. Shizun wouldn’t have appreciated it if they left a tearful child somewhere dangerous anyway. Too many of Qing Jing peak’s disciples have been picked up off the streets this way, so what’s one more? Yuan-ge doesn’t seem like the person who would turn away a child in need, either. So, if she doesn’t want to stay… if she’s like Ning Yingying and she’d prefer staying in Qing Jing peak over going anywhere else… then she should have a chance to make that choice.
“It’s alright, it’s alright,” she says softly, gently brushing the girl’s head as they fly back. “Jiejie will watch out for you. We’ll go to Qing Jing Peak first, and later, Xiao Dan can go wherever she wants, alright? Jiejie promises.”
The young girl only cries harder.
As they finally fly away from Qudu, not a single one of them notices two figures standing in the shadows, quietly watching them. Cultivator uniforms bright under the moonlight, they only turn to go the other way once the children are out of sight.
It is a long flight to Cang Qiong Mountain. All strength exhausted and spiritual power spent after a full day of flight, Ning Yingying all but stumbles and falls over herself as they pass through the protective barrier, until both she and little Xiao Dan are sprawled over the ground, crashing through the bamboo and the bushes. She thinks that Ming Fan, for all his seniority and boasts on how good he flies on a sword, will be a little better ─ but together with Luo Binghe on his back, he lands at full speed straight into the cold lake.
Already, many sleepy disciples who heard them make noise in the middle of the night are gathering around them. It’s indeed very late, but all the commotion must have woken up everybody on the peak. Ning Yingying doesn’t have the energy to explain. At the nearest of her Shijies that shows up by her side, she shouts, “Quickly! Go get Shizun!”
And then she just rests there. Flat on her back, with a young girl still clinging to her waist, she giggles a little hysterically.
When Yuan-ge shows up in his night robes with a lantern in hand, he looks very bewildered to find two girls hugging on the ground and crying like a bunch of babies. But nobody among the Shijies can explain and Ning Yingying is too torn between crying and laughing hysterically to say anything coherent.
“Yingying?” Yuan-ge says softly, as he helps both her and Xiao Dan sit up. “Yingying, what in the world…” but he trails off as Ning Yingying wraps her arms around his midsection, wailing like a little baby. Next to her, Xiao Dan wails even louder.
Helplessly, Yuan-ge pats their heads. “There, there… Shizun is here now. I see you’re covered in Soul Luminescence powder, so I assume that shopping went well?”
Miserably, Ning Yingying shakes her head. But then it hits her. “Yuan-ge,” she wails as she finally gets herself out of the hug. Then she blinks, realizing this is still very public. “Err. Shizun. A-Luo and Ming Fan. Are they still in the lake?”
“Are they ─ what?”
“They’re here!” someone shouts, and from the corner of her eye, Ning Yingying catches the sight of a few disciples who have done their best to drag A-Luo and Ming Fan’s limp forms out of the water. They’re both awake, if the former much more bewildered at the late night swim session than the latter.
Ning Yingying breathes a sigh of relief. “Good.” Then she slumps into Yuan-ge’s arms before he can even think to do something as silly as say, check on the boys. They’re fine. But Ning Yingying has never been so exhausted in her life, a full day of flight and absolute fear that a single break might get them in even more trouble, oof. Shizun will never call her a brat, so it’s fine if she indulges a little. But only a little. Shopping is done. Finally, they can all catch a bit of a break. And if Yuan-ge scolds her, well… Ning Yingying has only ever done what her Shizun has taught her. Even if Shizun and Yuan-ge are different in many ways, this, at least, is one thing they have in common.
Besides, A-Luo is home and Xiao Dan… is safe.
Ning Yingying has deserved a break now, too.
Notes:
A little while later
SY: YOOOO! WTF!! I sent you out to do shopping, not stage a kidnapping!!
NYY: *tearful moe eyes* but she cute
Chapter 39: Dream Fragments II
Notes:
TW for some... really dark implications of both torture and sexual abuse. Bing-mei gets a little insight into what may or may not have happened in PIDW and runs with his assumptions, as he will.
That said, the E rating is here for a reason and this is just the first dip into some of the darker topics this fic is going to deep dive into later on.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
The moment Shen Yuan hears the crashes and the bangs and the booms, he knows he can kiss his night of restful sleep goodbye. It can’t be helped ─ his night hasn’t been very restful to start with, constantly plagued by all sorts of weird dreams that look like something Xin Mo would have gone out of its way to cook for him, but at the same time, he can’t remember anything clearly.
So yeah. He’s not thrilled to hear the noise outside when it starts.
He doesn’t come out of the bamboo house immediately even if he probably should. He ignores the commotion to the best of his ability, until one of the disciples comes banging on his door anyway, totally not getting the ‘Leave me alone!’ message that Shen Yuan is projecting with his whole being.
Ah seriously. For once, can’t he just…
Forget it.
It's the middle of the night. It's important, obviously. So Shen Yuan forces himself out of bed and heads outside to see what the chaos is all about. One of the disciples hands him a lantern to light his way for no reason at all, because Shen Yuan the Master Cultivator with his cheat night vision doesn’t need it, but screw it. He is too annoyed to complain. What little extra energy he musters for the insanity, he loses almost all of it instantly, spotting Ning Yingying as a sobbing mess on the ground.
Oh, this can’t be good.
This can’t be good at all.
Turns out, of course it isn’t. Ning Yingying, a tearful mess, falls asleep in his lap after giving a complete and utter non-explanation of the situation as it can possibly get. His other two disciples who have traveled in her company have also been fished out of the lake not a minute ago… and there's another sobbing child next to Yingying whose face he has never seen before.
Ahem. System. A little help here?
[The System provides comprehensive 24-hour support and a user-friendly online service.]
The hell you do. The most use Shen Yuan gets out of the System these days is a grand total of two minutes of banter and a whole lot of headaches. What the hell is this? Why hasn’t he been warned of these new developments?
[... System scan in progress.]
Huh. Interesting. Could it be that not even the System has accounted for these strange events? Are they not relevant to the plot? Certainly wouldn’t be a surprise at this point, but it would be annoying. If the System is not behind it, what is?
[... System scan complete. No irregularities found. Do you want to see a comprehensive list of System Errors that still need debugging?]
… screw you. Does Shen Yuan look like a backend engineer on call?! He’s the end-user here! The end-user! System! The hell is up with the new kid?!
[... ]
The System does, however, carefully scan the little girl’s crying face, before a new dialogue window pops up in his sight.
[The Protagonist Luo Binghe’s wife #73, Lu Xiaodan], the System provides helpfully.
Because… yeah. Apparently it is that simple.
Shen Yuan’s head hurts.
That little girl is crying.
More importantly, she looks no older than… what? Six? Seven? Luo Bingge! Isn’t it too early to start collecting your underage harem yet? This brat shouldn’t be making any appearances until like, way later anyway! Why would you bring her here?! Although, technically, it looks like it’s Ning Yingying who flew her in… which… what?
… Shen Yuan sighs tiredly, and leaves his female disciples to handle the two crybabies, or else he’ll sit down and start crying with them. Instead, he looks over to where both Luo Binghe and Ming Fan sit at the edge of the lake, shivering from the cold while the other disciples surround them like curious little kittens.
“Shizun, this disciple can explain,” Ming Fan says, between his teeth clattering and his whole body shaking like a cartoonish depiction of a cat freezing out in the cold.
“What’s wrong with him?” Shen Yuan asks, taking notice of how Luo Binghe doesn’t move whatsoever. He’s awake but staring off in the distance, his gaze blank.
“Ah,” Ming Fan says, perking up a little. “He, uh, had his face full of Soul Luminescence powder exploded at him until I dunked him in the lake just now. He should be fine, probably.”
Right… because somehow that… forget it. Shen Yuan already had Mu Qingfang talk him through all the potential effects of that plant and, well, really, none of it had sounded too terrible.
Frowning with slight concern still, Shen Yuan places his hand against Luo Binghe’s drenched back. It’s summer, yes, but it’s not warm enough yet to be taking nightly baths in the lake on top of a mountain. The boy jolts at the contact, but he doesn’t try to escape, instead keeps blankly staring ahead. There is a little bit of a white-ish gold shimmer in his eyes. Clearly, the spiritual plant powder is doing a number on him. Still, there doesn’t seem to be anything amiss with his spiritual energy, he’s not sporting any fevers nor is his body unnaturally cold, in spite of the unexpected dip in the lake. That hopelessly lost look in his eyes aside, the kid looks fine. Except, of course, the Heavenly Demon mark is bright on his forehead and when Shen Yuan waves his hand in front of his face, Luo Binghe doesn’t even blink.
Fuck.
System! Help????
[...]
[System self-scan complete. All functions operational. Connection to the Source of All Power stable.]
Because obviously that’s the primary concern. What about Luo Binghe? Is he stable?
[System has detected no issue with the Source of All Power.]
… yeah, right. Would System detect any issues if Luo Binghe was to get dunked into the lake one more… wait a second. Why is…
Shen Yuan frowns, but yep, no doubt about it. Luo Binghe is just past fifteen, but he’s packing a big thing down in his pants and that’s… he really shouldn’t be looking. Finally, he has some idea on why Ming Fan dunked this wolf wearing sheep skin into the lake so mercilessly.
Wordlessly, he slaps a talisman on the kid’s back and hopes it will be enough to dry him off until he comes back to his senses. “Take him to the dorms,” he instructs, but a quick inspection proves that Luo Binghe is perfectly capable of following such simple instructions on his own. One of the disciples just pulls on his sleeve to show him the right direction and off he goes, his eyes still shimmering in the strange mix of gold and white.
Ming Fan, on the other hand, is still violently shaking where he sits. He starts sneezing half-way through his recount of the situation that found them in Qudu town, so Shen Yuan slaps a drying talisman on his back too.
“T-thank you, Shizun,” the disciple mumbles miserably, visibly ashamed. “I-if not for that silly kid using the Vibrant Red Flower of Pleasure on us, this would have gone so much better…”
At Shen Yuan’s single raised eyebrow, Ming Fan finally realizes what he’s said, in the earshot of a whole bunch of other disciples. Someone asks, a little incredulously, “Dashixiong got his ass kicked because of an aphrodisiac flower?!”
If anything, Ming Fan’s face burns brighter. “SHUT UP! That’s not what I said!”
“That’s clearly what Dashixiong─”
“Alright, knock it off,” Shen Yuan cuts in, before it can get too out of hand. The kids are already snickering and coming up with stuff to tease him about, it’s clear in how their eyes move around the moment Ming Fan starts drowning himself in misery. That poor child’s thin face has had enough torture for the night. Better bring an end to this before anyone gets any bright ideas.
But seriously. Luo Binghe?! A second time already in how long?! How does the protagonist get cursed with such terrible luck?! And this time, Ming Fan, too… ugh.
At least that flower is a familiar one, by the name of it. Shen Yuan is pretty sure this is one of those flowers that make up the most generic aphrodisiacs of Great Master Airplane’s overactive imagination, no special properties whatsoever. Not like the one that broke the kid’s damn mind, damn it all.
In the end, Shen Yuan has to drag Ming Fan over to the bamboo house to hear the rest of the report. At first, he wanted to wait until morning, but there’s been quite a few things setting off the alarm bells in his head, not in the least involving Luo Binghe’s not quite future bride #73 that his bunch of idiotic disciples have effectively kidnapped… and a field full of sex pollen plants of all kinds… and literal kids stumbling right into it. This sounds familiar. Why does it sound familiar?
Isn’t it twenty years too early or something?
Shit. Lu Xiaodan, what the hell was the deal with that wife?
Shen Yuan doesn’t remember.
If it involved stupid papapa and a whole lot of stupid plotholes, it only makes sense that he can’t remember. But he’s pretty sure there was something there, something important. It’s been way too long, though. All the plotlines are beginning to mix together. Damn, Airplane-bro is truly overdue for a beating.
“And so, we escaped,” Ming Fan concludes his report after a while, clearly miserable over the fact he didn’t get a chance to fight for his Shizun’s reputation.
Honestly, Shen Yuan is a little touched. All these kids care for his reputation so much more than he can bring himself to even think about it, and he’s starting to feel bad that his reputation outside the mountain seems to be the reason why they all had such a terrible time. It should have been just a sweet little shopping mission to break up that weird sullen mood, so what is this now? Huan noble clan conspiring to kidnap his disciples and sell them off to the highest bidder? Going so far just to ruin Cang Qiong Mountain’s reputation? Like, if it had been Huan Hua Palace, there’d be no surprise… but who the heck are these people? They’re not even cultivators to speak of, sheesh.
Ahhh, Yue Qingyuan is going to have a field day with this. Maybe Shen Yuan should really just retire and be done with it. The outsiders have already heard of his alleged possession and even the fact that there’s a Heavenly Demon on Qing Jing Peak. Things are already this chaotic and no one’s even touched upon the slaughter of the Qiu family yet… At this rate, the Water Prison might come calling a few years too early.
“Shizun?” Ming Fan mumbles, miserably.
“Hm?” Shen Yuan answers, too distracted worrying of his impending arrest to truly pay attention.
“Shizun… they act like we’re in the wrong for housing Luo Binghe… but they don’t know… If Shizun says we should trust him, then we should,” Ming Fan mumbles, all too much like a drenched mouse in the pouring rain. Shen Yuan can’t help but soften a little, watching him. The kid looks ready to cry. Oh, Ming Fan, Ming Fan, you’ve truly come a long way.
Softly, Shen Yuan ruffles his hair.
“Don’t mind it,” he says. “Luo Binghe is your Shidi, so care for him well, hmm? Nobody gets to choose who gives birth to them.”
Ming Fan sniffles. “Shizun, most demons are evil, aren’t they?”
Shen Yuan goes rigid. What brought this on all of a sudden? Carefully, he says, “Why do you say that?”
“They attack and kill people indiscriminately, rampage all over our realm and cause chaos everywhere they go. Most of those demons are evil,” Ming Fan says, a little stubbornly. “But Luo Binghe doesn’t raid cities, right? He… he’s a good demon, right?”
… well, technically, he hasn’t started his world conquest yet. Key difference there. Compared to all the demons Ming Fan would’ve seen in all his versions, Luo Binghe is probably still going to be the most terrifying of them all… ahem.
Shen Yuan honestly doesn't know what to say. Any words of comfort he tries to come up with are gonna be plain nonsense.
“... I’ll protect my Shidi,” Ming Fan sniffs, eventually. “Even if he’s a demon, even if he’s annoying, he’s my Shidi.”
… Good. Sweet. How kind. Yes, please. Hug the protagonist’s thighs, go ahead. At least, that’s one way to ensure a better ending than your original death. Thumbs up. Shen Yuan can confirm, it works wonders. Although, technically, his thigh-hugging has also unexpectedly turned the Protagonist gay, then the Protagonist has in turn made him gay and… and now this fifteen year old white sheep knows all about how that went and yet…
Yeah. Shen Yuan has no idea what he’s going to do about any of that, yet. He just has to do something. Or else Luo Binghe eventually will, and leaving it up to him alone is just gonna make an even bigger mess.
“Ming Fan should rest,” he says, but in the end, what he really means is, leave and let me process this chaos in private, please.
Ming Fan doesn’t argue. The kid is embarrassed, miserable and eager enough to leave one way or another, but really, watching him like that pulls a few strings on Shen Yuan’s heart. He doesn’t pity the boy, not really… but he also feels his struggle very much. Ahh, the eternal struggle of cannon fodder trying to survive past the Protagonist's world shifting insanity. That said, it seems like the whole sect will come to terms with Luo Binghe’s demonic identity much faster than Shen Yuan himself will be able to figure out what the hell he should do from here on. Ridiculous.
In the end, he’s kind enough to walk Ming Fan all the way back to his dorm… where he’s greeted with Luo Binghe, still awake and still lost, trying to find his way out the door by walking through a wall.
Ming Fan blinks. “Should I just knock him out, Shizun?”
… Probably would be the best, yes.
“Leave him,” Shen Yuan says. “Luo Binghe?”
The boy looks up at him, but he looks as though he is looking through him. No situational awareness whatsoever. Possibly no awareness at all to him. Shen Yuan sighs. He’s just about to go and leave him in Ming Fan’s care, when suddenly, there is a tug on his sleeve.
Luo Binghe is holding onto the corner of that sleeve with the very tips of his fingers, staring up at him, his face contorting slightly. His voice is weak and uncertain, his brows furrowed. “Shizun?”
“Fine,” Shen Yuan says. “Come. I’ll brew you some Dreamless potion.”
Luo Binghe obediently trails after him, completely unfocused. Shen Yuan has to hold his hand all the way back as he takes him back to the bamboo house, so he wouldn't accidentally wander off a cliff or something. Once they make it back home, he immediately puts the dreamless potion to brew ─ it won’t be long. About half an hour and the concoction should be ready and drinkable. Obviously, Luo Binghe hates the taste, but adding a little honey should make it a little more bearable. Once he’s done, Shen Yuan goes back to the main room with the potion in hand, right where he left Luo Binghe, sitting on the low couch, but once there, he can’t find his disciple anywhere. The main room is empty.
“Binghe?” he calls out, a little alarmed, but there’s nothing. Not even a sound. That said, Luo Binghe has been very quiet all night long… “Binghe?!”
Shen Yuan looks everywhere ─ in the main room, his bedroom, everywhere. The main door still squeaks from how Liu Qingge kicked them open a while back and Shen Yuan hasn’t bothered fixing them, just so he’d have some alarm system in case someone does try to sneak in again… Either way, Luo Binghe can’t have left. That only means…
He finds Luo Binghe curled up into a ball at the very corner of the bed in the side room of the bamboo house, ever deserted since… well. The place should have been entirely unsuitable for life, but Liu Qingge took up residence on the peak and made it even messier… So now the room is total chaos of who even knows what, but also devoid of any of Luo Binghe’s personal items except for one… but clearly, to Luo Binghe who has grown up in that room the last time around, such a thing poses no limitation. He’s so tiny and young, hugging the familiar pillow of silver and green embroidery to his chest.
Ah… you’ve found that, I guess…
Shen Yuan’s face is much like a burning coal. At least, Luo Binghe’s eyes have finally fallen shut. He is barely taking up the third of the bed, curled up like that, and he hasn’t even tried to throw the covers over himself. If he’d done that, he could have easily fooled anyone into thinking he’s just a bunch of pillows gathered together. Shen Yuan doesn’t know what to do with him. Good thing that Liu Qingge has bolted it off the peak, too, or else he would really have no idea how to explain this.
“Binghe?” he calls out, but the boy’s eyes are firmly shut. He’s clutching the blanket under him tightly, burying his nose into that pillow, inhaling the scent like an animal.
“Safe,” he mumbles in his dream, too weak for anyone to hear unless they put their ear to his lips. “Shizun… safe…”
Shen Yuan suddenly can’t bear to do anything, not even move his fingers from where they’ve somehow found Binghe’s hair.
Mhm. Shizun is safe and so are you…
Shizun will take better care of you from now on. Don’t worry, Binghe. Shizun won’t leave you alone again.
Against all better judgment, Shen Yuan climbs onto the bed too. At first, it’s just to ensure that there aren’t any lingering nightmares he should know about, or dream constructs causing chaos where they shouldn’t, but in the end, he drifts off to sleep himself, all too tired to keep up with these many new things that all seem to be trying to wreck his head.
Luo Binghe… is safe.
Luo Binghe in front of him is his Binghe. It has always been his Binghe. That Binghe who obediently cooked and cleaned and trained with him for years. That Binghe who returned from a hell on earth years too early just to find his Shizun and got kicked in the face for it. That Binghe who disappeared in the particles of light in front of his eyes.
Shen Yuan hugs this Binghe to his chest and nestles his face in his fluffy hair, breathing in that familiar scent. That child is hot like an electric heater, but his breathing is calm and steady, soft snores almost imperceptible if not for Shen Yuan pressing up against him so close.
This… is fine. Shen Yuan doesn’t yet know what to do about anything, but that’s fine. With Luo Binghe next to him, he will figure it out, eventually. With his Luo Binghe beside him, he can figure out anything.
In the other room, a bowl of dreamless potion sits forgotten.
Luo Binghe sits cross legged on top of a rock firmly planted in the middle of his dream realm, the back of his wrists resting on his knees and the glistening particles of Soul Luminescence flower powder floating in countless circles around him. His eyes stay shut, but everything around him is a part of his mind so he still sees all of it. There are countless cracks throughout his dream realm and his demonic consciousness that are yet to be mended. Even the parts that have been strung together are clunky and unfitting, a shoddy work of repairing broken pottery. Soul Luminescence powder fills up the cracks, but it only barely fits.
Sometimes, a little of that glowing powder lands on the top of his nose and makes him sneeze. Sometimes, his concentration breaks and he cannot tell if he’s still in the dream realm or has awakened. Sometimes…
Sometimes, the hot breath against the back of his neck threatens to consume him, the tantalizing sensation almost too much for his heart to bear. Almost enough to distract.
There’s not enough of Soul Luminescence powder to fill up all the cracks.
“Don’t think too hard. Calm your mind. Circulate what is already there, don’t waste energy searching for what isn’t.” Meng Mo’s voice is cold and harsh, but ultimately full of gruff understanding. He’s been holding all of these cracks together for a long time ─ the old man is certainly grateful that finally he’s getting a break.
Luo Binghe’s brows furrow, however, lost in thought. He’s already trying his best. What more can he do? If he slips up now, what was the point of all this to start with?! This powder was literally the only solution he could come up with and even that might not be enough.
“You think too much!” Meng Mo growls, everywhere and nowhere at once. “You’ve glued all the other pieces, now it’s just the most powerful one left! Focus, you brat!”
Luo Binghe clenches his fists out of sheer need to hit something, then forces them to relax. It wouldn’t do to mess this up now that he’s almost done. It shouldn't have taken this long.
And yet, it’s… unexpectedly difficult.
The last piece of his shattered consciousness is too powerful. Luo Binghe cannot see where his dream begins nor ends. Even the short flashes he grasps are too complex, too shredded, lacking context to truly understand. They’re just excerpts, moments within a dream that has awoken something inside him, something that he cannot fully grasp.
Moments when the touch of Liu Mingyan’s hand along his face sends electricity sparking through his skin. He kisses the palm of her hand and wipes away her tears, holding her close while everything she’s worked so hard for shatters to pieces around them.
Shizun’s face, bloodied and bruised, his body missing an arm, yet his normally sharp face twisted into a nasty grimace. In spite of the agony, he is still fearless and full of hatred. Screaming in pain and shamelessly laughing at the face of this Luo Binghe fragment who is holding the ripped out limb in rage.
Qiu Haitang as she hugs him from behind, whispering sweet words of gratitude at the vengeance he’s exacted for her sake, her hands sneaking past the line of his clothes and against his naked skin.
And Shizun’s fully naked form, all limbs replaced with half healed stumps, as Luo Binghe pushes at that useless body, turns it around by the hips and─
Luo Binghe’s eyes snap open, burning wildly in purple and red as the rock under him shatters.
“You brat?! The hell?! What’s wrong now?! At this rate, you’re gonna─”
“Kill him,” Luo Binghe growls, the Soul Luminesce powder erratically spinning around him like it’s about to blow. Meng Mo’s voice disappears at the sound of barely mended cracks splitting up all over again. Luo Binghe’s hands are shaking. That giant piece of his consciousness that he’s barely started to mend back breaks away completely, too powerful to contain. It disappears in a flash of bright light, almost blinding. It’s only Meng Mo’s quick reaction that stops it from rebounding and striking at Luo Binghe, shattering everything else that has only just been glued together. The old man’s curses come back into focus slowly.
“How many times have I said it?! How many?! If you wish to pull yourself together, who the fuck cares about what those dream fragments have done?! They’re not real! Just nightmares, created by the Endless Abyss to drag you down, break your mind and spirit! If you react this way to every little thing you see, how are you ever gonna solve this?! That piece broke away from you! Now whaddya gonna do? Wait for him to come back?! What if I cannot stop it from taking over your body in a time of crisis?!”
“Destroy him,” Luo Binghe growls, his whole body shaking. That any form of his consciousness, fake or otherwise, would dare imagine such a thing about his most precious person ─ there is only one thing to do. “Kill him. Crush all the bones and rip them out one by one. Rip him to shreds bone by fucking bone─”
The black shadow of Meng Mo sparks some of his power then and instantly, Luo Binghe’s ability to keep his eyes open in the face of this madness breaks away. The deepest, innermost levels of his dreamscape fade away, leaving a very exhausted Luo Binghe to trip over his own feet as he lands on Qing Jing peak of his dreams.
“Stupid brat,” Meng Mo bemoans in frustration. “Do you want to lose your body to a damn dream construct?! What kind of a student has this poor elder taken when he cannot even overcome this little thing! Aren’t you ashamed of yourself?!”
Oh, Luo Binghe is very ashamed. Ashamed of the things he’s had to see, ashamed of those flashes of emotions he had to feel. Ashamed of that flash of eerie excitement he was forced to endure due to the sheer nature of this immersion technique, ashamed of the realization that there is such a deep, dark piece of himself that could feel a thrill, placing his hands on hips that have no legs attached and moving to, to… into that already abused…
Luo Binghe closes his eyes and fights to contain the wave of nausea that comes over him. If this were anywhere outside of his dream realm, he would’ve started retching by now. As it is, the best he can do is tear that dream fragment to shreds and remove it from existence, never mind if it’s the equivalent to shredding his own primordial spirit. He doesn’t care.
He just ─ he ─
“Were you able to see it?” he asks, voice shaking slightly.
Meng Mo says nothing.
Luo Binghe’s fists shake harder. “Say it. Did you see it?!”
“Tch. Flashes. Pieces… nothing useful,” Meng Mo says.
“Doesn’t matter. You know what I’m talking about, then,” Luo Binghe says. “If… if I ever… I don’t care for what reason or if anything else is attempting to take over my body. If I ever attempt to do something resembling that, do it. Rip my primordial spirit to shreds. Do it. Was I clear enough?”
“Tch. And if you shut me out again, how the hell will I be able to see anything you do in the real world, huh?! What do you take this old man to be?! The all-seeing eye?!”
Luo Binghe levels a look over at the formless mass of black in front of him, then snorts. “You’ve fooled me with that for a long time. Boosting my ego, lulling me into a false sense of security, showing only the most obvious of your talents and hiding the rest. Dream Demon Elder, I may look young in front of you now, but we’ve already worked together for a lifetime. I know things you won’t ever tell me and you know the darkness inside me better than anyone else does. What I’ve said to you is not a plea, it is an order.”
“Tch. You stupid brat, you─”
“I’m stupid, but I’m not that stupid,” Luo Binghe says, low and dangerous. “Oh great elder. Don’t you think you owe me some answers, too?”
Meng Mo growls ragefully. “You have no idea what you’re saying─”
“No, I know exactly what I’m saying,” Luo Binghe fires back, icily. “You are a Formless Demon.”
It is a statement, not a question. The way Meng Mo doesn’t deign it worth responding to, however, speaks volumes of its accuracy. Luo Binghe bites back a slew of pissed off insults ─ if only for the reason that he’s worked with Meng Mo long enough to know the bastard really doesn’t wish him harm. It is, however, undeniable, that there are things the Dream Demon Elder has intentionally omitted.
“Back in the Endless Abyss,” Luo Binghe says, shuddering slightly. “I just reached the bottom of the Ardent Highlands. I was going to climb there, but then a group of Formless Demons ambushed me. My demonic consciousness and Qi, that’s what they’d been after. I remember that somehow, they were able to harm me ─ and next I remember waking up at the banks of the Oily Rut, after somehow getting rid of them. How?”
“Tch,” Meng Mo spits out. “What are you asking, exactly? Be precise about it, brat.”
“Were you the one who got rid of those Formless Demons?” Luo Binghe asks, conversationally.
Meng Mo remains silent for a very long time. When he sighs, it is a long, tired sound. “After that bastard of your Shizun kicked you down the Abyss, I had absolutely no insight into anything that happened to your body until the moment you brat dipped into that purifying water. At that point, according to your own account, several months had already passed.”
“Lies,” Luo Binghe says calmly. “You led me out of the Oily Rut and helped me get rid of those blood sucking eels.”
If Meng Mo had a form worth looking at, the bastard would certainly be scowling at him.
“For as long as I was with you, you’ve never dealt with any blood sucking eels,” the Dream Demon says, ultimately. “Are you still confusing your reality with the nightmares?”
“Stop bullshitting me,” Luo Binghe growls. “I─”
But he stops then, scowling. The eels are not the fucking point, damn it!
“How the hell did you become a Formless Demon?” he asks instead.
“Lost my body, obviously,” Meng Mo grumbles. “As I had already been learning the mastery of dreams while I still had it, after my death, a sliver of my consciousness remained in the demon realm. I could still use my power over the dream realm, even if I had nothing else, so I could still invade the dreams of other demons and continue on that way. I’ve told you all this before, you stupid brat.”
Yes. As a matter of fact, Meng Mo has explained that before.
What Luo Binghe is more concerned about is… “But how did you lose your body?” He has never asked that before. More than anything, the most crucial part about Meng Mo’s death has always been left out from any conversations they’ve had. “How did you die, exactly?” Because, Luo Binghe has a theory. And depending on what Meng Mo answers, he may just confirm it.
The Dream Demon Elder is stubbornly silent for a long time.
Finally, he says, “I’m not actually sure.”
Luo Binghe’s eyes narrow sharply. “No?”
The Elder curses under his breath, before elaborating. “My Master had sent me out for a mission,” he says. “I was alive when I started it. But I never completed it.”
“And you don’t remember it?” Luo Binghe asks, curiously.
“I had a demon child to find,” Meng Mo spits out with annoyance. “But that was a very long time ago. My master had set me up. My master… betrayed me. Long before I got close to finishing my mission, I refused to do it ─ and somehow, I ended up this way.”
“A blood oath?” Luo Binghe throws a guess, which is certainly not something he’d expected. “If your master was powerful, then that could have instantly killed you the moment you refused to fulfill it.”
“Does it matter? It’s been centuries since that happened, you brat. I cannot claim to have watched the world in all the time I’ve been a mere ghost in it, but the dream realm is also able to show the flow of time in its own way. I’ve been dead for much longer than I’ve been alive. The Formless Demons you fear are nothing I’ve ever seen before.”
“So you don’t know how to get rid of them?”
“I saw in your memories, you are more than capable of doing so. Why ask me that?”
“I can only do so while they are reliant on the cultivator ritual,” Luo Binghe responds. “If they attack me the same way they did in the Abyss, what can I do to get rid of them? My consciousness is already broken. Soul Luminescence may hold it for a while, but that’s only a short term solution.”
“To truly mend your consciousness is not impossible,” Meng Mo reasons. “Your dream realm is a fucking disaster, hell only knows why, but once your seal is broken and your demonic power surges, the instability will get worse, yes, but it can also be fixed, then.”
“I can use Xin Mo to fix it,” Luo Binghe concludes.
“Well, I think that Xin Mo is the reason it broke to start with. Or at the very least, the first crack. That accursed blade is a great tool of vengeance, but what are you looking to avenge now? Do you still have the sufficient darkness in your heart to be able to master its power? It has already devoured you once. Or is that shameful display in Maigu Ridge something you’ve forgotten?”
Luo Binghe grimaces, but that ─ he might never be able to erase that. He doesn’t even remember the worst of it, but the aftermath…
“Could… that have been the real cause?” he asks, suddenly. “The moment when… I… All the power I had, I directed it all into destroying Xin Mo. At that point, we have already been one and the same. Could I have destroyed my dream realm all the way back then, and the damage is only showing now that I’m attempting to rule it again?”
“Hell if I know,” Meng Mo grumbles. “You shut me out long before. Even if I wanted to, I wouldn’t be able to see.”
“The same way you couldn’t see anything that these fragments have been doing in my body?” Luo Binghe presses.
The dream demon audibly groans. “Look, kid ─ the shit that your dream world gets up to blows my mind to this day. I’ve seen dream fragments go crazy before ─ but the sort of dissociative episode you had here could be studied for centuries. I don’t know how you’ve managed to spread your demonic consciousness in such a way to create such realities inside your own head ─ but as far as those fragments go, everything that happened in their lives is just as real to them as your life is to you. When I sink into their realities, they don’t feel any different from sinking in your memories. It is as impressive as it is terrifying. There is really only one way for you to fix it.”
Luo Binghe shudders. “I refuse.”
“You fucking fool! Unless you mend your own consciousness, you’ll never be free! What if these stupid fragments find a way to take your body over again, huh?! Then what?! You have no control over it whatsoever!”
“Then as we agreed, you will kill me, if that’s what it takes.”
“Fine, then! Fine! I’ll kill you as you request, as though killing you will change anything,” Meng Mo hisses. “Go back now. I cannot look at your stupid face anymore. Stupid fucking idiot.”
Meng Mo is still spouting insults inside his head when Luo Binghe blearily opens his eyes back in his body. He's momentarily blinded by a slew of System notifications, warnings and other notices, of completed missions and other stuff, all of which he forgets about the moment the slow, hot breaths against the back of his neck come into focus. Luo Binghe shudders.
He is in the side room of the bamboo house. There are arms around his waist, holding onto him tightly, a heat of a second body resting against his back, pulling him closer. Even if he couldn't see a thing, Luo Binghe would never fail to recognize the weight of the arms around him. Shizun’s forehead and nose are buried into the back of his neck, hot and breathy. Another shudder runs down his spine, a little more intense.
It feels so… so…
Luo Binghe closes his eyes for a moment and clutches something to his chest tightly. When he opens his eyes again, it's to find himself holding a pillow. It’s a strange pillow, green background with one silver butterfly flying towards a whole lot of familiar silvery imagery he cannot quite recognize. It smells like Shizun.
Luo Binghe presses it closer to his face, only to recognize another faint scent, more a memory than anything concrete, but it sets all his senses ablaze.
Mother…?
How? How is that possible?
Luo Binghe only had one thing left besides the jade around his neck, and it was an old, rugged pillow which he would only clean on the surface but never fully wash it, not while his mother’s scent still clung to it.
He lost that pillow a long time ago. Saw it fall apart in front of his eyes, pieces long lost. So, how…
Luo Binghe swallows thickly then, slowly shifting around until he’s face to face with his Shizun, face to face with Shen Yuan. This precious person whines a little at the sudden absence of warmth, subconsciously finding his way to Luo Binghe’s chest and burying his nose in there, sighing contently.
Hands shaking, Luo Binghe’s fingers hover in the air, a hair's breadth away from this beautiful face. He dares not come closer. He dares not touch.
Shizun…
He battles away the ugly images in his head, of this body broken beyond repair, tortured and torn to pieces. The sight of it, even for a moment, was so frightful that Luo Binghe cannot possibly stand to close his eyes. Instead, he focuses on what’s in front of him. This is the person he’s always wanted to have in his arms. This is the person he’s always wanted to hold to his chest. Whole and healthy and unharmed. No such disgusting thing has ever happened to him, and it never will.
Shen Yuan is safe beside him, holding onto him with those graceful arms, that beautiful face blissfully asleep. Luo Binghe doesn’t remember any point in time when this person has ever felt comfortable to lay beside him this way, doesn’t ever remember him coming so close to him willingly. And yet now… well. Luo Binghe remembers a few flashes through everything he’s endured, a few moments of clarity during which he’s found himself stumbling around the Qing Jing dormitory. He couldn’t have come all the way here alone. Shizun… brought him back.
“Shizun,” he whispers, bringing his face closer, until nothing separates his lips from this person’s face.
This person has retrieved yet another one of his precious keepsakes, fixing it and safely storing it away until Luo Binghe returns to get it. This person has stood by him in more ways he can imagine, more ways than he can possibly count. Thus, it takes every ounce of Luo Binghe’s self-control not to wake him now. Planting a gentle kiss against his Shizun’s cheek, Luo Binghe shivers slightly. There is so much more he wishes to do, so much more he wishes to say. But Shizun doesn’t open his eyes. Luo Binghe idly wonders what he may be dreaming about, but he dares not look.
“A-Yuan,” he whispers against his ear.
Shen Yuan scoots closer to him, completely knocked out, but still nuzzling his nose into Luo Binghe’s neck, inhaling his scent and holding him tighter. Luo Binghe gently pecks the side of his face again.
This person… has chosen to lay down beside him. After everything, this person has…
There are words that Luo Binghe has wanted to hear from his Shizun for a very long time. Now, however, he feels like this one single moment speaks far more than a million words can.
Shizun… chooses him.
No matter what, Luo Binghe will not let anyone hurt him.
No matter what, Luo Binghe will protect this person unconditionally, with everything he’s got.
Even if the person he must protect him from is himself.
Notes:
This chapter more or less completes the LBH's messed up dream realm saga, and next up we have a set of chaotic not-quite breather chapters to fill up the time before immortal alliance conference...
Tbh, I've been entertaining the idea of perhaps splitting this fic into multiple parts with the climax of the IAC due to a complete tonal shift and the inevitable time skip that comes with it... but alas, as PIDW-length as it's turning out to be, this story was still outlined as a one piece and so I'm half a mind to just run with it even if we end up with a 100 chapters total hahahaha... If you have any opinions, I'm all ears!
That said, written chapters are at like, ch70 soooo yeah. I might be able to finish this monster before published chapters catch up to it... MAYBE
Chapter 40: Movement in the Shadows
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
It takes quite some time for the matters in Qiong Ding Peak to settle down into something remotely resembling its past routine after the devastating invasion of the demon realm’s young saintess. Most of the injured disciples have recovered well, with the exception of two juniors still resting on Qian Cao Peak while the healers there research the poisons that have harmed them and their potential antidotes. Around ten disciples of Qiong Ding peak lost their lives during the initial invasion. Three more have succumbed to their injuries in under a month afterwards.
Every time Yue Qingyuan runs into one of his juniors, his heart clenches that much harder, twisted up until it suffocates him.
What explanation is he supposed to give them? What kind of an excuse can he offer?
Zui Xian and Bai Zhan peaks also lost disciples in this attack, more than Qiong Ding peak did ─ but all those youths lost their lives in combat. In comparison, his own disciples were lined up like pigs for slaughter, unprepared and never given a chance to resist.
Yue Qingyuan does his best to provide a little comfort for the trauma his disciples experienced, but he can never make up for the losses. Reading every single one of those names still fills him with heartache, all the more because nobody ever blames him. He is the peak lord who abandoned his peak in time of need, he is the peak lord who had not shown up in time to protect his own, he…
He is the person they all turn to, waiting for instructions on how to surpass the crisis.
Yue Qingyuan tries to live up to their expectations. He has found appropriate people to assign with specific tasks, has put a stop to petty arguments before they had a chance to get out of hand, hasn’t allowed the sect’s morale to fall to the gutter nor has he permitted their thirst for vengeance to cloud their judgment.
It is a game of balancing out people, circumstances and countless other things and Yue Qingyuan has always thought himself adept at such machinations. He is not sure at which point he’s started feeling like he’s reaching his limit.
“Shizun, a missive from Huan Hua Palace is here.” Feng Qinhao, his head disciple, delivers a special sealed envelope to his hands, a grim expression on his face. This child knows nothing of the discussions that have been going between the four great sects over their past few meetings, having stayed behind to watch over the peak in his Shizun’s absence, but his face alone betrays him. He doesn’t ask, but he can clearly tell whatever is inside this bears no good news. And how wouldn't he? The growing tension in the relationships among the sects have in no way been secret. The absence of aid in pursuit of the invaders has also gone unmentioned, but not unnoticed. The timing of the missive now is simply too obvious.
“Thank you,” Yue Qingyuan says softly, regardless. Then, as a distraction, “Are the repairs over at the eastern section progressing well?”
It’s a poor try, but Feng Qinhao takes to it instantly, his face brightening up a little. “Yes, Shizun, it’s almost finished. A few disciples from An Ding peak were overseeing the process, so we likely won’t need to wait for Shang-shishu to return to fix the Rainbow bridge on our side.”
“That’s good. And the kitchens?”
“Mostly finished. But Shizun, who would have expected demons to raid our food supplies of all things? I didn’t even know there were demons out there who could enjoy human food… they only left crumbs behind. Qing Jing Peak has been supplying us with rations for the time being, but this is truly too shocking. As soon as we repair the storages, we should be able to properly restock, but that might take a while still. The rainfalls have been too heavy to work properly the last few days.”
“Mm, I see. I’ll go over to thank Shen-shidi for his efforts personally,” Yue Qingyuan says softly. “For the moment, just take your time to rest and recuperate as well. I saw you all working too hard. What’s the point of any of this if my disciples fall ill? There is no rush. We’re not racing with anybody.”
“But Zui Xian and Bai Zhan peaks already finished their repairs ages ago─”
“Bai Zhan had quite the accident the other day, when a brawl between their disciples led to property damage on Wan Jian peak. Truly, Qinhao, there is no purpose to comparing these different situations at all.”
His head disciple gulps audibly, but nods obediently. “I heard Wan Jian and Xian Shu peaks are assisting on Zui Xian peak now too.”
If he thinks the bitterness of ‘why help them but not us’ is not audible, Yue Qingyuan is truly disappointed. “Division of labor is quite important. Wan Jian and Xian Shu are assisting Zui Xian Peak, Bai Zhan is too used to property damage to ask for anybody’s help and we have An Ding and Qing Jing peaks assisting us. Everyone has a task to complete and they’re working very hard. So why do I hear such small woes from my own peak? Has this master done such a poor job of taking care of you all that we now must hold other peaks responsible for what happens here?”
Instantly, the child’s eyes spread wide and he falls to his knees, bowing his head until it touches the ground. “Apologies, Shizun! This disciple did not mean it as such─”
“The words themselves may not harm this master personally, but does my disciple not think that they could be quite belittling in the ears of other peaks who have done their utmost to help us recover from a calamity?”
“It was thoughtless of me, Shizun. This disciple merely─”
“At a time when Qiong Ding peak should be standing as a pillar of support among all our twelve peaks, it is us sowing discord instead,” Yue Qingyuan says regretfully. “Truly, this master has failed you all…”
“Shizun─”
“Alright, you can stop guilt tripping the kid,” comes from the door then, and both Yue Qingyuan and his disciple startle a little. No one noticed Wei Qingwei come in until he spoke.
“Wei-shishu,” the boy mumbles, a little pale.
“How ya doing? Is that leg better now?” Wei Qingwei shoots back, lighthearted.
Feng Qinhao’s face flushes, but he nods quickly. For many days after his brief confrontation with Luo Binghe, this child could not bear to put any weight on his injured leg. Now, however, he acts as though even sustaining such injury is somehow a shame he has brought upon his peak. Silly child.
Yue Qingyuan, for his part, smiles at his Shidi. “Was I too harsh?”
Wei Qingwei rolls his eyes. “You were about to make him cry. Let him breathe. Hey, kid!”
Feng Qinhao shudders, but he straightens up to listen as prompted.
“If you still have a beef with that Luo Binghe kid, get in line. All of Bai Zhan wants to beat him senseless first and half of Zui Xian called dibs right after. My disciples are right behind them. Qian Cao has the betting polls up and running. Everyone wants to have a go at the Heavenly Demon, so might as well just fight it out. It’s only the time and the location that hasn’t been determined yet, since Peak Lord Shen hasn’t given permission for the battle royale to start. ”
The kid stares at him blankly. “Battle Royale?”
“That's what they've been calling it,” Wei Qingwei confirms, cheerily. “From what I understand, seems like it is intended to be some sort of a free-for-all melee with a few specific rules or something. But yeah, mostly everyone has their dibs on the Luo kid.”
Feng Qinhao nods, mutely.
Meanwhile, Yue Qingyuan covers his face and tries not to sigh. Why is this not the first he’s heard of this arrangement? More importantly, why does it sound like the whole thing has now gone official?
“Is young Luo-shizhi aware of this… intention?” he asks, a little faintly. Poor child must be too terrified to even leave Qing Jing Peak, if this is the sort of thing waiting for him as soon as he comes outside.
Wei Qingwei snorts. “Brat told them to bring it. True demon right there, as crazy as they get.”
… right.
“What about Shen-shidi? I can’t imagine he’s permitting this insanity…”
“He’s overseeing the betting polls too,” Wei Qingwei says. “Dunno how Mu-shidi allowed it, he normally hogs all of those to himself. I’m pretty sure they have some deal going, trying to scam Liu-shidi out of all his money or something. But don’t quote me on that. Qi Qingqi doesn’t know about the whole betting setup yet so it seems they’re trying to keep it quiet.”
… how are they keeping anything quiet when even Yue Qingyuan knows about all this? And he’s never asked!
Then again, it’s not like he’s ever stopped them before. Not until things got out of hand. And he has joined in a few times, too, for fun’s sake. But this time it doesn’t feel right to participate.
“I trust that somebody reliable will be judging the matches?” Yue Qingyuan pries then, softly.
“What matches? Told ya, it’s a free for all. Last man standing. I bet you someone’s gonna suggest canceling the annual disciple tournament over this sooner or later, mark my words.”
… right. Yue Qingyuan might need a drink before that conversation happens. At least he’s been warned.
“I don’t suppose Wei-shidi has come all this way just to tell me this,” he says patiently, but with one serious gaze over in Feng Qinhao’s direction.
Immediately, his disciple is up on his feet and out of the room, leaving the two peak lords behind to discuss business, while he goes around spreading the battle royale news further like all youths always do.
Wei Qingwei, for his part, no longer wears a lighthearted smile at all. His gaze sharpens and his whole mood instantly sours, as though he’s eaten something very unpleasant.
“I’ll try to keep it short, but overall, it ain’t good. That’s why I’m here to report it to you before I report to anyone else. And I might need to. This seems bigger than we expected.”
Yue Qingyuan is not surprised in the slightest. The recent months in the Jianghu have been odd, to say the least. In fact, he’s been expecting that making a mountain from a molehill is not nearly as misplaced as some others claimed. Finally having confirmation, however, fills him with nothing but trepidation.
“First things first, the weapons Liu-shidi raised the alarms about. They’re definitely ours, from the batch sent out to Tian Yi Overlook. Specifically, the batch that never made it to its destination. I had to go over there personally to nag at Tian Yi's elders to find out why they didn’t report all the details when they first noticed the missing delivery, but it turns out someone on our side covered it up. Tian Yi Overlook is quite pissed that we didn’t send them their spirit stones back.”
Oh. Yue Qingyuan stares blankly. “Why was this never brought up before? At least, the elders from Tian Yi Overlook should have brought it up to me in our recent meetings. This incident happened more than six months ago.”
“Yeah, it gets funny there. An IOU from Cang Qiong Mountain was sent out several months ago. Stamped with Qing Jing Peak’s seal. Tian Yi Overlook never noticed the difference so they thought the IOU was sent by me personally.”
Yue Qingyuan’s fist clenches subconsciously. “Months ago? Qing Jing?”
“Mm. I checked, and the only Peak Lord with any authority on Qing Jing peak at the time was Liu Qingge. Shen Yuan was already in Nan Jiang by the time it was sent and he hadn’t been over at Qing Jing peak for quite a while before that anyway. Qi Qingqi filled in for his absence sometimes, but the time overlap doesn’t match. We haven't questioned the disciples yet, but I ain't gonna bother with that since they can't actually utilize the stamps anyway. Assuming the whole seal stamp isn’t fake, of course, then there’s only one person it can be blamed on officially.”
Yue Qingyuan is pretty sure that, much like most disciples, Liu Qingge doesn’t know that all the twelve peaks have different seals to start with. He might not know they have seals at all. Certainly, he’s never used his own. It's still packaged in Yue Qingyuan's office, where it's been from the day of their appointment as peak lords.
Shen Yuan is a different matter, in the way that at least, he knows the seals exist. Not that he, too, has ever used it for official business. Another difference compared to Xiao Jiu.
“In other words, a dead end,” Yue Qingyuan mutters.
Wei Qingwei shrugs. “Maybe, maybe not. Depending on who they want to cast the blame on. My bet is on Shen Qingqiu and not Liu Qingge. Because of that.”
Yue Qingyuan raises an eyebrow. Wei Qingwei is pointing his finger at the missive from Huan Hua Palace that the Sect Leader has yet to open. He lets out one very exhausted sigh. “Explain.”
“Eh, better just read it, Zhangmen-shixiong. I’m basing my guesses on the news Hou Qingyu brought from outside the mountain, but I’m pretty sure it’s no different to what you’ll see there. Shen Yuan also had plenty to say about the incidents his disciples have had recently, going out for missions. Of course, it’s all connected.”
Yue Qingyuan, in fact, doesn’t want to know what’s being said outside the mountain, nor what is connected. He says, “Anything else I should know before I open this?”
“Actually…” Wei Qingwei hesitates. “I think Liu Qingge already reported this, but those weapons we found were indeed tempered with. Modified with additions and such. Including the necklace that Shen Yuan showed us the other day, the setup on it is rather similar to the one we noticed on the weapons, quite complex. So, yes, that bunch that was tempering with our weapons, they’re quite skilled. We're still investigating whether or not there is a connection between the demons invading and the trouble Shen-shixiong's disciples encountered, but so far, no luck. Other than, well. Both being blamed on Shen Qingqiu, I guess.”
Yue Qingyuan sighs.
“Shen-shidi hypothesized that those tools are capable of influencing humans in similar ways to how they affected the demon Sha Hualing. I take it that Huan-shimei has proven this hypothesis correct?”
“Not exactly,” Wei Qingwei says. “What those crystals are made to do isn't cause any physical harm. They can, however, be used to disrupt demonic qi. This matches up to Liu-shidi’s observation too, that Sha Hualing only personally entered the battlefield once he killed the cultivators and destroyed the weapons. Prior to that, no one witnessed her using any demonic power at all. The thing Shen Yuan showed is a little like an improved version. They’re similar, but not the same. Most notably, that one is much smaller.”
“That’s…”
But Wei Qingwei isn’t done yet. “The base assumption now is that this was done by means of a similar ritual as what Huan-shimei witnessed in Hong district. It's still in its infancy stages, but if the method is refined and further improved, who’s to say it won’t be able to take control of a much more powerful demon, holding them hostage by their qi alone? Worse, since Shen Yuan has now brought it to our attention. If it can even affect a human child, what can it do to a cultivator caught unaware?”
Unexpectedly, Yue Qingyuan feels like quite a chill has passed through the room. Has someone forgotten to close the door?
Wei Qingwei looks all too serious. Clearly, this is not all that he has to say. Yue Qingyuan isn’t sure whether he should ask or just wait for the man to speak on his own. Naturally, his Shidi makes that decision for him.
“This last part is probably the most important, but nothing’s been proven yet,” he adds, uncertainly. “That’s the reason why I wanted to speak to you privately first.” Wei Qingwei scowls then, his face darkening as he plays around with the Qiankun pouch at his waist. “I was able to track down some info on our elusive thieves. The word on the street is that they’re not rogue cultivators at all, but a reckless bunch from Xianmo sect. They've been popping up all over the jianghu in the past year or so, without any territory of their own. Until now, I never heard of them, but Hou Qingyu says you’ve already had him investigate them before. That bunch are exactly what the old temple people would call heretics, dabbling in all sorts of questionable cultivation methods.”
“They are quite bold, if they dare to steal from us and experiment with our weaponry,” Yue Qingyuan comments.
“What do you expect from a bunch of crazies recruiting disciples from brothels?” Wei Qingwei grimaces as he pulls a tied up scroll from inside his pouch. “Anyway, the reason I brought this up to you alone is this. I had a brothel girl draw up a portrait of their sect leader, since no one actually knew to tell me the name. I don’t think this is a coincidence.”
Drowning in curiosity, Yue Qingyuan opens the portrait… only to close it immediately, face blank.
He closes his eyes, but the portrait seems to have flawlessly captured all of Shen Qingqiu’s beauty in a few brush strokes. The imagery keeps dancing in his thoughts. The features are only slightly different ─ a little softer, a little less gracefully cold, the color of his dress more blue than green. But it is doubtlessly the face of his most precious shidi. If this has been painted by someone who has only seen him from afar, then it is remarkable in its accuracy.
“Intentional?” Yue Qingyuan whispers, not trusting his voice not to betray him.
“I’m sure of it,” Wei Qingwei confirms. “Hou Qingyu got the same thing from Warm Red Pavilion, but I was over at Red Velvet House. We both made sure they didn't know it’s Cang Qiong Mountain asking. It isn’t some kind of a sick joke, although that’s what I suspected at first. This is a war announcement. Someone wants Shen Qingqiu’s head on a platter and now they’re painting him as the hidden leader of the heretics. And the reason, I believe, you will find in that missive from Huan Hua Palace. Good Old Palace Master has always been in charge of keeping the world order, hasn’t he?”
The way Wei-shidi's face contorts at the mere mention of Huan Hua Palace makes it quite clear where his suspicion stands on that matter.
Yue Qingyuan doesn’t know what to say. Of course, he could tell that the great sects have been quite harsh in their negotiation with him over various matters recently, but that something like this has been brewing under the surface is quite a surprise and not the good kind.
One Immortal Alliance Conference has recently concluded and the planning for the next one has already started. For something like this to come up now when there have been few other major incidents to keep the public attention, it can’t be anything but intentional. Clearly, Yue Qingyuan cannot afford to ignore that missive as he hoped.
“Thank you, Wei-shidi,” he says with finality in his voice. Whatever else Wei-shidi may have left to say, he can do so another time.
“Even if I don’t talk about this now, someone else will eventually,” Wei Qingwei warns him. “I don’t know why Sect Leader Yue is always so easily distraught when matters are related to Shen-shixiong, but Zhangmen-shixiong… this isn’t something we can act rashly about. I’m sure you understand.”
Of course he does. A whole lot of Yue Qingyuan’s guilt and regret in life never would have existed if he’d thought things through and acted with prudence and due diligence. But this… this is the kind of thing that makes his blood boil. It fills him with rage and a violent urge to strike at whoever strikes him first, decapitate anyone who even thinks of doing the same to those Yue Qingyuan holds dear.
He dismisses Wei-shidi with much difficulty, if only so he can finally force his fingers to pry open the missive from Huan Hua Palace.
Inside, the contents are exactly what he feared they would be.
Sickeningly sweet expression of concern. A polite offer to assist in recovery following the demonic invasion the sect suffered… more than a full month after the incident has already concluded. And an explicit order wrapped as an invitation for Yue Qingyuan to step out and explain the many strange rumors surrounding an elder from his sect.
Wei Qingwei sure has a keen nose for trouble. War announcement indeed.
Yue Qingyan finds Shen Yuan on his bed in Qing Jing Peak, hidden behind a pile of books. Shen-shidi's disciples have been kind enough to inform him that their Shizun has been quite insistent when asking no one interrupt his research. It warms his heart, however, as they rush to add that the Sect Leader is, notably, an exception. That said, once he is there, it looks like Shen-shidi has moved over half of Qing Jing Peak’s library over to his bedroom, as if he’s racing to read all the books he can get his hands on in as few days as possible. In the distant corner, several disciple registry books sit, properly ordered, unlike anything else. He is not surprised to find most of those are Qing Jing disciple registries, dating back to the time even prior to Shen Qingqiu’s admission to the sect, but he is a little surprised to find other peak registries as well, Bai Zhan and Xian Shu among them. They’re covered in dust, as though they’ve been sitting untouched for a long time.
“Shidi?” he says from the door frame, when Shen Yuan doesn’t look up from his current readings.
“Oh, Sect Leader is here. Have a seat,” he comments idly, but his eyes have yet to rise from the page he is on. He seems to be going through the pages at record speed rate, searching for something specific but unable to find it. He doesn’t lift his head until he’s through with the whole book, and only then does he actually sit up straight. “Why is the Sect Leader still… oh shit. Told you to sit, but of course there isn’t any space… argh.”
Quickly and almost clumsily, without any of his usual poise and elegance, Shen Yuan quickly pushes a few books around and even a whole table, until finally he clears enough space for Yue Qingyuan to sit.
Sheepishly, he wipes some dust from his face. “Apologies, Zhangmen-shixiong. My mistake.”
Watching him so bashful is… quite a strange feeling. Easy to remember that this person in front of him is truly different from his shidi, yet the face he wears is nothing but. Yue Qingyuan feels, not for the first time, that he is trapped in quite a difficult predicament. Sometimes this person in front of him feels like a possible solution, but most times… Most times, this man may well be the death of him.
“What is Shidi researching so diligently?” he asks, because he cannot bear to ruin this comfortable mood between them with the actual problems requiring both their attention.
“Ah, well, Huan-shimei gave me the rundown on what the Formless Demons really are, so that and a few other things… I’m gonna have to give her another report on what I saw in Nan Jiang, but really, I need the right terms for it and it’s just… I’m trying to figure out how all that works together. With the ritual and the demonic consciousness and all that. I’ve… never heard about anything similar before, to be honest.”
“Mm, it’s quite a surprise for the rest of us as well,” Yue Qingyuan says. “Have you found anything?”
“A few things, maybe… but nothing reliable. What about Zhangmen-shixiong? This can’t be the reason you came to visit, you’ve already heard the reports, so there’s gotta be something else─”
“Indeed,” Yue Qingyuan says, offering a small, guilty smile. “This shixiong here is not a bearer of good news, I’m afraid.”
Shen Yuan’s demeanor changes entirely. Gone is the lighthearted cheer and it seems like he’s waiting for something to fall or maybe hit him on the face… so Yue Qingyuan offers the missive from Huan Hua Palace to him wordlessly. The man reads through it carefully, frowning all along. He reads it for the second time and then ─ he laughs.
Yue Qingyuan blinks in surprise. But his eyes are not playing tricks on him. Shen Yuan is laughing. It’s a dry, wretched laughter, a little disbelief mixed into it, but mostly, it is just mocking. Yue Qingyuan doesn’t remember anyone ever laughing that way except Xiao Jiu in their youth and it fills him with a strange kind of dread.
“Shidi?”
“Ah, oh, sorry. I mean, I was wondering if they’d forgotten about… never mind. Looks like we really did step on a few nasty toes back in Bailu forest. Apologies, Zhangmen-shixiong. I now got everybody from the sect involved. If you want, I can handle this personally─”
“No. Absolutely not,” Yue Qingyuan says immediately. “I’m only here because I thought you should… beware. In case you plan to descend the mountain soon.”
Shen Yuan’s eyes on him are intense and sharp, immediately noticing not what Yue Qingyuan says, but the details he intentionally leaves out.
“Sect Leader, don’t go beating around the bush. I’ve heard of most rumors already and the majority of them are quite accurate, even if they’re missing a few key pieces. So what is this really about? If Huan Hua Palace wants you to step out on my behalf and explain some rumors, that’s one… wait a moment. Why are they asking you to step out on my behalf?”
Yue Qingyuan makes no sound whatsoever.
It doesn’t stop Shen Yuan from rapidly gathering clues from his body language alone. “No. Zhangmen-shixiong. Don’t tell me. They want to use me to have a go at the whole sect? Whatever for?! What did I do to Huan Hua Palace now? What the hell?”
“Now?” Yue Qingyuan sparks to attention. “Have you made an enemy of them in the past? Before…” But that’s not quite it, is it? Hasn’t Shen Yuan said he’s not from this world at all? Or is it about something from his time in Nan Jiang?
Shen Yuan’s face shadows, his mood souring. “It’s not worth mentioning. But this thing now ─ I don’t get it. What are they playing at? What do they stand to gain if they challenge the whole sect?”
“I… have a few guesses,” Yue Qingyuan says reluctantly. At Shen Yuan’s determined look, he sighs. Clearly, this person will not let anything slide.
“Does Shen-shidi remember the Grotto you took us to after the disruption of the seal on Bailu mountain? From the report delivered, Shen-shidi left quite soon after this happened while Mu-shidi and young miss Liu stayed behind, but after a certain amount of time, the many strange things they saw there all disappeared. Mu-shidi has since provided me with the names of Huan Hua Palace disciples who were present on the scene, and quite a few of them seem to have… either left the sect due to medical reasons or lost their lives over the past few months. Moreover, Mu-shidi himself has experienced quite a few close calls every time he stepped off the mountain and it’s no secret that young miss Liu has at one point been presumed deceased on her first official mission outside the mountain. I don’t think I need to say it, but I do not find these things to be coincidental.”
Shen Yuan stiffens slightly. “... all this over elementary school physics?”
“Excuse me?”
“... never mind. Anyway, uh, yeah. I thought Mu Qingfang already reported all the details on that. He recognized more of the symbols involved than I did, anyway…”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah… did he not…?” Shen Yuan pales slightly, realizing that he may have said a little too much. It’s cute enough how alarmed he gets that Yue Qingyuan can’t help but smile fondly.
“Mu-shidi told me all he could remember,” Yue Qingyuan says. “However, that’s the thing. The moment the sigils faded, the details faded from his memory as well. It’s quite a neat trick, Huan Hua Palace’s famed Phantom Talisman. Once activated, it can confound the mind to the point of nothing being able to accurately clear up the imagery, no matter what restoration techniques we try to use.”
“So, that means that I’m the only one who didn’t get caught by that…”
“That’s right.”
“But I don’t remember what I saw… just a few things really. And they’re killing people who literally forgot?! Isn’t that one hell of an exaggeration? What in the world are they hiding in there? Is Huan Hua Palace really behind that? It can’t be a coincidence, though, if it’s multiple people.”
“It would be helpful if Shen-shidi could remember a little more, so we would have something to attack them with if they push matters too far, but I’m not here to pressure you,” Yue Qingyuan says.
“... right. I will try,” Shen Yuan says. “I don’t remember much of it, really. But I think Liu Mingyan called it reversed recreation… or something. She was quite certain that one cultivator couldn’t have done it alone.”
“Mm, Mu-shidi mentioned something similar. I have since spoken to young Miss Liu as well, but Huan Hua Palace’s phantom talisman has affected her as well. There's not much she could have offered. Shen-shidi is currently the only one we have to rely on to get to the bottom of this matter.”
“Oh… fun.” Shen Yuan grimaces slightly. “Then, Zhangmen-shixiong, are you also aware that this matter concerns Luo Binghe? Liu Qingge must’ve told you…”
Yue Qingyuan sighs. He says, “Shidi. Young disciple Luo is one of Cang Qiong Mountain’s disciples. While that will certainly bring some challenges in the future, for as long as he wishes to be a part of this sect, we will protect him the same way we would protect anyone else.”
Of course, what goes unsaid is that this is only valid for as long as Luo Binghe himself causes no harm to anyone inside the sect, but there is no need to further specify it. It’s not as if that child has shown any aggressive tendencies ─ not beyond what’s already common enough in the sect. And what with Bai Zhan's general disposition, the measure of what's tolerable is quite flexible, still.
Shen Yuan says nothing, but momentarily, he sure looks like he’s incredibly relieved. A lot of tension abandons those shoulders. Yue Qingyuan is just about to inquire about this, when Shen Yuan says, “The seal on Bailu Mountain and that hidden cave under the grotto, they were both somehow connected to Luo Binghe. I don’t know how and I don’t really care to ask. But Huan Hua Palace must never find out about that.”
“We have no reason to reveal such a thing─”
“No, Zhangmen-shixiong, you’re not listening. This… this is the one thing they can’t know about. If someone needs to take the fall for what happened there, then make that person me. They can’t do anything to me, anyway.”
Yue Qingyuan frowns. Does this silly person not realize that Luo Binghe is not even a part of this equation? That everything being orchestrated here is being aimed at Shen Qingqiu? That there is somebody out there, slipping his face together with the identity of a heretic sect leader? Yet the only thing this person seems to care about is Luo Binghe.
“Shidi,” Yue Qi says softly. “If someone is trying to harm a member of my sect, then no matter what, the whole sect will stand in their defense. This is how it’s always been. This sect protects their own no matter what. Under my leadership, it will never be any different.”
Shen Yuan gulps. “I just─”
“By that I mean, so long as either you or Luo Binghe want to associate yourselves with Cang Qiong Mountain, then this mountain will become your sword, your shield and your shelter from the storm. No matter what, this Shixiong will not allow anyone to take that away.”
Shen Yuan says nothing for a long time. For once, Yue Qingyuan is a little satisfied that he’s rendered Shen Qingqiu speechless with his choice of words ─ even if it’s only perhaps one version of him at best. Shen Yuan gulps.
Then, he opens his mouth.
“So… about that girl that’s been brought over to my Peak…”
“Ah. Lu Xiaodan, was it?” Yue Qingyuan pulls out the name from some scroll or other, some sort of a disciple admission which has ultimately been denied.
“Yeah. I ─ I’m thinking of letting her stay. I know that the Huan noble family is claiming we kidnapped her, but that’s not at all the case─”
Yue Qingyuan closes his eyes, rubbing a spot between them before it can turn into an all out headache. “What does Young Miss Lu say?”
“Er…”
Yue Qingyuan raises an eyebrow. “What? Is it something inappropriate?”
“Not… not really.” Shen Yuan grimaces, that telling sign that whatever he’s about to say, it’s only going to be a half-truth at best. “If you kick her out, she’s just gonna come back. She’s a bit… sticky.”
… Yue Qingyuan quickly decides that he most absolutely does not want to know.
“Officially, the sect is not yet ready to admit any new disciples,” he says. “Under the circumstances, the Huan noble family can’t fault us for anything, because Lu Xiaodan is not a disciple, nor is she in any way forcefully kept here. In fact, if it’s as Shen-shidi says and that child has already gotten off the mountain and then returned once, we don’t even need to say anything. Finally, Huan noble clan may show concern out of the kindness of their heart, but from what I hear, Lu Xiaodan is merely a child of their servants. The clan's sense of responsibility aside, they have no grounds to stand on with their complaints whatsoever.”
“That’s… well, more or less exactly what I was thinking, too,” Shen Yuan says. “Just, you know. Didn’t wanna impose.”
Yue Qingyuan smiles, but they both know Shen Yuan would have kept that child on his peak one way or another, even if the sect leader had personally denied him permission. He says, “Well, then it’s good that it’s out of the way now.”
Shen Yuan smiles back dryly and a little helplessly.
Yue Qingyuan says, “If Shen-shidi still has some time once finished with researching the Formless Demons, there is one more thing Shidi could perhaps try to learn more about.”
Shen Yuan blinks in surprise. “Oh? What is it?”
Funny. This person was once as impossible to read as Shen Qingqiu. Always poised, hiding everything behind an icy facade and frozen mask of noble politeness. Yet sitting here now, with this person revealing every single thought on his face, Yue Qingyuan idly wonders if this is a good sign ─ has Shen Yuan put his guard down enough to trust people around him? Or… is there something else going on?
He asks, “Have you ever heard of something called the Shadow Soul Phenomenon?”
The look on Shen Yuan’s face alone is answer enough.
Yue Qingyuan smiles briefly. “It’s quite challenging research, but shidi should be resourceful enough to be able to understand the concept soon. Qing Jing libraries should contain sufficient information. This shixiong will now leave you to your own business.”
Last time, Yue Qingyuan wasn’t courageous enough to tell Shen Yuan anything. Afterwards, they’ve spoken many times since he had returned from protecting the southern borders exactly as Yue Qingyuan had asked him to, but he still hadn’t dared touch this matter. Now, however, the risk that has come for them is more than just the risk to his lost Shidi’s reputation. Now, Shen Yuan is the one who is truly exposed, truly in danger, and Yue Qingyuan is no longer of two minds on this matter.
Whether or not the person in front of him is his Xiao Jiu, whether or not the person in front of him ever becomes Xiao Jiu again, he has made his decision. Whatever is still left within his reach, Yue Qingyuan will give his life to protect. In line with that, he prays that Shen Yuan, too, will take in consideration the matter of both his personal safety and the importance of his current position.
No matter what, Cang Qiong Mountain cannot allow the outside world to know their strategist and a Peak Lord second only to Yue Qingyuan is indisposed. The relevance of it is all the greater now, when it is Shen-shidi's credibility that's been brought into question.
“Shadow Soul Phenomenon, huh? Well that just sounds fantastic.” Shen Yuan muses. Belatedly, he smiles at the sect leader. “This one will look into it, sure. Thanking Zhangmen-shixiong for his concern.”
“This one is merely doing his duty.”
“Sect Leader shouldn't worry so much,” Shen Yuan says, a little brighter now. “Cang Qiong Mountain is resilient enough to stand up to this. No matter if it's Huan Hua Palace or someone else trying to stir trouble, they're not going to have an easy time of it, that much I promise.”
Yes, Yue Qingyuan is quite aware that most of his fellow peak lords are forces to be reckoned with, each in their own right. The problem is not so much if someone is stirring trouble ─ someone always is. The problem is, this is the first time that someone has gotten so bold as to openly challenge Cang Qiong Mountain in recent times. And while certainly, this one has been a long time coming ─ it is a pattern, at this point, that every time the new generation takes over, someone tries to kick them off their high earned position ─ but the way they are going about it now is nowhere near as straightforward as it used to be. That, more than anything, makes Yue Qingyuan all the more restless in his own skin.
“This one will leave Shidi now to continue his work,” Yue Qingyuan expresses politely. After all, he's done all he could. The only other solution he's come up with would more or less once again limit the freedom to this person and likely not solve anything, and therefore Yue Qingyuan rejects it on principle. Even if a part of him wishes it could smother Shen Qingqiu under a set of blankets and keep him there until the storm blows over.
Funny, then, that it feels as though this one has barely begun.
Notes:
Ahhh, funny how this chapter makes me miss writing from YQY's pov... poor Qi-ge has his work cut out for him, holding everything together
See you again in a while, Zhangmen-shixiong!
Also, I've been on a streak due to holidays lol but yeah don't expect next chapter to be as fast. January is always a mess on my personal plans so if I get more than a chapter out by the end of the month, that'll be awesome!
Chapter 41: The Moral High Ground
Notes:
TW for a bit of gore description near the end of chapter
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Sitting down in the shade of a tree in a secluded corner of Qing Jing Peak, Luo Binghe cannot help but let a shudder run down his spine. Previously, Shizun ─ Shen Yuan ─ had sat down right in front of him, exposing his back in its entirety. But now, apparently, he has decided that this position is not good enough and has instead laid down to rest his head in Luo Binghe’s lap, staring up at him curiously as though the way he exposes his neck isn’t making Luo Binghe’s heart beat a whole lot faster.
Focus, damn it! They’re not here to… to… to flirt… even if Shizun has, unintentionally or otherwise, been tempting Luo Binghe to insanity lately, only to whack him on the head with his fan every time he attempts to get a little too close.
More importantly, this proximity is really not for the purposes of teasing or even anything nefarious. It’s all for work! Exactly! Work! Important things!
Notably, important to Shizun, because what matters to Luo Binghe the most is maintaining absolute control of himself while the weight of Shizun’s head rests too close to Luo Binghe’s other head… but that’s beside the point.
The point is, Shizun trusts Luo Binghe to do this. So, he must.
That doesn’t, however, prevent Luo Binghe from gently running his fingers through the locks of his Shizun’s hair, only briefly letting the tips of his fingers touch his face.
“Is this alright, Shizun?” he asks softly, doing his best not to stare at those kissable lips as though they’re there to play the temptation game.
“Mm. Really, the one who should be asking that is this master. Luo Binghe, are you fine with this? After everything, it feels like this is far too early─”
“This disciple is perfectly fine,” Luo Binghe says, rather honestly. “What happened before, with those dream constructs taking over my body… that won’t happen ever again. I have full control over the dream realm and I’ve practiced relentlessly. If Shizun needs my help with something, then it is only natural that this disciple will strive to do everything Shizun asks and more.”
“That’s… it’s really not that big of a deal,” Shizun mumbles, but with his face in Luo Binghe’s lap, it is impossible to hide just how cutely his cheeks warm up with a soft blush. It takes every ounce of Luo Binghe’s self control not to bend down and passionately kiss him on the mouth.
But no. Luo Binghe has been working on his self-control diligently. The most he does is, when he bends down his head so that he is looking at Shizun upside down, he makes it very obvious just where he is looking to the point that Shizun’s whole body tenses up. He holds that position long enough for Shizun to start mildly panicking, lifting his hands to push Luo Binghe’s face away ─ and then he firmly presses his lips against the skin of Shizun’s forehead.
It is a total fakeout. Utter deception. The utmost trickery. But over time, Luo Binghe has found that such trickery renders Shizun’s defensiveness to near nonexistence while at the same time jumping his heart rate a hundred fold.
“Trust me,” Luo Binghe whispers against that silky smooth skin like jade, pressing his lips against it one more time.
Shen Yuan, for his part, only half-heartedly smacks his knee. “How am I supposed to fall asleep now?” he bemoans, firmly closing his eyes while visibly enjoying every moment of it.
Luo Binghe smiles against his forehead. “This disciple will wait no matter how long it takes.” Especially if that means he gets an excuse to run his fingers all along the length of Shizun’s hair.
That said, Shizun is beginning to radiate heat from sheer embarrassment, so Luo Binghe takes a little mercy on him.
Leaning over Shizun’s face, he comes in close to his ear to whisper, “Besides, this disciple can help with that, too,” he whispers, then moves his lips over until they’re gently pressing against Shizun’s temple. Then, having left a few more butterfly kisses there, Luo Binghe closes his eyes and whispers into Shizun’s ear, “Focus really hard on what you want to remember, alright?”
“Mm,” Shen Yuan grunts and firmly shuts his eyes. It doesn’t really do anything for the flush on his face, though. Nor his attempt to relax. Luo Binghe doesn’t mind letting Shizun indulge however much he likes, but it was Shizun personally who insisted that this must be done properly. And while certainly, Luo Binghe doesn’t need his Shizun to be wholly asleep to work his magic, he needs to be at least half-way there or else Luo Binghe can’t enter his dream realm, either.
It probably helps that Shizun hasn’t gotten much sleep at all, lately. After an hour or so of just sitting that way, stroking his hair, finally, Shen Yuan starts leaning closer to the edges of sleep.
Luo Binghe is tempted to do so, but he doesn’t tease Shziun over it. He waits, patiently, until Shizun is close enough to the dream precipice for the conscious to turn subconscious, and the moment the balance is finally there, he lays a gentle palm across Shizun’s forehead and tips him over the edge.
Luo Binghe’s own head slumps, eyes falling shut in what is perhaps a little too practiced motion.
When he opens them again, both himself and Shizun are standing in the middle of a dark cavern, watching a memory unfold. Ah, good. Shizun truly has listened to Luo Binghe’s instructions thoroughly.
The memory itself, however… well.
The ground of a cavern seems to have recently caved in. There’s about a dozen or so disciples from Huan Hua Palace making a show of themselves, trying to get up. Shizun of the dream composes himself first and lights up the entirety of the cavern with his talismans. The Shizun next to Luo Binghe says, “Now.”
Just as the light illuminates everything about the Bailu forest’s hidden grotto, Luo Binghe holds his palm out and the dream freezes. Huan Hua Palace disciples stay stuck in various poses that make them look even more ridiculous. Mu Qingfang is a few steps back, assisting Liu Mingyan in standing up, a glimmer of red in his eyes as he seems to be looking her over for any injuries. Luo Binghe rolls his eyes, before moving over to focus on the dream version of Shizun, who is staring at all of these writings on the walls like they’ve somehow shocked him.
“Is this good, Shizun? Have I recreated it well enough?” Luo Binghe asks, as the actual Shizun beside him keeps staring at the walls surrounding them with even more scrutiny than his past self. They go up very high, after all. All the way up to the hole above their heads. They’re also glowing with a subtle hint of spiritual power, as though whatever they’re intended for is already active.
Observing it all, however, it does look rather strange, even to Luo Binghe. The lower part of the cavern is covered in one pattern of marks and sigils, soft blue and almost translucent in their entirety. It goes only up to a certain line ─ a line from where the original ground level had caved in, revealing the contents below. Aboce that, a whole new set arises. But overall, having already visited this Grotto once, Luo Binghe notices other differences as well. Of course, the absence of the lake is a big one, but the smaller ones also stand out. A lack of any entrance point besides the hole above their heads, the difference in skill where the sigils of the array are first carved into the walls, as opposed to where the sigils end.
Are these oddities a result of Luo Binghe’s own limitations? It’s not the first time he’s used his dream powers in order to recreate memories as close to perfection as possible ─ but it is certainly not often that he does it with memories that are not his own.
Specifically, it is the first time he’s ever done that to Shizun’s memories and that alone is leaving him quite… worked up, to say the least. It is highly possible he’s failed to recreate some details properly.
“Just as expected, I still can’t make any sense of it,” Shen Yuan sighs, shaking his head dejectedly.
Luo Binghe opens his mouth to apologize, but Shizun talks over him before he can even get a word out. “Should we have brought a barrier expert into the dream too? This is ultimately not gonna do much, if I’m the only one who gets to see it.”
“As things stand, it is currently beyond this disciple’s ability to show Shizun’s memories to other people,” Luo Binghe answers, which is a flat out lie. It’s more that he cannot even picture letting someone else enter this person’s subconscious this way, all else be damned. Does Shizun even realize exactly what he has allowed Luo Binghe to do? He could… without Shizun ever knowing, Luo Binghe could see anything…
He doesn’t even dare imagine it. This is worse than stripping a person naked against their will. Whatever Shizun thinks is happening, Luo Binghe has had to create every stone, marking, sigil and even a face with his own power ─ in order to be able to stop the memory this way and allow them to properly look. He is only able to do so because he had ample time to prepare ─ and, more importantly ─ because Shizun has asked him to do so.
Willingly bringing another person into this?
Luo Binghe shudders at the mere thought. How is Shizun always so calm and easy whenever the matters of the dream realm are brought up? Does he not realize how easy it is to… to…
Shizun sighs again, frowning at the sigils as though they offend him. “What if Binghe were to try something similar with Miss Liu? Is there a chance that Luo Binghe could clear out the effects of Huan Hua Palace’s phantom talisman through the dream realm?”
In a way that won’t get him immediately shredded by Liu Qingge? Probably not. Besides, Luo Binghe is not too fond of the idea of shuffling through his Shimei’s memories this way, either. That’s… sticking his fingers where they absolutely do not belong.
Still, Shizun is asking for a reason, so he considers it for a moment.
His time in Huan Hua Palace has been spent on exploring many things and the Phantom Talisman did come up a few times. Unfortunately, since it wasn’t something that could be used with the purpose of returning the dead back to life, Luo Binghe never bothered to dig too deep. It hasn’t ever sounded like a tool that could affect the dream world, so much as it affects the waking one.
“Shizun, if you want, I can take all this and put it down on paper,” Luo Binghe proposes instead. “Then we can take it to experts who will be able to dissect it properly.”
“Yeah, except, I don’t think anyone will willingly explain it,” Shen Yuan muses, expression thoughtful. “This is related to the array on Bailu mountain. Did you know? When initially setting up that array, each sect participating had only been allowed to keep one small piece of the whole setup. Sect Leader Yue thinks that even if we were to put all those pieces together, we would still not have all the keys that make the array work documented. Seems quite intentional.”
“Is Shizun so eager to see that… demon… walk free?”
Shen Yuan snorts, but he pokes Luo Binghe’s shoulder with his fan lightly. “That’s Binghe’s father. No matter what, how he ended up sealed away is simply unfair.”
“Shizun still shows concern for such a demon even after everything he’s done to Shizun?”
“... what did…” but Shizun trails off, that one intense look from Luo Binghe enough to make it perfectly clear what Luo Binghe is truly upset about. There’s many things, really, but Luo Binghe primarily cares about one the most ─ even if, by all means and purposes, Luo Binghe has done much worse ─ and it is the one that Shizun laughs off instantly. “Water under the bridge, water under the bridge. Let’s not sweat the small things─”
His face falls as he looks at Luo Binghe’s dark expression and ultimately, he lets out a long-suffering sigh. Before Luo Binghe can wrap his mind around it, a hand cups his cheek, Shen Yuan directing him to look right into his eyes. The warmth in there makes all of Luo Binghe’s insides warm up, too, even if the feeling of said touch is solely a product of his own power.
“This one probably already said it, but it’s time to put the past where it belongs ─ in the past,” Shen Yuan says softly. “What purpose is there to Binghe holding onto grudges for so long?”
“... Shizun misunderstands. This one is not holding onto any grudges anymore,” Luo Binghe says, rather honestly, but his fingers are already tangling through Shen Yuan’s, gently holding onto the hand touching his face. “This one, however, reserves no trust for those who do not deserve it.”
“Yes, well, I guess it’s too much to ask for it to be any different,” Shizun says lightly. “Alright. Wake me up. We can see about putting all this on paper and looking further into it later on, if it’s not too much work. For now, Luo Binghe still hasn’t finished his evening reading.”
“But Shizun, I’ve already read all those books before─”
“And yet you still go around acting recklessly… But if Luo Binghe is so determined to skip his mandatory readings, I suppose it’s not too early to start working on detailing out the specifics of the array we’re seeing here.”
Shizun has that odd, coy smile on his face, like he’s all too satisfied to have found a way to keep Luo Binghe both occupied and close to him at the same time, without anyone ever getting a chance to question his motives ─ even Luo Binghe. Not that Luo Binghe needs to, anymore. It’s probably a good thing that he chooses to take on his older appearance when inside the dream realm, too, because otherwise Shizun spends too much time worrying about that to focus on anything.
Now, though, as Luo Binghe stands before his Shizun the way Luo Binghe perceives himself… That does things… to both of them, the likes of which Luo Binghe has never dared imagine before. The bashful way Shizun acts around him like a maiden with a crush she refuses to admit is something to get used to, but at the same time, it is a dreadfully easy habit to pick up. The difficult part, really, is not losing himself in the boundaries his Shizun sets… but Luo Binghe is making a conscious effort about that.
In the waking world, Shizun won’t let him cook or clean, Shizun won’t let him stick too closely and he won’t allow Luo Binghe to sleep over in the side room… all of which, many years ago, would have shattered young Luo Binghe’s heart. Now, however, he is able to scratch at the surface of these hastily put-up walls and find the gold that hides underneath, to find those telling little things that hide behind Shizun’s outward rejections, the warmth that still exists once the protective layer is stripped away.
Over and over, Shizun has chosen him.
Shizun chooses him every day. With those little headpats, with those merciless pokes of his fan, with selfishly hogging Luo Binghe’s free time with evening reading sessions to make up for Luo Binghe’s intentionally missed lectures and as an excuse to just… sit there. Next to him. Watch him and talk about most random things imaginable, share nonsense that, a lifetime ago, Shizun most likely never would have willingly shared. It is not quite the kind of closeness that Luo Binghe has prepared himself for, not the kind of warmth he yearned for. Yet it is blissful in the way he hasn’t expected, in a way that asks for patience and promises the world ─ in due time. For the first time in a long time, Luo Binghe feels hopeful about the future beside the person he loves, even if he doesn’t quite know what kind of future they are heading towards.
But if Shizun is willing to have him nearby, then no matter how he chooses to go about it, Luo Binghe is going to stay beside him. Right here, with his fingers lacing through Shen Yuan’s, he could stay like this forever and he would love every moment of it.
Not his beloved, though. Shen Yuan, having noticed that Luo Binghe has intentionally not brought them out of the dream realm yet, pokes his arm. “Didn’t this master say, wake up?”
“Must we be in such a rush? The dream realm is the only place where Shizun allows me to look at him as much as I want…”
Shizun has that look on his face like he’s going to say something very sharp, but he bites his tongue at the last moment. “You sticky child,” he mutters, facing away.
Luo Binghe enjoys it ─ both being sticky and being the child. He also has a response ready for anything, really ─ but not to a hand that finds its way to the top of his head. Shizun is pointedly not looking at his face, all too easy for him to do now that Luo Binghe is once again just a little bit taller, but that hand on his head is just… Luo Binghe feels a little like he’s malfunctioning.
“Shizun?” he squeaks.
“Psst. Two minutes. Then we’re going. There’s a meeting this one must attend and it’s taken most of the afternoon for me to fall asleep anyway. Can’t miss this. Is that clear?”
“Yes!” Luo Binghe beams. Perhaps, that advice from Shang Qinghua a lifetime ago wasn’t entirely useless. A little bit of clinginess and a few intense teary eyed gazes sure seem to go a long way.
Of course, his face is still dutifully smacked away the moment Luo Binghe tries to sneak a peck on the cheek, but at this point, that’s just to be expected. Luo Binghe finds that he hardly minds this.
“Oh, one more thing,” Shen Yuan says suddenly. “Luo Binghe must’ve already come to this realization himself, but… There is a spy in Cang Qiong Mountain.”
Luo Binghe pauses, considering. This is the first Shizun has brought this matter up since… well, ever, really. The topic has been coming up on and off since Sha Hualing's chaotic invasion. It has been running rampant among the disciples, most of them too busy pointing their fingers at Luo Binghe to think for themselves, discussed among even the other peak lords… but Shizun himself had not once said a word about it. More pressingly, Shizun had, not once, asked Luo Binghe about anything that happened during Sha Hualing’s attack.
And now, Shizun says this. In the dream realm, where nobody else can hear.
“Does Shizun already have someone in mind?” Luo Binghe asks.
“That’s for this master to worry about,” Shizun answers. “However, related to this matter, there is something this one could use some help with ─ of course, if Luo Binghe wishes to offer.”
“No matter what Shizun asks for, this one will deliver.”
“It’s an important matter of discretion. Binghe must absolutely make sure that no suspicion is traced back to him,” Shizun says gravely. “If someone should be… hm. Well, make sure to leave leads that I’m doing it intentionally, okay? No need to be too obvious. But if they want to dig, make it lead back to me. Good?”
Mouth watering that he’s finally being relied on again, finally being trusted to do something for Shizun, of course, Luo Binghe is more than eager to do anything. He nods several times in quick succession, a little like an overexcited child.
Shizun smiles. It is an impish little smile, half hidden behind his fan as he leans his head over to Luo Binghe’s ear, the fan covering both their faces now. Even though there is not a soul who could possibly overhear them, Shizun still coyly whispers his request into Luo Binghe’s ear like a shy maiden fearing she’ll be overheard confessing a shameful secret. Ignoring the heat rising from where Shen Yuan’s breath tickles the skin of his ear, Luo Binghe is quick to understand the point of what Shizun is asking for and even faster to enthusiastically agree with it.
“No problem, Shizun! This one will take it up immediately─”
In fact, he’s so eager to please and happy to be of service that he agrees before Shizun even finishes what he’s saying ─ and so Luo Binghe is utterly unprepared when those searing lips intentionally press against the side of his temple. Instantly, his whole body feels like it might combust.
Instinctively, Luo Binghe wraps his arm around Shen Yuan’s waist to pull him closer, into a deep, passionate kiss ─ only for his lips to straight up crash against the edges of Shizun’s folded fan.
Luo Binghe is initially taken by this ─ not because this surprises him, not really ─ but because the way Shen Yuan pulls off that flick of his wrist is ridiculously smooth and seductive and that sly little smile on his face is decidedly a challenge… But those cheeks are somewhat gaining in color and Luo Binghe is a little less stubborn and far more observant these days ─ enough so to understand that his Shizun is not so cold and unapproachable as he always believed, but Shen Yuan is simply unused to such proximity and affection. It makes Luo Binghe burn with the even more desperate desire to wrap him into his arms and never let go, smother him with kisses and suffocate with affection… but he pushes for nothing.
“Shizun,” he whines, just for a little fun, and those pale cheeks seem to gain even more color.
“Behave,” Shizun orders. “And wake me up already. If I’m late for the Peak Lord meeting because of you─”
But Shizun doesn’t get to finish that threat. Luo Binghe steals a peck and then snaps his fingers, instantly shattering the dream around them.
Ah, Shizun, Shizun, Shizun.
As if Luo Binghe could ever deny him anything.
Shen Yuan’s face is a burning coal all the way back to the bamboo house ─ could fry an egg on it. Or three, if someone’s got a bigger appetite. Or feed a whole family of six. Heck, his face may as well be a supernova about to internally combust from all the shame and shamelessness and everything that Luo Binghe does with a straight face. Seriously! How the hell is this poor old man supposed to survive this? His face is in actual shambles and his heart might explode. Literally.
Of all the things he could be doing with his time, he’s living out some sort of a terrible wish-fulfillment student-teacher fantasy the likes of which would be reserved for all sorts of cheap porn or maybe even early Resentment of Chunshan editions, just without the actual resentment part… or the porn part. Actually, take away the porn and there’ll probably be no pages left to fill the empty space between those gaudy covers. That is not a good thing. Especially because that’s everything Luo Binghe seems to be thinking about.
Good lord, how in the world did he raise this child?
Shen Yuan knows in his head that Luo Binghe in front of him is a demon, the stallion protagonist turned gay male lead who already lived through a decade of a terrible romance story between them… with all those facts combined, seeing that plainly young face in front of him when he wakes up shouldn’t be a factor of any kind! But Shen Yuan can’t help it. Every time he finds that youthful face staring up at him as though it wants to devour him whole, he is the one who finds this whole thing unbearable! HE! Not Luo Binghe, oh lords, no. Luo Binghe is having the time of his life, making him squirm with every second he spends near him… and Shen Yuan is terrified of how easily he lets those charms shake him. Oh heavens, he is appalled by the new lows that his own morals and ethics have reached.
Still, morally upstanding or otherwise, if Shen Yuan’s options are giving in to a few innocent temptations or disappointing Luo Binghe, well… He’s chucked his morals down into the Endless Abyss together with Luo Binghe all those years ago, so he’ll just have to live with the consequences.
Although, the way those consequences are starting to dangerously get under his skin is a bit… um. Some distraction is required!
And he finds it quickly, inside his own house, where immediately when he enters, something feels amiss. Apparently, even complaining inside his own head is more than enough to tempt fate these days.
Luo Binghe is only half a step behind him, but his senses have become much sharper ever since he’s overcome the nearly fatal amounts of demonic aphrodisiac. His nose scrunches as he looks around the house, his hand already on the hilt of his practice sword. “Blood.”
Shen Yuan nods quickly, just as alert. He holds his hand out to stop Luo Binghe before he can go out and test the waters. He may still think himself the demon lord with absolute power, but his human body is still rather squishy. Shen Yuan takes charge of moving forward instead, one hand hovering near Xiu Ya, but not quite drawing it.
The time is mid afternoon, but it’s cold and foggy. It doesn’t smell quite like it’s going to rain, but almost. The majority of the disciples, aside from those taking missions off the mountain, are outside, doing their laps around the Peak. In fact, by design, there should not have been a single person atop Qing Jing Peak all afternoon, except for Shen Yuan and Luo Binghe… but apparently someone has taken that as permission to snoop around Shen Yuan’s house ─ and that’s just unacceptable.
With steps that are as noiseless as the two can make them, Shen Yuan and Luo Binghe slowly approach the door of the side room. The door sits open for merely a crack, the sounds of snooping coming from right behind it.
Luo Binghe’s face, especially, has gotten dark.
Shen Yuan tugs on his sleeve to indicate to him to get behind him the moment this overzealous black lotus takes a stride forward a little too fast, one shake of his head firmly denying him the opportunity. No matter who dares to do this, Shen Yuan wants them alive by the end of it.
When he stops just outside the door with his hand gently planted against the wooden surface, Shen Yuan pauses for just a moment to hear whether or not the intruder has picked up on the fact that they’ve been caught. When the noise of stuff shuffling and moving around doesn’t stop, Shen Yuan nods one more time. Luo Binghe, very accurately, interprets that as a sign to get ready, and draws his practice weapon.
Shen Yuan bursts into the side room, ready to launch a violent attack─
Only to end up finding a whole lot of naked skin, as a very familiar, “HOLY FUCKING SHIT!” explodes inside the room.
All the urge to attack dissipates instantly. Shen Yuan finds himself standing there, staring, while Liu Qingge, back turned to them, struggles to clumsily pull on a robe that clearly doesn’t fit over his broad shoulders.
Behind him, Luo Binghe doesn’t even have the decency to look surprised. “Liu-shishu,” he greets ─ and just by the sheer amount of mocking in that tone, Shen Yuan knows. This child knew exactly who was in the room from the start. He knew and he wouldn’t tell and… argh. Who is he even kidding? Luo Binghe looks ready to flat out murder Liu Qingge every time they cross paths, this shouldn’t surprise him. Even now, a whole lot of that animosity is barely contained under a mask of fake politeness which reeks of insincerity. Ridiculous, considering they've each saved the other's life at least once at this point, but eh.
Liu Qingge, for his part, is merely cursing under his breath and not even turning around to look at them. Shen Yuan can’t believe he still hasn’t taken all of his clothes out of Qing Jing Peak, considering it’s been weeks since he last…
Er. Ignoring the way his cheeks feel like they’re on fire, Shen Yuan comments dryly, “What a surprise, Shidi.”
Liu Qingge pointedly does not turn. “Fucking shit. They said you’re out. If I knew you were in here, I wouldn’t have bothered─”
“Well, I didn’t ask,” Shen Yuan says, trying to keep his eyes from taking in the sight of his Shidi’s defined muscles quite so hungrily and miserably failing. Finally, he digs his nails into his hands and looks up, where Liu Qingge is still stubbornly facing away. “I am quite curious, however, to hear what Liu-shidi’s bloody clothes are doing on my floor, and why the Bai Zhan Peak lord is so stubbornly trying to steal a disciple’s robe which obviously doesn’t fit.”
“Ah ─ shit. It’s his?” Liu Qingge grunts, without ever turning to face them, but his tone too makes it very obvious exactly who he means. Shen Yuan sighs heavily.
The him in question takes two quick strides to go around Shen Yuan and grabs Liu Qingge’s wrist before the man ever realizes what’s happening ─ then forcefully turns him around until Shen Yuan gets the answers to all his questions. Luo Binghe has almost no outward reaction whatsoever, but his eyebrow twitches slightly at the sight. Shen Yuan outright gasps.
“Shidi!”
Liu Qingge sways on his feet, cursing under his breath, but if not for Luo Binghe firmly holding his wrist, he would have fallen already. And that wouldn’t even be a surprise. With just the size of the poorly closed up wound on his front and the sheer amount of blood on brand new clothes he hasn’t entirely been able to put on, it’s a miracle he’s even standing. All good cheer evaporates from Shen Yuan instantly, a chilling sensation settling in his spine instead.
“Move him to the other room, immediately,” he snaps, sparing no thought for Liu Qingge’s complaints nor curses in the process. Luo Binghe is eager to please, but he is by no means gentle about it. With Liu Qingge in such a mangled state, even the fifteen-going-on-sixteen Luo Binghe is more than capable of manhandling him with ease. Shen Yuan, in the meantime, rushes to fish out the first aid kit from somewhere in the room, mind reeling.
What in the world? Liu Qingge, with a gaping open wound in his midsection, is bleeding all over his floor. More importantly, the dread it fills him with is almost suffocating, to the point he nearly drops the medical kit once he finds it.
By the time he’s back in the main room, Liu Qingge is lying with his back down on Shen Yuan’s low couch, hissing and struggling while Luo Binghe keeps trying to pin him down by the wrists, slamming his back into the couch every time he tries to get up. Heck, if both their faces weren’t equally outraged and disgusted about this, the whole thing would’ve looked vaguely suggestive, what with Luo Binghe’s knee right there… and Shen Yuan absolutely fucking hates his brain for going there.
“Luo Binghe, are you trying to make your Shishu’s injuries worse? Let him go,” he snaps, chucking all other thoughts out the window as he picks up a cloth and a basin of water to clean the wound.
Luo Binghe quite obediently moves out of his way, leaving the space for Shen Yuan to occupy, watching keenly how Shen Yuan picks up the cloth and douses it with clean water, then slowly begins to clean the blood from around the wound. His glare could crush mountains from the sheer force of it.
For his part, Liu Qingge, who had been more or less half-way up to kicking Luo Binghe away from him, now all but stops resisting, cursing or even breathing. He is pale from blood loss and very stubbornly turning his head the other way so he can stare himself to death into that wall. His breathing is shallow and ragged, his nails digging into the bed covers with enough force to tear them, but at least he’s not actively doing anything to worsen his injury.
Then again, it’s already bad enough. A cut runs deep along his midsection, not too far under the already awful scar that Skinner had left. It’s a long tear and very dangerously open, enough so that apparently Liu Qingge had risked it enough to pick up some needle and a thread and tried to stitch it up himself. It is a terrible, shoddy work which must’ve hurt like a bitch just from how awful it looks, but Shen Yuan can’t even pretend to be surprised anymore.
All that sweat on Liu Qingge’s neck probably has nothing to do with the pain or even his injury, but the impending Qi deviation… and yep. As soon as Shen Yuan rests his palm against his chest, he can feel the chaotic, unsettling mess of blocked Qi flow ruining his meridians from the inside, one heartbeat after another. How this insane idiot even made it back to the mountain is purely known to his own reckless brain.
Over his shoulder, Luo Binghe looks somewhere in between an outraged demon lord and a furiously jealous child about to go cry in a corner and grow mushrooms, so Shen Yuan moves quickly. “Luo Binghe. Go to Qian Cao peak and bring your Mu-shishu here immediately.”
As a distraction for a time, it should prove sufficient. Luo Binghe’s expression darkens even more, but he makes no comment, not even a snide remark at Liu Qingge’s expense. He just heads directly for the door, only for Liu Qingge to snap, “Don’t you fucking dare!”
Shen Yuan pushes him back down in a practiced motion, using his arm on his chest to press his full weight onto Liu Qingge and keep him in place while he offers up whatever spiritual power Liu Qingge’s battered body will take. It’s not much and it’s definitely not enough, but the more he looks for it, the more he can tell that it has some beneficial effects, although much too slow. That silly child has yet to move a single step.
“Luo Binghe, go!” he hisses, borderline impatient.
Liu Qingge explodes. “Hell no! You’re not gonna find him anyway! He’s already on Qiong Ding Peak─”
“Even better. He’ll be here much faster.”
“Luo Binghe, don’t you fucking dare─”
Finally, Luo Binghe grabs the handle of the door so hard until it snaps, startling both the peak lords into absolute silence. Shen Yuan even pauses with his spiritual power transfer out of sheer shock, staring at that kid who managed to break a door with his bare hands out of sheer jealousy. The expression on Luo Binghe’s face is dark enough that it could have killed a lesser person, dark enough to make Shen Yuan outright gulp.
“This disciple will invite Mu-shishu over,” Luo Binghe says stiffly, then marches out without a single word, slamming the door behind him a little too hard.
Both Shen Yuan and Liu Qingge stare at that door for a very long time.
Then, finally, Liu Qingge groans and falls back on the couch, staring up at the ceiling above him in wild outrage. After this, it seems he’s finally forgotten about weeks of stubborn avoidance he’s been pulling off, the radio silence and absolute refusal to look anywhere in Shen Yuan’s direction if he could possibly help it.
“I can’t believe you did this shit,” he says, but it comes across more like a whine. “Mu Qingfang is not gonna let me get off the mountain for months now.”
Why, good for you to know that, Liu-shidi. If this is the kind of state you return in every time you go, then Shen Yuan is very much in favor of a long-term house arrest order. Resuming with the spiritual power transfer with one hand, the other he uses to clean up the rest of the shoddily stitched up wound, grimacing at the atrocious way it’s been handled so far. Liu Qingge has no mercy towards his poor body whatsoever. His stitch work only seems to have aggravated the wound worse, really.
Realizing Shen Yuan is not backing off whatsoever, Liu Qingge groans. “You do realize the meeting must’ve started already, right? They’re not gonna let that kid near the marble room, not unless you officially make him your head disciple, and even then─”
“If Luo Binghe can’t bring Mu-shidi here, then he can’t,” Shen Yuan says simply. “Either way, you’re not getting up until I’m confident you’re not going to collapse the moment you do.”
“... I’m fine,” Liu Qingge grumbles, stubbornly. “The wound isn’t even that bad. It’s just the Qi blockages and that stupid poison messing up everything. If you’d just let me handle it, I would’ve been fine.”
“Mhm, and I haven’t spent exactly two months living through this exact scenario with you on a daily basis. Liu-shidi, shut your mouth and behave for a change. Perhaps, if you took a little more care to watch over yourself, Mu-shidi wouldn’t have to go so far to put you on house arrest every few weeks.”
“ARGH!”
Liu Qingge smacks his head back into the couch out of sheer frustration, but really, he looks exactly like he’s throwing a childish tantrum.
It takes him quite some time to calm down. While they wait, Shen Yuan has all but cleared out those blocked meridians entirely and has moved onto improving the body’s healing properties with his own power ─ the switch which seems to make his reckless Shidi all the more fidgety at first. Over time, however, his body begins to relax and he just keeps staring up at the ceiling, his expression set into a thin line of anger and disgust.
“I almost had him, this time,” he bites out, fists clenching tightly to the point it even starts ruffling up his spiritual power.
Shen Yuan is ultimately forced to take his hands off the man’s chest and untangle those tight fists, massaging slowly while he passes off more and more spiritual power through what little contact he can get. Liu Qingge’s body may as well be desperate for it, with how it keeps all but screaming for more with everything except with words. Shen Yuan doesn’t ask any questions ─ and there is generally no need, when Liu Qingge gets like this, annoyed to the point he cannot stand it. He blurts out everything on his own sooner or later, just like a child petty over losing an argument.
“That goddamn Skinner. Finally, I had that bastard down. The hideout and everything ─ I had it. Bastard had a whole bunch of goddamned books on all sorts of dark cultivation types hidden in there and I just ─ I almost… FUCK!” Liu Qingge wrenches a hand free and slams a fist down on the couch, teeth gritting. “Again, I fell into a fucking trap.”
Shen Yuan sighs, but really ─ there is nothing that can get Liu Qingge’s blood boiling as fast as Skinner’s continued existence these days. It is almost impossible to unclench that fist the next time it curls up tight, so Shen Yuan implements some rather desperate measures. The moment he successfully parts those fingers far enough to lace his own through them ─ he does precisely that. He cares not for how it might come across and doesn’t hesitate at all to use that leverage he’s got, pinning that hand down in a similar manner to how Luo Binghe had done it before.
Liu Qingge tries to get himself out of it at first, with increased effort the more stubbornly Shen Yuan persists not to let him ─ until he forcefully tugs and all the medical supplies that have been sitting between them come crashing down on the ground. That also unintentionally brings them much closer, a single strand of Shen Yuan’s hair tickling along Liu Qingge’s naked chest.
Unintentionally, Shen Yuan’s eyes dart down, to where his hair settles over one of the scars, to where their faces are now incomparably closer and his hand still trapped in his Shidi’s merciless grip. For some stupid reason, the rhythm of his breathing changes ─ and he’s not sure if that change comes from him, or else if Liu-shidi’s erratic breathing has somehow carried over to him too and now the tension is a whole different kind…
Dangerous. The air in the room suddenly feels very dangerous ─ it’s ridiculous. There is nothing, absolutely nothing, that should be inciting this much thick tension between them to make the space suffocating. And yet. Shen Yuan doesn’t… he doesn’t know what stupid thing inside him makes him think that pressing his lips against Liu Qingge’s collarbone right now is a good idea. He only barely stops himself from acting on it.
Slowly, his gaze shifts up ─ until he looks up far enough to find Liu Qingge staring at him.
With his bottom lip stuck between his teeth, Liu Qingge has all but stopped breathing. Most of the blood has drained out of his face long ago, yet still, somehow, his ears are a contrasting pink the rest of his body. His eyes are wide and full of pure panic. Vaguely, Shen Yuan wonders where all the red from his eyes has gone. Is it not supposed to be here at all? Or does it only show up when Liu-shidi is… er, when he…
Shen Yuan blinks and forces himself to look away, breathing unsteady. Just as good that he does, because the door squeaks open to admit Luo Binghe inside a moment later and Shen Yuan wouldn’t have a clue how to explain a single thing if his cute disciple caught him making eyes at… er. It is beyond mortifying. But rather than let his sweet black lotus jump to the worst assumptions as per the law of cheap melodrama, he plays offensive instead, instantaneously and without a shred of shame.
“Did Mu-shishu not come back with Luo Binghe?”
It is perhaps a flash of hurt in Luo Binghe’s eyes, or maybe Shen Yuan’s imagination, as Luo Binghe slowly shuts the door behind him and bows his head. His voice is low and subdued, almost guilty. “This disciple was not permitted to get to any of the Peak Lords,” he mumbles. “I passed a message asking for Mu-shishu’s presence, but since the person asking was me, I don’t think that Qiong Ding disciples will deliver it in a timely manner. This disciple expresses his sincerest apologies.”
… what sincerest apologies? Luo Binghe! By your eyes alone it’s obvious you’d rather skewer Liu Qingge with your own hands than bring over someone to help him, you jealous child!
Ah, Shen Yuan doesn’t have the energy.
Sighing tiredly, he glances back over to Liu Qingge, who has taken to simply staring at the ceiling, stiff as a rock. Obviously, he’s only making Shen Yuan’s life harder, lying there motionlessly and making the whole thing look worse than it already is. Besides, it’s not like the blockages haven’t been quelled for now! What’s he holding Shen Yuan’s hand so tightly for?!
“Shizun,” Luo Binghe says softly, but it is quite evident he is silently seething, “is there something else this disciple can do?”
“Yes, actually!” Shen Yuan latches onto the opportunity like a desperate man, trying not to grimace as he slowly wrenches his fingers free one by one. “Liu-shishu’s blockages have been cleared out, but his meridians are not doing so well yet. While this master finds some tools to remove this… mess of a stitching, if Luo Binghe will be so kind as to pass Shishu some spiritual power?”
There, have a little bit of THAT, now! Dare you to try to play jealous again over such cheap dramatic plot twists! Shen Yuan has made his preferences quite clear, thank you very much, and if his Shidi’s lips still mess with his head a little, that’s all due to that one vulnerable little dramatic makeout session forced on by the stupid sex-obsessed weapon. Liu Qingge would rather die than let that happen again, evidently, and Shen Yuan has already committed a moral suicide by indulging his disciple as much as he does on a daily basis. Really, no need to worry whatsoever! Better just let these two fools bond a little through mutual suffering, before they start trying to kill each other all day every day.
Quite satisfied with his results and the two equally revolted expressions that he spies from a distance, Shen Yuan goes about searching for a backup medical toolkit particularly slowly.
He’s only barely opened the first cupboard when a, “Repeat that or I’m going to kill you,” sounds from the other room.
Ah, finally. A sense of normalcy.
Shen Yuan takes his sweet, sweet time, letting them hiss and argue with each other, pleasantly surprised that nothing has been broken when he comes back. Liu Qingge is roughed up, but it’s not like he’s going to die, and Luo Binghe is furious but he’s not blackened enough to outright try and kill his Shishu when Shen Yuan is right there. So really ─ it works out perfectly. This ─ this is what you call a win-win!
And if, somewhere deep in the messed up parts of his brain that Shen Yuan refuses to acknowledge exists, finds this whole scenario just a little bit suggestively interesting… well. This isn’t even worth thinking about. His morals have hit their lowest point a long time ago. What upstanding part of him is there that’s left to disappoint? Not like it matters anyway. Morals in crapsack cultivator novel worlds are overrated anyway.
Silently, Shen Yuan commits the image to memory, promising to never revisit it again while he breathes. Then, perfectly calmly, he proceeds to remove his Shidi’s atrocious stitching, silently wincing far more obviously than even Liu Qingge with every piece he must dig out. He would have offered some numbing salve, had that idiot asked for it ─ but given just how stubborn that expression on his face is, he doesn’t. Let him suffer. Perhaps it’ll teach him to be less stubborn about raising death flags for himself in the future.
Oh, who is he even kidding?
Mu Qingfang’s idea on how to address this seems more and more viable the longer Shen Yuan spends cutting out piece by piece of… this thing… that Liu Qingge used to stitch himself up. Good lord, Shen Yuan’s happy he’s been sticking to inedia lately, or else who knows how his poor stomach would be handling this.
All he can say is, really, his mother had it right about him. Shen Yuan never would have made it through med school.
By the time he’s done, his hands are a shaky mess and all he wants to do is sit and cry ─ because what the hell, Mu-shidi?! How does that poor man survive this? Every little whimper Liu Qingge tried to bury or hide hurt more than a freaking whip. Shen Yuan isn’t even sure at which point he’s simply washed his hands off the blood, calmly wiped them off on a spare towel, then made a very long circle across the room before naturally gravitating over to Luo Binghe and simply burying his face in his fluffy, flowery-scented hair, pressing his forehead between his shoulder blades.
“S-Shizun?!” Luo Binghe lets out a strangled little noise, but thankfully, doesn’t do anything more conspicuous. He just stands frozen there, in the middle of the room, a tiny tremble running along the spine.
“A minute, please and thank you,” Shen Yuan mumbles, queasy. There’d been… something… other than just blood… that he could see. Was it squirming? Or was it just how organs normally contract when functioning? It was just a tiny glimpse. Shen Yuan has eaten nothing and he still has no idea how he managed to get rid of the entire thread without throwing up. Even now, Liu-shidi is laying down on the couch with his wound gaping open because Shen Yuan cannot handle it. He keeps his eyes closed firmly and inhaling the scent from Binghe’s hair desperately, just to get his mind off it.
“Should, ah… should this disciple take over?” Binghe asks eventually, and Shen Yuan is on the verge of crying tears of gratitude just to let him.
Really, he is fine. He can handle wounds, he can handle blood. It’s no big deal, really. Arguably, he has seen worse, on himself, remembering those awful spores growing out of his skin back in the Holy Mausoleum. But that’s one thing, weeds growing out of his body, as opposed to a complex surgical procedure on his Shidi. Nonetheless, if anyone’s jealous here, it is Shen Yuan, of Luo Binghe’s ability to keep an entirely straight face as he picks up a backup medical kit, a set of bandages, and finishes the rest of the work that Shen Yuan cannot make himself watch.
Seriously. Handling Skinner parasites is fine. Handling spores is a-okay. Watching human organs move around while removing shoddy stitching is not.
At the very least, nobody calls him out on it. Small mercies, small mercies.
Long live the Protagonist Halo. Thank god Shen Yuan doesn’t have it.
Notes:
Poor LQG is malfunctioning and it's got nothing to do with his injuries hahahahhaahah
Chapter 42: The Preferred Method
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
The Peak Lord meeting has been ongoing for a while when Liu Qingge and Shen Yuan finally join it. By that point, Liu Qingge’s wound had been cleaned up, properly stitched and bandaged, his spiritual power stabilized and his meridians thoroughly cleansed. He has also just about lost his dignity half a dozen times, but eh. When in Shen Yuan’s proximity, Liu Qingge tries very hard not to think about it.
Now, however, it is impossible not to think about it, not to think about him, as Shen Yuan more or less walks him straight into the Qiong Ding’s round room for a peak lord meeting just because Liu Qingge has stubbornly refused to miss it.
That’s the whole problem here, really. If it weren’t important, Liu Qingge would’ve ignored the meeting notice like he always does. But this time, what he’s stumbled into is huge, it’s impactful as hell and important enough that he should’ve brought it in even while still bleeding out of his midsection. Even if the entire damn marble room falls into deathly silence when they see Shen Yuan all but carrying Liu Qingge inside, even if all the peak lords can’t quite believe it that Liu Qingge is wearing a Qing Jing uniform, one of Shen Qingqiu’s outer robes of all things ─ like fuck! All of his clothes were ruined and for some stupid reason the side room only had a pair of Luo Binghe’s disciples robes and he had neither the time nor energy to go to Bai Zhan if Qiong Ding was the end goal and… here we are.
Liu Qingge doesn’t want to know why Shen Yuan hides his disciple’s robes in that messy side room of all places. Unfortunately, there’s been plenty of things going on inside the bamboo house to tell him a wholeass story about it, what with the way that demon brat has been staring at Shen Yuan whenever the fool isn’t looking. Worse, Shen Yuan is either an idiot or he simply doesn’t care, but seeing him just bury his face in… in.
Shit.
And now Liu Qingge has entered a peak lord meeting wearing Shen Yuan’s clothing and everybody is fucking staring.
Really. If there’s anything more humiliating than trying to push himself into a pair of disciple robes two sizes too small because of lack of options, it is Shen Yuan practically gifting him his own robes because due to the sheer size of those sleeves, no one will ever realize it’s also not matching in size. With so many eyes on him, Liu Qingge wants to die from humiliation. At the same time, he wants to press his nose into the clothes and not stop until the scent of its owner has finally faded away.
Somewhere, if he’s still alive, the real Shen Qingqiu is probably plotting his demise. If not, he just has to be turning in his grave. He better be. But Liu Qingge can’t fucking help it anymore. It’s easy to get it out of his head when he’s off chasing demons or whatever, but every time he comes back to Cang Qiong Mountain, the only thing he can think about is Shen Yuan, Shen Yuan, Shen Yuan, like his whole head is fucking broken.
Anyway, yes ─ business. Important business. Liu Qingge rushed through both his trip back, wound stitching and even forced Shen Yuan to drag him here for a reason ─ except the meeting has already been in session for a while. Stepping in so late has undeniably gotten everyone's attention, momentarily rendering the whole room silent, but it's clear that most the peak lords have already been here for a while.
Liu Qingge almost wants for someone ─ preferably Yue Qingyuan ─ to call out their tardiness and make a big deal out of it, even if the Sect Leader never fucking does. And because Yue Qingyuan is just as taken aback by their late appearance as the rest, Liu Qingge almost lets himself hope that the Sect Leader will be thrown off enough to give them word first ─ but no. The Sect Leader's eyes follow both Liu Qingge and Shen Yuan the whole way like eagle eyes refusing to miss any detail, but once the two peak lords have taken their seats across from each other, the Sect Leader snaps out of it. With a small hand gesture, Yue Qingyuan signals to the others to proceed ─ and immediately, an explosive argument continues.
It's a moment before the rest of the room catches themselves, but it's fast. Of course it is. It's Qi Qingqi and Zui Xian’s Wu Qinggang, again. Liu Qingge stares at the pair of them as they hurl insults at each other as though they’re the worst enemies, when most of the time they make for twin drinking buddies.
Liu Qingge glances over to Mu Qingfang beside him with a single gesturing eyebrow, but the man merely waves his hand, in that ‘let them be’ way he loves to do every time it’s somebody making a mess. Obviously, he notices that something’s happened and even if he doesn’t ask, he still tries to sneak his hand under the table and get a feel for Liu Qingge’s wrist ─ but Liu Qingge smacks his hand away.
For one, his whole body is still reeling from how Shen Yuan was touching him before. The contact has left him quite literally oversensitive to every little thing now, even if it wasn’t by any means invasive or even overwhelming. The opposite, really. It felt… nice. Close. Liu Qingge doesn’t know for sure how his meridians and spiritual power are generally handling this, but his other body parts have not been having a great time. His heart has been threatening to punch out of his chest for a while now and down below, he’s itching just enough to be uncomfortable. Mu Qingfang, damn his expertise, is probably going to figure him out in seconds if he gets a chance to try, so hell nah. Liu Qingge would quite literally rather die right here in front of everybody.
Besides, Qi Qingqi is furious. That’s always fun to watch.
“Here we are, offering our assistance to our Shidis so kindly only for my disciples to be taken advantage of!” The woman is seething, and Liu Qingge has absolutely no idea what Wu Qinggang could have screwed up so badly to get her this pissed. “Remind me again, Shidi! Who asked for the drink deliveries?! Who paid for them?! Who profited?! And who sent my precious girls out there to serve alcohol to some filthy old men like they’re brothel hires?!”
Several people wince. Shen Yuan pulls out his fan to cover up the dramatic little ‘oh’ his mouth forms like he’s relishing in the drama. Liu Qingge doesn’t remember when he stopped watching the argument and started watching Shen Yuan, but he pries his eyes away with great effort.
Wu Qinggang’s face is scarlet from anger and shame. “Have we not discussed this enough times already?! There was a mix-up with deliveries! We did not knowingly send your girls out there to serve those rich nobles! We apologized for that too! Your disciples were properly compensated─”
“Properly compensated?!” Qi Qingqi snarls. “Exactly what do you see my disciples as?! What about my juniors who got indecently harassed by those creepy old men?! What about the ones who got beat up for refusing their advances?! How are you gonna compensate for that?!”
“We already addressed the situation!” Wu Qinggang shouts back helplessly. “What more do you want?! Better distribution measures have already been implemented! The mix-up with the initial deliveries only happened because your juniors were the ones handling them in the first place─”
“Oh don’t you dare put this on my girls when it was your seniors overseeing the process!”
“Shijie!”
“Don’t you dare address me that way!”
Yue Qingyuan clears his throat. It’s clearly fake, low enough to not truly interfere but still draw their attention, and finally both the Peak Lords fall silent for a moment.
“Apologies, Zhangmen-shixiong,” they mumble in sync.
Yue Qingyuan offers them a brief smile, but it quickly disappears as he decides to address the matter personally. “Qi-shimei, has everyone from Xian Shu peak made their return to the mountain safely?”
“... yes, Zhangmen-shixiong.”
“Good. Wu-shidi, has the group of nobles that caused the issue been blacklisted for Zui Xian peak's deliveries?”
“...”
Yue Qingyuan frowns slightly. “Wu-shidi?”
Qi Qingqi looks like she’s about to set the whole room on fire with the anger in her eyes and the color of her face, as she crosses her arms over her chest and pointedly glares at Zui Xian peak lord as if to scream, see the hypocrisy?!?!?!?
Wu Qinggang scowls, but he’s clearly not happy about this. “We blacklisted some of them,” he grunts out, unwillingly. “But not the ones who originally made the order, no.”
Unlike Qi Qingqi, who looks like she might just blow, Yue Qingyuan takes this perfectly calmly. “I suppose there is a reason for this that goes beyond merely annoying your Shijie just because an opportunity has arisen?”
If anything, Wu Qinggang looks pissed at the implication. He averts his eyes, glaring hatefully at a wall behind Shen Yuan. “The situation escalated… we blacklisted all the nobles we could, but that’s just gonna come back to bite us at this rate.”
“And why’s that?” Qi Qingqi hisses, but her tone alone betrays her. She’s buying none of that nonsense and she’s getting more pissed by the second. At this rate, she might actually pull a weapon on him. Liu Qingge regrets not bringing snacks. The drama is stupid, but for once, it’s not him.
“Wu-shidi?” the Sect Leader nudges softly. “Is something the matter?”
“...”
“Spill it already!” Qi Qingqi explodes.
“Fine!” Wu Qinggang explodes. “We blacklisted all the nobles we could, but the hosts who made the orders were people from the Liu noble clan of Tianyao! What?! Was Zui Xian peak supposed to blacklist them, too?!”
The instant silence is deafening. Nothing changes about the way Liu Qingge sits, yet suddenly every part or his body feels unnaturally stiff. Everybody is staring at him. Why the fuck is everyone staring? Haven’t they stared at him enough for today? What’s the point of this?
… what? Are they seriously waiting on him to say something?!
Yue Qingyuan clears his throat. That sound he makes now feels entirely out of place. He is also looking at Liu Qingge. Not quite staring, but imploring, and that’s somehow worse.
Liu Qingge isn’t sure when exactly his fist has clenched so tightly, but his veins are bulging and he wants to punch something.
“What?!” he barks, finally losing his temper. “If bastards broke our codebook, you blacklist them. Who the fuck cares what stupid noble family they come from?”
They are still fucking staring. At this rate, Liu Qingge is gonna start throwing hands with the first person who dares look him in the eye.
Wu Qinggang’s face is bright red. “Technically, it’s not anyone from the Liu clan who broke our rules, but they were the ones who stepped in when things got out of hand─”
“If they defended the bastards who broke the rules, it’s the same as if they broke them themselves,” Liu Qingge hisses. “Blacklist them and be done with it. Fucking idiots.”
Truly, he doesn’t get what’s such a big deal about this? The Liu clan is rich, so what? Cang Qiong Mountain is richer and they hit harder. If the fools won’t behave, then beat them until they do. Simple.
However, Qi Qingqi’s face has darkened significantly. She no longer seems as intent on crucifying the Zui Xian Peak lord as she was a minute ago.
“I heard it was one of my juniors who stepped in on the behalf of my girls who got harassed,” she says, frowning thoughtfully. “The official report hasn’t yet made it to my desk, so you tell me. Was that junior Liu Mingyan?”
Liu Qingge’s breathing halts. What?
Wu Qinggang, obviously not knowing what’s good for him, nods once. “My Head Disciple moved as soon as the news arrived. Two disciples from Xian Shu peak were injured and two were… indecently harassed… but disciple Liu Mingyan stepped in before the situation could get worse. It was at her request that the Liu clan was left out of our initial report.”
Liu Qingge feels Mu Qingfang’s heel digging into his foot, keeping him in place, when all he wants is to stand up and pulverize something. Or somebody. Until Liu Qingge sees blood flowing, he will not calm down, forget his stupid fucking injury. But Mu Qingfang shakes his head, pressing his foot down harder by the second. Nobody can see the subtle signs the man is making with his hand, nobody but Liu Qingge, but he would rather see nothing and just blow up the whole room instead.
The signs are clear, though. If Mu Qingfang is going out of his way to subtly sign to him that Mingyan is fine, then that’s clearly the case. If the incident happened off the mountain, then it would've been mandatory for everyone to get through a check up on Qian Cao Peak anyway, so of course he'd know. But whether or not she’s fine is not really Liu Qingge is even questioning, at this point. It’s the sheer audacity that is making his blood boil with rage, and no amount of reassurance Mu Qingfang tries to provide will do a thing.
“Blacklist them,” he hisses out through gritted teeth. “I don’t fucking care. Go ahead and blacklist the whole clan, not just the idiots who were there.”
“O-oi, Liu Qingge…” Qi Qingqi is speechless. “That’s going too far. You can’t just─”
“I can and I will,” Liu Qingge growls. “Blacklist them all.”
“Zui Xian will blacklist all the nobles directly partaking in the incident, but will not blacklist whole clans solely because one representative from a certain branch may or may not have been involved,” Yue Qingyuan says. At Liu Qingge’s outraged look, he adds, “The policy of Cang Qiong Mountain is such that we will not hold a whole clan responsible over an act one or two individuals may have committed, unless they are the very head of the clan. The rules have always been as such. We will not change them now. Since Zui Xian Peak has already taken the initiative, they will be the ones to handle this matter as per the sect’s usual operation policy. Is that acceptable?”
“Yes, Zhangmen-shixiong,” Wu Qinggang and Qi Qingqi mumble jointly.
Liu Qingge says nothing, but he pointedly looks away, resisting the urge to smack the marble table in front of him and shatter it to pieces. Finally, Mu Qingfang removes his damn pointy heel off his foot.
Yue Qingyuan sighs, but he takes Liu Qingge’s silence for approval. “Very well. As for that other matter, I hear that Liu-shidi also has a report to deliver. Please, Shidi, go ahead.”
Ah, fuck. Shen Yuan must have already passed his note to the Sect Leader, then. Couldn't have done it at a worse time, really. Liu Qingge grimaces, but he pulls out a book from deep within the sleeves of Shen Yuan’s robes. The damn thing even has hidden compartments where no one would’ve ever guessed existed, so everyone is a little surprised when Liu Qingge suddenly throws a book on the table precisely enough to slide directly to the Sect Leader’s hands.
Yue Qingyuan raises a questioning eyebrow as he glances over the dark, worn out covers, but he patiently waits for an explanation.
Liu Qingge silently curses in his own head, then finally forces his mouth to open.
“Last few weeks, I was out tracking down all the leads I could get on Skinner,” he says and is not at all interested that several people find it appropriate to roll their eyes. “This chase led me to the borderlands, where a bunch of Formless Demons rounded up a group of demons from the northern realm’s ice clans and tried to feed on them. There were humans among the captured, so I trashed the whole thing. That, however, led me to Skinner’s hideout, where I found that.” He gestures at the book in Yue Qingyuan’s hands. “That book has everything ever recorded about the Lingering Soul Ritual and what it can do. I don’t know how demons got their hands on it, but it’s definitely written by cultivators, for cultivators, intended for use on cultivators. It’s far more detailed than what Huan Qingyan managed to recreate so far.”
The woman in question gasps, covering her mouth for a moment, her eyes shockingly wide, but Liu Qingge ignores her entirely as he continues his explanation.
“In the end, I wasn’t able to capture Skinner, but the den definitely belonged to that bastard. Anyway, this book is probably the most thorough thing we will find on Formless Demons ever. But even more importantly, if you open it, you can see exactly where it originated from.”
Curiously, Yue Qingyuan turns the first page ─ only for his fingers to immediately freeze over and snap it shut.
Liu Qingge is not impressed. Just as expected, at the prospect of an inter-sect conflict, Yue Qingyuan will completely shut down all conversation and pretend like the Huan Hua Palace’s stamps all over the book pages aren’t exactly the damning evidence they’ve been missing.
“Zhangmen-shixiong?” Huan Qingyan mutters, voice faint. “What’s the matter?”
“It doesn’t mean anything,” Yue Qingyuan says, almost reproachingly as he looks at Liu Qingge. “The sect insignia is clear and the notes are handwritten, but even our libraries have such books in them. You need not look further than Qing Jing's libraries. Even the books in Shen-shidi's private library have the same insignia and it’s obviously the case for my own peak. Liu-shidi, I understand what your caution and urgency mean, but pointing fingers when we still lack concrete evidence is unbecoming.”
Liu Qingge shrugs, quite disinterested. “I’ve pointed fingers at nobody. I’m just stating facts. Whether or not all of it originated there is none of my business.”
“I take it it’s not the Xianmo sect, for a change?” Qi Qingqi asks, tiredly. “This talk today has been nothing except Xianmo sect over and over, with a dash of internal headaches. Zhangmen-shixiong, is it them again?”
“This Xianmo sect, who are they exactly?” Shen Yuan asks.
Liu Qingge scowls at him. He's clearly seen the markings too, why is he of all people changing the topic?! Except, Shen Yuan is pointedly ignoring him as he waves his fan around, in a manner just casual enough to be clear that it isn't casual at all. “They can’t have existed for long if no one’s ever heard of them, no? That book, meanwhile, looks quite old. Not that is has to mean anything, of course.”
“We already know they have their fingers dabbed into more or less every issue we have been dealing with over the past few months. If they are a real sect, no matter how questionable their methods, we still need to confirm what the fuck they actually want, especially as their popularity among the local folks at the edges of our territory is immense,” Qi Qingqi says. “Besides, the public opinion on us has suffered hit after hit. Already, rumors are everywhere that we either don’t deserve our glory, having fallen to a demon attack so easily, or that we’ve done something nefarious to draw the demons to us. There’s even speculation that we went easy on them. They’re not entirely false.”
“It’s bigger than that,” Wei Qingwei says. “The Xianmo sect has definitely been targeting us on purpose, no doubt about it. Anyone who has tried to learn more about their sect leader knows by now.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Mu Qingfang asks mildly. “I don’t expect that we would have done something to get in the way of a small sect that doesn’t even operate on our territory…”
“Not the whole Cang Qiong Mountain, no,” Wei Qingwei says. “But they do seem to be targeting one person specifically. They’re being rather obnoxious about it.”
“Who─” but Liu Qingge cuts himself off, realizing most people have gone silent again.
Hou Qingyu, who has especially spent much time researching this, is staring straight at… Shen Yuan? A very awkward looking Shen Yuan who seems to have already heard all about this. Huh.
“Bullshit,” Liu Qingge says. “What the hell? What’s the point in messing with Qing Jing peak of all places? Nobody’s been leading it properly for months. More importantly, who even said this Xianmo sect has anything to do with this stupid ritual? Shit’s way bigger than them.”
In spite of Liu QIngge’s argument, Shen Yuan covers his face with his fan briefly, visibly amused. “Liu-shidi, there is no need to speak up on this shixiong's behalf. I’m well aware of the rumors about me circulating in Jianghu. What’s the most recent one? Ah, that I’m the one creating the Formless Demons, was it? Insanity.”
“That’s the whole point, it’s rumors,” Liu Qingge hisses. “React to it, you give ‘em reason to believe they might be true. Better just let it all blow over on its own. We have ways to back you up that those shitty old idiots can’t ignore.”
“Oh, so do it the way Liu-shixiong does, with reasons… and then he blows up Tian Yi Overlook’s borderlands outpost? Because that’s obviously a good solution,” Hou Qingyu snarks brightly.
“If their stupid outpost does nothing in the face of Formless Demons eradicating all life in front of their eyes, do they even need it?” Liu Qingge snaps back. Fuck! He's only barely gotten back! How fast does news spread, damn it?!
“Either way, that’s not our decision to make and now we’re the ones stuck with the bills for repair. More and more, Tian Yi Overlook has been looking to slam at us over our poor business conduct and yet we keep making it worse. Shixiong, you mind taming your destructive habits a bit? Two out of three great sects have already sent us bills for damages you personally caused. If we receive an invoice from Huan Hua Palace too, then we’re really screwed.”
“If they send an invoice, I’ll deliver it right back with an all out beating─”
“Shidi,” Yue Qingyuan warns.
“No, let’s talk about this,” Wei Qingwei says suddenly. “Huan Hua Palace has been operating on neutral territories for a while now, hogging them for themselves and buying them off little by little. Tian Yi Overlook has, in order to spite us, been letting Huan Hua’s cultivators sneak through their territories all the way to the northern borderlands to loot their tribes and blamed us for it. More than once, I had to personally intervene before the Mobei clan wiped our own outposts in vengeance. You all make an issue out of the Xianmo sect as if they’re not just a small fry. If anything, they’ve been Huan Hua Palace’s extended hand in their further expansion northeast to the point we’ve almost forgotten the real deal. The Old Palace Master has been quiet for a long time, but does anyone really think that old man isn’t gonna take an opportunity when he sees one? I’m with Liu Qingge on this. If they wanna fight it out, let’s take it to their front door before they take it to ours.”
“Except nobody is fighting yet,” Yue Qingyuan says sharply. “At most, it’s been subtle little movements, a little bit of taunting and a whole lot of thinly veiled mockery. We have already gotten on the bad side of one major sect. If we go about antagonizing another one, then no matter what we do, we will forever be painted the villains. And before you start at me ─ no, this is not about public perception. What Wei-shidi and Liu-shidi must understand is that any rash actions now can lead to an outright sect conflict and if it does ─ can either one of you confidently claim we can win it?”
At that, the silence is devastating.
The answer seems obvious at first. Due to its structure alone, Cang Qiong Mountain has more qualified Immortal Masters than the rest of the sects combined. But their disciples are mostly a fresh batch of youths that has barely had the chance to taste bitterness of reality and most other sects do not periodically lose their entire upper echelon to ascension. So, who, then, has more powerful cultivators within their walls? Is it still Cang Qiong Mountain? Or have Tian Yi Overlook and Huan Hua Palace surpassed them and have thus become a little more daring than before?
If so, Liu Qingge can’t even blame them. From amongst Cang Qiong Mountain’s heavier hitters, one of them is already under all sorts of nasty suspicions over his conduct, two are quite literally handicapped by demonic poison and the most important part ─ the worst rumors about the sect circling the Jianghu are undoubtedly true. Shen Qingqiu is possessed. Luo Binghe is a Heavenly demon. The sect is fine with this, but why would any outsider be? It would look exactly like the most powerful sect in the world going rogue. The hero turning into a villain, that sort of shit.
Picking a fight with one major sect is bad enough. Even if he were at full power and challenging Huan Hua Palace, Liu Qingge would boast, but he would not be able to make a confident claim on his victory. Picking a fight with the entire Jianghu at the same time…? Zhangmen-shixiong has a good point. They gotta pick their fights and Liu Qingge hates every moment of it.
“Unfortunately, the matter has escalated quite a bit, to the point that even the other great sects are now demanding explanations from our side,” Yue Qingyuan says grimly. “If we don’t do something, Shen-shidi’s reputation will be brought into question even more and then the sect will have to even further justify─”
“Next, this sect’s gonna have to justify its whole existence,” Liu Qingge grumbles, beyond annoyed. “Wake up, Zhangmen-shixiong. If we do what they ask, they’re just gonna demand more. This sect has been tethering the line between righteous and self-righteous since its inception. We skirt these bullheaded rules every damn hour. Should they start sanctioning us for breathing?”
Yue Qingyuan blinks, a little surprised, but it’s not like Liu Qingge doesn’t listen to the Sect Leader when the man talks on and on about respectfulness and propriety. Of course he listens. He just doesn’t care. There’s a difference. This whole damn room has invented that difference.
Awkwardly, the Sect Leader clears his throat. “Of course, Liu-shidi is correct. We cannot give any careless responses. But Huan Hua Palace has already demanded an explanation and Tian Yi Overlook has plenty of reasons to question our accountability─”
“Let them question it, then,” Liu Qingge snaps. “If they want a test of strength, let’s do it. Huan Hua Palace has been creeping in on our territories for years now. Let’s make them talk about that. How dare they hog the neutral territories all for themselves? Tch. And they dare question us. Slam their book back in their faces and ask what kind of dark cultivation they themselves are dabbling into, since they’re already slamming us. See how they like it.”
He looks away, face aflame now that everyone is once again staring at him. Now what?! Did he say something wrong again?! They better spill it then, this whole staring game is stupid.
Even Mu Qingfang is staring. Damn, he must’ve really messed up.
Why does Yue Qingyuan have that look on him like he’s a little proud?
“Ahem... well, Zhangmen-shixiong is correct, in the sense that if the great sects have decided to join hands and turn on us, there really isn’t much we can do other than not actively make the situation worse,” Wei Qingwei says slowly. “It’s undeniable that this is a joint effort with an agenda and we will gain nothing from recklessly rushing into a conflict. We need to figure out what they want from us first.”
“A fight, obviously,” Liu Qingge grumbles.
“Shidi, most people won’t just come out and fight for the thrill of it,” Qi Qingqi says skeptically. “We’re the ones guarding the northern borderlands. If we fall, what do they gain other than a whole lot of work nobody wants to do? Obviously, this isn’t about territory alone.”
“Mhm, Shang-shidi has reported quite a few odd happenings in the north as well,” Yue Qingyuan points out, with the man in question tensing up slightly. “Looks like the northern demon realm might get a brand new leader earlier than anyone expected.”
“Huan Hua Palace won’t like that.” Wei Qingwei snorts. “It’s time we let them get a taste of their own medicine.”
“What? You saying we should give demons safe passage through our territory so they can fight it out with the Palace Master for us? Wei-shixiong, have you lost your mind?!” Hou Qingyu snaps.
“Is it your disciples fighting in the north or mine? I’ve had enough of picking up after others, thank you very much.”
Yue Qingyuan coughs into his fist, getting in the way of another argument before it erupts. “As things stand, sooner or later, Huan Hua Palace will demand that we make a public stand and they will leave us no way around. An outright conflict with another cultivation sect is not an option ─ and before you say it, Liu-shidi, this cannot be solved with a fight. We cannot just battle it out.”
Liu Qingge rolls his eyes stubbornly. “Call me if you change your mind.”
Yue Qingyuan snorts, but he does look somewhat amused. “Let’s leave that as a last resort. There’s quite a few more urgent things for us to tackle than worry about what Huan Hua Palace has not yet done.”
“Xianmo sect,” Hou Qingyu grunts.
“Mn. Let’s see what we can do about them, first,” Yue Qingyuan affirms. “Hou-shidi has already started on this, but if there is anyone who wishes to join him, now is the time to step up.”
Of course, nobody volunteers.
“Cowards,” Hou Qingyu grunts, just loud enough for everyone to hear.
Liu Qingge raises one eyebrow at him, but the man immediately rolls his eyes.
“Not you. You’re just gonna beat up the whole sect and then we’ll have to pay for their damages too. Anyone else?”
The silence is telling. Nobody wants to stick their fingers into that particular mess.
For all they pretend to be noble and wise and above it all, Liu Qingge’s preferred method of resolving problems by beating the shit out of them also tends to be Cang Qiong Mountain’s preferred method on the whole. Their reputation as the number one sect in the world doesn’t come from their diplomatic ability, even if Yue Qingyuan tries very hard to make it so. For most peaks, throwing hands and clashing swords is the go-to solution for all problems that require a little more attention than a regular night hunt. The only difference is that some peaks (read, Bai Zhan) make no pretense about it at all, and others (read, Qing Jing and Xian Shu ─ the worst offenders), have to make a show of having tried all the other methods first. Most others sit somewhere in between.
At the end of the day, it’s all the same. Someone will get their ass handed to them. Liu Qingge is perfectly fine being the one to deliver that beating ─ but he is not a freak. He will wait for his invitation. Yue Qingyuan will never pass up the opportunity to utilize him anyway and if he needs to be a little patient about it, so be it ─ even if he is nowhere near as strong as he used to be.
Qi Qingqi said it right. Most people don’t fight for the thrill of it alone. They have goals to achieve and something to gain, otherwise they wouldn’t bother at all. So long as nothing concerns him personally, Liu Qingge will wait patiently. He will not look at Shen Yuan at all anymore, because he is not good at pretending that he doesn’t care when he obviously does, nor will he look at Qi Qingqi, because he is terrible at holding back when he wants to punch somebody.
But he will stop in his tracks when he steps back onto Bai Zhan peak a while later, having only gotten a minimal amount of medicine from Qian Cao, just to find his sister waiting for him.
He will bottle up all his rage and ignore all of his disciples swarming around her, some gawking at her beauty and others looking like they want to put her up to a test of strength ─ and he will smack the bastard who can’t shut his damn mouth around her without splitting his skull open. Who cares if the brat bites off his tongue in the process? He should learn some damn manners.
One example is enough, though, because the rest of the brats quickly take their cue and scramble away, with a muttered “Apologies, Shizun,” passing off among them like a hot potato. Even those brats, however, are staring at his choice of wear.
“Wait,” Liu Qingge barks. He frowns, though because his peak full of chaotic brats is unusually empty. He grabs the nearest kid and asks, “Where’s the rest of them?”
“... out chasing Formless Demons, Shizun,” the kid answers dutifully.
Liu Qingge rolls his eyes. Apparently, the brats are all back to trying to get themselves killed quickly the moment he takes his eyes off of them. Damn Shen Yuan and his overprotective ass, hogging Luo Binghe all to himself. Ever since that fool returned, Luo Binghe has not come over to Bai Zhan Peak to challenge this overly-energetic bunch of brats even once. Then again, Liu Qingge is much more fond of Cang Qiong Mountain now that the fool is around. Nosy as he may be.
Ultimately, Liu Qingge lets the brat go and turns to acknowledge his sister with a grunt. Mingyan, of course, says nothing, but her eyes are glued to his uniform. That stupidass veil covers up for whatever expression her face must be making. Fuck, Liu Qingge loathes that thing.
“Brother,” she greets, after catching him staring, too, only to be taken aback when Liu Qingge passes her by without so much as a word. She has to run to catch up to him.
“Brother,” she calls after him. “Brother!”
It’s not until he’s entered his house and the door has closed itself behind her that Liu Qingge finally turns to face her. It must be an ugly look, because Mingyan jerks away slightly.
“Brother, I─”
“Now I’m your brother, huh?” Liu Qingge snaps. “When I brought you here, you wouldn’t even look at me, but now that you’re going around, announcing your damn identity to everybody, now you come running after me? What a fat load of shit.”
For a long moment, Mingyan says nothing. But under that uglyass veil, Liu Qingge can tell. She’s smiling.
Eventually, as she notices he no longer has it in him to shout at her, she says, “Brother, I had no intention to keep any secrets. I’ve searched for you in both Bai Zhan peak and Qing Jing peak for several days now, but I somehow missed you every time.” There’s something about the way she’s looking at the stupid clothes he’s wearing ─ Liu Qingge decides to wholeheartedly ignore it. Anyway, she’s stealthily calling him out and apparently that’s what he gets for being even dumber than his stupid disciples. How many weeks ago was he last here, anyway?
Liu Qingge sighs as he slumps down to sit on the floor, the pain in his midsection that has all but disappeared for a short while now flaring up again. He covers his face with his arm, staring at nothing in particular. He hears it, however, as Mingyan shifts around until she’s sitting close, staring up at him eagerly. A clingy child, damn it all. How did he not think this would end up happening? She can tell by his damn breathing that there’s an injury he’s hiding.
“Who was it?” he asks, before she can get a word out to ask about it. “Was it someone you know?”
“No, brother.”
“They’ll know you anyway. You’re the Liu clan’s jade princess. There’s not a single person in the entire damn clan who wouldn't know you, main branch or otherwise.”
“Mm, they know me, even if I cover my face,” Mingyan says. “They’ve known all along.”
Well… yeah. When Liu Qingge kidnapped his beautiful jewel of a sister from his clan’s greedy clutches, it was no secret where he took her. By that point, he had already been a peak lord of Cang Qiong Mountain long enough for the whole central plains to know it.
“The deal was, I don’t interfere with them, they don’t interfere with us,” Liu Qingge reminds her. “You should’ve never let them know you were there.”
“Brother is right,” Mingyan says dutifully. “Just as brother said, if you don’t interfere with them, they won’t interfere with us… But not one side ever spoke about what happens if I interfere instead.”
Liu Qingge snorts. “Cheeky brat.”
“I learned from the best.”
Liu Qingge shifts his arm away to take a look at her ─ and he takes a damn good look. It’s been about four years now, that Liu Qingge took the Liu clan’s noble heiress wrapped in silks and jewelry and pushed her into a world of hard, dangerous work with very little benefits. The child back then was a tearful coward without so much as a spark of life in her dull eyes and a pampered princess to boot, the one who has not had to make a single decision for the entirety of her short life. Or, better yet, a child who had been robbed of her ability to make any choice at all.
Mingyan doesn’t say it, ever, but Liu Qingge knows she misses that comfort, sometimes. Choices that she’s been forced to make ever since he took her out of Tianyao have not been easy. That tearful little girl in his arms had never willingly made them.
But that tearful little girl has grown up into a beautiful young lady who sits beside him with confidence and potential that goes beyond what anyone can grasp ─ even Liu Qingge. Her eyes glisten with liveliness and strength he never could have imagined such a fragile child could possess, watching him with respect and reverence as if he hadn’t been the one to drag her away from a life of luxury kicking and screaming.
For this girl, Liu Qingge would bring the world down on its knees and slaughter it with no mercy. For this girl, he…
He closes his eyes, sighing deeply. “They didn’t ─ say… or do anything to you, right? They wouldn’t dare? If they’re a side branch, they probably wouldn’t know─”
But Mingyan gently presses her fingers against his shoulder, massaging softly, using every excuse under the sky to pass him spiritual power and figure out what caused that injury. He shrugs off her touch, with little success.
“Brother shouldn’t worry so much,” Mingyan says. “I don’t want to go home.”
“That’s not ─ I just… if you’re going to… argh.” Liu Qingge hates it that he can’t make his mind and mouth work in sync. “If you’re going to go back, it should be your choice. Nobody else’s.”
“I don’t want to go home,” Liu Mingyan repeats firmly. “I won’t.”
“That’s─”
“Brother, I’m heading out for a mission soon. I came here to let you know.”
Liu Qingge blinks, a little surprised. What is this? Is she asking permission? But if she is, then why is she talking to him? She’s Qi Qingqi’s disciple. He has no authority over what she does and that’s very much intentional─
He looks at her eyes then, and the somber look he receives back tells him all he needs to know. Like Mingyan would tell him anything about her missions unless it’s that bullshit. Their stupid clan knows exactly where she is, after all. The idiots would have been looking for an excuse to call her back from the moment she’s left. However, Mingyan has been in Liu Qingge’s care for a long time and she only formally joined the sect a little over a year ago. Who’s to say the entire chaos between Zui Xian and Xian Shu peaks wasn’t a direct result of the clan intentionally trying to oust his sister?
In the end, he just nods in acknowledgement. He doesn’t ask. If Mingyan wants to say more, she’ll tell him, and if she doesn’t, then he has no right to ask anyway. He ruined her life enough already.
Mingyan smiles. “Brother, there is something I wanted to show you, before I go. In case the Sect Leader brings it up while I’m away.”
Instantly, alarm bells ring. “The Sect Leader…?”
Mingyan pulls out a set of papers from inside her lapels, placing them in his hands. Liu Qingge stares at several different sheets of paper, all with seemingly disjointed and nonsensical symbols and sigils. He tries to look them over and see what of this could possibly be relevant enough to warrant the Sect Leader’s attention. It’s clearly a trial version of some sort of a formation, but Liu Qingge was never particularly good with those ─ not unless its breaking them with force. But then two paper sheets align, forming a tiny coherent string of symbols in a pattern that looks eerily familiar.
“A reversed recreation? What is this?” he asks.
“Luo-shixiong visited earlier, on Shen-shibo's request. A while back, in Bailu forest, we encountered a formation,” Mingyan says. She is very pointedly avoiding looking at him as she speaks, probably because Liu Qingge is still not over the fact that Mu Qingfang, that fucking bastard, dragged her into it. “Shen-shibo and the Sect Leader asked me about it, but I couldn’t… I can’t remember it. Not clearly. Luo-shixiong provided some of his notes and I… I tried to write the formation from scratch.”
“Wait. You tried to recreate… a whole array? Based on nothing?” Liu Qingge’s head is spinning. Of course, he’s always known his sister is smart, but─
Mingyan shakes her head. “It’s not… Luo-shixiong helped a lot. The point is, when I first saw that formation, I had this feeling… that I know what it’s supposed to do. It’s too difficult, too complex, but it had some similar elements to what I’ve seen before. And so, what I have written down here… it’s not accurate, not completely. But if I… if I grasped its overall purpose correctly, then it should be similar to this. Some sort of a summoning array that twists the spatial laws in ways I don’t quite understand. But then Luo-shixiong said… Brother, is it true that there is a Heavenly Demon trapped under Bailu Mountain?”
Liu Qingge glances down at the papers in his hands then back at his sister. Her eyes are unreadable, deep as the ocean, dark as a void. Not once has she looked at him quite so intensely.
“Why?” he asks. “Are those formations linked?” Ridiculous question. They obviously are. The question is how?
“Brother, tell me. Is the formation of Bailu Mountain intended to trap a Heavenly Demon?”
Liu Qingge’s mouth feels very dry. His eyes are back on the papers, trying to find what Mingyan is seeing, but he sees nothing. What difference does it make? It’s just ink. But obviously it has to be important somehow, or why else would she come to him and not to the Sect Leader directly? Mingyan is many things, but she is neither shy nor the type to cower from authority. If she’s talking to him about this, and him alone…
Liu Qingge swallows thickly.
Mingyan trusts him wholeheartedly. He already knows this, he always has. That’s why she followed him to Cang Qiong Mountain even back when she didn’t understand anything, that’s why she gave up the entirety of her preset future to follow him into this madness. He can’t forgive himself for making her do that. But Mingyan trusts him. So the least he can do is trust her in that same way.
“Mm. That barrier was made to hold a Heavenly Demon lord. Tianlang Jun. I suppose you should’ve heard that name before. It was that demon who killed… grandfather.”
“Ah. Luo-shixiong’s father.” Liu Mingyan’s eyes are expressive, most of the time, but now she looks simply lost. She gazes back down on the papers still in his hands, before taking them back and reordering them slightly. Then she pulls out a single blank sheet, bites the tip of her finger and quickly scribbles something on it with her own blood.
Liu Qingge stares as all the black ink sigils light up in a faint golden color. “What is it? What did you do?”
“This… this one is wrong,” Mingyan says, pulling out one sheet from the stash. It’s the only one standing out from the rest, with a bluish glow which seems somewhat intercepted. Mingyan rips it to shreds. “I… this whole time, I was working under the assumption that this was about a summoning array that bends either time or space… a passage for something… But if Bailu Mountain formation was indeed set up to trap a Heavenly Demon, then…” Mingyan hesitates, her bloodied finger now listlessly hovering over a blank paper sheet.
Finally, she closes her eyes and, without ever looking, her finger traces bloody lines along the paper, adding many symbols, all of which are glowing softly with spiritual power. When she opens her eyes and once again focuses on Liu Qingge, her eyes are shining dangerously, with a twinkle of white and a weight behind them going beyond what either one of them can understand.
“Brother,” she says, with absolute certainty. “If Bailu mountain formation is meant to imprison the Heavenly Demon, then the reversed formation in the Grotto is undoubtedly set to release him.”
… well, shit.
How about that for a shocker, huh?
Mingyan’s face, however, only seems to get more conflicted. Her eyes are still on the symbols, intense and worried. “Brother, I…” but she hesitates, closing her eyes for a moment. “Is there truly no way for us to reach out to father, no matter what?”
Liu Qingge cannot help his snort. Wouldn’t their lives be a whole lot easier, if that were the case? “I tried, once. You know how that ended. What’s the point in even thinking about that nonsense?”
Mingyan shakes her head. “I just… I don’t think that this array was constructed by a cultivator, or even many of them, that’s all. Even if I can guess its purpose, I still don’t understand how it can function. There has to be more to it.”
“Does it matter?” Liu Qingge asks. “If it wasn’t a cultivator behind it, then, especially, we’re not able to do anything about it. So what difference does it make?”
“None to us, I suppose,” Mingyan whispers. “But it makes a difference to the Sect Leader and Shen-shibo. And brother seems…” her eyes flicker down to his robes again, the colors of Qing Jing that Liu Qingge should have long since taken off. “Quite fond of Shen-shibo.”
Liu Qingge doesn’t even have the decency to put on a face in front of her, anymore.
“Got a problem with that?” he mouths back, all too grumpy even as his ears burn.
Mingyan has the indecency to smile with those shiny fucking eyes. “None at all. This humble one was just a little surprised, because she had already seen brother’s first sword in Luo-shixiong’s hands. And brother is quite possessive over the items he holds dear.”
Liu Qingge grimaces. “That was just a loan. Miracle the brat didn’t destroy it, really.”
“... ah. Of course Shixiong returned it.”
There’s something about the way she says it that has Liu Qingge’s blood pooling in his face. “What’s your point, exactly? Just say it, stop skirting around it. I got no patience for that nonsense.”
Mingyan shakes her head, in that ridiculously suspicious way. “It’s nothing, brother. Qing Jing colors are a good look on you. Brother should wear them more often.”
Now, his face is actually steaming. “Shut up,” he growls. “Just… shut up.”
“Will brother mind if this humble one challenges Luo-shixiong for the sword that brother has only loaned him once?”
“... you’re just trying to get under my skin now, aren’t you? Are you jealous I’m not giving it to you? That thing doesn’t suit your temperament.”
Mingyan’s cheer, however, only seems to grow. “Is it because that sword is better equipped to handle demonic energy than most? Naturally, it would only break if I were to use it. Brother must have known Luo-shixiong’s origin much longer than my humble self can imagine.”
Liu Qingge snorts, unimpressed. “You’re gonna lie to my face and say you didn’t see through him the moment you laid your eyes on him?”
“Brother overestimates me,” Mingyan says, all too happily. “Even to this day, Luo-shixiong’s demonic heritage is not visible to my eyes. Had I not been there on Qiong Ding peak along with everyone else when that demonic mark appeared, not a soul could have convinced me that Luo-shixiong is anything other than an abnormally gifted cultivator. The heavenly sight is a great tool, but it’s not without its limitations. Brother taught me so.”
Liu Qingge sighs, containing another grimace. “That seal on his power is that strong?”
Mingyan shrugs. “I can hardly claim so, for I know nothing on the seal brother talks about. However, if the purpose of it is to hide Luo-shixiong’s mixed bloodline from the eyes of people like us, then certainly, it has done a magnificent job.”
