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Chapter Text

Shen Yuan has never had this strong urge to hurl himself over a cliff.

He should’ve never grabbed that expired strawberry Yoplait yogurt out of the fridge and set it down on his desk as he scrolled through the pages of a popular novel that everyone on the internet had been hyping up about for months; Heaven Official’s Blessing.

After he had finished reading the devastatingly long piece of shit book, Proud Immortal Demon Way, after posting a shit ton of essay long complaints about how terrible the plot and the writing was- he decided to check out a different novel that people had been showering praises about.

To his surprise, he was fully immersed in the book, his eyes moving up and down as his brain absorbed in every letter, his heart aching at every moment that wasn’t shared between the martial god and his faithful ghost king.

It took a couple chapters for Shen Yuan to realize that his yogurt that laid pitifully on top of his desk, was no longer cold.

He sighed and lifted the seal of the container, dipping his spoon into the plastic container and lifting up a spoonful of white yogurt (which should’ve been pink) and pushed it into his mouth.

The white cream spreads throughout his tongue before being shoved down his throat, leaving behind a slightly bitter taste.

Shen Yuan stopped for a second and furrowed his brows.

Was this yogurt overdue, or was it Shen Yuan’s taste buds that were messing with him?

Like a dumbass, he shrugged and kept on eating, continuing to read through the addicting novel before he widened his eyes at the grave realization and dropped his spoon.

Shen Yuan covered his mouth with a shaking hand and stood up from the chair, pressing his spare hand against his stomach that was aching and making abnormal noises.

Shen Yuan hunched over and frantically rubbed his stomach, as if that would relieve the pain.

I’m about to have a blast in the toilet today.

Literally.

Before he could take a step towards the bathroom, his vision darkened and he tripped over the wires connecting to his computer, his ass sliding across the wooden tiles.

He lost consciousness and took his last breath, that stabbing pain twisting in his stomach being his end.

Shen Yuan was surrounded by darkness soon after, cursing himself alone in the uncomfortable darkness.

“I KNEW THAT YOGURT WAS OVERDUE! FUCK, I’M A DUMBASS! I CAN’T BELIEVE I DIED LIKE THAT, THIS IS SO EMBARRASING, OH MY FUCKING GOD, OH MY FUCKING GODDDDD!!!”

He angrily screamed at the top of his lungs, tossing himself across the floor, (was it even a floor?) kicking at the air angrily, and tugging at the roots of his poor scalp, “I DIED LIKE THAT?? I DIDN’T DIE OF OLD AGE OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT? I DIED OF EXPIRED YOGURT??? KILL ME AGAIN, GOD!”

It took him five minutes to fully calm down and contemplate over what just happened.

….

…….

………...

Okay, so he died.

That’s…..so weird.

The fact that he was dead felt bizarre, like it never happened at all, in fact.

He was much too young and hadn't experienced much of what life had laid out for him before it ended too soon.

But it wasn’t like he was adventuring out into the world, attending college actively like a good student, or was taking over his father’s business—no, he was just a lazy, rich kid that had too much time on his hands.

Too much time that he spent years purchasing chapters from Proud Immortal Demon Way, to talk shit about the characters, plot holes, and the poor writing in the comments section.

But now?

He didn’t even know where he was.

He wasn’t at heaven’s gates, nor was he in hell (he’s never felt so relieved in his whole entire life).

Some time passed before the answer to his questions had popped up in front of his eyes.

His eyes had to shut at the sudden brightness before opening them back up briefly.

[ Welcome Host! ｡^‿^｡ We welcome your presence into the system! It is in our sincere hope that during the course of this experience, you will fulfill the reader’s request and reform the scum cannon fodder, Night Touring Green Lantern, Qi Rong, into a tolerable character, and fill in the holes behind his backstory. We wish your journey success! ]

“HUH,” was all he could respond to the System with, his jaw dropping and his eyes widening in shock, “QI RONG? THE QI RONG FROM HEAVEN OFFICIAL’S BLESSING?? THE ANNOYING, STINKY, CANNIBAL THAT NEARLY KILLED HUA CHENG AS A KID AND HUMILIATED XIE LIAN SEVERAL TIMES??!”

[ Yes, Host! (＾▽＾) Please give us a moment to bind you to your role! ] 

[ LOADING… ]

This all felt unreal and it was too sudden.

But that didn’t stop him from feeling excited.

He was going to transmigrate into one of his favorite novels and meet his favorite characters face to face!

What lucky fan would be granted that honor?

But at the same time….COULDN’T THE SYSTEM HAVE GIVEN HIM A DIFFERENT MISSION?

He has to reform Qi Rong? He’d much rather reform Luo Binghe from Proud Immortal Demon Way! (That was a lie.)

A loud slap was echoed throughout the silent dimension.

Shen Yuan’s hand slid down to his eyes, his pale fingers spreading apart as he grudgingly stared at the screen that had finished loading between the gaps.

[ Successful! You are bound to the role: Son of Shen Wei Yao and Shen Jiu Yu, Son of the Xianle Advisor Shen, Young Master Shen, Xianle, Shen Yuan. Age: 6, Weapon: N/A. Starting points: 100 ]

Shen Yuan didn’t recall a Shen in the novel, and much less, a Shen Yuan that shared his name.

This system had probably put him into the body of a fetus and changed a family’s surname into Shen, to make things convenient.

Shen Yuan brought a hand up to his lips, his forefinger brushing against his chapped bottom lip and his thumb pressed up against his chin, wearing a thoughtful expression as he quietly asked the system, “....you want me to reform Qi Rong? Why? His presence is an utter joke and only exists to bring some form of comedy into the novel. I don’t see why we need to reform him, if we can even tame that wild personality’s of his.”

[ It is requested by loyal readers of the novel to know Qi Rong’s entire backstory, and they wish for him to have a happy ending, too, with his son, Guzi. A happy ending is only possible if Qi Rong becomes a character that other characters can somewhat, tolerate. ] 

“Loyal readers? No one wants that ogre to have a happy ending after what he did to Hong-Er, Xie Lian, and Lang Qianqiu,” Shen Yuan snorted, his hands slapping together and gesturing at the window to express his displeasure, “and also, I died before I could even reach the ending! I don’t know who the main villain is, or what happens between Xie Lian and Hua Cheng! How am I supposed to know how to not die when there’s ghosts, a human face disease, and scary monsters lurking everywhere!”

[ Have no worries, Host! o(^-^)o Insight about the future is not needed for your missions! Reforming Qi Rong is your main task! Please also keep in mind that as the plot progresses, there are many point-giving missions that can be fulfilled! Fruitful rewards will be given if you complete them! If the amount of points reach a number less than 0, the system will automatically carry out punishments! ]

Shen Yuan didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

Actually, he wanted to cry his heart out.

Just thinking of having to spend time with a ghost king who probably didn’t bathe and smells of rotten flesh everyday—made tears gather at the old man’s eyes (he just turned 19 but that didn’t matter).

Hell, that ghost was probably proud of smelling like sewer shit!

Wait, if I have to reform Qi Rong, wouldn’t that deviate the plot from the original?

Shen Yuan had read enough transmigration and reincarnation novels to know that everything was bound to change as soon as an imposter was planted into their fictional worlds, he wasn’t dumb enough not to know.

“System, who will replace Qi Rong if there isn’t a person who will cruelly beat up Hong-Er, and bring disaster to the Yong’an kingdom that flourished after the fall of the Xianle kingdom? Will Qi Rong be forced to carry out those events or will the plot significantly change?” Shen Yuan questioned, drawing his brows close together as he looked up at the window that was flickering.

[ (^▽^;) ] 

“System?”

[ Teleporting Host to << Heaven Official’s Blessing >> ]

 “SYSTEM!!!”

[ We wish the Host to have a smooth journey! ∠(^ー^) ] 

“STUPID SYSTEM, STUPID SCAMMERS!” was his last thoughts before he felt his soul being pulled at without restraint.

It felt like he was falling from a skyscraper, the unforgettable falling sensation pooling at the bottom of his stomach as the gravity pushed down on him.

His eyes were squeezed shut once again, but in fear this time as his beating heart picked up its pace; his hands helplessly reaching out to the pitch black darkness to grab at something to stabilize himself.

His arms returned to his sides before he found himself with his back pressed against the ground, a heavy weight laying on top of him.

His eyes flew open and enlarged when he found himself staring back at a set of sharp grey eyes that glared back into his.

Shen Yuan’s lips parted and his eyebrows furrowed when seeing a resentful scowl surface onto that round little face.

He only snapped out of his daze when the person on top of him was knocked off of him.

Shen Yuan quickly got back on his feet, taking in the surroundings and people before him.

There was a group of older teenagers around the ages of 14 and 16, hovering around a tiny child covered in scratches and bruises.

How the hell did the original goods get into this situation?

“Are you okay didi? Did he hurt you?” An older boy from the group asked in concern, “You shouldn’t have gotten too close to that little demon! He’s just as crazy as his mom!”

Shen Yuan blinked at him for a couple seconds and turned towards the boy on the ground who was glaring daggers at him.

Raven locks of hair were loosely tied into a bun, stray strands of hair sticking out, long side bangs framing his small face. His thin lips were unnaturally swollen from receiving hard hits, and a purple bruise underneath his right eye was swelling up. Scratches from sharp nails decorated his face, and his plain green robes were stretched out and dirtied with mud.

Shen Yuan didn’t say a word, a blank look on his face as he turned away from the group and the boy, “System, I know you can hear my thoughts. Don’t bother hiding your presence, you fucking scammer,” he telepathically spoke to the System frustatingly, “is this kid Qi Rong?”

[ {*≧∀≦} Your favorite System at your service! Yes, yes, Host is so smart! That certainly is Qi Rong! ] 

[ Xie Lian’s Cousin, Prince Xiao Jing of Xianle, Night Touring Green Lantern, Adoptive Father of Guzi, Qi Rong. Age: 6 ] 

Are these kids are nobles?

[ Ding, ding, ding! Correct!＼(★^∀^★)／]

If Shen Yuan could strangle that piece of shit System physically, he gladly would.

The future cannibal ghost has already been reduced to this pitiful state! He will not hesitate to chop off my limbs one by one and eat them in the future! Are you crazy, System?!! Why would you have me transmigrate into a cannon fodder bully, much less, Qi Rong’s??! It’s not like he’s Hua Cheng or Xie Lian, but he’s not to be taken easily! And he’s royalty! That motherfucker will definitely snitch to his auntie and uncle, and will definitely not hesitate to grind my bones into dust!!!

Shen Yuan’s head was spinning into circles just thinking about the consequences of bullying the young cannibal and failing his mission.

He wasn’t dumb, if he failed his mission, he would be forced to return to his own world and die! That’s how it always was in transmigration novels!

And he wasn’t even given the chance to reform the future calamity! He would die because he bullied him!

He felt so dizzy that he lost his balance and his vision slightly blurred.

Shouts of worry were heard and a pair of hands caught the young master from face plopping onto the dirty floor, “Didi, didi! Are you okay?”

[ Host, do not worry! You’ve just arrived at the scene and therefore, did not inflict any harm towards the target, yet! (･∀･) ] The system assured him, dropping the weights off of his shoulders.

He opened his eyes and pulled himself up, straightening his posture and swatted the worrying hands away.

Unconsciously, he found himself rubbing at his temples, oblivious to the gawking group before another shout was sounded out from another boy, “Hey! Where do you think you’re going! We’re not finished with you!”

Shen Yuan looked over to see a boy tugging onto the collar of Qi Rong’s shirt, the younger one who tried to sneak away was hissing at him like a feral cat.

Shen Yuan wiped off any emotions lingering upon his face and cleared his throat before announcing, “Release him.”

The older boy looked back at him frustratedly, “But he dared to lay a hand on you! And we have to make sure he doesn’t tell anyone!”

Right, I have a higher position than all of them except for Qi Rong.

Shen Yuan just then noticed the light sting at the side of his face but brushed it off, “You all laid heavy blows on a child years younger than you, and let me remind you that he is of royalty, do you all not have fear and shame?” he reprimanded and added, “let him go before I call the royal guards.”

Hurry up and scram if you want to live!

Not even Xie Lian will spare you low IQ cannon fodders!

All of the older boys stiffened and stared at him oddly.

Another voice bravely spoke out, “B-But you were the one who told us to–”

“SCRAM! ALL OF YOU!”

FUCKKKKKK, HE WAS THE ONE WHO TOLD THEM TO BULLY QI RONG?

ORIGINAL GOODS WHAT WERE YOU THINKING??!

They all scrambled away, leaving nothing behind but a cloud of dust and the pair who just stared at each other in silence.

Shen Yuan approached the younger boy and bowed his head as deep as he could, cupping his hands together and greeting Qi Rong, “This lowly one greets Prince Xiao Jing. I apologize for their outrageous behaviors in their place.”

A beat of silence passed and Shen Yuan raised his eyes up to meet Qi Rong’s doubtful ones.

Another beat passed, and Shen Yuan righted himself up, laughing nervously as he scratched at his cheek, “Whenever your Highness needs assistance, this lowly one will always be at your beck and call,” he paused and remembered his role, “I will report today’s matter to my father, have no worries….This lowly one will then take his leave. Have a good day, Your Highness.”

Why the fuck is Qi Rong so quiet? I thought he was supposed to yell and complain all the time?

What is this OOC behavior?

He pushed those thoughts aside and turned to leave, flicking his sleeves like an arrogant immortal until a high raspy voice sounded out, “Ugly rat, why’d you help me?”

Ugly rat?

Who is the ugly rat here?!

Shen Yuan turned back around, forced a small smile onto his face and spoke eloquently, “How can I stand around idly and watch your Highness get bullied by fools who have forgotten their place?”

The ungrateful little shit, Qi Rong, crossed his arms and knitted his brows together, “Stop trying to talk like an old man, you sound like a dumbass,” he then proceeded to dust the dirt off of his robes and sneered at Shen Yuan, “and don’t think I don’t know that you look down on me also like those pig fuckers. What do you want?”

Shen Yuan wanted to facepalm himself so hard right now.

Of course!

How could he forget!

Eight year olds don’t speak like an immortal that’s lived on top of a mountain peak for hundreds of years!

This was an entirely different novel! Not Proud Immortal Demon Way, where it was common to hear young disciples refer to themselves as ‘this lowly disciple’ and used very formal terms like an old sage with a long white beard.

“I don’t want anything, truly.”

I just don’t want to get eaten in the future!

Qi Rong’s distrustful eyes narrowed as he looked at Shen Yuan up and down, as if he had the answers written on his face.

A bead of sweat trailed down Shen Yuan’s forehead, who awkwardly stood there with a tense smile on his face that was beginning to feel numb.

After studying the boy who was frozen in place like a statue; Qi Rong tore his eyes away and walked a few meters away from Shen Yuan, dropped to his knees and his hands flew out towards a tall bush.

Shen Yuan who watched the boy push the sharp branches aside and squinted his eyes as he searched through it–tilted his head in confusion and drew closer to him, “Your Highness, what is it that you’re looking for?”

His eyebrow twitched in irritation, and he paused momentarily to shoot a glare at Shen Yuan before continuing, “Go away ugly rat, go eat cow shit or something, stop bothering me!”

He heard him click his tongue in annoyance, “Stop being stubborn and let me help you, what are you looking for?”

“Go away,”

“No,”

“Mine your own fucking business!”

“Mine….? Do you mean mind?”

Qi Rong retracted his hands from the bush and shot up from his original position, huffing and stomping his tiny feet at Shen Yuan, “STOP CORRECTING ME! GO AWAY YOU STUPID FUCKER!”

The former only kept a calm smile on, eyes curled up into small crescents.

They both stared at each other like that for what seemed like forever, the hot-tempered little boy puffed his cheeks, his curved brows and narrowed eyes displaying his frustration towards the taller boy who was wearing a polite expression, the sweat collecting at his forehead betraying him.

‘Shen Yuan you crazy fucker, you’re courting death,’ The voice at the back of his head yelled at him with strong conviction.

‘No, I’m doing this to gain favor! If I’m going to reform Qi Rong, I have to be in his good graces!’ He reasoned with himself, his composed smile beginning to diminish as he tried to explain the intentions behind his actions, ‘How will I reform him if he refuses to let me be near him?’

‘You’re only pissing him off in this way! Hug his skinny thighs! Kiss his feet! Let him use you as a footrest–‘ 

‘We’re not reforming him to be a sadist! Do you think we’re thick-faced enough to pull off any of that? We have to make him somewhat tolerable enough that Hua Cheng won’t even acknowledge his sad existence!’

“...A hairpin.”

Only then did Shen Yuan snap out of his internal chaotic thoughts and looked down at the child who had his face turned away, the tips of his ears burning red, wearing an unpleasant expression as he stood on his tippy toes to appear taller.

The sight of this made Shen Yuan oppress the snicker that wanted to escape from his trembling lips that slightly pulled up into an amused grin.

Short ass.

Shen Yuan clasped his hands together and cheered, “Okay! I’ll find it in no time!”

They both searched around the courtyard for some time, the fluttering leaves detaching from the branches of the tall tree that stood in the middle of the courtyard, casting a warm shadow over the two small figures beneath it.

When Shen Yuan’s hand brushes against something hard, he hums to himself approvingly before stretching his arm further to reach the object. He grabs a hold of the item and pulls back his arm, revealing a plain jade hairpin, no tassels hanging at the end, or any decorations of the sort, just a stick.

Shen Yuan stands up and stretches his sore legs before heading over to the anxious little boy. He stops in his tracks when he hears loud rustling from nearby bushes.

Shen Yuan’s head snaps towards the source of the noise and frowns before returning back to that same spot where he found the hairpin. The rustling abruptly stops as soon as Shen Yuan approaches it.

With a brow arched in slight interest and anticipation, he leans his face closer to the bushes.

“Meow.”

However, that sound didn’t come from a cat.

A small face of a young boy popped out of the bush and a hand flew over to cover Shen Yuan’s, (which didn’t help because Shen Yuan let out a loud gasp before that hand covered his wide mouth) panicked round eyes were as wide as his, and a slim finger rested against his small lips that were pulled back into a strained half-smile. Strands of his hazelnut silk hair that was tied together into a high ponytail with a long white ribbon, bounced in front of his delicate face.

It took every bit of Shen Yuan to not drop his jaw and embarrass himself in front of the Crown Prince, who was suddenly surrounded by a burst of white light.

[ Main Protagonist of TGCF, His Highness Who Pleased The Gods, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, Flower Crown Martial God, Xie Lian. Age: 10 ] 

The protagonist’s white halo is too bright!

I can’t see!

“Your Highness?” Shen Yuan whispered, but it came out muffled as the older boy before him only raised a brow before letting out a nervous chuckle, “I-I, uh, how may I help you?”

“Nothing, nothing, please forget that you saw me!”

A beat of silence fell between the both of them as soon a tiny voice behind Shen Yuan was heard, “Cousin Crown Prince?”

Xie Lian shot up from his crouched position and patted away the dirt from his ass, a gentle smile on his face as he faced Qi Rong, “Hi Qi Rong! I was just passing by, nothing to see!”

Qi Rong gave him a confused look before beaming brightly, “Cousin Crown Prince! I thought you were supposed to be studying right now! Did Guoshi finish his lessons early?”

The crown prince wore a troubled expression before smiling again, a rivulet of sweat sliding down his face, “I-I, y-yes! Guoshi was kind enough to let me go early.”

An obvious lie.

Shen Yuan, who watched the exchange, came to a conclusion.

10 year old Xie Lian was probably skipping his lessons with Guoshi, and was probably hiding so he wouldn’t be scolded for skipping class. Perfectly reasonable for a 10 year old, who the hell wanted to sit through boring lessons about history and calligraphy for hours on end? Especially since Xie Lian was a person who preferred martial arts and cultivation over calligraphy and politics.

Shen Yuan snorted before tapping Qi Rong’s shoulder and interrupted the conversation, “Your Highness, my apologies for interrupting your conversation,” he thrusted his hand holding the jade hairpin out towards him, “is this what you were looking for?”

Qi Rong gasped softly before snatching the hairpin from his hands, wiping off the dirt that stuck to the stick with his sleeve before clutching it close to him.

He lifted his head up to see Shen Yuan and scoffed, “You’re still a good-for-nothing, and an ugly rat. Don’t think just because you found my hairpin means that I owe you something.”

Excuse me?

The veins at his forehead became more prominent as Shen Yuan squinted at him with a forced grin, “Yes, yes, of course, Your Highness!”

Xie Lian who stood at the side, frowned and reprimanded Qi Rong, “Qi Rong, that’s not how you thank your benefactor. Apologize and thank–” he glanced at Shen Yuan with an apologetic smile, “I’m so sorry…..what was your name again?”

“Shen Yuan, Your Highness.”

“Apologize and thank Shen Yuan properly.”

Qi Rong mouth opened to argue but stopped as soon as Xie Lian pushed him closer to Shen Yuan, urging him to properly apologize and thank Shen Yuan.

Qi Rong hung his head low and mumbled under his breath, “.....T-Tha-Thank you, and s-sorry,”

Shen Yuan who felt great satisfaction at the embarrassed brat who stuttered terribly before him, lowered himself to the other’s height and leaned in close, holding a hand against his ear with a smug smirk plastered across his face, “Sorry, what? I didn’t quite understand that, Your Highness.”

“I SAID WHAT I SAID, YOU DUMBASS! ARE YOUR EARS ONLY THERE FOR DECORATION?!”

He snickered quietly and quickly stepped away. He held a hand behind his back, humming in surprise when he realized there was a fan in the empty space between his belt and robes. He pulled it out and snapped it open with ease, the splashes of ink across the paper made up an elegant bamboo forest, tiny little leaves fluttering in the wind as neatly written words were laid on the other side of the paper, ‘This time, no matter where you want to go, this master will accompany you.’

When Shen Yuan first saw the words, his brows curved down in confusion when he tried to pick at a deeper meaning behind the quote but didn’t let his attention linger onto it, he covered the bottom half of his face and spoke with indifference, “Forgiven.”

Xie Lian palmed himself in the face as Qi Rong scoffed and then pouted when his cousin shook his head at him in disapproval.

“This lowly one will take his leave, may your Highnesses have a pleasant day,” he smiled and bowed at his waist.

He lifted himself up and walked away, fanning at his face before he turned his head and thoughtfully said after some consideration, “Ah, Your Highness, Prince Xiao Jing, you should visit the imperial doctor to treat your wounds. If you don’t, I’m afraid they’ll leave behind scars and you too, will become an ugly rat like this one if they’re neglected.”

He picked up his pace when hearing another wave of aggressive insults and Xie Lian scolding the brat after.

He quickly turned around a corner while stifling his booming laughter that tried so hard to claw their way out of the entrance.

The satisfied grin on his face was wiped away as soon as he heard that familiar chime.

[ +15 Coolness Points! ] 

[ -10 Coolness Points! ] 

[ +10 Backstory Points! ] 

[ +10 F Points! ] 

Huh?! How come I only got 25 points for dealing with a rude brat? You should give me 100 more! He was so lucky that his face wasn’t catching these fists if he weren’t in a roughed up shape!

System, you scamming piece of shit software! Why did I also lose 10 coolness points?!

[ -10 Coolness Points for bullying Qi Rong. Host, be nice to him!（◞‸◟）]

Shen Yuan rolled his eyes as far as he could, massaging the sides of his head as he sighed and pushed down the urge to strangle that stupid System (although it wasn’t physically possible).

Be nice to him? How do you expect me to be nice to a rude kid like that? Even Xie Lian in the novel couldn’t tolerate him!

System, if anything, you should be nicer to me!

[ Host is wrong! System is very kind to host! 〴⋋_⋌〵 ] 

Lies.

Hey System, what are F Points?

[ Favorability points! ღゝ◡╹)ノ♡ ] 

Favorability points?

Huh, it seemed like helping him find his hairpin was the right thing to do.

[ Host, that’s not what favorability points only mean— ]

What do you mean?

[ … ]

[ The system once again, prays that the Host will have a smooth journey! May Xie Lian bless you! ] 

Shen Yuan rolled his eyes again at the floating window in front of his face and snapped shut the intricate fan in his hands, tapping it against his chin as he recalled the courtyard scene from earlier.

Recalling the courtyard scene from earlier, Shen Yuan doesn’t remember Qi Rong being bullied during this certain time period.

If Shen Yuan’s memory of the novel doesn’t fail him, the only scene of Qi Rong getting bullied while he was younger, was by a group of noble kids who’d team up on Qi Rong who just began to adjust to life in the palace. He was saved by his cousin, Xie Lian and that’s why he treated the Crown Prince like a benevolent god.

Shen Yuan saw the way Qi Rong’s eyes shone when he saw the Crown Prince, so it’s clear that they’ve already met and that Xie Lian saved him from the bullies, but why is Qi Rong still getting bullied?

Does it have to do with his parent’s past? Do the nobles and servants disregard his status and let any mistreatment towards him slide?

What the hell, why isn’t Qi Rong telling on them to his aunt and uncle?

Shen Yuan shut his eyes momentarily and pulled his brows close together, his carmine lips pressed into a line before he huffed and swatted away the puzzling theories and questions that clouded his head.

Whatever, Shen Yuan had a lot of time to reform Qi Rong, Qi Rong was only 6!

He was 15 when he got that carriage as a gift from the king and queen of Xianle and nearly killed the future ghost king who was nearly dragged to death by his carriage (Shen Yuan has never wanted to slap a 15 year old so hard when he read that passage).

Although Qi Rong was a rude and ill-mannered kid that would grow up to be a thorn at Xie Lian’s side and a good-for-nothing calamity that was only given the title for the number aesthetic–he was still currently just a kid who was once Xie Lian’s most faithful believer.

He was just an annoying brat at the moment, but he didn’t commit any crimes or do anything outrageous, so that was a plus.

The only problem was—how the fuck was Shen Yuan gonna reform Qi Rong, who was a prince of a flourishing kingdom? How was he gonna get the opportunity to even see the little brat?

Shen Yuan punched at the air and released a frustrated yell.

FUCK YOU SYSTEM! YOU SET ME UP FOR FAILURE!!!

In the courtyard, before Shen Yuan left with his robes in flurry, the two small figures that stood under the old oak tree watched him leave. The one in forest green in particular stopped spilling false insults after his older cousin scolded him. His eyes were focused on the emerald figure who turned around a corner, feeling oddly disappointed when the figure disappeared from his sight. If the person who left, turned his head around once again before exiting and glanced at the smaller one of the two, he would see a rich color of cinnabar painted across the boy’s face, dark long lashes briefly brushing against his bruised skin as his small eyes twinkled.

Chapter Text

“Your Highness! Your Highness!” Guoshi shouted from afar with his hands cupped around his mouth, “Your Highness, you can’t just skip your calligraphy lesson and call it a day! You’re not allowed to go to the banquet today until you’ve finished completing your work!”

Xie Lian slid down behind a tree and squatted down with a hand over his mouth, slowing down his breathing. Only then when he heard no more of Guoshi’s shouts, he moved his hand away from his mouth, taking in a sharp breath before sudden chills ran down his spine, paralyzing him on spot.

“Your sleeve was sticking out from your little hiding spot,” he enunciated every word firmly with arms crossed against his chest, “not only do you fail in calligraphy, you’re terrible in stealth. Come,”

The Crown Prince got up and clasped his hands together, “Guoshi, can I just play for a couple hours? An hour at least? Pleaseee, I want to take a break and see what’s going on at the banquet. There’s plenty of time for me to get back on my calligraphy lessons today, please let me go,”

“No, procrastination is a bad habit,”

Xie Lian squeezed his eyes shut and pleaded harder, “Pleaseeeeeee, Guoshi! I swear I’ll get all of my work done by today! I’ll come back under an hour, I promise!”

Guoshi didn’t reply but studied Xie Lian in silence with a frown. A beat. His arms fell to his sides shortly after, sighing to himself, “Come back under an hour, if you come back a second late, I’m reporting this to His Majesty. If you get caught by His or Her Majesty, you’re on your own.”

However, the crown prince knew why Guoshi agreed too easily. His teacher was a lazy person who loved to play cards and would rather be sleeping in than be teaching, which contradicted his strict manner when teaching Xie Lian.

The young prince brightened up and nodded his head, spun on his heels and gleefully treaded towards the bustling kitchen. He was greeted by chefs and occupied servants walking out of the kitchen with platters of food, rich aroma swirling up into the air and carried by the passing gentle breeze.

Xie Lian stepped out of the way for the servants, giving each and every one of them a polite smile. His smile widens when seeing the surprised looks and a wave of courteous greetings from them.

The head chef saw Xie Lian stand at the doorway from the corner of his eye and chuckled, “Your Highness, how may I help you?”

He strided into the kitchen with a cheeky grin, his hands resting on top of his hips as he leaned in towards a plate full of meat buns. Xie Lian glanced at the chef for approval before snatching one and placing it in his mouth, a pleased sound escaping from him.

“Your Highness, you can eat more extravagant dishes at the banquet,” The head chef commented, “ah, if any of the dishes for the banquet aren’t to your liking, is there anything that Your Highness wishes for me to make?”

“No, this alone tastes great! Thank you, Chef Jian!” Xie Lian chimed, wiping away the stray crumbs on his lips before striding towards the courtyard with his head lowered and a stretched hand hovering over the left side of his face, a horrible attempt to hide his identity, but you know what? Let Xie Lian believe he is good at it.

The moment he stepped into the courtyard after deciding that he should stop by to see the blooming flowers, he spotted a white cat by the trimmed bushes and went over to it, cooing and petting it lovingly, “Haitang, what are you doing here? You’re not allowed to wander out while there are guests over.”

The cat rubbed its head against the back of his hand, purring before it leaped on top of his lap. Haitang shuffled around before finding a comfortable position, its hind legs pressed against Xie Lian’s ribcage, slightly tickling him. 

Xie Lian giggled softly and repositioned the cat, ignoring its rebellious ‘meow.’ He ran his fingers through its fur, giving it light affectionate strokes before it closed its eyes in contentment. He stretched his back and yawned, blinking at Haitang in a daze after a few minutes had passed. His head drooped down his shoulders further and further, until it dropped on top of the soft grass (that somehow didn’t wake him from his half-asleep state).

Some time passed. The saliva that leaked from the corner of his lips streamed down towards the side of his right cheek; beginning to dry under the warm wind that caressed his facial features.

“LET ME GO YOU SHIT EATING MONGRELS! I’LL SKIN YOU PIG FUCKERS ALIVE!” 

Xie Lian’s head snapped up at the sudden ear-piercing screech.

He carefully moved Haitang to the side and scrambled to his knees before pushing the bushes in front of him apart to create a small hole for him to see through. 

A group of older boys circled around a frail one, two taller ones at his side with their hands clasped around his skinny arms. The one who was helplessly caught in a tight hold, was thrashing around wildly, not caring if the attempt was fruitless. 

‘Noble children,’ Xie Lian noted their flamboyant clothing, his usual peaceful demeanor collapsing when recognizing his younger cousin, who was the one covered in scratches and bruises, spitting vulgar words to those around him. The crown prince was about to stomp over there and throw fists at the bullies until a new presence strutted into the courtyard, waving a fan in front of his face, but one can easily see the cocky smirk past that distinguished fan.

It was a boy who looked to be around the same age as Qi Rong. His glossy inky hair was fasted up into a high ponytail with braids on each side of his head following up to his scalp, two long thick strands of hair hovering below his collar. His slanted amber eyes slowly twisted up at the poor sight of the prince. As soon as he closed his fan and shoved it in between his belt, a notable mole an inch below his hateful smirk was brought into view.

“Mongrels?” He snickered and closed the distance between the two of them, faces a couple inches away from touching each other, “aren’t you the dirty little mutt that was picked up from the streets? Truly, I wonder who is the hideous mongrel here—”

The boy didn’t get to finish his speech before Qi Rong slammed his forehead against his, knocking the obnoxious boy onto the ground. The older kids who were holding him back were caught off guard, and Qi Rong used that opportunity to pull free and hurl himself over the one laying on the ground. He clenched his hands and swung a tight fist at the boy’s face as hard as he could.

The body below him suddenly went limp, and a tide of eerie silence and hesitation drowned those who were present at the courtyard. 

Qi Rong who knocked the shit out of him, stared down at him in utter shock, loosening his fists and furiously shaking the light body, “What the fuck? Dead from one punch? Are you that fucking weak? WAKE UP STUPID ASSHOLE!!”

The audience surrounding the two clapped their hands over their mouths, loud gasps of disbelief emerged from them and even tears were shed from some. The crown prince was no exception to the shock, his mouth was wide open and his eyes were as big as saucers.

“Didi’s dead!”

“Oh my god—my mom is gonna kill me!”

“There’s no way Shen Yuan died that easily...right?”

“What do we do?”

“Where do we hide the body?” 

Everyone shot a deathly glare at the person who dared to make that last imprudent comment.

Worried whispers about Shen Yuan’s death were exchanged between the group of bullies, and Qi Rong stopped shaking the body and grabbed onto the collar of his robes, “If you don’t wake your ass up right now, I’ll kill you!”

And magically, as if by command, the boy’s eyes shot open and widened when seeing the former on top of him. His red lips part, thin brows knitted together, and his focus was concentrated on Qi Rong, tuning everything else out, as if he was the only being that existed in the entirety of this world. Qi Rong’s narrowed eyes slightly softened and a brow was lifted at the sudden change of behavior.

Unfortunately, a hand pushed Qi Rong away and grabbed a hold of Shen Yuan’s arm, helping him up. 

“Are you okay didi? Did he hurt you?” A boy asked in concern, pulling grass out of Shen Yuan’s hair with dried tear streaks down his cheeks, “You shouldn’t have gotten too close to that little demon! He’s just as crazy as his mom!”

Shen Yuan only blinked at him dumbfounded, looking like a deer caught in headlights as he turned to look at Qi Rong who was glaring daggers at him. Shen Yuan inspected Qi Rong, alarmed eyes running up and down at his current state. After a beat, he turned away from the group with a hand slapped against his forehead, mumbling angry words under his breath, “...cannon fodder...Hua Cheng….into dust!”

He massaged his temples shortly after, sighing to himself pitifully. His friends who stood at the side with puzzled expressions were genuinely concerned about this abnormal behavior.

“Did that crazy dog hit him too hard in the head?”

“Should we be worried about this?”

“What do we do now? Do we leave?”

“What is he saying?”

“What if he got possessed by a ghost?”

The noble teenagers whipped their heads around to see the same individual that asked where to hide Shen Yuan’s ‘dead’ body. The brave individual silently cried to himself, rubbing a hand over the fresh bumps that formed on the back of his head.

Not even a half of a second had passed until Shen Yuan was wavering, his kneecaps loosening and his eyes were closed, his form faltering. Lucky for him, there were hands ready to catch the small noble from falling.

“Didi, didi! Are you okay?”

Shen Yuan opened his eyes and pulled himself away from their worrying hands, swatting them like flies before he rubbed at his temples yet again.

As confused as Qi Rong was by this whole entire awkward situation, he wasn’t dumb enough to stay on the ground and wait for the young noble to take his revenge. He jumped to his feet and decided to make a run for it, ignoring the shout behind him, “Hey! Where do you think you’re going? We’re not finished with you!” His feet failed to progress any further when a rough hand grasped onto the hem of his collar. He hisses and twists his body around, trying to wiggle himself out of the tight grip.

Xie Lian, who successfully snuck up to the group and blended in during the chaos, frowned as his readied fists were forcefully pulled back when Shen Yuan stepped forward with a domineering air around him. Don’t get Xie Lian wrong, he was never the one to stand around and watch someone suffer in front of him, but there was this weird, strong feeling within him upon seeing Shen Yuan. 

‘ Sit back and watch, everything would turn out okay without your interference, ’ his gut told him.

Shen Yuan wore a stoic expression, lifting his head up to look up at the noble. Although he was shorter than all of them (except for Qi Rong), his cold gaze that rested at the other’s face was enough to startle the others.

“Release him.”

“But he dared to lay a hand on you! And we have to make sure he doesn’t tell anyone!”

Shen Yuan hesitated momentarily at his statement but hardened his tone and scowled, “You all laid heavy blows on a child years younger than you, and let me remind you that he is of royalty, do you all not have fear and shame?” He gracefully flicked his long sleeves and sneered, “let him go before I call the royal guards.”

Xie Lian furrowed his brows at his attitude and at the way he spoke (and he didn’t miss the bright sparkle in Qi Rong’s eyes). Wasn’t this kid 6? Why was he so well spoken for his age? Was he actually a really short teenager? And wasn’t he the one who told them to bully Qi Rong? They treated him like their leader although he was many years younger than all of them, and his dramatic entrance from earlier said many things about him. 

So what was with this sudden switch of personalities?

Everyone else around him had agreed, their shoulders stiffened and the tension in the air had increased before a courageous person spoke, “B–But you were the one who told us to—“

“SCRAM! ALL OF YOU!”

They didn’t dare to retort, so they quickly made their leave. Xie Lian followed them half of the way, swiftly tripping one of them on purpose before he disappeared back into the bushes to keep a close watch on Shen Yuan and Qi Rong, ignoring the, “WHO THE FUCK DID THAT—” from the irrelevant leaving crowd.

The taller noble politely smiled throughout his interaction with Qi Rong, awkwardly chuckling as he wrung his hands together unconsciously when Qi Rong swore at him like a sailor. His cousin, who was intimidated by Shen Yuan’s height, stood at the very top of his toes despite his sore body. He had his arms crossed to himself with his cheeks puffed up like a little chipmunk, the scowl on his face shifting into one of arrogance.

Xie Lian relaxed in his hidden position when seeing that Shen Yuan wasn’t going to harm Qi Rong after shooing the others away. His behavior was abnormal, but maybe he was actually trying to help Qi Rong in the first place? He wasn’t there to inflict harm upon Qi Rong with the other unruly bullies, but when he arrived, only vicious words came out of his mouth. 

After some brainstorming, Xie Lian snapped his fingers when coming into a reasonable conclusion (a rather naive one). Maybe the young noble was pretending to be a bad guy and was actually trying to squeeze Qi Rong out of that sticky situation, knowing that he couldn’t win in a fight with the older kids with just him and Qi Rong. That’s how it played out sometimes in the books that Xie Lian read. And there was no way a young kid like him could have some kind of authority over the older kids.

It was only then Xie Lian’s attention was seized when he caught a sudden ghostly figure standing beside Shen Yuan.

It was a young adult dressed in his inner robes—Xie Lian didn’t even think they were even inner robes! They were far too short and thin, the top of the man’s clothing had short sleeves and it reached down to his hips with a strange drawing plastered across the shirt. It seemed to be a kid with blond spiky hair with his fist stretched out, weird whisker marks on the sides of his face, blue eyes full of determination, and a headband wrapped around his forehead. The sight of his pants barely reaching down to his kneecaps made Xie Lian slightly shrink back from the bushes, eyes squinting and his lips curving down. Despite his...unsightly clothing, the man’s face was oddly similar to Shen Yuan’s, only his face structure was sharper and he had two moles; one below his lips like Shen Yuan, and another on his upper lip.

The ghostly man kicked and jumped at the air, words spilling out of his mouth at an incredible speed, “godpleasegrantmethepatienceofasaintpleasebeforeichuckthiskidoffofacliff—”

Xie Lian blinked and that figure vanished into thin air, as if it was never there. The crown prince rubbed at his eyes and blinked again, still finding nothing but his cousin and Shen Yuan sweating bullets, his smile becoming more strained as Qi Rong continued spitting hateful words at him. 

Haha, maybe Xie Lian needs to see the Imperial Doctor after this whole ordeal.

When Qi Rong and Shen Yuan began searching around the garden after their dispute, Xie Lian felt himself panicking when Shen Yuan came near his hiding spot. He didn’t want to show up in front of Qi Rong now, he was afraid his cousin’s loose lips would open and that he’d tell his parents about how Xie Lian got out of ‘class’ early and came to see him, when really, he was just passing by and was sort of skipping (was it skipping when he was granted permission?) his lessons to see what was going on during the banquet that his parents were hosting. His father was terrifying when angry, and he didn’t want to see a disappointed expression on his mother. God, if he got Guoshi into trouble—Xie Lian couldn’t even imagine what kind of punishment he would be given.

Haitang took his panicking state to her advantage and jumped onto his lap, knocking him over. When Xie Lian groans and pushes the cat out of his lap, Haitang lets out a defiant sound before jumping into the bushes, creating a loud rustling sound.

Xie Lian froze on spot when hearing small footsteps coming closer and closer to his crouched position behind the bushes. He fell into a panicked frenzy when feeling the presence leaning into the bushes.

Think, think, what do I do? Should I make a run for it? Should I—

“Meow.”

Xie Lian slapped his forehead and blushed a mad color of crimson when hearing that come out of his mouth. He decided to save himself from further humiliation and shot out of the bushes.

He didn’t expect to see a face full of awe and shock looking up at him.

The younger one was rendered in astonishment, staring at him flabbergastingly for a couple of seconds before carefully whispering, “Your Highness?” Xie Lian didn’t expect him to recognize him, he barely showed his face to the public and only a small number of people knew his face. The crown prince chuckled nervously as the other cleared his throat and continued on, “I–I, uh, how may I help you?”

Xie Lian gave him a shy smile, shaking his head as he waved his hands in front of him flusteredly, “Nothing, nothing, please forgot that you saw me!”

 They both fell silent when Qi Rong cocked his head to the side behind Shen Yuan, and his face brightened up like the sun rising from the dark clouds that failed to permanently overshadow the blazing star in the vast skies. 

“Cousin Crown Prince?”

Xie Lian didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

He quickly cleaned himself up, brushing off the stray speckles of dirt on his robes and smoothening the strands of hair sticking out of his ponytail, “Hi Qi Rong! I was just passing by, nothing to see!”

Ah, I really didn’t want him to see me in such a state. There goes me being a good role model.

Qi Rong excitedly conversed with him, and Xie Lian stole a quick glance at Shen Yuan who was entirely amused. When he interrupted the conversation and gave the jade hairpin to Qi Rong, Xie Lian smiled and felt grateful for him. However, that smile is wiped off of his face when Qi Rong rudely answers Shen Yuan.

“You’re still a good-for-nothing, and an ugly rat. Don’t think just because you found my hairpin means that I owe you something.”

Huh?

Xie Lian frowned in displeasure, and it deepened when he saw Shen Yuan smiling at Qi Rong yet again, as if he’s just given him a compliment instead of an insult.

“Qi Rong, that’s not how you thank your benefactor. Apologize and thank—“

What was his name again?

He glanced at Xie Lian with an apologetic smile, “—sorry, what was your name again?”

“Shen Yuan, Your Highness,” came the quick reply.

“Apologize and thank Shen Yuan properly.”

Qi Rong’s face darkened and his mouth dropped to argue back but Xie Lian pushed him closer to Shen Yuan with a sigh, giving him a final gentle nudge before stepping back from the two. Qi Rong inhaled deeply and it took a few beats of silence before he mumbled, “T–Tha–Thank you, and s–sorry.”

After Shen Yuan teased Qi Rong, he lazily walked away with his elegant fan waving at his face, ignoring Qi Rong’s yells from behind. Just before he disappeared from their line of sight, he stopped in his tracks and turned to look at Qi Rong with a sly smirk, “Ah, Your Highness, Prince Xiao Jing, you should visit the imperial doctor to treat your wounds. If you don’t, I’m afraid they’ll leave behind scars and you too, will become an ugly rat like this one if they’re neglected.”

Xie Lian looked down to see a tint of red running across Qi Rong’s face as he tilted his head to the side to see more of the moving figure that was no longer in sight. Xie Lian sighed to himself. His cousin had much difficulty in expressing his true intentions and feelings, but if one showed him kindness, he would try to repay back tenfold with the best of his abilities. 

Xie Lian then lowered himself to Qi Rong’s height and inspected Qi Rong’s injuries with a grimace, “is this the second time this has ever happened, Qi Rong?”

The second time since he’s first met Qi Rong.

His cousin only stared back at him wordlessly with his hands clenched at his sides, avoiding direct eye contact with him. That only made the pang of guilt in Xie Lian dig deeper into his chest.

Xie Lian sighed and crouched, gesturing for his younger cousin to get on his back. Qi Rong hesitated momentarily and only got on when Xie Lian huffed and urged him to get on. Xie Lian held onto his cousin’s legs and treaded out of the garden, contemplating thoughtfully before he spoke, “Mother always tells me that it’s not good to keep things bottled up, that you should freely speak about your problems without feeling burdened.”

A beat.

Xie Lian continued on, “trust my mother’s words, Qi Rong. Speak your mind freely,”

Don’t swear freely though, mother and father wouldn’t be too happy with me.

“...and those bullies will have what they got coming to them! I’ll make sure of it!”

Qi Rong started, “Are you gonna tell uncle?”

Xie Lian only hummed in response.

He reported to his father about the matter that night.

His father drummed his fingers against the smooth surface of his desk that mirrored the scowl on his face, “These nobles have the nerve, thinking they can get away with mistreating a prince of the Xianle kingdom. I suppose this isn’t his second time?”

The crown prince hung his head in shame and shook his head, “No, father. In fact, I think it’s been going on for a while, but we were never told of this.”

That only made the expression on his father’s face darken. He let out a deep exhale and pinched the bridge of his nose, “it doesn’t help that he’s well-known for his foul mouth and inadequate behavior...Your mother and I were hoping that lonely child can become friends with the other noble children during the banquet...but it turned out like this...”

He sighed and then turned towards his straight-faced advisor who stood by his side, “Advisor Shen, I’ll give you the responsibility of replacing Prince Xiao Jing’s incompetent servants. I refuse to keep servants who can’t stay by a child’s side in my kingdom.”

Shen Weiyao nodded his head and Xie Lian’s father rested his elbows on top of his desk, deep in thought as the wood in the fireplace crackled. Xie Lian perked up at the familiar surname that rolled out of his father’s mouth, “...Shen?”

The advisor ducked his head, “Yes, Your Highness, that is this one’s surname.”

“There was a boy who did help Qi Rong, his name was Shen Yuan.”

Only then did his impassive expression twist into one of shock and bewilderment, “T–That indeed is the name of my son.”

The corner of Xie Lian’s lips tugged up, “Give him my thanks, he was truly admirable standing up for my little cousin. He was well-spoken and acted like an adult despite being two years younger than me! He scared off those bullies and encouraged Qi Rong to see the imperial doctor to treat his wounds!”

“....”

Xie Lian’s father made a sound of approval, “It seems like you raised your son well, Advisor Shen. Very well, he will be rewarded handsomely.” Shen Weiyao had a conflicting look on his face, but he didn’t say a word.

A sudden inspiring idea hit Xie Lian, “Why not invite Shen Yuan into the palace as Qi Rong’s etiquette tutor and as his friend? Qi Rong has taken a liking to him, he’ll listen to him—and, he can handle Qi Rong’s short tempers with ease!”

The two heads turned to Xie Lian’s proud smile, actually considering the idea with frowns across their faces.

And so that was how Shen Yuan arrived at the palace gates once again a couple months later.

Chapter Text

“Your Highness?”

Silence.

Shen Yuan’s brows were pinched together, but a polite smile stayed on his face, “Is there something on my face?”

That sharp gaze didn’t falter, lingering on his face as if they were picking his facial features apart; as if there was bound to be something hidden beneath them.

Shen Yuan felt very uncomfortable at the younger one’s fierce stare and snapped his fan open, shielding his face from those hard eyes; a bead of sweat trailing down at the side of his face. 

Why the fuck is this kid staring at me like that? Am I that ugly? No way, I don’t even look that bad in this body.

How did he even get stuck in this awkward situation in the first place?

As soon as Shen Yuan left the royal palace when the banquet had ended, he was sent back home alone in a carriage with only servants and two guards accompanying him. He laid his head back against his seat and sighed to himself, exhausted from the whole ordeal. 

Many questions were jumbling around his head.

Where were the original good’s parents? Shen Yuan understood that his father was a very busy man, but where was his mother then? Why was a six year old sent alone to a big palace with irresponsible servants that didn’t stay at his side when he needed them? 

More importantly, how the fuck was he gonna get inside the palace and find the opportunities to hang around Qi Rong? He wasn’t a prince! He couldn’t walk around acting like he owned the place!

Just as Shen Yuan was about to bang his head against the wall of the carriage, he was interrupted by a familiar robotic voice.

[ INSTALLING ORIGINAL SHEN YUAN’S MEMORIES . . . ]

[ Hello Host! Please stand by as we load the original good’s memories to make your journey smoother! (≧∇≦)/ ] 

[ LOADING . . . ] 

So now you wanna be useful after I screamed my lungs out cursing at you?!

[ Host! We are trying our best to make amends! Please be gentle on us~! (ಥ﹏ಥ) ]

Gentle? Be gentle? Stop saying suggestive things!

[ INSTALLATION COMPLETED ] 

[ ｡ﾟ+.(･∀･)ﾟ+.ﾟ ]

Shen Yuan was sitting on his knees, papers held dearly against his chest, and his head was ducked so low that his forehead was touching the cold tiles of the shiny floor.

“Shen Yuan greets Father!” He exclaimed excitedly, slightly squirming around in his spot in anticipation. He raised his head up to see an older man in his early thirties sitting at his desk across from him, narrowed eyes focusing on him before it flickered back onto the paperwork lying on top of his crowded desk.

“What did I say about coming into my office without early notice,” Shen Weiyao said with a strict tone, picking up a pen and gliding it across a paper filled with calculated numbers and a seemingly endless amount of tiny words, “did your teacher teach you to be this ignorant?”

The little boy let out a tiny gasp and bowed his head deeply a couple times before apologizing profusely, “Ah, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, sorry,” he nervously glanced up at his father with a small flame of hope, “...today’s father’s birthday so I thought I’d recite a couple longevity poems! And I also painted a picture of you, mama, and—”

“Get out of my office,” he cut him off with a sneer, “if you’re gonna waste my time rambling and diddling about, leave.” Shen Yuan was startled at the sudden rudeness and jolted in his seat on the ground, grasping onto his small poems and drawing tightly, whispering a quiet ‘oh.’ 

“I–I’ll leave these here then,” he starts after gathering all of his confidence, lifting himself up from the ground and quickly walking over to his father’s desk, standing on the very top of his tiptoes so that he could push the papers in his hands over onto the large desk. Shen Yuan stepped away immediately after flashing his father a forced smile before leaving the room, not missing the sound of papers being crinkled up into a ball.

His personal attendant followed behind him as he traveled down the hallway with his shoulders slumped, a disheartened expression wiping away his false smile and stomped on that small, desperate flame of hope when recollecting the image of those cold eyes full of disdain look down on him as if he was an insect.

Yet another day of his father rejecting his advances to grow closer with him. Shen Yuan was always getting cut off mid-sentence, was always getting dismissed abruptly upon his arrival, and most of the time, his father did not even see him.

Shen Yuan opened the doors to his bedroom and dismissed his attendant, plopping himself down on a chair next to his desk. Organized books stacked up on his brown desk and brushes were hung from a small stand. He shot a glance at the portrait that hung in the middle of his room.

It was a painting of a woman with painted red lips curved up into a captivating grin, sable hair tied up into a bun with half of her hair falling down past her shoulders, and upturned brown eyes staring back at Shen Yuan who shared the same ones. 

“Mama, I miss you,” he said out loud in the empty room with just himself and his belongings.

Although he didn’t remember much of her, he remembered that warm presence that would gently stroke his head and braid his hair, lulling him to sleep with a soft lullaby. 

He felt the corner of his eyes beginning to burn and he shook his head, taking in another deep breath. Instead of crying, he strengthened his resolve to become someone so incredible that his father would finally look at him with warmth and acknowledge him as his son. Since it seemed like greeting his father everyday and trying to spend more time with him had failed, Shen Yuan had to become someone that his father couldn’t simply ignore. 

With that, the little noble continued to studiously soak in each lesson he got from his teacher, learning how to read so that he could read the big books that talked about politics and medicine, and he was very eager to learn martial arts when he got to the right age.

His status was a rather high one due to his father’s noble blood and position, and it made other young nobles cater to him with the hope of being in his good graces; especially when their parents told them to befriend him because of the benefits he would bring. 

When the wave of false praises and gifts came his way, Shen Yuan became arrogant and conceited. The kid rarely got complimented, so he was easily bought with flattery. However, he came across Qi Rong, who was stepping out of his mother’s room with a warm hand stroking his head, he felt envy. Qi Rong who was beaming at his mother’s touch and affectionate coos, was dressed in green plain robes and his hair was tied up in a messy bun with a jade hairpin holding it together.

When Shen Yuan purposely bumps into him, making Qi Rong trip, he raises his nose up high and crosses his arms. “Are you blind? Can you not watch where you’re going?” 

Qi Rong grunts and ignores him, patting the dust off of his robes and walks away while muttering under his breath, “you’re the blind idiot, stupid fucking mutt.”

Shen Yuan had assumed Qi Rong was a servant judging by his clothing and was fuming. This kid who Shen Yuan assumed to be around the same age as him, was acting rude and arrogant for his lowly status!

“HEY! ARE YOU NOT GOING TO APOLOGIZE TO ME?”

Qi Rong didn’t even stop to look at him, he just minded his own business and kept on walking. That just irritated Shen Yuan even further. Shen Yuan was a high-ranking noble! Why didn’t this lowly servant apologize and cater to him like the others had? And why did a lowly servant like him who was clearly stupid and knew nothing of basic etiquette, have a loving mother? He wasn’t as smart or as hard-working as Shen Yuan was, but yet why did he have a doting mother despite him not having any redeeming features? Why was Shen Yuan stuck with an ice block for a father while this lowly servant had a warm mother that cared and loved him?

And so Shen Yuan gathered up all of his ‘friends’ and told them to find the servant in ugly green robes with a jade hairpin in his bun.

Shen Yuan was pulled back to his senses, dumbfoundedly blinking at the floating window in front of his face. 

“So the original goods was a motherless kid with serious daddy issues who wanted to make his father notice him but was backtracked when seeing Qi Rong with a loving mother,” he rolled his eyes and rested his chin on top of his palm, “stereotypical backstory for a villain, but I feel kinda bad for him. Shitty father. Well, at least he had one. It’s always the fathers that are gone, not the other way around.”

[ ….. ]

[ (ಠ ∩ಠ) ]

“What?”

[ NOTICE: You now have the permission to visit the royal palace! You can visit Prince Xiao Jing two days in a week from now on! (ㆁᴗㆁ✿) ]

Shen Yuan’s eyes widened and he jumped out of his seat, “what? I didn’t even do anything yet! What kind of sorcery is this?”

[ We took your complaints into consideration and made some changes! We temporarily boosted your favorability points with Xie Lian! It thus encouraged him to give a recommendation to the king regarding Qi Rong, you are now able to enter the palace without worry! Thank us and Xie Lian! ♡＾▽＾♡ ]

What! Xie Lian’s a total cheat code! I might as well just hug his thighs and raise my favorability points with him instead!

[ Host...please keep in mind that your target is Qi Rong, not the protagonist!!! Σ(ﾟДﾟ； ]

Shen Yuan rolled his eyes behind his fan as he recalled the aftermath of his first day in this new world. 

Now, he was at the palace, sitting at a table loaded with pastries and sweet tea. Including a Qi Rong who sat across from him who wouldn’t stop staring at him like he was roadkill lying in the middle of a busy road filled with traffic.

Why was he invited in the first place?

Well, the king and his advisor decided that it would be a good idea for Qi Rong to befriend someone with the prospects of Shen Yuan becoming his etiquette tutor and his bodyguard in the future. 

It completely threw Shen Yuan off when the original good’s father approached him with a very grim face and told him that he would be Qi Rong’s future etiquette tutor if he proved himself to be capable. In return, he would receive martial arts lessons from a highly respected teacher. 

Shen Yuan was sure that they were somehow training him to become a bodyguard too at this point, because why the fuck not? Two birds in one stone, right?

Shen Yuan was 100% sure that he wasn’t getting paid enough.

For now, Shen Yuan would be visiting the palace as Qi Rong’s ‘friend.’ 

“Why are you here?” Qi Rong finally spoke, tearing his eyes away from Shen Yuan and fixating it on the platter of sweets laid across the table. 

Damn, why is he so cautious all the time? It’s not like I’m gonna bite him in the ass if he looks away.

Shen Yuan waved his fan in front of his face for a couple of seconds before closing it and sliding it down his belt. “To see you, Your Highness, of course! Why else would I be at the palace for,” he smiled and gestured towards a plate full of dragon beard’s candy, “you should try these, Your Highness, they taste delicious and it melts in your mouth!”

Qi Rong was already eyeing them without Shen Yuan’s recommendation, the sight of silky white strands of floss wrapped around a ball filled with snowy sugar and peanuts was enough to make one drool. However, in the entirety of the time Shen Yuan had spent with him, Qi Rong had not touched a single pastry.

System? Is there something wrong with Qi Rong? Why isn’t he gobbling these up like the Qi Rong in the original novel would be doing? He’s acting like the food is gonna eat him, not the other way around.

He didn’t get a single answer...just when he thought that the system wasn’t all that bad.

Something clicked in Shen Yuan’s brain and he moved to pick one of the dragon beard’s candy up and pressed it against Qi Rong’s lips with a mischievous smile, “say ahhhh.”

Are these poisoned? Is that why you aren’t eating them? Luckily I decided to wait until he ate one! Damn, already smart at this youthful age, I thought you were supposed to be an idiot.

Qi Rong flushed a dark crimson color and quickly whacked Shen Yuan’s hand away, “W–WHAT ARE YOU DOING, YOU MONGREL?! WHO GAVE YOU PERMISSION?”

“His Highness’s eyes were so focused on this particular set of sweets, but his hands weren’t moving to pick it up, so I did it for him,” he chimed, nudging the pastry in his hand towards Qi Rong, “here, say ahhhh.”

Eat this shit so I know that it’s not poisoned. 

Surprisingly, Qi Rong didn’t put up that much of a fight and angrily munched on the dessert, huffing as Shen Yuan encouraged him to eat another while on the inside, he was overjoyed at the fact that he was proven wrong. God, his hungry ass couldn’t wait any longer to eat the eye-pleasing pastries. 

“I see that His Highness’s injuries have healed since the last time I’ve seen him,” Shen Yuan called out after inhaling a couple pieces of dessert, his chin propped up with one hand as he wore a proud smirk, “not a single scar left behind. It seems like His Highness took my advice.”

Now that he took a closer look at Qi Rong, he really did look similar to Xie Lian. Which really gave Shen Yuan mixed feelings. He had imagined Qi Rong to look like the ugly little green ghost named Dimple from Mob Psycho. 

Well, of course he had to be good-looking, the royal Xianle blood runs through his veins after all, but Shen Yuan didn’t expect the kid to look like an evil version of Xie Lian with sharpened facial features that greatly differed from Xie Lian’s gentle ones. 

Damn, was there a single ugly person in this world? Everywhere Shen Yuan looked, there wasn’t a single ugly person, even the cannon fodders were decent looking! The standards in this world were incredibly high! Beauties walked the earth and not a single person batted an eye at them!

Qi Rong scoffed, “advice? You didn’t give me any good advice in the first place!”

Fair enough, it’s not like Xie Lian would let him walk around in that condition.

Shen Yuan only hummed in response and rapped his fingers against the table, taking note of Qi Rong’s layers of clothing that strongly indicated of his royal status, a familiar jade hairpin decorating his small bun as the rest of his hair were flowing down to the small of his back, his curved bangs parting at the middle, exposing his clean forehead.

The hell’s up with the servants neglecting this poor kid? Now he looks like a proper prince? I need to have a talk with the king!

“You’re wearing the hairpin from last time,” Shen Yuan started with a hint of excitement, “was it an important gift from someone dear?” 

Come on, give me some backstory info! Anything! Spare some crumbs!

Qi Rong just glared at him and hesitantly picked up another pastry, his gaze lingering on the tanghulus for a bit too long, “no, not telling!”

[ Host, you need to gain more favourability points with Qi Rong to unlock << Qi Rong’s Backstory >> Please work hard to gain favourability points! (☍﹏⁰) ]

Shen Yuan mentally rolled his eyes as far as he could and then shot Qi Rong a mischievous smile, “okay! Well, what do you wanna do now? Play some games? Draw? Read?”

“Is that what you lowly mongrels do nowadays?” he simply replied with a sneer, but Shen Yuan didn’t miss the sparkle in his eye when he mentioned games in his question. Shen Yuan snorted but quickly hid it with a fake cough, “well then, will Your Highness indulge me in a game of tag?”

Kids love this game, there’s no way he’s gonna say no.

Qi Rong turned to give Shen Yuan a look of suspicion, narrowed eyes staring into the windows to his soul, which made the former feel oddly self-conscious. Before Shen Yuan could speak to clarify, Qi Rong beat him to it, “whatever, I know I’m gonna win anyways.”

Shen Yuan felt his brows twitching at the obnoxious self-confidence the kid was radiating but he pushed a cordial smile onto his face, “of course, haha! Come on, let’s go play in the courtyard then!”

He didn’t wait for the young prince to finish eating, he just snatched his hand and led him towards their destination, servants following close behind. The prince stumbled behind him with burning red ears and a half-finished rice cake in his mouth, wide eyes fixating onto the fingers entangled with his stiff ones. Any sounds of protest died down in his throat when he stole a peek at the noble who was glimmering with enthusiasm, determined eyes focusing up ahead of their path as the wind gently rustled with the long dark threads at the sides of his face, portraying an image similar to that of a benevolent spirit that soared through the skies with grace and vigor.

They arrive under the dark oak tree and Shen Yuan finally lets go of Qi Rong, jabbing a thumb to his chest, “I’ll be it!”

Qi Rong just stared at him with a blank expression. 

Shen Yuan slightly frowned at the dry reaction and dropped his hand to his side, “oh, if you wanna be it, then you can be it,”

“What do you mean by it?”

Shen Yuan furrowed his eyebrows in confusion and squinted at Qi Rong, “did you wanna be it?”

“What’s it,”

“The chaser….? Your Highness, surely you know how to play the game of tag?”

Qi Rong glared at him and turned his head away, but his sputtering betrayed his cold expression, “o-of course I do, you stupid, ugly mutt!”

Shen Yuan covered his mouth from view with a hand, quietly snickering to himself as he turned away from him.

If Qi Rong wasn’t Chinese, he’d be stuttering here and there saying, ‘b–baka!’ and ‘it’s not like I like you or anything like that!’ like a fucking tsundere in a shitty harem anime for touch-starved virgins.

IMAGINE HIM AS A TSUNDERE--AHAHAHAHA!!! I CAN’T! LOOK AT THE KID TRYING TO ACT ALL HIGH AND MIGHTY! IT’S JUST CUTE AT THIS POINT, BAHAHAHA!

Shen Yuan had to cool himself down for a couple seconds before turning back to look at Qi Rong with a wide grin, “well, I don’t remember how to play tag either, but I think I remember some of the rules,” a big ass lie, but Shen Yuan continued on with a thoughtful look, “hmm, I think there was one person that would be the chaser! The chaser runs around trying to touch a person running away, and if a person gets touched by the chaser, they become the chaser and have to pass on the role to someone else.”

The prince hmphed and crossed his arms, “you’re it, then.”

Shen Yuan nodded and turned around to face the large tree in front of him, “on the count of five, I’ll start chasing you. You get a five second head start!”

In the middle of talking, Shen Yuan heard the young prince already moving away with light footsteps. 

“—3, 2, 1! Here I come!”

He whipped his head around and saw Qi Rong 10 feet away from him in the spacious courtyard, excitedly running as fast as he could. Shen Yuan chuckled in amusement and swiftly moved towards the moving figure that was now running in zigzag motion.

Kids are still kids! It’s too easy to get favourability points at this rate, System! Maybe this mission might not be so bad after all.

[ Mini side-mission: Tag Qi Rong within the span of a minute and a half. If you fail, you will lose 10 Coolness points! You will be rewarded with 5 Coolness points if you finish the side mission. Good luck Host! ｡+ﾟ.。+。(´ω｀*)♪♪ ]

Easy enough.

Shen Yuan followed behind Qi Rong with quick steps, stretching his arm out to reach the shoulder of the smaller one. Qi Rong sensed that the noble was closing up behind him and ran even faster, swiftly turning around a small tree, creating a large distance between the two of them. Shen Yuan scowled and pushed himself to close the gap, only failing to do so when Qi Rong jumped over a stone table without care. 

Shen Yuan hastily tried to jump over the table, and hissed when his lower leg hit against the hard edge of the carved table. He ignored the stinging pain and sprinted towards the small green figure, mouth dropping when the kid increased his speed and ran like the fucking wind. Shen Yuan circled around the oak tree; the only obstacle keeping Shen Yuan from passing his role over to Qi Rong.

He and the prince waited for the other to make a move. Shen Yuan had his knees bent and was more than ready to run after the latter decided to sprint towards a certain direction. Qi Rong stepped to the right, fooling Shen Yuan with a feint before dashing towards the opposite direction, moving as fast as a lightning bolt. 

Shen Yuan, who unexpectedly found himself feeling competitive over a game of tag with a 6 year old, was whispering to himself in frustration as the floating window with a countdown trailed behind him, “why we going so fucking fast?! It’s not even that serious, kid!”

Qi Rong suddenly stopped in his tracks and Shen Yuan, who was chasing after him as fast as he could, came to an abrupt stop and tripped over himself. Shen Yuan was sprawled across the ground with his legs tangled together, his tailbone throbbing painfully as it hit the hard ground first. 

Shit, no wonder Qi Rong was so good at escaping from Hua Cheng and Xie Lian! Motherfucker was fast as hell! He made Sonic make a run for his money!

“Oww, oww, oww,” the transmigration groaned to himself, supporting himself up with his arms, his pristine robes now stained with a hideous shade of green and black, “geez, why’d you suddenly stop running?”

[ Host has run out of time. (_　_|||) ]

[ -10 Coolness Points ]

[ -10 Coolness Points ]

WHY’D I LOSE 20 POINTS FOR?!! HELLO? I’D LIKE TO FILE A COMPLAINT!

Shen Yuan furiously glowered at the screen with his lips pouted, the hands at his sides balling up into fists. He grunted and helped himself up, rubbing small circles on the back of his ass. He turned two different shades of red when he heard a burst of howling laughter from the one beside him, “HAHAHA, YOU LOOK LIKE AN IDIOT! STUPID, SLOW IDIOT! AHAHAHA!”

Qi Rong was hunched over, a hand holding his stomach and the other wiping away a tear as notes of delightful laughter spilled from his lips that were stretched into a pleased smile. 

At least the kid looked like he was genuinely having fun, but Shen Yuan’s pride was in tatters! How was he going to recover from this?!

Shen Yuan picked up his fan from the ground and opened it, aggressively waving air in his face to cool his flushed cheeks down.

Qi Rong’s laughter ceased and he wore an arrogant expression with his crossed arms up to his chest, “it was too easy! I told you I’d win!”

The transmigrator frowned in displeasure before a small realization dawned on him.

Shen Yuan shut his fan and took a couple steps forward, “Your Highness,” Qi Rong unconsciously stepped back with a suspicious look, and Shen Yuan only took another step forward. He leans in with a devious smile and abruptly raises his hand with his closed fan. 

Unexpectedly, Qi Rong flinches at that single movement and instinctively holds up his arms in front of his face protectively.

Shen Yuan pauses and his smile falls from his face, his stretched out hand with his fan suspended in place at this reaction.

System….did I trigger something?

[ +5 Backstory Points! (^▽^;) ]

Fuck.

Shen Yuan felt like he committed a crime when he watched the kid quickly drop his arms back to his sides with embarrassment and then give the taller one a cautious look.

To Shen Yuan, he resembled a wet puppy at that moment.

Before he knew it, Shen Yuan had lifted his other hand up and carefully dropped it on top of the little prince’s head.

Qi Rong froze momentarily before the tension in his body eased when he felt a soft hand rub against his head. Shen Yuan blinked at the wide-eyed prince and then quickly retracted his hand back as if he touched scorching flames, cursing to himself inwardly afterwards.

He cleared his throat and averted his eyes from the shorter one’s dumbfounded gaze, “g–good job. His Highness did well as expected.”

Originally, Shen Yuan was gonna tap him on the nose with his fan and say that he was it (because the game wasn’t over!)—he sure as hell didn’t expect Qi Rong to flinch like Shen Yuan was gonna hit him! 

The edges of Shen Yuan’s mouth tugged upwards, his flitting fan creating a soft breeze under his chin. Threads of loose hair lifted up from the artificial wind and brushed against his fair skin and pink lips. With a hand behind his back, he treads forward with careful steps (he was trying his best to not step on the skirt of his robes). Despite his elegant appearance, a childish laugh (one that Shen Yuan hoped didn’t sound forced, because it was) escapes from him, “let’s have a drawing contest! The one who draws the best monsters wins!”

Qi Rong recovered and scoffed, saying something under the lines of ‘drawings are for losers’ before he trailed behind Shen Yuan with masked eagerness, missing the way Shen Yuan quickly side-eyed him before letting out a big sigh of relief. Shen Yuan internally gave himself a high-five. 

Thank god for kids and their short attention spans. 

-

With papers in his hands, he got in his carriage and watched the window tab emerge out of thin air. Multiple notifications popped up one after another.  

[ +5 F Points ]

[ +25 F Points ]

[ +10 F Points ]

[ +15 Coolness Points ]

[ +5 Coolness Points ]

[ +15 F Points ]

[ Excellent work, Host! Please keep up the high performance! (〇*>∀<)ゞ★☆ ]

Shen Yuan yawned and stretched his limbs, with a hand supporting his back like how an elder would normally be seen doing. “I don’t get paid enough for this. You’re ripping my ass off, System. I hope a dog bites you in the ass, I really hope so.”

[ Host, we are being very generous when it comes to distributing points! Please stop bullying us, Host. ༼ಢ_ಢ༽ ]

He clicked his tongue at the virtual window tab, “if you had a physical form, I would be the one biting you in the ass instead of a damn dog! Maybe if you paid me more of the points that I deserve, we wouldn’t be having this issue! Shove your generosity up your ass! I hope you break your neck—and I don’t care if you don’t have an ass or a neck, fuck you.”

[ Please understand that we give out points considering how much of your performance has affected the target and other characters! (༎ຶ⌑༎ຶ) ]

“You’re telling me I worked my ass off trying to appease that kid only to get this little?” 

[ Precisely. It’s not us, we just work here. أ‿أ ]

The ugly emoticons at the ends of the System’s sentences were just rousing Shen Yuan’s irritation even further.

“Fuck me in the ass, what the fuck? Just when I thought the kid was finally opening up to me,” he cursed under his breath, as he clicked on the button to see how many points he had accumulated in the entire day. “System, what’s the average amount of favourability points one gets per day?”

[ Host is very lucky, most transmigrators just get 30 favourability points on average. （☆ω☆*） ]

“Even so, at this rate, I might not have enough to unlock Qi Rong’s backstory.”

[ Host, do not worry! You have many years ahead of you to unlock Qi Rong’s backstory and to accumulate points! d(･∀･○) ]

He grunted and then leaned back in his seat, sitting there idly with a bad posture until he finally remembered he was carrying something in his hand. Shen Yuan unfolded the first paper on top of the others and moved it closer to the window of the carriage, the moon in the clear sky granting him light. 

A terrible drawing of a large cat monster with white stripes on its black coat had many rows of jagged fangs with sharp eyes that glowed red, the claws were bared and they were much bigger than its fearful fangs. 

He moved the first drawing to the back of the others and looked at the second one with an unknowing grin on his face. Another ugly monster with two long necks accompanied with small rectangular heads. It was tall and skinny, but its white eyes were hypnotizing and its tail was very long and spiky.

When Shen Yuan looked through the terrible drawings, he recalled the very fresh memory of Qi Rong refusing to let Shen Yuan take a peek at his drawings while he took a long time to draw a pair of wings, only for them to turn out looking very odd and mismatched. Shen Yuan didn’t even bother to suppress his booming laugh. He raised a shaking finger at the drawing and continued laughing loudly, not aware of his cruel reaction that made the red-faced prince feel insecure. However, the insecurity was washed away immediately when Shen Yuan proudly showed Qi Rong his drawings. 

Now it was Qi Rong’s turn to laugh.

Shen Yuan’s drawings were so shitty; Qi Rong couldn’t tell what was a wing or what was a head on the monster! There were huge smiley faces plastered across each monster and their heads were shaped so wrongly. Wings looked like large tails, and teeth that were supposed to be sharp and intimidating—looked like teeths that belonged to a bunny’s! Shen Yuan’s creations didn’t even have an ounce of intimidation or scariness to them, they were just plain out hideous and incoherent. 

“You’re saying my drawings are ugly, look at yours! They’re all ugly, and what even is this? An extra tail? A third leg?” Qi Rong cackled, pointing at a drawing of Shen Yuans’s as he wiped a tear away.

Shen Yuan scowled and snatched the drawing away from Qi Rong, “ugly? These are my masterpieces, I will not let you insult them! You’re talking about how bad my art is, when yours look like that?”

They bickered with each other and continued drawing, showing off their drawings to their servants and asking them for their opinions. Of course, Qi Rong had won the drawing contest, how could the servants choose Shen Yuan’s over his? It helped that Qi Rong was a better artist than Shen Yuan was by a long shot. 

Shen Yuan was pulled out of his thoughts when he also remembered something else that happened earlier in the day.

“System...when Qi Rong flinched earlier, was that rooted in him because of his father?”

[ Correct! However, even though he and his mother moved into the royal palace, his father’s abuse was deeply rooted within him. It only slightly got better after Xie Lian helped him when they first met and after a year of being treated well, but overcoming unconscious habits are extremely difficult. (´Д｀) ]

A deep frown surfaced onto Shen Yuan’s face, he only continued to stare at the drawings in his hands.

“...very well, that does explain some things,” he sighed and looked out the window with a grim expression, “this mission is going to be a pain in the ass.”

In the distance, far, far away, a young prince stared at the drawings laid out on his desk in front of him. He traced every stroke with his eyes, fondly taking in every detail of the hideous monsters. 

Before Shen Yuan left the palace, he left behind his drawings on Qi Rong’s desk. Right before he exited the palace gates, Qi Rong absentmindedly grabbed the small papers of art neatly stacked up on his desk and headed out the door, leaving behind the other stack that belonged to Shen Yuan. 

When Qi Rong went through the drawings again, he slapped a hand against his forehead and felt heat gather at the tips of his ears and at his cheeks.

What if he got the wrong idea? What if he thought that Qi Rong liked his ugly drawings and decided to thank him by exchanging them with his? Qi Rong only grabbed the drawings to return them to Shen Yuan because the idiot forgot, and he didn’t want to see any of them lingering around in his room.

A damn lie he was telling himself, but Qi Rong didn’t want to acknowledge it.

Qi Rong folded the papers and carefully kept them in a box under his desk. He dismissed his servants and threw himself on the bed, wrapping the soft blanket around him and resting his head on the hard pillow.

He recollected the day together with Shen Yuan. He ate sweets with him (hell, Shen Yuan had even hand-fed him one!), played tag for the first time with him, drew together while criticizing each other’s artwork, and shared a conversation debating on what monster was cooler and whose creation would win in a fight.

Qi Rong rolled over to his side and the corners of his mouth curved upwards, unknown joy filling his chest as his heartbeat paced faster than its norm.

He had made his first friend.

Shen Yuan was his first friend that he had ever made.

And that thought made Qi Rong feel unreasonably giddy.

Chapter Text

Shen Yuan took a step into the doorway and tilted his head in slight confusion when he didn't see that green figure anywhere in sight. 

Everytime Shen Yuan arrived at the palace, it was common for the former to see the little green prince already at the door with his arms crossed to his chest, cheeks puffed up and an eye peeked open to look at him. He’d always announce that Shen Yuan was late; at first Shen Yuan would always apologize but then after growing closer with Qi Rong, he’d just toss him a wink and playfully say, “It‘s only been about three days, Your Highness, and you’ve missed me this much? Worry not, Shen Yuan’s here to save the day!”

The little prince would never fail to sputter and his face would burn three different shades of red at his words. Shen Yuan had wondered if he should be concerned about it. Was it that hot outside? But anyways, he brushed off that matter with the single thought of the many layers of clothing and the warm weather was the reason why the young prince easily turned red. 

Shen Yuan decided to wait for Qi Rong to meet up with him in the courtyard, as they always did.

After returning the greetings that the palace servants gave him, Shen Yuan made his way to the courtyard, waving his fan to fend off the hot waves of summer; ignoring the passing servants whose eyes curved up at the sight of a little kid trying to appear as a venerable scholar. 

“I guess His Highness decided to sleep in a little bit longer today,” Shen Yuan said to his personal attendant that was trailing behind him in silence the entire time. He didn’t say anything but nod in acknowledgement, which made Shen Yuan slightly frown.

Shen Yuan had been trying to befriend all of the servants in his mansion. Mainly because he was bored out of his mind and didn’t really have anyone to talk to whenever he was at the royal palace hanging out with Qi Rong, and also because he hoped that being nice to the servants in the mansion would rake in future benefits. 

“I spy with my little eye, something white.” He declared, refusing to let his eye linger onto that white cat that rolled around in the courtyard from afar. It was too obvious. The answer was literally right in front of them.

His personal attendant, Zhu Ying, recognised that it was one of the many games that Shen Yuan liked to play whenever he got bored and followed up with an answer, “Is it one of those doves over there?”

White dove? Where?

He squinted and sped up his pace to take a closer look at what Zhu Ying saw in the courtyard and when Zhu Ying felt that his answer was incorrect, he then answered with hesitation, “Is it His Highness, The Crown Prince on the swing behind that tree over there?”

A foot in the courtyard and Shen Yuan finally saw the white figure on a swing behind a tree. Xie Lian was gently swaying his legs as he swung from the wooden seat with ropes tied around the strong branches of a tree, flipping a page of a book as white doves fluttered above him, small rabbits gathered around at his feet (how the heck did they get in here?), and a blue monarch butterfly flapped its wings momentarily before landing on the edge of his book. 

Shen Yuan had to rub his eyes to process what he was looking at.

...Is this normal, System?

[ Host should know about the powerful effects of the Protagonist Halo. (；´∀｀) ]

Shen Yuan enviously bit onto the hem of his sleeve, wishing that he too, had the ability to read while on a swing without getting motion sickness.

Luo Binghe has the ability to summon women at will and now we find out that Xie Lian can summon animals with just his presence?!! Truly worthy of respect! That’s the protagonist for you!

Xie Lian, who noticed his presence, closed his book immediately and looked at Shen Yuan with a hint of excitement in his eyes, “It’s you again! It’s been a while, Shen Yuan!”

Shen Yuan’s eyes widened just a tad bit. Just a tiny, tiny, little bit.

HE REMEMBERED MY NAME? THE XIE LIAN REMEMBERED MY NAME?!! WHATDOISAYOMGOMGOMGOMGQUICKSAYSOMETHING!

“Hey–” his voice cracked.

He quickly cleared his throat, feeling his cheeks burn with embarrassment as he moved his fan a little bit up too high his face, “H–Hello! G–Good morning, Your Highness! N–Nice weather today isn’t it?”

Can’t even speak properly, good job Shen Yuan. 

The crown prince only nodded in agreement and beamed (Shen Yuan could’ve sworn the flower buds in the background bloomed at the same time Xie Lian smiled), “I’ve been wanting to meet you! Qi Rong talks about you a lot these days!”

As if Elsa used her ice powers to freeze Shen Yuan, the muscles on Shen Yuan’s face stiffened, his back straighter than Luo Binghe and his shoulders slightly tense.

...Did he tell him about that one time where he and I argued about what type of bird, the bird flying in the sky at the moment—was? Did he tell him about that same bird deciding to take a fat shit on top of my fucking head?!!

Shen Yuan hated pigeons then, with his whole entire soul.

“Oh, haha, that’s too kind of him,” his eyes dart around the courtyard and drop upon the little critters behind Xie Lian. Shen Yuan leans to his left to get a better view and quickly changes the topic, “Is….Is that,” he lifts his chin towards the little creatures behind the crown prince, “normal, Your Highness?”

Xie Lian lightly scratches his cheek and awkwardly laughs, “I guess? They always come whenever I come outside, Haitang gets jealous often so I don’t really pet them.”

“Haitang?”

Coincidentally, a white cat curls around Xie Lian’s leg, rubbing its cheek against him while creating a small barrier between Xie Lian and the other animals using its long fluffy tail. Xie Lian chuckles and pets Haitang on the head, eliciting soft purrs from the snowy feline. 

Shen Yuan so badly wants to pet it also but the glare the cat gives him when he moves closer makes him shed an imaginary tear. However, his lips quirk up when seeing a bunny angrily stomp their feet furiously at the cat hoarding Xie Lian’s affectionate touches to itself. 

It kinda reminded him of Qi Rong who would often stomp his little feet at Shen Yuan whenever he teased him too much.

“Do they also come whenever you sing?” He asked eagerly, putting away his fan and squatting down. He scoots closer to the little critters but is disheartened when they only move closer to Xie Lian’s side.

Xie Lian glances at him with confusion and simply replies, “...No?”

Snow White eat your heart out.

Shen Yuan turns his head to Xie Lian and focuses on the book that he’s holding in his hands, “What’s that book Your Highness is reading about?”

Stars sparkle in the crown prince’s eyes and he smiles so big that Shen Yuan has to momentarily shut his eyes from the overwhelming radiance, “It’s called Wretched Trial! It’s about the adventures of a warrior who travels to the north to retrieve the holy sword that can only kill the tyrannic devil that takes over his kingdom! He slays hundreds of monsters along the way with only his bare hands! His bare hands! Isn’t he so cool? I only got to the middle but I think it’s a really good book! You should read it!”

Shen Yuan only wears a forced smile.

Of course Shen Yuan did read that book during his time here.

He would’ve fully enjoyed it if there weren’t so many papapa scenes later on in the series when the warrior comes back to his kingdom only to get seduced by the so-called tyrannical devil! The bright adventure novel had turned into a gay novel with the plot of a low-grade isekai hentai! Shen Yuan had been cursing at the author for so many nights, cursing at them and Airplane Shooting Towards The Sky for fucking up stories that had potential.

There was a perfectly good reason why this book wasn’t so popular! How did it end up in a ten year old’s hands? Much less, the crown prince’s?!!

Shen Yuan stands up and clicks his tongue in disapproval.

“Of course—” he pauses and shoots another glance at the thick book, “—not! I’m not that good at reading yet.”

