Lost Soul : Mirrored Jian

by MomoPeachPito

Summary:

"For a stallion web novel, Proud Immortal Demon Way didn’t lack audience attention. However, it still came as a shock when a video game adaptation was announced for release that upcoming season. The official story had only just concluded, yet its author was already eagerly milking the series. And Shen Yuan, a humble reader disappointed by the novel’s ending, would pay a premium to get his hands on an early access copy.

Titled Demon Way: Night at Peony Manor, the game was an unorthodox adaptation for a stallion xianxia series. Primarily because it bore no focus on what made PIDW in the first place: romance and cultivation.

No, NPM could only be described as a horror game set in the limitations of modern times." — Chapter 1

—

A fic about Shen Yuan transmigrating into a modern-era horror game adaptation of PIDW. With the help of the spirit of Shen Qingqiu, will he survive long enough to uncover the mysteries hidden within the haunting Peony Manor?

Notes:

• Inspired by Honored Eternal Path of Demise by TheDarkSideCupCake

Chapter 1: An Empty Silver Spoon

Notes:

To TheDarkSideCupCake, whose work inspired me to pick up my pencil (or keyboard in this case) and write this, Thank you ♡

—

(Chapter-specific warnings are listed below in the end notes.)

For a stallion web novel, Proud Immortal Demon Way didn’t lack audience attention. However, it still came as a shock when a video game adaptation was announced for release that upcoming season. The official story had only recently concluded, yet its author was already eagerly milking the series. And Shen Yuan, a humble reader disappointed by the novel’s ending, would pay a premium to get his hands on an early access copy.

Titled Demon Way: Night at Peony Manor , the game was an unorthodox adaptation for a stallion xianxia series. Primarily because it bore no focus on what made PIDW in the first place: romance and cultivation.

No, NPM could only be described as a horror game set in the limitations of modern times.

As expected, such drastic changes sparked massive discourse within online forums. Yet despite being a most vocal critic of the source material, the ‘Peerless Cucumber’ was made profoundly curious.

The trailer hinted at a serious story, something the original often lacked in place of cheap papapa. Yes, those XYZ wives had been cut — no doubt for the sake of practicality.

Beyond that, the game had a strong artistic vision, featuring revamped character designs and an elegant, traditional Chinese estate. It was even fully voice-acted, which was nothing to sneeze at. Save for some lucrative voice packs, most characters had no official voices until now. The gameplay was adequate, and although turn-based combat wasn’t Shen Yuan’s favorite, it was easy enough to pick up.

For the first hour, NPM was palatable, perhaps even a bit bland.

It all started with black.

At the bottom of the screen, a date: August 14th — marking the monsoon season, summer break, and the night before the annual Ghost Festival. The camera panned to Luo Binghe staring out of a campus bus window. A young woman sat beside him, tugging on his sleeve. It was Ning Yingying. They had just arrived at the Peony Manor.

Ah, the titled Peony Manor!

Of course, whenever a horror game took place in modern times, the developers often chose a gloomy, historical setting to counterbalance it. Only then would it make sense for you to stumble across untouched mysteries and unfounded peculiarities at every turn.

Yes, it’s not like the characters were in high school, which was ripe for the picking with its nostalgia and tight confines. No, they were in university. And not just any university, the most prestigious and top-ranking, Cang Qiong Mountain University. While the cast featured only those from Luo Binghe’s disciple years, the youths had been appropriately aged up to their twenties. The Peak Lords were now Professors, and the Sect Leader was titled President.

Strangely, it was only their host who remained unchanged in title.

The Old Palace Master, the head of Huan Hua Palace Academy, had personally invited the small group to a private residence in the forests high up on Bai Lu Mountain. Peony Manor was an offshoot, originally intended to house royalty, but had gradually become home to dozens of Vice-Masters over the centuries. After the latest Vice-Master stepped down, the estate was closed and turned into a pseudo-museum. This was the first time it had been opened to anyone outside Huan Hua Palace Academy.

With their bus parked out front, the main group was revealed.

For a limited map, a character count of ten was excessive. Most horror games aimed for a playable cast of one to four, as was standard for RPG party sizes. There were plenty of exceptions, but this often meant the focus was on an overarching narrative rather than the individuals. Additionally, with such a large selection of characters, the game could feel less tense as the otherwise ominous environment was populated by friendly faces.

Though perhaps calling them friendly faces wasn’t too accurate…

Luo Binghe was still the ever-handsome protagonist, and the others’ personalities remained equally unchanged. Thus, it was no surprise that upon dinner being called, for the rotten bully, Ming Fan, to strike.

Shoved into a supply closet, Luo Binghe was locked inside.

Here was the tutorial: ‘Find a way out’ . After disassembling a simple Lu Ban Lock, the three metal pieces could be used as keys to unlock a box containing some lore items and a flip lighter. This was crucial for the following saving mechanic, where incense was lit to create a safe zone from spirits.