“People like us, huh?” Liu Qingge muses, watching his sister while a certain unease creeps up his spine. “Mingyan, how many people are there, who are like us?” After all, right up until he found out about Mingyan, over a decade after she was born, Liu Qingge really thought he was the only one. For a while, he had been. But looking at Mingyan, he just… Would it be a good thing, if it were just the two of them?
His sister’s eyes soften significantly. “Many noble clans bear the Trace of Heaven in their blood, brother. Many of them are documented in the libraries of Qing Jing peak, if brother wishes to learn more about them. The humble families with it are just as common, if not as thoroughly documented.”
Yeah, right, as if that’s even the problem.
Liu Qingge leans his head back against the wall, sighing. “Could Shen Qingqiu have come from one such family?”
From the corner of his eye, he catches Mingyan tilting her head, curiously. “Shen-shibo? Why would brother…” but she trails off, eyes narrowing slightly. “Is there something that brother wishes to tell me, but holds back intentionally?”
“Not really,” Liu Qingge admits, tiredly. “It’s just… you really don’t see anything, looking at him? The possession and all, it should have left a trail that you might be able to follow. I haven’t asked because it doesn’t seem right to pry… but it’s hard not to think about it, sometimes.”
“I… see that there is a certain… misalignment, between the body and the soul,” Mingyan says, carefully. “It often happens, when one attempts to cultivate certain techniques that don’t suit their nature. Most cultivators grow out of it with time, but some never do. If Shen-shibo allowed me to inspect his internal spiritual flows, I suppose I…” but she trails off, having clearly noticed the dismay on Liu Qingge’s face. “Ah. It appears that brother has already done so, and it has shown him nothing.”
She’s not entirely correct in that assessment, though. Laying his hands on Shen Yuan had, in fact, opened Liu Qingge’s eyes to many things. The problem stems from the fact that he doesn’t really know what to make of those things. Before he’d been able to overcome the heart demons brought out by Shen Yuan personally, Liu Qingge had merely thought of them as coincidences. Shen Yuan muttering to empty air out of irritation, arguing with himself over nothing, rolling his eyes for no obvious reason… they’d seemed like harmless little habits. Annoying, but charming, in their own way.
But in every single one of the dreams that Liu Qingge had afterwards, none of Shen Yuan’s interactions with empty air had actually been harmless, had they?
The voice that responded to his shixiong was wrought with a certain kind of darkness and eerie familiarity. Liu Qingge is certain that he heard it in the past. It had no shape and no body he could link to it. Even the residue of dark power was similar yet different from the curse Liu Qingge had to break on Shen Yuan. Really, most of the things he’d seen don’t even appear to be real things that have happened, but fears… nightmares.
Shen Yuan, saving Liu Qingge from a Qi deviation deep within the confines of Lingxi caves. Shen Yuan, sustaining an injury on his hand from a demon while pushing Luo Binghe out of the way. Shen Yuan, stabbing Luo Binghe’s chest mere steps away from a hole in the ground.
It didn’t look as if that darkness had forced him to make any single one of those decisions. But Liu Qingge feels like it has somehow influenced it, regardless. How many more things could it have influenced? How many does it still influence? If the darkness had taken such a firm hold within his heart to etch itself in his nightmares, then a single bout of aggression from Liu Qingge can’t have been enough to cleanse it entirely, right? Not when he himself is still so fucking weak. But even now, Shen Yuan doesn’t look as though…
Fuck it. If Liu Qingge wants to know, there is really only one way he can find out. And mortifying as it may be, he really doesn’t know if that’s a right choice to make.
Eyes settling on Mingyan’s steady calm, he opens his mouth, and forces himself to voice a question bad enough to make him want to bury his head underground. “If… If I… attempt to pursue this matter… would it be a wrong decision to make?”
Mingyan looks taken aback, but only for a moment. Quickly, the calm settles again and she considers his words seriously, without any sort of sugar coating, in that down to earth manner that she always does when he says or does something ridiculous. She takes her time before answering, all the more confirmation that he’s needed to know that he’s really out of his depth here. Ah well, he’s known that from the start.
“I think that the question brother should be asking isn’t that,” she says ultimately, with a certain kind of conviction that sends chills down his spine. “What brother should be asking is, why does he personally seem to feel as though doing so could somehow be a wrong choice?”
Liu Qingge grimaces, and idly wonders why is it that, after four years of raising her, Mingyan somehow still acts as though she’s been raised by Mu Qingfang instead. That question is exactly along the lines that idiot keeps asking and Liu Qingge wants to punch him for it. Notably, hearing it come out of Mingyan’s mouth makes him want to punch Mu Qingfang that much more.
He chooses deflection instead.
“You do realize that going with our clan’s whims once is just gonna end up with them demanding more and more from you over time, right?”
“Don’t make this about me, brother, I’m well aware of how insistent Uncle is to have me back home. It’s you who─”
“The moment you decide it’s enough, giving in to them, don’t hesitate,” Liu Qingge talks over her, stubborn. “Give me the word and I’ll take care of everything.”
Mingyan, decidedly, rolls her eyes. “Brother says so with an aggravated wound in his midsection reeking of Skinner demon’s qi. I would say brother has enough on his plate and that Mu-shishu clearly hasn't yelled at him loud enough yet. I’m perfectly fine, handling this myself.”
Well. Fine, then. But if that’s how she really feels, why the hell did she choose to hand these papers about the reversed recreation array to him and not to Shen Yuan or Yue Qingyuan instead? Notably, Liu Qingge doesn’t press. If Mingyan says the reversed array is there to set the Heavenly Demon Lord free, then Cang Qiong Mountain blowing that up is probably not going to help anyone ─ not right now, at least. Not when that demon’s son is a prized disciple of the sect, looked upon favorably by just enough people to cause a fight over it. Not when Liu Qingge personally doesn’t actually regret standing up in his favor.
Mingyan is probably right. He’s got more issues to deal with that he can possibly handle, and the stupid Skinner is just the easiest of them all. And that should be saying quite a lot, given how that particular encounter had gone. Liu Qingge didn’t even get a glimpse of the bastard’s face, this time, only that the frame of its body had undoubtedly belonged to a woman.
How long before Mu Qingfang clears him to get off the mountain again? It better not be long, or else Liu Qingge really might lose his mind.
Mingyan smiles as she rubs his shoulder.
“Brother should have a good day ahead. This humble one will now go back to attend to her proper duties as a Xian Shu disciple.”
Liu Qingge grimaces, but he pets her awkwardly on the head before she leaves. It seems silly, but Shen Yuan always does it to his disciples and it works wonders for all sorts of reassurances. Notably, Mingyan all but beams at him at the gesture. Then she’s gone and Liu Qingge is left to handle all of his headaches alone and that’s… ah. He'd really rather be out there, blowing shit up for funsies. Sitting and thinking and waiting is just not his style, god fucking damn it all. What is he waiting for, even? He doesn't know shit.
Liu Qingge looks over the papers left in his lap once more and rubs at the back of his head. No matter how long he stares, it doesn't tell him anything. Damn you, Mingyan, what exactly do you expect me to do with this?
Is it too late to just… ah, forget it. It's fine.
For starters, he has to find a good place to store this first. As if hasn't demolished his own house by accident more than once. And then… he'll figure out the rest as it comes. It is just a bunch of nonsense on a piece of paper, how complicated can it get?
Notes:
AS IF THOSE AREN'T THE FAMOUS LAST WORDS, LIU-SHIDI hahahahahahah
In other news:
*LQG thinking everyone's staring cause of what he's saying*
*everyone BSODing cause WTF SINCE WHEN DOES LQG WEAR QJ CLOTHES and WHY DOES IT LOOK SO GOOD*
*SY, meanwhile, fanning himself for other reasons, totally oblivious as always*
Chapter 43: The Law of Narrative Causality
Notes:
For all you folks who have been wondering wtf SQH has been up to the past +40 chapters... Well here is exactly what he's been up to. Yay?
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Sect Leader Yue’s private office is a comfortable, cozy place, lined with bookshelves from floor to ceiling on all sides except one corner, where his desk sits. The space is neatly arranged for the Sect Leader to have all the freedom of movement he might desire, and accommodating for any guests he might invite over. Recently, Shen Yuan has spent more time in this office than all the time he’s spent on Qiong Ding Peak over his entire past life. It has more or less become the usual for there to be a steaming cup of tea waiting for him whenever he announces a visit. Today, however, besides the sect leader’s own cup and Shen Yuan's, there is an additional cup waiting.
“Zhangmen-shixiong,” Shen Yuan greets politely on entry, but his eyes never leave the unexpected addition.
Yue Qingyuan smiles, answering his unasked question. “Good to see you, Shidi. We are waiting for Wei-shidi to join us today. Before he arrives, is there perhaps something that Shen-shidi would like to address in privacy?”
Shen Yuan isn’t sure if his poker face game is so weak that the Sect Leader now sees through him entirely… or all of his efforts to draw a clear line between himself and the Original Goods have backfired to the point he can’t even put up a poser act in front of this person anymore. Either way, Yue Qingyuan has quite a sharp eye.
Shen Yuan sighs and picks up his cup of tea, sniffing at it. Something floral. Unusual. Not from the collection Shen Yuan has gifted him. Interesting.
He says, “This one has done some reading on the topics that Zhangmen-shixiong suggested. That, uh, Soul Swap Phenomenon especially.”
“The Shadow Soul Phenomenon,” Yue Qingyuan corrects, back straightening into stiffness.
Shen Yuan grimaces. The point of it isn’t to immediately amp up the tension, really. It’s just, he’s been more or less compelled to dig into… Well, everything related to this far-too-literal named thing and it’s been quite a ride, to say the least.
From the description of the whole thing, it doesn’t sound like an actual soul swap, and it’s a thinly veiled excuse for a possession, too. As an in-universe explanation, it might’ve been enough to fool anyone who has no care for plot holes the size of a continent, really, but Shen Yuan… Shen Yuan needs some answers and he is becoming quite stubborn about getting them. Ever since the possibility that the System, for all of its bullshit excuses, may have nothing to do with Shen Yuan even being here increased exponentially… well. He’s been looking for… explanations, of sorts. Other than the obvious, really, which Xin Mo had already blatantly showed and it made no fucking sense whatsoever.
This Shadow Soul Phenomenon that Yue Qingyuan brought up is the next best thing he got and it makes no sense either. Shen Yuan still prefers it to Xin Mo-induced visions, so here he is.
“First things first, the timing is off,” Shen Yuan says. No beating around the bush, no hesitation. It’s not even so much the whole new moon timing and shit that the phenomenon talks about, but more or less the fact that, time-wise, nothing makes sense. Proud Immortal Demon Way ended well over two hundred years after it started. So roughly two hundred years still unaccounted for, which would’ve never gotten a chance to happen if Shen Yuan had really… And that's not even factoring in that he is technically going through this for the second time. Third, if he takes into consideration that he is a reader and… ah screw it. His brain hurts just trying to sort it all out.
He lifts another finger. “Second, what is this ‘shared emotion’ thing supposed to represent?” People can feel a bunch of stuff at the same time and how exactly is anything supposed to measure how identical that is to another person’s feelings? Makes no sense whatsoever, no matter how hard he tries to make up an excuse for it.
Finally, and most importantly. He lifts a third finger. “What does ‘same soul signature’ even mean?”
“Ah,” Yue Qingyuan says, a little at a loss himself. He takes a moment to think about it and visibly struggles to put his thoughts into words. “Well, I cannot claim anything for the rest of Shidi’s points, but as far as soul signatures go, from what I understand, it suggests that some sort of a deep link between the souls would have existed, at some point in time. A little like the concept of a fated soulmate?”
Shen Yuan has to stop himself from outright gagging at the notion. “Yeah, absolutely not.”
“Hmm? What? You’re not raising a demon army, is that what you’re saying?”
Shen Yuan chokes on empty air. “I am what?” he sputters and spins around to stare at the man. He hasn’t even heard Wei Qingwei enter the office. The man is grinning at him cheekily.
“Well, that’s the brand new urgent news I wanted to inform you both about,” he says, almost laughing. “But before that, I’m curious now. Looks like I’ve interrupted something interesting. Will Shen-shixiong share?”
Shen Yuan is still reeling from shock, sputtering like a broken record. What demon army, excuse me?!! Yue Qingyuan answers the question for him.
“It’s about the concept of shared soul signatures,” he says. “Perhaps Wei-shidi can tell us more about it. Understanding of how shared soul signature works is important when working with spiritual weapons as well.”
“Ah, that.” Wei Qingwei frowns. “Well, I guess it depends on interpretation. Cultivation concepts often think of it as a sort of a yin-yang relationship, two different pieces to complete a whole. More often, though, they’re just mirrors. Similar thing, different packaging.”
“The kind that would absolutely loathe each other on the first meeting?” Shen Yuan throws out, irate.
Wei Qingwei laughs. “Maybe. Who knows? Doesn’t have to be. The best way to explain it is by the concept of soul bound weapons. No, not spiritual weapons,” he stresses, the moment Shen Yuan’s eyes fly over to Xiu Ya. “Soul bound weapons are a higher level in both power and complexity. It’s a dangerous practice, to bind your soul to a weapon, but if done correctly, it elevates both the power of the cultivator and their weapon, because the cultivator provides a small piece of their primordial spirit to their weapon. What that also means is that, naturally, unlike with the spiritual weapons, no one but the owner of soul-bound weapon can use it. And that’s where the Qi flows come into play.”
“Ah,” Shen Yuan says blankly, trying very hard not to notice just how stiffly the Sect Leader sits across from him. So obviously, it’s not that Yue Qingyuan didn’t already know all this, he’s just… well. Visibly uncomfortable about getting a single word out in relation. Xuan Su’s power has always been, by all means, among the greatest in his generation. The fact that no one knows where it comes from is… Well. No wonder he acts like he does not understand such things.
Shen Yuan sighs and offers him a little mercy. After all, the original Proud Immortal Demon Way has also scratched the surface of similar things, in a few arcs. Not that those had any real importance to the overall story. Good to know the System still remembers some things. “So what Wei-shidi is saying, a shared soul signature implies that the Qi flow between the two souls is somehow similar. Thus, even if there is no familial relationship or any kind of other connection, if Wei-shidi were to bind his soul to his sword, chances are that someone is out there in the world who might still be able to use it, because their souls are somehow similar.”
“Well, more or less,” Wei Qingwei indulges him as he sits down beside him, picking up his cup of tea eagerly. “Except, with soul bound weapons, practice has shown that close family members often share enough of the Qi flow to get the weapons working for them. Based on that, a popular theory is that all blood siblings have similar soul signatures to start with ─ and from there on, that twins at birth are almost identical in their soul signature. Throw in the concept of reincarnation where bodies change as they travel through the six paths of reincarnation but their original soul signature doesn’t, and some schools of thought believe that all shared soul signatures come from souls that were once, in some other life, born as twins or even triplets. There you go. The concept of shared soul signature in a nutshell. Could theorize about it for years, of course, cause nobody knows for sure, but eh.”
“My head hurts just thinking about this one theory,” Shen Yuan admits. He wouldn't care to listen to the rest. Although, really, his head hurts even more at the idea that sometime, somewhere, he could have had a sibling like the original goods. Like, thanks, but no thanks. He’s already got a good enough set of siblings he tries not to think about lest it makes him cry.
“Anyway, yeah, back to the matter at hand and the reason I called for this meeting,” Wei Qingwei says and squints over at Shen Yuan. “Are you sure you haven’t accidentally raised a demon army while you were over doing whatever in Nan Jiang?”
Shen Yuan doesn’t even blink, at this point. “What demon army are we talking about, exactly?”
Wei Qingwei shrugs. “So there is one? Anyway, the newest rumor circulating the Jianghu is that Shen Qingqiu is raising an army in the south. There’s been lots of organized clashes all along the borderlands, attacks on human settlements nearby and a whole lot of bad blood between the South and Huan Hua Palace in general… and now with us declining to send our forces to defend Huan Hua’s territories and all the other circulating rumors, we’ve got Shen Qingqiu and his demon army joining the fray.”
“... I haven’t left the mountain in months,” Shen Yuan says, beyond amazed at the nonsense he’s hearing. “I mean. I wouldn’t mind a demon army. But have you seen the southern clans? They can’t go a day without tearing at each other, no holds barred. What demon army? Try to put all those demons in one place and it’ll implode in minutes.”
“Nan Jiang holds them quite fine, I’d say,” Wei Qingwei comments idly.
“Because the place is a giant ruin and you don’t know where a Formless Demon will jump out next,” Shen Yuan grumbles. “... who is making up this shit? I want a little of whatever they’re high on.”
Seriously! He’d like a demon army at his disposal, thank you very much! But who’s got time to work on the logistics of that? Luo Binghe the original tried and it took him decades to make the army at least somewhat useful. Shen Yuan might take a few thousand years, if he’d even bother. Which he won’t, because he has zero military ambition. He’s a pacifist at heart!
“Wei-shidi, I take it that informing us about just some outrageous rumors isn’t quite all you had in mind,” Yue Qingyuan says then, his face shadowed slightly. “Please, say what actually concerns you.”
Wei Qingwei grins at them, one-third apologetically, two-thirds gleefully. “Well, Shen Yuan might not be doing that, but the Xianmo sect sure seems to have found a way that could, potentially, achieve something similar. And I’m afraid you’re not going to like it.”
Shen Yuan, at this point, shudders whenever the name of that Sect is brought up. Allegedly, he leads that place. And now that place is somehow putting together a demon army… and he’s the one accused of it again? At this point, the Water Prison has a designated cell with his name on it just waiting for its prisoner to be delivered.
“This ties in to the weapons we found during Sha Hualing’s invasion ─ as well as the crystal that Shen-shixiong submitted for investigation. Unfortunately for us, those crystals are getting smaller and far more dangerous with every new piece we get our hands on. For the time being, they can’t really control any demons at the power level of a demon elder and I'm more and more under the impression that it couldn't really harm Sha Hualing either, but those little red crystals have been enough to cause quite some chaos in all the regions.”
“... I do recall that Shen-shidi once theorized they could be used to control humans as well,” Yue Qingyuan notes. “Has this been proven correct by Ku Xing Peak?”
“Actually, no,” Wei Qingwei answers. “Depending on how the crystal is synthesized, they cause some mild discomfort or even a little pain for the demons, but it’s quite flawed when it comes to races that are better at enduring pain. It can’t impact free will, but it is absolutely a tool of torture under the right circumstances. That said, those things can’t affect humans. Cultivators can use their Qi to bend demons to act to their will, but the other way around won’t work. Huan-shimei will hold a demonstration at some point, I’m sure.”
“Let me guess,” Yue Qingyuan swallows thickly. “This is how they plan to accuse Shen-shidi of raising the demon army.”
Wei Qingwei shrugs. “I mean, they already did. It’s just that it hasn’t spread too far yet. This time we caught on early.”
“In other words, no major sect yet dares make such a claim,” Yue Qingyuan corrects. “This too is definitely something they could use against us, if so inclined.”
“I mean, it’s easy enough to crush that nonsense with facts,” Wei Qingwei says. “But the truth isn’t the point here to start with. We’re definitely slowly being made into heretics and it’s only a matter of time before everything we do is scrutinized and criticized. The commoners already refuse to call on us. The noble families we’ve been working with, some feel slighted after the incident with the Liu clan, but others don’t care. I think what’s more important is that not all the sects have made a stand yet. Huan Hua Palace is stirring shit up from behind the scenes, obviously, but it is Tian Yi Overlook that is just waiting to pounce on us yet they don't dare do so without a solid justification and proper backing. Zhao Hua Monastery, however, is undecided. Until they’re swayed one way or the other, no one will dare make any real moves. The spread of power is too even. They don't want a battle, they want our utter defeat. Otherwise, shit would've already blown up.”
“Of course,” Yue Qingyuan sighs. “Zhao Hua Monastery in general is not likely to show allegiance to any side ─ not unless a sect commits crimes so unforgivable that even they cannot overlook it. That’s what the others are waiting for, I suppose. Something big enough to happen so we can be blamed for it. Quite a precarious position, really. And if we make an accusation instead, we’re still painted as insincere for all the other smaller things. What a way of bringing down our credibility. The person behind this is a true mastermind. This downfall they’re plotting for us ─ it’s very thorough.”
“Yeah,” Wei Qingwei scowls darkly. “That’s why, I’m not so sure anymore, if Huan Hua Palace is actually the real bastard behind it all. Hear me out, Zhangmen-shixiong. I know I am the loudest, pointing my fingers at them ─ but I’ve been dealing with their bullshit for ages now. This kind of a long-con doesn’t seem like the Palace Master’s style. Unless there’s some fresh blood making a name for themselves in the sect, I’m more inclined to go with calling the Xianmo sect the real masterminds. It’s their motive that I cannot figure out. They have no sufficient power nor numbers to take our place. So what’s the point?”
“Could be a simple case of, enemy of my enemy is my friend,” Yue Qingyuan proposes. “Either way, it detracts nothing from our current situation. We cannot make any rash movements. Is Liu-shidi still out and about, chasing Skinner?”
“Eh, he’s here still,” Wei-shidi comments idly. “Saw Mu Qingfang chasing him around just hours ago. Probably he’s been hiding an injury or something. That fool doesn’t know when to rest. But yeah, he hasn’t left the mountain yet.”
“Good,” Yue Qingyuan says. “Shen-shidi, that thing we spoke about before, about keeping Liu-shidi busy… Shen-shidi?”
“Huh? Eh? I’m listening,” Shen Yuan mumbles, and it’s true. It’s just, his head has been sort of stuck on some other matters completely and this whole build up of his eventual villain downfall is really starting to drag out unnecessarily. More importantly, the kind of keeping Liu Qingge busy that Yue Qingyuan mentions is vastly different from the image that pops into Shen Yuan’s head and that’s just ─ he’s a terrible person, really.
“It’s just, I’m still stuck on something Wei-shidi said earlier,” he says, to distract his own thoughts, mostly. “What do you mean, you clarified that the crystals can’t be used on humans?”
Wei Qingwei shrugs. “Well, they can’t. You can ask Huan-shimei for the details, but due to the differences between human and demon Qi, it is quite literally impossible.”
“... that crystal was used to control a child that is now staying on my peak,” Shen Yuan says. “A literal child.”
“Then, that child is either a demon or at the very least, a human-demon hybrid,” Wei Qingwei reasons. “Not the first time Shen-shidi would have taken in a half-demon on his peak, is it?”
“... oh, that’s just uncalled for.” Shen Yuan glances over to the Sect Leader before blurting out, “Before anyone asks, I’m not kicking her out.”
“No one’s implied such a thing,” Yue Qingyuan says quickly. Which is in line with what he’s said before, when Shen Yuan first reported the issue with the infamous wife number 73 showing up on his peak. Namely, Yue Qingyuan took one look at the girl after reading the report from Qudu and told Shen Yuan to do whatever he wanted. Which is good. Because if that girl is actually a demon in disguise…
Except, Shen Yuan doesn’t remember her being a demon in the original story. Like, Lu Xiaodan was forgettable overall, the entirety of her importance in the story summed up in the number of times she and Luo Binghe did papapa and the number of times she could do it in a night compared to… ugh. Really, there had been absolutely nothing in the story to imply that the girl was anything but human. A crazy durable one, but a human nonetheless.
But then, she wasn’t a cultivator from any sect, either, come to think of it. Shen Yuan wishes he could remember more, but it was a long time ago and he really, really hadn’t cared much about the wives that got picked up after the first few. Like, the marriage to Liu Mingyan was the last one to have made any lasting impact at all… everything that came after was just a straight up excuse for porn scenes and no story relevance whatsoever.
“Well, demon or not, I’m giving her disciple status as soon as Zhangmen-shixiong approves of a new recruitment cycle,” Shen Yuan decides. “She refuses to go home no matter how many annoyed letters the Huan clan sends and I sure don’t want to keep a talented child busy by sweeping floors and cleaning dust all day long. So be warned.”
“... in other words, what Shen-shidi is saying is that the child has already integrated and is training together with his actual disciples?” Yue Qingyuan surmises.
“Naturally.”
“... even if her name is not in the disciple registry?” Wei Qingwei asks.
“Does anyone care about that registry? No one cared about Luo Binghe,” Shen Yuan reasons.
“...”
“... well, technically, she’s not allowed to pick a spiritual weapon from sword terrace unless her name is in the registry, but otherwise, yeah, no one cares,” Wei Qingwei confirms lightly. Then he catches the Sect Leader staring, indignantly, and quickly adds, “Is that not correct, Zhangmen-shixiong?”
“... disciple registries were introduced for a reason.” Yue Qingyuan sighs heavily, clearly fighting a headache. “It’s not according to the rules that Lu Xiaodan is allowed to stay, but by that same principle, we would lose the entirety of Bai Zhan Peak, as they only ever recruit outside the recruitment cycles anyway, so just… at least try to respect the rules a little, please? An Ding Peak has too much on their plate to keep track of this, too. As soon as the recruitment cycle officially begins, Shen-shidi should make sure Young Miss Lu is registered properly. Otherwise, I see no other obstacles.”
“... even if the Huan clan is quite literally sending us letters accusing us of kidnapping the kid every other week?” Wei Qingwei asks, amused.
“Well, those letters have been delivered to Young Miss Lu personally,” Yue Qingyuan reasons. “Besides, she wouldn’t be the first child of a noble clan we’ve taken without permission.”
“Out of curiosity alone, who else did we kidnap from the nobles?” Wei Qingwei asks, visibly taken aback by the Sect Leader’s admission.
Yue Qingyuan looks lost in thought for a moment, but then he begins to count. “From memory alone, there is Huan-shimei and Liu-shidi among the Peak Lords… then young Miss Liu of Xuan Shu peak… then there is Wu-shidi’s head disciple, Huan-shimei’s head disciple and my head disciple… Quite a few of the senior disciples from our generation as well as the previous generations… and about a third of Bai Zhan peak, overall. I’m sure there’s more that no one felt the need to inform me about, but as long as there are no clans making demands, I suppose it’s not a huge issue.”
Shen Yuan and Wei Qingwei’s jaws are both flat on the floor by the end of it, and Yue Qingyuan smiles at them, all-suffering.
“You can probably see that we’ve been a thorn in the noble clan’s sides for a long time, so I’m really not surprised if they’re somehow supporting our eventual downfall,” he adds, quite morosely.
“...”
“...”
Shen Yuan lights several candles for his poor shixiong in his heart.
“If that’s all, I should probably go now,” Wei Qingwei says, after finishing his tea. “Still got lots of work ─ I’ll probably be off the mountain for a while again.”
“Mm, I should go too, I already have something else planned for today,” Shen Yuan adds. “This one thanks Shidi for his warnings… and to Zhangmen-shixiong for his kindness in allowing these discussions to continue in private. If there is anything else requiring my attention urgently, this one will try to attend to it in the shortest time possible.”
“Ah, one more thing,” Yue Qingyuan says, before either of them can get up. The two exchange looks, only for Yue Qingyuan to pull a very familiar book from within his sleeve. Wei Qingwei makes no comment about it, but his eyes follow the dark book as it switches hands from Yue Qingyuan to Shen Yuan. Shen Yuan glances over the spoils of war that Liu Qingge brought back with him, then raises an eyebrow at the sect leader. Liu Qingge has made quite a big deal of that book, after all. So what is this, exactly?
“As copies of the content have already been made and Qiong Ding peak has finished the inspection, as per the rules of the sect, all such books are generally handled by Qing Jing Peak. Naturally, I hope that this will also aid Shen-shidi in his own investigations. That is all for now,” Yue Qingyuan says. At the absolute silence that meets him, the man smiles. “Of course, if you need anything from me, then I will be happy to assist.”
But really, after everything they’ve talked about, asking Yue Qingyuan for anything more feels all the more like suffocating him with more problems than he can handle. Shen Yuan safeguards the book without a single question, thanks Zhangmen-shixiong profusely and bows on his way out of the office, together with Wei-shidi.
On their way off of Qiong Ding Peak, Shen Yuan pauses, drawing Wei-shidi’s attention for just a moment. “Shidi, out of sheer curiosity. Those people… that Xianmo sect. Are they still spreading my portrait everywhere?”
Wei Qingwei looks at him as though that is a very stupid question. Because, yeah. The more time passes, the more rumors are out there, the worse his reputation gets. He’s already a heretic, leading a dark sect and turning his back on Cang Qiong Mountain, raising demons and covertly creating a demon army. Pull out the actual Shen Jiu’s tragic backstory and there we go, a brand new Scum Villain era, only this time he’s the bad guy in the eyes of everyone except Luo Binghe. How the tables turn, heh.
The problem, really, is that the rumors Shen Yuan has caught upon is that the actual leader of Xianmo sect is not even a man bearing his face, but a woman. And whether his sources are more reliable than Wei-shidi's is a gamble, really.
“It has toned down a bit, I suppose," Wei Qingwei says with a frown, “but I'd still take it seriously. Those Xianmo people are troublemakers of the highest order, but they're climbing in popularity among the common folks a little too quickly and the bigger players are all acting like it's no big deal. The whole situation reeks."
Well, of course it does. That said, Shen Yuan doesn't really care much for the rumors, either way. Assuming all the speculation was true, which it most definitely is not, he still would not care much, mostly because he has much more important issues to deal with right now. Heck, he’d like a demon army at his disposal, maybe. Of course, he doesn’t want to take them to war, not at all… but a little bit of militaristic structure and discipline to that chaotic mess? The southern realm weeps for it. But thinking of that place really only fills him with more anger at the sheer unfairness of it all.
“Thanking Shidi for sincerity. I’ll see you around,” he mumbles, rather dejectedly as he makes his way back to his Peak.
At least, Shen Yuan is now doing something about it all. It’s very little, in the overall scheme of things, as most of this is something Luo Binghe will have to fix on his own eventually… but eh. Shen Yuan will do what he can, in the meantime. And what he aims for now, is well, a little naughty. But there’s a conversation he’s been putting off for a long time. Time to finally get to it.
Based on all the issues previously discussed with the Sect Leader and the other Peak Lords, as well as the Immortal Alliance Conference which is a little over a year away now, one thing that’s become increasingly obvious is that not everyone within Cang Qiong Mountain Sect is equally trustworthy. Thus, Shen Yuan has made a plan of action that he fondly refers to as <Special mission: Trap the Rat>. The System still adamantly refuses to offer B-points for it, but that thing’s useless anyway, so Shen Yuan doesn’t let it demotivate him.
This special mission has, so far, consisted of three different stages.
First: dangle the bait.
Second: wait patiently for the rat to bite.
Third: profit???
From the sounds of indignant huffing and wheezing right outside his window, it seems that the second stage has finally morphed into third.
Not a moment later, the door to the bamboo house slams open, the force of it knocking over a teacup from the nearby shelf. It shatters on impact. Tch. Has Liu Qingge been giving paid lessons on how to kick down doors for dramatic entry? This must be why, after successfully making a mess of his house, Liu Qingge has adamantly refused to show his face anywhere near Shen Yuan recently.
Speaking of Shidis who have been intentionally avoiding Shen Yuan: the ever elusive rat has finally taken the bait.
Breathless and red-faced fellow Peak Lord stands in the frame of his door, chest rising and falling as though he’s been running a marathon. His eyes are sparks of rage mixed with indignance, a stark contrast to the panda circles around his eyes. The words rolling off his tongue are as potent as snake venom.
“Shen. Qing. Qiu.”
Shen Yuan takes a sip of his tea, smiling patiently. “It’s Shen Yuan. Has Shang-shidi not been paying attention, too busy running around doing errands for Mobei Jun? Get on with the times. Even Sect Leader Yue has not slipped up once in the past year.”
All color drains from Shang Qinghua’s face. Like a deer in the headlights, like a rat who has just come to the horrific realization he’s been caught, his mouth hangs open and his bottom lip shakes violently as he tries to pull himself together and speak coherent words. “What─err, what is Shen-shixiong insinuating? Who… er…?”
Shen Yuan raises an eyebrow. After everything, somehow, Shang Qinghua has gone around thinking his double-agent work isn’t obvious. Is it possible that Airplane-bro still hasn’t figured out there’s another transmigrator causing chaos over at Cang Qiong Mountain? … How is that possible? Shen Yuan has been doing this shit for how long now? Is there something wrong with his brain?
… To pen a novel of inane school grader quality such as Proud Immortal Demon Way, it has to be.
Anyway, what all that means is that currently all the power in this conversation is fully within Shen Yuan’s hands ─ and inwardly, he grins like the evilest bastard on the planet.
“Have a seat, Shang-shidi, and please enlighten this one as to what had you rushing here without so much as a notice ahead. My disciples haven’t even prepared tea. Ming Fan!”
Obediently, the front door squeaks open, but the person who walks in is not Ming Fan. Instead, the familiar round and cute face of Lu Xiaodan blushes a faint red, as she mumbles under her breath, “Dashixiong has headed out with Ning-shijie and Luo-shixiong to… to… um? Finish a secret mission from Shizun? Only Xiao Dan is here, if Shizun doesn’t mind.”
Shen Yuan blinks, a little surprised. Those kids have gone out already? Ah, Luo Binghe, that overly excited multitasker. Shen Yuan has only just debriefed him with the details, and already he is on it. He has to contain a fond smile that threatens to split his face apart.
Across from him, Shang Qinghua is openly gaping at the girl.
Rubbing at his forehead, Shen Yuan accepts that calling for anyone else now is too much of a hassle and Airplane’s reaction is rather interesting. Not much different from Shen Yuan’s initial reaction, really, when he first found a wife who shouldn’t have appeared for many more years suddenly wearing a Qing Jing disciple uniform. He wants to build off of this, if just for fun. Ha! Take that, Airplane-bro! Your porn star wives kicking you right in the face! As they should!
Shen Yuan asks idly, “Has Xiao Dan made tea for guests before?”
Instantly, the young girl beams like a ray of sunshine piercing through the clouds. “This one’s Red Lotus tea is the absolute best! Xiao Dan will go make it now!”
Shang Qinghua sputters, looking vaguely green in his face.
“Wait, wait,” Shen Yuan waves her back, only vaguely recalling the unfortunate souls of Proud Immortal Demon Way's future who were born under the auspicious star fortunate enough to let them try this girl's wonderful tea. After all, this thirteen-year-old looking half the age is an absolute master at brewing all sorts of spiked teas to ‘please her elders' tastes’. More and more, Shen Yuan dreads the conditions this girl grew up in.
“This one has already had plenty of tea this morning,” he says. “Brew some for your Shang-shishu only. Perhaps something similar to what you made for Ming Fan before?”
After all, it left the kid stuck in the poor excuse of a toilet for what could have been anything between several hours and several days, if other disciple accounts are to be taken seriously. Given his own vague memories of Lu Xiaodan from the original story, it should have some sort of a not-desirable effect anyway.
The young girl nods eagerly, the troublemaker spark flashing in her eyes. That look has become something of a trademark on his Peak whenever his disciples are given permission to do something that would otherwise be strictly against the rules. Luo Binghe is, naturally, the most egregious with it, but it’s quickly caught onto the rest of them as well.
Meanwhile, the way Shang Qinghua’s face changes from vaguely pinkish to beet red and then ghastly white is truly a sight to behold. Obviously, he knows exactly what talent he’s written for this girl, much better than Shen Yuan bothers to remember. Now that he’s about to get a taste of it, the man squirms in his seat with the expression on his face that of a man who has offered up his balls to the guillotine.
Shen Yuan rests his chin on top of his propped hand and smiles fondly. “Where were we again?”
“...”
“Ah, right. What brings Shidi over to my humble abode today? It must be quite urgent, when Shang-shidi didn’t inform anyone of this visit ahead of time? Luckily, this Shixiong is here. Shang-shidi’s fortune is truly auspicious today.” As if he isn’t the main perpetrator behind the urgency to start with. Or well ─ credit where credit is due, Luo Binghe has done most of the work. Shen Yuan has really only asked him for ideas on how to get Shang Qinghua to come running to him.
The An Ding Peak Lord opens his mouth ─ only to realize that Shen Yuan’s smile has taken on quite the dangerous quality and shuts it promptly, trying to hide a shudder and failing spectacularly.
“Um, never mind. This shidi will resolve the matter himself─”
“Why, shidi, you cannot scare me like that and then expect me to let you go so easily! Don’t feel intimidated, it is in this Shixiong’s best interest to assist as well. Is this about the deliveries that were rerouted from An Ding peak over to Qing Jing?”
For a total of three seconds, Shang Qinghua stares at him, jaw hanging. A little bit of faint red returns to his face, his ears and his neck. Then a single finger points at him shakily and he explodes. “I KNEW IT! It was on purpose! I spent days! Deliveries all left accordingly, but then complaints started coming in! The stuff we sent, none of it reached their destination! It kept rerouting! Every time, Qing Jing! Again and again and again! And all this time, it was you! Intentionally!!!”
It takes Shang Qinghua a moment to remember he’s foregone all politeness and propriety in his frustration, and now his heart sinks and his face blanches, regretting every word that’s come out of his mouth.
“Ah… um… ah… this one… er… actually, this…”
Shen Yuan tries not to look too wickedly amused, but if anything, that only scares the skittish Peak Lord even more. Shang Qinghua is downright shivering in his seat. The longer Shen Yuan says nothing, the more he panics for something to fill the silence with ─ but he’s already put a foot in his mouth. He dares not make it worse.
Lu Xiaodan returns shortly with a tray in hand, all prim and proper as she places the cup of very awkward, very dangerous tea right in front of Shang Qinghua. Soft reddish hue is rising with the steam, the scent of it unexpectedly very sweet, very tempting. Merely looking at it, no one would be able to tell it apart from the regular exotic teas usually found on Qing Jing Peak. The girl then cheerily bows and leaves. A feeble, awkward cough echoes through the room, the An Ding Peak Lord’s face once again ashen. “Um… S-Shen-shixiong, this…”
“Try it,” Shen Yuan says warmly. “It’s good tea. Very healthy.”
“... um, Shixiong, there is really no need for things to go in this direction… this one… er… This one has already had enough tea for today.” Shang Qinghua is almost trembling, eyeing that single steaming cup as if it terrifies him more than a horde of demons.
Finally, Shen Yuan can’t do it anymore. He bursts out laughing until his insides hurt, the malicious glee inside him too much to hide. “Your face, bro. Your fucking face.”
Shang Qinghua looks right about ready to bolt out the door, but then he freezes, hopelessly confused. “... bro?” Then he pales even more, squeaking. “Bro…?!”
“Have you figured it out yet?” Shen Yuan asks, eyes dancing with mischief.
Shang Qinghua gulps, brain obviously working over capacity to put the pieces together. “… so… you… you’re a transmigrator, too? So, all along, ever since… it was you?” Then when he is not immediately refuted, his eyes sparkle. “You are a transmigrator! A faithful reader, then?! My god, you must’ve truly enjoyed my series?! How’d you end up as Shen Qingqiu anyway?! I wasn’t under the impression anyone would want─”
Shen Yuan clears his throat sharply. Wisely, Shang Qinghua shuts up.
“Actually, when’d you end up here in the first place?” Shen Yuan asks, conversationally. Among many questions he wants answered, this one is nowhere near the top of his list of priorities. It is also a question he already knows the answer to, so he is just a little bit eager to see if the Great Master Airplane is really going to open up as easily as before.
For his part, Shang Qinghua blinks at him, blankly. “Ah? From the start, I guess? I take it that, er, Shen-shixiong─”
“Shen Yuan.”
“Er, right. I take it that Shen Yuan has been here ever since that infamous Qi deviation? … that was impossible to miss.”
“Mm, and it didn’t occur to you at any point to come ask about it?” Shen Yuan prods, curious.
Shang Qinghua sighs, pointedly avoiding his eyes. “Take no offense to this, but I was truly preoccupied with a bunch of other things. Ever since I’ve transmigrated here into an infant, I’ve been saddled with impossible cannon fodder tasks one after another, while Shen Yuan seems to have had the time of his life, going around upheaving the plot from its very inception. Do you even have a System? How did it let you get away with all this nonsense?”
Ah, there we go. Shen Yuan zeroes in on his target and clamps on, mercilessly. “A System? What System?”
At that, Shang Qinghua blanches. “What? So you don’t…? You mean to tell me…” He goes cross-eyed for a moment, shuddering slightly. “Oh. You are a System Error. Wow. How’d I never think of it? Wait! It’s you?!?!!?!”
Shen Yuan raises a single eyebrow. “Your System says so?”
Faintly, Shang Qinghua nods. “Hundred and eight,” he snickers.
“Nice. Does it ask you to fix me or something?”
“... er. No? Not that I’ve noticed?”
“But it’s been asking you to fix System Errors before?” Shen Yuan asks, more and more curious with every bit of new info he gets.
“Ah, don’t even get me started,” Shang Qinghua groans, burying his face in his hands. “Do you know how many times the System was about to blitz me from existence cause I couldn’t correct some nonsensical errors? Damn thing had me running around the northern demon realm fixing errors like it’s nobody’s business. Were you the one who made them?! You have no idea how lucky you are that you don’t have a slave driver System─”
“Who said that?” Shen Yuan asks curiously.
Shang Qinghua blinks at him, smartly. “Huh?” Then, when Shen Yuan says nothing, he frowns. “So, do you have a System, then? But if you do, then shouldn’t you have been punished a bunch already? Breaking the rules of transmigration aside, at the very least, in regards to Bingge, you should’ve already─”
“What?” Shen Yuan asks curiously. “What should I have done, exactly, to make that child’s life even more miserable than before?”
Wisely, Shang Qinghua shuts his mouth.
Shen Yuan smiles. “Have some tea, Airplane-bro.”
Shang Qinghua blanches again, his eyes once again quickly passing over the still steaming cup in front of him. “You, er. You do realize what that tea is, right? Cause that ─ that’s just mean, bro. I’ve been running around fixing system errors you made and this is what you do? That’s like hitting way below the belt.” Then, before Shen Yuan can retaliate, he gulps. “Wait. My ID. How do you…” he trails off, growing paler and paler with every moment that passes between them in silence. “Er. Bro. How… how’d you even figure out I’m a… a…”
“The author?” Shen Yuan asks mildly. “Oh, I dunno. Lucky guess?”
“A lucky guess?!” Shang Qinghua explodes. “No way! No way! I─”
“Go back to what you were saying before,” Shen Yuan cuts him off kindly. “Luo Binghe. What should I have done about him, that wouldn’t have ended in me becoming a human stick, huh? Hugging his thighs, maybe?”
“... you, er, seem to have already done that, more or less?” Shang Qinghua mumbles, hesitantly. “Lucky bastard… even if you haven’t been hugging the Protagonist’s thighs, you sure have done some work on Liu-shidi…”
Shen Yuan rolls his eyes, but his stomach rolls uncomfortably. What has he done, exactly, other than siccing Skinner on his Shidi, nearly ending his life and sexually molesting him, huh?! “Focus, why don’t you?!” he snaps, irritably. “Speaking of Liu-shidi, oh, great author Airplane, tell me something. Nerfing a perfectly fine badass before he ever shows up on screen? Running his name through the mud as soon as he does? Have you got no respect for your damn characters?”
Shang Qinghua gulps. “... er, bro. I see your face, I know where this is going, but let me give it to you straight. In this life, there are certain sacrifices that must be made─”
“Sacrifices?” Shen Yuan almost growls.
“Take it from me bro, it’s not like I enjoy offing characters with great potential, but as an author, you gotta keep your genre and audience in mind. When you have a Stallion Protagonist following a path of darkness and vengeance, then naturally, a sweet angelic flower embodying innocence and virtue to accompany him and brighten his path is a must─”
“No shit!” Shen Yuan snaps. “You’re telling me the only reason you offed Liu Qingge from the get-go was because even you, the author, could not think of a single believable reason why Liu Mingyan would fall for a demon lord? Whoa. I knew your writing sucked, but you’ve hit a brand new low─”
“Minds of readers are a simple thing in their complexity,” Shang Qinghua says, sagely. “If you want a highly intelligent, highly compelling beauty to provoke the most beastly and instinctive protective urges of the protagonist and the audience both, then certainly such a beauty must’ve suffered a great devastation in her youth. After all, what else could make such a symbol of purity and innocence, the very embodiment of virtue and integrity vie for the blackened protagonist’s attention? At the end of the day, a proper leading lady must always be loyal and devoted, honorable and soft-hearted, capable of pulling the protagonist back from the brink of endless darkness with her unblemished love, or what else is the purpose of such a wonderful affection?”
Shen Yuan stares at him, mildly aghast. “Call what it is, bro. Cheap-ass plot contrivance.”
Shang Qinghua sighs, visibly disappointed. “Well, it’s true. Those things are not mutually contradictory, though. Liu Mingyan is a wonder of nature, graceful and righteous, peerless of beauty, but therein lies a flaw of such a perfect leading lady ─ she’s too pure. Such a pure maiden is not always compelling to the audiences, but then taking that purity away by showing her shame also does disservice to her character. Finding compelling motivation to push someone honorable to rely on the darkness without surrendering to it is the real challenge. It’s not easy to make both the superfans and the haters all come together and worship a single female lead! And what a challenge it was! Has my precious daughter not consistently ranked the first among her many rivals, coming out on top even after multiple absences amounting to hundreds of chapters?”
… Shen Yuan is at a loss for words. Has Liu Qingge also not ranked one of the most popular characters before ever showing up on page?! Where is this double standard coming from?!
“In other words, you sacrifice the brother so the sister can shine,” he concludes, a little offended on Liu-shidi’s behalf. “Maybe I should cut off your hand together with your airplane. At least with that you seem to know what to do.”
Airplane-bro gasps all too dramatically. “What are you coming at me for, bro? Obviously your interference has changed everything! Maybe that’s for the better. A lot of things I had planned for Peerless Maiden Liu never came to pass and the story is better off for it. Who knows if her unmatched popularity would have withstood the blows of reader’s vanity?”
“The only one vain here is you. You’re drowning in ostentation.”
“One must put food on the table and vanity of the readers is one sure-fire way to earn your lunches steadily and without much oscillation,” Shang Qinghua says wisely. “Do you think I enjoy dumbing down my characters for the readers to make fun of? Wider masses tend to only see the shallow surface and never scrape to reach the bottom. For such readers, what’s on the surface is all they want to see. For all those who are desperate for more, at least with Liu Mingyan, it’s not difficult. Look past her veil and there’s plenty to find. Or did my faithful reader miss this, too blinded by the beauty flowing through the Liu clan genes?”
“... the fuck are you talking about?! Say it before I beat it out of you!” Shen Yuan snaps, highly offended now. Why would he imply ─ Shen Yuan is not crazy to ─ ARGH. Has he not made his preferences clear already?! If Luo Binghe were to hear this ─ aah!!!
“There is absolutely no need to turn to violence!” Shang Qinghua cries, but there is a distinct lack of fear in his voice that is grating on Shen Yuan’s nerves. “Besides, Liu-shidi is alive, isn’t he? Shen-shixiong went above and beyond to make it so! Good for you, really, since you seem to have decided to make Shen Qingqiu into an even greater villain than I did─”
“Wait,” Shen Yuan cuts in, mind reeling. “What do you mean, I decided? What the fuck makes you think I’m doing this on purpose?!”
Shang Qinghua blinks at him, surprised. “Well, aren’t you? Was it not your intention to avoid the original plot when you adamantly refused to let Cang Qiong Mountain perceive you as Shen Qingqiu?”
“I drew a line because I didn’t want Yue Qingyuan to look at me and see Shen Qingqiu,” Shen Yuan says. And, of course, to remove himself entirely from the list of people who made Luo Binghe suffer. He’s had it with the presumptions, thank you very much, but that goes unsaid. “What makes you think the rest of it was on purpose?”
“... so it wasn’t? This whole thing about you unleashing Formless Demons and everything? That wasn’t actually you?!!”
“NO! What the─” Shen Yuan takes a deep, raging breath, only barely keeping himself from erupting like a bubbling volcano. “Wait. So what you mean to say ─ you’re not the one behind my reputation taking a nosedive to hell in a hand-basket?! You ain’t doing that shit as payback for me running away from the scum villain role? Or a mission from the System or something?”
“No, bro? What the hell? Do I look like I have time to do that?” Shang Qinghua shoots back. “I’ve got enough work on my plate just protecting my lord from all the Formless Demons you sent his way… except, by the sound of it, you’re not actually doing that on purpose, are you?”
“No! I’m not creating Formless Demons! I’ve been killing them all along! They’re System errors too!” Shen Yuan explodes. He barely resists the urge to fire off a pile of swear words like missiles at the person in front of him. “So wait,” he says, slowly. “If it’s not you actively sabotaging the sect from the inside and it’s definitely not me sabotaging Mobei Jun… then who is it? Mobei Clan thinks it’s our fault, right? That’s why they’ve been coming at us lately. So it’s gotta be the same person, no?”
Shang Qinghua blinks at him, blankly. “Did you go around making other enemies while here? Cause the info that’s been slipping to the demon clans is frankly just damning you even worse… The only reason Mobei Jun hasn’t skewered you in your sleep is cause he’s too busy sorting out his own clan. Spill it. Who did you offend?”
“... no one?” Shen Yuan says. Then again, who even knows at this point? He’s changed way too much of the story. More importantly, “Even if someone had issues with me, why drag the whole sect into it?”
Shang Qinghua thinks about it too, but ultimately shrugs. “I don’t know, man, I’m just throwing out shit, see what sticks… either way, if we’re looking for a traitor, Peak Lords is where we start. There’s plenty to pick from and plenty who would have reasons to get rid of you to start with…”
“Oh?” Shen Yuan’s eyebrows shoot up. “You have ideas? Throw them at me. Who could it be?”
“... I mean, depending on what else you messed up, could be anyone, really…” At the look in Shen Yuan’s eyes, the other Peak Lord sinks in his seat, shoulders slumping. “Well, fine. Not anyone. Liu-shidi and Yue-shixiong, you can probably scratch off the list. They be eating shit outta your hand, no need to worry at all. Wei-shixiong’s brain wiring is no good for a double-agent and he has no patience for it either way. The rest are all fair game, though.”
Shen Yuan raises a skeptical eyebrow. “Even someone like Qi Qingqi? Doesn’t seem like the type to stab the whole sect in the back when all she wants is one annoying bastard done for.”
Shang Qinghua shrugs. “Unlikely, yeah, but I guess it depends on what you did to piss her off? That lady gets terrifying when pissed.”
“I didn’t do shit to piss her off,” Shen Yuan points out. Although technically, she did give him an earful recently over how he’d taken Liu Mingyan to Bailu forest way back when, but from Mu Qingfang’s account, she’d done that to everybody involved. Either way, she had ample opportunity to stick it to him if she wanted to. “Try someone else. Someone that makes sense.”
“Bro, it’s all up to what you did,” the god author Airplane responds smartly. “Think about that. Besides, does it even need to have something to do with you? If Huan Hua Palace is stirring the pot as Wei-shixiong claims, then it might not even be a personal grudge? Shen Qingqiu was made to be the easy target. Just cause you are going around claiming possession is hardly enough to get you off the hook for it. Besides, the inter-sect politics is a mess in general.”
“Only cause you made it that way,” Shen Yuan growls, but seriously, the way this talk is going in circles is pissing him off. “Fine, whatever. If it’s just politics, I’ll work it out the old fashioned way. Next question. The Immortal Alliance Conference and the Endless Abyss shit. How do I stop that? Cause I am absolutely not kicking Luo Binghe into the Abyss and hell if I’ll let anyone else do it.”
“Bro,” Shang Qinghua gasps, shocked. “You really want to amputate the Protagonist’s golden finger? Are you nuts?”
“That’s not ─ I’m not…” argh. Shen Yuan groans inwardly, trying to figure out the best way to go about wording this. At first, the idea of mentioning to Shang Qinghua anything about multiple timelines seemed like a must, but now… yeah, hell nah. His brain might just melt and that's not helpful at all. Later, maybe. “Look,” he says. “As long as I’m here, no way in hell is Luo Binghe gonna end up in that hellhole again, got it? System can’t stop me. So best make sure you ain’t gonna try, either. We good?”
Shang Qinghua blinks at him. Twice. Thrice.
“What?” Shen Yuan snaps, impatiently. “If you have something to say, just say it. Don’t stare at me like I’ve got the head of an alpaca or something.”
“... You want to amputate my son’s golden finger?!”
“Whose damn son? If anything, I raised him and you ruined him!”
“Hey!” Shang Qinghua protests. “What do you expect? A protagonist must undergo a great struggle if he’s to wield his golden finger. Besides, what’s a little suffering in the face of a plot-armor, heaven-defying weapon to carry you through the rest of the story? Every protagonist is more compelling if he must also fight a little darkness inside him. Case in point, if he weren’t, would you even care so much to spare him the struggle now?”
Shen Yuan’s mouth hangs for a while before he finds it in himself to close it and not punch Shang Qinghua’s teeth out. See, you also know it, you hack author?! “You make me want to shove that tea down your throat and make you regret ever inventing it,” he says, flatly.
Shang Qinghua’s eyes inadvertently shift over to the reddish fumes that have gone chilly now and pales even more. “... Bro, isn’t this getting a little too aggressive? I’m perfectly willing to provide assistance as asked, but under duress, it’s much too hard to think. Besides, what you’re asking me for makes no sense─”
“Just shut up,” Shen Yuan groans. “You’re useless anyway, I’ll figure that out on my own too. I changed your shitty story this much, so why wouldn’t I be able to change this too? Forget I ever asked.”
“... Bro, if the System makes me interfere, I swear, I’m only doing it for the B-points, nothing else. But I’m definitely not the traitor. Heck, with how much you’ve changed my story, if I were to come out and tell the Sect Leader that my lord is hiding on my peak, chances are he wouldn’t even consider me a traitor─”
“Is he?” Shen Yuan cuts him off, his eye twitching. “Mobei Jun, I mean. He’s here? On Cang Qiong Mountain? Right now?”
Shang Qinghua gulps. “Well, I’m not sure about right this moment… but he has been around more often than not, lately. Thanks to you and the Formless Demons messing up everything, the Mobei clan is in the middle of a succession crisis bigger than I ever wrote it─”
“Good,” Shen Yuan says. “Let me know when he’s here. I’d like to ask him a few things.”
“Excuse me?!”
“What? Do you think I’d tell the Sect Leader?” Shen Yuan shoots back. “You said it yourself. Even if I did, he wouldn’t care. Not unless the Mobei clan is set on ruining our sect first. And he’s not, right? Mobei Jun doesn’t give a shit about us if we’re not the ones at fault for Formless Demons, right?”
“Err… I’d say he has other priorities. For now.”
“Good. Then, when he’s around, let me know. Binghe might want to talk to him, too, so be timely about it.”
“... Binghe?” Shang Qinghua is watching the tea now as though drinking it is somehow more acceptable than confronting the majestic star of his great novel. “Is that why Lu Xiaodan is here? Because you’re gathering his harem on time now? Are you going to help him shelter his other wives on Qing Jing peak, too?”
Shen Yuan gives him a look of pure disgust. “What? If anything, the reason Lu Xiaodan is here is Ning Yingying. The hell are you even talking about?”
“Nothing!” Shang Qinghua pipes up rapidly. “But out of curiosity alone, is Bingge… err… this is kinda awkward to ask, but like, he is cultivating with his wives, right? Cause if anything can offset the insanity we saw on Qiong Ding Peak last time and fix his cultivation for real, it’s a good little round of─” he cuts himself off, a strangled little aah escaping the moment he sees Shen Yuan’s hand moving towards the teacup in front of him like he’s gonna shove the whole thing down his throat, ceramics and all.
“H-hey, bro, I’m only asking! Binghe is a half-Heavenly demon, after all, proper dual cultivation is crucial to his spiritual cultivation system… err, put that cup down, bro! Put it down! Bro, put that tea down!” He sighs in great relief, when Shen Yuan plays along for a moment.
For his part, Shen Yuan smiles thinly, but very dangerously. “And tell me, what does it say about you, a modern creep, asking about the sex lives of literal children?”
Wiping a trail of sweat along the side of his face, Shang Qinghua chuckles faintly. “It’s… err. I’m only saying this for his own good. The earlier he starts, the better, really…”
“And who made it that way?!" Shen Yuan slams his fist on the table between them, outraged. It both startles Shang Qinghua and spills the reddish tea all over his lap. For a few moments, they both stare at the reddish stain as it spreads all over his uniform, crotch and legs especially, soaking through the fabric. Then something under the fabric twitches.
Shen Yuan gulps. “Oh, shit.”
Shang Qinghua’s face goes so white it almost entirely matches the rest of his uniform. “This… er… tell me this isn’t the potent version of the aphrodisiac tea. Just the drinkable one. Please.”
Wait?! That's what the tea does? Shen Yuan's face loses all color, too. “Hell if I know, bro. Do I look like I know how to tell the difference? Shit was steaming in color.”
“... I… I should go.”
Shen Yuan doesn’t argue. This one is definitely his fault. And even if not intentional, it does leave him with a little bit of a gleeful, you had it coming, Airplane-bro. Payback for forcing Binghe through it twice already! HA! Still, he eyes over the stain awkwardly. “Do you need an extra set of clothes?”
“I’m sure Liu-shidi will maul me if he sees me wearing your clothes. Thanks, but no thanks. I’ll… figure it out.” He stands up, a little shaky. “Next time, you gotta tell me your ID, bro. Cause the way you talk is awfully familiar and I just gotta know─”
“Get out,” Shen Yuan says.
Obediently, Shang Qinghua bolts out of the house and off his peak, running only god knows where to solve his… err. Issue.
Idly, Shen Yuan calls over someone to clean up the rest of the tea and warns the poor junior disciple who shows up not to touch that tea with her naked hands under any circumstance. But from the way she expertly handles the whole thing, it’s clear that it’s not the first time she’s seen Lu Xiaodan handle work around the kitchen.
“It’s fine, Shizun. If we ask, she makes the antidotes super quickly, too,” she says lightly, then stalks off to do whatever the junior disciples even do at this time of day. Shen Yuan nods idly. At least, the tea has served its purpose. Shang Qinghua told him more than he dared expect and Shen Yuan didn’t even need to probe him all that much.
It’s a while after the disciple is already gone that the girl’s words properly register. Hey! You silly child! What do you mean, if you ask for the antidote? Are there disciples on his peak drinking this stuff on purpose?!
Oh goodness. And here he was reproaching Airplane for being a creep. Just what kind of culture is he promoting on his own peak? And Lu Xiaodan… ah fuck, that girl knew exactly what… damn it. What if this gives disciples ideas? What if it gives Luo Binghe ideas? As if that child doesn’t already have a messed up head on his shoulders! Some ground rules need to be set, stat. Aphrodisiac teas on his peak are a terrible idea.
“Hey! Someone get Lu Xiaodan here now!” he shouts.
Good lord, who even came up with this shit? If Shen Yuan ends up in hell, this will be the reason. Definitely this. Wasn’t Ming Fan talking about starting some new tea business on the peaks before? Good lord, if this is what he had in mind… how the hell did Shen Yuan not think of… Aaargh.
“LU XIAO DAN! Get back here right now!”
Shen Yuan is definitely going to hell for this ─ and if he does, it’s because he deserves it.
Notes:
yO, y'all, January really be kicking my ass man. It's the same thing every damn year hahahahha... but damn. Anyway, do you believe that between this and the last update, I haven't written a single damn word? I don't. I cannot. Here's to hoping for improvements
Chapter 44: Battle Royale Special
Summary:
Cang Qiong Mountain challenges Luo Binghe.
Shen Yuan has a few things to say about that.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Luo Binghe raises his eyebrow, catching onto just how quickly Shizun’s eyes shift away from him the moment he enters the bamboo house for the second time in the past few minutes. It’s a bit of a surprise. Shizun usually greets him with more than a simple grunt of acknowledgement. Has Luo Binghe perhaps done something to upset Shizun while unaware? What could he have done, though? Everything he’s done has been exactly what Shizun ─ he catches those eyes flying over to him again and then rapidly shifting away… except for some reason, they hadn’t been staring at Luo Binghe’s face, but… ah.
Grinning on the inside, Luo Binghe lets the sweat drenched robe that’s been nearly torn off his upper body move a little further to the side. The damaged fabric slides along until it clings to the edge of his shoulder, revealing just enough of his chest, neck and collarbone to get some… interesting reactions, without being inappropriate in any meaningful way.
Rather than to deliver the report he’s been about to rattle off by heart, he instead takes a seat opposite of Shizun, propping his arm on the low table to stare at that beautiful face. For an extended period of time, Shizun does the exact opposite of giving him the attention that Luo Binghe wants, for whatever silly reason, so he eventually relents and makes the first move.
“Why is Mobei Jun on Cang Qiong Mountain?” Luo Binghe asks, and it’s a successful distraction.
Shizun looks up at him, pointedly avoiding looking at his naked skin to stare at his face instead, saying, “Shang Qinghua mentioned a succession crisis.”
“Ah. A succession crisis,” Luo Binghe comments. Shizun seems quite determined to make his gaze go around his chest and back down to his papers, but Luo Binghe holds that attention with small hums and curious sighs. Every so often, however, Shizun’s eyes shift downwards only to quickly snap back up again. Before he can rattle off some stupid excuse about propriety or his disciple’s state of dress, Luo Binghe says, “Then, Shizun spoke to Shang-shishu. Is he trustworthy?”
“Er. Kind of, I guess?” Shizun shrugs. “At the very least, he’s not the one stirring up trouble outside the mountain. He’s busy sorting out the Mobei clan’s mess.”
“Mm. I should probably meet with Mobei Jun, then.”
“Yeah. He’s probably not here now, but your Shang-shishu will inform us when he drops by. Saves us the trouble from looking for him in the Northern Demon Realm.”
“Mm.” Luo Binghe nods. Then the words register properly. “Wait. Us? Shizun wants to speak to Mobei Jun too?”
Shen Yuan’s eyebrows shoot up. “Luo Binghe has something he wishes to say about that?”
“... no, Shizun. Just…” he hesitates. Just, the image of Shizun, willingly, almost eagerly seeking to collude with a demon lord… it makes him both a little jealous and deeply conflicted at the same time. For the longest time, he’s spent every waking moment with absolute conviction that his Shizun has hated anything demonic. He’s… got a lot to unlearn, still.
Shizun must have noticed something on his face, though, because his expression immediately softens. “Don’t worry, this one won’t leave Luo Binghe out of anything,” he promises. “What I mostly wish to address is related to the Northern Demon Realm’s way of handling Formless Demons. The Southern clans seemed quite convinced they had reliable means of doing so, so I want to learn more about it.”
“Ah. Mm, I also know they have something,” Luo Binghe says. “I don’t know the details, though. Last time around, Formless Demons weren’t exactly a problem outside the Abyss.”
“Yes, this is something I forgot to ask Shang Qinghua about,” Shizun mumbles. “As for what makes them a problem… well. We’ll get to that. First, this Master wants to ask, how did Binghe’s mission go?”
Luo Binghe grins, a little savage. “Perfectly, of course.”
Shen Yuan didn’t look like he was going to ask any questions, initially, except all the glee on Luo Binghe’s face must’ve unsettled him a little. He says, “Luo Binghe, what did you do?”
“This disciple only did as Shizun said.”
“... that’s… I know what I said, but what did you actually do?”
Luo Binghe sighs. “I enlisted help from Ming Fan to spread the rumors over on Bai Zhan Peak that Ku Xing Peak is looking down on their lack of ability to handle Formless Demons… and then had Ning Yingying spread the same all over Ku Xing Peak, about Bai Zhan. By the time Bai Zhan disciples lost their patience, both the peaks were already riled up enough that the whole thing couldn’t be solved even with the Peak Lords interfering.”
Predictably, Shizun audibly groans and covers his face. “That’s definitely not … how did you even come up with this? You do realize that if they figure out it’s our fault, both Huan Qingyan and Liu Qingge will be asking us to cover their expenses?”
Luo Binghe thinks that, in such an unlikely scenario, the expenses may just be the least of their concerns. He smirks slightly. “They won’t, though. They’re dueling it out as we speak. There’s no fixing it.”
“That’s… somehow, that’s even worse. Liu-shidi is nowhere near recovered enough to duel with other Peak Lords,” Shizun says, sighing deeply. “Luo Binghe, you just really wanted to push your Shishu’s buttons, didn’t you? Couldn’t you have found some less violent way to do it?”
In spite of Shizun’s scolding, Luo Binghe is still quite satisfied with the results. “Shizun, you must keep in mind how Bai Zhan peak thinks if you want to make them do something,” he says. “If they’re idle and bored, that’s just trouble for everyone. Either you let them fight something on the mountain, or you have them fight something off the mountain. Convince them that what you want them to fight is a worthy challenge and they will make it so, even if it isn’t. Shizun taught me this.”
Shizun groans, scratching at his forehead with his fan. “If it ends up worsening Liu-shidi’s injuries… argh.”
“... is that not what Shizun wanted to achieve to begin with?”
Shizun blinks at him, nearly dropping his fan from his loose hand. “What?”
Luo Binghe blinks, a little surprised. If Liu Qingge’s injuries get even worse, Mu Qingfang will inevitably force him back to rest on Qing Jing Peak, and Shizun knows it. Shizun wants to keep an eye on him. Or is that not the case? But no. Luo Binghe is pretty sure he is correct about this assessment. He glances over to the firmly shut door of the side room, which still houses Luo Binghe’s beloved pillow… along with a few more items that certainly do not belong. Besides, Shizun’s eyes are quite easy to read, now that Luo Binghe isn’t always so obsessively thinking about whether or not they’re singling out every little flaw of his.
“Was Shizun not going to suggest to Liu-shidi to stay on Qing Jing Peak for recovery either way? Only Liu-shishu ran away before Shizun could,” he says slowly. “If that’s what Shizun wants, it’s not hard for this disciple to make it happen.”
“... what… what exactly are you saying?”
Luo Binghe shrugs. “This one spent a lot of time clearing out Shishu’s blockages when Shizun wasn’t around. Of course I know exactly how to make them worse, too. If that’s what Shizun decides, it’s only a matter of one duel and I will have Shishu staying on Qing Jing Peak for as long as Shizun wants. Making Ku Xing Peak do it is really just so no one would suspect Shizun.”
“That’s… Luo Binghe! Don’t even joke about that! What do you mean, one duel? What we want is for Liu Qingge to behave, not to incapacitate him! Where are you getting these ideas from?!”
Luo Binghe sighs, very patiently. “Shizun. Liu Qingge is from Bai Zhan. He will either fight on Cang Qiong Mountain, fight off of Cang Qiong Mountain or be incapable of fighting at all. If you politely ask him to sit down for a day, he might do it out of respect, but if you ask him to do so for an undetermined amount of time, it’s simply not going to happen. The easiest way is to just knock him out, but since neither Shizun nor Mu-shishu will approve, what I’m suggesting is the next best option. At least, if Shizun is overseeing his recovery, he might behave… for a while.”
Shizun looks taken aback enough not to have any smart comebacks this time around. But it’s not like Luo Binghe has said anything inaccurate. What Shizun probably doesn’t realize is that Liu Qingge is far likelier to accept a prolonged stay on Qing Jing Peak rather than Bai Zhan solely because Shizun is there too. Naturally, that stay might also give Luo Binghe a chance to figure it out, too. Lately, Shishu’s head has been full of nothing but Shizun in some increasingly questionable situations and the whole inane chasing for Skinner is at least partially fueled by Liu Qingge’s attempt to… what? Ignore that? Run away?
Luo Binghe isn’t quite sure.
Either way, the best solution when it comes to the issue of Liu Qingge is, naturally, just to kill the bastard. Cut his losses from the get go, forget the effort invested in keeping him alive. Keeping him away from Shizun matters more than the use he can get out of Liu Qingge’s life debt anyway. Unfortunately, Shizun has that look about him ─ no way will he ever let it go, if Liu Qingge dies, so ─ not an option.
The second best solution, therefore, is to keep Shizun and Liu Qingge apart as much as possible. Which is also probably the better solution, if he takes into consideration that it’s probably too late to play games and make Shizun hate Liu Qingge to start with. That kind of manipulation wouldn’t be likely to work under normal circumstances and especially not now when Shizun quite obviously makes it a priority to care for that idiot’s wellbeing.
Finally, there is a third option that Luo Binghe has been contemplating recently… but the very notion of it makes his gut squirm uncomfortably, makes the possessive streak inside of him go on a wild rampage through his whole body. It’s screaming at him, Forget the nonsense! Just kill him! But that will more or less be taking the choice away from Shizun… and Luo Binghe doesn’t want to make Shizun choose anything at all. Twice already, his attempts to make Shizun choose have ended up with Shizun choosing death.
“To save you,” Shizun had whispered into his ear, in the depth of the night where Luo Binghe had taken him to the dream realm and trapped him in a vague impression of his own memories, softly asking why into his ear while Shizun was still too drowsy to realize he’s been caught. The response he got… well.
There’s nothing quite like the feelings stirred up when Luo Binghe had to watch tears sliding down Shen Yuan’s face when he unconsciously pulled Luo Binghe into his arms and whispered those three words into his ears. They had been reassuring in all the wrong ways, selfishly comforting and wickedly satisfying to hear. They had also left Luo Binghe in shambles for countless different reasons he couldn’t immediately recognize, and that same moment he’d resolved that no matter what, under no circumstances is he going to make Shizun choose anything ever again.
Shizun can do what he wants. If he wants to spend time around other people, he should do so. If he wants to stir the same kind of selfish desire in other people that he stirs in Luo Binghe, then… Well, Luo Binghe can maybe interfere with what those people choose to do about it. But he will never interfere with Shizun.
This situation now is… well, exactly that. Liu Qingge can be dealt with in many ways. From killing him to incapacitating him to… more or less doing anything to get in that bastard’s way, really. That’s easy. But what is he supposed to do when that expression crosses Shen Yuan’s face?
Does Shizun even realize just how much concern he fails to hide every time that person is around him? Or is it just that, ever since that crippling fear of rejection choking Luo Binghe from the inside has lessened, some things have simply been put in perspective?
In the past, Shizun never looked at Liu Qingge that way. He’d smiled at that man and relied on Liu Qingge for many things that Luo Binghe wished Shizun could’ve relied on Binghe instead, but it hadn’t… it was different. Certainly, Shen Yuan used to have a lot of admiration for the Bai Zhan Peak Lord and that hasn’t changed. But there is a new dimension to it now that Luo Binghe cannot put into words. If he has to try, it is very similar to the way Shen Yuan looks at him, every time he visibly stops himself from overtly showering Luo Binghe with affection in front of other people. It is some form of ingrained self-consciousness that he cannot let go, no matter how much Luo Binghe insists he doesn’t care what others think about them. Shizun obviously cares, though. What he cares for precisely, Luo Binghe doesn’t know and doesn’t care to guess. If it means Shizun won’t touch him at all, then that’s fine too. His heart can handle it.
But now Shizun has a similar look on his face every single time he comes face to face with Liu Qingge and somehow, Luo Binghe has become other people that Shizun tries to hide from. And that’s… that hurts.
“Shizun,” Luo Binghe says softly, all tension and pure nerves as he tries to find a way to word what he thinks without making it sound wrong, somehow. But no matter what he thinks of, everything sounds wrong. He swallows thickly. “Shizun… if what you want is to let Liu-shishu stay in the side room, then that’s… this disciple won’t mind it.” Not too much, at least. Or he’ll get used to it. Whatever. The point is, if Shizun wants…
But Shen Yuan is just blankly staring at him, uncomprehending. “... what?”
Luo Binghe swallows a lump. “This disciple just wanted Shizun to know. There is no need to worry. This one won’t make the same mistakes anymore. This one… understands now what Shizun wanted from the start. This one will not succumb to fear of inadequacy anymore. So, Shizun should do what he wants, too. No matter what it is, this one will support Shizun’s decisions.”
Shen Yuan openly gapes at him, then stops, then gapes again. Clearly, his mind has gone places, but they’re somehow all the wrong places, because after a few moments, he covers his face with both his hands.
Softly, he asks, “Luo Binghe… what have you done on Ku Xing Peak, exactly?”
Luo Binghe blinks. How is that related to anything he’s said? “... I already told Shizun everything in detail.”
“No. You said what you had Ming Fan and Ning Yingying do. What was your role in it? Besides giving them orders, I mean. You had to have done something to have come back like… like that.”
“Ah.” Well, it would’ve been impossible to hide, either way. Luo Binghe’s uniform is very much a mess and he does have a few bruises here and there. He scratches the back of his head, sheepish. “Well, I might’ve fanned the flames a little. But only a little, Shizun. I didn’t do anything bad.” Certainly, he’s only done things that he has already done before. Bai Zhan peak mob is awfully easy to manipulate, after all.
Shen Yuan doesn’t ask anymore, but his one despairing look begging for explanations just strips Luo Binghe of all his defenses.
“I… might’ve provoked the entirety of Bai Zhan into a rage a little before Ming Fan sent them over to Ku Xing Peak. So that they’d have motivation to do it immediately,” he admits.
“Luo Binghe!” Shizun protests. “We talked about this! Your cultivation is still─”
“I’m fine, Shizun,” Luo Binghe insists. “In fact, I’ve been itching for a good challenge for a while now. My progress is really good. I see no reason to delay the Battle Royale anymore.”
“... Binghe, the whole point of you laying low was to make everyone else on the mountain forget about that stupid thing… argh… you’re not the one who agreed to it to start with. You shouldn’t feel responsible for─”
“The one who agreed was still some version of me,” Luo Binghe points out, even if that particular version of himself makes him want to claw off his own skin sometimes. “Besides, it would probably be a good thing. If I take the challenge, won’t Shizun earn a lot of money?”
“That’s not…” Shen Yuan groans again. “Luo Binghe, there’s no point in fighting the entire Cang Qiong Mountain just to… what? What do you even get from that?”
“Obviously, I put them in their place?” Luo Binghe says, reasonably. “I mean, I am still a demon in a cultivator sect. If fighting them is going to make them shut up about it and stop criticizing Shizun, then that’s what I do. Besides, isn’t Liu-shishu going to lose a lot of money if Shizun wins his bet? I heard that you and Mu-shishu made an… arrangement.”
“... so everyone knows about that now,” Shen Yuan sighs. “Seriously, there is no point to… argh. Okay, fine. Three peaks want your head on a platter. If you can beat them, then yeah, they’re probably going to calm down. But that doesn’t mean you have to─”
“I want to fight them,” Luo Binghe points out plainly. “I’ll fight anyone if that means I get to stay by Shizun’s side. If all of Cang Qiong Mountain wants to challenge me, then I’ll fight all of them.”
“... you can’t just say that and… aaaaargh.”
Luo Binghe sighs. “Well, then, what does Shizun want me to do? The challenge is already out there and everyone is waiting for Shizun to say something about it. If you turn around and tell them it’s not happening, isn’t that just going to make everyone question you all over again? This fight is all about letting Cang Qiong Mountain have a chance to let go of their misgivings about me by beating me up, but it’s also a chance to… to make a place for myself here, right next to Shizun. I don’t care what happens either way, but having already accepted their challenge once, would it not reflect badly on Shizun if I were to go back on my word now? It only provides an opportunity for more resentment to build up over time─”
Luo Binghe was more or less done with what he was saying, but his breath still cuts off when Shizun leans over the low table between them and flicks him over the forehead. Before he has the chance to register the hit, there’s a hand messing up the top of his head, ruffling his hair and melting his insides with its affectionate warmth.
“Fine, fine already, fine! Stop beating me with valid arguments,” Shizun says begrudgingly, but there is still a spark of excitement flashing in his eyes. “I won’t lie ─ this one wants to see Luo Binghe get a chance to clear the slate with the sect too. But just… let me figure out the timing, okay? Cause, as much as I was hoping we wouldn’t need to do that, you have a point too and… well. This is a chance, actually.”
Luo Binghe blinks. “A chance?” To turn the perception of Luo Binghe around to something more positive? Or…?
“It’s clear by now that we have a spy on the mountain,” Shen Yuan says slowly. “The Sect Leader wants to spare us the internal squabbles on top of everything else so he’s not addressing it, but it’s still a problem. I was suspecting Shang Qinghua at first, but Binghe was right about it not being him. That means we don’t know who it is, though, so… this Battle Royale is actually a good chance to find the leakage.”
“Ah,” Luo Binghe says. “What does Shizun want me to do about it?”
“Absolutely nothing,” Shen Yuan says. “Luo Binghe should just… focus on the fight. Let this master figure out the rest.”
Luo Binghe frowns. “But, if Shizun needs help─”
“I’m just looking to find out who it is, not to get in their way,” Shizun stresses. “Anyway, if we play our cards right, that should solve the problem with Liu Qingge too. That’s what Mu-shidi was counting on from the beginning, with that bet you all know about. He, too, must've heard it by now, so I’ll have to change it, damn it. But anyway, yes. Three birds, one stone, or however that goes. Binghe should really just go about it as he normally would.”
“So… with a lot of confidence and obvious enthusiasm?”
Shen Yuan sighs, but a smile tugs on the corner of his lips regardless. “The more obvious the better, I guess.”
Luo Binghe grins. “Then this will be easy.”
Shen Yuan manages to stretch the official Battle Royale dates for another few months, just past Luo Binghe’s sixteenth birthday. He would have preferred to stretch it for a while longer, but his hand is forced not so much by external circumstance as internal, for Luo Binghe’s reading of Bai Zhan was ultimately flawless. Leave that band of troublemakers idle for too long and they will come crashing down your gates sooner or later. The more chaos they cause, the more urgency to act, so, here they are.
Luo Binghe spars with them often, these days. Shen Yuan was ultimately forced to capitulate and let that ball of extra energy do as he likes. If that includes hand-to-hand combat with half of Bai Zhan Peak, well…
The problem is not so much the spars that Luo Binghe has with Bai Zhan Peak. They’re messy and violent and end up with a whole lot of injuries the Qian Cao disciples forever complain about, but the problem is that recently, other peaks and even outsiders have caught onto them happening ─ and more than once, Luo Binghe has been ambushed while out handling official missions for Qing Jing Peak. Naturally, Luo Binghe comes out on top of the situation ─ it would be a surprise if he didn’t, really, but the most recent incident in which several of the young disciples got caught in a mess with him has just about cemented it that Shen Yuan has been delaying too much.
Moreover, the public perception of Cang Qiong Mountain has not only failed to improve, but it’s suffered more hits instead, to the point the sect as a whole now has barely any commissions coming in.
In no particular order, Wan Jian Peak totally cut off all cooperation with Tian Yi Overlook, after a disciple lost his life in a confrontation with the northern demon clans and the allied sect failed to send assistance on their own turf; some temples have been outright refusing to allow any Ku Xing disciples past their property limits; all the commissions for night hunts, exorcisms or any other activities that cultivators might be needed for have dwindled, leaving a rare request or two to spread over ten or so peaks that had almost nothing to do. Finally, Liu Qingge’s conquest to capture Skinner has inevitably continued, leading to a whole lot more requests for damage coverage than commissions could earn them. There weren’t even sufficient finances to organize the annual disciple tournaments!
In short, the air in Cang Qiong Mountain sect has not been good at all, lately.
Thus, Shen Yuan has figured that there is no point in waiting anymore. Grabbing Mu Qingfang by the arm, he gently probed to see about canceling the annual tournament entirely, then, noticing visible relief on the Qian Cao Peak Lord’s face, decided to simply go for it and shoot out his actual suggestion. A chaotic free-for-all with a few key rules and no limitations to participants.
The news has, since then, reverberated through the entire sect. It has also, just as expected, traveled much, much further. Before long, Cang Qiong Mountain was flooded with accusations of all sorts of indecent behaviors, a list of crimes they may or may not have committed… and an increasing number of pleas from outsiders to be permitted to watch while the sect showed off their demonic disciple.
All in all, making a circus out of the whole affair was not Shen Yuan’s intention, but alas. Can’t beat ‘em, join them, right?
Luo Binghe, at least, seems thrilled by the notion that he gets to, one, fight the disciples that have been pestering him over the past few months, and two, show off to the cultivation world at large. In fact, the entire spectacle has gained attention all across the Central Plains, leading to a brand new money grubbing scheme courtesy of Shen Yuan.
“Charge them spirit stones,” he says, during a Peak Lord meeting with barely anyone in attendance.
Yue Qingyuan is meeting up with the other Sect Leaders again, fighting for diplomacy as he always does. Shang Qinghua is away on some business or other, most likely just helping the Mobei clan. Liu Qingge is out chasing Skinner’s tailskirts. Qi Qingqi is heaven knows where. And finally, Huan Qingyan is off negotiating with Zhao Hua Monastery to assist her in raising goodwill with the temples, which has gone about as well as you’d expect, the past few times she’s tried.
In short, there’s barely anyone present, the mood is beyond sullen and defeated and Wei Qingwei has just about brought news back that even more sects are interested in watching Luo Binghe the Heavenly Demon get beaten up for the troubles. Now, Shen Yuan strikes.
“If they’re so insistent on making a big deal out of it, let them watch,” he repeats, totally mindless for the jaws that come crashing onto the floor out of sheer surprise. “We’ll move the battle to the valley between the Ku Xing and Zui Xian peaks instead of holding it on Qiong Ding and there we go. We lack the budget to include quests and missions and lootings that would make things a little more interesting, but even an all-out free-for-all should work well enough. That valley is accessible just enough to let outsiders through, but not allow them to climb up the mountain and it is also easy to set up a temporary barrier there. Only those who pay up the amount we decide get to come near it and depending on how we tickle their curiosity, we should be able to draw an audience anywhere between a few hundred and a thousand. Put a good price and we’ll make up for the financial losses, they will see that Luo Binghe has no demonic powers to speak off and the whole thing will blow over. It works out.”
Shen Yuan has, admittedly, prepared a much list of valid arguments in preparation for any naysayers, but it’s telling that the mood in the sect is so sullen and demoralized that nobody says a word in protest and he’s barely started.
Wei Qingwei merely asks, “Who’s in favor?” And as all hands go up, the matter is decided.
The preparations, of course, take a little while longer. So by the time everything is ready, the spring has already started and snow has mostly melted away, leaving the Cang Qiong Mountain Sect ample time and opportunity to truly prepare a spectacle.
Shang Qinghua, saddled with most of the logistics handling of the whole thing, curses Shen Yuan saucily after every Peak Lord meeting and even more so after each of their private meetings, but eh. The dude made Immortal Alliance Conference into a multi-chapter disaster stretching for over several hundred pages, including many upheavals, betrayals and even a papapa scene! He can handle one Battle Royale.
“The name is driving me insane,” he shouts at Shen Yuan for a little while, before bursting into outright tears. “And right when I’m done with that one, I’ll have to go prepare another one of those big ones.” The pile of paperwork on his table still waiting to be finished, unforunately, just grows with time, until it's taller than even Yue Qingyuan.
“There, there,” Shen Yuan comforts him with empty words. “If this works as planned, you’ll be able to outsource most of the work for the Immortal Alliance Conference anyway.”
Shang Qinghua flips him off once, then continues where he’s left off, only now his tears stain the papers instead of Shen Yuan’s sleeves.
All in all, the whole thing with Cang Qiong Mountain currently being ostracized by the other great sects really works in Shen Yuan’s favor. After how publicly both Huan Hua Palace and Tian Yi Outlook have discredited Cang Qiong Mountain, neither one of the sects will have any face to try and sneak their way into the event. Of course, it doesn’t mean the audience won’t be ripe with their informants ─ but it’s not like Shen Yuan cares about the informants. He only has two goals, really: first, calm the internal tension and improve Luo Binghe's reputation in the sect, and second, keep the Old Palace Master far away from Luo Binghe for as long as physically possible. And well, if he earns the sect a little money in the process, all the better.
And so far, it’s proven indeed very lucrative.
A few days before the event, the towns and villages in the vicinity of Cang Qiong Mountain grow busy and restless, with many travelers coming from afar. Even the noble clan heads, if they haven’t already come to attend in person, send various representatives from all across the Central Plains. There is no need to go much into the towns: the flurry of activity can even be felt all the way up on the lowest peaks of the mountain, where most of the preparations are taking place.
The night prior to the event, Yue Qingyuan, Huan Qingyan and Shen Yuan all stand together at the edges of Ku Xing Peak, the very corner allowing the view of where the spectators area has been successfully built. Most of the work done, several of the construction workers are still busily gathering up their tools and private items, before respectfully greeting the Peak Leaders and making their way home. The rough terrain between the peaks is wide, but not always easily traversed. The regular defenses needed to be tended to carefully, so they wouldn’t interfere with the additional barriers introduced solely for the event. Ku Xing Peak has, in this instance, truly outdone themselves.
“Seven spirit stones,” Yue Qingyuan says softly into the night. “Shen-shidi considers this amount an appropriate one?”
“More or less,” Shen Yuan says. It’s too late to change it now, either way, even if they could easily get away with more at this point. “If Hou-shidi’s calculations are correct, we should draw an audience of roughly two thousand visitors. More than we initially hoped for, but barely enough to qualify this as the second largest cultivation event, right after the Immortal Alliance Conference. And get this. None of the other sects participating there aren’t even attending.” Not as anything other than an audience, anyway.
“Fourteen thousand spirit stones,” Huan Qingyan comments,coldly. “Barely enough to cover the total expenses and fill the treasury.”
“Why, Huan-shimei, if I was hoping to make money off of entry fees, I wouldn’t have bothered with all of this to begin with,” Shen Yuan replies smugly. “Their purpose is to cover the expenses. If we get even a single extra spirit stone from it, all the better, but that’s not what they’re here for.”
“Indeed,” Yue Qingyuan murmurs faintly. From his expression alone, he is not yet sure whether he is regretting, allowing Shen Yuan to run with his idea, or admiring the brilliance. And it’s quite a brilliance, if Shen Yuan says so himself. Tournament arcs, after all, are a big fucking deal in all fiction, forever, everywhere. Might as well go all out for this one. Even if by all means, it’s not a proper tournament to begin with.
Huan Qingyan looks at both of them from the corner of her eye, with mild disinterest. “Zhangmen-shixiong, it comes as no surprise to me that the person beside you could have come up with something like this, but that you are fully corroborating… This Shimei is quite bewildered.”
If anything, there is a faint blush creeping up Yue Qingyuan’s cheeks, an admission of guilt. “I’m afraid to say, but if no one else is playing fairly, then this one sees no reason why we should do so for them. Besides, nothing that we’re doing here is in any form disingenuous.”
“Ah. So, an underground betting set-up at the courtesy of Mu-shixiong, that is not disingenuous at all, then?”
Yue Qingyuan’s smile is pleasantly placid. “Huan-shimei makes it sound as though we are running a gambling den on the regular and not just having a little fun once in a while.”
Huan Qingyan sighs, saying nothing. Of course, the fact that Ku Xing Peak has also been corroborating all this goes unsaid.
“What about rewarding the winner?” she asks. “Has an appropriate reward system been arranged?”
Shen Yuan’s smile takes on a slightly plastic quality. Technically, he does have something in the works, sort of. Except, that sort of thing is not quite appropriate to be mentioned in front of the Sect Leader and a fellow Peak Lord. It also hinges on a very dangerous assumption of who will take the victory, therefore even saying anything is simply ill advised at this point. That said, there's really not that many options.
“Within the ancient artifacts room, there is a specific type of jade found only within the limits of the Qiangshao province. Huan-shimei should be quite familiar with its properties,” Yue Qingyuan says kindly.
“Ah. And Zhangmen-shixiong intends to gift such a precious item to a disciple?”
“Well, frankly speaking, it has been gathering dust in the ancient artifacts room for a long time. Might as well offer it to someone worthy. Better than to pawn it off to make up for financial losses, at any rate.”
“I thought Shen-shixiong made it clear that with this, we aim to turn our financial situation around in its entirety,” Huan Qingyan surmises coldly.
“I said I’ll make up for the losses, not make us record profits,” Shen Yuan points out. “Doing that long term is almost impossible unless we improve our publicity either way. This is a step in a good direction, but whether it’s going to be enough is yet to be seen.”
Huan Qingyan gives him quite a nasty side-eye and snorts softly, but those sharp gray eyes seem quite amused at the prospect nonetheless. “Very well. This Shimei will eagerly await to see the results.”
Then she turns around sharply, walking away first.
Shen Yuan looks back over where the last part of the audience sections is completed and sighs.
Sixteen hours left.
Staring at Luo Binghe’s stubborn expression as the disciple carefully pulls his outer robe over his shoulders and aligns his vambraces, for the first time, Shen Yuan feels conflicted. Each little thing Luo Binghe does, he does it carefully, thoroughly and without hesitation. His body is relaxed as though he’s going outside for a stroll, not going into a hundred to one battle with himself as the main target of everyone’s beatings. He says he does not care for the results, yet it is very obvious in his body language that he does. He is resolved to win this, one way or the other, and Shen Yuan wishes that victory could be the solution to it all.
In cooperation with the other peak lords, Shen Yuan has worked hard to make the main draw of the Battle Royale other things, aside from Luo Binghe’s throat. A crude score system to track whether or not a disciple has actively engaged in a fight is set, so it won’t allow anyone to sit on their butt while battle wages on and be rewarded for lying in wait to stab the victor in the back. It is not quite the proper Battle Royale that he has been hoping for, but they only had so much time and limited resources. Going so far with them as they did is truly all thanks to Zhangmen-shixiong putting his weight to support the idea wholeheartedly.
With promise of actual, physical reward, respect and reputation, the event has also successfully drawn the attention of senior cultivators with high status and long history within the sect. That has, in turn, also drawn their rivals as well. All in all, with the stakes climbing into the heavens and the interest from across the whole Cang Qiong Mountain gained, all that’s left is for the main event to take place. And the one part of it all that still has the most unwanted attention on him is none other than this child in front of him.
Leaning against the doorframe of the side room, Shen Yuan doesn’t mind that Luo Binghe has snuck into the bamboo house to prepare. Letting him change in the dorms where most his roommates have decided to try their luck against him and the rest are participating just for the fun of it, it feels simply in bad taste
The Luo Binghe of a storyline that no longer exists would have faced this challenge with ease.
But Luo Binghe in front of Shen Yuan is still too young. Sure, in his head, he’s survived the same things Shen Yuan has, but the seal on his demon blood is still there, the consequences of the many stressful events he’s faced not quite yet letting him free out of their clutches. Luo Binghe likes to pretend he is fine most of the time, but he has not yet successfully beaten the seniors of Bai Zhan Peak. Moreover, Shen Yuan hasn’t granted him the opportunity to draw his sword from Wan Jian’s Sword Terrace ─ not because Shen Yuan is particularly against it, but because Luo Binghe himself agreed that his cultivation base is not yet stable enough to handle a spiritual sword.
It’s a little absurd, all of this.
It is also just a little hot, because Shen Yuan has no doubt in his mind that Luo Binghe can beat just about anyone who comes after him today. For better or worse, though, this is no longer everyone vs Luo Binghe, it has been turned into a bit more even challenge. Anything can happen, so Shen Yuan was very careful in placing his bets, precisely because of this. Well, that, and the System, what with the little nasty thing doing nothing to encourage him throughout all this.
The front door squeaks behind him as another presence enters the bamboo house, the steps silent but all too easy to distinguish.
“Tch… and you’re taking a practice weapon to that mess?” Liu Qingge snaps, irritably, gripping Cheng Luan in one hand and clumsily hiding another blade behind his back.
Shen Yuan’s eyebrow shoots up in interest, but he makes no mention of it. For his part, Luo Binghe is still busy setting up his uniform, so likely he doesn’t notice, but at the sound of Liu Qingge’s voice, he does smirk smugly.
“I can win without a weapon,” he says. “Or does Shishu doubt my ability?”
“Sure I do.”
Unexpectedly, Liu Qingge tosses him the blade that he’s been hiding behind his back. Luo Binghe catches it from midair with ease, his eyes momentarily widening in what is clearly a spark of recognition. It’s not a practice blade, nor is it a spiritual weapon of any kind, but it briefly lights up as though it recognizes Luo Binghe’s spiritual power.
“This is from Hong district─”
“It’s from the Liu clan’s hidden armory,” Liu Qingge says gruffly. “Sure, you don’t need a weapon to get your ass kicked, but if you want to have a chance of winning at all, better have this nearby. More than half the idiots coming at you will have had their spiritual weapons for years. Others have been using them for decades. The only ones you’re not going to be fighting are the peak lords, so might as well turn off the arrogance for a bit.”
Luo Binghe’s eyes light up with something intense, the smile on his lips a little too sharp. “Liu-shishu still underestimates me so… would Shishu perhaps care for a trial duel first? Does Shishu want to have a taste of what this one can do before the rest─ouch! Shizun!”
“Be respectful to your Shishu,” Shen Yuan scolds, having mercilessly hit his disciple with his fan on the back of his head. It’s a little comical that it is precisely the fan Liu Qingge left hidden among the blankets the last time he visited, but eh. “If you’re done getting ready, please. It’s almost time.”
“Yes, Shizun. This one is ready.”
Luo Binghe dutifully heads out, smiling slightly at the brand new weapon in his hand. Frankly, Shen Yuan doesn’t know what’s worse. Watching Luo Binghe and Liu Qingge trying to murder each other in front of him all the time, or this… whatever the hell this is. He’s not jealous. There’s nothing to be jealous of to start with, as the real danger comes not from how these two forces of nature seem to interact in ways that are almost bearable, but from… well.
Even with Liu Qingge walking right beside him, Luo Binghe is trying to lace his fingers through Shen Yuan’s like some sort of a subtle sign of possession and that’s… ugh. Not for the first time, Shen Yuan wonders if his black lotus disciple is able to tap into his head and see exactly why Shen Yuan has been so skittish around his shidi for way too long now. It’s stupid, because there should really be nothing worth worrying about… and yet.
“Shizun,” Luo Binghe says, and once again, all of the five fingers of his hand have laced through Shen Yuan’s, the softest of brushes. He is glancing over his shoulder, face unreadable. “Is Shizun worried about this one? There’s no need. Of course this one will come out on top.”
… on top of who, exactly?
Shen Yuan hides his face behind his fan, but makes it look like he’s really only doing it to be a tease on purpose. His face is burning from the messed up thoughts running through his head. It’s better if nobody knows what he’s thinking. Might as well just toss himself off the mountain, really, if he’s going to continue acting this way.
Liu Qingge, meanwhile, rolls his eyes and walks around both of them, to head to the spectator area immediately. Eventually, over his shoulders, he throws, “If you brat dare lose against Bai Zhan, you’re done sparring with my disciples for a workout.”
“Oh?” Luo Binghe’s eyebrows shoot up.
“Mm. If you lose to them, you’ll be fighting me.”
At that, Luo Binghe’s lips stretch into a lazy smile. “Ah, shishu. But am I not gonna spar with you anyway?”
Liu Qingge says absolutely nothing and yet Luo Binghe still has the gall to look like a kid stealing candies. Shen Yuan wonders what in the world possessed him to allow this. He wonders what sort of insanity pushed him to start any of this.
But then again, encouraged by Mu-shidi, Liu Qingge’s made quite some large bets, too. The prospect of getting Liu-shidi to pay up all the damage expenses his disciples have made on both Qing Jing Peak and elsewhere is quite a tempting one. Not to mention, Mu Qingfang has accounted for the time the man’s stayed over at Qing Jing peak and added it to the tally. All things considered, the financial gain of taking the bet at face value has been simply too good to pass up from the start, but now Shen Yuan had to go up the stakes and, well. Now, the whole sect stands to gain much, much more than probably anyone except Mu Qingfang even realizes.
[System notice: side-story mission <Cang Qiong Mountain Battle Royale> successfully activated. All tallies have been successfully collected. The System wishes you the best of luck!]
Shen Yuan nods to himself, not at all happy that for once, the System has taken his intentional manipulations and made them official. Best of luck, best of luck indeed.
He walks Luo Binghe all the way to the disciple entry point, where he pauses just long enough to pat the boy on top of his head. They’re almost the same height now. Shen Yuan wishes he didn't spend so much time thinking about it on a daily basis as he actually does.
“Shizun, I’m going to─”
“Psst,” Shen Yuan cuts him off softly. “Remember what we said. Luo Binghe will do his best, but there is no need to fight for victory at all costs. This one already knows well what Binghe is capable of. I’m already proud.”
Luo Binghe pauses, his eyes growing momentarily wide. After so long, those few words are still enough to throw him off entirely. Keenly aware of all the other disciples slowly gathering around them, Shen Yuan leans in closer, whispering softly so only Binghe will hear, “Shizun has prepared something. Binghe should do his best if he wants to get it.”
There. With that wild spark burning in his eyes, at the very least, he’s made sure that he’s played the part of a supportive mentor properly. It is also a preemptive apology, of sorts, for whatever trouble this ends up causing the Protagonist. For as long as the System is involed, Shen Yuan is cannot be certain that Luo Binghe will come out of this happy.
Then he turns his back around and goes to the rest of Qing Jing disciples participating, supporting them with kind words and a pat on the back. Throughout all of it, he feels the intensity of Luo Binghe’s eyes as they burn small holes on his neck.
By the time Shen Yuan makes it to the spectator’s area, almost everyone has already gathered. The Peak Lords, naturally, all have a platform designated solely for themselves. It sits at the highest vantage point, built into the vertical cliffs of Zui Xian Peak as it overlooks the entirety of the improvised ‘arena’, so to speak. Right below it is a section housing the disciples who are not participating ─ from Shen Yuan’s peak, there’s very few of them there. Ning Yingying and Lu Xiaodan may be the most notable, if only because Lu Xiaodan is already cheering at the top of her lungs, while next to her, Ning Yingying seems to be dying of shame.
All things considered, the event has gained so much traction in the sect that even the stair sweepers have joined the audience.
On the other side, accessible only from the outer side of the mountain, is everyone else. The nobles, the commoners, the minor cultivation sects. Anyone who had seven spirit stones to offer and a desire to be present for this, they are now right there, allowed to witness what is probably the biggest piece of tomfoolery, bullshitting and spite that Shen Yuan has managed to put together into a chaotic immitation of MMORPG. He is also confident that there’s quite a few demon lords hidden among the audience, but hell if he’s going to discriminate based on origin. The more the better, really.
Shang Qinghua is the last to enter the spectator area, just after the first gong strikes.
He’s drenched in sweat, breathing hard, but he still manages to squeeze himself in between Shen Yuan and the Sect Leader, whispering, “We did it. Seven thousand, three hundred and forty one. We did it.”
The second gong strikes, covering up the Sect Leader’s surprised gasp as he shoots Shen Yuan a look.
For his part, Shen Yuan snaps his fan open and covers the bottom half of his face. It wouldn’t do, for someone suspicious to take notice of that manic grin too early. The battle hasn’t even started yet.
Finally, the third gong rings. Let the circus begin.
Several hours, severe landscape demolition and a hundred knocked out disciples later, Luo Binghe truly lives up to his protagonist status. He does so with unlimited application of tomfoolery, trickery and subterfuge, to the point that half the audience is screaming ‘cheater’ at the top of their lungs, but eh. Not like they established any serious rules to start with, other than, ‘last one standing’ and ‘let’s beat up Luo Binghe’ and ‘let’s not stab each other in the back please’! Shen Yuan is, overall, quite satisfied with the results. Cheerfully, he waves his fan around, mouthing, “My disciple,” to anyone who would listen. Qi Qingqi has that look about her as though she’s barely resisting to punch his face.
Although, to be fair, the event is far from over. From amongst all the disciples who have entered the arena, there have been quite a few of them who have already made names for themselves long ago. Not every participant had it out for Luo Binghe and all these other famous names had each other to go up against as well.
Ultimately, with the fall of Zui Xian peak’s head disciple at the hand of Luo Binghe, the final four have now been decided.
Feng Qinhao of Qiong Ding Peak.
Luo Binghe of Qing Jing Peak.
Liu Mingyan of Xian Shu Peak.
Ji Jue of Bai Zhan Peak.
This result surprises no one. Or rather, it surprises no one who has had even minimal insight into the dynamic among these disciples ─ which is sadly, not a lot of people. Qi Qingqi, of course, is as smug as she can get. Very few people, even within Cang Qiong Mountain, expected that a Xian Shu disciple would be able to rise up so high and last against some of the sect’s strongest talents. Especially so when the person in question is a junior who has been with the sect shorter than any of her opponnents. As for the rest of them, well. The lanky youth Feng Qinhao would have appeared as a surprise to some, too, if not for the fact that he is a Qiong Ding disciple and has been for many years. Within the sect, everyone knows the Sect Leader has a discerning eye for talent, so seeing him among the last few standing is a given.
As for Luo Binghe and Ji Jue ─ those two are barely worth a mention. One has been a hot topic for months on end due to his demonic origin and the other is a senior from Bai Zhan that has been around for as long as some of the peak lords. Their perseverance surprises absolutely no one.
In fact, it is this confrontation between the half-Heavenly Demon and the senior of Bai Zhan that most of the crowd here has been waiting for. One is universally doubted and disliked on origin alone, cruelly feared and disrespected, yet fascinating to the common man regardless. The other one is a famous cultivator, fighting for the pride of his defeated martial siblings and his peak. He is famous enough to make him the favored and expected winner amongst them all. Throw in the disgruntled Qiong Ding head disciple with a grudge and spice it up with the young but talented beauty of a noble lineage, and oh, this is exciting.
Shen Yuan leans in a little closer in anticipation, watching the show with his heart racing.
“Think that brat of yours can hold a candle to mine?” Qi Qingqi challenges, her manic grin all too wide.
Shen Yuan covers his smile with a fan. “Guess we’ll see.”
After all, Luo Binghe may appear young, but he has the experience of a seasoned warrior. In fact, everyone except for Liu Mingyan has many years of field experience. Out of this particular combination of disciples, she is indeed still too fresh to properly compare.
Standing on the other side of Qi Qingqi, Liu Qingge’s expression is unreadable. Going by the intensity in that look, he could be either screaming in support of his little sister or promising suffering to the first fool that dares attack her. Beside him, Yue Qingyuan looks far more concerned for the fate of his head disciple than anyone else.
For now, however, the situation in the arena has come to a standstill.
Luo Binghe’s back is drenched in sweat, evident in his pure white uniform, but those eyes of his are undaunted. He is considering all of his opponents equally, carefully, taking in each every twitch of their muscles, every ragged breath they’re holding. Ji Jue is no different. In fact, his apprehension is even more obvious in the way his eyes keep darting from one opponent to the other in a nearly frantic fashion, as though he cannot decide which one of the three to strike down first. Feng Qinhao, however, only has his eyes out on one of them. He has held up well so far, making sure he could parry against everyone else, but now that it’s only a few of them left, his grudges and recklessness cannot help but show. His mistake.
In just a few swift moves, before the target ever notices, a disciple moves. Fluid as water and gracious as though it’s dance, Liu Mingyan disarms the Qiong Ding Peak Disciple, the tip of her sword resting against his jugular before the poor youth ever realizes what got him. Next to Shen Yuan, Qi Qingqi is throwing her fist in the air, shouting, “Go get ‘em girl!” at the top of her lungs, all her grace and impartiality as a peak lord tossed down the drain.
For his part, Luo Binghe is not idle. He takes the moment of distraction and turns it to his advantage, assaulting Ji Jue with merciless attacks that hold back nothing. Unfortunately for Luo Binghe, Ji Jue is neither stealthy as Liu Mingyan, nor is he inattentive as Feng Qinhao. That entire barrage of attacks, Ji Jue meets with instincts that have been honed on the battlegrounds of Bai Zhan Peak, tried and tested by the most fearless of them all.
If this were only a battle of strength and durability, then doubtlessly, Luo Binghe would have long since lost this fight. Ji Jue holds up against every attack that bears spiritual power with strength and valiance, and in return dishes out the same degree of destruction that Bai Zhan is so widely known for. It is, therefore, quite clear that he has competitive advantage. So, why, then, is it his spiritual blade that ends up flying out of his hand? Why is it that the symbol of Bai Zhan’s power crumbles at the hands of a junior disciple without even a spiritual weapon to his name? The crowd gasps at this shocking turn of events, uncomprehending.
Unfortunately for Ji Jue, every confrontation with Luo Binghe is a battle of power and skill, yes, but it is also a battle of intelligence, a battle of smarts and a battle of wits.
Ultimately, it is also a battle of cannon fodder against the titular protagonist. It couldn’t have ended any other way.
Down on his hands and knees, even Ji Jue struggles to accept the reality of his inevitable defeat.
Once his loss is declared and the arena opens to send him out, he sullenly picks up the weapon that refused to stay in his hand, wordlessly bowing to his Shizun before making his exit.
Liu Qingge doesn’t spare him a single glance.
The stony expression on his face remains as unreadable as ever, but his arms are crossed firmly across his chest. His fingers dig into the fabric of his clothes and muscles of his arms mercilessly. Even to the most oblivious fool, his tension is impossible not to notice. And how would it not be?
It’s just Liu Mingyan and Luo Binghe left.
The two disciples stand far apart, at the complete opposite ends of the arena. Neither is in the rush to move as they regard each other, each of them taking care to properly readjust the grip on their weapons. Belatedly, Shen Yuan notices something that surprises him.
“Liu Mingyan has not yet drawn a spiritual weapon?!”
The question comes out of it before he can stop himself, and next to him, it’s as though Qi Qingqi’s smugness climbs sky high. “What? You think your disciple is the only one who gets to show off today?”
That’s… actually, that’s not at all what crosses Shen Yuan’s mind. The opposite, really. He knows why he’s delaying Luo Binghe’s opportunity to reunite with Zheng Yang ─ but Qi Qingqi should have had no such obstacles in her path. If anything, the fact that Liu Mingyan hasn’t yet acquired a spiritual weapon of her own should’ve been a sign of weakness, or at the very least, a cause for concern! This young lady is the main female lead! Whether or not the protagonist's affections have bloomed, the plot should still allow her to retain at least some of her dignity, no?
Except, perhaps, tying dignity to whether or not there is a named weapon in her hand might be a little too shallow a view. Liu Mingyan does not look scared at all.
Shen Yuan shifts his head a little further, but Liu Qingge’s expression has only darkened throughout. The look in his eyes is almost identical to the look Liu Mingyan reserves for her opponent. There is not a single trace of hesitation or doubt there at all.
Then she moves, in a flash so blinding that she disappears from sight. When she reappears, the sparks are already flying between two swords as they clash against each other with force rivaling a clash of titans, blowing their hair in opposite directions and exploding dust and debris everywhere.
For a long time, it is impossible to tell who has the advantage even for the most seasoned veterans. Every attack is successfully countered, every defense flawlessly broken. Liu Mingyan moves with elegance and lightness to her movement that is impossible to replicate, and Luo Binghe counters all of it with brute force. Each of his attacks throws the young lady of Xian Shu Peak away from him further and further. Each of her attempts to break his guard meets resistance as though she’s hacking at a mountain.
The crowd is no longer cheering as loudly, as they don’t know who to cheer for. Liu Mingyan is still young, still mostly unknown. In contrast, few people want to see a half-Heavenly demon rise above any cultivator, no matter how unknown. Mostly, everyone just watches in strangled silence, as the pair of disciples from two least combative peaks upon the Cang Qiong Mountain show exactly what kind of power and talent they hold.
Finally, in one of the attacks done in outright desperation, Luo Binghe manages to break the streak of Liu Mingyan’s successful hits, breaking through her hastily thrown defense and throwing the poor girl into a bunch of rocks.
Shen Yuan winces, and covers it up with his fan, but he is not the only one. Almost everyone notices the moment when Liu Qingge shuts his eyes and clenches his fists, murmuring a soft curse into the ensuing silence.
In the arena, Liu Mingyan is barely able to rise. Her weapon is still in hand, but the sleeves of her robes have ripped and there is a blood stain on her back growing larger underneath the tousled cascades of her silky hair. She has not yet given up, however. Gripping her sword tightly, she struggles to stand.
Luo Binghe, as it turns out, is not faring much better. His breathing is rough and ragged, his sword up in the air as his eyes dart around him, as though in mild apprehension. He seems to be looking for something that he cannot find, giving Liu Mingyan all the time she needs to recover. To any outsider, it might’ve looked like the generous act of a gentleman trying to give the fair young lady the illusion that she stands a chance. After all, between the two of them, it is far more obvious who is injured and who isn’t.
And yet…
Shen Yuan grips his fan tightly, anticipating something, but he’s not yet sure what.
Liu Mingyan has finally successfully managed to rise to her feet. Every step she takes in Luo Binghe’s direction is slow and measured. One of her legs is dragging. Despite that, Luo Binghe has not let his guard down, not even for a moment.
In the eerie silence, Liu Mingyan’s voice rings out like a melody from the heavens, warm and soft-spoken. “For taking this seriously, Shixiong, this Shimei thanks you from the bottom of her heart.”
Luo Binghe moves first, as if it is his opponent's calm that has set him off. His attack is frantic, it is urgent, it is as forceful as a tsunami as it comes crashing down against the shores. A wave of spiritual energy bearing more power than anyone could have expected of him comes crashing towards Liu Mingyan, and that child doesn’t even move to dodge it.
Instead, she discards her practice weapon entirely, bringing both her hands up in the air as she manipulates the spiritual power of the atmosphere around her with the tips of her fingers alone. Then, just as she spreads her hands apart wide, a wave of light flashes in front her, powerful and blinding. Luo Binghe’s sword glare fueled with all the spiritual power he could muster crashes right into it, exploding a wave of dust and debris everywhere around. Chunks of rocks the size of tennis balls barely miss the audience as they go flying, the protective barriers held up by the Ku Xing Peak immediately enhanced before anyone can actually get hurt.
It takes time for the dust to settle down in the arena, several moments too long before the results of the clash finally become obvious.
A little of spiritual power glows through the fogged up space, a little like a faulty lightbulb fighting to function. It evidently belongs to Liu Mingyan, for it flashes around the tips of her fingers, weak and faltering. The girl has, at some point, fallen down to her knees and it is quite obvious that she is not likely to rise back up, this time.
Opposite her, Luo Binghe is flat on the ground. The blade of the sword he’d used throughout the battle lays beside him, shattered to pieces.
Multiple people gasp out of sheer surprise, Shen Yuan among them, but the results are clear. Luo Binghe lies on the ground face down, facial muscles twisting and teeth gritting against each other, but no matter how hard he resists it, the faint traces of a barrier on the ground don’t allow him to move.
In fact, now that he’s looking, Shen Yuan sees the flickering streaks of a fading array stretching throughout the entire arena. Had they been activated before, the no-backstabbing rules would have kicked in already and Liu Mingyan would have long since been disqualified. However, there is not a single rule in place that would have prevented her from using an array formation once she’s already engaged in combat.
The silence all across the arena is deafening.
As a referee, Zui Xian’s Peak Lord stays silent for a very long moment, but there is no mistake about it. With a quick confirmation from the other barrier experts on the scene, it’s clarified that no rulebreaking has occurred whatsoever. In fact, as Ku Xing disciples report, the barrier has only been set once Liu Mingyan and Luo Binghe were the only competitors left.
Confronted with these facts, Wu Qinggang clears his throat.
“The victor of Cang Qiong Mountain’s first ever Battle Royale is Xian Shu Peak disciple, Liu Mingyan!”
The silence breaks as cheers erupt all throughout the mountain, the synced screams from Xian Shu peak’s girls louder than any other. The remnants of the fading array break entirely as Liu Mingyan falls forward, tackled down into the dirt by her over excited martial sisters, screaming and crying her name.
Smugly, Qi Qingqi elbows Shen Yuan on one side and Liu Qingge on the other, mouthing, “My disciple, MINE,” at each of them separately.
Shen Yuan covers his amusement with a fan, deciding to just be a good sport about it. Liu Qingge, meanwhile, rolls his eyes. In one sharp turn, he leaves the platform and disappears somewhere. Shen Yuan almost expects to find him down in the arena where the Xian Shu girls are already celebrating the victory, but he emerges nowhere near it. Still, that spark of pride in his eyes was impossible to miss.
Mu Qingfang eventually finds his way to Shen Yuan, too, nodding wordlessly.
Shen Yuan smiles back for just a moment, before fully hiding his face behind his fan. Looks like their naughty little scheme has succeeded, after all. Just as well, a system notice pops up in his vision.
[System notice! Congratulations! Congratulations! Congratulations! Important things must be said three times! Side-quest: <Cang Qiong Mountain Battle Royale> 100% complete! +1000 Protagonist coolness points! +200 Protagonist reputation points! Successful reversal of Liu Mingyan’s mindless obsession and shallow motivation, +50 satisfaction points!]
That’s right, that’s right. 1000! Go Binghe! Shen Yuan smiles at his sweaty disciple, now sitting cross legged inside the array that’s knocked him down, scratching at the back of his head. At one point, however, his gaze travels up until it finds Shen Yuan and his cheeks light up in color, ashamed.
Shen Yuan merely smiles at him brilliantly, all too proud.
Don’t mind it, don’t mind it, he says with his eyes. Even if no one might’ve been able to predict this outcome, this Battle Royale has still surpassed everyone’s expectations, with twists and turns unlike any others, making a showing of the best of what Cang Qiong Mountain had to offer and then some. Luo Binghe should have no reason whatsoever to feel sad about his results. After all, his place as a Cang Qiong Mountain disciple is hardly under question now that another beautiful star has risen and flawlessly stolen all the attention, blinding the audience with her peerless beauty.
Pleasantly chilling his face with his fan, Shen Yuan is not at all surprised when Mu Qingfang comes to pat his back. “Congratulations, Shen-shixiong. You’ve made quite a sum. Safe to say, the gambling profits alone should be enough to overturn the entire sect’s finances for at least another year.”
Oh, please. As if the two of them haven’t been scheming for exactly this kind of a giant plot twist right from the start.
“Thank you, thank you,” Shen Yuan answers politely regardless, not at all missing a few naughty glares from the losers who made reckless wagers and lost it all.
The most devastating moment comes a little while later, once all the tallies have been collected and assigned. It is then that Yue Qingyuan solemnly informs Liu Qingge, currently celebrating his own overwhelming winnings, that all of his money will, in fact, be immediately confiscated and transferred over to Shen Yuan, as part of the contract arrangement already set ahead with Mu-shidi. Sadly, it is one that Liu Qingge has personally graced with his signature without ever fully reading. For a long moment, Liu Qingge’s face is hopelessly blank.
Then it seems to finally dawn on him that he’s been royally screwed over by his two closest friends and the sect leader. Among all the many rageful gazes thrown Shen Yuan’s way, Liu Qingge’s is by far the most terrifying.
Shen Yuan doesn’t overthink it. He doesn’t even steal a moment of time to praise Luo Binghe for his valiant efforts, let alone apologize for pitting him up against probably the only person who’s had any narrative chance of defeating him, ever. The moment he feels that murderous aura land on the back of his neck, he overthinks nothing at all.
He bolts.
“GET BACK HERE, YOU BASTARD!” Liu Qingge roars behind him, giving chase instantly. Cheng Luan is trembling with rage in his hand.
Ahh, finally. The sweet, sweet sound of rampage. Finally, all that nasty tension that’s been suffocating between them crumbles under the overpowering waves of sheer fury. That's right. That's how Liu-shidi should look around him, indeed.
Shen Yuan regrets everything.
Notes:
Could this have been a multi-chapter adventure with more twists and turns and build up and who knows what else? Mm, sure.
But like, this was never part of my original story plot, and now here we are. Whooops?
Chapter 45: Gifts
Notes:
I love it how the chapter detailing SY's gift to LBH comes out on Valentine's day yo. That's not intentional at all
Hi hi hi
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
“Congratulations to Qi-shimei and her disciple for taking the victory in the first Battle Royale of Cang Qiong Mountain. Xian Shu Peak has made all of us proud with this achievement,” Yue Qingyuan says fondly as he opens the Peak Lord meeting, the first now that the Battle Royale has successfully concluded.
Qi Qingqi rubs at the tip of her nose smugly, but much of her big head that’s been lording her victory over everyone else calms down in front of the Sect Leader. In fact, she manages to pull off the humble act perfectly, as fake as it may be, and say, “The honor is all for Liu Mingyan. Believe me when I say it, she’s surprised everyone equally.”
“Well, she is Liu-shixiong’s little sister. Great talent is thus only to be expected,” someone comments under their breath, much to Liu Qingge’s audible snort as multiple pairs of eyes glance over in his direction.
“Don’t look at me. I got nothing to do with this,” he grounds out stiffly, but if anyone has been beaming around as proudly as Qi Qingqi, it’s Liu Qingge.
In fact, after initially losing it over the fact that all of the winnings he’s acquired betting on his sister were stolen away, he’s been quite a good sport. Shen Yuan can see his chest swelling with pride every time his sister is praised within earshot, even if Liu-shidi makes quite a big deal out of making it clear he has had absolutely nothing to do with her performance as is. It screams smug in the same way Qi Qingqi is shouting it from the rooftops, only not in actual words. In fact, it’s probably because his sister won that Liu Qingge let Shen Yuan and Mu Qingfang get away with their scheming. Quite kind of him, really, all things considered. Shen Yuan had been more or less ready to take a beating.
He had not been ready to handle a red-faced, furious Liu Qingge as the man grabbed him by the front of his robes and shoved him against the cliffs, but eh. Some risks just had to be taken.
Besides, Shen Yuan had been banking on the fact that Liu Qingge had not forgotten about that bout of total insanity that had once taken over Shen Yuan and made him assault the man, and had thus acted accordingly. Namely, just as it appeared as though Liu Qingge was going to beat the shit out of him with fists, Shen Yuan had taken the opportunity to lay his closed fan flat against Liu Qingge’s lips the same way he does every time he wants to mess up the wiring in Luo Binghe’s brain. Then, while Liu Qingge’s mind caught up to reality, Shen Yuan had taken his sweet time to rattle off explanations, excuses and apologies. Finally, once it looked as though Liu Qingge’s brain wiring had reestablished connection with the rest of his body and his rage levels were about to blow the lid off, Shen Yuan had once again bolted from the scene.
Notably, Liu Qingge has not tried to beat him up since. The fear of advances being made on him must’ve been too much for his masculinity to handle. All according to plan!
Even more notably, Mu-shidi was not as lucky. Most of his limbs are still bandaged up after the duel between the two friends took out a chunk of Qian Cao Peak and flattened half their forest, resulting in a whole lot of damages for An Ding Peak to repair and a panicked bunch of Qian Cao disciples to run about fixing up their Shizun. All of this was added to Liu-shidi’s growing list of expenses, naturally.
All in all, things could have been a whole lot worse, so Shen Yuan takes this as a win. From Yue Qingyuan’s expression as he moves the topic of discussion over to the earnings the Sect has incurred as the result of the Battle Royale and the pure satisfaction in his voice as he speaks, it’s quite clear where his feelings on the matter sit, too.
“Either way, the financial gains the sect has achieved with this have come out significantly higher than we initially anticipated, rounding up slightly above forty thousand spirit stones,” Yue Qingyuan finishes, his lips twitching from how hard he tries to talk calmly and like he is merely delivering information, not cheering out loud in sheer relief. Before anyone can speak, he adds, all too smugly, “I’m speaking pure profits. All the expenses have already been deducted from the amounts.”
Several people openly gape in surprise.
Shang Qinghua grins at them all quite proudly as he says, “An Ding Peak took care to properly write down all the profits incurred from entry fees, food and beverage sales, general improvement of economic activity in the wider area of Cang Qiong Mountain which directly contributed to the sect's profits as well as the profits from Mu-shidi’s gambling setup. As things stand, all that’s left is the internal audit of income and expenses by Peak, thus An Ding Peak pleads for all the peaks to please deliver their reports by the end of the week.”
“With this, we’ve more or less covered all the debts and offset the losses from the lack of commission work over the past few months,” Yue Qingyuan adds. “The public image of the sect has not yet improved by much, but we’ve made a step in the right direction and for the moment, we should use the opportunity to build upon this momentum.”
“And what do we do about all the commission work that is now coming in, demanding specific disciples to handle it?” Hou Qingyu asks, frowning slightly. “From what I hear, Shen-shixiong and Qi-shijie have made quite a show of declining those.”
“Who gets to take which commission is still fully within the power of the Peak Lords to decide,” Qi Qingqi points out mercilessly. “Besides, why should I let my head disciple run herself dry doing work for outsiders?”
“Mostly because they’re the ones commissioning work from the sect to start with?” Hou Qingyu shoots back. “If we decline their demands once or twice, that’s no big deal, but if we do so for a longer period of time, won’t that just lead to them turning to someone else with their requests? Someone who will actually deliver what they ask for?”
“You do realize that what you’re saying is just needlessly exposing our disciples to trouble? Since when is it a cultivator’s job to aim to please any fool that stumbles on our front door?” Qi Qingqi returns, icily.
“All I’m saying is, that since the sect is already in such a precarious position, if somebody is already commissioning for a specific disciple, taking the extra step to allow it is─”
“Is no different than sending my girls out to please some ugly ass nobles,” Qi Qingqi spits out, furious. “Do you think I’m running a brothel here? If that’s how you want to function, do it with your own disciples, see how it goes.”
Shen Yuan, who has just about come up with a dozen or so counter-arguments to Hou-shidi's suggestion, too, wisely shuts his mouth and lets Qi Qingqi handle this.
Hou Qingyu, meanwhile, frowns. “Shijie, you’re taking what I said out of context─”
“Oh, shut it, you and your stupid context,” Qi Qingqi snaps. “Since when do we let outsiders organize our work to start with? The best anyone can ask is for a specific peak to take action for a certain matter, and even then it’s up to the Sect Leader’s discretion on whether that Peak will go ─ or if somebody else should tackle it instead. Why the hell should we change our entire operation policy just because a few disciples got famous? Sooner or later, that’ll just push those kids to the brink of exhaustion and leave the others with no work whatsoever. And don’t even get me started on the matter of Luo Binghe. Public perception may have shifted slightly, but he’s still a half-demon. Someone’s gonna come to kick our front door about it at the first mistake he makes.”
“We have no sufficient grounds to stand on,” Hou Qingyu grinds out, visibly annoyed. “Sooner or later, that attitude will lead us into heaps of trouble─”
“Then so be it,” Qi Qingqi snaps. “Either way, I’m not commissioning my disciples like some stupid pleasure house employees! Shen Yuan, you with me?!”
Shen Yuan jumps slightly, a little bit surprised that he in particular is being singled out, but he nods quickly, putting his professional poser face back on as he says, “The short term benefit that we get out of indulging the commissioner’s every whim leaves more room for criticism later once we decide there’s no need to indulge them anymore. More pressingly, it puts unnecessary pressure on the disciples to outperform each other, feeds further into the already existing peak rivalries and generally solves none of our existing problems, as the main reasons our commissions dropped in record numbers have less to do with the overall quality of our work and far more to do with the other sects actively sabotaging us. If anything, I expect that the sabotage will get worse in the near future. Thus, no need to feed internal resentment along with the external.”
“To tie in with what Shen-shidi is saying,” Yue Qingyuan interjects quickly, “is that in spite of the overwhelming success that this Battle Royale has been for us, none of the underlying problems have been resolved. By this, not only have we not done as the Great Sects wanted us to do, but we have effectively taken their demands and ripped it in front of their faces.”
“As we should,” Liu Qingge grunts.
“Well, I suppose conformity was never our stronger suit,” Yue Qingyuan allows, slightly amused. “However, it is inevitable that the tension between the sects will only grow now. Zhao Hua Monastery has yet to show allegiance towards any side, but it seems that the negotiations between Huan Hua Palace and Tian Yi Overlook have reached a breakthrough. A meeting of all the great sect leaders has been called already. The pretext is that the planning for the Immortal Alliance Conference should start in a timely manner, but if you look beyond it, this is clearly a response to what we’ve done with the Battle Royale. Unfortunately, when it comes to the Immortal Alliance Conference, we do not have sufficient grounds to act rebelliously. Pushing us to demonstratively abandon the event or surreptitiously limit our participation is exactly what I suspect they will try, if what they’re aiming for is an all out conflict… But in case it is not, there are many other ways they can still move against us in ways that count. No matter what, we cannot be the ones to escalate the conflict first.”
“Was this not the escalation that we’ve been trying to avoid, though?” Wei Qingwei asks, mildly curious. “Cause the way I see it, we’re the ones provoking now.”
Shen Yuan snaps his fan open, covering up his smile. “Why, Wei-shidi, the only thing we’ve done is organize an internal event that unexpectedly gained a lot of external interest. Who are we to stop the people if they're willing to pay to watch? Besides, how is this any different from Huan Hua Palace’s internal competitions that have been open to the public since forever? If anything, we’ve only changed one line of the already existing rules a little. Certainly no more.”
“Even if we changed all of them, who gives a shit?” Qi Qingqi adds. “They’re internal rules for a reason. We haven’t done anything the other sects haven’t been doing for ages, just in a slightly different package. If anything, this is gonna be a sore spot because we took all their hard work to slander us and made it profitable instead. Publicly, they can’t do shit.”
“Publicly, they haven’t been doing anything to start with,” Hou Qingyu points out.
“The way I see it, we’re only leveling the playing field,” Mu Qingfang says, calmly. “The rest of the Jianghu seems to have taken us for granted after we found ourselves targets of a demonic invasion, but if anything, we’ve been the most powerful sect over the last few decades for good reasons. This should serve as a reminder. They can fault us for many things, but if they were to encounter the same challenges, would they fare any better?”
“Indeed,” Yue Qingyuan agrees softly. “At the very least, if they are insistent on provoking further tensions, we should remind them who they are provoking to start with.”
“Hell yes!” Qi Qingqi explodes, grinning. “Those who are coming to our door asking for beatings better be aware that they are going to get them!”
Overall, even if the matter of sect politics is hardly resolved, the situation now seems to have marginally improved and the sect morale has inevitably followed. Shen Yuan nods to himself, satisfied. Although looking for the internal leak hasn't gone so well for him yet, he has at least narrowed down the possibilities a lot, so he will have more room to keep digging into this matter in private.
The meeting is later on dismissed with great cheer and a whole lot of positive energy, as well as a little bit of subtle lobbying to get Mu Qingfang to make his betting ring a sect-wide business. Ahem. Shen Yuan excuses himself from those conversations before they can start. Gaming the system once was more than enough for him, really.
Now, if there wasn’t a sullen little sheep huddling in the corner of his peak, looking as though its fluffy fur has been drenched in the never ending downpour, this whole thing would have been a whole lot better.
Shen Yuan finds Luo Binghe on a clearing of his peak, a practice weapon in hand as he switches through sword forms with absolute devotion, his lips set into a thin line and his grip relentlessly tough. Although what he wants most is to get Luo Binghe out of his current rut in the shortest time frame possible, he ultimately refrains, leaning up against the nearby bamboo to simply observe.
Even if, publicly, Luo Binghe has taken his loss graciously and has been perfectly polite and courteous in congratulating the actual winner, beyond the surface, he is a raging ball of energy that can’t seem to understand what went wrong. Not accounting for a decade of life and combat experience that he has over all the others who have tried to fight him, when it comes to both spiritual power and the years he’s spent cultivating in Cang Qiong Mountain, Liu Mingyan cannot compare. The young princess of the Liu clan has, by all standards, started cultivation quite late and has not had a long time to adapt to Xian Shu peak’s style of swordsmanship. In fact, to any onlooker with an eye for talent, her shortcomings should have been more obvious, but Liu Mingyan hides both her face and her weaknesses under that precious veil of silk. She is by no means weak and no soul would ever dare say it to her face ─ but she is nowhere near as overwhelmingly powerful as some of the others within the sect, thus her unexpected victory has taken many by a storm.
Luo Binghe, however, seems to be nowhere near as petulant over the fact that he’s lost the battle, as his glass maiden heart seems to have shattered with the realization Shen Yuan never made a bet on his victory, and he’s been a bit of a nuisance to deal with ever since.
Exactly how is Shen Yuan supposed to tell him that he never once made a bet against Luo Binghe, but what he’d bet against was the System?! By all means, under the effects of the Protagonist Halo, Luo Binghe should have walked away from the Battle Royale with an overwhelming victory!
However, if that had happened the way the System wanted it, then doubtlessly, only more resentment between Luo Binghe and the rest of the sect would pile up. Ultimately, no matter what, Luo Binghe needed to have a good showing in the Battle Royale, good enough to intimidate the wider audience and impress the mindless cannon fodder. But if the sect was to walk out of this showcase with their reputation improved, then under no condition was Luo Binghe allowed to win.
It truly seemed like mission impossible, at the time. Who could Cang Qiong Mountain possibly usher against Luo Binghe that would ensure their victory? What could Shen Yuan possibly do to have things turn out for the best for everyone? Not enough.
In the end, if there is anything that can trump over the Protagonist Halo, it is the string of fate that binds the narrative love interests together against all odds.
Really, if not for Shang Qinghua hinting at him that there were some darker hidden depths to Maiden Liu, Shen Yuan might have never thought of making this bet. Pitting up Luo Binghe against Liu Mingyan in a narratively convoluting turn of events, former lovers turned fated rivals? Nonsense. But under such circumstances, how likely is it that the blackened protagonist could ultimately trump over the single brightest point of his life?
In some other kind of story, perhaps, high. But even with all of Shen Yuan’s changes to the storyline, at its core, Proud Immortal Demon Way is still a stallion novel whose minor modifications have not yet managed to make a lasting change on the universal laws. Or, if not that, then at the very least, the fact that the System is broken made his bet a fifty-fifty chance of things going either way and Shen Yuan has just decided to take the plunge, the rest be damned.
Ultimately, his gamble worked and the reputation of pretty much everyone was improved greatly.
Luo Binghe’s heartbreak points, on the other hand…
Watching the Protagonist work himself to the bone, Shen Yuan can’t help but shake his head dejectedly. Even if he has, repeatedly, insisted that Luo Binghe should not go into the battle expecting too much of himself, clearly this perceived lack of faith in his ability has left a bitter taste in his disciple’s mouth. It’s really not intentional! Shen Yuan has tried to hint, in all the ways imaginable, that it serves no purpose for Luo Binghe to come out victorious under such sensitive conditions, and yet still, that child had only interpreted his words as further motivation to improve, as if Shen Yuan ever doubted his ability! Now, things are such that Luo Binghe has spent over a full day practicing sword forms and pushing himself to the extreme, not once daring to show his face in front of his Shizun.
Really, it’s all too dramatic and for no good reason.
Something needs to be done about it ─ and right now. Before all this heartbreak creates more resentment and disappointment in the already shattered trust.
Once again ensuring that the odds of being caught are minimal, Shen Yuan makes his preparations and waits for the opportunity.
Then, as soon as Luo Binghe’s movements slow down enough that it becomes evident that he plans to switch between forms again, Shen Yuan pounces.
His plan seamless and crafty, his movements more silent than the summer breeze, Shen Yuan tackles Luo Binghe from behind and wraps both his arms around him, catching his disciple completely unprepared. Even so, Luo Binghe is nothing if not composed. Moreover, he needs not look to know who’s done it.
“Shiz─ aah!”
It’s just a tiny pinprick of spiritual power as it stabs through with no word of warning, but nothing that should have drawn such a breathy gasp. Shen Yuan swats at his disciple with one hand while the other one rubs the edges of Luo Binghe’s aching earlobe between his thumb and index fingers, massaging gentle circles around the newly pierced hole in the skin.
“A gift,” he whispers into his precious little disciple’s ear, letting his breath tickle where the thin metal of the earring sits against Luo Binghe’s furiously red skin, the contrast of the colors blindingly satisfying.
It’s a tiny thing, almost imperceptible if Luo Binghe lets his fluffy hair fly around, but therein lies the brilliancy. Originally, when Shen Yuan started planning for a small surprise for Luo Binghe, he had thought of many different things. Personalized belts, sword scabbards or jade pendants were just some of the items he’d considered and looked at, ultimately to dismiss them all. At the end of the day, the one the gift is intended for is a sensitive lotus with a heart of a young maiden. If his gift is something that could easily get lost, then there is not a doubt in Shen Yuan’s mind that Maiden Luo would waste sleepless nights looking for it, his barely mended heart once again shredded apart by the cruel hands of fate.
Thus, the need for something that cannot be easily lost.
Shen Yuan has spent a long time pondering what could be a suitable gift that would satisfy his precious lotus. The more he thought, the more his headaches grew ─ until he once saw that child and the jade pendant hanging around his neck while exiting the baths.
Jade ─ or at the very least, some kind of jewelry should be suitable. Another pendant to go around his neck would be excessive and Shen Yuan’s track record with those wasn’t great to start with. A bracelet would get in the way of vambraces that Binghe likes to use and a ring felt like a promise ─ not by Xianxia standards, perhaps, but if Shen Yuan tried to explain it, he was pretty sure he’d land himself in a world of trouble he has no solution for.
Earrings, on the other hand, are a subtle thing. If they’re small, they’re difficult to notice, and if they’re properly made, they’re highly unlikely to get lost. Finally, as long as it’s something Luo Binghe holds precious, anyone who bypasses these major obstacles would still have a furious demon lord to flatten them like a pancake before they ever came close to touching his precious keepsake. Finally, if framed as a mark of possession of some kind, then their size and subtlety made no difference at all ─ and it would serve as a counter to Luo Binghe’s deepest fears and insecurities in a similar way that the pendant around the neck already does. All that’s left is, really, a tiny little detail… but also by far the most mortifying one.
“If Binghe ever feels as though this one doesn’t appreciate him, he should know,” he whispers softly against the shell of Luo Binghe’s ear, softening his iron grip of a hug until it rests comfortably between them, the edges of his thumb caressing against the tiny jade earring and the skin. “I made this with my own hands.”
The body within his arms stiffens. Luo Binghe’s breath catches. “Shizun─”
“Psst, this one is not done,” Shen Yuan says softly, sighing with satisfaction as the youth’s highly tense body relaxes slightly. “You will notice yourself, but I’ve done my best to match the color with the jade that you already have. It may not be entirely identical, but it’s the closest I could find. It is also quite special, because it won’t ever come off. Not unless Binghe personally decides to take it off. Do you understand what that means?”
Luo Binghe’s body stiffens in anticipation, this time much more so than before. The tension is almost palpable in how thick it is, in how hesitant this silly lotus is when it comes to opening his mouth.
“This… this one is, ah… this one dares not guess,” he mumbles meekly, a thickly laid act with no shame whatsoever. “Would Shizun please enlighten─ ah…”
Furiously blushing, Shen Yuan wants to smack this little idiot for that shamelessness! He’s barely done anything other than gently rubbing that tiny little piece of precious jewelry between his fingers, it should not have elicited such a compromising reaction at all! Still, rather than let Luo Binghe beat him in the game he personally started, he steels his nerves and ignores the overwhelming sense of shame that chokes him from the inside. Then, softly, in a level of voice that is just high enough to barely qualify as a whisper, he murmurs into Binghe’s ear, “Mine.”
Two things happen simultaneously.
Luo Binghe’s grip on his wooden sword grows tight enough to snap the carefully crafted practice handle.
Shen Yuan bolts it for the hills.
“Shi─ Shizun?” Luo Binghe whines in a mixture of befuddled surprise and disappointment, but doesn’t give chase. Which is all the better, really, because Shen Yuan’s face would absolutely not be able to survive that particular interaction right now. And to think he’s planned to do the same with the second earring hidden in his sleeve ─ good lord, he’d overestimated his ability to bear the weight of such attention far too much.
At least, from Binghe’s reaction, it sounds as though the loss in the Battle Royale is nowhere near the top of his list of priorities anymore, so the distraction was all around successful! In fact, he seems to be crying out for a mirror in mild panic. Shen Yuan doesn’t want to know what his face will be like once he actually sees what the item looks like, and especially not once Luo Binghe realizes what else that tiny little piece of jewelry can do. He really, really hopes that he won’t figure it out anytime soon.
Fuuuuuu, his face is on fire. Is it too late to go drown himself in a lake?
Most probably, yeah.
Ah, well. At least Luo Binghe is happy about it. Shen Yuan will live through mortifying humiliation one way or another. He’s become an expert, really, at giving no shits for what words such as self-respect and propriety mean.
In the meantime, there’s a few things Shen Yuan’s been delaying for a long time, for a variety of reasons, few of which are still applicable. Time to sort through them one by one. He’ll start with filing that request for Wan Jian Peak that’s been overdue for ages. Let’s see what Luo Binghe does in response to that, hah!
Luo Binghe better be ready. Shen Yuan plans to smother that annoying little brat with a bunch of other things while he still has a chance! That tiny little earring is just the start.
A few days later, the longsword sitting in Luo Binghe’s lap is Zheng Yang, drawn from Wan Jian Peak’s wondrous Sword Terrace. Its name, “righteous sun,” had complemented the young Luo Binghe’s temperament very well. The sword’s blade glistens with a sacred light, and it is a good, high-quality weapon. Both Shen Yuan and Luo Binghe sit on the floor of the bamboo house face-to-face, cross-legged and silent. The sunlight slipping through the window reflects off of Zheng Yang’s shiny surface, illuminating its pure glow even more so.
Luo Binghe’s hands linger in proximity to the drawn blade, but he dares not touch.
“Shizun,” Luo Binghe says, his bottom lip trapped between his teeth. This is the third time he’s done that. It is the third time he’s said absolutely nothing afterwards.
“Luo Binghe,” Shen Yuan says, and doesn’t know how to proceed. He wants to do better than his silly disciple. He will not call out his name three times and then let the words stay stuck in his throat. He refuses! But now this silly child is looking up at him with those wide, bottomless pits in his eyes, and the words somehow still won’t come out. Fuck. Why are they both so terrible at this? A lifetime ago, they were perfectly capable of chatting and bantering and arguing all the time. Why are they both being so stupidly quiet now?
Screw it.
Shen Yuan bites the bullet first.
“Is Binghe unhappy about something?” he asks softly. Honestly, when filing the request for Luo Binghe to get his sword from Wan Jian peak, Shen Yuan has prepared for many things. A refusal at the top of the list, really, but after Wei-shidi ultimately gave his clearance and he’d proceeded to carry the news over to his disciple… well. A little more enthusiasm should have been expected.
Instead, Luo Binghe stares at the blade in his lap as though it’s going to start moving on its own and stab him through the heart, all too tense, all too apprehensive. He says nothing at all.
“Binghe?” Shen Yuan tests softly, only to get his disciple to look up at him, his void-like eyes completely unreadable.
Luo Binghe’s lip twitches slightly, a pathetic excuse for a smile. His unease remains as palpable as ever. Slowly, his lips part.
“Shizun shouldn’t worry so much,” he says. “This one is merely overcome with emotion. Shizun… really treats this failure of a disciple too kindly.”
Ah, this again?
“What failure?” Shen Yuan counters sharply. “Is Luo Binghe still thinking about what happened at the Battle Royale? Has this one not made his feelings on the matter clear? Luo Binghe’s performance in battle was stunning…” but the more he talks, the more he sees such words having no effect whatsoever. If anything, Luo Binghe’s expression grows even more morose. Taking a deep breath, Shen Yuan lets all the pretenses fall and simply says, “Tell me. Whatever is on your mind, just come out and say it. I will hear you out until the end.”
“This disciple thinks of many things, when Shizun is not around. But when Shizun is here, this one can only ever think of Shizun.”
Oh goodness, how can he say it with a straight face? Shen Yuan’s own face is burning. Still, he will not be distracted by such an obvious ploy. After so many years, Shen Yuan should be more than capable of handling this.
“Start wherever you like,” he says. “Either way, silence is unacceptable.”
Luo Binghe lets out a small huff, but his lips are stretched into a gentle smile.
“A-Yuan sees through me so well. Oh, what shall I do now?”
If possible, Shen Yuan’s face erupts in even more sizzling flames, burning away every shred of dignity whenever he hears his name spoken in that tone of voice. But no! No, no, no! Luo Binghe cannot best him right now! Luo Binghe won’t distract him!
“So it’s the Battle Royale, still,” he concludes, mercilessly. Perfecting the skill of obviously jumping to the wrong conclusions just to get the silly child talking! “Is it because this one did not properly divulge his intentions to Binghe during the preparations? Or is Binghe still dissatisfied with the results of his participation?”
“No,” Luo Binghe says softly, his gaze falling down to the floor. “This one already anticipated what kind of strategy Liu-shimei might choose and failed to respond appropriately. Liu-shimei earned her victory valiantly and fairly.”
“Then?” Shen Yuan presses. “Was it… me? My conduct?”
Luo Binghe, however, shakes his head no.
“Shizun worked hard to let me know what his expectations of my participation were. It is only this disciple who got a little over excited and strived for more than he deserved to get. Shizun shouldn’t worry. This one has hence adjusted…” but he stumbles there, at a momentary loss for which word he wants to use.
Shen Yuan takes the opportunity shamelessly. He leans over the blade that sits between them and pecks Luo Binghe on the cheek. By the time he leans back to sit properly, Luo Binghe’s face is flushed bright and his hand covers his cheek, eyes wide.
“Binghe should come out and say it,” Shen Yuan insists, but his tone is gentle. “Was it my choice of words that came across as too harsh? Or was it that I didn’t divulge the entirety of the plan from the start? It’s only natural that Binghe, whose involvement was crucial from the start, should feel slighted when something crucial is left out of what I tell him.”
“No!” Luo Binghe mumbles, eyes growing wider than before. “It’s not that I ─ Shizun should do as Shizun sees fit ─ I just…” he swallows thickly, the urgency in his eyes collapsing under the weight of emotion that overcomes him. He sucks in a breath and closes his eyes. When he opens them again, it is with an air of composure that is rare to see. “This one ─ no. I trust Shen Yuan. Unquestionably and without reservation. I just─”
“Don’t feel as though I trust you?” Shen Yuan asks softly.
“NO!” Luo Binghe explodes, almost furiously. He brings that urgency back under control instantly, but his face betrays him. His face falls, the expression on it pulling on the heartstrings. “I know that there are things… that Shizun doesn’t feel comfortable saying. And I don’t wish to pry. Everyone has such things and me too, there are things I don’t feel comfortable saying, sometimes. I just…” his voice shakes slightly. “Does Shizun fear, perhaps? That, after everything, I will still go and…” he chokes on words unsaid, but Shen Yuan waits patiently. Luo Binghe cannot look him in the eyes. The rest of what comes out is barely higher than a whisper.
“Does Shizun fear I’ll want to merge the realms again?”
The words sound like they’re forced out of him, pulled out like teeth, one by one, all the way from the root, with no anesthesia whatsoever. Shen Yuan’s heart breaks for him and he has to physically restrain himself from doing something that is inherently stupid, such as taking this silly child in his arms and telling him it’s fine if he goes out to merge the realms now. Because, it really isn’t.
Even if the world is broken, even if the System is broken, even if the whole universe falls apart, one thing that’s become increasingly clear is that this specific result has always been artificial in its nature. Luo Binghe the original, for all his many faults, has had no logical reason to take this course of actions in the original Proud Immortal Demon Way, and the sheltered young maiden Luo that Shen Yuan raised with his own hands would have had even less reason to do.
Clearly, the aspirations have come from elsewhere, they’ve come from the bottom of Xin Mo’s darkest obsessions… but at the end of the day, Xin Mo is simply a sword. An evil sword that feeds on ambition and darkness of its wielders, but a cursed weapon nonetheless. What does a sword gain from a realm merger? More pressingly, what does Luo Binghe gain out of it? Or even Proud Immortal Demon Way as a whole? It makes no narrative sense and it makes even less sense observed from the character motivation aspect.
From what little Shen Yuan has gathered from Shang Qinghua’s musings, whether or not the merger happens is of no interest to him whatsoever, not personally, nor thematically to the story he is trying to tell. So logically, the only thing that follows is the conclusion that, somehow, the broken System is dead set on the ending being the absolute same, regardless of how it happens or which of the characters are involved. And that’s just… Shen Yuan can find ways to counter characters with illogical motivations. He can think of ways to use narrative devices and his future knowledge to its fullest potential. However, if the realm merger is something that is set in stone regardless of who initiates it, then how in the world is he supposed to fight that?
Sighing deeply, he says, “Then, has Luo Binghe truly had no ambition at all to make that merger happen?”
Luo Binghe swallows thickly. “At the time, it seemed… like the best solution. One thing… that will leave Shizun solely with me as his choice.”
Yes, that’s right.
To the original Luo Binghe, the merger also appeared as the best solution. With his harem’s relentless infighting causing more trouble than it’s worth, the rest of the world either subjugated or struggling to depose him, merging the realms became a solid, practical decision that finally settled all matters of racial infighting at its core.
A means to an end, so to speak. The ultimate solution.
Whatever for?
Shen Yuan still doesn’t understand. Maybe he never will. But he understands one thing all too well, the fear inside of Luo Binghe that chokes him every time the matter of Xin Mo is brought up, every time his past is brought into question. Shen Yuan feels it to a degree, too, on a smaller scale perhaps.
What if I have no choice but to rely on Xin Mo again?
What if next time I don’t find a way to stop it before it’s too late?
The answer remains the same, no matter what the question is.
“I already decided to stay by Binghe’s side no matter what,” Shen Yuan reiterates. “Whether this path leads to darkness or light, whether it leads to a merger of the realms or their absolute destruction, I will walk this path together with Binghe until the very end.”
“But Shizun, I─”
“I trust Binghe that whatever choice he decides to make at a time when he must, it will be right,” Shen Yuan says. “What I want the most is for Binghe to be strong and clear minded, alive and healthy. But, even in the case Binghe feels something like that is unattainable, I will still stay beside you all the way until the end. Whatever we must face from now on, we will face it together. Have I made myself clear?”
Luo Binghe’s stricken expression is truly the kind that crushes one’s very soul. That child goes through emotions so fast, as though you can pick up a book and rush through all of its pages, but never truly getting a chance to delve deep into any single one. Finally, however, a little bit of courage seems to come back to those hands.
Stiffly and fearfully, he takes Zheng Yang into his hand, looking the blade up its entire length. He nods to himself, some sort of a decision made.
“Righteous sun,” he says. “Let this blade guide me down the right path a second time. Should I stray one more time, let it shatter and disperse in the light, never to be fixed again.”
As the blade glows in response to his spiritual power, he sheats it in a single, fluid motion. Then, before Shen Yuan can do anything to stop him, that giant hand cups the entirety of his face, bringing him close until those burning lips kiss the skin of Shen Yuan’s forehead, gentle but searing.
When Shen Yuan opens his eyes, it’s to find Luo Binghe staring at him, his gaze intense but warm all the same. In return, Shen Yuan manages the softest of smiles. His cheeks are likely the color of rouge but hell if there’s anything he can do about it now.
“Tell me again now,” Luo Binghe says suddenly, his lip quirking wryly. “A-Yuan. This gift you made for me. What does it really mean?”
“Binghe,” Shen Yuan cries, internally combusting the moment a mortifying realization comes over him. Binghe knows. But he hasn’t even ─ how could he have ─ but nope. Luo Binghe is tucking a strand of hair behind his ear, very pointedly revealing the soft green jade that sits there covertly. It’s glowing softly with spiritual power. Yep, he's figured it out.
Shen Yuan wants to cry.
“There’s another one, isn’t there?” Luo Binghe asks eagerly, his grin all too knowing. “Is that one for Shizun?”
Pointedly, Shen Yuan pushes his face away, completely unable to handle the heat on his own.
“Binghe, stop ─”
“But I can feel─”
He doesn’t finish that sentence, because Shen Yuan picks up a random snack from his low table and stuffs it into Binghe’s mouth, then picks himself up and runs. Good lord, he should’ve known his white sheep had turned all black ages ago. It is just an earring! Leave it to Luo Binghe to take an innocent gift and make it into something naughty. But now that he tries to picture it, it does kind of… ugh.
That stupid lake isn’t close enough. Shen Yuan wants to drown himself right now.
After a few weeks spent chasing some stupid ass monsters that were a disappointment to fight in every imaginable way, Liu Qingge makes it back to Bai Zhan peak with not a single scratch on his person, a tied up bunch of short-haired monsters to drop off on Qing Jing peak and a whole lot of nasty smelling puss covering the upper part of his outer robes. Notably, he does not remember how that shit got on him, doesn’t care to know and cares about absolutely nothing other than getting it off himself.
Unfortunately, a dip in a nearby lake did not help whatsoever so now he’s both drenched and smelly, and the moment he’s past Bai Zhan gates, a bunch of disciples swarm him like a tiny bunch of ants screaming, “Shizun, Shizun!” over each other.
They, thankfully, put some distance between them once he lands, probably due to the smell. Liu Qingge cannot even blame them.
He tucks a rolled up paper together with the bag full of dried plants he has been asked to retrieve directly into a disciple’s hands and grits out, “Take this to An Ding Peak. Shit’s done.” It goes unsaid that if they send him out again over something this stupid, Liu Qingge will instead simply take the plants and the monsters guarding them straight to An Ding Peak to handle. Stupid fucking plants. These aren’t even edible. The hell is he supposed to do with those?
At least, Qing Jing likes pets, so he got a few of the harmless ones on his way back to entertain them.
Anyway, ever since Mu Qingfang and Shen Yuan jointly screwed him over, he’s been doing nothing but stupid fucking shit, chasing weakling monsters and finishing up commissions no one else wants to take cause his Peak owes a helluva a lot of repair money. Which is fair, sort of. But also, fucking annoying. He is not so eager to take another mission like that anytime soon.
“Shizun, for you,” a disciple says, fighting through the masses to deliver a tiny piece of paper. Liu Qingge glares at it, refusing to take it at first. “It was delivered by Qi-shibo for Shizun’s eyes only,” the disciple says dutifully. Liu Qingge cannot imagine how a tiny piece of paper like that could have possibly survived the delivery to start with.
A little hesitantly, he takes it, unfolding the paper. A sealed note, damn it. He burns it with a burst of Qi and only then does he get to see the contents, only for a moment before they turn to ash. And the contents are… well. Fuck.
“Hey, you,” he barks over to his nearest disciple. Liu Qingge pats the kid’s shoulder once, then gestures behind him. “You know who Liu Mingyan is? Good. Go bring her here. Don’t show your face back on my peak until she’s here, got it?”
“Yes, Shizun!”
And the little idiot is gone, bolting away like lightning now that he’s got explicit permission to visit Xian Shu Peak, straight out of his Shizun’s mouth. His dumbass nose might’ve been bleeding, too. Qi Qingqi is so gonna nag at him over it, but Liu Qingge doesn’t care. That crazy woman called him first. The shit’s gotta be no joke, then.
He makes it back to his house quickly after that, just to hear more disciples shuffling around the kitchen. Liu Qingge rolls his eyes and rips the nasty smelling robe off of him, tossing it straight to the trash. “Hey! I’ll hop into a bath quickly, just to get all this grime off me. In case Mingyan comes over before I’m ─ oh. What are you doing here?”
Turns out, the person shuffling around his kitchen is none other than Huan Qingyan… and Liu Qingge has all but removed his upper garments completely. It’s only the pants left now and that woman is staring, and suddenly he doesn’t know whether to just go back and get his dirty clothes again or walk around her and go to the baths anyway.
Outside, someone shouts, “Shizun! We didn’t expect you back so early, so the bath isn’t ready yet! We’re on it so it’ll be a short while.”
