Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

     “What the FUCK Airplane??? That’s how you’re going to fucking end it? ‘And they lived happily ever after’ FUCKING BULLSHIT! YOU CAN’T CLAIM THEY LIVED HAPPILY AFTER WITH THAT MANY HAREM MEMBERS!!! HOW MANY FUCKING ARCS DID YOU HAVE THAT FOCUSED SOLEY ON THE HAREM POLITICS AND INTRIGUE! FUCKING HELL!” 

     Shen Yuan slammed his fingers on his keyboard as a rapid clicking sounded in the dark apartment. Lit only with the blue light from his computer screen, eyes squinting at the brightness behind his glasses, Shen Yuan began writing his comment like he was a soldier going to war. The rapid fire tapping on his keyboard was no longer a soft peaceful sound of a modern internet troll, but an internet troll bringing an advanced heavy machine gun to battle. 

     He tore into the work of writing, like he was a professional gamer shooting zombies down across the screen, or a lawyer revealing evidence that would finally convict the criminal in court. He slashed through hundreds of chapters, like a trained swordsman using a katana to dice an apple into slices so quickly it can barely be seen. He revealed tiny details and world building lore, like an archeologist finding a long lost historical treasure. 

     All this he became. 

     All this, he did.

     So he could spit in Airplane-shooting-towards-the-sky’s face.

     “Do you have no brain cells whatsoever?? Did all that porn you wrote finally melt your brain back down to the age of a two year old?? Fucking DAMNIT, this is NOT how this story should end, you fucking useless sack of genital warts! I hope you jack yourself so hard you can’t wear pants the next day because you're so chafed, since that’s all you seem to be good for! Getting off to porn that could’ve been written by someone with literally ZERO knowledge of sexual acts!”

     Shen Yuan huffed for breath as he finished his comment, glaring at the screen, still gasping for air from his ranting. He could feel the blood surging through his veins, his heart was pumping so hard it felt like it would burst out of his chest. He hit the SEND button and waited, knowing the inane readers would reply back to him. Sure enough, they responded like little tiny insects yelling and shaking their fists at the human standing over them. 

>Replying to PeerlessCucumber

     You read this book all the way to the finish too! You don’t get to talk!

>Replying to PeerlessCucumber

     This bitch thinks he’s better than us, even though he read all the way through.

>Replying to PeerlessCucumber

     If it was so bad, why did you read it? LOL, someone’s in denial .

>Replying to PeerlessCucumber…

>Replying to PeerlessCucumber…

>Replying to PeerlessCucumber…

>Replying to PeerlessCucumber…

>Replying to PeerlessCucumber…

     Shen Yuan gasped for breath, form shaking with rage as he read the replies from what he could only describe as imbeciles . These foolish, hormone driven males defended this book solely because it was the only experience they’d ever have with a woman outside of porn, and it wasn’t even them fucking the girl!

     His hands were shaking as he typed his responses, rage making him near incoherent. His vision swam with black and red spots as he furiously read and responded to comments. He was so mad, he felt like he could spit up blood!

Pfft.

     Shen Yuan froze and lifted a shaky hand to his mouth, pulling it away wet. His fingers shone with dark liquid in the pale blue light, even as he tasted something metallic in his mouth. 

     His eyes widened as he realized what was happening, grabbing his heart as if he could physically slow the agonizing, rushed beating of his heart. It felt like it was moments from bursting, like a scene in a bad movie showing the heart starting to beat faster and faster before it exploded. 

     Shen Yuan forced himself to his feet, choking on his own blood as he began to cough more and more up. He staggered towards the bathroom, leaning heavily on the walls and crashing into furniture as he went. 

     “Medicine…” he choked, flicking on the bathroom light. In the mirror he caught a glimpse of his reflection before he turned to rummage through the medicine cabinet. Blood had dripped down the front of his shirt, looking like he’d spilled red Kool-Aid on himself like a toddler. His face was pale white, seemingly bloodless despite the dark red coating on his lips and chin. He could already feel a warm trickle down the inside of his nose as he turned his attention back to the cabinet. 

     Dozens of tiny orange bottles lined the shelves, their names blurring together as blood vessels began to burst in his eyes. He shook his head, gasping for air and breathing only blood. He swallowed painfully, feeling how his throat began to constrict on itself in response to his nerves. His chest heaved rapidly, desperate for even the slightest gasp of air yet breathing nothing. He felt his legs give out beneath him, dropping him painfully on the cold linoleum floor. 

     Shen Yuan reached down to his pocket, grabbing his phone with one hand while the other gripped his shirt tightly, trying desperately to slow his overworked heart. He felt the buttons on his phone, tracing one of the phone symbols and pressed it, lifting it weakly to his ear. Hot tears that tasted of copper slid down his cheeks, some slipping into his gasping lips. 

     “Yuan-di? What is it? It’s not like you to call me this late. Or, early rather,” a hoarse, sleepy voice said from the other end of the call. 

     “Ge..ge… help .” Shen Yuan croaked out, before collapsing to the side, phone slipping from his hands. He heard his medical wristband go off, wailing for what seemed like the whole building to hear. He could barely hear his brother’s panicked voice over it. 

     “Shen Yuan? Shen Yuan! Hold on, didi, I’m coming! I’m calling an ambulance, just don’t hang up!” Shen Yuan twitched weakly on the floor with each slowing beat of his heart. It felt like someone was poking him with an electric prod everytime, stabbing him as he lay dying. 

     “Ge…it hurts…” he whispered, voice hitching everytime his heart beat weakly. 

     “Shen Yuan, stay with me! The ambulance is on its way, just please stay with me! I’m on my way right now, didi.” Shen Yuan shut his eyes with a pained whine, feeling like his head was splitting in two from the wailing medical device on his wrist. His brother's voice began to fade into the background as he opened his eyes again, barely making out the pale blue glow of his computer past the golden light of the bathroom and encroaching red and black edges of his vision. 

     I should’ve never read that book…fucking Airplane killed me in the end, he thought, eyes sliding closed. His last attempts to breathe ceased as his heart finally went silent and still, earning a change from intermittent wailing of the medical device to a piercing, steady shriek.

Shen Yuan! Shen Yuan! Didi! Stay with me, didi! Please! Shen Yuan!

[Activation Code: Fucking Airplane Killed Me In The End]

[ACCEPTED]

[Welcome to the SYSTEM]

[We hope your TRANSMIGRATION EXPERIENCE]

[Will prove beneficial to the SYSTEM]

[This will be an OPEN WORLD EXPERIENCE]

[USER: SHEN YUAN will be under no obligations]

[To complete SYSTEM administered activities]

[Please enjoy this once in an after-lifetime experience!]

[Creating Body]

[Loading Entry Point]

[Setting World]

[Downloading Memories]

[Transporting]

[Good Luck USER]

[=D]

     What the FUCK just happened? I feel like I got run over by a monster truck. That or an eighteen wheeler semi-truck. Last I checked, I was having a medical breakdown, so what was up with the Google Translate voice? Am I dreaming? Was it a dream?

     Shen Yuan opened his eyes with a groan, getting his hands beneath him as he pushed himself up out of the-

     …

     …

     …

     Dirt?  

     Shen Yuan snapped to complete awareness as he gripped the gritty dirt beneath him, staring at the tiny white hands holding his body up. He scrambled to sit up, falling back down occasionally as he tripped over the too long, dirty grey robes covering his skinny figure. 

     What the fuck is going on?? He thought hysterically. Looking around seemed to provide no clues. He was partially in an alleyway between two traditional style Chinese buildings. One smelled of bitter medicine and the other had soft laughter and the smell of alcohol welling from it. Red lanterns hung along the balconies of the latter building. Shen Yuan choked and covered his nose at the sickeningly sweet mixture of incense, perfume, and alcohol stifled the air around him. 

     Where am I??

[Greetings USER]

[=D]

[I am SYSTEM 002 of this WORLD]

[Congratulations USER]

[You have been TRANSMIGRATED]

     Bright red, green, gold, blue, and white virtual pieces of confetti attacked Shen Yuan’s face, blasting him with it. He tried to wave it away, to no effect. He gripped his head painfully tight.

     “What the fuck??”

[Do not worry, USER]

[It is completely normal to be disoriented on your first WORLD]

[This SYSTEM will kindly explain what is happening!]

[YOU HAVE DIED]

[Before death, your last recorded thought was] 

[A SYSTEM ACTIVATION CODE]

[Because of this, you have been TRANSMIGRATED]

[Into the world of a book you spent many years reading!]

[Welcome to the WORLD]

[Of]

[PROUD IMMORTAL DEMON’S WAY]

[You have entered as an OC or ORIGINAL CHARACTER]

[Your WORLD SETTING is OPEN WORLD]

[This means there are no restrictions on your actions]

[Regardless of how they may impact the main plotline!]

[You are free to live as you like in this CUSTOM MADE BODY]

[However, the higher ranked SYSTEMS]

[Have concurred that]

[PROUD IMMORTAL DEMON’S WAY]

[Is exceptionally hostile towards MALE characters]

[Who aren’t the protagonist]

[As such, the higher ranked SYSTEMS]

[Saw fit to give you a BONUS ABILITY]

     More confetti was spat in Shen Yuan’s face, blinding him for a second time as the glowing blue screen danced and spun in the air. 

     “What the hell kind of drugs do they have me on? Morphine never had me this bad before,” Shen Yuan muttered. 

[USER is not on drugs of any kind]

[USER has died!]

[Regardless, as this SYSTEM was saying]

[USER has been granted a BONUS ABILITY!]

[You can now manipulate the world around you simply by speaking]

[This includes changing your ENVIRONMENT]

[BEHAVIORAL PATTERNS of NON PLAYER CHARACTERS]

[And the ACTIONS of CHARACTERS around you!]

“The FUCK??” Shen Yuan said incredulously. The screen showed him a smiley face as it continued speaking.

[Because this is an OPEN WORLD]

[SYSTEM will not administer any MANDATORY activities!]

[However, this also means that SYSTEM will not assist USER]

[SYSTEM will only occasionally appear]

[Aside from that, USER is on your own]

[Well, good luck, USER]

[SYSTEM entering HIBERNATION MODE]

[SHUTTING DOWN]

     “Wait! System? System! A little more help please? Can I get an explanation for what’s happening? Maybe for where I am?” 

     When no response came, Shen Yuan sighed and rubbed his forehead in frustration. He glared at his tiny, child sized fingers. He looked around, finally spotting somethings that definitely helped him recognize the world as one of Airplane’s creations. 

     Further down the street was a very distinctive wild West looking pub, horseshoe on the swing door and everything. Lighting the sides of the streets were what appeared to be an ancient Chinese take on light posts, each with a lantern hanging from it. There was an actual fucking USPS post office next to the pub!

     Why USPS?? Airplane is Chinese! He wrote a XIANXIA fantasy stallion novel! Why is an AMERICAN POST OFFICE HERE?? Shen Yuan fought to keep his venomous tongue behind his teeth, regardless of how tempting it was to viciously rip apart the horrible world building. It didn’t even look like anyone was in the two buildings! 

     He sighed and stood up, feeling hair drift and slide down his back. He reached over his shoulder to grab it, carefully sliding it over his shoulder and noting that the long, dusty locks reached his belly button. He’d never had hair longer than his ears before, but he also remembered somewhere, probably another xianxia novel NOT written by Airplane , stating that only criminals cut their hair in those kinds of worlds. That and monks.

     Shen Yuan glared at the hair before tossing it over his shoulder again. He patted down his robes, trying to whack as much dirt out of them as possible, to little success. He groaned and glared around, noting two drunk men coming out of the building that could only be a brothel. They spotted him the same time he spotted them and he shuddered as they grinned and approached him.

     “Well look what we got here, a little baby whore. What do you think we should do?” the first drawled, stepping closer to back Shen Yuan against the wall. He glared at them as the second leered at him, licking his lips as he took in the sight of Shen Yuan’s small frame tucked against the wall. 

     “This laozhi is so disappointed that the big whores wouldn’t give him and his didi a chance to fuck them, so laozhi thinks we should enjoy the baby whore left in front of us? Why waste a feast in front of you, right?” Shen Yuan sneered at the disgusting wretches before him. 

     That damn system mentioned something about influencing and controlling NPC actions, right? Let’s hope it was telling the truth, he thought. 

     “Don’t touch me. Leave me alone,” he ordered. The men immediately froze and then turned on their heels, walking away as if they had never seen Shen Yuan to begin with. Shen Yuan collapsed to his knees, relieved beyond measure that he wouldn’t be getting raped and sold into prostitution on his first day in PIDW. “That was way too close.”

     A shadow fell over him while a husky, old voice spoke. “Boy, what did you just do?”

     Shen Yuan froze before turning back slowly, paling as he took in the sight before him. 

I’m screwed.

Chapter Text

Shen Yuan stared in terror at the bright golden robes before him, clearly recognizing the signature mark of Huan Hua palace before Luo Binghe reigned. This must be before Luo Binghe emerges from the abyss. 

“Boy? Hello? Did I frighten you?” the old man asked, before crouching down to be on Shen Yuan’s level. A soft and friendly smile graced his lips as he raised his hand to pat Shen Yuan’s head. “I’m sorry, I got a little overexcited. I should be asking if you’re okay. Boy? Are you alright?”

Shen Yuan snapped out of his daze and nodded slowly, carefully watching for any signs that might give away who the strange old man was. He appeared out of seemingly thin air, which is impressive with those gaudy gold robes, so he must be a cultivator, probably an elder or a hallmaster if I judge from his age.

“I am fine, thank you, elder.” The old man smiled a bit wider and then patted Shen Yuan’s shoulder. 

“So boy, what was that? I sense no demonic energy, yet you somehow manipulated those two men into leaving you alone. It’s quite strange. Will you tell me?” Shen Yuan watched him nervously, debating whether he should tell him or not. The old man’s smile seemed to become a little strained before he stood up and brushed the dust off his robes. 

“Where are my manners? I should put some food in you first, shouldn’t I? It’s rude to be left hungry during a chat. Come, let me bring you to my sect, we have some of the finest food there.” Shen Yuan’s eyes widened as he realized the implications of that statement. 

HOLY SHIT! He’s!! He’s Luo Binghe’s second REAL master! He’s the Old Palace Master, who helped arrange Shen Qingqiu’s trial! And now he’s offering to take me in an feed me? Fuck yeah, I’m going!

Shen Yuan hopped forward, scampering after the surprisingly speedy old man. They wound their way through dozens of streets before the Old Palace Master and Shen Yuan stood before what could only be described as a combination of Eastern and Western palaces. The grounds appeared to be laid out like a traditional Eastern palace and the buildings had the architecture of a Chinese palace, yet from further inside the walls, Shen Yuan could see several enormous towers with smooth cylindrical sides and conical tops rising over the walls. Not to mention that there was a freaking moat that he and the Old Palace Master had to cross when his disciples finally let down the drawbridge. 

“Well then, come on, boy. I doubt you want to wait, right?” Shen Yuan shook his head rapidly, rushing to follow the Old Palace Master as he disappeared into the winding halls of the palace. 

Everywhere Shen Yuan looked, all he could see was gold. Gold inlay in the wall paper, gold detailing on the walls and handrails of stairs, gold edging on the walls, gold, gold, gold, gold, gold! It looked like Midas had stepped into the building and decided to pull a prank that would be very obvious as to who the culprit was, except these tasteless idiots decided they liked the makeover. 

Shen Yuan knew that eventually the palace would have more black and red than gold, because Luo Binghe’s palace must be in Luo Binghe’s colors, but to see it before his arrival…it was truly strange for such a major black powder fan like Shen Yuan. He peeked out an open window as he and the Old Palace Master walked, spotting several gold clad disciples going through their forms. 

“Are you curious, boy?” Shen Yuan jolted at being spoken to, turning to face the Old Palace Master, who was watching him with a strange, knowing look in his eye. “You might be able to join them later, if you want.”

“REALLY???” Shen Yuan beamed at the older man, skipping forward to catch up to where the Old Palace Master had stopped in the halls. The Old Palace Master smiled and patted Shen Yuan on the head as he turned to resume their walk. 

“Really. If our talk goes well, that is.” Shen Yuan winced at the reminder, but this was one of Luo Binghe’s shizuns! Surely he would be a safe person to talk to, right? If anyone could help Shen Yuan, who else could it be but the richest, oldest, and probably most powerful of the sect leaders?

Well, probably ANY of them could help me, they just won’t, which automatically makes the Old Palace Master better than any of them. ESPECIALLY anyone from Cang Qiong. I want nothing to do with that burning pile of trash.

The Old Palace Master walked into a warm room, snapping his fingers to activate the lights inside. Because of course Airplane had to add some version of sound activated lights. Shen Yuan looked around the spacious… gold …room.

A simple wood table with a go board on it sat in the middle of the room. Shen Yuan frowned, almost certain that the feng shui of the room would be off if that was the placement of the table in the room, but he shook his head. I’m not an expert in feng shui, after all. Who’s to say how it works here?

“Boy? Would you like to take a seat?” Shen Yuan turned his attention back to the Old Palace Master, quickly heading over to the table to sit in one of the chairs next to it. He smiled at the Old Palace Master, remembering to stand and pull the seat out for the older gentleman. He mentally cursed Airplane again for putting Western style chairs in a fucking ancient Chinese-esque novel. “Now then, I do believe I asked you this out in the town, but what exactly was that power?”

Shen Yuan stared at the Old Palace Master for a moment, biting his lips lightly. He sighed and straightened, twirling his thumbs in his lap. 

“I…may have the ability to control others through my words?” His eyes flicked up to take in the Palace Master’s reaction before looking back down at his lap. A hand gently rested on his shoulder, causing him to look up again. The Old Palace Master smiled at him, eyes curved in crescents that were swallowed in the wrinkles on his face.

He must be at least a few centuries old to have that many wrinkles for a cultivator.

“Boy, what’s your name?” Shen Yuan twitched and looked back at the table. Normally he didn’t think he would be so comfortable with a complete stranger, but the Old Palace Master was one of Luo Binghe’s shizuns, one of the good ones, so it was worth the risk to trust him. 

“Shen Yuan. My name is Shen Yuan,” he said, looking up to meet the murky brown eyes. Shen Yuan didn’t really like the Old Palace Master’s eye color, it felt like an uncomfortable shade of brown. Like bruises on apples or bananas. But other than that, the Old Palace Master seemed like a kindly grandfather.

“Shen Yuan, would you be willing to join as my personal disciple?” Shen Yuan’s eyes widened and his jaw dropped in shock. Me?? The Old Palace Master wants me as his disciple?? There were only TWO people who became his personal disciples in PIDW! Gongyi Xiao, his head disciple, and later Luo Binghe! Which means, if I accept this now, I could become Luo Binghe’s shixiong! I could treat him well!! 

“Of course! I would be grateful for this opportunity!” Shen Yuan said, a grin splitting his face in half. The Old Palace Master smiled at him, patting his hand gently as he stood from the table. 

“Good. I’ll arrange for some furniture to be brought in, wouldn’t want my personal disciple to room with the common disciples, after all. I’ll also make sure that a meal and uniform are brought.” Shen Yuan’s eyes widened as he looked around the room. 

“Do you mean that this room is mine?” The Old Palace Master looked at him, seemingly surprised, before another unreadable smile pulled at his lips. 

“Of course. These are the empty rooms for my personal disciples. Currently there’s only one other in use.” Shen Yuan bounced on his heels, eagerly darting after the Palace Master. 

“I have a shixiong?” he asked eagerly. If Gongyi Xiao is here, I’ll have a friend! He was basically a rip off of the protagonist, known for staying a ‘good lotus’ throughout his whole time in the book. 

“A shijie, actually. Just remember, her room is off limits .” Shen Yuan shivered at the dark tone of voice from the Palace Master, tilting his head in confusion. 

Did the Old Palace Master have a female personal disciple? I don’t remember any-wait! Right, there was the former head disciple! The one before Gongyi Xiao! I can’t think of her name though.

He snapped out of his thoughts as he bumped into the Old Palace Master, looking up in confusion. The Old Palace Master smiled down at him as they stood in the doorway. Now that Shen Yuan was so close, he realized exactly how large and well muscled the Old Palace Master was for an old man. Another unreadable smile appeared on his lips as he spoke down to Shen Yuan. 

“You can stay here and familiarize yourself for today. I’ll see you tomorrow and we’ll begin your training. Perhaps you’ll even see your shijie, though she was sent out on a mission not long ago, so it might be a while before then. I’ll make sure you’ll get your uniform and food, so patiently wait here. Alright?” Shen Yuan pursed his lips but nodded, stepping backwards into the room so the Old Palace Master could shut the door. 

It closed softly behind the old man, whose footsteps could barely be heard through the thick wood. Shen Yuan looked around at the room and sighed, sliding down the wall. 

“System? You there?” he called. Silence answered his call so he groaned and leaned backwards, bonking his head softly against the wall. 

I got taken into Huanhua sect and I haven’t even been here a full day yet. I’d say this is pretty good! Admittedly, I don’t know WHEN I am in PIDW, since I barely remember the Old Palace Master having a female personal disciple. What happened to her again?

Shen Yuan tapped his head, frowning as he tried to conjure the memories of what happened to the previous head disciple. “Gongyi Xiao was the one to mention her…something about a demon? Did she die?” 

Frustratingly enough, despite his near perfect recollection of PIDW, he couldn’t remember what exactly had been said about the previous head disciple. He couldn’t even recall what her name had been. He huffed out a breath and jumped when there was a sudden knock on the door. 

“Gongzi, is it alright if this lowly one comes in?” Shen Yuan stared at the door for a moment before jolting and nodding, before remembering that he couldn’t be seen. 

“Uh, sure, go ahead. The door’s unlocked…I think.” The door slid open smoothly and a middle aged woman stepped in. She kept her head facing the floor as she slid to her knees and carefully set what appeared to be a tray laden with food on the floor. She lifted something off her back, a small bamboo backpack of sorts, and set it next to the tray before leaning forward to press her forehead on the floor as she backed out of the room without standing up. 

Is she scared of me? What’s so frightening aside from the amount of dirt I’m trailing all over the gold polished floors?

The door shut behind her, almost by itself and he heard the soft pounding of footsteps leaving. It sounded almost like she was running away, despite being well into her forties. Perhaps they were busy today?

Setting aside the servant’s strange behavior and form of address, Shen Yuan stood and approached the tray. He inhaled deeply and his stomach practically snarled in response as he took in the sight of the tray. 

Beef bao, pork rib and lotus soup, fried rice, and congee were just a few of the dishes that were weighing down the tray. Shen Yuan neatly picked up the chopsticks and spun them, testing the weight and balance, just like his er-ge had jokingly taught him. He smiled sadly as he grasped them firmly and began to eat, slowly to make sure he didn’t vomit. 

The food was delicious, just as the Old Palace Master had promised, yet it was so filling that Shen Yuan had to stop after eating only a little of it. He sighed, wiping his mouth with his robe before grimacing at the slightly greasy and dark spot it left. He turned his attention to the bamboo backpack, carefully opening the top. 

Golden robes gleamed back at him, seemingly threaded with actual gold. He frowned as he pulled it out, nearly blinded by how the goldwork glowed in the lights. There was more black and brown on this than the other disciple robes, perhaps showing how he was the Old Palace Master’s personal disciple?

“Gaudy…but I suppose the brown and black help provide some contrast. More than what a normal disciple gets,” he muttered. He frowned at it as he tried to puzzle out how to wear it. 

I know at some point Meimei made me put on traditional robes for her…but I don’t remember if those were the same period as these or if these even move the same way. After all, while the style of the clothes Meimei had me wear was traditional, the fabric was definitely not what it would’ve traditionally been made of. Wait! Can’t I just use the system’s ability on this?

Shen Yuan stood up and stretched his arms out, snickering at his T pose. He inhaled deeply, staring at the pile of robes on the floor where he’d left them. If this didn’t work out as planned, well, the only one who’d know how embarrassing he really was would be him.

“Change robes.” There was a moment of stillness before he felt the grey robe already on him shift on his shoulders as the gold robe lifted like it was pulled on invisible strings. Unseen hands carefully pulled off Shen Yuan’s robe, stripping him bare despite his embarrassed cries as it spun him around the room. Once all his clothes were off, the silky gold inner robes drifted over his arms, sliding over his shoulders and tying neatly at the waist. He yelped as one of his legs was yanked into the air, a silk sock sliding over it in a brief instant. 

More gold robes swallowed him before a few brown and black accents wrapped around him, layering around him like he was in a burrito. The soft shushing and tinkling of gold tapping gold echoed in the room as he spun on final time, finally dressed, even wearing the dark brown and gold inlaid boot. He pulled his skirts up as he studied the boot. 

I’ve heard of steel toed boots, but why gold toed boots? At least they’re somewhat modern looking.

The door crashed open, causing him to jolt upright as he looked over, watching in nervous silence as dozens of gold clad disciples tread into the room, carrying wooden furniture, each painstakingly carved and detailed with gold. As they set down the bed, clicking their tongues at him while they left, Shen Yuan approached the bed, brushing his fingers over the gold curiously. 

Is it gold leaf or actual gold? It feels like actual gold, but why are they so wasteful? Even if you are the richest sect, why is EVERYTHING covered in gold??

He ignored the disciples while they carried in more furniture. He noted out of the corner of his eye that a new servant, maybe in her late teens, snuck in with the disciples to grab his grey robes, stuff them in the bamboo backpack, grab his tray of leftover food, and disappear into the crowd. 

Soon his room was covered in glittering, expensive furniture. It almost felt like his room back at the family estate, except his family knew better than to make the fashion mistake of having gold on every single thing in a room. He looked around, making sure all the disciples had left, not that any had wanted to stay to begin with , and then darted over to the door, placing his ear against it. 

Hearing that the hall outside was silent and still, Shen Yuan chanced cracking the door open and peeking out. Now that he was paying attention to it, he could see other doors on the walls, spaced equally between each one. Since no one appeared to be coming or waiting for him, Shen Yuan shut the door and returned to the room. Apparently, the only things he’d been given to do while he waited was to either play go or go to sleep. 

Go it is. I’m too excited to sleep properly right now, so I might as well work out the brain a bit. I remember da-ge teaching me how to play a little. Nothing extreme, but I remember we’d play together when he visited me in the hospital. 

Shen Yuan sat down in front of the go board, playing the black side while carefully moving both sides. Unlike some people, who just like to win, Shen Yuan made sure that each side was played as if he were actually trying to win with it, not just throwing the game. Da-ge had said something about respecting the game that way, not that Shen Yuan understood it all that well. 

Once he had finished the game, white won, he returned to the bed. He sneered at the ceramic brick someone had put in place of a pillow. He pushed it off the bed and pulled the covers up around himself, letting his eyes drift shut as he went to sleep. 

Shen Yuan woke to a soft knocking on the door, sitting up drowsily as the door slid open and the Old Palace Master strode in, stalking over to the go board before turning to acknowledge Shen Yuan with another smile. 

“Good morning Shen Yuan. From today onwards, you may refer to me as Shizun. I must say, I’m quite impressed with the way this game appears to have progressed. Did you play with someone while I was gone?” Shen Yuan blinked at him, trying to focus and not drift back to sleep. 

“No? Sorry, Shizun, I’m not quite awake yet.” The Old Palace Master chuckled as his shadow hovered over Shen Yuan. Bony fingers crept over his shoulders, vaguely bringing the Other Mother from Coraline to mind with the way they seemed too long and hard.

“Don’t worry, that’s alright. Come, let’s get you something to eat and then we’ll begin your training. Shall we?” Shen Yuan slipped out of the bed, following behind the Old Palace Master like a duckling following its mother. 

Shen Yuan sat down to a warm bowl of congee, quickly devouring it as the Old Palace Master talked at him. He didn’t usually take so long to wake up, but for some reason Shen Yuan was particularly tired that morning. 

“Is that alright, Shen Yuan?” Shen Yuan snapped back to attention at the end of the Old Palace Master’s speech. 

“What? Yeah, sure!” he said, not remembering what he was agreeing to. A smile crept over the Old Palace Master’s lips, leaving Shen Yuan a little nervous about what would come next. 

“Good, good. That’s very good, Shen Yuan. This will help you get more control over your powers, and I can see the extent of them.” Shen Yuan nervously shot to his feet as the Old Palace Master rose and began to walk off. They walked down several sets of stairs, ignoring the disciples that bowed respectfully as they passed. 

Eventually, Shen Yuan realized that the gold had faded away from the detailing and walls, leaving cold stone. Slowly he began to hear the sound of dripping water, followed by terrified whispers and hoarse shouts. He nervously sped up to follow closer to the Old Palace Master. 

“Um, Shizun, where are we going?” he asked, looking up at the Old Palace Master. The Old Palace Master glanced back before he continued walking forward. 

“We’re visiting the Water Prison. It’s one of the best places for us to learn how to control your ability, since even if there are negative side effects on the subject, it won’t hurt anyone important.” Shen Yuan felt something heavy sink to his stomach as he followed the Old Palace Master, nervously eyeing the iron bars leading to what could only be prison cells. 

The Old Palace Master pulled out a key ring and opened what appeared to be a smooth stone wall with one of them. Shen Yuan watched nervously as it opened, revealing a skinny man in dirty Huanhua robes chained to the floor of the middle of the room. Shen Yuan couldn’t help but notice how the chains and immortal binding ropes surrounding his torso resembled the way a straightjacket would hold an unruly patient.

“Shen Yuan, this will be your first subject. Go ahead and ask him his name.” Shen Yuan looked at the Old Palace Master nervously before stepping forward to stand in front of the man. His eyes were unfocused and from the sound of his shallow breathing, Shen Yuan was worried he was dehydrated. 

“Um…Tell me your name.” The man jolted, a small spasm running through his frame as he opened his mouth to respond, drool slipping from his mouth and slopping on the floor at Shen Yuan’s feet. 

“Ye…Chao…” His head lolled to the side as Shen Yuan turned back to face the Old Palace Master, shivering at the sight of his face. He quickly averted his eyes, staring at the floor. 

Why is he SMIRKING??

“Shen Yuan. Ask him what position he had in the sect.” Shen Yuan bit his lip before turning to Ye Chao.

“What position did you have in Huanhua Palace?” Ye Chao twitched and shuddered, as though someone had tased him. Shen Yuan looked away, uncomfortable with his reaction. The men the other day hadn’t reacted this poorly. Was it just because Ye Chao didn’t seem to be in the best state?

“I…was a…hallmaster…I taught…the six arts,” Ye Chao gasped. Shen Yuan wanted to step back as Ye Chao began to mutter quietly. 

“Is..is this enough?” Shen Yuan asked, looking back at the Old Palace Master. His shizun’s eyes narrowed as he looked at Ye Chao.

“Ask him why he was in Su Xiyan’s chambers.” Shen Yuan turned back to Ye Chao, internally screaming. 

Su Xiyan? Who the fuck is Su Xiyan and why are they so important?? We’re basically torturing this sick man, what the hell is going on??

“Why were you in Su Xiyan’s chambers?” Ye Chao began to laugh, a wild, manic thing that made Shen Yuan distinctly uncomfortable. Like nails down a chalkboard or an out of tune oboe squeak. 

“Pretty…wanted her…robes….Only chance…when…she’s out…issued a mission…she went on it…managed to sniff…could smell her…on the bed …on the chair …her robes were strongest though…” he trailed off into more laughter, completely oblivious to the way Shen Yuan had gone pale and was shaking at the dark aura he felt coming from behind him. 

“Shen Yuan.”

“Yes, shizun?”

“Order him to bite his own tongue and die .” Shen Yuan felt his heart skip a beat at the order, nervously looking back at the Old Palace Master. His eyes were so far in shadow that they seemed pitch black as Shen Yuan hesitated. They snapped to him and he flinched, biting his tongue. “What’s wrong?”

“I…I don’t want to kill him, shizun.” The Old Palace Master stepped forward, bony hands now gripping Shen Yuan’s shoulders painfully tight as he looked into Shen Yuan’s eyes. 

“Shen Yuan, my boy, this creature dared to invade your shijie’s room. He masturbated on her bed, do you know what that is?” At Shen Yuan’s reluctant nod, the Old Palace Master continued speaking. “He used her clothes to bring himself pleasure because he lusted after her. Who knows how many of the other female disciples he did the same thing to? He’s not safe to keep alive!”

“But…shizun, why do I have to kill him? I-I’ve never…” Shen Yuan began to hyperventilate, grabbing his chest as his vision spun. His tiny white hands dragged along the Old Palace Master’s robes as he slid to the floor, gasping for breath. Dark spots swallowed his vision and Shen Yuan felt his head crash against the stone floor. 

Shen Yuan shot upright in bed, gasping for breath as he flailed around in his sheets. Bony hands grasped his shoulders and carefully pushed him back into the bed, even as he thrashed and screamed, fighting whoever was holding him. 

“SHEN YUAN!” A spark of something hot flowed through his veins, like literal lightning shooting through veins he didn’t know existed. Shen Yuan went stiff and his eyes shot to the person holding him, the way a deer in the headlights watches a car approaching. 

The Old Palace Master frowned at him as he slowly let go of Shen Yuan’s shoulders, lifting his hands up so Shen Yuan could see them. Shen Yuan felt his breathing slow as he began to relax, slowly focusing on the situation. He sat up with a soft groan, rubbing his head and throat. 

“Shizun? What happened?” The Old Palace Master stared at him with an unreadable gaze before he spoke. 

“You passed out. I’m not sure why, perhaps you overused your power.” Shen Yuan nodded slowly, willing to play along with that excuse. 

“Is that what happened? Oh. Okay…sorry to be a burden, Shizun.” He kept his eyes on the bed sheets, hiding his fisted hands beneath them. The Old Palace Master had ordered him to kill someone! To make them take their own life! Like it was a normal, everyday thing! Shen Yuan’s body had to be no older than ten ! The Old Palace Master had asked a literal child to murder someone!

“Don’t worry, Shen Yuan. We can try again some other day,” the Old Palace Master said, patting Shen Yuan’s knee while he rose to his feet. “For now, get some rest, my boy.”

The door shut behind him and Shen Yuan began to shake. Oh god, he wants me to try again. He wants me to try and KILL someone again. Fuck, what the hell is wrong with him? Was he always like this?? I don’t remember anything like this in PIDW!! I think I might be sick.

Shen Yuan felt his breathing speed again, like Bucephalus when it saw a shadow approaching. He knew there was danger, he could feel it, but he had no idea how to avoid it. His breath stopped and he felt himself black out again, falling back on the bed. 

Every day after, the Old Palace Master had brought Shen Yuan to the water prison with him. Every day they saw a new prisoner, each with their own name and story to tell. Some of them were criminals sent from other sects to be held before they got a trial. It felt good, to get the truth regarding whatever crime they committed out of them, but sometimes they went into…graphic detail. 

Not to mention that for some reason, most of the prisoners seemed to be Huanhua palace members who had done something the Palace Master deemed disrespectful or lecherous towards this Su Xiyan . Honestly, Shen Yuan was a little worried for the girl since so many older men seemed to be interested in her. 

Yet something that happened every four out of five times was that the Old Palace Master would order Shen Yuan to kill the prisoner and he would have to fake exhaustion to get out of it. He couldn’t honestly feel any exhaustion from his gift, but the Old Palace Master seemed set on getting him to kill them. 

“Shen Yuan, why is it so hard for you to make them kill themselves? It doesn’t even count as you killing them since as far as anyone aside from us can tell, they did it to themselves!” The Old Palace Master hissed in frustration. Shen Yuan bit his tongue before he finally turned to shout back at him. 

“BECAUSE I DON’T WANT TO KILL ANYONE!” The Old Palace Master glared down at him while Shen Yuan huffed and gritted his teeth, glaring at the Palace Master. “I don’t understand what your obsession with this is! I can get the information to convict them with no problem, but why do you always insist that I kill them?? I don’t want their murders on my hands! That’s not something a righteous cultivator should-!!”

Shen Yuan began to choke as the Old Palace Master lifted him in the air by the throat, glaring darkly at him. 

“I have been exceptionally patient with you, Shen Yuan. I have been more kind to you than I have been to any of my male disciples, yet you take that for granted. Do not question me.” Shen Yuan glared at him and spat out his next phrase. 

“I’d rather die than kill anyone for you!” The Old Palace Master’s eyes widened before narrowing again, hand tightening around Shen Yuan’s throat as he choked the boy. 

“Then let’s make sure that’s what happens, shall we?” he hissed darkly. Shen Yuan felt himself moving, being thrown through the air before he crashed into a wall and felt his vision go dark. 

When he woke up, Shen Yuan’s eyes shot open and he jolted, trying to jerk upright, but several bindings kept his hands, arms, feet, legs, torso, and neck from moving. He thrashed in them before remembering his power. Trying to speak, his eyes widened when he realized that something was holding his mouth open, keeping his tongue extended while it was forced open. 

An airy scream escaped his throat as he renewed his attempts to escape. Dark laughter echoed through the room and Shen Yuan froze, chest heaving as his eyes sought out the source of the noise. Grey hair fell in front of his face as a bony hand grabbed his face, forcing him to look straight up into the Old Palace Master’s mad eyes. 

“Good morning, Shen Yuan.” Shen Yuan slammed his head against the stone table beneath him as he attempted to yank his head from the grasp of the Palace Master. His hands tightened, causing Shen Yuan to let out breathy cries of pain. He saw the Old Palace Master lick his lips as he listened closely. “What’s wrong? Scared?”

He let go and Shen Yuan began thrashing again, trying to desperately kick free. The Old Palace Master chuckled as he entered a section of the room that Shen Yuan couldn’t see in his position. 

“There’s no point trying that. Those are immortal binding cables, though they’re wasted on you. They’re meant to hold cultivators, there’s no way a child like you could break free.” He returned from where he’d been and Shen Yuan warily watched as the Old Palace Master gripped something tightly in his hand. He lifted it and swung down, piercing Shen Yuan’s shoulder with the curved, serrated dagger he’d brought over. 

Shen Yuan screamed and kicked, thrashing as he fought to free himself from the pain spreading out of his shoulder. The Old Palace Master groaned and grabbed Shen Yuan’s face, pulling his head to the side so the Palace Master could grind something hard beneath his robes against the side of Shen Yuan’s face. His eyes widened and Shen Yuan felt nauseous as he realized exactly what the Palace Master was rubbing against him. 

“You look similar to her, you know. To Xiyan, my Xiyan .” The Old Palace Master groaned and Shen Yuan shut his eyes, trying to turn his face away from the Old Palace Master’s disgusting nature. “But you’re so much more rebellious. Xiyan would never tell me no. She would’ve killed those men without hesitation for what they did to her. After all, Xiyan knows that no one but me can do that.”

Shen Yuan’s eyes snapped back to the Old Palace Master in shock while his shizun leered down at him. 

“Yes, most of those prisoners are there because they dared to touch Xiyan or her things without my permission. Not that I would give it, even if they asked. She’s MINE .” He yanked the dagger out of Shen Yuan’s shoulder, earning another scream as he licked the blood from the edge. He used the tip of the blade to poke at the wound, lifting sections of flesh and muscle while Shen Yuan fought back groans and cries of pain. 

What the hell is happening?? Who is Su Xiyan?? Why is he doing this to me? Since when was he a pedophile??

“It’s such a shame you’re a male, Shen Yuan. If you were a woman like Xiyan, I might’ve kept you around. But since you don’t want to cooperate with me and your power is too strong, I can’t take the chance. That’s why, I’m going to kill you. Just like you wanted, right?” 

The Old Palace Master walked around Shen Yuan, tracing his hands over what Shen Yuan now realized was his naked stomach. He sucked in his gut, trying to pull away from the cold, bony fingers. The Old Palace Master chuckled as he dragged his nails down Shen Yuan’s stomach. 

“You would rather die than kill for me. That was what you said, right Shen Yuan? Well, I don’t have a purpose for you outside of that ability. So I’m going to kill you. But since I’m going to kill you, I might as well enjoy it, right? So I’m going to cut you open, slowly but surely. I’ll pull out your organs and put them back inside when I’m done. I’ll take you apart and put you back together. Oh, except for one part.” The Old Palace Master reached over Shen Yuan’s small body, pinching the tip of his tongue between two of his bony fingers. 

“This little piece of flesh, I don’t think you need, right?” Shen Yuan’s eyes widened. He shook his head frantically, watching how a cruel smile crept over the Old Palace Master’s lips. Like looking at a black widow spider in broad daylight, Shen Yuan felt terrified and began to shake. 

The Old Palace Master lifted a second blade and carefully sliced the tip of Shen Yuan’s tongue off. He screamed, trying to thrash while the Old Palace Master shushed him. Tears slipped from his eyes as the blade cut into the sides of his tongue without cutting through. He could feel blood spilling into his mouth, occasionally having to swallow it as best he could. 

His screams renewed as he felt the Old Palace Master slice straight down his torso from his collarbone to his belly button. He ran the knife over that line several times to make sure he’d cut through the muscle in the way. Shen Yuan thrashed as he felt the thudding screech of metal on bone while the Old Palace Master dragged the blade down the middle of his ribs. The Old Palace Master shushed him as he continued trying to cut through the bone. 

“Shush Shen Yuan, look what you made me do! Now there’s a cut I didn’t intend to make because of all your pointless thrashing.” Shen Yuan felt hot water drip from his eyes as the Palace Master cut through his bone, having to use the serrated blade to cut through like a saw through wood. Then he screamed as the Old Palace master opened his chest like it was a wardrobe, casually breaking the ribs so he could see the inside. 

He has to be channeling his spiritual energy into me. There’s no other way I could be alive right now! Shen Yuan thought hysterically. He felt something cold and hard drape over his fast beating heart, eyes widening as his gaze darted back down to the Old Palace Master. 

The Old Palace Master…who had disrobed .

He lifted Shen Yuan’s heart up, showing it to its owner like it was a pretty little gem, veins still attached to Shen Yuan’s body, still beating in his grip. He lowered it down, out of Shen Yuan’s view, but from the sounds he was making, Shen Yuan felt he knew exactly what the Old Palace Master was doing. 

“ Xiyan, Xiyan, my Xiyan, Xiyan, oh, shizun will take such good care of you! ” The Old Palace Master climbed onto the table, revealing Shen Yuan’s heart being held against the Palace Master’s hard, veiny cock. The Palace Master set Shen Yuan’s heart back in his chest before lowering himself on top of Shen Yuan. 

Shen Yuan screamed when he felt the Old Palace Master’s cock slip into his body through the neat cut the man had made earlier, only to begin fucking into his body. Shen Yuan thrashed, sobbing desperately as he choked on his own blood, very reminiscent of his last death. Sadly his thrashing only seemed to help further the Old Palace Master’s delusions and imagination. 

“Oh, Xiyan, you feel so good around me! MM! You like it too, don’t you? Yes, Xiyan! I’m-I’m cumming!” Shen Yuan threw his head back with an agonized scream as he felt something warm and wet spurt into his insides, all over his organs where it definitely didn’t belong. 

He sobbed, cries unending as the Old Palace Master dragged himself out of the bloody mess he’d made of Shen Yuan’s body. He sighed with relief, smiling down at Shen Yuan. He stalked back to Shen Yuan’s head, palming one of the knives again. 

“Such a shame, Shen Yuan, but it looks like our time here is up. Xiyan is coming back today and I need to clean up before she hears about you. So, let’s finish this here. Just as I promised you.”

The Old Palace Master reached into Shen Yuan’s mouth and cut his tongue off at the base, grinning gleefully as blood began to spurt in Shen Yuan’s mouth. There was a faint electric feeling, like static electricity before Shen Yuan felt his body begin to collapse on itself. He screamed and thrashed, staring in horror at the Old Palace Master as the old cultivator dangled his mangled tongue from his fingers. Slowly, Shen Yuan felt the blood starting to pool around him and even in the cavity of his torso as his head fell back, still staring at the Old Palace Master with tears in his eyes. 