[ You’re not as slick as you think you are, Host. (ㆆᴗㆆ) ] 

Shut up, at least I’m trying my best to act like a kid! What do you want me to do? Suck on a titty and go ‘goo goo ga ga?’ Look at Xie Lian! He doesn’t give a damn!

He slightly nudges his head towards Xie Lian’s direction to demonstrate, but when seeing Xie Lian’s eyes narrow at him with a hint of doubt for a split second, Shen Yuan starts sweating like crazy.

[ That would’ve made you seem less suspicious at least! Please do a proper job of acting like how a six year old should be! (눈_눈) ] 

Fuck, maybe you’re right.

Shen Yuan swivels around Xie Lian and gently lays his small palms against his back, putting a small amount of force behind them, in hopes that it distracts the crown prince from his OOC behavior. 

“But it sounds...interesting! I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a book like that before, where’d His Highness get it from?” 

Xie Lian squeals in delight when the swing starts moving once again, excitedly swinging his legs back and forth when he’s pushed higher up in the air. He forgets to give an answer to Shen Yuan’s question and Shen Yuan swears to himself that he’ll somehow find a way to get into the crown prince’s headquarters and burn the hideous novel series. That, and he’ll gleefully strangle whoever it was that gave his white lotus protagonist the horrendous book in the first place!

“Higher! Higher!” Xie Lian exclaims with a wide grin, and Shen Yuan worries for him in his stead. Xie Lian was already really high up in the air, an arm’s length away from touching the branches of the tree that they were under. At this rate, Xie Lian would reach the heavens without having to ascend!

Also, Shen Yuan’s arms were beginning to ache! Shen Yuan’s steady flow of air was coming out in big puffs, his cheeks were heating up and rivulets of sweat were descending from his forehead.

Dianxia, have mercy on this old man! The last time I have ever done this much exercise was back in grade school! 

But when Shen Yuan still sees that blinding smile remaining on Xie Lian’s face, his hands continue to move nonetheless. Forget his tired arms, how could Shen Yuan let the protagonist down? 

So he kept on pushing Xie Lian until a voice disturbed the cheerful conversation that the two were having, “Your Highness, it’s time for your lessons.”

Shen Yuan’s arms gleefully retracted back to his sides and he moved his head to the side of Xie Lian’s to see who it was. 

A man who looked to be in his early thirties was dressed in magnificent robes of white and lavender, long locks of dark hair half up and down with a fancy headpiece on top of his head that indicated his status. Of course he was extraordinarily good-looking, who in this novel wasn’t except for Cuo Cuo?

He looked at Xie Lian before scrutinizing Shen Yuan for a couple of seconds, eyes narrowing and lips slightly pulling down in displeasure. 

At this, Shen Yuan felt overly self-conscious and confused. What was with that weird look that Guoshi was giving him? Surely he doesn’t know that something was up and that Shen Yuan wasn’t the original goods...right?

System, is this the same Guoshi that taught Xie Lian cultivation and the one who said that Hua Cheng was extremely unlucky because he was born under an unlucky star or whatever it was?

[ Correct! ﾟ*｡(･∀･)ﾟ*｡ ]

Is he supposed to be here this early? I thought he only taught at the Royal Holy Pavillion? What’s he doing here at the royal palace? 

[ Guoshi’s currently teaching Xie Lian about literature and politics, the basic education for royalty. When Xie Lian is of age, Guoshi will then teach him cultivation but at the Royal Holy Pavillion. Guoshi has the senior disciples and others taking over for him at the moment, which is why he’s here teaching Xie Lian with ease. |*￣ー￣| ]

Shen Yuan hummed in acknowledgement and watched Xie Lian get up from his seat grudgingly.

Xie Lian moves from his seat and takes a step towards Guoshi before turning his head to face Shen Yuan’s tired expression behind his fan that was rapidly waving, circulating air up at his face. Xie Lian feels a twinge of guilt. Wasn’t he the older one out of the two? Perhaps he had gotten too carried away with having fun with the swing. Crap, he should’ve offered to push Shen Yuan on the swing too, when he had the chance!

Xie Lian pulls out a small sachet full of candy from his pocket and drops it in Shen Yuan’s hands with an apologetic smile, “Thank you.”

Shen Yuan holds the sachet like it’s a pile of gold and looks up at Xie Lian with surprise, “O–Oh! You’re...welcome…? I guess?” 

Really, it was no big deal. It just reminded Shen Yuan to hit the gym (although there weren’t any in a xuanhuan setting).

Xie Lian walked with Guoshi side by side, treading further and further away from the transmigrator that smiled at the group of critters that began to disperse. He waved them off with the corners of his eyes crinkled before staring off into space for a couple of seconds and then proceeding to head towards the direction of Qi Rong’s chamber. 

Guoshi turned his head and glanced at the young noble’s back with a strange, disgruntled expression. 

Xie Lian noticed and his brows slightly furrowed, “What’s wrong, Guoshi?”

The man shifted his attention back to Xie Lian and pursed his lips, as if deciding whether he should tell him or not. In the end, he shakes his head and asks Xie Lian whether or not he had finished his assignments from the other day. 

He was not going to tell Xie Lian about the strange vibes that the kid gave off.

Shen Yuan strided over to Qi Rong’s chamber with his attendant in tow. Said attendant wasn’t at all concerned when seeing Shen Yuan murmuring to himself and gesturing at the air occasionally. 

Shen Yuan arrived at the foot of Qi Rong’s chambers 

Silence.

He knocked on the door again.

Silence.

Should he just open the door?

Shen Yuan placed his hand on the doorknob and turned it.

Inside, a young boy was at a desk, nodding off with a hand propped against his chin. Papers filled with misspelled words with handwriting that was barely coherent—scattered around the desk and balls of crumpled up paper were thrown aside. His fingers were slightly stained with ink because his hand brushed against the tip of the brush covered with black ink during his sleeping state. 

Shen Yuan walked over to the desk and picked up a piece of paper from the desk as quietly as he could and read the first couple of sentences. 

deer mama,

i maid a freind! his name is shen yuean! i drew with my freind shen yuean and played meny games liek tag! he relly suckz at drawing but the monisters he draw are verry cool and mines look alot beter then his!

Shen Yuan quickly stopped reading and set the letter back down on the table. He shouldn’t be reading it, and his brain was on the verge of breaking down when trying to decipher the words. 

However, for a six year old, that wasn’t actually too bad! He at least knew how to write some words although they weren’t written correctly and string them together into a sentence. And if Shen Yuan wasn’t wrong, Qi Rong had just begun taking lessons on reading and writing just recently. 

Huh, if he was writing a letter to someone, maybe Shen Yuan should give him a helping hand.

Shen Yuan rested his chin on his palm, mirroring the little boy before him. He watched Qi Rong’s chin slipping from his hand and his head dipping before he groaned and reflexively moved his chin back to his hand that supported it. His curved bangs covered his closed eyes and a string of hair was trapped in between his lips, and one could see a small trail of drool trailing down.

When Shen Yuan noticed it, he clapped his hand over his mouth to stop the snort that was desperately trying to claw its way out of him. A few beats later and he calmed down. Seeing the normally hot-tempered prince sleep like an angel resting against a milky white cloud, there was this sudden small urge to bully him. 

So Shen Yuan leaned his face closer to Qi Rong’s, tilting his head before softly blowing air into Qi Rong’s face. He doesn’t react to that and Shen Yuan is grateful that he didn’t eat anything beforehand that would’ve made his breath smell foul so that Qi Rong wouldn’t have chopped his head off on spot.

He blows air into Qi Rong’s face again and Qi Rong only swats at the air as if he were an annoying fly buzzing at his face (was there really a difference though).

When Qi Rong doesn’t wake up at that, Shen Yuan grabs the ends of his hair and tickles Qi Rong’s nose with it. The prince’s nose scrunches up at that and a small whine escapes from him.

Zhu Ying, and Qi Rong’s servant who were watching them from the entrance: “....”

[ (¬_¬) ]

It was kind of weird for Shen Yuan to bully the man that could possibly eat his limbs in the future during his sleep, but Shen Yuan was having way too much fun. Way too much fun.

A chortle sounded out from him, and that was what made Qi Rong’s eyes slowly flutter open. Qi Rong dazedly blinked at Shen Yuan’s amused grin before the cogs in his brain started turning. 

His eyes widened and he quickly pulled away from Shen Yuan as if he were the plague, his face reddening and his ears heating up, “W–WHAT THE FUCK WERE Y–YOU DOING? DO YOU H–HAVE NO SHAME?!!”

“Language,” Shen Yuan reminded, his grin deepening when seeing the flustered prince abruptly move back from him, “Did you enjoy your nap, Your Highness?”

He grunted disapprovingly and rubbed at his eyes, his forefinger stained with ink grazing the skin under his eye and Shen Yuan snorted and had to force himself from laughing at this. 

Qi Rong throws Shen Yuan a confused look and continues to rub the sleep away from his eyes. Shen Yuan sighs and pulls a handkerchief from his pocket, circling around the desk to bring the handkerchief up to Qi Rong’s face. Qi Rong steps back and Shen Yuan moves closer. When Qi Rong’s mouth opens to speak, the taller one shushes him and rubs the handkerchief against his soft skin. 

Shen Yuan frowns when the ink doesn’t come off but doesn’t put anymore pressure behind the handkerchief. He shows Qi Rong the fine piece of cloth to show the black marks left behind on it. 

“It’s not coming off, maybe using water will help,” Shen Yuan commented and his eyebrows knitted at the sight of drool still on the boy’s face. He cleans off the saliva with the clean corner of his handkerchief and Qi Rong’s face reddens even more.

It’s not even that hot in here though? Huh, maybe it’s just me.

Qi Rong hastily rushes out the door and his servant follows behind him. 

“Kids these days….” Zhu Ying mumbled to himself, although he was rather quite young himself.

[ +15 F Points ]

[ +15 F Points ]

[ You’ve really performed well, Host. Really. (￣ー￣)ゞ ]

Why does it feel like I did something wrong?

Minutes later, Qi Rong comes back looking clean and much calmer than before. However, that flustered expression from earlier returns to his face as soon as he steps back inside the room for longer than a minute.

Shen Yuan doesn’t notice and waves his fan in front of his face with his eyes fixated onto the papers on Qi Rong’s desk, “If His Highness doesn’t mind telling me, what were you doing here?”

Qi Rong sat back down at the desk and pulled out another clean sheet of paper, dipping the brush back into the tiny jar of ink, “Writing.”

“I can see that.”

Qi Rong doesn’t say anything to that and pressed the tip of his brush against the paper, creating short strokes that form small characters. His shoulders stiffen when he feels Shen Yuan come up from behind and watch him write, but his eyes focus on the paper and his brush strokes. 

“Mmm, that word is spelled wrong. Your last stroke was too long and changed it into a different character,” he points out and Qi Rong continues writing anyways. Shen Yuan presses his lips together into a straight line and it slowly turns into a downwards arc when he watches Qi Rong make many minor mistakes. 

He was at the edge of his patience.

Shen Yuan grabbed a piece of paper from the side and snatched a brush hanging from its stand, swiftly dipping it in the jar of ink and created quick, clean strokes on his paper and nudged Qi Rong with his elbow. 

“Look, this is what that character is supposed to look like. You’re dragging your brush on your paper for too long,” he states and glances over at Qi Rong to make sure that he’s watching, “pick up your brush a bit more and make sure your characters look like this. It doesn’t have to look exactly like it, but it has to be good enough so that others are able to decipher what it is.”

Qi Rong stops and nods his head before playfully rolling his eyes after Shen Yuan finishes his lecture, “Okay then, Shizun.”

The corner of Shen Yuan’s lips quirk up and he plays along, “Do not disappoint this venerable Shizun.”

Qi Rong snorts at that, but he begins to put a lot more effort into it.

It wasn’t long before Shen Yuan lost his patience and grabbed Qi Rong’s hand, “You keep on messing up on the same character, let Shizun teach you how to do it properly.” 

His fingers wrapped around Qi Rong’s hand and he guided him, the hairs of the wooden brush smoothly gliding across the white sheet of paper. He lifts up the prince’s hand to stop it from moving any further and he grins proudly, “See? Like that! Now do it again, take your time.”

At Qi Rong’s silence, Shen Yuan lifts a brow but doesn’t say anything as he raises his hand laying on top of Qi Rong’s and pulls it back to his side.

The prince splays his hand against the side of his face, feeling the warmth gathered in his cheeks. His stuttering heart continues racing as if he ran a marathon, and he catches the servants standing near the door with poorly hidden sour faces, looking like they very much didn’t want to be there. He ignores them and continues practicing, very hyper aware of the set of amber eyes on his back.

[ +15 F Points ]

[ Host, you’re a natural at this! Keep up the great performance! (┼д┼) ]

Shen Yuan assumed that the System was talking about him raking in F Points in order to unlock Qi Rong’s backstory and rolled his eyes.

Are you happy or are you mad at my success? That emoticon is saying it's the latter.

[ t(=n=) ]

They spent the whole entire day practicing writing, and with Shen Yuan’s help, Qi Rong had successfully written a coherent letter. 

When the sun descends and the moon rises out of the dark clouds, Qi Rong heads over to his mother’s bed chambers. He stops in front of her door and gets on his knees to carefully slide the letter under the door. 

Shen Yuan had spoken about a book he read, to Qi Rong. 

It was a story about how a couple who had been once enemies before lovers. One of them lost their memories in an incident and they only remembered the times before the two were lovers. They treated their lover coldly and refused to see them at all.

The latter was heart-broken. No matter how hard they tried to bring back their lover’s memories, it was all to no avail. As a last attempt, they wrote a letter about their happiest times that made one sigh and delivered it at their doorstep, leaving with a small flame of hope that didn’t extinguish no matter how many times it got stepped on.  

The next day, their lover came to their door in tears and apologetic words endlessly flowing from their trembling lips. The forgotten lover pulled the other one into an embrace, thanking them for remembering and thanking them for returning back into their former self.

Shen Yuan said that the story was cliche and very cheesy, but Qi Rong disagreed.

In fact, it even gave him inspiration. After that day, every morning except for the days that Shen Yuan came over, Qi Rong would practice writing in hopes of creating a letter that would successfully bring his mother back to her former, happier state before she had realized that his father was scum. 

He prayed that it would work. 

Qi Rong got up from the ground and dusted the dirt off his knees, shooting the large door that acted as a barrier, a final hopeful glance before leaving.

Later that night, a pale frail hand picked up the small letter from the other side of that door.

Chapter Text

Shen Weiyao definitely didn’t expect this.

The middle-aged man strode down the hallway with purpose, hands looped around his back and his chin held up high with arrogance. The bottom of his grey robes swayed with each step that he took, and only stopped in place as soon as his legs halted its movement.

He squinted his eyes at the three little figures in the courtyard. 

A troublesome boy dressed in emerald was hopping in place in front of an older one in white with his hands stretched out, a toothy smile displayed on his small face framed by dark bangs.

“Cousin Crown Prince! Piggyback!” He exclaimed eagerly, his little round eyes full of joy and admiration. The crown prince huffed and flexed his arms to reassure himself of his strength and nodded to himself when seeing his imaginary large biceps flex before bending over for the little one to get on top of his back. 

Qi Rong got on his back and curved his arms around Xie Lian’s neck for security. Xie Lian grinned victoriously and spun his head towards the pale green figure sitting at a table with a waving fan, “See? I can do it! I’m strong enough!”

The younger boy pinched his brows together, although he didn’t show it on his face, one can hear disapproval in his voice, “Please be very careful, Your Highnesses.”

And so they went off. They circled around the oak tree and around the spacious space. Xie Lian ran really, really fast for an eight year old. Shen Yuan wasn’t sure whether it came along with the protagonist halo or it just ran in their genetics. Qi Rong was laughing with pure delight, the corners of his eyes crinkled up and a wide smile split across his face, an uncommon sight that contradicted his fiery personality and quick temper. His left hand was enthusiastically tapping Xie Lian’s shoulder, urging his cousin to go even faster, and he cheered when Xie Lian did.

However, it only lasted a couple of seconds before Xie Lian carefully dropped Qi Rong on the grass before plopping himself next to him, his brown locks of hair sprawled across the many strands of grass slightly trembling from the warm breeze. Beads of glistening sweat streamed downwards, tracing his round cheeks that turned pink from exhaustion and the glaring sun.

“Wow, you were super, super fast, Cousin Crown Prince! It was so fun, let’s go again! Come on, come on, let’s go!” Qi Rong started energetically as he wasn’t the one doing the carrying, hovering over Xie Lian.

Xie Lian gave him a look of disbelief before calming the heavy breaths that made his chest quickly heave up and downwards, shutting his eyes briefly afterwards. He flicked his wrist at him and had to catch his breath before speaking, “T–Too tired, haaa.”

Qi Rong’s lively expression gradually faded and he dropped his hands to his sides, letting out a disappointed, “Oh.” 

Shen Yuan rubbed his eyes with one hand to make sure that he wasn’t just imagining the drooping puppy ears on Qi Rong.

Qi Rong wasn’t discouraged for too long. Like a lightbulb that has been lit, Qi Rong gasped. He sprung up on his heels and in the heat of the moment, he shouted loudly, “COUSIN CROWN PRINCE I CAN CARRY YOU THIS TIME!”

Xie Lian pulled away his hands that immediately clasped onto his ears upon hearing Qi Rong’s loud voice and opened his eyes to face Qi Rong who was standing over him with a cocky grin. He shoots him a look that said ‘are you dumb?’

“You’re too small, Qi Rong.”

The prince puffed his cheeks and hit his chest to demonstrate his strength, only to wince when realizing that maybe he hit himself a little bit too hard. Shen Yuan suppressed a snort with all of his willpower. Qi Rong stomped and determinedly said, “No I’m not! I can carry Cousin Crown Prince! Come on, get on!”

“No.”

“You don’t know until we try!”

A sigh.

“Qi Rong, I’m really too big for you to carry.”

The kid turned his back to Xie Lian and got on one knee with his arms stretched out behind him, persistently encouraging his larger cousin to get on his small back. That silly scene displayed before Shen Yuan made his lips quirk up, and he hides it behind his fan. He chuckles when the kid throws a tiny tantrum when Xie Lian firmly declines his offer. 

Ah, they’re too cute! This old man can die in peace now.

[ ↑_(ΦwΦ)Ψ ]

WAIT, WAIT, I TAKE IT BACK, SYSTEM! IT WAS A JOKE! A JOKE!!%@@# PLEASEPLEASEDON’TPULLTHEPLUG!$^$&$% I’M ON MY KNEES BEGGING!@!^$$#

[ Host should be careful of their words, one can misinterpret their intentions. 〓D ]

Shen Yuan let out a deep sigh of relief and wiped off the bullets of sweat that accumulated at his forehead within a span of five seconds. He doesn’t curse at the System like he usually does (now that he was afraid that the piece of shit could possibly end his life on spot), and shifts his attention back towards the princes who were still conversing about who was gonna give who a piggyback ride after they regained their energy.

Shen Yuan tilted his head at this and made a small realization.

Did Qi Rong and Xie Lian interact with one another like this in the original novel? 

Were they ever that close as children?  

Shen Yuan doesn’t remember, nor is he sure if it’ll surface later on in the original novel that he never got to finish. He only remembers Xie Lian sighing all the time and reprimanding Qi Rong for his troublesome behavior that always led to problematic outcomes. During the Xianle arc when Xie Lian didn’t stay at the palace for too long because he was busy cultivating...Who did Qi Rong turn to for company? His aunt? Uncle? It couldn’t possibly be the servants or a commoner, Qi Rong looked down on them because of their status. Did he make a friend who was possibly of nobility? Ah, but he had a bad-reputation for his potty-mouth and….interesting antics, nobody except for his family, really liked him, and him having a friend was unheard of in the novel.

Now that he thought about it, maybe Qi Rong was a rather lonely character? 

Well, it’s not like he gave anyone a reason to like him in the original. Shen Yuan didn’t feel bad at all whenever Qi Rong got his ass beat in the book, in fact he was wholeheartedly cheering on Hua Cheng and the others whenever Qi Rong acted up and they got sick of him.

But the Qi Rong that would spit mean words that would contradict his burning red face and wavering tone and would burst into fits of uncontrollable laughter whenever Shen Yuan embarrassed himself—always made Shen Yuan hook his lips up into a pleased smile and would trigger his tendency to tease Qi Rong with every chance that he got a hold of.

Despite his quick temper that sometimes made Shen Yuan click his tongue at, he actually thought of the kid as a friend instead of a cannon fodder character that he needed to reform to complete his mission. 

Perhaps with some full-on therapy sessions and some needed discipline that would humble his character, would change him for the better. If he changed for the better, the chances of him achieving a happy ending with Guzi would significantly increase, and that was Shen Yuan’s objective. 

Who would’ve thought that Shen Yuan would befriend the Night Touring Green Lantern and would actually enjoy his company? 

Huh, who would’ve thought?

Xie Lian threw a glance at Shen Yuan who was watching them dazedly and then turned his head back to his cousin, “Why don’t you carry Shen Yuan instead of me? You both could even take turns!”

Shen Weiyao, who watched his son snap out of his thoughts and shoot Xie Lian with a look of betrayal—frowned. 

These days, Shen Yuan has been acting very strange. He stopped his daily visits at his father’s office to greet him and to strike a conversation with him in hopes of getting closer. His servants reported him often tripping by stepping onto the hems of his robes and him asking where the servants dumped out the chamber pots with a disgusted expression. The times that Shen Weiyao did see his son around the manor after spending hours on completing paperwork from the palace, his son no longer wore a brilliant smile nor did he carry that bright aura around him that never seemed to diminish whenever Shen Weiyao saw him. 

Instead, Shen Yuan’s eyes significantly sharpened and he walked around the manor cautiously with a cordial smile as if he was stepping into a den of vicious wolves. While he still smiled easily and asked dumb questions that one would know with common sense—something about him had changed. Shen Weiyao didn’t miss the way Shen Yuan innocently blinked and smiled widely at his father and then immediately dropped his bright expression while carefully observing him at the corner of his view after he thought that his father stopped paying attention to him. 

The sudden change of behavior happened after he arrived home from the banquet with a bruise below his eye in tow. 

Shen Weiyao was shocked when Xie Lian suggested that Shen Yuan should be Qi Rong’s future etiquette tutor after seeing him ‘get along’ with Qi Rong while carrying a graceful demeanor that made others question his age. While the prince did have issues with getting along with people and that his son was rather intelligent for his age—it didn’t mean that his son was fit to be a tutor! It was ridiculous, the boy was still too young!

However the king waved it off and arranged it so that Shen Yuan could visit the palace twice a week to befriend Qi Rong. It would strengthen the king’s relationship with his advisor who was a beneficial figure to have by his side as he had an influential family with overflowing wealth and power.

Shen Weiyao didn’t expect Shen Yuan to get along with Qi Rong that easily. 

Perhaps they were getting along a little bit too well.

Qi Rong strongly insisted on giving Shen Yuan a piggyback ride instead of being carried by the taller one, but Shen Yuan only sighed.

This old man’s back and pride will break if I do either of them! Can I catch a break?

In the end, Shen Yuan ended up carrying Qi Rong whose cheeks were dusted pink when his face was too close to Shen Yuan’s. He could practically count every single lash that slightly fluttered when the wind hit Shen Yuan’s eyes. Shen Yuan confusedly turned his head upon hearing a small noise erupt from Qi Rong, the tip of his nose brushing against Qi Rong’s. It made the former immediately pull his face back away and shout flusteredly in response, “I-I—TOO CLOSE! P-PUT ME DOWN, U-UGLY! PUT ME DOWN R-RIGHT NOW!”

Shen Yuan gives him a puzzled look before releasing Qi Rong, stretching his arms and straightening his crooked back before he froze when hearing a loud crack sounding out from his back.

[ -5 Coolness Points ]

Fuck you. Fuck you. Fuck you! FUCK YOU@!!?#$@# 

WHY WAS THAT SO LOUD? AM I ALREADY GETTING BACK PAIN AT THIS YOUTHFUL AGE?!

[ Host is being dramatic. You just need to exercise more. (^ц^ ) ]

Shen Yuan was hunched over with his left arm falling to his side, the other palming against the small of his back. When seeing Qi Rong and Xie Lian hurry over to him with panicked expressions, Shen Yuan couldn’t help but crack old man jokes that only irritated Qi Rong. 

Shen Weiyao recognised that Shen Yuan wasn’t in a critical state and only shot a glance towards Shen Yuan’s attendant that only watched on without a hint of worry spotted in his face. Shen Yuan was just being dramatic as per usual, there wasn’t a need to worry about the young master who was just as healthy as a growing cucumber.

The advisor shakes his head a bit before treading further down the corridor, a deep scowl surfacing when two smiling faces flash across his mind and overlap with one another. One with a silly grin accompanied with chubby cheeks, the other with painted red lips curved up into a wicked smirk that brought a small chill down his spine. 

“Looks like his mother.”

It left a bad taste in his mouth.

-  

The young pale green clad figure stepped down the hallway, fingers hooked behind his back as he called out cheerfully, “Come out, come out, wherever you are~!” When he places a hand on a doorknob, he can feel his personal attendant’s nervous gaze and he shoots him a reassuring smile before opening the creaking door. 

One foot inside of the large room, he takes in the sight that he’s presented with. Fancy decorations with gold linings hung from the walls and ceiling, long shelves organized with prized books full of valuable knowledge that would make a scholar pop a raging boner, and a wide jade desk that carried more books but with titles that strongly indicated that they were fictional tales. 

His eyes glide over to the king-sized bed with a large bulge in the middle, and he bites down on his lower lip to stop a laugh from escaping. The blanket on top of the bed slightly shifts and one can hear a person fixing their position to a more comfortable one. 

Truly too adorable, ah, Dianxia, how pure can you be? 

Shen Yuan walks around the room and makes thoughtful sounds as he muses with wonder, “Wow, His Highness is truly great at hiding! I spent so much time searching for him and I still haven’t found him,” he grins when he turns his head to see that obviously hidden figure under the soft blanket freeze, “Zhu Ying, what should I do when I can’t find him?”

He sees his servant give him an unimpressed look but he ignores it and continues pacing around the room, “Your Highness, where are you~?”

A red-faced Xie Lian pops his head out of the blanket and whispers with great embarrassment, “To my defense, I didn’t know where to hide….you can stop pretending now, Shen Yuan.”

He laughs at that, “Why under the covers? His Highness should’ve hid behind the door at the very least.”

Xie Lian moves away from his bed and frowns at him, “I was planning to do that but I was closer to the bed than the door when I heard you coming down the hallway.”

Shen Yuan only shakes his head with a fond smile on his face and tucks his hands underneath his long sleeves, “Whatever, His Highness can find a much better hiding spot after we find Prince Xiao Jing.” He stops in the middle of the door frame before turning his head back to Xie Lian with a sly smirk, “Does His Highness know where he is?”

“I can’t tell you even if I did know,” Xie Lian hummed, bringing a hand up to Shen Yuan’s head to ruffle his hair like an older brother would. Shen Yuan huffs and awkwardly fixes his hair ( it was weird to be treated as a kid when he was technically much older than Xie Lian) before his hand hovers over Xie Lian’s.

He doesn’t grab the crown prince’s hand and take the lead, because apparently when he did that with Qi Rong, the boy was strangely silent and looked like someone splashed icy water on him. Shen Yuan saw his red ears and was utterly confused as to why Qi Rong was feeling hot when there wasn’t a flaming star hovering over their tiny figures. Shen Yuan realized later after that eventful day that it was rude and improper to snatch someone’s hand like they were a piece of candy that was going to be taken away at a moment’s notice. He cursed at himself and smacked his hand for being so impulsive.

He drops his hand and with Xie Lian at his side and his personal attendant following close behind, he walks around the palace searching for any signs of the second prince. 

Not only is he good at running, he’s good at hiding? Pack it up Shang Qinghua.

Seeing Shen Yuan’s troubled expression, Xie Lian ponders for a moment before snapping his fingers, “Maybe he could be hiding in the courtyard?”

He makes a sound of agreement before snapping his head over to Xie Lian with a snort, “His Highness finally fesses up! Come on, let’s hurry and end this long round!”

“It was guess, that was the only place that you didn’t check.” Xie Lian sighed.

Shen Yuan gives Xie Lian a stupefied look, suddenly feeling like a dumbass.

Not me embarrassing myself in front of the protagonist—anyways.

Well, yeah, the courtyard was the only place he didn’t check other than some of the rooms where one would run into the King and Queen. He couldn’t just barge in there just to ask if Qi Rong was hiding in there because they were playing hide-and-seek. Shen Yuan was lucky when he made a wild guess that Xie Lian would hide in his room, where he was allowed to go in with Xie Lian’s permission.

The transmigrator and the crown prince strolled towards the courtyard, checking behind every bush and tree to find nothing. Shen Yuan waved his fan under the oak tree with furrowed brows, hiding half of his face behind his cooling device.

Just where is that kid?

System, do me a favor and do your cool little system mechanic thing to show me where he is.

[ Find him yourself. (¬､¬) ] 

Hello? What was with this sudden change of attitude from this thing? Can Shen Yuan refund this one and get one that can actually do its job and HELP out Shen Yuan?

Shen Yuan clicked his tongue at the floating screen in distaste and the fan in his hand was waving even harder; many strands of hair were flying all up in his face.

What else can you do except for deducting points and underpaying me points?!

[ Up! ↑ ]

“Huh?”

[ Up, Host! Are you deaf?! ↑↑↑ ]

“SHEN YUAN! LOOK O—”

Shen Yuan snapped his head up to only see an emerald clad figure descending down upon him, an ass (Shen Yuan could’ve sworn that he saw a smiley face plastered over it) greeting Shen Yuan’s wide, bewildered eyes. 

WHAT THE FUCK, WHAT THE FUCK, WHAT THE FUCK, WHAT THE FUCK, WHAT THE FUCK, WHAT THE FUCK!

Unconsciously, he slid back his foot and his arms automatically stretched out to catch that accelerating falling figure.

Well, it would’ve worked if Shen Yuan was stronger and if he were the main protagonist. 

Shen Yuan lost his balance and tipped backwards, falling on his ass and the weight in his arms landed right on top of his abdomen, knocking the wind out of him as his head thumped against the ground. 

And that was how Shen Yuan had died, for the second time. 

Or so that was what he had thought.

When his eyes cracked open, he had to blink a couple of times to clear the blurriness away before finally feeling that aching pain at the back of his head. Great, not only did his back hurt, his head did too. He winced before carefully pivoting his head to the warm presence at his side with narrowed eyes.

It was Qi Rong, whose hands tightly clenched at Shen Yuan’s robes, his white knuckles nearly the same color of his paling face.

Shen Yuan quickly shut his eyes again when he felt Qi Rong’s eyes dart over to his face, sticking his tongue out to the side like a dumbass to strongly indicate that he was ‘dead.’

[ You’re so annoying, please act normal for once, Host, before we deduct some coolness points. (¬_¬) ]

He hears Qi Rong make an audible gasp, “You’re finally awake!”

Shen Yuan lifts his eyelids back open in defeat, and it takes a couple beats for Shen Yuan to finally say something, “Next time, choose a better hiding spot. In fact, His Highness should avoid climbing trees overall.”

Please! Don’t climb up on trees if you’re gonna fall! I’m not gonna try to catch you the second time! I almost died the second time and the last thing I want to see is your flat ass before I go out! 

Qi Rong flushes red with embarrassment and doesn’t argue with Shen Yuan on it. Instead, he bobs his head in agreement and his lashes lower, his shoulders drooping along with his lips. Fuck, he looked like a puppy that just got caught shitting on the carpet. Was he the hurt one or was it Shen Yuan?

Shen Yuan suppressed that strong desire to pet him on the head with all of his mental strength and asked a question, “Where’s His Highness and Zhu Ying?”

“Cousin Crown Prince went to get the Imperial Physician after your servant dropped you off here, he’s standing outside of the door.” He says solemnly before dropping his head down, staring at his shoes as if they were the most interesting thing he’s ever seen. 

Shen Yuan awkwardly stares at him before Qi Rong lifts his head back up with quivering lips and glimmering eyes, “I-I’m sorry,” he’s interrupted by a hiccup before he finishes his sentence. He speaks again but it comes out quiet, almost like a whisper, “Are you not going to be my friend anymore?”

Shen Yuan tilted his head confusedly and frowned at him, but that feeds the anxiety that pools at the pit of Qi Rong’s stomach.

Qi Rong pulls his jade hairpin out of his bun and slides it into Shen Yuan’s hands, ink spilling over his shoulders and back, “Will you still be my friend if I give you this? It’s my treasure that Mama gave me, but I’ll give it to you...if you want it!”

A silent beat.

At his lack of response, Qi Rong began panicking and moved away from his bed that Shen Yuan was lying on. He walked over to his desk and pulled out the box full of his valuables and pushed aside the monster drawings from a couple months ago, rummaging through it with haste. He pushed aside some old cheap toys that he hung onto when he was younger, scowling when he couldn’t find any jewelry or anything of high value in the box.

Shen Yuan was the only person who Qi Rong wasn’t related to that didn’t look down on him because of his mother’s scandal and because of his scum of a father’s lowly status and bad reputation. He was his only friend that often hung around Qi Rong, teasing him here and there whenever he got the chance, tolerating Qi Rong’s quick temper and the rude words he didn’t mean that slipped out of his mouth whenever he felt embarrassed or angry.

What was he gonna do if his only friend left him? He did have his cousin, but he was always busy with training from Guoshi. He wasn’t that close with his uncle and his uncle was the king! He had more important things to do than to listen to a six year old ramble about trivial things. His aunt was extremely kind, but she only made him miss his mother who hid behind closed doors--even more. 

His mother locked herself in her chambers and refused to see anymore, and Qi Rong only got to see her only if he got lucky. But whenever he did, his mother let him in her dark room with only the rays of sun peeking through the windows as her sole source of light. Dust accumulated at the top of her drawers and floor. The forgotten jewelry that was exposed to the dust particles in the air, sat in a wooden chest on top of her vacant desk--their elegant gleams no longer present. 

She’d stare at them without any hints of emotion in her expression, and she’d spend all day just doing that. Qi Rong recognized them as the cheap jewelry that his mother brought along with when they arrived at the palace. 

The so-called cheap jewelry were old gifts that his two-faced father gave to her before his mother accepted his proposal and abandoned her arranged marriage for a snake that dared to raise a hand to his doting wife.

When her eyes weren’t fixated on the jewelry that brought back old memories, she’d only pat her son’s head in silence, not speaking a single word to her son in the time that they spent together as if her voice also left with her emotions. Whenever Qi Rong lifted his head up and saw those dull, empty eyes staring down at him, he’d feel a sharp pang of sadness and lower his head, his small fingers tightly holding onto the long digits that rested on his head. He couldn’t bear to look at her anymore in that miserable state. 

It didn’t help when he didn’t get a single response of the sort after sliding that letter under his mother’s door. It’s been days, and Qi Rong felt himself feeling greatly disappointed. 

Why couldn’t he find anything in this stupid fucking box?!!

Maybe he didn’t look hard enough. 

That’s right, he just had to look more carefully and he’ll see something of value eventually show up.

Then maybe he’ll be able to keep Shen Yuan by his side.

Qi Rong desperately continued scouring through the wooden box, and he didn’t even realize that he was crying until a pair of hands clasped onto his sullen cheeks and pulled his head away from the disorganized box. His face was pressed against a chest and the familiar lavender scent eased his shuddering shoulders and his choked sobs.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay, it’s okay, Qi Rong,” Shen Yuan cooed, cradling him in his arms and stroking his head with one hand, “look, I’m completely fine! It doesn’t even hurt at all. You don’t need to give me anything, no, you already apologized, it’s okay.”

Qi Rong hesitantly raised his head to see Shen Yuan give him a soft smile along with furrowed brows and a rivulet of sweat trailing down his troubled face. He opened his mouth and then shut it, bombarded by a sudden wave of confused thoughts before his lips moved, “But there’s nothing valuable about me that’ll make you stay.”

“What do you mean by that?”

He spoke quietly, “I’m mean to you and call you names, but you’re still my friend because I’m a prince.”

Shen Yuan pulled Qi Rong back to face him eye-to-eye, “You know you’re mean to me but you still call me names?” 

He flicks Qi Rong’s forehead and pinches his rosy cheeks, stopping the wide-eyed prince from speaking any further, “I don’t care for money or power. I don’t care if you’re a prince or a beggar off the streets. If I didn’t like you and only became your friend to gain favor from the king and to gain anything out of it—I wouldn’t waste my time playing and drawing with you. I hang around you because you’re fun to be around. You could eat your boogers and shit yourself and I would still be your friend, because I like you, idiot.”

Qi Rong’s jaw dropped at the sudden informality and he wore a stupefied expression. Never had he heard the other cuss before, and for a vulgar word to fall relaxingly from his lips as if he was reciting words from a poetry piece, made the former shocked. 

The last sentence from Shen Yuan’s confession bounces around his head before it completely registers in his mind. 

His face immediately flushes and he pulls his small hands up to hide his burning face, “W-WHAT? WE’RE B-BOTH B-BOYS! W-WHAT A-ARE YOU SAYING? S-SHAMELESS RAT!”

“What on earth are you talking about?” Shen Yuan questioned after giving Qi Rong another hard flick to the forehead. Qi Rong’s hands flew to his forehead, protecting it from Shen Yuan with a flustered expression that made Shen Yuan frown at.

It’s really not that hot in here, why is he so red? 

Huh, maybe he turns red when he gets mad like those cartoon characters. 

Shen Yuan stood up and dusted the dirt off his robes before stretching his hand out to Qi Rong, “Since His Highness has already apologized and everything, let’s go find something to eat in the kitchen. I’m hungry.”

“W-We still have to wait for Cousin Crown Prince to come back first!” The prince reminds, his eyes fixated on the hand hanging in the air, waiting for him to grab.

“Oh.”

Shen Yuan drops his hand and then shifts his feet, walking up to the door and pulling it open.

“I thought I told you that we have to wait for Cousin Crown Prince to come back!”

“I’m gonna go use the bathroom, I’ll be back.” He announces before shutting the door.

Then, he runs as fast as he can.

Zhu Ying, who was waiting outside the door, was caught off guard when seeing the young master dart out of the room as if he was running from a savage beast. He confusedly trailed behind him.

Shen Yuan was running like a madman with no apparent destination—he wasn’t even heading towards the bathroom where he said he was gonna be at. His hands were slapping at his pink face and he was pulling onto the roots of his long hair tied up into a ponytail.

EW, EW, EW, EWW THAT WAS SO EMBARRASSING! HOW DID THE PROTAGONISTS DO IT? OMGOMGOMG THAT WAS THE CRINGIEST SHIT I’VE EVER DONE, I’M NEVER DOING THAT AGAIN! WHERE’S THE CLIFF THAT I NEED TO JUMP OFF OF? SHEN YUAN, YOU’RE NOT THE NARUTO THAT YOU THINK YOU ARE!!! 

[ +50 F Points ]

[ +50 F Points ]

[ +100 F Points ]

[ +50 Coolness Points ]

[ +10 Coolness Points ]

[ -15 Coolness Points ]

[ Stop running around like an idiot! Get your ass back in that room, fool! The servants are staring at you! (╬ಠ益ಠ) ]

At that, he gradually slowed his pace and made a U-turn, pulling up his fan to hide his face full of regret and embarrassment from Zhu Ying, who gave him a weird look that clearly said ‘WTF?’

“Young Master, are you okay?”

“YES, I AM.”

“...”

And so Shen Yuan left the palace that day with bandages wrapped around his head, wearing a sour expression. He would push today’s events to the back of his mind and would never speak or even think about it again.

Xie Lian tosses his younger cousin a worried glance when he’s staring off into space and then proceeding to blush to himself in the middle of dinner out of nowhere. The queen nudged Xie Lian and quietly asked him why Qi Rong was silent today when he’d usually converse to Xie Lian and exclaim in awe whenever Xie Lian mentioned how his martial arts lessons were going. 

He shrugged and simply answered that he didn’t know.

Maybe he was in a really good mood today, who knows? Only his cousin knew.

After dinner, Qi Rong dazedly walked back to his room with his servant following behind. His servant opens the door for him and he moves to take a step forward before he sees something on the floor.

He stops his foot midair and pulls it back, squatting down to pick up the object. 

It was a white envelope.

His heart bursts with happiness when he excitedly opens it to read the contents inside of it.

Today was truly a good day.

Chapter Text

The young transmigrator sat in the courtyard with a book in his hands, steadily reading along the set of words with deep concentration. Zhu Ying who stood by his side watched and furrowed his eyebrows at this, “Young Master, you already know how to read?”

Shen Yuan slightly jolted in his seat and then quickly shook his head, “I can understand some of the words, but I’m just pretending to read to look cool.”

He snorts at that and Shen Yuan just ignores him.

There wasn’t a point to it if there was only just him and his servant waiting in the courtyard. 

Perhaps he was waiting for Prince Xiao Jing to arrive and shower him with praises for being literate at this age, ah, the young maiden. He wasn’t even trying to hide his crush on the prince!

Shen Yuan ignored his servant giving him a strange look and continued reading his crappy stallion novel, furiously berating it in his head, being the masochist that he was. 

It wasn’t until he heard small footsteps that he finally decided to close his book and lift his head up to get a proper view at the figure standing in front of him. 

His eyes slightly widened when a hand suddenly thrusted in his face and Shen Yuan had to move back a bit to look at what was in that hand. 

It was a dandelion, and Qi Rong’s fingers were wrapped around it so tightly; the poor stem was being crushed.

His eyes flickered up from the flower and he smiled at the kid who was so red, he looked like was gonna explode at any moment. 

“Relax, Your Highness. Nobody’s gonna take it away from you.” Shen Yuan teased, and Qi Rong opened and shut his mouth a couple times like a gaping fish before declaring with a straight face, “It’s for you.”

“Oh? Thank you,” he muses and picks up the dainty flower from his loosened hold, sliding it behind his ear before tossing Qi Rong a charming wink, “does it look good?”

Qi Rong clutched at his pounding heart that skipped a couple beats and shyly looked away, “Y-You look dumb.”

The servants who were third-wheeling them—slapped their foreheads and exchanged looks of disbelief with each other.

Young prince, that’s not how you express your love and affection! You should’ve given him a rose or peony instead! Not a herb that you randomly found near the bushes!

Shen Yuan recognized that it was a compliment since Qi Rong had the tendency to act like a tsundere and laughed lightly, “Whatever Your Highness says.”

[ +20 F Points ]

Throughout the time that Shen Yuan spends with him, he realizes that Qi Rong has been acting rather strange. 

He doesn’t do his usual loud cackle that sounded so ugly, it made Shen Yuan burst out in laughter along with him. Instead, he covers his mouth and goes ‘teehee’ like a middle schooler trying to sound attractive in front of their crush.

Shen Yuan also catches Qi Rong stealing glimpses of him every three seconds, and when their eyes did lock one time; he called him ugly and bashfully turned away.

He had to find out what was wrong with his friend.

When they were eating lunch made by the kitchen chefs at the table, Shen Yuan tapped his chopsticks against the side of his bowl and casually asked, “Is Your Highness okay?”

Qi Rong steadied his hand that was discreetly pushing the plates of savory food closer to Shen Yuan and snapped his head up, “What do you mean?”

“You’ve been acting strange today, is there something on your mind?”

The prince lowered his head and nervously shifted around in his seat.

Shen Yuan places his utensils down on the table and gives him a small poke on the head, “Your Highness?”

When he doesn’t respond, Shen Yuan unconsciously leans in closer to take a closer look at him but Qi Rong’s head abruptly shot up and crashed against his. Shen Yuan hisses and rubs at the swelling red bump on his forehead.

“Your Highness! What are yo—“

“I LIKE YOU TOO!” Qi Rong determinedly shouted, watching Shen Yuan’s expression change into a bewildered one with expectant eyes.

Was he referring to that day where Shen Yuan hit his head trying to catch Qi Rong?

What was with the sudden late response? 

It wasn’t like Shen Yuan expected one from him in the first place.

“That’s great….I guess?” He answered awkwardly.

What did he want Shen Yuan to say?

Qi Rong’s eyes sparkled and his lips were stretched up into a delighted smile but he didn't say anything else to let his sudden act of bravery sink in.

Did this mean that Shen Yuan was gonna marry him now? 

Shen Yuan lifted a brow at the giddy prince and pursed his lips when he saw a red mark on Qi Rong’s forehead mirroring his. 

The transmigrator shakes his head in disapproval at this and then leans in close enough to be able to reach Qi Rong. He stretched his hands out to push aside his curly bangs, wanting to get a better view of the injury, that clumsy child.

Qi Rong was startled at first but then realized that his ‘future fiance’ was leaning in to give him a kiss after he accepted his confession, so he also leaned in with slightly puckered up lips and pink cheeks.

However, his lips didn’t touch anything but air. He felt a pair of hands clasp around his head and tilt it from side to side. Qi Rong lifted his eyelids to only see Shen Yuan entirely focused on the injury on his forehead, “My friend, if you leave this room with that mark on your head, His and Her Majesty will not let me off easy. We should get it treated before it scars.”

Friend? FRIEND?!!

Qi Rong was hit with confusion.

The servants in the background clapped their hands against their mouths and whispered to one another:

“He just friend-zoned him, poor Prince Xiao Jing!”

“I thought he liked him!”

“I told you, idiot! Do you not see that your young master is as dense as a rock? It is only His Highness that has a little crush on him.”

“H-He’s only a child! Leave him alone.”

“Aiya, it’s just some simple fun, Zhu Ying. Pay up now, you lost the bet.”

“...”

Shen Yuan was concerned about the prince who looked like someone knocked the wind out of him. He suggests with some hesitation, “...Let’s go visit the Imperial Physician, how about that?”

And so they did. Qi Rong didn’t muster enough courage to ask Shen Yuan why he still called him a friend if they were going to get married soon.

Qi Rong huffed and shook his head as if the lingering thoughts would fade away if he did so. He lifted his brush and began forming letters on the paper with clumsy strokes.

Ever since he got a letter back from his mother, he’s tried making multiple visits to her chamber. He ended up standing at the door that never swung open every time he visited, to his disappointment. 

He felt foolish for thinking that things would change with just one letter. 

But he continued writing more of them and kept delivering it to her door. Everyday, he’d write up a letter talking about the people around him and how his day went. Of course, he didn’t always get a reply with every letter that he sent, but he still managed to get one every week. That was more than enough for him. 

When winter came, as per usual, he went off to deliver his letter to his mother’s door. Silver snowflakes descended from the clouds and danced around him, some got caught in his long lashes and the majority of them collected in his dark hair.

Qi Rong kneeled on one leg and scraped away the cold snow from the space under the door with the best of his abilities and made sure that not a single speck of snow touched the object. His servant, Song Meitang, watched him from the side with pity. No matter how many times she offered to deliver his heartfelt letters for him, he’d ignore her and go off to deliver it himself with determination. 

The young prince stood up, wiped his wet hand on his intricate robes and then turned to leave until he heard a sharp gasp from his servant and a loud creak from behind. His eyes widened and he quickly whipped his head around to face the door.

He saw his mother standing there before him with a troubled expression, but despite that, Qi Rong could spot the tint of color that splashed across her eyes.

“What...What are you doing standing outside in the cold like that, Qi Rong?” She quietly asked with some hesitancy, strands of hair falling in front of her face when she takes a step forward.

Qi Rong couldn’t believe his eyes. 

“Mama?”

“...Yes?”

“Mama.” He repeated again with astonishment.

“Yes.”

His bottom lip quivered and the rims of his eyes were reddening. His legs moved on their own and he found himself hugging her leg, hot tears spilling down his rosy cheeks and choked sobs sounding out from him.

“I MISSED YOU!” He cried, soaking the side of her robes with his tears. Qi Rong felt her warm hand rub against his head and his shuddering body unconsciously relaxed at that familiar gesture. His mother wraps her arms around him and carefully picks him up, carrying him inside her room where the frosty winds could not reach. The servant understood the situation and obediently stood outside of the door.

His mother set him down on the floor and dabbed his wet eyes with the hems of her sleeves. However, as soon as his eyes were dried, he felt something wet trickle down his cheek. Qi Rong slowly raised his head and saw his mother breaking down.

She pulled him close with trembling hands and pressed her lips against his head, “F-Forgive this terrible mother of yours. I couldn’t bear to show my face after bringing shame upon my sister’s name. Forgive me, forgive me—I shouldn’t have neglected you...I—” 

His mother paused for a second and then squeezed her eyes shut.

“I–I shouldn’t have fallen for his tricks. I’m so sorry.”

She felt a pair of small hands grab her face and her eyes fluttered open to see her son staring back at her with a serious face. 

“Don’t apologize, Mama. It wasn’t your fault. It was that fu—” he stops himself from swearing, “i–it was his fault! Not yours! I already forgave you a long time ago.”

“So, please. Please don’t be sad anymore.”

His kind words made her want to cry even harder but she couldn’t let him down, so her tears were slowly brought to a halt. She felt incredibly grateful to the heavens for gifting her with a filial son that never gave up on her. She felt grateful for her older sister who often came into her chambers, spending days soothing her with reassuring words and bringing up interesting topics to make sure that her younger sister didn’t even have the time to think about the past.

She pressed her forehead against Qi Rong’s and softly smiled, “Thank you.”

“Mmm.”

He spent the quiet night enveloped in his mother’s arms with a serene smile on his face.

-

“Look at that view, System!” Shen Yuan exclaims, his finger pointing at the mountains from afar, small trees hung at the sides and large patches of white ran up along the rocky range. The cranes that usually soared under the soft clouds and flapped their ivory wings were no longer in sight, instead, there was light snow. “I never really paid much attention to the Xianle setting until now, but wow, this looks so much better than the CGI from xianxia dramas! And I get to look out my window and see this view everyday!”

[ It’s not that impressive, I’ve seen better. ]

He turned away from the window to face the virtual tab and tilted his head in confusion, his long strands of hair sweeping against his plump cheeks, “You’ve seen better?”

Then something clicks in his mind and Shen Yuan feels a sudden rush of excitement, “Oh, oh! How many worlds have you been in, System! What kind of worlds have you been in? Have you been in Harry Potter before?” He stops himself and then gasps out loud, “Wait, wait, wait, have you ever been in Seven Deadly Sins before? Hunter X Hunter? Perhaps even in Naruto—”

[ Do you know how to shut up? ]

“Do you know how to shut up?” Shen Yuan mimics in his high-pitched voice that hasn’t reached puberty as of yet.

The screen in front of him slightly shakes, as if outraged by the little kid that dared to mock it.

Shen Yuan snorts at that and rests his chin on his hand, “I’ll take that as a no, then. Hmm, is this perhaps your first world that you’ve worked in or do transmigration systems work differently than they do in novels?”

[ …. ]

“So yes or no?”

[ If I answer, will you shut up? ]

“Maybe.”

[ Yes. ]

Shen Yuan makes a sound of acknowledgement at that, “Ho, ho! So it is your first time! How are you liking Heaven Official’s Blessing so far? So far so good? Isn’t Xie Lian an admirable protagonist? You’ll love him, trust me. Ah, also! We’ll see the scene where he catches Hong-er in a couple years from now on! Man, I know it’s gonna be so good, I want this arc to time-skip already! Oh yeah, we’ll also gonna see the parade that Xie Lian’s gonna—“

The System just stared at the young boy helplessly.

Does this kid ever shut up? 

God, he’s been rambling on for hours now! Why did his first Host have to be an idiot who didn’t know how to shut his own mouth?

[ You speak as if you’ve already finished the book before you died. ]

“I wish! I was at the part where they were all heading to Mt. Tonglu,” Shen Yuan speaks with a hint of disappointment in his tone before a sly grin spreads across his face, “can you give me a spoiler?”

[ Why would I need to when you’re gonna see the ending for yourself? ]

“Pleaseeeeee!”

[ …. ]

[ Xie Lian dies at the end. ]

Shen Yuan’s eyes widen for a quick second before they narrow with doubt, “Stop playing with me. He’s the protagonist, there’s no way he’ll die at the end! I’ll actually cry if he does!”

[ Cry, then. ]

“Fuck you.”

[ (∩_∩) ]

Shen Yuan doesn’t comment on the system suddenly deciding to use emoticons after not spamming them at the end of its sentences for a long period of time. He doesn’t comment on the sudden personality change that he didn’t know it was possible for systems to have. Perhaps it was a small bug? But what could he do about it, though? It’s not like he could actually send a complaint to its boss. If it even has one.

He waves his hand at the screen and drops his head on the desk in front of him, the gentle wind brushing on the back of his neck from the open window behind him. “I’m so lonely and bored, there’s nothing for me to do. Entertain me, System.”

If it could, the system would send a couple whip lashings to Shen Yuan’s back.

[ Who do you think I am? ]

“Come on, bro~! Show off your cool little system stuff! You can do it!” Shen Yuan cheered rather enthusiastically with pleading eyes.

[ Entertain yourself! (¬▂¬) ]

Shen Yuan hmphed and picked his head up, “Geez, you got a knife all up in your robotic asscheeks or something? A virus? You should get that checked out. I’ll just go pay Qi Rong a visit then. He, at the very least, makes things fun and interesting unlike you.”

It wasn’t long before a bright screen pushed itself all up in Shen Yuan’s face, flashing multiple images at him. 

Shen Yuan snorted and tried to push the screen away with his hands, only to touch nothing but air, “Aww, are you admitting your undying crush on me now?”

[ The only thing that would ever love you is your mother. 눈_눈 ]

“Come on man, you didn’t need to say that out loud.” He said exasperatedly, wiping away fictional tears. When he finally fixates his focus onto the screen in front of him, his hands fall down to his sides and sounds of awe escape from him.

A full view of a mountain range with twelve peaks surrounded by milky clouds was laid out before him. One could see the rainbow bridges that connected to the other peaks and another peak that stood in the middle, taller than the rest, expressing its importance and nobility. People flew out of the mountain on swords, and disciples dressed in white and green uniforms ran laps around a particular peak. 

“You really meant it when you said you’ve seen better! Wow, is that a phoenix with three heads I see over there?!” Shen Yuan cried, the corner of his lips tugging up into a wide smile and his eyes sparkling with amazement.

[ What else could it be? ]

Shen Yuan eagerly nodded his head and watched the screen zoom in on the scenery before he heard a couple of knocks on the door.

Who could it be? Was it one of his servants? 

The screen moves away from his face and blinks, the image disappearing and replaced with nothing but a dull white color. Shen Yuan quickly fixes his slouched posture and pulls his fan out from his belt, making sure to hide his lower face before he calmly spoke, “Come in.”

A familiar man strides in, mirroring Shen Yuan with a fan also close to his face. 

Shen Yuan’s jaw drops and he’s grateful to have his fan hiding the dumb expression that he was wearing. Shen Weiyao stops in front of his desk and looks down at him with narrowed eyes behind his own fan.

The both of them shared the same thought at that exact moment. 

Copycat.

It was Shen Yuan who was the first to set down his. He beams at Shen Weiyao and dips his head into a deep bow, “Shen Yuan greets Father!”

He expects him to scowl and make a rude remark, but he doesn’t do any of that to Shen Yuan’s surprise. Shen Weiyao only stares at him with an unchanging expression and then proceeds to sit on the cushion across from Shen Yuan’s with practiced movement. 

He came to see me? Did he catch onto my act? Crapppp, I knew I should’ve been kissing his ass from the start! 

“Does Father need something?” He asks politely with a forced smile slapped across his face, sounding very similar to how a retail employee would speak to a rude customer who wanted to refund their opened can of beans. 

Shen Weiyao snaps his fan shut and slides it into his long sleeve ( where does it go? ) before dragging his fingers to the side of his left hip, where a long sword hung from his leather belt. At this, Shen Yuan tries to discreetly scoot away from him as far as he can with the cushion under his ass, wearing a nervous smile to try to play it off, “Haha, did I upset Father in any way? I sincerely apologize if I did! I truly didn’t mean to anger you!”

He panics even more when his expression darkens, his hand pulling the sword out of its sheath a second later.

SYSTEM! A LITTLE HELP HERE?!!

[ Fool, take a closer look at that sword. ]

Shen Yuan doesn’t get the chance to focus on the weapon when a large hand wraps around his wrist and tugs, pulling him forward without early notice. He feels something sharp slice into the skin of his index finger and winces. Droplets of blood slide down the cold blade that remains unchanged.

Shen Weiyao frowns at the lack of reaction the sword gives him and flicks the blood off the sword before sheathing it. He turns to his son who wore a frightened expression, mouth wide open in shock and big watering eyes that looked as if Shen Weiyao had badly wronged him. His lips curve down in annoyance and they move to make a comment, “Stop crying. It shouldn’t even hurt that bad.”

If Shen Yuan wasn’t scared out of his mind, he would’ve jumped on top of his desk and gave that arrogant son of a bitch a big ol’ smack on the head with his fan.

I wasn’t even crying! I was scared! I thought I was gonna die a second time and suffer a death much more painful than a terrible stomach ache this time around! Do you have no consciousness? Could you maybe give me a heads up? Any kid or adult would piss their pants if you waved a big sword in front of their faces with that scary face! 

Despite his angry inner thoughts, he only bit onto his lower lip and sucked in a large amount of air through his clogged nostrils, creating a loud obnoxious sound that made Shen Weiyao’s left eye twitch.

He takes a step back from him with a poorly concealed face filled with disgust, “Wipe those tears away, you look unsightly!”

The transmigrator rubs his slightly swollen eyes with the edges of his sleeves; dyeing the white fabric into a darker shade with his salty teardrops, his bottom lip jutting out into a pout.

“I’m sorry.” He apologizes sorrowfully, purposely appearing more like a white lotus although he was innerwardly curling his fingers up and slamming his head against an imaginary wall at his cringy attempt. 

“Do you make it a habit to apologize so easily?” Shen Weiyao started in a harsh tone, eyebrows curving down at the ‘pitiful’ child before him, “Do you feel no shame acting like a pathetic coward? Drop that act and start acting like a proper noble, fool.”

What’s up with him and the System always nagging Shen Yuan like how his mother would in his previous life whenever she caught him spending money on body pillows of Luo Binghe and mousepads of his big tittie—pecs? Could they maybe take it easier on Shen Yuan?! He’s only been doing this for a couple months now!

[ He makes many valid points. Perhaps your idiocy can be cured if you learn from him. ]

And what would I learn from him? Parenting?

[ (ಠ~ಠ) ]

[ You would learn how to not make a fool out of yourself in front of others, but it seems like you insist on embarrassing yourself further. Yet, you wonder why you lose so many points. ]

Shen Yuan stops himself from clicking his tongue at the system and scratches his eyebrow with his middle finger instead, trying to play it off as a confused child.

He remembers the other person in the room and carefully raises his head to look at the middle-aged man, “...Why did Father do that?”

“I don’t see there to be a need for me to tell you.” He says as he moves up from his seat and makes his abrupt leave before throwing a final glance at Shen Yuan with indiscernible emotion behind his eyes. 

Not even a goodbye?

The transmigrator lets out a loud sigh and falls flat on his back, finally letting himself relax without the presence of his ‘father.’

Although Shen Weiyao didn’t bother to explain his intentions behind his actions, Shen Yuan knew. He only asked him why he did it to confirm the thoughts that he harbored to himself.

He checked Shen Yuan for possession and was confused when nothing turned up, so he left just as quick as he came. Very in character. 

At first, Shen Yuan was afraid that perhaps his soul can be taken out of this body that he’s been forcefully put in, but then again, it wasn’t like he was a creepy ghost or an evil spirit who wanted to possess a six year old kid. The fact that his System didn’t even utter a worried word to Shen Yuan about the upcoming danger only reassured him. Well, only a little bit. Shen Yuan was still scared, though.

Seems like he has to put his guard up around Shen Weiyao more. He’ll have to make up excuses and avoid every opportunity that would lead to him interacting with the original goods’ father that found Shen Yuan suspicious.

Shen Yuan props his head up with one hand and lays on his side, lazily twirling with a sable hair strand. 

“System.”

[ What is it? ]

“Tell me I’m not the only one that thinks that Shen Weiyao wasn’t even looking at me throughout the whole entire conversation.”

[ His eyes were entirely focused on the spot above your head. He was purposely not looking at your face nor making eye contact. ]

“Great to know that I’m not the only one,” he yawns, blinking at the virtual tab a couple of times before adding, “...is there a reason why he’s doing that? Can I maybe get some backstory to see what I’ll be dealing with for who knows how long?”

[ Loading . . . ]

[ Completed ]

<< Summary: Xianle’s advisor, Shen Weiyao, a cutsleeve— >>

“A CUTSLEEVE?!” Shen Yuan interrupted with shock.

[ Shut up. ]

<< Xianle’s advisor, Shen Weiyao, a cutsleeve who was forced into a marriage with a noblewoman he loathed. The noblewoman named Qiu Jiuyu, was a cunning woman with ambition whose family had an equal standing with the Shen’s. She drugged Shen Weiyao and forced herself upon him. When he regained his consciousness and pressed a sword against her neck, she knew that she couldn’t be easily killed and threatened to tell others that he had defiled her. Shen Weiyao was furious and it only fed his strong desire to kill her until she pulled out a ring that belonged to his lover, Yue Ji, a servant that has stayed by his side ever since they were children. Qiu Jiyu threatened to kill him and his entire family if Shen Weiyao didn’t agree to marry her. Thus, Qiu Jiyu had successfully arranged a marriage with the Shen’s young heir and gained more power and wealth using their connections. She died from a deadly poison and left behind her son, Shen Yuan, who shares a face similar to his mother’s. >>

“.....”

He was speechless. 

He did not expect this kind of backstory from a cannon fodder who wasn’t even mentioned in the original book.

Shen Yuan rubbed at his temples and groaned softly to the system, “I-I don’t even know what to say about this.”

That’s why Shen Weiyao was so cold to the original goods and why he always avoids looking at me. That explains a lot. A whole lot.

[ He should’ve killed that disgusting vermin long ago! ]

I second that.

God, everyone in this book could use some therapy.

Shen Yuan lifts up his head and turns it towards the direction where a portrait of a woman should be hanging from. He guiltily took it down because it was uncomfortable sleeping in a room with a woman staring at him with a smile that seemed eerie in the dark. He no longer feels guilty. 

He should burn it when he gets the chance to. 

Hmm, maybe he should wear a veil around Shen Weiyao from now on. 

Perhaps a fan would work just fine.

Shen Yuan walks over to his bed and plops on top of it, the many pillows stacked on top of each other catching him and lulling the tired boy. He pulls a large pillow into his arms and rubs his cheek against it, curling his legs in with a small yawn. 

If he did hate the original goods, then why did he bother to come and check me for possession himself when he could’ve had someone else do it for him?

He huffs at that single thought and then shuts his eyes, nope, there was too much for him to unpack. A bomb was just dropped and it was too much for his two brain cells to handle. He would come back to the questions another day.

“Wake me up in two hours.”

He takes its silence as a sign of approval and allows himself to plunge into a deep dream that temporarily washed away his anxious thoughts and worries. 

A handsome man with jade green eyes and hair half up in a bun watches the young boy fall asleep from the other side of the screen. He strums his fingers along his arm and creases form under his brows when he muses to himself, “No, no, it can’t be a mere coincidence.”

Chapter Text

What was Shen Yuan seeing right now?

He sat on a chair with a slightly shaking hand holding up a large fan over his face. Shen Yuan peeked over at Qi Rong who was beaming at a woman who was feeding him fruit. She quietly picked a grape off of its stem and gently pushed it into Qi Rong’s mouth with a serene smile on her face. A low ponytail hung over her right shoulder, and her almond eyes wrinkled up at the corners at the gleeful sounds that Qi Rong made. To his left, Xie Lian was smiling happily at the two, mirroring the queen who sat beside him. 

Well this was awkward.

Psst! System!

Who’s that?

[ Qi Rong’s mother, who else could it be? She’s the only woman, besides the queen—whom Qi Rong is close to. ] 

What? That’s impossible! I thought she shut herself in her room and never showed her face in public ever again! How’d this happen? I’ve only been away from the palace for a couple of days!

[ You idiot, as long as your presence remains in this world, things are bound to change. Surely you don’t expect everything to turn out the same as the original novel? Tell me you’re not as idiotic as other transmigrators. ]

I do know that! I’ve read enough transmigration novels to know that as soon as you transmigrate into a novel, parts of the story have already changed one way or another! Like a butterfly effect or some sort! I just don’t recall ever doing anything that would...trigger this unexpected route.

[ Since you blabbed your mouth off to Qi Rong about those silly books you’ve been reading lately, he got inspired by one of them and decided to write letters to his mother in hopes of her returning back to her normal state. ]

[ Not only that, ever since you’ve been helping him with writing and calligraphy, he’s been more encouraged to continue sending letters to his mother. He personally sends them to her door everyday. ]

[ The queen knew of this and decided to visit her sister, except she was more resolute. Of course, she wasn’t invited in as per usual, but she welcomed herself into her chambers and it took awhile for her sister to start speaking to her again— ]

And then his mother sought out Qi Rong and they had a heart-to-heart conversation, yeah, I see where this is going.

[ I’ll deduct points if you don’t stop interrupting me, you imprudent bastard! (’益’) ]

The readers don’t wanna read all this crap! Leave me and the points alone!

“This is?” Qi Rong’s mother quietly calls out in her silvery voice, pulling Shen Yuan away from his ‘friendly’ conversation with the System.

Shen Yuan steadies his hand and closes his fan, dipping his head into a deep bow towards her direction, “This one is named Shen Yuan.”

She exchanged a quick look with the queen and then smiled, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Shen Yuan. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

Who was talking about him? Why did a lot of new people that Shen Yuan met say the same exact thing? He can’t possibly be that popular?!

He gave her a tight smile and then swiftly averted his eyes away, giving the shiny floor his full attention. 

The hell was he gonna do now?

Why did everyone decide to have lunch today with their mothers? 

Maybe he shouldn’t have decided to visit Qi Rong today.

“What’s your favorite color, Shen Yuan?” The queen suddenly asked, and Shen Yuan slowly raised a brow at that.

Why?

“Green.” He replied obediently.

“Favorite food?”

“...Chicken.”

“Favorite hobbies?” 

Is this a trick question?

“......Reading and drawing?”

“Favorite animal?”

“Umm...snakes, I suppose?”

“Do you lik–“

“Oh look! The food is here!” Xie Lian interrupted suddenly, pointing at the servants carrying platters and bowls of food that made one drool. Everyone at the table looked over at them, and Shen Yuan let out a sigh of relief. He threw a glance at Xie Lian who gave him a small grin and a thumbs up. Shen Yuan had never felt so grateful in his entire life.

The servants placed down the food and quietly stepped away. Everyone picked up their chopsticks and began putting food into their own bowls. As soon as Shen Yuan reached over to pick up a piece of braised chicken, a pair of chopsticks swiftly snatched a drumstick that he was planning on taking.

He slightly frowns at that but maneuvers over to a different dish, carefully picking up some stir-fried green beans, lest they would slip out of his utensils and he would have to awkwardly pick them up again.

When he moves back to place the beans down in his bowl and looks down, he suddenly sees a bunch of chicken piled up in his bowl. 

There was the braised chicken drumstick that was snatched from him a couple seconds ago, tender boiled chicken that fell off the bone, and stir-fried spicy chicken with sesame seeds glazed over it.

H...How was he going to finish all of this?

Hell, he couldn’t even see the rice anymore! 

[ That brat...not even bothering to hide it anymore. ]

At the System’s remark, a lightbulb went off in Shen Yuan’s head and he immediately looked over at the culprit. 

Qi Rong, who was watching him closely, jolted in his seat when Shen Yuan turned to look at him. 

“I–I gave them to you because they taste nasty! S–So eat up!”

Kid, the servants just placed the food down on the table twenty seconds ago, how would you know how all of them tasted like? 

[ I can’t bear to watch this tomfoolery anymore. Lord, just eat and call it a day already! ]

A light chuckle sounded out from the queen and a small sound of acknowledgement was heard from her younger sister. Xie Lian facepalmed himself and continued eating the food that his mother kept on placing in his bowl with a hum.

Shen Yuan wanted to tease Qi Rong about it so badly, but it would look improper to do so in front of others, so he let that opportunity slip past his fingers. He fondly shook his head at Qi Rong and offered him a soft smile, “Many thanks, Your Highness.”

And then he proceeded to return the favor by gently placing chunks of tangy crispy beef on top of his bowl. 

[ +20 F Points ]

[ +10 Coolness Points ]

[ Ugh, you both disgust me. ]

Shen Yuan lit a candle for the servant who was gonna have to empty out his chamber pot the next morning.

After the servants cleared the table as soon as they were all finished eating their fill, the kids went off to play on their own and the women chatted amongst themselves. 

Qi Rong raised his branch that he found lying on the ground and pointed it at Shen Yuan, “Pick up your weapon and fight me!”

Not again.

Since he couldn’t find a long tree branch, Shen Yuan pulled out his fan and pressed a hand behind his back. He sighed to himself, but yet he threw on a cocky smirk and slid his foot back, “You shouldn’t underestimate my skills, Your Highness.”

Qi Rong rolled his eyes and dashed forward with his branch, clashing his ‘weapon’ against Shen Yuan’s fan. Shen Yuan poured all of his strength behind his fan and pushed the branch away, finding the perfect opportunity to strike at an opening when Qi Rong jerked back. However, he was too slow to take action and was blocked by the young prince’s powerful swing. 

Their battle was certainly fierce and outstanding. With every calculated step and swing of their weapons, unknowingly, their lips hooked up with excitement whenever they exchanged heavy blows with one another.

To others, they looked like idiots running around the grass clumsily swinging the object in their hands around without care or tact. 

Xie Lian, who was actually learning martial arts, felt his face slightly burn from second-hand embarrassment. Should he laugh or cry at this terrible display of swordsmanship?

He couldn’t stand to watch from the sidelines and approached them with a kind smile that looked incredibly intimidating to the pair. 

“Mind if I join?”

Shen Yuan and Qi Rong stopped and looked at each other nervously.

Was it a good idea to have a person who actually knew how to fight, join in on their play fight?

Xie Lian was able to beat up 33 armed gods with a single tree branch! A tree branch! There was no way Shen Yuan was gonna go up against him! 

But of course, they both agreed! The more the merrier, especially if it’s the main protagonist!

In the end, the duo only embarrassed themselves whenever Xie Lian dodged their half-hearted swings with ease and hopped on one foot with his hands hooked behind his back. They quickly gave up and Xie Lian ended up teaching them how to properly swing a sword with Qi Rong’s branch. 

“—You have to put more force behind it and swing straight down! Don’t carelessly swing your sword around by pivoting your wrist, you might hurt yourself and it won’t be as powerful.” He explained calmly, slowly pacing back and forth in front of the two who were attentively listening and making mental notes. “Also, you want to—”

Xie Lian stopped when he felt something drop on top of his head. He lifted his head and looked up at the grey clouds that covered the scintillating sun and released a shower of heavy rain. He frowned and raised both of his long sleeves above Shen Yuan and Qi Rong’s small heads to shield them from the rain, “Let’s head inside before one of you catches a cold.”

The trio hurriedly ran back inside and were greeted by the queen and her sister, along with a row of servants. Qi Rong jumped into his mother’s arms and the queen wrapped a towel around Xie Lian’s shoulders and ordered the servants, “Bring my son a change of clothes and prepare his favorite tea.”

As Shen Yuan watched the two Xianle princes being coddled by their doting mothers, he couldn’t help but feel a little lonely. Just a little bit.

“Young master,” Zhu Ying, who appeared at his side, quietly spoke, “I think we should head back before the storm gets worse.”

Shen Yuan nodded at this and bowed his head towards the queen’s direction, “I should get going before the storm gets worse. I hope Your Majesty and Your Highnesses enjoy the rest of your day.”

Qi Rong turned his head around and opened his mouth to disapprove of the early withdrawal but closed it immediately. There was no reason for Shen Yuan to stay any longer, if he did, he wouldn’t be able to return home safely under the heavy storm. Xie Lian made a disappointed sigh but gave Shen Yuan a goodbye wave before retiring back into his chambers to change into dry clothes. Qi Rong sulked and watched him leave with sullen, but unblinking eyes.

Shen Yuan walked out of the palace gates with Zhu Ying beside him holding up an umbrella borrowed from the palace servants. The transmigrator saw two carriages of the same design waiting outside of the palace and tilted his head in confusion but soon made his way to the one on the right. He pulls the door open and immediately closes it as soon as he sees what’s inside.

“Come in.” A familiar flat voice calls out with clear annoyance in their tone.

Shen Yuan snapped his fan open and carefully stepped inside the carriage. The edges of his eyes were curved up, but really, it was all for show. He was nervously biting on the inside of his cheek, looking everywhere but the towering figure in front of him.

“Greetings...Father! Crazy weather today, huh? Haha….”

Fortunately, Shen Weiyao doesn’t reply to that, but to Shen Yuan’s surprise, his eyes were fixated entirely on him. 

Huh, maybe it was because Shen Yuan had his fan covering most of his face, so perhaps now he could actually stand looking at him?

Now that Shen Yuan thinks about it, this is the first time they’ve ever ridden a carriage together. They’ve always left the palace at different times in different carriages.

They spent the next twenty minutes in awkward silence; Shen Yuan’s gaze was on the rug that was laid out on the floor of the carriage, and Shen Weiyao was staring at him intensely like he was a new species that’s just been discovered. 

It was Shen Weiyao who finally broke the difficult silence between them.

“What did you do at the palace today?” 

Shen Yuan’s eyes flickered up at him and he needed a moment to recollect the memories of his day before answering, “...I drew with Prince Xiao Jing? I ate lunch with His Highnesses and Her Majesty. The Crown Prince, Xie Lian, taught His Highness and I how to wield a sword properly, although he was demonstrating with a branch, haha. Then it rained and I ended up riding this carriage.”

His father narrowed his eyes and repeated, “You ate lunch with Her Majesty?”

“...Yes?”

Is there a problem?

“....Interesting.”

“I suppose? The food was great, as expected from the palace chefs.”

“Mmm.”

“....”

[ You both are so bad at holding conversations, it’s embarrassing. ]

It’s not me, it’s him! And what else am I supposed to say? Did you eat lunch too? He probably doesn’t even eat lunch, or even eat at all! I’ve only seen him drink tea in the entirety of my stay in this world. 

[ Just run your mouth off like you usually do! Quit being a spineless idiot! ]

Oh, fuck off already. I don’t talk THAT much.

He’s acting suspiciously nice! I’m not gonna  spill unnecessary information about myself! I’ll look way too antsy and suspicious that way! It’s better to keep my mouth shut.

The carriage was brought to a halt, and Shen Weiyao was the first one to step out. A tall manservant who waited outside of the manor with a white oil-paper umbrella and a black bamboo forest painted across its snowy canvas, hurried over and moved the umbrella over Shen Weiyao’s head. He had a nice build; one could see the outline of his muscular biceps through his grey robes. His gentle eyes softened significantly when he saw him and his lips quirked up into a pleasant smile, “Wei—Lord Shen! Welcome home!”

Shen Weiyao rolled his eyes and started, “You only brought one umbrella?”

The servant lifted his brows at him momentarily until he saw Shen Yuan peeking out from behind to see what was happening and then panicked, “My apologies! This lowly servant was ignorant and thought Master Shen would arrive home alone!”

He then offered the umbrella to Shen Weiyao, momentarily leaving himself out in the cold rain before Shen Weiyao hissed and quickly handed it back to him, “Idiot! If you dare catch another cold, I’ll leave you outside in the rain to starve instead!”

Despite his threat, the servant’s smile only grew bigger and he nodded to every word that Shen Weiyao said, like an obedient puppy.

Only then did Shen Yuan realize that nothing about Shen Weiyao and this servant was straight. They had a....very homoerotic air around them.

He concluded that the servant was Shen Weiyao’s lover, Yue Ji. That was the only possible explanation.

[ Look at him wagging his tail like a stupid mongrel picked up from the streets. Truly revolting. I don’t see why Shen Weiyao keeps him around. He, too, must be a naive fool of the sort. ]

Geez, what’s your problem? I can smell the vinegar wafting from the window tab.

[ I’ll disconnect you right now— ]

NONONONONONONONONONO!!#%* PLEASE DON’T!?!!

“Young Master, how about I carry you and walk back to the manor under the umbrella with Lord Shen? I think we can all fit.” Yue Ji suggested to Shen Yuan—who abruptly moved his eyes away from the virtual screen to his left and hesitated for a moment before giving him a small nod on the head. 

The manservant gave the umbrella to Shen Weiyao to hold momentarily before he crouched and swooped Shen Yuan up with one arm. Shen Yuan was startled and his arms unconsciously wrapped around the older man’s neck for a sense of security. 

Surely, this was a hard blow to his pride as a nineteen year old! Why was he, a grown ass man, clinging onto another man like this? He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

Yue Ji held the umbrella in one hand and easily carried the transmigrator with his other arm, his eyes brightening with every moment that was shared with the father and son pair. Shen Weiyao hmphed and walked side by side with Yue Ji. As his shoulders brushed against his beloved’s, a faint smile flashed across his imposing face.

Zhu Ying and the other servant who were left behind at the carriage: “...We also exist...you know.”

Later that night, Shen Yuan ended up eating at the same dinner table with Shen Weiyao, for the first time.

He feels strangely happy about this development, but perhaps it’s because he has one person less to worry about.

-

“See, Weiyao? Everything went well, in fact, I think the Young Master enjoyed eating dinner with you also!” Yue Ji exclaimed as he carded his hands through his silky hair. “You’re progressing very well so far, but perhaps you should be kinder with him, though. He’s still a young child, after all.”

Shen Weiyao shook his head and rebuked, “I’m not going to coddle him, lest he’ll grow up to be soft-hearted and too naive. I will not have a weakling for a son.”

Yue Ji laid there quietly for a couple beats before sighing deeply. He entangled his fingers around his and gently squeezed his hand with a sorrowful smile, “Weiyao, he has you and I. No one will ever hurt him.”

“...Won’t you allow yourself to be vulnerable around him?”

Shen Weiyao shut his eyes and considered Yue Ji’s request for a long time before he opened them back up and gazed into his beloved’s sympathetic ones.

....Perhaps he’s been too hard on Shen Yuan.

Chapter Text

Now that Qi Rong looks back at his younger self, he can’t help but feel humiliation and rage. 

To think that he’d let the other nobles step all over him, let the servants neglect and starve him, and to let them gossip about his mother whenever they saw him.

What was he doing during those times?
When Qi Rong first arrived at the palace, he clung onto his mother’s skirt and warily watched the two figures dressed in the finest clothing he’s ever seen—welcome them with warm smiles etched across their faces. His mother dipped her head into a deep bow and was stopped by her sister, who insisted that there was no need for such formality. She gave her sincere thanks to her and her brother-in-law and introduced Qi Rong to them. 

After that, the queen led them to their residence; the mother and son pair quietly followed her. Although his mother smiled easily whenever she spoke with her sister, Qi Rong could feel the frail hand on top of his head slightly tremble. When he raised his head to look at her, he saw her eyes anxiously darting around the palace and her expression changing into one filled with shame and distress. He frowned in confusion but turned his head to the side to examine his surroundings. 

Afar, there were servants cleaning around the palace, walking towards their destinations and running errands. However, their movements slowed and their attention shifted towards the two figures dressed in rags following close in behind the graceful queen. Qi Rong quickly directed his eyes at the ground, but they would curiously flicker back up to observe his environment. Although Qi Rong couldn’t hear what the servants were talking about, he would see their lips moving and their eyes would bounce back and forth between him and his mother. He lowered his head, quickened his pace and tightened his grip on his mother’s skirt.

When he was separated from his mother, he asked his servants where his mother was. They told him that she was in her chambers and didn’t wish to see anyone. He asked them to lead him there, but they ignored his pressing questions and stood there like statues. Qi Rong got furious and shouted at them, “TAKE ME TO MAMA, YOU STUPID FUCKING BITCHES!!! I WANNA SEE HER! I WANT TO SEE MAMA!!”

Although he didn’t know what ‘fuck’ and ‘bitch’ meant, his father often used it in his sentences and the adults on the streets would say them all the time too. Whenever they used those certain words, they always seemed so intimidating and domineering to him. Perhaps now, these servants would listen to his request. 

The two servants clicked their tongues and glared at him, but they still didn’t answer his question. Frustrated tears rolled down his cheeks and he stormed out of the room and brought it upon himself to find her himself.

In the end, he got lost and got escorted back to his room.

Qi Rong sobbed quietly to himself under his blanket, refusing to let the others see him in a pathetic state. Thrown into a different environment without the warmth of his mother, he constantly felt distressed and anxious being surrounded by unfamiliar faces that held unknown intentions. 

At first, his servants would stay by his side and serve him with grimaces, but as time passed on, they got lazier and lazier. They didn’t bother to clothe him in proper clothes suitable for a prince, didn’t bother to ask the chefs to cook proper meals and gave Qi Rong leftovers, and would slack off. The prince only had one visitor, and it was the queen. But as busy as she was, she could only make weekly visits. The servants would dress him up for show and only then would their true colors show as soon as she made her leave. 

Why would they bother to make more work for themselves and diligently serve the son of a slut? If they gave him some food and made sure he didn’t kick up a fuss, they would lead easygoing lives.

Although these damn servants were rude and would pay no heed to Qi Rong, at least they gave him food whenever they remembered that he couldn’t look too famished in front of the queen. He was already living an easier life here in the palace than in that dark shed where he was locked up in. He still greatly missed his mother’s warm presence though.

Qi Rong would sometimes overhear his servants talk about his mother with others whenever they thought others weren't watching, but he didn’t know who they were exactly talking about. They never mentioned her name and would instead, refer to her as a whore. 

“—didn’t she sleep with that bodyguard while she was engaged with the Zhang family’s first son?”

“That whore ran off with that man and broke off her engagement! Did you not know? Her father was enraged and caused a huge ruckus that year!”

“Embarrassing! If my daughter did that, I would’ve beheaded her on spot! What was she thinking?!”

“Oh yeah, I remember hearing about that happening. My cousin’s friend told her that she married that bodyguard in the end, but he turned out to be a scumbag!”

“Ah, my sister told me that he would lock them up in a small shed and let his anger out on his wife and son. If you passed by that shed, you would hear cries and wails, but no one was brave enough to take a look inside because they thought ghosts were locked up inside there.”

“That whore is so stupid! Why would you marry a lowly bodyguard when you’re engaged with one of the richest nobles in the kingdom? Imagine the life she could’ve lived if she didn’t spread her legs! Was it worth it in the end?!!”

