The villain's beautiful daughter, who had caught a glimpse of the protagonist

from afar and, naturally, fell madly in love at first sight.

She'd used her knowledge of her father's lair to sneak into the dungeon
where Luolbinghe was being held, and eventually proved the key to his
escape, betraying her father for love.
So you want to try to find some random girl who's willing to sneak in past the
guards to Luolbinghe's prison, and... What random girl could we possibly
trust? I'll do it myself.
You know what? Shang Qinghua said. Somehow I feel like I should have
expected this. Shen Qingqiu self-detonated at Hua Yue City, but he didn't die.
Instead, he wakes up to a world where Tsiang Chang, is victorious, and
Luolbinghe has been imprisoned beneath the mountain. What's a poor
transmigrator to do?
He has to find a way to free the protagonist before he breaks out and raises
the sect to the ground. Clearly, the best way to do this is to pretend to be
one of Luolbinghe's future wives. Clearly.
Author's Notes Does it make any sense, whatsoever, for Shen Qingqiu to
have survived the self-detonation? No! The system decreed that he would
survive it.
It's me. The system is me. And so he did.

Chapter 1. Prologue.
It probably said a lot about the kind of person Shen Qingqiu was that when
he awoke to the sight of a white, gauzy canopy overhead, perfumed satchets
hanging from all four corners,
that his first thought was not, What a lovely morning. Even though it was,
since mornings on Tsiang Chang Mountain are always exquisite. Nor was it,
Gosh, it's good to be home.
Even though it was, after a long month held captive in the water prison under
Huanhua Palace. It wasn't even, What? How am I alive? I thought for sure I
was dead.
Even though his last memory, before the lights went out, was of gathering all
his energy for one last burst of self-detonation. No.
The very first thought that had crossed through Shen Qingqiu's mind,
opening his eyes to changing peaks, was, Mother-shit-fucking-son-of-a-damn.
Am I in a time loop?
Because the scenery really was just like the one he'd woken up to on his first
transmigration. Down to the sect leader sitting at the edge of his bed, calling
his name in concern.
Xu Di, are you awake? He was saying, Can you hear me? I'm awake.
His voice came out as a croak, a far cry from the cool, aloof persona of Shen
Qingqiu. He had always tried to maintain. He attempted to clear his throat,
choked on the sudden tang of blood at the back of his mouth,
and wound up coughing violently into a wadded cloth while Yue Qingyuan
supported him. As sect leader of Jiangcheng Mountain Sect, Yue Qingyuan
undoubtedly had better things to do with his day
than hold back Shen Qingqiu's hair while he coughed up blood clots. But he
didn't seem to mind. Shen Qingqiu finally achieved a clear breath,
rubbed his lips against a clean corner of the cloth, and tried again. This Xu Di
is well, he said, and was pleased that this time his voice came out smooth
and controlled.
Much better. Yue Qingyuan's lips pressed tight, though he didn't say
whatever was dismaying him so, instead asking, What was the last thing you
remember?
Ah, Zanmen Shixiang, please don't ask this one what he remembers. The
important thing is what you remember, which will at least determine
whether we really are in a time loop or not. Not...
Not everything, he hedged. This master... has no memory of being brought
here. There, that was safely vague.
Small wonder, Yue Qingyuan replied in a low, taut voice. The shape you were
in when we brought you home. What huanhua pallor. This started,
that Luo Binghe seemed determined to finish. Ah, not a time loop then. Shen
Qingqiu wasn't sure whether to be relieved.
Not that he wanted to relive the past few hellish years over again, but for a
moment he'd thought that if he really had gone back, then perhaps he'd have
the chance to...
Well... No point thinking about what could not be gained. Wait a minute.
Wait here just a goddamn minute. Why am I alive at all?
Shen Qingqiu distinctly remembered self-destructing. He shouldn't have
survived that meridian-shattering expulsion of qi. He hadn't expected to
survive it. He hadn't wanted to survive it.
Self-destructing had been his last desperate gambit to make use of his and
Airplane's foolproof throw-the-protagonist-off-the-trail scheme, the sun and
moon dew bodies. Upon dying, in this body,
he should have awoken in his new one. But he hadn't. Which meant he
hadn't died. Which meant... That Luolbinghe was still coming after him.
That he hadn't escaped the protagonist's wrath just yet. Shen Qingqiu broke
out into cold shivers at the thought. Yue Qingyuan, alas,
was too close for him to have any chance of concealing them. The sect leader
laid a warm, bracing hand on Shen Qingqiu, and he held her hand on Shen
Qingqiu's shoulder. Nothing to worry about.
He said, packing a powerful spell of reassurance in his tone. That person is in
prison. He cannot hurt you any longer. I swear that this time,
Jiangchang Mountain will protect you, Xiao... What? So great was his shock,
Shen Qingqiu didn't even stop to think that he was interrupting the sect
master. Luolbinghe in prison? In prison?
That made no sense. That had never happened. Why... If he's in prison, then
why am I not? What about the trial? The old palace master?
Wanhua Palace? Yue Qingyuan's expression darkened, becoming stern.
Wanhua Palace laid many charges that it was not ultimately able to sustain.
He said,
Not once the truth of Luolbinghe's heritage became clear to all. But now it
has become clear to all. Ah, shit. How can a righteous cultivator be accused
of abusing a demon?
Yue Qingyuan said passionately. How can any sane man entertain the notion
that the Xiuya Sword could be responsible for colluding with the sowers
when that same cultivator led the efforts to defeat them and save the city?
That lie was obvious from the start, even before the true culprit revealed
himself. Oh. So...
So it was Luolbinghe behind the sowers after all. Shen Qingqiu said. Yes. Yue
Qingyuan looked somber. He admitted to it, once we took him into custody.
So... The plague at Jinlan City had been Binghe's doing after all. It was what
he'd thought from the start. Who else but the protagonist could engineer
such a scheme?
But the vindication wasn't as sweet as he might have thought. Instead, he
just felt very small, and very tired, and rather cold.
And what about the other charges? He said at last. The Chiyo family?
Shixiang, I don't... I can't be sure.
Yue Qingyuan put a soothing hand on his shoulder. Shidi doesn't have to
trouble himself over it anymore, he said firmly. If it's forgotten, then let it
rest forgotten.
It doesn't matter now. With two-thirds of his charges obviously falsified, the
old palace master has lost all of his credibility.
There was a hard, angry glint in his eyes that Shen Qingqiu was not
accustomed to seeing on the kindly sect leader. On what basis could he
possibly continue to insist on a trial?
On what basis should we accede to his absurd demands? Wait. So they
haven't cleared me? Shen Qingqiu sat bolt upright.
Huanhua still means to take me to trial? Yue Qingyuan gave a small, flinthard,
sinister-looking smile. They are welcome to try.
Shen Qingqiu was reminded that in the first timeline, Yue Qingyuan had been
willing to cover up every one of the original goods' deeds, up to and including
murder.
