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Chapter Text

Shen Yuan went from his vision fading to gray as his lungs burned to hearing someone calling his name. He found it odd as no one had been in his apartment besides him for a long time. Also… what happened to that choking thing?

He blinked his eyes open and found himself looking up towards the ceiling that was far more natural than the pristine white of his apartment’s painted drywall. He turned his eyes towards the source of the voice and was startled to see a man in ancient robes staring at him with concern.

“Disciple Shen, can you understand me?”

Oh. So he had died, then.

And now he was in a work of fiction of some sort, either wuxia or xianxia.

Okay. He had read transmigration novels. He could work with this. He was a disciple? Great! He could ask more questions than an adult wood. 

“Excusing this disciple’s ignorance,” he tried timidly, “but to whom is he speaking?”

The man froze and he asked carefully, “You do not remember me?”

“No, sir.”

“Do you know your name?”

Shen Yuan was wary of any divine entity popping up and calling foul, but he had nothing else to go off of besides being called Disciple Shen. “This one is Shen Yuan.”

The tension in the man’s shoulders eased a little, making Shen Yuan wonder which story he actually was in. He couldn’t recall one that had a key character who shared his name. “Do you know where you are?”

“No, sir.”

“I see,” the man (a doctor?) said. “I must inform your Shizun of this development, but I will answer some of your questions in hopes that it will jog some of your memories. I am Peak Lord Mu Qingfang of Qian Cao Peak in Cang Qiong Mountain Sect. You are a disciple of Qing Jing Peak that recently had a qi deviation. Your Shizun brought you here once he realized how seriously you were injured. Do you recall the name of your Shizun?”

Wait. 

Wait, what!?! He was in Proud Immortal Demon Way!?! With the last name SHEN?!

Oh, this was bad. Panicking, he offered, “This one’s Shizun is Peak Lord Shen Qingqiu, the Xiu Ya Sword.” Mu Qingfang stared at him in disbelief, which was not encouraging. “Please pardon this disciple; was that not correct?”

“No, it is not,” he said, frown on his face as he stared at Shen Yuan like he had just done something very interesting. “The Xiu Ya Sword, as you called him, is Shen Jiu and he is the right hand of Sect Leader Yue Qingyuan. Do you know him in another context?”

Oh, fuck. But, also, what the fuck? So he was in the right world (too many characters had the same names and positions), but he also was not in Proud Immortal Demon Way. What was the deal here? Was he in a weird fanfiction universe or something?

And, if Shen Jiu wasn’t Shen Qingqiu here, then who led Qing Jing Peak? And what had happened to the S-tier protagonist, Luo Binghe?

“This one cannot recall,” he hedged, having learned enough to start keeping his mouth shut. 

“...confusion such as this is to be expected after such a serious loss of memory,” Mu Qingfang tried, tone soothing and at least reassuring Shen Yuan that not all was lost. “Is there any other name that stands out to you?”

…he couldn’t not ask, alright. “Lord Luo Binghe?” he said tentatively. 

Mu Qingfang’s eyebrows shot up and Shen Yuan realized he had fucked up again. “Lord Luo Binghe? That’s the title and name that stands out to you?”

“This disciple apologizes,” he said quickly. “He means no offense–”

“Calm, Disciple Shen,” Mu Qingfang soothed. “What is your relationship to him?”

“...this one does not know,” he said, going for discretion as the better part of valor. “Should this disciple know him?”

“Well, yes. Peak Lord Luo Qingdong is your Shizun. It curious that you recalled his birth name rather than his courtesy name, however.”

What? He…

He couldn’t deal with this. “This disciple would like to rest, if that is okay, Peak Lord Mu?”

“Of course,” he said, putting two fingers to Shen Yuan’s wrist and… sending energy into him briefly. “You are in recovery and rest is the best for you. I will update your Shizun on your condition shortly.”

“Thanking Peak Lord Mu,” he said as he laid down and closed his eyes in an effort to get the man to leave his room. He heard movement, and then the door opened and shut. Only then did he roll over and bury his face in his hands.

He was Luo Binghe’s disciple on Qing Jing Peak. Shen Qingqiu wasn’t Shen Qingqiu, Luo Binghe was Luo Qingdong, and Shen Yuan was…?

What did Mu Qingfang mean by asking him about his association with Shen Jiu? He knew they shared a last name but that was just a coincidence, right?

Also, if Luo Binghe and Shen Jiu were in the same cohort, then what the actual fuck had happened to the original timeline? Was Luo Binghe also emperor of the demon realm? Did the sect even know he was a half-demon? 

Did he have a System-like thing to help guide him through this mess? Explain to him the background? Hello?! Anything out there to explain what the fuck this poor millennial is dealing with!?!

Nothing.

Right, okay. He was starting from nothing, but he knew a couple of key things. Qian Cao was still the medicine Peak, so that likely meant that Qing Jing was still known for scholarship. Shen Yuan wasn’t a genius or anything, but he was certainly no slouch. He had been raised in a rich family, so he knew the basics of the four arts (enough to not embarrass them in front of their judgy peers). He hadn’t been able to finish university (as he had died at the ripe old age of nineteen), but he had been studying Chinese Literature and had been lucky to have private tutors all his life (seriously, his family was big on their children’s academic achievements, even if it had to do with their third, otherwise useless, son). He thankfully wasn’t starting from scratch when it came to scholarship.

As for martial cultivation…

He prayed that his body came with insane muscle memory or some shit because otherwise he was cooked. Hopefully he would be able to blame his ostensibly comprehensive amnesia for any “obvious” thing he forgot.

What a fucking mess. It did beat being dead, though.

Shen Yuan held onto that thought as he did his best to relax and truly rest. He would definitely need his energy for what was to come.

Luo Binghe, courtesy Qingdong (but he hated that name and thus didn’t think of himself as such), had listened neutrally as Mu Qingfang detailed the prognosis of one of his quieter disciples. Shen Yuan, after receiving pointed teasing over his rumored familial ties to the loathed but respected Shen Jiu, had kept his head down and focused on his work. He had done well but never exceptionally and had never been one to cause problems. It was part of why it took so long for anyone to notice that he had begun qi deviating and partially explained the seriousness of its effects afterwards. 

He certainly felt bad about it, having taken the young man under his wing and failing to protect him as he should, but there was nothing to do now but be better in the future. 

He couldn’t help but be intrigued by the confused conclusions the young man had shared with his shidi. Shen Jiu being Shen Qingqiu and Peak Lord of Qing Jing? Over Luo Binghe’s dead body. 

Luo Binghe being nobility of some sort without a courtesy name? That was fascinating, especially as it was much closer to the truth than anyone (except possibly Shen Jiu, but the odious man had no proof) thought. He was a Heavenly Demon, which meant by definition he was demonic royalty for all that he hadn’t taken the throne. He had never had the means or motivation to reclaim his family’s place in demon politics for all that he had disappeared for a few years after coming of age to get his demonic abilities under control. He had returned more competent than ever and his Shizun had been wise in naming him his undisputed successor even as he hated the name granted to him.

(Qingdong? Really? Remind him yet more of winter than his own name? 

Ridiculous.)

He was the second in command of a top cultivation sect, and they didn’t even know he was a demon. It was kind of funny, when he thought about it, and he didn’t mind the rather simple life of taking care of his disciples and intervening when he thought the Sect was about to decide something stupid in Peak Lord meetings. 

Yet his quiet, amnesiac disciple, upon first waking, hinted that he knew about Luo Binghe’s secret. He wasn’t threatened by it, especially as Mu Qingfang emphasized how scared the young man had been when thinking through what he thought he knew, but it was something to think about and keep an eye on. 

Shen Jiu did take a special interest in the boy when he arrived at Cang Qiong and Luo Binghe scooped him up. He understood it; they had the same family name and looked alike enough to be siblings for all that they couldn't be. But Shen Yuan had never shown anything but wary respect to the older man and Shen Jiu hadn’t pushed the issue for all that Binghe knew he kept abreast of his achievements. In fact, he was sure that the man was informed of Shen Yuan’s qi deviation after Luo Binghe brought him to Mu Qingfang. If Shen Yuan knew, was it because Shen Jiu had told him his suspicions?

Unlikely, but a thought to keep at the back of his mind. 

He left Qian Cao Peak to allow his recovering disciple to rest, already thinking of how he would respond to the recent developments. At the very least, he had a disciple that he would need to retest for all of his skills so he could best support his recovery going forward. He owed it to him to try after inadvertently letting his qi deviation get so bad, and he had a lot of work in front of him.

The next day, after some bland infirmary food that he choked down, a bath, and a change in clothes (that he had to figure out through some embarrassing trial and error), Shen Yuan felt much better. Honestly, him knowing as little as possible about this world was good because any of his confusion or misidentification of people could be easily chalked up to his amnesia. And anything he shouldn't have known now could be attributed to him recovering his memories!

Besides, he decided to focus on the good side of this entire mess. He was a disciple in a cultivation Sect with his Shizun being his favorite protagonist of anything ever! Talk about a win!!!

All he had to do was not be too weird or get kicked out, and he was golden!

Shen Yuan did his best to make himself look presentable before Luo Qingdong arrived to guide him back to Qing Jing Peak. He found a bronze mirror and checked himself over. His hair was pulled up into a simple ponytail because that was all he could manage that seemed composed, and it was a glossier black than he remembered his color being. His features were his own, just smoothed out by a xianxia filter a little. His eyes went from dark, nearly black, brown to the rich brown of fertile soil. And, if he was judging things correctly, he thought he was a bit taller than he was before. All in all, he didn’t look too bad!

It made him feel a bit more confident as the time for Luo Qingdong to arrive approached. Mu Qingfang gave him a quick examination to determine if he should remain on the Peak, but confirmed there was nothing more he could do here. His memory was a lost cause, though Mu Qingfang provided some tips that were supposed to help rebuild what was lost.

Fat chance of that happening! Still, he tucked the information away in case it might be useful later as he tried to shake off the nerves of meeting his favorite character. 

Was he still a half-demon in this universe? So many other things were different and he was an accepted Peak Lord. Wouldn’t they have checked for something like that before letting him take over the strategy Peak? Or did his Protagonist Halo protect him from that kind of scrutiny?

Why was Shen Yuan here? Was he meant to play the role of Shen Qingqiu and become a human stick? He hoped not! In fact, he planned to do nothing to provoke that kind of response.

Luo Qingdong was still Luo Binghe and thus the Protagonist! Shen Yuan would do his best to hug his thigh to stay alive!!! Outside of the Dead Parents Trope, no one Luo Binghe had liked had died in PIDW. He just had to become his favorite student and Shen Yuan would be safe!

…but how to do that when he had forgotten however many years of cultivation?

Mu Qingfang had answered his question about his own age with pity, informing him he was sixteen years old. That was plenty of time to buckle down and cultivate to a master level before he reached adulthood. If he worked hard (and used his true age to his advantage), he might even be able to become Head Disciple!

It was a long shot, but Shen Yuan had the power of knowing this was a cultivation novel on his side. No matter how the world had changed, he understood PIDW! He also had deep knowledge of the world’s beasts and plants in a way that could be useful! He had a chance!

Shen Yuan was confident in himself… right up until Luo Qingdong walked into the room.

He. 

He really was too beautiful! Aya, how did he not become a harem master here?!? He was just as dashing as the most talented artists had drawn him, but with the charisma of his personality in the flesh! 

Luo Qingdong blinked at him, his eyelashes far too numerous to be anything but noticeable around his redwood irises, and cleared his throat. “Right, you forgot. I’m Luo Qingdong.”

Fuck, Shen Yuan! Get it together!

He fell into a quick bow and said, “This disciple apologizes, Shizun! This disciple greets Shizun.”

“Stop that,” the man sighed, his deep voice striking Shen Yuan’s soul. He felt a hand on his shoulder and rose at the slight tug of his robes. Shen Yuan looked up at him and felt small next to his height and broadness. Perhaps this Luo Binghe hadn’t experienced the same hardships as a disciple and that had helped him grow into a more bulky frame? His curly hair was half pulled back the top but otherwise allowed to flow freely down his back, leaving the handsome perfection of his face stark to the world and–

Wait, what was happening?

Luo Qingdong was speaking to him. “We are not so formal on Qing Jing Peak, but that was a good instinct to have. How are you feeling?”

Gobsmacked, honestly!!!

“This disciple is fine, Shizun,” he said, ducking his head. “Only frustrated by his lack of memories. This one will do his best to recover his achievements and the result of Shizun’s efforts.”

“Don’t work yourself too hard; that’s what got you into this mess.” Shen Yuan winced and Luo Binghe sighed, taking his hand off of his shoulder but leaving a warm impression behind. “I’m sorry, Shen Yuan. I didn’t find out you were qi deviating until it was too late to save your memories. Mu-shidi said that you did not know your age?”

“...no, Shizun.”

“You have an entire life to recover; go easy on yourself,” he ordered and Shen Yuan couldn’t help smiling up at him. Ah, the Protagonist was so inspiring! Such a good Shizun, not like it was even in doubt! How could Luo Binghe be anything less than spectacular at everything?

“This disciple understands.”

Luo Binghe shook his head at him and turned to go. “Come; I have a Sect to reintroduce to you.”

This was going to be so cool! Best afterlife ever!!!

Luo Binghe didn’t know exactly what was going on with Shen Yuan. Unless there was something truly traumatic in his past that had led him to be so quiet (which, even as someone from a merchant family, was possible) and the forgetting would lead to a complete change in personality, the young man he flew around the Sect on Zheng Yang was not his former disciple. 

He was way too exuberant as he learned new things, treating traveling on Zheng Yang as an insane novelty and quickly losing himself in questions about things as they flew around for a bit. He showed way too much interest in the Beast Peak, immediately asking after what kind of monsters they kept and if visiting between peaks was allowed. It made Luo Binghe make a joking comment about him defecting from Qing Jing Peak and Shen Yuan had looked over his shoulder at him with a wide smile and genuinely said, “This disciple would never think to leave Shizun.”

The Shen Yuan he knew harbored no interest in wild animals and was far too circumspect to say anything so bold. His smile was a reserved one and rarely seen. This Shen Yuan…

He would check him more thoroughly for possession, but he sensed no demonic energy from the young man at all. He didn’t seem uncomfortable in the body and had suggested his name was Shen Yuan before Mu Qingfang had asked him anything else. 

So if this was Shen Yuan, just a different one from the previous resident of the body, then why was he so happy to be with Luo Binghe? So interested to learn new things, delighted in the mundanities of the world that he should have grown up in?

A Shen Yuan but from a different place? A different time? Yet he knew far too much to be completely unfamiliar… he knew the function of the Beast Peak without Luo Binghe explaining it dealt with monsters rather than livestock. He asked if a certain Peak Lord was on a particular Peak and asked about other disciples in a way that suggested he knew far more than he let on about how Cang Qiong Mountain Sect functioned.

Yet, despite it all, he trusted Luo Binghe to keep him safe so high in the air. He didn’t flinch away from his touch or look at him with anything but admiration. The strangest thing was that there had been recognition in his eyes when Luo Binghe had first walked into the room. The familiar brown eyes had found his face and froze in shock, but not confusion.

He knew Luo Binghe, yet he did not.

A conundrum.

Nevertheless, Luo Binghe sensed absolutely no ill intent from him. He would watch this interloper carefully, but felt a sense of responsibility over him that made no sense but was undeniable. Simply put, Binghe didn’t know the last time someone had been so unabashedly happy to see him. That apparently affected him more than he anticipated.

His negligence seemed to have resulted in the death of his previous disciple, but he had no reason (so far) to fail the one who had taken his place. 

When they eventually landed back on Qing Jing Peak and Shen Yuan happily greeted his fellow disciples with an embarrassed explanation of his lost memories and sincere request for patience as he relearned things, Luo Binghe saw his pupils exchange confused looks. Their reactions made Luo Binghe all the surer in his conclusions, but he did intervene.

“Disciple Shen has survived a life-threatening qi deviation. It is not uncommon for memory loss to occur or for survivors to experience personality changes afterwards. He is still your martial sibling; do not let him shoulder his recovery alone.”

A chorus of yes, Shizun had Luo Binghe feeling comfortable enough to leave Shen Yuan in the hands of his other disciples. He watched from a distance as, in real time, they went from concerned, to wary, to charmed by him. It was odd, but he figured Shen Yuan would be fine. 

Time would only tell if this was the correct decision, but he had good instincts for trouble thanks to his demonic heritage. Shen Yuan raised no instinctual concerns for him, somehow entirely genuine for how his very existence was duplicitous. Luo Binghe would watch him over time and protect his disciples while privately mourning the young man who had died.

He had learned after the death of his A-Niang that, with death, there was no going back. He could only move forward and do his best to live well. He would do that now and see just what manner of disciple fate had gifted him.

Chapter Text

Shen Yuan didn’t know if he was somehow put into this world on Easy Mode, but he was having a great time! 

Sure, it was irritating being treated as younger than he actually was after a while, but it had people offering to help him at almost every turn. It almost felt like he was going through a tutorial for being a xianxia disciple, which was much appreciated in the beginning.

Thankfully, as expected, he was able to catch up to the written coursework with dedication and hard work. Unexpectedly, his body did remember the forms of Qing Jing’s martial style, which was nice.

Unfortunately, the spiritual cultivation side was wholly foreign to him. He was able to sense and follow the way energy moved around it, but he proved incapable of cultivating it even after following manuals and instructions.

It was bad enough that Luo Qingdong personally intervened to tutor him.

“My apologies, Shizun,” he said after arriving at his tutoring session in his residence. Rather than the small bamboo cottage that had been described as Shen Qingqiu’s home, Luo Qingdong’s home was a small compound hidden within Qing Jing’s bamboo grove. Shen Yuan had marveled at its design and decor—functional but not ostentatious in the least. There appeared to be a front hall for receiving visitors and then additional buildings that surrounded a courtyard with a tasteful garden. “This disciple did not wish to trouble you so.”

“Stop speaking nonsense,” Luo Qingdong scolded gently. “You have done well to recover and surpass your previous achievements. If you did not struggle in some way I would be suspicious.”

Shen Yuan winced. “Of course.”

“…explain to me how you understand your blockage.”

Shen Yuan said, “I understand the theory but, in truth, the process feels alien to me. It’s like there’s a disconnect between my mind, body, and qi, with each existing separately from another. I cannot. I have not been able to cultivate because qi feels like a foreign entity even though I know it’s not.”

The core of it, as he understood it, was that because cultivation didn’t exist in his original world, his brain was having trouble making the switch. He had tried to brute force it, but he eventually realized this was something logic couldn’t solve. He hoped that his Shizun would be able to help him.

Luo Qingdong looked at him for a long moment before saying, “Fall into a light meditation. I will join you and hopefully guide you to finding your base as I do with young ones.”

Shen Yuan blushed at needing a technique that literal children required, but he didn’t protest as he aligned his spine, breathed deeply, and began meditating. 

He had learned to meditate as a child, but meditating here was a bit different. He wasn’t trying to clear his mind so much as becoming intune with the spiritual energy around him, below him, and inside him. He was used to the disconnect now and practiced at not becoming frustrated with himself when he was unable to do more than sense the existence of qi.

He floated in his body, in the qi that was innate to him being a living thing, as he waited for Luo Qingdong to find him. Another, large presence did come to him, causing Shen Yuan to gape internally at the Protagonist being, like, in his head.

He snapped out of it as Luo Qingdong very carefully wrapped his energy around part of Shen Yuan’s consciousness and pulled him along his spiritual veins. Painstakingly, gently, he showed him where his body and energy connected through… a kind of osmosis with nature. He led him through his body to meridians to see how they worked and maintained a regulation of his energy, then eventually made their way to his spiritual core.

To a child new to cultivation, he imagined that the lesson would be informative in placing where things were supposed to be in their body. As a mid-core formation teenager (though mentally he thought he was around twenty), the process was exceedingly intimate. While Luo Qingdong did nothing to indicate the inherent closeness of this exercise, Shen Yuan had never felt another’s touch inside him like this. It felt like his Shizun, his favorite Protagonist, was looking into his very soul, and it was equal parts intoxicating and intimidating. 

Ignorant of Shen Yuan’s private thoughts, Luo Qingdong continued his work and showed him the process of connection, understanding, and ultimately cultivation of his qi in relation to the outer world. He guided Shen Yuan to mimic his actions, and he obeyed unthinkingly, so caught up in his Shizun’s presence that anything else would have been impossible. 

Before he knew it, he was cultivating qi on his own and he felt Luo Qingdong’s pride at how easily he followed his instruction flooded his system with a new kind of pleasure. He felt his energy begin to leave and he instinctively chased it. Luo Qingdong’s qi froze as Shen Yuan energetically reached out to him, needing his attention, his approval.

To his mortification, he almost immediately realized what he had done. He withdrew from Luo Qingdong’s energy quickly and focused more on cultivating his own without such direct supervision from his Shizun. He was distantly aware of the other man’s qi leaving his spiritual veins, but he did his best to redouble his focus on memorizing the feel of the connection for the future. 

He fell into a deep meditation, aware of Luo Qingdong’s presence nearby, protective even if no longer so closely monitoring his process. Shen Yuan explored in that safe space the limits of his own spiritual base and the exact map of his meridians. He circulated his qi throughout his entire body a couple of times before Luo Qingdong asked him to come out of his meditation. 

Shen Yuan did slowly and ended up blinking at his Shizun as if waking from a dream. “I believe I understand now, Shizun. Thank you for your guidance.”

“There is no need to thank me for such things,” Luo Qingdong said, eyes watchful and intense. “You just needed to be shown something, but you took to it remarkably well. I don’t anticipate you having such a fundamental issue of this magnitude going forward, but if you feel unstable or close to qi deviating again, let me know. We don’t want a repeat visit to Qian Cao.”

“No, Shizun. And thank you all the same. I really appreciate your help.” 

Luo Qingdong smiled slightly at him and said, “Enough of this. You have duties to get to.”

“Yes, Shizun.” Shen Yuan stood and bowed to him. When he straightened, he couldn’t help but be struck by how different he was in this setting than in all the fan works where he was surrounded by wives and immersed in power. Here he… seemed comfortable in himself. Not hungry, not angry, not power mad, but comfortable.

Before he could think on it further, Luo Qingdong stood and patted his head. “Go, Shen Yuan. I will see you later.”

Shen Yuan’s heart swelled and he was quick to leave after that. Ah, Luo Qingdong really was an excellent Shizun! Shen Yuan was deeply pleased that he seemed to be at home on Qing Jing in a way that was never possible in PIDW. It warmed his very being to see that the character he had been riveted by had found some kind of contentment at last in this strange world.

It only made him want to make the other man, now so very real to him, proud. It was still highly unlikely, but maybe he could grow to earn more of his Shizun’s praise, to be the best student his Shizun ever produced!

He walked off to see to his other duties; if he really wanted to become Head Disciple, then he had a lot more work to do!

Luo Binghe did his best to not handle every demonic problem in the region around Cang Qiong himself for two reasons: to avoid detection and to give actual disciples the experience of investigating and addressing demonic occurrences in the future. A lot of times, it was something that didn’t need his attention in any case and was easily handled by others. Sometimes situations required a personal touch from him. It didn’t happen often, but it was when he noticed another high-level demon in the area and needed to reassert his territorial boundaries as a (falsely) minor demon noble existing in the human realm. 

It also was when one of his own disciples was in danger.

The night hunt they had been called down the mountain to address seemed to be a skinner demon that could be easily dispatched by the teams of disciples Luo Binghe had scattered across the medium-sized town. He had deliberately paired up Shen Yuan with one of the young women who had been brought into Cang Qiong at the same time. 

While others might have interpreted his actions to attempt to spark his disciple’s memories, in truth he was doing his best to test a theory he had been working on since guiding the young man in his cultivation. He was smart for a seventeen year old—too smart, by Luo Binghe’s estimation. Additionally, his very being tasted too old for his physical age according to his enhanced senses. It wasn’t too much older, mind, but old enough for him to treat someone who should have been his equal differently.

As expected, he was solicitous but not condescending to his peer, taking on a mentor role despite having “lost his memories”. It was interesting, as was the fact that, upon hearing the description of what the demon had done, he had turned to Luo Binghe in front of the group and suggested they were dealing with a Skinner.

None of Qing Jing’s disciples had shown any interest in demons outside of how to handle them and protect humans. Certainly not enough to guess the exact type without more information, or know how to properly handle the demon. The other disciples had looked at Shen Yuan with a mix of respect and awe—no one grew suspicious when something was off with their charming martial brother now, just accepting new things as a quirk of their transformed martial brother. 

He didn’t look at Binghe when he said he had an interest in demons, which felt deliberate but he couldn’t say for sure. 

With Shen Yuan’s knowledge and Luo Binghe’s approval, the aforementioned groups split up to locate the skinner so they could report back in a shichen and they could regroup. A few groups had already returned by the time Shen Yuan’s partner ran into the room they were staying in with an alarmed, “Shizun!”

Luo Binghe was already standing. “Disciple Zhou?”

“We found the demon! But just as we were heading back, the Skinner turned and engaged with Shen-shixiong! This disciple tried to assist but was injured early in the fighting and Shen-shixiong urged me to get your help! The emergency flare this disciple carried was lost in the fight, and she thus ran as quickly as possible to Shizun! This disciple wouldn’t have left but shixiong was insistent…”

“Calm, Zhou Xing. You did what you could and I’m sure you panicked at the time,” Luo Binghe said, as he walked towards the door. He patted her head gently as he continued. “Speak to your martial siblings and take comfort. I’ll handle the demon and bring back Shen Yuan.

Tears came to her eyes but her expression remained resolute. “Please do, Shizun.”

Luo Binghe was gone and immediately went to the rooftops of the nearby buildings. He ran far enough away to not ping any of his disciple’s senses. Then he let go of some control, almost like relaxing a clenched fist, and let his demonic qi become detectable to others without outright announcing his presence. 

He very carefully cast out his senses to find the Skinner’s trail. He unconsciously snarled at how sloppy and blatant it was, not bothering to hide it at all in arrogance. Even if it was meant to lure more cultivators in, how presumptuous to assume that no one here could be strong enough to make them pay.

He ran, and it was faster than any non-cultivator would be able to track. Luo Binghe masked his demonic and spiritual energy completely as he approached a warehouse on the edge of town. The Skinner was there and, as he approached to assess the situation, he was relieved to hear two voices.

“—ridiculous, you know?” Shen Yuan asked, his tone far too conversational for Luo Binghe’s comfort.

“You dare!?” The Skinner snarled.

“I mean, you’re the one who attacked Luo Binghe’s disciples. Just because he’s the most beautiful man in the world doesn’t mean going after his skin is worth it.”

Luo Binghe was struck by his words, taken aback by the consecutive shocks of hearing his true name from Shen Yuan’s mouth and him just stating his attractiveness as a matter of fact. The Skinner seemed similarly surprised as Luo Binghe found a substantial hole in the ceiling and took stock of the place. 

The warehouse was typical and his mind took in the dimensions of it even as his eyes found his disciple. The light green uniform was in disarray, the upper part of his robes pulled away enough to display his chest in a way that had his small brown nipples peaking in and out of sight with every breath.

Wait. What kind of thoughts were these at such a time?

“You admit he’s beautiful then tell me that he’s not worth stealing from. What nonsense.” The Skinner said, wearing her previous victim’s skin with her eyes a rather telling red and black. Long nails reached out trace the skin of his neck teasingly, her tone dismissive and turning to cruel. “Xu-er here was beautiful and hasn’t truly started rotting, yet you remain unmoved.”

“I only stated objective facts. There’s no shame in being outclassed by him,” Shen Yuan said, almost comfortingly. “He’s just the best at everything, power and beauty included. It’s natural for a toad to long for the swan.” 

Luo Binghe couldn’t believe his ears. What sane person would say that to a captor who had them at their mercy?

He didn’t hesitate. He fully expected Shen Yuan to die within the seconds following his statement  if he failed to act. He briefly released his demonic aura, causing the Skinner to whirl in clear defensiveness, Shen Yuan forgotten at the sudden appearance of another like herself.

“Who—!?” Luo Binghe didn’t give her time to finish her question. He lept down and sent a blast of pure spiritual energy towards the demon. They were unable to dodge completely and shrieked as the qi burned their left shoulder.

He didn’t give them time to recover, drawing Zheng Yang and channeling the required energy to decimate the demon. His blade swung true, cleaving the Skinner in two from their left shoulder to their right hip, his follow up strike decapitating the still-standing corpse for good measure.

“Hello, Shizun!” Shen Yuan said cheerfully from where he was still tied to the pole. He was looking at him with something like… adoring awe. “Many thanks for saving me! If this disciple could request further assistance, he would love to be out of these Immortal Binding Cables. I was nearly done untying them, but am very happy you appeared!”

Luo Binghe stared at him, dumbfounded for a moment. “Shen Yuan.”

“Yes? Also, apologies for my current state; I’m unable to adjust myself at the moment.”

“…”

Luo Binghe quickly flicked the blood from Zheng Yang and put the weapon away to do as his disciple requested. He hadn’t been speechless in a long time, but he found himself at a true loss for words.

Shen Yuan continued talking, though his voice began to speed up with nerves. “Ah, Shizun, how long were you on the roof? This disciple apologizes for referring to you using your birth name! I—“

“It’s fine,” he said gently, finding out it was only when the words were out of his mouth. 

Perhaps he could use this moment as a chance to talk.

“I really meant no disrespect! I only—“

“Know me by that name,” Luo Binghe supplied quietly as he got the ropes untied. It slackened and Shen Yuan’s hands remained where they were. “And the reason you know me by that name is related to the reason you woke up and recalled a Lord Luo. Why you are not surprised at all to see me as myself, like this.”

Luo Binghe had been too focused on saving his confounding disciple to hide his appearance. His demon mark was present, as was his naturally red eyes and black claws. His teeth had sharpened considerably, there was no mistaking him for anything other than a half-demon.

“S-Shizun…”

“Relax. I’m not going to hurt you. If you were going to tell anyone, you would have mentioned it before now. You’ve done nothing but be a good disciple to me, even though you are obviously not the Shen Yuan I welcomed to Qing Jing years ago.”

Shen Yuan’s shoulders rose in discomfort, but at least he started to fix his robes. “Obvious, you said?” He asked weakly. 

He huffed and moved so he could sit in front of him. His disciple was clearly embarrassed and he said teasingly, “I knew before we landed on Qing Jing together.”

Shen Yuan winced then sighed, his entire body slumping with it. “I suppose that’s why I don’t have consequences for you knowing I’m different; I would have definitely been tossed back to my dead body.”

…

“What was that?”

“I died and woke up here,” Shen Yuan explained. “I was only nineteen and, yes, I am familiar with this world. Well, this world, except a very different one. One where Shen Jiu was Peak Lord Shen Qingqiu, and Luo Binghe is the Emperor of the United Realms. He, um, merged the three realms at twenty-three.”

Luo Binghe’s brain worked on processing most of that as he said, “Why the past tense for Shen Jiu?”

“…that Luo Binghe killed him. Killed just about everyone in Cang Qiong Mountain Sect for the abuse he experienced as a disciple during the Qing-generation” Shen Yuan said carefully, like he was picking his words individually. “I hesitate to say more because I don’t want things that have not happened to taint your view of others. This world has different circumstances, and I’m aware of Shizun’s capacity for, um. Retribution.”

Luo Binghe stared at him. “Speak plainly: did that version of myself somehow merge the realms out of revenge alone for how he was treated as a disciple?”

“Kinda?” Shen Yuan said with a grimace. “It’s not just that. I’m guessing that there hasn’t been an attack on the Immortal Alliance Conference yet? I mean, it might not ever happen here, but it was there that Luo Binghe was pushed into the Endless Abyss by his Shizun after his demonic heritage had been revealed publicly for the first time. 

“The Abyss doesn’t open often and it is a nightmarish realm. That Luo Binghe spent five years there, and only got out by using a legendary demonic sword named Xin Mo. It has a legacy of devouring all of its users, and he didn’t exactly have a solid cultivation base. It fed his need for revenge with violence, and he did his best to keep the worst effects at bay with various treasures and a very large harem.”

Shen Yuan coughed as he blushed and Luo Binghe wondered how he knew about that particular detail. He was quick to move on with, “I don’t know whether he merged the realms because he wanted to or how much Xin Mo influenced the decision. But he conquered everything, and ruled as a tyrant for a long time.

“I hesitate to say more because one of his core philosophies was to repay both slights and kindness one hundredfold. Does Shizun believe the same?”

He pursed his lips but acknowledged that the young man in front of him was right to be cautious in light of his prior impressions of an alternate version of himself. “I am not so extreme as that. It is a rather juvenile way to live your life, and doesn’t sound particularly fulfilling.”

Shen Yuan blinked then smiled at him with clear relief. “So Shizun is content with his life? He never found peace or happiness, and that deeply disturbed me.”

“…I am content. Happiness is a fleeting emotion, but I have a home and I enjoy my work. Things could be much worse.”

Shen Yuan beamed at him. “Then that’s all I could ever want for you.”

“You are only twenty now, correct? Who told you of the other’s life?”

“…it was just a story where I was born. There was no cultivation where I grew up, which is part of why I was having so much trouble understanding how it could work.”

That put a lot of things into perspective, but sparked his curiosity for such a different setting and how exactly his alternate life came to be known. His questions would have to wait for another time; this warehouse certainly wasn’t the place for it. “You have done well to prove yourself, Shen Yuan. That is your real name, correct?” He nodded. “You do need to work on subterfuge, however. You really were obvious to anyone who paid close attention to your behavior.”