“I heard the whore had a nasty personality before all of that happened, to me, it seems like that trashy husband humbled her.”

“Really? Huh, now that I hear that, I don’t feel so bad for her anymore.”

Qi Rong remembered how he would listen to the servants and nobles badmouth his mother and felt a sudden rush of shame and self-hatred at how he would just brush them off, thinking that the adults just liked to use the strange term ‘whore’ in their discussions. 

His mother was the kindest person in the world, how dare they raise their tongues against her and spread around false rumors? She would shield him from his father’s hits with her body and whenever Qi Rong woke up in tears from a terrifying nightmare, she would light a candle to ward off the darkness and wrap him in her arms while humming a peaceful tune to help him fall back asleep with ease. How could a gentle person such as her, have a distasteful personality?! How could they excuse her experiences with a false personality that they made up to lessen their guilt? How could they shame her for a naive mistake she made when she was young? 

How dare they.

Ever since he’s made that realization, he started acting more spiteful around others. 

Of course, that excluded his family and Shen Yuan. 

He would purposely make things harder for others. He would swear at the servants, throw messy fits, and nitpick here and there about trivial things. In a way, he was acting more like the original Qi Rong. 

“Alright, what’s bothering Your Highness?” Shen Yuan started, snapping his fan shut and tapping at the crease under Qi Rong’s eyebrow with the device in his hand, “Your Highness has been acting rather odd lately, don’t think that I haven’t noticed.”

Qi Rong shook his head and blatantly lied, “Shizun, your lessons are so boring that I want to fall asleep.”

At first, Shen Yuan looked greatly offended at this statement but then after he thought about it for a moment, he narrowed his eyes at Qi Rong and leaned in with a doubtful expression, “Don’t lie.”

As always, Shen Yuan knew him well.

Of course, Qi Rong couldn’t possibly hide it from him. What kind of friend would Shen Yuan be if he wasn’t able to sense that something was wrong with his dear friend?

He spilled his guts about his past and carefully watched Shen Yuan’s tranquil expression change into a perplexed look. 

Would he, too, think that Qi Rong was also pathetic and foolish? Would he be disappointed? Disgusted?

“—They would laze around and even have the audacity to steal some of the gifts that Auntie gave me and pawn them for money! Worst of yet, I would let them run their mouths off as they pleased and let them treat me like a fucking dog!”

He found himself riling up more and more with every word that rolled off of his tongue and angrily gritted his teeth, “THE MORE I THINK ABOUT IT, THE MADDER IT MAKES ME! I WON’T ALLOW THEM TO STEP ALL OVER ME AND MY MOTHER AGAIN, I’D RATHER STOMP ON ALL OF THEM INSTEAD! HOW DARE THEY SPREAD AROUND OUTRAGEOUS LIES?! HOW DARE THEY BADMOUTH MY MOTHER?! I HATE IT, I HATE ALL OF THEM SO MUCH! BUT MORE THAN THAT, I HATE MYSELF EVEN MORE FOR ALLOWING IT TO HAPPEN!”

Shen Yuan poured him a cup of warm osmanthus tea and gestured for him to continue on with an expression devoid of emotions, patiently listening to the adolescent prince rant on.

But on the inside, really, he was shocked at Qi Rong’s backstory suddenly being revealed during his outburst.

To think that the reason why Qi Rong was acting more and more like the original these days was because of this....Shen Yuan was afraid that the plot was trying to revert back to the original and thought that the System was bullshitting him.

Qi Rong was only acting like an asshole towards the servants because he wanted to seem more...dominant and fearful? So that others won’t look down on him? Shen Yuan didn’t know how to phrase it correctly, but it’s probably something along those lines or it was a shitty guess. Whatever Qi Rong was doing, it wasn’t working, because he was only coming off as a spoiled brat throwing a tantrum. Shen Yuan was pretty sure that a lot of the servants that he knew, were actually quite fond of Qi Rong. Hopefully they’ll just brush it off as him going through puberty or having terrible mood swings. 

Hopefully.

Qi Rong was directing his anger at the wrong crowd, and Shen Yuan had to make him realize his mistake or else he’d fail his mission and die a permanent death. But, ah, what should he say in a situation like this? Surely he can’t reply with a, ‘that’s rough, buddy’ and call it a day.

What to say, what to say…

[ It doesn’t matter what you say, you’re running out of time! You think that brat will wait all day for you? ] 

[ On the count to five, you’ll automatically fail the special quest and lose 10,000 points if you keep stalling around! ]

FUCK, FUCK, FUCK! WHY ARE YOU TELLING ME THIS JUST NOW?!! ASSHOLE! IF I HAD A TIME LIMIT YOU SHOULD’VE TOLD ME THAT FROM THE START!

[ Countdown: 0:05 ]

[ Countdown: 0:04 ]

[ Countdown: 0:03 ]

Shen Yuan thought about it real hard for a quick second and anxiously bit down on his lower lip. He had to actually say something to stop Qi Rong from progressing into the original goods one way or another! Back in his world, he’d go on the internet and random people would message him about their problems and he’d give them half-assed advice mostly stolen from songs and animes that he’s watched. That was the only experience he’s ever had as a ‘therapist!’ What was he gonna do now?!!

Fuck it, whatever came out of his mouth—Shen Yuan had to pray that it didn’t come off as insensitive or dumb.

“Don’t take it too hard on yourself. Your Highness, you were really young back then and didn’t understand what they were saying. You shouldn’t blame yourself for it. Rather, those imprudent bastards should’ve minded their own businesses and kept their mouths shut instead.” He paused for a bit, searching for the right words before hesitantly continuing on with a deep frown.

“While your anger is completely valid, however, your previous servants were all heavily punished and fired from the palace. They’ve been gone for a long time now, it’s been six years, Your Highness.”

“Not everyone in this palace will share the same thoughts and intentions as them. Take Song Meitang as an example. She’s been diligently serving you for years now. I have never heard her speak ill of you, and nor has Zhu Ying, who often spends his time with her. In fact, there are a lot of servants that are fond of you, you know. And acting like... that towards all of the servants in the palace....you will come off as a jerk throwing a tantrum instead of what you... intended to be.”

“Those rumors should’ve been buried long ago. During these past few years, Lady Qi has already established a stable standing among the nobles. Now, no one dares to take her lightly or speak of what happened in the past. Your Highness and Lady Qi are individuals truly worthy of respect, and if anyone wishes to challenge that—I, personally, will not let them off easily. Of course, His and Her Majesty will easily take care of them also. Even the Crown Prince, Xie Lian will teach them a lesson or two!”

Qi Rong blankly stared at him, soaking in all of the information that’s just been dropped on top of his lap. After silently reflecting about this matter to himself for a good ten minutes, he slowly raised his head to look at Shen Yuan and asked with worrying eyes:

“...Well, what do I do now?”

“Why, of course, Your Highness has to give everyone your apologies.” The transmigrator stated as he got up from his seat. He slid his fan under his belt and began rolling up his sleeves with a menacing smile on his face, “But before that, it seems like we have to do some spring cleaning.”

“....What?”

Shen Yuan cracked his knuckles and turned his head towards him, “If I recall correctly, His Majesty only punished a couple daring servants that year. There must be more rats hidden within the palace. Does Your Highness still remember their names? Faces? What their stations were, perhaps?”

It finally clicked in Qi Rong’s head and he could only dumbfoundedly nod his head at him in response. 

“Great,” Shen Yuan said as he pushed a hair strand behind his ear and beckoned the prince to follow him, “let’s go on an adventure, Your Highness.”

Qi Rong trailed behind him closely like a moth flocking to a brilliant flame, feeling a wave of relief washing over him and calming his thumping heart. With wistful eyes entirely focused on that moving figure, he brought a hand over his bashful face to hide the rosiness spreading across his cheeks. 

Whenever Qi Rong looks back at this youthful age, he can’t help but feel embarrassed of his younger self for acting like that . God, what were you thinking, Qi Rong?!! Dig yourself a hole and die in it!

“Your Highness?” A familiar velvety voice calls out to him. “Hello? Is Your Highness paying attention?”

Qi Rong snapped out of his lingering memories and directed his eyes down where the voice was coming from.

Shen Yuan was waving his hand in front of his face with a concerned look. His inky hair was tied up in a high ponytail and the long strands of hair that would frame his striking face were now braided. He was dressed in a white uniform and carried a dull sword in one hand, but yet, he still looked so outstanding. Qi Rong felt his heart skip a beat, as per usual.

Shen Yuan had to slightly lift his head up to look at Qi Rong, and it never failed to greatly amuse him. To think that the small prince would grow taller than the young noble that would always tease him about his height. Oh, how the tables turned. Six year old Shen Yuan wouldn’t have ever imagined that his fifteen year old self would have to look up whenever he spoke to Qi Rong.

Qi Rong hugged the scabbard in his arms and acknowledged his question with a fond smile, “Yes.”

Shen Yuan hummed in response and nudged his head towards a certain direction, “So as I was saying, which shixiong do you think is gonna win? Feng-shixiong or Mu-shixiong—woah, look at them go! Man, Mu-shixiong has to teach me how to kick like that one of these days.”

Qi Rong laughs lightly, taking a couple steps closer to him, “They always end up in a stalemate, what does it matter?” He pauses for a moment before grabbing Shen Yuan’s hand and places it on top of his head with a small pout, “I sparred with Chen-shixiong earlier and won, did I not do good also? Compliment me, shizun~!”

The transmigrator dramatically rolled his eyes, but his hand stretched out to tousle with Qi Rong’s silky hair, “I thought I told Your Highness to stop calling me shiz—okay, fine! Don’t look at me like that, weirdo.” He sighed and gave him a couple soft pats on the head, being weak that he was with the puppy eyes that Qi Rong often gave him. Geez, where’d he learn that from?

“Your Highness was impressive. That little kick spin you did at the end was kinda cool, who taught you that?”

The prince kept pushing his head against his hand, his cherry lips curling up into a satisfied grin upon hearing his words: “Cousin Crown Prince, of course.”

Shen Yuan clicked his tongue at him and quickly retracted his hand, “Acting so spoiled in front of so many people, are you not embarras—”

Qi Rong quickly wrapped his fingers around Shen Yuan’s wrist and pulled him closer. Unfortunately, Shen Yuan doesn’t stumble forward and bump into his chest like he expects him to. He stood there in front of him with a confused face. 

‘Damn it, this always works in the books!’ Qi Rong disappointedly thought to himself. He opened his mouth to say a shitty pick-up line that he also read from a book until deafening shrieks interrupted him. 

They whipped their heads around to see what was happening but only saw a figure lying on top of another on the fields. Their lips were pressed against each other and their eyes widened in pure shock. With crimson faces, the two quickly detangled themselves and aggressively tried to clean their lips with their sleeves while screaming at each other at the top of their lungs.

Feng Xin scowled and pointed his finger at Mu Qing, “WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT, YOU IDIOT?!! URGH, SOMEONE GIVE ME WATER!”

“THAT WOULDN’T HAVE HAPPENED IF YOU DIDN’T DECIDE TO TRIP OVER YOURSELF LIKE A DUMBASS! FUCK! EW! I’M THE ONE THAT NEEDS WATER, NOT YOU!” Mu Qing hissed, spitting at the ground and rubbed his lips against his sleeve a few more times for a good measure.

“NO, I DIDN'T! YOU RAN INTO ME!”

“HAH, PLEASE! YOU’RE THE ONE WHO DIDN’T KNOW HOW TO WALK PROPERLY! HOW OLD ARE YOU? ONE?”

“YOU’RE THE ONE THAT DIDN’T WATCH WHERE HE WAS GOING!”

“OH SHUT UP! YOU THINK I WOULD WILLINGLY TOUCH YOU??!”

The bystanders didn’t even bother to give them a second look. This shit happened everyday, they were used to their pointless arguments by now. Although them accidentally kissing was a new addition...well, was kissing not a common activity between two lovers? 

[ Who do these idiots think they’re fooling? ]

No one. Absolutely no one. 

[ Do your ears not hurt from their irritating voices?! ( ￣＾￣) ]

Nope, I hear it on the daily. Your ears will eventually adjust to the loud volume.

The System looked over at Qi Rong and if it could, it would snort at him. It knew that the kid wished that he and Shen Yuan were in their shixiongs’ position. ‘You wish that was you, huh?’ It wanted to say with a sneer.

Qi Rong rested his arm on top of Shen Yuan’s shoulder and gagged at the duo, “Eww, can they get over themselves and fuc—“

Shen Yuan slapped a hand over his mouth and warned in an exasperated tone, “Your Highness, are you trying to get everyone here killed? Please kindly shut up for our survival’s sake.”

It was already too late, because Feng Xin and Mu Qing’s ears perked up and they shifted their attention towards Qi Rong and Shen Yuan’s direction, wearing baffled and disgusted expressions. The transmigrator paled and the prince beside him laughed and stuck his tongue out at them. 

However, their expressions didn’t darken at all. They suddenly paled and started practicing their forms energetically. Shen Yuan raised a brow at that and exchanged a puzzled look with Qi Rong until they both heard footsteps from behind. Chills ran down their spine and they both slowly turned around to see who it was. 

“Shen Yuan, Prince Xiao Jing. What is it that you’re supposed to be doing right now?”

Beads of sweat trickled down their foreheads and they both meekly answered, “....We should be training, Guoshi.”

The Guoshi’s fingers hooked onto their earlobes and he pinched lightly, “So what are you both doing right now? Meditating while standing up? Practicing a special sword form? I don’t recall those being one of the training options that disciples can choose for today’s activity.”

“We’re sorry, Guoshi! We’ll practice a thousand times harder!” They cried.

He lets go of their ears and then pushes them forward, “Well, get going. The other Guoshis and I will be expecting to see you both at the end of the day.”

“Y–Yes, Guoshi!”

After he released them, he shot a glance over at Feng Xin and Mu Qing and frowned. He headed over to the two figures who stiffened when they sensed his presence. When they both greeted him, Guoshi held up a hand and questioned in a firm tone, “Mu Qing, shouldn’t you be training with His Highness for the upcoming parade?”

Mu Qing bowed his head and answered solemnly, “I don’t know where he is, Guoshi.”

At this, Guoshi sighed deeply and pinched the bridge of his nose. Perhaps the Crown Prince was practicing by himself today. Ah, whatever, there was still some time left before the God-Pleasing Parade. 

He flicked his wrist at the duo and moved to step away until he felt like something was watching him. He whirled his head around and found nothing but disciples busy training and sparring with one another. 

Hmm, maybe it was just him being paranoid.

From a distance away, Shen Yuan missed a beat and sliced through the air with his sword. He blocked a fierce swing from Qi Rong and leapt back. 

Shit, he should be paying attention instead of sneaking glimpses at Guoshi. He has been rather curious about this certain character before his transmigration. This Guoshi had much more personality than the other three Guoshis, talked more in the novel, and had that mysterious aura around him. He probably wasn’t a simple cannon fodder that only showed up during the Xian Le flashback arc. All of the other side characters who were introduced in the novel were never simple characters and actually played an important role. He probably wasn’t any different. 

The moment he took a step inside of the Royal Holy Pavilion ( and surprisingly Qi Rong came along with him, saying that he also wanted to cultivate and become strong like Xie Lian ), the Guoshi always gave him strange looks whenever they crossed paths. Heck, he often made Shen Yuan feel uneasy and the System warned Shen Yuan to be cautious around him. When he held his first conversation with him, the Guoshi narrowed his eyes and asked him for his birthdate and even requested him to hold out his palm for him to read. 

Shen Yuan was terrified, thinking that the Guoshi had somehow figured out that he was an imposter that didn’t belong in his world, he unconsciously hid his hands in his long sleeves and started stuttering. Xie Lian, who stood by the side and saw that Shen Yuan was feeling uncomfortable, distracted Guoshi with an offer to play a round of cards with him and the other Guoshis. That somehow magically worked, and Shen Yuan hurriedly made his escape, innerwardly thanking the kind protagonist with tears in his eyes. 

“You wound me, Shizun,” Qi Rong whined, knowing that Shen Yuan wasn’t fully paying attention to their sparring session, “it’s been a while since we’ve sparred together, but why is it that I don’t feel any effort behind your sword? Have you gotten rusty?”

Shen Yuan snapped out of his thoughts and furrowed his brows in displeasure before flashing an arrogant grin at him: “This servant wonders why Your Highness loves sparring with him so much although you’ve lost twelve out of twenty-seven matches against him. Is Your Highness a masochist, perhaps?”

Qi Rong chuckled at that and sprinted onwards, swiftly moving his head to the side to dodge a stab. He faked a stroke and thrusted his weapon at an opening, only for his weapon to clash against Shen Yuan’s nimble one. Shen Yuan’s face was so close to his, he could feel his heavy breaths hit against his skin and he had to stop his eyes from flickering down at his soft carmine lips. The two of them were fueling their weapons with raw strength and energy, but at the moment, Shen Yuan’s sword was pushing back Qi Rong’s sword, bit by bit. 

Multiple thoughts ran through Qi Rong’s mind, but the first couple words that came out of his mouth were, “Look! A phoenix!”

And the idiot fell for it. 

Shen Yuan took his eyes off of him for a quick second, but that was enough time for Qi Rong to swoop him off his feet. Shen Yuan’s eyes widened in surprise and his grip on his sword loosened; his weapon flew out of his grasp and clattered against the ground before he fell on his back. 

Qi Rong sheathed his sword and hovered over him with a cocky smirk plastered across his face, “Now it’s sixteen out of the twenty-eight matches that I’ve won so far.” 

At that single sentence, Shen Yuan hid his eyes from Qi Rong with trembling hands. The prince hears a soft cry escape from Shen Yuan’s lips and he immediately drops down to his knees at his side with a worried expression, “Shen Yuan? Shen Yuan?! Are you okay? Did I hurt you somewhere? Where does it hur—”

The moment he sees Shen Yuan’s lips mischievously curve up, he suddenly finds himself under Shen Yuan. 

Shen Yuan had flipped him over and pinned Qi Rong against the ground with his weight, wearing a dazzling beam, “It’s thirteen out of the twenty-eight matches that you’ve lost so far, Your Highness.”

Qi Rong felt his face burning up and he quickly averted his eyes away from his proud, bewitching gaze, “N–No! You p–played dirty, you c–cheater!”

“You played dirty! ‘Look! A phoenix,’ my ass! I won this round by a long shot!”

He didn’t even care about winning the round anymore! Little Rong was gonna awaken if Shen Yuan kept on sitting on top of him with his face so close to Qi Rong’s!

“OKAY! OKAY! YOU WIN! NOW GET OFF!” He desperately cried, and Shen Yuan followed his command and got off of him with a satisfied look.

Feng Xin and Mu Qing, followed by a couple disciples that were interested in their sparring session—were gawking at the red-faced prince and his clueless bodyguard. When Qi Rong noticed the awkward silence that swept over the fields and turned to look over at them, they all quickly looked away and coughed. Feng Xin pointed at the blue sky and commented, “Wow, isn’t the sky beautiful today, Mu Qing?” 

His sparring partner glared at him but ended up playing along, “Totally! Wow, look at the clouds! That ugly misshapen one over there looks identical to you!”

“What? No way~! That one to the left over there that looks like a goat reminds me of you!”

“Asshole.”

“Fucker.”

[ +60 F Points ]

[ +20 Coolness Points ]

[ If I could, I would take away a thousand points just because you two idiots made me witness that. Ugh, you both make me gag. ]

We didn’t even do anything??! 

[ I hate you. (’益’) ]

Love you too, ugly.

Shen Yuan picked up his sword from the ground and realized that he hadn't seen Xie Lian all afternoon. 

System, do you have any idea where he is?

[ He’s resting in his room. ]

Why?

[ Food poisoning. ] 

….

From afar, Xie Lian was wrapped around in his bedsheets. He shot a regretful look at the porcelain bowl filled with mysterious contents sitting on the jade desk. His mother took a liking to cooking after tasting some of her sister’s own cooking, and wanted her son to have a taste of her food that she put so much effort in.

She visited the Royal Holy Pavilion that morning and headed straight towards the kitchen before arriving at his door with the bowl of...soup in her hands. Although Xie Lian was concerned about the color of the so called ‘soup’, he was a filial son! He steeled himself and took a couple of sips.

Remind Xie Lian to never eat his mother’s cooking.

Chapter Text

Shen Yuan left the dining room early after teasing Qi Rong about being overly excited for the God-Pleasing Ceremony. Secretly, Shen Yuan was just as excited as he was. Why wouldn’t he be? Tomorrow, he was going to witness one of the most beautiful scenes from the novel! That’s right, he was going to see Xie Lian catch Hong-Er in his arms with his very own eyes! 

What lucky fan had the opportunity to see it all happen in 3D? 

Shen Yuan refused to pass up the chance to get front row seats to the show and volunteered to participate in the God-Pleasing Ceremony. Qi Rong saw that Shen Yuan raised his hand when Guoshi was asking who wanted to partake in the parade and also volunteered. 

The Guoshi took a long look at the duo and intentionally gave them both the same role; the Path-Opening Warriors. Although Shen Yuan was exceptional when it came to musical instruments (because of his father who insisted that he should be well-versed in musical arts), Guoshi saw that intense gaze full of longing directed towards him from no one other than Prince Xiao Jing and sighed. 

In all honesty, he thought that Qi Rong should’ve just watched the performance with the other royals, but who was he to decide? If the kid wanted to volunteer, then let him be, Guoshi wasn’t gonna have his head chopped off over a trivial matter. Plus, all they had to do was look cool on their horses in front of the audience and lead the parade. It wasn’t all that difficult.

When Shen Yuan turned around a corner, he saw a familiar person with their back turned against him and beamed. He quietly strided over as fast as he could and poked the small of Mu Qing’s back. His shixiong jolted in place and whirled his head around to see who it was with a deep scowl on his face until he saw his shidi standing there behind him with a carefree smile, “Oh, it’s you.”

“Hello, Mu-shixiong! Where are you heading to?” The transmigrator asked politely with his hands hooked behind his back.

“Relaying a message to Guoshi,” Mu Qing answered and then realized that there was no sign of the sticky dog that would always follow Shen Yuan around, “where’s Prince Xiao Jing?”

“Still at the training hall.”

“Oh.”

“Mhmm!”

When Mu Qing thought the conversation ended at that, he picked up his feet to continue his journey to the Shixing Pavilion but heard his shidi’s footsteps trailing close behind him. At first he thought that Shen Yuan was heading towards the same direction as him and didn’t pay it much mind, but when he turned to the left, Shen Yuan turned to the left, when he walked down the hallway and turned around a corner, Shen Yuan did also. 

“Don’t you have things to do?!” 

Of course, Shen Yuan did. If he was correct, Xie Lian asked Mu Qing to relay a message to Guoshi about making a small change to the God-Pleasing Ceremony. Unfortunately, the trainee that stood guard at the Shixing Pavilion taunted Mu Qing and refused to let him in. Then the big big misunderstanding happened between the Xianle trio, and honestly, it frustrated Shen Yuan so, so much! He took it upon himself to prevent the misunderstanding from occurring between the Xianle trio. To hell with misunderstandings!

[ Host, you can’t stop the major events in the original from happening. Punishment will be carried out automatically, stop those foolish thoughts. ]

This small misunderstanding isn’t a major event. It holds no significance like the God-Pleasing Parade event does, relax, System. If the protagonist and the male lead aren’t involved, it’s not a major event.

[ … ]

[ Shitty brat, always doing whatever you want. ]

You know, you’re my favorite system of all time, System. <3

[ How can you have a favorite if you’ve only had one?! (ノಠ益ಠ)ノ彡┻━┻  ]

Hehe.

Shen Yuan blinked at Mu Qing and shook his head, “Nope. Can I come along with you? I promise I’ll be obedient!”

Mu Qing scratched his head at that and frowned, “No.”

“Why not?”

“Stop being an annoying brat and go find something better to do!”

The noble clung onto the bottom of his shirt and cried out, “Don’t leave me behind, Qing-gege! I’ll be good, I’ll be useful! Let me come with you!”

Why the fuck was this shidi acting like he was leaving him behind to die?! Dramatic much?!!

Mu Qing let out an exasperated sigh and then beckoned him to follow, wanting to get this matter over with. Shen Yuan let his fingers detangle from the brown fabric and walked beside Mu Qing. If one were to describe his face with one word, it would be ‘shame’.

Yeah, I’m never trying to act cute again. How the hell does Qi Rong do it shamelessly?

[ <(´ཀ`」<) ] 

Shen Yuan glanced at Mu Qing and relaxedly folded his arms together, “So, how are things going between you and Feng-shixiong?”

Suddenly, it looked as if someone just strangled Mu Qing and kicked him in the balls at the same time. He quickly directed his eyes down at his shidi and choked, “HUH?! I-I DON’T LIKE THAT SHIT FOR BRAINS IDIOT!!? WHY DO YOU AND PRINCE XIAO JING KEEP ON SAYING THAT?!!”

“I didn’t even mean it that way,” Shen Yuan said with a laugh, “but okay. You just confirmed it for me.”

“N-No, I didn’t! I don’t like him at all!”

The transmigrator fondly rolled his eyes at him and refuted, “Shixiong, I’ve seen you stare at him for a little bit too long whenever he isn’t paying attention. You s-stutter around him and easily turn red whenever he’s too close to you like a young maiden. Sometimes, whenever we train together you always stare off into space and then giggle all of sudden like you’re recalling an awfully good memory. Who are you fooling? Also, I’ve seen you stare at his abs--”

“SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP!” Mu Qing panickedly hollered at him. His face was a dark shade of red and god, his expression was that of embarrassment and shock. Fucking hilarious. Shen Yuan clasped a hand over his mouth like he spilled a terrible secret and watched his shixiong ponder over the decision to either jump off a cliff or to bash his head against a wall and knock himself out dead. 

They were lucky that there weren’t any trainees wandering around and eavesdropping on their conversation.

“I won’t tell anyone, Mu-shixiong! I promise!” Shen Yuan assured him and patted him on the back, “So...was it love at first sight or first fight?”

Mu Qing kept on opening and shutting his mouth like a fish on shore and then shot Shen Yuan a dirty look, “Nosey brat, stay in your business!”

“....”

According to their character dynamics, it must be the latter! That was the only answer that Shen Yuan will accept! Two angry idiots pining over each other without knowing that the other reciprocates their feelings? Cute, cute! Now kiss!

Shen Yuan finally shut his ass up because he felt like he was bullying his shixiong too much, but he kept on smiling and wriggling his eyebrows at Mu Qing, who could only side-eye him and roll his eyes.

The System, who watched this interaction the whole entire time, was utterly confused. So Shen Yuan knew the telltale signs of a person having a crush but was completely unaware of Qi Rong’s obvious advances towards him? What? The math was not mathing!

They came across a trainee guarding the Shixing Pavilion’s entrance; Mu Qing knitted his brows when he saw who it was standing guard. He and Shen Yuan bowed their heads respectfully and greeted the senior trainee whose expression twisted up in distaste when he caught sight of Mu Qing.

“Mu Qing, what are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be practicing with His Highness the Crown Prince, for tomorrow’s ceremony? Slacking off, tsk, tsk, do you not feel ashamed of yourself? Shoo! Go away! Guoshi doesn’t want to see you.” The senior trainee voiced irritatedly, waving him off as he picked at his ear with his pinky. 

Mu Qing restrained himself from punching this rude motherfucker in the nose and pulled back his lips, “Zhu-shixiong, I’m here to relay a message from His Highness. If Guoshi’s too busy, can you tell him that His Highness is requesting permission from Guoshi to make changes to the routine for the God-Pleasi—“

“No.”

Mu Qing clenched his hands into fists and tried his best to stop himself from scowling, “What do you mean, Zhu-shixiong? This is about the God-Pleasing Ceremony, I need to let Guoshi know—”

“NO!”

“Zhu-shixiong, stop being difficult,” Shen Yuan clicked his tongue in annoyance, “let Mu-shixiong finish his sentence. You have ears, yes? It’s not that hard to listen quietly. If you’re not gonna relay His Highness’s message, please kindly let us in.”

Zhu Cheng glared at Shen Yuan and crossed his arms, “Why the hell should I listen to you, little twat? You trying to pick a fight with me or somethi—”

The petty transmigrator stepped closer to the senior and made a thoughtful sound, “Remember that one time I found that erotic novel under your pillow? And that one time I had to exorcise a ghost instead of Zhu-shxiong because you shat your pa—”

“Come in, come in! Don’t make Guoshi wait!” Zhu Cheng hurriedly cut him off, gesturing for them to come in with a strained smile plastered across his face. Shen Yuan smirked and nudged his confused shixiong who stared at him with a baffled expression. 

“That’s why he’s still single,” Shen Yuan whispered to Mu Qing, “always so stubborn and angry, sigh. If he acts like that again, tell this shidi. I have a lot of dirt on him and that always shuts him up.”

...Should Mu Qing be concerned over this? 

They successfully entered the Shixing Pavilion and arrived at a familiar red door. Mu Qing raised his knuckles and knocked against the door to receive nothing but silence. He knocked again but louder this time and got the same response. Shen Yuan couldn’t stand waiting any longer. He twisted the doorknob and pushed the door open, revealing the four Guoshi huddling around a table with crazed faces and cards in their hands. 

Yikes, it said that they liked playing cards in the novel but this….this was quite the sight.

They stepped inside and Mu Qing cleared his throat to announce his presence, “Guoshi? I’m here to relay a message from His Highness the Crown Prince.”

However, they just kept on playing cards and making snarky remarks to each other, deeply immersed in their game, tuning out outside voices and noises. Mu Qing kept calling on their name, but they still ignored him.

“You cheater! I saw you hide that card behind your other one!” One of them exclaimed.

“I’m not! Look, there’s only one, you see? Dumbass.”

“Stop lying! I saw you hide that card! Where’d you hide it?”

“Not hiding it anywhere! Stop accusing me and get better at the game!” 

“You both are so annoying, shut up—HOW’D I LOSE?!! WHAT THE FUCK?!” Another Guoshi shouted, throwing his remaining cards on the table furiously.

“AHAHAHA, IT’S WHAT YOU DESERVE!” A Deputy Guoshi howled.

“No, no, no, you’re all cheating, there’s no way!”

A winning card was dropped on top of the pile of cards and everyone frustratedly pulled their hair, “WHAT?! I WAS SO CLOSE TO WINNING! WHO WAS IT THAT WON? I’LL SMACK YOU!”

“I did!” A young voice chirped. The players around the table froze. They turned their heads to the very left where the voice was coming from and saw Shen Yuan innocently blinking at them with his handful of cards covering the bottom half of his face.

The Guoshi furrowed his brows, “Shen Yuan? Where’d you get your cards from?”

That’s your main concern?

Shen Yuan pointed at the stack of spare cards sitting on top of the jade drawer behind them and then nudged his head towards Mu Qing’s direction, “Guoshi was too busy playing cards and didn’t pay attention to Mu-shixiong who came in to relay a message from His Highness the Crown, so I thought ending the round would help.”

The Deputy Guoshi coughed and ashamedly averted their eyes away. Guoshi crossed his arms and turned to look at Mu Qing, “What is it that His Highness has to say?”

“His Highness requests Guoshi’s permission to change plans for tomorrow’s ceremony. He wishes to jump from the fortress tower after the parade departs.” Mu Qing responded coolly.

Guoshi leaned back in his chair and gave it some thought. Did the Crown Prince intend to jump from the tower like a god descending from the heavens? Smart. Not only would that bring in an element of surprise, it would make him look more majestic and divine. That show-off of a disciple. Guoshi bet that Xie Lian could effortlessly circle around the capital fifty times without breaking a sweat. 

“I understand, you both may go now. Thank you for telling me ahead of time.” Guoshi said, flicking his wrist at them so that he can quickly get back to playing cards with the others in peace. The two disciples nodded their heads obediently and made their leave. Before they parted, Shen Yuan smiled at Mu Qing and wished him good luck on his performance. Mu Qing rolled his eyes but reached out to fondly ruffle his shidi’s hair.

[ +60 Coolness Points ]

- 

Shen Yuan rode a snowy stallion, wearing heavy armor and golden shoulder guards that the sun rays bounced off of. His hair was tied up into a bun and was hidden under a golden helmet with a red tail hanging off at the back. He looked like a competent warrior, but under all of that armor, he was so damn hot!

“Shen Yuan?” Qi Rong called out softly.

He turned to look over at Qi Rong, who was also dressed in the same costume but looked far more dashing than he did. His lips were curved up into a charming smile and his big dimples appeared near the corners of his mouth. This boy! Put that smile away before you have girls asking for YOUR hand in marriage! 

“Hmm?” He replied, straightening his posture and loosening his grip on the reins. 

“I think I see your fathers over there.”

The noble raised a brow at that and followed his line of view; he saw Yue Ji and Shen Weiyao watching him from the towers amongst the nobles. Yue Ji was beaming brightly and singing praises about Shen Yuan while a red-faced Shen Weiyao pretended to not know him.

“Look at Young Master Shen! Doesn’t he look so handsome, Lord Shen? Ah, he’s growing up too fast~!” 

Shen Weiyao snapped his fan open and hid his whole entire face behind the painted paper, “S–Shut up! You’re being too loud!”

Shen Yuan didn’t have his fan to hide his face nor could he use his hand because it would look improper in front of so many people, so he just embarrassedly turned away from them with rosy cheeks. 

Witnessing this, Qi Rong made an adoring chuckle. The young prince searched through the lot of royals and nobles and spotted his mother dressed in excellent violet robes with finely-crafted accessories that adorned her elegant features. She gave him a proud smile and nodded her head. He smiled wider and returned her gesture.

The musicians in golden carriages gracefully plucked the strings of the guqin, notes from the jade flute hypnotized the large audience, delicate hands strummed the long threads of the liuqin, and a bow slid across the two silky strings of a erhu. Flowers were thrown by beautiful young maidens dressed in peach layers, and warriors marched with spears facing up at the clear sky. 

When the crowd was greeted with a large stage pulled by sixteen stallions with a ghost on top, they were excited. But as soon as a couple minutes passed, the audience still has yet to see any sign of a God-Pleasing Martial Warrior. The ecstatic cheers quickly turned into curious whispers and angry shouts. 

“Where’s the God-Pleasing Martial Warrior?!”

“Why is there only a ghost on stage?”

“Where’s His Highness the Crown Prince?”

“The hell is going on?”

“We don’t wanna see a damn ghost! Show us the God-Pleasing Warrior! That’s who we all came to see!!!”

“Where’s my cousin? What the hell! Who wants to watch this bullshit? Where the fuck is my cousin the Crown Prince?!!” Was what Shen Yuan expected to hear from the crowd, but when he didn’t, he realized that the future Night Touring Green Lantern was riding right beside his horse. A sigh of relief escaped from him. 

A lot of time has passed since Shen Yuan has transmigrated into this world. Qi Rong has long deviated from his original character. Instead of a petty, annoying gremlin, he has grown up to be a sticky, reliable person with a kind personality. Shen Yuan couldn’t help but feel grateful for his character development. Perhaps in the far future, Xie Lian could invite his cousin to his wedding and be pleased to see him show up. 

A warm feeling bloomed in his chest at that hopeful thought.

When the demands to see the Crown Prince grew louder and louder, Shen Yuan turned to look at Qi Rong who did the same exact thing. The corner of Shen Yuan’s lips twitched and Qi Rong pursed his lips together to stop himself from smiling. They both averted their eyes away from each other and tried their very hardest to suppress a giggle from erupting. Shit, Shen Yuan should’ve known better. Sometimes, if the two of them found themself in a serious situation and locked eyes with each other, they would have to stop themselves from bursting into careless laughter. 

[ Ugh, you both are so annoying. What’s so funny? Is your humor that terrible? ]

You wouldn’t understand.

Suddenly, the audience were silenced and Shen Yuan knew exactly why.

A merry voice cried out, “THE GOD-PLEASING MARTIAL WARRIOR DESCENDED FROM THE HEAVENS!”

The crowd hysterically applauded and joyfully cheered when a white figure landed on his feet on top of the grand stage with a sword by his side. At this, both Shen Yuan and Qi Rong tightened their grip onto the reins that they were holding onto and grimaced.

Fuck Guoshi for placing them at the front, where they could not see the spectacular battle between the God and Ghost! At the very least, Shen Yuan would see one of the most iconic scenes from the novel up close, but aw, he also wanted to see the battle too! Damn, it seems like Jun Wu was not on his side today. Damn that motherfucker who only knows how to sit on his throne and place his chin on his hand! 

Clang! Swish! Bang! Clunk! 

The audience ooh-ed and ahh-ed at the showdown between the white and black figures on stage. 

“YEAH! CROWN PRINCE, FUCK HIS ASS UP!” 

“KILL HIM!”

“FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT! SHOW THAT BASTARD HOW IT’S DONE!”

[ Have they never seen a real fight before? They’re barely putting in any effort behind their swords. Tch, so exaggerated. ]

Yeah, yeah, whatever you say. It probably looks so freaking cool right now, sigh.

Unexpectedly (well, expectedly for our fellow transmigrator), horrified screams broke out from the viewing platforms above the parade. Shen Yuan felt his heart racing as he excitedly lifted his head to see a child falling from the tower and a white figure soaring through the skies like a fairy with their long arms stretched out to catch the poor child. Xie Lian’s intricate golden mask fell from his face and revealed a breathtaking face that made everyone present, gasp in astonishment.

His pink lips were stretched up into a serene smile and his gentle eyes softened when he saw the child with bandages wrapped around his head in his arms stare him dazedly with a twinkling eye full of wonder and admiration. 

Shen Yuan, who was closely watching, was innerwardly cheering enthusiastically and waving a banner with the name, ‘HUALIAN’ written across it. 

YES, YES, YES, YES!!! AND THAT’S HOW IT ALL STARTED! THAT’S HOW HUA CHENG BECAME XIE LIAN’S MOST DEVOTED BELIEVER! FUCK, THIS IS SO GOOD!!@#$@#@#$

Xie Lian safely landed in the middle of the avenue and panic broke out from the performers behind Shen Yuan. The awkward music scratches and the distressed neighs from the horses brought Shen Yuan back to reality. 

He panickedly whipped his head around to face the performers and immediately announced in a low voice, “Stay calm! Everything will be fine! Pretend like none of this happened! Keep on performing and marching! After this round, return back to the palace gates!”

Sorry Mu-shixiong!

Everyone did as he told him and he turned back around to see Xie Lian and Mu Qing fighting in the middle of the avenue. As soon as Xie Lian moved to return to the stage, his servant swiftly picked up the prince’s mask and followed after him. Unlike in the novel, Mu Qing’s attacks were more calculated and light, being very careful to not hurt the child in Xie Lian’s arms. Little Hua Cheng still held onto Xie Lian’s clothes for dear life, eliciting soothing words from the Crown Prince.

As soon as the ghost was defeated, the crowd burst out into loud applause and happy cries. The Path-Opening Warriors hurriedly lead the rest of the parade back into the palace gates, hearing millions of voices joyfully calling out Xie Lian’s name and praising the Crown Prince from behind the palace walls. 

Shen Yuan got off his horse and was fast to remove the damn helmet from his head; exposing the sweaty hair strands that stuck to his skin and the high bun that was sagging down. He pulled off the indigo cloth that held his hair together and styled his hair up into a ponytail. 

“That was only three rounds…” Qi Rong worriedly murmured, taking off his helmet and holding it at the side of his hip, “Guoshi’s not gonna be happy.”

Shen Yuan shook his head, “True, but you know His Highness the Crown Prince. If a life is at danger, he’ll set everything aside and save that person. Trust me, Your Highness, everything will turn out fine. It would’ve been more ominous if a child died in the middle of the God-Pleasing Ceremony.”

Qi Rong hummed in agreement after some thought and the two of them stopped speaking when they heard the other disciples suddenly cooing and making sounds of adoration.

“Haha, Your Highness, even the child adores you! Ah, you’re truly the popular one.”

“How cute~! This lucky kid got to hug His Highness throughout the whole ceremony!”

Shen Yuan snapped his head towards the direction where the Crown Prince and Hua Cheng were at. Feng Xin had his arms out to hold little Hua Cheng, but the kid was tightly holding onto Xie Lian’s robes, absolutely refusing to leave his side. Shen Yuan grinned from ear to ear at this adorable scene and nudged Qi Rong, “Look at him, isn’t he so cute?”

Prince Xiao Jing looked over at the duo and couldn’t see what it was that his Shizun found cute. The kid was dressed in rags and had dirty bandages wrapped around his head. What about this kid was cute? Was it the big eye? His tiny build? 

Xie Lian laughed at the others’ comments and told the child to go home. He handed him over to Feng Xin, but the child was still staring at him as if he was a benevolent god that just granted him a divine blessing. Shen Yuan and Qi Rong headed over to them, chuckling at the kid who was still staring at the Crown Prince who was no longer paying any attention to him. 

“Feng-shixiong, I hope you’re not planning to have any children in the future. You’d be a terrible father.” Qi Rong remarked, and Shen Yuan nodded his head at that, remembering the fetus ghost, Cuo Cuo, who turned out to be Feng Xin’s unborn child. 

[ Funny, I remember he was the one who used to threaten to eat his own adopted son. ]

This is not about him.

Feng Xin clicked his tongue at Qi Rong and set the child back on the ground. “Enough of this, Your Highness has to think about what to say to Guoshi later. He’s been freaking out.”

A wave of silence washed over the disciples.

Shen Yuan was the first one to speak up, “Your Highness, Prince Xiao Jing and I will wait for you at the Xianle Palace Training Hall as soon as you’re done talking with Guoshi. Good luck!”

The Crown Prince nodded his head and watched the two tread towards the direction of the training hall that was specifically built for Xie Lian to use at first, but then also became Qi Rong’s to use as soon as he joined the Royal Holy Pavilion after begging for his mother’s permission.

-

Qi Rong set down his helmet on the floor and spread his arms out for easier access. His bodyguard separated a shoulder garment from Qi Rong’s armor and continued on from there; carefully pulling apart the many pieces of armor one by one as Qi Rong watched him with admiring eyes and blush running across his shy face.

The noble detached the last piece of costume and raised his head, “All done~! You’re free now—”

He realized that his lips nearly brushed against Qi Rong’s and he quickly pulled himself back with nervous laughter, “Close one, haha...”

Qi Rong found himself stiffly laughing along with him.

Damn it! Maybe if he stopped staring at Shen Yuan and moved a little closer to him, he would’ve had his first kiss with him! Qi Rong, you stupid fucking idiot! Bury your own grave while you’re at it, you fucking dumbass! To hell it is, off we go!

Shen Yuan sat down on the bed and began removing his own costume. Qi Rong neatly organized his gear off to the side and then moved to help Shen Yuan remove his after putting on proper clothes. The noble raised a hand at him and promptly shook his head, “No need, I can do it myself.”

Qi Rong frowned at his rejection and pushed out his bottom lip, “No, let me help Shizun. I want to return the favor.”

“It’s this servant’s job to assist in the first place.”

“....”

“Please?”

“No.”

Qi Rong dejectedly lowered his head and began sniffling. Hallucination or not, Shen Yuan could see his dog ears and tail slumping and now he felt incredibly guilty. Why was he so sad over this?! Aren’t you a grown teenager now? 

“Fine,” he rolled his eyes and sighed, “come over here.”

The prince bounced up from his position like a spring with renewed spirit and happily hopped over to him; Shen Yuan was beginning to suspect that his earlier mood was all an act.

Qi Rong unfastened Shen Yuan’s armguards and disconnected the heavy belt that secured his body armor. His armored skirt slid down to his legs, showing off his ivory pants and the bottom of his shirt. The prince picked it up and placed it on the bed, shifting closer to Shen Yuan who pulled off his body armor and set it aside. He handed over the spare outer robes that Shen Yuan brought along with him earlier and looked away as Shen Yuan put them on.

The transmigrator stretched his limbs like a yawning cat and rolled his shoulders back, “Now that feels much better! God, this costume was so tiring to wear, and I wasn’t even doing much today. Hmph, let’s get going, Your Highness! The Crown Prince and the others should be in his room right now.” 

Qi Rong opened his mouth to remind Shen Yuan that he had to remove his boots but then closed it, thinking that he would probably come off as a pervert if he also offered to help take them off. He nodded his head in at his suggestion and trailed behind Shen Yuan who was striding down the hallway with purpose and determination.

When they arrived at Xie Lian’s door, they heard a stern shout coming from inside. “STOP SHOWING OFF AND PUT ON YOUR SHOES! WHAT PRINCE RUNS AROUND WITH BARE FEET AND LOOSE HAIR?!!”

Hearing this line, Shen Yuan quickly rapped his knuckles against the door and heard the footsteps inside come to a halt. 

“Cousin Crown Prince, it’s me and Shen Yuan!” Qi Rong called out. They stood at the door for a couple beats before the door swung open. Feng Xin stood in front of the door and blocked them from seeing Xie Lian who was hurriedly putting his shoes back on and Mu Qing was standing at the side, holding out a ribbon for Xie Lian to grab. “G–Give us a couple seconds, Your Highness.”

Qi Rong ignored him and stepped inside the room, “Cousin Crown Prince! You were so cool today! It’s a shame that Shen Yuan and I weren’t able to see it because we were at the front, but you and Mu-shixiong were so impressive with the cover-up!”

Xie Lian nervously laughed and scratched his cheek as he recalled Guoshi’s harsh scoldings before he left the Great Martial Hall, “Thank you Qi Rong. You performed rather well today, too.”

He picked up the ribbon from Mu Qing’s hands and ran a hand through his soft brown hair before a realization dawned upon him. “Huh, that’s strange.”

“Hmm? What is it?” Feng Xin asked as he moved out of the way so that Shen Yuan could enter the room. Xie Lian turned his head to the side and showed the others his earlobe where a coral earring should be hanging from, “One of them is gone.”

Mu Qing’s face ashened and Shen Yuan started sweating. 

“What? Did Cousin perhaps lose it during the ceremony?” Qi Rong questioned with a hint of worry in his voice and Feng Xin agreed.

“Well I couldn’t find it in the Pavilion of Xianle, so it must be on the roads somewhere. I’ll go out and find it for Your Highness.”

Xie Lian waved it off, “It might have, but if that’s the case, then the chances of you finding it is low to none. Forget about it, if it’s lost, then it’s lost.”

“That pearl is too precious; we have to put in the effort to look around first at the very least...maybe it rolled under the bed or a shelf while you were running around.” Mu Qing stated, sweeping around with the broom that he brought out a minute ago. 

System, now’s the perfect time for me to spend my points! Is there anything useful that I can buy?

[ According to Host’s situation, Replication will be of use. ]

[ Replication can replicate any item, but that item will soon disappear after seventy-two hours have passed. Do you want to buy this? It costs a hundred-fifteen points. ]

Yes, I want to buy it! I have more than enough points!

[ Successfully purchased! ]

[ New item in your inventory: Red Coral Pearl Earring Replica ]

Thank you, thank you! 

[ You’d better. （￣へ￣）] 

After the system’s snarky comment, Shen Yuan suddenly felt a small shape press into the skin of his hand. He knelt down beside the sandalwood bed and pretended to search under it before he shot up and exclaimed, “Found it!”

He could see the visible relief on Mu Qing’s face and he wanted to give his shixiong a pat on the back. It wasn’t like he stole it or anything. He shouldn’t have been so hard on himself after that gold foil leaf incident that happened ages ago. Shen Yuan returned the earring to its rightful owner with a fake smile on his face, knowing well that the actual missing one was with Hua Cheng.

A couple days later, Shen Yuan and Qi Rong were walking down the path, picking fruits off trees and enjoying the pleasant view that one could only see from atop of Mount Taicang. As they walked further and further down, weird sounds flowed to their eardrums. A crease formed under Qi Rong’s brow and he quietly gestured at Shen Yuan to come and investigate where the noises were coming from. Was it a beast? Perhaps a resentful ghost that somehow made its way onto the mountain?

When they got closer and closer to the source, it was Shen Yuan who realized what kind of sounds they were. He jumped on his tiptoes and hastily covered his innocent sheep’s ears with a burning face.

But it was far too late.

Qi Rong’s eyes widened in horror and his lips twisted downwards with disgust. When Shen Yuan turned to look, he quietly gasped and quickly turned Qi Rong away.

[ WHAT THE FUCK?!! OUT IN THE OPEN?!?! SHAMELESS FILTH!!! ]

A young couple was passionately making out behind a row of peach trees that failed to hide their masculine figures. The person on the bottom had the top of his robes opened and the other one on top was planting hungry kisses onto his lover’s neck. 

FENG XIN AND MU QING?!!? WHY ARE YOU BOTH PROGRESSING SO FAST! A–AND DOING THIS OUT IN BROAD DAYLIGHT—HOW FUCKING HORNY ARE YOU BOTH?!! HOLY SHIT!!!

From that day on, Shen Yuan and Qi Rong stopped making suggestive comments about the two and never looked at them the same way again.

Shen Yuan made it a habit to tread around the Royal Holy Pavilion with caution; having his eyes always fixated on the ground, extremely afraid to slip on semen one of these days.

Chapter Text

Shen Yuan’s eyes fluttered open. 

[ Morning, brat. ]

He sat up on the bed and softly yawned, “Good morning to you too, idiot.” 

Shen Yuan stretched his limbs and dazedly blinked a couple times at the tall figure fanning themselves at his desk with a dark expression on. He stared at them and they stared back. It took a couple seconds for him to realize that he was back at home and not at the Royal Holy Pavilion. 

SHIT.

[ Dumbass. ]

He tried to scramble out of bed and move into a kowtowing position but he panicked too much and his blanket tangled around his legs. He ended up banging his forehead against the floor. Shen Yuan was sprawled across the floor with his hands covering his forehead, as if it would ease the pain. He didn’t whine or cry out loud, though. He stayed in that position for a whole minute, silently shedding imaginary tears to himself. 

“Foolish child, is this what they teach you at the Royal Holy Pavilion?” Shen Weiyao commented, pulling back his outstretched arms that failed to catch his son who was too far from his grasp. “This unfilial son didn’t visit us for a long time, and when he finally does, he dares to call his own father an idiot? Tsk, tsk, tsk.”

Shen Yuan moved from his spot and scooted over to his father with visible guilt across his face, “Sorry, sorry Father! I thought you were someone else. Really, I did! Please forgive your son’s foolishness!”

With a single sigh, Shen Weiyao gestured at Shen Yuan to quickly get up from the ground, his lips bending up into a fond smile when seeing his son remembering to neatly fold and return the soft blanket that fell on the ground along with him, back on the bed.

The transmigrator sat down across from his father with an apparent red bump on his face, instinctively reaching his hand out towards the fan laying on his desk. But instead of hiding his face in fear of making his father uncomfortable, he only lightly tapped the edges of his bamboo fan against the smooth surface and grinned at his father. 

Shen Yuan made it a habit to cover at least half of his face around Shen Weiyao with his fan, in hopes of making his life at the manor easier. His father only narrowed his eyes at him whenever Shen Yuan did so, which was weird. Did he not feel more relaxed when he didn’t see all of Shen Yuan’s face? 

That wasn’t the only weird thing about Shen Weiyao. 

After he and Shen Weiyao returned home on the same carriage and ate dinner together that day, his father suddenly was...a lot nicer to him. He’d ride the same carriage as Shen Yuan whenever they departed from the palace and he’d always ask about the transmigrator’s hobbies and interests. He would ask Shen Yuan if he needed help on a certain subject from his lessons and would give him a piece of candy whenever he performed well. 

At first, Shen Yuan wanted to point his finger at Shen Weiyao and laugh. 

Did this man suddenly have an epiphany and realized that he treated his son wrong? Even if he shares the same face as his mother, he did nothing wrong! This was exactly like one of the many copy and paste transmigration novels that Shen Yuan has read over and over in his past life—the very cliche ones where the protagonist always forgave their negligent parents! 

Although he didn’t hold any personal grudges against Shen Weiyao since Shen Yuan wasn’t the original goods, he put in more effort to avoid him; simply because he didn’t want to have anything to do with him. 

But man, that lover of Shen Weiyao’s was really nice to Shen Yuan. Turns out, the person who was in charge of his delicious meals and cleaning his room was Yue Ji (which was odd, because it should’ve been his servant’s job). When Shen Yuan found out, he was greatly surprised. Yue Ji would always cook Shen Yuan’s favorite food and purposely add more meat in his bowl. When his servant, Zhu Ying, looked through his wardrobe to grab a robe for his young master to change into, he suddenly found more exquisite robes of high quality and Shen Yuan definitely knew that they weren’t there before. 

Although they’ve only met a couple of times before, he had a special spot in Shen Yuan’s heart. Anyone that cooked him such delicious food always did.

If his fathers spoiled him this much and treated him this nicely, how could Shen Yuan not let his guard down? Trust Shen Yuan when he told the System that he felt extremely guilty when he was showered with love instead of the original goods. The System only sent him an emoticon that looked annoyed and told him that it didn’t matter because the original goods was Shen Yuan but on auto-pilot mode, so it was pointless to feel guilty.

After a couple years passed, one day, Shen Weiyao looked at Shen Yuan and asked him: “Why do you always cover your face around me?”

Shen Yuan had panicked at the time and tightened his grip around his fan, “It’s because I’m ugly, I don’t want Father to see this hideous face of mine.”

The advisor drew his brows close together and said in a firm tone, “Do not lie to me, Shen Yuan.”

Shen Yuan lowered his lashes and lifted his fan up higher, “...I–It’s because Father doesn’t like my face.”

Of course that was complete bullshit. If he told him it was because of his mother and that he didn’t want to trouble his father any further, it would be suspicious because a child shouldn’t have known about this matter that Shen Weiyao kept secret.

Shen Weiyao’s eyes widened and his calm composure stuttered. He has been able to look at his son’s face without feeling that haunting shiver prick at his skin after so many years have passed. He knew that his son was extremely smart, but Shen Weiyao was very sure that he didn’t show any conflicting emotions on his face whenever he faced Shen Yuan. 

He laid a hand on top of Shen Yuan’s shoulder and frowned, “You’ve misunderstood me. I have never disliked your face, you weren’t the problem. It’s just that,” he trailed off, trying to find the correct words, “it’s just...I–I was…”

Shen Yuan saw that his father was beginning to sweat and was stuttering, so he set down his fan and smiled, “Okay!”

“What?”

“I said okay!”

“I don’t understand what you’re saying.”

Shen Yuan hooked his fingers around the handle of the teapot and poured his father a cup of tea, “Father doesn’t need to say anything more. Shen Yuan understands and will show Father his face more often.”

“....Oh.” Was all his father could reply with.

“Mhmm.”

“I’m sorry.”

After a long awkward pause, Shen Yuan reached out and patted his father’s head with a slow nod, “Apology accepted!”

Shen Weiyao knocked against the desk with a knuckle, pulling Shen Yuan back to reality. The transmigrator sheepishly laughed and pretended like he wasn’t daydreaming a second ago, “Why did Father come to my room so early in the morning?”

“I came to see you before Prince Xiao Jing snatches you away again,” He stated blandly, “You should eat breakfast and see your Papa be--”

The door slammed open and a large man came running in, pulling Shen Yuan into a tight hug. 

“—fore you leave!” Shen Weiyao finished, now scowling at the servant who was rubbing his cheek against Shen Yuan’s.

“Papa! Let me go, I’m too old for this!” Shen Yuan cried, his face burning red with sheer embarrassment. 

“A-Yuan, you used to love Papa’s hugs though.” Yue Ji sulked before pulling away from Shen Yuan. When he saw the red bump on his son’s forehead, he made a worried sound and hastily stood up. He searched around the room for that small box of ointment that Shen Yuan kept, that darn clumsy child. 

Yue Ji sat down on his knees in front of Shen Yuan with the newly acquired ointment in his hands and began applying it while Shen Weiyao held back the transmigrator’s hair so that it wouldn’t hinder Yue Ji’s work.

“A-Yuan, how’d you get this terrible bump? You almost gave this old man a heart attack.” Yue Ji asked concernedly, giving his injury a gentle blow after he finished coating it with medicine.

“He fell out of bed after calling me an idiot.” Shen Weiyao answered in Shen Yuan’s stead, earning a pout from him. 

“Father!”

Yue Ji laughed as he twisted the lid around the box and set it to the side, “A-Yuan, you should know better than to call him that. You know your Father’s very...scary when he’s mad.”

The father and son pair shot Yue Ji a doubtful glance before looking at each other. This was coming from the person who only smiles whenever he got mad. Yue Ji was a man with a kind temperament, but if one managed to anger him...Shen Yuan and Shen Weiyao could only light a candle for the victim.

A lightbulb went off Yue Ji’s head and he turned to Shen Weiyao with a whine, “Weiyao, why didn’t you wake me up earlier? What if I woke up late and Shen Yuan left before I could see him?”

Shen Weiyao clicked his tongue at him, “It’s what you deserved after what you did to me last night! My hips still hu—”

Shen Yuan plugged his ears with his fingers and looked at the ceiling. 

La, la, la, la! I can’t hear shit! Wow, look at the distinctive shades of brown blending together! That wooden beam over there looks very sturdy; it doesn’t look like it’ll suddenly fall and knock out a demon! 

His fathers stopped talking when they heard a loud knock on the door. Shen Yuan shifted his gaze to Zhu Ying, who welcomed himself in to deliver some news. 

“His Highness, Prince Xiao Jing is here.” He nervously announced, watching Shen Weiyao and Yue Ji’s faces drop at the news. 

Shen Yuan promised Qi Rong that he’d hang out with him after returning home for a couple days to see his fathers during his short break. There’s no way he would let his best friend down!

Shen Yuan quickly got up from his seat and ushered his fathers out of the room, “Well, there’s that! I’ll be on my way after Zhu Ying helps me change!”

As he was changing into a new pair of robes that looked rather plain and dull (lest he would bring attention to him, which isn’t the initial plan), he got a notification from the System.

[ Listen idiot, I’m going to update, so don’t do anything stupid while I’m gone. ]

The noble saluted at the air and watched the virtual tab disappear from view.

After he was finished dressing, he was already walking out the door and his fathers followed behind him with dark expressions. Shen Yuan playfully rolled his eyes and motioned at them to go back inside the manor, “It’s not like I’m never coming back, I’ll be back very soon! I promise!”

They stayed silent and watched Shen Yuan approach the golden carriage that Qi Rong brought along. The prince beamed when he saw Shen Yuan and enthusiastically patted the spot right next to him.

They watched their son hop on and the carriage moved further and further away from their sight. Shen Weiyao turned his head towards his husband and questioned, “Did you burn that letter from yesterday?”

“The letter from the Liu Family asking for A-Yuan’s hand in marriage?”

“Yes.”

“And the other ones from the Jin, Zhou, Yang, and Yan families?”

“I already did it without you asking me.”

“Great.”

“What are we gonna do with Prince Xiao Jing?”

“I don’t know, but I’ll come up with something. A-Yuan’s still too young to get married.”

- 

“Shizun, come, come! Look at this!” Qi Rong exclaimed, his loud voice bringing Shen Yuan over to the stall that he was at. Qi Rong pulled out a book and thrusted it in front of his face, “They have it here! I was looking for this one everywhere!”

“The Lady Has Something To Say Sequel,” Shen Yuan read the title with squinted eyes before asking, “The one with the weak protagonist that actually turned out to be a fallen goddess?”

Qi Rong eagerly nodded his head and watched Shen Yuan recall the ending of the first book. 

He raised a brow at Qi Rong and chuckled, “Another romance one, huh? Well, this one isn’t that bad. Looks like you’re learning, Your Highness.”

“What do you mean by that?” The prince asked, protectively shielding the book cover away from Shen Yuan’s judgy eyes. 

He sighed and flicked his wrist at him, “Never mind, never mind.”

Shen Yuan wasn’t going to forget that one time when he and Qi Rong were in the Xianle Palace Training Hall alone. While practicing their sword forms, Qi Rong swung his sword downwards and said out loud after some deep contemplation, “There’s something wrong with my eyes.”

Shen Yuan steadied his weapon and looked up at Qi Rong with deep concern, “What? What’s wrong with them?”

“I can’t take them off you.” He told him with a dead serious face and Shen Yuan’s hands flew over his mouth. 

DON’T LAUGH, DON’T LAUGH, DON’T LAUGH.

Ever since that happened, Shen Yuan began recommending Qi Rong some good actual novels (most of them being romance since it seemed to be Qi Rong’s favorite genre) and hoped that the high-grade novels would be a better influence. 

He still reads shitty romance novels to this very day.

After Qi Rong successfully made his purchases, the two strided over to a food stall. The shopkeeper greeted them and presented the desserts he had on display, “Ah, would you two handsome young men like some sesame balls? Egg tarts? Youtiao? Perhaps some delicious tanghulu will satisfy your cravings?”

Shen Yuan examined the options in front of him. Should he take the soft round balls rolled around in sesame seeds? The egg tarts with the creamy yellow custard swirled up in the middle? Long pieces of crunchy fried dough? Mouth-watering fruits coated with hardened sugar syrup?

Qi Rong dropped a couple coins in the shopkeeper's hand and answered him, “One youtiao and one stick of tanghulu, please.”’

The corner of Shen Yuan’s lips tugged up into a pleasant grin, “Youtiao, huh? You read my mind.”

The prince grabbed his tanghulu and lightly laughed, “That’s what you always order whenever we descend Taicang Mountain.”

“What if I wanted sesame balls instead?” He teased him, munching on his youtiao that brought him sweet delight. 

Qi Rong froze at that question and nearly dropped his stick of tanghulu. Heck, Shen Yuan could see him beginning to sweat. 

“You wanted the sesame balls too?” He asked before turning back towards the distracted shopkeeper, “Mister, I’ll take tw—“

Shen Yuan pushed the stick of fried dough in his hands into Qi Rong’s mouth to stop him from finishing his sentence and chortled, “It was a joke! Seriously, what’s with you and Feng-shixiong always trying to fatten me up?”

He hesitantly took a bite out of the dessert before moving it away from his face. Qi Rong sent him a pouty look and then furrowed his brows right after tasting the youtiao, “This doesn’t taste as good as the ones that they make in the palace.”

“Obviously, Chef Jian’s cooking is heavenly! Who else in the kingdom can dare to compare their cooking to his?”

Qi Rong crossed his arms and huffed, “I bet I can cook better ones than this.”

Shen Yuan chuckled and patted his back, “Don’t complain too much, this still tastes better than the food that they serve at the Royal Holy Pavilion.”

Qi Rong couldn’t help but agree with him on that. The chefs at pavilion served the disciples dog shit and labeled it as ‘nutritious’ food. Qi Rong couldn’t count the amount of times that Xie Lian had treated them to dinner after he took a single glance at the food made by the Royal Holy Pavilion chefs that day. Feng Xin and Mu Qing also tagged along, of course.

The duo stood at the sidelines, slowly chewing on their freshly-made desserts. They watched countless individuals walk past them to reach their destinations. Children walked side to side with their parents, their small fingers wrapped around their guardian’s pinky. A small pack of dogs chased each other around the street, excitedly wagging their tails as they barked and howled. The clouds were gathered into groups, leisurely drifting across the vast sky without care. Birds fluttered their delicate wings in the air, happily chirping and singing about. It was a nice day out.

Qi Rong turned to Shen Yuan and saw a couple stray crumbs near the corners of his mouth. 

‘THIS IS MY MOMENT!’ He joyfully thought to himself, feeling his pumping heart racing rapidly. Qi Rong quickly fixed his hair before leaning in closer to Shen Yuan. 

He swiped a thumb across his shizun’s soft lips, capturing the brown crumbs in one smooth stroke. Shen Yuan’s eyes widened as he watched Qi Rong lick his thumb and then flash him an alluring smirk.

‘DID HIS HEART SKIP A BEAT? DID HE FINALLY NOTICE MY CHARMS?’ The prince excitedly thought, looking away from his crush and resting his eyes upon the moving clouds to seem more like an aloof immortal.

When Qi Rong realized that Shen Yuan was far too quiet, he took a quick peek at him from the corner of his view and nearly felt his heart drop when Shen Yuan was wearing a disgusted face instead of a love-stricken one.

“Your Highness, if you wanted some, you could’ve just asked.” He commented with a small laugh, breaking his youtiao in half and handing Qi Rong the bigger piece, “Here. Next time, just ask this servant. No need to go after the crumbs.”

Qi Rong speechlessly accepted the offering and defeatedly ate the fried dessert with sunken shoulders. Maybe he’ll get him next time.

It didn’t take long for him to regain his high spirits, though. From a distance away, he spotted a merchant selling jewelry. He gently tugged onto Shen Yuan’s sleeve and pointed at the stall, “Let’s go take a look over there.”

Shen Yuan hummed in agreement and allowed Qi Rong to lead him there. The merchant welcomed them and asked with crescent eyes, “What are you two youngesters looking for?”

Qi Rong held his arms behind his back and swept his eyes across the many rows of assorted jewelry. He stopped at a certain section and narrowed his eyes at a pair of earrings. The two pieces had white pearls underneath the hook and attached with them were tiny golden lotuses with precious pearls of the same color trapped in the middle. 

“I’ll take this one,” he announced, shaking his head at the merchant who grabbed them and nearly put them inside a little pouch, “no need, we’ll wear them right now.”

We? Who’s we?

It took a second for the man to realize, and he chuckled as he carefully passed them over to Qi Rong who exchanged it with a heavy pouch full of coins. Shen Yuan dumbfoundedly stared at him when he gave him the other piece before hooking the earring on his left ear. Qi Rong blinked at him and tapped at his bare ear to demonstrate, “Put it on.”

Ohhh, they’re friendship bracelets! Two halves of a whole kind of thing! So cheesy, haha.

Shen Yuan did as he was told and then posed with his hands on his hips, “Well, how do I look?”

“Handsome.” Qi Rong instantly answered with an endearing smile and Shen Yuan broke into laughter.

“It’s okay, you don’t need to boost my self-esteem.”

“No, Shen Yuan, you really do.”

He stopped laughing and then tilted his head to the side with hooked lips, “Really? Thank you! Your Highness also looks dashing, as always.”

A blush blossomed across the prince’s handsome features and a hand flew up to clutch at his beating heart. With fluttering lashes, Qi Rong shyly nodded and directed his gaze down at the ground.

‘I’LL HAVE A HEART FAILURE AT THIS RATE!’ He fondly thought to himself as the merchant that was observing them from behind was wishing that these damned teenagers would scram off already.

Which they did. The two of them strolled down the busy street, observing their lively surroundings and watching street performers show off their talents. The naive idiot, Qi Rong, suddenly felt very bold and asked Shen Yuan a daring question, “What if we kissed right now?”

Unfortunately, Shen Yuan couldn’t hear him over the loud music and raised a brow in confusion, “Hmm? What did you say?”

Qi Rong coughed and repeated his question, “What if we—”

His question was interrupted midway through when a person bumped into Shen Yuan and made him fall on his ass.

“Ah, I’m so sorry! Are you hurt anywhere?” A deep, masculine voice called out in worry.

Shen Yuan frowned and grabbed the outstretched hand in front of him, grumbling, “It’s fine, no worries.”

He nearly choked on his words when the stranger pulled him up and his face almost crashed into the stranger’s chest. 

God, that was a really nice pair of pecs. 

Although Shen Yuan was a straight man—a man can appreciate another man’s BIG, SOFT (at least they looked like they were), and ROUND pecs! One could obviously tell this person was jacked by how huge those pecs were! 

He forcefully tore his eyes away from them and coughed, “Y–Yeah, i–it’s fine.”

Shen Yuan lifted his head to take a proper look at the stranger (no, he did not take another peek at them) and nearly gasped when he saw their appearance.

The man had black curly hair, half of his bangs were tucked behind his hair and the many long curly strands of hair were tied up into a high ponytail. His eyes were sharp and had a reddish tint to them, and his lips were a dark shade of crimson. Large dimples formed when he smiled down at Shen Yuan; slightly revealing his white fangs, “Really? What a relief.”

This man looks like he could fuck over three thousand beauties and create a whole harem out of them! Truly handsome! Very admirable!

Qi Rong grabbed Shen Yuan’s wrist and spoke to him in a low voice, “Shizun, he’s suspicious. We should go.”

A hint of exhilaration flickered across the handsome stranger’s eyes when he heard the way Qi Rong addressed him, but at the same time, his lips curved downwards in distaste. He glanced down at Qi Rong with revulsion and quickly smiled when Qi Rong raised his head to shoot him a dirty look. 

Shen Yuan nodded and turned to move before he heard a loud angry shout, “CATCH THAT LITTLE FUCKER! HE STOLE FROM MY STORE!”

Shen Yuan swiveled his head around to see a group of grown men chasing after a small tattered boy with bandages clumsily wrapped around his head. One of them threw a heavy object at the child and it banged against his head, successfully knocking him over. A man grabbed him by the collar and sent a punch to his face before yelling, “WHERE IS IT? WHERE IS THE RED EARRING THAT YOU STOLE FROM MY STORE, YOU HIDEOUS BRAT?!!”

When he didn’t answer him, the man grew furious and slammed him against the ground. He raised a foot to stomp on him before he felt a hand lay on his arm and sharply twisted it, hearing a loud snap.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing to a child?” Shen Yuan angrily hissed, his tone laced with poison. “He doesn’t have any pockets on his clothing nor is he carrying it in his hands. If he was hiding it in his clothes, it would’ve dropped the moment you threw that jar at his head and made him fall, you fucking imbecile!”

The man was even more stirred up and tried to struggle free from him, “LET ME GO, LET ME GO! I KNOW THIS LITTLE SHIT STOLE FROM MY STORE! WHAT ARE YOU IDIOTS DOING? KILL HIM!!!”

Shen Yuan shot a deathly glare at the others that the shopkeeper brought along and threatened, “Test my patience and you’ll share the same fate as him.”

One of them moved to land a punch but was stopped when Qi Rong threw a whirling kick at their face. Shen Yuan kicked at the back of the cannon fodder’s knees and rendered him weak. He made him face the unconscious boy lying on the ground and queried, “Look carefully, you fucking idiot. Does it look like he has anything on him?”

“S–SHUT U—”

The transmigrator grips onto the broken arm in his hand even tighter and repeats himself, “Does it look like he has anything on him?”

“F–FINE! HE DOESN’T! NOW RELEASE ME!”

With a hesitant pause, Shen Yuan finally lets go of him and clicks his tongue, “Do you not fear punishment from the heavens? Tsk, don’t you have better things to do old man?”

He shifted closer to the child and carried him in his arms with a disheartened expression. 

BABY HONG-ER, I’M SO SORRY! PLEASE DON’T BE DEAD! WHAT IS XIE LIAN GOING TO DO WITHOUT YOU?!!

The man behind Shen Yuan, scowled and lifted a resentful fist.

Before Qi Rong could move and block that attack, the handsome stranger that watched from the sidelines, suddenly appeared behind the shopkeeper and lifted a single finger. But that was more than enough to send the man crashing against the wooden stalls, earning shocked gasps from the nosy crowd that gathered around them to see some action.

[ Update: Successfully Completed ]

[ What did I miss while I was gone? ]

The handsome stranger turned around, seeing a wide-eyed Shen Yuan carrying a little Hua Cheng in his arms who slowly opened his eye that was previously squeezed shut. The stranger chuckled at this reaction and then winked at Shen Yuan, “You’re welcome, Shizun.”

“Who are you calling shizun?” Qi Rong stepped in front of Shen Yuan protectively, moving into a fighting stance. “Only I am allowed to call him that.”

[ I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU TO STAY OUT OF TROUBLE?!! WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS??! ]

[ FUCK, FUCK, FUCK! I SHOULD’VE KILLED THAT DAMN REPULSIVE BEAST WHEN I HAD THE CHANCE!!! ]

Hearing this from the System, Shen Yuan furrowed his brows and impulsively opened his mouth to curiously call out, “Shen Qingqiu?”

The System paused, Qi Rong knitted his brows in puzzlement but still held his guard up, and the handsome stranger charmingly grinned from ear to ear with visible glee.

“I finally found you, Shizun.”

[ YOU JUST HAD TO DIG YOUR OWN GRAVE! FUCK! RUN, SHEN YUAN! RUN, YOU FUCKING DUMBASS!!!  ]

Startled by the loud alarms going off in his head, he snatched Qi Rong’s hand and began running for his life. All while balancing Hong-er in his other arm.

Fuck, today was going to be a terrible day.

Chapter Text

The Qing Jing Peak Lord was surrounded by scorching lava, his torso sitting in a green pickle jar, his bloodied chin brushing against the surface of the ceramic jar. Purple bruises and deep cuts marred his face that was once elegant and striking. He was sitting there with only misery and humiliation as company. All of his limbs were ruthlessly torn away from his torso, one by one, by the disciple that he deemed as a beast.

He should’ve killed that half-breed as soon as he took a step into Cang Qiong Mountain. He shouldn’t have been so lenient. He should’ve hacked that damn beast into a thousand pieces before he grew stronger. At the very least, he should’ve driven Xiu Ya through the demon’s heart before he kicked him off into the Endless Abyss. 

His eyes, devoid of color, slowly moved across the Water Prison. 

His line of sight stops down at the pathway that led up to the platform where Shen Jiu was. It was a trap. One wrong step, and poisonous arrows would automatically shoot the intruder. 

Shen Jiu wanted to burst out in howling laughter at Luo Binghe’s obvious, stupid trap, but the exruciating pain that his body was going through at the moment had prevented him from doing so. 

Luo Binghe sent Yue Qingyuan a letter with his bloody legs along with it, threatening to take Shen Jiu’s life if he didn’t show up. Shen Jiu sneered at Luo Binghe when he told him that the Sect Leader would show up no matter what because of the affection he harbored towards him. Too bad his tongue was severed because the damn beast got tired of hearing his insults regarding his heritage. Otherwise, Shen Jiu would’ve laughed at him wholeheartedly. 

What affection did Yue Qingyuan hold towards him? Ha! Did that fool mistake it as guilt instead?

Yue Qingyuan will abandon him again, without doubt.

There was no way that Yue Qingyuan would be dumb enough to fall for an obvious trap. There was no way that Yue Qingyuan would even step inside of the Water Prison in order to save a burdensome cultivator who refused to accept his help the first time and even dared to curse at him. What would the Cang Qiong Peak Lords and disciples do without their Sect Leader leading them? Luo Binghe would burn that mountain to the ground without Yue Qingyuan in his way. 

He had better not return after Shen Jiu had purposely pushed him away for his own good. All of Shen Jiu’s efforts would be for naught. 

It wasn’t long before Shen Jiu heard quick, frantic footsteps sounding out from the passageways. 

What idiot thought that it was a good idea to run around the Water Prison? Are they courting death?

It...It was probably just the damn beast coming back to torture him again.

“XIAO JIU! XIAO JIU!” A familiar voice shrouded with desperation and worry called out.

Shen Jiu’s heart leapt from his chest and dread twisted at his insides. He raised his head and squinted at the entrance to see who it was. Sounds of weapons clashing against one another and enraged cries from the defeated Huan Hua disciples made Shen Jiu quietly gasp before his expression quickly twisted into a scowl.

DON’T COME OVER HERE! LEAVE! LEAVE, YOU FOOL! LEAVE ME BEHIND!!! IT’S A TRAP! I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU TO NEVER COME BACK?!! 

To his dismay, a grey figure showed up at the entrance of the Water Prison. The Sect Leader was panting heavily, long sweaty threads of hair stuck to the side of his handsome face, and dark circles made their existence known under his eyes that immediately dilated when he saw the state that Shen Jiu was in. Regret and sorrow flashed across his eyes that were beginning to well up. Yue Qingyuan tightened his grip around Xuan Shu who finally came out of its sheath and moved towards Shen Jiu. 

Angry moans came out of Qing Jing Peak Lord’s mouth instead of coherent words because of his missing tongue. ‘GO AWAY! TURN AROUND AND NEVER COME BACK!’  Shen Jiu wanted to shout. It didn’t stop Yue Qingyuan at all. His face darkened when he realized why Shen Jiu wasn’t cursing at Yue Qingyuan but was wailing as soon as he saw him.

STOP, STOP, STOP, STOP, STOP, STOP, STOP, STOP, STOP, STOP, STOP, STOP, STOP, STOP, STOP, STOP, STOP, STOP, STOP, STOP, STOP, STOP, STOP, STOP, STOP, STOP, STOP, STOP, STOP, STOP, STOP, STOP!!!

Yue Qingyuan froze midway when the stone tile that he stepped on, sunk deeper into the platform. Shen Jiu felt his anxious heart drop to his stomach when a loud click echoed throughout the prison.

Thousands of arrows flew across the Water Prison from all directions and pierced through Yue Qingyuan’s strong build. He let out an agonizing cry and staggered back, crimson spilling from his lips before he fell onto his knees. With deep slow breaths, Yue Qingyuan weakly lifted up Xuan Shu with trembling hands and tried to drag himself over to Shen Jiu; using the weapon that was rapidly draining away the remaining remnants of his life as support. The edged arrow heads dug deeper into Yue Qingyuan’s flesh with every small movement that he made, leaving behind a large trail of blood. 

The Cang Qiong Sect Master’s head continued drooping farther and farther down and his grip onto Xuan Shu was loosening with each second that passed. When he realized that he couldn’t even take one final look at his Xiao Jiu who used to beam at Yue Qingyuan with a glow and follow him around saying, ‘Qi-ge! Qi-ge! Look at what I found,’ he was bitter and regretful.

“X...Xiao..Jiu.” He croaked. His spiritual weapon escaped from his grasp and clattered against the ground.

Shen Jiu finally broke.

For the first time in a long time, hot tears trickled down his hollow cheeks. When he saw his Qi-ge collapse in front of him, adrenaline rushed through his veins and he managed to tip the pickle jar over.

“....i...e...i….e!” Shen Jiu groaned with despair.

QI-GE! PLEASE DON’T DIE, PLEASE DON’T DIE, PLEASE DON’T DIE, PLEASE DON’T DIE!!! DON’T DIE ON ME QI-GE! I’LL...I’LL FORGIVE YOU FOR ABANDONING ME IN THE PAST IF YOU LIVE! I’LL FORGET ABOUT EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED! I’LL VISIT YOU EVERYDAY AT QIONG DING PEAK SO YOU WON’T GET LONELY! I’LL LISTEN TO ANYTHING YOU ASK OF ME AND I’LL GET ALONG WITH LIU-SHIDI! S...SO PLEASE, DON’T DIE!

The Qing Jing Peak Lord tried scooting closer to Yue Qingyuan using his chin, but the pickle jar and the iron chains tied around it were weighing down the limbless cultivator. He could do nothing but listen to his Qi-ge take one final shaky breath.

When he cried and wailed for his childhood friend, an audible snicker echoed from the entrance of the Water Prison. Luo Binghe was leaning against the wall, tapping his black nails against his crossed arms with a delighted smile across his perfect face.

“Shen Qingqiu, did you like my present?” Luo Binghe purred with satisfaction. “I prepared this special gift, just for you~! How disgustingly devoted Yue Qingyuan was for a hateful insect such as yourself.”

The Demon Lord lazily strided over to Shen Jiu and pushed the pickle jar upright before patting the back of the green jar with a hum, “Do not worry, Shen Qingqiu. This lord will properly scatter his ashes for my dear ‘shizun’. Well, after I finish burning down Cang Qiong Mountain, that is.”

When met with Shen Jiu’s lifeless eyes that abandoned all hope and desire, the Black Lotus’s lips curled up into a sadistic grin and he exploded into booming laughter. Luo Binghe wiped away a tear. Shen Qingqiu no longer carried the fierce glint in his eyes or wore the deep scowl as he usually did! He looked even more miserable than a dead man! Ah, Luo Binghe should’ve done this from the start! Truly fascinating it was to see him in this terrible state! 

With a promise to return to Shen Jiu to continue torturing him, Luo Binghe went off to gather his troops to finally bring ruin upon Cang Qiong Mountain.

-

Shen Jiu didn’t expect to open his eyes again after dying from Luo Binghe’s endless torture.

When he moved his gaze downwards, he quietly gasped in disbelief when he saw that all of his limbs were still connected to his torso. Not a single scratch or bruise were to be spotted, and he was dressed in his refined bamboo robes that he usually wore.

“So you’ve come, Shen Qingqiu,” A resonating voice announced, pulling Shen Jiu out of his dazed state, “I was wondering when my son was going to finish you off, geez, he is quite the dramatic one. What else did I expect from a stallion protagonist? Sigh.”

Instinctively, Shen Jiu reached out for Xiu Ya but then realized that it was no longer with him. So instead, he slid a foot back and gathered spiritual energy in his palm. His green eyes flickered up at the figure in front of him, and to say he was caught off guard was an understatement.

There was a man with short chestnut hair and strange clothes that exposed the nape of his neck. He was sitting on a white chair with...what were those? Wheels? He had a leg on top of the other and his closed hands rested on top of a glass desk, appearing like a domineering nobleman. However, his appearance was extremely similar to a skittish Peak Lord that reminded others of a mouse. The only difference was—the man wasn’t scrawny and fidgety. In fact, he had a lot of muscle to his build and was rather tranquil. 

“Shang Qinghua? What the hell are you doing here? Did you not die after betraying Cang Qiong Moun—” Shen Jiu stopped himself momentarily before asking in a low voice with slight hesitance, “are we in hell?”

“My name is Shang Qinghua, but unfortunately, I am not the An Ding Peak Lord that you know of,” The man clarified, “and before you ask me about my identity again—I am what you humans call a god. You’re not in hell or heaven—don’t ask me how. It’s...very difficult to explain in simple terms. Let’s just say you’re in a different world, yes?”

What the actual fuck is going on?

“Why am I still alive? What’s going on?” Shen Jiu questioned with tense shoulders and a deep frown, on high alert of this mysterious presence who claimed to be a god. Perhaps it was Luo Binghe messing with him again. 

With a sigh, Shang Qinghua shot an exhausted look at him before explaining, “Shen Qingqiu, you are a fictional character from a novel—ah, ah! Let me finish speaking first, thank you. The world that you lived in was entirely fictional, it only revolved around Luo Binghe, who was the protagonist of that world—protagonists are the main characters in novels, by the way. Does it not explain how Luo Binghe can find legendary artifacts and rare herbs with ease? How Luo Binghe always managed to survive life-or-death situations because of the many young women performing dual-cultivation with him? Don’t you find it suspicious how every infamous enemy of Luo Binghe’s has always died with a single lift of his finger?”

“After you died, one of my ’friends’ recruited you and pulled you into my realm.” Shang Qinghua huffed. “You should thank Hua Binan and I. Your soul would have ceased to exist with one as damaged as yours.”