Oh. Shit.
Liu Qingge glances back over to his discarded robe, but it’s covered with awful monster puss ─ he’s loath to put back on. And fuck, it’s just Huan Qingyan, who cares anyway?
The damn woman is staring. Those eyes are right on the jagged scar Skinner left him. Both of them. Except Liu Qingge has more or less entirely erased the second one and so only that old one is truly noticeable.
“It’s… faded,” Huan Qingyan mumbles, almost as though she’s surprised. Her eyes quickly skim over his other scars, none of which have changed, before glancing back up his face and blushing. “Ah, sorry. I was just…”
“The Tian Yi Overlook’s scar ointment and a few things mixed in… it does a good job,” he mumbles, pointedly looking away. Shit, did she have to show up now? Mingyan might already be on the way and that’s just… ugh.
Huan Qingyan is once again staring. Specifically, she’s staring right back at where the edges of the ugly scar have almost completely faded away ─ and Liu Qingge really can’t stand it anymore. So what if their scars are almost identical? Who the fuck cares?
“What do you want?” he asks, since this whole time, she’s said absolutely nothing else.
Huan Qingyan blinks up at him, finally brought out of her stupor. “Ah. Oh. Um…” she shakes her head quickly, pointedly looking away from him. “Actually, I’m here because my disciples said you were looking for me the other day. I just returned from Jian Temple, so I couldn’t come earlier.”
“Oh. Right.” Liu Qingge wrecks his head to think of why he’s been looking for her to start with. Probably about that temple monster bullshit, but his disciples should have tackled it by now. So he just says, “Yeah, about that incense burner, I know I said you’ll have it back. You will. It’s in one piece, I swear it. I just, err. If you need it, go over to Qing Jing peak and discuss it there.”
“Ah.” Huan Qingyan says blandly. “How much longer must I wait for you to return it personally?”
… Liu Qingge would rather not answer.
Huan Qingyan snorts lightly. “Don’t bother. I’ve decided to move almost all of my precious items over to Qiong Ding peak’s Artifacts Room. Once you’re done with the incense burner, just send it over there. You don’t need to send it back to me.”
Oh. Well, that’s neat. Kind of. “Why, though?”
Huan Qingyan avoids looking at him as she shrugs. “It felt like the right time. I've no more space to keep them.”
“And it’s not… not cause of… y’know. Poison?”
The way Huan Qingyan’s eyes momentarily widen betray her completely. Unlike with Liu Qingge, for whom everyone and their mothers know he’s been doused in demonic poison bad enough to cripple his cultivation, very few people are aware that Huan Qingyan has fallen into that same trap. Back in Hong district, Qi Qingqi got lucky, blocking the Elder Sky Hammer’s poisoned spikes with her blade. Huan Qingyan, not so much.
As Luo Binghe blandly informed him later, unless the Sha clan had deigned to share their poisons with Skinner, which he found highly unlikely, the only other source of it could have been Tian Chui, whom they had destroyed in the hills of Yuju mountain. Which means that the poison crippling both of them had come from the exact same source ─ and not Skinner, the way Liu Qingge had initially believed.
Aside from himself and Luo Binghe, however, the only other person aware of Huan Qingyan’s condition and its severity is likely Mu Qingfang. Qi Qingqi may or may not know about the poison, certainly not about what it does though, and therefore the information hasn’t spread far. It’s for the better, really. The Peak Lord of an ascetic peak whose primary duty is to cleanse the world of dark influences would not survive the public backlash if the cultivation world were to find out she’s already tainted. It is ridiculous.
All in all, as much as the two of them fight on a day to day basis, Liu Qingge still reserves some sympathy. Huan Qingyan, for all the ways she endlessly annoys him, is a prideful person who sticks to her principles almost as much as Liu Qingge does. That they’re both stuck with the same plight shouldn’t be as comforting a fact as it feels.
Not that she shares such sympathy. “Shimei thanks Shixiong for his concern, but this one is doing perfectly fine. Shixiong should care more about his own wellbeing.”
“Tch, I was just asking, no need to get snippy.” Still, Liu Qingge looks at her carefully one more time, just to be sure. She’s grown a bit paler, lately, and her chin is nowhere near as tilted up as it usually is. Not a major cause for concern, but an oddity anyway. “You really are good? No issues?” he checks, one more time.
This time, Huan Qingyan smiles. It’s alien in just how soft it is. “Shimei has left something for Liu-shixiong to have a look at, if he wants. It’s over in the kitchen. This one will now take her leave. This Shimei wishes you a pleasant day.”
She doesn’t, however, get more than a few steps away when the front door opens again, admitting Liu Mingyan.
For a moment, both women stand frozen, staring at each other.
There’s a flicker of something in Mingyan’s eyes ─ a flash of surprise, maybe, but she hides it quickly. “This one greets cousin─err, this humble one greets Huan-shishu.” It’s almost awkward, just how much her slip of the tongue visibly pains her, but Liu Qingge waves it off.
“Forget it, we’ve worked out the whole thing,” he throws over his shoulder. “Just mind your manners with other disciples around. No need to drag others in the family drama.”
“Of course, Shishu,” Mingyan says dutifully, almost teasingly. But when she looks up at Huan Qingyan now, it’s evident in her sparkling eyes that she’s smiling. Huan Qingyan knows not at all how to suddenly react to that ─ not only had she been the loudest in sending Mingyan back home, back when the Liu clan first demanded it, she’d also quite stubbornly denied her a place on her peak. Of course, Mingyan would not be Mingyan if she didn’t immediately catch onto the other party’s unease and do her best to dispel it. She once again bows respectfully, but with much less fanfare now. “In that case, Mingyan respectfully greets cousin Xinyue.”
“Mm, right,” Huan Qingyan mumbles, awkwardly. She still can’t quite face up to Mingyan with her head held high, so she quickly makes up an excuse to leave.
Liu Qingge would be laughing, if he didn’t feel a little bad for her. As the door shuts behind her, he ruffles Mingyan’s hair. “Don’t make it hard for her. Not like she wants to be related to us anyway.”
“Ah. And here I was under the impression that cousin Xinyue is quite fond of brother,” Mingyan says. “Am I wrong? Or have you been fighting again? But brother just said─”
“We have something of an understanding,” Liu Qingge says. “Either way, she still hates my fucking guts.”
“And willingly speaks to you while you stink this way? Cousin must indeed be fond of you very much,” Liu Mingyan comments, wryly. “Won’t brother go and put on some clothes? Or do you always greet visitors in such a state?”
“Tch. Since when do you care? I didn’t call you over to have you nag at me anyway.”
“Then why does Shishu request for this humble one’s presence personally?” Liu Mingyan asks, eyes sparkling with amusement. “There is something, right? Brother didn’t just invite me over because he was idle and missed my company, correct? This one has been quite busy lately. If I go back and have no good reason─”
Liu Qingge knocks his knuckles over the top of her head with force, ignoring that tiny little yelp of pain. It’s fake and Mingyan knows shit about pulling off an act anyway. Still, she looks up at him through batted lashes, trying to make him feel a little guilty for it ─ except Liu Qingge’s next words render her completely mute.
“What did the bastards do to get you to go back, huh?”
It’s like a bucket of ice cold water has been poured over her head, for how much the look in her eyes changes. About a million different emotions flash through her cracking mask, but guilt is by far the most obvious.
“Brother─”
“I heard it’s a wedding. Someone you were close with, I guess? And the bastards have the gall to make you into a glorified alcohol delivery service. Again. Fucking disrespect. I should go and crash their whole damn ceremony for that alone.”
“Brother, no,” Mingyan cries, horrified.
“It’s been four years, Mingyan,” Liu Qingge cuts in, mercilessly. “If you want to return home, I’m not gonna stop you. You… made a name for yourself. You’re a cultivator, you’re famous and you’re strong. There’s nothing for those fools to hold over your head anymore. So if that’s what you want, that’s fine. But that’s not what’s going on, is it? The old man’s blackmailing Wu Qinggang for the alcohol and strong-arming Qi Qingqi into sending you for deliveries, so now whether you like it or not, you gotta show up wherever they point their fingers. Say it. Am I wrong? Is this not the exact same shit I warned you would happen?”
For the longest time, Mingyan says nothing. The tips of her ears are slightly pinkish, so the face under the veil must be burning up ─ but Liu Qingge doesn’t push it. He takes a deep breath and just sits down on the floor, leaning his back against the wall. Unexpectedly, that silly child follows, plops down on the floor next to him and leans her head against his shoulder.
“If it were as simple as trashing a ceremony, then wouldn’t have brother done it already?” she asks softly.
Liu Qingge spits out a silent curse.
“What else have they bullied you into?” he asks. “How bad is it that Qi Qingqi personally sent me a memo about it?” More notably, she’d flipped off at him at how audacious his clan is, hogging all of Mingyan’s free time… but really, that’s bad enough.
“Brother is overreacting,” Mingyan says. “Nobody bullies me. The clan only ever asked two things from me and I’ve felt as though both their requests are reasonable enough. There is no need to worry.”
“Right. So the bullshit those nobles started with the girls from your peak, they asked you to clean it up, I already guessed. What else? Who even was it? Liu Qiang is a bastard of the highest order, but he wouldn’t be wasting time on such stupid shit, so who else─”
“The only one who has ever made any request of me in the name of the clan has always been Auntie Lian. That was true when I still lived there and it’s true now. Nothing has changed.”
“Ah.” Fuck. Liu Qingge’s head drops, his stomach twisting uncomfortably. His fist clenches and unclenches, the urge to hit something overwhelmingly consuming. “Forget it. If you don’t wanna go, don’t go. If I gotta trash the ceremony, that’s what I’ll do─”
“Brother always trashes their ceremonies,” Mingyan says fondly. “That’s why they never invite you.”
“Bastards should’ve backed off when I told them, but they’re still dragging you back. I bet they invited you for every single stupid tea party they organized, too. And now they’re making you into a freaking delivery service. I should really go give them a reminder why that’s a terrible idea.”
Gently, Mingyan pokes at his shoulder. “I’m perfectly able to decline their invitations, too. I’ve declined many.”
“So why not this one?”
“Because this time, I have to go.” Mingyan looks up at him then, the look in her eyes unreadable, but also intense. “Four years ago, brother found out about such a ceremony and showed up to take me with him. This time, it’s my turn.”
“What? You’re gonna trash the ceremony, too?” Liu Qingge asks, doubtfully.
Mingyan actually bursts into a fit of laughter.
“What? It’s a valid question!”
“I know, I know,” Mingyan chuckles, all too fondly as she rubs his shoulder. “But no, I do not intend to trash any ceremonies. Still, as brother did for me all those years ago, there is someone to whom I want to give the opportunity of choice. Does brother disapprove?”
Liu Qingge grimaces. “The sect can only help if it’s someone who we can pass off as a disciple, though. And even then… well. Screw it. The Sect Leader doesn’t want to rock the boat too much, but I say screw it all. Go and do what you think is right. You know better than me what’s worth fighting for, when it comes down to it. I left that place way too long ago.”
“I don’t plan to involve anyone but myself,” Mingyan says softly. “There is no reason to worry. I won’t cause any trouble for the sect.”
“No shit. The reason I brought you here was so you would get to throw the Cang Qiong sect name around if the situation called for it. Don’t hesitate. No matter what, you know. I got you out of there once already. If that’s what you want me to do, I’ll do it again and again. As long as I exist, those bastards better be kissing the ground you walk on.”
Unexpectedly, Mingyan hugs his arm and snuggles close, giggling softly. “Brother is too funny. It’s not like anyone there ever treated me with anything but respect. A week from now, when I come back with Auntie Lian’s snacks, brother is gonna feel silly for saying anything.”
Liu Qingge snorts haughtily, but that stupid child really is too terrible of an actress. If you were really having it so good there, Liu Mingyan, why are you here now?
Of course, he doesn’t say that. He knows better than to touch any of that, lest he ends up destroying half his peak in a fit of rage. Expertly, he makes a mess of her hair until she’s crying out in protest, going on and on about how a young woman’s hair is precious and shouldn’t be messed with. But for once, she doesn’t complain that the stupid uglyass black jade that she hangs on her hairpin stays stuck between his fingers. A decorative ornament to the eyes of absolutely anybody in Cang Qiong Mountain ─ but where she’s going next, having it may as well be forfeiting her freedom entirely.
Two weeks.
That’s how long it takes to transport that ridiculous amount of alcohol from Zui Xian Peak to Tianyao, stay for the stupid ceremony and then come back. He doesn’t really think anyone would dare forcefully keep his sister anywhere, after how things ended the last time they tried, but still, Liu Qingge commits that to memory.
Two weeks.
If Mingyan doesn’t return by the end of it… well. The bastards will only have themselves to blame for what he does. He’s warned them well enough.
Notes:
WOOHOOO
Next up we finally get a bit more background on the Liu clan!! Then, after that, we're right at the Immortal Alliance Conference and whoooo boy, just a few chapters to go to what's probably the biggest climax of the fic yet! I am not ready
Chapter 46: Side-quest: The Great Liu Clan
Summary:
Liu Mingyan attends her cousin's wedding.
Perhaps things would have turned out better if she'd trashed it instead.
Notes:
Another chapter, another side-quest!
Trigger warning for blood, NPC death and LQG's terrible temper -- as well as some very dark implications for underage marriages.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
When Liu Mingyan dreams at night, most of her dreams are filled with fire and blood.
It’s the scalding flames flickering in the dead of the night, casting eerie shadows as they burn the celebratory decorations to a crisp. Liu Mingyan sits in the middle of overturned furniture, ruins of a banquet, surrounded by a fiery blaze. Her red wedding gown is stained and ripped in places, her fengguan torn apart in her lap. It had been made too large to put on her head to start with, but most of the precious gemstones decorating it have been torn away now. Tears stream down her face, wet and scalding against her skin, leaving her pretty makeup a devastating mess. Everywhere around her, blood flows like a river.
A few steps away, a man stands. His back is ramrod straight, his blade poised so he may cut down anyone who dares carelessly approach. Just as he has already done, a number of times. The clothes he wears are pristine white, with not a stain in sight, sharply contrasting the bloodbath everywhere around. The edge of his blade, however, drips with spilled blood. He is looking down at the tearful child in front of him with an emotion that is impossible to identify.
It is not the first time Liu Mingyan had seen this man, at this time. In her dreams, he has already caused this exact carnage several times. Over and over, he has shown up on her wedding night, long before she ever knew she was to have one, sowing chaos and destruction anywhere his blade could reach. Slaying anyone he found.
It is not the first time Liu Mingyan had seen this man in her reality, either. That would have been exactly a day before the ceremony, on the streets near the central market, a devastating sign that no matter how far she runs, Liu Mingyan cannot run from her fate. She had been running around the market, thrilled and happy that she had for the first time successfully gotten away, only to collide with a kind stranger who offered her a hand.
That man had asked her, in a gentle voice, why she was in such a rush. Liu Mingyan had been too busy cleaning her robes to look at his face. Absently, she’d said, “My uncle has arranged my marriage. I don’t want to go.”
And now, that same man has turned a celebration into a funeral by means of fire and blood ─ and no one has the power to stop him.
He stands in front of Liu Mingyan and he says, “Get up.”
There is nothing commanding to his tone. It could only be called awkward, if a little shy. But in spite of the blood dripping down the edge of his sword, to Liu Mingyan, he is nothing but kind.
Sometimes, when she dreams of such moments, Liu Mingyan wishes she’d taken his hand.
If only she’d done so immediately, if she hadn’t let the fear blind her, then perhaps, both of them would have been better off.
But Mingyan was a child. Twelve, not yet thirteen at the time, and she was terrified. The moment Liu Mingyan had looked into Liu Qingge’s eyes, she’d known he would never wish her harm. She’d known, because she made it so. In her fear and panic and devastation, Liu Mingyan had looked into Liu Qingge’s eyes and, beyond frightened, had done the only thing she’d known how. She called upon the dark power flowing through her veins and made him her puppet ─ or so she’d thought.
At the time, Liu Mingyan couldn’t have known.
She had no idea that the two of them were of the same mold. She could have never guessed that against him, her most precious talent was worth less than a handful of salt, that his appearance at this point in her life was never a coincidence at all.
“Why?!” she screams in her dream, devastated and hoarse in the dead of the night. “Why did you do this?! Why did you hurt…?! Why, why, why─?!”
But those eyes staring into her soul hold no fear, no hesitation, no doubt.
“You said no.”
He says it as though those words have ever made a difference before. As though that one word could have ever made a difference. To Liu Mingyan, everything in her life has always been a certain kind of inevitability ─ a fate sealed in stone. One word? Even a hundred words have not been able to change anything, so how could one do it? She simply doesn’t understand.
“That’s…” Her voice is shaking. Her hands are shaking. The tears have yet to stop. “I said no… so you killed everybody? Because I─”
“No,” Liu Qingge says. “You said no. That’s why I’m here to get you. Killing them has nothing to do with you. I did that just because I wanted to.”
In the next moment, that same outstretched arm that’s been patiently waiting for Liu Mingyan to take it is no longer patient at all. It circles around her waist and tosses her over his shoulder as though she weighs less than a feather, drawing a helpless scream from the depths of her lungs. By the time she realizes what’s going on, Liu Qingge is already engaged in battle, defeating the Huan clan’s men blow by blow while a helpless child dangles over his shoulder.
Countless familiar faces soon surround them. The guards of the Liu manor, the cultivators from the local sects and even other wedding attendees. The ceremony was never made to be a big affair, for neither Liu Mingyan nor the son of the Huan clan she was betrothed held any meaningful positions. In fact, even now, Liu Mingyan has not once seen her husband’s face. She has only seen his dead body, skewered through and mercilessly cast aside into the mud as though that’s where it belonged. She suspects ─ has feared from the beginning ─ that his age has always been several times greater than her own.
That night, Liu Qingge fights his way out of the Liu manor’s backyard with Mingyan on his shoulder and a trail of dead bodies in his wake. He is unstoppable. Yet in the way he holds Liu Mingyan, he is never forceful. Liu Mingyan screams and she cries. She makes a demonstrative kick or two out of sheer despair, but there is one thing that both of them are aware of, have known from the start. Out of that firm hold around her waist, Liu Mingyan could have broken free at any time. She knows it, Liu Qingge knows it. They know that about each other, know what kind of a risk it poses to carry on.
Instead of breaking free, however, Liu Mingyan holds on tighter.
Even while Liu Qingge cuts down countless familiar faces all around her, Liu Mingyan buries her face in his robes and holds on, desperately so.
That night, Liu Qingge becomes the true outcast of the Liu clan, a monster whose name and reputation precede him, a beast that fears nothing and no one ─ not even judgment from the heavens. Liu Mingyan is his victim, his abduction, his rebellion against everyone that’s raised him. Everything about them is coated in lies and venom, manipulated for purposes beyond what most can imagine and even more dare not question. The truth is buried together with the victims of a wedding that never came to pass, together with dead bodies of those whose disappearance is never questioned at all.
Somewhere down the line, Liu Qingge’s name becomes something that the Liu clan boasts about, a title of sorts, a precious son raised to be the heir who chooses cultivation in secret. A willful young master that has made a difficult choice that’s made his parents proud. In turn, Liu Mingyan becomes the beloved jade princess who follows her brother’s footsteps, forever lauded and beloved by everyone that hails from her hometown.
Liu Mingyan still wakes up from that dream drenched in cold sweat, every single time.
She does now, too.
Although, this particular rough waking is partially due to the noise everywhere around her. She finds that she has fallen asleep with her writings all over her blankets, most of her ink dry and none of her notes, brushes and scrolls properly packed. Half-finished stories sit on her lap while her martial sisters run around, grumbling about oversleeping and a tight schedule.
The inn space that they share is small. If the girls notice the ink splotch on the bedding, nobody comments. In that same vein, no one questions the markings of cold sweat that’s mixed with the ink and further spread the stains. Instead, the girls are too busy complaining about how uncomfortable the beds are, how scratchy the sheets and how the smell of mold is too much, even for such a tiny little inn sitting in the middle of nowhere.
It’s not long before they are packed and ready to go. The sun has only barely risen. There is still a long way to travel. Someone comes to put a hand on her shoulder, warm and gentle.
“We should reach your hometown by tomorrow morning. Are you excited?” her Shijie says, a beautiful girl with an equally beautiful name. Duan Caihong is probably the closest Shijie that Liu Mingyan has ever had and she has always been a wonderfully kind elder sister ─ even if, by all means, Liu Mingyan outranks her now. Clever and beautiful and highly skilled, Caihong-shijie is everything Liu Mingyan wishes she could have been to her many cousins growing up, but in the end, she has ultimately fallen short.
Caihong-shijie understands, somehow, that going home is nowhere near as easy as Liu Mingyan makes it look.
Still, Mingyan is Xian Shu peak’s head disciple now. She smiles at her martial sisters kindly, then leads them to continue their mission. It’s been a long time since she was last afraid of anything. These days, she only ever fears that her brother’s recklessness will push him into an early grave. In contrast to that, going home feels no different than taking up any other regular mission, no scarier than confronting any monster with big claws and poisonous teeth. It is almost comforting that she is able to take something so scalding from her past and turn it meaningless in her present.
“Hey, Yanyan, are all marriages for the Liu clan such huge affairs?” another Shijie asks, and it’s not the first time the question has come up. The alcohol amounts they’re transporting are indeed too huge to be intended for a normal-sized banquet. No matter what, anyone would find it suspicious. If the girls also knew that Cang Qiong Mountain is being forced to bear the expense of it all, there would truly be no end to the questions.
“The Liu clan has many children,” she says. “Not all marriages are this grand.”
“Does it depend on the husband, then? There are rumors that the Liu clan has sold a daughter or two to every noble family in the entire Central Plains ─ umm, no offense. Married, um… married their daughter. Sorry.”
Someone smacks the poor girl.
Liu Mingyan shrugs, but she doesn’t really know how to answer. Everything she knows is from many years ago. Whether the clan has changed their ways of operation, she doesn’t know. And they have indeed changed far more than she’s ever given them credit for. That they have successfully bullied one of the most powerful cultivation sects in existence to do their bidding, when in the past they barely dared mention its name.
Indeed, the time has come to visit home.
They reach the gates of the Liu clan early in the morning of the following day, when the birds are chirping and the morning dew has started to dry. The gates are wide open. Liu Mingyan stops at the very entrance, a familiar feel of cold sweat rolling down her back. The barrier in place is ─
It’s a pale shadow of what used to exist here, a long time ago, before brother ruined it all. Or perhaps, it’s Liu Mingyan who has grown. She has no time to say a word before the girls pass over the threshold and enter the property, not at all aware that a barrier even exists there, and they look back at her in wonder.
“Yanyan? Something the matter?”
“I’m coming,” Mingyan says, barely containing a shudder.
She leaves the barrier standing out of courtesy alone, because the Liu clan has also had the courtesy to inform her about the only marriage she has ever cared about, they had the courtesy to invite her. It is a smaller courtesy than what she offers in return, but the measure of it doesn’t change that this whole thing could have gone on without Liu Mingyan ever knowing about it. Perhaps, for most of the clan, that would have been preferable.
The hours are still too early, so the only people to help them haul the drinks around are servants of the household, all of whom get down on their knees to greet Liu Mingyan as though she’s some kind of a deity. It is weird and uncomfortable and even a little terrifying ─ no one has treated her that way before, so what is this now? They have never treated her improperly, either, but this is far too much! Why does she have to take people by the hands and lift them with her own strength to get them to stand? None of these are faces she recognizes. None of these people have been here back when Mingyan was, too.
Her Shijies are getting all the wrong impressions, but Liu Mingyan can do nothing to dissuade them. All they see is the shiny abundance and shameless luxury and all these people kowtowing to her with their foreheads against the floor as though the gesture holds any meaning. To shatter the illusion, under these circumstances, is definitely something the elders know Mingyan would never do.
Eventually, the drink is delivered to all the right people and by the time the administration is all properly settled, it’s already noon. Early guests have started pouring into the wedding pavilion, both cultivators and nobility, a mixture scarier than any other. Since when has the Liu clan grown in power and influence to the point of inviting cultivators over to their ceremonies? If it were just the local sects, Mingyan would pay it no mind, but there are far too many important faces showing up.
At least, the Xian Shu girls are excited about it ─ they recognize many.
One of the Shijies drags Caihong-jie by the sleeve, excitedly muttering, “That’s Gongyi Xiao, isn’t it?! Oh my goodness, it’s Gongyi Xiao!”
Liu Mingyan barely pays attention to them. She lingers off to the side, silent and apprehensive. Putting the clan’s growing status aside, putting the fact that this marriage arrangement is nothing but another business deal aside, the air of all of this… is simply too unnatural. Not to demean her cousin, but the branch of the Liu clan she hails from is one of the smallest. How could have her wedding day warranted this kind of attention from all the central plains?
“Ah, the beautiful ladies from Cang Qiong Mountain. What a pleasure. Please, please. The ceremony will start soon, but the feast is already prepared. You must have traveled a long time, so please, have a taste for whatever you like. It is this humble one’s honor to welcome cultivators from such a prestigious sect to our home.”
The sound of that voice instantly puts Liu Mingyan on alert. It’s been so long, but it’s like she’s last heard that sickening sweetness just yesterday, scolding her for not holding her chopsticks right. A young maiden must always be prim and proper, she used to say. All her Shijies turn to respectfully greet the madam, so Liu Mingyan has no choice but to do the same, but her heart beats wildly in her chest.
She bends down until her hair hides her face, voicing her respect in sync with her martial sisters, but the moment she straightens up, she knows it’s all useless. That woman stands right before her, fingers touching her chin through the veil, twisting her head left and right without holding back. Behind her, she can feel her Shijies tense up. No one, ever, has treated Liu Mingyan with such disrespect in their presence. Caihong-jie even shifts her hand marginally closer to the hilt of her spiritual weapon, only Liu Mingyan’s briefest of glances preventing her from causing trouble.
“A-auntie Lian,” Mingyan tries to laugh it off, in a voice that almost betrays her. “It’s been a while.”
“A long time, indeed. Tell me, you silly child, have you forgotten you have a home? Have you forgotten this poor family of yours who gave birth to you? Your sweet aunts and uncles and cousins who couldn’t wait for your visit? Years! How many years?! You could have been dead or you could have been alive and none of us would have known!”
Liu Mingyan closes her eyes and bites her tongue. If she’s careless, she could cause so much trouble and that’s the last thing she wants. If he were here, her brother would have drawn his weapon a long time ago, but Mingyan doesn’t have the luxury. She has not yet done what she came here to do.
“This humble one sincerely apologizes,” she whispers, prying her chin free with great effort and bowing once again. “Brother sends his regards. He misses Auntie’s sweets.”
The woman’s smile twitches briefly, but her mask doesn’t crumble. “Auntie sees you’ve sure grown well. More and more you look exactly like your mother. Come, come, Mingyan, darling, you know how it goes. Before the ceremony starts, you may greet your cousin, but the rest will go according to the elders’ wishes. Auntie cannot do anything more. I’ll take care of your sect sisters. Now, sweetie, go greet the elders. They’ve been eagerly waiting for your visit.”
Liu Mingyan nods wordlessly, but her hands are ice cold. She steals a quick glance back at her fellow Shijies. Knowing how this might go, this may just be the last time she sees their faces. She takes them in one by one, careful to remember every detail of their smiles, every soft curve of their lips. Caihong-jie nods back, covertly, her hand gently brushing against the hilt of the sword on her hip.
“Just give the word,” she says without any actual words.
Liu Mingyan’s eyes soften briefly. Truly, her martial sisters are too clever. She has not said a word, yet the girls look as though they will follow her to war. None of them realize that a fight here won’t solve anything.
Mingyan throws them one last reassuring glance before she walks away, her limbs dragging behind her as though they weigh a mountain.
Oftentimes, Liu Mingyan wishes that she could be strong like her brother. Many seem convinced that she’s stronger, that her talent is even greater, but that was never true. Brother often reminds her that they didn’t start in the same place, that they haven’t followed the same roads. She shouldn’t feel like she’s been left behind, has no reason to feel as though she cannot catch up. Her brother still believes that the day he’s taken her under his wing is the day Liu Mingyan has first uncovered her power. Or at the very least, he maintains the illusion of it for her sake. Mingyan has known all along that between the two of them, the one who is truly strong has only ever been him. That is why she has been so careful, curating the information about the clan that he gets. For the first time, as she stands before the giant door leading to the reception room, she has come to regret that.
She enters the marble room like a dutiful daughter, silent and polite, not even blinking when a ceramic pot wheezes past her ear to smash against the wall. The ceramic leaves a small cut in her veil, just big enough to feel the chilly air as it meets her skin.
“It’s been a while,” Mingyan says. No filial devotion to her voice, none. She looks up into the eyes of the man who has thrown that ceramic, not flinching even when he crosses the entire room in two steps to slap her across the face. The room is full of people watching, yet that slap echoes as though it’s deserted.
It hurts.
Liu Mingyan can’t lie and say that it doesn’t hurt. No one has ever hit her face before. Too pretty, they’d say, just like her mother. But now, the veil covers the swelling, of course, so there is no hesitation at all.
“Get on your knees,” the man orders, the fancy cultivator uniform framing his powerful body. Uncle kicks her shin when she doesn’t and presses on her shoulder until she’s kneeling, but even then, Liu Mingyan doesn’t lower her gaze. She looks at him the same steady way she has looked at him all along, looks at him as though nothing he does can scare her anymore.
“Shameless! Impudent! Disgraceful! How dare you look at your elder with those eyes?! Bow your head down and kowtow now! Have you forgotten your place?!”
This shout comes from the elders still seated in their places. About five of them are there ─ a scant few in compassion to how many should have gathered for a ceremony of this size. It confirms everything Liu Mingyan has feared. This ceremony, too, has not been organized out of respect for her cousin, but rather a mere business arrangement. Not even a valuable one, given how many important people remain absent.
“Uncle Qiang,” she regards the Uncle in front of her, but does no more.
Uncle Qiang takes in her stubbornness, visibly exasperated. From the steadiness of her gaze, he seems to recognize the fearlessness, foolish though it may be. He sighs.
“That meddlesome brother of yours is way out of line. Seems like he hasn’t only taught you cultivator tricks. Mingyan, Mingyan, Mingyan… how disappointing. Your brother has shamed us all. That impertinence of his, that shamelessness─”
“From what I hear, much of his attitude has been taught by Uncle personally,” Liu Mingyan returns, all too calmly.
The elders all burst into a cacophony of complaints.
Uncle Qiang’s eyes narrow a fraction. His lips almost crack a smile.
“This selfish brother of yours has known nothing but to care for himself. If he had any sense left, he never would have let you set foot back in this house.” He slams another ceramic cup into the wall behind her, but it’s clear now that his conduct is all for show. Even as he paces around, dramatically, it is not for the sake of intimidating her at all, but putting on a show for everyone else, so Mingyan settles down and patiently waits to see where it will go.
Uncle Qiang, for all it’s worth, has always been an expert at theatrics alone. It is all he ever does, at least with Liu Mingyan around.
“How long?” her uncle asks, coming to a stop right in front of her. “You only joined that sect at fourteen. That’s almost two years after you left this place. You can’t have made a spiritual core from day one. Was it three months ago? Six? If your life force and your spiritual core haven’t merged entirely yet, we can still─”
He cuts himself off, planting his palm against her chest, right over her heart.
Mingyan is entirely unprepared. She tries to push his hand off, but the tightening around her heart is a squeeze that makes her choke. By the time he’s done, Liu Mingyan is down on all fours, hacking and coughing, fighting for air. Uncle Qiang, meanwhile, is walking in circles endlessly, spouting curses and expletives of the worst kind. Dramatic yet not, completely out of line yet full of righteous indignation. The elders behind him go through various sorts of exclamations and facial expressions. Eventually, Uncle Qiang falls down to his knees in front of her, expression haggard.
“Don’t you see, you silly girl? Don’t you see how easy it is for me to kill you now?! For anyone to do the same?! Just the slightest meridian misalignment and even the smallest Qi deviation can kill you! Even the best of medics cannot help you then! Why do that to yourself? Risking your life over nothing!” He laughs madly, almost desperately. “That stupid brother of yours took you away, of course we knew he might drag you down the same road. Now we know he indeed has done precisely that. He’s doomed you both, but no matter, no matter. It’s not over yet. Nothing’s over yet.”
The man gently lifts her chin, smirking.
“Did that brother of yours say that? Did he promise you that a spiritual core will free you of your role? Of course it won’t, don’t be silly. You were always suitable. Even if he’d gone and tore your womanly bits out, you’d still be suitable. The only thing he’s achieved is making your mother’s fate impossible for you, but what difference does that make? We never wanted that for you anyway.”
“I’m here to see my cousin,” Liu Mingyan grits out, her jaw set and her fists clenched. Even if this is all theatrics, if Uncle Qiang is making a show, it’s going way too far─
“Yes, of course,” the man sighs. “One rebellious child came to visit the other one. No surprise. Your sweet cousin must’ve been waiting for this day. She’s run after you so many times, and yet it’s only now that she’s getting married that you finally reunite. How devastating.”
“Let me see her,” Mingyan demands, all too cold.
“Like I’d stop you,” Uncle Qiang spits. “Do whatever you want. You always do what you want. Just don’t do something pointless such as helping that stupid child run. There’s no point, even if she gets away. A literal god is powerless in the face of everything you see here, Liu Mingyan. You know better than anyone.”
Liu Mingyan slowly picks herself up, but her whole body is tense. Only when her hand touches the hilt of Shui Se does she feel a little better, a little more grounded. Too many eyes are watching her now, though. She cannot show a single crack.
“Thanking uncle for this kindness,” she mumbles. “This one will take her leave.”
Uncle Qiang even assists in helping her stand, pretending to brush off some dirt off her robes, the subtle way he touches her waist a small, odd contact that doesn’t go unnoticed by everyone around. Mingyan shudders, unwillingly, from the sheer discomfort of the way everyone stares, but uncle Qiang’s face is stony.
What… is happening? What message are you trying to send? What am I not seeing now?
She doesn’t know. And Uncle Qiang isn’t saying it. He is trying to show her something, but what is it? However, as nobody tries to stop her from walking away, she cannot backtrack and ask anything now. She doesn’t think uncle Qiang will answer, not unless they speak in private. But meeting the clan leader privately now of all times ─ that’s not going to happen.
She is escorted out by another clan elder, someone she definitely doesn’t know. He doesn’t speak to her at all. He just leads her to where the preparation chambers sit, as though Liu Mingyan has not been attended to in one of those herself, many years ago.
The two guards standing outside the door see them and immediately bow, then quickly get out of the way. Inside, the servants who have been tending to the bride’s clothes and make up also scramble to leave the moment they notice who entered.
Inside the room, the one small window that existed a long time ago has been sealed up. There’s not a chance anyone could escape, let alone a crack of light to slip through. A few candles have been lit, throwing warm light across the bride standing in the middle of the room. She’s dressed up in all the fancy reds, the silky robes draped over her shoulders and her hair done elaborately in a fashion befitting of a noble bride.
Recognizing her visitors, however, she shudders. “Elder Xiaobo,” she whispers, bowing her head respectfully. Then her eyes fall over to Mingyan ─ and she gasps. “Oh my ─ Mingyan?!”
Liu Mingyan makes for a rueful little smile, before remembering that the veil over her face will hide it away. She inclines her head instead.
“Mingyue-jie,” she whispers, a little bit guilty.
Her cousin stares. Then she looks back over to the clan elder watching them both like a hawk, and mumbles, in a manner entirely unlike herself, “May I…?”
“Go ahead,” the elder says, amused. “Mingyan was always your favorite little cousin. I promised I’ll let you see her on your wedding day ─ and I’ve kept it.”
Cousin nods, if a little hesitant. Liu Mingyan is, therefore, not at all ready when her cousin launches herself into a hug, the arms that wrap around her shoulders tight enough to make her choke. The two of them were born weeks apart, given names often given to blood sisters and even raised together, most of the time. Who could have thought that, looking at the clan’s ancestry line, there is barely any connection at all? It doesn’t make this reunion any less important.
“Holy shit, Mingyan, you crazy child,” her cousin whines, the arms around her tightening into a crushing hug. “You’ve grown so much. How did you grow so tall? I barely come up to your nose now.”
Liu Mingyan doesn’t know what to say. She didn’t expect… company. An uncle standing over their shoulders, watching them both like this reunion years in the making is somehow not at all a work of his own hands. Like he is merely an observer who has stumbled into it by accident and now refuses to walk away. There is so much she wishes she could say, but she doesn’t know where to start, and the way her cousin is clinging to her so strongly is… almost desperate.
Slowly, Liu Mingyan lifts her arms and returns the hug, smiling sadly to herself. “Everyone in my family is tall,” she mumbles. “Mother and Uncle Qiang were twins, but she was still taller. My brother… you should see my brother. People here used to call him a scrawny child, but I cannot imagine it. He is so tall and so strong…” she trails off, noticing the twisted expression on the clan elder’s face. After a moment of hesitation, she says, “But forget that. Today is Cousin Mingyue’s wedding day. I can hardly believe this day has come.”
Liu Mingyue chokes up, laughing awkwardly. “Right? Who could have expected that?”
Not Liu Mingyan, certainly. Mingyue’s father had refused to marry his daughter countless times. The Chi branch had always been famous for how lax a leadership they had ─ Mingyue’s father had spoiled his only daughter rotten, she’d obey not even the clan leader himself. And even then, the clan leader would much rather just leave the girls to their own devices than bother instilling discipline into either of them. Other elders did quite enough of that for him, he’d say.
Mingyan feels a heaviness in her chest that she cannot describe. They mentioned that her cousin has attempted to run ─ that must be why the elders are not willing to give them a moment of privacy now. They suspect Mingyue might still make a break for it, and they fear that Liu Mingyan is here to… to help with that. Which, damn it all, is exactly what she’s been planning to do, as soon as she got to confirm her cousin’s willingness.
Well, she’s all but confirmed it now.
Mingyue is being married off now and she is clearly not happy about it.
This decision couldn’t have been made by her father, then. But what is there that Mingyan can possibly do about it now?
Short of kidnapping the bride the same way her brother had done for her, there is nothing at all.
Helplessly, Mingyan drags her fingers across her cousin’s wrist, but that is enough. Liu Mingyue has no potential to cultivate anymore. She’s grown up a noble lady, troublesome and passionate, but she’s never been taught how to put that to use. Liu Mingyan closes her eyes.
Not even Cang Qiong Mountain can get involved, then… Well, fine. She’s considered that, more or less. There are ways to go around that, too.
When she opens her eyes again, it is with boldness and determination ─ and no care at all, that the clan elder stands just a few steps away. She takes Mingyue’s hands into her own and says, “Give me the word. If you don’t want this, you just need to say it.”
“Wha─”
“Liu Mingyan! What the hell are you saying?!” the elder thunders, just like Mingyan thought he might. She nails him down with a glare and pushes her cousin behind her, her hand just short of drawing Shui Se.
“Uncle should know by now who I am and where I hail from,” Liu Mingyan says, all too calm. “As far as the clan hierarchy goes, the Chi household still falls below the Tian branch ─ and I am the daughter of Liu Suyin of the Tian. My authority reigns higher than yours. If Mingyue says she wants no part in this, then I alone am enough to call off this marriage.”
“Liu Mingyan,” the Elder says slowly, dangerously, “You have authority over my decision, perhaps, but do you hold any power over what the clan leader decides? Your cousin’s arrangement has been set in stone by the clan leader personally─”
“Do you think I don’t dare question his authority, too?” Liu Mingyan fires back, just as dangerous. “Uncle Qiang is the clan leader solely due to my brother’s absence ─ and my age has now reached a point where I am a viable heir as well. So tell me, elder of Chi. Do you, or do you not think, that I am able to influence this? Do you think I won’t dare?”
But cousin Mingyue takes her hand and shakes her head. Just the way her eyes sparkle fills Mingyan with dread.
“It’s alright,” she says. “Young master and I ─ we’ve met. He is a good person. Nice.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Mingyan says. “He can be the kindest person in the world, but if you don’t want this, you shouldn’t feel obligated to it. No one should.”
“Naive,” the elder snorts, glaring down at Mingyan as though he cannot even hear the words she speaks of. “You brats are hopelessly naive. The world we live in and the choices we make─”
“Call them difficult to my face, if you dare,” Liu Mingyan cuts him off, icily. “Now if you don’t leave this room and let me speak to my cousin in private, I will force you to do so.”
Her cousin gasps in shock ─ but the clan elder can only glare. Mingyan is not joking around and she is not as unaware of her position as she used to be, growing up in this place. Brother has opened her eyes to many things, whether by intention or pure accident. Many of those things have been hidden from her with a purpose. This elder, for all he may not like it, truly doesn’t have the authority to push Mingyan around the same way Uncle Qiang does. And when Uncle Qiang does it, he only ever does it for show ─ for other people, not because he particularly wants to intimidate Mingyan.
“Uncle Qiang doesn’t care if it’s me or you,” brother had said many years ago, “but the rest of them are insufferable. No matter who it is, they will never let us breathe. They can rot in hell for all I care.”
Finally, Mingyan understands what he meant by it. Finally, she understands what her return constitutes for this place, who has been pulling the strings all along ─ and what reason they had done it for. It was a warning. The same warning she received the day of her own marriage, a threat she had never interpreted as such until now. This is what we will do, if you don't behave.
Well, fine, then, Mingyan thinks now. Your mistake.
“Get out,” she repeats to the clan elder, leaving him no room for argument. The man does not try, for there is no purpose to it at all. Should things come down to a physical fight, Mingyan alone is enough to end it before it ever starts. The man glares at her all the way until he shuts the door, rageful and unforgiving, but well aware of where their differences lie. Mingyan only lets herself breathe once that last crack is shut.
Instantly, she turns to her cousin, grasping both her hands. “Tell me now, yes or no. The Chi branch alone can’t stop me, but if the others get involved─”
But her cousin shakes her head, stunned. “Liu Mingyan. Are you fucking crazy? Do you know what you’ve just done?!”
Set herself up for a world of political nightmares, of course she does. She might’ve been able to ignore the weight of her name for a few more years if not for this, but she could have never run. She knows better than anyone.
“Don’t worry about it,” Liu Mingyan says. “They can’t keep me here ─ and my brother won’t let them even if they try. Tell me right now. This marriage. Is that what you want?”
Mingyue bites her lip, the conflict in her eyes evident. “He ─ really is a good guy. I don’t ─ I’m truly not against it, but…”
“But?” Mingyan pushes for it, mind set.
“It’s you who they want.”
Liu Mingyan freezes, her chest constricting. “... what?”
“I don’t know the details,” Liu Mingyue mumbles. “But uncle Qiang said it to me when he approved this. The Huan Hua Sect has been negotiating this for months. Maybe years. The Gongyi clan’s future heir, Gongyi Jun, has his eyes on you and you alone. The fact I’m marrying the clan’s second child ─ it was just to open the way for them to get to you.”
“...what?” Mingyan whispers, horrified. “I don’t even know these people! Who─”
“I don’t know,” Mingyue says. “But as far as that goes, the Gongyi noble family… uncle Qiang doesn’t dare take any risks. I am a consolation prize, but the truth is, the blood ties between the Tian branch and the Chi branch are so low that no one will question it even if we both end up married into the same clan. And I fear that a lot of our own elders… won’t be against that. Uncle Xiaobo certainly not.”
So the one that she’s just kicked out. Of course not. That’s what the Uncle wasn’t saying. That was the part she missed.
Mingyan chuckles briefly, hollowly. She’d rather cry.
“I have to do this,” Mingyue says softly. “Uncle Qiang is on your side, no matter what he says or does… but the rest of them…”
“They never were,” Mingyan whispers. “I know. But you shouldn’t have to ─ not for me. If they want to, let them come. Let them try. Selling me off to the Huan clan went great, didn’t it? Half their upper echelon died trying. What do you think is going to happen now?”
“I know that Cang Qiong Mountain has your back, the whole world knows it,” Mingyue says, softly. “But other great sects are involved here, too. You have to be careful, Mingyan. I’m not sure what’s happening or why the Gongyi clan is after you ─ but Gongyi Wen and I have known each other for a while before this happened. We can figure it out, I’m sure. His brothers, however…”
“Brothers? Multiple?”
“His eldest brother, the one I’ve mentioned ─ Gongyi Jun. He is the future clan leader. I don’t know much about him, but they say he is capable. A nobleman, but not a cultivator.”
“That’s easy, then,” Mingyan says. “He can’t touch me. I’ll cut his hand off as soon as he tries.”
“Mm, I guess. But the youngest child ─ Gongyi Xiao ─ I don’t know much about him. He is a cultivator in Huan Hua Palace and strong enough to have become a head disciple very young. He’s ambitious. Dangerous. His brothers don’t like him. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that he is just as invested. After all, it is cultivators who generally tend to… well. You know.”
Right. As if the secret arrangments behind this weren’t bad enough. Worse, Liu Mingyan has, in fact, heard that name before. More than once. It has even been there, signed on a missive delivered to Liu Mingyan privately, asking her to consider switching sects for generous benefits, most of which she has received long before the Battle Royale. To think that this was the background behind it…
“Don’t worry,” she tells her cousin, though she doesn’t feel that way at all. “They have no say in it. Not even Liu Qiang. The Huan clan learned the hard way. The Gongyi clan would’ve been better off taking notes. That goes for you too. If you don’t want this, I will stop it. Even now.”
“I will go with them,” Liu Mingyue declares, smiling briefly. “This alliance is still worth something for all of us. I don’t want to get in the way of that. Gongyi Wen is a good person. I don’t mind.”
“Fine,” Mingyan says. “You can change your mind anytime. Even years down the line. I am not very fond of most elders, but Uncle Qiang taught me well. Just because you walk out the door once doesn’t mean you’re no longer a child of the Liu. Both my brother and I stand as testaments to that. If you need me to come for you, I will fight my way there no matter what.”
Mingyue squeezes her hand, grinning helplessly. “You’ve only grown crazier since I’ve last seen you, silly child. Thank you for coming, but it’s time to go. Your Yue-jie has to do her part. It’s only been a matter of time.”
A matter of time.
Mingyue has been waiting for something like this. She has been preparing. Why? How long ago… did her father die?
The realization is startling. But her guess before, that the elder she kicked out hails from the Chi branch, has only been proven accurate. Mingyan wants to ask ─ she wants to ask so much. What happened to the previous Chi branch elder? When? Is she jumping to conclusions, is she jumping too far? But the Chi household was never particularly relevant, never particularly standing out. Most of their struggles have always been overlooked in the face of other households held in higher regard. Mingyue never would have admitted to anything, even back in her youth. She cannot ask this now. Not on her wedding day. Not like this.
“Alright,” she says instead. “Take care of yourself, okay? And… be happy. Please.”
Gently, her cousin ruffles her hair.
“Mm, I will. Don’t worry, little cousin. I’ll be perfectly fine. You take care of yourself. Trust me, and more importantly, trust yourself. Trust fate to take care of the rest.”
Trust fate to take care of the rest…
Liu Mingyan nods. Her fate, for better or worse, has never been in the palm of her hand. But still, it had taken her to Cang Qiong Mountain when she had nowhere to go and brought her a brother when she was all alone. So what’s one more leap of faith? There’s no place she can go scarier than where she’s already been. Mingyan is a cultivator now, someone with both status and power, someone with a brother to stand behind her no matter what.
Therefore, she will do what she must.
A short time later, Liu Mingyan stands in the audience with her extended family, as she watches the ceremony unfold. Cousin Mingyue truly shines throughout. Her grace and beauty are enough to blind everyone, and from multiple sides, the woes of others can be heard, bemoaning the fact that all the Liu children are born with looks deserving of gods. Most of them don’t realize that the beauty running through the clan doesn’t come from anything heavenly at all. The demonic essence spread throughout their bloodline is an open secret to many and every single brave soul seeking a marriage of convenience with their clan does so with impure intentions and no affection at all. Mingyue, of all people, was the one who had told her that, back when Mingyan's marriage into the Huan clan had first been announced.
That same Mingyue stands facing her fate with a beautiful smile, courageous and brilliant.
The second son of the Gongyi clan standing beside her is a handsome fellow, if unremarkable in his plainness. The tailors have done a wonderful job of his clothing and his bearing is as noble as they get, but observing him as he stands next to her elder cousin, Liu Mingyan only has a single thought running through her mind. You don’t deserve her.
It’s a ridiculous thing to think. Mingyan has no right to decide that, no more than anyone else in this place does, aside from Mingyue herself, but while her cousin has looked sad and conflicted at the prospect of a marriage before, as she stands with this person hand in hand, the smile on her face does appear to be genuine enough.
Either way, Liu Mingyan feels as though she has made a mistake.
This wedding banquet, though it would normally consist of the bride and her family traveling to the groom’s home, takes place exactly where it starts. It is a tradition of the Liu clan to marry their daughters within their own walls, even if they are to never return there afterwards. Most clans are more than happy to agree, given the Liu family bears most of the costs. But such a lavish ceremony, grand as though it may be, has none of Mingyue’s personality to it. The food, the drinks, the sweet treats ─ they are similar to what Mingyan has had in her own wedding, the work of Auntie Lian, with none of the bride’s personal favorites making it on the list. Auntie’s way of saying goodbye.
Mingyan steals a snack and wraps it into a handkerchief to take to her brother either way. Hell knows that if he misses anything out of here, it is Auntie Lian’s snacks.
Then, before she can make her quick escape and rejoin her sisters in the regular guest sections, she is caught by Uncle Qiang in company of other people, laughing and talking and gesturing her way. She only just manages to hide the snack before she must greet them all, only to realize far too late to whom she speaks.
“Indeed, this is Liu Mingyan, the precious Jade Princess of the Liu clan,” Uncle Qiang is saying, smiling ear to ear in ways he almost never does. “I’m sure the Palace Master is aware ─ but she is quite a formidable cultivator in her own right.”
─Huan Hua? Here?! Now?!
Unfortunately, after what her cousin had said, this is really of no surprise. Liu Mingyan pointedly reserves the greeting for no one else but the Palace Master out of obligation alone ─ but that is also a mistake. The people behind him, it turns out, are the parents to the groom no less. The parents… and two young men right behind. Gongyi Jun? Gongyi Xiao? Nobody is bothering to say. It likely doesn’t matter, now.
The Huan Hua Palace Master is looking at her with a sort of recognition sparking in his face, the likes of which she has seen on children when they get their hands on a particularly interesting toy to play. A shudder runs down her spine. Uncle Qiang! What a traitor! Shouldn't he have left her a means to run? What the hell is she supposed to do now?
“Young Miss Liu’s name has surely spread far and wide in recent times,” the Palace Master says, mildly, “but even so, I did not expect Miss Liu to be such a gentle beauty.”
“I do believe that the Palace Master has never had the opportunity to meet my sister before she passed. Mingyan is a spitting image of her, both in beauty and tact.”
Tact, yeah right. Well, fine. If uncle won't let her do this the subtle way, might as well make it as overt, shameless and as flashy as possible. If Uncle Qiang plans to tease her marriage to her face for his personal entertainment, whether he has the intention to follow through or not, he better be ready for the consequences.
The whole time they talk, the Gongyi family's eyes on Liu Mingyan never really change. They praise her talent, her poise, her bearing, her grace. They bring up her cultivation too ─ which Uncle Qiang shamelessly takes credit for though he has had no hand in it whatsoever, and Mingyan has never been more grateful to him for spinning the web of lies about her and her brother. The Palace Master, in particular, doesn’t look very interested in any of it ─ but the Gongyi clan’s people are, almost unbearably so.
Mingyan, however, is not sitting idle while this goes on.
Her own eyes set on the youth lingering behind, the one standing the furthest away. Liu Mingyan does her very best to pick up what little cues of him that she can. A nobleman’s clothes and a sword at his side don’t tell her much, not unless she is able to come closer ─ but the look in his eyes ─ the questioning, almost challenging gaze that he tries to hide. And a subtle feel of power from the weapon on his hip, even if it is an odd kind.
You are Gongyi Xiao, then.
The youngest brother. The cultivator. The disliked one.
This is a chance.
Mingyan may not know much about this Gongyi clan in particular, but she knows a lot about the power structures within the noble clans in general. The eldest sons are held in the highest regard, their sense of lordship over the rest ever-suffocating. They are the favored children, the pampered ones, raised to be future leaders amongst those who may feel more capable of it instead. Liu Qingge had grown up a thorn in the elders’ side precisely because half the household spoiled him rotten. He would not listen to anyone. With Mingyan, they couldn’t allow themselves that mistake.
This young man in front of her may not be the same ─ but merely from the way nobody attempts to praise his achievements the way they praise his brother for Mingyan’s ears speaks volumes of how they perceive his presence.
The more praises Liu Mingyan hears about this Gongyi Jun who looks at her like a piece of meat to bite, the more obvious she makes it to everyone that her eyes rest on his little brother instead. She does not look away. Even when that child’s mother finally seems to catch onto what is happening, Liu Mingyan only watches him more stubbornly.
Gongyi Xiao. Huan Hua’s head disciple. Brothers don’t like him. Dangerous. Ambitious.
Funny how, to Liu Mingyan, most of these are far more desirable qualities than any of the ones these people have praised for their eldest son. Perhaps they’ve never heard of the good old, Better the enemy you know than the one you don’t.
Liu Mingyan has, unexpectedly, been given a chance. A chance that she will not pass up ─ not now when it’s clear that everything Mingyue said has been correct from the start.
“Uncle,” she cuts in, in the midst of the Gongyi clan leader’s restless speech over his son’s trading achievements in the west. Uncle Qiang plays her game willingly, shifting his attention away from the father’s monologue to smile her way indulgently.
“May I?” she asks, softly. But at no point does Liu Mingyan ever look away from Gongyi Xiao.
Finally, everyone else seems to realize where her attention has been all along. The power structure of a noble family, forever delicate and balanced, shatters in an instant. Funny how even the Huan Hua Palace Master seems momentarily disturbed by that.
You didn’t think I’d take your head disciple, did you?
Should have never made him available in the first place, then. People may call her graceful and humble and polite all they like, but Liu Mingyan’s name has spread far for a reason. She is a head disciple, too, now. A dangerous, ambitious, not well liked within her own home. Had they done a better job, they might have realized on time who they have to fear. But, stubborn mules that they are, once again, everyone turns back to Uncle Qiang, waiting for a response. Waiting for permission. As if Liu Mingyan being publicly denied would change anything at all.
“Of course,” her treacherous uncle says, covering up his smile. Have it your way.
Liu Mingyan beams at him before mustering the courage to grab Gongyi Xiao’s wrist, smiling politely as she says, “Would the Young Master please accompany me to the gardens?” As though with all these people watching, he has any choice at all.
The youth, looking so uncannily much like a Shixiong from her sect, may as well have been slapped across the face. He acts as though he has no idea at all what he’s done to get a Liu child interested, like it hasn’t been his intention at all. Whether or not he scrambles for an excuse to his shocked family members makes no difference, because Liu Mingyan doesn’t give him the opportunity. She drags him with her, boldly and shamelessly, uncaring of what the nosy nobles may make of it. The more they make of it, the better, really. Let the dust rise.
The Huan Hua Palace is a great sect, one of the four most influential in the world. They will not hand their head disciple over without a fight. Not to a girl from Cang Qiong Mountain, regardless of which noble clan she hails from. But noble clan politics is different from sect politics largely because most nobles are not cultivators, after all. The sect's rivalries and customs make no difference in the eyes of elderly rich people who have nothing but profitable matchmaking to do. Either way, whatever they do from here on, they must tread carefully. Far more so than in the past.
In one single move, Liu Mingyan has undermined the Gongyi clan’s internal hierarchy. She has further alienated a son of the Gongyi clan from his non-cultivator brothers, sown internal rivalry and even shaken the alliance between the Gongyi clan and the Huan Hua sect and especially, she has shaken their relationship with the Liu clan ─ all of that, and she has only barely begun.
“Miss Liu, what are you─! Miss Liu where are we─ what─huh…?”
But Gongyi Xiao finally stops resisting as Mingyan pulls him over to the west garden, the only place left within the household with even a little privacy for the duration of the ceremony. She lets go of his wrist once there and turns around to face him, intentionally coming to stand just a little bit too close.
Though he is visibly surprised, giving credit where credit is due, Gongyi Xiao is not intimidated. He is not even embarrassed or shy over the fact that he has so obviously been made a target of a pretty girl’s affection. Though the question is, with how subtle the moves had been, whether he’s even understood the weight of it. Liu Mingyan doesn’t particularly care. Her interest is only superficial. She has brought Gongyi Xiao away from everyone else precisely to inform him of that─
But now that she has and he looks unshaken, it would be a lie to say that she isn’t a little intrigued.
“It was Young Master Gongyi who sent missives to me asking me to switch sects many months back, wasn’t it?” she says ─ and watches, with amusement, how the youth seems to release a breath of astonishing relief.
But regardless of the little tension that eases away from those shoulders, he doesn’t relax. “Ah. So those have managed to reach Miss Liu, after all.”
“I suppose that, receiving no answer for so long, Young Master Gongyi would have expected my seniors to have hidden those missives away from me. Isn’t that right?”
The Gongyi clan’s third son says nothing. If Mingyan were in his shoes, trying to poach the rival sect’s disciple away, then getting to speak to said disciple directly at their own initiation is something she would have considered a step in the right direction. Yet the face of the disciple in front of her is stony and unreadable, a mask that refuses to crack. Safe to say, whatever his interest in her, if there is any at all, it is different from the rest of his family.
Perhaps it wouldn’t hurt to confirm that, though.
Liu Mingyan takes a bold step closer, to which he steps back on instinct. But Mingyan pushes even further. Gongyi Xiao’s back collides against a tree as he is given no leeway, leaving his face far too close to Mingyan. Even the height difference, not particularly significant though it may be, gives him no reprieve from the intensity of her stare. His breathing stops altogether. His face, however, is a mask of stone that simply refuses to crack.
Liu Mingyan bats her eyelashes at him sweetly, then steps back. “Hereby I formally decline.”
Gongyi Xiao blinks, stunned. “What?”
“I never did respond to those missives,” she clarifies. “So I figured I might as well properly decline.”
“... oh.”
“I am, however, a little bit curious about the sword on your hip.”
“Wha─”
The two of them move simultaneously, Liu Mingyan with intent and Gongyi Xiao on pure instinct. He grabs her wrist before it comes close enough to the hilt of his sword, but Mingyan easily twists her hand free and hits her palm against his chest, slamming him back into the tree with sufficient force to shock anybody. Gongyi Xiao gasps as he crumples down to the ground, a hand grasping for his chest and his breathing ragged. The tree, sadly, is all he has to lean against.
Smoothly, Liu Mingyan pulls out the weapon from the sheathe on his hip, observing the blade all along its length. It is a beautiful sword. Pure and iridescent, the glow of its spiritual power a soft blue as cold as ice. How interesting. The blade aligns with the spiritual flow of water, yet the cultivator who bears it has a temperament of fire. That’s an odd, dangerous combination. To master it, he’s probably had to work very hard. No wonder he’s a head disciple, then.
Liu Mingyan brandishes the sword around smoothly, all too invested now. The youth’s expression darkens, but Mingyan has indeed hit him hard in just the wrong spot. Even if he tries, he cannot stand up. That is also very odd. As much power as she’s put into it, he should have been able to at least do that. But as he is, Gongyi Xiao is evidently struggling.
“It’s a dangerous practice, forcing a blade of opposite temperament to submit to your will,” she says, either way. “I didn’t intend to cause you any harm today, so please forgive me if my actions have inadvertently caused undue damage. I formally apologize.”
Liu Mingyan bows once, before settling back down to put the blade back where it belongs. However, the tip of the sword and the sheathe do not align. What? How?
A moment ago, she’s stolen his weapon with no obstructions whatsoever, so why won’t it go back now? Why… does it feel as though the cold is spreading from the hilt all the way through the bones of her hand? That’s not right.
Alarmed, Liu Mingyan closes her eyes and settles her mind. She aligns her breathing and surrenders to the atmosphere around. Once her spirit aligns to the world around her, she opens her eyes.
Everything she sees suddenly bursts in color. Spiritual flows of the world come to life, none more blinding than the ones flowing through the blade in her grasp. Water flows, Liu Mingyan knows well, are some of the most dangerous and the most healing flows in the world. She has always been well aligned with them, therefore seeing that a spiritual weapon whose entire existence seems rooted in the water flows is latching onto her power is no surprise.
The problem, however, is that she sees too much.
“You… aren’t a spiritual blade at all,” she whispers, because… blinding though the sword may be… bright and overwhelming to the point it makes her eyes hurt… the power this thing possesses, the force hidden inside it…
Liu Mingyan glances back over to Gongyi Xiao, but just like she’s already guessed, holding onto his wrist, his elemental alignment has always been fire. For most cultivators, such a thing shouldn’t make much difference ─ everyone has a tendency to move towards perfect balance, the longer they cultivate ─ so a cultivator of a fiery temper holding onto a water sword is not as unlikely as though it may initially appear. But what had initially drawn Liu Mingyan’s attention to the blade was the fact that, even subconsciously, Gongyi Xiao had been feeding it power even when there was no reason to do so at all.
A mistake. I’ve made a horrible mistake.
The mistake, it turns out, is assuming that this blade was a spiritual artifact at all.
“This weapon is soul-bound, isn’t it?” she whispers, horrified. “Gongyi Xiao! These are against all cultivation rules! What are you─?!”
Actually, that’s the wrong thing to ask, isn’t it?
Soul-bound blades were banned a while back, solely because the procedure to acquire one is simply too risky to attempt. Cang Qiong Mountain banned them first, after a long list of incidents of disciples losing their lives in reckless pursuit, and the rest of the sects followed suit. But it’s not as if this transgression is punishable by law. It is a matter of choice, a risk only to one self. If one decides to gamble their life this way and succeeds, no rule will punish them for it either way ─ and they are by no means obligated to tell the world about it. Liu Mingyan is in the wrong here, prying into something that shouldn’t be any of her business.
Still, the second reason she’d attacked Gongyi Xiao and drawn this blade is the overwhelming sense of danger she’d felt from it, a dread that refused to leave her alone. If she’d started a spar or a duel, that’s fine ─ that was the plan ─ but instead she has uncovered this.
A soul-bound blade which doesn’t match its owner’s soul in the slightest.
How is that even possible?
Gongyi Xiao, somehow, finds it within himself to attempt to tackle her and take his weapon back, but the beads of sweat gathering on the sides of his face speak of the strain it causes him to try. Mingyan dodges the attempt easily ─ only to get caught up with the silliest mistake of them all. Gongyi Xiao trips by extending his leg, then lunges for the second time, slamming her bodily into the ground.
He is shaking like he is on the verge of a qi deviation of all things and Liu Mingyan cannot possibly understand what is causing it.
“What… the hell…” Gongyi Xiao stares at her from above, “is wrong with your eyes?”
Oh.
Shit.
Liu Mingyan kicks him off, which doesn’t take any effort at all, considering her target is a step away from entirely losing his cultivation and it is all her fault. Liu Mingyan doesn’t know what to do. She doesn’t even know what she’s done to trigger it off. The blade in her hand is a soul-bound blade and it’s definitely reacting to its owner’s deteriorating state ─ but even if she tries, she can’t put it back! What the hell?! Worse, she’s been using her eyes to look into the spiritual flows for far too long, her technique is beginning to break─
“Forget it!” she snaps, stabbing the blade into the dirt beside her down to the hilt. It doesn’t do anything at all to help Gongyi Xiao’s building qi deviation, but at least it's overwhelming glow is no longer blinding her and she can see─
She can see exactly what kind of a connection exists between him and the sword. Fragile. Tentative. Weak. Parasitic, almost, in the way it feeds on his spiritual power in ways his cultivation base isn’t built to handle. How does one stray so fundamentally in their basics to make such a fragile foundation? A proper cultivation base requires a balanced elemental setup that isn’t subject to external influences at all! But what Liu Mingyan is looking at here ─ it is as though Gongyi Xiao has never had a grasp over the water flow at all ─ it as though he has substituted the power of the sword with the proper water flow as a means to build his spiritual core─
And Liu Mingyan subsequently touching said sword would have inevitably caused a qi deviation, even if she’d never wanted it to. Shit, shit, shit!
“What’s wrong with my eyes, you say,” she blurts, urgently, as she presses her hand into his shoulder to keep him on the ground. “You’re lucky I am able to see the spiritual flows at all, or else you’d be dying now and no healer would be able to help!” And Liu Qiang, that bastard, calls her fragile! Compared to this porcelain vase in front of her, Liu Mingyan may well be as sturdy as a rock!
“Don’t worry, I will fix this,” she says, as she quickly thinks through ways to solve it all. Passing him spiritual power isn’t going to work. He doesn’t lack any of it. What he lacks is the ability to align his own internal water flows ─ and Mingyan cannot fix that. Mu-shishu might be able, if he were close enough ─ but Cang Qiong Mountain is too far away and Mingyan doesn’t expect there are many other healers out there with his level of insight. Certainly none here in this ceremony.
Fine. There are other ways to fix broken flows ─ ways that don’t require altering what the body already knows.
“Listen to me carefully, Gongyi Xiao,” she says, and the way those half-lidded eyes barely find it in him to focus on her tells her exactly how much he will be able to follow her instructions right now. Well, no matter. Liu Mingyan has marked him her enemy perhaps, but it’s far too soon to let him die.
Using Shui Se to cut a small incision in the tip of her finger, Liu Mingyan pulls the white ribbon out of her hair and uses her blood to draw the symbols all over. “What I’m doing right now is creating a water array with this ribbon as the anchor,” she says, drawing the sigils from memory of what she’s seen in Lushui lake. Goodness gracious, she has no idea if it’s going to work, but she has analyzed it for so long ─ if it doesn’t, then nothing else will! “Once I tie it on your wrist, you cannot take it off. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
Gongyi Xiao doesn’t answer. There’s blood pooling in the corners of his eyes and his breathing is only getting worse. His spiritual power, too, is coiling around in all the most damaging ways with no proper water flow to smooth it out.
“Once I tie this up, you cannot take it off, alright?” she reiterates, as she wraps the thin, long ribbon around his wrist thrice. “Once I set the seal, you can’t remove it. Promise me you won’t!”
He doesn’t answer. Not verbally. But belatedly, through the millions of misaligned flows going through his body, Liu Mingyan almost misses the briefest of the nods. Sagging in relief, she sighs. “Good.”
Then she ties the ribbon into a knot and sets the seal in place ─ watching, in mild horror, as the spiritual flows within the body begin to shift. What she’s done is, for the most part, a reverse of what she’s seen the array in Lushui lake do. Rather than let the water flow be drawn away from its source by means of the array, she instead uses the array to summon water from the atmosphere directly towards the ribbon, hoping ─ praying ─ that Gongyi Xiao has had, at least once, the opportunity to cultivate a water flow of his own before replacing it with the stupid sword.
It feels like it takes outrageously long for it to start taking effect ─ but it does, eventually.
The array and the natural water flow of the human body align through the ribbon as the anchor, finally smoothing out all the rumples. Gongyi Xiao’s breathing eventually morphs into a breathless rasp, the iron grip he’s had on Liu Mingyan’s wrist finally easing a little.
She almost passes out on the spot due to sheer relief. Her head does, briefly, rest on the young cultivator’s chest, if only so because her head feels like a drum pounded to oblivion. She closes her eyes and feels the ache as it spreads through her whole head like a searing heat melting her insides.
Oh goodness. She hasn’t overdone it so badly in years ─ not since brother almost…
But Liu Qingge survived, in the end.
And Gongyi Xiao, too, has made it past the most critical.
She shudders slightly, realizing just how close she’s come to killing a person with no intention at all.
“Young Master Gongyi must be very careful, cultivating from now,” she says, hoping that her voice isn’t shaking as badly as her body is. “The mistake today was mine, but whoever instilled the knowledge of how to cultivate this way upon you has certainly not done it with best intentions in mind. Young Master Gongyi would do well to never use that weapon again in his life, no matter how wrong it may sound.”
She attempts to push herself up, weak though she may be ─ only for the young noble to try and grab her wrist again. She pauses, just long enough to give him the illusion of success. “What… have you…”
“I’ve blocked off the sword’s power from your spiritual core and substituted it with the ribbon on your wrist,” she explains, patiently. “I’m not sure how long it will take, but that ribbon should be sufficient to fix your internal flows to the point that you will be able to feel them, eventually. Until you are able to fix the rest yourself, don’t you dare, even for a moment, use that weapon again. Have I made myself clear?”
Against all odds, Gongyi Xiao nods.
“Good,” Liu Mingyan says. “I… for what it’s worth, I truly didn’t intend for this to happen. Sincerest apologies to Young Master Gongyi. I went too far.”
The young Huan Hua disciple, however, merely shakes his head. “Would you… help me up?”
Mingyan rushes to assist, uncertain if perhaps he’s doing it far too soon, but she helps nonetheless. For better or worse, Gongyi Xiao manages to stand firm on his feet without her, even if the first few steps he takes require the support of a nearby tree. Mingyan watches as he slowly, feebly, walks towards his weapon, staring into the shiny handle peeking up from the ground. From the way he expertly draws the blade and sheathes it back, another uncomfortable realization sets in. This is hardly the first time something like this has happened.
How have you fixed it in the past, Gongyi Xiao? These kinds of deviations… How often have you survived them?
He swallows, thickly, as he stares at the silvery ribbon on his wrist. It is ridiculous, looking at it now, and it is going to cause so many misunderstandings. Liu Mingyan regrets starting any of this, but what can she possibly do now? Taking it off might kill him in a particularly slow and painful way. Future enemy or not, she cannot bear the thought of that now. She’s already set his family up for a lot of infighting. She’s already made him the target of it all. If she takes his life, too, how shameless will she possibly be?
Besides, in order to become the lynchpin to use against Huan Hua, he has to survive.
“That sword will be fine,” she says, reluctantly, to break the silence. “It’s a powerful weapon. Far more so than I expected. If I didn’t know any better, I would have suspected it to be a weapon of a god. Not many cultivators are able to handle that kind of power.” And by it Mingyan means Yue-shibo alone ─ that she knows about.
Gongyi Xiao nods, but he doesn’t say anything. The look in his eyes is dreadfully hollow.
“Don’t draw it again,” Mingyan pleads. “Not until you know you can. The risk… is far too high.”
“The risk?” the young noble asks, glancing up at her eyes. “To me? Or to you? This Bao Feng Xue ─ you bear its mark of frost too, now.”
… what?
What is that supposed to mean?
Liu Mingyan looks down on her own hand ─ but no. The sword hasn’t done her any permanent harm. What little of her spiritual power it’s drawn, it hasn’t tainted or left a mark upon anything. Is it perhaps not a soul-bound weapon, but a cursed one? No. She would have seen it, if that were the case. Curses are abnormally dark, most of the time, not blindingly bright. Regardless, Liu Mingyan doesn’t ask him to clarify. She doesn’t think he would, either way. She’s hurt him enough.
When, unsteady as he is, Gongyi Xiao walks away, she doesn’t get in his way, nor does she follow. Whether or not this affects her initial plans and how, she dares not find out.
Some time later, once the night has already fallen and the wedding proceedings have long since taken her cousin away, Liu Mingyan reunites with her Shijies as they make their way back to the sect. The girls are all bright and cheerful, laughing and joking, faces flushed from the drinks they’ve had and their eyes twinkling in enjoyment. Not one of them has ever attended a marriage celebration between two noble clans before. Yet all they can talk about is the many famous faces they’ve seen around.
“Cai-shijie, did you see that person? Did you see?! That was Liu Weiyan! So handsome! I can’t believe─ow! Why are you pinching me?! I didn’t do anything, I’m just admiring beauty from afar!”
“Shut it, Shiyun. Don’t you know how annoying the cultivators from Tian Yi Outlook are? Who cares if they’re handsome?! Our sect has plenty of handsome faces to go around.”
“I was just saying! Yanyan-shijie, you tell us! Do you know any rumors? Is Liu Weiyan bethorted to anyone?!”
Tiredly, Liu Mingyan sighs. “Cousin Weiyan and I aren’t very close, so I wouldn’t know. Shijie can admire as much as she likes.”
“See?! But whoa, Yanyan, the bride is such a sight! Truly befitting of the Liu clan’s reputation. No wonder everyone regards the Liu daughters as paragons of beauty! This isn’t fair to the rest of us. Where does this allure come from? Entirely unnatural! How can the rest of us poor souls possibly compare?”
Hearing that, Liu Mingyan chuckles dryly, pushing the idle chatter to continue on.
Unnatural, they say. As though a single person born to the Liu clan over the past hundreds of years has ever been natural.
A literal god is powerless in the face of everything you see here, Uncle Qiang had said.
Not until now has Liu Mingyan ever believed him right.
“Where’d your hair ribbon go?” Duan Caihong asks suddenly, and Mingyan almost misses a step. Brother’s gift to her, sacrificed. Forgotten. The absence of it hurts like a stab. Both her ribbon and brother’s jade ─ gone. Only one, she will be able to take back.
“I must have left it back home,” she lies. Her martial sisters make no big deal of it at all and certainly they’re not going to go back for it now, but she knows, without a doubt, that brother will think about it far too much. Will auntie’s snack to distract him be enough?
What would she even be distracting him from? Huan Hua Palace scheming against the sect? This is hardly a first. Brother will certainly not be surprised.
My ribbon is gone.
Will brother mind? Well, no. Most likely, he won’t even ask. He never does.
Mu-shishu, though… he’s returned that ribbon to her so many times. And he asks, every single time. Ever since Shizun told him about the blood techniques she’s tried and taught her sect sisters, Mu-shishu knows when she causes trouble, every single time. He sees it in her eyes. Lying to her brother is easy most of the time, because brother makes it easy. He never asks dangerous questions, never pushes the sensitive matters. He doesn’t have to do it, because Mu-shishu does it for him, every single time. Because brother trusts Mu-shishu around her more than he’ll ever trust Mingyan…
And now I must find ways to fool both of them?
Goodness gracious, she’d rather just cry.
“Mingyan?” her sisters ask, as the first round of sobs makes it past her veil. Soft and quiet at first, but the more attention it draws, the worse it gets, no matter how hard she tries to stop.
“Yanyan-shijie!! I’ve never seen you cry! What’s going on?”
Mingyan wails tears from the depths of her heart, even as her sisters gather around, helplessly trying to offer comfort. The situation has already been tense enough. If the sects truly go to war now, won’t it be her fault? Hasn’t she done enough? Cousin Yue is married off, Gongyi Xiao almost died… if the sects go to war over that, it’s truly far too much! Mingyan wails ever louder. Why couldn’t she have just continued writing her stories? Scheming and plotting like that in real life never works out! What in the world has she done?
Notes:
Ouch, poor GYX was just minding his business and then LMY swoops right in and scars him for life -- IM SORRY GYX bby, I swear it's all for a good cause!
That said, at this point, I should probably mention, that ensemble cast tag? Yeah. Every name you see in the character tags is gonna have STUFF coming up. Im so sorry guys. I just couldn't help it, I love (read: torturing) these characters way too much
For all the lore fans who may be a bit more curious about the timeline of this chapter and how it relates to SVSSS and PIDW, more info is below the cut, cause for some ridiculous reasons I like writing such details down. Non-spoilery, for the most part.
Thanks for reading and see you next week!
Timeline details
So, setting up the timeline, the first thing I had to work out was the character's relative ages and that was the messiest part.
I settled on the following: LMY is 1 year older than LBH and exactly 15 years younger than LQG. Whether or not it meshes with canon SVSSS, I have no idea, but I was always under the impression that LMY is a bit older than our dearest protagonist and so it has carried over here as well. I am also blindly guessing that GYX is somewhere around their age, though for the sake of the fic, I am putting him closer to LMY than LBH. For REASONS.
Anyway, onto the actual timeline.
The first part of the chapter is set when LMY is 12 and LBH 11 (the botched wedding happens right around the time LBH joins Cang Qiong Mountain -- so LQG really has his plate full dealing with his own problems to care for any talented kids showing up in the sect hihi) and, since we have 0 backstory on half the cast at this point in time, it fits in with both canon SVSSS and canon PIDW timelines
LMY enters Cang Qiong Mountain at the age of 14 (2 years after she leaves home with LQG, about one year before SY transmigrates), which also works out with SY's comment that LMY started cultivation late in canon. The gap time in between is just there for now, but it's going to pop up a bit in future chapters
When SY transmigrates, LBH is 14, LMY is 15 and in this fic, he throws off everything days afterwards. Bailu forest arc in this fic, therefore, takes place at around this time, as opposed to SVSSS, where it happens much later, and it indirectly leads to a lot of what we see go down in this chapter. In other words, the wedding we see in this chapter is something that DOESN'T happen in either SVSSS or PIDW, at any point in time
Further on, in PIDW, LQG dies before Sha Hualing's invasion arc, when LBH is 14-15 and LMY 15-16 -- and that is the direct reason for everything PIDW!Mingyan does in the PIDW timeline as we will see later in the fic. And she does a LOT. Especially cause, as we see here, the Liu clan will take any opportunity to bully her around after her brother dies
None of that happens in SVSSS though, so the presumption is that for the entirety of SVSSS timeline, due to LQG being alive and CQM never being in a politically tight spot, the Liu clan never got any opening to mess with LMY at all. They MIGHT have tried to mess with LQG at some point, but like, that's a terrible idea always so they quickly gave up
Anyway, this is it for the expanded timeline!! For more details, read on! And if you like having some rambling, not-so-spoilery lore thrown around, lemme know, so maybe I can include it in future chapters!
Chapter 47: Karmic Cycles
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Liu Mingyan returns to Cang Qiong Mountain with a smile on her face and a sparkle in her eyes. She even takes the veil off her face once, after a very long time, asking Liu Qingge if it’s true that she resembles their mother so much, rendering him speechless for a short amount of time.
Liu Qingge doesn’t consider himself a particularly bright or insightful person, and most certainly his intelligence is a pale shade of the brilliance held in his sister’s eyes. But one doesn’t need to be a genius to know that whatever happened during his sister’s absence has rattled her hard.
Mu Qingfang fills him in on all the gossip when they meet up for drinks a little while afterwards. Most of it boils down to his sister forcing a clan elder into submission with a few words of choice, offering the bride a way out and apparently insulting the groom’s family somehow. That last one, especially, Mu Qingfang delivers with an especially grave look on his face, like it’s somehow worth special attention.
“Good for her,” Liu Qingge snorts into his drink, much to Mu Qingfang’s sputtering spit-take.
“Shixiong! You can’t just─”
“Why not?” Liu Qingge asks back, flatly. “If she lets them, they’re gonna make her a glorified noble puppet. It’s not like they’re gonna back off if she asks nicely,” he points out. “Been there, done that. Until she flat out starts killing people, they’re never gonna leave her alone.”
“... Shixiong, I’m pretty sure that killing people, in this situation, is just going to make this worse,” Mu Qingfang mumbles, vaguely green in the face at the mere thought.
Well, he’s not wrong, Liu Qingge will give him that. It’s all about getting the right targets, though.
“Her ribbon is gone, Mu Qingfang adds, his expression odd.
“... so?”
“Nothing,” Mu Qingfang mumbles into his drink. “Just… she’s made it a solid, if not particularly distinguishing, spiritually healing item. Odd to see it gone.”
Liu Qingge rolls his eyes. Isn’t it obvious what that means, then? Someone almost died and his sister chose to keep them alive. More courtesy than they probably deserved, but Mingyan is just that kind. Mu Qingfang’s fault, no doubt.
“She’s not your disciple,” is all Liu Qingge says, with a sigh. What he really means by it is, stay out of it, but the way Mu Qingfang sags at the comments makes him wonder if perhaps he should have worded it differently.
“I do regret that, sometimes, you know? With her insight, she would have been a great healer,” Mu Qingfang murmurs into his drink. He blinks at Liu Qingge then, would-be innocent. You too, if only you’d tried.”
Liu Qingge grimaces. “Terrible idea. She can’t save everyone, but she’s crazy enough to try ─ and if she does that, she’s just gonna run herself dry.”
“Mm, I’m well aware, that’s why she’s on Xian Shu now. But that doesn’t mean I won’t teach her, when she asks. And she does ask ─ a lot.”
“Don’t put this on her, I know you’re encouraging her to help you around all the damn time,” Liu Qingge grumbles. “Look, I don’t mind, alright? She’s good at that shit. She’s good at everything she tries. But she has to know her limits.”
Mu Qingfang clears his throat. “Look who’s talking. If I hadn’t forced your hand, we might’ve been looking for your dead body all across the Central Plains by now. You’re in no state to be recklessly running around, and most certainly not alone. But you still do it all the damn time.”
Liu Qingge grimaces ─ but fine, he concedes on that point. Really, it’s only because Mu Qingfang warned him of this a hundred times by now that he hasn’t broken his limbs one by one after the stunt he pulled with the bets.
“That’s the point,” he says, resigned. “She shouldn’t be like me. And she fucking tries. The way she thinks ─ I see it in her eyes. Qi Qingqi is doing a good job, reining her temper in, but that’s not gonna do shit if she keeps looking at me like I might break every time she turns around. And that shit is your fault.”
Mu Qingfang snorts, but he doesn’t make an argument out of it, this time. He better not.
Liu Qingge knows, more or less, that his own state after the Skinner affair was bad enough to warrant any desperate measures in Mu Qingfang’s head ─ but Mingyan was just a kid at the time. A dangerous kid, yes, with more insight into the spiritual power flows of the world than Liu Qingge and Mu Qingfang combined ─ but still, a child. A broken, traumatized kid who could see exactly what had gone wrong with her brother and why ─ and could only really fix a very small part.
To this day, Liu Qingge doesn’t know how much she understands what she saw. He probes her here and there, sometimes, just to perhaps get some insight in how much progress she’s made over time ─ but she’s been well ahead of him from day one. And ever since that shitstorm in Bailu forest went down, she’s known too much.
Now, he has a clingy, desperate child hanging onto his sleeve, fearing he might spontaneously combust anytime he trains too hard ─ and he won’t. He looks fragile, but he really isn’t.
Mingyan is the opposite, really. Even Mu Qingfang, damn his expertise, doesn’t realize how easy that girl is to tear down. She looks strong in all the ways that count, but she’s just as sensitive as Liu Qingge. The qi deviations that have been setting Liu Qingge back his whole life come from his own mistakes ─ he’s had to learn and adapt and take insane risks just to get this far, but he’s done it. Whether it’s made him stronger is debatable, but he knows what he is doing, most of the time.
Mingyan has never had that kind of a rocky start. Every single mistake Liu Qingge made in his cultivation is something Mingyan was able to get around, because she had someone to guide her the whole way.
But now, she’s stepping out of the frames that Liu Qingge was able to make for her. She’s not the kind of cultivator who focuses on fortifying her body and her mind the way he does. She is all about breaking the molds, affecting the world around her and playing with powers that rest outside of her own body. Arrays, talismans, the level of control over external spiritual flows that might’ve never been seen before in anyone… Mingyan is good at that kind of thing and she likes it. As opposed to Liu Qingge, who can play off every nonsense he does by acting sufficiently standoffish and dumb, Mingyan is bold. She is flashy. She is impossible not to notice, and the fact that it’s taken her a few well meaning comments to get her the undivided attention of Mu Qingfang, Qi Qingqi and even Yue Qingyuan speaks volumes of what’s going to happen once she starts showing off outside the sect.
Unless she learns how to handle that kind of pressure, she’s going to get torn apart.
Liu Qingge does what he can ─ but most of it is out of his hands. Might’ve never been within his ability to influence to start with. To Mingyan, he might be her most favorite person in the whole world, but he is no figure of authority ─ he never was. Which is fine, because he wouldn’t know how to be one anyway, but all it really means is that when shit goes down, she’s going to do whatever the hell she wants and seeing her brother stand on the opposite side in not going to even slow her down ─ just break her fucking heart.
If there’s anything in the world Liu Qingge doesn’t want to do, it’s to break his sister’s heart.
Besides, the way those bastards in his clan raised her, the way they raised both of them ─ it’s clear what they want. Liu Qiang is a crafty, treacherous bastard, but at least he has no bias. He doesn’t give a shit who will take over once he’s done his part.
The rest of them are different.
They gain the most if Liu Qingge and Mingyan tear each other apart, competing for some sort of an arbitrary post neither of them wants.
Liu Qingge has severed himself away from the situation a long time ago and any retribution left to take is his sister’s to handle now. If Mingyan wants to raze that place to the ground, then Liu Qingge will be the weapon she can use to do so. If her plans are something else, then certainly he doesn’t intend to get in her way. In other words, that sneaky creep of his uncle can have Mingyan, maybe, if she’s fine with it. At least, there are people in that place she actually cares about. Everyone Liu Qingge cared about died along with his mother. He won’t care even if that entire shitty province burns to the ground.
Mu Qingfang and Qi Qingqi don’t get that part, though.
Mingyan will have to go home, at some point in time, if only to demonstrate to those power-hungry maniacs that no means no. It’s inevitable, in the same way Liu Qingge had to go back and figure his shit out.
The point is, she needs to know that going back is a choice. The Liu clan will manage, with or without her around. Just because those bastards will need someone to fill the throne at some point doesn’t mean she has to be the one ─ no matter what the stupid rules, traditions, and their fucked up nonsense dictate all around. And Liu Qingge doesn’t think his sister gets that part. Mu Qingfang and Qi Qingqi teaching her about responsibility and protecting everyone and contributing to the society at large are really only making it worse.
How do you even tell a kind kid that she’s being too kind?
Really, the best thing Liu Qingge can hope for is teaching her how to draw her own lines ─ and pray that she knows herself well enough to put up boundaries where she must. Hearing that she’s talking back to the shitty elders and stirring shit up for fun ─ fighting back with words, even if it’s the only way she knows how now ─ that’s good . That’s exactly what he wants. To those bastards, Liu Qingge is impossible and uncontrollable and completely irrational ─ just because he refuses to bow his head down.
Mingyan needs to be able to do that, too. She needs to be able to hear them out and tell them to fuck off and set something on fire, because the bastards will never get the message otherwise.
Anyway, as the months flow by and no one comes by Cang Qiong Mountain demanding blood, Liu Qingge accepts that his sister may be even more daring and ambitious than he’s given her credit for. It’s just that her watchful apprenhension over everything he does hasn’t decreased a bit.
Speaking of other brats that can’t seem to catch a hint ─ Liu Qingge kicks Luo Binghe off of himself before the demon brat can smother him with a body-tackle, his spiritual weapon long since forced out of his hand and cast off into the dust. Now, that brat’s entire body follows, eliciting sighs and gasps from the crowd that’s gathered to watch.
“Pick your ass up and fight like you mean it!” Liu Qingge barks, the challenge overall so pathetic that it’s not even worth drawing Cheng Luan. “Your sword form is fucking atrocious. Your stance is a walking disaster and you can’t just fight by taking every single hit and bouncing back on your feet like some sort of a punching bag. One of them will make you regret it. The fuck does Shen Qingqiu teach you on that damn peak of his?!”
Luo Binghe, the bastard, has the gall to smirk at him.
“Shishu should be careful in what he asks for,” he says smugly. “If this disciple takes the fight seriously, then what shall I do if Shishu gets hurt?”
“Stop talking and start moving,” Liu Qingge snaps. At this point, this stupid brat hasn’t even made him sweat, and yet Luo Binghe’s robes are all drenched. The more he boasts, the more he distracts, however, and Liu Qingge has watched Luo Binghe play psychological warfare with his disciples long enough. The brat, for all his lack of form and skill, had used provocation alone to beat every single person on Bai Zhan. And every single one of his idiot disciples has fallen for it at least thrice.
Now, they’ve all gathered around, watching their Shizun dish out a beating to the devil from Qing Jing with no holds barred, all fists and no weapon to show whatsoever.
Oh, they’ve started with weapons first, sure they did. Liu Qingge had needed a grand total of two minutes to punch Luo Binghe’s sword out of his hand without ever drawing his own blade. Clearly, that’s been a sore spot for Luo Binghe all spar long. Now, he’s upped the silk tongue game to talk him into a frenzy, except Liu Qingge has been going up against demons and their similarly slick tongues for as long as he’s known to hold a weapon. No matter what naughty thing Luo Binghe blurts out in his efforts to shake him, all it meets is an immovable boulder of ice.
Eventually, as he jumps away for a short break, Luo Binghe makes a point to pick up the giant mane of his hair and tie it up high on top of his head. Aside from giving him a brief reprieve from the sweltering heat of the unusually hot spring day, it also makes a point of revealing a dark little bruise on the side of his neck which would have been far more questionable in nature had Liu Qingge not seen his own disciple land it there with the pommel of his sword a few days prior. He still doesn’t understand why his eyes fly over it every so often.
Luo Binghe catches him every time, stretching his lips into a lazy smile. “Does Shishu see something he likes?”
“Yes. A face to kick into the ground,” Liu Qingge says. “If you’re gonna fight, do it right. If you’re gonna drag your lazy ass around, then just get off my peak right now.”
“Shishu speaks too harshly,” Luo Binghe whines, shamelessly. “Was Shishu not the one to invite me here to start with?”
Seriously. One would have expected that, once this brat got his hands on a spiritual weapon, he’d become unstoppable. Instead, he’s just insufferable. Some of Bai Zhan’s juniors are gasping in shock, perhaps even jealousy that the brat has yet to be kicked out, but Liu Qingge ignores all of it.
“Are you done?” he asks. “You’re lucky you’re not a disciple of my peak, or I would’ve kicked you off a while back. If you’re not gonna fight, stand back. There’s plenty of others who’d rather take your place.”
Behind Luo Binghe, several of the seniors look excited at the prospect. How long has it been since they got their asses kicked by their Shizun? Way too long! Unfortunately for them all, this is the moment that Luo Binghe chooses to act.
His movement is sharp, quick and to the point ─ except it is also by far the most competent thing he’s done all day long. Liu Qingge still manages to react on time, but even he is surprised with just how different this attack is. From a harmless brat, Luo Binghe has gone straight to a level of danger that Liu Qingge can feel in his bones, just a hair away from landing a hit that might’ve been enough to throw him into the ground and misalign his meridians. Fucking finally.
“Now we’re talking.”
Liu Qingge grins as he neatly dodges a kick, then blocks a fist, all too careful about which attacks he must not let touch him and which ones are safe enough for a little closer contact. Except, apparently, those are none, because one reckless attempt to parry what seems a weak attack turns out to be exceptional deception. Luo Binghe manages to grab a handful of his robes and pull, bringing their faces much closer.
“Shishu should not play jealousy games with me,” Luo Binghe whispers into his ear. “Or else my conduct might truly become improper.”
Face burning, Liu Qingge grabs the front of the kid’s robes in return and, with a single tilt to the right angle, he’s got Luo Binghe's shoddy stance destabilized entirely, tossing the brat over his shoulder into the ground, hard. Before the demon brat can ever realize what’s happened, Liu Qingge presses his elbow to the kid’s neck, smirking slightly.
“You were saying, brat?” he taunts. “If you’re gonna talk big, you better just correct your damn posture first. This way, anyone with a bit of skill can toss you around and skewer you and no amount of hits you take are gonna help you out.”
Luo Binghe, remarkably, smirks. “Perhaps I just don’t mind if it’s Shishu tossing me around.”
Liu Qingge has to resist the urge to stomp on his face out of sheer rage. His face is molten lava and his fist is twitching in need to hit something. Damn his psychological warfare, god fucking damn it. Somehow, Liu Qingge finds it in him to let the brat go and straighten up.
“This spar’s over,” he hisses. “If you want to mess around on Bai Zhan peak, fix your awful posture first.”
Then he gets up and all but marches away, until he gets to the basin of water that his disciples have dutifully prepared. Half the ice-cold basin is reserved for his face alone. Why, Liu Qingge has no clue. But facts are facts. Recently, Luo Binghe’s slick tongue around him has been very… inappropriate, to say the least. And the stupid brat refuses to stop.
Of course, none of it is nearly as questionable as the stuff he says to his disciples to throw them off their game, so really, at least some sort of pretense of respect still exists. However, it’s been rapidly thinning lately, to the point every single hair on Liu Qingge’s neck stands up the moment Luo Binghe comes to the second basin, conveniently setting it all too close to Liu Qingge’s.
“This humble one thanks Liu-shishu for all well-meaning advice,” Luo Binghe says, in that sickeningly sweet tone that feels like ants crawling up Liu Qingge’s skin. If he reacts, however, Luo Binghe is just going to make it worse and… ugh.
Liu Qingge grunts, wordlessly, without ever properly looking in that direction. Luo Binghe’s uniform is askew and tousled from where Liu Qingge’s been tossing him left and right, the back of his neck slick with sweat. A tiny jade in his ear glistens in the sunlight, soft green in color and blinding for all it reeks of spiritual power. Liu Qingge tries not to look at it, but for some reason, the damn thing keeps drawing his attention anyway. He is not yet certain whether or not Luo Binghe is showing it off on purpose.
Probably, he is. The kid makes a point of covering it up every time someone else comes near enough to see it, but while in front of Liu Qingge, it’s like he’s flaunting it. Like he’s sending a fucking message. Except, Liu Qingge has no idea what that message is intended to be. Why the fuck would he care about a stupid earring? If not for the spiritual power enhancing it, he wouldn’t even notice the damn thing. Seriously. Sometimes, Liu Qingge just wants to grab the kid and beat the answers out of him.
He does not need that overconfident smirk on the little demon’s face to know he’ll regret it. That’s why he doesn’t. He ignores it all along, like it doesn’t make a fucking difference ─ but he can feel the kid’s eye catching onto him every time he slips up and does actually look.
Still, at a lack of other things to draw the attention away, Liu Qingge keeps his eyes on the water basin in front of him and says, “Your form still sucks, but your stance has improved a little. Your sword forms will get better the more you work on them, but you gotta even out the mistakes first. Unlearn some bad habits. Spar with the seniors more. You’ve got eyes, so you can probably tell what you’re doing wrong, but the more they attack your weak points, the better you’ll learn to defend them.”
Several of the seniors silently cheer, somewhere behind them. Juniors sigh tiredly. For his part, Liu Qingge is not looking up from the water basin. He can feel Luo Binghe’s eyes on him and he doesn’t want to know the kind of look he’s wearing, in front of all these other brats, too.
“Shishu’s advice is always practical,” Luo Binghe says, with a tinge of amusement to his voice. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d fear Shishu has actually started to tolerate my presence here.”
Liu Qingge rolls his eyes, almost kicking away the basin out of sheer frustration. “You’re here to learn, aren’t you? So are the rest of them. But for the love of god, you stupid brat, if you can dodge a hit, don’t just take it. You never know just how dangerous an attack is until it hits you and by then it’s too late. If you gotta get hit already, at least try to block it with your spiritual power first. Shoulda learned by now how to do that.”
He can feel Luo Binghe grinning at him. “This one thanks Liu-shishu for his dedicated guidance.”
The corners of Liu Qingge's ears are burning. Just the word ‘shishu’ coming from that bastard makes his skin crawl, has for many years now. And Luo Binghe seems to have made it his personal mission to make Liu Qingge as uncomfortable as possible, lately. Forcing himself away from the basin, Liu Qingge makes a point of walking around Luo Binghe with as much distance as possible. Except, Luo Binghe steps out then and gets in his way, and the whole thing almost manages to look like an accident.
It would, for sure, if Luo Binghe doesn’t immediately bow his head and clasp his hands together in a sign of respect. “Disciple Luo formally expresses gratitude to Liu-shishu for allowing this useless one to continue further honing his skills on Bai Zhan peak.”
Liu Qingge’s eye twitches, as he tries to side-step him, but once again, Luo Binghe gets in his way. There, where hardly anyone will notice, his smile widens a fraction. “If, perhaps, Shishu changes his mind and wants this disciple to help him remove the poison─”
“Fucking scram already!” Liu Qingge explodes, watching with rage how Luo Binghe skips away a few steps, laughing at his expense. By the time he’s finally gone, Liu Qingge is on the verge of blowing up a mountain just to let off some steam.
Nobody but Liu Qingge knows just how desperately he longs for freedom from the stupid demonic poison inside of him, nobody but Liu Qingge will ever understand the struggle of blockages that come up every time he finally makes the smallest breakthrough. And this bastard messes with him, knowing exactly what those words imply. Liu Qingge wants to kill him, sometimes, not only because a mere consideration makes him sick to his stomach, but more so because he knows that Luo Binghe is merely lording this over him for the fun of it.
That brat kisses the ground Shen Yuan walks on in ways that make it quite obvious what he is aiming for, but just because that idiot in Shen Qingqiu’s body is blind to it all, doesn’t mean Liu Qingge also is. And the brat still has the gall to come and mess with him. If Liu Qingge needed any clue that the brat knows exactly what he’s doing, he’s had it long enough. Normally, solving shit like that with demons that can’t take a fucking hint is as simple as skewering them, but unfortunately, this one just happens to be Shen Yuan’s favorite disciple and… argh. Sometimes, Liu Qingge really wishes he were blind, for countless reasons. Not the least due to the fact he’s already tangled into this mess neck deep.
As things stand however, he no longer has the face to go and ask Shen Yuan to clear his meridians, let alone say anything in front of him. Then, Mu Qingfang, although he does a good job of it when he has time, is often too busy and too tired to dare take the risk. More often than not, lately, it’s Luo Binghe that’s been clearing his meridians… and every single time, he makes a point of bringing up the easy solution.
It’s… it’s to be expected, really, of a stupid demon. With Liu Qingge, any demonic encounter has more or less always been a case of demons either trying to kill him or do him, except his go to solution of blatant murder is now simply… not applicable. And Luo Binghe is both well aware of it and entirely abusing it.
“Shizun!” A disciple calls over, once Liu Qingge is already half way to his house and still itching to punch something. Barely, he reins in the urge to attack, instead looking back to recognize Ji Jue, running to catch up to him with some sort of a scroll in hand. Ah, administration work, then. The bane of his fucking existence.
“What now?” he grits out. “Another damage report to sign?”
“No, Shizun. The Sect Leader has requested that we fill out the final list of disciples participating in the Immortal Alliance Conference and send it back by this evening.”
“Did we not already send the individual application forms?”
“The individual application forms are intended for the Bai Zhan participation records tracking which An Ding Peak is separately documenting. Not all of the disciples who submitted their applications were approved by Shizun to start with,” Ji Jue explains, quite patiently. Not that Liu Qingge understands the difference still.
“So, this is just a list of names, then? And we’re sending that to the Sect Leader?”
“Exactly! The list is already compiled! Shizun should only take a look at it and sign it if he approves! Due this evening, please, Shizun.”
So fast? There’s still a week or so left before the stupid conference. If Liu Qingge recalls it right, they used to submit those way earlier. Or no? Then again, with how the negotiations between the Great Sects about the event organization had been going, it’s been quite questionable whether or not Cang Qiong Mountain would participate this time around. In the end, it looks like the Sect Leader and Shen Yuan sorted that out.
Liu Qingge grunts as he picks up the scroll. It’s only a few juniors bothering anyway. Ever since the rumors spread around that Luo Binghe likely won’t be participating, the Bai Zhan Peak’s interest in the Conference has plummeted, leaving a few shy juniors who still wanted to try out solely because they never got a chance. And Liu Qingge ─ he gets it.
With the premise of demon hunting and competition, the Immortal Alliance Conference should have been something where Bai Zhan goes to thrive. Instead, over the past few editions, the Conference has turned more into a competition for the flashiest poser skills and no respect for some grittier, more practical approaches to night hunting. The rules have, in recent years, increased the complexity and lowered the actual demon hunting aspect to a borderline minimum, leaving the majority of Bai Zhan sorely disappointed and bored out of their mind every single time.
For this one, in particular, the main draw for Bai Zhan’s interest has been the rumors of Luo Binghe’s imminent participation ─ only for those same rumors to be debunked the moment the An Ding disciples spread the word that the infamous half-demon of Qing Jing hasn’t been listed among the applicants. That, along with the rumors that Luo Binghe's participation had been covertly banned by the other sects, led to more than half of Bai Zhan Peak withdrawing their own applications. When asked about it, the brats had the gall to out loud complain that if they’re gonna spend a week hunting weakass monsters for show, they might as well go hunt Skinner instead.
Liu Qingge can’t even fucking blame them. Immortal Alliance Conference is a fucking joke, all posing and no substance. Skinner as an alternative, though, is not any better, for the exact opposite reasons, but Bai Zhan wouldn’t be Bai Zhan if they cared for the implications in any form.
So yes, Liu Qingge has, in some indirect ways, been doing his best to drag Luo Binghe to spar with the idiots on Bai Zhan peak from time to time, since the repeated sparring only seems to fuel the competitive streak on both sides… and now here they are. The whole thing is a clusterfuck of different threads tangled up in a single giant mess that gives him a headache. But at least his disciples and Luo Binghe seem to be having the time of their lives… so screw it. Liu Qingge can just kick the demon brat off his peak once the conference is over and done with.
Just a week left before it starts now. The final meeting should’ve already started by now.
Liu Qingge sucks in a breath and waits for the end of it patiently. If the negotiation of this part comes out good, then they should be settled in for the rest of this stupid event, too. But if it doesn’t…
Well.
It’s not as if the organization of the event hasn’t been screaming trouble from day one.
The marble table of Qiong Ding Peak’s round room usually serves as the main site of peak lord meetings, but today, instead of housing the lords of Cang Qiong Mountain’s twelve peaks, it is the gathering place of the esteemed representatives of the four great sects and even a few leaders of minor sects, all of whom have somehow been involved in the organization of the biggest event of the century ™.
From Cang Qiong Mountain, the only ones present are Yue Qingyuan and Shen Qingqiu. A few other peak lords have volunteered their attendance, but after several disciples of Wan Jian peak got detained over at Tian Yi Overlook for allegedly ‘breaking faith’ between the two sects, even the most tactful of them all, Wei Qingwei, has lost patience for diplomacy. Unfortunately, the meeting that should have been touching up on the final leftover topics of the Immortal Alliance Conference, has quickly gone off track.
Not for the first time, Shen Yuan bemoans the absence of caramel popcorn. His heart years for it.
“--what I’m saying is, regardless of circumstance, where does the Cang Qiong Mountain Sect get the right to threaten us that they will pull their funding for the spectator area completion at this late stage? Where is your sense of responsibility? Where is your pride?! All we’ve done is point out the ways in which Cang Qiong Mountain could improve its work while there is still time, yet this is the response that we get?! What unity is there between the Great Sects? In this case, we might as well call off the whole conference!”
The longer Shen Yuan listens to these people drawl on and on and on, the more he is inclined to think that the good old demon solution to fight it out with fists is truly the way to go. Yue Qingyuan’s patience with these people is unmatched. The more the Sect Leader talks, the more Shen Yuan thinks he really just could have sat back and let Zhangmen-shixiong handle everything, but alas.
“Esteemed elder master, this one has implied no such thing,” Yue Qingyuan says evenly, once everyone is done calling him out. “This one has merely pointed out that, after the many misfortunes that have befallen Cang Qiong sect recently, this sect currently has no sufficient funds to allocate to support the Immortal Alliance Conference any further, especially not for a significant financial request that came to us at the very last minute. Have we not repeatedly requested Zhao Hua Monastery’s assistance with funds for our own internal functioning? Do you think we’ve done that merely for show?”
They have, in fact, done that for show.
A while back, Shen Yuan had Luo Binghe go and incite Bai Zhan disciples into raiding Ku Xing peak for this key purpose. Mostly because, as Ku Xing peak and Zhao Hua Monastery have spent a long time working together to flush out evil spirits in many temples in the central plains, many of their abbots have a debt to pay to Huan Qingyan. Still, rather than just randomly letting Bai Zhan kids keep destroying Ku Xing peak and pile the expenses, Shen Yuan eventually just opted to ask Huan Qingyan for cooperation and make a show of it big enough to fool the abbots whenever they came to visit.
The logic is simple, really. The more one must invest financially into certain things, the less they are likely to let their investment go to ruin.
As for whether or not Huan Qingyan knew her requests for internal funding were initially repeatedly denied by Zhangmen-shixiong as a part of this ploy, Shen Yuan doesn’t care. He’s pretty sure, however, that the ensuing beatdowns between Liu Qingge and Huan Qingyan were entirely his own fault. Oops?
“Was this request not a consequence of Cang Qiong Mountain’s own poor fund allocation?” Abbot Wu Wang grumbles, displeased. “This one requests Sect Leader Yue not to implicate Zhao Hua Monastery into your internal issues any further. Our debt to Lady Huan has been repaid in full ─ from here on out, solve your troubles yourselves.”
“If Cang Qiong Mountain cannot even keep control of their internal affairs, how are they expected to stand at the top of the world as the number one cultivation sect? Sect Master Yue, do you have any more face left to lose?” Another minor sect leader pops up, as if his opinion counts for anything.
“Sect Master Shi, Cang Qiong Mountain has been in quite a predicament lately and we certainly haven’t made it any easier for them. Please, allow Sect Master Yue some courtesy. They have already made their limitations clear,” the Old Palace Master says, as if this bastard isn’t exactly the one who has been stirring the pot this whole time.
Shen Yuan glances over to the old man from the corner of his eye, but says nothing. As far as everyone else is concerned, his job is to sit there and appease the elders, letting them tear apart his reputation and slander him to no end. If anything, he’s surprised they haven’t started on that yet. Apparently, Yue Qingyuan strategically denying their funding at the most crucial juncture has upset quite a few of these old geezers even more than initially anticipated. Ahhh, it’s good to be a second generation rich family brat. These money games are always the most entertaining to watch.
“What limitations are we speaking of?! One peak drowns in debt and the other flourishes in earnings?! The Liu clan has not one, but two of their children in this sect and their fortune has soared in the past several years! Not only that! Liu Qingge alone has been stealing all the commissions in the entire Central Plains! Does he truly have no finances to compensate for the damages his disciples make?!”
Yue Qingyuan’s smile doesn’t even twitch. “Master Shi should be well aware that commissions count towards the sect's overall budget, and not one peak alone. I don’t see why we should change our rules and hold one peak accountable for the expenses the other peaks incur.”
Oh, the old man is boiling under that burning red face. It is hilarious. This kind of pummeling into the ground without a single drop of blood spilled ─ Liu-shidi would enjoy it. Especially after whining so much, being challenged to go out and do as many of the cheapass low-grade missions with his disciples as he possibly can for months.
“This one is afraid that we’re veering further and further away from the topics initially brought up in this meeting,” Abbot Wu Chen says, courteously and politely.
“Indeed, the matters of funding are secondary to the main reason we have gathered here at Cang Qiong Mountain today,” Qiu Haitang adds, serious and… far more reasonable than expected.
A shudder runs down Shen Yuan’s spine at just how calm Lady Qiu sounds, delivering that line. From the moment he saw her attending ─ as the representative of the fucking Xianmo sect of all the possibilities ─ he knew shit was about to go down. Should Shen Yuan have been prepared for this particular twist? Perhaps. But even as he stares at the fair lady, sitting there alone among old geezers and sounding more reasonable than the majority when she herself is a revenge-obsessed freak… well.
Shen Yuan is not above confessing that he is sweating a little and counting down his hours, so to speak. Maybe minutes. He’s not sure yet, the System is suspiciously silent throughout this whole meeting, but fuck that thing.
At least now, Shen Yuan can confidently claim that, if he is to end up in the Water Prison a tad too early, the odds of Luo Binghe tearing the place apart grow exponentially with every hour he spends there. It’s nowhere near as comforting a thought as it probably should be.
Qiu Haitang smiles at him.
Oh, now he’s sweating a lot.
Respectfully, Qiu Haitang bows her head. “Immortal Master Shen, this humble one apologizes from the bottom of her heart for putting you on the spot. We truly mean no offense. But many of us representing smaller sects would feel reassured if Immortal Master Shen could address the many rumors surrounding his conduct as an esteemed cultivator. We are well aware of the peerless Xiu Ya sword’s reputation and therefore we wish not to insinuate anything undue… but some reassurance would benefit us all at this point in time, don’t you agree?”
… well, shit . Who taught this girl to talk like that when her own sect is just barely beating the heretic allegations? Seriously, the Xianmo sect is a bunch of reasons rumored to be causing chaos everywhere and the moment this girl steps out and says the rumors are false, nobody questions it!! Now, these guys are the good guys and the rumors of Shen Qingqiu trying to lay blame on others for his own misdeeds are everywhere and nobody is questioning that shit! The stories are changing day to day!
In other words, Shen Yuan is fucked.
He barely gives Qiu Haitang anything more than a passing glance, but the sheer charisma this girl exudes is a wild contrast to her worn and haggard expression of a lifetime long passed. If anything, by her demeanor, this girl right now is almost the same as the Qiu Haitang of the original storyline, the Demon Lord Luo Binghe’s wife, proud and dominant and vengeful as fuck.
Shen Yuan slightly adjusts in his seat, but his relaxed posture doesn’t fall apart. “Exactly which of the rumors are you talking about?” he asks, pointedly. “Is it the rumors that my peak is harboring a heavenly demon disguised as a disciple? The ones that say that I’m building a demon army? Or is it the rumors that I’m covertly leading a heretic sect with all too much resemblance to your own? Tell me, Lady Qiu, which one of these rumors do you wish me to address?”
Qiu Haitang’s smile is flawless, but her body language betrays her. The slight fidgeting in her seat, the tense shoulders. Shen Yuan wonders if the person who gave her instructions on what to say has accounted for him engaging in this game head on.
“This one is well aware of what are the misunderstandings and what are mere hearsay,” Qiu Haitang answers easily. “Start wherever you like, Master Shen.”
“If this one may interject,” some small fry sect leader jumps in, all too eagerly. “It has already been made clear that the rumors of Qing Jing Peak housing a heavenly demon are entirely true. Of course, Cang Qiong Mountain has given no official statement on this matter, but the demon’s showing in the sect’s internal competitions is remarkable. However, even if external analysis claims the demon has a certain penchant for spiritual cultivation, this master remains unconvinced─”
“Stop with the word vomit,” Shen Yuan says, sighing. “Just come out and say what you want. Although I believe everything the esteemed master is saying has already been addressed a while back.”
“It is rumored that the heavenly demon is under a firm seal containing his demonic nature,” the small sect master insists. “Most of the Immortal Masters present here, however, are not reassured with such uncertain words coming from unreliable sources.”
As multiple heads rush to nod in confirmation, Shen Yuan glances over the entire room. His eyes fly over each of the representatives separately. The Zhao Hua abbots, uneasy and uncomfortable. The smaller sects, divided between a feeling of unease and self-righteousness. Tian Yi Overlook’s pride and haughtiness. And finally, the barely concealed excitement on the Old Palace Master’s face. No need to guess, then, who threw this particular bait. No need to guess what they want, either.
“Is the esteemed master asking for a demonstration?” Shen Yuan surmises, almost obligingly and watches the room hold its breath in downright excitement. Then he levels a glare on the man who dared make the request to start with. “What gives you the right?”
The room is stunned into absolute silence.
Next to Shen Yuan, the Sect Leader must be working very hard not to smack his own face ─ but Shen Yuan has been dead set on this from the start. That nasty old man from Huan Hua Palace must’ve heard the rumors by now, must’ve seen the portraits or whatever other news has been spread around. Whether or not he is naive enough to simply believe things from unconfirmed sources is of no consequence to Shen Yuan ─ but he has no intention of ever letting the bastard near Luo Binghe. Especially not under the pretense of ‘checking the seal’.
The risks of something going wrong aside, just the memory of that encounter in the Holy Mausoleum leaves a terrible taste in Shen Yuan’s mouth. So, while the esteemed masters all sputter around in shock around him, he smiles sharply.
“Is something the matter?” he asks, almost kindly. “With how apprehensive the Immortal Masters get whenever the matter of Heavenly demons comes up, one would think you’d be less reckless, poking a sleeping bear. The seal on my disciple’s demonic power is something that’s been set from way before the youth joined Cang Qiong Mountain. It is, therefore, of no interest to the sect to take credit for it. That, however, does not mean that we will allow anyone else to impose upon it. Even if my disciple is a half-Heavenly demon, a child of a cultivator, as some here are all too eager to forget, this is a matter of personal privacy. So, before you ask, even if there were no seal, this child would have still been accepted as a disciple of Cang Qiong Mountain, the same as any other. So what is it, exactly, that the great sects want? Meddle further into our internal affairs, after stating mere moments ago that it is none of your business?”
“That demon’s existence is a threat to human safety─!”
“Because you say so?” Shen Yuan cuts in. Like, not that they’re wrong, but… Luo Binghe really hasn’t done anything to be judged this way by a bunch of ugly old men sitting in their chairs and complaining all day. Not yet.
“Immortal Master Shen is quite protective of this disciple,” the Old Palace Master comments, sharply. His eyes are unreadable.
Shen Yuan doesn’t even deign him a look. “What can this one possibly say? That child has been in my care for well over six years now. If anything, it appears to me as though the Immortal Masters here are more curious about my disciple than their actual jobs.”
“Well, how does what Immortal Master Shen has been doing differ any from holding a wild beast on a leash?!” someone shouts out and ouch. Shen Yuan is offended on Binghe’s behalf. You dare call a future demon lord a beast? Ow.
“Well, for one, this one holds no leash whatsoever,” Shen Yuan informs him dryly. “And my disciple is too bright of a mind to be called a beast, one way or another. He has been raised around humans and by cultivators for most of his young life, so what exactly invites so much fear to begin with? Is it envy at play? Cultivator sects don’t even go about hunting demons anymore unless they’re actively hurting commoners, so what’s with this animosity towards a child? This Master is perplexed. Understanding how the minds of wise people work is truly no easy feat.”
“If─” Sect Leader Yue cuts in, “the great sects wish to further address the matter of Cang Qiong Mountain’s internal affairs, then please, let’s do so at another time. Today, we are here to finalize the discussions in regards to the Immortal Alliance Conference. As I’ve been informed, An Ding Peak has already finished the work on their designated sections, therefore it is the northern and the eastern part of the seating areas that are still lacking. If possible, I would like to address this today, so the budget arrangement can be fully prepared ─ however, as mentioned before, Cang Qiong Mountain has no funds to cover it all. Only the parts we've previously agreed to.”
“Is Sect Master Yue going to keep protecting this person in spite of his many transgressions?!” a cannon fodder shouts in protest, enraged. “Immortal Master Shen’s bearing is noble and graceful, but everyone should know his reputation is as black as a villain’s! Has everyone forgotten that Immortal Master Shen learned many of his tricks from that infamous deviant, Wu Yanzi personally?! And now we’re letting someone like that raise a half-heavenly demon?! What is this if not outright blasphemy to everything our sects stand for?!”
Ahh, there we go. Entirety of Shen Jiu’s past is about to be thrown into Shen Yuan’s face after all. He drums his fingers against the table softly, but says nothing. As though all the NPCs have been given the same command line, one by one, they start firing off one irrational accusation after another, like a slew of arrows.
“Shen Qingqiu! You’ve betrayed all the cultivation sects with your conduct! You should be flayed!”
“Shen Qingqiu! Are you raising your demon disciple to lead your demon army for you?!”
“Shen Qingqiu! Have you taken Tianlang Jun under your wing as a disciple to cover for his escape?!”
Shen Yuan blinks, a little surprised. If Tianlang Jun had actually escaped his confinement, wouldn’t that be easy enough to verify? But whoa, the hoops and the leaps in their thought processes are fantastic. The more they talk, the more ideas they give him, really. They’re not even wrong about everything, strictly speaking… just a couple years too early. Not that Luo Binghe seems all too motivated to form a demon army. The last time Shen Yuan brought it up, that silly child had merely grimaced.
“Too much work. I’d rather just spend that time with Shizun.”
And yes. Shen Yuan has known, from that moment forward, that there is not a snowball’s chance in hell things will be that easy. But he’s touched, just a little. Just thinking about it all still makes him want to kick his feet around like a little schoolgirl.
Ahh, Luo Binghe, Luo Binghe, how adorable you are! Shen Yuan almost wants to create a demon army for him, if only because the Southern realm deserves a little bit of relief after the hell they’ve had to suffer for the past eighteen years or so.
But, ahem. That’s for later consideration ─ much later.
For now, he just says, “Are you done?” before Sect Leader Yue interferes and makes this all somehow worse with his overprotective tendencies. Clearly, the man was just about to open his mouth, but nope. Shen Yuan can’t have that. Zhangmen-shixiong left the means of counterattack in his hands ─ it’s only natural that Shen Yuan won’t hand the reins back so easily.
The silence that settles in the room is tense at best.
Shen Yuan smiles. “If so, please, will anyone provide any evidence of anything you’ve come to claim? Regarding Qing Jing Peak’s housing of a half-heavenly demon, this matter is a fact twisted beyond comprehension. My leadership of a heretic sect? I would invite Miss Qiu personally to testify to it, if there is anything to be said. But the rest of it sounds like mere speculation without basis in reality, so please, if you have anything to say for yourselves, go ahead. This master will indulge you, for a little while longer. After all, let it not be said that it’s Cang Qiong Mountain refusing to cooperate. We’ve done more or less everything the sects have asked─”
“If so, then where the hell is Luo Binghe?!” a minor sect leader explodes, his face red and flushed. “We should at least have the right to see him for ourselves!”
“As per the rules of Cang Qiong Mountain, only head disciples are allowed to enter the confines of this space,” Yue Qingyuan informs them flatly, before Shen Yuan can politely tell the man to fuck off. “As things stand, Young disciple Luo is a regular junior disciple of Qing Jing peak. Even if Sect Master Shi implores, he will not be allowed to step inside of this room.”
“So what, we must go to Qing Jing peak to verify the trustworthiness of his seal?!” someone spits out.
Shen Yuan’s smile is laced with venom. “Of course not. You must first file a request for a visit with the Peak Lord. Then, if the visit is deemed appropriate, this master will humbly welcome you on top of Qing Jing peak with no hesitation whatsoever.”
Of course, not a soul needs further elaboration to know Shen Yuan will approve of no such thing. Poor bastards, really.
“Very well, then,” the Old Palace Master says then, perfectly politely. “This elder has one question left for Immortal Master Shen, and otherwise we can finally abandon the topic of Heavenly Demons entirely. Of course, if Immortal Master Shen is willing to indulge this elder.”
Shen Yuan isn’t quite sure how he does it, but he manages not to grimace. “Has this master not proven himself willing so far? Please, go ahead.” They all know Shen Yuan doesn’t have a choice anyway, if they’re going to keep up with this game of politely testing each other’s patience.
The Old Palace Master smiles patiently. “A while back, Huan Hua Palace’s protective arrays detected… interference… with the functioning of the array keeping the Heavenly Demon Tianlang Jun sealed under Bailu Mountain. Of course, upon further verification, we have determined that no harm has been done to the array in question, however the incident is serious enough that it cannot be arbitrarily dismissed. Now, this elder asks. As the first person on the scene, Immortal Master Shen, do you still claim that you have no knowledge at all about what could have caused this incident?”
Yue Qingyuan moves to immediately answer this ─ but Shen Yuan lifts his hand. Something about the way this man is looking at him, something about the way he is phrasing this, as though trying to deliberately put words into Shen Yuan’s mouth…
“This humble one remembers making no such claims in regards to the incident the Old Palace Master is bringing up whatsoever,” he says, carefully blank. “If anything, this one has asked the Palace Master to be thorough in the investigation and to include all the great sects for the duration of it. Has there been any breakthrough regarding this matter? If so, then this one has not been informed─”
“Cang Qiong Sect as a whole hasn’t been informed of any progress, or even the official beginning of an investigation,” Yue Qingyuan cuts in, sharply. “So why would the Palace Master bring up this matter now of all times?”
“This elder is merely satisfying his personal curiosity,” the Old Palace Master replies courteously, however, the look in his eyes is as sharp as deadly, poison-laced knives. “However… the intent behind the incident is clear. Someone has attempted to set the Heavenly Demon free. Given the very nature of the suppressing formation at Bailu Mountain, that someone most certainly could not be a demon. The formation’s spiritual power would’ve prevented them from coming anywhere near it, no matter how powerful.”
Shen Yuan straightens slightly. He… hasn’t actually known that bit. Demons generally don’t go near Bailu mountain anyway, and the only one that did had barely any strength left in him to begin with. But to think the array itself had been chasing demons off all long? Ahhhh, Shen Yuan is going to strangle Airplane for not mentioning it.
“By simple deduction, the Southern Demon clans had no ability and the Northern clans had no motive or ability, then the natural conclusion would be ─ the son of the Heavenly Demon. As per Immortal Master Shen’s claims, that half-demon has no access to demonic power whatsoever, therefore the suppressing properties of the array are also greatly lessened. A half-heavenly demon with sufficient power, in theory, should be more than capable of disrupting the array. Is that not correct?”
The room holds its breath, but by the air alone, it’s clear that they find this argument to hold enough water. They also, naturally, have no common sense whatsoever. Clearly, if the Old Palace Master were confident about his claims, he would not have waited this long to use them. Or else, he hides behind obvious speculation for some other reason… but what? As far as cards go, this one feels like it’s simply too early to use. Just what is Huan Hua Palace up to?
Still, Shen Yuan says, “In other words, what the Palace Master means to say is… an intricate suppressing array that required several dozens of brightest minds of their generation working together to create… has somehow been undone at the hands of a fourteen year old child?”
Phrasing it that way, even the other sect masters are forced to agree that this sounds incredibly implausible. The Old Palace Master, however, remains unshaken.
“Immortal Master Shen, please, there is no need to make fools of everyone here. That disciple of yours is quite a capable one, outshining even most senior disciples within the sect. Please do not act as though words of his ability have not spread far and wide─”
“Indeed, my disciple is quite capable,” Shen Yuan says, failing to hide a sizable amount of pride. “At the time when this incident happened, however, my disciple’s level of ability was nowhere near so great. The opposite, really. Any disciple or peak lord of Cang Qiong Mountain can attest to it, but my disciple’s struggles in his first several years with the sect have been… counterproductive to his cultivation progress, to say the least. At the time the incident happened, he would have had no sufficient spiritual power to use to even fly properly and absolutely no demonic power whatsoever. So, how does the Old Palace Master think he could have pulled it off? Dream magic?”
A sect elder actually laughs.
Several other immortal masters glare at him to make him stop, but Shen Yuan’s point is made.
The Palace Master, for all it’s worth, is not at all discouraged. “There was a residue of tainted spiritual power all over the Bailu Mountain─”
“And how could anyone possibly claim to whom that spiritual power belongs?” Shen Yuan counters. “Does Huan Hua Palace have some means of determining such things that the rest of us don’t?”
“No, indeed, we do not,” the Old Palace Master says, sighing softly. “However, by Immortal Master Shen’s own admission, the half-demon would have neither the means nor the sufficient power to significantly affect the array. In that case, what prevents Immortal Master Shen from acting on his beloved disciple’s behalf?”
Ohhhhh, snap.
So that’s the angle the bastard was going for all along?
The room fills with shocked gasps and outraged finger pointing. Shen Yuan struggles to maintain a poker face, confronted with the unbearable urge to yawn. So indeed, it has been the most obvious, most senseless scenario of them all. The Old Palace Master is indeed hellbent on laying his eyes on Luo Binghe no matter what, going so far to make the most senseless, most careless, most idiotic claim of them all ─ in the room full of the most revered Immortal Masters. And clearly, he intends to do so by removing Shen Yuan out of the equation.
Hell fucking no.
Watching most of the cannon fodder in the room eat shit out of his hand, the man only grows more confident.
“Immortal Master Shen’s presence on the scene has been confirmed by many, his knowledge and experience spanning far and wide and he has in the past inquired to know more about the array in question. Finally, it is a fact that Immortal Master Shen’s cultivation base suffered from using improper cultivation techniques in his youth, therefore leaving his spiritual power prone to all sorts of outside taints. Furthermore, it is a fact that Immortal Master Shen has been rebuilding the Southern Realm bit by bit, helping the communities wrecked by the Formless Demon attacks recover from their plight. Taking into consideration the facts with countless other things that are already widely known, are these things not suspicious in the eyes of everyone here?”
As if on cue, several of the NPCs jump to their feet, screaming, “Shen Qingqiu! Have you got no shame?!” and various other such dramatic lines.
Shen Yuan spares them not even a moment of his attention. Beside him, Yue Qingyuan is just as patient, even if the way his fists have clenched until his knuckles have lost all color make his tension quite obvious.
“Does Cang Qiong Mountain have nothing to say about this?!” someone exclaims, after rounds and rounds of ammunition have already been fired away. Unfortunately for all of these people, as things stand, they may as well be the bad guys in those Hollywood action movies that use up incredible amounts of ammo just to miss the heroes either way. Perhaps if they’d framed their argument differently, the System might’ve let them get away with it, but alas. Anything that slanders Luo Binghe with lies is not as likely to pass through the System’s filter.
And on the off-chance it does, it will certainly not fly by Shen Yuan. Nor the Sect Leader, for that matter.
Once momentary silence befalls the room, that’s when Yue Qingyuan finally speaks. “As a matter of fact, Cang Qiong Mountain has plenty to say about this matter. Spreading of false information, targeted slander of the sect’s elder and intentional spreading of misinformation ─ this one has expected much better of Huan Hua Palace, at least when it comes to matters as serious as the array under the Bailu Mountain.”
“Which part of what I am saying is false, Sect Master Yue?” the Old Palace Master counters, icily.
“Insinuation that the disruption of the Bailu Mountain array is somehow the fault of a singular entity is the first,” Yue Qingyuan answers, mercilessly. “Putting aside the level of knowledge and experience required to even understand it, claiming that one person alone is sufficient for it is simply ludicrous.”
“Oh, no one has insinuated that Master Shen is behind this alone─”
“Second,” Yue Qingyuan cuts him off, “is the insinuation that the array can even be undone by cultivators without extensive preparations. Other Immortal Masters who have participated during the incident many years ago may go ahead and correct me, but the array to suppress Tianlang Jun was specifically made in ways that require at least five different Masters of their craft to set it ─ let alone dismantle it.”
“Sect Master Yue, there is no such thing as a perfection─”
“Finally,” Yue Qingyuan cuts in, “Is the claim that the array’s disruption is caused by human interference, and not in fact a result of a triggering of a reversed recreation formation unintentionally interlinked with the array since they both make use of the same power source.”
The sound of Shen Yuan’s fan snapping open to cover the smile on his face is perhaps more reverberating than the avalanche crashing down from the mountaintops.
Yue Qingyuan, however, is nowhere near done. He claps twice, inviting his head disciple into the room to distribute the materials that Shen Yuan, Luo Binghe and Liu Mingyan have been working on diligently over the past few months, to reconstruct the entirety of the hidden Lushui lake array on paper. Although between Shen Yuan’s memories and Young Miss Liu’s analysis, there may have been a small number of inconsistencies, the results they’ve ended up with, should, theoretically, if triggered correctly, be sufficient to completely undo the suppressing array under Bailu Mountain. And that was certainly not the purpose the Lushui lake array was made for.
Of course, what that trigger in question may be, currently nobody knows ─ but Shen Yuan has his suspicions.
Either way, those currently don’t matter, because, while the Qiong Ding head disciple dutifully goes around sharing copies, the expressions on these cultivator’s faces are as gobsmacked as if they would have taken it much better if Shen Yuan had simply gone ahead and admitted to raising a demon army.
“Well?” he tests, all too smugly. “Indeed, Huan Hua Palace did their investigation on the Bailu mountain array, but it seems they have neglected to further look into the matters of the Lushui lake. Of course, with the array having been protected by the Huan Hua Palace’s Phantom Talisman, it’s impossible to say if there’s anything left to see there now. However, what has been triggered once can certainly be triggered again ─ and thus Cang Qiong Mountain implores all the great sects to come together and investigate this matter properly. Clearly, letting Huan Hua Palace handle it alone benefits no one but themselves.”
His words are met with absolute silence as the rest of the sect representatives struggle to get their bearings. Thus, Yue Qingyuan is more than happy to use the opportunity.
“This one fears that Cang Qiong Mountain has neither sufficient knowledge nor sufficient experience with setting up arrays of such magnitude, therefore, if Zhao Hua Monastery doesn’t mind, we would rather leave the investigation of this matter further in the hands of your highly experienced Abbots. Traditionally, Zhao Hua Monastery has had the most opportunity to encounter all sorts of different reversed formations and their usages and have also had significant input in the design of the suppressing array. Of course, that is, if nobody else has any objections.”
But how would anyone dare have objections now? Huan Hua Palace has come prepared to stomp Cang Qiong Mountain into the ground, but clearly, they have not expected to have their own dirty laundry thrown into their face. Moreover, Shen Yuan’s been confident from the start, from the Old Palace Master’s bearing alone during their initial encounter, that the man must have already known about the Lushui lake array for a long time. But would he have known what it’s for?
In the end, it was Liu Mingyan’s words that convinced him that in fact, most likely, he would not.
“To be honest, even with everything that Shen-shibo has provided now to fill in my missing pieces, there are still different ways how this array could have been interpreted. A reverse recreation, a summoning formation or even a formation that bends space and time. What it’s true use is depends on what is used to anchor it, what key is used to trigger it and finally, how much spiritual power it requires to function. It is truly a work of art unlike any other.”
The Old Palace Master has always been a formidable bad guy in his own right, but canonically, his mastery of the formation creation techniques is most certainly not one of his stronger suits.
In fact, among the true barrier masters of Proud Immortal Demon Way, only a few names have ever stood out. Liu Mingyan is, naturally, the most famous of them all. Far less known, but no less formidable, are the abbots of Zhao Hua Monastery, with centuries of knowledge hidden away in their ancient libraries. Finally, last but not the least, are the triplets of Tian Yi Overlook ─ none of whom would have been old enough to join their sect at the time this formation was uncovered.
All in all, with this one move, Cang Qiong Mountain has turned the chessboard entirely to their advantage.
Tian Yi Overlook and Huan Hua Palace may have joined their hands to slander Cang Qiong Mountain, but if Huan Hua Palace has truly been hiding such a big secret, then by no means does the ‘enemy of my enemy is my friend’ principle apply. Moreover, Zhao Hua Monastery has now, more than ever, been pressed into impartiality. Whatever side they may or may not have been leaning towards in the past, now the duty of being the sole trustworthy party has befallen them. Whether they are able to bear the pressure or they’ll crack under it remains to be seen.
Most importantly, this particular move has resolved the burning issue that Cang Qiong Mountain has been struggling with for a while. The talks of the financial matters have been thrown off track in its entirety, confusing all the decision makers to the point they likely no longer recall why this meeting was called to begin with. Just as planned.
“Well,” Yue Qingyuan says, all too satisfied with these achievements. “Time is short and only a week remains. My fellow Masters, is it not time to wrap up the discussions about the Immortal Alliance Conference properly?”
The silence he gets in response is all the answer he really needs.
“As this particular topic isn’t any of my concern, this elder will take his leave,” Shen Yuan announces. “For anyone who wishes to visit Qing Jing peak afterwards, please file your visitation request properly.”
Like, they’ll be declined either way, but at least Luo Binghe will get a kick out of reading the ‘reasons for visiting’ column. And if these old geezers take this chance to lift Luo Binghe’s participation ban in the event just to get another glimpse at him from a distance ─ well so be it, then.
Shen Yuan isn’t silly enough to think the System will let him avoid the nasty conference plot twist ─ but he has been slowly testing out the System’s limitations in regards to… well, just about everything. More and more, he’s found those limitations to be fucking embarrassing.
System fucking errors, yeah alright. Apparently the damn thing will deem anything an error, so long as it refuses to conform to its stupid fucking rules. Knowing this really puts shit in perspective, just how naive Shen Yuan had been the last go around. That singular punishment had been fucking terrifying… but if Shen Yuan could have taken that over stabbing Luo Binghe in the back, he never would have fucking hesitated.
Besides, would the damn System have really killed him for screwing up the Abyss plotline? He doesn’t fucking think so. Not anymore. Not after the damn thing went so far as to bring him back from the dead just to let him have a go at this, twice. Isn’t the whole point of transmigration to change the story? The system should have been a fucking ally, then, not the enemy!
Have you bastard been broken from the beginning?
[...]
[System notice: The critical quest <The Endless Abyss and Endless Hatred, a Lifetime of Resentment> approaches. If not successfully completed, twenty thousand protagonist satisfaction points will be deducted.]
Shen Yuan takes a quick glance over at his 22K points solidly in the negatives and nods to himself. Fucking bring it, then. Shen Yuan has the Protagonist on his side. Let’s see what the shitty piece of software has to say about that.
Notes:
LBH, while SY is busy waging a war for him: "ooooh this is doing THINGS to me, oooooh"
LQG: *existing*
LBH: "Ohhh, I'ma do things for Shizun now!!"
Chapter 48: Formless Demons II
Summary:
The game is set and the players are in their starting positions. The Immortal Alliance Conference begins.
Notes:
Yo guys this like the nth time I've picked a day to update this fic only for AO3 to be down for maintenance lol
TW: gore towards the middle and the end of the chapter
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Mobei Jun sits on top of a random An Ding bed as though it’s his throne, his attention to what Luo Binghe has been saying only marginally higher than Luo Binghe’s patience for the ice demon’s nonsense. That is to say, practically nonexistent.
Given how Mobei Jun is more interested in checking out his own nails rather than even looking at Luo Binghe standing right in front of him, it is not very likely the bastard has even heard anything. Funny. When Shizun was here, this bastard was feeling far more conversational than he is right now. Although, that may or may not have something to do with that traitor in Shizun’s company. Unfortunately for Luo Binghe, both Shizun and Shang Qinghua have now moved their discussion somewhere private, leaving Luo Binghe alone to handle… this.
More and more, Luo Binghe is beginning to wonder why Mobei Jun ever bothered to listen to him in the last go around. The more time he’s spent here today trying to merely communicate and not beat the shit out of him, as Shizun asked, the more Mobei Jun’s absolute lack of interest into everything that is not his murderous uncle becomes obvious. What the hell got him to go so far out of his way to break the seal on Luo Binghe’s demonic power way back when? Now when Luo Binghe attempts to talk him into doing that, the freak keeps calling it a waste of effort?! The nerve of him!
“Just tell me how you would do it and I will be out of your hair.” Luo Binghe loses it, finally. Somehow, he manages not to hit him.
Mobei Jun gives him a brief once over, with complete disinterest, making it clear that his odds of success might’ve been marginally higher, if only he actually did hit the bastard.
Luo Binghe would, maybe, if he didn’t already know that fighting the currently reigning king of the north is inevitably going to end up in his humiliating defeat.
Mobei Jun, likely aware of as much himself, says, “It’s a water based seal.”
As though that somehow explains everything.
Luo Binghe knows it’s a water-based seal! The stupid thing is diluting the power of his blood! He cannot even use what little of it he snuck into Liu Qingge no matter how hard he tries! Seals and arrays may get it to react a little, but that’s as far as he was able to get years ago and nothing more has worked since! What he wants to know is how in the fucking hell is Mobei Jun able to break it?! Meanwhile, no matter what Luo Binghe does, he simply cannot?!
Unfortunately, this Mobei Jun neither recalls the time when he already destroyed the seal, nor does he care about attempting to do so now. His interest, for the most part, is something else entirely.
“How did you say I can defeat a Formless Demon again?” he asks, all too stubbornly
“You can’t, unless you want to become the food,” Luo Binghe snaps.
“The Blue Glacier spring inside the Northern Realm cleanses them just fine,” Mobei Jun fires back.
“And so does the Southern Realm’s Miasma Chasm,” Luo Binghe reasons. “Are you going to take your uncle’s Formless ass and drag it all the way there? How do you intend to do so before he turns you into his walking dinner?”
“There must be a reason why those things work, but nothing else does,” Mobei Jun says, sharply.
“The Blue spring water flows down to the Northern Realm straight from the heavens. It can cleanse anything, you said it yourself,” Luo Binghe points out. “Why would it not be able to cleanse corrupted demonic consciousness?”
“The Southern Realm’s Miasma is a residue of dark energy that’s existed ever since the Endless Abyss became its own realm,” Mobei Jun hisses, impatiently. “If heavenly energy cleanses them and the dark power of the Abyss does as well, why can’t demons do it?”
“Because Formless Demons are demonic consciousness at its most degraded!” Luo Binghe explodes. “Stripped of everything, they’re what’s left of demons tied to Heaven's Wrath. That makes them formless wraiths, annoying but useless. What makes them into Formless Demons as we know them, what makes them dangerous, is an ancient cultivator ritual which gives them power to interact with the world if they feed on exactly what they themselves are. Demons. If you want to destroy them, destroying the mark of the ritual is the most certain way. But that is hardly going to work, if they know you’re coming.”
Mobei Jun glares at him, as though making a face will somehow change these facts. However, the ice demon’s expression slowly turns thoughtful. “You can destroy them, then?”
“I already have,” Luo Binghe confirms. “If you know what you’re doing, one hit is more than enough.”
Mobei Jun nods once, firmly. “You destroy them, then. Once you’re done, I’ll break your water-based seal.”
… wait, what?
How did this suddenly come to…?
Wait a damn minute. Is this not the exact same thing that Luo Binghe has been proposing this whole time? … Why the hell was Mobei Jun leading him on in circles over and over until finally he’s made this bullshit sound as though it’s somehow his idea?
Ah, forget it. Luo Binghe doesn’t have the energy. The Immortal Alliance Conference is just hours away now. The matter of Luo Binghe’s participation has not yet been resolved ─ and Shizun is making the whole thing far more difficult than it needs to be. He’s in no mood to be dealing with Mobei Jun’s nonsense, too, on top of everything else.
“Fine, you got yourself a deal,” he says. “As soon as I’m done with the stuff I need to do, I’ll hunt your uncle down for you and destroy him. In return, you better get rid of this seal.”
“All of them,” Mobei Jun hisses.
Luo Binghe raises an eyebrow.
“All the members of my clan turning Formless,” Mobei Jun clarifies, icily. “Destroy them all, or else I won’t bother.”
“Fine!” Luo Binghe snaps. Fine, fine, fine. He’s gonna have to come around to destroying them all sooner or later, anyway, before the bastards come hunting him down the moment his demonic energy runs wild. There will truly be nothing preventing him from becoming their extra tasty snack, the moment that happens. Might as well get those nasty abominations out of his way first.
As the deal is made, Luo Binghe wastes no time in running off to find Shizun ─ and he finds him. Specifically, he finds Shen Yuan holding Shang Qinghua’s head in a chokehold, tilting it forwards towards a small bowl of transparent looking liquid which smells slightly acidic. The two seem to have been in the middle of some sort of an argument that came to a definitive end the moment they felt Luo Binghe approach. Not that Shizun has stopped choking Shang Qinghua at all. The opposite. The moment Luo Binghe steps inside, Shen Yuan tightens his hold visibly harder. The last choked out word that comes out the little traitor’s mouth sounds suspiciously like ‘the system’ … but that can’t be.
The curse that’s been stuck in Luo Binghe’s head… the thing that called itself the System… It's been gone a very long time now. Ever since Luo Binghe used the Soul Luminescence to clear the clutter of his dream realm away, that thing hasn’t ever made its way back.
… has he perhaps misheard? How would Shang Qinghua possibly know anything about that?
Then again, Shizun does have him pinned by the throat, so… Luo Binghe lets it be, for the moment.
“Shizun?” he says, a little alarmed, if only because he has not once seen Shen Yuan looking so… antagonistically forward in his urge to kill somebody.
“Nothing, nothing,” Shizun waves him off, flapping his sleeve around as though trying to hide how Shang Qinghua’s face is beginning to turn purple.
“... should I prepare a straw mat?” Luo Binghe asks, just in case. Shang Qinghua’s face is becoming colorful in some rather dangerous ways.
Shen Yuan waves him off dismissively, breaking out his fan and whacking Shang Qinghua on the head with it as he says, “Why in the world would I need a straw mat?”
“To smuggle out the body?”
Suddenly, Shen Yuan freezes in his movements. He glances down where Shang Qinghua’s face is now more purple than any other color and abruptly lets him go. He, notably, makes no excuse and offers no apology. He merely says, “Pay it no mind. Your Shishu had it coming.”
Shang Qinghua makes a strangled series of noises that could have sounded much like “Did not!” if he’d been able to speak. His lungs, currently, do not provide such luxury. Still, Luo Binghe grimaces slightly.
“Shizun, if you need me to bring over a straw mat, I don’t mind at all, but I’d rather avoid any misunderstandings as of this point,” he says, dutifully. “Mobei Jun is already a pain to deal with. No need to go and make this worse.”
From the blank, uncomprehending looks on both the Peak Lord’s faces, it’s quite clear that they’re both a pair of clueless idiots that have no idea how the demon realm works. And Luo Binghe has wondered, to this day, how come it had taken him so long to get Shizun to finally understand his feelings. Now, he’s beginning to think that even with a symbol of possession in his ear, he may still have not made his point clear enough.
“Shizun, don’t we have the last of the administration work to submit, still?” Luo Binghe asks, poking at a sore spot softly. Immediately, Shen Yuan’s face sours. He forgets about Shang Qinghua and those issues he won’t talk about, in order to focus on what Luo Binghe is saying ─ and clearly, he’s not happy with whatever conclusion he’s come to.
“Binghe, we talked about this. If you are already dead set on joining the Conference, then this one─”
“This disciple is perfectly fine, missing out on the event as a participant,” Luo Binghe points out, calmly. “However this one has thought hard about the other offer that’s been made ─ and this disciple would indeed like to be among the many senior disciples holding up the protective barrier around Juedi Gorge for the duration of the Conference.”
Shen Yuan’s face darkens considerably, but he doesn’t say anything. After a long moment of utter petulant dissatisfaction oozing off of him like hot water steaming, he says, “Let’s just go.”
He does not greet Shang Qinghua, nor does he look behind him to check whether the man is even alive. Luo Binghe, as such, removes the unkillable tag off the An Ding Peak Lord for future reference.
Speaking of that ─ the System is what gave him the idea of thinking about certain things as tags… and Luo Binghe is pretty sure that the last time he messed with that, it had made some impactful changes. Most notably, messing with those System missions had in fact brought Shizun back to Cang Qiong within that crazy timeline of three months, so Luo Binghe loathes to be too suspicious.
However, as he dutifully follows his Shizun back to Qing Jing peak, he braves to say, “Shuzun, back there, on An Ding peak… what Shang-shishu called the System…”
He doesn’t even get to fully formulate the question before his Shizun audibly groans, rubbing at his temple as though he is warding off a headache. “Pay it no mind. Your Shishu was talking nonsense.”
“... but I did hear that right? The word he used is… the system?”
Shizun, for what it’s worth, neither confirms nor denies it. But it does further feed into a suspicion that Luo Binghe has had for a very long time.
Shizun knows about the System.
More importantly, Shizun is not even the only one.
Why, oh why , did he only manage to figure this out years after the stupid thing stopped messing with his head? Even if he calls out to it now, all he ever gets back is endless silence!
As things stand, he hadn’t been able to finish any of his ongoing experiments! None of his scores have made it anywhere near the 0-point mark. His B-points had, at some point, hit the fancy number 1 and refused to budge. The satisfaction points that made for some silly System upgrades all wore off way before their time… and that endless collection of Luxury scenarios he never even got to try out ─ what were they even for?
Luo Binghe thinks back to all the private notes he has remembered to take, but even those haven’t been particularly helpful. He had written them down about Liu Qingge, his sister and Shang Qinghua, among others, but he hardly ever managed to figure out what they meant. Shang Qinghua’s had been particularly interesting, too.
What had they been, again?
The Mole, Black Sheep? The two of those had been self-explanatory. It is also the main reason Luo Binghe thought of him as the traitor, right up until Shizun personally stated otherwise. And certainly, Luo Binghe doesn't want to question Shizun’s judgement on this matter, but the way he sees it, any curse that in relation to Shang Qinghua also has a Villains Want Mercy tag and A God I Am Not tag… Well, that person can’t possibly be trustworthy.
As for that Slap-Slap-Kiss thing…
Luo Binghe decides, at this point, that he doesn’t actually care whatsoever about Shang Qinghua’s tags anymore.
Shizun leads him back to the bamboo house, then sits him down on the floor, with the low table between them. On it, the writing supplies and Luo Binghe’s unfinished application for the Immortal Alliance Conference as of yet sit untouched. Under all of that, however, there is a book. Its covers are strange and somewhat familiar. The design is undoubtedly the hardcover setup that usually comes from Huan Hua Palace’s libraries.
“May I?” Luo Binghe asks, curiously, gesturing at the book.
Shen Yuan, whose eyes have fallen onto Luo Binghe’s unfinished application instead, freezes for a moment.
Luo Binghe swallows thickly, then pointedly ignores his own application form to instead point at the gaudy cover. As a result, his Shizun looks visibly relieved. “Ah. I was hoping you’d take a look at that, too,” he says, clearing his throat awkwardly. He takes the book himself and hands it over to Luo Binghe, before saying, “Liu-shidi found this inside Skinner’s hideout in the northern borderlands a while back. The instructions on the array I asked you about before ─ they’re all in there.”
“Ah,” Luo Binghe says, blankly. He isn’t sure which instructions of which array Shizun refers to, but if it was handled by Huan Hua Palace’s library at any point in time, then whoever got their hands on it had to have paid a lot of money. Somehow, though, Luo Binghe cannot imagine a Skinner demon, of all things, knowing how to work with money.
Shrugging to himself, he picks up the book and browses through its pages. For some reason, much of its contents seem very familiar.
“Luo Binghe is focused,” Shizun says, smiling awkwardly, as if that’s somehow going to cover up the fact that he’s leaned in so much closer.
Before he can do anything to stop him, Luo Binghe closes the rest of the distance between them and plants a chaste little butterfly kiss on top of Shizun’s cheek, mumbling, “Always.”
“BINGHE!” the man gasps, scandalized, as he throws himself back and covers his face.
Luo Binghe grins back, smugly. “Yes, Shizun?”
“You can’t just─ argh!”
Luo Binghe nods obediently.
Shen Yuan’s face is bright red. “Don’t just pretend to be a good little white sheep now! You know what you’ve done!”
“And Shizun still hasn’t processed this disciple’s application form,” Luo Binghe reminds him, kindly.
Shen Yuan’s face falls at that, but ultimately, he sighs. He picks up the application form that rests between them and scowls at it darkly.
“Are you sure about this?” he asks, bitterly. “Not a participant, not even a spectator. With this, you’re making yourself a barrier grunt. You. The Demon Lord, the Junshang, the… ugh. My disciple. A barrier grunt.”
Fondly, Luo Binghe smiles at him and pecks him on the cheek for the second time. The distraction, sadly, is nowhere near as successful as the first one.
Luo Binghe sighs. “It appears as though Shizun minds my status in the hierarchy more than he minds the hard work that goes into maintaining the protective barriers.”
“It’s just stupid,” Shen Yuan answers, rubbing the space between his eyebrows with his fan. “If Binghe won’t participate, that’s fine. If Binghe decides to go into the Conference as a contestant again… well, this one would rather avoid it, but still! It’s not like anything that’s happened before will ever happen again! But no! Instead, Binghe receives one stupid little anonymous letter which is obviously a trap and of all things, Binghe decides to go with it and opts for doing grunt work. The blatant disrespect is revolting.”
Luo Binghe blinks in surprise. The sheer amount of rage from his Shizun, on his behalf is… Luo Binghe could get drunk from this tone of voice alone, listening to it over and over again. Barely, he reigns himself in and says, “This one has also spotted the bait for what it is. However, rather than fearing the future or trying to run from fate, this one would much rather just face it straight away.”
“Binghe─” but Shen Yuan cuts himself off, holding his breath after realizing Luo Binghe has once again brought his face much closer. Their noses are now only the slightest bit away from touching, yet Shizun has neither tried to escape nor has he tried to block his advance. For his part, Luo Binghe merely smiles.
“Shizun,” he says, softly. “A bait is an opportunity as well. An opportunity for us. Shizun has said it countless times, but we will only know what the other sects are preparing for us once the Conference passes. What if this helps us figure it out beforehand?”
“That’s not what─”
“I know,” Luo Binghe whispers, coming even closer, until his lips are almost touching the tip of Shizun’s nose. “I know what Shizun fears. What must happen will happen regardless. This one only wants Shizun to remember this. No matter what happens, I will return.”
Shen Yuan gulps. With their faces so close it is impossible not to feel the tension in his clenched jaw. But Shizun also does something else, then. Something that is almost unprecedented. The palm of his hand touches Luo Binghe’s cheek, directing his face until their foreheads touch and their breaths mingle together, the fingers of his hands gently tucking unruly strands of hair behind Luo Binghe’s ear. Subconsciously, his thumb touches the earring.
Luo Binghe does everything in his power not to moan at the contact.
Shizun holds him close and says, “Tomorrow, take care of yourself properly. Alright?”
“Mm, I will,” Luo Binghe promises.
Shen Yuan closes his eyes, the breath that escapes him shaky. “From tomorrow on, if you must go, that’s… how it must be. But Binghe should come back quickly.”
“I will.”
Shizun looks back up at him then, eyes glistening against the subdued lightning around them. “Come back quickly.”
Luo Binghe can’t help it. Watching that earnest plea, he moves quickly and snatches a quick chaste kiss, this one on the forehead, before pulling this beautiful, beautiful man into his arms. Shen Yuan resists nothing as Luo Binghe buries his nose in that silky hair, inhaling the scent as though it consumes him.
“I will,” he promises again. “There’s nothing in this world that can keep me away when I know Shizun is waiting.”
Shen Yuan snorts and flicks his forehead, harshly, and Luo Binghe laughs. Neither one of them says anything anymore. Luo Binghe tackles Shen Yuan to the ground until eventually he’s unceremoniously kicked off and ordered to go back to his dorm. Instead of going along with it like a good boy, Luo Binghe instead wrestles Shen Yuan down for another chaste peck, this one on the cheek, laughing all the way.
Tomorrow, the Immortal Alliance Conference begins.
Tomorrow, who knows what sort of chaotic problem may arise.
But tonight, Luo Binghe is happy.
Tonight, Luo Binghe is happier than he’s ever been, and he commits this moment to his memory. Shizun, squirming under him and laughing. Shizun with his face on fire as Luo Binghe plants soft kisses over his cheeks. Shizun, and his fiery red ears as Luo Binghe drags a teasing little kiss against the earlobe before finally drawing away.
On his way out of the bamboo house, he smiles and tucks away the book that Shizun has passed to him into his Qiankun pouch. He watches over his shoulder, as Shizun finally gives his stamp of approval on Luo Binghe’s request, and prepares to face his fate head on.
The invitation for Luo Binghe to join the barrier maintenance unit was formally delivered to Shen Yuan as early on as when the preparations for the Immortal Alliance Conference initially started. Shizun had all but immediately declined it then, but he’d mentioned it to Luo Binghe either way, knowing that Luo Binghe was just as uninterested in getting involved with the stupid contest as Shen Yuan was unwilling to send him there. In short, that discussion had only taken a few words and a world of tacit understanding that had gone undiscussed between them ─ until a similar private note found itself on Luo Binghe’s pillow inside the dorms almost a full year later.
