#SVSSS World Corruption AU

[the-switch-conspiracy]

SVSSS AU Post Canon Time Loop. Warning: people dying a lot and gore.

~(O-O)~

One, two. The first times came as a surprise. Between a breath and the next; dropped tea cups shattering. Their shocked eyes meeting, barely widening enough to expose blood shot whites, before the rippling wet sound of metal into viscera filled the stilling air. Like flowers, red bloomed on green, on white, soaked through black. They were but puppets falling from cut strings, their glass eyes staring accusingly at the coming dawn. Three, four. A little faster, a little more refined in our response. The first bodies to fall crushing the delicate stalks of grass beneath them, were not their own. Their attackers staining the visage with their rot. An ever growing expansion with no end in sight. A shining sword glare pierces through bone. Movement to his left, his companion falling lit my the gentle morning glow, before a blinding pain to his eye. Then black. Five, Six. Curls blowing in the wind as demonic Qi rose, several demons cut down. Zheng Yang singing as it dispatched three, four attackers in a row. The edge of the blade shining red in the harsh midday light, his robes twirling around his body with each nimble twist. He turns his back towards the sight, hope forming in his heart. An arrow shot towards his eye blocked, a sword glare cast, slicing head from body. In an instant comes a familiar sound, his husband's voice releasing a death knell of a gasp. Before him; a white lotus painted red, the delicate mist raining from a still beating heart. Twelve, Thirteen. It all started a few day’s earlier, at the reminder of a certain upcoming plot point. The mating migration of the Silk-Winged Butterfly-Hawk, a once in a century event wherein the said birds left the hidden realm the predominately resided in to dance above the great Eastern Lotus Lakes.

- He dodges a strike to his side, his back hitting his husband’s. One by one they slaughter those circling them. A hand seal summoning a thousand lotus petals to rip through flesh, peppering strangely corroding skin. The moons soft glow beamed down on them, their hands slickening with heat and silver reflecting blood-

A hint to his husband later and they were packed and ready for their trip. Sure they could have had Mobei-Jun teleport them there, but it was about the journey AND the Silver-Winged Butterfly-Hawk mating migration destination! It was to be a leisurely bit of travel, he and his husband, stopping just a few times along the way. So imagine his surprise when he came across his favourite Shidi just two days into their trip!

- The beats of thousands of wings taking off, hundreds of birds scattering to the sky. Brilliant white robes flaring against the waters' glare. Cheng Luan glowing silver, fuelled by it’s user’s potent spiritual energy struck out in a shining ripple. His strikes flow like a wave, his form strong and ceaseless under the barrage that assailed him. The War God and his Soaring Phoenix -

His dedicated Shidi had been travelling in the area as part of a mission for the sect. There had been sightings of strange phenomena, and stranger creatures appearing in the area surrounding the Lotus Lakes. While Liu Shidi hadn’t seen anything of the sort himself, he was concerned about their safety. Or well specifically his Shixiong’s, although Shen Qingqiu did have a plan to change that. Well, the outline of a plan, more of a partial kind of well… it was a work in progress! So, this information was perfect! If there was indeed issues in the area it would be remiss of Shen Qingqiu to not survey the area himself as an immortal cultivator, and he couldn’t just leave Binghe, plus his Shidi was already on it so joining them would be no problem! Perfect.

-Liu Qingge parry's a strike, his sword burying itself to the hilt. The wound festers red and black around the blade, the skin pulsating as it seemingly climbed up its’ surface. Trying to tug the blade free was fruitless, as if it was being consumed by the deforming mass beneath him. He swings both the blade and the body stuck to it to block the blow from his front. He can't block the blow that impales his side, nor could he stop the blow to his throat. Thrown from his feet he lands in the lake, sinking beneath the silver water. Bubbles form as his body thrashes in his death throes. White stained red, petals crushed beneath his submerging form. The stain spreads; the bubbles stop.-

It’s fun travelling with them both, yes his husband and Liu Qingge fight like cats and dogs, but on Binghe’s side he practically playing! It’s enrichment!

“Shen Qingqiu, control your husband!” The red flush spreading across his Shidi’s face was rather fetching, he could see why his husband liked causing it… and well, it’s not bullying if his Shidi likes it. The satisfaction points speak for themselves! Though admittedly they are much, much higher when he’s the one teasing his Shidi, a gain however is a gain!

“Liu Shishu just can’t handle losing to this one, maybe Shizun should kiss his wounds as a consolation prize~” A teasing sneer spreads across Binghe’s face as he gloats, a sneaky little glance towards this husband follows. Ah Binghe, you’re coming across too strong! We talked about this, be more gentle! Treat him like a skittish cat!

“Ah Shidi, Binghe’s only teasing.” He raises his fan to cover his face, coyly glancing at his Shidi from behind it, “After all, I’ll only kiss your wounds if you win.”

“Y-You- Shameless!” Yes, he did so love the time they spend together.

-Time after time, one after the other, the grief never fades. The deaths will haunt his mind forever, a permanent scar across his psyche. Will he ever be able to close his eyes without seeing Qingge cut down? His husband gasping for air? His own limbs severed? Yet the hoard encroaches. A never ending onslaught.

"Husband! Behi-" Pain tearing through his spine, an arc of gore glowing in the moonshine. Red blood, black blood. It doesn’t end.

3̵̨̲̰͉̤͓͓̜̯͉͈̕̕͜͜0̶̧̛̝̭͈̤͕͇͙̩̠%̷̞̦̈́̄͆̓̕ Thirty four, Thirty FiVe. His lungs were screaming. Every block, and lunge, and slash, and parry exhausting him to the bone. All he could taste was rust and ash, Qingge fell silently a breath, an incense stick, a shi chen, ago. His body a shield again this master's blunder. He can barely lift his sword, his meridians felt almost burnt from the power cloying the air. A sickeningly wet squelch, Binghe's roar faltering to a whimper as his body hits the rocks. Another demon down, or a cultivator? Bodies falling, falling. He can’t, he can’t. Two red moons fill the sky, water fills his lungs. [User seems to be struggling with this Mission! >_< Poor showing from host! Well User can always retry!! 500 B-points!] [Y/N] [Y]

6̶̠͠0̵͇̐%̶̆͜

FiFty SeveN. He's drowning in blood. Was it Binghe's arm he was holding? It must be, Shidi was dragging him. Somewhere. Hmmm, the shouting is getting closer, and Qingge's breaths sounded quite wet! Ah! He's coughing! Well better out than in, Shidi, ah it's... Dripping. Here, Shixiong will wipe it away... Why... Tears? Ah Shidi looks so!! So!!! If this master wasn't married! Ah Wait we...Well maybe Binghe will... Here Shidi hold on to Binghe for this one a moment. Why are you giving me that look? Ah you're crushing me! For someone so lithe looking you're really quite heavy! Ah, it's quite- Shidi... Liu shidi.. you... Please keep coughing please you're too quiet. Please I can’t... It's tOo quiEt it’s toO [User seems to be running low on B-points. User has 427 B-points remaining! Luckily User 0002 can use his VIP to reduce the cost to 400 B-points for the next attempt!!] [Y/N] [Y] FIFTY EIGHT. Not just demons, not just cultivators. No, of course not. It was him. His fault. Who else could it be? Only he had the power, only he had the will. Only he had the golden finger, the halo, the fucking audacity! But there was something wrong. Glowing red eyes, skin twitching, shifting, like textures not loading in. His voice crackling, modulated.

"Ah S̸͕̑ḫ̴̅ĭ̶̟z̶̡̏u̵͇͂n̵͓͝~ you thought that s̸͍͠e̴͋ͅà̸̗l̵̰͠i̷͓͝n̵͎͑g̵̜̉ this world from me would be so simple? There is nowhere you could run, no world you could jump to, that I would be u̵͚͊n̷̜͆ä̶̢́b̸̞̊ḻ̷͌ě̷̤ to follow. So please, just submit, this Junshang will treat you well."

“go… fuck… yourself..” Spitting words like spitting blood, the ringing of bells…. No… sirens blaring in the skies.

The monster’s ribs cracked and spasms, a twisted knot of glossy black bone and gently pulsating red wires. An artificial monstrosity. What had he done to himself, to gain access to this world? Qingge sprawled in a heap, a black puddle spreading beneath him, Xin Mo sheathed like a grave marker in his back. His husband split throat to navel, his body failing to knit itself back together, strangled gurgles bubbling in his throat. A hoard of demons, no… cultivators? They surround him in twitching, glitching, grinning masses. Their distorted faces all corrupted copies of his own. This time its his own blade that takes his life. The howling, glitching screams of rage following him into the dark.

“Y̷̯͛o̸͇͆ǔ̷ͅ'̴̗̐l̵̦̓l̷͍͠ ̵̜̂b̷͙́e̷̟̊ ̴̱͆m̵͚̈́í̵̲ǹ̷̻e̵̛͚ S̷̝͠h̴̭̔e̵̺͝n̶̆͜ ̵̳̏Ỳ̴̻ü̷͇a̷̤̔n̴͈̅!̴̼̐”

7̸̝̓3̷̬́%̵̧͊ [User 0002 is out of B-Points! It appears you have failed! (>U-U)> But! This generous system is willing to offer User 0002 a super! limited! one! time! offer if User is willing!] [Y/N] [Why]

7̵̙̑8̵̰͗%̸̯̈

[Because User 0002 transformed a stupid work into a magnificent, high quality, first-rate classic! It would be a shame for so much work to be unmade due to… external meddling!] [And the cost] [^-^ Will User 0002 not pay any price? This SYSTEM is offering User the chance to escape this fate! Protagonist Luo and Second Male Lead Liu will be alive! The best ending could be in your grasp!! After all “You can you up, no can no bb!” ] [Y/N]

8̷͙͊1̴͉̈%̴̘́

[Y]

8̸̘̊5̷̣̐%̷̟̆

[User 0002 has made the right choice! This SYSTEM can’t wait to work closely with User Shen! <(^3^)>] {Loading World State: 10….........33..............68.............99.........100%} {Creating Mind Space 100%. Building Temporal Archives 100%. Allocating User Permission. . . Complete}

{Clearing WORLD CORRUPTION FILE DATA: E̸̹̋Ṟ̵̅R̵͉͊O̵̳͘R̵̭̿} {Activating ARCHIVIST Protocol...}

F̷̥̀ï̸̮l̸̘̋ḙ̵́ ̶̘͊R̶̲͘e̵̯̋c̸͈̅a̸̡̍ĺ̶̤l̷̪͂ ̴̧̀C̷̤̑ȏ̵͇r̶͎͋ȑ̷͎u̵̳̔p̷̧͑t̵̤͝e̸̡͛d̸̨̽

[Next] [Last] [Ao3]

[spookycak]

Svsss magical boys au

The brain rotting is so strong

So my idea rn is that Sqq is a great witch that took LBH under his wing and granted him his magical boy powers

But due to sensing his overwhelming power he tries to seal his strength with tassels to try and tame him

But he ends up breaking his binds somehow and one thing leads to another and he's corrupted into a demon

It's just a silly au idea with the rules and magical system of my silly lil world in my head

Anyways hope yall like my goofy idea

[emerysour]

Trollhunters svsss au where White Lotus Binghe teams up with Jim, Shen Jiu is working with Gunmar as a result of being forced to join him at the end of the last war, Claire doesn't fall in love with Jim but instead gets with Liu Mingfan after seeing her fight a troll (in order to avenge the death of her brother Liu Qingge at the hands of the last war) and Hua Shaling after she leaves the Darklands chasing after Jim to try and kill him and seduce Binghe but falls for Claire and joins the Trollhunters, Jim and Binghe get together later, Draal and Liu Qingge used to be a thing before he died, theres angst, theres fluff, Binghe and Jim act as dual Trollhunters essentially, Xin Mo is a cursed sword from trolls that leads him into the troll world, it corrupts him later, Jim and Binghe go into the darklands together, Shen Jiu pushes him further in while taking Jim prisoner, GOD WHY IS THIS CRACKSHIP AU SOMETHING I'M TAKING SO SERIOUSLY NOW-

[whatwhywhowherewhen]

Metafiction au

What if every member of Shen Yuan's family is a character. Specifically, a backup modern version of vital supporting characters to get loaded in if something goes wrong in the story

Shen Jiu is one of his older brothers, and his story is a royal court political intrigue without cultivation but with cool martial arts and assassination techniques. He's a mentor type that forces the weak protagonist to become strong enough to protect his loved ones and stand up against abusive authority figures.

Shen Yuan is meant for PIDW, but as an inspiration to overcoming personal challenges and circumstances to be the best version of yourself for Lou Binghe, who must resist all corrupting influences

The other siblings can be the modern version of whenever Shens you want

The system f*ed up and they were born in the wrong stories. PIDW progresses to the end, then the system realizes what happened, panics, and shoves PIDW!Shen Jiu soul into his modern body, alongside the modern Shen Jiu. It rewinds all the way back to when LBH is 14 and puts Modern!Shen Yuan in his brother's body but his original destined story, kicking off SVSSS as we know it.

The Shen Yuan in Shen Jiu's story is long dead and his soul has dissolved into the reincarnation cycle. No magic and a habit for self sacrifice is a bad mix. So the system grabs PIDW!Shen Jiu's soul and drops him in the world he was supposed to be in, still in Shen Yuan's body

Shen Yuan's body is... not great. Rather than "dying from incurable illness" he has a medley of less extreme but dangerous without medicine issues. Weak joints, asthma, bad immune system, poor circulation. All things PIDW's cultivation could support or heal to the point of function. But Shen Jiu, in his hardcore assassination world, is screwed... unless he can get his original body in the assassination world. Shen Jiu is seeking SVSSS with a very simple request and a giant revelation for everyone there

[10holmes]

Thanks for the fanfic ask game qs, now it's your turn! :D

I hope these aren't too many qs, but I'd love to know your thoughts:

C, K, M, S, T, V, Y

Thank you :)

Yay! Thanks so much for asking! So excited to answer these questions 😍🙏🏼🎉

The full (very long - sorry!) answer to be found below the cut! 😁

C: What character do you identify with most?

Oooh that's a tricky question... I think I can't boil it down to just one character but a blend of characters? I think the characters I tend to stan and ship are a good indicator bc I usually fixate most on ships and characters that somehow speak to me or that I relate to.

For example with XueXiao, I really identify with Xiao Xingchen in the way that he is kind and helpful to others and follows this ideal of wanting to make the world a better place and leaving the mountain for that, aka a place he could stay placid and content in, to instead do something about the injustices he knows about in the "real world", even if that means facing hardships and pain and struggles.

As for Xue Yang, I really relate to him and see him as my deepest darkest side if I could throw my morality over board. I am someone who whole-heartedly proclaims "eat the rich" and means it, so if I was any more like Xue Yang in the way not to give a fuck, I'd also just kill the people that hurt me or others and go unhinged... 😅🙈 Slight difference between us being I would not kill indiscriminately and for the fun of it or for the slightest offense but really only target corrupt rich people and super capitalists and fascists that have it coming for them 🤭

K: What's the angstiest idea you've ever come up with?

I really don't want to spoil anything, but it has to do with an alternative chapter / ending I came up with for my LiuJiu A/B/O fic. I love happy endings as much as the next fanfic reader but sometimes I just want to make myself and others hurt. And this one will hopefully make my readers scream.

Also there's a XueXiao reincarnation fic WIP I can't wait to post. It's nearly finished and I wrote it while listening to Tom Odell's "Another Love" on repeat - which should give you enough of a vibe to imagine the angst level of this fic. I'll just say this much: unrequited love 🤭���🏼

Sorry I can't be more specific but I really don't want to spoil anything more😅🙈

M: Got any premises on the back burner that you'd like to share?

Maybe it's because I'm too young to know that phrasing or maybe it's a native speaker thing but I had to google what this meant first and hope Google got it right 😅🤣

My WIP file is massive... To give you a glimpse: Next to the ones mentioned above I've also started:

- an angsty post-canon Beefleaf fic, where SQX is haunted by a hanging ghost and made to kill herself but HX intervenes and they start their journey of reconciling, don't know if I'll ever finish it...

- a VegasPete vampire / vampire hunter AU based on a Tumblr prompt and gif-set post but I'll very likely never continue that...

- a LiuJiu AU where SJ is present during the events of SVSSS and LQQ knows SY is an imposter and now tries to bring back SJ into his former body. This has angst and hurt written into every line. Sadly it's merely all in my head...

S: Any fandom tropes you can't resist?

Enemies to Lovers always hits! It's my jam!

Also the angstier the merrier! Hit me with the feels, the pain, the hurt, the agony! Doesn't even have to have a happy ending, I'm a sucker for being emotionally destroyed and also emotionally destroying my readers (though I tend to give them a happy ending at least) 😈🤣👍🏼

And, like you, omegaverse is my guilty pleasure - the smuttier the better 😏

And speaking of guilty pleasures I also have to say monster-fuck AUs are on the menu as well... There have been some really good SongXueXiao ones, I've read. Didn't know that was something I'd ever be into - my 14 year old self would probably be appalled. But here we are 🤣🤣

Soulmate and Fated Pair AUs are something I like to dig into as well.

And I'm also really into mermaid AUs. Especially when one is human and the fic gives off The Little Mermaid vibes.

T: Any fandom tropes you can't stand?

I don't know why but any modern day AUs especially High School AUs... I just can't read it. The most I will do is mob boss / mafia or reincarnation where they slowly uncover their past, but if canon events are set in modern times/contexts I don't really like it for some reason 😅

But I'm actually quite open to a lot of fics and it's mostly not the tropes I can't stand but characterisation or writing style 😅🙈

V: If you could write the sequel/prequel to any fanfic out there (not you own) which would it be?

Bruh... What a difficult question... I haven't ever thought about writing continuations or pre-quels for existing fic as I love them the way they are and mostly just in between imagine possible canon-divergences if the characters had made different choices...

But I guess, from the top of my head, I'd like to write a sequel to "Mark of Jasmine" to give LiuJiu an alternative or reincarnation happy ending because they've really been played in that one... 🙈😅

Y: A character you want to protect?

So many. All my little blorbos and meow meows. On the top of that list - obviously - Xue Yang. But I'd also step in front of my best bois Loki and Shen Jiu to shield them. They deserve so much better 💕😭

Now thanks again for the ask and for reading this long-ass reply, it was my pleasure 🤣

[tossawary]

I just realized that when I was asking about Comfort Media for my “SVSSS Comfort Book/Movie Fusion AUs”, I kind of overlooked video games, and now my brain is flipping through potential Video Game Fusion AUs at high speed. I don’t really have similarly comfortable or nostalgic video games, though. 

1) Kind of digging the potential worldbuilding I’d get to do for a Horizon Zero Dawn AU, because I do love my science fiction and robot animals aesthetics. Shen Yuan is probably an Aloy equivalent, but I’d probably make him a recent release from those vaults. (Clone shenanigans? Shen Jiu could be the Elizabeth equivalent, but I’m too tempted to have him as an early clone who “went wrong” just to have him kicking around. Shang Qinghua as a secret android serving MBJ who is the leader of the equivalent to the Shadow Carja? Worldbuilding, oh, sweet worldbuilding, my one true weakness.)  

2) The older Overlord video game pops out as an obvious AU, since you play as a Dark Lord establishing an evil regime and fighting the corrupted heroes who killed your predecessor. I’d probably make this one Crack Humor, though there’s a lot of potential fun with budding Overlord LBH vs. fallen Overlord TLJ. 

3) I’m leaning towards plottier stuff than games like Animal Crossing or Stardew Valley or The Sims, just out of personal preference, but I was talking about the old Dungeon Keeper video game today and that one pops out just because of the Evil Lord thing again. You (as the Dungeon Keeper) are nothing but this crystal heart, so you interact with the world by ordering your minions around and can even temporarily possess your minions. I am currently enjoying thoughts of a Moshang angle, in which MBJ is the Dungeon Keeper who possesses a variety of demons and other monsters to interact with SQH. 

4) And of course there’s always a Breath of the Wild AU. First scenario that comes to mind is Shen Yuan transmigrating in as the Link equivalent (Shen Qingqiu) waking up in the Shrine of Resurrection. I don’t know who would be my choice for the Zelda equivalent yet, but I’m enjoying the idea of LBH being Zelda, if only from the perspective that Prince LBH (who was only discovered to be the lost prince and also Wisdom after his adoptive mother died and doesn’t know how to work out his powers in time to save the world) is used to interacting with Champion SJ (who was NOT pleased to be stuck with this kid as Wisdom), and so LBH needs SY to come save him but also kind of hates his guts. 

[spockandawe]

1, 2, 3!

Ooh, let’s see!

1. Tell us about your current project(s)  – what’s it about, how’s progress, what do you love most about it?

Okay, so I have tabs open for several likely wips where inspiration might strike at any time, but my big focus right now is in the fic I refer to interchangeably as ‘diet bingge’ or ‘bingge lite’. I hit a wall for a little while, but I’m trying to get back into it. This is (one of) my svsss feynite-inspired aus of aus situations. And it’s basically here, because I love all the svsss characters a LOT, and it is remarkably hard to keep them all alive and happy, not in the least because one of my biggest faves (shen jiu) technically dies before he ever appears. Also, I multiship like whoa, and the scope of a jianghu setting intimidates me, so the iwywmh dreamer-in-the-spring-boudoir-based harem setting.... it is a good fit for me.

So! My initial impulse. In the iwywmh “canon” setting, shen qingqiu gets killed by luo binghe, kinda... accidentally. An ‘I didn’t realize my own strength’ situation, after they’ve had a horrible falling out and shen qingqiu’s marriage has been effectively destroyed. My initial impulse was ‘but what if he.... didn’t die, though’

It opens up a really interesting story is what happens!!!

Because, okay. I’m not going to rehash all of the original story’s backstory, because it’s So Much, feynite’s fics and comments are packed full of solid gold. But in this situation, Shen Qingqiu has watched his marriage dissolve out from under him, and he’s heartbroken and furious, and just got framed (partly by binghe) for the death of his husband’s baby-in-progress (with another man). He’s lost everything he valued most. He no longer has a will to live. Binghe, on the other hand, is kinda horrified at what he just almost did, because he hates his shizun, definitely, but also.... shizun is the most important person to him. So with that tweak, I’ve saddled him with a Shen Qingqiu who he just almost killed, who has no will of his own to keep going, and he’s trying to make his way in the world.