His explanation certainly explained some things. It perfectly explained why Luo Binghe’s enemies—who were well known to be smart and cunning—always somehow turned fucking dumb whenever they encountered him. It made sense why the Lady of Luck always had her finger pointed at Luo Binghe and why every difficult situation that he faced had always turned in his favor. It was because the world he lived in only fucking existed for Luo Binghe! If he was the main character, then Shen Jiu must’ve been the villain! How fucking ridiculous.

Despite hearing all of this, Shen Jiu still couldn’t completely accept the fact that the world that he lived in was completely fictional. 

How could he?

All the hardships and sufferings that he went through...weren’t real? Yue Qingyuan and his martial siblings had never existed in the first place? 

This has got to be a terrible joke. This sketchy person was probably a con-artist, not a damn god! There was no way! 

Shen Jiu lunged at Shang Qinghua and striked at him with the swirling ball of spiritual energy in his palm with incredible speed. A normal person who had never cultivated in their entire life would’ve had every bone in their body shattered into dust and die a painful death. A cultivator who received this heavy blow would have received terrible internal damage (one would often spit out blood as a result). Despite their level of cultivation, death was still a high possibility. But Shang Qinghua remained in his seat, unbothered by the murder attempt. Not even a single strand of hair had moved out of place. He moved his narrowed eyes over to Shen Jiu and his lips pulled back into a thin line. He was not amused. 

An overbearing dark aura exuded from Shang Qinghua’s back and drew closer to the Peak Lord, evoking fear and panic from him. The black aura with a seemingly carved face that resembled that of a devil’s eerily groaned and wailed at him. Shen Jiu’s traitorous body froze in place and he couldn’t tear away his eyes that were wide with terror. Never in his entire life did Shen Jiu feel this afraid.

He made a grave mistake.

“There have been hundreds of villains that have tried to kill me but yet, not a single one of them have managed to land a fatal blow on me. Shen Jiu, what makes you think that you are different from them?” Shang Qinghua hissed. “Seriously, kids these days. You villains have no respect for your father!”

Shen Jiu? 

He had never told him his old name from his younger years, but if this Shang Qinghua was truly a god, then it made sense as to how he knew of the name that Shen Qingqiu had buried in his past.

“Don’t call me that,” he spat, tightly clenching his jaw as he watched the ominous aura around Shang Qinghua immediately disperse. 

The deity blinked at him and then scratched his head, “Well, it’s kinda hard to remember which Shen Qingqiu I’m referring to, because there’s two of you.”

“WHAT?!”

“...It’s complicated,” Shang Qinghua murmured quietly before changing the subject with haste, “Long story short, you’re here because I’m giving you a second chance at life—at a cost, of course. You can go back into the past and change your fate as you wish, as long as you successfully complete the mission that I give you.”

Shen Jiu’s ears perked up at that and he furrowed his brows with doubt at his offer, “What’s the mission?”

The god leaned back into his chair and smiled at Shen Jiu, “Become a system and create an alternate universe from a famous romance novel, yes, you’re doing romance, don’t give me that look. There will be a protagonist from a different world that will transmigrate into your alternate universe and you will be the one to guide them. Basically, you’re making fanfiction based off of the original novels. If you create a story that the readers love, then I’ll send you back to your world so you can change your destiny. If the readers hate your story, then you will work as a System for all eternity.”

Shen Jiu scowled at that, “Who’s going to be my protagonist? And what the hell is a System? I didn’t even understand half of the words that came out of your mouth!”

“....You’ll be assigned to Shen Yuan from Scum Villain’s Self Saving System. He’s a really dense one, that damn transmigrator, but make sure that he ends up with Luo Binghe in the end.”

“WHO?!!”

“.....”

“...Come over here, it’s easier to show you than to explain it.”

He stared at him with skeptical eyes before inching closer with uncertainty. The deity pressed two fingers against the scum villain’s forehead and countless images flashed through his mind. They were all memories that belonged to an imposter who had no choice but to impersonate the Qing Jing Peak Lord.

Shen Jiu finally understood everything now.

...To think that the reason why Yue Qingyuan didn’t return was because he had badly harmed himself while trying to cultivate as fast as he could so that he could rescue Shen Jiu. He was too late, because Shen Jiu had already made his decision to stop waiting for him and burned down the Qiu’s household. 

But why didn’t that fool tell him the reason from the start?

….

……

……….

…………..

Shen Jiu brought a hand up to his head to massage his temples and he took a long deep sigh. 

He was assigned to a fucking dumbass. A dense dumbass who pushed his disciple into the Endless Abyss and didn’t realize that his disciple was in love with him until many years later. The same dumbass who wanted Shen Jiu to get castrated. 

Oh, Shen Jiu would make things hell for him as soon as he got the chance.

As Shang Qinghua was explaining the protocol that Systems had to follow through, the door slammed open and a bass voice yelled out, “SHANG QINGHUA! LOOK AT THIS SHIT! THE READERS ARE ASKING FOR SHEN JIU X SHEN YUAN FANFICS!”

Shang Qinghua choked and Shen Jiu nearly had a qi deviation.

What the fuck did he say?

The god flew out of his seat and clapped a hand over the intruder’s mouth, “Please shut the fuck up, Xue Yang. Please.”

Shen Jiu shot a deathly glare at the two and Shang Qinghua awkwardly laughed before pushing Xue Yang forward, “My friend here will help you figure things out around here. If you have any questions, feel free to ask him! Xue Yang, make sure Shen Jiu sees a therapist before he starts his first mission.”

“....Yes, sir.”

-

Shen Jiu blankly stared at the virtual screen laying out before him. There were two separate images of two handsome individuals smiling at him. The shorter one who wore metal frames and had black short hair looked very similar to Shen Jiu. There was a small title above his picture, ‘Shen Yuan’. The other one had black curly locks and a red flame mark on his forehead, ‘Luo Binghe’. He looked much happier and kinder than the one that Shen Jiu knew well. 

There were two empty slots under the images, waiting for Shen Jiu to type in roles. The scum villain looked at the pile of books that he set aside and shuffled through them. 

Shen Jiu decided that he would make Shen Yuan transmigrate into a different novel and make Luo Binghe one of the existing characters of the novel, simply because it was much easier than making up a whole new world. Worldbuilding sounded like too much work. With this, all he had to do was pick a novel and a pairing. 

After some contemplation, he picked up a novel and flipped through the pages to refresh his memory. A couple of minutes later, he sets down the book and clicks on the slot under Luo Binghe’s picture with a mischievous smirk. His fingers impulsively tapped against the buttons of his holographic keyboard. 

{ Qi Rong }

Then, he starts typing in the other slot.

{ Cannon Fodder }

Just imagining how this horrible combination would turn out made Shen Jiu cackle. 

The Night Touring Green Lantern from Heaven Official’s Blessing was annoying and loved to cause trouble. Naturally, it made others hate him for his abhorrent personality. How could anyone possibly love a crazy cannibal such as him? Shen Yuan, who was cannon fodder #234, would never have the chance to meet a prince! Even if the two did cross paths, Luo Binghe who was also Qi Rong, would most likely kill him off for breathing the same air as him. Wonderful, wonderful! Making Luo Binghe into Qi Rong came along with a big bonus, because the original character had tragically died to blazing flames! Shen Jiu would not miss out on the great show! 

Why should he be their cupid? Who did they think Shen Jiu was?! Why should he be the one to plan out their happy ending? Shen Jiu didn’t forget how the Luo Binghe from his world had tortured him, and certainly didn’t forget who killed Yue Qingyuan (no, he doesn’t care if this Luo Binghe was different)! Why did the imposter have a happy ending with the beast in the stupid novel?! He used Shen Jiu’s identity and lied to everyone’s faces! Fuck Shang Qinghua, and fuck the two of them! They can both burn in hell!

Shen Jiu’s vermilion lips twisted up into a wicked smile and a hysterical laugh sounded out from him. His index finger hovered over the ‘enter’ button and he almost clicked it before an image of Yue Qingyuan flickered across his vision.

….

He should probably scrap this foolish plan and change the pairing to Xie Lian and Hua Cheng, if he ever wanted to see his Qi-ge again. 

Shen Jiu made a regretful sigh and moved his finger away from the ‘enter’ button. 

When he lifted his head to look back up at the screen, he nearly spat out blood from shock.

{ LOADING SUCCESSFUL }

The screen showed him a frightened young man surrounded by darkness. His eyes shut and opened before they widened with surprise when seeing a virtual screen staring back at him.

SHIT, SHIT, SHIT! I TAKE IT ALL BACK! FUCK, LET ME GO BACK! STUPID PIECE OF FUCKING SHIT!!!

The young man took a step back and tilted his head in confusion at the floating screen. He furrowed his brows and squinted at the screen.

...Fuck it. Shen Jiu would have to improvise!

He’ll give his protagonist a mission to reform the Night Touring Green Lantern into a character that one can tolerate so that the possibility of him falling in love with Qi Rong would significantly raise. Nothing can separate two soulmates, right? Right?!!

To make things easier, he’ll set the time frame to the early years of Xianle. Just a year after Qi Rong came to the Xianle Palace. Since Qi Rong was just an angry spoiled brat instead of a deranged cannibal, hopefully his protagonist will fall in love with...whatever charms the little gremlin had. 

Fuck, this was all so half-assed and shitty.

Shen Jiu deeply regretted typing in Qi Rong and Cannon Fodder as a joke.

[ Welcome Host! ｡^‿^｡ We welcome your presence into the system! It is in our sincere hope that during the course of this experience, you will fulfill the readers’ request and reform the scum cannon fodder, Night Touring Green Lantern, Qi Rong, into a tolerable character, and fill in the holes behind his backstory. We wish your journey success! ]

-

“His eyes flew open and enlarged when he found himself staring back at a set of sharp grey eyes that glared back into his. Shen Yuan’s lips parted and his eyebrows furrowed when seeing a resentful scowl surface onto that round little face,” Shang Qinghua read out loud with knitted brows, “Hmm, interesting. Is this enemies to lovers? Wow, Shen Jiu must be working really hard~!”

The deity continued reading through the words, paying half attention to what was actually happening in the story, “Shen Yuan didn’t say a word, a blank look on his face as he turned away from the group and the boy, ‘System, I know you can hear my thoughts. Don’t bother hiding your presence, you fucking scammer,’ he telepathically spoke to the System frustratingly, ‘is this kid Qi Rong?’”

Shang Qinghua took a long pause.

He rubbed at his eyes and then looked back down at his phone.

“Yes, Host is so smart!” The deity slowly read on, “That is Qi Rong!”

Another pause.

“Q–QI RONG?!!? THE QI RONG FROM HEAVEN OFFICIAL’S BLESSING?!?! YOU’RE—YOU’RE KIDDING ME, RIGHT?!! WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?!! SHEN YUAN X QI RONG?!!!! WHAT THE FUCK!?!! I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE SHEN YUAN X LUO BINGHE!!! NO ONE’S GONNA READ THIS WITH THE PIECE OF SHIT PAIRING!!! AHHHH, SHEN JIU! WHAT THE FUCK WERE YOU THINKING?!!”

-

YOU KNOW, I WASN’T COMPLETELY SURE IF YOU WERE SHEN QINGQIU OR NOT! IT JUST CAME OUT OF MY MOUTH BY MISTAKE! I’M SO SORRY, SYSTEM!

[ SHUT THE FUCK UP AND KEEP RUNNING, YOU FOOL! I’LL CALL FOR BACKUP MEANWHILE! ]

YES SIR!

….

So did you and Yue Qingyuan ever fuck?

[ I’LL KILL YO— ]

SORRY, SORRY! I’M JUST TRYING MY BEST TO NOT THINK ABOUT HOW CLOSE HE IS TO US! GOD, HE’S SO FUCKING FAST! LIKE, HE COULD TUG ON MY PONYTAIL AND THAT WOULD BE THE END OF IT! 

[ YOU JUST WANT HIM TO PULL ON YOUR HAIR, YOU NASTY FREAK! RUN FASTER! EVEN A BLIND SNAIL IS FASTER THAN YOU! ]

I—OH, SHUT UP! I’M RUNNING AS FAST AS I CAN! HE’S JUST BUILT DIFFERENT!

A scared sound escaped from Hong Hong-er’s lips.

Shen Yuan couldn’t afford to look down to check on Hong Hong-er’s condition because he had to focus on running on top of the roof tiles he was on. He gently patted the child’s back and cooed, “It’ll be okay, everything will be fine! This one is just playing tag with the handsome gege! Sorry for dragging you along, but I couldn’t leave you behind with the scary uncles.”

Who knows what else they’ll do?

The young prince who was running at his side with a deep frown, tossed a quick glance at Shen Yuan and asked, “Shen Yuan, why are we running away from that crazy bastard? I can just beat him up for you!”

Beat up Luo Binghe from Proud Immortal Demon Way? Even with you and me combined, there’s no way we can beat a fucking demon lord! 

“Your Highness, we don’t have our swords with us nor are we skilled enough to fight him. Did you not see how he took out that person with just a lift of a finger? Yeah, better to not mess with him.” Shen Yuan whisper shouted, leaping up onto another roof of a building. When Hong Hong-er yelped, Shen Yuan gritted his teeth and murmured an apology, “I’m so sorry! I’ll make it up to you! I’ll buy all the food and candy you want after this, I promise! And you’ll even get to see His Highness the Crown Prince again!”

Hong Hong-er paused momentarily before looking up at Shen Yuan with a glittering eye, “Really?”

“Yes! He’s a close friend of mine!”

The child gasped in awe at this and Shen Yuan would’ve chuckled—IF HE WASN’T GETTING CHASED BY A HOT PROTAGONIST THAT BELONGED TO AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT NOVEL! 

Hong Hong-er slightly shifted around in Shen Yuan’s secure hold and made himself comfortable. 

This kid…

Fuck, he was so cute.

BOOM! 

Shen Yuan turned his head to the side to see Qi Rong and the tall black and red figure from behind, missing. “Shit, shit!” He cursed under his breath, landing on his feet after jumping off of the roof. 

Luo Bingge had pinned Qi Rong against the ground with a hand wrapped around his throat, his black nails nearly piercing through the prince’s skin. Qi Rong desperately tried to pull his hand off of his throat, gasping for air as the demon lord clicked his tongue at him with disgust.

“So weak and pathetic. There is not even a drop of heavenly demon blood that flows within you!” Luo Bingge hissed, tightening his grip around him. “Yet, why does he stay with a disgusting human that feeds on his own kind such as yourself?”

Did he just call him a cannibal?

Just as Qi Rong’s vision was beginning to darken, he saw a fist flying at Luo Binghe’s face. The demon lord swiftly dodged it but he had to release his hold on Qi Rong. 

Shen Yuan pulled Qi Rong back and moved into a fighting stance with a closed fan in his other hand. Like this, the young noble looked very similar to the other Shen Qingqiu that Luo Bingge had met in a different world. The other Shen Qingqiu whom he failed to obtain. 

Qi Rong ignored the bruises forming around his neck and raised up his hands that clenched into fists. He threw Luo Bingge a scornful glare. 

“I don’t recall myself offending anyone.” Shen Yuan said coolly. “Who are you? What is it that you want?”

Seeing the duo standing side to side with a fierce air around them, they reminded Luo Bingge of a master and disciple pair who had exchanged blows with him in an alternate universe. He had lost that battle, but it won’t be the same this time around.

The corners of Luo Bingge’s mouth pulled up into a cocky smile. 

“You.”

Qi Rong’s face twisted into a sour one. He side-eyed Shen Yuan with poorly veiled frustration and allowed the fiery rage to rush through his veins. 

Why the fuck did Qi Rong have so many competitors? 

The transmigrator appeared indifferent to this response. He raised his nose and answered in a dull tone, “Too bad that I don’t.”

Upon hearing this, Qi Rong snorted loudly and tried his best to straighten his face. His awful mood was improving already.

It hurt Luo Bingge’s pride. It hurted alot.

But instead of throwing a fit, he chuckled softly and sang out, “Oh, you will.”

The two of them rushed forward. Qi Rong skillfully swung his fists, barely dodging the strong moving arms that reached out to hit him. Shen Yuan was fast on his feet, he twirled around Luo Bingge and attempted to press one of his acupuncture points with his fan, but the damn demon had swerved just in time. Qi Rong landed a solid punch on him, but Luo Bingge was unphased by it. The battle went on like this for a couple of minutes. Luo Bingge was constantly dodging with ease, and the duo kept on striking at him relentlessly. However, if things were to go on like this, the two teenagers would soon run out of energy and die at his hands.

HOW MUCH LONGER, SYSTEM?!!

[ About time now! I just need you to bring him here at this location! ]

Shen Yuan stole a glimpse at the virtual screen in the corner of his view and then huffed in irritation. Luo Bingge grew tired of playing around with them and gathered spiritual energy in his hand. Gusts of wind brushed against the young cultivators’ cheeks. The golden sphere of spiritual energy that was spiraling around in Luo Bingge’s palm was slowly reeling the two of them in. Luckily, the Black Lotus had stopped once he was satisfied with the size.

Shen Yuan harshly tugged onto Qi Rong’s sleeve and pulled him into a run. When he threw a glance over his shoulder, he saw Luo Bingge aim at Qi Rong and cast the golden sphere in his hand over at him. Panickedly, he pushed the prince to the ground, strongly hoping that it would fly over their heads by chance. 

Fortunately, it did. 

The transmigrator pressed his lips to Qi Rong’s ear and whispered, “Take the child away to safety. He’s hiding in an alleyway where you first fell. I’ll distract him and run away. I’ll meet up with you at the carriage.”

Qi Rong didn’t get the chance to refuse when Shen Yuan jumped to his feet and vaulted over a rooftop, tossing a captivating smirk over at Luo Bingge before he scurried away. Entirely focused on the young noble, the demon lord went after him with an arched brow.

What was he up to?

Shen Yuan led Luo Bingge to a more desolate area. Numerous trees surrounded the two of them, and living critters had scrammed off to hide in their homes when sensing an oppressive presence entering the forest. Not a single living soul was in sight. 

Although Luo Bingge was a bit skeptical as to why Shen Qingqiu had brought him here, he was far more powerful than him. What could this little shizun do to him?

Shen Yuan’s limbs were suspended in place as soon as he suddenly ran into a hard wall. Wait, this wall wasn’t hard at all. Rather, it was quite….soft and firm? 

A pair of hands were placed on top of his shoulders and before he knew it, he was under Luo Bingge. 

The Black Lotus gingerly stroked Shen Yuan’s face and sighed softly, “Shizun, I didn’t hit you anywhere, why is your nose bleeding? Ah, you’re too fragile, Shizun. Let this disciple take care of you.”

Shen Yuan’s face burned red and his hands flew up to cover his nose. His nose wasn’t bleeding because Luo Bingge had hit him earlier. It was because….

“M–MY NOSE ISN’T BLEEDING! S-STOP LYING!” He sputtered, furiously wiping away the evidence with his sleeve. “AND WHO’S YOUR SHIZUN? YOU’RE WAY OLDER THAN ME!”

Luo Bingge dazedly blinked at him a couple of times before an entrancing laugh was drawn from him, “Shizun will always be shizun.”

Shen Yuan’s eyes widened for a split second before his lips started trembling with fear. He looked up at Luo Bingge with big watery eyes and cried out, “WAAAAAH! FATHER! PAPA! SAVE ME FROM THIS CREEP! T–THIS DISGUSTING OLD MAN DARES TO LAY HIS HANDS ON A CHILD! SAVE MEEEEE!”

The demon lord slightly jolted from the teenager’s sudden loud cry. He was at a loss. The protagonist was anything but a pedophile! How could he make such a ridiculous accusation towards Luo Bingge?!

At the bottom left corner of Shen Yuan’s view, the virtual window was shaking uncontrollably. It shot up into the air and then exploded into tiny particles. As the white particles were falling from the sky, they stuck to one another like magnets and formed a shape. A shape of a human figure.

At the same time, a large hole had torn apart the thin air behind Luo Binghe. A brown-haired person dressed in modern clothes stepped out of the dark portal. He rolled back his shoulders and cracked his knuckles.

Chills ran down the demon lord’s spine and his broad back immediately stiffened. Down below, a corner of Shen Yuan’s mouth hooked up into a proud smirk.

When Luo Bingge turned his head around, a long graceful sword with a keen edge was held up against his neck. Two Peak Lords of Cang Qiong Mountain were staring down at him with sharp glints in their eyes. 

“Little beast got tired of his world already?” Shen Jiu sneered with disdain. “Shang Qinghua, how should I deal with him?”

Chapter Text

A man dressed in snowy majestic robes with a dragon pattern etched onto the fine fabric with golden threads, stood before Luo Bingge. Strings of white jade beads hung over his face, bumping into each other with every movement, concealing the calculating gaze that hovered over the Demon Lord’s sable sword that excitedly glowed red for a momentary second. 

Luo Bingge leaped out of the deep crater that he had unintentionally created and landed in front of the heaven officials that were gawking at him with wide eyes and dropped jaws. He turned his head around to look at the disastrous state of the heavens. Nearly every palace and tower collapsed at his arrival and many large craters spread throughout the heavens like a plague.

“What kind of ascension is this? This is even messier than Crown Prince Xianle’s ascension!”

“With this kind of entrance, he must be a formidable person!”

“Hopefully he has a lot of money. I can’t imagine how much money he has to pay for the amount of damage his ascension has caused.”

“Could he be stronger than General Pei?”

“He even had the Emperor come out of the Great Martial Hall to see who it was that ascended! I have never seen him look so surprised before!”

He felt greatly disappointed when he couldn’t spot a familiar face within the crowd.

Luo Bingge slid Xin Mo back into its scabbard and faced the white figure in front of him with assessing eyes; frowning when his instincts were telling him that something about this person was off. Jun Wu politely smiled at him, “Tell me, what is your name? What kingdom do you come from?”

Quite a strange world he has stumbled upon. 

“Zheng Yang.” He replied, a hint of impatience in his tone. He ignored the other question and asked, “What is this place?”

Everyone furrowed their brows at his question.

Did he not have common sense? When one ascends, naturally, they will arrive at heaven and become a heaven official—this was basic knowledge! 

“Heaven, of course.” The heavenly emperor answered. He noticed how Luo Bingge was scanning through the group of heaven officials with a slightly confused expression and questioned, “Is there something that Zheng Yang needs?”

Luo Bingge pursed his lips and shook his head. 

How bothersome. The Demon Lord came into this world in order to find the ‘other’ Shen Qingqiu that he came across in a different world. When he made his abrupt leave after his battle with the other Luo Binghe and Shen Qingqiu—Luo Bingge had to return to his world to recuperate before attempting to travel through different worlds again. But as soon as he left the world where his shizun looked at him with warmth and carded his gentle fingers through his curls—he was unable to enter it again. 

Frustrated, Luo Bingge decided to find a kind shizun of his in another world with haste. He has yet to find a Shen Qingqiu who didn’t raise their weapon at Luo Bingge and refer to him as a beast. 

It wasn’t long before a third-party became aware of the fact that the stallion protagonist was nowhere to be found in his own world and has been disrupting the flow of fate in alternate universes. Since then, a man who shared the same face as Shang Qinghua—has been hunting him down for quite a while now. Although Luo Bingge always successfully escaped from his grasp, the persistent man was always on his tail! Occasionally, whenever Luo Bingge stepped into a different world, he had to immediately leave as soon as he spotted another portal opening from afar. 

Which was why the Black Lotus couldn’t waste anymore time talking to some gods. If he couldn’t find the other Shen Qingqiu here, then he should descend to the mortal realm and quickly search before that man arrived.

Luo Bingge huffed and then pulled a spiritual sword out from his qiankun pouch. He threw it up in the air and hopped on, fueling the floating weapon with spiritual energy. Without a word, he descended from the heavens, leaving behind stunned heaven officials and a displeased emperor.

Surprisingly, it’s been about five days since Luo Bingge arrived in this world without any disturbances. He’s gone through a couple kingdoms and failed to find a single person who looked similar to Shen Qingqiu. 

Luo Bingge dragged his sharp nails across his palm and flicked his wrist, the droplets of blood transforming into hawks mid-air. They stretched out their wings and squawked, circling above the demon lord’s head.

“Find Shen Qingqiu,” he commanded, “notify this Lord as soon as you find him.” 

They made their departure and headed off into different directions, drifting over multiple treetops. The Demon Lord made his way further down the dark forest.

In this world, resentful ghosts were more common than weak demons. Instead of killing off demons, cultivators exorcised ghosts. Cultivators of this world were significantly weaker than the An Ding disciples (who were considered the weakest in Cang Ciong Mountain), and even the ‘gods’ that he met earlier didn’t seem all that strong. Imagine Luo Bingge’s surprise when he couldn’t find a single humanoid demon but ridiculously weak demons that wilted under his oppressing presence. 

During his search, the Black Lotus overheard a couple cultivators talk about a foolish noble who gambled off his wife and a leg at a gambling den in a place called Ghost City. Intrigued by this ‘ghost realm’, he decided to head over there. After all, there was a possibility that Shen Qingqiu had died and became a ghost before Luo Bingge came into this world. He didn’t want to overlook an opportunity to find the other Shen Qingqiu who was kind. 

Fireflies rested on top of long branches that hovered above the black and red figure, crickets sung, and the cool wind gently shook the tall grass. A piercing scream resonated throughout the forest. Luo Bingge turned towards the direction of the source with a raised brow, hiding his aura with hesitance after some consideration. 

When he reached the place where the scream came from, he saw a green-clad ghost hunched over a child whose legs were separated from their torso. The ghost angrily bit off the soft flesh from the leg that he was holding onto and chewed as obnoxiously loud as he can, “STUPID FUCKING ONE-EYED BITCH! I’LL FUCKING CATASTRATE HIM AND FEED HIS DICK TO THE FUCKING WOLVES! I’LL KILL HIM, I’LL KILL HIM!!!”

Seeing this sight, Luo Bingge’s nose scrunched up in disgust. 

But he needed directions to Ghost City. Wandering around aimlessly and hoping that he’d somehow walk into Ghost City, would be extremely time-consuming. Hmm, if this ghost was uncooperative, then he would either feed him his blood or kill him off.

Luo Bingge stepped out of the shadows and watched the ghost snap his head around upon hearing his footsteps. The green ghost spat out the blood pooling in his mouth and glared at him, “Who the fuck are you? You got a death wish or something?”

The Demon Lord gave him a courteous smile, “This one is a bit...lost. Do you happen to know where Ghost City is?”

The ghost narrowed his eyes at him and clicked his tongue, “Who the fuck do I look like? A hunting dog?”

Luo Bingge dryly laughed at this and shook his head, “This humble one didn’t mean to offend you in any way. You don’t need to guide me there, some directions will do just fine.”

The ghost looked at him up and down for a minute before dropping the leg on the ground. He paced closer to Luo Bingge with hunger in his eyes, “Nevermind, this kind ancestor will personally guide you there. You should feel honored.”

Luo Bingge clenched his jaw, “Thanking this ancestor for his kindness. May this humble one know of your name?”

The green ghost smirked and bared his sharp-edged nails that slashed hundreds of mortals in half and briefly answered, “Qi Rong—”

He was cut off when Luo Bingge wrapped a hand around his throat and lifted him up effortlessly, the red flame mark on his forehead glowing dimly, “Do you think this Lord is foolish enough to believe in your terrible act? Take me to Ghost City before I kill you, vermin.”

With wide eyes, Qi Rong choked. He raised a shaking hand and produced a green flame that pounced on Luo Bingge. His skin melted like candle wax and green flames flew across his robes, but none of it was a concern for the Demon Lord. Luo Bingge tore off the first two layers of his clothes with ease and his skin automatically stitched up at his will, refusing to leave scars or scratches behind. Irritatedly, he bit into his thumb and pressed the red droplets into Qi Rong’s mouth before he heard the familiar sound of a portal opening up from behind him. 

What impeccable timing.

Luo Bingge released Qi Rong and pulled out Xin Mo, tearing himself a portal before he heard a stern voice from behind, “Luo Binghe, stop prolonging this stupid chase! How many times do I have to tell you to return to your world? You have nearly three thousand beauties in your harem and two realms that you have complete control of! Are those not enough for you?! What is it that you want?!!”

The Black Lotus didn’t even give him a proper answer, he quickly stepped into the portal. A hand reached out to grab at his collar but he dodged it and sealed the portal shut. With that, he went off into a different world.

-

Luo Bingge found himself facing Jun Wu and the heaven officials once again. This was the second time he’s ascended and the heavenly realm held the same reactions to his ascension as they did the first time. The emperor approached him with the same polite smile, “Tell me, what is your name? What kingdom do you come from?”

He rolled his eyes and did the same exact thing as he did in the other world. Luo Bingge hopped on his sword and left without a word.

But this time, a white figure with a half-crying and a half-smiling mask secretly followed him down to the mortal realm.

-

Luo Bingge walked through the large gates with his arms hooked behind his back. Children ran past him with wide grins across their small faces and dogs playfully tumbled around the street. Countless stalls were arranged in rows, vendors advertised their products out loud and street performers raked in curious onlookers with harmonious music and exciting performances. 

If he was correct, this was the Kingdom of Xian Le—which was rather strange, because Luo Bingge had never heard of this kingdom in the other world. Perhaps he should try his luck here.

“Shizun! Look over there!” A familiar voice eagerly called out. 

Luo Bingge furrowed his brows and stepped to the side where the street performers were showing off their peculiar talents. To his very right, he saw two teenagers standing next to each other with content expressions. 

One of them had parted bangs and a jade hairpin that held up his hair. Luo Bingge’s eyes slightly widened when he realized that it was the cannibalistic ghost that tried to deceive him, but he looked younger and...very much alive. 

The other individual had a cute mole under his lips and long braids framing his striking face. He looked a lot like a certain Peak Lord—

Luo Bingge felt his heartbeat pick up its pace.

Shen Qingqiu?

“They have animals performing too? Aww, look at that brown one over there~!” Shen Yuan said in adoration.

Qi Rong glanced at him and asked, “Does Shizun want one?”

Shen Yuan shook his head and chuckled, “Why would I want one when I can see Haitang back at the palace?”

The prince pouted, “Do you want anything at all?”

“No, what about you? What do you want?”

“Your heart.”

Shen Yuan snorted and moved away from the street performers, heading towards Luo Bingge’s direction with Qi Rong at his side, “Tell me something original.”

Qi Rong stayed silent for a couple of minutes before suddenly asking, “What if we kissed right now?”

“Hmm? What did you say?”

“What if we—”

Luo Bingge ‘unintentionally’ bumped into Shen Yuan and then proceeded to ask him with false concern, “Ah, I’m so sorry! Are you hurt anywhere?”

The transmigrator grabbed onto his hand and grumbled, “It’s fine, no worries.”

The Demon Lord felt his lips curve up into a smirk as he pulled the young noble up from the ground. The tips of Shen Yuan’s ears burned red when his face was nearly pressed against Luo Bingge’s firm chest, causing a particular young prince to scowl. 

“Y–Yeah, i–it’s fine.”

Luo Bingge pushed back the loose braid behind his ear and smiled down at the awed transmigrator, “Really? What a relief.”

I finally found you, Shizun.

-

“Take away Xin Mo before he can open a portal and run away for the fucking hundredth time,” Shang Qinghua said in a low voice, “and keep your host far away from him. The only reason why Luo Binghe hasn’t ran off yet is because of him.”

Shen Yuan didn’t need to be told that. He was already trying to scramble away from Luo Bingge, kicking at his face. The Black Lotus twisted his hand around Shen Yuan’s ankle and pulled him down. He only stopped when Xiu Ya drew a line of blood from his neck, vermilion droplets landing on the warm grass.

“Hands off of him.” Shen Jiu hissed.

Shen Yuan quickly jumped to his feet and hid behind Shen Jiu for protection, sparing Shang Qinghua a wary glance. 

“There’s two of you? How curious.” Luo Bingge hummed with wonder. Shen Jiu ruthlessly sliced his neck open and scowled when the wound healed as soon as his blade touched the demon’s skin. Luo Bingge took this chance to create some distance between the two of them and sprung backwards. He unsheathed Xin Mo and eyed the young noble who peered at him from Shen Jiu’s tall back. 

“Hand Shizun over to me, and I’ll spare your life,” The Demon Lord offered, “you are no match for this Lord.”

“I think you’re forgetting about someone.” Shang Qinghua whispered in his ear.

When did he get behind him?

Luo Bingge shivered and spun on his heel, swinging his sword at the offender who remained in his spot with a relaxed expression. Xin Mo was suspended in place, an inch away from tearing apart the haughty deity. The stallion protagonist recognized that his demonic sword couldn’t move any further because of a strange force that was wrapped around Shang Qinghua’s figure and swiftly moved away. 

There was a good reason why Luo Bingge avoided exchanging blows with him.

He ducked when Shen Jiu attempted to decapitate him and stepped to the side when the Peak Lord slashed at the air, sending out waves of spiritual energy that destroyed everything in its path. 

Luo Bingge pushed away the persistent blade that came back for his neck and frowned when he saw Shang Qinghua gathering an abundant amount of spiritual energy in his hands. Whatever he was trying to do, it couldn’t be anything good.

He had to leave, now.

The Demon Lord turned and spotted Shen Yuan hiding behind a tree. With a grin, he dashed forward and hooked an arm around his slim waist. He opened a portal with Xin Mo and hissed when Shen Yuan jabbed him in the stomach and harshly yanked on his hair, “I’M NOT GOING ANYWHERE WITH YOU! LET ME GO BEFORE I BITE YOUR PRETTY HEAD OFF! THINK I WON’T DO IT? YOU WANNA BET ON IT?!!”

Shen Jiu appeared in front of them and severed the hand that was holding onto Xin Mo while Luo Bingge was distracted. At that moment, Shen Yuan caught Xin Mo by its hilt and Shen Jiu reached out to jerk him away from Luo Bingge’s grasp. However, the stallion protagonist regrew his hand and grabbed onto his robes. 

Now Shen Yuan was stuck in the middle with Shen Jiu trying to pull him away by his arm and Luo Bingge tightly clutching onto his clothes. He felt like his arm would fall off and his robes would rip into shreds if this continued on. 

Luckily for the young noble, a sudden bright light hovered above Luo Bingge’s head and then wrapped around him like a soft blanket.

Xin Mo slightly quivered in Shen Yuan’s arms, closing the dark portal and ceasing it from sight. Shen Yuan turned around and squinted at the shaking figure that slowly shrunk down to his ankles.

The transmigrator blinked.

The black ball of fur with big red eyes blinked back at him owlishly.

“Why the fuck did it take you so long, Shang Qinghua?!!” Shen Jiu screeched, sheathing Xiu Ya and inching closer to Shen Yuan to drag him away from the creature. 

The deity sighed exasperatedly and shrugged, “Is it so hard to say thank you? Hmph, it takes a while for that spell to charge up. That’s why I told you to take Xin Mo away, otherwise, he would’ve escaped long ago. Thankfully, your host was quick to act.”

“Well your spell didn’t work because he’s still alive!”

“He’s my son! One of my most loved protagonists! How can I bear to kill him? This spell only turns him into an animal and takes away his abilities. Now he’s as weak as a dog! Shouldn’t that be more than enough?”

Shen Yuan dropped Xin Mo in Shen Jiu’s arms before scooting over to the fluffy creature that was yipping at him, tuning out the conversation that Shen Jiu and Shang Qinghua was having. He scooped up the black ball of fur and stared back at the angry creature that was resisting his hold. The transmigrator brought up two fingers and squished Luo Bingge’s cheeks together as hard as he can with a tight smile, “That’s for strangling Qi Rong earlier, you little piece of shit.”

Luo Bingge sinks his dull, small fangs into his hand and yelps when Shen Yuan flicks his forehead with considerable force. 

“—And also! Explain whatever this shit is!” Shen Jiu spat out, pulling up a screen that displayed an image of Shen Yuan’s parents. He points at Shen Weiyao and then at Yue Ji, “Why do these two bastards look like Zhangmen-shixiong and I? Are you messing with me?!”

Shang Qinghua knitted his brows and took a closer look at the couple, “What? That’s...rather strange. Didn’t you randomly generate these two cannon fodders? I didn’t do anything at all.”

“W-What?”

“Seriously! As much as I love Qijiu—I had no part in this. Maybe it’s just a lucky coincidence…?”

“QI WHAT?!”

“Nothing! Nothing!” Shang Qinghua waved his hands in front of him helplessly until he remembered of the stallion protagonist’s existence. He hurriedly went over to Shen Yuan and picked up Luo Bingge by his leg, giving Shen Jiu’s host a quick pat on the head before opening a portal with a snap of a finger.

Shen Jiu crossed his arms with a deep frown and watched the deity shoot another glance at Shen Yuan and then turn to him. The transmigrator observed the two of them opening and closing their mouths to exchange words, but was confused when he realized that he couldn’t hear anything at all. 

“This is Heaven Official’s Blessing, right?” Shang Qinghua asked.

Shen Jiu rolled his eyes, “Obviously.”

The god hummed thoughtfully and then took a step into the portal, “I would remind you to not get too attached to your host, but I doubt that would be a problem for you. Well, I’ll be on my way now. Come up with a good excuse for your host and continue working hard. Don’t let Luo Binghe’s interruption get in the way of your work.”

The System clicked his tongue in annoyance and didn’t bother to wave him off. 

When the portal closed, he felt Shen Yuan tap on his shoulder. Shen Jiu directed his gaze down at the young noble who was asking him to say something.

“What do you want?”

“Oh! I can hear you now! Thank god,” Shen Yuan sighed in relief, “so who was that?”

“Backup.”

That earned him a doubtful look. Shen Jiu avoided another pressing question by asking his host a question instead, “How’d you figure out I was Shen Qingqiu?”

Shen Yuan scratched his head and then nervously laughed, “If I’m very honest with you, I wasn’t even completely sure if you were Shen Qingqiu or not. Well, you did drop a lot of hints about your identity throughout the years that I’ve spent here. Also! Luo Binghe looked exactly like the Proud Immortal Demon Way fanart that I’ve seen around the internet. At first I was like, there’s no way that’s Luo Binghe, why would he be in this world? That was until you called him a beast and told me to run out of the blue. Man, it’s your trademark to call him a beast. How could I have not connected the dots?”

To think his host would be smart enough to figure all of this out. How surprising. It wasn’t too long ago when Shen Jiu had to lower everyone’s IQ because of his stupid host and his terrible decision-making skills.

“So…...should I call you Shen Qingqiu from now on or would you prefer it if I call you System?” Shen Yuan asked.

The Qing Jing Peak Lord furrowed his brows and mulled over it before replying briefly, “Shen Jiu.”

“Shen Jiu?” 

“Got a problem with it?”

Shen Yuan shook his head, “I don’t! I was just wondering if we were close enough for me to call you Jiu-ge.”

Jiu-ge?

Shen Jiu’s face flushed red and he turned away from him, “I–It doesn’t matter, I don’t care anyway.”

Shen Yuan didn’t even get to ask him another question before Shen Jiu’s form suddenly disappeared from his sight.

“Shen Qingqiu? Jiu-ge?! You didn’t die, did you?!!” He panickedly called out, swiveling his head around in all directions. 

A reassuring virtual screen popped up in front of his face.

[ Stupid, I’m here. I can’t stay in that form for too long, it takes too much energy out of me. ]

[ We should return to that brat. Knowing him, he probably assembled a whole search party to find you. ] 

Oh, right.

SHIT! I COMPLETELY FORGOT ABOUT HIM!

FUCKKKK, HE’S GONNA BE SO MAD AT ME!

The transmigrator picked up his feet and moved to run until he heard a loud snap that came from the trees nearby.

Was someone there?

When he spun around on his heels and walked over to the thick trees to investigate with an ominous feeling, he found a fat squirrel that was sitting on top of a broken twig. The little rodent quickly scurried off as soon as Shen Yuan approached it. He sighed in relief and relaxed his muscles that have been tense ever since he ran into Luo Bingge.

Whew, I thought there was a person watching. Imagine how disastrous that would’ve been.

[ Stop wasting time and leave already. ]

Okay, okay!

Shen Yuan broke into a sprint and headed towards the destination where he had promised to see Qi Rong as soon as he shook off the Demon Lord. He didn’t know why, but he still felt the ominous air lingering around him.

Maybe he was just being paranoid.

- 

Shen Yuan arrived at the location where the golden carriage was parked and saw the young prince anxiously waiting there for him with Hong Hong-er sitting in the carriage. He sneaked up behind Qi Rong and covered his eyes, “Guess who?”

He heard a sharp gasp from Qi Rong and he felt his wet lashes brush against his skin. The prince immediately pulled him into a suffocating hug and cried, “SHEN YUAN! DON’T DO THAT AGAIN! YOU NEARLY SCARED ME TO DEATH! AM I SO USELESS THAT YOU HAD TO LEAVE ME BEHIND?”

Shen Yuan awkwardly raised a hand to pat Qi Rong’s back and sighed, “I’m sorry, Your Highness. You were put into danger because of this servant, so this one took it upon himself to deal with the threat. How could I let Your Highness be in harm’s way? This one is your bodyguard for a reason. Look, there aren’t any scratches or bruises left on me.”

Qi Rong moved back to scrutinize him and his eyes widened in shock when he saw Shen Yuan’s clothes in a worn condition, like they would immediately fall apart with a single tug. He gritted his teeth and wiped away his tears, “What is this? Did that creepy bastard try to touch you? Where is he?!! I’ll behead that despicable motherfucker!!!”

The young noble pulled him back into his arms with a troubled expression, “Calm down, he didn’t try to do that at all. He’s gone now, I promise you.”

The prince huffed and rested his chin on top of Shen Yuan’s collarbone, his nose grazing against the side of his neck. He inhaled Shen Yuan’s scent, the familiar smell of lavender calming his frantic nerves and a contented sigh escaped from his lips.

It wasn’t too long before Qi Rong realized that a one-eyed kid was staring at them weirdly.

Hong Hong-er lifted a small finger at him and quietly spoke, “Creep.”

Qi Rong quickly jerked away from Shen Yuan and felt his face heat up in embarrassment, “W–WHAT DID YOU SAY?!”

Hong Hong-er shifted his gaze towards a different direction and pretended like he didn’t say anything. 

Shen Yuan put his hands on his hips and asked, “Well, should we head back to my place?”

Qi Rong suddenly froze and Hong Hong-er’s face brightened up, their eyes entirely focused on the three looming figures that were approaching the noble from behind.

Shen Yuan frowned at their odd reactions and opened his mouth to repeat himself but stopped when he felt a menacing hand lay on his shoulder. He slowly turned his head to see Xie Lian, Mu Qing, and Feng Xin looking down at him with dark expressions. 

“Shen-shidi, where were you thinking, trying to lead away a dangerous opponent that could’ve possibly killed you?” Feng Xin queried, tapping his foot on the ground impatiently.

Fuck.

He was in deep shit now.

Chapter Text

“Please don’t tell my parents, Your Highness!” Shen Yuan cried, wincing when Mu Qing pinched his ear and pulled him up from his knees. “Ow, ow, Mu-shixiong please let go of my ear—Your Highness, please don’t tell them! My fathers will never let me out of the house as soon as they hear of this!”

“Are you dumb? If you and Prince Xiao Jing couldn’t beat him, why would you lower your chances of survival by leading him away, alone?!” Mu Qing scolded, letting go of Shen Yuan’s ear. 

“What did you want me to do? His Highness’s safety is the top priority! The two of us did run, but he was really fast! He’s even faster than the three of you combined! Why am I getting in trouble for doing my job?!”

Feng Xin clicked his tongue, “Because you’re always helping others at your own expense! That bastard could’ve killed you easily and we wouldn’t be able to find your remains!”

Shen Yuan stared at the two of them getting worked up over a problem that Shen Yuan had already dealt with. Okay, without context—maybe it was a dumb idea to try to lead Luo Binghe away, but he had full trust in his system. Shen Jiu wouldn’t tell him to do things that would endanger him. 

In fact, if Shen Yuan did anything stupid, Shen Jiu would be screaming at him instead. It all worked out in the end! His system and the ‘backup’ took care of Luo Binghe and took him away to who knows where! The threat was gone!

Xie Lian sighed and shook his head in disapproval, “Well, where did you lead him away to, Shen Yuan?”

The young noble blinked at him.

Xie Lian raised an eyebrow at his hesitance.

What the fuck am I supposed to say to that?!!

Shen Yuan coughed and averted his eyes away from the crown prince, “He lost me in a crowd.”

Everyone gave him a suspicious look.

Jiu-ge? A little help? What am I supposed to do?!

[ You’re on your own. ]

Asshole!

“You suck at lying.” Feng Xin criticized, Mu Qing nodding in agreement. Shen Yuan scoffed at the two of them and crossed his arms. 

I suck at lying? Aren’t you the one who said that you and Mu Qing weren’t fucking but was sucking on his dick that very same night? I don’t wanna hear it from you!

Xie Lian shared the same thoughts as Shen Yuan and side-eyed Feng Xin when he made that statement. The transmigrator cleared his throat and quickly changed the topic, “Well, what are you guys doing here?”

“Mu Qing wanted to visit his home and the two of us tagged along with him. Then we came across Qi Rong who ran up to us with a child in his arms and asked us for help.” Xie Lian explained, glancing briefly at the said child who was looking at him with a sparkling eye. 

Shen Yuan nearly dropped his jaw.

Wait, wait, wait! Wait a damn minute! Was this supposed to be the day where Qi Rong dragged Hong Hong-er around in his golden carriage? It never happened at all! Does this mean that Qi Rong doesn’t have to carry out the same actions that the original did in canon?

[ …. ]

He took Shen Jiu’s silence as a yes.

“Oh.” Shen Yuan simply replied with a hint of surprise. He noticed that the individuals walking past them had stopped and turned around upon seeing the crown prince. Their eyes shone with great admiration and they excitedly moved in closer to the group and pointed at Xie Lian. Shen Yuan felt a headache incoming. He nudged his head towards Qi Rong and Hong Hong-er’s direction, “Let’s talk about this later. Right now, we should head to the palace. Prince Xiao Jing and the child’s injuries need to be treated.”

“His Highness? Is that His Highness who performed at the Martial Deity Avenue?!” A voice called out.

“IT’S HIS HIGHNESS! AH, YOU WERE TRULY AMAZING THAT DAY!!!”

“Saving that kid was the right decision! His life matters too, even if he’s not a royal or a noble!”

“His Highness truly cares for us poor people, unlike those other nobles and royals!”

Qi Rong frowned at the crowd that was slowly assembling together and gestured at the others to get on his carriage. Without hesitation, the Royal Holy Pavilion disciples boarded the golden carriage. Xie Lian sat right next to Hong Hong-er and focused down at the child that was nervously fidgeting in his seat and shyly lowering his head. 

“Why’d you pick this child up, Qi Rong?” The crown prince asked. Hong Hong-er raised his head and turned to look at Shen Yuan who was peering over at the two of them behind his bamboo fan, secretly eager to see their interactions. 

“I didn’t, it was Shizun. A bunch of old men were chasing after him and beating him up for some reason. Shizun went to stop them and then that creepy fuc—bastard came and started addressing him as ‘shizun’.” Qi Rong explained, gnashing his teeth.

Let’s not go back to that topic, please!

“Why? Do you know him, Shen-shidi?” Mu Qing inquired with a lifted brow.

Shen Yuan lifted his fan higher up his face and hid his lips that were stretched downwards upon recalling the memory of a stallion protagonist trying to kidnap him, “Nope. Not at all. With a face as good-looking as his, I would remember it anywhere.”

“Was he a cultivator?” Feng Xin questioned.

The transmigrator lied to him with a straight face, “Yes, his cultivation techniques were far superior to mine. He must’ve been a rogue cultivator or some sort because he wasn’t wearing any certain uniforms that I recognized.” 

Xie Lian hummed thoughtfully at this and crossed his arms, “I’ll file a report on this matter to Guoshi after we visit the imperial doctor. What did he look like, Shen Yuan?”

“Is there really a need for me to sa—ow! Why’d you hit me, Feng-shixiong?! Okay, I’ll tell you!” Shen Yuan complied, rubbing at his arm that Feng Xin slapped because he got tired of his stubbornness. “He has soft black curly hair, enticing phoenix brown eyes with a hint of red in them, black and red robes, extremely muscular—probably even more muscular than all of us combined, and is six foot and five inches tall.”

Everyone narrowed their eyes at him in suspicion.

Why was his description oddly specific?

[ You and your stupid fucking obession with that beast. I ought to slap you one of these days. ]

I’m not obsessed with him! He’s my favorite character—well, was my favorite character. They asked for a description of him, and I delivered with full accuracy! 

Everyone in the carriage except Hong Hong-er was looking at him like he was an idiot. Shen Yuan cleared his throat and did his special move. He changed the topic yet again. 

“Now that I take a closer look at him, I think this kid is the one that Your Highness caught during the God Pleasing Ceremony!” The young noble commented, hoping for them to hook onto the bait. 

Xie Lian made a sound of acknowledgement, “Oh! No wonder, I thought this child looked familiar! What’s your name, little guy?”

Hong Hong-er felt nervous with this many eyes on him and wrung his hands together, “I don’t have a name.”

“...Then what did your mother used to call you?”

The child paused for a minute before answering, “Hong Hong-er.”

“That’s a cute nickname. Do you mind if I call you that also?”

Hong Hong-er bashfully nodded his head with a small smile. 

The carriage was brought to a stop. Qi Rong turned his head and announced, “We’re here.”

Everyone shuffled out of the cramped carriage and stretched out their arms. Qi Rong handed the reins to a servant and walked over to Shen Yuan, leaning against him with his head resting on top of his shoulder. When Shen Yuan asked him what was the matter, he whined and said that he was tired. 

“Do you want me to carry you?” He suggested with a small laugh, running his hand over the swelling bump on Qi Rong’s head and lightly blowing on it. Qi Rong puffed up his cheeks and rejected his offer. 

Xie Lian recognized that Hong Hong-er was limping as soon as he came out of the carriage and that there was a long staircase in front of them. He hooked his arms behind Hong Hong-er’s legs and picked him up effortlessly, chuckling at the surprised sound that the child made. As he walked up the stairs with Hong Hong-er in his arms, Shen Yuan and Qi Rong raced past them, wanting to reach to the top first.

The crown prince sighed at their childness. They really like to make a competition out of everything, sigh, those naughty childre—

Mu Qing and Feng Xin ran up the stairs at an incredible speed, reaching to the top at the same time. Like spoiled children fighting over a toy, they bicker over who won the race and who didn’t.

Xie Lian felt second-hand embarrassment for them and quietly said to Hong Hong-er whose focus was entirely on him, “Ah, they usually aren’t like that—well except for Qi Rong and Shen Yuan. They always make a competition out of everything.”

“Cousin Crown Prince, hurry up! Why are you still at the bottom?” Qi Rong shouted with hands cupped over his mouth. Xie Lian pursed his lips at that and stepped forward to take a giant leap, his robes fluttering behind him and the wind gently lifting his hair up. Everyone playfully rolled their eyes at him showing off. Xie Lian flashed a charming grin at them and laughed when they made sounds of false disgust.

When the group reached the infirmary, the doctors gasped at Qi Rong’s beaten up state and rushed over to him. He sat on a chair and let them examine his injuries after he told them to also check on Shen Yuan and Hong Hong-er.

A doctor went over to Hong Hong-er and asked him a couple questions. The doctor looked through his wounds, frowning deeply at the dried blood that gathered around an open slit at the back of his head. He carried numerous bruises and scratches, a couple broken ribs and a broken leg. 

“How is this child still faring? What cruel person beat him up to this poor state? Three broken ribs, a broken leg, and countless injuries! How has he not passed out from the pain?!” The doctor exclaimed, pulling down Hong Hong-er’s rolled up sleeve. The imperial doctor tended to his wounds and then stopped at the dirty bandages wrapped around his head. He moved to take it off until Hong Hong-er pressed the bandages against his right eye, “NO!”

The doctor was startled by his sudden yell. He looked over at Xie Lian for help, “Your Highness…”

Xie Lian squatted down to face the child, “It’s okay, they’re only changing the bandages around your head. Don’t be scared, they’re only here to help you.”

Hong Hong-er shook his head and scooted away from the doctor.

“Why not?” Xie Lian asked with concern.

The child stared at the ground for a moment before looking up at him, “...Ugly.”

Shen Yuan got up from his seat and handed a roll of clean bandages over to Hong Hong-er, “How about this? Everyone in this room will turn around and close their eyes. There won’t be a single peek. You can take off your bandages and wrap the clean ones around your head a couple of times before the doctor helps you. That way, no one will see the other side of your face and you’ll get clean bandages.”

At this offer, Hong Hong-er finally agreed. As soon as he finished wrapping the white bandages around his head, the doctor helped rearrange them from behind and wrapped a couple more bandages for the injury that rested at the back of his small head. 

After the doctors finished treating the patients in the infirmary, a couple of servants came in with trays of delicious food and desserts. Feng Xin raised a brow, “Who ordered these?”

Shen Yuan raised his hand, “I did. I promised Hong Hong-er that I’d buy him food and candy but I never got the chance to, and also, the palace food is much better. The kid must be hungry after that whole ordeal.”

Hong Hong-er stared at the dishes laid out on the small table before him with an intense gaze, gulping silently. Xie Lian laughed at his eagerness and then patted Shen Yuan on the back, “Well done. After I send a message to your parents and tell my aunt about today’s matter, we’ll be back soon.”

“You’re still going to tell them?” Shen Yuan cried as the crown prince shot him a ‘of course’ look.

“We’d be in bigger trouble if we didn’t.” Mu Qing said, shivering as he recalled Shen Weiyao’s intimidating glare. After they exchanged a few more words with Shen Yuan and Qi Rong, the Xian Le trio went off. 

Hong Hong-er kept on staring at the dishes, not making a single move to grab the chopsticks at the side. Shen Yuan tilted his head in confusion and asked, “What’s wrong? Are these not to your liking?”

“No!” Hong Hong-er responded immediately. 

Qi Rong rested his chin on top of his palm, “Well, what are you waiting for? Eat up, the food won’t bite you.”’

Shen Yuan elbowed Qi Rong after that last sentence. He pushed forward the pair of chopsticks and encouraged Hong Hong-er to eat, moving away to give him space. The kid slowly picked up the utensils, carefully eyeing at the two for a couple of seconds before scarfing down the delectable dishes like a starved wolf. Hong Hong-er suddenly stopped eating and began to choke, frantically patting at his chest. Shen Yuan quickly poured him a cup of tea.

“Slow down, the food’s not going anywhere. Take your time.” Shen Yuan cooed, watching the child take big sips out of the porcelain cup. Hong Hong-er went back to eating, but at a slower pace this time. 

Qi Rong sat back in his chair with a leg on top of the other, observing the one-eyed child. His unkempt hair that reached to his back was swaying back and forth as he ate, strands of hair getting caught in his mouth. The kid was basically eating his own hair, for god’s sake. It was bothering Qi Rong. The young prince stood up and asked the servants to bring a pair of clean clothes and some ribbons.

“Ah, we’ve never introduced ourselves, have we?” The transmigrator said in realization. “My name is Shen Yuan.”

The prince grabbed requested items from the servants and sat down beside the bed, placing down the small clothes, “I’m Qi Rong.”

Hong Hong-er already knew their names. The inseparable pair, nicknamed as the Twin Blades of Xian Le, were well-known amongst the citizens. Shen Yuan was a genius well-versed in the four scholarly arts and swordsmanship. Prince Xiao Jing, much like His Highness The Crown Prince, was exceptionally talented and wielded his sword with ease. His cousin’s positive influence on him was doing wonders. The two were attached to the hip and revered by the citizens for their kindness and integrity. 

“Let me tie your hair for you. Your hair keeps on getting in your mouth when you eat.” Qi Rong offered, lifting up the ribbons in his hand. Hong Hong-er hesitated and agreed when Shen Yuan suggested to do it instead, since he was the reason why Hong Hong-er was able to see the crown prince again. He trusted him.

Shen Yuan stood behind Hong Hong-er and began working. He separated his long oily hair into three and overlapped one on top of another, a red ribbon (one that Qi Rong picked out) trapped in between his slender fingers. The child happily swung his functional leg back and forth as he chewed on the sweet rice balls, the undiscovered flavor bringing him great delight. 

“Why was that shopkeeper chasing after you earlier, Hong Hong-er?” The young prince asked, moving away the empty plates and pushing the desserts closer to the child who failed to hide his pleased expression. 

Hong Hong-er lowered his head and spoke quietly, “He said that I stole an earring from him and called me a liar when I told him it was mine. He got angry when I refused to give it to him and tried to take it away from me.”

Qi Rong furrowed his brows upon hearing this. That shopkeeper hurt a child over a single earring? Where were his morals? Shizun should’ve broken that fucker’s legs too.

Shen Yuan’s face twisted into a deep frown. The earring must have been the missing coral one that went by unnoticed because of the transmigrator’s intervention. The greedy shopkeeper must’ve seen it somehow and tried to steal it from Hong Hong-er after seeing its quality. 

The boy set down his chopsticks and shifted nervously in his seat, “Why did you both help me?”

“Why would I stand around and watch a child get hurt when I’m fully capable of helping?” Shen Yuan said, tying the soft ribbon around his braid and tightening it. Qi Rong hummed in agreement. 

Hong Hong-er fell silent for a moment before lifting his head to look up at them, “...Thank you.”

That earned a proud grin from the teenagers.

“You’re welcome. Now rest up before we take you back home.” Qi Rong remarked, rubbing the top of his head and nudging his chin towards the direction of the beds.

“I don’t have a home.”

“What about your parents?”

“.....”

Shen Yuan sighed, “Maybe he doesn’t have any…? If he does, then they aren’t responsible ones.”

That was true. If he did have parents, they probably neglected him. After all, he fell from the city wall and got beaten up badly. Where were they? Why weren’t they watching and taking care of their kid?

Qi Rong pursed his lips and then patted on the bed next to his, “Very well, then. For now, you should rest a bit before Cousin Crown Prince arrives. We’ll discuss with him and then decide what to do.”

Hong Hong-er nodded his head and attempted to get up from the chair before Shen Yuan stopped him. He carefully picked up the child, knowing that he was far too injured to be moving with ease, and went over to the bed and tucked him in. With pitying eyes, the cultivators watched exhaustion take its toll on Hong Hong-er. The moment the child’s head hit the pillow, he passed out right away.

The young prince wrapped an arm around Shen Yuan’s waist and pulled him to the bed with a sulky expression, “Shizun said that there weren’t any bruises or scratches on him. What’s this?” His other arm grabbed his wrist and pulled Shen Yuan’s arm up higher. His long sleeve falls down to his elbow and reveals a dark bruise that is the size of a hand. 

The noble didn’t expect Qi Rong to pay attention to Shen Yuan while he was being examined by the doctors. Jiu-ge probably had a very tight hold on him while trying to pull Shen Yuan away from Luo Binghe or it was Luo Binghe who made the mark. 

“Whoops,” Shen Yuan says, removing his clingy hand away from his wrist and rolling down his white sleeve, “maybe I did lie a little, but it doesn’t hurt at all.”

“You’re lying.”

“I’m not.”

They both stared at each other for a long minute before Shen Yuan laid on his side and sighed, “I’m a bit tired, wake me up when His Highness the Crown Prince comes back with Mu-shixiong and Feng-shixiong.”

“Mmn, sleep well, Shizun.” Qi Rong whispered, covering him with a blanket. 

[ You idiots will break that bed, I swear. ]

Shen Yuan didn’t bother to respond to that. He needed to gain more energy for the upcoming plot event. He slowly closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep. Qi Rong settled beside him with a hand propped up his chin, drinking in the sight presented before him. 

It took every bit of his strength to stop himself from placing a small kiss on Shen Yuan’s forehead.

-

The group walked up the stone path, greeting passing disciples that watched them with curiosity. Xie Lian was complimenting Hong Hong-er’s braid and asked about his interests, hoping to take some stress off of the child’s mind. Hong Hong-er responded to his questions in a shy manner, ignoring the weird stare that came from Feng Xin. 

“This kid didn’t want me to carry him but yet he seems to be perfectly fine with His Highness the Crown Prince.” Feng Xin pointed out.

“It’s His Highness the Crown Prince. Of course he’d pick him over you.” Mu Qing commented, rolling his eyes.

“Feng-shixiong couldn’t even hold him properly when Cousin Crown Prince gave him to you after the God-Pleasing Ceremony,” Qi Rong followed up with a taunting smirk, “why would he choose you?”

Feng Xin clicked his tongue and pinched the teenager’s arm, “So you’re taking Mu Qing’s side now?”

“At least Mu-shixiong isn’t mean to me.” Qi Rong says, sticking his tongue out at him before retreating to Shen Yuan’s side when Feng Xin moves to pinch him again. “Mu-shixiong, control your husband!”

Mu Qing’s face turned into three different shades of red before he angrily sputtered out, “W–WHO’S HUSBAND?! WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?! PRINCE XIAO JING, W–WHAT KIND OF NONSENSE IS THIS?!”

Xie Lian covered Hong Hong-er’s ears and told the couple to stop cursing at Qi Rong who plugged his ears with his fingers. Shen Yuan stifled back a laugh and pinched Qi Rong’s cheek, scolding him half-heartedly for teasing his shixiongs too much.

Their lively conversations were brought to a stop when a disciple hurried over to Xie Lian, his eyes awkwardly hovering over Mu Qing and Shen Yuan before Xie Lian asked him, “Zhu-Shixiong? What’s the matter?”

“The Guoshi has been asking after you for a while now. He’s waiting for you at the Great Martial Hall.”

“Very well, I needed to report something to him anyway. Thank you, shixiong.” Xie Lian thanked him before turning to Mu Qing and Feng Xin. “Take Hong Hong-er back to the Xian Le Pavilion. Make sure Qi Rong and Shen Yuan stay out of trouble.”

Xie Lian handed the clingy child over to Shen Yuan and parted ways with them. As the group advanced over to the Xian Le Pavilion, the young noble slowed his pace and let the others walk up ahead of him. Hesitantly, he reached out to grab the folded talisman with painted radicals in his pocket before a mechanical voice stopped him.

[ Shen Yuan, what the hell do you think you’re doing? ]

Nothing.

[ Do you think I’m stupid? ] 

[ No matter what you do, the plot will progress similarly to the original. Even if you try concealing Hua Cheng’s presence to stop the resentful spirits from being lured over, it won’t work. One way or another, they’ll break out of their soul-sealing containers and create chaos. ]

[ You can only change Qi Rong’s ending, not the others. I will only say this once. ]

Jiu-ge...does it really have to work out like this?

[ Quit being naive. ]

Shen Yuan’s lips curved downwards in displeasure at Shen Jiu’s words. He sighed deeply and brought up a hand to gently pat Hong Hong-er’s back. He felt guilt swell up in his chest as he entered the Xian Le Pavilion. 

Hong Hong-er noticed his grave expression and wondered if he was too heavy. He lightly tugged onto the older one’s upper robes and attracted his attention. Shen Yuan’s eyes flickered down at the child who spoke with confidence, “I can walk.”

He blinked at him a couple of times before bursting into small laughter, “Hong Hong-er, don’t fret. This old man is strong and has very sturdy arms!” Shen Yuan flexed his free arm to demonstrate. Hong Hong-er stared at him confusedly. Why was this young cultivator referring to himself as an old man?

“Shen-shidi, stop showing off your skinny arms and hurry up.” Mu Qing announced, gesturing at him to pick up his pace. 

Shen Yuan shot him an offended look but did as he was told. Qi Rong closed the distance in between them and reassured him, “Don’t listen to Mu-shixiong, Shizun! Shizun’s arms aren’t skinny, they’re muscular and strong!” 

The transmigrator fondly smiled at his loyal friend as he rounded around a corner. 

The group arrived at the main hall and came to an abrupt stop when they heard the doors of the main entrance bang open. All of them sensed a disturbingly large mass of resentful energy coming from behind, the hair on their skin standing up. Feng Xin and Mu Qing were quick to act.

“RUN!” They both shouted with alarm, quickly sliding their weapons out of their scabbards. Shen Yuan and Qi Rong turned to find the nearest exit but swarms of black wisps flooded the long hallways and forced them to retreat back to the middle. The resentful spirits lit the candlelights and sent them flying over at the curtains, burning the long gauzy curtains. 

Hong Hong-er screamed in horror when a dark wisp tried to pull him away from Shen Yuan’s arms. Feng Xin slashed it into halves and Shen Yuan quickly stepped away, panic coursing through his veins. He and Qi Rong didn’t bring a single weapon! What the fuck were they gonna do?! Shen Yuan had some talismans in his pockets that he retrieved from his inventory, but they weren’t strong enough to defeat any of these high-grade spirits!

“DRAW AN ARRAY! HURRY!” Mu Qing shouted, fending off a couple of wisps with gritted teeth. Qi Rong hastily moves, biting into his finger and drawing radicals with blood while the others fended off the spirits. Shen Yuan wanted to help him out, but the resentful spirits were targeting Hong Hong-er specifically! He couldn’t set him down and leave him defenseless!

When another resentful spirit tries to attack Hong Hong-er again, Shen Yuan blocks the strike with a fan that he hurriedly drew from his belt. Under the overwhelming force, the wooden guards of the folding fan cracked and crumbled into pieces.

The spirit seizes Shen Yuan’s arm and digs its claws into his skin before twisting it at an unnatural angle. More and more of the wisps flocked around Shen Yuan. They teared open deep gashes and tried to pry the child away from the noble who was doing his best to dodge their vicious blows, all while holding Hong Hong-er in his working arm. Thankfully, Mu Qing and Feng Xin were assisting him, slashing at the spirits with all of their might.

The black swarm only stopped their assault after Hong Hong-er was finally yanked away from Shen Yuan, but they didn’t get the chance to harm him before they were suddenly forced out of the protection array that Qi Rong had finally finished forming.

A small wave of relief washed over the young cultivators.

Feng Xin and Mu Qing raised their arms and helped Qi Rong with supplying the array with spiritual energy, scowling at the resentful spirits that were trying to bash their way back inside the circle.

“SHEN YUAN! ARE YOU ALRIGHT?!” The young prince yelled over his shoulder with worry.

The thick smoke burned his eyes and passed through Shen Yuan’s lungs. He blinked back tears and coughed, “I’m fine...Still alive!”

Which was a lie. His arm was broken, his body beared many injuries big and small, and fuck, he was so, so tired. Shen Yuan had to deal with a blackened protagonist trying to kidnap him and evil spirits that tore his ass up, all in one day.

WHAT THE FUCK, WHAT THE FUCK, WHAT THE FUCK, WHAT THE FUCK!!! I DON’T REMEMBER THE STUPID FUCKING SPIRITS BEING THIS AGGRESSIVE! WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING?!! 

[ You idiot, you know what happens in the novel. Whoever touches him will meet misfortune. You should have let go of that unlucky brat from the beginning. ]

Okay? Sorry for not being an asshole!? Am I supposed to watch a kid die in front of me?!!

“SHEN YUAN! LET GO OF THAT KID! THERE’S SOMETHING WRONG WITH HIM!” Mu Qing strongly urged, tossing an anxious glance over at him. 

“THERE’S NOTHING WRONG WITH ME! IT WASN’T ME!” Hong Hong-er cried out, tightly clutching onto Shen Yuan with hot tears streaming down his cheeks.

[ LET GO OF HIM, YOU IDIOT! IF THEY HAPPEN TO BREACH THE ARRAY, THEY’LL KILL YOU! ]

The transmigrator paused and contemplated over it for a minute. He gazed down at the crying child who was looking up at him with clear refusal in his facial expression. Shen Yuan let out a deep sigh.

“SHEN YUAN, PLEASE LET GO OF HONG HONG-ER FOR NOW! LISTEN TO MU-SHIXIONG!” Qi Rong prompted, his arms trembling and sweat trailing down the back of his nape.

“FENG XIN! MU QING! QI RONG! SHEN YUAN!” A voice shrouded in distress rang out from afar.

“YOUR HIGHNESS, DON’T COME IN! THIS CHILD IS STRANGE, ALL OF THOSE SPIRITS WERE COMING FOR HIM!” Feng Xin shouted.

Hong Hong-er cried harder and held his head in his small hands, “IT’S NOT ME, IT’S NOT ME, IT’S NOT ME!!!”

“Stop holding on! Let it go!”

Mu Qing shook his head and shouted back, “We can’t let go, those things will go crazy! They nearly killed Shen-shidi, what if—”

“TRUST HIM! LET GO!” Qi Rong cried out.

The three of them dropped their hands at the same time, releasing the restraints. It roused the resentful spirits and allowed them to have access to Hong Hong-er. But before they could have an opportunity to do so, a hand swept in and trapped a particular smoky wisp in their palm. With a single squeeze from Xie Lian’s hand, the resentful spirit dissolved into nothing. The remaining spirits gave up and flew over to the seal within Guoshi's sleeves. 

Qi Rong quickly pulled Hong Hong-er away from Shen Yuan and wrapped an arm around his shoulder, tears welling up in his eyes, “SHEN YUAN! SHEN YUAN! I TOLD YOU TO LET GO OF HIM!”

Shen Yuan didn’t have any strength left to reprimand him. His legs felt like lead, his skin was marred with numerous wounds, and every last ounce of energy was drained away from him. He couldn’t even lift his head up to look at Qi Rong properly. Shen Yuan’s form wobbled back and forth for a second before his heavy eyelids gave up its fight and shut close. His head rolled backwards and his body grew limp. 

The last thing he heard before he went out were multiple panicked voices calling out his name and a robotic voice chiding him.

-

When Shen Yuan awakened, a virtual screen presented itself to him.

[ +60 Coolness Points ]

[ +50 Coolness Points ]

[ -5 F Points ]

[ Purchase the Healing Balm before I do it myself and charge you more for it. ]

[ Are you a masochist or a fucking dumbass?! Why didn’t you listen to me the first time? The fact that you’re still alive amazes me. ]

[ You brainless idiot! I’ll take away 10,000 points because of your stupidity! ]

If I dropped him and let the resentful spirits severely harm him, what makes you think that he won’t come take my head as revenge in the future? It’s better to gain some favor from him, it’ll work out in the long run. 

Shen Jiu knew that his host was just a soft idiot. He didn’t let go of Hong Hong-er at the end even though the array was already drawn because he didn’t want the child to feel even more saddened upon being rejected by others over and over again.

I’ll purchase five of the Healing Balms.

Shen Yuan watched the number of points lower and clicked on his inventory to check on his newly bought items.

“...Shizun?” 

The transmigrator quickly clicked out of the inventory and fixed his eyes down at the figure sitting next to his bedside. Qi Rong rose up from his sleeping position and rubbed at his eyes that were swollen red from crying.

Shen Yuan sighed and fondly reached out to pat his head, “How many days have I been out for?”

Qi Rong pulled down the slender hand from his head and pressed it against his cool cheek, “Three days.”

He hummed in response and asked another question, “What about His Highness the Crown Prince and the others?”

“They’re fine. Mu-shixiong and Feng-shixiong are resting in their rooms and Guoshi allowed Cousin Crown Prince to travel. Cousin Crown Prince said that he would leave after you woke up.”

“Hong Hong-er?”

“...Gone. We searched everywhere for him but so far, we haven’t found him.”

Shen Yuan knitted his brows but slowly nodded his head right after, letting out another deep sigh. He couldn’t stop Hong Hong-er from going back to the streets to starve yet again. How disappointing. Was there really nothing he could do to lessen everyone’s sufferin—

He snapped out of his thoughts when he heard sniffling. Shen Yuan looked down to see Qi Rong crying and holding his hand with such gentleness that it made one misunderstand his motives. 

“I–I’m sorry...I couldn’t protect Shizun. I’m so useless and weak, I hate it. I should’ve drawn the array faster and helped Shizun. I...I didn’t think anything would happen to you when we went out to play that day. I should’ve brought my weapon along with me that day, I–I should’ve trained harder, I’m sorr—”

Shen Yuan interrupted him with a shush, “Qi Rong, you don’t have to apologize at all. It all happened too fast. Stop apologizing for everything, you are a prince. And you are already plenty strong! Look, if you didn’t make the array, everyone would’ve died. If anything, this servant apologizes for not doing his job properly.”

The prince shook his head and squeezed Shen Yuan’s hand, “Shen Yuan, you are my precious...friend before you are a guard. Please understand that. I want to protect you because I deeply care for you.”

“...I understand, but also, please stop blaming yourself for things that are out of your control, Qi Rong.”

He hesitated and mulled over it for a long time before quietly speaking, “...Okay. If you say so, then I’ll do my very best to work on it.”

“I will too.”

[ +60 F Points ]

Many months later, the Crown Prince of Xian Le ascended to the heavens after defeating a powerful ghost that took many lives and caused destruction. Shen Yuan had looked out the window and watched strikes of lightning zip across the skies, the booming thunder scaring away little critters that were out in the open. The citizens of Xian Le cried tears of happiness and cheered for the Crown Prince’s ascension. 

Instead of celebrating like the others, Shen Yuan wore a crestfallen face and sighed deeply.

The Xian Le Kingdom’s downfall was near.

Chapter Text

These days, Shen Yuan has been acting odd.

 His brushstrokes were messy and inconsistent, his sword swings were weak and lazy, his novel reviews no longer had any ire or criticism behind them like they usually did, and he’d stare off into space sometimes with a furrowed brow.

Qi Rong had asked him if he was okay, and the noble would just frown and say that he was just tired. Obviously that wasn’t the case. The prince wondered if Shen Yuan was missing Xie Lian and his two shixiongs. Qi Rong certainly did miss his cousin and his shixiongs, but he’d often see Xie Lian in his dreams, telling him to eat healthy and to take care of himself.

Qi Rong swirled the porcelain cup of herbal tea in his hand, smiling nervously at Shen Weiyao and Yue Ji who were looking down at him with scrutinizing eyes. 

Ever since Shen Yuan had been attacked by the resentful spirits that broke free from their soul-sealing containers and almost got kidnapped by a mysterious cultivator, Shen Yuan’s parents were extremely protective of him. They forced him to stay home until his arm completely healed. When Shen Yuan wasn’t exorcising spirits or carrying out missions, his parents would sometimes drag him home and coddle him. They warned him to be more wary around others, especially if they had curly hair or wore black and red clothes. To this day, they’re still actively searching for that mysterious cultivator who dared to lay a hand on their son.

“Your Highness and Shen Yuan were exorcising spirits before coming here?” Shen Weiyao asked with an arched brow. “What about the Mid-Autumn Festival? Aren’t you two going to participate?”

Shen Yuan and Qi Rong had to do one last mission before they could join in on the Mid-Autumn Festival. The two of them were covered in sweat, many dirt smudges and small rips laid across their once white pristine uniforms. They couldn’t go out and celebrate when they looked like a mess! Thankfully, the location where the young cultivators were exorcising evil spirits wasn’t far from the Shen manor.

“Y–Yes we are!” Qi Rong exclaimed, wincing at how he stuttered, “Guoshi told us to take care of the resentful spirits that harmed some of Mayor Yang’s servants before going back into the city to celebrate. Luckily they were easy to take care of, haha….”

….

……

……...

Qi Rong found it hard to hold a conversation with Shen Yuan’s father although he has met him countless times. Shen Weiyao was really intimidating, hiding his expressions behind that fan and giving Qi Rong cold answers. Seriously, what the hell was Qi Rong supposed to do or say? 

Shen Weiyao hummed in acknowledgement as Yue Ji poured more tea into the prince’s cup and calmly spoke, “You know, Lady Qi is a rather determined person.”

Qi Rong started sweating at the mention of his mother and slightly frowned, “What do you mean?”

“You didn’t know? Your mother has been requesting to have A-Yuan as her son-in-law for a while now.” Yue Ji states, laughing and shooting a glance over at his husband’s dark expression. “She writes us letters, saying that Your Highness is a very handsome man who is also capable of keeping A-Yuan happy. Hahaha, she even said that she’ll spoil A-Yuan to death as long as he’s her son-in-law! A very tempting offer, might I say!”

This was why Shen Weiyao and Yue Ji had pulled him away from Shen Yuan?!! 

In his head, he could picture his mother waving over at him with a teasing smile, a loud snicker escaping from her.

MAMA, YOU’RE TOO EMBARRASSING!!! I THOUGHT YOU WERE JOKING WHEN YOU SAID THAT YOU WERE GONNA ASK SHIZUN’S PARENTS! WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO SAY TO THIS?!! AHHHHHH!!! SO EMBARRASSING!!!

Qi Rong’s face burned red as he lowered his head and tightly clenched onto the porcelain cup in his hand. Since Shen Yuan’s parents brought it up, he should take this golden opportunity and run with it! 

Pushing aside his anxiety and gathering all of his courage, with bright eyes and a lift of a head, Qi Rong shouted passionately, “PLEASE LET ME TAKE SHEN YUAN’S HAND IN MARRIAGE!”

Fuck, that was too loud! 

AHHH, QI RONG! YOU IDIOT! I’LL KILL YOU!

Shen Weiyao and Yue Ji were taken back at his sudden shout. 

Yue Ji bursted out in laughter and poured more tea for Qi Rong, “Good! Good! I approve!”

The prince sighed in relief but stopped himself and peeked over at Shen Weiyao. The man narrowed his eyes at Qi Rong and his fan slowed, “Took you long enough to ask.”

Qi Rong felt elated at his approval but he didn’t even get the chance to thank him before Shen Weiyao continued speaking, “—However, while you have our approval, whether A-Yuan marries Your Highness or not, is entirely up to him.”

Of course! Shen Weiyao was absolutely right! Although Qi Rong hadn’t confessed to Shen Yuan yet, he had hoped that all of his wooing (which were mainly consisted of shitty pick-up lines) wasn’t all for naught. If Shen Yuan wasn’t in love with him now, then Qi Rong would surely make Shen Yuan fall for him in the future! He had a lot of time to do so, after all, they were still young. The marriage didn’t need to happen now. Just knowing that Shen Yuan’s parents had approved of him had Qi Rong over the moon.

“O–Of course! This one will keep that in mind! Many thanks!” Qi Rong thanked him with overflowing enthusiasm, bowing his head down a couple times before being stopped.

Shen Weiyao huffed behind his fan and slightly shook his head. 

The only reason why he had approved was because of Qi Rong’s mother. Whenever they met at banquets or ceremonies, she’d approach him and sing praises about Shen Yuan while bringing up her son’s many good qualities. She was a really persistent woman who wanted nothing but the best for her son, ah, she was hard to deal with. 

Although Shen Weiyao felt like his son was growing up too soon, he was already eighteen. Shen Yuan was bound to get married sooner or later, whether he liked it or not. Prince Xiao Jing was a better option than the others, and Shen Yuan obviously liked him too, but knowing that child, he probably doesn’t even realize it.

Shen Weiyao sighed in his heart. 

Children truly grow up too fast. He still remembers when seven year old A-Yuan would show up in his fathers’ room and ask to sleep with them after waking up from a nightmare. He’d mumble something along the lines of ‘crap….not...Wuxiang...in...dreams’ under his breath and then fall back to sleep whenever Yue Ji slowly patted his back and lulled him to sleep with a quiet hum.

“This was where you guys were?” A voice called out. “Your Highness, are you sure those clothes aren’t tight on you?” 

Qi Rong jolted in his seat, “No! They fit perfectly fine!”

Shen Yuan hummed and then moved his eyes over at his parents, “Papa, Father, who are you both going to offer Blessings Lanterns of Everlasting Light to?”

“His Highness The Crown Prince, of course.” The both of them answered without hesitation.

“I shouldn’t have even asked. Well then, would you both like to come along with His Highness and I?” The transmigrator asked with a light laugh, leaning against the doorframe with a relaxed posture.

Shen Weiyao opened his mouth to speak, “Ye—”

A large hand clapped over his mouth and Yue Ji answered for him with a wide grin, “Nope! A-Yuan and His Highness should enjoy themselves during the Mid-Autumn Festival!”

Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow at Shen Weiyao’s sullen face but shrugged his shoulders, “Okay. Your Highness, we should get going then. The lotus mooncakes from Mister Ning’s stall will run out fast if we don’t hurry!”

At this, Qi Rong got up and ran over, “What? Really?! Ah, there’s also that special play that we planned to go see! They should be performing it within an hour or two. Let’s go before we miss it!”

Before the young cultivators left the manor, Shen Yuan nudged Qi Rong with his elbow and questioned, “So, what did they say to you? I won’t take ‘nothing’ as an answer.”

There was no way he would tell him, not this soon.

“Mmm, they only asked me what we would be doing during the Mid-Autumn Festival and what kind of missions Guoshi has been giving you.” The prince lied with a straight face.

“Liar. You were acting completely suspicious when I came. Tell me, what did they actually say?”

“That wasn’t a lie! That’s what they asked of me, nothing else! What else do you want me to say?”

The transmigrator shot him a doubtful look before getting on the carriage, “Hmm, if you say so.”

Qi Rong hopped on the carriage and gripped onto the brown reins. When the horses begin moving, he recalls what Guoshi told them before they left for their mission and frowned, “This morning...why do you think Guoshi was acting like that?”

Shen Yuan leaned back in his seat with a grim expression, “You mean when he was telling us to stop helping the Yong’an people?”

“Yeah. Aren’t we cultivators supposed to help others? Yong’an is going through a terrible drought. There isn’t any food or water, and no shelter to shield them from the sun. I’ve seen too many children fight over crumbs and a drop of water. How could we turn a blind eye to them when we are fully capable of helping them? I don’t get why Guoshi made a big deal out of it.”

Shen Yuan let out a weary sigh, “If you look at it from a logical perspective, it is useless to help them. No matter how much food and water you give them, there will never be enough for all of them and everything will eventually run out. It is impossible to fill up an empty cup when there are countless empty ones who wish for the same. Remember when I had to resort to buying water from other kingdoms when I ran out of the rainwater that I collected for the past two years? That rainwater only lasted for three weeks. In the end, we’ll just be wasting time and money.”

Prince Xiao Jing’s frown deepened upon hearing this. He supposes that it does make sense, but couldn’t they just get more resources from other prospering kingdoms? That method could work well, unless the other kingdoms were going through similar problems that Xian Le had as well. His uncle has probably tried doing that also but so far, there weren’t any results.

If that’s the case, then was there really nothing he could do?

Qi Rong knitted his brows together and threw a momentary glance at Shen Yuan, “Despite knowing this, Shizun, you never complained and didn’t say a thing while helping me.”