After dinner was cut short by a fight between Liu Qingge and Shen Qingqiu, a fact discovered through environmental context clues and stray NPC dialogue, Ning Yingying freed Luo Binghe. From there, she became the first member to join Luo Binghe’s party. Perfect timing, as immediately after, a scream came from the third courtyard.

A body had been discovered.

This is where the game truly began alongside its downward spiral into an infuriating mess.

Upon the second night came the Ghost Festival, warping the map and locking the player from easily accessing those not already in their party. This left six characters at a minimum unaccounted for and open to getting killed off-screen, unless specific steps were taken to ensure their safety. NPM wasn’t the kind of game where you could just forget about the other characters; they would be stupid and die.

This made getting the true ending extremely difficult.

It was standard for horror games to have a few alternate endings, but obviously, to achieve the best one, everyone had to survive. And with ten characters, that was nearly impossible. Shen Yuan had been playing the game tirelessly for the past week. He hunted down every collectible and read every B.S. note. He saved scummed every combination of dialogue as if he were playing an otome.

And finally, after countless painful hours, he managed to get everyone to the end alive.

Only for them to drop dead.

And they weren’t even satisfying deaths — no creative or exceptional animations. The characters just broke out screaming and fell over while the screen faded to black.

Shen Yuan’s heart filled with a bitter rage as he silently cursed at the heavens.

What bullshit! Dumbfuck author, dumbfuck video game!

Ironically, he was currently dying himself, choking on a long-stale bun.

Unable to scream… 

Falling over… 

Vision, fading to black.

—

Shen Yuan woke to the feeling of a soft bed beneath him.

His initial thought was that he must’ve been brought to a hospital, lucky to have escaped the clutches of death. But the air did not smell sterile. Rather, it was subtly stale like his grandparents’ house. Dusty, earthy, like an old book or a feather pillow. When he opened his eyes, the ceiling stared back with old wooden beams instead of blinding white light. The room itself was dim, illuminated solely by a faint warm glow filtering through sheer lace curtains, topped with matching valances.

Where was he?

Shen Yuan’s thoughts were interrupted by a soft touch to his hand, jolting him back into his body. Shit! How could he be admiring curtains when someone else was in the room? He quickly gave the person beside him his attention, only to find he did not recognize him.

The older man’s eyes lit up with joy. “You’re awake,” He said warmly. “Do you have any discomfort?”

“No?” Surprisingly, Shen Yuan wasn’t feeling as bad as one might expect after fainting from asphyxiation. Truthfully, he only felt a tad sweaty; however, he must’ve torn up his throat because his voice was off. “What happened?”

“That’s what I wanted to ask you. You were in perfect health, so how did you suddenly faint? I know that we’ve been planning this trip for some months now, but with Cang Qiong Mountain being such a well-established and renowned university, even if one of our own didn’t attend, no one would dare question us. Why concern yourself with empty words?”

Cang Qiong Mountain… University? Old man, don’t you have anything better to do than play trashy games based on even trashier novels? Wait, why did he word it like that? What trip? What ‘our ’? Shen Yuan got a sinking feeling in his gut.

His suspicions were confirmed by the man’s next sentence, simple and earnest, “Qingqiu, are you listening to me?”

He had transmigrated into NPM.

Shen Yuan had always sworn he’d be prepared should he ever transmigrate. He wouldn’t ask stupid questions that instantly revealed something was off. But of course, whenever someone imagined those hypothetical scenarios, they’d always go into some historical or fantastical setting.

No one expected to wake up in the shitty spinoff’s modern storyline!

How was he supposed to discern from appearance alone that the normal-looking, albeit handsome, guy in front of him was Cang Qiong Mountain University’s current President, Yue Qingyuan? He didn’t look anything like his PIDW fanart. His short hair was slicked back in a modern style, and he wore a crisp black suit. He looked his age without cultivation, with the faint beginnings of crow’s feet, and… were those gray hairs?

A cold hand gently squeezed his before letting go.

What brotherly affection!

Despite the genre change, Yue Qingyuan was as kind-hearted as ever, and towards the scum villain of PIDW no less.

Shen Yuan — ah, no, Shen Qingqiu — lit a candle in his heart. Besides himself, President Yue had suffered the most in NPM. Though that, too, was because of him.

If they were ever simultaneously in the party and Shen Qingqiu fell into harm’s way, there was a 90% chance for Yue Qingyuan’s passive skill to activate. Like its chess namesake, ‘Castling’ allowed Yue Qingyuan to swap their places and take the brunt of the damage. Oftentimes, this would end the run, should it happen more than once, which it did, as Shen Qingqiu was a magnet for all things horrible.

With what must be a cursed RNG debuff, one could expect a nauseating mix of environmental hazards — dropped through collapsing floors, crushed by tipping wardrobes, and poisoned by thorny bushes. Oops, did you accidentally walk onto this one specific tile? Guess what? The chandelier fell on you!

Worse, Shen Qingqiu was often the main target in battle. He sported the lowest health, meaning opponents automatically locked their attacks onto him, which meant frequent save scumming.