Also liu qingge is there, and also shen sha yuan eventually, and they’re all important, but the shen jiu + binghe dynamic is the core of this story for me. Because what happens is that they kind of despise each other, but also.... Shen Jiu accidentally makes Binghe a much, much better person. He’s not nearly as soft as the Binghe of the original fic, but he’s not the Bingge of the original fic either, not by a long shot. And the emotional balance is fraught for some time, and is slow to get more healthy, but my boy gets there! And it’s kind of a situation like the last svsss verse I posted, where I was like ‘wow, I have no idea who will be willing to take this trip with me, but I tripped into a concept I find fascinating, and I hope people will join me’

This is the first story I’ve written in a long time where I’m letting myself diverge sharply from a flowing narrative with the minimum number of povs. I actually have to take like 20k of wip out of second person, because I’ve got like four major povs I need to bounce between constantly (binghe, shen jiu, liu qingge, shen yuan) and one or two side povs I need to flush out other bits of story (shang qinghua and maybe mobei-jun) (outside chance of liu mingyan too, goddd). I just made the decision a few days ago to split this into chapters, so I’d be able to post something soonish, but I did stall out for a while, because the scope is pretty overwhelming. And in the end, I’m not even sure it will work as A Narrative, because I don’t even know how it concludes, but I’m working on making my peace with that XD I’ve got close to 30k in a document, and still ages to go, so I badly want to pull it into a shape I can share, but.... it’s so much story, hahaha XDD

(my document with working notes for this is ‘SHIZUN GET BACK HERE AND GRADE MY FINAL PROJECT’, which also lives in my head rent-free as a working fic title. actually titling this fic is going to be a bear)

2. Tell us about what you’re most looking forward to writing – in your current project, or a future project

Oh, hmm. I think... If I’m sticking to projects where I actually can picture the scenes in question, I think I’ll have to go with the xuexiao wip that I’m going to return to any day, I swear, where I get into the actual dialog of the humiliation kink. It’s going to be a really interesting emotional balance, which is part of why I’ve been putting it off (I need to be in just the right mood, y’know?), but I’ll be in Xue Yang’s head, and I want to roll around in the way he gets to let loose with his crueler impulses, and the satisfaction that comes with it... plus a side serving of emotional self-harm, because he’s got extremely mixed feelings about making Xiao Xingchen hurt, and this is showing him all the ways he could dig the knife in deeper, which is theoretically what Xiao Xingchen agreed to, but is Xue Yang even enjoying this anymore??? Anyways, I love a good excuse to write top drop. Some of the top drop is written so far, but I’ll have to edit it based on how the scene itself plays out

3. What is that one scene that you’ve always wanted to write but can’t be arsed to write all of the set-up and context it would need? (consider this permission to write it and/or share it anyway)

Oh my god, I want to write the whole peak lord liu mingyan au, but it’s another one where I don’t have a narrative so much as a whole bunch of sequential moments in a story. But I am COMPLETELY committed to giving Shen Jiu a happier life, and if that means flipping the liu siblings around so that Liu Qingge is Luo Binghe’s peer (and drags him up the hill to Bai Zhan Peak instead of Qing Jing), and they are both shamelessly corrupting Shen Qingqiu’s favorite disciple, Shen Yuan, then... I’ll....... try to do it. Eventually :X If I had to pick a single scene, it would probablyyyy be the aftermath of this version of the abyss (the focus is the shen jiu + liu mingyan frenemyship, but the background is bingliushen)

But also, I want to write the canon version, where people accuse Shen Jiu of creeping on women for violently unfair reasons, and where he’s unfairly blamed for Peak Lord Liu Mingyan’s death in the Lingxi Caves, but now there’s an additional flavor of ‘well I bet she rejected him, and he took his anger out on her’ and he very bitterly doesn’t even try to defend himself, because nobody will believe him anyways. And I want to write the fic itself, where her natural big sister energies are exactly what he needs and can never never never admit out loud, and where she’s a comforting presence that he would never admit to needing. 

I have no idea what this fic would even look like, physically! None at all I want it to just Exist, but it’s looking like I have to write it, which means I need to figure out how to write it, and none of this is fair :’)

[the-switch-conspiracy]

[Prev]

Intermission: The Perils Of Not Reading the User Manual!

[User 0001 has a new tutorial mission available. Would you like to access it? ^(@w@)^]

Shang Qinghua’s hand stilled from where it was shoved in his bowl of sunflower seeds. He’d been in the midst of a 3-hour paperwork binge, sorting requisitions that should have been handed in weeks ago - But noooo, prove you can do your job well, and what do you get rewarded with? More work! - When the system message flashed in front of him. Rather than its usual white text on cool blue, the letters were pulsing a soft warm yellow, and the screen seemed almost more teal… System did you update?! And what’s this about tutorial missions!

“What do you mean a new tutorial mission? You’ve never given me a tutorial mission before!” The seed shells crack in his grasp, tutorial missions? Ha! As if his system would give him something so helpful! B-points, plot adherence, what else is there?! Besides he literally grew up here, what more was there to learn!

[User 0001 is incorrect. This SYSTEM informed User at transmigration of pending tutorial missions. User responded -ahhhhgrawwahhhaaaah- and quite vigorously hit this SYSTEM’S mute button (o///o)]

BS! Not fair! This transmigrator was a baby! How could this one be expected to accept in that state?

[Further more, this SYSTEM has assigned multiple additional tutorial missions on review of User 0001’s activity. Due to User muting tutorial messages, this SYSTEM helpfully made them accessible through the System User Manual! (>OuO)>]

!!!! @$%* !!!! “A system user manual? And what is in said manual?” Shang Qinghua was sure his current face would even give the scum villain Shen Qingqiu pause. Grit teeth was an understatement, and Mu Qingfang would no doubt have much to say about the current clench of his jaw. Pulling all-nighters wasn’t easy, and the system playing him for a fool only made the no doubt impending migraine worse! He’s already been distracted from his signing of… what was it, ah yes more training swords for the Bai Zhan disciples! Of course it was Bai Zhan! Liu Shidi control your brats! Though he was sure he’d filled out this exact form hours ago! How many did you send??

[User could access:]

A secondary window popped up next to the first. It was a dull grey contrasting the bright teal of the first, its letters uniform and blocky, it’s text to speech voice less refined in its intonation. Unsurprisingly, it gave Shang Qinghua the creeps. It was the Windows 2000, to the system’s usual Windows XP!

{Information about preventing plot inconsistency! Information about disabling OOC lock! Information about unlocking the skill tree! Information about Author Permissions of the World State in Current P̷̧͆͋̌Ĩ̵̩͖̜̱̮̓̍̏̾̃͐̚Ḑ̷̩͔͕̑̏̽̔̐̓̎̅̇̓͆͝͝Ẅ̴̗̙̝͙̣̺̼̭̫́̉͑̄̓͆̅ ̸̧̼̞͔̼̳̖̮͙͍̳̥̩̜̇̿͗̏̽̇̽̀͘͜Ḯ̴͕̲̗̫̩̩͍̙̠͕̌̐̉͆́͒̂̚͜͝͝͝͝͝Ṋ̸̡̡̢̡̦̮̀̀̿͛͒̆͗S̷̨̧̛̞̞̹͒̋̒̃T̴̢̫͇̗̜̦̟̎̂̍̇̀̀̄̑͆̽͜A̵̢̡̢͖̤̩̯̗̟͇̝̹̦̓̀͛̃͋̑̇͘N̴̹̺͐̐̃͊́̋̄̅̆͑̀̃̃͋C̴̡̨̧͈̠͓̜͍͕̺͖͈̬̄̎̎͋̏̈́͗͜͝͠É̶̞͓͒͊͌̉ ̵̡̘͖̱̺̫̤̤̬̮͈̈́́̀̿͗̈́̎̍͜ͅS̸̢̫̳͕̱̰̹̲̪̠͕͉͔̓��̓̅́̆̈́̌̔̑̕͜͝V̷̢̡̫̣̠̩̣̮̮̼̙̝̺̑͑̏̀͋̈̾̂͗͊͆̓͛͜͝͠S̴̳̣̭̐̀S̴̢͖̼̱͕͍̣͈͓̝̬̟̾̃̊̀̏̏̔̒͊̌̓̕ͅŜ̶̳͎̣̯̼́͑͂́͒͛́͠ ̵̞̱̜̫̻̘̩̜̓̐͌͜ͅ0̸̻̦̬̲̞̣̯̈́̋̑͗͊͗̈̉͋̿͑̚͘͜͝͠.̶̛̰͕̠̫͚͓̱̦̊̍̿͝2̴̨̡͙̙̲̫̺̹͎̱̣̟̓́̏͌̅̾͌̐̄̚!} A loud buzzing, crackling emanated from the screen, the final words so badly distorted they were unreadable to him. A peculiar sense of dread engulfed him, like he’d looked upon something not meant for human eyes. The window popped shut with a static hum.

“So uh, picked up any malware lately?” It was said with the all the dread that only a man facing his imminent demise could scrounge up! Completely ignoring him, the system continued.

[Tutorial Missions Available:

(Completed) Transmigrated and All I Got was Anxiety! Reward: Mellowdust Prescription, User Name Change.

(Tutorial) Welcome to your Authorial Debut! Reward: 500 B-points.

(Main) The Frozen North. Reward: Always Warm Socks.

Two of a Kind! Reward: System Chat. (Currently Unavailable)

(Tutorial) What is a Self Saving System? Reward: Disabled OOC Lock. (Alternative Route Chosen)

(Tutorial) System Archival Update Tutorial. Reward: A Cool Cape, ARCHIVAL Glasses.

NEW QUEST! (Main) The Archivist Assistant! Reward: Access to the ARCHIVIST, Access to the ARCHIVES.

NEW QUEST! (Main) A bug is a bug i̷̪̩̕š̸̢̳̜̣̻͓̖͚͕͕͉̜̖̼̄͗͛͑̋̓̀̉̀͝ ̸̢̱̥̬̙̞̭̞̹̫͜͝ã̸̡̻͊̇̄̍̆͑̔̏̇ ̷̨̳̱̼̹̙̺̙͙̖̞̫̥͍̄́͗̄̃̕b̸̤͇̼̘̭̉̆̈́̃̀̒̈́͛u̸̻̥͍͎̦̅̈̐̀̈̋͐̈́́̿͝g̶̦̹̬̞͍̗͉̀ͅ. Reward: 10 000 F-points.]

“What the hell are these rewards, and what the hell are F-points?” Shang Qinghua has lived most of his new life in fear, it truly is an old friend in that one regard. Ever present; the fear of being found out a traitor, the fear of dying to Mobei-Jun, the fear of not having enough B-points and simply boop, gone, back to a carcass. It’s exhausting, it’s constant, every win and point and eked out bit of happiness danced tumultuously on a wire, hanging thousands of feet above the clouds. One beat out of tune, one misstep, the sudden slack of the wire… no Shang Qinghua.

Now a new fear made manifest; the system is acting strange. The system that arbitrarily decides whether he’s here or not, isn’t behaving the way it should. Archives? F Points! Tutorials? It felt wrong, out of place, like looking at one of those ‘guess the difference’ puzzle games, and realising the picture is of your childhood room taken from the closet door. Or something like that. Maybe he should go back more towards ‘heaving flesh more pebbled than the path they trekked to get there’ type metaphors..? Or perhaps back to filling in the requisitions for… Thousand Night Honey for Qian Cao Peak, Mu Shidi that stuff isn’t so easily bought! Hmm, wasn’t this form…?

[F-points are a new reward point type for specific missions! Like B-points for being a bad-ass, Satisfaction points for helping others, F-points are Fix-Points. They can be used to bring stability to plot changes and purchase helpful items you can’t get from the B-point shop! As for the rewards, well User 0001 only needs to complete the mission to find out! (>///<)]

Stability to plot changes? So, he can change things… But why now? Was it the update, or something else? This bad feeling inside… the more he thinks about it, it only grows stronger. His eyes flick to the corner of the room, the shadows on the wall. A perfect copy cast from the potted plant in front of it, only slightly hazy at the edges. His eyes flick again, to the light coming through the window. It’s morning, the sun having only risen four hours before, yet the dawn casts gentle rays through the gauze. Dust moats float silver in the soft gold.

[Shang Qinghua has one more mission available. Would you like to access it?]

That window faces the west.

[NEW QUEST! (Main) Save the World!]

[Next]

[the-switch-conspiracy]

[Prev]

Chapter 4: [alt tab]

Shen Qingqiu was going insane. That must be it. The world was completely out of wack, but that’s fine. It’s all… fine. So what if Ning Yingying was apparently his Head Disciple rather than Ming Fan? So what if she was three, no four, times more mature and insightful then the Ning Yingying of his memories was at this age!

ẗ̫͢͠ǫ͍̼͇̏̉͊͂o̳̣̟̊͛̾ ̦̟̖̦̋̒́͐o̊͟l͎̤̳͎͐͛͛́d̡͚͒̑,̤̍ ̦́w̡̢̠̬̼̆̐̍̂͛hÿ̡̜͗ ȉ͚͉̓š͈̖̤̬̽̂̎ ̨̻͔̂̾͛s͔̺͉̬͈̑̿̍̀̈ẖ̡͕̗̿́̀̀ĕ̛̘̟͖̓.͈͙͗͑..̦͆?̦̃

Shen Qingqiu has nothing but respect for the responsible, headstrong woman Ning Yingying eventually matured into, so seeing it far earlier… was good. Excellent, no problem whatsoever, what do you mean Ming Fan was a Qian Cao Peak disciple??! If he was going to end up anywhere else, it’d surely be on Bai Zhan out of pure stubbornness, regardless of the fact he was more inclined to spiritual cultivation!

He shakes his head in disbelief. What is with this world? Surely time travelling wouldn’t have had this much of an effect. It must be System fuckery. Or perhaps… Airplane? The System didn’t mention if Shang Qinghua remembers the future, but if he knew- or even if the System was simply prompting him- surely that would explain some of these alterations? He sighs in frustration, a new fan he’d picked out after the unfortunate demise of the other currently fluttering in front of his face.

He’d certainly startled Yingying, her eyebrows had shot up in shock at the rather, ahem, noticeable overreaction at her presence. But he’d been really quite startled himself, and with barely a micro-expression alighting his face, he’d quickly directed the conversation. How are your studies going? Well apparently, she’d just learnt a new composition for the dizi – which she seemingly now favours. Good, good, how about those of your Shidi’s and Shixiong’s? They too seem to be preferring alternate interests, one even picking up entomology when previously they were terrified of bugs!

Really, of all the information he’s been carefully extracting from Ning Yingying, there was one in particular that interests him most.

This version of Shen Qingqiu was both more hands on, and less hands on then the OG he remembered. Where as before he had a stronger presence in both the direct instructing of (despite his obvious dislike of teaching) the students and their discipline (of which he took way too much pleasure from), this time he seemed to delegate the teaching far more.

Between the Elders proficient in their specialised fields of study, the Supervisors and Hall Masters in their more general knowledge of the core cultivation practices and Qing Jing Peak sword forms, and with a few core disciples tutoring as well, Qing Jing has created a far more structured approach to the disciples education. This allows for the intake and training of more outer disciples, and inter-peak learning opportunities. Shen Qingqiu of course, supervised and planned out the curriculum. And there was a curriculum, and actual lesson plans! The discipline was also far closer to his own than the OG’s, however still harsher than he could bare.

It had taken him years to try an undo what the OG goods had set in place before him. He had been arrogant enough to believe he needed to more or less dictate the classroom. He was distrusting enough to never truly give his teachers the means to adjust or adapt their teaching strategies for the disciples who needed it. It had critically hindered the disciples ability to learn and improve, and perhaps that was the point in the end. No one could displace him if they didn’t know all he did. He was safe from all opposition in that position of power. But that came at the cost of crippling his student’s growth.

Despite his best efforts he’d struggled to implement even a fraction of what he saw before him now, for too much damage had been done. The ever turning cycle of abuse had churned out resentful masters, resentful teachers, who sought to replicate what was done unto them, unto others. All trickling back from the source. He’d made great strides however, his students were happier, had enjoyed learning under him. So he had to dispose of some trouble starters, well, you can’t make an omelette without breaking a few eggs! You can’t undo years of abuse, without breaking a few heads! Or something to that effect. So to have the set up of his dreams just handed to him? Well of course he is sceptical! What on earth would have led Shen Qingqiu v1 to not be as spiteful this time around? He rubs at his brow, lips pursing in frustration.

He’s instructed Yingying to walk with him towards the dorms, idly listening as she chatted about her day. All while carefully surveying the differences. That pavilion was new, there wasn’t a sparring area set up there, and oh look, young ones with unfamiliar faces. It felt like someone had gone into the bamboo house and rearranged just enough to set off alarm bells. Which had also happened. At least those changes were more in line with his own decorating ideals, and harmonised with the feng shui best suited to his own internal Qi alignment. Which… was concerning in its own way. Thinking on it was just leading him in circles, a useless waste of his already straining mental fortitude.

There they were, a crowd of little sheep staring up at him with wide eyes! A chorus of sweet, high-pitched ‘Greeting Shizun’ crying out in concert, only a bare hint of flustered panic behind it. He hides the curve of his smile behind his fan, and cast his gaze over for- there! Noticeably standing apart from the crowd, head and shoulders above them in height, Luo Binghe! The youth, fresh-faced and dewy eyed, was staring at him with a… strange sort of gaze. Not fearful or hiding hidden anger, but searching, almost... confused. His focus seemed, well, he was rather intently staring him in the eyes! Which, come to think of it, has been happening quite a lot since he woke. Was there..?

do̢̻͆͞n̘͈̞̏̑̽͘͜'̧̛̝͠t̨̥͌͠

“Disciple Luo, with me.” He motions with his fan, a gentle curving arc, and turns with a nod to Ning Yingying. She mentioned she’d been in charge of leading all her shimei’s and shidi’s through the chore roster this morning, and he’d already pulled her from her task long enough- even if he hadn’t known at the time. She bows back with a beaming smile before turning back towards her peers with the harsh bark of a general.

“What are you all looking at? I can already tell half these jobs aren’t done right!” Ah, she had it well covered. Go Yingying! Binghe blinks in surprise, and jogs up to greet him.

“Greeting Shizun, has this disciple done something?” To catch your attention or ire was heavily implied. Shen Qingqiu huffs, sending a sideways glance to the boy.

“This master merely wishes to check in on Disciple Luo. How has Luo Binghe been doing with his studies hmm? Has he been getting along with his martial siblings?” With everything that has been different so far, surely this too had changed. For one he was working and living around his martial siblings, so it was likely there truly hadn’t been abuse… surely there would be more trepidation in his demeanour if there was. His Binghe had been trembling like a hyperactive lapdog those first few years!

“Shizun, this disciple has been learning well.” He replies demurely. His eyes are cloaked in the shadows of his long eyelashes, sweeping his cheeks with each slow blink. “This one has no issues with his peers.” He once more hit Shen Qingqiu with that indecipherable look, head tilting like a snake looking at a mouse! Binghe you’re only-

h̦̬̖͖̄̅̾̑̏͟e̹̗̼͋̾̄'̭͖̠̞̆̐̽̍ṡ̭ ̹̦͑̓sup͇͉̈́p̗̺͚̀̈́̈́́͜o̥͆́͢s̪̣̤̄͗̊́͢é̏͢ͅd̥͍͉̃͋͞ ̗̲̃̍ṫ̰ọ̦͖̿̄̀ ̩̿̑͢b̖͖͍͓̃̔̉͘e̤̳̔̈́ ̩͋1̮͖͚͇̈́̽́̊4̧̮͉͖͛̒̎̃

- 17 years of age at this point. Shen Qingqiu tilts his head back with an inaudible sigh. A young man indeed, almost an adult, but still shedding the last flushes of youth. So, how do you manage a gaze that predatory?! His face suddenly lights up, as if he’s had some unthinkable realisation, his lips twitching into a glowing smile, black eyes sparkling like stars in the night, “Is that pleasing to Shizun?” His voice has deepened just a bit, low and silky in inflection.

…? Abort!

“I’m pleased that Binghe seems to be excelling in his cultivation and studies. It’s the joy of any teacher to see their student learn and grow.” He defers, feeling like he’d only barely managed to avoid a trap. Binghe, you have better targets to use that voice on otherthanthis old master! Luo Binghe’s smile grows even wider. Showing pearly white teeth. He once again tilts his head in a way that would be quite cute, if it wasn’t paired with an ever more unsettling light growing in his eyes.

“It’s the joy of this disciple also, to bring Shizun such joy.” He finally averts those eyes, his smile once more falling to ‘coy’, “It’s good to see you, Shizun. To talk to you. I almost thought-” He pauses, before shaking his head with a rueful grin, “Ah this one is being quite forward. I merely mean that Shizun seems so separate from mortal affairs, it’s like a dream that you’ve deigned to talk to this lowly one.” He bows, a shockingly poor attempt at ‘meekness’ settling over him in an uncomfortable skin.

This boy… If this is the way these disciples react, no wonder the original goods spent no time with them! He feels his eyes narrow and his brows furrow. He wasn’t unlike his Binghe, but he was also nothing like him at all! What happened to sweet fluffy sheep? His pure white lotus?! This boy was a wolf! It really was… quite different here. A pang in his chest, his heart aches.

“Disciple Luo should take more care with his words. They could be misinterpreted by someone less forgiving than this one.” Binghe nods frantically, his eyes wide and deceptively innocent.

“This disciple is thankful for the guidance.” An awkward silence begins. He… didn’t know this youth. He was a different person from the one he’d guided and cared for. And hurt. For all that had-

ȇ͜n̟̝̬̊̐͌d̦̐ed̢̨̹̉̿͘,͚̗͖͔́̅͠͝ ͚̖̓̀͘̚͟͢ȁ̡̫͠n̳̓d̩̱͐͡ ̜͘b̹̼̍̎̾͟e̲̤̓͜͞͡g̘̾ư̧̧̥̞̈̚͞n͙̿͛͜.̡̳͌̕ ̥̺̺͊͆́Ō̤̯͖̿̇ű̜͎̜̦͑̉͞r̻̅̀ͅ ̪̥̖̈́̍̈͗ͅs̼͓̟̋͒͌̄͟ṱ̙̔͡ō͉r̦͑ŷ̘,͚̹͂̈́̿͢ ̼̹̯̖̎͛̑͐t̗͠ṓ̼͖̳̇̚͢͝ͅg̻͓͚͇̅̀͐͌e̛̥̳͚̔̐t̜̚͟͝h̯͎̖̅̅̀er.̡̽.͉̓.͓͋ ͈͛m͓̙̊̽y͚̹̞̩̾̂̀͞ ̖̞̺̫̇͆̂͂̕͢h̲͘ủ͙̫̰̒̕s̛̘̞̝̫̰̃̇̈͝b̩͉̘͒́͂a̛͉͚̠̕͘nd̡̨̢̰̊͆̑͝.̙̙͇̟̰̆̆̽͡͡

He clutches at his skull, hissing through his teeth. These headaches will need to be checked. His chest ached strangely.

“Shizun?! Are you okay? Should this one fetch Peak Lord Mu-” He waves Binghe off with a hand, this old man is just fine thanks!

“This master is fine, merely still recovering.” Binghe’s face clouds over, once more sending him that searching look, before he finally nods.

“If Shizun is sure, and this one is not needed, he’ll rejoin the rest of his peers.” Shen Qingqiu finds himself nodding, a little shocked at his disciple’s sudden capitulation- something his Binghe would furiously cry out against- and watches as this Binghe bows before turning to leave.

~0~

Since joining Qing Jing Peak, Binghe has known three things to be true. One; though it will be hard, succeeding on Qing Jing will guarantee success in every facet of his life. Two; he was destined to be on Qing Jing Peak here and now, that fact could not be disputed. Three; there was something wrong with Shen Qingqiu.

The first one was obvious, Qing Jing Peak was run to the most strict of standards, everything taught was hand picked to ensure its disciples success in any of their future prospects – should it be immortality or otherwise. No one who left went jobless, their careers always flourish, and those who dedicated their lives to cultivation? A shockingly high amount of them gain reknown.