“Well, yeah. I’m an idiot, and you can’t stop an idiot from doing stupid things. I’m still gonna help the Yong’an people the best I can. I already told Little Zhao and them that I would return to Yong’an with food and candy after the festival. I would die from my guilty conscience if I broke my promise.” He admitted with an unwavering voice.

The prince stared at him with stupefaction before chortling seconds later, “You’re right, you’re right! Those Yong’an kids would beat us up if we broke our promise, hahaha!” He eased his stiff shoulders and continued talking with a small grin, “So, we’re in this together? Even if we know that Guoshi will kick our asses when he finds out?”

“Pffft, Guoshi would slap our wrists at most, maybe. I don’t know. But hey! He won’t find out about it if we don’t snitch on each other…..give it a week or two before he finds out.” Shen Yuan says with uncertainty. “You know what? Your Highness, maybe it’s better if you don’t tag along with me.”

“Nonsense. Cousin Crown Prince would be mad at me if I ignored this matter.” Qi Rong remarked with a small laugh, looking up at the skies with hope. “Surely Cousin Crown Prince will guide us out of this predicament.”

Shen Yuan went silent at his comment for a couple beats before the prince announced, “We’re here.”

They got off the golden carriage and headed towards the stalls with excitement. Shen Yuan snapped open his newly acquired fan and waved it as he watched the play laid out in front of him. On a stage, an actor dressed as the crown prince was fighting against another actor who played as the ghost with fake swords embedded in him. 

“He doesn’t look similar to Cousin Crown Prince. They didn’t even get his clothes right. Why does his form look like that? He never styles his hair like that. Why is he talking so much?” Qi Rong voiced his complaints with a furrowed brow.

“Your Highness, they’re on a budget. You might as well go up there and perform instead since the actor doesn’t look like His Highness The Crown Prince enough.” The noble suggested with a smirk.

Seeing Qi Rong wear a considering expression, Shen Yuan tapped his fan against his forehead and hooked an arm around his shoulder, “It was a joke, don’t do it. Seriously, don’t. Your cousin will show up in my dreams and scold me.”

Prince Xiao Jing laughed and also laid an arm around Shen Yuan’s shoulder, “Just kidding~!”

As soon as the performance was over, they both marched off like idiots with their arms wrapped around each other’s shoulders as they discussed which stall they should visit. Some had recognized the two and whispered to one another, “Isn’t that Prince Xiao Jing?”

“He looks so much like His Highness The Crown Prince, he has to be!”

“Who’s that next to him?”

“Ah, that’s his guard, Shen Yuan. Shen Weiyao’s heir, I think.”

“Are they….you know?”

“What kind of—no! Of course not!”

-

The two cultivators played around all day without care. They played games, ate sweets, watched lively performances, and ran around for a bit until they grew hungry and went inside of a bustling restaurant. They did come across a few familiar faces from the Royal Holy Pavilion and had to accept a couple cups of offered wine before they could leave. Maybe it was a bad idea to accept those drinks, because Qi Rong looked a bit...dazed.

On top of the city wall, Shen Yuan and Qi Rong walked along the stone path with lanterns in their arms. Hundreds of Blessings Lanterns of Everlasting Light were released from the palace, the warm golden hues illuminating the skies. 

The only reason why they were on top of the city walls was because Qi Rong wanted his lantern to reach to the heavens first. Naturally, he was the first one to let go of his lantern before others did. The transmigrator smiled fondly at Qi Rong’s obvious display of admiration for his cousin and loosened his hold on his lantern, watching the Blessings Lantern of Everlasting Light slowly lift from his hands and float up into the night sky.

He never got tired of seeing this breath-taking sight no matter how many times he’s seen it before.

Shen Yuan leaned against the railing and continued watching little rectangular lanterns fly up into the sky from afar with a serene face. Qi Rong shifted closer to him and traced his every facial feature with his eyes, completely entranced by his beauty.

“How old are we this year?” Shen Yuan quietly asked, completely unaware of the prince’s longing gaze. 

“Eighteen.” Qi Rong replied.

If that was the case, then that means Xie Lian should be descending from the heavens to aid his kingdom very soon. As soon as the Yong’an people come to the city to ask for help, Xie Lian will no longer be able to stand around and watch them suffer. Especially after their rage and frustration is roused when a father and his child died from a fall after a soldier pushed them off the wall.

For the past three years, Shen Yuan has been very anxious about the upcoming plot events. He knew that he had to die and become a ghost, it was all a part of his mission. He had prepared himself for his death long ago. But he could never prepare himself to see his fathers possibly die improper deaths, Xie Lian and his shixiongs suffering, and to see Qi Rong in particular, die. He didn’t even know how Qi Rong died, and that alone, made Shen Yuan anxious. 

He had grown very attached to this world, and he sometimes wished that he kept everyone at distance from the start. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be having such a hard time to stop himself from trying to change the major plot events. 

Shen Yuan made a promise with Shen Jiu, he would not interfere with the plot no matter what happens. Otherwise, he would be heavily punished, and Shen Yuan could not even imagine what kind of punishment it would be. Permanent death was a big possibility. Shen Yuan wanted none of that.

“Damn, I’m getting old.” The noble commented with a hint of humor in his tone. 

“Shizun, eighteen is a very youthful age. You’re starting to sound like Guoshi now.”

Shen Yuan chuckles at that. He raps his knuckles against the fence and continues observing the scenery before him. 

A few beats pass before he asks something of the prince, “Qi Rong, if I ever do something dumb in the future—I need you to slap me so hard that I go cross-eyed.” 

Prince Xiao Jing looked at him in horror. 

“I’d rather kill myself instead!”

The noble arched a brow, “What? Why not? It’s just a slap.”

“No! That’s unforgivable! I’d rather have you hit me than I hit you!”

Shen Yuan stared at him with a confused expression for a moment before a laugh makes its way out of his mouth, “PHAHAHAH! YOUR HIGHNESS, DON’T SAY IT LIKE THAT, IT SOUNDS WRONG! WOW, IS THIS THE SAME PERSON WHO CALLED ME A RAT WHEN WE FIRST MET?! INCREDIBLE! THE CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT IS AMAZING, HAHAHA!!!”

Qi Rong’s face heats up at his words, “You s–still remember that? That was long ago! I—Please forget the person I was from twelve years ago!”

Qi Rong wanted to punch himself in the face for being so rude and ill-mannered to Shen Yuan back then, but at the same time, it made Qi Rong appreciate his shizun all the more. He couldn’t imagine how he would turn out if he never met Shen Yuan at all. Perhaps he would have grown to be a spoiled brat who was a hindrance to others. 

He looked at Shen Yuan who was laughing with tears in his eyes, a small gust of wind flying past his hair, the lanterns in the background making him appear more mesmerizing than he usually did. Qi Rong felt his heart swoon when Shen Yuan wiped away a tear and then slightly tilted his head to the side, the corners of his eyes crinkling up and his long braids gently grazing his cheeks, “No way, I’ll never forget! Remember when you would stomp your feet all the time and tell me to scram off but would be upset when I actually had to go home? Aww man, you were so cute back then~! I miss little Qi Rong!”

No, if anything, YOU’RE the cute one. How am I supposed to keep a straight-face around you, huh?! You’re being unfair!

It seems like the wine Qi Rong drank earlier was finally kicking in because he felt a sudden surge of confidence and his lips were itching to impulsively spill every thought that circulated around his head.

A wise woman (who was his mother, by the way) once told Qi Rong, “Rong-er, when you tell Shen Yuan how you truly feel about him, you should not beat around the bush and tell him that you like him romantically. If he does not believe you at first, then just kiss him!”

“Do you still find me cute?” The prince blurted out.

Pause.

“Come again?” The transmigrator asked with confusion.

Qi Rong huffed frustratedly. He didn’t want to repeat himself only for Shen Yuan to misunderstand his question. 

‘You should not beat around the bush and tell him that you like him romantically.’ His mother’s words echoed in his mind.

“I LIKE YOU, SHEN YUAN! I ALWAYS HAVE! EVERYTIME I SEE YOU, I FEEL ALL WARM INSIDE, AND MY HEART STARTS BEATING SO FAST THAT I THINK I’LL DIE—AND, AND IT GETS EVEN WORSE WHENEVER YOU SMILE AT ME!! I CAN BARELY GO A DAY WITHOUT SEEING YOU JUST ONCE! REALLY, I’M NOT EXAGGERATING! I WANT TO KISS YOU, HOLD YOU, AND SPEND ALL OF ETERNITY TOGETHER WITH YOU!!! I WANT TO SEE YOUR ENDEARING FACE WHEN I WAKE UP IN THE MORNINGS! I WANT TO MARRY YOU ONE DAY AND HAVE THE PRIVILEGE TO CALL YOU HUSBAND! SHEN YUAN, TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR TAKING MY HEART TWELVE YEARS AGO!!!” Qi Rong declared zealously, the tips of his ears burning red.

Shen Yuan was gawking at him with wide eyes and raised brows, completely stunned by this sudden development. He only snapped out of it a few moments later when Qi Rong waved his hand in front of his face and called his name. Shen Yuan shook his head and grabbed him by the arm, “Your Highness must be drunk from drinking that wine from earlier. We should avoid seeing Li-shixiong whenever he’s drinking, he’ll try to make others drink until they pass out. Sigh, I think it’s about time we head back to Mount Taicang.”

I’M NOT DRUNK! I EVEN BOLDLY CONFESSED TO YOU LIKE THIS BUT YOU’RE GONNA ASSUME IT’S BECAUSE OF THE WINE THAT I DRANK EARLIER?! SHIZUN, YOU’LL MAKE ME CRY!

‘If he does not believe you at first, then just kiss him!’ 

Qi Rong stretched an arm out and lifted Shen Yuan’s chin, pressing a determined kiss against his carmine lips. Fireworks exploded in his heart and warm tingles spread throughout his whole body like a wildfire. Qi Rong wanted to embrace him and taste more of him, but he didn’t have the opportunity to do so when Shen Yuan abruptly pulled away from him with a lowered head. 

“Shen Yuan?”

The transmigrator moved away from him without a word and started to walk slowly towards a different direction.

Qi Rong panicked. 

Was that too much? Too soon? Did he scare him off? Did he not like him? Shit, did he fuck up?! What if he hated him now?!!

The prince ran over to him and his heart jumped when Shen Yuan ran into the railing and nearly fell from the city wall. Qi Rong wrapped an arm around the noble’s waist and quickly pulled him up from the fence with a worried expression, “THAT WAS DANGEROUS! SHIZUN, WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!! DO YOU REALLY DISLIKE TH—”

He stopped his sentence and his breath hitched when he saw Shen Yuan’s face.

Shen Yuan was blushing madly like a young maiden, his wide eyes darting back and forth from Qi Rong and at the space behind his head. Qi Rong had never seen this flustered expression on him before, but god, he looked absolutely adorable. He wanted to kiss him again.

Shen Yuan shyly brought his hands up to his face to shield himself from the prince’s adoring gaze and sputtered, “I—Y–YOU! I A–ALWAYS THOUGHT YOU WERE S–STRAIGHT! Y–YOU SHOULD’VE G–GIVEN ME A HEADS-UP FROM T–THE BEGINNING AT LEAST! FUCK, N–NOW I’M S–STTUTERING! D–DON’T LOOK AT M–ME!! S–SHIT, THIS IS SO E–EMBARRASSING! LET ME GO! I W–WANT TO JUMP OFF THIS S–STUPID WALL IMMEDIATELY!!!”

Smooch.

The noble gasped and looked at Qi Rong like he committed a crime. Shen Yuan pushed him away and then jumped down from the city wall, landing on his feet safely before breaking into a dash. Qi Rong was startled at first, but as soon as he saw that Shen Yuan was alright, he began chasing after him with an unknowing grin, his dimples deepening as he called out, “Shizun~! Come back~!”

In Shen Yuan’s mind, he was cursing profusely and panicking. Shen Jiu was spamming disgusted and vomiting emoticons to express his feelings upon this matter. 

[ Eww. Take it somewhere else, you’re hurting everyone’s eyes and ears! Ugh, I’ll vomit on you. (￣д￣) ]

FUCK, FUCK, FUCK! I KISSED A MINOR! SHIT, HE EVEN KISSED ME ON THE LIPS AND ON THE FOREHEAD!@%@? I’M GOING STRAIGHT TO JAIL!!! FUCK!!! I NEVER THOUGHT THINGS WOULD TURN OUT THIS WAY!!!

He was so scared that he began hearing police sirens coming from behind, but really, it was just Qi Rong laughing and hollering his name. 

“Shen Yuan, come back! Don’t be shy! I won’t kiss you this time, I promise~!”

Shen Yuan ran even faster.

[ You’re eighteen, the same age as him. You and that cheeky brat are both adults. Fool, how many times do I have to remind you about this? ] 

HE’S STILL A BABY AND HOW OLD AM I NOW?! THIRTY-SEVEN? I’M AN OLD MAN!@#!@$! I’LL TURN MYSELF IN, JIU-GE, I DON’T CARE!!! 

HOW DID I BEND ONE OF THE STRAIGHTEST CHARACTERS IN THE NOVEL?! WHAT THE FUCK?! I DIDN’T EVEN DO ANYTHING?!! WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO NOW?!!

AY, HE’S GETTING TOO CLOSE!!! FUCK, I’LL KEEP RUNNING UNTIL I DIE OF EXHAUSTION!!!! I DON’T CARE, I DON’T CARE, I DON’T CARE!@!#$*#@$

Behind the virtual screen, Shen Jiu rolled his eyes and couldn’t help but fondly laugh at Shen Yuan hurriedly pushing through puzzled bystanders to get away from Qi Rong as if he was the plague.

-

“There aren’t any prostration cushions because His Highness the Crown Prince doesn’t want his devotees to prostrate before his statue. Please respect his wishes.” Shen Yuan announced with annoyance, gesturing at the devotees to get up from the ground. “No need to kneel, praying while standing up is perfectly fine.”

“But aren’t we meant to prostrate before gods? Where’d you hear that from?” A believer asked.

“Ah, it must be a rumor. Why would His Highness not want us to prostrate? This is the only way to show our utmost sincerity!”

A young man who stood in front of the tall altar had offered a glass gem lamp and finished praying. His long obsidian ponytail swished back and forth and the red jewels of his dangly earring that matched with Shen Yuan’s, sparkled under the sun’s rays. He turned around and faced the group of believers with narrowed eyes, “My cousin has answered many of your prayers and helped your families live comfortably, but yet you’re gonna repay him this way? Get up from the floor and then pray. If you’re not going to respect Cousin Crown Prince’s wishes, then leave.”

Hearing his words, the devotees felt ashamed of themselves. They bowed their heads and quickly apologized, scrambling up from the ground hurriedly and clasping their hands together to pray. Qi Rong strided over to Shen Yuan and grinned, “Was I cool, Shizun? Did you fall for me?”

The transmigrator’s face reddened at his flirtatious questions, “If Your Highness is finished, then let’s go before it gets too crowded.”

Qi Rong hummed in agreement and walked towards the exit with him. When a person bumps into him, he staggers back a bit and furrows a brow, “Sir, you should be more careful. What if you bumpe–”

“What is this place?” The man interrupted.

Shen Yuan’s eyes widened at his words.

He was a young man who looked to be a couple years older than the two of them. Smudges of dirt covered his face, and the cracks on his lips made it apparent that he was dehydrated. His clothes were dirty and tattered, and his shoes were very worn out. The satchel that he carried on his back made Shen Yuan alarmed.

Was he Lang Ying? The one who led the Yong’an troops and invaded the Xian Le Kingdom? 

Fuck, who else could he be? He carries that satchel around and says the same exact line from the novel! Shit, too soon! I’m not ready!

Cold sweat gathered at the back of Shen Yuan’s nape and anxiety pricked at his insides. He quietly watched Qi Rong answer Lang Ying’s questions. After asking about Xie Lian’s golden statue, Lang Ying turned and asked the young prince, “Then where’s the palace?”

“Why do you ask?” Prince Xiao Jing questioned.

“I need to see the king. I have something to tell him.”

Qi Rong frowned, “Not anyone can see the king. How about this? I can relay your message to him instead. What’s your name?”

“My name is Lang Yang, I’m from Yong’an. Yong’an is going through a drought right now. Our farmers can’t grow any food; there isn’t any water and it is too hot over there. Everyone is starving because there’s no income.”

Qi Rong and Shen Yuan exchanged an indecisive glance with each other before Qi Rong cleared his throat, “....Very well, I will let the king know of this.”

The two cultivators didn’t get the chance to help every village in Yong’an. Just three months ago, they were forbidden from entering Yong’an upon Guoshi’s orders. They did manage to sneak in with disguises, but it was hard to find any opportunities because Guoshi gave them a significant amount of work to do. The last time they entered Yong’an was about two or three weeks ago. It seems like they should visit Yong’an again as soon as possible.

Lang Ying nodded his head and then proceeded to walk out of the hall. When he stepped onto the stone bridge, his eyes flickered down towards the transparent pond filled with layers of coins and his legs stopped moving. Without further ado, he jumped over the bright railing and began shoving armfuls of coins in his satchel.

Qi Rong had never seen someone be daring enough to steal offerings belonging to a god in his whole life. He stared at Lang Ying with disbelief and shock. A few passing devotees saw that Lang Ying was stealing and yelled, “WHERE ARE THE GUARDS?!! PULL THIS MOTHERFUCKER OUT OF THE POND! HURRY!!!”

Qi Rong and Shen Yuan were the first ones to act. They rushed over to Lang Ying and seized his arms, caught off guard when he suddenly threw punches and kicks at them.

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! THOSE OFFERINGS BELONG TO HIS HIGHNESS THE CROWN PRINCE! IF IT’S MONEY THAT YOU NEED, THEN I’LL GIVE IT TO YOU. YOU ONLY NEED TO ASK!” Qi Rong shouted in distress, moving his head to the side to dodge his hard fist.

Shen Yuan fully restrained Lang Ying before he could hit them again, “Why didn’t you stop after His Highness offered to give you some money?”

Lang Ying coughed, “They were just lying there in the pond, why can’t I use it to save people? You guys have golden statues and coins scattered everywhere, why not share some of that money with us?”

The transmigrator and the prince hesitated. 

He made plenty of valid points, but at the same time, all of those offerings belonged to Xie Lian. Is it not extremely disrespectful to take back an offering that you already gave to a god? 

“YOU DISRESPECTFUL MOTHERFUCKER! YOU THINK YOU CAN ROB THE GODS JUST BECAUSE YOU’RE POOR?! ALL OF THOSE BELONG TO HIS HIGHNESS THE CROWN PRINCE!!!” A cultivator shouted with burning rage.

“Then I won’t rob, I’ll pay my respects and worship this god of yours. I will kowtow a hundred times and beg him to give me money to save the lives of the people of my hometown, but will he do so?” Lang Ying coolly answered.

“His Highness the Crown Prince is a god, and gods are busy to death! Who will have the time of day to mind you radicals?” Another cultivator called out.

Lang Ying didn’t seem surprised at all, “I didn’t think he’d care either. We’ve prayed and begged, but it was all futile because it never worked at all. Those who are meant to die will still die.”

Qi Rong laid a hand on top of Lang Ying’s shoulder and squeezed tight, glaring at the grimacing man, “You dare slander His Highness the Crown Prince? I do not mind aiding Yong’an at all, but your disrespect towards the crown prince is unforgivable.”

“T–TO BE SO DISRESPECTFUL IN THE HALLS OF A GOD, AREN’T YOU AFRAID OF HEAVEN’S CONDEMNATION?!!” A voice joined in.

“It doesn’t matter anymore, I’m no longer afraid of not being saved. They can condemn me if they must. What I said was true, I will not change my mind.” Lang Ying choked out through gritted teeth, trying to pull away from Prince Xiao Jing’s strong grip.

The group of devotees grew even angrier and Qi Rong’s expression darkened. 

The ground unexpectedly shook at that very moment.

Everyone confusedly turned their heads to see His Highness the Crown Prince’s tall golden statue wobbling back and forth before it slowly fell on its side. Shen Yuan released Lang Ying and rushed over to catch the statue. Qi Rong ran at the same time as Shen Yuan did and panickedly held onto the leg of Xie Lian’s statue. 

The both of them alone nearly pushed the heavy statue back up into its original position until an unknown greater force pressed the statue down further. It took them a few moments to push it higher up but the statue somehow kept on getting heavier and heavier! 

“COME HELP US! I DON’T KNOW WHY, BUT THE STATUE IS GETTING HEAVIER! HURRY, WE CAN’T LET IT FALL!” Qi Rong shouted over at the dazed cultivators who were at a loss for words. 

They sprinted over to the two to help them lift the statue up and were stunned by its hefty weight. During the chaos, Lang Ying had already made his escape and Shen Yuan watched him do so from the corner of his view. Inside of his heart, Shen Yuan made a whole list of complaints regarding Feng Xin and Mu Qing’s overbearing strength.

Chapter Text

Shen Yuan pinched his nose bridge as he anxiously tapped his fingers against the smooth surface of the wooden desk. Dark circles were under his eyes and his eyebrows were curved downwards. His onyx hair was tied in a low ponytail, he didn’t bother to braid his hair like he usually did, no longer caring about his appearance. 

He and Qi Rong helped the Yong’an refugees when they came over to the royal capital. They gave them food and water and even found a couple places for some to stay at. When arguments and fights stirred up over a missing dog and other petty matters, the two cultivators were neutral and did their best to stop the two sides from arguing. But they were completely helpless when the king issued a new decree and ordered all Yong’an refugees to leave the city with their given travel expenses. Now many of the Yong’an refugees were gathered outside of the city gates, absolutely refusing to leave. 

Waiting around for disaster to unfold was nerve-wracking, Shen Yuan wanted to go out and slice Bai Wuxiang’s head off but that wouldn’t even stop Xianle from falling. 

Shen Yuan was in his room at the Royal Holy Pavilion after Shen Weiyao had scolded him about giving himself unnecessary work and stress, telling him to take care of himself and to rest before going up and about. 

With a stressed sigh, Shen Yuan shut his eyes momentarily before opening them back up to look at the floating window tab.

“Jiu-ge, how many people are gathered outside of the city gates now? Forty-six thousand? Sixty-five thousand at most?” He quietly asked.

[ About a million of the Yong’an people are massed outside of the city gates. ] 

Shen Yuan hummed in acknowledgment and leaned forward with an inscrutable face, “...A million? That means one of the big plot events should be nearing. It should be happening within a couple days. A week if we’re extremely lucky.” 

[ You should remain inside of the Royal Holy Pavilion for the next month until Xie Lian descends. Who knows what might happen if your reckless self wanders out there? ] 

“You’re worrying too much. Nothing’s gonna happen to me as long as I don’t do anything stupid. I’m just going to take a look at the situation, nothing else.”

[ Don’t be ridiculous. It’s better to be safe than sorry. ]

Shen Yuan laughed, “Well, it won’t really matter because I’m still gonna die at the end.”

[ Don’t act smart with me, brat. You’re only going to bring more stress to yourself if you go out there. ]

[ You’ve helped the Xianle citizens plenty enough, and you want to help them even more? Are you a trembling masochist? Listen to that Shen Weiyao when he tells you to stop being stubborn and rest up. Leave the matters to the king and Xie Lian, quit running around trying to save people when you can’t even take care of yourself properly. ]

The transmigrator could only smile sheepishly at the floating screen, “Well, I guess you can call me a proud masochist then. I can’t afford to lie around all day when I can be of use to others.”

[ Idiot, I don’t care if you’re lying around all day! As long as you aren’t getting into trouble, that’s more than enough! You’ll be helping others if you stopped your masochist tendencies and actually listened to me! ]

Shen Yuan didn’t give a response to Shen Jiu. He quietly adjusted his wrinkled robes before he got up from the desk and strided out of the Royal Holy Pavilion. He walked along the stone path, frowning when he saw a large pack of individuals marching together down the long street with angry faces.

“KILL THOSE YONG’AN BASTARDS!”

“XIAN LE WILL ONLY KNOW OF PEACE WHEN ALL YONG’AN IS FINALLY ERADICATED!”

“THOSE DISGUSTING THIEVES CAUSED DISORDER IN XIAN LE, BUT YET THEY DARE TO DEMAND TO LIVE IN THE CITIES WITH US?! OUTRAGEOUS!!!”

For the past couple days, they’ve been persistently protesting like this.

Shen Yuan sighed and shook his head. There was truly nothing he could do about the protests, if he, a noble who was affiliated with Prince Xiao Jing, revealed his identity, they would grab at him and ask an endless amount of questions with fiery rage. Shen Yuan snapped open his fan and hid his face, pushing through people who wanted to join in on the protest but could do nothing but watch. 

A gentle hand wraps around Shen Yuan’s wrist and pulls him away from the crowd. The transmigrator yanked his hand back and swiftly raised his fan against the person’s neck. He makes a sound of surprise when he sees a man wearing a veil looking down at him with his arms lifted up in surrender. Shen Yuan recognized that he was Qi Rong by his physique and the matching earring. 

Shen Yuan scanned his surroundings before pulling him in closer to whisper, “Qi Rong? What are you doing here?” 

“I was on my way back from the palace.” Qi Rong says. “What are you doing here? Shizun, I thought you were supposed to be resting at the Royal Holy Pavilion?”

“I got tired of staying inside all day.” Shen Yuan briefly explained with a wave of a hand, eyeing the protesting residents. “Most of them are wearing the same clothes from yesterday, have they not stopped to take a break?”

“No, the majority of them were protesting like that all night and day without taking a single bre—“

Just then, there was a sudden surge of muddled roars coming from the other side of the city walls. Although the Yong’an people were outside of the walls, the wind carried their screams and shouts into the city and managed to frighten many with their volume.

Everyone in the city wordlessly turned towards the direction of the city gates with bewildered expressions. Their first initial thought was, “What the hell is happening out there for them to be so loud?” 

The color drained from Shen Yuan’s face when he finally realized why.

The two young cultivators worriedly rushed towards the city walls, momentarily stopped by panicked guards who mistook them as intruders. Prince Xiao Jing took off his veil and turned towards the superior officer, “What’s with the big ruckus? What happened?”

The transmigrator looked over the railing and his eyes widened with shock and horror. Qi Rong confusedly glanced down from the parapet to see why Shen Yuan had that reaction and immediately covered his mouth to stop himself from puking. 

On the ground was a large body on top of a small bed of crushed meat. Splatters of blood and small intestines were scattered everywhere, scaring both the guards on top of the parapets and those at the bottom. A woman stood next to them, crying her eyes out, not daring to flip her dead husband over to check on her son.

Shen Yuan clenched his fists, his nails digging into his flesh and creating small crescents. He had to restrain himself from making a careless move. He couldn’t prevent this from happening; all three deaths of a single family must be taken in order for the plot to carry on. But what if he stopped the woman from committing suicide? Would things change then? Even just a little?

Without knowing, Shen Yuan’s legs carried him closer and closer to the edge of the parapet. Just as soon as he leaned forward, giving others the impression that he would jump off from the wall at any moment, a sharp rock was thrown in his direction at an incredible speed. 

Shen Yuan couldn’t dodge it because the people behind him would’ve been harmed, so he swiftly lifted a hand and caught it with a grimace. He was surprised by the amount of force that the rock carried; it made his hand terribly ache, like it had broken a bone or two. Qi Rong quickly pushed the rock away from Shen Yuan’s hand and worriedly examined his hand with a deep scowl, “Who the hell threw that?!”

That was what Shen Yuan wanted to know! What the fuck was happening? There was no way a mere Yong’an refugee could’ve thrown that at him with so much force and up this high! Lang Ying was a possibility, but why would he even bother to? He didn’t even know Shen Yuan’s name and Shen Yuan hadn’t done anything to provoke him. 

SMASH!

The loud noise caught Shen Yuan’s attention and drew terrified screams from the crowd below. He anxiously moved his eyes down over the city gates and saw a fresh corpse. The woman had bashed her head against the city gates and died. Upon seeing her haunting appearance, Shen Yuan immediately paled and shrunk away from the edge of the parapet. 

Crimson was seeping out of the torn skin that revealed her cracked skull, and her face was twisted into that of a half smiling half crying one! 

What was going on? Was this ever in the book or did Shen Yuan not read far enough into the novel?! 

The noble stepped forward to take another glance for confirmation. The contorted face was no longer there, instead, the woman’s eyes were closed, dried tear streaks on her cheeks, the blood flowing out of her head contradicting her tranquil expression. 

Did he hallucinate all that? Was he finally going crazy from all of the anxiety? 

But that rock was thrown at him as soon as he came closer to the edge of the parapet and then he saw whatever that was. 

....Was it possible that he was being targeted?

As if on cue, a loud snap was heard amongst those on top of the walls. Everyone turned and saw Lang Ying holding up the superior officer’s lifeless body by the neck. The alarmed soldiers quickly surrounded him with caution, pointing their weapons at him. Qi Rong stepped forward and pulled out his sword, “Seize him.”

Lang Ying tossed the body over the edge and jumped before they could grab hold of him. He looked over his shoulder and glanced at the royal palace before shifting his calculating eyes over to Shen Yuan whose blood immediately ran cold. And with that, Lang Ying stepped on top of the corpse to use as a stepping stone to break his fall and landed safely at the bottom. 

If Shen Yuan had a choice, he would have chosen a different novel to transmigrate into than this one.

-

Qi Rong and Shen Yuan walked into the partially empty avenue and came across three figures that stood in the middle. One was squatting down with a flower in his hand and the two others were standing by his side with crossed arms, silently watching him study the dirted petals that were once white.

“Cousin Crown Prince!” Qi Rong exclaimed, running up to Xie Lian and pulling him into a tight hug. “You’re really here?! I didn’t believe the others when they told me that you returned, but wow! I missed you so, so, so much! Wait—why are you here?”

Xie Lian chuckled at his cousin’s liveliness and lightly patted his back, “I came back to help Xianle.” 

Qi Rong was slightly confused but didn’t think too much about it because he was happy that he finally got to see Xie Lian again, “I’ll help you then, Cousin Crown Prince!”

The martial god smiled and nodded in response.

After seeing them up close, Xie Lian realized how much Qi Rong and Shen Yuan grew over the years. The two of them were taller than him now; Shen Yuan was only a couple centimeters taller than him and Qi Rong was taller by a couple inches. Their skin was the color of wheat after being under the sun all the time, their shoulders were broader, their lean frames carried more muscles than before, and all of their baby fat burned away, leaving behind sharp and handsome features. Xie Lian felt like it wasn’t too long ago when those two little ducklings would follow him around the palace and ask to play hide-and-seek with him.

Feng Xin noticed the bandages tied around Shen Yuan’s left hand and arched a brow, “Shen-shidi, when did you hurt yourself?”

“Nothing, just a little scratch.” Shen Yuan casually said, you know, like a liar. Some bones were fractured. Luckily, it wasn’t his right hand that was injured. Sigh, what’s with him and broken bones? “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you guys. Did you miss your favorite shidi, Mu-shixiong?”

“You’re not my favorite shidi.” Mu Qing said coldly.

Shen Yuan grinned and walked over to him with his arms stretched out, “I never said I was your favorite shidi. Hehe, so you did miss me! Don’t worry, I missed you too, Mu-shixiong~! Come over here, lemme hug yo—” 

“ENOUGH!” Mu Qing exclaimed with a red face, pushing Shen Yuan away with a hand against his forehead. The transmigrator laughed as Feng Xin shook his head in disapproval and reprimanded Shen Yuan, “Stop teasing your shixiong, Shen-shidi.”

“It’s only a little teasing, your husband will live, Feng-shixiong.” Qi Rong joined in with a smirk, making Feng Xin quickly deny his claims with a burning face. They missed making fun of those two, they were so easy to tease! Look at how fast they denied that they are in a relationship when they clearly are! Liars! Why were you both staring at each other so intimately earlier?!

Xie Lian pinched their ears and sighed, “You two, stop making fun of your shixiongs.”

“Yes, sir!” They both said in unison, trying not to smile when their shixiongs glared at them with scary expressions. 

After a few seconds had passed, Shen Yuan quietly hummed and then turned towards Xie Lian with slight hesitation. Although he already knew the answer, he still asked Xie Lian, “Your Highness, how do you plan to help Xianle?”

Xie Lian was mildly surprised by his sudden question but answered with overflowing determination, “That’s something I will have to discuss with my father, but I will surely save all of Xianle. That is a promise that I swear to keep for as long as I live.”

His words touched Shen Yuan’s heart but at the same time, he was saddened because he knew how things played out in the end. Shen Yuan smiled and inclined his head, “I believe in you. You have my full support, Your Highness.”

-

[ There’s two of them behind you, to your left. ]

Shen Yuan spun around and swung his sword, dodging the moving blades that came for his head. He slashed the soldier’s arm and stabbed his right shoulder, pulling out his bloodied sword when he sensed another soldier trying to sneak up on him. He countered the offending weapon and plunged his blade into the attacker’s chest, watching the soldier stumble back a bit before falling. 

Shen Yuan flicked the warm blood off of his blade, shifting his eyes around to assess his surroundings. Corpses were scattered everywhere and piled up on top of each other, the earth’s surface was painted vermillion and the strong smell of iron filled the air. Soldiers from both sides charged at each other and clashed blades, spouting endless curses and hateful words. 

Shen Yuan looked down at himself. He was completely covered in blood and grime. His hands were stained red and his armor was barely holding itself together after receiving so many heavy hits. His body grew numb with each swing of a sword; he couldn’t even feel his own wounds that stung with every movement he made.

[ To your right. Pay attention to your surroundings, Shen Yuan! ]

He turned to the right and stabbed the incoming enemy.

[ Three on your left. ]

He plowed all three of them down. 

[ Behind you! ]

He turned around and struck.

Shen Yuan yanked away his sword that was driven into an enemy’s ribcage and turned to face a little soldier who shivered under his icy gaze. 

“M–Master Shen?”

Shen Yuan steadied his weapon and squinted at the little soldier. His eyes widened in realization when he recognized that it was Little Zhao, one of the kids who usually begged Shen Yuan for candy whenever he visited Yong’an. He was far too young to be in the battlefield.

Shen Yuan suddenly felt conscious about the bloody smudges on his face and tried to wipe it away with a free hand but only made it worse, spreading it further across his skin. He frustratedly kept on trying to rub his face clean but soon gave up and averted his eyes away from the child’s fearful ones. Shen Yuan swallowed the lump in his throat, “Run.”

“DON’T STAND AROUND WAITING FOR DEATH! KILL THAT XIANLE FUCKER!!!” A Yong’an soldier shouted as he dashed towards the transmigrator to land a fatal blow.

Shen Yuan took the soldier’s life without hesitation, finishing him off with a clean slice to the neck. When he turned back around to look at Little Zhao, the child had wrapped his trembling hands around the hilt of his sword and raised it at Shen Yuan with fierce eyes. Shen Yuan sighed and gave him one last warning, “Run while I’m still giving you time.”

Little Zhao’s eyes flickered down at the fallen Yong’an soldiers around Shen Yuan’s feet and gritted his teeth, “NO!”

The little soldier charged towards him with a loud cry. The transmigrator stepped to the side and watched Little Zhao nearly trip over a corpse. Little Zhao swiveled around and ran towards Shen Yuan again, clumsily swinging around his sword without tact. Shen Yuan sighed deeply. He swiftly dodged the child’s inept strikes and pierced him right through his torso with his keen blade.

Little Zhao lifted his head to look up at Shen Yuan with wide eyes and opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted when he felt a rush of blood at the back of his throat spill from his lips. He didn’t get to say a single word before his eyes rolled to the back of his head, all of his warmth leaving his still body. Shen Yuan pulled his sword out and carefully laid Little Zhao on the ground with a stiff hand.

Shen Yuan was bound to come across people like Little Zhao on the battlefield. People that he helped out in Yong’an back then before the city began closing its gates to refugees. He just didn’t expect there to be so many of them here. If Shen Yuan recognized familiar faces, he would give them an option to run, but all of them had raised their swords and attacked him instead. With a heavy heart, he struck every single one of them down and brushed off the guilt weighing down on his shoulders that expanded with every life that he took. 

Shen Yuan wanted all of this to be over with. He was tired of the Xianle arc. He wanted to fall into a never-ending slumber and avoid the major plot events that led to Xianle’s downfall. 

The transmigrator humorlessly laughed at himself.

He might as well kill himself if he was just gonna sit around in an active battlefield and do nothing but whine.

Shen Yuan got up to his feet and continued moving further down the battlefield, killing those who came in his path without delay.

On the other side of the field, Qi Rong was cutting through enemies like they were autumn leaves. In the corner of his view, he spotted a young soldier who was wearing the same colors as he did. He had bloodied bandages wrapped around his face that covered his left eye and if one paid close attention, they would realize that he walked with a limp. 

The one-eyed soldier was hovering over a dying Yong’an soldier, panting heavily as he lifted his sword to deliver the final blow. He realized that there was another enemy behind him as soon as he saw a tall silhouette overshadowing him, but he was too slow to react to the hefty blade that was swooping in for his neck.

Fortunately, he was saved when a sword with a viridescent tassel clashed against the hefty blade. Qi Rong evaded the sword that aggressively jabbed at him and rushed forward, blocking a heavy swing before thrusting his sword into the enemy’s chest. As the Yong’an soldier collapsed, Prince Xiao Jing looked down at the child and asked, “You okay?”

The young soldier nodded his head.

“Watch your back and be careful, little soldier.” 

After telling him those simple words, Qi Rong turned and proceeded to search for Shen Yuan in the midst of chaos, tearing fatal wounds into those who were daring enough to attack him.

-

Shen Yuan neatly carved characters that spelled out, ‘Zhao Yu’ onto the wooden tablet and placed it down before the small grave. He clasped his hands together and made a silent prayer. Qi Rong shifted closer to him and followed his action, closing his eyes and praying quietly. 

It was a pity that they could only recover Little Zhao’s body, his figure was small and easy to hide behind their backs. They couldn’t bury any other Yong’an soldier or else they’d get negative backlash from the Xianle soldiers, and it would also take too much time to bury them; the two cultivators would be deemed suspicious for staying behind on the battlefield for too long.

Shen Yuan stood up and glanced down at Qi Rong who was still praying. He sighed and gently nudged him, “Your Highness, we should get going before they get suspicious of us.”

Qi Rong hummed and opened his eyes, his hands falling to his sides and his gaze lingering above the wooden tablet. Shen Yuan stretched his hand out for Qi Rong to grab until he heard a footstep that was so quiet, one would’ve missed it if they weren't on high alert. He reached for his sword but failed to unsheathe it when he received a blow to the back of his neck. 

The last thing Shen Yuan heard before he got knocked out was “—ANG YING!!!”

Shen Yuan’s eyes fluttered open and was greeted by the twinkling stars scattered across the night sky. He dazedly stared at the sky for a couple of seconds before realization dawned upon him. 

Qi Rong was no longer at his side.

He was kidnapped.

Shen Yuan scrambled to his feet and picked up his sword. He slid it back into its sheath and began dashing towards the direction of Xianle’s city gates as fast he could. He ran into both Feng Xin and Mu Qing who were in the middle of giving soldiers instructions.

“What happened? Why are you out of breath?” They worriedly asked.

The transmigrator coughed and frantically shook his head, “I don’t remember what happened after I was knocked unconscious, but Qi Rong was kidnapped by Lang Ying! He’s gone!”

“Lang Ying came by earlier and shot an arrow at us with a piece of fabric from Qi Rong’s clothes tied around it. We thought it might’ve been a feint, so the two of us stayed behind just in case Yong’an attacked us and only Xie Lian left to track Lang Ying down. To think that they managed to take Prince Xiao Jing hostage....” Feng Xin trailed off with a grim expression.

“Feng-shixiong, it’s a trap for His Highness the Crown Prince!!! Prince Xiao Jing is only bait! I didn’t see any Yong’an soldiers on my way here, it’s impossible for them to make any sudden moves, especially after we killed many of their numbers! We have to go help them!!” 

Feng Xin and Mu Qing froze and exchanged a panicked look before Mu Qing pointed in a direction and stated, “If I can recall correctly, His Highness ran towards that direction. Feng Xin, we should hurry over there.”

Feng Xin nodded in agreement and turned to move towards the direction where Mu Qing pointed at but stopped when he felt Shen Yuan follow behind them, “I’ll come too.”

“No, you won’t, not after today’s battle. You’ll just drag us down if you come along with those injuries, stay here and recover.” Mu Qing said bluntly.

“Mu-shixiong, I’m perfectly fine. No matter what you say, I’ll still follow you both.” Shen Yuan insisted.

“You—”

“Come on! Let’s go! We’re wasting time!” The transmigrator interrupted, leaping down from the wall without hesitation. They didn’t have a choice but to let Shen Yuan tag along, if they tried to convince him to stay, then it would’ve taken them a whole day to finish arguing before they finally went to help the two princes. 

When they began their journey, Shen Yuan was the first to take the lead. Well, it made sense that he would, since he had an idea where Beizi Hill was. Feng Xin and Mu Qing were giving him questionable glances so he had to pretend to act confused when figuring out directions at times. In his head, he asked Shen Jiu if it was okay to come to Xie Lian’s aid early.

[ It doesn’t matter, by now, Xie Lian should’ve been attacked by the binu and inhaled the Land of the Tender’s aphrodisiac fragrance. ]

His statement made Shen Yuan frown and increase his speed. The trio continued running for a couple of miles and arrived at the foot of a mountaintop. Just as soon as they took a few steps into the mountain, they heard loud footsteps coming from their left. The three readied their weapons, prepared to strike at any given moment. To their surprise, a young man covered in cuts and bruises stumbled out of the shadows and four strange human-shaped monsters were trailing behind him. 

“Qi Rong?” Shen Yuan called out in a concerned tone.

When the prince directed his eyes up at the speaker and saw that it was Shen Yuan, who was in safe condition, his jittery heart calmed down. He stabbed the binu that crawled up to his feet and got rid of the other ones with a couple powerful swings. Qi Rong panted and wiped off the sweat on his forehead, “C...Cousin Crown Prince is in danger! Lang Ying led him to a trap and then disappeared! Cousin Crown Prince told me to report to you two but I was attacked by the binu along the way!”

“Where is he?” Mu Qing inquired.

“The last time I saw him, it was at the tree that Lang Ying tied me around on. It should be somewhere over there, follow me!” 

Qi Rong guided them further down the woods and stopped in front of a large tree. Xie Lian was nowhere to be found, there were only severed ropes and monsters chopped into several pieces.

The group decided to separate into two, the pairs obviously being Shen Yuan and Qi Rong and then Feng Xin and Mu Qing together. While the heaven officials were searching for Xie Lian somewhere not too far from the cultivators’ location, Shen Yuan looked around for a cave. 

It wasn’t too long before he and Qi Rong encountered a large group of naked women gathered around the entrance of a cave, releasing sweet fragrances from their bodies. They seductively swayed their hips and giggled at the child who was inside of a barrier that stopped them from entering the cave, “Your Highness, come out and play with us! We’re so lonely~!”

Shit, they were the Land of the Tender! They were flower demons who took on human forms and released an aphrodisiac scent! They tried to deflower the protagonist in order to weaken his cultivation that required abstinence! 

Although Shen Yuan’s face flushed red upon seeing this...this vulgar sight, he didn’t inhale the strong aroma and was quick to cover his lower face. He hurriedly ripped a piece of fabric from Qi Rong’s robes, folded it, and then covered the prince’s lower face with it, “Don’t breathe in this fragrance, it’s poisonous.” 

Qi Rong followed his advice and held the fabric against his face, furrowing his brows when a flower demon spotted them. 

“Well, well, look who joined in on the fun? Two handsome young men~! My, my, I wonder how big they are!” A Land of the Tender cooed flirtatiously.

“Wow, they look delicious~! Boys, do you want us to deflower you both too?”

“Prince Xiao Jing, don’t be like your cousin and come play with us!”

Shen Yuan pulled his sword out of his scabbard and yelled at the top of his lungs, “MU-SHIXIONG, FENG-SHIXIONG, HIS HIGHNESS IS OVER HERE!!!”

“Ai, you bad boy! If you wanted our attention so badly, you could’ve just said so!” A demon clicked her tongue at him.

The flower demons advanced towards the two who pointed their weapons at them, chortling with delight when they noticed how the cultivators lowered their eyes when they came closer, “Ah, look at how cute they are, hehehe! Don’t be shy now! Come over here and do us good!”

Shen Yuan and Qi Rong didn’t hesitate to hack at them, but there were too many flower demons that surrounded them and the nurtured seedlings continued hatching more demons. The fragrance they released was growing stronger by the minute, at this rate, the make-shift masks that the pair had would be useless if they weren’t able to kill all of the demons at once. Their only choice was to stall around and hope that their shixiongs would arrive there faster.

Qi Rong chopped off a demon’s arm that tried to grab at Shen Yuan and protectively stepped in front of the transmigrator, glaring at the laughing demons who winked back at him in response. 

“Why won’t you both get hard? Do you both have trouble getting it up? Ah, so boring!” One complained.

When one of the flower demons carefully surveyed the two, a lightbulb went off in its head. It ecstatically gasped in realization, “OH! I GET IT NOW!”

The other demons turned to the Land of the Tender with curiosity and clapped their hands, “What? What? What is it?!”

The flower demon threw a flirty glance at Qi Rong and called him out, “Prince Xiao Jing, I know what you like now!”

Qi Rong scowled at that and continued attacking those who came close to him. The two weren’t completely aware of what was going on, they were completely occupied with killing as many demons as they could. 

“HAHAHAHA! I WAS WONDERING WHY HE DIDN’T REACT MUCH TO US! HE WAS A CUTSLEEVE?!!”

“I SHOULD’VE THOUGHT OF THAT EARLIER, HAHAHA!!!”

“THIS IS TOO FUNNY, HAHAHAH! I CAN’T BELIEVE IT! YOU WIN THIS! THAT ARROGANT BRAT WILL SURELY FALL FOR THIS ONE!”

Qi Rong and Shen Yuan stiffened upon hearing their seemingly suspicious words and raised their heads. 

What the fuck were those demons on about?

To their relief, Mu Qing and Feng Xin had arrived at the scene with agitated faces. 

Suddenly, those Land of the Tender demons shouted at Qi Rong and some even threw rocks at him so that he could turn his head towards the direction of a flower demon who sat in the middle of a clearing.

Qi Rong’s eyes nearly bulged out of his eye sockets. 

It wasn’t a woman, but a nude man that sat on the ground.

His long lashes fluttered like the wings of a butterfly and his inky hair was draped across his shoulders, failing to conceal the pink erect nipples under his prominent collarbone. His carmine lips curved up into a seductive smirk, the mole under his lips making him all more alluring. His cheeks were colored red and his bashful eyes met with Qi Rong’s wide ones. An arm was loosely wrapped around his chest and the other one was in between his legs, covering a private part of his lower body.

A strangled sound escaped from the back of Qi Rong’s throat.

Why did he look exactly like Shen Yuan?!!

“Q-Qi Rong, pay attention to me.” He moaned out as he spread his legs wide open to reveal more of his erotic body.

SHING!

A sword was embedded in between the flower demon’s brows.

Everyone turned to look at Shen Yuan who wore a dark expression.

….Did he just throw his sword like it was a spear?

The transmigrator calmly walked over to the fallen demon and jerked his weapon out of its head. He stared at the demon for a pensive second before he raised his leg up and then mercilessly stomped on the demon’s face.

“STUPID FUCKING BITCH YOUR ENTIRE FAMILY IS DOG SHIT YOU’RE DOG SHIT I’LL KILL YOU I’LL FUCK YOUR SHIT UP YOU SHAMELESS MOTHERFUCKER I’LL KILL YOU YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE EAT SHIT YOU FUCKING DICK YOU NO LIFE SON OF A BITCH HIDEOUS PIECE OF SHIT!!!!!” 

He was swearing so fast that others weren’t able to discern what he was saying.

The other flower demons began retreating back upon witnessing Shen Yuan’s anger, Qi Rong and his shixiongs were gaping at him, and the one-eyed soldier who was watching from within the barrier, even had his jaw dropped. Shen Jiu grinned in approval. 

“Mu-shixiong, Feng-shixiong, quickly burn them all before more of them grow.” He remarked, moving away from the flower demon whose head was crushed flat like paper. The duo immediately set the field on the fire and then charged towards the cave entrance, the young cultivators trailing behind them. 

“YOUR HIGHNESS, ARE YOU IN THERE?” Feng Xin called out.

“...I’m here…”

Mu Qing and Feng Xin broke the arrays that prevented them from entering the cave and walked inside, the flames floating on their palms illuminated the dark cave. Qi Rong noticed that there was another presence in the cave and recognized that it was the one-eyed soldier from earlier, “He’s still here?”

Mu Qing raised a brow, “Who?”

“There was a little soldier that followed Cousin Crown Prince when he came to rescue me. He didn’t leave with me when Cousin Crown Prince told the both of us to leave when there were too many of the binu.” 

Their steps came to a stop when they saw Xie Lian slouched against the wall. Shen Yuan silently celebrated when he realized that there wasn't a sword impaling Xie Lian through his abdomen like it did in the original. The crown prince was feverish and refused to let anyone touch him, “You guys came here earlier than expected.”

Shen Yuan glanced at the virtual screen.

Jiu-ge, can I use one of my healing items on him?

[ Do whatever you want. ]

Shen Yuan slid a hand in his long sleeve and pulled out a bottle of medicine. Mu Qing lifted a brow and opened his mouth to question how Shen Yuan managed to fit a whole bottle of medicine in his sleeve but didn’t get to ask when Shen Yuan spoke over him, “I got this from the Royal Holy Pavilion, perhaps it can help Your Highness with the poison.”

Xie Lian hesitantly accepted the medicine and then drank it all in one gulp. He felt a cool wave wash over the boiling heat in his body and sighed with relief, “Thank you, Shen Yuan.”

Along with the one-eyed soldier, the group left the cave and returned to the capital. During their journey back, Qi Rong wasn’t able to look at Shen Yuan in the eye without blushing, the unforgettable image of a disheveled Shen Yuan without his clothes ingrained in his mind. 

Chapter Text

Qi Rong dropped his head on the table and let out a deep sigh.

“What’s the matter, A-Rong?” His mother asked with a quirk of a brow, moving her eyes shrouded with concern over to her sighing son. 

Qi Rong turned his face over to the side to face her and spoke with hesitance, “...It’s nothing you need to worry about.”

His mother squinted and watched him smile at her nervously under her scrutinizing stare. After a long minute passed, she laughed and reached out to pinch his cheek, “You unfilial son! You haven’t visited this lonely mother of yours in a long time, and when I finally see you, you mope around and harbor secrets? Wait—don’t tell me that Shen Yuan finally rejected you? After all of my hard work?! Tsk, tsk, you should’ve—”

“This unfilial son of yours is truly sorry for his short visits, but all of your efforts haven’t gone down to waste, I can assure you that! Please stop teasing me, Mama!” Prince Xiao Jing said exasperatedly, his lips jutting out into a small pout when his mother doesn’t even bother to hide her chortles behind a hand. “I’m not keeping any secrets. I don’t want to spoil the mood whenever I come to visit you, that’s all.”

“Silly boy! There isn’t a need to be concerned about trivial things such as that! Do you think I am a fragile maiden who will faint at the sight of blood? I’m your mother, you can tell me whatever it is that is on your mind. Now tell me, who was it that made my handsome son all gloomy?” Seeing that Qi Rong was still reluctant to speak even after prodding at him, her brilliant smile vanished. “Ah, are you worried about the Human Face Disease that broke out recently?”

The prince’s expression changed into a grim one and he shivered slightly. “I don’t even want to think about it. I came across a person who happened to have the Human Face Disease, and it was truly a terrifying sight. Faces that grow on a living person...I’ve never heard or seen anything like it before.” Qi Rong scooted closer to his mother with apparent concern on his face. “During this time, you must not go out no matter what. The Human Face Disease is contagious, it’s dangerous to wander outside of the palace. There aren’t any other symptoms of the Human Face Disease that we know of as of yet, so you should be very careful nonetheless. I don’t want you to fall into danger. We should also have the Imperial Doctors check on all of the servants to make sure that they don’t have the Human Face Disease…” 

His mother made an amused sound, “Why are you fretting over this old lady so much? Am I the mother or are you? Don’t look at me like that, I was just kidding, haha. A-Rong, have more trust in your cousin. He’ll resolve this matter in no time.”

Qi Rong immediately straightened himself up and hurriedly tried to explain himself,  “Of course I trust him! Cousin Crown Prince will save everyone in Xianle! I just don’t want him to have more workload and unnecessary stress on his shoulders.”

She clasped her hands around Qi Rong’s larger ones and patted them gently, “My kind son, you worry too much. Your cousin is more than capable of ta—”

Suddenly, the blaring sound of a battle horn reverberated throughout the entire kingdom. 

Shen Yuan barged into the room with a look of distress on his face, “Your Highness, it’s an enemy attack. We should hurry over to the fortress as soon as possible.”

The prince frowned deeply and quickly got up from his seat. He followed behind Shen Yuan and stopped momentarily mid-way through the door frame and turned around to glance at his mother, “I’ll be back soon.”

His mother stood up and waved at him, worry flickering across her elegant features, “A-Rong, be careful out there! You too, Shen Yuan! Don’t die before this old lady does!”

Although his mother seemed to be nonchalant on the surface, she never failed to notice the lively air around him dimming as years passed, the constant battles and politics slowly wearing him out. She knew about the injuries that Qi Rong hid from her behind the many layers of clothing, but never spoke of it. He’d sometimes limp every now and then, and wince whenever he accidentally pressed too much force into a wound that hasn’t even scabbed yet. Qi Rong wasn’t his cousin, he wasn’t a god. He was still a young man whose life could be taken at any given moment, and she had desperately hoped that his last breath wouldn’t be taken on a battlefield.

When the door closed, she sat back down and stared at the door as a servant refilled her empty cup with warm tea.

It was truly unfortunate that instead of dying on the battlefield or of the Human Face Disease in the future—Prince Xiao Jing would die a tragic death full of resentment in the end.

-

Shen Yuan and Qi Rong walked inside a restaurant and followed a waiter that led them to their table. As they waited for their dishes to arrive, Qi Rong stretched his limbs and yawned. Shen Yuan poured himself a cup of wine and eyed at the prince who reached out to grab the bottle of wine. He didn’t want a repeat of what happened that night during the Autumn Festival, so the noble moved the bottle away from the other’s grasp.

The prince pulled his arm back to his side with a knowing grin. When the dishes finally came, Qi Rong quickly picked up the pieces of braised chicken and dropped them in Shen Yuan’s bowl as he spoke, “I would’ve picked a nicer restaurant, but this was the only one that wasn’t too far from the fortress city, I hope you don’t mind.”

Shen Yuan made an affirmative hum and then swatted away Qi Rong’s chopsticks that kept on piling food in his bowl, “That’s too much food, you’ll fatten me up at this point, Your Highness!”

Qi Rong pulled his chopsticks away with a light laugh and then finally began eating, “It’s been a while since we’ve eaten alone like this together, Shizun. It’s unfortunate that we don’t have enough time to go out and play like the old times.”

“Tell me about it. It was a miracle that we managed to even find the time to eat here. The amount of enemy attacks keeps on increasing month after month. It’s hard to even get a wink of sleep these days.” Shen Yuan agreed with a sigh.

“Speaking of enemy attacks, the Yong’an soldiers are getting more difficult to deal with. More of them are wearing armor and are wielding sharper weapons…..it cannot be that other kingdoms are aiding them, are they?” 

The transmigrator glanced up at him, “No, they definitely get their equipment from other kingdoms, there’s no other explanation for it.”

Qi Rong frowned deeply at this and couldn’t help but voice his doubts, “I heard about the rumors that say that the Yong’an soldiers were the ones behind the Human Face Disease since none of them have ever caught it, but isn’t that strange? Wouldn’t it make more sense for them to target our soldiers instead of the civilians?” 

Shen Yuan stared at Qi Rong.

“Am I wrong?” The prince asked.

“...I don’t know.” Shen Yuan lied. “It could be that they have other motives, but that is uncertain. Who knows? Maybe they did try to target our soldiers but failed in doing so.”

Prince Xiao Jing mulled over it for a little bit longer before he sighed for the fifth time that day, “I’ll just ask Cousin Crown Prince for his input on this, later.”

As the duo continued eating and talking, they overheard a loud conversation from a nearby table.

“Shhh! You’re being too loud, idiot! What if people overhear you?” A cowardly man said.

The stupid man dressed in fine robes who sat across him, refused to listen to his friend and raised his volume, “What about it?! Everyone here agrees with me! The war with Yong’an has been going on for nearly three years now! What is the Crown Prince doing? Isn’t he a martial god? Why hasn’t this stupid war ended yet? Why can’t he just find where those fuckers are hiding at and then kill them all with his godly powers? And what use is there of having a god on our side if he can’t even cure the Human Face Disease, huh?! He’s no god! He’s useless! He only has that pretty face going for him!” 

“Shut up! You’ll really get yourself killed at this point, dumbass!” His friend whisper-shouted, trying to cover his big mouth with his hands.

The stupid man moved his lips to continue talking but was stopped when two tall sillhouttes hovered over him with glaring eyes.

“P–Prince Xiao Jing, Your Highness! H–Hahaha, please ignore him! He’s drunk out of his mind, h–he doesn’t know what he’s talking about!” His friend panickedly said with a nervous laugh before whispering to the idiot sitting across him, “I told you to shut up! Look what you did! Hurry up and beg for his forgiveness now!”

“To slander the Crown Prince like this, you must no longer wish to keep your tongue intact.” Qi Rong affirmed in a threatening tone, a tight smile spreading across his handsome face.

The stupid man was filled with anxiety but his pride was too great. He was extremely reluctant to prostrate to Qi Rong in front of others who were secretly watching from a distance away. He was frozen in his seat, beads of sweat trailing down from his forehead as he gaped at the prince wordlessly. Qi Rong extended his arm forward to wrap his fingers around the former’s throat but was stopped when Shen Yuan’s fist flew out and landed a hard punch to the man’s face. 

The idiot nearly flew across the room and it took a long minute for him to crawl up to his knees. He covered the left side of his face that was swelling up with a trembling hand and tears started welling up at his eyes from the pain, “Y–YOU DARE HIT ME? DO YOU KNOW WHO MY FATHER IS?!!

Shen Yuan sneered at him and flicked his sleeves back, “Do you know who it is that is standing before you? You’re lucky that it wasn’t my blade but my fist that struck you instead.” He glanced back at Qi Rong, “Your Highness, do you have any orders for this servant?”

The prince didn’t bother to give the idiot sprawled on the ground another look, but instead, directed all of his attention to Shen Yuan, “No, no I don’t. Don’t waste anymore energy on this trash. Do you want to go to a different restaurant instead? I can find you a better one!”

The noble waved him off, “No, it’s fine. If you’ve already finished eating, then let’s head back to the fortress city.”

Prince Xiao Jing hummed and led him towards the exit, ignoring the loud chatter behind him that ignited as soon as they left. As they strolled down the street, Qi Rong held his arms behind his back and apologized to Shen Yuan in a low voice, “You didn’t have to do that back there. I’m sorry, I should’ve been more mindful of my status.”

“It doesn’t matter, everyone overheard him bad mouthing the Crown Prince, they’ll take that punch as a warning instead of a scandal.” He replied with a wave of a hand. “But I’ll have to admit, that punch was more satisfying than it should’ve been. All of my stress immediately went away as soon as my fist touched his face!”

Qi Rong agreed with him whole-heartedly and spoke with some pent-up frustration, “The audacity he has! Cousin Crown Prince is trying his hardest to find the cure for the Human Face Disease—all while constantly battling at the frontlines nearly every month! But day by day, more of these ungrateful bastards dare to open their dirty mouths and raise their tongues against Cousin Crown Prince! Can you believe how quick they are to discredit him?! Just watch, as soon as this war ends, they’ll crawl right back to Cousin Crown Prince and wag their tails at him!”

The transmigrator could only nod his head and respond with a dry laugh at Qi Rong’s statement.

A couple weeks later, Qi Rong found himself fighting on the battlefield again. He was dodging with light steps and killing with an unwavering sword. His movements were brought to a halt when he heard a loud shout: “WHERE’S THAT WHITE-CLOTHED MAN?” 

Qi Rong snapped his head towards the direction of the voice and found Xie Lian up against Lang Ying. He had never seen such an angry expression on his cousin’s face before. 

Did Cousin Crown Prince decide to kill Lang Ying in the end? Why is he searching for the White-Clothed Man from that day? Is he the reason why Yong’an’s army suddenly got stronger?

“You know who I’m talking about! Tell me! My patience is limited!” Xie Lian yelled.

Lang Ying stared at him with a placid expression on his face, “Your Highness, didn’t you say that Yong’an would continue to rain?”

Xie Lian’s form stuttered slightly, “I…”

Then, he glared at Lang Ying and struck at him, “I created that rain! Don’t you have any clue why it’s stopped?!!”

Qi Rong furrowed his brows together in confusion.

….Rain? Is that why Cousin Crown Prince used to leave the capital everyday without saying anything? Why is he searching for the White-Clothed Man from that day?

A sword rammed into the back of the soldier that raised his weapon to slice off Qi Rong’s arm. At this action, the prince was quickly pulled out of his thoughts. Shen Yuan twisted the sword further into the enemy’s flesh and then pried it away with a scowl, “Qi Rong! Pay attention, will you?!!”

Qi Rong smiled sheepishly at him, “Sorry, Shizun. Many thanks for saving this careless one.”

Shen Yuan huffed and blocked an arrow flying at him with a single swing, effortlessly breaking the long shaft of the arrow into pieces. Although he told Qi Rong to pay attention to his surroundings, his eyes kept on flickering back and forth from his path and the martial god who rushed towards Lang Ying with an outstretched hand that was charged with spiritual energy.

Prince Xiao Jing was right behind Shen Yuan when he made a quiet gasp. He followed the transmigrator’s line of sight and saw Lang Ying’s sword penetrating through Xie Lian’s chest. Qi Rong’s eyes widened in horror and he nearly dropped his sword.

Cousin Crown Prince got...stabbed by Lang Ying? How could that be? Cousin Crown Prince is invincible! That’s impossible! That Lang Ying must’ve pulled a dirty trick on him! He must have! There’s no way that Cousin Crown Prince, a martial god, would ever let a mere mortal leave a scratch on him! Please tell me Cousin Crown Prince is okay!

His shock didn’t last long when another enemy charged at him. After killing them with a couple strokes of a sword, Qi Rong threw a glance over his shoulder to see that his cousin was still standing up against Lang Ying, and was relieved over the fact that his cousin was still alive. He pushed aside the burning questions that jumbled around in his head and continued fighting.

As soon as the battle ended, the troops returned to the city gates.

Xie Lian was a busy person, so naturally, he didn’t linger around and immediately left to see the current state of the Human Face Disease patients that were quarantined in the Buyou Forest. 

While removing his armor, Qi Rong scanned through the crowd of soldiers with narrowed eyes and noticed that their numbers were smaller than before. He hoped it was just him who thought that this battle was much harder than the previous ones from before. 

“How could a martial god be stabbed by a human? Does that make sense to you?” A nervous voice asked quietly.

“Of course it doesn’t make sense! We’re supposed to be the army of god! So why was this victory more underwhelming than the others?” Another responded.

“I don’t know….”

“...Do you think we can actually win this war?”

“I—”

“Stop gossiping and hurry up before the kitchens close.” Shen Yuan announced in a stern tone. The soldiers quieted down upon hearing his voice and increased their pace, lowering their heads. When they walked past Qi Rong who was shooting daggers at them, only then did they continue whispering amongst themselves. 

Shen Yuan came over to the prince and nudged him on the shoulder, “What’s with that face, Your Highness? Are you alright?”

When Qi Rong raised his head to look up at Shen Yuan, he resembled that of a pitiful child who lost their way.

“Shizun….Cousin Crown Prince will save us all, right?” He questioned, his eyes searching around Shen Yuan’s face as if he had the answers hidden within them. “He...He’ll end this war and then find a cure for the Human Face Disease, right?”

Shen Yuan sighed and lifted a hand to ruffle his bangs, “Of course he will! Can you even hear what you’re saying right now? You know what? Maybe you’re not thinking right because you’re hungry. Come on, let’s go get you something to eat.”

Even though Shen Yuan said those words with nonchalance, Qi Rong sensed a hint of uncertainty behind them.

-

“I spy with my little eyes, something grey.” Shen Yuan stated, leisurely leaning against the wall of the tall fortress. 

“The boulders over there in the distance?” Qi Rong asked with an arched brow.

“Nope.”

“...Is it the fortress that we’re on right now?”

“Yep.”

Qi Rong snorted and crossed his arms, “Okay, I spy with my little eyes, something green.”

“It’s the grass down there. Surely you can be more creative than that, Your Highness.”

He shrugged at that.

The two staggered back from their positions when they felt the ground shaking all of sudden.

Everyone turned their heads and witnessed the gigantic pagoda sitting next to the palace, slowly tilting forward. One can see frightened civilians fleeing for their lives below the building that was going to collapse at any moment.

“THE CELESTIAL PAGODA IS FALLING!!!” Someone called out with great shock.

“All of you stay back on the fortress and keep an eye out for a possible enemy attack!” Qi Rong instructed before descending from the fortress with Shen Yuan by his side, dashing towards the falling pagoda at full speed.

“Shizun, what should we do?!” Prince Xiao Jing shouted, twisting his upper torso to the side to avoid bumping into a civilian that ran towards his direction.

“Help everyone evacuate! Make sure that there aren’t civilians stuck under the rubbles from the earthquake!” Shen Yuan yelled back.

Unexpectedly, they felt the ground violently shook again.

“WHAT THE FUCK? ANOTHER EARTHQUAKE?!” Qi Rong cursed through gritted teeth.

“No, it’s not! Look up!” The other cried out.

Qi Rong did as he was told and saw a towering golden statue walking towards the palace with large steps, holding a sword in one hand and a flower in the other.

“It’s the Crown Prince Statue from the Royal Holy Pavilion?” He exclaimed in astonishment. “Cousin Crown Prince is controlling it?! Truly amazing!”

The golden statue caught the Celestial Pagoda by its ledge and held it up with all of its strength, the smile on the serene face of the statue remaining unchanged even under the hefty weight it was holding up. 

When the young cultivators arrived at the scene, civilians were gathering around to prostrate before the golden statue that was slightly trembling beneath the heavy pagoda. The crowd of believers cried out for Xie Lian to save them and to protect the kingdom while his statue was holding up the pagoda that threatened to collapse and kill every single soul under its shadow. Xie Lian was sitting on the foot of his gigantic statue, casting spells as sweat collected at his forehead. Feng Xin and Mu Qing on the other hand, were busy helping victims that were trapped under large fragments of fallen buildings. 

“Why the fuck are they prostrating when he’s struggling to hold up that fucking tower?!” Shen Yuan angrily swore under his breath. “Fucking dumbasses!”

Qi Rong saw his cousin move his lips to say something but it was drowned out by the loud cheers of his believers. Without thinking, he headed over to Xie Lian, hearing Shen Yuan yell at the prostrating believers behind him. 

As soon as Xie Lian saw Qi Rong, the creases under his brows smoothened slightly. He immediately told him, “Qi Rong, hurry and go tell everyone not to hang around here, the pagoda might collapse!”

“Cousin Crown Prince...how can it collapse when you are holding it up?” Qi Rong answered with some confusion. 

Xie Lian fell silent and his expression darkened.

Qi Rong stared at him for a long moment before the corners of his lips were pulled up into a weak smile, “....It..It’s okay. It’s okay, Cousin Crown Prince. I’ll still support you no matter what happens.”

Xie Lian couldn’t bear to look at him in the eye any longer. 

He wasn’t able to say that he could protect the whole entire kingdom with the unwavering resolve that he had before. It wasn’t too long ago when Xie Lian became aware of the doubts and uncertainties that were shoved away in the darkest depths of his mind. 

....Could he really save all of Xianle?

Prince Xiao Jing swallowed and then turned around to face the mass with a serious face, “EVERYONE! PLEASE STOP PROSTRATING AND LEAVE IMMEDIATELY, THE CELESTIAL PAGODA MIGHT COLLAPSE! WE CANNOT TAKE ANY POSSIBLE RISKS!” 

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT MIGHT FALL? ISN’T HIS HIGHNESS INVINCIBLE?!” One declared.

“THAT’S A LIE! LOOK! HIS HIGHNESS IS HOLDING IT UP JUST FINE! HOW COULD IT COLLAPSE??” Someone pointed out.

Qi Rong scowled at their words and yelled out, “LEAVE IMMEDIATELY FOR YOUR OWN SAFETY, I WILL NOT REPEAT MYSELF!”

Some cowardly individuals did leave with great reluctance, but however, there were still many believers that pretended like they didn’t hear Qi Rong and continued prostrating in place.

Both Qi Rong and Xie Lian were at a loss.

-

Xie Lian was mediating under his golden statue when he suddenly heard footsteps coming near him. Thinking that it was a believer who dared to come close, Xie Lian frowned and opened his eyes to see that the one standing before him was Shen Yuan who was carrying two mantous in his hands.

“Shen Yuan?” 

The transmigrator settled beside him and dropped a mantou in Xie Lian’s free hand, “I would’ve brought you something better but it would’ve gotten cold by the time I got here. Here, eat up, Lian-ge.”

Xie Lian dumbfoundedly accepted the bun and looked at Shen Yuan with bewilderment, “...Why are you giving this to me? Why are you here?”

Shen Yuan grinned at him, “Food never fails to improve one’s mood, so I thought I might bring you some. Try it!”

The crown prince stared at the round mantou in his hands before taking a bite out of it. He didn’t know why, but the warmth that spreaded throughout his mouth and the sweet taste of the steamed dough, made him feel like crying. Without knowing, he quickly ate it within a span of a few seconds. Shen Yuan handed him the other bun and pulled out a flask filled with water, “Don’t eat too fast, you might choke on it. Here, drink some water.”

Xie Lian felt tears gather at the corners of his eyes and turned his head away from Shen Yuan, hoping that they’d dry immediately.

“Where’s Qi Rong?” He asked him.

“He’s still at the fortress city with Feng-shixiong and Mu-shixiong.” The noble replied. “Don’t worry about him, he’s doing fine.”

Xie Lian nodded and fixated his eyes up at the night sky with a despondent expression. 

“Earlier….I let him down.” 

Shen Yuan stayed quiet.

“...Ha, I too, would have stopped believing in mysel—”

“The stars are beautiful tonight, don’t you think so?” Shen Yuan interrupted, pointing at the white specks in the sky.

Xie Lian was caught off guard by this.

“What?”

The transmigrator spared him a glance, “How many stars do you think there are in the sky?”

“...I don’t know.” Was all he could say.

“Mmm, I’d say about an estimate of nine thousand something, but there’s probably much more than that.” Shen Yuan casually said. “...Do gods see stars in heaven also? Actually wait, you guys wouldn’t because heaven is built on top of clouds...right? Wait, wait, if you guys are on top of clouds, then what is above the heavens? The sun? But how would that—yeah I don’t even know what I’m saying. Please ignore everything that I just said.” 

...What the heck?

His questions were so bizarre that Xie Lian couldn’t help but let out a small laugh, “Shen Yuan, should I be concerned about this?”

Seeing that his terrible attempt at making Xie Lian laugh was successful, Shen Yuan shook his head and smiled, “When this is all over, we should go and see the Three Blossoming Waterfalls that Qi Rong has always wanted to see when he was a child. From what I heard, the water has healing properties and it must be a beautiful sight to see.” 

Xie Lian didn’t say anything beyond this point because he wasn’t in a position where he could carelessly make promises that he couldn’t keep. 

Shen Yuan read his thoughts and only continued gazing at the stars.

He truly didn’t know how he would proceed with his mission after Xianle’s fall. What would he do during those eight hundred years before he met with Xie Lian and the others again? Would he be staying by Qi Rong’s side as a wispy ghost?

If Shen Yuan was completely honest, that didn’t sound too bad.

The transmigrator stood up from his spot and turned to Xie Lian, “Well, I’ll be going now. Don’t be too hard on yourself and remember to take care, Lian-ge.”

Xie Lian watched the transmigrator shoot a threatening glare at the remaining believers that were prostrating before the statue from a distance away before he left, his figure becoming a moving dot that slowly disappeared into the night. 

And that was the last time they ever saw each other.

Chapter Text

“Shizun, wake up.”

Shen Yuan slowly opened his eyes and furrowed a brow when he realized that his head was lying on top of something...soft. 

...Was he on someone’s lap?

Shen Yuan quickly moved to get up but was stopped by a hand that gently pushed him back down and tucked away the long strands of hair that fell in front of his face behind his ear. He turned his head and looked up at the person who was staring down at him with a soft gaze.

“How long have I been out for?” Shen Yuan asked as he rubbed the sleep away from his eyes.

“For about three hours now.” Qi Rong replied. 

The corners of his eyes crinkle when Shen Yuan yawns and unconsciously snuggles closer to him for warmth, similar to that of a waking cat. 

“Mmm....has His Highness the Crown Prince returned yet?” 

“...No.”

“What about Mu-shixiong and Feng-shixiong?”

“No.”

Shen Yuan hummed in acknowledgement and momentarily shut his eyes.

“....Did Cousin Crown Prince say anything to you before he left?”

He shook his head, “No, he didn’t.”

“Oh. Same here.” A small crack formed on Qi Rong’s heart. “No one has seen them for a while now. I wonder where they could be. I hope they come back soon. Things have gotten...harder without them around.”

Shen Yuan knew that the chances of them coming back to save the kingdom was low to none. 

He got up from Qi Rong’s lap and quickly fixed his disheveled hair before throwing Qi Rong a glance, “Did you sleep yet?”

“No,” the prince lied, nervously looking away from Shen Yuan who turned around and hooked a finger under his chin.

Shen Yuan clicked his tongue, “What are these dark circles under your eyes then, Your Highness?” 

“...A hallucination?”

With a stern expression, Shen Yuan flicked his forehead and told him, “It’s my turn to guard the fortress city. Stop being stubborn and get some sleep.”

Although the prince wanted to protest, he felt his fatigue enveloping him, so he only gave Shen Yuan a small pout before settling in a comfortable sleeping position against the wall with a firm grip on the hilt of his sword. Shen Yuan closed the door behind him and walked along the stone path laid out before him, greeting patrolling soldiers as he paced past them. 

He dismissed the soldier who was temporarily keeping watch of the fortress city and stood before the ledge, peering over at the empty fields beyond the gates with a frown. 

It has been a couple weeks since Xie Lian, Mu Qing, and Feng Xin have suddenly disappeared. Everyone in the kingdom broke out in panic after coming to the realization that their god had finally given up on them. Out of anger, many citizens burned down Xie Lian’s temples and destroyed every single one of his statues.

Each day, thousands of people died of Human Face Disease that grew on their bodies and devoured them from the inside out. As if it can get any worse, tens of thousands of their soldiers died under Lang Ying’s overpowering troops. Because Xie Lian failed to stop this tragedy from happening, the Xianle citizens nicknamed Xie Lian as the God of Misfortune instead of the Flower Crown Martial God that they once sang praises about. The dazzling hope and faith that they had in Xie Lian and the kingdom gradually dissipated.

Shen Yuan knew that the current state of Xianle could no longer be salvaged and that was the reason why Xie Lian had finally given up and returned to the Heavenly Court with his two loyal servants, but he couldn’t help but wish that he took him along with them.

He was tired of strategizing and fighting against Yong’an because the end result was always the same; they lost every battle against Yong’an over and over again. Their fate had already been sealed from the moment they lost a battle against Yong’an. The number of losses they had kept on piling up over time, leaving behind a permanent bitter taste in their mouths. At this point, they were just waiting around for doom to befall them. 

Shen Yuan wondered, this time around, would Xie Lian come back to save Qi Rong and his mother? In the novel, he did save his parents after the kingdom fell, but where was Qi Rong then? 

...What would happen to Qi Rong and his mother after Yong’an took over the kingdom? 

What about his fathers? Would they be able to live until they died of old age? 

Shen Yuan folded his arms together and shook his head as if it would dispel the ominous feeling that crawled all over his skin. 

[ Don’t dwell too much over it. You’ll just stress yourself out more like that. ]

What are you talking about? I’m definitely not overthinking! Totally not thinking about the possible ways I can die, hahahaha. Jiu-ge, I think I might actually shit my pants if someone were to slice my neck ope—

Shen Jiu scrunched his nose and made a sound of disgust.

[ Do that and I won’t let you call me ‘ge’ anymore. Stop thinking like a coward, idiot. ]

You must be fun at parties, Jiu-ge.

[ It’s Qing Jing Peak Lord to you. ]

I hope you break your neck.

Shen Jiu would’ve told him something mean but then he remembered that if he were to tell Shen Yuan to trip and die, that idiot really just might later on, so Shen Jiu didn’t say anything in return.

“I guess that means that my life will be in your hands then,” he said with a sincere grin, his mood improving after squabbling with the system. “Take care of me, Jiu-ge. If I die horribly, then I’ll haunt you.” 

[ That depends if you don’t do anything stupid. Let’s hope you still have some brain cells left in that head of yours. ]

The noble rolled his eyes, “I won’t do anything dumb.”

His bright mood was ruined when a soldier quickly ran up to him with panic written across his face, “Sir! It’s another enemy attack!”

Shen Yuan drew his brows together and couldn’t help but feel irritated, “An enemy attack this late at night?” He leaned over the railing and squinted. He did indeed see an army rushing towards their direction from afar. Their numbers were large and every single one of them were armored up, dashing forward with overflowing vigor. Shen Yuan turned to the soldier and quickly ordered, “Warn the entire kingdom and ready the soldiers. Have those who are still on the fortress fire at the enemy until our troops head out. Get General Huang and General Yang. Don’t forget about His Highness, he should still be in his room!”

The soldier was quick to deliver the news, he relayed Shen Yuan’s orders to everyone and returned to him with an overwrought expression, “SIR! GENERAL HUANG IS NOWHERE TO BE FOUND!”

The transmigrator glared at him, “He’s gone?! What about General Yang?!!”

“He’s currently getting the troops in order!”

Shen Yuan gritted his teeth.

General Yang was in no shape to fight. He was old and was still recovering from his injuries. He can’t be leading the soldiers in his current condition! Did the heavens finally decide to fuck Shen Yuan over today?!!

Shen Yuan hurried over to the soldiers that were getting in formation and turned to the old general who was fully dressed in armor, “General Yang, you cannot go out in that injured state. I will lead the troops instead, please stay back.”

The general shook his head, “No. Even if I’m not leading the troops, I will still fight alongside my soldiers.”

“Bu—”

“We’re wasting time.”

Shen Yuan made a distressed sigh and then gave in with a nod, “Very well then, I won’t stop you.”

He quickly assessed his surroundings and saw that Qi Rong was nowhere in sight. Looks like he won’t be able to make it in time. No matter, he’ll be joining them shortly. There was no time to wait around when the enemy was knocking right outside of their door. Shen Yuan’s brows slightly creased before he strided over to the front and gave a few orders in a firm tone. When the gates creaked open and revealed a row of fallen soldiers being stepped on by their own comrades—Shen Yuan drew his sword and led the troops forward.

As he dodged and killed enemies with his unwavering blade, he couldn’t help but feel like this was going to be Xianle’s last fight. They didn’t have enough time to prepare for battle, their soldiers were exhausted and dispirited, one of their generals disappeared to who knows where, and as far as Shen Yuan can tell, more of their soldiers were dying compared to the enemy’s. Everything was turning to Lang Ying’s favor.

What a shitty day.

Shen Yuan shoved his blade further into an enemy’s flesh, putting an end to a life like he was blowing out a candle. The soldier fell to his knees with a stricken look on his face and revealed a person fighting behind him with a grim expression. Shen Yuan’s face twisted into that of a furious one. He was so angry and shocked that he couldn’t resist the laugh that came out of his mouth.

“So you’ve turned to the enemy’s side, General Huang?”

General Huang, who was wearing Yong’an’s colors, didn’t hesitate to attack Shen Yuan. 

Shen Yuan blocked his weapon with his blade, “What other tricks do you have up your sleeve?”

As if on cue, the distressed transmigrator heard loud shouts coming from the fortress and turned his head to see soldiers wearing the same colors that belonged to Xianle—attacking each other on top of the parapets. Defeated soldiers fell from the walls and plummeted to the ground. Blood and organs splattered everywhere and those who were unfortunate got crushed under the falling corpses.

“I don’t regret it, and I won’t ever.” General Huang declared resolutely. “I’m not the only one who didn’t want to wait around and die like cattle because of the king’s incompetence.”

Shen Yuan shifted his focus back to the traitor in front of him and tightened his grip around his sword, “You think they’ll keep you, a fool who betrayed his own kingdom, alive? General Huang, you must be dreaming. You and your accomplices.”

The traitor’s face turned three different shades of red before he lunged at Shen Yuan who avoided his strokes with swift steps. The transmigrator mercilessly slashed at General Huang, and to no surprise, the experienced general reacted to his wave of attacks better than ordinary foes. With great effort, the edge of Shen Yuan’s blade cut through the general’s armor and sunk into his lower abdomen. The traitor dropped to the ground without a word as blood escaped from his fatal wound. 

The transmigrator removed his sword from the corpse and tossed another glance at the fortress where soldiers fought amongst themselves in a state of confusion. 

Ah, they were done for.

Shen Yuan was unable to advance any further down the battlefield when his troops were slowly being pushed back towards the open city gates that invited enemy soldiers in. There was no other explanation as to why the city gates had opened up, the traitors successfully killed everyone on the fortress and opened the gates for the Yong’an soldiers.

Numerous questions and doubts stemmed from the anxiety and stress that weighed on Shen Yuan’s mind.

How many soldiers do we have left?

Did everyone in the kingdom evacuate yet?

I haven’t seen Lang Ying so far, where the hell is he?

What the fuck am I supposed to do now? Should I keep fighting? Should I surrender?

No, no, there’s no use in doing that. They’ll kill all of us no matter what.

Fuck, is there really nothing else I can do in this situation? Am I going to keep fighting like this until someone finally kills me?

...Where is Qi Rong? Is he safe?

The transmigrator found himself surrounded by a group of Yong’an soldiers when he was submerged in his wandering thoughts. Weapons struck at him from left to right, leaving him little space to evade their sharp edges. His body armor fell to the ground and blades carved deep gashes into his skin. Shen Yuan endured the biting pain that nearly made him see black and hurriedly killed a couple soldiers to create an opening from the group of foes that circled around him. He escaped from their withering trap but his legs slowed when he caught sight of two familiar figures fighting each other from a distance away.