At first, Luo Binghe had planned to ignore that note entirely. It reeked of nothing but manipulation and guilt-tripping and he’d fully considered burning it in front of everyone for show, to fish out the senior disciple who dared pull this on him. However, after a little thought, he had instead taken this private, unsigned invitation and showed it to Shizun. At no point, however, had Shizun thought this message was left by a disciple.
So ultimately, of all the routes they could have chosen, Luo Binghe had ended up choosing the one Shizun disliked the most.
The purpose of it is clear.
Luo Binghe does not mind fighting opponents in the shadows, but he much prefers meeting his enemies out in the open. Whoever had snuck this invitation past the sect and even past Shizun, is dangerous enough to be deemed a worthy threat.
Officially, Luo Binghe’s duty within the barrier unit begins after the participants pledge their oaths together to put aside their sect rivalries and work together to protect the commoners and the venue ─ only then the actual instructions are passed between. The barrier is prepared diligently and with clearly defined steps, one by one, executed to perfection and written out on paper so there is no excuse for failure.
There are many participants in this particular Conference, even more than Luo Binghe remembers them being in the previous lifetime, so twelve different entrances have been erected, through which the disciples would enter Juedi Gorge in assorted groups of mixed sects. Luo Binghe is stationed at the northernmost point, helping keep the barrier stable on that side. His particular set of instructions is several pages long and very thorough, but he has already read through it all and acted upon the steps with due diligence.
The participants, shaking with nerves, enter the Juedi Gorge’s improvised battleground at around sunset and begin their expeditions. On platforms rising high above the gorge, the members of the older generations, who have long since achieved success and made the reputations for themselves, have finished placing their bets. They sit with unruffled composure, some of them exchanging pointers, chatting, or chewing on melon seeds.
In Cang Qiong Mountain’s section, Luo Binghe catches Shizun looking in his direction. Perhaps, if Luo Binghe had joined the contestants, his Shizun would have made a bet on him, this time. With all those winnings he’s incurred from the battle royale inside the sect’s walls, one more victory over at the Immortal Alliance Conference might’ve made Shizun the richest man alive.
Sadly, Luo Binghe has to be patient. There’ll be plenty of riches to shower his Shizun with later.
Now, however, the protective demon barrier is erected as per Zhao Hua Monastery’s instructions. Along with forty seven disciples of other sects, Luo Binghe does exactly what he should diligently. He couldn’t help but raise a few eyebrows at certain incantation passages, but Luo Binghe’s understanding of barriers is nowhere near complete enough to challenge the true masters of the art, so in the end, he ultimately lets all of those grievances go. If something is amiss, it will show soon enough.
Besides, within the venue are more than a hundred spirit eagles, all controlled by experts from Tian Yi Overlook and a few minor sects, standing guard little behind the front line holding the barrier. As the eagles soar through the skies, a panoramic view of the people and scenery below is projected onto the numerous crystal mirrors hanging up above Juedi Gorge, providing perfect imagery to all the Immortal Masters that have gathered to spectate.
Quickly, just shortly upon the entrance and the official beginning of the Conference, the initial rankings scores go up.
From among many familiar names, Luo Binghe smirks at one name only. It’ll be a tough race. Huan Hua Palace has sent the best they’ve got. In comparison to Gongyi Xiao, every other participant would seem wet behind the ears.
However, Cang Qiong Mountain has sent Liu Mingyan ─ and from what he knows about both of those two, Luo Binghe’s money is all on Xian Shu’s head disciple and recently crowned winner of the Battle Royale.
Her score, even as hours trickle by, is not very impressive, especially not compared to Gongyi Xiao’s instant top ranking ─ but not once has she dropped out of the top ten. It’s too early to show off, after all. Some people know that better than others.
More or less, as with every event that spans over multiple days, this first day is fairly uneventful. The scores themselves barely move much and the steady rise of Liu Mingyan through the rankings goes almost entirely unnoticed by the overly excited team of narrators that try their best to entertain the crowds. In fact, the duty of the barrier grunts, as Shizun calls them, is at this stage being no more than a beacon of light. The grind of maintenance, really, and as such, Luo Binghe truly has nothing clever to do. So, at some point of the night, he picks up the book from his Qiankun pouch, browsing through its pages curiously.
“Hey!” A Tian Yi senior shouts, the one in charge of the entire northern barrier beacon point. “Stop getting distracted! Focus on your job!”
Luo Binghe makes a show of putting the book away like a meek little junior, but really, he only hides it behind his sleeve. As if he’s going to let some stupid fool from Tian Yi Overlook treat him like an idiot.
However, the more he skims through the pages, the more something about it bothers him. The contents of this book… are really far too familiar. A lot of it is mere theorizing, from what it reads. The set up of the human body and soul and the spiritual chains linking the two together… As well as further theorizing on how those two things can possibly be linked back to each other once the connection is broken by death. He still doesn’t understand how any of it could have been applied to the demons in ways that would create what is now widely known to the world as Formless Demons. More importantly, the book seems to have come from Huan Hua Palace’s libraries directly, judging by several less common sigils, and more importantly, its handwritten and some of the passages are clearly just the author asking questions with no answer forthcoming…
A sudden wave of cold, icy dread washes over him. Luo Binghe closes his eyes, and he… he’s sure of it. He’s held this book in his hands before. The weight of it is familiar, as are its contents. The edges of it are far more worn out now, but…
With his eyes firmly closed, Luo Binghe goes through the pages until he gets to the last one, his fingertip tracing along the rough final page, partially torn. He doesn’t dare open his eyes. But he doesn’t need to do so in order to know what kind of passages may be written there.
After all, he doesn’t need to wonder anymore. In the hard covers, on the inner side, words have already been carved. Left there by Luo Binghe’s own claws, after months of sleepless nights that have finally given him all the missing pieces on how the Lingering Soul Ritual is intended to work. It is all in there, on the last few pages of this book, written by Luo Binghe’s own hands. And in the covers, his miserable plea, made way back when he still dared entertain the possibility of executing it.
Shizun, please…
Luo Binghe’s hands are shaking.
He tries to think, but the realization is slowly dawning.
The truth is, this… the Lingering Soul Ritual… in the end, he really had gathered up everything about it. He had prepared for everything, horrible though it may have sounded… and in the end, he was simply unable to go through with it.
A book was written by him on this topic, all the information collected inside it a result of Luo Binghe’s personal efforts across multiple years to understand what this method of revival truly entails… but in the end, he had not put his faith into it. The book was completed shortly before Shizun’s miraculous revival, Luo Binghe had kept it as a last resort, if the initial plan to break into the Holy Mausoleum ended up failing as well. But then Shizun had returned and Luo Binghe had…
He doesn’t remember what he’d done with the book. He doesn’t think he’d burned it. He wanted to. But Shizun had come back, and everything about Luo Binghe’s life had changed from thereon, and this… this was either left somewhere in Huan Hua Palace’s ice room that Luo Binghe built for Shizun, or else had been thrown back into the Huan Hua Palace’s libraries just as all the others.
Either way, this book should not exist here. It should not exist now.
The Luo Binghe of this time has not yet written it. The Luo Binghe of this time has never bothered ─ and never should have bothered.
So why does this exist? Why is this here? And how… how did it end up in Skinner’s hands?!
Shakily, Luo Binghe forces his eyes to open.
Just as expected, the full instructions on how to complete the Lingering Soul Ritual sit right there, in his own handwriting, exactly as he remembers it. However, there are two small lines crossed out, with words written above it in a different handwriting, but only slightly. A correction.
Instead of a willing human sacrifice offering their own spiritual power to rebuild the broken link, the correction is… is…
Luo Binghe shudders, a chilling, terrifying realization crashing down upon him. In Shang Hu city, hundreds of humans and animals alike have been sacrificed for the purposes of this ritual. Taking into account the entire Central Plains, those numbers should be nearing a thousand ─ that the cultivator sects know about. One such sacrifice is more than enough to create one Formless Demon. But with so many deaths already well known and documented… just how many Formless Demons have been created, just over the past few months?
More importantly, if not slaughtering their way across the human and demon realms… where the hell are they now?!
Luo Binghe’s head snaps up, towards Shizun, but… what can he possibly say? This… other than knowing for certain, that his own actions have given means to others to continue building upon his work, what… what does he know?
How does this book exist in a time where none of the things that have made it never even happened? How the fucking hell did someone like Skinner get it?!
And why… why does it feel as though something has just passed through the protective barrier of Juedi gorge?
Luo Binghe tenses, his senses sharpening.
Knowing how much thought went into designing this barrier, he is confident he alone would definitely be able to trigger it, if he were to try and step inside its boundary line now. So what could have passed through it now without triggering the alarms?
It is exactly midnight. High above, the tallies for the day have been calculated and Liu Mingyan is now only a few spirit beads behind Gongyi Xiao. The first day of the Immortal Alliance Conference has officially come to an end, and the second day has started. Luo Binghe feels his chest fill with dread.
“Shixiong,” he says to the cultivator from Tian Yi Overlook, his voice shaky. The man frowns at him, so he’s definitely listening. Luo Binghe wastes no words. “Don’t you feel something is up with the barrier?”
“Tch. Zhao Hua people made this barrier adjustable to small creatures, since plenty of them still live in this gorge. It was in the pamphlet. Didn’t you read? As long as it’s smaller than a beetle, it will pass through harmlessly. Shidi need not worry.”
Luo Binghe is pretty sure that if the disruption he’s felt were caused by a creature smaller than a beetle, then this kind of shimmering would have lasted all night long.
“What about malicious spirits?” he asks, unwilling to let this go so easily.
“Corporeal or not, nothing can pass through the barrier now that it’s been fully established,” the Shixiong grumbles. “Is this your first time maintaining a collective formation? Did you not read the instructions at all?”
It is precisely because Luo Binghe has read the instructions that he knows something is wrong.
Forget it. If the demons are going to invade, they’re going to invade regardless of what Luo Binghe does to prevent it. So what if it’s not Mobei Jun leading them this time around? If the Endless Abyss is fated to open, it’ll open no matter how much Luo Binghe wishes it’d stay shut. Pushing his unease away, he waits patiently.
It’s not a long time after that the screams start.
No one reacts at first.
Luo Binghe repeats five times that “Something is wrong” and his complaints fall on deaf ears, before a disciple comes running towards the exit point near Tian Yi Overlook’s cultivator, crying tears of blood.
“Let me go! Let me go! Let me OUT!”
The kid is hysterical. Twenty steps. Fifteen. The formation keepers are finally growing hesitant. No one knows what to do. The appropriate procedures for giving up have not been followed, they cannot merely open the barrier for this child at will.
Finally, the young disciple is almost at the exit, and the head of the northern point must make a decision. The Tian Yi Overlook cultivator has just opened his mouth to announce it ─ just as a claw pierces through the child’s chest from the back, ripping a still beating heart straight out of his chest. Parading it.
The Tian Yi senior screams.
The heart gripped inside the claw shrivels up and turns to ash, all of its life force sucked away, leaving nothing but a distinct smell of rot behind.
Countless other screams sound in the distance.
Luo Binghe whips his head around to where Shizun and majority of the other Immortal Masters have noticed the commotion as well and risen to their feet. His eyes are wide and horrified.
“Shizun,” he mouths, all too horrified that Shizun is all too far to hear his voice. But all along, they… preparing for this, both Shen Yuan and Luo Binghe had been convinced that demons were bound to attack the conference again, regardless of who takes charge now. A much scarier possibility has only occurred to Luo Binghe now, and seconds later, he has gotten the bloodiest confirmation he could have possibly imagined.
“Shizun,” he all but cries out, lips trembling. “This… is not a demon invasion. It’s not the demons invading at all!”
Behind him, the Tian Yi Overlook disciple screams soundlessly as his heart is ripped out of his chest in the same fashion as that young disciple’s, as if the barrier between the two has never existed. Something black and shadowy has slipped through in between, entirely unobstructed. A few moments later, the entirety of the protective barrier comes crashing down like a dome of shattered glass.
Luo Binghe whips his head around just in time to avoid a shadowy claw with no demonic presence whatsoever coming for him. He throws himself to the side, narrowly. Again and again. It comes back, over and over, but it has no physical form behind it, changing directions with ease and against all natural laws to get him.
It is merely a floating claw, bloody and faint, untouchable to Zheng Yang no matter how intently Luo Binghe tries to cut it down.
Once he finally catches his bearings enough, at the top of his lungs, Luo Binghe roars.
“It’s a Formless Demon attack! Retreat! I repeat! RETREAT NOW!”
A little while earlier
Coming into the Immortal Alliance Conference, Liu Mingyan has trained very hard in order to be able to rise above the challenges standing in her way. Consistently, she has worked on improving her physical strength, endurance, sword skills, knowledge and mental fortitude. Whether it is the demons or other contestants, Liu Mingyan entered the Juedi Gorge prepared to face whatever the world had to throw her way.
She has not, however, come prepared to see her prey get stolen right in front of her face for about the fifth time.
The boar monster which Liu Mingyan has set her eyes on is a big, burly, dangerous demon which would have instantly shot her up to the first place of the ranking boards once she cut it down, but in this mountainous region where it had great advantage, attacking it is unwise. So Liu Mingyan has gone about this carefully, bit by bit luring the demon away from the other disciples, to a clearing where she’d be able to safely confront it. She had to be very subtle about it, lest the demon got agitated too early, or attracted the attention of other contestants, thus she’s been working very carefully, very covertly and very low key.
And then, just as she was one step away from success ─
Gone.
The single demon carrying on it an equivalent of twenty prayer beads has fallen to another blade, one that has come from behind and cut the boar down, not lingering long enough for Liu Mingyan to even see this foul player’s face.
“Hey!” she exclaims, more than a little upset. Liu Mingyan is normally not harsh in her speech and she would not get petty over small things. But she has tirelessly worked for a long time, snuck through mud and creaks and all sorts of terrible terrain all alone ─ only for things to end like this.
It’s the same person. Again.
She cannot accept this.
She cannot forgive this.
No matter how fair it may be.
Quickly, she throws a look over her shoulder, where a certain Gongyi Xiao of Huan Hua Palace has successfully cemented himself number one of the scoreboard with more than three times the amount of points of the second place. Five times more than Mingyan’s current score. All of it built up by stealing her prey.
And while normally, Liu Mingyan wouldn’t mind this kind of underhanded competition ─ something tells her that with this, there is no competition whatsoever. After all, Gongyi Xiao has, to her attention, stolen not a single monster from anyone else except herself. And she knows exactly why.
“Hey!” Liu Mingyan shouts again, having realized that if she doesn’t move, this person will get away from her one more time.
Generally, clashes between cultivators are generally discouraged. Inside the barrier, attacking a fellow cultivator is grounds for immediate disqualification. So as soon as Liu Mingyan moves to catch up to Gongyi Xiao, the observer eagle soars the skies to follow her as obnoxiously as it can, to make it perfectly evident to everyone if she truly intends to break the rules.
Liu Mingyan does not care about the stupid bird or the stupid rules. She has no intention to fight a fellow disciple, no matter which sect he comes from, but to steal her prey not once, not twice, but six times has just about crossed all the lines. Even for a highly tolerant person, it is simply too much. Instead of chasing demons as everyone else, Liu Mingyan chases the coattails of a rival cultivator’s speedy weapon, uncaring of the consequences.
“Shijie?!”
“Shimei!”
“Yanyan, what the─”
Liu Mingyan flashes past even her fellow Xian Shu sisters and other Cang Qiong disciples, following the rustle of trees and a faint trace of spiritual energy only she can see. Not one person has ever managed to run from her, so neither will this one. Clearly, the Gongyi clan has made it their personal goal in life to irritate her all around. Which is fine, outside these grounds. Pushing her around here, provoking her and testing her patience like this ─ it’s quite enough.
Pulling Shui Se out of its scabbard, Liu Mingyan cuts down multiple small demons along her way, but not even with multiple beads collected does she come anywhere near matching Gongyi Xiao’s score. She doesn’t even come close to second place, because just before she is about to score another five beads, Gongyi Xiao steals them away. In front of her nose!
AARGH! Get back here!
The night has long since fallen and the end of the first day is about to strike. Liu Mingyan knows there’s plenty of time to make up for this steep difference over the six more days, how long this conference stretches, but this is no longer a matter of competition. It has become a matter of pride. Being stolen from once, she can forgive. But this many times?! Over reasons that have nothing to do with the conference itself?
No. Liu Mingyan repeats no mistakes.
This one also must be nipped in the bud.
She arrives just as this infamous Gongyi Xiao summons his blade to his hand, preparing to strike at a Fang Liang, a giant, foul creature that consumes the brain of the dead. He has finally slowed down, for what he is confronting is some sort of a weird combination of a pig and a sheep with enough anthropomorphic characteristics to stand on its hind legs and fight with its fists. Generally, other than being big and burly, these demons are harmless to the living ─ but one would not want to see a dead body anywhere near it, for it turns into a ravenous starved beast.
Too engaged in the fight and all too intently searching for an opening, Gongyi Xiao is not at all prepared that, previously the hunter, now he becomes the bait.
Mingyan holds none of his hesitation towards a monster of this size. She has dealt with much worse. Her attack is simple and precise.
Before Gongyi Xiao can so much as swing his stupid sword and get in her way, Shui Se pierces the demon’s chest. The giant beast almost as tall as a tree topples over in his direction, leaving the Huan Hua disciple only a slight chance to get out of its way. A cloud of dust shoots up in the air as the heavy body hits the ground.
Liu Mingyan merely smiles to herself as she watches from the nearby tree. All of the demon’s many prayer beads are awarded solely to Liu Mingyan. Finally.
Her ranking shoots up to second place after hours of trying, coming up to about half of her current rival’s existing score.
Gongyi Xiao lands on top of the branch just slightly below hers, and this position puts them at the exact same height. He brushes some dirt away from his nose. His body is relaxed and his smile light and amused, but his eyes hold intelligence and sharpness that cannot be underestimated. Liu Mingyan’s eyes go over the blade sheathed on his hip, a beautiful hilt of crystal-like soft blue color all too familiar.
And, beyond it, tied up around his wrist…
Liu Mingyan pauses. Ah, she really misses that ribbon. But sure, it seems to have done it's job.
You can handle both at the same time now? That’s quick.
She doesn’t say it, of course. Gongyi Xiao knows exactly where she’s looking, after all, and he isn’t bothering to hide anything away.
Fine, then. Mingyan will look.
Momentarily closing her eyes, once she opens them again, the world explodes in color.
And between Gongyi Xiao and his sheathed blade, a connection that should have not been so easily repairable flickers again. The connection with the soul-bound blade, restored, no matter how thin and fragile it may be. But her array hasn’t been undone either. It hasn’t broken. So, how in the world─
“Young Miss Liu─”
Liu Mingyan blinks and the colors disappear, her heart climbing to her throat to find Gongyi Xiao leaning in so close. Immediately, she jumps back and twists in the air, until she lands on the ground, her whole body unnaturally tense. How did she not ─ when did he…
But it’s far too late to be asking any questions. Gongyi Xiao lands down beside her a moment later, frowning.
“Young Miss Liu? Is everything alright? For a moment, your eyes─”
Liu Mingyan pointedly looks away from him as he tries to grab in another look, at the same time trying not to make it as obvious she is hiding ─ it is a pathetic attempt. All members of the Gongyi clan must be stubborn and persistent, however, because the more she attempts to withdraw, the closer he comes. Liu Mingyan keeps taking steps back, one by one, pointedly avoiding his eyes, mostly out of fear of what he might find in hers still ─ the both sides of her contrasting heritage often show, at times like these ─ but there should be nothing anymore.
For a moment, she’s forgotten how much focusing on the spiritual flows blinds her to other things, but that shouldn’t… now, her eyes shouldn’t look any different than normal, no? She’s not doing anything, she’s just─
Her back hits a tree and she stumbles, breath hitching.
Gongyi Xiao is looming over her, close but not close enough for it to be inappropriate, not really. His eyes are, notably, a little less suspicious now. The monster projecting their interaction for everyone to watch is following them even more intently.
Even on the screens, it probably looks as though Gongyi Xiao is attempting to help.
To help me hide… my eyes?
Liu Mingyan glances up towards the screens, but that’s… a dangerous assumption. Her eyes are hidden away from those birds, but whether he’s done it intentionally…
I should probably find a chance to ask, sometime.
Not right now. Definitely not right now.
“Is Young Miss Liu alright?” Gongyi Xiao asks, and his voice is almost… concerned?
If not for Liu Mingyan already knowing something is wrong with all of this, just the sound of genuine concern would have lulled her into blind naivety. She doesn’t answer.
The young master of the Gongyi clan sighs. “It’s impressive. Beating a Fang Liang in one move is a great achievement, Miss Liu. This one is merely concerned over whether or not Miss Liu has gotten stained with any of its acidic blood.”
Liu Mingyan tips her chin down, feigning shyness. Her words, however, are cutting “Young Master Gongyi has already done most of the work for me. There is truly no need to worry about this humble one.”
She catches the moment his eyes flicker over to the scoreboard hanging high above, where Mingyan’s name under his is now behind by barely thirty beads. Then he goes back to staring at her, not-quite smiling anymore.
“Cang Qiong Mountain certainly has some interesting tactics, relying on other sects to do their work for them.”
“At least, Cang Qiong Mountain gives credit where credit is due. Have a pleasant evening, Young Master Gongyi.”
Liu Mingyan then smoothly steps around him, just in time for a tiny demon bird to come charging at Gongyi Xiao’s back. Of course, the demon is too frail and too weak, defeated with one backhanded swing of the Huan Hua cultivator’s sword, but the momentary look of shock morphing into outright panic was absolutely worth the effort Liu Mingyan went through to obscure the demon’s presence from his perception.
A moment later, Gongyi Xiao rushes to catch up to her, sighing. “Does the esteemed cultivator of Cang Qiong Mountain find something displeasing about this one? This is not the first time you’ve mercilessly attacked me,” he says, apparently stubborn enough not to let things end while there was still a chance of handling this peacefully. “Or is it merely out of the kindness of her heart that Miss Liu has messed up my spiritual flow and nearly ruined my cultivation?”
Liu Mingyan swallows a lump, but she doesn’t slow down in her movements, nor does she face him. “Young Master Gongyi seems to have resolved that matter just fine.”
Nevermind that it shouldn’t have been possible. Not so quickly. It’s been a mere few months. How could he be capable of fixing those kinds of things which most great masters might’ve struggled with for decades? Just… how? She really wants to ask.
What kind of a dangerous technique he must have resorted to, in order to repair the damaging connection between his spiritual core and a soul-bound weapon that likely doesn’t even belong to him? A blade whose power flows in different ways than anything his soul should be comfortable with, and yet he still relies upon it? More pressingly, how is he even standing here, keeping up with her speed without doubling over in sheer agony? For all her gripes with the Gongyi clan as a whole, what she’s done in the past, she truly hasn’t done it with the intention to harm this person.
Clearly, however, that’s not how he sees it ─ and Liu Mingyan cannot blame him for it. She can feel his eyes boring into the side of her face, stubborn, but not quite… not angry. No. Apprehensive, perhaps? Like he’s trying to lift the veil and scratch deep into the secrets she’s hiding. But there are too many. None of which Mingyan would willingly share with him.
As things stand, Gongyi Xiao is no mere rival. He is an enemy ─ one that Liu Mingyan cannot afford to help any longer.
“Miss Liu’s choice of words is quite questionable. It leaves this one speechless,” he says.
“What is questionable is Young Master Gongyi’s choice to rely on a sword that won’t obey him,” Liu Mingyan returns, icily.
Gongyi Xiao snorts ─ then whips a hand out, swings it as though there is already a sword in his hand and he is trying to cut through something behind him. The movement surprises Liu Mingyan to the point she, too, stops, only to realize that the sword is gone.
“What are you…” but she trails off, as Gongyi Xiao closes his eyes and, holding his index and middle fingers together, as he keeps moving his hands up and down, leaving a thin trail of spiritual power behind. So, the soul-bound sword allows him even that high level of control?
It should not be impressive at all, yet something about it reeks of a certain wrongness that Liu Mingyan cannot put into words. Not a minute later, the scoreboard changes one more time, granting Gongyi Xiao five additional prayer beads.
Liu Mingyan stares at him blankly.
It’s not until the spiritual weapon returns back to his side that Gongyi Xiao opens his eyes again, smiling her way.
“Ah, it’s a technique,” he says, seemingly demure, even a little humble, even if she doesn’t ask, as though he is trying to subtly impress her. “As long as I have enough peace and quiet to focus, I can use my weapon to inspect the surroundings around me and even defeat demons from a good distance away. Apologies to Miss Liu, if this has somehow gotten in her way before. I’m much better at detecting demons than fellow cultivators.”
“Most cultivators can control their spiritual weapon from afar,” Liu Mingyan says, even if the very nature of that sword should be in complete dissonance with the rules of the conference on the whole… No, forget it. Whatever he is doing should be of no concern to me. Besides, speaking of the strict rules, Liu Mingyan has broken quite a few of them herself. Might’ve been better not to have done so, but she doesn’t trust Huan Hua Palace not to use that information against her, so she has refrained.
To Gongyi Xiao, she says, “Young Master Gongyi makes a good effort, trying to impress this humble one, either way.”
The Huan Hua disciple actually smiles, but there is not even a shred of amusement in his eyes. “This is the only way I am able to use it now, after what Miss Liu has done. Is Miss Liu going to at least attempt to come up with an excuse?”
Liu Mingyan looks him up and down a second time, but this time, doesn’t take the provocation to look at the spiritual flows.
First, because it’s obvious that Gongyi Xiao is trying to bait her into it again. What for? She doesn’t know. She has fallen for it the first time, but she will hardly let herself fall for the same trick again.
Second, because his provocations come with a certain level of tension that she neither cares to feed nor quell. Even explaining what she’s done to assist him the first time was clearly a mistake that’s now come to bite her.
But before she can say anything either way, screams echo in the distance. They are many and varied. Screams of terror, pain and fear, from every direction, at low volume or high, all at once. The two of them share a look, stunned. The hairs on the back of Liu Mingyan’s neck rise.
As she attempts to follow the screams, he grabs her by the elbow, trapping her in place. “Hey! We’re not done here─”
But Liu Mingyan’s head whips back suddenly as she screams, “MOVE!”
Of course, Gongyi Xiao doesn’t. So Liu Mingyan strikes his shoulder with a blast of pure spiritual power, forcing him to let go and simultaneously throwing him against a nearby tree. Thanks to such a quick reaction, his body narrowly misses a pair of bodiless claws that have come striking at him from behind. Before the claw has fully realized its missed its mark, Liu Mingyan cuts through it with Shui Se ─ essentially cutting nothing.
“What?” Gongyi Xiao mumbles, wide-eyed, as he scrambles to get up. Instantly, the claw targets him again, and it’s only his quick reaction, throwing himself to the side, that saves him from five deep holes in his chest. “What the─?! What is happening? Miss Liu, watch out─!”
With a single fluid motion, Liu Mingyan cuts a shallow line inside her palm, striking at the claw with the bloodied edge of her sword, infused with her Qi. Without fail, Shui Se tears the claw into two pieces by the middle, dispersing both the pieces in a cloud of black smoke. Danger mitigated slightly, Liu Mingyan turns over to inspect the Huan Hua cultivator for injuries. There is a small cut in the clothes on his back, but no blood. Good.
“We cannot stay here,” she says, offering her hand.
Gongyi Xiao’s eyes dart over from the mass of black smoke to her hand then back, his mouth forming words that don’t reach her ears. Impatiently, Liu Mingyan snaps her fingers in front of him. “Shixiong, let’s go.”
“Ah.” Clearly, Gongyi Xiao understands the severity of the situation, for he takes her offered hand and follows with not a word more.
Moving through the dense trees deep inside the Juedi Gorge, they stick close and keep an eye out the whole way. It’s only after a while, as Gongyi Xiao realizes that screams are only coming closer that he asks, “Where are we going exactly?”
“To get rid of the next one, of course.”
Instantly, Gongyi Xiao blanches. “But how, how did you─?” but he trails off. They’ve made some distance now, but he still notices the bodiless claw that has attacked him beginning to reform. “I heard that Formless Demons are impossible to slay. How did you─”
“Make no mistake, this one has done nothing but delay it for a short time,” Liu Mingyan clarifies. “Destroying them completely is truly difficult.”
“But then, if someone else runs into it─”
“Gongyi-shixiong. That claw is merely a piece of a Formless Demon. Even if I were to slay it a hundred times, I have only slayed its claw. Who knows where the rest of its form hides? They are able to do with themselves whatever they wish ─ there is no point hunting a piece when it holds no mark of a ritual for us to destroy.”
Gongyi Xiao is pale and visibly frightened, but he is clever. “As long as the main form survives, that claw will keep coming back, yes. But how do we find the rest of the Formless Demon before it finds us─” but he cuts himself off, as the two unexpectedly stumble on the body of a cultivator with a hole in its chest, carelessly thrown aside.
It’s a young girl, with her eyes wide open and face aghast even in death. The clothes she wears have no other identifying elements aside from a plaque hanging on her waist, drenched in blood. Belatedly, Mingyan notices the plaque to be identical to the one hanging on Gongyi Xiao’s waist. Instantly, Liu Mingyan feels a wave of sympathy.
Gongyi Xiao kneels on the ground next to the poor girl, shaken. “Qin-shimei…” he whispers, his hand shaking slightly as he closes her eyes.
When he looks up at Liu Mingyan, his eyes are heavy with emotion. Whatever animosity has existed between them has now been pushed aside in favor of much more serious issues ─ and Gongyi Xiao shows no hesitance about it even for a moment. “Miss Liu, this girl… Qin Wanrong was a young cultivator, she would certainly not be traversing this area at night alone. This one─”
“Mm, I know,” Liu Mingyan says, low and a little hoarse. It’s not the first time she has looked death in the face, but it doesn’t get easier, the more times she does. It must be much worse for him, for he knows this girl by name. What goes unsaid between them, but it may as well have been screamed, is that they must find the others who were with her.
Gongyi Xiao swallows thickly. “Even at the expense of not being able to track down these demons, the conference right now─”
“Forget the conference,” Liu Mingyan says, softly. “If we don’t track these Formless Demons down, they will track us down first. When it comes to such things, I much prefer acting offensively. I hope Shixiong doesn’t mind.”
Gongyi Xiao nods silently. It seems that their thoughts are quite similar. Good. Besides, if there really is no better option, Liu Mingyan has a way to lure these beasts to come looking for her instead of chasing the innocents everywhere around. Of course, to even consider doing so, she must prepare herself properly and have someone beside her that she trusts, unless she is to simply end her life prematurely. But before that, there is also the option of baiting them with something else. After all, this Formless Demon, for all it had ample opportunity to come for Liu Mingyan, has instead chosen to attack Gongyi Xiao. There must be a reason for it. What is it?
Looking at the cultivator beside her, she asks, “Do you have a way to track your sect disciples?”
“... none that will adhere to the Conference rules.”
“Forget the rules. The barrier protecting the gorge hasn’t done its job. There’s no time to worry about arbitrary rules.”
Gongyi Xiao nods, then launches a talisman up in the air. Unlike countless other similar ones that have flown up over the past few minutes, this one doesn’t explode as a beacon of emergency light. Instead, it seems to be creating some sort of an odd smoke, dispersing it in all directions, until a few moments later, Gongyi Xiao points at one of the many passages between the trees.
Liu Mingyan moves. With no time to worry about the implications and no confidence to make careless assumptions, the only thing she can now do is counter the Formless Demons the only way she knows how.
As it is, she is not too worried for her martial sisters of Xian Shu peak. After their previous encounter with the Formless Demons and in spite of Shizun’s merciless scolding and harsh punishment, Liu Mingyan’s technique of infusing Qi with her blood to strike at the Formless Demons remains the only technique that has successfully caused those demons harm. Yes, it is a dark, dangerous cultivation technique. Yes, Shizun has forbidden her to use it again. But Liu Mingyan is not the sort of person to obey silly commands made on principle alone.
Most of Xian Shu peak thus, is well familiar with both the details of the Hong district mission and the solution that’s come out of it, in spite of its dangerous origins ─ for Shizun has made it quite clear they should not use it ─ not unless they’re at risk of certain death.
Mingyan is pretty sure that the current situation is dire enough that even Shizun won’t mind if they skirt around the rules for a little while. Too many people have already lost their lives. Moreover, Formless Demons hunt humans for fun, but they hunt other demons for sustenance. And Juedi Gorge is currently chock full of both. They must fight with everything they’ve got.
Finally, as Huan-shishu has already made clear, there is truly only one way to finally destroy the Formless Demons ─ and it is to destroy the flower mark of the ritual that created them to begin with. Either spiritual and heavenly power should be able to do so ─ but the chance they will get is probably only one. These demons, after all, are highly aware of their weak points. They protect them diligently and they may just be able to protect this weak point from anyone ─ except Liu Mingyan.
With a talisman of her own detailing the specifics of the instructions on what must be done, Liu Mingyan launches it up in the air. With a snap of her fingers, one talisman becomes hundreds, flying in all directions for anyone willing to catch them.
Then she brandishes Shui Se and prepares to fight.
Notes:
I may or may not have given this warning before, but the Conference is gonna be a helluva ride! Be ready boys and girls!
Chapter 49: Traps
Chapter Text
Though Shen Yuan has long since mentally prepared for the mess that the Immortal Alliance Conference is bound to be, as he watches the all-encompassing scene of chaos play out before him, his scalp goes numb and his spine chills. Demons! He’s been expecting demons! Black Moon Rhinoceros Python! Nu Yuan Chan! Ghost spiders! Maybe even Mobei Jun stabbing them in the back after explicitly agreeing not to get in their way! Not this merry band of airborne demon claws gouging out disciples' hearts like an arcade claw machine gone wild!
Outside of Juedi gorge, pandemonium has broken out in the spectators area as well. Tian Yi Overlook’s cultivators are shouting amongst themselves, “What’s happening? The demonic beasts chosen for the Immortal Alliance Conference were determined by strict rules and meticulous selection. Zhao Hua Monastery’s barrier has followed the highest standards! How could Formless Demons get inside?!”
Someone else shouts back, “Half of the disciples holding up the barrier are gone!”
Shen Yuan nods to himself. Sure. That would do it.
Then he pales, remembering Luo Binghe is one among those many disciples.
Like, he isn’t worried Luo Binghe might get hurt ─ not at this point ─ but a chill goes down his spine anyway.
Still, hearing this exchange brings a whole new dawning realization to everybody. The protective barrier has collapsed. More than thousands of demons captured for the purposes of the Conference have been set loose and who knows how many Formless Demons are flying around, decimating disciples. At this rate, there is nothing to stop them from doing the same to the inhabited villages nearby. And the nearest one is just a river canyon away.
“There is no time,” Yue Qingyuan says urgently, rising before anyone else can. “Huan-shimei. Join Zhao Hua Monastery and set up a new formation that will prevent the demons from advancing anywhere near the inhabited areas. Palace Master, your sect has great advantage in technique mastery and good sword form ─ please, guard this new barrier diligently. The rest of you, if you will please follow this one and head directly into the gorge. Our disciples’ lives are at stake.”
For all the hours wasted on petty squabbles over the smallest little detail when preparing the event, right now, everybody is too stunned to reply. In fact, they are so stunned that nobody even calls out Yue Qingyuan for his boldness to order the other sects around. Meanwhile, Huan Qingyan prompts the abbots of Zhao Hua Monastery to move, and it is only then that the old men all become well aware of what’s at stake. The Old Palace Master, however loath he may look to admit it, knows well there is no better way about it. Within minutes, the spectators area is abandoned completely.
Among many other cultivators, Shen Yuan, with Yue Qingyuan to his left and Liu Qingge to his right, lands into Juedi Gorge right on time to catch sight of Luo Binghe clashing mercilessly with a bodiless claw, the entirely of his left arm mangled and bloody.
“Watch out!” that silly disciple shouts over his shoulder, just as another claw bursts out of nowhere and comes straight for Shen Yuan ─ but it disperses into a cloud of black dust, neatly shredded asunder by Cheng Luan.
“Tch,” Liu Qingge spits out, a drop of blood hitting the ground from the tip of his blade. “This isn’t gonna keep it busy even for five minutes. What the fuck is going on?!”
Shen Yuan, for his part, is having trouble lifting his jaw off the ground. After months and months of effort invested in finding a surefire way to deal with Formless Demons, the best solution Shen Yuan could produce was luring the freaks over to some ugly and smelly poisonous miasma deep inside the Southern Demon Realm, And here is Liu Qingge, ending this whole thing in but a moment. How is this fair?! How is it possible?! Is the universe falling apart before his eyes?! Liu-shidi! This is not the time to steal the Protagonist's spotlight!!
Not that Luo Binghe looks particularly offended by it, not really. His expression is very dark, yes, but all of that distaste seems directed right at the ghost-demon things causing chaos.
“They’ve gotten too strong and are feeding off of demons in the Gorge to get even stronger. So, I don’t understand. Why is it the cultivators that they are going after?” that silly child is saying.
“You mean, there is a purpose to this madness?” Shen Yuan asks, stunned. From what he has seen, there has never been any real logic to the trouble Formless Demons caused. It has always been about stirring trouble as much as possible, no more and no less.
Luo Binghe obviously disagrees. “Shizun, there has to be. The ritual that pieces them together is too complex to be done for no reason at all. Someone is looking to cause all this destruction ─ and all these stupid wraiths flying around are just the means to an end.”
“Yeah, claws and all,” Liu Qingge spits out. “Where the fuck is the rest of the body?! With nothing but claws to chase, we’ll never see the end of this!”
But Luo Binghe shakes his head, teeth tearing at his lip. “I don’t ─ I can’t tell. Could be anywhere. Underground. Inside trees, rocks, water… They are Formless Demons. They need no air and no Qi ─ merely the life force of their own kind to sustain themselves.”
“We must gather the disciples to a safe place,” Yue Qingyuan says. “Staying scattered this way is going to be devastating.”
“No!” Shen Yuan explodes, a flashing memory of just how quickly all the demons in the Southern Realm all lost their lives the moment they were all trapped in the same place. That is a recipe for absolute disaster so long as they have no means of stopping them!
Next to him, Liu Qingge nods. “Exactly. Hell nah. Gathering in one place may be exactly what the bastards want! Much easier to kill everyone if you don’t have to stretch yourself thin looking for them!”
“Either way, staying here is a waste of time,” Yue Qingyuan insists.
“There is a flower inside Juedi gorge,” Shen Yuan says suddenly, inviting all sorts of bewildered looks to himself. He knows it’s stupid, just listen for a minute! “It is a blessed lotus of some kind, but it can ward off all sorts of demonic influences. Make that the gathering place if you must. But it’s questionable whether it’s enough to ward off these demons, too.”
“Then, that’s what we try. Take care of yourselves,” Yue Qingyuan says, then heads south.
“Someone get Mu Qingfang OUT THERE!” Liu Qingge roars over his shoulder before he, too, picks a side. In spite of many, many people around them, not a single one of them has noticed where their best medic has disappeared off too ─ and Mu Qingfang has been the first one of them all to move. This is not the time to play hide and seek, alright?!
Just as Shen Yuan is about to head down a certain path, too, Liu Qingge comes back and drags him by the back of his robes, a little like he’s dragging a disobedient child.
“Shidi?! What?!” Shen Yuan protests, all of which his Shidi entirely ignores. Stunned, he looks to Luo Binghe for help ─ but the Protagonist, too, is walking by Liu Qingge’s side as though dragging Shizun around like a sack of potatoes is perfectly fine! Their expressions are their own particular brands of darkness, and no matter how much Shen Yuan thrashes around, neither one even looks his way. “Hey! Luo Binghe! Liu-shidi! Liu Qingge! What the hell?!”
“Shizun, just do as he says for now,” Luo Binghe says, and the bloody mass of mangled flesh of his left arm is his sole clue that, if not for the wound being so bad, the one doing the dragging might as well have been Luo Binghe.
“Your face was plastered all over this shit from day one,” Liu Qingge snaps, visibly pissed. “This will come to an end at some point ─ and when it does, you’ll be the first to be blamed for it.”
That’s ─ what?! Who fucking cares about the blame?! Kids are dying! Liu Qingge! What the fuck is wrong with your priorities?!
“Shizun,” Luo Binghe says, just as grim. “Are you certain that it’s not Shang Qinghua who has betrayed the sect?”
… what?
Shen Yuan digs his heels into the dirt, knowing that it will be nowhere near enough to stop the Bai Zhan War God ─ but Liu Qingge must’ve been more amenable than Shen Yuan expects, for at the first resistance, his Shidi stops walking, too. Then on second look, it turns out that Liu Qingge is staring at Luo Binghe in the absolute same fashion that Shen Yuan wishes he himself were.
“What?” the Bai Zhan Peak Lord says, stunned. “Shang Qinghua did what?”
“Someone tipped off Sha Hualing when to come, someone used Shizun’s seal to derail the investigation of the missing weapons and someone has to have been feeding info to the other sects about all of Cang Qiong Mountain’s most relevant activities, or else how would the other sects be able to sabotage them all so thoroughly?” Luo Binghe says, frigidly. “I have given Shang Qinghua the benefit of the doubt on Shizun’s behest. However, if he is somehow involved with the creation of Formless Demons as well─”
“He isn’t,” Shen Yuan snaps, before this silly non-issue can further derail the critical situation at hand! Is this the time to be hunting traitors?! Either way! “Shang Qinghua is clear. He’s got nothing to do with this.”
“But, Shizun─”
“I’ve cleared him of all suspicion at the same time I cleared the rest. Shang Qinghua, Wei Qingwei, Wu Qinggang, Hou Qingyu. They are all in the clear.” Seriously, Binghe?! Is now the time to talk about this?! But apparently, with Liu Qingge now staring at both of them, looking like he’ll soon start raging, perhaps it’s best to get this out of the way first. He makes Liu-shidi drop the hold on the back of his robes and fixes them up, glaring at them both. “Counting also Liu-shidi and Zhangmen-shixiong, that’s more than half the peak lords I personally investigated. They are fine. I know why Binghe might still be suspicious of his Shang-shishu, but this is not the time.”
Luo Binghe’s face remains dark. “He isn’t? For sure?”
“Yes,” Shen Yuan says, with no room for argument. “Or does Binghe suspect I messed this up?”
That silly child avoids looking at his eyes, but he murmurs, “No, Shizun.”
Just as Shen Yuan allows himself to hope that this is over and done with, Liu Qingge pops in with ─ “What about the rest of them?”
“Is this really the time?” Shen Yuan snaps. “People are dying out there!”
“What about the rest?” Liu Qingge reiterates.
“I don’t know, alright?!” Shen Yuan explodes. “Nothing stands out! Those who don’t leave the sect often, like Mu-shidi, I’ve left for last. For those like Qi-shimei who are almost always out, the work was too much. I’m nowhere near done ─ and it doesn’t matter. Zhangmen-shixiong thinks other ways have been used to acquire this internal information and the longer this goes on, the more I’m inclined to agree─”
“No, there’s definitely someone,” Liu Qingge says, scowling. “We’ve scoured the marble room for curses and artifacts multiple times, there was nothing. The info on my missions that’s gotten out is stuff that has been brought up in the peak lord meetings and nowhere else. It has to be someone.”
“And I’ve thoroughly investigated that angle too,” Shen Yuan says, all too impatient. “I’ve tracked all the information leaking out and cross-referenced it with those who showed up in meetings at the time ─ but someone is always absent. Getting further into this now is a waste of time!”
Luo Binghe grimaces, but ultimately sighs. “Fine. We should leave this aside for now. But Shizun. These Formless Demons are the essence of demonic consciousness. To destroy them, destroying the ritual mark is essential ─ but not everyone is going to be able to do it.”
“Right,” Shen Yuan says. “Your point?”
Luo Binghe looks him in the eyes, visibly conflicted over whatever he means to say, but then his eyes flicker over to Liu Qingge and his expression sours even more. Finally, he sighs. “Shizun should stay close to Liu-shishu, for now. All of these Formless Demons will inevitably come after me sooner or later, they always do ─ and I am more than capable of handling them alone.”
Capable how?! Luo Binghe, are you not seeing the state of your arm?!
“Out of the question!” Shen Yuan exclaims. “We are not splitting up─”
“Shizun said it himself,” Luo Binghe cuts him off, mercilessly. “Disciples are dying. Liu-shishu and Liu-shimei, they are able to handle this just as easily as me ─ but it’s not the same for the rest. We don’t know who else among the disciples has the right heritage. And while spiritual power alone should be more than enough to destroy the ritual mark ─ if these Formless demons have the smarts, too many still might die before they ever find it. By splitting up, we cover more ground. Right, Shishu?”
Liu Qingge looks on the verge of agreeing by sheer instinct ─ but then he bites his tongue. “Don’t drag me into this. I don’t like either option.”
“I don’t get it. We just find the ritual mark and we cut. Not that frigging hard─”
“Except when the damn things go whoosh and all you cut is for naught,” Liu Qingge cuts in, sharply.
“Then that technique Liu-shidi performed, with the blood─”
“Not you,” Liu Qingge hisses. His eyes narrow slightly. “Well, it might work. But unlikely. You’re susceptible to all sorts of dark influences, so better not try.”
“What?” Shen Yuan blanches.
Next to him, Luo Binghe is even paler. “What do you mean, susceptible to dark influences?!”
Liu Qingge manages to somehow both glare at them and look as though he pities them. Ultimately, he settles his eyes on Shen Yuan. “Anyway, that shitty blood curse you got stuck with. Now that I can compare, it’s similar to the glue keeping these bastards from falling apart. Not the same,” he stresses, when Luo Binghe looks like he might just lose his mind, “but the root of it is similar. And that shit can cause a mess.”
Shen Yuan stares at him blankly. The… root of what? The blood curse? Was that not just a Xin Mo─
Oh. Wait. That’s not even ─ Xin Mo might actually be involved with the ritual, that’s right. That matches with the information he had from Nan Jiang ─ but not with what Liu Qingge and Huan Qingyan told him about. Either way, if Xin Mo is a factor in all of this, doesn’t that mean that leaving Luo Binghe alone is an even worse idea than previously thought?!
“Shizun,” Binghe says then, softly. The look on his face is… Shen Yuan doesn’t know what to make of it. Dark. Worried. Stubborn. It’s all of that at once and none of it, as he takes a deep breath and says, “Stay with Liu-shishu, for now. This disciple will be perfectly fine.”
Before Shen Yuan can so much as open his mouth, that child turns to Liu Qingge, the fire blazing in his eyes threatening to burn them all to chars. “The Formless Demons ultimately want one thing at a time ─ and so whatever they’re here to do, they will forget about it the moment they smell my blood. It’s always been like that ─ in the Endless Abyss, in the demon realm, and even back in Yuju mountain. Any single one of them you find, send them my way. I am going to destroy them all.”
Liu Qingge, the nutcase, nods. Shen Yuan cannot fucking believe this.
Luo Binghe sighs. “I leave Shizun in your care, then.”
And then that brat is gone ─ leaping into the air like a fucking protagonist of a stupid fucking cultivation novel─!!!
Shen Yuan is halfway to following after that crazy black sheep before he’s yanked back by Liu-shidi, the Bai Zhan Peak Lord glaring daggers at him. “You’re with me now. Stay close.”
Stay close, what?! Shen Yuan is going to lose his fucking mind─
[System Notice! System Warning! The critical quest <The Endless Abyss and Endless Hatred, a Lifetime of Resentment> is soon to start! If it is not successfully completed, twenty thousand protagonist satisfaction points will be deducted!]
Oh, you too, shut the fuck up.
Shen Yuan twists his shoulder free, and can tell that Liu Qingge is now watching him like a hawk, as if trying to guess when his reckless Shixiong might try to run. He wants to, right now! But obviously, if Luo Binghe doesn’t want him around at this point in time, fine. It’s not like Shen Yuan doubts his ability to handle these stupid broken demons at all. If anyone can do it, it’s Luo Binghe! But apparently it’s also Liu-shidi and his sister too and that’s just ─ really, the only one feeling out of his depth here is definitely Shen Yuan.
And that stupid uglyass notification blaring in the corner of his vision is a vivid reminder, as such.
More than anything, what Shen Yuan doesn’t want is Luo Binghe ending up in that shitty hellhole one more time. And knowing the broken System and its nasty antics, surely he’ll get the front row seat to watch ─ or else once again be forced into making it so.
Reassured that, at least the finale of this stupid arc isn’t going to happen without him, one way or another, Shen Yuan takes a breath to calm down and looks at the shidi beside him, resigned.
“All yours, I guess. Now what?”
On cue, a blood-curdling scream comes from nearby.
The two of them share a look. Right. He really shouldn’t have tempted fate that way.
“Northeast,” Liu Qingge says ─ damn his overly sharp senses ─ and off they go, chasing a demonic ghost-like zombie from hell.
System, Shen Yuan promises in his heart, if you dare chuck Luo Binghe into the Abyss without me around, I am going to tear all of your shitty coding apart!
[...]
[System Notice! System Warning! The critical quest <The Endless Abyss and Endless Hatred, a Lifetime of Resentment> is soon to start! If it is not successfully completed, thirty thousand protagonist satisfaction points will be deducted!]
Oh, fuck off, you cheating bastard. Fuck off!
Liu Mingyan cuts through regular demons and formless demons both, just as though she’s dancing, with Shui Se almost as a natural extension of her body, leaving soft hues of bloody red lingering behind.
It doesn’t really make a difference, no matter how hard she tries.
The demons that fall under her blade still become fuel for their unliving counterparts, even if perhaps the impact of it is a little lesser. She doesn’t have a way to tell. Demonic qi is demonic qi no matter what, but even when her eyes seek out the formless wraiths, all she really sees is the single glowing ritual mark amongst a smoke of darkness, as unhelpful as it’s always been.
At least, since she sees this much, she knows where to strike.
The Formless humanoid demon shrieks as Shui Se sinks through the brightly glowing ritual mark, the blade coated in Liu Mingyan’s blood. Rather than disperse into smoke and fog, this one shrivels up and wails in despair, until nothing remains but ash and dust. For a moment, this clearing, too, lingers in eerie silence.
Then the child who nearly lost her life falls on her butt, tears streaming down her cheeks as she wails into the night.
Gongyi Xiao takes it over from there, immediately inspecting the young girl for injuries or any other ailments. “It’s okay. Everything is alright. It’s over now. Everything’s fine.” But no matter what he says, the child just wails louder. Mingyan wants to help ─ she truly does. But her clothes are covered in blood, her arm shredded with self-inflicted cuts. More than anything, she knows that coming near that girl is just going to give her an even worse fright.
“Look at me now, come on. Tell this Shixiong. What’s your name? Which is your sect?”
The young girl sniffs, only barely pulling herself together for a moment to sob, “This one ─ this one is Song Miaomiao. Xianmo sect.”
… what?
But even as Liu Mingyan looks at her in alarm ─ since when was the Xianmo sect allowed to take part? ─ Gongyi Xiao makes no comment at all. Expertly, he calms the child down and instructs her to hide, offering up a talisman that he has drawn.
“This is the Huan Hua Palace’s phantom talisman. Rely on your senses and not your vision ─ and use it only if something is close enough, alright? This can only hide you if it knows what it’s hiding you from.”
The little girl nods, sobbing out a miserable thank you, then runs off. Liu Mingyan stares after her as she goes, a little at a loss.
“Let’s go,” Gongyi Xiao says, as he straightens up. “We’ve barely gotten half-way to the eastern exit point. There’s no time─ Miss Liu? Miss Liu? Is something the matter?”
“Huh? Ah…” Liu Mingyan blinks, stunned. “No I just… that’s what it does?”
Gongyi Xiao tilts his head. “What do you mean? The talisman? It’s an illusionist talisman.”
“No, I…” Liu Mingyan frowns, briefly. “One of those severely disrupted my memory, a long time ago,” she mumbles. “I knew it was an illusion-based talisman… but I didn’t know that it works by means of hiding things from sight. I always thought it just… directly attacks the mind.”
“If it was made by a skilled elder, then it could do that, too,” Gongyi Xiao says. “But I wasn’t aware Miss Liu was ever impacted by such a talisman. They’re not common outside of Huan Hua Palace’s territories.”
I was hit in your sect’s territory, she doesn’t say… because, technically, the Bailu mountain area doesn’t belong to Huan Hua Palace. Does it? Or have the borders changed again? Liu Mingyan doesn’t remember. But surely, she does remember that talisman. As it hit them all, Mu-shishu was mostly fine, but Liu Mingyan had been trying to use the technique on her eyes ─ the moment the talisman activated, it was like she’d gone completely blind. It hadn’t been until the Huan Hua Sect Master showed up that she got any relief for the headache at all.
“It was about three years ago, I think, this time of the year,” she says and ─ come to think of it, “Was Gongyi-shixiong the head disciple, back then? I heard you acquired that title quite young.”
“No, but I think I know which incident Miss Liu is talking about,” he admits. “It was before my time ─ just not by much.”
“... ah. So, then, the person who helped me, by the Palace Master’s side…?”
“Elder Chen, maybe,” Gongyi Xiao says. “Possibly Elder Ding ─ she looks quite young. People often mistake her for a head disciple, but she is the elder of the medical hall.”
Oh. Come to think of it, Mu-shishu did seem to be familiar with that lady too.
“Then, is it a custom for Huan Hua Palace cultivators to sign their talismans with their titles?” Liu Mingyan asks, idly. “I thought it might’ve been just a coincidence ─ the talisman that hit me back then, it also had that head disciple sigil like this one just now. I thought that perhaps it was you who might’ve set that talisman─”
But the way Gongyi Xiao whips around to look at her, she must have said something terribly wrong. She doesn’t really intend to apologize, not at all ─ but the way his muscles tense up and his face changes is truly scary to behold. Over the past hour or so, Gongyi Xiao has saved her life more than once and Liu Mingyan has done her best to repay that favor ─ but the way he is staring at her now is truly… scary to behold.
“Huan Hua Palace hasn’t had a designated head disciple in a very long time,” he says ─ and his voice is hollow. “Surely, Miss Liu has made a mistake.”
Most certainly not! Mingyan has spent all her free time studying barriers and arrays ─ and much of what goes into creating those is far too similar to how area-of-effect talismans also work. If anything, the talismans are just more targeted and weaker in impact ─ anyone who has a mastery of barriers will have a mastery of talismans, too. But should one solely master talismans, barriers may prove a little too much. Shizun has said so countless times.
However, she says, “I certainly was lacking in knowledge and experience back at the time, but my memory is exceptional and surely I would be able to recognize─”
She cuts herself off, realizing just how pointedly Gongyi Xiao is staring at her. He lifts up his hand ─ just high enough to show off the corner of the ribbon she’s wrapped around his wrist, all those months ago. He is trying to tell her something ─ but what in the world…?
“Miss Liu must have made a mistake in the dark,” he says ─ and it almost comes across like a plea. “Huan Hua Palace hasn’t had a head disciple appointed in a very long time. Surely, the signature was something else.”
Oh…
Well, alright, then.
Slowly, Liu Mingyan nods her agreement, reluctant though she may be. There isn’t anyone around them now ─ so what is he trying to hide? What does it matter, if Huan Hua Palace hasn’t had a head disciple appointed for a long time? Even if Gongyi Xiao became one months after the Lushui lake incident concluded, that doesn’t mean─
Oh! The Lushui lake!
Liu Mingyan blinks at him as the missing piece falls into place, stunned. If the one who’d set the phantom talisman inside the Lushui lake was the former Huan Hua Head disciple…? What… does that mean, exactly? Other than the fact that Huan Hua Palace has surely known about the arrays in there from the start ─ but this is something that Shen-shibo already deduced based on other clues…
Liu Mingyan makes a mental note for herself to ask brother about the Huan Hua’s former head disciple. Certainly, that person has been mentioned in conversation before ─ especially by Shen-shibo and the sect leader ─ but no one has ever said…
Later, Liu Mingyan decides. For now, they must find a way to put an end to this Formless Demon invasion first. If the phantom talisman can help hide the youngsters from those wretched things, so be it. Mingyan won’t risk offending Huan Hua Palace just for a little self-righteous spunk.
“We need a better plan,” she says instead, drawing Gongyi Xiao’s attention away from the previous matters. “The formless demons ─ I’ve destroyed many. They are avoiding me intentionally now.”
“Mm, I noticed that, too,” Gongyi Xiao says, frowning in thought. “But how do we get around that? They can clearly sense us much better than we can sense them.”
That’s… a very good point.
Liu Mingyan isn’t actually sure about that. The first time she confronted the Formless demons, back on Yuju mountain, at first they’d happily sought to kill her and her martial sisters ─ and with many of them, they succeeded. But the moment Mingyan found a way to cause them harm, too ─ they’d started running away. Luring her in trouble, yes, always ─ but mostly, they’d been running away. They couldn’t have run far, given Mingyan’s ability to see spiritual flows would still inevitably catch onto the blotch of darkness from afar… but the chase had continued for a long time.
“There is an array that I can attempt, perhaps,” she muses, “but I’m going to need help.”
“Mm. Give the word, and I─”
But Mingyan shakes her head. “Gongyi-shixiong can’t, or else the seal on his wrist might break. You will have to stay outside the array ─ as far away as possible.”
“Wha─why?”
“Shixiong should have already guessed. Being able to see the spiritual flows of the world as they are is something that even the cultivators who have achieved the nascent soul stage may not be able to boast about, but to me, it’s no more challenging than anything else my spiritual power does. Playing with them is a little bit more demanding ─ but certainly not impossible. If I can set up an array that cuts off the spiritual flows and isolates everything within its limits, then surely I will be able to destroy the ritual mark without coming near it. But before I dare do that across the gorge, I need to try it out with one moving target alone.”
And, of course, she must get Gongyi Xiao outside the bounds, lest his atmospheric seal falls apart in the absence of the continuous water flow. But surely, he is smart enough to figure that part out by himself.
His muscles tense up, but his jaw is set. “... what should I do, then?”
Liu Mingyan smiles. “You’ve already shown off that dangerous weapon of yours in front of me. Using it to lure a Formless Demon or two where I want them shouldn’t prove too challenging. But of course, none of this can work unless that talisman of yours is able to hide my presence from them.”
That’s right. The Phantom talisman of the Huan Hua Palace is famous across the land ─ but no one has ever successfully made it from outside their sect ─ and Mingyan has tried. She has tried, so many times, if only to never be caught into it again ─ but she has failed every single time. After all, the secret to that talisman has been intentionally kept for a very long time.
Let me see you draw that yourself, Gongyi-shixiong. Come on. Show it to me.
Everything Gongyi Xiao does, she will be able to repeat. Everything that he shows her tonight, she will be able to recreate. And what she is about to try ─ he never will be able to even imagine. She can understand why he might be reluctant. Surely, it would be no less than a betrayal of his own people.
But then, what does it matter that they must become sworn enemies tomorrow, if otherwise they might just die tonight… right?
Do you dare risk your sect for the sake of everyone here, Gongyi Xiao? Or have I judged wrongly, saving your life? Show me. Show me that you are a better person than I dare imagine. Show me that you are different from those people who would tear me apart just to get a glimpse of what I am inside.
Show me that I am choosing the right person to gamble my life beside.
The Huan Hua Palace’s head disciple doesn’t hesitate for a moment, whipping out the empty talisman paper from his lapels. The way he looks at her as though he knows what game she is attempting to play, as though he knows exactly what agenda she is pushing ─ and he lets her do it either way. He truly is far too dangerous of an enemy.
Or simply far too kind.
Foolishly kind.
He completes the talisman in a fashion that allows her to see every single stroke, every single brush. Then, once complete, he hands it to her without a pause. He just says, “If this works… do you truly think you will be able to get rid of them all?”
Liu Mingyan hesitates, her teeth sinking into her bottom lip. How can she possibly tell, when she hasn’t ever done this in her life?
But she says, “I have to try.”
That’s all she really can offer, at this point in time.
For better or worse, Gongyi Xiao doesn’t ask for anything more than that. In fact, seemingly amused, his eyes flicker up and then back down, and he says, “Miss Liu has doubled my score by now. Surely that must be an auspicious sign.”
Instinctively, Liu Mingyan also glances up and… oh. The scoreboards are still up and counting the beads of the demon slaying they’ve done. Ridiculous. As if any of that really matters now.
Regardless, she smiles. “Shixiong can believe whatever he likes.” Then she gets to work.
Drawing complex arrays has been a passion for Liu Mingyan for a very long time ─ for a reason she dares not reveal to anyone. Brother, of course, must have known from the start, for the books he has acquired for her the moment she’d asked have been the most complex of their kind ─ but brother never asks about such things. “I’m no good with that shit,” he says, and then proceeds to destroy every single array he comes across, if only for fun.
Liu Mingyan smiles fondly as she draws, not for the first time grateful that her brother cares none for the rules of cultivation and the stuffy principles that certain sects apply. Without his support from day number one, she could have never gotten this far. She might’ve never gotten a chance to learn so much.
Shizun is going to be so upset once she finds out… Because inevitably, if she makes this work, Liu Mingyan will undoubtedly find herself disqualified. The conference rules, much like certain sects, are far too inflexible and unkind. But that’s alright. Liu Mingyan doesn’t care so much for what the stuffy sects around them want ─ Cang Qiong Mountain has a set of principles of their own and by doing this, she will comply with every single one. That will have to be enough.
“Almost done,” she says, and sighs as Gongyi Xiao immediately puts his hand on the pommel of his blade. There’s another foolish rulebreaker, another heart of fire. Perhaps it is not just the sword, ill-matched with his temperament. Perhaps his soul has been stuck in a place where it doesn’t belong right from the start. “Should Gongyi-shixiong get in trouble for staying by my side, fret not the silly rules and the ridiculous laws.”
“... huh? What?”
Mingyan shrugs, setting down the last symbol of her array on the ground. A thin circle of spiritual power, encompassing almost the entire clearing, momentarily glows white.
“All I’m saying is ─ should Gongyi-shixiong get punished because of me, I sincerely apologize,” she says, mildly amused by his surprise. “And should Gongyi-shixiong find his punishment undeserving, the Bai Zhan peak of Cang Qiong Mountain will never mind. Anyone who dares to climb is deserving of the title they receive once they reach the summit. Keep that in mind.”
“... wha─”
But Liu Mingyan straightens up. “I’m done. For his own sake, Shixiong should now get away from here and do his best to lure a Formless Demon my way. I am only going to have this one chance to try.”
“Oh? Oh. Right.” The Huan Hua disciple shoots her an odd look either way, but firmly, he nods. Then, by means of Qinggong he is gone, chasing after the nearest demonic wraith he can find. It should prove easy enough. The Formless Demons have been quite particular about chasing him down. A stark contrast to how much they try to hide from Liu Mingyan.
Mingyan, meanwhile, sets all of her spiritual items outside the array, including her many talismans, Qiankun pouch and even her brother’s jade from her hair, lest their enchantments too are accidentally undone, then crosses the line into the array she’s drawn.
She wasn’t joking when she said she is going to get just one shot. Knowing what demonic consciousness is like, destroying just one of these things is going to immediately alert the rest of them. Whether or not she will be able to expand the array to encompass the entire gorge aside, the issue still remains that dispelling one such mark is difficult enough ─ doing so for hundreds of demons? A shudder runs down her spine merely thinking about it. Either way, she has no choice but to try. Too many disciples have already lost their lives.
Liu Mingyan briefly shuts her eyes to prepare ─ and when she opens them up, the world around her glows in light.
With her array set, only the barest forms of spiritual flows remain within its bounds ─ just the uncontrollable flow of life and death that touches upon everything, something no cultivator is ever able to grasp. Even the gods aren’t allowed to touch these flows of life, let alone intervene with the fates the flows paint. But even so, the light of it is too faint, too flickering. Mingyan isn’t sure if her array is somehow outshining it ─ for that shouldn’t be possible ─ but there is not enough time to think about it now. The beacon of blue light that is Gongyi Xiao’s soul-bound sword is approaching from afar, chasing a shapeless ball of darkness right where she wants.
Three li. Two li.
One.
Liu Mingyan whips her hand out, the tips of her index and middle finger glowing an iridescent white, just as the first Formless Demon crosses the boundary line. The flower mark of the Lingering Soul Ritual glows a wicked purple, the effects of the array already sucking so much of its power out. It’s just the final nail in the coffin now.
“ERASE!” Liu Mingyan shouts ─ but instead, blood comes pouring out of her mouth.
Mingyan shudders in outright surprise, staring at the tips of her fingers where all the light has gone out. She doesn't understand. What is going on? What has gone wrong? Certainly, the array could not have rebounded and harmed her instead, right?
But really, all she needs to do in order to understand it all is to look down.
A sword has run through her back, right through her middle dantian, its glow bluish and white. The tip of it sticks out at her chest, dying her robes crimson and dripping blood. The pain, at first, doesn’t even come. Just the heat, a burning blaze through her insides, as cold as ice.
Then the sword pulls out and the entire array of light shatters to naught. Liu Mingyan hits the ground like a puppet with her strings cut. The damage to her dantian… is far too much.
Her eyes welling up with tears of blood and the spiritual flows going haywire, she can hardly see anything at all ─ other than the beacon of bluish light as it cuts through the darkness of a Formless Demon and its flower mark, before once again flying her way. Gongyi Xiao's sword has successfully slain a Formless Demon, looks like. Then again, the soul-bound sword and what little she has learned of the Gongyi bloodline… it should have come as no surprise.
He is rushing towards her anyway. Whether to complete his betrayal or close her eyes, Liu Mingyan might never be able to figure out.
Gongyi-shixiong… What have you done?
The qi deviation that drags her under hurts so much worse than a stab wound ever does.
Between Liu Qingge’s overly sharp senses and Shen Yuan’s sixth sense for getting caught up into the worst of the plot contrivances, it stands to reason that the first Formless Demon they set out to hunt turns out to be one of the stronger among the lot. It’s not even a surprise. From the moment that name came out of Mobei Jun’s mouth, Shen Yuan feared the law of narrative foreshadowing was bound to kick him in the balls.
And now here they are.
Linguang Fucking Jun, laughing his ass off as he throws a limp body of a young disciple into the dirt beside. That alone is enough to make Liu-shidi lose his fucking mind.
As for Shen Yuan?
Well. He probably should have been out there, helping the poor girl out. Unfortunately for everyone, he just stands frozen in place, stunned.
Because… he didn’t see that wrong, right?
That girl. Is definitely Qin Wanyue, right?
What the actual fuck?
No cannon fodder villain ever got away with killing the Protagonist’s fucking bride!! This world just isn’t made to work that way! The Stallion Protagonist that is Luo Binghe will undoubtedly tear this freak apart─
Except it’s the Formless Ice Demon who is trying to rip Liu-shidi apart, Qin Wanyue is definitely gone and Luo Binghe is ─ elsewhere, waging an entirely different kind of war.
And Shen Yuan stands here, frozen in place, staring at the dead body of a girl who, technically, should have been a love rival at worst… not a victim!!
“You’re going to fucking regret that!” Liu-shidi roars, the edges of Cheng Luan coated in a thin shin of blood glowing a wicked red. The blade nearly cuts through Linguang Jun in his entirety, but it still doesn’t come close enough ─ and the demon cackles in his face.
“You’re not my work to do, so get fucking lost!!”
Shen Yuan doesn’t even have the time to shout out a warning. A mountain of ice traps his overly-eager shidi in place, completely unstoppable. Shen Yuan scrambles out of its way at the very last moment, only the fact that he has full body thrown himself to the side allowing him to avoid a similar fate.
Linguang-Jun huffs, wiping at his nose. “You talk too much, brat. Sit there and wait. This one has a mission to complete.”
The demon’s icy eyes seek out Shen Yuan, where he is still trying to pick himself up off the ground, and a wicked smile spreads over his lips. “There you are. Didn’t even need to go looking. This one thanks Master Shen for his timeliness and patience. Our great master has given us instructions and the time has now come. Please, Immortal Master Shen. Follow me quietly, or else I must resort to force.”
Like hell!
Swinging Xiu Ya in a wide arc, Shen Yuan lets loose with all the spiritual power that hasn’t had a great outlet in a while, cutting a split into the ground as wide as a tree trunk. It harmlessly passes through Linguang Jun, doing absolutely nothing to even slow the demon down. Stupid fucking formless cheat sheet!
Immediately, Shen Yuan puts distance between them and tries to attack from a different angle, much to the demon’s endless amusement. It produces no different results at all. Then he tries to follow up with the third one, but by the time he’s cut the third chasm into the ground, Shen Yuan’s face is drenched in sweat and his breathing is rough ─ and Linguang Jun is still walking towards him, his face torn in two with a twisted smile.
“Ah, Immortal Master Shen, have you not killed enough of my brethren to know wasting spiritual power this way is useless? If I have no form for you to strike, then no matter how much Qi you use, you may well be fighting air. Come with me peacefully. Master wishes to talk. Until we take you to him, not a single Formless Demon here will ever cause you harm.”
And Shen Yuan is five and gullible enough to buy that bull! Hell fucking nah.
“If your master wishes to talk, he could have come over to visit personally. Contrary to popular belief, I’m not that difficult to reach.”
“Immortal Master Shen, I’m not here to deliver any messages. I’ve informed you what I’m about to do out of courtesy alone ─ I’ve never given you the privilege of choice.”
Just as Linguang Jun is about to grab him, Shen Yuan imitates what he’s seen Liu Qingge do, coats the edge of Xiu Ya with his blood and reforms it into spiritual power until Xiu Ya’s surface glistens a faint red. Then he strikes directly through the Ice Demon’s heart.
Unfortunately, his results are far different from what Liu-shidi had done. Other than a small, dark cloud of mist floating around his blade where it meets the Formless Demon’s chest, it does absolutely no damage at all. What?! Why?!
Fuck! Is this what Liu Qingge meant, when he said the trick might not work for him?! On what damn basis?!
Walking through the blade as though it does him no harm whatsoever, Linguang Jun chortles as he grabs Shen Yuan’s wrist. It feels like just the hold of it alone is burning Shen Yuan’s skin, but the demon goes even farther. Shen Yuan blocks the attempt for his neck with a palm strike of spiritual power, but other than blasting a small amount of black smoke everywhere, it does less than nothing!
For his part, Linguang Jun laughs as he pays him back for his efforts, striking back and then twisting his wrist to the almost unbearable angle. Xiu Ya clatters as it hits the ground. The fucking bastard laughs louder.
“A cultivator whose body has already walked the path of darkness dares perform a sacred technique!” he roars as though it’s the funniest joke he’s ever made. Every attempt of Shen Yuan to resist that hold is met with more forceful twists, to the point his whole arm goes numb. “HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Who could have known?! Such a proud Immortal, so uselessly weak! I should kill you now! Before you dare stain my master’s robes with your filth! To think you dare go against me, thinking you’d win─”
“I don’t, actually,” Shen Yuan says through his teeth. He is bitter and pissed, yeah he is. But he is not fucking delusional.
“Not for a moment did I think I could win,” Shen Yuan says, slowly enunciating every word. “But he can.”
Before Linguang Jun can come to understand the meaning behind those words, two things happen at once.
First, Shen Yuan blows up a ball of pure condensed Qi inside the palm of his hand that he’s been carefully hiding, blowing off Linguang Jun’s entire arm and half his chest into a mess of smokey black.
Second, the mountain of ice behind him, already damaged from Shen Yuan’s multiple attacks in its general direction before, shatters under the force of spiritual power of the person trapped underneath. Liu Qingge emerges in all his righteous glory from amongst thousand icy particles, roaring with rage. In a flash of light, he cuts Linguang Jun apart with Cheng Luan, shredding the demon to pieces of black smoke. The antagonized roar of the demon as it disperses into a mass of smokey black all around echoes throughout the entire gorge.
Multiple similar howls echo in response.
“Shit! Is it a hive-mind?” Shen Yuan asks.
Liu Qingge, for his part, merely flicks his blade clear of the stain and glances over at Shen Yuan. “You good there?”
“Forget about it. You first. Are you alright? What the hell was that before? Why does your attack work and mine not? What the hell?”
But Liu Qingge shrugs. “No Heaven’s Trace,” he says as though it explains everything. Like hell it does!
Worse, Liu-shidi’s eyes are already back on where the mass of inky smoke is beginning to gather itself back up, his eyes narrowed to slits.
“The bastard said he wants to talk,” he comments, all too shrewdly. “Why?”
Liu-shidi, do I look like I have any clue why? Does that even matter now?!
“As if their wants ever make sense,” he grumbles. “Shidi, how do we get rid of him permanently?”
The swirling mass of black seems to have already pieced itself halfway back together. It is simply too ridiculously fast.
“I’ll find his flower mark,” Liu Qingge says. “Just gotta let him sort himself out, first.” He brandishes Cheng Luan, glaring at the darkness patiently as he waits it out.
As he does, though… Shen Yuan frowns.
“Liu-shidi? That white jade on your waist. Is it supposed to be glowing so bright?”
“Huh?” But Liu Qingge looks down ─ and right there, a small white jade amulet, subtle in its shape and form, is glowing blindingly enough as though you’ve turned on a reflector in a closed space. All the color drains from his face instantly. “Shit. Mingyan!”
“What? So, it’s Miss Liu who…” but Shen Yuan trails off, stunned, at the pale, almost frightened look in his eyes, as Liu Qingge lifts his gaze to look at him.
“Shixiong, I…” he whispers, as though that’s somehow ─ oh. Shen Yuan glances over to where Linguang Jun has almost fixed himself up. But that jade ─ it’s not at all subtle. Whatever is going on, Liu Mingyan is not having the time of her life. Eyes subconsciously flying over to Qin Wanyue’s limp body behind, Shen Yuan shudders considering the possibilities. All the bets are off, looks like. He’s gamed the system far too much.
“Go,” Shen Yuan says.
“But─”
“I’ve handled a ton of bastards just like this one before, I’ll be perfectly fine.”
Right on cue, somewhere behind them the ground begins to shake violently. For his part, Liu Qingge suddenly looks even more reluctant.
But whatever time and sympathy Shen Yuan has had to spare for Liu-shidi and his obvious inner conflict, now he has none left. In front of his eyes, a crimson red notice flashes.
[System Notice! System Warning! The critical quest <The Endless Abyss and Endless Hatred, a Lifetime of Resentment> has officially begun! If it is not successfully completed, thirty thousand protagonist satisfaction points will be deducted!]
Well, fuck.
They really are all out of time.
Shen Yuan looks Liu Qingge in the eye and says, “The Endless Abyss is opening now. Forget Linguang Jun. If your sister is in danger, that’s where you need to go. Right now.”
“Shixiong, I─”
“Shidi should go now,” Shen Yuan reiterates, firmly. Linguang Jun is a dangerous one, but hell if Shen Yuan has any time to worry about that now. The Endless Abyss is opening. He has to make his way over to Luo Binghe no matter what. And to do that─ “Miss Liu is in danger, isn’t she? Go and do what you must.”
Liu Qingge spits out a curse, slashing through Linguang Jun one more time just as his form flickers to existence for a moment in time, only to be torn to flying dust pieces in a flash.
“I’ll come find you once I’m done,” Liu Qingge promises, firmly. “Don’t let any of these bastards near you meanwhile. You hear me?”
Shen Yuan nods ─ without any real intention of following through. But that doesn’t matter now.
Liu Qingge takes that nod as a promise ─ and off he goes to find his sister, flying off into the night.
As for his part ─ Shen Yuan turns the exact opposite way, in the direction from where the worst of the ground tremors are coming from. It’s only a matter of time. The Endless Abyss is opening up. Summoning Xiu Ya back to his hand, he takes a deep breath and settles his heart.
This is it.
Luo Binghe better be waiting for him. All of his stupid fucking gambles better be working out. Because if Luo Binghe is to fall into the Abyss one more time─
Well. He better bet Shen Yuan is going with him.
Notes:
I'M SORRY LIU SU MIAN HUA!!!! You are our resident BL writer representative, you will be fine, I promise!!!! LIU-SHIDI, PUT THAT WEAPON DOWN AAAAAAAAAAHHHH
That said, tried to make this as clear as possible but it's LMY's POV and she is a bit overwhelmed at the time -- her sight is a cool cheat sheet, like an Xray for spiritual power, but it also renders her blind to a bunch of other stuff. In other words, yeah, I'm straight up saying it. It's not my baby GYX's fault.
Good luck proving it though, MWUAHAHAHA
Chapter 50: Shen Qingqiu
Chapter Text
There have been a grand total of three times in Liu Qingge's life that he has felt this wide-spread emotion, raging from his heart to his fingertips, among the pathetic plebs better known as fear.
The first time, he’d been a child, barely eleven years of age, waking up from a nightmare that had felt far too real.
The second time, he’d been fifteen, coming to realize that same nightmare had come to life without him there to stop it.
As for the third time… well.
Holding onto his sister’s jade as its light goes haywire, Liu Qingge thinks that the silly child he used to be barely ever knew what fear was. Mingyan is deviating. For the first time. Mingyan is dying. And no matter how hard he tries, he isn’t close enough, he isn’t fast enough, he isn’t─
Think less. Fly faster.
So that’s what he does. Forget everything else. Forget any details, forget any questions, forget the tiny voice in his head screaming that his little sister is not fucking allowed to qi deviate, fuck this damn life. The impossible is happening without him there to stop it ─ again ─ but this time, Liu Qingge isn’t going to let this shit go down so easily. So he flies, flies, flies, wheezing past everyone and everything as he lets the jade guide his way to his sister’s side.
A memory flashes in his mind, of a time long passed. Of himself, crazy and foolish, with an open wound over his heart, after he’d successfully broken all the arrays that have kept his sister confined within Tianyao her whole life. He’d been lying on the ground, bloody and exhausted and fucking wrung out, after using his own heart’s blood to break the last layers of the protection his mother had left for her daughter ─ and that same child was screaming over his limp body, wailing inconsolable tears all around.
He’d put a thumb to her cheek then, trying to wipe those crocodile tears away ─ fuck, they truly looked too much alike, even when crying ─ but his bloodstained hand only made things worse.
“You can’t die! You can’t die! If you’re my brother as you claim, then you certainly cannot die!” that silly girl had screamed to his face, doing her best to keep him alive ─ but Liu Qingge wasn’t really dying. He wasn’t even deviating at the time. He was just exhausted, entirely wrung out and pissed that those freaking bastards from his clan had hidden the fact he had a sister for well over a decade ─ he really should have burned that whole place down. But his sister was crying and fuck it all, those twin jades in her hair, one black and one white, had his birth name carved with spiritual power. Even if he didn’t look at the jade itself but rather at its spiritual structure, all he saw was his own birth name on the black one and Mingyan’s on the white one. If he’d had any doubt at all that this crybaby child was his blood sister, then it’d been soundly crushed. Not that he had doubted it, not really. One look at them and people could have called them twins, goddamn it.
All that really meant is that in Liu Qingge’s absence, mother had met father.
Mother had met father again and even had another child… and Liu Qingge never got to see his face. He never got to see his father’s face, had never known about his little sister, and by the time he’d returned home at fifteen, mother was gone.
What happened to mother in the years since he’d first joined the sect, he might never find out.
But mother had carved those jades with both his and his sister’s life force inside it and left them to Mingyan ─ not him. What had she been hoping for, exactly? A family reunion? A proper sibling relationship? A happy life?
As if Liu Qingge could have ever cared for anyone the same way he’d cared for his mother.
But mother is gone and only Mingyan is left ─ and Mingyan is his fucking baby sister, damn it all. Liu Qingge will rather die than let anything happen to her. It’s not even a conscious decision. She has to be fine. Or else he doesn’t know what he’s going to fucking do.
And so he rushes to her side now, prepared to battle heaven and hell so long as it means his sister will make it out of this alive.
The white glowing jade leads him to the edges of an array ─ Mingyan’s work, no doubt. He’d recognize her style anywhere, anytime. But even as he slows down and circles the edges, he doesn’t see his sister anywhere. The jade glows dangerously, but it appears to be settling down ─ as though it is improving, as though the deviation is calming down ─ but Mingyan is nowhere to be found. And no matter how much Liu Qingge strains his eyes to let the jade guide him the right way, all that thing really takes him to is a small splotch of blood on the ground.
He finds that splotch inside the limits of the array, even touching the boundary ─ but the array itself has never activated. It is not a blood spell ─ not the way Mingyan usually gets them done, but if it was never activated, then that means… something must have gotten in the way.
Someone, Liu Qingge realizes with a start.
Liu Qingge grips Cheng Luan tightly and prepares for a confrontation, letting his feet take him the rest of the way. Mingyan’s jade glows softly, much, much calmer now. Perhaps, he may even be going the right way. He is of half a mind to just storm through and attack the bastard like an avalanche, but he refrains ─ if only because he knows his sister far too well. If someone managed to get in her way, then that can only mean one of two things ─ they’re either sneaky as fuck… or else they’re sneaky and strong. Neither is a good option, but Liu Qingge knows what he’d prefer. He'd certainly prefer most that he were wrong and the presence is question is not a cultivator at all.
Wait for me, Mingyan. I’m coming.
But what he finds ─ Liu Qingge is not sure, at first.
There is a cultivator, lying off to the side, right outside the edge of Mingyan's array. A disciple, one of the Conference participants. He's bloody and beaten, but twitching. The most aggravating wound seems to be to the side of his head, bleeding profusely, but his unstable cultivation seems by far the most damaging. Some sort of an elemental substitute rests on the kid's wrist, keeping him from entirely losing it, but unless he receives proper medical aid soon, who knows if it will suffice?
Liu Qingge certainly doesn't care enough to bother with it. He sends off a talisman to find Mu Qingfang, but he doesn't hold out much hope. There is someone beyond this place, further away ─ and that is exactly where Mingyan's jade is leading him.
Gripping Cheng Luan tighter, Liu Qingge closes in. Finding trouble, in this case, proves far too easy.
In the darkness of an empty clearing ahead, a shadow stands. The air around it feels frigid in ways that a warm spring night, no matter how late, definitely shouldn’t. The thing stands with its back turned to Liu Qingge, finishing up an array. It is an odd array ─ frigid and dark by means of the cold wedging itself deep into Liu Qingge’s bones at a mere glance and it refuses to go away. Mingyan’s blood is a part of that array, he is sure ─ his sister is not there, that much is clear. But the jade is glowing, regardless, and from the feel of the spiritual flows around him, it is as though his sister’s blood is the one thing holding the structure together. Perfectly fucking balanced. It’s all Liu Qingge can do not to fucking destroy the entire chunk of the ground instantly. He doesn’t know if it is somehow affecting Mingyan’s life, so he dares not take the risk.
He does, however, dare to come closer and get a better look at the bastard working on it.
The freak is not very tall, but he is undoubtedly a man. A fucking cultivator, of all things. His hair is long and loose, silky and down past his waist, with a kind of shiny quality to it that feels eerily familiar. The robes he wears are white, outlined with deep, regal blue. Other than a pitch black sword at his waist with a contrasting white hilt, he carries no other obvious accessories ─ not even a hair ornament. Nothing, except for an odd, metal thing around his wrist, the source of almost unnoticeable, rhythmic ticking noise.
Liu Qingge’s hands are cold as ice. He’s tempted to just attack, but this person ─ he’s clearly waiting for something. Who knows what kind of a trap it might be? With Mingyan involved, he doesn’t dare risk it.
So instead, like the biggest idiot, he says, “Who the hell are you?”
Unexpectedly, this person turns ─ but not to attack.
Liu Qingge raises Cheng Luan in preparation, but nothing comes at him. What greets him instead is a youthful face, soft and charming. This stranger carries himself with an air of grace and nobility that is both distinct and familiar, yet foreign all the same. Liu Qingge isn’t sure why he’s been expecting a wrinkly old man, but what gets is nothing remotely similar. This stranger observes him very calmly, with eyes as deep as wells or even the surface of a lake under the stars. They are unsettlingly similar to a pair he knows too well.
The little sigh that escapes this stranger’s lips is decidedly disappointment. His voice, as he speaks, is laced with false courtesy, but its timber is as uncannily familiar as the rest of him.
“Ah, Liu Qingge, is it? How silly of me, to fear you might not come. You’re a little early, I suppose, but that hardly matters now. Everything has been set. Even if it’s you, nothing changes now. You’ve only cut my workload for me. I no longer need to go looking for you elsewhere.”
“Who the hell are you?” Liu Qingge grits out, Cheng Luan in his hand all too eager to cause trouble. But Mingyan’s jade is still glowing, there is definitely a trace of her spiritual power to the dark array on the ground ─ and Liu Qingge doesn’t know what to make any of this.
The stranger’s lips curl up in a smile, both eerie and astonishingly cordial. He picks up a small jade plaque hanging on his waist and throws it to Liu Qingge. “Here.”
Liu Qingge catches it from the air, staring at the insignia that he has seen dragged through the reports enough times to recognize on sight. “You’re…from Xianmo sect? An elder?”
Fucking hell. For the longest time, he has suspected that the Xianmo sect had an agenda other than to act like Huan Hua Palace’s extended puppet, something against Cang Qiong Mountain or perhaps even Shen Qingqiu personally… But to think he would walk in here and find these bastards going after his sister, of all people…
Liu Qingge twists the plaque in his hand over and over, but there is no mistake. It hasn’t been tampered with. It is just a small sect plaque, the kind most cultivators carry on themselves along with their uniforms for recognition sake. The implications alone make him sick to his stomach.
“Where is my sister?” he demands. “What did you bastard do to her?! Where the fuck is she?!”
The stranger smiles at him, almost patient. “I’m well-aware of Liu-shidi’s protective tendencies over that child, so regardless of what I say now, I’m sure it will only bring forth more of your ire. For what little it’s worth, don’t fret. It’s never her life I’ve been after.”
“What the fuck have you done?!” Liu Qingge roars, his grip on Cheng Luan tight enough to bring spiritual power forth without him truly intending to. Not that it changes anything. The bastard is still smiling at him. And Mingyan is still─
“Miss Liu is merely eighteen years of age now, yet her mastery of the arrays goes beyond even some Middle Court Heavenly Officials. Allowing her to proceed any further with what she’s attempted to do would have only caused all of us undue trouble,” the bastard says, all too lightly. He only has a moment to brace when Liu Qingge charges at him with full power, swinging Cheng Luan so he’d cut the man apart.
“That’s it! You fucking die!”
But the bastard simply refuses to listen! He dodges Liu Qingge’s blows smoothly, blocks and lets his obsidian-like sword with a glowing white hilt suck up spiritual glares like it’s a fucking sponge and ─ and ─ after one of Liu Qingge’s swings comes a little too close, the bastard kicks his sword arm and Cheng Luan right out of it ─ only to take the sword from the air and send it flying between a pair of rocks.
Liu Qingge stares, stunned.
He… may have either underestimated this freak ─ or overestimated himself.
The Xianmo sect’s elder smiles at him, without looking to further attack.
“Like I said, at no point have I ever had the intention of taking Miss Liu’s life,” he points out, all too peacefully. “You, however, are a different matter altogether. For someone going around boasting with the title of the Bai Zhan War God, Master Liu Qingge is… simply unremarkable.”
Liu Qingge gulps, fists clenched. He’s had a bit of a suspicion before ─ and plenty of reasons to think otherwise. But now that they stand face-to-face, he no longer has any doubt.
This person is the hidden master of Xianmo sect.
Those freaks can claim whatever they want, hide behind that crazy woman Qiu Haitang as their sole leadership, but Liu Qingge has been a dog on a hunt and Cang Qiong Mountain verifies their information sources dilligently. The bright red tear-like huadian gives the bastard away. But even moreso, if this man were to pull a few strands of his hair up and wipe that smile off his face, he would look exactly like all the portraits circling the Jianghu’s brothels.
He would look so much like Shen Qingqiu.
Like Shen Yuan.
Liu Qingge startles at this thought, then stares at that face harder. He doesn’t know what he’s thinking. No matter how he looks at it, this person is too different. His eyes hold nowhere near the same sharpness as Shen Qingqiu, whose face emulates the aura of a noble master with perfection. This person maintains the air of a careless and free spirited youth, a certain softness in his eyes that may be fondness and may be vulnerability, yet it feels artificial at the same time. On one hand, the face of this person and Shen Qingqiu are oddly alike. If the portrait could accurately portray the aura, however, then it would have been entirely wrong from the start. The surface resemblance ends right where it begins, for these two people differ greatly from the very fiber of their beings.
Yet, staring at him from so close, the familiarity of that expression is simply too much.
The man in question snaps his finger and Liu Qingge subconsciously takes a step back.
His head hurts, for some reason. A little like someone is poking his brain with a sharp needle. He blinks, to clear his vision, and that person has already come closer.
“Liu Qingge, don’t waste your energy thinking so hard. All these things you want to ask me, the answers won’t satisfy you. Even though it may not appear that way, I truly hold no hostility towards your sister. I did, once upon a time, but that ended long ago. My grudges have grown beyond what stepping on someone like her can satisfy.”
“Wha─ what?”
Liu Qingge’s head is spinning, the pain in his temples growing fiercer and fiercer. He is not trying to consciously use his heavenly sight, yet that’s exactly what he feels like it’s happening, the same kind of endless ache in his head, the same pain that’s been there for a very long time. He’s fucked this technique up beyond repair way back when he used it to find Mingyan ─ but it has never hurt quite this much.
In front of him, the shape of the person begins to distort.
Liu Qingge blinks rapidly several times, trying to clear his vision, but it changes nothing. The man in front of him ─ it’s like there are two of him, like a poor reflection, dim and fuzzy ─ and they are entirely different.
“Take your time using that heavenly sight of yours on me, Liu Qingge. You were never adept at it and there’s no point. You could have just asked. I’m exactly who you think I am.”
Liu Qingge’s mouth dries, the needles pricking through his head piercing his heart as well. His lips shake slightly. The face of a stranger smiles fondly at him, twisting his guts uncomfortably until he feels like throwing up.
“Shen Qingqiu?” he blurts, dubious and entirely unsure where that thought has come from ─ but he says it ─ and the bastard doesn’t deny.
“Not all of your brain has turned to mush, looks like,” he says, almost amused.
Under a piercing stab of pain, Liu Qingge briefly closes his eyes. When he opens them again, that person stands a mere step away from him, the top of his head only reaching up to Bai Zhan lord’s chin. There is no second see-through semblance of another human behind him anymore, only this one, very different look that Liu Qingge cannot possibly fathom ─ and that one is holding a tip of his finger to Liu Qingge’s forehead, the feel of it like he’s pressing ice into his skull. It’s glowing white against his skin, bright enough to blind him.
“What─what are you…” but Liu Qingge discovers, to his shock, that he can no longer summon any spiritual power at all. He cannot even move. His very own soul refuses to move, nailed to the spot, at the mercy of this bastard in front of him─
“I’m giving back what you once gave to me,” this stranger replies, all too easily. “Today, you stand in my way because you know nothing of the times long passed, so let me remind you. Once, many years ago, you made a reckless sacrifice. Ever since, you could only use the most basic of your heavenly gifts, becoming a son of a god in name only. But even as such, you still took the time of your day to teach your precious secret technique to me ─ so today, I repair what damage you’ve caused.”
Liu Qingge wants to speak, but he can’t. He opens his mouth and blood gushes out. His eyes are wide open, but he is blinded, seeing absolutely nothing. It is a blissful moment when all the pain and the pressure inside his head feels like it’s burst.
“Shen Qingqiu! You bastard!” he roars, fighting past the blood in his mouth. He doesn’t know when he’s fallen to his knees or when Cheng Luan, so firmly stabbed between the rocks, has so firmly deigned not to respond to him. He tries to condense spiritual power and attack with that alone, but his body won’t listen. Fucking Without-a-Cure, of all things, is acting up, too ─ like someone is using it to debilitate him intentionally. Liu Qingge grits his teeth. “What the hell are you doing?! What the hell are you trying to achieve with this?!”
“You’re asking all the wrong questions, Shidi, but that’s alright. Take your time. It’s your lessons that allowed me to see past the deception. Thus, everything you’ve lost will come back to you with time. Who knows? Someday, you might become the first person to stand beside me in the wake of the disaster of today.”
“Like I fucking would,” Liu Qingge gasps. The pain is coming back. Once again, his head is spinning, aching as though it’s splitting apart. There is a hand on his shoulder, but he doesn’t know if it’s holding him in place or stabbing through him. Every cell in his body feels like it’s tearing itself apart. The influx of power surging through him is too much yet not enough. At this rate, his meridians might just all burst.
“I am not a magnanimous person, Shidi, but for as long as you don’t get in my way, I won’t take your life. Make your decision wisely.”
“Shut the fuck up! SHUT UP!”
Blindly, Liu Qingge strikes forward with his fist, missing his target completely. Everything still hurts, but shapes are beginning to come back slowly. He can see the outline of the trees around him, the rocks behind them ─ if only faintly. Somewhere behind him, Shen Qingqiu chuckles.
“Who are you fighting so fervently for? Your sister? Your pride? Don’t be stupid. Don’t disappoint me, Liu Qingge. It took years for me to come to respect that asininity of yours, don’t shred that respect to pieces now when we’re almost at the end.”
Liu Qingge is gasping for air. Slowly his sight is clearing. Everything is too bright now. The flow of spiritual energy around him, the flow of something dark, something wicked, contained within the array Shen Qingqiu tries to hide. Liu Qingge has never seen such darkness contained within a formation before. Now, he cannot look away.
Shen Qingqiu grabs his chin and forcefully turns him away, sneering.
There are two of Shen Qingqiu’s again, even if Liu Qingge strains to see the second one ─ the real one. But finally, he understands what he is seeing. The body and the soul don’t match. The only thing connecting them together is a chain of cold, dark energy, identical to the one shimmering inside the array. Suddenly, all of Yue Qingyuan’s quiet theorizing from way back when hits him like a kick to the gut.
“Shadow Soul Phenomenon,” he breathes out. He knows he’s right the moment he sees it, the chain extending, floating in the air and high above them in the sky, stretching in who knows which direction, connecting to that other body, that other soul.
Shen Yuan.
Shen Qingqiu laughs.
“No,” he says. “A phenomenon like that would have required irreversible death and it only goes one way. But Shidi is not entirely wrong. This is an invention of my own, something I very much based upon the specifics of the Shadow Soul Phenomenon. A way that can, in fact, be undone when the time for it comes. But the sacrifice that must be made for it… you would never understand.”
What goes implied is one thing that fills Liu Qingge with dread.
“You… you want your body back?” He’s not sure why he cannot breathe. Why even thinking about this terrifies him so.
“Don’t sound so surprised, Liu Qingge, why would I not want my body back? Have you grown fond of that intruder that took my place? You’ve always had a terrible taste in people. But I guarantee you, that idiot is far more desperate to get his body back than I ever would be. Has he not been going around denying my identity even after all the gifts I left him? Truly, if you understand this much, you of all people shouldn’t be getting in my way. At the end of the day, don’t we want the same thing?”
Liu Qingge can’t tell. Once again, his head is spinning. Images are flashing in his head, of somebody else holding his chin this same way, somebody else pulling him into an embrace.
Liu Qingge doesn’t know why Cheng Luan is piercing that person’s chest.
A flash of pain blinds him then, an intersection of images.
Cheng Luan, piercing his own chest, wholly shattering the Liu clan’s barrier as he finally breaks Mingyan free of her confinement.
Xiu Ya, stabbing that same place for the second time, piercing his heart.
Shen Qingqiu’s panicked cries in Lingxi caves as he Liu Qingge’s meridians turn against them both, screaming, “Don’t you dare fucking die on me now! Don’t you dare die! LIU QINGGE!”
And someone’s limp body, cradled in his arms, as the head resting on his shoulder tilts just far enough for dry, chapped lips to brush against his neck, whispering, “Please, Shizun…”
Liu Qingge screams as a wave of searing rage, white-hot grief and endless powerlessness all mix into a fiery explosion of power inside him, tipping him past the point of control. The Qi deviation that strikes him tears through both his body and mind, ripping all of his meridians apart. The agony is both familiar, as though it’s already happened before, yet distinctly different from anything he remembers experiencing.
But even so, he cannot die.
His eyes are wide open.
It is a quiet, moonless night.
His chest is tight and he is gasping for air that never seems to be enough, but he is alive. His hands are shaking. The Qi deviation has come and gone ─ and there is somebody above him, highly distraught. A hand is pressing his chest down, keeping his trembling body from thrashing around.
Shen Qingqiu is panicking.
“Not now! Don’t you dare Qi deviate in front of me again, Liu Qingge! You’ve almost ruined my array already! This is enough! Don’t you dare die and save yourself the consequences!”
There is spiritual power burning through his chest, but it isn’t helping. It feels the same way as when Mu Qingfang tried to save him that first time Liu Qingge Qi deviated in front of the man. Painful, debilitating, downright dehumanizing. Raging and out of control, giving power to those places that don’t need any, further worsening the deviation. He wants it to stop, but he can’t even open his mouth. Fuck.
Letting people get close enough to him to attempt spiritual power transfers is something Liu Qingge has always avoided on principle. By necessity, every spiritual transfer is exactly like dual cultivation, scraping him raw from the inside and revealing everything to any bastard who dares try. Willingly or not, if they want to mess with his power, they can. If they want to take it all, they can. If they want to scrape him raw from the inside in ways that make him feel so ridiculously liable and exposed, it’s easy. To anyone really. With a certain few people, Liu Qingge has caved in and allowed it.
Not Shen Qingqiu.
Never Shen Qingqiu!
A beast-like sound makes it past Liu Qingge’s throat as he gathers all the power he can and blasts that cursed arm away from himself. He does not feel even the slightest bit better once its gone, but screw it all. Liu Qingge is fucking livid. This bastard in front of him has just… ARGH! If the chaos of the Immortal Alliance Conference is to end, then certainly, this bastard cannot walk away from this alive.
Despite just about everything getting in his way, Liu Qingge summons Cheng Luan to his hand and launches into a feral, almost beastly attack. Shen Qingqiu is saying something, trying to talk him down, but Liu Qingge cannot hear it over the sound of Qi blockages cracking the very foundation of his life. He pushes on regardless.
Shen Qingqiu blocks him once, twice, but it’s no good. Liu Qingge has always been stronger between the two of them. This bastard could never beat him.
“SHEN QINGQIU!” he thunders, calling on everything he’s got just to end this wretched existence in front of him once and for all. Half of the gorge is blown into the air under the force of his sword glare. He’s only ever used the full extent of his power once, to take all of Luo Binghe’s surging demonic energy and channel it elsewhere before it killed him. It was the one time Liu Qingge had felt most like himself, most in control even though he had none.
This is different now. The part of his heavenly power that has always been broken has smoothed out. Even the stupid demonic poison blocking his meridians can’t fully block the power surging through him. He is far more powerful than he’s ever been. Far stronger than he’s ever dreamed he could be.
For a very brief moment of time, it perhaps might not be wrong to say that Liu Qingge’s spiritual power is almost equivalent to that of an outright god.
So he doesn’t understand how, after all that power exploding out of him, shaking the ground around him like an earthquake, he somehow still ends up with his back on the ground and a sword through his chest. Its hilt is pure white, but the blade is obsidian black and cold as ice, gleaming with untainted spiritual power. Liu Qingge’s spiritual power, all of it is slowly sucked away.
Desperately holding onto the hilt of said sword is Shen Qingqiu. The man is on his knees, in a body that doesn’t belong to him, face trickling with sweat and blood dripping down the side of his chin.
He’s still laughing.
“Made me do it again, you fucking bastard,” he’s saying, almost hysterically. “I told you. I fucking warned you. Don’t you dare blame me for this, Liu Qingge. You asked for it.”
Liu Qingge wants to spit out a curse in his face, but faintly, in his head, he remembers watching this same man in front of him, holding a different blade in his hand, stabbing this very same spot. He remembers the voice coming out of his own mouth, faint and choked up, heavy with emotion.
“--and if I… if I get in your way… Don’t hesitate, Shen Qingqiu. Not like today. My life ain’t worth the price we’re going to eventually pay. If I try to stop you ─ then… do it… exactly as you did now.”
Oh… so he did say that.
Fuck.
Liu Qingge coughs and blood comes pouring out his mouth. Just like in that wretched dream. Should’ve known the fucking thing was gonna come true. Every single one of his nightmares eventually does.
Meanwhile, Shen Qingqiu rises to his feet. He is slow and unsteady, knees buckling after a step. But he walks away regardless, wiping the blood away with the back of his sleeve. He leaves his sword there, pinning Liu Qingge to the ground, like the bastard really does know everything. Like he understands Liu Qingge’s life force and spiritual core have been fully merged from the start, that he will only ever die once he loses both at the same time. And he is losing both. That damn black blade is sucking away everything.
Fuck. This really might be the end for him.
Mingyan… I…
What little strength he musters, he uses it to tangle his fingers into the thread keeping the white jade on his person ─ and tugs.
The jade is warm against his fingers, smooth and bright. There is no wild flickering of Mingyan’s life force inside it, there is no question of whether she’s making it out of this alive. His sister… made it past her qi deviation, just as she should…
She has always been lucky that way.
Liu Qingge never was.
His head tilts to the side and darkness obscures the light, taking the Bai Zhan War God with it.
Tackling a bunch of Formless Demons all on his own is something Luo Binghe has known to be a terrible idea right from the start. The gashes that their claws leave in his body, over his chest, arms, even the already existing wounds ─ they are far too deep. And those bastards are licking at their bloody claws hungrily, relishing in it. This is his chance! He must pay them back for it! But the pain is too much. His legs barely keep him steady.
So, a while later, after the Endless Abyss opens and a whole new swarm flies out, he is not even surprised to find that he is reaching his limits.
Still, he fights on, taking countless bastards down with him ─ until eventually, the steady, rhythmic sound of an applause reaches his ears.
As though responding to this sound that does not belong, not a single Formless Demon moves to attack again. Regardless if they’ve come from the Abyss or otherwise, their eyes pierce into Luo Binghe, beady and hungry and vengeful ─ but none of them move. Or perhaps, better it is to say, none of them can. Luo Binghe realizes why on a far more thorough second look ─ and it is that every Formless Demon has a red five-petal flower etched somewhere on their bodies. It is now burning vividly bright.
The five petal flower is clearly the symbol of the Lingering Soul Ritual, but previously, it has only ever been purple. Why is it glowing red now? Does it even matter?
Luo Binghe tries to think ─ this Lingering Soul Ritual is nine tenths the direct result of his own work, so if he thinks about it hard enough, he will surely be able to figure it out. But before he can even start, the group of Formless Demons parts to let someone through.
It is a man.
Wrapped around his left wrist, a bunch of white prayer beads glistens in the starry night ─ most of them in a pearly white color. But one of them is a crimson crystal, shaped exactly like the five-petal flower on the Formless Demons. Exactly like the one he’d seen on… Sha Hualing?
Luo Binghe stares, disbelieving. But there’s no doubt about it. The crystal flower is identical to the one Sha Hualing had around her neck when invading Cang Qiong Mountain, exactly the same as the one Shizun showed him was found on Lu Xiaodan when the girl nearly had him kidnapped in Qudu Town. Luo Binghe still barely recalls everything that had happened there, but the aftermath, he has investigated thoroughly. The crystals have been dissected by Ku Xing and Wan Jian peaks, so why… why has nobody ever mentioned that these things could be used to control Formless Demons too?!
Wait… Ku Xing? The prayer beads…? Has he not seen the Ku Xing peak lord own a similar set? There’d been twenty five, and Luo Binghe specifically remembers one of them ─ the one able to shred the demonic consciousness apart.
He finds it now.
Huan Qingyan’s prayer bracelet, in the hands of a stranger. Surely, all that can mean is…
Luo Binghe shudders slightly.
The traitor, Shizun had said, is someone I cannot figure out.
Someone whose stakes are personal. Someone whose intentions are shrouded in mystery. Their intention may not even be to harm the sect, but certainly they’d have it out for Luo Binghe or Shen Yuan ─ but why?
Luo Binghe has never done anything to Huan Qingyan. He has barely ever spoken to her.
Shizun, too, was wary around her much of the time ─ but for all the woman claimed to hate his guts, they’d worked together perfectly fine more than once. So what is this now? Who is this bastard, holding onto Huan Qingyan’s most dangerous weapon of them all?!
But, looking at him, now as he comes closer, that face… is simply far too familiar. The same, sharp lines and soft curves. Those doe-like eyes and rosy lips. Luo Binghe might have not been able to recognize this person once, but seeing him for the second time, how would he ever fail? After all, it has always been said that the Sun and Moon Dew Flower body takes the shape of the soul that inhibits it. Ever since, Luo Binghe has been theorizing, suspecting… but Shizun’s tailor-made body resembled Shen Qingqiu too much to truly consider the soul inside it had been different at any point in time. Not until Shizun, personally, said it was.
Shizun had admitted, at some point, to using Shen Qingqiu’s blood to create the replacement body and therefore expressed that the appearance the body had taken only partially resembled his true appearance… and Luo Binghe spent countless hours uselessly trying to talk Shen Yuan into drawing his own portrait solely for Luo Binghe’s eyes.
It had never crossed Luo Binghe’s mind that Shizun may have, perhaps unintentionally, understated the resemblance after all.
The person in front of him is identical to the dew body Shizun had inhabited for a very short time. The differences, as small as they may be ─ they’re negligible. Luo Binghe doesn’t doubt for a moment that the body in front of him is Shen Yuan’s original body.
But then, who the hell is controlling it?!
The applause finally comes to a stop, leaving Luo Binghe’s heartbeat deafening him from the inside. The thief smiles at him wearing that face, and the bout of aggression Luo Binghe feels inside him is incomparable to anything he’s ever felt.
“Very well, very well. As opposed to the previous wasted efforts that were downright embarrassing, the little beast has finally made some meaningful progress. You’ve actually used your brain for once. It may be a little late to say it, but this one is quite proud.” Although the words are spoken warmly, almost fondly, the underlying ice is as sharp as the edge of a blade.
Luo Binghe grips Zheng Yang tight, but every part of his body is tense with a different kind of foreboding. His gut screams at him to turn around, to run, but his legs may as well have blended together with the ground.
The thief continues smiling as he speaks in that voice, gentle and soft. “This one has a question, one that Luo Binghe has perhaps thought about before. When your time comes, how do you wish to go? As a human? Or as a beast? Choose. This is the only mercy that this one will grant you. Consider it repayment for the times long passed.”
… what?
“You wear my Shizun’s face,” Luo Binghe says, icily. “Where do you find the courage?”
“Courage?” The thief laughs, wretched and resentful, unlike any sound that has ever come out of Shen Yuan’s mouth. “No, Luo Binghe, this is not courage. This is the farthest from courage you can possibly imagine. This ─ this is spinelessness. This is hesitation. This is weakness. I have torn my chest asunder looking for darkness, only to find the most pathetic essence of humanity inside. So, no. Don’t call this courage. Call it what it is. Call it justice.”
This person stops walking a few steps away ─ close, but out of Zheng Yang’s range. Far, but not far enough.
“You’re the one who performed the Lingering Soul Ritual,” Luo Binghe says, his insides scorching. “You took all the notes I worked for years to put together, every sliver of knowledge I gathered in the libraries of Huan Hua Palace. You stole all of them and modified them to create… this. These abominations, these─”
“You are only partly correct,” the person says, “All the vast knowledge you collected a lifetime ago about crossing the boundary between life and death, I indeed had access to it all. But I stole nothing. Back then, I was a disciple of Huan Hua Palace and you couldn’t bear to see my face. I never asked you to leave me in charge of that well of knowledge. You made that decision yourself.”
… Had he? Really?
A lifetime ago, he…
He’d mercilessly killed every walking thing he’d come across that bore anything even remotely similar to Shizun’s face, with few exceptions. A disciple in charge of Huan Hua Palace’s libraries ─ he might have left one alive. No matter what, Luo Binghe cannot remember it. He cared for none of them enough to remember their faces.
“I… did not create this,” he settles on, a little faintly, a little desperately. Not once could he have imagined doing something so horrific to the demonkind, ripping out their very essence and making it into these detestful, wretched things, that no longer even bear a will of their own.
The bastard smiles. It is an indulgent smile.
“I had to do a little work myself, yes,” the man agrees, all too lightly. “But if not for you, Luo Binghe, this would not have been possible. On my own, I never could have learned such things. Without you, none of these Formless Demons would have ever existed. Do you understand what I’m saying now? Do you know why they all hate you so? Why they cannot forgive you?”
“No,” Luo Binghe says. “I have nothing to do with this! I─”
“Oh, but you do. The one who would not let them die ─ it’s none other than yourself, Luo Binghe. I’ve offered them some pity, providing them an opportunity to come seek retribution. But the one who damned them first was Luo Binghe. The one who wouldn’t let their consciousness disperse is also Luo Binghe. I merely gave that consciousness the means to act within its own interest.”
“NO! Never!”
Blade meets blade in an explosion of sparks as Luo Binghe moves, slashing forward with Zheng Yang’s full might. The bastard counters that with ease, engaging him in a swordfight with fluidity that doubles as a battle of wits, for all of Binghe’s moves are blocked with practiced ease, every opening exploited, every reaction carefully manipulated.
Toying!
Down on his knees, out of breath and out of strength, having fallen to a set of quick, masterful hits, Luo Binghe feels he’s being toyed with, teased and thrown around like a ragdoll. The rage burning inside him threatens to blow over, but it has nowhere to go, for this enemy won’t let him catch his breath, not even for a moment. Just from the way this person carries that blade, Luo Binghe knows he’s not exerting even half of the power it possesses ─ yet still he can do nothing about it. Not once has Luo Binghe been so soundly beaten, not once has he been so ridiculously humiliated.
“YOU─” he roars, catching the swing coming for him with his bare hand and exploding his spiritual Qi with the force of boulders smashing together. Yet, as the dust settles down, he’s done nothing but further exhaust himself.
His target stands tall, not even a hair out of place, wide, blood-stained sleeves whipping everywhere ─ and it is not difficult to see why. The wall of protective spiritual power coming from the beads around his other hand is more powerful than anything Luo Binghe has ever fought. More importantly, it is identical in both signature and strength to the power of the only cultivator who has ever made Luo Binghe work for his wins.
“You…” Luo Binghe is gasping for air, and it’s not mere exhaustion coming down on him. It is outrage mixed with disbelief mixed with something he hasn’t felt in years, not since that moment Shizun held him in his arms in Huayue city and detonated his core. The same wave of despair. “YOU! What have you done to Liu Qingge?!”
He gets no verbal answer ─ only a slash of a blade coming for his neck, which he blocks a moment before it can connect. The force behind it is too much. It throws him into the cliffs, so deep that the rocks come crashing down on him from above.
Like a true beast, Luo Binghe ignores all pain and charges forward, slashing wildly, but he cannot even come near. Zheng Yang shakes with the amount of spiritual energy he pours into it, but even so, he cannot reach the hem of this man’s robes.
“That’s right, just a little more. Come on, Luo Binghe. Come on! Show me that monstrous side of you, show me what you’ve hidden away! Don’t make me do everything myself!”
Luo Binghe knows he’s running headlong into a trap, has been from the moment he took that invitation up and joined the barrier division. Even so, he cannot back down now. He cannot forgive. Liu Qingge is his toy to play with! His dog, carefully tamed and leashed! Who gave this bastard thief that’s stolen Shizun’s face the right to touch another one of his belongings?!
All rationality lost, Luo Binghe roars, calling onto the powers stuck deep inside him, bypassing all seals and instincts, tearing through all shreds of the protective layers holding his demonic power out of the grasp of his hands.
The Heavenly Demon mark burns bright on top of his head, waves of demonic power exploding out of him, crushing everything. The rocks are blown away, landscape remodeled. Formless Demons have all lost their shapes under that wave of power, dispersed into darkness.
Yet that man still stands in the midst of it all, unharmed, the sword in his hand full of Liu Qingge’s spiritual power, the flawless kind of protection that no one can break.
Luo Binghe descends to madness.
Without a single rational thought in mind, he charges forward, discarding Zheng Yang for the sake of his demonic claws, letting go of all spirituality to let the demonic rule over instead. It is nowhere near the extent of how it should be, the seal on his blood has not entirely fallen apart ─ but it is everything he’s got. And he uses all of it with magnificent glee, surrendering to savage cruelty inside him. Yet this man counters it with just as much ease as he’s countered everything else, with just as much grace and nobility as though he’s holding a fan to his chest. Just like─
Shen Qingqiu?
Luo Binghe freezes suddenly, the dawning realization crushing all of his demonic instincts to nothingness. He doesn’t have a moment to realize what this name implies, what all sorts of other issues it brings up. He knows not where this begins nor where it ends ─ not until that blade infused with Liu Qingge’s spiritual power nails him to the ground.
Luo Binghe coughs out a mouthful of blood, staring at the night sky full of shiny stars above.
Faintly, he is aware of an array spreading from under his body, surrounding him in spiritual energy oozing pure darkness, but he is no longer able to feel anything. The seal on his demonic power is falling apart, slowly but surely. At the same time, it is being rebuilt, over and over again, each time it breaks. The pain is pure agony. Exactly how it felt like, being torn apart and then pieced together again, only for the freshly healed wounds to be forcefully opened once more.
His spiritual meridians feel like they might just burst inside him, while the demonic ones struggle to fully form. It is all mindless torture for his body, yet Luo Binghe slowly becomes disconnected from all of it, for far worse than his body being torn asunder is the same happening to his mind ─ and he can already see the cracks that the Soul Luminescence powder once repaired now breaking apart.
Huan Qingyan’s special bead. That wretched thing that once destroyed a demon eagle’s demonic consciousness ─ it is now pressed up directly against Luo Binghe’s demon mark, bringing with it a whole new world of agony. He watches it all with eyes wide open, but can do nothing about it, for his mind is caving under the pressure of a much more earth-shaking realization.
Shizun.
His Shizun’s face. His Shizun’s spiritual power. His Shizun’s bearing.
All too happy that he’s gotten every little thing he’s ever wished for, Luo Binghe has gotten complacent. He has gotten careless. Forgetful.
The person wearing his Shizun’s body is Shen Yuan. The person who sacrificed his spiritual core for Luo Binghe in Huayue city is Shen Yuan. The person who sacrificed his life for him in Maigu Ridge is Shen Yuan.
But Shen Yuan was never his Shizun, not really. At some point, Shen Yuan swapped places with his Shizun, and Luo Binghe had never been able to pinpoint exactly how that happened. He never pushed to find out, for it never occurred to him that his Shizun might still be out there, wearing his beloved’s face instead.
[System notice! System warning! The critical quest <The Endless Abyss and Endless Hatred, a Lifetime of Resentment> has officially begun! If it is not successfully completed, twenty thousand protagonist satisfaction points will be deducted!]
The alarm rings in front of his eyes as all semblance of his consciousness collapses around him. Luo Binghe hasn’t heard a word from the System in well over a year, so what is it doing here now?! What is that flashing red light trying to say that he hasn’t already heard countless times?!
His memories are muddled up, dreams mixing with reality mixing with nightmares ─ and finally something worthwhile comes up.
It had happened shortly after his body in Maigu Ridge had scattered away, in a place with no light and no air. In a place made up of darkness much like a void, where Luo Binghe had found himself in mere moments after giving his all to tear Xin Mo apart. Shen Yuan had disappeared in front of his eyes and there had been nothing but darkness obscuring his mind had remained…
The empty darkness… and a fundamental sense of unease, the feeling that he should not be in this place, at this time.
Another person stood there in front of him ─ it had no visible face and barely any shadow of a shape to call vaguely human. A little like Meng Mo, back when the dream demon had no power to sustain his image, a little like a faint trace of a spirit long gone.
Except this thing was no demon. It was not even a living entity, for it held not a sliver of anything living inside it.
But that thing had a voice ─ slightly less distorted, a little more human than how Luo Binghe had been hearing it over the previous period of time
The thing had said, [Welcome to the System, the Protagonist!], as cheerily as though it had spoken a joke of some kind.
[This latest bout of devotion you’ve shown has truly left this System lacking for words ─ and that’s quite an achievement. This one rarely ever lacks words. So here’s a little reward for you, our dearest Protagonist. At the end of the day, it won’t matter what you choose, cause that person will still come and ruin every shred of happiness you might grasp, but let this one offer you a little mercy for your heartfelt efforts. Take your pick.]
A list had opened up in front of him, then. A list with three different options, each of them more confusing than the last.
[Option A, Restart. Continue the active timeline instance with no changes after the System service interruption.]
[Option B, Reset. Delete all timeline instance data and launch a brand new System service.]
[Option C, Reload. Preserve all timeline instance data and launch a new System service.]
To Luo Binghe’s addled mind with no context whatsoever, none of these things sounded appealing. None of them had made any sense and he had no idea what those words floating in the air were trying to tell him. But he had just come from an instance of watching his beloved die for the third time, and what little he could understand from what was presented to him had led him to choose that last option, if only for the meaning of that single world.
Preserve \.
Now, that shrill laughter in his memory is echoing as though the voice is coming from inside his own head, merging together with the repeated system warnings blowing up in his vision. Luo Binghe no longer knows what is real and what isn’t.
“Don’t worry, my beloved disciple,” Shen Qingqiu’s voice comes clearer than anything else, a cold hand brushing against his burning cheek. “Just close your eyes. A little patience. This will all be over soon.”
“Like hell if I have something to say about it!”
That statement is followed by a blast of familiar, overpowering spiritual energy surging through the air, forcing that cold, eerie hand to part with Luo Binghe’s skin.
Shizun, he thinks almost desperately, but no, that’s not right, either. The person who has come for him is not Shizun. The person caring for him, protecting him and loving him all this time ─ that person never was his Shizun.
Shen Yuan.
And then all semblance of reality shatters as the remnants of Soul Luminesce powder stitching his demonic consciousness together disperses to dust.
Shit! Shit! Shit!
Shen Yuan knew from the start that leaving Luo Binghe alone was a terrible idea, with every fiber of his being he'd known ─ and now he comes to find this.
Hundreds of Formless Demons flocking together hungrily, ravenously, surrounding the broken body of his disciple. His beaten, bloodied disciple, with a sword in his chest oozing dark energy, identical to the array drawn on the ground trapping Luo Binghe inside.
Clearly, that child is in immense pain. The tears rolling down the side of his face are bloody. His demonic claws are emerging and receding, trying but failing to do anything more than dig into the ground. The blood red mark of the Heavenly Demon clan is pulsing in dark red energy, leaving cracks all along his skin in the same way it had done in Maigu Ridge, driving him mad and destroying any semblance of humanity inside him.
A person kneels beside him, touching Luo Binghe’s face, holding some sort of a white bead pressed against his skin, whispering threats in his ear like they’re sweet nothings.
That person is wearing Shen Yuan’s face.
It’s too much, all of this!
Shen Yuan’s mind feels like it might break from the whiplash of information that one face alone gives him, but he dares not think about anything. Every cell in his body is screaming the same thing.
Get that filthy hand away from him!
With nothing but Xiu Ya to rely on, the tremendous power of the sword glare he unleashes is enough to startle every demon in vicinity. Finally ─ finally! ─ it removes that ugly presence from his disciple’s side.
The bastard smiles at him as he slides a mere few steps away, unperturbed
“And finally, the hero arrives,” he says lightly, but that tone is nothing but pure mockery. “Is that what you think this is? Is that the way you perceive yourself to be? A faultless hero strutting in to save his beloved in the nick of time? Shen Yuan, you are no hero and Luo Binghe deserves no mercy. You of all people should know.”
“Like hell it’s your place to decide that!”
Shen Yuan swings again, Xiu Ya’s sword gleam cutting through the air to clash with the light of pure Qi emulating from his very squishy, very non-cultivator body. The whiplash is as bad as getting hit on the head with a baseball bat.
Indignantly, Shen Yuan shouts, “What the hell did you do to my body?!”
The original goods chuckles at him, delighted. “With how long it’s been in my care, you tell me. What could I not have done to your body?”
Shen Yuan’s jaw hits the ground ─ but he picks it up quickly. He’s heard these exact same words before in a completely different context from an even scarier bastard, he cares not one bit to know the nasty details. But!!! “Do you have to make it sound so goddamn suggestive, you freak?!”
Momentarily, even Shen Qingqiu the original is stumped ─ right for Shen Yuan to sweep in and knee him into the side with all the force of repressed rage inside him, reinforced with Qi and pure, unfiltered need for violence. It sends the man flying into the rocks, finally getting him far enough from Luo Binghe.
“If you wanted to act all sneaky and clever, pulling this shit, why not just drop by for tea?! Not like you don’t know where I live. Why’d you have to go and pull Binghe into this, huh?!” he explodes. Stupid Formless Demons and their stupid master! He had all the pieces, damn it! How did Shen Yuan not see this coming from hundreds of li away?! Heavens, he hates his fucking brain!
Shen Qingqiu sneers, eyes suddenly blazing with hatred as he looks up, lifting himself up from the ground as though nothing happened. “You honestly think one can walk up to Qing Jing peak and talk to an esteemed lord of Cang Qiong Mountain?! Goodness, I knew you lacked sense from the beginning, but to think you lacked this much of it─”
“You’re the one lacking sense!” Shen Yuan snaps back, discarding Xiu Ya completely to punch the man in the fucking face. “Upholding some stupid arbitrary rules that do absolutely nothing ─ what?! Do you think I’m like you?! Throwing scalding tea at kids and whipping them cause I can’t bear my own insecurities?! Think again, you shitty bastard!”
Shen Qingqiu tackles him to the ground, bashing his head into it until all Shen Yuan sees is stars.
“You call me a bastard, but do you think he didn’t have it coming?! Luo Binghe deserved everything he got! Every instance of torture, every moment of living hell ─ all of it and more! Do you think he didn’t have it coming?!”
Shen Yuan kicks the bastard off to the side with everything he’s got, instantly assaulting with punches to neck, face and chest that have no rhyme nor reason to them, only intent to cause as much pain as humanly possible.
“YOU STARTED IT! You hurt him first! You─!”
A kick to his gut throws him back on the ground, where Shen Jiu climbs on top of him, his fingers tightly circling his neck until the point Shen Yuan can no longer breathe.
“YOU─!” the Original Good roars at Shen Yuan’s face, livid. Shen Yuan struggles against him, but when did that stupid body of his become so ridiculously strong? He remembers hating the feel of the burn in his muscles when hauling groceries up to his condo in a freaking elevator ─ how is this fucking happening? Who gave this bastard the right to take his watch with him ─
Shen Jiu’s breathing steadies, slowly, but his grip on Shen Yuan’s neck doesn’t ease in the slightest. The bastard holds him down that way, parched for air and helplessly struggling ─ and he smiles.
“No,” Shen Jiu says, far too calmly. “I won’t waste my breath arguing with you like this. You know nothing. That’s right. But let me tell you, Shen Yuan. You promised your help to me first. Yes, indeed. That’s what you did. With your own mouth, you said you would do it. You said you won’t fail. So what is this? Who do you think you’re playing with now?”
What?!
“Never mind, never mind,” Shen Jiu says then, all too calmly, like he’s changed to a completely different person in the fraction of time. “The night has almost come to an end. You are out of time. Don’t struggle, Shen Yuan. I’m sure you’re eager for this far more than I am. Every walking moment of every day, you have spent denying my identity. Considering what you’ve done back when you still relished in it, perhaps that’s for the better. I don’t wish to be associated with a senseless fool calling himself Cucumber for all ears to hear.”
Shen Yuan chokes. “Wha─what the fuck do you have against my ID?!”
“Naturally, it is stupid and tasteless ─ not much different from yourself. If you’re going to deem something ‘Peerless’, then at least learn how to use it.”
A perfectly timed palm strike to his chest forces all air out of Shen Yuan’s lungs ─ including a torrent of blood. Inside the puddle of crimson, something black gleams.
Xin Mo’s shard?! WHAT?!
Shen Yuan’s mind is a string of expletives that know no wisdom or propriety ─ but that’s not even the most startling revelation of them all. When Shen Jiu lifts his hand to summon a sword, the blade that responds to his call is not the one keeping Luo Binghe’s struggling body nailed to the black array.
It is Xiu Ya.
H-hold on! Hey! HEY! You treacherous little bitch, you can’t just work with me for years and then turn around and backstab─
Shen Yuan closes his eyes as Shen Jiu swings the blade towards him, but the attack never connects. Instead, as he opens his eyes, it’s like he can see a thread of black smoke connecting his chest to Shen Jiu’s slowly disappearing.
“What─what did you just do?! What was that?! What─”
“I told you already,” Shen Jiu says coldly, but his hand is already working, fingers tracing through the air, drawing symbols around it that Shen Yuan instantly recognizes as a transportation array identical to the one he’s used countless times. “The sacrifice I had to make to bring you here was a part of my primordial spirit. Can you imagine what it feels like, using your power to tear your own essence asunder?”
“D-don’t tell me, you’re gonna─”
“It’s time. The darkest hour of the night has come. The moment of despair is shared. It’s time for both our souls to return where they belong.”
“You fucking bastard─”
But whatever else Shen Yuan is about to say is drowned by his own scream, raw and guttural, like his very own being is torn to shreds. In comparison, Tianlang Jun summoning his soul back to the Holy Mausoleum is like a prick of a needle on a finger. Blinding, searing, tortuous, all of this may as well be lasting eternity, like walking on shards of glass while the pieces of it enter his bloodstream, tearing him apart inside and out.
Death, he realizes suddenly. This is what death feels like. What it should feel like, how it all should come to an end.
But it doesn't.
When Shen Yuan’s agony settles down enough to let him breathe, he realizes that the positions have truly been swapped. Shen Jiu has indeed taken his body back and is still reeling from the backlash.
Shen Yuan isn’t much different. This body feels foreign to him, even more so than the mushroom body made of stupid magic flower seed. He can’t move a limb. Numbly, he lies on the ground with half his face in the dirt. Next to him, Shen Jiu’s shallow breathing grows erratic. Fuck. To think that idiot was crazy enough to do this knowing just how much it would hurt. What kind of a messed up masochist is he?!
Shen Yuan can’t move his limbs, but the fingers of his right hand twitch at his efforts. That damned accursed right hand, cursed for eternity for ever clicking the chaotic monstrosity that is Proud Immortal Demon Way. He tries once more and ─ there it is. A little twitch. If he can put a little spiritual power into it, just a little, and summon Xiu Ya to him, stab this bastard in the gut ─ but no matter how much his fingers twitch, the hilt of Xiu Ya, still visible from the corner of his eye, responds to nothing. UGH!
Shen Yuan has no other option but to grit his teeth and keep trying.
For some ridiculous reason, he’s got a better grasp of controlling spiritual power than his limbs, so he repeats the same over and over and over again ─ until, an eternity later, the cold hilt of a weapon brushes his numb fingers and promptly drops to the ground.
Victoriously, Shen Yuan snaps his eyes open ─ only to see the blade that’s answered is not Xiu Ya at all, but that black and white monstrosity that’s been nailing Luo Binghe down to the ground, now dripping in that child’s blood.
Shen Yuan summons just enough strength to tilt his head the other way, where he sees Luo Binghe’s body twitching slightly, like its enduring electric shocks. Helplessly, he urges the weapon to move again ─ until finally, the blade hovers in the air, steadily enough for Shen Yuan to slowly wrap his fingers around it.
A single, experimental trial of passing spiritual power to the weapon rebounds completely, instantly breaking the paralysis on Shen Yuan’s body. It’s not ideal, not by a long shot ─ Shen Yuan is moving around like his brain and limbs are disconnected, not too different from how the drunkards walk in one direction only to fall in the other, but at least, he can sit now. He can stand up. His steps are slow and unsteady, eyes darting around searching for hundreds of Formless Demons that all seem to have disappeared, but he doesn’t question it.
“Luo Binghe,” he gasps, collapsing to his knees next to that prone child. His eyes are half-open, but it’s like they can grasp no reality. There’s not even a flash of recognition in the vacant eyes reflecting Shen Yuan’s face. Shen Yuan slaps him. “Binghe!”
It’s no use. The wound in his chest is bleeding dangerously and most of his skin is covered in deep, purple cracks, pulsing with demonic power inside him. Just like Maigu ridge.
“Binghe!” Shen Yuan screams, trying to offer his spiritual power, to no avail. What’s collapsing isn’t his body, but his mind ─ and Shen Yuan has no power to do anything about it. “Meng Mo!” he screams instead. “Are you in there?! Can you hear me?! Can you─”
His panic dies down slightly, as Luo Binghe’s limp finger touches the palm of his hand.
“Binghe!!” but his excitement quickly decreases too. The longer that finger keeps moving, the more it is like a message, a character. A name. Shen Yuan fears just how quickly he comes to understand its meaning. “It’s Meng Mo, right? Controlling the body?”
The softest tap against his hand, almost impossible to notice. Shen Yuan interprets that as a yes. He nods rapidly. “What─what do I do? How do I ─ how do I help?”
It is a long time before that finger starts drawing lines in his palm. It needs not draw many. Just from the first character, Shen Yuan understands everything.
“That’s… the only way?” he whispers, hands shaking. “Nothing else?”
The softest tap on his skin might as well be his imagination. But even so, Shen Yuan didn’t ask this because he doesn’t believe it. He knows, too, that there is no other way but to do this. He’s feared it all along.
Ignoring just how weak and numb his arms feel, he wraps them around Luo Binghe’s back and chest, very slowly lifting him up. With that alone, he realizes his initial plan of carrying Luo Binghe anywhere isn’t going to work ─ he can barely lift half his body. Fuck. His muscles are screaming. Shen Yuan was never strong, but fuck it, he was also never this weak! Fuck this shit!
Powering through the pain, he hauls one of Luo Binghe’s arms over his shoulders. And then the other. He clings onto both of them desperately, but as he rises to his feet, both of his legs give out under the combined weight of two people. Fine, then. If walking won’t do, plan B!
Freeing one hand, Shen Yuan summons that eerie blade to his grasp. Then, applying spiritual power as though he’s going to fly, he directs the sword to move in the direction of the Endless Abyss. He almost screams as the blade races forward, dragging him and Luo Binghe like a trailer on a truck with no steering wheels, hitting and bouncing off of every bump in their way. He clings to Luo Binghe as hard as he must, screaming obscenities all the way.
At least, they don’t need to go far.
They’ve almost reached the gaping hole of the Endless Abyss when Xiu Ya comes wheezing, forcefully ripping the flying weapon from Shen Yuan’s hands. The blade itself spins off in the other direction, flying into the Endless Abyss, never to be seen again. Shen Qingqiu, the bastard, makes a guttural roar of protest at the sight. As for Shen Yuan and Luo Binghe, the momentum has kept them moving, but not enough to tip them past the edge. Shen Yuan is right there, but Luo Binghe─
Luo Binghe’s eyes have snapped wide open and he’s using every bit of strength to resist him, staring at the gaping hole ahead filled with fright.
“N-no,” that child is pleading, weak and feeble, barely loud enough to hear. “Not there, not again, no, no, no…” he is in borderline hysterics.
“Binghe,” Shen Yuan holds his face, uncaring of just how much his hand is bleeding. But Luo Binghe sees nothing except the blood and his whole body is shaking.
“N-no. Don’t… don’t make me go. S-Shizun, please, don’t…”
“LUO BINGHE!” Shen Yuan exclaims, finally getting the child to look at him, but that only makes things worse. The kid trashes harder, hard enough to injure himself. Shen Yuan grabs both his wrists, forcing him to calm down. “Binghe, listen to me. Shizun is here. I’m not… I won’t leave you alone. Never again. I promised. Shizun is here.”
“NO! You’re ─ you’re not Shizun! You’re not! You’re…”
But for a moment, a flash of realization seems to come over and his eyes unfocus slightly. “A-Yuan?” he whispers, like he’s testing how the name rolls down his tongue, like he doesn’t believe it.
“That’s right. It’s me,” Shen Yuan whispers. His hands are shaking. “Binghe, listen to me. You have to… you…” but he can’t bring himself to say it, can’t bring himself to do anything ─ not until he realizes the darkness of that array is back, black and oozing, surrounding Luo Binghe all over again. He’s certain of it now ─ at least half of Luo Binghe’s delirium is caused by that array alone. Meng Mo wasn’t messing around. There really is no other way.
Desperately, Shen Yuan holds onto Binghe’s cheeks. “Binghe! You have to go. Please, there’s no time!”
“NO!”
With an incredible bout of strength, Luo Binghe wrenches himself free, crawling away from Shen Yuan and the Endless Abyss, the black traces of the array following him the whole way. His eyes, only somewhat lucid, are filled with hatred. “NO! You’re not him! You’re not A-Yuan! You’re not!”
“Binghe…” but whatever he wanted to say all dies as a blade as cold as ice pierces through his half-extended arm. The pain doesn’t immediately register ─ most of his body is still too numb. But to see that same Xiu Ya pull itself out of him and then go after Luo Binghe ─ he can’t have that.
Using all the energy he can muster, he body-tackles Luo Binghe to the ground, the bloody edge of Xiu Ya safely wheezing past his ear. From the corner of his eye, he can see Shen Jiu’s struggle is not much different from his own. Spiritual power he can control, in waves and bursts, but anything other than sitting is nigh impossible at this point. But who knows how long that will last. Shen Yuan broke free easily enough.
With Luo Binghe’s eyes once again unfocused, Shen Yuan can’t take any more chances.
“Binghe,” he calls, desperately. “Please, look at me.”
But that child is looking. He is looking and seeing nothing, lost to the demons of his own mind, or the negative effects of the stupid array, Shen Yuan doesn’t know anymore. He doesn’t care. The Heavenly Demon mark burns bright and unobstructed. The seal on Luo Binghe’s demonic power should have collapsed by now. He knows what he’s gotta do.
Bringing his face close until their noses are almost touching, he says softly, “I’m sorry, Binghe. I’ll have to go first.” Then he bends down, softly brushing his lips against Luo Binghe’s. The reaction is instantaneous, almost eclectic. Luo Binghe’s eyes widen with a flash of lucidity, but he doesn’t move, too confused to act, too rattled to think.
It’s not a long kiss. It’s not even a tender one.
Shen Yuan tears through the sensitive skin of Binghe’s lip with his teeth to suck some blood out of it, like some perverted vampire sicko, before finally tearing his face away.
“I won’t be long. Wait for me patiently,” he promises, ignoring the coppery taste of Heavenly Demon blood on his tongue. This is the only way.
As Xiu Ya comes for them again, Shen Yuan pushes that boy out of the way, letting the blade pierce his right hand and its momentum to push him all the way to the edge of the Abyss. A couple rocks break away and topple into the smelly hole of death, vanishing from sight.
Too far away, Shen Jiu seems like he’s finally realized exactly what it is that Shen Yuan plans to do ─ and the bastard clearly does not approve.
“You fool!” he roars. “Have you lost your damn mind?!”
Shen Yuan smirks at him, lifting his hand in a single, demonstrative gesture.
Suck it, bastard.
He drags himself the rest of the distance ─ then he tilts his body back, freely.
For a moment, he feels weightless, a little like a feather in the wind, unbound by any laws of nature and free to be carried off by the winds. Then he’s plummeting downwards into a hell made of death and hatred below, an abyss of endless suffering.
High above him, Luo Binghe screams his name.
Shen Yuan allows himself a brief smile.
Wait for me, Binghe. It won’t be long. Shizun just needs to find a better weapon for you, no biggie. Shizun won’t let that bastard live for making you suffer.
Far above, Luo Binghe moves to follow. But before he can, the chasm of the Endless Abyss closes, having already taken the sacrifice it's been promised.
Heh. Take that, shitty System! Follow me to the Abyss and take my damn points if you dare!
Already, Shen Yuan’s lungs fill with the acid air and smell of rot. He fights it, but his eyes fall shut without his input, the inside of his body burning with the damage. The Endless Abyss is not a place meant for humans, not at all and he has already felt it on his skin ─ but Shen Yuan will have to make do this time. The softest trickle of warmth deep inside the pit of his stomach is the last sign he gets that Luo Binghe has finally gotten his message. The barest of the relief passes through him as Binghe fights off the poisons Shen Yuan cannot, providing the semblance of temporary relief that only Luo Binghe has ever been able to offer.
Wait for me, Binghe. If you can’t get it on your own, then this old man will go get it for you.
The root cause of all this trouble. The shittiest world-breaking plot device ever written.
Your golden finger.
No matter what, Shen Yuan is going to get his hands on Xin Mo ─ and this world better be ready for it. Every single wound left on Luo Binghe’s body and mind, he is going to pay it back tenfold. That is his fucking promse.
Notes:
Before y'all ask, yeah. This has been the plan from the start. For all it's worth, there's no other way out of this but up. Right?
Chapter 51: Interlude: The Strategist
Notes:
Revisiting chapter 1 with this one!! And the previous chap hahah! There is a LOT that is glossed over, but it should be informative about what has been going on in the background this whole time
pls don't end me
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Shen Jiu sits cross legged on top of a rock deep inside Maigu ridge as the world around him falls apart.
Somewhere, several levels below him, deep in the wreckage of the caves, left in the wake of his mindless attempt to merge the realms, Luo Binghe has just shattered the physical representation of Xin Mo into millions of tiny, dangerous shards ─ all of them full of dangerous, uncontrollable power running wild. Many of those shards are now stuck inside Luo Binghe’s own body. A select few have, quite possibly, embedded themselves into Shen Jiu’s original body. The rest of them, however, have spread around and created cracks across the world at large.
Most of the cultivators present at the scene are running around, panicking, straight up losing their minds. They don’t understand what is going on, as the ground under their feet shakes and the crevices of Maigu ridge crack like porcelain. Indescribable power surges through, putting many of them to sleep one by one. The panic only ever increases.
Shen Jiu sits on his rock patiently, watching the chaos unfold.
Xin Mo the sword has shattered. For the umpteenth time.
It’s time, Luo Binghe. Aren’t you ready to fall apart?
It truly is taking a very long time, this time around. Luo Binghe’s sense of self is shaken, but his consciousness has not yet broken. In due time.
In Shen Jiu’s lap rests a sword hilt with no blade in sight, sad and pathetic.
Its grip sits embedded with two different characters on opposite sides. Those can be interpreted in many different ways. Yin and Yang. Black and White. Death and Life. But the truth is, those characters hold no meaning at all, for the blade is not yet forged and the name is not yet given.
To create this thing the way it exists now, Shen Jiu had sacrificed far too much. The elegant guard, bright though it may be, bears enchantments on it that are irreversibly dark. The white grip separates the pommel from the guard and serves the purpose of limitation ─ but also the purpose of moderation. It is a channel for the power the weapon might some day hold, but also a protection, for the power itself will forever remain contained solely within the sword, never to touch the one who dares bear it.
To make this work, Shen Jiu only has this one chance.
Shen Yuan’s willingness in providing a crucial piece had been the first step ─ and getting his agreement had been easy enough. Everybody loves to be a hero, given the opportunity. Few are aware, however, what kind of a sacrifice that truly entails ─ and Shen Yuan was never among them.
The second step had been preparing the crystal that will house the crucial piece, a ball of ice stolen from deep within the Ice Demon clan’s hidden sanctuary. Coming from deep within the sacred springs hidden in the demon territory, this ice has the ability to cleanse just about anything.
The final step is putting these two separate items together.
Sadly, this last step may be the most challenging of them all.
With Shen Jiu’s soul currently residing in Shen Yuan’s body, and Shen Yuan’s soul bound to Shen Jiu’s original body and no real way to undo the swap at this point in time, the only way a piece of Shen Yuan’s soul could be successfully acquired was through Luo Binghe himself ─ and sadly, only through the most intimate means.
Admittedly, Shen Jiu had hoped ─ tried ─ to find a better way for it. The betrayal Shen Yuan committed to both himself and Luo Binghe at the edge of the Endless Abyss was severe enough to break his spirit in ways that shouldn’t have required any deeper level of meddling… but that hadn’t gone according to plan. Shen Yuan behaved and lived on as though he’s lost his soul for the better part of the three years of Luo Binghe’s absence ─ but only Shen Jiu knew at the time that his soul had, in fact, remained whole.
Thus, the orchestration of the confrontation in Maigu Ridge.
Shen Jiu has had far too many scares before this particular event could come to fruition ─ in no small part due to the Southern Demon Lord’s unexpected return and Shen Yuan’s own insidious ways of thinking ─ however, things have still fallen into place in the end.
Still, a form of dual cultivation had to happen.
Intimate, spiritual, soul-changing, for all that Shen Jiu loathes to think about it.
Shen Yuan’s soul needed breaking ─ and if emotional wreckage didn’t suffice, then Shen Jiu wasn’t above orchestrating events that will most surely have even the most devastating effects upon the body. Breaking the mind in order to break a soul is, after all, not at all necessary ─ and sometimes, breaking the body itself is more than enough. Shen Jiu would know. He’s endured Luo Binghe tearing his body apart more than once ─ all for a sliver of power he himself could have never possessed.
Shen Yuan, for all that he seems hopelessly smitten by the beast, is no better, in this regard. And Shen Jiu’s body is way past its expiration date. The intimacy of the act aside, the experience of it could never truly be enjoyable for either of those nasty hoodlums. It is the only solace Shen Jiu finds under the circumstances. It should prove enough.
Once the piece of Shen Yuan’s soul is fully absorbed into the pommel, all that remains is to forge the blade. And for that, the right time is yet to come.
On cue, a small notification flashes in his vision.
[System notice: please stand by.]
Shen Jiu raises a single eyebrow, unimpressed. As if he doesn’t know that the time is not yet right. The cracks are still spreading. Only the weaklings have fallen asleep. The strong ones remain at large, confused and seeking for answers. Shen Jiu’s original body is suspended by the System, yes, but Luo Binghe’s self-consciousness has not yet shattered.
That beast child will break himself, soon enough. Always does. It’s just a matter of time.
In the meantime, it is up to Shen Jiu to find ways to deal with the still waking pieces ─ most of whom he chooses to simply ignore. One of them, in particular, has come across him, pausing in her race to reach ─ whatever she’s wanted to reach.
Liu Mingyan, distraught with the current situation and evidently aware that something is not right with the world around her ─ that the merger has gone dangerously wrong ─ has been running all across the Maigu Ridge, searching for either an explanation, or her brother. Within her eyes, the power of heaven that exists in her meridians contrasts the demonic essence running down her family bloodline ─ and inevitably, her eyes have found Shen Jiu.
“What in the world…?” she murmurs, frowning deeply. The cracks in the world all around them should be far more urgent of a concern, but that child has always been uncannily insightful. Even with the world as she knows it ending before her eyes, she has proven capable, one more time, to single out the one thing benefiting from it all. “What… are you exactly?”
Shen Jiu offers a courteous smile. “This one is merely a disciple of Huan Hua Palace. Miss Liu shouldn’t mind.”
That young woman, looks like, hasn’t even taken a notice of his uniform at all until he’s brought it up. If anything, the conflict in her eyes only becomes more obvious.
“... that thing… in your hands…”
Ah. Shen Jiu as he is right now might’ve never warranted Miss Liu’s attention ─ he has done a good job, enduring a full decade of staying as far from her as humanly imaginable ─ if only for the fear that this girl might be able to notice a soul-body mismatch. She shouldn’t have been able to, early on, but with Liu Mingyan, one never knows. Now, however, it’s clear what has gotten her attention. The hilt in his grasp is doing its work, absorbing a piece of human soul inside, based upon arrays diligently prepared ahead of time. Such a thing could never fly by the paragon of righteousness that is Liu Mingyan.
“Don’t worry,” Shen Jiu says, highly amused. “Once you open your eyes, this won’t be anything strange at all.”
“... huh?” Just as it looks as though Liu Mingyan might interpret his words as a threat ─ the first wave of power explodes everywhere at once. The entirety of the Maigu ridge shakes.
Before Liu Mingyan can so much as realize what’s hit her, her body crashes limp over the ground, her eyes shut in the exact same way others have been caught. With this life pampering her around more than most of the previous ones, Miss Liu’s progress in the artistry that is her cultivation has been the slowest Shen Jiu has ever witnessed. Even so, Miss Liu remains one of the most dangerous humans alive ─ and thanks to Luo Binghe’s endless affections for the future Madam of the Liu clan, she is bound to remain such for a very long time.
But for now, just as everyone else nearby, Liu Mingyan remains lost to the world around her, defenseless and vulnerable.
[System notice: The advanced System function ‘Reload’ is currently in the process of activation. ETA, 165:02:51. Source of all power current status: unstable. Power level: 71%. Current timeline stability: 3%.]
Shen Jiu sighs, unsurprised.
Luo Binghe, Luo Binghe, oh that silly child. Shen Jiu should have known what he would latch onto, as soon as he got the opportunity ─ but even so, it has gone too far.
Shen Yuan, you fool. You only had one job. What in the world have you done?
Then again, perhaps that’s not entirely right.
That idiot’s job at this point in time was indeed only one ─ give a piece of his soul away for Shen Jiu to do what he must ─ and he seems to have done it just fine. Even as the seconds turn into minutes and minutes turn to hours, Shen Jiu remains wide awake and entirely unaffected by the cracks spreading everywhere. That is to say, that idiot’s soul remains, even after all that fiddling around, entirely unbound to this world and its laws. The only thing even remotely binding Shen Yuan to this place is the intangible dark chain, connecting his soul to Shen Jiu’s body ─ which at the same time remains linked to the other chain, linking Shen Jiu’s soul to Shen Yuan’s body. His only saving grace, now that the timeline is about to be reset.
Hundred and sixty four hours left.
Luo Binghe has, in the process of reverting everything, used less power than he normally does. Another sure sign that the thing calling itself the System had to lure him into it ─ or else it would simply not have happened, not now.
Well, alright.
Reload, that stupid thing had called it.
A total reset, he’d called it before.
Shen Jiu idly wonders what difference the choice word makes, overall. With Luo Binghe’s power unusually stable throughout most of this cycle, probably much. Perhaps, that silly child might even remember a timeline, for a change. Unlikely, but a man can hope. Luo Binghe is, after all, much easier to break when he knows exactly what kind of evil he’s done.
But most of the time, Luo Binghe’s memory or lack thereof is of no importance. He certainly cannot change anything at any point in time.
Shen Yuan, however ─ that one can change it all.
And that is a problem.
Dragging Shen Yuan from that other world over to this one was a bullheaded risk, mindless and foolhardy. It is something that Shen Jiu had done by bearing a hefty sacrifice, with a very clear list of reasons and milestones he needed to achieve, in order for this drastic sacrifice to be worth its price.
Somehow, Shen Yuan has managed to fuck up every single one.
“Do you know how much of his memory is intact?” he asks this question to the empty air around him.
At this point, the cracks throughout the world have already spread everywhere. The people ─ and the other living and nonliving dwellers of the universe ─ are all deeply asleep, as their memories are wiped away through their dreams.
In response to his question, a flashing screen appears before his eyes, simple and translucent with spiritual light.
[Nah, man. I’ve tried more or less everything, but I have no way of giving what’s missing back to him. He was dead for a time, y’know? At least until you brought him back. No way he’s gonna remember stuff past his moment of death. As for what he has done ever since coming here… I don’t think we could have taken that, even if we tried. I’m certainly not gonna bother.]
That’s right.
Shen Yuan’s memory as it is has always been outside their means of control. Much like the person in its entirety. The only pieces taken away from him were taken away by means of fate that Shen Jiu cannot counter, and each and every one of their attempts to meddle have backfired terribly, whether he likes it or not.
Still, robbing that idiot of his ability to fuck shit up by breathing in its direction is probably the best security measure fate could have ever undertaken. That it had taken so little to convince Shen Yuan of the System’s ‘power’ over his life is a result of the carefully crafted web of lies, but now those lies are beginning to unravel and it’s only a matter of time before that trust is entirely lost. The fear, after all, had been taken away in its entirety now ─ clinging to the broken piece of soul currently being absorbed into the weapon.
Shen Yuan, it looks like, when choosing to give something of himself away ─ had chosen to give away his fear.
How foolish of him. How incredibly smart.
Still, it had been shamelessly entertaining to watch the spectacle while it lasted: a dead man, fearing for his life.
Perhaps, Shen Jiu should have known that rejoicing too soon is the same as counting his chickens before they hatch.
In one decade, Shen Yuan ended up achieving what had taken Shen Jiu nearly two centuries. But given that fool’s track record in his early days, it might be better to say that all of Shen Jiu’s hard work invested over two entire centuries ─ making Luo Binghe feel so much as to break him apart from the inside ─ it had taken Shen Yuan no more than several months.
And here they are now.
The realm merger has started decades too early.
Tianlang Jun’s demonic consciousness, unbound.
And Luo Binghe, that foolish child, has torn the entire world apart over a few silly sentences talking of love.
You are no romantic, you little brutish monster. Who are you hoping to deceive now?
[ETA: 159:53:21]
Shen Jiu glances down on the thing on his wrist, an item that has been the most helpful of them all, in helping him deduce the time.
Six days, fifteen hours and fifty three minutes left.
Shen Jiu lifts himself up, glancing at the white hilt of the unfinished sword in his hand. Luo Binghe will certainly wake up before the time is up. How much time before he does could be anything between seconds and whole days. Already, Xin Mo has started rebuilding the world according to what it wants. It will take time to revert everything to how it used to be, to mimic the right point in time, but that nasty piece of world-breaking sprite will get it done ─ if only to indulge in the suffering it creates after breaking it another time. But this time, Xin Mo won’t be able to mend all of it. Scars of a future that shouldn’t exist will certainly show up. Hopefully, everything that Shen Jiu has been preparing for throughout this brief life will remain just as he’s set it up.
Every bit of Shen Yuan is as insusceptible to Xin Mo’s most devastating artistry as Shen Jiu’s soul never was.
Hopefully, this should prove enough.
Luo Binghe wakes up about seven hours before the time is up. That should be a fortunate sign, for Shen Jiu has almost entirely assembled himself a sword from countless Xin Mo parts spread about. He has taken all of them out of Luo Binghe’s body too, just in case ─ but left one behind in his own body. One never knows, after all ─ and Shen Yuan may be beyond their lies, but Shen Jiu’s body is as susceptible to Xin Mo’s manipulation as Shen Jiu has always been. Then, he scoured everywhere else.
The human realm, the demon realm, and even the Endless Abyss this time around ─ the shards of Xin Mo have spread all too far, and Shen Jiu has done his best to collect as many of them as he’d been able to find.
The world itself has almost mended now, forced back to create an illusion of time long passed. Even the merger of the realms has been seamlessly undone. For as far as the world is concerned, their lives may as well have never continued past some random point in time, stuck in a loop that very few have any potential to be able to recognize.
One of them, the Heavenly Demon Lord of the South ─ has been seamlessly sealed back in his cage under the mountain. Whether he understands the reversed passage of time for what it is, or else remains as oblivious as the rest, will only reveal itself with time. After all, the Bailu Mountain array has never once been broken, no matter how many times the revert was done. There is hardly any reason to worry that it might happen now.
The others ─ Liu Qingge and Liu Mingyan among them ─ have all succumbed to Xin Mo and its boundless power more than once. Should the need arise, Shen Jiu is more than capable of handling any of them.