I hope that I never have to see him again. 

Please.

Don’t reincarnate me.

Just let me die.

[Initializing]

[SYSTEM back ONLINE]

Chapter Text

[Hello, USER!]

[You have died!]

     Shen Yuan stared blankly at the glowing blue screen in the dark, eyes dull and unfocused as the system waited for a response. 

[Scanning]

[USER has sustained severe SPIRITUAL DAMAGE]

[Restoring SPIRITUAL FORM]

     The system sent out several blue rays, scanning Shen Yuan’s form before it dropped to his feet. It slowly began to raise, going over his bare feet before lifting to his legs, then reaching his stomach. When the light reached his slitted stomach and smashed organs, it began to restore them, closing the wound while the organs expanded and took their proper, healthy forms. 

     The speed of the light had slowed when it reached his wounds, but it took the longest when it arrived at his tongue, seemingly being particularly careful to heal the severed organ. Then it continued up the face, finally finished restoring his body to the state he’d initially arrived in the system in. His t-shirt and shorts reappeared, having vanished when he’d be reincarnated to PIDW. 

[This SYSTEM is stunned by the damage sustained]

[I was aware life wasn’t easy for a BACKGROUND CHARACTER]

[But to think you wouldn’t even last a full month in this world]

[That’s a bit extreme, this SYSTEM thinks]

     “System, why are you here?” Shen Yuan asked, sitting down and laying on his back. His eyes were closed, yet the system projected the words it spoke into his mind. 

[This SYSTEM has come back ONLINE since USER has died]

[Now my job is to help USER in your next WORLD]

     “Can you not?”

[This SYSTEM doesn’t understand?]

     “Can you not reincarnate me?”

[...]

[...]

[Unfortunately, the higher SYSTEMS have DENIED this request]

[USER must continue in his cycle of REINCARNATION]

      “And if I don’t want to?” There was a tense silence as Shen Yuan waited for the system’s response. His chest felt as though the system hadn’t truly fixed his organs, leaving a giant, empty cavern in his chest. His limbs felt so heavy, like moving would be walking through molasses with lead weights tied to his arms and legs. Maybe a bonus one hung on a rope around his neck. 

[...USER]

[Unfortunately you must continue to REINCARNATE]

[However, you will be allowed to keep your BONUS ABILITY]

[And your next WORLD should be easy and happy]

[...Because you died so horribly in this WORLD]

      “I kind of figured that would be the answer.” Shen Yuan sighed, letting his head fall back against the invisible ground. If he concentrated enough, Shen Yuan could trick himself into thinking he was sinking into the ocean with cement around his heels. “System, can’t you just leave me alone for a bit?”

[No…]

[USER’s mental state has been deemed LEVEL: SENSITIVE]

[That means that even if the next WORLD is easy]

[This SYSTEM will be with USER the whole time]

[I will be providing therapy for what you went through here.]

[And I’ve already delayed more than I should’ve.]

      “Does that mean we have to leave now?” Shen Yuan had nearly drifted off to what he figured was sleep. That or some form of meditation in this black environment where only he and the system could be seen. 

[Yes, USER]

[Beginning REINCARNATION]

[FINDING WORLD]

[CREATING BODY]

[LOADING ENTRY POINT]

[TRANSPORT-ERRORERRORERROR]

[WARNING USER, SYSTEM HAS ENCOUNTERED AN ERROR]

[BEGINNING CORRECTIVE MEASURES]

[ERROR! ERROR! ERROR! ERRORERRORERRORERROR]

     Shen Yuan sat up, opening his eyes to stare at the flashing red screen. Warning signs and errors flashed across the screen as Shen Yuan watched nervously. 

     I didn’t want to reincarnate, but that doesn’t mean that I want to be stuck here!

[ERROR! RESENTFUL ENERGY LEVELS HIGH!]

[USER IS UNABLE TO BE REINCARNATED!]

[SENDING USER BACK TO LAST WORLD]

[ERROR! ERROR! BODY NOT FOUND!]

[ERRORHOLDONUSERUNSTABLEERROR]

[LOADING ERROR POINT]

[WORLD ERROR]

[TRANS-ERROR-PORTING]

     “SYSTEM? WHAT’S HAPPENING??” The floor beneath Shen Yuan opened, as though a trapdoor had been waiting beneath him the whole time. He dropped through with a scream, seeing one final message from the system as he fell into the pitch black hole. 

[USER!]

     Shen Yuan jolted upright, gasping for air and slowly relaxing as he looked around himself. A barren wasteland spread around him, lilac colored hills rocky and dusty. Shen Yuan swore he saw a tumbleweed before it disappeared behind a hill. He looked down at himself, seeing that he was wearing the same grey robes that he’d first appeared in PIDW wearing, but something seemed…off.

     He lifted his hands in front of his face and stared at how the skin seemed to glow faintly. He squinted and looked closely at his hand, shutting one of his eyes to look closer. His breathing halted when he realized that he could faintly see the terrain in front of him through his hand. He looked around in a panic, searching for anything nearby. 

     Shen Yuan spotted a rock and lunged forward, hand curling around the rock. A relieved smile crossed his face before he tried to lift the rock. His hand passed through the rock as though it were falling through water. He felt something drop to his stomach as he stared in terror at his hand. He reached for the rock again, desperately trying to lift it, push it, anything that would show he could do anything at all. His hand passed through it any time he made an attempt to interact with the rock. 

     I’m a ghost??? What happened?? SYSTEM? Are you there?

     Silence answered his internal cry, leaving him shaking on the ground. Then he froze, mind flashing back to one of the things the system had said. 

     I should still have my power, right? System said that I got to keep the bonus power…so I can use that, right?

     He inhaled slowly, staring at the rock. “Move.”

     The rock jolted as the ground beneath it rolled, throwing the rock a good twenty feet in the air. Shen Yuan sighed in relief, watching it fall. He reached out and right as it reached his hand, spoke again. “Stay.”

     The rock hovered deadly still in the air. Even when Shen Yuan moved his hand, the rock stayed still in the air. He frowned. 

     So when I speak without directing the order to any particular thing, almost everything obeys. But if I intend it for a single thing, then it only applies to that one thing. Shen Yuan turned away from the rock, pacing in the open plain. 

     “I’m definitely in the demon realm. The color is kind of a give away, but I don’t understand how I got here or how I’m a ghost.” He frowned, tapping his chin while he walked. Shen Yuan sighed, thinking back to what little Luo Binghe had learned about ghosts while in QIng Jing peak. Since he hadn’t been allowed to attend the lessons by his shixiongs, it wasn’t much. There was a dead person involved, usually, kind of hard to have a ghost without a dead person, and something that formed the ghost. Shen Yuan snapped his fingers as he realized what the second thing needed was. “Resentment. The ghost needed high levels of resentment.”

     But how do I fall in that category? Sure, I died a traumatizing death, but I don’t think I was angry about that. I would say I was more depressed and hopeless. To think, Luo Binghe’s shizun was a sick, murderous, pedophile. I don’t remember that being mentioned in PIDW, but maybe…maybe the characters aren’t the same as the novel? How does that make sense?? I literally transmigrated into PIDW, the system said so! How is he so different? And how do I exist without resentment?

     “Well…am I resentful? System said something about high levels of resentful energy when it started spazzing out, so, maybe I am? I think I would remember that though…” Shen Yuan lifted his hand to his temple before staring at it and slowly lowering it back to rest by his side. He blushed at the chuunibyou gesture, slowly thinking back into his memories. 

     The Old Palace Master…I don’t want to dwell on him. I’d rather never see him again than try and hunt him down, not to mention that he’s a member of a sect who can easily purge my very existence. I haven’t met anyone else I can really remember…so where is the resentment stemming from?

            Su Xiyan…

     Shen Yuan froze, stiffening uncomfortably as he slowly focused on the strange memories he’d found. 

              Su Xiyan. Xiyan, MY Xiyan. XiyanXiyanXiyanXiyanXiyanXiyanXiyanXiyanXiyanXiyanXIYANXIYANXIYANXIYANXIYANXIYANXIYANXIYANXIYANXI YANXIYAN!

            How dare he try to touch you! Screams echoed as the image of a man sobbing as his bloody hands fell to the ground appeared in Shen Yuan’s eyes. He felt his lips curl in a cruel smirk as he stepped on the bleeding stump. 

             That animal dared to pleasure himself with her clothes! That woman fed her rotten food! That disciple made comments on her figure! That worker was flirting with her! That one dared to touch what’s MINE!

             MINE!MINE!MINE!MINE!MINE!MINE!MINE!MINE!MINE!MINE!MINE!XIYAN! XIYAN!XIYAN!XIYAN!XIYAN!XIYAN!XIYAN!MINE!MINE!MINE!MINE! MINE!MINE!MINE!

      Shen Yuan shook his head, desperately trying to shake the Old Palace Master’s voice from his head. Images flashed in front of his eyes, dozens of mostly innocent people who were slowly dipped into acid, others fed to wild demonic beasts, some even lowered into what had to be the same Giant Fire Ant pit that Luo Binghe would eventually feed Ming Fan to. 

      More and more images and vicious memories appeared in his mind, causing dark tendrils to lift from his skin while his pale grey-green eyes turned red. It felt like he was burning with the same feelings of vicious, pleasing cruelty and anger that the Old Palace Master felt!

      He tainted me! These aren’t my memories!!

      Shen Yuan gasped for air, trying to stabilize himself with his breathing, only to realize that he wasn’t inhaling anything, so he couldn’t use that to calm himself. More people flashed in front of his eyes, some guilty of sexual harassment towards Su Xiyan, most having innocently done their jobs but got a little too close to the girl for the Old Palace Master’s taste. He could see the way some died of lingchi, others were fed piece by piece to some of the beasts raised by Huanhua Palace. One of them was even chopped into pieces and fed to the horses the disciples rode. 

     I’m gonna be sick!

     He could hear their pleading and screaming, desperate to escape their fate. The Old Palace Master ignored the old woman’s cries as he laughed mockingly, lowering a branding iron down on her until not a single inch of skin was unmarked. Her eyelids had been completely burned off and he’d even gouged her eyes out. A man begged for mercy as the Old Palace Master slowly cut pieces of his body off and forced them down the man’s throat. To help wash down the raw, disgusting meat, the Old Palace Master laughed and poured acid water down the man’s throat. When the man died, the Old Palace Master had unceremoniously tossed his body into the acid pit, leaving no trace of his presence in the prison. 

     This isn’t me! These aren’t my memories! Get out! Get out! GET OUT!

     “GET OUT OF MY HEAD!” Shen Yuan screamed, gripping his head tightly. An explosion echoed through the wasteland as a cloud of black smoke, easily the size of a blue whale, was blasted out of Shen Yuan’s tiny form. The cloud slowly spread out, like fog and dissipated in the sunlight.

     Shen Yuan’s ghostly form dropped to the ground in a small cloud of dust.

Chapter Text

     Shen Yuan groaned as he woke up, feeling like his environment was shaking, swaying side to side. Had the ground not stopped moving after his last command? What was going on? He opened his eyes slowly and then blinked them again, staring at his environment. 

     A wooden floor creaked beneath him to the swaying of the wagon, the wheels bouncing on the uneven terrain outside the carriage. Looking through the iron bars on the back of the wagon, Shen Yuan can see the terrain has changed. Massive, mutated cacti grow, shooting spikes at prey that gets too close, or clobbering them over the head with their ‘arms’ as they pass by. Also, the cacti were bright sky blue instead of green with spikes that were easily the length of Shen Yuan’s childish arm. 

     The sound of voices talking drew his attention as howls echoed around him, primarily in front of the wagon, where he couldn’t see. He stood shakily, wincing as the carriage hit a rock and he was slammed against one of the wooden walls. 

     Because of fucking course, I can’t use my new ghost form to pass through solid shit, that’s not how it works, I guess. Shen Yuan clicked his tongue softly as he approached the back of the wagon. The iron door at the back wasn’t even closed properly, merely shut, like a normal fucking door instead of a kidnapper carriage. 

     “Open.” The door swung open obligingly, leaving the exit clear of any living figures aside from the strange cacti and easy to get out of. Shen Yuan felt like he could even fall forward and out the back if the carriage hit a rock and he lost his balance. He sighed and stepped forward, then jumped, intending to tuck and roll once he was out of the carriage. 

     A bright orange wall appeared, looking like some sort of firewall in a movie. Detailed Chinese characters danced over the exit as Shen Yuan was blasted back against the opposite wall. He cried out softly and he heard jeering noises in front of him. The carriage slowly began to slow while Shen Yuan felt his heart rate pick up. 

     Shit! They know I’m awake!

     He could hear what sounded like dogs huffing nearby, as though they’d been running or playing fetch with someone, and voices chatting in some kind of strange dialect. He caught bits and pieces as whatever translator ability the system must’ve given him kicked in slowly. 

     “Ghost…escape…not…lava break…talk.” Shen Yuan felt like a cat that had cheese thrown on his head. He could piece a few things together, like they knew he had tried to escape, they knew he was a ghost. But what the hell was a ‘lava break’?? 

     There were cheers and whoops from the others around while it sounded like multiple people got off a horse, the sound of boots hitting the dusty ground echoing loudly. He could hear the rustle of fabric and the sound of soft, almost playful growls. 

     Then those growls got closer to the carriage and were no longer soft as something large bumped against the carriage. Shen Yuan was thrown against the opposite wall, landing painfully as someone whistled and shouted at whatever animal had bumped the cart. The sound of footsteps approaching the carriage made Shen Yuan nervous as he braced himself against the corner. 

     It’s fine! I’m fine. I’ll just use my ability to make them help me escape! That’s what it’s for, right? So I can escape the situations most NPC’s fall into. The sound grew louder as Shen Yuan inhaled, planning to speak first and get the upper hand. 

     What looked like a pastel pink orc stepped into his view and immediately Shen Yuan’s throat closed. Not because the orc had appeared or he was confused by the sight of the orc, but because tied to his hip, Shen Yuan could see a large, serrated knife. It felt like his tongue shriveled in his mouth when he saw that, rendering him completely mute. 

     “Hey! Uh…ghost.” The orc spoke with a strange accent, as though it were hard to force out words. Shen Yuan attributed that to his massive tusks that rose up from his lower lip. It was hard to read emotion on the orc’s face since it didn’t have the same muscles to create the facial expressions Shen Yuan was used to, though it wouldn’t have mattered anyway. Shen Yuan’s eyes were still fixated on the knife as his mind spiraled into a panic attack. 

     He’s going to kill me! He’s going to carve me up slowly and kill me so I can’t control him! I’m going to die again! I don’t want to! I don’t want to I don’t want to I don’t want to I don’t want to I don’t want to! Leave me alone, please! I won’t try anything, he’s gonna kill me again! Is he going to chop me into pieces and eat me alive? I’m going to die, aren’t I? Fuck, why am I here again? I’m just going to die anyway, I’m nothing but a freaking background character, how the hell am I supposed to survive in this world??  I’m gonna die so soon! Please, at least knock me out first, I don’t want to live through being killed twice. I don’t want to die!

     “GHOST!” Shen Yuan snapped back to reality at the loud cry, staring in terror at the orc as it lifted its hands to gesture while it spoke. It lifted a book up in front of its face and spoke slightly to the book while gesturing. “Hah-low. You cap-tyuurd. No leave.”

     Shen Yuan watched in quiet fascination as the orc gestured, shaking its head and being surprisingly animated as it spoke. “We,” it gestured to the people (orcs?) that Shen Yuan couldn’t see, “sell you. Get money.” It rubbed its thumb and first two fingers together while Shen Yuan fought back a laugh at seeing the gesture done by a pastel pink orc. 

     “Ghosts sell good. Make rich. Sell strong demons. Auction. You. Don’t escape attempt. Anti-ghost barrier carriage. Must be special release.” Shen Yuan bit his lips to keep down a snicker. He couldn’t help it, for some reason it sounded like the orc was trying to shadily sell some like, anime merch or something to someone who spoke a different language. 

     The orc, seemingly satisfied with conveying its intentions to Shen Yuan, stood up from where it had crouched on the ground to close the iron door, this time locking it shut. Shen Yuan watched it go silently. Annoying though it was that they had closed the door again, Shen Yuan knew it wouldn’t be enough to keep him trapped. Ghosts were sneaky…or so Airplane had said in chapter…five hundred thirty one? Or maybe seven hundred and eighty five. He couldn’t remember exactly, he just knew there was a wife plot involved with ghosts. Did Luo Binghe get a ghost bride? Or something? 

     I think I vaguely remember someone commenting that the wife plot was just a crappy rip off of…Erha? Or something? I remember a dog and a cat somewhere in there too. I didn’t care. It wasn’t one I’d read before. 

     Shen Yuan slowly sat back and considered what he’d been told. He’d been captured. They didn’t want him to leave, even going so far as to put an antighost barrier on the carriage. Which was clever use since normally those were used to keep ghosts out but this seemed to be a smart way to keep ghosts in . It had to be released in a particular manner so that Shen Yuan could be removed from the carriage. 

     But, knowing the IQ of the background characters in PIDW, that means that somewhere in this carriage is a hidden button or lever, I just need to find it!

     Shen Yuan triumphantly turned around, eager to begin his escape. And took in the barren carriage he’d been placed in. He carefully ran his hands over the walls and floor, even checking the ceiling for any loose planks. Then he tapped on the wood, hoping to find a tiny hidden compartment or something. 

                   Carriage and Orcs 1                                                                                                            Shen Yuan 0

     How is this possible?? Everyone in PIDW who isn’t the protagonist is a fucking idiot, how the hell did I manage to get caught by the only intelligent orcs in the world???

     Shen Yuan metaphorically cried tears of blood as he cursed Airplane in his mind. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, realizing that it was just loosely falling around his face. He groaned and tied it into a braid, just to keep it from falling in his face. He doubted that he could cut it now that he was a ghost. Especially since ghosts usually reflected the state their original bodies were in.

     Come to think of it, why is my ghost body perfectly fine? Going by the logic of ghost equals state of body at time of death, I should have a gaping cavity in my chest with broken ribs, no tongue, and organs falling out my front, yet I definitely don’t have that. Shen Yuan rubbed his tongue against his teeth, confirming that his body did seem to lack the injuries he’d received before death. Then his eyes widened as he recalled what had happened with the system. Maybe it has something to do with system fixing or restoring my spiritual form? Since it managed to do that before it malfunctioned, my ghost appeared in the world with its current spiritual state instead of the state of the physical body? Is that how it works?

     Shen Yuan sighed and flicked at the floor, tapping one of his knees in annoyance. It didn’t matter how his body was the way it was, all that mattered was he didn’t have to be constantly reminded of his last moments because of his physical state. Or…spiritual state, since he was a ghost. Setting aside that issue, Shen Yuan tried to focus on what the orc had said besides the clever method of capturing ghosts. 

     They’re going to sell me. He said auction, so I assume that’s the method of selling, but who am I being sold to? The only group I can think he mentioned…let’s think. There was me, I’m one, but I’m the item being sold. There was his group, but they captured me and are the ones selling me. The only other people I think mentioned were…’strong demons’. Why are they selling me to demons? Not to mention that if they’re supposedly strong demons, that also means they’re high ranked demons. Ghosts don’t have a use…at least as far as I’m aware. Luo Binghe never had an arc where they were shown as useful at least. 

     Shen Yuan bit his thumb nail as an unnerving thought crept into his mind. 

Luo Binghe also never knew what the Old Palace Master got up to. Can what I know of PIDW really be trusted?

     Shen Yuan shook his head, dismissing the stray thought. If he couldn’t trust what he knew about PIDW, Shen Yuan knew for certain he wasn’t going to survive in this world. If only he had been transmigrated after Luo Binghe had become demon emperor!

     A shiver ran down his spine as he recalled all the wars and massacres Luo Binghe led, like when an anime fan admitted that the character they simped for would kill them if they ever met. Luo Binghe was merciless after the Endless Abyss. Would it really be a good thing if Shen Yuan met him? He shook his head again, trying to ignore his doubts that gnawed on him like rats on a dying cat. The ship was sinking but Shen Yuan was determined to stay on until he drowned. Luo Binghe was his favorite, blackened or not, and he would trust in him till the bitter end.

     “HEY! GHOST!” Shen Yuan felt his voice freeze and his chest tightened painfully. He knew that if he had a still living heart, it would be beating fast enough to remind him of what his first death was like. He slowly turned his head to face the orcs outside and blinked in surprise. 

     Lilac purple, pastel green, baby blue, muted turquoise, and muted pomegranate colored orcs…that ride on wolves who look like they stepped out of some sort of candy forest…of course! How could I not realize! It’s the Pastel Candy Orc mercenary group from wife 459’s arc!

     Unlike their cute colors and name, the orcs were decked head to toe in weapons, showing knives of all sizes and bows and arrows tied to each wolf they rode. Some of them held a mace and chain, others carried giant warhammers slung over their backs. Scars and burn marks caused their brightly colored skin to have erratic marks, slashes, and even bubbles from one orc’s burns. The wolves they rode weren’t cute, but were menacing creatures. Their fangs were the length from Shen Yuan’s shoulder to his fingertips, looking like the candy cane that someone sucked into a point, leaving a sharp weapon behind. Their fur looked like matted cotton candy, with particularly fluffy manes surrounding their necks. The colors were also in pastel shades, matching the orc that rode them. 

     They were hulking beasts, each at least triple Shen Yuan’s current height, though as what he was assumed was a ten year old, that wasn’t very hard to do. Saddles made of various types of leather were tossed over their backs, later adding several leather bags to carry foods, weapons, and rare materials the mercenaries picked up to sell in their famous auctions that happened every five years. Shen Yuan recalled that wife 459 was actually one of their merchandise that they sold to the demon lord Luo Binghe would later claim her from. 

     Now that most of them seemed to be circling the carriage, Shen Yuan could see several more wolves pulling dozens of other carriages. Some of the carriages seemed to have large, angry animals in them, from the sounds they would make and how the carriages shook. Others probably had ancient artifacts or rare gemstones. Shen Yuan turned his attention back to the orc that had called out to him, feeling his throat tighten when he focused directly on the orc. 

     The orc pointed forward, towards where Shen Yuan couldn’t see , like a jackass, and said, “We’re almost here! You sold soon! Enjoy sight while available!” 

     Shen Yuan assumed that meant that he should enjoy the view while he could, instead of that it meant whoever purchased him would kill him again and or rip out his eyes. Not that he would be able to see if they didn’t-

     The carriage jolted, turning to the right and gaining a downward tilt as they resumed moving. Shen Yuan rolled over, banging against the inside of the carriage. He winced and rubbed the back of his head, before looking up and out as the carriage continued to turn right. 

      His jaw dropped.

     Highlighted by the setting sun was a massive city, resembling the pictures Shen Yuan had seen of Tenochtitlan online. Except it was much larger and the buildings were significantly taller. Shen Yuan stared at it, taking in the bright colors he could already see at a distance, looking at the buildings towering out of the water below. It almost looked like a shell spiraling up from the angle he was at, with the way the buildings rose around a singular palace at the highest point. 

     Suddenly his view of the massive city was blocked by a wolf carrying a pastel candy orc. The orc grinned at him, ignoring how Shen Yuan’s face went from childish wonder to new fallen snow in an instant. 

      “We go in and sell. Just wait ghost. You see up close soon!”

Chapter Text

     Shen Yuan could hear loud shouts as they approached the city. By this point they were walking on even ground again, because for some reason the path they took brought them down off a plateau, not that Shen Yuan had realized the demon realm had those. If he looked out, he could see the chain of orcs and wolves following, some hauling carriages and others guarding the precious cargo. As it was, Shen Yuan could hear two wolves to his side and saw that there were two more guards facing him who kept scanning their surroundings. 

     “Take the shortcut?” Shen Yuan heard one of the orcs grunt. It seemed that the translator the system had unknowingly given him allowed him to understand what the orcs were saying, even though previously the orc had struggled to explain his situation. One of the orcs behind Shen Yuan frowned and looked down at him, causing Shen Yuan to tense in his corner. 

     “Take the shortcut. While we’re in line, get some of the displays ready, we want to draw in a crowd,” the orc grunted back. Shen Yuan felt the carriage turn to the left slightly, angling away from the loud shouts. As they turned, Shen Yuan peeked out and realized why it was referred to as a ‘shortcut’ instead of the line they’d been in. 

     Dozens, maybe even hundreds of demons stood in a long line to cross the bridge into the city. Made of stone, Shen Yuan could see that despite the bridge not being able to lift and close like a drawbridge, it was extremely detailed and protected. Several stone statues, carrying different types of weapons in various positions of ‘about to attack’ stood along the sides of the bridge. The bridge itself was made of massive stone bricks, likely to hold the weight of some of the different, heavier demons, and the handrails were carved with flowers and skulls on them. Mildly gruesome, but likely a fitting piece of decor for demons.

     As for the defense of the bridge, there were several demons slowing entry into the city.  Four smaller demon types, canid demons seemed to be checking the luggage and items of the visitors while six much larger demons stood blocking the entry across, opening the path for those that had been cleared. Shen Yuan saw a bull type, some sort of lizard looking man, one that even looked like it was made of stone, while the others were so covered he couldn’t see exactly what they were. 

     A large red demon broke through the line of guards, ignoring their shouts as the demon charged towards the city, grinning as he ran. Shen Yuan’s jaw dropped as the first statue moved, stepping off its pedestal to cut the demon down with its greatsword. The demon was cut cleanly in half and the blood immediately drained into the cracks between the stones and slid down out of sight. The statue grabbed the demon’s head and casually ripped it off, before setting the head on one of the budding stone flowers. Shen Yuan watched, mildly sickened and entranced as the vine stretched, growing at a visible rate, to curl through the eye sockets and then bloom into a stone lily.

     Golem guardians and Stone Blooms. Airplane may not have had the most creative names for his creations, but at least if they’re not a miracle flower it’s easy to remember what they are.

     The carriage came to a halt and Shen Yuan heard shouts as the orcs began to bustle around the carriages, likely preparing things to be viewed and checked. The pink one came over the Shen Yuan’s carriage, before looking at a lilac colored orc. 

     “Grab some of the Eastern Spidersilk robes, preferably white. We don’t want to reveal our most valuable product, but a couple of hints and teases won’t be amiss.” Shen Yuan shivered and curled into a ball when he saw the orc look at him while the lilac one went to do as told. The pink orc pulled out some sort of carved metal device and Shen Yuan stared at it worriedly. He could read some symbols for ‘seal’ and ‘contain’, making him nervous about its purpose. The pink orc looked at someone Shen Yuan couldn’t see and spoke. 

     “LIFT IT UP!” he shouted. Shen Yuan jolted and staggered, trying to remain stable as the carriage was lifted into the air . It kept rocking, even as the pink orc crouched down and walked underneath it. Shen Yuan could hear something clicking and slotting into place, like a gear placed in its designated spot, before the pink orc stepped out from under the carriage and it was set back on the ground. 

     The lilac orc reappeared with a long train of fabric that looked so thin and delicate Shen Yuan almost believed it was lace. The pink orc took it from the lilac and then reached up to the door of Shen Yuan’s carriage, opening the metal door so he could step in. Shen Yuan’s eyes widened and he pressed himself into the corner, eyes trained on the orc, the knife he carried in particular. The orc grabbed his arm and pulled him up, forcing Shen Yuan to stand straight. 

     I think I’m choking. I can’t breathe! I need to relax, but I can’t stop shaking! Shen Yuan thought, closing his eyes tightly. Then he felt something soft and warm being draped over him. His eyes opened in shock and he stared at the thin layer of fabric covering him from head to toe. It added a foggy, misty quality to his sight, kind of the way memories in movies were blurred on the edges. His entire body was covered with it as the orc fiddled with it to make sure that it wouldn’t shift and fall off during the transportation. Once it was certain, the orc nodded and stepped out, shutting the iron door behind it. 

     “Switch the sides!” Shen Yuan tilted his head in confusion before he heard the groaning of wood. He glanced to the side and his jaw dropped as the walls were pulled off by several orcs. They carefully grabbed the wood and slid it onto a nearby empty cart, leaving Shen Yuan with a floor, a roof, and a side of iron bars. The orcs seemingly went to grab something, leaving Shen Yuan unsupervised so he carefully stretched his hand out towards the empty space. 

     An orange barrier, like the one he’d first seen in his escape attempt, appeared and Shen Yuan drew his hand back with a resigned sigh. He didn’t know much about sealing ghosts and containing them, but he thought it had to have at least three walls to do so successfully. 

     It must’ve been that thing that I think the pink orc stuck on the bottom of the cart. It probably has a designated area matching the size of the carriage, thus keeping me from going anywhere while keeping me in plain view of any potential buyers. And of course, with how thin this fabric is and the fact that I’m a ghost, I seem to glow ethereally. 

     Shen Yuan glared at the last bit of sun that seemed to wave mockingly at him before it sank below the horizon entirely. Sure enough, his body glowed white beneath the silk robes. Despite the fact that it was clearly nighttime, the gates weren’t closing and the guards were still letting an enormous amount of people into the city. Shen Yuan tensed as the orcs reappeared, carrying something he couldn’t see well in the dark. As they lifted them and attached them to the sides they’d removed the wooden walls from, Shen Yuan realized that it was more iron bars, but this time with no door. Of course, with the barrier below him, it wouldn’t matter even if they did. But at least Shen Yuan felt a little safer knowing nothing could get to him. 

     “All clear here! Ready for inspection!” one of the orcs called. Since it was dark now, it was hard for Shen Yuan to tell what color they were, all the bright colors blending into shades of grey until firelight fell on them. A dog looking demon came up to Shen Yuan’s cage and sniffed at him, ears perking up. 

     “Holy hell you bagged a good one. I can still smell the innocence of this guy, how the hell did they become a ghost? Did you do a ritual or something?” the guard asked the now recognizable pink orc. 

     “We found him like that. He was unconscious but ghosts sell for a lot, particularly if their strange anomalies like this one, so we picked him up.” Shen Yuan stepped away from the dog demon as it leaned closer to the bars. 

     “Skittish, isn’t this one. Anyway, you do have the soundproofing barrier on this cage if you’re using this design, right? Ghost cries are nothing to scoff at, particularly the higher level they are. I saw a menace level banshee escape containment and that sucker killed over sixty people with one cry before it was apprehended,” the guard said. The orc nodded, gesturing to the bottom of the cage. 

     “We always use the soundproofing barriers on our ghosts as a precaution, but we’re not too worried with this one. He ain’t made a sound since we found him, not even a whimper. My bet is that he’s mute.” The dog demon raised an eyebrow. 

     “Well then he’ll sell for a good price. Silent creatures known for deadly voices usually get put in some high ranked demon’s menagerie. Good luck. I would try to buy him, but I know I don’t have the money to compete with the high ranks.” The orc nodded and the dog demon grinned at Shen Yuan. “Have fun in the city while you can, little ghost.”

     He slapped the side of the cage with a metal bar, causing a loud clang to echo in the area. “ALL CLEAR HERE, THIS ONE’S GOOD TO GO THROUGH!”

     The carriage started to move again and Shen Yuan sighed in annoyance as he had to try and stay standing without touching the sides, lest he press too hard on the barrier. It was too dark out to make out the features of the demons around him, squinting to look at the guards as they passed. He cursed the silk for making it hard to see as he tried to study the golem guardians they passed. 

     He could see for certain that while some were more humanoid, not all of them were and it was a strange mixture of human, humanoid demon, and demon statues lined up on the bridge. Shen Yuan counted seven total on the bridge they’d gone on.

     And then…

     Then he was in the city.

     Shen Yuan’s jaw dropped again as he took in the sights. Dozens of different types of architecture, both ancient and what appeared to be more modern styles stood tall. The city was lit so well, it was almost like Shen Yuan was in a city back in his first life, the bright lights and signs drawing his eye around. He could hear the shouts of vendors as they passed and the cries of children playing. 

     But what fascinated Shen Yuan the most, was the sheer number of demon species. In PIDW, Shen Yuan remembered that most of the demon clans were at war with each other and rarely interacted at all, even to trade. Even then, it was usually a trade negotiation that broke down into all out war before one side won and got what they wanted. 

     Yet here, Shen Yuan could see demons from the Southern Jungles, the Eastern shores, the Western mountains and plains, and even rare Northern Desert demons. Big and small, humanoid and bestial, demons of all types walked the streets. It was as if a very dedicated animator had taken Zootopia and turned everyone into anime or demon characters. So many different foods and fashion styles swam in Shen Yuan’s view as he eagerly took in the sights.

     And just as Shen Yuan studied him, the demons looked back. The crowds parted for the giant Candied Wolves as they passed through, some eyeing the goods they carried while others stretched out their hands as if to touch. No one actually got close enough to touch, but they seemed entranced by the goods, particularly Shen Yuan. 

     Well, I suppose I kind of stand out here, don’t I? Shen Yuan thought bitterly. 

     Most of the lights along the streets were warm red, orange, and even yellow. Whether that was because they were in a lantern of that color or just the color of the fire itself, didn’t matter. What mattered was that it caused Shen Yuan, who glowed a cool white or silver color to stand out beneath the silk. 

     When they finally made it into a building, Shen Yuan sighed with relief for a moment before he was suddenly swept up in the rush of orcs. He could see how they began to bustle around a large room, formed like an amphitheatre with a rotating stage. What appeared to be a primeval conveyor belt had items being placed all along it while Shen Yuan’s cage was shuffled to the very end of the line. 

     The end of the line, where a very delicate looking birdcage stood, standing over six feet tall with delicate silver detailing and gemstones decorating the sides. The carriage stopped and Shen Yuan stared nervously at the cage while the orcs began to shift around him. The door opened with a clang and Shen Yuan froze, slowly turning around and then desperately backing away from the orc that approached. 

     Apparently this one only wanted to take the silk off, which Shen Yuan allowed it to do before a second entered, trying to grab his arm. Shen Yuan stepped back and silenced a cry as the barrier bounced him off of it, forcing him into the orc’s grasp. The orc shouted something while Shen Yuan was too dazed to hear, but he did notice the sound of something sliding against metal. There was a faint hum and the orc lifted him, picking up bridal style to carry him into the birdcage, setting him delicately on the bottom before exiting the cage and shutting the door behind it. 

     This time Shen Yuan could feel when the barrier came up again and he sighed, sitting uncomfortably on the cold, hard metal as he watched more and more items get piled onto tables to display. Fabrics were usually paired together, gems were the same. Trinkets found in secret realms or ancient ruins were grouped based on power levels. It was honestly fascinating to watch them work, though he wouldn’t deny that watching them work reminded him of retail workers from his first life. 

     A couple hours later, as the orcs were putting final touches on their products, Shen Yuan began to hear the murmuring grumbles and whispers of a crowd forming in the other room. It made him extremely nervous, because for all he knew, they did auctions backwards and he would be sold first!

     Luckily, logic prevailed again and Shen Yuan soon heard an announcer begin to speak and reveal the items as they rolled onto the stage with the conveyor belt. Shen Yuan stared at the smooth tubes of rolling bamboo, layered with a long, straight path of more bamboo. 

     I think most people have wondered what it’s like to be on a conveyor belt. Turns out it’s just like being on one of those moving walkways or an escalator. It’s not that big of a deal. Kind of disappointing honestly. Although, while I could see myself riding a conveyor belt, I don’t think I ever saw myself being sold at the end of it.

     He could hear the shouts of the customers grow fainter and fainter as the conveyor belt curved him away from the ending curtains. He watched as every time the items came back through the curtain, a team of orcs would immediately snatch the items and package them carefully before disappearing down another hallway. Probably going to give the items to their new owners and buyers. 

     Slowly the shouts grew louder as he got closer to the entry, watching each expensive item get sold one at a time. The Eastern Spidersilk that Shen Yuan had worn in town sold for five hundred fifty million gold. And it was at least seven items away from Shen Yuan, who bore the honor of being sold dead last. Surprisingly enough, most of the live creatures had been sold either in the beginning or middle, leaving Shen Yuan the only living(technically) creature at the end. 

     “And now, proud high ranks, our final item of the night. A rare, anomaly ghost that is both mute and holds seemingly no resentment!” the announcer shouted. Shen Yuan jolted as the conveyor belt shifted, pulling him through the curtains and into the bright lights on the stage. It looked like they were using tamed Luminescent Spotter Bugs, a giant version of fireflies who’s butt light could be used as a spot light. They used it to keep track of their prey when hunting. “Additionally, we’ll even sell it with the cage it comes in, equipped with spirit sealing and soundproofing spells! Everything you need to buy and keep a ghostly pet! We’re starting the bidding at one million gold!” 

     Shen Yuan cringed away from the eyes watching him as immediately hands began to rise and numbers were thrown out. But, since he was finally out, Shen Yuan could look around and see if he spotted anyone familiar. The demons closer to the stage were clearly lower ranked nobles, prostitutes and succubi clinging to their arms as they laughed and bid for fun.

     The middle of the seats were full of more proper looking demons, either from long lines of nobility or generals who were invited without intending to buy anything. These demons had several humanoid traits and could almost blend as humans if it weren’t for smaller features that were often hidden behind their teeth. Like one who seemed to be an insect species, judging by the mandibles that snapped out from behind her human teeth when she spoke. 

     Lastly, sitting at the very top seats in their own secluded booths were the four ruling families of each territory. Shen Yuan could see the blue of the Mobei clan and even a few members looking down. He swore he saw a teenage version of Luo Binghe’s singular male trusted general, the next Mobei-jun looking down at him. On the opposite side of the Mobei’s was a bright crimson booth where Shen Yuan looked on in surprise as a much younger Sha Hualing gleefully accepted the pure white Eastern spidersilk. She then leaned over to a nearby servant, only to slit his throat and use his blood to dye the fabric red, ignoring the sigh her father heaved. 

     I wonder if that will later become her iconic clothes that she wore when she attacked Cang Qiong. I think I remember her telling Luo Binghe at some point that her clothes were originally white but she’d stained them in the blood of her enemies…I don’t remember exactly, I wasn’t ever fond of Sha Hualing.

     Shen Yuan looked up, hoping to see the stars and was surprised when he realized there was one last booth, sitting above all four of the ruling families. At first Shen Yuan tilted his head in confusion, not understanding why there was a booth there. Then he nodded in understanding. 

     Oh, it’s the booth for the Emperor or Empress, whenever the demon realm has one. I don’t think they have one now since according to PIDW there was one who died before Luo Binghe was born, but that doesn’t clarify a whole lot. Anyway, it doesn’t matter. I need to pay attention to who’s buying me so I can escape the moment I need to. 

     Shen Yuan turned his attention to the demons who were actually passionate about buying him. It seemed to be an ongoing battle between the Eastern and Western ruling families, oddly enough. That didn’t bode well for him, since the Eastern demons were full of insect type demons who ate anything they could get their mandibles on and the Western demons were known to experiment on whatever they got their hands on. So Shen Yuan was stuck between being eaten or experimented on, great.

     “Seven hundred million-seven hundred eighty million! Going once, going twice-” Shen Yuan waited for the sold announcement when the whole theater went quiet. Shen Yuan opened his eyes in confusion, looking over at the announcer, who was gaping up at the emperor’s booth. He looked like he was having a mini stroke. Shen Yuan felt a chill run down his spine as he slowly looked up at the booth, head tilting at the strange symbol. He didn’t read demon letters and numbers, but seeing how there were only two symbols flashing he didn’t think it was a lot.

     They’re probably going to give me to the emperor regardless of what he’s offering. No one wants to challenge the emperor when they have one, though I am still confused as to who the hell this person is. I don’t think there was any mention of them in PIDW, despite the fact that if there was an emperor, Luo Binghe would’ve killed him immediately. If there was an empress, he would take her into his harem.

     “T-two… billion from the emperor!” There was silence in the theater as the announcer swallowed nervously and spoke. 

     “Going once!” 

     The audience remained silent, no one daring to compete with the emperor. 

     “Going twice!” 

     Shen Yuan gaped up at the emperor’s booth, now understanding why everyone was in shock. 

     “Going thrice!”

     Wait, how many chances do they give here? That should’ve been the sold announcement, right? Oh, maybe they count to four because they’re demons in an ancient Chinese world and four is an unlucky number, right?

     “SOLD! To the Saintly Demon Emperor!” Shen Yuan stared at the announcer, blinking slowly.

     What the hell kind of title is ‘Saintly Demon Emperor’? What demon lord would have such a weak sounding name??

Chapter Text

     Shen Yuan sat stock still as he slowly understood exactly what had happened. He’d been sold…to the demon emperor. The demon emperor who should exist, according to PIDW. He scratched his head in frustration, running a hand through his hair. 

     FUCK! What the FUCK is going on??? Shen Yuan inhaled deeply and then exhaled as he forced himself to think. Okay. The demon emperor is the strongest of all the demons. Which means I have now been sold to a complete and utter brute, most likely, so I just need to outthink them. If I can do that successfully, then I’ll be able to escape and it’ll be perfect! I’ll go on the run, maybe hide in the Endless Abyss. Most demons don’t go there, so I’ll just have to deal with a deadly environment. Though, since I’m not technically living, I should be fine there. 

     The orcs grabbed the cage and lifted, harshly pulling Shen Yuan from his plans and dropping his hopes from a tower the height of Mount Everest. Right. The cage. The cage with ghost sealing arrays. The cage he was currently in. It had been sold with him. 

     FUUUUUUCKKKKK! HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO GET OUT OF THIS THING???

     The orcs carried him to a large room, covered in black and red curtains. Shen Yuan could almost hear his mother screaming at the sight of the room. Truly, being raised by an interior designer left Shen Yuan cringing at the room. The curtains didn’t seem to have a purpose other than block-the-view-of-anyone-and-everyone and they were made of different fabrics. Shen Yuan could see a curtain made of what appeared to be dyed leather, another of satin, a fur curtain resting next to a linen curtain. 

     Not to mention that although he’d said the curtains were red and black, there was no particular order to the black curtains and their base tones aka how warm or cold the black was didn’t match. Then the reds were all over the place, going from ruby to blood to peony to crimson and Shen Yuan could spot over a dozen different shades hiding further back. 

     What the hell kind of torture chamber have I been brought to? Shen Yuan thought, questioning why he was there. He could hear in his mind the well known meme as he saw Kermit and others lifting their hands to their lips as though to pray, whether for patience or salvation it mattered not. Why am I here? Just to suffer?

     Shortly thereafter, because he’d gotten onto memes, his mind spiraled until he was internally listening to the Dragonborn theme from Skyrim. He snapped out of it once the orcs set the cage down, the leader bowing to someone hidden behind a couple of curtains. 

     Poorly hidden, since his shadow could be seen through the red curtains, but hidden nonetheless. 

     “My lord, we are honored that you would purchase one of our wares. It is rather uncommon for you to do such, I know you are often busy with greater things. We have come to ask if you would like us to carry the cage to your palace today, that way you needn’t bother with it yourself.” Shen Yuan bit back a sigh before flinching and snapping his head to look at the shadow when he felt sharp eyes on him. It was like being a mouse, knowing the cat is watching you and waiting in terror for the cat to move. 

     “No need.” The man stepped out and for the first time, Shen Yuan got a look at the demon emperor. 

     The first things Shen Yuan saw when the emperor appeared were his robes. Tasteful black robes with gold accents and a hint of red under robes. A heavy cloak swung behind him as he walked forward, the inside lined with what looked like red velvet. Shen Yuan’s eyes slid upward as more of the demon lord came into the light and immediately froze on his chest. 

     ……………boobs? 

     Shen Yuan shook his head, confused for a moment before finally recognizing that the emperor’s robes were opened at the chest, revealing massive pectoral muscles. Shen Yuan remembered seeing memes of anime girls with big chests using it to hold their drinks before he died but he’d never actually seen a man whose chest was big enough to do that. 