Shen Yuan pouted at him. “But Shizun is brilliant! Who else could possibly—“

“All of Qing Jing. They’ve just accepted as a much more affable version of their former martial brother.”

“Oh.” Shen Yuan winced. “I don’t know how to be anyone other than myself.”

“It’s moot now,” Luo Binghe said. “You both know too much and too little about life here. You know the overall arch of things, but little about personal boundaries that people grow up with. You know far too much about demons, at the very least.”

“I just really loved learning about the plants and animals of the demon realm!” Shen Yuan defended. “They’re fascinating and completely different from anything I grew up with. Besides, you and I both know that there are good demons just as there are bad humans. Sure, there are cultural differences that most cultivators never bother learning, but that doesn’t mean they’re not intelligent and capable of just as full lives as humans.

“Ah, I’m rambling to someone who doesn’t need to hear this,” he said in embarrassed realization. “I take your point that I know far more than a disciple should about demons.”

“More than most cultivation masters,” Luo Binghe corrected, somewhat impressed by the enthusiasm displayed. “You have no purpose for coming to this world?”

Shen Yuan shrugged. “I died; that doesn’t exactly come with an instruction manual. I’m mostly trying to stay alive and build a life since I have a second chance at it. I like being your disciple and never would have told someone about your heritage. Am I right in thinking that no one in the Sect knows their second-ranked Peak Lord is also a demon?”

“Yes,” Luo Binghe said, his mouth quirking to the side. 

“Sounds lonely.” Luo Binghe was back to staring at him. “Sorry! I didn’t mean to offend—“

“Calm. It certainly isn’t the best feeling, knowing that your colleagues would try to kill you if they learned your heritage.” 

He said it as a joke, but Shen Yuan just looked at him with clear empathy. “It’s not your fault for being born and you’ve done an excellent job. There should be no reason to turn against you, but I know that’s not how others would think.”

“But you do.”

Shen Yuan nodded. Then he hesitated before saying, “Um. Now that you know all this, now what?”

“We go back to our lodgings to tell the merchant the bittersweet news and reassure your shixiongdi that you’re fine. You don’t have to lie to me anymore, and I don’t have to pretend around you. It’s nice to have at least one person know.”

“…it’s not exactly proper, but I really would like the chance to talk to you. I’m pretty confused as I think one thing happened but then, well.”

“Yes, that’s fine. By your true age, you’re considered an adult. And I am also curious about my alternate self and your birth world. We could trade information.”

Shen Yuan lit up in excitement. “Yes! I would love to share with you!”

“Good. Come, we need to go.”

They both stood and Shen Yuan looked at the cooling remains for the Skinner demon. “Shizun, we need to dispose of the remains, right?”

“Yes.” Feeling a bit reckless at the freedom to be himself, he make the body go up in flames made of demonic qi. It was a much more efficient way of suppression than cultivator rituals. “Done.”

Shen Yuan beamed at him. “Shizun’s amazing!”

Luo Binghe rolled his eyes but was amused. “No need to lay it on so thick. There’s more than one reason I prefer to eschew a lot of formalities.”

“I wasn’t…” Shen Yuan sighed and shook his head. “I look forward to hearing about them.”

Luo Binghe wondered at the change in topic for a moment before he let it go. They would have plenty of time together for him to understand the young man beside him. 

For the moment, he simply focused on masking his demonic presence entirely and leading them back to the merchant’s compound. As they walked outside, Binghe asked, “How exactly did you get captured again? And why did you antagonize a demon you described as vain about their appearance?”

“Ahh, about that…”

Chapter Text

Shen Yuan didn’t know exactly why Luo Qingdong was looking at him like he had a few screws loose only after their conversation in the journey back towards everyone else. He hoped that it was about his sheer dumb luck for his Shizun to have shown up right as he was about to get himself killed. But what exactly was he supposed to do in the situation? Not defend Luo Binghe!?

It was getting difficult to think of his Shizun properly by associating him with his courtesy name. Luo Qingdong was the proper cultivation master; Luo Binghe was the badass half-demon that easily slayed his enemies!

He did dare to ask, about a block away from their lodgings, “Shizun, do you like your courtesy name?”

Luo Qingdong had looked at him with clear surprise before he smiled and chuckled to himself. “You’re the first person to ask. And no; I hate it, actually.”

…

That was all the permission Shen Yuan needed! Luo Binghe it was, indeed!

He wanted to ask more about it, but his martial siblings spotted them coming from a window and some were running out to meet them. Surprisingly, it was Shen Yuan to say as a few of them started checking him over worriedly, “Ah, what is this!? Are we not all too old for such displays? This disciple is grateful for the concern but we shouldn’t betray Shizun’s teachings—“

“What teachings?” Luo Binghe asked, outside of the bubble of concern around Shen Yuan. There was a slight smirk on his mouth as he said. “Shen Yuan nearly died; his martial siblings were right to be worried.”

“But Shizun saved me!”

“Which wouldn’t have been nearly so urgent if Disciple Shen hadn’t antagonized the demon.”

Shen Yuan gaped at him for a moment before he was preoccupied with a number of his peers berating him for his recklessness. Their Shizun then left them to their own devices before Shen Yuan could effectively redirect the attention to his rescue.

He spent the rest of the evening and a good part of the morning fending off curious questions about the events and sharp recriminations about his recklessness. He did his best to avoid his Shizun on the way back, a little annoyed that he had purposely ensured that half of the Peak would now be looking out for any “reckless” behavior from him.

He’d been trying to distract the Skinner and hadn’t exactly been watching his mouth, okay!? He’d had his reasons!

Suffice to say: the trip back to Cang Qiong Mountain was long.

Surprisingly, there were two figures waiting for their return from the Sect. Luo Binghe, with his superior eyesight, tensed after spying them and barked out, “It’s the Sect Leader. Shape up!”

Almost as if choreographed, Qing Jing’s disciples formed two orderly lines and fell quiet rather than the casual groups that had been chatting during their trek back. “What gives?” Shen Yuan asked the girl beside him.

Zhou Kexing winced and said, “If Sect Leader Yue is present, then his consort is likely with him. And Shen-shining is… exacting.”

Shen Jiu!

Ahhh, Shen Yuan really didn’t know how to deal with meeting the original Scum Villain! Shen Jiu both was the blueprint for who became Shen Qingqiu but he also wasn’t Shen Qingqiu? He, by all accounts, had the personality traits worthy of an epic antagonist, but was mostly just Yue Qingyuan’s bitchy husband here? Because sure, he was kinda mean, but that didn’t mean (according to various disciples) that he didn’t make points or that he wouldn't defend the Sect to his last breath, creating an odd mix of dread and respect among the younger members of the Sect.

And, most importantly for Shen Yuan, he hadn’t actually hurt Luo Binghe here. It was obvious that circumstances were wildly different and there was no whisper of Shen Jiu treating Qiong Ding Peak’s disciples as anything less than proper, if a bit strict. Shen Yuan had to act on what he told Luo Binghe and not hold the actions of an entirely different man against him.

He was so focused on not viewing Shen Jiu as an irredeemable villain that he lost track of their movements. When he heard new voices, he brought himself back to the present with a jolt, and his eyes immediately found the strangers where his Shizun stood. 

The taller of them with the fancier guan was of equal height to Luo Binghe himself, and had a handsome but somewhat bland face to Shen Yuan. The man standing next to him…

“Da-ge?!”

All speaking ceased as everyone in the vicinity turned to Shen Yuan. He threw his hands over his mouth as his eyes remained wide and on the similarly staring Shen Jiu. The man looked remarkably like his eldest brother, Shen Yong, if he was more severe and put through a xianxia beauty filter. The similarity really was uncanny, especially as his green eyes filled him with the same younger-sibling feeling of being caught out by his parents with his brother about to watch from the sidelines. It was never as malicious as it would have been if Shen Yuan hadn’t been the runt of the bunch, smaller than even their younger sister, especially from his da-ge (not so much from his er-ge), which made Shen Yuan all the happier to look for some sign of his eldest brother.

But Shen Jiu was not Shen Yong, and he had just called the cruelest man he knew of in this world by a far too familiar word. 

After a long moment of gathering his wits, Shen Yuan fell into a low bow. “Apologies, Shen-shibo. This one was merely–”

“Didi.” Shen Yuan’s words faded to nothing as a deep, smooth voice returned his greeting. There was a soft touch at his properly outstretched wrists that urged him to rise from his bow. Shen Yuan rose to see surprise but genuine… happiness on Shen Jiu’s face. Muted, yes, but his Da-ge hadn’t been one for big emotions, either. The man in front of him was genuinely happy to be having this interaction, and Shen Yuan was confused but not fool enough to resist it. “It has been too long since we spoke.”

“Shen Jiu–”

“Ah, Luo-shidi, is it not a good sign that your amnesiac disciple has remembered his family at last?” Yue Qingyuan said, words nonchalant and sounding completely natural. 

Shen Yuan gaped at the man silently, but quickly returned his attention to his brother’s doppelganger. He knew what the man was capable of, but…

But that Shen Qingqiu wasn’t this Shen Jiu, was it? Was that not what he had told his Shizun?

He bowed his head to him to hide his face. “This one knows not what to say.”

“Look at me.” It was a demand and Shen Yuan obeyed it. He looked up and met Shen Jiu’s eyes, both foreign and yet so very familiar. “Do you know me?”

…

“Yes,” he said quietly. “Or maybe a version of you. I feel confused.”

His mouth slightly quirked to the side but he put a hand on the crown of his hair. “That is enough for me, didi. I will not forsake you and leave you with no one in this world.”

Does that not mean you had no one before me?

Shen Yuan kept the thought to himself, but didn’t ignore the connection he felt to the other man. He was not Shen Yong, but Shen Yuan had grown up in a family and would not deny one here if it was possible. 

“Jiu-ge.” The man smiled at him, actually smiled, and Shen Yuan couldn’t help beaming at him. Shen Qingqiu never smiled at anyone or anything, except perhaps Ning Yingying. Shen Jiu seemed softer here, and perhaps that softness meant he needed more from others. He continued with, “This one has Shizun and his disciple siblings on Qing Jing! He could never have no one, but how could he deny a brother? I would. I would like to visit you, if that would be okay?”

Shen Jiu’s face fell into a hard kind of playfulness. “How demure, didi. This master insists upon it, at least twice a week. ”

“Ah, Jiu-ge, I still have duties to attend to.”

“And he is my disciple,” Luo Binghe said, stepping forward and coming to Shen Yuan’s back.

Shen Yuan turned to him and bowed, “Shizun!”

He quickly re-positioned himself to not be between the two men. Shen Jiu’s attention shifted to Luo Binghe and Shen Yuan saw up close how quickly his expression changed from harsh teasing to simply harsh. “Surely, you would not keep him away from his own family, especially after such a difficult time.”

“He has not had lingering side effects from his qi deviation.”

“I was talking about your night hunt. I was rather under the impression he’d had the unfortunate experience of spending time in the company of a demon.”

“How do you know that?” Shen Yuan asked.

Shen Jiu’s eyes cut to him, “Didi, I know everything.”

Ominous, but Shen Yuan had to fight to roll his eyes. If Shen Jiu decided he was his brother, Shen Yuan would treat him like his older brother. “Besides, the demon was fine but for the murderous tendencies. A little vain, but what else to be expected from Skinner demons? Regardless, this one has recovered physically from his qi deviation; it is only his memories that remain lost.”

“You know a lot about demons?”

“A special interest of mine,” Shen Yuan said smoothly. “So much of this world felt alien when I woke; it made sense to learn about all parts of it, especially beings that so many others seem to fear. I will be grateful if any of my incidental knowledge becomes helpful in night hunts or the studies of my martial siblings.”

Shen Yuan heard Luo Binghe huff in amusement and, okay, he was laying it on a little thick. But how else was he supposed to just know about demon things!?

“This disciple, in truth, was thinking of asking permission to visit the Beast and Combat Peaks to seek further knowledge, but was wary of doing so before he had caught up with Scholarly coursework.”

“What could you possibly learn from Bai Zhan?” Shen Jiu asked and, yes, there was sharp judgment there. 

“Peak Lord Liu has spent so much time in the demon realm; this disciple was hoping to get an account from him of his experiences, if he was in residence.”

Shen Jiu scoffed. “Good luck. Liu-shidi struggles with… communication.”

“Xiao Jiu.” Yue Qingyuan finally approached the small group and Shen Yuan bowed lower to him in deference to his position. “There’s no need to speak of our shidi in such a way.”

Shen Jiu’s eyebrow twitched and he said dryly, “I’m simply stating what everyone already knows.”

Yue Qingyuan sighed and smiled at Shen Yuan. “Disciple Shen, you are welcome to visit Qiong Ding Peak whenever you are free to speak with your brother. If you seek Peak Lord Liu, he will be unavailable for a time as he has chosen to enter seclusion in the Lingxi Caves.”

“Thanking Sect Leader Yue,” Shen Yuan said with another bow, both out of an abundance of respect but also to hide his expression. Liu Qingge, Peak Lord of Bai Zhan, in the Lingxi Caves alone.

He died there. Shen Qingqiu had killed him there, or at least that was how the narrative framed it in PIDW. What were the chances that the Peak Lord would enter his death site now and not die from it? 

Did the story necessitate Shen Jiu killing him, or was it part of the slow ruination of the Qing Jing Peak Lord’s reputation? Shen Jiu had a very different position in the Sect now, directly tied to the leader of the Sect itself. But Luo Binghe was hiding the truth of his past, his very blood from the Sect.

Was Liu Qingge destined to die there, or could Shen Yuan somehow prevent it? Luo Binghe’s fault or not, if a Peak Lord died and his being a Heavenly Demon was revealed, would people not blame him against all reason for ease?

Shen Yuan fought to keep his racing thoughts off of his face as he rose and said with a smile. “This disciple apologizes for his earlier outburst; he did not intend to interrupt Sect Leader Yue and Jiu-ge’s task.”

“Stop speaking nonsense; it makes us look bad,” Shen Jiu said, tapping Shen Yuan’s head with the guard of his fan lightly.

“Yes, Jiu-ge.”

“Our intention was to meet you here, Luo-shidi,” Yue Qingyuan said, though Shen Yuan didn’t take his gaze off of his now-claimed brother. He didn’t know the other man’s motivations, but it really would be nice to have someone who was familiar to him from his real life. Shen Jiu was obviously different and likely not a transmigrator. 

…maybe he could somehow check?

But why would a transmigrator stick so close to Shen Qingqiu's personality? Wouldn't they want to loosen up a bit to avoid a bad ending!?

Yue Qingyuan was still talking. “We heard of the altercation, as previously mentioned, and wanted to see if you or your disciples required any assistance.”

Luo Binghe huffed and said as he stepped to Shen Yuan’s side, “This shidi appreciates the concern, but it is unnecessary. No one was harmed, and many learned from this experience.”

“Indeed,” Shen Jiu said, meeting Shen Yuan’s searching gaze with a slightly raised eyebrow. “Something on your mind, didi?”

“...just that I would like to get to know you more,” he admitted quietly. “You’re different from how I expected, but I want to know about my gege here. It. It really is nice to have family.”

Shen Yuan smiled sheepishly at the other man, causing a tightening at the corners of his lips even as his eyes remained cool. Shen Jiu seemed to have similar tells to Shen Yong, so he knew that he wasn’t actually annoyed at him even as he said cuttingly. “Ridiculous. Have some sense of decorum.”

“But you’re smiling,” Shen Yuan said, making Shen Jiu freeze and slowly raise his fan to hide the lower half of his face. It made Shen Yuan grin at him for being so predictable. Ah, a true tsundere! Oh, this will be fun.

Yue Qingyuan laughed, drawing Shen Yuan’s gaze at last. The man was benignly handsome normally, but he had a charismatic laugh that made him even more approachable. “At last, someone who can read you as well as I can.”

“Yue Qi,” Shen Jiu snapped in embarrassed irritation. Yue Qingyuan held up his hands in playful surrender and Shen Jiu huffed as he turned to look at Shen Yuan again. “Tea, when your classes end in two days. I’ll expect you on Qiong Ding Peak.”

“As long as Shizun approves…” Shen Yuan turned a slightly pleading gaze up to his master and was surprised to see what he clearly recognized as a pleasant mask from Airplane’s descriptions in PIDW. Still, he nodded curtly, so Shen Yuan continued with, “I’ll be there, Jiu-ge.”

“Good. Yue Qi,” he snapped.

“Yes, Xiao Jiu,” Yue Qingyuan said indulgently as they both turned to head back into the Sect. Yue Qingyuan smiled at the silently watching Qing Jing Disciples and said, “This master is pleased that everyone had a successful night hunt. Good day.”

Everyone bowed as they wished the Sect Leader farewell. Luo Binghe put his hand on Shen Yuan’s shoulder and said quietly, “I have a feeling you have a way of finding trouble, Shen Yuan.”

“Shizun?”

“Come, everyone. Let us continue to Qing Jing so everyone can rest and write their reports on this night hunt.”

Luo Binghe moved away without responding to Shen Yuan’s prompt for clarification. He went back to leading the group and Shen Yuan’s classmates seemed to close around him with a wall of questions.

Shen Yuan did his best to field them without actually providing answers to anything. He was just as surprised as everyone else that Shen Jiu acknowledged him as family. He was wary of Shen Jiu by nature of his PIDW counterpart, but Luo Binghe had yet to say a word against him. Maybe things really were as good as they seemed to be. 

Like, Shen Yuan had survived the incident with the Skinner, had formed a more personal relationship with his Shizun based on mutual secrets and truths between them, and had gained a brother, all within the previous 24 hours! Everything was coming up Shen Yuan!

He would take his wins while he could. His eyes found Luo Binghe’s back as they all walked to Qing Jing Peak, and wondered how he would explain to him that they needed to get to the Lingxi Caves as soon as possible. He wasn’t willing to risk either Shen Jiu’s or Luo Binghe’s reputation on a Peak Lord whose fate was written to die. 

The fact that Liu Qingge was still alive yet at the site of his death at the exact moment that Shen Yuan had connected with Shen Jiu and Luo Binghe? The coincidences were too much; Shen Yuan couldn’t not investigate.

…he needed to come up with a plan. And perhaps that involved speaking to Luo Binghe as soon as he could. He would need all the help he could get, and he hoped he could trust his Shizun to be the ally he needed even if his concerns were unfounded. 

Luo Binghe was surprised to witness the instant camaraderie between his transformed disciple and the worst person he knew, but he had nothing more to go off of. Shen Yuan himself had said that Shen Jiu was only tangentially familiar to him, yet he was able to read the infamously cold and calculating man in their first meeting. Luo Binghe found himself thinking on the implications for whatever being had brought a young man who would know different versions of both himself and Shen Jiu into his life now when he was startled from his reverie by a knock at the door.

It was early evening the day after their return from the Skinner night hunt, and Luo Binghe was honestly expecting his disciples to be busy relaxing or writing their reports on the experience. He called, “Enter.”

Perhaps he shouldn’t have been surprised that his visitor was Shen Yuan. He met his disciple’s eyes in his candlelit office before the young man bowed to him. He seemed refreshed from a bath and fresh clothes, and Luo Binghe was pleased to see him so unaffected by the events of the previous day. Then again, maybe Shen Yuan could do with a bit more caution…

“This disciple bids his Shizun a good evening and apologizes for bothering him!” Shen Yuan said.

Luo Binghe rolled his eyes and, with a flex of his qi, put up a privacy barrier around the room. “Enough, Shen Yuan. You know I don’t like formalities, and I give you leave to use my name. No one will overhear and judge you for it.”

Shen Yuan’s posture lost some formal rigidity and he smiled at him. “Thank you. Such formal language was not often used where I grew up, and the talk we need to have will be so much better by being direct.”

Luo Binghe raised both his eyebrows as Shen Yuan moved forward and sat inelegantly across the table from him. Apparently the young adult had only two settings: overly formal or overly casual. 

In any case Luo Binghe had deduced that Shen Yuan had been far too privy to his counterpart’s amorous pursuits for him to insist on heightened formality. Besides, he always did appreciate uncomplicated communication in important conversations.

“Beyond why you claimed Shen Jiu as your brother?” Luo Binghe asked dryly.

“Yeah, actually,” Shen Yuan said, wincing as he leaned forward to rest his elbows on the table. “I’m worried that Liu Qingge is about to die.”

Luo Binghe wanted to question his casual language in referring to his shishu but pushed it to the side. There were other things they needed to talk about. “What? Why do you think that will happen?”

“Because in the other world he died in the Lingxi Caves. It was rumored that the Qing Jing Peak Lord murdered him and that gossip led to his downfall later. I don’t know the exact timing, but I do know it happened a little less than three years before an Immortal Alliance Conference hosted by Huan Hua Palace.”

Luo Binghe stared at him. Shen Yuan rushed to say, “I didn’t think too much about the upcoming Conference because I was focused on getting used to being here and my studies. I only thought to ask my shixiongjie about it when we returned to Qing Jing today. The timing is too suspicious.”

“It is,” Luo Binghe said slowly. “Are you certain of the timeline?”

Shen Yuan cleared his throat and blushed. “Yes. I was… something of an expert on the narrative in my previous life.”

“A narrative focused on an alternate version of my life?”

“It was a compelling story, okay? Could we focus on Liu Qingge, please!” 

“Very well,” Luo Binghe said, vowing to come back to this topic later. The young, mysterious man was trying to help and there would be plenty of time to ask questions later. 

And maybe tease him a bit. It was fun to see him so flustered. 

He sighed and said seriously, “If I’m wrong, then great. If I’m right, then we have much bigger problems to worry about.”

“...and if we do nothing?” Luo Binghe prompted. “If we leave it to fate and nothing happens? Investigating the Lingxi caves now would be suspicious either way.”

“It’s something I don’t want to risk. Besides, would you be okay if Liu Qingge died?”

“No,” Luo Binghe admitted. He had already made the decision to pursue this lead, but wanted to push more at Shen Yuan’s motivation. “But the rumor was that he was murdered. If no one is there, then there should be no problem.”

“But if he is about to get murdered, then we can stop it before it happens!”

“Why do you care so much?” Shen Yuan’s mouth closed with a clack of his teeth, making Luo Binghe’s gaze sharpen. “You avoided saying who my counterpart’s Shizun was, but I recall now that, when you woke, you named someone that does not exist as the Qing Jing Peak Lord.”

Shen Yuan sighed and said, “You already figured it out, so why say it.”

“Because Shen Jiu has always been part of Qiong Ding Peak. He was brought in by Yue Qingyuan as soon as he could as a disciple and has remained by his side ever since. My understanding was that he had saved him from something that was never specified, but it was enough that Shen Jiu has had an unshakable loyalty to Yue Qingyuan and thus Cang Qiong Mountain Sect. Shen Jiu, for all that he dislikes and condescends to any individual Peak Lord, would never kill one of them without cause as it would destabilize the Sect.”

“...oh.” Shen Yuan said, frowning in confusion. “I knew that Yue Qingyuan was stupidly loyal to Shen Qingqiu but never that they had been so close before arriving here.”

“Was the story told from the perspective of another me?”

“...yeah.”

“As a disciple, I wouldn’t know any of this information,” Luo Binghe continued, watching as Shen Yuan’s brow furrowed more in thought. “I only know about this because it was something of a sensation when I first entered the Sect, but no one would talk about it now.”

“Okay, so the first person perspective has some narrative limitations I wasn’t really considering,” Shen Yuan admitted slowly, almost to himself. “Which means that Binghe was an unreliable narrator, and I should focus on the objective events rather than his understanding of them.”

“Binghe?” Luo Binghe said while raising his eyebrows, startling Shen Yuan who blushed again.

“Ah, Shizun! I meant the alternate version of you that would have been a child at this point in the timeline… if this world has any resemblance to the other one. I think certain world-building things would be the same, particularly the Immortal Alliance Conference, but I don’t know how much Shen Jiu not being Shen Qingqiu would affect Liu Qingge.”

“What happens at the Conference?”

“That’s for later.”

“Make it quick.”

Shen Yuan sighs and says, “Demons attack the Conference and the Endless Abyss opens.” Luo Binghe stared at him. “You see why I wanted to save this for later. It’s years away while Liu Qingge could be dying right now.”

“Did the night hunt with the Skinner demon happen as well?”

“Not that I know of. Then again, Xiao Binghe wasn’t taken on any night hunts at this point.”

Luo Binghe was once more taken aback by the use of his name, but he supposed it made sense considering that Shen Yuan was speaking of a child. Besides, it worked from him as well to think of his counterpart as such; that version of him seemed like he had never emotionally matured beyond a teenager anyway. 

Maybe he could call him didi to amuse himself.

“Very well. We usually need permission to go into the Lingxi Caves, but the barriers won’t be a problem for me,” Luo Binghe said as he stood.

Shen Yuan did as well. “Great! I hadn’t thought far enough ahead as to how to get into the caves, but–”

“You’re not coming.”

“Pardon?” Shen Yuan said, genuinely confused. “Of course I am.”

“No, you’re not,” Luo Binghe said. “One, I’m not sneaking anywhere with a disciple at night. Two, if it is dangerous, then you’re not equipped to handle that. Your golden core hasn’t even fully formed yet. Three, how exactly would I explain your presence to others? There is an informal process for a Peak Lord to enter the caves; a disciple has to get special permission.”

“That would take too long,” Shen Yuan argued. “I just won’t get caught. And just because I’m new doesn’t mean I’m not knowledgeable of how to respond to medical emergencies here. Do you know how many times Xiao Binghe or one of his love interests were poisoned or qi deviating? How many spiritual places he visited for the express purpose of cultivating only to experience a qi deviation?”

“Experiencing it is different than reading about it, Shen Yuan,” Luo Binghe said, not raising his voice but getting increasingly angry. Who was this disciple to speak to him like this?

“I am a walking compendium of knowledge about this world,” he shot back, shoulders growing tense but expression stubborn. “If there is an herb you need, a technique to use, or, gods, even a message to send, I can help you.”

“How dare you speak to me this way?!”

“Because I’m trying to save you and my brother!” Shen Yuan shouted before he took a deep breath. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to yell, but I am trying to save you both. It was the downfall of the Qing Jing Peak lord, and here that could either translate to you or Shen Jiu. You’re hiding just as many secrets as Shen Qingqiu was. Liu Qingge’s death was just one factor that led to Shen Qingqiu's torture and death, but it was a significant one. 

“I trust you to do everything you can,” Shen Yuan said, voice gentler. “I know you are limitlessly capable. And I want to be available to share all the things you cannot know at this point.”

Luo Binghe stared at him but he didn’t back down, meeting his eyes defiantly and with certainty. “How bold of you to speak this way to me, considering the secrets you hold as well.”

Shen Yuan’s jaw clenched but he said, “Do what you will after, but this matters to me in a way few things do. Punish me afterwards if you want. If someone questions my presence, I’ll say I followed you without your knowledge. I won't protest anything afterwards as long as you let me come with you.”

Luo Binghe listened to his words and, despite the disrespect shown, admired the bravery and commitment on display. Shen Yuan obviously revered him, but he also was willing to stand up to him for something he believed in for the explicit purpose of saving people he cared about, including Luo Binghe himself. For all that Luo Binghe's limited sense of propriety was offended, he couldn’t help but respect him for it.

Respect him enough to give him a chance.

“Fine.”

Shen Yuan’s posture immediately relaxed as he smiled in relief. “Thank you,” he said fervently.

“We will go tomorrow with supplies and after a night’s rest. You will remain hidden and leave to get help the moment there is danger.”

“Yes, Shizun,” Shen Yuan said easily.

Luo Binghe didn’t believe him. “I’m serious, Shen Yuan. I won’t have you getting hurt during this.”

“This disciple understands,” he said, nodding seriously. 

…

A fight for tomorrow then; Luo Binghe was getting a headache. “Dismissed.” Shen Yuan bowed low to him and then turned to walk away. Luo Binghe said as he reached the room’s threshold. “And Shen Yuan?”

The young man turned with attentive eyes. “Yes, Shizun?”

“Don’t ever speak to me like that again.”

He bowed and said, “This disciple understands and wishes Shizun a good evening.”

Shen Yuan left and Luo Binghe realized as he heard his disciple walk into the night that he never actually said he would obey him.

He sighed and put a hand over his eyes in frustration. He eschewed preparing for bed to make a list of what they would need for the following day, not the least of which being a reason for them to be in the Lingxi Caves in the first place.

Shen Yuan was going to be the death of him.

Chapter Text

Shen Yuan slept but only a little, his anxiety too high to sleep as time ticked away. He didn’t understand the mechanics of this world, so different yet the same from PIDW. He didn’t know how the book’s perspective was limited by the character of Luo Binghe’s experience and how much of it was simply a plot hole left by Airplane Shooting Towards the Sky. He didn’t know how he would actually respond if there was a problem in the Lingxi Caves that Shizun Luo Binghe couldn’t solve alone.

The Original Goods hadn’t progressed enough in his cultivation to receive a spiritual sword from Wan Jian Peak yet. And, truthfully, Shen Yuan didn’t trust his own flying skills completely. 

Somewhere in the early hours of the morning, Shen Yuan woke up and snuck out of the dormitory to head to the library. He didn’t have the answers to the most obvious dilemmas facing him, but he knew where to figure some of them out.

Shen Yuan woke with a start when the room around him started to brighten with the rising sun. He gasped and looked around to get his bearings, and sighed in relief when he realized he had created blood-activated message talismans at some point in the night. He looked over them critically, checking them against the still-open source materials, and found them adequate enough to send a message to Mu Qingfang asking for medical assistance at the point of departure.

It wasn’t much, but he felt better for having them. He quickly cleaned up his station and did his best to ensure that everything was returned to its original place. He rushed then to start his early-morning chores to ensure his peers suspected nothing unusual. 

He did his best to greet his fellow disciples normally as he saw them. He was tired but not sleepy, his body protesting the lack of rest even as his mind and heart urged him forward. Shen Yuan wanted nothing more than to be wrong about Liu Qingge’s impending death, for it to be a false alarm and prove his previous knowledge of this world unreliable. After all, Luo Binghe had to have been born so much earlier in this timeline, leaving the demon realm without a ruler for far longer than expected. If the Protagonist had been born so early, if Shen Jiu wasn’t actually cruel here…

Well, that meant that Shen Yuan would go forward like most other people in this world without knowing major events that were coming. It felt odd to hope to be wrong, but it was far better than knowing everything that was to come and being unable to do anything about it.

Time would tell. As far as Shen Yuan knew, the lives of Luo Binghe and Shen Jiu were dramatically different and they had been two central characters to the narrative, but they were the only ones that were changed. All other Peak Lords were on their expected Peaks, the Immortal Alliance Conference was still organized by the expected Sect, and Luo Binghe was the half-demon he was always meant to be. 

Shen Yuan wanted answers, and those could only be hinted at in the Lingxi Caves.

When he was done with his chores, about an hour before classes were set to begin, Shen Yuan headed to Luo Binghe’s home. He was surprised to see his Shizun already waiting for him outside. His eyes were closed and his face was tilted up to the sun peaking through the break in the bamboo stalks as his body leaned against a support pole and arms were crossed over his chest. 

Shen Yuan’s breath caught in his throat for a moment. Wow, he thought in awe, he really is the best Protagonist ever. 

…maybe Shen Yuan understood a bit more why PIDW ended up as a harem novel. How would such a powerful, impressive man not have countless spouses.

Shen Yuan shook himself and dashed forward, doing his best to leave that odd moment behind. “Shizun!” He said urgently as he arrived. He fell into a quick bow. “This disciple apologizes for leaving Shizun waiting.”

“Shen Yuan, enough,” he sighed, voice rougher than usual. Shen Yuan straightened and saw some amusement in Luo Binghe’s expression. “I did not give you a time for us to meet, so how could it possibly be your fault that I was standing here? I was just taking a moment to myself before going to find you.”

“Oh, Apologies for the interruption, then.” Shen Yuan said awkwardly. He cleared his throat and offered, “I have already completed my morning chores and have also crafted message talismans that should be able to get to Mu-shishu much faster than I can physically.”

Luo Binghe raised his eyebrows. “That’s not part of the regular curriculum.”

“...I wanted to be helpful,” Shen Yuan said. 

“Let me see it.” Shen Yuan fished out the talismans from his robes and handed them to Luo Binghe who looked them over critically. Then he smiled crookedly and huffed a small laugh. “These are well done.”

…you don’t have to sound so surprised. “Thank you, Shizun.”

He handed them back to Shen Yuan as he said, “Be careful in displaying your knowledge, Shen Yuan. Qing Jing Disciples learn the basics of talismans; what you have crafted is something only a senior cultivator could do easily.”

Shen Yuan stared at him. “I got help from the library.”

“Doesn’t matter. Between the thought to create a talisman with a set recipient who was not present when you created it, without a preset message, and that can be activated by qi or blood–”

“Wait, that’s not normal?”

Luo Binghe laughed again. “Nothing about you is ordinary. What may appear as commonplace for you may go against the way that cultivators here are taught to build upon skills for safety reasons. When you’re speaking with me, it does not matter as much because I know about you. But that often will not be the case or we may not be alone.”

“...right.” Shen Yuan said, frowning. “I’ll be more careful. Thank you for explaining it to me.”