The second was less obvious… some would say insane. But before he’d climbed the steps to begin his destiny, before he ever stood on Qing Jing soil, he had known who Shen Qingqiu was. He has had dreams of this place, and the peerlessly beautiful immortal who governed it, for as long as he could remember. Dreams of what could only be another life, of a cruel master turned endlessly kind. Of failure, and success, of conquest and love. Of marrying the beautiful, kind, perfect person who hurt him so sweetly and loved him so fiercely. Of blood, of bone, of ash raining from the sky. Of him dying. He would do anything to bring this vision to life, except for his cruel final fate.

Shen Qingqiu his Shizun, was not Shen Qingqiu his husband. But Shen Qingqiu his Shizun was not even the cold cruel Shizun of his early dreams. Shen Qingqiu his Shizun was barely even a person. The second he laid eyes on him he knew, the cold genteel mask was not that of a jade-like immortal. It wasn’t hiding depths of emotion beyond his view. It was all this man was, strangely hollow.It was all in his eyes, the lack of anything resembling person-hood, almost dead inside. If he didn’t know better, he’d assume Shen Qingqiu was an empty shell being puppeteered by someone.

But then the peak was abuzz with the rumour, ‘Peak Lord Shen has Qi Deviated!’ and his hope grew. In the endless dream everything changed with a Qi Deviation, so why wouldn’t it change here too? For three weeks he waited as the gossip spread further, ‘High fever, he’s not waking! They’re doing all they can! He might not make it.’ It scared him, the uncertainty. Would he live? Would he change? Does it even matter in the end? Then another Qi Deviation. This one worst than the first. This one they were sure he wouldn’t wake from. But he did. He woke. Within hours the Sect Leader was chased off Qing Jing, and he was walking around like nothing had happened at all. But something had. He had changed, like a shapeshifter finally crawled into his corpse and brought it to life, and everyone can see it.

It was his eyes that gave him away. They held light, they were alive. They burned, and it was divine. For the longest time there was something wrong with Shen Qingqiu. Now, finally, there was something right. He just needed to make sure he stayed this way, and that no one succeeded in removing the divine spirit made flesh that was his new Shizun.

...But he might have come on a little strong… Don’t worry Husband, your future wife is here!

[First] [Ao3] [Next]

[the-switch-conspiracy]

[Prev]

Undo, Redo

Chapter 8, Part 2: [No More Shortcuts]

Warnings: Violence, blood, body horror. Lighter I think than other parts however.

Liu Qingge lay, hair unbound upon a bed as soft and plush as silk. A warm and gentle hand pressed low on his spine. He sighs, shifting closer to the warmth leaning against him, a familiar scent coiling within his lungs. Bamboo, hair oil, parchment, and the low earthy tones are both so dear to him, yet so distant. “Mmnn” he groans out as the hand rises, cards itself through the downy hair at the base of his neck. He feels his lips twitch into a rare smile, the soft gentle thing so carefully guarded and shown to rare few.

“ Qing-ge~” That melodious voice whispers in his ear. He wants to turn towards it, trap it within his arms, to stay in this soft sweet moment forever. A hand grabs his arm. Large and firm with prominent callouses born from frequent sword use. He barely has a moment to react, before he’s yanked from the warmth, eyes jolting open in shock as he falls to his knees half-clothed in front of a very familiar figure. Tall, dressed in the very outfit he wore day in and out, staring down at him with an expression like stone. A face identical to his. Cracked like porcelain, eyes two flat disks of white. It sneers down at him.

“Is this what you have been doing while the man you love fights for his life? He’s out in the dark alone, while you crawl coddled in this warmth, selfishly.” It turns its’ gaze to the bed behind Liu Qingge, contempt clear on its well-known features. Memories flood Liu Qingge’s mind. Of the fight he’d just lost, of the sudden draining of his Qi a moment before he was struck. The crack of his body hitting solid stone, and something shattering inside as his consciousness faded. And Shen Qingqiu, alone, staring at him with horrified eyes and an outstretched arm.

“Of course not!” He spits, trying to rise to his feet. His limbs feel shaky and he was weak; barely able to move as if all his energy has been drained from his body. It stared down at him, brows furrowed and cold. The slivers of light that were it’s eyes narrow. Its’ head shakes, disappointment at the sight kneeling before it. Liu Qingge feels small at its feet. Liu Qingge feels rage. One part of him wishes to strike at the being, but the power radiating off this being was both intoxicatingly powerful and light; unlike anything he’d felt before. Was this a celestial, come to his unwaking body to put things right? Or to end him?

“If you don’t want him to die, stand. Stand and take my hand so he might live.” Arrogance drips from its words, from his posture, its outstretched hand bridging half the gap between them. But more powerful than the anger it elicits is the fear. The fear this being was right; that Shen Qingqiu would die without his assistance. If this being could grant him even a fraction of its’ strength to defeat the demon that had bested him… he would do anything. Anything, so that Shen Qingqiu’s death could not come to pass. His head drops, his shoulders slump, and his fingertips hit the palm of its’ mimicked hand. For the first time the being’s stern expression softens, a tension releasing from its’ frame. It looks back at the bed holding the temptation beyond the waking Liu Qingge’s reach.

“If you concede a battle before it even begins for fear of a loss, you’ll lose your chance to win.” It murmurs turning its’ boundless gaze on Liu Qingge’s still kneeling form, “That is a battle worth fighting for even the chance of winning; so cast off your cowardice, and fight.”

“You!-” White fills his vision as power fills his veins, ushering him with the taste of blood and stone to the waking world beyond.

~O~

Shen Qingqiu stares up at the beast, beads of sweat forming around his temple. The indomitable force seems to stare back at him. He swallows, trying to wet his bone dry mouth, and nervously glances down at his disciple. Still looking up at him with a far too placid face. His Qi flares questioningly into the void of the room, and the beast’s flares back warningly… and yet...

“Luo Binghe’s life for Liu Qingge’s? That’s the deal you’re offering?” The words taste rancid behind his teeth, disgusting to have been said. But every second they were talking is a second stolen from the beast. It seemed awfully chatty for being the potential harbinger of their likely imminent death. There had to be a catch of some sort, for why else would it be so intent on Shen Qingqiu surrendering to it?

ș̬̇̿u͎̞̝̟̼͌̐͐͠͝b͙̩͓͆͐͗m̙̳̯̰͗̀̌̐ị̎t̡͓́̆͡ͅ

“I̜̊t̛̳͔̀'̱̌s ͙̭̳̫́͂͑͠b͓̟̤̎̚͡uṭ̕ ̫̑͢͞ä̳̯͔͕̯́̃̾̽͘ ̛͉̩̿̚ͅs̫͐ḿ̖̦��̟̈́͑̿ȧ̖̞̫̽̒l̛̖͕͚̄̚ļ̜̄̈́ ̼̩̤̫́̌́̈o̟̻̊͋f̰͈̞̱͗͆̈͐f͔̉er̨͇̖͌͐͌i̝͖̎̃n̗͋g̻̙̭̻͊͝͡͞ ̻̲̾̇f̞̪͖͑̓̓o̤͙̬̖͊͆̊͛ŗ̠́̀ ̘͓͙̖̱̆̊̃̈̉m͈͇̩̋́̀̕ͅÿ̰̣͔̀́ ̩̰̅̀m͈͙͊̑e̥̓r̹̟̞̈́̍ć̹̜͛ÿ̭̺́̿̑͢,̞̈ ̞̻͋̄́͢͜͞nŏ̢͎̔͘ͅ?̙̖̖͊͆̀͟͠”

The demon nods, its’ front-most arms bending just so to bring it closer to their level. At its size, it was more a mocking gesture than anything else. The expression on its face was intense, manic and starved. But also glassy, hollow. Shen Qingqiu felt consumed by its gaze, stripped bare under its watchful fanaticism. The tugging on Luo Binghe had stopped, as if waiting for Shen Qingqiu to answer before pulling his disciple away to his death.

Luo Binghe holds onto his arms as tightly as Shen Qingqiu holds onto his sides, desperation felt through the slightest shake to his hands. He wants to look down at him, to press his face to his chest and tell him ‘we’ll be fine’, ‘I won’t sacrifice you for anyone.’, but instead all he could do was press one hand to his disciples curls. And close his eyes.

Three human heartbeats, beating in tandem as fast as a hummingbird’s wings.

With a shaky breath, Shen Qingqiu stares once more into the hungry abyss of the demon’s vermilion gaze.

“There is something I’ve always found trite in stories, that infuriates me to my core. Can you guess what that is?” The monster’s eyes narrow, a sneer beginning to spread across its face as it rises back to its full height. The wriggling of the hair starts once more as it prepares itself to tug. Luo Binghe tenses in his arms and Shen Qingqiu squeezes back reassuringly. He has a plan, well the outlines of a plan, look... it was more of a work in progress than anything…

“I͉̐ṱ̌ ͔͚̮͒͐̈́w̩͙̑͞o̰̒ũ͇l̺̿ḏ̢̩̝̃̄̓͋ ͍͔̰̣̕̕͝͡b͙̭̝̊͋͊e ̡̲̓͑w̲̠̭̓̈͐̎ͅi̛̞̖͘ś̱̼̭̰̃̍̏e̯̽ ̧̜̗̈́̑͂n̗̯̞̔̍͡o̙̮͉̜͗̀̇̽̚͢t̜̆ ̼̔t͎̺̅̇͘͢o̹̿ ͓͞t̢̯̞̟͉͊́͌͒̂ȩ̖͗̿s̗̏ṫ͜ ̩̉ṃ̟̆̏̌͟ě̟͔͉̈̋ ̭̟͈͆͒͋S̨͖̦̖̒̏͑́hǐ͇̗̟̞͒̿͌z̬̝͗͞ȕ͈͓̘́͘ņ̞͙͈̪͂͗̄̆͡.̣̞̀͡” Binghe gasps.

But! First things first; a diversion.

The demon growls.

“It’s the IQ drop a villain gets right before they start a monologue. When they get so caught up in their own power and self-importance they lose track of what’s around them.” Shen Qingqiu must admit that his favourite part when it came to stories, beyond the world building and monsters of course, was always the climactic moment before the final clash. When everything seems grimmest, then suddenly; a glimmer of light. This, to Shen Qingqiu, felt likethat moment.

It was still blind after all, even if it was using Qi and sound to pinpoint where he was. The upsides to this way of sensing were great, the beast would be able to react swiftly to anything Shen Qingqiu did, but… the downside to this sort of sensing? A singleminded focus, all on Shen Qingqiu. Bad for a villain no doubt, but perfect for...

A sword beam of light so intense Shen Qingqiu could feel the heat wafting off it from where he stood, carves through three of the demon’s eight arms and halfway into its lower head. Forcing a room shaking howl from deep within its damaged chest, and the lurching, staggered, slump sideways under its’ own weight.

Liu Qingge stood amidst the shattered rubble surrounding him, Cheng Luan shining white at his side and hair loose in disarray around his face. His white and blue robes were stained red in patches and ripped in others, but power soars around him in a heady ripple. A shining light, the glimmer in the darkness.

Without a second glance or a moment of hesitation, Liu Qingge tilts his sword and leaps. The shredded remnants of his outermost robes trailing behind him like outstretched wings.

~O~

Shang Qinghua has seen some shit, don’t get him wrong. Ever since his System popped up and gave him his ‘Save the World’ quest several years ago he’s been working his ass off trying to fix things here and there, and most of those things were some serious shit. He literally just came back from one such mission! So a popular close-to-sect town being overtaken by demons in a way that wasn't in PIDW or any of his supplementary writings?

Fair, whatever, this world was a world that kept turning regardless of if Shang Qinghua wrote it to. Now, sky turning blood red from ominous beam of energy radiating from the very place their Shixiong and Shidi were supposed to be? A rift forming where said beam hit the sky? System screaming in his ear about how the corruption is spreading and that an unauthorised corrupted instance was in the area? Yeah, nah, that’s fucked. Talk about some end of days bullshit! System, he demands a pay raise!

Normally when Shang Qinghua enters a corrupted zone, he’s tasked with finding what went wrong and ‘writing’ the wrong, ha! Apparently being the author granted him some level of creative control in this trainwreck of his novel. Or the soggy wet remains of what was a sort of fanfictionesque version of his novel? Hell if he knows! But after writing what he’d observed in these areas and ‘fixing’ them with some pretty elegant prose, if he may say so, in the book granted to him by the system for this task… well he gets to see his world building in action.

Literally. It was… was… like that scene in that weird ass freaking kids movie? With the button eyes..? Coraline, that’s it, at the end where the other place starts unravelling into white? Its like that in reverse, forming the world in places that were lacking. It was honestly as cool as it was terrifying, like being a real premium god of this world.

But that didn’t mean that everything was changed because of him, because oh boy was it not!

The first time he met Shen Qingqiu he almost choked to death! There was something -not right- with that one, beyond what was already not right with the OG! He almost thought that something he had done as a child somehow caused Shen Qingqiu to get his soul sucked out as a teen under Wu Yanzi. It wasn’t impossible but… well… despite probably being a soulless husk he was weirdly…. Likeable?

He was still kind of a bitch! And mean! Weirdly obsessed with monsters and fans, but he had a cutting sense of humour which was really freaky when he stared you down with his dead ass fish eyes and smiled like he was thinking about murdering you. And he was good with teaching! Or at least delegating his teaching! Adding on to the weirdness was whatever the fuck that was happening between Yue Qingyuan and Shen Qingqiu.

Look, Shang Qinghua gets weird complicated relationships, hell the original version of their relationship was supposed to be tragic, weird and complicated! But this… this was weird, weird and complicated, complicated! That’s not even getting into the fact that Shen Qingqiu knew about Xuan Su! Nor the way Zhangman-Shixiong sometimes look s at Shen Qingqiu like he want s to prostrate himself at his feet or stab him seventy-nine times with his sword. It was incredibly unnerving.

Yet no matter what they just keep smiling at each other. That’s the worst bit. Shen Qingqiu will get snappy, will give Yue Qingyuan the cold shoulder, will sneer and shout and spit awful things, just like he should, then just as quickly he’d turn and smile that pretty vacant smile that so often makes its home on his face, and sing out a sweet ‘Qi-ge, look at this book I’ve been enjoying’ or ‘Qi-ge, this Qingqiu-shidi wanted to go observe the golden tail badger buck, would Qi-ge join this one?’ and rather than be weirded out like Shang Qinghua was by the clear sign of this Shen Qingqiu’s mental instability, Yue Qingyuan would get that weird knowing look he sometimes gets around Shen Qingqiu! It drives him insane!

But yeah, despite all that bullshit he was actually not so bad to be around, if you ignore the ‘off’ vibes and just took him as he was. Great at shit talking, kind of like a judgemental wine aunt. Anyway, so Shang Qinghua has seen some shit, dealt with some shit, has been through some serious shit. But he has never faced something like this before. It was… kinda daunting. Intensely daunting. And Yue Qingyuan? He looked wild. The man was all but foaming at the mouth with frantic impotent fury.

Or at least the closest thing the sect leader has to that, which is ‘foaming at the mouth with frantic impotent fury in an elegant sect leader type of way that is likely to snap and rip someone’s throat out with his teeth at any minute and oh god Shang Qinghua was in the line of fire’. Yeah. And Shang Qinghua somehow had to stop him from running to and bursting down the door to the place he very much wanted to go. Because the system told him so.

[No unauthorised entities may enter the currently ongoing instance. Entry will cause punishment for both host and offending entity.]

So, here he was, standing in front of a man willing and able to rip him apart to get to his precious shidi. What the fuck did he do to deserve this???

“Is there a reason Shang-shidi is standing in this one’s way?” Yue Qingyuan smiles down at him with his ‘I’m going to kill you in thirty seconds if you don’t move’ smile and clenches Xuan Su with a shaking, pale knuckled grip. Shang Qinghua gulps, and bursts out in a high pitched rush.

“This one really must insist that Zhangman-Shixiong not enter the likely very dangerous building just yet!” He stops and breaths shallowly, before continuing at an even higher pitch, “The mortals need to be evacuated! If whatever is causing this to happen enters into the city streets it would be a nightmare! So! We should prioritise the mortals who are under our protection and! Um, get them out of the city..?” He abruptly ran out of steam upon seeing the look in Yue Qingyuan’s eyes. He reaches out a hand and grips Shang Qinghua’s shoulder in a firm grasp.

“You are indeed correct Shang-shidi, the mortals must be protected and evacuated.” He squeezes his shoulder tight, “So Shang-shidi, I entrust you to handle this very important mission.” he lets goes and strides past without another glance. Shit, shit, shit. Terrible things should be shouted three times! Shang Qinghua didn’t want to die! But he also didn’t want whatever awful punishment would be inflicted on him should he fail to do what the system asked! Choices, choices! There were none! All he could do was -

Thwack!

“Shang Qinghua!” An angry snarl of a shout from the man now wrapped in immortal binding cables, and encased in one of Shang Qinghua’s quick-days protective arrays! All your protective array needs in one decently sized rock! Also works well to bludgeon people to unconsciousness or death with! Well, whatever is happening inside needs to finish quickly. Shang Qinghua doesn’t know how much longer he’ll be able to keep the sect leader restrained!

~O~

Slay the demon, protect Shen Qingqiu, don’t die. Slay the demon, save Shen Qingqiu from his fate, don’t die. Slay the demon, protect Shen Qingqiu, try not to die again. An endless mantra ringing in his ears. A monotonous blur of sight and sound, overstimulating his senses as he pushes through pain, weariness, the blood coating his mouth to fight, fight, fight. He’s good at it, it’s all he needs to be good at. To protect, to attack, the shield of the sect, the righteous blade of his martial siblings. It pounds in his head, in his veins, the thrum of power beyond all he’s even known.

His every step shatters stone, the demon’s movements look sluggish to his eyes, yet his bones hum under the strain. A lash of a clawed hand easily dodged, the parting of shadows to reveal whip like tendrils brimming with evil energy cut down with an arc of light. The taste of blood growing stronger even as he fights, fights, fights . Whatever this energy was, its not meant for a mostly mortal body. It’s burning him alive, his Qi roiling in his meridians like a barely caged wildfire, even as he slices another limb from this wretched beast’s soon to be corpse.

He knows Shen Qingqiu and his disciple are still in the room, but he can’t think , can’t see , merely move, move, attack, killkillKILL.

Bodies painted crimson with every swipe, endlessly crawling over the limp forms of those slain before them. All of them his face, his body being cut down one by one by three by five, endlessly, mindlessly clutching at the hems of his robes. It doesn’t end, why won’t it end? He’s cut down again again again . His lungs filling with water, with blood, drowning drowning. Is this what insanity feels like? This endlessly repeating cycle? How did he handle it? How is he still so put together? Focus, this isn’t for you to know . Know… know? No, no, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts it hurts it hurts ithurtsithurtsithurtsithurts GET IT OUT GET IT OUT. Stop looking!

“Liu Qingge! It’s about to use its Qi Dampe-” That beloved voice breaking through the red mist twisting his mind. In the brief breath of clarity that follows, Liu Qingge watches distantly as the demon’s stinger pulls back, pulsating as it draws in energy. The world to Liu Qingge’s senses feels glacial and muffled, as if he were standing over his own shoulder looking out through a pane of misted glass, but he can see it. An almost audible click, rings in his ear. The depths, the madness, pushed back by the entity he foolishly entered this pact with.

Shen Qingqiu stands tall, Xiu Ya held defensively in front of him, his disciple stands just a step behind him and freed from his binding, an intensely dark expression looming on his features. Shen Qingqiu’s hands were held in an oddly familiar way, almost distracting him from the sight of the carnage surrounding them. Several other pillars had been demolished in Liu Qingge’s maddened rampage along with large swaths of the flooring. But the demon, despite its damage, still stood tall. Oily black liquid drips from its many wounds, steaming into miasma as it hits the ground.

“M̹̃y̨̙͇̜̒̑̋̅ ̡͈̩̀͂͠m̲̟̻̝̃̃͝͠ḛ̪̐̃ȑ̲̭̽̎͢c͔̼̼̙̊͊̏͠y̨̝͕̻̓͂͋̅ ̦͔̌͊h̬̰̥̹̤̎̄͑̑̈ã̫͙̼̈̓ṣ̡̾͗ ͎͖̠͌̓̈r͚̠̱̝̉̈̐̈́̓ͅṳ̱̒̂̐͜͟͞ñ̺̯̝̔̚ ò͎̖̯͒͞u͙̇ẗ̡̛͚͍̟́̾̇̚͢!̨̞̗̳͎̇͐̈́̍̕” It roars, voice fragmenting into many as its’ stinger hits the ground, distorting the surface with it’s dark magic.

All Liu Qingge’s power cuts out, sending him harshly from his leap to his feet, pain rocketing through his ankles, knees, and hips. It’s stinger fades to almost nothing, and his Qi slowly, sluggishly, begins to return. Too slowly.

“N̲͓̅̓͜͠ō̝̫̻͘̕w̟̠̬̓̈͊͟͡ D̡͇̞̣̠̀͊̃̉͘I͚̫̍̋Ȩ͖̿̕!”

It throws its remaining arms out mindlessly, sweeping them across the floor around it like whips. Without Qi they couldn’t escape it’s reach! Shen Qing-!Liu Qingge’s train of thought is abruptly cut off as hundreds of sharpened spears of stone hurtle down from the dark abyss hiding the ceiling and impale the beast, pinning it to the floor like an insect in a morbid display.

It howls, rage and pain radiating from the ungodly noise. Good. His Qi snaps back, flooding him with his regular amount of power, the otherworldly presence gone. Or so it seemed. A trip to Wan Jian Peak would be needed despite how much the thought made his skin crawl. Better that than Qian Cao Peak.

The demon writhes, desperately trying to escape the pins that trap it to the ground. But by luck or design, its remaining arms were also pinned to the floor. The only weapon it had left was its still faded stinger, and the hair’s it could control. Shen Qingqiu stands close to the Demon’s upper face, staring down at it with a curiously blank expression as it snarls wordlessly up at him. It was… different looking to how it was prior to his strike. That face… it looks almost like-

“Shizun!” Shen Qingqiu’s disciple tackles him just as the Demon’s stinger lashes down towards where Shen Qingqiu was just standing. Two sword glares cut into the appendage mere breaths after, severing it finally from the main body. The boy, Luo Binghe? Sneered at the beast with a face contorted in a rage so fierce Liu Qingge could almost taste it. Bitter and animalistic. A mirror of his own towards the demon that dared to try and hurt...-! He shakes the rage from his mind, letting a calm descend upon him. As this very battle had proven, rage was strong when honed correctly, but when let overrun oneself… all it leads to is madness.

Shen Qingqiu once more walks up to the slowly stilling demon, once more staring down at him with that cold expression. He doesn’t say a word.

He deals the final blow.

Standing next to the slumped form of his vanquished foe, his hair loosened from it’s careful dressing and glowing from the light of his blade, sword slick with blood, gore soaking the hems of his robes, and eyes burning from within… he looked… Liu Qingge’s jaw seizes, his fists clench. The elated grin stretching across his previously blank face as the adrenaline fades into relief. The man who haunts his dreams. The man who haunts his nightmares. This man, he is resplendent in their victory.

This man is not Shen Qingqiu.