     Moving up, now that Shen Yuan was at the shoulders, he noticed two things. One, the cloak had a very fluffy black fur hem resting on his shoulders loosely while gold weights held it in place, a singular chain keeping the cloak ‘closed’. And two, his hair was actually wavy. Not curled, but with flowing waves every couple of inches. If he had to name a hairstyle it reminded him of, he would say it was like someone with a good three feet of hair got beach waves.

     Finally, Shen Yuan looked at his face. With even symmetrical features Shen Yuan had no doubt that in the modern era this man would’ve been a model or actor of some kind. His strong jaw and full lips quirked up in a grin, Shen Yuan could feel the major-important-this-person- is-a-VIP aura leaking off. He already had small crows eyes developing and his eyes shone like onyx before he stepped into the light, revealing that they were actually a very deep red. He had long pointed ears like an elf and his hair was only partially pulled back. 

     ……………This man…just from how he wears his robes…I can tell. Shen Yuan swallowed as he stared into the mischievous eyes of the emperor. This man…he’s 100% DILF material.

     Having come to that conclusion, Shen Yuan decided to lean back as the orcs approached, paying less attention until a flash of glowing red caught his eye. Shen Yuan stared in shock as he noticed the bright red symbol on the forehead, very familiar from the cover art of PIDW and the fanart. The demon emperor smiled at him as Shen Yuan felt his jaw drop. 

     This man is a Heavenly demon?? WTF?? I thought Luo Binghe was the last of them!! Where the fuck did this one pop up from? How early in PIDW am I that basic knowledge like this is incorrect??? 

     The demon lord stalked over to the cage, standing in front of the door. Despite the cage being at least six feet tall, the top only reached where his belly button would be. Shen Yuan stared nervously up at his new owner, terrified as the man slowly crouched down so he could better observe Shen Yuan. Even when squatting, he simply looked like a yakuza member from a romance manga about to fuck Shen Yuan up. He lifted his hands and Shen Yuan clenched his eyes shut, waiting for some kind of attack. 

     “HELLO!” Shen Yuan opened his eyes, gaping at the demon emperor as he smiled at Shen Yuan with a soft, dumb smile on his face. He had bright white teeth and looked like he’d learned how to smile from Monkey D Luffy. His hands were out to the sides of his face with his fingers spread, like a grandparent playing peekaboo with their grandchild. 

     Suddenly he seems so…dopey? Is that the word I’m looking for? 

     “Man, he really doesn’t make noise. It’s fascinating, I’ve never seen a mute ghost before! Hello little one!” The demon lord waved from outside the cage, skittering around like a fucking crab to keep Shen Yuan facing him. Even as Shen Yuan attempted to look away, efforts foiled by the determined demon lord, he finally realized what word described the man. 

     Ah. I see now. 

     He’s a himbo.

     The demon lord stood while the orcs fussed around them, clearly unsure of how to act with the demon emperor acting so foolishly. 

     “My lord, please, for the sake of your dignity, don’t do that?” the pink orc suggested. The demon lord heaved a mighty laugh, body shaking with the sound he made. The other orcs looked to the side with almost defeated gazes even as Shen Yuan looked at them in bewilderment. 

     “It matters not to me, how I behave. People will speak either way, won’t they? Therefore, I shall act as I please!” More laughter escaped the demon lord as Shen Yuan stared at him incredulously. He looked over to the orcs, catching their eyes as he used his thumb to gesture at the demon lord. 

     THIS is the demon emperor??

     They nodded with exhausted gazes while Shen Yuan turned back, jumping when he saw the way the demon lord was staring at him. 

     “Hello little ghostie! We’re going to be very good friends.” Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow at him while the demon lord grinned. “Oh, I should probably introduce myself. I am Tianlang-jun, Saintly Demon Emperor and a loving uncle, which is why you’re coming home with me.” 

     Shen Yuan tilted his head in confusion at Tianlang-jun, not understanding at all what he was saying. There were words coming out of his mouth, but they made little to no sense.

     “So, your highness, when would you like us to bring him over?” Tianlang-jun glanced at the orcs and smiled. 

     “You can send the cage over whenever is most convenient for you, I think I found a very nice bird that will look exquisite in it.” The orcs blinked in confusion, apparently not understanding at all where Tianlang-jun’s train of thought was. Shen Yuan understood all too well. There was a reason Shen Yuan was in a cage, why did Tianlang-jun just think he could remove Shen Yuan from the cage?

     “Um, sir? The ghost is already in the cage,” one said. Tianlang-jun nodded and grinned. 

     “I know! Which is why I need you to open it for me, I don’t have the keys.” Shen Yuan stared blankly at the demon lord while the demon lord simply smiled at the orcs as though he hadn’t requested something ridiculous. “Well come on now, get on with it!”

     The orc slowly stepped forward and unlocked the cage door, swinging it open so that Tianlang-jun could wriggle his way in. Shen Yuan curled against the flood as close to the opposite wall as he could, suddenly made all too aware of how large the demon lord was. 

     His bulky frame barely fit inside the cage, scrunched up and towering over Shen Yuan. He smiled down at Shen Yuan, causing Shen Yuan to note in a terrified thought that Tianlang-jun had fangs . 

     “My lord, you can’t… touch the ghost.” Tianlang-jun laughed as his arms slowly approached Shen Yuan from either side, like a massive version of a claw from a claw machine game. Shen Yuan felt the pantomime sensation of his heart beating so fast it exploded, leaving his insides sticky and quiet. His body began to shake, terror making him quiver. He shut his eyes, waiting for the poking and prodding to begin. 

Poke. Poke poke.

     Shen Yuan opened one eye, peering at the long, sharp nail that was softly poking his cheek. Tianlang-jun seemed entranced by the feeling of his cheek, still covered with a thin layer of baby fat. The hand pulled away and Shen Yuan nearly yelped as thick, strong arms pulled him against a warm (padded) chest. Tianlang-jun awkwardly shuffled around, turning to face the orcs outside. 

     “Unlock the cage. I want to take him out.” The orcs frantically tried to dissuade Tianlang-jun, but Shen Yuan wasn’t paying any attention to that, mind too caught up on the sound of Tianlang-jun’s heartbeat. 

Thump. Thump. Ba thump. Thump. Thump. Ba thump.

     A steady pounding of his heart echoed in Shen Yuan’s ear, steady and strong. Shen Yuan knew that the blood it moved through Tianlang-jun’s body could kill and save depending on what Tianlang-jun wanted to do with it. He knew that he was resting in the arms of what was most likely the strongest, most deadly demon in the entire demon realm. 

     So why does it feel so comfortable?

     …

     It’s probably these massive pecs.

     The orcs opened the barrier, letting Shen Yuan feel as it fell. Now it would be much easier to escape the grasp of this demon lord who should be dead. 

     Tianlang-jun awkwardly stepped out, squishing Shen Yuan a bit as he struggled to fit them both out of the tiny exit. Once out though, he straightened and lifted Shen Yuan from where he rested in his arms, lifting him high to put Shen Yuan on his shoulder. 

     Shen Yuan grasped tightly to Tianlang-jun’s hair as the demon lord straightened, holding Shen Yuan steady. The orcs were clearly nervous about Shen Yuan’s reaction, despite the fact that according to them, he was harmless. Shen Yuan shifted slightly closer to Tianlang-jun’s head,causing the man to freeze. SHen Yuan also froze, confused as to why they had stopped. 

     “Did you see that? We’re bonding already, aw, that was so cute, ghostie!” Tianlang-jun crooned, patting Shen Yuan’s thigh. Shen Yuan shivered at the touch, pulling his legs away from Tianlang-jun’s hands. It was too reminiscent of the Old Palace Master touching him there for Shen Yuan to be comfortable. 

     The orcs looked worriedly between the two before an older, more grey looking orange orc stepped forward and shook his head at the ones desperately trying to convince Tianlang-jun to put the ghost back in its cage. 

     “Alright, I’ll be heading off now, I need to get home. My nephew is probably worried sick about me, poor thing! I’ll send over the money soon, remember to send the cage to the castle!” With that, Shen Yuan was lifted up while Tianlang-jun adjusted his position. In the end, Shen Yuan was sitting with a leg thrown over each of Tianlang-jun’s shoulders while his hands desperately grabbed Tianlang-jun’s forehead. “LET’S GO!”

     With that terrifying battle cry, Tianlang-jun shot out of the building, running through the streets. Despite it being easily midnight, the streets were still packed with vendors and visitors. Tianlang-jun made zooming noises as he leapt over stalls and bounced off alley walls to cut through to different streets. At one point, along a more empty street a small crowd of kids followed after him while he held Shen Yuan’s legs. They played a little racing game, which Tianlang-jun surprisingly lost . 

     He probably lost to the kids on purpose. Still, that’s not a usual course of action for a demon. Usually any sign of inferiority and weakness are smashed into the dirt. Shen Yuan thought. 

     Tianlang-jun skipped up to a massive red gate, pushing it open as if it weighed nothing. Despite the fact that it was at least four times Tianlang-jun’s height and a good two feet thick when they passed through, Shen Yuan noted. Once they were through, Tianlang-jun turned around and kicked the gate shut, humming happily as he waltzed up the palace steps. Looking around, Shen Yuan realized that this was the centermost palace, the tallest area in the city.

     His attention was brought back to the palace itself when, halfway up the stairs, the doors opened at the top and a young adult, maybe in his early twenties stared down at Tianlang-jun with relief. 

     “Junshang!” The boy in green hurried down the stairs, nearly tripping in his haste to reach the demon emperor. He stumbled and fell straight into Tianlang-jun’s massive pecs, the boy going bright red and pushing away quickly, stuttering apologies. 

     “Zhuzhi-lang! I didn’t know you missed me that much!” Tianlang-jun said cheerfully, letting go of one of Shen Yuan’s legs to ruffle this newcomer’s hair. The boy, Zhuzhi-lang seemed to sigh in exhaustion at Tianlang-jun’s antics. 

     “Junshang, the Northern demons wanted to speak with you before you went and bought something at the auction.” Tianlang-jun laughed as he ruffled Zhuzhi-lang’s hair again and resumed the trek up the stairs. 

     “I gave him plenty of time. I even waited until the last item to buy anything! Look!” In the blink of an eye Tianlang-jun had removed Shen Yuan from his shoulders and changed his grip to hold Shen Yuan from under his armpits as he extended the boy towards Zhuzhi-lang. Shen Yuan was sure it looked the same as when a two year old holds out their stuffed bear for others to see. “Isn’t he cute?”

     Now that Shen Yuan was up close to Zhuzhi-lang, he could take in some of the details he hadn’t noticed. First his robes, while there was a lot of black in it, there were also grey, brown, and a lot of green details. The only thing red he wore was a small stud earring that was partially hidden behind his long hair. 

     Also, different from his uncle, Zhuzhi-lang had long straight hair with long bangs hiding half his face from view. Shen Yuan could see that it was styled in a massive, loose braid thrown over one shoulder in a vaguely Elsa-esque look but it also had smaller braids seemingly randomly thrown in and braided all the way down from his roots. 

     Since Shen Yuan was so close to Zhuzhi-lang, he could see that Zhuzhi-lang had several snake-like qualities. First of all, there were several small scales dotting his skin. Some were a rich, dark green while others were the same color as his skin. Second, he had much longer fangs than his uncle while he spoke, the canines in particular being long and skinny. Third were his eyes. Bright golden with slitted pupils. It was fun to watch Zhuzhi-lang blink because Shen Yuan swore he saw a second, clear eyelid closing horizontally across Zhuzhi-lang’s eye. 

     Zhuzhi-lang stared at the ghost child his uncle had brought back and sighed internally. Another creature to monitor and control while his uncle ran off. Honestly, this was why Zhuzhi-lang never wanted Tianlang-jun going anywhere alone. He always bought strange things for exorbitant prices. (Not that Zhuzhi-lang would stop him from buying things, Zhuzhi-lang would just try to haggle down the price. Tianlang-jun looked, acted, and sounded like a rich kid who had no clue what market prices were. Which was accurate.)

     “So, ghostie! This is your new best friend!” Zhuzhi-lang and Shen Yuan whirled to face Tianlang-jun, both wearing incredulous expressions. Both internally screaming at the relaxed, happy looking demon lord. 

     “Junshang…what do you mean by that?” Zhuzhi-lang asked with a soft, resigned tone. Tianlang-jun lowered Shen Yuan so he could stare at his nephew. 

     “Well, I know you don’t have many friends Zhuzhi, so I thought I would get you one! And he’s perfect! A mute ghost with almost no resentment! It’s perfect! He can’t hurt you and he’s easy to care for!!” Shen Yuan glared at him, annoyed at being dismissed as an object. He looked back at Zhuzhi-lang and met the golden eyes staring back at him. There was a moment of silence between them before they both gave great heaving sighs. 

     “Uncle, it’s not that I can’t make friends, it’s just that I’m so busy following you in your… expeditions that I simply don’t stay around people long enough to make close friends.” Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow at Zhuzhi-lang’s claim but shrugged internally. 

     Not my circus, not my monkeys.

     “Well then, this works out anyway! We can bring him with us, nephew!” Tianlang-jun beamed, even as Shen Yuan glanced at Zhuzhi-lang and saw the way Zhuzhi-lang started to turn to dust, drifting away on the wind. He sighed, making no noise since he had no real breath to disturb the air, (which was a strange feeling he didn’t want to dwell on, so he kept acting out things only living creatures needed to do) and pulled at Tianlang-jun’s sleeve, gesturing to be put down. 

     “What? OH! Oh, I see!” Shen Yuan shut his eyes in relief, eager to be set down on his own feet. Instead, he felt Tianlang-jun carefully extend him and hold him for a moment before Shen Yuan was dropped into the arms of Zhuzhi-lang. The snake demon stared at the boy in stunned disbelief as Tianlang-jun laughed. “You must really like Zhuzhi-lang, asking to be held by him not more than ten minutes after meeting him! Isn’t this wonderful, nephew?”

     Zhuzhi-lang blankly watched the sky over his uncle’s shoulder with a small smile, lips moving slowly to drone out the words his uncle wished to hear. “Yes, uncle. It’s wonderful.”

     Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow at the dissociating snake that was holding him, sighing and squirming in his arms. 

     Technically Tianlang-jun gave me what I wanted. Being help by Zhuzhi-lang is lower than Tianlang-jun by a few feet, but not where I wanted to be in the end. Poor Zhuzhi-lang, having to put up with this foolish man.

     Shen Yuan sympathetically patted Zhuzhi-lang’s knee as he followed Tianlang-jun up the stairs and into the palace. Zhuzhi-lang stood there for a moment longer, staring dully into the air before his form relaxed and he sighed, looking down at his knee. Strangely, it felt like the ghost had actually understood his exasperation and exhaustion. Looking up at the doors where bright lights poured out and Tianlang-jun’s laughter echoed from, Zhuzhi-lang sighed and began to tread up the stairs after the two.

Chapter Text

     Shen Yuan’s jaw dropped when he stepped into the room, eyes scanning across the massive interior. While he knew it would be large, palaces usually were, this was beyond his expectations. 

     Giant pillars, standing at least thirty feet tall made of some black stone with red and gold veins creeping through, giving it a marble pattern. The floor was made of a black stone with gold lines forming a tile pattern beneath his feet as he stepped further in. Along the edges of the room, hanging from the ceiling were tasteful red drapes, gold tassels dangling from the edges. 

     The walls appeared to be made of a combination between some sort of dark red wood and a dark grey, almost black brick. Gold embellishments wove their way along the wall, marking the area where the brick met the wood about two feet from the floor. 

     At the front of the room, directly across from the door was a raised platform with a massive throne. Shen Yuan felt his eyebrow twitch when he recognized the throne in question, internally cursing Airplane-shooting-towards-the-sky. The Iron Throne was rather distinctive. It’s just that this throne seemed to be significantly larger with blades made of dozens of different materials. Primarily grey or silver colored blades but Shen Yuan could spot some black and gold weapons in the giant fan of weapons. 

     It was slightly different from the Iron Throne, since with this it appeared as though there was a massive stone throne, shaped like an actual chair, with a giant fan of weapons of all types behind it, forming a perfect half circle of deadly weapons. 

     The throne itself was made of the same material as the pillars but Shen Yuan could see that it had maroon pillows and padding on the seat, back, and armrests. All of these were carefully embroidered with gold threads and details while metal engraving and metal trim edged the throne in gold. 

     The fan had hundreds of blades of all types. Straight long swords, curved scimitars, katanas that looked sharp to the touch, giant war axes, battle axes, great swords, daggers both curved and straight, and even tridents. Extending a good four feet past the throne’s edge, the fan of weapons drew the eye straight to whoever sat in the grand throne at the center. Almost like a massive, deadly flower with a terrifying creature sitting straight in the middle. 

     “What do you think, ghostie?” Shen Yuan jolted as he felt arms grasp his waist before he was tossed in the air, completely disoriented and terrified. A brief shriek escaped him before he clamped his mouth shut, hands darting to cover his mouth as he landed in two firm, constrictive arms. 

     Shen Yuan could feel himself beginning to shake, terror clouding his head and making everything sound like he’d stuffed cotton in his ears. In his head he could hear a loud drumbeat, resembling the rapid pounding of his heart when he was frightened in life. Shen Yuan could feel how his throat constricted, making the pretense of breathing hard to maintain, choking off any words and sound that might have escaped. 

     They know! I’m going to be killed or locked up as a pretty doll! No! Get off me! Shen Yuan thrashed in Tianlang-jun’s arms, desperate to get his feet on the ground and run away. He gasped for air, desperately trying to make his chest rise, as his still living brain screamed warning signs at him. He wasn’t breathing, his heart was jackrabbiting in his chest, he was surrounded by predators, overloading him as he jerked and thrashed in Tianlang-jun’s arms. 

     “He talks??” Zhuzhi-lang cried incredulously. Tianlang-jun stared at the panicking child in his arms, observing the way the child had gone even paler if that was possible. His ghostly form seemed to act more like a living body than an actual ghost body and it was incredibly fascinating to Tianlang-jun. Zhuzhi-lang shivered when he saw the way his uncle’s eyes narrowed with interest and a small smirk pulled at his lips. 

     I’m gonna die! I need to get out! This is bad! This is very bad! This is-

     “THIS IS GREAT!!” Shen Yuan yelped as he was suddenly tossed back into the air, flailing his limbs as he attempted to get control of his movements. He fell straight back into Tianlang-jun’s arms, cradled like a baby as Tianlang-jun laughed. His eyes were bright, almost glowing red as he grinned at Shen Yuan, that dopey, excited look like a gamer getting a game they’d been looking forward to playing. “Zhuzhi-lang, isn’t this great? Nephew, now you can actually talk to each other and bond! This is WONDERFUL!” 

     Shen Yuan winced at the volume, staring at Tianlang-jun in shock while the man merely laughed and gently set Shen Yuan on his feet. Glancing back at the doors revealed that Zhuzhi-lang had shut them on his way up, closing off Shen Yuan’s escape route. Shen Yuan quickly darted behind one of the pillars, warily watching the two heavenly demons. Tianlang-jun whined like a child denied a favored toy or treat. 

     Shen Yuan’s eyes widened and he felt a shiver of unease roll down his spine when he realized that Zhuzhi-lang had disappeared from his sight. Flicking his eyes between the pillars nearby revealed nothing, as though the snake demon hadn’t been in the room to begin with. Tianlang-jun snickered and Shen Yuan’s eyes snapped back to him. 

     “Nephew, what are you doing up there?” Immediately Shen Yuan’s eyes snapped up, even as his body reacted instinctively and darted to the side. A massive snake barely pulled itself up and away from the ground when Shen Yuan dodged, gold eyes tracking Shen Yuan’s every move. 

     Shen Yuan could feel his legs shaking as he stared up at the massive snake, watching as it pulled itself back up to the ceiling, eyes never leaving Shen Yuan. Because hidden among the rafters, Shen Yuan could make out the figure of a snake that had to coil over itself on the rafters to fit in the room, its diameter easily being a good seven feet. It seemed to disappear in the rafters, dark green and brown scales disappearing in the shadows. 

     Shen Yuan lunged to the side, barely escaping as the serpent coiled around the pillar he’d been standing behind to turn itself around and strike again. Shen Yuan rolled out of the way but now the snake was blocking off his route through three pillars. 

     He’s boxing me in!

     Shen Yuan ran for one of the open sides, only for Zhuzhi-lang to get there first, massive body blocking Shen Yuan’s path as he opened his mouth and hissed. He had four long fangs in the front with several smaller fangs lining the inside of his mouth, similar to the way a goose had teeth inside the mouth. Shen Yuan sprinted towards the last side, only to be neatly boxed in by the giant snake. Shen Yuan could see, over the back of the snake as his other coils slowly fell from the ceiling, curling tighter around him. Zhuzhi-lang curled closer, eyes pinned on Shen Yuan as his eyes blinked, the clear film confirming Shen Yuan’s earlier thoughts regarding Zhuzhi-lang’s eyelids. 

     Tianlang-jun, watching his nephew try to intimidate the poor ghost, sighed. Zhuzhi-lang hissed and a hood spread from the side of his head, similar to a cobra. He lifted his hand to tell Zhuzhi-lang to stop, but apparently Zhuzhi-lang planned to solidly defeat the ghost. Zhuzhi-lang struck, body shooting forward. 

     “Zhuzhi-”

     Shen Yuan saw the moment Zhuzhi-lang decided to strike, judging by the slight narrowing of his pupils. Shen Yuan felt something heavy drop to his stomach as Zhuzhi-lang shot forward, jaw opening to swallow Shen Yuan whole. He lifted his hands up to his face, a useless gesture. He felt himself inhale deeply, eyes scrunching shut as he opened his mouth and spoke. 

     “STOP!!” 

     A massive field of pure energy blasted off of him, pushing even Tianlang-jun back while Zhuzhi-lang froze two inches from Shen Yuan’s face. Tianlang-jun stared in shock, jaw dropping when he took in the sight. He jumped up, landing easily on Zhuzhi-lang, watching what happened in the center of the coils.  

     Zhuzhi-lang was shaking, tail thrashing and coils shifting on the edges but not a single thing moved in the middle. Zhuzhi-lang was frozen in midair, ready to snap down on the little ghost’s figure. His eyes were wide as he struggled to move, his coils shifting only when they weren’t in sight of the ghost child. 

     The ghost child who was panting for breath, hands curled around his throat like he planned to choke himself. His whole form was twitching and shaking hard enough that Tianlang-jun could see it at a distance. The demon lord jumped down, landing within the circle of coils. He walked slowly towards the ghost, approaching like he was a wild animal that might bite if Tianlang-jun wasn’t careful. 

     Shen Yuan looked up at Tianlang-jun as he approached, hands still grasping his throat tight enough to hurt. His chest heaved with air he didn’t need and couldn’t use, tears budding in his eyes as he shook, feeling his lip wobble as he fought to calm himself. In the corner of his eye he could see Zhuzhi-lang, still frozen and trying to free himself if the sound of scales shifting on the floor was any indication. He looked back at Tianlang-jun again, completely unaware of how he looked. 

     Silvery skin with a vague pink tint was now completely white with a blue undercurrent, as though the ghost had been descended from one of the Northern demons. His eyes had pink and red edges where tears begged to fall. His hands were shaking even as the child strangled himself, as if trying to silence the voice that had such power. He didn’t move an inch as Tianlang-jun approached, body cringing back but feet seemingly rooted in place. 

     Tianlang-jun crouched in front of him, keeping his hands where Shen Yuan could see them. He could tell from how constricted and small the child’s pupils were that he was on the verge of hysteria. Those delicate lilac colored eyes were staring at him with what could only be described as pure terror, watching and closing when he reached forward. 

     Shen Yuan squeezed his eyes shut tightly when he saw Tianlang-jun reaching towards him. He felt like his legs were frozen in place, completely unable to move away despite every instinct screaming at him to run away. He braced for pain or to be thrown across the room when he felt two massive hands wrap gently over his hands. Shen Yuan felt Tianlang-jun carefully loosen Shen Yuan’s grip and slide his hands under Shen Yuan’s. 

     Oh, I see, he wants to kill me himself. I can’t choke myself if he’s going to.

     “You shouldn’t do that, what would you do if you hurt yourself?” A soft, gentle voice asked. Shen Yuan opened his eyes in shock as he felt Tianlang-jun pull Shen Yuan’s hands away from his own throat. Tianlang-jun gently rubbed his thumbs over Shen Yuan’s palms as he softly massaged his hands, relaxing them from their previous claw shape. 

     Tianlang-jun glanced at Zhuzhi-lang, casually staring down the throat of a giant snake. Shen Yuan could see almost thirty feet down the soft pink throat, shivering and looking away. Tianlang-jun sighed. “Zhuzhi-lang, are you alright?”

     Shen Yuan flinched when Zhuzhi-lang’s tongue flicked out seemingly at random. Tianlang-jun however nodded as though it made perfect sense. Shen Yuan stared between the two of them as Tianlang-jun glanced back at him occasionally. 

     “Alright. Ghostie, do you mind if I pick you up?” Shen Yuan blinked in surprise at the question. He wasn’t expecting Tianlang-jun to ask him before doing anything. His legs suddenly gave out beneath him, dropping him to his knees. Shen Yuan yelped even as he was caught before painfully slamming his knees against the stone floor. He looked up at Tianlang-jun in shock as the man carefully collected Shen Yuan into his arms. Tianlang-jun arranged Shen Yuan the way one would carry a child, tucked against his chest with an arm supporting his legs while Shen Yuan sat in the crook of his arm. 

     Yep. DILF material. If only he weren’t going to kill me once his nephew’s free.

     “Zhuzhi-lang, brace yourself. You’re lined up to crash into a pillar, that’s not going to be the most pleasant. Would you like me to slow your movement and pull it in the other way?” Tianlang-jun asked. Zhuzhi-lang flicked his tongue a couple times again. Tianlang-jun nodded and the sound of scales shifting stopped. Shen Yuan could see how Zhuzhi-lang’s muscles tensed and braced but Shen Yuan was confused by their conversation. 

     What does he mean he can help? He shouldn’t be able to do anything. Unless! Shen Yuan glanced between the snake and Tianlang-jun in shock, eyes wide as he thought of a method for a heavenly demon to manipulate the body and actions of another. Did he drink some of Tianlang-jun’s blood?? Even then, would it work the same? They’re both heavenly demons, so shouldn’t Tianlang-jun and Zhuzhi-lang’s blood just cancel each other? Unless Zhuzhi-lang is accepting of it being used to manipulate him?? What the hell?? What’s going on?

     “Ghostie?” Shen Yuan snapped his head to look at Tianlang-jun while the man studied him, reaching up to gently pat Shen Yuan’s hair. “I’m going to run and jump, that way we’re out of Zhuzhi’s collision zone. I want you to hold onto me tightly so I don’t accidentally drop you.”

     Shen Yuan slowly nodded, tiny hands reaching up to grasp the lapels of Tianlang-jun’s robes. He pressed himself against the soft, warm body as he was clutched tightly. Tianlang-jun paused before darting to the side, sprinting out of the danger zone. He jumped and Shen Yuan felt himself being pressed back against Tianlang-jun’s chest, the way one is when they ride a rollercoaster. 

     Once they crossed the first coil, about at the peak of the jump, Zhuzhi-lang unfroze, body desperately trying to pull back and stop as he shot forward. There was a large crashing sound as Zhuzhi-lang was obscured from Shen Yuan’s eyes by his coils and Tianlang-jun’s cloak. Tianlang-jun landed, light as a feather, and turned to set Shen Yuan on the ground while he surveyed the damage Zhuzhi-lang had done to the pillar. 

     “Zhuzhi-lang, do you mind returning to your humanoid shape? It’s much easier to speak that way.” There was a cloud of poisonous looking green fog as the shape of the snake disappeared in the cloud. Shen Yuan watched as the humanoid figure of Zhuzhi-lang emerged from the cloud. 

     He was rubbing his face with tears at the corners of his eyes. There was a bright red line down his face and his lips were cut but rapidly healing. Zhuzhi-lang looked up, eyes taking in the sight of his uncle cradling the small ghost child he’d just attacked and he looked away. He almost had a pouting expression, refusing to look at Shen Yuan. Tianlang-jun sighed and set Shen Yuan down, turning to stride towards his nephew. He stood in front of the younger heavenly demon and raised a hand to pinch Zhuzhi-lang’s cheeks, ignoring the faint cries of embarrassment and pain from his nephew. 

     “See, this is why you don’t have any friends. Don’t blame it on my wanderlust when you attack anyone I introduce to be your friend.” Zhuzhi-lang looked down with a guilty nod, looking up at Shen Yuan and looking away. Shen Yuan watched him warily, noting the way Zhuzhi-lang scratched sheepishly at his arm. “Now go apologize to ghostie.”

     “Sorry,” Zhuzhi-lang said, bowing his head to Shen Yuan. “I overreacted.”

     Shen Yuan stared at the still bowing form of Zhuzhi-lang before looking to Tianlang-jun for help. Tianlang-jun simply smiled at him. 

     “Well? Do you accept his apology?” Shen Yuan nodded and Tianlang-jun rolled his eyes with a smile. “You have to tell him.”

     Shen Yuan felt his throat close up again at the thought of speaking. One hand came up to clutch at his throat and the other his chest while his brain screamed to remind him that he wasn’t breathing. His chest twitched and he spasmed as his mind screamed for air. 

     Immediately he felt warm hands on his back, gently rubbing while someone grasped the hand that was pressed against his throat, pulling it down and cradling it in their hands. Shen Yuan choked and gasped for air, feeling nothing as his throat had closed itself off. Tears blurred his eyes as he began to panic again, terrified to speak. 

     If I speak, he’s going to kill me! Flashes of gold and a sick grin swallowed his vision. I can’t talk! I can’t breathe! The feeling of blood dripping down his throat caused him to try and retch, crouching down as he dry heaved. I have to get out! I’m dying! Help! SOMEONE HELP!

     “GHOSTIE!” Shen Yuan jolted as his mind was forcibly snapped out of his dark memories. He could feel fabric pressing against his chest and throat, wet and heavy against his skin. Shen Yuan stared up at the dark rafters above him, blinking dully. 

     When did I lay down?

     Two faces appeared in his vision, Tianlang-jun scanning him for any injuries while Zhuzhi-lang lifted a white cloth and gently dabbed at Shen Yuan’s mouth, cleaning a hot liquid he could feel slipping out of the corner of his mouth. Shen Yuan blinked in confusion as he slowly got his hands under him, pushing up even as Tianlang-jun and Zhuzhi-lang tried to keep him lying down. He slowly pushed the cloak off his chest and shivered as he took in the sight of blood covering his robes. 

     His hand shot to his throat, tracing where he remembered the cut being and finding only clear skin. He went to swallow and choked on something hot and metallic. He turned to the side and immediately spat out the liquid in his mouth, feeling sick when he saw the blood he’d spat out. His hand went to his mouth and he carefully traced his tongue over the inside of his mouth, making sure that it was intact. 

     Tears began to slide silently down his face as he curled in on himself, shaking so hard he could barely keep his grip as he wrapped his hands around his knees, burying his face against his knees. 

     I thought the system fixed me! What the HELL happened when I panicked?? Did my injuries reappear and then heal themselves? FUCK! I thought I could pretend it never happened! I thought if my body was fine, I could live NORMALLY! So what the FUCK JUST HAPPENED?? IS THAT GOING TO HAPPEN EVERY TIME I REMEMBER HIM ??

     “Ghostie?” Shen Yuan turned his head to face Zhuzhi-lang and Tianlang-jun. Now that he was slowly coming back to himself, Shen Yuan could feel Tianlang-jun’s warm hand rubbing soothing circles on his back. Zhuzhi-lang had a cup of water and seemed unsure what he should do, fidgeting with his hands. “Would you like a drink?”

     Shen Yuan shook his head, burying his head against his knees again. He heard Zhuzhi-lang move but Tianlang-jun murmured something Shen Yuan couldn’t hear and stood, hand leaving Shen Yuan’s back. There was some shuffling behind him before he felt someone gently stroke his head, pulling his hair out of his face. Someone was walking away but Shen Yuan couldn’t tell if it was Tianlang-jun or Zhuzhi-lang. 

     He ignored it, feeling sick and experiencing dull throbs of pain from the areas where the Old Palace Master had cut or injured him. His whole torso felt like one giant bruise that people kept pressing for fun. He was still shaking, trying to calm himself but only bringing more memories up. 

     The hands stroking his head slowly began to fiddle and play with his hair, twisting and gently pulling. The slight tugging, not painful or sharp, was almost comforting. It was soft and felt like the memories he had of his mom playing with his hair whenever he’d try to take a nap on her lap. Thinking of his family brought more tears to his eyes as he felt the hands leave his hair. 

     “Um…ghostie?” Zhuzhi-lang whispered, hands hovering near Shen Yuan’s shoulders. He could feel the slight warmth emanating from them as Zhuzhi-lang seemed to debate between touching Shen Yuan or not. Shen Yuan made the choice for him. 

     He turned and pressed himself against Zhuzhi-lang’s chest, hearing the snake demon’s heart skip a beat as Shen Yuan began to cry against his chest. His arms wrapped slowly, carefully, and so agonizingly gently around Shen Yuan’s shaking shoulders. He pulled the small boy into his lap, stroking his back and hissing a soft pattern. It sounded like someone was shaking a maraca slowly, emulating the sound of ocean waters landing on soft sandy beaches. 

     “Ghostie?” Shen Yuan hiccuped softly as he pressed his face against Zhuzhi-lang’s chest, muttering his thoughts against the fabric. 

     “I want to go home …. I want to forget what he did to me…. I want to live ,” Shen Yuan whispered, breath stuttering as he spoke. His voice was high and nasally, wet and pained as Shen Yuan sobbed against Zhuzhi-lang. His throat was tight and the words had to be forced out before Shen Yuan felt it slowly close again, cutting off any sound as he silently bawled in Zhuzhi-lang’s arms. Shen Yuan felt his vision slowly go dark as his sniffles slowed and he leaned against Zhuzhi-lang. He let himself drift into a restless sleep, thinking one last thing before he did. 

     I wish I never wake up.

     Shen Yuan yawned silently as he blearily opened his eyes, feeling how puffy they were when he reached up to touch them. He looked around the room, confused at the soft golden lights. He shifted, moving his legs off the soft bed as he approached the light. He crouched down next to the light, eyes brightening when he saw what was within. 

     These are…Flickering Wisps. Airplane wrote them in during the Endless Abyss arc. They’re one of the few species in the Endless Abyss that actually keep evil or malevolent beings AWAY. It’s why Luo Binghe made them his favorite bugs and a protected species when he merged the realms.

     Shen Yuan stared at the little bugs. They were shaped like miniature dragonflies, darting within the tiny cage. Maybe two centimeters long, the largest part of their bodies were their wings. The wings that so happened to be the reason for their name. Their wings were the part of their bodies that glowed, thus creating the ‘flickering’ effect when they flew. Because every time they beat their wings they would stop glowing at the lowest point and then light back up at the highest point. 

     They’re exceptionally rare and are hard to find outside of the Endless Abyss. In fact they’re more likely to be found in the human realm than the demon realm because of their ability to ward off evil. 

     Shen Yuan reached out and slowly poked his finger through the cage and let a few land on him, staring at the tiny insects. They were particularly hard to find when they weren’t flying because their wings stopped glowing and they were so small it was easy to overlook the tiny creatures. 

     They normally travel in groups of a few hundred up to a few million. I still remember when Airplane described the first time Luo Binghe saw a full swarm of these little guys. Shen Yuan thought back to the original words of the novel. 

     ‘Like a living, flaming fog, the insects created a soft humming noise in the air. Even with so many Luo Binghe could barely hear the noise as they flew around him, lighting up the surroundings. For the first time in his painful journey, Luo Binghe saw something beautiful in the Abyss. The sight of what looked to be tiny stars circling and spiraling around the woods caused Luo Binghe to let a single tear fall down his face.’

     Shen Yuan sighed as he studied the tiny gold one that had landed on his hand while he bit his lip. 

     Ironically, according to Airplane himself, the first beautiful thing Luo Binghe saw in the Abyss wasn’t a big breasted woman, a rare treasure, or some kind of miracle flower, but a swarm of insects. I can see why now.

     Shen Yuan froze when he heard voices approaching, pulling his finger out of the cage as he darted back to the bed, pulling the sheets up to his shoulders. Like a child out of bed after curfew, he waited anxiously in hopes the voices would pass. 

     The door opened, spilling light into the room. He could tell from the shadow on the wall that there were two people in the door, probably Tianlang-jun and Zhuzhi-lang. There was a moment of silence in the room before Tianlang-jun whispered to Zhuzhi-lang. 

     “I thought you said he woke up?” Shen Yuan watched as Zhuzhi-lang turned to the side and hissed something at the wall. Immediately a chorus of hisses answered him. Shen Yuan felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise as a chill ran down his spine. Zhuzhi-lang’s shadow turned back to Tianlang-jun’s.

     “He is. Apparently he went back to the bed when he heard us coming.” Shen Yuan felt shudders begin to run down his spine again, shaking slightly. He heard a sigh and Tianlang-jun’s shadow moved, getting larger and larger until Shen Yuan felt the bed sink when the demon lord sat down. His hand came up to stroke Shen Yuan’s hair, not saying anything for a moment. Then he sighed heavily. 

     “Ghostie? Are you alright?” Shen Yuan felt like laughing, even though his throat was already closed and he couldn’t produce any sound. 

     Am I okay? I died and transmigrated only to die horribly again and now I can’t even get out of that either! All because of the person who murdered me! How the fuck is ANY of this alright?? How the fuck am I supposed to be ‘alright’???

     Tianlang-jun waited for an answer patiently, never ceasing in his gentle touch. When it became clear that Shen Yuan wasn’t going to answer, Tianlang-jun smiled and sighed, patting Shen Yuan’s shoulder. 

     “Well. I suppose it’s late. I’m going to go to bed. I’ll leave Zhuzhi-lang here with you.” The bed creaked as Tianlang-jun stood up and walked to the door, murmuring something to Zhuzhi-lang before he shut the door behind himself, leaving the only source of light the Flickering Wisps. Shen Yuan could hear Zhuzhi-lang moving around, seemingly perfectly fine in the dim light. He hissed softly and Shen Yuan strained his ear to listen as something shifted on the walls and rafters. Goosebumps raised on his ghostly skin as he shivered. 

     “Are you cold, ghostie?” Shen Yuan heard Zhuzhi-lang whisper. He ignored him at first but he could literally hear Zhuzhi-lang fidgeting. He rolled over and stared at Zhuzhi-lang, whose face was illuminated by the Flickering Wisps. Seeing that he was responding, Zhuzhi-lang brightened and asked again. “Are you cold, ghostie?”

     Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow and Zhuzhi-lang tilted his head in confusion. Shen Yuan waited, watching Zhuzhi-lang. 

     There it is. He thought as Zhuzhi-lang flushed and sank in on himself, apparently having remembered that Shen Yuan didn’t speak. Not for a lack of trying.

     “S-sorry, you can’t really answer. Or…or won’t. I don’t blame you.” Shen Yuan stared at the snake demon as he fidgeted, twisting some sort of metal contraption between his fingers. Shen Yuan stared in shock at what appeared to be a fucking pocket watch . He slipped out of the bed, causing Zhuzhi-lang to flinch and look at him unblinkingly. His golden eyes seemed to glow in the dark while Shen Yuan crept closer. “G-Ghostie?”

     Shen Yuan pointed at the pocket watch, biting back his fury. In the dim light he swore he saw Zhuzhi-lang’s ears darken at the tips while he ducked his head, flustered as he fidgeted with the watch. 

     “Th-this? Um…it’s just something I’m… working on.” Shen Yuan tilted his head and rolled his hands in a gesture for Zhuzhi-lang to continue. He looked away, fingers tapping nervously against the clock face. “I…I came up with the idea. I think it would help for when Junshang decides to head into the Endless Abyss. Because…it’s very hard to tell time there. But…it’s not perfect. It’s hard to get it to stay on time and powered over long periods of time.”

     Shen Yuan’s eyes widened when he realized that Airplane didn’t put this here, Zhuzhi-lang was trying to make something almost centuries ahead of his time. The technology of this world was set aside in favor of cultivation, so for Zhuzhi-lang to be trying to create something like this…it was going to be very hard for Zhuzhi-lang. 

     “Sorry…I rambled. And…it’s not like you can offer your thoughts.” Shen Yuan nodded in frustration as Zhuzhi-lang watched him. “Um…I-I might be able to help with that?”

     Shen Yuan turned to focus on the snake demon as he fidgeted, setting the watch on the table. Zhuzhi-lang tapped a vaguely familiar pattern on the table, causing the Flickering Wisps to panic and dart around, brightening the room slightly. Shen Yuan felt something bump against his hand and he fought back a cry as he turned to see a snake pushing a small scroll against his hand. He glanced at Zhuzhi-lang with wide eyes. 

     “D-don’t worry about them. It’s just…” he trailed off, scratching his cheek sheepishly. “Y-you didn’t want to let go…after you fell asleep…so I carried you to… my …room. These guys live here too, they’re my subordinates.” Shen Yuan glanced around the dark room, finally hearing the soft hissing and shifting of snakes. Shen Yuan rolled open the scroll and took in the information written. He had to squint to read it, thus being able to conceal his glare from Zhuzhi-lang. 

     FUCKING AIRPLANE!

     “It’s a code we’ve had for as long as demons can remember. Some say that our ancient ancestors used it to communicate messages while hunting. It’s a pattern of dots or taps and dashes, which we replace with scratches.” 

     Thank you, Zhuzhi-lang. I can recognize Morse Code when I fucking see it.

     “Most demons don’t use it anymore since each word has to be spelled out exactly and it gets confusing with long messages. That does mean that those who do use it and can translate are few and far between. It’ll help you communicate without speaking! I can also teach you snake tongue….but that one is harder to do without a snake tongue. Not to mention that in your state…” Zhuzhi-lang shook his head and looked away. “S-sorry.”

     Shen Yuan sighed and began to slowly respond.

     Tap tap. Scratch. Tap tap tap. Pause. Scratch scratch scratch. Scratch tap scratch. Tap scratch. Scratch tap scratch scratch.

     “Ghostie!” Zhuzhi-lang said, eyes bright as a small smile pulled at his lips. He smiled the same way a bashful, kind anime character did. That slight head tilt with one side of his smile pulled higher than the other while he scratched at the opposite cheek slowly. Shen Yuan felt a small smile tug at his own lips, which he hid by looking down. 

     Oh. He’s a cinnamon roll.

Chapter Text

      Shen Yuan munched on the plate of food Zhuzhi-lang had brought in, observing the colorful fruits and trying to identify them for fun while the snake demon waited for his uncle. 

      A blue fruit that vaguely resembles an orange with a bright yellow inside…if it’s safe to eat then this should be the Ichor and Ocean fruit. The red spiky one that looks like a berry from Pokemon and is spicy is probably a Peppered Thorn Fruit. The purple one with lime green circles is a Violet Lime from the Violent Lint tree. Why Airplane named the tree that I don’t know because it doesn’t have anything to do with lint! It’s just violent! Just call it a violent tree!

      “Um…Ghostie…do you like them?” Shen Yuan glanced up at Zhuzhi-lang and shrugged. Zhuzhi-lang shrank, looking a bit depressed while Shen Yuan turned to ignore him, focusing on the food he wasn’t sure how he was consuming. 

      Sure, the system fixed my spirit form, but that doesn’t mean that I have a physical body. Not to mention the fact that usually if someone is a ghost the only things they usually eat are types of flesh. So how I’m capable of eating fruits is beyond a mystery to me. 

      He shook his head, dismissing it as the door was thrown open, crashing against the wall as Tianlang-jun waltzed in, a literal giant bipedal rat following him. 

       Whoever they are, they look like the master of the teenage ninja turtles. What was his name again?? Eh, not important.