With all this trouble, one would think it best to abandon the guy, but his survival rate somehow got even worse when not in the party. Shen Yuan would know. During his early runs, he’d always avoid picking up Shen Qingqiu, but he soon realized that if he weren’t in the party, the weak bastard would die by the strike of midnight. The player was effectively forced to have him around for most of the game, only able to leave him in certain safe rooms for select hours.

Despite this, Shen Qingqiu wasn’t all bad. He provided the best knowledge stats and a powerful passive skill. Named ‘Critical Tactics’ , it marked the suggested next move and showed enemy health bars. This was especially helpful when Shen Yuan had never faced the enemy before. He could also lockpick. If you found the ‘Pick Set’, he could just… do it. Why does an art and history professor know how to do this? Who knows! He had 50+ hours dropped into this game, and no reason was ever provided.

Really, Shen Qingqiu was a bullshit character.

He was a party member, technically a “companion”, but he was such an asshole. Bad luck could be balanced with the proper abilities, but no shit personality could be saved. Those knowledge stats? Awesome for noticing traps. Shen Qingqiu? The kind of guy to push you into those traps to “disarm” them, which (on low health) meant game over.

Now the world was telling him he was this scum villain?!

Wait, does that mean if he weren’t by Luo Binghe’s side by midnight, he’d die? Fuck! Shen Yuan cursed his luck. Ahem, Shen Qingqiu cursed his luck. Dammit, how was he supposed to put himself into the mindset of a bastard like Shen Qingqiu? Did he even need to? Couldn’t he cling to Luo Binghe’s thighs until this was over?

But… if he acted too strangely when things turned sour, he’d be labeled the most suspicious. What if the others’ sanities dropped too low, and they attacked him out of paranoia that he might be possessed? They wouldn't be wrong, but still. He couldn’t draw attention to himself if he wanted to survive, yet he must find a way to Luo Binghe’s side and stay there.

Thankfully, he knew exactly where the young man was.

One tactful excuse later, that he’d like to freshen up, Yue Qingyuan had left. This provided the perfect opportunity to check his new appearance, and Shen Qingqiu rushed to a nearby vanity.

He looked left and right, not displeased with what he saw but certainly off-put. It was a fine-featured face with pitch-black eyes and brows, thin nose and lips, and a most scholarly air. However, like Yue Qingyuan, age had affected him; his frown lines were more prominent than any hint of crow’s feet. He was thinner than one would expect, too, not the supple, slender body of a cultivator but rather the lanky figure fitting that of a far too pretentious old man.

Shen Yuan was hit by the realization that even if he were to survive this ordeal and escape, he’d be living with minus twenty years of life expectancy.

He quickly pushed away the line of thought and swallowed down the icy horror that threatened to freeze him in place. It made his skin feel too tight, and he had to sit down, for legs, now several inches longer, trembled dangerously beneath him.

At least he didn’t need glasses anymore.

Imagine how inconvenient that would’ve been with all the fighting and falling. He’d lose them quicker than Velma Dinkley and get decapitated because of it.

The bright side. The silver lining. These were important things to hold onto.

Even as a realist, Shen Yuan knew that a dose of optimism was key to survival. And who is to say? This may still be the modern world, but in NPM, ghosts exist. There could be elixirs of youth or eternal life. Maybe he could even try growing a replacement body with the help of a magical plant like in PIDW.

Yes, after this, he would not have to remain as Shen Qingqiu. He could change his name and run away and-

A sharp knock came from his bedroom door.

“One moment.” Collecting himself, Shen Qingqiu stood and smoothed out the nonexistent wrinkles from his clothes. Making his way to the door, he opened it to find a young man. He was a humble sort of handsome, with short hair and average height. His brows were thick in a way that reminded him slightly of President Yue, but his eyes were a shade lighter, closer to brown than a warm gray.

Shen Yuan recognized him as Shen Qingqiu’s teaching assistant, Ming Fan.

“Professor, I was told to inform you that dinner is ready.”

Shen Qingqiu waved his hand dismissively, letting Ming Fan lead the way to the dining hall.

While they walked along the courtyard, Shen Yuan couldn’t help but feel a bit excited. With the player’s perspective locked to Luo Binghe, who was currently trapped inside the supply closet, the true happenings of the dinner were a mystery. Of course, he knew that it had not ended well, but personally attending an off-screen event meant he’d get additional information that was originally lost between communications.

And he was a major actor in this particular story beat!

Following the source material, Shen Qingqiu and Liu Qingge maintained a volatile relationship. As such, when Shen Qingqiu refused to eat, it annoyed the other man enough to spark a fight that disrupted dinner and led to its dismissal.

This was quite disadvantageous.

Not only did it stain Shen Qingqiu’s reputation with their company, but further spoiling his relations with what was NPM’s number one powerhouse wasn’t something he wanted to uphold. No, Shen Yuan swore that he would eat every crumb. He could stomach a rich man’s banquet; there would be no stale buns here tonight.

Entering the dining hall, it was just as you’d expect from a former palace. The hall was extravagant in both size and decor, with a large portrait of an elegant woman hanging on the back wall behind the table head. It was expertly painted, and Shen Yuan believed it depicted a former Vice-Master.