[First] [Masterpost] [Ao3] [Next]

[the-switch-conspiracy]

[Prev]

Chapter 2: [ctrl c]

There was a hand on his head. Long, calloused fingers carding through the strands. Backwards and forwards it strokes, nails lightly catching against his scalp. The sensation filled Shen Yuan’s body with a groggy pleasure, each scrape tickling the nerves of his spine with little sparks. Sensing his waking, the hand shifts as if to pull away. No! Don’t stop… he presses his head firmer against the hand. Movement beneath his cheek, the shifting of fabric covering the warmth beneath. A firm thigh, a welcoming lap, and vibrations… this person was laughing?

It made something inside him feel… he buried his face further into the fabric, infused with a rich scent. Leather and sword oil, a hint of earth and forest, clean sweat and the slightest spice of some sort of soap? He breathes deeper as if it would help to pint point the exact spice used, only to feel his face flushing. How shameless he was acting, he didn’t want to leave. The vibrations grew stronger, the chuckle finally leaving the stranger’s lips. It was deep and warm, melodious and masculine. There was a familiarity to it he couldn’t quite shake, though he was certain he’d never heard it in this form.

The hand travelled from his crown, to the base of his neck. Firm pads weaving soft circles, warming the skin with each pass. There was a tentativeness to the motions, for all the liberties this man was taking. His hands shook, slightly, so slightly, matching the skip of his heart. It was as if he was touching something priceless, divine; something he’d hopelessly yearned for, and never thought he’d have the chance to grasp. With this touch of skin to skin, with each minute motion it became clear; this person’s devotion... this goodness… ahh! He had to know what face would match!

He made to move his head, and the hand shifted from his neck to his spine. He felt dizzy, as he raised his eyes to meet the stranger’s. Sharp phoenix eyes, the colour an ever-shifting ocean. Grey and blue, purple and silver, black and deep. A face beautiful and delicate, but firm and handsome, beauty mark there one second and gone the next. It was the face of a dream, constantly changing in small ways but always exceptionally pretty despite the uncanniness. The robes grey and white, or white and blue, extravagant, or simple, or wild with furs. Yet with every change, the feeling remained. This was undoubtedly the same man, in his many multitudes. He’s smiling, awkward and small and so fragile, like the look was unaccustomed to his face; and Shen Yuan promised himself it wouldn’t be. That smile of his could start wars, and it deserved to be there every day.

His eyes were firm and resolved, though hid more of that vulnerability deep inside. His lips pursed, and oh he was talking? But no sound fell from them. Shen Yuan tilted his head up further, confusion no doubt settling on his face. He really was trying, but the constant shifting made it hard to read his lips!

I’m sorry, but, I can’t understand what you’re saying? The brows furrow, eyes narrow, the expression settled so naturally on his face! That look in his eyes increases, terrifying in its intensity, as his lips pull down into a frown. The man tries again, his mouth forming words Shen Yuan could not decipher. One hand spread firm against his back, the other reaching to cradle his face, the frustrated frown softening into a sharp uncertainty. His hands still trembled, as they so carefully held him. So what else was Shen Yuan to do but reach out? His hand hovered close enough to the other’s on his face, that he could feel the heat in his fingertips. Contact, the delicate bones of his wrist flexed as the man struggled not to move. Strong tendons, sharp knuckles, his fingers slip between, both pairs pressing against his cheek. The trembling increased, the man’s eyes widening as the faintest pink crept into his cheeks. The smile returned, reverent. The flush to his cheeks, the shining eyes, that pretty face! This one could almost mistake you for a maiden! Shen Yuan pressed closer, his own lips parting, to… to...

Shen Yuan slipped. The sky shifted from soft blue to crimson streaked with grey. The man’s face twisted into to protective fear as he lunged towards him, fell through him. Immaterial. Two people passing each other in the growing dusk. Alone, Shen Yuan, standing in the quickly approaching darkness as the world around him turned to void. Nothing around him, nothing above him, a smooth black slate beneath his feet. A smooth black slate in front of him. Its surface shifted, lightened, until he was staring at a familiar image. Two men sat intertwine, one holding a hand to the other’s face, the other holding said hand fingers interlocked. He couldn’t see the face of the held man, his back turned towards him, but he had the sinking dread that came from seeing the reflection in a fun-house mirror from the corner of your eye.

The other however, was gazing down with shining joy at his partner. His hair riotous with curls, then windswept, then straight. Black eyes shining, gleaming like stars even at this distance. Handsome, in a way that causes the pulse to race, and draped in black and red, white and red. His face, it hurt him inside to look at. Deeply aching to his very soul, he felt tears well to his eyes as he pressed against the window. I know you. I know you well. So why does it feel like..? It was like dying a little, like losing himself. Some part of him had been ripped away, and he knew, he knew when he woke it’d be gone. Even this pale mirror of a moment. This window he was locked behind. Like in his own dream, the sky shifted, the men dispersed. Leaving nothing but his own reflection in the black slate. His own distraught face. His soul had been cracked, torn asunder.

The reflections head tilted and anger crossed his features, it’s hand pressed against the other side of the glass. Ah so this…

Will it be worth it? The price we paid?

What are you talking about? He feels… he feels like he’d forgotten more than he knew. That he’d been bestowed upon some great knowledge, and it had cracked his skull and the delicate muscles within to soup. Soup that slipped between his fingers.

You.. you don’t even know? What the System left you? What it took? What you gave away!?

No. no. He thinks, there must have been a terrible error. The mirror shook his head in disgust, his eyes burning.

Of course, I see the game it’s playing, ah, we – we really are a bit stupid.

That hurts, a bit. But the sense that he’d been played- is it an unworthy trustfulness in others or apathy that makes him put his faith into a system that betrays it? The other turned his head, his eyes…flicker... from familiar black to sickly poisonous green. The hand against the mirror clenches into a fist, knuckles pale from the strain.

It’s fine. If it wants to play, well, we just need to beat it at its own game. Even if you can’t remember what, remember at least that you’ve forgotten something. Keep your mind open, I’ll do what I can. We are, after all, in this together.

He smiles, twisted and sombre, his eyes fall shut.

And together, even like this, is better than apart.

[Cang Qiong Mountain Sect Loaded. Welcome User to World State v2.5]

[First] [Ao3] [Next]

[the-switch-conspiracy]

[Prev]

Chapter 3: [ctrl v]

[Establishing Link]

.

..

…

“Remo- hand- you ….” A soft velvet sky blanketed his face, warmth like honey in his lungs.

“Xiao- unwe- … ple-” Familiarity, safety, home. Emerging once more from beneath the waves.

“That’s- n – e! Ad- .. me co- ..ly!” But still so far below.

More murmuring, the sound clearing as the waves recede. He’s awake. Kind of. It feels like he’s been locked in place with a blindfold tied around his eyes. Immobile, displaced. Has he been kidnapped again?

“This one is fine, you two are overreacting!” A voice so like his own? Lip against lip, tongue flicking against teeth, but he can’t move. He can’t see. He would panic but that required access to adrenaline, and he has access to nothing. His heartbeat didn’t even stutter.

“Shen-Shixiong, we found you Qi-deviating for the second time after barely recovering from your previous Qi-deviation and fever! You can not, in good faith, call our concern an overreaction.” A second time? Is this why he feels so distant? A Qi-Deviation can be deadly, but it could also have other varied effects. Is this a displacement of sensation and action? Innermost thoughts spoken without conscious will. Wait a moment. Stop. Pause. What’s this about a Qi-Deviation? Why is he back at the sect? He was sure that – he’d – to put it bluntly...

He’d died. Again. For the what could only be another time too many. He can’t quite remember exactly how, but he could remember that much. The System, it had offered-

Ṙ͎͓̈ë̦̥́͘d̠̯͂͛ ̝̣͆̂s̫͚̐͒k̖̔̿ͅȋ̙͈̓ę̭̒͠ś͚̯̒

T͙͎̾̈h̢̲͌̆e̖̪̔̐ ̼̀̚͜w̠͉̌͑ỏ̧̡̋r̡̪͛͌l̖̠͊͘d̪͓́̉ ͈̘͆͂c̙̈͘͜ŏ̫̲̀l̛̤̎͢l͕̘̇̋a͓̫̔̕p̜̪̈́͘s̤͗̌͢e̲̬͐̐s͕͇̾̄

B͙̯̈́̀l͚̈̕ͅo͚͑̌͢o̡̖͗͋ḏ̣̎͝ ͔͓̂͘ǘ̼̗́ṕ̯͓͘ó̘͈̿n̲̽͆͢ ̨̟͐̎b̧̭̒͋l̞̤̇̒ó̻̻͡ȏ̥͒͟d̲͕̓̅ ̜͍̔͆u̹͈̓̕ṕ̖͎̚o̢͈̓̓n̳̠͡͞ ̭̲͞͝c̙̏̂͟ò̖͖̈r̘̱̾̌p̓̄ͅͅṣ̘̄̂ė̥̀͟s͖̼̏́ ̡̛͖̽r̄̇͟͟ǐ̘͚̓f̭̤͂͊e̺̻̋͑ ͈̎̒͜ŵ̡̰͝ì̜͙̌t̨̮̔̀h͇̯͑̐ ̹͍̌͝ȑ̡̞̈́o̲͆̅͢t̥͍́͋

-A deal. Some super special something or other. In this state he was a little vague on the details, but, he was sure this decision would have no negative impacts what so ever surely. When had the System ever fucked him over*?

Addendum* The System is always fucking him over! The calmness was being to slough off like skin from a skinner demon, a sense of frantic agitation stirring his heart. He needs to focus his thoughts. Obviously he’s been moved from where he was, and where he was just so happened to be with Liu Qingge -

i̙͌͗͟n̢̜̉̌ḩ̤̚͝a̝̠̿̌l̟͚̒͘i̦͚̿͡n̲̯͊̾g̳̹͂͘ ̢̏̅͢b̧̹͋̍l̙̯͒͠ȏ̖͝ͅo͙̞̽̓d̥̍̅͟ ̤͉͆̕t̢̼̿͋h̟̹͋̅r̥̩͑̕õ̥̣͘u̘̜̔͐g̯̺̾͋h̻̙̍͒ ̲͍̊̀c̣̳͑̚r͎͖͂̉á̮̠͋c͕͓̈́͛k͔̞̉̓e͎̝̔͂d̯͖̅̾ ̖͍̈̕t͈̰͆͡ė̬͜͞e̱͍̍͝ṯ͖̅̽ḣ̩͟͠,̥̥͊͌ ͓̻̐̆l̺̟̈̍u̘͗̌ͅn͍̣̓͂g͓̝̋̕s̩̻̈͘ ̧̘͛͞w̛̰̱͐ḩ̞̈́̏é͙̮̓e̙͕̓͡ž̯̿͢i̫̥̋̈n̳̈̕ͅğ̙̗̚ ̛̰̭̿w̮̳͌͝ỉ̗͈̀t̫̲̊̀ḫ̖̆̓ ̺̲͊̇e̱̩̋̕v͓͙͗͞ḙ̠̒̆r̲̲̈̐ȳ̨̝́ ̜͕͒͘b̧͕́͘ŗ̠̔̄è̹̤̔a̧̘͑̓t̢̘͂͑h̨͍͂̿,̨͍̐̆ ̳̱̈́͞ĥ͓̻͐ê̝͝ͅ’̖̙́̑s͍̙̾͗ ͎̲̒́c͉̜̍̕r͚̰͡͠ỵ̫̈́̇i̧͕̊͝ṋ̛̔ͅg̮͙̈́̏ ̡̞̈́̿ĥ͉̙̒ë̯͉͡’̧͔͌͝s̃̿͢͢ ͙̭̀̀c̮̥͞͡r̭͆̾ͅy͓̤̽͡i͉̝̋̿n̩̉̓ͅg͓͑͜͞,̩̑͟͞ ̪͚̒̑h̛̥̭̓é̜͍̓’̙̫̈̋ś̭́ͅ ̲͚͊̇c̋̓͟͢ą̓̾͢l͖̠͋͌l̢̦͆̉i̤̠͌̊n͓͍̾̈g̳̩̿́ ̜̟͌͞ó̥̯͞u̧͔̅̄r̊̊͢͢ ̟͉̾͠n̯̝̾̆ạ̯̿͡m̗̤̀͊e̬̳̔̌ ̩̝̂͊i̧̛̞̓n͍̰͡͠ ̨̪̔̅l͇̥̾̈́ō͍̼͝w̻̮̏͠ ͍̺̒̈m̙͉͛̔o̘̝͐͊u̬̥̒́r̟̰̔͊ň̜̩͛f̛̫͙̒u̡̫̅̕l̫̉͛ͅ ̦͎̍́t̼̪̎͋ȏ̳̓͜ń̼̜͝e̹̦̚͝ş̘̓̀,̜̈́͘͢ ̲̫͛̉l̟͎̒̏ȯ͎̫͑c̤͎̉̃ḱ̙̣̔ị̤̄̇n̩̰̆̕g̞̣͆͗ ̘͙́̔e̘̎́͟y̦͉̏̍ḙ͙́͝ṣ̢͆͂ ̳̌̕͢a̞̹̿͘s̗̪͐͛ ̛̠̯̾ț̥̃̄h̝̞̆͊e͔̗̅͘ ͈̦̐̓l̛͚̗̃i̫̭̕͠g̟͙̔̔h̳͖͊̃t̛͓̪͐ ͉̱̾͠f͉̙̏̄a̭̤͊͑ḑ̛͚̓ë̺̹̑s͉̃͒͜ ̜̆͒͜a͜͜͞͝n̼̑͒ͅd͇̃̀͟ ̢͍̆̕m̼̝̏̄u͕̠̒̍r̖͉̋̾ḱ̛̫̣s̝͉͂̽ ̞̞̇̕ṯ̆̕ͅh͓͓̊͆è̡̫̎ ̤̙̇̀s̢̗͗̃ī͖̠̓l̯̰͊̇v̲̫̽͞ê̛͎͇r͇͉̽͆ ͙̠̂͞ț͈̏̔o̘̪̿̎ ̹̊̅͜m̺̝̋̕ì̢̡̛s̼͉͋̿t̘̠͝͝,̙̬̊͋ ͇̞̾̈́g̬̺͊͞o͔̪̓͌n̝̭̂̈́e͉̞̽̐.̼̅̚͢ ̤̈́͜͝G͓̙̋̀o͎̽̚͟ņ̻̐̎ĕ͎̳̍.̻̟͞͝ ̰̍̎͟G̩͓͐̿Õ̪̰̎N͍͍͋̆Ẻ͕͔̍.̭͈̿̂

- that much he was certain. They were… they were fighting. The sky was… red. Liu Qingge must have been injured, he felt a mental hitch at the thought, for that would be the only reason for Shen Qingqiu to have died again. But the deal, the deal was meant to save t̜͓̋͌h̟̖͛̎e͍̳͑̓ ̦̼̈́͝p̞̥̄̃e̱̿̉͜ơ͎̥̊p̰͇̀͘l͖͕̔͗e̥̎͘͜ ̩̔̊͢h̝̤́̉ẹ̦̏͆ ͍͞͞ͅl͔̫̃̕ố͎̞v̫̯̎̽ê̞͚͒s̖͆͘͜ them both, but there must have been a catch. How is he here now? And was this one’s Qi-deviation a side effect of their return? It must have been quite severe if he’s forgotten so much.

“This one will ask politely, for you to leave once more.” Despite not conscientiously speaking, the emotions of the statement could be felt. Eyes glancing down at the Sect Leader’s sheathed blade, the pain that spread through their chest at the sight. A sharp cold tang to the tongue, bitterness like poison to the throat. A thought, not quite of his own... The truth -Xuan Su- known, but the wound still festering.

“I will not ask so politely again.” swallowed out through interlocking teeth. It was, in a way, like listening in to a conversation happening in another room. Voyeuristic almost, which was a good distraction from the intrusive confusion clamouring at his skull. It’s also an incredibly uncomfortable situation to be playing eavesdropper to, it was his body after all doing the talking without his input. Strange! 0/10, would be 4/10 if this one had access to popcorn however. Tch. He’s not handling this well.

“Qingqiu-” Shen Qingqiu could hear the brotherly intonation, thick with sorrow and unspoken words. This is not the time or place to be having such depths of emotion Sect Leader! Your other Shidi is still in the room. Which, surely Mu-Shidi will be able to tell he wasn’t entirely here soon. His Qi is surely disordered if he’s still so affected by it.

“Mu-Shidi, you’ve checked my meridians correct?” A deep exasperation in his voice, “The storm has been weathered, and I’ve come out stronger for it. I’ll rest, stay-” the word rolled over his tongue, partially exhausted, mostly annoyed, “here until Zhangman-Shixiong is satisfied,” he hissed the word like a snake baring its teeth, “but I am fine.” The sound of movement as Mu Qingfang undoubtedly grasped his wrist.

[Link Established. Transfer Commencing. OOC Lock: Invalid. VIP Mode s̫͕̳̍̔̑us͍̒p̟̱̝̓͆̿ė̢̹͆nd̼̲̬̔̅̑é̩ď͇̫͛]

Wait, why is the System re-activating now? What’s this about a transfer? Did this mean – had the System transferred in the OG Shen Qingqiu – Was he being puppeteered by the Original Goods? There was venom in the words yes, but he was dead. Or at least he had assumed so. And the system wouldn’t possibly force him into a body that still has someone, surely!?

“I- yes, you seem to have,” Mu Qingfang pauses to collect his thoughts, “your cultivation has indeed seen a breakthrough.” A cultivation breakthrough right after not one, but two Qi-deviations?? Plus, he was nowhere near the next stage in his cultivation before! What BS! System, what the hell is happening here?!

“Congratulations.” Bewildered by what he sensed? Of course! Shen Qingqiu needed to open his eyes, to see what the hell was going on!

“All this to improve your cultivation? Qingqui-Shidi, surely you’re not concerned about the Immortal Alliance Conference? They wouldn’t dare-” Wait… the Immortal Alliance Conference? It could be a new one, but hadn’t Mu-Shidi mentioned a fever? So it’s possible he’s been sent back to when he first transmigrated? Was that why the Original Goods is still here? If the transfer is him and the body is still in the possession of the original goods - System that’s blatantly murder. He may not like the Original, despises him in-fact, but he doesn’t want his execution on his consciousness. On top of that all there’s still so many things that don’t make sense. He knows about Xuan Su, he felt it. The visceral reaction at the sight could be nothing else, so how could it be Shen Jiu? No it has to be the Qi-deviation somehow.

“You think..? This one tires of this. Zhangman-Shixiong has obviously made up his own mind about this one, regardless of what I may say. I suggest you leave, before you manage to insult me further.” The voice was unmistakably wounded, indignation ringing thick in the air. He felt sick to the stomach and unable to decipher if it was from guilt or fear. He had been more composed the first time around in this regard, if he’s indeed been sent back, there had ironically been less uncertainty there.

[Soul to body transfer complete.]

It was if something clicked, and then everything released. His fingers moved, he could feel the sensation returning inch by inch in painful pins and needles. And vision! Sweet vision! He blinked away the spots in his eyes, and paused at the sight of Yue-Shixiong’s face. It was thick with a crestfallen look more suitable to a puppy than the usually handsome features of his sect leader. His robes, further more, were in a less than perfect state for someone of his bearings. Dishevelled. More embarrassing than that however, was Mu-Shidi standing awkwardly between them and the exit. He seemed unsettled by the whole situation, still glancing between the two of them and the door as if he couldn’t wait to bolt from it. A whole damn mood to be frank.

Shen Qingqiu however, felt somewhat more settled and less floaty. Though a light haze still disordered his thoughts, he was indeed just grateful to be back in control of the body. Even if he wasn’t exactly comfortable with one of the potential hows’.

[User UV002 Priority Established. Bound Role: World State v2.5 Cang Qiong Mountain Sect’s Peak Lord of Qing Jing Peak, “Shen %̮͇̓̎̒͟E͚̖̓͒͡ͅ^̻̺̉̉&̢̛̖͕́͊Ŕ̫̪̜͠͡r̜͉͚̅̚̚o̧̫̫͐̿̌R̥͇̿̅̅͜*̨̖̑̾ Courtesy Name: Qingqiu”. Weapon: the sword Xiu Ya. B-point total: 27]

Now he can finally figure out where about in the story he was. Or at least, how badly the System had managed to screw him over. He took a deep breath, and prepared to give his most lofty Peak Lord intonation. It was an old trick by now, so well practised it might as well just be part of his personality. The familiar aloof coldness settled on his features; the smooth, elegant, pure as jade aura of an immortal that repels as much as it attracts.

“Well?” he murmured, head tilting with sinuous smoothness, his eyes narrowing at his martial siblings. A pause as he lets the expression flicker, softening slightly as he turns to meet the other man’s eyes properly. They were filled with concern of course, and hurt. But also a searching curiosity. Could he tell something was different? Or did he, once more, completely miss the potential parting of his childhood ward between one breath and the next. Ah, this man seems to attract tragedy in every version of this world.

The sect leader hangs his head slightly, his expression falling further at what he saw in Shen Qingqiu’s own. The dejected demeanour of a neglected pet begging for attention - Yue-Shixiong where did that come from? You’re breaking this one’s heart!

“We’ll leave you to your rest Shidi. Please, recover well.” He rises to his feet and turns to leave, before pausing once more, “Please let us know if you need assistance.” Shen Qingqiu wasn’t going to let that offer pass completely unrecognised. He needed to know what’s happening on his peak.

“Please send in my Head Disciple if you see them.” Yue Qingyuan tilted his head in acknowledgement as he and Mu Qingfang finally departed. At last Shen Qingqiu is alone. It seems he has a lot of work to do. If he was indeed back to the start, well, he was back to being the despised scum villain. His sect siblings would distrust him once more, his disciples as well. They would be fearful of stepping out of line, their youthful exuberance tempered rather than nurtured. And Luo Binghe, the protagonist, apple of his eye! Well he would still be suffering by the whims of the Original Goods. That… he’d have to deal with that. After all the effort he went through before, to have it completely erased! Well the child wouldn’t even-

r̶̡̨̯̼̱͉̳̀͋͐̄̾̏́̏̉͜ȩ̸̛͇̹͔̪̭̼͈͍̔̓̀̒̔͒͗͒̓̕̚͘ͅm̵̹͉͔̉ȩ̵̨̯̘̱͚̼̪̈́̽̚͜m̶͖͈̫͚̺̝͉͓̬̺̦͂̿̄̎͛̋͂͐͋̀͗͂̋͛̚͜b̷͈̥̪̺̏̐͊̊͊̀̕ͅę̶̪̹͕͛̏͛̐̂͆̔́̾̎͑̓̎͝ŗ̵̤̳͉̫̪͙̽͌̓̕ ̵͖͉̙͚͙̲͖͎̭͂̓̀͌̈́̅̍̑́͝ṭ̴̢̨̲͙̞̻̖̘̦̬̐̆̏̂͠ͅḩ̸͔͙͚͖̬̹͔̪̙͗̎͛̉̊͐͒́̑̓͛̑̕͝͠ī̵̺̘͖͙͚̤̳͚̙͓͙̮̞͕͗s̵̨̛̫̘̜̿͘͝ ̵͖̬̃̿̏̊̂̂̈́̾͛̓́̎̑́h̵̛̥̿̆̒̿͋̔̏̌̇̆͘u̴͕̖̖̬̮̅̎́͘͝ͅs̴̢͎̬͇̩̏b̴̼͔̫̻̺̯̗͓̖̪͉̭͕̙̔̽͜a̴̱̝̣͕̝͉̔̋̀̃̈́͆̈n̸̛̟̖͉̯̲̖̽̄̀̕d̴̪͔̩͇̹̻̯̹̲͚̾́̑̋̄͌

- he let out a sharp cry as pain spliced through his skull and travelled down his spine. What the hell? What.. he couldn’t… what was he ? Ah Binghe. This teacher… really isn’t feeling well.