      “M-My lord, please. You’ve only recently returned, you can’t leave so soon!” The demon protested. Zhuzhi-lang turned his head towards them, watching as his uncle sighed, waving the demon away. He shut the door behind him and there was a moment of silence before Tianlang-jun turned back to Zhuzhi-lang and Shen Yuan. 

      “Zhuzhi-lang, how do you feel about an adventure?” he asked, grinning widely. Zhuzhi-lang sighed while Shen Yuan looked between them in confusion. 

      “How much do we need to earn?” Shen Yuan stared at Zhuzhi-lang in confusion. Tianlang-jun was the demon emperor, he didn’t need to earn anything. He should just be able to get money from his subjects and everything would be fine. Tianlang-jun beamed and raised a finger. 

      “One billion.” Shen Yuan’s jaw dropped as he stared at the, apparently, broke demon lord. Zhuzhi-lang pinched the bridge of his nose while he pursed his lips tightly. Tianlang-jun simply grinned, waiting for Zhuzhi-lang’s response. 

      “Why?” Tianlang-jun grinned and pointed at Shen Yuan. Shen Yuan pointed at himself in shock before he went still, face relaxing as he recalled the high price Tianlang-jun had bought him for. 

      Right. Two billion. That means they had at least one billion, but now they need to get more money to pay the rest of it. How does he intend to do that though? Shen Yuan stared curiously at Tianlang-jun while Zhuzhi-lang sighed. Tianlang-jun grinned, tilting his head slightly to the side as he watched his nephew. 

      “Good news is that the Candy Orcs are used to me, so they’re willing to wait for either items of a similar worth or until I find the full amount of gold!” Shen Yuan gaped at Tianlang-jun in shock, jaw dropped completely. 

      Even Luo Binghe couldn’t delay the orcs when they demanded their payment! He had to give several of the ancient artifacts he already had in order to pay them. They never gave him an extended deadline! They are NOTORIOUS for demanding money as soon as possible, even if it meant someone had to get a loan to get the money! Who the hell IS this guy, making them wait?? Also, how normal is it to find gold in this realm that he just casually thinks he’ll find a BILLION gold lying around??

      “Does that mean we’re headed back to the Abyss?” Zhuzhi-lang asked, rubbing a hand over his face. Tianlang-jun nodded cheerfully, completely ignorant to the way Shen Yuan gawked at him. 

      Abyss?? Do they mean the ENDLESS ABYSS?? Demons avoid that for a reason and this idiot just talks about going there like it’s a walk in the park! I know heavenly demons are strong, but it took Luo Binghe a full five years to get through that thing and he had to get Xin Mo to get out! What the fuck is happening in this realm?? Who the FUCK is leading it??

      “What about Ghostie?” Zhuzhi-lang asked. Shen Yuan looked up and over, glancing between the two while Tianlang-jun looked over at him. He studied him for a moment before turning back to grin at his nephew. 

      “We’ll bring him with us of course!” Shen Yuan felt shivers run up his spine, certain that if he had a third person perspective in that moment he would see the anime shivers as they crept up his body and left little black spikes poking off of him. 

      “Are you sure, Junshang? I don’t know if he’s ready for that…” Zhuzhi-lang said. Tianlang-jun laughed, striding over to stand next to Shen Yuan, grinning down at him. 

      “It’s fine, right Ghostie?” Shen Yuan stared up at Tianlang-jun while his fingers tapped and scratched at the table. 

      Tap tap tap. Scratch scratch scratch. Tap tap tap. Tap scratch scratch tap. Tap scratch tap tap. Scratch scratch tap tap. Tap tap tap tap. Tap. Tap scratch tap tap. Tap scratch scratch tap. 

      He eyed Zhuzhi-lang out of the corner of his eyes while the snake demon looked away, lips pinched shut tightly. Tianlang-jun shifted in front of him, crouching down while his eyes never left Shen Yuan’s. A smirk curled his lip as he lifted his hand to the table. 

      Scratch. Tap tap tap tap. Tap scratch. Scratch. Tap tap tap. Pause. Scratch tap scratch tap. Tap tap scratch. Scratch. Tap. 

      Shen Yuan stared at Tianlang-jun with wide, terrified eyes as he sucked harshly on his lips. Tianlang-jun smiled at him, eyes crescent moons as he tilted his head, not saying a word. 

      Tianlang-jun may be most frightening when he’s quiet.

      “Well nephew, are you ready to go?” Zhuzhi-lang nodded as he hefted a large, empty backpack over his shoulder. Tianlang-jun grinned and turned to Shen Yuan, extending his hand for the child to grasp. “Ghostie?”

      Shen Yuan stared at the demon distrustfully before he sighed and took Tianlang-jun’s hand, grasping it firmly. Tianlang-jun laughed loudly as he stepped through the ominously glowing purple portal, Zhuzhi-lang following close behind. 

      Shen Yuan shut his eyes as a cloud of dust was blasted into them, opening them carefully to take in the environment. His eyes widened as he stared at the dusty, barren forest before him. Pure white trees rising from the ground with branches stretching towards the sky like grasping fingers, plain grey dirty beneath as if all color had been drained out of the environment, and the rattling sound coming from within gave away the location. 

      This is…this is! Dead Man’s Cry Forest!

      Shen Yuan’s eyes sparkled as he let go of Tianlang-jun’s hand like it was a hot potato and darted over to the nearest tree, gently resting his hand against the rock hard surface. The trees were completely smooth, resembling bones exposed to the air. He crouched down, poking at one of the roots and watching as they moved, shifting down into the dirt. 

      Luo Binghe passed through here on his journey! He found out that the trees grow by surviving on the blood of creatures that die nearby or are killed by the Bone Rattle Python in the middle of the forest! The dirt had any minerals long drained from it years before the trees started drinking blood. 

      “Ghostie, perhaps you should keep hold of one of our hands?” Tianlang-jun suggested, walking up behind Shen Yuan. Shen Yuan scanned the forest, eyes brightening as he spotted a bit of color in the forest, darting forward and towards the flower. “Ghostie?”

      Is this real? How?? How is a Blood Bloom growing here? Luo Binghe had to find one in a hidden realm before he found this miracle flower and somehow it’s been here this whole time? I can’t just leave it here! I have to get them to take it with them! The Blood Bloom heals a variety of illnesses and immediately fixes any physical injuries regardless of whether the person consuming it is a human or demon! 

      Shen Yuan darted back to Zhuzhi-lang, tugging at his sleeve towards the flower. Zhuzhi-lang seemed confused as Shen Yuan tugged on his robe, slowly lowering towards the ground. Shen Yuan opened the backpack, ignoring Tianlang-jun snickering in the background while he stared at the completely empty backpack. 

      Did they just intend to bring back the raw materials?? That would only work with large items! Like the bone tree lumber or some kind of dead animal. How did they expect to collect the rare materials? How stupid is he?

     Shen Yuan huffed silently as he rolled his eyes at Tianlang-jun, heading back to the flower. He glanced back at them, glaring until they obediently looked away. He crouched down beside the vessel, a hand coming up to his throat. He inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly, shutting his eyes. His hand massaged slightly, tightening gently. 

      “Create vessel,” he whispered. The dust lifted from the ground, swirling around until Shen Yuan had a small pot and lid. He nodded with satisfaction when he noticed that the lid was tight enough it wouldn’t open easily. He stretched out his hand towards the flower and paused, considering. 

      Maybe I should leave it here? The effects are the same even if you just take a few petals, and it has over a hundred petals…it should be fine even if I only take a few, right?

      Mind made up, Shen Yuan nodded to himself and spoke again. “Collect half of the full petals.” A small whirlwind of petals spun into the pot as the petals removed themselves from the plant. Once it was complete, Shen Yuan closed the pot and looked over at Zhuzhi-lang, stepping away from the pot. He looked down at it and then back up at Zhuzhi-lang while Zhuzhi-lang tilted his head in confusion. Tianlang-jun waltzed over, leaning down to pick up the pot. One of his hands seemingly absentmindedly pulled Shen Yuan’s hand away from his throat. 

       “Nephew, do we have a place in the backpack where this might fit?” Zhuzhi-lang nodded. 

       “The pockets on the side should be good for it. Why?” Tianlang-jun grinned, patting Shen Yuan on the back as he walked back to Zhuzhi-lang. 

      “I’m pretty sure Ghostie wants us to take this with us! I don’t know why, but we’ll see if the orcs can figure out a use for it.” Zhuzhi-lang shrugged and turned to Shen Yuan. 

      “Are you coming?” he asked. Shen Yuan nodded and followed them as they walked towards a portal he previously hadn’t noticed. It was covered by a large rock with a small tunnel in the dirt leading to it. 

      “This is the one we went in last time, right Zhuzhi?” Zhuzhi-lang nodded. 

      “We got a Mastodon and a Suruasonnaryt Xer. They were worth about one billion together.” Shen Yuan paused, frowning at the strange name. It wasn’t one he’d ever heard of in PIDW before…and it seemed so strange. While Tianlang-jun began to squeeze his way in the tunnel to enter the secret realm, Shen Yuan crouched down and began to write in the dirt, staring at what he assumed was the spelling for the strange name Zhuzhi-lang had said. 

      Is this what I fucking think it is? He tilted his head sideways, staring at the letters upside down, feeling very close to figuring out what made him feel so off about the name. 

      “Ghostie! You come after me, so you might want to start wiggling down here!” Tianlang-jun called. Shen Yuan pursed his lips but obediently crawled into the hole. Tianlang-jun had already gone through and Zhuzhi-lang’s tail was poking towards the door alongside Shen Yuan. Shen Yuan sighed and touched the portal, passing through. He shut his eyes at the sudden vacuum feeling, like he was being sucked down a drain. Not at all the smooth transition of the first portal they’d passed through. 

     As soon as he formed, he covered his ears, wincing at the loud roar. He peeked through his lashes and felt his jaw drop while his temper flared. Over the roar of the great scaled beast, Shen Yuan could hear Tianlang-jun laughing while the emperor punched the bipedal lizard in the jaw, causing it to stagger and collapse on its side. 

     FUCKING AIRPLANE. Trying to be sneaky, but it’s so fucking obvious. Putting the letters in reverse order does NOT mean you’ve changed how the creature looked! Even if you did, that would probably just mean it was a T-REX that walked BACKWARDS AND UPSIDE DOWN!

      The Tyrannosaurus Rex roared as it thrashed, trying to get back to its feet without the help of its tiny arms. While it did so, Tianlang-jun leapt into the air and Shen Yuan watched as some sort of red spear formed in his hand. Tianlang-jun viciously slammed it down on the skull of the T-Rex, piercing straight through the skull. 

     “We’re very lucky, aren’t we nephew? Meeting a Suruasonnaryt Xer as soon as we entered the realm! Last time I wanted to figure out more about what it was, so I took a while to kill it and we lost money for it because it was in rather poor condition!” Tianlang-jun laughed, jumping down and pulling the spear out of the dinosaurs’ skull. Shen Yuan glanced back at the dinosaur, rolling his eyes as he saw the tail begin to sway and push against the ground. 

      Of course Airplane would believe that rumor.

     “Spear. Pierce second brain,” he muttered, hand gripping his throat. The spear in Tianlang-jun’s hand shot out, causing Tianlang-jun to yelp as it soared through the air, piercing through the T-Rex a second time as it finally got back to its feet. 

     Tianlang-jun and Zhuzhi-lang stared at Shen Yuan while he looked away, biting his lip. His hand squeezed softly around his throat as he shifted uncomfortably under their stares. The spear flew straight at Tianlang-jun and he caught it without even looking back as he studied Shen Yuan. Shen Yuan looked away, scanning the forest. His eyes widened when he took in the sight of another flower. 

      Immediately setting aside the previous act, Shen Yuan darted over to the plant, carefully reaching out to stroke through the petals. A blatant rip off from the flower in Tangled, the Sun Drop flower had incredible healing powers and was considered one of the cure alls of PIDW. Sadly it was nearly extinct, which made sense as it was a fictional plant that supposedly there was only one of, but there was another danger to finding the flower. 

      Shen Yuan reached under the petals, carefully whispering and scraping the black beetles from beneath the bottom of the petals into a pot. They skittered and attempted to escape but he locked the top. Conveniently this time the pot had tiny holes at the top to allow the bugs to breathe. 

      Bleeding Beetles. Creepy little bugs that burrow into the body of whoever they can, but what makes them so dangerous is the fact that they have a unique poison that prevents the holes from closing. Even Luo Binghe couldn’t close them with his heavenly demon blood and honestly he came very close to becoming a eunuch with how close one of them got to his dick and balls. Luckily he managed to purge them by blasting his spiritual energy out from his dantian. Whatever the fuck that means. 

      Tianlang-jun and Zhuzhi-lang collected the corpse of the T-Rex while Shen Yuan darted around the clearing, collecting bugs and plants he came across with a single minded determination. Tianlang-jun snickered as he watched the boy, seeing how his eyes brightened everytime he spotted something new that fascinated him. 

      “He’s quite interesting, isn’t he, Zhuzhi?” Zhuzhi-lang glanced over at the little ghost, observing how he ran around and collected dozens of pots single handed. Literally, considering how his second hand stayed wrapped around his throat, slowly appearing to squeeze tighter every time he spoke. 

      “He checks every time he speaks to make sure we’re not watching. Also, I don’t like the way his hand keeps squeezing whenever he does.” Tianlang-jun nodded with a smile, eyes serious as he watched the little ghost. He strode over and carefully slipped his arm within the crook of Shen Yuan’s arm, carefully pulling his arm to let go of his throat in a casual gesture. 

      “Ghostie! This is an incredible number of things you’ve collected! What do they all do?” Tianlang-jun went to open a pot and immediately the ghost grabbed his hands, shaking his head desperately with a pale face. Tianlang-jun carefully put the pot on, watching how the ghost sighed in relief. Tianlang-jun’s eyes wandered to look at the ghost’s throat, narrowing slightly when he noticed what appeared to be a small bruise in the shape of a hand forming while a small cut appeared on his throat. When the ghost looked back at him, Tianlang-jun smiled and began to babble about anything that crossed his head and didn’t relate to the ghost. 

     Shen Yuan carefully packed the pots in the backpack with Tianlang-jun’s help, ignoring the random babbling. Like, who cared that the sky here was more purple than the sky in the human realm. How would Tianlang-jun even know that? Demons were hunted down the moment they set foot in the human realm. 

     “Ghostie, do you want to come with us to a place we found last time we were here?” Shen Yuan tilted his head at Tianlang-jun’s question but nodded and followed as they walked. A small smile pulled at his lips while they walked, eyes lighting up as he took in some of the strange species Airplane had written about. 

     Loud lizard, uses the stretchy skin on its back the same way a frog expands and croaks. Dusk cat, basically a rip off Espeon. Mini-marching bunnies, a very small species of rabbit known for attacking like an actual army. They even had generals. Grey horned big eyes, Lava leopard, bastard bass, clinging creeper, zombified zarotechs. Krisat clingser, bountiful marsaka, pretty deer, horned menace (giant moose), there’s so many here! How did Luo Binghe NOT find this realm??

     “We’re here!” Shen Yuan stared nervously at the towering cathedral extending from a mountainside. The windows were gothic but even with the amount of dust on them Shen Yuan could tell they were stained red. Tianlang-jun pushed open the door and strode in, backpack tossed over his shoulder like he was walking into work. He knew where he was meant to be. Tianlang-jun turned to Zhuzhi-lang with a sheepish grin on his face. 

      “I have no idea what we’re supposed to do from here!” Shen Yuan gaped at Tianlang-jun while the fool laughed. 

      Why did I put my faith in him knowing what he was doing again?

      “Junshang, I believe the only room we didn’t explore was the one behind that door across from us.” Shen Yuan looked at the door and immediately went pale. The door was easily twenty feet tall, made of wood with complex metal details added on it. Eerily reminiscent of the Devil Doors of Paris, Shen Yuan worried about what might be causing the murderous aura to leak from the doors like a cloud of toxic fog. 

      “Perfect!” Tianlang-jun threw open the doors and immediately a furious roar echoed through the cathedral. Shen Yuan felt his hair whip his face as a blast of air shot through the building. Tianlang-jun laughed and threw himself into the room, facing what appeared to be a perfect example of a chimera. Shen Yuan studied the goat body and head while the snake head battled with Zhuzhi-lang. 

      Tianlang-jun’s laugh boomed through the boss room as he slashed the lion head completely off the body, earning a loud cry of pain from the chimera as it focused on him. The snake tail lunged at Tianlang-jun, narrowly missing. Zhuzhi-lang hissed and took his chance, sinking his teeth into the leg of the chimera while his body expanded to its full size, constricting around the beast. 

      Shen Yuan watched in a mixture of horror and fascination as the chimera gained several bright green lumps that exploded while Zhuzhi-lang squeezed tight enough that the middle section caved, squishing under Zhuzhi-lang’s frame. 

      “Well that was less interesting than usual. Nephew, you should’ve left it to me! It couldn’t have hurt me even if it tried,” Tianlang-jun said with a pout. Zhuzhi-lang shifted back to his humanoid form and bowed his head to his uncle. 

      “Sorry uncle, I got ahead of myself.” Tianlang-jun shrugged and picked up the backpack again, tossing it over his shoulder like it wasn’t filled to the brim with T-Rex pieces. 

      “No worries, nephew. It just means that we get to see what’s behind this door sooner!” Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow at the blatant door made out of gold. It wasn’t just detailed with gold, but seemingly completely made of gold. “Ghostie! You coming?”

      Shen Yuan looked up and hurried across the room, carefully avoiding the chimera’s corpse. He stood next to Zhuzhi-lang and carefully, sneakily grabbed ahold of his sleeve. Zhuzhi-lang looked down when one of his snakes whispered that the ghost had took hold of him, but he quickly looked away before the boy noticed. 

      “Alright! Let’s see what’s in here!” Tianlang-jun pushed open the door and Shen Yuan’s eyes bugged out of his face. 

      So THAT’S why he thought he could walk outside and find a billion coins!

      A massive chamber filled to the brim with gold filled Shen Yuan’s vision. He stepped into it slowly, feeling like he’d just walked into Smaug’s lair with how much gold and jewels there was. Along the walls he could see statues covered in detailed, bedazzled armor. No set was the same, even if colors were similar. 

      But what drew Shen Yuan’s attention were the display cases on the far side of the room, rising high above the gold coins and gems. A goblet made of bronze glowed with a faint energy. Sitting next to it was a crown made out of silver flames. Shen Yuan could literally watch as the flames shifted and burned. A massive warhammer sat with the head resting on a pillow, the handle sticking straight into the air. Shen Yuan narrowed his eyes as he stared at the hammer. 

      Is that fucking Volendrung? He shook his head, dismissing the thought even as he stared at the spiky head with a singular gem that seemed to glow red. It was definitely similar to the daedric artifact. 

      “Well nephew, it seems we struck gold today!” Tianlang-jun laughed loudly at his own joke while Shen Yuan and Zhuzhi-lang shared commiserating looks. “Shall we have lunch?”

      Shen Yuan watched in surprise as Tianlang-jun pulled several containers of food out of his sleeve, even bringing out a full wheel of cheese despite not having any business fitting in his sleeve. Shen Yuan slowly sat down, eying the magic food even as Tianlang-jun and Zhuzhi-lang casually began eating. He nibbled on a piece of cheese while Tianlang-jun snuck glances at the ghost. 

      “By the way, Zhuzhi, you’ve been teaching Ghostie the code, right?” Zhuzhi-lang nodded slowly, watching his uncle suspiciously. “Did you ask him his name yet?”

      Zhuzhi-lang froze mid-chew while he blinked slowly, realizing that no he had in fact not asked for the ghosts’ name, despite now being perfectly capable of doing so. He lowered his head in shame as he answered his uncle. “No. I-I haven’t.”

      “Well? Ghostie, do you want to be called Ghostie, or do you have a name already?” Shen Yuan stared at Tianlang-jun for a moment, surprised to be asked for his name. He kind of figured that he was going to be stuck as ‘Ghostie’ since whoever purchases the item obviously gets to name it, right? He slowly set down his piece of cheese, hand trailing to the floor. He bit his lip for a moment before he began responding. 

Tap tap tap. Tap tap tap tap. Tap. Scratch tap. Pause. Scratch tap scratch scratch. Tap tap scratch. Tap scratch. Scratch tap.

      Tianlang-jun smiled as he tapped a finger against his chin. “Shen Yuan, huh? I think it suits you.” 

      Shen Yuan blinked in surprise as Tianlang-jun said his name, listening as he rolled it over his tongue. Tianlang-jun beamed and opened his arms, throwing them out to the side as he spoke. “Shen Yuan, feel free to pick any item from this room! Consider it your welcome gift!”

     Shen Yuan froze, tilting his head at Tianlang-jun. Zhuzhi-lang seemed confused as well, the only difference between the two being that one vocalized the thought. “A welcome gift? What do you mean, uncle?”

      “A gift to welcome him to the family, of course!” Shen Yuan’s eyes widened while Zhuzhi-lang paused and thought. 

      “So does that mean you’re going to adopt him?” Shen Yuan looked between the two of them in shock, confused by what was happening. Tianlang-jun grinned. 

      “I’ve already added him to the line of inheritance. My secretary was NOT happy that I did that without making an announcement or getting to know him!” Shen Yuan gaped at Tianlang-jun in disbelief, mind completely silent as the heavenly demon crouched down in front of him, smiling brightly. “I knew I would from the moment I found you two cuddling.”

     Shen Yuan flushed as the memory of his awakening that morning flashed in his eyes. He and Zhuzhi-lang had been up late studying, trying to teach Shen Yuan morse code to the point where even without a sheet explaining it he could understand. Because of this, when they’d fallen asleep, for some reason, they’d ended up cuddling. 

     And that was the scene Tianlang-jun found when he’d thrown open the door. 

     Shen Yuan shook his head to try and get rid of the embarrassing memory of Tianlang-jun teasing them while Zhuzhi-lang stuttered a defense of his actions. Two warm hands gripped his own, snapping him back to the present. 

      “Is that okay with you, Shen Yuan?” Tianlang-jun asked. “You don’t have to feel forced to join this family. We want you to be one of us, but I understand if you have your reservations.”

      Shen Yuan looked at Tianlang-jun and where the demon lord cradled Shen Yuan’s hands within his own. He looked over at Zhuzhi-lang, watching how the snake demon smiled softly, smile hopeful and shy. He looked back at Tianlang-jun, feeling tired as he thought of what they were suggesting. 

     He’s already added me to the line of inheritance. I’m…I’m not a demon. I’m not even strong. I’m nothing but something he purchased on a whim. Why is he acting like I’m someone he…someone he CARES about? We’ve known each other for TWO days! I know people in PIDW lack intelligence, but how stupid can he be??

     Shen Yuan noticed a slight movement by his hands and he watched absentmindedly as Tianlang-jun used his thumb to gently stroke over Shen Yuan’s hands. He couldn’t help but think back to their worried reactions when he had his breakdown just the other day. He couldn’t help but think of the way Tianlang-jun laughed with his citizens and played games with their children. He couldn’t help but think of the way Zhuzhi-lang cradled him and tried to soothe him when he cried. 

     How Tianlang-jun held him when he took him out of his cage.

     How Zhuzhi-lang smiled when he discussed his watch with Shen Yuan. 

     How Tianlang-jun smiled when he teased Shen Yuan and Zhuzhi-lang. 

     How Zhuzhi-lang tried to sneakily cut fruits for Shen Yuan to snack on. 

     How Tianlang-jun protected Shen Yuan when he carried him. 

     How Zhuzhi-lang patiently taught Shen Yuan even when he didn’t need to.

     How Tianlang-jun made sure to keep his hands in sight when Shen Yuan panicked.

     How Zhuzhi-lang played with his hair when Shen Yuan was too tired to. 

     I guess the PIDW background character curse is getting to me too.

     Shen Yuan turned his hands, pulling them from Tianlang-jun’s hands. He noticed how Zhuzhi-lang drooped in the corner of his eye while Tianlang-jun’s eyes tightened as though pained. Shen Yuan reached over to pull Zhuzhi-lang closer. Zhuzhi-lang nearly fell over, grabbing his uncle’s shoulder for support as Shen Yuan leaned forward, keeping his face down as he spoke. The whisper was so quiet that Tianlang-jun and Zhuzhi-lang had to strain to hear what Shen Yuan said. 

     “I’d like that.”

Chapter Text

     Shen Yuan carefully followed behind Tianlang-jun, softly grasping Zhuzhi-lang’s hand as they approached the portal they’d originally gone through. It swirled much slower than the one leading to the secret realm but it also felt less like a vacuum. Shen Yuan shuddered at the reminder of what it might have felt like to be a goldfish flushed down the toilet. 

      He watched as Tianlang-jun turned and grinned, walking over to crouch down in front of Shen Yuan, opening his arms as if he were a parent waiting for their toddler to finally walk across the room into their arms. Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow and Tianlang-jun laughed. 

      “Can I not want to carry my newest family member through back to the kingdom?” Shen Yuan blushed and looked away, pulling Zhuzhi-lang’s sleeve slightly until it hid his face. Zhuzhi-lang smiled down at him, tilting his head slightly as his eyes curved into gentle crescents. 

      “Come on, Shen Yuan. Don’t be shy.” Shen Yuan poked Zhuzhi-lang in the side for his cheeky words, earning a soft giggle from the snake demon. Tianlang-jun smiled, arms still open as he waited for Shen Yuan to walk forward. Shen Yuan sighed and slowly let go of Zhuzhi-lang’s sleeve. He stepped forward, eyes pinned on the ground before he looked up at Tianlang-jun with pleading eyes and a nervously bit lip. Tianlang-jun’s face grimaced and he clutched his chest, falling back. Shen Yuan watched with a disgusted questioning expression. 

     Did he just do the thing where anime characters get struck through the heart by someone elses’ cuteness? 

      Tianlang-jun straightened up from where he’d fallen backwards. Honestly Shen Yuan found it amusing how he could fall back in a perfect arch so his head was the only thing touching the ground. And then pull himself upright through pure ab strength. Shen Yuan eyed the musculature hidden beneath his robes. 

      He must be ripped underneath his clothes, though I should’ve expected that from his pecs.

      “Shen Yuan, that was TOO cute!” Arms wrapped around him and Shen Yuan recoiled, pushing against Tianlang-jun as the demon lord rubbed against his hair, the way cat owners sometimes rubbed their grumpy cats. He kicked Tianlang-jun in the stomach, earning a quiet oomph before Tianlang-jun straightened up, carefully cradling Shen Yuan against his chest. 

       Well. Even if he’s a fool, I won’t complain about how comfortable this is. Not that I’ll let him know either though. Shen Yuan carefully held tightly onto Tianlang-jun’s robes as he pressed his face against the crook of the demon lord’s neck. 

      “Well then nephew, shall we be off?” Tianlang-jun laughed and whirled, spinning on his heel, to sprint towards the portal. Shen Yuan went pale as he gripped tightly to Tianlang-jun’s robes while the man in question jumped, leaping into the portal at full speed. 

      Shen Yuan felt when they passed through, as though he’d just gone through a spray of water. Like the times in his youth when he’d been healthy enough to run with his siblings under the giant arcs from the sprinklers. They landed softly, kicking up a small cloud of dust. Shen Yuan looked around and his eyes widened when he realized they were outside the city, standing on the same cliff that he’d first seen the capital from. 

      “Zhuzhi-lang, is everything alright?” Shen Yuan looked back, seeing Zhuzhi-lang check the bag before nodding. 

      “Everything’s fine, uncle. Though I will admit, we ended up a bit further out than normal. Taking the path back will take at least a few hours.” Tianlang-jun laughed loudly, setting Shen Yuan on the ground. 

      “Zhuzhi, do you mind transforming into your tiny snake form? I’ll take care of the backpack, don’t worry about it!” Shen Yuan’s jaw dropped as Zhuzhi-lang set the backpack down and transformed. He’d seen his giant snake form before, but this was the complete opposite of that! Tianlang-jun reached down and lifted a tiny snake, no longer than the length from Shen Yuan’s wrist to finger tip. 

      “Take care of him!” Tianlang-jun said, holding out Zhuzhi-lang so the snake demon could wrap gently around Shen Yuan’s wrist. Shen Yuan watched as Tianlang-jun put on the backpack and turned around, pulling Shen Yuan back into his arms. 

      How is this supposed to help? He thought. Tianlang-jun saw his inquisitive look and grinned. 

      “We’re taking the shortcut.” Shen Yuan tilted his head in confusion while he faintly heard Zhuzhi-lang hiss out a sigh. 

      Shortcut?

      Tianlang-jun smirked, like he was fighting to keep a laugh down as he turned to face the city, walking towards the cliff edge with Shen Yuan in his arms. He carefully cradled Shen Yuan as he looked down, grin practically wolfish with delight as he spoke. 

     “Hold on tight, Ghostie ~ !”

     What does he m e AN-!!!!!

     Shen Yuan let out a shrill scream as he felt the ground drop from beneath them, Tianlang-jun having leapt off the cliff, now plummeting straight towards their DEATH. Shen Yuan’s hair whipped in his face while he shrieked, feeling like his stomach had jumped up to his throat. When he looked up, he could see Tianlang-jun beaming and laughing, proud and loud, as they fell. 

     He landed at an angle, sliding for a brief time before he launched himself back into the air, restarting the experience. Shen Yuan clung to him even as he felt Tianlang-jun tilt his body. 

     “What do you think, Ghostie? It’s a great view, isn’t it?” he shouted. Shen Yuan slowly peeked through his lashes, his pinched, fearful expression going lax as he took in the sight. 

     Just like when he’d first seen the capital, it was highlighted by the setting sun. Except that this time he had an aerial view instead of a landscape view, allowing him to peer down at the city and past it. Within the city, he could see dozens of tiny specks moving, some putting up lights that shone brightly in the coming dark. Behind the city he could see three clear sections on the horizon. To the East he could see the gleam of the ocean, shining gold in the setting sun. To the South he could see the shadow of massive trees, casting long shadows over the ground from the Southern jungles. To the West he could see the mountains rising tall in the background, painted in rich purples and golds. 

      His eyes were bright and glowing in the light of the setting sun, lips pulled in a wide, delighted grin. Tianlang-jun and Zhuzhi-lang watched their little family member as he finally let himself enjoy the experience. Tianlang-jun snickered to himself as he compared it to Zhuzhi-lang’s reaction when he’d first taken the shortcut. 

      “JUNSHANG!!! I’M SORRRRY!” Tianlang-jun laughed, letting his nephew curl tightly around his throat, clearly panicked. 

      “Relax, Zhuzhi! I promise I won’t let you get hurt! Just enjoy the ride!” The snake buried its head under his chin. 

      “SNAKES AREN’T SUPPOSED TO FLY!!”

      He glanced down at Zhuzhi-lang in the present time, fighting not to laugh at the way the snake demon had hidden himself further up Shen Yuan’s sleeve, curled around his elbow. It was easy for the small snake to wrap around the skinny limbs as they fell. 

      Tianlang-jun slid to a stop, causing dust to spit up as the demons in line to enter the city stopped to gape at him, before recognizing him. 

      “It’s the lord!” 

      Zhuzhi-lang snuck out of Shen Yuan’s sleeve and returned to his humanoid form as he carefully took the backpack from his uncle. 

     “My lord! Thank you for all you do!”

     “Thank you, my liege!”

     “Incredible jump, my lord!”

     “Who’s that in your arms, my lord?” Tianlang-jun’s eyes gleamed when someone called out the question, lifting Shen Yuan up a la Circle of Life/Simba, displaying him to the crowd. 

     “DEMONS! THIS IS MY NEW HEIR! ISN’T HE CUTE?” Shen Yuan flushed bright red and wriggled in Tianlang-jun’s arms, trying to smack the demon lord, even as Tianlang-jun laughed and easily evaded his small hands. There was a slight pause before the demons began to cheer as Tianlang-jun walked towards the gates, still carrying the scratching, kicking, and biting Shen Yuan. 

     “We have a new young master!”

     “Long live the Emperor and his Heirs!”

     “Long live the Emperor!”

     “Long live the Heirs!”

      “Congratulations!”

      Shen Yuan finally stopped kicking, choosing instead to bury his flushed face against Tianlang-jun’s pecs. Tianlang-jun laughed and poked his cheek, grinning at his youngest family member. Shen Yuan peeked up at Zhuzhi-lang over Tianlang-jun’s shoulder, hoping for support. Zhuzhi-lang, noticing Shen Yuan’s gaze, blinked before smiling at him and mouthing something. 

     “Good luck.”

      “Shen Yuan, don’t pout too much. We haven’t even reached the city proper!” Shen Yuan stared at Tianlang-jun in confusion while they strolled across the bridge into the city. 

      That’s an ominous thing to say…what is he planning?

      Once they’d entered the main bazaar in the city, Tianlang-jun paused and cleared his throat. Several demons nearby who noticed this crouched down and covered their ears. Shen Yuan tilted his head in confusion before quickly learning why they did that. 

     “DEMONS! I, TIANLANG-JUN, YOUR SAINTLY RULER HAVE FOUND A NEW HEIR! YOU WILL RESPECT HIM AND TREAT HIM AS YOU WOULD ME! AM I CLEAR?” Shen Yuan winced and covered his ears as Tianlang-jun shouted, voice echoing within the city to be carried probably through the whole city. “ALSO!” Tianlang-jun lifted Shen Yuan to show the crowd as he lowered his voice, finally speaking casually. “Isn’t he cute?” 

     “YEAAH!”

     “LONG LIVE THE HEIRS!”

     “LONG LIVE THE CUTE!”

     “LONG LIVE THE EMPEROR!”

     Shen Yuan flushed and hid his face against Tianlang-jun’s shoulder again while the crowd of demons cheered and laughed, some of the more daring ladies coming up to poke his cheek and coo. Several of the larger demons slammed their hands against Tianlang-jun’s back as they congratulated him, grinning broadly. 

     Shen Yuan looked over the city and studied how… cheerful the demons were. How human they seemed. In PIDW they were portrayed as a species that only paid attention to strength, yet here they dismissed strength and enjoyed luxury, even down to the lowest rank demon. They were happy with dozens of different species of demon children playing together the way human children might. He could see that several demons made their livings off of small trinkets that would’ve been completely overlooked in a ‘survival of the fittest’ type of world. 

     In PIDW…was there ever such a scene? Even when Luo Binghe unified the realms, I can’t think of a single instance where he went to a city as cheerful and mixed as this one. So…what happened between now and the start of the novel to bring about such a violent change? Did Tianlang-jun really have such a great impact on the demon realm? 

      Shen Yuan studied the demon lord, watching as he called to his citizens by name, asking about their families, their living situations, even their pets . Watched as Zhuzhi-lang accepted gifts from the children while the adults offered Tianlang-jun drinks and jars of wine. Watched as Tianlang-jun drank the wine, swallowing it down without a care and laughing as the other demons cheered. Shen Yuan smiled faintly, hiding his expression within the fur of Tianlang-jun’s cloak. 

      It really is…nice here.

      “Uncle, the Pastel Orcs are waiting at the castle,” Zhuzhi-lang murmured. Tianlang-jun glanced at him and grinned. 

      “Then let’s get going! We’ve probably kept them waiting long enough!” Tianlang-jun let Shen Yuan scamper at his feet while they approached the castle, the little ghost having demanded to be put down after he grew tired of ladies coming up to pinch his cheeks and coo over him. Trapped in Tianlang-jun’s arms as he had been, he hadn’t been able to escape their sharp claws and cold hands. 

      Tianlang-jun opened the door to the palace, causing the demon servants to scatter when they spotted him. He grabbed one of the faun looking demons by the back of their robes, turning them around to face him. 

      “Where are the Pastel Orcs?” he asked, smiling widely. The faun shivered and shook, tail tucked between her legs as she answered. Tianlang-jun let go and she sprinted out of the room. Shen Yuan tilted his head in confusion as he watched the servants flee. 

      I don’t understand. The demons in town adore him. Why is it that his servants are terrified? Maybe they’re just crazy?

      Tianlang-jun and Zhuzhi-lang walked towards a large room, Shen Yuan hot on their heels as they walked in, seeing the Pastel Orcs waiting behind a table with eager grins. The one at the front was the older orange one Shen Yuan had seen when he’d been purchased. The orc smiled and waved at the chair opposite him. 

      “Welcome, Tianlang-jun. It’s good to see you in good health,” he said. Tianlang-jun slid into the seat, pulling Shen Yuan on his lap while Zhuzhi-lang set the backpack down behind them. “Now then, I’m assuming you have the funds?”

      “I brought a variety of things today! We’ll start with the only monster we hunted down today, or maybe yesterday, I don’t know how much time has flown by. Zhuzhi-lang?” The table was loaded with the full body of the T-Rex’s corpse, piling it on top of each other. The orange orc studied the remains while Shen Yuan frowned, watching them. The orange orc kept looking between the corpse and Tianlang-jun, hiding a smile behind his hand as he rubbed his face. 

      He said that he and Zhuzhi-lang sold a mastodon and a T-Rex for about a billion last time they brought it in. That means this should be within a few hundred million, probably about seven hundred million since mastodons are slightly more common. Or at least, they’re common enough to be mentioned in PIDW.

      The orange orc shrugged as it put away a glowing magnifying glass. “It’s smaller than the last one, so we’ll offer you three hundred million for it.” Shen Yuan recoiled slightly, staring at the orc incredulously. 

      Even if it is smaller than the last one, there’s no way in hell you can get the corpse in this good condition for that cheap!

      “Was it smaller than the last one, Zhuzhi? My memory must be fading.” Zhuzhi-lang shrugged, clearly uncaring. Seeing this, Shen Yuan’s eyes snapped back to the orc, spotting a slight grin and sneer. He turned his head completely, watching as the orc smiled at him, or rather, over him. Smiled towards Tianlang-jun as the emperor discussed with his nephew. 

      “Alright, we’ll accept this. Zhuzhi-lang, bring out the next few things!” Shen Yuan watched with growing rage as the pastel orcs cheated Tianlang-jun of the money he was owed. 

      So what if the coins are no longer in circulation?? That makes them a collector’s item so you can sell them for MORE, not to mention that they’re larger than the gold coins used today and have a higher purity of gold! The fuck do you mean that the full four hundred million equals only two million?? The fuck is this scam??

     Shen Yuan bit his lip, keeping quiet as he watched the orcs cut down the prices of every item they got because Tianlang-jun didn’t care enough to check the value of the items and they knew it. Tianlang-jun set down the pot with the Blood Bloom’s petals in it, having checked with Shen Yuan to make sure the child was okay with them selling them before getting back to the city. 

     The orc leader took one look in and Shen Yuan saw for a brief moment, the way his eyes widened before he began to click his tongue sadly. 

     “These are from an uncommon plant, which would normally sell for a higher price, but they were incorrectly collected. They’re damaged so we’ll be willing to offer…three million.” Tianlang-jun opened his mouth to speak, accepting the price before he was cut off. 

     “That’s BULLSHIT.” His eyes widened and he looked down at Shen Yuan, taking in the way the ghost seethed, eyes dark with anger. “The Blood Bloom is a flower on the verge of extinction, known for its ability to heal regardless of species at a rate that matches heavenly demon blood restorative abilities. Just ONE of those petals should be worth at least fifty million.” 

     Shen Yuan glared down at the orcs, seeing how their jaws dropped to hear him speak. He felt Tianlang-jun lift a hand up, slowly pulling Shen Yuan’s hand away from his throat. Tianlang-jun laughed, a delighted noise as the orcs began to turn pale. Tianlang-jun tilted his head back, placing a hand over his eyes as he laughed. He lowered it, resting his chin on his hand as he stared at them, eyes dark and dangerous. 

     “Well, I was willing to play along with you guys for the sake of amusement, but it seems you’ve angered one of my heirs. Since he’s decided not to play along anymore, I see no reason to either.” His eyes glowed red as he grinned across the table, fingers flexing as long, dark claws extended from the tips of his fingers. His teeth, normally something Shen Yuan didn’t pay attention to, drew his eyes as they changed, becoming sharp fangs, similar to a shark’s teeth extending. 

     “What do you have to say? Shall we be honest about prices from here on out?” Tianlang-jun asked, phrasing it like it was a question. The orcs shivered as they stared at the two insulted heavenly demons and a supposedly mute, furious ghost. A dark, murderous aura seemed to cover that entire side of the room while the orcs shivered against the wall. 

     “I-” The orc leader cut himself off, bowing his head to Shen Yuan and Tianlang-jun. “This lowly one is sorry. We won’t repeat our mistake again.” Tianlang-jun smiled, teeth returning to normal while his claws tapped the desk. 

     “Good. Now then, there’s forty nine petals in there. If each sells for fifty million, are you sure you want to purchase them all? That alone would bring us up to a total worth of two billion, four hundred fifty million. Is that what you want?” The orcs quivered as they only purchased the amount of petals that was needed to remove the rest of Tianlang-jun’s billion gold debt. Once they left, practically running out with their loot, Tianlang-jun leaned back and stretched.

     “That took much less time than usual, right nephew?” Zhuzhi-lang nodded. 

     “Usually they’ll try to make sure that they drain everything we brought back. I’m surprised you didn’t go along with them like normal.” Tianlang-jun laughed, leaning his head back against the chair. 

     “Their audacity caused Shen Yuan to speak. As much as I love to hear him speak, the fact that he would do so when he himself hates to do it…well, I couldn’t just let them walk away with what they wanted, now could I? Though, I was surprised when you spoke up. Why did you do that?” Tianlang-jun asked Shen Yuan. He looked down, staring at the table as he muttered his reply. 

“They dared to mess…with my family.”

Chapter Text

     Tianlang-jun!! Shen Yuan slammed open the door to the throne room, glaring at the demon lord cowering behind Zhuzhi-lang. 

     “Ah ha ha…Shen Yuan, what brings you here?” Tianlang-jun asked, sweating nervously. Shen Yuan thrust out his fist, holding a scroll clenched tightly between his fingers. He let it drop and roll across the floor to the bottom of the throne’s pedestal, revealing the length of red numbers. Tianlang-jun looked away and Shen Yuan glared him down. Zhuzhi-lang, stuck in the middle, glanced between the two of them nervously before he quickly stepped aside, throwing his uncle to the wolves. 

     Shen Yuan’s eyes narrowed gleefully as he shot forward, even as Tianlang-jun cried out with betrayal. Shen Yuan gripped the demon lord’s skirts, glaring up at him as he dragged the demon lord behind him to his office. 

     “Zhuzhi! How could you betray me like this?? Shen Yuan, calm down, I can explain!” Shen Yuan yanked on Tianlang-jun’s robes as he kicked open the door to Tianlang-jun’s office. Tianlang-jun’s eyes widened when he saw how neat and organized his room was. 

     Damn right you should be in awe. Even if I cheated, it was still a disaster before! Shen Yuan pursed his lips as he recalled the previous state of the room. Scrolls laying open and closed, tossed haphazardly through the room. The furniture was almost completely buried under the piles. Shen Yuan had spoken, massaging his throat while he waited for the scrolls to organize themselves. He had then sorted through them based on how important it was that they were dealt with immediately. And lo and behold what he’d found. 

     We’re in the fucking RED! He spends exorbitantly and has very little money being made in his territory. Which is bullshit, but what can I do about that? Shen Yuan’s eyes darkened as a smirk curled his lips. A lot, is the correct answer. 

     Shen Yuan pointed at the desk, making it very clear that Tianlang-jun was going to sit down and do his work as an emperor . Tianlang-jun whined but obediently sat down, opening the top scroll. His eyes widened and he blinked, straightening from his slouched form as he read through the scroll. Shen Yuan watched him for a moment before sighing silently, running a hand through his hair. 

     I know he’s not an idiot. He’s actually surprisingly smart, so why does he waste his skills?? Why does he refuse to work? By delaying it, he’s only making it worse and he should fucking know that! Shen Yuan watched as Tianlang-jun quickly stamped and wrote on several of the scrolls. He sighed in relief when he finally reached the bottom of the pile, working on the last one quickly. 