The two quickly found their seats at a ridiculously long oval table, the kind you’d only see in political dramas. It filled the majority of the hall, its surface lost under endless rows of mouthwatering dishes. In total, only twelve of the thirteen seats were filled, leaving an awkward emptiness at the southernmost point.

“Are we not missing someone?” Asked an older woman on his right.

Ah. This must be Qi Qingqi.

In the original novel, not much was said about her. She never became a part of the harem, and it was assumed she had died when the sect was razed to the ground. A shame, as she was the teacher of the best lady, Liu Mingyan. Now she sits just beside him with a refined, authoritative air. Shen Yuan supposed dance instructors just had that energy.

“Mm! A-Luo isn’t here.” A bright voice came from down the table, its source a bubbly young woman with round eyes and even rounder cheeks, ahem, and other things. This must be Ning Yingying; she was the only person to call Luo Binghe by such a name.

“He said he wasn’t feeling well, probably from the bus ride.” Ming Fan retorted.

“But he looked fine when we got off…”

A wrinkled hand lifted to his left, “All is good. I will see to it that a light dinner is delivered to his room. And should he need anything else, we will provide it.” The Old Palace Master turned to Shen Qingqiu then, a polite smile gracing his aged features. “I am just glad Professor Shen was feeling well enough to join us. Twelve is much better than eleven.”

Shen Yuan did not know how to respond.

In person, the Old Palace Master was so much warmer. Shen Yuan supposed everyone here was, but seeing these characters so animated and with so much detail… it was both uncanny and deeply fascinating. He could only imagine this must be what it was like to be a part of a live production.

Words of gratitude floated easily between groups, filling the air with a peaceful sort of pleasantry and mixing seamlessly with the dinner’s aromatics. And there was a great deal of both. Food-wise, there was a generous spread — meat dishes of every variety, hot and cold soups, and some refreshing salads for the summer humidity. If he managed to pull it off and dinner lasted long enough, dessert might even be served.

But as tempting as the feast before him was, and even if he grew up a bit spoiled, Shen Yuan knew it was good etiquette to wait until the host began eating before eating himself. So he waited.

And waited.

And was it really necessary to thank them so much? They couldn’t eat kind words. Such vapidness held no sustenance of the physical degree. And how did they end up on a tangent about Peony Manor’s namesake?

Obviously, it was because of the Golden Circle Peonies that had been growing in the manor ever since it was first erected. ‘The King of the Flowers’ , fitting for what used to be a palace garden, but not particularly noteworthy nowadays. Perhaps if this were PIDW, those blooms would have had a special spiritual effect. Who was he kidding? Shen Yuan knew they did, something about testing some wife’s purity or another. Rather boring, if you asked him.

Finally, the Old Palace Master raised a toast. “To success,” They cheered in unison, and Shen Qingqiu tapped the rim of his cup to the bottom of the Old Palace Master’s before downing the small amount of tea.

Now, dinner could commence!

Shen Qingqiu eagerly poured himself a small bowl of pale soup; the texture was gelatinous with a subtle, salty flavor from crab. The first bite alone proved the food was both expensive and delicious. No doubt, Huan Hua Palace Academy had spared no expense to hire top professional chefs who would produce luxurious meal after luxurious meal. Shen Yuan himself had no complaints. Should this be his final meal, he would rather it be good.

And it was.

He ate without complaint, and so Liu Qingge had no complaints either. At least, he thought Liu Qingge was that pretty guy across the table. Shen Yuan was still working on putting name to face. It was hard to pinpoint things when all he had were styled references to go off. Those just don’t cut it when facing high-resolution, realistic graphics.

And so he never expected the Bai Zhan War God, Liu Qingge, or Coach Liu in this case, to truly be the definition of princely. Seriously, did he have botox or something? How come he looked so much smoother than him? Who airbrushed you, fine brother?

But if his assumptions were correct, then the masked girl further down the table must be his younger sister, Liu Mingyan. Shen Yuan had been curious if she’d remove her mask to eat, but she merely prepared herself a plate to eat later in private. What the hell? So, if she doesn’t eat, it’s not an issue, but if he doesn’t, then all hell breaks loose?

Double standards!

He may look like a grumpy old man, but he was the same age as her in heart!

Ah, but he was old… He’s sitting at the old-people section of the table.

Shen Qingqiu scratched his chin as he subtly took count. Besides Liu Mingyan, there were his students, Ming Fan and Ning Yingying. They were easy enough to recognize, having taken note of them before. The last girl from the Cang Qiong was certainly a surprise, however. 

Probably because in the original novel, she wasn’t a part of it.

Sitting beside Ning Yingying was a girl who wore Cang Qiong’s signature letterman jacket, marking her as a part of a sports team, and a red tank top. Not the most formal attire for such an event, but what would you expect from the Demon Saintess, Sha Hualing?