Still, scars upon the world remain. Xin Mo has no difficulty affecting the soul, the body, the mind. That accursed thing has the innate ability to look into the human heart and discern both its light and its darkness ─ and play with them at will to satisfy its own appetite. Feeding off Luo Binghe and his suffering is bad enough ─ but this damn thing has, over time, learned to feed upon the pain of others as well. The Liu children, as usual, are its favorite pastime, even if they pose a greater danger to Xin Mo’s existence than even Shen Yuan does.
But while Xin Mo’s power extends far enough to bring back a seemingly dead human to life ─ so long as it does so before the soul enters the reincarnation cycle ─ that’s where its limitations arise. Xin Mo can reassemble said human’s house down to the littlest detail, but it cannot recreate what said human hasn’t seen with his own eyes ─ what the human hasn’t cared for with their own heart. The differences are bound to show ─ rivers, changing their travel routes. Trees growing much older than anyone may have anticipated. Damages done to places where humans rarely walk.
Shen Jiu has been well aware of this limitation for a long time ─ but this will be the first time he tries to use it to his advantage. Whether it works out… Well, he’s got nothing to lose if he tries. Everything he held most dear is already on his person. Xin Mo cannot take from him anything that’s been hidden by Shen Yuan.
The sword made out of Xin Mo shards is nearly whole. It’s only Nan Jiang left to scour for shards. Seven hours for the Southern Demon Realm should be more than enough.
And then, minutes after Luo Binghe wakes up, bright alarms flash left and right. Shen Jiu’s vision blurs, the smooth obsidian sword at his side filling with cracks made of brilliant white light.
“What?! What is going on?!” he cries to the skies.
[SYSTEM WARNING! SYSTEM ERROR! SYSTEM WARNING─]
“Cut it out with the rubbish!” Shen Jiu calls out. “Speak with words. What is going on?!”
Instead, all he gets is a flash of countless senseless characters dancing before his eyes, flashing brightly then disappearing in the dark. Shen Jiu’s rage is imminent.
“Shang Qinghua, you bastard! What have you fucked up now?!”
[NOT ME! Not me this time! Shen Qingqiu, you freak, THIS AIN’T ME! RED ALERT, RED ALERT! I REPEAT! WE ARE FUCKED! LUO BINGHE IS AWARE OF THE SYSTEM! AAAAAAHHHHHH!]
That’s ─ what?
“The thing you call the System is your own made up nonsense,” Shen Jiu blurts, stunned. “How can Luo Binghe possibly be aware of─”
[Y’KNOW WHAT ELSE MY MADE-UP NONSENSE IS MADE OF? XIN MO, YOU BASTARD! IT’S NOT ME LUO BINGHE IS CALLING OUT! IT IS THE SYSTEM ─ AND YOU ALREADY KNOW WHAT THAT ACCURSED THING IS LIKE WHEN IT COMES TO HIM. XIN MO WILL GIVE HIM ANYTHING HE WANTS, EVEN IF IT’S US─]
“Unless you plan to let him steal even your own fucking mind, give him what he wants!” Shen Jiu cries. Because that ─ that is a real possibility. Xin Mo may be one hell of a weapon in its own regard, but its master has solely ever been Luo Binghe. Everything Shang Qinghua and Shen Jiu have done in order to be able to borrow a little of its power ─ all of it had come at a cost. If Luo Binghe truly becomes aware of an aspect of power he doesn’t recognize, then even their best tool of control over Shen Yuan─
A brief window flashes before Shen Jiu’s eyes, translucent blue and flickering in the light.
[Crisis averted. He only wants me to wake his Shizun up ─ but fuck it, bro, I was about to lose my fucking mind─]
Shen Jiu tenses up, alert. “My body? Or─”
[Don’t worry, don’t worry ─ I told him his Shizun will wake up once the countdown is done. He doesn’t ─ his seal is back up, he has no feel for Xin Mo’s power at all right now. Like, when he gives a flat out order, I’m physically incapable of ignoring him ─ but there’s plenty of loopholes to find. Xin Mo ain’t the sharpest tool in the box ─ half truths still count as full truths in its eyes. Don’t worry, I got this.]
… right. Most certainly, he does.
HAH. As if Shen Jiu would ever buy that nonsense.
“Your secret art has caused us enough trouble in a lifetime! Cut it out with the nonsense and start doing your job right!”
[(｡•̀ᴗ-)✧ (｡•̀ᴗ-)✧]
Right… as if those nasty faces and sound effects make any difference at all.
Shen Jiu rolls his eyes and focuses on his actual job. Putting together his sword made of Xin Mo shards and Shen Yuan’s soul is a priority now ─ has been from the start. Mere hours remain. The more of the shards he’s got, the lesser the odds someone else stumbles upon them by accident. The more he’s got, the greater control he’ll be able to wrestle over Xin Mo when the time for it comes. Hoping against all odds, of course, that Xin Mo’s fondness for all that promises its destruction holds up.
Your days are numbered now, Little Beast.
This monster of your Shizun is going to pay you back for every little grievance you’ve caused.
Three years later, Shen Jiu does pay Luo Binghe back for every single torture the little beast had put him through. It is perhaps not as direct and no-holds barred as Shen Jiu might’ve liked, but it is a vengeance of its own kind.
To think that Luo Binghe retaining his memories of a previous lifetime would prove the greatest advantage of them all is something Shen Jiu hadn’t dared hope for ─ not once. But that child often was too simple to read, too obvious with what he cared about. Luo Binghe wore his heart on his sleeve from day one ─ and he had only ever offered it to those bound to break him apart. Playing up to his insecurities, fears and traumas is something Shen Jiu had turned into an art form over time, to the point he could tell just how close that child was to tears by the speed of his heartbeat alone.
Simple, Shen Jiu would’ve called him ─ except Luo Binghe was never simple.
Earnest, perhaps.
Foolish, certainly.
Dangerous to his core, without a doubt.
Really, turning that child’s manipulative nature against him effectively is possibly the hardest thing Shen Jiu had ever done. Luo Binghe is incredibly intelligent. His pattern recognition skill is beyond par and his sixth sense for tricks and manipulations exacted upon him may well be a special power of its own kind. It’s only natural. That child’s very soul has been fighting to survive his entire existence. Even if he might never come to understand where much of his insights come from, they have been honed by centuries of devastation and suffering, lifetimes of torture that had hurt him differently every single time.
Everything that child perceives to be a nightmare is a piece of his life, a broken shard of his heart made to dig into his flesh and carve out a scar ─ so that the artist that is Xin Mo may feed upon the pain.
Making Luo Binghe forget it all ─ almost every time ─ is also Xin Mo doing its wicked part.
Luo Binghe had begged that accursed thing, just once, to take his suffering away and grant him back the happy times, if only for a moment. The warped piece of darkness had taken that plea to mean to take his painful memories and make him relive them all over ─ and had run wild.
It is a game of chances now, which of the incoming loops will Luo Binghe get to realize what he’s done and during which one he will certainly not.
Shen Jiu wants that little beast to remember every single detail.
The key to ending this madness exists in Luo Binghe’s memory alone. Forcing that child to remember all the suffering he’s caused is not a means of Shen Jiu’s personal entertainment ─ though it may well be such, given how much he relishes in it ─ it is a necessity. The crack has to come from the inside. The plan put in motion with Sha Hualing’s invasion of Cang Qiong Mountain ─ it will only bear its fruits much later down the line.
Breaking Luo Binghe’s demonic consciousness and his dream realm, invading it with Soul Luminescence and letting it fester ─ it is one of the least flashy long-term plans that Shen Jiu has ever sought out. Achieving all that before Luo Binghe taps into his demonic power is an idea that might’ve never come to life, had Shen Yuan not ruined the timeline beyond all recognition early enough. Counting on him to fuck everything up from the start is certainly the correct way to go about it ─ no matter the risks. Luring him away from Cang Qiong Mountain at the most critical time, blinding him by means of Formless Demons and their destructive potential all around ─ blindsiding everyone ─ has done more than Shen Jiu could have ever hoped for in any of his previous tries.
That’s why, once the time for the Immortal Alliance Conference rolls around, Luo Binghe’s dream realm is ready to be shattered.
It won’t take much.
The pieces that are left will inevitably mend themselves together, given time, but that awful excuse of a dream demon protecting that child will no longer have the means to obscure it from his sight. However, for all of that child’s memories to come back, whole and as clear as possible… immobilizing him is a must. Blocking his demonic power from ever reaching out to Xin Mo is the most crucial part ─ and there is only one way Shen Jiu can get this done. For that purpose, he had already taken both of the Liu siblings’ blood.
“Are you truly dead set on keeping him alive? You know that the moment he figures this out, you are going to die,” Shen Jiu says mildly, as Huan Qingyan gently brushes her fingers through Liu Qingge’s hair. The man has long since lost consciousness and is not likely to get it back, not for as long as the monstrosity made of Xin Mo’s shards keeps stealing away his spiritual power. The crazy woman, however, seems dead set on making the process go as slow as possible. As if they’re not dangerously limited already.
“It’s his spiritual core that you want and you are taking it now,” Huan Qingyan says in response, gently stroking along that sleeping face in a way that makes Shen Qingqiu’s gut twist with disgust. “It’s the rest of him that I want. I believe I assisted you enough.”
Shen Jiu does not deign that worth a response.
As far as spiritual cores go, he could have made use of any single one. After all, there are plenty of them in Juedi gorge to spare right now. His target for this particular item on his list lies knocked out on the ground just a few steps away, the consequence of him having meddled into something where his presence wasn’t wanted. Gongyi Xiao, after all, is a child born to an unlucky star. Taking his spiritual core away before it destroys him should have been an act of kindness, by all means.
“I left him like this for you, Shixiong,” Qiu Haitang had informed him briefly, before taking Liu Mingyan away, having successfully prevented the girl from meddling with the spiritual essence of Juedi Gorge at the last moment. The Endless Abyss was right about to open up. Allowing Miss Liu a crusade against Formless Demons was an oversight that should have never gotten a chance to happen ─ and her experimental tendencies might’ve been sufficient to block out even the Abyss itself, had she been allowed to proceed. As the leader of Xianmo sect, Qiu Haitang will have to take responsibility for harming Miss Liu, when the time comes.
For now, however, Shen Jiu has more important matters to handle.
Instead of Gongyi Xiao, the spiritual core he shall take is Liu Qingge’s ─ if only to prevent that fool from causing more trouble.
Gongyi Xiao would have sufficed, for he is strong, but young ─ with just enough instability to his core for the transfer to be beneficial enough to the sword, but not damning. However, Liu Qingge has proven himself a nuisance over and over ─ and just like every being with hybrid blood flowing through them, he is notoriously difficult to get rid of. Worse, much of the problems that Shen Jiu is now struggling to resolve are his troublesome Shidi’s fault, therefore letting him escape responsibility is simply unbecoming. Even if everything he can do, his sister will do better ─ he still must not be allowed to die.
Liu Mingyan already had her chance, once.
When Shen Qingqiu was forced to bear the weight of his sacrifice, his limbs ripped off and his singular eye gouged ─ a price he paid to Xin Mo for a mere sliver of its power ─ Liu Mingyan stood there before him, watching it all. She watched Luo Binghe lose his mind, give in to his darkest instincts and bring all of his hatred to bear down on Shen Jiu, turning his Shizun into half a human that he once was.
She stood there, like a shadow, even after Luo Binghe himself broke apart, while the world around them spun to destruction.
“Do you not realize,” Shen Jiu had gasped around his ripped out tongue. “The only one who has the power to end this now is you.”
But he had underestimated the depths of a woman’s grudge. Or, perhaps, he had misjudged Liu Mingyan’s righteousness all along.
That girl had looked directly into his eye, her own glowing a mixture of red and white, certain evidence to prove she’s been aware of everything Shen Jiu had done. She’d seen it all ─ and she’d said, “My brother is dead because of you, Shen Qingqiu. If I end this now, he will never come back to life.”
Preposterous! As though it matters, whether that brute survives! All of them are as good as dead anyway! How many times have they all lost their lives?!
But Liu Mingyan had never cared about any of that.
“Luo Binghe was never the evil monster you made him become,” she’d added, all too lightly, to his face, after everything that monster had done. “I don’t care if it takes one more or another thousand tries. Use my brother for your wicked ends one more time, I will personally get in your way every single time. You have been warned.”
Just thinking about it all makes Shen Jiu retch blood.
If he could have made the choice, killing Liu Mingyan would have been the first thing he’d done ─ but that girl is just as indispensable as Shen Yuan. Taking her spiritual core and giving that to the weapon, ensuring her untimely demise? That’s the optimal solution he could have only ever dreamed of!
But no, he could not do that. Liu Mingyan is very much needed alive. And in this particular instance, Young Miss Liu has set her eyes on Gongyi Xiao ─ but it’s clear now that she’s never actually trusted that child. Damaging him to hurt the Liu clan’s mistress would yield the same results as waving a flag of surrender before her eyes.
No. Liu Qingge must do his part. Leaving him to Huan Qingyan may be a fate worse than death ─ but it is a suitable one. That wicked beast won’t let him die, if only to fuel her own obsession. And so long as his soul remains attached to the body, Liu Qingge remains stuck. Neither dead, nor alive. If nothing else, it will open his eyes to the truth of this world. That will shake him enough. Whether or not he comes crawling back to Shen Jiu’s side, to do what’s right ─ well he’s done so before, more than once.
“Your spiritual weapon. May I?” Shen Jiu says.
Instantly, Huan Qingyan pins him with a glare, unbearably sharp.
He smiles, showing off a singular flower made of red crystal.
“You asked me for this before, haven’t you?” he says. “The size is just suitable enough to fit onto your prayer bracelet. I plan to let you keep it, once the sealing array on Luo Binghe is done. But for that, I need that sacred tool of yours first.”
The woman glares at him, all too suspicious. “Why now? Once your array is done, no Formless Demons shall remain behind. What do I get for my own use, then?”
“The sole reason Formless Demons exist is to break Luo Binghe apart from the inside,” Shen Jiu says, easily. “But this still holds power over regular demons. You’ve seen what Sha Hualing was like. So long as your willpower trumps their own, there are plenty of demons you can control.”
Of course, Huan Qingyan doesn’t easily believe him. She has been subjected to it, once upon a time, therefore her skepticism is only natural. Moreover, she has spent days upon days further researching this item, but even besides that, she has countless reasons not to trust a word coming out of Shen Jiu’s mouth.
Removing a small bottle of clear liquid from her waist sash, she pops it open and pours its contents down Liu Qingge’s throat. She glares at Shen Jiu all throughout.
“I do not care for his spiritual power, so pay it no mind,” she says. “If anything, what you’re doing is only going to make his demonic characteristics more pronounced ─ should he make it out alive.”
“He will,” Shen Jiu says. “You’ve ensured that now.”
“My children can only do so much,” Huan Qingyan says. “His recovery will take time. It is up to you to ensure we are not found, until it’s done.”
Shen Jiu extends his arm, offering the red crystal far more obviously now.
Unwillingly, Huan Qingyan removes the prayer beads off her wrist, pushing them forward. She watches, very carefully, as Shen Jiu deftly makes space for the red crystal among countless white. She knows, after all, that only those who have been marked worthy by the Heavens will ever be able to bring out the beads’ true potential. She knows, better than anyone, that Shen Jiu does not measure up.
What she never realized, however, as Shen Jiu rips the prayer beads out of her grasp, is that Shen Yuan does. The body versus the soul arguments makes very little difference, in that regard.
The particular bead that Shen Jiu slams against her forehead is a brilliant ball of white light, precious and powerful. Huan Qingyan's eyes, wide open in pure terror, realize what fate awaits her far too late to do anything to stop it.
“No offense to Lady Huan, but for all that you’ve aided me greatly, you too are a loose end that must be resolved,” he says softly, as the petite body of the Ku Xing Peak Lord falls to the ground, eyes open but otherwise unresponsive. “My Shidi may be more trouble than he’s worth, but he is still the pillar of strength for Cang Qiong Mountain as a whole. Letting him come apart at the hands of a Skinner is all too much.”
Shen Jiu has no doubt that this particular action will not suffice, preventing the demon in his Shimei’s body from causing even more undue trouble, later down the line. Skinners, after all, are parasites of the most wretched kind. But for now, this will have to do. How much of her consciousness Huan Qingyan recovers is solely up to luck.
With Liu Qingge’s spiritual core now fully absorbed into the sword, Shen Jiu sets out after his true target.
Luo Binghe has been waiting for long enough. It is time to face his fate head on.
The transportation array that Shen Jiu draws around Luo Binghe as the Immortal Alliance Conference affair draws to a close has both Liu Mingyan and Liu Qingge’s blood mixed inside ─ making the spatial array he uses to seal away the little beast the most powerful construction of darkness that Shen Jiu has ever made.
The array itself is anchored to the Soul Luminescence powder, present both in Luo Binghe’s body and mind, diligently slipped through to him along with food and medicine over a long period of time, alongside dosages he had been manipulated to take of his own accord. No matter where that little beast goes, the transportation array shall forever follow him around.
At least, until Shen Jiu puts a sword through him and nails him to the spot.
Shen Jiu smirks, as the Formless Demons everywhere around him obey his call. Red light gleams among the beads of white wrapped around his wrist.
Wisps of demonic consciousness, remnants of demonic rage left behind ─ all of these things can solely survive if they feed on those similar to themselves. Human sacrifices are a good kick-starter, indeed, but their purpose served better in making the sects panic, rather than to truly feed the wraiths power. The broken shards of a heavenly demon’s dream realm ─ Luo Binghe’s dream realm ─ and what little wisps of Xin Mo’s power they can grasp in between ─ will be a better delicacy than anything those things could have ever asked for.
All of the broken memories that child hides, all of the fears, the nightmares ─ the loops that existed before Shen Jiu ever became aware of the first one ─ that child has them all tucked somewhere inside. Once the correct memory is found, the Formless Demon who has taken it will return to Shang Qinghua’s side, where that freak should be capable of extracting the memory well enough.
The rest of the Formless batch will do well, merely feeding on Luo Binghe’s demonic power for a while. He’s created hundreds of them for this reason alone. Whether the process takes days or decades, it matters not at this point in time. For as long as the transportation array remains intact, Shen Jiu will get his answers in due time.
In the meantime, Luo Binghe can shut his eyes and stay put. And even if Shen Jiu needs not nail him to the ground for the array to be effective, he does so purely for fun.
Shen Yuan, that fool, of course, will try to get in the way of it all ─ but by the time he comes, it’s by far too late ─ and Shen Jiu has ways to deal with him that are permanent, which he is far too happy to finally execute.
“It is time,” Shen Jiu announces, drawing the lines of the second transportation array, this one far more dangerous, far more complex. “The darkest hour of the night has come. The moment of despair is shared. It’s time for both our souls to return where they belong.”
The connection between them, untouchable by anything other than Xin Mo’s power now, is from thereon cut.
If Shen Jiu has done his part right, then surely, everything will come to pass just as it should. The dark magic keeping Shen Yuan linked to this body will ultimately come undone and the moment they both assume their original bodies, that nuisance of a man will get knocked out ─ for as long as it takes his body and soul to re-adapt ─ a procedure that should take well over a day at best. Whether he survives in this world by means of gifts Shen Jiu left for him, it is solely up to him now.
Or at least ─ that’s how it was, the first time.
But now, the shock of the exchange has far more impact on Shen Jiu than it ever does on Shen Yuan ─ and by the time Shen Jiu gathers himself enough to even begin moving, it is clear. Shen Yuan has, once again, in all his glory, fucked everything up.
In his hand is the blade that Shen Jiu has spent over a decade creating ─ years of his blood, sweat and tears poured into it. And now, Shen Yuan holds onto it as though it is his to take.
NO, Shen Jiu wishes he could scream. That is not for you! You can take anything! My body, my soul, even Luo Binghe ─ but not that! THAT IS MINE!
A guttural, agonized sound makes it out of his throat, but no matter how hard he reaches for it, the weapon he has worked so hard to complete wouldn’t respond. On a deep, impersonal level, Shen Jiu understands what is happening. It is a piece of Shen Yuan’s soul he used to create that thing ─ therefore it naturally responds to that idiot. But to think that it would solely ever obey him, before Shen Jiu ever got a chance to try otherwise─
I WILL NOT FORGIVE THIS, SHEN YUAN.
THAT THING IS MINE. GIVE IT BACK.
In response to Shen Jiu’s hand seal, only barely created, Xiu Ya launches forward ─ but Xiu Ya is no more than a toothpick compared to the monster that thing holds inside it. The vast majority of Liu Qingge’s spiritual power, alongside other, dangerous spells that Shen Jiu had cast on it ─ you aren’t allowed to have it, you BASTARD!
In a desperate bout, Shen Jiu manages to angle Xiu Ya to attack just so that Shen Yuan is forced to drop the weapon, a few steps shy of falling into the Endless Abyss with it. But no matter ─ even if the sword falls into the Abyss, it makes no difference. Shen Jiu can always get it back. But if Shen Yuan takes it for himself, then he surely never will.
You brat, have you forgotten what you said you would do? Do not go destroying what I have given so much to build! You have no right! NOT YOU!
But that idiot’s intention is clear. Not only does he intend to jump into the Abyss himself, he also plans to drag Luo Binghe down with him! Shen Jiu stops urging Xiu Ya to fight them ─ he urges the blade to kill.
Just short of the Abyss, however, Shen Yuan pushes that beast away from himself, looking directly into Shen Jiu’s eyes as he drags his body back towards the chasm.
“You fool!” Shen Jiu roars, that ridiculous, ridiculous idea becoming immediately obvious. “Have you lost your damn mind?!”
Not only will Shen Yuan not be able to survive that place, but that sword in there ─ if he realizes what that thing is made for─
Shen Jiu roars like a beast, but it’s all for nothing.
Smirking at him, Shen Yuan tilts back into the chasm, the absolute, mindless conviction driving him to insanity. Shen Jiu uses whatever he can gather of himself to rush to the gaping hole to the ground, but by the time he gets there, the chasm has already closed. On his hands and knees next to him, Luo Binghe is crying, screaming ─ but that child is entirely useless now. In rage, Shen Jiu kicks him, summoning Xiu Ya to hand ─ but he changes his mind at the last moment.
That dirty, sobbing face looking up at him seems to know no semblance of reality anymore. “Shizun,” he is crying, over and over, but even with Shen Jiu above him, it’s as though he sees nothing at all.
Shuddering, Shen Jiu shuts his eyes. His body, after so long, is only barely responsive. Shen Yuan has, unexpectedly, managed to undo much of the damage in his meridians ─ but hardly all of it. It will take time before Shen Jiu is going to be able to feel anything even close to normal.
But he doesn’t have the time to worry about that now. Even without that blade, what he has set out to do must be finished. Sealing Luo Binghe away in Juedi Gorge serves more than one purpose, after all. He will get that sword back, one way or another.
For now, Shen Jiu drags his feet over to where Zheng Yang rests, ripping the weapon out of the rocks ─ to walk back and stab Luo Binghe through the chest with his own sword.
“In this place, right where the Abyss closes, I shall seal you for as long as it takes,” he promises, softly, to a child that had grown in his care for much, much longer than even his poor disciple would ever suspect. But for all that it must hurt immensely, everything that has already been done to him, Luo Binghe’s eyes remain half-open, his responsiveness to physical pain entirely nonexistent.
“Don’t worry, by the time it’s over, you’ll be thanking me for this,” Shen Jiu promises gently, brushing a stray lock of hair from that bloodied face of his once disciple. The empty eyes are no longer even looking at him, too consumed in the wreckage of his own mind. As it should be. Shen Jiu smiles fondly. “Worry over nothing, Luo Binghe… Nobody hates you as much as you hate yourself.”
Not even me.
Notes:
HAH.
Shen Jiu: planning and plotting and strategizing all too carefully for years and years
Shen Yuan: *spitefully* lemme mess that up real quicklove these idiots
On a less funny note, we have a time-skip coming. The next few chapters are outsider POV, before checking in with not-quite-there-yet OT3. Stay ready, though, cause what's coming won't be any less chaotic
Additionally, my mind gave in to the idea and totally started working on another fic in the meantime. For all of you curious about a chaotic 'SY transmigrates into LQG' fic, first chapter is up now!
Chapter 52: Bai Zhan Spirit
Notes:
And the time-skip chapter is here along with the first outsider POV! Enjoy!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Three years later
The night is quiet and the area sitting in the shadows of Cang Qiong Mountain’s twelve peaks is peaceful. A half-moon hangs up in the sky, illuminating the bottom of the mountain in its silvery glow, lighting the path of multiple disciple pairs running patrols around the area. It is a calm and a regular check, with seemingly nothing unusual about it at all. The uniforms the cultivators wear are of many different colors, noble and stylish and carefully taken care of.
Not a single one of those uniforms belongs to Cang Qiong Mountain Sect.
Sitting on top of a nearby tree, with a piece of grass rolling between his teeth, the senior disciple of Bai Zhan peak, Ji Jue, cannot help a pang of anger at the sight.
Three years ago, during the disaster that was the Immortal Alliance Conference, the Cang Qiong Mountain Sect committed a grave sin. During the conference, a bunch of Formless Demons invaded the event site and attacked the disciples. Their successful entry into Juedi gorge was later blamed on Luo Binghe, a widely famous half-demon of Cang Qiong Mountain, whose involvement with the barrier setup had provided him ample opportunity to open a way for the monsters to sneak inside and slaughter the youths of human realm as vengeance.
The half-demon was ultimately stopped and sealed away, but regardless, Cang Qiong Mountain was asked to publicly denounce the Heavenly Demon Luo Binghe’s crimes against the Jianghu and the human society as a whole. The Sect Leader had been called to stand before the united sects and give an explanation as to why his carelessness in allowing a half-Heavenly demon into the sect had resulted in a bloodbath. As a response, rather than to bow his head, Yue Qingyuan had called the entire explanation of what happened in Juedi gorge a fabrication of lies and made up nonsense backed with no reliable evidence and invited the sects for further conversation once they actually had legitimate evidence to provide.
For all that Ji Jue wholeheartedly supports the Sect Leader and his wisdom, even his own dumb ass could see that at that particular sensitive time, standing up with their head held high was just bound to end with the sect getting hammered down.
Ultimately, the judgment was passed without Cang Qiong Mountain being allowed an opinion. Someone had to bear the responsibility for the death of dozens, someone had to admit to Luo Binghe’s wrongdoings in attacking the conference ─ and their leader had inadvertently taken the responsibility for it all.
Could things have been different if, perhaps, the Sect Leader had bowed his head and danced to the tune the other sects played?
Well, maybe.
Ji Jue doesn’t really understand politics much, let alone sect politics. He just knows that when the noble clans also get involved, it is a headache for everyone.
Strictly speaking, despite the other major sects claiming so, no one had any real evidence to prove that Cang Qiong Mountain itself had acted with intention to cause any bloodshed.
Sect Leader Yue personally was the reason that most of the Formless Demons unleashed in Juedi Gorge got no opportunity to venture out of it, protecting the human villages in vicinity and providing a means for the cultivators to push back against the Formless Demons and block their way out of Juedi gorge as a whole, trapping them in place.
Meanwhile, the Head Disciple of Xian Shu Peak, Liu Mingyan, had personally slain a solid half of those Formless Demons all on her lonesome ─ along with spreading instructions to all the other attendees on how to achieve the same result. For this, the Liu clan’s Jade Princess, renowned for her beauty and grace, should have been credited, as her commendable actions had protected countless innocent lives. Instead, she got accused of spreading dark practices and was disqualified from the Conference entirely, with a few particularly loud and daring voices demanding her trial.
Finally, the person to ultimately lead the charge that stopped the remaining Formless Demons and ultimately ended Luo Binghe’s bloodthirsty rampage was the Qing Jing Peak Lord, Shen Qingqiu personally ─ with the words that will forever be remembered.
“A disciple of mine remains a responsibility of mine until the bitter end,” he’d said ─ and sealed Luo Binghe together with the Formless Demons deep inside Juedi Gorge, never to let them see light again. Despite the immense risk to himself, he, too, ultimately had to bear the responsibility of housing Luo Binghe on his peak ─ and he had done so graciously.
In other words, Cang Qiong Mountain had done their utmost to salvage what could be salvaged… and still, this is what they get.
Three years later, Sect Leader Yue is weeks away from standing trial on behalf of the whole sect.
Peak Lord Shen remains widely criticized and resented for his hand in raising Luo Binghe.
And Liu Mingyan… has cut all association with Cang Qiong Mountain. No one has seen nor heard a sign of her since the conference itself.
Rumors had it that after Miss Liu was disqualified and her overwhelming victory in the Immortal Alliance Conference denied, she had turned her back on the sect that failed to protect her reputation and returned to her family home in Tianyao. Ever since, Cang Qiong Mountain’s reputation and respect have nose-dived into the mud.
A group of sect elders, noblemen and rogues have all come together to form a council whose purpose was to oversee the behavior of Cang Qiong Mountain, to determine whether or not the sect truly practiced heretic methods ─ something Lady Qiu of Xianmo sect claimed that her own sect had been forced to endure due to Cang Qiong Mountain’s pressures ─ and now their turn has come.
In practice, however, the council is not there for oversight but as a means of absolute control over more or less everything Cang Qiong Mountain does. Their daily operations have been sanctioned, their profits confiscated, their existence as a sect permitted to continue on the account of most of their cultivators being too damn difficult to simply imprison and no real evidence of dark practices ever being found.
But the bastards are looking.
Three years later and these fucking outsiders are still scrutinizing everything. They cannot enter the mountain itself so they do their utmost to surround them and practically siege them from the outside, getting in the way of absolutely anyone who attempts to get off and do anything at all without the council’s written approval.
It is a fucking nightmare.
All their work is heavily regulated, their earnings handled by outsiders, leaving them the bare minimum needed to feed the disciples. Every little decision is made from outside the sect, or sanctioned by a council of immortal elders who never seem to be able to agree on shit ─ except on how to punish any misbehaving young disciples who dare not follow their newly set policies down to the letter. And every time someone tries to rebel, they slam them with allegations that cannot be either proven true nor false at the time, causing even more headaches for everyone involved.
Arrrgh. It has been a very long three years and Ji Jue is beginning to lose his shit.
Screw you all, idiots! If Shixiong were here, you wouldn’t dare patrol this area acting like it’s your playground! Just you wait! Once Shixiong comes back, you’ll be kicked right out─
Except, it’s been three years and the Bai Zhan Peak Lord has yet to come back.
If Liu Qingge were around, then no one would dare treat Cang Qiong Mountain so disrespectfully, Ji Jue is sure of it. It doesn’t have anything to do with the fact that the public is well aware that the Bai Zhan Peak Lord is a symbol of power and strength and that this symbol bows to absolutely nothing. It’s the sheer force of Liu Qingge’d personality alone. If his own damn family couldn’t make him behave for multiple decades, then how is a group of snotty old men ─ at least a few of them from his own clan ─ going to achieve it now?
No matter what stupid new world order that the council of elders attempts to force upon the sect, Bai Zhan Peak will only respect it if their Peak Lord does ─ and everybody and their mothers know that Liu Qingge would agree not to a single one of the policies, sanctions and rules that the stupid council has introduced over the past three years. Hell no. Liu Qingge would call that bullshit exactly what it is ─ a concentrated effort of all the great sects and even a bunch of minor ones to collectively bully and treat Cang Qiong Mountain like a bunch of working slaves, working themselves to the bone for other sects' profits.
In other words, the Conference was a battlefield where Cang Qiong Mountain lost, and these are the consequences.
But so fucking what?
If Liu Qingge rebelled, so would the rest of Bai Zhan Peak. If Bai Zhan Peak rebels, so will the rest of the damn mountain. As long as Bai Zhan Peak fights, the Sect will never lose.
Except, they don’t… because…
Well.
Unfortunately for everyone, much like with Liu Mingyan, no one has seen a sign of Liu Qingge over the past three years.
Oh, he’s alive.
Bai Zhan Peak disciples know that better than anyone. Their Peak Lord was nearly killed by a Formless Demon once ─ and everyone who has ever seen Liu Qingge in action also knows that what almost kills him once will never get a chance to try for the second time. Ji Jue could make that claim even if he had to put his life on the line ─ he would know. He’d joined the sect a little after Liu Qingge did and he watched that dumb kid blow all the rest out of his way like they weren’t even fucking competition.
Ji Jue used to hate Liu Qingge for his arrogance. Then Liu Qingge took up the Peak Lord mantle and Ji Jue hated him all the more for it. Especially because that bastard handles administration work as though it terrifies him more than any Nu Yuan Chan.
… but then, over time, as Liu Qingge raked up one crazy achievement after another, Ji Jue had come to grudgingly respect him, revere him and even fear him. But only a little.
Okay, never mind.
Ji Jue fears Liu Qingge a lot.
Of all the nightmares he’s ever had, the nightmare where he pisses off Liu Qingge enough that the man comes after him looking for blood is probably the one that’s left him most scarred for life and Ji Jue dares not breathe a word of it to anyone.
Most of Bai Zhan Peak shares that nightmare, even if it may not be coming up in the exact same form. The exception are the juniors that haven’t yet had the grudging respect beaten into their bones, the little brats spoiled rotten who didn’t get a chance to see their Shixiong fight a proper battle, but only watched that other side of him, the side where his battle scars became evident to everyone and his cultivation halved. Those juniors all fear Luo Binghe instead, and they’re just stupid enough not to have realized that Luo Binghe only seems scary because they never got to see Shixiong mad.
It’s all a giant load of horseshit.
Luo Binghe is a demon and so fucking what? Not a soul on Bai Zhan cares about whether or not he’s truly unleashed those Formless Demons on the conference. Luo Binghe is strong and a challenge and therefore Bai Zhan Peak will be out for his blood whether or not the rest of the cultivation world loves him or hates him ─ it is just a matter of fact. And respect. And Luo Binghe has earned much more of it than the Council ever could.
But even with Bai Zhan as invested in defeating that demon as the rest of the world, why are they lumped together with the rest of Cang Qiong Mountain?! Why do they have to suffer the same punishment as all the complacent idiots who never dared challenge Luo Binghe without hundreds of others to back them up?! Why does Wan Jian Peak get to roam around and do their thing while all the Bai Zhan Peak disciples have essentially been put under house arrest for the past three years one by one, not allowed to sneak their noses an inch past these stupid patrols?!
Fuck, Ji Jue is pissed. He wants to hit something, but there’s nothing to hit and he will draw the patrol’s attention to himself, so he doesn’t do it. He just silently rages on the inside.
All these outsider bastards seem to have written Liu Qingge off as dead a long time ago, deferring the decision of his replacement to Yue Qingyuan to make ─ but the Sect Leader is not stupid. Even after Juedi Gorge was scoured ─ as much as possible, given the mess left behind ─ among the bodies recovered, there was not a single one even remotely resembling Liu Qingge. Ji Jue would know ─ he was among the menial workers dragging corpses around in the flesh.
The cultivation world acts as though his Shixiong is gone, speaks as though he might never come back and muses that if there is no body, perhaps he had fallen into the Endless Abyss just like that Xianmo sect’s elder… but that’s just a bunch of drunken nonsense.
Everyone’s forgotten what Shixiong is like when he gets mad ─ like a bloodthirsty beast, solely focused on its prey, Shixiong bites and he never lets go. Everyone’s forgotten that Shixiong loathes Formless Demons more than anyone. Everyone’s forgotten that what Shixiong wants the most is to see the stupid Skinner demon shredded to nothing.
The Immortal Alliance Conference was just the final drop that spilled over.
Until Liu Qingge exacts his vengeance, he will not be back ─ every Bai Zhan disciple knows this. It’s just all the outsider idiots who refuse to see it.
In the meantime, as the most senior of the cultivators on the peak, Ji Jue has no choice but to hold the fort. He loathes every moment of it ─ he’d much rather be out there with Shixiong, chasing for demon beasts that deserve no forgiveness ─ but Shixiong would have taken them along, if he’d wanted to. Instead, Shixiong’s last order before he disappeared was a simple, “Stay here and fight only what comes your way!”
And so here they are. Three years later, stuck on Cang Qiong Mountain like some fucking dogs on a leash.
While most other peaks retained at least some agency over their usual daily activities, Bai Zhan disciples got a chance to do so only at the beginning, before the council of edgy old cultivators got fully formed. Then, after the scummy old men realized that only allowing Bai Zhan Peak disciples out for stupid routine missions doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll not find something else to amuse themselves with, forgetting the stupid mission completely ─ yeah. That didn’t go over so well with the control freaks. Thus Bai Zhan Peak was banned from getting off the mountain altogether. In no small part due to the fools that used the chance to slip out and go looking for Shixiong, god fucking damn it.
Fuck it, Ji Jue is furious he hadn’t been among them. He would have left and never come back ─ not until Shixiong does.
The rustle of leaves behind him is the first sign that someone’s finally joined him.
“Dashixiong, you’re here.”
It’s a pair of juniors ─ arguably, the main reason Ji Jue has even bothered sneaking out of the peak at this ungodly hour, spying on the patrols walking right outside the border of the mountain.
Well, precisely speaking, the pair of them is no reason at all, but instead, it is the report the pair delivered to his desk this evening. They’d been exhausted and sleepless and nigh impossible to understand when they first started rambling, but some confusion has cleared up since. Their report is ridiculous, but it warrants attention, so Ji Jue is here, observing the southern pass to the mountain.
It is probably the most difficult passage that leads up to Cang Qiong Mountain’s peaks, wrought with steep, difficult terrain and hundreds of other things separating it from the sect’s gates, and of course it is precisely the one leading to Bai Zhan Peak first. Recently, this passage has had some interesting activity.
“Dashixiong, dashixiong, are you really gonna fight that bastard if he comes back?! We kicked him out many times already and he’s still coming back! No matter how many times we do it, he won’t stop coming! If next time he’s caught by those outsider patrols, we’ll never hear the end of it!”
“Dashixiong! Dashixiong! The stair sweepers are now crying every time they see him! Why can’t we just beat him up?! One good beating and we’ll get rid of him! Why must we hide?!”
“Stop talking nonsense,” Ji Jue grumbles, spitting out the piece of grass from his mouth. “Are you stupid? Even if that idiot is stubborn, the ones blamed for him showing up here will still be us. He’s avoided the external patrols so that means he’s got at least some skill and a little bit of brain in that thick skull. I’ll be damned if I show those fools they have holes in their defenses… And how else are Xian Shu girls supposed to sneak out for reconnaissance if we ruin their only way in and out? Qi Qingqi might flay us!”
“Dashixiong! That bastard is definitely a cultivator! He’s sure strong enough to be one! He deserves a beating! Just once! Let us─”
“Tch. Are you all trying to get us in trouble?” Ji Jue grumbles. “Did y’all forget why we’re here?”
The patrols in this area are mostly finished. It gets too spooky at night for those cowards, so most of them tend to shirk their jobs and hide elsewhere until sunrise. The timing is just right.
What Ji Jue is waiting for is a person ─ a rogue cultivator, apparently, who has set his eyes on Cang Qiong Mountain for whatever reason. For the past few months, this rogue has apparently been a regular cause of headaches for Bai Zhan juniors, for he somehow sneaked past all outer patrols and almost ─ almost ─ climbed Bai Zhan Peak more than once. And everyone and their mothers know exactly what climbing Bai Zhan Peak means.
“Tch! Cang Qiong Mountain hasn’t accepted a single disciple after these stupid sanctions got imposed. Bai Zhan Peak can’t be the first to break that rule, certainly not until Shixiong comes back,” Ji Jue barks.
“I’m telling you, dashixiong! This bastard definitely has cultivator training! You should’ve seen him! He’s not a rogue! Definitely a spy, sneaking on our peak to trick us! He’s broken through every single one of the protective wards except for one!”
And that’s another possibility. The stupid rogue could indeed be a spy sent out to test for holes in Cang Qiong Mountain’s defenses. The southern passage is the least guarded due to its reputation for hiding all sorts of nasty monsters and, as per the outsider logic, Bai Zhan Peak hunts for monsters the most and since they’ve been forbidden from stepping out, the defenses on that side should be strong as fuck.
It’s total bullshit, of course, because the southern passage’s defense comes not from monsters or even disciples, but from arrays and formations placed around it. The monsters are literally just creatures the disciples picked up on the way and had no idea what to do with ─ heck, Qing Jing Peak has insisted on putting them there and the rest of the peaks have been pitching in with food and water for their personal entertainment. Bai Zhan only ever hunts those beasts for fun. Their Shixiong started it in order to mess with Qing Jing Peak and it’s turned into something of a rite of passage, where every Bai Zhan disciple who dares raid Qing Jing peak made it a personal mission to bring a monster or two back and leave them on the literary peak. The problem, if it can be called that, is that Qing Jing disciples have started treating these beasts as pets, when they should be dinner. Goddamn Shen Yuan’s fault, all of that. And Shixiong never cared ─ he just brought more of them. So the rest of Bai Zhan did the same.
Now, every so often, rumors of these beasts roaring make it outside the limits of Cang Qiong Mountain, further feeding misconceptions that the Southern passage is entirely unbreachable.
Ji Jue enjoys giving false reports that corroborate these rumors ─ especially if they’re fed straight to those Huan Hua Palace bastards making up a fifth of the fucking council. It’s the least they deserve, for stealing Liu Mingyan’s rightful victory and awarding it to one of their own. Stupid fucking shit. If he could, Ji Jue would be beating up the Huan Hua Palace bastards on principle. Fuck, he’s angry again. Angry and impatient to beat something up.
“Out of curiosity alone, which of the barriers couldn’t he beat?” Ji Jue asks, his eyes sweeping the surroundings and finding nothing. Cause obviously, the rogue had to have failed climbing Bai Zhan, since no one has actually seen his face except for the two juniors on covert guard duty. “Shixiong’s, I presume?”
Surprisingly, the juniors shake their heads. “It was the newest barrier, the one erected by Shen-shibo,” they say in sync. “He got through that once, too. But only once.”
“Only… what?” Ji Jue is shocked. The newest barrier, placed by Shen Qingqiu the real one, has only been there as of a few months ago. It is, officially, not even part of Bai Zhan Peak’s set of barriers that every prospective disciple must pass through if they are to formally join. That barrier is only there as a measure of additional security in Cang Qiong Mountain, as a last line of defense. It is there to force Bai Zhan disciples to behave, far more so than to keep outsiders out. “... wait. So, that incident from three months ago, when Shen-shibo’s barrier was first broken. That was the same person?”
The juniors nod dutifully. “Exactly! That was the first time this bastard came trying,” one of them says. “But then he failed in getting through Shixiong’s barrier, so Dashixiong told us to kick him out. So we kicked him off.”
Ah, right. Ji Jue might’ve done that, yes. “And then, after that…”
“He got through every barrier except Shen-shibo’s barrier,” the other junior says. “Every single day.”
Ji Jue blinks, stunned. “He’s been making it past these barriers every day? All of them? Every single one? For three months now?”
“Mhm,” the juniors confirm. “Same time, every day.”
“For exactly one hundred days.”
“One hundred days?”
“Mhm,” the juniors confirm.
“... and you kicked him back down? Every time?”
The pair shares a look, then shrugs. “Dashixiong told us to. Dashixiong said unless they get through all the barriers, no new disciple can join, lest Master Qi and Master Shen decide to instill discipline on Bai Zhan Peak again.” Their noses scrunch, displeased at the mere notion that someone other than Shixiong might come to the peak and order them around.
Ji Jue wholeheartedly agrees with them. He can tolerate it, maybe, if it’s Qi Qingqi or Shang Qinghua coming to check on whether or not everything functions as ordered, at least when it comes to administrative and bureaucratic things. Hell knows all of Bai Zhan Peak is terrible with administration in general. But if that person coming to oversee is Shen Qingqiu, Ji Jue would rather eat his shoe than deliver a reliable report. Heck, he’s tempted to let this rogue through the barrier just to spite Shen Qingqiu’s ‘careful limitiation of disciple movement’ regime ─ but this is still a bit much.
“More than three months, you say…” he mumbles. “And it’s the same time every day? Without fail? He hasn’t missed a single day? He’s gotten through Shixiong’s barrier a hundred times already?”
“That’s right,” the disciples confirm. “That’s why we insisted on reporting to Dashixiong today! So Dashixiong will permanently kick him out!”
Ji Jue grumbles something under his breath ─ technically speaking, he will need to kick this overzealous rogue out of the mountain one way or another. It’s a small chance that he’s a spy, but he’s a headache nonetheless, and Ji Jue wants no such problem around his Peak without Shixiong around.
Still, Ji Jue is curious.
If this overzealous rogue is motivated enough to have gotten through every single barrier, including Shixiong’s, so many times, then he must be a worthy challenge. Turning away someone like that ─ Shixiong would never do that.
The problem is Shen Qingqiu’s pesky little trick ─ that one is notoriously difficult to break. His barrier is not even a challenge ─ it’s just there to prevent trouble on the peak itself. Ji Jue doesn’t know when everyone has collectively started behaving as though that has also become a part of the test and it fills him with revolt that something like that now gets to decide whether or not someone or something is deserving of Bai Zhan’s attention.
“What time?” he asks.
“Eh?”
“The stubborn rogue. When does he show up exactly? What hour? You said it’s always at night!”
“Ah! It’s the darkest hour, dashixiong! By sunrise, we would’ve normally kicked him out.”
Good. So not that long of a wait after all.
“You go back,” Ji Jue says. “I’ll take care of this personally. From tomorrow on, there won’t be any need to worry about this.”
The two look so happy like they’re about to cry. “Thank you, Dashixiong!! Finally! One free night!” Then they run off, probably to beat up each other or something. Who even knows it with the juniors anymore. Ji Jue would bet that they’re not even upset about needing to kick out the rogue, more about the fact that they aren’t allowed to beat the shit out of him in the process.
Scratching the back of his head, Ji Jue looks towards where the dark sky lights up with thousands upon thousands of stars and a hanging halfmoon. His hand lingers on the pommel of his sword. Well. One way or another, this little annoyance must come to an end tonight.
It’s not a long wait for the rogue to show up.
Ji Jue stands guard at the bottom of the mountain, before the very entry into the southern pass, when he spots a person coming out from between the trees. It is a man, undeniably. He is tall and of confident bearing. The robes on him are an old, tattered set, worn with use and damaged in places, but meticulously clean. The sleeves end shortly after the forearm, while the rest of his arms are wrapped in bandages that go around his fingers down to their very tips. They, too, are meticulously clean.
An odd ribbon wraps around his wrist, tied around into a tight knot. Something about the white-silvery piece of cloth, shiny and much more eye-catching than anything else, grabs Ji Jue’s attention.
This person walks with his back straight and his grace unmatched, unafraid of Ji Jue standing in his way. A head of slightly fluffy hair that is gathered up and held in place at the top of his head ─ it looks incredibly familiar. Both the hair and the ribbon on his wrist. His bearing is somewhat reminiscent of Luo Binghe in all his bullheaded glory ─ but different. This person has none of Luo Binghe’s insatiable thirst for battle rooted in his bones. Instead, it is more like a cold, refined storm, waiting to be unleashed on command.
“You…” Ji Jue pauses, frowning. Where has he seen this person before? Because undoubtedly, even that face is familiar.
The familiar stranger comes to stand in front of Ji Jue and formally bows in a show of respect. When he straightens up, there is nothing to his face but steely patience.
“Today, will your esteemed grace also attempt to stop me?” he asks, and even the sound of that voice is familiar and grating on Ji Jue’s ears. Where has he heard it before?! Why can’t he remember?
He growls slightly. “My juniors say you’ve been asked to leave enough times. As a senior cultivator of Bai Zhan Peak, I am here today to make sure this indeed is the last time you show up here. Do not take it personally. Cang Qiong Mountain has turned down every prospective disciple in the past few years ─ no matter how stubborn you are, you won’t be any different.”
The familiar stranger remains unbothered. “How do you intend to do so? You may forbid me from joining Cang Qiong Mountain, but you cannot forbid me from attempting to climb it.”
“I can always incapacitate you,” Ji Jue comments idly, his hand unsubtly touching the handle of his spiritual weapon. “But there is no need to be so drastic. I’ll make it simple. If you can beat me today, I will let you join Bai Zhan Peak. But if you lose, you will never show your face here again. How’s that for a deal?”
The stranger pauses, a single eyebrow shooting up. “You can decide that? I thought only Bai Zhan Peak Lord had the power to make such a decision. Or the council currently overseeing Cang Qiong Mountain’s activities.”
Ji Jue bristles. “Shixiong has the sole right to decide,” he snaps. “But if I stand behind you, so will the rest of Bai Zhan. If you can stand against me, then it doesn’t matter what the outsiders say. If you want to be one of us, you must prove yourself worthy first.”
“I see. Then this will be easier than I expected. My patience has paid off.” The rogue smiles. That smile is remarkably pretty. Ji Jue catches himself staring. Except now, the smile has turned dangerous. “The esteemed cultivator should have said so from the beginning. Here I come.”
It’s just a blink of an eye ─ a moment in which Ji Jue doesn’t know how he’s found it in himself to react on time. This overzealous youth moves with more skill than anyone could have anticipated, watching his lean form. But no, the rogue comes for his head, and it’s only Shixiong’s teachings ─ read, beatings ─ that prevent Ji Jue from drawing his weapon on this unarmed person. Instead of drawing that weapon, Ji Jue blocks the attack with his forearm at the last moment, then strikes back, only for each of his attacks to be appropriately countered.
No matter what he does this ─ this rookie, this rogue ─ seems to be reading his mind, predicting his moves before he can ever make them. He slips past all of Ji Jue’s guards, with the sort of expertise to make him feel the danger but never land a hit, to warn him that he can and could do so much more, yet he is too lazy to bother.
Ji Jue has only ever once gone against someone capable of fighting him to a standstill with no weapon at all ─ and that had been his Shixiong’s little sister whom Shixiong had trained personally. Liu Mingyan had always looked graceful, demure, shy and even a little weak ─ but the only person to ever go against her in hand to hand combat was Ji Jue ─ and he regretted every moment of every day, underestimating that little girl as much as he had. In fact, he regretted it so much that he never dared challenge her again, not even during the Battle Royale.
This is not quite the same, but it’s similar enough.
This man ─ young though he is, but definitely an adult ─ he is nowhere near as terrifying. But he is also, very obviously trained, trained to handle a weapon, trained for hand-to-hand, trained as a cultivator and no less. Yet he uses no spiritual power whatsoever, dominating the fight with technique alone. And even without any spiritual power, he’s making Ji Jue sweat buckets at every next strike that misses him by less and less.
He’s playing with me!
An outraged part of Ji Jue wants to stomp on this person for daring to do so ─ but Bai Zhan spirit flows through his veins. Excitement quickly overpowers the annoyance, allowing him to fully surrender to this fight and get the best out of it.
Almost as soon as that obstacle in his mind is overcome, the whole thing comes to an end.
At first, Ji Jue isn’t sure what happened.
He stands with his fist outstretched, having come very close to connecting that fist to this overzealous youth’s neck. It is a small distance, but Ji Jue was not confident if he might accidentally hurt the idiot. Except not. Apparently, his fist has stopped before connecting, and he doesn’t─
He tries to pull it back, only to realize that he cannot move.
There is something getting in his way. His arm ─ ow. Fucking dislocated. How in the fuck─
“Does this count as victory?” the other party asks with a slight smile, eyes shining with mischief. His face is too close to Ji Jue’s and his smile is too confident. Almost cocky. The palm of his hand has almost met Ji Jue’s neck, the edges of the ribbon tied around his wrist still swinging softly from the momentum.
It is a very girly hair ribbon. All white and silvery and with a crane embroidered into the very end of it ─ and suddenly Ji Jue realizes exactly what it is.
But the palm near his neck doesn’t let him move, doesn’t let him breathe ─ doesn’t even let him think.
Ji Jue swallows thickly around the lump in his throat and says, “Tch. You’re not some dumb rogue rookie at all. What sect were you with? Why bother coming to Bai Zhan now? The fuck do you want?”
His opponent smiles politely, but does not withdraw his hand. There is a certain sharpness to those eyes, the kind that says I’m not someone you want to mess with. Ji Jue wishes he’d taken that into consideration before agreeing to this fight. There’s a reason he’s just a senior cultivator but not a respected elder still.
The rogue says, “Someone told me that Bai Zhan Peak cares for nothing but one’s ability to climb. So why ask me so many questions? Will you make good on your word or not?”
“Tch. Let me go first. This is a spar, not a battle to the death. And fix my damn arm.”
“Ah.” That sharp expression turns momentarily sheepish, before, in one fluid motion, the stranger taps his arm ─ and Ji Jue breathes a sigh of relief. Not dislocated after all ─ just an acupoint trick. But damn. For someone to pull an acupoint trick on him… Ji Jue hasn’t been caught by such basic bullshit ever since… ever since dueling Liu Qingge personally, long ago during their disciple days, damn it all. Perhaps he’s been underestimating his opponent all along.
Rubbing his numb arm along the whole length of it, he lets out another string of expletives inside his head and considers the repercussions of the promise he’s made. After a few moments of thinking, he decides he doesn’t care about the repercussions after all.
For three years now, Cang Qiong Mountain has been boiling on the inside, wanting to rebel against these ridiculous sanctions and yet doing exactly the opposite. Perhaps the time has come to start causing some trouble ─ just for fun.
Ji Jue turns around and heads towards Bai Zhan Peak, only to realize the rogue isn’t following. Staying rooted to the spot, the youth watches him with a single raised eyebrow.
Ji Jue scowls. “Are you coming or not? You won. I thought you wanted to be a part of this ragtag bunch of nutcases.”
Again, that stranger blinks at him, would be innocent. “Just like that? After three months, just─”
“Tch. If you ain’t coming, I’ll just shut the damn barriers─”
“I’m coming! I’m coming!”
In two steps, the rogue catches up to Ji Jue, still looking very much like he cannot believe what is happening. “All along, if I’d just fought a duel instead of wasting time sneaking through patrols and barriers─”
“Don’t be stupid,” Ji Jue grumbles. “The outer council of idiots put an ultimatum a long time ago. If they don’t want new people on this mountain, then nobody on this damn mountain is getting them. If you haven’t been annoying enough to show up every damn day for three months, I wouldn’t have bothered today. But before I let you through myself, will you answer one question?”
“... what is it?”
Ji Jue pauses, his eyes lingering on the ribbon tied up around the rogue’s wrist. A beautiful, silver and silk ribbon glows under the moonlight, illuminating the single crane embroidered into the very end of the cloth piece. Ji Jue watched as that crane was put there with his very own eyes.
“That thing on your wrist,” he says. “Where the hell did you get it?”
For once, that polite expression shadows slightly. The rogue stops in his tracks, his hand almost rising to cover the ribbon out of sight.
He says, “... if I answer that question, will it impact your decision to let me join Bai Zhan Peak?”
Ji Jue considers it for a moment. Then he snorts. “No.”
The stranger smiles. “In that case, I’d rather not answer. But rest assured. This is something very precious to me. I must take care of it properly.”
Ji Jue snorts. You better, you freaking monster.
After all, Ji Jue doesn’t need or want to hear his answer ─ he already knows what that hair ribbon is. Liu Qingge personally bullied him into shopping for it when his little sister was first admitted to Xian Shu Peak. That beautiful embroidery work of a silver crane against white silk? Ji Jue had his mother make that personally, for generous payment.
What does that mean, that this nameless stranger has come around wearing on him something that belongs to Liu Mingyan? More than three years after either one of the Liu siblings had last been spotted, and now he shows up? Ji Jue doesn’t like that.
Still, he leads the newcomer to the top of Bai Zhan Peak, introducing him to everyone as their most junior disciple from today onwards. The reaction of other juniors is frighteningly entertaining. Especially the pair that’s been tasked with kicking him out over the past few months. It starts with shock, then eventually morphs into annoyance for being made to do shit and then have it undone, only to end in utter excitement, as they realize they’ve finally got a new junior to duel ─ read, bully around.
Just to be on the safe side, Ji Jue decides to deliver the news of a new disciple to Qi Qingqi first. Xian Shu Peak may not be making any decisions for Bai Zhan, but among all the peak lords, someone will have to come over and admit the idiot into the sect officially. And if Ji Jue already has to invite them over to do so, then he’d much rather invite Qi Qingqi or Wei Qingwei. Even if they don’t approve, Ji Jue much prefers arguing with them than someone like Shen Qingqiu.
Just as he finishes with the administrative part, he frowns. Glancing over to the new joiner, he says, “I didn’t get your name, did I? I need to write this shit down for the stupid disciple registry. What’s your name and which sect do you come from?”
God forbid if it’s from some questionable place, or else Ji Jue can forget about ever having a peaceful day in his life ever again. Qi Qingqi might just fry him alive.
The stranger, however, hesitates.
“I belong to no sect, therefore you shouldn’t worry about ruffling any feathers,” he says.
“Not like I’d care either way,” Ji Jue grumbles. “Your name and the name of the last sect you were a part of? I need to write those down even if it was two fucking centuries ago.”
“Very well, if you must,” the rogue says. He does not look pleased. But when he looks at Ji Jue, his lips stretch into a strange half-smile, impish and guilty all the same.
“My name is Gongyi Xiao and the last sect I was a part of was Huan Hua Palace.”
The writing brush drops from Ji Jue’s hand and splatters ink all over the administrative data.
Gongyi Xiao… was that not the name of the bastard who stole all of Liu Mingyan’s credits in the Immortal Alliance Conference? Is that not the bastard from Huan Hua Palace who got awarded all the recognition Liu Mingyan lost solely on the basis she… what? Ji Jue no longer remembers the excuses! He just remembers that by the end of the corrupt affair that was the Immortal Alliance Conference, Liu Mingyan had come out on top by double the spirit beads of the second place ─ and had them subsequently made meaningless by means of disqualification for no justifiable reason at all! Just thinking about that makes his blood boil with outrage!
And now that same bastard that dishonored Cang Qiong Sect’s Princess stands at the door of Cang Qiong Mountain itself, with Liu Mingyan’s belongings on his person, high and mighty as though the entirety of this mountain has not made it their personal mission in life to grind him to pieces of human flesh alive?!
What?! What the actual fuck?!
Notes:
Lol we might have a time-skip, but the time in between has been quite chaotic. The background on how we got here, interesting though it may be, is not really THAT relevant to the main story, so I'm still on 50-50 whether to handle it through flashbacks or side-stories, but I am leaning towards the latter.
Heck, I had about 10 chapters of pure chaos in a new version of Jin Lan city arc ready for publishing at one point, but with none of our main leads involved, I feel it's better just to finish that as it's own side-story and briefly touch upon in it in the main story. There's already so many puzzle pieces flying around and Jin Lan arc does very little other than deepening the mystery, so it feels cleaner.
Meanwhile, until I get around to that, a few more outsider POVs are coming before we focus back on the main leads, as a slow build up to real trouble that's about to come.
That said, updates might slow down for a bit (ten days to two week intervals) - life's kinda kicking my ass in the sense of having free time lately, but I'll do what I can. I'm still holding out hope I'll finish this monster fic before published chapters catch up to what I have pre-written, but I guess it's up to writing gods to help me with it
Cheers!
Chapter 53: Bai Zhan Spirit II
Notes:
Continuation on the outsider POV chapters, this time through the eyes of another character! GYX is a darling but he's in way over his head. Hopefully he figures it out!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Lying on top of his newly assigned bed in Bai Zhan dormitory after another long, exhausting day, Gongyi Xiao finally allows himself a moment to breathe. It is such a different kind of strain from what he is used to that he has even let his hair fall freely over his shoulders. One arm propped under his head, he toys with the silky hair ribbon wrapped around his wrist.
Of all the things he thought the Cang Qiong Mountain might be curious about, it certainly hadn’t been… this.
He picks up the edge of the ribbon and wraps it around his little finger, before idly letting it fall back down. Had someone told him, many years ago, that he was going to go from being a Huan Hua Head Disciple, widely beloved and respected within his sect, to an outcast and a traitor who’s spent months climbing a place that essentially doesn’t even want him ─ all because of this small thing ─ well, certainly, he wouldn’t believe it. Even now, as he rests on a bed on top of Bai Zhan peak, it doesn’t quite feel real.
No matter how much he thinks about it, at no point could have Gongyi Xiao ever imagined that this would be his life. A small, uncomfortable bed in the corner of an overcrowded dorm room with all his roommates itching to draw his blood. All of that, after about half of them already attempted it. And that somehow, he feels perfectly at ease with it.
At the end of the day, after much effort, Gongyi Xiao had walked away the victor among his many challengers, but a new day makes for a new challenge and everyone he currently rooms with in this place is eagerly waiting for the opportunity to knock him down for the second time. He is very much fighting for his life, here! Yet, at the same time, none of it feels personal. Yes, his life is hanging by a thread, quite literally, because Bai Zhan disciples are merciless and unrelenting… but as soon as the fight is done, they are the friendliest bunch of people he has ever gotten to meet and Gongyi Xiao has no idea what to make of it.
Bai Zhan Peak, for a place that takes the sentence ‘might is power’ to its most extreme, adheres to some unexpectedly strict rules.
Ji-shixiong had been brief about it ─ Gongyi Xiao felt like he was pulling teeth, getting any details out of him ─ but apparently the one rule that Peak Lord Liu has firmly set is that dorm room fights, sneak attacks and underhanded moves are off limits. There’s no question about it, ever. Dorm is sacred. Whoever starts a fight inside the dormitory, the entire dormitory is going to be punished regardless of who is at fault ─ and that has, after several harsh trials, made the masses behave like the most disciplined pets.
Of course, no rule is valid if something happens outside the dorm and ends up causing trouble inside, but eh. Expecting that from a bunch of hyperactive, overly eager youths would be a little too much, probably.
Mostly, Gongyi Xiao is just glad to know that in spite of all these disciples breathing down his neck when he is outside, no one is going to bother him much if he stays confined to this room for the rest of his life. It is a very compelling notion. If he doesn’t want to fight, he can just stay inside and no one will ever attempt to drag him out, because that’s an iron-clad rule too. Very compelling indeed.
Unfortunately, an extended stay in this bed is not very likely ─ and he gets confirmation first thing the following morning.
Ji-shixiong kicks him out of bed and drags him over for a peak lord meeting before most of his roommates even wake up.
A room full of groggy, short-tempered battle-lovers is thus granted a sight of Gongyi Xiao getting himself hauled out of the dorms in a messy heap, flailing for his shoes and crying for mercy with nothing but his eyes. He is only half dressed, his hair still a mess from sleep and he hasn't yet had a chance to ask anyone where to wash his face, much less dress appropriately. As if he wouldn’t have come willingly if only he’d been warned.
Some of the disciples are nice enough to provide him an outer robe that makes part of their peak uniform when they realize what is going on. The uniform is too large, though, and Gongyi Xiao is a little too nervous to put it on. If anything, their quiet sympathy makes his anxiety that much worse. Just what in the world is waiting for him in that meeting?
Once they reach Qiong Ding Peak, it seems like there’s plenty to be afraid of. Together with Ji-shixiong, Gongyi Xiao is shown the way to Qiong Ding’s meeting room, where both he and Ji-shixiong are instructed to stand in the corner and wait. For what? No one says. Certainly not Ji-shixiong. Really, the only thing Gongyi Xiao knows for sure is that next to him, Ji-shixiong is visibly antsy.
This is the man who has apparently been a disciple together with most of the people waiting in behind the door. If he is shaking, what in the world is Gongyi Xiao supposed to be doing? Is his soul allowed to abandon his body?
Before he can further entertain that option, the door to the meeting room opens to admit them inside.
“That’s him?” someone breaks the awkward silence before the pair has even finished stepping through the door and it manages to sound thoroughly annoyed at being forced to do so. Gongyi Xiao’s heart drops. That’s not a good start, not at all.
That same person continues, with even more fervor, “Why are they here? Only head disciples are allowed into this room─”
“Bai Zhan doesn’t have a head disciple,” someone else supplies, and Gongyi Xiao finds himself stunned. He looks over to Ji Jue beside him in shock. So this person is not a head disciple? No wonder he hadn’t introduced himself as such, then. And here Gongyi Xiao was, thinking this whole time that it was merely the case of Bai Zhan disliking formality.
“So that’s the new Bai Zhan recluse,” another person comments, very unimpressed. Gongyi Xiao tries to make himself look smaller, if at all possible, but he is just as tall as Ji Jue and Ji-shixiong is not an easy person to miss.
The peak lord in question, staring at him so pointedly, is someone Gongyi Xiao deduces to be Master Qi Qingqi, the Peak Master of Xian Shu peak and Shizun to Liu Mingyan, whose victory in the Immortal Alliance Conference was stolen right from under her nose. By himself, no less. If he were in her place, Gongyi Xiao would be very unimpressed with himself, too. He can’t help but gulp under her scrutiny.
“... why is he here, exactly?” somebody else asks, the peak master sitting exactly the opposite of Master Qi. “Wei-shixiong, were you the one who invited them here? Why complain about the stupid rules when you’re the one breaking them? I thought we’re doing away with the nonsense, not inviting it in.”
“Pfft, don’t look at me. Calling them over has nothing to do with me,” another Peak Lord snorts. Is that the famous Wei Qingwei? Certainly fits the description of a master swordsman! He looks exactly how Gongyi Xiao would imagine a swordmaster to look! Tall and burly and proper! Now, if only that person didn’t look even more annoyed at the sight of him than a cockroach, that would’ve been a bit better.
The swordmaster in question scowls. “Anyway, since they’re already here, are we gonna keep the kids waiting? Or are we still waiting for somebody else to show up?”
“Huan-shimei is off for treatment in a temple. Hou-shidi is out, who knows where. No idea about the rest. I say we finish this without them. Not like it matters if everyone is here or not.”
“Question,” another peak lord pops up, a little shyly. “Uh… this one is a little confused. Wei-shixiong only said we’re discussing the issue of a new disciple. No one mentioned it was someone who climbed up Bai Zhan.”
“Got a problem with that, Shang-shidi?”
“... uh, I just don’t think it’s our place to decide? He climbed Bai Zhan on his own. That alone makes him deserving… Talking about it just seems…” but this Peak Master Shang quickly trails off under several sharp looks, turning his eyes away and quickly amending, “Never mind. The council decides.”
“No, keep going,” Qi Qingqi says, sharply. “I also see no point to this and I see zero fucking reason that the stupid bunch of idiots in the council should be contacted when they’d conceded that they’ll leave internal matters up to us. Anyway, who called the kid here? Who even let him climb the peak to start with? Shen Qingqiu said he was going to make sure no more slip ups on Bai Zhan happened, he said he would handle it personally.”
“My barrier has not been broken,” is all Peak Master Shen says, icily. “Therefore, it cannot be considered that he has successfully climbed Bai Zhan Peak. As such, he is an intruder.”
“Bai Zhan recognizes solely the barriers left by former and current Bai Zhan peak lords ─ none other,” Ji Jue bites out ─ but he stubbornly stares at his feet and his voice quakes as he does. Several peak lords stare at him outright.
Qi Qingqi clears her throat.
“Anyway. An Ding Peak already wrote his name in the registry book, didn’t they? Otherwise we wouldn’t be having this conversation. Shen Qingqiu’s barrier is fucking rubbish and if that kid is officially documented as ours then all the more so,” she says.
“... in that case, why are we having this conversation?” Shen Qingqiu asks, pointedly.
“You tell me! You said you will fucking handle this! I see how you’re handling it! You better just go crawling back into the hole you crawled out of, or else I’m gonna go bury you there myself.”
“Qi-shijie!” another peak master gasps in shock.
“Alright, that’s enough,” another Master cuts in, seemingly exhausted. “Has anyone heard from Zhangmen-shixiong yet? Will he be back soon or will we need to make this decision without his input?”
That question is met with absolute silence.
Gongyi Xiao blinks in surprise. Then… the Sect Leader is absent? Looking at how there are at least four empty seats he’s noticed and the Sect Leader is a sole Immortal Master of Cang Qiong that he has gotten a chance to see before coming here… well. He should’ve been paying a little more attention, certainly. That said… perhaps… hopefully… that means he will not die today. That’s nowhere near as comforting as it should be.
“... does anyone know where Zhangmen-shixiong went?” that same Peak Master asks when he receives no answer, a little desperately.
“Huan Hua Palace,” Wei Qingwei says, and gives Gongyi Xiao a premature heart attack. “Did y’all forget what today is?”
“... what is today?”
Yeah, what is it? Gongyi Xiao isn’t aware of any events falling on this particular day! None that would require the Cang Qiong Mountain leader to be visiting Huan Hua Palace personally!
“Idiots,” Peak Master Shen mumbles under his breath, facing away from the rest of the room.
Wei Qingwei glares at him, then says, “Zhao Hua Monastery is going to temporarily lift the suppressing array on Bailu Mountain. The preparations and the whole procedure to verify that there wasn’t any tempering done to the array is expected to last for little over two weeks. Zhangmen-shixiong departed yesterday.”
“Ah… shit.” Says the Peak Lord who asked the question.
“... shit.” Says Qi Qingqi.
“Shit, indeed,” Wei Qingwei solemnly agrees.
“I don’t see the problem,” Peak Master Shang mumbles. “What? There never was any tempering done to the array ─ not by us. And while no one can claim such a thing for certain in relation to Shen Yuan, the point remains that he would certainly have no experience and the know-how to do it himself. And Luo Binghe’s involvement is beyond discussion.”
Someone clears their throat, awkwardly. “We know nothing about Shen Yuan,” they say ─ and apparently that person must be somebody important, for multiple eyes fly over to Peak Lord Shen.
The Qing Jing Peak lord sighs. “This room has already refused to disclose further information about the spirit that possessed me both to myself and especially to the council. It was the Sect Leader’s decision to keep anything about my condition away from the prying eyes outside the sect ─ so unless you plan to go against it, let’s just put that matter aside.”
The mood of the whole room instantly sours ─ and Gongyi Xiao is distinctly aware of himself still being observed as the outsider here. He is not strictly the cause of the tension, but he does feel a little like a collateral, and that’s arguably so much worse, when he barely understands anything that they are trying to say.
Finally, a peak lord says, “Is there still no word from Liu Mingyan? Qi-shijie. Your head disciple goes and disappears for three years, and now the whole sect’s existence hangs by a thread, depending on her testimony alone ─ where the hell is she?”
“Wu Qinggang, you shut the fuck up.”
“Oi! Qi Qingqi! What’s with the attitude? I’m asking a reasonable question here!”
“Say my girl’s name with your reasonable mouth one more time and I’m going to make sure you don’t have a tongue left to speak!”
“That’s enough,” Wei Qingwei snaps. “Liu Mingyan was also hit with Huan Hua Palace’s phantom talisman, making her testimony in relation to the Bailu forest nonsense just as inadmissible as Mu-shidi’s. Besides, it’s all rubbish anyway. The material we submitted for investigation is different from what Zhao Hua Monastery sent back. We’ve known this for months. With Liu Mingyan or without, we’ve got nothing to show for what we claimed. The array in the lake was intentionally set to break the Bailu mountain array and as long as Zhao Hua Monastery stands behind that, we have no room for argument. Zhangmen-shixiong went out at the request of Huan Hua Palace, but his trial for the Juedi Gorge incident is going to happen regardless. If they find an opening to tackle this onto our backs as well, certainly they will do so.”
“Bullshit!” Qi Qingqi snaps. “What are they gonna prosecute us for?! We’re not the ones who messed with any of those arrays! If anyone did, it was Shen Yuan, and nobody’s seen him around for a while now, isn’t that right?!” For this, she pointedly glares at Peak Master Shen, who doesn’t even bother acknowledging her presence.
“... Qi-shimei, arguing here is pointless,” Peak Master Wei says. “Everybody knows we had nothing to do with the array. Nobody cares. All of this is for show and the point now is to see who will be held responsible for what Luo Binghe has done ─ and master Shen has quite expertly cleared his own name in that department.”
“Tch. And why the heck not? Not like the whole damn sect once stood in that brat’s defense─”
“Can we please get back to the matter at hand?” another Peak Master asks ─ Peak Master Mu, perhaps? Gongyi Xiao is having a hard time keeping up. He is certainly not happy that he is being pushed back to the forefront of this discussion, however. But this Master Mu is watching him very intently, as he says, “We have a prospective new disciple here and we haven’t decided what to do about that. Waiting for Zhangmen-shixiong is pointless.”
“Well, Mu-shidi, you tell me,” Qi Qingqi says. “What exactly do you propose we do with him?”
The man in question lowers his gaze and says nothing.
“I say we think about this with a cool head,” Wei Qingwei says. “If we accept him, we will be going up against that stupid council and that’s just gonna be another fucking headache. Who knows what kind of rubbish trouble they’ll cause us next.”
“Oh, that’s rich, coming from you,” Qi Qingqi hisses. “Were you not all about rebelling against their authority just minutes ago? Now what’s this? Curling your tail the moment shit gets real?”
“Qi-shimei, please─”
But before the argument fully erupts, the man addressed as Peak Master Mu lifts his hand in the air. “... well I, for one, don’t object to accepting him as a Bai Zhan disciple,” he says. “Qi-shijie, what do you think?”
“... And why the hell would you approve of a Huan Hua traitor joining our ranks? Mu-shidi, please enlighten me.”
Peak Master Mu shrugs. “I like his hairstyle.”
Several people openly gape.
In spite of himself, Gongyi Xiao feels his face light up. … What did he even do with his hair in his rush to get out of bed? He doesn’t remember. It’s probably a bird’s nest and this Peak Master is just messing with him, using anything and everything he can think of to call out his presence as inadequate.
Wei Qingwei looks like he’s been slapped on the face. “Er. Mu-shidi. That was a joke, right?”
Peak Master Mu shrugs, but his face is entirely too serious.
Still, several people look over to Gongyi Xiao more attentively, Peak Master Qi Qingqi among them. She scowls. Then she catches where Peak Lord Mu is looking ─ so does Gongyi Xiao ─ and it’s not his hair at all. Oh.
Qi Qingqi rolls her eyes and crosses her arms at her chest. “His hairstyle,” she snorts, almost demeaning. But then Gongyi Xiao catches her looking him over from head to toe one more time. She hums appreciatively. “Sure. His hairstyle. Would be good if he sticks around and teaches a few of those Bai Zhan brutes what words cleanliness and hygiene mean. Fine. I approve. Shang Qinghua, you had something to say before. What’s your take on this?”
“Eep?” The Peak Lord in question shudders. “... nothing. This one wouldn’t want to meddle with Grand Master Liu’s peak one way or another. Wei-shixiong?”
“Against,” Peak Master Wei barks. “No way in hell do I approve of causing trouble for Zhangmen-shixiong over this kid. Also, I hate his fucking hairstyle.”
“Now you’re being stubborn for the sake of it and that’s not productive at all,” Qi Qingqi comments. “Shen-shixiong?”
“...”
“Shen-shixiong?” Peak Master Mu prompts again… and that only has Shen Qingqiu’s frightening eyes looking over in Gongyi Xiao’s direction one more time. He shudders under the intensity of that frigid gaze. But even if his eyes go over Gongyi Xiao and his hair, they never attempt to track down the wrist that he only barely attempts to hide.
Once Peak Master Shen averts his eyes, it’s as though the weight of an entire mountain has been lifted off of Gongyi Xiao’s shoulders.
“Do what you want,” he says. “Just don’t forget to inform me when I get to stop babysitting the brutes. I’ve had enough.”
“Pfft, as if you did anything,” Qi Qingqi says. “Anyway, that’s four people for, one neutral, and we are five, six, seven, eight total… great! The rest of you don’t get a vote.”
“Oi! Qi-shimei! I said I’m against this!” Wei Qingwei protests.
“Then you don’t count,” Qi Qingi shoots back, flexing her fists. The grin that spreads along her lips could be considered nothing other than wicked. “Alright, I’m going to go ahead and give this sweet new Bai Zhan disciple a little tour around the mountain…”
Gongyi Xiao nearly jumps out of his skin. WHAT?
Wei Qingwei, for that matter, lifts his hand in a half-hearted protest. “Wait… Qi Qingqi. Don’t tell me you just orchestrated this whole thing so you could have an excuse to beat him up?! Qi-shimei!”
“Don’t be silly, Wei-shixiong. I’m just going to give the new kid a tour around the premises. What is there to worry about? We’re going to have a great little walk and talk.”
Gongyi Xiao is already counting down the minutes of his life that he has left. The moment Peak Master Qi lays her hand down on his shoulder, it already feels like he’s lost half of it. When she directs him to walk right back out the door he came through earlier, Gongyi Xiao feels like he might just pass out. The grip on his shoulder becomes iron hard, digging into the flesh and muscle, leaving bruises.
“... I can’t watch this. Let me go along and make sure nothing goes wrong,” Peak Master Mu says quickly, and for a moment, Gongyi Xiao feels a surge of hope wash over him. That’s the head of the medicine peak, isn’t it? Then perhaps, perhaps… ugh. He dares not imagine.
His shoulder trapped in an iron grasp that is Peak Master Qi’s hand, Gongyi Xiao is at least confident that if he dies, peak master Mu will let the world know where his body is buried. That is, until Qi Qingqi leads him somewhere across a bridge, down a hallway and then another dark hallway with no one around ─ and once she slams the door shut, the one who casts the silencing talisman is, in fact, Peak Master Mu.
… uh oh. Gongyi Xiao is done for. Done.
He doesn’t even blink when Peak Master Qi grabs him by the lapels of his robes and slams him into a wall, leaning in dangerously enough that her murderous gaze becomes devastating. That’s right. He deserves to die, and if it's at the hands of Xian Shu Peak, then especially so─
“Alright, spill it, you brat. Why the fuck do you have Mingyan’s ribbon?”
─!?
What?
Qi Qingqi slams him into a wall again and Gongyi Xiao’s heart all but stops. “Spill it, or I─”
“Stop scaring him,” Peak Master Mu cuts in suddenly, and he no longer looks flaky or fidgety at all. His voice is cold and steely, not much different from Qi Qingqi, but his eyes are gentle. “Let me keep this simple, for I don’t expect that a person who has climbed Bai Zhan peak while displaying that ribbon for everyone to see is that foolish. I will make a bold assumption and say that young disciple Gongyi received that ribbon as a gift from its owner. Am I correct?”
Gongyi Xiao clamps his lips shut and makes not even the tiniest sound.
Qi Qingqi’s eyes narrow a fraction, watching him with deeply-rooted suspicion. “A gift?”
“Then, did you take it from Miss Liu by force?” Peak Master Mu questions.
“Not exactly,” Gongyi Xiao mutters, his voice shaking slightly. Then, watching both their eyes grow wider, he quickly adds, “But I didn’t steal it! Actually, I didn’t ─ about Liu Mingyan’s disqualification in the Immortal Alliance Conference, I… I never wanted…”
“Forget that,” Peak Master Mu says, all too coldly. “What interests us is something else─”
“No, no,” Peak Master Qi cuts him off, mercilessly. “I’m interested. You’re Gongyi Xiao. According to my disciples who participated, you’ve had it out for Mingyan from the moment the conference started, stealing her kills and whatnot. Is that also something you never wanted?”
Gongyi Xiao’s face flushes. His insides feel like they’re on fire. He wants to face these people properly, but he cannot get his eyes to move away from his own feet. He gulps audibly. Should he… just admit to everything? But then, what is there to admit? At no point has he ever gone against his conscience ─ even if not a single person alive might believe him now, after things have turned out this way. If anything, the person who has been out after his life first has always been Liu Mingyan. To this day, she is the reason everything in Gongyi Xiao’s life went wrong. She is the reason his cultivation got crippled, she’s the reason the Palace Master’s faith in him crumbled and… it’s definitely Liu Mingyan’s fault, for everything that’s happened afterwards.
But even so, Liu Mingyan has saved him many times. It’s safe to say that, with how intent some of the Formless Demons have been in their attempts to end him, without Liu Mingyan, Gongyi Xiao likely wouldn’t be breathing here and now at all.
One way or another, that ribbon on his wrist is his curse, his damnation. But if he tries to use it for the purposes of getting something good out of it, is that the wrong thing to do? Gongyi Xiao doesn’t know anymore. He takes a deep breath, watching how Qi Qingqi glares at him impatiently and Mu Qingfang is observing him suspiciously.
“Strictly speaking, it is not inaccurate to say that I was… trying to get Miss Liu’s attention,” he admits, reluctantly. “But I wasn’t… at least, not… not intentionally…” Gongyi Xiao bites his lips and doesn’t know how to continue. The Cang Qiong Mountain people may as well be glaring daggers at him and he… What is he even supposed to say? The truth? He bows his head and ultimately decides to take the plunge. “Prior to the Immortal Alliance Conference, my Shizun… um… the Huan Hua Palace Master… asked me to pay attention to several key disciples of other sects. Miss Liu… was among them.”
“Pay attention? Not ‘actively sabotage’?” Qi Qingqi says, her words reeking of skepticism.
Gongyi Xiao winces. “Strictly speaking, the Palace Master’s order was to approach and, um… get positive attention… and… uh…”
“Positive attention?” Peak Lord Mu questions, before Peak Master Qi can get a word out ─ which is probably for the best. The woman looks indignant enough to make Gongyi Xiao regret ever opening his mouth. “In other words, you claim that Huan Hua Palace Master ordered you to court Miss Liu? Am I interpreting this correctly?”
“NO! Not─” Shit, Gongyi Xiao regrets everything. “The Palace Master did say something along those lines, yes. But the purpose wasn’t to court, but ‘befriend’...” and considering that he was asked to do so with what is widely considered one of the most beautiful young women in the Central Plains, with the rumors of an alliance between their clans already widespread… well.
Gongyi Xiao sighs. He might never be able to run away from those allegations now, and that is indeed his own fault. “The Palace Master likely wouldn’t have been opposed to that scenario, but for some personal reasons, I did indeed hope for an opportunity to speak to Miss Liu privately,” he confesses. “I most certainly did not approach Miss Liu with the intention to court her, however.”
At the even more negative attention that gets him, Gongyi Xiao doesn’t know what to do. He knows what they all think. Liu Mingyan has, after the Formless Demons invaded, cut through anything and everything that attempted to harm any disciples nearby. She had taken the forefront duty of protecting everybody, slaying every demon, monster or Formless Demon she came across, while Gongyi Xiao had taken the backseat of actually keeping the youths from getting lost and directing them to go where it’s safe. It was inevitable that his score was ultimately beaten. This, however, does not give anyone the right to think that his intention had been to stab Miss Liu in the back.
“If not a failed courting attempt, why the sabotage?” Mu Qingfang asks ─ and at the very least, his voice is even, unlike his fellow Peak Lord who is still visibly seething.
Gongyi Xiao looks him in the eyes as he says, “It was never sabotage. From the start, my actions towards Miss Liu for the duration of the Immortal Alliance Conference was simply provocation.”
“So you were stealing her kills,” Qi Qingqi accuses, mercilessly.
“Yes,” Gongyi Xiao admits. “Only hers, and intentionally so. However, the intention was only to keep it up until it got her attention. I… hadn’t expected that a week-long event would ultimately get cut off barely past the first day mark. Considering how much Miss Liu has done for the overall safety of the participants, it is on the behalf of all parties involved that I formally apologize.” He gets down on his knees, to prostrate and kowtow properly, until his forehead almost reaches the ground.
Qi Qingqi sputters out of sheer indignation, but Gongyi Xiao ignores it as he proceeds to say:
“The undue disqualification has robbed Liu Mingyan of her well deserved victory, which has been awarded to me instead. However, at no point have I felt deserving, nor have I ever claimed it as such. This humble one is well aware that this will not correct the wrongs that have already been committed against Cang Qiong Mountain and even more so, this one knows that he is not befitting of the honor bestowed upon him. However, it is not within my power to change the outcome in any way, so I hope that this apology will at least somewhat satiate Cang Qiong Mountain’s ire.”
“... tch, as if someone asked you to do that,” Peak Master Qi hisses, but from the way her cheeks color a little bit, she does appear, at the very least, a little satiated. “Get up. If I wanted an apology, I would’ve come to kick it out of you years ago.”
“Peak Master Qi, this one insists. If Cang Qiong Mountain wishes to issue a punishment─”
A sudden kick to the side of his knee startles him enough that Gongyi Xiao loses track of what he’s been saying. He doesn’t even lift his head, however, accepting it fully ─ until Peak Master Qi groans louder.
“I said get up. There’s your punishment. Should I kick you again just to make that clear? I wanted confirmation, not a damn confession. Do I look like I’m chasing justice here?” She snorts, irritably, then grabs him by the back of his robes and lifts him. “Forget it. Mingyan lost her first place on a technicality, but she’s a hero anyway. Like we need the Immortal Alliance Conference to tell us we have a prodigy on our hands. You, on the other hand… you are probably the last person to have seen Liu Mingyan at the conference. According to my disciples, she was last seen by your side. Afterwards, nothing. So talk. What the hell have the two of you been doing at that time?”
“Fighting Formless Demons,” Gongyi Xiao answers dutifully, lowering his head.
This answer surprises the two Peak Lords. Mu Qingfang and Qi Qingqi share a look between them, thoughtful and dangerous.
“Alright, we already guessed that,” Mu Qingfang says slowly. “Miss Liu has always been… uncannily suited to the task. Part of the reason for her disqualification from the Conference involved imparting such dangerous knowledge on everyone else as well. Though it ultimately saved lives, it also led to several untimely deaths that might’ve been avoided otherwise.”
Gongyi Xiao nods, grim. That part had, however, never sat with him right. Miss Liu Mingyan had done everything in her power to protect everyone around her that she could ─ but she could only be in one place at a time. And causing harm to herself with the purpose to slay those wraiths could only be done so many times.
“All Miss Liu did, she’d done with the intention to end the bloodshed as soon as possible,” he says. The fact that, in the end, she’d failed… Gongyi Xiao sighs.
“Miss Liu was ultimately taken into custody by the leader of Xianmo sect, after which she’d been disqualified from the Immortal Alliance Conference and sent back home by request of her immediate family,” he recites from memory. “But Cang Qiong Mountain should be well aware of all this.”
“Yes, except the moment of her fucking arrest,” Qi Qingqi hisses. “What the fuck had she done to warrant that? The fucking Xianmo sect never disclosed that part. What could she have possibly done?! Were you there? Did you see it with your own eyes?”
Gongyi Xiao stills and says nothing at all.
“Look,” Peak Master Mu says, “we are not looking to make any accusations. If it was truly Lady Qiu of Xianmo sect acting in the interest of the Jianghu as a whole, it is understandable that you would have had no authority to affect the outcome─”
“It’s… not that…” Gongyi Xiao murmurs, against himself.
At the look the two Peak Lords direct him, he shudders. How could he possibly disclose what he knows when almost none of it makes sense?
Ultimately, he closes his eyes and says, “From what I have learned afterwards, the Palace Master and Lady Qiu of Xianmo sect have had some sort of an arrangement discussed ahead of time. Even if there hadn’t been a viable reason for Xianmo sect to capture Miss Liu, surely a suitable excuse would have been found afterwards.”
It’s not even a speculation, at this point in time. To anyone who has kept their ears to the ground, the connection between Huan Hua Palace, Xianmo sect and the Liu clan would have become evident almost immediately after the Conference ended. Their businesses have only flourished since. But even to Gongyi Xiao, the head disciple of Huan Hua Palace at the time, this connection had come as a surprise. His own role in the entire debacle, unintentional though it may have been, would have surely offered no benefit to Miss Liu.
To Mu Qingfang and Qi Qingqi now, this looks to be confirmation of everything they’ve suspected for years.
“So in the end, it was the godforsaken Liu clan,” Qi Qingqi says, frowning. “Liu Qingge warned me to keep an eye out, cause his family is known to use the most underhanded means of getting whatever they want, but still… shit. I was hoping she’d gone willingly… but what the fuck do they gain from forcing Liu Mingyan back to Tianyao? Goddamn Liu Qingge and his stupid fucking mouth! Why did he not tell me his sister is… Argh!”
Peak Lord Mu sighs heavily. “Shijie, I don’t think it’s that simple. The timing is too suspicious. I still think Huan Hua Palace has a greater gain in this. It’s been three years and no one’s heard a word from Miss Liu. We’ve planted spies everywhere, yet even our people within the Liu residence have reported nothing. And as disciple Gongyi said here, clearly there existed an intention to approach her from well before the Conference itself.”
“Poach her, maybe, if the old man has any sense─”
“Either way,” Mu Qingfang cuts in. “You tell us, cultivator Gongyi. Huan Hua Palace has already had its eyes on Liu Mingyan, but for how long?”
Gongyi Xiao hesitates for a long time. It is a straightforward question, yet the answer… “Years,” he whispers, miserably. “Long before I became the head disciple.”
“What?!” Qi Qingqi exclaims, outraged.
Gongyi Xiao shrugs, but it’s no secret. Huan Hua Palace’s way of acquiring disciples sometimes can indeed be highly questionable. When the task of reaching out to Miss Liu had befallen him, everything he’d done, he’d done leaving a trail behind. The Sect Leader often scolded him for it, that he was nowhere near as good as someone in his position is expected to be, that his predecessors would have done a much better job. But it wasn’t until Liu Mingyan had formally declined the invitation to Gongyi Xiao’s face that the Sect Leader ever showed any real interest in whether or not Gongyi Xiao could get it done.
“Miss Liu declined the offers that Huan Hua Palace had sent her way, so things have turned out this way…” Gongyi Xiao closes his eyes and sighs. “The Sect Leader only wanted me to approach Miss Liu to… test… her ability during the Immortal Alliance Conference… however, I would not put it past anyone that the intention had been to find a way to disqualify her from the beginning.”
“As vengeance,” Qi Qingqi murmurs, stunned. “That creepy old fucker. I am going to skin him alive─”
But Mu Qingfang rests his hand on her shoulder, shaking his head grimly. He is looking at Gongyi Xiao oddly, frowning at him ─ as if he is trying to understand whether or not he’s had a chance to see his face before. Soon, he gives up, and says, “Tell me, cultivator Gongyi, are you aware of the incident of the array inside Bailu forest’s grotto?”
It is an effort for Gongyi Xiao not to react ─ even more so because those eyes look like they’re capable of detecting even the slightest change in his heart rate.
“Yes,” he whispers, barely audible even to his own ears.
To Mu Qingfang, that seems to be the confirmation he wanted to hear. “Then, are you aware that all the Huan Hua disciples who were present at the time had all been kicked out of the sect or even killed, in some instances?”
Gongyi Xiao’s heart is stone and his expression is ice. No matter what, he cannot force himself to look up.
“... yes,” he whispers again.
Once again, Mu Qingfang seems not at all surprised. “Then, do you know why?”
Gongyi Xiao swallows thickly. “... Peak Lord Mu, I too was merely a junior disciple at the time. What I can tell you is obviously something you already know ─ those disciples must’ve seen something they weren’t supposed to see. What that is, however, is something I personally know nothing about, for I was not there to see it with my own eyes, and no one has bothered disclosing it to me afterwards.”
Except, Gongyi Xiao doesn’t say, he has been working for years on piecing the bits and pieces together and the more time he’d spent at it, the more he’d felt like that was somehow his fault, too.
“So it’s a secret even inside the sect?” Mu Qingfang presses. “Nobody else but the Palace Master is informed? Other elders, perhaps?”
“... I’m not sure what you want me to say,” Gongyi Xiao says. “The incident at the time was big enough to rile everyone. By the time I had sufficient status to inquire about it, however, its importance had lessened and there was nobody left in the sect who was willing to say anything.”
“And you asked?” Mu Qingfang asks, curiously. “A newly appointed Head Disciple who dares ask sensitive questions? That’s not a frequent sight.”
“My young martial siblings disappeared from the sect,” Gongyi Xiao mumbles, miserably. “The only thing in common among those disciples was the collective guard duty. Once I was made aware of this, it is only natural that I started asking questions. I may not be privy to the details, but this matter was serious enough for even a noble family’s son to be kicked out of the sect with no explanation. If the Sect Leader was willing to go so far ─ well. That should make it clear what would have happened, if I had pushed too far.”
“At the time?” Mu Qingfang notes sharply. “What about now?”
Gongyi Xiao snorts, amused. “Well, I’m a former Huan Hua cultivator who has attempted to join Cang Qiong Mountain at the time when the Huan Hua Sect Leader all but controls the entire Central Plains. You tell me, Peak Master Mu, what does this look like to you?”
“It’s a bold move, if you ask me,” Mu Qingfang comments, lightly. “Risky, but bold. Why take that kind of a gamble, cultivator Gongyi? What made you throw away all that luxury and lavishness for a place that can no longer isolate itself from outside interference?”
“Is that not too defeatist of an attitude for a Cang Qiong Peak Master to have?” Gongyi Xiao returns, just as lightly. “For three full years, the Palace Master has been wrapping his ropes around, tightening the reins little by little, trying to take total control over Cang Qiong Mountain. Yet three years later, he is no closer to achieving it than he was at the start. You tell me, Peak Master Mu. Is my presence here truly a gamble? Or merely a calculated risk?”
“The point,” Qi Qingqi cuts in impatiently, “is why the heck are you even here? What is your motivation for this? What the fuck do you hope to achieve, joining Cang Qiong Mountain now?”
Gongyi Xiao hesitates as his eyes shift over to her. “Would Peak Master Qi believe it if I were to say I’m repaying a debt?”
“If you have to ask, then you already know.”
He can’t help it, Gongyi Xiao nods his confirmation. He smiles, sadly. “I also know that some people will always choose to perceive it as such. However, strictly speaking, I don’t have any particular goal. This humble one left Huan Hua Palace a long time ago. Now, the life of a rogue has caught up and all I want is a roof over my head to shield me from the rain and three warm meals a day to keep my belly full. I’m a persistent man, but my ambition doesn’t run very high ─ something the Palace Master could confirm for you, if you wish to ask. He always did find that… contemptible… about me.”
“So you climb the only place where nobody’s gonna give a shit where you come from on this whole damn mountain,” Qi Qingqi grumbles. “Possibly in the entire Central Plains. Truly, you know this sect too well. Even if we want to kick you out now, we can’t do it without stirring up a brand new shitstorm. Your name is already on the list of our disciples. Now what?”
Gongyi Xiao sighs. “Is there something that Peak Master Qi wishes me to do?”
“If we were to tell your former Sect Master about this─”
“No need, because most likely, he already knows,” Mu Qingfang comments. “The council has informants everywhere and they’re going to be giving us a headache over this for weeks to come. There’s no way around it. They might even invite Gongyi Xiao before them personally.”
“Well, that’s bad,” Qi Qingqi grumbles. “He’s only barely joined. We can’t let them kick him out immediately, right? That’s bad for us, letting them take even more of our autonomy. But what can we do?”
“Nothing,” Mu Qingfang reasons. “He is a disciple of our sect, but his admission to Bai Zhan Peak remains half-complete for as long as Bai Zhan Peak Lord doesn’t give his permission personally. Of course, the sect already knows that the Bai Zhan Peak Lord never bothers giving such permissions… but the council doesn’t. We can extend the in-between status for as long as possible. Should give us some room to play with.”
Gongyi Xiao tenses slightly. What does that mean? Has he gone through all this trouble to climb up Cang Qiong Mountain only to get kicked out the moment they think of a suitable means to achieve it? Because the Peak Lord hates bureaucracy? He hasn’t caught onto any other possibilities, but Qi Qingqi obviously has, because her eyes widen slightly, almost wild with amusement.
“Indeed, indeed. That means, officially, Gongyi Xiao is a Cang Qiong Mountain disciple, but he is also, officially, not yet a Bai Zhan disciple. He belongs to no Peak, therefore he is not subject to any of the strict Peak rules currently enforced by the council, but therefore the council also can’t do shit without the Sect Leader here to approve it. Good, good. I like this.”
Mu Qingfang nods, and for Gongyi Xiao’s sake, he explains, “Traditionally, disciples who have not yet been assigned a Peak fall strictly under Qiong Ding Peak’s command… but the Sect Leader is absent. Hierarchy-wise, Peak Master Shen is next in line, but the unassigned disciples have never been under Qing Jing Peak’s jurisdiction to begin with. Most of the time, they’re tasked with completing missions for those peaks that need external support the most.”
“Which is either An Ding peak… or Qian Cao,” Qi Qingqi finishes, grinning maniacally. “I’m afraid, Gongyi Xiao, that Peak Lord Mu here is going to have to kindly ask for your assistance.”
Gongyi Xiao sweats buckets from the sheer amount of glee that the two Peak Lords share over this. “... alright…?”
Mu Qingfang smirks slightly. “I have something for you to do, that should help you avoid the council’s scrutiny for a while. Even more importantly, it will prevent you from needing to meet them for the time being… and as for what I need you to do… You have sufficient power and experience to give Bai Zhan disciples a run for their money, so you are a suitable candidate. Even if, all things considered, it might not be an easy mission. Do you mind?”
“... what?” Gongyi Xiao mumbles, his mind yet not catching up. They are talking in circles around him, confusing him in ways he doesn’t quite understand. He has just climbed the mountain, but he is already being sent outside?
Mu Qingfang’s look softens slightly, as he says, “Today, under my command, multiple disciples from different peaks will be leaving the mountain for a mission. This… is not something that has been officially approved and if they’re caught, they will be severely punished. A few disciples from my own peak are among these disciples, so I intend to let it slip to them that you are going to join them ─ but it would be best if you could do so without anyone else noticing until you’ve gotten past the outer security line.”
“... by outer security, Peak Lord Mu Means… the patrols outside the mountain?” That’s… well. Gongyi Xiao can do that. He just doesn’t understand the purpose of it.
Naturally, he doesn’t get a proper answer or even a more detailed explanation, but that sharp little glint is all the clue he needs. Gongyi Xiao sighs. Just his luck. Three months spent trying to climb a mountain, only to be somewhat politely asked to leave after barely a night.
Well. As far as tests of trust and loyalty go, this one sounds reasonable enough. Certainly, far more respectable than the humiliation he’s been preparing himself for over the past few months.
“What must I assist the disciples with?” he asks, very obediently.
“I don’t know yet,” Peak Lord Mu says, unexpectedly. “The mission is in Jin Lan city ─ you may have heard about it. It’s a trading hub, very famous. However, there seems to be a case of a rapidly spreading epidemic. The council refuses to allow us to send people to investigate, but from the news we’ve gathered around them, it seems like multiple cultivators have already succumbed to an odd illness, some of whose names are well familiar to me. Rogue medics, mostly. None of whom I’d expect to fall fatally ill easily. As far as details go, this is all we have so far.”
“... I see,” Gongyi Xiao mutters, a little disheartened. “I have no proper medical training, which I suppose you have already expected. So… what Peak Master Mu wants from me is to act as a vanguard, sacrificial lamb or even a protector to the rest of the mission team. Is that correct?”
“I hear a but coming,” Qi Qingqi comments, almost like a provocation.
“No,” Gongyi Xiao says, quite calmly and reasonably, given just what kind of a challenge he’s being pitted against. “I ─ I’m going to do it. I just… have questions. About the mission itself and even… other things. If you don’t mind me asking.”
Mu Qingfang and Qi Qingqi share a look. Ultimately, the Qian Cao Peak Lord sighs.
“Go ahead,” he says. “Ask what you want.”
Gongyi Xiao gulps. “About the mission. Travel, logistics, even the number of disciples I’ll be going with─”
“I’ll have a disciple of mine provide this info shortly,” Qi Qingqi says. “The key aspect of it is that no outsider should realize that all of you have left. That’s also probably the most difficult part. The group is already preparing. We didn’t initially plan to include you, so likely you will need to catch up to them outside the mountain. If the patrol divisions take something from them, information included, we are counting on you to remove it from existence. Outside the mountain, protecting the other disciples and the commoners is a given. Aside from that, we don’t intend to saddle you with any particular duties.”
“... I see,” Gongyi Xiao mutters. In other words… they expect him to be the most experienced of the disciples there. And even if not, Cang Qiong Mountain is well known to have had troubles over the past few years. Too few of their junior disciples have gotten the opportunity to join the night hunts. The seniors, meanwhile, have been bogged down with a bunch of nonsense tasks, preventing a steady flow of knowledge between the two groups. It is not too different from the state of Huan Hua Palace ─ or at least how things had been, before Gongyi Xiao had taken up the head disciple position.
It is not an easy thing to resolve, if he does say so himself. He has spent many years steadily failing at it. It is probably a good thing that the only thing these Peak Masters really want from him is glorified bodyguard service.
“Another question, then,” he murmurs, against himself. Oh, this is really going to sound so incredibly selfish, in the light of everything… but he has to know.
Qi Qingqi nods her permission.
Hesitantly, Gongyi Xiao forces the words out of his mouth.
“My… disciple status. Is my name… really on the disciple list? That was not… a joke of some kind? Or a ruse? I… really am a Cang Qiong disciple now?”
“Ji-shidi of Bai Zhan Peak already submitted your name to An Ding Peak to write into the disciple registry.” Mu Qingfang is the one who answers. “Strictly speaking, even without that, your name has already been listed under Bai Zhan’s warrior tablet simply because you’ve climbed the peak. Semantics in the procedures can be argued for many different things, but as far as Cang Qiong Mountain is concerned, from the moment you first climbed Bai Zhan peak and had your name stamped on their tablet, you’ve officially become a part of this sect. That means, for as long as you’re willing to call yourself such, you are a Cang Qiong cultivator now. Is this a satisfying answer to your question?”
Gongyi Xiao gulps louder this time, but he nods. “Yes. Thank you, Peak Master Mu.”
Qi Qingqi chuckles. “Don’t thank us for shit, yet, kid. We’re gonna use this for all its chaotic potential. These past three years of disgrace and suffering the council imposed upon us ─ we’re gonna make them go through the same damn thing ─ and bullying you around is how we’re start. Be patient, you Huan Hua brat. Or, better say, Bai Zhan brat. You’re ours now. If you come to regret that, that’s on you. There is no going back.”
The shit-eating grin that spreads along her lips is damning at best, blood-curling at worst. The woman cackles, before walking away, as though she’s gotten everything she could have ever wanted from this talk.
Mu Qingfang smiles at him, much more pleasantly. “Disciple Gongyi, welcome to Cang Qiong Mountain.”
Oh, heavens.
“… thanking the Elders,” Gongyi Xiao mutters, but all that he is thinking is…
He regrets everything.
Notes:
Yoo, here's more background nobody asked for! This time about the human realm and politics as is and how it relates to the fic -- power dynamics and the sects positions in society.
Click here for details!
Alright, so basically, SVSSS is not exactly detailed in its worldbuilding, much to every author's chagrin -- or complete delight. So much of this setup comes from a bunch of other Chinese wuxia, xianxia and other genres that I've dived into, wherein the sects are all kinda living in their own little bubbles while the common folks go through life the way ancient peasants would. Or noble lords. Basically society structures are not too different, with the caveat that sects are around to handle all the nitty gritty supernatural work for the lords, nobles, commoners etc.
So yeah, commoners/nobles etc call the sects for every little unnatural thing that comes up, including but not limited to ghosts haunting them, demonic attacks, cursed items, weird plants, exorcisms and so on and so forth. That's where much of the Sects' earnings come from.
The sects all have their own philosophies based on what we know in canon, but there's no real common LAW that they all must adhere to. It's more like a bunch of traditional rules which you either respect or you don't and therefore get called the bad guy (what HHP considers acceptable CQM might consider detestable and vice versa). Criminal charges therefore really only apply if actual crimes have been committed as per the country laws.
That's why the situation with Cang Qiong is so messy right now, really.
Raising a heavenly demon is BAD by sect standards, but it's not something the world itself deemed criminal the way SQQ slaughtering the Qiu family was considered a straight up crime. HHP wishes it was, but sects are not lawmakers and the nobles don't meddle THAT much with sect politics anyway -- sects do their own thing and nobles do their own and if there's overlap, then they kinda need to work it out within laws that do exist.
Now, though, the lines are blurring. A lot of nobles had their people join the sects over time (Liu and Gongyi clans the most relevant examples, but not the only ones), and are now trying to use that for their own benefit. That benefit, mostly, is becoming richer/healthier/more influential in society etc. HHP, meanwhile, came to a conclusion that by connecting with the nobles, they have enough sway over the actual lawmakers to convince them to push for certain specific agendas (criminal, political and so on).
Here we come to the formation of this council that is currently plaguing CQM. Consider it a group of forty-fifty men -- yes, MEN only, important due to gender and status stuff that will come up at some point. Half of them are cultivators from smaller sects who have little importance in real sect politics (read: easy to control by the big players such as OPM) and the rest are nobles.
OPM is kinda using the council to control CQM with bureaucracy and idiocracy -- mostly just wearing them down with nonsense until they make some grave mistakes that even the nobles will be on board with punishing the sect... but so far they don't have much going for them. CQM is holding out despite the pressure from all sides. OPM is generally the one pulling the most strings, but he is not the only one and there are multiple interest groups involved. Zhao Hua and Tian Yi also have their own reasons to tear into CQM rn, which have nothing to do with HHP, and that's making OPM's work harder cause they can still easily switch sides if they decide that HHP's nonsense has gone too far or for whatever other reason. Nobles meanwhile have their own motivations.
So yeah. The politics is messy messy and SJ has his fingers all over it almost as much as OPM, so it's a case of chessmaster vs chessmaster in a way lol! But that's actually gonna be detailed out in the fic at some point. Hope you survived this sociology lecture! See ya next chapter!
Chapter 54: The Strategist II
Notes:
As far as chapters in this fic go, this may just be the one that's tortured me the most. Trying to find ways to sum up the key takeaways from Jin Lan arc into one chapter when the main stars of that arc go though a whole small novel worth of content was probably the most insane thing I could have done. Do not recommend.
That said, Jin Lan arc is def getting published as its own thing at some point... probably once the main story is finished due to certain spoilers. It might not be the only part of this that gets it's own side-story, but uh, let's see how that goes.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Even if introducing them from the start likely would have made more sense, Mu Qingfang is not too bothered by the fact that he doesn't manage to arrange a moment for Gongyi Xiao to meet his young disciples. The new Bai Zhan addition has requested time to prepare and the timing of all of this, overall, hasn’t turned out so great ─ the youths are already well underway with their own preparations, so Mu Qingfang has done his best to support where needed.
Still, the moment he gets a chance, he takes the most mature of his disciples aside to give her a brief rundown of the situation.
Zhou Lei, his young disciple with a keen nose for trouble, sighs heavily the moment his explanation concludes. The look on her face is very perplexed.
Mu Qingfang raises an amused eyebrow. “Is something the matter, Miss Zhou?”
But the young lady half his size shakes her head, braids dancing around her face. “Apologies, Shizun. Shizun has requested that we covertly spread the word, but things already turned out this way… And now we have another addition, and this one from Bai Zhan. This disciple doesn’t intend to be discriminatory at all towards our Bai Zhan shixiongs, but this group will certainly draw attention.”
Mu Qingfang sighs, well aware.
“He is traveling separately, at first,” he assures her ─ though he already knows it won’t be reassuring at all. “He is there precisely to prevent trouble with the outsiders.” Or at the very least, take the brunt of it upon himself.
Miss Zhou is not impressed. “That’s not what this disciple meant, Shizun. We are a big group ─ bigger than initially planned. A disciple from Qing Jing is also joining on this disciple’s invitation, too. Apologies again, Shizun.”
Mu Qingfang sighs heavily. As if they could have fooled Shen Qingqiu, regardless of whether a disciple of his got dragged into the mess. Keeping them out would have probably been impossible, one way or another. He’s heard enough of Miss Ning’s attempts to join any missions recently that he cannot bear to ask what sort of trouble this child of Qing Jing is trying to cover up.
“Don’t worry about the numbers,” he tells Miss Zhou softly. “Just focus on your duty.”
Miss Zhou, for all that she looks like an overly cute midget, is a master of healing arts despite her young age. They have no idea at all what may be waiting for the disciples once they reach Jin Lan, so she is the best he can send.
Mu Qingfang had outright demanded, begged, cajoled and argued with the council to go out there himself, but those old nobles had put their foot down and refused, threatening consequences the likes of which not even Cang Qiong Mountain could currently bear. With his status as a Peak Lord, Mu Qingfang’s name alone is apparently sufficient to make a non-political medical emergency entirely political, therefore his further involvement would have guaranteed more trouble than anything else. And they already have more than enough of that to last them centuries. Thus, Mu Qingfang has been working hard, arranging all this in what little time he’s had since the news reached him.
Miss Zhou and her group are the best and probably only chance he is going to get to hear back anything from that warded off place that Jin Lan city has become. Aside from his own peak, they’ve arranged for one disciple from Xian Shu, one from Wan Jian ─ and now Gongyi Xiao as well ─ all of them to make up for the lack of combat experience that Qian Cao peak has always been struggling with. Besides, Qi Qingqi and Wei Qingwei are the only ones Mu Qingfang can trust to understand the gravity of the situation as is.
Even if these disciples are caught leaving the mountain without permission, he and the other responsible peak lords will still have the final say on how their punishment is executed. None of the kids will be in any real trouble ─ so long as most of this is kept away from those few exceptions who have made it their personal mission to align with every single one of council’s inane wishes.
That a disciple from Qing Jing is joining is therefore unfortunate ─ one never knows where Shen Qingqiu’s mind rests ─ but Mu Qingfang is beyond questioning it at this late stage.
He is far more concerned with what the kids may find once they reach Jin Lan. He has a few guesses already ─ none of them pretty. Hence this mission, the secrecy and the urgency. Thankfully, plenty of his martial siblings have been happy to assist.
Qi Qingqi finds him shortly after Miss Zhou has left, her own expression grim.
“I’ve sent Duan Caihong out there to support your disciples,” she informs him. “From all of my juniors, she is by far the most daring and experienced… at least in Mingyan’s absence. Hopefully it will prove enough.”
Mu Qingfang smiles tiredly. “Thanking Qi-shijie.”
Qi Qingqi grunts in acknowledgement, but her expression hardly changes. “Do you think we can trust that kid?”
“Miss Zhou? Certainly. As soon as she makes it back, I’ll even bypass the council to make her my head disciple─”
“I meant the other one,” Qi Qingqi cuts him off. “Gongyi Xiao. Do you think anything he’s said is worth believing?”
“Ah…” Mu Qingfang’s shoulders fall, despite his best efforts. It has, admittedly, been a very tiring week among many other such weeks, and too many things have gotten in the way for him to sit down and consider the events that have taken place over the past… less than a day, really. “Well, I don’t think he is here just for a dry bed and a warm meal, surely. However, if you were to ask me if I think he’s lying… I don’t know. His departure from Huan Hua Palace wasn’t exactly quiet.”
Qi Qingqi snorts, entirely unimpressed. “Huan Hua has been tightening the cord around our neck for so long. I wouldn’t dare look at a child they raised and think of him as simple.”
“I also don’t think they would put a child of their own into the Water Prison for a month just for show, but perhaps let’s not start a discussion in which both of us are lacking information,” Mu Qingfang says. “More pressingly, I fear I already know what might be going down in Jin Lan city, and I pray to the heavens that I am wrong… Our kids out there, alone… they’re clever, but nowhere near as experienced as their peers from other sects. Gongyi Xiao, for better or worse, was once a head disciple and the rumors of what he’s done while traveling as a rogue have spread far. It gives credence to my hope that the Palace Master would not grant a title to a hopeless cause.”
Qi Qingqi’s expression darkens. “Except, whether or not that kid is still working with his sect is up in the air,” she says. “But yeah, I guess there’s no point in stressing over that now. I asked my girls to pass info to Qiong Ding peak just in case and it bore fruit. Feng-shizhi had made a spectacle out at the gate to get the kids to bring him along to Jin Lan.”
“Feng… you mean, Feng Qinhao? Zhangmen-shixiong’s head disciple? He’s joining as well?” Good lord, that’s a shock. That child hasn’t left the mountain in years!
Qi Qingqi shrugs. “He’s got a good head on his shoulders, even if he’s still wet behind the ears. Figured I might as well.”
“No, I mean…” Mu Qingfang shakes his head. “That’s good. Great news! The ratio of fighters to healers is more even this way… oh, that’s really good. That’s… finally, some good news.”
Qi Qingqi rolls her eyes. “I wish. He was well on his way, involving himself even before my girls tipped him off ─ and in exchange for the right timing, he gave us the info he is operating with ─ and you’re not gonna like it.”
“... what is it?” Now what, Mu Qingfang doesn’t wail ─ but it’s a close thing.
“The smaller settlements surrounding Jin Lan have been transporting a ton of flammable materials to Jin Lan city, but most of the wagons outside the city limits have disappeared. Quite a few of them pulled the strings with the council people ─ and the council had our disciples, Zui Xian and An Ding peak mainly ─ do all the menial transportation work. Including sneaking flammable materials into the city. And now the expectation on Qiong Ding Peak is that, no matter what happens there, we will be blamed for it.”
Mu Qingfang stares at her, uncomprehending. “How can a cultivation sect be blamed for this? Jin Lan city is a neutral territory. Even if we had any ongoing business with it, which we haven’t, for years─”
“Is it an epidemic?” Qi Qingqi cuts in, icily. “We don’t know. And more than a few whispers have called it a demonic curse. The noblemen are likelier to believe in such curses than cultivators, but with the two interlocking so close over the past few years, I’m not sure if reason will overcome nonsense in this case.”
A third voice says, “It will, because the noblemen have it right this time ─ it’s not an epidemic.”
Qi Qingqi grimaces and Mu Qingfang does his best to pretend that his heart hasn’t jumped to his throat ─ but it is a hopeless situation. Shen Qingqiu stands leaning against the door of Mu Qingfang’s office, in all of his prickly glory, not looking at either one of their faces as he speaks. “I’ve let a disciple of mine join your ragtag group on her insistence. However, if anything happens in Jin Lan that puts her life at risk, I will hold both of you responsible.”
“It was your decision to butt your nose in where you weren’t invited, so if it gets burnt, don’t come crying to us─”
But Shen Qingqiu ignores Qi Qingqi entirely as he sets his glare on Mu Qingfang and says, “It is not an epidemic. Whether you trust my source for this information, that much is a fact. Unless you’ve chosen your disciples carefully, they’re not likely to figure it out in time.”
For all that the entire Cang Qiong Mountain has many misgivings with the Peak Lord of Qing Jing, Mu Qingfang is not naive. Shen Qingqiu’s personality, attitude and mean-spirited rivalries are what most other peak lords choose to judge him by, but to Mu Qingfang, his professionalism is something that cannot be understated. Shen Qingqiu, for all that he has always put on the airs, acted like a selfish prick, and provoked fights with Liu Qingge left and right, he has never actually acted outside the sect’s interest ─ not before his transformative Qi deviation that had brought them Shen Yuan ─ nor now that this swap has been undone.
Mu Qingfang has been present, more than once, to watch Shen Qingqiu argue with the council with the kind of mercilessness that neither the Sect Leader nor anyone else could have mustered, under the circumstances. He has also conceded to some of their points ─ well made or otherwise ─ which had made quite a few peaks dissatisfied ─ Qian Cao included.
In the light of the current situation, Mu Qingfang sees why Shen Qingqiu might’ve allowed certain things. The Council taking over local businesses has kept the noblemen largely too busy to take full control over what Cang Qiong disciples get to do ─ and has prevented other smaller sects from stealing even more disciples than what they’ve already taken ─ but that doesn’t make him any happier, really.
The council still got what they were after, blocking out the seniors from stepping off the mountain, citing the juniors the only one on Cang Qiong Mountain who could not have had the knowledge and the experience needed to understand why raising Luo Binghe was wrong and had little by little pulled juniors away by offering them supplies and experiences they stole from the sect by other means. It has been a carefully thought-out strategy, one that has bore terrifying results. Cang Qiong as a whole is getting quite sick of it. Many still blame Shen Qingqiu for it.
To Peak Lord Shen’s further disadvantage, the shoes that his not-quite-counterpart had left behind are not easy to fill. Shen Yuan’s cleverness and amicable approach to more or less everything had endeared him even to those who could not stand Shen Qingqiu near them. Losing a version they used to like, or at the very least, tolerate… then once again being faced with the bitter and ice-cold Shixiong who shoots them down with snide remarks is the kind of blow few have borne with grace.
Mu Qingfang, selfishly, is a little glad that Liu Qingge is not here to watch the once unified sect slowly crumble apart. The echo of Liu-shixiong’s continued absence, however, is far too loud.
“Liu Qingge is Cang Qiong Mountain’s backbone. The moment he falls, this sect will crumble without him.”
Shen Yuan had said that, many years ago, when Liu-shixiong’s situation had been so critical that Mu Qingfang had entertained just about any possibility of his recovery. Even though those words echoed Mu Qingfang’s own private sentiments, to be so bold to say that to the Sect Leader’s face─! Certainly, Mu Qingfang had thought Shen Yuan insane. Most of the sect had considered him crazy. The Sect Leader, too, had taken to this information with shock ─ though much more gracefully than Mu Qingfang would’ve expected it.
Shen Yuan had proceeded to elaborate on this point ─ and now, many years later, Mu Qingfang is watching his words come true in the most damaging way possible ─ and he doesn’t know what to do.
Liu Qingge is the backbone holding the head in place.
No one had really thought of it that way before. Liu Qingge had always seemed like this immovable rock with his principles set in stone and his actions only mildly restrained by the respect he had for the Sect Leader ─ but his absence has proven otherwise.
Most of the Sect Leader’s bolder decisions in the past had come with the confidence that, if they are not accepted by the wider masses, all it will take is to send Liu Qingge their way once and they will quickly change their tune. Liu-shidi won’t need to do anything other than be himself, Shen Yuan had elaborated ─ and Mu Qingfang… well… he could see it, in his head. Liu Qingge has always had a tendency to take his actions a little too far.
Yue Qingyuan, however, had looked as though his entire dirty laundry had been laid out in front of the sect as a whole ─ even with only the three of them there.
Liu Qingge is a force to be reckoned with, whether he is fighting or talking. And he isn’t much of a talker. Mu Qingfang knows better than most that the dumb muscle act that Liu-shixiong puts on is a mask to fool people into dropping their guard around him, but it is also a means of self-protection ─ because he doesn’t really know how to put on any other act. The head on his shoulders is clever and his mind is sharp ─ and that he chooses to ignore the more rational options in favor of violence is a personal preference as much as a seamless tool of discipline that the Sect Leader and his Shixiong had apparently forged together over the years.
The simplicity in Liu Qingge’s brutality had always come with a blessing, even if few understand where that blessing comes from ─ but his voice of confidence has always been a pillar for everyone to rely on, whether or not anyone dares admit it.
Mu Qingfang is feeling that absence now more than ever.
Shen Qingqiu, for all that he has always been a contrarian to the Sect Leader’s more reckless decisions, has also been too obvious in his bias to be a reliable counter. Besides, the Sect Leader folds to his will far too easily. Listening to them arguing over different matters is much like listening to an old-married couple calling out each other’s faults ─ except one side is bitter and angry while the other side has long since resigned to the state of things. There had been a bit of that with the Sect Leader and Shen Yuan too ─ but the most efficient counter to those had always been Liu Qingge and his straightforward beat it up approach.
With Liu-shixiong absent, the sect truly is coming apart at the seams. Huan Hua Palace may not have realized it yet, but the ropes that they think they’ve wrapped up around an impenetrable tower is, in fact, a house of cards simply waiting to come crashing down.
The fact that Shen Qingqiu, ever-suspicious and untrusting of everyone around him, has come to say this to Mu Qingfang’s face is all the proof he’s ever needed.
“If it’s not an epidemic, then there is only one thing that fits the symptoms,” Mu Qingfang says, all too heavy a heart. “And that would mean that the demon realm has unleashed the Sowers.”
Heavens, Mu Qingfang prays that he’s wrong─
But Shen Qingqiu nods. “If I know this, you can probably guess ─ I’m not the only one.”
Mu Qingfang gulps. What Shen Qingqiu is saying, in other words ─ the noble clans are justified in their fears.
“How bad is it?” Mu Qingfang asks, softly.
“How bad what is?” Qi Qingqi snaps, turning her glare from one peak lord to the other. “What aren’t you two telling me?”
Shen Qingqiu ignores her entirely, staring Mu Qingfang dead in the eye. “There are those who believe the epidemic in Jin Lan is orchestrated by none other than Tianlang Jun.”
Right. That’s… unsurprising. The southern demon lord’s return has been endlessly discussed over the past years ─ it is only the physical evidence of it that the Jianghu has been lacking. And they’ve attempted, more than once, to fault Cang Qiong Mountain for it.
“So is that why Huan Hua Palace pushed for Bailu Mountain affirmation to start earlier than planned?” Mu Qingfang guesses. After all, the Sect Leader’s departure had been sudden and unplanned ─ and the preparations going into examining the Bailu array can take up to several weeks. Pushing the date ahead is uncharacteristic, given the number of people involved.
“A part of it,” Shen Qingqiu confirms.
“And the rest of it?” Qi Qingqi questions.
Shen Qingqiu smirks. “The Sect Leader will be too busy to argue once a decision is made.”
“... what decision?” Mu Qingfang asks, but already, his heart is preparing for the worst. All the clues have been given. And when it comes to Sowers, the best solution is only ever one.
“The nobles are waiting for answers,” Shen Qingqiu says. “Is it Tianlang Jun who sent the Sowers out to Jin Lan? Is there proof? The moment they get it, they will torch the city down. The fallout, the victims, the success or the failure of this action ─ they’ve prepared it all with the intention to hold Cang Qiong Mountain responsible.”
“... I don’t follow,” Qi Qingqi says. “What are they holding us responsible for? We’re not going to actually torch a city down, that would be utter insanity─”
“Indeed,” Shen Qingqiu says. “If we do it, we will be blamed for mass murder. If we don’t, we will be blamed for letting the Sowers spread elsewhere. The only one who could instill fear in them and make them hesitate with the execution of this insanity is the Sect Leader ─ for they fear him far more than they fear demonkind ─ and therefore this will certainly be executed in his absence. We have days at worst ─ weeks at best. What we do with this time is up to us ─ and if we are to do anything at all, I hope that Mu-shidi and Qi-shimei will be willing to think about this with a cool head.”
“... is this certain?” Qi Qingqi asks, visibly distraught. “We knew the final blow was coming, but that this is it… that they’ve been plotting something of this magnitude…”
“No, not plotting,” Shen Qingqiu says, all too amused. “All these fools are doing is taking advantage of an opportunity that has presented itself. They have orchestrated nothing at all. If anything, they are still so uncertain that they have yet to withdraw their own people from Jin Lan. That too, is an opportunity for us, given we will have our disciples there soon.”
“You mean, you’ve known this all along and only deigned to tell us after the kids have already…” Mu Qingfang shudders at the thought. He cannot even finish the sentence.
Shen Qingqiu, for all it’s worth, doesn’t even shrug. “I considered mentioning it earlier, but I saw that Mu-shidi had a play in mind, regarding that Huan Hua traitor. I didn’t want to impose.”
“In other words, you don’t trust him,” Qi Qingqi surmises. “If you don’t trust him, I’m suddenly far more inclined to trust the kid myself.”
“Qi-shimei may think this is about trust, but I would rather call it a game of chances,” Shen Qingqiu retorts. “There are some risks that we should be able to bear ─ and others that are simply not worth it.”
“In other words, you consider sending our young disciples with barely any proper field experience out to handle Sowers of all things, without even knowing what they’re going into ─ an acceptable risk?!” Mu Qingfang loses it. Shen Qingqiu, though he has always been like this, has truly gone too far─
“Feng Qinhao of Qiong Ding is aware of about three quarters of what I just told you ─ that child is merely missing a few pieces. So long as the rest of the disciples are willing to follow his guidance, they should be informed enough,” Shen Qingqiu dismisses.
“That is assuming that he too knows what he’s doing!” Qi Qingqi explodes. “That kid is smart, but he’s been just as cooped up on his peak as the rest of them! There is no way, absolutely no way, that you can make any kind of claim on this matter─”
“I will consider the child capable so long as he is able to acquire key information without me meddling,” Shen Qingqiu responds sharply. “Feng-shizhi has, interestingly enough, done a better job of it than most Peak Lords ─ this room included. And he has had no assistance from me at all. Unlike the Peak Lords.”
Qi Qingqi opens her mouth, doubtlessly to throw out an insult ─ but shuts it soon enough.
Next to her, Mu Qingfang is no better. It is no secret, after all, that it had been Shen Qingqiu’s disciples assisting his peak in acquiring most information about Jin Lan and other outside news from the very beginning of this chaos.
Shen Qingqiu smirks. “Since I see that I have your attention, I should probably inform you that not everything is as bleak as it seems. Cang Qiong Mountain is bound to sit at the forefront of this insanity, yes ─ but there are still things we can do to come out victorious. But I reiterate ─ if we are to do it, then I need my shidis and shimeis to trust me and follow my lead until the end.”
“...”
“...”
“Have you discussed this with anyone else?” Qi Qingqi asks, after a long bout of uncomfortable silence. What she means by it is likely, is there somebody else insane enough to go along with your plan or are we the first you dared corner? But she finds more grace in asking it that Mu Qingfang would have.
“Peak Lord Wei has expressed his willingness to assist so long as everyone else is willing to participate,” Shen Qingqiu drawls. “If not for his plea, I likely would not have approached the two of you about this, either way.”
That’s… Wei Qingwei is a mess at the best of times, but Mu Qingfang would trust that man to lead him the right way, even if his Shixiong were to gag and blindfold him. He, notably, does not reserve the same level of trust for Shen Qingqiu. That Wei Qingwei has agreed to this, even under conditions of his own… What with his disciples being mostly driven into slave work over at the northern borderlands, it is telling, just how much of the danger Wan Jian peak has been able to notice as well.
“Fine,” Mu Qingfang says, against his better judgment. “If Shen-shidi has a plan that will prevent us from needlessly risking innocent lives, then I will assist. I would have preferred that such matters were discussed with me before I’d sent my disciples out for what may turn out to be a suicide mission ─ but with the urgency of the matter, I am willing to put that aside for a later discussion. Shijie?”
Qi Qingqi’s face is a scary combination of shadows and raging fire.
“Shen Qingqiu,” she almost snarls. “Are you absolutely certain that the things causing chaos in Jin Lan are Sowers?”
The man in question gives her a passing glance, then dismissively says, “I can wager my spiritual sword, if you’d like.”
“I swear it, once this is over and done with, I am going to skin you alive for not bringing this up earlier!” Qi-shijie snaps. “Forget that we just finished one hours ago, we need to call an emergency Peak Lord meeting right this instant. But we gotta keep it quiet ─ we don’t know whom among the disciples they are using as moles.”
Shen Qingqiu sighs, before directing a highly amused look Mu Qingfang’s way. “Beware the moles, indeed. I’m ahead of you, Shimei. If you are to head to the meeting room now, nobody will find it suspicious at all.”
Qi Qingqi makes a face ─ but she doesn’t wait at all.
Mu Qingfang is just about to follow her lead when he realizes that Shen Qingqiu is still staring at him, his face unreadable.
“What?” he manages to say around his dry throat.
“Apologies, for needlessly exposing your disciples to danger,” Shen Qingqiu says, unexpectedly. “I have reasons to suspect some of them for undue behavior ─ but what is done about it is not my decision to make. I will bear the responsibility for their wellbeing throughout this crisis.”
“Most of my disciples have given in to outside pressures one way or another,” Mu Qingfang admits, shamelessly. “At the end of the day, my peak is a home to healers, and though we have a few spunky souls in the batch, the majority of them are not likely to raise their voice against injustice if it poses a risk to themselves or anyone else. And the outsiders haven’t been treating them kindly.”
“The outsiders haven’t treated anyone kindly,” Shen Qingqiu says ─ but he says no more than that. Before Mu Qingfang can further press the issue, he turns and leaves, the sharpness of that move a statement of its own.
Cang Qiong Mountain doesn’t get a chance to organize themselves as much as they would have liked, when the first information from Jin Lan city makes it back to the sect.
Miss Duan of Xian Shu peak is by far one of the most detailed informants on the scene ─ and when the kidnapping of Qing Jing’s disciple happens in broad daylight, in the midst of an open street, many find it unlikely that the ones behind it are demons. With Huan Hua Palace’s involvement as well, the notion that this move is not political in some form is quickly dismissed. Or well ─ that’s what it seems like, until an enclosed note from Qiong Ding’s head disciple is found hidden in Miss Duan’s reports.
Noble families from nearby provinces have financial interest in ruining Jin Lan city anyway they can ─ is what the note says.
What the note doesn’t say, not until it makes it into Mu Qingfang’s hands ─ is a small hidden word left for Peak Lord Mu’s eyes only in Miss Zhou's handwriting. His heart sinks the moment he sees it.
Sowers.
It’s, frankly, nothing that they haven’t heard before. That Jin Lan city is a thorn in the side of many noble families nearby is something that Cang Qiong Mountain would have never needed to care about, in any regular times. But now, they’ve found themselves a thorn in the noble’s side as well ─ and it only makes sense that using one enemy to remove the other and take the fall for it is the best tactic most nobles have ever known.
“So, the issue stems from the three nearby large interest groups,” Hou Qingyu explains, tiredly. “The first is the nearby district of Huayue. They’re a prosperous trading city, but Jin Lan has been taking over much of their business lately due to better positioning along the rivers. Huayue city has a few noble families running the district, the Feng clan the most influential among them ─ which is why I’m sure our head disciple is so familiar with the local politics ─ but otherwise they don’t have a habit of meddling with sect business. The real problems here are the other two clans ─ the Gongyi noble family, looking to expand their influence north, and the Liu clan, expanding east. Both of which we are well familiar with. Jin Lan largely has no nobles governing them, therefore all of these groups are hoping to use the time of crisis to set their footholds there.”
“... this shit isn’t any of our business, though,” Wei Qingwei says. “Nobles do their thing, we do ours. They need to stay the fuck away from this.”
“The real problem here is that we know for a fact that the Sowers are in the city,” Qi Qingqi says, stubbornly. “And the nobles know it too. Their idea to torch the whole city with everyone still in there has just enough merit to get them acquitted, but not us, because we as a sect must know better.”
“I would say we should take this fight to the Gongyi and the Liu clan directly,” Wu Qinggang murmurs, “but I don’t expect that these two have joined hands and are working on this together, are they?”
“Obviously not,” Hou-shidi sighs. “The Liu clan is using other, smaller households to do the work for them. The Gongyi clan already has businesses established so they’re just doing their moral duty, as they claim… In reality, the Feng clan is the only one that hasn’t covered its tracks. The other big players have kept their own people as far away from it as possible. We wouldn’t know about the Liu clan having any stakes at all had we not had an informant clue us in.”
“And so if the city suffers, who benefits?” Wei Qingwei asks. “There’ll be just ruins left.”
“The local lordship will have to be dismissed whether there’s anything left or not,” Qi Qingqi says, frowning thoughtfully. “Jin Lan’s strategic position is too good. No matter how many people lose their lives, the city itself will surely be rebuilt. And the first ones who set their foot in will be those who will benefit the most.”
“It doesn’t matter to us either way,” Hou-shidi sighs. “All these groups have people within the council. They may not like each other, but they like us even less. Jin Lan is doomed one way or another, it is inevitable. But the best we can do is protect as many of its citizens as we can.”
“Huan Hua has issued an evacuation notice,” Shang Qinghua says.
Wu Qinggang groans. “Right. The perfect time to swoop in and play themselves the real heroes, again─”
“No,” Shang-shixiong says, as he lifts his hand from a talisman note in his hand, wide-eyed. “Huan Hua has issued an immediate evacuation notice. They don’t ever do those.”
“Then we should stop wasting time talking here and go there ourselves,” Mu Qingfang says, simply. “If a city is in danger, I don’t care whether or not some old noblemen want to endlessly talk about their own interests. As a representative of Qian Cao Peak, it is my duty to be right there in Jin Lan, regardless of the politics at play. I am done waiting.”
Wu Qinggang pales. “Wait, Mu-shixiong, but they’ve already talked about your dismissal─”
“Only Zhangmen-shixiong may dismiss me,” Mu Qingfang says. “If that is what he chooses to do, so be it.”
“None of this will matter if we do the wrong thing and Zhangmen-shixiong is the one must take the fall again─”
“Yue Qingyuan is the target either way,” Shen Qingqiu cuts in, icily. “The only way Cang Qiong Mountain will be held responsible for any actions now is by the Sect Leader’s imprisonment. They have very little other options left. Besides, Huan Hua has been targeting that from the beginning. They don’t dare confront him head on, so they will use any means they can think of to diminish him. Even if it means watching a city burn to the ground. In line with that ─ what Shang Qinghua says is correct. Huan Hua sending an evacuation notice is the outlier. They are the ones who will not benefit.”
Wu Qinggang scowls. “... but, they’re the ones who sent out the notice─”
“But they also betrayed the nobles who have been working with them for years,” Qi Qingqi concludes. Sharply, she turns to Mu Qingfang. “And the person we sent out to protect our disciples is not only formerly of Huan Hua, but also the Gongyi─”
“We are jumping too far to conclusions now,” Shen Qingqiu says. “Either way, I am in support of Mu-shidi’s idea. The sooner we are out there in Jin Lan, the sooner we get to see exactly which course of action is right to take. There’s no time to idle around anymore.”
The agreement is, therefore, simple and immediate.
Aside from Peak Lord Huan and Peak Lord Shang who remain behind to protect Cang Qiong Mountain, should anything go wrong, everyone else departs to Jin Lan instantly. Among the Peak Lords are also disciples ─ juniors from Wan Jian peak mostly, withdrawn from northern borderlands and asked to travel south, bypassing all the council’s checkpoints. The move is more tactical than anything else ─ Shen Qingqiu doesn’t want the nobles to get the warning about Cang Qiong Mountain making this move as soon as they do it. Even most disciples on the mountain are not aware of what is happening, when more than half the peak lords depart all at once.
Mu Qingfang wishes he could warn the youths already in the city ─ but with a disciple missing among them, he already knows that the odds of his disciples leaving for their own safety is unlikely. He sends out a warning anyway. The content is simple enough. A single word as a whole.
Withdraw.
It is only his hope that the message reaches them on time.
It doesn’t.
By the time the Peak Lords of Cang Qiong Mountain make it to the edges of Jin Lan city, there are towers of smoke rising from almost every part of the city. Cultivators from countless sects are already gathered outside the walls ─ Zhao Hua Monastery the biggest among them.
“Demons have emerged from inside the city walls and attacked the residents,” the Abbots inform them grimly. “Nobody knows for sure what happened ─ there were no warnings of any attacks.”
“Demons don’t usually deliver warnings either way,” Qi Qingqi says. “Are we sure that the chaos in the city is the demon’s fault?”
“The few of the people who have managed to escape so far all claim so. Demons are screaming for vengeance on behalf of their fallen leader ─ they have gone crazy with no explanation whatsoever. First reports claim hundreds of them have shown up from underground! The barrier is the only thing keeping them from attacking surrounding settlements!”
Sounds of battles and screams can be heard from inside the barrier even this far out. Mu Qingfang and Qi Qingqi share a look.
“Something is wrong,” Qi-shijie says. “We’ve gone from Sowers to a straight up demon attack. Knowing demonic nature as we do, Sowers should’ve spent far longer working on… harvesting… their food. Something must’ve gotten in the way.”
“Someone,” Shen Qingqiu says as he emerges from behind them, his expression grim. “If the demons’ nonsense is to be trusted ─ a cultivator killed a demon lord. And not any demon lord. The Southern Demon Lord in the flesh ─ Tianlang Jun.”
Qi Qingqi snorts, stunned. “No one has ever been able to kill that one. Not even Zhangmen-shixiong. What the hell is going on?”
“How do we get in there?” Mu Qingfang demands. “I spoke to the local sects on the way, they all refused to touch the barrier. There must be another way inside.”
“No need to look. Zhao Hua has judged that it must be done,” Shen Qingqiu says. “They were the ones who put it up, they will be the ones to remove it ─ all so that the people trapped inside can leave. It is up to everyone here to make sure no demon gets away with this crime.”
A shudder runs down Mu Qingfang’s spine, as he turns around to look at his Shixiong ─ and just how calm the man sounds.
“When you said we have mere days, is this the kind of disaster you’ve anticipated?” he asks, no preamble. “Nobody could have seen this coming, so how did you─”
“Mu-shidi,” Shen Qingqiu says, all too coldly. “There are certain events that can only result in a few select outcomes. Jin Lan city was always going to become the demons’ feeding grounds. How much success the demons find there is a game of chances ─ a gamble few would dare take. But now, everyone has chosen to make the same bet.”
“Speak in ways that make sense!” Mu Qingfang loses it. “What bets are we making here? What are we staking? I see nothing but death and destruction─”
“And should that death and destruction be misplaced, then Mu-shidi knows ─ Heavens will intervene,” Shen Qingqiu says. He gestures ahead, his lips stretched taut. “Can’t you feel it, Shidi? Any Immortal Master should be able to look beyond the destruction of demonic skirmish and feel what hides underneath.”
“... what?” But Mu Qingfang stretches his senses, unsure at all what he is looking for ─ but boy, does he find it. Looking beyond the demonic power raging everywhere, there is something far more important underneath, something far more powerful.
Spiritual power, in incredible amounts, flowing everywhere within the range of Jin Lan city. If he didn’t know any better, he would have suspected an Immortal has ascended ─ every ascension leaves a residual of spiritual power just like this ─ but that’s likely not what this is. The phenomena of this magnitude are rare, but they happen, from time to time. Mu Qingfang has already been a witness of one in his youth.
“Jin Lan may just become a new sacred spiritual ground,” Shen Qingqiu says, sounding only mildly interested, “and it appears that a God has claimed it.”
“Not just any god,” Mu Qingfang whispers, watching the two rivers in the distance glowing faintly, one stronger than the other. “A water god.”
“Shizun!” someone cries ─ and then, a different, louder one, “SHIZUN!”
Mu Qingfang and Shen Qingqiu turn at the same time, just to see a pair of girls running towards them, a giant weight dragging behind their shoulders… and a sword, glowing a faint blue hanging from hand that decidedly belongs to neither one of them. The girls are dirty, covered in blood and drenched, but so far seemingly unharmed. And they just so happen to be Miss Zhou of Qian Cao peak ─ and Miss Ning of Qing Jing.
Between them, one arm draped over each of the girls’ shoulders, is a familiar Bai Zhan uniform.
“Shizun! Please! I don’t know what’s wrong! I can’t possibly help him!” Zhou Lei cries, desperately.
Mu Qingfang throws himself to assist immediately ─ but he too doesn’t know where to begin. Gongyi Xiao is pale, unconscious and sweating profusely. Just from brief contact alone it is easy to tell that he has lost a lot of blood. Yet even so, the wound on his lower back has almost healed, leaving a few puncture marks suggesting it might’ve been made by demonic claws.
“What in the world happened?” Mu Qingfang is asking, but the girls are both shaking their heads, tearful and helpless.
“I don’t know, I don’t know!” Zhou Lei cries. “Feng-shixiong found him like this! I’ve tried everything! Something with his cultivation system is wrong, but nothing I’ve done is helping!”
“Qi transfers aren’t working?” Mu Qingfang demands, as he lays his hand flat against the boy’s forehead. It is ice-cold to the touch.
Zhou Lei sniffs, wiping her tears. “His meridians won’t accept anything! I’ve come just short of pushing him into a Qi deviation, but nothing is helping! The spiritual power cannot flow. But I’ve never seen anything like this─”
Oh, Mu Qingfang has seen something exactly like this. The thing is, outside the Liu family, it shouldn’t be happening to many. He moves his hand over from the head to the chest ─ but the higher and the middle dantians don’t seem to have anything notable amiss. Just as Miss Zhou said, the spiritual power isn’t flowing correctly, but the dantians themselves aren’t obstructed. It is almost exactly what he has seen with Liu Qingge at his most delicate ─ until it isn’t.
His hand rests above the lower dantian and he can feel it immediately, the damage that’s been done. Years and years and years worth of damage ─ or else the demonic wound has just about tore the lower dantian apart. Those half-healed demonic claws that have stabbed into his body, they must be the root cause of it, but not the only one.
“I don’t have the precision tools to inspect each one of the damaged flows separately,” Mu Qingfang says. “Miss Zhou, if you have several white threads I can use─”
“Only this!” Zhou Lei offers a dirty, blood-soaked ribbon, still white in certain parts ─ but Mu Qingfang freezes at the sight of the silver crane at the very edge of it.
“This…” that’s right. Liu Mingyan had left this. A gift, Mu Qingfang suspected when he first saw it, or a hidden message. Liu Mingyan loves that ribbon dearly. The only time Mu Qingfang had found it apart from her had been to save a Shimei's life, at a time no other aid could have come.
But Miss Liu is no healer.
The level of spiritual artistry she is able to perform leaves even Mu Qingfang gasping in awe when he sees it ─ but the high spiritual arts are not always beneficial to the body. Just because both the Liu siblings may survive just about anything without dire consequences so long as their meridian system remains intact, that luxury hardly extends to everybody else.
With a little spiritual power, Mu Qingfang drags his fingers along the length of the entire ribbon.
An array, he discovers immediately. Atmospheric, water-reliant. So Gongyi Xiao has had troubles with his water flow in particular. A disbalance of two elements is common enough and simple to correct. But a disbalance of only one? Could the emergence of a water god negatively impact his cultivation? Had someone else suggested so, Mu Qingfang would be inclined to disagree. However, watching this now, he cannot claim anything for sure.
He takes a deep breath. Eyes going over to where Gongyi Xiao's fingers remain tightly wound up around his weapon. He hasn't had one, departing from Cang Qiong Mountain, but surely he has it now, and it seems like it has plenty of spiritual power to it. Enough to further disrupt things. “First, let’s see about moving this out of the way─”
“NO!” Both girls jump, but it’s far too late.
The moment Mu Qingfang touches the blade, a force so powerful blasts him away ─ strong enough to catch even Shen Qingqiu by surprise. Of course, Mu Qingfang isn’t injured, not really ─ it’s just the shock of the force that has surprised him ─ and the fact that the weapon refuses to budge from that disciple’s hold.
Oh, goodness.
Mu Qingfang has a sinking feeling that he finally understands what’s wrong. But given where they are and what is happening around them, there is far too little he can do.
“Miss Zhou, your temperament is calmer than mine,” he says slowly. “Please, tie this ribbon around his wrist shortly.”
“Eh? But─”
Mu Qingfang shakes his head. “He won’t die.” Not anytime soon, if he’s survived this long, at least. “But it is in everyone’s best interest that this ribbon goes right back where it belongs.” And Mu Qingfang in this instance may just provoke a more intense reaction.
Zhou Lei, admittedly, has less understanding of the spiritual aspect of what was done to the ribbon, but she is diligent about doing what she’s told. Not only does she clean the ribbon as much as possible, under the circumstance, she is also very, very careful not to touch skin when she ties it back around the child’s wrist. When she’s finally done, Mu Qingfang’s shoulders fall in sheer relief.
“Miss Zhou, please write a note to add to Qian Cao’s hidden rulebook,” he says, tiredly. “Should Miss Liu Mingyan ever return to Cang Qiong Mountain, she is to be banned from Lingxi caves indefinitely.”
“Sh─Shizun?!” Zhou Lei squeaks.
“You know what? Never mind. Engrave it in the stone slab. No Liu clan child should ever be allowed near Lingxi caves. Make it a law.”
Shen Qingqiu, behind his back, snorts.
“You have greater concerns now, rather than worrying about whether or not Miss Liu has figured out how soul-bound weapons are made,” he says. “The weapon this child holds is not just any soul-bound blade.”
Oh, Mu Qingfang has noticed as much.
In fact, he’s pretty sure that there may have never been any Water God descending from the heavens at all.
“Do I want to ask, how has a child formerly of Huan Hua Palace acquired an honest-to-god weapon of a Heavenly Official as his soul-bound blade?” Mu Qingfang says, all-suffering, but he already knows that whatever the answer may be, the whole sect is going to be in for a headache.
Shen Qingqiu shrugs. “Surely, because he deserved it. Soul-bound blades rarely exist otherwise.”
… yeah, right. Mu Qingfang is definitely not going to question it.
“Miss Zhou, please coordinate with Wei-shxiong on sending this child back to the Sect. Complete and total spiritual isolation until I get there to examine him personally.”
“Yes, Shizun!”
Immediately, Miss Ning rises to help as well, neither of the girls needing instructions not to touch the dangling sharp weapon. Mu Qingfang, frankly, should’ve known better himself. Once they’re gone, however, he glances back up, towards Jin Lan city, where smoke is still climbing high.
“Do you think there’s a chance we can keep this quiet until we know more?” he asks, uncertainly.
“You mean, is there something we can use to pacify Huan Hua Palace over finally getting a weapon of our own to attack them with?” Shen Qingqiu returns, smirking dangerously. “Surely not. Everything they get as a result of this, they have deserved it.”
… right. Mu Qingfang regrets saying anything.
“For the time being, let’s see what we can do to help the rest of the city,” he says. With only three of Cang Qiong’s disciples having made it outside, the rest of them must have stayed behind for a reason.
Well, then. It is high time that Cang Qiong Mountain does what they came here to do. Mu Qingfang pulls up his sleeves and enters the city.
This must be resolved quickly.
Notes:
Stay tuned, next chapter is coming soon and the first of the main trio makes his return! Any guesses to who it might be?
Chapter 55: The Suppressing Array
Notes:
Yo so apparently my sense of time goes WHACK whenever I step out of my daily routine... sorry to say, 10-14 days between updates is not going away yet... I promise once I have the ending down, this is all gonna go faster!
In the meantime, here's another chaotic chapter! Enjoy!!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Elsewhere, far from Jin Lan city, a large group of cultivators gathers.
“Everything is ready,” Abbot Wu Wang of Zhao Hua Monastery announces. The man steps back and away from where he’s just finished redrawing the final symbol of the five elements suppressing array. A faint golden light sizzles to life.
Over the past few days, many things have happened outside the Bailu Mountain range. Jin Lan city had suffered a plague, was attacked by demons and subsequently torched to the ground. The reports of demonic attacks spreading throughout the entire realm are coming in as a consequence of events that have gone down in Jin Lan, and few can tell which reports are real and which aren't. The Cang Qiong sect had rebelled against all authority, violently taking control over the chaos in Jin Lan city and snuffing out all conflicts within a matter of hours.
The elders gathered on Bailu mountain, meanwhile…
Well. To say they do not care about these matters is not quite correct. Many of them, just like Yue Qingyuan, have been receiving detailed reports every step of the way. However, not a single soul had expected that the events at Jin Lan city would so quickly take a turn for the worse. Or at the very least, no one dares confess to it.
The nobles, it looks like, have taken things a step too far. Hoping to use this incident to their personal benefit, noble clans have meddled into matters outside of their area of expertise ─ and this is the result.
In place of Jin Lan city, nothing but ash and ruins remain.
Countless people have been forced to leave the area with nothing but clothes on their back, while all too many of them are considered missing or otherwise presumed deceased. No one really knows how many people lost their lives ─ not to the alleged epidemic in the city, let alone the demon attacks or the fires engulfing the city afterwards. The noble clans claim it was Cang Qiong Mountain taking the most drastic actions. The residents who have escaped the city tell a different tale. According to them, all the cultivators present have joined hands to protect what could be protected.
It means very little in the grand scheme of things, much to Yue Qingyuan’s chagrin.
Whatever intention the nobles have acted with, the results are devastating. And the four sects, having united in a crisis, have not forgotten their own struggles in the least.
“It is fairly simple,” Shen Qingqiu had said, the first time the news of the council formation made it to their sect, several years back. “The nobles are greedy and impatient, vengeful towards us for many reasons. The great sects have greater ambition. Joining forces to put Cang Qiong Mountain under control is a logical move ─ but unless their goals ultimately align, it is a short-term setback and no more.”
That short-term setback, as his Shidi had called it, would go on to cause countless problems for everyone in Cang Qiong Mountain.
Intentional spreading of malicious rumors. Commission stealing. Night hunt bans. Noble clans banning Cang Qiong cultivators from entering their territories. And now, devastation of Jin Lan city.
Over the years, the noble clans have turned their dislike of Cang Qiong Mountain into outright policing, harassing and even physical abuse of any Cang Qiong cultivator who dared step off the mountain for whatever reason. Zui Xian’s food and beverage business has more or less been taken over entirely by the noble clans. Qian Cao peak’s supplies of plants and medicine have been slowly but steadily depleted under the excuse that they were of poor quality. Anyone who dared fight back was ultimately ganged upon and tactically attacked by means of rumors, defamation or even family member harassment, leaving even the most fearless bunch in Bai Zhan peak stranded upon their peak with nothing but their rage to stew on.
Once proud and tall Cang Qiong Mountain was forced to bow their head and behave like a dog on a leash while the other sects and the noble clans jointly chipped away at their defenses, snatching away anything worthwhile they could get their greedy fingers on.
Then, about a half a year ago, Zhao Hua Monastery finished their analysis of all the documentation relating to the arrays in Bailu forest ─ citing that the hidden array underneath Lushui lake was entirely made with the purpose to interfere with the suppressing array on Tianlang Jun.
For the first time in what felt like years, Yue Qingyuan had allowed himself a dash of hope. By confirming this, Zhao Hua Monastery has also confirmed that the array had to have been put in place by someone with near constant access to Lushui Lake. Huan Hua Palace has been policing that district for many years, therefore Cang Qiong Mountain couldn’t be blamed for it in any capacity, the responsibility henceforth pushed entirely on the shoulders of Huan Hua Palace.
For a time, it had seemed almost like a blessing in disguise. Cang Qiong Mountain was cleared of all suspicion in relation to the event due to lack of evidence. Zhao Hua Monastery proclaimed it impossible to know whether there had been any damage done to the suppressing array over the years without fully inspecting the array and Huan Hua Palace had been pushed to answer questions.
Who put that array in Lushui lake? How? For what reason? Has Huan Hua Palace known all along?
Yue Qingyuan had been one of the loudest, demanding answers ─ but just as it seemed as though Huan Hua Palace was left no space to crawl out of trouble ─ the first rumors of Tianlang Jun’s return began to spread.
Had these stories originated in the human realm, Yue Qingyuan would have had no hesitation in calling them what they were ─ a desperate last minute effort to pull wool over the righteous cultivators’ eyes, for Huan Hua Palace to clear themselves of responsibility. However, the source was the Demon Realm, Southern region, followed by an outright mutiny among the Northern clans as well. No one could claim these rumors false anymore ─ nor could they insist on their truthfulness.
The Palace Master made another strange move, then. To this day, standing here on Bailu Mountain, Yue Qingyuan is not sure if this has come out of confidence or simple despair. Either way, the Palace Master had insisted on gathering representatives of all the sects ─ small and large ─ to come and ascertain whether or not there had been interference with the suppressing array done by his sect.
The invitation, polite and sincere though it may have been worded, got the real message through regardless.
If you dare blame us, then go ahead and prove it.
So this arrangement intends to do precisely that.
Yue Qingyuan had received a special duty, requesting him to oversee the entire procedure as the leader of the most prominent sect… a title that has recently become pure mockery, given what Huan Hua Palace has been doing in the background with the aid of the noble clans.