Just because he hadn't been exposed to this crime, and had been on the cold
and ruthless side of the sect leader before, didn't mean it didn't exist.
Actually, it was kind of scary.
This, then, was the man that even Luo Binghe had not dared to face head on.
Shen Shidi. And just like that, the sharp edges had smoothed out again,
leaving only gentle reassurance.
Yue Qingyuan's grip on his shoulder was warm and firm. You are our brother.
You are one of the peak lords of the sect.
I see no reason why we would want to do anything but protect one of our
own. Whether that is from opportunists like the old palace master or... your
former student.
Yes, Binghe. Shen Qingqiu tried to steady himself, to order his thoughts.
What happened with Luo Binghe? You said that... in prison?
He said that, but surely he couldn't really mean... Yes. Shen Qingqiu boggled.
Where? How? With difficulty.
Yue Qingyuan's pained expression told a whole story of its own. It took all
eleven of us working together to put the bindings in place.
But the master's chamber beneath Xiangchang is infused with enough natural
qi to keep the prisoner rays supplied against a heavenly demon. For at least...
No, I mean...
How did you even get him down under the mountain in the first place? Shen
Qingqiu interrupted. The last thing I remember, we were outside Hua Yue
City, and you were fighting. You and Liu Shidi were battling him.
Yes. Yue Qingyuan tilted his head to the side. We won. Won? Yue Qingyuan
blinked at him. Shidi seemed surprised.
He said at last, That had definitely come out wrong. Yes, well, I... No insult
was intended, but I... Wasn't... Isn't Luobing Ha a heavenly demon?
Shen Qingqiu sputtered. Their levels of power... I thought he couldn't be
defeated. Heavenly demons are powerful, yes.
But any demon can be defeated, at least contained. Yue Qingyuan said. His
gaze sharpened on Shen Qingqiu, dismayed. His expression was like that of a
demon.
Shidi, is that why you did what you did? Because you believed that he could
not be defeated otherwise? Shen Qingqiu was speechless. What could he
say? How could he possibly express,
Yes, exactly, I would rather die than fall into his clutches, in a way that didn't
make him sound positively suicidal? Yue Qingyuan was a good leader, strong
and smart, but he didn't know.
He had no way of knowing just how inevitable Luobing Ha's victory would be,
just how doomed Shen Qingqiu really was. There was no way to make Yue
Qingyuan understand. He couldn't be saved.
Any attempt at trying would just doom him too. I didn't want Qiangqiang
Mountain to suffer any losses, nor bear the brunt of any grudges against me.
Shen Qingqiu's eyes fell. His hands played with the edge of his sleeve. What
happened with Bing He? It was my responsibility. Shidi mustn't think that.
You are of Qiangqiang Mountain, so you have all of our protection. Yue
Qingyuan said passionately. And Luobing Ha, too, was of Qiangqiang
Mountain,
and so he is all of our responsibility. Ah, it was nice that he thought so, but...
Xiangmin Shixiang, is he really subdued, are you sure?
Isn't it possible that he's already escaped? A daring escape? That would be a
proper narrative twist, wouldn't it? Not possible at all, Yue Qingyuan said
staunchly.
Physically, of course, we made sure that he would not have the freedom of
movement to gain any slack. But the more important work was done in the
chained sealing arrays.
With the aid of the Fourth Peak's evil-suppressing charms interlaced with a
looping power drain sigil to sustain it. Somewhere around the third layer of
shackles and sealing spells,
Shen Xingqiu stopped hearing it. Not that he stopped listening, not on
purpose at any rate, but the words had simply stopped meaning anything to
his brain.
His brain, which was more preoccupied in replaying, in 4K detail, all of the
various revenges Luobing Ha had taken on his enemies throughout the story,
many of them for offenses or indignities far lesser than this. Shidi, are you
alright? He'd lost the plot again. Shit. Apologies, sect leader,
Shen Xingqiu managed to say. This one is... is having some difficulty
concentrating. Yue Qingyuan nodded, understanding. That's to be expected.
Shidi was very, very badly off when we returned at 6. I thought you... We had
to have Mushidi confirm that you were still with us at all. I am glad to see you
awake.
But I should not have taxed you so soon after your ordeal. With that, Shen
Xingqiu had to take a moment to consider what this whole debacle had
meant for Yue Qingyuan personally.
It sounded as though he had been the one to carry Shen Xingqiu's not-quite-
corpse back to Tsiangchang, and not even discovered until afterwards that
Shen Xingqiu wasn't dead.
Ah, that must have been unpleasant. Having to carry around a cooling corpse,
and not only that, the corpse of a person you knew even. Poor Yue Qingyuan.
I regret to have imposed on Shixiong. He managed to say. Make no mistake, I
am grateful for your presence here, and for relieving my confusion.
But I will need to rest further, I believe, before I will be of any use in
conversation. Yue Qingyuan's face softened. Of course. He said.
Take all the time you need. On the way out the door, Yue Qingyuan paused,
turning over his shoulder with one hand on the doorframe. Should he? Please
think on what this master has said.
He said in that quiet way of his. You do not need to divorce yourself from
Tsiangchang Mountain to protect us from some trouble, whether demonic or
political.
There are many here at Tsiangchang who care for you, and wish to see you
happy and well. We, all of us, will protect you no matter what. Be certain of
that.
Shang Min Shixiong. That was exactly what he was afraid of. He managed an
extremely strained smile and nod of acknowledgement,
which fell off his face the instant the door closed behind Yue Qingyuan. As
soon as he was alone, Shen Qingqiu expressed his true feelings, moved his
fan to his mouth so he could bite down on the guard,
tangle his hands in his hair, and freak the fuck out. His plan, his beautiful
plan, it had accounted for everything. Lu Binghe would get his revenge,
and have no more need to bother Tsiangchang Mountain. Tsiangchang
Mountain would be rid of their troublesome imposter, none the worse for
the substitution. And Shen Qingqiu and Shang Qinghua
would get to slip out of their doom-born narrative roles and live their lives
freely without the protagonist's wrath hanging just overhead. His beautiful
plan had gone down the crapper because he,
Shen Qingqiu, just couldn't manage to die on schedule. Shen Qingqiu had
hoped for years that in this weird sideways version of the book,
well, there really should have been no reason to take revenge on
Tsiangchang should there? No need. In Proud Immortal Demon Wei,
Binghe's grudge came from the fact that cultivators of Qingjing Peak had
tormented him, and the cultivators of the rest of the sect had let it happen.
Raising Tsiangchang had been as symbolic as it was personal. Refuting the
hypocrisy of the self-proclaimed righteous,
who under their high airs were as petty and as cruel as any demon could
hope to be, the fact that he got to exact revenge on the bullies of his youth
was just a silver lining to that, really.
And Shen Qingqiu had changed all of that. As soon as he'd gotten free from
the OOC lock, he'd taken a firm hand to the bullying around Qingjing Peak,
and it had dropped to nothing within weeks.