Her appearance as part of the university had stunned Shen Yuan, but he supposed she was a fan favorite (for himself included), and it wasn’t as if PIDW’s form of demons existed in this world. He assumed she was Liu Qingge’s pick to bring to this outing, which… okay. That was certainly something, but at least she had an awesome dexterity buff. Her passive skill wasn’t too bad either.

‘Command’ allowed her to overrule any fear debuffs on her teammates by ordering them into action. Unfortunately for the player, that action was RNG-based and could either save or completely blow a run. And if you got the right items, she could unlock the hidden skill ‘Scry’, allowing you to foretell the results of RNG item pickups. Not the most useful thing, but it helped to avoid haunted or trapped items.

The last two youths, however, he knew little about.

On the other side of Ning Yingying was the Little Palace Mistress, a spoiled young woman with a temper to boot. And beside Ming Fan was a handsome man, whom he believed to be the new Vice-Master in training, Gongyi Xiao.

They didn’t do much from what Shen Yuan could remember. Perhaps they died? He didn’t know. They weren’t a part of the true, main group and thus held little consequence in achieving the ‘good’ ending. Honestly, if saved, they only caused more trouble down the line, especially the Little Palace Mistress. He recalled her setting traps or something? Yeah, definitely not on his priority list.

Shen Qingqiu cleared his throat and turned his attention to the last man present.

Sitting across the table, left of Yue Qingyuan, was the traitorous weasel and treasurer, Shang Qinghua. His appearance didn’t deviate from what one would expect, besides the modern haircut. Short with a slimy smile, he was the kind of guy to rub his hands together anxiously as he tried to sell you bootleg goods — greedy and pathetic.

The original goods must have certainly done a number on the man because when their eyes met, Shang Qinghua looked like his heart was about to leap out of his throat and onto his plate. Or, more likely, his food.

Speaking of which… Shen Yuan was feeling too well himself. Something in his stomach weighed heavy like stones, and his lips tingled. He didn’t remember eating anything spicy, though.

He was going through his mental list when a sweaty, hot hand grabbed his. Cringing, he looked up and found it was Yue Qingyuan, who was reaching rudely over their host’s plate just to hold him.

Shen Yuan was about to ask if the other man was feeling okay when Yue Qingyuan bounced the question back, his tone serious. “Qingqiu? Are you feeling unwell? Did you eat the bird’s nest soup? You ate this?” Shen Qingqiu followed the motion as Yue Qingyuan pointed towards a bowl of pale soup.

Shen Yuan felt his stomach flip.

No.

Shen Qingqiu buried his face in his free hand and found his palm weirdly cold and clammy. He sighed heavily, or he tried to, but it came out more like a hoarse wheeze. He heard something clatter to the ground, and in moments, he felt hands grabbing his shoulders.

For the second time in the past few hours, Shen Yuan found himself unable to breathe, his vision growing spotty as he collapsed forward.

Dammit… the fucking crab.

—

[Deaths (1) | An Empty Silver Spoon ]

System//: < load = ‘Save_File_1’ >

Notes:

[Chapter Warnings: Food-related Asphyxiation (death), Anaphylaxis (death)]

—

This is my first time ever posting my writing, definitely a bit nervous. I hope you guys enjoyed it ♡

I’d love to add some extra art within the chapters, but that will have to come much later as I have a specific vision with pixel art. My priority will be adding a map alongside any applicable puzzles so you can try to solve them alongside the party!

If you make art and would like it to be shared here, please let me know through the comments below so I can add it!

—

PSA to make an AO3 account: To avoid bot spamming and data scraping, many works are hidden from guest users. Register to comment and access a whole new treasure trove of goodies! Seriously, it's free, and you can keep reading as a guest while you wait for your email invitation.

Chapter 2: Prologue End

Notes:

Apologies for the shorter chapter. I’ve been super busy with work, but I wanted to get something out today for the irl Ghost Festival. I will likely come back to do some minor edits later. Next chapter should be longer and will be posted on Halloween.

See you guys then! ♡

—

(Chapter-specific warnings are listed below in the end notes.)

Falling, stretching, a sickening cold. 

A nonexistence pulled into place and forced to breathe once more.

Consciousness snapping forth.

He was alive.

—

The first thing Shen Yuan noticed upon waking was the ancient wood that spanned high above, its many beams wrapping themselves around his vision like bars of a cage. He couldn’t bear to look at it, turning away to bury his face into linen that smelt so familiar… yet alarm rang in the back of his mind.

His stomach twisted with a phantom fullness, and with trembling hands, he clung to the comforter as he lurched forward just in time to empty bile onto the floor.

“Qingqiu!” That worried cry came with a firm hand pressing against his back, but Shen Yuan paid the other no mind, reaching for his throat and taking a deep breath. Only when the air went down smoothly did his heart begin to calm.

The save mechanic!

Shen Yuan had nearly forgotten, having considered it irrelevant to himself, but at this point, Luo Binghe must have found the flip lighter and lit the incense. Goodness, what luck to be included in the protagonist’s world-breaking halo.

However, it was strange to wake up here.