It’s gone. So much lost. Mere fragments linger.

His hand presses against his head, shaking. The sudden intense vertigo was disorientating, coming from nowhere in a flash. It left him feeling panicked and sickly, his breath shallow with nausea, and unstable like he was seconds away from collapsing. The sensation was reminiscent of mourning. Had the effects of this body’s Qi-deviation not completely faded? He supposed there was something he could ask. Though he was loathe to do so.

“System?” Like his body, his voice was shaky. A mere croak of a word, quite unfitting for the elegant jade master of Qing Jing.

[User UV002 has called upon this System? <(^-^)> This System is happy to assist!]

The system had apparently upgraded since he last spoke to it, it’s box edged with a new border – little bamboo stalks and swords danced around the edges – and back-lit with a bright green glow. A glowing happy faced kaomoji filled the top of the screen. Happy to assist his ass. The System was probably waiting for the second it could steal more b-points and submit him to humiliating events.

Not that he had many b-points to spare. Or dignity left. That thought ran rather strangely through his head. Shen Qingqiu was sure he’d had more towards the end. With all the missions he and Liu-Shidi had cleared, there had been quite the nest egg. Not to mention the satisfaction points, he flushed through the lingering illness at the thought. Was that something to do with the deal? Most of his points for a one-way trip back to the start!

“Why was this ‘account binding’ so strange? Did… was the Original Goods still… present?” The box flickered briefly.

[User UV002 need not worry! The only soul within that body is Shen Yuan’s soul! ‘Original Goods’ Shen Jiu’s soul was not residing within the host’s vessel at time of transfer! User can rest assured.]

“So it was the Qi-deviation then? The first one that… removed him.” Delicately said – the man was killed! Gone! “And the second that affected…. Me?” He was sure he’d lost something. Certain memories felt hazy. He knew for certain he’d completed the main story. Protagonist Luo rising from the abyss, where he was (reluctantly!) pushed by this master, stopped from destroying Cang Qiong Sect due to his father’s meddling (Airplane how dare you leave that plot point from the main story!), and ending with him becoming the Emperor of the Northern Demonic Lands and falling in love with a man of all things!

y̟̱͊͊o͍̯͊̕ṳ̢̓̆ ̳̟̆͐y̳̙͋͞ȍ̢̼̽ư̪̩̊ ̺̼͂́y͎̠͆̓o̭̫͑̾ứ̝͟ ͕̲̂̚h͇͚̚͝e̲͐̍͟ ̪͖͊̔f̩̥̀̿e̠͙͆̓l̗͇͋̇l͖͗̽͢ ̫͇̓͡f̰̮̏͝ò̬̬̊r̖̰̄͠ ̩̻̊̈y̭̭͋̋o̪̥͊̎u̦͍̍̕

Not that there was anything – look, this one would be a hypocrite if he said it was strange (no one no matter how straight they are would be able to resist the image of Bai Zhan’s ferocious War God dripping wet in his inner robes! They clung tight to every curve! So surely how could this master even pretend otherwise? Liu Qingge was just..!), but Luo Binghe what about your wives huh? A stallion novel protagonist and you end up with a single person??? Not even a harem to your name? Good on you for marrying your apparent one true love, but what a waste! Th-though if he’d been collecting a harem and was now interested in men… Ahem, anyway.

[…]

[The account binding proceeded as planned! Shen Jiu’s soul was not present at the time of the second Qi-Deviation. Shen Yuan should not worry about such trivial things, when Shen Yuan has more important objectives!]

More important objectives? He finished his original objective! All he had left to do was ‘Live a good life?’, now he apparently has to put himself through all this again?! How is that fair. Sure it’s better then being dead, but the things he’s lost...

[User UV002 Shen Yuan accepted a special limited one time offer deal from this SYSTEM. ‘The path to the best ending. The chance to escape his previous fate. The lives of the p̠̥̒́r̫̤͆͋ò̖͢͡t̫̪̑̎a͖̦͊̅g̡̙̀͆ö̲̲̔n̥̱̈́́i̝͖̍́ṣ͉͑̋ṱ̰̒̑ and Second Male Lead.’ That was the deal. This SYSTEM is happy to announce that all these things became possible with the activation of the ARCHIVIST Protocol!]

Shen Qingqiu paused, with a flick of his wrist his fan snapped open in his hand. The archivist protocol? That sounded, well it sounded interesting to be frank! He was after all the Peak Lord of Qing Jing, and had been for decades at this point. Of course he would be interested in something called the archivist protocol. Something resembling excitement dread fluttered in his stomach. He paced, delicately swishing his fan as he collected his thoughts. Forwards and back, back and forwards, his robes swishing around his legs. He spoke up.

There it is. The carrot. The stick.

“The Archivist Protocol? Is this another system upgrade huh? Does it have to do with how you brought me back? You don’t ever offer freebies, and I don’t recall you mentioning the price.” He fans harder, lips pursing tightly at the strain. Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth and all, but his System was undoubtedly programmed by a Greek!

It’s already been p̵̦̼̗̳̠͇̼̉̊͑̀̉̆͘ḁ̵̧̛͖̖̙̖͎̪̞̙̃̈̾͌͋̉̄̇̾̿̕̚͝ǐ̵͇̜͖̀̓̿͐̀͠͝d̵̨̧̡͚̹̣̤̮̺͌̈́͛̈̄̒̍̿̆͂̕͜.

[User need not worry! This System has indeed received an upgrade with the activation of the ARCHIVIST Protocol! As has User UV002’s account! All expenses paid!]

Shen Qingqiu stopped, arms crossed and fan tapping against his forearm. His eyes narrowed at the glowing box, his head tilting like a predator looking at prey.

[… There was an error.]

Shen Qingqiu inhaled sharply, a barrage of vitriolic words barely leashed, clawed at his tongue. It was the distant panic beginning to stir once more. He knew there was something odd. But this thing that could turn back time and transmigrate souls admitting to an error?

[This World State has received some damage. It’s nothing for User to be overly concerned with. This SYSTEM has conscripted helpers to deal with any issues… UPDATE... User UV002 has been conscripted! User will be tasked with helping identify said damage. In return User will receive F-Points! The more F-Points User gains, the better the ending!]

Conscripted? World damage?? F-Points! He knew this horse was a Trojan one!

[If User is not persuaded, let it be known that failure to fix bugs, continue the story in an excellent manner, or act in a sufficient manner as the ARCHIVIST, will lead to the total erasure of this World State and everyone in it, including User Shen Yuan! (>_<)]

What.

[Due to the degrading nature of this World Instance, and User’s new role in its upkeep, the ADMIN in charge has delegated two new helpers in along with the use of this singular SYSTEM. Program W4R.60D an Antivirus specifically designed to help you with your task, and System 5C-M will be at your service for the duration of your new improved story!]

No. This can’t be happening.

[User UV001 has also been conscripted into the help and upkeep of this world’s Plot!]

Is this… his fault? Was the fact he travelled back in time the reason this is all falling apart?

[W4R.60D and 5C-M will be introduced to User UV002 inside the ARCHIVES. User will unlock ARCHIVES after completing tutorial mission: The Skinner Demon 2.0.]

He was trembling. A suffocating weight pressing down. He didn’t ask for this to happen but he was undoubtedly to blame. But the System said it could be fixed. That it needed to be fixed.

“This damage, what does it look like? How can it be fixed?”

[World State at 85% completion. 15% corruption detected on latest scan. User should prioritise raising the World State percentage to 100 before Luo Binghe comes into contact with Xin Mo.]

An indignant cry left Shen Qingqiu’s mouth, “Luo Binghe still needs to enter the Abyss?” So on top of dealing with the potential end of the world, he also needs to deal with his sweet white lotus suffering for the plot! We have bigger things to worry about then story! This world is bigger than just some some stupid plot! These were real people, real people who suffer, who would cease to exist- this was cruel.

[Correct. Altering certain portions of the Plot will create more instability. Certain differences can be maintained in this World State such as Liu Qingge’s survival, but Core Elements such as the Abyss cannot. Damage is obvious, User Shen Yuan will recognise it when he comes across it. All inconsistency should be documented and uploaded to the ARCHIVES for processing. We thank User Shen for his future assistance.]

Well then, that was that. Continue the story, fix errors, document inconsistency! He supposed it couldn’t be much worse then thinking he was going to be made into a human stick! He managed to escape the fate last time, so this time should surely be better? In fact, he could lay the groundwork right now for a more healthy and productive relationship! Maybe try to introduce Binghe to a nice Shixiong so he’d think more positively of the Sect?

ẃ͍̖̽i͇̗͐̕l͕̺̐͘l͚̲̑̽ ̫͖͋̄i̛͓̺͘t̤͙̄̓ ͍̹͊̄e̞̦̎̎v̮̹̊͠e̞͔̊͡r̠̱͐͝ ̟̤̃͂b̹̼͊͡ê̝̺̐ ̯̞̆͌ť͉̤̉h̟̰̍̿e̢̹͂͌ ̙̍̈͟s͆͜͜͡a̡̫̒͞m̛͕̻̕ẽ̘̖̾?̨̭̐͆ ̧͕͂́ȍ̭̹̚r͖̭̃̃ ̛̙̰͌i͎̲̽̐s̘̥̔̊ ̭̰͑̍h̲̥͛̄e̞̘̎̒ ̠̙̉̕ļ͈͗̐o̝̫̅̌s̪͓͆̈́t͔̪́̕ ̘̫̇͝t͖̣̎̍o͙̬͌͝ ̠̪̽͞ÿ͔͈́̚ŏ̖̂͜u̡̟̍͊ ̭̖̍̍f̗̤̏̿o̯̝̎͌r̟̬̆̽e̙͍̐͡v̟̩͊͝e̖͍̒̊r͙͙̉̏?̗͖͐̾

He resumes his pacing, fussing at his sleeves and trying to arrange his thoughts more productively.

“So where about in the story are we? With all the fuss… is it the same? Do I need to grab Binghe from the woodshed again?” He pauses the thought to let out a huff, “It’s undoubtedly still too early to invite him to stay in the side room, there’s no way he’d trust I wouldn’t harm him. It wasn’t until after the Sect Demon Invasion that I offered… and I’m not planning to get poisoned with Without a Cure again.”

without a cure

r͍̆̕͟e͓̠̿͒q̛͍̲̽ů͇̘͘í̲͟͠ṟ͎̽̎e͇͑͒͟s̰͔͒̾ ̖͐̊͜ǻ̖̭ ̢̮̕͡h̞̗͋͌ê̙̞̒ã̫̫̍v̛͔̝͐ȩ̭͐́n̤͈͑͐l̺͗͆͟y͇͈̅̽ ͖͓̓͞d͓͋̌ͅe̡̛̱̚m͉͓͂̕o̲͓̒̕n̯͕͡͡

to cure

ś̪̙́ȏ̫̹͝ ͖͇͋͑h̜̹̓͘o̻̹͐͘ẃ̼͇͡ ̤̐͜͡d͇̞̄͞i̫̖̐͘d̲̼̀̎.͉̱̒̾.̧̝̃͌?̠͌̉ͅ -

[Luo Binghe should be helping in the disciple dormitory kitchens at this time of day. As for his place of residence, User should not worry. Luo Binghe, like all junior disciples, has a room in the disciple dormitory.]

Shen Qingqiu turns in shock, his fan snapping open in front of his gaping mouth, “What are you getting at? Luo Binghe would still be banished to the woodshed! The Original Goods would demand nothing less!” Is this a sign of the corruption? System, he didn’t think it’d be so immediate!

[It would be OOC of Shen Qingqiu to abuse disciples. Luo Binghe is a disciple. Luo Binghe resides in the disciple dormitories with his martial siblings.]

A knock sounded from the doorway, a clear voice ringing out.

“Sect Leader mentioned Shizun called for this Ning Yingying?”

The fan in Shen Qingqiu’s hand cracks.

[First] [Ao3] [Next]

[the-switch-conspiracy]

[Prev]

Chapter 6: [ctrl ->]

Content Warning: Description of Corpses.

The carriage shakes as it travels across rocky roads. A light breeze flows from one curtained window to the other. Shen Qingqiu sits lightly fluttering his fan with one hand, and holding a book in the other, pointedly not looking at the only other person in his space. To Shen Qingqiu’s surprise, the trip didn’t begin as painfully as he expected it to. Rather than an immediate confrontation, the first several hours consisted of Liu-shidi staring him down unblinkingly in complete silence. He sits still, his only movement a slight shifting of his weight when required, his mercury eyes bright and focused under the long black veil of his eyelashes. He manages to consume about half of his novel before Liu-shidi finally deigns to speak.

“Shen Qingqiu.” He closes his book and sets it to his side, turning his focus entirely on his shidi. It was inevitable that there would be some sort of interrogation, though he dreaded it, it only seemed right that it be Liu Qingge who initiates it. Straightforward, righteous, and the Sects’ protector, there was no way he’d let a potential threat remain. Just like when he saved his life, the first time around; Liu Qingge, saying out loud what everyone else thought. Liu Qingge’s phoenix eyes linger on his, before flicking to take him in as a whole. His lips curl into a grimace, as a hand lands on the hilt of Cheng Luan.

It was becoming increasingly obvious he wasn’t doing well at hiding the difference between him and the original this time around, and he has no clue what he’s doing wrong. Last time he’d gotten checked for possession a few times, before they’d eventually written off the change as memory loss. This time has been… different, very much so. His students seem awed by him, and not in the expected sense. In less than a week Yue Qingyuan has sought him out more than he did the first couple of months before. Perhaps it was simply paranoia speaking, but some of the questions the Sect Leader asked… they seemed strangely pointed, and his answers only returned knowing looks and nods. Mu Qingfang was more subtle about it, but he too often sought him out to ask questions about his recovery with an oddly fascinated expression on his face. Then, there was the man sitting across from him, and his reaction. Like he’d been struck. Like he’d seen a ghost.

“Yes shidi?” His eyes fell to the hand holding the sword, his voice remaining well modulated despite his rising pulse. The suspicion, though well warranted, stung worse coming from him.

“What game are you playing?” He was… there was so many ways he could respond to this, with righteous indignation, faux contempt, neutrality or good humour as he once had to a question just like this one. But… he’s tired. He doesn’t want to have to relearn how he has to act. He doesn’t want to have to recreate himself to fit what these unfamiliar versions of his friends, his family, want him to be.

After dying, the first time, he had to learn from the ground up how to be a perfect immortal. In some ways he took to it like a fish to ocean, a bird to air, but in others it was a struggle. There was a sense of unwarranted superiority. After all, he knew what was going to happen to these people, their places in this narrative, for he was the only real person surrounded by characters. He was self-centred, his decisions based on what would keep him alive and safe, rather than what was good for those around him. And if they helped some people? If they saved people who were fated for death? Well, it was a favour owed. It took a long time, in many ways too long, for him to realise, to change.But there was a change, and it came from the realisation that it was real.The world, the people in it; the man currently sitting in front of him, and the boy no doubt riding just beyond the curtain. His feelings for them were real, and they were more than just words on a screen.

With that realisation, many of the acts he put on felt less like acts and more like… like he was drawing from something deep inside him. Not every choice he made was his, but, despite the entity that bound his voice, that forced him to keep so much hidden, despite all he’s lost from both his first life and his second… he loves being a Peak Lord, he lovesbeing in this world. After decades of being Shen Qingqiu, longer than he ever lived as Shen Yuan, he’d finally felt settled. Like he’d reached an equilibrium. And now it was all gone.

A blank slate once more.

Yet here he was, despite all the epiphanies teaching him not to treat this world like a stage, trying once more to play his part. He smiles mirthlessly, the black eyes he’d come to recognise as his own, no doubt dull and tired for his shidi to see. He was facing the very real possibility of the world ending should he fuck up, and despite the OOC lock being disabled there was surely hidden lines he could not cross. The man in front of him fidgets, just briefly, readjusting his grip on the sword. The mid morning glow gentles some of his regal features and makes harsh others. An almost painful flutter presses against the inside of his chest.He takes a faltering breath.

“I’m not playing games shidi.” It left his mouth softly, with barely restrained sorrow. He keeps his hands still, where Liu Qingge can see them, but allows himself to slump against the wall. His head hits the surface with a dull smack, as he lets his eyes slide to a sliver. “I don’t have the time.” He wishes… ah… he wishes this was his shidi. The man who brought him monsters to fawn over, just because he mentioned reading them in a bestiary. The man who sat patiently while he poured him tea and chatted about his disciples – despite it being against his nature, the man who returned every lost fan – even the ones he didn’t much care for. The one he… he had…. Well, had to have quite serious personal reflections about himself over.

He averts his eyes, his chest suddenly uncomfortably tight and eyes strangely burning. Oh no. He wasn’t stupid. Or oblivious. But he did refuse to think about the things that bring him pain and discomfort. He let thoughts slide over him like water, found justifications and ways to talk circles around the truth, anything but to actually accept the obvious. To actually take a look at himself and judge what he found. And gods, the things he’d allow himself to be wilfully ignorant of… well it left him feeling strangely humbled in the aftermath.

You couldn’t run from the obvious forever, and well it was obvious he felt something other than just friendship for his favourite martial brother. And wasn’t that a shock? It took a long time and even longer introspection to come to the realisation he found men… that... he had certain feelings for people he didn’t believe he could. And even longer to realise that he had certain feelings for Liu Qingge of all people. It was a realisation that broke his heart, and caused him unbearable guilt. The sickening, crawling, sickly guilt that ate away at his insides, that made him feel shaky and nauseous at what it would do to... how it would hurt his hus…

how it would hurt his….

it would hur-…

it… it..?

[̨̨̫͚̟̏̋̓̊̋A̖̩̓͋D̪̝̱͊̓̂Ḿ̧̨̺͑͗I̙̕N ͌ͅCM̘̰̒̓D͍̘͉̈̏͌:̻͇͍̪͓̂̀̂̚͠ ̬̔ď͔̹̞͌͗͢͠ḙ̥͎̿̓͠le͓͉͌͞t̪̐ȩ̳̟̭̇̉͆̕ ̬̚p̼̹̈́̕at̮̤͇͚͗͋̊͌ḥ͉̦́̄̓:̨̬̄̅\̛̫\̻̜͉̯͙̐̎́̽̉m̪̳̬̑͑͘e̼̗͂̔m͚͕̬̟̝͌͐̃̓̅_̻̻̓̑f̨̚r̥͠a̢͓̠̝̓̓͊͞g̘̣̒͠2̪̉7͈̈́7̬̣̑̅3̫͛̈́̊ͅͅ5͇̖͌̐\̟̕U̟͐Ŝ͈̭͈̔͒E̓͟R̫͕͉̯͆̔͊͒\̖̣̥̿́̂͘͜shȩ̠̍͊͊͟n͈̍_̟̪̺̊͛̆̕͟y̨͍͛͞u̝̳̺̒̅͠á̢̭̆n]̢̳̯̤̄͐͘͠

[̰͡Å̢D͎̬̹̊̍̍M̤̖͗̈́IṆ̬̠̬͑͑͐́ ̡̍C͇͞M̡͖̪͌̌͑D͚̻̭̿͋̇:͓̞̙͑̆̚ ̻̭̲̀̄͠cò̹͔͘p̨̯̓͒y̯̼͋̀͒ͅ ̨͔̝̺̒̐̀̎̀͟p͓̩̲̈́̐͛a̅͜ṱ̭̖̰̃̓̿͘h͙̳̀͊:̧̨̦͆̒̄\̗̠̜͚̓͊̉͑͒ͅ\̭͐m̟͉̫̎̅́͝ͅe̫̝̩͓̐̌̑͡m̭͆_̫̣̱͍͖̈́̓̂̀̓fr̰̐a̙͙̍̕g2̲́7̥̣̾̉7̛̫̙̏͋͟3̩̞̫͙̎͌͆̉̚͢5̞̖̀͌̀ͅ\̯͈̊͐̄͟S̱̈́Y̠̮̘̾̾͘Ŝ̛̛̮̙̮̇͟T͚̤͗͡EM͔̩͋̊\͙͕̎̕ś̯̤͇̑̂̿ͅh̤̆en̘͇̜̱͑̓͞͞_̲̟̟̌͊́̒͟ẙ͍u̟̰̍́aň͖_ä̠ĺ̡͚̬̆͛t̨̜̟͈͒͛͑̓̈́͜]

“-ou don’t have the time? What do you mean you don- You..!” Shen Qingqiu blinks hazily, trying to focus through the loud ringing in his ears, and the fogginess coating his thoughts. What was he thinking about just then..? Ah, his shidi… his shidi was too good for this shixiong of his. His feelings didn’t come to anything in the end… such is the fate of any love rival to the protagonist. Not that Binghe was just the protagonist, he was his own uniquely realised person. Strong, an excellent fighter, peerless himself in looks and demeanour… and so full of love.

“Shen Qingqiu ..!” It was only right that someone like Binghe would end up marrying someone as exceptional as Qingge, leaving this poor excuse of a mentor and friend to look on and covet what wasn’t his. No wonder he felt so guilty, so wretched. He could only imagine the sight of them dressed in red… his breath leaves him in a rough shudder, his heart felt like it was being wrapped tightly with string, clinched enough to cut. They were perfect for each other, and Shen Qingqiu was overjoyed for them. After everything they both went through, they deserved it! They deserved their happy ending. Really… he’s happy.

“ - QINGQIU!” A frustrated face filled his vision, Liu Qingge’s pissed off gaze shifts just slightly to a concerned one, before sliding back into a measured, blank frown. His hand, half raised, gestures towards his own face, “You…” Ah he’s been ignoring his shidi, Shen Qingqiu parts his mouth to reply, tongue thick and gummy in his mouth, and pauses at the feel of a strange wetness against his upper lip. Inhaling sharply he is hit by the sharp tang of copper, and the feel of fluid travelling down the back of his throat. He lifts a shaky hand to his nose, pulling his hand back and spotting the bright red smear on his fingertips. A whistle escapes through his teeth. His head aches.

“Shizun..?” Called through the curtain, the silhouette of his favourite disciple appearing on it, “This disciple heard yelling, is everything all right?”

“Everything is fine Binghe, this master was distracted.” He pressed the tips of his fingers together and rubs, dimly observing the sight of blood thinning and drying tacky against his skin. “Your shishu was merely trying to gain this one’s attention.” He caught Liu Qingge’s gaze with his own, begging him with his eyes to agree, ignoring how his gaze had been just as fixated on his fingers as his own had been.