There was nothing on Qingjing that needed avenging, and nothing for
Tsiangchang to be complicit in. The only one who'd wronged Binghe in the
end was Shen Qingqiu himself. All the rest could have been let off.
But now, now that the sect had attacked and humiliated Binghe, all in the
name of protecting Shen Qingqiu, even if Shen Qingqiu keeled over dead
right this minute,
Tsiangchang had already committed themselves in Shen Qingqiu's defense.
Even if Shen Qingqiu traipsed off scot-free to the Mushroom Body, his martial
brothers and sisters would still take the fall.
What was he going to do? What could he do? It was too late now. It was too
late now not to involve Tsiangchang. Even if Shen Qingqiu presented himself
promptly to Lu Binghe for judgment,
the damage was already done. He'd remember a humiliation like this. To be
beaten and captured and imprisoned. And he'd pay that back a hundredfold.
Tsiangchang was going to burn.
And this time, Lu Binghe wouldn't even let the stragglers escape. This was his
worst fiasco yet. No. Shen Qingqiu muttered aloud to himself,
letting the guard of the fan drop from his mouth, only a few tooth marks
marring the finish. He caught it mid-fall and snapped it open in the same
move, regaining some steadying moment of equilibrium.
Our fiasco. It's not a catastrophe. It's a catastrophe. You aren't leaving me to
deal with this by myself.
He spent half an hour putting on a perfectly polished, and presentable
appearance to all possible onlookers, smoothing out every little hint of stress
and strain,
before he left the bamboo forest and headed for Anding Peak. The end of the
chapter. Thank you for listening. Author's Notes
Lordy, just thinking about how this whole scene sequence of events must
have gone from Yue Qingyuan's perspective makes me feel bad for the man.
First, his most precious person gets ambushed by a rival sect,
inexplicably refuses to be defended, and is thrown in prison. Then, he
escapes from prison, but his former prized disciple is inexplicably back from
the dead,
inexplicably out for Shen Qingqiu's blood, and chases him halfway across the
map. Then, his most precious person commits suicide in front of him,
specifically to try to save his former disciple's life,
and he and Liu Qingga have to fight a grief-crazed, overpowered half-demon
over his body. He wins, but then has to carry Shen Qingqiu's broken body all
the way back to Xiangchang Mountain
before they realize that he's still alive after all. And then, when his precious
person wakes up from a coma, he insists, while coughing up blood, on
pretending that everything is fine and that he's fine
and there's nothing to worry about before admitting that yes, he'd rather die
than let his former disciple, for whose sake he committed suicide, touch him
again. Yue Qingyuan has been having a hard time having a day, folks.
Narrator notes. No notes. Only a few bloopers. Here you go. ...was of
gathering all his energy for one last burst of self-detonation.
Self-detonation. Why? Why can't I read? With that, Shen Qingqiu had to take
a moment to consider what this whole debac-debac-debacle.
Fuck! Debacle. Why do I always do that?
Chapter 2. Shang Qinghua had by this point in his existence lived two
lifetimes, and in both of them he had been pretty much constantly under
assault by anxiety.
In his first life, he had been skating constantly on the edge of ruinous
poverty. In the second, frantically trying to keep ahead of the system's
demands and juggle a work-life balance that allowed for no life
with a railroaded future that allowed for no life. He considered himself, with
no undue modesty, a professional worrier.
But, he had to grant, Cucumber Bro was at the very least a very accomplished
amateur. When he was putting on his peak-lord persona,
Shen Qingqiu did a very excellent impression of an elegant, enigmatic wall.
Honestly, Cucumber Bro managed a better poker face than Shen Qiu ever
had. Not that Shang Qinghua was going to tell him that.
All the way to the end of his life, all that caustic wit, that sharp commentary
went underground, smoothed over by impeccable manners and impeccable
poise. It was only when the two of them were unobserved
and could put aside their roles for a little while and let their metaphorical hair
down, did the acid and sharp-tongued Zhong Dian troll really rear his head. In
this proud-immortal redux way,
the only one who got to deal with Shen Qingqiu at his truly nastiest was
Shang Qinghua. Yay. Lucky him. Cucumber Bro was at his most unbearable
when he was stressed.
And Shang Qinghua could allow that close encounters of the second kind
with the demigod who wants to tear your limbs off was a pretty reliable
inducer of stress. Shang Qinghua was mostly spending this conversation
concentrating on not being in range of any of Shen Qingqiu's pacing or fan-
snapping, or any of the rest of his anxiety-fueled flailing. How does he get out
of this one, anyway?
Shen Qingqiu fretted, and Shang Qinghua looked up. Oh, had he moved on
from ranting about how their shared home was going to be burned to the
ground and everyone they knew and cared about would be horribly killed?
After only an hour or so, clearly something else was on Cucumber Bro's mind.
Bro, how am I supposed to know? Shang Qinghua groaned.
You remember that story better than I do at this point. It's been sixty years.
And? And even if it weren't, may I remind you that we're off the plot?
This never happened in the book I wrote, so how am I supposed to know
what happens next? Because even when your damn novel gets changed, the
same plot elements just come back in the wrong order.
Shen Qingqiu snapped at him. Without a cure showing up decades early,
Binghe making it out of the abyss in time to corner us at Jinlan City, Mobeijun
showing up at the Immortal Alliance conference,
whatever happens next, it'll be something from the book, you can be sure of
that. Shang Qinghua sank a little further down in the niche where he'd
wedged himself between his desk and the wall.
That was what he was afraid of, dammit. We can't just leave Binghe in the
dungeon, Shen Qingqiu was fretting.
He won't be able to practice anidia, and his heavenly demon blood is being
suppressed. He'll go hungry. He'll starve to death. Shang Qinghua couldn't
help a shrug.
I mean, he's pretty much unkillable, he started to say, and saw Shen
Qingqiu's head rotate around and his eyes narrow in a way that spelled
danger.
He backpedaled quickly, throwing up both hands in a gesture of surrender.
Not that I like this either. So he'll just get hungrier forever?
But be unable to die, that's not better, Shen Qingqiu snapped and paced
some more. If only he had someone to bring him food and water.
He paused mid-stride, with such cut-off clarity that Shang Qinghua had to
take a moment to check that the system hadn't paused the world on him
again.
No, Cucumber Bro was just having some kind of epiphany. His eyes lit up and
his whole posture lifted with sudden enthusiasm. Wait, Shen Qingqiu
exclaimed.
Chapters 420 through 434. Shang Qinghua really wished Cucumber Bro
would stop dropping page numbers on him, like he was going to remember
60 years later what the chapter count was.
But context supplied him with a bit of a cue, and his scrambling brain
managed to come back with, The one with the, uh, with the bottle dungeon?
The alchemist sage, the bottle dungeon, and the villain's beautiful daughter,
Shen Qingqiu said enthusiastically. He paused to add,
Seriously? The mad scientist's beautiful daughter? You're an unimaginative
hack airplane. Thanks, bro. Shang Qinghua was unperturbed.