Shen Yuan thought the tutorial had occurred later in the night, but the last embers of sunset had yet to extinguish. Though now that he thought about it, he supposed it made sense for there to be a delay between when Luo Binghe saved and when he was actually freed. Ning Yingying had only opened the door after dinner was dismissed.

The hand was still soothingly rubbing, and with his mind no longer spiraling, Shen Yuan was starting to feel awkward. He cleared his throat and straightened. Thankfully, the other man got the hint and pulled away. “Apologies, President Yue. It seems I’m still out of sorts.”

Yue Qingyuan smiled sympathetically as he gave his little pre-written speech again, which extended into, “Dinner will be ready soon… Would you like me to have your food delivered here?”

Now that was a thought. 

If he could skip out on the long-winded dinner scene, he would have more time to investigate. Unfortunately for him, the area, or rather person, he most wanted to see was in the ‘Outer Courtyard’.

Of course, this historical building would follow siheyuan architecture, a style that featured a series of rectangular courtyards enclosed by four buildings. In total, the Peony Manor had four main courtyards: Entry, Outer, Inner, and Rear.

The first and smallest was the ‘Entry Courtyard’, its “walls” housing the male servants. The second, the ‘Outer Courtyard’, was traditionally where guests would be entertained, although that had never been a consideration until now; thus, it had long become an extension for the servants' needs, featuring a modernized kitchen. The ‘Inner Courtyard’ housed the family, but now the extra buildings acted as their guest quarters. And lastly, the smaller ‘Rear Courtyard’ housed the female servants and the rear entrance.

For Shen Yuan, this setup posed some problems. Primarily, the fact that the only practical passage between the inner and outer courtyards was through the dining hall. Technically, there was another path that ran through the garden, but to enter required a ‘Garden Gate Key’.

With no other option, Shen Qingqiu shook his head. “No need. I will be fine to attend, just give me a moment to freshen up.”

And just as before, Shen Yuan found himself alone.

He rubbed at his face and sank back onto the bed. He didn’t have an appetite, and the mere idea of smelling food made him nauseous. Thankfully, the deceitful flavor of dinner had already been purged from his tongue. Ah, he’d have to clean that up…

How embarrassing.

A knock came sooner than expected at his door, but that might’ve just been because he was expecting it this time. “One moment.” Regretfully, Shen Yuan had to peel himself off the bed and properly dress, pulling on his blazer and putting on his shoes.

He could do this. Think. He would meet the protagonist soon!

Opening the door, he was met by not one but two men: the familiar face of Ming Fan, and a man dressed in a uniform of whites, blacks, and golds. Must be a servant of Huan Hua.

“Professor, I was told to inform you that dinner is ready.” Ming Fan repeated, then gestured towards the man beside him, “He’s here to clean your room.”

“I see… Apologies for the mess.”

The male NPC bowed his head as they passed, leaving him to an unfortunate duty — poor soul.

Following a short flight of stairs, they stepped down into the yard.

Unlike the ‘Outer Courtyard’, which featured crossing paths to connect its four sides, the ‘Inner Courtyard’ had a lotus pond at its center, forcing one to walk around. Under the setting sun, the yard was cast a vibrant orange, and the lotuses shifted lazily, the calm water broken only by a harsh shadow; at its root stood a statue of a woman, a dog prancing alongside her as carved waves lapped at their feet.

Shen Yuan had always wondered who it was, but in the game, the player was never allowed to inspect it. The best he got was a line of dialogue or two, just calling it “the statue” or “the statue in the courtyard”, which was dumb considering there were multiple statues throughout the estate. Regardless, sometimes pretty details were just that — decoration. Not that Shen Yuan hadn’t tried to look for more, but there just wasn’t.

Wasteful really. Someone probably spent hours making that asset, only for any plot relevance to be dropped. It seemed the vapid wife curse really couldn’t be escaped, even by mere statues.

Shen Qingqiu sighed.

Though the walk from his room to the dining hall was distinctly short, Ming Fan continuously glanced back at him as if he’d suddenly faint again. Tsk tsk, for an inconsiderate bully, you sure are concerned for your teacher. Where was this concern for Luo Binghe? Don’t you know your actions meant he’d go hungry tonight?

They entered the dining hall, and aside from a few additional looks of concern from Yue Qingyuan, dinner began much the same.

Skip, Skip, Skip.

Wow. If the Old Palace Master’s speech was boring the first time around, it was mind-numbing now.

The toast was eventually made, but Shen Qingqiu made no move to fix a plate. Instead, he glared at the bowl full of bird’s nest soup. For one of the most expensive foods in all of China, praised for its delicacy, it sure was a deceitful bastard. Traitor! He should have it burned in the pot for its crimes.

But he would not get that revenge, as a stern voice came from across the table. Its source none other than Liu Qingge. “Why aren’t you eating?” His tone held an unspoken accusation, but any subtlety was lost in the deep furrow of his brow. So, no botox? What unfair natural beauty.

Shen Yuan couldn’t believe it, but for a moment, he almost lit a candle in his heart for the original goods.

Almost.