“Tch,” His eyes flick to the curtain briefly, before finding their way back to the red smears no doubt drying on his face, “Reading.” Binghe makes a knowing noise, followed by the sound of movement through a bag. A hand thrusts itself through the curtain, holding what was no doubt some kind of snack. Liu Qingge all but hisses, an inch of blade revealing itself at his side. Please don’t remove my disciple’s, and your future husband’s hand shidi! He forcibly pushes down the reflective discomfort the thought brings.

“Shizun must surely be feeling peckish, this disciple made sweets for the trip.” Ah Binghe! Always knowing what he wants! He delicately grabs the box from his student’s hand.

“This master thanks Binghe for the treat.” He smiles warmly, despite Binghe being unable to see it, and waits for the shadow to move from the curtain. The box is placed at his side with an audible click, dry carmine flecks transferring from his fingers to its surface, a cloth pulled from his qiankun pouch to press under his nose. Liu Qingge watches it all, visibly trying to find words. They spill from his lips in a hiss.

“You just Qi-Deviated.” Shen Qingqiu waves it off firmly, raising an eyebrow at the other man.

“A nose bleed doesn’t automatically mean a Qi-Deviation shidi, and I would know if I had.” He pauses, opening the lid of the box and smiling unconsciously at the delicately prepared buns on display. He misses the sight of Liu Qingge’s eyes widening and ears pinking, the nervous swallowing of a suddenly parched throat, lips unable to decide whether to part or twist into a familiar bullied moue. He does neither, merely looks on in conflicted silence, before stretching out his hand and drawing Shen Qingqiu’s attention.

“Your wrist.” So brusquely stated with that stubborn look! Qingge you never change. It was only familiarity with the demand that allowed him to raise his wrist, the pale underbelly of his forearm peaking from his slipping sleeves. Liu Qingge takes his wrist in one firm, long fingered hand, and sends a few questioning tendrils of Qi through his spiritual veins. It was nostalgic, Shen Qingqiu began automatically cycling his own spiritual energy as he used to, his shidi’s grip on his wrist flexing as he just as automatically seemed to follow. With the amount of time he spends on Qian Cao Peak with Mu Qingfang it wasn’t surprising! His shidi appears laser focused on his task. Eventually he withdraws both his hand and Qi in turn, leaving nothing but the remnants of warmth remaining.

“See, nothing to be concerned about, shidi.” His shidi pauses where he was readjusting himself, sending Shen Qingqiu an inscrutable look in reply.

“...En.” He turns his face away, staring out the sliver in the curtain. All sign of the fight within him washed away. In fact, he seemed to be doing his best to ignore him completely. All it took was the sight of a nose bleed to stop him from accusing him this time? Pssh! As if he would be so lucky. He bites into a bun a little more viciously than quite proper. The taste of blood bitters the sweetness.

~O~

There was an immediate sense of wrongness the second they entered the city. A thick miasma of dread hung in the air, further showing itself on the faces of the civilians around them. Tired, dead looking eyes fell upon the disciples, a profound lassitude to their movements. Liu Qingge had jumped from the carriage the second they crossed into Shuang Hu City’s bounds, Shen Qingqiu following soon after in a much more sedate manner. How did it get so bad, so quickly? Didn’t Yue Qingyuan have an agent in the area? Surely they would be able to pick up on the demonic energy hazing the air! Even the disciples were shifting under its presence.

Liu Qingge was staring in the direction of Master Chen’s Manor, arms crossed in front of his chest and high ponytail lightly swaying in the breeze. Shen Qingqiu walks over to him, fan fluttering lightly in front of his chest, his other hand swept behind his back.

“This is worse than expected.” An understatement, “Something should have been done before it got to this.” Liu Qingge sent him a cold look, before turning back towards the direction of the manor. He doesn’t see how this is his fault shidi!? He was most likely unconscious most of the time this was getting worse! If anything the man whose whole deal is hunting evil, maybe should have done something! Maybe it was unkind, but his shidi’s bitchy little remarks were starting to really irritate him as much as they hurt.

“Like the Bai Zhan War God patrolling our region of influence? The area the sect as a whole should protect? Yes, something should have been done.” He sneers over his fan at the man, despite regretting the words the second they left his mouth. But luckily, or maybe unluckily, his words fell on deaf ears. His shidi wasn’t paying attention in the slightest. Well then.

Shen Qingqiu turns towards his students, Ning Yingying and Luo Binghe stood front and centre before him. The other’s dressed neatly in their inner disciple robes stood at attention around them.

“Group up into threes or fours, the situation might be more dire than we believed.” A couple of nervous glances were exchanged, but the majority stood straighter, determined. “Remember what you’ve been taught, and open your senses. Ning Yingying, I entrust you to decide where each group will be stationed, and what investigative task they will be handling.”

With the state of the city as it was, it’d be safer to have them out and about than with him and Liu-shidi as they entered the lion’s den. Even if they can’t handle the source, at least they will gain experience in information gathering, an important part of night hunts and sect missions.

“Peak Lord Liu and I will confer with Master Chen. Keep calm, stay respectful, and be vigilant. We’ll return shortly.” Shen Qingqiu notices from the corner of his eye Luo Binghe suddenly straightening. A determined mien on his face. He side eyes him suspiciously over his fan, before shaking his head and falling in line beside his shidi. If they kill the demon quickly enough, there won’t be time for Luo Binghe to cause protagonist shenanigans. He freezes, surely there won’t be time. He refuses to look back at the youth, he’s already triggered too many plot flags as is!

As they drew closer to the manor, the thick, noxious demonic Qi strengthened. It wasn’t even trying to hide it’s presence! However, there was something off about it. A lingering sensation that seems almost familiar overlaps it. He exchanges looks with Liu Qingge, and both of them enter Old Master Chen’s mansion.

~O~

They had been shown to a room by one of the servants working in the manor, though they weren’t planning on spending much time there. They had their target, so easily seen with the years of experience he’s gained compared to his first fumbling attempt. Die-er was so obviously the Skinner Demon yet again! The demonic Qi oozed from beneath her stolen skin like the faint scent of decay. While listening to Master Chen fawn over a demon wearing a corpse, a sight almost as nauseating as seeing an old man fawn over a teen, Shen Qingqiu gestured a sign at his shidi with the hand behind his back. Don’t engage, meet up.

He’d forgotten that this version of his friend shouldn’t know the codes they had created together, but to his surprise he felt the returning tap of two fingers between his shoulder blades, acknowledged! Did this Shen Jiu create something similar? As a sect strategist who actually seemed to do his job, he must have?! Regardless, they had to come up with a game plan for taking down the demon, for if it was so confident showing itself like this, it must have something up its sleeve. Attacking it… would have been bad.

Liu Qingge paces back and forth in front of the bed, doing nothing to hide his disgust! His hands were clenched into fists, and his face was twisted into a rather frightening scowl! “So we've found our demon,” Liu Qingge growls, head whipping to stare Shen Qingqiu down in righteous rage, “they're barely even trying to hide.” He stops, “There was something strange in that room.” He didn’t say it but it was clear he agreed with his decision to withdraw and prepare. He was after all a seasoned fighter, for all that he preferred running in, he did have some degree of tact when needed. Shen Qingqiu nods in agreement.

“So what are we going to do about Die-er-” He’s cut off by Liu Qingge speaking over him.

“-Master 'Chen'.”

They look at each other, Liu Qingge's eyes narrow in a way that betrays his thoughts quite succinctly 'what nonsense are you spouting?' what nonsense indeed! Shidi how could you be so mistaken? “You claim Die-er? Why?” Ah so blunt, even if he could have said it more politely! This master does know what he's talking about about.

“We are hunting a Skinner demon, that's what the state of the deceased suggests along with the other evidence collected, one of the downsides of skinning bodies is that the skin must eventually decay, even if a Skinner demon can circumvent it at a high enough demonic cultivation.” He pauses in thought and continues,

“She was wearing a headache inducing amount of scented products, but this one could still locate a noticeable hint of rot underneath. That along with the way her skin moved and the fact that no amount of rouge could cover the imperfections of her skin mask led me to assume it was her. It’s a bit harder to determine precisely with the amount of demonic energy in the room, confusing the senses. Why do you claim it was Master Chen?”

He clenches the hilt of Cheng Luan, and all but rolls his eyes, “Not a Skinner demon, his aura was noticeable. Anyone with sufficient cultivation could tell.” Liu-shidi! There was a lot wrong with that statement! Anyone with sufficient cultivation could tell? With the amount of demonic Qi in that room the tables could have been Infernal Blood Mimic Stone and he wouldn’t be able to tell! And what do you mean not a Skinner demon? No, no, they can’t both be wrong. Which leads to one terrifying conclusion.

“Perhaps we are both correct in this instance, shidi. It could very well be two demons working together, or with the amount of evil energy in this area, even more. That would make this a much more dangerous situation, but I’m sure two peak lords can handle it easily.' Liu Qingge snorts derisively, looking towards the doorway.

“I can do it myself. Stay here.” Um excuse me? No. You’re not going to run off half-cocked and get yourself killed shidi! Sensing his rising irritation, Liu Qingge continues pointedly, “You’re injured, Qi-Deviated again. Zhangman-Shixiong will lecture me if you get injured.” He thought they’d decided he hadn’t had a Qi-Deviation! Was Liu-shidi just humouring him back there?? No, he’s not being a damsel this time around, just letting others make his decisions! Shen Qingqiu harrumphs, and turns his back to the other man.

“No.” Very succinctly put if he says so himself. He opens the door, and finds himself facing a very unfamiliar hallway. It was not the hallway they used to enter the room, nor did it look exactly like the hallways within Master Cheng’s manor. He looks back at Liu Qingge, who shoots him a look in return halfway between perplexed and dawning dread. Was it an illusion? For what reason would the demons have to do this? In the confused moments that follow the unexpected sight, the silence is lifted with a scream.

(U-U)

Ning Yingying rises from her knees, dusting her hands off in front of her. The talisman’s in the area had burnt away under the force of the demonic energy, forcing them to set up rather rudimentary arrays. Two, to be precise. One to protect the civilian’s in the area from the tainted energy, and the other around the bodies of the deceased. Before her lay a mass grave, filled with the bodies of tens of young women. All of them skinned, flayed muscles and glistening fat exposed beneath the poorly refitted skin. Delicate stitching appears across seemingly random parts of the corpses.

“Ning-shijie, we’ve sent the citizens in the north quarter to the safe area, they are being protected by our shidi’s best at protective arrays.” The city was worse off than it appeared at first glance. Soon after the Peak Lords had entered the manor, a large pulse of evil energy had radiated from that place. Lesser demonic creatures had appeared in the streets, no match for her and her martial siblings, but enough that they had to round up the citizens for protection. After killing what they could, Ning Yingying had continued with her investigation. She had been of the belief, that while her Shizun was most likely dealing with the big threats, the more information she could give him when he returned the better it would be for the people.

And the people were struggling, the deaths had gone well past the few that were documented. There was much Ning Yingying had observed, so much that hadn’t appeared in any of the briefings or documents. One of which is the size of the people killed, for some reason they had shrunk the longer the kills went on. It was in her examination of the bodies she had discovered why. The flesh covering the corpses was not the flesh that belonged to that person, and more importantly, the stitching was to hide the fact that large pieces of skin had been taken from the corpses. With the extra skin gone, the flesh couldn’t fit on the body it belonged to. So elaborate, so cruel, and for what? All of it to hide the missing pieces. She sucks in a breath, ignoring the stench, and refuses to cry.

The smallest body in the grave was a child. A child. Lost for what? Yingying steels herself and shakes her head, before beginning the odious task of cleansing the area. This much suffering in one place is a danger all on its own; these people really didn’t need restless spirits or rising corpses as well. She calls over shoulder at her martial siblings helping with this task.

“Does anyone if Luo-shidi has returned?” It’d been a while since she’d last seen him. He’d been sent to find their Shizun and Shishu after the Qi flare, since it was well known among them he was a prodigy at fighting. He hadn’t of course been sent immediately, in fact they had been missing for hours when they finally sent him, most likely seconds before he ran off himself. It’s been hours since he left.

“No, we’ve been watching the manor and no one has left, the energy’s gotten worse though.” Glaces were exchanged, and tension was rising. Ning Yingying lowers her head. The worst has come to pass. The Peak Lords were missing, a shidi was in danger, and the city was at risk.

“Send a spiritual message to Cang Qiong Sect, this mission is now a critical emergency.”

(O-O)

They began running through the halls in the location the noise came from. However it soon became obvious that there were running in circles, or perhaps more insidiously, trapped in an endless maze of identical corridors.

"Is this some sort of demonic maze array?" Liu Qingge’s face was twisted into a frown, brow heavily furrowed in frustration. He was staring back towards where they came from, at the identical hallways surrounding them. The exact time that had passed since they fell into this space was hazy, just like… the walls? Shen Qingqiu looked closer at the walls. They seemed... Less textured then previously. Strangely blurred like a jpeg compressed over time, or like the lower res textures of an old video game. Well at least to the faint memories of those long lost relics of his previous life he can still recall. "It... might be." Shen Qingqiu cautions, running his finger along the ugly, dull red and brown panels of the corridor. To his shock its surface flows under it like static on a screen. He quickly pulls his hand back, rubbing the tips of his fingers against his sleeve, a deep unsettled shiver travelling down his spine.What the hell was going on here?His shidi, looking the other direction, deigns to look back over his shoulder towards him. A sneer plays across bruise coloured lips. "Might be? Aren't you a scholar? Shouldn't you know!" He huffs his frustration drawing his blade with silver sparks. "The maze can only keep us inside if there are walls to pen us in,” A hum of power begins to form around him, his Qi noticeably swelling as he draws from his golden core and circles it faster through his meridians, further reinforcing his arms, “no walls no maze." and down along his blade, an extension of himself. It lights up, silver threaded in blue, Cheng Luan almost vibrating like its master in its desire to strike, to release the building spiritual power flowing into it.

Shen Qingqiu himself steps back, the dread of the situation sinking in. It won't work, the attack would be a futile endeavour, a waste of precious energy. It was subtle, but the space around them seemed to drain the excess Qi sloughing off the War God’s form.Tiny tendrils of something latched around them, suckling at the feast his shidi was providing. It felt… starved. A level of almost malevolent sentience that can’t occur in a maze array, no matter how complex it was. He had to say something, stop him from-

“Wait-” Spilt from his mouth in a faltering animal panic. Ignored.

With a single powerful flare of light, the wall is hit. It sends a vibrating ring through the air, sharp and pure. The blaze flowing across the surface like water poured onto burning steel, dissipating into coiling wisps. Absorbed. The rebound sent enough force out that even back as far away as he was, Shen Qingqiu’s hair whips his face. There wasn’t a single new scratch. The sensation of hunger grew. "The other option is that we've stumbled into a localised hidden realm, created either by the demon or natural in nature."Or something much worse. Hidden realms can be made of anything, their nature was nebulous in that way, which made them a convenient plot device for a certain writer. In that way they can also form sentience, can awaken with enough time, luck, and power. If that was the case here... Shen Qingqiu’s fan snaps open to hide his face from Liu Qingge's glare, and his own fear, "it's looking more likely as Liu-shidi has demonstrated. We may be in more trouble than expected in that case." Unveiling what they’re trapped in was only the first task to finding a way out, there had to be a trick to it. His eyes catch something, a difference.

"All we can do is continue on.” The other Peak Lord looks at him silently, Shen Qingqiu could feel him weighing the statement. The pause grows to an uncomfortable wait, before Liu Qingge finally graces him with a single, sharp nod. Shen Qingqiu releases a silent sigh of relief, before heading over to what he noticed. “This way shidi." He gestures with his head. He was right, the walls seemed to be losing texture, degrading, and it created a suspiciously notable trail laid out for them to follow. But what choice did they have? Who knows where the demons were lurking, and worse, what had happened to his students. If any one of them had fallen into this space between, or had run afoul of the monsters they were hunting… No. He violently shakes off the thoughts, bile in his throat. Further and further they move, twisting and turning in endlessly identical hallways and rooms. Left and right and right and right and right. The corridors are impossible, looping and winding in circles, again and again and again. The air however was changing the further they moved, an unnatural miasma forming around them. Shen Qingqiu wasn’t afraid to admit he was afraid. It wasn’t all natural, rather it tainted the air like a killing intent, triggering the animal instinct to flee within, and he wasn’t the only one affected.

When they both first entered the maze, the other man had been alert and notably irritated. Cheng Luan hung from his hand in a well balanced grip, his body loosely held but still vigilant even as he muttered curses under his breath and sent Shen Qingqiu sharp inquisitive glares. But as the miasma set in, as he breathed in the tainted air, the more the atmosphere affected even the fearless War God. His lips begun to pale from how tightly he pursed them as his shoulders tense tighter and tighter. The hand holding Cheng Luan a death-grip; the flesh of his fingers white around the hilt, his pupils shrunk to black pinpricks.

“What is this..?” Liu Qingge growls, his throat bobbing on an aborted swallow as he continues, “This place is. Unnatural. Even for a demon.” He breathes out, forcing the dread down with admirable skill. The War God straightens, meditatively cycling his Qi, slowly calming himself in the way Bai Zhan disciples were so obviously taught for moments just like this.

“Whatever it may be shidi, at least we seem to be getting closer.” Indeed, they seemed to be progressing deeper into this realm, the walls surrounding them were beginning to alter. A sudden loud beep startles Shen Qingqiu, a green box appearing in the corner of his eye. Liu Qingge twists towards him, partially drawing his sword, only to narrow his eyes as Shen Qingqiu waves away his concern with his fan.

[WARNING! User is entering a CORRUPTED ZONE. Please Locate lost WORLD CORE.]

His own eyes widen, taking in the sight that confronted them. The decay had grown and spread. Damaged panels started to appear in the otherwise identical halls, strange black cracks and squares scattering the walls and floors, back-lit with glowing red lines in anachronistic circuit like patterns. They ebb and flow in intensity, pulsating almost organically, like the heartbeat of a sleeping entity.

Long, segmented tubing hung down from the ceiling, coiled and twisted from one wall to another like wires as a strange black liquid dripped from any opened end, oddly pearlescent. Even the endlessly identical lanterns that had lined these hallways had been affected, now spilling a ghoulish scarlet haze. Breath was a struggle to take through a throat locked closed, it could only escape from him in shallow wheezes. This shouldn’t be here. Corruption… this is what the system warned him to look for? The sense of wrongness only continues to grow as their steps echo through the darkening corridors.

A buzzing static fills his ears, like the hum of machines, consumed by the sound of his own pulse racing. He licks his suddenly dry lips, his hand spasming against the wood of his fan guard as cold sweat forms on his hairline. Liu Qingge’s eyes were wide, the whites reflecting the dull red glow. The slight luminance of his mercury irises, the tangible proof of his immortality, seem to brighten. The unnatural fear tightens to a vice, squeezing his lungs, his heart, they must be closing in on it’s source. Liu Qingge comes to a standstill, staring just over Shen Qingqiu’s shoulder. He doesn’t need to gesture, it was plain to see.

Before them lay an enormous dark archway, stretching high above them atop a set of spiralling stairs, the room lined with unnaturally distorted columns stretching into the murky darkness above them. Red glitching lines of what appeared to be code lining the dark bricks of the stairs surrounding it. It was an ominous arch, spilling shadowy miasma the same way a window spills light. His nervous tension releases in a high gasping laugh, by his shidi’s concerned side glance it was a laugh edging on hysterics. But… it's like it's not even trying! All this room needed is a chest full of health poultices and it'd be a picture perfect 'you're about to enter a boss area' entrance that he's ever seen! A shuffle of movement to his left, then Liu Qingge was standing before him, shoving something at him to take. "Here, don't waste it." He glances over at the archway and frowns harder, "This is obviously an ambush." See, see! He wasn't the only one thinking that, and of course the bottle now clenched in his hand is full of Mu-shidi's wound sealing pills! Liu-shidi maybe save them for yourself huh? He smiles helplessly over at the other man, so filled with thankfulness at the fact he wasn’t alone, that his handsome, protective warrior was at his side, and Liu Qingge shuffles under his gaze. The tips of his ears flush ever so lightly as he averts his gaze and frowns over at the looming entrance. Right, scary archway, possible death ahead.

“We don’t know what’s ahead. Careful.” His shidi adds. Shen Qingqiu nods, the demons were hopefully ahead of them, and with them the way out. The best case scenario is it’s just his shidi and him in this place, none of the disciples, but he wouldn’t put it past them to take hostages. Wouldn’t that be narratively satisfying? He shakes the cruel thought from his mind, takes a fortifying breath, adds the pills to his sleeve, and summons Xia Yu. Well, into the abyss they go.

[Loading… World Stage: The Parlour. 1/6]

[First] [Ao3] [Next]

[the-switch-conspiracy]

[Prev]

Chapter 5: [ctrl f]

“I will be sending Shen Qingqiu to Shuang Hu City.”

Light streams through the windows adorning the richly decorated walls which make up the Qiong Ding Peak meeting hall. The multiple beams of light intersect across the table normally crowded by twelve, now only seating two. Yue Qingyuan gently blows away the light haze of steam rising from his teacup, before sipping at the over steeped blend. His current conversation partner gripped at the hilt of his sword with one hand, his other hitting the table with a sharp thunk, his eyes narrowing dangerously on his face.

“Tch. And what does Shen Qingqiu have to do with my request to cultivate in seclusion?” Liu Qingge pauses, his mouth pursing in agitation before reluctantly continuing, “Zhangman-Shixiong.” His eyes dart away, staring stonily at the distant wall. Yue Qingyuan blinks placidly at his Shidi, placing his cup down with a decisive clink.

“Strange activity has been reported in the city. When this information was first received, Shen Qingqiu claimed it for both himself and his disciples as a training excursion.” He pauses, catching Liu Qingge in a heavy glance, “Shen Qingqiu has, as you’ve no doubt heard, recently suffered a rather severe Qi-Deviation.” Liu Qingge snorts, ignoring Yue Qingyuan’s sharpening glare, fingers tapping against Cheng Luan’s hilt frenetically.

“So? Give it to one of the other Peak Lords.” Yue Qingyuan raises an eyebrow at him, and his face drops to a scowl, “No-”

“Shen Qingqiu is quite capable, but both Mu Qingfang and I believe that it would be best he has… assistance with this mission.”

“Yet you are still sending him instead of someone else?” and me along with him was heavily implied in the stony silence that followed. Liu Qingge’s eyes sharpen at the glimpse of something seen in his Sect Leader’s eyes. A hesitance, consuming and dark, lingering in the depths. Zhangman-Shixiong was hiding information, and that information was in relation to Shen Qingqiu. Oh course it was.

“You’re hiding things.” He bluntly exclaims, as his hand once more slams the table. A crack forms in the wood. Yue Qingyuan’s eyes track the motion, his face an unmoving mask. His head tilts in the barest suggestion of a nod.

“We noticed… something after he woke. It’s likely nothing of harm, however…” He pauses, catching his Shidi’s gaze with a surprisingly solemn look, “It would be best to act cautiously.” Yet you’re sending him on a mission rather than examining him!?Your blatant favouritism… It was to be expected of the Sect Leader, even with the Qing Jing Peak Lord’s -everything- the man dotes on him.He stills a shiver, a foreboding sense of disquiet filling him.This mission would change things. The thought was sudden and disturbing in its certainty. Where this unease came from, he was unsure, but his instincts have yet to fail him.