“You’re welcome. And speaking of being more careful.” Luo Binghe reached into his sleeve and pulled out a couple of talismans of his own. “I did my own preparations. Here.”

Luo Binghe took one and, before Shen Yuan could move away, pushed it onto his chest. It activated with a spark of qi and Luo Binghe said, “That should create a protective bubble around you in a way that won’t allow any harm to come to you. The only one that can easily touch you right now is me as I need to take us both there.”

Oh. It was actually really thoughtful and Shen Yuan appreciated the care. He smiled up at him and said, “Thank you, Luo Binghe.”

“Don’t thank me,” he said, rolling his eyes as he put the rest of the talismans away. “I am saving my own sanity. You taunted a demon with their claws at your neck; I do not trust you with your own safety.”

Shen Yuan fell silent at that. What could he even say? He was just grateful that he hadn’t had to re-convince Luo Binghe to take him to the Caves. If putting him in a bubble like a toddler got him to their destination, he wouldn’t protest it.

Yet.

“Yes, Shizun.”

“Come on; if we go now then we should be able to come back before classes start for the day.” Luo Binghe drew Zheng Yang and stepped onto the hovering blade. The sword’s glare was a sharp gray, gunmetal in a time well before guns. He held out his hand to help Shen Yuan onto it and he took it, just like he had those months ago on Qian Cao Peak.

Their relationship had shifted dramatically since then and Shen Yuan was happy for it. He maintained his balance as Luo Binghe kept his hands on his shoulders and they rose above the bamboo forest before taking off.

Shen Yuan hoped he would be back for classes. He truly wanted there to be nothing amiss in the Lingxi Caves, even though it would call into question just how much of his knowledge of PIDW would help him here. 

He had made a name for himself on many internet forums for his need to be right. Just this once, he really, really wanted to be wrong.

Luo Binghe had very good instincts. As soon as he walking into the Lingxi Caves (the aura of the protective talisman on Shen Yuan also letting him pass through the barrier without issue as long as Luo Binghe kept a hand on his shoulder), he knew that Shen Yuan had been right that something was amiss. 

He smelled blood, faint but noticeable to his sensitive nose. 

“Stay behind me,” he said as he started jogging towards the source of the smell. Shen Yuan followed close behind, falling silent as they made their way through the cave system. 

They hadn’t been jogging for long before they heard a yell and then a sudden explosion. Luo Binghe ran towards the sound, leaving Shen Yuan behind to assess the situation and hopefully take control of it before his disciple arrived. 

Luo Binghe turned a corner and several things happened simultaneously. 

One: Luo Binghe saw a blood spattered cavern, alarming but the amount of blood wasn’t nearly enough to bleed someone dry.

Two: in the cavern was only one person. The figure looked up and met Luo Binghe’s eyes through messy black hair. The eyes were crazed but familiar—they belonged to Peak Lord Liu Qingge. 

Three: there was a large concentration of spiritual energy in the cavern, which might have explained why Liu Qingge had chosen to cultivate here in the first place. It also gave a clear explanation for what was happening.

Liu Qingge was having a qi deviation.

Four: qi deviation or not, Liu Qingge was a cultivation master who was bonded to a spiritual sword. And Cheng Luan didn’t abandon its master just because he wasn’t in his right mind.

Luo Binghe drew Zheng Yang and blocked the incoming strike from Cheng Luan, the two spiritual blades throwing off sparks where they met. He heard Shen Yuan’s gasp and only had time to mentally curse before Liu Qingge recalled Cheng Luan to his hand and stood. 

He had to keep him away from Shen Yuan. 

Luo Binghe moved to engage him in battle and the “Bai Zhan War God” answered. Even in the middle of a qi deviation, Liu Qingge’s fighting instinct was formidable. Luo Binghe found himself concentrating as he did his best to push him further into the cavern. Luckily, for all of Liu Qingge’s skill, he wasn’t a Heavenly Demon that could overcome Luo Binghe by physical strength alone. It meant that he was successful in pushing the Bai Zhan Peak Lord away from his disciple.

It also meant that he enraged him even more. Liu Qingge faltered to cough blood, and that was enough of an opening for Luo Binghe to disarm him and place a suppression talisman on Cheng Luan. Liu Qingge physically lunged as Luo Binghe ensured his sword could no longer be a threat, and panic welled in his chest as his target was not Luo Binghe.

He turned and tried to catch Liu Qingge before he could reach Shen Yuan who for some reason was still there rather than halfway to Mu Qingfang. Luo Binghe forgot about any talismans, any consequences, anything other than protecting his disciple, as he snarled and stopped suppressing his demonic blood.

“Shizun, no!” Luo Binghe heard Shen Yuan say as the spiritual energy in the room seemed to shock him. It made him instinctively protect himself by once more hiding his demonic characteristics, but it also made him stumble at the static that flooded his nerves. It would only take him a moment to recover.

Shen Yuan didn’t have a moment. 

Liu Qingge struck at Shen Yuan, but his disciple dodged the strike neatly. At the same time, he swept Liu Qingge’s feet out from under him. The fact that it worked said just how unsteady Liu Qingge was and the man seemed stunned to land on his back. 

Shen Yuan looked at Luo Binghe for a moment and grimaced in something like an apology. “Desperate times…” he said nonsensically before he climbed on top of Liu Qingge to straddle his waist. 

“Shen Yuan!”

“He’s dying,” he said curtly, Luo Binghe’s talisman stopping the punches that Liu Qingge was aiming at Shen Yuan from connecting. He was pulling at Liu Qingge’s robes at his neck as he continued. “You fought him and he’s dying. I won’t let him die.”

“Stop–”

“Help me.” Shen Yuan said before he put a hand on Liu Qingge’s bare chest and leaned down to kiss him. 

Luo Binghe really thought that he couldn’t be shocked by Shen Yuan’s behavior at this point, but he had completely underestimated the young man. With shaky limbs, he walked across the room to get to Shen Yuan’s side. He mindlessly held Liu Qingge’s arms down by kneeling over his wrists as he tried to understand what was happening. 

After about a minute more of spiritual recovery, Luo Binghe felt how the abundant qi in the room shifted around Shen Yuan. Another minute, and he saw how Shen Yuan had essentially made himself a conduit for spiritual energy, with a small amount going in through his skin and a large amount being bled off into the room from his right hand.

He was helping Liu Qingge regulate the flow of his qi.

He didn’t have a golden core to do it safely alone.

At last, Luo Binghe understood enough to know exactly how he could help him. He closed his eyes and put a hand on the bare nape of Shen Yuan’s neck, causing the young man to shudder at the unexpected contact. 

He rubbed his thumb against his skin gently to soothe him before he closed his eyes and concentrated enough to guide his disciple in cultivation. His qi entered Shen Yuan’s spiritual veins gently so he could observe what he was doing.

The observation phase immediately ended when he noticed how weak Shen Yuan’s spiritual veins were becoming. Yes, he was controlling the energy going through him. Yes, the technique he was using was startlingly advanced and would probably save Liu Qingge’s life.

Yes, the technique would have killed him without Luo Binghe’s intervention. 

He didn’t have time to lament how his disciple had found a way to nearly get himself killed again. He immediately used his qi to strengthen Shen Yuan’s own spiritual veins, essentially doing his best to coat the inside of them with a balm that both healed the damage done and allowed qi to more easily flow in them.

Shen Yuan couldn’t acknowledge him directly without breaking his concentration, but he allowed the qi to cycle through him faster. Luo Binghe played as his support and had the time to notice more about what exactly his disciple was doing.

While the initial spiritual connection to Liu Qingge was through the hand on his chest, energy was exchanged between where their mouths were connected. Luo Binghe didn’t risk following the energy into Liu Qingge’s body, but he did notice the… flavor of the energy Shen Yuan received from him.

It also explained why Shen Yuan’s spiritual veins were being degraded so quickly before Luo Binghe intervened.

Shen Yuan was using a technique that essentially had the benefits of dual cultivation without true sexual contact. While he was pushing the physical reaction of dual cultivation into Liu Qingge so that he could have the full effect, Shen Yuan refused the physical pleasure, doing his best to release the energy entirely instead. 

This, of everything, incensed Luo Binghe. How dare Shen Yuan pull a miracle from nowhere only to deliberately choose the path that led to his death. Not only would complete dual cultivation in this way leave both Liu Qingge and Shen Yuan alive, it likely would strengthen Shen Yuan considerably. 

They had to talk about this later, but Luo Binghe’s energy intentionally went down and opened the block that Shen Yuan had put in place between his meridians at the base of his pelvis which also happened to be where all golden cores were formed. The qi in Shen Yuan’s body moved to fill in the untouched spiritual veins and Shen Yuan startled as he felt the shift. 

Luo Binghe felt him concentrate once more on Liu Qingge and sighed as he did what any good Shizun would do: assist in golden core formation. Shen Yuan had the disordered but strong energy of a cultivation master flowing through him; he was not going to waste the opportunity. 

He began providing the framework for Shen Yuan’s cultivated energy to build upon his fledgeling golden core. Qi flowed easily through Shen Yuan now that it had a clear destination to settle in when it wasn’t passed back to Liu Qingge. Which…

After an unknown amount of time, Luo Binghe felt an active push of spiritual energy into Shen Yuan from Liu Qingge. He felt the arms trapped under his legs push up against him, and he realized that Liu Qingge might have come back to lucidity. 

It took Luo Binghe every ounce of self control to not growl at the man as he held Shen Yuan in place when he tried to pull away. No, they could not leave when the connection was already so tenuous considering it was through mouth contact alone. If they stopped now, then relapse was almost guaranteed. 

Shen Yuan stopped resisting as Luo Binghe kept him where he was and LIu Qingge stopped fighting him. Nearly every cultivation master had experienced an emergency medical dual cultivation session due to the sheer number of poisonous plants, venomous animals, and various other dangers that required such a treatment in this world. Liu Qingge, who honestly spent more time in the demon realm than Luo Binghe did, was familiar enough with the procedure to not fight it.

Shen Yuan, apparently, was not. It boggled Luo Binghe’s mind to realize that a good portion of his disciple’s resistance to Liu Qingge's immediate surrender to the process was his own inexperience. He felt how his qi became uncertain in its movements, enough for Liu Qingge to all but take over the process. Luo Binghe felt Shen Yuan begin to shake under his palm as he timidly responded.

…

Had Shen Yuan never been intimate with someone? Had he never kissed someone? Did his previous culture make this experience a violation for him? 

Luo Binghe idly spiraled at the thought as his mind and body remained committed to helping Shen Yuan through the experience. He felt the tension growing in Shen Yuan’s body as sounds of active kissing reached his ears. It was then that he realized that he had been too enmeshed in securing Shen Yuan’s safety to hear anything else around them and he was surprised and relieved to hear a familiar voice say, “Finally.”

Luo Binghe opened his eyes as his qi remained a stalwart guardrail for the continued building of Shen Yuan’s golden core. He knew his eyes were glowing red, but Mu Qingfang would not be put off by this; it wasn’t the first time that the doctor had found him cultivating. While his gaze was unfocused he said, “Qingfang, we had a situation.”

“Clearly,” the doctor sighed with dry humor. “My main concern is that everyone is healthy; you’ll have to explain how exactly your disciple came to initiate an extremely rare form of dual cultivation in one of the few places such a technique would actually work at another time.”

Luo Binghe sighed but didn’t respond as a startled moan escaped Shen Yuan’s throat. He felt Shen Yuan scrambling for something to hold onto with his free hand, and reached down to take hold of it. He felt him squeeze it and Luo Binghe did his best to project a feeling of safety through his qi. Shen Yuan wasn’t alone, Luo Binghe hadn’t abandoned him. 

Shen Yuan clutched at his hand but stopped fighting the dual cultivation. It took perhaps three breaths more before both Shen Yuan and Liu Qingge released the excess, harmful qi that had been present from Liu Qingge’s qi deviation through physical pleasure. The sudden influx of shared, healthy qi between the two of them allowed the edges of Shen Yuan’s golden core to settle and stabilize, giving Luo Binghe leave to remove his own energy from the area.

As happened before when Luo Binghe had been so invasively guiding Shen Yuan’s cultivation, his disciple’s qi reached back out to his, reluctant to have him go. Shen Yuan didn’t take back his action this time, his qi dancing around Luo Binghe’s in utter delight before settling back into place.

It was unlike anything Luo Binghe had experienced. Shen Yuan’s qi could not lie to him and he had never felt such pure… admiration from anyone. Shen Yuan to his very core adored him without motive or shame or even awareness. It was so integral to his very person, and as unshakeable as Qing Jing Mountain itself. 

It was humbling and disconcerting, but Luo Binghe also couldn’t deny the wave of protectiveness he felt towards him. He gently withdrew his qi from Shen Yuan and then used his hands to pull him away from Liu Qingge. 

He met Liu Qingge’s eyes and deemed him aware enough for Luo Binghe to stop restraining him. He stood even as he gently rolled Shen Yuan onto his back. Shen Yuan blinked at him sleepily and said weakly, “Sorry, Shizun. I couldn’t let you die.”

“Shen–!” Shen Yuan’s eyes closed and he seemed to be in a deep sleep. Ridiculous! Luo Binghe thought, hands going to his wrist to check his health immediately. I can never let anything happen to him.

“Shizun?” Liu Qingge said, ignoring Mu Qingfang at his side, starting his own medical examination of him. “You let a disciple–”

“Shut up,” Luo Binghe snarled at him. “Without him you would have died of your qi deviation alone, or would have been too far gone before Mu Qingfang could get here. I don’t want to hear one fucking word out of your mouth that isn’t gratitude for the risk my disciple took to save you.”

Liu Qingge stared at him. Mu Qingfang raised an eyebrow but didn’t open his eyes as he continued his medical examination. Luo Binghe looked back at Shen Yuan and was pleased to note that he truly was sleeping rather than unconscious. He seemed fine enough, but Luo Binghe would wait for Mu Qingfang’s assessment to be sure. 

“Who is he?” Liu Qingge asked, hissing slightly as a cut that had been on his forehead healed. 

“Shen Yuan, my disciple,” Luo Binghe said. Then, because he wasn’t exactly happy at the moment, he looked over at the Peak Lord and continued, “And Shen Jiu’s younger brother.”

“I just dual cultivated with Shen Jiu’s brother ?”

“Shen Yuan just saved your life,” Mu Qingfang said as he opened his eyes, drawing both Luo Binghe and Liu Qingge’s attention. “I can see the echoes of what he did and why. I’m guessing that he fought you, Luo-shixiong? The use of his cultivation so intensely would have exacerbated his qi deviation. Without direct spiritual intervention involved, because so much of Liu-shidi’s cultivation is based in combat, facing an opponent he couldn’t readily overpower made him worse. Shen Yuan, somehow, knew exactly what to do to bring you back from the precipice.”

“He would have died to save you,” Luo Binghe said darkly, glaring at Liu Qingge. “He knew what to do but not the consequences of his actions. He was trying to make dual cultivation one-sided, to give you all the benefits while he took on the cost.”

“What?” Liu Qingge asked.

Mu Qingfang chimed in with an incredulous, “How could he know such a complex technique and yet fail to grasp the essential function of dual cultivation?’

“In truth,” Luo Binghe sighed, “I think it was out of shyness. Dual cultivation is not a large part of Qing Jing’s curriculum and I am uncertain if he has had any experience being intimate with another before. I did not have a chance to talk to him about it, only to prevent him from killing himself.”

“...Luo-shixiong, is it true that Shen-shizhi was captured by a demon recently?”

“We have only just returned from that nighthunt. Yes, he sacrificed himself so that one of his peers could get away.”

“Has he shown any sign of having a death wish?” Mu Qingfang asked seriously.

“No, I just think he doesn’t understand the consequences of his actions. He really doesn’t think about himself at all; it’s a problem that I’m going to keep an eye on,” Luo Binghe said, a headache beginning to form. 

“Right. Liu-shidi,” Mu Qingfang said, voice taking on a note of command, “you are coming back to Qian Cao with me. We have to talk about how this happened and monitor your recovery. Disciple Shen has done an excellent job keeping you alive; it is now my task to ensure you stay that way.

“Now, Luo-shixiong, please let me examine your disciple. If all is well, then he may return with you to Qing Jing Peak. He is to rest for three days, meditating often. No stress, no classes, no chores, no travel.”

“He is supposed to see Shen Jiu tomorrow.”

“Then you or a senior disciple can take him to Qiong Ding, or Shen-shixiong can go to Qing Jing.” Mu Qingfang put his fingers to Shen Yuan’s wrist and Luo Binghe let him go, forgetting he had been holding his wrist in his hand for all this time.

Liu Qingge sat up and looked around. Luo Binghe occupied himself with retrieving Cheng Luan and delivering the sword back to his shidi. Liu Qingge stared down at his blade and said, “I don’t remember attacking you.”

“You’re welcome for the intervention,” Luo Binghe said, rolling his eyes and crossing his arms. 

“...I owe you, both of you, for saving my life,” Liu Qingge said quietly. 

“Don’t think too hard about it, and hope that Shen Jiu isn’t one of those rabidly protective older brothers. If he wants you dead, there won’t be enough left of you for us to bury properly.”

Liu Qingge winced and then turned his head to look at Shen Yuan’s sleeping face. He looked healthy and Luo Binghe did his best to not linger on his swollen, red lips. “How old is he?”

“Seventeen,” Luo Binghe answered, as truthful as he could be here. 

“And he was inexperienced?” Liu Qingge asked, skeptical.

It set Luo Binghe’s teeth on edge. “Shen Yuan has always been preoccupied with his studies.”

Liu Qingge looked back at Luo Binghe in horror. “So you’re saying that I just dual cultivated with a disciple that had never even been kissed? That would explain…”

“Explain what?” Luo Binghe asked, low and dangerous.

Liu Qingge sighed and said, “He seemed afraid to kiss me back, reluctant to take an active role despite being the one to initiate the connection. I pushed him more than I should have. I will take responsibility if–”

“Fuck off,” Luo Binghe said, edging towards angry now. “It was a medical emergency and the most intimate physical contact you had was with your mouths. Do you seek to take responsibility for everyone who resuscitates you using mouth-to-mouth breathing?”

Both Liu Qingge and Mu Qingfang stared at him. “Is there a problem, Luo-shixiong?” Mu Qingfang asked as he set Shen Yuan’s wrist back on the ground gently.

“You tell me; is he okay?”

“Yes, just exhausted,” Mu Qingfang said carefully. “You did well in protecting him and helping him use the energy effectively.”

Luo Binghe closed his eyes and sighed, a ball of tension in his chest loosening. “Good. Thank you, Qingfang. I have been worried this would have lasting, negative consequences on him. It is good to know that my disciple’s selflessness didn’t harm him this time.”

“Of course, Luo-shixiong,” Mu Qingfang said. “It is a relief to me as well. I will be in touch.

Luo Binghe moved around and picked Shen Yuan up easily. “Right. Take care and happy recovery,” he said quickly before leaving. 

He held Shen Yuan close, his disciple’s head resting against his shoulder, as he made his way back to Qing Jing Peak. He felt restless, his thoughts and emotions a tangle that was too overwhelming to touch at the moment. 

Fighting Liu Qingge had made him worse.

He hadn’t been able to stop Shen Yuan from sacrificing himself. 

Shen Yuan adored him, was devoted to him, innocently and completely and inescapably. Shen Yuan would die for him without a thought even with  knowing who he was, what he was capable of. He knew the darkest side of Luo Binghe, what he could have become if given unlimited power and a more fucked up past.

And he loved him still. 

Luo Binghe’s expression was thunderous as he arrived back on Qing Jing Peak and his disciples fell silent after getting a good look at his face. He was able to walk into the dorms and smell which bed was Shen Yuan’s, his scent that of crisp linens and bamboo and bergamot. He laid him down and stared at his peaceful face. 

Luo Binghe didn’t know what he was going to do, but he knew he would never let Shen Yuan down again. His demonic instincts rose in him and declared the sleeping young man as his to protect at any cost. His human mind didn’t disagree with them. 

Gods help them all if something happened to Shen Yuan, because Luo Binghe would have no mercy to spare.

Chapter Text

Shen Yuan woke with the feeling of urgency, sitting straight up and looking around wildly for the danger he felt was present. He calmed down when he saw he was in his bed back on Qing Jing and rather quickly recalled the day’s events. 

Ah.

Right.

He needed to bathe.

He winced at the feeling of dried jizz in his pants, but otherwise felt great. His body wasn’t sore and his spiritual veins…

“Whoa,” he whispered quietly as he tentatively ran a small amount of qi through his body. His veins, far from the mess he half expected them to be, were strong and wide. His core–

He had a golden core. Or, at least, the strong foundations of one to be built upon easily. 

Shen Yuan sat back on his bed in shock. He had been so focused on making sure that the energy had been flowing, that nothing further fucked up, that he hadn’t been paying much attention to how Luo Binghe had been guiding him through the actual cultivation piece. Oh, he followed his directions, silent though they were, but that hadn’t meant he had known what he was doing.

But there it was, as bright and stable as Shen Yuan had read it to be. 

Most of the Peak’s disciples graduated and went off to travel or learn from other Sects if they had actually achieved core formation around their late twenties or in their thirties. Many students became talented enough to protect towns, though as graduates of Qing Jing they also were able to take up residency as the tutor to a noble or merchant family. It was a good, secure life that many in this world would dream of. A minority of them chose to dedicate their life to the Sect and join as adult staff to teach or do much of the non-cultivation work that came with running a Sect. An Ding Peak was capable of a lot, but daily operations on individual peaks, in the valleys between the mountain range where farming and ranching took place to actually feed everyone, and a million other things that Shen Yuan had never really considered were overseen by graduated disciples who had never formed a golden core.

Shen Yuan’s golden core was weak, to be sure, but the fact it was there at all made him the most powerful disciple on Qing Jing Peak. 

Oh, fuck. 

Okay, that had not been the plan at all! Forming a golden core at (physically) seventeen would put more attention on him than Shen Yuan could really afford! He had just been trying to keep everyone alive here!!! How did this happen!?!

Well, the answer was obviously Luo Binghe. Shen Yuan grimaced and did his best to distract himself from reality by actually getting up and going to wash himself.

His idol and Shizun had been a very close observer to his clumsy attempts at dual cultivation. His teacher had held his hand as he came!

Nope. He couldn’t face that and then continue going about his day. He would die of embarrassment! His face would literally melt off!

It certainly felt like it was trying to do that as his cheeks burned as grabbed a spare set of robes and speed-walked through the dormitory. It was, by the angle of the sun, late afternoon, which hopefully meant that the baths would be empty. 

Shen Yuan breathed a sigh of relief when they were. He quickly washed himself off and was all too happy to sit in the large, heated bath. He breathed deeply as he let the water relax his muscles and let go of the tension he had been carrying since his realization.

Alright.

He couldn’t change that he had a golden core now, and honestly was grateful that Luo Binghe was able to do something that probably would help Shen Yuan in the long run. He didn’t want the fact advertised, but it was still a good thing.

He was alive.

Liu Qingge was alive.

Luo Binghe hadn’t exposed himself as a demon. He could never be accused of murdering Liu Qingge in the Lingxi Caves.

Those were all very good things.

But they also made him think.

Shen Yuan had been able to tell that Luo Binghe fighting Liu Qingge had actually made the latter’s qi deviation worse. If fighting wouldn’t work and killing wasn’t an option, then this world really limited the methods that would help.

None but dual cultivation had been available to Disciple Shen Yuan facing down the Bai Zhan War God. The only saving grace in the situation had been the fact they were deep in a spiritual nexus that Shen Yuan could pull from to deepen their connection with minimal physical contact (thank you Wife Plot #357). So he had used his knowledge and, with a bit of help from Luo Binghe, it had worked. 

Now what? 

Shen Yuan had alerted Mu Qingfang of the situation via talisman, so hopefully the doctor was able to take care of Liu Qingge’s actual recovery. Unfortunately, it meant that he and Luo Binghe would have to explain their presence in the Lingxi Caves in the first place.

…

Fuck, why was keeping secrets so hard!?!

He knew he should talk to Luo Binghe about this, but could he really face him right now? Hell, would Luo Binghe even want to deal with Shen Yuan so soon!?

Feeling relaxed but mildly dejected, Shen Yuan got out of the bath and dressed quickly. He was suddenly exhausted and hoped that no one minded if he skipped out on his evening duties to take a nap.

He was walking back to his room when he heard, “Shen-shixiong!” He looked over and saw Cang Baiyi, a disciple around nine years old, look at him with wide eyes.

The young boy ran over to him with worry on his face, endearing Shen Yuan to him immediately. “Hey, Cang-shidi.”

“Shixiong, are you okay? Everyone saw Shizun carry you in and Shizun seemed upset…”

Concerning. Shen Yuan patted the boy’s head and smiled at him. “Yes, I’m alright, just tired.”

“Oh, that’s good! We were worried about you,” Cang Baiyi said. “Shizun said that we were to leave you alone and let you rest, but that he also wanted to speak with you as soon as you were able.”

“Where is Shizun?” he asked.

“His home, shixiong. He canceled his classes today and no one has seen him since. Is Shizun okay?”

Okay, now Shen Yuan was worried. “I hope so. But you know nothing can keep Shizun down for long; he’ll be alright soon if he’s not already, okay?”

His small face became a mix of proud and determined. He nodded seriously. “Hn. Shizun is the best!” 

Shen Yuan smiled at him. “Yes, he is. This shixiong will attend to Shizun now. Thank you, shidi.”

He brightened immediately. “Anytime!” 

Shen Yuan patted his head once again and then began the walk through the bamboo grove. He was tired, but could wait to sleep until after he talked to Luo Binghe. 

His trip was slower than expected; his fellow disciples kept interrupting him to check on him. He appreciated the care, but it all but drained his energy. Being amongst the bamboo trees was a reprieve for him, but being in the shade really made him want to just close his eyes for a few minutes. 

Shen Yuan slapped himself across the face a few times to wake himself up so he could be alert enough to adequately answer his summons. He needed to talk to Luo Binghe anyway and this was the perfect opportunity. No need to waste time!

He stumbled his way through the grove and was relieved to reach his Shizun’s residence. He leaned against a support pole to give himself time to gather his energy and had only just closed his eyes when the door opened.

Shen Yuan startled and straightened to find Luo Binghe outright scowling at him. “Ah, Shizun…”

“You’re exhausted; why are you here?” he demanded, not waiting for an answer as he moved forward to take Shen Yuan’s shoulders in his hands. 

He blinked hard in an effort to focus and said, “I was told you wanted to speak to me and I heard about how upset you were. I didn’t want to make you wait.”

“Ridiculous,” Luo Binghe snarled quietly before he picked up Shen Yuan. He only had time to yelp as he found himself held against Luo Binghe’s chest. Luo Binghe carried him easily into the house and down a corridor Shen Yuan had never explored as he continued berating him gently. “You were meant to speak to me after resting properly. Your health is my priority, do you understand?”

“...yes, Shizun,” Shen Yuan said quietly, warmth blooming in his chest as he understood that Luo Binghe was actually worried about him. He gave into his exhaustion and let his head fall to rest on his shoulder. 

There was a moment of quiet, then Luo Binghe said, “You would have died, you know?”

“Hm?”

“If I hadn’t intervened, you would have died by trying to save Liu Qingge because you didn’t allow dual cultivation to work as it was meant to.”

Shen Yuan shifted in discomfort. “I didn’t exactly ask permission and it felt wrong for me to… enjoy something that was meant to save him.”

“You…” Luo Binghe paused his entire body to take a deep breath with his eyes closed. Shen Yuan watched his face and realized this went beyond worry.

He was upset and deeply so.

“I’m sorry,” Shen Yuan offered. “I just was trying to do what was right.”

Luo Binghe sighed and turned his head. Shen Yuan’s heart stuttered in his chest as their eyes met across such a short difference. “I know that. But dual cultivation is right here, Shen Yuan. There is no shame in allowing life-saving measures to function as they must, no violation involved. Had you even kissed anyone before today?”

Taken aback by the question, Shen Yuan blushed and looked away, voice rising in tone as he asked, “What does that have to do with anything?!”

Luo Binghe sighed again and said as he resumed moving forward, “Because I am trying to understand why you specifically chose the option of killing yourself rather than having mutually beneficial metaphysical sex to save someone else’s life.”

“I didn’t know it would kill me,” he said defensively.

“You had to have felt your spiritual veins disintegrating, Shen Yuan.” Shen Yuan had no response to that because he had been in pain, but he had deliberately not focused on it. “Why?”

“...would it make you mad if I said that it didn’t matter to me?”

“Yes.” Luo Binghe hissed. “How could it not?”

“Because…” Shen Yuan trailed off but he thought, fuck it, Luo Binghe was already mad, how could being honest make it worse. “Because I wasn’t thinking about anything but saving you.”

Luo Binghe’s jaw clenched but he remained silent as they entered a sparsely decorated bedroom. Shen Yuan tried, “What’s this?”

“A guest room; you’re going to rest here because I frankly don’t trust you to take care of yourself. We’ll speak when you wake next.”

Luo Binghe went so far as to walk far enough into the room to lay Shen Yuan directly on the bed. He didn’t fight it physically but he did say, “Ah, is this really necessary?”

He let him go and then stared down at him, his eyes flashing to red as he crossed his arms. “Shen Yuan, you just saved the life of a deviating peak lord using a technique I had no idea existed. You didn’t protect yourself because you were so preoccupied with protecting me, despite the fact that I am both your Shizun and a nearly-indestructible Heavenly Demon. You didn’t even have a golden core, yet you initiated an advanced cultivation method with little thought to your own life. Yes, this is necessary.”

Oh. 

Well, he had a point.

“I’m sorry,” Shen Yuan said again. 

Luo Binghe stared at him for a moment longer before his face softened. He bent over to touch Shen Yuan’s shoulder. “If you won’t value yourself, I will value you enough for the both of us. You are not allowed to be hurt, Shen Yuan, not even by your own hand and most certainly not by your negligence. Rest now; I will be here when you wake.”

With that, Luo Binghe straightened and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him. Shen Yuan stared at the door for a moment before sitting up to take off his shoes and remove his outer two layers. If Luo Binghe said he wasn’t going anywhere, then who was he to object?

Besides, he really was tired. And, when he considered his position as he got under the covers and did his best to settle into a comfortable position, it was nice to know that Luo Binghe cared about him even a little bit. Shen Yuan had hoped to become his Head Disciple, to make him proud. Even if he hadn’t achieved that, it felt good to know his favorite person was looking out for him.

Shen Yuan let that thought settle beside his heart as he drifted off to sleep. He barely felt the smile on his face as he dropped into dreams.

Shen Yuan was going to drive Luo Binghe into a qi deviation. It was inevitable; he should just resign himself to the reality of the situation now. 

Luo Binghe did his best to not find something to destroy after he put Shen Yuan to bed. He had walked away from the room but stayed close enough to listen from a distance and ensure his troublesome disciple actually went to sleep. He didn’t know what to do with the tangle of emotions affecting his body at the sight of Shen Yuan perilously slumped against his home or his beseeching face as he looked up at him from his hold. He hadn’t processed the unashamed honesty of his words or the tentative sound of his apologies, drawn from him more from fear of upsetting Luo Binghe than putting himself in dangerous situations. 

From up close, he was able to see the small flecks of gold in his iris, subtly brightening the rich darkness of his eyes.

In a way that they hadn’t since he was a teenager, Luo Binghe’s demonic instincts were roaring at him. He was able to ignore them for the most part but not the general message behind them.

I must protect Shen Yuan. He is mine.

He wasn’t Luo Binghe’s, of course. He was just his disciple that he happened to share a life-changing secret with and somehow knew about him yet chose to prioritize him anyway? He was a man that wasn’t frustrated by being in a body younger than his actual age, that had done his best to integrate himself into his new, foreign life with no complaints, just perseverance. Shen Yuan was–

His disciple. That was all. 

Of course that was all! He was simply frustrated over how the morning had gone, bothered by the near-misses of the past couple of days. Shen Yuan was his own.

He chooses to be mine, his demonic instincts whispered. He understands demons, knows me well; his choice is clear.

He chooses me.

Luo Binghe shook the thought from his head. Mentally an adult or not, Luo Binghe was still his Shizun and that meant something. Even if his instincts were correct, even if his human heart understood the impulse to latch onto the first person to see him for all that he was and could have been and still stay by his side, he could never take advantage of him. 

He hadn’t protested being carried to bed, his human heart pointed out.

He clearly stated my desirability, has displayed signs of attraction to me before, his demonic instincts needled.

STOP IT! Luo Binghe mentally yelled at himself, needing to focus on the here and now. Shen Yuan was exhausted and required rest and true care. If he became any worse after close monitoring in his home, Luo Binghe would take him to Qian Cao for further assistance. His body was likely adjusting to its new golden core and the energy expense that Shen Yuan had made in the Lingxi Caves. And he trusted Luo Binghe–why would he have protested being cared for by him?

He was just reading too much into small gestures. For all Luo Binghe knew, the culture Shen Yuan grew up in might have socially allowed such actions without attaching any meaning to it. Although…

He had never kissed anyone. He had been embarrassed when asked about it, and admitted to only crossing that line for Luo Binghe’s sake.

While thinking about Luo Binghe.

Enough. 

Luo Binghe ensured that Shen Yuan’s breathing had the even cadence of deep sleep then turned to exit his home. He needed to give clearer instructions to his disciples about looking out for their martial brother and get some fresh air.