That was almost complimentary for Cucumber Bro. He tried to focus on the
topic at hand. Right.
The evil sage's beautiful daughter, who had caught a glimpse of the
protagonist from afar and, naturally, fell madly in love at first sight.
She'd used her knowledge of her father's lair to sneak in disguise into the
dungeon where Luolbinghe was being held, and eventually proved the key to
betraying her father for love.
So you think you want to try to find some random girl who's willing to sneak
in past the guards, and... What random girl could we possibly trust?
Shen Qingqiu's fan snapped up, waving the air crisply. Seriously, this was the
kind of blade action that little old auntie had. I'll do it myself.
Himself. Shen Qingqiu. He planned to put on a disguise and sneak into
Luolbinghe's prison. To bring him food and water and comfort.
And hope for his eventual escape. Shen Qingqiu himself was going to attempt
to seduce the protagonist into not taking vengeance on them all. You know
what?
Shang Qinghua said, and popped another melon seed into his mouth.
Somehow this doesn't surprise me at all.
Shen Qingqiu had a new plan. A flawless plan, inspired in concept and
faultless in execution. The problem they were facing, as he analyzed it, was
multi-part.
One. First, there was the problem of Luolbinghe being captured by
Qiangchang at all. Such a thing had never, ever happened in the entirety of
Proud Immortal Demon Way.
They were way off the rails, and the entire narrative plot had come unglued.
Not only in the matter of Luolbinghe's conquest of the demonic realm being
interrupted.
But by the fact that they were on the very doorstep of the raising of
Qiangchang Ark already. And Luolbinghe had yet to acquire one single wife.
Clocks ticking, Binghe.
At this rate, we'll cross over into the ghost of the wife. And he wouldn't have
a single nun to his name.
Two. Second, there was the question of Luolbinghe remaining captured for
more than a day or two. The question it was out of, of course.
This was certainly, definitely, obviously a temporary state of affairs. The
stallion protagonist couldn't possibly remain endurance vile for very long.
Sooner or later, the narrative logic of the world would reassert itself, and he
would escape. And once he did escape,
he was sure to wreak a revenge that would repay every slight in injury and
insult on his captors a thousandfold. On Shen Qingqiu himself, obviously.
But now on all of Qiangchang. Which would have been extremely badass and
satisfying to read about. But absolutely could not be allowed to take place in
real life.
Three. But also, in order to revenge himself of all of those slights and injuries
and insults, he'd have to endure them first. No doubt he was suffering right
now,
in those stifling caverns underneath Qiangchang, bound by a score of
shackles, trapped by the Qi of a hundred cultivators. His strength and his
blood and his healing factor suppressed.
Tormented by wounds that could not heal. Suffering endless hunger and
thirst and... And that was Shen Qingqiu's life. He had a little white lotus in
there. Cold and hungry and hurting and alone.
And that could not, could not be allowed. And he had a plan to solve all of
that. Just like in the Bottle Dungeon arc. There would be a glimmer of light in
the darkness of Luolbinghe's captivity.
A beautiful maiden comes to visit him. Moved by his beauty and his stoic
endurance of the terrible prison. To bring him food and water and comfort.
And eventually escape.
Obviously, the Mad Sage's daughter wasn't here. But it would be just as easy
to substitute another wife in her role. And Shen Qingqiu knew exactly which
one. Liu Mingyan.
It was high time for the romance arc with Liu Mingyan to move along. It had
really stalled in this timeline, possibly because... Alright, probably because...
Liu Qingge hadn't died on schedule.
Not that Shen Qingqiu could be sorry about that, but... Well, it removed a lot
of the impetus for Liu Mingyan and Luolbinghe to become close.
If the former wasn't relying on the latter to avenge her dead brother. Which
was a damn shame because of all 136 wives in Proud Immortal Demon Wei.
Liu Mingyan was far and away the most suited to Luolbinghe. Her
unparalleled beauty. A match for Luolbinghe's handsomeness. Her calm
temperament.
The perfect compliment for his hot-headedness. Her cool wit. Finally, a wife
who could keep up with Binghe's IQ. Her competence and valor in battle.
Making her one of the few wives both able and actually inclined to support
Luolbinghe in a fight. And of course, her impenetrable well of mysterious
reserve.
The relative tastefulness of her romance with Binghe. Compared to...
Nevermind. Was Shen Qingqiu about to accept responsibility over this?
For removing the best wife entirely from the running? He was not. So maybe
this romantic arc had gotten a little derailed. Maybe it just needed to be... Re-
railed.
Nudged back onto the rails. What better way to do that than for Luolbinghe
to be visited in his darkest hour by his valiant and admiring Ximei.
Who better to serve as proof that not all of Tsiang Chang had rejected him.
Nor stood behind the decision to condemn him.
Who better to represent, in her own person, a shining reason for Luolbinghe
to restrain his wrath and spare the blameless members of her sect. Flawless.
Truly, Shen Qingqiu had outdone himself with this plan. They could console
Luolbinghe. Avert his wrath against Tsiang Chang. And advance a long-
neglected romance plotline all at once.
The first step in this plan, after a quick rifle through his wardrobe failed to
turn up the requisite material. Was to pay a visit to Xianxiu Peak.
It was a testament to his efforts in the last few years to play nice with his
fellow peak lords that Qi Jingqi was actually willing to give him an audience.
And the more so, that when he made his request, she squinted at him with
suspicion and actually asked. Instead of simply jumping to conclusions.
Shen Xisheng, you aren't planning to infiltrate a woman's dormitory or
something, are you? No.
Shen Qingqiu squawked, fanning himself rapidly to try to disperse the
humiliating red heat that had sprung up in his neck and ears at the very
thought. Of course not. It's for a mission, Qixime. A mission.
I need to make my way behind enemy lines, and it's absolutely imperative for
this mission that the target perceives me in a specific way.
Qi Qingqi eyed him with great and, Shen Qingqiu thought, very unfounded
skepticism. And you think your acting skill is enough to sustain such a
deception, do you? She said.
I will be using a talisman to alter my voice, of course. He said, grasping for the
last shreds of his dignity. And a veil to conceal my face, which leads me to my
next request.
You don't happen to, perhaps, have such ladies' veils that are used by a
specific one of your disciples? The skepticism continued to deepen.
What a lack of faith. Shen Qingqiu, you had better not be intending to
disguise yourself as one of my disciples.
She said with a glint in her eye and a fire-breathing tone in her voice that
promised great violence in the near future if the answer was not to her liking.
Because if I were to find out that you had ever done such a thing. Stolen the
identity of one of my girls and misrepresented her. Presented her identity in
such a way as to smear her reputation among outsiders.
You would no longer need a voice-disguising talisman. Are we quite clear?
Shen Qingqiu had a new plan.
A solid plan with a very strong backbone, even if it could perhaps use a little
sanding off some of the rough edges. Some adjustments to maybe the
particular details.
Shang Qinghua really was not sure why his presence was required in this
scene. Cucumber bro seemed to want a spotter or something. Which, you
know, he was a bro.