What a stupid misunderstanding. If only Shen Qingqiu hadn’t been such a prick and just explained himself, then this entire thing could’ve been avoided. Thankfully, Shen Yuan held no such qualms. He needed Liu Qingge in his team later; he had the highest strength stats out of everyone here.

But right as Shen Qingqiu opened his mouth to speak, another beat him to the punch.

Shang Qinghua spoke, awkwardly raising his hand for a moment before concluding not to pat Liu Qingge’s shoulder. “Coach Liu, please calm down. Professor Shen is severely allergic to some of the ingredients present here. Without a proper way to check for potential cross-contamination, it would be best not to eat than to risk it.”

The table went silent, and the Old Palace Master cleared his throat, likely embarrassed for being caught lacking. “This Master must ask for Professor Shen’s forgiveness, our head chef was not able to make it up the mountain today. I will have the kitchen made aware of any dietary restrictions; just provide a list. This will not happen again.”

Interesting. What had he done that was so different than the original to find this conclusion?

Ha!  —  He hadn’t done anything.

“I wasn’t aware Cang Qiong’s treasurer made note of everyone’s allergies.” Shen Yuan jabbed at the obvious incongruity.

“Eh? Professor Shen, how many years have we been working together now? I know it was some time ago, but did you forget I used to work as an assistant secretary? Of course, I would’ve memorized such important paperwork.” Shang Qinghua spoke with an offended frown, hand held to his chest.

“What an impressive memory,” Shen Yuan noted.

He supposed it made sense. Shang Qinghua was one of the weaker party members, but he was useful during early playthroughs thanks to his passive. Titled ‘Catalog’, it was essentially a glorified built-in wiki, providing the player with informative descriptions of any skills or items they might acquire.

It was meant for beginner players, but Shen Yuan was familiar enough with video games that he quickly ditched the guy. And unlike Shen Qingqiu, he didn’t die like an unsupervised toddler.

“If possible, may another meal be prepared?” Yue Qingyuan asked.

Despite the tedious request, the Old Palace Master was amicable, “Certainly. Vice-Master, please inform the kitchen.”

Shen Qingqiu raised a hand to stop the young man, who had already swiftly risen. “No need to waste their time. I don’t have an appetite currently." Ignoring Yue Qingyuan’s concerned look, Shen Qingqiu cleared his throat, “But if you have a tea selection, I would not be opposed to seeing it.”

He had thought about it; getting ahead wouldn’t be a bad idea.

—

Gongyi Xiao was pleasant company, a bit young for his position, but polite nonetheless. He had been the one to lead Shen Qingqiu to the kitchen, briefly introducing him to the staff that was plating well over a dozen servings of mango pudding. Well, that was one mystery solved.

“We store the tea most commonly used out here,” Gongyi Xiao explained as he directed Shen Qingqiu over to a baker’s rack with rows of opaque jars and tea supplies. “But if none are to your liking, we have more tins and cakes ^[1] in storage. Some of my true favorites are back there.”

“Then your full selection, please.” Shen Yuan accepted the invitation as it was and followed the other man into a nearby walk-in pantry.

The Old Palace Master was right, the head chef hadn’t arrived today on the mountain, though Shen Yuan couldn’t recall the exact reason as to why. Regardless, his absence was quite beneficial, disregarding the unfortunate food experience from earlier. Inside this pantry was an open face locker, and inside that locker was the head chef's coat, and inside that coat’s pocket was a spare ‘Greenhouse Key’. There were other ways to get inside the greenhouse, but this was by far the easiest method.

Guaranteed 100% success rate! No need for lockpicking here!

“Do you have a preference?”

“Something light will do.”

Gongyi Xiao gave him an understanding look, turning his back to scan the shelves. In this brief moment, Shen Qingqiu quickly fetched and slipped the key into his blazer pocket, only to find something already inside. Pulling it out, he found a pair of small, metal-framed glasses.

Huh?

Before he could inspect the glasses further, Gongyi Xiao had already pulled a plain-looking tin from the shelf. “I truly apologize for how dinner went. We hadn’t been prepared for Chef Ming falling ill; we should have printed multiple copies of your paperwork.” He held the tin out for Shen Qingqiu to take, who lifted it close to read the label.

“Professor Shen, is there something wrong with your glasses?”

His… glasses? Shen Qingqiu looked down at the pair in his hands, then at the blurry text on the tin.

Goddammit.

He was farsighted now, wasn’t he?

To think for a moment, he had held hope that this body had one thing over his original. Sure, he wasn’t as blind as he was in his original body, but couldn’t he just have one lifetime with perfect vision? Shedding a mental tear, Shen Qingqiu slipped on his reading glasses and proceeded to nearly do a spit-take upon reading the name etched on top: “Mount Jun Silver Needle”.

WTF!? Who goes around offering the rarest tea in all of China to some random guest? Was this humble Vice-Master trying to buy his forgiveness right now? If so, he has won!

“Ah, that’s too much.” Shen Yuan protested weakly.

“Professor Shen, please let us make up for tonight.”