Then, if he still was confused, he would head to his kitchen and see what he could whip up. Cooking had always centered him and Luo Binghe was finding nothing had been so unbalancing to him as Shen Yuan.

Shen Yuan woke slowly, appreciating the warmth of his bones and the comfort of his body. Ah, it had been so long since he had been able to sprawl in bed as he was used to in his first life, the disciple furniture necessarily–

Wait. 

He wasn’t laying in his disciple-assigned bed. 

Shen Yuan sat up quickly and looked around. It was dark and he was in an unfamiliar room. He looked down at the bedding and saw that the sheets and blanket were of noticeably higher quality than he was used to. He traced a hand over the soft surface of the blanket and recalled where he was and why.

Oh. Right.

Shen Yuan sighed and silently groaned to himself. He hadn’t meant to make Luo Binghe so worried about him! How was he supposed to see Shen Yuan as someone he could trust when he kept messing up like this? If Luo Binghe felt the need to baby him, then he likely wouldn’t let Shen Yuan actually help in changing things despite the fact he had managed to save Liu Qingge’s life.

…

One thing he could find solace in was that Luo Binghe didn’t seem repulsed by him after guiding him through dual cultivation. He had picked him up easily and spoke to him without coddling even as he brought him to bed. 

Shen Yuan had been tired, but it was nothing a good cup of tea (oh, coffee, where art thou…) wouldn’t have fixed for a few moments long enough to have a discussion. Now he found himself in his Shizun’s house at who knew what hour of the night, trying to decide his next move.

Though in all honesty? His body was deciding that a restroom and some food were at the top of his priority list. He hadn’t eaten breakfast…

One thing at a time. 

Shen Yuan groaned lightly as he stretched and stood up. He quickly conjured a small ball of qi to gently light his way before putting on his clothes and picking up his shoes. He walked to the door and slid it open carefully, not wanting to make any noise. Luo Binghe was probably sleeping and Shen Yuan really didn’t want to put him out more than he already had that day. 

He hadn’t been paying much attention to where Luo Binghe had been carrying him earlier, understandably distracted by his situation, but it didn’t take a genius to follow the largest corridor to what hopefully was the main building. 

Shen Yuan didn’t quite know the layout of Luo Binghe’s home, but he was happy that his guess was correct. He quickly made his way to the main room and was only a couple of steps towards the door when he heard someone clearing their throat. 

He froze and turned his head to find Luo Binghe staring at him with glowing red eyes. “Ah, Shizun! This disciple apologizes for disturbing–”

“Stop that,” Luo Binghe sighed. “I’m a demon and was listening out you. Where are you going?”

“Back to the dorms. I’ve already troubled you too much.”

“Do you recall our conversation before you fell asleep?”

“Yes.”

“I’m taking care of you and I’m doing it of my own free will. You’re staying here at least until tomorrow afternoon, at which time I will assess your spiritual veins and general health. Am I clear?”

Shen Yuan’s breath had gone shallow and his mouth dry for some reason. “Yes, Shizun.”

“Shen Yuan.”

“...Yes, Luo Binghe.”

“Good,” Luo Binghe’s posture relaxed minutely and he said, “What do you need right now? Are you hungry?”

“Ah, not particular—” Shen Yuan’s stomach made an extremely inopportune grumbling noise that had him grimacing. “I could eat something. But the kitchens are closed.”

“And? Put your shoes by the door, sit in my office and I’ll get something for you.”

“From where?”

Luo Binghe raised his eyebrows. “Did my alternate self not cook?”

!!!

“You would cook? For me?” Shen Yuan asked, stunned. The Original Luo Binghe only cooked for his favorite wives or immediately after marriage to someone new. Cooking and food itself was a deeply personal thing for him because of how his adopted mother treated it. For Luo Binghe to offer such a thing to him…

“Of course. I’m taking care of you, aren’t I?”

“Yeah, I guess you are. In that case could you, um. Point me to the bathroom?”

Luo Binghe shrugged and did just that. 

Shen Yuan found himself sitting in his Shizun’s office fifteen minutes later doing his best to not spiral. His Shizun, his favorite character of anything ever, was cooking for him. He was taking care of him personally.

He felt like it was safe to say that Luo Binghe didn’t hate him, which was a relief. Well, not that he thought that he would hate him, but it wasn’t like the morning had gone as planned and his presence had most certainly complicated things. Luo Binghe had already felt the need to put a protective bubble around him and, yeah, it had been the only thing that allowed him to get close enough to Liu Qingge to actually initiate dual cultivation, but the initial impulse was troubling. 

Not to mention… okay, he hadn’t known how Luo Binghe would react to having to essentially assist him in dual cultivation because he had been too prudish to do it right. He hadn’t known that failing to enjoy it would kill him! He was just trying to be respectful!

And, for all that it embarrassed him both then and now, he had enjoyed it. Going from no experience to that had been interesting to say the least. He had essentially thrown himself into the deep end without knowing how to swim, only to have Liu Qingge (a complete stranger, mind!) and Luo Binghe stop him from drowning. 

Honestly? He kinda doubted that He would have been able to relax with Liu Qingge if Luo Binghe hadn’t been a reassuring, steady presence. He only could fall into pleasure because he knew that, no matter what, Luo Binghe would be there to catch him.

And he hoped more than anything that his reactions had been inscrutable to both other men involved. He would be more than fine with acting like this little episode had never happened. Liu Qingge was alive, Luo Binghe was blameless, Shen Jiu was completely uninvolved, and Shen Yuan had a golden core–good news all around! Why not leave it at that and not ever mention it again?

Shen Yuan knew that was a pipedream and sighed about it. Just as he did so, Luo Binghe’s approaching voice said, “What’s wrong?”

Shen Yuan perked up at the smell of something delicious and turned to see his Shizun enter with a tray and two bowls in his hands. He was quick to jump up and offer him tea, but Luo Binghe just snorted. “Sit down, would you? And answer my question.”

Shen Yuan sat and watched as Luo Binghe put down a tray of two bowls full of a creamy substance and topped with chopped scallions beside the table. Utensils and a couple of small bowls with toppings were added as Shen Yuan said, “Is that congee?”

“Yes. Hope you don’t mind something so simple.”

“Of course not!” Shen Yuan exclaimed. He knew the importance of congee to this man and was touched that he brought him something so meaningful. “I’m very happy!”

Luo Binghe looked at him quizzically but said, “It’s just… nevermind. What’s bothering you?”

Shen Yuan was quick to sit up as the bowl was set in front of him, smelling of something divine. “Just thinking that the possibility of everyone acting like today never happened was zero.”

“That’s true, in more ways than one. Eat.” 

Shen Yuan didn’t hesitate. He carefully scooped some of the porridge, a few grains of rice perfectly defined in the mixture, and blew on it so he wouldn’t burn his mouth. Then, with the reverence that such a gift deserved, carefully tasted it.

Heaven. Absolute heaven.

It was rich yet light and utterly comforting. It was like a hug to your very soul in a single bite as flavor danced over but did not overwhelm his tongue. He unthinkingly made a noise in the back of his throat and put his fingers over his mouth shyly, as if to keep any of the congee from escaping. 

“...wow, it’s really that bad?” Luo Binghe asked jokingly.

Shen Yuan’s eye flew open and he put his spoon in his bowl, deeply alarmed. “No! It’s actually the best thing I’ve ever tasted! I never imagined congee could… taste like home. I really do like it; whoever taught you how to make it must have been very special.”

Luo Binghe stared at him, stricken. Shen Yuan cleared his throat and winced. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to overstep. I just meant… it’s different to experience something rather than just read about it. I just meant that your mother gave you something special, that’s all. I can taste her legacy through this.”

“Of course you know about her,” Luo Binghe said, tone complicated.

“I apologize; I shouldn’t have said that.”

“No, no,” Luo Binghe said, squeezing the bridge of his nose. “I would prefer for you to be truthful with me, even when it’s things that will be hard for me to hear. You’re complimenting a woman I honor deeply. Thank you for that.”

Shen Yuan tentatively smiled at him before going back in for another bite. 

It took Luo Binghe another moment before he got comfortable and turned his attention to his own portion. He added some chili oil to his bowl as he said, “Why would you like to pretend like you didn’t save Liu Qingge’s life?”

“We’re going to have to explain why we were there. It’s going to be hard hiding my golden core from the other disciples.”

“We can talk about the explanation. Why bother hiding your core?”

“And explain the deeply embarrassing source behind it?” Shen Yuan asked, octave jumping in discomfort as he kept his eyes on his food.

“...this may be a cultural thing, but dual cultivation is nothing to be embarrassed over here. It is a way to save lives and that is exactly how you used it. The circumstances were unusual, yes, but having a core is still something to celebrate. No trickery was involved, no boundaries crossed. It is not unheard of for disciples to form golden cores during a life and death situation. It often fails, but it happens.”

“It would have failed if it weren’t for you.”

Luo Binghe snorted and said, “Shen Yuan, look at me.” He lifted his gaze and found Luo Binghe staring intently at him. “This is not your fault. I helped you, yes, but if you hadn’t been purposely sabotaging your own cultivation, you could have done it without me. Not everyone’s body can handle the power of a golden core whether it be their spiritual veins cannot take the continual circulation of qi in their body or some biological reason their physical body rejects the core. It could have dissipated the moment I let it go, but it didn’t. You have worked hard to get to a place where your body not only accepted the golden core but was able to use it easily. Conjuring that ball of light earlier could have hurt you. Did it?”

Shen Yuan shook his head, speechless.

“Just because you have a core now doesn’t mean you wouldn’t have been able to get there eventually. With how your body had reacted to it, I truly think it was only a matter of time. Perhaps it would have been in two years or ten, but you would have been able to form a golden core on your own. You didn’t cheat or whatever other thing is going through your head right now. Understand?”

Shen Yuan nodded. Luo Binghe sighed and reached across the table to flick at his head. It stung but was quickly soothed by the words, “Stop acting like you are less extraordinary than you are.”

Shen Yuan was shocked to the golden core they were talking about. It left him unsteady enough to bluntly ask, “So people won’t hate me for metaphysically fucking my shishu and getting a golden core out of it?”

Luo Binghe paused for a second then shook his head and got back to eating. “If they do, send them to Liu Qingge or myself. What you did was selfless and saved that man’s life. That is nothing to be teased about or resentful of. Besides, I would like to once more point out you used a technique that I did not know existed; why would anyone besides Mu Qingfang save him in the way that you did?”

“Speaking of which, your talisman to summon Mu Qingfang was successful. Liu Qingge is on Qian Cao now and the doctor has instructed that you truly rest for the next three days. Nothing but rest, relaxation, and meditation to help your golden core settle. You can see Shen Jiu, but you cannot travel by yourself. I’ll take you to Qiong Ding Peak in the afternoon.”

“Oh, alright,” Shen Yuan said, the conversation going much easier than he had hoped. 

“Mu Qingfang wants to speak with you about how you knew to initiate dual cultivation in the way you did,” Luo Binghe continued. “I would like to know the same, though I think your explanation will be different with me rather than him.”

“You want to know. How I know. About rare forms of dual cultivation?” Shen Yuan asked, dread beginning a creeping chill up his spine. 

Luo Binghe’s eyes narrowed. “Why is that a loaded question?”

“I think I should just tell Mu Qingfang a version of the truth,” Shen Yuan said, dodging the question because he really didn’t want to get into things specifically related to dual cultivation right that second. Couldn’t a guy catch a tiny little break? “I mean the fact that I kinda know some things about the future but in a world that’s different from this one? It would explain why I thought Shen Jiu was Shen Qingqiu.”

“But not why you called me Lord Luo,” Luo Binghe pointed out.

“I mean you are descended from royalty! They just happened to not be human.”

“Shen Yuan.”

“I’m not suggesting we tell them that, of course!” Shen Yuan said quickly. “I can say that there are things I’m afraid to divulge because this timeline is so different from the one I’m familiar with. I only want to act when I think there is imminent danger, and that’s what happened here. Worst comes to worst, I can say that you never became a Peak Lord because you were born in a different generation but ended up becoming a conquering warlord. Which obviously isn’t the case here.”

“Right. My other self would have been in your generation.”

Shen Yuan nodded, relieved that this seemed like a viable angle of attack. “Exactly! He would have been fourteen right now!”

“...that might work on Mu Qingfang if he doesn’t think that you’re insane. Liu Qingge’s continued breath certainly tips the scale towards your sanity. Who I don’t think that will work on is Shen Jiu.”

Shen Yuan blinked at him. “Gege? What does he have to do with this?”

“...we haven’t had a chance to speak about him at length, but how much do you know about the man you claimed as your brother here?” Luo Binghe asked. “Was he actually your brother before?”

“He looks like my eldest brother, just a lot more beautiful,” Shen Yuan said. At Luo Binghe’s look, Shen Yuan shrugged. “It’s the nature of the world. Most of the main characters that are plot relevant are insanely attractive. Of course, none of them compare to you, but you were the Protagonist!”

“You really find me that attractive, huh?” Luo Binghe asked, mouth curling and eyes laughing at him.

Shen Yuan frowned at him and then replayed his words back to himself.

Oh.

Oh, fuck!

“I mean! Objectively, obviously!” Shen Yuan said, flustered. “Anyone with the ability to see would come to the same conclusion!”

“Are you sure about that?”

“Yes! How else were you meant to amass such a harem?!”

“Ah, right. This harem you mentioned yesterday.” Shen Yuan froze like a deer in headlights as Luo Binghe leaned forward. “A very large one, I believe you said. Does that have anything to do with how you know so much about dual cultivation?”

“...I really did read it for the plot?”

“Shen Yuan.”

“Look, it didn’t start out like a porn novel!” Shen Yuan defended, voice far too loud. Luo Binghe’s expression stilled and he rushed to continue talking. “It started out in Luo Binghe’s childhood! It followed his time being bullied, the death of his mother, his time on Qing Jing Peak. He was smart, so endearing, and had such a big heart that he made a uniquely compelling character. He persevered through so much hardship and was just! He was brilliant in the way a star is; I couldn’t look away even as the story started to burn my eyes.

“I really didn’t care for reading the love scenes; the women were poorly written and the storylines were recycled to death. I cared about the world, the story itself, and, above all, Luo Binghe. I died because—”

Shen Yuan cut himself off, startled at the beginning of tears in his eyes. “Go on,” Luo Binghe, this Luo Binghe urged.

“I died when I ate something I wasn’t paying attention to. I wasn’t paying attention because I forgot everything but the horrible, unsatisfying ending Luo Binghe was given. No peace, no resolution, no happiness; just betrayal and resentment and death. And it was delivered with a couple of throwaway lines by an author that had spent years writing drivel for his most wonderful creation then just abandoned him at the end. I would have traded a thousand of his wife plots for a satisfying ending, but that wasn’t what I got. It wasn’t what he got and I hated it.”

There was a loaded moment of silence that had Shen Yuan looking away, embarrassed by his outburst. Then, Luo Binghe asked quietly, “When you said all you wanted was for me to be happy…”

“I meant it. I still mean it.”

Luo Binghe stood and Shen Yuan lowered his head in shame. He knew he was far too invested in this man who actually wasn’t a character. He knew he cared too much, far more than anyone would consider sane. Anyone would be put off by–

Luo Binghe knelt next to him and said, “Feel free to say no to me.”

Shen Yuan looked at him tentatively and saw nothing but intense focus on him. “Okay?”

“May I hug you?”

Shen Yuan’s eyes widened as he nodded slowly, then very fast. Luo Binghe sat next to him and then pulled him into his lap, holding him tight. Shen Yuan shuddered in his arms and held him back, just as tight. He hid his face against his shoulder and did his best to hold it together.

“You really were scared for me today, weren’t you?” Luo Binghe asked lowly. Shen Yuan nodded silently and Luo Binghe ran a soothing hand along his spine. “I’m sorry I didn’t take it as seriously as I should have. I’m okay, alright? I’m okay.”

Shen Yuan didn’t know where they came from, but tears started to leak from his eyes. He shook in his arms but Luo Binghe held him tight and together and safe. It was a luxury that he had never expected but had needed more than he knew. 

He didn’t remember falling asleep, only Luo Binghe humming softly in his ear and the warm embrace of sweet dreams.

Luo Binghe put Shen Yuan to bed and felt more sure of himself than he had in a long time.

He was no longer conflicted. Shen Yuan was his and his alone. He was human but loved as completely and absolutely as a demon. He thought of nothing but Luo Binghe, and Luo Binghe was beginning to think that he would consider nothing but Shen Yuan soon enough. 

Shen Yuan was a disciple, but only for the moment. Eventually, happily, he would one day be his wife. Like Shen Yuan’s golden core formation, it was just a matter of time as long as he didn’t mess it up.

He recalled Liu Qingge’s fleeting intention to court Shen Yuan and snarled silently, understanding his reactions fully in retrospect. The choice was Shen Yuan’s, and he had already chosen. It was Luo Binghe’s duty as his future husband to ensure that choice was never in doubt.

Luo Binghe could be patient, wait for Shen Yuan as long as he needed. But his courtship of his disciple from another world started tomorrow and would not stop until he called him husband.

Chapter Text

The next morning, Shen Yuan was embarrassed by his emotional outburst and subsequent slip into sleep while being held by Luo Binghe! Ugh, would he ever stop humiliating himself in front of him!?!

He did his best not to push it out of his mind. Luo Binghe had been kinder and more understanding than Shen Yuan had ever expected. He had decided to comfort him after hearing about his own (alternate’s) tragic fate. Then he put him to bed again like a child!

He knew the truly appropriate response was gratitude, but that didn’t stop the low hum of mental screams in the background of his awareness. Luo Binghe was just… Luo Binghe! Could Shen Yuan hold it together for five minutes?!

He did his best to shake it off and gather himself as he got up for the day. By the brightness of the light coming through the paper window, it was obvious that the sun had been up for several hours. He had a moment of panic before he remembered that he was excused from chores and the like for the next few days.

He had nothing to do but face his Shizun and then his brother. And, before things got off track last night, it was clear that his Shizun was concerned about the latter. 

Shen Yuan thought about that as he dressed. Shen Jiu was known for having a sharp mind even in this world. Now that the specter of the Lingxi Caves and Liu Qingge’s possible death had passed, Shen Yuan could acknowledge to himself he was kinda surprised that Shen Jiu had accepted him as a brother so easily. Whether he was sincere or not in the claim, he definitely would be paying close attention to Shen Yuan and anything to do with him.

Including him spontaneously dual cultivating with a Peak Lord. 

Not great. 

Though, the more Shen Yuan considered what to do, the more an abbreviated version of the truth made sense. He apparently was a shit actor and telling the truth was the only way to not lose track of whatever lie he tried. He wouldn’t hide the fact he was keeping things to himself, but he had good reason to-–why confuse things in this timeline?

Did he think it would completely convince Shen Jiu? No, not really. But he did think it would give him space for him to leave it alone for now. And that had to be good enough, especially considering the circumstances.

Shen Yuan perked up and was drawn out of his mind by the smell of freshly cooked food. He never really thought about how Luo Binghe fed himself in his house, but being his (mostly willing) house guest confronted him with a once in a lifetime chance to eat the Protagonist’s food! What a silver lining to come out of this debacle!

“Shizun?” He called.

“In here,” he heard. Shen Yuan followed his voice and found himself in what appeared to be a well appointed kitchen. Luo Binghe ladled some cloudy soup in to a bowl and shot a smile at Shen Yuan.

…it wasn’t like Luo Binghe hadn’t been friendly to him before but his smile was actually stunning in it’s brightness. Shen Yuan blinked at him in a mild state of shock as Luo Binghe said, “Good morning. Did you sleep well? How are you feeling?”

“I’m. I’m good. Thank you for taking care of me last night.”

It wasn’t Shen Yuan’s imagination as he watched Luo Binghe’s irises flash red for a moment, expression dark before shifting back to welcoming ease. That quick glimpse made Shen Yuan’s heart beat inexplicably faster, but Luo Binghe continued, unbothered, with serving the dishes he had only just finished. “It was my pleasure,” Luo Binghe said casually. “I appreciate you trusting me to care for you; I would be foolish indeed to disappoint you.”

“Ah, Shizun…” 

“Use my name, Shen Yuan.”

“Luo Binghe,” he obeyed automatically, brain buzzing with something he couldn’t identify. 

“Thank you. Come on; food is ready. I hope you don’t mind eating in my private quarters. We have a lot to discuss and I would prefer to be in a more casual setting.”

“Of course,” Shen Yuan said, lurching forward to help carry the food.

Luo Binghe smoothly turned away from him. “No need and you are ill. Allow me to carry this.”

“...I’ll get the doors,” Shen Yuan offered awkwardly, feeling all kinds of rude for not doing anything to assist the other man after he had literally prepared lunch for them. In addition to the now covered cloudy soup, there were bowls of bright green vegetables and rice–-simple but healthy and hearty, prepared in a way to be shared between two people. “I really appreciate you cooking for me. I never expected to have such a privilege.”

Luo Binghe looked at him out of the corner of his eye and smirked. “I’ll cook for you whenever you want.”

Shen Yuan stopped midstep, rooted to the spot. Luo Binghe didn’t pause even as Shen Yuan said, dumbly, “Huh?”

“We already are close, with both of us keeping each other’s secrets and you knowing so much about me. In some respects, I’m sure you’re more aware of my preferences than I am,” Luo Binghe said teasingly, causing Shen Yuan’s head to spin from the implications. “It is nice to be so open with another. You offer me companionship; food is the least I can do for you in return. Are you coming?”

“Wh–yes! Sorry.” Shen Yuan caught up to him quickly. Luo Binghe was smiling with clear amusement and Shen Yuan had to at least try to have some dignity. “Why are you laughing at me?”

“I’m not. It’s simply nice to have someone to tease. I am being sincere and my offer is true. Yesterday changed much and I would welcome you as a friend, Shen Yuan. Unless, that is not what you–”

“No, I! I would love to be your friend!” Shen Yuan rushed to say. “I was just surprised. If I can in some way make your life better, then I would be happy with that.”

“Careful,” Luo Binghe warned. “I’m a conqueror, remember. Don’t offer what you’re not willing to give.”

“...!” Shen Yuan opened his mouth to say what wouldn’t I give you? when something inside him made him hesitate. He landed on, “I’m not a child; I mean what I say.”

“Indeed.”

Shen Yuan huffed at that non-answer but didn’t push. They came to the end of a corridor and Shen Yuan opened the way to Luo Binghe’s private quarters.

It was far more homey than the public sections of his home. The rooms were full of books and art, the furniture sparse but obviously exquisite yet worn and comfortable. It wasn’t too cold outside, but it was nice and warm in here. 

Shen Yuan closed the door behind them as Luo Binghe continued past the entryway and deeper into the space. Shen Yuan followed him easily, taking everything in.

“This is nice,” he said quietly. “Very lived in.”

“Oh?”

“I just! I mean it feels like a real home in here, not something just for show. It’s a good thing!”

“In that case, thank you. After what I’ve experienced, it was wonderful to really build a space that was just for me. Here.” 

Luo Binghe set the tray with their food on a table that was relatively small, large enough for four to sit around the table but only just. Still, Shen Yuan sat to Luo Binghe’s left (reminding himself that he had been named a friend rather than a disciple) as he started to lay out their meal. Even with the space between them, it felt far more intimate than eating in his office.

He tried to not let it get to him. He thanked him for the food again and dug into what turned out to be a pulled chicken soup in a flavorful broth that felt like it would cling to his bones (in a good way). He was quick to compliment the meal and Luo Binghe accepted happily.

They were a few moments into eating when Luo Binghe said, “Your brother.”

“Yeah. I’m going to be more honest with him than with Mu Qingfang, but less honest than I am with you.” Luo Binghe looked at him with a clear question and Shen Yuan clarified. “You saw through me so quickly that I decided to not give him anything to see through. I won’t mention much about you, but I know I can’t fool him. Besides, I think he’ll be more interested in our relationship than you.”

“I agree,” Luo Binghe said slowly. “Still, he may push you for information about what might come. Especially with your foreknowledge confirmed thanks to Liu Qingge, he would have grounds to push for more. He essentially co-leads the sect with Yue Qingyuan and he is dedicated to protecting it. We haven’t had a chance to speak about what else may come.”

“...fuck.” Luo Binghe raised his eyebrows at him and Shen Yuan winced. “Sorry, but we’re friends and I curse. Anyway, the first major thing that comes to mind is an invasion of the sect by Sha Hualing, a demon saint trying to make her name. It happened when Yue Qingyuan was away for a planning meeting for the Immortal Alliance Conference. At the time, only Qing Jing Peak was able to respond to the threat in force and Shen Qingqiu had done his best to give them a fighting chance. That may be necessary here.”

“What would be necessary? And can we not just preempt the attack?”

“Arranging for three rounds of trials between Cang Qiong Sect and the invaders. Shen Qingqiu took on the first challenger himself as the only Peak Lord present and won. Liu Mingyan took on Sha Hualing herself and lost. Then it was Xiao Binghe who had to take on the third and final demon. His seal was still intact and he lacked the teaching needed to succeed if he wasn’t a demon himself, but he did win. In the book, the point of the entire event was to give the readers some action in the otherwise predictable years of his discipleship. It also put Xiao Binghe in a heroic light to overcome such odds in front of everyone, but particularly the three women who became his main wives later on.”

“His what?”

“...Can we focus on the attack?”

“In a moment. We have yet to really dig into this harem thing and why it educated you so thoroughly about methods of dual cultivation. What do you mean three main wives? Just how many were there?”

“...main story or extras?”

“Shen Yuan.”

“Somewhere between 600 and 3,000?”

Luo Binghe stared at him, expression somewhere between disbelief and disgust. “You’re not exaggerating.”

“No, I’m really not,” Shen Yuan said with a wince. “You know how there are so many plants and animals and curses that can be cured by dual cultivation? A lot of them specifically require dual cultivation with a Heavenly Demon? Well, now you know why.”

“Very well,” Luo Binghe said, mouth twisting in displeasure. Then a moment later, his back straightened and his eyes became intense once more on Shen Yuan. “That must have been an exceptionally lengthy story to follow.”

“Oh, yes. But I did! And I took every chance to lambast the author at the wasted potential with each wife plot,” Shen Yuan nodded, reassuring him once more that he was not reading about him for the porn.

“My loyal defender,” Luo Binghe said wryly. Then he tilted his head to the side and asked, “How many of my wives were men?”

“Huh? None of them…? Why would they be men?”

“Because I’m attracted to men, obviously.” 

Shen Yuan dropped his spoon. Obviously, he thought. What’s obvious!?! What Stallion Protagonist is this!?!

“You do?” He said, mind stalling in an effort to give him time to make sense of this. He laughed awkwardly as he said, half to himself, “Well the people who liked the vapid wife plots were in it for the masculine man conquering the vaguely female wife each week and thus encouraged that kind of behavior. And considering how awful Xiao Binghe’s experience was with Shen Qingqiu, maybe he was put off from pursuing men? It never had been in the earlier chapters but he supposes that he did describe Shen Qingqiu earlier as being striking in appearance…”

“Shen Yuan?” He shook himself and focused back on the present Luo Binghe. “Does it bother you?”

He blinked at him again, brain a buzzing silence as his mouth moved without conscious thought. “No, of course not. I’m not homophobic or anything! It totally makes sense for Stallion Protagonists to be bi and knowing makes me super mad at the author because he could have really expanded that as an aspect of Xiao Binghe’s character!”

“Stallion Protagonist?”

“Yeah, like one stallion with a bunch of mares. It’s an admittedly crude shorthand for a porn novel lead character which involves a harem that’s exclusive to that character.”

“...I’ve got to say, my life has been particularly lacking if I am supposed to lead a porn novel, as you said.”

“Wait, you haven’t, like. Um.” Shen Yuan trailed off, brain finally catching onto the fact he was asking his Shizun/friend about his sex life!? After revealing he had been exposed to a lot of it!!

“I have had sex, if that’s what you’re asking,” Luo Binghe said with some amusement and Shen Yuan felt his face go red. “I enjoy it, but certainly not enough to seek it out as often as my counterpart.”

…

He was just going walk right past that one!

“It wasn’t his fault?” Shen Yuan offered. “After he was thrown into the Endless Abyss with little to no cultivation base, he needed to find a way to get out. Xin Mo is a legendary demonic sword that has the ability to travel through dimensions that has a history of consuming its users. Since Xiao Binghe couldn’t master the sword with his own cultivation, he used frequent dual cultivation to keep from being devoured as he enacted his revenge and conquered the realms.”

Luo Binghe’s small smile grew to a grin. “Defending me to myself now?”

…

“It’s kinda what I do? Force of habit. Besides, I’m happy that you had a choice here. Pretty much the only affection Xiao Binghe had received throughout his life was through women and it was romantic/sexual after his mother died. It was a comfort to him but also the closest he allowed himself to get so someone. 

“It was why I was so angry when his story ended without him finding true resolution or just… anything that actually made him feel whole and loved, you know? So much suffering, but he never had the chance to grow in anything but power. The beginning of the story broke him down and I kept waiting for Airplane to build him back up in a way that mattered. I guess I was a fool to wait but–”

“But you wanted me to be happy.”

Shen Yuan looked back at Luo Binghe after his gaze had fallen to his mostly-eaten food in the course of his little speech and found his expression understanding. “Yeah, exactly.” 

“I’m sorry you died,” Luo Binghe said, reaching out and putting a hand on his shoulder, hand large enough that his fingers caressed the back of his neck as he continued. “But I’m happy you’re here. Never doubt that.”

Shen Yuan took his words at face value and couldn’t help grinning at him. “I’m happy I’m here too.”

Luo Binghe removed his hand and Shen Yuan felt the lasting impression of his touch beneath his robes, a hot imprint that he would happily carry with him. “Now, about this invasion…”

After eating and meditating with Luo Binghe, it was time for Shen Yuan to visit Shen Jiu. He was a little drowsy after his meditation but was more than happy to pretend otherwise to properly meet his brother. 

Luo Binghe gave him time to grab fresh clothes and freshen up in the dorms before heading over. He felt much more together as Luo Binghe carried him over to Qiong Ding Peak on Zheng Yang, even as he was far too aware of Luo Binghe’s hands on his shoulders to keep him steady.

He was doing his best to not Be Weird about everything they had talked about. He was Luo Binghe’s friend who just happened to have read a porn novel about him that had completely failed to even hint at his bisexuality. They were both happy that Shen Yuan was here.

Shen Yuan was not going to dwell on the open questions that began to invasively present themselves to him in the privacy of his mind.

Who had this Luo Binghe slept with? Were they actively sleeping together now? Did they cross paths in PIDW?

Why was he thinking about who Luo Binghe had been/was sleeping with? It wasn’t his business! Though the information was offered to him…

What kind of people did he like? He was obviously more selective with his partners here, but what did that really mean? He hadn’t heard of his Shizun having a reputation for sleeping around…

He had been surprised at the harem thing, so maybe he was only interested in settling down with one person here? If he was ever interested in settling down. But what would that one person be like to capture Luo Binghe’s heart and keep it safe forever?

Why was he thinking about this!?! Didn’t he have other things to worry about!?!

“You okay?” Shen Yuan startled and Luo Binghe stepped forward to wrap an arm around his waist to steady him. “Careful!”

“Sorry! Just was thinking.”

“About what?”

Shen Yuan hesitated then patted the arm that was still around him, probably out of an abundance of caution. Still, it was nice to have Luo Binghe’s warm so very close to him and a manifestation of his care around him. 

Without thinking too hard about it, he sighed and said, “There are a lot of things I don’t know about you, is all.”

“Then that makes us even,” Luo Binghe said in his ear before straightening and once more placing both hands on his shoulders. “Don’t get too lost in thought while flying, though. That’s dangerous.”

“But I’m with you. You wouldn’t let anything happen to me.”

“Yes, and I’m not wrong.” Shen Yuan smiled to himself but hummed in response. He heard Luo Binghe sigh and say, “You know I’m going to take you to Wan Jian Peak soon enough to get your own sword now that you have a golden core. Don’t make me worry about you more than I already do.”

“I’ll be careful, I promise!” Shen Yuan said, cheered at the thought of getting his own sword. He had never had the chance to see the other Luo Binghe get his own spiritual weapon, so it would be an entirely new thing for him. 

Plus, his own sword that he could fly around on? So fucking cool!

“You’d better,” Luo Binghe warned but Shen Yuan was too pleased to be alarmed by it. Qiong Ding Peak came into view and Luo Binghe cleared his throat. “I need to speak with Yue Qingyuan, so I’ll be around for a while if you want to leave for any reason.”

“Alright. Is it about the invasion?”

“Partially. I have other business with him, primarily debriefing what happened in the Lingxi Caves.”

Shen Yuan frowned. “You won’t get in any trouble for taking me, will you?”

“Nothing unreasonable.”

Shen Yuan puffed his chest up. “Ridiculous. You shouldn’t get in trouble for wanting to save your shidi.”

Luo Binghe laughed at him, but his thumbs rubbed at Shen Yuan’s shoulders affectionately. “You can’t protect me from everything. And I would actually prefer that you stop trying. While I deeply appreciate the effort and care, I’m the cultivation master and Heavenly Demon here. Let me protect you, hm?”

Shen Yuan’s initial retort of Watch me! died in his throat. He had a point and he really didn’t want to worry him. “...alright. I guess I’m just going to have to work hard to become a cultivation master too.”