His eyes widened with shock and his beating heart nearly stopped.

To his left was Lang Ying whose sword was driven into a person’s flesh, his burning eyes brimming with determination. The one on the receiving end was none other than Prince Xiao Jing, a tight expression drawn across his face and a hand wrapped around the blade that stabbed his chest.

Shen Yuan felt blood rush to his head.

[ SHEN YUAN! HE IS SUPPOSED TO DIE ON THE BATTLEFIELD! DO NOT INTERF— ]

It was already too late, Shen Yuan had tuned out Shen Jiu’s yelling and was rushing forward.

Lang Ying sensed the strong killing intent that crept up behind him and spun on his heels to counter the attack but he didn’t make it in time when a sword swooped in for his neck.

Suddenly, a golden aura radiated from Lang Ying’s body and stopped the sword from moving any further. The transmigrator scowled and made another attempt to take his life but his blade kept on clashing against the protective barrier wrapped around Lang Ying.

Shen Yuan took a couple steps back and circulated spiritual energy through his veins. Then, he charged at Lang Ying with a raised fist. Lang Ying didn’t falter from his position and looked to be in a fine condition when he received the blow. 

[ —YOU IDIOT! YOUR SPIRITUAL ENERGY WILL DISSOLVE AS SOON AS IT HITS HIM! ]

“That won’t work on me.” Lang Ying remarked, rousing Shen Yuan’s vexation. “His Highness the Crown Prince did the same exact thing and failed, but his attacks hurted at least.” 

Shen Yuan leaped forward and swung at him, “Then I’ll just beat you to death!”

But no matter how hard he kicked and punched Lang Ying, he wouldn’t die no matter what. No one could, not even gods. It was all because he had the aura of a king. When one with an aura of a king was put in a dire situation, their bodies naturally radiated an aura that protected them from harm. But if someone like Lang Ying had the aura of a king, then it confirmed the fact that it was pointless to continue fighting any longer because it was fated for Yong’an to take over Xianle.

Qi Rong had already realized this after going against Lang Ying himself. With a trembling hand over his wound, he sucked in air through his teeth and stepped forward to grab Shen Yuan’s shoulder, “S–Shen Yuan, we have to get to the palace.”

The transmigrator parried Lang Ying’s sword and threw a glance over his shoulder. Dread pooled at the bottom of his stomach when he realized that Lang Ying had planned on cornering them from the start. They were already in mid-way of the gateway!

If things had already come to this point, then it would be wise to head towards the palace to assist the royals. But that would mean that Shen Yuan had to leave his soldiers behind to die.

...Fuck.

Shen Yuan hooked an arm around Qi Rong’s waist and rushed towards the palace with haste, ignoring the loud shouts and the frightened screams that belonged to fleeing citizens. A flying arrow shot at Shen Yuan’s back and its momentum only stopped when Qi Rong suddenly moved in to take the hit for him.

“QI RONG!” 

“I–It’s okay, I have a very resistant body.” He quietly replied with a small smile as a stream of blood trailed down his chin. “Don’t pay me any mind, keep running.” 

The transmigrator felt his eyes begin to sting after Qi Rong took out the arrow that was buried in his back with great difficulty and pretended like nothing happened. He tightened his hold around Prince Xiao Jing and forced his numb legs to move even faster than they already were. When they finally arrived at the palace, they found pools of blood and dead bodies scattered everywhere. 

...Did the traitors invade the palace? 

Shit, shit, shit!

The pair hurriedly went inside and headed towards the main hall with worry plaguing their pounding hearts. 

They stumbled upon a tall man with broad shoulders crouching on the ground, seeming to be holding something in his arms. His long hair streaked with grey hung down his back, his blue robes were tattered and stained red, and the sword beside him had shattered into pieces. 

Shen Yuan raised his weapon at him, “Who are you? Where is His Majesty and the othe—”

“MOTHER?!” Qi Rong suddenly cried out.

The prince quickly broke away from Shen Yuan and staggered over to a woman in purple lying on the cold floor. Her vacant eyes stared at the ceiling, and the arrow that was sticking out of her stomach drained all warmth and color from her skin. Qi Rong thought that his eyes must’ve been playing tricks on him. 

….That’s right, she was probably just playing dead like she did sometimes whenever she felt like making fun of Qi Rong. She had to be. 

She couldn’t be dead.

Qi Rong sat down on his knees and gently shook his mother.

“Mama, wake up.” He said softly.

No answer.

She was always so persistent with her pranks.

“Stop joking around, wake up.” 

No answer.

“I’ll really be mad this time if you don’t stop.”

Still no answer.

Prince Xiao Jing tilted his chin to the side and lowered his head so that he could listen for a heartbeat. She always woke up and scared him with a loud ‘boo!’ whenever he did this. Surely she’ll do the same again.

…

…..

…….

Nothing.

He heard nothing.

Qi Rong’s shoulders started shaking uncontrollably and teardrops spilled from his eyes.

“Forgive me, forgive m—” He clutched onto his mother’s sleeve and started choking up. “F–Forgive this unfilial son for arriving late. Forgive this unfilial son for his foolishness.” His voice cracked. “....Forgive this unfilial son for being incapable. I should’ve come here faster, no, I should’ve killed Lang Ying from the very start. I–I’m sorry...I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.”

Shen Yuan swallowed the lump in his throat and tore his eyes away from the mother and son pair. He approached the man in front of him and demanded coldly, “Tell me where the king and queen are.”

As soon as the man turned around to face him, Shen Yuan’s sword nearly dropped from his hand.

“Papa?”  

Those sunken eyes full of despair made him unrecognizable at first glance.

His eyes flickered down at the thing that Yue Ji was holding in his arms and felt his heart drop.

It wasn’t an object.

“....Father?”

In Yue Ji’s arms was Shen Weiyao whose eyes were shut close, never to open again. For a man who used to frown a lot, it was strange to see him wear such a serene expression. If it weren’t for the red line that was drawn across his throat and the faint blotches of blood that made it obvious that someone was trying to wipe them away—Shen Yuan would’ve thought that his father was sleeping.

It was unfortunate that he wasn’t.

“The king and queen escaped a while ago.” Yue Ji stated, his eyes entirely focused on his husband’s face. “A-Yuan, don’t stay here any longer, they’ll be here soon.”

After a moment of silence passed, he asked his father, “What about you?”

“I’ll buy you guys time.”

“No. There’s no need to do that.” The transmigrator strongly refused. “Please, come with us.”

“A-Yuan—”

“Please!”

“No.” 

“Com—”

“I SAID NO!” Yue Ji shouted in a stern tone, startling his son who seemed like he was on the verge of tears.

Never in his entire life did he raise his voice at Shen Yuan. 

Yue Ji guiltily looked away from him and swallowed, “I can’t move my body any longer; I’ll just be a burden if you brought me along. Go. I don’t want you to die in a place like this.”

“...But I don’t want to leave you.” Shen Yuan murmured with a sorrowful expression.

Yue Ji didn’t respond.

When Shen Yuan glanced over at Qi Rong and saw him weeping and hugging his mother’s corpse, he let out a long sigh and came to a decision.

He has to be strong. He has to endure. If he doesn’t, then Qi Rong will die, along with himself. There is no time to mourn. All of his efforts would go down the drain if they continued lingering around the palace.

They needed to leave, now. 

The transmigrator steeled himself and sheathed his sword. He went over to Qi Rong with an inscrutable expression and pulled him up from the floor, “Your Highness, get up. We have to go.”

Prince Xiao Jing shook his head and tried to pull away from him, “No, I won’t leave her! Not until I bury her!” 

“Qi Rong! We have to leave now!”

As soon as he opened his mouth to protest, Shen Yuan snatched his arm and slung it around his shoulders. He wrapped a hand around Qi Rong’s waist and made sure that the latter wouldn’t escape from his tight hold. Shen Yuan took a couple steps forward before he stopped and turned back to look at Yue Ji, melancholy flashing across his eyes.

“...I will never forget the warm hand that always guided me through difficult times.” Shen Yuan restrained the tears that threatened to fall from his burning eyes and straightened his trembling back. “I am truly fortunate to have great fathers who endlessly gave me love and affection. Thank you for raising me all these years, I....I am grateful to have been born as your son.” 

Those last words were directed towards Shen Weiyao who had long gone cold. 

And with that, Shen Yuan swiveled around and began making his leave.

Just as they were about to curve around a corner, the virtual screen that followed Shen Yuan stopped in place and turned to glance at Yue Ji. 

Shen Jiu didn’t know why but his heart throbbed when he watched that lonely man cradle that cold corpse in his arms.

....Was he feeling pity for this man?

Ridiculous.

He turned back around and returned to Shen Yuan’s side.

Yue Ji brushed Shen Weiyao’s pale cheek with a gentle finger and quietly laughed, “Him? Fortunate? It was us that got lucky, haha…. Don’t you think so too, husband?”

Silence.

The rims of his eyes reddened.

“...Weiyao, you shouldn’t have blocked that sword for me. It should be me in your place, not...not you.” Yue Ji held back a sob and closed his eyes. He placed a soft kiss against his husband’s forehead and sighed. “Next time, next time for sure, I’ll be the one who’ll die protecting you. Whether it be a thousand arrows or a thousand swords that kill me, it doesn’t matter. I will bear it all for you.”

-

The prince who was by Shen Yuan’s side, couldn’t withstand the excruciating pain that he had been enduring the entire time and passed out. Using all of his strength, Shen Yuan kept on running as fast as he could while supporting Qi Rong’s taller frame, feeling like his legs were going to fall off at any moment. 

The Yong’an soldiers were so determined to kill off the pair that they chased them all the way down inside a deep forest. Shen Yuan managed to lose them but it wouldn’t be long before he ran out of energy. He needed to find a place to hide. The enemy soldiers would catch up to him soon if he didn’t.

But just as he turned right towards a path that led them up to a hill, he came across dark misshaped figures that he at first couldn't make out until the dark clouds drifted away from the dawning sun and granted him clarity. Shen Yuan alarmingly took a step back and reached for his sword before Qi Rong’s head rolled to the side and nearly pulled him down with his weight. 

The transmigrator cursed under his breath and quickly balanced him. With a tug, Shen Yuan’s sword slid out of its sheath and pointed at the demons in front of him. 

“Just my fucking luck.” He glowered at them. “What hole did you ugly fuckers crawl up from? Hell?”

The six demons in front of him were twitching and moaning on all fours. Their appearance was similar to the binu except these demons had longer limbs, sharp claws, had no eyes, and were as white as winter snow. Shen Yuan knew exactly what they were.

They were Flitting Feathers, known for their claws and quick speed. If one got scratched by their claws twice, they’ll start seeing simple hallucinations. Get scratched more than twice, then their sense of reality will distort and the hallucinations will worsen, making it harder for them to return to reality. After putting their victims under hallucinations, the Flitting Feathers will take that opportunity to drag their prey away to a safer place to devour them. Victims can be released from the hallucinations if they become aware of the fact that they were under one, but many failed to differentiate reality from lies.

Flitting Feathers didn’t have any eyes; Shen Yuan could’ve used that weakness to his advantage if only he and Qi Rong didn’t have the strong smell of blood on them. He would have to kill a couple of them and make a run for it. 

One of them jumped at the pair and shrieked when the edge of Shen Yuan’s sword punctured its heart. The others leaped over the fallen demon and charged at him. The transmigrator clenched his jaw and pulled Qi Rong close to his chest with a free arm. He spun around and swiftly dodged those threatening claws, panting heavily as the Flitting Feathers came for another round. 

Shit, he was wasting too much time and energy on them.

When another one lunged at Shen Yuan, the transmigrator twisted his body to the side to dodge but he didn’t see the demon stretch its claws out to scratch at him nor did he realize that there were now four marks etched across his arm. Shen Yuan was already experiencing extreme pain from his own injuries to notice the light stinging the scratches brought along, and he was too focused on protecting the unconscious prince to care about his own safety, so he didn’t know what was going to happen to him. As soon as Shen Yuan blinked, the shrieking demons were immediately replaced by those he wanted to see most.

Xie Lian, Mu Qing, Feng Xin, Yue Ji, and Shen Weiyao stood before him.

“Shen-shidi, what are you doing letting His Highness sleep on you like that? He’s not a kid anymore! Stop letting him use you as a pillow!” Mu Qing exclaimed, stepping forward to pull Qi Rong away from him.

Shen Yuan stared at them with shock.

Shen Weiyao grabbed Shen Yuan’s face and leaned in to take a closer look at him, “What’s with the bruises and scratches on your face? Who hurt you?!”

He felt like crying after seeing him.

“F–Father?” 

Shen Weiyao raised a brow, “What’s wrong? Does it hurt?” He looked at his husband who was also fretting over Shen Yuan’s wounds. “Yue Ji, go and get a doctor for A-Yuan!”

“No, no, no! I don’t need one! I’m fine!” Shen Yuan quickly said.

“Nonsense!”

He waved his hands at Shen Weiyao and kept on assuring his fathers that he was alright until he realized that his hands were empty. Shen Yuan was sure that he was holding something.

...But what was it?

Shen Yuan unconsciously moved his eyes over at Mu Qing who handed Qi Rong over to Xie Lian, “Tsk, when has he been one to sleep during the afternoon?”

“All that sparring from earlier must’ve worn him out.” Feng Xin commented.

Mu Qing rolled his eyes at him, “As if that would tire him out. He could spar with everyone in the Holy Pavilion and he’d still be full of energy.”

“Alright, stop it you two.” Xie Lian laughed softly as he brought up a hand to support his cousin’s back. “I’ll take Qi Rong to Auntie, she’ll take care of him.”

Shen Yuan felt like something was off. 

“Wait!” He called out to the Crown Prince. “Where are you going? We’re in the middle of a forest—”

Forest?

Why were they in the middle of a forest?

Xie Lian swiveled his head around to look at Shen Yuan and said with some confusion, “What do you mean? We’re at the palace.”

What?

“...No we’re not.” 

Xie Lian slightly frowned, “Is there something wrong, Shen Yuan?”

Shen Yuan couldn’t wrap his head around it.

Suddenly, a virtual screen popped up in front of Shen Yuan’s face and screamed at him.

[ SHEN YUAN! SNAP OUT OF IT! THEY’RE HALLUCINATIONS! ]

Shen Yuan shook his head and lurched back.

Yue Ji’s arms flew out to stop Shen Yuan from falling backwards, “A-Yuan—”

Faint wisps of spiritual energy swirled around the transmigrator’s hand, and before Yue Ji could react, Shen Yuan struck him with a hard fist. The servant wordlessly dropped to the ground, blood pouring from his abdomen. 

The false images of his friends and family immediately washed away, restoring the haunting demons back to their hideous appearances. 

Shen Yuan picked up his sword from the ground and shot them a deathly glare, “Foul bastards.” 

With adrenaline rushing through his weary body, Shen Yuan dashed towards the Flitting Feather who was dragging Qi Rong away and sliced its head off with a clean horizontal arc. He quickly caught the prince in his arms and carefully laid him down before slaughtering the shrieking demons that charged at him.

Shen Yuan nearly toppled over as soon he finished killing them off but then he quickly steadied himself upright. He couldn’t faint now when Qi Rong was still lying on the ground with no means of protection.

The transmigrator carried Qi Rong on his back and staggered over to a cave that was hidden behind tall trees and hanging vines. Shen Yuan placed him on the floor and glanced at the virtual screen that hovered over the unconscious prince. 

Shen Yuan clicked on the unmute button on the screen and quietly said, “...Jiu-ge.”

[ You’ve finally stopped ignoring me? ]

Shen Yuan didn't try to defend himself. He muted Shen Jiu as soon as he arrived at the palace because it was getting harder to ignore the his yelling. 

[ Why did you save that brat?! Didn’t you tell me that you weren’t going to interfere with the plot? What’s the whole point of saving him when he’s going to die at the end?!! ] 

“Qi Rong has saved my life plenty of times.” Shen Yuan stopped him with a deep frown. “Naturally, I will repay him.”

[ IT DOESN’T MATTER! QI RONG WAS SUPPOSED TO DIE ON THE BATTLEFIELD IN THE FIRST PLACE! FIRST YOU SAVE THAT STUPID PRINCE AND THEN YOU TRY TO KILL LANG YING?! HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND?!! ]

[ NOT ONLY DID YOU GIVE YOURSELF MORE WORK, YOU BROKE THE RULES— ALL FOR A FICTIONAL CHARACTER THAT’LL COME BACK AS A GHOST LATER ON! ARE YOU DUMB?! ]

[ SHEN YUAN, DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU’VE GOTTEN YOURSELF INTO?! I’VE WARNED YOU SO MANY TIMES THAT ANY ATTEMPTS OF CHANGING THE PLOT WILL LEAD TO AUTOMATIC PUNISHMENT! WHY DIDN’T YOU LISTEN TO ME?!! ]

Shen Yuan couldn’t bear listening to Shen Jiu any longer. All of the frustration and grief that he bottled up inside of him—spilled from his lips. 

“SHUT UP! I’M TIRED OF HEARING YOUR VOICE! I DON’T CARE IF I GAVE MYSELF MORE WORK AND STRESS! I’M GOING TO DIE IN THE END TOO! WHAT DOES IT MATTER? SO WHAT IF I SAVED QI RONG?! WHAT WAS I SUPPOSED TO DO? WATCH MY BEST FRIEND DIE IN FRONT OF ME?!! I MIGHT AS WELL KILL HIM MYSELF INSTEAD THEN!”

[ YOU— ]

“I’M TIRED OF RUNNING! I’M TIRED OF WATCHING EVERYONE THAT I CARE ABOUT DIE ONE BY ONE! I CAN’T ENDURE IT ANYMORE! I DON’T CARE ABOUT FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL PLOT! I’M SICK AND TIRED OF IT! I’VE ALREADY LOST MY FIRST FAMILY AND THE ONLY FAMILY THAT I HAVE IN THIS WORLD IS GONE! THE BOTH OF THEM ARE GONE! I DIDN’T EVEN GET THE CHANCE TO REPAY THEM IN TENFOLD! I DIDN’T GET TO SAY GOODBYE TO FATHER OR EVEN PROPERLY THANK HIM FOR RAISING ME BECAUSE HE WAS ALREADY DEAD! I…I WASN’T EVEN A SON HE COULD BE PROUD OF!” Shen Yuan shouted angrily, wiping away the hot tears that trickled down his cheeks. “I DON’T CARE ABOUT PUNISHMENT AT THIS POINT! GE, I CAN’T AFFORD TO LOSE ONE MORE IMPORTANT PERSON!”

Shen Jiu fell silent.

 “Stop rubbing it in, I know that I messed up.” Shen Yuan sniveled. “....I know already.” 

The stream of tears that never seemed to dry up, irritated the transmigrator. Shen Yuan furiously rubbed at his eyes with his palms, “URGH! WHY THE FUCK IS IT RAINING INSIDE OF THIS STUPID CAVE?!” 

It was already embarrassing enough to run away like a dog with a tail tucked in between its legs. He was a grown man! Crying in front of others like this was shameful! Acknowledging the fact that there were tears falling out of his eyes would be a big blow to his pride. 

Shen Jiu’s lips twitched with annoyance.

He wanted to say, ‘If you’re going to make an excuse, at least make a good one! Dumbass!’ but he didn’t have the time on his hands to do so.

On the other side of the screen, Shen Jiu was pulling his hair out of frustration.

He was supposed to hand out punishment as soon as his host broke the rules, but he didn’t. The punishments that all systems had to give out consisted of death and torture. Naturally, Shen Yuan wasn’t going to be let off easy.

...But how could he punish that stubborn kid who always addressed him as ‘Jiu-ge’? Shen Jiu remembered those days when he used to nag Shen Yuan about every little thing, whether it be his poor posture, his clumsy fingers that plucked at the guqin strings, his lack of awareness to those who admired him, and the way he’d always put others’ lives before his.

….Shen Jiu had grown fond of Shen Yuan over the years he spent as his system, no matter how much of a pain in the ass the transmigrator was. As long as Shen Jiu remembers those shared memories, he will never be able to bring himself to punish his host.

It was laughable. Shen Jiu, the Qing Jing Peak Lord who pushed his own disciple into the abyss, got attached to Shen Yuan, the imposter who took his identity and fooled others into believing that he was Shen Qingqiu in a different world. 

The transmigrator was covered in purple bruises and bleeding wounds from head to toe, looking like he could drop dead at any given moment. If one saw his appearance from afar, they wouldn’t have possibly guessed that it was Shen Yuan. Shen Jiu...really didn’t want him to suffer anymore than he already was, but if he spared Shen Yuan from punishment, then there would be heavy consequences that will follow.

What to do, what to do, what to do…

When a lightbulb finally went off in Shen Jiu’s head, his fingers quickly flew across the holographic keyboard to issue a command. 

{ LOADING . . . }

{ ERROR }

Shen Jiu slammed his fists against the keyboard.

“AN ERROR? HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?!!”

{ Permissions revoked by: Owner . }

{ Reason: Violation of Protocol. }

His face went white.

The higher-ups have already been notified?! That fast? Impossible! The higher-ups, especially Shang Qinghua, only monitored their employees’ progress whenever they had free time—which was rare! Otherwise, they trusted the fact that their employees would work hard because they knew that their employees who were once vigorous villains, were more than determined to return back to their original worlds!

{ TELEPORTING ( Qing Jing Peak Lord, Shen Qingqiu ) , TO HEADQUARTERS . . . } 

“NO, NO, N—”

As if sensing that something was off, Shen Yuan raised his head to look up at the virtual screen that stared back at him silently.

“Jiu-ge?”

No response.

Shen Yuan called for him again, “Jiu-ge, are you there?”

No response yet again.

“I didn’t mean it when I told you to shut up.”

…..

“...I shouldn’t have gone back on my word, I’m sorry.”

……..

“You’re still not going to speak to me?”

…………

“.... Fine, stay mad then.”

Shen Yuan pushed Shen Jiu to the backburner and turned to look over at Qi Rong’s condition. Now that Shen Yuan had a proper look at him, it was impressive how Qi Rong was still able to move earlier, especially with the wounds that Lang Ying inflicted. A cultivator’s durability was truly something one shouldn’t underestimate. 

But Qi Rong was so, so pale that he resembled a ghost, and he might just become one if his wounds were left unattended to. Frightened at the thought of Qi Rong dying, Shen Yuan moved to check on his wounds but he suddenly felt like there were a thousand weights pushing down on his legs.

He couldn’t move his legs at all.

The transmigrator quickly flexed his fingers and lifted his arms from the floor, sighing with relief when he realized that they were still working functionally. His legs were probably tired from all of that running.

It was okay, he would be fine after a bit of rest.

Shen Yuan directed his eyes down at the Qi Rong and focused on his chest that rose and fell with every intake of a breath, assuring the former that the prince was still in fact, alive.

He reached out to grasp at Qi Rong’s hand, curling his blood-stained fingers around his palm. Shen Yuan gave him a gentle squeeze, “You’ve been sleeping for too long now, wake up already. If you don’t wake up, then....then...” He suddenly remembered those bold words that Qi Rong told him a couple years ago during the Mid-Autumn Festival. “...Then forget about spending all of eternity together. You have to wake up no matter what, you hear me?”

Unexpectedly, there were loud shouts coming from outside. 

“Come here! There’s footprints and blood over here! You think it might belong to them?”

“Who else could it be? It has to be them!”

“Go check it out, they might be hiding in there! Quick!”

Shen Yuan was filled with dread upon hearing those voices. 

He dropped the prince’s hand and tried to get up from the ground, but his legs wouldn’t move a muscle. Shen Yuan glanced at the cave entrance and back at Qi Rong anxiously. 

GET UP GET UP GET UP GET UP GET UP!

He gritted his teeth and clenched his hands. Shen Yuan raised his fists and swung it downwards, slamming them against his legs, biting down on his bottom lip to prevent the pained groans from escaping him.

It was a stupid method, akin to a person attempting to slap the life back into a broken TV, but it was enough to fire him up. 

Fueled by his strong resolve, Shen Yuan’s legs finally obeyed his will. He swayed on his feet and tried to steady himself. He took a deep breath, stepped back a couple times, then swiveled around. Without looking back, Shen Yuan sprinted out of the cave and drew the attention of the searching Yong’an soldiers. 

“—HEY! SOMETHING JUST RAN OUT OF THE CAVE!” One exclaimed in alarm.

“THAT HAS TO BE ONE OF THEM! GO! WE CAN’T LOSE THEM AGAIN!” Another yelled.

Once the Yong’an soldiers caught sight of Shen Yuan, they immediately chased after him with their weapons, too blind in their excitement to realize that they were being deceived by that staggering back that led them away from their main target. 

Shen Yuan didn’t know that letting go of Qi Rong’s hand would become one of his biggest regrets. 

-

With his back pressed against a tree, Shen Yuan slowed his breathing and quietly listened to the agitated soldiers tread past the tree he was hiding behind.

“You dumbass! He was injured! How the hell did you lose sight of him?!” 

“I don’t know! He just suddenly disappeared! Don’t put the blame on me! It’s your fault for running too slow!”

“Bastard, do you wanna di—”

“The two of you, stop arguing and go search for him!”

As the footsteps and voices faded away, Shen Yuan slowly got up and took a peek. Seeing that there weren’t any signs of danger, he stepped out of his hiding spot and started heading towards the direction of the cave with haste.

When the hairs on his skin stood up and a chill traveled down his spine, Shen Yuan stopped in his tracks and instinctively gripped around the hilt of his sword.

“So this is where you’ve been.” A crisp voice called out to him, a hint of amusement in their tone.

The transmigrator turned and faced the white figure who wore a half-crying and half-smiling mask. Alarmed by his sudden appearance, Shen Yuan didn’t hesitate to attack him on sight. The calamity caught his blade in between his fingers with ease and remarked, “Too slow.”

Shen Yuan wrenched his sword free from Bai Wuxiang’s hold and scowled, “What do you want?” 

The White-Clothed Calamity crossed his arms and stared at him thoughtfully, “Hmm, what is it that I want?” He pretended to mull over it for a bit before he recalled a certain memory. “Where are your friends?”

Shen Yuan glared at him, “What do you mean?”

“The one in green and the one with short hair.”

“I—”

“No, not him. I’m talking about the other one with green eyes.” He clarified. “He fought against that cultivator with a red flame mark on his forehead. Luo Binghe, was it? Ah, that sword of his was quite remarkable.”

Shen Yuan nearly dropped his jaw.

How did Bai Wuxiang...how did he know of this? 

Was he possibly there during the fight between the former master and disciple pair? 

But how?! How was that possible?!!

How could they have drawn Bai Wuxiang’s attention during that time? 

Fuck, fuck, fuck! 

This was not supposed to happen!

The transmigrator quickly wiped away the bewilderment from his face and responded in a dull tone, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Hmm, is that so?” Bai Wuxiang strummed his fingers along his snowy sleeves. “If you tell me, I can guarantee your safety.”

What a lie.

“How am I supposed to tell you anything if I don't know what it is that you’re inquiring about?” 

“Don’t be too difficult now, Shen Yuan.” Bai Wuxiang said, impatience apparent in his voice. “You won’t make it out alive in this forest no matter how hard you fight. You only need to give information in exchange for safety, doesn’t that sound promising?”

“Sounds like bullshit,” slipped out of Shen Yuan’s mouth.

The calamity sighed in disappointment.

“If you won’t tell me…” 

Without a warning, Bai Wuxiang abruptly disappeared from his sight.

Shen Yuan froze when he felt a large hand wrap around his neck.

“—Then I’ll force it out of you.” The menacing white figure finished.

The latter panickedly searched for the virtual screen that remained silent all this time.

JIU-GE! THIS CRAZY BASTARD IS DANGEROUS! CALL FOR BACKUP OR, OR HELP ME! I DON’T KNOW! WHATEVER WORKS! 

No response from his system.

...JIU-GE? ARE YOU STILL MAD AT ME? 

I’M SORRY! I’M SORRY FOR SAYING THOSE THINGS EARLIER! I’M SORRY FOR TAKING MY ANGER OUT ON YOU! 

“The three of them were even stronger than all of the heaven officials combined, and the spells they used were strange, yet powerful. It was unlike anything I have ever seen. I’ve searched through countless records and books, yet there weren’t any information about the techniques they used nor were there any identities that matched with theirs.” Bai Wuxiang declared with growing curiosity.

The hand around Shen Yuan’s neck tightened, “Tell me, who are they? What are your connections to them?”

“C...Can’t...s–speak!” The transmigrator choked out, his legs kicking at the air.

As soon as Bai Wuxiang finally loosened his hold, Shen Yuan slid his blade against Bai Wuxiang’s hand and sliced him before freeing himself. 

The White-Clothed Calamity looked up at Shen Yuan and queried, “You come from a different world, don’t you?”

Shen Yuan stayed silent.

If he quickly denied it, then it would be too suspicious. But if he did accept his claim, then he’d be putting himself into greater danger. In the end, it didn’t matter how he replied, that Bai Wuxiang was adamant.

Fuck, what should he do now?

Shen Jiu wouldn’t answer him no matter how many times he called his name, and Shen Yuan knew very well that even if he wasn’t injured, he still wouldn’t stand a chance against Bai Wuxiang. If Xie Lian couldn’t beat him, then Shen Yuan couldn’t either. 

….He was going to die here no matter what, wasn’t he?

Bai Wuxiang took the transmigrator’s silence as confirmation and spoke with some excitement, “Interesting, how very interesting.” He looked at Shen Yuan and realized that something was missing. “Where is that prince of yours that you protected from the Flitting Feathers with your life?”

Of course he was the one who sent those demons after him, who else was capable of doing that?

“NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS!” Shen Yuan angrily snapped. “QUIT ASKING ME QUESTIONS! GO DIE IN A PIGSTY, NOSEY MOTHERFUCKER!”

Behind Bai Wuxiang’s mask, his brows twitched upon hearing those rude words.

“There are many other ways for me to find out the truth. Don’t be foolish enough to think that I won’t kill you, Shen Yuan.” The White-Clothed Calamity lifted his arm and pulled a sword out of thin air, the silver blade shimmering with spiritual energy. “I haven’t forgotten about you countlessly interfering with my plans regarding His Highness. I’ve been lenient with you because I had other arrangements for you, but it seems like you won’t be of any use.”

Shen Yuan gritted his teeth and tried to fight off the growing black spots that hung over his vision. He struggled to hold his head up properly to look at the calamity, and his heavy legs wouldn’t budge from their position.

To Bai Wuxiang’s surprise, the transmigrator collapsed to the ground before he could even strike him.

Shen Yuan finally reached his limit.

Although he was more than ready to fight again, his body couldn’t keep up and gave up on him.

MOVE!

MOVE GODDAMN IT! 

“Tired already?” Bai Wuxiang asked with great dissatisfaction. He scanned around his surroundings and recognized that there wasn’t a single living soul in sight. “It seems like your friends won’t be coming to save you.” 

He stepped on Shen Yuan’s head and pushed his face into the dirt, “Truly useless, you couldn’t even lure them here with your life.”

Shen Yuan clenched his jaw and tried to raise his head but only got pushed back down by the foot that rested on top of his head.

This was beyond humiliating.

Shen Yuan had never felt this pathetic in his whole life.

He hated that feeling of helplessness.

He hated it with every inch of his soul. 

...Jiu-ge, please save me.

Bai Wuxiang looked off into the distance and hummed, “Now where did you hide Prince Xiao Jing?” A sudden thought flashed across his mind and made him giggle. “He couldn’t possibly be at the cave where you ran out of, could he?”

A pair of hands twisted around his ankle.

“....I’LL...KILL...YOU!” Shen Yuan enunciated with seething anger, every word laced with overflowing hatred. 

The White-Clothed Calamity glanced down at him with disdain and jerked away from his weak grasp. He raised his sword and told him four simple words: 

“The dead cannot speak.”

Bai Wuxiang plunged his blade into the transmigrator’s back and twisted its edge further into his skin, tearing muscles apart and eliciting agonizing pain that drew an anguished scream from Shen Yuan.

Before the transmigrator lost all five of his senses, he heard an announcement from a familiar robotic voice.

[ COMMENCING ADVANCED PUNISHMENT ]

[ DESTINATION: ENDLESS ABYSS ]

[ TELEPORTING HOST . . . ]

-

Qi Rong’s eyes slowly opened and he was greeted by the sight of a cavern ceiling. He stared at the ceiling in a daze, barely keeping conscious from his gnawing injuries. 

...How did he end up here again?

The prince blinked at the ceiling a couple times before the memories finally came rushing in like a river; Yong’an attacking their kingdom, fighting Lang Ying, his mother’s death, Shen Yuan running and fighting….

Shen Yuan?

Where was Shen Yuan?!

“S...Shen Yuan?” Qi Rong called out nervously, shifting his head from side to side to find traces of that transmigrator. “Where are you?”

He would sit up from the floor to get a better view of the cave he was in, but the pain that permeated across his chest forced him to stay on his back. Sweat gathered at his forehead and panic churned within him.

The presence that has always been by his side was gone.

“Shen Yuan, where are you?” Prince Xiao Jing tested again, fear shrouding over his drumming heart. His eyes began welling up with tears and his breaths came out short, the tightness in his chest intensifying. “Shizun? Answer me!”

Was he too much of a burden that Shen Yuan decided to leave him behind to his own devices? 

He...He couldn’t have left him.

Shen Yuan couldn’t have gotten tired of protecting him, no, he wasn’t that type of person.

...But then again, Qi Rong thought the same for Xie Lian. 

If his cousin can leave his family and his people behind to suffer without saying a single word, why would Shen Yuan be any different from him?

How could Qi Rong be so confident that Shen Yuan wouldn’t leave him too?

Suddenly, he heard faint footsteps entering the cave.

“Shen Yuan? Is that you?” The prince exclaimed, all of his doubts subsiding temporarily and hope blooming inside of him. He didn’t care about the possibility of it being an intruder. It had to be Shen Yuan.

The footsteps came to a stop and a familiar face appeared in front of his view. A handsome man with thin brows and a mole under an endearing smile, stared down at him with warm eyes. 

Qi Rong was relieved.

Shen Yuan didn’t desert him after all!

Qi Rong grasped the transmigrator’s hand and held onto it tightly like he was afraid that the latter would disappear. “Shen Yuan” immediately pulled away from him and reached for his sword before the prince started sobbing uncontrollably.

“D–Don’t leave me,” the prince begged, tears streaming down his pale cheeks. “Don’t leave me, Shen Yuan. You’re the only one I have left. My...My mother’s dead, I don’t even know if my aunt and uncle are still alive, and Cousin…” Qi Rong couldn’t help but cry even harder. “...Cousin Crown Prince has abandoned me.”

At Shen Yuan’s lack of response, Prince Xiao Jing quickly said with desperation, “I–I’ll stop being a burden. I’ll grow stronger so that I can be the one who’ll protect you. I’ll...I’ll stop crying since you don’t like it when I cry, so...”

“...So don’t leave me, pleas—”

Suddenly, he felt cold metal pierce his heart.

Qi Rong looked up at the wielder, shock and betrayal flickering across his features. His tears stopped flowing, blood endlessly poured out of his chest, and his stricken heart slowly stopped beating. 

Qi Rong has seen many expressions of Shen Yuan’s, but he had never seen him wear a scornful one before, much less have such a frosty gaze directed at him.

Qi Rong had opened his mouth to speak but his words didn’t leave his lips as soon as the lurking darkness engulfed him. 

Why?

What have I done to make you kill me?

Why did you save me, only to kill me in the end?

What was it that I did wrong? 

What sin did I commit?

Was I that much of a burden that you decided it was better off to kill me?

Tell me, Shen Yuan. 

Why?

Why why why why why why why why why why why why why why WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHY?!!!!!!!!

Until Qi Rong got the answers out of Shen Yuan, he will never be at peace.

-

A green flame hovered over a forsaken corpse, illuminating the cave with its fierce glow. The flame rose up in the air and grew brighter and brighter until the cave exploded with light.

A ghostly figure emerged from the shadows, revealing a tall man who was rather striking.

Viridescent eyes flared behind bangs that parted at the middle, and long waves of dark hair swayed back and forth with every step the man took. His eyebrows curved downwards and his red lips were pulled back into a frown when he stumbled upon an unpleasant sight.

The ghost stopped in front of the pile of ashes that replaced the rotting corpse after his transformation. He stared at his own ashes for a while before realization dawned upon him.

“Ah, I nearly forgot about them.”

He needed to visit Yong’an before hunting down Shen Yuan.

He had to repay an eye for an eye after all.

Chapter Text

With long strides and a black-clad warrior by his side, a man who wore a half-crying and half-smiling mask, arrived at the gates of a newly built palace. 

Beneath the white mask, the man’s face contorted at the sight before him.

All of the traps and defense arrays that warded off evil were destroyed. 

Who got here before he did?

He gave a brief glance to the black-clad warrior before heading further inside the palace with swift, soundless steps. 

Just as soon as the pair arrived at the gates of the palace hall, they heard two voices coming out of the room. One was powerful and filled with scorn, while the other spoke in a low, flat voice. 

The man with the half-crying and half-smiling mask on, creaked the palace door open wide just enough for him to see through the crack.

Beyond the door, Lang Ying sat stiff on his throne. His cheekbones were hollow, he had a deathly pale complexion, and he had lost a lot of weight since the end of the war. Like this, Lang Ying was like a wilted willow leaf that was holding onto a branch for dear life; a single breeze was more than enough to pluck that leaf from its place.

A tall masculine figure donned in emerald robes stood in front of Lang Ying, a long sword in one hand and the other wrapped around the Yong’an ruler’s neck. Since their back was turned to the palace doors, the masked man couldn’t identify who they were. 

“...I-It’s you?” Lang Ying choked out. 

“It wasn’t too long ago when you drove a sword through my chest, and now you can’t even lift a cup to drink from without trembling? How pathetic you’ve become, Lang Ying,” the mysterious intruder answered coolly. 

He tightened his grip around the Yong’an ruler’s neck until he heard a loud cry that belonged to a child. 

But that sound didn’t come from anywhere but Lang Ying.

Lang Ying’s robe was ripped off without further notice, revealing two faces on his skinny body. The bigger face belonged to a woman, and the smaller one belonged to a crying baby. 

The masked man who was watching from behind the palace doors, was shocked by this revelation.

How did Lang Ying get infected by the Human Face Disease?

“The Human Face Disease? How is this possible?” The intruder asked, removing his hand from his neck and lightly pressing the tip of his blade against Lang Ying’s throat.

Lang Ying tried to soothe the two faces on his body by caressing them gently and briefly said, “They’re my wife and son. It’s not the Human Face Disease.”

Although the intruder didn’t understand how that happened, he did understand that if he didn’t kill Lang Ying right now, then the Human Face Disease would harvest the Yong’an ruler’s life instead. 

But as soon as he lifted his sword, a slim shadow flashed across his vision. 

He dodged the quick blade that swung into a vertical arc and countered it with his weapon. The intruder raised his gaze to look at the newcomer, his eyebrows furrowing and his lips parting slightly.

The man in white funeral clothing with a half-crying and half-smiling mask on, faltered back when they discovered the intruder’s identity. 

“Qi Rong?” 

Qi Rong immediately recognized that voice. 

Who else could it be but his cousin, Xie Lian? 

Right at that moment, a red pearl fell out of Lang Ying’s robes and bounced up and down on the floor, rolling at Xie Lian’s feet. 

“T...That pearl,” Lang Ying panted, drawing their attention over to him. “I’ve always wanted to say this to you: thank you for the pearl.”

Xie Lian never expected to hear something like that from Lang Ying. An emotion deep down inside his heart wanted to surface, but Xie Lian pushed it down and turned to Lang Ying.

“YOU…!”

“If you had given it to me sooner, then things would’ve been better. But unfortunately…” 

Qi Rong bolted towards Lang Ying and clanged his blade against Xie Lian who quickly blocked his sword with Fang Xin. 

“GET OUT OF MY WAY!” Qi Rong impatiently yelled.

He wouldn’t allow Lang Ying to die a peaceful death! 

Xie Lian didn’t realize that his body moved on its own accord. He nearly stepped out of the way for his younger cousin until an unwanted memory forced its way into his mind. 

Back then, after Mu Qing left Xie Lian and Feng Xin, Xie Lian began seeing Bai Wuxiang’s face everywhere. When Xie Lian looked into the mirror, Bai Wuxiang’s face would be in the reflection. He’d see Bai Wuxiang standing in the middle of a doorframe, and sometimes, Xie Lian would see Bai Wuxiang standing behind Feng Xin.

Xie Lian couldn’t pretend that he didn’t see that white silhouette suddenly appearing in unsuspecting places to scare him anymore. He screamed at Bai Wuxiang and even tried to slice him into pieces, but he ended up touching nothing but air. Xie Lian did whatever he could to make Bai Wuxiang disappear, but produced negative results. 

One day, while Xie Lian was cupping up water from a small river, out of the corner of his eyes, he caught a familiar white figure walking past him from the reflection of the water. 

Xie Lian quickly spun on his heels and chased after the white figure with a hand on the hilt of his sword. Strangely enough, Bai Wuxiang didn’t stride up ahead of the path. Instead of keeping a few steps in between the two of them, he ran and made sure that Xie Lian didn’t come close. 

Irritated by this, Xie Lian picked up his pace and drew his sword.

This time for sure, he’ll erase Bai Wuxiang from his life!

The former martial god lunged forward and stabbed Bai Wuxiang through a fatal spot; the heart. Xie Lian was surprised to find out that his blade actually went through the latter’s flesh.

He killed him too easily; it was suspicious. 

Before Bai Wuxiang’s person collapsed on the ground, Xie Lian reached out and grabbed a handful of the other’s hair; dark locks of hair slightly twisting around the crown prince’s slender fingers. 

With a strong tug of his hair, Bai Wuxiang’s white mask fell off. 

Xie Lian’s eyes widened with horror as a sharp gasp came from him.

Scarlet tears trickled down the face of a young man, a blanket of misery shrouding his handsome face, and his shrunken pupils staring into Xie Lian’s frightened eyes.

“C...Cousin Crown Prince,” a low cry came from Qi Rong. “Help me….it hurts, it hurts so much….help me. Please...please save me.”

Shaken up, Xie Lian immediately released his firm grip on his cousin’s hair and stumbled backwards. 

Xie Lian felt like an endless pit formed at the bottom of his stomach.

He dropped his weapon and plop , he fell on the ground with bemusement and covered his eyes with his hands that were covered in blood all of sudden, “No, no...no! T–This isn’t…!” 

Xie Lian didn’t mean to hurt Qi Rong! He didn’t know that he was….he didn’t mean to kill him!!! 

“C–Cousin….” Qi Rong sobbed, sounding as if he was in great pain. “Won’t you look at me?”

When the crown prince followed his request and raised his head, his younger cousin suddenly disappeared from sight and the blood on his hands were gone. 

Xie Lian was utterly confused, he was sure that Qi Rong was lying there with a....with a fatal wound on his chest. What was happening? 

A sudden thought hit him.

What if Bai Wuxiang was messing with him again?

Xie Lian gnashed his teeth together, his blood boiling at that thought. 

“...BAI WUXIANG!!!” He angrily yelled at the top of his lungs. “QUIT HIDING, I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME! DON’T TOY WITH ME BY PRETENDING TO BE MY COUSIN! IF YOU...IF YOU HAPPEN TO HAVE HIM, THEN YOU’D BETTER RETURN HIM OR ELSE I’LL RIP YOUR HEAD OFF! IF YOU TOUCH A SINGLE HAIR ON QI RONG, THEN I’LL MAKE SURE YOUR SOUL WON’T BE ABLE TO RETURN BACK TO THE CYCLE OF REINCARNATION WHEN I KILL YOU, YOU HEAR ME?!!”

Of course, Bai Wuxiang never answered him. The chirping birds and running water were the only things that the crown prince could hear, minus the light footsteps that were closing in on him from behind.

Xie Lian swiveled around and pointed his sword at the person who arrived at the scene, his eyes fierce and his face twisted into a terrifying expression. If one saw how Xie Lian looked now, they wouldn’t be able to recognize that he was once the famous martial god who carried a flower in one hand and a sword in the other with a serene smile on his face. 

“...Your Highness?” Feng Xin quietly asked with apparent worry, sweat trailing down from his forehead as he glanced at the sword that nearly pierced his neck. “What’s wrong? Why were you screaming? Are you alright?”

Seeing that it was only Feng Xin, Xie Lian lowered his weapon and immediately relaxed his tense shoulders. He broke down into tears shortly after. 

The loyal servant was puzzled, but he didn’t hesitate to wrap an arm around Xie Lian, comforting him by giving him awkward but gentle pats on the back. 

“W-We have to find Qi Rong no matter what,” the crown prince bawled. “...Shen Yuan too! We have to find those two as soon as possible…! I'm afraid of what will happen if Bai Wuxiang gets a hold of them….” He stopped himself and then spoke in a shaky voice, “...W-What if they’re dead already, Feng Xin? What if he killed them before we could find them? What will I do, then? How will I face Auntie and Shen Yuan’s fathers in the underworld?! W–We have to find them no matter what, we have to find them, we have to find th—”

“Your Highness!” Feng Xin interrupted, grabbing Xie Lian by the shoulders. “What made you like this? What happened while I was away?”

He slightly frowned when Xie Lian tried to explain everything to him, hearing him mention Bai Wuxiang’s name over and over again. Feng Xin couldn’t help but feel perplexed at this.

Although he had a small doubt that Bai Wuxiang appeared in front of Xie Lian again but in Qi Rong’s appearance, he couldn’t deny the possibility of Qi Rong and Shen Yuan being dead. 

Word spread that near the end of the war, Prince Xiao Jing’s mother was assassinated, Shen Weiyao was killed during the royals’ escape, the nobles that resisted against Yong’an were killed, and that frighteningly strong man who turned out to be a servant under Shen Weiyao—nearly massacred every traitor within the main hall of the Xianle Palace, but Lang Ying took his life without breaking a sweat soon after. 

However, Qi Rong and Shen Yuan were still missing to this day. No one had found them, nor did anyone stumble upon their corpses. 

But as the saying goes, no news was good news. There was still the small possibility of them being alive, and Feng Xin was going to hold onto that possibility. 

“Those two...they’re really strong; they won’t die easily,” Feng Xin said softly. “I’m sure we’ll find them soon, Your Highness.” 

Would they be able to find them?

Xie Lian didn't trust in his own abilities enough to say that he could.

Presently, Xie Lian found himself staring at Qi Rong who was glaring back at him and he knew; this had to be Bai Wuxiang. If this was the real Qi Rong, then that would be too good to be true. Reality was never kind, and Bai Wuxiang loved to play tricks with his mind in this manner. 

“BAI WUXIANG!” Xie Lian screamed, wrath fueling the strength behind his blade. “YOU DARE WEAR MY COUSIN’S FACE TO MESS WITH ME AGAIN?!”

Qi Rong was struggling to hold his ground against Xie Lian’s overwhelming strength, but he somehow found it in himself to laugh at the current situation. 

“HAHAHAHAHAHAH, YOU CAN’T EVEN RECOGNIZE YOUR OWN COUSIN ANYMORE??! HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND, COUSIN CROWN PRINCE?!!” He laughed hysterically like a madman. “GOOD...VERY GOOD! IT’S WHAT YOU DESERVE! YOU DESERVE IT! HA, ARE YOU GOING TO KILL ME, TOO? JUST LIKE HIM?! I GUESS BLOOD IS THINNER THAN WATER IN THE END AFTER ALL!”

Xie Lian struck out at Qi Rong with his keen blade, slicing his cheek as the latter barely dodged his attack in time.

“DON’T SAY THOSE WORDS WITH HIS FACE!” 

Scoffing, Qi Rong closed the distance between the two of them and spoke, “Enough, I don’t have the time and patience for you! If you don’t get out of the way, then don’t blame me for being cruel!”

Right at that moment, the black-clad warrior who was silently watching from the sidelines with great indecision—jumped in.

“Wuming, what are you doing?!” Xie Lian shouted when the young warrior moved in front of him and blocked every attack for him with his unwavering sabre. 

Wuming didn’t answer him at first, but after he received a few blows from Qi Rong, he warily stepped back and said in a monotone, “My apologies, Your Highness. Lang Ying….Lang Ying has died already.” 

Qi Rong clenched his jaw when he overheard those words. When he glanced over at Lang Ying’s warm corpse for confirmation and saw that he was truly dead, he felt a sense of failure within him. 

….He couldn’t avenge his mother. 

“I really hate you, Cousin Crown Prince…!” Prince Xiao Jing snapped, the veins running across his hands bulging from anger. “I hate you, I hate you, I HATE YOU!!! I’M ASHAMED TO BE RELATED TO SOMEONE AS USELESS AND PATHETIC AS YOU!!! NOT ONLY DID YOU ABANDON EVERYONE BUT ONLY SAVED YOUR PARENTS—YOU COULDN’T EVEN FULFILL A SIMPLE REQUEST FROM ME?!! IT’S BECAUSE OF YOU THAT MY MOTHER DIED, IT’S BECAUSE OF YOU THAT I COULDN’T AVENGE MY MOTHER!! IF YOU DIDN’T ABANDON US, THEN MY MOTHER STILL COULD’VE LIVED! AND PERHAPS, SHEN YUAN WOULDN’T HAVE…! H–HE WOULDN’T HAVE…..!” He choked on his words for a bit before continuing on with a slightly shaky voice, “....I HATE YOU, I HATE YOU, I ABHOR YOU, COUSIN CROWN PRINCE!!!” 

Every single word was a hard hit to Xie Lian’s guilty conscience. He was shocked, and almost believed that the person in front of him was truly his cousin, but the fact that Qi Rong had coincidentally appeared at the Palace of Yong’an the same time as he did in order to kill Lang Ying—made Xie Lian doubtful. 

What if this ‘Qi Rong’ was Bai Wuxiang in disguise, and was merely acting like this so that Xie Lian could suffer even more from his uselessness and guilt? 

Xie Lian refused to fall into another trap of Bai Wuxiang’s again. 

Sparks danced in the air as blades collided against one another, drops of blood splattered on the floor, and the tall pillars that supported the palace hall shook from the ongoing battle. 

Forced to be on the defense, Qi Rong scowled as the two black and white figures worked together against him with clean, coordinated movement. It was clear who was at the disadvantage here and who it was that carried the most injuries. 

Suddenly, a voice screamed out, “U-UNCLE?!”

Xie Lian turned his head towards the doors of the palace hall and saw a young boy standing there, staring at Lang Ying’s corpse with a frightened expression. 

‘Who are you?” Xie Lian demanded with indifference, taking his attention off of Qi Rong for a passing second.

The latter seized that opportunity to deflect Xie Lian’s blade, pulling himself away from the duo and rushing towards the door. Qi Rong struck the boy’s neck with the hilt of his sword and effortlessly killed the incoming guards and servants that got in his way.

Wuming gave chase, but was stopped by the sudden surge of flames that closed off his path. The scorching fire crawled on the walls and devoured everything in sight, the green flames illuminating every dark corner of the palace. 

Dread churned Xie Lian’s insides as he watched Qi Rong escape.

...Did Bai Wuxiang ever have the ability to produce such powerful green flames? 

-

A ghost with a head of a boar hid behind a large bush. Although his anxious heart no longer moved, he felt like it was going to explode from the fear he was feeling!

He was sweating like crazy when he heard the sound of footsteps coming closer and closer to him, tears nearly flowing out of his eyes when he realized that he was going to die.

The footsteps came to a stop, and after a couple minutes went by, they finally moved and turned to a different direction. 

He was still alive…! The heavens must’ve taken mercy upon this poor ghost! 

He should’ve never taken a single step on this mountain! It was a stupid decision to come to such a dangerous place! 

Thousands of ghosts had gathered at the gates of Mount Tonglu, brimming with uncontrollable excitement. As soon as the gates opened and welcomed the ghosts inside, the slaughter immediately began. 

The ghosts ripped each other apart into shreds, tore heads off of necks here and there, ruthlessly squeezed every last drop of blood from one another using cruel methods, and vigorously fought with bloodstained weapons. 

All was well until a ghost in green arrived at the gates of Mount Tonglu, a long sword with a sharp edge in one hand. 

The other ghosts saw his appearance and thought to themselves, that pretty boy over there looks like he hasn’t killed a single soul in his life...should I go for him? 

A handful of ghosts immediately recognized him as the former prince of Xianle and considered retreating or fighting against him with the strong possibility of dying for the second time. Chills ran down their spines as they recalled the times when Prince Xiao Jing would fiercely cut down every enemy that threw themselves in his path. Although he wasn’t as powerful as his older cousin, Xie Lian, he was certainly not an ignorant pretty boy who has never spilled blood before!

Those who approached him were killed on spot without further warning, a stroke of a sword massacring an entire row of ghosts. 

Qi Rong swiveled and faced the many remaining ghosts that gaped at him, bloodlust emanating from him as he walked forward. He turned the whole mountain into a bloodbath, slaughtering everyone in sight and incinerating the cowardly ghosts who tried to escape with his searing flames. 

The boar-headed ghost slowly moved out of the bushes, looked to the right and left, and then sighed to himself with relief, “Thank the heavens, I’m still alive! Tch, forget this mountain! I’m leav—”

A blade sliced through the middle of his face, blood spurting everywhere and the top part of his head dropping to the floor with a heavy splat. A green flame lunged at the ghost and grew larger as it greedily fed on his flesh and clothing. 

Qi Rong drew back his outstretched arm and proceeded to travel further down towards the heart of the mountain, wearing a cold expression that never wavered during his time here at Mount Tonglu. 

When he finally arrived at the top of a soaring volcano, he sheathed his sword and squinted at the black chasm below, “This is the Kiln?”

He only had to jump inside of the Kiln and break out of the volcano within 49 days in order to become a Supreme. 

He needed to become stronger; his strength needed to rival Xie Lian’s at the very least. 

Qi Rong stepped closer to the edge of the volcano and leaped forward. 

-

The second time Xie Lian met Qi Rong was during the Gilded Banquet. 

When Xie Lian arrived at the palace hall, dead bodies were strewn all over the place. The green flames that ravaged the corpses of Yong’an nobles and extravagant furniture struck him with deja-vu. 

With all of the rising smoke and raging fire in front of him, Xie Lian didn’t have a clear grasp on his surroundings. Unsettled, he quickly maneuvered over to the very back of the hall where the throne stood. 

A tall man hovered over the dying Yong’an king, a familiar jade hairpin holding a section of his hair up in a kept bun, his emerald robes resembling the green flames that were scattered everywhere, and a black mask over his face hid his identity from curious eyes. The young man who was nervously shifting beside him was the last royal descendant of Xianle, An Le. 

Xie Lian staggered back, nearly tripping over a corpse. 

Upon sensing another presence, the man twisted his neck to look at Xie Lian. Due to the white and gold mask that covered the latter’s face, his gaze didn’t linger on the former marital god for any longer than a few seconds, fixing his attention to the king below him.

Afraid that he would finish off the king, Xie Lian slid his sword out of his sheath and hurriedly sprinted towards the throne. 

“QI RONG! DON’T KILL HIM!”

But before those words rolled off of his tongue, his younger cousin suddenly retracted his blade, grabbed onto An Le’s collar, and stepped into a Distance Shortening Array that Xie Lian didn’t notice earlier. 

The former marital god broke out of his daze when the Yong’an king called out to him, “F...Fang Xin…”

Xie Lian saved him, of course. But only after the king ordered him to wipe out all of the Xianle people because of his near-death experience—did Xie Lian decide on killing him.

And as soon as he plunged his sword into the latter’s chest—the youthful prince of Yong’an, Lang Qianqiu, barged into the palace hall and witnessed Xie Lian killing his father. 

The rest was history.

-

Qi Rong frowned at the uneasy servants before him, “You still haven’t found him?” 

A servant lowered his head with shame, “N-No, my lord! We’ve even looked through every corner of Ghost City and…and we couldn’t find the person Lord Qi was looking for. This servant apologizes for his incompetence!” 

The Night Touring Green Lantern shattered the porcelain cup in his hand, wine spilling all over the table. 

“USELESS! ALL OF YOU!” He yelled, slamming his fist against the wall out of frustration. “....SHEN YUAN! HOW IS IT THAT YOU CAN HIDE SO WELL FROM ME?! HOW LONG DO YOU PLAN ON MAKING ME SEARCH FOR YOU!!?”

Hundreds of years have gone by, and yet, Qi Rong still hasn’t found him.

Like a starved dog that was sniffing around for meat, he desperately looked for traces and clues about Shen Yuan’s whereabouts. 

Even if Shen Yuan did die at one point or another, Qi Rong didn’t care. He will find his reincarnation at all cost, and if he didn’t die—supposing he became a ghost or a god, then Qi Rong will relentlessly search the heavens and the mortal realm; that was what he did over the years.

So how is it that he still hasn’t found Shen Yuan yet?!

It was like he had never existed in the first place! 

“My lord, you’ve only described his appearance to us so far. Perhaps, if you were to paint a portrait of him on a piece of paper, then our chances of finding the person you seek will increase,” a random servant offered politely.

Qi Rong raised a brow at that, but he ended up ordering a servant to bring him blank papers and a brush. 

He tried to recall Shen Yuan’s face.

As a prince, Qi Rong had met plenty of gorgeous women whose beauty were unmatched, but in his eyes, they were nothing but….what did Shen Yuan used to call irrelevant side characters back then? Cannon fodders?

But ah, Qi Rong looked at no one but Shen Yuan back then. He was beautiful, so beautiful that Prince Xiao Jing himself, had to ward off other suitors that coveted him. 

There was a mole under his lips that Qi Rong had always wanted to place a small kiss on, and his eyes were…

Qi Rong drew his brows together. 

His eyes….his eyes were sharp, just like that scary father of his…..right? 

...But didn’t Shen Yuan resemble his mother more?

Qi Rong’s brushstrokes came to a halt as he tried to remember how Shen Yuan looked. 

….

…….

………..

Only a blank face came to mind. 

“...My lord? Is there anything this servant can help with?” A servant that stood by his side asked with concern.

Prince Xiao Jing waved her off and continued painting, his expression darkening as he crumbled up another failed painting not too long after.

Although many hours had already passed, Qi Rong was still trying to paint a portrait of Shen Yuan.

“Shen Yuan….why can’t I remember your face?!” Qi Rong frustratedly murmured to himself as he dragged the tip of his inky brush against the paper.

The servants within the vast cave never addressed the tears that streamed down their lord’s face. 

When Qi Rong finally gave up, he broke the brush into pieces and shot up from his sitting position. He stomped over to the exit of the cave, the servants trailing behind him attempting to persuade him into staying, “My lord, my lord! You’ve just come back from your long journey, you should rest a while longer!”

Prince Xiao Jing ignored them and strided out of the deep cave. He would definitely recognize Shen Yuan’s face if he saw him again; all he needed to do was to find him from his hiding place.

Under the night sky, the ghost king walked with a lantern in hand, the green flame within the lantern fending off the lingering darkness. 

In a different world, under a red sky; a frighteningly large vulture with two heads landed on top of a human corpse. 

This human corpse in particular, was split into two. Intestines spilled from the upper half of the body, pleasing the vulture that pecked at the bloody entrails. After the vulture was satisfied with its fill of intestines, it moved over to the head of the corpse. 

The human corpse had a very handsome face, thankfully the monster that killed them didn’t leave any damage on it. The human’s eyes were wide open, the light in their eyes extinguished, and the tear streaks down their cheeks had dried long ago. The vulture quite liked the mole under the human’s lips, it made the human even more attractive and this vulture enjoyed seeing pretty things. 

The vulture reached its neck down towards the human’s face and tore an eyeball out of a socket with its long beak, swallowing the eye and devouring the rest of the head. 

When the human was still alive, the vulture watched a Shrieking Griffin that was known to play with its prey—chase after the unfortunate human from the sidelines. And after the human was caught in between the monster’s large fangs, they kept on repeating a name under their dying breath before they were ripped apart.

“Jiu-ge…Jiu-ge….Jiu-ge…..” 

Chapter Text

He roused from his slumber, his heavy eyelids lifting and a sharp gasp sounding out from him. He wiped off the cold sweat with the back of his hand and raised his gaze, finding a floating virtual screen with words written across it.

{ Punishment Completed }

{ Please head to the headquarters for your next awaiting orders, Shen Qingqiu. }

The door to the jail cell immediately unlocked and slid open, beckoning him to make his exit.

Shen Jiu furrowed his brows and stepped through the doorway, stiffly walking past empty jail cells as if he had just learned how to walk.

It felt strange to have his limbs back together again.

Shen Jiu twisted the doorknob and made his way in, welcomed by the sight of Shang Qinghua writing yet another novel.

The Qing Jing Peak Lord’s pale, impassive face immediately changed into a deep scowl when he saw a small, black puppy with a red sigil on his forehead sitting on top of Shang Qinghua’s desk.

His legs carried him over to Luo Bingge and without hesitation, Shen Jiu wrapped his hands around the puppy’s throat and squeezed.

“YOU DESPICABLE LITTLE BEAST…! I SHOULD’VE KILLED YOU AS SOON AS YOU STEPPED INTO MY PEAK!!!” 

Luo Bingge’s little fangs sank into Shen Jiu’s hand, but that proved to be useless as the latter continued to strangle him, tightening his hold even.

“Calm down. You just got back from punishment, take it easy, Shen Jiu,” said Shang Qinghua who stopped typing on his holographic keyboard and stretched out an arm towards their direction.

A sudden black force floated towards the former master and disciple pair and separated them from each other; Luo Bingge ferociously growled and barked at Shen Jiu and the latter continued to curse at him with apparent scorn. 

Shang Qinghua kneaded his temples, sighing to himself.

Perhaps it was a bad idea to call for Shen Jiu right after he experienced his death once again. That, and Yue Qingyuan getting killed in front of his eyes because of Luo Bingge.

….

…..

…….

It was a dick move on Shang Qinghua’s part.

“Enough. You two, stop fighting in my office,” Shang Qinghua sternly announced as he kicked Luo Bingge out of the office, closing the door behind the stallion protagonist.

The god sat back down on his chair and folded his arms, “Ah, peace at last. That stubborn son of mine wouldn’t stop asking me to transmigrate him into a world with Shen Yuan. Tsk, tsk, who does he take me for? A servant?”

Shen Jiu frowned at the mention of Shen Yuan, “What did you do to Shen Yuan? Where is he?”

Shang Qinghua raised a brow at him, “Getting straight to the point, aren’t you? Which Shen Yuan are you talking about? There are thousands of Shen Yuans out ther—”

“My Shen Yuan.”

The latter coughed, “Your Shen Yuan? Why’d you make it sound like—why’d you say it like that…”

The Qing Jing Peak Lord glared at him.

Shang Qinghua made a sound of amusement before waving his hand, a virtual screen appearing in front of Shen Jiu’s face.

“Take a look for yourself.”

Shen Jiu squinted his eyes and saw a familiar figure embracing a skinny plant monster in his arms. 

He was taken back by this, “S–Shen Yuan?!”

At first, he thought that Shen Yuan had mistaken that monster for a peerless beauty until he saw the tears flowing down his cheeks and heard the words that came out of his mouth.

“Father, please….please forgive me,” sobbed Shen Yuan. “If this incompetent son had known there would be traitors infiltrating the palace, then I would’ve…I would’ve arrived to the palace earlier to help. I’m sorry, I should’ve saved Papa….I should’ve saved him too…! But I only escaped with Prince Xiao Jing, and I couldn’t even save him in the end! Father, this...this son of yours is a failure.”

The plant monster opened its wide mouth and slowly lowered its head down towards Shen Yuan who cried even harder, “Is...Is that true, Father? Y–You don’t blame me at all?”

Drool dripped from the monster’s long tongue.

With glistening tears in his eyes, Shen Yuan gently smiled at the monster as if it had comforted him with kind, reassuring words, “...Is that so?” He smiled even wider and said with great gratitude, “Thank you for believing in me, Father.”

CHOMP!

The headless body stood still for a passing beat before it dropped to the floor, blood staining the yellow grass. 

Both terrified and at loss for words, Shen Jiu speechlessly stared at the screen with wide eyes. 

Shang Qinghua clicked his tongue and shook his head, “Ah, he’s lost his mind again. What a pity.”

After the plant monster had its fill, it headed back towards its home within the forest and left behind a puddle of dark blood.

Shen Jiu glimpsed at Shang Qinghua from the corner of his eye, tightening his jaw and wondering whether he should murder him or not before suddenly, the puddle of blood shivered and rose up into the air. It stretched and stretched until it changed color and molded a human skeleton. Muscles formed around the white bones, and then three layers of skin covered the entire frame. Old scars from the past were etched onto the skin, strands of black hair grew from the scalp of the head, the irises of the eyes were colored in with brown, resembling the elegant strokes of a brush; long eyelashes grew on the eyelids, and thin lips were painted scarlet. 

Thus, Shen Yuan was returned back to his former state.

The transmigrator blinked a couple times in stupor and returned back to his senses shortly after, “.....Again?”

Shen Jiu has never heard him sound so exhausted before.

Shen Yuan stretched his limbs and yawned like he had just woken up from a long nap. He took a brief glance around his surroundings before wandering off to nowhere.

The more Shen Jiu watched Shen Yuan journey throughout the abyss, the more he couldn’t bear to continue watching any further. He snapped his head in Shang Qinghua’s direction, emitting strong killing intent.

“Take him out of that place immediately,” he angrily hissed, his clenched knuckles turning white.

“You don’t recognize where he is?” Shang Qinghua asked casually like he was talking about the weather.

Shen Jiu narrowed his eyes at Shang Qinghua.

“Since he broke the rules, I tossed him in the trash,” He said lazily. “It’s where you pushed your disciple off a cliff.”

Shen Jiu felt his blood run cold.

The Endless Abyss?

He gritted his teeth, “That’s too harsh of a punishment! Why would you—”

“Shen Yuan’s a terrible liar and a rule breaker; Bai Wuxiang found out that he was a transmigrator. I had to get rid of him. I don’t need another fictional character traveling through different universes and getting in the way of others’ work. Luo Bingge has caused me a lot of trouble already,” Shang Qinghua explained with a troubled expression. “I called you here because I wanted you to erase that alternate universe you created.” 

Bai Wuxiang found out…? 

How?

How did he find out?! That’s impossible!

“No,” firmly answered Shen Jiu.

Shang Qinghua stared at him for a bit and sighed again, “And why is that? Is it because you got attached to your host?”

Shen Jiu went silent.

The god began tapping his fingers against the surface of his hard desk, “Shen Jiu, do you know why I hire villains to be systems?”

When the Qing Jing Peak Lord didn’t reply, he went on, “Not only do they create interesting alternate universes; they don’t get attached to their hosts, rather, most of them hate their hosts to death and actually get their jobs done. Surely, I thought you’d be the same, this is quite disappointing...” He frowned and laid back on his chair, “Tell you what, since it is kind of my fault that Luo Bingge entered your world and ruined everything—if you successfully create another alternate universe with a decent storyline, then I’ll still let you return back to your world.”

Shen Jiu considered this idea at first, but he inquired later on, “What about Shen Yuan?” 

“Shen Yuan? His data will be erased along with the alternate universe you created, so there is no need to worry about him.” 

The former’s face darkened, “No, I won’t do it.” 

Shang Qinghua pursed his lips at his refusal, “You’ll still have Shen Yuan as a host, it’s just that he won’t be the same person who transmigrated into Heaven’s Official Blessing.” 

Would that mean that Shen Jiu would have the Shen Yuan who still resided in the modern world as his new host...? 

Would that Shen Yuan crack jokes with Shen Jiu during serious situations every once in a while?

Would that Shen Yuan rant to Shen Jiu about terrible novels and their unexplainable loopholes? 

….Would that Shen Yuan call him ‘Jiu-ge’ like how his Shen Yuan did?

Would he?

That Shen Yuan will not be the same as the Shen Yuan he knew. 

Shen Jiu didn’t want to start over anew.

“I’ll continue working on this project, so bring Shen Yuan back from the Endless Abyss,” he demanded, eyes fierce and lips pressed into a straight line. 

He was getting on Shang Qinghua’s nerves.

“Shen Jiu, do you really want to lose the opportunity to return to your world for a mere fictional character? Do you not want to see your martial siblings and Yue Qingyuan again? You’ll still have Shen Yuan as your host in your new work, even. Why do you keep on insisting on working on this alternate universe?” 

The Qing Jing Peak Lord didn’t answer his question at first, knowing well that if he were to say something rash, Shen Yuan would be stuck in the abyss forever. After some contemplation, like the crescent moon peeking out of the dark mass of clouds, Shen Jiu was struck with an idea.

“It’s because this project has great potential that I refuse to let it go to waste,” he slowly said, lifting his gaze up at the god. “Think about the possibility, Shang Qinghua. From friends to enemies to lovers, don’t you think it’ll be interesting if the dynamics turned out to be like that? What reader doesn’t enjoy some angst in their story?”

A small glint flashed across Shang Qinghua’s eyes.

Shen Jiu spoke with slight confidence, “On my way here, I heard that the company was running low on employees. How about this? I’ll recruit Bai Wuxiang, and you’ll have happy readers; two birds in one stone.” 

Shang Qinghua didn’t bite the bait at first, “But what will you do if Bai Wuxiang completely changes the plot or even worse—somehow finds a way to escape from his world? What will you do then?”

“Then I’ll just have to kill him one way or another to prevent that. I can still recruit a dead villain into this company, after all. I just need his soul.”

The god stared at the Qing Jing Peak Lord with scrutinizing eyes, his folded arms pressed against his chest and his legs crossed over the other. 

After some time passed, Shang Qinghua huffed and moved his gaze over to his computer screen, “As tempting as that sounds, Shen Yuan isn’t stable enough to continue on with his mission. In fact, his soul is quite fragile at the moment. He can break easily. I don’t think it’s worth the effort.”

Shen Jiu didn’t know what to say to this. His composed expression fell apart as he tried to search for an answer from within the depths of his mind.

Shang Qinghua felt bad upon seeing the look on the former’s face and relented, “...Fine, fine, you can do whatever you want as long as you don’t get in the way of others’ work. There will be conditions though, so don’t think you’ve got it easy. Come closer, I’ll tell you what the conditions are. You’re not going to like it.”

After the god finished stating his conditions, a deep wrinkle was carved in between Shen Jiu’s thin eyebrows. He looked at Shang Qinghua like he had been scammed by a fortune telling swindler. 

The latter shrugged off his frustrated stare, glanced at his watch, and then mentioned with a sigh, “I have to attend a meeting with the other heavenly gods within a couple minutes, so you’ll have to fetch Shen Yuan from the Endless Abyss yourself.” 

The Qing Jing Peak Lord glowered, “How will I get th—”

“Since Shen Yuan has been in the abyss for too long and hasn’t been in connection with you for a while now; you as a system, will have to bind yourself with his soul again,” Shang Qinghua said, standing up from his seat and pushing  stray strands of hair behind his ear. “If he refuses to leave from the abyss, then there’s nothing you can do about it. If you drag him to your alternate universe out of sheer force, then his soul will suffer otherwise. Pray that you’re persuasive enough to bring him back.”

Shen Jiu rolled his eyes, “You and your stupid conditions….”

The god lightly pressed two fingertips against Shen Jiu’s forehead and drew small radicals that glimmered shortly after, “There will be no one to help you when you arrive there, so keep an eye out for yourself.”

“You think I’m scared of a couple monsters?”

Shang Qinghua hummed, “I’m not telling you to be careful around monsters; the one you should be careful of is Shen Yuan.”

Shen Jiu was confused, “What do you me—”

He didn’t get to finish his sentence when Shang Qinghua lifted his fingers from his forehead and flicked his wrist, “Take advantage of this second chance. Don’t disappoint me, Shen Jiu.”

Chapter Text

Luo Binghe truly didn’t understand why the shizun who had treated him so well before—would push him down into the abyss. 

His shizun knew well that sending him down to the abyss meant death. Even if Luo Binghe was a heavenly demon, that didn’t mean that he wouldn’t die in the Endless Abyss.

The young Qing Jing Peak disciple fell from the sky, his eyes filled with betrayal as he watched the large hole that led out to the human realm from the horizon—close.

Before Luo Binghe landed, he fell on top of a bed of trees that slightly cushioned his fall. It was better than falling on the ground straight out, but the sharp branches whacked against his chest and created multiple gashes here and there on his body. 

The wind was knocked out of him when his back crashed against the hard ground. Luo Binghe laid on the yellow grass for a while, coughing and gasping for air. His broken heart was still processing the fact that his kind shizun had pushed him off the cliff and refused to even let Luo Binghe beg for forgiveness. 

It wasn’t long until he heard a familiar voice call out to him, “Luo Binghe! What are you doing? Are you waiting around for something to kill you?! Get up! Foolish child, I told you that your shizun wasn't trustworthy!”

Luo Binghe ignored him and stared at the large trees that blocked the sky, his body aching terribly and blood oozing from his wounds. 

Slowly, hot tears dribbled down his chin and uncontrollable hiccups escaped from him.

“S–Shizun….Shizun,” the young cultivator sobbed sorrowfully. “Shizun, it hurts...it hurts!!!!” 

His broken ribs, his head, his sore arms and legs, and his heart—everything hurt! The pain was unbearable!

Luo Binghe cried and cried until he couldn’t anymore, and only after Meng Mo scolded him did he lift himself up from the ground with great difficulty.

His head felt heavy on his neck, and twisting his body around to examine his surroundings was a painful process.

And without a doubt, his loud sobs drew a curious monster to him. 

When a monster with a forked tongue crawled out of the large bushes, Luo Binghe’s miserable thoughts were quickly drowned out by dread.

As long as the protagonist halo was attached to his head, no matter how injured and weak Luo Binghe was—it was impossible for him to die. 

Coincidentally, another monster jumped down from a nearby tree and attacked the other one who was targeting its prey.

Seeing that the two of them were currently fighting over him, Luo Binghe took the golden opportunity to escape.

For the past few months, Luo Binghe survived in the Endless Abyss without Zheng Yang on hand. On many occasions, he fought against other monsters with makeshift weapons that broke easily, hid from other monsters that excitedly chased after him, and starved when he couldn’t find any weak monsters to kill. 

It was truly hell.

If it weren’t for Meng Mo teaching Luo Binghe how to regenerate his wounds at his own will, he would’ve been dead long ago. Luo Binghe healed every single injury on his body, but the stab wound that was placed on top of his beating heart by his shizun had remained, leaving behind an ugly scar.

Shizun, Shizun, Shizun.

He was all Luo Binghe could obsessively think about during his time in the abyss.

On this particular day, Luo Binghe was still wondering who was taking care of his shizun’s meals while he was away. He wondered if his shizun was faring well, wondered if Ming Fan had taken over his duties, wondered if his shizun regretted pushing him off the cliff. 

Those thoughts clouded his mind until he came across a human-like corpse that was half buried in sand. 

What is this…? A corpse? Was it a human?

Luo Binghe cautiously walked closer to the corpse and narrowed his eyes, staring down at the human face that was partially covered with sand. 

“.... Brat, doesn’t he kind of look like your shizun from this angle?” Meng Mo pointed out with a hint of confusion in his tone.

Luo Binghe quickly scanned his environment for any lurking monsters before bending down and reaching out a hand to wipe off the sand on the corpse’s face, his anxious heart beating faster and faster.

Was it Shizun?

Just as the tips of his fingers brushed against a cheek, the corpse suddenly grabbed his wrist without warning.

“BOO!”

Luo Binghe instinctively pulled out a fist to strike at the threat, but as soon as he blinked, the corpse disappeared from his sight.

“Hmm, what do we have here?” A voice came from behind him.

The cultivator alarmingly turned on his heels and swung his fist, scowling as he hit nothing but thin air instead. 

But all of the hostility left Luo Binghe when he got a clear view of the corpse’s handsome face.

Tears welled up in his eyes, “S…Shizun?”

Standing before him was Shen Qingqiu whose eyes were closed, a cheeky grin on his face, and a mole underneath his carmine lips.

…A mole? 

Shizun never had a mole on his face before.

“Shizun” abruptly dropped his grin and moved closer to Luo Binghe. He hooked a finger under his chin and furrowed his brows, “...Shizun? I haven’t heard someone call me that in a while.... Am I hallucinating again?”

Luo Binghe was startled when “Shizun” lifted his eyelids, revealing nothing but empty space. 

He...He didn’t have any eyes! 

“No, I can’t be hallucinating—I sense spiritual energy from you,” the latter murmured, turning Luo Binghe’s face this way and that. “I don’t only sense spiritual energy, though. What is this? You have two different types of energies? That’s wei—”

He suddenly stopped talking and frowned at Luo Binghe. 

When Luo Binghe forcefully pulled himself away from his grasp, “Shizun” exclaimed dramatically, “Ah, it’s you?! You’re the pedophile who kept on calling me shizun and tried to kidnap me when I was a child! Are you here for round two?!! Do you feel no remorse from your last attempt?! Were you not satisfied with your 3000 beauties at home??? Do you have no sense of shame at all?!!”

Luo Binghe didn’t know why, but when he glanced down at “Shizun”, he finally noticed that the latter was nude. 

He felt his face burn from both secondhand embarrassment and frustration.

...No sense of shame?!

He did not want to hear that from someone who wasn’t wearing any clothes...!!!

Luo Binghe shortly came to the realization that the person in front of him was not his shizun. Although he looked similar to Shizun, he was not him! He couldn’t be! 

His mannerisms were clearly different from his peerless, elegant shizun! Shizun had a very thin face, he would never walk around naked like this! This person didn’t even look embarrassed! In fact, it seemed like he did this sort of thing on a regular basis! Shizun never spoke brashly, nor did he act like...like this person who accused him of preying on children! 

Luo Binghe pointed his finger at the person before him and angrily shouted, “You…! What 3000 beauties?!! I don’t even know who you are, why are you making baseless accusations?! Never in my entire life, will I ever lay my eyes on a child! How dare you…! How dare you—”

Not-Shizun’s lips twisted up into a small smile, and before he could break out into laughter, he slapped a hand over his mouth. That clearly didn’t work, the snickers and snorts had already clawed their way out of his throat. 

Luo Binghe’s face reddened and his hands curled up into fists, feeling like he was being made fun of.

Unexpectedly, when Not-Shizun blinked and lifted his eyelids again, a new pair of brown eyes were focused on Luo Binghe. 

The young cultivator was caught off guard by this and warily stepped away from him, preparing himself for another fight.

No human had the ability to do that! Was he a demon? But if he was, then Luo Binghe would’ve sensed that he was one from the start! 

After his sight returned to him, Not-Shizun recognized that he had mistook Luo Binghe for another person and chortled, “My bad! I thought you were someone else, hahaha!” He rested his hands on his hips and said, “It’s been a while since I’ve interacted with another human being. Wow, wow, wow! I’m kind of nervous, hahahaha.”

“Keep your distance, this pervert isn’t normal,” Meng Mo warned him.

“Well, I guess I should introduce myself. I’m Shen Yuan! What’s yours, kid?” Not-Shizun asked, smiling as he stretched his hand out for the other to shake.

His surname is Shen, too?

Luo Binghe found the handsome stranger suspicious and only stared at his hand, wondering what the hell this person was trying to do.

Shen Yuan retracted his hand, “I guess you’re a little shy around strangers. That’s okay! I don’t really care about your identity anyways.” He turns around and says with a hint of amusement in his tone, “You’re probably thinking, why the hell is this dude butt-naked? To tell you the truth, clothes don’t last very long when you’re in this place. But we’re both guys and it’s not like we’re cut sleeves, so it doesn’t really matter, hahaha!”

Luo Binghe was in fact, a cut sleeve. 

He fixed his eyes on Shen Yuan’s head, ignoring his round ass and his ‘son’ that hung out for all to see. He didn’t pay much attention to the deep scar on his back that stood out from the other ones.

“This weird pervert is suspicious, you shouldn’t follow him. Who knows if he’s going to lead you to your death? I say you kill him.” Meng Mo suggested with apparent disgust.

Luo Binghe was contemplating his suggestion until the ground suddenly shook, making him lose his balance.

Shen Yuan caught Luo Binghe by his collar, whistling as he spotted a Leaping Jaguar running towards their direction. 

He calls out to it, “Xiao Yan! Stop running!”

The monster listens to his order, but instead of running, it decides to jump over to Shen Yuan instead.

Foreseeing what’ll happen, the latter sighs and pushes Luo Binghe away from him without further ado.

SPLAT!

Before Luo Binghe knew it, the Leaping Jaguar crushed Shen Yuan with its excessive weight.

The young cultivator’s eyes widened with shock at the pool of blood around the monster’s paw. 

...What the hell just happened?

He raised his gaze at the monster that removed its paw from the bloody puddle and scooted back a few feet. The Leaping Jaguar unexpectedly shifted into a smaller size, and then proceeded to rub its head on the ground beside the puddle of blood mixed in with small pieces of flesh and bones.

Whether to kill that Leaping Jaguar or to escape while it was still distracted—Luo Binghe wasn’t sure what to do. 

Luo Binghe certainly didn’t expect to see the pool of blood rise and mold into a human shape; he had to blink a couple times to make sure that he wasn’t hallucinating. Even Meng Mo was surprised.

A few moments later, Shen Yuan was standing there before him in one piece, as if he hadn’t died in front of him at all.

Shen Yuan knocked his knuckles against the monster’s lowered head, “Tsk, tsk, Xiao Yan, you play too rough with me. What did you catch this time? A pretty bird?”

Xiao Yan, the Leaping Jaguar, opened its jaw and out came rolling an eyeball. It was nearly Shen Yuan’s height, and the diamond shaped pupil within the iris was surrounded by a lilac color. 

Shen Yuan glanced up at Xiao Yan with a pleased smile, “You caught a Shrieking Griffin? Good boy!”

The monster eagerly wagged his tail and looked at the former with big eyes, as if he was asking for more praises and pets on the head. 

Shen Yuan briefly patted Xiao Yan’s nose and then turned to Luo Binghe who was on guard, “Haha, don’t mind him. He won’t bite you.” He folded his arms and inquired, “So, how’d you end up down here, kiddo?”

Luo Binghe was considering Meng Mo’s suggestion, but after what he’s seen, killing Shen Yuan might not even be a possible option! 

-

“...So, we meet again,” Luo Binghe grumbled. Out of habit, he raised his eyes to prevent himself from looking down at Shen Yuan’s little ‘junior’.