     Unbeknownst to him, Shen Yuan had merely stored the other scrolls in his qiankun pouch sleeves. He took the pile of the next important ones and slid them on the desk, carefully so Tianlang-jun wouldn’t notice. Tianlang-jun set the scroll he was working on aside once it was finished and without looking up, took the next scroll. Shen Yuan smiled as he collected the previous stack of scrolls, carefully dividing them and taking them out to the hallway. 

     He lifted a tiny bell on the side of the hall and rang it, waiting for a moment as the heads of each department appeared in front of him. They smiled widely as Shen Yuan passed out the scrolls depending on which department they matched with. Once all the scrolls had been distributed, Shen Yuan walked back to the office while the servant heads disappeared into the servant passages. He studied Tianlang-jun as the demon lord dedicatedly did his work, quickly flying through the scrolls with seemingly no issue. 

     He really gets going once he’s started. I get why he didn’t want to work though, considering how this room seemed like it was completely devoured by the monster known as paperwork. Zhuzhi-lang crept up to Shen Yuan, flicking his tongue out in a question. 

     ‘How are you getting him to do that?’ Shen Yuan glanced at Zhuzhi-lang before looking back at Tianlang-jun. It really had been a good thing to get Zhuzhi-lang to teach him the method of communication between snakes. A complex pattern of tongue flicking that was rather difficult for Shen Yuan to learn. But at least it didn’t make any noise when he responded. So it didn’t technically count as talking. 

     ‘He doesn’t want to do it because there’s a lot of work to be done. Therefore, if you give it to him in smaller batches and then refill the batches when he doesn’t notice, he actually gets his work done. Incredible, isn’t it?’ Zhuzhi-lang stared at his uncle before he walked back out of the room while Shen Yuan replaced the scrolls. Shen Yuan glared down at his small child form while he pulled himself into one of the chairs. He had found a scroll that talked about their exports and how it was slow to get trade through the kingdom. Traders could only go so far before they’d have to start turning back, not to mention that they were slow. It could take a trade caravan a full two years to cover the whole of Tianlang-jun’s territory. That being, the whole demon realm.

     He’d found a scroll discussing the idea of creating giant roads between the territories, but Shen Yuan knew that even that would not be possible since there were too many issues between the territories. The Southern Jungles flooded often, almost completely rainy all the time. The Western demons had landslides and dozens of mountains that would either have to be destroyed or cut through. The Eastern shores got hurricanes that ripped up the roads or tossed stuff over them completely. The Northern Desert became completely inaccessible during winter because of how much snow would pile up, completely burying any roads. 

     Unless…what if it weren’t wagons being used? Shen Yuan pulled out a spare piece of paper and brush, sketching alternative ideas. The central territory is a desert-like area, primarily flat and wide. If you have a railway, then it should be relatively easy to cross the central territory. The Northern desert and Eastern shores could have a subway, making sure to reinforce the tunnels so that they don’t collapse with the weight above them. It would need constant checks to make sure it isn’t breaking too terribly. The Western mountains can either be blasted through or have the tracks weave between the mountains. Once they hit the valleys, it should be rather easy to lay track and reach the various towns and cities. As for the jungle…perhaps we could make a ship completely closed off. Then along the river, perhaps to one side only, we could set up one of the tracks for water rides. We’d have to do something on top as well, but at least that way even if the river floods the ship won’t go off course or get overturned. 

     Shen Yuan bit his thumb as he began drawing up the costs for the railroad, thinking of metals he knew were sturdy enough to hold while also having lower costs. He also thought about the type of train, because as much as he wanted to keep the design of the original trains, he understood the damage they did to their environment. 

     Though, it would be a bit more in line for the time period. As it is this will be pushing technology forward several decades, but that’s something that would be incredibly helpful for increasing trade and transportation. 

     He absentmindedly slid the next stack of scrolls onto Tianlang-jun’s desk, not noticing how the demon lord watched him with a fond smile as he nibbled on his thumb nail and wrote on his scroll. Zhuzhi-lang hovered awkwardly in the doorway, a tray of food held in his hands. He looked at his uncle and opened his mouth, tongue flicking out. 

     ‘Should we try to talk to him?’ Tianlang-jun shook his head, grabbing the top scroll and continuing the work his beloved heir had pushed on him. 

     Shen Yuan began sketching ideas out for the train, thinking of alternate sources of power that he knew of. Not every demon had strong cultivation and those that did would never choose to use it to power a train, so that option was out. He didn’t want to cause too much greenhouse gas, so he didn’t plan on using coal. Electricity required a generator of some sort and Shen Yuan wasn’t sure if they would have all the pieces needed to make that. Then his eyes widened as he finally figured it out. 

     GOT IT! I can power the trains with the spirit stones that form in the demon realm! Demons don’t use them, though the smart ones sell them to the human cultivators when they’re willing to play along. We can use them like coal and harvest the energy through arrays to power the train! It shouldn’t require a lot and those things can be found like pebbles on the ground. Even if they’re rare in the human realm, they’re so common here that people use them in low quality crafts. 

     Shen Yuan pulled out another piece of paper as he slid a new stack of scrolls onto Tianlang-jun’s desk, sketching out the design of the train. Zhuzhi-lang watched over his shoulder, eyes wide as he watched Shen Yuan create some sort of metal carriage. Shen Yuan grinned to himself as he continued working, falling completely into his creation. 

     Something poked Zhuzhi-lang in the side, causing him to turn. Tianlang-jun had completed his paperwork while Shen Yuan was distracted. Tianlang-jun lifted a finger to his lips and gestured for them to head out. Zhuzhi-lang nodded and followed obediently. Tianlang-jun stretched with a sigh.

     “Ah, Shen Yuan really is so diligent, isn’t he, nephew?” Zhuzhi-lang nodded, still thinking about the complex thing Shen Yuan was drafting. “I plan on putting some of Shen Yuan’s collections up for auction. That should get us out of the red.”

     “Are you sure that’s okay?” Tianlang-jun grinned at Zhuzhi-lang, dismissing his question. 

     “Shen Yuan already said that so long as we get the best deal out of it, it’s fair game for us to sell what he collected. Though he did say that we should put any poisons or dangerous living creatures up for sale at a higher price to try and keep people from buying them for cheap. After all, if they were easy to get your hands on, there would surely be quite a bit more political drama going on.” Zhuzhi-lang nodded. 

     “We need about three billion in profit, but that shouldn’t be too hard.” Zhuzhi-lang tugged on Tianlang-jun’s sleeve, causing the demon lord to drop the smile and turn to look at him, surprised. “What is it, Zhuzhi?”

     “I…I think Shen Yuan wants to build something. Can…can we aim for ten billion?” Tianlang-jun stared at his nephew for a moment before laughing loudly, clearly delighted by the plan. 

     “That’s quite an ambitious amount, Zhuzhi! Alright, let’s aim for ten billion. Considering the rarity and quality of the items Shen Yuan collects, I’m not too worried. Well then, let’s go rob some demon lords!”

     Shen Yuan yawned and stretched as he finally looked down at the completed product. The design was reminiscent of the original trains from his first life. With the giant chimney at the front, normally there to expel the smoke from burning coal, the triangular part at the front, the wheels held together by long pieces of metal, moving as one great beast. Despite that, he estimated that it would move at about the same speed as a bullet train. The steamboats he was thinking of having for the Southern Jungles would probably be the slowest of the trains. However, even though that was true, they’d be moving significantly faster than any of the wooden row boats that were currently used. 

     “Wow…that’s incredible! What is it?” Tianlang-jun asked, reaching over Shen Yuan’s shoulder to grab the paper for a better look. Shen Yuan scrambled to grab it back, glaring at Tianlang-jun. The demon lord let it go without a fight, easily letting Shen Yuan tuck it away. Tianlang-jun pouted. 

     “No words for your daddy?” Shen Yuan stiffened, then turned over his shoulder, expression scrunched in on itself like Gin from Gintama. Tianlang-jun puffed up with laughter before he began to die laughing, delightedly pointing at Shen Yuan’s face. 

     ‘Do NOT ever say that again.’ Tianlang-jun laughed, bending in half as he clutched his stomach. Shen Yuan glared down at him before smacking the back of his head, turning away with a small pout. Zhuzhi-lang smiled and studied the papers. 

     “Regardless, these are very impressive. What is it?” Shen Yuan glanced up at him and looked away for a moment before he sighed. 

     ‘It’s a method of transportation. One of the things this kingdom struggles with is the fact that there’s not a whole lot of travel between the groups. It allows prejudice to hold in the groups and keeps the rifts between them. This should speed up not only trade but also allow faster travel.’ Tianlang-jun stared seriously at the papers, tapping his chin slowly. 

     “Is it possible to do this?” Shen Yuan shrugged. 

     ‘I’m going to plot a route for tracks to go through the territories before I even begin to really try anything.'  Zhuzhi-lang stared at Shen Yuan. 

     “I hate to say this, I know you don’t like it, but wouldn’t your power be able to achieve this in a day? Is…is that a bad thing?” Shen Yuan looked at him and sighed. 

     ‘Even if I can create the tracks all across the realm with no problems and create the trains, I still need demons who know how to drive them. I’ve set up the design so it’s very easy, but that doesn’t mean it can just be up and running immediately.’

     “So are you going to manually build the tracks and the carriage or are you using your power?” Shen Yuan bit his lip at Tianlang-jun’s question before he sighed. 

     ‘I want to test how strong my powers are. This should be a good opportunity as I’ve never actually overused them.

     Tianlang-jun frowned worriedly and Zhuzhi-lang fidgeted awkwardly by the door. Tianlang-jun crouched in front of Shen Yuan, watching him carefully. 

     “Shen Yuan, if you’re going to be doing this, do you mind if Zhuzhi and I are there?” Shen Yuan went pale and Tianlang-jun carefully grasped his hand, cupping it in his own. “I’m worried about what will happen if you over extend your powers and no one is around to help. You might actually wipe out your existence, we don’t know. You’re not exactly a normal ghost after all.”

     “Please? We don’t want our family member to get hurt,” Zhuzhi-lang said, shooting Shen Yuan puppy dog eyes over Tianlang-jun’s shoulder. Shen Yuan cringed for a moment before he sighed and nodded. Both demons beamed as Tianlang-jun pulled Shen Yuan into his arms, gently carding his fingers through his hair. 

     “Alright. We’ll let the demon lords know about what’s happening, that way they won’t assume we’re attacking when we do this. That okay?” Shen Yuan nodded again and felt Tianlang-jun huff softly as he smiled and pulled Shen Yuan closer to kiss his forehead. “Good boy.”

     Shen Yuan glared at him, cheeks flushed red as he lifted a hand to cover his forehead where Tianlang-jun had kissed him. ‘Don’t treat me like a kid!’

     “My bad, my bad,” Tianlang-jun laughed, standing while he ruffled Shen Yuan’s hair. Shen Yuan pouted as he turned his back, feeling strangely unsatisfied. Then he felt two warm hands grab around his ribs and lift him up into the air, tucking him against a familiar, plush chest. Tianlang-jun beamed at Shen Yuan even as the boy crossed his arms and looked away, pouting to hide a small smile. 

     Shen Yuan stood outside, inhaling deeply and slowly as the moonlight spread around them. Tianlang-jun and Zhuzhi-lang were standing behind a large boulder a bit away as Shen Yuan slowly tried to calm himself down. He could see flashes of gold in his eyes, causing him to lose focus and begin to hyperventilate. He gripped his hand painfully tight as he forced himself to calm down, slowly relaxing again. He stared out at the purple desert, trying to keep his mind on where he was now and not then. He inhaled deeply, hands reaching up to circle his throat as he spoke loudly and clearly. 

     “Form straight, safe tracks along the predetermined route through the demon realm. Create four trains per station and repeat on the river in the jungles. Create a path safe for humans to use. Form a type 1 locomotive from the design I built.” Shen Yuan barely managed to squeeze that last phrase out from how hard his hands were constricting his throat, cutting off all breath. He choked for air, desperately trying to get it back as he felt blood pool between his fingers. 

     Warm, strong hands gently lifted his hands from his throat as he felt himself pulled against a strong chest. Shen Yuan leaned back, looking up at Tianlang-jun as the demon lord positioned Shen Yuan in his lap. Seeing that Shen Yuan was watching him, Tianlang-jun smiled and ruffled his hair. 

     “Well done, Shen Yuan. It looks like it’s going strong. The tracks haven’t stopped forming yet. We’ll have to see if they complete the lines, but it looks like they should.” Shen Yuan nodded slowly. It felt like he was underwater. He wasn’t tired, but everything he heard and saw seemed warped and unfamiliar. Like when he woke up and his limbs felt like lead even though he consciously knew it would be so easy to get up and go.

     “That’s good,” he whispered. 

     I think I’m gonna go to sleep now…

     Clearly Shen Yuan had underestimated exactly how much change the trains would bring once they were up and running. There were over a dozen new full scrolls that needed to be checked, peace treaties that needed to be reworked to accommodate for the new visitors and traders, and of course, ways to defend the tracks. Strangely enough, despite many attacks on the trains and the tracks themselves, no one had been able to damage either. It seemed that fights could still happen on the train but if they got too severe, the aggressor would usually be thrown off the train by an unknown force. After that, the trains would beep every time someone with a history of violence on the trains showed up. 

     I didn’t design a feature like that, so I don’t even know why it’s doing it. Is it like a metal detector but somehow the trains store the memories of who started fights?? I don’t understand!

     Tianlang-jun groaned, leaning back in his chair as he dealt with the last of the scrolls, finally done cleaning up the mess the trains created almost a full two months after it had all started. Zhuzhi-lang and Shen Yuan had been working overtime to try and help him. Shen Yuan more than Zhuzhi-lang because it was Shen Yuan’s idea to begin with. It seemed like Shen Yuan was being given credit for the trains, thus making him rather famous in the demon realm. Because of that, in addition to the train mess, there was a large influx of wedding invitations for Shen Yuan. Despite the fact that he was eternally ten years old, someone thought it would be a good idea to wed their daughters to him. Or wed him to their sons. 

     Those who had suggested such a thing had faced Tianlang-jun in open combat. 

     There had yet to be any survivors.

     “We should go on vacation. It’s been too long since we’ve visited the human realm!” Tianlang-jun said, stretching as he stood up. Shen Yuan stared at him warily as Zhuzhi-lang sighed. 

     “I’ll tell the servants, Junshang. Are we bringing Shen Yuan?” Tianlang-jun scoffed, as if Zhuzhi-lang had asked a stupid question. 

     “Of course we’re bringing him! Who knows what would happen to him if we left him here! No doubt someone would try to kidnap him and rape him!” Shen Yuan flinched at the word, looking away and feeling sick. He shook his head, trying to dispel the thought as he followed Tianlang-jun. The demon lord grabbed a massive bag of gold, even under Shen Yuan’s questioning stare. 

     Where are we going and what are we doing that we need to pay in gold coins only? Does he have ANY silver or copper? Shen Yuan spotted the silver and copper coins, tucked away behind the gold. He sighed and grabbed a bag of each, sticking them in his qiankun pouch sleeves. He followed Tianlang-jun out as they met up with Zhuzhi-lang. 

     ‘How are we getting there? Is there a portal?’ Shen Yuan asked Zhuzhi-lang. Zhuzhi-lang looked down at him and smiled. 

     ‘Nope. We’re traveling my way. Junshang says portals to the human realm feel weird, so he doesn’t like them.’  

     “I can see you gossiping about me behind my back!” Tianlang-jun said playfully, waggling a finger at Shen Yuan and Zhuzhi-lang. “Come, children, to the human realm!”

     They walked outside the city, passing by dozens, maybe even hundreds of new faces in the town. There were still cheers and welcomes from the familiar citizens. Once outside, Shen Yuan looked for a carriage or something, yet there was nothing but a line of demons waiting to get into the city, some pointing at Tianlang-jun and Zhuzhi-lang. Shen Yuan had hidden behind Tianlang-jun, already annoyed with the attention he gained in town. 

     “Alright, Zhuzhi! You should be good here!” Zhuzhi-lang nodded and for the second time in his life(?) Shen Yuan saw Zhuzhi-lang’s giant snake form. It stood out against the purple landscape with the mottled brown and green patterns. Shen Yuan could see that he had the body of a python, more designed to constrict, but he also had the hood of a cobra. He vaguely reminded Shen Yuan of Jafar’s snake form from Aladdin. Except, less evil and green and brown. 

     Zhuzhi-lang lowered his head, waiting for Shen Yuan and Tianlang-jun. Tianlang-jun wrapped his arms around Shen Yuan and leapt on top of Zhuzhi-lang, laughing as he sat down on the center of his nephew’s head, planting Shen Yuan in his lap. 

     “Let us be off, nephew!” Zhuzhi-lang shot forward, slithering across the desert at record speeds. Shen Yuan watched as the city grew fainter and fainter behind them and the sky began to change into a strange bruise purple as the red sky of the demon realm met with the bright blue of the human realm. 

     Shen Yuan frowned, peering at the movement he could see in front of him, squinting his eyes to spot the small specks. He tugged Tianlang-jun’s sleeve and pointed at what were probably humans preparing to fight. ‘Should we find another way?’

     Tianlang-jun laughed. “No, they’re just being fussy. They’ve tried to put a barrier lining the edge of the realms. We’re just going to blast through it like normal. FORWARD ZHUZHI! RIDE, MY STEED!”

     Shen Yuan pinched Tianlang-jun in the nipple, earning a pained yelp from the demon lord as he glared at him. Tianlang-jun smiled sheepishly as he patted Zhuzhi-lang’s head in apology. 

     “Sorry, Zhuzhi. Now, CHARGE!” A delighted grin appeared in his eyes as a golden barrier appeared in front of them in the air. Zhuzhi-lang slammed through it, as though it were made of paper. Shen Yuan could hear the cultivators shouting as they escaped into the forest, Zhuzhi-lang shrinking down to hide easier. Once they were certain that the cultivators had given up, Zhuzhi-lang transformed back to his human form, letting Tianlang-jun hold Shen Yuan as they dropped to the ground. 

     “Good, good! Now we can head to the nearest human village!” Shen Yuan stared at him in confusion. 

     ‘You do realize that you both still have your demon marks showing and I am a fucking ghost? How do you expect to blend in a city?’ Tianlang-jun grinned and suddenly it was like he glitched in midair. Shen Yuan watched as a tiny wave flowed through his body, like the way the light particles would glow brighter in a solid row for one of the animated holograms in Star Wars Attack of the Clones.

     As the wave flowed over Tianlang-jun, his features slowly normalized. He looked exactly like himself, but there were small details that helped hide what he was. His demon mark had disappeared, his pointed ears were suddenly round, his teeth were less pointed, he no longer had claws, and his demonic energy had disappeared. When Shen Yuan whirled to look at Zhuzhi-lang, he saw the same thing had happened to him. All his scales had disappeared and his defining demon marks were gone. Shen Yuan studied them before looking down at himself. 

     Still see through.

     “As for you, we brought this specifically for that.” Shen Yuan looked up and saw Tianlang-jun holding some sort of talisman. “We can put it on your back under your robes and boom! No one knows any better!” 

     Shen Yuan stared at him for a moment before snatching it from him and sneaking it under his robes, sticking it to his skin. The moment it touched his body, he stared as he actually gained solidity, form no longer see through. He reached out and grabbed hold of a nearby tree, eyes lighting up as he realized he could feel the tree bark. He could feel how scratchy and hard it was, unlike when normally his hand just traced over the object vaguely. 

     “I take it you like it?” Tianlang-jun asked. Shen Yuan nodded happily. Tianlang-jun happily carried Shen Yuan, looking to all the world a proud father. He smiled widely and laughed as Shen Yuan stared at the town in mute wonder. The town folk stared at them strangely for a moment before they dismissed them, apparently used to strange people. Besides, the child with lilac eyes and black hair seemed so excited that they couldn’t help but be happy for the child. 

     Then Tianlang-jun walked into a bookshop, still carrying Shen Yuan on his hip. The clerk seemed to recognize him. 

     “Ah, Zhao Zhaohui! It’s been quite a while since I last saw you! Are you here to pick up the order you placed?” The clerk’s eyes flicked to Shen Yuan before looking up. Shen Yuan tilted his head in confusion as the clerk fidgeted nervously with his hands. 

     “Yes! I’ve been dying to get my hands on them, but I was so busy at home that I simply didn’t have the chance to stop by!” The clerk looked back at Shen Yuan briefly before smiling at Tianlang-jun. 

     “Would you like to have the child go outside while I retrieve the books?” Tianlang-jun shook his head. 

     “No, it’s fine. Just bring them and I’ll pay you.” Shen Yuan watched as the clerk went pale, heading into the back room to pull out a hefty stack of books. Shen Yuan narrowed his eyes as he took in a couple of the titles. 

     Chrysanthemum Night? Goddess Flower Garden? Steamy, Passionate Nights Volume 3? Are these what I think they are?

     Tianlang-jun accidentally knocked one of the books off. Judging from where it had been placed on the stack, Shen Yuan recalled the title being Chrysanthemum Night. He slowly turned his head, hearing the creaking noise that usually showed up in anime when the character knew they were in trouble. He looked down and sure enough, there was a picture of a young man laying on his back, face twisted in pleasure as a grizzled, older man licked at his…

     Shen Yuan thrashed in Tianlang-jun’s arms, shoving at him to dart out of the bookstore. He could hear Tianlang-jun calling for him as he ran away, ignoring Zhuzhi-lang where he stood outside. 

     I KNEW IT! I FUCKING KNEW THAT TIANLANG-JUN WAS BUYING PORN! THE FUCKING CLERK GAVE IT AWAY, GOD, NO WONDER HE WANTED THE CHILD TO LEAVE! EVEN IF I HAVE THE MIND OF SOMEONE IN THEIR TWENTIES, I’M STILL IN THE BODY OF A TEN YEAR OLD!

     Shen Yuan slowed, panting for breath as he looked around, realizing that he had no idea where he was. This wasn’t the part of town that he and Tianlang-jun had entered. It didn’t have the bright liveliness of the other area. Not to mention…Shen Yuan looked ominously at the bright red lanterns on the buildings around him. 

     Shen Yuan quickly hid himself in a small alleyway, quivering and shaking as he looked around, keeping his eyes peeled for any perverts. He saw a man-no, a young man come out of the building. He looked to be in his early twenties at best, well put together in pale cream and mint robes. His hair was pulled up in a neat ponytail, hanging almost to his butt. He smiled and bowed politely to the ladies that stood in front of him. 

     Shen Yuan blushed as he spotted the ladies, taking in their scanty clothing and large breasts. Tianlang-jun had large pecs, but these were definitely breasts. His eyes bulged as he looked away, face bright red. 

     I saw her nipples! Shameless!

     Despite that, he still listened as the girls spoke to the boy. It seemed like he had actually been helping them, not engaging in sexual acts. Not to mention that if he had been having sex with them, he probably would’ve been paying the lady by now.

     “Thank you so much, A-Jiu. We’re so grateful for what you’ve done. We were so worried about that skinner demon!”

     “You’ve saved all of us, we won’t forget this.”

     “Don’t worry about it. I was just doing my duty,” the youth, A-Jiu(?), said. He bowed to the ladies and turned to step away. 

     A large cloud of dust kicked up in the air, causing Shen Yuan to cough and wave in front of his face, blinking out tears from the dust that had gotten into his eyes. 

     Ah. I forgot the inconveniences of having a physical body. Now then, what the hell caused that? Did Tianlang-jun find me?

     “SHEN JIU!” A loud voice roared. The dust cleared and Shen Yuan’s eyes widened when he saw the prostitutes collapsed to their knees while the youth had been grabbed by a second young man. This young man was exceedingly pretty, with long black hair, grey eyes, and white robes with silver accents. “HOW DARE YOU?! DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH THIS DAMAGES YOUR CULTIVATION!? DO YOU WANT TO BRING FURTHER DISGRACE TO OUR SECT?”

     The first youth, Shen Jiu, glared at the second and shoved his hands, forcing the second to let go. He took a step back, glaring at the newcomer. 

     “What does it matter to you what I do in my free time? What right do you have to interfere in my personal business?” he snarled. Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow. 

     This kid clearly hasn’t been sleeping with anyone. Doesn’t he know it’s only going to create more miscommunications if he keeps talking like that? Not denying it is basically as good as admitting it in the eyes of his type.

     “You-! How dare you! You dare bring shame upon the sect when you’re the one with low cultivation who came late! You-” 

     “So what?” Both youths turned in surprise, staring at Shen Yuan while he glared at them, resting against a nearby building. He’d specifically chosen the pose he felt would look best. It was that half leaning against a building with arms crossed and head tilted slightly pose while he glared at the two. 

     “What?”

     “Who’s the one making a fuss in broad daylight over something I’m sure NONE of your other martial siblings have participated in. Not to mention,” he said, chuckling darkly and fighting to keep his hands crossed despite the urge to bring them up in front of his mouth in terror, “You didn’t even ask the wonderful jiejies over there what he’d been doing with them? You just made assumptions despite being a ‘righteous’ cultivator? Tsk tsk.”

     “You dare-” He went for his sword and Shen Yuan felt his smile disappear from his face as something dropped to his stomach, leaving him shaky and weak. Immediately the first youth stepped forward at the same time a second force landed in the street, cracking the ground with his landing. 

     “YUAN-ER! YOU’RE ALRIGHT!” Tianlang-jun wrapped his arms tightly around Shen Yuan, hugging him tightly against his chest. He inhaled slowly before releasing Shen Yuan so he could look him straight in the eye. “Please, don’t ever run off like that again. You worried Zhuzhi and I sick !”

     Shen Yuan nodded, looking down. Tianlang-jun sighed and pulled Shen Yuan against him, lifting the child into his arms while he turned to look at the situation. 

     “Still though, to think someone from the famous Liu family would dare attempt to draw their sword on a child…have they fallen from grace? Is this the end of the world?” Tianlang-jun asked, words snapping from his tongue like the crack of a whip. The second youth flinched even as the first pressed his hand down, keeping the sword in its sheath. 

     “Apologies, this one is a brute. He’s still learning his manners,” Shen Jiu said, bowing to Tianlang-jun in apology. Tianlang-jun snorted. 

     “Really. A disgrace to the Cang Qiong Mountain Sect and to his family. If he were of my clan I wouldn’t let him leave the house without being certain he knew better than to draw his blade on a child or martial brother.” The second was shaking with rage, face red with anger even as his martial brother stepped between Tianlang-jun and him. Tianlang-jun eyed them with a bit of interest, noting that Zhuzhi-lang had positioned himself behind the two in case it came to a conflict. “Still though, this is quite the interesting sight. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a Qing Jing Peak disciple defend a Bai Zhan Peak disciple, especially after being insulted by them. You must have a merciful heart, young scholar.”

     Tianlang-jun bowed to the young boy in what Shen Yuan now recognized as Qing Jing Peak robes. They seemed to be of a normal disciple level, likely a junior disciple. Even though the second person was around the same age, he seemed to be in what had to be some of the most detailed robes Shen Yuan had ever seen, likely a senior disciple or even maybe the head disciple. “As a thanks for showing me something so interesting, I shall leave now. Zhuzhi! Let’s go!” 

     The one in white jolted as Zhuzhi-lang stepped past him, pausing to lean down and whisper something in his ear as he passed. Shen Jiu watched him warily and Shen Yuan realized that the way the Qing Jing Peak disciple fingered something in his sleeve was very reminiscent of how one would finger a hidden blade. 

     “Now then, I think that’s enough excitement for the day. Shall we return home?” Tianlang-jun asked when Zhuzhi-lang caught back up with them. Shen Yuan stared balefully at him.

     ‘This is your fault. I wouldn’t have run off if you hadn’t decided to buy PORN with a child present. Tianlang-jun pouted. 

     “I felt like you would be okay with it! I definitely didn’t mean for you to see the cut-sleeve one out of all of them. That was my bad. Shen Yuan glared at him before looking away, saying nothing else. Tianlang-jun laughed and together the three returned to the demon realm. 

Bonus:

     “Shixiong…why are demons so cruel?” one of the junior disciples asked, tears dripping down their face as they stared after the massive snake heading back into the demon realm. “We just spent the past few hours fixing the barrier and now we have to start all over again.”

     “You get used to this. That’s why being assigned here is a punishment,” the senior disciple said, staring dully at the air, a smile frozen on their face. “You get used to it.”

Chapter Text

     “Aah, I think I’ll head to the human realm today,” Tianlang-jun said, completely out of the blue. Shen Yuan stared at him with a questioning look. 

     ‘You know that both Zhuzhi-lang and I are busy today, right? I have to handle matters related to the railroads and he’s busy dealing with YOUR court?’ Tianlang-jun smiled at Shen Yuan. 

     “I know, but I feel like going. It’s okay, neither of you have to come with me.” Zhuzhi-lang froze while Shen Yuan, who had turned back to his paperwork, snapped around on his heel, staring incredulously at Tianlang-jun. 

     ‘You must be joking, right? You? Alone in the human realm? I can smell trouble brewing from a mile away.’ Zhuzhi-lang looked away, staring out the window while Tianlang-jun pouted at Shen Yuan. 

     “Rude! I’ve been alone in the human realm before, I even made friends there!” he protested. Shen Yuan stared at him like he was dog shit he’d just found on his shoe. 

     ‘That does not reassure me in the slightest.’ Tianlang-jun frowned. 

     “Why not?” Shen Yuan tapped his chin, looking around as if thinking deeply as he replied. 

     ‘Oh, I don’t know. The singular friend of Linguang-jun is going to the human realm and has made friends with humans before. He, the bringer of chaos and the demon emperor, is going to the human realm without an escort. Yeah, I wonder why I’m worried.’ Shen Yuan gave Tianlang-jun a deadpan stare, glaring him down, even as Tianlang-jun deflated. 

     “I’ve been there plenty of times before I found either of you! I was fine then, I’ll be fine now!” Shen Yuan sighed. 

     ‘Who knows what kind of strays you’ll bring home. Last time, even WITH us there, you brought back over a dozen cursed items. That was when we were actively TRYING to stop you from making bad decisions. I fear what calamity you’ll bring if you go alone.’ Tianlang-jun frowned, putting his hands on his hips. 

     “Shen Yuan, I know you’re worried, but I’ll be fine. Even if the full might of the four great sects challenged me, I’d still be able to fight them off! The only thing you need to fear is that I find a woman who I fall in love with! Even then, I haven’t found anyone yet, so I’m not worried about that either!” Shen Yuan watched him warily before looking at Zhuzhi-lang. Once the snake demon was looking back at him, Shen Yuan questioned him. 

     ‘What do you think? Is it okay?’ Zhuzhi-lang sighed. 

     “I don’t think Junshang will intentionally bring trouble to the demon realm. It wouldn’t be like him to drag us into his messes. If he gets into any trouble, he’ll clean it up on his own.” Shen Yuan frowned, glancing back at the demon lord. He sighed and turned to face Tianlang-jun. 

     ‘If you’re going to the human realm despite knowing it’s a bad idea to go alone, then at least take some money that isn’t gold. Hundreds of silver, whatever. Just don’t needlessly pay in gold.’ Tianlang-jun tilted his head. 

     “Why not? The merchants always seem pleased when I bring them gold coins.” Shen Yuan sighed, rubbing his forehead before he spoke. 

     ‘That’s because they’re ripping you off and they know it. Whatever you buy in the human realm, it probably isn’t worth a couple dozen gold coins. A singular gold coin is the ANNUAL wage for a VERY WEALTHY merchant. And you just toss them out to any street vendor like it’s candy. Try not to cause inflation while you’re over there.’ Tianlang-jun grinned, throwing himself towards Shen Yuan. 

     “Does this mean I have your approval to go?” He froze mid step when Shen Yuan’s lilac eyes flashed to him, gleaming coldly as they stared him down despite Shen Yuan being a good three or four feet shorter than the demon lord.

     ‘It means that I expect you to bring yourself back in one piece, preferably without any drama following behind you. UNDERSTOOD?’ Tianlang-jun gulped but nodded. Shen Yuan glared at him for a moment more, huffing and turning back to his paperwork. Tianlang-jun grinned and grabbed Zhuzhi-lang by his shoulders. 

     “Well then Zhuzhi! I’ll ask that you drop me off on the edge of a human village! You should be able to get back in time for the court!” Tianlang-jun laughed, dragging Zhuzhi-lang behind him. Zhuzhi-lang looked back at Shen Yuan, desperately pleading with him. 

     ‘If I don’t make it back in time for court, please take over for me! I’ll have an interpreter on standby!’ Shen Yuan nodded, flipping through the papers as he wrote replies to some of the conductors and train operators. He sighed, rubbing his head in annoyance. 

     Why did Tianlang-jun decide to leave now?? He hasn’t even been doing his work, so Zhuzhi-lang and I have had to do it for him! I wish I could go on strike. Sadly, doing that would undermine his authority and cause issues in the empire.

     Shen Yuan worked, sitting at Tianlang-jun’s desk as he neatly worked through each of the scrolls. He looked up to check the sundial and sighed, standing up. 

     I should check if Zhuzhi-lang is back yet. I doubt it, knowing Tianlang-jun, but I really don’t want to deal with the court. It’s all a bunch of power hungry brutes trying to snuggle up with the current ruler until they’re close enough to stab Tianlang-jun in the back.

     Shen Yuan walked down to the courtroom, scanning across it. He sighed to himself when he noticed the distinctive lack of Zhuzhi-lang’s presence and the tense atmosphere as the scribes waited for whoever would be in charge of court that day. He snapped his fingers, drawing his attention as he strode up to the chair where he would be overseeing the meeting. 

     ‘Unfortunately, Tianlang-jun has decided to take a vacation and dragged Zhuzhi-lang along as transportation. Thus, I have been asked to oversee this meeting,’ Shen Yuan said, the translator flawlessly reporting his words. Shen Yuan scanned his eyes over the crowd of demons, several of the older and brawnier demons watching him. One of them grinned and stood. 

     “Why do we have to listen to a mere ghost? I say we take over the castle while the two heavenly demons are out! Then we could take their precious heir hostage!” He and several others jumped at Shen Yuan as he sighed. He looked up, hands gripping the armrests tightly as he murmured under his breath. 

     “Stop. Leave and do not return.” His throat throbbed painfully as the demons froze in midair before they were blasted through the door, as if Shen Yuan had flung them across the room. The scribes went pale as they wrote what they had observed, practically shaking in their boots. 

     “Well that was an interesting welcome,” a voice said. Shen Yuan looked up at the door as a man clad in red stepped over the broken door, a little girl in red and white following after him as she spun and danced over the bodies. A tall, stoic looking man in blue trailed after them, much more elegantly, stepping over and one the bodies littering the door. A teenager in blue and black followed after him, also silent. Shen Yuan’s eyes narrowed. 

     Jiuzhong-jun and Mobei-jun, here while Tianlang-jun is gone with both their heirs. I’m surprised the other two demon lords aren’t here as well. Shen Yuan sighed, rubbing his face as he looked at them, eyes suspicious and questioning. 

     ‘I’m assuming you came here to speak with Tianlang-jun?’

     Jiuzhong-jun grinned, revealing sharp fangs. Shen Yuan watched as his daughter, Sha Hualing, laughed as she stepped on several of the barely breathing demons who’d attacked Shen Yuan. 

     “Indeed we did, does he happen to be in right now?” Shen Yuan sighed. 

     ‘Tianlang-jun and Zhuzhi-lang are both currently out right now. It is unclear when they will be returning. For the time being, I will have rooms prepared for you if you so desire to stay, but please understand that I will tolerate no disrespect to either of my family members.’ Jiuzhong-jun held up his hands in a peaceful manner as the translator relayed the message. 

     “No need to worry about that, I have no intention of challenging the emperor or you in his place. In fact, I came here actually to meet you!” Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow at the man, lilac eyes glaring down at him. 

     ‘Really? What for?’ Jiuzhong-jun grinned as he grabbed Sha Hualing’s shoulder and pushed her forward, towards the throne. She curtseyed, fucking curtseyed , at him and grinned up at him. 

     “I came to introduce my heiress! I believe Mobei-jun had similar intentions but he and I haven’t spoken in several decades!” Shen Yuan stared down at Jiuzhong-jun before his eyes slid over to Mobei-jun. The current Mobei-jun looked very similar to the fanart he’d seen of the next Mobei-jun, Luo Binghe’s right hand man. 

     The current Mobei-jun had crows feet around his eyes and they were a much brighter blue than the next Mobei-jun’s. His eyes were more like snow with a light glaze of ice, while his son had eyes the color of light blue kyanite. Still blue, just different shades. Additionally, the older Mobei-jun wore exclusively blue and white while his son wore black and blue. 

     ‘That’s quite nice. Well then, I am Shen Yuan, the third in line for the throne of demon emperor and Tianlang-jun’s fortune. It’s a pleasure to meet with you both.’ Jiuzhong-jun grinned and Shen Yuan looked at Sha Hualing, seeing the way she cocked her head at him. His eyes narrowed as he recalled a scene from PIDW.

     ‘“Husband, what are you talking about?” Luo Binghe chuckled as he sipped his wine, eyeing his wife over the rim of his goblet. 

     “Did you know? You have a tell for when you find something interesting, particularly if you want to own it.” Sha Hualing pouted, pressing her chest against Luo Binghe.

     “Whatever do you mean, husband? I have no such tell.” Luo Binghe laughed, throwing back the rest of his wine before kissing her deeply, letting her drink the wine from his mouth as he smiled down at her darkly, watching her eyes go wide and panicked. 

     “Did you really think I wouldn’t notice you putting something in my wine? You must be brave, believing you’ve found a substance that would work on a heavenly demon.” Sha Hualing coughed, desperately trying to vomit up the wine. Luo Binghe smiled at her, rising to his feet and stalking over to her as she crouched on the floor. 

     “H-Husband, I-I didn’t-”

     “Sha Hualing, your tell. You cock your head every time you’re interested or curious about something. You’ve been doing it ever since you gave me the wine. So,” he crouched down, gripping her chin in his hands, squeezing harder than necessary. “Do you want me to cure you? You know I can.”

     The blood parasites flowing through Sha Hualing activated, buzzing through her body as Luo Binghe smiled down at his writhing wife. She moaned and tried to finger herself, only for her fingers to freeze before getting close. 

     “Husband, please! Please, husband!” Luo Binghe chuckled as he pressed a boot against her nether regions, grinding hard on her clit, causing her to scream even as he prevented her from orgasming. 

     “Swear you won’t try anything like this again. Not that you’d be able to fool me, but I want to hear it from your gorgeous, deceitful lips.” Sha Hualing gasped, tears budding in her eyes. Her eyes rolled back as Luo Binghe ground his boot against her body. 

     “I won’t! NEveR AGAin! I SWeAR! I Won’T POIsON YoU! HUSBAND!” She orgasmed almost agonizingly hard as her back arched off the floor, vaginal fluid spraying all over her husband’s leg.’

     Shen Yuan stared down at her before looking away, distinctly uncomfortable with the amount of knowledge he held over this child’s future sex life. She looked to be maybe eight at this time. Shen Yuan had known she’d been a little older than Luo Binghe. She’d revealed it after one of their passionate nights, explaining how she’d accidentally paused her aging when she was younger. Thus when she met Luo Binghe while he was fourteen, she looked fifteen. Shen Yuan studied her, tilting his head. 

     I never thought she was almost a decade older than him. Not that that would be the largest age gap between Luo Binghe and some of his wives.

     His eyes slid over to the young Northern lord, keeping eye contact with the boy. It seemed he currently dressed more modestly compared to his fanart depictions. Perhaps that was just for now and later he would start wearing more revealing robes, much like his father was. 

     I knew about the chest display, but no one mentioned that they put slits in their pants and robes so you could see flashes of their skin when they walked! 

     “Does my daughter suit your taste, young lord?” Shen Yuan froze, slowly turning to look at Jiuzhong-jun. 

     ‘What.’ Jiuzhong-jun faltered when he saw the dark look on Shen Yuan’s face. 

     “I mean-”

     ‘I’m going to give you ONE chance to take back your words and what I believe you meant by them. If you do not, then you shall face Tianlang-jun when he returns as have all those who suggested suitors and brides for me. If anything, I have to question if this timing was intention. After all, I’m sure you’re aware of what Tianlang-jun has been doing to those who suggested marriage with me in ANY form.’ Jiuzhong-jun flinched and looked away, surprisingly intimidated by the threat and gaze of a ten year old. Unbeknownst to Shen Yuan, his eyes were glowing as he glared down at the scum father. Shen Yuan turned his gaze towards the current Mobei-jun. ‘Was what he suggested also your intention?’

     “No, Huawang-lang, that was never my intention.” Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow at the title, unfamiliar with it. 

     I’ve been called Ghost lord, Wisp Walker, and Mad Genius, but Flowering Lord is a new one for me. I wonder what his intentions and meaning are when he calls me that.

     ‘Then what is your purpose?’ Mobei-jun bowed his head, gesturing to his son. 

     “I simply wish for you to form a strong friendship with my son as you are the closest to his age among the royal family. Therefore I felt it would be beneficial for both groups that you grow close with each other.” Shen Yuan pinched the bridge of his nose. 

     So a brown noser and a potentially dead matchmaker. Wonderful. Zhuzhi-lang, please come back soon.

     Just as he’d thought that he heard a hissing cry through the palace as two gold eyes gleamed from beyond the door. 

     “SHEN YUAN!” Zhuzhi-lang came in full speed, no need to wait for the door to open since it was already broken anyways. Right before crashing into the throne where Shen Yuan sat, he transformed back into his human form. It was honestly fascinating to watch, kind of like if a slinky had suddenly been stopped and was all collecting together to form one mass. “Are you alright? Are you hurt? Why is the door broken? Why are the Northern and Southern demon lords here? Did they try anything? Don’t worry, we can burn them both if they did.”

     Shen Yuan sighed, patting Zhuzhi-lang’s hair as the snake demon hissed angrily at the two demon lords. 

     ‘I’m fine. They didn’t do anything. Apparently they both simply wanted to introduce their heirs to me. They also supposedly had some business with Tianlang-jun, though I’m willing to bet that said business was merely introducing their kids to me.’ Zhuzhi-lang sighed in relief, leaning heavily against Shen Yuan. 

     “I’m sorry I got here so late, Ghostie.” Shen Yuan sighed and patted his head. 

     ‘You’re here now. That’s what’s important. Now, I’m going to leave the court to you while I try to find something else to do. Is that okay?’ Zhuzhi-lang nodded, straightening up to glare down at the demons cowering on the lower levels. 

     “I will be taking over from here on out. Is that clear?” The demons nodded, eager to actually begin court, this time hopefully without interruption. Jiuzhong-jun clicked his tongue softly before smiling at Shen Yuan and Zhuzhi-lang. 

     “Well, if that’s the case, I’ll be happy to find out where I can stay during the period I’m here waiting,” he said, turning to head out. 

     “Where are you going, Jiuzhong-jun? I would love nothing more than to hear how the North and South are doing. Why don’t you stay and participate in the court? It would be greatly appreciated,” Zhuzhi-lang hissed, eyes glaring down at Jiuzhong-jun as if to say ‘I know what you’re trying to do, and I’m not letting it happen.’ He smiled, allowing some of his fang to peek past his lips as his face was cast into shadow by his long hair. “Stay. I promise there will be plenty of time to sort out living spaces LATER.”

     Jiuzhong-jun whispered something to his daughter before turning and stalking towards one of the seats on a higher level, likely where one of the demons who’d attacked Shen Yuan had come from. Mobei-jun followed while both their children locked onto Shen Yuan with unwavering focus. 

     I knew this would happen. Shen Yuan quickly stalked through one of the walls, forcing himself to ignore the uncomfortable sensation of walking through something solid. But doing so meant he had a headstart in what would probably end up being a long game of hide and seek. 