Shang Qinghua would help him however he could. But he didn't have an
awful lot to offer when the task at hand was disguising yourself in women's
clothing. You okay back there, bro?
Shang Qinghua called out to the man producing ominous rustles from behind
the privacy screens, feeling like he ought to at least show willing. I'm fine.
Shen Qingqiu's snappish voice came back from the other side of the screen.
Honestly, Shang Qinghua didn't even mind. That was just kind of his default
state. Resting bitch voice or something.
It's not the first time I've had to navigate curved hemmed robes. Shang
Qinghua choked on a melon seed. What?
Not like that. Get your mind out of the gutter, Shen Qingqiu said irritably.
Russell, Russell. I went in. To China Joy in 2011 as Mei Chaofeng.
Now, it had been a while since Shang Qinghua was plugged in to China's geek
scene, but... You went to a con dressed as a woman? Of course not. Weren't
you listening? Russell, Russell.
I went to a con dressed as Mei Chaofeng. Shang Qinghua thought about it for
a moment. Then he just had to ask. 2008 Mei Chaofeng or 2003?
2008 Mei Chaofeng or 2003? Yes I thought him unf Taebs are a good ripoff.
The genuine Mei Chaofeng. From the 2003 version, obviously. Even from
behind the screen can hear that eye roll.
Got second place in the cosplay drama division too. I feel it's like I'm learning
all sorts of new things about you, Shang printed as alength. Shang Qinhua
mused crunching on another melon seed.
Honestly the whole trip was a nightmare. nightmare. Shen Qingqiu continued
his villain monologue from behind the screen. The nails were
a pain in the ass, and I had to leave them in the hotel the second day, and the
whip got confiscated by Khan Security. Also, a bunch of guys tried to hit on
me, and even after I told them I was a man,
they still tried to keep hitting on me. Every new part of this conversation was
like a punch to the face, but you know what? Shang Qinghua had no trouble
believing that last part. It honestly
fit right in with Cucumber Bro's everything since the transmigration. And
don't think your readers didn't notice that the blind bareness of the hissing
depths in Chapter 800 was an obvious
ripoff of Mei Xiaofeng. You aren't subtle. Shen Qingqiu came out from behind
the screen, adjusting the drape of the skirt one last time. How do I look?
Shang Qinghua gave him a careful once-over. Okay, so Shen Qingqiu had
definitely landed on feminine. Aside from his height, which he
couldn't really change, there was very little left that evoked the image of
Shen Qingqiu. Without the bulky layered robes of a peak lord, he did strike a
much smaller, less imposing figure.
The robe was distinctly female in style, and the silhouette was passingly
womanly. There was enough
to suggest padding that didn't actually exist. The long, wide sleeves made the
hands look dainty.
A veiled hat topped off the ensemble. Cucumber Bro definitely didn't look
like himself,
but despite that, uh, Bro, you don't look anything like Liu Mingyuan. Aside
from the fact that
her face was covered, there wasn't much about the new outfit that was
identifiable as the War God's little sister.
her. That's fine. Shen Qingqiu dismissed the concern, taking off the Wei Mao
for the time
being and folding it under his arm. I'm not going in disguise as Li Shiji. I'm
going in disguise as
Li Shiji in disguise. Shang Qinghua stared at him blankly for a moment, trying
to make that
make sense. Okay, he finally said. Shen Qingqiu shook his head. Qi Qingqi
read me the riot act
and even the notion of me ruining the reputation of one of her girls, and you
know what? She had
a point, he admitted. Bruh. If Liu Mingyan gets spotted going in or out of the
master's chamber,
she'll be in trouble. Much better if I just look like some anonymous girl from a
distance. Shen Qingqiu explained. Then, when I get into Binghe's presence, I
can slip some hints,
so he'll know it's her. But it isn't her, Shang Qinghua felt obligated to point
out. It's you.
Yes, but Binghe will think it's her, Cucumber Bro said with his usual one-track
laser focus. And he'll be appropriately grateful. Then once he gets out of
prison, he can catch up with the rest of the gang. And then he'll be able to
get out of prison. And then he'll be able to
catch up with the real Liu Mingyan. And if that doesn't jumpstart their
relationship, I don't know what will. Shang Qinghua took a moment to
privately reflect that Peerless Cucumber has always been a
diehard Bingyan shipper. And it seemed that even transmigrating into the
work itself hadn't changed that. Shang Qinghua didn't have the heart to tell
him that the main reason he never wrote explicit
sex scenes for Liu Binghe and Liu Mingyan was that the character of Liu
Mingyan had been based on an actual relationship. And that's why he didn't
write explicit sex scenes for Liu Binghe and Liu Mingyan. He was just a typical
college classmate of his. Having a real person to associate the character
with was bad enough. A beginner's mistake. He wouldn't make it again. But
that particular classmate later turned out to be exclusively into women. So it
felt a little sour to write her
boning a dude. Honestly, given what he'd seen of Liu Mingyan in this world
so far, he kind of suspected she might go the same way as her real-life
inspiration.
But he could hardly admit that to his number one hater. Cucumber bro, don't
you think that's a little creepy for you to be playing romance sims with
your disciples? He said instead. I don't want to hear creepy from you, Shen
Qingqiu snapped. Not when you were the one who wrote all those tasteless,
barely legal pa-pa-pa scenes in the first place. Characters, Shang Qinghua
defended himself. All right already, everything was his fault.
He knew. He'd been just writing fiction. They were characters. They were
words on a page.
Anyway, Cucumber bro went on, mercifully cutting short what could well
have derailed into an hour-long haranguing session. It's your world. We're
stuck with it. I'm just trying to make it
work. I know I don't look like Liu Mingyan. The point is that I don't look like
me. Shang Qinghua blinked, checked the wording, looked again,
like Shen Qingqiu, you mean. He clarified. That's what I said, Shen Qingqiu
huffed. Anyway, this whole plan hinges on me not being recognized.
If Bingha realizes who I am, this will be all for nothing. He will be angrier than
ever. Yeah, I think you're good, Shang Qinghua flashed him a double thumbs
up.
If I didn't know better, bro, I'd swear you were really a woman. Good. Shen
Qingqiu fiddled with his cuff some more, in a nervous rustle.
And Shang Qinghua got the impression he was somewhat less blasé and
breezy about facing Lu Bingha again than he was letting on. Now I'd just have
to get down there.
How are you planning to do that? Shang Qinghua asked. I hope you're not
counting on me to distract the guards or whatever.
Guo Qingqian has his scariest Cuxing disciples guarding the penitent's stair.
And I'm pretty sure that they'd rather run me through like a fish than desert
their post just because I asked.
Of course I'm not counting on you, Shen Qingqiu sniffed. And anyway, that
would only work once, and I have to be able to come and go. I'm not going to
take the penitent's stair.
No? Shen Qingqiu took on a sharp, self-satisfied smile. I'm going in through
the whispering caves. Bro. Bro. Bro.