To have even postponed the trial in regards to the incident in Juedi gorge ─ where all that remained to be discussed is Yue Qingyuan’s personal responsibility for allowing a half-demon into his sect ─ reeked of a power move unlike any other. But no matter how many investigations and counters of his own Yue Qingyuan attempted to implement, if for no other reason than to protect his sect, the crucial pieces were still missing.
What exactly is Huan Hua Palace aiming for?
What are they hoping to achieve by putting both themselves and Cang Qiong Mountain on the spot?
If it is power and influence, then they have already outgrown Cang Qiong Mountain before the Immortal Alliance Conference ─ by shady means or otherwise. If it is status and material fortune, then there has been no competition worth mentioning for many years. But if it’s something else… how would Yue Qingyuan counter it, if he can’t be sure what it is? He has his suspicions, naturally… but so far, that’s all they remain to be.
Therefore, going along with this invitation, knowing that surely a trap is waiting at the end of it… well. It brought memories of another trap he had willingly walked into, a few years back. Precisely the one that had left his sect in this mess.
Cang Qiong Mountain was not the sect that had come out of the Immortal Alliance Conference with an ultimate loss ─ though few of his sect brothers and sisters may disagree. Whatever everyone else’s opinion may be, the Conference still brought his precious Shidi back in ways no one could have anticipated.
But the cost had come much too high. Yue Qingyuan will never admit to the selfish feelings blooming in his chest, knowing that he has finally gotten everything he has ever yearned for… but slowly, he is coming to realize that perhaps having the things he wants may not be such a good thing, after all.
“Do it,” Shen Qingqiu had said in almost the identical way Shen Yuan had done the first time Huan Hua Palace had laid a trap before them, when the invitation to Bailu mountain arrived. “Give them no excuse of our absence. If the Jianghu as a whole dares toy with us as though we are their plaything, let us show them how much that recklessness will cost.”
Against his better judgement, Yue Qingyuan had hence confirmed his presence in Bailu Mountain and departed by himself ─ hoping against hope that his absence over the coming weeks would not cripple the Sect too terribly.
Yue Qingyuan likes to act as such, but he is not blind. The majority of his martial siblings have not been happy with Shen Qingqiu’s miraculous return. Putting aside the matter of their poor relationship in the past, Shen Qingqiu’s return had come in exchange for Shen Yuan’s absence ─ as well as Liu-shidi’s disappearance ─ and though no one has come out to openly claim these matters to be related, many of them have been quite open with their opinion on it. Which is not great when the trust within the sect is already damaged.
For all that Shen Qingqiu behaves as though none of it affects him, Yue Qingyuan is not blind about that, either. There is a lot of bitterness and anger stewing underneath that mask of frigid politeness, the kind that is difficult to feel sympathy for, when most of his attitude is directed at those who have very little to do with it.
More importantly, Shen Qingqiu’s claim that he has no idea what happened to the spirit that possessed him ─ along with his insistence that he has no recollection at all of what has happened between his near-fatal Qi deviation and his miraculous return ─ holds absolutely no water.
Putting aside the fact that most people within the sect don’t trust him out of habit and are hence nitpicking everything his Shidi says for sport, Yue Qingyuan retains full conviction that his Shidi is lying through his teeth. He is not putting in the effort to hide it. Yue Qingyuan has challenged those lies publicly more than once, but the way Shen Qingqiu looks him in the eye and lies to his face without batting an eyelash hurts more than a knife to the chest.
Trust, Yue Qingyuan knows, is difficult to rebuild. And theirs was broken a very long time ago.
However, this matter goes beyond their personal history.
Yue Qingyuan has overlooked countless things in regards to his Shidi and will continue to do so ─ but the more he closes his eyes, the more it is affecting and damaging others who should not be a part of it.
I will put an end to it, as soon as I finish this ─ it is something that Yue Qingyuan has repeated to himself many times. Over the past few months alone, it has been a near constant rinse and repeat. As soon as I sign off this paper, I will speak to him. As soon as I’ve looked into this matter, I’ll confront him.
Three years later, Yue Qingyuan is no closer to confronting Shen Qingqiu than he’d been in the middle of Juedi gorge, when he finally pulled his Shidi away from the spot of condensed darkness where Shen Qingqiu had sealed away his half-demon disciple.
No more excuses, he tells himself.
Jin Lan city and its fate has Shen Qingqiu’s intentional omissions all over it. A whole city has disappeared from existence overnight and Yue Qingyuan knows with every fiber of his being that a reason for it must exist ─ a reason other than what the noble clans and other cultivators are claiming.
Once he returns from Bailu Mountain, he must not allow this to go any further.
The debt he owes to Shen Qingqiu is immense, the kind he will not be able to pay off even with his life ─ but as the leader of Cang Qiong Mountain, he holds responsibility towards everyone who has ever stepped through the gates of his sect. He cannot gamble their lives away, not unless he knows what is at stake.
Shen Qingqiu will have to answer for his actions ─ even if it’s to Yue Qingyuan alone.
Until then… well.
The elders present in Bailu mountain have pushed all other matters aside for the sake of safely prying open the suppressing array that has been in existence for two solid decades, all else be damned. Yue Qingyuan is a facilitator of sorts ─ even if, ultimately, it is Zhao Hua Monastery who has claimed responsibility for everything that may go right or wrong.
Under Abbot Wu Wang’s command, the complex barrier formation lights up with spiritual power, golden and brown and white and red and blue, reflecting all the elemental flows that have partaken in the sealing of the Heavenly Demon Lord of the South. Seamlessly, they all blend together into a barrier of pure light. It crackles with incredible amounts of power as it penetrates the earth, reaching through the deepest ends where the original barrier over the Heavenly Demon Lord’s body resides.
Yue Qingyuan watches it all, his expression heavy.
He has been here for well over a week now and the exhaustion is setting in. For days now, his heart has been elsewhere. But even so, Yue Qingyuan’s presence in Jin Lan city would not have benefited a single person there. His Shidi ─ for all that he is prickly and impossible to talk to sometimes ─ has done a thorough job, absolving Cang Qiong Mountain of responsibility, while also allowing those who do care for the residents' well-being to act on the Sect's behalf and resolve things.
Far more difficult, really, is watching fellow sect masters of big and small sects alike place more importance on opening the coffins of the dead, rather than protecting those among the living. It is putting things in perspective, just how far they have all strayed from choosing what is right.
What kind of thankless world is it, fighting for justice when surrounded by those who care for no more than their own convictions?
Even if the Palace Master is right and Tianlang Jun has truly walked away from this prison a while ago, why should the common people pay the price of the cultivators’ negligence?
Yue Qingyuan doesn’t say it, but he hopes that karma will do its work. For now, he stands to the side and observes the farce as it continues on.
In its original form, the suppressing array of Bailu Mountain is a complex formation anchored in many ways and with different elemental approaches all combined into one. The complexity is most evident in the golden symbols that light up, engraved into tree trunks surrounding the clearing where the base of the formation rests. Not every tree trunk bears a symbol and not every symbol is equally relevant to the formation. They are all, however, a part of a whole, the single most powerful suppressing array erected in recent times.
Yue Qingyuan personally remembers engraving one of those symbols with Xuan Su back when he still knew very little of how arrays of this scale worked. He did not understand that by cutting a symbol into that tree, he was also leaving behind a small part of himself to make the formation what it is, that the self-sustaining nature of the array depends on the living aspect of the cultivators who had helped create it. Once or twice, he had wondered whether or not the array would fall apart once the people who had participated in its conception died, but apparently, the very genius of this array lies in the fact that it would not.
“The self-sustaining quality of this formation is made to be as close to perfection as possible,” his Shizun, the leader of Cang Qiong Mountain at the time, had assured him. “This array has been made to align with the flow of life itself. Each element holds a special seal, and cycles they follow are beneficial to all. Disbalance to one element will only make the others work harder to preserve the central flow. Tianlang Jun is to forever stay bound.”
The world back then rejoiced at this proclamation.
Roughly twenty years later, Yue Qingyuan cannot help but wonder if, perhaps, the punishment might’ve not been as equivalent to the crimes as it was originally thought.
Fully retreating from within the array’s inner boundaries, Abbot Wu Wang goes to take his place next to Yue Qingyuan. With that, the circle of the cultivators standing outside the edges of the inner array is complete. Further away from them and flanked by a pair of disciples from Zhao Hua Monastery, the Palace Master watches the scene unfold with a small smile on his face.
“Apologies, Immortal Master Yue,” the leader of Ba Qi sect says softly from his other side, unprompted. “We have demanded your presence here, but due to extenuating circumstances, the Council has made a decision to forbid your participation from this point on. Rest assured, what’s left of the procedure is not too long, but once again, we apologize for the inconvenience.”
“No matter,” Yue Qingyuan answers. This once headstrong youth has, recently, become unexpectedly polite in his address. His face is one of the few that Yue Qingyuan can still look at and not feel mildly ill to his stomach. “I didn’t come here expecting to be welcomed and I did not stay expecting that my presence will somehow assist. Sect Leader Shi should not feel pressured on my behalf.”
Before the Ba Qi sect leader can say anything more, Abbot Wu Wang clears his throat loudly, inviting the attention back over.
Yue Qingyuan dutifully steps away, to join the Palace Master.
The man nods at him pleasantly, but otherwise says nothing. Cordial politeness aside, this Immortal Master has shown not a single trace of animosity towards Yue Qingyuan or anyone from Cang Qiong Mountain for the better part of the past three years. It has, however, not prevented him from slowly chipping away at every single valuable thing Cang Qiong Mountain has.
Ahead of them, Abbot Wu Wang has taken charge of leading the procedure.
“Just as we all agreed, the protective barrier outside the mountain has been set and now, we have finished all the preparations to temporarily weaken the seals on the innermost layer. Remember, this is not a full dispelling of the Suppressing formation. This is only an additional security measure to resolve the doubts on whether or not Tianlang Jun could have escaped his prison.”
“It is a mere formality,” the Palace Master says to Yue Qingyuan softly, as the act commences and the cultivators chant in unison. “It has already been confirmed. The one unleashing Sowers upon Jin Lan city was Tianlang Jun. There is no doubt.”
Not only that, but certain rumors claim that the Demon Lord of the South no longer exists, having been slain by a god descending from the heavens. Given that no one from Yue Qingyuan’s personal informants has made any such ridiculous claims, he is not particularly inclined to believe it.
The Palace Master, however, looks a little too satisfied for it to be entirely harmless.
What am I missing about you, Palace Master? What are you hiding?
Yue Qingyuan will surely find out, in due time. Once he does, he will have nothing holding him back anymore.
No matter what goes on here today, the cultivation world has no justification to hold his sect responsible for any crimes. They can hold him personally accountable for many things ─ few of them punishable by law ─ but not the Sect as a whole.
The Palace Master, seemingly unbothered by the lack of reaction, says, “Sect Leader Yue should be proud. Your disciples have achieved a miracle, crossing paths with the Southern Demon Lord and walking away from it alive.”
This statement is said aloud for everyone to hear ─ and it has the intended effect. Multiple people holding up the arrays grow more nervous, observing this conversation.
Yue Qingyuan smiles pleasantly.
“Indeed, all of my sect’s disciples who risked their lives in Jin Lan city have done marvelous work,” he acknowledges. “They will all be rewarded for their commendable actions as appropriate.”
The Palace Master’s expression doesn’t change even for a moment, but with Yue Qingyuan standing so close, it is impossible to hide the way the man’s eye twitches. If he thinks that Yue Qingyuan hasn’t been made aware of which disciple exactly had taken the most decisive action in Jin Lan, then that is his own mistake.
Yue Qingyuan cannot claim to understand the extent of his Shidi’s involvement into the setup of the event, but Shen Qingqiu has done a detailed work, keeping Yue Qingyuan informed of exactly which actions have been taken by the Sect as a whole ever since his departure ─ including the acceptance of a brand new talent on Bai Zhan peak. The rumors that young disciple Gongyi had briefly taken command of disciples in Jin Lan city ─ Cang Qiong and Huan Hua included ─ is not something that could have been hidden away, no matter who tried.
Shen Qingqiu has documented every detail, claiming it will all be delivered to Yue Qingyuan’s desk once the time is right.
So for now, he does nothing other than let the cultivation world dig their own grave, one shovel at a time.
It is a perfectly clear day and the sun is high up in the sky. As the chanting comes to its end, the golden rays inside the formation boundary light up, pillars of light rising to the heavens.
The Bailu Mountain range shakes slightly as a chasm inside the array boundary opens up, swallowing up all the earth separating the mountain peak from the bottom where Tianlang Jun’s body remains buried. A thin platform of golden spiritual energy solidifies over the chasm, preventing anything from coming in or out. The very essence of the barrier has been moved and solidified in the air, lifted just enough to allow an inspection of what hides underground. From so high up, even if the cultivators were to try and steal a glance through the golden platform, it is impossible to see anything below ─ but that wasn’t the point of this performance to begin with.
Abbot Wu Wang holds out his hand, sending a wave of spiritual energy infused with the power of the first element into the chasm. It passes through the golden platform harmlessly, then disappears in the chasm.
For a long time, nothing happens. Several people stand terse and anxious, all too impatient.
Then suddenly, a burst of bright golden light explodes out of the chasm, dispersing as it meets the protective golden light near their feet. The barrier shimmers before glowing an intense gold ─ and then settles back to its natural state.
Abbot Wu Wang nods to himself, relieved. “The Metal Chains sealing away the demonic meridians remain intact,” he pronounces. “Sect Master Shi, please continue.”
The leader of a Ba Qi sect in the southeast smiles briefly at Yue Qingyuan before stepping forth, casting a similar wave of spiritual energy infused with another elemental power. The man is tall and gruff, his brows creased with worry until a gleam of confirmation shoots back out, crashing against the protective barrier until it shimmers in soft brown. “The Holy Earth retains the demonic body. The earth seal remains intact. Immortal Master Qiu, next.”
Qiu Haitang steps forth. As the leader of Xianmo sect, which has been steadily climbing up the ranks, she has been unanimously selected as the representative of all the minor sects that have had no backing within the cultivation world. Today, she is here in the name of all of them, throwing a wave of spiritual power infused with elemental energy deep into the chasm. Soon, bright light comes shooting back out, crashing against the protective barrier and shimmering in faint red.
“The seal of Blessed Fire is still melting the demonic skin. No one and nothing can touch the Heavenly Demon’s body. Handing over to the Tian Yi elders.”
Calmly, Qiu Haitang steps back to allow an elder from Tian Yi Overlook to send his own wave of spiritual energy into the chasm. But for the longest time, nothing happens. Several people frown, whispering amongst themselves.
“Isn’t the Water Seal the most important one?”
“That’s right, that’s right!”
“It’s the water that dilutes the Heavenly Demon blood and it is the key to recognizing its Heavenly properties. It must be that this is the broken one─”
But before anyone can rejoice, a beam of soft blue light shoots up with a delay, crashing against the shimmery platform, coloring it the same shade for a moment. The masses quiet down, stunned. Meanwhile, the Tian Yi elder is a stony face of absolute calm.
Notably, he does not pronounce the seal intact, even if all the responses have proven it as such. He merely says, “Wu Huang-shidi, go ahead. Yours is last.”
As expected, at no point does anyone make a mention of this. Yue Qingyuan sighs. Liu Qiang of Tian Yi Overlook, is it? He truly shouldn’t have expected anything else. Huan Hua Palace has been playing the long con with absolute devotion to the cause. What have they offered to the Liu clan, of all the nobles, to keep them so loyal over the years? It can’t be anything simple.
Solemnly, Abbot Wu Huang steps forward, just as a soft green blast of power is sent into the chasm. Quickly, he announces that, “The Wood seal is also intact. We have just confirmed. All of the five elemental seals remain in place, undamaged. Tianlang Jun’s body and soul remain firmly sealed─” but he cuts himself off, eyes shooting up without warning.
The small amount of spiritual power that has shot out of the chasm at his behalf has not dispersed, unlike the rest of them. Instead, it slips past the protective platform and continues upwards, until it eventually crashes right into the external protective barrier, cracking the surface. Golden sparks rain down from the dome above.
Someone gulps. “Isn’t the wood seal meant to trap Tianlang Jun’s soul?”
And another, “That… is that external barrier very important?”
“What do you think?!” An elder explodes. “The suppressing array is not at full power, so it can no longer deter other demons from coming here! That thing’s in place to stop them from coming anywhere near the mountain, and now─”
“What are you brats doing?!” Abbot Wu Wang shouts at the group of cultivators holding up the external barrier, as the golden cracks spread further and further. “Why haven’t you fixed the outer barrier?!”
“Sect Mater Wu, we ─ it’s not up to us!” someone shouts. “We’ve been fixing it all along, but─”
Before any excuse can be made, a wave of dark, demonic power crashes into the outer barrier from above. The cracks through the giant dome spread further and further, causing mass panic. It appears as though this isn’t the first such attack, either.
“It’s the demon clans! The demons are here for their leader!”
“STOP THEM!”
The next wave of demonic power ─ immense and overwhelming ─ shatters the entire outer dome into millions of shards of light. The demons ─ once unnoticeable to the eye, are now impossible to miss. They are furious and bloodthirsty, hungry and ruthless in their attack ─ and they are coming from every direction.
The northern Ice clans come from up north, led by Mobei Jun.
The many different races with the mixtures of northern and southern tribes come in from the west, led by Sha Hualing.
The unmistakable bestiality of Nan Jiang’s overlords charge in from the south, led by a demon lord shrouded in darkness.
And finally, the very breaker of the protective dome, the overwhelmingly powerful demonic arrival, comes from the east. That one is all alone, in its arm a thin blade wrapped in bandages from the hilt up until the tip of the blade. The blade underneath the bandage gleams dangerously.
These demonic invaders waste no time on theatrics ─ they strike at the chanting cultivators all at once, breaking their formation little by little. The conflict quickly turns bloody and far more disadvantageous to the demon side once the Immortal Masters join the fray, but it is by no means one-sided.
“PROTECT THE SUPPRESSING ARRAY!” Abbot Wu Wang shouts, and multiple Zhao Hua monks move around to assist in strengthening the inner platform of golden light covering up the open chasm. To them, the Abbot instructs, “Put it back in place! SEAL IT NOW!”
But the process to open the array this much takes a long time and consists of many steps. Why should closing it be any faster?
Yue Qingyuan watches the chaos unfold, not moving one step from his position.
Next to him, as though he has been expecting exactly this, the Palace Master is smiling.
“Like I said, the Southern Demon Lord is back, indeed,” he comments, all too idly. His eyes, in particular, are trained on none other than the demon lord shrouded in darkness, as he battles his way through the ranks of Zhao Hua monks.
If the Palace Master's eyes weren’t filled with hatred, one might have mistaken that tone for amusement.
But what is there to be amused with?
The demons of the north and the south have united in their purpose. Such a thing has not been seen in a very long time ─ and the master of the Sect protecting the Southern borders would have been well aware of something like this brewing. Still, watching the many different demon clans come together for a single cause is testament to the unity of a world that never was. Another impossibility, among many, is happening in a world that’s mostly forgotten why the two demon realms were split to begin with.
“Sect Master Yue, what are you doing, just standing there?! Won’t you assist?! We must secure the formation!”
The one speaking is a sect master of a small sect that Yue Qingyuan doesn’t recognize. Even so, he smiles at the man with utmost respect and sincerity. “Did the Esteemed Elder forget that I’ve been made to swear an oath that I would not use any spiritual power past the initial preparation stages?” Not to mention that he had been the sole cultivator made to swear said oath.
“Forget the oath! This takes precedence─”
But his words are cut off in a blast of wind which blows many of the elders out of their designated positions, lifting a cloud of dust up in the air. As dust begins to settle down, it quickly becomes obvious that the wave of power was carefully measured and aiming to shoot icicles directly at the elder cultivators. Majority of them, in order not to be hit, had moved to dodge ─ and now these icicles encase all of the designated cultivator positions, leaving no space whatsoever for the esteemed masters to continue what they’ve been doing. The passage to Bailu Mountain chasm remains open to anyone who wants to access it, demon or otherwise.
As far the suppressing array itself is concerned, the golden platform is its last remaining defense.
“We’ve been had!” Abbot Wu Wang exclaims.
The Huan Hua Palace Master is fast to join him and the other abbots of Zhao Hua Monastery, attempting to break the ice, but just as they break through the first layer, they are immediately swarmed again, by Mobei Jun personally.
“Today, you die,” he informs them. Then he proceeds to send a wave of ice directly at the elder masters, sparing none.
Meanwhile, with no one to get in his way, the black-clad shadow from the east lands on top of the translucent golden platform.
“Immortal Master Yue!” Sect Master Shi shouts in alarm, his distress obvious. If that protective platform is broken, then what remains to stop the Heavenly Demon Lord from making a total resurgence? A few years ago, this might’ve constituted the highest emergency of them all.
Now, Yue Qingyuan merely sighs. “Until someone undoes the oath I’ve made, I’m afraid I cannot do much.”
The black clad shadow stands tall on the platform as though he is trying to understand its makings, but for a moment, his eyes flicker over to Yue Qingyuan ─ and they glow with immense power, a wicked interaction of crimson red with just the smallest tinge of white. The bandaged sword oozes incredible amounts of demonic power ─ yet all the bandages do is cover up cracks lining the weapon, for it was never made with such purpose in mind.
Yue Qingyuan observes those cracks with a heaviness in his chest he cannot voice.
“Shit! He’s going to─!” Abbot Wu Wang disengages from his confrontation with Mobei Jun just for a moment ─ long enough to materialize the spiritual equivalent of the oath made between him and Yue Qingyuan. Then he slices through it ─ right as he is impaled with an arrow made of ice through his stomach. He coughs out a mouthful of blood. “Yue Qingyuan… the array… must not be… broken…” he gasps ─ then collapses forward.
“This one understands,” Yue Qingyuan answers. “This one will try.”
After all, no matter what kind of a threat this black-clad shadow poses, the golden platform is not simple to break ─ not with force. Even if Yue Qingyuan were to draw Xuan Su and use all of its power, it is unlikely that he would be able to do more than create a crack.
Just as the black-clad shadow has gathered enough demonic power to slash at the golden platform, Yue Qingyuan gets in his way.
Xuan Su, having left its sheath for a finger’s width, meets the bandaged sword head on before it can touch the golden light. The ensuing blast of spiritual and demonic power clashing is devastating enough to completely blast the nearest circle of people, ice and trees completely out of the ground. The immense damage to the trees used to stabilize the array makes the golden platform under their feet shimmer in momentary instability.
Yue Qingyuan smiles briefly. It’s been a long time since he’s had an opportunity to test his sword skills.
His opponent’s eyes flicker over to his face, with a trace of white among all the red.
“Get out of my way,” he growls, the grip on his blade tightening. Skin of his palms underneath the sword hilt glistens in crimson blood. Obviously, he did not expect that Yue Qingyuan would be able to deal such damage.
“Unfortunately, I cannot permit what you came to do here today,” Yue Qingyuan informs him. “I intend the demon realm no harm, but the damage to this array is simply not something the cultivation world can currently afford.”
A twist of the bandaged weapon and another merciless slash is all he gets in response. Xuan Su leaves its sheath for another finger’s width, its spiritual power overpowering the waves of dark demonic energy surging forth. The sheer force of their clash rips what few of the trees remain straight out of their roots, destabilizing the protective golden platform under their feet once more.
The black-clad shadow’s eyes seem to have finally spotted a glaring weakness, and what little of his face is visible under the mask turns intensely focused.
“Don’t fight a senseless battle,” Yue Qingyuan warns, his eyes on the bright red blood dripping from his opponent’s palms. “You cannot defeat me, and I do not wish to take your life. Withdraw now.”
“Like hell!” The shadow growls, then spins his blade around in a wide arch to force Yue Qingyuan to step away ─ then, before Yue Qingyuan can do much to stop him, he leaps over and lands directly in the middle of the golden platform.
Yue Qingyuan’s eyes grow wide in a moment of stunned understanding. “You’re going to─”
But before he can interfere, the demon stabs his weapon right through the tiny cracks. The first time is not enough to get through ─ so he pulls something from deep within the lapels of those black robes. An incense burner? One very familiar incense burner! That person crushes it in the palm of his hand.
A wave of demonic power far more overwhelming than before makes the mountain peak shake like it’s been struck by an earthquake. A single drop of blood rolls down from the hilt of that weapon, along the length of the blade, all the way down to the tip. Then the black-clad shadow stabs his weapon into the platform of light one more time, and now ─ it sinks right through. Countless cracks spread along the last protective lining detaching Tianlang Jun’s body from the outside world.
Another drop of blood rolls along the sword, passing through and shimmering with a soft white light as it slips past the golden platform, dripping deep into the chasm.
The cracks in the platform glow ever-brighter.
Immediately, Yue Qingyuan's alarm grows, the devastating realization that this cannot possibly end well overtaking his mind. He turns back to his opponent, urgently. “If you do this, then there is no going back. Stop now, while you can,” he warns.
The snort he gets as the answer is both arrogant and nostalgically familiar. It makes Yue Qingyuan’s heart clench tightly, almost uncomfortably. Please, withdraw. Don’t make me do this. I cannot bear to─
But the other party does the exact opposite. He stabs down at the platform one more time, spreading even more cracks along its surface.
“Maybe I can’t get rid of this shitty thing entirely,” he says, voice low enough for only Yue Qingyuan to hear. His eyes flicker with emotions unreadable. “But Zhangmen-shixiong, if you want to keep your life, you better step back now.”
The cracks of the golden platform gleam dangerously as dark demonic power spreads through them. Yue Qingyuan’s eyes snap open wide ─ and then he jumps away from the platform, just as something else jumps right towards it.
Yue Qingyuan lands outside the boundary of the chasm right as the entirety of the golden platform explodes into nothing ─ and waves of demonic energy come surging upwards. They destroy every single remnant of everything that ever made up the surface layer of the five elements suppressing array. The entirety of the Bailu Mountain shakes violently, like it's been struck by the greatest magnitude earthquake there’s ever been. The ground everywhere begins to crack. The whole mountain chain trembles with immense power contained under it ─ and some of it has broken free for the first time after decades.
“Shit! Shit! Shit!”
“It’s broken! The elemental seals are broken!”
“All of them?! Impossible!”
The earthquake is strong enough to cause landslides, lifting a wave of dust and obscuring everything from sight. Despite that, Yue Qingyuan seeks out the dark-robed shadow and he finds him, standing on the ground not too far away, perfectly calm.
The blade in his hand is raised in preparation for a fight, but no matter how many opportunities he’s had, he doesn’t move to attack Yue Qingyuan. The immense winds and waves of demonic power have almost completely undone the mask on his face and the bandages over the blade have not survived the rough treatment ─ not that Yue Qingyuan needed any of that to know who he’s been going up against all along. No matter how hard this person tried to hide, Yue Qingyuan would recognize one of his own no matter what.
A small, sad smile spreads along his lips. “You’re about to entirely uproot the very foundation of this society. Liu-shidi, is this truly the right thing to do?”
Fully wrapped in black and with waves of demonic power oozing off him, Liu Qingge says nothing. His eyes glow a wicked red, only the slightest trace of white surging forth. Truthfully, Yue Qingyuan doesn’t know what he’s been expecting. This is a loss he has accepted from before the battle has ever begun.
“Go,” he says. “If you’re recognized now, even if you may no longer consider yourself one of us, Cang Qiong Mountain will still be held responsible for your actions. No matter what, I still have disciples that I must protect. I won’t stop you. Please, go.”
“Zhangmen-shixiong,” Liu Qingge acknowledges, but then he stops. His eyes burn with determination. There is not a shred of hesitation anywhere in his body, not even an inkling of regret. He flicks his sword and the remnants of the damaged bandages all fly away, revealing the glowing surface of Cheng Luan. That white, beautiful blade is covered in dark cracks, oozing demonic power which threatens to shatter it to pieces. Most likely, it is purely the willpower of its wielder keeping the spiritual weapon from coming apart.
Liu Qingge says, “Do you plan to continue standing alongside Shen Qingqiu the way you did after the conference?”
The question is simple, seemingly underlined with a little bit of a whine and a trickle of envy. It makes Yue Qingyuan’s insides twist.
“Liu-shidi, I don’t know at which point the relationship between you and Shen-shidi has turned so sour, but I’m sure there is an explanation─”
“Do you still plan to protect him the way you did after the conference?” Liu Qingge demands, his tone colder now, his intent far more obvious.
Yue Qingyuan says nothing. It is true, after all. To protect Shen Qingqiu from unnecessary scrutiny, he has allowed the Liu clan to take a head disciple of his sect away.
Liu Qingge nods firmly.
“Shen Qingqiu’s life is mine to take,” he declares. “When I come to collect it, I hope Zhangmeng-shixiong will remember to ask for an explanation then.”
And so, in perfect sync with a ball of blinding light rising from deep inside the chasm, Liu Qingge mounts his almost-shattered blade and flies up in the air. On the ground where his feet stood moments ago rests nothing but the remains of a shattered spiritual artifact.
Yue Qingyuan picks up the shards into his hands and inspects the broken pieces. They are scalding hot to touch, the residue of demonic energy inside it far too powerful to be contained. Even in this shattered state, it is clear that the incense burner was once an artifact from Cang Qiong Mountain. Even the demonic energy signature is unmistakable ─ it belongs to none other than that half-demon youth from Qing Jing Peak, Luo Binghe.
Not for the first time, Liu Qingge has made use of a Heavenly Demon’s energy. That cannot be an accident.
Slowly, as the dust settles down, the cultivators from all the great sects come to realize the terrifying new facts.
The south and the north demon realms, after many years of being torn apart, have now come back as one. After years and years of internal conflicts raging between the demon realms, the tribes that could not go without tearing at each other have come together with the singular purpose: freeing the Demon Lord of the South.
Most importantly, they have succeeded.
Tianlang Jun’s body has been unleashed from the bounds of Bailu Mountain, in no small part thanks to Liu Qingge alone.
For more than three years, Yue Qingyuan has been biding his time, preparing for an eventual calamity. For the past three years, Yue Qingyuan has lived every day with the knowledge that trouble was brewing out of his sight, that the injustice that Cang Qiong Mountain has been forced to endure is nothing but a calm before the storm, a false lull of peace and comfort before the reality hits them back hard.
Now, this storm has come looking for vengeance against the Jianghu as a whole.
It’s just ─ he hasn’t expected that the storm might come from inside his own walls.
Notes:
Lemme be frank, when I first wrote that Bailu forest arc thing in the early chapters, I had a totally different idea for how the stuff that happened there would play out in this chapter, specifically. Even if the set up and the payoff aligned, more or less, everything that's come up in-between has taken the story in a wildly different direction!
For those curious, here's more background info! Might be a bit spoilerish!
Details here!
As far as the original idea behind this part of the story goes, Tianlang Jun was always going to stage his return by tricking the cultivators into opening the array just enough so he can break it. Replacement bodies are cool, but they're troublesome, so getting his original body back has been high up on his list of priorities. In SVSSS, it wasn't even a consideration, because he likely didn't think it was possible or else lived in belief his body was long lost, but in this fic, LBH and LQG stumbled upon the array early on, disrupted it and left TLJ just enough clues to know there is, in fact, a way out for him.
So here he is, abusing the hell out of those cracks.
It's just, as far as my outline goes, Liu Qingge wasn't meant to be the one who does the heavy lifting -- that was supposed to be someone else entirely.
Heck, LQG wasn't intended to be involved with the demons at all, at this point. He was basically gonna be out there trying to get himself stuck in the Endless Abyss so he could get SY out of there (spoiler alert: he couldn't), but I never got around to writing that part of the outline before I got this picture of Liu-shidi teaming up with the demons to spite SQQ in my head and ran with it.
To be fair, even the suppressing array wasn't intended to be developed in so much detail. But the closer I got to this part of the story, the more sense it made to build it up along with the rest of the lore and it provides some chance for further worldbuilding and foreshadowing of some big reveals still incoming.
The biggest problem with writing Tianlang Jun, even now, is that he has full insight into about 90% of everything that's happening -- which is more than everybody else. His 90% isn't the same as Shen Jiu's 80% and if those two had the patience to sit down and talk, they'd probably be able to figure out the whole thing and give poor SY another giant headache... but like, NAH.
As things stand, SJ sees TLJ as nothing more than another nuisance on his task list that is safe to ignore, while TLJ has priorities other than the human realm with its petty issues. To each other, they're literally just potential problems that they simply refuse to deal with until they become THE problem... and while I still haven't gotten around to finishing that particular showdown, if it even remains as outlined, those two are probably the biggest masterminds and chessplayers that this fic is gonna have... and they are def not playing the same game.
Cheers!
Chapter 56: We Call Them Traitors
Notes:
Picking up where we left off, someone is very upset!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Liu Qingge stumbles and staggers as Mobei Jun lets go of him, having finished the final round of shadow travel that has landed them right in the midst of the Mobei clan’s palace.
His arms are trembling violently, his ears ringing and the contents of his stomach, pathetic though they may be, threaten to gush out despite his intention. So far, not a single one of his experiences with the Mobei clan’s shadow travel has been great, per say, but none of them have left him this violently ill, either…
Which is to say, it’s probably not the shadow travel’s fault.
Stabbing sheathed Cheng Luan into the ground is the only way Liu Qingge manages to keep himself upright ─ his evident weakness concerning enough that even the young leader of the Ice Demon clan pauses long enough to stare at him. He doesn’t say anything, but just the way those ice blue eyes are staring at him feel intrusive enough that Liu Qingge feels the compulsion to say, “I’m fine,” despite no one asking him anything.
To prove it, he tries to take a first actual step and promptly, his knees buckle under him.
“Whoa! Whoa, whoa, whoa!”
It is solely Sha Hualing’s quick reaction, diving in to catch him, that prevents Liu Qingge from face-planting across the Ice Clan’s marble floors.
“Damn, you’re hot like a furnace,” the demon saintess comments, not at all struggling under Liu Qingge’s weight as it rests over her shoulder. “Sheesh, to think you’ve got this much demonic power in you, no wonder you can’t function. You were barely holding on with the small amounts before, this much all at once─”
“Shut up,” Liu Qingge growls, his ears buzzing. He tries to lift his arm and push Sha Hualing away ─ the hell is she doing, cozying up so close to him, anyway?! ─ but the arm he uses is precisely the one he’s held Cheng Luan with while clashing with the Sect Leader, and at the first attempt at movement, the limb screams in protest. As of yet, Liu Qingge isn’t sure if his arm is dislocated or else if he’s managed to shatter the bones inside it, but the small whimper that makes it past his lips is fucking humiliating regardless.
Shit.
Why’d he think that going up against Yue Qingyuan of all people was ever a good idea? Like, no amount of demonic power, Luo Binghe’s or otherwise, could stand up to the Sect Leader’s might. Liu Qingge knows that. He’d trained with Yue Qi in the early days, among others, and even back then he was terrifying. Then he got out of the Lingxi caves that one time and became unstoppable. If anyone knows just how fucking scary that giant hunk of a man is, it’s Liu Qingge. He respects the Sect Leader for many great reasons ─ this one among them ─ but none of which currently stop him from being beyond pissed with the man.
You got away with it this time, Zhangmen-shixiong… but next time…
To there ever be a next time, Liu Qingge’s gotta survive this mess first. And his odds for the past few years have been abysmal at best.
Speaking of, infusing all of that demonic qi that Luo Binghe had been hoarding in that stupid incense burner directly into his body is just about the stupidest thing Liu Qingge could have done to increase them.
Shit. If he had any choice in the matter, Liu Qingge might’ve stopped to think before doing that nonsense ─ but there hadn’t been any. The demons, no matter in how great numbers they showed up at Bailu Mountain, had too much working against them. Putting aside the fact that the array itself was fending them off in ways Liu Qingge could’ve never imagined he’d be able to feel on his own skin, the barrier over Tianlang Jun was simply too masterful to simply overpower with numbers.
The Southern Demon Lord had made his instructions perfectly clear ─ he was only going to get one chance to disrupt the barrier over his body enough for any real damage to be dealt to it. As a Heavenly Demon whose demonic consciousness currently inhabited a plant made of spiritual power, even that is more than anyone could have asked of him. Liu Qingge knew he was going to have to act on his behalf and that he wasn’t going to have much time to finish it.
Liu Qingge is no barrier master the way his sister is, but he has always been uncannily good at breaking that shit. This one, though ─ one look with all his senses attuned and he knew his power alone was never gonna be enough.
Still, mind working quickly, he recalled that he still had Luo Binghe’s incense burner on him ─ and more importantly, Luo Binghe’s heavenly demon blood in him ─ and he’d made do with that the only way he knew how.
For better or worse, it was enough.
Now, though?
The more time passes, the more Liu Qingge feels as though his meridians are shredding themselves apart.
Shit, shit, shit. Despite everything in his mixed heritage making him a sponge for all things spiritual, heavenly and fucking demonic, the fact remains that Liu Qingge is a human ─ a cultivator, of all things. Strip away everything else, this part of him isn’t something that can be changed easily. And human bodies, in general, aren’t made to handle demonic energy well. Were Liu Qingge’s cultivation at its strongest and his meridian setup intact, then sure, he might’ve gotten away with a couple hours of agony and still made a full recovery.
As things stand, though, Liu Qingge is less than a shell of what he used to be, the threads of demonic qi woven through him the only thing keeping his soul and body from floating apart. His spiritual cultivation may not even exist, for all that it’s worth. What little he’s managed to rebuild over the past few years, he’s using it all just to keep Cheng Luan from shattering under the effects of the demonic qi inside him, otherwise he might just fall apart together with his sword.
Liu Qingge doesn’t get it. Somehow, despite all the misfortune that’s already found him, he still never thought he’d end up like this.
Sha Hualing, for all that she keeps him from face planting on the ground, doesn’t treat him particularly gently. Everyone seems to be in a rush to regroup in Mobei’s throne room, and through the blurred edges of his vision, Liu Qingge catches the Demon Lord of the South, Tianlang Jun, in all his glory, laying his own unconscious body upon a specially erected stone slab ─ or else possibly eternal ice of some kind. Mobei’s palace is in general full of eternal ice, so probably they found that far more suitable to use in this situation.
Observing his work with a degree of smug appreciation the way a demon lord would, Tianlang Jun steps back and drags his eyes over his own prone body lying before him.
Frankly, Liu Qingge has expected the bastard to straight up wake up in that body the moment they snatched it out of its earthly prison, but of course things could never be that simple. It’s self-evident, really. Five-elements suppressing array.
Having seen it in action first hand years ago, Liu Qingge has spent some time idly wondering how come it’s five but it is only the earth seal that he got to see act up? Where, exactly, were the sigils for the rest of the arrays hidden?
Well, he has his answer now.
The symbols carved into the surrounding trees that have been blown away have made for the seal on Tianlang Jun’s soul ─ now broken.
The symbols drawn on the earth that have been entirely shredded apart by Liu Qingge have been sealing Tianlang Jun’s body ─ now also broken.
Meanwhile, the sigils of the fire array, as it turns out, are carved directly into Tianlang Jun’s skin.
Those are anything but broken.
They’re red and smoking, leaving marks that are more like burn scars than the work of sharp blades. They’ve done a fairly good job, preventing anyone from touching that body. Or, better yet, they’ve discouraged just about everyone from coming anywhere near it, sans for the body owner in all its plant glory.
Tianlang Jun, of course, has not hauled his body away from Bailu mountain all the way to the demon realm without his troubles. The places where his arms and torso have touched his original body are smoking, rapidly decaying and rotting away. It makes for a very awful sight, even to the demonkind. The demon lord himself, meanwhile, doesn’t seem at all perturbed by it ─ he even caresses his own face, despite it making his fingers burn while the smell of burnt flesh spreads throughout the throne room.
The silence within it is palpable.
The demons of both Northern and Southern clans have gathered in one place for what is possibly the first time in centuries ─ all for a single goal: breaking the Southern Demon Lord free from his imprisonment. Now, they are all slowly filling up the throne room as more and more demons make their way back from the battle grounds, weary and wounded ─ but all too victorious.
Shadow travel, as Liu Qingge has recently learned, is not exclusively a Mobei clan thing. The Ice Demon clan has, apparently, mingled with other races throughout history, some of which had the talent to walk through air and breathe in water ─ and others that could straight up close their eyes in one place and open them in another. Therefore, it stands to reason that some of the Southern clans have mingled with such demons as well.
Despite that, shadow travel, in any form that it comes, has a firm limitation. Shadow travel alone is not sufficient to cross boundaries between the realms.
Experts the likes of Mobei Jun handle such limitations smoothly ─ to the point Liu Qingge could’ve gone never noticing it until it was pointed out to him. If traversing between the human and the demon realms, the demon's doing the shadow travel have a mandatory stop ─ the borderlands, from where they must make it through the passages between the realms before they can proceed to travel within the demon realm. Mobei Jun, especially, is so highly smooth that journeying with him feels as though he steps in from one space into another, without ever transitioning through the borderlands. Some other high level demons are able to parry him in that talent ─ but those are few and far between.
The majority of the demons, notably, can only barely use shadow travel to suit their needs. That’s why it takes quite some time before the throne room truly fills up.
The majority of that time, Liu Qingge spends draping himself over Sha Hualing’s shoulder and feeling like he might just shatter in place. Occasionally, his body shudders involuntarily, reminding the demon aiding him of the fact that his condition is nowhere near stable ─ let alone not life threatening.
Sha Hualing, of course, is not very concerned about it ─ all she is really doing is massaging a spot in his lower back. The weakest point of his meridian system ─ it always has been. Liu Qingge has watched precisely this part of his spiritual veins congest and throw him into a qi deviation dangerous enough for Shen Yuan to risk his life and save him. Now, that’s exactly the spot that he is feeling is cracking under the oppressive power of Luo Binghe’s demonic nature flowing through him.
Shit. If he’d known it was gonna feel like this, he never would have done it.
If this keeps up for much longer, he might just curl into a ball and cry.
Why the fuck is everyone so slow in gathering up?! Liu Qingge is at the end of his wits. Is Tianlang Jun seriously waiting for everyone to come back before starting one of those lofty speeches of his?
Fuck, Liu Qingge doesn’t know.
“Shake me when it matters,” he mumbles, before leaning his head over Sha Hualing’s shoulder and closing his eyes. If anything, the world feels more like it’s dancing around him now that he’s closed his eyes than it had before.
Sha Hualing, for the longest time, doesn’t say anything. Given how much she loves hearing herself talk, that’s probably not a choice ─ oh, right. Sha Hualing is actually familiar with the Southern Realm’s customs. There, apparently, no one dares speak before their Lord does. Seeing her respect that rule for a change is the real ridiculous part in all this.
Eventually, the room does manage to house all the demons that have participated in the attack, and Tianlang Jun greets them all with one of his silly speeches.
Despite the efforts, Liu Qingge finds himself dozing off throughout most of that nonsense. He just can’t help it, alright? That demon lord has just that tone of voice ─ the one that Yue Qingyuan only ever uses to placate people around him ─ except turned up to the maximum and never ever turned off. It lulls Liu Qingge into a feeling of familiarity strong enough that his eyes close on their own.
He really only snaps out of it when the demons around him start screaming and cheering, shouting his name , and Sha Hualing is pushing him forward and Liu Qingge is not capable of standing on his own two feet─
Before a guttural scream can tear itself from Liu Qingge’s throat, he’s caught and stabilized by a pair of strong arms, locking him in place and allowing him to relax his scorching muscles slightly. Oh. He recognizes that one ─ the claws digging into his muscles. Snake-like skin. Familiar.
He grunts in acknowledgement and wonders if he’s allowed to pass out on the spot.
Given how close to a Qi deviation he is, staved off solely by his strength of will and the pair of arms holding him upright, the answer is probably not.
The shuffling of the demons as they spill out of the throne room is loud, vibrating in his ears. No few Southern Demons pause to look at him and sniff at Liu Qingge’s neck, like some fucking animals, but they don’t ─ thankfully ─ come within his arm's reach. The northern clans are a bit more familiar with Liu Qingge and his temper, so they steer clear, but even as the giant throne room slowly empties itself entirely, the hands gripping Liu Qingge only tighten their hold.
Uh, that’s probably a good thing, even if it feels a bit uncomfortable. Liu Qingge is trying to get his eyes to open, but it’s quite the effort, and the burning inside his meridians isn’t getting any better─
“Have I not asked you to leave?”
The voice comes from so close that Liu Qingge jerks despite himself. His eyes crack open to catch sight of Tianlang Jun within his field of vision ─ but the demon lord is apparently not addressing him. Liu Qingge almost moves anyway, to get as far away from him as possible─
Only for the strong pair of arms to lock him back in place.
Oh. Well. Apparently not his turn, yet. He takes a breath and settles in for the long haul.
He does manage to see who Tianlang Jun is speaking to, however ─ and it’s Sha Hualing, who is hovering a couple steps behind, watching Liu Qingge with concern in those beastly eyes. She’s not brazen enough to argue with the Southern Demon Lord, obviously not, but her camaraderie with Liu Qingge over the past few months is apparently enough for the demon saintess to feel stubborn enough to defy orders. Heh. Idiot.
Even bigger idiot stands by Liu Qingge’s other side, his bottom lip sticking out like a stubborn kid making a face. Mobei Jun is, in all but words, screaming that this is my throne room. I’m not moving a fucking step.
“I assure you, your concern for this human is admirable, but my debt to him now climbs higher than even the Northern Desert’s . So long as he remains within my care, nothing will go wrong,” Tianlang Jun declares, as calm and patient as ever.
Sha Hualing makes a sound in her throat ─ a whine or a gurgle or whatever the fuck that is meant to be. But ultimately, she bows her head and stalks off. Then, realizing she is the only one, she stalks back, grabs Mobei Jun by the arm, and drags him out of the throne room with her. Liu Qingge finds himself staring in disbelief at the scene, before turning back to the demon lord.
Tianlang Jun, unexpectedly, smiles at him.
It’s… a weird smile. The skin of his plant body is stretched up in some odd ways, looking like it’s coming very close to melting off his bones. Nowhere is it more evident than around his lips. It is also suddenly much, much closer than Liu Qingge expected to find it, and goosebumps run down his arms and back.
Tianlang Jun tuts, disapprovingly, before setting the back of his hand against Liu Qingge’s forehead. The hand he uses is literally rotting away, but to Liu Qingge’s forehead, it’s like a cold compress. He leans into the touch despite himself, shuddering.
“Mm, I was right to think we needed a little privacy for this,” the demon lord comments idly. “Zhuzhi Lang, sit him down for me, please.”
Liu Qingge finds himself carefully arranged into a lotus sitting position, with a pair of arms holding onto his shoulders preventing him from tilting too far to the front or the back. Zhuzhi Lang no longer seems to be trying to dig his claws into Liu Qingge’s muscles, though, so that’s definitely an improvement. Heck, sitting down makes Liu Qingge feel just the slightest bit better ─ enough to lift his head and glare at the Heavenly demon who’s sat down on the floor across from him.
“I did my part,” he growls, though it comes out softer than intended. “Your turn.”
“Oh, Immortal Master Liu has not just done his part, he has surpassed expectations in every way imaginable,” Tianlang Jun says, almost gleefully. “Planning for this, I knew the chances of walking away with my original body intact were slim. I was prepared to never undo those seals or perhaps even lose a limb or a few in sacrifice ─ but Peak Master Liu has truly outdone himself.”
Liu Qingge snorts, but rubs his nose faintly at the praise. “You don’t say…”
“Well, after all, three years that this humble lord has spent aiding Master Liu in his recovery, I would have expected him to mention, at least in passing, that he has had my son’s blood in his body this whole time. And especially that he has sufficient degree of self-control to expel it.”
Ah.
Liu Qingge, notably, stops rubbing his nose.
He most certainly does not acknowledge anything that’s been said, however.
Tianlang Jun is still smiling, almost expectantly now. Like… like a parent, about to scold a kid for stealing candies. If anything is wrong with that mental image, it is that Liu Qingge is the kid here. If anyone should be losing his temper over this, it’s him, but he doesn’t have the energy─
“Blood parasites aren’t that easy to remove,” Tianlang Jun continues, amusement dancing in his tone. “From what I can tell, those inside you are mostly dormant ─ doesn’t seem like my wayward son has mastered control of them yet. That makes Master Liu’s achievement all the more impressive, really. How exactly has Master Liu done it, hm?”
Liu Qingge sets his eyes on a single point on a wall halfway across the throne room and stubbornly stares at it, not acknowledging this particular part, either. Briefly, Zhuzhi Lang lets go of his shoulder to rub at the weak point in his lower back and Liu Qingge suppresses a shudder.
Oh, hell, he’s really going to lose it, at this rate.
“I believe I have mentioned this before,” Tianlang Jun continues, unfettered, “but solutions to the problems plaguing Immortal Master Liu’s body are few. Assuming Master Liu opts to brave removing the fire seal embedded in my skin, then my body alone will be more than enough to resolve the majority of them─”
“Not fucking happening,” Liu Qingge growls, and slaps even Zhuzhi Lang’s arm away from him on sheer instinct. These demons are all fucking crazy if they seriously think Liu Qingge would ─ that he could ─ fuck. He closes his eyes, trying to bring his explosive temper back under control, but hell if it feels any different from trying to move a mountain with his bare hands. The demonic qi flowing through him is accentuating all of the traits of the demonic essence in his bloodline and that’s ─ frankly, that’s just terrible, at this point. He has no control over his emotions, of all things. If he’s pissed, he’s furious. If he’s sad, he is devastated. If he’s satisfied, he’s…
Shit. He knew it. Knew that mixing demonic and spiritual is a terrible idea, but he still did it.
He better well deal with the consequences without complaint.
Tianlang Jun hums, sitting across him, rocking back and forth in what seems to be barely contained chuckle. “Very well, then. I could offer up this flawed body as well, if Master Liu has issues with my lack of control over the other one─”
Liu Qingge levels him with a glare so intense that even that smile shrinks for a moment.
“Right. Obviously not. Then, my dearest nephew, I don’t suppose you would be willing to experiment a bit─”
“Touch me and you die,” Liu Qingge growls, in warning.
Zhuzhi Lang, who, frankly, hasn’t been coming closer anyway, moves further away. Good. Tianlang Jun, meanwhile, sighs heavily.
“Well, at this rate, if we don’t touch, it’s Master Liu who is going to─”
“Finish that sentence and I swear to god, you’re gonna regret it,” Liu Qingge says, reasonably calmly, given just how pissed off he is. The demonic energy rolling off of him is very much responding to his poor mood. It’s bad enough that it’s starting to warm up the throne room, which should be effin frigid.
Tianlang Jun takes in another deep breath, releasing slowly as though he too is doing his very best to stay patient. Zhuzhi Lang hovers somewhere behind Liu Qingge’s shoulder, near enough for his presence to be felt, but not close enough to be overwhelming. Liu Qingge closes his eyes and ignores another shudder that rolls down his spine. Already, the back of his neck is drenched in sweat. His arm is aching from the force of his clash against Yue Qingyuan and his spiritual core─
He doesn’t have any, which is the sole reason this crazy amount of demonic qi hasn’t yet killed him, he guesses.
“I─” he begins, and stops, because he doesn’t know how to continue.
Liu Qingge knows how bad his situation is. Disbalance of Qi is bad enough, but over the past years, he’s basically been relying on demonic qi to function at all. That’s not this bastard’s fault, though. If anything, Tianlang Jun and Zhuzhi Lang have been remarkably respectful when treating him. Shen Qingqiu ripped Liu Qingge’s spiritual core straight out of his body ─ that alone should’ve been enough to end him. Liu Qingge’s spiritual power has always been intricately linked to his life force ─ any qi deviation, big or small, ran the risk of becoming destructive enough to end his life prematurely.
Shen Qingqiu didn’t destroy Liu Qingge’s spiritual core, though, so he still ─ he has this phantom feeling of an ache in his chest, occasionally, itching to take back what it’s lost. But even if it’s not gone completely, it’s definitely out of Liu Qingge’s reach ─ and given how much that has altered his meridian setup as a whole, his body would probably not be able to accept it back to begin with.
None of that, however, is the reason why Liu Qingge is still breathing when he most certainly shouldn’t be.
“I…” he tries again and chokes on nothing.
All things considered, aside from occasionally offering just enough demonic qi for Liu Qingge’s body not to die on them, this heavenly demon pair hasn’t done all that much. And they could have. Liu Qingge knows what demons are like. Sticking their intimate body parts into humans the likes of Liu Qingge is a favorite pastime for some of those races. It’s the demonic essence inside him, they’d claim, smelling too good to fucking resist.
Yeah, right. Bastards just have no self-control.
Coming from a bloodline that had at some point mixed with a friggin lust demon can do that, though. Even back before Liu Qingge’s life went totally off the rails with Skinner's attack on him, Mu Qingfang had theorized that the benefits of dual cultivation can’t be overlooked, in regards to him. Those theories of his have only solidified afterwards. Shen Yuan’s fault, all of it. Had that fool not blurted out that Without-a-Cure can be solved with cosying up to a heavenly demon, Liu Qingge could have ─ might have─
Ah, fuck it.
Choosing chastity and celibacy was never in the cards for him, he’s known that much his whole life. For generations already, everyone in his clan has had the bodily constitution that makes for the best cauldrons that humans could ever be molded into. Lust demon essence does that to everybody, no matter which races they mix with ─ and it definitely doesn’t weaken over time. The cultivation practices of his clan are, therefore, adapted to make the most out of their mixed bloodline ─ but different branches have always had different perspectives on what making the most out of their constitution really means.
Liu Qingge is probably the last remnant of his clan that has followed the most traditional of the practices. Before joining Cang Qiong Mountain as a kid, it was his mother who taught him how to cultivate ─ and her philosophy differed greatly from the majority of the other elders. Liu Qingge didn’t really understand what the big deal was, following one practice method over another, it’s all just cultivation, isn’t it? Do it right and you’re gonna progress one way or another. Mess it up and you die. Simple.
Liu Qingge was, admittedly, a fairly stupid kid.
It hadn’t been until he saw Mingyan for the first time that he realized there may have been more to these differences in cultivation than he initially assumed.
Still.
Just because Liu Qingge knows he’ll eventually have to cave in and do… that… with somebody… that doesn’t mean shit. Especially, it doesn’t mean he is going to cave in and do it with a demon to just save his own sorry hide.
“I’m going to enter Juedi gorge,” he chokes out, strangled in the way those words seem to refuse to get out of his throat ─ but Liu Qingge has thought long and hard about this. He’s mulled it over in his head, over and over, and found himself banging his head against the wall to clear it ─ but it hasn’t changed anything.
Tianlang Jun and Zhuzhi Lang don’t look particularly surprised to hear that admission, even if they were the ones who dragged his sorry ass out of there at a time when staying any longer would have definitely doomed him beyond all recovery.
If anything, the Heavenly Demon Lord hums, neutrally, momentarily lost in thought.
“Well,” Tianlang Jun settles on, “I do think that may be the best course of action. I don’t suppose that Peak Master Liu expects he will be able to accomplish this on his own?”
No, probably not. Liu Qingge is pretty sure that even if he were to go right now, he’d never make it past the outer protective array set around that place.
“Summer solstice is a mere week away, so I suppose we have enough time to cleanse you of all the excess demonic qi─”
“No,” Liu Qingge says. He knows what the bastard is thinking. The blue springs under the Ice Palace are flowing down from the heavens with the kind of water clean enough to purify even the demonic qi inside his body to an incredible degree. They’ve used it a few times already, in the early days, before they found a way to gauge how much demonic qi Liu Qingge’s body could handle before starting to collapse in on itself. It’s not much. His body definitely can’t handle the amounts it’s currently stuck with, he knows that better than anybody. But there are ways to put all that destructive qi to use that don’t require strictly purifying it ─ and Liu Qingge has been itching to try it from the moment he saw all the faces gathered around Bailu mountain.
“Immortal Master Liu’s body, as it is, might not last for another day─” Zhuzhi Lang puts in, unnecessarily.
“I’ll be fine,” Liu Qingge says. “You said I have a Skinner parasite or a few mingling in my body still. They’ll gobble up the worst of it soon enough.”
“Just because they have no core to make themselves at home doesn’t mean they can’t cause significant damage,” Tianlang Jun reminds him. “Master Liu would do well to remember that Skinner’s parasites are not like Heavenly Demon Blood. They will grow into a true demon, eventually.”
Pfft, as if Liu Qingge hasn’t already felt on his own skin exactly what kind of damage those ugly things can do. Despite himself, he blurts, “What exactly about me makes so many demon races look at me like I’m some delicious demon breeding elixir? Cause… what the fuck?”
Zhuzhi Lang covers up his choke with a cough.
The Heavenly Demon Lord… blinks.
“Ah. Could it, perhaps, not have occurred to Master Liu that he is, indeed, exactly like a breeding elixir to those demon races? Unlike humans, quite a few demons have no issues breeding, regardless of gender at play.”
Right…
There’s another thing to add to the list of things he hasn’t considered, relating to this. Demons don’t just mess with him for the thrill of it. They want to procreate.
Liu Qingge ignores the chills on his back and says, “Let them try and see what happens.”
Tianlang Jun actually chuckles at his face. “Ah, Master Liu truly is far too charming for his own good. I am almost envious of the Skinner that sunk its teeth into you. Those rarely know how to indulge themselves properly.”
Liu Qingge glares at the bastard in abhorrent disgust, inching back slightly.
“Don’t give me that look, Immortal Master Liu. You’ve been around long enough to know that more than half the demons in this place not only tolerate you, but dream of tasting that essence of yours. My personal attention may currently be focused elsewhere, but let’s not pretend that the only reason they haven’t yet attempted to touch you is because they spend their days thinking I’m the one who does.”
…
Liu Qingge has nothing to say. He would stab any bastard that tries to touch him through the neck, though.
Notably, he is well aware of the fact that, even in the demon’s current collapsing plant body, that absolutely would not stop Tianlang Jun. He tries to pretend that the dry desert in his throat does not exist.
“I’m still not touching that water now,” he says, stubbornly.
“Well, then, if Master Liu is certain he can endure the struggle until he reaches Juedi gorge─”
“Before that,” Liu Qingge cuts in. “Before Juedi gorge. There’s another place in the human realm I need to go. I’ll need an escort for that.”
Tianlang Jun hums. “Surely, my nephew can─”
“No,” Liu Qingge says. He sets his eyes on the snake demon nearby and adds, “No offense, but as far as demons go, you’re pretty fragile. Where I’m going, if you’re caught, you’ll have a much worse time than anything in Bailu forest.”
That gets both the demons’ attention ─ because Zhuzhi Lang is by no means fragile. Liu Qingge knows what he’s talking about, though. This isn’t about how strong Zhuzhi Lang may be. At the end of the day, he is a mixture of at least two demonic races. His demonic cultivation, strong as it may be, is still inherently fragile the same way any other mixed race is.
He doesn’t have a good way to explain it, though, not in a way that would make the demon understand.
“Mobei Jun,” Liu Qingge says. “He’s a good option ─ if he’s interested in causing some chaos in the human realm. And Sha Hualing. Maybe.”
Tianlang Jun raises a single brow. “Miss Sha is also of mixed ancestry.”
Liu Qingge wouldn’t have guessed, looking at her. “Doesn’t matter,” he says. “Her cultivation isn’t… vulnerable… the same way his is.” He doesn’t look at Zhuzhi Lang, this time. “Tianyao has ways of dealing with demons that attack their weakest points in some… questionable ways. The odds of it killing him are greater than the odds of it killing her. That’s all there is to it.”
“I see,” Tianlang Jun says. Then, after a beat, “My dearest nephew, go arrange this matter with Saintess Sha and Mobei Jun, then.”
Without a word of complaint, Zhuzhi Lang bows and leaves.
Liu Qingge watches him on his way out. That snake demon, creepy as he is sometimes, is also the exact same pet that Qing Jing has been housing on their peak for months. Looking at him, even in the human form that he now has, Liu Qingge can’t help but feel just a little protective. Were his words harsh enough to hurt that demon’s feelings? He hopes not. This… really isn’t personal. Liu Qingge would trust Zhuzhi Lang more than he would Sha Hualing, anyway.
“So it is his own clan that Immortal Master Liu is intending to usurp,” Tianlang Jun comments, once they’re left alone.
“Not usurp,” Liu Qingge says. “I want nothing to do with them.”
“Master Liu says that, but he is leading demons to his hometown… how curious is that.”
“Weren’t you the one who killed the late leader? Why pretend to care?” Liu Qingge counters.
“Was I? It’s been a very long time, I can hardly remember.”
Liu Qingge snorts. “Play that game with someone else. The elder you killed was the last one among the reasonable bastards left. Shit’s been going downhill ever since.”
“This lord’s memory fails him,” Tianlang Jun says, almost regretfully. “However, I don’t make it a practice to take human lives. If I’ve taken that particular life personally, then Master Liu can rest assured that the death was highly deserved.”
Liu Qingge rolls his eyes ─ deserved or not, it quite literally ruined his mother’s life. Not that there’s any point beating a dead horse deader. When it comes to his mother, she’d been failed by everyone around her, especially those who had a much greater responsibility to her than a Heavenly Demon unrelated to the clan could have ever had.
Thankfully, Zhuzhi Lang returns with Sha Hualing quickly so they can put that matter aside permanently. The demon saintess looks around curiously, more than a little surprised that her presence has been asked of her such a short time after she’s been unceremoniously kicked out.
“What’s going on?” she asks, eyes flying from Tianlang Jun to Liu Qingge. “The Snake said we’re gonna blow some shit up?”
“Where’s Mobei Jun?” Liu Qingge asks.
Sha Hualing shrugs. “Gone. Who knows where he goes. I’ll go get him, once I know what we’re in for.”
Tianlang Jun smiles at her pleasantly. “Great, then. I will leave this matter to Immortal Master Liu to explain,” he says, before resting his eyes on Liu Qingge again. “Master Liu, I don’t expect that your journey will be an easy one, but should you require assistance, I’m afraid I won’t be of much use. Nan Jiang awaits my return ─ and more importantly, this body of mine has yet to be set free of its chains. Some of these seals, I will be able to break myself, given time. But for the last one, I will need my son’s aid.”
“You’re going into seclusion, then?” Liu Qingge asks ─ or whatever version of seclusion demons do, anyway.
“Something like that. If you want, Zhuzhi Lang can remain behind and assist─”
“You’ll need help more than I will,” Liu Qingge says. And, because this time he definitely sees the pang of hurt echo across the snake demon’s face, he adds, “Take good care of your Master, Zhuzhi Lang. If I make it back, I’m challenging you to a duel for fun.”
“HEY! Mine first!” Sha Hualing cries. Jealous brat.
Zhuzhi Lang inclines his head. “Master Liu is more than welcome to visit. Nan Jiang will always treat him kindly.”
Yeah, right. Maybe after they stop looking at him like a portable flesh to fuck, first. He doesn’t say that. Of course he doesn’t. It’s simply not worth it. Instead, he pushes himself to stand up, a little unstable on his feet ─ and definitely annoyed when Sha Hualing instinctively moves to assist him.
“Go find Mobei Jun,” he says instead. “Can’t do shit if he isn’t around to help with travel.
“I have no idea where he is,” Sha Hualing grumbles in protest.
Sucking Shang Qinghua’s dick, probably ─ though Liu Qingge doesn’t say that. Hell knows he can barely stand seeing the face of that fucking little traitor these days. Not that he’s much better. At this point, they’ve both defected to demons, except no one has figured Shang Qinghua out yet. The bastard retains his peak lord status like it’s nobody’s business. Meanwhile, Liu Qingge has straight up pushed the Sect Leader into drawing his sword on him─
As I should.
After what that bastard pulled with his sister, Liu Qingge should’ve just straight up ended him.
But no, instead he gets his arm damaged, the Sect Leader lets him off and had Liu Qingge known that the Mobei clan had an informant among the peak lords from the beginning─
Don’t think about it. You’re not any different now.
Except they are different. They fucking are. Liu Qingge didn’t choose this road because… ah fuck it. Everyone probably thinks that Tianlang Jun’s dick is the main reason he’s turned his back on Cang Qiong Mountain. Demons are fucking insane like that. And Liu Qingge doesn’t particularly care if that’s what they think. But─
Word will eventually get back to the Jianghu that Liu Qingge aided the Southern Demon Lord in retrieving his body. Yue Qingyuan isn’t likely to advertise it, but Bailu Mountain had plenty of Masters of their craft who, given a chance, will figure out that it was ultimately Liu Qingge who cracked the barrier. People will naturally wonder why someone like Liu Qingge would do that ─ which will inevitably drag his family’s open secret further out in the open…
Well, fuck that.
Before any of that takes place, Liu Qingge has every intention to let the world know exactly why he fucking defected. He is going to make it loud, he is going to make it clear and he is going to feel like a bastard, stabbing Yue Qingyuan in the back at the worst time possible for it… but really.
The Sect Leader had it coming.
You had one choice. You had one fucking choice, Zhangmen-shixiong ─ and enough chances.
Now, Liu Qingge is taking justice in his own hands.
He will burn Tianyao to the fucking ground for daring to drag his sister’s reputation through the mud. Once he’s done with them, he is going to decapitate Shen Qingqiu for daring to push Shen Yuan into the Endless Abyss.
But before that…
Before that, he’s going to tear the array in Juedi gorge apart even if it costs him his life, that’s what he’s gonna do. Because if he isn’t strong enough to make Shen Qingqiu pay for his fucking actions ─ there’s one very vicious half-Heavenly demon who surely will be.
The summer solstice is a mere week away now. That’s when the barrier in Juedi gorge will be at its weakest.
Liu Qingge has a mere seven days to battle his way to his sister before his time is up.
Briefly, he shuts his eyes.
Then he sets a firm, intense glare on Sha Hualing and says, “We are going to the human realm to make a mess. It’s either both you and Mobei Jun, or I’m doing this on my own.”
Sha Hualing gapes, visibly offended at suddenly being excluded.
“I’ll go find him,” she promises, then runs off, stubborn and insistent and the one person guaranteed to be shameless enough to grab Mobei Jun by the arm and drag him off ─ even if she might literally be dragging him out of a bedroom.
With one last nod in Tianlang Jun and Zhuzhi Lang’s direction, Liu Qingge braces his aching muscles and makes his way out of the throne room as well. If nothing else, he’s gotta grab a fresh set of clothes and then he will go.
One week. So long as he can finish this in one week ─ expel as much of Luo Binghe’s demonic energy out of his body as possible ─ and far more importantly, get his sister out of whatever madness the clan prepared for her ─ it’s fine, even if he doesn’t make it. It’s fine, no matter what he has to do. He’s getting Mingyan out of that place, first.
The rest, he will figure out as he goes.
Notes:
MAN am I excited for future chapters... Liu-shidi is done with everyone's BS and that's always sooooo much fun!
Chapter 57: Scent of Blood
Notes:
A kind reminder that the warnings and the rating on this fic are there for a reason. Like, we're not there YET, but we're getting to it -- and I kinda don't wanna take people by surprise when we nosedive into some darker topics. Implications have been all over the place for a while.
Also, a whole separate warning for LQG's temper cause in this chapter, Liu-shidi is holding back nothing
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Mobei Jun is less excited at the prospect of wreaking havoc in the human realm than Sha Hualing would have expected him to be.
“Haven’t we just finished doing that?” he asks, suspiciously, after all the painstaking work she invests into looking for him all across his insanely enormous palace.
“Mn, at the behest of the Southern Lord,” Sha Hualing confirms, impatiently. “Now it’s Liu Qingge running the parade. Striking while the iron is hot, so to speak.” After all, there is enough distance between Bailu mountain and the place where he means to attack that, if there were any of the local lords present for the fiasco with the array, they’re not likely to have made it back to their homes yet.
Mobei Jun takes that in and hums thoughtfully. Then he grabs Sha Hualing by the shoulder and shadows them straight to Liu Qingge’s quarters ─ while the man is still in the midst of changing his clothes.
“Oh, you smell tasty,” Sha Hualing preens, delighted. Like, it may just be the upper set of robes that Liu Qingge hasn’t finished putting on yet, but the combination of the incredibly powerful demonic qi running through him along with the delicious succubi essence is doing wonders for his otherworldly beauty. And to think Sha Hualing could have gone her whole life never knowing people like him exist ─ solely on the basis they cover up their scents behind layers and layers of clothing. Insanity.
Liu Qingge, bless his prude ass, is not impressed with this.
“How many times have I said─”
“Are we destroying shit?” Mobei Jun asks, precise and always to the point. Sha Hualing nods behind him, all too eagerly, but she is definitely not the one he is looking to hear the answer from.
Liu Qingge glances over Mobei Jun, scowling. “Once I’m finished dressing, sure.”
“Human realm?” Mobei Jun presses, stubbornly.
“Tianyao, specifically.”
The Ice Demon Lord frowns in thought. “That’s not Huan Hua territory. It’s not Cang Qiong either.”
“Neutral,” Liu Qingge confirms, flatly. As if sect territories aren’t just random arbitrary lines that keep changing ─ nothing like demonic districts at all. After a beat, he adds, “Got a problem with that?”
“No point, attacking a neutral place.”
Liu Qingge rolls his eyes. “I’m going after my own family. Bastards had it coming,” he says, matter-of-factly.
Mobei Jun nods, permissively. Glaring at where the cultivator has yet to finish tying up his robes, he says, “Faster.”
Sha Hualing almost snickers out of sheer hilarity.
Liu Qingge ignores them both, the same way he ignores pretty much anyone when so inclined, as he continues tying up his clothes bit by bit leisurely. That means Sha Hualing gets a few more moments to enjoy the sight and the scent of the naked skin ─ which she splurges in shamelessly. Then, just as Liu Qingge grabs a hold of his weapon, Mobei Jun blitzes them out of the Ice Palace and into the borderlands ─ then right past the borderlands to Liu Qingge’s hometown.
They land outside the city limits, Liu Qingge sputtering from how unexpected the trip had been, but Mobei Jun is obviously in a hurry. Sha Hualing hasn’t asked, but she’s pretty sure that the Northern Demon Lord's eagerness to reach the human realm has less to do with doing Liu Qingge’s bidding and more his own unfinished search for the bastard of the uncle who betrayed him ─ but that’s none of Sha Hualing’s business.
“The city has a barrier against demons,” Liu Qingge informs them, glaring at the special barrier that they’ve all obviously noticed. It is kind of impossible to miss, with just how much it reeks of spiritual power. Mobei Jun looks tempted to slip them all past it either way.
Liu Qingge picks up a small knife from his waist sash before he can and moves his clothes out of the way ─ then sinks the blade right into his chest!
“HEY!” Sha Hualing screams in panic as this crazy cultivator grunts, dragging the blade out and pushing her out of the way to ─ sink the knife straight through the barrier. Oh. Sha Hualing blinks, stunned. Is this normally how cultivators handle this shit? She glances over to Mobei Jun, at a loss, to find him blankly staring at the now disappearing barrier the same way she is staring at him. Hah. That particular ice demon has spent more time roaming the human realm than Sha Hualing, surely. If even Mobei Jun finds it weird, then it is weird-weird.
“Come on,” Liu Qingge waves them in, when they don’t immediately follow. As the demon pair keep staring, he snorts. “It’s a nasty one. Should I have left it up for you to do it?”
“But why would you stab your own heart─”
Liu Qingge rolls his eyes and gestures at the cut that is already healing. “Liu blood makes it, Liu blood breaks it. If I’m trying to break it without necessarily alarming the whole city, then it’s gotta be heart’s blood.”
… because somehow that makes sense. Cultivators and their asinine practices. And Sha Hualing thought some demon races are ridiculously masochistic. They’ve got nothing on humans, apparently.
Once inside the city, Liu Qingge’s demeanor changes almost entirely. His back straightens and the strain on his meridians may as well no longer exist, given how much confidence and intensity is oozing off of him. His arm, not yet fully healed but evidently much improved, holds on to his spiritual blade tightly. “We are going after the province lord’s home specifically,” he declares. “I know this city well, so for any fighting outside the lord’s property, I’m handling it personally. As for the two of you ─ once we make it to their front gates, go wild. But only inside the gates.”
Sha Hualing hums, satisfied. It’s more leeway than he usually gives when they’re messing around in the human realm. Usually it’s all, “Touch a human and I’ll kick your ass personally” or else “No friggin casualties, got it?!” and it’s merely property destruction that he doesn’t care for one bit.
This time, just to check, she says, “And if local cultivators get in our way?”
Liu Qingge’s lips stretch into a thin line, sharp and dangerous. “All the small sects here work only for the Liu clan. No matter who dares get in your way, make them regret it.”
Ooooh, Sha Hualing likes this. Freedom, finally!
Next to her, even Mobei Jun cracks a vicious smile. Oh, they’re gonna cause so much trouble here. Whatever bastards pissed off Liu Qingge, they better be ready. Between the three of them, they are as destructive as an entire freaking demon army. And it’s just one damn house they are conquering. This is going to be easy.
Conquering the Liu clan, it turns out, is all too easy.
In fact, it is so simple that it circles right back around to being impossible ─ and should Sha Hualing be asked to explain, she would have no idea how to put it.
Liu Qingge starts it off with a burst of demonic Qi. It is an attack of immense force that easily blasts ─ read, demolishes ─ the gates of the Liu clan manor, along with much of what lies beyond it. The force of his attack is powerful enough to leave lasting damage all the way on the opposing walls. Well. If they were looking to make their entrance as loud and as flashy as possible, sure they’ve done it.
Liu Qingge, of course, never satisfied with just destroying a little bit of property, steps inside the compound and roars. “LIU QIANG!”
Even Sha Hualing shudders from the sheer force of that howl. She shares a quick, questioning look with Mobei Jun ─ Liu Qingge looks like he’s finally lost it! ─ but the stupid ice demon has that look on his face like he is very much enjoying the show. Look! It’s not that Sha Hualing isn’t having fun, doing this! Her problem, mostly, is the fact that she remembers what Liu Qingge was like, that one time they crossed paths on Cang Qiong Mountain. Stubborn and dangerous and temperamental, sure. But he was, after all, a righteous cultivator handling demons! It made sense for him to act that way!
Now, however, what Liu Qingge is attacking is his own family home and─
Liu Qingge sends yet another blast of pure demonic power that demolishes an entire wing of a manor ─ one of many existing inside these walls.
“WARNED YA, BASTARD!” he bellows, demonic power crackling on his fingertips. His attack has knocked down a few torches and now some walls seem to be on fire. People are screaming. Sha Hualing also takes notice of the increasing number of armed men running towards them and coming to a complete stop the moment they realize who, exactly, is causing the disturbance. And Liu Qingge is most certainly not trying to hide his face. If anything, he is very much trying to show it off, what with the red burning uncontrollably in his eyes, offset by only the smallest tinge of white.
“I WARNED Y’ALL!” He shouts again, blasting off another random wall. “DO NOT TOUCH MINGYAN! AND WHAT HAVE YOU BASTARDS DONE?!” Another wall, gone. Obliterated.
Sha Hualing shares another half-weirded out look with Mobei Jun. “What are we even here for?” she mouths at him ─ and the ice bastard has the gall to shrug at her. He is, however, just as Sha Hualing, keeping a careful eye on the dozens of men who gather around them with weapons drawn, not daring to move a single step from where they’ve rooted themselves, the moment they recognize Liu Qingge’s face.
A few of them, Sha Hualing catches, are murmuring something amongst themselves, one of the youths later running off to call for backup, maybe? Who even knows. Liu Qingge, however, is entirely unrestrained as he blasts off another wall. It seems to be the main supporting wall too, because a moment later, the entire construction comes crashing down, lifting a cloud of dust.
Though it takes a while for the dust to settle, once it does, a figure emerges.
“Liu Qingge, that is enough,” the man says ─ with a tone of finality to his voice that suggests this isn’t the first time Liu Qingge has done something like this.
Subconsciously, Sha Hualing moves a tad bit closer, to better guard the cultivator’s back should anyone here decide to be sneaky. Never once could she have expected herself to be protecting a cultivator, of all things ─ but Liu Qingge is an exception to every rule.
The said exception smirks madly. “Took ya long enough.”
The man that has stepped out is another cultivator, by the looks of him ─ but nowhere nearly as impressive as Liu Qingge himself. They bear a passing resemblance ─ the way distant relatives might ─ and it further cements Sha Hualing’s sinking suspicion that every single person born to the Liu clan is unfairly beautiful. Though this particular cultivator is obviously senior to Liu Qingge ─ by the looks of it, the difference may not be that much. Or it might. Given that likely both of them have stopped aging a while ago, who even knows what the actual age difference is? Does it matter? Probably not.
What does matter is that, from this person too, Sha Hualing smells that faint scent of demonic essence flowing.
Hah. So it really is a whole clan built upon lust demon hybrids. Interesting.
Hmm, if I’m fast enough, maybe I can actually get a taste tonight~!
Baring her teeth in a moment of thrill, Sha Hualing extends her claws and sharpens her senses, on the lookout for the most addictive of scents. There are indeed many of them ─ none more attractive than Liu Qingge himself, but Sha Hualing knows better than to mess with him.
Same can’t be said for the Liu clan, it seems.
The man that has stepped out still thinks Liu Qingge is gonna calm down and behave if he shouts loud enough.
“LIU QINGGE, HAVE YOU GOT NO IDEA WHAT YOU HAVE DONE?!”
Liu Qingge’s lips stretch into a wild, menacing grin, all teeth. “That’s my question to ask,” he says ─ in a tone so resolutely calm and frigid that a shudder runs down Sha Hualing’s spine ─ and none of his attention is even directed her way. Have these people got no sense?! If Sha Hualing has learned anything about Liu Qingge over the past few years, it’s that he is far more dangerous when he isn’t shouting his throat raw.
Liu Qingge takes a step, two, towards the Liu clan man. To his credit, the relative does not flinch.
“I thought I made myself perfectly clear the last time I came here,” Liu Qingge says, every word like a blade piercing through the air. “Any single one of you bastards who dare reach out to my sister again, I’m going to take a limb in vengeance. Just because your face wasn’t there when I said it doesn’t exempt you. Liu Qiang has a mouth ─ he should’ve warned you well enough.”
“If Liu Qingge wishes to settle the score with Elder Qiang, I’m afraid he is a little early. The leader is not yet back.”
“Oh, I know,” Liu Qingge says. “But he wasn’t the bastard who commissioned the Xianmo sect to bring my sister here, was he? Or were you under the impression that I attacked the Chi residence first for no reason?”
Oooooh! So there’s a method to this madness after all!
Sha Hualing barely holds herself from hopping around in pure excitement. No, no, no. Grandmaster Liu hasn’t granted his permission yet, no-no-no. Ling-er has followed him through enough missions by now to know that when he finally does give them the go-ahead, it will most certainly be worth the wait.
The other Liu person can’t seem to hide their displeasure. “Ah,” he says. “So this is you, throwing a childish tantrum─”
As if to accentuate that point, Liu Qingge blasts off another wall.
“Liu Qingge! You won’t get anything out of destroying your home─”
“And here I was under the impression my sister is stuck in one of these,” Liu Qingge replies, flatly. “I ain’t stopping until I find her.”
Sha Hualing almost snickers at how red faced the man goes. His hand is gripping the weapon on his hip so tight that his knuckles have gone all white ─ but that means nothing at all.
“Nobody is holding the Jade Princess here against her will,” the man grits out with barely contained rage. “Doing all this just so you can feel like a hero when you’re rotten down to your core─”
“Oh, yeah, I’m rotten,” Liu Qingge snarls. “Look what this rotten hand of mine will do.”
And then he blasts another ball of demonic qi, blowing out yet another wall. By now it’s clear to everyone that Liu Qingge very much plans to keep his word and flatten everything around them, unless he gets what he wants. Sha Hualing watches the unease spread, everyone trying to establish a chain of command and failing ─ because the very top command seems to be precisely the bastard trying to talk down Liu Qingge. He, too, is flailing. Liu Qingge throws another ball of demonic energy randomly in the air, demolishing yet another structure.
“You’ve brought this on yourself,” that elder of the Liu clan says, then lifts his weapon. “SUBDUE HIM!”
Liu Qingge merely smirks, as he throws his head over his shoulder towards Mobei Jun and Sha Hualing.
“Have fun.”
Then he’s off confronting every weapon that comes for him with his bare hands, not even bothering to draw his spiritual weapon.
Sha Hualing in turn grins at Mobei Jun like a maniac. “Don’t interfere with my fun,” she warns. Then she, too, is out for a hunt.
A human with lust demon essence is surely laying around, just waiting for Sha Hualing to come and get a taste of him. Oh yes he is. And Sha Hualing is going to make the absolute best of it.
With the majority of cultivators busy handling Liu Qingge elsewhere, or chasing Mobei Jun, what few of them have detected Sha Hualing’s presence, they give chase after her stubbornly. Many of these cultivators are fairly young ─ markedly younger than Liu Qingge, but visibly older than herself, which should make them an interesting enough batch. It should mean that they’re all strong and energetic, no? But sadly, after just a few blows exchanged, the disappointment sets in. Even if all these humans smell just the right kind of appealing to Ling-er’s ever growing appetite, none of them turn out to be particularly durable.
Sure. Using Liu Qingge as a baseline standard is probably not gonna yield much results ─ Sha Hualing certainly can’t handle him, doesn’t care to try and is somewhat of the opinion that even someone the likes of Tianlang Jun can’t be having an easy time of it ─ but this level of pathetic is a little disappointing. Two blows and they’re out! And Sha Hualing is hardly trying!
Seriously! Coming here, she expected a challenge! Cultivators who smell nice and are also able to withstand a little more than a kick to the chest! Because, really, what the fuck?! Why are all these delicious smelling bastards barely more durable than a pair of poor quality chopsticks?! If Sha Hualing tried to straddle one in a moment of passion, she is positive that she’d end his puny life, or at the very least break some important bones. Just how embarrassing is that?! Where the fuck is the appeal?!
Is Sha Hualing doomed to seek her satisfaction in whisking off another Cang Qiong peak lord for herself if she’s already so dead set on trying a human? But she’s seen them all and aside from Liu Qingge, none of them are pretty. Or well, maybe there was that medic… but he smelled of herbs and poisons and Sha Hualing has had it with the smell of both. She’d much rather stab that one than sink her teeth in his neck for fun.
Hence, the chase right now.
Rather than fight, Sha Hualing instigates the cultivators to come chasing her, luring them away from those places where they are going to get ample support little by little. These humans are careful and guarded, seemingly only worried that Sha Hualing may attempt to run off via the less crowded parts of the Liu clan compound.
Joke’s on them. Sha Hualing is after a little bit of privacy, not a way out. Truly these poor humans are so foolish.
By the time she is surrounded by a group of four cultivators, in some more or less abandoned corner of the Liu family’s property, Sha Hualing has just about lost all patience. The four young cultivators that have cornered her there are all sweaty, out of breath and clearly frustrated with the fact that their clashes have cost them more and more layers of clothing rather than any meaningful injuries. What gives them courage is likely the fact they’re a group and Sha Hualing is alone ─ they must be deluding themselves with the illusion of power in numbers.
Sha Hualing lets them lie to themselves a little while longer ─ allowing their attacks to come a little too close and otherwise making it seem as though she is panicking when in reality she is almost laughing out of sheer thrill. Oh, these boys can barely hold a candle to the monster that is Liu Qingge, in looks and in battle prowess, but Sha Hualing must admit. Their tenacity is admirable. Four against one and she is almost ─ almost ─ taking a nap through the whole thing.
Well. Might as well get some blood running.
The lucky winner is the the latest youth who braves slipping into Sha Hualing’s personal space to grab her forearm before her claws can get him ─ but therein lies his mistake. This time, Sha Hualing wants to be caught.
Too bad for him that he only realizes that once she’s already within his personal bubble, her arm restrained, but his sword knocked out of his grip and Sha Hualing’s legs wrapped around his waist.
The youth gasps as he realizes he’s been caught ─ panics, really ─ but Sha Hualing is more flexible and much stronger. Just a single forceful grind of her hips against him knocks the kid into the dirt. Sha Hualing braces for impact, but her pretty companion doesn’t. The force of it kicks all the air out of his lungs, leaving the reckless cultivator at Sha Hualing’s mercy as she sinks her teeth over a thread of muscle connecting his neck to his shoulder.
Already, the delicacy of demonic essence as it mixes with humans is teasing her senses. Sha Hualing licks at it, at first, the explosion of taste as opposed to the dull scent almost overwhelming. Ooooh. No wonder the Southern Demon Lord is so freakishly territorial over that crazy Liu Qingge. If this is what just skin tastes like, then Sha Hualing fears what might happen if she gets a taste of something a little more… special.
“GET OFF!” The kid’s futile attempt to kick her off results in Sha Hualing grabbing his leg and pushing it back to his shoulder, her demonic strength overpowering him easily.
“Ohhh, you better bet I’ma get you off! I ain’t gonna stop until I know what every piece of you tastes like─”
The sword glare zooms an inch over her head solely because Sha Hualing dives to the side to get out of the way. Apparently, the rest of the band is back on their feet and as thoroughly bemused with Sha Hualing as she is bemused with them. The next sword glare that comes for her, Sha Hualing blocks with her demonic power.
A small explosion at her palm flutters her hair back, but otherwise barely does anything at all.
All four cultivators of the Liu clan freeze at the sight of this. Ohh, they must’ve really thought that just cause she was letting them dominate the fight at first, they stood a chance. How laughable.
Sha Hualing grins at them, maniacally. “My turn.”
Then she launches at them, faster than ever before. The cultivators have barely a moment to brace for it before she’s kicking one of them in the chest and tossing the other over her shoulder, directly into his third buddy. In a short manner of business, all three nuisances are dealt with, leaving Sha Hualing’s primary target as the only one standing.
The kid has a spiritual sword in both hands, directed her way. His whole body is visibly shaking.
“Stay away from me!” he cries, having evidently clocked in on exactly what Sha Hualing wants from him.
“Oh, if you win in a fair match, sure I will,” Sha Hualing promises. Not to say that she wouldn’t respect it on the off-chance he does, but looking at his toothpick arms, he stands no chance whatsoever.
Let this be said ─ Sha Hualing personally sees no appeal in physical interactions of intense nature that don’t go both ways. If she can pin her prey to the ground despite the resistance and do them until they’re crying bloody tears, she will do so gladly. But if her prey proves themselves too weak to try and force the same on her, isn’t that just bullying?
That said, Sha Hualing knows that humans with lust-demon essence are anything but weak.
Sure. This one may not be able to parry her in strength and even cultivation, but every lust demon race has just about mastered the absolute control of others’ cultivation through sexual acts. If anyone is in real danger here, it’s Sha Hualing ─ but probably not as high as she initially feared.
This kid looks absolutely frightened at the mere thought of her anywhere near him.
Hmmm. Does that mean humans haven’t inherited this particular talent from the lust demon essence? Or else does it require active training? How does it work exactly? Sha Hualing is so curious, she can barely contain herself.
“You know,” she says, mildly, “I can make you far more powerful than your peers. One little fun session is all it takes. Won’t you give it a try?”
The kid’s face changes color in bursts ─ from white to red, from red to purple and then back to white. He sputters, indignant. “You demons know no propriety─”
“Rich, coming from a child of a lust demon. Which demonic race do you hail from, exactly? Succubi? Incubi? Red Hulijin Foxes? I can’t imagine any single one of them willingly breeding with humans. So which is it?”
“What’s it to you?!” the kid shouts back ─ but his knees are giving him away. He’s a hair away from buckling under his own fears.
“Oh, not much,” Sha Hualing admits. “They’re all wonderful in their own ways. But as a hybrid of Hulijin origins, I have a slight bit of preference for the Succubi roots. I hope you don’t mind.”
If anything, the kid’s face turns ashen. So succubi it is. How wonderful.
Sha Hualing grins. “Here I come~!”
The kid swings his sword in such a wide arc he wouldn’t have scratched her even if she were right next to him ─ but she isn’t. She circles around him and twists his arm from behind, forcing the weapon out of his hold before slamming his body into the dirt face-first. The kid screams like she’s pressed hot coal into his back, not a mere knee. Seriously. How loud can he be? She’s tempted to push him to the limits just to find out─
And then a sword glare hits her square on the back, tossing her off the kid and splitting her skin open. She rolls in the dirt several times before she can stop her momentum, the stinging in her wound admittedly much sharper than anything she’s expected. Who─?!
Sha Hualing’s eyes focus instantly on a newcomer standing quite a distance away. That one has no presence to speak of. No spiritual power rolling off of her, no scent ─ nothing at all. Like a ghost among the living, what differentiates her from the weaklings Sha Hualing has just been toying with is nothing other than the sword glare, which had come so strongly and so swiftly, Sha Hualing has had no chance to dodge it.
“Oh, you’re interesting,” Sha Hualing comments, but with much less enthusiasm than before. “Are you a hybrid child too?”
By the feel of it, Sha Hualing wouldn’t say so ─ but the way the kid reacts to the sight of this woman is telling. It is equal amounts of apprehension and relief. His face is an open book to display the instant delegation of authority that comes to pass from the rest of the group as well.
“It’s ─ it’s the Jade Princess,” one of the beaten up lot whimpers, staring at the woman with something akin to reverence.
“Ah, a princess,” Sha Hualing comments, tensing the muscles where that lady’s attack has cut ─ and boy, it’s gone deep. It’s starting to freaking burn. That said, Sha Hualing thinks she may or may not have seen this person before. There is something about the way she holds her shoulders and her sword that is distinctly familiar ─ but the veil covering everything below her eyes makes it impossible to tell. Those eyes, too, bear a passing resemblance to something Sha Hualing has seen before, as they observe each of her movements like a hawk, sharp and thorough.
“You gotta be a higher rank than the rest of the useless bunch here,” Sha Hualing concludes. “Lemme have my little dance with you, then.”
She lunges.
Like a cat, Sha Hualing darts forward, fast and unforgiving ─ just to find herself narrowly avoiding a blade significantly faster than anticipated. It safely cruises over her shoulder, but the person behind it is much too fast. She lets the momentum lead her, until she’s turning her back on Sha Hualing and slamming a foot directly in her midsection─
Sha Hualing has a mere moment to brace for it before her already injured back slam into the ground again. What the hell?! How is this lady so fast?! How much has Sha Hualing been underestimating her?! Apparently, not all Liu people in this place are hopeless─
Before she can spring back up to her feet, there is a foot on her chest, slamming her back into the dirt. Sha Hualing snarls in protest, just for the tip of a sword to settle down on her neck ─ piercing through skin just enough for a drop of blood to trickle down to her collarbone.
Ooh, she’s good. A worthy opponent. Too bad that Sha Hualing picked up on this way too late.
“Care for a rematch?” she asks anyway, as sultry as she can make it. She even includes a wink.
The woman in question doesn’t even blink.
“Cousin Muchen should take everyone to safety,” she says, her eyes trained on Sha Hualing so pointedly that even a change in her breathing may end up with a sword through her throat. Sha Hualing does her best not to move. The group of four that Sha Hualing has thoroughly beaten up is reluctant to leave, however, sharing looks amongst themselves.
“The Jade Princess is not allowed to carry a weapon,” one of them braves to say.
“Then, should I hand this one over to Cousin Muchen immediately?”
Her question is met with absolute silence.
Finally, another brave soul murmurs, “Elder Xiaobo is so going to lose it when he hears─”
“I’m certain that Elder Xiaobo has far more significant things to worry about, if a demon has made their way so deep into our home,” the woman counters. “If you feel brave enough to handle this situation, I will be more than happy to leave it to you. Otherwise, however, please don’t interfere with me.”
Like dogs with tails between their legs, the group of four instantly retreats, leaving the two women entirely alone.
Sha Hualing, more than satisfied with this turn of events, lets her lips stretch into a naughty smile. “Oh, unrest in the family? How curious. If you lemme get a lick, I’ma help you─oof─”
The foot on her chest slams back down again, kicking all the air out of her lungs. Threads of beautiful lavender robes swirl around her face, inlaid with actual silver. Oh, shit. Sha Hualing may have misjudged the ranks here after all. This lady has silver woven in her friggin clothes! She’s gotta be a friggin huge deal, then─
The sword at her neck moves a little until the tip of it is tilting up Sha Hualing's chin, until she’s looking up at this veiled lady, directly in the eyes.
“What are demons doing, invading my home?” this princess of the Liu clan asks leisurely, almost conversationally.
Sha Hualing grins, knowing better than to act stubborn now. “Causing trouble. Wanna cause some trouble with me?”
“I’d rather not,” the Princess answers. But after a beat, she adds, “Unless Miss Sha elaborates on exactly what kind of trouble she is looking to cause here?”
“You know me?!” Sha Hualing quips, all too excitedly. “Have we crossed paths before?! I could swear I saw you somewhere─” she cuts herself off as the tip of the blade presses a little bit deeper into her throat, just enough to sting.
“I’m the one asking questions here,” the Princess says. “Answer, if you want to walk away from this alive. What are you doing here?”
“Honestly?” Sha Hualing asks, grinning. “I’m looking to get laid.”
The Jade Princess, to her credit, doesn’t blush like a shy maiden. Well, if she did, perhaps Sha Hualing wouldn’t be able to see it. But most of the Liu group she has seen so far ─ Liu Qingge and those useless brats included ─ tend to blush in ways that makes even their ears light up. This one, however, shows no trace of embarrassment at all.
“I see,” is all she says. “And the rest of them?”
Sha Hualing moves her shoulders in a way that is not entirely a shrug ─ but indicative enough of one. “Mobei Jun just likes thrashing the human realm, I guess.”
“The Northern Demon Lord, traveling so far down south?”
“You’re close enough to Huan Hua Palace to be crushed, that’s the gist of it.”
The Princess snorts, unimpressed. “And Luo Binghe? I see he’s more or less demolishing my home entirely. Would Miss Sha care to explain?”
Sha Hualing… pauses. Then slowly, her lips stretch into a grin that threatens to split her face in two. “What makes you think the one doing the demolishing is that poor excuse of a heavenly demon hybrid?”
Momentarily, those girl’s eyes go wide. Then her head snaps to the side, to look over her shoulder ─ towards the chaos and destruction where Liu Qinge must still be fighting ─ and then she’s forced to turn back as Sha Hualing grabs the weapon at her neck and swings it away with her bare hands. Instinctively, the Princess of the Liu clan jumps away, putting distance between herself and Sha Hualing before the extended claws can cut anything more than a small hole in her sleeves. The sword, however, is damaged from the sheer strength of Sha Hualing’s grip, cast to the side and left to sit there uselessly.
“Oh, I knew it, you are special.” Sha Hualing licks her lips greedily, observing the faint traces of red and white as they dull to nonexistence in this lady’s eyes. She might’ve missed it entirely, had she not seen it with Liu Qingge countless times. But while Liu Qingge’s eyes are largely more glowing red than they are glowing white, this girl is a stark contrast. And now that she’s thinking about it, if that sharp look in her eyes reminds Ling-er of anything, it is precisely that Peak Lord of Cang Qiong Mountain. Oh, Sha Hualing is seriously aroused now.
“How about you let me have you first, and we can chat civilly a little while later, hm?” she proposes, almost hungrily.
That Princess as pretty as jade stares at her with wide eyes. “If that overwhelming demonic power is not Luo Binghe… then who is it?”
“Ling-er is more than willing to say, for the price of one little lick inside your mouth─”
But the Princess dives out of the way before Sha Hualing’s claws can close around her neck, her wrist slammed away with a carefully aimed chop and the other one skillfully redirected away. Not only is this girl skilled with a sword, she may just be more skilled without one.
Sha Hualing kicks off the ground and into a somersault, before launching at her again, with intention to tackle her with legs around the waist the same way she’s done to that other Liu child ─ but that leaves the demon's front entirely open to a blast of spiritual power that she manages to block right before it can aggravate her wounds further.
The force of it still sends her skidding back, but at least this time it’s controlled and easy to recover from.
Her opponent, however, seems to be having trouble. A hand grips at her chest, sweat dotting the visible line of her neck as Miss Liu struggles to regain her breath. Interesting. Sha Hualing hasn’t landed a single blow of her own, yet this lady looks to be struggling far more than Sha Hualing with a chasm torn in her back. Could this one also not be very durable? Was her first impression wrong?
“How about Ling-er extends you the same offer she extended to that sweet cousin of yours, hm? One little passionate tryst should be sufficient to aid your cultivation significantly.”
The woman huffs out a breathless chuckle. “Indeed, a demon would surely see it that way.”
“Oh, is this because you cultivators hate demons on principle, then?” Sha Hualing wonders, curiously. “Bigotry and prejudice from humans I understand ─ but you lot that have built up a bloodline upon demonic essence. Word in the north says you trade in your own flesh and blood just to improve the cultivation of anyone who is willing to pay. Isn’t that making the most of your demonic heritage, little as though it may be? Just how hypocritical is that?”
The woman’s eyes flash with something, then, something wild, something dangerous. But Sha Hualing is nothing unless she courts danger to her face.
“Come on, you can let loose. Liu Qingge did and look at him now. He’s unstoppable. I’m more than willing to play the cauldron for a little good time─”
But the woman is staring at her, blankly. She echoes, softly, “Liu… Qingge?”
“Mm,” Sha Hualing confirms.
“The one… behind this destruction… it’s all Liu Qingge?”
“Difficult to believe?” Sha Hualing smirks. “The cultivation world betrayed him and left him for the dead ─ why shouldn’t he seek vengeance, then?”
Those pretty eyes keep staring at her, but the intensity behind them only grows stronger. “No,” she says, in a tone of voice that sounds much like begrudging acceptance. “This is not revenge. This…” she closes her eyes, one of her hands trembling. “This… is responsibility.”
“Haaaah?”
“I truly must apologize, Miss Sha, but this takes precedence. I cannot entertain you any longer. Please forgive me.”
Sha Hualing, having let her guard down prematurely, is caught entirely unprepared as the Liu Princess appears before her in a burst of Qinggong faster than Sha Hualing has ever witnessed, a set of bloody fingers thrust in her mouth. Two of them, warm and slick and… and…
Ahhhh. So this is what pure demonic essence in humans tastes like.
The alluring sweetness spreads over Sha Hualing’s tongue, igniting a heat in her muscles along with her throat and everything down to her belly, where uncomfortable warmth swirls. She’s been aroused enough so far, but this ─ this ─ is strong enough to make her knees go weak. Sha Hualing is desperate for it. For a touch, for a hold, for something to put directly into her pu─
“Sha Hualing,” that soft voice commands through the haze of lust and confusion and Ling-er leans towards it, mesmerized. A hand brushes gently along the side of her cheek, exploding heat everywhere in her body. Sha Hualing moans from sheer need. More. Please. More, more, more─
“Listen carefully, Miss Sha,” that Princess’ voice comes through, louder than Sha Hualing has ever heard it. “Liu Qingge is here, isn’t he?”
“Mm,” Sha Hualing affirms, desperately. Who cares if that bastard is here? Sha Hualing wants this warm hand right down her─
“Take me to him.”
…
…
… oh.
Sha Hualing mulls over that for a moment, but her mind is hazy. Are they looking for a third…? Is that why? Liu Qingge is a very odd choice of a third, though…
“Miss Sha,” that voice commands again, in a way that is practically impossible to ignore. “Please. Take me to Liu Qingge right now.”
Oh, alright. Anything, to please this wonder of a human. Just so long as she touches a little bit more─
“Miss Sha!”
Sha Hualing finds herself with her hand sinking halfway into the folds of the lavender robe and she shudders. She is so desperate, but she has a command to fulfill and… ahh, damn it all. Sha Hualing knows what’s happening. Damn them humans, mastering Succubi essence in this goddamned way. But even knowing what she is up against, Sha Hualing is helpless to resist.
As the Liu clan’s Princess issues the same command for the third time, all of her self-control crumbles away and only a desire is left. A desire to fulfill this human’s every wish even at the cost of herself.
“Mm, Ling-er will take you to Liu Qingge,” she promises, faintly.
Anything for her beloved lady. So long as Sha Hualing gets her needs fulfilled.
Notes:
HA! SHL thought she had it all figured out, only for LMY to turn her world upside down!
Uh-oh. Poor LQG will have even more to stress about in the next chapter, but hey, a Liu-siblings reunion is on its way!
Chapter 58: The Liu Siblings
Notes:
Am I early? Kinda. Will I be away for the next 14 days...? Also kinda.
Man I cannot wait for the day I finish the ending of this and then I can just post everything whenever I effin feel like. This whole keeping a schedule thing is not working out for my messy head but I really dunno how long it will take cause in the editing process I have once again changed waaay too much.... ooof.
Anyway, have the long awaited reunion now and see ya with the next chap!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
When the first explosion shakes the entirety of the city, Liu Mingyan is still sitting in her quarters, working through the most recent set of correspondence that Uncle Qiang had left in her hands. It is, as most things that have found their way to Liu Mingyan recently, of very little importance. Pleasantries, mostly, with people Liu Mingyan doesn’t particularly care to be pleasant with ─ but she has relented in these matters long ago. She has very little else she can do with her time here.
Or at least, that’s how it’s been, until another explosion shakes her low table so badly that the ink spills.
It is late enough for most residents to be sleeping, even with the recent heatwave that has hit the area, but Liu Mingyan has not yet changed into her night clothes. From her quarters, deep within the family compound, she cannot really tell what is causing the disturbance. Despite that, she closes her eyes and settles her mind, before calling onto the blessed within herself to grant her insight.
In the distance, near the main gate, a well of demonic energy is sowing destruction.
Liu Mingyan blinks and the spiritual flows fade to dullness. Her chest aches, her room blinking back to existence around her, but what she has seen still sends chills down her spine.
Demonic power, violent and overwhelming, with just the right taint of heaven to belong to a Heavenly Demon and nothing else. Moreover, Liu Mingyan has already witnessed a similar explosion of such power ─ similar, but not identical ─ and this is the last place she would have expected to see anything like it again.
Luo-shixiong? What in the world are you doing here?
Has her clan somehow managed to make an enemy out of Luo Binghe?
But no. That’s… the last little information that Liu Mingyan has been able to scrape by, Luo-shixiong should still be stranded in Juedi gorge. But that demonic signature is surely familiar enough. And there have been multiple attempts made over the years to set him free ─ granted, none that have succeeded ─ until now.
Still, even if Luo Binghe has finally broken free, what is he doing, destroying Liu Mingyan’s home?! Hasn’t he got other priorities? Liu Mingyan cannot possibly think of a reason why he would come here, specifically… unless…
Unless the balance got disrupted.
It is a chilling thought.
Liu Mingyan has, frankly, had very little to do over the past few years, how long she’s been stranded at home, to the point that she has been reexamining many of the things that have once puzzled her mind. Starting with Lushui lake, the Phantom Talisman of Huan Hua and Bailu Mountain array ─ all the way to that lunacy her brother had performed on Qiong Ding peak to prevent Luo-shixiong’s Qi deviation from taking out half the peak.
She hasn’t gotten very far, admittedly. There are always crucial pieces missing, something-something that makes or breaks everything but could always be multiple things and no amount of guessing and deducing seem to be pointing her the right way.
Eventually, Liu Mingyan has simply decided to take her approach back to the basics ─ and with that, she has stumbled upon a revelation. A fresh perspective, of sorts, the likes of which no sect in the world is likely to teach. And a slightly more wrapped up version of it that every Liu child has been taught as soon as they could speak.
Spiritual and demonic qi are inherently incompatible.
This is something that the Liu clan has beaten into every single one of their children, upside the head and from all directions, until this one sentence became a universal law that none dare challenge. Examples are countless. From the sheer destructive potential of demonic qi, to the corruption of the body, the soul and the mind in ways few can recover from. Demonic cultivation is feared for a reason ─ and any cultivator that attempts to turn to it risks a fate worse than death.
All of these things, however, gloss over the most important part.
Humans can, in fact, master demonic qi.
Liu Mingyan was sixteen, watching her brother take all of the surging demonic qi out of the atmosphere and Luo Binghe’s body, to channel it through his own before releasing it all into the high heavens. Most of Qiong Ding peak has witnessed it alongside her. That inherent incompatibility that everyone always warned her about ─ Liu Mingyan watched it crumble before her eyes like a house of cards. Everything she has ever known was upturned in that one move and now ─ now, Liu Mingyan realizes, it seems that Luo Binghe has figured it out as well.
The greatest danger of having two different meridian systems running through one body ─ and the best solution to all the troubles it causes.
If that is what he is seeking to resolve, then surely, the Liu clan’s front door is precisely the first place he would come.
A cold trail of sweat running down her spine, Liu Mingyan puts all her writing tools aside and rises to her feet. She’s been sitting so long that her legs have been cramping ─ she would do well with more activity. Sadly, she doesn’t make it far ─ just out to the door, before she hears the locks being put down.
“Miss Liu should settle back,” a guard from outside her private quarters says. “The trouble outside is being handled as we speak. No need to worry.”
Oh, precisely because that trouble is being handled is why Liu Mingyan is worried. If Luo-shixiong is as enraged and as unstable as his attacks would suggest him to be, then Liu Mingyan fears there might not be a single person in this entire city who could hope to slow him down.
“This one hopes to avoid escalation more than anything else. I will not put myself in danger carelessly. However, Auntie has not yet drunk her medicine and it has always been my duty to deliver it. Please let me through.”
It is a blatant lie. Liu Mingyan hasn’t served aunty any medicine since the first few weeks of her recovery here, during which she’s tried to escape multiple times. But the guards around her are on frequent rotations. Elders Changmin and Xiaobo fear that Liu Mingyan might charm her way through to them and talk them into giving her more liberties than she is currently allowed ─ and in line with it, they replace them as soon as it seems as though Mingyan has managed to become friendlier with them.
It is a risk, lying to a guard's face, of course it is, but Mingyan doesn’t think any of these people truly care enough to bother remembering which responsibilities she’s held in the past and which ones she retains to this day. She’s not even sure if the internal and external group of guards are allowed to communicate between themselves. She certainly hasn’t heard them do so before.
But after a few tense minutes and yet another explosion in the distance, the sounds of the locks lifting becomes obvious enough.
“Young Miss should act with prudence and due diligence,” the guard comments, offering a brief incline of his head as he opens all the doors for her.
Liu Mingyan stares at him for a long time. But no. This doesn't seem to be a joke.
Well, then. So Uncle Qiang has snuck a few of his own people in, after all.
Now, if only he’d bother informing Liu Mingyan about it… but no matter. She will take what she can get. She’s not yet sure if she will be in for a serious scolding tomorrow ─ or else if Uncle Qiang will spare her the headache ─ but tonight, they all have much greater priorities. If Luo-shixiong has come blasting their front door, then that means he will be walking away with no less than exactly what he desires. And knowing the upper echelon of the Liu clan, they are far likelier to attempt to kill him than indulge him.
Liu Mingyan must negotiate a truce, no matter what.
This is not just her chance to break out of her small room after years of imprisonment. Luo-shixiong is of the Heavenly Demon race. The same way gods cannot be killed the traditional way, neither can Heavenly Demons, for they are gods who had long ago fallen from grace. And if Liu Mingyan has learned anything from her family history, it is that challenging the gods is something they’re brazen enough to do regardless of the consequences.
Please, please, please…
Liu Mingyan hurries the best she can ─ only to encounter a different kind of trouble before she makes it even a few steps away. A group of her cousins, chasing a demon ─ and that demon toying with them to the best of her ability.
Naturally, Liu Mingyan will not stand for it ─ especially not when it becomes obvious exactly what kind of impure intentions that demon has towards her cousins…
And then, it turns out that said demon is a familiar face ─ Sha Hualing.
Moreover, if Miss Sha’s words are to be trusted, the one leading the charge and controlling the wild mass of demonic qi that is demolishing her home ─ that’s not Luo Binghe at all. It is Liu Qingge.
Brother?!
But no matter how she looks at it, Liu Mingyan cannot see it. There is none of that spiritual power characteristic of her brother, none of that stubborn spark of demonic essence. Granted, Liu Mingyan is still quite a distance away ─ with her middle dantian having suffered serious damage, her sensitivity to qi is lesser than it used to be. It’s not outside the realm of possibility that she would be able to miss it.
But if that’s my brother out there, something nags at her, I should still be able to feel him.
Liu Mingyan doesn’t dare examine that thought any further.
Instead, she does something far more insidious.
Miss Sha of the demonic race seems intent to get a little enjoyment out of her clan’s struggles ─ typical behavior of demons sensitive to their heats ─ so Liu Mingyan gives her exactly what she’s asking for. Her demonic essence, through her blood, delivered straight to Sha Hualing’s unsuspecting mouth.
Many years ago, Sha Hualing had taken her brother hostage. Although he had walked out of that situation none-the-wiser, Liu Mingyan had hardly missed the fact that the demon had been targeting her brother from the beginning. Was it because she could tell his cultivation had been crippled by demonic poison? Or had she, even back then, been after a little intimate entertainment?
Liu Mingyan hadn’t cared back then and she doesn’t care for it any more now.
Sha Hualing does not stand a chance.
“Take me to him,” Liu Mingyan orders, using every ounce of compulsive power that she can muster. Sha Hualing may be a demon saintess, a reigning elder despite her young age ─ but this pretty child has no defenses against Liu Mingyan. She doesn’t even need to remove her veil to leave the young demon trembling ─ merely the sound of her voice is enough.
The control does not come as quickly as Liu Mingyan would have preferred it ─ Sha Hualing is a saintess after all, of a demonic clan that seems to have at least a little lust demon blood mixed in it. It takes a bit of time. Reason dissipates from her eyes and her lust and desperation grow endlessly until only desire is left ─ and that desire is a tool of control that few can properly utilize.
Liu Mingyan, for better or worse, has always been among the best.
By the time she issues the same command for the third time, Sha Hualing is well and lost, all semblance of control gifted to Liu Mingyan instead. The demon saintess leads her down the dirt trail between multiple households and even some narrow passages as they make their way towards the main gates.
Truth be told, Liu Mingyan doesn’t particularly need Sha Hualing to do this. She knows where to go and she fears what she might find ─ but not enough to truly hesitate. If her brother is here, after so long, then all it really means is that Liu Qingge now knows the truth of the affairs that have left Mingyan stranded in this place. It means that he has come to put a stop to it in the most violent way he can manage ─ exactly as he promised it.
Uncle Qiang isn’t here! There is no one to properly explain it!
If Sha Hualing is to be trusted ─ and Liu Mingyan is now beyond doubt about it ─ then letting Liu Qingge wreak havoc upon this place is even worse than letting Luo Binghe do it.
Mingyan understands ─ she truly does. No communication, no freedom, not a single encounter between them for more than three years. Surely, brother would lose patience eventually. But aside from those few reckless attempts to run that Liu Mingyan has made in her early days here, while her health was still too fragile to let her truly accomplish anything, she hasn’t done anything reckless since. Uncle Qiang had, despite all her expectations, opened the door for her to leave a while back. That Mingyan has chosen to stay is her decision and her decision alone.
The treatment she gets for it is hardly worth mentioning ─ but Uncle Qiang does what he can, when he can. Tolerating spies from Cang Qiong Mountain is out of the question, because he is not the only one able to recognize them, but allowing Mingyan to aid her sect in some small ways when opportunities arise is a promise that he has made sure to keep.
“After all,” uncle had said, “if Huan Hua Palace and my Sect Leader were allowed to have their way, then surely the whole human realm will unknowingly walk straight into endless conflict.”
Cang Qiong Mountain cannot afford any kind of outright sect conflict right now.
In fact, judging by what information Uncle has been covertly passing to her over the past months, no sect can afford it. They’re just stubborn and short-sighted enough not to care about it. And that is not even accounting for the matters of the Southern Demon Realm’s heightened activities and inevitable resurgence.
But ─ the sects aside, the one who truly cannot afford any conflict at all is precisely her own family.
“As we are now, the Liu clan can only prosper during peaceful times,” Uncle had said, back when Liu Mingyan had still been too stubborn to listen. “Mingyan need not look further than how certain households within the clan handle their business. Many of the elders forget it, because times have been peaceful lately ─ but when stripped down to it, we are all human cauldrons here. Forget the silks and the money and the status we have. Our best and only defense has only ever been peace. Why? Because in times of conflict, we truly have no means to fight off the swarms of cultivators who will come after us. Our legacy is an open secret, has been for decades ─ and what certain households have done, making a business out of it, has only further made us vulnerable.
“I don’t fear the demon realm. They can be cunning and dangerous, wild and uncontrollable. But demons have few things they value above all others and it is a list that is easy to go through for those of our descent. Every single child within this clan has been taught how to wrap an unsuspecting target around their little finger. And demons have always been easier targets than humans. Not to mention that demons are overt in their cruelty. Humans, however, can be something else entirely ─ and their kindness is a far more dangerous weapon than any demonic claws may hope to be.”
It is definitely not a common philosophy, which is why Mingyan is not surprised to see so many households siding against it. All the more need for her to stay and assist, lest the clan runs itself into the ground carelessly. But it’s been a precarious time, trying to arrange everything just so as to delay any armed conflicts for as long as possible. It will all prove futile if brother alone plunges this household into madness overnight!
So now, Sha Hualing leads the way. And the main reason why is because, the very first person from Liu clan who sees Liu Mingyan walking free ─ they instantly get in her way.
Miss Sha gets rid of them before they ever realize what is happening. The guards and the cousins she cuts through are all people Mingyan wishes she could have protected from harm, but they are also the obstacles standing in her path, preventing her from meeting her brother, preventing her from stopping something far more dangerous compared to a few nasty cuts, bruises and broken bones.
If it were Liu Qingge, he would not have left a single one of them breathing. Perhaps that too is a form of kindness.
Liu Mingyan makes it clear to Sha Hualing that her cousins must survive. She demands nothing more. The young demon saintess, naturally, delivers. Those claws on her hands are weapons that tear through flesh and bone with ease, but also hold just enough tenderness to answer her commands.
It is difficult to watch.
Demons are earnest, yes, and Liu Mingyan admires them for it. But demons are also ultimately simple creatures. Sha Hualing is a demon saintess, but in Liu Mingyan’s hands, she is no more than a puppet, a weapon of the same calibre as Shui Se. In certain ways, Liu Mingyan would’ve much preferred if she could have just used her spiritual weapon instead. Sadly, even after the sword made it to her home, it has been locked away from her, a discipline measure to ensure the Liu clan's precious daughter no longer puts herself in danger. It is ridiculous.
In response to that, rather than dirty her own hands, Liu Mingyan forces Sha Hualing to tear herself apart, until those claws of hers are drenched in the blood of her cousins. The young demon saintess uses herself as a weapon to open Liu Mingyan’s path and Liu Mingyan cannot bear to regret it. Funny, isn’t it?
Nobody is laughing.
By the time they make it to the center of the commotion, there are countless people around, bruised and beaten, some of them sobbing. The first person who catches sight of Liu Mingyan emerging among the wreckage cries bloody tears.
“It’s the Jade Princess!”
“Prayers to heavens, she’s here!”
“Princess! Save us please!”
Liu Mingyan walks among them, wide-eyed. Most people she sees on the ground, celebrating her arrival, come from the Chi household, but not all of them. There are the Lang household people, Han household, Bo, even some Tian branch people. All of them start crying at the sight of her. Not once has Liu Mingyan seen them act that way in her life.
It doesn’t take more than a few moments to understand why.
A little distance away, the overwhelming demonic power oozes out of her brother as he slams one particularly burly guard into the ground, stomping onto him until he hears a bone crack.
“Brother!” Mingyan cries, horrified.
Despite her explicit command, Sha Hualing moves to stop him ─ only to get thrown away before brother even sees what’s coming for him. “Ha─huh?!” The fact that he’s all but punched a demon confuses him for a second ─ just long enough for the Chi household elder to dive in and stab brother in through the ribs.
“BROTHER!”
Liu Mingyan runs into the midst, uncaring of what she might have to do to stop any of this ─ but brother takes the spiritual weapon stabbing into his midsection and bends it with his hand alone. Then he pulls it out and tosses it away, leaving even Elder Xiaobo scrambling. It’s not even the only stab wound on him! It’s just that the uncustomary black he is wearing is blinding her to the worst of it.
“Mingyan,” he says, as though there’s no blood running down the side of his mouth and chin.
Someone apparently thinks this is the best chance they are going to get to attack him from behind, which Liu Mingyan treats accordingly. Coating her hands in pure spiritual power, she catches the sabre between her palms a moment before it can pierce brother’s clothes, then twists it and throws it as far away from him as she can manage.
That sobers the fool quickly. Had it been Liu Qingge alone, a Chi household idiot might’ve dared attempt a similar lunacy ─ but now with Mingyan there to protect brother's back, every single one of the people present signals their surrender.
Certain that the majority of them have been disarmed, beaten or otherwise stand too far to attack without warning, Liu Mingyan turns to her brother. In two quick steps, she is right beside him, arms wrapping around his shoulders and embracing him tightly. Oh, he is feverish against her, feverish and trembling with exertion, leaning his body weight into her so fully in ways she has never felt him do before.
One arm rises to hug her back, but it’s shaking. It grips the back of her clothes and even a few strands of hair, pulling and tugging unintentionally. In his other hand, Cheng Luan is a mere hair away from shattering. Yet still, the demonic power coursing through him remains more powerful than any Liu Mingyan has ever felt up close.
“You good?” Liu Qingge asks, a slight quiver to his voice as his hand on her back grips tighter.
Mingyan pulls him tighter against her in response. Tears well up in her eyes and she hides them by burying her face into his shoulder, but she cannot stop herself from sniffling. Her brother… is alive. She can feel his heartbeat, his body heat and the demonic qi coursing through him is so overwhelming that her instincts can barely stand it.
Beyond that, however… his spiritual core no longer exists.
Liu Mingyan sobs into his shoulder.
She feared something like this. Ever since brother's jade made it back to Mingyan's hands, ever since the reports of sects kept coming back but no information on her brother ever came up. Then Sha Hualing said her brother was here and a small part of Mingyan has known. The only way her brother would be able to handle this much demonic power relied on him entirely forgoing the spiritual side of himself… But now that she sees his face, it is so much. The missing spiritual core doesn’t seem to be a new thing. His meridians are so frayed and damaged ─ it wouldn’t have come from one night of using demonic power alone.
Heaven, he must be hurting so terribly. From the feel of the fever under her fingers, his meridians are a touch away from ripping themselves apart, yet somehow he preserves on, a single, hesitant hand settling down on top of her head and making a mess of her hair.
“Come on now,” Liu Qingge says, as though he feels no pain at all. “You had it rough while I was away, I know. I’m sorry it took so long.”
Liu Mingyan shakes her head, hugging him tighter.
Her brother is alive.
The fears she’s held, the rumors, the hopes of people who have never wished either of them well ─ she’s endured it all for so long. But finally, finally, they’ve been proven wrong. Liu Mingyan could not be more grateful for it in her life.
“Psst, come on. When did you turn into such a crybaby?” Liu Qingge mumbles. “Don’t cry. I’m here, aren’t I? Let’s get you home now.”
But for all that Liu Qingge attempts to guide her out of the hug with a lightest touch, Liu Mingyan remains rooted to the spot. Her eyes remain firmly closed.
“Mingyan?” her brother asks, his voice tinted with the barest trace of concern.
She shakes her head again, struggling to suck in a breath. “I’m… I’m so happy you’re here.”
Liu Qingge tenderly messes up her hair, toying with the black stone hanging off her hairpin with the strangest expression on his face. He, too, likely sees that there is only a mere spark of life left in it.
“I’m sorry, I made you worry,” he says, his voice laced with guilt. “Shen Qingiqu, that fucking bastard… forget it. This isn’t the time nor place for this. I’m taking you home now─”
“LIU QINGGE!” Elder Xiaobo bellows, so Liu Mingyan turns on him immediately.
“Stop it,” she orders, firmly. She feels the eyes on her, staring and shocked, but she doesn’t care for anything anymore. If they've expected resistance from brother, that is one thing. Clearly, they have not expected it from her. Better get used to it, then. Mingyan steps forward, in between brother and everyone else. “Elder Xiaobo’s household has been beaten soundly. Don’t forget that the person you’ve been fighting is the son of the Tian branch and the future heir. Enough damage has been done already.”
“What heir?!” Elder Xiaobo growls. “Liu Qingge has been disowned from the moment he changed his fucking name─”
“In that case, am I not still of higher authority than Elder Xiaobo, myself?” Liu Mingyan cuts in, mercilessly. “As the sole daughter of the direct Tian branch, I order the Chi household to withdraw all of its forces immediately. I will not stop my brother should the rest of you attempt to harm him again.”
Oh, certainly, they’re not willing to play along with this, she can see it in their eyes. But her brother behind her manages to look just menacing enough to the other household members who haven’t been singled out, so they pick themselves up and leave, one by one. Having lost the majority of their support, the Chi branch people themselves don’t try to be stubborn. Slowly, reluctantly, her cousins withdraw, leaving only a few particularly stubborn people to stand there alone.
“SCRAM!” Liu Qingge roars, slamming his foot into the ground, and that does the rest of it.
Liu Mingyan doesn’t expect them to go far. Surely, eyes remain on them for as long as they stay within the family’s walls, but that doesn’t matter, at this point. Focusing back on her brother, Liu Mingyan can’t help but lay her palm flat against his chest and pour spiritual power there, as much as she can manage.
“Stop it,” Liu Qingge grumbles, avoiding her eyes. “I’m fine.”
“In which language’s dictionary does brother’s current state possibly translate to fine?” Liu Mingyan all but cries. “If I start listing off everything that’s wrong, we are going to be standing here all night─”
“Ignore it,” brother grumbles, unwillingly. “It’s not great, but I’m managing. I’ve had worse─”
“As if I cannot tell!” Mingyan cries out. “If Mu-shishu saw this, he’d never let you off the…” but Mingyan herself loses her words here. How long has it been since either one of them has last been on Cang Qiong Mountain? Mingyan daydreams of going back every day. But brother…
Slowly, brother pries her hand away from his chest, even more pointedly looking away. Both his cheeks and ears are fast gaining color. “Forget the sect,” he says. “It just ain’t worth it. We’re on our own now.”
“... brother does not seriously mean that, does he?” Liu Mingyan murmurs. Merely entertaining the idea makes her vaguely nauseous─
“It’s their fucking fault you’re here. I warned Yue Qingyuan, I fucking warned him. Either he gets both of us or none. The sect screwed up, letting these bastards pull the nonsense they did, now they better own up to it─”
“Brother doesn’t seriously think I remain here because I’m afraid of making my way back?” Liu Mingyan blurts, before she can stop herself. Well, yes, she has been afraid of certain things, in the past. More than anything, she feared the more malicious members of the family might cause undue trouble to people who surely don’t deserve it… but none of that has been the glue keeping her at home for so many years.
Liu Qingge, notably, makes no reaction to either confirm nor deny it. “Don’t protect these bastards, Mingyan. Everything that happened to you in the Immortal Alliance Conference is their fault─”
“As a matter of fact, my disqualification in the aftermath of the Immortal Alliance Conference is a mistake of my own making,” Mingyan cuts him off, finally forcing herself to face her brother properly. As her words register, a little of his silent rage gives way to confusion.
“Don’t defend them,” he says anyway. “This shit has Liu Qiang’s hands all over it, but it doesn’t fucking matter. They all failed you. Yue Qingyuan. Shen Qingqiu and that bitch from Xianmo sect─”
“That’s right,” Liu Mingyan says, trying not to look away from those piercing eyes burning with rage the more brother talks. “Elder Xiaobo arranged with Lady Qiu of Xianmo sect for me to be taken home against my will. But brother, if I had refused to go along with it, do you truly think Elder Xiaobo and the Xianmo sect could have forcefully kept me here for eternity?”
Brother makes a face ─ it would be a funny face, under any other circumstances ─ but anything that should be funny now manages to somehow become heartbreaking instead.
“You were never meant to be forced back─” he is attempting to say, but Liu Mingyan has had enough of this.
“Brother, stop it,” she says. “I always knew I would have to go home, eventually. Between you and me, whether we like it or not, one of us will have to bear the burden of leading this family eventually. Your personal feelings on this matter aside, it was always going to end like this. I know it. I accept it. And I am ready to face it, come what may. I don’t fear responsibility.”
“That’s not the fucking point! These bastards have no right to force you into anything─”
“I am choosing to stay with my own will!” Mingyan exclaims ─ the words surprising her as much as they surprise brother.
He stares at her, blankly for a long moment, before saying, “You don’t mean it─”
“I do.”
Brother blinks, stunned. Mingyan catches herself wiping a tear. She’s not at all sure what’s brought it out. She takes a deep breath, coming to realize that although the words have come out of her on their own, she does mean every single thing that she has said.
Elders of the clan have done a marvelous job, keeping her stuck in a gilded cage. Regardless, the blood barrier that had been the only real restraint had been undone by her brother many years ago and it cannot be rebuilt ─ not with their mother among the deceased. The clan elders could have threatened her, blackmailed her, intimidated her ─ but speaking frankly, Liu Mingyan has been capable of leaving despite all that for a long time now. Has considered it, more than once.
She chooses to stay, every time nostalgia of missing Cang Qiong Mountain hits her a little too hard, every time a new spy enters the household and Mingyan wishes she could go with them as they’re kicked out. The choice to turn her eyes the other way is something she is consciously making ─ and if there is anyone whose words are keeping her here, it is Uncle Qiang’s ─ and not in the way brother fears it.
“One of us, it will have to be,” Liu Mingyan whispers softly. “Brother knows how legacy works in this family. Grandfather could have chosen either one of his two children, but he chose mother. Our mother had, perhaps unintentionally, chosen me. That Uncle Qiang is doing what he is doing comes at the expense of things he shouldn’t have ever been forced into giving up.”
Brother stares at her, the red in his eyes pulsing madly. “Neither should you.”
“Then, will you do it? When brother cannot stand to look at more than half the family and they feel the same in turn? I don’t mind. Not all of my memories here are sad and lonely. Brother came through for me when I needed it most and I have grown strong enough to stand on my own feet. I cannot hide behind you forever.”
“So what? You’ll let them parade you around and promise your hand in marriage to every fucking bastard who looks your way? They already had a choice and they fucking sold you to Huan clan for a bunch of scraps─”
“Brother gave me a voice, because of that,” Liu Mingyan says. “Brother took me away and handed all the power I needed to make such decisions to my hands personally. Let them try again, if they dare.”
Liu Qingge scowls darkly, his fists clenching and unclenching, but her words have stirred something within him, she can see it. It’s not just that stupid marriage ceremony that is bothering him ─ his mind is sharp and something must have stood out from the beginning. He is probably just missing one piece, the most crucial of them all. Liu Mingyan wishes she could just tell him ─ but brother has never appreciated being told what to think.
“Impossible,” Uncle Qiang had called him. “Stubborn beyond measure.”
Liu Mingyan cannot help the sad smile that stretches along her lips. Those are probably the qualities that she has appreciated the most about him all along.
“Brother, how many years ago was it?” she asks, softly. “It only makes sense if you don’t remember. But do you know? My marriage to the Huan clan’s son had always been intended as a private affair, quiet and without much scrutiny. Most elders weren’t supposed to know about it. Uncle Qiang himself was only meant to figure it out after it was over and done with. So. If more than half the Liu clan wasn’t aware that I was being sold off for cheap, then how did you, a Cang Qiong Peak Lord with next to no connection to the life of nobility, come to know about it?”
Liu Qingge swallows, his hand frozen in the air as the dots connect seamlessly. “Surely, it was Uncle Qiang─”
“Right?” Liu Mingyan chuckles, a little strangled. “Uncle is not a strong man. All the more reason he had to become crafty.”
“He still let the bastards sell you for a bunch of scraps─”
“He took a risk that hinged on brother going against all common sense to save a child he never met,” Liu Mingyan says. “No matter how unhappy that might make you, brother should still be aware of it. At the end of the day, Uncle Qiang raised both of us very differently. It stands to reason that he understands how each of us thinks.”
“That doesn’t mean the bastard won’t sacrifice you the moment he has no other move to make,” Liu Qingge snaps. “Mingyan. I took you to Cang Qiong Mountain to get you out of this madness. No matter what happens, there is not a soul in this place who wants me back. With you, it’s different. Staying here is trapping yourself in the lion’s den─”
“That’s right,” Liu Mingyan agrees. “Brother is just ignoring one thing. This humble kitten has grown into a lioness of her own right. Every sliver of power I possess has been gifted to me by brother's own hand. I’m not a child anymore. In this wicked game of power and politics, I have become a player, too. Whether by choice or necessity, I’ve joined the race, even if the odds have always been stacked against me. No matter what, I am not going to back down now.”
Liu Qingge pats her hair gently, but the look in his eyes ─ it’s not happy. It’s not even accepting. It is, however, resigned to fate the same way Liu Mingyan has chosen to be, even if every fiber of her being wishes she could fight against it.
Brother’s eyes subconsciously drift over to the ruins around them, the look on his face making it clear he wouldn’t mind making the rest of the entire city exactly like this. He sucks in a breath, shoulders tense and rigid.
“If I go now… if I leave without you… I might not be able to come back.”
Liu Mingyan swallows. So, it’s not just that brother has come here to honor a promise made to her. He has been waiting ─ for years. For what, exactly? What has he been hoping for, if he is only coming for her now that he thinks he may not get a chance to do so again? The very direction of her thoughts fills her with dread.
“What…” she mumbles, uncertainly, “... what is brother hoping to do?”
“Something dangerous.”
As if that’s not how it always is. Mingyan pouts at him, not for the first time furious that the veil prevents him from seeing it.
He grimaces as though he can tell either way.
“It’s dangerous,” he says. “It’s stupid. It’s not any of my business. But that thing in Juedi gorge shouldn’t fucking exist─”
“Ah,” Liu Mingyan murmurs, the chill of the realization tingling along her spine. “Brother intends to set Luo-shixiong free, isn’t it?” He may have been the only one attempting it all along.
Liu Qingge nods. Then he catches himself. “How the fuck do you─”
“Brother may not think so, but I have actually done all I could to keep track of most things that happen outside of Tianyao. I suppose… that brother’s current condition is a result of brother having tried something similar before, but it hasn’t gone well?”
Liu Qingge grits his teeth, but he nods.
Liu Mingyan hesitates. Gently, she presses her palm against his chest again. This time, she doesn't attempt to meddle. His current state is delicate enough as is. “Then, all this demonic power now─”
“Gotta give it back,” brother murmurs, miserably. “I can’t handle it either way.”
Ah… he really can’t, can he? Brother has always been more naturally in tune with the demonic side of their heritage than the heavenly. It is precisely why he has willingly abandoned it in favor of training the talents that didn’t come naturally. It was much like swimming against the current ─ difficult, exhausting. Things that it took him years to master took Mingyan mere days, because they never were wired to do the same things.
None of it really matters now that brother has no spiritual core in him.
“What about after?” Mingyan whispers.
“I don’t know. I didn’t get that far yet.”
Of course not. Brother never would do something so dangerous, if he had any other options left. But at this rate, no matter how strong he is, he has days left either way. Without a spiritual core to sustain him, he can only last for so long. It truly begs the question of how in the world he has possibly managed over the past years ─ but Mingyan fears that if she asks, she truly might not be able to let him leave.
She swallows thickly, nodding slowly.
“Brother shouldn’t give up,” Liu Mingyan says. “Spiritual cores can be built anew. Not for regular cultivators, not really. But there are good sides to being what we are. What we can give away, we can also take. Not all of it needs to be our loss.”
Brother snorts, all too dryly. “I know what I’m doing, Mingyan. I know there’s no real way out of it.”
“It’s Luo-shixiong that brother is choosing,” Liu Mingyan reminds him. “Heavenly Demons can do what no other demon race can. Moreover, Luo-shixiong is a cultivator, too. So long as he knows what must be done, I don’t doubt him. He can do it ─ and he will. Brother can’t take anything that Shixiong isn’t willing to give ─ not from him.”
“It doesn’t matter, either way,” Liu Qingge says. “Even if I don’t make it, I’m coming back as a vengeful spirit to haunt Shen Qingqiu until he ends himself.”
“Brother!”
But he dismisses her entirely, instead tipping his chin back towards where Sha Hualing remains on the ground, after he’d thrown her. “What about that kid? Do you have any idea what you’ve done?”
Liu Mingyan sighs, her eyes falling shut briefly. “Brother need not worry. I’ll take responsibility.”
“Do it right,” he says, tersely. Or else, he doesn’t say, the Chi household will have Sha Hualing’s head for what they’ve both done tonight. If the Chi household hates anything more than they hate brother’s temper, it’s demons roaming free. Mingyan knows. She’s been thinking of ways out of it from the beginning. Frankly, there is really only one way she can do it.
“Just leave it to me,” she says softly. “Miss Sha is safe in my hands.”
Brother closes his eyes, fists clenching.
“Can you really handle this alone?” he mumbles, all too weakly.
Liu Mingyan sighs. “I have seen brother’s face after a long time and I finally know for sure that he was never gone,” she says. “There is nothing in this world that can scare me anymore.”
Liu Qingge watches her intently, the rims of his eyes a little damp, red burning inside them.
“I’ll come back for you,” he promises. “I’ll do what I have to do and then ─ I’ll come get you ─ the moment you give me the word. If you plan to fight this battle, I’m fighting with you.”
Mingyan chuckles, all too fondly. Gently, she cups her brother’s face. “Brother has other battlefields to conquer,” she says. “The Jianghu is on the verge of a bloody conflict and the demon realm is rising. Turbulent times lie ahead. How it will all turn out is anyone’s guess. Brother shouldn’t turn his back on the world for my sake alone.”
“It doesn’t fucking matter, none of that─”
“All of it matters,” Liu Mingyan insists. “Brother has done more than enough for me. It is now time for brother to go and do what is within his power for those who also need him. I, too, will be here, waiting to aid you with whatever you need.”
“Stop talking like I’m the kid here, damn it!”
Mingyan grins at him, fondly. “Well, when brother throws such childish tantrums at home, what else am I to do with him? Stay safe, please, alright? So long as I am here, the Liu family will protect you from anything.”
Brother swallows thickly, but he nods.
He doesn’t make a promise, as he leaves. Mingyan doesn’t think he has the confidence to promise anything he isn’t sure he can deliver, anymore. It’s wrong, all of this. Brother of all people shouldn’t fear anything. He has been her rock in more ways than Mingyan could have ever been for him ─ she doesn’t know what she would do without him. She doesn’t know why she’s wasted so many years, sitting back and letting the world beat her around as it did.
As brother retreats and the rest of the clan begins to emerge from their hiding places, Liu Mingyan comes over to demon saitness left in her care, relieved to see that her initial estimate hasn’t been off. Miss Sha has been hit hard, but brother truly hadn’t intended her harm. She will recover, with a little rest.
However, as she looks up, she finds half the clan staring. Some of them do so warily, others with respect and reverence. Some are simply relieved that all her brother has done was thrash a few homes and break a few bones and then leave. There are many facets to her family, after all. Not all of them are as single-minded in their resentment as certain elders.
One of those elders, in particular, has now set its hateful eyes down on the unconscious demon in her arms.
“Liu Mingyan, explain yourself,” he hisses, would-be intimidating.
Liu Mingyan brushes a few tangles out of Sha Hualing's hair, spitefully. “Should Elder Xiaobo not be the one to explain himself first? The Chi household has raised its weapons against Liu Qingge. I suppose if Elder Xiaobo insists, that may be forgiven ─ but daring to raise your weapons against me, after insisting on taking my spiritual weapon as well. Elder Xiaobo is too shameless.”
“Liu Mingyan, you have no grounds to speak─”
Liu Mingyan merely lifts a palm of her hand, where a shallow cut has remained from how she has defended her brother against an attack before. It hardly stings, as far as injuries go. But Mingyan’s status as the Liu clan’s precious princess doesn’t come merely from fear. Plenty of elders look at her like a delicate maiden that must be protected at all costs ─ it is why Elder Xiaobo had no issue at all, convincing everyone that Mingyan must remain in her quarters for her own safety. And even a non-expert can tell the mark on her hand has been put there by a spiritual weapon. No scar on her body will ever be forgiven ─ not even if it’s placed there by her own family.
“Elder Xiaobo often forgets that I too am a cultivator in my own right and treats me like a precious noble lady,” Liu Mingyan reminds him. “So how is it that Elder Xiaobo forgets that I am still a noble lady whenever it’s convenient for him? The Elder takes my spiritual sword away, then lets his people hurt me? How will the other Elders possibly stand that?”
“You ─ Liu Mingyan, you little bitch─”
“Uncle should be more careful with his language,” Liu Mingyan warns him. “The Chi household has already been torn apart. It won’t do, if I insist that everything that’s happened tonight is your responsibility. Therefore, the cost of rebuilding is also for the Chi household to bear.”
“Liu Mingyan─! The Tian branch bears just as much responsibility─!”
“Do we?” Liu Mingyan counters, mercilessly. “Elder Xiaobo said it himself. My brother was disowned the moment he gave up his birth name. It is your own stance that you are contradicting. Is the Tian branch responsible for a disowned son? How can we possibly be? Choose your angle carefully, Elder Xiaobo. I am done being patient about it.”
She can see it in his face, Elder Xiaobo as he admits his defeat. He always has that same disgusted look about it, as though he cannot possibly bear it. But Mingyan knows what boundaries she is playing with. Her brother had cut off all connection with the Liu family willingly. That he’s made an exception for her doesn’t change the fact that the clan has denounced him in return. By all means, he is as much of an intruder as Sha Hualing is.
Except, if that’s how you all treat it, then that means that by default, you must bow your head to me.
Brother isn’t wrong to fear that half the Liu clan would rather remove Mingyan from existence, if only that meant they’d have him back. But this little display has made it clear, just how impossible that is. Brother truly is far more aware of the consequences his actions have than anyone ever gives him credit for. To him, choosing to have this conversation out in public where anyone can hear it is something he never would have done willingly. Revealing his weakness, his vulnerability ─ brother has never dared to do so. Not until now.
And now, he has done it in such a way that no one can possibly dare force him back ─ nor will they ever have an excuse to do it.
In his own way, he has taken a stand, too. It’s either Mingyan or nothing. Make of it what you will.
Even Elder Xiaobo has no choice but to face it. He also, better than anyone, knows exactly why Mingyan is more than ready to use this against him to the best of her ability.
“Fine,” he concedes. “You can have your spiritual weapon back. But don’t make this matter escalate further than it needs to go.”
Liu Mingyan inclines her head respectfully. “Thanking Elder Xiaobo profusely.”
After all, other than having Shui Se back, she’s not particularly interested in tackling the financial disaster that has come out of this. Uncle Qiang will probably make it her problem anyway, eventually, if only for the sake of learning, but it is currently in everyone’s best interest to keep Liu Mingyan as far away from family’s finances as possible. And the fact that Uncle Xiaobo is willing to go along with it merely tells her that there will be plenty to find, once she actually starts looking.
That’s alright. You have a little time, still. I have other priorities for the time being.
Sha Hualing’s medical care, first and foremost. Mingyan doubts Uncle Qiang would refuse the tomfoolery she is preparing if Sha Hualing is allowed to stay by her side, but surely it will cost her something.
No matter. In one night, I’ve made more progress than I’ve made in years.
I will get there, eventually.
Having seen her brother’s face after so long, she fears nothing.
Had anyone been able to see the smile on her face, they would have called it identical to his. Their temperaments may have been different all along, but Liu Mingyan has been raised by the most dangerous cultivator in the world. She intends to make the best of it.
Notes:
Guys, hey guys! Based on this chap, how do you think PIDW played out from LMY's POV? *hint hint* *wink wink*
Chapter 59: Stirring Connections
Notes:
Yo guys! In the end I could not stay away from this fic for a full two weeks! Can't help myself, I'm so sorry. If my published chapters catch up to my written chapters before I get started on the final arcs I swear I am going to SCREAM
Anyway, here's the first smut chapter to open the summer season a bit early! Did anyone see this coming, mm? Did ya? I have lost all feeling for what's subtle and what isn't after rewriting shit a 1001 times so any feedback is precious lol
Warnings to keep in mind: dub-con, by far the most extreme that's gonna be showing up in this fic at any point in detail. How extreme it is depends on interpretation I guess, but keep it in mind. Other warnings: somnophilia (heavy -- but only sort of), hand jobs, oral, and probably the by far most inverted fuck-or-die ever cause no one is actively dying. I don't even know. Enjoy?
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Mingyan is insane.
Liu Mingyan is doubtlessly, unquestionably and certifiably insane. Every single word that’s come out of her mouth is irrevocably unhinged and Liu Qingge is taking his damn time leaving his stupid ass hometown because every fiber of his being is screaming that leaving his sister behind in this place is a terrible idea.
But… Er.
Apparently, she really is more than capable of taking care of herself. Which was never really anything Liu Qingge doubted about her, but… Ah, forget it. If that girl wants to conquer the world, she might as well. Liu Qingge will certainly not stop her. But as a big brother, he has concerns, none of which have been quelled by going crazy here. Mingyan has grown up surrounded by people who wanted to tear her apart for merely existing ─ and Liu Qingge is certainly not a great example of sensibility. The years she spent around him have sure done his sister good, but they’ve also made her that much bolder than anyone could have anticipated and…
Forget it.
If she wants the clan eating out of her hand, she damn well deserves to have it.
The rules of succession in his clan are simple, but they are strict. The moment the clan first involved itself into the cultivation world, centuries ago, those rules have also become set in stone, magically enhanced in ways Liu Qingge never bothered to learn, because he never fucking cared. Even so, he knows enough. Currently, there are only two people in the whole wide world who satisfy all of those rules.
Fuck it all, Liu Qingge wants to torch this whole place down to its foundation.
He doesn’t, though.
He doesn’t, because…
Mingyan wants this.
Fuck it all, she so clearly wants it that he ─ he can see it in her eyes, just how much she wants to prove herself. That hunger is something he is well familiar with. Even if he has no idea what she is trying to prove so stubbornly, it doesn’t matter, because… Mingyan wants to do it. She knows the bastards around her are just waiting to eat her alive, use all her weaknesses against her, all too eagerly thinking of using any means they can to push her into submission. She knows all of it and she wants to stay in the midst of it anyway…
Liu Qingge doesn’t fucking get it.
Tianyao is not a terrible place and the people who live there under his clan’s thumb are not terrible people. But what the fuck have they done to inspire his sister to fight to rule them all? Where were they when she was being bullied around, sold to other clans at barely twelve years old? They worship the ground she walks on, but discuss her marriage like it’s a given, like they want her gone.
It doesn’t make any sense.
And Liu Qingge can’t even ask her to clarify, because… because this is his fault, too.
Is it too late to go back and destroy some more shit just so he can figure his own head out for a moment? Probably. Come to think of it, if Mobei Jun is still back there, he could do some meddling for─but nah. The moment Liu Qingge stretches his senses, he knows the Mobei clan lord is gone. Bastard probably just threw a few icicles at the kids from his clan, realized they are all jokes and went to take a nap instead. Would hardly be the first time.
“So it is you,” a voice says suddenly, and Liu Qingge doesn’t even blink as he realizes that there is a wholeass carriage blocking his way. The emblems on the sides are familiar enough that Liu Qingge needs not look to know who is in it.
“Get out of my way,” he growls. The thinly disguised threat underneath does not go unnoticed.
His stupid fucking uncle, naturally, does not move out of the damn way.
“Was it you who helped the Southern Demon Lord escape his prison?” the bastard asks, conversationally. Has this fucking weasel somehow climbed the ranks of Tian Yi Overlook high enough to be there on Bailu Mountain? Not that it matters. Liu Qingge has never had any real intention to hide it.
“Get out of my way,” he repeats, less patiently.
The bastard has the gall to lean out and smile at him. “Nephew should be more thoughtful of others when causing trouble for the entire cultivation world,” he says. “This humble elder is not the only one who recognized your presence there.”
“Thoughtful,” Liu Qingge mocks, flatly. “Is that what you consider yourself to be, pulling this shit with my sister?”
Uncle Qiang keeps smiling, the fucking bastard. “Then, what about you? Have you taken care of your sister properly?”
Liu Qingge resists the urge to rip the bastard’s jugular by the skin of his teeth. Instead, he kicks at the carriage, the wood under his foot creaking in complaint. “She doesn’t need me around to fight her battles. It’s you who needs her around to fight yours.”
The bastard twists his head around just enough to smirk in his face, but the fact that Liu Qingge is glaring up at him is making him more furious than anything else, really.
“Nothing stops you from taking that burden away from her,” the bastard says, all too easily. “Do you dare?”
Liu Qingge snorts into his face. “The only reason I haven’t yet destroyed this place is because of her,” he says. “Touch a hair on her head and that will change in a heartbeat.”
“Good,” Liu Qiang says, all too brightly. “You were gone for a good few years, I was starting to get worried. It’s reassuring to know you haven’t changed, not even a little. Your weakest points are still the same.”
Liu Qingge clenches his fists, but doesn’t rise to the bait. Mingyan doesn’t need him to fight her battles. She’s demonstrated that well enough.
He regards his uncle with one more look, then nods to himself.
“Make no mistake,” he says. “If my sister doesn’t kill you by the end of this, I will.”
“Rich to hear that from you, Qingge, when I am the sole reason she is alive. Or did you think the bastards who killed your mother would have let her live, if I hadn’t gotten in the way?”
No, they wouldn’t have. Liu Qingge knows that better than anybody. The debt both he and Mingyan owe to this freak goes much further than he will ever acknowledge out loud. Even so, he hasn’t forgotten.
His sister’s motivation, whatever it may be, is something he will never understand. But he knows exactly what sort of a force of nature he’s raised. Mingyan is powerful, yes. Unhinged? Certainly. But her heart has always, always been in the right place. If she still sees hope in this place, let her protect it, then. If she’s wrong about it, then coming back to destroy it won’t be difficult at all.
Kicking at the carriage one more time like a kid throwing a tantrum, Liu Qingge leaves Tianyao without a single more word spoken. He won’t let Uncle Qiang rile him up into doing something stupid again ─ never again. This is Mingyan’s battleground now. Only if she calls him for help will Liu Qingge ever draw a blade in it again.
Assuming he makes it out of Juedi gorge at all.
It’s the early morning on the day of the summer solstice when Liu Qingge reaches Juedi Gorge. Even though it’s been a while since he’s been here, nothing about this place has changed.
The gorge once spanned seven mountain peaks, all of them lush with greens and blues, bright springs and deep rivers, waterfalls, wondrous stones and valleys sprinkled throughout. Now, this place, befitting of its name, truly is a hopeless land.
The entirety of the gorge swirls with deep, dark mist, like a passageway to absolute destruction. On the outside, the early summer morning is clear and bright, barely a cloud in sight. Inside the gorge, the temperature drops as though he’s stepped into wintery darkness. The sky remains hidden away behind the layers upon layers of fog and clouds… except the fog and clouds are made up of broken demonic consciousness of hundreds of Formless Demons, orbiting around the only source of sustenance they’re bound to by means of an array that makes Liu Qingge’s skin crawl.
The moment Liu Qingge crosses the threshold of the outer edges of the formation, he can feel the deep, unsatiated hunger of the shapeless monsters around him. It tingles his senses and fills him with the kind of cold incomparable to even the depths of the northern demon’s ice palace. He stills the flow of demonic qi through him as much as possible, bracing for the Formless Demons to come at him, just as they did in the past ─ and pass right through, for they cannot interact with anything living.
The Lingering Soul Ritual is no more, undone back when the array binding Luo Binghe was first established ─ all that by the very monster who made it. Skinner, Liu Qingge used to wholeheartedly believe. Now he knows better.
Shen Qingqiu, that fucking monster.
Liu Qingge cannot wait for the day to take this bastard’s life.
But before that, with his hand clutching Cheng Luan, he moves forward through the familiar darkness.
Thinking about it, he has tried to break through this array several times already, with similar results. The first time, he only barely remembers. He’d been feverish and delusional, freshly dragged out of this place by Zhuzhi Lang and Tianlang Jun who have decided to tour Juedi gorge randomly after hearing what happened during the Immortal Alliance Conference. That they’ve found Liu Qingge’s body among the wreckage is either his fortune or misfortune, but it is their assistance that has kept him going way past his expiration date ─ and Liu Qingge is, in his own way, grateful for it.
He still tried to shatter the array out of a destructive, almost suicidal urge, only to fail miserably.
The following attempts hadn’t been much better. All he’d gotten his hands on was an incense burner full to the brim with Luo Binghe’s demonic power, which Liu Qingge had taken in the misguided hope it might be able to help him set the half-demon free.
It couldn’t.
And so now, just as it had for the last three years, Luo Binghe’s body is resting in the very darkest part of Juedi Gorge. Aside from torn up clothes to show that he did not go down without a fight, there is nothing to prove that the half-demon isn’t simply sleeping. The wounds of his body have long healed, leaving unblemished skin behind and nothing but traces of dried blood lingering on the clothes. As if sustained by healthy meals, his body has grown and stretched, like his current circumstance hasn’t physically stunted him at all.
Come to think of it, Tianlang Jun’s body wasn’t too different.
Apparently, Heavenly demons really can survive just about anything, including having a mountain thrown at them and their demonic consciousness broken.
In fact, what’s keeping Luo Binghe’s body trapped here ─ the anchor of the blackened array, the key to making the whole thing operate the way it does ─ is Luo Binghe’s own spiritual weapon, the blade Zheng Yang, the key aspects of the array written across the length of the blade in something crimson and dark. Possibly ritual blood. From the ever-present chill deep in his bones, Liu Qingge fears it might be his blood. The blood of his clan has always been especially beneficial to strengthening all sorts of arrays and talismans ─ though few outsiders should know about it.
Somehow, Shen Qingqiu has learned about it.
Given his nasty brothel tendencies, Liu Qingge has a sinking suspicion he knows how, too ─ even if he’s got no evidence to prove it.
Either way, Luo Binghe’s spiritual sword pierces his chest, working as a summoning point for all the remnants of demonic consciousness, keeping them from drifting too far. The dullest, yet most intense darkness swirls around him, creating a slow, devastating vortex rising high above. Even so, the remnants of demonic consciousness cannot harm Luo Binghe’s body anymore than they could have harmed Liu Qingge. It’s never been that kind of a barrier.
Liu Qingge hadn’t understood the subtleties of it the first few times he tried to meddle.
Luo Binghe was unconscious and seemingly unharmed. Peacefully asleep, as much as it could have been judged from the outside. How could Liu Qingge have known that his body is experiencing a continuous Qi deviation bad enough to hurt anyone who comes near him? These stupid wraiths really only care for his demonic consciousness and qi, nothing else, so the perpetual deviations would have never made a difference to them.
It made all the difference to Liu Qingge. Unprepared and impatient, he’d nearly ended both of them, only Tianlang Jun’s quick intervention preventing things from turning fatal both times.
Now, Liu Qingge knows exactly what to expect, knows exactly what he must do, down to the nastiest detail. And so, as soon as he comes close enough, he falls to his knees, right next to Luo Binghe’s head.
In theory, the solution to all this is simple enough.
Find the root of Luo Binghe’s qi deviation.
Offset it, so the kid can wake up.
And then ─ then…
Liu Qingge swallows thickly. He’ll worry about that part when he gets to it.