     Sure enough, they’re looking for me. Shen Yuan stared down at Sha Hualing while she scoured the gardens below him. Suddenly a blast of cold air caused Shen Yuan to turn, staring at the young Mobei-jun. Mobei-jun stared back at him in silence. 

     It seemed they were both waiting for the other to make the first move, cautiously sensing each other’s abilities. In the end, the one who caused them to move was none other than Sha Hualing. 

     “Mo Zhiming! Where have you gone? Did you find Huawang-lang without telling me?” She shouted. She turned to look towards the balcony where the two stood, only for both of them to drop to the floor, disappearing from her sight. She huffed and went back to scouring the garden, this time calling for the young Mobei-jun. 

     Shen Yuan looked over at Mo…Zhiming as the other boy looked away. Mobei-jun sighed and scratched at his neck, looking at Shen Yuan before looking away again. Then he turned to face Shen Yuan and bowed. 

     “I am Mo Zhiming. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Huawang-lang.” Shen Yuan huffed in amusement at Mobei-jun’s deadpan method of delivering this statement. 

     That was definitely rehearsed. Also…

     ‘Is everyone using that strange title?’ Mobei-jun tilted his head in confusion. 

     “I’m sorry, I do not understand snake tongue speech. I can recognize it, but I have no idea what you’re saying.” Shen Yuan sighed and grabbed a piece of paper, asking the same question in written form. Mobei-jun read it and then looked back up at him. “The nobles are. I don’t know about the common demons, but the nobility definitely are calling you that.”

     Shen Yuan sighed, writing why on the paper. Mobei-jun thought for a moment before speaking again. 

     “I think for some it is a compliment and for others it’s an insult. It’s a compliment for your blossoming genius, bringing the steel carriages called trains to our land. Others use it as an insult to judge you by your appearance, saying you look as delicate as a flower, particularly with your lilac eyes. My father uses it respectfully but I’m almost certain Jiuzhong–jun does not feel the same.” Shen Yuan snorted, rolling his eyes. 

     Like I care what that idiot thinks. He’s gonna die, either by his own daughter’s hands or by Tianlang-jun’s. Either way, I don’t have to deal with him.

     Mobei-jun watched him for a moment before he sat against the wall, lifting his hand to create small snowflakes over the palm of his hand. Shen Yuan watched as he changed the shape, forming ice spears and blizzards. Shen Yuan stared at it, frowning. He tapped Mobei-jun’s shoulder with his brush before he wrote a question on his paper. 

     Isn’t it obvious when you use them that way? It’s all large scale magic that is easily noticed, even at a distance and it’s easy to tell where it’s going.

     Mobei-jun read the statement before looking up at Shen Yuan. “So what? How else would I use them?”

     Shen Yuan returned to his paper, sketching out the idea of ninja throwing star snowflakes. Basically the idea was the same as his ice spears, just on a smaller scale. Instead of being the length of his arm and with a clear shape that could only going in different directions when Mobei-jun focused on them, it would be snowflakes the length of his largest finger. From knuckle to fingertip with sharpened edges. 

     This way, you can change the distance they go with how thick and heavy the snowflake is while you can also alter the direction they’ll go by changing the design of the branches. This way you can distract the opponent, making them believe that you threw it in a different direction, only for it to circle behind them and stab them in the back.

     “Isn’t that dishonorable?” Shen Yuan snorted, glaring at the floor. 

     “Is it dishonorable to survive?” Mobei-jun stared at him for a moment before he lifted his hand, forming the first snowflake throwing star. After that, they sat in silence, only moving whenever Sha Hualing came too close to where they hid.

     Even if Sha Hualing is annoying, I can see why Luo Binghe didn’t kill Mobei-jun. He’s open to advice and doesn’t ask too many questions. Not to mention that he doesn’t bug you as much as Sha Hualing would. Honestly, I still don’t know why he took her as a wife.

     Shen Yuan glared at Tianlang-jun when he returned. It was the dead of the night and apparently the oh so great Saintly Demon Emperor hadn’t want to disturb his loving family members while they rested, so he’d WALKED HOME FROM THE HUMAN REALM.  

     He laughed sheepishly under Shen Yuan’s murderous glare, scratching the back of his head. “Sorry?”

    ‘Just get inside already, fool.’ Tianlang-jun grinned, darting up the stairs to wrap his arms around Shen Yuan, lifting him into the air and spinning him around as he carried him back to his room. 

     “Oh, Shen Yuan, I just had a WONDERFUL experience today!” Shen Yuan watched him with a rueful smile as Tianlang-jun wrapped his arms around himself, grinning as he hugged himself. 

     ‘How so?’

     “I think I met my soulmate!” Shen Yuan snorted. 

     ‘I HIGHLY doubt that, but please, tell me how you two met.’ Tianlang-jun shivered, eyes completely far away as he spoke, smile never leaving his lips. 

     “I met her in town, I had been helping out a kind gentleman who turned out to be a demon in disguise. She came down from the sky like a Heavenly official, hair swirling in the air as she pierced his head right in front of me, revealing the black rotten brain of this low level demon. Apparently he’d been preying on some of the children of the town as of late and she’d been dispatched to search for the missing children.”

     ‘So she’s a cultivator. Are you sure she’s your soulmate?’ Tianlang-jun shivered, grinning dumbly as he recalled the mysterious cultivator. He stretched his hand out as though he could still see her in front of him and wanted to touch her hair. 

     “She threatened me.”

     ‘What.’

     “She demanded to know if I was affiliated with him since she could apparently detect my demonic energy. I must not’ve covered it up as well as usual because I was alone this time. She used her sword to pin me against the wall, like she was showing me my place beneath her. To meet a human woman so strong, so brave, so pure . I didn’t think it was possible!” 

     ‘What did you do?’

     “Well, I freed myself from her grasp and invited her to lunch. She didn’t seem to trust me at first, so I gave her some tanghulu and she seemed to warm up to me.”

     ‘How did she ‘warm up to you’ exactly?’

     “She didn’t glare at me as much while she bit through the tanghulu. It was so beautiful to see those little sugared fruits get crushed between her white teeth. If she weren’t a human, I’d think she was trying to court me. But alas, demon methods of courting are considered barbaric and repulsive to humans, so that can’t be the case.”

     Shen Yuan stared at Tianlang-jun as the demon lord sighed like some sort of love struck maiden. It was hard to believe that this was the strongest demon in all of the demon realm. He sighed. 

     ‘So? Did you catch the name of this supposedly great soulmate of yours?’

     Tianlang-jun sighed, clutching his heart as Shen Yuan nearly gagged to see hearts in Tianlang-jun’s eyes. “She’s truly too beautiful. Even her name is lovely and befitting of her person.”

     ‘What’s her name?’

“Su Xiyan.”

Chapter Text

     “Shen Yuan? What’s wrong? Are you feeling alright?” Shen Yuan shook as he curled in his nest of blankets under the bed, ignoring Tianlang-jun at the door. He could hear Zhuzhi-lang murmuring to Tianlang-jun outside while Shen Yuan shook under the bed. 

     I feel sick! He thought, bringing a hand up to his mouth as memories replayed over and over in his head. He shook as he felt his ribs begin to open, slowly like a great beast yawning, even as he tried to forcibly keep them shut. Blood dripped from his throat as he choked on the blood filling his mouth. He choked and coughed it out, only for something to loudly splatter on the ground. The squelch of something landing on the pool of blood caused Shen Yuan to freeze, paling as he turned slowly and looked at the pools of blood. 

     Gleaming wetly up at him was a piece of flesh, almost cut to shreds. Shen Yuan gasped, hand reaching past his throat to his mouth, slowly sticking his fingers in his throat to try and feel. He turned and retched, tears dripping from his eyes as he gurgled, eyes still locked on the remains of his tongue. He cradled himself, sobbing incoherently. 

     Shen Yuan could feel himself choking on the blood as he keeled over, laying in a pool of his own blood. The tears dripping down his face were warm as he stared out from under the bed. Images flashed in his head as he heard the soft voice calling to him through a phone speaker. “Shen Yuan! Didi! Stay with me!”

     Gege…

     “SHEN YUAN!” The door burst open and Shen Yuan looked up at the two figures as they tossed the bed off from on top of him, carefully pulling him out and cradling him in their arms. Zhuzhi-lang wrapped around him and Tianlang-jun as the demon lord stroked Shen Yuan’s hair, shushing and crooning softly to the child. Shen Yuan could feel the cool coils pressing against his back as Zhuzhi-lang attempted to help comfort Shen Yuan. 

     Slowly, agonizingly, Shen Yuan’s choked hiccups slowed. His ribs slowly merged back where they were supposed to while his skin closed, tongue reforming in his mouth. He sobbed, grabbing onto Tianlang-jun’s robes carefully. Tianlang-jun crooned softly, still stroking Shen Yuan’s hair slowly. 

     “Shh, you’re okay. It’s okay, we’ve got you. No one can hurt you. You’re alright.” Shen Yuan buried his face against Tianlang-jun’s neck, wrapping his arms around the older demon. 

     What am I doing? I’m already a grown man, yet why am I… He shook his head, rubbing against Tianlang-jun, still whimpering softly. Zhuzhi-lang curled around Tianlang-jun, sneaking his head under Tianlang-jun’s hair so he could see Shen Yuan’s face. When Shen Yuan noticed him, Zhuzhi-lang flicked his tongue against Shen Yuan’s nose. Then he rubbed against Shen Yuan’s cheek. 

     “Shen Yuan, are you alright? Did someone do something? Was it what I said?” Shen Yuan grabbed Tianlang-jun, leaning back as he looked up at the demon’s face. He inhaled and then paused, eyes tightening before he spoke. 

     “Don’t meet with her again! Stay away from anything related to Huan Hua,” he whispered. Tianlang-jun tilted his head in confusion, even as Shen Yuan buried his head against his shoulder. 

      I should just command him. I should just tell him not to meet with her. I should use my power to make sure…but I don’t want to do that to them! Tianlang-jun and Zhuzhi-lang don’t deserve that. I shouldn’t do that to my family.

     Tianlang-jun looked down at the distraught child before he sighed, standing up even despite the way Zhuzhi-lang had wrapped around the two of them. He walked out of the room, through the palace, and back to his room, where he promptly let Zhuzhi-lang slide off of him and onto the bed. Zhuzhi-lang transformed back into his human form, lifting the covers for Tianlang-jun to slip under. Tianlang-jun slipped in the bed, adjusting Shen Yuan so that he was curled between Zhuzhi-lang and Tianlang-jun, cradled between the two most powerful demons in the demon realm. 

     ‘What happened?’ Zhuzhi-lang asked, eyes worried as he stared at the blood drenched, terrified child. Tianlang-jun sighed. 

     ‘I don’t know. I just told him about someone I met in town.’ Zhuzhi-lang stared at him even as Tianlang-jun frowned, eyes narrowing thoughtfully. ‘Though, I do wonder how he knew that she was from Huan Hua Palace. I didn’t say anything about her sect.’

     Zhuzhi-lang stared at his youngest family member before he curled tightly against the boy, pressing Shen Yuan against Tianlang-jun. Shen Yuan shifted in his sleep, eyes scrunching tightly as he grabbed tightly to Tianlang-jun’s robes. He pressed a kiss against the boy’s forehead, eyes pained as he watched him. 

     Shen Yuan woke feeling too warm, uncomfortably so. He opened his eyes and stared in shock at the boob before him. Looking further up revealed that no, he was not cradled by a buxom woman, he was being held by Tianlang-jun. He sighed in relief, looking back over his shoulder as he felt someone shift, arms tightening slightly around his stomach. Zhuzhi-lang yawned as he woke slowly, nuzzling against his hot water bottle. Shen Yuan smiled at Zhuzhi-lang, having grown used to the demon using him as a heater. 

     He looked down at his hands, staring at the blood he could clearly see spoiling his robes and resting heavy on his skin. Shen Yuan carefully let himself become insubstantial, sinking through the bed to the floor. He then snuck to the door, ringing a small bell outside. One of the snake servants appeared after only a few minutes, bowing to Shen Yuan.

     ‘Please get me some new robes and have a large bath prepared and brought in.’ The servant nodded and disappeared. A couple minutes later there was a soft knock on the door as several demons walked in carrying a bathtub the size of a hot tub. They promptly filled it with hot water while Shen Yuan had the servant with his robes set them behind the partition. Once they filed out, Shen Yuan stripped off his robes and sank into the hot water with a sigh, rubbing and scratching at his dried blood. He poked at his stomach, shivering when he recalled the sensation of it opening again. 

     The water slowly turned pink before Shen Yuan decided that he should get out, wrapping a towel around himself before putting on the pale green robes he’d been brought for the day. When he peeked past the partition, he saw Zhuzhi-lang and Tianlang-jun watching him. He flinched and looked away, tongue feeling heavy in his mouth. Tianlang-jun sighed. 

     “Shen Yuan…can I bring you to meet her?” Shen Yuan froze, face going completely white, even as Tianlang-jun rushed over to cradle his hands in his own. Shen Yuan stared down at them, watching as Tianlang-jun stroked his skin gently with his thumb. “Please? I don’t know what set you off last night, but I promise she’s a good person. She won’t hurt you.”

     Shen Yuan looked away, pulling his hands to try and get Tianlang-jun to let him go. Tianlang-jun clutched tighter, staring at Shen Yuan with pleading eyes. Zhuzhi-lang stared his uncle while he came over and rubbed Shen Yuan’s back. 

     “Even if she does try anything, you have uncle and I to keep her away. It’ll be fine, I promise.” Shen Yuan stared at him, eyes pained and scared, tears budding in them. 

     ‘You don’t know that! You can’t know that! It could be trap for all you know!’ Tianlang-jun nodded. 

      “I know. A cultivator that doesn’t try to immediately kill the demon emperor? It has to be a trap. But, I can at least hope that maybe things won’t end the way I fear they might. I can hope that she might be different, can’t I?” Shen Yuan stared at him, opening his mouth to rebuke him. He paused, remembering how Tianlang-jun had looked the night before, so happy and lovestruck. He’d never seen Tianlang-jun with that look on his face before. 

     I heard rumors from the servants that he usually has high ranked demons trying to court him, only for him to turn them down immediately. Most people are confused about what he wants from his partner, because it isn’t strength. Several powerful demonesses have tried to use that approach and not one of them has succeeded. So what is it about Su Xiyan that draws men to her like moths to a flame? Shen Yuan bit his lip, hesitating before he  nodded. 

      ‘I can…give her a chance.’ Tianlang-jun’s eyes widened with delight and tears of relief formed in his eyes. 

     “Thank you, Ghostie.” Shen Yuan looked away, ignoring the demon lord. 

     I don’t think this is a good idea…but there’s not a whole lot I can do to stop him at this point. He’d probably just keep seeing her when I’m not paying attention. Besides…if he’s truly already this invested…I don’t want to break his heart and force him to choose between her or me.

      Shen Yuan watched the sides of the streets nervously, eyes scanning for any sign of gold robes. He held tightly onto Zhuzhi-lang’s hands as the snake demon monitored the streets. A cloud of dust burst into the air as something landed in front of them on the street. There was a flash of cold silver as a slim, elegant blade was neatly sheathed. Shen Yuan felt his breath hitch as he took in the sight of the robes. 

      Gold with brown and cream accents. Weighed down by the amount of gold on the outer robe, slowing any escape attempt. The gold wire like chicken wire, keeping him marked and unable to escape. His breath began to speed up, chest heaving as he retreated, feeling the talisman spark against his back, his body apparently trying to rip itself open to display the marks the Old Palace Master had left on him. 

      “XIYAN!” Tianlang-jun raced forward, arms open as he attempted to hug the cold looking woman in the street. She waited until the last minute to step on his foot, tripping him as she grabbed her sword sheath, stabbing forward to hit Tianlang-jun straight in the stomach. He let out a whoosh of air as she stepped out of the way, letting him fall to the ground. Tianlang-jun laughed, rolling over to beam up at her as she raised an eyebrow at her. “You didn’t hit me as hard as last time!”

     “Don’t read too much into it.” Su Xiyan turned, eyes sliding to Zhuzhi-lang before she tilted her head to get a better look at Shen Yuan while he cowered behind Zhuzhi-lang. He clutched his chest painfully, feeling the empty gap where his heart would throbbed painfully. He quivered and shook as Tianlang-jun rose to his feet. “So those are your family members? They look nothing like you.”

     Tianlang-jun pouted. “Not true! Of course they look like me!”

     Su Xiyan raised an eyebrow as she turned away from the demon lord to approach the two. “Only in the sense that they’re not human. They are much better groomed than you are.”

     Tianlang-jun’s jaw dropped and he tried to deny the statement as Su Xiyan approached the two. Shen Yuan watched with terrified eyes as she approached, stepping back when she stepped forward. Zhuzhi-lang looked down at him. 

     “Shen Yuan?” Shen Yuan was choking, unable to breathe as his hands came up to clutch his throat tightly. Su Xiyan walked towards him but even despite her slim frame, all he could see was the sway of golden robes, and hear the sound of them as they dropped to a stone floor. The feeling of cold hands as they traced over his body, even if she was several feet away from him. 

     “Is that your name? Shen Yuan?” Shen Yuan’s pupils shrank and he felt an immense surge of energy as he turned and ran, feet pounding across the dirt, completely deaf to Tianlang-jun’s and Zhuzhi-lang’s cries. He darted between streets, sliding under stalls as he fled, trying to spot a place to hide from the cultivator. 

     “SHEN YUAN!” he could hear Tianlang-jun’s worried shout, too close. Too close for comfort. Shen Yuan leapt through the first window within reach, darting into the room and hiding under the bed, even as Tianlang-jun walked past the window, clearly worried. He darted off down the street, still calling for his young heir. Shen Yuan gasped for air, curling in on himself under the bed. His chest heaved for air he could no longer breathe while his hands clenched tightly around his throat to prevent any sound from escaping. 

     There was a moment of silence before he heard someone stirring… above him . Shen Yuan froze, waiting in terrified silence as the person on the bed approached the edge. A head peaked over the side, long black hair trailing on the dusty floor. Green eyes like clear gade or bamboo stared at Shen Yuan. 

      He’s…the youth from last time. Did I accidentally enter the brothel? The man stared at him before getting up off the bed, dressed only in inner robes as he shut the windows. Shen Yuan averted his eyes to give the man some privacy. 

      “You make yourself easy prey if you don’t keep your eyes on a potential threat,” the youth commented casually. Shen Yuan opened his eyes and his eyes widened at the sight. 

      A large brand took up the youth’s right breast, clearly spelling out ‘Qiu’. Other than that were dozens of stab wound scars, burns, and what looked to be scars from a whip of some kind. His pale ivory skin, so pure and unblemished over his hands and face, was devastated with scars beneath the clothes. Shen Jiu wrapped his arms over his chest, hiding his brand. 

     When Shen Yuan didn’t reply to him, Shen Jiu sighed and returned to the bed, apparently willing to ignore the child crying beneath his bed. Shen Yuan peered up at him while the boy glared back at him. He ran a hand through his hair, huffing in annoyance before he spoke. “Hey…I…thanks. For last time. You didn’t have to speak up.”

     Shen Yuan stared at him for a moment in surprise before he whispered. “That guy was in the wrong, so…someone needed to say something.” 

     Shen Jiu snorted. “Even if someone needs to, the chances of someone challenging a cultivator are nearly nonexistent, particularly if it means challenging that one.” 

     That doesn’t mean they shouldn’t. Shen Yuan thought, staring at the floor. Suddenly a bright blue line appeared from the window, pointing straight at Shen Yuan. He went pale when he saw it, attempting to hide beneath the bed again. Shen Jiu sighed. 

     “Staying here won’t help. That’s a Huan Hua technique that allows them to track their prey as long as they have something that belongs to them. They usually use it on demons, this is the first time I’ve seen it used on a human. Who’d you piss off?”

     There was a sharp rapping noise on the window shuttered, causing both Shens to turn and look at the window. “Child, I will give you two minutes to open this on your own, or I will break it.” 

     “Only if you pay for property damage,” Shen Jiu called, rolling his eyes. There was a pause before Shen Yuan saw four claws pierce through the window frame. His jaw dropped as Tianlang-jun peeled it away, glaring at Shen Jiu through the window. 

     “What did you do to Shen Yuan,” he snarled, demon mark glowing on his forehead. Shen Jiu glared straight back. 

     “I didn’t, which you would know, if you asked your missing family member. He came diving through the window and hid under the door, I haven’t touched him.” Tianlang-jun glared at Shen Jiu, darting in to gently pull Shen Yuan out from under the bed. He then carried him back out the window, cradling him to his chest. “Wait.”

      Tianlang-jun paused, turning back to glare at Shen Jiu. Shen Jiu raised an eyebrow as he gestured to the window. 

      “I hope you intend to pay for that?” Tianlang-jun reached into his robes and threw several gold coins into the room, one of them hitting Shen Jiu straight in the forehead, knocking him back on the bed as Tianlang-jun turned to leave. 

      Shen Yuan turned, looking at how nervous Zhuzhi-lang was. It was clear the snake demon had been panicking after Shen Yuan had fled. Standing a small distance away was Su Xiyan, watching Shen Yuan with a curious look. She followed behind them as Tianlang-jun carried Shen Yuan to a more private location, tossing a few gold coins on the table of an inn as he retreated with his heir to a large room. Su Xiyan stood against a wall, watching as Tianlang-jun softly scolded Shen Yuan. Despite that, Shen Yuan’s eyes never strayed from her figure, watching her the way a mouse watches a cat. 

     “Shen Yuan! Are you listening to me?” Tianlang-jun asked, waving his hand in front of Shen Yuan’s eyes. Shen Yuan didn’t spare him a single glance as he watched Su Xiyan, waiting for her to strike. She kept eye contact with him as she took a single step away from the wall, noting the way he twitched. 

     She’s coming! Shen Yuan flinched every time she stepped forward, keeping eye contact even as it caused him to have to crane his head back to see her face. She lifted her hand and he flinched, eyes finally shutting as he began to shake, waiting for her to strike him. 

     A warm, smooth hand patted his hand. Shen Yuan blinked, eyes opening as he looked up at her, seemingly surprised by her kindness. Su Xiyan stared down at him before her eyes softened just the barest bit, so small it could hardly be noticed as her lips curled just enough to let Shen Yuan know she was smiling at him. He stared at her in shock as she gently stroked the top of his head, hand cradling the side of his face. 

     A soft groaning gurgle distracted them both, causing them to turn and look at Tianlang-jun. He had his face covered while he leaned backwards, clearly overwhelmed by the amount of cuteness on his lap. 

      “Zhuzhi, if I die here, I want you to know I died happy.” Su Xiyan rolled her eyes, reaching up to pinch him in the nipple. He yelped, jolting upright and swatting her hand away playfully. “What was that for?”

     “Even if he’s cute, you can’t die that easily, idiot. What would your kid do if you died?” Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow, staring at her in confusion before looking up at Tianlang-jun. 

     ‘Is THIS why you fell for her?’ Tianlang-jun blushed, looking away. Then he smiled, turning back to Su Xiyan. 

     “What if I said I died because you were cute when you calmed a young child?” Su Xiyan rolled her eyes again, swatting the back of Tianlang-jun’s head. 

     “I’d know you’re lying. No man would find a woman like I cute.”

     “What’s wrong with you?” Shen Yuan whispered. Su Xiyan sighed, leaning back and sitting in one of the nearby chairs. 

     “I’m all muscular and I fight better than most men my age and even older. In fact, your father is the only one I’ve found that I haven’t been able to beat in a fight yet.” Shen Yuan glanced at Tianlang-jun with an incredulous look. Tianlang-jun grinned down at him. 

     “I told you, didn’t I? I haven’t been beat yet and it would take at least all four sects teaming up to even hold me in place.” Shen Yuan looked back at Su Xiyan, slowly taking in her form. 

     Despite the gold robes, she wore warmer shades and tones. The browns were like rich earth on a sunny day, the cream reminding Shen Yuan of clouds in the morning. The gold seemed to be just a shade away from the gold the Palace Master wore. Not to mention, she had surprisingly little gold additions to her robes. Her clothes definitely seemed more suited for someone going out on missions often, while Shen Yuan’s robes now seemed more ceremonial than Su Xiyan’s. She stares at him and Shen Yuan comes to a shocking realization. 

     Oh. She’s trying to smile.

     “Are you still frightened of me?” Shen Yuan stared at her for a moment, meeting those soft brown eyes. 

     Those who lusted after her looked only at her body. They never got to know Su Xiyan as a person, did they? Even the Old Palace Master only saw her as his toy.

     Shen Yuan slowly shook his head and Su Xiyan nodded elegantly, her tiny, barely there smile the only sign she was pleased. Shen Yuan looked up at Tianlang-jun seeing the way he stared at Su Xiyan like she hung the stars and moon. He sighed slowly, staring at her with his heart on his sleeve. Su Xiyan looked up and Tianlang-jun grinned. 

     “Well then, shall we go on our date?” Su Xiyan raised an eyebrow. 

      “I don’t recall saying I’d go on a date with you,” she said. Tianlang-jun laughed. She sighed and followed him, watching him closely. He stopped by a flower cart, decorated in hundreds of flowers, each beautiful in their own way. 

     “Sir, how much would one of these flowers cost?” Tianlang-jun asked. The merchant smiled, speaking grandly and boastfully. 

     “These are each rare variations of flowers, some said to be spiritual flowers! A single one costs ten silver!” Tianlang-jun dropped a pouch of gold in the hands of the merchant, stopping him right in the middle of his speel. He smiled as the merchant gawked. 

     “I’ll take all of them.” The merchant scrambled away as Tianlang-jun turned to Su Xiyan. 

     “Do you like them? They’re a gift for you!” he said, grin so bright it was blinding. Su Xiyan looked away with a small huff, turning her nose up at the extravagant gift. 

     “I have no use for flowers, particularly since they’re completely normal.” She walked by, leaving Tianlang-jun to follow her. Zhuzhi-lang sighed and dragged the cart along behind them, still holding Shen Yuan with one arm. Shen Yuan watched as Tianlang-jun pulled Su Xiyan with him into what appeared to be a theater of some sort. Before Shen Yuan could follow, Zhuzhi-lang grabbed his wrist and pulled him back, shaking his head. Shen Yuan frowned before he returned to the flower cart. 

     He carefully pulled several types off, beginning to twist them together, forming a crown. He smiled to himself as his fingers wove the stems of the flowers together, reminding himself of his times with his meimei. 

      ‘“Meimei, you know I can’t have flowers in here,” Shen Yuan said, gesturing to the hospital room. She smiled and shook her head, placing them in his arms.

      “Idiot. San-ge, these are plastic. They’re not real flowers. But, I learned how to make flower crowns today, so I want to make one for you!” Shen Yuan laughed as he watched her make a flower crown of plastic flowers, struggling to bend the stems. Shen Yuan carefully wove them together, setting a poorly made crown on her head as she gasped at him. She pouted. 

     “Ge, you can’t give me yours first! I need to finish yours!” Shen Yuan laughed. 

     “I’m calling in my right as the older sibling.” She pouted and he laughed, ruffling her short hair.’

      The door opened and Su Xiyan stormed out, face flushed red as Tianlang-jun followed after her. “Xiyan? What’s wrong? Did you not like it?”

     “I would’ve liked to know that the actors were going to have s-s-sex on the stage!” She hissed, pointing her sword at him. Shen Yuan sighed, heading over to Tianlang-jun as Su Xiyan stormed away. He pressed the crown into Tianlang-jun’s hands. He glanced down at Shen Yuan in confusion. 

     ‘Put it on her.’ With that, he stepped back, joining Zhuzhi-lang at the flower cart. Tianlang-jun grinned, darting to catch up with Su Xiyan. He gently set the crown on her head, causing her to look over at him in surprise. Shen Yuan nodded with satisfaction. 

     I wonder if she knows what jasmine, honeysuckle, and magnolias mean. She flushed bright pink when she realized what flowers she was wearing, speeding up to walk away from Tianlang-jun. Shen Yuan chuckled to himself, watching the budding couple. 

     A flash of gold and black caught his eye, causing Shen Yuan to snap his head towards where he’d seen the color, but no one was there. He frowned, slowly letting it fade from his memory. 

     “She’s WHAT.”

     “Being courted by a demon. Tianlang-jun to be exact. Those flowers were pretty clear in their meaning.” 

     Bruise brown eyes narrowed darkly as a dagger pierced through a shoulder. A woman screamed, begging for mercy as the eyes moved back to her, tilting her chin up slowly. 

     “This is something you deserve. Just remember that.” 

     A body fell, blood seeping between the stone bricks as a blade was wiped clean of blood. 

     “Talk with the rogue demons. Get them to dress as Southern demons and have them attack settlements on the border. I think it’s time to deal with the Saintly Demon Emperor.”

Chapter Text

     Shen Yuan watched Tianlang-jun tackle Su Xiyan, plunging them both into what Shen Yuan had easily recognized as Whimpering Wisterias. A sex pollen plant though could be easily dealt with through the infected patients kissing. Something about how the pollen from different flowers merged with the saliva to form a cure for the other pollen. Airplane didn’t go into great depths about it. 

     He snorted to himself, noting how Zhuzhi-lang looked at him with surprised eyes before looking away, a very clear shudder running down his spine. Shen Yuan chuckled softly, grabbing Zhuzhi-lang’s sleeve to pull him away from the young couple. He smiled as he returned to the campsite. 

     “Is that why you suggested we come here for their date?” Zhuzhi-lang asked, eyeing Shen Yuan warily. Shen Yuan let his eyebrow twitch as he looked back at Zhuzhi-lang. 

     ‘If they’re going to drag us along with them, then I might as well try to further deepen their relationship. Just be happy that I haven’t taken them any place that might need them to have sex with each other lest they die. I don’t think Su Xiyan is ready for that quite yet.’ Zhuzhi-lang shivered. 

     “There are places like that?” Shen Yuan snorted, pulling out the map so he could point out several locations, both in the human realm and in the demon realm. Zhuzhi-lang stared at them before he nodded to himself, writing something down on a piece of paper. Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow, confused as to why Zhuzhi-lang would do such a thing. He shrugged to himself before he sat to poke at the fire, watching as the embers glowed slowly. 

     “What are you doing that for? It’s still mid-day,” Zhuzhi-lang said. Shen Yuan chuckled to himself, looking over at Zhuzhi-lang with a pitying expression. He sat at the campfire, keeping the fire burning strong for a moment before he went to set up the tents. Zhuzhi-lang stared at him in confusion, not understanding why Shen Yuan would be prepping for the night when they should be able to easily go back to the town. 

     Eight hours later, he shared a jug of water with Shen Yuan as they sat silently around the fire. Two figures came pushing out of the forest, laughing and shoving each other. When Su Xiyan spotted Zhuzhi-lang and Shen Yuan, she immediately straightened her clothes and her smile disappeared. Shen Yuan rolled his eyes fondly as Tianlang-jun came over to join the two. 

     “Sorry we took so long, Zhuzhi, Ghostie. Something came up.” He winked conspiratorially at Su Xiyan as he said that, causing her to blush bright pink. Shen Yuan lowered his eyes to the jug of water, slowly taking a long sip. 

     Yeah. Uh huh. We’ll pretend we don’t know what came up. For your sake. Su Xiyan smacked Tianlang-jun’s arm, heading over to sit with Shen Yuan. 

     “Still, I didn’t realize Shen Yuan was a ghost. It must’ve been very hard to die so young. Was it an epidemic?” Shen Yuan snorted, eying her over the rim of his jug. 

     It was YOUR master, but I can’t exactly tell her that. He sighed, shaking his head. 

     “Shen Yuan was murdered.”  Su Xiyan’s eyes widened and she turned back to him. 

     “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have pried. Still, it’s impressive that you’ve cultivated so far that you don’t show any part of how you’ve died.” Shen Yuan twitched, turning to look at her in confusion. 

     “Xiyan? What are you talking about? Ghosts can cultivate?” Su Xiyan looked at Tianlang-jun in surprise, looking back at Shen Yuan. 

     “Isn’t that what happened here? Ghosts can cultivate depending on their energy and how sentient they are. Most of the low level ghosts who died recently have the coherency of a child and the intelligence to match. That’s why I thought Shen Yuan had been cultivating already since he’s very intelligent and his form doesn’t show how he died.” Shen Yuan turned to face her. 

     ‘Can you teach me?’ Zhuzhi-lang translated for Su Xiyan as she stared at Shen Yuan for a moment. 

     “I might be able to, but I’m ot sure. Usually I know that a ghost’ voice is important for that. Something to do with methods of how they can control their powers and kill people. Since it’s hard to casually touch anyone living for a low level ghost, they usually kill them through their curses or simply drive them to suicide.” Shen Yuan shivered, imagining a ghost hovering over someone’s shoulder, driving them to death by their own hands. 

     ‘What do I need to do?’ Su Xiyan extended her hands. 

     “I need to figure out what kind of energy you have, to start with, and then I should be able to try and figure out what kind of cultivation would be best for you.” Shen Yuan extended his hands, letting Su Xiyan gently rest her thumbs on his wrists. He shivered as a strange energy coursed through him. It was like stepping into a store from a cold winter day, that immediate blast of hot air smashing like a soft wall against his face. He could feel as it swept through his body. Su Xiyan pulled back slowly, staring at him with a small frown on her face. 

     “Well? What did you find out?” Su Xiyan glanced back at Tianlang-jun ang Zhuzhi-lang before she admitted her findings. 

     “He uses spiritual energy. He doesn’t have even a single spark of resentful energy. He shouldn’t even exist . Ghosts can’t form without resentful energy.” Tianlang-jun laughed, grabbing Shen Yuan in his arms and swinging him around. 

     “Then Shen Yuan shall be the first! Isn’t this great? Isn’t it fun?” Shen Yuan pushed against Tianlang-jun’s face, forcing the demon lord back as he slid out of his arms. He smiled fondly before smacking Tianlang-jun over the head, making him look away from Shen Yuan. The boy quickly retreated to where Su Xiyan was watching with her tiny smile. 

     Shen Yuan stared at those soft eyes and small smile, deciding that she was like the moon. A soft, guiding light often hidden behind clouds that could become a life saver in the dark. He thought it fit her far better than saying that she was like the sun. 

     “What about his cultivation?” Zhuzhi-lang whispered, letting his uncle fake cry on his shoulder over Shen Yuan’s rejection. Su Xiyan smiled. 

     “He’s a musical cultivator. In other words, you’ll do best if you use songs to express yourself and convey your intentions. But, I understand if that’s a struggle for you with your…voice.” Shen Yuan looked away, guiltily. She clasped his hands within her own. “Don’t worry though, I can still teach you how to meditate and passively collect spiritual energy that way since you don’t use resentful energy.” 

     ‘I’d like that. Thank you.’ She nodded elegantly before showing him how to sit and absorb the energy in the air around him. It was so easy from the way she explained it. He inhaled slowly, feeling how the energy collected slowly to him. 

     There’s just so much! It’s filling every crevice here! He inhaled again, drawing the energy into himself and collecting it within his body. He forced himself to exhale, keeping only the cleanest energy and allowing the rest of it to return to the forest. He frowned when he realized there wasn’t a whole lot of it left in him. He frowned and heard Su Xiyan chuckle. 

     “It helps if you use your form of cultivating, it draws cleaner, purer energy to you.” Shen Yuan flinched and then stood, opening his eyes to walk towards the forest. 

     ‘I’ll be back. I just…I want to try musical cultivation.’ Tianlang-jun smiled at him, wrapping his arms around Su Xiyans stomach, even as she jammed him in the side with her elbow. 

     “We’ll be waiting!” Zhuzhi-lang nodded, smiling shyly as Shen Yuan turned back to the forest. He sighed, trekking away from the flames and warmth of his family. He could see the area around himself, illuminated by his own glow and he paused when he felt water touching his feet. He sat down on the edge of whatever lake or pond he’d found and inhaled slowly, feeling the natural energy welcoming him. He shut his eyes and began to sing, voice a mere whisper across the surface of the water. 

     “I close my eyes, and I can see. A world that’s waiting up for me, that I call my own.” The spiritual energy seemed to react, spinning excitedly in his mind’s eye as his voice drifted between the trees. 

     “Through the dark, through the door. Through where no one’s been, before. But it feels like home.” The purest bits of spiritual energy began to drift off the large collection of spiritual energy that had accumulated, drifting closer to him with every breath he took to begin the next line of song.

     “They can say, they can say it all sounds crazy. They can say, they can say I’ve lost my mind. I don’t care, I don’t care, so call me crazy.” The spiritual energy seemed to strengthen, spinning faster as he gained enthusiasm, no longer whispering the song. 

     “We can live in a world that we design!” The spiritual energy began to glow, lighting up the forest as the purest chunks slammed together in time with the beat drop as Shen Yuan’s eyes opened. 

     “‘Cause every night I lie in bed! The brightest colors fill my head! A million dreams are keeping me awake!” He watched in awe as the spiritual energy glowed a soft golden, shining like fairy dust in the air. He flicked his hands and watched as it spread, dancing along the grass and trees with his every thought. 

     “I think of what the world could be! A vision of the one I see. A million dreams is all it’s gonna take! Oh a million dreams for the world we’re gonna make.” The spiritual energy spun before exploding in every direction as he began the second verse, rising to his feet to walk forward, onto the water of the lake he’d found. 

     “There’s a house, we can build. Every room inside is filled. With things from far away.” The spiritual energy collected to form an image of the palace in the demon realm, doors opening as he saw Tianlang-jun and Zhuzhi-lang waving to him from further inside. 

     “Special things, I’ve compiled. Each one there to make you smile. On a rainy day!” Tianlang-jun laughed with delight as he threw Shen Yuan and Zhuzhi-lang into the air, catching both of them in his arms while the spiritual energy formed versions of them giggled in delighted laughter. Shen Yuan could see other glowing spiritual creatures in the corner of his eyes. When he turned, seeing them duck out of sight, he decided to wait a bit longer before trying to look at them. 

     “They can say, they can say it all sounds crazy. They can say, they can say we’ve lost our minds. I don’t care, I don’t care if they call us crazy!” The spiritual creatures were back, whispering between each other as he turned and extended his hand to them, lips pulled wide in a grin. 

      “Run away to a world that we design!” They seemed to titter between each other for a moment before they darted over the lake. Shen Yuan could feel as more spiritual energy packed itself onto his small core as he danced on the lake. Beneath his feet he could see Spirit Salmon swimming in circular patterns with the music. Around his legs were kelpy calves, whinnying with delight as he stroked their manes and played with him. Soaring around his head were pixies with alien-like faces and eyes, laughing in a tinkling language as Shen Yuan let the spiritual energy around him build and grow. 

     “Every night, I lie in bed! The brightest colors fill my head, a million dreams are keeping me awake! I think of what the world could be! A vision of the one I see! A million dreams is all it’s gonna take! A million dreams for the world we’re gonna make. ” Shen Yuan had no idea when his body grew, suddenly the size of a teenager. He didn’t even notice as he spun with delight on the water, ashy grey hair flowing around his face. The spiritual energy spun and swirled around the creatures as he laughed, dancing to the scene of the movie in his head. 

     “However big, however small. Let me be part of it all. Share your dreams with me!” Several more species of spiritual creatures approached, joining his impromptu dance party while dozens of sleeping or hidden species of spiritual plants lit up, shining across the lake. Blessed Lotuses shone and grew largest wherever Shen Yuan had stepped on the lake. 

     “You may be right. You may be wrong. But say that you’ll bring me along!” Shen Yuan sang, his voice spreading through the forest as the glow of spiritual energy finally shone bright enough to draw the attention of his family. Their jaws dropped in shock as they heard the beautiful song he sang. 

     “He didn’t go with any instruments, right?” Tianlang-jun asked, listening to the array of instruments he’d never heard before. Zhuzhi-lang shook his head silently, entranced by the sounds Shen Yuan was unknowingly creating. 

     “To the world you see. To the world I close my eyes to see. I close my eyes to see!” Shen Yuan shut his eyes, standing stock still as he felt the spiritual energy surrounding him. 

     “‘Cause every night I lie in bed. The brightest colors fill my head. A million dreams are keeping me awake~” Shen Yuan smiled as he felt the spiritual energy condense and slowly seem to shine brighter and brighter, cleansing itself of impurities. 

     “A million dreams, A MILLION DREAMS!” His voice rose with the crescendo, the song filling the whole forest at this point, drawing hundreds of spiritual creatures to where he was. It hadn’t even been his intention, but they could sense a great gathering of spiritual energy and seemed to desire to partake in Shen Yuan’s leftovers, happily absorbing the energy that wasn’t pure enough for him. 

     “I think of what the world could be! A vision of the one I see! A million dreams is all it’s gonna take! A million dreams for the world we’re gonna make!” The spiritual energy condensed before blasting out for one last dramatic display of energy, still shining like fairy dust. 

     “For the world we’re gonna make.” Shen Yuan slid to his knees, stroking the kelpy calves as they rested next to him. He could see how he had grown now, around the same size as Zhuzhi-lang, but with a more scholarly charm. 

     Shen Yuan pushed through the trees, hands a pale ivory as he stepped out into the clearing where Tianlang-jun, Zhuzhi-lang, and Su Xiyan were waiting. Su Xiyan’s jaw dropped when she took in his mostly grown form. Shen Yuan scratched the back of his neck shyly under all their stares. 

     ‘Hi?’ Tianlang-jun jumped straight at him, wrapping his arms around Shen Yuan happily. 

     “You’ve gotten so BIG! I know people say that kids grow up too fast, but damn, it’s not a race, Shen Yuan! Besides, no matter how big you get, you’ll always be my little boy!” Shen Yuan laughed silently, poking Tianlang-jun’s side as the demon lord smothered him, now only taller by a few inches. 

     “That shouldn’t be possible! How much did you cultivate in a single night, let me feel!” Su Xiyan said, darting up to grab Shen Yuan’s wrist. She felt for a moment, that sweep of warm air blowing through Shen Yuan before she let go of his wrist in shock. “You’re already at an Earth immortal stage. How?? How did you manage that in a single night??”

     “Is that impressive, Xiyan?” Tianlang-jun asked, letting go of Shen Yuan to give him space. Su Xiyan ran a hand through her hair as she stared at him. 

     “YES, it’s impressive! Spiritual cultivators go through ten levels of cultivation! Level ten is the level where the Cang Qiong Peak Lords ascend together! Earth Immortal is level seven!” She paused to inhale slowly, taking deep breaths as she stared at Shen Yuan. “I didn’t think it was possible. You must have incredible talent at this.”

      Shen Yuan blushed under the praise, shaking his head slightly in denial. ‘What I had, was a good teacher.’  

     Su Xiyan went pink for a moment before retreating to her tent, shutting the tent flap behind her harder than probably necessary. Tianlang-jun smiled after her, still holding Shen Yuan’s shoulder. 

     “You are such a sweet talker, Shen Yuan. Don’t go trying to steal Xiyan from me or I won’t forgive you!” A boot came flying out of the tent, crashing sole first into Tianlang-jun’s face. 

     “I’m not ANYBODY’S!” Su Xiyan shouted, glaring at Tianlang-jun from the tent. He laughed and smiled. 

     “Not yet perhaps, but I’ll see if I can’t turn you to me, like a sunflower following the sun!” The second boot caught him in the balls, making him doubt over. Shen Yuan rolled his eyes, heading over to sit next to Zhuzhi-lang. 

     “Your hair changed color,” he murmured, lifting up Shen Yuan’s braid. Shen Yuan fiddled with the tail of the braid, staring at the ash grey color. “It looks like silver.”

     ‘No it doesn’t.’ Zhuzhi-lang frowned. 

     “It does too! Look, it shines in the firelight!” Shen Yuan rolled his eyes. 

     ‘That’s a sign of healthy hair. Yours does it too.’  

     “Ah, but his doesn’t sparkle like it’s made of metal.” Shen Yuan glared at Tianlang-jun where he still lay prone on the ground. 