Shen Qingqiu was…. uncomfortable to be around. It was a primal discomfort, the sudden involuntary tensing of Liu Qingge’s muscles in his presence, the awareness of his proximity. His instincts scream when he’s in a room with the other, the black void behind his eyes hurts him to see. Liu Qingge did not dislike Shen Qingqiu, no. For how could someone dislike the concept of an amicable human being? But even despite his admittedly undeserved discomfort in his presence, his feelings towards the other were mixed. Shen Qingqiu was locked into a constant battle against a person that doesn’t exist, the person he wasn’t; the person Liu Qingge achingly wishes he was.

A̮̲̼̱͆͊̽͘ ̧̼͎͖̓͐͛͠ţ͔̭͑̊̋h̯̮͒̓́ͅo̩̅u̖͊̊͜s̨̤͔͋̄̔a̭̙̣͓͑̔̍̏͝ͅn̦͆d̟̑ ̙̼̠̹̉́̊͟͝͞f̧̛̙̹̈̃̓͢ȃ͔n͇̻̺̑̋́s̘̝̩͕̪̄̽̉͂̎,̧͎̺͔͂͊̾͡ d̫̔r̻͓̋̈͋ͅop̻̯͙̜͊̆͐͡p͇̖̃̐i͔̠̿͊ň̪̺͋͋͟g̨̛̘̣͋̓ ̛̯̖̗͎͊̐̾̆͢ę͈̹̠̱̈́͋̎̿͋n̰̿̔͟d͙̬̯͊̓͗ļ̟͉̘͋̒͛̂ȩ̰̱̈̿̎̕͢ş̦̭̜̈̄̊̎s͚͕̒͒l̬̮̗̆́͝y̛̬.̠̬̲̓͊̏ ̩̯̾͘F̘̖̠̱̺̐́͌̾̕i͖̫͇͌́̎͘͢vè̛̙͖̙̬̓̿ ̟̉y̭̪̌̕e̠̬͓̟̼͑̑̄̐͞å͉͈̞̓͆̉͢ŕ͇s̙͎͒̽ ̻͐ở̰̻f͓̜̱̭̽̂̇̿ ̟͓̤̊̿͝ḻ̌o͓͋s̪̏͌͜ṡ̲̹͂͑ͅ.͉͙͚̆́̀ ̜̱̮̖̀͂̎́T̝̥̪̆̍̕h̻͎̝̱̫͆́̾̅̔ė̖ ͙̗͊̊ȩ̟͍̅͊͝n̝̪͍̋̽͗d̥̓ ̝̠̦̑̐̽d̢̊row̛̘̼̳̐̿n̛͎̳̥͈͑̓́e̦̼͋̆̚͟d͔͎̯̋̀̈́ ̢̧͎̎̊̆î͚͇̬͋͌n̤̗̱̮̿͛̌̀ ͚̗͉̼̀̄̊͆r̡̬͇͕̈́̏̀͘ed͈̱̫̖̂̍̐̇.

He grits his teeth, ignoring the sting echoing through his skull. Lunacy. The flashes, the unworthy thoughts. Figments of fantasy that will never exist, of a Shixiong who…. no. Enough! Madness. Perhaps he too was heading towards a Qi-Deviation of his own, it’d be fitting. His nails dig into his palm, the flesh straining, moments away from spilling blood. Barely perceptible shivers trailed through him, his pulse beat in his skull.

“Tch, possession? Or damage? Not that it matters,” he rises, tension flooding him as his agitation peaks, “you could replace him with a training dummy and notice no difference.” Yue Qingyuan’s face spasms, a quick cycle of anger, irritation, and cold distaste play, before setting once more on placid calm. His words however barely hide the barb they carry.

“He is still your martial senior, and deserves respect.” He pauses yet again, seemingly lost in thought, “He wasn’t always-” His words trail off as a distant expression appears in his eyes. Between a breath and the next, Yue Qingyuan went from sitting back straight and firm, to grabbing his head in his hands, an evident flash of pain crossing his face.

“Sect Leader?” Liu Qingge rockets forwards, one hand stretching towards the hunched over figure of his Shixiong.

“I’m…. fine. For a moment…” he stops, his eyes searching Liu Qingge’s own, before abruptly shaking his head. “No.No.I’m misremembering.” It comes in a mutter from under his breath, hard to hear even with Liu Qingge’s cultivation enhanced senses. Before Liu Qingge could even open his mouth, Yue Qingyuan looks away and concludes the conversation, “You will be joining Shen Qingqiu and his disciples to identify the cause of the deaths in Shuang Hu City.” It was an order, ‘play nice’.

“If Zhangman-Shixiong insists.” He spits it bitterly through closed teeth as he turns his back and strides from the room. His footsteps fade.

Yue Qingyuan sits alone, cold tea in front of him. Blood drips from the Sect Leader’s nose.

~O~

The dusky twilight coats the sky with swirls of purple and shimmering green. It was a beautiful night, brisk but warm enough to comfortably stand and watch the stars. It was funny how ephemeral these small moments between are, how bitter they can make you feel despite their beauty. Shen Qingqiu tilts his head towards the sky, the gentle light of the moon caressing his face.

Several days have past since his awakening and his discontent has only grown. Being alive was a blessing he wasn’t sure he deserved, but it was a blessing with many strings attached. Strings barely holding a sword of Damocles above his head, the heads of every living sentient being in this world. He doesn’t even know what the System wants from him, every question he asks of it only returns a ‘Please complete Tutorial Mission: The Skinner Demon 2.0. To unlock further information!’. His eyes linger on the lake, the air and water Qi rich and gleaming silver. He shivers, his breath catching, this memory at least was clear.

Silver sword, silver glare, sinking beneath the lapping waves.

He shuts his eyes, breathing deeply, the tension building behind his closed lids matching the hurt corroding his soul. When his eyes open once more, everything appears so slightly blurry. The sound of wings beating, as the cranes who call this place home take flight, reaches his ears. The sound of footsteps approaching follows soon after.

“Shizun? Begging Shizun’s pardon, but this disciple has brought food..?”

Ah Binghe, his voice hesitant but clear. Of everything that’s happened he’s strangely been the most reliable, the most like his memories suggest. After that first meeting sent pain through his heart at how different he seemed, Shen Qingqiu was expecting more of the same. Close enough to hurt, but different enough to seem like a stranger wearing a friend’s skin. Contrary to that expectation, Luo Binghe was just so… Luo Binghe!

That very evening Shen Qingqiu had sat down for dinner, expecting the bland fare Qing Jing was known for to appear, only for Binghe to show up with a banquets worth of divinely exquisite food. He’d slid seamlessly back into the place he’d once occupied, a helpful shadow at his shoulder. It was like he’d finally woken up from a nightmare, one of the only things that felt right amidst everything else. It was nostalgic in a way, yet melancholic, for even before this it had been something of a rare occasion. He, after all, had a h͍͂u̼͡ś̺b̡̢̭̮̍͂̔́a͇̟̺̮̓͆̃͠n̺̭̙̲̐͊̈̀d̨̖̄̋ to care for and coddle. He winces as a sensation not unlike having a needle stuck behind his eye appears, sharp and stabbing.

“Shizun?” Once more, closer this time, the wolf in sheep’s clothing scampering closer with a surprising lack of finesse. He turns to take in the sight of his disciple. Binghe was pink cheeked with a sheepish expression covering his face, his hair escaping the careful ponytail he had tied it in, and a smear of... flour? Covered his chin.

“Binghe was fetching this one for dinner?” Something to eat would be good while he went over the case files of the Shuang Hu city murders. Or the Skinner Demon murders as it were. He had asked the Sect Leader about it during one of his many, many, visits. Yue Qingyuan had seemed surprised that he was mentioning it at all. That surprise had quickly faded, but had brought about another one of the many searching looks he’s been collecting. Just what was so interesting about him? Hmm? Was he truly doing such a poor job at acting like their Martial Sibling this time? He sighs as he follows Binghe back to the bamboo house.

“Is Shizun still examining the info for tomorrow’s mission?” He nods, mouth stuffed full of the tastiest dumplings he’s had in a long time, the scroll balancing on his knee. So far nothing serious seemed changed. Still nine people dead, two of which were Master Chen’s concubines. All of them completely skinned. There was one slight difference… noticeable stitching on each of the corpses, detectable even in their state of decay. It was the slightest change yet….

Binghe was sitting across from him, cheek in his hand elbow on his knee, and staring at him with a smile. His eyes gleam with every bite Shen Qingqiu takes, a quiet but rapt attention directed towards him. Lit by the golden glow of the lanterns, he’d taken on a dreamlike haze, lending what would normally be an intense expression an otherwise sweet affect. In this moment, ignoring everything else, it was nice. It felt… simple. It was simple. Except it really, really isn’t. He places his chopsticks down, and once more picks up the scroll.

Everything has been sorted, the small handful of students he’s picked out for this mission would be meeting near the stables at dawn, Luo Binghe and Ning Yingying of course among them. All of them were senior disciples, ranked highly on exams focused around identifying demonic creatures, and practised in talismans. While it shouldn’t be too difficult a night hunt, it would be remiss of him to ignore the obvious. His prior knowledge is useless. Knowing that his charges were just that bit more prepared this time around… it was a weight off his shoulders.

“Binghe should head to bed.” He raises an eyebrow at the youth who should be over at the dormitories, “We have an early morning tomorrow.” His eyes steadfastly ignoring the bowls surrounding him, that was a job for later. Maybe. He’ll ask an outer disciple to tidy tomorrow before leaving. Binghe’s mouth curls into a frown.

“If Shizun insists.” …? Of course he insists!? Binghe rises to his feet in a single, graceful movement, and bows. “This one implores that he be allowed to tidy first before taking his leave. Shizun shouldn’t dirty his hands for this.” Binghe… that’s not… Shen Qingqiu feels the internal sweat drop forming, Did he seem so incapable of cleaning up after himself? Sure he wasn’t going to, but now it’s a matter of pride!

“Binghe needn’t worry about tidying, this Master is capable of cleaning a few bowls.” Luo Binghe’s mouth tightens, a wounded expression flashing across his face. Ah, he can’t handle that expression… pride? What is pride in the face of this? It was like kicking a puppy… “But if Binghe...-”

“Yes.” Don’t just agree to it! You don’t even know what I was going to say?! But his face was all but glowing, a slightly self-satisfied grin twitching on his lips. He gathers up the remnants of dinner with decisive movements, “This disciple will finish this quickly.” before scurrying off in the direction of the kitchen. Shen Qingqiu sighs, shaking his head with a smile, Binghe really is just Binghe. A little different, but…

He rises to his feet, and stretches. Exhaustion fills him to his very bones. Maybe on this night, sleep would finally bring the clarity he needs. Or, like the nights passed since he awoke here, his sleep would bring only terror.

~O~

Leather and sword oil, a hint of earth and forest, clean sweat and spicy soap. A familiar scent tickles his nose, his eyelids flutter open. He was sitting beneath a massive Ginkgo tree, each branch arching endlessly into the distance, a beautiful ever shifting golden ocean lay above him. There was a familiar man laying beside him, dressed in recognisable white and blue robes with golden leaves in his hair, asleep. His face was slack and soft in his slumber, lacking his ever present frown. His Shidi, Liu Qingge, lays peaceful in a way he’s never seen before.

Found you.

His head whips around, turning towards the source of the ever consuming voice. Black hair, glowing poison green eyes, that hauntingly well-known face, his pale reflection made flesh. A bitter smile lingers on those bloodless lips, his hands hidden by his flowing monochrome robes.

It’s been harder than I thought, getting through to you. We are quite adept at avoiding harsh truths. And it has been trying its hardest to stop us from reconnecting. He laughs, a shattered sharp thing. I know you’ve been gaining fragments, so at least some memories are slipping through.

This reflection… he remembers…

So you do remember this place, this space between dream and reality. It was like a spark of life had ignited in him, a frenzied energy appearing in his movements. That’s… something. Something good. It can’t monitor us here.

A flash of memory returning from the last visit to this realm- You said I’ve forgotten something? I… paid a price..? Is that why I feel so empty? What have I lost?!

Pity. That expression on that face…

You don’t know the half of it, you can’t know the half of it. Once more that ugly shattered laugh echoes through the still air. The price was paid in two parts. Certain memories had to be taken, and a sacrifice had to be made. His grin seemed more like a snarl, the expression only softening when his gaze fell on the sleeping Liu Qingge.

In the corner of his eye, a figure appears. Tall and broad, the outline suggesting a curly mane. Unlike Liu Qingge or the reflection, it was entirely engulfed in shadows and static, its form twisting and shifting constantly. With every look he feels a hopeless, desperate, love that equals the sweet joyous emotion he experiences while looking at his Shidi’s sleeping form. It was maddening, knowing somewhere lost to him was the reason behind that love. His copy follows his gaze, eyes filling with sorrow as they fall on the mysterious figure.

You’ll regain those memories in time, I swear. What I can give you, I will. The deep emptiness grows, coiling around his lungs, his heart. The only thing more noticeable than the emptiness was the fear. He was drowning in it. A terrible energy fills the air, a flicker fills his vision. He felt distant, as if his connection to the dream was fading. He has to know the answer, to the constant pain he feels, to the flashes of memory that shatter his skull.

And the sacrifice? You said a sacrifice had to be made? The feeling grows.

That’s harder for me to explain. So much had to fall in place for this to work, for it to do what it did for us. A billion calculations, all for the best possible chance of success… and this was the best it could- wait-

The figure drew closer, his reflection’s glowing eyes widen in horror.

A rumbling fills the air, bringing with it the thick scent of smoke. Ember and ash cloak the sky like a veil. The great tree, the golden ocean, set ablaze. And with a crack, it falls, bringing the inferno down with it.

~O~

Shen Qingqiu bolts to consciousness with a gasp, his pulse racing as Xiu Ya materialises in his grasp. All that was left of his quickly fading nightmare was the impression of flames. Luo Binghe startles where he’s standing at the door, once hand raised in an aborted knock.

“Shizun! I was just coming to wake you.” The gentle dawn filtered through the open slats in his window, carrying the cool dew-laden morning breeze. Luo Binghe’s face was pulled into a look of sweet concern, his hands were carrying what appears to be a bowl of congee. What time was it? Surely he should be with his students, readying himself to leave? Correctly identifying the concern on his master’s face, Luo Binghe is quick to interject.

“There is time to eat and dress, Liu Shishu is corralling the rest.” Oh? Liu Shidi was getting everything into- Liu Shidi? What do you mean Liu Shidi is here?! Shouldn’t he be in closed cultivation, or had that too changed?

“Your Shishu is here?” It fell from his lips in a daze. He’d expect this from his own Qingge, but this wasn’t his own Qingge. Binghe nods, a frown creasing his brow.

“Yes, apparently the Sect Leader sent him.” The Sect Leader thinks us incapable? Or is it a lack of trust? He feels his own mouth pursing, his chest squeezing. It would be good to see his Shidi alive, though he’s not sure he’ll be able to handle the sight of his face filling with suspicious hatred as it once had. He’ll take the small mercies as they come. With a nod of his head, he rises to prepare for the day.

The peak is engulfed in a soft haze of mist, the hems of his robes just barely brushing against the dew covered stalks of foliage surrounding him. The sight that reaches him fills his heart with a simple warmth, a lithe figure dressed in elegant Bai Zhan blues, alive and well. Liu Qingge stands wreathed in fog, arms folded in front of his chest, surrounded by a clutch of awestruck teenagers and Ning Yingying. Their horses stand, saddled and ready, snorting in the brisk air. He takes note of Shen Qingqiu’s arrival, Binghe half a step behind, and snorts derisively.

“Tch, took your time.” His gaze raked Shen Qingqiu from head to toe, before he stops and glowers at him. Though he appears to be looking Shen Qingqiu in the face, a closer check makes it clear his gaze was settled somewhere behind his head, looking through him. “If we head out now, we should make it Shuang Hu City by noon.” His head jerks towards a saddled mare, no carriage in sight. Surely his Shidi can’t be serious. He finds his eyes narrowing at the other man, put off by his blatant disinterest.

“Good morning Shidi, how are you enjoying this fine day? This master is grateful you’ve organised my students for my mission.” Syrupy sweetness not even trying to disguise the venom dripping from his tone, his fan in hand lightly fluttering in front of his mouth.

“It’s as Zhangman-Shixiong wills.” He brusquely states, the implied I’m not here for your sake, evident. His gaze finally meets Shen Qingqiu’s own. He pauses, the air between them growing taunt and charged, his eyes widening so slightly Shen Qingqiu would almost think he’d imagined it, if not for how dark they suddenly became. His mouth parts just the slightest bit, a sight that on most others would be easily ignored, if not for the fact it was Liu Qingge’s equivalent to being shocked dumb. It was perhaps one of the strongest reactions he’s gotten since returning here, for all that it is barely a reaction at all.

Shen Qingqiu can’t help but watch with burning curiosity as his Shidi visibly composes himself, his jaw noticeably clenching as he avoids his eyes and the tips of his ears flushing pink. Was he embarrassed? What could he possibly be embarrassed about? His behaviour? It’s unlikely, but the thought still fills him with a wicked glee. He smirks behind his fan. Maybe treat this Shixiong kinder if you don’t want to regret it! Ning Yingying takes the pause as a chance to chime up from among the other disciples.

“Begging Shizun and Shishu’s pardon, but this Yingying has called for a carriage. It should be here-” She stills herself as the sound of trotting hooves approaches. A low mumble sounding suspiciously like I should been the one to... came from behind him. His smirk becomes a smile, ah his little sheep... Liu Qingge however, visibly bristles.

“Shen Qingqiu, a carriage will double our travel-” He cuts himself off, eyes sharpening like the edge of a blade as he noticeably restrains his temper, “We will need to leave now if we want to make it before dusk.” he spits out, gesturing towards the carriage. Shen Qingqiu inclines his head, and his disciples leap into action around them. He turns and gracefully makes his way over to his transport, enters, and settles in for the long trip. Ning Yingying’s voice ringing in the morning air as she instructs the others to move out.

The carriage shakes on its axles momentarily and Shen Qingqiu briefly considers they must have begun moving, before he is once more face to face with his Shidi. His Shidi who was quite decisively settling in across from him with a focused stare. The Shidi who was looking at him like he was some sort of unidentified creature he’d stumbled across while hunting. Ah... this was going to be a long trip.

[First] [Ao3] [Next]

[the-switch-conspiracy]

Not an artist, but this is just a quick mockup of the tutorial mission boss arena for Undo, Redo chapter 8-10. No altar, no tea table, just the barest bones of the scene.

[the-switch-conspiracy]

[Prev]

Undo, Redo

Chapter 8, Part 1: [No More Shortcuts]

Luo Binghe was floating. It felt like he was being held by a million crisscrossing strings. There was nothing around him but thick white fog, reminding him of the many rainy days on Qing Jing Peak, where the clouds blanket the grounds leaving nothing but soft hazy white, and the thick and humid air coils in his lungs. This fog feels different, however. Thick and choking, his lungs felt like they were being filled with syrup, his chest felt like it was being blanketed in a heavy weight. The silence is loud.

The hairs on his neck raise, the sense of someone’s eyes on him appears, and his cultivation-enhanced senses are screaming. Then soft, echoing footsteps appear. He raises his head sluggishly, his eyes struggling to focus on the approaching figure. Black spots coat his vision.

“Binghe.” A voice close to his heart speaks, full of affection and faux disappointment, “Husband… I’ve seen you’ve gotten yourself into quite the plight.” That voice ignites sparks in his heart, and a giddiness flows through his every limb. Husband! He struggles to reorient himself enough to stand and walk toward the voice, but the strands tighten around him.

“Don’t worry, I’ll help get you out of this mess shortly,” The voice and steps pause. The sudden resurgence of silence causes Binghe to struggle, desperately pulling at the bindings around him. A sharp tch breaks it, and the footsteps close in on him once more. Two cool hands press against his cheeks, and his eyes take in the blurry figure leaning over him.

“Binghe! You’ll tangle yourself more struggling like this!” Warm lips press lightly against his forehead, and his eyes finally adjust to the sight of the man in front of him: his Husband, his Shizun. The man of his dreams, fully, looking at him the way he remembers. All but for his vibrant green eyes.

“Shi… zun?” He slurs out the word, the syllables escaping his mouth haltingly. The man smiles, his pink lips curling as his eyes brighten. Unhidden and open for him.

“Hmm, mostly.” Mostly? The word slips through his mind, hard to hold on to. It was all hard to hold on to. Time seems to slip through his fingers, thoughts seem to slip from the sieve of his skull. His tongue feels thick in his mouth.

“Hus...band?” If Shizun was only mostly then… this Shen Qingqiu laughs, light and airy in the way he allows in front of others, rather than the deep wicked chuckle that escapes him while alone.

“Closer! Ah, I’d call the me out there ‘Shizun’ more than the me in here. It's all he knows after all…” He pauses, looking down at him with a searching, pensive look. “I wonder how much you truly remember? It’s not everything. That would break so much. But it’s not nothing.” His nimble fingers begin to untangle the bindings surrounding him. Not quickly, but with a single-minded focus. Much like his gaze on Binghe.

“You remember our marriage, but how much up to that do you? How much of the end can you recall? How about Qingge?” Fragments, cold eyes, and a blade. The fall and abyss. Their wedding night, and moments here and thereafter. And death, so much death. He doesn’t know how they got here, he doesn’t care how they got here. His Shizun was with him, they were alive, why should the past matter in the face of that? As if he could hear his thoughts, Shen Qingqiu shakes his head.

“Not as much as you think you do then. That’s fine. It’s not time yet and I don’t think you’ll need much help remembering on your own.” One hand buries itself in Binghe’s curls, patting his head so sweetly. A glossiness covers his vision, a pain appearing behind his eyes and along his sinuses. Something about this feels like a parting, as if he doesn’t hold on tight he never would be able to again.

“You need to wake up! We need your help out there.” He smiles, eyes flashing, and unties the final knot. Binghe hangs suspended in that infinite misty space for a single lingering moment more, before plummeting.

~O~

The unholy screech falters to a long whimper, and the lower head of the monster shakes its’ head, one of its spindly arms rubbing at its face. Die-er squints at Shen Qingqiu, her lips pulled back to expose needle-sharp teeth.

“Annoying little fly who brought the light that burnt our eyes. How cruel, how pointless .”

The words swallow the silence of the room, haunting in the darkness. The only chance of not dying Shen Qingqiu had, was if their sight remained damaged. The sheer amount of Qi Shen Qingqiu had channelled into the talisman was enough to blind a mortal. He could only hope it affected the creature before him even a bit.

The echoes of crumbling stone against stone still linger in the air. The entire room shudders from the remnant of the crash. A cloud of dust still swelling from where it landed, the plume rising from the pile stained red from the crimson light at the end of the hall. Everything stills for but a moment, broken once more by the crazed cackling of Die-er.

“Qingge! Can you hear me, are you conscious?!” Shen Qingqiu calls into the darkness, shocked horror spilling from the cage of his mouth. The laughter swells and shifts closer as the creature moves, dragging itself in a lopsided manner... An arm lashes out, shattering the tiles where Shen Qingqiu had been standing… only after he had spoken. While adrenaline was pulsing through his body and his hands shook from the strain, a plan was slowly forming in his brain. He hisses, his eyes flicking towards the silhouette of the demon.