“Hn, and I’ll help you in any way I can,” Luo Binghe promised before they landed on Qiong Ding Peak in front of what appeared to be an official building of some kind. “They both should be in here.”

Shen Yuan followed him in and noted that the first room was an exceptionally large meeting room. He looked around curiously as Luo Binghe didn’t pause as they walked to the side of it to a secondary door. “This is where Peak Lords meet monthly, but Sect Leader Yue’s regular office is connected to it.”

Shen Yuan hummed as he followed, interested in the decor and any lore he could pick up. Truly a time capsule from before the Original Luo Binghe had destroyed everything! 

His friend led him through a few halls, greeted by his courtesy name respectfully by the servants they passed, until they eventually made it to double doors. Luo Binghe knocked one gently then slid one open when he was welcomed in.

Shen Yuan trailed behind him but bowed in greeting when Luo Binghe did. “Sect Leader Yue, Shen Jiu,” he said, voice devoid of the casualness that Shen Yuan had grown accustomed to. 

“Qingdong, Shen Yuan, welcome,” Yue Qingyuan said, as friendly as Luo Binghe was polite. “Please, come in. We’re both happy to see you today.”

Shen Yuan straightened and smiled at the other men. Yue Qingyuan was as blandly handsome as expected, but Shen Jiu was half hidden behind a large fan. His sharp eyes took them in, lingering on Shen Yuan in what he could read/intuit was worry. “Greetings, Sect Leader Yue. Hi, gege!”

Shen Jiu sighed audibly but Yue Qingyuan’s smile widened. “Shen Yuan, please feel free to refer to me casually. I am your brother-in-law, after all.”

“Alright.” Shen Yuan started to step towards them when he paused and looked up at Luo Binghe for approval. “Shizun, if this disciple may…”

“Go.”

“Thanking Shizun!” Shen Yuan said before walking over to Shen Jiu’s side and sitting next to him. “Hey, Jiu-ge! How are things?”

“You tell me,” Shen Jiu said smoothly, looking at Shen Yuan steadily before he cut his eyes over to Luo Binghe. “I heard there was some sort of incident with Liu Qingge.”

“Yes,” Yue Qingyuan said. “You were both in the Lingxi Caves yesterday.”

“That’s right,” Luo Binghe said tone carefully empty as he came forward to sit across from Yue Qingyuan. He was far more casual than the situation likely called for, but Luo Binghe clearly didn’t care. “I know Shen Yuan was going to speak to his brother about this; might as well do it here as he will share it with you anyway.”

“Very well,” Shen Jiu said, snapping his fan shut to reveal his pursed lips and severe expression. “Why go to the Lingxi Caves with Shen Yuan at all?”

“Because he told me that Liu Qingge might have been in danger, and I believed him,” Luo Binghe said. 

“That’s not all,” Shen Yuan interjected, quick to come to his defense and add more context. He looked at Shen Jiu and said, “Jiu-ge, when you asked if I knew you, I responded that I thought so. I would happily claim you as my brother, but the man I grew up with is different from you for all that you resemble each other in both personality and appearance. This, of course, implies that I am not the same Shen Yuan that qi deviated less than a year ago. I am Shen Yuan, however, and I woke up here after I died in my first life.

“I knew about you, or a version of you, in that life, gege,” he continued quickly, seeing the alarm in Shen Jiu’s face. “I’m not sure if Mu Qingfang told you, but when I woke up I thought your name was Shen Qingqiu and you were the Peak Lord of Qing Jing. And, in a world where that was your name, I knew that he was accused of killing Peak Lord Liu Qingge in the Lingxi Caves. That accusation helped stain his reputation in a way that led to his downfall, torture, and death. Even if it was a slim possibility, I couldn’t let that happen to you.

“I told Shizun about it, as he was also implicated as this world’s Qing Jing Peak Lord. It took some convincing, but he let me go with him with additional protections after I made it clear that I might be able to provide some additional information. I was lucky enough to be able to do so and help prevent anyone’s death.”

Yue Qingyuan was staring at him with a slack jaw but Shen Jiu’s expression had become increasingly cold and closed off. Luo Binghe nodded to him in reassurance and Shen Yuan cleared his throat before continuing. “I understand that my story, my very existence, is far-fetched, but I truly want nothing more than to live out my second chance of life. I am blessed to have a wonderful Shizun that is willing to listen to me. I would be honored to still be your brother in this universe, Shen Jiu.”

“Foolish boy,” he snarled before grabbing the back of his collar and pulling him closer. “No one asked you to take on that burden.”

“It’s a privilege! Why wouldn’t I protect people I care about?”

“You! Stop talking.” Shen Jiu said, wrapping an arm around him and putting his hand on top of his head, possessive and quelling. “Luo Qingdong, how long have you suspected that my brother was here and not your disciple?”

A sour look crossed Luo Binghe’s face, but he said, “I had no idea he would claim you as kin, but I knew Shen Yuan was himself before we landed on Qing Jing Peak following his arrival. I have been monitoring him for months for any suspicious activity, but he truly has just acted as an exceptional disciple of Qing Jing. I have conducted private rites for the deceased Shen Yuan and embraced the disciple you see before you as my own.”

“You didn’t think to report this?” Yue Qingyuan asked as Shen Jiu… pet Shen Yuan’s hair. 

“Why do so? He was healthy and it seemed an internal matter for Qing Jing Peak. I feared him being taken away for the crime of being different through no fault of his own, and knew I could escalate the situation if needed further down the line.”

“And his knowledge of future events?” Shen Jiu asked.

“Limited,” Luo Binghe shot back. “He only explained the breadth of it to me two days ago to convince me to go with him to the Lingxi Caves. He didn’t know the exact circumstances of the other world’s Liu Qingge’s death, only that it had happened and where. Liu Qingge was lucky that someone knew to check on him as he truly was in the middle of a qi deviation when we arrived. Shen Yuan saved his life, in more ways than one.”

“Then Cang Qiong Mountain Sect owes him a debt,” Yue Qingyuan said placatingly, to Shen Yuan’s alarm.

“Um, could we actually act like it never happened?” Shen Yuan asked, Shen Jiu’s fingers sharpening into claws against his head but he just elbowed him in the side. “The entire episode is kinda embarrassing and I got a golden core out of it.”

“...excuse me?” Shen Jiu said, freezing. “Mu Qingfang only said that you had intervened to save Liu Qingge’s life, not how.”

“...you don’t say,” Shen Yuan said nervously, laughing a little in alarm. 

Ahhhh how had he made his life like this?!?

“I think you’d better start talking, didi.”

“I didn’t mean to?”

“I think this is an excellent time to discuss the matter going forward,” Luo Binghe said, drawing Shen Yuan’s look of betrayal only to be stunned by the animosity on his face. “Shen Yuan, thanks to the studies from his previous life, knew the theory of a rare form of dual cultivation that could only occur within a spiritual nexus and required minimal physical contact. Liu Qingge, upon waking, realized the age and identity of his savior and began to offer to take responsibility for his innocence being lost.”

Shen Jiu hissed in a breath and Shen Yuan pulled away in some effort to recover his face. “Now wait a second–”

“That brute–”

“–just because he was my first kiss doesn’t mean my innocence was lost and–”

“–is out of his mind if he thinks i would let him–”

“–I’m not actually a child? I’m twenty years old for all that this body is seventeen.”

“–court my brother!”  

Both Shen Jiu and Shen Yuan turned to each other after they finished speaking at the same time, albeit at different speeds. 

“What’s this about letting me court someone?”

“You’re family; I’m the head of our family. I decide who you can court. What do you mean you’re twenty?”

“I died at nineteen but this body was sixteen. And like hell you get to decide that!”

“Don’t curse; it’s a low form of communication that you’re better than.”

“It gets the fucking point across, now doesn’t it? And we’re going to run into some serious cultural misunderstanding if you try to control who I date or not. Which good luck trying to find anyone who wants to date me!”

“Shen Yuan, you just heard that a Peak Lord was considering courting you.”

“It’s misplaced gratitude; he’ll get over it.”

“Did I mention that Shen Yuan almost died during dual cultivation because he started it off by refusing the benefits of it.” Shen Yuan looked at Luo Binghe, appalled, but found him smiling to himself.

“Shen Yuan," Shen Jiu hissed at him.

“The books didn’t say dual cultivation had to go so far for both parties!”

“Because it’s in the name of dual cultivation!”

“I know that now!” Luo Binghe chuckled to himself and Shen Yuan turned to point a finger at him. “Shizun! Why did you bring this up?!”

“So you have at least one other person looking out for you. It’s a big job for one person and I need help.”

“What else have you been doing, Shen Yuan,” Shen Jiu asked archly and he put up his hands in a gesture of helplessness.

“Ah, gege…”

“Don’t gege me!”

“Xiao Jiu, Xiao Yuan, perhaps you can continue this conversation in private,” Yue Qingyuan suggested politely, eyes sparkling with mirth.

“Yes, let’s.” Shen Jiu stood and brought Shen Yuan up with him. He ignored his yelp and nodded to the other two men in the room. “Qingdong, Qi-ge.”

“Jiu-ge, now wait a minute!” Shen Yuan tried. “You can’t just carry me off whenever you want!”

“Is that so?” 

Oh, fuck. 

Before he knew it, Shen Yuan was thrown over Shen Jiu’s stiff shoulders like a sash. He resigned himself to his position and did his best to wave to an amused Yue Qingyuan and a watchful Luo Binghe. His wave had Luo Binghe relaxing visibly, and it made him feel better that his Shizun/friend really would have intervened if he had needed it.

Shen Yuan was fine–-he was just being a little brother right now. It surprised him that Shen Jiu was so quick to play his part, but he realized he didn’t actually know that much about him. 

He was excited learn more.

Luo Binghe allowed his future wife to be hauled off by his brother without a word and figured that his gambit to lower Shen Jiu and Yue Qingyuan’s guard towards his relationship with Shen Yuan was well underway. Shen Yuan had been right; honesty really was the best policy when used correctly. 

Shen Yuan had been the one to start to maintain the public fiction of their master-disciple relationship. Luo Binghe had said nothing about hiding how close they were, but he had done so automatically for whatever reason of his own. It gave Luo Binghe leave to play the concerned, protective Shizun rather than the possessive, jealous suitor when it came to Liu Qingge. Shen Jiu was a much better ally to have than an enemy for all that Luo Binghe wouldn’t lower his own guard around him or his husband. 

They were off to an encouraging start at least, especially since their shared meal and conversation.

He nodded at Yue Qingyuan and said, “Mu-shidi said that Shen Yuan simply needed rest and meditation after his ordeal. I’m assuming you’ve been given an update on Liu-shidi’s status?”

“Yes,” he said, good mood still clear on his face. It had taken Luo Binghe a while to recognize the difference between Yue Qingyuan being genuinely pleased and his default benign friendliness. It had gotten easier with exposure, and the man seemed happy at the budding familial relationship between the Shen siblings. “He should recover smoothly thanks to Shen Yuan’s intervention. I did want your own report on the incident.”

Luo Binghe nodded and gave him a sanitized overview of everything between Shen Yuan approaching him about going to the Lingxi Caves to overseeing his recovery. “My disciple, as innovative as he is, lacks a basic self-preservation instinct,” he concluded. “Having another look out for him would honestly be a relief.”

“Understandably,” Yue Qingyuan said blandly. “It is concerning that he seems to know about future events, however.”

“I have spoken to him about that,” Luo Binghe started. “He’s made it clear that his knowledge is far from reliable– I’m not in the Qing Generation in his world, for example. He only is concerned about big events that will need to be checked on. Liu Qingge’s death was one such thing. The second he mentioned was an invasion of the sect at a moment when you are away.”

Yue Qingyuan’s brows dropped and he leaned forward. “That is concerning. Does he have an exact timeframe?”

“No, only that it was orchestrated by a demon by the name of Sha Hualing and that it happens when you are supposed to be at a planning meeting related to the Immortal Alliance Conference. In that timeline, Shen Qingqiu, Shen Jiu’s alternate, was the only Peak Lord available to immediately fend off the attack with disciples at his back. This time should be different, however.”

“Indeed. Shen Yuan may be unsure of his knowledge, but even the warning can be valuable. He’s saved Liu Qingge’s life, which will have lasting consequences. Who knows what else he will affect.”

“Yes. I also will note that he expressed concern about others’ reactions to his sudden development of a golden core. He already was known to be odd and is worried about his peers essentially claiming that he only advanced in cultivation due to dual cultivation with a Peak Lord. Despite the truth of the matter, you know how truth can grow grotesque with rumor.”

“Yes…” Yue Qingyuan said. “I’m sensing a request coming.”

Luo Binghe’s lips quirked to the side as he said bluntly, “I want permission to take him on as a personal disciple. His progress will be less obvious if he’s working on growing in his cultivation with me and I’ll be able to give him the instruction that would be too advanced for disciples without a golden core, which applies to every other disciple on Qing Jing.”

Yue Qingyuan considered him for a moment before saying, “I think that is a good idea. Between claiming Shen Jiu, and thus myself, as family and dual cultivating with Liu Qingge over the span of two days, it makes sense for you to keep a closer eye on him. He will need different instruction in any case, and it seems you’re the only one he actually respects.”

Luo Binghe raised his brows at that. “Really?”

“He deferred to you, not me and certainly not Xiao Jiu,” Yue Qingyuan said with a wry smile. “Oh, he respects my title but not me as an authority over him. And Shen Jiu almost immediately became an overbearing brother to him–- he teased him two days ago within minutes of meeting him. He teased. Shen Jiu.”

“...I did mention he was reckless.”

“Keeping a closer eye on him from now on appears to be the only option. It is not uncommon for personal disciples to move into their Shizun’s homes, and I know that your dwelling has ample room for others. Are you going to have him move in?”

Luo Binghe made a show of shrugging, trying to make it seem like this wasn’t the motivating factor behind making Shen Yuan his personal disciple in the first place. “I want to leave the choice up to him. This has been a lot of change over a short period of time; I don’t want to make him feel isolated from his peers on top of everything else.”

“Excellent,” Yue Qingyuan nodded decisively. “I’ll mark the change in our records. Notify me if he does move in.”

“Of course,” Luo Binghe stood. “If there is nothing else?”

“The report on your most recent night hunt?”

“Almost done; I have been distracted.”

“There is no rush on the written report, especially with everything that has been happening. I know you are the consummate professional, Qingdong; you wouldn’t have left without the job being done.”

“Thank you. The only note I would make for future night hunts is to pair Shen Yuan up with someone he can’t cajole into leaving him alone. His disciple siblings are already more protective of him after the incident, but one can never be too careful with him.”

“I’m beginning to get that impression,” Yue Qingyuan sighed good naturedly. “Nothing else from me, then. Oh, be sure to put in a request to An Ding to make your guest quarters more welcoming if he chooses to move in; I can’t image Shen Jiu finding his brother living in anything less than ideal conditions.”

Luo Binghe did his best to not be offended. “Rest assured that I would never leave Shen Yuan wanting. He has already done so much to protect me and people I care about; I would not repay his actions with less than spectacular hospitality.”

“It was just a reminder that you don’t have to get things ready on your own, shidi,” Yue Qingyuan sighed. “Either Xiao-Jiu or myself will bring Shen Yuan back to Qing Jing Peak. I’ll see you next week for the Peak Lord Meeting.”

Luo Binghe bowed shallowly to him. “Good evening, Zhangmen-Shixiong.”

He left, doing his best to keep his self-satisfied smirk to himself until he was high in the air, away from any prying eyes. He was pleased with his progress for the day. He had welcomed Shen Yuan into his private quarters, did his best to break any master-disciple relationship barriers between them when alone, cleared up Shen Yuan’s false idea that he was only attracted to women, recruited Shen Jiu to protect Shen Yuan’s virtue from Liu Qingge, and secured Shen Yuan as his personal disciple.

Yes, not bad at all. Let no one say Luo Binghe did not get things done when he set his mind to it. 

He had the strong suspicion that he would be sharing his home very soon. The best way he figured to get Shen Yuan to agree to marry him? Show him how wonderful being his wife would be. If all went according to plan, Shen Yuan would be his wife within a year.

He looked forward to it.

Chapter Text

Shen Yuan was happy to be able to speak to Shen Jiu alone for all that the older man already had the makings of being far more overbearing than Shen Yong. He knew he was sincere in his approach to their sibling relationship but he didn’t trust Shen Jiu’s utter acceptance of the bond. He couldn’t without some explanation and he doubted that was a conversation that could happen in front of other people. 

Shen Jiu carried him over his shoulder for a full minute before Shen Yuan said, “We can walk like normal people, you know? You’ve made your point, ge.”

Shen Jiu humphed and leaned over to roll Shen Yuan off his shoulder. His arm guided him down, so it was far kinder than the gesture may have appeared to an outsider. “Nice to be understood in this. We’ll work on getting there in other topics.”

“Yeah, but it’s a start,” Shen Yuan said, smiling at him as he righted himself.

“Hn. You need a fan, didi. Your emotions are all over your face; it’s difficult to watch.”

“But I don’t want to hide from you.” Shen Yuan protested as they continued their journey down the wooden corridor. Shen Jiu opened a door and revealed that it opened to a covered wooden path through nature and deeper into the mountain.

“You need to have some discretion, my goodness. With me, fine, but not with everyone. Especially considering just how much you must keep secret for your own safety.”

“So you believe me?” Shen Yuan asked. 

“To a point. I know there are things you are not saying, things that pertain to me specifically. But I do believe you want me safe and see me as your brother. I claim you as my brother as well and thus have serious questions about how you have been treating yourself.”

“Why?” Shen Jiu looked at him from the corner of his eye but Shen Yuan didn’t take the question back. “I know of another universe’s version of you and he was… not a soft person. I am glad you would claim me, but I don’t understand why.”

“…At least you’re not so foolish as to accept things at face value,” Shen Jiu said. “We are truly alone here, so I will be blunt. How much do you know of my past?”

“…not much,” Shen Yuan admitted. “I only ever learned of him through his victims’ eyes.”

Shen Jiu froze, tensing as his eyes sharpened. “Victims?”

“…he abused children and that world’s Yue Qingyuan allowed it.” Shen Jiu stared at him and Shen Yuan fought to hold his gaze. He cleared his throat and continued. “There were rumors that he was a womanizer as he was known to visit the local brothels often. Worst of all… he was accused of being inappropriately interested in a young female disciple.”

“Enough,” Shen Jiu snapped. “I would never, ever sexually abuse a child, no matter what I went through. I am singularly interested in men, but I have the highest respect for sex workers of all genders. I find them to be good company, especially when wanting to learn other people’s secrets. If he had spent the night…”

Shen Jiu’s eyes narrowed and he said carefully, with enough precision that Shen Yuan almost feared being cut by the words themselves, “What was this Shen Qingqiu’s relationship with Yue Qingyuan? They were not married.”

“No. He… he hated him. While I don’t know their relationship well, I know that when sent Shen Qingqiu’s… when sent evidence of his torture, Yue Qingyuan willingly walked into a trap that got him killed. Shen Qingqiu only died after being shown the broken pieces of Xuan Su.”

Shen Jiu raised a hand and Shen Yuan cleared his throat. “I’m sorry,” he offered, Shen Jiu unable to hide how upset he was.

“…let us continue walking. I must think.”

Shen Yuan did, guilt rising inside him because he hadn’t thought ahead of the impact of his words. Shen Jiu wasn’t Shen Qingqiu and… maybe Shen Qingqiu wasn’t the utter monster Xiao Binghe had described him as. He only saw the worst part of him, believed the worst of him in a way that made him an irredeemable caricature rather than a fleshed out character. 

And Shen Yuan didn’t know much about sexuality and such, but weren’t gay people born that way? Why would Shen Qingqiu not be gay in that world? Airplane had neglected to mention Luo Binghe’s bisexuality; why mention Shen Qingqiu’s homosexuality when it would call into question the actions Xiao Binghe attributed to him?

Not that gay people couldn’t do horrible things but Shen Jiu’s utter, unmistakable disgust at the thought of touching a child made Shen Yuan doubt the evil intentions Xiao Binghe read in Shen Qingqiu actions towards Ning Yingying.

Things were not making sense in a way that was both disconcerting and deeply comforting. It jumbled Shen Yuan’s foundation in understanding Xiao Binghe’s story and thus his knowledge of possible future events even as it reassured him that his brother wasn’t a monster. He needed answers that were impossible to get from anyone except Airplane himself.

In other words: utterly impossible to know.

They made the rest of their journey in contemplative silence but at length arrived at a cozy home nestled against the back of Qiong Ding Peak itself. Shen Jiu opened the door and revealed that the house was much larger than it seemed on the outside, meaning that part of the structure was actually inside the mountain. Shen Yuan took his shoes off and followed Shen Jiu further into the house. Everything was tastefully appointed with a subtle wealth that made sense for a Sect Leader’s home.

Shen Yuan did his best to take everything in quietly as they walked to a room that had a modest, low table and a wall full of books. He saw a kettle and jumped to be useful. “Tea?”

“Yes.”

Shen Yuan busied himself with the minutiae of the task, and returned to Shen Jiu with a pot of brewed tea. He hoped it was good!

He poured him a cup of tea and waited for his reaction.

Shen Jiu took a ship and he straightened like he was struck by lightning. “Shen Yuan.”

“Yes?”

“This is the worst tea I’ve had in decades.” Shen Yuan’s face fell as Shen Jiu looked at him with deep disappointment. “What is Luo Qingdong teaching you on that Peak?”

“…to be fair, I never made myself tea at home? And it hasn’t come up since I woke up here.”

Shen Jiu stared at him. “You don’t know how to make tea.”

“I guess not…” Shen Yuan said, wincing. This was not exactly going how he wanted it to. 

“…next time.” Shen Jiu said with a sigh of disbelief. “We have more important matters to address like the fact you claimed me as your brother even thinking me capable of such things.”

“Well, he isn’t you,” Shen Yuan explained. “You haven’t done the things he did and I know that the way Shen Qingqiu was characterized to me was flawed deeply. I wasn’t going to punish you for things you hadn’t done, gege.

“No one is purely evil and you deserve a chance to be yourself rather than the ghost of someone who doesn’t even exist. What else could I do but stand by you as family?”

Shen Jiu stared at him before closing his eyes for a long moment. He let out a deep breath and tension bled away from him as he opened calm eyes up to him.

“Do you know why my given name is Jiu, Xiao Yuan?” Shen Yuan shook his head. “I was named after a number, because I was the ninth child slave that was purchased by those particular slavers.”

Shen Yuan went to his knees and braced his hands on the table in surprise. Shen Jiu held up a hand to stop him from speaking so he could continue. “It is also why my husband carries the name Qi. We met as child slaves, and eventually we were sold to the Qiu family.”

Shen Jiu snarled but not at Shen Yuan. “What tricks fate must have played on my counterpart to give him the courtesy name Qingqiu. But no matter.

“I do not know what exactly differs between this world and that one, but there is something that would have been my destruction at a very young age. In the Qiu household, there was a moment when I had a broken leg and begged Qi-ge to leave without me. He promised to come back and did so as a young disciple before I could truly become desperate enough to kill my way out of that place. 

“If he hadn’t come back and I met him later in life as part of a prestigious sect… I still reject any thought of any version of me sexually assaulting children, but I would have been a very different, much harsher person.”

“You were…” Shen Yuan hated himself a little for what came out of his mouth next but— “Damn that man for not being honest about this! How could he just…! I’m sorry, Jiu-ge. I’m really sorry that happened to you.”

“…thanks. It is a very sorry thing, slavery. Despite my attraction to men, if Qi-ge hadn’t come for me, then. Then I think Shen Qingqiu went to brothels to sleep. Women have never hurt me as much as men have, and being around women helped make me feel safe, especially so soon after we escaped for good.”

Shen Yuan was speechless but he swallowed hard and tried, “Can I hug you? Please?”

“…sure.”

Shen Yuan came over and all but threw himself into the other man, squeezing him gently. 

Shen Jiu didn’t move for a long moment, but he soon put his hands on his head and gently started playing with his hair. He said, voice thick, “I don’t remember much before I was sold by my parents, but I do remember having a little brother who looked at me like I had never done anything wrong. Being sold stole everything from me, including my brother. You looked at me and I couldn’t help but want to call you mine.”

“I’m your didi, Jiu-ge,” Shen Yuan promised. “You won’t ever have to be alone again.”

Shen Jiu hugged him back and Shen Yuan closed his eyes to savor the contact. This life was different, but he had so very much that he couldn’t help but be grateful to have woken up in this strange world rather than moving on after dying.

It wasn’t what he had expected reincarnation to look like, but truth, in this case, was stranger and greater than fiction ever was.

Shen Yuan’s gratitude remained but faded to the background as he had to repeatedly tell Shen Jiu that no, he was not willing to transfer Peaks. No, he was not willing to move in with him and Yue Qingyuan.

And no, he was not ceding control over his (nonexistent) dating life to him at any point in time. Ever.

Thankfully he found an unlikely ally in his brother-in-law.

“You can’t force him to change his entire life just because you’re brothers, Xiao Jiu,” the Sect Leader had said very calmly to his spouse. “Why do you want him to live here?”

“Have you heard what he’s gotten up to in the past week?!” Shen Jiu asked, gesturing at Shen Yuan who was drinking a proper cup of tea that Shen Jiu had walked him through preparing. He was done arguing; it wasn’t going to get him anywhere and he was going to do what he wanted anyway the second Jiu-ge wasn’t looking. “I’m not letting anything happen to him now that I know he’s my brother!”

“Luo Qingdong is more than capable of protecting him; he has already prevented him from dying twice. And he’s going to more closely monitor his cultivation. He’s requested to make Shen Yuan his first personal disciple, which I approved in light of his sudden golden core development.

“It is up to you, of course, if you wish to move into your Shizun’s home,” he said, looking at Shen Yuan. “He would welcome you and certainly have the space to host you, but he did not want to make you feel isolated from your peers if you wanted to stay in the dormitories.”

Shen Yuan stared at him. “Yue-ge, you’re telling me that I have the choice to have my own room rather than share it with a bunch of teenage boys?”

“…well, when you put it that way.”

“I’ll move in with Shizun.”

Shen Jiu couldn’t fault that logic or the benefits of Shen Yuan’s new status, and eventually relented on the entire thing. Shen Yuan could tell from a look in his eye that he was going to come back to it at a more opportune time for him, but that was a problem for Future Shen Yuan.

Shen Jiu flew him back to Qing Jing Peak without further complaint, but did speak to him of ensuring that his new quarters fit his standards. “I felt ill last night and ended up staying there already,” Shen Yuan said. “Or, at least, what I assume will be my quarters.”

“Back up; why did you stay there?”

“...Shizun didn’t think I would take care of myself without supervision? And he kinda had a point; I did pretty much pass out once I arrived at his home unannounced with the intention of talking about what happened.” Shen Jiu said nothing afterwards, but Shen Jiu could feel the displeasure radiating from him. He tried to make it better by saying, “Mu-shishu only said I needed rest and Shizun already had been upset that I had walked the distance between the dorms and his house when I arrived.”

“Why are you defending him to me?” Shen Jiu asked. “You’re the one in the wrong; of course he would insist you stay in guest quarters after the stunts you’ve pulled!”

Oh. Shen Yuan couldn’t say force of habit in answer to his question, so he went for the distraction route. “I didn’t even feel that bad! I was just tired after bathing.”

“Yes, considering your course of treatment is rest, I imagine you were tired when not obeying the directive. It’s good that you’re moving in with him so he can keep a close eye on you. Clearly someone has to, and if you won’t let it be me then I suppose your Shizun is acceptable.”

“I don’t need looking after like a child.”

“Prove it, because the past week is telling a different story.”

Shen Yuan opened his mouth to argue but realized that the conversation could devolve quickly. He decided to stop while he wasn’t absolutely buried in fraternal roasting and he was so close to his destination. He made a big show of sighing. “Yes, Jiu-ge.”

“I’m right and you know it. You’ll get used to it.”

“What? Knowing when you’re convinced of something and it’s no use fighting you?”

“Of me being right, didi.” Thankfully, they approached Luo Binghe’s home and the smell of something delicious was discernable even as high as they were in the air. “Who’s cooking?”

“Shizun!” Shen Yuan said, realizing that living with him meant having a steady supply of his culinary efforts with joy. “He cooks for himself and said it was no problem increasing the portions to feed me as well previously! He’s really, really good at it!”

“Interesting. Perhaps Qi-ge should encourage the peak lords to share their talents with their peers,” Shen Jiu said as he lowered Xiu Ya to the bamboo grove’s floor, allowing Shen Yuan to step off. “I shall see you soon, Xiao Yuan. Rest, because if you don’t then I will come and make you do it.”

“I unfortunately believe that. Bye, Jiu-ge! Thanks for the ride!”

Shen Jiu looked him over one last time, before nodding to himself. “Be well, and stop doing stupid things.”

“Hey!” Shen Jiu quickly rose into the air before flying off in the direction of Qiong Ding Peak. 

Shen Yuan watched him disappear and grinned. His time with Shen Jiu had reassured him about their ability to build a familial relationship over time. It also gave him a lot to think about between his childhood experiences and really dissect all the ways Airplane had done both the character and the readers dirty. 

And, okay, Shen Yuan had definitely been calling for his torture and castration by the time Xiao Binghe had emerged from the Endless Abyss. But the story would have been served so much by the inclusion of that nuance in Shen Qingqiu’s backstory. And, well. He recognized now that  PIDW’s main fanbase hadn’t been interested in complexity or depth of characters.

But not even a paid extra that told the story from Shen Qingqiu’s perspective? If Shen Yuan had known, especially by the end of the story when his brain was atrophying from all the substanceless wife plots, he would have commissioned the work himself. All he would need would be the information that Shen Qingqiu had a legitimately tragic villain origin story and Shen Yuan would have been sending him fistfuls of money. 

Though… would he have been able to read anything that had put White Lotus Luo Binghe in a different light? To make Black Lotus Binghe’s actions unjust?

…

Shen Yuan’s smile faded from his face as he entered Luo Binghe’s house that he would soon share with him full time. So much of his understanding of the world he considered himself an expert on was called into question over the last couple of days. Just how much was his knowledge worth outside of his near-encyclopedic recall of the natural world (uninspired names and all)?

“Shen Yuan?” He startled and looked up to see Luo Binghe looking at him from the corridor that led to the kitchen. “Are you alright? Are you feeling unwell?”

Shen Yuan shook his head. “I’m alright. The last couple of days just hit me all at once, I think.”

“Well get in here and keep me company in the kitchen. I have a stool you can sit on while I finish our dinner, and I will appreciate the help carrying things back to my quarters this time.” Shen Yuan nodded silently and obeyed, following this world’s Luo Binghe like a duckling. “It doubly gives me the chance to watch over you in case you suddenly pass out.”

“I’m really okay, Luo Binghe,” he sighed, resigning himself to this kind of hovering until his friend was convinced he had fully recovered from his ordeal. “Though I received some interesting news.”

“Oh?”

“Yue-ge said that you requested that I become your personal disciple.” Shen Yuan inhaled deeply as they entered the kitchen and the delicious scent he had smelled above was pleasantly intensified. “And he gave me a choice as to whether to move in with you here.”

Luo Binghe took a wooden stool that had been beside a large, sturdy table with various cooking implements hanging above it from hooks that had been drilled into the wood support in the ceiling, and brought it over to him. As Shen Yuan sat, he said, “Yes, I did. It will keep your progress from being scrutinized so much by your peers, especially once it gets around that you have achieved basic core formation. We can discuss how this will impact your studies tomorrow, but I hope you don’t mind the change.”

“...you also wanted to keep a closer eye on me, didn’t you?” Shen Yuan asked miserably.

Luo Binghe smiled. “That would only be possible if you chose to move in with me. It’s your decision, though I will point out that it would allow you to be yourself without worrying that you’re being too odd.”

Shen Yuan frowned slightly at him as he thought, And what about you, Luo Binghe? Will it stave off your loneliness, even a little bit?

“I think I’ve gotten pretty good with that, but I’m happy to be your personal disciple. As for moving in, it really wasn’t a choice. I can stay here, with you, or in a room with a bunch of teenage boys. I’m moving in.”

Luo Binghe stirred something in a pot as he grinned at him. “In that case, welcome home.”

Shen Yuan was helpless to do anything but smile back.

Luo Binghe was rather pleased with how much he managed to change his life for the better over the span of a fortnight. He had not only learned of his mysterious disciple’s true origins and thankfully identified him as his future wife, but he properly took him on as a personal disciple and housemate. Qing Jing as a whole had been surprised at the news, but Luo Binghe made sure that his staff and disciples knew that Shen Yuan’s cultivation had progressed in the difficult yet miraculous process of saving Liu Qingge’s life. What would a responsible Shizun do but watch over such an accident prone disciple’s cultivation carefully while giving him the intensity of instruction needed to progress now?

Shen Yuan was happily surprised at how his peers and teachers had been genuinely concerned over his health and grateful for his work to save one of the Sect’s most powerful defenders. He expressed confusion over this to Luo Binghe at their meals more than once, but was never satisfied with the response of they see the value of you and your actions. He dropped the topic after a few days, growing used to both his new home and shift in position on the Peak.

Two others who valued Shen Yuan deeply were Shen Jiu and Yue Qingyuan. While the growing camaraderie between the siblings took Shen Yuan away from Luo Binghe, there were definite benefits with having the two most powerful people in the Sect willing to move the Heavens themselves to ensure his safety and success. Shen Yuan came back from each visit a little more confident in himself, a bit more grounded in this world, and that was worth much to Luo Binghe.