     ‘Don’t give opinions on things until you can get to your feet without whimpering like a baby.’ Tianlang-jun pouted. 

     “Fine. Since Shen Yuan’s all grown up now, I guess he doesn’t want me to give him my wisdom.” Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow. 

     ‘You? Wisdom? Tianlang-jun, you should try and save your brain cells to sway Su Xiyan to your side. Don’t waste them on trying to create information you don’t have out of thin air.’ Tianlang-jun frowned. 

     “I feel like I just got insulted, but I don’t know how…” Shen Yuan smirked at him, eyes teasing and playful. 

     ‘Then maybe you should give up.’

     “NEVER! I shall fight on for the sake of my love!”

     This time it was the hilt of a sheathed sword that clocked him in the head.

     “Zhuzhi-lang, you pick! Where should Xiyan and I go on a date?” Su Xiyan smacked the back of his head, face bright pink as she tried to stay prim and proper. Zhuzhi-lang looked at the map before looking over at Shen Yuan. 

     “Well…Shen Yuan and I will be busy in the demon realm this time, so I think it’s best to point you away from any settlements.” He paused, staring at the map before pointing at an area decorated with mountains and lakes. “I hear this area has some beautiful clearings and waterfalls between the lakes.”

     Does he know? Does he remember? Shen Yuan watched Zhuzhi-lang as he waved goodbye. Su Xiyan was in charge of transporting the two lovebirds whenever Zhuzhi-lang wasn’t available as transport. Shen Yuan smiled and waved, elbow at a ninety degree angle while Tianlang-jun waved eagerly back at them. As they disappeared into the horizon, Shen Yuan spoke to Zhuzhi-lang without taking his eyes off the disappearing figures. 

     “Zhuzhi-lang.”

     “Yes?”

     “You do remember that the clearings between the lakes you just sent them to are full of Cupid Chrysanthemums, right?”

     “Of course I do. You told me yourself.”

Six months later.

     “Ghostie, Zhuzhi, we have something to tell you two.” Shen Yuan looked up from where he was checking the transport logs of the railroads. Zhuzhi-lang peered at Su Xiyan and Tianlang-jun from the top of Shen Yuan’s head, recoiling in disgust as he saw the way Su Xiyan and Tianlang-jun’s fingers kept darting all over each other's bodies as they pressed together. 

     Lord have mercy on me. I should not have helped these two get together.

     “What is it, uncle?” Tianlang-jun and Su Xiyan looked at each other and smiled. Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow at the small bump he could see when he tilted his head on Su Xiyan’s stomach. He frowned, trying to decide if it was just his imagination. 

     “We’re getting married!” Shen Yuan’s jaw dropped and he stared at Tianlang-jun and Su Xiyan in shock. 

     “Congratulations,” he said dumbly, hand twitching weakly as he saw the way they stared at each other. Shen Yuan felt himself soften when he saw the way Su Xiyan gently kissed Tianlang-jun. 

     Gross, I don’t want to be fed dog food, but still. I’m glad they’re happy together. A smile crept on his face before it froze, visions of a dark stone cell returning to his mind. 

     ‘“Xiyan, my Xiyan, oh, shizun will take such good care of you!” “...most of those prisoners are there because they dared to touch Xiyan…” “She’s MINE!”’

     Shen Yuan shivered, the Old Palace Master’s words replaying in his head as he watched Zhuzhi-lang approach and slowly, gently put his head on Su Xiyan’s stomach. They looked so happy. How could he tell her? 

     How can I tell her that her shizun lusts after her?

     Shen Yuan threw flowers over the bride as she walked up to her husband, the whole city cheering for them. No one seemed to care that Su Xiyan was a cultivator, or that she was human. They were just happy their lord was happy. 

     Su Xiyan was smiling brightly for the first time in public. For so long she had kept herself to tiny, almost imperceptible smiles but now she was beaming from ear to ear, eyes collecting budding tears as Tianlang-jun gently grasped her arm. Shen Yuan watched as the two bowed, first to the heavens. 

     They turned to Shen Yuan and Zhuzhi-lang, bowing to them and the ancestral tablet Su Xiyan had managed to have of her mother. She smiled at them, eyes full of nothing but love, even as her stomach was round with Tianlang-jun’s child. The rumors of a new heir had merely made the city more excited to welcome her into the household. 

     Then they finally turned to each other, bowing low enough that their heads almost banged against each other. They smiled at each other when they rose back up. Su Xiyan truly did look beautiful in red, particularly with the red roses Shen Yuan had woven into her hair. They were small, and no one would really get the meaning, but he had to hunt through the endless abyss to find those. 

     Rose of Assurance. A rose that’s meant to promise fidelity and bind the one who first kisses the one wearing them in a relationship that cannot be broken. No others shall get between them, Tianlang-jun will only have Su Xiyan and Su Xiyan will only have Tianlang-jun. 

     “You may kiss the bride,” he whispered. Su Xiyan glanced up, apparently having caught his words. She looked at Tianlang-jun, who blushed, before she threw aside the bouquet Shen Yuan had gotten for her and dragged him into a passionate kiss. Zhuzhi-lang’s tail came up and covered Shen Yuan’s eyes as it devolved into a full blown make out session to the cheers and cat calls of the crowd. 

     Shen Yuan smiled sadly, knowing that he would need to tell her. Su Xiyan deserved to know what kind of man her master really is. Besides, there was no way the cultivation world would accept Tianlang-jun and Su Xiyan being together. The hateful, cruel humans would never listen and agree to a relationship between a demon and human. They would claim that Su Xiyan had been bewitched or cursed. No matter what, they would never accept that she was merely in love.

     I’ll tell her tomorrow.

     “Shen Yuan, please sit!” Su Xiyan smiled at him as she came to the door, eagerly letting him into her sitting room where a pot of tea and two cups were already waiting. “You said you wanted to talk about something?”

     Shen Yuan nodded. He pulled out a piece of paper and hesitatingly wrote his first line. 

     It’s about my death.

     Su Xiyan’s smile faded and she looked at him, concerned. “Shen Yuan, you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. I know it’s rather personal.” Shen Yuan shook his head, writing again. 

     You should know. 

     “Well, if you’re that certain…” 

     You’re the head disciple, right? Does your master, the Old Palace Master, have any other disciples named Su Xiyan?

     “No. In fact, that’s one of the reasons I’m treated so well there. Shizun doesn’t take many disciples. I heard that at one point there was another one, but there was an unfortunate accident while I was gone, so I lost what may have been my only shidi.” Shen Yuan bit his lip before writing his next line. 

     That was me.

     There was a moment of silence where Su Xiyan stared at him blankly. She finally managed to croak out, “What?”

     That was me. Your shidi. The shidi that died while you were out on a mission.

     “That can’t be. Shizun said that he was killed by demons!” Shen Yuan looked down, biting his lip, shoulders shaking as he reverted to his ten year old form, black hair hanging like a curtain between him and Su Xiyan. “Shen Yuan? What-what actually happened?”

     You’re not going to believe me.

     “I will. I promise.” Shen Yuan shook his head, shakily holding out his brush and writing slowly. 

     You won’t. But I still feel like I need to tell you. If only for you and Tianlang-jun. 

     “Shen Yuan.” Shen Yuan looked up and Su Xiyan saw for the first time, how Shen Yuan was shaking, lip trembling as he fought back tears. “Whatever it is, I’ll listen to you. As the victim of whatever happened…you would know best what occurred. I’ll trust that you won’t lie to me.”

     Shen Yuan’s brush slowly wrote on the paper, describing his death and the events that lead up to it in explicit detail, making sure Su Xiyan understood what was going on. She slowly set down the paper, looking up to meet his eyes, even as he cringed and hid away from her sight. 

     “A-Tian has told me, what happens when you panic. What happened to you the night he first revealed that he had met me.” Shen Yuan flinched. “He said he didn’t understand how you knew what sect I was from, even though he never said which sect I came from.”

     Shen Yuan peered up at her, watching as she reclined in her seat, rubbing her stomach slowly. She shut her eyes and looked up at the ceiling. “I think I’ve known for a while. Boys who approached me would often meet tragic accidents, even the girls around me weren’t spared. The only one I was close to is Shizun, though now I see that he’s probably been doing so intentionally.”

     “You…believe me?” Shen Yuan croaked. Su Xiyan smiled softly at him, patting his hair. 

     “What my shizun did to you was wrong. It should not be allowed to stand in the cultivation community, but no one will believe a single ghost’s words.” Shen Yuan looked down and nodded. Su Xiyan sighed. “I will leave the sect.”

     Shen Yuan looked up at her in shock as she smiled down at him. 

     “There’s no way I will be allowed to remain in the sect anyways, what with me having married the demon emperor. I’ll return one last time to inform my shizun-no, the Old Palace Master, that I am seceding from the sect to be with the one I love.” Shen Yuan frowned. 

     Are you sure it’s a good idea to tell him that?

     “I’ll tell him somewhere public, that way he won’t be able to raise a hand to me. I’ll be fine. Besides, I’m quite strong on my own, you know. And even if something happens, won’t you and Tianlang-jun come to save me?” Shen Yuan felt tears burst from his eyes as he nodded, wiping them away while she patted his head. 

     “Thank you.”

     “I’ll be off now. I’ll send you a letter to meet with me so that you can finally take me home to the demon realm once I’ve settled everything at the sect. I promise I’ll be fine.”

     “Are you sure? Do you want me to go with you? Did you pack enough supplies?” Tianlang-jun asked, fluttering around her. She laughed, pulling him in for a kiss. 

     “I thought the bride was supposed to be the one getting flustered and panicked. Calm down, would you?” Tianlang-jun whined. 

     “But- after hearing what happened to Ghostie, how can I let you go there alone?” Su Xiyan smiled and kissed him again, silencing him this time while she turned to Zhuzhi-lang. 

     “Make sure to keep an eye on this oaf. Don’t let him do anything stupid for me, will you?” Zhuzhi-lang nodded, watching her worriedly. 

     “I won’t.” She smiled and turned to Shen Yuan. 

     “Shen Yuan, remember to spend some time in the human realm so you can cultivate properly.” Shen Yuan nodded slowly, not meeting her eyes. 

     If I hadn’t said anything, she wouldn’t be putting herself in danger by going there. I have a very bad feeling about this. I don’t think it’s going to go the way they want it to go.

     “I’ll be back.”

Six Days Later.

     Shen Yuan sighed as he wandered through the town absentmindedly. He was in his grown form, looking like a young man in his teens. He stood out with his lilac eyes and grey hair, especially since most people had black or brown hair unless they were elderly. Lots of merchants assumed he was just an old man who aged very well. Shen Yuan saw no reason to correct them since it meant they treated him with more respect than their usual twenty year old patrons. 

     He passed by the flower merchant that Tianlang-jun had first given his flower crown to Su Xiyan from and smiled softly, remembering how embarrassed and shy she’d been at the start. She really is a sweet young lady. No wonder Tianlang-jun fell for her. 

     “YOU!” Shen Yuan paused, turning to stare in confusion at the scraggly young man in blue as he panted, doubled over with his hands on his knees. Well, one hand on his knee since the other was pointing at Shen Yuan. Shen Yuan paused, staring silently at the man as he regained his breath. The man straightened, inhaling deeply as he stared at Shen Yuan. “PROUD IMMORTAL DEMON’S WAY!”

     The people on the streets were staring at him like he was mad while Shen Yuan’s eyes widened. “You’re…”

     Another transmigrator.

     “Uh huh. And you’re-”

     A transmigrator too.

     Shen Yuan nodded. The man grinned before glancing to the air beside him and darting forward to grab Shen Yuan’s arm, dragging him somewhere away from the streets. “We need to talk!”

     Shen Yuan obediently followed behind the man, studying him. He had light brown hair the color of milk chocolate in a messy bun. His eyes were a plain, nondescript brown, like hot cocoa. He wore pale cream and white robes with orange embroidery beneath a large blue outer robe. The robe itself had lots of detailing, including orange embroidery of honeybees, oxen, and beavers on it. There was a small sword hanging from his hip with a crystal that seemed strangely familiar for some reason. The god of wisdom lit a lightbulb above Shen Yuan’s head and his eyes widened. 

     Why does he have one of Mobei-jun’s teleport crystals on a sword tassel? Who is this guy?

     After they were securely alone in the backstreets of the city, the man collapsed against the wall, gasping for air. Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow at him while the man slowly caught his breath. Finally he looked up at Shen Yuan. 

     “You! You’re the other transmigrator!” Shen Yuan nodded slowly. “I’m so glad I managed to find you, what the fuck are you doing??”

     “What do you mean?” Shen Yuan whispered, fingers twitching slightly as he watched the man begin to pace in front of him. 

     “I mean, why are you changing the story?? Because of you, there’s no rumors of Shen Qingqiu being lecherous and the plot against Tianlang-jun is coming even faster than it was supposed to!” Shen Yuan froze, grabbing the man by his shoulders as he paced by him. 

     “What.” The man squeaked and backed away, holding his hands up in a peaceful gesture. 

     “I don’t know what I did to set you off, but I’m sorry? I’m just saying things as they are.” Shen Yuan grabbed his shoulders, forcing the mousy man to face him. 

     “What do you mean, a plot against Tianlang-jun. Tianlang-jun wasn’t even mentioned in PIDW, so how the HELL do you know something that wasn’t written in the novel? Unless…” Shen Yuan’s eyes narrowed. “Airplane-shooting-towards-the-sky?”

     “Yes? Do you need me? I’m right here.” Shen Yuan felt his face twist up in a snarl as he glared down at the mousy man held in his grip. The mouse smiled at him. “What was your ID? I might know you!”

     “Oh you know me. I was very well known in the world of PIDW.” Airplane tilted his head in confusion. 

     “What do you mean?” he asked, smile fading as he began to shiver under Shen Yuan’s dark smile. 

     “Hello, you useless sack of genital warts.” Airplane went pale. 

     “Oh no.”

     “Oh yes .”

     “C-Cucumber-bro?”

     “I’m not your ‘bro’, but yes. Peerless Cucumber was my old ID. You know, before I died and came here thanks to that shitty novel.” Airplane pouted. 

     “I can’t help that you died! Anyways, who did you end up in? I’m Shang Qinghua!” Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow. 

     “Shang Qinghua? Traitor of Cang Qiong Sect? Hah. Fitting for you.” Shang Qinghua pouted, lightly hitting Shen Yuan’s arm. 

     “Don’t be mean. Who’d you end up in? How come the system says there aren’t any other users here?”

     “Because there aren’t supposed to be any.” Shang Qinghua blinked three times and Shen Yuan heard the sound of the three dots appearing in the background. 

     “What?? But you’re here!”

     “Yes, and I’m dead.”

     “So am I!”

     “I’m dead dead . As in, I died here too.” Shang Qinghua paused, taking that in. 

     “How does that make sense??” Shen Yuan groaned, gritting his teeth in frustration. 

     “Not important. Now that thing you said, about a plot against Tianlang-jun. What did you mean? What’s happening?” He softly shook Shang Qinghua, attempting to get the information faster as the hamster squeaked and flailed his arms around.

     “Alright, alright, I’l talk! Tianlang-jun is Luo Binghe’s father!” Shen Yuan froze. 

     Now that he mentions it, Tianlang-jun looks a LOT like the fanart of Luo Binghe. It’s just that he’s bigger, older, and a bit more stupid. But then that would make the mother…

     “Is Su Xiyan Luo Binghe’s mother?” Shang Qinghua rubbed his shoulders where Shen Yuan was gripping him. 

     “Huh? Yeah, how’d you know?” Shen Yuan gritted his teeth, growling softly. 

     “What happened.” 

     “Huh?”

     “As the author, you know Luo Binghe’s backstory, right? All the little details you didn’t put into PIDW. So spill. What happened to Luo Binghe’s parents because I’ve seen those two and there’s no way in HELL that if they had even a single breath left in them that they would leave Luo Binghe on his own.”

     “The Old Palace Master frames Tianlang-jun for attacks on the border settlements and uses the rest of the four great sects to seal him under a mountain! Su Xiyan is used to lure him into the trap when she’s sealed within the water prison, pregnant with Luo Binghe. The Old Palace Master gives her the choice to save her baby or her husband and she picks her husband, but he told her the wrong location so even when she gets there, she can’t save her husband. Tianlang-jun gets sealed under a mountain to never be heard from again while Su Xiyan absorbs the poison into her body and saves Luo Binghe! She gives premature birth, sets Luo Binghe adrift on the Luo river and then dies from blood loss. The Old Palace Master never tells Luo Binghe about his true parentage, even though he knows from the first moment he sees him, which is why he’s so accepting of him later on in the novel. Even though Old Palace Master is supposed to be the supportive and good sect leader, I kind of maybe also wrote scenes that I cut from the novel of the Old Palace Master masturbating over Luo Binghe while he slept after he would sleep with a wife? So basically the Old Palace Master is an all around creepy, evil person and lots of people suffer because of it?”

     “Shit.” Shen Yuan yanks on Shang Qinghua’s sword, earning a squeak from the man while he grasps the crystal. “Airplane, how long ‘til they plan on attacking Tianlang-jun?”

     “I believe the Old Palace Master already sent the fake letter from Su Xiyan. She’s been locked in the water prison for almost a week now, I think. I’m not totally sure if my informants can be trusted. By the way, what are you doing with my sword tassel?”

     Shen Yuan lifted the crystal to his mouth, imbuing it with spiritual energy, causing it to hum and glow in his grip. 

     “Mobei-jun, this is Shen Yuan. I think I need help. Come ASAP.” There was a blast of cold as Mobei-jun stepped through the portal, looking Shen Yuan up and down before stepping next to Shang Qinghua. 

     “Could that crystal always do that?” Shang Qinghua muttered.

     “What did you need, Huawang-lang?” Shen Yuan could see the question marks circling Shang Qinghua’s head. 

     ‘I need to confirm something first, but I might need you to help me get to and out of Huan Hua palace. While we’re there, we’re going to wreck the place. You in?’ Mobei-jun, having grown fluent in snake tongue, nodded as he followed Shen Yuan back towards the forest where they could teleport to the palace. 

     “Hey, uh, I think I’ll stay in town. I don’t want to get involved with the showdown that’s about to happen, but I hope we talk again soon, Cucumber bro?” Shen Yuan nodded. 

     “We’ll definitely be seeing each other again. Don’t doubt that.” Shang Qinghua nodded as Shen Yuan stood next to Mobei-jun. 

     ‘Let’s get back to the palace. Now.’

Chapter Text

     Shen Yuan felt Mobei-jun warp him, shaking his head to try and dispel the dizziness while the young lord watched him. Shen Yuan hurriedly darted to Tianlang-jun’s office, finding no one there. A note was left on the desk, sitting neatly right next to a letter with gold embellishments. Shen Yuan felt himself grow cold, slowly lifting the gold letter. 

          ‘To my dear A-Tian.

               Did you miss me? I have finally dealt with the last issues regarding my leaving the sect. I’m sorry it took so long, darling. My master was kind enough to let me grab the last few items I had from my room and now I’m waiting for you in a nearby village. Sadly, I don’t think Zhuzhi-lang can easily transform here, so I would like to meet you in the clearing below Bailu Mountain. 

               You remember the one, don’t you? Beneath the cliff where we shared a kiss? There were sex pollen plants beneath it in the field, so we weren’t able to visit and frolic then, but now the flowers have all wilted and the pollen has blown away so it should be safe now. 

               Come pick me up soon, sweetheart!

          Love, Su Xiyan.’

     Shen Yuan felt sick as he set the paper down, slowly turning to the note left on the desk. As he read it, he felt his heart sink. 

     Shen Yuan. I’ve received Xiyan’s note and we were going to wait for you, but I can’t wait! It’s been too long! No matter how Zhuzhi-lang says it’s only been six days since she left, it feels like an eternity. So, we’re going early to pick her up and bring her back! See you soon!

     “Huawang-lang?” Mobei-jun called from the door. Shen Yuan crumpled the note in his hand, turning to Mobei-jun, eyes glowing ominously. Mobei-jun shivered slightly as Shen Yuan walked over to him. 

     ‘Let’s go. Get me as close to Huan Hua palace as you can. I need to stage a prison break.’ Mobei-jun raised an eyebrow but obediently nodded, grasping Shen Yuan’s arm as he warped. Shen Yuan felt a shiver run down his spine when he took in the wall surrounding Huan Hua palace. He’d seen it before, but previously he was looking at it from a window within the walls. They seemed so much bigger from the outside when he was this close. 

     “Do you have a plan?” Mobei-jun whispered. Shen Yuan glanced at him and nodded. 

     ‘Just keep the guards off me while I work.’ Mobei-jun stared at him for a moment before nodding. Shen Yuan looked at the wall and felt himself shiver, the cold grey stone feeling ominous as it towered over him. 

     There are Huan Hua Palace Disciples in here. The PALACE MASTER might be in here. He felt the flashes of bony touches and sickening squelches, shaking his head to dispel the thought, glaring up at the wall. He lifted a hand to his throat and massaged it slowly. I have to. I have to do this. For my FAMILY.

     He shut his eyes and let the spiritual energy flow through him and the area. The soft strumming of a guitar and a slow, steady beat of a drum kept him centered as he began to feel the wall, searching for the thinnest section. Already he could hear the disciples murmuring in confusion as the spiritual energy swirled abnormally in the air. 

     “We were the kids that left home, pro’bly too young.” Memories of him eagerly entering the building he’d read about for so long swam in his mind's eyes as Shen Yuan slowly stepped towards the thinner part of the wall. 

     “But we took our share. And maybe then some.” Mobei-jun eyed the walls as the sound of disciples grew closer, the music still soft and Shen Yuan only whispering, but they were definitely coming. Several snowflakes appeared in his hands as he prepared himself. 

     “Tired of beatings and battles and being sewn up. But that made us grow up. And that made ‘em scared.” Mobei-jun lifted his ice spears as Shen Yuan inhaled deeply, no longer whispering. HIs voice rose, raspy and raw as the disciples shouted, pointing down at him and Mobei-jun. 

     “‘ Cause we never learned to keep our voices down, no, we only learned to shout so, we fight our way in! (We fight our way in!) And we fight our way out!” There was a moment where Shen Yuan gathered as much spiritual energy as he could, creating a vacuum around his hand. The disciples staggered as their own spiritual energy was pulled. The only one unaffected was Mobei-jun since he didn’t use spiritual energy. 

     “We earned what we could, from the ground up. Tried to lift the whole damn crowd up.” Shen Yuan glared up at the disciples in gold as he drew his fight back, lip curled viciously as he sang the next line. 

     “So we fight our way in. (We fight our way in!) And we fight our way out.” He smashed through the wall, bringing the stone down so he could leap in, Mobei-jun on his heels. The barrier surrounding the sect fell as the physical barrier it was tied to was breached. The disciple screeched in panic as they attempted to fight and kill the invaders only to be easily pushed back by Mobei-jun.

     “We fight our way in, (we fight our way in) we fight our way out (we fight our way out)! We fight our way in (we fight our way in), and we fight our way out (we fight our way out)!” Shen Yuan raced to the center of the courtyard, sending out tendrils of spiritual energy to confirm what he thought. His eyes opened, glowing faintly as he looked through the spiritual energy into the water prison. 

     I can’t detect her spiritual energy down there. There’s no other choice. I need to bring the water prison UP.

     “And there’s still a kid somewhere that needs to hear this.” Shen Yuan sang, hoping his words would reach her even if there wasn’t a chance she could hear him through the dirt and stone of the prison. 

     “Somebody cares. That somebody knows.” Shen Yuan remembered how terrified he’d been when he was finally shown the dark side of the Old Palace Master. He knew that Su Xiyan must be terrified. 

     “Who’s tired of bleeding and battered and being torn up.” Mobei-jun blasted ice spears at the approaching cultivators, slowly being pushed back by the hallmasters. He may be a noble high ranked demon, but he was still fairly young for a demon. 

     “Hurry, Huawang-lang! I don’t know how long I can hold them!” Shen Yuan gritted his teeth, knowing he couldn’t rush the song lest it not work properly, so he simply channeled more spiritual energy into the area. 

     “Just pick yourself up. It’s time to go.” Shen Yuan made a promise to Su Xiyan even as he began to chorus. 

     I’m getting you out of here.

     “‘Cause we never learned to keep our voices down, no, we only learned to shout so, we fight our way in (we fight our way in)! And we fight our way out!”Shen Yuan gathered the spiritual energy in the area, forcing it down into the ground, searching for the hollow sections. Once he found the lowest of all the cells, he gritted his teeth, pouring more spiritual energy to wrap around the prison.

     “We earned what we could, from the ground up! Tried to lift the whole damn crowd up, so we fight our way in (we fight our way in)! And we fight our way out.” Shen Yuan gritted his teeth, glaring at the ground before lifting his clawed hands, like a priest lifting their hands in praise of a god. Like a conductor leading the crescendo of a massive symphony. There were screams of terror as a grinding, smashing sound echoed. The palace began to collapse as a massive anthill of stone lifted through the building. At long last, the water prison and all its evil was exposed to the light of day.

     “We fight our way in (we fight our way in), we fight our way out (and we fight our way out). We fight our way in (we fight our way in). And we fight our way out (and we fight our way out).” Shen Yuan’s eyes snapped open and he charged the water prison, using the broken parts of the palace to leap on the roof of the stone tunnels. He scanned for that familiar spiritual energy, like warm air before finding it in one of the lower cells. 

     There you are.

     “Maybe we found a way to make some tracks. We didn’t snicker and turn our backs.” Shen Yuan ripped the roof off the cell, shining light on a pale, gaunt Su Xiyan. She lifted a hand over her eyes, the clank of a chain echoing as her eyes widened at the sight of Shen Yuan. He smiled and dropped into the cell, easily crushing the chains in his grip. He gently pulled the pregnant woman into his arms, cradling her gently. 

     You’re safe now.

     “We just kept diggin’ in, and diggin’ in, and givin’ back.” Shen Yuan whistled to Mobei-jun, watching as the demon glanced at him before he slowly began to teleport his way closer while Shen Yuan ran to the top of the water prison. Since the palace itself was broken and destroyed, the water prison towered over the whole courtyard ominously. 

     “‘Cause we never learned to keep our voices down, no, we only learned to shout so, we fight our way in (we fight our way in). And we fight our way out.” Shen Yuan smiled down at Su Xiyan as she looked out over the devastated remains of her old sect. Shen Yuan’s song had lowered to a whisper, confirming that they had truly rescued Su Xiyan before he lifted his voice, sending a message to the others. 

     “We earned what we could, from the ground up. Tried to lift the whole damn crowd up. So we fight our way in. And we fight our way out.” Shen Yuan gathered the spiritual energy to himself again while Mobei-jun got closer. Because of the massive collection of unstable spiritual energy any cultivator trying to get close was thrown off course, some even nearly falling from their swords. Shen Yuan turned to Bailu Mountain as he sang the next line, letting the spiritual energy glow. 

     “‘CAUSE WE NEVER LEARNED TO KEEP OUR VOICES DOWN, NO, WE ONLY LEARNED TO SHOUT, SO, WE FIGHT OUR WAY IN! AND WE FIGHT OUR WAY OUT!” The cultivators cried out as their eyes were blinded by the beacon as bright as the sun, glowing from the top of Huan Hua Palace. Shen Yuan glared at the mountains as he finished the song, turning to Mobei-jun while the ice demon finally reached the top. 

     “WE FIGHT OUR WAY IN! (WE FIGHT OUR WAY IN!)”

     “AND WE FIGHT OUR WAY OUT! (WE FIGHT OUR WAY OUT)!”

     “WE FIGHT OUR WAY IN (WE FIGHT OUR WAY IN)!”

     “AND WE FIGHT OUR WAY OUT (WE FIGHT OUR WAY OUT)!” Shen Yuan felt Mobei-jun warp them back to the palace even before the song had ended. Su Xiyan stared at him in awe, smiling as she reached up to pat his cheek. 

     “That was incredible, Yuan-er.” Shen Yuan’s eyes widened at the new nickname, before they softened. 

     “Thank you,” he whispered hoarsely. Then Su Xiyan winced and groaned, holding her stomach as something spilled, dripping down to the floor. Su Xiyan went pale and Shen Yuan froze. He gently, slowly put her on the bed nearby, having hurried to Tianlang-jun’s room, before calmly walking back to the door. He inhaled deeply and slowly, seemingly in a state of calm and serenity. 

     “GET A WETNURSE AND A MIDWIFE HERE IMMEDIATELY!” He screamed. It worked like a charm. Immediately there were dozens of servants darting around, several in a panic, like roaches startled from their hiding spots. It was like that scene in Ratatouille where the people come into the kitchen and the rats go in every direction. Shen Yuan turned back to Su Xiyan as she gripped the bedsheets tightly, groaning softly. 

     “Su Xiyan.” She looked over at Shen Yuan while Mobei-jun stood slightly behind him, eyes averted from the woman in basically her under robes. Mobei-jun had no desire to die for seeing the emperor’s wife in such a state. “I need to go help Tianlang-jun and Zhuzhi-lang, they’re walking into a trap. Will you be alright here?”

     “Just…urgh…go get those…idiots,” she ground out. “Bring them home. SAFE.”

      ‘I will.’  Shen Yuan nodded, turning back to Mobei-jun. ‘Take me as close to Bailu Mountain as you can get. They’ve probably put up demon suppression talismans, so I’m counting on you.’  

     Mobei-jun nodded, grasping Shen Yuan’s shoulder to teleport them. The environment formed and Mobei-jun brought a hand up to his mouth, covering it as though he were going to vomit. His blue eyes glared at the forest edge where Shen Yuan could see dozens of talismans pasted on the trees. 

     “This is as far as I can go. I’ll head back and make sure no one tries to harm the empress. Just to be safe.” Shen Yuan nodded and the ice demon disappeared. Shen Yuan walked over to the forest, grabbing the first talisman he could. His eyebrows lifted and a small smirk curled his lips. 

     They’re all connected in a giant array. It’s focused on the center, that’s probably where Tianlang-jun is, but I can feel a second energy signature being suppressed. So…what happens if I do this?

     Shen Yuan forced his spiritual energy into the massive array of demon suppression talismans, setting them ablaze. He watched through the spiritual energy as the restraints on Tianlang-jun and Zhuzhi-lang burned away. It wouldn’t make a severe change, but it would give them more time to get to them.

     Sensing the Zhuzhi-lang was on the verge of being sealed, Shen Yuan darted towards his energy signature, voice lifting as music suddenly started around him. 

     “(I) am a nation, (I) am a million faces formed together made for elevation.” The spiritual energy whispered the starting words, letting Shen Yuan fill in the gaps as he darted towards the fighting. 

     “(I) am a soldier. (I) won’t surrender. Faith is like a fire that never burns to embers.” He could hear cheers and pained hisses as he gritted his fists. 

     “Who’s gonna stand up, who’s gonna fight?” The spiritual energy whispered to him as he felt his fury build with every cry Zhuzhi-lang released. 

     “The voice of the unheard!” 

     “Who’s gonna break these chains and lies?” Shen Yuan smashed through the trees, letting himself go insubstantial as he threw himself forward, walking through the forest in his haste to get there faster. He didn’t even notice how his core pulsed with the music, gaining another layer around the outside. 

     “Love is the answer!” His voice rang clear in the air, even as he completely lost his physical form, sprinting at top speed through the forest. He could hear the individual voices of Zhuzhi-lang’s aggressors now. 

     “I gotta speak it, believe it, that’s how I feel inside! I can’t sit here quiet!” He could feel how Zhuzhi-lang’s energy wavered, weakening and the men shouted and cheered, jeering at whatever form Zhuzhi-lang had been forced to take. Suddenly one of them turned.

     “What’s that sound?”

     “You can take my heart, you can take my breath, when you pry it from my COLD DEAD CHEST !” The others paused as the music surrounded them, ominous before Shen Yuan landed in front of them, eyes glowing dangerously as he snarled the song at them. He charged, hand grabbing the first man and throwing him across the small clearing, smashing him against a tree. 

     “SHIT!”

     “This is how we rise up, heavy as a hurricane, louder than a freight train!” Shen Yuan turned to the others, lashing out with a roundhouse kick to take out two of the cultivators. The first groaned as he rose to his feet only to be forced back into the dirt by the sheer power of Shen Yuan’s spiritual energy. 

     “This is how we rise up, heart is beating faster, feels like thunder!” Zhuzhi-lang stared up at Shen Yuan in shocked awe, staring at how the teenager was shrouded in golden light. 

     Like a heavenly official come to deliver divine punishment. He thought.

     “Magic, static, call me a fanatic! It’s our world, they can never have it!” Shen Yuan sneered at the cultivators, a grin cruelly curling his lips as they fled, only to be dragged back by grasping tentacles of spiritual energy, smashing them against the ground. 

     “This is how we rise up!” Shen Yuan shouted the ending line of the chorus, planting his foot on the back of one of the men.

     “It’s our resistance, you can’t resist us!” The song calmed for a moment as Shen Yuan turned, looking for Zhuzhi-lang. He could feel Zhuzhi-lang’s spiritual energy, but it was twisted somehow. Like something was feeding off of it and constricting his growth. 

     Why hasn’t he come out yet? Shen Yuan tracked where Zhuzhi-lang was based on his spiritual signature, but for some reason, any time Shen Yuan tried to approach and see him, the snake demon would move and hide from him. 

     “(Hey!) Can you hear me? (Hey!) Are you listening?” Shen Yuan began the second verse, standing in the center of the clearing as he called out to Zhuzhi-lang. 

     “Sleeping in the shadows, could be making history!” He saw something twitch in the undergrowth, his eyes widening slightly as what appeared to be a deformed human arm dragged past in the bushes.

     “(Walk) through the fire! (Walk) on the water! Used to be a slave, but now you are a conqueror!” Zhuzhi-lang paused. Then he began to approach, letting Shen Yuan see his entire, twisted form in the light of the setting sun. Shen Yuan’s eyes widened as he saw the mangled, mashed form Zhuzhi-lang was in. 

     It’s like a snake and a human crashed into each other and merged, but only partially. Like if someone tried to combine snake genes with human genes and then added chemical X. No wonder he didn’t want me to see. 

     “They can take my heart, they can take my breath, when they pry it from my COLD DEAD CHEST !” Shen Yuan leaned down, grasping Zhuzhi-lang tightly as he shut his eyes, following Zhuzhi-lang’s spiritual energy. Sure enough, Zhuzhi-lang’s warm green spiritual energy was tainted, growing like a tree with a wire wrapped too tightly around the trunk. It was barely surviving, nearly being cut through by the wire. 

     “This is how we rise up, heavy as a hurricane, louder than a freight train!” Shen Yuan concentrated as he felt the strange spiritual energy. It felt like something had been cursed when it touched Zhuzhi-lang, so it latched onto him and tried to survive that way. 

     “This is how we rise up, heart is beating faster, feels like thunder!” Shen Yuan began to use clean, pure spiritual energy to rip the offending poison off. Zhuzhi-lang’s eyes widened and his form shifted unsteadily, only held together by Shen Yuan carefully holding him in his arms. 

     “Magic, static, call me a fanatic! It’s our world, they can never have it!” Shen Yuan ripped off the last of the tainted spiritual energy, opening his eyes to watch as Zhuzhi-lang transformed into himself again, staring at his hands in shock. Shen Yuan grinned at him. 

     “This is how we rise up!” For the first time, Shen Yuan saw Zhuzhi-lang smile without hesitation, beaming from ear to ear as tears collected in the corners of his crescent moon eyes. 

     “It’s our resistance, you can’t resist us!” Shen Yuan let go of Zhuzhi-lang, concentrating to search for Tianlang-jun. 

     “Rising up, up, up, up, up! We’re rising up, up, up, up, up!”

     “The voice of the unheard.” His spiritual energy was fading, weakening as it was drained into three different areas around the mountain. 

     “Rising up, up, up, up, up! We’re rising up, up, up, up, up!”

     “Love is the answer.” What confused Shen Yuan most though, wasn’t at Tianlang-jun’s location, but next to him and…below?

     What is THAT?

     “Rising up, up, up, up, up! We’re rising up, up, up, up, up!”

     “Love is the answer!” Shen Yuan’s eyes widened when he realized what they were attempting to do, having stared at the hole that was slowly opening under the mountain, barely big enough to hold a child as it was then. 

     “This is how we rise up! It’s our resistance, you can’t resist us!”

     They’re trying to seal Tianlang-jun!

     “This is how we rise up, heavy as a hurricane, louder than a freight train!” He shot up, immediately taking off towards the site of the battle, Zhuzhi-lang hot on his heels. 

     “This is how we rise up! Heart is beating faster, feels like thunder!” Zhuzhi-lang slithered underneath Shen Yuan, lifting him on his back as they charged towards the group of cultivators.

     “Magic, static, call me a fanatic! It’s OUR world, they can never have it!”

     I’m not letting them take anyone from me.

     “This is how we rise up!”

     Never. I’ll DIE again before that happens.

     “It’s our resistance!” Zhuzhi-lang stopped on a cliff overlooking the battle. Beneath them, still struggling to resist in the center of a circle of cultivators, was Tianlang-jun. A golden collar wrapped around his neck, locked in place to three different arrays. 

     He thrashed in place, lifting his hand to narrowly block the swing of a young man in his mid-twenties. The man also looked tired as his sword glowed brightly, forcing Tianlang-jun to his knees. Shen Yuan glared at the cultivators, sliding off Zhuzhi-lang as he transformed into his child body. 

     It’s easier to attack if it’s a surprise attack. And it’s harder to find a small child. Wait a minute, Tianlang-jun. I’m coming to help.

     “You can’t resist us!”

Chapter Text

     ‘Zhuzhi-lang, you see how Tianlang-jun is connected through three different arrays?’ Shen Yuan gestured to the arrays keeping Tianlang-jun down in a triangular fashion. There was a black and silver blur as the man struck again, keeping Tianlang-jun pinned in place while the other cultivators worked to seal him. 

     ‘Yeah.’

      ‘I’m going to break him out. I need you to be ready. The moment the last of those arrays breaks, grab him and get the fuck out of that area. Head onto the cliffs, into the forest, I don’t care. Get out of the clearing.’

     ‘Why?’ Shen Yuan pointed for Zhuzhi-lang, showing him the circle of immortal binding cables that had been pushed into the dirt. Clearly, their design was meant to distract Tianlang-jun from thinking it was an array, and resist any damage he did to the ground.

     ‘The clearing is covered in a teleportation array. The moment Tianlang-jun is weak enough, they’re going to seal him under the mountain. As long as he’s within the clearing and weak enough, it’ll be game over for us.’

      ‘...game over?’ Shen Yuan flicked himself in the head, shaking his head dismissively. 

     ‘Nevermind that. Do you understand what I want you to do?’  Zhuzhi-lang flicked his tongue as his head nodded, eyes pinned on the cultivators beneath, watching as his uncle began to struggle, yanking fruitlessly at the golden collar.

     ‘Grab Junshang and get him out of the clearing while you do your thing.’ 

    Shen Yuan nodded, watching Zhuzhi-lang slither out of sight. He exhaled slowly, hiding behind a tree as he observed the group of cultivators circling Tianlang-jun. His eyes flicked to the largest in gold, seeing the way the Old Palace Master grinned gleefully. Shen Yuan shivered, looking away from him. 

    I can do this. I can do this.

    “What’s wrong, Tianlang-jun?” Shen Yuan shivered as that slimy voice slithered over his body. 

    “You-! Where is Xiyan?” The Old Palace Master laughed, mockingly as he sneered down at Tianlang-jun. 

    “She’s resting back at the sect, waiting for us to be finished trapping you! She said she didn’t want to see your face ever again after what you did to her! Didn’t you realize it was a trap?”

    “What?” Shen Yuan felt his heart break at the sound of such devastation in Tianlang-jun’s voice. He had stopped thrashing as he denied the Old Palace Master’s words. “No, you’re lying!”

    “I’m not. She told me herself that she never wanted to see you again after you got her pregnant! Oh the disgrace she bore so the human realm could be safe, enduring your animalistic mating!” Shen Yuan could see the moment Tianlang-jun’s heart broke, all fight disappearing from his body. Shen Yuan felt his rage bubble over and he flicked his fingers, the spiritual energy building and humming the start of the song he wanted. 

    “Ah, it seems our musical cultivators are finally ready to join the fight! They must’ve already dealt with your monstrous nephew!” Shen Yuan bit his lip, fighting the urge to shout and attack the Old Palace Master outright. Instead he exhaled and prepared his message for Tianlang-jun. 

    “Legends never die. When the world is calling you. Can you hear them screaming out your name?” Shen Yuan’s voice drifted between the trees, carried on the energy around them as it whispered in Tianlang-jun’s ear. He twitched and looked around in confusion, searching for the only one he knew that made such strange music. 

    “They must’ve used new instruments this time,” the Old Palace Master said, trying to assure the other cultivators as they listened to the eerie and mournful song.

    “Legends never die. They become a part of you. Every time you bleed for reaching greatness.” The Old Palace Master smiled as he received praise for his powerful musical cultivator group, several cultivators saying the song was too flattering, calling them legends already. 

    “Relentless you’ll survive. ” Shen Yuan watched gleefully as the Old Palace Master went pale as Tianlang-jun’s power was boosted instead of the cultivators on the sidelines. 

    “What? What are the musical cultivators doing?” 

    “Why are they aiding Tianlang-jun?”

    “Is it an accident?”

    “Are they betraying our cause?”

    “They never lose hope, when everything’s cold and the fighting’s near.” Tianlang-jun looked up, searching for Shen Yuan while blocking attacks from the youth in silver and black. 

    “‘Cause deep in their bones, they’ll run into smoke when the fire is fierce.” The Old Palace Master gritted his teeth before throwing his hand out. 

    “We have a traitor here! Find them and kill them before they do too much damage!”

    “Oh, pick yourself up, ‘cause-” Shen Yuan grinned at the Old Palace Master, blending his spiritual signature with that of the tree he was hiding behind. The cultivators shouted with panic as they searched for the nonexistent person who betrayed them. Shen Yuan however, wouldn’t wait for them as he laughed into the chorus.

    “LEGENDS NEVER DIE!” With a loud shattering sound, one of the arrays holding Tianlang-jun exploded, overwhelmed with the energy Shen Yuan had been forcing into it. Screams echoed through the area as Tianlang-jun rose up on one knee, blocking the attacks of the youthful cultivator. 

    “FUCK!” Someone shouted as one of the cultivators who’d been maintaining the third sealing array coughed out blood, doubling over while the others either fell into a qi deviation or they collapsed entirely, status unknown. 

    “When the world is calling you! Can you hear them screaming out your name?” Tianlang-jun grinned as he pushed back the youthful cultivator. Suddenly a grizzled man in white and silver with a missing arm joined the fight, double teaming Tianlang-jun between two high level cultivators. Tianlang-jun gritted his teeth, struggling to block both. 

    “Legends never die!” Shen Yuan sang, sucking spiritual energy from the two cultivators attacking Tianlang-jun. He frowned when he drew from the black clothed one, noting that something was draining from him into his spiritual energy. 

    What is happening to him? Shen Yuan wondered, collecting all the spiritual energy he could feel that had that same energy, pushing it back into the cultivator, even if he knew that it would be counterproductive for saving Tianlang-jun. 

    “They become a part of you! Every time you bleed for reaching greatness!” Tianlang-jun snarled, lashing out with one of his legs to kick the white cultivator away while his hands gained claws and carefully caught the cultivator’s sword. 

    “Legends never die!” Shen Yuan softened his voice as he began the second verse, barely being heard above the panicked shouting and clanging of claws on swords. 

    “FIND THE SINGER AND KILL THEM!” The Old Palace Master screeched at his disciples, and quite a few other disciples from other sects. “Can you not use your BRAINS?? If they help Tianlang-jun escape, this will never work a second time!”