He finds himself rejoicing over the fact that Shen Yuan was actually wearing clothes this time around, so there was no need for Luo Binghe to avoid glancing down at Shen Yuan’s lower half.

His clothes were made out of fur instead of silk, and they weren’t as fancy as the plain Qing Jing Peak uniforms. It seemed like Shen Yuan had skinned a furry monster, cleaned and dried the hide, and then threw it on without a care. 

Shen Yuan somehow pulled it off, but he was still dressed indecently! 

His pants were rather short, they only reached midway to his calves. He didn’t have a shirt on, there was only half of a fur coat hanging on to one shoulder for dear life, and the other half was slipping down and exposing a…Luo Binghe really didn’t want to say.

“If I didn’t know any better, I would think that you were stalking me,” Shen Yuan voiced his unwanted opinion, swaying his legs back and forth as he sat atop the Leaping Jaguar. “Youngsters these days are rather brave and passionate, huh? Don’t you think so, Xiao Yan?”

“That’s my line! I got here before you did! Why would I stalk you? I have better things to do!” Luo Binghe exclaimed, feeling very wronged by his words.

“I don’t know, you tell me.”

Luo Binghe wanted to rip his hair out every time he spoke with this frustrating, yet bizarre person. 

After they had met for the first time, Luo Binghe deemed Shen Yuan dangerous and wasted no time parting ways with him. However, he didn’t expect to cross paths with him over and over again.

Every time they met, Shen Yuan would act surprised and say, “We meet again! What a great coincidence! It must be fate!” 

Luo Binghe would greet him politely and go on his way, but after some time, he’d meet Shen Yuan at the foot of a river, deep inside of a forest where deadly monsters lurked, under a violet tree that protected those who sought shelter from rain, etc.

He was everywhere! 

The young cultivator suspected that Shen Yuan was tracking him down somehow, but he didn’t find anything suspicious on his person that could’ve made it possible for Shen Yuan to accomplish that. Was it really a coincidence that they’ve crossed paths several times within this vast abyss?

Luo Binghe sighed and didn’t hold back from asking Shen Yuan, “....How long have you been here for?”

The latter answered coolly, “Actually, I arrived here not too long ago—”

“No, I meant how long have you stayed in the Endless Abyss for?”

Shen Yuan was slightly surprised by this question, but stopped to search through his memories, “I’m not sure...I’ve lost track a long time ago, but I suppose I’ve been here for quite a while now. I’m probably old enough to be your ancestor!”

Was he that old? Shen Yuan seemed to be a couple years older than him, but he could be an immortal for all Luo Binghe knew. 

If Shen Yuan was as old as he said, then why hadn’t he escaped from this place by then? Who in their right mind would choose to stay in the Endless Abyss? 

Shen Yuan saw the look on Luo Binghe’s face and quickly understood his intentions, “Oh, did you want help finding a way out of this place? Aiyah, why didn’t you just ask this old man directly in the first place?”

Luo Binghe frowned, “There is a way…?”

“Of course! If there’s an entrance, then there’s always an exit! You just need to obtain a certain sword named Xin Mo, and open a portal that leads outside of the abyss. It’s just that…” Shen Yuan scratched his head and nervously laughed, “This old man has a poor memory. I stumbled across Xin Mo a long time ago, but I can’t remember where it is now. Maybe if we travel east, we might be able to find it if we’re lucky enough.”

Luo Binghe was foolish to think he would get any crucial information out of him. Did this sword even exist in the first place? 

“Ah, Xin Mo? Who doesn’t know of that sword? The heavenly demon, Tianlang Jun, wielded that sword hundred of years ago and became the ruler of the Demon Realm because of it. I didn’t expect for it to be here out of all places…” Meng Mo mused, making Luo Binghe light up with hope.

Elder…can I really escape from this place using that sword?

“Tch, still insisting on not calling me Shizun?” Meng Mo replied with annoyance. “Yes, yes you can.”

Luo Binghe was overjoyed. If he could get out of this place, then he can...he can perhaps see his shizun again. 

His expression grew somber as he recalled the words Shizun told him before he pushed him off the cliff:

“You are an ancient Heavenly Demon. This family has always killed countless people in the Human Realm. They have caused countless sins, no matter how things are said. They cannot be mentioned in the same breath as other demons.”

“—Will you go down by yourself or do you need me to make a move?”

“Oh! Xiao Yan remembers!” Shen Yuan exclaimed, his loud voice pulling Luo Binghe back to reality. “Well, he doesn’t remember the exact location, but he remembers the Emperor Kongs that lived near there because they tasted delicious. We should be able to find Xin Mo in no time!”

Luo Binghe lifted his gaze up at Shen Yuan who was smiling at him and couldn’t help but be reminded of his shizun. Looking at this face that was awfully similar to Shen Qingqiu’s made Luo Binghe feel a twinge within his chest.

Shen Yuan asked, “Do you want to go on an adventure with this old man? I guarantee you that it’ll be fun and exciting! I’ll even let you ride on Xiao Yan, but I can’t promise you that you won’t fall!” 

Luo Binghe, being as skeptical as he was, had declined the offer. He didn’t want to travel with a person that could potentially kill him during his sleep. He asked Shen Yuan a couple more questions regarding Xin Mo and then bid him goodbye, “Thanking Shi—Elder Shen for his time and wisdom. I’ll be leaving now.”

Shen Yuan waved at him, “Bye, bye! Take care of yourself! Don’t let the bed bugs bite at night!”

Luo Binghe went off on his own to search for the Xin Mo Sword, following the directions he was given, hoping that Shen Yuan wasn’t leading him to his death.

For the past few months, Luo Binghe had aimlessly wandered about. He felt like he was running into circles because he wasn’t getting anywhere, no legendary sword was found, and he could’ve sworn he saw that same mountain a couple days ago. 

He wasn’t surprised when he came across Shen Yuan once again. The latter was laying on the grass, staring off into space with dull eyes, his expression blank and his body limp. Xiao Yan sat by his side and was licking him gently with his giant tongue, coating his face with wet saliva. 

Shen Yuan was always smiling and laughing whenever Luo Binghe saw him, so why was he like this today?

The young cultivator hovered his head over him and greeted him, “...We meet again, Elder Shen.”

The light slowly returned to Shen Yuan’s eyes, “So it seems like it.” He propped himself up from the ground and massaged his temple, “Have you found Xin Mo yet?

“No…. Elder Shen, did you give me the wrong directions?”

Shen Yuan chortled, “I would never. But if you haven’t found Xin Mo, it might be because you haven’t killed the Marbled Tigress yet.”

Luo Binghe shot him a confused look, “What?”

“There’s a gatekeeper that prevents others from entering the area where the Xin Mo sword is located. You have to kill the Marbled Tigress before finding Xin Mo,” Shen Yuan explained briefly. “I think you might need my help after all. A Marbled Tigress is a tough opponent that camouflages itself within its environment, and we can’t have you getting lost again.”

...And that was how Luo Binghe ended up traveling with Shen Yuan, despite having little trust in him.

-

“If you remove those four horns on top of its head in order, you’ll be able to weaken it,” Shen Yuan advised as he sat on top of a tree branch, looking very much at peace while Luo Binghe was fighting for his life down below. “First, get the red horn, blue horn, and then the purple horn.”

Luo Binghe dodged the tail that swung towards him and leaped backwards, “THEY’RE ALL THE SAME COLOR!”

“Oh, that’s tough. Well, you can just always hit it until it dies.”

Luo Binghe was irritated by his answer, “I’VE ALREADY TRIED TO DO THAT! I CAN’T BREAK THROUGH ITS ARMOR WITH THIS DULL SPEAR!” 

Shen Yuan shrugged, “Maybe you should’ve made a better spear then.”

“ELDER SHEN!!!”

He laughed lightly, “I’m kidding! Try to get under it; it doesn’t have anything to protect its chest and stomach. If you can do that, then you should be able to kill it by stabbing its heart.”

Luo Binghe glowered upon hearing that dangerous piece of advice. 

“Come on, you can do it. You’re strong, aren’t you?” Shen Yuan encouraged him, leaning his back against the tree trunk. “This old man will observe your skills from above, feel no pressure. Pretend as if I’m not here.”

The young cultivator huffed annoyedly and continued evading the spiky tail that hastily kept on swinging back and forth, crashing into trees and scattering wood splinters everywhere. 

“To your left,” Shen Yuan says with a yawn, readjusting his position to a comfortable one. 

Luo Binghe swiveled around, his face darkening when the Tri-Horned Weasel had already lowered its head to his level, jaw wide open. Before Luo Binghe could become the monster’s next meal, he jumped upwards and dragged the tip of his spear against its nose. 

The Tri-Horned Weasel stood on its hind legs and covered its poor nose with its claws, dark blood leaking everywhere. The monster furiously roared and blindly whipped its tail around, hoping that it would somehow kill Luo Binghe in one go. 

Shen Yuan announced, “Now’s your chance, kid. Don’t get caught in between its claws. If you do, then you’ll disappoint your readers and your future wives!” 

Luo Binghe couldn’t comprehend what he was saying over the monster’s loud roars, but he assumed it wasn’t anything relevant.

When the Tri-Horned Weasel stopped thrashing around and looked down to see if it had killed the young cultivator or not, Luo Binghe seized the opportunity to thrust his spear straight into its heart. 

Shen Yuan lazily hummed, “A Tri-Horned Weasel has two hearts; the other one is on the bottom right. Be careful~!” 

Luo Binghe tightened his grip around the wooden pole in his hand, grinding his teeth as the monster groaned and staggered back.

Why didn’t he tell him that earlier…!!?

Luo Binghe was finally able to kill the Tri-Horned Weasel after a long struggle. He glared at Shen Yuan who smiled at him and clapped, “Impressive! Nicely done, kid!”

“What a menace,” Meng Mo grunted. “He is no good, you should stop following him around! All he did was lay down and make you do the fighting like always! How did he manage to survive in the abyss all this time?”

That was something Luo Binghe wanted to know also.

The young cultivator opened his mouth to make a long list of complaints until Shen Yuan interrupted him, “Anyways, Xiao Yan must’ve caught something tasty for us to eat by now. Let’s go check on him.”

Luo Binghe stared at him and then let out a long sigh after, “...And I suppose Elder Shen wants me to cook?”

“Of course! Your cooking is superior compared to mine,” he casually complimented, patting the younger one’s back and slightly pushing him forward.

A cold breeze curled around Luo Binghe and tickled his neck, making his hair stand on end. From behind, there was a piercing shriek and a loud, chilling snap that followed after it.

Luo Binghe twisted his neck to see what it was, but Shen Yuan wrapped an arm around his shoulders, grabbed his chin, and turned his head so that he would face the path up ahead of them.

Luo Binghe felt as if something was off.

“Look over there, aren’t those poisonous flowers quite pretty? I touched them once, and boom! The flower petals melted my fingers like candle wax!” Shen Yuan mentioned, obviously trying to divert his attention somewhere else. “Good ol’ times.”

Luo Binghe was uncomfortable with Shen Yuan standing so close to him and immediately shoved him away, “G–Get off me!” 

“Oh, my bad,” Shen Yuan said unapologetically, shrugging his shoulders and increasing his pace. “We should hurry up and get going. Otherwise, Xiao Yan might get hungry and eat all of the food he caught before we can even cook it.”

Without another word, he strode up ahead of Luo Binghe and didn’t bother to slow down for him.

The young cultivator didn’t trail behind Shen Yuan. Out of curiosity, he turned around and froze when he saw an Obsidian Serpent pinned against a tree. Black scales were strewn all over the ground along with a long severed tongue, and there were trails of blood flowing down from two large puncture marks that were placed on each side of the monster’s neck.

It had only been a few minutes since Luo Binghe killed the Tri-Horned Weasel, so when did that get there….? Why couldn’t he sense it before? What killed it in the first place?

Luo Binghe instinctively glanced back to see that Shen Yuan hadn’t left him behind just yet. He had stopped walking and was waiting for Luo Binghe to follow him, “Come on, kid. It’s getting dark out.”

Luo Binghe stared at him, dazed. Numerous questions drifted around in his mind and his suspicions kept on piling up, but he could only nod his head in response.

It seems like Shen Yuan was more of a threat than Luo Binghe had initially thought. 

Luo Binghe silently cursed at himself when he realized that he had let his guard down too much around Shen Yuan.

After eating the meal that Luo Binghe had cooked for the both of them, Shen Yuan reassured Luo Binghe that Xiao Yan could look out for monsters that skulked by while they slept. 

Luo Binghe wanted to enter the elder’s dream realm to decide whether he was trustworthy enough to travel with, so he agreed with this arrangement and went to sleep. 

When he finally entered Shen Yuan’s dream realm, he was slightly startled by the large cracks that appeared within every corner of the colorless realm. 

Luo Binghe stepped into what seemed like a battlefield, corpses and weapons scattered everywhere. 

But the corpses didn’t have any armor on, they were dressed in white funeral garbs instead. He was confused by the half-crying and half-smiling masks that hid every face of a corpse.

Why did they all look the same?

Luo Binghe stepped over the corpses and wandered for a bit until he chanced upon a figure who was in full armor, sitting on one knee with a sword in both hands. This soldier was the only one colorful thing within this black and white realm.

The young cultivator walked around the soldier to take a look at their face and was surprised to see that it was Shen Yuan. His eyes were closed and his expression was placid, he was unconscious. 

Luo Binghe glanced down to see that Shen Yuan’s blade had sunken into a masked corpse’s chest. 

It was an odd view, Luo Binghe didn’t know what to make of it. Whether the corpses’ were all the same person who had gained Shen Yuan’s hatred or not, Luo Binghe didn’t know.

At his command, the scenery in front of him shifted and Shen Yuan remained asleep, dreaming within a dream.

Luo Binghe flipped through Shen Yuan’s early memories and stopped at a particular one that stood out to him.

The landscape around him changed into a courtyard that was connected to a tall, pristine palace. 

Before Luo Binghe’s eyes were two little boys sitting at a table under a tree. Both were wearing green, but it was apparent that the smaller boy had a higher status judging by the quality of his clothes. 

The taller boy with a mole under his lips—Luo Binghe assumed he was Shen Yuan, placed a book down on the table and looked over at the smaller one, “Let’s stop here for today, Your Highness.”

It was painfully obvious that the smaller boy was hiding something in his sleeve and was staring at Shen Yuan the whole time. He narrowed his eyes and asked nervously, “You...why do you keep calling me that?”

Shen Yuan lifted a brow, “Your Highness is a prince. It is natural for this servant to address you by that.”

“But...don’t friends call each other by their names?” The young prince questioned, a slight pout on his face.

The corners of Shen Yuan’s lips twitched but he remained composed, “Your Highness wants this servant to call him by his name? To be on familiar terms?” 

“Never mind, never mind! Forget it!” The prince blurted, bashfully turning away from him.

Shen Yuan smiled, “Are you really fine with me calling you by your name, Qi Rong?”

Qi Rong’s face slowly turned red, “Whatever! Do what you want!”

The former laughed mirthfully and asked him, “So, what is it that you’re hiding in your sleeve?”

The young prince didn’t expect Shen Yuan to find out. He hurriedly pushed the object deeper inside his sleeve, “Nothing! It’s none of your business!”

Shen Yuan surveyed him for a few seconds and then got up from his seat, “Okay! If that’s it, then it’s time for me to leave. I think my father should be waiting for me at the carriage by now.” 

Qi Rong quickly grabbed onto the hem of his clothes, “WAIT!”

Shen Yuan stopped and turned to him, “Does Your Highness need anything?”

The prince huffed and hastily shoved a paper fan into his hands, “T–Take this before you leave! It’s a late birthday present! I don’t care if it’s ugly! It suits your ugly face anyways!” 

The servants that stood by his side were filled with disbelief and disappointment by his words.

Your Highness, you should never call the object of your affection ugly no matter what!!!

Luo Binghe frowned, should he skip over this memory? 

Shen Yuan opened the paper fan Qi Rong gave him and examined the clumsy, inky strokes across the white paper that made up a few bamboo trees. The trees didn’t look like bamboo trees at all, rather, they looked like skinny branches that could easily break in half. The leaves...they didn’t look like leaves; they were odd triangular shapes attached to a ‘tree’.

It was indeed an ugly painting.

Shen Yuan’s eyes curled up into crescents as he waved the paper fan, “What a wonderful painting. This fan might be my favorite gift out of all the gifts I’ve ever received.” He closed the fan and looked down at the prince with a grin. “This...ugly servant will treasure this fan. Thank you, Qi Rong.”

The scenery faded away and was replaced by another. 

Shen Yuan stood in front of Luo Binghe, dressed in a white uniform and his back turned to him. He had grown out his adolescent features and was now a tall, handsome man who certainly charmed those who laid their eyes upon him.

Shen Yuan was completely immersed in reading through the reports that sat on his desk. He was so absorbed that he didn’t notice another person entering the room, and was frightened when he felt a pair of strong arms twist around his narrow waist.

Shen Yuan turned his head to see Qi Rong resting his chin on top of his shoulder, pulling the former closer to him. 

“Q–Qi Rong! What are you doing?!” Shen Yuan demanded flusteredly, dropping the report in his hand to swat at the stubborn arms that refused to loosen. “Let go of me!”

“Today was tiring, I need to recharge. Let me hug you for a little longer, please?” Qi Rong begged with big puppy eyes that Shen Yuan has always been unable to resist. “Please, Shizun? Great, ever so kind, Shen Yuan?”

Shen Yuan sighed and tried to focus on reading, feeling heat rising up to his face. 

It wasn’t long before Qi Rong slyly spoke, “I still haven’t gotten my answer from that day.”

Shen Yuan pretended he didn’t hear him.

Qi Rong pressed his lips against his ear and gently bit it, “Do you reciprocate my feelings?”

Shen Yuan’s heart was pounding like crazy, “Qi Rong…”

“Yes?”

“Don’t ask me anymore...I don’t know. I really don’t know.”

Qi Rong’s mood slightly dampened, but he didn’t give up that easily.

“I understand, you must be stressed out by the conflicts that’s been stirring up between Yong’an and Xianle,” he said solemnly. “But when this is all over, when Cousin Crown Prince saves all of Yong’an and Xianle—I will come to your doorstep and propose to you everyday until you say yes. Don’t look at me like that, I really will do it. Promise.”

Bitterness bubbled up inside of Luo Binghe after seeing this disgustingly sweet display of affection. Even if Shen Yuan wasn’t his shizun, he still looked like him, and the thought of Shizun being all chummy with another man made his blood boil.

With a single wave of a hand, the memory faded out. Luo Binghe continued skimming through Shen Yuan’s early memories, searching for relevant ones that would tell him more information. Perhaps he can find a way to kill Shen Yuan, even.

Surprisingly enough, there were many holes in Shen Yuan’s memories that he couldn’t piece together and some of the people in his memories had their faces blurred out. Did this elder really have a poor memory or was there something stopping Luo Binghe from seeing certain memories?

Luo Binghe didn’t think there’d be anything that could interfere with his dream enchantment other than Meng Mo. But there weren’t any reasons why Meng Mo would interfere in the first place, so he had no choice but to assume the former.

Luo Binghe found himself standing in the middle of a forest a few moments later. The sun was slowly rising from the clouds and the mild wind brushed against the tall grass, but the lively morning birds have yet to sing. 

This forest was unusually quiet.

“—Truly useless, you couldn’t even lure them here with your life.” 

Luo Binghe turned around upon hearing that voice. From a distance away, there was a white figure wearing a half-crying and half-smiling mask stepping on a fallen soldier’s head.

Well, Luo Binghe thought this soldier was dead until he lifted his face from the ground, gritting his teeth as the veins on his forehead bulged.

Elder Shen?

The foot resting on top of Shen Yuan’s head pushed his face back into the dirt, sullying his pride and dignity. 

The white figure hummed amusingly, “Now where did you hide Prince Xiao Jing?” They giggled to themselves, “He couldn’t possibly be at the cave where you ran out of, could he?” 

Shen Yuan wrapped his hands around their ankles, a scary expression on his face and murderous intent emanating from him, “....I’LL...KILL...YOU!” 

Suddenly, Luo Binghe felt a hand lay on his shoulder.

He quickly turned his head to see someone standing behind him, a frown on their face along with a cold gaze. The scenery that stretched around them dissipated and the dull, colorless battlefield returned.

….Elder Shen? How did he wake up?

“Don’t you know it’s rude to look at a person’s memories without their permission?” Shen Yuan remarked with a click of a tongue, giving him a hard flick on the forehead. “Tsk, tsk, tsk, I figured you’d do something like this. Youngsters these days have no respect for their elders. This old man is disheartened by this new generation. You know, back in my day, if a youngster disrespected an elder, they would get flogged 10 times with a leather belt.” 

Luo Binghe hastily stepped away from Shen Yuan, “How did you gain consciousness?”

The latter glared at him and materialized a paper fan out of thin air, “Shouldn’t you apologize to me first, brat?”

The young cultivator quietly watched him with wary eyes.

Shen Yuan truly looked angry with him.

“I’ll forget about this matter if you apologize to me,” he told Luo Binghe, tapping his paper fan against his left palm.

“....”

Shen Yuan stomped over to him and hit him on the head with his fan, “If I wanted to kill you, then I would’ve done it long ago. I have a heart of gold, I can't bear to hurt a child. What would this old man do if his only source of entertainment died? I’d rather watch you trip over yourself than to dirty my hands!” 

Hearing this explanation...things did start making sense, but Luo Binghe didn’t understand why Shen Yuan would help him in the first place without asking for anything in exchange. 

A heart of gold? That was hard to believe.

Was he that bored to lend a helping hand to a stranger he didn’t even know? 

Luo Binghe would have to find out for himself.

“I’m...I’m sorry, Elder Shen.”

-

Luo Binghe grasped onto the hilt and lifted the sword from the boulder, gasping at the sudden surge of demonic energy entering his veins. He leaned against Shen Yuan for support, taking in deep breaths as the latter said, “This old man is warning you now: you should only use Xin Mo for emergencies. This naughty sword will corrode your mind the more you continue to use it. When you return to the Human Realm, you should find a good sheath for Xin Mo and wrap it with talismans to prevent the demonic energy from leaking out.” 

Luo Binghe straightened himself upright and studied the hefty sword in his hands before hearing Shen Yuan say, “What are you waiting for? Open a rift.”

He turned to him with a slight frown, “Elder Shen, you want me to leave that badly?”

“Of course not, who do you take this old man for?”

The young cultivator lightly laughed, “I think I should have one last meal before I leave.”

And that was what he did. Before Luo Binghe left the Endless Abyss, he shared a meal together with Shen Yuan.

The elder greedily chewed on the roasted drumstick that Luo Binghe had just finished cooking over the fire and asked him, “What do you plan on doing when you return to the Human Realm?”

Luo Binghe thought about it deeply with a sorrowful expression, “...I’m not sure. I’m afraid that if I were to return to Cang Qiong Mountain….my shizun will chase me out.” He looked as if he was going to cry just thinking about his shizun, but he kept himself composed. “But as of lately, I’ve thought about traveling to the Demon Realm first before returning to the Human Realm. There is a certain demon that I want to take revenge on.”

“Ho, ho, how admirable! And what are you going to do in the Human Realm after? What about your shizun?”

Luo Binghe stared at Shen Yuan for a bit and then continued on, “I’m not sure what I’ll do next....I’ll just have to wait and see. I have plenty of questions that I want to ask my shizun, but I’m afraid to see his reaction when he finds out that I’m still alive.”

“Was your Shizun truly that kind? If he was, then why would he push you into the abyss? This is not making any sense for this old man,” Shen Yuan mentioned, tilting his head to the side with confusion. “Do you not hate him for it, kid?”

“OF COURSE I DON’T! SHIZUN WAS VERY KIND TO ME! I...I WOULD NEVER HATE SHIZUN! IN FACT, I HAVE ADMIRED HIM FOR A VERY LONG TIME!!!” Luo Binghe quickly retorted, seemingly offended by his questions.

Shen Yuan gave him a strange look and didn’t prod any further, “Be careful with your words. If there were people to overhear this, they would definitely think that you were crushing on your shizun, hahaha!”

Now it was Luo Binghe’s turn to look at him weird.

He coughed a few times and then changed the topic, “Elder Shen, I’ve been meaning to ask this for a while now: if you came across Xin Mo before, why haven’t you used it to escape from this place?”

The elder tossed away the drumstick he had finished eating and reached for another one, “It doesn’t work.”

“What? What doesn’t work?”

Shen Yuan huffed at his reply and briefly said, “Here, take a look at this.”

He pressed the back of his palm against the demonic sword, only for his hand to dissolve from the momentary contact with Xin Mo.

Luo Binghe was terrified, “Elder Shen, you could’ve explained with words instead!”

He shrugged at the former’s exasperated response, “I didn’t want to explain with food in my mouth.”

He was always like this! Always so careless about his well-being!

When Luo Binghe was traveling together with Shen Yuan, that elder would always run straight into danger! He would run off on his own to hunt a monster, stop walking to pet a Breath Tiger who chomped on his hand a few seconds later, and step into an obvious death trap set up for oblivious prey.

Once, in a fight, Shen Yuan had died because he wasn’t paying attention to the opponent! At the time, he was picking up a golden leaf that he had found on the ground, and got crushed by the monster’s large foot a few seconds later!

When the two were walking over to a river to quench their thirst, an Ember Hawk was soaring over their heads and Luo Binghe had quickly warned Shen Yuan of it. But the old man ignored him and scooped up water from the river. And then—WOOSH! The Ember Hawk had swooped down, ripped his arm off, and flew back up in the sky. 

Even if Shen Yuan is ‘immortal’ and doesn’t feel pain as he always says, he still made Luo Binghe worry.

“Although Xin Mo is a really cool sword that I would definitely use in a fight—I can’t use it at all,” Shen Yuan stated casually with an aloof expression. “This old man is unable to leave this place.”

“Why?” The young cultivator asked with curiosity. “Elder Shen, if you don’t mind me asking; how did you end up here in the first place?”

Shen Yuan snorted at his question, “Well, how about you make a guess first?”

“Elder Shen! Please stop being difficult!” 

He laughed and stood up, walking over to the nearby creek to wash his hands. By the time Shen Yuan had returned, he saw that Luo Binghe had already cleaned up and was gazing at Xin Mo with an inscrutable face. 

“There’s still hope. I think it’d work if I were the one to wield Xin Mo and open a rift,” Luo Binghe said, turning to him and lifting his demonic sword, “…Elder Shen, do you want to come along with me?”

Luo Binghe tore open a rift in front of him and glanced at Shen Yuan who shook his head, “Don’t be all sentimental on me now, kid. It won’t work.” As a demonstration, he pressed a finger into the rift and was pushed back as a result. “See? It’s rejecting me.” 

The youngster was adamant, “Let’s try to go in it together, maybe that’ll work.”

The elder flicked his forehead, “If this old man says it won’t work, then it won’t work. Go! This old man won’t be lonely! Xiao Yan will keep me company.”

Luo Binghe was reluctant to leave him behind. 

If it weren’t for Shen Yuan, Luo Binghe would have suffered more than he already has. Although he was unreliable at times, Shen Yuan always protected Luo Binghe when he recognized that a monster was too powerful for the youngster to fight. 

Shen Yuan told him the weaknesses of every monster that they had encountered and how to defeat them. Shen Yuan had also occasionally taught him strange, but strong techniques that Luo Binghe found himself using often during battles. 

Only when Luo Binghe met him, did he not go hungry or endure many hardships like he had before.

Shen Yuan was truly good to him for the few years they have spent together. Luo Binghe realized he was a fool for doubting his intentions from the beginning. 

He impulsively grabbed Shen Yuan’s hand, and declared earnestly, “Elder Shen, I will certainly find a way to get you out of here. After I’ve resolved everything, I will surely come back and repay your kindness tenfold, no, hundredfold!”

“Sure you will,” Shen Yuan chuckled, taking his words with a grain of salt. “If we do happen to meet again, then this old man will cry tears of happiness.” 

Luo Binghe was frustrated, why was Elder Shen not taking him seriously? Did he not believe in his capabilities? 

Luo Binghe held his hand even tighter and stubbornly exclaimed with determination flaring in his eyes, “We will meet again, like always! I’ll make sure of it!” 

Shen Yuan patted him on the shoulder and ushered him to the rift, “Okay, okay, this old man heard you loud and clear. Now get going, shoo! You have things to do, don’t you?”

Luo Binghe sighed and stepped into the portal with a troubled expression after hearing Shen Yuan bid him farewell, “Luo Binghe, don’t go breaking hearts while you’re at it! Take only one girl for a wife, don’t marry any pretty girl you come across! A man with a single wife is a happy man destined to live a peaceful life! Bye, bye!”

The transmigrator watched the rift seal up and disappear, as if it had never been there in the first place. 

“Those embarrassing words he said to me will surely keep him up at night, haha. Don’t you agree, Xiao Yan?” Shen Yuan told the Leaping Jaguar who had already fallen asleep beside a tree. “Who’s gonna remember about some random old man? That kid’s got three thousand names to remember instead, hahaha!”

He should’ve known better than to doubt a promise made from a stallion protagonist.

Suddenly, Shen Yuan stopped laughing and turned around with a deep grimace on his face. 

In front of him was a man dressed in elegant green robes, his phoenix eyes that were normally cold and piercing, had softened. And his handsome face, without a doubt—was very similar to Shen Yuan’s.

Uneasiness rushed through the man when he noticed that his shadow on the ground was growing larger and larger, his shoulders stiffening and his hand itching to reach for his sword.

He lifted his head to unexpectedly see a tall and domineering beast hovering its head over him. Its spiked tail hung over his figure, threatening to smash him into the ground. 

The beast was as dark as ink, and its features were subtle—one had to look carefully to see what it was exactly, no matter how close they were to this beast.

“I thought I had annihilated every single one of your kind years ago,” Shen Yuan snapped, the veins on his forehead standing out. “Damn pests, who are you impersonating now? Father? Shen Jiu?”

The man lowered his eyes and gazed at the former with surprise, “Shen Yuan….? What is this?”

The transmigrator stepped closer to him and squinted, “Green eyes? So it is Shen Jiu that you’re impersonating, haha….you really do look like him. God, do you annoying little fucks love messing with my mind or what?”

“Shen Yuan, I’m not a hallucination nor a monster. I’m Shen Jiu, your....your gege.”

Shen Yuan bursted out in laughter, “BWAHAHAHAHA! SO CRINGY! HAHAHA, I THINK I GOT GOOSEBUMPS FROM THAT! YOU’RE NOT SHEN JIU! HE’D RATHER CUT HIS TONGUE OFF THAN SAY THAT TYPE OF SHIT! YOU...YOU REALLY SUCK AT THIS, HAHAHAHA!!!”

Shen Jiu grabbed his shoulders and shouted sternly, “Shen Yuan! This really isn’t a hallucination! Wake up! I came to get you; your punishment is over!”

The transmigrator’s arm shot upwards, his hand tightly wrapped around Shen Jiu’s throat.

“Enough, you’re really annoying me. All of you impersonators say the same shit! ‘A-Yuan, your punishment’s over! Come with me! ’ ‘Shizun, I don’t hate you at all! Come here, let’s leave this place together! ’ ‘Shen-shidi, none of it was your fault. Let’s go back to Xianle together!’” Shen Yuan angrily exclaimed, unable to recognize that the person in front of him was truly Shen Jiu. “ALL OF YOU SAY THE SAME STUFF THAT I WANT TO HEAR TO LURE ME, AND BEFORE I KNOW IT—I’M DEAD AGAIN AND AGAIN! I’VE FALLEN FOR THE SAME STUPID TRICK SO MANY TIMES ALREADY; DO YOU REALLY THINK IT’LL WORK ON ME NOW?!!”

Unexpectedly, the transmigrator felt something wet lick at his cheek.

He turned his head to see the Leaping Jaguar sitting next to him, whimpering with large, pitiful amber eyes.

Distracted, Shen Yuan loosened his grip on Shen Jiu’s neck and shouted, “Xiao Yan, now’s not the time! Scram! Go do your business behind a—”

He was startled when a pair of slender hands clasped over his wrist.

“G–Gege...gege is sorry. Back then, the higher ups found out that I had broken a rule and summoned me back,” Shen Jiu apologized mournfully, his expression filled with great regret. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry I wasn’t there by your side when you were suffering, Shen Yuan.”

The hand around his throat trembled.

Shen Jiu raised his gaze to see many different emotions flash across Shen Yuan’s face.

“Y–You...you really know what to say to appease me. I’m impressed,” he quietly said in a shaky voice, glancing up at the former. “Fine, you can eat me or do whatever you want. It doesn’t matter to me. I’ll spare you for your Oscar-worthy performance.”

He still believed that Shen Jiu was a monster impersonating himself...?!

The Qing Jing Peak Lord sighed and decided that it was the perfect opportunity to bind himself to Shen Yuan’s soul. He’ll believe him, then.

When the transmigrator blinked, Shen Jiu was no longer in sight, and a familiar virtual screen appeared in front of his eyes.

[ CONNECTING . . . ]

[ CONNECTED ]

[ Do you believe me now, Shen Yuan? ] 

He was stunned beyond words, “It’s...it’s really you?” 

[ Who else could it be? ]

“What happened to your robot voice? Why do you still have your normal voice?”

[ Stop asking me irrelevant questions, I have something important to say. ] 

Shen Yuan lifted a brow at that.

[ The reason why I came here to get you; the higher ups granted me permission to continue working as your system. You’ll be allowed to return to Heaven’s Official Blessing and continue your mission. ]

Shen Jiu expected for Shen Yuan to be happy or relieved; he was shocked when Shen Yuan answered, “No, I’m not doing it.”

[ What? ]

“This old man doesn’t want to continue doing this mission,” Shen Yuan yawned disinterestedly, running his fingers through Xiao Yan’s fur. “I’m not going back, so go away.”

[ What do you mean, ‘go away’? Shen Yuan, do you not want to leave the Endless Abyss?! ]

“Too many rules and restrictions, I don’t want to be punished again when I make another ‘mistake’,” he stated. “And it’s also not too bad here in the abyss, there are plenty of things to kill and eat. I can never get bored here.” 

Shen Jiu caught on to what Shen Yuan was trying to say in a roundabout way. 

[ Shen Yuan, since you’ve already made changes to the plot; the higher ups decided to remove the restrictions on you. ]

[ As long as you don’t get in the way of the main protagonist’s relationship with the main lead, then you are able to do whatever it is that you want. So don’t be stubborn anymore and come back with me. ]

The corners of Shen Yuan’s lips slightly curved up into a subtle, sinister smirk. He was brimming with excitement upon hearing this wonderful piece of news. 

Suddenly, without the Qing Jing Peak Lord’s knowledge—a dark shadow slipped inside of the transmigrator’s sleeve.

“Anything?” He asked, wearing a pleasant expression. “Does that include killing Bai Wuxiang also?”

It was then that Shen Jiu realized how much Shen Yuan had changed. He wouldn’t have even asked such a question before, but now he was eager to spill blood. 

[ Yes. ]

“Perhaps this old man will go after all. Since Jiu-ge begged me, how could I refuse?” The transmigrator pushed a hair strand behind his ear and sighed dramatically, as if he was fulfilling a great favor that Shen Jiu had asked of him. “It was about time I left this place anyways.”

Shen Jiu felt the strong urge to smack him on the head, but something caught his attention.

[ Shen Yuan, where did that beast with the spiked tail disappear to? Was it not your— ]

“I don’t know, maybe it ran off while we were distracted?” Shen Yuan replied, quickly changing the topic right after. “Ah, Jiu-ge! About earlier; I’m really sorry for choking you! I thought you were...something else.”

[ Well, since you’ve apologized now...it’s fine. But I won’t let you off easy next time. ]

“Naturally, hahaha!” He chortled. “So, are we going or not?”

[ We will, but I’m telling you this now; when you arrive there, I will be offline temporarily until you connect with the power source. ]

Shen Yuan tilted his head, “What’s the power source?”

[ Qi Rong. ]

He fell silent, his face darkening and a crease carved in between his thin eyebrows.

Shen Jiu really didn’t want to bring it up, but he had no choice. Shang Qinghua had only given him enough energy to bring his host back to the other world, which was why he was still online although Qi Rong (the power source) was in a different world. Otherwise, Shen Jiu needed to be connected to a power source like all systems did.

[ Are you ready to leave, Shen Yuan? ]

The transmigrator stroked Xiao Yan’s head and said his farewells before answering Shen Jiu’s question with a firm, “Yes.”

[ WORLD DESTINATION:  << Heaven’s Official Blessing >> ]

[ TELEPORTING HOST . . . ]

Chapter Text

“Did you hear?! Lord Qi returned after a hundred years!!!” A short servant whispered, his purple eyes gleaming with excitement.

Another servant gasped, “Lord Qi came back?!! Did he finally find Shen Yuan, the person he was looking for all these years?” 

“He must’ve! I heard from the others that he brought back a child with him!” 

The former was confused, “Eh? Wasn’t this Shen Yuan that Lord Qi was searching for, a grown man?” He scratched his head and asked the purple-eyed servant, “Say, doesn’t Lord Qi despise that person? Why’d Lord Qi bring him back here instead of killing him on spot?” 

The purple-eyed servant clicked his tongue, “Obviously, Lord Qi must’ve found his enemy’s reincarnation and quickly brought him here to torture him until his soul scatters into dust!” 

“What a cruel method...!” The short servant looked at him with bright eyes, “The most wicked among evil! Lord Qi is truly the best!!! Truly worthy of devotion!” 

A deep sigh was heard from behind. 

“Fools, what enemy? Would you dedicate hundreds of years of searching for a man whom you don’t even know is alive or not? Would you paint your enemy’s portrait with longing eyes? Would you affectionately call out his name countless times out of the blue?”

The two servants turned around to see a nosey servant standing there, shaking his head with disapproval at their ignorance.

“No way! You’re turning this into something that it's not! Surely, Lord Qi’s hatred for this Shen Yuan must be so deep that he’d turn over every rock and cloud in order to find him and take revenge,” the purple-eyed servant exclaimed, proceeding to jab his thumb at himself. “And I, for one, would dedicate hundreds of years of searching for an enemy that I wanted to take revenge on!” 

The latter quickly replied, “Okay, but would you also shed tears for an enemy, acting as if your wife had died instead of the one you hate?” 

“What?! No!” 

“Exactly! Lord Qi must be looking for a lover of his, not an enemy!”

The purple-eyed servant stopped and considered the idea at first, but immediately dispersed the thought. 

Lord Qi was always in a bad mood whenever he spoke about Shen Yuan. His cold facial expression would distort into a scowl, his voice would be filled with overflowing resentment, and the frustration and anger that has been building up inside of him would creep out from within and suffocate the servants with its flames. Anyone in their right mind would think that whoever this Shen Yuan was, they must’ve been an enemy from the past who had gained Lord Qi’s burning hatred. 

The short servant who was quiet during their passionate debate, noticed a tiny figure creeping around the corner of the kitchen. 

“...A human?”

The two servants who were bickering, stopped and twisted their necks upon hearing this. 

A small, human boy abruptly stopped in his tracks and slowly raised his head to look at the servants standing in the wide kitchen. 

The human boy blinked at them.

The three ghost servants stared at him dumbfoundedly.

The child was frail and dirty. He looked as if he could topple over any moment because of the weight of his head on his shoulders, and he had small, skinny arms and legs that made others sigh with pity. He was dressed in rags and walked around barefoot, and the edges of his greasy hair tickled his neck and his straight bangs reached down to his bushy eyebrows.

The short servant said in a low voice, “Is…Is this the child that Lord Qi brought back?”

“He has to be, but I don’t think he’s Shen Yuan.” The nosey servant remarked, squinting at the child who was slightly fidgeting and glancing around the kitchen. “If he was Shen Yuan, then Lord Qi wouldn’t let him wander so freely.”

The purple-eyed servant asked with some confusion, “If this human isn’t Shen Yuan, then who is he?! What should we do about him? Should we take him to a guest room?? Should we kill him? Should we notify Lord Qi about him???” 

Suddenly, there was a loud rumbling sound coming from the boy’s stomach. 

His face flushed with embarrassment, his eyes fixed to the floor and an arm twisted around his stomach that angrily demanded for food. 

“Notify Lord Qi first and wait for further instructions,” the nosey servant told the former. “Go quickly! If he turns out to be an important guest, then we’ll be punished if we treat him poorly!” 

The purple-eyed servant ran off to tell the news while the two servants were standing in the middle of the kitchen, wondering what to do with the human child who retreated to the corner.

Before the nosey servant had died and turned into a ghost, he had a cute daughter who would reach her arms out to him and constantly ask him if she could ride on his shoulders. Looking at this skinny child covered in dirt before him, the servant was reminded of his daughter. He took pity on the boy and rummaged through the cabinets for ingredients, ignoring the rotting pieces of human flesh that some idiot had stored away. 

Meanwhile, the short servant looked at the boy up and down and came to the wild conclusion that Lord Qi had finally learned the appeal of eating human flesh. Once, some of the servants had served him the flesh of a young maiden on a beautiful platter, eager to please their lord. Unexpectedly, Lord Qi’s face had soured upon this sight and he immediately ordered them to throw out the dish. 

Perhaps Lord Qi had brought this human home to fatten him up and eat him, like how one would raise a chick and kill it for dinner one day. 

“What’s your name?” The nosey servant questioned the child, slicing scallions with a sharp knife. 

The boy remained quiet for a few seconds until he mustered the courage to nervously answer, “…G-Guzi.” 

“Guzi, huh?” The nosey servant hummed in acknowledgement, stealing a glance at the child from the corner of his eye. 

Lord Qi normally never had any guests over. The only exception was Lord Hua of Ghost City, but even then, Lord Qi always had servants to escort and keep close watch over him. 

So, what was a human child doing here?

He couldn’t have possibly wandered in from outside, the barrier that Lord Qi casted over the entrance of the cave kept intruders out and made it difficult for outsiders to find. Other than Lord Qi himself, only servants and permitted guests were able to enter the deep cave. 

“Lord Qi…?” Guzi quietly repeated to himself, his clear, round eyes slightly widening with wonder. 

Was that the name of his savior? 

When Guzi didn’t answer the nosey servant’s question, the short servant who was idly standing by, decided to ask him a crucial question, “Where are your parents, little child?” 

The two servants stiffened when the boy started bawling at the mention of his parents. 

The nosey servant lifted his hand and smacked the short servant’s arm, glaring sharply at the oblivious idiot who looked at him as if he had been wronged, “Dumbass! Why would you ask him that? Do you think he’d be here if his parents were still around?! Look, you made him cry!”

“I thought—”

Suddenly, the nosey servant felt something tug at his pants. 

He looked down and saw Guzi. Large tears fell from his eyes and mucus flowed down from his nose. Disgust rushed through him when Guzi pressed his face against his leg, the fabric of his pants absorbing the salty tears and….boogers from the crying boy.

Before Guzi arrived here, he was traveling around with his father, looking for a job. His mother was struck with a curable illness a year ago, but since his father was poor and didn’t have the money to buy medicine, he had no choice but to helplessly watch her pass away. Since then, he has been obsessed with his work-life. 

As of recently, Guzi’s father got laid off from his previous job, making him desperate. How was he going to feed himself if he wasn’t making money?! 

Guzi sat across from his father, watching him eat and indulge himself with cheap wine. 

His father slammed the cup of wine against the wooden table and angrily muttered to himself, “…Damn fuckers dare to look down on me like I’m a dog…?!! Fuck, if I wasn’t nice enough, I would’ve beaten those fuckers up to a pulp!!!”

Guzi didn’t understand most of the words he said, but recognized that his father was in a bad mood. He looked around his surroundings and swung his small legs back and forth on the chair, trying to distract himself from the smell of food wafting from his father’s bowl, making his mouth water.

Guzi and his father had traveled so far from home to find a job within this bustling town, but they failed to find one here in the end. After a long day of job hunting, the father and son pair found themselves at a restaurant.

Guzi sneaked a glance at his father’s bowl of food and wondered to himself, was his father planning on sharing his food with him or did he forget to order another bowl for him?

The child couldn’t watch his father eat in front of him any longer when his stomach was rumbling, so he shyly told his father, “Daddy, I’m hungry.”

His father didn’t reply to him, so Guzi said in a louder voice, “...Daddy, I want to eat, too!”

His father finally turned to him and replied coldly, “You already ate this morning. I don’t have enough money to buy another bowl for you.”

“Oh,” Guzi answered quietly, lowering his head and feeling embarrassed at himself. 

He didn’t know why, but he felt like someone had dropped a pile of rocks on top of his small heart. 

Guzi sniffled and wiped at the tears that were welling up in his eyes, unable to stop the continuous waves of tears from escaping. 

The people that were eating near their table had overheard their conversation and whispered to themselves, “Dear, did you hear that? Who denies their hungry child food?!!”

“Tsk, tsk, what a terrible father. Where’s the mother?”

“She probably left him because of that nasty personality, hahahaha…”

“Poor kid…”

His father was irritated by Guzi’s loud crying. He scowled at the weeping child and scolded him, “Stop crying! You’re a man, why the fuck are you crying like a little girl?!! Stupid child!”

“Aren’t you his father? Why are you yelling at your child instead of feeding him?” Someone bravely spoke up.

His father tossed a glare at the direction where the voice came from and refuted, “I can do whatever I want with him! He’s my child!” 

The former didn’t know what to say to that, because there was truly nothing they could do about someone else’s child. 

His father felt the crowd’s disdainful eyes staring at his person and abruptly stood up from his chair. He snatched Guzi’s arm and stormed off, deaf to his son’s pained yelps from his tight grip. 

“...D-Dad! It hurts!” Guzi cried, feeling like his father was going to pull his arm off of his body. “Dad, w-where are we going?!”

“HOME!” His father shouted, his face burning with embarrassment and his molars grinding against each other. 

Guzi raised his gaze and realized that the sun had descended long ago. 

Were they really going home at this time? Without a lantern to light up their path?

Guzi didn’t think too much about it; as long as he had his father, everything would be alright. The moonlight was their source of light, and that was better than wandering off into the darkness. 

However, that expectation was soon crushed after an eerie wail was heard from ahead of their path. 

Upon this, there was a delay to his father’s gait. 

Guzi was frightened by that sudden sound. He huddled closer to his father and whispered, “Daddy, what is that? I’m scared…”

His father took a deep breath and continued walking up the path with Guzi by his side, thinking to himself that the wailing probably belonged to an animal. 

Guzi couldn’t clearly see the wariness that flickered across his father’s stoic expression, but he felt the large hand wrapped around his forearm shaking slightly. He hugged his father’s arm and patted it gently, hoping that it would soothe him. 

Soon, they stopped hearing the strange, faraway wailing. They only heard their own breaths and footsteps, bereft of the crickets’ nightly song. 

The clouds slowly drifted across the crescent moon and casted a shadow over their path. 

Guzi was tired of walking for such a long time, so he asked his father, “Dad, are we close to home yet?”

No answer.

He scratched his head and stopped speaking, worried that his father would be angry if he asked him too many questions. 

“...Hehehehehehe….!”

Guzi stopped and glanced at his father, realizing that the laugh didn’t come from him. 

“Daddy…?”

His father was too busy trying to navigate through the rocky pathway in the dark, his face scrunched up and his forehead covered with sweat. 

Before Guzi could register it, a long, grey hand grabbed Guzi’s ankle and pulled him without warning.

“I’VE GOT YOU NOW, HEHEHEHHEHEHEHEHHE!”

Guzi screamed and grasped his father’s hem instinctively, turning his head to see what it was that was pulling him by the leg. 

It was a ghost with a long, black tongue. It’s pupils were unusually small, and its long strands of white hair were wrapped around Guzi’s ankle, as if they had a will of their own. The child withered back when the stench of blood and decaying flesh wafted from its mouth. 

Guzi didn’t know what to do but to turn to his father, crying with great desperation when both of his legs were seized by the ghost, “DADDY, SAVE ME! I’M SCARED, SAVE ME, SAVE ME!!!!” 

With wide, fearful eyes, his father stumbled  backwards. Seeing this scary ghost before him, he knew he didn’t stand a chance against it and immediately lost all of his courage. 

Unexpectedly, to Guzi’s horror, his father kicked his hand away and hurriedly scrambled off to save his own life.

Guzi tried to struggle free, but he shriveled up when the back of his head knocked against the hard ground, the pain rendering him useless.

Having witnessed his father’s betrayal earlier, Guzi felt as if his world had been turned upside down. He couldn’t understand why his father ran away, but what he did understand was that his father had abandoned him, and that alone, saddened him.

Hot tears trickled down his chin. His heart felt heavier than it did when his father yelled at him at the restaurant. 

Guzi was often sad because his father would sometimes hit him whenever he got angry, but it was okay as long as he didn’t leave Guzi behind. Without his father around, the young child despaired. 

Did Dad leave because I did something wrong?

Was it because I told him I was hungry?

Will Dad not come back for me?

...Am I going to die now?

Guzi was startled when the white-haired ghost suddenly stopped moving, the hair around his ankles loosening.

“AH, IT’S...IT’S YOU…! P..P–PLEASE S–SPARE ME! I DIDN’T M–MEAN TO GET IN YOUR WAY!”

Confused, Guzi slowly lifted his head from the ground to take a small glimpse at the ghost. 

The white-haired ghost was on his knees, frantically kowtowing and begging for his life to a dark figure that stood in front of him. 

“This ancestor has told you to stay out of his sight before, now why is it that I’m seeing your hideous face again?” The mysterious person sneered. “You must have a death wish.”

The white-haired ghost panicked, “N–NO! THIS LOWLY ONE HAS COMMITTED A SIN!  THIS LOWLY ONE WAS WRONG!!! I DIDN’T MEAN TO PURPOSEFULLY SHOW MY FACE BEFORE YOU! THIS MEETING IS A MERE COINCIDENCE, Y–YES, A MERE COINCIDENCE! MY LORD, PLEASE SPARE ME FORGIVENES—”

Dark blood splattered across Guzi’s face when a sword was drawn. 

Guzi lifted his eyes to see his savior’s identity. At the same time, the clouds moved away from the moon, illuminating his savior’s handsome face.

Piercing, green eyes were engraved above a slim, straight nose, a wrinkle was in between his furrowed eyebrows, and his lips were thin and a scarlet color. Guzi recognized that his savior had a very pale complexion.

The child was grateful that his life had been saved, but the sharp blade hovering over the decapitated head and the pool of blood gathering at his feet had frightened him so much that he couldn’t even utter a single word.

When his savior moved his eyes over to him, Guzi couldn’t help but freeze under his gaze, his breaths slowing and his heart pounding. 

His savior stared at him for a couple seconds with an inscrutable expression and then withdrew his sword. Without a word, he turned away from the child and engulfed the headless body with green flames before stepping away. 

Guzi was afraid of being left alone in a desolate place like this. Even though his savior had brutally killed someon—a ghost, he saved Guzi’s life (although Guzi will admit that he is scary). Since he saved Guzi, he must be a good person! With that logic, the child took a deep breath and hurriedly went over to the tall man. He grabbed the hem of his green robes and begged him, “…Green Gege, can you help me find my dad?”

The man frowned upon being addressed as ‘Green Gege’. 

“I have to find Daddy, he….he went somewhere,” he tried to explain, ignoring the tightness in his chest when he recalled his father kicking him away without hesitation. “Please help me find him, Green Gege!” 

His savior lifted a finger and lit a flame above his fingertip, scaring off the darkness. Then, he said in an arrogant manner, “Why should this ancestor waste his time looking for a cowardly dog who ran off on his own?” The flame burned brighter when he looked down at the child whose head reached to his waist. He asked him, “Little child, tell me, what do you have to offer to this ancestor in exchange for his time?” 

Sniffle. 

The tall man blinked a couple of times.

“...Are you crying?”

Guzi was on the verge of tears; he was simply holding them back with willpower. Unfortunately, he had no control over the little streams of snot that ran down his nose. 

The child tightened his grip on his savior’s clothes and quietly said, “... Please, Green Gege….”

Guzi felt the heavy gaze on his person and lowered his head, thinking to himself that perhaps, things were really hopeless for him now.

“...Fine,” replied the tall man. “This generous ancestor will help you find your useless father as long as you shut up.”

Guzi blanked out for a moment, processing this piece of information in his mind. Then, he gaped at his savior and exclaimed, “REALLY?!” 

The latter didn’t say another word. He started striding up the hill where the white-haired ghost dragged Guzi down from, pushing tree branches away from his face. Guzi followed him closely behind, trying to keep up with his pace. 

They walked around for some time until they came across another ghost who was sitting on top of a flat rock, human corpses piled up in front of them. There also seemed to be a fresh addition to the pile of dead bodies. Guzi hoped it wasn’t his father.

The bulky ghost spat at the floor and complained, “This old bastard’s meat tastes terrible, ugh! I’m sick of eating this dogshit…! What the hell are humans eating these days?! Horseshit? Trash?!!”

Guzi’s eyes widened when the bulky ghost suddenly caught on fire, green flames spreading across their skin and even entering the inside of their mouth. The ghost dropped to the ground screaming, burning on the inside and out.

His savior ignored the dying ghost and surveyed the bloody corpses, a hint of relief flashing across his eyes when he was unable to find a certain individual among them. Then, he pointed to a corpse donned in blue robes and asked a terrified Guzi, “Little child, is this your father?”

Guzi nervously stepped forward and glanced at the corpse that his savior was pointing at. The corpse was laid on its stomach. It was missing a hand, and a large purple handprint was visible around its crooked neck. The black hair that should’ve been tied up in a bun was scattered around the shoulders, the awfully familiar blue robes were soaked with blood and sweat, and the...the…

Guzi felt his insides twist.

He quickly ran over to his father and tried to flip him over, only for his strength to fail him. 

“D–DAD! DAD, WAKE UP!!!” Guzi sobbed, shaking his father with his small hands in hopes of him waking up. He cried and begged for him to wake up like a faithful son, but of course, he never woke up. 

His savior who had witnessed this pitiful scene was reminded of the time when he, like a fool, had begged his mother to rise from her eternal slumber. The memories of that time period started flowing in, his mood worsening and his eyes hardening. 

Get your act together.

He folded his arms and silently watched Guzi mourn his father. He had already deduced that Guzi’s father had abandoned him; Guzi’s short explanation about his father was a roundabout way of him saying that his father had deserted him. If his father truly cared for Guzi, then he would’ve chased after the ghost that snatched his child away. No, instead of chasing after the ghost, he wouldn’t have walked alone late at night with his child, knowing that vicious ghosts had frequented this area. It was like he was asking to die. 

Yet, the child still cried for his father despite what he had done to him. 

When Guzi finally finished crying, his savior turned to leave until the former spoke up, “...Green Gege...can you help me bury Dad?”

…...He was still calling him Green Gege?  

His savior moved his lips to refuse his request but stopped as soon as Guzi’s swollen eyes looked like they were ready to burst out in tears again. Before he knew it, he was burying Guzi’s father and the other corpses (Guzi, the good-natured child that he was, had asked him to do it).

Finally, he was able to make his leave. 

His savior began pacing further inside the forest, but ceased when he heard small, clumsy footsteps trailing behind him. He sighed and continued walking forward, pretending as if he hadn’t heard anything at all. 

He walked for a very long time until Guzi, who was doing a terrible job of following someone discreetly, had tripped over a rock. His savior turned around and looked at Guzi with an impassive face.

“Why are you following this ancestor?”

Guzi picked himself up and told him as he patted the dirt off of his pants, “I forgot to tell Green Gege thank you earlier, so….thank you for saving me, Green Gege.”

“That’s all you had to tell this ancestor?”

Guzi nodded his head, “Mhm.”

“...Little child, do you not have a home to go back to? Any relatives?”

“......I don’t know.”

“.....”

“.........”

His savior sighed for the second time that day and queried, “What did you plan to do after thanking this ancestor?” 

Hearing this, Guzi contemplated the question for a bit and then answered, “I want to repay Green Gege’s kindness!”

“Repay this ancestor?” The former asked, raising an eyebrow. “How could you possibly repay me? This ancestor has no need to have a human indebted to him.” 

Guzi was confused, “...Human?”

“This ancestor is a ghost, like the two ghosts you encountered earlier.”

The child was thrown off by his words, but he quickly recovered from his shock.

If his savior was a ghost, then he was a good ghost! Would a bad ghost save someone’s life and help them bury their father? No! 

“Well, Green Gege must be a good ghost then!” Guzi said stubbornly. “...To repay Green Gege’s kindness, I’ll...I’ll do anything you ask me!” 

“Then stop following me. If you keep on following me, then I’ll eat you,” his savior responded, wanting to get rid of the nuisance quickly. 

He sighed and felt like he was going to get a headache when Guzi started tearing up at his empty threat.

And that's how Guzi arrived at Lord Qi’s lair. 

“Don’t cry, don’t cry,” the nosey servant told the child as he patted his back. “Don’t listen to the words that come out of that uncle’s mouth, Guzi. His head is only there for decoration, hahaha….”

The short servant was offended by his statement and refuted, “That’s not tru—”

His words were cut short when the former slapped a hand over his mouth and glared at him.

The nosey servant turned back to the young child, “Guzi, how about you sit over there for a bit and wait for this uncle to finish cooking?”

Guzi did what he was told and sat down on a chair, watching the two servants bicker about trivial things before going back to their kitchen duties. 

When the nosey servant finished cooking, he came over to him and handed him a bowl of soup. Guzi shyly thanked him and scooted out of his chair to set down his bowl. As he sat on the ground and used the chair as a table, he picked up his spoon and scooped up a wonton that was idly swimming around the aromatic soup.  

Shortly after, the purple-eyed servant hastily returned to the kitchen. 

“L–Lord...hold on, let me catch my breath…. Lord Qi told us to prepare a guest room and to take care of this kid.”

The short servant frowned, “Guzi is Lord Qi’s guest after all?”

“Lord Qi told me that he’ll be staying here for a while,” the former stated.

At that moment, all three servants glanced at Guzi who had busied himself with eating.

“Ah, so it seems like Lord Qi has picked up another one. I guess it was just a human boy this time around.”

The short servant was the newest servant in the cave, so he didn’t know much about Lord Qi and his history with the servants. 

He asked the two other servants, “What do you mean by that?”

“Lord Qi often picks up poor souls and allows them to stay here. For example, many of us servants were weak, wispy ghosts who were going to be devoured by a powerful ghost. Luckily, Lord Qi came and saved us in time. After that, we swore our loyalty to him,” the nosey servant explained nostalgically, feeling as if it was just yesterday when he had begun serving under Lord Qi. “Lord Qi has a good heart, he’s not evil like the rumors about him say. He doesn’t kill women and children, he’s lenient with them. As a matter of fact, he has better morals than some of us do here.”

…Truth be told, Lord Qi wasn’t as righteous and benevolent, nor was he as villainous as the servants made him out to be. 

Sometimes, during his search for Shen Yuan, he’ll come across a few wispy ghosts begging for their lives to a vicious ghost. Honestly, he didn’t care for the weak ones, but the vicious ghost blocked his path and even dared to challenge him, so he eliminated the pest. 

The wispy ghosts thanked him with teary eyes, and annoyingly enough, they were so grateful to him that they refused to go off on their own ways despite Lord Qi telling them to scram off. They swore their loyalty to him, and even went as far as to follow Lord Qi to his lair, saying that they’ll clean up the place and cook for him. Lord Qi rarely stayed in his lair anyways, so he didn’t care if these wispy ghosts kept the place clean (whether they were able to perform those tasks or not, he cared less) while he was away. 

Nothing really mattered to Lord Qi, he just wanted to find the person who has been on his mind for centuries. 

Over time, Lord Qi kept picking up poor souls every time he made his return home (those bothersome ghosts kept on insisting on repaying back their debts to him). Soon after, he had acquired himself the reputation of a ruthless Calamity that slaughtered those who got in his way, and because of this, he attracted other ghosts who wanted to serve under an evil ghost lord and commit mayhem. 

“No way, that can’t be! Lord Qi is evil and vile, why would he save a couple of weak souls who can’t even protect themselves?” The short servant exclaimed. “He’s not kind, you must be lying!”

“Lying? Who’s lying? Do you want to die again?!”

“Ow, ow, stop hitting me!”

Later that day, Guzi laid in the bed that was prepared for him, his stomach fuller than it had ever been before and his thoughts in disarray. 

He stared at the ceiling and clutched his blanket, finding himself missing his father’s warmth. The corners of his eyes burned as he recollected the image of his father’s cold corpse, but he didn’t shed another tear. Instead, he drew his blanket closer to himself and closed his eyes. 

Deep down inside, Guzi hoped that he’d wake up to find his father alive and well the next morning.

Chapter Text

Qi Rong kneaded his temples, a deep sigh escaping from him. He helplessly stared at the child standing behind his jade desk with round, glimmering eyes full of expectation.

“What is it this time?” He asked coldly, taking a report from a fluttering, silver butterfly. He raises a brow at the creature before skimming through the paper. “If it’s nothing relevant, then leave. This ancestor doesn’t have enough time on his hands to entertain a child.”

Guzi furrowed his bushy eyebrows together upon sensing the iciness directed at him, but he steeled his resolve and lifted the porcelain cup in his hands above his little head.

“Guzi made tea for Green Gege!” He announced proudly, placing the cup on the jade desk. He quickly blew on his hands which turned red from the heat emanating from the cup and continued, “Uncle Li taught me how to make Green Gege’s favorite tea!”

Qi Rong glances at the mysterious black liquid with visible bits of crushed-up herbs swimming around. He shook his head and said, “Little child, do you want honest advice from this ancestor?”

Guzi’s eyes lit up and he straightened his posture like an obedient dog, “Mmn!”

“Never make this abomination again,” Qi Rong spat, burning up the report in his hand and allowing the ashes to fall on the floor. “And stop coming around here, all you do is give this ancestor a headache. This ancestor doesn’t care for your gratitude, you don’t need to repay me.”

Guzi gazed up at the tea with great concentration, making Qi Rong wonder if the kid was going to cry from his cruel words. God, what a nightmare it would be if he did. 

Instead, Guzi looked at Qi Rong and asked with a smile, “Umm, Green Gege, what does ‘abomination’ mean?”

Qi Rong felt like he was going to get a headache.

“This ancestor means that your tea is terrible and that you should never make tea ever again,” replied the ghost lord. 

Guzi was confused.

“Green Gege, how do you know that you don’t like it? You haven’t tried it yet!” He inquired curiously, seeming to be thinking hard and long about why his savior was so stubborn about not drinking his tea. 

“This ancestor doesn’t need to taste it to know that it’s terrible,” Qi Rong answered blatantly, wanting the child to leave him alone. “Taste it for yourself if you’re so curious. Now get out of my sight.”

Guzi frowned and stood on his tiptoes to hook his fingers around the cup handle, bringing it to his mouth to take a small sip. 

His face scrunched up from the bitter taste, but he placed it back on the desk. 

If Guzi were to be honest, the tea tasted bad, really bad. But grownups liked bitter stuff and other weird things that Guzi never wanted to taste for himself. If the tea was this bad, then it must be delicious for Green Gege, since he was a grownup!

“Yeah, it’s delicious! Green Gege, give it a try! You’ll like it!” Guzi persuaded, pushing the mystery drink closer to Qi Rong. 

Qi Rong looked at the cup of tea with apparent disgust, this kid couldn’t have expected him to drink from the same cup that he already took a sip from?

“How many times does this ancestor have to express how unwilling I am to drink your tea?” The ghost lord said annoyedly. “If you have nothing better to do, then make the servants drink your tea instead!”

Although Guzi worked hard to follow the recipe that Uncle Li had given him, it seemed like Green Gege hated his tea.

Well, he’d just have to make better tea next time! 

Qi Rong was slightly surprised when the child took the porcelain cup back into his hands and walked away, normally he was more stubborn than this.

Guzi, that child, made it a mission to visit his office every day to make him a cup of tea. Qi Rong wasn’t sure if Guzi was dense or not, considering how Qi Rong banned the other servants from entering his office without permission. Guzi was no exception, but the kid waltzed in like he owned the place. 

Did nobody tell him the rules? 

Did Qi Rong need a big sign that said “DO NOT ENTER” on his door?! 

The ghost lord picked up the report from earlier and reread the words written on the parchment paper.

Old friend, this lord is afraid that the person you’ve been looking for is nowhere to be found in the heavens nor in Ghost City. I have sent my subordinates to search in nearby kingdoms, but this lord apologizes ahead of time if he fails to find Shen Yuan. I hope you’ll be successful in your search. 

It was odd for the lord of Ghost City to reach out to Qi Rong and offer his help to find whoever it was that he was looking for. At first, Qi Rong denied his help, finding this offer extremely suspicious. Qi Rong insisted that he was capable enough to find a singular person within this vast world, only a few centuries later did a frustrated Qi Rong finally accept his help. 

The ghost lord remembered questioning  Hua Cheng about his motives, and the latter only responded with, “This lord is only repaying a debt that he owes, nothing else.”

It was very strange because Qi Rong looked at him up and down and couldn’t recall if he had met a person with an eyepatch over his right eye in the past. 

Qi Rong crumbled up the report and breathed in sharply, feeling his blood boil.

It’s impossible for him to not be able to find Shen Yuan all these years! He must’ve hidden somewhere very discreet, or he must’ve reincarnated into an animal with such a small presence that made it hard for Qi Rong to find him!

But deep down inside, as time passed, Qi Rong thought that perhaps, Shen Yuan might’ve ceased to exist. His soul might’ve dispersed a long time ago….just the thought of this made Qi Rong anxious.

If Shen Yuan no longer existed, then what was he to do with the uncontrollable anger and sadness that distorted his soul? 

What was the point of lingering around in the mortal realm if Shen Yuan no longer breathed to answer his burning questions?

….What was he without Shen Yuan?

Qi Rong was stressing himself out over nothing. Of course, this was the Shen Yuan he was talking about! Someone as despicable as him can’t possibly have his soul easily dispersed like that!

…Qi Rong really needed something to drink.

He glanced around to find something to quench his thirst and found a familiar porcelain cup near the edge of his desk. 

He disregarded the suspicious color of the liquid and downed it in one go, tasting the bitterness of tea leaves and the sourness of…something. What the fuck was this disgusting thing?!!

Qi Rong nearly spat out the tea until he spotted Guzi happily jumping up and down behind his desk, a wide smile stretching across his face.

“Green Gege! You finally drank it! It’s good, right? Right? I just made this one! Uncle Li said that the tea I make is the best!!!” Guzi exclaimed elatedly, feeling as if his efforts hadn’t gone down the drain after all. “Do you want more, Green Gege? I can make you more right now!”

Qi Rong felt that if he drank any more of that awful tea, he’d die again for the second time. 

Recovering from his taste buds being destroyed, Qi Rong told Guzi, “Leave, I finally drank your tea. Are you satisfied now?”

Guzi didn’t want to leave Qi Rong so quickly; he still hadn’t fully paid him back for saving his life! How could a mere cup of tea be enough to thank Green Gege? He at least needed three thousand cups of tea to fully express his gratitude! 

However, it was obvious that Green Gege wanted him gone. He always told Guzi to leave whenever he walked into his office to offer him tea and frowned whenever he saw Guzi as if his appearance had sullied his eyes.

Naturally, Guzi was hurt, he was a sensitive child who grew up without affection. He just wanted to make his savior a cup of tea every day and be useful to him, but he couldn’t even do this simple task! What was he good for? 

Maybe his father was right about him being useless….

“Okay,” sniffled the child, lowering his head and trying his best to hold back tears. “I’m sorry, Green Gege.”

Qi Rong couldn’t stand to see children cry. He sighed and rearranged the papers around his desk before peeking over at Guzi, “What are you apologizing for?” Upon seeing Guzi shuffling his feet in place and nervously wringing his hands, the ghost lord said to him, “Don’t do pointless things like trying to make tea for this ancestor. Go, go play outside or do something that you kids like doing these days.”

Guzi glanced at him with a pitiful appearance, “...Green Gege, is my tea really that bad?” 

“Yes,” Qi Rong immediately answered. 

Guzi’s sniffles grew louder.

The ghost lord distastefully looked down at the child wiping away his tears and snot on his sleeves. He stared hard and long at the empty porcelain cup with a contemplative look. Then, he began walking towards the doors, calling out to Guzi, “Since you want to make tea so badly, follow me. I’ll show you how to make it properly.” 

Guzi was filled with confusion as he made haste to follow Qi Rong. His tears dried up as they rounded corners of the corridors and kept walking until they finally reached the kitchen.

A wave of silence swept over the kitchen servants that were talking and gossiping loudly amongst themselves, surprised at the unexpected sight of the ghost lord stepping foot inside of the kitchen. 

“M-My lord! How can these lowly servants be of service?” The head chef exclaimed nervously, not daring to meet Qi Rong’s green eyes. “Was there anything my lord was dissatisfied with?” 

“Where are the tea leaves?” The ghost lord asked, scanning around the kitchen for a tea set that he favored. “Bring them to me and then resume your duties.”

Hastily, the kitchen servants presented the porcelain tea set and fragrant tea leaves to Qi Rong and Guzi who sat down at a long table, watching the servants nearly trip over themselves out of nervousness. 

“You only need a spoonful of the leaves, don’t pour too much into the pot.” To demonstrate, the ghost lord lifted the lid of the tea leaf jar and scooped up the dried osmanthus leaves that resembled specks of gold. He poured them into the teapot with painted bamboo stalks and said, “You’ll pour the hot water next, but don’t add too much or it’ll water down the taste.”

Guzi watched Qi Rong attentively, taking in every word of his like he was bestowed with great knowledge from the heavens. He nodded eagerly, his brown eyes twinkling like the stars in the quiet night. 

Upon catching a whiff of the rich fragrance of osmanthus tea in the air, the kitchen servants’ eyes strayed towards the pair at the table. 

Shock struck the servants as the ghost lord slightly swirled the teapot and poured Guzi a cup. The child stared at the cup filled with tea, then he looked up at Qi Rong and asked, “…Green Gege, is this for me to drink?”

Qi Rong frowned and said, “Who else would this ancestor pour tea for? Give it a taste.” 

“Oh!”

Guzi carefully grabbed the cup as if he was scared it’d spill all over him, the heat from the hot tea spreading to his small palms. He lifted it and took a sip, smacking his lips for a few seconds as he registered the taste in his mind. 

It was…delicious. 

Guzi didn’t know how to describe the flavor; it was herbal, with some bitterness that he could appreciate, and, and….he doesn’t know!  All he knows is that the tea was good! And warm! Very warm!

Suddenly, his eyes felt itchy. 

“Green Gege, this… this is..wuuuu, t-thank you! It’s delicious! The best tea I’ve ever had!” Guzi cried, wiping away tears once again. 

Qi Rong was slightly concerned for the child, why was he always crying? Has he not run out of tears to cry yet? 

“Enough, stop crying over little things,” chided the ghost lord. “Now that this ancestor has taught you how to make tea properly, I will be expecting to see improvements.”

Did…Did that mean Guzi could ‘officially’ bring tea to Green Gege everyday?

The child smiled so brightly that Qi Rong and the kitchen servants who were secretly watching the interaction were nearly blinded.

“Green Gege, I won’t disappoint you!” 

“Yes, yes, whatever it takes to stop the tears. You’re such a hassle, kid,” Qi Rong replied, his eyes squinting upon seeing a line of snot trickling down Guzi’s nose. He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and hurriedly gave it to the child with visible disgust. “Clean yourself up before you think about bringing tea for this ancestor!”

“Yes, Green Gege!” 

Qi Rong shook his head and flicked his sleeves, thinking to himself that children were so troublesome. He headed out of the kitchen, and Guzi quickly trailed behind.

-

“This is….the flavor is,” said Qi Rong, a hint of disgust within his tone. “…It’s interesting. Tastes better than last time.” He glanced up at Guzi who took that as a compliment and grinned proudly from ear to ear. 

How should he tell the child that his tea still tasted like ass? 

Guzi was visibly brimming with happiness when he heard Qi Rong’s ‘compliment’. 

He was so happy! His savior liked his tea! Guzi worked hard and practiced a lot to get it right!!! 

“Guzi will keep making it for Green Gege everyday!” Guzi said, his voice a little bit too loud for the ears. 

“Nonsense, don’t give yourself work to do,” Qi Rong responded offhandedly as he carded through reports. “No need to do it everyday.”

“It’s okay! Guzi can handle it!”

Perhaps it was fine for Guzi, but could Qi Rong’s tastebuds handle this any further? 

Soon, Qi Rong got up from his desk and headed towards the door until Guzi quickly scrambled over to him.

Raising a brow at this strange behavior, Qi Rong watched Guzi open the door for him. The child stood at the side and waited for the ghost lord to pass through the doorway, a smile permanent on his face.

 “…What are you doing?” Qi Rong asked.

“Opening the door for Green Gege,” was the reply he received.

At this point, Qi Rong didn’t want to question Guzi anymore. He chalked it up to the kid being weird.

An occurrence similar to this happened when Qi Rong had dropped his brush on the ground; he hadn’t reached for it yet before Guzi suddenly materialized from who knows where, and picked it up for him instead.

“Green Gege dropped this!”

Qi Rong narrowed his eyes at Guzi and said, “Little child, you don’t have to do this.”

Guzi rubbed his nose and spoke casually, “Guzi’s only doing this because he wants to!” 

Qi Rong grimaced as he recounted the times when Guzi would do strange things such as opening the door for him, tossing away things that Qi Rong no longer wanted for him, attempting to clean Qi Rong’s office with a broom twice his size, delivering messages from other servants to him, etc, etc. 

Guzi did the most mundane things that a servant did, except, he’d go an extra mile about it and make a big mess instead. 

Qi Rong feared nothing, he was a peerless ghost lord whom others feared in the three realms. He was powerful, arrogant, cruel, and the pinnacle of evil. Just hearing his name fills the Heavens with dread. 

Now, the arrogant ghost lord, Qi Rong found himself fearing for his life.

Little Guzi pushed a large plate towards him with a hopeful expression; resembling a puppy eager for praise and affection after performing a trick or two.

Qi Rong stared at the plate filled with mysterious contents and said without hesitation, “This ancestor will not be eating.”

Guzi seemed concerned after hearing those words, “Guzi made it together with Uncle Li; he told me that Green Gege hasn’t been eating lately. Green Gege, you should eat!!”

Li Feng, that damn purple eyed servant, needed to stop encouraging Guzi to poison Qi Rong.

“…What is this?” Qi Rong asked, pushing around the black contents on his plate. Hell, everything on his plate was all burnt to a crisp. Eating rotten flesh would be preferable over his abomination!!!

“Stir-fried pork!”

“….”

Qi Rong opened his mouth to criticize Guzi’s work, until his eyes glided over the latter’s hands. His dry hands were littered with small, fresh cuts and stray burn marks that turned slightly red. 

The ghost lord glanced at Guzi’s expectant face and then looked at the plate as if it had offended him greatly. 

He tightened his grip around his chopsticks and slowly picked up a charred piece of meat, an atrocious fishy smell overwhelming his nostrils. 

Qi Rong took a small bite to satisfy the child who happily watched him from the side; he thought to himself that Guzi’s cooking could possibly rival that damn cousin of his.

Guzi found himself by Qi Rong’s side in the kitchens shortly after. The ghost lord glared at the servants and ordered them to keep an eye over Guzi whenever he was in the kitchen, lest disaster and the poisoning of the ghost lord occur. 

Qi Rong huffed and showed Guzi the ways of cooking, demonstrating how to wield a knife properly, chop vegetables proportionally, what color the meat should be after some time on the grill, etc. 

How could a child know how to do things properly if nobody taught them right? 

Since these useless servants weren’t teaching him correctly, Qi Rong had to do it himself or else that child would pester him everyday with his hazardous food. 

Guzi had to stop himself from drooling when he saw platters of cooked meat presented to him; there was roasted pork, stir-fry beef, and grilled fish! The kitchen servants were so shocked that a few of them had to rub their eyes to verify that what they were witnessing was true. 

Lord Qi cooked??!! For this grimy human child?!!! They’ve never seen Lord Qi cook before!!! He was supposed to be evil, domineering, and cruel! What was this?! Why did he look like a kind father cooking for his child?!!

“Eat, what are you waiting for?” Qi Rong said, leaning against the table. 

With the shocked expression on Guzi’s face, it seemed as if Qi Rong had given him the world. 

…This was the first time someone has ever cooked him this much food! There was so much meat on the table! How could a peasant such as Guzi finish it all? 

His father would often deny him even a single grain of rice, but Green Gege gave him the best without Guzi asking him for it.

Guzi raised his eyes to look at Qi Rong through his bangs, stars filling his dewy eyes and his lips slightly trembling. 

“G-Green Gege….”

Qi Rong rolled his eyes and looked away, unable to face this child who was shaking with gratitude. 

“Why’re you crying over food? Eat.”

Guzi nodded and moved over to grab his chopsticks, sneaking a couple glances at Qi Rong as if he was expecting to be stopped. Then slowly, he reached for the edges of the crispy, golden pieces of pork and began stuffing his face full as if he had been starved for a millennia.

Qi Rong shook his head, just looking at Guzi hurt his eyes. 

He disliked Guzi. 

How easily the kid had lit up with joy when others did the bare minimum for him, he looked so happy about the smallest things that could be granted. He cries when shown the slightest affection from others, and once given a favor, he’d try to return it in hundred folds.

He reminded Qi Rong of his younger, pathetic self back at Xianle Palace. 

Although Qi Rong had been mistrusting and foul-mouthed as a child, deep down inside, he was very happy whenever someone did the smallest things for him, whether it be making drawings with him, teaching him how to write, reading books with him, and playing ‘tag’ with him….

“T…Thank you, Green Gege!” Guzi declared passionately, pulling the ghost lord from his thoughts. “This is delicious! You’re the best cook in the world, Green Gege!!!”

If you’re truly grateful, then stop trying to poison this lord everyday, brat.

“I don’t need to eat to survive like you humans do, so don’t bother this ancestor with your… cooking,” Qi Rong said dryly. Then, he faced the kitchen servants who were pretending to be busy and said, “This ancestor will be away for some time. Make sure this child doesn’t get himself into trouble while this ancestor is gone.” 

“L-Lord Qi, you’re leaving already?” A servant inquired, earning a frown from the former.

“That’s none of your business,” Qi Rong spat, crossing his arms and turning away. “If Hua Cheng comes, just relay his message to me upon my return.”

Guzi startled after hearing about Qi Rong’s departure, “Green Gege, where are you going?” 

“This ancestor doesn’t need to explain,” responded the ghost lord. “Behave. If you don’t, then these servants will eat your bones and flesh and you’ll become an ugly ghost without a skeleton.”

The kitchen servants shivered, if they dared to do that, they’d probably be eaten by Lord Qi instead!!! Everybody knew that Lord Qi secretly cared for the human child! Who’d be stupid enough to lay a hand on Guzi?? Who’d want to eat this tiny child with little to no meat on his bones?!! PEH! Not these servants!!!

Frightened, Guzi slightly curled in on himself and muttered, “No, no, please don’t eat me. I don’t taste good at all, don’t eat me…...”

A chuckle came from the ghost lord’s mouth before it was briefly silenced, his amused expression quickly hardening into a cold one. 

“This ancestor was lying, nobody will eat you,” Qi Rong spoke. “Gullible child, stay out of the kitchen and don’t try to poison these servants while this ancestor’s away.” 

Guzi didn’t understand what Qi Rong was trying to say, but he didn’t have the chance to ask before the latter flicked his sleeves and made his leave. 

…How long was Green Gege going to be gone for?

-

It’s been three weeks since Green Gege left.

Guzi was walking behind the nosey servant, a few scrolls piled up in his arms. He was helping him carry a couple scrolls to the library. 

During this small journey, Guzi couldn’t help but ask the nosey servant, “Uncle Zhou, when is Green Gege coming back? Uncle Li said that he’d be coming back soon.” 

Uncle Zhou hummed, “Who knows? Lord Qi comes and goes as he pleases, there are times when he doesn’t return after a few years. If he’s in a good mood, he might return after a couple months. It depends, but Lord Qi doesn’t stay here for long.”

Guzi frowned, if Green Gege was away for this long, then how would he ever repay him back? Guzi would be six feet under by the time Green Gege comes back!!!

“Uncle Zhou, why does Green Gege go out for that long?” The child questioned.

“To find the person who holds his heart, of course,” the nosey servant sighed, pitying the ghost lord. It was clear by the hidden enthusiasm in Uncle Zhou’s tone that he had talked about this topic with the other servants often. 

“When this servant had first served Lord Qi, the lord was often irritable and cold towards us servants. Every night when this servant would bring Lord Qi wine, I’d find him obsessively painting portraits of a person. He’d get frustrated whenever he couldn’t draw a nose or a pair of eyes right, and there was a time when he’d been so frustrated to the point of shedding tears.”

Guzi was surprised to hear this, “Green Gege would cry?”

It was hard to imagine someone as strong and tough as Green Gege shedding a single tear.

“Is it wrong for a man to express his emotions? I cried too when I lost my wife! I can only imagine Lord Qi’s pain; working so hard to find a lover but not finding even a single hair of them after many years of searching…. Lord Qi’s devotion is truly inspirational,” Uncle Zhou exclaimed with fervor before remembering that he was talking to a child. He clicked his tongue, “Tsk, why are you asking me so many questions? This is a matter of the heart, children shouldn’t be worried about it! Come on, walk faster!”

The child huffed and picked up his little legs, trying hard to balance the scrolls in his arms as he basically ran to catch up with the nosey servant. 

The nosey servant led Guzi inside of the spacious library; rows of shelves were neatly lined up and books were organized alphabetically into categories. Ancient knowledge and cultivation techniques were recorded within these books, yet they were all collecting dust within Lord Qi’s library. 

“Careful, don’t drop those scrolls,” Uncle Zhou said, striding towards the direction of empty shelves. “They have a defense mechanism that’ll lay a curse upon whoever damages it.”

With the pile of scrolls in his arms hindering the view of his path, Guzi accidentally bumps into a shelf and two scrolls fall to the dirty floor.

Uncle Zhou: “....”

“Oops, sorry Uncle Zhou! Guzi will quickly pick them up!” The child exclaimed apologetically, bending down to pick up the dropped scrolls. However, he didn’t expect that the remaining scrolls in his arms would abruptly roll off during this process.

Uncle Zhou wanted to cry.

How clumsy can this child be?!

It was fortunate that Guzi didn’t damage the scrolls, but seeing this display of clumsiness made Uncle Zhou regret allowing the child to help him. 