Shen Yuan internally sighed; there was no point in fighting. If the other wanted to waste his people’s money to spoil another, then why not accept? He inclined his head, and the two made their way back out into the kitchen.

Soon, the tea was prepared. As expected from such a luxurious tea, its aroma was light with a hint of melon, and the taste was equally as delicate. Fruity, floral? Shen Yuan laments the fact that he lacked the experience to truly appreciate it, but at least the uncomfortable gnawing in his stomach was finally soothed away.

What an expensive way to wash the foul taste of death from one’s mouth.

They drank their tea in comfortable silence, and after a rather embarrassing moment where Shen Qingqiu’s stomach growled, the two men polished off an early side of the mango pudding. It was delightfully bright in flavor, and Shen Yuan shed a tear of relief when he didn’t immediately keel over.

Ah, Vice-Master, this one had truly misinterpreted you. Should he find a way, he’d do his best to save your life. Yes, this experience had been so calming in its mundanity that Shen Yuan had nearly forgotten the genre he was in.

While it was nice to take a breather, he hadn’t snuck out of dinner to drink tea and chat up the kind-hearted Vice-Master. He was on a mission, and no more time could be wasted. He had to gather as many items as possible before dinner finished and flagged the body discovery.

With the key in tow, Shen Qingqiu left the kitchen.

Ever the proper host, Gongyi Xiao followed after, taking a left only to trip over himself when he noticed the other had taken a right. “Professor Shen? Is something wrong?”

Right, Gongyi Xiao wouldn’t have any clue what he was doing. To his knowledge, Shen Qingqiu should be returning to dinner, if not his room, both of which were northward. Who knew the NPC follower would actually turn out to be a morality spy? Let him snoop, dammit!

But he couldn’t say that.

Instead, Shen Qingqiu cleared his throat and bullshitted. “This professor wished to check on his student.”

“The one who felt sick and missed dinner?” Gongyi Xiao asked.

Shen Qingqiu nodded, “Indeed, can you do me a favor? Can you fetch some of that pudding and bring it to his room? I forgot, President Yue wanted to speak with me.” It was a simple enough explanation, one that played on the Vice-Master’s eagerness to please and a hierarchy he would not question.

As expected, Gongyi Xiao agreed.

After a short series of flitting in and out of the kitchen, the other man ran off behind the spirit screen ^[2] and out into the ‘Entry Courtyard’. It was an oddly rude decision of their hosts to house the younger men of their group with the male servants, but Shen Yuan supposed it wasn’t a choice made by them. Rather, it was a way for the developers to “logically” separate Luo Binghe (and thus the player) from the group.

If Luo Binghe’s room just so happened to be in the farthest courtyard, in the farthest building, then who could yell “plothole” when he missed a character dying brutally off-screen? He couldn’t hear their screams. And if that 8-ton statue vanished, well, the walk from here to the ‘Inner Courtyard’ was made twice, if not thrice, as long. That’s enough time to explain why it was moved.

Stupid.

Shen Yuan braced himself, smoothing out his pulled-back hair and taking off his glasses. It was time. With a few steps, he stood outside the supply closet. It was silent, save for the rumbling of a fast-approaching storm, and the sky had darkened significantly, both with night and ominous clouds. Ornate lanterns hung on every post, having long been lit, but now they were his sole source of light.

He reached forward, and the lock slid open with a deep click.

The door swung violently open on its own, and Shen Yuan managed to jump back just in time as a young man dressed in a familiar navy letterman jacket tumbled out, hitting the floor with a hard thud.

Shen Qingqiu’s breath hitched, and the collapsed figure raised its head. He was met by a pair of wide eyes as deep as the night sky, and long hair falling like the rippling of waves. Of course, the extraordinarily handsome man before him could be none other than the esteemed protagonist himself, Luo Binghe.

And as if Peony Manor herself was moved by his appearance, time lurched forward, and with it came a scream.

The body had been discovered.

The two men exchanged looks. “Sounds like it came from the inner courtyard.” Shen Qingqiu said, turning away as Luo Binghe rose to his feet. “Let us make haste.”

—

[Prologue End]

Notes:

[Chapter Warnings: Vomiting (brief)]

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[1] This isn't referring to the sweet dessert, but rather a form of compressed tea leaves called Bing Cha (饼茶). ^[return]
[2] Spirit walls (zhàobì) or spirit screens (yǐngbì) stood in front of the entrances of temples, sacred precincts, and private residences in China. Their placement served to prevent evil spirits, believed to travel only in straight lines, from entering, as well as to block the view of passersby.^[return]

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Wow, what a fun chapter to write! If you can’t tell, Shen Yuan is a very unreliable narrator, just like in the books. What he perceives is not always the truth, so be on your toes! Also, I promise that the constant switching between Yuan and Qingqiu is not random clutter. I use them to differentiate how he is being perceived, both by himself and others. Rule of thumb: thoughts will use Yuan, actions will use Qingqiu, speech - ehhh.

[TIP: PAY ATTENTION TO ADDRESS SHIFTS]

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I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and happy Ghost Festival (2025)! ♡