Their support also meant that Shen Yuan was able to make an appointment to receive a spiritual sword at Wan Jian Peak within the span of a week. 

All three of them had been present at a fully-recovered Shen Yuan’s sword ceremony. The young man had gone into the cave nervous and emerged in deep awe of the sword that had chosen him. Jue Shi, Peerless, was a gorgeous blade with a strangely grass green sword glare. It was also nearly identical to Xiu Ya in length and width. 

Shen Jiu had been noticeably smug to hear this, almost as if it was a confirmation of their fraternal bond against all odds. Jue Shi, as Shen Yuan went through the basic Qing Jing sword forms with it, obviously didn’t rely on the swift elegance of Xiu Ya. In fact…

Well, to everyone’s confusion, it seemed to prefer strong but variable styles. There was a versatility to the blade that had fascinated Wei Qingwei. “It’s made to adapt to the situation,” the Peak Lord had said. “I would almost think that you had lived more than one life in this body; this kind of versatility is only spoken of in cultivation masters that had defied death itself.”

The four people who knew Shen Yuan had died before exchanged glances before Shen Yuan laughed nervously. “So Wei-shishu is saying my blade means death is all around me? I guess I need to be more careful so I don’t make that prophecy true!”

Everyone disliked that. Luo Binghe was happy to let Shen Jiu play the alarmed mother hen for all of them and then be the one to take Shen Yuan away for the day. 

They didn’t advertise the concerning properties of Jue Shi to anyone, and Qing Jing had been full of nothing but excitement for their martial brother and his progress. Then, after that, things settled into a new kind of normal.

All within the two weeks.

Living with Shen Yuan was wonderful. They ate the morning and evening meal together, Shen Yuan flushed with health from Binghe’s cooking in a way that satisfied some ancient instinct inside of him. It was lovely to smell their scents intermingling the first few days before settling in a harmonious union that simply became the scent of their home. They discussed Shen Yuan’s studies and cultivation progress in Luo Binghe’s office, but spent many evenings enjoying tea in his private quarters talking of anything that came to mind. For all that he was young, he had been exposed to far more ideas in his original world than many people in this one encountered throughout their lifetime, and speaking to him for hours was far too easy.

Then again, that was the kind of relationship he wanted to have with his wife, one of camaraderie and comfort and intimacy. He focused on building the first two around him while encouraging emotional, not physical intimacy. 

For the moment. 

Shen Yuan needed to be completely open to him before Luo Binghe would overtly hint at them exploring the growing tension between them. Without even realizing it, Shen Yuan was sending all kinds of signals that he was attracted to Binghe in the form of staring and mirroring behavior, nevermind the words he said unthinkingly. He realized that Shen Yuan didn’t have the personal awareness to understand what all of these things meant for him, and Luo Binghe wasn’t about to inform him. 

Let him grow comfortable, utterly enmeshed into Luo Binghe’s life, his wife in all but action, before Binghe made his move. It would likely take a while, but Shen Yuan was certainly worth the wait. Luo Binghe could be patient and self-contained…

Right until he couldn’t.

Just over two weeks after Shen Yuan had become his personal disciple, Liu Qingge was finally released from Mu Qingfang’s clutches on Qian Cao Peak. Luo Binghe didn’t know how many days he waited or tasks he completed before coming to Qing Jing Peak, but Binghe was not happy to learn from a student that Liu Qingge was present and speaking to his personal disciple.

(That enterprising disciple had figured out in the days immediately following Shen Yuan’s return to classes that giving him information on his wellbeing earned her Shizun’s appreciation that would be reflected in the evaluations he directly oversaw. Luo Binghe wasn’t overly concerned that his disciples had noticed his favorable treatment towards Shen Yuan; they were loyal to him and everyone knew that Shen Yuan did require extra attention, if only to keep him from accidentally killing himself. Half the Peak had made a bit of a game of “Keeping Shen Yuan Safe from Himself,” which was equal parts concerning and hilarious. In any case, they knew Luo Binghe would not do anything to harm their brilliant yet astoundingly accident-prone martial sibling. 

Besides, Binghe certainly benefitted having someone directly giving him reports on any pertinent developments rather than waiting for the rumor to reach him naturally.)

Luo Binghe strode to the training yard with purpose, partially mollified by him approaching him in such a public place. It was the middle of the day and Shen Yuan had taken to leading practice with the younger disciples in his bid to become Head Disciple.

He had confided to Luo Binghe in the past week that he had been hoping to earn the title of Head Disciple. This surprised him more than it should have; what better way to be useful to him outside of their singular circumstances? Binghe had conveyed that he needed time to think it over, to which a very embarrassed Shen Yuan had rushed to say he wasn’t doing anything but sharing an ambition with a friend! He was going to work hard to earn it as a disciple for sure!

Luo Binghe let the misunderstanding stand. Shen Yuan was the obvious choice for a Head Disciple now that he had a golden core. His shidimei already adored him with his shixiongjie respecting his intellect even as everyone worried over his safety. He was a diligent student and always willing to go above and beyond to help one of his fellow disciples.

Luo Binghe’s hesitation? He didn’t know if making Shen Yuan his official Head Disciple would help or hinder his aspirations in courting the young man. On one hand, having Shen Yuan learn the administrative workings of the Peak and Sect would be one excellent reason for them to spend more of the day together. They would also be great skills to have in a Peak Lord’s wife. It would demonstrate his respect for Shen Yuan’s capabilities to everyone, not the least of which being Shen Jiu. He would attend Peak Lord meetings with him and put him before the entire Sect as someone to look out for.

On the other hand, it would signal to everyone (barring Shen Yuan as the man truly considered nothing beyond pleasing Binghe, the dear) that he was considering Shen Yuan to be the front runner to succeed him as Peak Lord. Which, no, absolutely not. Shen Yuan was to be his wife, and when he retired Shen Yuan would be leaving with him. Him making Shen Yuan Head Disciple would prevent others from trying to promote themselves for the position, leaving the decision of beginning to train a successor to some undisclosed time.

He remained undecided but preoccupied by the issue still until Liu Qingge arrived. His possessive instincts decided in an instant that he would do anything that would more publicly claim Shen Yuan as his as he crossed Qing Jing Peak. Even now, Shen Yuan was his personal disciple. How dare Liu Qingfe speak to him without Binghe present?

Obviously, he needed to be clearer about Shen Yuan’s status. Having Shen Yuan be his Head Disciple would at least make communication between Head Disciples regular. And, as Peak Lords were meant to encourage camaraderie between the next generation of presumptive heirs, that would give Liu Qingge less reason still to speak to Shen Yuan.

Some rational part of Binghe was arguing with his impulsive instincts. Luo Binghe was literally the first consideration in Shen Yuan’s mind at any given time. Despite how striking Liu Qingge may have been physically, Shen Yuan considered Luo Binghe to be the most attractive person alive, a fact he had unconsciously reaffirmed multiple times. Then again…

He had indicated his interest in speaking to Liu Qingge about the demon realm.

But that had been before the Lingxi Caves, before he had become his personal disciple, before he understood the extent to which Shen Yuan knew of him and his past. Would it make a difference?

…

As Luo Binghe at last was in sight of the training field, he was greeted by a plethora of younger disciples doing drills sloppily as they watched Shen Yuan talk to Liu Qingge.

He was smiling up at the Peak Lord as he spoke excitedly about something. 

He didn’t know what his expression was like, but one of his younger disciples caught sight of him and spread word to the others. A loud chorus of hello, Shizun greeted Luo Binghe, causing Shen Yuan to stop mid-word to look beyond Liu Qingge to see him. His smile brightened considerably when seeing him, something that assuaged the jealous impulse in him. 

Liu Qingge turned as well to greet him with reserved eyes and a respectful nod. His body also tensed once he became aware of Luo Bignhe, so that wasn’t all that reassuring.

“Take a lap around Qing Jing,” he said with a long-suffering tone to his younger disciples, letting them know he had seen their lack of focus and was punishing them for that.

“Yes, Shizun,” they said quickly before sheathing their practice blades and running off. A few looked nervously at Shen Yuan who was now grimacing from his own lack of attention to his self-appointed task.

“This disciple apologizes for his lack of focus, Shizun,” he said, bowing to him. 

Luo Binghe sighed as he walked to stand beside him. “It isn’t your responsibility to oversee them, Shen Yuan. No one assigned you to the task and you were not expected to do it. Besides, it would be unreasonable to punish you for being distracted. What were you supposed to do, ignore a visiting Peak Lord?”

Shen Yuan bowed again, albeit shallowly this time. “Shizun is wise.”

When he rose, he had a spark of mirth in his eyes and Luo Binghe relaxed as he realized Shen Yuan was teasing him rather than being overly-formal. He subtly rolled his eyes, causing Shen Yuan to smile openly at him. 

He liked it when Shen Yuan smiled… as long as it wasn’t at Liu Qingge.

He properly turned his attention to his shidi who had been watching their exchange intensely. “Well, you look fine enough. I’m assuming Mu-shidi let you go and you didn’t escape him somehow.”

Liu Qingge grimaced. “I was ready to leave a week ago. Qingfang is just overly cautious.”

“Happy your recovery went well,” Binghe said before switching topics, wanting to get to the point of Liu Qingge being here, let alone talking directly to Shen Yuan. “What brings you to Qing Jing?

He shifted uncomfortably before saying, “To thank you both for intervening to save my life. I especially wished to speak to Disciple Shen as I was not able to thank him properly due to him being unconscious after I awoke in the cavern. Qingfang made it… explicitly clear to me that I would have died if you had not responded as you did there, Disciple Shen. I owe my life to you.”

Shen Yuan laughed nervously and held his hands out in front of him in a gesture of bargaining. “Ah, Liu-shishu, please feel no need to mention it again. This disciple is just grateful that Shishu is once more in good health. As this one said before, he is more than happy to hear of Shishu’s adventures on night hunts in return if Shishu insists upon acting on his gratitude in some way.”

“Be that as it may, this is another dimension to discuss now that your Shizun is present,” Liu Qingge said stubbornly as he crossed his arms. Luo Binghe shifted unconsciously to a more protective stance, heeding the bad feeling the Bai Zhan Peak Lord’s words caused in him. “There is the matter of how you assisted me and the consequences of that.”

“Consequences?! What consequences?” Shen Yuan said, voice jumping an octave in his embarrassment.

“I told you this required no follow up,” Luo Binghe interjected.

Liu Qingge ignored him and asked Shen Yuan bluntly, “Was that your first kiss?”

“Yes, but that doesn’t matter!” Shen Yuan insisted, hands moving now to indicate surrender. “Really, water under the bridge! Let’s forget about it, hmm?”

“I am a man of honor, Disciple Shen, and I do not take possible violations of another lightly.”

“I never said you weren’t!” Shen Yuan said, dropping into more casual language from stress. 

It was all the indication Luo Binghe needed to step in front of him fully and block him from Liu Qingge’s view. “Enough of this.”

“Qingdong,” Liu Qingge said indignantly. “You know this is necessary.”

“I know no such thing, especially as he has explicitly asked you to leave it alone. He chose to save your life by any means necessary; can you not respect his wishes enough to not bring this up again? You have inquired, he has answered. There’s no more to discuss.”

Liu Qingge stared him down for a moment before sighing and nodding. “My apologies, Shen Yuan, if I made you uncomfortable. You are welcome on Bai Zhan Peak if you wish to learn of my night hunts. The choice is yours. Good day.”

“Liu Qingge,” Luo Binghe dismissed him.

“Luo Qingdong,” Liu Qingge responded, just as surly.

“Thank you, Liu-shishu! I’ll send word before I come!” Shen Yuan said enthusiastically as he stepped around Luo Binghe as Liu Qingge stepped onto Cheng Luan to leave. “I appreciate the thoughtfulness."

Liu Qingge grunted and Luo Binghe’s eyes narrowed as he caught the slight flush in the other man’s cheeks. Without another word, he took to the sky, flying in the direction of Bai Zhan Peak. 

Shen Yuan sighed gustily beside him as he lightly touched Luo Binghe’s forearm. “Thank you for that. I thought he might want to say something about that and am glad you were here. I’m just a disciple, after all; he might not have stopped until my face had absolutely melted off from humiliation.”

Protective hackles rose again but Luo Binghe did his best to ignore them as he said calmly, “I’m sorry I wasn’t here earlier. How long were you talking to him?”

“Just a few minutes. It was fine, really. I asked him about his health, he thanked me, and I pivoted the conversation pretty quickly to his own exploits. Gege was right in that he doesn’t talk a lot naturally, but I got him at least saying a few words about his latest outing without too much effort.”

Yes, because he likely wanted to impress you as a possible suitor.

“Let me know if he starts bothering you; Liu-shidi isn’t known for being the sharpest Peak Lord in the Sect.”

“Shizun!” Shen Yuan exclaimed in protest, causing Luo Binghe to laugh. 

They separated for the afternoon, Shen Yuan to do some work in the library as Luo Binghe returned home to cook off the violence that had bubbled just below the surface from Liu Qingge approaching Shen Yuan away. Shen Yuan was fine, Liu Qingge would be wary of returning to the subject with Shen Yuan again, and Qing Jing likely wouldn’t see the other Peak Lord for a long time.

But what about Shen Yuan wanting to visit Liu Qingge to ask him things? Shen Yuan had mentioned such an interest before; could Luo Binghe prevent that without it seeming like he was explicitly keeping him away from Bai Zhan?

He would probably be too busy as Head Disciple to even think about social visits to any Peak other than Qiong Ding to see his brother.

…

After that day, the decision to make Shen Yuan his Head Disciple was easy. They would have plenty of time to train another to be Luo Binghe’s successor after they were married; it wasn’t like Luo Binghe was going to step down from his position anytime soon and he was all but indestructible as a Heavenly Demon. 

This would work. 

He mentally went over the check list of everything Shen Yuan would need to formally do in order to be qualified to be a Head Disciple. He knew by now that Shen Yuan wouldn’t just accept being handed the position, but that didn’t mean Luo Binghe couldn’t help him make his case so no one else in the Sect would question how he got his position. 

And Luo Binghe could definitely make this work for him. He was essentially training Shen Yuan to be able to lead the Peak in his stead as any Peak Lord’s spouse would. Shen Jiu was definitely qualified enough to stand in Yue Qingyuan’s place in the case of an emergency; why not Shen Yuan in everything but combat?

Besides, promoting Shen Yuan to his Head Disciple opened up new possibilities he was only just considering. He wanted his Head Disciple to be cared for, didn’t he?

And hadn’t Yue Qingyuan mentioned that renovations of his home to accommodate Shen Yuan would be approved of? While Binghe didn’t have an additional bedroom in that part of the house (he never expected to entertain much), he did have a spare room in his personal quarters that could easily be converted to a guest room. And where else would Shen Yuan go?

…he had plans to consider and a few letters to write.

Shen Yuan couldn’t believe just how much his life had changed over the course of a season. He had gone from the resident transmigrator just trying to make it as an ordinary disciple to Luo Binghe’s personal disciple and secret friend, Shen Jiu’s brother, Yue Qingyuan’s brother-in-law, Liu Qingge’s mentee, and the Head-Disciple-in-Training for Qing Jing Peak!

Okay, those last two weren’t official relationships but Shen Yuan could read the room! Liu Qingge had offered him a chance to inquire about his adventures and Shen Yuan wasn’t about to miss that! A demon realm prior to the merging of the realms? Flora and fauna that had yet to adapt to the world Xiao Binghe had created yet were still as alien and fascinating as ever?

Yeah, he made time to talk to Liu Qingge. The guy was kind of funny once Shen Yuan realized he took everything super literally and he didn’t get mad at Shen Yuan needling him a little. He also thankfully never, ever brought up their first interaction, so that was great. While Shen Yuan repeatedly had his knowledge of the demon realm confirmed (what had mostly changed was the terrain itself; Shen Yuan found himself revising his mental map of the demon realm each time he spoke to him), he mostly found him interested in learning about the man who was living beyond his original lifetime. He wasn’t unlike Shen Yuan himself, albeit in completely different circumstances. 

Liu Qingge never showed any sign of being tired of Shen Yuan, going out of his way (for him) to let him know that he liked talking about these things with him. He even asked what particular details Shen Yuan wanted to know so he could look out for the next time he left.

A cultivator willing to go out and get specific facts for him from the demon realm without being suspicious about it? Yes, please!

Luo Binghe and Shen Jiu were far less enthused by his visits for the same reason. Thankfully Shen Yuan proved to be right in that Liu Qingge would get over his gratitude-induced insanity of wanting to court him. He further proved that talking to Liu Qingge didn’t interfere with his social or disciple obligations, so neither man pushed him too hard about it. Shen Yuan really just wanted to learn more and who was better informed about the current state of the demon realm?

The result was fellow Qing Jing disciples making sure he wasn’t planning to jump ship to Bai Zhan. He assured them that no, he could never think of leaving Qing Jing, them, or their Shizun. Besides, he joked to them, Qiong Ding had first dibs on him if something unthinkable happened and he had to leave Qing Jing Peak.

Liu Qingge at times offered to guide him through sword drills, but Shen Yuan did decline the offer for the moment. Luo Binghe was already anxious about Shen Yuan being here. How could he take such instruction from anyone but his Shizun? He also argued that Luo Binghe had easily beaten him in combat in the Lingxi Caves, so he was already getting his combat lessons from the stronger of the two fighters.

It had been a teasing statement that somehow sparked some kind of competitive streak in Liu Qingge. He started challenging Luo Binghe to spars that Binghe would turn down because he had better things to do.

Things like training Shen Yuan on how to be his Head Disciple.

Oh, he made sure that Shen Yuan would be able to earn it and perform his duties well, so the actual title would likely not be given to him for several months more. But, between Shen Yuan’s can-do attitude and golden core, no one on Qing Jing protested the increasing signs that Shen Yuan would soon take over the position. It did require him to spend a lot of energy on excelling in his studies while learning the basics of what was behind operating a Peak.

It was exhausting, honestly. He was immensely grateful for Luo Binghe’s hearty meals and great company, giving Shen Yuan room to truly be himself and feel safe at home. Luo Binghe was serious about watching over him, ensuring that Shen Yuan didn’t overwork himself and essentially ensuring he learned to manage his time very, very well.

Shen Yuan was an adult technically, but he began to really feel like it as he managed his schedule and stayed busier than he had ever been in his first life. He spent time with Shen Jiu, now that he had Jue Shi and could get around the sect easier, about three times a week while he maybe spoke to Liu Qingge once a week, if that. The only constants in his days were sharing the morning and evening meals with Luo Binghe. 

His favorite days were the rare ones when he purposefully scheduled nothing and could do whatever he wanted. He often found himself lounging around Luo Binghe’s house to the amused welcome of the man. Binghe usually ended up monopolizing these days off to Shen Yuan’s joy. More than once he found himself dozing in the same room where Binghe worked while reading some trash novel, but that was okay. He stopped feeling so embarrassed over little things like that. A lot of the barriers that would otherwise be expected in a master-disciple relationship fell away in the bamboo house. Luo Binghe was his friend, his best friend in a way he had never known before, and he loved spending time with him.

Luo Binghe never did anything but encourage Shen Yuan’s comfort and share his life with him. He shared how lonely it had been and that he didn’t feel alone anymore with Shen Yuan there. He felt like he was also the best friend Binghe had ever had, and that was amazing.

If there was any downside to their close friendship it was the fact that no one else could know about it. Jiu-ge was so protective of him; if he thought Luo Binghe was anything less than a perfect (if unconventional) Shizun to Shen Yuan, he would put up such a fuss that he didn’t doubt he and Binghe would come to blows.

And, considering he knew Shen Qingqiu’s end, he would do just about anything to prevent that.

Beyond his brother’s reaction, he also didn’t want people thinking he was taking advantage of his closeness with Binghe to gain more privileges in the Sect. Sure, he had more privileges generally but that was because of his brother and his near-status as Head Disciple of the second-ranked Peak in the Sect. And how no one really wanted to say no to someone that Shen Jiu, Luo Binghe, and Liu Qingge openly liked. One was asking for trouble, but all three of them? Who would dare? Surely, someone had to be foolish enough to try, but Shen Yuan had never encountered anyone that couldn’t be reasoned with!

In any case, none of those privileges were associated with how close he and Luo Binghe were growing. There was nothing untoward about it and it felt so… wonderful that Shen Yuan couldn’t stand the thought of someone criticizing their relationship. Or, worse, criticizing Binghe for their closeness. 

He was aware that, to others, there was a certain power dynamic between them that could make their relationship inappropriate. But Luo Binghe was a half demon who had no one he could trust with the truth of himself before Shen Yuan came around. He shared just as much of himself as Shen Yuan did, offering everything and Shen Yuan was honored to hold all that he was safe.

He delighted in being someone Luo Binghe needed, and he found himself needing him in return.

And, okay, he maybe had Binghe spoiling him with unnecessary gifts now and then. And cooking far more elaborate meals for him than necessary. And saying embarrassing things sometimes that left Shen Yuan feeling warm for the rest of the day about how he appreciated him.

One thing did concern him about Luo Binghe: when exactly was he seeing to his, um. Needs? Because he spent the nights and mornings with Shen Yuan while doing Peak Lord things during the day. So when exactly was he going out and meeting with a paramour?

Did he not have a regular lover he could visit? Or did he maybe feel bad about leaving Shen Yuan alone at night? Or did Shen Yuan accidentally give off some vibes that he wouldn’t be okay with it if he did? Did he bring someone home after Shen Yuan was asleep and then sneak them out before morning? 

When Luo Binghe presented him with plans for renovations for his room that would necessitate Shen Yuan sharing his roomy personal quarters for the duration of the construction, Shen Yuan couldn’t hold back anymore. “I don’t want to put you out.”

“How could you? I made the plans,” he said bluntly. It was one of Shen Yuan’s off days and Binghe had been opening a pile of messages before he broached the topic. “I submitted the initial plans a month ago to Yue Qingyuan for approval. I only got the final confirmation that construction could finally proceed just now. I wanted to surprise you once everything was ready to go…”

Great, now he made Luo Binghe feel bad.

“I didn’t need my room changed; I’m just grateful to have a room of my own. And won’t my moving closer to you mean…”

Binghe raised his eyebrows at him. “Yes?”

“I mean. Your, um. Partners. Would my presence make it harder for you to… see them?”

Luo Binghe blinked at him and, to Shen Yuan’s surprise, didn’t ridicule him for such a ridiculous line of thought. Instead he set everything to the side and met his eyes squarely. “Shen Yuan, you needn’t worry about me sleeping around.”

“Huh?” He’d somehow lost track of the conversation to have Binghe tell him that. “Worry me? I just want to make sure you’re not, like, holding yourself back because of me or something. I understand that you’ve previously… and I don’t want us living even closer together to interfere with you doing what you want to do!”

That, for some reason, made Binghe’s lips twitch in a hint of a sardonic smile as his eyes grew darker. “Since you have obviously been troubled by this, let me put your mind at ease. I am personally past the point in my life where I am interested in sex for the singular purpose of physical release. Sex is something I want, but what I need is a partner and I don’t want sex with another. So no need to worry about me bringing home strangers at night and disturbing your sleep.”

Shen Yuan wanted to protest the teasing lit to his voice at the end of his statement, but his mind was stalled by the revelation that Luo Binghe wanted to settle down. This was huge! Unprecedented!

Fuck, who would even be worthy of him?

He didn’t quite remember how the conversation continued after that, too preoccupied with the sudden conundrum to think of anything else of substance. This meant that Shen Yuan found himself moving his meager belongings to Luo Binghe’s personal study which was quickly converted to a spare bedroom for Shen Yuan.

It also meant that An Ding Peak was set to begin construction. As it was a project on a Peak Lord’s house and was thoroughly approved by the Sect Leader, it shouldn’t have surprised Shen Yuan to be confronted with the existence of a Peak Lord he really shouldn’t have forgotten.

In his defense, the character of Shang Qinghua had been killed pretty early on in the narrative for foolishly betraying the demon he betrayed the cultivation world for. And Shen Yuan honestly only cared about the extent characters had caused problems for the original Luo Binghe, but his obsession with him really wasn’t the point, now was it.

No, the point was that he was staring at the man who likely had orchestrated the demonic invasion of the Immortal Alliance Conference and he had forgotten to mention it to anyone. He was mentally connecting the dots, only he was far too late to prepare his response or confer with Binghe on the issue of Shang Qinghua.

In his defense, they had done their best to prepare for, if not openly prevent, Sha Hualing’s invasion of the Sect itself. The barriers were strengthened and Yue Qingyuan introduced a comprehensive defense plan for the Sect, limiting the number of Peak Lords that could be away at any given time barring a special event or explicit permission. The Immortal Alliance Conference was still years away and it would be easy for Yue Qingyuan to introduce more safety measures for participating disciples gradually over the course of planning, minimizing the impact of a possible attack, if it even happened in this timeline. 

But he hadn’t thought to go to the source, which was potentially standing in front of him now.

The Peak Lord, for his part, awkwardly chuckled as Shen Yuan stared at him from beside Luo Binghe. “Er, Disciple Shen?”

“Shen Yuan.” Luo Binghe calling his name had him shaking out of his stupor. He looked up at him, dazed, and saw confusion melt to concern on his face. “What is wrong?”

He immediately bowed. “I. Wait. I’m sorry. Um, this disciple apologizes, Peak Lord Shang. He just. This one cannot help but feel he recognizes Peak Lord Shang. As this disciple has amnesia, it rather feels like this disciple has seen a ghost.”

Luo Binghe huffed and put a steadying hand on his shoulder as he rose. Shang Qinghua looked at him like he was insane only to stare at the contact between him and his Shizun. “Shen Yuan, you speak more casually to the Sect Leader than you are currently speaking to Shang-shidi. Drop it.”

Shen Yuan nodded quickly, eyes still on Shang Qinghua. “Right. I only respect what An Ding Peak does for the Sect; I did not mean to mispeak or imply that Peak Lord Shang was above the Sect Leader in rank. Peak Lord Shang, please forgive my rudeness… and my rather bold request. Would you please speak to Shizun and I in the privacy of his office?”

Binghe’s hand tightened on his shoulder as Shang Qinghua blinked as he once more focused on Shen Yuan’s face directly. “You… respect An Ding?”

Throughout this little scene, An Ding disciples who had come to begin marking out the site for demolition and transporting some smaller tools had been watching them. At their Shizun’s words, they all seemed to stop and stare at him openly.

It would be dumb to do anything but say, “Yes, of course. Without An Ding’s efforts, Qiong Cang Mountain Sect wouldn’t be able to function at all.”

Shang Qinghua’s eyebrows rose but he clutched at the scroll he had in his hands. “Well, I suppose I can make time for such a kind disciple. Though! If shixiong is not willing then–”

“It’s fine. Come on.” Luo Binghe said, releasing Shen Yuan as he turned into the house. Shen Yuan turned to look at his stiff shoulders and realized he was just throwing all this on him. 

Fuck. But his mouth had already gotten them here. What was he going to do? Even he didn’t know!!!

He stepped to the side and respectfully made room for Shang Qinghua to go ahead of him. The man was the shortest Peak Lord he had yet to encounter, his hair wrapped into a bun at the top of his head and only just reaching Shen Yuan’s nose. Shen Yuan was still growing, but Shang Qinghua would always be this height. 

He wondered just how small he was next to his demonic master. If he even was a traitor in this world. 

Did Shang Qinghua have an idea of Luo Binghe being a demon? Of anyone, he would have a direct collaborative relationship to the demon realm. 

Was Mobei-Jun still planning to attack the Immortal Alliance Conference in this world? Would taking Shang Qinghua out of the equation prevent that, or open them up to worse possibilities?

Luo Binghe let Shang Qinghua go into his public office before him and stopped Shen Yuan at the door with a serious, questioning look. He knew this had something to do with the original story and wasn’t sure what Shen Yuan needed, but he wanted to support him.

The look gave Shen Yuan some reassurance. He sighed then glanced behind him before lightly tugging at his ear. He needed to be sure this conversation wasn’t about to be heard by others, and Luo Binghe could put in place a privacy barrier before they even began.

“Do you trust me?” He asked him.

“You know I do,” he said lowly, their eyes meeting in a way that struck a chord in Shen Yuan’s chest. He didn’t doubt his sincerity and turned to walk into the room with the warmth of their connection filling him. 

Shang Qinghua was standing partially inside the room and looking between him and Luo Binghe with a guarded expression. “Disciple Shen, I appreciate the fact that you feel as if you may know me, but I assure you that we have never met.”

“Shang-shishu is aware that I am Shen Jiu’s brother?”

He froze, blood draining from his face at his name. Luo Binghe came to stand by Shang Qinghua, posture shifting as he picked up Shen Yuan’s vibe. “Why don’t you sit, Shang-shidi? This may be a long conversation.”

“Ah ha. Ha. Sure. Thanks for the hospitality.” He sat at the table. Shen Yuan sat across from him. 

Luo Binghe stayed standing beside Shang Qinghua menacingly. 

…he really was the best in any universe. Shen Yuan was so lucky to know him. 

And he was bothered by something Shang Qinghua had said. He narrowed his eyes at him. “It was a surprise to me, to realize that we were related.”

“It was a surprise to everyone. I didn’t realize Shen-shixiong had any surviving relatives considering his age.”

Oh, so he wasn’t going to just wilt! Excellent. Shen Yuan felt himself slipping into his troll persona and smiled at him. “I know. Wonderful, isn’t it? I’ve had the pleasure of growing closer to him and Yue-ge.”

“Yes. I’ve come to understand how you’ve been getting around the Sect. You really came out of nowhere after that qi deviation. One might think you were an entirely different person.” Luo Binghe stepped forward but Shen Yuan just smiled at him. Shang Qinghua seemed to remember that he wasn’t just talking to a teenager that was making a power grab. He immediately paled and started sweating. He said hastily, “I mean, it’s a miracle that you survived! I’m sure thanks to Mu-shixiong and Luo-shixiong’s efforts!”

“You’re afraid of my Shizun,” Shen Yuan said point blank. “He scares you more than my brother.”

Shang Qinghua stared at him in mounting horror. “Ah, Luo-shixiong is quite formidable and right behind me!”

“You know, my brother likes to think he knows everything, so I’m surprised he hasn’t figured out you’re a spy yet. Or maybe he has and is just waiting to bide his time?”

He was pretty sure Shang Qinghua stopped breathing and that was enough for Luo Binghe to draw Zheng Yang and press it against his neck. “W-what! What are you talking about!?”

“How’s Mobei-Jun doing?” 

Shang Qinghua shook and started babbling. “Look, it really wasn’t my fault! It’s not like I could change my fate, or let him die, you know! And– wait, wait!! You shouldn’t know any of this! Proud Immortal Demon Way!”

“Shizun, don’t kill him yet, please.” Luo Binghe didn’t, which was nice. “You’re a transmigrator.”

A manic hope filled Shang Qinghua’s eyes and he said, “And so are you!! Listen, man, my System made it so I had to follow the story, okay? You think I would be here suffering as the An Ding Peak Lord if I had a choice?! I have no clue how yours is working but–”

“I don’t have a System.”

“You lucky son of a bitch.” Luo Binghe pressed Zheng Yang closer and Shang Qinghua shouted, “Sorry, sorry! It’s a saying!”

“Are you going to run off to Mobei-Jun the second he lets you go?”

“Now that I understand the situation? Nah, man, we can negotiate! You have the Protagonist listening to you! We can make something work!”

“Shizun?”

Luo Binghe sighed and removed Zheng Yang. He sat beside Shang Qinghua though and kept the blade out beside him. “Shen Yuan, explain.”

“Okay, so this guy is a spy for Mobei-Jun. Not sure how that happened.”

“Well, it was in my notes but no one cared for canon fodder backstory! I had to stop myself from being killed earlier and just ended up here. I didn’t even realize the timeline was messed up until I came here as a kid and realized that Shen Jiu was on Qiong Ding or that Luo Binghe was a full generation early!”

That caught Shen Yuan’s attention. “Your notes.”

“Yeah! Oh, wait, were you a fan! It’s been decades but it’s so great to meet a–”

Shen Yuan got up and was halfway to crawling across the table to punch him in the face before Luo Binghe moved faster than he could track to pick him up. Shang Qinghua reared back as Shen Yuan shouted, “You dumbfuck author! It’s your fucking fault I transmigrated in the first place with you and your shitty fucking ending for Binghe! How dare you make us read through millions of words full of empty wife plots with the world that you built and the character of Luo Binghe! He deserved better! All of us deserved better!

“...so an anti-fan I take it,” he said calmly as Luo Binghe held him in the air by his waist and Shen Yuan scrambled like an angry cat at empty air to finally get to tear Airplane Shooting Towards the Sky a physical new one. “And one obsessed with Luo Binghe. Remarkably so.”

“AND ANOTHER THING! Jiu-ge’s backstory! How could you do that to him and then never tell us that!? That would have changed how everyone viewed the character!”

“He was just a character! He wasn’t real, none of this was supposed to be real, let alone my life! Besides, Peerless Cucumber, I’m pretty sure I recall you calling for your precious gege’s castration and seeing your payments come in for each chapter! You single-handledly paid my rent, so thanks for that. But I still had to eat and everyone else wanted the wife plots. Luo Binghe had stagnated as a character long before I finished milking the story for money and you know it. No offense.”