After helping Guzi, the nosey servant began organizing the new scrolls among the others that have already been tucked away into their respective shelves. After some time had passed, a small realization dawned upon the servant. 

He had forgotten to grab the other book stack!!! Should he bring the child back with him? Ah, but he was already tired walking all the way over here! 

He stopped and turned to Guzi, who had been sitting on the ground watching him work. 

“Guzi, this uncle forgot to bring the other stack. Stay here, I’ll be right back,” Uncle Zhou stated, hurrying out of the library.

Guzi obediently waited, remembering Qi Rong’s words to behave or else he’d be eaten. 

However, the nosey servant had taken too long. It was a while before Guzi could sit around and wait any longer for Uncle Zhou. 

He stood up and walked out of the room, turning his head from left to right. There were no signs of Uncle Zhou returning any time soon, the corridors were empty and not a single servant was to be seen. 

Being by himself with silence as his only company made him uneasy.

…He was scared. 

Perhaps he should look for Uncle Zhou? 

The child hesitated for a moment before making a final decision to tread down the corridor, the candles from the walls lit with green flames illuminating his path. 

He wandered about until finally recognizing that the pathways that he took were unfamiliar. To put it into simpler words, he…..he was lost!!! 

This cave was too big! It’s been a few months since Guzi’s lived here, but he never had the chance to fully explore the cave. There really wasn’t a need for him to. He only memorized the paths to his room, the kitchens, and Green Gege’s office. 

Guzi wore a deep frown on his face, what if he never found Uncle Zhou? What if nobody found Guzi? What would Guzi do? 

It was scary being alone! 

The child continued walking, hoping that the shadows in the corners of his eye won’t suddenly jump at him. It wasn’t until further down the hallway did he see a door abruptly bang open. 

Guzi squinted at the silhouette that shot out of the room and escaped into the darkness. The startled child stared at the open doorway, the light seeping from the room attracting his curious gaze.

What just came out of this room?

Should he go check what was inside?

Ah, what if that thing came back and wanted to hurt him?!

.…It couldn’t hurt to take a quick look, right? Just one look, and then Guzi will run back to the library.

Guzi stepped forward and peeked inside the room from the doorway, wondering who it was that left and why they’d left in such a hasty manner.

He was rendered speechless when he took in the sight of hundreds of paintings plastered across the walls, each and every one of them left unfinished. He couldn’t help but be drawn in by their beauty. 

There was one particular thing that did stand out to Guzi; the paintings seemed to…consist of the same person? 

There was a handsome man present in all of the paintings, and a particular one that caught Guzi’s eye was a painting of the handsome man looking up at lanterns that drifted across the night sky. 

His masculine figure was hidden by layers of green silken fabric, long cascades of hair were fastened up with a jade crown, and an alluring mole was drawn under smiling carmine lips. He gave off the feel of an immortal who was free of sin and loved by many. 

Without a doubt, he was a beautiful man who must’ve been blessed by the heavens. It was just a great shame that the nose and eyes were nowhere to be found! 

Guzi glanced back at the other paintings to see if they were missing a nose or a pair of eyes also. Some paintings did indeed include a pair of eyes and a nose, but they were always different shapes and sizes. Other paintings didn’t even have a face! 

So, who was it that painted these? Matter of fact, who was the person in these paintings? 

Whoever they were, they must be very important to the painter. Guzi wasn’t an artist, but even a child could tell by the careful strokes of ink and the tiniest of details, that the painter treasured the person within these beautiful paintings.  

Every night when this servant would bring Lord Qi wine, I’d find him obsessively painting portraits of a person. He’d get frustrated whenever he couldn’t draw a nose or a pair of eyes right, and there was a time when he’d been so frustrated to the point of shedding tears.

…Ah, this had to be Green Gege’s work! 

Guzi has heard from the servants (excluding Uncle Zhou) that Qi Rong had been searching for a person for centuries, some said that this person was a despicable heavenly official, an old lover, and an enemy that had constantly crossed Qi Rong in his past life.

His name was Shen Yuan.

Guzi wondered to himself, if he grows old enough to be useful to Green Gege, would he allow Guzi to help him find this Shen Yuan?

If he found this person for Green Gege, would he smile and possibly pat him on the head like how he had seen other fathers do to their children? 

Guzi continued admiring the paintings with this in mind, thinking to himself that Green Gege was suuuuuper cool! Not only was Green Gege the strongest and had amazing cooking; he was also great at drawing!!! 

Guzi wants to be like him when he grows up!

The child was too distracted by the paintings displayed on the walls to notice the jade desk near the corner of the room had been robbed of its possessions, paintings and stray artifacts scattered on the ground, and the wooden stand holding brushes with worn-out ends tipped over. The grand sandalwood bed off to the side however, was untouched and seemed to be collecting dust, as if the owner of this room hadn’t laid on it for a very long time.

When Guzi heard Uncle Zhou’s voice echoing from the corridors, he woke from his daze and started out the door.

“Uncle Zhou?!” 

The nosey servant rushed over to him, worry washed over his normally peaceful expression. 

“GUZI! DID YOU SEE AN INTRUDER?!! THAT BASTARD STOLE LORD QI’S ARTIFACTS AND RAN WITH IT!!! LORD QI’S GONNA KILL US!!!” 

Guzi recalled the silhouette that shot out of the room earlier and lifted a finger to point at the direction it went in, “Oh, I think they went that way.” 

Uncle Zhou gazed at him with disbelief.

“Child, why didn’t you scream for help?”

Guzi saw the look on the servant’s face and guiltily lowered his head, “Sorry Uncle Zhou, I didn’t know…. I was scared.”

The nosey servant sighed, “…Aiyah, it can’t be helped. You’re just a child, what can you do?” He continued rambling on about what was stolen and what wasn’t until he noticed that the doors to Lord Qi’s chambers were wide open. His jaw dropped.

“That dumbass must be seeking death…!”

-

“You must be seeking death to dare steal from this ancestor,” Qi Rong spoke, eliciting shivers within the thief kneeling before him. “To steal from my armory and treasury, good! Very good…!”

The head servant standing next to his throne leaned in and whispered something in his ear, fury distorting Qi Rong’s indifferent face. 

The green flames that lit the candles in the hall erupted from the ghost lord’s rage and lunged towards the thief. 

Gruesome screams resounded throughout the cave as fire consumed the thief’s ghostly form and soul, burning everything into ashes. 

The servants’ hands immediately flew to cover their noses, the stench of burnt flesh was disgusting. It was as if someone had roasted rotting flesh over the fire for centuries on end!

This idiotic thief used to be a servant amongst them, but he was so arrogant that he genuinely thought he could challenge Lord Qi’s position as a Calamity by stealing his possessions and striking a duel with Lord Qi as soon as he returned. Ha, that idiot was captured before he could even step foot outside of the cave! 

“Anyone who dares to enter my private chambers without permission will share the same fate as him,” Qi Rong scowled, rising from his throne. “This ancestor will not repeat himself.”

With a flurry of his emerald robes, the ghost lord slammed the doors behind him as he made his exit.

That pig fucker dared to sneak into my chambers and steal this lord’s paintings while he was away?! Unforgivable, unforgivable, unforgivable…!!! Even destroying that bastard’s soul was too generous of this ancestor!!!! 

Qi Rong’s footsteps came to a stop when he entered his office and spotted a tiny figure at his desk.

A child with bangs that stopped at his bushy eyebrows was sitting with his back against the jade desk, drool smeared against his round cheeks, and strands of black hair sticking out from his bun. 

The last time Qi Rong had seen him, the child was malnourished and seemed as if it took great energy to hold up the head on his shoulders. He previously donned ugly rags that dirtied the eyes, but now he wore simple blue robes and looked healthier than before. 

It appeared that the servants were treating Guzi well.

“When did this ancestor’s office become a nursery where you can come and go as you please?”

Although Qi Rong said those words out loud to purposely stir Guzi awake, the latter continued sleeping like the dead.

“....”

The ghost lord sighed in disbelief and said, “Little child, wake up.”

Guzi remained asleep.

Annoyed by the lack of response, Qi Rong raised his voice, “Wake up!”

Still no response.

The ghost lord clicked his tongue and called out, “Servants, take this brat back to his roo—”

Ah, there wasn’t anyone but him and Guzi in his office at the moment.

Qi Rong furrowed his brows and glared daggers at Guzi as if that’d magically wake him up.

Another deep sigh.

As if he had no other choice, the ghost lord stepped over and pulled Guzi into his arms. He lifted him up and walked towards the direction of Guzi’s room, the child in his arms slowly easing into a comfortable position in his hold. Qi Rong pretended not to notice Guzi’s trail of drool wetting his pristine sleeves. 

He had nearly forgotten how troublesome it was to take care of children.

When Guzi woke, he stared at the ceiling until he realized that he was back in his room.

…Wasn’t he at Green Gege’s office? How’d he get back here?

Guzi asked Uncle Zhou about it, and was surprised to hear that it wasn’t him or Uncle Li that carried him back into his room. However, he didn’t investigate too far into it when he heard that Green Gege had finally returned after seven months!

Unable to contain his excitement, Guzi rushed to the kitchen before he made his way to Qi Rong’s office. 

Guzi couldn’t help but smile when he saw the ghost lord behind his desk, carding through the stack of reports that accumulated during his absence. 

“Green Gege! You’re back!” Guzi exclaimed. He hurried over to him with a small tray and tiptoed, placing the teacup on the edge of the desk. With a small nudge, the cup was pushed into Qi Rong’s line of sight. “Here, I made Green Gege tea! Uncle Zhou said that my tea tastes better nowadays! Give it a try!”

“Tsk, still presumptuous as ever,” the ghost lord commented, noting the lack of crushed herbs in the tea. He held the cup and hesitantly took a sip, raising an eyebrow at the taste. 

The tea wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t considered great either. It was rather mediocre. However, this was an improvement compared to Guzi’s previous….creations. 

“Hmph, you should be more focused on reading the rules of the cave,” Qi Rong remarked, recalling when he found the child asleep in his office after his return and the times when Guzi would barge into his office unprompted. 

Guzi scratched his head and said sheepishly, “...I don’t know how to read.” 

The ghost lord blinked.

“How old are you?”

“Umm, I remember hearing the aunties say that I was born during the first month of fall, but I don’t know. Dad never tells me how old I am,” The child answered with some confusion, holding up two fingers. “I think I’m this old though!”

“You’re too old to be two, silly child,” Qi Rong told him. 

If he had to make an accurate guess, then Guzi had to be around the age of five. 

Qi Rong summoned the nosey servant to his office and ordered him to teach Guzi literacy; it was a great excuse for the ghost lord to get that sticky child out of his hair!

However, his expectations were crushed when Guzi decided to practice reading at his office after his lessons were finished for the day. 

“She said yes then he go after they would no,” the child read out loud to his unwilling audience, stopping to process the words in his mind. He figured it somehow made grammatical sense. “After feast evil, they h-held? Held hands and ran!”

Qi Rong could no longer listen to this nonsense and stretched a hand out towards Guzi, “Give it to me, let this ancestor see what kind of book you’re reading.”

Qi Rong took the book from his hands and narrowed his eyes as he read the passage,

“She said yes, she’d join him. But then that’d mean he would have to go after the marriage ceremony was over. They would have to ensure that there’d be no one who’ll interfere with their plans.” 

Turns out, there was nothing wrong with the book. Guzi was just reading words that he recognized.

….Qi Rong didn’t know if he could do this any longer.

-

“Green Gege, Green Gege!” Guzi called, buzzing with energy as he approached the ghost lord with an eager smile. “Are we going today?” 

“Going where?” Qi Rong replied, not sparing a single glance at him. 

“Today’s the Mid-Autumn Festival! Green Gege, can we go? Uncle Zhou and the others said they’re going to a place called Ghost City to have fun! Can we go too? Please, please?” 

 “No,” the latter shot down his pleas immediately. “Ghost City’s too dangerous for humans, especially a clumsy child like you. They’ll cut you up into pieces and eat you when they find out you’re human.” 

Guzi shuddered at the thought, but he had to be persistent!

“But Green Gege, you’re coming with me! Green Gege’s the strongest, you can beat them up!” 

“No,” Qi Rong firmly repeated himself again, avoiding his pitiful gaze.

The child shrank with visible disappointment, his shoulders hung low and his expression downcast.

He really wanted to go out with Green Gege today; the last time he went out was a month ago and he figured the Mid-Autumn Festival would be the perfect occasion! 

But, if Green Gege didn’t want to go, then that was fine! Maybe he was just tired today!

“...Okay,” Guzi tried to say in a cheerful tone. “It’s okay! I understand!”

A long silence stretched between the two, and Qi Rong made the mistake of making eye contact with the child’s eyes that were rapidly filling up with tears.

Now, Qi Rong found himself watching Guzi run around and looking at spectacles with wide eyes.

The child pointed at the performers on stage and exclaimed, “Green Gege, look at them! They’re breathing fire! So cool!”

He rolled his eyes at that, they were just mere tricks that this ancestor can accomplish with ease.

“Sure,” Qi Rong answered.

The ghost lord’s gaze roamed over the city brimming with life under the moon. Circular lanterns hung on strings that extended across the bustling market, humans grazed shoulders with one another within the moving crowd, children ran around playing cuju, and merchants reeled in naive customers by falsely advertising that their products were originally possessions of General Ming Guang or General Nan Yang before they ascended to the heavens.

Since Qi Rong became a Calamity, he never took the time to enjoy trivial celebrations and events like he had before he died. 

Why would he? It was a waste of time.

He wouldn’t have remembered that it was the Mid-Autumn Festival today if it weren’t for Guz reminding him.

The ghost lord didn’t want to come, but Guzi begged him beforehand and the former recalled that it should be the child’s birthday around this time of the year. It would’ve been a pain to deal with a crying Guzi, so Qi Rong had no choice but to give in.

Although they didn’t go to Ghost City, they went to a popular human town for the Mid-Autumn Festival.

This child acts too spoiled nowadays, Qi Rong thought to himself as he hooked an arm around Guzi’s legs and lifted him up so the latter could have a better view of the performers. How annoying.

It’s been over a year since Qi Rong picked up this kid, and he was still clingy, even more so than their first meeting. 

Qi Rong spent long periods of time away from his lair, but every time he returned, Guzi would glue himself to the former’s side and refuse to go anywhere else.

Guzi still served him tea almost everyday, pestered the ghost lord to teach him how to cook a certain dish, forced him to help him with reading, and made plenty of attempts to ‘clean’ his office.

However, Qi Rong slowly came to realize that he didn’t mind having the child around. 

There was another time when Guzi fell asleep in his office. The ghost lord had called out his name many times, thinking to himself that the child had better not turn his office into a nursery. 

The child sleepily turned away from him and groaned, “…Dad, Guzi wants to sleep.”

Qi Rong remembered the confusion and the strange warmth that settled in his chest after hearing those words. 

…Dad?

Ridiculous, the child was merely sleep-talking at the time!

After the fire-breathing performers finished and the next group arrived, Qi Rong set Guzi down on the ground and allowed the child to explore the market freely.

Guzi gasped in awe at the sugar paintings that were on display, melted sugar twisted and solidified into animal shapes.

They were so!! Pretty!!!

“Child, pick one you like,” Qi Rong said. He asked the vendor as he reached for his pocket, “How much for one of these?”

“Three coins,” replied the vendor.

Guzi stirred from his daze and glanced at the former with surprise, “Y-You want me to pick?”

“Hurry, before this ancestor changes his mind.”

“U–Umm, the dragon one…!” 

He saw Qi Rong give three coins to the vendor and turned to face him with the sugar painting. The ghost lord bent down to hand it to him, but was stopped by a pair of small arms that wrapped around his legs.

“Green Gege, when I was small, I’ve always wanted to have one of these,” Guzi murmurs, pressing his face against Qi Rong’s waist. “Thank you, thank you! This is…I’m really happy!!” 

Qi Rong froze on the spot; he was trying to process the child hugging him affectionately. Then slowly, he lowered his eyes and looked at Guzi who raised his head and flashed a cute smile at him.

“...Stupid child, you’re still small,” Qi Rong grumbled, trying to pull the child off his legs but the latter only tightened his hold in response. “This was only worth three coins, don’t be happy over such a little thing. Let go, brat, or else I won’t give you it.”

“Hehe, thank you Green Gege…!” Guzi repeated himself cheerfully as he grabbed Qi Rong’s hand to hold.

Qi Rong raised an eyebrow, “What are you doing?”

“I’m scared I might get lost,” responded the child, loosening his grip. “Is it okay?”

The ghost lord huffed at this, which made Guzi quickly free the former’s hand. To his surprise, Qi Rong captured his hand and said, “Come on, spoiled child. We’re wasting time standing around.”

Qi Rong led the child who was smiling from ear to ear around the market, buying him this and that. Whatever caught the child’s eye. He had a lot of money to spare anyway.

Guzi carried a kite in the shape of a sparrow in his arms, his heart feeling warm and full. He skipped joyfully and swung his hand inside of Qi Rong’s back and forth, thinking to himself that this was the happiest he’s ever been. Green Gege was the nicest to him! 

“Green Gege, look at the lanterns!” Guzi pointed out the lanterns that were being released into the dark sky. “They’re so pretty!!” 

Looking at the floating lanterns, the ghost lord couldn’t help but feel a sense of nostalgia. He recalled the wistful night his teenage self had spilled his feelings and kissed the man whom he thought would stay by his side for eternity, whom he thought would never betray and stab him in the heart while he was weak, whom he thought would never abandon him. 

Guzi saw anguish seep into Qi Rong’s indifferent expression; wrinkles carved under his eyebrows, his lips pulled back into a tight line, and his eyes darkening as if the lanterns had done something outrageous to offend him greatly.

The child pulled at Qi Rong’s sleeve and inquired with concern, “...Green Gege, are you okay?”

Seeing the worry on Guzi’s face, Qi Rong quickly wiped away his unpleasant expression and said, “Of course this ancestor is fine, don’t be foolish. Come, let’s go back to the restaurant we passed by earlier before it gets too late.”

This time he took the initiative to hold the child’s hand, walking towards the direction of the restaurant as the latter chattered.

Suddenly, someone’s shoulders had lightly brushed against the ghost lord’s.

Qi Rong frowned and raised his gaze to see which human dared to dirty his robes, until an oddly familiar face appeared in his sights.

“Sigh, youngsters these days sure are rowdy. This old man doesn’t know if he can keep up.”

Although those words were filled with a sentiment that would normally come from an elderly man, they belonged to a young man. His bewitching eyes curved up with amusement, a mole underneath a smile shadowing his carmine lips, and his loose locks of hair resting over his shoulders. It was a great shame that although he had a handsome face that could attract a line of suitors with just a single wink, the young man had worn dirty grey rags similar to a beggar’s clothing.

Qi Rong was shaken to the very core.

He could recognize that voice anywhere.

Those eyes, nose, lips, and the mole placement….he remembered correctly now!

The ghost lord’s eyes widened with shock, and when the young man walked past him, he quickly turned around and reached for him.

“SHEN YUAN….!”

Qi Rong was only able to grasp the edges of his hair before it completely slipped away from his fingers.

The sea of humans had pushed Qi Rong further down the road, separating the two intertwined souls from each other. 

Desperate, Qi Rong shoved his way around the crowd. He wore a deep scowl on his face as he tried to follow the same direction Shen Yuan was headed towards, his green eyes scrutinizing the crowd for a familiar face.

It wasn’t until now that Qi Rong realized that he was no longer holding Guzi’s hand and had left the child behind.

The ghost lord clenched his jaw and came to a firm decision to find Guzi first before searching for Shen Yuan.

When Qi Rong anxiously returned to the spot they were standing at before, the child was nowhere to be seen. What waited for him there was the sparrow kite on the ground, crushed by humans who had mercilessly stomped over it without a care.

Chapter Text

In a small village where rice paddies stretched across the land, a scrap collector donned in white robes walked alongside the green trees with twittering songbirds. 

He lifted his bamboo hat and gazed at the pleasant scene before him. Fish swam in clear waters, gentle wind shook tree branches, and children were gathered around at a tree. 

Such nice scenery, it would be a great place to build his shrine! 

When the scrap collector walked further down the path, he heard the children ahead of him blurt out loud, “–My mom tells me not to go near him because he looks like a creep!”

An older boy hushed the boisterous child, “Shhhhh! What if he wakes up? We’ll get in trouble, idiot!”

Another child rudely exclaimed, “Gege, why does he stink?! Ewwww!”

“My father said that it’s been two weeks since he’s seen this grandpa sleeping here. The stray dogs always pee on him whenever they pass by! People have tried to wake him up, but he hasn’t moved from his sleeping position since then… Do you think he might be dead?”

“EEEK! Don’t say that! That’s scary!!”

The scrap collector frowned upon hearing this. Was there an old corpse rotting on the road, and nobody had bothered to bury it?

When he moved closer to see what the children discussed about, he saw an elder leaned against a birch tree. 

The elder had loose skin that hung on his bones, a receding hairline that was pushed back towards the center of his head, and a white long beard that reached to his chest. His wrinkled face was very unpleasant to look at; it was something a child would see in their nightmares. To be frank, he was very ugly. It didn’t help that he also stank.

From behind, the children heard a mellow voice ask them, “Excuse me, how long has this person been here for?”  

They turn around to see a handsome man in white clothes and a bamboo hat. 

Who is this nosey man?

A little girl from the group answered his question, “...Two weeks, mister.” 

“Is that so?” He replied, shifting closer to the elder. 

The scrap collector crouched down and extended his arm to check for a pulse. However, he was startled by a pair of brown eyes that had already opened without the former knowing. 

“...Ah, such a handsome man! What’s Gongzi's name?” The elder spoke excitedly in a scratchy voice, as if his throat had been parched for years. “Would you like to wed this old man’s son? He’s just as handsome as his father, haha! My son is a natural genius, talented at martial arts, and has a sincere heart. There’s nothing he doesn’t excel in, except for calligraphy. However, that can be easily forgiven! What do you think?”

Although the elder stank like old dog piss, the scrap collector didn’t pull away from him with disgust like the children behind him did. He gazed into those dark eyes with obscured exhaustion like they’ve seen all in the world, and said with a kind smile, “This one’s name is Xie Lian. I’m afraid I cannot marry your son, sir.”

The elder wasn’t discouraged by his words at all, “That’s alright! You’ll come to like him when you meet him.”

Xie Lian pretended as if he didn’t hear this, and changed the subject, “Do you have a home to return to? The children over there were saying that you’ve been sleeping here for two weeks.” 

The elder scratched his head with confusion, “…It’s been two weeks? Oh my! It only felt like a couple hours! Time goes by so fast! This old man will be six feet under before he knows it by then! Hahaha!”

The children who were eavesdropping on their conversation didn’t find this to be humorous. Weird grandpa, don’t make those kinds of jokes! You really do look like you’ll turn into ashes at any second!

Xie Lian awkwardly laughed along with him. He truly didn’t know what to say; this was a very strange person.

“This old man has no home to return to, so I can only wander and beg for money,” the elder finally answered. Then, he quietly laughed to himself like a creep, “…Hahaha, he is gonna kill me when he finds out.”

Xie Lian found himself sympathizing with him, and said, “Well, I hope you can find a place you can call home.” He pointed in the direction of a nearby hill and said, “I’m going to build a shrine over there for the Prince of Xianle. If you find yourself in trouble, you can visit this shrine and pray to him. He’ll watch over you, and protect you.” 

The elder stared at him for a bit and then smiled, “To have met someone with such a kind heart, this old man can’t help but feel blessed. Once you’ve finished building the shrine, this old man will visit with offerings.” 

Xie Lian nodded in response, and gathered his belongings. Before he left for his destination, he told the children to return to their homes because it was getting late, although the skies were clear, and the sun was still up. 

After the children and the scrap collector disappeared, the elder got up from the ground and patted the dirt off his pants. With a sigh, he sighed to himself, “Now this old man has to find another spot to sleep at. Tsk, tsk, where am I going to find a quiet place?”

With a scratch of his head, he stepped inside the forest. 

-

Guzi was scared.

The child had opened his eyes, and saw nothing but darkness. There was a blindfold wrapped around his eyes, and when he moved to pull it off, he realized there was something binding his hands together. 

To make things worse, he was hanging over something…was it a shoulder? Who’s shoulder was it?!

What had he gotten himself into?!!

The last thing he remembered was Green Gege frantically running off into the crowd out of the blue, as if something had caught his attention, and he was afraid he’d lose it if he took his eyes off it.

Guzi shouted for the ghost lord, and tried to find him. However, he didn’t make it far into the crowd. He made his escape to the sidelines when he nearly got stomped on by towering figures that disregarded his existence.

Guzi clutched onto the edges of the kite in his arms, and stayed at the spot where he and Green Gege had been standing before. He hoped that the ghost lord would quickly come back for him. 

….

……

………

…Green Gege wouldn’t abandon him, would he? 

The child recalled the demon lord’s distressed face when he watched the floating lanterns in the sky sway as the wind gently blew past them. 

Was Green Gege not having fun? Did Guzi do something wrong for Green Gege to suddenly leave him alone by himself?

Guzi felt like there was a tight string inside of his chest, threatening to snap at any inconvenience.

He waited for Green Gege to come back, and he anxiously thought to himself, what if Green Gege really abandoned me like Dad did? 

Fat droplets of tears slid down his cheeks, and the hands that held onto the sparrow kite began to tremble.

He murmured mournfully, “….Green Gege, come back.”

The waterworks came to a stop when a shadow loomed over him.

He lifted his chin, and saw the face of a stranger looking down at him with scrutinizing eyes. 

The stranger asked him with a small smile, “Little boy, why are you crying?”

Disappointed that it wasn’t the ghost lord, the child hung his head and sniffled, “Green Gege disappeared somewhere, and I can’t find him.”

“I know where he is,” said the stranger with a sharp glint in his eyes. His smile grew wider. “Come, follow me. I’ll take you to him.”

“Really?!” Guzi exclaimed with poorly veiled excitement.

Ah, but Guzi remembered Green Gege telling him to never follow a stranger anywhere before they left for the Mid-Autumn Festival. 

The child thought better of it and replied, “…Thank you, but it’s okay! Green Gege will come back.”

It seemed like the stranger didn’t like that answer, considering the scowl that surfaced upon their face. 

It was only now when Guzi noticed that the stranger’s hair only reached to his neck, and a long scar stretched across his throat. It was very unusual. 

“No, I know where he is. You must follow me if you want to see him again,” the stranger insisted, stepping closer to him in an intimidating manner.

Unsettled by this aggressive response, Guzi quickly apologized in hopes of easing the former’s anger. 

He really needed to run away from this scary stranger!!!

Guzi steeled his resolve and turned to run, but the stranger snatched his wrist, and sent a chop to his neck. 

Everything went black afterwards.

Now, Guzi found himself in a predicament. 

“Is the brat awake?” 

This croaky voice….it had to be that scary stranger’s!

Upon hearing this, the person who was carrying him had jostled him to confirm his consciousness. Despite his fear, Guzi kept still, and acted like he was dead.

“No, not yet,” the person carrying him responded. “Say, do you think Master Mu will be satisfied with this ugly kid?”

“Of course, especially since this kid is the son of that motherfucker, Qi Rong! Master Mu will be happy to use him as a human furnace when he grows older!” The scary stranger hummed with delight. “Master Mu is so vile and despicable; all of this work for revenge against Qi Rong. This servant should learn more from Master Mu!” 

Master Mu? Human furnace? What were they talking about?! 

Anxiously, Guzi turned the situation over in his head, and tried thinking of ways out of this situation. What would Green Gege do in his position?

Would he ever be in this situation in the first place?!

“I don’t think it’s for revenge at this point,” comments the one carrying Guzi over his shoulder. “Master Mu’s just fulfilling his nasty hobbies, but even the Great Calamities have better morals than him! Compared to Master Mu, they seem like saints!”

“BAH! Don’t be ridiculous! Those Calamities are all fucking dogs who are all bark, but no bite! That motherfucker, Qi Rong, attacked Master Mu when he was already injured! That’s the only reason why he was able to wound Master Mu last time! He’s weak!!!” The scary stranger argued defensively, as if riding his master’s dick was a competition, and he was winning. “PEH! I bet that fucker’s not even a Supreme! He’s only there to fill the number!! When the opportunity comes— on Master Mu’s behalf, I’ll torture Qi Rong until he becomes a pile of chopped up meat!!! I’ll even do that fucker a favor, and feed him to this brat!!”

His companion gave him a weird look, and wondered, why is he kissing Master Mu’s ass when he’s not even around? 

His line of thought was cut short when a foul smell wafted over his nose, and his shirt was suddenly soaked. His face twisted into one of disgust and shock.

The child hanging over his shoulder abruptly struggled madly like a fish out of water. 

“DON’T TALK ABOUT GREEN GEGE LIKE THAT, YOU…YOU…!” Guzi paused to think of the correct word to use. “…Y–YOU MOTHERFUCKER! GREEN GEGE’S THE NICEST AND THE STRONGEST PERSON IN THE WORLD!!!” 

Although Guzi said those bold words; he was scared shitless, and couldn’t control his bladder anymore. As soon as he soiled himself and his captor, his face burned with shame, and his blindfold was drenched with tears. 

But no matter how afraid he was; he wouldn’t allow his captors to insult his gege any longer! 

His captor dropped him to the ground, and sent a sharp kick to his stomach, knocking the air out of the child’s lungs. 

Guzi wheezed, desperately gasping for air as his entire body ached with pain. His tiny figure writhed on the ground, and he could taste salt and dirt on the back of his tongue. 

It was disgusting. 

He hadn’t felt this much pain since his father died.

“THIS…THIS LITTLE BRAT FUCKING PEED ON ME!!! HOW DARE YOU?!!” His captor raged. He stomped over him to remove the blindfold, forcing him to see the large stain on the former’s clothes. “LOOK AT WHAT YOU’VE DONE!! UGH, IT STINKS LIKE FUCK!!!” 

Guzi was relieved when his vision returned to him sooner than he thought. His round eyes darted around his surroundings, and his relief quickly faded away when he realized he was inside of a forest. 

How would Green Gege be able to find him?

Guzi’s gaze snapped towards the scary stranger who carried his decapitated head in his arms, and his companion, who was a tall, burly man with a head full of white hair. Undoubtedly, they were ghosts. 

The white-haired ghost was a bull who angrily puffed and kicked up his hooves, “I’LL FUCKING KILL YOU, YOU LITTLE RAT!! THESE WERE MY MOST EXPENSIVE ROBES!!!”

Guzi shook with fear when the burly man curled his hands into fists, and moved to strike him again. The pitiful child couldn’t even wrap his arms around his head to protect himself with his wrists bound together. He could only cry helplessly, and wiggle around like an insignificant worm that could be easily crushed under the feet of humans.

….SAVE ME GREEN GEGE!!!

“—Can you youngsters quiet down there? How is an old man supposed to sleep with all of that noise?”

The ghosts froze when they unexpectedly heard a voice that came out of nowhere.

…How come they’ve never sensed another presence amongst them?!

“WHO’S THERE?!! SHOW YOURSELF!!” The decapitated ghost demanded, pulling out his weapon. 

The white-haired ghost pulled back his fist, and reflexively reached for his weapon. He was startled by a shadow that quickly flickered across his eyes; he almost didn’t catch it. 

“…Huh?” He said dumbfoundedly, noticing the empty spot where the child had previously been. Panicking, he turned to his companion and said, “Meng Qi, where is that bra—”

He shrieked when he found a large, black creature that resembled a leech devouring the arm of his companion with vigor, shadowy wisps wafting off its shape. 

“…DUMBASS! DON’T JUST STAND THERE! KILL HIM!!!” His companion exclaimed from his decapitated head that had dropped to the ground. 

The dark creature twisted its neck to face him and opened its mouth, blood dribbling down its mouth as a deafening screech escaped from its throat.

None of them had ever seen anything as terrifying as this before! Something like this didn’t belong in the mortal realm!!

The white-haired ghost struck at the creature with his sabre, expecting its head to slide right off the blade. However, the creature swallowed his weapon whole, and wrapped its tongue around his torso.

Desperate, he went as far as to cast a fire spell on the creature, in hopes of being released from this trap. But the creature didn’t seem to be bothered by the flames, it stretched its mouth wider and wider, revealing endless rows of razor teeth. 

“M–MENG QI! HELP ME!!!!” The white-haired ghost screamed, realizing that it was pointless for him to struggle for survival. “THIS…THIS THING WON’T DIE NO MATTER WHAT I DO! HELP ME, YOU USELESS BAS—”

Crunch!

The decapitated ghost stumbled back in horror, and had nearly tripped over his own head.

“Xiao Ai! Didn’t this old man tell you to stop making a mess whenever you eat? Seriously, you won’t attract mates with those terrible table manners!” 

Xiao Ai? Who the fuck was calling this creature of hell, Xiao Ai?!!! 

The dark creature stopped eating, and drooped its head upon receiving the elder’s scolding.

What the fuck? 

The decapitated ghost picked up his head, and looked around for the source of that voice. From above, he spotted an elder donned in a beggar’s rags sitting on a tree branch. He was holding the unconscious child in his arms, his lips hooked upwards. Although he smiled at him, the smile didn’t reach his eyes. 

Fuck, if that bastard couldn’t kill that creature, then what were his chances?!!

…Run! HE HAD TO RUN!!!

It was truly unfortunate that something had wrapped around the ghost’s remaining limbs, and lifted his decapitated head to face the elder.

“You and your little friend woke this old man up from his nap. Tsk, tsk, did your parents not teach you any manners?” The elder tutted, petting the dark, murderous creature that had somehow climbed on the tree, and settled beside him. “And you’ve upset my cute Xiao Ai. She’s very sensitive, so apologize to her before she gets sad.” 

“RELEASE ME IF YOU DON’T WANT TO DIE, FUCKING BASTARD!!!” The ghost shouted, frantically pulling at the black tendrils that had rendered him useless. 

The elder seemed to sense his discomfort and stated, “Ah, your hands and feet like to do very naughty things, so this old man had to tie you up.” He patted the ghost’s head, and said, “well, I guess you only have one hand now, haha!”

“DO YOU HAVE A DEATH WISH, OLD FUCK?!! GET YOUR HAND OFF OF ME!! ONCE MASTER MU FINDS OUT ABOUT THIS, HE’LL MURDER YOU AND THAT CHILD!!!” The ghost exclaimed furiously, trying to wriggle free. “I SAID TO LET ME GO NOW….!!!!”

Eerie silence followed a crushing sound that echoed throughout the forest, frightening nearby night critters.

Separated from their head, the remains of the ghost dispersed into a pile of ashes. The black tendrils that suddenly erupted from the earth, and the leech-like creature dissipated into wispy shadows, returning to the sleeves of the elder, leaving no traces behind.

The elder flicked the dark drops of blood off his hand, and shifted his attention to the child in his hold.

“Now, what should I do with this little one here?”

-

When Guzi woke from his slumber, it was already dawn. 

Strands of grass tangled in his hair as he rose from the ground, his spine brushing against the back of a tree. 

He had been expecting his body to be sore after his captor kicked him hard in the stomach, but eh? 

There was no pain or discomfort anywhere! It was as if nothing had happened at all! The ropes that had bound his hands were gone!

Wait….what happened last night? Where were the ghosts? 

All Guzi remembered was the white-haired ghost raising his fist before a flitting shadow enveloped his vision, and forced him asleep.

The child yawned and stretched his arms, but was startled when his left hand touched something. 

Something soft and cold.

He twisted his head, and saw an old man next to him. He was clad in a beggar’s attire, visible patches sewn everywhere on his gray clothes, and his thin white hair was loose around his shoulders. The elder lazily stroked at his matted white beard as the child inspected him.

“M–Mister, who are you?” Guzi asked politely, afraid to offend him. He glanced around the forest, and then finally landed his focus on the elder. “...Are you the one who scared them away?”

The elder lifted an eyebrow at this, and answered in a hoarse voice, “Who?”

Guzi’s gaze flickered towards the ground, and he curled in on himself, recalling that he had nearly gotten beaten up to death. “The scary strangers… One of them had white hair, but he was really strong, and the other one who carried around his head was the person who took me away.”

“Ah,” simply replied the elder. “Those naughty kids interrupted this old man’s nap, so he killed them.”

Guzi choked, “K— Killed?”

“Oh, this old man didn’t answer your question from earlier! Haha, pardon my rudeness,” The elder looked down at him with a ghost of a smile on his lips. “I’m Peerless Cucumber.”

“P…Peerless Cucumber?” The child pronounced the name with difficulty. He kind of pitied him for having such a strange name. “Why’d your parents name you after a vegetable?”

‘Peerless Cucumber’ laughed at this gullible child and responded lightheartedly. “This old man believes it was because they wanted me to grow up to be tall and strong, so they granted me this name. Peerless Cucumber, doesn’t it sound nice?”

“.…Yes,” Guzi reluctantly said in agreement. Although the name sounded silly, his parents picked this name with good intentions; in hopes that he’d be a healthy child. Isn’t that alone, wonderful?  

The child glanced at the old man; although he didn’t look strong, he still saved him! 

Guzi had to repay this kindness somehow, even though his debts were gradually piling up!

“What’s your name, child?” Peerless Cucumber inquired. “And where are your parents? I’ll take you back to them, it’s not safe for children to play around these parts of the forest.”

“Guzi,” answered the child. “My mother and father…they’re not around anymore. But I do have Green Gege!”

“ …Guzi?” Peerless Cucumber repeated, looking closely at him with an intense gaze as if he was seeing the child for the first time. “Guzi? You’re Guzi?” 

The child replied with slight confusion, “Yes?”

Who else would he be?

“Hmm,” hummed Peerless Cucumber. He gingerly stroked at his beard, and asked with a sharp glint in his eyes, “and who’s this Green Gege of yours?”

“Green Gege’s the nicest and strongest person in the world!!! Yesterday, he took me out to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival, and he bought me so many things!!” Guzi exclaimed, eager to sing praises. “He’s like a dad, but nicer!” 

“What’s his name?”

Guzi scratched his head. 

Why was this grandpa so interested in Green Gege?

“....Qi Rong,” answered the child. “Mister, do you know him?”

Peerless Cucumber grinned, but his smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Of course not. This old man only needed to know who to return you to.”

“You’ll help me find him?”

“This old man has a lot of time to spare, so why not?” Peerless Cucumber said, getting up from the ground. “Little child, you don’t happen to know where your home is, do you?” 

Guzi shook his head in response.

The elder beckoned the child to follow him. “Alright then, we’ll go to Suhua City. That’s the closest city that celebrated the Mid-Autumn Festival last night. Hopefully we’ll be able to find that Green Gege of yours.”

True to his word, the elder guided Guzi towards Suhua City. Gentle breeze blew into the trees that hovered over the pair, the child with a mushroom head holding onto the elder’s tattered robes. 

Along the way, Peerless Cucumber asked him how he got kidnapped. When Guzi explained it to him, the elder clicked his tongue in disapproval.

“Child, you trust others too easily. Listen to this old man’s wisdom,” he started, staring into the distance as an immortal would. “Commonly, those who offer you help out of the blue have ill intentions. If a stranger gives you an offer that seems too good to be true; kick them right in the nuts, and run for it.”

Guzi contemplatively stared at the elder stroking his matted beard, the piece of wisdom turning the cogs in his brain. What if Peerless Cucumber was also deceiving him like the other kidnappers? What should Guzi do then?

Should he kick him in the nuts? 

The elder seemed to have read his mind, and quickly clarified with a slight panic in his voice, “A–Ahahaha, but of course, this old man is trustworthy, and has no ill intentions! Worry not!”

The naive child instantly relaxed at his words, “Mmn! Guzi will remember!”

A moment of silence settled between the two of them. Peerless Cucumber glanced at the child with a complicated expression, and asked casually, “So, tell me more about your gege. What kind of person is he?”

Guzi scratched his head, this elder seemed to be really interested in the ghost lord. However, that didn’t mean that Guzi wouldn’t boast about him!

“Green Gege’s super nice to me! He cooks for me, and feeds me a lot of meat! I only got to know the taste of meat because of him! One time, a ghost tried to eat me, but Green Gege saved me! Did I tell you that Green Gege’s the strongest? He’s so strong; he can lift an entire mountain with one finger! He’s the coolest, even though the others think that Uncle Hua is cooler. Green Gege’s amazing!”

“Truly sounds like a great, young man,” Peerless Cucumber responded, patting the bright child’s head. “Aiyah, he must be really happy to have a cute kid like you around.”

Guzi wore a mild smile at this, “Thank you, Mister. I try my best to make him happy.”

It was the truth. Guzi spent time with the ghost lord, and would often bring him tea to show his gratitude. However, that didn’t necessarily make the latter happy. Especially during the Mid-Autumn Festival, for such a joyous occasion, he didn’t seem to be enjoying himself. Guzi had caught him staring at the lanterns, sorrow hidden behind those green eyes. 

The ghost lord looked…sad.

“But I’ve never seen Green Gege smile or laugh,” admitted the child. “I’ve told him a couple jokes, and fell a few times; that always made the other servants laugh. But he doesn’t do any of that.” Guzi's mood dampened the more he talked. “Uncle Zhou and the other servants say that Green Gege’s angry and sad all the time because of this ‘Shen Yuan’ I keep hearing about. I don’t know what this person did to upset him, but if finding this person will make Green Gege happy, then I hope he finds them soon.”

The elder slowed his footsteps, as if he was ruminating Guzi’s words. Then, after a few moments of silence, he told him, “Well, I hope your gege finds him soon enough.”

During the journey to Suhua City, the elder listened to the child ramble about Green Gege, and servant affairs in his lair. He even gave Guzi some of his own opinions! Talking to Peerless Cucumber was oddly comforting, Guzi felt as if he could tell him everything on his mind without judgment. 

As they stepped foot inside of the towering gateway of Suhua City, the elder had asked him, “Child, are you hungry?”

Guzi felt his cheeks burn a little. Had he made it too obvious? He might’ve stared at the vendors selling food, but he was just admiring their hard work! That’s all!

He quickly shook his head, “It’s okay, I’m not hungry at all.”

He didn’t want to be a burden to Peerless Cucumber!! It was okay! Guzi has gone without food for a couple days before! This was nothing!! The elder chortled at his statement, “Don’t be silly. If you’re hungry, then you should beat your chest and demand for food.” After saying this, Peerless Cucumber quickly scanned their surroundings. “Although this old man may not have money; I have my ways. Here, stay in this spot, and don’t go anywhere.”

Guzi wasn’t able to express his confusion when Peerless Cucumber continued walking ahead, towards the bustling street with ease. The child wanted to follow him, afraid to be abandoned once again. 

He stopped in his tracks when the elder stopped walking, and suddenly threw himself in front of a group of men dressed in blue. 

“Ah, great cultivators! Please help this old man!” Peerless Cucumber cried, reaching for the bewildered cultivator on the right. 

“H-Hey! Let go,” the young cultivator exclaimed, trying to break free from his grasp. Surprisingly, this old man had a tight grip on him, despite looking like he was on his final breath!! 

“Where did this beggar come from?! Hey, get off of Nian-shidi!” His shixiong demanded, trying to swat away the beggar’s hands.

“T–The demons!!! They’ve killed my son, and robbed me of my valuable possessions!!” The elder explained pitifully, going as far as to shed a couple tears. “Please bring justice for this old man!”

“Demons? Where?” One of the cultivators asked.

“Last night, my son, Guzi, was gathering firewood. I was sleeping inside the house until I heard screams from outside, and when I ran out, I saw these snake demons with long, black hair. Everyone in the village, including my son, they….” Peerless Cucumber closed his eyes, and dramatically laid a hand on his chest as if remembering the events was too painful for him to recall. “…They’re all gone. Those demons didn’t…didn’t even spare the children…! I ran as fast as I could to find help! Please, great cultivators! You must bring justice to them!”

Guzi was appalled by his acting. If he didn’t know any better, he would’ve thought that Peerless Cucumber was telling the truth! 

“Where is this village! Quick, tell us!” The leader of the group urged the elder. These righteous cultivators could no longer stay still after hearing such horrific things! 

“Chuntian Village,” simply replied Peerless Cucumber. “Please hurry! It’s possible there could be survivors like me! Those demons are strong and ruthless, so be careful, great cultivators!”

It was truly unfortunate that these hot-blooded, young cultivators were so excited to enact justice. They had forgotten to leave a person behind to investigate the old man, to confirm whether he was speaking the truth or not. When they arrived at Chuntian Village, they were confused to see that the villagers were alive and well.

After the young cultivators scrambled off, the crowd that previously gathered around the cultivators and Peerless Cucumber had spread the word around the city.

A poor old man from Chuntian Village had lost everything in one night from a demon raid; his son, Guzi, his friends and neighbors, and his home. 

After kneeling on the ground and begging for help; Peerless Cucumber pulled himself up, and swiftly hid a stolen pouch filled with heavy coins inside of his sleeve. 

He had successfully sent away those cultivators, now all there was left to do was—

“Mister!” Guzi exclaimed, arriving at his side. He tugged at the hems of his robes and asked, “Mister, why did you do that?”

“Do what?” The elder asked innocently.

Guzi scanned their surroundings, and whispered like he was afraid they’d be caught, “Why’d you lie? Lying is bad!”

Lies came easily to Peerless Cucumber, “Before this old man met you, Chuntian Village was in danger, and I was looking for strong cultivators who’d save the villagers. Don’t worry about the small details.” 

Guzi thought it was a bit odd, but he trusted Peerless Cucumber’s words nevertheless. The elder had been nothing, but kind to him. What could he benefit from lying to someone like Guzi?

The child scolded himself for doubting Peerless Cucumber. He told the latter with burning determination, “Okay! If Mister says so, then it must be true! I’m sorry for saying you were lying!!”

The elder felt a stab of guilt to his conscience from hearing this. He didn’t expect this child to be so….so gullible and foolish! Child, don’t believe everything that adults tell you!

He coughed, “No need. Say, this old man found some money on the ground earlier. Aren’t I lucky?” He fished out a couple coins from his sleeve, and gently patted Guzi’s head. “Tell this old man what you want to eat, and I’ll buy it for you.”

“….”

Peerless Cucumber looked down at the child who slowly rubbed his head in a stupor. “…Child? Do you know what you want to eat?”

“Ah? No, no! I’m…I’m really not hungry!” Guzi protested after snapping out of his daze. 

However, a loud rumble sounded out from his stomach.

Peerless Cucumber laughed as Guzi flushed red, “Silly child, even your stomach is more honest than you! Hahaha, here! Take these and buy whatever you want!” He handed the coins that he ‘found’ on the streets over to Guzi.

Guzi carefully held the coins like he was afraid they’d disappear. He wasn’t quite sure what to do with them; he’s never been entrusted with money before. 

The child reluctantly headed towards the food vendors, and Peerless Cucumber trailed behind him. 

Languidly, the elder gazed at the moving shadows of humans on the ground, and narrowed his eyes. With a flex of his index finger, the shadows bent into disfigured shapes.

“Find His Highness, Prince Xiao Jing,” Shen Yuan commanded in a low voice. “Don’t think about returning to me unless you’ve found his whereabouts.”

The shadows quivered under his oppressive aura, but they understood his instructions. Wisps of black emerged from the human shadows, and bolted into the horizon. From afar, humans would only see crows soaring under the clouds.

Shen Yuan stroked his white beard, and watched Guzi return to him with skewers of marinated beef and youtiao in his arms.

Shen Yuan tilted his head, and said with amusement, “This old man didn’t know you had such a big appetite.”

Guzi’s cheeks warmed after hearing this.

“I–I bought these for us!” He clarified, lifting a skewer. “Look, Mister! I picked the yummy one for you!”

“This old man meant for you to buy food for yourself,” responded Shen Yuan. “I don’t need to eat.”

Guzi frowned upon hearing this, “But Mister, I can’t finish these all by myself. Food tastes better when you share! Well, it always does whenever I share it with Green Gege.” He pushed the skewer into the former’s hands. “Thank you, Mister, for helping me. I…I will surely repay your kindness!!!”

“This old man doesn’t need you to repay him.” Shen Yuan accepted his offering and sighed, “but since you’ve offered, how can this old man refuse?” 

He reached in to take a bite out of his skewer until Guzi exclaimed, “Oh, I forgot!” 

The child took his youtiao, and broke it disproportionately. He handed the bigger piece to the elder and said, “Eat this, Mister! I had these for the first time yesterday, and they were delicious!”

Shen Yuan stared at the youtiao in his hands with a blank expression, and then back at the child who proceeded to eat. 

With great hesitance, he bit into the fried dough. 

It was warm and savory, but it was this child’s kindness that brought a small warmth to his unmoving heart that could no longer beat after centuries in the abyss.

-

After no luck, they retreated to an inn with more money that Shen Yuan ‘found’ on the ground (Peerless Cucumber has such great luck, thought the child). The whole day, they retraced back to the vendors and restaurants that Guzi visited with his Green Gege, but none of them remembered a customer that Guzi described. 

It was pointless from the beginning, since the demon lord had worn a face that was neither ugly nor handsome; nobody could remember his disguise that night.

Guzi had fallen asleep that night with a heavy heart. What if he never found Green Gege? He had been granted something nice for once, but that was taken away so easily; all because Guzi wanted to go to the Mid-Autumn Festival. 

…He missed Green Gege so much.

Later, Guzi woke up in the middle of the night. The child slowly sat up on the bed, feeling a gust of wind drift into the room.

Huh?

“When did Mister open the windows?” The child mumbled, scratching his head with slight confusion. “…Too cold, I need to close them.”

As Guzi got off the bed and reached over to close the windows, it occurred to him that Peerless Cucumber might’ve wanted to keep the windows open.

Guzi twisted his head and asked, “Mister, do you want to keep the wind—”

He wasn’t able to finish his sentence when he spotted a handsome young man laying on the second bed beside him. His eyes were closed, a wrinkle formed between his straight brows, and his lips slightly pursed as if he was experiencing an unpleasant dream. He looked like an immortal that had come out of seclusion, peerless and untouched by worldly affairs.

Although this person seemed familiar to Guzi, he wasn’t Peerless Cucumber!!! 

Where was the elder who fed him and gave him head pats!?

Hesitantly, the child stepped closer to the bed to investigate the stranger’s identity.

He considered the possibilities as to why the stranger would be in his room, and what’d happen if he woke the latter from his slumber. 

….Guzi should probably run away, and find Peerless Cucumber!

He stared hard and long at the stranger’s face. The child wondered why he seemed familiar, until his gaze landed on the mole located under those lips.

“Oh! Oh! Oh!!!!” Guzi whispered to himself excitedly, a hand over his mouth. “That’s the— that’s the….!!! He has to be the fairy from Green Gege’s paintings! He’s going to be so happy!!”

Guzi needs to bring this person back to Green Gege!!!

Chapter Text

“Mister, do you know where the fairy gege went this morning?” 

Shen Yuan grinned, “This old man isn’t young enough to be considered your gege, child.”

Guzi frowned, adjusting his sitting position on top of the transmigrator’s shoulders.

“Mister, I’m not talking about you! I’m talking about the fairy gege that slept on your bed last night!” The child tried explaining, ducking his head to avoid bumping into a tree branch. “The handsome gege with the mole under his mouth! I think he’s the one that Green Gege’s been looking for!”

Shen Yuan guffawed, “Child, who else is as handsome as this old man? There was no one else besides the two of us last night in the room. Perhaps you were too tired last night from walking.”

Guzi was confused, but he was certain that he saw the fairy gege last night!

“Yes, mister is handsome too, but Guzi swears he saw him sleeping on your bed!”

“Hmm, this old man doesn’t think so. I don’t like sharing my bed with strangers,” the transmigrator hummed, rounding around a farmer pushing a cart full of vegetables. “Child, how would you know that this ‘fairy’ from last night is the person your gege is looking for?”

The naive child simply answered, “The mole under his lips!”

Shen Yuan snorted, “Is that so? Child, there are thousands of people in the world with a mole under their lips. Are they all Shen Yuan?”

“A-Ah…I guess not,” Guzi sheepishly replied, feeling a bit embarrassed. “But even then, I’ll bring the fairy to Green Gege to make sure! If they don’t turn out to be the person that he’s looking for, then…then it’s okay! I’ll just try again!” 

“Mmm, good luck with that then,” Shen Yuan answered, before making a dramatic pause. “Child, what if…what if the fairy you saw last night was actually a ghost?”

Guzi looked down at the transmigrator’s head, and huffed exasperatedly, “Mister, it’s pointless trying to scare me. Guzi’s not afraid of ghosts!”

“Really? No way~!”

“Guzi lives with ghosts!”

The transmigrator was in a mischievous mood, “Really? What are you afraid of then?”

“Guzi’s not afraid of an–”

Shen Yuan pretended to have tripped over a rock in an attempt to spook the child, hearing a yelp from above. The child had grabbed onto the roots of his white hair, tugging it harshly in search of stability. 

Shen Yuan cried out, “Ow, ow, ow! Child, if you pull any harder, this old man will go bald!!!”

“Sorry, Mister! But stop trying to scare me again,” Guzi said with slight annoyance. “Guzi doesn’t like it!”

The transmigrator sniffled and shed fake tears at this.

“Wuuuuu, this child’s bullying this old man! What happened to respecting your elders, ah??”

The people passing them overheard their conversation, and shook their heads. They thought to themselves, this shameless grandpa was too old to be bullying a child like this!

Guzi felt wronged by his accusation.

The child realized during the short time he’s spent with Shen Yuan, was that Shen Yuan loved to bully him. When he was bored, he’d play tricks on him, such as trying to convince Guzi that there was an angry wasp on his shoulder, or making Guzi look in another direction by saying, ‘look, there’s a phoenix in the sky’.

Normally, Guzi was very patient and kind, but Peerless Cucumber was purposely testing his limits! And he was having fun with it!!!

He was more mischievous than children his age! Out of the two, Guzi was having trouble recognizing who was the child out of the two!

“Alright, alright, don’t be mad. This old man was just playing around, hehe,” the transmigrator coaxed, putting the child on the ground. “I’ll buy you some baozis as an apology, come.”

Guzi stood and waited for Shen Yuan to finish making his purchase from the baozi stall, when he discovered a couple cultivators in blue a meter away.

He went over to the transmigrator, and told him, “Mister, the cultivators from yesterday are here! Do you think they saved the people from Chuntian Village?”

“Ah, they must’ve saved the villagers then, if they’re back in Suhua City. That’s great! This old man commends them for their bravery,” Shen Yuan said, giving Guzi two baozis. His eyes flickered over to the cultivators that seemed to be looking around for something, or perhaps they were looking for somebody. “Wow, it’s getting dark, haha! This old man has weak knees, and can’t walk for long periods of time. How about we return to the inn for today?”

Guzi gave him a weird look, “But mister, it’s still morning…? Can we please search for Green Gege a little more? We can rest along the way!”

The transmigrator ushered him away from the stall, leading him onto the crowded path with people. The cultivators seemed to have spotted Shen Yuan and Guzi together, and immediately chased after them with angry expressions. One of them pointed at Shen Yuan and shouted, “HEY! COME BACK HERE, YOU SHAMELESS THIEF!!!”

“Time to go~!” Shen Yuan cheered, sweeping Guzi into his arms. He broke into a sprint, dodging obstacles in his path with unmatched skill. The bystanders were creeped out by how fast this old grandpa could run; it was even more unsettling hearing the cracks of his back as he zoomed past. 

After some time, the pair lost the cultivators on their tail; slipped away into a quiet alleyway. 

“Mister, why were they mad?” Guzi asked, feeling as if he had been deceived. “Why’d they call Mister a thief?”

Shen Yuan stretched his back and replied, “No clue. This old man believes that those youngsters must’ve mistaken me for someone else.” He patted his heart with a pout on his face. “Chasing this old man like a criminal, sigh. Back in my day, youngsters idolized me, but now they’re chasing me with swords! This old man can’t help, but feel heartbroken!”

Normally, anyone would’ve cringed if they saw an ugly, old man pretending to be pitiful, but Guzi stared at him silently for what seemed like forever.

“...It’s okay, Mister! Guzi knows you wouldn’t steal! I believe in you! Don’t be sad, okay?” Guzi comforted, patting the arm that carried him. “Mister’s a really nice and cool person, only second to Green Gege!”

Guzi knew that Peerless Cucumber was a kind person. He was so poor that he could barely afford food for himself, and that fact was evident in his bony form. However, with the money that he found with luck, he treated Guzi to warm meals, and used that money to buy an inn room with two beds! He didn’t have to!! Guzi could’ve slept on the floor, and be content with that!

“Only second? Cruel child,” the transmigrator said with a smile, pinching the cheek of the child in his arms. 

“Mister, stop pinching me,” Guzi whined, swatting away his hand. “It hurts!”

“Hahaha, okay, okay! We’ll go back to finding your gege,” Shen Yuan exclaimed, letting go. He stroked the child’s hair with newfound fondness, and said, “I’m sure he misses you very much.”

-

“P-Please spare me, Qi Rong! T-This lord doesn’t have the one you’re looking for! I-I swear!!” The frog demon begged on his knees, beads of sweat trailing down his ugly, green face. His long, pink tongue hung out of his mouth, saliva drooping from the corners.

To be beaten back into his original, animalistic state! How terrible it was!

To think that he, Mu Dan, the invincible demonic lord, famed for his unmatched beauty, would be easily reduced into this shameful appearance by the hands of his enemy….!

Obsidian nails gripped around the demon frog’s neck, as he was mercilessly raised from the floor. 

A finger slid under Mu Dan’s chin, and lifted his gaze to face seething, viridescent eyes that pinned his soul right in his place.

“This ancestor has heard of rumors about the demonic lord, Mu Dan with unrivaled beauty, but it turns out that he was a fraud,” Qi Rong hummed with false wonder, an abnormal calm to his demeanor. “A hideous frog that parades around with a pretty mask is nothing better than the worthless specks of dirt under my feet…!”

Mu Dan shivered uncontrollably, his horizontal pupils darting around his surroundings for something! Anything to help him survive in this situation!!!
Qi Rong leaned in, tightening his death grip around the demonic frog’s neck.

“Where is the child?”

The demonic frog helplessly slapped his tongue against the ghost lord’s hand, unable to free himself from his unbearable grasp or even beg for mercy, “D-Don…kno….!!!”

Mu Dan truly didn’t know! He ordered his lackeys to kidnap the ghost lord’s treasured son ever since he received information about the Night Touring Green Lantern attending the Mid-Autumn Festival at Suhua City, but they hadn’t returned since then! Those fucking idiots! They ruined his plan!!!

“Then die.”

With a snap of his fingers, a green blaze surrounded the piles of corpses in the colossal demonic hall that stretched on for what seemed like hundreds of miles. Within a matter of a few minutes, the corpses were consumed by the fire.

Mu Dan had turned into ashes by the flames, his soul having endured so much pain that it was nearly impossible for his fragmented soul to pass onto the afterlife.

Although the green flames were vicious and greedy when it came to devouring everything in their way, they quickly became obedient children, and paved the path for their moody master. 

“Useless pieces of shit,” Qi Rong cursed under his breath, as he left the burning demonic hall that was damaged beyond repair. “Where the fuck did they take the little brat?!”

“...Oooh, Master just swore!” The flames whispered amongst themselves scandalously as they watched the frustrated ghost lord.

“I haven’t seen Master this mad since….you know, hehe.”

“Do you think Master’s acting like this because he misses the human child?”

“Ehhh? Why would Master miss the human child?”

“Shhh, Master’s looking this way! Just shut up, and eat your food!”

Qi Rong shouldn’t have left the stupid brat alone back then; he shouldn’t have let go of his hand in the first place. 

Guzi was too gullible and weak. A child as young as him wouldn’t be able to survive for long in this world. 

The ghost lord was going to get a headache.

“Huo Lin,” he summoned, evident impatience in his voice. 

A servant suddenly appeared by his side. His bangs covered his eyes, and his long silver hair reached past his knees. Huo Lin lowered his head, and crossed his left arm to his chest.

“My lord has called for this subordinate?”

“Any news about the child’s whereabouts?” Qi Rong questioned, seeming to be leisurely when he was actually restless.

“Answering my lord, the others have spotted a child similar to the young master’s appearance in Suhua City, but he follows around an old beggar. They’ve just departed from Suhua City today, and seem to be taking paths headed towards Puqi Village. This subordinate thinks it truly might be the young master. Rest assured my lord, this subordinate will continue keeping an eye on them,” Huo Lin explained.

The ghost lord scowled, “And who’s the old beggar that the child is following?”

Huo Lin seemed a bit troubled as he responded, “The old beggar didn’t have much of a background for me to dig into; he’s only resided at Puqi Village for a few weeks. However, he has righteous cultivators hunting him down, as he openly fooled them, and robbed the head disciple in public. This lowly one suspects that this beggar might’ve been the one to kidnap the young master, luring him to a tiger’s den.”

Qi Rong pinched the bridge of his nose.

Didn’t he tell Guzi not to follow strangers? That naive child! 

He’ll mutilate this old beggar as soon as he finds him….!

“What about Shen Yuan’s traces?”

Huo Lin was slightly frightened by the ghost lord’s murderous aura that created an eerie pressure weighing down on his back, “T–This subordinate apologizes! He was incompetent, and failed to find any traces of Shen Yuan! It’s…It’s almost as if he had never existed in the first place.”

The servant felt frosty fingers lay on his shoulders, and found himself trembling under the ghost lord’s presence.

“Are you trying to say this ancestor was only seeing hallucinations? That this ancestor is crazy?”

“This lowly one wouldn’t dare! Wouldn’t dare!” Huo Lin hurriedly prostrated himself, going as far as to smash his forehead against the ground to prove his sincerity. 

Qi Rong snapped at him, “Even if it costs your life, go find him!”

“Y..Yes! Yes, my lord!”

With a swish of his robes, Qi Rong descended the stairs that led up to the once grand demonic hall. 

Then, there was an unexpected pause to his gait. 

…That old beggar was taking the child to Puqi Village?

There were rumors that the Scrap Collecting God was setting up a pitiful temple in Puqi Village.

Qi Rong wanted to laugh. What a great coincidence! 

As soon as the ghost lord safely retrieved Guzi, he supposed he’d have enough time to see how miserable his Cousin Crown Prince was.

-

Guzi and Peerless Cucumber had searched for Green Gege for days in Suhua City to no avail. 

The child was starting to feel hopeless.

Was he truly never going to see the ghost lord ever again?

“Mister, do you think the Martial God, Xianle, will actually help me find Green Gege?” The child asked, ducking his head to avoid hitting the tree branch.

After finding Green Gege nowhere in sight, Peerless Cucumber suggested traveling over to Puqi Village. He told Guzi that there was a temple there, where they could pray to the Martial God of Xianle. The marital god will guide him back to the ghost lord, he said.

Initially, Guzi didn’t really believe in gods. 

In the past, he’s made many prayers to the heavens. 

He prayed that his father would become happier, prayed to be a better son so that his father could be proud of him. He prayed that his mother would come back to life, to hug Guzi, and tell his father to not be angry often.

None of those prayers were answered, regardless of who the child prayed to.

“Of course,” Shen Yuan affirmed, catching a falling maple leaf. He handed it over to Guzi to play with, and gazed into the distance. “Out of every god in the heavens, His Highness, Xianle, has the most benevolent heart of them all. If it’s His Highness, your wishes will surely be granted.”

“...Really? Then….Then I’ll pray to meet Green Gege!” The child declared.

“That’s the spirit! This old man approves!”

They traveled for three days straight towards Puqi Village, arriving in the afternoon. They were greeted by the sight of farmers tending to the rice paddies, children playing with a cuju, and autumn colors enveloping the trees. 

As they walked, Guzi couldn’t help but stare at the children in front of the village entrance. They were laughing merrily, shrieking at a kid chasing after the others with a beetle in his hand, and kicking around the ball. 

It has been a while since Guzi has seen children his age. He spent two years in Qi Rong’s lair with ghosts that were centuries old, and they were very different compared to a human child.

A scenery like this was like a breath of fresh air to him.

“...Looks fun,” the child whispered with slight envy, yearning to befriend others similar to his age. 

The transmigrator glanced down at him, “Child, why don’t you go introduce yourself to them?”

Guzi looked up at him with surprise, “...Huh? Um, no! It's okay! I was just looking at them, that’s all! They look like they’re having fun, that’s nice!”

“Really? Well, if you’re not going to introduce yourself to them, then this old man will!”

“W-Wait!”

Shen Yuan had approached the children with a wide smile, but they looked at him with recognition and…disgust.

One of them exclaimed, “Oh! That’s the stinky old grandpa from a while ago!”

“Shut up! You’re not supposed to say that out loud, idiot!” A boy reprimanded, a bit panicked.

A girl stared at Shen Yuan, and pointed a finger at him, “Hey, old grandpa! When was the last time you’ve washed yourself? You stink! Even my puppy smells better!”

“Meimei! Don’t say that!!! That’s rude!”

The transmigrator tilted his head in confusion, and sniffed himself.

“Does this old man truly smell that bad?”

“Of course!” An older boy declared. He turned to Guzi by his side, and asked, “Hey, mushroom head! Don’t you smell it also?”

Guzi scratched his head, and faced Shen Yuan who was looking at him for confirmation.

“I…Mister,” he starts nervously. “Mister, he….”

Unable to finish his sentence, the child just gives Shen Yuan a polite, strained smile.

“This old man smelled worst, so he was unable to tell, haha,” the transmigrator says, stroking his white beard.

Truly, he really couldn’t tell! Back in the abyss, he had smelled his own rotting flesh, intestines of monsters he slaughtered, or decaying corpses laying in ruins. After all the time he had spent in the abyss, he had gotten used to the uncomfortable, disgusting stenches that came along with it. A little dog piss on his clothes was nothing! There were worse things that had stained his clothes!

“This old man is known as Peerless Cucumber, and this child over here is named Guzi,” he introduces a little enthusiastically. “We’ll be staying in Puqi Village for a couple days, but treat him well!”

Guzi slightly lowers his head, shying away from the eyes that fixate on him after hearing Shen Yuan’s words.

A boy with a missing tooth asks, “Does he know how to play cuju?”

“...No, I don’t know how to play. But! But I can learn!!”

The children look at each other, exchanging words with their eyes. Afterwards, the oldest girl in the group with braids says, “Okay! He can play with us!”

The child turned to Shen Yuan, “Mister, is it okay…?”

The latter waves his hand at him, “Of course! This old man will buy some offerings while you play. Go, your friends are waiting for you!”

Hesitantly, Guzi joins the group of kids.

With crossed arms, the transmigrator watches Guzi’s face brighten as the others take the initiative to teach him how to play cuju. It was a truly harmonious scene; it warmed the hearts of bystanders.

Out of nowhere, a crow lands on the branch to the tree closest to him, and cocks its head to the side. 

His Highness, Xiao Jing is heading to Master’s location.

Master, be cautious.

Shen Yuan glances at it languidly, and then turns his gaze back on Guzi’s form.

“Watch over him. If anyone dares to harm him, kill them on spot.”

Yes, Master.

Shen Yuan enters the village, picking up a few things from the marketplace along the way. After paying the vendors with money that he stole from foolish cultivators, he headed over to a particular hill. 

There was a shabby building supported by red pillars with paint that has peeled off over the years, and a wooden gate that smells like mold, creaks when pushed. Red maple leaves are piled up in the far left corner of the temple, and the voice of a young man can be heard from inside.

“San Lang! Is there anything you’d like for dinner?”

“Anything Gege makes is fine,” another voice answers.

Shen Yuan stands at the gateway, his arms loaded with mantous, apples, and tangerines. 

“Ah, San Lang? Do we have a guest?” 

Feeling some sort of restlessness in his chest, Shen Yuan clears his throat and knocks on the door.

“Is this Prince Xianle’s Temple? This old man came with offerings, as promised! Haha…”

The door slowly swings open.

On the other side of the entrance was a young man donned in white robes, a white bandage around his neck, and brown locks of hair over his shoulders. Standing beside him is another youth, in red and white colors, his onyx hair tied into an elegant braid. His red earring slightly sways as he leans closer to Xie Lian, his sharp eyes narrowed upon the sight of a newcomer.

Distrust and wariness behind those eyes.

“Oh, it’s you!” Xie Lian exclaims, wearing a polite smile. “You’ve come to pray to Prince Xianle? Ah, my apologies, I’ve never gotten your name before. What’s your name?”

“Peerless Cucumber,” Shen Yuan responds, catching San Lang rolling his eyes to the side. Was his name perhaps too absurd? “Is it alright if this old man comes in?”

“Of course, come in!” 

Although Xie Lian was very welcoming, San Lang gazed at him as if he wanted to tear him apart. 

Shen Yuan walked inside, observing the temple as he set down the offerings in a bowl in front of a beautiful painting of the Martial God, Xianle. 

Reading was different from seeing, and truly, seeing the famous Puqi Temple in person was amazing. However, the transmigrator couldn’t help, but feel a bit sad for Xie Lian. 

His Highness, the Crown Prince was living in such poor conditions! Back then, Xie Lian’s palace was much, much, much bigger and grander than this old temple! But alas, the protagonist must follow his fate.

“...Peerless Cucumber, you brought mantous as an offering?” Xie Lian inquired, looking at the steamed buns with some nostalgia. 

An image of a youth sitting under a golden statue with mantous in his hands, flashed across his mind.

“I would’ve brought you something better, but it would’ve gotten cold by the time I got here. Here, eat up, Lian-ge.”

Shen Yuan hands three mantous to Xie Lian, “This old man brought some for Gongzi also, but don’t eat it too fast. You might choke on it, haha!” 

“Don’t eat too fast, you might choke on it. Here, drink some water.”

The martial god wore a dazed expression, seeming as if his mind was drifting off to somewhere, “...Choke on these mantous?”

“Well, I’ll be going now. Don’t be too hard on yourself, and remember to take care, Lian-ge.”

“Mmm! Gongzi can share with that youngster over there also! He looks a little hungry,” Shen Shen Yuan pointed out, bringing attention to San Lang’s foul face. 

“Eh? San Lang…?” Xie Lian looked over at him, only to see an innocent smiling face instead. He turned back to Shen Yuan, and bowed. “...Well, many thanks for your generosity. San Lang and I will enjoy them!”

The transmigrator light up some incense, and stood in front of the painting with his palms clasped together.

This old man is worthless and incompetent; I cannot be trusted to protect Guzi. This old man only wishes for the child to reunite with his father.

His prayer flowed through Xie Lian’s mind; the latter raised an brow upon hearing this.

A child? He had seen this old man a couple weeks ago, sleeping on the road, alone and seemingly lifeless. Since when did he have a child with him?

“Mister? Are you here?”

A child with a mushroom head, and clear round eyes stood from the doorframe. He peeked in, finding Peerless Cucumber standing at a shrine with his hands closed in a prayer.

“Oh you are here! Wow, Shu-jie really showed me the right way!” He exclaimed, then discovered that there were others in the temple. “Oh, hello…! My name is Guzi!” 

Hearing Peerless Cucumber’s prayer, and seeing the way Guzi addressed the former; Xie Lian recognized the relationship between the two.

“You’ve finished playing with your friends already, child?” Shen Yuan asked, dropping his hands to his sides. 

“Yes! I didn’t want to leave Mister alone, so I asked Shu-jie for directions to the nearest temple!”

“Very good, come over here and pray.”

The child scurried over to the shrine, and clasped his palms together. He squeezed his eyes shut, and prayed with all of his might in hopes that his wishes would be granted faster. 

Your Highness, please help me find Green Gege! He’s the only good thing that has ever happened to me ever since my dad died.

From the side, San Lang impatiently tapped his fingers against his crossed arms.

He didn’t know why Qi Rong’s son was here, but he needed to return him to his father.

As soon as this person, who called themselves Peerless Cucumber, entered the premises of Puqi Temple, bone-chilling shivers shot down his spine. All the hairs on his body stood on edge, and his senses were telling him that this person was dangerous, a threat.

Although this…Peerless Cucumber disguised himself, it was clear as day that he wasn’t human.

No matter how hard he tried to hide it, there were still hints of bloodlust radiating from him. How could Gege not sense it?

It was unsettling and ominous; San Lang needed to get rid of him. He was a great threat, and had even dared to kidnap Qi Rong’s son.

He wouldn’t let this creature stay near Guzi and his martial god.

Xie Lian sat at a table, and poured water into a cup with a long crack around the rim, “Peerless Cucumber must’ve suffered under the hot weather today. Why don’t you help yourself to a cup of water?”

“Many thanks to Gongzi for being generous,” Shen Yuan smiled, and lifted the cup to his lips. 

Xie Lian watched him down the water in one go, and asked, “Peerless Cucumber, how old is this child of yours?”

“Oh, he’s not mine,” the transmigrator simply replied. He looked over at Guzi, and squinted his eyes. “As for his age…he seems to be three years old?” He scratched his head, and contemplated deeply, “Hmm, was this old man ever that small at the age of three though?”

Guzi immediately stopped praying, and gave Shen Yuan an offended look. He held up seven fingers and exclaimed, “Mister! I’m seven years old!” 

Shen Yuan laughed at this and continued, “This old man found him on the road, and couldn’t let a helpless child wander around on his own. Hopefully, we’ll find his father soon enough.” 

The youngster in red glanced out the window, and wanted to dismiss Shen Yuan until Xie Lian suddenly offered, “It’s been a long day, why don’t the two of you stay for dinner?”

Bewilderment momentarily flashed across San Lang’s face, but he quickly composed himself. Whatever His Highness was thinking, he had the utmost trust in him. If this creature made a move, then San Lang would annihilate him.

“It would be rude of this old man to decline your generosity,” the transmigrator responded kindly. “Gongzi’s cooking must be delicious, but first ah…” He glanced down at himself, covered in dirt and grime. “This old man needs a bath before he sits down at the dinner table, haha. Would you mind watching the child for a bit?”

Xie Lian naturally didn’t mind.

Before Shen Yuan left, he patted Guzi on the head and said, “Don’t make trouble while this old man is away.”

Guzi wanted to retort his words, but Shen Yuan pinched his cheek.

“Be good.”

Now, the child waited for him at the table inside of Puqi Temple. He made conversation with Xie Lian as he cooked, and avoided eye contact with San Lang. Although there was something about him that seemed awfully familiar to Guzi, he still found him a bit intimidating , just a little. 

Guzi watched as San Lang helped Xie Lian set the dishes on the table. 

It’s been a while since Peerless Cucumber had left, presumably for the river. Guzi had waited for nearly two hours, and he hadn’t returned yet. Dinner was already prepared for the guests, but Peerless Cucumber was nowhere to be found!

A low growl resounded from the child’s stomach.

Xie Lian chortled, “Hungry? You can eat first, we’ll save some for Peerless Cucumber when he gets back, so don’t worry.”

Guzi blushed from embarrassment, and slowly nodded in agreement. 

He moved his gaze down, and stared at the two dishes filled with….questionable content. One of them had bubbling purple liquid, and a…tail? A tail of some poor animal floating around the retching soup. The other plate had…charred pieces of meat? Vegetables? Whatever it was, it couldn’t possibly be edible.

Guzi felt like he had lost his appetite. 

Regardless, he thanked Xie Lian for the meal, and lifted his spoon. He scooped up some of the purple liquid from the bowl, and gulped with fear.

“Is something wrong?” Xie Lian asked.

“No, no, no, nothing’s wrong,” the child hurriedly said. “It…It looks delicious! Thank you, Xie-gege!”

He slowly brought the spoon to his lips, nearly gagging at the disgusting smell. However, he saw San Lang’s cold expression from the corner of his eye, and rushed to take a sip.

Xie Lian waited for his reaction, and saw the child wear a forced smile on his face.

“It’s…It’s really good, Xie-gege. Thank you so much,” Guzi choked with a paling face, the rims of his eyes turning red.

In truth….the soup was awful! It was utterly horrendous! But!!! Guzi didn’t want to be rude! After all, Xie-gege had worked hard to make this meal for him! He didn’t want his hard work to go to waste!

It’s been a while since Xie Lian had someone so eager to eat his food! He picked up his chopsticks, and added pieces of fried fish to the child’s bowl, “You’re a growing boy, you should eat more. Here, have more of this!”

Guzi saw him put more food on his bowl, and panicked inside.

However, seeing the martial god’s face of excitement, he couldn’t bear to refuse him.

Hesitantly, the child shoved the food in his mouth, and promptly swallowed. He tried to give Xie Lian another smile to portray his appreciation, but unexpectedly, he bursted out into tears.

“It’s…It’s…It’s really good!” Guzi repeated again, as if he was trying to convince himself. 

Xie Lian looked at the child who cried after eating his food: …..

San Lang calmly spoke, “Gege, the child’s too full to continue eating. I’ll finish the rest.”

Guzi silently thanked San Lang from the bottom of his heart, and staggeringly got up. He cleared his throat, and said, “U-Um, Xie-gege and San-gege, Guzi will go find Mister! I’ll be right back!”

“It’s too dangerous to go out there by yourself, it’s already dark out. Children shouldn’t wander at night,” the youngster in red stated, furrowing a brow. 

The child quietly asked, “But…what if something happened to Mister?” 

San Lang saw the child’s expression twist with worry, and sighed. 

This was the perfect opportunity to silently kill that pest, and send Guzi over to Qi Rong’s lair. 

“I’ll go with you then,” he replied, moving over to him. 

This was the perfect opportunity to silently kill that pest, and return Guzi to Qi Rong’s lair. 

He stopped and turned around to give Xie Lian an apologetic look, “Pardon me, Gege. I’ll be back soon.”

-

Shen Yuan stalked by the river, under the crescent moon. 

Peering down at his reflection in the water, he saw an ugly old man with white hair, adorned with sunken eyes and hollow cheeks.

“It’s been a long time since this old man has seen his own face,” He said, stroking his beard and taking in the features of his disguise. “Such a handsome lad! Aiyah, what’ll this old man do?”

With a wave of his hand, the old man was replaced by a handsome, young man in a beggar’s adobe. However, although his appearance seemed like that of a bright man, his sharp eyes that were once filled with life and passion, had long lost their warmth. 

Shen Yuan removed his robes, and stretched his limbs. After relieving the knots in his body, he waded into the cool water that enveloped his chiseled form. 

He dipped his head under the water, and surfaced with wet locks of hair stuck to his wide chest. Ghastly scars were scattered across his back, all in different forms and sizes, marring his beauty. 

Shen Yuan swiped a pink tongue over his carmine lips to catch a water droplet that managed to escape, tracing down to the enticing mole underneath his lips. 

He scrubbed himself clean, recalling Shen Jiu’s words.

In order to power the system, he had to connect with the power source: Qi Rong. 

“If I meet him again, would that be enough to connect Jiu-ge?” He murmured to himself, stroking his chin that was missing his fake beard. “What if there were other conditions? Would physical contact be enough? Hmm…”

Suddenly, Shen Yuan stopped talking to himself, and his gaze turned cold.

He extended an arm, and a black shadow flitted from his palm. 

From afar, a silver butterfly on a tree branch was crushed into dust.

“Peeping on old men bathing is a perverted hobby,” Shen Yuan said in a low voice, although there seemed to be no one around. With a snap of his fingers, his clothes laying on the shore returned to his empty hand. “Little pervert, how will you find a wife in the future with this bad hobby?”

A figure leaped from the trees across the river, a single foot tapping against the still waters before the figure propelled themselves towards Shen Yuan.

The transmigrator sensed their presence from behind, and turned on his heels to face the peeping tom.

“…WHO WAS PEEPING ON YOU?!” An enraged voice rang out, “GOOD! VERY GOOD! FOR DARING TO INSULT THIS ANCESTOR, YOU WILL DIE UNDER THIS ANCESTOR’S HAND TODAY, LOWLY PIG!” 

A swift sword was inches away from beheading him, but Shen Yuan wrapped a hand around the other’s wrist and stopped them. With ease, he pulled and sent the enemy crashing against the trees. 

“Give it up, this old man won’t kick the bucket just yet. Tsk, you youngsters are so impatient these days.”

Unexpectedly, the enemy quickly got back to his feet and disappeared.

However, the transmigrator felt a faint breeze brush past him, and dodged the enemy’s blade that appeared at his side. Unfortunately, he didn’t move quick enough, the blade inflicted a deep gash on his cheek.

With a twitch of Shen Yuan’s fingers, wispy tendrils emerged from the ground, and flung out to twist around the enemy’s limbs and hold them prisoner.

The enemy dodged and slashed at the tendrils, only to find that they quickly regenerated themselves with more vigor. 

“Little pervert, if you beg for your life, this old man might just spare you. After all, this old man has a heart of gold,” Shen Yuan hummed nonchalantly, his arms crossed to his bare chest. 

[Touch Verification Process Activated.]

[Apologies for the delay, please standby.]

Huh?

Gnashing their teeth after hearing Shen Yuan’s taunt, they snapped their fingers, and set the tendrils on fire with raging green flames. They turned around, and rushed towards the transmigrator with suffocating bloodlust.

Upon seeing these green flames, Shen Yuan stopped in his tracks, and his eyes widened with shock.

[Verifying Touch Verification . . .]

“…Jiu-ge?”

[Touch Verification Successful!]

Seeing that the transmigrator was caught off guard, the enemy struck him with his sword. Instinctively, Shen Yuan grasped onto the edges of the blade with his hand. As the cold metal pressed further, slicing through flesh and bone, Shen Yuan lost his balance.

Unexpectedly, the enemy was dragged along with his fall. With quick thinking, they pinned their sword to the ground, and stopped themselves from colliding with Shen Yuan’s form.

The tendrils burning with green flames slowly crawled towards their master at a snail’s pace.

[The power source has been connected.]

[System connected with host!]

Shen Yuan was in an awkward position, laid underneath the other person with their right knee in between his legs. He hadn’t gotten the chance to properly wear his clothes. His robes loosened around his shoulders, and revealed his wide chest with a faint sheen, heaving up and down.

His wet, black strands of hair were sprawled on the ground, and some were caught in between his parted lips. Like a frozen river thawing after a warm spring’s arrival; Shen Yuan’s previously cold gaze had melted instantly. 

Looking up at the person hovering above him, his brown eyes were filled with mixed emotions. 

Regret, relief, and longing.

The green flames illuminated the other’s face, a straight nose along with a pair of gray, phoenix eyes that searched Shen Yuan’s face with faint recognition. His raven bangs framed his striking face, and his eyebrows were drawn together into a frown. 

“Shen Yuan?”

Shen Yuan sighed in his heart.

We finally meet again, Your Highness.