As things stand, even the first part feels impossible to put into practice. There are truly far too many ways this can go wrong. He dares not imagine any single one of them.
At its most basic, all qi deviations are a result of spiritual flow imbalance. Whether those spiritual flows run astray under injury, strain or emotional stress, or any number of other reasons, it doesn’t change the fact that the solution to fixing them is always, always about setting the spiritual flows right. For most experienced healers, that process is sensitive enough. The spiritual flows affected must be just right, or else the risk of doing greater damage only ever increases.
For Luo Binghe, the added factor of two wildly different sets of meridians only further complicates the process. Many healers would have never dared try.
For better or worse, Liu Qingge is no healer. He is, however, a bit more suitable for the unconventional methods of resolving such problems.
With the Formless Demons perpetually surrounding the half-demon, eating away at any demonic power they can get their ugly teeth on, Luo Binghe is continuously deviating because the flows of his demonic meridians are out of balance with his spiritual side. Freaks of nature can’t hurt his body thanks to that ridiculous seal on his blood, but with the access to his dreaming mind, they can shatter him from within and that’s ─ frankly, that’s so much worse. To add insult to injury, spiritual cultivation is not impaired at all. In fact, it may have grown even more powerful over time, further disrupting the delicate balance ─ and it is precisely that which is keeping the kid stuck off-kilter, deviation-bound, helpless to break out of it on his own.
So that’s how they end up like this. With Liu Qingge kneeling on the ground next to the half-heavenly demon criminal, trying to figure out how the fuck he is supposed to go about this without necessarily ending both their lives.
It’s ─ it’s ridiculous that he has to do this. What’s even more ridiculous about it is that he has to do it while the bastard isn’t even conscious to see it, to tell him if… if somehow, he’s getting it wrong, missing some other piece… but he’s not an expert with this. He’s never even dreamed he’d have to do… anything… of the sort. Not like this.
But now he's found himself in a unique position and the way Liu Qingge sees it, the only thing that can help Luo Binghe is not at all trying to make up for his lack of demonic qi. The Formless Demons will interfere before he can trade any of it between them, possibly hurt them both irreparably in the process.
No. If Luo Binghe’s reserves of demonic power are at its lowest, the solution in this situation is not to pass him more demonic power to make up for the absence.
No. It is the spiritual qi that must be taken until the bare minimum remains, reestablishing the broken balance. If Liu Qingge’s guess is right, the damaged seal on Luo Binghe’s blood acts like a balancer, in similar ways that it blocks Tianlang Jun’s demonic power ─ and he’s had plenty of time to listen to the Southern Lord complain about it. The purpose of the seal isn’t to just block away the demonic heritage, though. If it were, Luo Binghe would’ve likely never had a chance of accessing any demonic cultivation in his life.
Instead, the water seal on his blood seems to be there as a gauge. To allow Luo Binghe to master both spiritual and demonic power, he’d need to be able to control them in similar proportions. But these two cultivation systems cannot possibly progress at the same rate. Demons in general have instinctual access to their cultivation in more ways than they’re able to understand, meanwhile humans can grow up without ever knowing they have potential to cultivate unless they devote themselves to it wholly.
In other words, the water seal preventing Luo Binghe from accessing demonic cultivation is only doing so in limited ways. As he grows and settles into himself, his spiritual cultivation should eventually grow powerful enough to handle his volatile demonic nature. Once the natural balance is established, the seal should fade away on its own.
Or at least, that had been Tianlang Jun’s nonsense, trying to explain away how the water seal on his blood is wholly linked to the seal on Luo Binghe’s blood and why they are both currently entirely crippled by it.
Liu Qingge isn’t sure if he is convinced of it ─ the Incense Burner itself his most damning reason ─ or else if he simply doesn’t have anything else to latch onto. The key takeaway from it all is that, once the balance of Luo Binghe’s spiritual and demonic meridians is reestablished, the kid should ─ hopefully ─ be able to open his eyes.
Maybe.
That said, to take all that spiritual qi away from Luo Binghe, it’s Liu Qingge who has to do it ─ and without a spiritual core to contain it, that’s just… There is really only one way he can do it, now. And even if he still had his spiritual core, it most likely still would have been the best and most certain way.
Liu Qingge cannot believe this fucking insanity.
Is he… is he really just gonna…?
Shit. He doesn’t have a choice, does he? That’s the whole problem, isn’t it? If that bastard, Shen Qingqiu, hadn’t destroyed his spiritual core, then surely, he wouldn’t need to…
But it’s futile, thinking about that now. If he lets himself dwell on the what-ifs, then when would he ever stop? Where has it all gone wrong? He doesn’t fucking get it.
Whatever reservations and fears he clings on to, he must put those aside now. Luo Binghe… is a sneaky bastard who is more than capable of exacting justice for himself. Liu Qingge will have to rely on that.
With that thought in mind, Liu Qingge bends his neck over and kisses Luo Binghe on the mouth.
It’s ─ a very awkward position. Their heads are upside down and Liu Qingge’s neck and spine hurt, bending over that way. His arm aches from previous injuries. It’s the only way he can do it, though, what with a very dangerous sword in his way to obstruct him from anything else, so he ignores the awkward stretch of his body as he tilts Luo Binghe’s chin up for better access.
It is an odd feeling, kissing someone who can’t kiss him back. He can’t relax, can’t get out of his head about it, get it out of his mind that any contact he makes receives no response. He’s stubborn about making it work, persistent and determined, yes, but repeatedly pressing his mouth against someone who can’t respond to him like this ─ it isn’t doing anything. It’s bad enough that he has to do it, so why the fuck is it not working?! The only time Liu Qingge ever kissed someone, it had taken mere seconds and even his head was fucking spinning, and the other party was absolutely lost…
He was awake.
Shit, that’s right. Shen Yuan had a plethora of issues, but he was awake and kissing him back, and from that alone, Liu Qingge had enough cues to take, enough hints to know how…
Now he has absolutely nothing.
He ─ he thinks about it again. About how he’s done it, with Shen Yuan. Remembers vividly the absolute, overwhelming feeling of power he had over that person, a conviction that no matter what he said, the other party would deliver. And pure, unadulterated fright, that if he were to give off a wrong hint, Shen Yuan might still scramble over himself and run with it.
That’s what the power of the demonic essence of his clan has always been. Their open secret and their single-most dangerous weapon, a tool of mindless control they can force over just about anyone ─ or anything ─ if so inclined.
Mingyan has this terrible habit of using that on everybody, if only in small doses, without consciously meaning to. She has poor awareness of just how overwhelming she is to people around her and more often than not, if there is no that stupid veil on her face, she tends to lose the feel for it entirely. Liu Qingge never realized the extent of what she could do when she did it intentionally ─ not until he saw the state of Sha Hualing. That poor demon lady probably has not a single clue what she’s done or how she’s done it and Mingyan, damn it all, is a gentle brat who has no reservations about making use of it regardless of the morality.
In contrast, the only time Liu Qingge has done something even remotely similar, unintentionally, Shen Yuan had not been in the right state of mind for anything ─ and that idiot still found ways to argue with him or bypass specific orders by means of dumbass loopholes he should’ve never been able to think up. That ─ that really tells him, what a pathetic pleb he is compared to Mingyan, when it comes to this.
And the person he needs to stimulate that way isn’t even conscious, so that means… it means… fuck, Liu Qingge doesn’t even want to know what that means. But kissing alone isn’t doing shit and that’s… not enough, clearly.
He reaches for Cheng Luan without looking and unsheathes the sword a finger's width. Then he picks a random finger and runs it along the edge until it prickles, and by the time Cheng Luan is sheathed again, blood is already pooling on his fingertip. With his other hand, he pries Luo Binghe’s mouth apart, smearing the droplets of blood across his tongue.
Immediately, he can feel both the spiritual and demonic qi stir. Right. Lust demon essence tends to mess with that, sometimes. Mostly, really, it only messes with their lust, specifically towards the person doing this shit. Some demon races, unfortunately, are more sensitive to it than others. Liu Qingge isn’t sure which side of the equation the heavenly demons fall upon, but this should work either way.
So, the next time Liu Qingge bends over to kiss the kid, he’s just a fraction more relaxed about it. At every little brush of their mouth, the demonic qi stirs ─ for a moment only before it is gobbled up by the wraiths around them.
It’s better than nothing.
Those open-mouthed kisses, though… no matter how many times Liu Qingge tries it, they’re still not doing much. So, Liu Qingge tilts that chin a little bit more, then pries those lips further open, until there’s enough space to dart his tongue inside and brush it against Luo Binghe’s.
The spike of demonic energy that follows is just a little higher than before, but it draws a pained gasp through Luo Binghe’s teeth that Liu Qingge swallows up eagerly. Alright! Maybe ─ maybe ─ he doesn’t need to resolve the Qi deviation before waking up Luo Binghe. Maybe he can wake him up first and work from there, even if that’s probably going to feel awful for the kid ─
It’s still less awful than cosying up to a sleeping body.
Luo Binghe is a durable bastard. He can handle a little deviation, really.
Mind set, Liu Qingge kisses him deeper, with more intent behind it, less reservation. He focuses on more than just the lips and the tongue. Hands firmly touching along the side of Luo Binghe’s hair, face and neck, Liu Qingge makes doubly sure that the entirety of the energy flows in his own body are stilled as much as possible. He switches between shallow tongue brushes and the deep, demanding movement, and it’s the alteration that is seemingly provoking the most reactions. Luo Binghe is by no means awake, but he is responsive and apparently, a little tongue action is more than enough to get other things moving. Thank fuck.
“That’s right,” he mumbles against the kid’s ear, brushing his mouth along the shell and grazing the earlobe with his tongue ─ anything, really, just to get something back. “Come on. A little more. Keep going.”
A grunt, pathetically weak and breathless against his skin, is all he gets. Still, Liu Qingge abandons everything else he’s been working on in order to press both his tongue and his mouth on the skin under the ear, grazing his teeth against it before deciding to simply suck on it, just light enough to get a little suction. Luo Binghe’s breathing hitches. Liu Qingge moves on to pull at the tiny earring with his teeth, grazing the skin in the process.
There’s spiritual power in that jade earring. Very little, but it’s not Luo Binghe’s. Good. Liu Qingge sucks around it harder, stimulating a form of connection between it and the rest of the body. That connection draws yet another little gasp.
“Mm, just like that,” Liu Qingge murmurs. Can that brat even hear him? His face is burning up regardless of the answer, but what is shame gonna do at this point? He’s gotta keep going. Best to just stop thinking and do whatever comes to mind.
He moves over and sucks at the junction between the neck and the jaw a little more harshly, and the way all the muscles of the demon's body spasm is telling.
Liu Qingge does his best to encourage more of that. Deeper, more demanding kisses. Light, feather touches. Along the skin of his face, neck and even further down, along the collarbone and the chest… except that stupidass sword there keeps getting in his way. What the fuck is it with Shen Qingqiu and impaling people through the chest?! Liu Qingge is pissed, just knowing it’s there.
In a moment of sheer frustration, he breaks the kiss and glares up at the damn spiritual weapon.
The dark-red symbols drawn along the edges gleam dangerously, as though they’re mocking him. What was it that Mingyan said about the stupid tree symbols when included in arrays? Something something about them marking spatial techniques. Techniques that need solid anchors ─ but they’re flexible with the amount of Qi they can handle. The stronger the anchor, the harder they are to break. And Luo Binghe’s spiritual weapon is a sturdy one. It won’t break, surely, no matter what Liu Qingge tries to do about it.
Either way, Liu Qingge ducks back down and sucks a small mark into that pale neck, doing all he can not to stir up the demonic power which is naturally trying to react, but the immeasurable amounts of spiritual power that just sit there, uselessly.
It’s a little like trying to move a mountain with his tongue.
Liu Qingge presses his lips back against that warm and moist mouth as his hands travel up to rip the robes over Luo Binghe’s chest open. With the damages already sustained, the fabric gives easily. Tatters fall to the side, revealing the sweat-streaked naked chest. That’s… really a lot of skin. Liu Qingge swallows a lump, careful to move around the stupid ass impaled thing, pressing his mouth against the firm chest muscle.
The reaction is definitely there. A mere twitch, but that’s ─ really, Liu Qingge will take anything he can get. And so, he drags his open mouth wetly against the skin and the muscle, and when that isn’t enough, he adds a little bit of tongue before just straight up sucking another mark.
Luo Binghe’s entire body jolts. There we go.
It’s just warm up, but it’s working. By the time Liu Qingge closes in on what has been his target to start with, Luo Binghe is hard enough for it to show through his clothes. Gently, Liu Qingge teases a circle around the nipple with the tip of his tongue, all too encouraged as it draws yet another whole-body shudder.
One palm pressing into Luo Binghe’s body to keep him in place for the grand finale, Liu Qingge rolls his tongue across that tiny, hard bud on the demon’s chest, sending a small burst of demonic Qi in just the right spot to provoke a full-out blast.
Luo Binghe’s body jumps , the palm of Liu Qingge’s hand the only thing holding him down to prevent any serious injuries as that stupid ass ritual sword goes shooting up in the air like an arrow. Before it can land and cause more trouble, Liu Qingge sends it flying into the rocks with a blast of demonic power, all too satisfied with the noise of metal scraping against rock as it stabs all the way through right to the guard. Not destroyed, so who even knows if the array is broken or not, but for the time being, out of the way.
Unfortunately for Luo Binghe, that sword has long since been heavily attuned to his spiritual power. With it’s sudden absence, Luo Binghe’s body starts convulsing, the mildly dangerous qi deviation rapidly turning fatal─
Except that doesn’t mean shit anymore because Luo Binghe’s body is finally free to move and Liu Qingge makes full use of it. Scooping the limp kid in his arms and pressing him to his chest, Liu Qingge pours generous amounts of demonic Qi into his body and over that hole in his chest.
Like, it’s a stupid thing, to do that. Liu Qingge feels the drain as the demonic qi gets devoured by the darkness around them almost as soon as it's given away ─ the array is definitely still working ─ but at least it keeps things from getting worse, if only for a short time.
Liu Qingge uses every spare second he can get to move Luo Binghe’s unconscious form away from the root of the dark array. By dislodging the sword, the innermost part of said array is no longer linked to Luo Binghe’s body, so the broken demonic consciousness around them no longer has a clear target. Simply changing locations won’t do shit about getting rid of it, though. Before long, the qi transfer becomes simply too taxing and too useless and Liu Qingge is forced to face the facts.
There is no cheating his way around this.
Out of breath and drenched in sweat, Liu Qingge collapses together with the demon in his arms onto a nearest patch of grass, the only one he manages to find in the barren lands. Even so, he doesn’t let go of the kid, doesn’t stop passing demonic power even if the detrimental sides of it are beginning to rear its ugly head ─ it’s so stupid. The kid is a half-heavenly demon. The demonic power coursing through Liu Qingge’s meridians is his to begin with. So why the fuck is getting that power back doing so much damage? It’s not fair.
So many things about this are just… not fucking fair.
Allowing his eyes to fall shut for a moment, Liu Qingge slows down the trickle of power between them to near non-existence, then eventually cuts it off entirely. Just as expected, Luo Binghe’s muscles all tense up, his momentarily peaceful face quickly turning contorted and pained. Liu Qingge repositions them slightly, until the demon is flat with his back on the ground and Liu Qingge presses him down, using his body weight to stop the kid from thrashing around.
Desperately, he presses his lips to the pale skin of that neck, whispering softly against it, “Just a little bit. The worst… the worst is over. Endure it just a little.”
Except that’s a flat out lie and it’s only himself Liu Qingge is trying to convince.
He pushes on anyway. Luo Binghe… has no choice but to endure. Just for as long as it takes for him to wake up, for as long as it takes for him to break through this… Liu Qingge has to do it.
Shaky hands fall to undo the sash on his waist, but fail repeatedly. It’s clumsy and after too many attempts leave him heaving in frustration, he finally rips the damn thing by force, shrugging off the outer robe before hurrying to strip the inner layers as well. Piece by piece, he shoves them aside, until the fabric clings to nothing but his elbows.
With Luo Binghe’s upper robes already in tatters, doing the same to his bottoms should come easier, but the situation is the exact opposite. The Qing Jing uniform on him is just barely recognizable and removing all that is more like ripping off the layers of old skin, leaving flushed red flesh underneath naked and all too sensitive to the elements. Sweat is building up on the sides of his face and neck, and so Liu Qingge wipes it off with his sleeve.
His face lingering a little above Luo Binghe’s, that pained expression is all the more impossible to ignore. A thumb clinging to his cheek, Liu Qingge says, “I’m only trying to help. Let me.”
He doesn’t know if those words are able to do anything. The expression on Luo Binghe’s face hardly changes and his eyes stay closed. The Qi deviation impairing him seems to be just the slightest bit less damaging, as though he is subconsciously trying to correct it on his own ─ but there’s nothing he can do by himself to solve this.
“Let me,” Liu Qingge repeats, softly. “I can do it. I know how. Like it or not, I’m good for that kind of thing… so just… let me.”
Can you even hear me?
Liu Qingge doesn’t know. He tries not to think about it. He turns back to stripping Luo Binghe off his pants and ─ his hands are shaking too much. He can’t get his fingers to listen. The most he manages is to push them down halfway over his thighs and the rest just won’t give, having caught onto something and ─ Liu Qingge hates it. Hates every fucking moment of this, hates every fiber of his being that he is a beast who can do something like this.
The body under him is no longer violently thrashing ─ merely shuddering. Weakly.
To a fool, it might’ve seemed as if things are improving.
Liu Qingge doesn’t dare entertain the notion.
His eyes linger on the earring, just barely gleaming in the darkness, hidden under the messy streaks of curly hair. If he tries to mess with it again, he might just destroy it. But if he doesn’t, the alternative…
That’s Shen Yuan’s spiritual energy.
Or a mixture of it with Shen Qingqiu, a consequence of the body swap. Probably all of it that’s left in this world. The only evidence that fool ever existed. If Liu Qingge tries to make use of it, he’ll be back to nothing and… Liu Qingge can’t bear that. There are other ways to do this, humiliating as they may be. His face will never be able to take it, hell no… but this isn’t about his face, anymore. It’s not about pride, either.
Don’t think, he reminds himself. Don’t fall into that trap. Just do it.
And so, Liu Qingge takes that thing between Luo Binghe’s legs, swollen and engorged and ─ fucking shit. Why is it so big, damn it all?! One hand will barely be enough to─
Screw it, it’s only one hand that he’s got for this. The other, the one that still hurts like a fucking bitch, that one he buries under Luo Binghe’s neck to press that face closer against himself, maximize the skin contact, and maintain the balance of the spiritual flows throughout the whole thing. He presses his face into the junction between the neck and the shoulder, kissing, licking, dragging his teeth along it. Anything, as long as it allows for more skin to reach skin.
As for that thick, burning weapon now stuck between their bodies ─ Liu Qingge tries not to think about it. He pumps.
He can’t gauge if the strength he uses is too much or too little. The veins under his fingers are pulsing wildly, the heat over there much higher than the skin of Luo Binghe’s upper body. That’s why Liu Qingge tries to further kiss around the neck area, under the ears, even rub their cheeks together.
To stir spiritual power in Luo Binghe’s body he needs more of it in his own, but he can hardly get it unless ─ unless…
Fuck. Liu Qingge doesn’t care what made up rules heavenly demons live by, he’s just ─ he ─
He kisses Luo Binghe on the mouth, prying his lips open to push his tongue inside as deep as it can go. What he’s doing now is probably even worse than simply forcing the intercourse the way it should go ─ but Liu Qingge can’t. This ─ this is all he dares to do and it’s too much already. Too disrespectful. Too cruel. And yet that’s all he can do.
With every deeply invasive movement of the tongue he makes, he draws a little spiritual power. With every rhythmic pump down below, he forces Luo Binghe’s body to submit. And he needs more. If he’s going to fix anything, he needs so much more. And so he pushes his tongue down Luo Binghe’s throat one more time, drawing what little spiritual power he can to link it straight to the earring─
Luo Binghe chokes against that tongue, his eyes snapping open.
Immediately, Liu Qingge withdraws, his whole body trembling. This… there’s no way this could have been enough─
But Luo Binghe is gasping, his chest heaving with every breath he takes, as though his lungs have forgotten how to function. Those pure-black eyes are riddled with purplish cracks, the focus in them scattered and hazy, but they’re frantically trying to take in everything around him. One of his arms attempts to push Liu Qingge away, but under the effects of a qi deviation still wreaking havoc on his demonic meridians, what strength he musters feels barely any stronger than a gentle pat.
Liu Qingge… gulps. “Are you ─ are you awake? Actually awake?”
Luo Binghe responds by a breathless hum, but when those unfocused eyes land on Liu Qingge, they hold still, the entire shuddering mess of his body calming down slightly. Shit. This whole thing really did him in terribly.
“Listen, I ─” but Liu Qingge chokes, because. What the fuck, how is he supposed to say this? But a barely conscious Luo Binghe is still infinitely better than the alternative so he ─ he forces the words. “You… need demonic qi. I need spiritual. Mutual exchange. Got it?”
Luo Binghe stares blankly at him, as though those words have been said in some foreign language he’s never heard before. Very slowly, those eyes shift away from him to look down, where Liu Qingge’s hand holds onto his abnormally large cock, fully hard and pulsing. His eyebrows furrow, and he looks back up, confusion evident.
“Liu Qingge?” he breathes out, barely audible, as though he can hardly speak. “Wha…wha…” but he winces then, another painful pulsing of his meridians likely sending a whole world of agony along his spine. Liu Qingge shifts his palm over from his neck to the aching point in his back to soothe the agony, but that does very little to help.
“Gotta handle your qi deviation first,” Liu Qingge reminds him, voice strained. Then ─ once that’s done, he’s gotta… gotta take a little spiritual qi for himself. And then ─ well, assuming a Qi deviation of his own doesn’t kill him, he’s gotta break the rest of the array. Only then ─ only then can he send the rest of the demonic energy back where it belongs.
Of course, he doesn’t actually say any of it. Luo Binghe doesn’t look like he is able to process even this much. He seems to be drifting between a state of wakefulness and some sort of a trance, fighting against himself to keep his eyelids from closing. He loses that battle fairly quickly. He also wraps his fingers around where Liu Qingge’s hand is already gripping his cock, tightening the hold.
Liu Qingge’s face burns.
“Hey! Don’t just…” but screw it, this really isn't the time to talk.
It takes another deep, invasive kiss to get those eyes to open again, before the half-lidded gaze riddled with cracks settles back on his face. Luo Binghe’s lips, red and swollen from how much Liu Qingge has tortured them, twitch slightly.
“Liu… Qingge…” he manages to mumble, his other hand lifting up to rest on the Bai Zhan Peak Lord’s head, fingers tangling in his hair.
“Mm, that’s right,” Liu Qingge confirms. As long as this stupid demon knows, as long as he understands─
In an unexpected burst of strength, that demon shoves Liu Qingge’s head down. Down and down until his cheek almost ─ fuck. The shove came so suddenly, there was no way for Liu Qingge to brace for it. But now his cheek is right next to that moist slit and Luo Binghe’s fingers are still tangled in his hair, making it impossible to do anything about it. It’s like that crazy demon is exerting all his power to keep him there, flexing his fingers around─
Oh.
It’s all Liu Qingge can do not to jump at the opportunity.
His heart beats double the rate as he takes the hint, the sheer relief of that gesture making his head spin. It’s ─ of all things, he never would have thought to do this. But now Luo Binghe is all but demanding it. And that’s. Liu Qingge feels like a mountain has been lifted off his shoulders. He has his cues now. Hints. Instructions, what to do, where to go from here.
Almost gratefully, Liu Qingge’s mouth wraps around the head of Luo Binghe’s cock. He doesn’t have a single fucking clue what he’s doing, but it can’t be that difficult. It’s just a dick. It is a gigantic, swollen dick that is leaking precome and Liu Qingge’s mouth can barely wrap around it ─ but it’s just a dick. And those ─ those are simple. A little lick here, a little suction there… easy. So long as Luo Binghe doesn’t do something monumentally stupid such as trying to shove that whole damn thing down his throat, Liu Qingge ─ he can handle this. He might even ─ go all the way and just take everything.
It’s telling volumes about his priorities that thinking about it doesn’t immediately make him want to vomit.
“More,” Luo Binghe whispers, his voice shaky. Broken. Raspy. That throat has spent years out of use and is only now remembering how to form sounds. They’re these stupid fucking annoying words that make Liu Qingge want to hit him. But they are familiarly annoying, and he ─ he hopes to hear more of them.
Perhaps that means that doing exactly what Luo Binghe says is at least a little counterproductive, but Liu Qingge is beyond thinking too deeply about it. Just as Luo Binghe asks, Liu Qingge takes that monster cock deeper into his mouth, until it feels like he might choke on it, until he can’t possibly take more ─ but Luo Binghe’s fingers dig into his hair and push until Liu Qingge is choking, throat constricting, tightening up against the obstruction that’s gone way too deep─
Luo Binghe whimpers as he comes, the powerful pulses of liquid shooting down Liu Qingge’s throat feeling like a breath of life he never knew was lacking. It is so, so overwhelming, to the point he is suffocating, trying and failing to get that thing in his mouth out of there ─ but that only makes it worse because Luo Binghe is still coming, and the spurts of that musk against the back of his throat are a sensory overload he can’t deal with.
It’s only once Luo Binghe begins to pull out that Liu Qingge notices his whole body is shaking. That heavy cock drags along his tongue before it slips out, leaving a bitter aftertaste lingering and a thick trail of spit connecting them for a little longer than strictly necessary. Then Luo Binghe’s whole body goes lax, weak and useless and still shuddering. With his head turned to the side, he keeps making soft little sounds that he must’ve been making all along, except Liu Qingge is only hearing them now over the blood rushing to his head. All of this is so… so…
He snaps his eyes shut in sheer humiliation and loathes the way it makes his own dick twitch.
“You…” Luo Binghe rasps, the broken eyes falling onto him all too dull. “Do you… have a single fucking idea… what you’ve done?”
Liu Qingge rolls his eyes, half-heartedly. “Saved your fucking life, that’s what I did.”
The demon growls, but it sounds more like he’s whining. His breathing has yet to settle. The qi deviation seems to have quelled for now… mostly, because that idiot seems to have gotten a very good clue what Liu Qingge was doing. To think that all the excess spiritual power is now in Liu Qingge’s body in the form of something that will actually take a little time before it becomes anything usable…
“My head hurts,” Luo Binghe whines.
Which one, Liu Qingge doesn’t ask. The demon doesn’t look to be in the right state of mind to appreciate such crude humor and that stupid mark on his forehead is pulsing and that’s ─ that’s gotta be bad.
With some effort, Liu Qingge untangles the mess in his hair, removes what little accessories stay there to let it flow behind him freely, then pushes himself up, throwing a glance over the demon’s whole body.
Luo Binghe… really doesn’t look like some bastard who spent three years stuck in hell tailor-made for him. There’s not a scratch on his glass-like skin, not a scar, nor even a bruise ─ not anymore. His hair is a mess and his teeth seem to be trying to tear an open wound on his lips, eyes clenched shut tightly and face scrunched up in ways that make him look like a child doing his best to endure an agony. In the corners of his eyes, moisture lingers.
Before he can think better of it or even stop himself, Liu Qingge brushes a hand along the side of his face, shuddering at the feverish heat that comes from it.
“Again,” he says.
It’s just step one that they’ve managed to pull through. And while Liu Qingge certainly hopes that doesn’t mean he will have to suck Luo Binghe through three more orgasms, the fact of the matter is, beyond fixing one small thing, they’ve barely done anything.
Next to him, Luo Binghe can’t contain a shudder. “You are fucking crazy.”
“Mhm,” Liu Qingge confirms, then kisses away a tear before it can spill. “I already got what I came here for. From here on, I’ve got nothing to lose. Do you?”
Luo Binghe’s breath hitches, fist clenching… but after a moment, his body relaxes a little.
“Was it… Shen Qingqiu… who removed your spiritual core?” he asks, unexpectedly, that voice barely higher than a whisper. How he’s gotten the understanding of the situation so quickly, Liu Qingge doesn’t care to know. It doesn’t seem like Luo Binghe cares for his answer, either.
“I will fix it for you,” he whispers, that fractured gaze in his eyes wonderfully enigmatic. “Liu Qingge,” he calls, visibly struggling to keep his eyes from closing. The Bai Zhan War God plants a chaste kiss against the side of his neck, along a tiny birthmark he previously never noticed. The demon leans into it, shuddering. “Liu Qingge, you bastard. Using those lust demon tricks on me. I should tear off your limbs for sheer audacity.”
“Feel free to try, once we’re out of here,” Liu Qingge breathes into his skin. “Any challenge you decide to issue after this, I’ll take it.”
“Take this, then,” Luo Binghe growls, shoving at his shoulder with a burst of unexpected strength. Exerting all the power he can muster, he spends it on pinning Liu Qingge to the ground, those dangerous fingers curling around Liu Qingge’s wrists.
Then he yanks them up with force, restraining them above his head, while the rest of his body exerts all the pressure to keep Liu Qingge’s torso from putting up any resistance. Not that Liu Qingge is putting up any. He’s too preoccupied trying to remind his own dick that none of this is even remotely the kind of thing it should be reacting to. Unfortunately, it doesn’t get the memo.
Luo Binghe, for all that he is an absolute disaster of a half-demon hybrid, has not, in fact, missed any of it.
“Liu-shishu, don’t get all shy on me now,” he murmurs into Liu Qingge’s flaming hot ear, which might just combust from the feel of the lips brushing against it. “You started this. No matter what I do now, it’s only yourself you have to blame.”
Liu Qingge makes a strangled little sound that is a mixture of ‘shut up’ and ‘get on with it’, all the more dangerous for just how desperate it is.
Luo Binghe smirks, the corner of his lip twitching as he lifts his face just high enough to stare into Liu Qingge’s soul.
“Don’t worry, Shishu,” he says. “Whomever I’ve done this with, they only ever came back begging for more. I’ll make you beg for it, too.”
Liu Qingge can’t contain another shudder ─ nor the liquid that rolls along the length of his dick, slick and translucent and waiting. What does that brat mean, before?! Who has he been messing with on Qing Jing peak?!
He pictures a face at the most inopportune moment and can barely stand it, not coming on the spot.
“How does Shishu want me to do this?” the demon asks, flexing his hold over Liu Qingge’s wrists. Then he rolls his hips a little, grinding into the skin and muscle. “Should I do it like this?” Then he lowers his head, drawing a wet line over Liu Qingge’s chest with his tongue. “Like this? Or…” he lets go of Liu Qingge’s wrists entirely, to push himself off until he’s sitting up on Liu Qingge’s thighs, staring down at the hard cock flat against Liu Qingge’s stomach with a dark look in his eyes. The demon licks his lips. “The same way Shishu did it to me?”
Liu Qingge snaps his eyes shut, tries to figure out the messy coil of madness inside him, the instincts screaming that something about this is wrong in ways he cannot hope to see… but he can’t. Not right now, not with his cock throbbing, the two opposite types of Qi making a mess off his spiritual meridians, all his focus directed entirely at trying to keep his own body from deviating.
Frankly speaking, there’s not that many ways this can go. No matter which way it does, the differences are inconsequential. One try ─ it’s too much to hope that it could have concluded in one try. But the best way it can conclude ─ Liu Qingge has been intimately aware of it right from the start.
“Inside,” he whispers, his voice so ridiculously weak against the drumming of his heart in his ears. His whole body burns with a heat that can’t be contained, the shame of what’s gonna come out of his mouth more than his dignity and face can take. “However many times it takes.”
Above him, Luo Binghe pauses, if only for a moment. Then he hums to himself, thoughtful.
“Shishu knows his business very well,” he says. A heated palm sets itself down over where the two most grievous of his scars tear apart his midsection, caressing gently. “Don’t worry, Liu Qingge. This Venerable one knows what to do now.” Then, lower, spoken directly in Liu Qingge's ear, the heated breath all soft and ticklish. “This Venerable one will take care of everything.”
Notes:
Anyways, LQG is big on consent cause of certain things we won't be touching for a while so his personal righteous streak is NOT taking this well. Fortunately (or less fortunately), this universe lives on dumb porn rules and he knows it much better than anyone else does and LBH is not one to sweat such small details. This is hardly his first fuck to save the world.
In true SVSSS fashion, we dive deep into dark stuff before touching upon anything healing... but like, after this, some things should def improve. Right? Right.
Cheers.
Oh, and PS: these scenes were meant to be chapter 69 and then I did some wild reshuffling and I'm still not sure if losing out on the joke was worth bringing it up early - especially cause this chapter and its aftermath are the main reason behind SY's extended absence... but anyway. Here we are.
PPS: IM SORRY PEERLESS CUCUMBER. You have a whole ARC of your own coming, please don't panic, ok????
Chapter 60: Lust Demon Essence
Chapter Text
Luo Binghe fucks Liu Qingge through three orgasms before he pauses long enough to remember this is the opposite of what he should be doing, if they’re to ever get out of this godforsaken place.
He fucks him through the fourth one anyway ─ or maybe the sixth, or the seventh. At some point he stops counting and doesn’t bother starting again. He’s too distracted, pounding into that wrecked, shuddering mass of flesh below him, too lost in his instincts and those wretched little noises slipping out of Liu Qingge’s mouth with every forceful thrust inside him. The Bai Zhan peak lord has no more spend to get out of him, but Luo Binghe fucks him through it anyway, because the way those walls close in around him, shaking and twitching and milking out what little they can, is so ridiculously addictive that it’s has consumed his entire being.
“Ahh… hng… nng…!”
Liu Qingge throws his head back, tears staining the corners of his eyes, his whole body a trembling, shuddering mess, as he comes one more time. His fingers dig into the grass and dirt as he arches his back off of it, unable to withstand any more stimulation. The first few times, he’d done it to Luo Binghe’s back, leaving deep, bloody gashes, uncaring of the damage as long as it let him cling close enough and Luo Binghe enjoyed every moment of it.
Now, Liu Qingge no longer has the strength to so much as lift his arms. Instead he grabs at the ground until his fingers are twitching and bloody, face scrunched up and tears rolling freely. By this point, all of the demonic power has been thoroughly fucked out of his body, leaving him a writhing, soiled mess, that can hardly control anything about himself. His hole, stretched to fit Luo Binghe in his entirety, is dripping. It has been, from the first moment Luo Binghe released inside him and then continued to do this ─ and to the person largely considered to be one of the most powerful cultivators alive.
Hah. Not so strong now, is he?
Luo Binghe bends over to drag his teeth against Liu Qingge’s neck and thrusts inside him a few more times, for good measure, before his own orgasm rocks through him.
The high is even stronger this time, making his ears buzz and his whole body tingle with pleasure. He stays stuck there for a while longer, shallowly rocking back and forth to pump every last bit of his essence into the man ─ mostly because he simply can. They’re past the point of Liu Qingge needing that, but Luo Binghe does it out of his own selfish pleasure.
His hands, having explored every inch and corner of Liu Qingge’s body, now softly wipe away the moisture from the corners of his eyes. With his nose and lips buried into the skin of Liu Qingge’s neck, riddled with red and purple bruises all over, Luo Binghe now soothes the damaged skin with soft kisses, wet and warm and tender.
“So good for me,” he whispers against the burning skin, “Shishu was truly so good for me. Should I reward you with another one, hm? Do you want to feel me spear you apart? This lord is willing. I’ll take you as many times as you want.”
“Nnngh,” Liu Qingge says, soft and incoherent.
Luo Binghe chuckles into the skin under his ear, then presses a gentle kiss against his cheek.
“Mm, I know. Later.”
He presses another kiss over the man’s temple, and with great reluctance, begins to pull out. Liu Qingge’s body shudders in protest, walls convulsing around Luo Binghe’s cock as it slips out, as though trying to keep it there, but he doesn’t even have the energy for that. His breathing is shallow and irregular, his thighs shivering involuntarily. It’s not often that Luo Binghe leaves his lovers such a devastating mess, but on the off chance it happens, it tends to fill him with a certain kind of warmth that is difficult to explain.
Even now, merely thinking about it, is enough to get the blood in him to heat up with desire all over again.
The lust demon essence, no doubt about it. Liu Qingge, that idiot . Does he not realize just how dangerous it is, playing that kind of a game with someone like Luo Binghe? What if he pushes for more? As he is right now, that idiot can’t do shit about anything Luo Binghe might do to him, has already done to him…
But then, had that fool not pulled all the stops, would any of this be possible?
It’s a question Luo Binghe chooses not to think about too deeply. But some things, sadly, cannot be entirely put aside. And the fact is, over the course of their uninterrupted sexual escapades, Luo Binghe has steadily grown stronger, while Liu Qingge has been inescapably becoming weaker. With every new contact, every next position, every toe-curling orgasm, regardless of who it came from, the dynamic of power between them was incrementally changing, sometimes with greater speed, sometimes lesser… but all of it had come with a purpose. Now, this purpose has mostly been fulfilled… but.
Luo Binghe still cannot entirely wrap his head around it.
The two of them rest on a small patch of grass within Juedi gorge, Liu Qingge’s outer robe the sole dressing item that remained in one piece beneath them. They may be the sole living things inside this place, ever since the entire gorge had been wrapped in a veil of darkness and destruction ─ the kind that has lasted for a very long time. But while the rest of this huge landmass has been undoubtedly devastated by all sorts of dark and demonic forces beyond recovery, this tiny little patch of fresh grass remains unharmed. It’s lush and vibrant even under the light of a thousand stars.
If all of it wasn’t so ridiculously unbelievable, Luo Binghe might’ve found it romantic. A pair of lovers, fornicating in fresh patches of grass under the starry sky, where anyone and anything could have found them. His chest fills with a comfortable warmth and his spent cock vibrates with more budding desires at the mere thought.
Luo Binghe shuts that down, this time, pushing himself up into a sitting position while he takes in the sight around him for the first time in what feels like ages.
The bits of residue of dark and demonic energy that linger around them reminds him of those winter moments where the dense fog begins to lift with the coming of a brand new day. The sky above them is perfectly clear, glistening with stars, all of them dazzling in their own way. In the far off distance, the first hints of a new day begin to sneak through.
Luo Binghe isn’t sure how much time exactly the two of them have spent… so thoroughly pressed up against each other. Could’ve been hours. Perhaps days. Maybe even weeks. The passage of time has felt so muddled up for so long now, he cannot make sense of it. Even after opening his eyes to find Liu Qingge holding his swollen dick, trying to make sense of anything has been… a challenge, in a word. Distracting is perhaps what Liu Qingge could be called ─ but perhaps it’s also just Luo Binghe who refused to pay attention to certain things for the sake of his own sanity.
Throughout it all, Luo Binghe has still occasionally found himself drifting, only to come back to the present and realize that Liu Qingge had gone and rearranged their bodies. Sometimes, he drifted back to consciousness to find the man with his head on Luo Binghe’s chest, comfortable and also drifting. Sometimes, Luo Binghe found himself fucking a man who had no presence of mind to look at him, wondering how in the world he ended up living out some ridiculous porn story.
At first, the dark fog around them was so dense that it was impossible to tell what time of day or even place it was. Could have been the demon realm, the Endless Abyss or possibly a corner of his own dreaming mind Luo Binghe knows nothing about ─ in that darkness, he wasn’t able to tell anything.
Now, his eyes can barely get used to the light. Everything around him feels… almost too bright. The brightest of them all is a single white flower piercing through the night, glowing softly ─ and it is precisely that thing that Luo Binghe is staring at over his shoulder, at a complete loss.
Thousand-Leaves Fresh-Snow Lotus.
Luo Binghe remembers, centuries ago, plucking that flower up with the hopeful, naive intention to cure a girl who had oh so valiantly taken a hit for him. Qin Wanyue had perhaps been reckless in her actions, too eager to prove herself to someone who hadn’t really been worth the sacrifice. It nearly cost her her life, and Luo Binghe still remembers the desperate plea slipping from her lips, for him to show her a good time while she still had a little life left to feel it.
It is ridiculous, to be thinking about that moment in his life, so embarrassing and miserable. Especially now when in what seems to be the exact same place, he’s fucked a man into absolute bliss. It’s funny, too, because from that very moment at the age of seventeen, Luo Binghe has had a mindless hatred for all these thousand year old lotuses, spiritual flowers of ancient legends and all sorts of rubbish myths about their special powers. Most of the time, the damn things didn’t even work.
Well, this stupid thing sure worked, this time.
Luo Binghe doesn’t think Liu Qingge dragged them over to this flower intentionally. With the thick, dense fog around them, it would have been impossible to see and Luo Binghe himself is only aware of it now that the fog is clearing. But on some level, Liu Qingge must have felt something. In between Luo Binghe pounding him to oblivion and dotting his neck in bruises, Liu Qingge had found a presence of mind to stab his spiritual weapon into the ground where it could reach the flower’s roots, draw spiritual power from it and use it to tear apart the entire array around them. All that, after his own power repeatedly failed to do anything of the sort.
It can’t be helped.
Luo Binghe did what he could, but a spiritual core isn’t easy to build. Had it been someone else attempting, Luo Binghe might’ve not been able to assist at all.
He looks down on Liu Qingge, naked and skin glowing under the night sky. He is beautiful in ways humans just aren’t meant to be. Luo Binghe doesn’t─he’s not good at drawing lines and he knows it. He hasn’t rejected a single person who has thrown themselves his way ─ but not once has he looked at someone and felt like he would reject everyone else just so he’d have them again.
The lust demon essence, Luo Binghe reminds himself, is a tool of destruction for a reason.
And yet.
Luo Binghe’s head should be muddled beyond all reason, but it feels clearer than ever. His thoughts are a mess and his memories jumbled, but there are things he knows with a level of certainty he cannot call anything other than instinctual. In a corner of his dream realm that may just be a wishful fantasy, Liu Mingyan has used the power of her clan to settle his anger and control his emotions on more than one occasion. She was, in some ways, the only one who could and dared to try ─ and Luo Binghe doesn’t understand it any better now than he did back then, but he let her. Except, now he cannot tell for sure if such a thing ever happened.
It had to have, no?
The Liu family doesn’t advertise their heritage, not really. At least, Luo Binghe doesn’t expect they would ─ but everything he thinks he knows about them is only rooted in evidence that is currently curled up next to his hip.
Luo Binghe looks at the prone man next to him, pale and naked, and he doesn’t understand anything. He is not sure if what he thinks he knows is correct in its entirety. Mingyan has never ─ the most she ever did was kiss him ─ and even that has always come with great reluctance.
One touch from her was enough, though. She didn’t need to kiss him or cultivate with him or even sleep with him to settle his mind in ways no one else ever managed. Over the years, dual cultivation had become Luo Binghe’s sole means to contain Xin Mo’s power that wasn’t doing immense damage to everyone around him ─ but Mingyan was always the sole exception.
One time, Luo Binghe believed firmly. If she let him just one time, surely she’d be enough to rid him of all the issues entirely─
Except Mingyan found the notion laughable and would withdraw away from him every time he brought that up.
Luo Binghe thinks this may be the first time he gets why. If he had crossed that line, at any point in his life, there’d be no going back. He has known, ever since he married Mingyan, that to the entirety of her clan, any form of spiritual contact is as invasive as a sexual encounter. At least, to those who had a chance to learn to cultivate, it’s always a game of chances. They’re putting everything out there ─ every last bit of themselves, the entirety of their spiritual cultivation, hard fought for, and hoping that the partner they choose lets them keep at least a little.
Luo Binghe himself bore witness to many situations where they absolutely hadn’t ─ but it had taken years before he understood, really, what it is that Mingyan has been fighting for all along.
He is not sure how much of that is even real now ─ but Liu Qingge most certainly is. Which proves at least some of Mingyan’s claims in his memories true.
Humans born with even a shred of demonic essence ─ not just my clan, Mingyan had insisted countless times ─ they all fight a similar battle. Cultivation never comes easy, despite the innate talent. Their constitution and spiritual veins must be built up differently than how most sects acknowledge to be proper, bordering demonic cultivation in ways few are willing to give the benefit of the doubt. Trial and error, more often than not, because no established method truly works for everybody.
She’d chuckled once, morosely, observing a young child inside her own household as it struggled with what may have been the most basic cultivation practice.
At its best, this unusual mix of energies makes us incredibly powerful, adaptable and capable of countless things most mortals could never even dream of, she’d said, in a voice that hadn’t really sounded thrilled by it at all.
At its worst, it makes us prone to Qi deviations, a sponge for all sorts of spiritual leaks, and immeasurably vulnerable to dual cultivation of any nature.
In the end, all of it eventually comes down to trust ─ and the question of who they are willing to take the risk with. But Mingyan herself had never felt comfortable ─ not with Luo Binghe, surely ─ and not with anyone else he knew about. With their marriage, Mingyan had already given him more than Luo Binghe had thought to ask: the secrets of her clan, the power, the finances ─ everything that the Liu clan had to offer. Even her cousins, if any of them were willing to warm his bed at night. But she’d stayed away and Luo Binghe had never thought to pressure her about it ─ she had more than enough pressure on her already, battling it out with the people in her clan who had no common sense whatsoever.
He never thought he’d ended up taking her brother instead.
A man who, as far as Luo Binghe knows about him ─ was meant to be dead since before he turned fifteen.
Oh, Liu Qingge might’ve certainly been better off dead, considering everything that had piled up on him. Demonic qi that nearly tore his spiritual meridians apart, remaining damage from Skinner parasites that certainly wasn’t helping and Without-A-Cure on top of it all. But by far the most damaging ─ the lost spiritual core… Luo Binghe still doesn’t understand how he’s overcome that. But he has and has kept going for years ─ until this very moment…
“You are really insane, choosing to do this,” Luo Binghe whispers, despite himself.
Liu Qingge isn’t really listening. It’s a question if he’s even awake or if he’s fallen asleep. From his very limited understanding of Liu Qingge and his cultivation, despite the amounts of spiritual power coursing through him now, it will still take time before it makes for something actually accessible to him. It both makes sense if he thinks about it ─ and it doesn’t. When building a spiritual core for the first time, it takes years to gather sufficient spiritual power within the body to make for one focal point that makes a spiritual core. The core formation stage can, therefore, last anywhere between years and decades and even centuries.
Replacing a lost core should, by all definitions, be far more demanding.
It’s not just spiritual power that needs to be built up all over again. The meridians, the spiritual veins and how they connect to the spiritual core ─ all of that must be repaired bit by bit. Luo Binghe isn’t sure, but if he could keep his head about him long enough, then perhaps he could aid the process a little ─ the way a regular spiritual transfer could. It is not a whole lot, sadly, and merely by offering up the most of his spiritual cultivation, he has probably already saved Liu Qingge decades of hard work… but is it enough?
If they go at it one more time, if Luo Binghe keeps his wits about him, this time, maybe he will be able to do more than just brute-force his way through…
But the mere feel of that body near him, overheated and entirely wrung out tells him that there are things even dual cultivation cannot do ─ not entirely. The rest of the road, Liu Qingge needs to figure out for himself ─ and Luo Binghe can merely support from a distance.
Except he can’t.
The memory of Liu Qingge, so pliant and open under him, the connection that existed on a level that cannot be put in words… it’s overpowering. Luo Binghe understands wholeheartedly why Mingyan had never allowed him to experience this. Lust demons have ways to make other demons obsessed with them, but it’s not the same thing. Lust demons just do it ─ Luo Binghe has gone through enough of them to know how to shake them off the way he shakes off any stupid aphrodisiac plant he comes across. But humans with demonic essence have made an art out of their powers. Luo Binghe suspects it may not work on humans ─ not in the same capacity, surely ─ but to demons, this is worse than even mind control would be.
Every word that came out of Liu Qingge’s mouth may as well have been speaking to a primal beast inside him that Luo Binghe cannot possibly hope to control. In his head, he knows what’s happening ─ but it doesn’t stop it from feeling right. It speaks to him in ways that are similar to how Xin Mo sometimes did. Similar ─ but different. A pull at his instincts, but distinct enough to feel like coaxing, not coercing. A soft lull of fooling his body into wanting to do the thing because it knows that doing it will feel good eventually.
The voice, the demonic essence, whatever it is… Luo Binghe doesn’t understand any of it, on a certain level fears it ─ but he craves it. He craves it so much that he doesn’t know what to do about it.
It will wear off eventually, he knows.
All such things eventually do. But this one, specifically, makes him want to bury his face into Liu Qingge and not let it fade away, like an addiction that he cannot shake away.
Liu Qingge had infused him with the demonic essence of his blood directly, and such a thing is much more potent in effect than any potion. Thinking of it that way, the rumbling of the complex, possessive feelings inside him, stirred by this man, is only natural. It doesn’t make him feel any better, that he knows about it ─ but at least he knows it’s not permanent and distance will eventually make it fade away. Until it does, though… until it does…
“Nngh,” Liu Qingge sighs next to him, and Luo Binghe has to dig his claws into his palms to stop himself from starting yet another round of what will most certainly not be tender sex if his instincts get the better of him. Except, his body is still very much human even if his instincts aren’t and the nails leave red half-moons in his skin but not blood. At the very least, the fact that his body has not yet entirely stepped into its demonic form allows him to maintain more control than he would be able to, otherwise.
Luo Binghe leans over to take Liu Qingge’s hand and bring it to his lips, soothing out the unease with soft kisses all along his fingertips instead of elsewhere and for the moment, it seems to do the trick.
Liu Qingge makes another noise that is decidedly complaining and Luo Binghe almost laughs out of sheer unexpectedness.
“Mm, I know. One more time,” he whispers into the palm of that hand, brushing his lips against it. “Patience. Your body can’t take it now.”
The huff that comes out of that mouth sounds like a protest ─ would, if it had any fire behind it.
“Psst, this one can wait,” Luo Binghe reassures him softly, moving away from the hand to place a kiss against his temple instead. They’re past the point of needing dual cultivation to sort themselves out, that much he is sure. Would it make things faster? Maybe. But would it be worth it? Luo Binghe doesn’t think it would, though he has no real explanation behind why he thinks so.
Either way, he says “Later.” And then, “Let me clean us up a little.” If only to give himself a distraction.
Scooping Liu Qingge’s pliant, willing body into his arms, Luo Binghe takes them to the river cutting through Juedi gorge. Most of the water is dark and murky, sending chills along the tips of his toes as he dips them inside. Demonic residue ─ too much of it. Had to be years building up to it, given the feel of it. The arrays are broken now and Luo Binghe’s cultivation is quite stable, so touching this water does not harm him. But Liu Qingge, as he is, remains far too sensitive.
Luo Binghe has made sure to thoroughly fuck all the demonic remnants out of his body, including the demonic qi, poisons and even the dormant Skinner parasite inside him. Or at least, he hopes. Those are notoriously difficult to remove, when they’re just left there to harmlessly cling to nothing. Much like Heavenly Demon parasites, the variety of ways they can be used is truly mind boggling.
That said, Luo Binghe doesn’t blame the Skinner demon for being so hopelessly obsessed with Liu Qingge to leave one behind and do absolutely nothing with it. Those things aren’t very bright. Just because something smells good, they think they can get their ugly fingers on it… This one, too, must have gotten drunk on Liu Qingge’s demonic essence before ever realizing what hit it.
Funny, how in all the ways they are utterly disgusting, Skinners are so easily sexually stimulated. Luo Binghe has only ever encountered one, and that one had been a romantic sap on top of it. Unfortunately, the bastard had chosen Lu Xiaodan of all people to fawn over. As if a weakling like a Skinner could possibly handle that particular menace. That said, Xiaodan’s constitution is more akin to Liu Qingge’s than a half-demon’s anyway, so no wonder that poor Skinner never realized what hit it.
Liu Qingge, in comparison, might seem like a tame kitten.
Luo Binghe chuckles to himself, nuzzling his nose against his War God’s temple. Tame.
If only that Skinner ever knew. This kitten does not know what that word means. Luo Binghe, though, is far too happy to keep the secret to himself.
Rather than travel southeast, following the river downstream towards the nearest exit from the gorge, Luo Binghe takes the opposite route and goes upstream instead. It’s a longer, far more demanding walk, especially with a softly snoring dead weight in his arms, but Luo Binghe walks it happily, relishing in the flushed heat of the naked body pressed against him.
It’s the right choice, ultimately.
The river passing through the gorge is generally a clean one, one of those that still retain some of the spiritual power that flows down from the heavens. That means all of the demonic residue clinging to it must have come from the gorge itself. Therefore, once they exit the gorge and its immediate surroundings, there is not a single trace of any of that murkiness left. Touching the water now makes his toes prickle from the chill, but it’s no longer spiritually detrimental, so Luo Binghe fixes his hold over Liu Qingge’s body and walks inside.
Almost immediately as his feet touch the gently flowing water, Liu Qingge’s whole body jolts, a small hiss of protest tickling the skin of Luo Binghe’s neck.
“Chilly, yes,” Luo Binghe confirms softly. “Chilly is good. It’ll fix the heat.”
Liu Qingge’s tug against his hair tells him exactly what he thinks about that. Luo Binghe laughs. Then he lowers them down until they’re both neck-deep in the water and Liu Qingge is hissing, cursing and clinging to his shoulders, trying to make his way out. Luo Binghe laughs louder.
“None of that now. You need a day at least. Besides, how am I supposed to take you anywhere, with both my cum and yours all over you, huh?”
The low rumble that comes out Liu Qingge’s throat is definitely a protest, but it is pathetic and incoherent and, frankly, quite adorable. Luo Binghe drags them back to the shallower parts of the river until he finds a comfortable rock to lean against, drawing Liu Qingge into his chest, so close until they’re molded against each other, the Bai Zhan peak lord’s bum settling into Luo Binghe’s lap comfortably.
Slowly, experimentally, Luo Binghe starts roaming his hands all over Liu Qingge’s body, to clean off the dirt, the blood, the sweat and whatever else decided to stubbornly cling to that overheated skin, little by little. It’s entertaining, because the tips of his fingers find bits of dried cum more or less everywhere. Over the stomach and thighs mostly, but also Liu Qingge’s chest, arms, neck and even in his hair. He gently washes all of it, yearning for some nicely scented bath salts and hair oils. Liu Qingge’s hair is silky smooth in general, but after a tumble like this, it deserves some proper pampering.
He files that for later consideration, opting to press another chaste kiss against Liu Qingge’s temple, further pulling him against his chest. That rigid body, having gotten very tense the moment it came into contact with the water, now begins to relax, molding against Luo Binghe’s chest perfectly.
It would take just a little stretch of his fingers to open that lax, stretched hole all over again and pound into it, as fast and as hard as Luo Binghe could possibly want it ─ but it’s not yet time for this. Even if Liu Qingge might practically be begging for it in all but words.
One should be careful about using dual cultivation for anything other than physical pleasure, Luo Binghe knows better than anybody. In that sense, Liu Qingge really couldn’t have picked better, choosing Luo Binghe for this. It would all be perfect, probably… if only Liu Qingge had picked the right Luo Binghe.
Liu Qingge grunts something incomprehensible into his chin and Luo Binghe tightens his hold over him in response, clinging desperately.
It’s been a slow process. A multiple-year process, it turns out, but Luo Binghe is coming to realize that everything he believed about himself and this strange, unpredictable place… is all vastly more complex than what he thought was his reality.
At some point in Juedi gorge, he had come awake to find Shen Qingqiu before him ─ the fake? The real? Luo Binghe hardly knows. The bastard should have been long dead. But he remembers, instead, that Shen Qingqiu had touched his face. It had been in the midst of sealing him away, stabbing Zheng Yang down through his already torn up chest, and leaning over, so close Luo Binghe could feel the man’s breath on his skin.
Gentle, soft. Almost kind and affectionate, if not for his Shizun’s habitual expression of frost. For a moment, his cruel Shizun’s voice had sounded almost broken.
“Endure,” he’d said, a plea more than a threat. “Endure, or else it will never end.”
And then darkness swallowed him up, followed by endless red-hot streams of agony flowing through his demonic meridians, until slowly Luo Binghe lost the feeling of his body completely. Ultimately, he was left to drift between a state of consciousness and unconsciousness ─ never fully awake, but also entirely incapable of entering the dream realm. Those Formless wretches blocked him off completely ─ and as a prisoner of his own body, Luo Binghe could do nothing about it.
To this day, sitting in the shallows of a river with Liu Qingge clinging to his chest, Luo Binghe isn’t sure if his dream realm still exists, or else what it would mean for him if it doesn’t.
If all along, everything he believed to be a dream was actually real, then what does that mean for him? What about his world? What about his life? His family? Were none of them ever real?
More importantly, where is the line drawn between the dream where he’s lived and the life he is living now? What are the similarities? What are the differences? How is he ever going to divulge those? What in the world is he even supposed to do from here on─
Liu Qingge shudders against him and Luo Binghe snaps out of it, grounded to reality by the man in his arms ─ the man dead set on pressing himself ever closer, seemingly trying to bury himself under Luo Binghe’s skin. Quite successfully.
“Cold,” Liu Qingge is hissing into his collarbone, and Luo Binghe isn’t sure when exactly the man turned around to face him, chest-to-chest and groin-to-groin, grinding small, soft circles into regions that really don’t need any additional stimulation. “Fucking cold,” Liu Qingge growls, teeth digging into his collarbone until they draw blood. Luo Binghe’s cock jumps.
“Not now, dear,” he chides, even if it takes all his restraint not to escalate this. “Not unless you enjoy doing it with an audience around, hm?”
Liu Qingge freezes with those teeth still digging into Luo Binghe’s neck, before, very slowly, very hesitantly, retracting. The grinding stops, too. Luo Binghe pats the top of his head, barely resisting the urge to coo in delight.
Over his shoulder, he throws, “Unless you have some important business to do here, it’d be best if you put some more distance between us. Shishu is very sensitive right now ─ he can feel your power much better than I do.”
Mobei Jun stands half the clearing away, but hearing this still fills him with displeasure.
“I’m here to get him,” the Ice Demon Lord snarls, almost threatening.
If anything, Liu Qingge attempts to further curl himself into Luo Binghe’s body. A little like a cat, freezing its butt off due to the ice demon’s proximity. Gently, Luo Binghe scratches his back. The man moans into his neck.
Oooh, this is dangerous.
Luo Binghe throws a glance over his shoulder at Mobei Jun. The demon just stands there, glaring, refusing to leave. That one has always had a one-track mind. Good to know it persists, even in this wild new reality.
“He doesn’t want to go,” Luo Binghe informs him calmly. “Try again later.”
“Shang Qinghua sent a warning,” Mobei Jun says. “The array is broken. The council of elders is coming.”
What fucking council? Luo Binghe doesn’t give a shit about no council. Anything that comes near him now is going to end up slaughtered. But in his arms, Liu Qingge tenses up in ways that are clearly not comfortable, and so Luo Binghe leans over to comfort him with a gentle nip on the ear.
“You don’t want to stay, then? Where do you want to go?”
“The Northern Realm is indebted to him,” Mobei Jun hisses impatiently. “No matter what, we will not surrender him.”
Luo Binghe glares up at the demon for the uninvited commentary, but Liu Qingge hums appeasingly into his neck. So, Luo Binghe sighs.
“The ice palace it is, then,” he says. “I hope you can settle us in a comfortable room immediately, or else I don’t guarantee that I’m not going to slaughter your lackeys for any inappropriate look they direct his way.”
Mobei Jun rolls his eyes, but moves to grab them both. Luo Binghe lifts his arm to stop him before the touch can connect, though.
“Get his sword first,” he orders. “The weapon is stabbed down into the roots of a Snow Lotus. It’s a spiritual plant, but most of its essence has been used up. Pulling it out is going to prickle a bit. The moment the sword is out, though, the blade is going to shatter. Make sure to get every last piece of it.”
Mobei Jun scowls at him. “Exactly what do you take me for? Your servant?”
Luo Binghe grins at him, happily showing off his canines, as he hoists Liu Qingge closer to himself. “I take you to be someone personally indebted to him. Pay your dues fairly, if you’re brave enough to admit they exist.”
Mobei Jun looks like he might just flip off at him or something ─ but then in a swish of the shadows, he disappears. When he reappears a few moments later, it is with a block of ice in his hand, encasing the entirety of Liu Qingge’s spiritual weapon. Well, sure. Why not? That works, too. Between Mobei’s fingers is a pure white jade piece hanging off a thread, too, and in his other hand…
Luo Binghe’s eyes narrow into slits at the sight of Zheng Yang. The blade’s shine is somewhat corroded and its edges damaged. The ritual markings have all disappeared. He is tempted to crush the weapon between his own hands, but he hesitates.
Xin Mo… is likely in the Endless Abyss. Maybe. Hopefully. Luo Binghe doesn’t necessarily want it back, but he might still need a weapon ─ especially if he is to embark on a journey of rediscovery in any reasonable timeframe. But with Liu Qingge shuddering against him like that, he leaves the matter for later consideration.
“Clever,” he praises the ice demon dryly, then wraps one arm around Liu Qingge’s waist and tucks the other under his knees, hoisting the man up close against him and then walking them out of the water. Liu Qingge shudders violently from the chilly wind as it clashes against wet skin, but Luo Binghe doesn’t coddle him this time. Until they’re dry and cozied up into proper clothes, the temperature of the Northern demon realm is going to feel much, much worse.
Mobei Jun scoffs at the sight of them both and rolls his eyes one more time, before wordlessly taking them for a round of shadow travel until it lands them into a private room of his palace. If cultivators find anything worth investigating within the Juedi gorge ─ well.
Luo Binghe will be eagerly waiting for them to come.
The final round of dual cultivation intended to help Liu Qingge settle his new spiritual core into something more stable doesn’t go according to plan.
Immediately after Mobei Jun transfers them over to the demon realm, Liu Qingge’s heightened sensitivity to more or less everything kicks in with full force, and no amount of coaxing him through it makes a difference. Before, his body had more than sufficient time to attune itself to Luo Binghe’s presence and even the spiritual barrenness of Juedi gorge now that everything in it, both spiritual and demonic, has been purged. But the demon realm is different and the sudden change throws the Bai Zhan War God straight into a Qi deviation.
It’s a mild one, all things considered, and not particularly damaging. More or less, it’s going to do the same thing dual cultivation would have done ─ resetting his meridians, correcting the spiritual flows and reforging the new spiritual core in its entirety.
Luo Binghe could have pushed for doing it the intimate way, regardless. He doesn’t. While none of these issues are particularly comfortable, they’re not agonizing either, and certainly not permanent, so he’d been of half a mind to just power through it anyway, use his own body to get Liu Qingge to that final stage by more comfortable means… but ah, fate certainly wasn’t on his side, this time.
The reason he decides against it, however, is nothing particularly proprietary, either.
Before Luo Binghe could have gotten around to even laying a hand on him, Liu Qingge had drifted off to sleep, the real kind ─ and one touch alone had been enough for Luo Binghe to realize that waking him up by force wasn’t going to be a good thing for his mind. The dreams he sank into were too deep, too encapsulating. Forcing them to end could damage his sense of reality, if Luo Binghe made a mistake throughout.
So, instead of taking the risk and engaging into another highly erotic scenario, he’d turned to taking care of other things. He’d started with drying Liu Qingge off, brushing his hair and wrapping him into a warm and fuzzy set of covers. Cultivators in general had a tough time catching colds, but Liu Qingge at this point is highly sensitive to anything. His body has been feverish before, heated and flushed, mostly due to all the pleasurable things Luo Binghe had done to it, but that sort of thing can take a quick turn for the worse when one least expects it.
After providing for all of those small physical comforts, he moves on to taking care of the spiritual ones as well. He takes the block of ice that Cheng Luan had become and positions it carefully over a flat surface on the ground, before melting the ice away with his own power.
Just as expected, the moment the ice disappears, the blade shatters into millions of pieces, unable to bear the damage sustained from demonic power repeatedly grinding it to dust. It… takes a long time to reforge it. Perhaps because Luo Binghe is not as strong as he’s always known himself to be. Or perhaps because, even if he can use his demonic power to a certain, highly limited degree, it doesn’t feel as though the seal on it has entirely disappeared.
For the time being, Luo Binghe acts persistently and meticulously, until what might’ve been hours or days later, the weapon is restored to its former glory. Luo Binghe shows it off to its owner energetically, hoping it might speed up his recovery.
“Look, Shishu. It’s all fixed now. Will you wake up?”
Liu Qingge doesn’t, though.
More than a full week passes and the Bai Zhan Peak Lord still doesn’t wake up, does nothing more than make a few muffled sounds, seemingly trapped in a dream he isn’t particularly enjoying.
Luo Binghe eventually caves and tries to make those dreams a little more pleasant ─ only to discover that his initial assessment has been entirely correct: the dream realm is completely off limits to him. At present, he neither has the calm nor the focus to figure out why.
So, at a lack of any better options, or even anything to actually do now that the most pressing matters have been handled, Luo Binghe eventually crawls into bed with Liu Qingge, repositioning his head to rest on his chest instead of the pillow, hoping that the heat of another body next to him might ward off the cold that he is already so highly sensitive to. In response, Liu Qingge nuzzles his face against him, squirming around a little to find a position that is most comfortable. He sticks to Luo Binghe’s side a little too closely.
Luo Binghe takes a deep, shaky breath, and has to continuously talk himself out of pulling Liu Qingge closer to himself, to not touch any sensitive spots or even move in any ways that might rouse this man. That expression on his face, as worried though it becomes sometimes, is so raw and unguarded. The last thing in the world Luo Binghe wants is to wake him.
Still, he can’t help himself but press a small, gentle kiss against the man’s temple.
There are so many things he should be thinking about ─ himself, his place here, this reality so entirely different from everything he’s ever known. What brought him here and how is it that this is reality as opposed to his own memories. In the end, what happened to that other version of himself, the one that had so expertly gotten rid of him the moment he got a chance? Does he still exist, or have the Formless Demons torn him apart?
There are so many things he should be wondering about, but he is only thinking about this one thing, about the man next to him and his steadily beating heart, the many scars on his skin.
Luo Binghe cannot find it anymore, no matter how many times he holds his hand against Liu Qingge’s chest and searches for it. From all the many wounds this man has received and recovered from, Luo Binghe has singled out every single one ─ and he still cannot find the one he is looking for. But he could feel it.
At the most heightened, intimate levels of their intense sexual connection, on the plane of existence that should likely be unreachable by any mortal means ─ but neither of them are truly mortal, are they? They’re not entirely immortal, either. Stuck somewhere between, clinging to each other and grasping for the pleasures of the flesh to take them to the heights they never would have been able to reach on their own, they’d come the closest the two souls could possibly be.
And once they did, Luo Binghe felt something that didn't belong.
The wounds of the flesh and the body have long healed.
The wound of the soul hasn’t.
Liu Qingge’s spiritual power and life force are already merged together, reliant on each other, dependent for survival. If his soul has sustained damage too, all the more so that this man cannot afford to play with his cultivation, cannot take the risk of cutting his chest open and letting others take what they will.
Luo Binghe wants to know what happened and where that damage comes from ─ but as such things go, he might never find out. Oftentimes, damage to the soul comes from the past, a life already long forgotten, a painful experience buried so deep until it becomes its own undoing. Luo Binghe knows much about such memories. He’s nearly shredded his primordial spirit more than once hoping to forget them.
“Mine to protect now,” he whispers gently against Liu Qingge’s skin, brushing more of that hair away from his face. “Mine.”
Luo Binghe isn’t sure if he will still feel the same way, once the high eventually passes. As long as Liu Qingge stays physically close to him, it is highly unlikely that Luo Binghe will ever let him go. That, too, is the lust demon essence in humans, sinking its dangerous teeth into his heart, making it impossible for him to resist the temptation.
In the end, he isn’t sure if he will have a choice.
The only way to find out is to wait until this wonder of nature returns to his former glory, stronger than ever before.
At some point in time, Liu Qingge’s fingers find the edges of Luo Binghe’s inner robes and pull, tugging onto them relentlessly. Desperately. That beautiful face presses harder against his chest, skin against naked skin, until Luo Binghe can feel every little sigh of his, every shallow breath, every little gasp.
“Just a little more,” Luo Binghe whispers into his Shishu’s hair, brushing his fingers along the length of it. “I’m waiting right here.”
He continues patiently stroking Liu Qingge’s hair in rhythmic movements until all tension eventually fades, until the desperation goes away and Liu Qingge relaxes against him, shifting until his head once again rests in the crook of Luo Binghe’s neck and shoulders and the breaths against him become softer and steadier.
And, well, if that single teardrop on Luo Binghe’s chest takes a long time to dry, nobody else needs to know about it.
Right?
Notes:
Posted this without a proper spellcheck, so if you spot anything too questionable, ring me up lol
Chapter 61: Porcelain Puzzle Piece II
Summary:
Reload!LQG gets a glimpse of SVSSS!LQG's five years of misery. It is... quite the experience.
Notes:
Whew this is one of those chapters I was eager to get out and also absolutely terrified of publishing at the same time.
Heed all the warnings here: violence, brutality, mind-control induced attempted rape, all the juicy stuff. The classic LQG vs LBH during the five years of SQQ's absence with a bit of a dark twist - experienced through the POV of a LQG who has absolutely no context.
Good luck
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Liu Qingge sits on a stone slab in the middle of nowhere, tired and alone. Misplaced is the word that comes to mind, before it hits him that he is a mess, that his sword is a mess and that if he’s ever to do anything right in his life, he’s gotta pick himself up and figure his shit out.
It’s not exactly easy to do. His ribs ache like they’re still healing from breakage, the sole cleaning rag he has on him is impossibly dirty and no matter how stubborn he is about rubbing at the engravings on his sword, the grime and the stains simply refuse to go away.
Several monster carcasses surround him, along with a fire that’s just about died out and a single fan resting upon the cleanest clothing piece he currently owns. The fan, an artistic work of mountains and nature, makes Liu Qingge’s insides twist every time he looks at it. He knows to whom it belongs. Really, there is only one person whom it could possibly belong to. It’s just that merely thinking of the name makes Liu Qingge’s chest ache with a mixture of pain and anger he cannot possibly hope to contain.
Once all the pain, the heartache and the rage are stripped away, the feelings that remain are something much, much worse.
A thought, as simple as, I should’ve given it back.
And a question, which pierces through his chest, why didn’t I just give it back?
Liu Qingge isn’t sure where he has picked up this particular fan, exactly, nor is he sure of why it is specifically this one bothering him so much. He knows there are more. He’s pretty sure he’s gathered a small collection at some point, though he’s not entirely sure when. But this one in particular refuses to leave him alone. It stalks him like a vengeful ghost at night, a merciless reminder of a failure he may never be able to make up for.
I gotta give it back, is what he thinks about, and another, far more stubborn, I will give it back.
It’s just, a foreign part of his mind screams, giving that fan back won’t save Shen Qingqiu’s life.
It is an odd thought to possess.
Shen Qingqiu isn’t dead. Perhaps, more importantly, Shen Yuan isn’t Shen Qingqiu and therefore the way Liu Qingge’s life has gone off rails has nothing to do with him, specifically. By far the most important though is that, despite his absence, Shen Yuan isn’t gone. He is somewhere in the Endless Abyss, as testified by Mobei Jun and Shang Qinghua ─ and if the Southern Demon Lord is to be trusted, there is always a way to bring someone back from that purgatory place, even if one has to go against all heavenly laws to make it happen.
Liu Qingge is more than willing to go against any law known to humans and gods alike just to bring Shen Yuan back.
Therefore, he doesn’t understand why he is acting like a mourning widow instead. Specifically, the one refusing to move on from the fact that the love of her life has been taken away.
It’s not over, Liu Qingge thinks, it’s not over yet!
But he is sitting on a stone slab, failing to clean his sword instead, and at some point, he just drops it entirely to bury his face in his hands.
He doesn’t cry.
Perhaps he would’ve felt better if he did. But he doesn’t. His head hurts and his ribs ache and his chest feels too tight to let the air he desperately needs to reach his lungs. It is, in a word, suffocating, and no reminder that he gives himself that nothing is over yet and the Endless Abyss can always be opened takes away from the fact that it’s been three years already and that messed up realm has not cracked open once since.
At some point, after he feels like he’s given himself enough time to pathetically wallow in his misery, Liu Qingge picks Cheng Luan back up.
His sword isn’t appropriately clean and Liu Qingge’s clothing is the messiest it’s ever been ─ but it’s been three years and nothing has changed and Liu Qingge is sick, damn it all, sick of living his life like it somehow magically will. He isn’t sure what he is doing with his life, not really. But he’ll be damned if he gives up now. He’s going to get up and he’s going to make a mess and he won’t regret a single damn thing ─ that’s what he promises to himself.
Then, he goes to Huan Hua Palace and gets his ass kicked by one half-Heavenly demon idiot, then comes back to his stone slab to start the faulty cleaning process all over again.
It is, all in all, a fairly shitty nightmare.
The real problem is that it simply refuses to come to an end.
As far as licking his own wounds goes, Liu Qingge would call himself quite the expert. There was a stretch in his life, around the time of his mother’s death, that Liu Qingge spent in the Southern Borderlands, fighting for his life with nothing but his stubborn streak and his bare hands. That had, for the most part, been the source of his unrelenting hatred for anything demonic. Liu Qingge would, for the most part, agree with the statement that with age comes maturity and wisdom ─ but he isn’t sure if such a thing would apply to himself.
If the definition of stupidity is doing the same thing over and over again, expecting the results to change, then Liu Qingge would surely come out on top of the dumbassery rankings every single time.
Every night, he invades Huan Hua Palace.
Every night, he is kicked out with at least one bone broken
Every night, he keeps doing that to himself, over and over again.
The monster carcasses that Liu Qingge has gathered around his stone slab make for a small mountain these days ─ or else an impenetrable fortress. Liu Qingge isn’t sure why he keeps stockpiling them there. None of those remains make for anything useful, not really.
In the past, he likely would have dragged them over to Qian Cao peak for Mu Qingfang and his disciples to extract whatever useful things they could off of them. Sometimes, they’d send him out on a hunt for something specific, a horn of a Stone-Nosed Hyppo or something like that, where Liu Qingge would eventually realize he has no clue how to separate something like that from the rest of the monster body without doing undue damage, and so he’d just drag the whole thing back for Qian Cao group to do what they will.
Sometimes, he would hunt for special beasts just for fun and bring them back cause he knew Qian Cao would know what to make of them better than he would. And in case he came across those edible short-haired beasts, those he’d take to Qing Jing peak. The kids from the peak of scholars and artisans have a fondness for monsters that bite, for some reason. Who would’ve guessed? So, even if those beasts won’t get eaten, someone will figure out what to do with them there, and so that’s where Liu Qingge takes them.
Shen Yuan enjoys it, despite his complaints. So Liu Qingge just keeps doing that.
Shen Yuan does. Shen Qingqiu doesn’t, a small corner of his mind says, the one that Liu Qingge doesn’t quite comprehend.
Now, though, instead of going back to either Qian Cao or Qing Jing, Liu Qingge keeps building a fortress of carcasses around his stone slab, and for the life of him, he cannot possibly understand. Does he think it’s gonna make him stronger than Luo Binghe? Just how laughable is that?
Liu Qingge can’t win against that monster. He knows that ─ he’s known from the very first battle he’s lost. His enemy is past the point of what Liu Qingge can handle and oftentimes, he wonders if it’s the thrill of battle that he is seeking or else is he trying to punish himself?
Through a fog of unclear memories that make his head buzz, Liu Qingge thinks he might’ve once taken out a drink and sat at the edge of Qian Cao peak, asking, “If I’d done that back then… if I had… with him… would I have been able to switch his poison over to me?”
He’s not entirely sure which poison he’s talking about, or who might’ve been poisoned with it. He’s not sure whom he is even asking, because the corner of the Qian Cao peak he chooses to sit at is always empty ─ but Liu Qingge knows whose answer he wishes he could hear.
Mu Qingfang, for all his rough edges and soft middles, usually has the answers to all his stupid questions. But Mu Qingfang is no longer there and all he gets from going to Qian Cao is endless silence and the twisting of guilt in his stomach, an endless repeat of if-onlys that Liu Qingge doesn’t properly entertain.
What’s the point in blaming himself, really? What is he even blaming himself for?
Sometimes, though, the question still passes through his head, a touch of a butterfly wings, further muddling the muddy waters that is his consciousness as a whole.
If I’d dared to try, could I have done it?
Try what, exactly?
What did he want to do so badly? What has he failed at?
Liu Qingge isn’t sure. But once he is finished cleaning his sword from the latest pile of monster gunk, he once again rises to his feet. Huan Hua Palace is waiting. Liu Qingge intends to destroy it thoroughly, no matter how many times he meets his defeat.
Safely tucking the sole clean fan away, he throws his dirty robes over his shoulders and takes flight the rest of the way, not bothering to clean up anything else. He’ll be back to this poor excuse of a home at some point. Before that, he better make Luo Binghe’s life as miserable as possible. It’s the least the little beast deserves, treating his Shizun with so much disrespect.
Rinse and repeat.
Liu Qingge goes to Huan Hua Palace to challenge its leader every day ─ and he loses every time. Luo Binghe, the fucking half-monster that he is, is as indestructible as monsters of his kind get. Liu Qingge can barely get a few solid hits in before he’s kicked out of Huan Hua unceremoniously, the aforementioned leader of the Sect glaring at him before saying that Liu Qingge should stop wasting both their time.
Day after day after day, it’s the same scenario, over and over, to the point that Liu Qingge is sick of himself.
He doesn’t understand how they’ve come to this.
While he wouldn’t call his hatred for Luo Binghe personal, or even a grudge, this deep need inside him to make that half-demon regret every breath he takes is something Liu Qingge can’t explain. It’s instinct more than anything else. Luo Binghe barely ever entertains him, which is only further pissing him off. No matter how the demon fights, his heart just isn’t in it. He’s not trying to hurt Liu Qingge the same way Liu Qingge is trying to kill him. At best, the half-demon beast is only doing what he’s doing in order to kick him out so Liu Qingge will return the next day, and the next and the next.
Why is Liu Qingge playing into his hand and going back there so stubbornly?
Reason says he should’ve lost patience ages ago. He can’t win.
Sometimes, Liu Qingge has this conviction that he is trying to get something out of it, but he doesn’t understand what it is. His shixiong’s remains?
Mu Qingfang is not his Shixiong, though, so Liu Qingge isn’t sure why he is so thoroughly convinced he should be able to find Mu Qingfang inside Huan Hua Palace. He is even less sure why he keeps looking there. Isn’t he supposed to be looking for Shen Yuan? But then, when someone falls into the Endless Abyss, they’re not likely to make it back to the human realm in one piece. No one has ever done it before.
He could always be the first, Liu Qingge thinks, stubbornly. The way he was the first who ever…
But Shen Yuan wasn’t his first anything, not really. The kiss, maybe, if that can even be counted as such.
Liu Qingge doesn’t understand why he keeps wasting time, battling it out with Luo Binghe. He’s not sure why Luo Binghe is even there as the leader of Huan Hua Palace, and not storming the Endless Abyss right by his side the way Liu Qingge thought he might, once he got the kid out of his own prison. It’s all confusing and Liu Qingge himself is confusing things and he can hardly make sense of any of it. It’s a weird ass dream and that’s the sole comfort he finds in it, despite the fact it simply refuses to come to an end.
He makes some token efforts to call out Luo Binghe for his brazenness and shamelessness, treating his Shizun’s memory the way he does, but some days those words ring emptier than hollow shells. This particular day is one of them.
He is fighting it out with Luo Binghe and getting soundly beaten for his efforts all over again ─ but neither one of them is truly in it. Their heads are elsewhere, their hearts weighed down by emotions they don’t know how to handle. Luo Binghe has had several opportunities to kick Liu Qingge out of his palace and he’s missed out on every single one of them. Liu Qingge, meanwhile, has had several openings to strike the final blow and has willingly turned his head away.
At some point, they just stand there, in the middle of destruction they’ve made around themselves, Cheng Luan clashing against Xin Mo, locked in a stance with misery oozing off of both of them.
“Send Mu Qingfang back to the Sect,” Liu Qingge says, flat and tired and miserable in ways he hasn’t heard from himself since the first ever time he visited home after joining the Sect, just to find that his mother had been gone for months on end and no one had bothered to tell him that.
“No,” Luo Binghe answers, voice just as dead as Liu Qingge’s.
“He’s not going to do what you want him to do,” Liu Qingge says. “Even if he knew how, he’d never do it. He’d rather die.”
“Then he can rot in the Water Prison.”
“Let him go,” Liu Qingge repeats. Then, because this time he really has nothing else, he adds, “I’m of better use than he is anyway.”
That constatation surprises both of them. Liu Qingge isn’t entirely sure why he’s said it. But Luo Binghe looks at him, as if offended, his lips pressed into a thin line and his eyes burning with hatred. “Don’t mess with me. I might just kill you for it.”
Liu Qingge isn’t messing with him though. If there’s a chance for it ─ he’s pretty sure, he might be able to upset the life-death balance, if that’s what they gotta do. Not alone, surely, but joining hands with a heavenly demon would make it possible, no? Have the two of them not cheated death more than once already? It’s just, Liu Qingge is still so shocked by what’s come out of his mouth that he forgets to elaborate, let alone wonder why he might want to do it in the first place, and the silence eventually ends with another clash of weapons between them, the weight of Liu Qingge’s words hanging suspended in the air like a pile of something just waiting to crash over both them, should either one of them bring it up again.
They don’t.
The next time Liu Qingge breaks into Huan Hua Palace, he gets out with Mu Qingfang.
It’s odd to hear Mu Qingfang call him Shixiong again. He doesn’t feel deserving of being called that, he never did. Mu Qingfang is older than him, by five or six years at least, and whatever connection existed between them was never like that. Just because their sect has weird seniority rules doesn’t mean he feels deserving of being called Shixiong when it is himself who should be showing that kind of respect to Qian Cao Peak Lord instead.
“I know how Liu-shixiong must be feeling,” Mu Qingfang says, once they make it back to the sect, for the first time in his years of absence. Liu Qingge wants to turn back at the very gates, but Mu Qingfang’s iron grip on his shoulder doesn’t let him. He says, “I’m back now. Use me as an excuse if you must. You don’t need to go back to Huan Hua Palace again.”
Hah. Mu Qingfang says that in the same breath as he says he knows how Liu Qingge feels.
Shen Yuan is gone.
Liu Qingge himself doesn’t entirely understand how he feels about that and why he feels the way he does. How the hell would anyone else?
The next day, he goes to Huan Hua Palace anyway.
Luo Binghe doesn’t say anything. He doesn’t even seem to care that a hostage of his has been taken away. He just fights until the first bone breaks and then Liu Qingge is kicked out again and he has to crawl his way back to his carcass fortress outside of Huan Hua territory and pretend he couldn’t have kept fighting when all he really wanted was to feel the pain.
It’s a good fight, either way.
Luo Binghe wins it, as always, but at least he now wants to make it hurt. It’s worth it, Liu Qingge thinks. He’s wanted it to hurt all along and only Luo Binghe is strong enough to make it last.
It is worth it, in the end.
Until it isn’t.
It’s a while after Liu Qingge brings Mu Qingfang back to the sect that something about this endless nightmare truly starts feeling off. Fifteen of his losses exactly, but a lot more in actual days. Despite his best efforts to battle it out with the Heavenly demon day after day, breaking Mu Qingfang out of there is a turning point in more ways than he’s thought to expect.
It probably makes sense. Mu Qingfang knows Liu Qingge better than anyone. The same day he comes back to the sect, he recruits Mingyan of all people to keep an eye on him and it feels like the typical betrayal of what has been his closest person for his whole life, with the exception of his sister.
The first time Liu Qingge sees Mingyan wearing the sect colors again, it makes him violently enraged, but somehow, he hardly reacts. Like his mind and his body are entirely disconnected.
What bothers Liu Qingge more than Mu Qingfang’s small treachery is the fact that his clan allows Mingyan the freedom of movement so soon after he’s gone and made such a giant mess. Mingyan herself insisted on staying home, so what is this now? Surely, they would’ve been more worried than him about her walking around Cang Qiong again, no? She is the future clan leader. If the clan doesn’t plan to protect her, who will?
But instead, it is Mingyan who drags him along so he can help her with night hunts like nothing has ever gone wrong, as though Yue Qingyuan hasn’t let them both down and played Mingyan as the political card that Liu Qingge warned him to never fucking use.
Either way, Liu Qingge can never say no to his sister’s face.
He doesn’t ask anything. He thinks the words might have never left his mouth even if he tried. His sister wants the leadership duty pushed upon her, therefore this battle is hers to finish. Liu Qingge won’t bring it up ever again unless she does so first.
But Mingyan just takes him for night hunts and nothing more. Some of those hunts are so simple, they barely last a day. The others last three. The vast majority are somewhere in between. The last one, though ─ that one takes a week and by the end of it even Mingyan comes to realize that dragging Liu Qingge away from Huan Hua Palace is kind of like trying to cure a willing alcoholic. He eventually ditches his sister mid-hunt to storm Huan Hua Palace when he loses all patience and all that lingers behind him are her words, hanging in the air, that those who have wronged her brother should prepare for repercussions worthy of their crimes.
Silly child. Luo Binghe isn’t someone she can handle and Liu Qingge doesn’t want to see her trying. He can do this much himself.
So yeah. It takes him fifteen loses, but more than triple that in days before his relentless invasion of Huan Hua Palace veers off its natural course so terribly that he, for the first time, begins questioning the validity of the nightmare.
Luo Binghe isn’t in the Sect when Liu Qingge breaks through the Huan Hua protective arrays, this time. Not at first.
Perfect, Liu Qingge thinks. I’ll take Shixiong’s body and leave before he comes back.
An idle thought passes through his head, that if he is successful in this endeavor, then Shixiong will never come back. An even more fleeting thought asks which one of his Shixiongs would Luo Binghe even care so much about, to preserve their rotting corpse, but Liu Qingge simply doesn’t linger there. He storms the sect instead, letting his rage lead him the rest of the way.
He makes it about halfway through with his plan ─ inside the sect walls, the great hall, frigid and dark and covered in ice, reminiscent of Mobei’s palace. The enthusiasm keeps him going for a long time. Right up until he finds the body that Luo Binghe has been hiding away ─ and something in his mind simply breaks.
At first, Liu Qingge isn’t sure what exactly he is looking at.
There is a bed. And on that bed is a person. A pale, unconscious person, whose skin shade holds just a little color to it to not look immediately dead. As if transfixed, Liu Qingge feels himself pulled towards that bed. Towards Shixiong. Someone who most certainly isn’t meant to be there.
He looks asleep.
Calm and austere and untouchable, even in slumber. But he looks… alive. Almost.
Liu Qingge doesn’t know what to do with what he’s found.
Shixiong is supposed to be in the Endless Abyss. Liu Qingge has done so much, so so much, just for a chance to possibly get him out of there─
But now Shen Yuan is here and he looks dead. He does. He is.
Liu Qingge is not at the level of his sister, where he can look at a person and in an instant understand everything they’re made of. Mingyan is just like that. She can differentiate every thread of spiritual flows woven into this world with her naked eye ─ in a living being or otherwise ─ and she sees it in a detail greater than every healer who may have spent decades perfecting the same art. Liu Qingge is nowhere near that good, but he is also not too far behind. He might not be able to see worldly flows the same way Mingyan does, but he is able to feel them in ways even his sister can’t, he is able to understand certain things he cannot always explain.
Shen Qingqiu’s body most certainly looks dead to the eye. As he comes close enough to touch, he quickly determines that the heart isn’t beating. The Qing Jing Peak Lord isn’t breathing.
So why, then, when Liu Qingge touches that clammy hand, does Shixiong’s spiritual power feel as though he’s still alive?
Liu Qingge is no expert on heavenly laws of any kind ─ but the lines between life and death have always been clear to him. By definition in cultivation laws, so long as a connection between the soul and the body remains untouched, no matter what form it takes, the person cannot be considered truly dead.
But while Liu Qingge knows that on an intellectual level, it’s like his body isn’t able to comprehend it. He feels the wrongness twisting in his gut, feels the unease trigger an anxiety he cannot explain. It’s like the first time he’s come to the realization that Shen Qingqiu’s body isn’t entirely aligned with Liu Qingge’s idea of who the man is meant to be. It’s wrong! Everything is wrong!
Right before his eyes, something is screaming at him, Shen Qingqiu is supposed to be dead.
But isn’t Shen Qingqiu actually Shen Yuan? Haven’t I known that all along?
Liu Qingge doesn’t understand. Something with this situation is wrong, something is wrong with everything. But Liu Qingge isn’t able to tell: what is he missing?
Before he can further examine every little discrepancy of this nightmare that he has encountered so far, Luo Binghe is storming back inside, a whirl of red and black, his demonic cultivation entirely out of control.
“What the HELL do you think you’re doing?!” He is roaring, like a monster, like those creatures that cultivators like Liu Qingge are taught to fear.
But Liu Qingge too is out of control. Rather than to use his head and ask what he wants to know, he forgoes Cheng Luan entirely and grabs Luo Binghe by the front of his robes, slamming the demon into ground and bearing down all his rage in his face. “What have you done?! Luo Binghe, what have you done to him?!”
Luo Binghe kicks him away, roaring back, “You don’t go near him!”
“WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!”
Logically speaking, Liu Qingge doesn’t think any of what is currently bothering him is Luo Binghe’s fault, specifically. But he sure is acting like he does, and can’t bring himself to stop or even question whether he has the right to be doing so.
Luo Binghe kicks off the ground to bodily slam Liu Qingge down instead, making inhuman sounds as he does. It takes way too long for Liu Qingge to realize that the blood that stains his Bai Zhan clothes isn’t some physical wound he doesn’t feel due to the chemicals in his body going crazy, but something carried over from Luo Binghe’s own body. The wounds on the half-demon are invisible under all the blacks and reds, but they are there, and Luo Binghe’s eyes are wild, his huadian pulsing wildly with barely contained anger.
Liu Qingge has a distinct feeling that he shouldn’t care about that. That the part of him bearing witness to this simply doesn’t care, perhaps even derives some pleasure from watching the little beast in front of him fall apart at the seams.
Liu Qingge cares, though.
What’s wrong, he means to ask? Who beat you up so badly? Who dared do that to you?
Who should I make suffer for it?
But instead what comes out is a sentence that hasn’t once crossed Liu Qingge’s mind for as long as he’s been aware of himself in this dream, in this nightmare, in this life.
“How dare you touch him like that?”
Liu Qingge isn’t sure what he means by it, even if it’s his own voice that he’s hearing in his ears. It’s like he’s not the one talking, his mind and mouth entirely disconnected, yet at the same time like he is, because it can’t be anyone but him.
What is he asking, though?
How did Luo Binghe touch anyone?
Why does it sound like an accusation that simply doesn’t belong?
Luo Binghe snarls like a wounded animal in response, unlike anything Liu Qingge has ever heard from him, even at his absolute worst. They’re rolling on the floor, trying to hit, bite, grapple, kick each other, but ending up a mess of desperate limbs that have only each other to cling to, even if all they want to do is cause immeasurable amounts of pain.
Why are they doing this, exactly?
Luo Binghe is a heavenly demon, for fuck’s sake. Liu Qingge knows better than to fight him barehanded. More importantly, Luo Binghe is hurt, angry and visibly losing his mind. This battle, no matter what it may be, is unlike any they’ve had before. Luo Binghe, for all that he’s injured Liu Qingge seriously in quite a few of those instances, has never actually tried to kill him.
Well, he’s definitely trying to kill Liu Qingge now.
Claws dig into his sides, chest, neck, as Luo Binghe tries to tear him apart with his bare hands. Liu Qingge returns that with spiritual blasts that should’ve been more effective than they actually are ─ but Luo Binghe takes each one of those head on, coughs up blood a few times and simply preserves as if he does not give a flying fuck, what happens to his body in the process.
Eventually, Liu Qingge goes low enough to strike Luo Binghe’s open wound. Luo Binghe digs his claws deep into Liu Qingge’s side, all but tearing up the lower dantian. Liu Qingge grits his teeth and does not scream, but instead takes the arm buried in his side and twists until the whole thing pops out of its socket, then he puts everything he’s got into ripping it off of Luo Binghe’s body. Luo Binghe roars in agony, his limb carelessly tossed away ─ but the bastard deserves it.
Fuck, Liu Qingge’s lower dantian has always been his weakest cultivation point. What Luo Binghe has done to it, tearing it apart with his bare hands ─ Liu Qingge cannot tell for sure, but he might never be able to recover. Even now, it is solely his rage keeping him from diving head first into a deadly deviation. And Luo Binghe is recovering so much faster. And so, Liu Qingge makes a sword seal with his hand, and Cheng Luan pierces through Luo Binghe’s middle dantian in return, shredding it to nothing instantly.
Luo Binghe screams.
I owe this bastard my life, Liu Qingge thinks, desperately, with no control at all over how he slams his fist in the open wound where Cheng Luan has only just withdrawn. Why would I fight him like this?
He doesn’t get it. Just what the hell is this? What kind of a nightmare could account for this? Liu Qingge has no context whatsoever and it’s pissing him off to the point he’s just waiting to call it fucking quits─
But he doesn’t, because in a moment of inattention, Luo Binghe’s sole remaining hand tears open brand new wounds all along his torso, from his navel to his heart, shredding the clothes to nothing in the process. In Liu Qingge’s struggle to get away, the tatters over his midsection drift apart, revealing several deep, bloody gashes, cutting over the already nasty scars left by Skinner─
But there are no scars left by Skinner on his body.
Oh, Liu Qingge thinks. Not my dream.
Liu Qingge has plenty of experience living through nightmares ─ his own and otherwise. Heart demons thrive in the subconscious and Liu Qingge has always been a more fertile ground than most. It also, unfortunately, makes him a sponge for other people’s terrible experiences, too. It’s not the first time nor will it be the last time that Liu Qingge has inadvertently picked up someone else’s heart demons and projected them onto himself. As for what makes him certain that this specifically is not his own subconscious playing tricks on him is something that Mu Qingfang has taught him, in the very early stages of their friendships.
“The best way Shixiong should be able to tell whether the struggles he is facing are his own is his self image.”
It matters, because sometimes, some nightmares can become so confusing that they feel exactly like reality. But even so, dreams and nightmares always have their flaws, their mistakes, their inaccuracies. Dreams can’t reflect reality all that well unless they’re memories ─ and making a difference between the two is an art of its own kind. Few are truly able to master it, and Luo Binghe just so happens to be among them.
But this thing is in Liu Qingge’s head now, which means Luo Binghe has no control over it. And it has been going on for so long, it cannot possibly be a mere dream. A nightmare, a fixation, a memory. An obsession of some kind, surely.
But even if Liu Qingge now knows it, it gives him absolutely no power over it.
Luo Binghe lets a guttural sound out of his throat, so deeply wounded that it makes Liu Qingge’s head spin. The demon has ripped Cheng Luan out of his insides for the second time and tossed it away, far out of reach. The claw that has been trying to tear Liu Qingge apart now slams Liu Qingge into the ground, the back of his head hitting so hard that his vision flickers before his eyes. His attempt to push the kid away results in both his wrists captured between the claws and lifted up above his head, restrained so firmly that no amount of resistance helps break free.
Liu Qingge roars, attempting to kick at the demon instead, but Luo Binghe just takes it, pressing the weight of his entire upper body against Liu Qingge and pinning him to the ground. Hips grind into hips where they aren’t supposed to, god fucking damn it, and any hope that this may be an accident gets washed away when Luo Binghe does it again ─ fully intentional.
Shit, shit, shit!
Luo Binghe is a Master of the Dream Realm. And this is not just a dream. Heart demons, damn it. Heart demons. Liu Qingge is a sponge for those no matter who they come from ─ but given how clearly he remembers what sort of activity the two of them have been up to, before this, what he has tapped into is dangerous enough to do permanent damage ─ possibly to both of them. And given that Liu Qingge has absolutely no control over anything he himself does, the implication is clear.
This isn’t even a nightmare. Not really.
A memory.
Somewhere, somehow, Liu Qingge and Luo Binghe have gotten to this point of hatred, this level of desperation, that the groin that is currently pressing into him is a source of absolute fright for them both. The way those eyes are looking down on him, lustful and starved and entirely animalistic ─ Liu Qingge has seen plenty of that from other demons ─ but never from Luo Binghe. Not until now.
No, Liu Qingge thinks. Not you, damn it. You can’t do this shit to me! NOT YOU!
But Luo Binghe looks beyond any sense. His eyes are a blood red and full of cracks, entirely lacking control behind them. He looks exactly like those lust obsessed demons who have no control over carnal urges whatsoever. Those that look at lust demons and feed on them for fun, those that recognize Liu Qingge and his brethren for what they are with a single inhale of their scent. The Southern Realm is full of such bastards. Without Tianlang Jun around to rein them in, Liu Qingge would’ve had to fight them off all the damn time even in the north.
Snap out of it, bastard! You’re not like one of those!
Except Luo Binghe is acting exactly like them. Worse, even. At some point, his fangs bite into the tissue connected Liu Qingge’s neck and shoulders, drawing a hiss of pain and just enough blood for Luo Binghe to taste something that isn’t meant to be tasted.
Luo Binghe licks up all the blood and moans, desperately, right into his neck.
Shit, shit, shit!
The thing with demons who tend to lose all their inhibitions this way, is that they’re generally much lower level than even average cultivators. Liu Qingge has had his fair share of encounters, all of which have ended with the daring bastards dead for their efforts. The stronger the demon, the more control over their lust they have, the less likely they are to fall into the trap of tasting succubi essence and not be able to shake it off.
Luo Binghe should’ve, by all means, been entirely unaffected.
But as he is, the kid has no control over anything, doesn’t even seem to be aware of what he is trying to do ─ and if this shit continues, if… if he does that, if he even attempts─
“GET OFF ME!” Liu Qingge roars, in blind panic, putting all his spiritual power to use to blast that bastard away ─but Luo Binghe is like a dog with a bone. His singular hand blasted away, he instead makes a grab at Liu Qingge’s leg and presses it down against his chest, the crack audible to the ear. A bone may or may not have broken entirely, but Liu Qingge is wholly blind to the pain the same way he isn’t blind to the gleaming light in Luo Binghe’s eyes and the bulge thickening between the demon’s legs.
Fucking damn it!
Liu Qingge knows ─ he knows why his clan insists on certain practices, no matter how crude they are. He also knows why he has stubbornly refused to engage in any of them, from early childhood into adolescence and even adulthood. He’s heard the horror stories. Ignored most of them, because he could ─ because the really bad stuff only ever happened to girls, especially those who didn’t have the backbone to fend for themselves. That’s why he was so careful with Mingyan, too ─ why he didn’t let her anywhere near Cang Qiong until he was certain she could beat even the best among the best with her bare hands.
But had he expected that he’d have to be defending himself from an assault like this?!
Yeah, Liu Qingge realizes faintly. For some reason he had never bothered to think about, he has always, always, feared that someone might just attempt… something like that. And he has always, always held the conviction that no matter what, he’ll be able to tear them apart if they try.
He can’t tear Luo Binghe apart.
He wouldn’t be able to, even if he tries. But more than that, he doesn’t want to try.
His lower dantian needs an intervention of the sexual kind if it’s going to survive this, he knows that as surely as he knows breathing. And by looking at Luo Binghe’s face, that kid needs something just as intense to snap him out of whatever’s been wrecking his head. But the mere notion that he has to, that he’s being pushed into it, forced─
Luo Binghe’s wet mouth traces along his neck and down to his chest, lapping up at blood near the edge of a gash. Liu Qingge’s resistance has kept him from attempting anything questionable down below so far, but when the tip of the tongue curls around his nipple, all hope that this can possibly be resolved simply crumbles away instantly.
“STOP!” Liu Qingge roars, pouring every bit of power he has into it, every bit of compulsion he knows the girls of his clan to be capable of ─ and concentrates it all on the person pressed up against him. For a moment ─ just a moment, he’s terrified that it’s not enough. His whole body is downright shaking, chest heaving, sweat rolling down his spine in buckets. But that moment passes, and while Luo Binghe’s mouth and tongue remain pressed up to his nipple, he is no longer moving at all.
Sucking in a breath to calm himself down, Liu Qingge looks down, to find Luo Binghe looking up with his eyes glazed over, lost and visibly confused.
“Get off me,” he says, a little calmer now, but just as firm.
Luo Binghe doesn’t move. Which, fuck that. Liu Qingge isn’t in the mood to be playing games here.
“Get. Off,” he repeats, then prepares to shove the kid away with a blast ─ but finally, Luo Binghe moves on his own. He seems shaky enough not to be able to stand, but at least he is sitting on the ground now, staring at nothing and shaking.
“What is wrong with me?” the kid strangles out, faintly. The huadian on his forehead is still pulsing madly, the cracks riddling his face only fading the barest bit. He is looking down at Liu Qingge beneath him in absolute shock ─ and the more he looks, the more he finds himself a mess. Faintly, he says, “What…? What? I don’t… what have you…? I don’t want you!”
“Of course you don’t!” Liu Qingge roars back, scrambling to lift himself up on him his elbows. “Get the fuck away from me!”
Luo Binghe doesn’t, so Liu Qingge kicks at the wound in his chest. The painin his leg as he does it is almost unbearable, a bone certainly broken ─ but Luo Binghe takes this kick just as he’s taken all the rest, and lets this one shove him away until he’s sprawled the ground, breathing heavily.
“What have you done to me?!” the half-demon growls, but it is borderline a cry of desperation.
“It’s you who's messed up, not me!” Liu Qingge shouts back. “Snap out of it!”
Luo Binghe ignores him and shouts back, “What the hell are you?”
“Bai Zhan’s War God, that’s what I am!” Liu Qingge snaps, scrambling to summon Cheng Luan back to his hand while he still has the chance. “Have you never encountered a succubi before? Don’t you fucking know how to handle yourself? What are you, an animal?!”
The verbal attack is entirely uncalled for and Liu Qingge knows it ─ Luo Binghe has no more control over this than he does over weather. It does nothing but disgust Liu Qingge even more ─ because if Luo Binghe is somehow weak to this shit in ways most demons of his level aren’t meant to be, that means that what he’s done to him, trying to break him out of Juedi gorge─
Not the same, he reminds himself. Not the same thing. This is a freaking nightmare ─ a memory?! ─ but not something currently happening. Not reality. All the issues thereal deal may have with him pulling this sort of thing, they can battle it out fairly. Not… not like this.
But instead of focusing on that, instead of focusing on any of that, Liu Qingge looks towards Shen Qingqiu’s body instead, and he says, “Is that really what you’ve been doing all this time, to preserve what ties between the body and the soul remains?”
Luo Binghe lets out the screech reminiscent of a wild animal. “I’m going to kill you, Liu Qingge! Don’t you dare ever cast your lust demon eyes on Shizun, I am going to skin you alive and feed you to the swines─”
“Don’t project your wants on me ─ I’m not a fucking animal,” Liu Qingge snaps. He twists Cheng Luan in his grip, wincing when the mere thought of using the sword for flight launches a whole world of agony through his veins. At this rate, he really is going to deviate right here and then hell knows what he might do.
Without thinking about it, he stabs through his middle dantian, gasping in pain as it further damages his cultivation ─ but at least now it’s even. It’s bad, but with both dantians out of balance, the descent into the deviation is slower. He is still going to lose it at some point, he knows it ─ but at least now, he has bought some time. At least now, his body is too busy keeping him alive to turn his spiritual cultivation against him ─ but who knows how long that might last.
Dragging his aching leg behind him, Liu Qingge makes his way towards the exit, only for Luo Binghe to roar behind him.
“I will kill you if you ever show your face here again─”
“The next time I come here, you’ll regret ever taking Shixiong’s body away,” Liu Qingge promises. I’m able to tell, Luo Binghe. If, even for a moment, I have reason to believe that you’ve disrespected that body─
But Liu Qingge snaps his eyes shut and limps away, reminding himself that it hasn’t and it never will happen. Shen Yuan was… even in Shen Qingqiu’s body… if there had been that sort of damage, he might’ve been able to─
Not real, he insists. None of it is real. None of it was ever real─
He doesn’t make it five steps out of the Huan Hua sect before the Qi deviation crashes down on him, violently. His vision goes red and blurry, Cheng Luan the sole thing keeping him from losing it entirely even as he catches a faint shape of several people rushing towards him.
No, Liu Qingge thinks faintly, as his broken leg gives out under him. Get away─
“Brother!” the faint shape in the distance exclaims.
Liu Qingge’s heart sinks. Not you, damn it. Not you. Mingyan, stay the fuck away─
“Disciple Yang, get her away!” Another familiar voice shouts ─ and a youth Liu Qingg doesn’t recognize grabs his sister by the arm and drags her away. Good. Very good. Mingyan, that dumbass child. Does she want to get stuck with heart demons she can’t handle again? None of this is any of her business, damn it. Liu Qingge can handle it ─ he’ll manage just fine, so long as she stays away ─
The world tilts, then, and the next time Liu Qingge opens his eyes, the most he manages to see through the blood pouring out of them is Mu Qingfang’s face as he comes to realize exactly what sort of damage he’s gotta fix, again.
Sorry about that, Liu Qingge doesn’t say.
And then the Qi deviation slams into him so hard that it snaps him awake.
He finds himself firmly in his real, actual body, choking up on his own saliva as a Qi deviation rocks through his meridians like molten fire scorching his veins. It’s like his body is eager to tear itself apart, unable to handle the influx of power that’s been handed to it. Too much. Fuck. It’s way too much. His meridians haven’t settled yet, his spiritual core not yet balanced enough. As things stand, he’s gonna end up having an even more fragile core this time─
Except there’s a hand on his chest that’s come out of nowhere, pressing him down and forcing spiritual power to correct the wrong flows in ways that make Liu Qingge’s head spin─
“Stay awake!” The voice shouts above him, forceful and commanding. Liu Qingge wishes it could affect him the same way he is able to affect others, but he really can’t do shit about this. He can barely breathe.
“Stay awake!” Luo Binghe all but growls, still pouring down spiritual power directly into Liu Qingge’s chest to sort out everything.
It’s not enough, but at least the nightmare is over ─ the kid in front of him is not a demon lord, not the leader of Huan Hua Palace. It is exactly the brat that Liu Qingge has put everything on the line for, to get out of Juedi gorge in one piece ─ and he has made it. Luo Binghe is alive and free and right there, hovering above him with wild concern written all over his face.
Liu Qingge doesn’t think about it.
With a desperate burst of strength, he hooks his hand around the back of Luo Binghe’s neck. It startles the demon just enough to pause and look into his eyes, his own reflecting the wild dance of white and red. But Liu Qingge doesn’t have strength to do anything else ─ not even tug down. Does he even have the right? Everything he and Luo Binghe were supposed to do, they’ve already done. Everything they should have never done, they’ve also done it. Crossing these lines, even if it’s just one more time ─ what the fuck gives him the right? What makes him different from any other demonic monster, taking what he will for his own gain?
He isn’t like that, damn it. He’s never been like that.
His clan has one rule, damn it, just one in a sea of them that has always, always made sense in his head. And it’s precisely that one that he has chosen to break, damn him. A Qi deviation, as penance, is a small price to pay.
But Luo Binghe, that bastard ─ he leans over him, brushing his lips against Liu Qingge’s temple, before whispering, “It’s alright now. You’re awake.”
And then he brings those lips down over Liu Qingge’s, gentle at first, then as Liu Qingge shudders against him, more forceful. “Don’t worry, I’ve got you now,” Luo Binghe promises. He tilts Liu Qingge’s face for better access, then buries his tongue deep in his mouth, until Liu Qingge chokes arounds it.
The little bastard laughs.
“Let me,” Luo Binghe whispers between kisses, almost wantonly.
Liu Qingge is so tired, so shaken. It’s not that kind of a relationship they have ─ there’s no love, loyalty or trust between them. But the desperation they feel is the same and the person they want is the same. If they want Shen Yuan back, though, they have to work together. Liu Qingge doesn’t mind being a stepping stone, so long as Luo Binghe can make that happen. He doesn’t mind putting his body to use for that. People like him are born to be used anyway ─ the most power they’ll ever have is choosing who gets to use them.
Still, the sight of Shen Qingqiu’s dead body has shaken him in more ways he could put into words. It’s not real, he knows that ─ but he also knows that it was real, at some point. And to prevent that from becoming true ever again, it doesn’t matter what he has to do.
Somehow, his shaky hand finds its way to Luo Binghe’s face, unintentionally making for a sole barrier between them as Luo Binghe finally pulls away from his mouth. Liu Qingge says, “One more time.”
“Huh? Not now. You’ve just─”
But Liu Qingge kisses him on the mouth to shut him up, shuddering again. “One more time.”
Luo Binghe sighs, before lowering him back down, then once again buries his tongue in his mouth, stealing his breath away. As he pulls away, the demon says, “You don’t know your own limits.” And then, with his hand pressed against Liu Qingge’s chest, “Rest.”
And then something sets itself right in ways it’s never been and Liu Qingge throws his head back, his whole body violently shaking. A twisted meridian forcefully set right, at the level of skill he’s only ever known his sister could display.
“Shishu is mine now,” the kid whispers in his ear, just soft enough to make all the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. “If it’s messing around in the sheets that you want, I’ll fuck you so hard you’ll forget to walk. But I am not going to risk messing up the core I’ve worked so hard to build up. Have I made myself clear?”
Liu Qingge grimaces, a complaint he doesn’t voice because Luo Binghe once again sticks his tongue down his throat. But that’s all he does ─ and his message couldn’t have been clearer. Which, yeah, fine, alright.
“I’ll figure it out on my own, then,” Liu Qingge promises.
“Huh? Liu Qingge? Why are you ─ hey!”
Funnily enough, one thing that dual cultivation can never fix is precisely the heart demons and their root causes. And this messed up situation has left Liu Qingge in a rather unique position. Heart demons that he tends to pick up from other people inevitably always, always expose some hidden problems of his own. Merely by experiencing that nightmare, he’s gained a level of understanding of himself too, a depth to it that he might’ve never picked up on his own. It’s half the problem solved. All that’s left now is figuring out how it relates to him outside the context of the fucking nightmate. And then the last step ─ by far the most difficult one.
Acceptance.
Notes:
Welp, this is it! A whole new can of worms, opened!
I'm going on a slightly longer break now (there'll probably still be chapters out between now and mid august, but no promises on exact schedule). That said, starting next chapter, we'll be catching up with our Peerless Cucumber to see what the hell he's been up to this whole time (a lot -- he's been up to a helluva LOT). Stay tuned!!
Chapter 62: The Endless Abyss, Endless Suffering
Notes:
Hello and welcome back! The long awaited Abyss mini-arc begins~
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
It is said that the stomach of an ancient beast hides away the heart demon’s grief.
This might’ve been the opening line to one of Proud Immortal Demon Way’s most cathartic arc-closing chapters. Or perhaps the ending line. It’s been well over a decade, so Shen Yuan should truly not be blamed for not remembering this specific detail. It’s more than enough that he remembers the line exists in the book. He’s not even trying to glorify it at this point, though he’s pretty sure there was a stage in his life where he would have. If anything, he is calling it out for how fucking stupid it is.
Over the past three years, Shen Yuan has gotten quite sick of remembering that same line, over and over again, every time he comes across a demon, a monster, a wraith or a ghost deep within the Endless Abyss, refusing to be even remotely useful to his cause. After all, every single thing within this realm knows Xin Mo exists. Every single one of them fears it. Every single one of them knows exactly where it is, too. The cowards just keep refusing to say it.
Shen Yuan doesn’t blame them for being cowards specifically. That asspull plot-cheat of a weapon is said to have passed through the hands of countless masters, all of whom had been blessed geniuses from various races, talented beyond what words of praise could express. Every single one of them had fallen under the hand of the very same fate. Ending and destruction, sometimes crueler than death itself. It’s only natural that Xin Mo’s naughty reputation has caught on. Few of the Endless Abyss’ denizens bear to hear the stupid cursed sword’s name. Even fewer know exactly where it is.
Shen Yuan gets it. He does. He had gotten the VIP ticket to watch ─ and feel ─ the best known bearer of Xin Mo’s burden as he falls apart. The most powerful protagonist known to men and Zhongdian alike, dispersing into specs of shiny dust blown across the realms in front of Shen Yuan’s eyes. He doesn’t blame these dead and undead things for being frightened of the stupid ass plot device at all.
At the same time, he has watched Luo Binghe, like a phoenix, rise from the ashes, yearning to reach out for the happiness that he’s repeatedly been robbed off. He has watched Luo Binghe reach out to him, all else be damned ─ and by the time Shen Yuan realized he should have fucking reached back, it was far too late.
The timeline reset.
The dead coming back to life.
Shen Yuan should have known, way back when, that this entire stupid thing was a giant ass hoax right from the start.
Instead, he’d wasted years putting the pieces together to fit in a frame he liked rather than stop and look down at the picture they actually painted.
“Transmigration?” Shen Qingqiu ─ Jiu, that fucking bastard ─ had asked, idly playing with a small black shard, rolling it between his fingers left and right and front and back, without ever cutting his fingers on it. He wasn’t even looking at Shen Yuan when asking, that lunatic.
“I mean, is that not what this is?” Shen Yuan had asked in return, like a fucking idiot. “I’m dead. So are you. What we want, is essentially, preventing what happens to both of us. To do that, you’re suggesting that I take your place while you take mine and ─ whoa la. That’s like, straight up transmigration. Double.”
“Ah, so that is what you would call it,” Shen Jiu had said, mildly disinterested. “Does it sound convincing to you?”
Shen Yuan, frankly, hadn’t been sure why that even mattered. “It’s convincing enough,” he’d said. “Not like anyone can verify, right? I don’t exist in your world. You don’t exist in mine.”
“Very well, then─”
But just as it looked like Shen Jiu was going to make a move and make good on his promise, Shen Yuan lifted his arms in wild panic, yelling, “Wait, wait, wait! Stop! I’m not done! All you’ve said is how I should go about preventing your end of life, you never mentioned anything about mine─”
But before Shen Yuan had gotten his answer, the black shard piece of pure darkness, formerly lingering between Shen Jiu’s fingertips, embedded itself into Shen Yuan’s skull for the second time.
The first time, the thing had straight up killed him.
It wasn’t even fucking meatballs or breaking his neck from the fall! It was a sword shard! Embedding itself into Shen Yuan’s head! By passing through a portal! Through his fucking computer screen!
Honestly, if Shen Yuan could straight up retch blood, thinking about it, he would. The whole thing sounds so ridiculously stupid that he hadn’t believed it for a minute when Xin Mo, the sword shard in question, flat-out presented it to him with a bow tie.
Yeah, like, he might’ve had a nightmare with a similar premise, once or twice, mostly while Luo Binghe was stuck in the Endless Abyss and Shen Yuan was still out there, fearing for his fucking life… He’d imagined multiple different dramatic exits from his original world! Most certainly he hadn’t thought this could be it!
Years!
Decades, even! That’s how much time Shen Yuan had to adjust to his role as a transmigrator. And nothing between then and now had ever hinted at it not being the case─
Except when it did.
Shen Yuan still shudders, thinking about it.
He’d… died. Fucking meatballs, he thought, but apparently not. Either way, he died. After what felt like he’d been sleeping for a while, he woke up to a System giving him the introductory lines of the most typical transmigration setup he’d ever read about ─ and he’d latched onto that idea, instantly and wholeheartedly. Because what else could it possibly be?
Except, most Systems don’t arbitrarily change rules to suit their needs. Or do they?
Most Systems want their character to make something out of the gibberish plot, no?
His System, though… didn’t really do that, did it? Oh, sure, it gave him missions and stuff, random point scores and nonsense rules. OOC? What fucking OOC? Shen Jiu was a fucking bastard! Any kind of out-of-character behavior for him was a straight up story improvement by default!
But no.
His System had only ever shown seriously wanting two things: Luo Binghe's suffering, Shen Yuan to fall in line… and the Abyss storyline.
Thinking about it, all of that, ensuring the Protagonist’s happiness, at no point had the System ever said it needed that. Like, sure, it was the right bait. Shen Yuan wanted that. He wanted the best for Luo Binghe no matter what, because that’s what Binghe deserves! And every step he’d taken to ensure it had inevitably led him down the slippery slope, fearing for his own future ─ Shen Qingqiu’s fucking future.
Shen Yuan doesn’t want to think about it ─ whether or not his actions were a result of his own misguided beliefs, overt manipulation or straight up mind control. He’s made peace with a lot of things and he is more than willing to close his eyes to a whole bunch of others. Doesn’t make him any less furious about it, but in spite of what his life has been this whole fucking time, he doesn’t really know how to turn back time. He wouldn’t want to try. Shit that has happened has happened. There’s no going back now, even if in some ways, there surely had been.
More pressingly, everything that Shen Jiu promised him, making Shen Yuan an offer he couldn’t refuse ─ the bastard had accomplished it.
“All I want out of this,” the sneaky fucking snake had said to Shen Yuan, “is for both of us to walk away from it alive.”
And they did.
Shen Jiu survived his fated demise by hiding in Shen Yuan’s body… and Shen Yuan has somehow repeatedly failed to die when by all accounts, he should have. And now they’re both alive. One thriving in the human realm as all evil bastards do ─ and the other stuck in this shithole, still trying to figure his own shit out.
The parts that the evil bastard had omitted ─ stealing memories, agonizing soul-swaps and a whole slew of pain inflicted upon Luo Binghe in the process ─ fuck! He’d omitted so much more! Like, why the fuck does Shen Yuan feel like there’s a whole bunch of other memories he is missing?!
Xin Mo, the ever diligent bastard, is all too nice, trying to assist with painfully inserting flashbacks into his brain from time to time, like a TV antenna randomly buzzing to life inside Shen Yuan’s skull ─ but for all of its efforts, all it does is show him the same things over and over.
Fuck it all.
The point of all this, really ─ is that Shen Yuan promised Luo Binghe something. Not in words, maybe, and not to that child’s face so he could hear it ─ but he’d made a promise in his heart. And even that, he’d messed up. Every single thing he could have messed up, in relation to that child, he’d fucked up beyond any means of repair.
Even the three years spent in the Endless Abyss have been less of a punishment to Shen Yuan and more to Luo Binghe, who has remained stuck outside, perhaps entirely unaware of the fact that the bastard currently occupying Shen Qingqiu shell is the very same bastard who entirely blackened his heart. The last that Shen Yuan had seen of both of them, Shen Jiu had been entirely too busy trying to tear Luo Binghe apart.
And it is his own fucking fault.
Fuck. More and more often, Shen Yuan wishes he’d never taken that stupid deal.
What, let’s make sure we both stay alive, hm?
If he’d known what that choice was going to cause, he would have rather just died, alright?!
But now he’s here, stuck in the Endless Abyss, looking for ways to get his hands on Xin Mo ─ if there even is one ─ and this entire darned realm seems to be doing its damnedest to get in his fucking way. Shen Yuan blasts everything out of his way sometimes, but the Endless Abyss is large and full of the damn things that keep coming back. For some reason, they’re trying, stubbornly and persistently, for his own good, as they claim ─ as if Shen Yuan being a selfish fucking bastard hasn’t been exactly what landed him into this dung to start with ─ they’re trying to save him.
No, damn it. No, he is not going to “turn back at all costs or else let the seed of darkness spread through the immortal crops”.
Most certainly, he is not going to “give up pointless ambition lest it corrupts from within”.
And Shen Yuan would rather dig his own heart out of his chest with a rusty spoon than “please leave the harbinger of disaster where it belongs”, thank you very much.
The particular group of Abyss denizens that Shen Yuan currently has an issue with is a small group of You Hun Ge Yui spirits, specifically. Basically, they’re a bunch of wandering human spirits who have, for some inexplicable reason, remained trapped between death and proper reincarnation and have unwittingly ended up in the Endless Abyss. The Abyss is chock full of such ghosts. Millions, Shen Yuan claims, though he hasn’t actually tried counting.
For all that these ghosts sound like a bunch of spiteful troublemakers, they’re actually a really nice group of dead humans who have been trying to make the best out of their continued existence in the Endless Abyss, looking for something, anything, to help them re-enter the reincarnation cycle.
In the original text, Luo Binghe has come across a few of these spirits in passing, and they have never obstructed him much. Mostly, because ghosts have very little to gain from interacting with demons, so they rarely ever do it. For Shen Yuan, however, these ghosts have proven themselves to be the most impenetrable wall thus far, not because they’re somehow powerful and wicked, but, because… well.
“Please! Master Gallant Tempest! Pretty, pretty please! These sinful souls kindly implore you, do not throw your gracious life away for treacherous power! Sins of these humble souls are many, but Master Gallant Tempest has only ever had our best interests at heart, so it is our duty to return his compassion and sympathy with a torrent! As the representatives of the Tempest Protection Union, we implore you to reconsider!”
Shen Yuan stares blankly at this bunch of pale ghosts standing in his way, crowding over each other. He cannot believe what is happening.
“You… you’ve unionized now?” he mumbles, at a complete loss. Since when do hungry ghosts know what unions are?
“Master Gallant Tempest has been most helpful in the re-establishment of the new ghost city! It is only natural that the community has now come together to repay this boundless kindness!”
What boundless kindness? Shen Yuan hasn’t done a thing, other than offer a word of advice here and there! Really, for all that he’s been stuck here, he’s had his hands full just trying to make his way through the chaotic mess of shifting land mass, underground volcanoes erupting poisonous gases, and every so often, ground under his feet would cave in to some sort of an acidic underground river no one ever knew existed. Like, Proud Immortal Demon Way warned him about this, the near-by-heart memory of the Endless Abyss arc as a whole has had Shen Yuan more than ready to throw himself at the hellish landscapes and its even more dangerous residents.
Nothing, however, has prepared him for the fact that all of these natural changes are a daily occurrence! Sometimes, all at once!
Really, how any of these ghosts, demons, monsters and all the other unlucky bastards who somehow ended up in the trash realm maintain any kind of a daily routine is beyond him. Like, the most he’s done for these Abyss-smart bastards is give ‘em a hint or two on how to better rely on each other to perhaps reincarnate faster… And now half the Abyss worships the ground he walks on and the other half wants to tear him apart.
What has Shen Yuan even done for these ghosts to be going around calling him a Gallant Tempest of all things?! His conduct is by no means gallant, his temper definitely not tempestuous. If anything, he’s been pretty tolerant of all the bullshit thrown at him so far, let alone a bunch of hungry ghosts who would have eaten him alive if only they’d remembered to put a gag in his mouth before tying him up! Seriously! If he didn’t already know the survivalist mindset needs to be a specific kind of inane for anyone to make the best of their time in the Abyss, he’d be considering himself crazy.
He hasn’t written it off yet, that all of this is just straight up bullshit and that he is stuck in an institution somewhere, knocked up with drugs and tied up in a straitjacket.
Like, he’s sure that choking on a meatball could somehow stop the oxygen from getting to his brain, right? That could mess up his head, right? Could even leave him even coma-bound, no?
Except, fuck, the body he is using is his own, currently proving him everything he ever believed about himself entirely inaccurate and the poisons of the Endless Abyss on his skin and lungs would’ve definitely been lethal, if not for Luo Binghe’s blood parasites working overtime just to keep him alive.
Shen Yuan wishes he were crazy sometimes, and that all of this was just nonsense he made up in his head. He doesn’t even mind being crazy at this point in time. He’d happily welcome it over what he’s actually got.
But unfortunately, with a Swiss watch on his wrist still ticking and the hungry ghosts around him crying like a bunch of ADHD toddlers, Shen Yuan has to take what’s in front of him and deal with it at face value ─ as much as possible.
So. Comfortably spinning and twisting the obsidian blade and its pure white handle in his hand, Shen Yuan is by no means surprised when not a single ghost takes a fearful step away from him and his stolen weapon. Truly, he’s been spoiling these brats even more rotten than they already were.
“Look, you guys,” he says, all too exhausted. “We’ve been over this before. I appreciate the thought, but unless you’re going to help me get my hands on Xin Mo, there’s no point in following me, alright? I don’t want to hurt anyone, but you’re not giving me many options.”
“Immortal Master Gallant Tempest has spoken to us with sincerity many times,” says the representative of the You Hun Ge─ ah screw it, Shen Yuan’s just gonna call them the Ge union, from now on. The pale ghost speaking before him has the bearing of a warrior and a general, no doubt, but the way this old man looks at Shen Yuan like he is a child walking to his death, that’s just ─ ugh.
He doesn’t want to fucking die, alright?! Not until he pays Luo Binghe for all he owes him. He isn’t allowed to die. Why don’t these ghost just fucking get it?!
“It is our sincerest hope that Master Tempest finds his road back to his home realm as soon as possible,” the ghost general continues, his expression heavy. “The Endless Abyss is a wedge between the human and the demon realms, a dimensional rift created by the conflicts that have never been properly resolved. Many strong Masters have braved the path of darkness in order to undo the damage and paid for it with their lives. After how much the Immortal Master assisted us, we do not wish to see him share the fate of those who came before him.”
Ah, the more he listens to this, the more Shen Yuan is losing his mind.
Xin Mo is his way back, alright?! Shen Yuan has already had a taste of what that world breaking plot device can do to him. Nothing that Xin Mo ruins comes close to what he himself has already done.
“In that case, is there somebody who can point me in the direction towards actually getting out of the Abyss?” he asks, mercilessly. Another one of the not-quite-ghosts with his ear missing attempts to speak up, but Shen Yuan instantly cuts him off. “Not you. I said it enough times, me joining you in keeping watch over your ghost city is not going to end with me scurrying for the first dimensional rift you find.”
The pale, earless ghost withers in evident disappointment.
For the longest time, the silence that stretches between them all is heavy with tension. Shen Yuan wonders if these bastards will force him to cut them into pieces all over again. Honestly, when Luo Binghe said Formless Demons were common in the Endless Abyss, what he must have meant is Formless Everything is common in the Abyss. Or at the very least, undead everything. No matter how many times Shen Yuan cuts through these old ghosts, they just keep coming back.
Eventually, a young lady steps out from the bunch.
Shen Yuan knows this girl. She’s grayish and a little ghoulish and her conduct has been nothing but gentle for as long as she’s been around, but she’s got a sharp tongue. Shen Yuan suspects she may be at fault that he’s been given such a ridiculous moniker to start with. That said, that wrinkly, dried face hanging off of her skin like it’s been half melted is really tough to look at.
“Master Gallant Tempest, this humble one wishes you nothing but the best,” she says, but by the look on her disfigured face, Shen Yuan is bracing for disaster. And just as expected, she delivers. “If Master is so insistent on leaving the Abyss, then perhaps Master should visit the Mistress of the Ardent Highlands. It is said that the Mistress has been able to predict every opening to the other realms with incredible precision so far. Countless demons follow her command. It must be for a reason.”
Shen Yuan grimaces, but says nothing.
The core of the problem here is that, no matter what these ghosts say and how nice their words may sound, they are all still a form of hungry ghosts. They might be fond of Shen Yuan right now, but the moment he turns his back on them, the odds of the bastards turning against him or trying to take his spiritual power for themselves is simply ─ well.
There is a reason why it took Luo Binghe the original five years to get through the Endless Abyss. It’s as if all of the NPCs have been given a singular mission: obstruct him in every way imaginable. Shen Yuan is encountering many similar problems no matter which corner of the Abyss he visits. And while he has gotten better at playing the intimidation tactics out of sheer necessity, its effectiveness against this particular bunch has been less than subpar.
Patiently, Shen Yuan begins spinning the long blade in his hand, twisting and gradually sharpening its movements.
“Are you really not going to let me through?” he asks, all too patiently.
“Immortal Gallant Tempest, it is our honor to be slayed by your weapon no matter how many times it takes, if it means we are to keep you alongside us.”
Ah, there it is. The true intention. Getting him locked up.
That’s not the first Shen Yuan’s heard this nonsense. It’s not even the thousandth time.
“Fine,” he says. “The one who tells me where to find the Great Tortoise Xuanwu first is the one I’ll cut down. The rest of you are gonna have to figure it out without me. Licitation starting in three, two…”
But he doesn’t even get to one, before the first spirit screeches and attacks him, howling with some sort of unrepentant madness. Shen Yuan pointedly makes a show of avoiding that attack without ever countering it or attacking back. He side-steps another lunge, jumping up and twisting in the air over the head of the hungry ghost as it tries to get closer.
“Tsk, tsk, tsk, I didn’t even finish the countdown, why are you all so impatient?” he bullshits, making sure to keep hold of his sword in a way that won’t allow these nutcases to impale themselves. “Didn’t I say it? The first one who tells me where I can find the Great Tortoise gets a blade through the chest. Answers coming in three, two, one─”
And that is definitely a terrible idea, because more than three of these hungry ghosts launch themselves straight at the blade regardless of his attempts to prevent it.
Ah, damn it all.
In one smooth movement, Shen Yuan twists and lets go of the blade until it hovers somewhere around his knees. Then he jumps it, taking off to the air before he can once again slaughter a ghost or five by accident. He still somehow successfully cuts off an arm before he reaches sufficient heights and has to wrinkle his nose at the smell. The arm itself disintegrates, to later randomly reform in some other place, but otherwise, that particular ghost remains unsatisfied.
“Really, you all are such a handful. I asked you one question. One. Are you incapable of gathering yourselves together even that much? I promised you a swift ending, what more do you want?!”
All of this is such a headache.
Unfortunately, Shen Yuan really has no better way out of this. From the tactics he’s tried, this is the only one that eventually ends up providing some results. The worst of it is ─ it does make a little sense, given proper context.
Hungry ghosts of this kind, stuck between death and reincarnation as they are, inevitably will come back no matter how many times they’re slain. Usually, they provoke conflicts between the still living denizens of the Abyss and relish in being the ones who get destroyed in it as the collateral ─ alongside the monstrous or demonic allies they earn themselves throughout. The only real piece of advice Shen Yuan has given them is to build their own strongholds in locations between otherwise conflicting neighboring factions for better effects. It had been a joke, alright?!
But then that cute lady with the misshapen face actually took that advice back home and now Shen Yuan is at the level of a deity worshiped among them, while the actually living demon societies within the Abyss call for joint missions with the purpose of his permanent extermination. It’s ridiculous. All the more so because, after only once slashing through some of the particularly annoying ghosts by accident, the bastards have somehow come to the conclusion that getting slain by his weapon somehow keeps them ground to dust longer than letting demons destroy them instead ─ and so recently they’ve been doing their damnedest to get Shen Yuan to slay them over and over again.
Unfortunately, that has greatly slowed down his hunt for Xin Mo.
Glaring down at the softly glowing obsidian blade under his feet, Shen Yuan can’t help but dejectedly shake his head.
“Ah, Xian Leng, Xian Leng… the trouble you get me into… never should’ve picked up your ass to start with.”
Xian Leng ─ as Shen Yuan so fondly calls it these days ─ is that wretched sword that Shen Jiu used to stab Binghe back in Juedi gorge. It had unexpectedly answered Shen Yuan’s desperate call back at the time he’d had nothing else to rely on, and ultimately fallen into the Endless Abyss for its efforts before even Shen Yuan had taken the plunge.
To this day, holding that thing in his hand feels somehow… unnatural. The feeling it gives him is the same feeling of the frightened innocent wife in a horror movie, holding the murder weapon that’s been used to slaughter her whole family as she takes her vengeance on the killer. Uuugh, there are reasons why Shen Yuan prefers shitty cultivation novels to horror stories, alright?!
Unfortunately, one such story has become his life, therefore, to offset the worst of it, he’s given the butcher’s knife a cute name. Xian ─ for risk and danger and viciousness. Leng ─ for cold, frosty, sarcastic. It’s a little funny, because as long as nobody knows how horribly literal the name is intended to be, straight out of Airplane’s book of terrible names for beginners, it could also be interpreted as something of a divine spinach. Shen Yuan loves to laugh about it in his head.
It’s probably the only thing he laughs about, these days.
To think that the sword still eagerly responds to his call despite being proclaimed a holy vegetable is really just a whole different flavor of hilarious. Shen Yuan might’ve actually been fond of it enough to give it a proper name, given how the stupid thing feels more fitting in his hands than Xiu Ya ever did, had he not had to pull it out of Luo Binghe’s fucking chest.
Fuck. Shen Yuan is still furious about that.
What he’s even more furious about is that, if these stupid ghosts are to be trusted, the reigning queen of the Ardent Highlands is after his ass, again, in spite of the utter disaster that all their previous encounters have been. He hadn't missed that sweetly sneaked in comment from Miss Melted face! It’s frustrating enough that it makes him want to pull all his hair out.
The guys who claim to be on his side refuse to tell him anything he wants to hear because in their dumb heads, that inevitably means he’s either going to abandon them or get himself killed. Meanwhile, the guys against him also refuse to tell him shit because even sending him straight to his death would still be giving him what he wants. Seriously. If these are the sort of nutcases Luo Binghe has had to deal with while here, then Shen Yuan is impressed with just how sane the kid had come out. Perhaps not all of his teaching had been for naught.
As for why the Ardent Highlands and their queen, especially, are dead set on seeing Shen Yuan bound and gagged ─ well. It’s just a whole lot of bad blood spilled between. Apparently, enough that the living have willingly called on the dead to do their dirty work for them, for a change. Ugh.
The problem, frankly, isn’t even about whether or not the Queen of the highlands wants to straight up end Shen Yuan’s existence.
The problem is, Proud Immortal Demon Way didn’t have a single word ever dedicated to the infamous Queen of the Ardent Highlands. Not a hint of her existence! Shen Yuan would know. Airplane-bro has written pages upon pages of Luo Binghe bedding every single living creature with female genitals existing within this trash realm ─ and if there were no specific chapters dedicated to that, then certainly there were flashbacks and comparisons and a whole lot of pointless horny paragraphs of sexy fantasies adding absolutely nothing to the story.
In other words, had the fiery Queen of the Highlands ever made her debut in the original text, then Shen Yuan would have absolutely no misgivings about confronting her for whatever reason.
As things stand, he has come across the aforementioned Lady Ruler enough times and he would much rather never, ever run into her again. Sadly, more and more, it’s beginning to look like he ain’t gonna have a choice.
Shen Yuan tries to contain a shudder that runs down his spine, setting his sight back on the hungry ghosts below. They are so determined to get themselves shredded to pieces that they are now struggling to climb up over each other in order to reach where he is still hovering quite a height above them.
Sighing tiredly, Shen Yuan crouches over Xian Leng.
“Alright,” he says, “I’m changing the rules. No matter who tells me where to go looking for the Great Tortoise, I’m gonna kill all of you and let y'all stay that way the longest possible. How’s that for a win-win deal, huh?”
The ghosts, stupid NPCs that they may be, don’t even slow down, trying to climb over each other to reach him.
Shen Yuan does not understand what he could have possibly done to become such a highly valued good that the hungry ghosts of all things are fighting over him and at the same time wholly sabotaging every single one of his plans.
“I have more than one arm, you guys,” he cries out of sheer desperation. “I can take care of all of you all at once, alright?”
God, that sounds even worse than it’s sounded inside his own head. Shen Yuan is drowning in secondhand embarrassment from himself.
A single ghoulish head stands out from among all the others.
“Immortal Master Gallant Tempest will truly slay us all if we say it?” a young man asks, and Shen Yuan is forced to admit his loss. Naturally, it’d be a stupid dirty joke that finally gets him unstuck in this madness. Fine. Whatever. Anything, really, just to get a hint of direction for the first time after months. For all that he knows exactly what he is looking for and how to get it, the when and where in a realm that follows no temporal sense and no spatial logic is far more difficult to plan for than anything he could have anticipated.
Firmly, he nods his promise.
There are some hushed up arguments and leg-kicking until eventually Miss Melted Face is kicked out of the pile and left to fend for herself at the bottom of the ghost pyramid. Eventually, a hopeful young man with a ghoulish face looks up at Shen Yuan with those soulless eyes practically glistening.
“No matter what we say, Master Tempest will do it?!” he asks, giddily.
Honestly, at this point, no matter what they say, Shen Yuan is tempted to end them all.
“Only if it’s true,” he says. “You already know how I go about respecting my promises. If you doubt me, don’t let me waste your time.”
The youth with an open hole in his midsection that looks like it’s been clawed out by a claw machine beams all too happily. It’d be adorable, if he didn’t look like a walking, still bleeding corpse. He starts rambling instantly.
“When Immortal Master Gallant Tempest first started traveling the realm, the Mistress of the Highlands requested from the Tortoise of Xuanwu to go into prolonged hibernation! However, his Great Divinity, Master Xuanwu refused and they have since fallen out! The Queen of the Highlands attacked the Great Tortoise in vengeance, but both the Tiger Emperor of the Wilds and the Lady of the Leaky Valley came to his aid and the four masters of the Endless Abyss have been locked in a continuous conflict ever since!”
Shen Yuan blinks at this, uncomprehending.
Just… whaaaaat?
Isn’t the Lady of the Leaky Valley just an especially horny sex plant given sentience after absorbing a little too much essence of living demons?
Those scenes had, perhaps justifiably, been some of the wildest shit Airplane-bro ever put on a computer screen in all of Zhongdian’s history. Shen Yuan still isn’t sure how the whole damn novel didn’t end up taken down.
Then again, the fans loved it, so who’s Shen Yuan to say anything? He, too, had fallen into the trap of certain… er… well. He’d rather not think too hard about that embarrassing stage of his life. There are, after all, reasons why he’d never gone anywhere near the Leaky Valley for as long as he’s been stuck in this place over the past few years. It’s just… really not worth it, alright?
That said, during his travels, he also has picked up on a rumor or two about the Queen of the Highlands and the Tiger Emperor being at odds with one another. It’s just that it has never crossed his mind that this could somehow be his fault.
Rising back to his full height to appear just the slightest bit more intimidating to these fearless bastards, Shen Yuan says, “And this kind young man wouldn’t perhaps know where exactly the Great Tortoise Xuanwu has gone to take refuge from the brewing storm, would he?”
The youth hesitates, his hopeful face falling in disappointment. “Did Immortal Gallant Tempest not say that answering his one question is all it takes? Does Master Gallant Tempest have no intention of keeping his word after all?”
Ah, fuck. He’s been had.
These bastards sure learn fast. The longer they lock him into this endless dance, the more they feed him rubbish masked with delicious scents. Shen Yuan cannot fucking believe this trickery.
“Fine,” he says.
The Queen of the Ardent Highlands may personally be pulling strings behind the scenes, but she’s also a seer of the highest order. If anyone knows where that oversized ancient turtle is hiding, it’s definitely her. He would really just rather not.
Right when it looks like the bunch of hungry ghosts are about to cry bloody tears at his betrayal, Shen Yuan jumps off of Xian Leng and lands onto his feet, the blade returning to the palm of his hand with a mere thought. No complicated hand seals, no spiritual power to drag it whatsoever. It’s like the damn thing has been made to answer every little one of Shen Yuan’s whims and it weirds him out more than anything else ever could ─ but it is very practical.
Pooling a little of his own spiritual power into the weapon until it resonates with the immense amounts of qi already contained within, Shen Yuan hums with satisfaction. The hungry ghosts all eagerly line themselves up to be inevitably caught in whatever attack he makes. This time, though, Shen Yuan is really, truly pissed, so he puts more of his own power into than he’s ever done before.
He lifts the blade up, the waves of spiritual power crackling in the air around him. The ground under his feet begins to crack.
Then, he swings.
The Endless Abyss, made out of a combination of demonic and dark power, all intricately connected into one wild realm of madness, is actually quite fragile when it comes to overwhelming use of spiritual power that has nothing remotely dark or demonic attached to it. Most of that vulnerability comes from the fact that the sheer nature of the environment is quite deadly and poisonous to anything not tainted already. It’s the main reason why these hungry ghosts love being destroyed by Shen Yuan so much. It’s the reason why the rulers of the realm don’t like letting him roam around freely.
Through means unknown to even himself, Shen Yuan has somehow become one of the most powerful cultivators to ever live bar none ─ at least inside this place.
But while Shen Yuan may not have had a chance to put his abilities to the test against the cultivators the calibre of Yue Qingyuan and Liu Qingge and might never will, he sure has put them to great use wreaking havoc everywhere across the Abyss, and it shows.
The moment Shen Yuan releases the hold he’s got on the spiritual power and sends a sword glare at the highest intensity of power that he’s ever done, the glow of spiritual power momentarily blinds him, too.
The exertion is heavy and immense, forcing him to stab Xian Leng into the ground to keep himself standing and still failing. Thankfully, he catches himself before fully collapsing into a heap, the sweat rolling down his back and face smelling slightly acidic. Consequence of the bits of skin he’s failed to protect from the wretched air around him.
Really, if not for the consistent hum and vibration of the heavenly demon blood parasites purging poisons and acids from his body, Shen Yuan might’ve not lasted a single day here. His cultivation, no matter what it may be, holds no candle to the inhospitable characteristics of this hellspace he’s stuck in. And Xian Leng is surely not doing much to protect his body. If not for having Luo Binghe by his side all along, Shen Yuan never would have made it this far, not even with all the modifications that bastard Shen Jiu had made to his formerly entirely non-special human body.
Fuck.
Even now, after exerting so much power, Shen Yuan can’t help but double over in pain and agony as his pathetic attempts to get some air in his lungs only further feed him acid strong enough to melt his insides.
The insistent buzz of the heavenly demon blood prevents this from ever becoming fatal, but sure it takes time before it’s able to make it stop hurting like a fucking bitch.
It’s ─ it’s fine. What little pain Shen Yuan is feeling now is nothing compared to the agony Luo Binghe must be enduring, all alone. That he still reserves a little of his energy to keep Shen Yuan breathing is more than he would have ever dared to ask for.
By the time the agony eases a little, Xian Leng is stabbed firmly into the ground and Shen Yuan is curled up into a ball, forehead pressed to the dirt and his eyes burning with acid tears. His vision is blurry with stars and rainbows flashing through the darkness, and for the longest time, he feels as though his whole body is tearing itself apart then pulling itself together, in similar ways to how it’s done when Shen Jiu first switched them back. Consequence to whatever that bastard had done to make Shen Yuan’s body even capable of cultivating in the first place, probably.
Fuck, it hurts so bad.
If Shen Yuan opens his eyes, will he be able to see properly, or will he… will…
Knowing better than to do so, but being an idiot regardless, Shen Yuan gives in to the temptation and makes his burning eyelids open.
It’s a little funny. It hurts so fucking much, but it’s only once he does this that he is able to see it.
A vaguely human-shaped shadow looming over him, its giant hand gently caressing his cheek.
“Endure, Shizun,” it seems to be whispering into his ear, soft and cajoling, “the pain will end soon.”
Maybe, yeah. The physical agony has this tendency to go away if he waits it out long enough.
The ache in his heart never really does.
“Binghe,” he calls out into the empty air, choking on his own spit from where every air passage to his lungs feels like it’s being burnt to crisps. “Binghe, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I never should have… I…”
It’s so, so fucking funny, because there’s really no point in saying anything at all.
Luo Binghe is in the human realm, suffering from whatever the hell that bastard of his Shizun did to him, and Shen Yuan is here, powerless to stop any of it, struggling to get his hands on the one thing that can turn this situation around, perhaps the only thing that can do it…
And the shadow looming over him is fading.
Those gentle caresses over his head that he couldn’t even feel are fainter than ever before and Shen Yuan’s whole body is shaking, whether from the pain or the sobs he’s trying to hold back, he doesn’t know.
“Binghe, no… stay, please. Binghe, please …”
The buzz and the vibration of the heavenly demon blood churning through his veins remains consistent and steady, the same way it's been for every single day of the past three years. The devastating side-effects of the environmental hazards around him are fading slowly. But though Luo Binghe has made his presence clear this way countless times, he has yet to come and get Shen Yuan out of here. It is, frankly, foolish to even hope for it.
By the time his breathing evens out, any mirage of the person he yearns to see has all but disappeared. Shen Yuan can barely remember how that child’s face is supposed to look, or how it would look at him, knowing it had been Shen Yuan's stupidity that had him suffering.
Slowly, as he picks himself up off the ground, Shen Yuan once again finds himself stumbling. He sighs, entirely unsurprised. He almost slips.
Where the sword glare of Xian Leng has cut into the ground, a slope unfolds.
It starts gradually, near his feet, only to grow steeper and expand further and further and further, until its length surpasses what the eye is able to see and its width grows similar in size to the river in Juedi Gorge at its widest. Shen Yuan stares at it and the dust that has not yet settled. Some of it, he is certain, is just the fading remnants of ghosts expressing their gratitude to him for allowing them a chance to momentarily forget their suffering. But the rest…
Shen Yuan gulps, his throat dry with the realization that, no matter how hard he’s tried before… he’s never quite done this level of damage before.
Like, sure, he’s done enough damage to earn the title of a demolition machine in his own right, but this… this is no longer the mere scale of demolition. This is more along the lines of large-scale landscape alteration category.
Behind him, a sound of a stone crunching under a foot rings out far too clearly. Shen Yuan's senses, weak and dull and suffocated in this place, can't possibly tell him what it is that is coming up from behind him, but he can tell it is alive, for a change. Or well, whatever measure of alive the locals of the Abyss generally fit. A tremble runs down his entire spine, and Shen Yuan puts all of his energy into picking Xian Leng back up.
Something is here for a fight, obviously, multiple somethings. Well, then, a fight is exactly what they are going to get.
Those stupid ass idiots better be ready for him.
Shen Yuan’s not walking out of this realm without Xin Mo in his hand, that much, he swears on his fucking soul.
Notes:
I have no Chinese language knowledge whatsoever and I have no idea if the Xian Leng as a name with double meaning makes any sense -- but I did in fact find it in a sketchy website that same Chinese characters can be used to get both interpretations so I ran with it. If I've accidentally butchered the language, scream it in my face, please and thank you
Chapter 63: The Ardent Highlands
Notes:
Warnings for this chapter include sex pollen in some rather unconventional ways. A sort of attempted non-con but also not really? Tbh, rereading what's written, I have no idea how to tag it. No one's having a great time, though, that's for sure
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Shen Yuan hasn’t yet shaken off the whiplash that the usage of spiritual power within the Endless Abyss gives him when the first signs of real trouble rear their ugly heads. They come in the form of demons, surrounding him and closing in from a distance, suggesting everything Shen Yuan should have had the presence of mind to realize far sooner.
The Ge union was merely the opening act.
Now, the real stars are here to take over the show. And to their eyes, Shen Yuan is the bad guy who must be put down at all costs.
The demons of the Ardent Highlands are varied in both descent and appearance. Streaked with humanoid demons and monsters alike, one would expect that the ruler ─ the infamous Mistress of the Highlands, is likewise a powerful demon in her own right. Given the sort of respect she commands across the Abyss, it wouldn’t be a mistake to compare her to the likes of Mobei Jun or Sha Hualing ─ even Luo Binghe ─ in some instances. Or so Shen Yuan thought, based upon the rumors he’s come across while wandering the Abyssal rift.
That is to say ─ he had this picture of a demon ruler the likes of the most powerful demon rulers he’s read about and it lasted until, fortuitously or otherwise, he got to meet this wondrous Queen face to face.
To find out that she was not even remotely like what he imagined her to be? Yeah, Shen Yuan was floored.
He’d expected a badass demon, alright?!
A lady demon, scary and vicious and dangerous ─ but a sexy, seductive type with a temper the likes of Sha Hualing. Color him sexist, but tropes are tropes for a fucking reason and Proud Immortal Demon Way, thank the lords, has played into those to the point of pandering beyond any measure.
Well, not this time.
Shen Yuan had wondered, more than once, why the infamous Queen of the Highlands never made it across the list of Original Luo Binghe’s sexcapades. If she was a demon ruler and a hot one, like any walking thing designated by Airplane as female, then she ought to have at least registered on the Protagonist’s radar, right?
Well. It had taken exactly one encounter and Shen Yuan regretted ever wondering.
The Queen of the Ardent Highlands isn’t a sexy, seductive, scantily clad demon queen.
Heck, this lady isn’t even a demon.
What is she, exactly? Hell if Shen Yuan knows. She looks entirely human to his eyes.
A human woman of youthful appearance, clad into robes that covered her up more than even Liu Mingyan’s veil does, thick lustrous hair falling over her shoulder in a heavy braid ─ with a frightening golden willow branch that only ever hit him once but made him regret ever living.
Could she be a cultivator? Well, maybe. Shen Yuan wouldn’t put it past her, even if her modus operandi hardly fits with what’s usually considered a typical cultivator skillset. It doesn’t really matter, because to Shen Yuan, all she really is ─ is a fiend.
Let it be said, long before Shen Yuan ever made enemies of the Ardent Highlands and its occupants, he’d paid a visit to the said region with no intention to start a blood feud whatsoever. To say that this visit had gone… well… not great, is all too generous of a way to put it. But certainly, it hadn’t been Shen Yuan’s fault! He will hold onto that even once he’s dead and buried!
The first time he climbed the highlands, he had still been confused, disoriented and pissed, yes. But he’d had the basic knowledge of the locations and the power structure within the Trash Realm and he was desperate. Starved, exhausted, not yet used to his not-quite cultivation and the fact his very human, very squishy body could handle a spiritual sword with way too much power in it terrified him. He had absolutely zero idea how to handle all that.
The highlands themselves, meanwhile, are one of the few locations mentioned within the original text that have been said to have drinkable water in this stupid realm and aside from Luo Binghe making use of the highlands like a break point ─ perhaps even the last one ─ in his crusade after Xin Mo, Shen Yuan might’ve never remembered it. There’d been no epic fights, poisons, demonic tribes guarding the highlands! And definitely no papapa scenes! Luo Binghe slept over there for one night, had his fill of the first clean water source he’d come across and continued his journey none the wiser!
Well, actually, there might’ve been a mention or other of dangerous plants nearby, but!!! Shen Yuan doesn’t remember that part, alright?! All about the Highlands’ dangerous plants and shit, he’s learned on his own damn visit!
Seriously, the time he willingly went there, Shen Yuan hadn’t had any expectations at all!
It was, by all means, a desolate, empty area with a few water springs, and maybe an occasional snake-scorpion. To further lull him into a false sense of security, Shen Yuan had come across the natural hot springs of the Ardent Highlands long before he’d come across any resident to speak of and it had just seemed ─ normal. Or as close to normal as his weakened, exhausted and broken mind could have ever hoped to find. It was the only area in the Endless Abyss known for not randomly changing or spurting acid rivers out of nothing.
Besides, it has hot springs! And the water there is always the perfect temperature for a good soak!
Dirty, sweaty and covered in all sorts of gunk after weeks of merely surviving, Shen Yuan had been thrilled for the opportunity to take a bath in a water that wasn’t freezing in temperature, oozing in acidic gases or straight up poisonous to humans. He’d landed into the hot spring and soaked there for hours, tending to his sore muscles and wounds and basically just trying to figure out how in the fucking hell Shen Jiu managed to drag his original body into this insanity… because what the fuck?
Shen Yuan had died. He remembered that much.
He remembers more, now, courtesy of Xin Mo turning his mind into its sandbox, but… Shen Yuan would rather not think about it too much. The body he’s using, however, is definitely his original body.