“None taken,” Binghe said as Shen Yuan stopped fighting him. He put him on his feet but kept a steadying arm around him. “It wasn’t me, now was it , Qinghua?”

Shang Qinghua was back to looking nervous. “Right! Of course! I never would wish the things I wrote on an actual person!”

“Does that mean you can tell me who my parents were?” 

Shen Yuan paused at that, realizing what it actually meant to have Airplane here. His knowledge was limited by Xiao Binghe’s perspective; Shang Qinghua knew things that never even made it into the text! 

“I’m not sure… oh. Um, my System tells me that I can help you as long as a few things happen in the end. It’s not telling me those things at the moment, but yeah, okay. I will say that I wrote the story like, sixty years ago so my memory on details might be a bit hazy.”

“We can work with that,” Shen Yuan said. 

“Cool! So, you’re not going to snitch on me for the whole Mobei-Jun thing?”

“...no. As long as you help us and keep Binghe’s identity a secret.”

“Of course, of course,” Shang Qinghua said, nodding agreeably. “And the fact that you two are like. A thing.”

“Huh?” Shen Yuan questioned. 

Luo Binghe calmly removed his arm from his waist and moved to sit down next to Shen Yuan. He’d forgotten that it had been there, so Binghe must have, too. “Whatever could you mean, shidi?” Luo Binghe asked.

“Nothing! Just the stress of the moment making me a little delusional! So! About those backstory notes? I had a lot that didn’t make it in and they’re not going to tell themselves!”

Shang Qinghua was back to acting scared, which was odd but Shen Yuan was happy to see it. Airplane should suffer a bit, actually. He smiled and said, “Yes, why don’t you start at the beginning, Shang-shishu. I’ll make us tea. Don’t worry; Jiu-ge taught me how to not poison anyone unintentionally.”

Shang Qinghua audibly gulped and, thankfully, started talking.

Chapter Text

Shang Qinghua existing under similar circumstances to Shen Yuan should have been more surprising than it was. In truth, he had always been odd and his personality hadn’t made his oddities endearing to pretty much anyone outside of An Ding Peak, with one apparent exception being an eccentric demon lord. 

Luo Binghe studied his shidi as he let Shen Yuan handle most of the initial interrogation of the traitor to the sect. It almost made him want to laugh. Luo Binghe would have been exiled for simply existing despite serving Cang Qiong loyally and the traitor who enacted a plan that would lead to the death of their disciples would have been left in charge of their logistics without a moment of suspicion just because he was human. 

Shang Qinghua kept glancing at Luo Binghe nervously as he rushed to answer Shen Yuan’s questions about the shape of the world he had apparently created. The mousy man in front of him was his literal creator, but he had a healthy, bone-deep fear of him. Shang Qinghua knew that, creator or not, he was in Luo Binghe’s world now. It boded well for his cooperation in the future, now that his lovely A-Yuan had unmasked him. 

It was only by the grace of Shen Yuan’s control of the situation that he didn’t throttle the other man on principle alone, especially as he detailed the tragic story of his parents, something his original counterpart had never known. A forbidden love, despicable shizun, and stark ending was the truth of Su Xiyan and Tianlang-Jun’s relationship. It healed part of him, knowing that his mother had wanted him and his father had no clue he existed. His mothers, both of blood and of choice, had given their lives to nurture him, and he felt the grief of their loss keenly. 

At the same time, a determined kind of rage settled into his gut as he at last had someone to blame for his confusingly dangerous childhood and loneliness. Shang Qinghua, perhaps out of a desire to placate Luo Binghe, emphasized that Tianlang-Jun would have married Su Xiyan in a heartbeat and that they would have been happy. The Huan Hua Palace Master had prevented that, torturing his pregnant mother and attempting to end Luo Binghe’s life before he could take his first breath. He had tricked his father and gotten the entire cultivation world to work together to imprison the last Demonic Emperor, who they believed to be the last Heavenly Demon, under a mountain before releasing the poisoned Su Xiyan to discover the truth on her own. 

Luo Binghe couldn’t help flexing his hands, his claws itching to come out to rend something apart, but Shen Yuan touched his arm and met Luo Binghe’s eyes with open compassion and heartbreak. “I’m so sorry.”

Binghe studied his face as he calmed. His mother might have been stolen from him, but he had the possibility to create a family of his own. Shen Yuan, as his wife, would play a big part in that. He needed to control himself so he could see that future realized.

He nodded to him in thanks and Shen Yuan squeezed his arm once before pulling away. His lovely face became severe as he glared at Shang Qinghua. “Tianlang-Jun is still alive, isn’t he?”

“Um, yes? I mean, I’m pretty sure,” Shang Qinghua said nervously. “With Luo Binghe being born a generation early, it meant that Yue Qingyuan wasn’t around to help deal the blow that would weaken him enough for the sealing to work as I initially intended. I haven’t exactly looked into it; been kind of busy with life and such.”

“How about you make time,” Shen Yuan suggested archly. “If you think you’re denying Binghe his only family now that he knows he exists, you are sorely mistaken.”

…Luo Binghe adored him so much.

“He has a cousin!” Shang Qinghua said, jumping at the creep in Shen Yuan’s voice towards violence and drawing Luo Binghe’s attention once more. He was looking between them with open anxiety as he continued. “Zhuzhi-Lang, the son of Tianlang-Jun’s sister! Half snake demon, half Heavenly Demon! I’m sure he’s around somewhere; no way he would abandon his uncle as he was if he thought he could do something about it.”

“It’s been sixty-four years,” Luo Binghe said dryly.

“He’s immortal; time doesn’t matter to him like that.”

“It looks like we have a lead on finding out what exactly happened when Tianlang-Jun was defeated,” Shen Yuan said contemplatively before his posture snapped straight again with renewed focus. “We’ll follow that path later. Now: the Immortal Alliance Conference.”

“My System made me do it!” Shang Qinghua exclaimed. “It’s, like, a canon event. I never got an answer as to why it still needed to happen when Luo Binghe was an adult and cultivation master now rather than a kid escaping an abusive situation.”

“We can change things,” Shen Yuan said, leaning forward. “How do we stop this? Mobei-Jun is pushing for it, right? What does he get out of it?”

“...so you know how we established the Huan Hua Palace Master as a no good, very bad guy?” Shang Qinghua asked. “Yeah, well he likes torturing demonic children for fun. He only let My King go because he was royalty and killing him was more trouble than it was worth. As Huan Hua Palace is hosting this Conference, it is a good opportunity for revenge as well as striking a politically expedient blow to the cultivation world.”

“Surely, he can accomplish those things in other ways?” Shen Yuan said. 

“Shen Yuan,” Luo Binghe said, drawing his attention. “Why not simply warn your family of the pending attack; it’s what you would have done without having spoken to Shang Qinghua anyway.”

“...I hadn’t thought of a way to explain what happened without bringing up why I would have a blank space in my knowledge for five years afterwards while Xiao Binghe was in the Endless Abyss,” Shen Yuan said. “I had hoped to see how Sha Hualing’s invasion panned out before moving on to the biggest problem.”

“...I have some bad news,” Shang Qinghua said haltingly. Both Luo Binghe and Shen Yuan looked at him, causing the man to visibly jump and start to sweat. “Not my fault!!! But my System is saying that Luo-shixiong must enter the Endless Abyss.”

“Or what?” Shen Yuan shot back. “You die?”

“You die.” Luo Binghe snarled at that while Shen Yuan fell silent. Shang Qinghua backed up physically from the table as he rushed to say, “We both do! Luo Binghe failing to go in the Endless Abyss to emerge with Xin Mo is The Event of the story, this world. We’re both here through unnatural means, and the world would need to balance out the anomalies. The next time the Endless Abyss opens is during the Immortal Alliance Conference; Mobei-Jun just took advantage of that natural occurrence to make his attack more effective. He decided to do as little work as possible to have a maximum impact. Brilliant, really.”

Luo Binghe ignored most of what Shang Qinghua said, gathering himself for what this all meant for his and Shen Yuan’s future. If he went into the Endless Abyss and emerged, his demonic heritage would be well and truly exposed. Before, he wouldn’t have minded much, missing his life here but able to start again in the demon realm without difficulty. But now, with Shen Yuan…

“Is there no other way?” Shen Yuan asked quietly, alarming Luo Binghe immediately. The man had already taken life-ending risks to save him from minor inconveniences. What would Shen Yuan do if it meant he could prevent Luo Binghe from entering what he had described as the worst kind of hell?

No.

“No,” Shang Qinghua said tentatively. “He goes in, or we both die.”

“Then I believe you better start telling me how to make it out of the Abyss as quickly as possible,” Luo Binghe said, tone final.

Shen Yuan inhaled sharply, turning to him and saying, “Wait, we can talk–”

“There’s nothing to talk about, Shen Yuan,” Luo Binghe said, turning and pinning him in place with his gaze. His eyes went wide at whatever expression he had as he continued. “I told you; you are not allowed to be hurt. I will always, always protect you. If it is a choice between a living hell and losing you, I will always choose hell.”

Shen Yuan’s jaw was slack as he breathed heavily and they stared at each other for a moment. Luo Binghe couldn’t help but soften his tone and ask, “Do you understand?”

Shen Yuan licked his lips as if to speak, but only nodded in response. Do you really? Luo Binghe wanted to ask, to push. Do you really know what you are to me?

“S-should I leave, or…?”

Shen Yuan startled at the sound of Shang Qinghua’s awkward inquiry and quickly looked away from Luo Binghe. For his part, Binghe turned to glare at the man who decided to scoot farther away from them before putting his hands up in a position of helpless surrender. “Sorry. Listen, I really should be going…”

“Not so fast, Airplane,” Shen Yuan said, voice steady when Luo Binghe was sure it wouldn’t have been seconds before. “If Luo Binghe must go into the Abyss, he’s not going in having no idea what he’s going to face. You created that hell; you’re going to mentally walk him through it before that rift opens up.”

Shang Qinghua nodded quickly. “Sure, of course. Though I don’t remember a lot? I wrote the story several decades ago, Cucumber-bro. And it had been years before I died that I wrote the Abyss chapters! You probably remember it more than me!”

Shen Yuan took a deep breath and then leaned over the table a little, taking charge once more. “Then it looks like me and you are going to have to spend a lot of time together remembering what we can. We are going to give Luo Binghe everything he could ever need down there, or I will march you to Shen Jiu myself and reveal you for the traitor you are.”

“Hey, man, no need for that! I already agreed to help!”

Shen Yuan sighed and leaned back. “Just wanted to be clear. Let’s make a schedule before you escape; I’m sure we both have a lot to deal with and I’m not going to leave this alone any longer than I have to.”

“Sure, sure,” Shang Qinghua said. The An Ding Peak Lord grew calmer as the conversation progressed to haggling around meeting times that Luo Binghe left to Shen Yuan. He knew it was the young man’s way of protecting him even when he would be a realm away, and he appreciated that. 

By the time Shang Qinghua got up to leave, he looked more like he’d had a minorly difficult conversation and less like his life had been seriously threatened multiple times. Luo Binghe said, voicing a thought he had been ruminating on for several minutes, “See if your ice king is interested in strengthening his position in other ways. Just because the Endless Abyss has to open doesn’t mean that he needs to make the situation there worse. We both hate the Palace Master and will have to live in the demon realm when I leave the Endless Abyss. Better to become acquainted sooner rather than later.”

“What?” Shen Yuan said, sitting on his knees and turning to him.

Shang Qinghua just nodded and rushed to the door. “Sure thing, not a problem. Okay, bye!”

He closed the door behind him after successfully fleeing, and Luo Binghe checked the privacy barrier before turning to answer Shen Yuan. “Hm?”

“What do you mean, you’re living in the demon realm?” Shen Yuan demanded. “You would leave Qing Jing?”

“You think they would knowingly let a Heavenly Demon be second in command?” Luo Binghe asked, leaning casually against the table.

“Well, why not!?” Shen Yuan said, hands making fists on his legs. “You have done nothing but support and protect the Sect! You would be entering the Endless Abyss… we could spin it as another act of protection, if anyone even knew where you were! I could talk to gege, who could convince Yue-ge! Surely, they would see reason!”

“My entire existence here is a lie to them, Shen Yuan,” he said calmly. “Me continuing to pretend to be what I’m not after being in the Endless Abyss for however long…? No. I have to draw the line somewhere. I’m tired of hiding.”

“I thought things were better! I thought I–!” Shen Yuan swallowed his words, and Luo Binghe abruptly realized what he wasn’t saying.

“Listen to me: I am not leaving you.” Shen Yuan shuddered and lowered his head. Luo Binghe put a hand on the back of his neck to ground him and said, “I am never leaving you; my time in the Abyss is but a temporary separation. Me living in the demon realm? What does distance matter to me when I have Xin Mo? My title changes nothing about our relationship, okay? Nothing.”

Shen Yuan reached out to him, and Luo Binghe pulled him closer. He hugged him tight and it took everything Luo Binghe had to not kiss his head in comfort. “I’ll keep you safe, A-Yuan, and only the Abyss itself can keep me from your side.”

After that conversation with Shang Qinghua, Shen Yuan felt a confused mix of emotions that he couldn’t begin to untangle himself. He threw himself into his work to avoid having to think about it too long in any moment of downtime. He avoided Liu Qingge because he really was not interested in talking about the demon realm in any capacity beyond what would help Luo Binghe get out of the Abyss faster, and he didn’t know how to explain the change in behavior. He tried to avoid Shen Jiu for as long as possible, even knowing that would make his brother suspicious of him and thus more interested in his activities. 

He even found himself avoiding Luo Binghe, in part because he wanted to be around him so desperately. He didn’t know why, but something about their teamwork when speaking to Shang Qinghua and his reaction when suddenly faced with the possibility of Luo Binghe never returning to Qing Jing Peak left him shaken. He felt inexplicably drawn to the man, his body remembering the feel of his arms around him and urging him to seek out his embrace again. He found himself staring at his hands or face or shoulders before mentally poking himself for being weird. 

He just… he wanted to be close to him all the time, so he did his best to stay as far away from him as possible. It was difficult, considering Shen Yuan had actually moved into his personal quarters for the duration of the construction on his disciple quarters. Luo Binghe was unavoidable at meals (as Shen Yuan was not desperate enough to not indulge himself on the delicious food), but Shen Yuan was able to rein in his weirdness for short periods at a time. During the day when he would usually work beside him? 

Well, there really was only one safe place to go, wasn’t there?

“Dude, why are you here again?” Shang Qinghua asked as Shen Yuan posted up in his office three days after their initial conversation. “Are you here to threaten me again? Because I promise, there’s no need for that.”

“What? No. I’m here to hide. No one would think to look for me here. Thanks in advance.”

“Huh? Hey, I didn’t tell you you could stay!”

“...what would it cost?”

“What?”

“To bribe you to let me stay here during the day and avoid people while I figure things out. What would your silence cost?”

“Could you ask Luo Binghe to lay off me? I feel like at the next Peak Lord Meeting he’s going to scare me half to death for the hell of it.”

“Funny you think I can control his behavior, but sure, no problem.”

“...not touching that because I value my life. You need a writing desk?”

“Yeah, thanks.”

To Shen Yuan’s surprise, it had worked. He returned home for dinner to find Luo Binghe cooking dinner anxiously. “Shen Yuan, where were you today?”

“Working! Found an excellent place to get things done. I’m actually ahead on paperwork!” Luo Binghe turned to look at him and meeting his eyes had Shen Yuan blushing for some reason. “I’m going to go wash the day off, see you soon!”

Binghe let him go as Shen Yuan did his best to control himself as he cleaned up. He ate dinner with Luo Binghe and tried to act normally. He asked about his day and his thoughts and things were normal right up until Shen Yuan noticed he was blankly staring at Luo Binghe’s mouth as he talked about poetry. He rushed out of there to save his own sanity and then immediately put it out of his mind. 

He left a note for Luo Binghe early in the morning after a sleepless night that he was going to skip breakfast and get to work on some new proposals. 

Shang Qinghua was already there when Shen Yuan arrived at breakfast time. He looked at him incredulously. “Again?”

“What’s your price?”

“You’re starting to creep me out here.”

“Airplane.” 

“Could you get Liu Qingge to actually submit his requisition reports in legible handwriting?”

“...yeah, actually. I’ll see what I can do.”

“You pull that off, you’ve bought yourself a week of my silence.”

Looked like Shen Yuan was making a stop before heading back to Qing Jing Peak. 

Liu Qingge had been baffled by his request. “What are you talking about?”

“I had to ask Shang-shishu a question and couldn’t help noticing that a report I couldn’t read had your seal on it,” he said, arms crossed in front of him. “Liu-shishu, really, it’s a miracle you get An Ding to do anything for your Peak! Do you need help doing your paperwork? Shizun’s been teaching me, and I would be happy to assist if you need it.”

“Shen Yuan! How dare you—get off my Peak.”

Shen Yuan flinched and moved away like a kicked puppy. “This disciple apologizes, Peak Lord Liu. He overstepped. Good day.”

He fled back to Qing Jing Peak for dinner, only to be confronted with Luo Binghe waiting for him. “Shen Yuan.”

“Luo Binghe?”

“Are we going to talk about what’s bothering you or are you going to leave me to worry in silence?”

Shen Yuan winced and came in to stand at the threshold of his office. Luo Binghe looked up at him with clear concern and Shen Yuan finally blurted, “Could you hug me again?”

Luo Binghe blinked at him. “You’ve been avoiding me. Because you want a hug?”

“...” Shen Yuan wanted to melt into the floor. “It’s not exactly something that we’ve done outside of emotional moments.”

Luo Binghe sighed and rubbed at his forehead. “All this because… Shen Yuan, I will hug you as much as you like, especially if it means you will feel more comfortable telling me what you’re feeling in the future rather than hiding from me.”

“...okay, yeah, that makes sense.” He laughed awkwardly at himself. “It just felt too… heavy to say, I guess?”

“Does it feel heavy anymore?”

“Well, no. But what if you had said no and thought I was weird and hated me and kicked me off the Peak for being inappropriate?” Luo Binghe stared at him. Shen Yuan stared back. “I’m serious! With stakes that high, why wouldn’t I just want to avoid you rather than talk about it?! I don’t want to stop being your friend or personal disciple.”

“Okay, since you need it said so plainly, let me be blunt.” Luo Binghe stood from his desk and walked closer to him. He stopped on the edge of Shen Yuan’s personal space, and Shen Yuan found himself leaning closer to bridge the gap. “As long as what you ask me for will not hurt you or me, I will give you whatever you ask. Though I do have a request of my own.”

“Yes?” Shen Yuan breathed, the air suddenly thin around them. 

Luo Binghe smiled and pulled him into a hug. He was solid and warm against Shen Yuan, and he couldn’t help melting into his embrace as he said, “When we’re alone, call me Binghe.”

Shen Yuan hugged him tighter and said, “Okay, Binghe.”

“Good boy,” Luo Binghe said casually, leaving Shen Yuan internally reeling as he patted his back. “That wasn’t so hard, was it?”

Shen Yuan shook his head and made some excuse to go to his room. Luo Binghe would be occupied cooking dinner for some time, giving him time to recover himself. 

It was odd to be able to ask for anything and then get it from Luo Binghe. As in Luo Binghe, the one and only Problematic Fave worth any of Shen Yuan’s time (not that he was problematic; the world was). But also Luo Binghe, his best friend and confidant and Shizun and the most important person in Shen Yuan’s life. 

Hugs were nice. It was normal for friends to hug each other in his world; he had only felt weird about asking as this wasn’t his world and he didn’t want to offend Binghe. He’d just wanted to hug a friend and freaked out over fear of being rejected. 

Haha, good thing that was taken care of!

He was able to go about dinner normally after that, and hugged Luo Binghe before they both retired for the night. Sure, he fell asleep with a smile on his face, but that just meant he was happy to share a home with such an understanding friend. 

He slept well that night.

Even with resolving his internal confusion around Luo Binghe, Shen Yuan still had to face the fact he really wasn’t feeling like visiting Liu Qingge or his brother. Liu Qingge, because he had been kicked off Bai Zhan Peak the last time he had visited. Shen Jiu?

Well, how exactly was he going to explain why he didn’t want to talk to him?

He didn’t understand how, but hugging Luo Binghe and getting a good night of sleep left Shen Yuan feeling more than a little silly for his initial worries. Luo Binghe had survived the Endless Abyss as a mostly-untrained disciple; he would be more than fine as an adult cultivation master!! He needed to not tip anyone off to the fact that things would dramatically change for the worse when the Immortal Alliance Conference came regardless of Mobei-Jun’s attack or not. 

He shouldn’t act suspicious! And avoiding the people he saw regularly was suspicious!

It had only been a couple of days. Was that enough time for Shen Jiu to notice something had been off with him?

He needed time to think about this. He made a point to be seen around Qing Jing Peak that day, especially once it became clear that his peers were worried about how he had essentially disappeared for days after being so present for weeks. Then, wanting some time to think, he went back to An Ding Peak.

Shang Qinghua looked up and grinned excitedly when he saw Shen Yuan walk in. “Cucumber-bro, I don’t know how you did it, but Liu Qingge sent over a legible request today! He put actual effort into it!! You’ve got yourself a desk as long as he keeps it up.”

“Thanks,” Shen Yuan said, sighing as he sat at said desk off to the side. He should be working on several things, but he needed to figure out how to handle Shen Jiu first. 

At length, Shang Qinghua said, “You know, we need to come up with a reason why you started hanging around here.”

“Easy: you remind me of someone I knew a long time ago. You’re trying to take advantage of my connections to Luo Binghe and Shen Jiu to get An Ding more privileges, and I’m trying to understand how the Sect is run. Being here is safer politically than me being seen on Qiong Ding, especially as I don’t want to give my brother any notion that I’m thinking of jumping ship.”

Shang Qinghua stared at him. Shen Yuan stared back. “What?”

“Did you just think of that right now?”

“Yeah. That kind of stuff is a breeze to think through as long as you know your limitations. It’s all about leverage and understanding what other people think you want, then playing to that. It helps that it has grains of truth in it.”

Shang Qinghua was staring at him with his jaw on the floor. “Fuck, but you are Shen Jiu’s brother.”

Shen Yuan smiled. “Yeah, Jiu-ge’s great! Unfortunately, he is harder to trick than most.”

“Happy you know that, didi.”

Both Shen Yuan and Shang Qinghua audibly startled as Shen Jiu’s voice came through the door that then slid open to reveal the man himself. Shen Yuan righted himself to ask Shang Qinghua accusingly, “You don’t have a privacy seal on your office?”

“I have nothing to hide!” Shang Qinghua cried plaintively, lying like butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth. 

“But it seems you do, Shen Yuan,” Shen Jiu said archly as he came over and picked Shen Yuan up by the back of his robes like a street cat.

“I can move on my own power!” Shen Yuan hissed. 

“So you’re going to come with me back to my house and I won’t have to carry you all the way there?”

“Gods, please don’t fight in here,” Shang Qinghua gasped, sounding terrified. 

“Goodbye, Shang-shidi,” Shen Jiu said as he pulled Shen Yuan along with him. “I’ll deal with you later.”

Shang Qinghua whimpered and Shen Yuan said as they walked outside, “Leave the poor guy alone; I bullied him to let me work in here.”

“If a disciple is able to bully a Peak Lord, then we have a problem indeed. Besides, you sounded rather familiar with each other…”

“He does remind me of someone from before I got amnesia,” Shen Yuan said.

“Really.”

“Yeah, didn’t you hear that in your eavesdropping?”

“I’m above such things and had only just arrived to hear you proudly proclaim that I was great and difficult to trick. Which begs the question of what you would try to trick me over.” 

Shen Jiu stepped onto Xiu Ya and, seeing An Ding disciples already staring at them, Shen Yuan decided to save what little face he had to mount Jue Shi as well. They began flying towards Qiong Ding Peak as Shen Yuan asked, “Can I not have a personal life?”

“No.”

“Gege, be reasonable.”

Shen Jiu harrumphed, and Shen Yuan knew that the man acknowledged he was right in this one thing. As for everything else…?

Well, he was up a creek with no paddle, so he’d better make one out of bullshit!

He had some time to prepare himself as they crossed the distance between the two Peaks, Shen Jiu much preferring to speak in a private place that didn’t require yelling like flying at any speed did. Unfortunately, he came up with nothing helpful as they walked back the long way into Shen Jiu and Yue Qingyuan’s home. 

“Xiao Jiu?” Yue Qingyuan called.

“Obviously,” Shen Jiu said. “Xiao Yuan’s with me.” 

Yue Qingyuan, dressed casually, stuck his head out of his home office and smiled at them both. “Hello, Shen Yuan. It is nice to see you both.”

“You just saw me,” Shen Jiu sighed.

“And yet I am happy to see you once more, beloved,” Yue Qingyuan said pleasantly. “I see you need to talk, so I will be in here if you need me.”

“Ridiculous man,” Shen Jiu muttered as Yue Qingyuan went back into his office. “Good thing I married him.”

“Uh huh,” Shen Yuan said, shaking his head at the slight blush on his brother’s cheek. He probably would have a minor meltdown if Yue Qingyuan was an ounce less affectionate with him.

Shen Jiu pursed his lips at Shen Yuan but at least knew not to say anything. They had already had the conversation about Shen Jiu returning the affection Yue Qingyuan gave him and why he was so embarrassed to even accept it without saying something to diminish it. It turned out Shen Jiu was affectionate, just uncomfortable being so in front of anyone else, even Shen Yuan. He knew that, but that didn’t stop Shen Yuan from lightly needling him over it. 

They went into a sitting room and Shen Jiu lightly pushed Shen Yuan to sit across from where he settled. Shen Yuan rolled his eyes and poured them both water. “Well, now what?”

“Now you tell me why you bothered working at An Ding of all places recently,” Shen Jiu said. “Shang Qinghua could have only met you a few days prior since you got here, yet you find yourself bullying him into making space for you in his office almost immediately after? Something is wrong.”

Shen Yuan sighed. “I just wanted some space to myself that no one would think to look for a couple of days.”

“And why is that?” Shen Jiu asked, eyes narrowed. “If you had asked for privacy in Qing Jing, they certainly would have given it to you. You could have come here or to Bai Zhan. But no, you went to An Ding.”

“I didn’t want to talk to anyone about why I was there, okay?!” Shen Yuan said before frowning. “Gods, can’t a guy process things alone without it being a fucking news bullietin.”

“A what?” 

“A news…” Shen Yuan winced. “Like having a town crier announce it. I was having a moment that comes with having teenage hormones, alright? I wanted to deal with it privately!”

“Ah.” Shen Jiu looked him over and said, “Close, but not enough. Luo Qingdong should have been more than equipped to help you understand the changes your body is going through, even as your cultivation base settles.”

“...I was avoiding Shizun, too,” Shen Yuan said. Of course, he immediately heard how that sounded and rushed to say, “Not that he did anything wrong! In fact, he got me to talk to him yesterday by saying he was concerned about me and talking to him calmed me down? I just was afraid of offending him or disqualifying myself to be a Head Disciple, or in some way disappointing him.

“I trust Shizun a lot,” he continued, looking down into his cup of water. “He’s so kind and smart. He’s never impatient with me and makes sure I take care of myself even as he ensures I eat at least twice every day. He’s really amazing, you know? I saw him beat Liu-shishu in combat in the Lingxi Caves easily, but he never flaunts his power. I can’t imagine not being his personal disciple now that I am.”

There was a beat of silence before Shen Jiu sighed and said, “I had hoped I was misreading things.”

Shen Yuan looked up, heart jumping in alarm. “Huh?” Have I said something wrong!? Did I get Binghe in trouble?!

“Shen Yuan, what do you think of Luo Binghe’s looks?” Shen Jiu asked, as neutrally as possible for him (so it had a slight note of distaste that Shen Yuan decided to ignore). 

“He’s objectively beautiful, obviously,” Shen Yuan said. “Anyone with eyes can see that!”

“Right, okay. Objectively, what do you think of Liu Qingge’s looks?”

Shen Yuan frowned, not understanding where his brother was going. “He’s beautiful, too, as to be expected. Probably the prettiest man I have ever seen, and definitely prettier than most women I have seen.”

Shen Jiu looked around before standing briefly to bring over a white lacquered jar and two small cups. “Alright. We are doing this.”

“What?” Shen Jiu opened the jar and Shen Yuan could smell the sting of alcohol. He watched his brother pour them both cups and raised his to meet it in toast when Shen Jiu offered. He drank it because he didn’t want to be rude, then was surprised to find it sweet and fragrant. “What is this?”

“Rice wine. I need it, and I suspect you will too in order for us to get through this conversation.” Shen Jiu looked at the jar pointedly and Shen Yuan quickly refilled his cup. He took a much more measured sip as he said, “Shen Yuan, how did you explain your avoidance to Luo Qingdong?”

Shen Yuan frowned and refilled Shen Jiu’s cup when he put it on the table. “I said I had been scared to disappoint him, afraid that he would replace me as his personal disciple or even kick me out of Qing Jing Peak.” Shen Jiu looked at him like he had lost his mind. Shen Yuan shrugged. “I knew it didn’t make any sense; it was why I wanted time to myself to work through it without bothering anyone with my irrational feelings. He told me that I could never disappoint him like that and that he wants me to speak to him when I have these kinds of thoughts again rather than avoiding and thus worrying him. It made me feel both better and foolish for my anxiety in the first place.”

“At least he is reasonable,” Shen Jiu muttered before shaking his head. “Do you know what drove your fear of disappointment?”

Shen Yuan blinked at him. “That’s not enough?”

Shen Jiu sighed and put the palm of his hands against his eyes. “Why am I having this… no! No one else can have this conversation with you!”

Shen Jiu drained his cup once more and looked Shen Yuan straight in the eyes. “You are attracted to your Shizun.” 

Shen Yuan looked at him for a moment before laughing. He picked up the jug again and poured Shen Jiu another cup. “Ah, gege, you scared me for a second. I almost thought you were serious.”

“I am.” Shen Yuan looked incredulously at him. “Do you think I am happy to explain this to you?! But I can’t sit here with this knowledge and then let you go off and make a fool of yourself the next time he smiles at you in just the right lighting.”

Shen Yuan sobered, seeing Shen Jiu was genuinely trying to help him. It wasn’t his fault he was wrong! “Jiu-ge, I can’t be attracted to Shizun. I’m not into men!”

Shen Jiu stared at him for a long second before standing. “I need reinforcements. It’s worse than I thought.”

“Wait, wait!” Shen Yuan said, not wanting this false idea to spread to everyone, let alone the Sect Leader. Shen Jiu stared at him balefully as Shen Yuan said, “I have nothing against men! I’ve just never been a relationship or anything! And I haven’t wanted to be in a relationship! It genuinely hasn’t occurred to me, ge.”

Shen Jiu sat back down slowly and looked over him. “So you’ve never experienced the feelings you have around Luo Qingdong before?”

“Huh? No, of course not! No one has been Shizun!”

“Tell me, do you ever feel lightheaded around him?” Shen Jiu asked, tone even and serious enough that Shen Yuan actually leaned in to listen. “Like you want nothing more to be closer to him? Like you would die if you didn’t touch him but pass out if you did?”

Shen Yuan stared at him, speechless. 

“Do you catch yourself looking at parts of him? I don’t just mean his pants, either. It could be his neck, his shoulders, his hands, anything.”

Okay, Shen Yuan was starting to get nervous. “I mean, I’m around him all the time. Of course when we’re talking my eyes might zone out on some part of him while I listen.”

“You are being deliberately obtuse. You spend a lot of time around other people, Shen Yuan. Does that happen with anyone else? Even Liu Qingge?”

“Why do you keep bringing him up?”

“Answer the question, didi.”

“No, it doesn’t happen with anyone else,” Shen Yuan said. “That doesn’t mean anything.”

“It means that you are attracted to him. And, if what you’re telling me is accurate, it’s the first time you’ve been noticeably attractive to anyone. ”

“This can’t be it,” Shen Yuan said, a scared laugh in his voice. “That’s insane. This can’t be attraction.”

Shen Jiu looked at him pityingly and picked up the jug. “More wine?”

“...yeah, I guess.” Shen Yuan said, confused and dismayed. 

Shen Jiu poured him some wine, and Shen Yuan drank it down. 

Luo Binghe waited for Shen Yuan to come home for them to begin eating dinner. Even at his most embarrassed over wanting to touch him, Shen Yuan had come home.

But he had never been this late. 

Two ke after he expected Shen Yuan to be home, there was the sound of people entering and Yue Qingyuan, of all people, called out, “Shidi?”

Pique forgotten, Luo Binghe stood and rushed to the front of his home. It took all of his control to suppress his demonic instincts as he saw Shen Yuan held up by a long-suffering Yue Qingyuan. It was some balm to his soul to Shen Yuan immediately brighten at seeing him with an exuberant, “Shizun!”

Shen Yuan immediately walked towards him only to stumble on the step up. Both Yue Qingyuan and Luo Binghe reached to catch him, though Yue Qingyuan was closer. Shen Yuan giggled as he was caught by his brother-in-law and said, “Oops! Shizun, gege gave me wine! He said it would help and it did!”

Luo Binghe stared at Shen Yuan taking off his shoes with far too much concentration before looking at Yue Qingyuan. The Sect Leader shook his head and said, “Xiao Jiu rarely drinks, and is only in a better state than Xiao Yuan because of his golden core. I think he forgot his brother is not yet a cultivation master.”