Shang Qinghua almost fell out of his chair. Do you know what's in the
whispering caves? If you get lost down there, I am not coming after you. Even
I don't know the way through there.
The whispering caves had been introduced in the name of the Rose Arc, and
was the part of those chapters that Airplane Shooting Towards the Sky was
most proud of.
It was a subterranean labyrinth, a naturally occurring death maze. Floating,
chi-rich. The rich mists inside the deep underground caves had a disorienting
effect on most hardy travelers.
The further one traveled through the stone maze, the more their sight would
slowly darken. While the maddening whispers tickling the edge of hearing
would grow louder and clearer with every step.
No one knew what became of those travelers who lost their way in the maze.
The few who made it out to tell the tale had been lucky enough to do so
before their vision deserted them completely. In the book,
Lulbingha had found his way through the maze of enchanted caverns, and to
the prison where his new beloved of the week was being unjustly
imprisoned, by capturing a pair of blind bat-winged fairy dragonettes,
winning their trust and loyalty, and setting them loose at the mouth of the
maze. The blind bat-winged fairy dragonettes were unaffected by the
magicks of the cave,
and Lulbingha managed to follow them through the maze to his new wife's
side before the magic had been able to close its grip. grip on him. But given
that blind bat-winged fairy dragonets were creatures of the abyss,
they would only let themselves be handled by someone of demonic blood,
which ruled out both of the peak lords. I didn't expect you to, thanks for
nothing. Another eye roll. I know the way.
I mapped it out my first year at Xiangchang just in case. Just in case. Shang
Qinghua sputtered.
What do you mean you mapped it? I mean I mapped it. Shen Qingqiu looked
insufferably pleased with
himself despite the waspish tone. I went in with a flask of vision-replenishing
draft and a ream of graph paper and made a chart. It took me most of a
month, but I wanted to make sure I could go
somewhere even Binghao wouldn't be able to follow me. Holy shit. Shang
Qinghua had to salute the dedication, even as he boggled at the scope of the
situation. I didn't know what to do. I didn't
know what to do with the task. But he supposed if anyone were to map out a
shadow labyrinth in excruciatingly tedious detail, who better than the fan
who'd once set a record for most wiki edits
made in a 24-hour period? Hey, any chance I could borrow that map? Shang
Qinghua said finally. Now that the protagonist was back on the board, it was
only a matter of time before his own
ticket at Xiangchang ran out. Just, you know, in case. Take your own, Shen
Qingqiu said with a sniff, redonned the hat, and swept out the door.
The end of the chapter. Thank you for listening. Author's Notes I swear we'll
actually get to Luolbingha in here soon, guys. The manzai comedy duo of
Shen Qingqiu and Shang Qinghua just took over this chapter. I'm even less
plugged in to China's geek scene since Shang Qinghua. I do not know if
Chinese fans do cosplay,
at all, or if China Joy would be an appropriate venue, but I tend to get seized
with enthusiasm over at least one minor background detail in every fic I
write, and in this fic it was the
idea of Shen Yuan doing cosplay. Specifically, crossplay. I really feel like it's
something that 1. would have been within his ambit as a geek, and 2.
explained how he was able to so quickly
jump into the costume and character of Shen Qingqiu upon being dumped
into PIDW. All his cosplaying of villainous characters. I don't know if it's a
good thing, but I do feel like it's a good thing. It's a good thing that the
villainous characters just served as rehearsal for playing
the villain role for real. According to my understanding of the timeline, where
SV was first published in 2015, and Shen Yuan was in his early 20s when he
died, Shen Yuan would have been
somewhere in the 16-19 year old age range when he was doing this costume.
And yes, the fans that tried to hit on him were absolutely aware that he was
male, some of them, anyway, though they may
not have realized he was underage. I'm not sure if that's true, though. I'm not
sure if it's true, so I'm not sure. I'm not sure if that's true, but I'm not sure.
I'm not sure if that's true, though. At Tavena, for some advice on what sort of
character Shen Qingqiu might have cosplayed as,
and some tips for the props. Narrator notes. No notes, only bloopers. Bro,
how am I supposed to know? Shang Qinghua groaned.
Miss Mei, what are you doing? Oh no, it's, uh, Return of the Closet
Escapades. Okay, well, we're just gonna put an end to that right now.
famous last words, right? This never happened in the book I wrote, so how
am I... How am I supposed to record when Maeve can't be quiet?
You're so dramatic! Wait, Shen Qingqiu exclaimed. Chapters 420 through
434.
Okay, Maeve's purring in my lap right now. I don't know if you can hear it,
but it's getting
louder, and I don't think that's gonna work for recording. But she's so cute.
What better way to do that than for Luolbingha to be visited in his darkest
hour by his vigilant
valiant. Wow, I can't fucking read. Maeve, no. Oh my god. But he didn't have
an awful lot to offer
when the task at hand was... keeping your cats entertained so they stop
meowing at the door so you can finish your recording. Yeah, that's it.
Chapter 3. Shen Qingqiu knew all the secret exits and entrances in and out
of Tsiangchang.
All of them, even ones that had never been used in the books. Because one
of his first priorities on waking up in the doomed time bomb of a cultivation
sect had been to make sure that
he would always have an escape route. The earth under Tsiangchang
Mountain was rife with both
natural caverns and natural qi. Powerful, extensive, but untamed and
uncontrolled by
human hands. The sect made use of some of the shallower, safer caves to
boost their cultivation breakthroughs. But further down, there were all sorts
of exciting magical labyrinths that
airplanes shooting towards the sky had come back to again and again. One of
those was the Master's Chamber. The cavern where Luolbinghe was being
held.
It was far below the surface of Tsiangchang, a chamber to which very few
ventured to due to the sheer pressure of natural qi. The abundant natural
power source, easily harnessed and adapted to
maintaining talismans and arrays, also made it an ideal prison for dangerous
beasts. And what beast could be more dangerous than a heavenly demon?
Shen Qingqiu hated thinking of Luolbinghe that way, but he couldn't deny the
accuracy. This place,
could have been custom-built to hold his wayward disciple, had been, in a
way, in the way that everything in this world was built for Luolbinghe. The
Master's Chamber was a tall cavern far below
the surface. Not actually that big from side to side, but the immense crushing
weight of natural qi from the mountains pressing down overhead made the
small space feel vast and oppressive.
Ley lines glowed from the walls. Natural streams of energy, that had been
shaped and refined into powerful arrays. The glowing lines braided together,
looping down the walls to spill onto the floor. A spaghetti tangle of power
lines that fed into the circle inscribed on the cavern's floor. Huge and
intricate, the array was packed with
symbols and sutras of power that cycled around each other endlessly,
forming a feedback loop of energy. A spiritual cultivator, in other words, just
about anyone,
could walk right through this array and not feel more than a tingle. But for
any demon,
or even anyone with demon blood, it would be like a force field and a high-
powered electrical fence
in one. The spellwork was backed up with physical chains, a dozen of them,
originating from every point around the array's surface and crossing in the
middle, bearing down on the figure imprisoned
within. They wrapped around his torso, bound his body, and then wrapped
around his body. him crouched like a beast.