Back at the time he first found the hot springs though, he’d still needed some convincing, alright?
The hair and skin were off, of course, because since when the fuck has Shen Yuan grown his messy mane all the way down to his butt?! No chance in hell, thank you very much! But the original goods must’ve had a hair complex of some kind, or else nothing can explain why he’d go so far to do whatever ritualistic trickery that would leave Shen Yuan’s hair all tamed and soft and silky and better tended for than even Shen Qingqiu’s original hair had been. Cause that makes no sense. And where’d his glasses go!? Shen Yuan didn’t need them all the time, but for computer screens and reading, he was helpless without them! Also why the fuck was his skin all glassy and smooth and jade-like?! That bullshit felt like absolute cheating.
Or maybe he’d just simply been so dirty that entering the Highlands’ hot springs had fried off a layer of his skin.
If nothing else, Shen Yuan had appreciated the original bastard’s efforts in hygiene, he’ll confess to that. No matter how mortifying that is, knowing that someone got around to… um… getting rid of his hair in weirdest places… er. Was there even a point to it? Shen Yuan let it go.
Anyway.
What Shen Yuan could not let go of was how the Original Goods went so far out of his cursed way to make them appear as though they are fundamentally… identical? Well, again, no, not really. Because they weren’t. A little in the face, maybe, but heights, muscle mass, bearing of the body, hair quality and a bunch of other things ─ they’re all vastly different. Shen Jiu, for all his shitty background and stuff, didn’t have a single blemish on his immortal body.
Shen Yuan, no matter how potentially immortal his body may have become, still has plenty of those little scars to prove that no matter how he tries to reason his way out of it, this body is definitely his. The soak in the highlands had merely confirmed everything he feared.
Between his middle and index finger, puncture marks could pass for a snake bite if not for the fact Shen Yuan clearly remembers stuffing a stapler there and piercing his skin to earn himself a kiss on the cheek from a cute girl in class. He’d been in grade two and a fucking idiot and the school board lost their minds when they saw the blood. Still, he got that kiss, so who got the last laugh, huh?!
Then there’s that scrape on his knee from when he was sixteen and his friend decided to take him on a bike ride across the city, except they’d both been young and stupid and inevitably ended up breaching a curb and frankly, it’s a miracle they got out of it with a few scrapes. The bike did not survive at all!
Then the mosquito bite over his elbow which he tore into an open wound by accident.
Then that deep cut on his other index finger from a knife in his most disastrous cooking attempt ever. The image of his little sister laughing her ass off before finally remembering to tell him where to find the bandages is still vivid in his head. They’d both still lived at home. Their brothers had moved out. Shen Yuan had never tried cooking for her before.
In the end, he’d screwed up so badly that she’d cooked for them both and Shen Yuan went to school feeling like the shittiest older brother to have walked the planet. Their brothers had no issue cooking for them! So how is it that he’s messed up so terribly?! To this fucking day, he doesn’t know!
The point is ─ no matter how much Shen Yuan tried to deny it the first few months in the Abyss, the body he is inhabiting is definitely his original body. With all of his memories, his history, and experiences. And somehow, that same body now comes together with innate ability to handle spiritual power, a weird spiritual core and spiritual fucking meridians, like this is somehow normal. Shen Yuan is pretty sure if he tries, he’ll be able to erase every single one of his scars and make it look as though they’ve never existed. The notion fucks with his brain and makes him sick to his stomach, so he doesn’t try. For now.
The stupidly expensive watch sitting on his wrist is another thing he doesn’t dare lose. The protective glass has broken and the belt has been damaged, but the stupid thing is still ticking and it’s the only thing Shen Yuan has in this godforsaken place that helps him keep track of time. This stupidly expensive thing that his brother ordered all the way from fucking Switzerland for an obscene amount of money…
It still works.
So, it was definitely worth the money.
Shen Yuan doesn’t know how that makes him feel, other than violently protective over the damn thing.
Three years, according to that stupid thing. Three years, one month, twelve days and exactly six hours from the moment he first opened his eyes in this godforsaken place. And to think Luo Binghe was able to finish this in two with none of Shen Yuan’s foreknowledge. Absolute insanity. The Protagonist is simply too amazing.
Anyway, way back when Shen Yuan first traveled there, the Ardent Highlands had, in essence, been the first place after weeks of struggle where Shen Yuan got to sit down and actually take in what had happened. So he does have some fond memories of it.
And then the Queen of the Ardent Highlands just had to come back and realize that someone has snuck into her private open-air baths and fuck it all, how was Shen Yuan supposed to know?! There’d been no sign! Not even a hint that he’d stumbled into an open air palace of some kind! But the Queen is a short-tempered, spiteful piece of work and after putting him through one hell of an interrogation, she had put him up to straight up torture and attempted to, in her own words, water her crops and feed her lands and fuck it all, Shen Yuan has seen all sorts of ridiculous euphemisms from Airplane’s middle-schooler level writing, but that had simply been too much, even for him.
So yes, Shen Yuan is not a fan of the highlands.
Most definitely, he is not a fan of the demons living there.
And the mere mention of the word Mistress gives him a sort of uncomfortable whiplash that makes him want to either curl up into a ball and cry or straight up scream in outrage.
So realizing that, as weak and dizzy and confused as he still is ─ this is precisely the bunch rushing to surround him… Shen Yuan is not thrilled.
It’s certainly not the first time the highlands demons have come chasing after him, and every single one of their clashes over the years have inevitably ended disastrously for all parties involved. If Shen Yuan could put this animosity behind just so that he never has to go up against these bastards ever again, he wouldn’t hesitate for a moment. Sadly, these bastards are as stubborn, persistent and vengeful as Luo Binghe at his absolute most tenacious, so safe to say, this particular conflict won’t be coming to an end anytime soon.
It doesn’t help that the Queen is the alleged prodigy amongst prodigies inside the Abyss, a fortune teller and a fucking radar for all Endless Abyss openings in the other realms.
Shen Yuan would’ve been willing to pay for her assistance, if only she hadn’t tried to feed him to the wolves more than once. Except in this case, wolves are some specific brands of demons and all of these demons are the absolute craziest shit that Shen Yuan has ever seen and he is losing his fucking mind, watching them come at him all at once.
The hand holding onto Xian Leng is trembling with exertion, but he’s drawn that stupid weapon and no matter what, Shen Yuan doesn’t intend to let these freaks drag him under.
The ground under his feet shakes and he can’t tell if the quaking under his feet is the direct result of the famed Queen coming to dig her nasty claws into his flesh or else her demon army deciding to do it for her. Either way, he muses, this is going to be fun.
He doesn’t need to wait long before he is surrounded by countless demons of all kinds and the reigning Queen of the Highlands steps up before him, in all her regal glory. For all that she adorns beautiful white robes which look positively glowing in comparison to the darkened reddish surroundings everywhere throughout the Abyss, the almost ethereal appearance is meaningless when confronted with those dark eyes full of cold calculation. That face, which would have at any other time appeared serene and merciful, for Shen Yuan reserves nothing but disdain.
“We meet again,” the Queen of the Highlands says, as a means of greeting. Her voice is colder than ice and her eyes as piercing as freshly forged blades. “Seems you have built a reputation for yourself, down in the valleys. I hope you are ready to be put back into your place.”
Shen Yuan doesn’t immediately swing Xian Leng at her, but it’s a near thing. Ultimately, self-preservation wins over impulse, and he refrains.
“So many years, yet Her Majesty the Queen still minds my presence so much,” he says, indulgently. “Why is it that every time I feel weak and exhausted, the Queen comes to seek me out personally?”
The woman snorts. “Mm, so have you expected me to let you destroy this realm as you see fit?”
Her eyes are pointedly set on the endless hole Shen Yuan has all but accidentally clawed out with his sword ─ but there is a flicker of something to her eyes. Something frightening and sharp and very, very deadly.
Shen Yuan, notably, doesn’t let that deter him. After all, they have clashed against each other so many times. Not once has this weirdo lady managed to break him.
“Should I have come asking permission first?” he taunts. “The last I recall, the Queen kicked me out of her prison personally. So why would I?”
The woman snarls in response, and that’s the sole warning he gets before a golden willow branch springs to existence within her hand. For all that the golden light of said willow should make her appear all the more regal and pretty, all Shen Yuan really sees is the darkness tainting the weapon. The golden light it emits is more dark and grayish than it’s been the last time Shen Yuan got to feel its power on his skin. It’s quite an awful power.
Unfortunately, the Queen of the Ardent Highlands spares him no mercy. Whatever little pretense of a conversation he’s attempted to start, it ends the moment she launches into a full-on assault, and Shen Yuan has rarely ever been so appreciative of the Abyss and its denizens’ habits to get straight to the point.
The golden willow clashes against Xian Leng in a exploding set of sparks, which the woman’s quick temper and wild power quickly turn into an outright explosion before she makes it through to attack Shen Yuan directly─
Only for Shen Yuan to duck right under her willow and seize that wrist, twisting it with incredible force as he uses the woman’s momentum against her and sends her flying with a blast of spiritual power. It’s nothing big or even harmful, not compared to the sort of things Xian Leng is able to do ─ or what she has done to him in the past ─ but it achieves exactly what Shen Yuan wants it to do. It deflects the woman’s fixation away from his weapon and focuses it on himself. It allows Xian Leng to launch the attack from a completely different side before the Queen has the chance to react.
The golden willow comes clashing against Xian Leng at the last moment, but the force that the weapon comes with splits a wound open all along the woman’s arm, blood exploding out of it.
The reigning Queen makes a sound unbefitting of someone of her status before blasting the sword away from her ─ but this time she doesn’t rush to pursue. Instead, with hateful eyes, she watches how Xian Leng flies back to Shen Yuan’s hand without him consciously summoning it, her eyes flickering with a whole lot of creepy interest that seems to be ever growing. Not for the first time, Shen Yuan wonders if it’s not himself that this crazy lady hates, but the weapon in his hands? Heck, whatever Shen Jiu, the freak, had done to it, it’s undeniably a form of a creepy, dark art that is quick to make the demons obsessed.
The issue with the Queen of the Highlands being so devoted to it stems from the fact that she is absolutely not a demon, no matter how much she yearns to pretend otherwise.
“The Immortal Master Gallant Tempest, that’s what I hear them call you these days,” she speaks up randomly, the sharp canines showing, as she draws back for a small reprieve. “Has that given you the confidence to provoke me? So what if your sharp little toothpick grows more dangerous day by day? You’re still nothing but a walking corpse in my domain.”
Well, ouch. When she puts it like that…
“Was it not Her Majesty who laid this trap out before me?” Shen Yuan counters. “Let’s not play games anymore. What you want is the weapon I hold ─ and what I want is information. Where the fuck is the Tortoise of Xuanwu? Answer that and maybe I’ll be willing to surrender this thing over.”
The woman laughs in his face. “Oh, Great Immortal Master, have we not danced this same dance before? That weapon of yours is truly a treacherous one. A soul-bound menace of the most depraved kind. Nothing you bear belongs to you, yet you dare speak to me as though I should have any reason to assist you? Don’t make me laugh.”
Shen Yuan shrugs. “Have it your way.”
Then he lunges forward, breaking the stalemate with immeasurable force.
The truth that Shen Yuan loathes to admit is ─ despite the Queen’s nearly irrational hatred for all things Xian Leng related ─ he too knows that there is something deeply depraved about the sword.
The weapon has a tinge of Xin Mo’s stench to it, raw and guttural in ways that are all too familiar ─ but it is also so much more than just Xin Mo. The Endless Abyss, for all that it is severely lacking in ambiental spiritual energy that governs the human realm, is not entirely devoid of it either. Even so, should Shen Yuan attempt to use that spiritual power without Xian Leng in his grasp, it’s like he can barely grasp any at all. The spiritual core that doubtlessly exists in his body feels almost unreachable, unless he relies on Xian Leng for it ─ and the codependency is something that he’s been keenly aware of for a long time.
It is the lesser of two evils, he tells himself, most of the time.
Xian Leng is attuned to his mind to the point Shen Yuan only needs to think it, and the weapon will respond to his will. Even if he is bound in Immortal Binding Cables and trapped behind spiritually suffocating stones, not once has Xian Leng failed to respond to him. It’s like the sword requires none of his spiritual power to respond to his will, and Shen Yuan knows that there is something about it all that is deeply wrong.
The thing is, he doesn’t rightly care.
Xian Leng is not Xin Mo, he’s ascertained that much.
That’s why, until he gets his hands on Xin Mo, Shen Yuan will proceed to rely on this dangerous, criminally depraved thing, all else be damned.
The Queen of the Highlands, for all that she calls him out for it so snidely, should know better than to test his patience. He’s got none left.
His attack is vengeful and explosive, provoking a reaction that is just as vicious and relentless.
Shen Yuan is in no rush to end this particular conflict ─ and frankly, not so keen on going all out after already doing so such a short time ago ─ and the Queen of the Highlands knows that well about him. That’s why her recent tactics have all been about pushing him over the edge prior to engaging in battle personally, hoping that it will leave her an opening she can actually exploit. To date, this dangerous tactic hasn’t worked out for her so great.
Shen Yuan parries, counters, deflates and deescalates most of her attacks ─ as much as it is possible to do so, without harming himself in the process. The strain on his body is already beginning to set in, the comfortable buzz of heavenly blood in his veins doing its best to mitigate what damage it can, but Shen Yuan is keenly aware that he is working on a tight schedule.
This hesitation of his, reckless as it may be, is a matter of necessity. After all, the Queen of the Highlands is not the only damned opponent he’s fighting here.
The woman’s demonic underlings, unlike their fiery-tempered queen, are quite the sneaky bastards. It’s the sneakiest of them all that Shen Yuan must get rid of at all costs. But by the time the last batch of them starts showing up, it’s too late.
Shen Yuan feels the stab of the snake-scorpion along his ankle long before he ever spots one, and the burn that spreads throughout his leg does so far too quickly. He persists battling the queen for as long as possible, until, eventually, he falters ─ and immediately, a set of vines wraps around his wrist. A tip of a sharp leaf at the end of the sentient vine pierces through his skin, digging deep, deep, deep.
Shit. That was not part of the plan! Where did that thing come from?!
Shen Yuan gasps as his knees buckle and hit the ground, assaulted by two wholly different things at the same time. The damn vine wraps around his wrist tighter and tighter, crushing. At some point, his hand shakes so terribly that he is no longer able to hold the sword up at all. The blade crashes against the ground and the vine digs deeper under the skin of his wrist, drawing a deeply pained hiss.
Fuck, fuck, fuck.
The tip of the vine is oozing some sort of liquid.
White and milky, Shen Yuan can see it, pooling around the edges of his open wound, mixing with his blood.
He doesn’t need to see this to know that he’s been thoroughly screwed over before this fight even started, and he certainly doesn’t appreciate the reminder.
Luo Binghe’s blood is already working overtime to keep him steady. And knowing that the local Abyss flora is arguably worse than the human realm’s regular flora ─ a disastrous kind, even by Proud Immortal Demon Way standards ─ that’s just further hammering the nail down.
Shen Yuan is screwed.
In more ways than one.
Fuck it. Seconds, only, and already, his vision is losing itself. Why is it his vision that is slipping away? Aren’t all the flora and fauna on this goddamn abyss obsessed with something a little bit more… questionable?
Outside his control, his body shakes and tilts to the side. Shen Yuan crashes into the dirt face first, only narrowly managing to turn his nose away from a rock that would have undoubtedly broken it, had it connected. It cuts into his cheek instead. He doesn’t even feel the pain, just the heat of blood as it drips along his face, warm and moist. Fuck it all, this is really, really bad.
Just as expected, the moment she thinks she has him down and subdued, the Queen of the Highlands stops fighting entirely. She relaxes completely, lowering herself until she can touch his chin, her mood significantly improving once she realizes Shen Yuan is no longer able to put up the kind of fight that he’d started with. Heck, he’s not able to put up any kind of a fight. His body is not heated ─ it’s just numb. Almost paralyzed.
A thumb presses along his bottom lip, rubbing it until it feels all raw and tortured ─ then the Queen’s fingers dig into his jaw and force his mouth open. Something round and disgusting is pushed into his mouth.
Shen Yuan makes a wild sound of protest, but stars are dancing across his vision. Xian Leng is on the ground, all too responsive to his desperate pleas, but the other demons are keeping the blade far too busy, attempting to play catch with it at the expense of randomly cut off limbs. It is unreasonably successful and Shen Yuan loathes every moment of it.
Meanwhile, he writhes on the ground, gasping, with his leg feeling like it’s been set on fire. His wrist, too, aches dangerously. The vine that’s dug under his skin feels like it’s sucking away his spiritual power, at the same time pushing an odd kind of heat to rise through his whole body, different from usual, and definitely paralyzing. His heart rate spikes and sweat gathers on the back of his neck.
He doesn’t even realize the numbness is not quite numbness until he feels that stupid hand grab at his body to turn him on his back, sweaty and breathless. Thank goodness he couldn’t have made a single sound even if he wanted to, or else who knows what kind of a molested noise he would’ve made by accident.
A single digit gently brushes along the skin of his cheek, as the Queen of the Highlands brushes away a strand of hair sticking to his face. She may as well have done that to his dick, for all the way the sensation carries over straight over there.
Shit, shit, shit. This is really, really bad.
Shen Yuan wants to spit out the nastiness from inside his mouth, but instead a demon lifts his head and forces him to chew and swallow. Fuck, he doesn’t know which of the three poisons he’s been struck with is the real aphrodisiac. The plant? The thing in his mouth? The scorpion poison? Given the Endless Abyss’ track record, it could easily be all three. Not that the snake scorpions were ever mentioned to have such an ability in the original work, but then, the Ardent Highlands were never said to be land entirely dependent on sexual energy, either, and… fuck it all, Shen Yuan may have rushed into this a little too carelessly.
It’s not even the first time these messed up demons attempted this, damn it. And this time, he walked right into it. For fuck’s sake.
“Like I said before, no matter how many times you run, you cannot get away,” the Queen of the Highlands informs him blandly. “The poison of the snake-scorpion will be neutralized by the antidote, so you won’t lose your limb, but the Thousand-Leaves-Virgin-Vine will take what it will. Close your eyes now, Immortal Master Gallant Tempest. Close them and enjoy the experience.”
In spite of that very tempting command, Shen Yuan pushes himself to keep his eyes open, to resist and hold out in his spitefulness for as long as possible.
This, perhaps, may not be part of the plan… but he is still here. As long as he manages to stick around, he can still get his hands on what he wants. It will be harder, almost unbearable… but it’s not the first time Shen Yuan’s been struck by Airplane’s stupid sex pollen while in this place. He’s survived before, he’ll survive again, damn it all, and the moment he does, he is going to take those stupid Ardent Highlands and chop them into hills and valleys!
“Prepare the crystals,” the Mistress of the Highlands orders, just as she straightens up to stand. “This one has sufficient power in him to feed the lands for a few months all on his lonesome ─ let’s make the best of it.”
Identical to how she has done before, the moment she thinks Shen Yuan no longer has any awareness to pay attention, she turns back to her own interests. Because, well, what can her victim do to stop her? Absolutely nothing.
Perhaps she isn’t wrong. Or she wasn’t, a year back, which was the last time she managed to put Shen Yuan into such a compromising position. But things have changed by now, they have changed a lot. Shen Yuan has learned a thing or two from that devastating experience. Even if his whole body begins to flush with a familiar kind of fever, even if a desperate, building need inside his lower half becomes increasingly familiar in its nature ─ and nigh unbearable ─ he will endure.
So what if he feels nauseous? So what if his vision is blurry? So fucking what if he can no longer see even the reigning Queen’s face clearly, as she observes him from above? He’s gonna make it through this one way or another. And once he does, he’s gonna make her pay for it.
“Enjoy yourself as much as you can,” the lady of the Highlands says flatly, but the fingertips that trail along the side of his neck send fire burning through his veins. “Your enjoyment is, after all, entirely to our benefit.”
Shen Yuan shuts his eyes and clenches his fists, but it’s far too much.
The softest whimper escapes him, inaudible to most, but it’s a call of a name. Guilty and apologetic and downright desperate.
Binghe…
Please.
As usual, most of his prayers go unanswered.
The Ardent Highlands, though the name may imply, have nothing to do with volcanoes, fires or anything of the sort. Shen Yuan has, unfortunately, learned that the hard way. The highlands are huge and barren, with most of its residents living underground for reasons solely known to themselves, in caves which are clear and vibrant, the only space within the Endless Abyss as a whole that has none of that acidic air flowing through it and poisoning everything. They have clean water both above and below ground, food which doesn’t taste like stewed rubbish and rotten tomatoes, and even some healing plants that are only supposed to be growing in the human realm.
In short, the highlands are the closest thing to the chunk of a spiritually charged human realm inside the entire Endless Abyss. It is for that reason that this place is protected with absolute force against every intruder, accessible only to those the Queen personally deems fit. Demons and monsters and ghosts alike flock to her, to rid themselves of the negative effects of the Abyss, and it creates an obsessive cult that could rival even Luo Binghe’s mindless harem.
One thing, however, that is very important about the Ardent Highlands ─ another lesson Shen Yuan learned on his own skin far too painfully ─ much of the energy that runs through the highlands is neither spiritual or demonic. This is best evidenced in the hot springs that Shen Yuan has unintentionally stumbled upon during his first exploration here ─ and inevitably uncovered a secret the Queen of these lands tries desperately to hide.
Long story short, Airplane-bro deserves a lashing for making all his names so freaking terrible. Ardent, ardent, ardent. Shen Yuan should have realized what that meant the first moment he heard the damn word. What else could it be, other than the land that relies on deep, passionate and intimate sexual energy to exist? How the fuck could he have missed that?!
Did Shen Yuan ever care to know that the Ardent Highlands are the sacred grounds for all papapa activities of the Endless Abyss? Absolutely not. Did Shen Yuan need to find out that the only reason the Ardent Highlands maintain the title of a place of ‘respite’ is because it's fueled purely by the sexual prowess of its denizens and if that stops, the highlands too would turn into the exact same rotten mess of nothing as the rest of the Endless Abyss? No, no and NO. Was he still forced to find out in the worst way possible?
Well, also no. Not exactly.
What he’s learned is an even bigger deal, though. It’s still bad. But not as bad as it could have been, given the variety of ways all of this could be abused.
It’s not good, either, but damn it all, Shen Yuan’s stupidity is his saving grace as much as it is his curse.
Namely, prior to enraging anyone from the Ardent Highlands at all, he had, uninvitedly, taken a dip in their sacred hot pot and uncovered a secret. The secret is that, apparently, bathing in the Queen’s private hot springs makes one immune to all sorts of flora and fauna that exist in the hidden parts of the highlands. Not all of them, notably, and not permanently, because Shen Yuan is suffering through the effects of these poisons quite terribly now, but he suspects that had the plant not started secreting its poison directly into his blood, he might’ve stayed immune a little while longer. Sadly, this immunity is by no means universal. Shen Yuan has, funnily enough, had the misfortune to test out both its strengths and its weaknesses, on multiple occasions.
In other words, Shen Yuan is neck deep in this shit solely because one time, just once, he saw water steaming and decided to take a dip. It wasn’t even an enjoyable dip, more the existential dread kind of one. The irony is not lost on him.
Especially not as his feverish and highly stimulated body is hoisted over a random demon’s back and carried back to the highlands, so all the excess of his spiritual energy can be better used for whatever their naughty purpose is.
That said, while the residents of the Highlands are highly likely to stuff him full of aphrodisiacs until he feels like his body might just burst, they are loath to lay their own hands on anything other than those they deemed cleansed enough. Unlike the rest of the Endless Abyss. So ─ the logic is simple, disgusting, but also highly practical. If Shen Yuan needs to get himself sex-pollened to make it through a catastrophe alive, then the bastards of the Ardent Highlands are probably the safest bastards he could have picked to let mess him up. Kinda. The key aspect being that, if he’d had any choice in it, he never would’ve allowed the opportunity to anybody.
But if it’s already happening, might as well try to make something out of it all. No?
Or, y’know, admit to the fact that he may have jinxed himself into it after all. Which? Yeah, not happening.
Fuck, it hurts so much. This stuff should feel nice. Unbearable and shameful and a whole lot of other uncomfortable things… but it definitely shouldn’t feel like a hot rod stabbing him from the inside. Why does it feel that way?
Oh. Maybe cause his legs kinda feel that way, too. Could it be the scorpion poison? Shit. Shen Yuan curls in on himself to add friction to the body parts that scream for it, but he can’t muster sufficient strength to even properly squeeze.
He doesn’t know where he is, at this point. In some random dungeon, probably. If he were to open his eyes, he could probably, likely, maybe get a better idea. But frankly, that just doesn’t feel worth it. He tries and fails to delude himself into thinking that the fire spreading through his limbs is not in fact the spread of poison, but a pair of firm, heated arms roaming all over his body, warm and strong and demanding.
If… if he keeps his eyes closed, then… then certainly, it’s easy to feel like… like the hard, rough ground under him is not just rock and dirt, and the heat inside him is not solely in his body, but instead a pair of arms that wraps around him, pulling him into a hug from behind, trapping him in place.
Against himself, Shen Yuan moans softly. Pleads.
Binghe… I can’t… can’t take it. Binghe, please, I…
But poison only travels further, increasing the need and doing nothing to ease his suffering. Shen Yuan can’t take it. He really can’t. His heart feels like it’s banging in his ears. Rapid and raging, like a broken machine that’s about to go out of control. If he were a proper cultivator, maybe, then he could perhaps burn through the poison with cultivation… but somehow, with or without Xian Leng, he can never get through these stupid poisons on his own. He can never…
He can never not see Luo Binghe’s face in front of him, tearful and shattered at the sight of the devastation he’s caused with his own hands.
“Ahh, ahh, no. Bing─Binghe, please, I…”
But Shen Yuan can’t. He’s gasping into the dirt, nails digging into the rocks to feel the pain that will distract him from the heat between his legs that is somehow so ─ so much worse. Binghe’s face is in front of him and someone else is pressing close from behind him, but he knows none of that is real. He really can’t stand it, but even more than that, there is nothing he can do to actually end it. His hand ─ weak and trembling ─ tries to make its way around the constricting clothing…
The softest brush of his fingers against the fabric pressing tight around his cock has him seeing white spots even with his eyes firmly shut. He really, really can’t stand it. At this rate, he might as well lose his mind long before his body gives out on him, but he absolutely refuses to let this be the thing that breaks him.
He whines into his own knees, without the slightest idea of when, exactly, he’s curled himself up so tightly that he may be a pure ball of suffering. Tears spill along his cheeks. If ─ if he could just… if he could get enough feel in his hands to just take himself and squeeze, just once… that one moment alone, and he’s sure… he’s so close, a single brush of his fingers would be more than enough to tip him over─
“Shizun,” a gentle voice says into his ear, a whisper in the wind. “Let me help.”
Shen Yuan whines, desperately, tears streaming all along his face as he braces for ─ for… he doesn’t even know what he’s bracing for, really. Not a single one of these godforsaken plants has ever been able to make him release and every single one of them has still tried its best and made the experience unbearably excruciating. Please, just… let it end already…
The clench in his muscles feels like it’s right there, right fucking there and yet entirely out of reach, and if Shen Yuan had any air in his lungs, he’d make himself scream…
“Shizun, trust me,” a soft voice whispers into his ear, and Shen Yuan imagines Luo Binghe curling around him, holding him, hugging him to his chest and cradling him in his arms, but for some reason, there are far too many arms. Shen Yuan doesn’t care, it’s not like he fucking deserves to have that, after everything. It’s just in his own head, but he can almost feel the weight of the body against him, the pressure of Binghe’s power coursing through him. It’s ─ it’s never felt so good, before. So fucking much.
“Please, Binghe… please…”
And a white hot wave of something explodes all over until Shen Yuan loses it completely. His desperate gasp cuts off mid way as darkness swallows him up into its warm embrace.
Shen Yuan feels himself slip in and out of consciousness more than once. It’s kind of hard not to. In one place, he’s stuck on cold, hard ground that seems to be trying to slowly sap all of his spiritual power away from him, and in the other there are Luo Binghe’s arms around his chest, arms around his waist and his face pressing into Shen Yuan’s neck. More than anything, Shen Yuan wants to relax into that hold, wants to surrender himself over to the limit of consciousness that will take him back to his sweet, blackened disciple and away from all this madness.
“It’s alright, Shizun,” that sweet, sweet black lotus whispers in his ears. “I’ve got this,” and “Shizun is safe.”
“Shizun is safe with me.”
Except… Shen Yuan is not with Luo Binghe, is he? Shen Yuan is stuck. Trapped in the Endless Abyss, helpless in his repeated failures to get his hands on a weapon he knows exactly where it is and where it’s been this whole time. Shen Yuan is trapped, and Luo Binghe is a whole realm away, out there somewhere, tortured and broken and─ and─
A set of voices comes into focus, eventually.
Not Luo Binghe, godfuckingdamnit.
Shen Yuan almost wishes he could unhear it, but he’s too awake right now, too conscious of his circumstances. And the main topic of discussion is, dum dum dum, himself.
A demon is saying, “We’ve combined the strongest we’ve had but he still… is it possible that this human is so frail that he cannot even release?”
“The Thousand Leaves Virgin Vine injected itself into his blood. The Carnal Red Lotus mixed with the antidote against the scorpion poison and even the Fiery Seeds of Desire. We’ve used all the strongest instigators that we could and he is once again not releasing.” Disbelief. Frustration. A healthy dose of wonder, too. “Truly, Immortal Master Tempest is too terrifying.”
Shen Yuan wants to stick his middle finger out and laugh.
He is much closer to screaming.
More than anything, he wants to curl himself into a ball and cry himself to sleep, but his body feels like it’s being wrung through a torture unlike anything he’s ever felt. It hurts, but it’s starting to hurt good, even comfortable, like a good stretch after a tiring exercise. If he could stuff his ears with something to not be able to hear these bastards talking, he’d almost be able to surrender to it entirely.
“No, Shizun. It’s not time to sleep.”
Shen Yuan huffs a protest, a shudder running along his entire spine and making him shiver in a mixture of cold and pain.
“No,” another voice says, and there’s a hand brushing the hair away from his face again, fingers trailing across his forehead softly. Shen Yuan doesn’t know if this person even realizes he’s awake, but regardless, he cannot do anything to stop this. The touch against his skin is ─ not igniting anything anymore. It just plain hurts him. Like claws dragging along his skin, leaving bloody trails behind. There’s nothing good about it, nothing at all.
“Outside interference,” the Queen of the Ardent Highlands speaks up, suddenly, in evident surprise. “The grandmaster Gallant Tempest has Heavenly Demon blood flowing through his body. Whatever excess spiritual power we hoped to snatch for ourselves from this walking disaster, the Heavenly Demon has outsmarted us and taken it away.”
Oh.
Then ─ then Shen Yuan really isn’t crazy. Funny. Luo Binghe’s face in his mind’s eye, eager and soft as it bore upon him, a reminder that no matter what Shen Yuan encounters here, it’s with a purpose. All of it comes with a purpose, with the singular promise he has made to his disciple, sitting at the very edge of the precipice.
Wait for me, Binghe.
I’ll take your sword and bring it back to you, I promise.
Just wait for me a little while longer.
Two icy fingers press against the veins in his neck, all too harshly. The Queen huffs in outright displeasure. “Rather than take away the immense storages of spiritual power he hides, it appears as though we have not only fed the heavenly demon, but we have also nearly pushed this one into a Qi deviation instead. Truly, Shen Yuan, your auspicious fortune knows no bounds.”
Ha ha. If he could, Shen Yuan would flip her a new one.
Binghe ─ Binghe can take everything. Every little thing. If that silly disciple of his needs to wring him dry of spiritual power just to keep even a little bit of his awareness around him, Shen Yuan will give anything. He will give everything.
The Heavenly Demon blood has been protecting him for years already. From every single poison, disease, injury and even ─ even this. Shen Yuan hasn’t questioned it beyond surface level, but truly, the Queen has now revealed a truth to him that he has desperately wanted to hear. Luo Binghe, that silly child, has outdone himself. Even now, all of the spiritual power that should’ve been expelled out of Shen Yuan, Luo Binghe has somehow managed to contain. Not only that, he is now using it to slowly, slowly, purge the undue influence from his blood directly, bit by bit. The familiar buzz of blood parasites in his veins is almost comforting, at this point.
Ah, Shen Yuan truly is a fool unlike any other.
Binghe, you sneaky little shit.
I love you so fucking much, I cannot take it─
“Forget it,” the Queen sighs. “We’re not getting anything out of him. Tie him up with Immortal Binding Cables and put him in the blocked off dungeon. Letting him walk freely at this stage is unsuitable. The best we can do is attempt to destroy that wretched sword of his before he snatches it back and escapes, again.”
“Yes, your Majesty!”
Before Shen Yuan can so much as twitch, he feels his limp body being hoisted up over a demon’s shoulder, then hauled off somewhere else in the depths of the Ardent Highlands.
This ─ well, certainly it wasn’t a part of the plan. But Shen Yuan will take it. Luo Binghe is here. Luo Binghe is with him. Shen Yuan has spent years suspecting it, he’s spent months thinking himself deranged and crazy, succumbing to absolute insanity…
He knows for sure now. At least a part of Luo Binghe’s consciousness lingers with him. In spite of everything, a small part of Luo Binghe has always been beside him, watching over him, protecting him from the worst of the suffering he’s been forced to endure in this hellish mindfuck of a place. It is so much more than Shen Yuan has ever been able to do for him.
Wait for me, Binghe, please.
This stupid master of yours will make his way back to you soon, I promise. Wait patiently.
This time, when Shen Yuan drifts off to sleep, he doesn’t wake for a long time, indeed.
Notes:
SY: *gets repeatedly sexpollened so the shame of it is lost on him*
Also, SY: wait wait, Binghe is benefiting? Lemme try that again
Chapter 64: Jade Guanyin
Notes:
Soooo, I'm putting this chapter out there quickly and the next one sometime by the end of the week to round up the entire Abyss part of the story, and then I'm gone till like end of August!
We are finally touching upon a bit of wordbuilding based of TGCF too, so to those who spot it, please have a cookie!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
It’s not the first time that Shen Yuan opens his eyes in a dream, and moreso, it is not the first time he opens his eyes to find himself in the original Shen Qingqiu’s memory. Although, frankly speaking, it has been quite a while since it last happened.
Previously, each of the memories he got to see have somehow been triggered from the outside ─ the System’s punishment inadvertently triggering flashbacks, his reckless attempts to escape Luo Binghe landing him into the unexpected corners of the dream realm, or even Meng Mo’s active meddling. Regardless, ever since returning to his original body, the string connecting him to Shen Jiu should have long since snapped ─ so Shen Yuan doesn’t quite understand why he is here, watching Shen Jiu dedicate himself to calligraphy with the expertise of a stuck-up jackass.
It’s a fairly random thing to see, overall. Shen Yuan is quite skeptical about it.
What, exactly, is this thing intended to show him?
Once the Qing Jing Peak Lord adds his finishing touch to his last calligraphy work, he leaves his art out to dry and just… walks away from the bamboo house.
Shen Yuan glances between the man’s retreating back and the calligraphy carelessly left behind, unsure of what exactly any of this is meant to tell him. The calligraphy itself is merely one symbol: Yong, the meaning of which is either eternal, forever or without end, none of which currently mean much of anything to either of them. As Shen Yuan lingers behind, though, world around him isn’t really fading ─ he is not stuck in the bubble of Shen Jiu’s presence, so he should be able to go around exploring away from the man ─ but after a few moments of mulling it over, he decides otherwise.
Choosing to glue himself to the bastard like he’s a particularly mean-spirited shadow, Shen Yuan haunts every single one of Shen Jiu’s movements. What sort of nasty bullshit is this man plotting? Dark cultivation arts? The orchestration of Shen Yuan’s abduction from his original world? Hmmm, what could it be?
As usual, Shen Yuan is sorely disappointed by the simplicity.
It is the disciple selection procedure.
The hole digging thing. Hundreds of random kids, digging holes in the dirt, the narrative propagating some sort of depth behind it.
Shen Yuan wants to vomit blood out of sheer revolt!
The whole scene is a bunch of stupid nonsense! Moreover, he has already taken the front row seat to watch this particular bout of Luo Binghe’s misery! Who is directing this? Shen Yuan wants a word!
Largely, events proceed exactly how Shen Yuan remembers them.
Shen Qingqiu joins Yue Qingyuan in watching over the kids, with the Sect Leader offering him undue dibs on disciple selection. Liu Qingge shows up with his own brand of short-tempered brevity, sealing Luo Binghe’s miserable fate in stone by pointing out his talent, then walks off like it’s none of his business. Yue Qingyuan further slams that nail into the coffin, in a poor attempt to placate his offended shidi.
Finally, Shen Jiu covers his face with a fan as he stares at the clueless child below, the barest hint of a lip stretching into a crooked, downright twisted smile, hidden behind the lush paintings.
Shen Yuan stares at the man, outraged. That the intention has been so obvious on his face from the very fucking beginning─
Except, Shen Jiu then heads into the examination grounds personally, and Shen Yuan pauses half a step behind him.
Wait.
What is happening here?
Come to think of it, something has been off about this from the start. Where is that wonderful angel Ning Yingying to fly her way down and snatch the Protagonist away from his hole digging, hm?
The examination isn’t on Qing Jing peak. If she were to get the opportunity, she should have showed up with Shen Jiu from the start ─ but Shen Yuan has been all but haunting Shen Jiu on his way from the bamboo house. If the sweet angel child showed her face at any point in time, Shen Yuan would have seen it.
In other words, something is wrong.
Following Shen Jiu like a particularly rabid hunting dog, Shen Yuan catches up to the man just as he comes to stand next to the young Luo Binghe.
Shen Jiu’s entrance into the canyon, naturally, has not gone unnoticed. The entirety of the examination grounds holds their breath, having realized that an immortal master walks among them, observing them from up close. Little Luo Binghe, meanwhile, having not yet realized that he is the object of the immortal’s attention, remains all too busy, digging his little hole. He huffs and puffs, fingers digging into the dirt and sweat rolling down the side of his face. There’s dirt and mud all over his cheeks, from how he has attempted to wipe his face clean. Now, he must’ve learned better over time, for he lets the sweat roll off of him in droves, refusing to let that slow him down in his earnest hole-digging.
He doesn’t realize there is a man next to him at all, until Shen Jiu speaks.
“Is it difficult?” the Qing Jing peak lord asks.
Little Luo Binghe jumps ─ and that becomes the first time this innocent child lays his eyes on his future tormentor, abuser and most hated enemy. But now, to that child, that man is a celestial god, an idol in both bearing and existence, the inspiration for all his youthful dreams. Shen Yuan would give it his all to break this illusion, but for all intents and purposes, what he watches is a memory from long ago. Neither of the dream constructs inside it can see him, nor is he able to interfere with them ─ and he has tried, damn it. Pulling Shen Jiu’s hair and tripping him up and straight up spitting in his face. Nothing worked.
Clumsily, the little Luo Binghe shifts until he’s kneeling properly, head bowed as he rushes to say, “This humble one greets Immortal Master.”
Shen Jiu doesn’t answer. He tosses a small plaque directly into the child’s lap.
Then he turns and walks away, the elegant emerald robes fluttering behind him in the wind.
Luo Binghe stays starstruck on the ground, his hands shaking as he holds his brand new disciple plaque in both hands as though it might flow through his fingers like water. Any moment now, the wonderful angel Ning Yingying should descend from the sky and kidnap him off to Qing Jing, all too excited that she now has a Shidi ─ but she never comes. The opening scene to Proud Immortal Demon Way as Shen Yuan remembers it simply doesn’t happen.
Just what in the world is Shen Yuan witnessing here?
Shen Jiu, doing something that his original character never would have been able to bear?
Or himself, changing a pivotal moment in Luo Binghe’s life, if only in a dream?
Because, yes, a million times, Shen Yuan has imagined himself doing… exactly this.
Changing everything, right from the start, so Luo Binghe would never have to suffer at all.
Has the time rewinded again?
Has he…
But no. Shen Yuan looks at himself and his body is exactly like Shen Jiu the bastard left it. This is a dream, he knows that much ─ but whose dream really is it?
Surely Shen Jiu’s, he thought at first. He isn’t quite sure, anymore.
He follows the man regardless.
Much of the things he has seen before all happen again, almost exactly how Shen Yuan remembers them. The tea incident ─ and the little Luo Binghe’s heartbroken tears as he stays sitting on the floor, justifying everything in his own head as though it was all somehow his fault. Same, yet different, for this time, Shen Jiu makes it a point to tell Luo Binghe exactly why he’s done it.
“Indeed, if you are able to find success in your learning here… You have the talent. But do you have the mindset? Show it to me, just how eager you are to learn from me.”
If anything, the subtle changes to the abuse that continues from there are somehow even more insidious than what the original text has implied. Shen Jiu’s encouragement of the other disciples to make little Luo Binghe’s life a living hell is not so much implied as it is overt and very, very clear to the small child. And yet… What is the purpose of any of it?
Shen Yuan watches little Luo Binghe endure more and more struggle, more and more unfairness, from his fellow disciples and seniors alike, to the point that even the woodshed is not a safe place to sleep… crueler than anything even Proud Immortal Demon Way has done to him.
And yet…
Luo Binghe sheds tears only once, when that first cup of tea hits his head and the hot liquid drenches his head.
Luo Binghe says not a word of the pile of chores and work he’s made to do. Everything he does, he does it with his eyes blazing with determination and his lips set into a thin, persistent line, no matter how many things get in his way.
From other disciples, he receives many whippings. From his Shizun, he receives none. Many seniors take to using him as a punching bag for their own amusement, a junior kicked around to their delight for he never fights back. But Shen Jiu never personally does a thing to touch him, unlike the depictions made in Proud Immortal Demon Way, where most of Luo Binghe’s most heart wrenching punishments have come from his Shizun personally.
In this rendition, it’s as though the two are not even a master and a disciple. Beyond that first introductory lecture, Shen Jiu expresses no real interest at all whether or not Luo Binghe will flourish or whiter, whether or not he even exists.
Over time, Shen Yuan gives up following Shen Jiu and sticks himself like glue to Luo Binghe instead, unable to tear himself away from that tiny ball of broken sunshine.
The manual is not faulty, he notices at some point, when Luo Binghe’s training frustrates him to the point the young child throws it into the dirt out of sheer frustration. Having spent many hours cultivating, he has achieved nothing at all, and the faulty manual that Shen Yuan initially blamed for it doesn’t seem to be faulty at all. In fact, it is exactly the same manual that all the other disciples have on their hands, the same manual Shen Yuan personally had slipped to that child when he got the chance, bypassing the System’s illogical OOC rules.
The manual in that child’s hands is not faulty at all, yet he cannot seem to cultivate with it, no matter how hard he tries.
This is… disconcerting. But Shen Yuan can’t pinpoint precisely what is bothering him, so he sticks to shadowing Luo Binghe, offering gentle words of kindness and consolation to a child who cannot hear them.
He isn’t sure why the memory has permitted him to stay, since he’s ditched Shen Qingqiu. Or has this, perhaps, been Luo Binghe’s dream all along?
After what appears to be a while, Shen Jiu steps onto said discarded manual during one of his nightly walks. He finds the booklet on the ground and passes it to Ming Fan with simple instructions, “Find out whose is it,” his tone promising punishment.
Ming Fan, the overly-loyal piece of cannon fodder, delivers.
He drags his Shizun straight to where a group of seniors has already started their bullying tirade. After all, how dare Luo Binghe throw away such a precious cultivation manual that Shizun personally wrote?
By the time Shen Jiu is brought to the scene, Luo Binghe has already endured a severe beating. He is twelve, maybe thirteen now, but under that swollen face and bleeding eyebrow, it is impossible to tell for sure. His uniform is rumpled and dirty and he’s holding onto his side as though it pains him to breathe.
“Shizun,” he gasps, even though he sees nothing but that bastard’s feet.
Shen Jiu’s eyes scan over the clearing on Qing Jing Peak, taking in the face of every single person present, the wooden clubs used and even the patches of ruined grass where Luo Binghe got kicked over and dug up dirt with his nails. Finally, his eyes find Luo Binghe, and there is not a trace of sympathy to that icy gaze.
“What is the meaning of this?” Shen Jiu says ─ and before Luo Binghe ever opens his mouth, the others fill in the details. How that child is disrespectful of Shizun’s teachings, bold and improper and countless other accusations with no basis, each harsher than the last. Shen Jiu listens to all of them, but his eyes never leave Luo Binghe. That look is so intense that the little white sheep doesn’t ever look up from where he’s staring down at his own dirty knees. Shen Yuan hugs him through it, but he knows it’s worth less than nothing. Luo Binghe doesn’t attempt to speak in his own defense.
When the brats are finally done hashing out even the stupidest complaint they have, Shen Jiu says, “Is that true?”
Luo Binghe shakes slightly. Fingers dig into the hem of his robes, but he doesn’t say anything. Shen Yuan’s heart breaks, and he hugs the child closer to him. Just like all the other dreams, he holds nothing.
“This master addresses Luo Binghe,” Shen Jiu says, cuttingly. “Is everything that your seniors said true?”
“Y-yes,” Luo Binghe murmurs, his voice barely above a whisper.
Everyone is a little startled with this admission ─ but none more so than the seniors who spread the lies. Among them, Ming Fan may even be the most innocent. Shen Yuan glares at the brats ─ only to realize that even to him, most of those faces are unfamiliar. That’s… odd. He should have remembered every face on Qing Jing Peak by now ─ he’s governed the kids twice. Forgetting one face, perhaps, is easy enough to believe… but all five?
“This one will ask one more time,” Shen Jiu says patiently, almost cavalier. “Is everything that your seniors say true?”
“Yes,” Luo Binghe grits out, shuddering. “But…”
Shen Jiu’s eyebrow shoots upward. “But?”
“It’s true!” Luo Binghe exclaims, the child having clearly lost all his patience and all his calm. His shoulders are shaking, tears welling up in his eyes ─ but he doesn’t cry. He blinks the tears away, willing them to go away with pure determination. “Yes!” he cries. “This disciple has thrown Shizun’s manual into the ground. It’s true. This one refuses to learn proper technique, that is also true. This one has not finished his assigned chores ─ woodchopping, cleaning, washing… this one has not done any of it for days, that is also true… but Shizun.”
He looks up then, and those eyes… the desperation in those eyes, the very last thread of tolerance lost, all of it clenches at Shen Yuan’s heartstrings, wrapping barbed wires around his chest until he cannot breathe. The utter devastation is enough to even shake Shen Jiu slightly.
Luo Binghe’s voice shakes as he says, raw and hoarse, “Shizun. How much longer must I endure?”
It’s obviously the wrong thing to say.
The disciples around them all brace for something, some sort of a harsh punishment, a beating that was a long time coming. In the light of all this, Shen Jiu’s face is a mask of utter grace, betraying nothing. As though this entire situation is not at all a direct result of his machinations, his omissions, as though what happens to kids on his peak simply doesn’t impact him.
The bastard says, “Why did you discard the cultivation manual?”
Luo Binghe stubbornly stares at nothing. “Because it’s no good.”
“Why?” Shen Jiu presses.
Luo Binghe stares ahead, at no one in particular, and utters not a word.
Immediately, the seniors are onto him. “See, Shizun? That is exactly the sort of disrespectful attitude that he’s had this whole time! He deserves to be punished─”
“The rest of you, scram,” Shen Jiu snaps. When no one immediately moves, he sets his eyes on the most senior of the disciples, and adds, “Was that not clear enough? Scram.”
It’s pure chaos for a few moments, until the disciples remember how to make their limbs move, all uttering hasty and insincere apologies as they scramble away. Shen Jiu, however, stops Ming Fan before he can leave, taking Luo Binghe’s cultivation manual, before sending him running again.
Finally, he throws the silly book right in front of Luo Binghe’s knees, and says, “Open it. You say it’s no good. Show me exactly what you find unsuitable about this. Do it properly.”
Luo Binghe sniffs, but he fixes his sitting posture. He is not yet sure if his scary Shizun is genuine with his question, but as a young disciple, he has no choice but to listen. After a few long, tense moments, he finally takes the book into his hands and browses through page after page, until he finds a particular section.
“This here,” he mumbles, in a subdued voice. “For the qi to flow naturally between the three dantians, special attention must always be given to the lower dantian first and foremost, for the foundation there builds up on everything that comes after. Is this not just plain wrong? A few pages later it already says that for the flow of Qi to be at its best, the three dantians must be carefully synchronized. But isn’t giving one dantian more attention than the other as instructed here doing the exact opposite? The more of these instructions that I follow, the more I feel as if I’m doing something wrong, but it can’t be, because I can see it worked for everyone else. So the fault lies with me, no? But it doesn’t. I’ve done everything correctly. I’ve done it all, all the way through to the last page and I still can’t do it properly─”
The last page?!
Shen Jiu and Shen Yuan both look at the child in front of them with great alarm.
Most cultivation manuals, as they are, are written to be followed over a long period of time. Most disciples only ever get halfway through it before they reach certain stages where they no longer find it necessary. In fact, once the cultivator reaches the latter cultivation stages and the spiritual core is formed, following the manual too strictly is generally discouraged. Airplane’s bonker rules, no doubt.
Luo Binghe’s issues within the Proud Immortal Demon Way’s set up and even the one Shen Yuan had inadvertently changed had always been contained to the first few pages ─ the proper core exercises, the correct sequence of movements that allows his Qi to flow by means of propagating, generating power. It is all about understanding the different elemental flows in the atmosphere and making the body cultivate with them in sync.
The last pages, as such, are the opposite. They are the advanced level, the stage at which one has already mastered the control over the elemental flows and their synchronization and they are therefore able to tear them apart, back to their base flows, a level which even Shen Qingqiu himself had never reached ─ let alone Shen Yuan, who hasn’t ever bothered to try.
But Luo Binghe has always been a fast learner.
Motivated, talented and determined, with the right kind of bait to push him forward to try and gain his Shizun’s approval. Yet the tried and true carrot and stick method has this time backfired spectacularly. Luo Binghe, at the mere age of twelve, seems to have leaped over every single cultivation law known to men and fiction alike.
Shen Jiu says, reasonably controlled, “Up to which page has Luo Binghe felt as though he can follow the manual comfortably?”
Luo Binghe’s face scrunches at that, but he dutifully answers, “Only the first page, Shizun.”
At that, Shen Yuan openly gapes.
Shen Jiu… blinks.
Very slowly, with no rash movements, Shen Jiu takes the manual from Luo Binghe’s hands. Shen Yuan disengages from the hug in order to follow the book, but there is no mistake. It is definitely the correct manual, and the first page is merely the most basic introductory page to how Qi refinement works. The first page alone is something most disciples breeze through on their very first days, to blaze forth like star troopers until they reach the middle.
Shen Jiu stares at this page for a long time. Then he flips over to the second page, and pushes it into Luo Binghe’s face.
“At which point does it no longer flow comfortably? Be precise.”
Luo Binghe is further discouraged by just how tense that voice sounds, but he dares not ignore his Shizun’s direct order, so he slowly starts looking through the passages until he finds what he is looking for.
“Here, Shizun. When gathering Qi from your surroundings, one’s mind must be clear and body pure. The spirit must be settled. Gathering Qi from the environment is a process that comes naturally, but one must attune themselves to the nature that surrounds them and meditate diligently in order to understand how many different elements connect and flow together.”
“... what about it, precisely?”
Luo Binghe hesitates, frowning childishly. That look on him is, frankly, adorable. Then he moves his hand through the air, as though to demonstrate.
Instantly, a shimmering light of environmental Qi comes apart, made up of all the different elements that now flow separately, as though obeying Luo Binghe’s unvoiced command. Each element links to a separate finger, flowing in circles of light around it. When Luo Binghe brings his fingers back together into a fist, the five different flows all merge together into one, shimmering in soft white light before disappearing entirely.
“How do they flow together?” Luo Binghe asks, miserably. “They just flow. If I try to understand, they come apart. Whatever I think of, they do precisely that. If I only want to pull on the water flow, the plants around me wither. If I try to better understand the earth, everything nearby shakes. I know I’m doing something wrong, but I don’t know what it is and…” he sees the expression on Shen Jiu’s face and gives up entirely, his head dropping lifelessly. “This useless disciple apologizes to Shizun for improperly treating the manual.”
But while he sits there, wallowing in his personal brand of misery, next to him… Shen Jiu’s hand is shaking.
It is a subtle movement, barely noticeable to those who don’t know to look for it. But Shen Yuan is almost entirely lost on the intricacies of whatever this is supposed to mean, so he is watching only Shen Jiu, who takes a very long time, sorting out his thoughts on the matter. Whatever it is, it has left him speechless unlike ever before.
“May… may I?” he mutters, and Luo Binghe is at first confused, at what his Shizun is asking from him. He just stares at the man blankly. Shen Jiu takes that as permission to feel the boy’s chest flat out, ignoring how the boy jumps out of sheer unexpectedness of the contact.
“Shizun…?” Luo Binghe mumbles, but it goes entirely ignored.
A moment later, Shen Jiu withdraws his hand as though scalded, staring at the child in front of him with wide, shell-shocked eyes. But that disappears after a moment, leaving Luo Binghe questioning whether there was anything in his Shizun’s face worth noticing.
Ultimately, Shen Jiu doesn’t punish Luo Binghe for anything. He doesn’t even scold him. He sends the child back to rest, with clear orders not to experiment with any techniques until Shizun personally gives him permission to do so, and he takes the cultivation manual from him with strict instructions to pause with cultivation fully until Shen Jiu says otherwise.
Then he sends the boy off, while he himself stays in place, flipping through the manual over and over again.
Shen Yuan is tempted to go following Luo Binghe ─ this dream is certainly solid enough to allow him ─ but Shen Jiu’s reaction to all of this trumps everything else. Curiously, he stays to observe, not that there is much to see. Shen Jiu remains standing in the same place for a long time, flipping through the same pages one by one, over and over. At some point, he gives up entirely, and burns the book with a snap of his fingers.
Then, using that same hand, he forms a ball of Qi in his hand, letting it hover over his palm for a little while. White and translucent, obviously it is the surrounding qi, the natural flow that surrounds them all.
Shen Jiu takes a deep breath and closes his palm, snuffing the light out briefly, before opening it again. It’s clear now, he is attempting to imitate what Luo Binghe has done ─ but the division of five different energies is nowhere near as clear cut. The elemental energy flows are faint ─ they’re not quite distinct, more like floating pieces of translucent spaghetti than the outright forces of nature that Luo Binghe has clearly manifested. In frustration, Shen Jiu tries one more time, but the results aren’t any different. Compared to how easily Luo Binghe was able to draw out the different elements from his surroundings, Shen Jiu’s version is almost like a grayed out imitation.
Out of sheer curiosity, Shen Yuan tries to do the same thing ─ and gets absolutely nothing.
He stares at his empty hand for a long time until he remembers that he is in a dream and leaves it for later.
Shen Jiu eventually stomps away from the clearing on his peak, visibly furious about something… but when Shen Yuan tries to follow, the whole dream dissipates around him, turning into a mass of black fog, shapeless and never ending. The in-between space, just like before. Just like before he opened his eyes in Shen Qingqiu’s body, all those years ago.
Somewhere in the distance, a familiar voice is cursing under his breath.
[Shit! Shit! Shit! Who gave you permission to see that?! Shen Yuan, damn you! I was busy!! You stupid idiot! Stop it already! Stop! Are you really gonna make me do this?! I swear, one day, I’ll have you begging me to release you from the fire pits ─ oh! OH! The fire pits!]
“What?!” Shen Yuan blurts ─ and because somehow, every single thought in this place comes out loud and clear, it sounds as though he is screaming at the top of his lungs.
Immediately, the shape of a person turns to him, with no distinct features to it whatsoever.
[Oh, for fuck’s sake! Get out!]
A string of expletives follows ─ and then he’s thrust out of the in-between space, back into his body. His battered, exhausted, entirely tortured body. Instantly, Shen Yuan snaps awake, gasping for air.
Two things become immediately obvious. First, his body is bound with Immortal Binding Cables, cutting off his spiritual power. Second, he is in a prison cell.
Positioned so that he lies on his side, Shen Yuan quickly comes to understand that his arms are bound behind his back, from wrist to elbow, held in place in a way that is both tight, inconvenient and uncomfortable. He is on a slab of rock, slightly lifted off the ground positioned so he can see the metal that separates his portion of the cave away from the rest, an odd obsidian thing that seems to be blocking off every kind of qi. His head hurts and he feels very dizzy, but at least… At least, it seems that the aphrodisiacs have worn off.
Shen Yuan squirms in place, a little uncertain, only to confirm everything he has ever suspected. His clothes may have been drenched in sweat ─ but that’s all it was drenched in. At no point had the poison ever succeeded to work his body up to a proper orgasm, probably not even a proper erection ─ and that is very much due to the blood parasites crawling all over his body.
Luo Binghe is indeed with him… in a way. Conscious? Subconscious? Shen Yuan has no idea. But he knows for a fact that Luo Binghe’s blood is working non-stop to protect him from poisons, acidic air and countless other ailments which might’ve killed him. But Luo Binghe alone doesn’t have the sufficient power to react quickly, all the time. Much of his power, looks like, comes from Shen Yuan himself. Therefore, all the spiritual power that the Queen of the Highlands has been hoping to steal from him has also gone directly into the proverbial hands of the one sole demon who’s got means of getting in her way.
It is ridiculous how much Shen Yuan’s body relaxes at the thought of this.
It’s ─ really, he should be losing his mind over it. But now he’s just…
It’s Luo Binghe.
If it’s him… well. Shen Yuan is more than happy to offer anything. The weight of his absence strangles him all the tighter than those years wasted away on Qing Jing Peak, waiting for the black lotus Protagonist to re-emerge. Things didn’t need to be that way. They’d never needed to be that way, and still… because Shen Yuan had been such a fucking coward, he’d…
Shen Yuan closes his eyes and cuts the thought off before it can push him back in the void of despair that he’s been wrestling against. The past is the past. Things have already happened. All of that is fucking over.
The present, however…
At present, Luo Binghe is still out there, possibly still struggling against whatever hell that bastard Shen Jiu has been attempting to inflict on him, and Shen Yuan… Shen Yuan is nowhere closer to getting his hands on Xin Mo than he’s been the moment he’s fallen here. And that’s just plain pathetic.
For all that he’s read Proud Immortal Demon Way back to back, it’s like Shen Yuan doesn’t have a single fucking clue how to get that sword. Like the entire universe has come together to prevent it ─ and Shen Yuan is fucking furious.
He grapples against his bindings, fully intending to call on Xian Leng ─ he knows he can, has done it before, Immortal Binding Cables can’t stop him ─ until he realizes that he is not alone in this prison cell.
As soon as he attempts to struggle, a soft huff comes from the corner and he is forced to realize that this whole time, there has been someone sitting in the corner, watching him. He doesn’t need to look in order to recognize the Queen of the Ardent Highlands.
“Go ahead, continue,” she says, mildly, as though his resistance amuses her. “The Immortal Binding Cables are there to prevent you from working yourself into a Qi deviation that will damage my home, but sure, if you are so inclined, go ahead and get rid of them. See how much you like it.”
Shen Yuan twists his head to glare at her, but as shameful as his position may be ─ he stops struggling.
“If you wanted to talk, coulda just invited me for tea,” he says. “No need to go this far and stage a kidnapping.”
“If I were against a talk, I would’ve gagged you from the start,” the Queen returns, flatly. “Do you know how annoying it is, listening to those desperate little Binghe, Binghe sounds you make? If you were a man worth your salt, you wouldn’t be wasting your days away running from me.”
Shen Yuan, pointedly, does not remind her that the sole reason he’s been put into this position is squarely her damn fault. “The fuck do you want?” he growls instead, furiously.
“Freedom, for starters,” the woman answers. “But that’s not something you can give me, so perhaps settle back there and let me do the talking. How about it? The ghost children have insisted that you can be perfectly reasonable, when you want to be. How about you show that to me, for a change?”
Shen Yuan gives her the finger ─ but since his hands are tied behind his back and this lady is obviously not looking there, it doesn’t really do much.
“I don’t do reasonable when I’m pissed,” he says. “Get these things off me first. Then we can talk.”
The woman in question smiles at him, menacingly. “It is for your own good that they remain. The combination of poisons we’ve struck you with is a dangerous one. The Heavenly Demon Blood is doing away with them all, but it’s hardly finished. Bindings remain for the time being. Take it or leave it.”
Shen Yuan glares at the woman, dangerously ─ then puts all his focus on calling Xian Leng to him. But after a few terse seconds pass and no raging sword comes flying, Shen Yuan is forced to swallow his anger down, for the time being.
“Fine,” he grits out, unwillingly. “Say what you will. I don’t have a choice but to listen, do I?”
“I’m the one doing you a favor, not the other way around,” the Queen of the Highlands says, but she leans back in her seat, visibly more comfortable about it. Because yeah, tying him up and throwing him in a dungeon. Some favor, this is. Shen Yuan would rather eat dirt. Not that one of the four leaders of the Endless Abyss seems to care about it.
“Shen Yuan, I take it that you are no fool,” she says. “By looking at me, you are able to tell. I do not belong in this realm. Do you know why?”
…
What ridiculous quiz question is this? Who even belongs in the trash can that is the Abyssal Rift? Shen Yuan absolutely refuses to answer. If she’s so eager to deliver her villain monologue excuse as she seems, she doesn’t need his fucking permission.
Proving his every fear correct, the Queen of the Highlands says, “Shen Yuan, you are no fool, but you sure enjoy pretending to be one. Have you truly not guessed by now? I am a god. A heavenly official. Or is the weight of that not significant to you at all?”
“You’re stuck in here the same way I am, no? So, does that matter?” Shen Yuan answers. But fuck. A god. Did the Proud Immortal Demon Way setting have gods showing up? He doesn’t fucking think so. Hell, original story aside, a decade of life Shen Yuan has already spent here would obviously testify otherwise.
Shit, shit, shit. What is happening?
“I suppose your perspective differs from mine,” the Queen of the Highlands concedes, mildly. “I am hardly the only Heavenly Official stuck here. The four overlords of the Endless Abyss ─ we are all the same. There are more of them that you may have never heard about. All of us have been crippled, having lost our names and powers over a very long period of time. Even I ─ as I exist before you today ─ am able to still sustain this form solely due to a believer of mine who survives. This is no accident.”
…
His thoughts must be obvious on his face, because the Queen of the Highlands leans in closer, her gentle face not at all kind. “That’s right,” the woman says, all too light. “To this day, I retain my form and my power, solely because a ridiculous creature believes a fable from the wilds. A kind-hearted mother, wasting all of her treasures away for a fake jade pendant to grace her child with good fortune. Does this sound familiar?”
Shen Yuan freezes, the pieces falling into place instantly. “The Jade Guanyin? You… are Guanyin?”
The goddess of mercy? With this fucking attitude? That can’t be right.
“That’s right, Shen Yuan. That’s exactly right,” the woman says, all too gleefully. “I’m sure you have paid no attention at all, but the gods of this world ─ few of them are referred to by name, and that’s no accident. Names bear power and the image of a god is personified in their name. So long as mortals believe in those names, build us temples and pray to us for good harvest, our legacy remains and our power flourishes ─ but what happens once that name is forgotten? What happens when only an empty temple remains?”
That’s… how the fuck is Shen Yuan supposed to know that? It's Ku Xing peak handling that stuff, not him! Why should he care? What he actually wants to know is why the hell is this creep of a god acting like it’s Luo Binghe’s fault that she’s stuck here?!
“I’ll spare you the details, but what is important to me is that you understand this part. The gods stuck inside the Endless Abyss are those who still retain some connection to the mortal world. Most of them have turned demonic long ago, for they have no believers, but they cannot perish. They’ve turned to madness and rage instead. Thanks to Luo Binghe, I am the exception. The Jade Guanyin gifted to him is the only representation of my existence that remains in the mortal world. Should that, too, be lost, then I shall also turn demonic, just like the rest. This is also why I have been devoid of all power while that jade was in your possession, why I had to turn to means like this to protect my lands.” She gestures widely to the space around her, as though he really cares.
“So what?” Shen Yuan says, flatly.
“You are no believer of mine, that’s what!” Guanyin loses it. “Luo Binghe’s belief in me is maintained through an illusion that has already broken once. The moment his faith is broken again, all hope will be lost. You have safeguarded the jade and the belief as you were meant to, Shen Yuan, but what do you think you’re doing now?!”
“The hell are you even talking about?!”
“You will understand, with time,” the woman says, all too frigidly. “You are here because it’s Xin Mo that you want, after all. Some things will just naturally follow.”
Shen Yuan tenses, almost imperceptibly so, as he twists his head to get a better look at the lady claiming herself to be a god. What is that supposed to mean? Wasn’t she the one getting in his way the most?
She must be reading his mind, because the Queen of the Highlands smiles.
“Xin Mo is the darkness that corrupts, a curse, but its origin is no different than that of a god,” she says, playing with the long braid falling over her shoulder. “It cannot be destroyed the same way the world cannot be destroyed ─ only subdued and controlled. Luo Binghe, however, is no longer fit to control it.”
“...”
What is this? Why does this lady think she has the right to decide who can handle Xin Mo and who cannot? In a bout of wisdom, however, Shen Yuan says nothing and lets the silence stretch on.
Just as expected, the Goddess Guanyin is quick to fill it.
“Xin Mo was not originally a weapon ─ and it was not always a curse,” she says. “Its existence, dark and bloody though it may be, was part of the natural flow of life and death, just as all things should be. Every light creates a shadow ─ but not all that hides in that darkness must be wicked. However, the gods that now reign the Endless Abyss have come together, looking to make use of its power in a different way, and made a mistake, forging Xin Mo into something even a mortal could wield. Now, Xin Mo is dangerous and uncontrollable ─ and eventually it corrupts anything that comes near it. Given sufficient time, it is more than capable of corrupting even gods, so how could anyone lesser, human and demon alike, withstand its power? They cannot. Luo Binghe with his unique heritage might’ve been the only one who could get it done ─ but he too has failed.”
Shen Yuan stubbornly glares, refusing to fall into the trap of asking questions here. He has a sinking feeling, however, that the direction of this conversation is not something that he is going to like.
“Xin Mo is no weapon, but it only accepts one master at a time,” the Queen of the Highlands drawls. “It will heed a sacrifice from anyone, but it might not obey. It is the flow of destruction, but it is not death. There are reasons, after all, why the worst of Xin Mo’s influence can be offset by either violence or lust. There are reasons as to why Xin Mo will corrupt anyone ─ except those it won’t. There are reasons why Xin Mo, given physical manifestation and a master, is now able to traverse the realms and break boundaries between the worlds ─ but could not do so when originally made. Can you guess?”
Shen Yuan swallows thickly. No, he can’t, he wants to say. But in a twist of wicked fate, he feels as though he does, actually, understand ─ and a piece of it has come directly from the dream before.
The perfect balance of all elemental, natural energy is the first step to setting up classic transportation arrays. In other words, take this a step further, and should Xin Mo’s master somehow have control over spatial dimension… then why would Xin Mo the sword not have that exact same power?
Oh shit, Shen Yuan thinks. Oh shit, shit, shit.
The Heavenly Official before him smiles. “Indeed, Xin Mo’s most egregious power comes from its original master. And its original master is truly a special one. Always was. Luo Binghe’s failure to maintain control of that wild power is not a surprise. That child’s grasp over his talents has always been abysmal. Others should bear responsibility in that regard. But the punishment is his to take.
“Your relevance, Shen Yuan, comes from the fact that you are exempt from Xin Mo’s influence as a whole. Your body and your soul ─ Xin Mo cannot corrupt either of those.”
… what.
Er. Shen Yuan has plenty of experience to prove the contrary! Case in point─
“Don’t look at me like that, you silly child. You think Xin Mo has done you harm? Oh, certainly, it has tried. Most it could have done, however, was cause harm to Shen Qingqiu’s body! That fool had already given half his primordial spirit away to darkness in order to summon you here. With a few Xin Mo shards in his body, that should have ended the rest of him ─ but the soul in the body was yours! Shen Jiu sacrificed himself to Xin Mo to save both your lives ─ and the gamble has paid off. The prick of Xin Mo’s power that you felt, the bits you might still feel on occasion ─ they’re inconsequential. Xin Mo cannot corrupt what it cannot understand on the most fundamental level ─ and you, a child of a world different from ours ─ are something that Xin Mo shall never be able to break. Do you understand now?”
… what.
Shen Yuan stares, far too struck to formulate any answer at all. Wha… just… what?
The Queen of the Highlands watches him with too keen of an interest. “Xin Mo is made out of the very foundation of this reality, in certain ways,” she says. “Without its master, Xin Mo alone cannot breach past it. And while Xin Mo is one with the will of his master, its understanding of said will is deeply flawed. Without the physical proximity between the sword and the master, Xin Mo can only act upon patterns it already knows.”
“What… does that mean?” Shen Yuan asks, despite himself.
“Many things,” Guanyin answers. “But in reality, the most important way that relates to you is that Xin Mo cannot break your mind ─ cannot even touch it. Nor can it touch your heart. Shen Jiu, therefore, believes that your soul is the solution to destroying that wicked curse as a whole.”
“What?!”
“It is a foolish thought,” the Queen of the Highlands allows. “Shen Jiu has learned since, but his learning has only made him more desperate. That weapon you are holding onto so pathetically was his next try. Reforging a blade for himself out of Xin Mo’s shards, trying to use what he already knows to be its weak points against it… sever Xin Mo from the power of its original master. The idea is not entirely without merit. But here we are. His decades of work, gone. Taken over by the one person who should have never known about it at all.”
Shen Yuan shudders, a frigid thought crossing his mind. It’s Xian Leng that she’s talking about, right?
Xian Leng, made out of Xin Mo’s fucking shards─
The Queen of the Highlands smiles brilliantly at him. “You should have just behaved like a good little puppet, Shen Yuan. Instead, you’ve been making one mistake after another, rushing from one bad decision to the next. And even now, here in Endless Abyss, all you do is throw yourself unto the path of destruction.”
Shen Yuan swallows a lump, all too thick and uncomfortable. “The hell are you talking about? Do you hear yourself? Behave? The hell do you take me for?”
“A problem, Shen Yuan. You are a problem!” Guanyin explodes. “Breaking the boundary between the worlds to bring you here incurred too heavy a price to have you ruin everything now. Luo Binghe is a charming one, I’m certain, but he must die. His demise is not optional. For this world to set itself right and rid itself of Xin Mo’s power that now permeates every damn crevice of every single realm, no trace of Luo Binghe must exist in it. Not a single one! It was Shen Qingqiu’s duty to ensure it ─ but now it appears as though your fates, too, have been swapped. Therefore, the responsibility is yours. Luo Binghe must die.”
“Hell no,” Shen Yuan spits right back. How the hell did they even come to this?! Why the fuck─!?
The goddess snorts, all too haughty. “Of course you cannot do it now. If it were so easy to accomplish, Shen Qingqiu would have finished it long ago. Of course not. But with time, you will understand. Every single person who held that child dear once has come to the same conclusion. Shen Jiu had once been the loudest advocate for his survival, but look at him now. He, too, has hit his limit. Mortal foolishness knows no bounds, but even humans learn, when they must. You will learn, too, given time.”
“Shut up ! Like hell I’m going to ─ you better fuck off. Leave Binghe alone! Think you’re some big shot just cause you’re a god? Lemme punch you in the face and see how tough you really are─!! HEY! WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU RUNNING NOW?!”
“I’ve said all I needed to say. You know your purpose now,” Guanyin says, flatly, once she has already made it past the limits of the cell. Obsidian bars move to let her pass through, only to seal themselves back in place once Shen Yuan is alone inside. From outside the prison cell, the Queen of the Highlands sighs.
“Luo Binghe is my sole believer, Shen Yuan. The words I say are not easy to voice aloud. You have already seen what happens when that child succumbs ─ you’ve seen it twice. If you think a future exists after the merger of the realms is complete, then let me tell you now. You know nothing at all. How you choose to go about it is none of my business and I cannot meddle with the affairs of the mortal realm either way ─ but you know enough. Once the poisons are gone from your body, the Immortal Binding Cables will release you on their own. You are free to return to the human realm, afterwards. I’m sure you’ve realized by now, but there is no need to waste time looking for the Tortoise of Xuanwu. What you seek has been beside you all along.”
And then she’s gone, leaving Shen Yuan to writhe in his bounds and curse out loud, because what the actual fuck?!
What does she mean─
Oh, Shen Yuan realizes with a start, as a very familiar weapon materializes in front of him, gleaming dangerously.
That white glowy hilt has been his most obvious excuse as to why the rest of the thing should have had no connection at all to the monster that is Xin Mo. Welp. There’s this no connection at all, slapping him on the face.
“Like hell I’m calling you anything other than a divine spinach, you nasty piece of shit,” Shen Yuan blurts out.
The sword gleams in response, obviously pleased. Fuck his life.
Shen Yuan closes his eyes and considers his options ─ not that there are many. He tests his strength against the Immortal Binding Cables one more time and they absolutely refuse to give, so there he goes.
Settling his eyes back on the shiny world-altering-weapon hovering before his eyes, he says, “Well, what are you waiting for? Xian Leng, get me out of here!”
And the sword beams like it’s been waiting to hear it all along.
Notes:
A bit of spoilerish background under the cut
Relating to next chapter and some of the previous ones.
SY has known from the start (a part of) what Xian Leng is made of, but he didn't have a clue how to use it even if he had tried (and a scene that sadly didn't make it in the fic includes him trying and failing and simply giving up the whole idea cause it sounded crazy - probably will make it into an extra somewhere cause it's kinda funny).
This seems a bit counterintuitive as he used a shard alone, previously, to travel from the Demon realm to CQM, but the real spoilery bit is that though SY thinks he just activated it by thinking it, in reality it wasn't him who opened the passage at all. The only reason I'm saying it here is cause I'm not 100% sure if the scene where this is explained will make it into the fic in the unedited format
Also lol, slashing portals open can't be that easy if even LBH had to work for it. Sorry SY, you just ain't there yet, your halos ain't the same
Chapter 65: Xuanwu
Notes:
Am I kinda sorta referencing MDZS? Oh absolutely
Am I also making a mess of it though? Also yes
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
If there is something that could be said about Shen Yuan and the gut punches that have been hitting him lately ─ it’s that he’s considerably better at taking them than he ever believed he could be. Sturdier than a sandbag, that’s what he is. Damn his entire ancestry line.
To get Xian Leng to do his bidding is easy enough. Cut the Immortal Binding Cables? Simple. Break past the obsidian prison? Just like cutting paper. But opening a portal to a different spatial location? That doesn’t quite work the way Shen Yuan thinks it does.
Slashing at the air with a location in mind is, in the end, a wasted effort that really only tires him out for no logical reason, as no portal is opening. But knowing what he knows now — that the basis of all this is in fact similar to how transportation arrays are intended to work ─ Shen Yuan curses himself to hell and back for being a stupid ass idiot.
Taking a deep breath, holding Xian Leng out one more time.
It’s not as simple as slashing through the air with a place in mind, not at all. At the same time, it can’t be as complicated as trying to figure out the GPS coordinates for a location he’s never visited, with only a paper map on hand, in a world that doesn’t know what GPS is.
Transportation arrays, damn them, should work fairly simply. Starting point. End point. By means of feeling out the flow of spiritual power of the world, the magic differentiates space and BOOM. You’re in a different place, just like that.
What fucking bullshit!
Shen Yuan slashes one more time and nearly loses it when, once again, nothing happens.
Somewhere, he is sure, somebody from the Ardent Highlands is watching this and laughing at his misery.
Shen Yuan doesn’t blame them. This is a little like shooting targets blindly without really knowing what you’re doing. Picturing a location in his head obviously isn’t going to do it. At the same time, for a proper transportation array, he needs to have visited both locations to know.
“Help me out here,” Shen Yuan says to his frustration of a sword. “You’re made of Xin Mo’s shards. The last time, all it took was a thought and a shard left me in Cang Qiong Mountain in a flash. Why not now?”
Of course, he doesn’t get an answer. Just the sword, eagerly gleaming at him. Like it wants to be used, but refuses to divulge how.
Shen Yuan takes a deep breath. “If I were to ask you something stupid, would you be able to show me? For example, the direction of the exit from this stupid prison cell.”
He holds the sword out, focusing on letting it hover in the air. Obediently, the blade stays in the air, gleaming softly. Then it starts turning around, briefly. For a moment, it points directly at the obsidian bars of his prison. Then it points up above his head. Then, to the side.
Shen Yuan is half expecting to point in all directions, but it actually doesn’t. It stays in its final position, simply hovering in the air, gleaming with the smug air around it. When a few minutes of that changes absolutely nothing, Shen Yuan nods firmly.
“Alright, you convinced me. Which is the easiest way to exit?”
Instantly, the sword points up. Not the bars, not the side. Just the pure stone overhead, which Shen Yuan is rather skeptical about ─ but he’s got nothing to lose in trying. Before he does so, though, he asks, “Would you be able to point me the right way to the Xuanwu Tortoise’s lair?”
The sword, interestingly enough, points down, but diagonally. So, just like always, Xian Leng is able to follow any of his instructions. But simply telling it to open a portal doesn’t fucking do it?
“Can you point me a way I can actually walk, not break through walls?”
Immediately, the sword rotates towards the obsidian bars.
Right, then.
Without another moment wasted, Shen Yuan snatches the blade out of the air and slashes, blasting the obsidian black bars into dust. Immediately, demons of the highlands begin raising alarms, but Shen Yuan blasts off any that come near him with ease. In a narrow cave, all of these demons are at a great disadvantage. They care about their home and protecting it. Shen Yuan doesn’t. So when he attacks, he does so indiscriminately, destroying everything in his path.
Every so often, he pauses for a few seconds, asking Xian Leng to show him the way, and the more he does, the more this clever blade leads him down, deeper underground. How interesting.
As much as Shen Yuan has initially been looking to get out of this place, something that the bitch of a god had said lingers in his head.
“There is no need to waste time looking for the Tortoise of Xuanwu.”
Yeah, right.
If this had been the first punch to the gut Shen Yuan had experienced, then, perhaps, he might’ve glossed past this particular bit. As things stand, the sole reason he’s been loudly proclaiming his search for the goddamn elusive turtle is because he knows the beast used to house Xin Mo in its fucking belly. Or at least, that’s how it was supposed to be ─ in Proud Immortal Demon Way.
Obviously, this shit is not the Proud Immortal Demon Way as Shen Yuan remembers it. Either way, the Tortoise of Xuanwu is, at the very least, also a fucking god.
“The four overlords of the Endless Abyss ─ they’re all just like me,” the Queen of the Highlands had said. “Most of them have turned demonic long ago.”
Thanks to the Ge union running their mouth off, he also knows something else. Ah, low level villains, never knowing when to shut up.
The Tortoise of Xuanwu and the Queen of the Highlands are on fucking terrible terms. The Great Tortoise might not have Xin Mo in its belly, obviously, but the Goddess Guanyin still requested him to go into hibernation upon Shen Yuan’s entry in the Abyss. The monster refused. Moreover, both the Tiger Emperor of the Wilds and the Lady of the Leaky Valleys ─ both freaking gods, apparently ─ have sided with the Great Tortoise on this. In other words, whatever plot this freak lady has cooked up, the rest of the godforsaken Heavenly Officials in this place are not on board with it.
Therefore, Shen Yuan’s first stop is precisely that.
The Great Tortoise of Xuanwu’s lair.
Xian Leng, for all that the sword has been refusing to show him any hints until demanded, now leads him deeper and deeper underground, until the heavy darkness begins showing those habitual reddish hues of the Abyss’ usual state ─ completely unlike the Highlands Shen Yuan knows. He takes a deep breath, bracing himself for the acidic poisons.
Sorry, Binghe, he thinks, miserably. Watch over me for a little while longer, please. I’m coming to find you soon.
Until then ─ well. The enemy of my enemy is my friend is a tried and true principle for a reason.
Shen Yuan is going to make some very dangerous friends, oh he definitely is. But he might just have to cause some serious trouble, first.
The underground passages eventually lead him into a cavern, deep underground and uncomfortably warm. The acidic air is thick and heavy. The blood parasites within him vibrate with every breath he takes. For all that he thought they’ve done a decent job, healing him from the cocktail mix of aphrodisiacs and poisons the stupid goddess and her cronies struck him with, the more obvious it becomes they actually hadn’t.
The longer he walks the fainter he feels, on occasion even turning to holding onto the nearby rocks to steady himself. It’s no good to let this get him now. He’s on the verge of something important, he just knows it. He isn’t gonna let the weakness of his body betray him.
But damn it all, does he have to feel so ridiculously weak, every time he lets Xian Leng out of his hand? It’s almost as though his body relies on the sword to maintain the flow of spiritual power as a whole─
Quickly, Shen Yuan clamps down on that notion before he can slide further down that unnerving set of questions.
Good lord, he has so many questions. The longer he is trying to ignore them, the more he feels like they’re eating him alive ─ but he doesn’t know who is even the right person to ask, anymore. So he just ─ puts that aside, for the time being.
He puts it aside and focuses on searching for the Great Tortoise, absolutely certain that, if Xian Leng already led him this way, then the beast must be here.
Eventually, the narrow passage opens up to an underground lake. The water is clear, but it smells of rot and sulfur, with an occasional bubble rising to the surface. More than anything, Shen Yuan knows that touching that with his very squishy human body is a terrible idea. The lake is definitely the end of the road, though, and there is nothing but a small, rocky island sitting in the distance. From where he stands, he cannot even see the other end.
“Hello!” he shouts into the void, listening to the empty caves echo his greeting back to him. It doesn’t earn him anything, but he is stubborn for a reason. “My name is Shen Yuan and I am here looking for the Great Tortoise of the Eastern Lands,” he says, ignoring how the most sound that follows is a faint echo of lands-lands-lands. Could he have perhaps called the monster out by name? Maybe. But it’s PIDW lore that the Tiger of the Wilds preferred its title to any names ─ and the odds are great that this particular monster god might be the same.
All of his efforts, however, are ultimately met with silence.
Well, fine, then.
Shen Yuan tried to do this the nice way first.
Lifting Xian Leng in the air again, he directs it in a random direction over the lake. The Qi contained within the weapon responds to him. It creeps up his spiritual veins in ways that feel both eerily familiar and uncomfortably deep, ways that shouldn’t be eliciting this sort of a response, really, but since it’s all Shen Yuan has, at this point, he embraces it rather than run away from it. The spiritual power that surges around him, making even the water surface ripple.
“I’m only going to say this once,” he says. “I’m here for a civil conversation, first and foremost. Should I find none, I am ready to start destroying shit just for the heck of it.”
Admittedly, he is really hoping he won’t have to destroy more things. He’s already exhausted and Binghe is working overtime, taking care of him, so Shen Yuan really doesn’t want to make more work for that ridiculous child. But he wants this over and done with, as quickly as possible, so he can go back and find his disciple before anyone else dares throw the ‘Luo Binghe must die’ rubbish in his face.
The fact he’s giving a warning at all is a courtesy call ─ the most he is willing to extend. Therefore, when he receives no response, after what he deems long enough a wait ─ he turns to straight up demolition.
Taking a cue from Liu-shidi’s book of destruction, he singles out a weak point in the cavern above him and swings at it with the most devastating attack he can manage─ and relishes in the earthquake it causes.
Rocks come raining down from above, the water of the once peaceful lake rippling and acting like a pot about to boil over, or even water on oil. It is only once the rocks stop raining from above that Shen Yuan notices that the water is still rippling against the shore too strongly. It hits him then, that what he deemed to be a rocky island in the distance, is, in fact, not a rocky island at all, but the surface of a tortoise shell.
He smirks slightly to himself. Good, good. Can’t ignore that, can you now?
The beast in question rises from the water, intimidating though it may be, its gaping maw opening wide, but not a single sound comes out of its throat. The disjointedness of the reality with his expectations alarms him, especially when recalling how much this freak of a monster liked to talk, even by Proud Immortal Demon Way’s villain standards. This silence is disconcerting.
It is not difficult to notice why, though.
The tortoise, giant enough to make Shen Yuan feel like an ant, has what is likely its neck lined in countless nasty scars. All of its teeth seem to have been removed, along with its tongue and whatever else was in that mouth. Shen Yuan kind of, sort of, regrets not considering this possibility.
He also kind of, sort of, feels a burst of outrage on the monster’s behalf. What the hell?! Who dared to do this to the Xuanwu Tortoise?!
The answer is, frankly, self-explanatory.
There is only one person Shen Yuan knows has been in conflict with this beast and it’s certainly not himself. But he is about to be, judging from the way the monster is steadily approaching him, the ground under his feet shaking.
Xian Leng vibrates in Shen Yuan’s hold. He just grips it tighter and braces for it.
The giant tortoise notices this, setting its beady eyes on the weapon instantly.
Shen Yuan lets his lips stretch into a smirk. “Clever one, aren’t you? Hah. If I didn’t already know you used to be a god, I never would have guessed.”
The beast, since it cannot make a sound, instead chooses to thrash around wildly, throwing acidic water everywhere ─ Shen Yuan cannot get away from it fast enough. At the last moment, he uses what spiritual energy he can get to make a quick, sturdy barrier that blocks off most of the acid ─ only for this to throw the demon into an even more visible bout of anger. It also reveals another detail that Shen Yuan has entirely missed on his first look.
There are chains, binding the tortoise to the lake bottom.
Similar material to what had outlined his prison cell over in the highlands.
Moreover, the demon in question is definitely not immune to the water’s acidic potential. Obviously, it can’t kill him, but from where the waves and ripples come crashing back against the tortoise, the smell of rot and burnt skin becomes ever stronger.
“Holy shit,” Shen Yuan finds himself saying, “I can’t believe one of your own would do this…”
The pang of sympathy hits him hard ─ in ways he doesn’t really understand, at first. But he ─ he wasn’t wrong, the first time. He can see exactly the outline of the chain binding each of the tortoise’ limbs ─ and he acts without thinking.
Swinging Xian Leng one more time, he aims not for the shell or even the demon, but instead at the water, flinching at the wave that creates. Still, he hits the target ─ the chain, even underwater, is visibly damaged, but the tortoise keeps thrashing wildly, its heavy form sending small tsunamis Shen Yuan’s way.
“I’m just trying to help here!” he shouts in protest, barely avoiding a wave of acidic water that nearly gets him ─ then swings again, entirely obliterating another chain. “See? I’m not the enemy here! Let me get rid of the rest!”
If anything, the tortoise keeps thrashing ─ perhaps not so much out of protest as much as it seems to be out of pain ─ but the way it positions his limbs, it definitely makes Shen Yuan’s work in breaking the chains easier.
“Good job,” he praises, once the third chain is over and done with. “One more and you can get out of here, hear me?”
The beast makes another wild movement, but Shen Yuan reads it for what it is ─ and strikes at the chains for one last time, mercilessly. Most of his strength is used up, though, so he hardly manages to cut through the whole thing neatly ─ but the Great Xuanwu Tortoise already has three out of the four chains broken.
The last one…
Shen Yuan puts everything he has into breaking the final chain ─ but he’s all out. His head feels stuffed with cotton, acid making its way through his lungs ─ and his upper body is swaying. Or perhaps his whole body is. It comes suddenly enough that Shen Yuan can’t really tell for sure.
All he does know is that the chain is still fucking there, the tortoise is thrashing around and Shen Yuan ─ goodness, if Shen Yuan doesn’t do something about it now, he’s really going to regret it. He already is ─ his whole body is tingling. He’s getting to the point of wondering, is Binghe even with me?
But of course he is. The other option is not even possible. For more than three years now, that ridiculous child has never once gone away from his side. Not once! So Shen Yuan swings Xian Leng harder, with more force behind it ─ yet that final chain simply refuses to give.
“COME ON!” he roars, out of a mixture of frustration and impatience and a whole slew of other emotions he hasn’t allowed himself to feel.
The tortoise has stopped thrashing entirely, having taken to instead staring at Shen Yuan and the stupid fucking limitless weapon in his hand that is proving itself to be decidedly limited . The chain is right there, he can fucking see it ─ but no matter how many sword glares he attempts to use to cut it, none of them make another dent.
“AAAAAAARGH!” Shen Yuan screams as he falls to his knees, his stupid damn body simply giving in. Get up , he screams in his head. This god here deserves freedom, alright? And you’re gonna give him that. Come on, GET UP!
He sets one foot out ahead of his body, hoping to use it as leverage to get the rest of him to stand too ─ all the while stabbing Xian Leng into the dirt to keep himself upright. Shen Yuan isn’t sure when he’s come to the point he can’t even feel his own heart beating properly ─ more like a raging machine that’s threatening to burst ─ but at this point, he doesn’t have the capacity to think about it. All he really thinks about is the chain in front of him.
It doesn’t seem to be trapping the Xuanwu Tortoise nearly as much as it is holding Shen Yuan captive. The problem is, he really can’t swing this stupid sword anymore, can’t get into the water and can’t even properly lift his arm.
So he does something even he himself considers insanely stupid.
With what little extra energy he can muster, he thinks of Juedi Gorge and Liu Qingge, and turns Xian Leng towards himself. He only has a moment to think, before he drags the obsidian black edge across his forearm. The blade cuts through both the poor excuse of meshed up clothing as well as the skin on his arm, a glistening red staining his weapon, with only the slightest bit of spiritual power attached to it.
Frankly, Shen Yuan has no idea if this is going to work. The last time he’d tried something similar, it had backfired horribly ─ but he really is out of options. A few droplets of blood to make this work is a small price to pay.
Xian Leng seems to be relishing in that blood smeared across it, because the more spiritual power he passes to it, the stronger the red sheen of light becomes, sharper and far more eerie in feeling than anything Shen Yuan has ever been able to achieve.
That’s fine, he thinks. His neatly cut arm burns like it’s been doused in acid, but Shen Yuan ignores it, giving his all to lifting Xian Leng into the air with the other one. The blade is vibrating in his hand, the crimson glow more and more insidious with every second that passes.
“You’re a world breaking plot device, aren’t you?” Shen Yuan mumbles to it softly, his wrist shaking as he struggles to keep the weapon in the air. “THEN FUCKING PROVE IT!”
And he swings ─ unleashing what is the most exhausting sword glare he has ever executed.
The crimson red glow of spiritual power cuts through the black chain like it’s nothing, continuing to travel a distance much further than Shen Yuan could have ever anticipated. But for all that he sees the thing colliding with something far, far in the distance, and making a giant mess of it ─ the most he manages is a small smile.
Fuck it all. This thing really does behave exactly how Xin Mo in the original story did.
Hehe.
Did Shen Yuan perhaps open a passage to the human realm by accident? He thinks he may be seeing trees in the distance.
Or perhaps he’s hallucinating. His vision is swimming one way or another. He’s waiting to see Binghe’s face, smiling at him, standing alongside his Liu-shidi and the rest of his martial siblings. Perhaps, he’d even be saying something like, “Shizun has gone too far,” just because he can. That stupid protagonist halo of his.
But really, Shen Yuan has no right to call himself anyone’s Shizun, at this point. His life really is too much of a joke to be allowed that luxury.
“I’m sorry, Binghe,” he murmurs, softly. “Shizun… is late…”
Then even his eyes give up on him, shutting despite his best efforts to keep them open. By the time the water stops rippling, the darkness has long claimed him.
Shen Yuan wakes up to something dripping on his face, wet and insistent, but not burning his skin. That in itself is odd. Wet things in the Abyss generally tend to spell a disaster for him, but this is kind of an odd situation anyway. His head hurts and his vision is blurry as he tries to open his eyes. His nose picks up on the wet grass scent that often comes up after the rain stops. Come to think of it ─ Shen Yuan is undeniably drenched like a fucking rat.
What the hell?!
Alarmed, he takes a quick look around him ─ but nope. No barren ground, no ghostlight and no acidic air. Just wet, smelly grass, mud puddles and a freaking tree-trunk high above him, dripping water on his face─
It’s the human realm, Shen Yuan realizes, stunned.
He is in the human realm, with Xian Leng lying a mere few paces away from him. The cloud cover above him is so thick that he can’t even begin to guess where in the human realm this could possibly be, or what season, but none of that matters, because he made it.
With weak, trembling arms, Shen Yuan reaches for Xian Leng, on the verge of screaming because he fucking made it.
Except no, I didn’t.
He has Xian Leng, whatever the damn thing may be, and Xian Leng is not Xin Mo and it is Xin Mo that Luo Binghe needs─
Shen Yuan tries to stand, only for a sharp pain to stab into his leg. He moves, just barely finding the strength to flip himself over to his back ─ and boy does he have what to see. The Xuanwu Tortoise, a few feet away from him, curled up into itself as much as a tortoise can be ─ and a white tooth the size of his thumbnail stuck in his flesh.
Instinctively, Shen Yuan pulls that out of him first, just to discover that the thing is not even a proper tooth, more like a piece of jade instead, with finely rounded edges and bits of spiritual power shining through it, giving it a somewhat subdued white glow. A heavenly official prop of some kind? Who even knows?
Shen Yuan is not complaining.
Groaning a little as he attempts to sit up, he stares at the demon next to him and tries not to think that the monster and the way it has curled up is somehow… protective. Because it isn’t. Shen Yuan is drenched. He has no idea how long he has been lying unconscious in the wet grass, with rain pouring down on him. He has no idea how he’s even ended up here. But this demon stirs almost as soon as he realizes Shen Yuan is staring, and Shen Yuan can’t help it because not only is the tortoise’s neck covered in awful, nasty scars, but so is the entirety of his body.
“You…” Shen Yuan swallows thickly, as he finds those beady eyes focusing on his face, a light of intelligence going far beyond outside appearance shining inside them. “Were you the one who brought me here?”
Very slowly, the demon tortoise nods.
Oh.
Shen Yuan isn’t so sure why he’s surprised by that.
For a moment, he dared to hope that it was him who managed to get Xian Leng to open a portal, but apparently not.
At a lack of any better ideas, Shen Yuan tosses that jade directly towards the tortoise’s mouth.
The great demon Xuanwu doesn’t seem to have been expecting that. It stretches its awfully scarred neck in an effort to catch the jade with his mouth… But ultimately, it’s as though the jade piece settles itself naturally there. Shen Yuan watches with a raised eyebrow, wondering perhaps if he’s still dreaming. But he found the damn thing lodged in his thigh.
Hopefully it’s got no poison on it.
On second thought, is there any poison that can sneak past Binghe’s blood?
… stupid question. Shen Yuan has already experienced one, he really doesn’t need another.
Swallowing one more time, he says, “Dunno why you bit me with it, but I hope giving it back counts as a peace offering. I don’t intend to keep you here by force or else cause you any trouble. This is the human realm, you know that, right?”
Much to his surprise, the highly intelligent demonic eyes focus on him intensely and the tortoise offers a brief nod of his head. Like he understands everything. Which he should, given how many monologues this demon held in the original Proud Immortal Demon Way. Shen Yuan eyes those nasty scars again, suppressing a shudder.
“Good that you know,” he murmurs. “Then, I take it that you know of Xin Mo as well?”
The demon stares at him.
Shen Yuan tries not to gulp.
The demon keeps staring. Eventually, he nods slowly. Nice. Great. So they’ve established a form of communication after all. Shen Yuan isn’t sure if he’s supposed to be happy about it.
“This?” he says, gesturing at Xian Leng beside him. “This holds Xin Mo’s power, doesn’t it?”
The demon hardly even glances at the sword. However, he nods again.
Shen Yuan nods, too. Well, that much he’s known already. He’s not sure why he’s asking. But he sticks to it, a little desperately. “How much of Xin Mo’s power? A little? A lot?”
The demon keeps staring at him, making no indication of one option or the other. It is, from up close, three times Shen Yuan’s height ─ and about twenty times his width. Possibly more. And on top of it all, the demon cannot make any willing sound from his throat. Not that Shen Yuan would know how to interpret it even if the Xuanwu tortoise did offer some random obscure noises. Better just stick to the yes or not questions.
“Is this thing the same as Xin Mo?” he asks, gesturing helplessly at the weapon again.
The demon once again doesn’t look at it, in favor of watching Shen Yuan ─ then shakes his head slowly. It’s all Shen Yuan can do not to collapse out of sheer relief.
“So, this is not Xin Mo, but it holds Xin Mo’s power, correct? That means the real Xin Mo is still out there? I can still go and find it?”
A nod. A nod. Then a shake of the head.
All that except the last part is exactly what Shen Yuan has been hoping to hear. “Why can’t I do it?” he cries out in protest. “You just said it, it’s still out there, it exists, so─”
But the demon is shaking his head again, driving Shen Yuan past the point of insanity.
“You just said it’s out there! Make it make sense! Does Xin Mo still exist or it doesn’t?!”
Slowly, the Tortoise of Xuanwu nods.
Shen Yuan takes a deep breath, running a hand through his hair. It catches onto the tangles and he’s tempted to just slice it all off. He refrains, for the moment, in favor of putting his brain to use instead. Alright. Xian Leng is not Xin Mo, he’s established that. Despite what that bitch from the highlands acted like, one does not equal the other. That’s good. Now, he’s gotta figure out where the line is drawn. Because Xian Leng sure is acting a lot like Xin Mo, sans the opening the portals and whatnot. Though even that is arguable.
“This thing… is just a part of Xin Mo’s power,” he surmises. “You used it to open a portal and bring me here?” Another nod. Good. “But it is also connected to the rest of it?” Another nod. Even better. “Does that mean I can use this to find Xin Mo?” A shake of the head.
Shen Yuan scowls.
In his hand, Xian Leng gleams brightly. Its white hilt and contrasting black blade hold so much power inside them that Shen Yuan isn’t sure he’d be able to control it all, if he tried now.
“Fine, so I can’t use this to find the real Xin Mo. Because this thing isn’t strong enough?”
But the demon shakes his head, indicating that he’s once again on the wrong track. But if Xian Leng is not the problem, what else could it be?
“Shards,” Shen Yuan mutters as it comes to him. “Xin Mo is in shards. And they’re scattered everywhere. Is that why? If I ask, Xian Leng won’t know which specific location to take me because there’s too many?”
He stares at the demon expectantly, waiting for confirmation, but the Great Tortoise is staring at him stubbornly, refusing to indicate anything. After a while, it begins to nod… only to ultimately tilt its head to the side. What the heck?! What is that supposed to mean?!
“Fine, I’ll figure it out on my own,” Shen Yuan grumbles. “Next question. The Queen of the Highlands ─ Goddess Guanyin. Was she the one who did that to your throat?”
He doesn’t need to be more specific than that ─ the demon confirms so immediately.
“Because she didn’t want you to talk?”
Another nod.
“Because she didn’t want you to talk to me?”
The demon pauses this time, staring for a long time ─ then shakes his head.
Shen Yuan… blinks. “So… not me. It’s really not my fault you ended up like that? Cause I kept asking, making it very loud that I was out to get my hands on Xin Mo and that I was looking for your lair─”
Again, the Demon Tortoise shakes his head ─ makes a deep rumble deep inside his throat that comes across almost like a protest.
“Alright, alright, I got it ─ not me. That’s… that’s good. I don’t care much about the Abyss and its politics, but it’s good to know that at least this one thing wasn’t my fault. But do you… know about me? Like, the way Goddess Guanyin─” the demon nods before Shen Yuan is even finished phrasing that question.
He really doesn’t know how to feel about that, so he just murmurs, “Oh.”
The Xuanwu Tortoise attempts to make a noise of some kind ─ as though to alert him to something ─ but Shen Yuan is at a loss. A chill running down his spine, he murmurs, “Do you know about Luo Binghe?”
The demon stares at him ─ then nods his confirmation.
Heart stuck in his throat, Shen Yuan nods back. “I have to find him.”
The demon doesn’t look particularly surprised nor perturbed by it ─ nor annoyed, the way the Mistress of the Highlands was.
Shen Yuan swallows around his constricted throat. “Guanyin said… Guanyin said that Luo Binghe must die. Do you believe that, too?”
The tortoise doesn’t move for a long time. Just as Shen Yuan is about to take that answer as a no, finally, the demon inclines his head ─ and nods.
Shen Yuan’s heart sinks.
“No,” he says. “That’s not going to happen. Not fucking happening. Get in my way and the peace offering is over and done with.”
The demon keeps staring at him ─ but he doesn’t seem to be doing anything to obstruct Shen Yuan’s way, particularly. He’s not really doing anything to get out of his way, either, but Shen Yuan’s a little more tolerant of that, given how many questions he still has lined up.
“Have you met Luo Binghe?” he starts with ─ because… well. Certainly the answer to that should be no, right? Guanyin gets a pass, she literally has her pendant hanging around Luo Binghe’s neck, he can explain her attitude with that ─ but this demon shouldn’t have yet had the chance to─
The Xuanwu tortoise nods.
Shen Yuan shudders.
“Have you fought Luo Binghe?” he murmurs, closing his eyes, this time already prepared for what answer he is going to get.
He doesn’t see it so much as he feels the air moving as the tortoise nods his head again. Shit.
Shit, shit, shit.
“Was it for Xin Mo?”
Another movement of air. Another blow to his gut.
“More than once?”
The answer is delayed this time ─ but by the time Shen Yuan forces himself to open his eyes, he catches the tail-end of another careful nod.
“So it’s a loop, then, is that what’s going on?” he asks. “Same story, in smaller divergences, over and over and over again─”
But the demon tortoise shakes his head. Nods, then shakes his head again, which makes no fucking sense.
Shen Yuan takes a deep breath, to keep his own head from imploding. “Which part is yes and which no? Is it a time loop? Shit randomly resetting at some point, repeatedly? Is it?”
Again, the demon nods, shakes his head, nods again. Fucking annoying. Which part of this is wrong, exactly?
“It’s not random?” he tries ─ and the demon nods again. Shen Yuan gawks. “Not random? Seriously? Then why─” but he cuts himself off. The demon in front of him has no way of explaining and this way, they can keep going in circles forever. “Who else knows about this? Guanyin? The Tiger Emperor? The Lady of the Leaky Valley?”
Xuanwu the Tortoise nods to all of those. Which, fuck, isn’t a surprise at all.
“But that’s not who Guanyin is working with? She has others with her, doesn’t she?”
More nods.
“More demons?”
But this one, the Tortoise doesn’t answer. It’s a stupid question. There’s already a bunch of demons working with the Lady of the Ardent Highlands. Many of them are also working for her. But this demon in particular is intelligent enough. If those other demons mattered, surely it would have hinted at it already.
“Is it Heavenly Officials, then?”
The demon nods ─ shakes his head, then nods again.
Shen Yuan scowls. “Other fallen gods?”
A firm nod. Good.
“And do you know what they’re─”
But the tortoise is shaking his head before he finishes asking that. Is that a refusal to cooperate or simply a preemptive attempt to express that he doesn’t know? Shen Yuan doesn’t buy it either way.
“I’m not going to push you, specifically,” he says. “You got me out of the Abyss so this is my thank you. I’m not gonna bully you for answers. But I hope you understand that I don’t give a shit about whether or not the Endless Abyss is torn apart, alright? And even more so, should the Queen of the Highlands and her entourage make it to the human realm, I will stop at nothing to end them. Have I made myself clear?”
Xuanwu the Tortoise stares back at him, entirely uninterested. Fine, then.
“One more question and I’m done,” Shen Yuan promises. “It’s… as a god of this world… or a former god… whatever you even are… you… are you able to tell? That I don’t belong in this world? Are you even aware of there being other worlds?”
The dark eyes bore into him, into his soul. The fog around them seems to become denser and denser, but those eyes watching him are only ever clearer. Slowly, the tortoise nods.
Shen Yuan’s heart sinks.
“So… you know? You know that you’re all just… characters in a book?” he asks, against his better judgement. It’s such a crappy thing to even think, knowing just how alive this place feels, how alive it has felt from the beginning─
But before he gets his answer, a rustle of grass behind him warns him of a movement. Shen Yuan reacts, immediately ─ Xian Leng cuts through a talisman charging at him before he ever takes a look at it. However, as the activation of it has already been in progress, a little of its power still spreads around them. Shen Yuan recognizes this one for what it is at that same moment.
“Crap! It’s the demonic snare─”
Behind him, the Xuanwu Tortoise is already making awful noises. The talisman, while not particularly powerful, is deeply uncomfortable to most demons ─ but this one had a fire emblem on it. Especially damaging to water demons. Which is precisely what the tortoise is.
Shen Yuan doesn’t think much of it. He throws Xian Leng at the tortoise, shouting, “Go! Get out of here!”
Then he blasts out another talisman, this time with vengeance. The ground shakes as the oversized tortoise attempts to make a run for it, but from the other side, apparently multiple cultivators are coming ─ and then the shaking abruptly stops.
Shen Yuan turns around, fearing the tortoise may have been caught somehow, and that is the sole reason why he catches sight of it.
The tortoise, covered in light, as he changes shape to a vaguely humanoid being. It’s a moment only, a fraction of one even ─ but Shen Yuan thinks that the face he catches staring at him is a familiar one. It reminds him of… somebody? A shidi, maybe?
“... huh?”
There’s a wide open rip in space, through which the Xuanwu tortoise escapes, before launching Xian Leng right back at him.
It’s right on time, because that’s exactly when another spiritual sword charges at him and Shen Yuan is forced to dive out of the way and forget everything about the portal and the man who’s walked through it. Moments later, following the sword, a cultivator comes bursting out of the bushes.
Shen Yuan chokes on nothing as he recognizes Qiu Haitang.
Fortunately, by the time she’s reached this far, the portal has long since closed and it’s just Shen Yuan with Xian Leng, no trace of the tortoise demon whatsoever.
That’s bad enough, though. Having summoned her sword back with a sword seal, Qiu Haitang charges at him relentlessly and with so much force that she keeps pushing him back ─ Shen Yuan can just barely counter the most devastating of her attacks. One of them, however, throws him off balance enough that he needs a moment to regain his footing─
But in a battle between immortal masters, a moment is all it takes.
“Now!” Qiu Haitang exclaims ─ and a net of Immortal Binding Cables comes up from everywhere above Shen Yuan’s head.
MOTHERFUCKER!
“The heck?!” he roars in protest as he’s caught under the net and irreversibly tangled. “Do I look like a demon?! What the hell is happening?!”
But his protests fall on deaf ears as multiple disciples run to catch up to their elder martial sister, on Qiu Haitang’s command making sure Shen Yuan cannot escape. Joke is on them ─ Immortal Binding Cables are nothing to Xian Leng. But he is exhausted and he is furious and kinda freaking out and…why the fuck is Qiu Haitang even here?
As the woman in question and her disciples come to gather around Shen Yuan, they too seem to be on the verge of asking the same question.
Shen Yuan’s eyes, however, move over from Qiu Haitang to the first person by her side, a young woman, though as drenched and as dirty as Shen Yuan. She’s wearing a blue cultivator uniform under all the mud, unlike any of those Shen Yuan is used to seeing ─ but obviously it matches Qiu Haitang’s. So, without question, it is the Xianmo sect.
The problem, really, is that Shen Yuan didn't expect this girl to be a part of it.
The last time Shen Yuan had seen her face, it had no blood left to it whatsoever and the rest of the body had a hole inside the chest the size of a freaking tennis ball.
But it turns out, Qin Wanyue is very much alive. She most certainly does not look like a walking corpse, but instead a healthy young woman with rosy cheeks and insignia on her uniform that most certainly doesn’t belong to Huan Hua Palace.
Again, Shen Yuan cannot help but wonder, what the fuck is happening?! Did that fallen god accidentally open a portal to another universe?
Qin Wanyue and Qiu Haitang are both staring at him. Of course, both seem to be doing that for entirely different reasons than why he’s staring at them, but still. But Qiu Haitang, especially, is staring at him as though she is staring at a ghost.
“Shixiong…?” she murmurs, faintly.
Oh… oh crap.
Qiu Haitang is the leader of Xianmo sect. The same place that kept spreading Shen Yuan’s fucking portrait everywhere─
And Qiu Haitang is now staring at him as though she is staring at a dead man walking, conflict on her features visible with every step she takes closer towards him. Fuck, fuck, fuck! How the heck did she find him?! They can’t have possibly been that close, Shen Yuan never sensed her coming─
The woman drops to her knees, staring at his face almost wildly. “Are you…” but she keeps watching, seemingly trying to sense something by grabbing Shen Yuan’s wrist and pressing her thumb against his pulse ─ but her face keeps distorting itself. Clearly, she hasn’t found what she’s been expecting. And how would she? Even before the soul swap, differences in how Shen Yuan and Shen Jiu handled the same Qi were evident. Now, not only is Shen Yuan in his own body, unused to whatever cultivation Shen Qingqiu had built up in it, but he is tainted by the mark of the Abyss anyway. How would she possibly find anything recognizable in it?
Qiu Haitang seems to be discouraged from her initial assumption ─ on some level. But she is still staring at Shen Yuan the same way she once stared at him, in a time that no longer exists, deep inside the demon race’s Holy Mausoleum.
“Are you─” she attempts again, but Shen Yuan is done with that.
“Heck no,” he says ─ then slashes with Xian Leng, tearing the Immortal Binding net apart instantly.
“Shijie!” several of the disciples cry.
Shen Yuan is just about to slash at them, just to get away, when he feels a prick in his leg, itchy and uncomfortable. He looks down to find a … needle sticking out. And his vision is blurring all of a sudden. What the? He needs to be leaving right now─
But then he tries to move his body and falls flat forward, with just barely enough awareness to realize that the one to dart him was freaking Qin Wanyue of all people. She too looks surprised that she’s landed the shot. Oh for fuck’s sake. What kind of a cosmic joke at his expense is this exactly? Shen Yuan groans in protest ─ but the more he attempts to resist, the more the hands of darkness pull him back into their clutches.
Man, he’s so tired.
He’s tired, his whole world is shaken and he’s ─ he’s finally back in the human realm. Isn’t it fine if he gives in, just for a bit?
These girls won’t kill him, and Xian Leng is right there. If a Goddess couldn’t keep that sword away from him, how would anyone else? How would Qiu Haitang of all people do it? It’s fine to rest a little. Sleep it off, tackle it once he’s calmed down and perhaps the world starts making sense again.
He will… sleep… just a little bit.
And once he wakes up again, he will make his way back to Binghe’s side right away, Shen Yuan promises.
Notes:
Aand with this, SY is back and the Abyss mini-arc is over! A proper reunion will take a bit longer, but we're well on our way there now and kicking off the final part of this story! (lol not sure how many more chapters honestly but it's 10 more at LEAST)
But yeah, all that comes after a break! Next time, see you towards the end of the month (or beginning of the next)! And a huge thank you for keeping up with this for so long!
Chapter 66: The Blue Springs
Notes:
*kicks in the door in LQG style* GUESS WHOS BACK BITCHES
That's right, we're back on schedule!! Kinda lol
I still don't have the final chapter count down so we'll continue a bit irregularly, but we're getting there at some point
Picking up where we left off with Bingge and Liu-shidi, we're now coming closer to a proper reunion but still a ways off. Sorry SY! Enjoy!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
A soft knock on the door rouses Luo Binghe from sleep. Next to him, breathing calm and even, Liu Qingge is sleeping his worries away. That’s good. It had taken Luo Binghe a little too much time to realize his close proximity may have negatively influenced his bed partner's dreams. Ever since that Qi deviation that had come out of practically nowhere, every next time Liu Qingge woke up, he'd been blurting some nonsense, about some sort of debt and repayment, cycles and circles, nothing comprehensible whatsoever. Luo Binghe had grown tired, trying to piece together the whole picture based on scraps, so he just knocked the cultivator out and let him sort himself out without additional complications.
Now, though, the soft knocking on the door repeats, and Luo Binghe finds himself highly annoyed to get himself out of bed and look remotely presentable in the process. He gives up halfway, the thin inner robes merely tied around his waist so he wouldn’t need to flash any unsuspecting visitor too much. His head, too, feels unreasonably heavy — except he’s done nothing to warrant such an occasion.
“Ah,” he says, opening the door to find a young girl of the Mobei clan standing before him with a bowl of water in hand. The kid glares at him stubbornly, trying to sneak her face past him and snatch a look at the cultivator still sleeping beyond, but Luo Binghe pinches her ear. “Did you bring what I asked?”
The young girl pouts, then holds out the bowl. She doesn’t simply hand it over, though.
“Junshang says you have no right,” she says. “You’re not married.”
Luo Binghe rolls his eyes. “Mobei clan’s customs don’t apply to him. Nor do they apply to me.”
“Immortal Master Liu is under Junshang’s protection,” the girl retorts, stubbornly. “Therefore Junshang’s rules apply, absolutely.”
“Then let me solve that real fast,” Luo Binghe drawls. He takes the bowl of water from her by force, and then, making sure she gets to witness the whole thing, he bears down to place a gentle kiss on top of Liu Qingge’s head.
It’s hardly a meaningful gesture of any kind ─ but demonic kids are easily fooled, most of the time. The moment a soft, red marking spurts up on Liu Qingge’s forehead, identical to Luo Binghe’s own Heavenly Demon mark, that child gasps and runs off, face beet red. Hah. All that, just for bits of water.
As Luo Binghe fixes himself up a little and shuts the door behind her, he’s forced to acknowledge that, as far as such things go, this is a small price to pay for a little precious treasure that flows under the Mobei palace.
The Blue Water Springs, the Fountain of Eternal Life, the River of Penance ─ the set of hidden pools underneath the Mobei palace has many names. Luo Binghe would’ve hardly remembered it exists, had Liu Qingge not been so annoying, talking about propriety and responsibility and penance in his sleep. That said, the idea holds some merit. According to the young girl from before, the Southern Demon Lord used precisely this blessed water to preserve Liu Qingge’s life when his spiritual power failed him. Luo Binghe sees how it might’ve been beneficial. The water in the Blue Springs flows directly from the heavens and its spiritual potency is unmatched ─ the sole connection remaining between the heavenly realm and the demonic realm. Nothing can possibly taint it.
That also means that it’s not exactly helpful to demons, on most occasions.
Mobei Jun has found some ways to put it in use, handling Formless Demons, as Luo Binghe recalls it ─ but otherwise, he personally hadn’t experimented much with it. That water, more often than not, was too potent in cleaning the darkness built up inside him, to the point the discomfort felt to be too much and his cultivation crippled, most of the time.
Liu Qingge should find it beneficial, though.
As a child of a god and a human of succubi origin, his constitution is unique enough to be able to draw the best out of this water, without necessarily causing him harm in the process. But making him drink it, the way the Southern Demon Lord evidently has done, feels much too unnecessarily cruel of a treatment.
With no towel or any clean rag in sight, Luo Binghe rips a part of his own inner robes to dip into the water. Once it’s soaked and dripping, he brings it over Liu Qingge’s forehead, tapping gently across the skin. Immediately, it earns him a grunt, but that’s to be expected. Luo Binghe is pressing the huadian into his skin with what is blessed water ─ getting rid of it won’t be easy.
“Relax,” he instructs, before taking the cloth away from the face and along the sides of Liu Qingge’s neck. “You accumulate all the incompatible energy in just one point of your body. Let me find it.”
Liu Qingge, briefly roused from his sleep, grumbles something incomprehensible before rolling to his side. Well. That’s helpful enough.
“Thanking Shishu,” Luo Binghe says lightly, then proceeds to strip him of the clothes entirely.
Liu Qingge’s exposed back, it turns out, reveals even more scars than his front does. It can’t be helped, Luo Binghe suspects ─ that idiot clearly doesn’t bother removing them, for whatever reason. Does he find some ridiculous pride in keeping his scars? Why not let his cultivation do as it will? Some of the scars are quite obvious too, as they are a mere continuation of the same wound that pierced through his front. Others, though, are less so.
Some of them are lashing scars, so old that they can’t have possibly been experienced after forming the original core. Stretched and faded, they look like something that’s been there with Liu Qingge long before his shoulders have grown wide enough to handle all his backbone. Luo Binghe gives them special attention. Such places tend to store the negative energy the most easily ─ if anything bad clings to those old wounds, the water from the Blue Springs should be able to disperse it away… but that doesn’t seem to be the case. If those scars cling to anything at all, it was healed a long time ago.
Luo Binghe can’t help himself though, bending his head and pressing small, soft kisses all along the spine as he goes. The shudders it provokes from this man make him want to sink his teeth into the muscle and gnaw at it endlessly ─ but he refrains.
He didn’t work so hard, helping Liu Qingge fix himself, just to undo it all because of a little unreasonable lust.
Instead, little by little, he keeps dragging the water across the length of the cultivator’s back, gently rubbing it and massaging it into the skin and muscle, as sensually as he can make it. Under his ministrations, Liu Qingge is as pliant and relaxed as a sleeping cat, entirely uninterested in the worldly affairs ─ until pressing a particular spot makes him wince.
It’s not a big reaction, just an intake of breath and a twitch of the muscles, but knowing just how good at handling pain his Shishu is, that small reaction speaks volumes of the discomfort that must surely be there. Luo Binghe takes a moment to better examine the spot, but on a glance, there doesn’t seem to be anything obviously off about it. Not even an old scar. A point at the lower back muscles, no obvious injury. Luo Binghe dips the cloth into the water and then presses it back against the offending place ─ and Liu Qingge sucks in a breath to keep himself from making a noise. A pained, cut-off gasp.
Interesting.
The third time Luo Binghe does it, he feels the muscle itself twitch under his fingers. A reaction provoked, but otherwise an issue entirely undetectable if he merely uses his spiritual power to examine. How curious indeed.
He takes a look at what of the water he still has left in the bowl, which is not much. The Mobei clan’s generosity only extends to a handful. Luo Binghe sniffs at it, considers it for a moment ─ and then tips the bowl for all its contents to pour directly down on the offending spot. Liu Qingge bites into the pillow to muffle the screams, but what’s done is done. There’s just the single twitching point in his flesh, which Luo Binghe keeps prodding and poking with his spiritual power now that it’s been located ─ until eventually, something breaks through the skin and falls into the palm of his hand.
It looks like a shard piece: black, triangular, thinner than a sheet of paper, glistening in crimson. The feel of it is wickedly damning.
A Xin Mo shard?!
Luo Binghe stares at it, wide-eyed and uncomprehending. How the hell did this─
“The hell were you doing?” Liu Qingge is hissing, half turning to glare ─ just to find himself equally frozen at the sight of a shard piece resting on Luo Binghe’s palm. He gulps. Then, softly, he says, “Oh, shit.”
Luo Binghe hesitates, at a loss. “You know what this is?”
“Not exactly,” Liu Qingge answers, between heavy yawns. “A curse, was it? Shen Yuan had an identical piece lodged in his head. Made a whole damn mess…” but he looks away, a faint blush dusting his cheeks. Then it hits him that the thing has been dug out of his own flesh, and he goes pale. “How long─?”
“Years,” Luo Binghe whispers. Though by the feel of it, decades feels like a more appropriate answer. Possibly centuries. The silly thing is so attuned to Liu Qingge and his cultivation that it could’ve gone unnoticed forever. Luo Binghe suspects that it is only acting out now not even because of the blessed water, but because the setup of the entire cultivation system anew has thoroughly dislodged it from what’s been familiar to it all along. Which begs the question, just how long has Liu Qingge been cultivating with this inside him? How is it even possible?
Liu Qingge takes the shard from him before Luo Binghe can stop him, and glares at the piece intensely for a few moments. Then his eyes flash white and the shard shatters with a small explosion that blows dust in both their faces ─ but it doesn’t matter, because Xin Mo’s power, attuned to Liu Qingge as it was, no longer exists.
“There,” Liu Qingge says, as though he’s done no more than crush a cockroach under his boot. He shakes his head as if to clear it, looking very much like the tousled mess he is. He wipes a bit of sweat from his brow by the back of his hand, before sinking back into the pillows and relaxing back into absolute softness. “The backlash last time was worse,” he mumbles, sleepily. “It’s just a blood curse. If you find more, overpower it and it won’t bother you anymore.” And then he keeps snoring the rest of the day away.
As though blood curses can be as easily resolved as that.
As though Xin Mo can be simply overpowered like that.
Luo Binghe remains sitting there for a long time after, staring into Liu Qingge’s naked back, gently rising and falling with every breath he inhales. Eventually, Luo Binghe remembers to pick his jaw off the floor, fold his makeshift rag into the empty bowl, and walks directly towards where he knows the Blue Springs sit, uncaring of how many oaths it breaks to the Mobei clan. By far the most important one he has to uphold is to not destroy that place, either way. And that, he most certainly doesn't plan to do.
He is going to exploit it instead.
Mobei Jun finds him a while later, sitting at the edge of a small translucent pool of shiny water, the water itself the sole source of light in the deep darkness of the underground caves. Luo Binghe doesn’t particularly care that he’s been found ─ nor is he in any way concerned over whether or not Mobei Jun has sought him out to demand a fight. The disparity in their power at this point is not so great. Luo Binghe can and will force him into submission, should the Mobei clan leader test his patience.
That doesn’t seem to be what the Ice demon clan leader is after, though. Mobei Jun leans against a wall a solid distance away, crossing his arms as he glares daggers at Luo Binghe.
Then, he says, “You’re free. Does that mean that the Formless Demons will be making a resurgence?”
He couldn’t have picked a more annoying thing to ask.
Luo Binghe clicks his tongue and scowls at his feet, but he considers it seriously. Those things have always been looking to annoy him. But as far as that goes, they're even more intent to pester this other version of himself.
He nods. “A safe assumption.”
“Not a natural phenomenon,” Mobei Jun says.
“Human-made,” Luo Binghe confirms. Specifically, Shen Qingqiu’s work.
“Weapon,” Mobei Jun surmises.
Luo Binghe nods. Anything can be a weapon, if you’re creative enough to use it as such.
“Against you?” Mobei Jun asks, idly.
Luo Binghe laughs
Yeah, right. Shen Qingqiu, that bastard, has surely done him in─
A slight feeling of discomfort churns in his stomach. The thought of Shen Qingqiu, looming over him, celebrating his victory after decades of suffering─
This body is barely twenty years old, Luo Binghe thinks, distractedly. What decades are they talking about? But from what little understanding he has, Shen Qingqiu and the way that bastard spoke ─ it makes no sense. At first, everything was so confusing. The only thing Luo Binghe remembers with some clarity is trying to break out of the corner of the mind his other self had locked him in ─ just to find the entire structure of his dream realm crumbling apart. Luo Binghe remembers diving through those cracks, expecting to find answers on the other side of the light ─ but all he got for his efforts was endless darkness and pain.
A new life and a new opportunity, that’s not what this is. Luo Binghe has a few guesses as to what it may be instead, none of which feel entirely correct.
But that is for later. Now, after what feels like a lifetime later, he is back here, in the northern demon realm where his conquest started ─ and the current leader of the North is speaking to him as though they are somehow civil and not straight up competitors for the throne, enemies.
I know how your mind works, Luo Binghe thinks, watching the Mobei clan leader attentively. It is not the Formless Demons that concern you.
Is it Luo Binghe that concerns him then? Mobei Jun hardly shows it, but it’s not an unreasonable thought. Luo Binghe has been through something like this before. And while Mobei Jun is many things ─ he is not one of those power hungry beasts seeking to terrorize everyone beneath him.
“I plan to get rid of them, one way or the other,” is ultimately what Luo Binghe says. A promise and a goal, simultaneously, to give himself some structure in this madness. A starting point to help him make his way through this chaos.
Mobei Jun snorts. “Went well the first time, did it?”
Luo Binghe scowls but he doesn’t rise to the bait. He has no intention whatsoever to take responsibility for his other self’s stupidity.
“Three years of Formless Demons chipping away at your sense of self teaches you a few things,” is what he says instead.
“Bull. Shit,” says Mobei Jun. And then tilts his chin up, as if to say, you sitting at the edge of my pool proves it.
Which perhaps isn’t entirely wrong. Luo Binghe is tempted to walk straight into one of those pools until the layers of his skin get burnt off, so long as it gives him clarity in places he finds lacking. He doesn’t, though. Not because he fears the pain or what he might find in the fog ─ it’s actually not due to fear at all. He sits there, staring at the water without ever daring to reach out for one reason and one reason alone.
A gut instinct, so deep and ingrained, the likes of which he has only ever felt when his life was in immeasurable danger.
If I touch this, I will regret it.
A feeling which simply refuses to go away. Something he knows with the certainty of knowing… well. Luo Binghe no longer feels certain about anything, not really. But he is confident about this. This water won’t help him. Not now surely and perhaps not ever. But it has made him think of something else.
“The seal on my demonic power has cracked,” he says, “but my control over both cultivation systems is immaculate.”
Mobei Jun raises an eyebrow. “You want my aid no more?”
Luo Binghe doesn’t react, but his stomach revolts at the mere notion any version of himself might’ve ever asked for aid. “It’s stable,” is what he says. Which may just be the oddest part of it all. His demonic power should’ve been overwhelming his spiritual power, had the seal disappeared. Since it hasn’t, he would’ve expected difficulties handling his demonic power. Instead, his spiritual and demonic cultivation seem to be on a similar level. The seal is making the majority of his demonic cultivation unavailable, but what he can use of it is seemingly carefully balanced out with his current spiritual cultivation. It is more than he would have expected under the circumstances. It is also making something else unavailable, his blood parasites, specifically which is a slight bit more concerning ─ but Luo Binghe puts that concern aside for the moment.
“I guess not,” he says, much to the Mobei Clan Leader’s frustration.
Mobei Jun makes a face. “The seal reeks. Now more than ever.”
Luo Binghe snorts. “Deal with it. I’m in no hurry to remove it.”
“Coward.”
“Says the one who doesn’t dare openly confront me.”
“It is only out of respect to the Southern Lord that I haven’t humiliated you.”
“No one asked for such consideration.”
“Liu Qingge did.”
…?! Luo Binghe lifts his eyes to look at the Northern Demon Lord and finds nothing but a blank look on the demon’s face. That infuriates him far more than anything else could have. “What,” he hisses, “do you possibly mean by that?”
But Mobei Jun merely shrugs. “Skinner is your job.”
“What Skinner? What does a Skinner have─wait.” Luo Binghe scowls grimly. “The Skinner. The same one that, to Liu Qingge─”
Mobei Jun stares so pointedly at him without saying a word that his silence becomes an obvious answer. Luo Binghe thinks about it for a moment, then says, “That Skinner is obsessed, drunk on the succubi essence. Liu Qingge is probably the sole thing that it is able to think about─”
“All the Formless Demons that exist in the North exist because of the Skinner,” Mobei Jun says. “Obsessed or not, it must not exist.”
“And you’re dumping that responsibility on me?” Luo Binghe drawls. “What gives you the right?”
Mobei Jun doesn’t answer, just glares.
Then he turns around, just like that, and walks away.
Hey! Hey! You prick! How rude is that?! Luo Binghe is fuming and he almost loses it before recalling that he is, in this specific situation, not a demon lord of any kind, let alone the Emperor of the Combined Realms. Not only that, the North and the South already have their leaders appointed ─ both of which seem to have some sort of an unresolved debt with Luo Binghe’s bed partner. How curious.
Luo Binghe glares at the water for a while longer, before dumping a bowl straight in, filling it to the brim, then heading back to his bedchambers.
When he gets there, it is to find Liu Qingge’s face contorting in his sleep, eyebrows scrunched together and muscles tense as though he’s trying to cover up the pain.
Luo Binghe sighs at the sight and shuts the door behind him, careful not to spill a single drop of the water he’s brought. He puts it on a poor excuse of a nightstand first, then helps Liu Qingge turn until he’s lying on his back again, head lifted up over the cosy pillows. Pretty hair falls over them, perfect strands of black silk, which Luo Binghe takes a moment to untangle before brushing his fingers through the length of it. Over and over, he keeps doing it, if only for the pleasure alone.
But he has to get to work, eventually. He picks up the bowl and a cloth again, to continue with the same cleaning process he has already started ─ only this time from the front.
By the time he uses up the entirety of the second bowl, three more shard pieces sit on the palm of his hand, all of them extracted from the same place ─ the deep, nasty X scar over Liu Qingge’s chest.
This time, even the extraction process isn’t enough to snap the Bai Zhan Peak Lord awake ─ merely draw a gasp or two. Luo Binghe is tempted to just go and dump the man into the Blue Springs on the whole ─ but he refrains. For now. Best to save that show for later when they can both enjoy it. Until that happens, he keeps turning over the black shards over the palm of his hand, trying and testing and prodding them with his spiritual power first, demonic second, but it doesn’t do much. For all that they look like shards of Xin Mo, their power is similar, but not the same as Luo Binghe’s most trusted companion. It is also much, much weaker than anything Luo Binghe has ever felt from Xin Mo.
He is tempted to do the same thing Liu Qingge did and crush the shards in his hand just because he can ─ but then, the moment he tries, something shifts.
Before Luo Binghe understands what’s happening, those three black shards mold together with his skin ─ not piercing, not cutting, but blending in with his hand as though it is somehow a part of him. And then they’re gone. Their power, presence and feel ─ it’s like they were never there to begin with.
Luo Binghe stares at the untouched skin of his palm for a disproportionate amount of time, before he puts the bowl away, pretends he’s seen nothing at all and curls up against Liu Qingge’s side, burying his face into the man’s neck.
“Wake up, why don’t you?” he whispers between kisses, raining them over Shishu’s jawline, neck, collarbone and shoulder. “I have so many questions. Wake up already.”
Liu Qingge doesn’t.
Luo Binghe discovers his blood parasites in Liu Qingge somewhere in between his pathetic sniffling over the man’s neck and the moment he attempts to sneak his tongue where it doesn’t belong just to get unceremoniously shoved off.
Liu Qingge wakes up fully after that, which is a plus ─ but it does nothing for Luo Binghe’s spiraling thoughts immediately upon this discovery. Just what kind of a relationship has the other him had with this man that Liu Qingge would willingly dive headfirst into dual cultivation just to set him free? What kind of expectations has the other version of himself had, placing his dormant blood parasites into somebody like this?
Knowing this, is Liu Qingge even aware of what I am able to do to him?
Luo Binghe doesn’t know and such thoughts spinning through his head do very little to help him calm down. He attempts, out of curiosity alone, to get the little mites moving consciously ─ but they refuse. They stay dormant and nestling in Liu Qingge’s chest, entirely unresponsive.
Luo Binghe almost cries out in protest. Just how incompetent his other self is, exactly, that he can’t even do this?!
Liu Qingge, for his part, is still a little groggy and confused, looking around their bedroom, at Luo Binghe who is all but hovering over him. Finally, he seems to take in both their rather questionable state of dress, before throwing his head back and audibly groaning.
Luo Binghe chooses to put the issue of his blood parasites aside for now and props his chin on Liu Qingge's shoulder. “How is Shishu feeling?”
“Do not address me that way after we ─ after we─” Liu Qingge chokes up and slams his head back into the pillows, ears and cheeks brightening with color. Luo Binghe is so tempted to do something about it ─ and so he does.
Putting on a face, sad, heartbroken, an obvious act, he then drags his finger between the clear outline of Liu Qingge’s chest. At first, the touch is light enough to mistake as innocent, barely there. But the further down he goes, towards the abs and the absolute rocks packed there, the more intentional it gets, until eventually he begins teasing the lower abdomen and Liu Qingge opens his eyes and mouth with the intention to shout ─ but Luo Binghe is faster.
“Shishu has had his way with me and gotten exactly what he wanted. Does he now intend to discard me?”
Liu Qingge, who had been half-way to revolting for whatever reason, freezes with his mouth open like a gaping fish, his already pinkish ears and cheeks fast gaining color. Ah, indeed, Luo Binghe has judged him well. Much too honorable. Just like his sister. Blushing madly, too, completely unlike her.
“N-no. What. No,” Liu Qingge garbles out, at a complete loss. “The hell do you take me for─”
“Does Shishu intend to take responsibility, then?”
That floors him even worse. All the color drains out of Liu Qingge’s face faster than it’s built up and Luo Binghe almost ruins the act by laughing.
“W-wait,” the Bai Zhan Peak Lord mumbles. “What do you mean by…? Did I…? Are you able to…? I mean, demons, parasites, I know that bastard said─” but whatever direction his thoughts have gone seems wildly different from what Luo Binghe intended, because he slowly starts becoming visibly nauseous. Luo Binghe is curious to see where it all goes, so he ups the act of an innocent child even more, stops even teasing the man’s abs to play up his confusion, much to Liu Qingge’s obvious fright.
But apparently, rather than address his immediate concerns, Liu Qingge takes a deep breath. He looks at Luo Binghe straight in the eye then, and seemingly coming to a decision, his face hardens. “How long was I asleep?”
Trying not to show his evident disappointment that his teasing has failed, Luo Binghe says, “Eleven days, fifteen hours, twenty seven minutes.”
Liu Qingge stares at him for a long moment, before nodding slowly. “Feels longer,” he mumbles. Then he averts his eyes away from Luo Binghe and where he’s all glued to Liu Qingge’s side. Notably, he doesn’t attempt to extract himself. “Where is this?”
“The Mobei clan’s palace,” Luo Binghe answers.
The way all of Liu Qingge’s muscles instantly relax is telling. Enough so that Luo Binghe subconsciously leans into him, and Liu Qingge doesn’t push him away.
“Oh,” he says. Then, Shishu makes a face, like a displeased child. “Where’s all the ice?”
Luo Binghe can’t stop himself ─ he snorts. He has, after all, heard enough about his Shishu's stay to know what his previous experience with the Mobei palace must’ve looked like. Ice everywhere. Blocks and blocks of ice, eternal and endless, to bring some relief to the damage the demonic Qi had been causing to his spiritual meridians. Circumstances are wildly different now, of course, but the icy remedy that Liu Qingge once needed for mere survival is a thing of the past.
“Did you think I’d let the Mobei clan treat you as inhospitably as they have before?” Luo Binghe asks, his innocent act gone as though swept away by the wave of the hand. “They should be happy I allowed them to repay their debt. After what you’ve done for me, I should have locked you away somewhere where no one gets to see what your body can do once you put your mind to it. It should be something saved for me ─ solely me.”
Liu Qingge makes a face, but then he finally seems to remember that Luo Binghe has all but glued himself to his hips. Somehow, he finds the cruelty inside him to push Luo Binghe off of himself, blushing furiously as he does. “Shut up,” is what he is saying, probably trying to make it sound aggressive, but coming across like an embarrassed maiden instead. Luo Binghe indulges him anyway. He most certainly doesn’t rush to cover himself up, and Liu Qingge’s eyes absolutely end up wandering exactly where he wants them to go.
The Bai Zhan Peak Lord stares at that part of him a moment longer than strictly necessary, before turning his face away and once again blushing an even wilder red.
Oh, Luo Binghe was wrong about him. He’s not like a shy maiden at all. He is worse.
Throwing his legs over to the other side of the bed, Liu Qingge makes a show of trying to figure out how to tie up his own clothes, only to eventually realize he can’t. It was Luo Binghe who picked out those precious robes and so naturally, he chose the most alluring, inviting option he could find. The one that serves no purpose other than framing men in the most attractive way possible. Even the back of it hides nothing of the perfection that is Liu Qingge’s back.
“Shishu will find that there is a plain black set on the left shelf,” Luo Binghe informs him, and Liu Qingge immediately scrambles towards the wardrobe ─ freezing in place when he finds his sheathed weapon leaning against it. Luo Binghe smiles. “Shishu will also find that his sword has been repaired.”
“Wha─”
Liu Qingge’s head whips around so fast that Luo Binghe doesn’t have the time to wipe the smug smile off his face, so he just owns it instead.
“Go ahead, try it,” he says.
Liu Qingge, entirely distracted now, reaches out for his spiritual sword, entirely unaware of the sight he makes like that. His hair, once again a bit tangled and tousled, his singular robe, thin enough to be meaningless, but still outlining the shape of his body in the dull light around them. There are still marks on his skin where Luo Binghe bit into it a bit too harshly, but they have mostly faded now. Something in Luo Binghe screams for him to create them all over again, for everyone to know that this man is his.
Shivering slightly, Liu Qingge picks up his sword and draws it out just enough for the blade to light up with spiritual power, before slamming it back into the sheath.
“You really,” he mumbles, faintly, only barely able to keep his voice level. “You…”
“I hear it was my demonic power that caused it to shatter,” Luo Binghe reasons, calmly. “It felt appropriate.”
Liu Qingge shudders. He shakes his head, though. “Not your fault,” he says.
“Never claimed it was.”
Liu Qingge looks at him then, sharp and intent and full of some conviction that Luo Binghe doesn’t understand. “Not. Your. Fault.”
Luo Binghe nods, slowly. It feels like it’s not the sword that they’re talking about, at all.
“How is Shishu feeling now that he’s awake?” he asks instead.
“Disoriented,” Liu Qingge mumbles.
“Anything I can assist with?”
“I’ll figure it out.”
Luo Binghe nods. He also finds that saying words feels like sandpaper against his throat, so he says nothing. It doesn’t help that, now that his thoughts are elsewhere, Liu Qingge is no longer acting self-conscious at all, removing the meaningless inner robe and reaching for the more appropriate clothing and that is just further fanning the flames in his lower regions─
“Stop staring,” Liu Qingge hisses, pointedly turning away so only his back is now exposed. Clearly he lacks self-awareness, because that sight is no less enciting than the other side─ “I said, fucking stop.”
Luo Binghe swallows, thickly. “I’ve already seen it all. What do you have to be shy about now?”
Liu Qingge shoots him a glare. It would’ve looked a little more intimidating if his ears weren’t such a deep shade of red they’re almost purple. “What are you, a beast?”
“I can be, if that’s how you like─”
A hastily crumpled inner robe hits his face and Luo Binghe stands there in pure shock, as the bedroom door clicks open, then slams shut. For the longest moment he doesn’t know how to react. A part of him wants to be offended. Liu Qingge, how dare you treat the Emperor of the Combined Realms this way?! But those robes smell like him so much, by the time Luo Binghe remembers to move them, most of the anger has melted away into confusion instead ─ and then laughter.
It’s just a chuckle at first, but soon it morphs into an all-out cackle, after which Luo Binghe throws the robes back on the bed and just shakes his head in wonder.
He may really be going crazy, but he’s been challenged now. He ain’t going anywhere until he’s got his Shishu begging on his knees for him, that much he promises.
Liu Qingge can’t get out of that room fast enough.
It’s not that he’s looking to strictly run away from… well, whatever his life is right now. No, really. He isn’t. He’s pretty clear on what he’s done, where he stands and what it has taken to get there. He isn’t gonna regret shit and he isn’t going to lose his head about it. He’s had plenty of time to get used to the idea and going from planning to execution to aftermath is a bit more chaotic than expected, but it is done. Not even Luo Binghe putting on airs to make him squirm is gonna work ─ not really.
The real disorienting part, though, Liu Qingge has no idea how to bring up. Not to anyone, especially Luo Binghe ─ nor even to himself.
Questionable dreams are one thing. Liu Qingge has had his fair share of those. It’s not fine that he’s gotta deal with more of them now, but he doesn’t want to make an issue out of stuff no one really has any control over.
But questionable dreams that aren’t his? The vivid impression of reality that those dreams have left on him? A distinct feeling that, in a different place, at a different time, things could have turned out that way. Perhaps they actually did.
Shen Yuan dead.
Luo Binghe crossing all the lines to get him back.
And Liu Qingge stuck in the middle, watching everything unfold and unable to prevent any of it.
Then he wakes up to that same person perfectly fine next to him, messing around and making him squirm just as he’s always done─
It’s not the same.
That’s right. It’s not how things used to be. It’s been years, things aren’t meant to be the same. How could they possibly be? But then, what is the problem?
If Liu Qingge is to sit down and think about it, the answer is obvious.
Luo Binghe’s obsession and fixation has always been Shen Yuan. The kid was never subtle about it. Whether that got anywhere beyond what Liu Qingge has the shame to think about, he doesn’t care to know. More pressingly, Shen Yuan is in the Endless Abyss and what that means for any of them…
He shouldn’t be there, an overwhelming part of him is screaming. If anyone should have fallen into that hellhole, it’s Luo Binghe, not─
Liu Qingge has seen what sort of a fate unfolds if Shen Yuan doesn’t end up there and… screw it all, he’d rather take this. The Endless Abyss is worse than the purgatory and what goes there has the unnerving tendency to stay there… but that means Shen Yuan can always be brought back. Dead or undead or unharmed ─ it’s a gamble either way. But it is possible. The problem with the Endless Abyss is the very fact that the realm follows no rule set by the heavenly realm and so anything goes.
Dying in the human realm is the end of it though. No redos, no fixing it. Not without crossing lines that shouldn’t be crossed.
Liu Qingge has dreamt through nightmares that should’ve been Luo Binghe’s but are now his instead… and to this moment, he cannot say with certainty where one begins and the other ends. Either way, they feel real. Just as real as the nightmare of Shen Qingqiu stabbing him through the chest. Just as the way that man has actually done it.
Three different times, Liu Qingge thinks furiously.
Juedi Gorge was one of those. That one has definitely happened and he now remembers clearly. The haze of confusion and agony as that obsidian blade sank through his chest, taking away parts of him that Liu Qingge has always guarded with everything he has.
That’s not a fucking nightmare, damn it, and he’s got scars to prove it, a hole in his body that hasn’t been entirely filled even with a new spiritual core shining strong inside him. He knows his original spiritual core is still out there, in use, he sometimes thinks he can feel it. But he cannot say for certain where it is or what it may be doing.
The second time Shen Qingqiu stabbed him, he doesn’t remember as clearly. He is certain, however, that it is the same dream he’s dreamt before, one wrapped around in a mist of confusion and madness. He thinks that one might have happened near a river, maybe. Or else on some weird mountain. He’d dismissed it as a mere nightmare more than once. Obviously, that was a mistake. Nothing about that monster is ever a dream ─ merely a premonition.
The third time Shen Qingqiu stabbed him, that was the Lingxi caves.
Liu Qingge had never once been granted permission to enter the Lingxi caves. Given that he knows how those caves work, it is only the Sect Leader who could have approved his presence there ─ and Liu Qingge has no recollection of Yue Qingyuan ever doing that. It is in the Sect Leader's interest not to permit that and so Liu Qingge gets it. He doesn't like it, but he understands, so he hasn't made an issue of it in the past.
Yet in these dreams, he had found himself there twice already. Once with Shen Qingqiu, who had evidently attempted to end his life there. And once with Shen Yuan, who had done his best to save him. Both of those dreams, as a precondition, had Liu Qingge deviating for the same damn reason.
Given just how spiritually charged the Lingxi caves are, even dreaming about them in such great detail shouldn’t be possible. Not unless one had the opportunity to visit, to step inside and feel their power. The first time, Liu Qingge dismissed it as the details of Shen Yuan’s dream carrying over to himself, since the brief connection between them at the time could have easily caused such mishaps. Has Shen Qingqiu entered that place before? Probably. Yue Qingyuan would allow that, surely, so it makes snese.
That said, one such detailed dream is an accident.
Twice, though?
Liu Qingge has a feeling that if he pursues this matter, there will be more than just coincidences to find.
Another thing that bothers him is that, in a similar fashion as he'd attacked Liu Qingge, Shen Qingqiu had torn Mingyan’s dantian apart.
If that had been done just to himself, Liu Qingge wouldn’t be thinking about it. His relationship with Shen Qingqiu has always been that kind of terrible. An attempted murder would hardly be a surprise. But why target Mingyan? Just cause she’s figured out how to stop the Formless Demons? Getting in her way shouldn’t have required tearing a whole dantian apart.
Could it be the fact that she’s Liu Qingge’s sister, then? Does Shen Qingqiu’s hatred run so deep to extend his vindictive streak on even those who never deserved it? It might be a part of it, but it still feels… too intentional. Too personal. And sending her back to Tianyao, on top of everything else? Just all around mean-spirited. Shen Qingqiu is very much a self-serving bastard, but doing favors to nobles out of convenience doesn’t ring true for that freak. There’s gotta be more to it.
In the end, there is one more puzzling thing, the one Liu Qingge cannot stop wondering about. Why take my spiritual core, but not kill me?
Although that one really might’ve been an accident. Tianlang Jun had brought it up enough times and Liu Qingge knows it too. He shouldn’t have survived that. The lengths that demon and Zhuzhi Lang went to, just to keep Liu Qingge breathing, speak for themselves. He never should’ve made it. Along with the shards of the blood curse Luo Binghe had extracted from his body, that’s just another thing that should have never happened. Cause how the hell had those shards made it there?
Liu Qingge knows his body well. If there had been anything amiss, he would have noticed immediately. The only instance of time when it could have possibly happened was when he’d been helping Shen Yuan get rid of it ─ but he would have noticed if the curse had moved over to him, no?
At the very least, Mingyan should have.
But they both missed it. And Luo Binghe’s estimate that it’s been there for such a long time that his cultivation simply adapted to it sounded like straight up bullshit… until it’s become the only explanation possible.
It doesn’t make any sense.
Granted, blood curses aren’t meant to make sense, but this one specifically? Absolute rubbish.
Abruptly, Liu Qingge stops in the middle of the frozen hallway, staring at the frosted wall ahead of him.
There’d been a curse in the dream, too.
A blood curse in the form of a sword, wielded by Luo Binghe. It had felt similar, but not the same. The origin might’ve been identical, but the purpose differed.
Same origin, but a different curse? Or the same curse, but a different manifestation of it? Which of them is right? Fuck. The more Liu Qingge thinks about it, the more he feels like he’s missing something.
Xin Mo, Luo Binghe had called it. Heart demon. It wouldn’t be wrong to call it that, given the way it summoned darkness to itself… but names bear power and naming a curse something insidious as that is far too ridiculous even as a thought. Going back to Luo Binghe to ask if that’s true feels ridiculous, too, but Liu Qingge has to know─
And with his sharpened senses, he catches a whiff of a presence that may hold some answers to his endless questions, after all.
Liu Qingge pauses to make sure it really is the presence he thinks it is, then he lifts his hair up and puts the crown back in place. He takes a deep breath.
Then, before it can wander away out of his reach, he gives chase.
Once he’s got his eyes set on the target, a sharp, toothy grin spreads along his lips. Liu Qingge slows his steps down to an even pace, as he watches the little freak busily discuss something with a few younglings of the Mobei clan. Seemingly urging them to bring their king here. Hah. Tough luck. From the feel of it, Mobei Jun isn’t around the palace.
That means this is probably the first and the last chance Liu Qingge is gonna get to wrangle some answers out of this coward without an audience around.
He takes it without question.
“Busy there, Shixiong?” he asks, just as the Mobei clan girl seems to be losing patience with him.
Shang Qinghua, the rat, freezes in place. A smile, entirely ungenuine, makes it across his face. All it does is make him look like he's ready to jump out of his own skin. “Ah, Liu-shidi. What in the world brings you… here…” the traitor trails off, at the sight of Liu Qingge’s hand calmly resting on Cheng Luan’s hilt. The weapon is oozing spiritual power. Shang Qinghua chuckles. “Oh. That’s fixed. Good to see, good to see─”
Liu Qingge stops a short distance away and watches, unimpressed, as a Peak Lord of Cang Qiong Mountain attempts to hide himself behind a demon child. The child who is, notably, just as unimpressed. She waits patiently for a nod from Liu Qingge, then blushes faintly and bows her head, then scurries away in a flash, leaving Shang Qinghua entirely exposed.
The peak lord in question flinches once there’s nothing but air left between him and Liu Qingge, scratching the back of his neck in the process. “Ah, Liu-shidi keeps charming the demons with his presence, I see—”
“Save the nonsense,” Liu Qingge cuts him off. “You owe me answers. Time to pay up.”
“Wait a second! Just a moment, Shidi! If I don’t deliver information to my king—”
But before that sentence is out, Liu Qingge has him by the back of his neck, dragging him off to one of those halls Tianlang Jun used to stay in because no one ever bothered sneaking around there. Shang Qinghua flails and complains the whole time, like the fucking coward he is ─ until Liu Qingge shoves him into an empty room and seals the door.
“Um, Liu-shidi, is this not a bit much—”
“You have this one chance,” Liu Qingge enunciates, loud and clear. “I don’t give a crap about when you allied yourself with the demons nor why. There’s one thing I want to know, and you’re going to explain it. Have I made myself clear?”
Shang Qinghua, who had just lifted a finger in the air with the intention to interrupt, quickly puts it back down. Still, he says, “Liu-shidi, given our circumstance is very much alike, as a sect brother to sect brother, you should know that it was never an intention of mine to─”
“Cut the crap,” Liu Qingge hisses. “Make excuses for your betrayal to Yue Qingyuan if you want, that’s none of my business. There’s something else I’m here for. And for every word you lie to my face, I’m going to break a bone.”
“Liu-shidi! There’s no need for such drastic measures! I’ve proven myself a willing ally—”
“Have you?”
Shang Qinghua tenses. As Liu Qingge takes a mildly threatening step towards him, the An Ding Peak Lord tenses up even more.
“Um, Liu-shidi, I ─ lemme just remind you, I─”
“It’s thanks to you and Mobei Jun that Zhuzhi Lang and Tianlang Jun found a way to help me, I heard that much,” Liu Qingge reassures him. “Thanks for that. I don’t care, though.”
“Oh. Um.” Shang Qinghua gulps. “Then…?”
“You knew Shen Qingqiu was alive,” Liu Qingge accuses. When the Peak Lord in question opens his mouth, Liu Qingge cuts him off. “Don’t bullshit me. You knew about the swap before it had taken place. I’ll give you this one chance to explain. Otherwise I’ll treat you as one of Shen Qingqiu’s spies. Start from the beginning.”
Shang Qinghua gasps, all too dramatic. “Shidi! That’s not at all what─”
“Start. From the beginning.”
“Why even ask if you’re not gonna believe a word that I say?!” Shang Qinghua cries back, pathetically. “Believe me, I was just as clueless as everyone!”
Liu Qingge raises a skeptical eyebrow.
Shang Qinghua instantly deflates. “Alright, alright. But Liu-shidi has got to believe me. I really had no idea what was going on, until after it happened. It’s not a joke, I swear it. Liu-shidi must believe me on this. I wasn’t involved!”
Yeah, right. But Liu Qingge lets it be, for the time being. “Explain,” is all he says, perfectly calmly. By his side, though, Cheng Luan sits dangerously.
Shang Qinghua sighs, all too hesitantly. “Well, Shidi, it’s a bit of a longer story—”
“We’ve got time,” Liu Qingge promises. He doesn’t even attempt to flex his fists. That, more than anything, terrifies Shixiong out of his wits.
“IswearIhadnothingtodowithititwasallShenQingqiuIswearit,” he cries in a single breath. Finally, once all of that is out, he sniffs. “Actually, it’s Cucumber-bro’s fault, too.”
Liu Qingge nods, acceptingly, though he has no clue what that means. Keep going, keep going.
Shang Qinghua sniffs, pathetically. “Well, more or less, it goes like this…”
Notes:
Sorry for the cliffhanger! Initially, the entire interaction between LQG and SQH was one chapter but I had to split it cause the length became unmanageable... soo yeah, sorry!
Stay tuned!
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