“Stand still little fly! You don’t want me to miss. ” Die-er’s voice fills the air mockingly, punctuated by the sudden lash of its stinger. Narrowly dodging the limb brought Shen Qingqiu closer to the demon and away from the rubble that engulfed Liu Qingge’s form. Not ideal, but…

Craning his ears, he can still hear the faint thud of two human heartbeats other than his own, and the slight rasping breath of someone with their chest compressed under immense weight. Liu Qingge, like Luo Binghe, didn’t seem to be able to move. That the demon was even capable of knocking the War God down seemed unbelievable to Shen Qingqiu; especially so for the man who has only ever lost to Luo Binghe. Too unbelievable in fact. The demon had been so very sloppy.

Their cultivation has been bound. It is hard to notice with the overwhelming demonic energy surrounding them and blurring their senses, but it is noticeable. Or at least it was noticeable now that he was aware. It flared just before Liu Qingge was hit; a sudden seizing emptiness of his spiritual veins for but a second. It was reminiscent of the time Shen Qingqiu spent with Without a Cure as it was flaring up.

Liu Qingge's body had been reforged by his physical cultivation practices, this has left him sturdier than most. Even without the entirety of his cultivation accessible he managed to survive the hit in a way a mortal would not, even as his reflexes were hindered by his sudden lack of Qi. Shen Qingqiu is not as lucky; after all, should he get hit while his Qi was blocked – No more Shen Qingqiu!

He’d noticed in the moments before impact, that the demon’s stinger pulsed in the seconds before their Qi was drained – and immediately after the pulse the stinger faded out almost entirely. Should his initial instinct be true- there was an opportunity he could take. But Shen Qingqiu was trapped between his desire to release Luo Binghe, and his desire to drag Liu Qingge from the rubble. He would only have one chance, the second one of them was freed from the demon it would come down to ‘destroy the demon’ or ‘die’, and Shen Qingqiu refused to die again.

The demon’s entire attention was focused entirely on him, its overbearing presence baring down on his own. The only speck of hope he had was that the mysterious ‘him’ didn’t want him dead. Whether that would last was unknown and Shen Qingqiu was not planning on standing around and finding out. The heady thrum of his pulse pounded in his head, his heart beating sharply against his rib cage with each panicky breath.

He makes his choice.

He bolts towards the pile of cracked stone and rubble that engulfs Liu Qingge, his focus narrowing in on a scrap of white, glowing bright even in the dark gloomy red hue of the room’s light. His feet slap against the floor loudly, and flinches as the demon’s stinger hits the ground close to him, shattering the tiles beneath his feet and causing him to stumble despite his cultivation-enhanced reflexes. He holds his breath, and tosses his fan. The demon hand lashes towards the noise, and Shen Qingqiu propels towards the cocoon that engulfs his disciple’s body whole.

Liu Qingge was amazing and, with knowledge of the demon’s Qi blocking abilities, could probably defeat the demon single-handedly – but Luo Binghe was the protagonist. The world would be forced to submit to the unchanging status of his being. Undoubtedly, even with the world in this state, Luo Binghe is not allowed to fail. The choice then was obvious; Luo Binghe needs to be freed.

With an arc of Xiu Ya, the edge honed so sharp not a single noise sounded, Luo Binghe falls into his arms as he himself hits the ground and slides under the vast bulk of the demon’s scorpion-like body. He was now far closer to the red glow upon the altar, and far closer to the demon’s stinger. The demon turns, looming over their prone forms and its stinger raises to strike down when a sharp dual toned howl suddenly fills the room. The pained fear dripping from the sound chills him to the bones, more so than anything else from the demon. It sounded like it was being ripped apart from the inside. Bubbles formed beneath its skin, as it writhes.

“Nơ̤̠̣̈͂!̧̼͈̭̮̎̍̾͆͝ You said we would be rewarded! You said we-” Die-er chokes, her mouth foaming red as her eyes roll back into her skull. Betrayal, was all the last vestiges of Die-er felt before she was snuffed out like a candle. So quickly, so meaningless. A hollow vessel now ready to be filled by something much worse. A system box pops up just beyond Shen Qingqiu’s view, unseen.

[ERROR, Corrupted unauthorised instance detected. Activating W4R.60D Antivirus Protocol. Please Stand By until completion.]

The whole room trembles, dust streaming from the cracks forming in the ceiling, and Shen Qingqiu stares up at the sight of something horrifying. Incomprehensible. As Luo Binghe lay pressed tight to his body, cradled in his arms protectively, reality shifts.

The demon screeches a blood curdling scream, its’ body warping and contorting under the pressure building within as glowing red cracks form along the stitch lines holding the creature together. Black foam drips from its lower head’s lips, as Die-er’s head tilts, twitches, and snaps sharply to the right with a sickening snap. It falls limp, unmoving for but a second, before rising to stare down at him still awkwardly angled from a broken neck. It’s eyes glow vermilion, its’ mouth pulled into a sickly sweet smile. The voice, when it speaks was lower, smoother, and masculine below the static crackles that overlay it. So familiar, yet just out of reach...

"̬͎͚̬̍̄̈́̋S̨̛̝̲̘̬̆��̃͘h̡̭͚̄̍͐͘͟ï͍̜̔iz̿͢u̧͂͐͢n."͍̭͉̐͘̕ It croons, the words full of malevolence, "̙̥́̌Ś͓ḧ͈͇͙͔̈͌̂͟͡i͎͑ȋ͉̭̩͌͑ī͖̱͋͐͢i̝͇̜̞̋̐̈͝z̢͍̪̹̊̀̊̄̕͢un̢͕͓͒̄͒͟͠.̣͛ ̛͇I̜͙̳̒̎̽ ̛̘͍̮͕̋̇͗t̝̹͗̌ò̡̟͈̘̇̓̂l͙̗̜̍͊̓ḍ̭̝̹͂̀̅͘ ̡̲̐̅͌̎͟͟y̧̦͈̫͒͐̂̍o̪̰͐́ṳ̮̜̤̀̉̆̾ ̪͗Ȉ̭ ̨͈̼̱̝̾̐̑͛̔ẅ̜̖͌ou̲̣̭̱͑̏̔͋l̖̫̓̐d̡͇͈͎̋̾̉̕͞ͅ ͕͉̼̝͂̆̔͝f̛ͅi̙̿͋͟n̫̊d̟͍͚̲̄̍̂͠ ̬̝̈̑y̝͋̀͟o͎͞u͇͇̓͞.̢͍̙̯͙̃̑͂̋̈́"̺̆

The head twists the opposite direction of the first, another sickly sharp crack sounding from the neck as it realigns, and a deep shudder travels through the monstrosity. The strands of hair still wrapped around Binghe start to wiggle despite no longer being attached to the creature, tightening around his neck and arms, beginning to drag him towards the beast .

Shen Qingqiu struggles against the pull, one hand desperately clinging to the chipped tiles beneath them, his bleeding fingertips staining the floor where they scramble furiously against it. His other hand trying to tear the thousands of wriggling strands as they sliver against both of their skins, forcing them closer to the entity now possessing ‘Die-er’, the being she referred to as ‘him’. The many claw tipped arms move, as the demon lurches backwards, it’s stinger rattling as its stitched back together and puppeteered limbs still struggling to hold its unnatural form up.

“Ś̻͖̳̘͊̾͡h̫̬͗̉̀͜iż̪̜̣́͝u̡͛n̈͜,͉̪̋́ ś̬̩̯̫͋̀̚ȏ̡͔̖̘͋̔̉ ̯͓̾͠g̏͟r̦̃ą̖͇̓͑͌c̫̍e͖͐́͟f̠͔͚̩͇̅̽̎̈͑ụ̧͉̞͊̓̐̓ļ͙͋̍ ̝̱͇̦̾͂̅̄̀ͅs̰̯͆̏o ̤̦̈́̾abŏ̤v͉͚̓́e͓̟̖̍͋̅ ̼͚͍̜̎͒̀̃w̧̨̻̍͗͋o͎̗̞̰͒͂̌͠r̳̩͆̌͟͝͝ͅl̀͟d̨̗̑̓͂͜ly̫̠͊͆ ̻͎̻̩̳͋̂̊͂̒c̜͙̖̙̲̒̈̎̐̌o̤̮̫͇͐̉̔̄ń͔̫̥̳̒̂̔ć̤̼͈̆͝e̡͔̞̾̔̉̒͟r̨̹̲̘̈͑̑̉n̼͔̗͂̿͛s̫̯͙̼͂͂͆͆.̩̜̏̂ ͍͌Y̡̛͈͇͓̤͂̄̽̍et ̞̳̈͡ḣ̨̪͕̔͘ȅ̖̫̯̮̅̎̐̾͢r̩̩͇̿̊͐e ̪͙̉̋̀͟y̨̖͆̂o͚̞̊͋͒̓͜͜u̥̓ ͈͈̟̫͖̋͗͒͂̕ą̛̣͛̑ͅrȇ̜̦̣͉̔̂͌,̡̟̲̾͗͛ ̟̦̞͂́̂ro͘͢l̡͓̩̔̒͂̀ͅl͚͝ǐ͕̳̆ň͇ǧ̰̟̈́̀̄͜͢ aṟ̚o̬͇̾̌u̦͗͊͢n̫̋d̛̼͍̙̠͍̅̄̈́͋ ̪͑in͔̾ ͖̥̥̮͎̀̐́͘͝tḩ̖́́è̪̻͟͡͝ ̢̿m̡̗̯̩̓̽͂̕u̝͑c̢̡̭̦̏̽̈̄k͋ͅ ̹̎l̳͑i͍͕̫͈͂̎̈́̑ķ͖̭́̓̑e̥͋̚͢ ̯̗͑͘a̳̞̪̗͒̽̿͑ ̛̩̞̲͑̂͘͢m̤͋́̈́͜ͅu̫͙͇͍̐̾͛̊͊͟t͓̜͖̩̑̿̀̆͡ͅť̯͙͍̀̕.̟̘̿̃͟͠”

It hisses, and grins wider as a hint of inhuman rage burns bright behind the barrier of its eyes. Binghe’s limp form was pulled tight between two forces; a tug of war between Shen Qingqiu and the beast Shen Qingqiu was desperate to win. His fingers leave bruises along his disciple’s sides with the force he grips him with.

No, you’re not taking him ağ͔ä̻̙̼͛̓i̖̲̲̽́̇̔̅͟͢n! His instincts scream at him to run, to hide from the beast before him. The scent of blood fills his lungs, the flicker of a red sky fills his eyes. His teeth chatter as he wills himself to rise to his feet, slipping against the tiles as they’re dragged cun by cun closer to the entity smiling down at them. Every muscle in his body was wound tight, reflexively flinching from pain that hasn’t yet been inflicted. And Shen Qingqiu, he was terrified. More terrified than he’s ever been before. It paralyses him whole.

This thing knew him. It was after him. And he thinks…

"͎̻̰̌͌̈́Ŝ̤͎̼̀́o̺̓ ̣̗͕̪͐̋̓̂̿͜m̺̭̬̞̭̓͊̃͘͝a͍͛nŷ̜̩̜̀͐͜͠ ̣͚̈̿w͆ͅō͉͉͐̆͜ṙ̨̠̮͛͛l͖̺̅̅d̺̺̊̀̒ͅs̭͕͂̈́ ̠̫̗̌̀̒I ̠̹́͝h͈͝a̯͓͇̝̐̑̔̚v̧̨̲͎̝̊͛̿̚͝e̝̬͍͐̈̊ ͝ͅj͙͆u̦͕̥͐̽͐m̜͕̮̼̺̎̇̓̈́͠p̺̖͖̪̄̅́̚ed̥̾͞ͅ ̗̆t̠̣̤̊̏̚h͉̓͌ͅŗ̗̽͌̽ͅŏ̺̤͠u̢̢̦͋̇̕gh̨̲̹̣̾̏̾͂̈́͢ t͉̩͓͉̒̀͌͌o̘͂ ̥̟̝͇͒͆͋́̕͜f͇̓͆͢ị͕̾̆n͔͠d ̩̙̯̦̄̑̚͠y̤͙̣̟̐̇̐̕o̩̗͖̿̀̈ṷ̢̗̳̖̈́͌̈̑̕.̺̘̎̀"̻̗̈́ ̠̀ ̡͘

It purrs, crooking one of its claws, as if beckoning Shen Qingqiu closer. The force pulling Binghe intensifies, and Shen Qingqiu presses hard, holds him tighter to his chest. It had something to do with why he had to come back.

͎̲̫͖̊̊̃̕"̛̝̅͜S̹̪͐̐o̤̲͗͌͢͞r̫͌t͙̮̋͐i̝͎̔͑n͕̰̦̩̽́̅͡g ̢̹͇̻͋̋͊͊͜͝t͇̭͔̭̀͗̐̚h͈̹̤̉̓͝r͖͚̰̟̭̒̀̋̌͒o̡̭͋̀ų̨̘̹̌̽̆̽gh̢̛͉̱̭͑̄̍ ̗̦͈̣̃͆̅͑̂͜s̺̩̑̍o̧̿̓͜ m̞̜͙̐̇̄ȁ͕̩̬̳̄̆͞ǹ̻ÿ̢̯̘̔͘ ͕̘̹̺̅̇̑͂c͓̘͍͒͊́o͔̳͘͠u͉͛nt͖̠̋̔ḛ̩̇͒̔͜r̲̥̔́f̜̭̫̫͐͊͡͠e̪̓i̟̹̅̇t̰̟̂́̿͟ṡ̠̜͋,̞͠ ̻̣̏̐ả̢̩͍͆̽n͇̹̹̱͉͐̉̒̎͡d̬̳̮͊̎͊̚͟ ̮̳̈̎m̨̘͋͠o̰̹̙̩̍̒͋̒c̤̱̦͗̒̉̂͜ḱ̳͘͜e̹͛r̛̼ȉ̫̜͔͉̳̀̅̒͠è̫s̟͖̿͆.̛͚͒̃͜͟"̢̖̙̙̉̀͘͝ ͉̼̀̀

Its voice coils around them, fanatic in its intensity. The half remembered fragments of memory that flood his brain. Bodies upon bodies all with his face, and the all consuming weariness so heavy his limbs could not be moved...

̜̞̓́̇ͅ"̫̣͈̌̏̂Y̧̭̭͂̈́̀͊͟e͙̫͛͋́͢t̯͚̤̲́̽̿̍ ̎͢n̦̻̯͍̪͛͑͒̌͠ò̱n̯͖͂̇ḛ̔͝ͅ ͔̿c̙̍ọ̳̊̅̕͜m͉̾p͎̖̞̿̃̕a̞͎͉̥̽̽̉̐r̯̕è̗d̼̭̱̼̠͛̋̈̎̕ ͖̰͍͚̈́̏̂̇t̛̯ơͅ ̫̋͟͠y͙͙͎̲͂̎͛̄̕͢o̺͘u̖̙͆͘.̝̱̌̎̚͜ ̘͉͌̃T̥̝̠͎͋̍̀̿h͍̅e͖͕̯͓̼͗̄̏͌̚ ̳͙͕̐̌͑ỏ̢͈̫̚͠n͉̠͓̠̊̊̍͡e̮̝̝̅́͋ ̢̲͉̲̉́̚͠wh̜͑ỏ̪͙̼̽̉͘͢ ͈̰͘͝r̝͕͋̅á͖̏ͅn̛̼͍̝̑͋.̹͞"̧̹̄̍ ̮͎̫͔̈́̓̕ ͍̝̿͊ And Shen Qingqiu, he...

"W̠̩̾͋h̳̅o h̜͚̗̀̓͊͛͗͟͟ȋ̤̻̪̪̎̋̓͋͟d̜͉̓̃.̜̤̾͊"̙̮͎͈̯͂̿̔͛̿ ̟͈̙̈̅̕ Didn’t know what to do.

"̛̺Wh̠̒o̫̬͔̅́̄͘͜ ̟̾g͚͆ot̗̝̰̹̋̏̀͘ ̧̩͔̟̄̀̄̌ą̞̿̌w̝̺̘̻̏́̅́ay̨̬̻͍̽͛̍̈́.̨̹̤̄̌͠"͍̈

He wasn’t strong enough to save them on his own. Or quick enough. Or smart enough. He was going to fail again. Because this monster was after him. Ha… haha. This dying world was his fault, this beast was his fault. He couldn’t breathe, he couldn’t even think.

They were going to die, and once more it was all his fault.

“Y̘͝e̛͙̱̕͢͞t͚͇͚̅̀͠ ̠̦͊̌ḫ̾e̟̿r̩̃͟͞e͕̒ ̼̻̑͒yǒ͓̫̳͒̊̓̆͜ͅu̧̱̻͊̓̒ a͕̼̽͌re̥̫̲̔̎̅ ̧̳̼̟͒̃̏͝s̖͍͎̈́̅̈́e̞̫̟̘͗̂͡͠t̠̑t͖̾l̞͑i͙̖͈͎͊̓̉́n͎̜̝͔͒͐͐͠ḡ̢̝̖̓͌̉ͅ ̮̰̱͍͕̀̓̓̏̀f̡͍̿͛o̙̩̼̾̉́r͕͚̗̖̊̓̆̕ ̩̩̹̘͒̀͂̚͘͢f̜̲̃̄ȃ̛̳̲͖̙̈́̂ļ̦̙̦̅̃̾͊ş̨̰̐̎̎ė̫͉͎̄̾ ̟̿ĵ̪̣̟͑͐a̮͐d̠͚̿̓͠ͅe͙͓͐̋.̡̤̓̋ ̹̤̞̣̒̀̌͝ A soft noise rises from the form pressed against his chest. A tiny groan, barely a noise at all but…

Help please, I need...

“Shi-?” Slurred, barely coherent, Binghe.

“I̧̛̛̼̲͗͡ͅ ̪͒do͇̼̔̕n͖̰͕͙̎̒̈̌'͑͢ț͛ ͔͉̄͒w̧̛̻͉̭͘̚͠a͓͎̝͎̦͒͐̉͋̄n̅͜t̻̟͙͇͂̅̽̄ ̧̛̘̱͐̓tǫ̰̻͐̅̀̌͟ ͈̞̱̜̌̽͂̍k̡̤̜̭̅͆̃͋i̤͔̰͐̀̂l̥͙̗̉͂̌̕͜ľ͈ ̼̩͚̂̐̐y̦͕̼̆̉͆ȯ͕͙̅u̠͙̿̑ ͈̮̪͈̤́͆͛́̕S̱͍̘͖̒͒͘͡h͐͜i̢̼̰̭̔̎͘͠z̟͖̰̆̔̕͘͢u̪̐n͇̦͈̱͒̑̊͘.̭͘ ͇̭̓̾I̥̫̋̀ ͎̯̳̅̌͞͡ͅĉ͖̯̐å̢̨͎͈̊͞͝ñ̹ b̻̗̂͘ę̭̂̏ ̟̳͐͐m̗͑̏͟a̭̩̿̑g͋͢ǹ̝à͖̩͐̚͢n̺̾į̧̮̻̒̏̄͒m̜̬̱̃̏̕̚͝ͅͅǫ̯̩̓̆̄ȕ̠͙͛s̨̲̞͐͐̋.̼̦̹͚̅̆͊̕ ̝͕͑̕Ģ̢̃̚ivę̱̖͙͎̅̌̓̀͝ t̨̓͊͟h̬̹̄̔͢͞e͇͘ ͕̾̕͢b̖̤́͊ō͖̟̞̲͆͗͋ẏ̗̜̾̇͢ ̢̳̥̯͑́̓́ẗ̩̫́͋ǫ̲̉̈ ̻̭̓̕m͍̐e̬̦̗͚͐́̓̃, ̭̦͎͒̐͛͜͠ș̬̇̿u͎̞̝̟̼͌̐͐͠͝b͙̩͓͆͐͗m̙̳̯̰͗̀̌̐ị̎t̡͓́̆͡ͅ ̮̽͗͢and͖̼̏̓.̫͕̼̗͎͛̔̍̆͝.̧͕̱̒̿̽. ̛̞͇̲̺̟͐͌͌̕ ̝̐”

The beast turns its heads vaguely towards where the pile engulfing his shidi was, a wicked expression flickering across the remnants of Die-er’s face. Though even that was changing, morphing into something Shen Qingqiu feels he should be able to recognise. But the thought slips from his skull like oil, leaving the residue of a feeling that leaves him sickened.

“Ỉ̖̻̐ ̝͎̘͑̔̓̾ͅw͕͎̞͋̕͝ỏ͎̮̖͍̎̓̏ń̖̊͟'̮̩̾̊̐͜t ̤͎̍̀k̪̪̋͝i̮̖̠̒̿̂l̨̛̖͕̦͈̈̌̓͡l ̧̞̱̰̓̒͑̕y̟̍o̼̮̲̐̀̑ự͈̌̍͌͟͜r͍̆ ̠̔l̡̺̻̰̅̎͂̊i̭̥̟̬͔͌̉̽̏͞t̨̺͚͖̀̿͋̚tl̝͊e͍̒ ̬͒w̛̮̩̙̜̓̋͡ã̠͈̣̬̓̑͘r̠͔̿̀̿͟ ̺̈́p̩͔̦̿̄͒͡ͅȩ̦̤͙͆̈́̔̃t̫͉̽͞.̧̢̦̮́̉̈̚͢͡ ̧͎͕͕̀̎͡͡ ̛͕̬̘͘̕͢͝Hë̩͕́͛ ̲̙̆͋d̨̙͚̫̮̋̾̄̈̾ơ̹̥̣͖͉̎͌̑͒ĕ̼̠̙̎͘s̠̺̀̐͢͝ ̪́̈ͅso ̠̰͍͖̔̓͐͡r̡̨̢̪͓͑̀̄͞͞e̥̠̟̎̀̇̒͢m̘̄ị̡̚̚n͚̺̞̔̍̾̄͟d ͖̓m̪̆é̪͙̰͍̾̇̕͢͠ ̗̫͐̇ó̡̻̯̩̈́͗f̺̯̲̽́͛͜͠ ̳̼͕̞̒̋̕͝s̙̲̹̼̦̀̈́̋͒o̢̖̦̼̓̎̕͝m̳͉̗͂̒͝é̞͕̖͛͠o̖̅͛͟ņ̡̦̳͐̀̑́ȅ̥͎̽ ̰̫̗͑́͑I̫̻̝̍̐̀ t̹͞ḩ̦̬͉̾̇̀͝i͉̒n̲̈́k͓̙̍͘ ̛͕͚̲̐̚f̟̪́̚o͖̪͈̳̿͋͊͑ñ̨̖̹̆̂d̢͓̝͕́̐̏͞l̻̈́ỵ̦̥͔̀̒͛̚ ̳͒o̥̊f̢̪̣̀̈́̋.̨͍̠̮̽͂͝͡

The expression morphs into a lascivious smirk, sending another intense pang of nausea through Shen Qingqiu’s stomach. This was wrong, so wrong. The stirring in his arms grows stronger and Shen Qingqiu glances down to meet starry black eyes gazing at him with wonder.

“Shizun?”

[First] [Masterpost] [Ao3] [Next]