Even after having come all this way to see him, assembling the disguise,
sneaking past the guards, making his way through the Whispering Caves to
get here, Shen Qingqiu didn't feel
like he was prepared for this. What was he going to do? What was he going
to say? Surely little Binghe would see through his disguise immediately, rip
free from his bonds and seize Shen Qingqiu at once.
Hello, Arcplot. Goodbye, limbs. But before his nerve could quite break,
sending him scurrying back to the surface, a sound from the chamber beyond
reached his ears.
A whimper. It wasn't loud. Shen Qingqiu didn't think that it had been meant
to be heard at all, almost sub-vocal under the enduring thrum of the ley lines.
But his hearing was excellent, and more to the point attuned to a hair trigger
when it came to his disciple.
He knew that sound all too well, had heard it many times over the last few
years, but less and less often as little Binghe settled into the bamboo house.
His instincts cut in and he rushed out from his hiding place before he could
think twice about it. His brain caught up to his legs a minute too late and he
froze, standing right in plain
view at the edge of the containment array as little Binghe's dark, curly head
rose up to stare at him in astonishment. Who's there? Little Binghe
demanded.
His voice was rough and suspicious, under currents of fear and hostility. Shen
Qingqiu saw the way his muscles bunched up, the way his jaw shifted as he
gritted his
teeth, struggling to sit up straighter under the weight of the chains in the
suppressing array. What do you want? Who's there? Which meant he didn't
know.
And he hadn't immediately burst out of his chains, but he had to. And so… so
there was nothing to worry about. The plan was still on.
With that encouragement, Shen Qingqiu's muscles unfroze, and he finished
moving around the edge of the containment array, coming more properly
within little Binghe's line of sight.
He hit his mark exactly and assumed the correct pose, the very picture of a
demure but determined maiden. His voice, when he spoke, came out soft
and melodic.
The voice also seemed to be a little more gentle. He was like a faltering
talisman working perfectly. Shixiang mustn't strain himself, he said, pitching
his voice to a soft murmur. I'm here to help.
Shen Qingqiu saw Luolbinghe's hard gaze rake over him from top to bottom,
saw his perplexed frown, and the up and down repeated itself once more.
Who are you? he asked again, now more wary, less hostile. He swallowed,
and Shen Qingqiu could hear his throat click.
After days down here without water, his throat must be terribly dry. What do
you mean, help? Help me?
Of course, Shen Qingqiu said, and he reached for the supplies at his belt.
Luolbinghe tensed up, zeroing in on that move, and Shen Qingqiu was careful
to keep his movements
soft and non-threatening as he pulled out the Qiangkun Flute. Qiangkun
Flasks were one of those pieces of magical equipment that Peerless
Cucumber
had liked to throw a fit about in his last life, and begrudgingly made the most
of in this one, because seriously, Airplane, a spiritual tool that could hold
liquids at the same temperature no matter how long they'd been in there?
It's a thermos.
It's obviously a vacuum-sealed thermos. Luolbinghe watched him with hard,
narrowed eyes as he uncorked the Qiangkun Flask and stepped forward. Is it
drunk?
It's drugged, he said abruptly. Shen Qingqiu was surprised by even the
suggestion. Of course it wasn't drugged. He knew perfectly well that the
protagonist was immune to every drug and poison under the sun.
Oh, but Liu Mingyan wouldn't know that, would she? He had to start paying
better attention to his character. It's not, he said instead.
He raised the flask to his own lips. He pushed aside the veil just enough to let
Luolbinghe see that he was really drinking, and took a sip. It's water, nothing
more, I promise you.
Luolbinghe wavered, but Shen Qingqiu could see when thirst won out over
distrust. Please, he said, voice cracking.
And what could Shen Qingqiu even do except rush in and lift the flask to his
lips, tilting it back to let him drink his fill? Well.
He could have put the flask in Luolbinghe's hands, technically, but with his
arms bound low the way they were, he would have had to practically kowtow
to the ground to be able
to drink like that, and Shen Qingqiu couldn't bear the thought of it.
Luolbinghe drank for a long time, occasionally raising his head a little for
breath, and
Shen Qingqiu kept the flask up until he was done. At last, Luolbinghe took a
deep, shuddering breath, and turned his head. He turned his head to the
side.
Thank you, he said, and his voice was softer, slaked. It is little enough, Shen
Qingqiu replied.
He corked the flask and hesitated, wavering on what to do with it. He didn't
want to take it away with him. What if Luolbinghe got thirsty again?
But there weren't a lot of places in the barren chamber that would be out of
sight of the guards, and yet within Luolbinghe's reach. In the end, he came
back to his senses. He carefully tucked it into the side of Luolbinghe's boot.
His hands tingled, being so close to Luolbinghe's leg, and he fought the urge
to shiver at the proximity. All the spiritual energy in here, probably.
Here, this should last you a few days if Luol Shixiong is sparing with it. I am
much in your debt, Luolbinghe said. But whose debt am I in?
Shen Qingqiu had expected this question. And had prepared an answer
ahead of time. One of Zheangcheng Mountain, who has admired this noble
Luol since his magnificent victory
over the demon invaders. He said. Not a word of it was a lie. He was of
Zheangcheng Mountain, and he had admired Luolbinghe after that match.
He'd admired him before that match, too.
But he didn't need to mention that part. But Liu Mingyan had been witness to
that match, and Luolbinghe knew that, too. Despite this, there was no reason
to suspect.
Despite his best efforts, some of his own actual feelings leaked into his voice,
even through the talisman, when he said, It's not right that you should be
trapped in here, punished like this.
Not when your actions saved the sect. Little Bingha let out a bitter laugh.
Shime seems to be the only one who thinks so, he said with a little jerk of his
head
that seemed to encompass the chamber around them. The combined efforts
of all twelve peaks to subdue him. Not true, Shen Qingqiu insisted. I am not
alone in this.
There are others as well, who hold you in great esteem and are outraged by
the injustice of binding you here.
In addition to Liu Mingyan, there was always Ning Yingying, and all the other
disciples
of Qingjing who admired Little Bingha so much, and of course Shen Qingqiu
himself, not that he could. He could never say that to Little Bingha, not
without having his tongue torn out.
Surely I should know the names of my friends in the sect, Little Bingha said,
and for the first time since coming down here, Shen Qingqiu heard it.
That darkly sweet undertone to Little Bingha's voice that meant he was after
something. Won't you give me your name? Well, he wasn't going to get it.
It is safer if I do not. Shen Qingqiu gave his rehearsed line. Discretion is key to
my freedom to come here. Ah, I see.
Little Bingha relinquished with a nod. Very clever, Ximei. That way I cannot
reveal your name, even under torture. Shen Qingqiu nearly jumped with
shock.
Nobody is going to be torturing you, he exclaimed, sputtering with disbelief.