“Then why did they drink in the first place?” Luo Binghe asked, only for Yue Qingyuan to give him a pained look as he shook his head. “Shen brother secrets?”

“Shen brother secrets,” Yue Qingyuan agreed. 

Shen Yuan tried to stand, and this time Luo Binghe caught him when he stumbled. Shen Yuan seemed delighted with this change and went all but boneless in his arms. Luo Binghe picked him up to keep things simple as Shen Yuan said, “Gege said I was embarrassing the family and I was by having messy feelings! I was silly and dumb, but Jiu-ge helped! We’re neeevvverrr going to talk about it again! Because then I’ll be in trouble, shhh.” 

Shen Yuan clumsily put a single finger to his mouth and then to Luo Binghe’s, which was… new. Luo Binghe shot Yue Qingyuan an exasperated look, and the Sect Leader could only grimace. “I’ll have Qingfang send over a hangover cure discreetly.”

“Thanks for bringing him back,” Luo Binghe said.

“Don’t mention it, really,” he said before leaving. 

Luo Binghe held Shen Yuan closer after his shixiong was gone and Shen Yuan put his arms around Binghe’s neck, nuzzling into the skin he could reach. “Didn’t I do well, Binghe?” Shen Yuan whispered. “I didn’t even use your name in front of Yue-ge.”

“Yes, you did well,” Luo Binghe said with a sigh. “You want to tell me why you had to be brought home drunk?”

“No, but I will anyway,” Shen Yuan said as he laid his head on his shoulder and looked up at him with adoring eyes. A hand played in Luo Binghe’s hair casually as he said, “You know how I had never kissed anyone before Liu Qingge?”

Luo Binghe’s eye twitched. “What about it?

“It turns out I have never been attracted to anyone either. Like. Sexually.” Shen Yuan quieted his voice even more when he said the final word, a flush that was more than alcohol spreading across his cheeks. “I didn’t know what it felt like, but Jiu-ge explained it. It turns out that I am attracted to someone.”

“And who’s that?” Luo Binghe asked, knowing the answer as he paused in the walk to his–their–quarters.

“You, of course,” Shen Yuan said with a bright smile. “Who else could it possibly be?”

Luo Binghe was smug as he resumed walking. “Could have been Liu Qingge.”

“Ugh, gege kept mentioning him, too, but he’s like. Budget you. You’re the best of everything in this world or any other, Binghe. What are others to me?”

Luo Binghe stared at him, once more struck by how easily Shen Yuan said things love poets dared not write. “You’ve said such things before.”

“Yeah, and I meant it then,” Shen Yuan said with a pseudo-wise nod. “And now I mean it in every way. It’s like I understand a new language now, but every word of it is a variation of your name.”

“Gods, Shen Yuan,” Luo Binghe breathed. “You say such things.”

“I usually just think them,” Shen Yuan said sagely. “But why would I stop myself from saying these things now? Unless you don’t like them…”

“I do,” he promised. “I like them a lot. I want you to say it all the time when we’re alone.”

“As long as we’re alone,” Shen Yuan repeated. He ran a hand over Luo Binghe’s face as Binghe walked them over to their table, intending to make sure Shen Yuan at least drank some water before he helped him circulate his qi to alleviate the no doubt massive hangover he was facing tomorrow. As he knelt to put him on the floor, Shen Yuan said, “I’ll be your secret, I’ll be your anything, as long as I am yours and you do not leave me.”

“A-Yuan,” Luo Binghe breathed, heart about to beat out of his chest. He took his hands in his and kissed his fingers. “Say this to me in the daylight, when you are sober, and I shall give you more than you even want for yourself.”

“All I could ever want is you,” Shen Yuan said, eyes unfocused and guileless.

“You have me,” Luo Binghe promised. “You have me for all time.”

Shen Yuan blinked at him and smiled. Then his blinks became longer. “What a strange, lovely dream.”

“Shen–!” Shen Yuan’s eyes closed and he slumped back immediately as he succumbed to the alcohol in his blood. Luo Binghe sighed as he laid him down and put fingers to his wrist, helping him cultivate out of some of the alcohol poisoning he was experiencing. He could do nothing about what was already absorbed into his body, but he hoped it was enough to allow him to feel well by midday rather than the following morning. 

As he looked his sleeping future wife over, Luo Binghe couldn’t help but feel fond of both Shen Jiu and Yue Qingyuan. While one had definitely poisoned his brother, it was in an attempt to get him to understand what he was feeling far faster than Luo Binghe likely would have managed on his own. And Yue Qingyuan had brought him to Binghe when no doubt Shen Jiu needed care as well. 

Both of them looked out for Shen Yuan in their own ways, and Luo Binghe definitely believed that Shen Jiu wanted liquid assistance to have a conversation about his little brother being attracted to his Shizun. The question now was how he was going to keep the advancement of their relationship under wraps when Shen Jiu already knew of Shen Yuan’s feelings towards Luo Binghe. Or, at least, part of them.

No, Shen Yuan was careful, even utterly intoxicated. Shen Jiu likely had no idea the depths of his brother’s obsession and love, probably just thinking it a belated teenage crush. But Shen Yuan was just as serious as Luo Binghe was, and that was a fact that was best left for another time. 

Luo Binghe did his best to leave Shen Yuan dressed modestly for bed and prepare some water beside his bed for the morning as he thought about how that time that was coming ever closer. The revelation that he would need to enter the Endless Abyss to keep Shen Yuan alive still echoed through his mind days later. It meant that his timeline for their future had shifted dramatically. 

Shen Yuan would not only have to be his Head Disciple but Acting Peak Lord when Luo Binghe was away and presumed missing, in one of the best case scenarios he envisioned. He craved Luo Binghe’s presence, and their separation would take a toll on them both. He doubted that would be less true after their marriage. 

Hm. Something for him to think about. They had plenty of time to prepare. Surely, there was some way he could keep his wife company from a distance…

He checked him over one last time to ensure he was sleeping soundly before leaving him for the night. He still had a meal to eat and clean up from. He would be sure to cook something easy on the stomach for breakfast.

His goal would be to always make his A-Yuan feel cared for. Then, when he was ready, he would reach out and ask to be taken, and Binghe would answer.

Shen Yuan was. 

Alive.

Whether that was a good thing at the moment was uncertain.

He groaned awake, turning in bed in hopes that laying on his side would decrease his nausea. He knew this feeling from his ill-conceived experiments on drinking, and was not happy to be experiencing a hangover once again. He had sworn off drinking enough to get to this point in his first life successfully. What the hell had happened to get him disregarding that here?

Well, he was a cultivator now, so alcohol shouldn’t have the same effect on him! And, as he sat up, he realized that he was mostly nauseous with a pounding headache, but he didn’t have a migraine and he wasn’t feeling like death warmed over. It was just worse than he was used to and left him questioning his choices.

…

Oh. Oh, right. 

Why had he been drinking? Because his brother had to sit him down and explain attraction to him to convince him he was down to fuck Luo Binghe. 

His Shizun.

His best friend. 

His not-quite-Stallion Protagonist.

Luo Binghe. 

“Ahhhhhhh,” Shen Yuan quietly yelled to himself at the memory, and then the startlingly patchy space in his mind between his second cup of alcohol and waking up in his bed. “Aaahhhhhhhh!!!”

There was a knock at his door, making him shut up immediately. “I assume you’re awake?” Luo Binghe asked, amusement clear in his tone.

“No,” Shen Yuan whined. “I’m existing somewhere where I didn’t drink my brother under the table.”

…that was funny though. He had the vague memory of Shen Jiu hugging him tight and calling him the best idiot brother ever. The often aloof man was an octopus drunk, and he thought that he protested Shen Yuan being pulled away from him at one point, but that could have just been a dream. 

“Well that’s too bad, because that place doesn’t have Mu Qingfang’s famous hangover cure at the table with congee.” 

Shen Yuan paused before turning over to look at the door. “Truly?”

“Ordered over by the Sect Leader himself,” Luo Binghe said. “He dropped you off.”

Shen Yuan groaned again as he spotted some water at his bedside. “I’ll be out in a moment.”

“Take your time, clean yourself up. I’ll be eating breakfast.”

Shen Yuan did as he was told, and felt worlds better a ke later after drinking some water and giving himself a quick bath. The nausea had mostly passed, but his head was not enjoying movement. 

Luo Binghe was sitting at the table where Shen Yuan’s food was waiting for him, calmly reading a scroll as he waited for him to make his way over. Shen Yuan saw the warming talisman on his bowl and sat down heavily in front of his food. “Thank you,” he said, reaching for the medicine bottle. “This it?”

“For the hangover? Yes, just drink it.” Shen Yuan did, gagging at the bitter taste but choking it down anyway. He quickly drank some tea and took a bite of congee, and was sad that the medicine ruined the initial taste of both. 

He supposed it was the price of doing business. He ate his food slowly, and looked up to see Luo Binghe watching him steadily. Shen Yuan swallowed his bite and said, “Thank you again, for taking care of me. I have no idea what I was like when I got here, but I know you put me to bed and did what you could to help me feel better.”

“It was my pleasure,” Luo Binghe said easily, his voice not at all matching the intensity of his gaze. “You have no memory of last night?”

“Not really? Ah, I’ve never been so intoxicated.” Shen Yuan winced and focused on his food. “Last time I drink with Jiu-ge.”

“Why did you drink so much?” Shen Yuan froze in place, his spoon hovering over his bowl. “If it has something to do with your brother, then fine. But if something is bothering you to the point that you hurt yourself like this, then I would like to know.”

Shen Yuan really didn’t know what to say. He didn’t want to lie to him, but he couldn’t exactly tell him the truth, either! Wanting hugs from a friend was one thing; telling a friend that you were interested in doing that without clothes on was something different!

Oh, wait. Had he actually ever thought about Luo Binghe without clothes on consciously before? Because the mental picture was suddenly very distracting…

“Shen Yuan.” Shen Yuan jumped and he scrambled to get up from the table. Luo Binghe started to stand, saying, “We just talked about–”

“Please, give me a couple of days!” Shen Yuan begged, out of options and a hair away from panicking. “Nothing is wrong, I promise. I’m not in danger, you’re not in danger. I just, I need to think through things, okay!? Give me time, Binghe, please.”

Luo Binghe looked him over before he sat back in his seat. “Alright, I’ll give you time. Now, can you please finish your breakfast before running away from me? It would make me feel better throughout the day, knowing you have eaten well.”

Shen Yuan’s heart hurt for him as he said, “Yes, I will.” He sat and picked up his spoon again. “And I’m not running away from you.”

“Could have fooled me,” Luo Binghe said dryly.

“Binghe.”

Luo Binghe’s mouth quirked in quiet amusement as his expression softened. “It’s fine, A-Yuan. As long as you keep using my name like that, then you can’t be too upset with me.”

He opened his mouth to reassure him that he wasn’t upset with him, only to close it because that way lay dragons. He needed to figure himself out and what he was feeling and what he was going to do about what he was feeling before talking about this more with Binghe. He decided just to nod and before changing the topic. 

“Jiu-ge took me from Shang-shishu’s office yesterday without letting me clean up. I have to go back today to get my things.”

“Why do you work there, again?” Luo Binghe asked, thankfully accepting Shen Yuan’s pivot. 

“No one would have thought to look for me there before Jiu-ge showed up and ruined my cover,” Shen Yuan said. “It was a good place to get things done. Also, I don’t have to worry about accidentally being too weird for this world. Shang Qinghua doesn’t ask questions, and I’ve bought his cooperation for a while longer.”

“Bought?”

Shen Yuan couldn’t help smiling a little as he said, “So you know those requisition forms everyone has to submit to An Ding?”

Moments later saw Luo Binghe laughing at his shidi’s expense and Shen Yuan feeling so much better about things. He would figure his shit out and not lose his friend over his body’s sudden decision to start experiencing attraction or whatever. 

He might just need a little help. 

Shen Yuan’s reticence over sharing his internal struggle was frustrating for Luo Binghe, but he reminded himself to be patient. Shen Jiu had removed the wool from Shen Yuan’s eyes in relation to his own feelings. It was now Luo Binghe’s job to make sure Shen Yuan wouldn’t be able to ignore them. 

They returned to their regular schedule easily enough, albeit with Shen Yuan skittish around him even as his eyes followed him more. He did his best to take the advantages that he had.

He ran sword drills with him, enjoying both feeling Shen Yuan’s eyes watching his movements and lightly touching him to adjust his form as he followed Luo Binghe’s instruction. They had to call that lesson early as Shen Yuan complained of being overheated and having some deadline that certainly didn’t exist. 

Luo Binghe cooked Shen Yuan’s favorite foods, and he watched the young man all but melt into a puddle of culinary pleasure each evening. He was far more likely to want to hug him after a meal like that, with the added bonus of looking at Binghe like he was the best thing ever created. And sure, Shen Yuan had said he thought so in pretty much those words, but it was nice to be loved like that from simply making him a meal.

He even tried to be helpful. “Have you tried talking to your brother again?”

Apparently, he had. “Jiu-ge is the opposite of helpful. He opened Pandora’s Box and his solution is to ignore it.”

That had Luo Binghe asking who this Pandora was and Shen Yuan was quick to lead him on a distracting tangent about myths from his previous world. Binghe let himself be distracted, but remembered his words. 

And Luo Binghe decided to make it impossible to ignore him. 

Shen Yuan was desperate. And desperate times called for desperate measures. 

The wild thing was: it wasn’t anyone’s fault. Shen Yuan had been heading to freshen up in the bathroom, half awake like he usually was after just getting out of bed. Luo Binghe had been making buns and accidentally spilled flour all over himself, prompting a trip to the bathroom. 

So when Shen Yuan walked in on a half-naked, absolutely ripped Luo Binghe turning around while wiping his chest off with a damp cloth, there was nothing anyone could have done. It was a series of accidents that could have happened at any time, and just happened to occur that day. 

Shen Yuan had been struck senseless by the sight of him as Luo Binghe frowned. “Sorry, I’ll be done in a moment. The flour just got everywhere. 

He could see that. There was some in his hair, giving him a roguish white streak at just the front. “Your hair.”

“Hm?” Luo Binghe lifted his hand in a way that exposed his hairy armpit and made his muscles ripple. “Oh, thanks. I’ll get that out. Could you just give me a moment? Then I’ll be out of your way.”

“Sure,” Shen Yuan said faintly as he turned away, barely feeling his feet on the ground. “I, um. Have to skip breakfast. I’ll see you at dinner.”

“Okay, see you then.” 

It was odd that Luo Binghe would let him go without checking in with him about not eating, but Shen Yuan didn’t have two spare braincells to register that. He walked back to his room, meditated his erection away, and then did bare minimum to be presentable enough to leave the house. 

Jiu-ge’s stance of “ignore it, and it will go away” wasn’t working. How was he supposed to ignore Luo Binghe!? The fact that his brother truly had only informed him about his latent attraction to Luo Binghe in order to get him to stop acting like an idiot about it backfired! He had never felt like more of a fool!

And a fool needed a fool to understand his plight.

He found himself at Shang Qinghua’s office. The smaller Peak Lord was somewhat used to Shen Yuan coming in whenever he wanted, though he did send him an annoyed, “You could send a note if you’re going to come so early.”

“Airplane.” Shen Yuan spoke seriously as he put privacy talismans on the walls before sitting in front of his desk. “I need your help.”

“Beyond what I’m already doing?!” Shang Qinghua asked, flabbergasted by his behavior and words.

Shen Yuan needed to pull out the big guns. “I’ll tell Luo Binghe to keep Mobei-Jun alive, no matter what he decides to do at the Conference.”

Shang Qinghua froze and put his brush down, giving Shen Yuan his full attention. “Deadass?”

“If Mobei-Jun stays alive, that means he’s in power. And if he’s in power, you’ll always have a safe place to go if someone in Cang Qiong discovers your connection to him. Luo Binghe is going to rule the Demon Realm, either with his father or alone. He’ll believe me when I tell him that Mobei-Jun was his other self’s most loyal retainer. It will give him a reason to be merciful, when he might not have had it otherwise.”

Shang Qinghua looked at him with something approaching fear. “What could you possibly ask of me that would warrant such a boon?”

“Your genuine advice, you not making fun of me or my situation, and your absolute confidentiality.” 

Shang Qinghua blinked at him. “You know, you’re asking me to act as a friend here. Does that make us friends?”

“And thus less likely for me to tell Binghe to kill you despite your literary crimes? Yes, I suppose so.”

Shang Qinghua sighed and shook his head. “From Peerless Cucumber and Shen Jiu’s brother, that’s as good as a friendship bracelet with a side of melon seeds. Okay, lay it on me. What’s the situation?”

Shen Yuan said and felt the weight drop from his shoulders, “I think I’m in love with Luo Binghe.”

Shang Qinghua stared at him, waiting. Then, “And?”

“What do you mean, and!?”

“Um, I am being, like, completely sincere when I say I thought you knew this? I’ve known this for years.”

“No, no, this is beyond liking him as a character,” Shen Yuan insisted. “I mean like. Physically attracted to him.”

“Bro, I got the in love with him piece, I promise. I’m telling you, the writing has been on the wall and in your comments for years. But, judging from your expression, you didn’t know?”

“How could I?! I’ve never felt like this with anyone, ever! Not before coming here.”

Shang Qinghua frowned at him. “How old are you?”

“Twenty.”

“You’re–! Oh, oh, gods, now everything makes sense. You were a teen troll!”

“Hey, I made good points! And I’m not a teenager anymore.” 

“Right, right, got to stay focused. We’ll come back to that and why you were reading PIDW as a literal child. You needed to be around him in the flesh for you to experience the full breadth of being attracted to him. That’s fair. And I will say the only surprising thing about this confession is that you were somehow the last to know that you are head over heels for Luo Binghe.”

Shen Yuan had to sit with that for a second. Then, “Okay. So now what do I do?”

“Whatever you want,” Shang Qinghua said, prompting Shen Yuan to shoot him an aggrieved look. “I’m serious! You already have more influence over him than any of his counterpart’s wives. Just talk to him so you can get married already. Though good luck keeping your brother from attempting to tear him a new one.”

Shen Yuan was back to staring at him. “What?”

“What?”

“Why are you acting like he likes me, too?”

“Oh, my God, bro, you’ve got to be kidding me!” Shen Yuan frowned at him, lost. Shang Qinghua sighed and put his face in his hands to briefly scream. 

When he looked up, his expression was calmer and he said, “Let’s do a thought exercise. How did Luo Binghe treat his favorite wives in PIDW?”

“He would sleep with them more often,” Shen Yuan answered, more than ready to tread on the safe ground of talking about PIDW. “He trusted their counsel more often than not. He cooked for them occasionally. He would give them many gifts and honors.”

“Okay. Now, how does this Luo Binghe treat you?”

“But I’m not his wife.”

“Humor me, please.”

“Alright. Well, he cooks for us and we eat together, usually twice a day. We spend a lot of time together and we’re best friends. He treats me better than he did with any of those wives.” Shang Qinghua stared at him meaningfully. “But it’s different! He wants to settle down with one partner.”

“You’ve talked about this with him?”

“Well, yeah, but only because I wanted to make sure I wasn’t getting in his way in terms of bringing people home, you know? It’s weird to me that Luo Binghe wasn’t, um. Preoccupied. ”

“Oh, he’s preoccupied, alright.”

“Anyway! We’ve grown close because we’re the only ones we can be our true selves around. I’m just happy I get to spend time with him.”

“And how much time do you spend with him?”

“Before I started to feel weird about this? Most of our waking hours, if we could help it.”

“And he did that, with you. Voluntarily.”

“Yes. I told you, we’re best friends.”

“Best friends don’t share intimate meals together daily, work together, and then can’t get enough time with the other person after all that,” Shang Qinghua said. “Shen Yuan, you were willing to die for him. And he all but said he would face the Endless Abyss over and over if it meant he could be with you. He said that in front of me, so gods only know what he says to you in private.”

“He. He only said that reassure me he wouldn’t hate me just because he was going into the Abyss to save me.” 

“Are you hearing your— No. Okay. You want my advice? Talk to him. He has a plan. At the very least, he will not be upset to finally discuss things out in the open.”

Shen Yuan couldn’t help asking, “He really doesn’t mind I’m obsessed with him?”

“My guy, he’s a demon. That’s, like, a prerequisite for a loving marriage.”

“Oh.” Huh. “I… need to think.”

Shang Qinghua nodded. “Take your time. He’s not going anywhere.”

Shen Yuan nodded, dazed, and decided to take his usual seat at the side desk. He stared at some supplies that Shang Qinghua had left for him blankly, struggling to come to terms with their conversation. 

He loved Luo Binghe.

Luo Binghe loved him.

Now what?

He considered trying to not do anything about it, and rejected that outright. He had been unstable since he realized that he was just attracted to Binghe; how could he ignore the obvious conclusion that attraction and how much he cared about him meant he was in love with him? He’d had that revelation on the flight over; how could he face Luo Binghe now that he knew that and not. Not do anything about it? 

They could talk about it and Shen Yuan could reject… no, he couldn’t even finish the thought. All he had ever wanted was for Luo Binghe to be happy and feel loved. Who would love him better than Shen Yuan? And, if Luo Binghe had somehow truly chosen him, how could he turn him away when he wanted the same thing?

So, they would be a couple. Even the thought of it made Shen Yuan’s heart beat fast enough that he had to put a hand to his chest. He wanted to be with him. Despite the risks, the possibility made him really happy.

But the consequences.

Shen Jiu was just the one that came to mind first. Luo Binghe was his Shizun, and there was a good reason that master/disciple relationships were taboo. Their situation was unique, but what would it look like to outsiders who didn’t know their secrets, who wouldn’t understand? No, they had to keep it a secret, if only to keep the peace and for everyone else’s safety.

Because if Luo Binghe truly chose him to be his one and only partner? It would take an army to keep them apart. 

Then there was the looming deadline that was the Endless Abyss. Luo Binghe would be gone for years and already decided he wouldn’t even attempt to return as Qing Jing’s Peak Lord. They knew this ahead of time, could prepare, but Shen Yuan was far from able to hold the Peak as even a stand in after he became Head Disciple. He was a ways away from cultivation master, and would be for years yet.

Well, if he cultivated the normal way that is. If he was with Luo Binghe, if they were to dual cultivate, then he could achieve a lot more in much less time. 

But then that brought him to the thought of them dual cultivating. He had to stand and pace for a moment before Shang Qinghua asked him to sit down because he was making him anxious.

No, he couldn’t bring that up. He was already going to have a difficult enough time defending his title of Head Disciple if their relationship ever was revealed to the public. How could he begin to explain his sudden advancement in cultivation if anyone but Luo Binghe checked his meridians? Shen Jiu had already done so a couple of times out of brotherly concern. If he stopped him now, it would be suspicious.

…but, realistically, with them in such close quarters, how long could they stop themselves from taking that step? They were cultivators and Shen Yuan already knew how good it felt to have them be so spiritually intertwined. And that had been in far less intimate circumstances. 

The image of Luo Binghe half naked flashed in his mind again. He had seen far less clothing on many male models in his first life, had even seen risque fanart of Luo Binghe online. But those paled in comparison to him in the flesh, to Shen Yuan knowing how wonderful it felt to be embraced by him and–

No, no, he was getting distracted again. He had to focus!

…what would it be like to kiss him?

“Uh, Shen Yuan?” He startled and looked at an uncomfortable Shang Qinghua. “Not to put too fine a point on it, but you’re beginning to make faces that I can’t really ignore. I think you need to go home and work out whatever you’re thinking with Luo Binghe.”

“...you might have a point,” Shen Yuan said. 

“I often do.”

Shen Yuan ignored the easy opening in light of the circumstances. “I know what I’m going to do now. Thanks for talking to me and giving me time to process this.”

“You’re welcome. Now, please don’t come back without this angst thing figured out. I really can’t take Shen Jiu popping in from nowhere again, okay? That man is scary.”

Shen Yuan walked out of the room. “Later, Airplane.”

He took a deep breath and headed towards Qing Jing Peak. For better or worse, he couldn’t go on living like this. Today, he would figure his emotions out and deal with the consequences rather than be in this upsetting limbo.

Here’s to hoping it wouldn’t all crash and burn.

Luo Binghe was surprised to have Shen Yuan return to the house so soon after leaving. He had been working on pulling together an extensive guide for Shen Yuan on being a Peak Lord, things that often was only ever conveyed to Head Disciples in the immediate months before a transfer of power. Shen Yuan was still in training to become a Head Disciple, but they had about two and a half years before the Immortal Alliance Conference happened. 

It would only be a month or so more at most before the only one with sense who would deny Shen Yuan the title of Head Disciple was Shen Yuan himself. He planned on treating Shen Yuan as his official, though unannounced, spouse and thus alternate authority on Qing Jing Peak two years prior to the Immortal Alliance Conference, hoping that would be enough time for everyone, including Shen Yuan, to not hesitate to recognize Shen Yuan as Luo Binghe’s replacement while he was in the Endless Abyss. What Shen Yuan decided to do after his escape would be up to him, though Luo Binghe was ready for him to either remain as Qing Jing’s Peak Lord or to join him in the demon realm as his Consort full time. 

…

That was a conversation they would need to have after their marriage, but was at least a year off. As it was, Luo Binghe was planning to hand over the Peak to his wife and knew there was no time like the present to prepare. Shen Yuan’s early return slightly derailed his agenda for the day to handle administrative planning in the morning before teaching in the afternoon, but he was unbothered. He had years to complete his task, while his beloved needed his attention now.

“Shen Yuan?” Luo Binghe called once he sensed his entry into their home. His keen ears caught his sharp intake of breath before he heard the quiet swish of fabric from his walking.

Luo Binghe intentionally set everything aside as Shen Yuan appeared in his office’s entryway, his expression complicated with enough emotions that Binghe couldn’t read it immediately. “Binghe.”

“Are you alright?” He asked, eyes quickly studying his form. Nothing seemed wrong, though his fingers played at the edge of his robes nervously. Shen Yuan was biting his lip and seemed tentative, his gaze hesitant. He continued, “Has something happened?”

“I… I don’t know how to answer that,” Shen Yuan said slowly, face flushing before he cleared his throat and walked further into the room. “But I do want to talk to you.”

“You have my attention,” Luo Binghe said soothingly, his heart starting to beat faster at the possibility of the moment, at the chance that they would finally speak about their feelings for each other and become a true couple. He kept those thoughts under control, not wanting to spook Shen Yuan while at the same time craving for his young bride to choose this for himself. 

“I. The other night with my brother.”

Luo Binghe raised his hand to cut him off. “A moment.” He put up a qi-based privacy barrier around the room then nodded to him. “Continue.”

Shen Yuan came forward and sat before his desk with a nod before speaking again. “The reason Jiu-ge and I started drinking was because my brother wanted something to help make the conversation easier for both of us. It was… embarrassing for all involved, and the wine made it easier for him to talk and for me to listen.”

Shen Yuan paused again, taking a few deep breaths as Luo Binghe waited patiently. “Take your time,” he said, doing his best to keep his voice from shaking because yes, finally, finally, they were here. 

“I. I didn’t get out much, in my first life,” Shen Yuan offered, eyes focused on the lacquered wood of Binghe’s desk. “I knew about romance, of course, but it all felt distant to me, theoretical. I figured it would make sense if I ever met a girl that I liked, but I never did. Then I died and, well. I’m here. And I didn’t meet a girl. But I still…

“Look,” Shen Yuan said, tone switching to be almost confrontational as his words sped up. “I didn’t know what I was dealing with, because I had never felt like that, like this. And how could I when I had always been so focused on my hobbies? When I hadn’t yet come here and–”

“And?”

Shen Yuan audibly swallowed and his voice was tentative as he said quietly, “I didn’t meet a girl, but a guy. I never considered me being into guys as a possibility before, now here I am trying to not fuck up the cool life I suddenly have, a life I never could have dreamed for myself. Here I am, and I’m suddenly overwhelmed with things that had completely passed me by when puberty had hit and my classmates seemed to have lost their minds but I was never really concerned with them, nor did I relate to what they were going through. But, if I had been here, maybe I would have recognized the signs earlier. 

“But that’s not the point. The point is that Jiu-ge had to be the one to tell me what it meant to be… attracted to someone, in order for me to know what was happening and thus control myself better. Unfortunately for him, understanding what I was feeling didn’t make it go away. In fact, it just made it harder to live with and do nothing.

“He thinks it’s just a crush, a youthful infatuation that will go away. But he doesn’t have all the facts, nor can he ever.”

“And if he did have all the facts?” Luo Binghe asked, eyes intent on him as Shen Yuan at last raised his gaze to meet his.

Shen Yuan let out a shaky shudder before he said, “Then he would know that this isn’t going away. And he never would have let me come back here, especially if he thought as Shang Qinghua does.”

“Which is?”

“...that you love me, too.” Shen Yuan said at last, watching Luo Binghe’s face for a reaction. “That you want me just as much as I want you.”

Luo Binghe couldn’t help smiling at him, relieved they were finally at this point. “More.”

“Huh?”

“I want you more than you want me,” he said, finally free to be completely honest. Shen Yuan gaped at him as he put an elbow on the table and rested his head in his braced hand as he continued. “I’ve known that for a long time and didn’t want to pressure you. Persuade you, if you were amenable to being persuaded into seeing me in that light, yes. But you care for me as intensely as any committed demon, see me and accept me as I am as a truly in love human. How could I not recognize the future I never thought possible in you?

“We both chose each other a long time ago,” Luo Binghe said gently, hoping that would make the words land easier. “I was hoping you would choose to act on that choice romantically.”

“You. You’ve known that—”

“You’re in love with me? Yes, and it has been lovely to have you remind me of that multiple times a day.” Shen Yuan stared at him and Luo Binghe grimaced consolingly. “A-Yuan, if your brother picked up on your feelings when he hasn’t truly seen us around each other, then how could I miss it as I was living with you?

“If it makes you feel better, I am just as obvious to others if they are given the chance. You spoke to Shang Qinghua about it? He saw how I felt about you in that first meeting, and he is supposedly my creator. Even though I wanted you to reach this conclusion on your own, I assure you that you are far from alone in how you feel.”

“Okay. I. I need a minute.”

“Hm, why? Is this not the best possible outcome?”

“Binghe, my body is seventeen and I just learned the man I’m in love with who is technically my teacher has been watching me make a fool of myself for weeks because I was too dumb to realize I was sexually attracted to him! Could you let me be mortified for a second!?”

“No,” Luo Binghe said, standing to walk around to Shen Yuan’s side. He took his hand and brought it up to kiss his fingers as he had the night that he was drunk. He held his gaze as he said, “I want you to feel no embarrassment over something that gave me such joy, A-Yuan. You love me, and it has been so very long since I have felt loved for who I am, regardless and because of what I am. 

“You’re right; I am your Shizun. Even with our unique circumstances, I didn’t want that fact to influence your decisions. You could have done your best to ignore how you felt, could have tried to put distance between us by transferring to another Peak or–”

“No, I couldn’t have,” Shen Yuan interrupted him, the fingers in Luo Binghe’s hold curling to hold in return. “I could never leave you, not when I know you want me here.”

“You had to reach that conclusion on your own.”

“Reach? That’s always been true, Binghe.” Luo Binghe couldn’t help but chuckle a little, prompting Shen Yuan’s pique. “Why are you laughing?”

“Because, my dear, you are rather missing the point, but I don’t mind it. If I had even hinted that I was interested in you as more than a Shizun before now, you would have rightfully been upset. I wanted you to want me enough to do something before saying anything so outright as admitting my intentions towards you.”

“Your… intentions?” Shen Yuan asked, going still as his pupils widened and blood rushed to his face. 

Ah, adorable. He couldn’t wait to take this man apart. 

“To marry you?” Shen Yuan’s eyes grew wider as Luo Binghe continued. “I told you before that I was uninterested in sexual release for the sake of it. I want a partner, a wife, and I know that I would only ever accept you in that role.” 

“So when I asked about you bringing home people to sleep with…”

“I knew that the only person I was interested in taking to bed in the future was you, yes.”

“And how close is that future, exactly?”

Luo Binghe raised his eyebrows before smirking at him, gratifyingly prompting Shen Yuan to start trembling and to reach out to him to steady himself. “That’s up to you. I’m not going anywhere, A-Yuan, and I want you to feel comfortable with me. We’ll go at your pace.”

“...or not.” Luo Binghe blinked at him as Shen Yuan leaned closer to him, tilting his head up suggestively. “This week has been an emotional guantlet for me. Going at my pace is stressful, Binghe. I want you, and now I have you. And I want you to set the pace.”

Luo Binghe’s instincts surged at that offer and flexed his hands to push back to urge to have his claws come out. He then put a hand to the back of Shen Yuan’s neck and leaned into him until their foreheads were pressed together and they shared each other’s air. Shen Yuan gasped and Luo Binghe growled into that small space between them, “Don’t say that. I can only fight myself for so long. Don’t offer what you aren’t willing to give.”

“What would l deny you?” Shen Yuan sighed, hands coming to Luo Binghe’s face to touch his skin gently. “Don’t you want me?”

He growled before he could help it and tried one last time. “Keep this up and we will be married by sunset, Shen Yuan.”

Shen Yuan had the audacity to laugh breathily as he whispered, “I do.”

Then he closed the gap between them and kissed Luo Binghe, sealing their fates and at last breaking the dam of emotion and demonic instinct that Luo Binghe had been maintaining since the Lingxi Caves. 

Now, the deluge.