Fuck, who would dare? Nobody was going to be doing any torture around
here. He wouldn't permit it.
If anyone tried, he'd raise the roof. He'd call in every favor and every piece of
blackmail in the sect to put a stop to it.
Ximei's reassurances are a great comfort to this one, Little Bingha said, still
with that very subtle sweet undertone. What was Bingha thinking?
Did he think Liu Mingyan was lying about the torture or not? Why would she?
Then what should we do? Why should I call you? Shen Qingqiu made an
effort to calm himself down. He had to get back on script.
Little Bingha wanted a name for his new paramour, and he couldn't get one,
not yet. He had to keep the mystique for now, while still leading Little Bingha
towards the conclusion he needed him to reach.
Please think of me as the mist that gathers in deep places. Little Bingha's eyes
narrowed slightly. I see. I see, he said.
Yeah, Shen Qingqiu bet he saw. He'd crafted that alias very carefully. He
couldn't mention willows in any way, that would have been too overt. But he
wanted to make sure the illusion came through.
And it should, because he'd taught Little Bingha that poem himself. I must go,
Shen Qingqiu said at last, coloring his talisman-altered voice with reluctance.
Not entirely feigned. But he'd timed this visit carefully. One eye on the next
patrol to come down the stairs. He didn't want to spend too long in Little
Bingha's company. Not at first.
He wanted to win Little Bingha's trust in carefully modulated doses, while
minimizing the risk that his disguise would fail. He'd accomplished his goals
for the first day.
Comfort and sustenance for Little Bingha. Hints laid as to Liu Mingyan's
identity. The groundwork for clemency for Xiangchang established. Time to
go.
The guards will return soon. He turned towards the back of the chamber. The
fissure in the rock that led into the whispering caves. Wait. Little Bingha
called out.
Shen Qingqiu knew what was coming next. It was all part of the script. Little
Bingha would ask, When will you be back? And the wife would reply, As soon
as I can. Wait for me, my love.
Before you go, I have to know. Little Bingha said. He swallowed visibly,
rallying his courage, and asked, Is my Shizun all right?
As soon as I can. Wait for me, my— Shen Qingqiu broke off mid-word,
derailed and off-balanced. What? That was not the line. That was not in the
script.
My Shizun. Little Bingha said earnestly, his eyes wide and vulnerable. Peak
Lord Shen. He was badly injured. I don't know if he was even alive, and they
took him away.
Please tell me, is he all right? I can't rest until I know. For a moment, Shen
Qingqiu was struck almost speechless. Ah, an opportunity.
If Little Bingha didn't know that Shen Qingqiu was alive, could he perhaps be
convinced he was dead? Maybe his original plan could still be salvaged. But—
Fuck, no, it wouldn't work. It was too checkable a lie. Little Bingha was alone
down here, but he wasn't completely isolated.
The Cuxing disciples came down a few times a day to check the wards, and
there was nothing stopping them from gossiping in front of their prisoner.
It was too possible that Little Bingha would hear from them of Shen Qingqiu's
continued survival, and he'd want to know why Liu Mingyan had lied.
And besides, even if Shen Qingqiu could convincingly fake his own death,
Qiangchang Mountain would still be stuck facing the wrath of the
protagonist.
That was the whole point of this, to convince Bingha that not all of
Qiangchang was deserving of his wrath. Destroying his own credibility on the
first day was not going to accomplish that.
Fuck, what could he say that wouldn't get him into more trouble? Why did
Little Bingha want to know anyway? Why did he care?
Did he want assurance that Shen Qingqiu hadn't died before he had a chance
to take his full vengeance? That didn't really fit with the way Bingha was
reacting. But if not that, then what?
Or was he looking forward to hearing all about Shen Qingqiu's suffering? If
the latter would telling him a lot of gory details satisfy him, or just get him in
the mood for more?
Even if it would satisfy him, Shen Qingqiu absolutely was not satisfied. He
was not ready to talk about all the gory details. And anyway, Liu Mingyan
wouldn't have any reason to know the details of Shen Qingqiu's medical
treatments,
nor especially care. Liu Mingyan would stick to the bare facts. Peak Lord Shen
survived his injuries, yes, he said at last.
Ah, maybe he could at least throw Little Bingha a little off the trail, when he
finally got out of here. Pretend to be somewhere he wasn't. From what I
heard,
Mu recommended that he stay in bedrest at Xianqiao Peak for at least
another month. It was true that had been Mu Qingfeng's orders, Shen
Qingqiu had ignored him, of course,
and shamelessly convinced the sect leader that he would recover better on
his own home peak. But Mu Qingfeng had recommended it. He had been
braced for Little Bingha's reaction.
But the reaction he did get still surprised him. Little Bingha practically
collapsed into a prodigal child. He was in a protagonist puddle right there in
the middle of the floor. If Shen Qingqiu hadn't known better,
he would have thought for a moment that the array had melted him. Oh,
thank heavens he lives. Thank heaven. But so long on bedrest.
He trailed off, muttering, before raising a newly intense gaze to Shen Qingqiu.
Please, Shimei, can you find out more? I would be in your debt a hundred
times more.
Anything you can find out. Crap, shit, fucking, bullshit, son of a mother
fucking bitch. He did not know how to deal with this. Was he seriously being
asked to snitch on his own self?
Was Little Bingha trying to get a lead on Shen Qingqiu through Liu Mingyan
so that he could track his treacherous Shizun through her? Was this the plot
that would spark their romance?
Little Bingha enlisting Liu Mingyan to get revenge on Shen Qingqiu? He didn't
know how to deal with this. So, he didn't. I... the guards are coming.
He managed, and conveniently there was a light and the sound of voices
from further up the stairs. I must go. He fled. The end of the chapter.
Thank you for listening. Author's Notes I had originally intended for SQQ to
bring Little Bingha food as well as water,
but I couldn't make it work with the flow of the scene and dialogue. He would
have had to hand-feed Bingha, and I don't think Little Bingha is ready to trust
his mysterious visitor that much yet.
Well, that leaves some things on the table for next time. About the alias that
SQQ gives to Little Bingha. I have no doubt that a scholar and nerd such as
Shen Qingqiu
would be able to come up with a name that was suitably poetic and classical,
dropping carefully veiled insinuations meant to lead Little Bingha to the
conclusion that he was speaking to Liu Mingyan,
while admitting out loud to nothing of the sort. I am unfortunately not a
scholar of Chinese classical poetry, so the best I could do was scramble up Liu
Mingyan's name,
pen name, and a few allusions to their current situation, and came up with
Lan Yan Shen Su, mist that gathers in deep places.
The important bit is that while this alias does allude to Liu Mingyan's given
name, mist, or drizzle, it's also got pieces of Shen Qingqiu's own name in it,
so our boy really is not being as subtle as he thinks he is. Narrator notes. No
notes. Only bloopers. Sorry, blooper. Just the one.
The earth under Tsiangchang Mountain was rife with— Marilyn, knock it off.
Thank you.