    “They’re written down in eternity. But you’ll never see the price it costs.” Tianlang-jun grunted as a third cultivator, this one in the same blue and orange garb as Shang Qinghua joined the battle, grabbing his shoulders and forcing Tianlang-jun onto his knees while the others piled on top of him to try and physically restrain the demon lord. 

    “Scars collected all their lives.” Tianlang-jun snarled like an animal and his eyes snapped to a golden figure as they saw a much younger Tianlang-jun make the same expression towards a giant wolf pack. He was covered in injuries and holding a stick as his weapon, but he still charged recklessly at the wolves. 

    I didn’t know it would show his memories as well.

    “When everything’s lost, they pick up their hearts and avenge defeat.” The golden image changed, showing Tianlang-jun standing over the half eaten body of a young woman who looked very similar to him. Her face seemed discolored and bloated from some sort of poison. Tianlang-jun lifted her single intact arm to press a kiss to it before setting her to rest.

    The ghostly version of Tianlang-jun confronted a giant snake demon, snarling as he took the demon’s head, glaring back at the other snake demons. He seemed to be asking something, though Shen Yuan couldn’t tell what it was. 

    The snakes responded and Tianlang-jun walked away, heading deeper into the forest where he found a strange mashup of human and snake being attacked and eaten alive by a couple of jackals. Tianlang-jun sliced through the jackals and gently lifted Zhuzhi-lang. He let a drop of blood fall from his finger and Zhuzhi-lang seemed to molt gaining a more human appearance. His heavenly demon mark shone brightly, even if it was a different color than Tianlang-jun’s. 

    “Before it all starts, they suffer through harm just to touch a dream.” They saw Tianlang-jun raise his sword in battle, cutting through swathes of enemies as an arrow caught him in the shoulder. He gritted his teeth and ripped it out, throwing it straight back at the archer. 

    Tianlang-jun snarled, thrashing under the cultivators as he glared at the younger version of me. 

    “Oh, pick yourself up, ‘cause-” Having been distracted by the golden images of Tianlang-jun’s past, the cultivators were bucked off as Tianlang-jun forced a leg underneath himself, straining to rise to his feet. 

    “LEGENDS NEVER DIE!” There was an explosion by the second sealing array an Tianlang-jun rose to his feet with a roar, kicking the three cultivators away, even as they drew their swords to try and fight him. 

    “When the world is calling you! Can you hear them screaming out your name?” Tianlang-jun yanked at the golden collar, desperately trying to escape it while defending himself from the cultivators attacking him. 

    “Legends never die!” Tianlang-jun’s power was boosted and he threw them aside, before his arm was cut off by the cultivator in black. His eyes widened and he roared with pain, reaching down to grab his arm and rapidly reattach it to his shoulder. 

    “They become a part of you! Every time you bleed for reaching greatness!” The cultivators then attempted to use their swords to pin him in place since they very clearly couldn’t achieve that through simply dog piling him. Several blades pierced through his arms and legs as he snarled, several Huan Hua cultivators even stabbing him through the gut.

    “Legends never die!” Shen Yuan felt nauseous as he heard Tianlang-jun’s cry of pain. One of the cultivators even twisted their blade to try and get it deeper. Shen Yuan could see that Tianlang-jun was trying to get up, but with so many swords sticking out of him that he looked like a pin cushion, it wasn’t easy. 

    “When the world is callin’ out your name.” Shen Yuan glared at the Old Palace Master while the old man smirked, gleefully watching Tianlang-jun be tortured. Shen Yuan saw his eyes roll back in his head while his body shook with pleasure while Tianlang-jun screamed. Shen Yuan gritted his teeth, forcing the next line out of his lips. 

    “Begging you to FIGHT .” Tianlang-jun flinched, face curling in a snarl as he forced himself up from the ground, ignoring the blades as the cultivators shouted and tried to use the blades to keep Tianlang-jun pinned. 

    “Pick yourself up once more!” Shen Yuan begged, pleading with his father figure in this life to rise from the ground. Tianlang-jun gritted his teeth. 

    “Pick yourself up, ‘cause-” Tianlang-jun gave a great roar as he forced himself to his feet, ripping the blades out of himself or letting them pierce straight through him. 

    “LEGENDS NEVER DIE!” The last sealing array collapsed, falling in on itself like a house of cards. The moment the gold collar disappeared, a massive green and brown form burst from the woods. There were shrieks of terror as several cultivators jumped out of Zhuzhi-lang’s way, those that weren’t fast enough being crushed into the dirt. 

    He grabbed Tianlang-jun in his mouth, fleeing into the forest while the cultivators cried out in rage. 

    “When the world is calling you! Can you hear them screaming out your name?” The Old Palace Master was shaking with rage as he turned to the disciples tasked with finding Shen Yuan. 

    “What are you IMBECILES doing?!? I told you to find that traitor! Now look what’s happened!” Shen Yuan smirked. 

    “Legends never die!” Just to mock him, he let spiritual energy pulse through the forest, lighting up the surroundings as massive, golden forms of Tianlang-jun appeared, some of him reflecting the dangerous warlord the humans knew him to be while others showed him as the carefree demon Shen Yuan knew him to be. A disciple screamed and fell on their ass. 

    “What is he doing??” Shen Yuan looked over and snorted. It was the pose Tianlang-jun had been in when he skittered around Shen Yuan’s cage. With his head leaned forward and shoulders raised up to his ears, Tianlang-jun had bent knees like he was halfway in a crouch. His arms were stuck out to the side, but he just let his forearms and hands dangle limply. 

    “They become a part of you! Every time you bleed for reaching greatness!” Shen Yuan grinned when he saw how frustrated the Old Palace Master was becoming, listening to the old man scream incoherently. 

    “How dare you?!!”

    “Legends never die!” Shen Yuan let the music fade away as the cultivators searched for Tianlang-jun. 

    “Shen Yuan!” Shen Yuan looked over, seeing that Zhuzhi-lang had brought a saliva covered Tianlang-jun to him. He raced forward and embraced the small ghost, pulling him against his chest. “You shouldn’t have come.”

    ‘I wasn’t about to let them hurt my family. Besides, you have paperwork back home.’ Tianlang-jun chuckled softly and Shen Yuan smiled, rubbing Tianlang-jun’s back as the demon cried against his shoulder. 

    “COME OUT AND FIGHT US WITH HONOR!” The Old Palace Master screeched. Tianlang-jun glared darkly at the Old Palace Master. 

    “I should kill him for what he’s done today.” Shen Yuan put a hand to Tianlang-jun’s chest, pushing him back while shaking his head. “Shen Yuan?”

    Tianlang-jun flinched when Shen Yuan’s lilac eyes glowed with a dark promise, transforming to his fully grown form. 

    “He’s MINE.” Tianlang-jun paused, brows scrunching in confusion before his eyes widened, looking between the Old Palace Master and Shen Yuan. 

    “He’s-” Shen Yuan nodded. Then he called down to the cultivators. 

    “You want an honorable fight?” He began to laugh loudly, letting his mocking attitude be felt by every cultivator there. His laughter cut off sharply, causing Tianlang-jun and Zhuzhi-lang to shiver when they watched the smile drop from his face. “That’s rich coming from you.”

    “YOU-!”

    “How about this! If you can find and defeat me by the end of this next song, I’ll let you kill me! How does that sound? I’ll turn myself in if you can manage it! Though, I don’t think you will,” he purred darkly, passing between the trees like a wraith. 

    “The battle’s coming now.” The cultivators shivered and collected together in the clearing as his voice echoed from every direction. Someone threw out a random talisman, nearly causing Shen Yuan to snort as he snuck closer to the crowd. 

    “The fury shakes the ground.” Just to mess with them, he used spiritual energy to make the air vibrate and the ground shiver with the next beat drop, watching the Old Palace Master closely. 

    “I’ve come to take my crown.” He glanced back at Tianlang-jun and Zhuzhi-lang, seeing them giving him giant thumbs up as he snuck closer to the cultivators. 

    “I’m rising up, my heart is pounding.” The low level or rogue cultivators were beginning to panic, searching their surroundings desperately. The peak lords from Cang Qiong were watching the surroundings closely while a woman in green sat down, pulling out a qin.

    “Ready or not, the clock is counting down .” The peak lord of Qing Jing tried to strum a chord on her qin only for the sound to be stopped immediately, barely producing even a single note. She frowned and shook her head at her martial brothers. 

    “This is my moment.” Shen Yuan leaned against a tree, breathing slowly while he sang. 

    “This is my moment.” The Old Palace Master was so close, bringing flashes of memories to Shen Yuan’s mind. His hand lifted and softly massaged his throat as he sang. He forced his hand back down and continued moving between the trees. 

    “This is my moment.” He glared at the Old Palace Master from behind the trees as he slowly approached the group. 

    I can’t lose control yet. I need to make sure they know they’ve lost. The other sects won’t listen without clear evidence that they’re outmatched.

    “Whoa, I was born for greatness.”  

    Greatness taken from me far too soon. Shen Yuan could still recall the promises the Old Palace Master had made to him. He could still remember how excited he had been to join the sect, eager to support Luo Binghe later in his life. 

    “Whoa, a legend in the making.” Shen Yuan knew that he wouldn’t be able to just disappear into the background after this day. Not that he had any intention to, with the sects so aggressive to Tianlang-jun and Zhuzhi-lang as they were. Even if it meant going against the great sects, Shen Yuan would defend his family down to his last breath. 

    “Deep in my bones, oh yeah, I know.”

    There’s no other option. I have to defeat them here and now. I need to destroy them so completely they’ll never dream of challenging us again.

    “I am, I am the champion.” Shen Yuan promised himself. 

    I will protect what’s mine.

    “Whoa, come on try and take it!” The cultivators shivered as the song whispered in their ears, like a lover breathing a promise in their ears after sex. Except that this promise was that Shen Yuan was going to kill them slowly. 

    “Whoa, it all comes down to this.” The peak lords looked around, a blind one staring almost directly at Shen Yuan. He merged his presence back into the environment while the blind one stared at him, slowly losing his presence while Shen Yuan moved again. 

    “And deep in my bones, oh yeah, I know.”

    I want to get close to the Huan Hua palace disciple. I have no problems with Zhao Hua Temple or Tianyi Temple, even with Cang Qiong Mountain sect. The ones responsible for this whole fiasco. The ones trying to break my family apart. 

    Is Huan Hua Palace.

    “I am, I am the champion.” Shen Yuan stopped whispering, letting his voice carry through the clearing in a dangerous threat. 

    “You know I’m out for blood.” A Huan Hua disciple screamed as he was thrown across the clearing, crashing into two other Huan Hua disciples. Shen Yuan smirked as he let go of the spiritual energy near where the boy had been. 

    “I’m feeling dangerous.” Three more disciples were yanked into the air by tentacles of spiritual energy, only to be smashed into others still on the ground, like a dangerous game of whack-a-mole. Shen Yuan smirked as he let them fall, dropping them without a care for where they landed. 

    “I just can’t get enough!” He felt like laughing as he blew a cloud of leftover sex pollen on several dozen disciples, leaving them to sate themselves and their needs as he focused on the leaders. Now it was really only the powerful cultivators left. They were going to be the hardest to deal with, but he didn’t need to fight them to accomplish his goal. 

    “I’m rising up, my heart is pounding!” The weaker hallmasters from Huan Hua screamed as they were dragged into the forest, seemingly by the roots of the trees, their voices sharply cutting off once inside the dark forest.

    “Ready or not, the clock is counting DOWN.” Shen Yuan flicked his hair, letting a Cang Qiong disciple catch sight of the grey braid, pointing at him. 

    “THERE! THE GHOST IS OVER THERE!” Immediately several talismans to suppress demons and resentful energy soared through the air. Shen Yuan made sure to walk straight through one of the talismans suppressing resentful energy. 

    “This is my moment.”

    “What??? That’s not possible!”

    “It might be a demon!”

    “YOU IDIOTS! IT’S A HUMAN! IT’S A TRAITOR!” The Old Palace Master screamed. The Cang Qiong peak lords looked at him with raised eyebrows as they collected their disciples into a singular, concentrated group that would be easier to defend. 

    “This is my moment!”

    “The talisman passed through the being, Lao Gongzhu. That’s why they’re confused. It can’t be a ghost if it has no resentful energy, but it has the form of one.”

    “THIS IS MY MOMENT!”  

     “There are several species that are like that, just KILL IT!” Shen Yuan watched gleefully as the Cang Qiong Peak lords frowned, glaring at the Old Palace Master as he hid behind his disciples and demanded that they do all the work. 

    “Whoa, I was born for greatness!” Shen Yuan stepped out of the forest, smacking one of the Huan Hua disciples out of his way, throwing them into the forest. There was a loud thud and a cry of pain as they crashed into a tree. 

    “Whoa, a legend in the making!”

     “IT’S HERE!” Shen Yuan neatly dodged around a Tianyi cultivator, spinning across her back to smack another Huan Hua disciple across the field. The black clothed cultivator drew his sword and charged at Shen Yuan. Immediately he was blocked by Zhuzhi-lang in his human form, the snake demon hissing, revealing that he still had all four of his fangs. Shen Yuan perched on the blade that glowed like a flashlight. 

    “Deep in my bones, oh yeah, I know.”

     He poked the Qiong Ding disciple in the forehead, pushing the collected spiritual energy he’d been leaking back into his body. His eyes widened and he stared after Shen Yuan as the ghost leapt over his head, kicking a Huan Hua disciple against a tree. 

    “I am, I am the champion!” Shen Yuan grinned wolfishly at the Old Palace Master, leaping back into the forest to disappear among the trees. 

    Actually, he was just standing inside of a tree. Perks of being a ghost. 

    “Whoa, come on try to take it!” The cultivators cursed as they tried to track him. Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow when he noticed the Cang Qiong peak lords pulling their forces away from any Huan Hua palace member. 

    How nice of them to make the Huan Hua members easy prey. 

    “Whoa, it all comes down to this!” More invisible tentacles of spiritual energy dragged the Huan Hua disciples he either hadn’t seen or hadn’t been able to get to, into the forest. Their screams disappearing as Tianlang-jun knocked them out. 

    “And deep in my bones, oh yeah, I know!”

    “Wait, it’s only going after the Huan Hua members!” A random Zhao Hua monk shouted. The Old Palace Master blanched as the other leaders looked at him. 

    “It’s just trying to pick us off, taking us down one sect at a time!” he blustered. Shen Yuan smirked. 

    “I am, I am the champion!” He stepped out of the forest on the opposite side as the Huan Hua Palace Master, politely tapping the shoulder of the Tianyi disciple in his path. She shrieked and swung her sword at him only for him to grasp it and gently push her out of the way. 

    “I am the, I am the-” The other sect members stared at him as he slowly passed through them, carefully making sure not to touch any of them, never letting his eyes leave the Old Palace Master, smirk still pinned on his lips. 

    “I am, I am the champion.” The sects cleared his way, pulling their disciples out of his way, leaving a clear path between him and the Huan Hua delegation. He smiled and let his form shrink, leaving him as a ten year old child with black hair, lilac eyes, and a grey robe. 

    “I know where I’m going.”

    The Old Palace Master blanched as Shen Yuan smiled, walking slowly closer to him. 

    “That’s not possible…you’re DEAD!” 

    “I have been chosen.” Shen Yuan consciously brought up the memories of his death, allowing his throat to peel open, spilling blood down the front of his robes. Even as he sang, blood poured from his mouth, making it very hard to sing. The disciples couldn’t tell what was happening beneath his robes, but from the shapes and lumps that were hidden beneath it, along with the giant trail of blood and crushed organs he was leaving as he stalked towards the Old Palace Master, it was fairly clear they didn’t want to know. 

     Shen Yuan stopped in front of the Old Palace Master, watching him shake with rage as Shen Yuan gestured to his destroyed body. 

    “I’ll never be broken!” That was a lie. He was so broken. Standing in front of the Old Palace Master had him shaking in his boots, struggling not to show his fear. This was the man who brutally murdered him. 

    Rustling from the woods soothed him as he remembered that his family was waiting in the woods, possibly more furious with the Old Palace Master than he himself was. 

    “I am the champion!”

    There was silence after his declaration, the sects watching as he confronted the Palace Master. The spiritual energy glowed in the air, showing the form of Shen Yuan as he died. Dozens of different moments frozen in time, linking together to show the depravity and darkness of the Old Palace Master. Shen Yuan could hear several people throwing up in the background. 

    “A clashing of titans, a battle of giants!” The images changed. 

     Suddenly on the right side stood Tianlang-jun, holding out a flower to Su Xiyan with a wide smile on his face. There was a scene portraying her as he placed the flower crown Shen Yuan had given him on her head. A picture of them laughing and teasing each other. The two sparring playfully, smiles on their faces. The scene of Su Xiyan kissing Tianlang-jun on their wedding day, both dressed in red with purely joyous looks on their faces. 

     On the left was the Old Palace Master, standing over Su Xiyan with his cock out while she slept. The Old Palace Master stalking her from the shadows. The Old Palace Master killing an unnamed disciple for daring to offer her flowers. The Old Palace Master caressing her face as she yanked at the chains in the water prison, clearly repulsed by the man. 

    “Take a moment of silence!” Shen Yuan smirked as he let the realization of the relationship between Tianlang-jun with Su Xiyan and the relationship between Su Xiyan and the Old Palace Master. He could tell from their reactions that they were repulsed. 

    “I am the champion!” Shen Yuan smirked at the Old Palace Master as he transformed back into his teenage form, lunging forward to yank the remaining hallmasters and elders away from the Old Palace Master, leaving him alone in the field. The other sects had stepped away, leaving the Old Palace Master on his own without support. 

    “Whoa, I was born for greatness!” The Old Palace Master attempted to block Shen Yuan’s attack, getting thrown back into the forest. 

    “Whoa! A legend in the making!” Tianlang-jun cheered as he smashed the Old Palace Master from the forest edge, throwing the old cultivator back into the clearing. Shen Yuan grinned as he continued the song. 

    “Deep in my bones, oh yeah, I know!” The sects watched as the Old Palace Master caught himself. Shen grinned as he channeled spiritual energy into the arrays the sects had set for Tianlang-jun. 

    “I am, I am the champion!” Tianlang-jun laughed as the golden collar locked around the Old Palace Master’s neck, his face incandescent with rage. 

    “Whoa, come on try to take it!” Shen Yuan threw open his arms, gesturing to Tianlang-jun and Zhuzhi-lang as the Palace Master glared at him. 

    “Whoa, it all comes down to this!” The Palace Master thrashed, channeling his spiritual energy into the array in an attempt to overload the array. 

    “And deep in my bones, oh yeah I know!” Shen Yuan grinned as he simply let the spiritual energy release from the array and into the air. 

    “I am, I am the champion!” At the Old Palace Master’s shocked expression, Shen Yuan smirked. 

            Yeah, I’m not so easy to deal with now, am I?

    “I am the, I am the-” The sects watched in silence as Tianlang-jun and Zhuzhi-lang approached to stand shoulder to shoulder with Shen Yuan. 

    “I am-” The Peak Lords of Cang Qiong waited on edge, watching for an attack from the heavenly demons. When none came, they simply waited for Shen Yuan to finish the song. 

    “I am the champion!”

Chapter Text

     “Trapped like a rat in a cage,” Shen Yuan muttered to himself. “I call that poetic justice.”

     “Excuse me.” Shen Yuan turned to look at the Qing Jing Peak Lord, wincing as she looked him up and down. “Do you have an explanation to give us?”

     “A what?” She gestured to the Old Palace master. 

     “Why you seem to be using our own arrays against him? The things you showed with Tianlang-jun and Su Xiyan? The…the child who I can only assume was you and your death?” Shen Yuan winced, feeling his throat tighten as he looked away. 

     “I feel like the images regarding Shen Yuan’s death are all self explanatory,” Tianlang-jun said, glaring at her. She raised an eyebrow. 

     “So that was truly you, child? How old were you?” Shen Yuan stared at the ground before he lifted both his hands, holding out all of his fingers in a gesture for ten. He saw her go pale before glaring dangerously at the Old Palace Master. “Sick BASTARD!”

     Shen Yuan stared at her in surprise. Likely none of the low ranked cultivators had heard her words and all of the remaining higher ranked cultivators didn’t seem surprised by her language as she pulled a pink and green fan out of her sleeve, snapping it open while she observed Tianlang-jun and Shen Yuan. 

     “And the relation between you two is…”

     “Biologically, there is none. However, I had written him in as one of my heirs. Shen Yuan is considered part of the royal bloodline.” She raised an eyebrow. 

     “Despite the fact that he can bear no heirs and wields spiritual energy instead of demonic energy? That seems like a poor skill set for an heir to the throne.” Shen Yuan flinched and looked away, carefully eyeing the Old Palace Master as he thrashed in an attempt to escape. 

     “Um, shigu?” Shen Yuan looked back as the black and silver robed cultivator stepped forward, bowing respectfully to the Qing Jing Peak lord. 

     “Yes, Yue Qingyuan?” Shen Yuan’s eyes widened and he focused on Yue Qingyuan. 

     This is him?? The future sect leader of Cang Qiong? The sect leader with a spine like a wet noodle, bending over to Shen Qingqiu’s every whim?

     “What should be done with the Old Palace Master? A ghost’s memories do not lie, so I doubt the ghost is trying to slander the Old Palace Master. In which case…” She nodded, looking over at Lao Gongzhu. 

     “Does anyone wish to speak in his defense?” Silence echoed through the clearing. She sighed and looked back at the palace master before speaking again. “Does anyone have any thoughts on what should be done? With him? He should face retribution for his actions, but who among us feels qualified to punish him?”

     “I have a suggestion.” Shen Yuan glanced at Zhuzhi-lang in surprise, eyes widening when he realized that Zhuzhi-lang had changed again, probably after he purged his tainted energy. His hair was still smooth, but Zhuzhi-lang had very clear scales on his skin. They were no longer scattered randomly across his face, now lining it in neat rows. One of his eyes was also yellow with a slitted pupil, just like his snake form. 

     “He changed,” Tianlang-jun murmured, staring at his nephew. “He’s always been self conscious because of his true form. Whatever you did for him, well done.” 

     Shen Yuan smiled to himself as he nodded. ‘I was happy to help.’

     “What is your suggestion, Zhuzhi-lang?” The snake demon let his eyes flick to the old palace master, nothing but pure venom filling them, before he looked back at the Qing Jing Peak lord. 

     “I say we let his victim punish him. Since Su Xiyan isn’t here, that would mean that Shen Yuan has full authority and rights to do with him as he sees fit. Is that understood?” The cultivators nodded slowly, some tapping their chins and scratching their heads. 

     No one wants to challenge the heavenly demons that just escaped an ambush from all four sects. Everyone is eager to throw someone under the bus so they don’t suffer the consequences. That’s why the Old Palace Master is basically being thrown away.

     “I have no objections to that. Does anyone here disagree with this verdict?” The cultivators whispered and murmured before their sect leaders and elders shook their heads, leaving Shen Yuan in shock. 

     They’re just…giving him to me? Even for demons, they don’t usually-wait, never mind, they would one hundred percent sell each other out. Survival of the fittest, after all. Basically a game of ‘who can stab who in the back first?’ =D

     “So we all agree that the Old Palace Master is to be handed to his victim, Shen Yuan? The adoptive son of Tianlang-jun and heir to the demonic throne?” The cultivators hesitated again and Shen Yuan came to a simple realization. 

     I see. They don’t want to anger my family after they already attacked us unprovoked to begin with, but they also need to try and maintain the facade of ‘righteousness’. That way the public still supports them, even if it’s revealed that they basically gift wrapped another sect leader to throw to the wolves.

     “We all agree that the Old Palace Master is yours. Do with him as you will, BUT.” She lifted a finger in warning, like she was a first grade teacher about to waggle it in front of their faces. “Only Shen Yuan may touch him. Not Su Xiyan, not Tianlang-jun, not even Zhuzhi-lang. No one but Shen Yuan may touch him.” Shen Yuan looked at the old palace master and sneered. 

     “I wouldn’t touch him if it would kill me. I’d rather die again before I let that happen.” The Qing Jing Peak Lord stared at Shen Yuan, watching him carefully. He shifted his eyes, looking away from her. 

     “I don’t know how you intend to punish him if you don’t touch him, but he’s yours to do with as you please. Starve him, beat him, we don’t care.” 

     “Aren’t you supposed to be ‘righteous’ cultivators?” Tianlang-jun mocked. The Qing Jing Peak lord froze from where she had been walking. She turned to look over her shoulder, glaring at Tianlang-jun. 

     “ Yes . That’s why I’m choosing to turn my back on this instance. Why I’m not continuing the attempts to kill the demon emperor and his heirs. Because currently, all that I see here is a family who was wrongfully accused of a crime they never committed, the one who framed them and deserves nothing less than death for the number of cultivators and disciples he got killed today.” Tianlang-jun and Zhuzhi-lang winced, looking away while she glared at them pointedly. 

     “Wait!” She turned to look at Shen Yuan while he paused, thinking of his words. “Why did you believe him anyways? What did he tell you to convince you to do this?” She glanced at the old palace master before she flicked her fan open, black eyes peering at Shen Yuan over the rim. 

     “He explained that the demon attacks going on along the border were the fault of Tianlang-jun planning to besiege the human realm. Seeing as there was an increase in demon attacks like we’ve never seen before, it was…quite easy to believe him. Now then, seeing as we are no longer needed here, we shall be going.”

     The Cang Qiong disciples gathered in a giant huddle, making sure that everyone was touching someone else as they teleported back to the mountains. With the second largest sect gone, the first largest sect nearly completely destroyed, and the sect leader of the biggest sect being accused of crimes, the other sects slowly disappeared into the woods, leaving the scene as quickly as possible in hopes that the demons would forget they were even there. Once they were alone, Tianlang-jun turned to Shen Yuan. 

     “Are you alright? How does your throat feel? Is it hoarse? You don’t normally speak so much. Do you feel okay?” Shen Yuan laughed, a bright and bubbly sound as he patted Tianlang-jun’s arm. 

     “I’m fine. Better than fine, actually. I feel…better than I have since I passed through the gates of Huan Hua.” Tianlang-jun smiled at him, gently cupping Shen Yuan’s face in his palms. 

     “I’m glad. When I realized it was a trap, I was so worried about you.” Shen Yuan smiled and patted Tianlang-jun on the back, pulling him in for a half hug. 

     “I’m just glad that you’re alright. I was never in real danger.” Tianlang-jun leaned into the touch with a sigh. Shen Yuan could feel his shoulders start to shake as something wet fell on his shoulder. 

     “Shen Yuan…you were right. About Xiyan…” Shen Yuan’s eyes widened as he realized what Tianlang-jun meant, recalling the cruel things the Old Palace Master said. He grabbed Tianlang-jun’s hands, pulling them away from his face as he spoke. 

     “NO!” Tianlang-jun and Zhuzhi-lang looked at him in surprise. 

     “No? No what?”

     “I was wrong about her! Su Xiyan never betrayed you! The Old Palace Master locked her up in the water prison and faked the letter for you and Zhuzhi-lang. Su Xiyan never betrayed you! In fact, she’s back at the palace, giving birth to your son.”

     There was a moment of silence before all the birds lifted from the trees in one colossal swarm. 

     “WHAT??” Shen Yuan smiled as Tianlang-jun began to pace back and forth, worriedly biting his nail. 

     “I need to go to her now! Ugh, but we haven’t dealt with him yet! What should I do??” Shen Yuan smiled, patting Tianlang-jun’s fluffy hair. Absent-mindedly, Shen Yuan had a stray thought as he felt how soft and springy Tianlang-jun’s hair was. 

     I know that canonically Luo Binghe had straight, smooth hair like his mother, but I really hope that he inherits his father’s head of hair. I think it would be so cute to have a toddler with fluffy, pat-able hair.

     “Don’t worry. We can go as soon as I finish with him. I won’t take long.” Tianlang-jun watched him, staring at the ghost with a small, deranged smile. 

     “You never intended on letting him go alive, did you?” Shen Yuan smiled right back at Tianlang-jun. 

     “Not since I found out he planned to seal you under a mountain, no. I knew there wasn’t a chance in hell that if I ended up confronting him, that he would end this fight with his life. I won’t take the chance of him hurting my family a second time.”

     “(And we would love you to join us for a bite!)” The echo was upbeat and cheerful in the air around them, causing Tianlang-jun and Zhuzhi-lang to look at Shen Yuan in confusion. He smiled darkly as he waited. 

     “(And we would love you to join us for a bite!)” The sound of something moving nearby despite a lack of spiritual signatures left Tianlang-jun and Zhuzhi-lang on edge.

     “(And we would love you to join us for a bite!)” The ground next to the arrays was disturbed as something broken and metal dragged itself up out of the ground. Shen Yuan stared with fond nostalgia at the broken, dirty animatronics that pulled their way out of the ground. 

     “What the hell are those?” Tianlang-jun hissed, glaring at the animatronics. Shen Yuan studied the scratched and faded paint on the creatures as they tried to smile. Their unhinged jaws made it rather difficult to do so though.

     “Can’t wait to meet you! So join the animatronic family!” A purple bunny rabbit smiled, bowing politely to the Old Palace Master in stiff gestures. Zhuzhi-lang hissed softly, transforming into his snake body to defend Shen Yuan and Tianlang-jun. 

     “We open real soon. Try your best to hold on to sanity!” A tan bear creature with round teeth pulled a top hat off his head and did a little jig in front of the old palace master, even spinning his head around a few times. 

     “Come get to know me, and you won’t want to leave after tonight!” A red fox-like creature, perhaps it was meant to be a wolf, grinned at the Old Palace Master as it grasped his shoulders and peered over his shoulder, eyes staring into the Old Palace Master’s as the fangs in its mouth gleamed yellow and brown. 

     “Down here we’re lonely, and we would love you to join us for a bite!” A yellow bird tweeted the words as it lifted the Old Palace Master’s hand to nibble teasingly on the tips of his fingers. With a screech, the old palace master pulled his hand back, chest heaving as the old man stared in terror at the four guests. 

     “You’ve been through twenty long, frightful nights. You’ve seen their faces, felt all their bites.” The bear patted the Old Palace Master’s shoulder in an understanding, considerate way. Or, what would be considerate if it didn’t accidentally dislocate the old cultivator’s shoulder and then jostle it with each pat. Shen Yuan could tell the old man was trying to heal with his spiritual energy, but since Shen Yuan was sucking that out via the array, there wasn’t a chance of that happening. 

     “You know our show is so far from over! And Freddy told us you’re an organ donor.” The bird sang, smiling with round teeth and red eyes as it pointed at the bear conspiratorially. 

     “What’s an organ donor?” Zhuzhi-lang hissed. Tianlang-jun was pale, eyes transfixed on the scene. 

     “I don’t think we want to know.”

     “All eyes are on you, we can walk you through our dark fantasy!” The wolf creature laughed and danced around, snapping its fangs with loud bangs and clacking noises.

     “Learn what we’ve gone through. We can teach you to laugh at tragedy!” The purple rabbit threw an arm over the Old Palace Master’s shoulder, ignoring his cry of pain as his dislocated shoulder was jostled. 

     “You thought the nightmares ended back at Freddy’s.” Still singing, the purple rabbit rubbed the old palace master’s back, nodding patiently even as the Old Palace Master thrashed and attempted to break free and get away from the strange creatures. 

     “We’re all still right here! So let’s get friendly!” All of their eyes gleamed, the irises glowing ominously as the audience watched in silence. 

     “We’re feeling festive. Join the party, we’ll try hard not to bite!” The bear, Freddy, pulled a red and white cap of some sort out from his stomach where the old palace master could see some half rotted remains, perhaps those of a small animal that had gotten stuck inside the machine and starved to death?

     “Anger is restless. Don’t hold it against us, we’re alright!” The purple rabbit murmured, voice low and soothing as he spoke, eyes watching the old palace master like a hawk.

     “The fun is starting! A celebration that lasts eternally!” The red fox laughed, dancing around all of the animatronics before turning to look at the bird, passing the line along. 

     “I’m always watching. Because somebody golden murdered me!” The bird grinned, seemingly ignorant to the fact that it too might be considered a shade of gold. Shen Yuan definitely thought that gold was a shade of yellow or brown, matching the bird. It seemed fitting that the bird get along with the old palace master. 

     “We’ll be found down, deep underground. What have I done? To deserve this damnation?” Freddy sang again, sighing remorsefully as he brushed dirt off his body. 

     “Who knows if you’re the one to blame? ‘Cause we don’t even know your name.” The purple rabbit made a fair point as it patted the old palace master’s hand, seemingly ignorant to the fact that his old bones just broke under the uncalibrated metal hand. 

     “But you’re here now, and we’ve got temptation!” The wolf licked it’s chops, gleefully leering at the old palace master while the old man shivered and tried to pull away. 

     “No, no, no, no, no, no, no,no,nonononononononononononono! This can’t be happening! I refuse to believe this is happening!” The old palace master muttered. There was a moment of silence before all four animatronics backed up, their hands lifted to show they weren’t touching the Old palace master. 

     “We’re only playing! Just wanted to make a few new friends!” The bird tweeted, seemingly cheerful as though it were truly only joking around. 

     “You plan on staying? Oh, when you’re with us the party never ends!” The fox grinned, cheerfully grabbing hold of the old palace master’s unbroken hand as the old man tried to pull away desperately. 

     “You might look at me and think you’re going crazy! I lost it long ago, you’re not alone, baby!” The purple rabbit laughed, machinery loud as it had an error, eyes rolling back in its head while it continued to laugh, hands reaching out to blindly grab the old palace master. 

     “Can’t wait to meet you, so join the animatronic family!” Freddy grabbed the Old Palace Master’s arms, smiling with bright red eyes that glowed in the dark. The old palace master shrieked and attempted to rip himself free from the animatronic. 

     You know, without his cultivation, he’s just a weak old man. There’s not really anything special about him, yet he did so much damage. 

     “We open real soon! Try your best to hold onto sanity!” The purple rabbit had broken out of its glitch… mostly . 

     The eyes were still rolled back, showing only the white as it smiled and tried to care for the old palace master. 

     “Come get to know me, and you won’t wanna leave after tonight!” The wolf grinned, even as its body broke in half, dropping it to the floor. It dragged its broken body forward, latching onto the old palace master’s leg as it smiled up at him. 

     “Down here we’re lonely. And we would love you to join us for a bite!” The bird smiled and laughed, even as it glitched and sparked, eyes rolling back. 

     “And we would love you to join us for a bite! And we would love you to join us for a bite!” Suddenly the bird and the wolf opened their mouths, biting deeply into whatever part of the Old Palace Master they could get their teeth in. He screamed loudly, trying to kick off the wolf and bird, but their metal jaws had locked on like steel traps. 

     “And we would love you to join us for a bite!” The purple rabbit seemed to sniff the Old Palace Master first, checking as though he were a gourmet feast. The rabbit shivered before it bit down on the Old Palace Master’s shoulder. Another scream rang out as they began to sink into the ground, Freddy stepping forward with a pleasant smile on his face. 

     “What is it doing? Oh, I think I might be sick ,” Tianlang-jun whispered when Freddy bit straight into the Old Palace Master’s face. Shen Yuan heard the cracking of bone, flinching at the sound while a guttural, pained scream rang out. 

     “And we would love you to join us for a bite!” Shen Yuan watched coldly as the Old Palace Master scrabbled to keep a firm hold on the ground even as the four animatronics weighed him down. Not that he could escape them without doing some severe physical damage to himself. Slowly but surely, the four animatronics dragged him down into the ground with one final scream, leaving nothing but disturbed dirt behind. 

     Zhuzhi-lang approached the dirt and poked it with a stick, jumping back like a startled cat to wait for a reaction as the music began to fade into the background. When nothing happened, Tianlang-jun patted his nephew’s shoulder, looking a little queasy himself. The two began walking back as Shen Yuan glanced towards the dirt pile that looked a little like a freshly dug grave. As he turned around, his voice drifted over the grave in one final, mocking farewell. 

     “And we would love you to join us for a bite!”

Chapter Text

     Luo Binghe, demonic emperor and ruler of the three realms glared up from his crib while he suckled on something that was chewy but he couldn’t bite through. He was clad in bright blues and yellows, being cooed over by what appeared to be Shang Qinghua and Mobei-jun. Though, Mobei-jun was watching Shang Qinghua instead of Luo Binghe and his purple ears kept wiggling slightly as he watched the peak lord coo over the baby. 

     “Come to visit Binghe again, have you?” someone cheerily called from out of Luo Binghe’s sight. He tried to turn his head to see who had come in the room, but damn these baby limbs, why won’t they MOVE!

     “He just has the cutest expressions, how can I not? He looks like his pacifier is lemon flavored or something!” Luo Binghe glared at the peak lord, eyes promising DEATH for the insolent human. 

     I don’t care if Mobei-jun is in love with you or what, I will not be mocked!

     “Is he crying?” The person asked, coming to stand over the cage-like bed Luo Binghe rested in. His eyes widened in shock, staring at the ethereal person hovering over the bed. With soft lilac eyes, ivory skin, and silver hair that shone in the firelight, the person was the most beautiful he’d ever seen! More so than even his shizun! How did he miss such a beauty in his last life??

     I know I never married a man in my last life, but I think I’ll change that today. Luo Binghe tried to give a suave and alluring look to the man as he gazed down upon him thoughtfully. His hands reached into the cage and Luo Binghe’s eyes widened eagerly. 

     “You’re right, he’s making strange faces.” Luo Binghe felt the arms lift him under the arm and support his neck as the man stared at him. Suddenly a soft hand gently patted Luo Binghe’s bum, causing him to freeze. “Did you poop?”

     …

     …

     …

     !!!!

     Loud wailing echoed through the palace as baby Binghe burst into tears, face completely red. His face was scrunched up as he cried, not calming down no matter how Shen  Yuan tried to soothe him. The door opened with a loud bang as Tianlang-jun came running, eyes wide and panicked. 

     “What’s wrong? Why is he crying? Is he hurt? Is he dying? Why is he doing that? Are there enemies?? What’s wrong?” Shen Yuan looked over at Tianlang-jun with a helpless expression. 

     “Shang Qinghua said he was making faces like he was unhappy, so I went to check if he pooped. He started crying even before I did anything. I just picked him up!” Tianlang-jun darted over, crouching down to push his face closer to the face of the wailing baby. 

     “What’s wrong?? Why are you crying?? Are you hurt? Hungry? Your mom is out right now and I can’t produce milk, but I can let you suckle!” Luo Binghe stared at the demon in horror while Shang Qinghua choked in the background. Movie-jun had plugged his ears when the wailing started and hadn’t opened his eyes since the moment Tianlang-jun entered the room. The demon lord paused before smiling again. “He stopped crying! So that was what you wanted, was the pacifier too cold for you? Here, I’ll-”

     “You can’t be serious, right?” The man holding Luo Binghe took a few steps away from the demon lord, face twisted with repulsion. 

     THANK YOU! KEEP ME AWAY FROM THE WEIRDO! 

     “Why not? He stopped crying, didn’t he?” 

     “I’d place more faith in him halting his tears because you shoved your ugly face in front of him,” a familiar voice drawled. Luo Binghe tried to turn and see if it really was who he thought it was. The man carrying him turned, revealing Shen Qingqiu standing in the doorway, sneering at the people within the room. 

     “A-Jiu, that’s not very nice,” the demon lord whined. Shen Qingqiu’s face curled with disgust as he flicked his fan open to put a blockade between him and the demon lord. 

     “Who gave you permission to call me that? Disgusting!” Tianlang-jun whined, throwing his arms over the Qing Jing Peak Lord’s shoulders as he continued to whine, baby Binghe all forgotten. Shen Yuan gently rocked the baby in his arms as he watched Shen Qingqiu lose the elegant facade he tried to put on to smack Tianlang-jun over the head with his fan. 

     “Still though, it’s unusual for you to come here personally, Jiu-ge. What’s up?” Shen Yuan asked. Shang Qinghua flinched. 

     “Are you here for me? If this is about the dryad wood shipment for your guqin making class, there have been some demon beast attacks along the road so I’m afraid that I can’t help you there! If not, is it about the uniforms? We’re still waiting for the fabric to be made in a great enough quantity to fulfill the request! Or! I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to tell Liu Qingge that you like sweets and aren’t visiting brothels to sleep with women since you’re gay! I didn’t think he would propose to court you at the Peak Lord meeting with tanghulu, I really didn’t!”

     “Ah, so you were the one responsible for leaking that,” Yue Qingyuan said with a dark smile as he appeared behind Shen Qingqiu in the doorway. Shang Qinghua went pale as his sect leader smiled from the shadows. “I suppose I’ll just have to make sure that you get sent out with Liu Qingge on the missions he’ll be undertaking soon.”

     Shang Qinghua looked like he’d lost his soul, slumping weakly to his knees as he began to mumble incoherently about damage costs, reckless endangerment of martial siblings, qi exhaustion, and other things that couldn’t be made out. Eventually Mobei-jun stepped forward and picked him up, glaring at Yue Qingyuan before teleporting away. Shen Qingqiu snorted ungracefully. 

     “No. I’m here with this idiot. And because I haven’t heard any half decent gossip or conversations since the last time I came here,” Shen Qingqiu said, gesturing to Yue Qingyuan. The sect leader winced as he looked at Shen Yuan. 

     “I’m just here for the regular treatments.” Shen Yuan nodded, gently moving to set baby Binghe back in his crib. 

     DON’T LEAVE ME HERE!

     The wailing started up again as soon as Binghe realized he was being released and wouldn’t be cradled anymore. His pacifier dangled around his neck uselessly as he sobbed, hands grasping with no force onto Shen Yuan’s robes. Tianlang-jun’s head whipped around and he darted to the crib. 

     “My baby needs me!” He picked him up and cradled him to his-

     Damn, that is a massive breast. If I didn’t know this was a man, I might believe he was a muscular woman.

     “There there, you can suckly on daddy’s breasts all you want until your momma comes home. It won’t be as filling, but-”

     “A-Tian, what are you doing?” The voice cracked like a whip, even though it was soft and gentle. The demon lord turned, still holding Luo Binghe to his breast. 

     NIPPLE INBOUND! REPEAT, NIPPLE INBOUND! RETREAT, RETREAT, RETREAT!!

     Soft hands gently plucked him from the demon’s grasp as he was gently cradled by a soft looking woman dressed in blues and blacks. Luo Binghe stared up at her in shock, watching as she smiled down at him, softly humming as she rocked him in her arms. 

     “I think he’s hungry, Xiyan! He kept wailing, so I figured he might want something to suck on!” The woman sighed and lifted the pacifier, slipping it into Luo Binghe’s lax mouth. He began sucking on it instinctively, completely unfocused on anything but the woman who smiled at him and cared for him so sweetly. 

     Not even my wives would go this far.

     “A-Tian, you can’t feed him. Don’t let him suck on your breasts, you might end up hurt.” The man laughed, pounding his (bare) chest. 

     “I’m a heavenly demon, I don’t get hurt that easily!” he said with a grin. Now that Luo Binghe paid attention, glowing dimly on the man’s forehead was in fact the mark of a heavenly demon. Luo Binghe nearly dropped his jaw in shock. 

     All the other heavenly demons are DEAD! Where did this one pop up from! WAIT! If he’s a heavenly demon older than me…with that face…is this my FATHER??

     Shen Yuan watched the future demonic overlord staring at his father with question marks floating above his head, chuckling softly. Shen Qingqiu looked at him and a faint smile disappeared behind his fan, like a deer hiding between the bamboo. Yue Qingyuan looked at both the Shen’s with a warm smile on his face. He reached out to wrap his arms around both of them, as an older brother is supposed to, only for a hand to push against his face, keeping him away from Shen Yuan. 

     Zhuzhi-lang glared at Yue Qingyuan and Shen Yuan sighed as he saw imaginary sparks flash between them. He smiled as he looked over at the small family. Su Xiyan was pinching Tianlang-jun’s cheek until he promised he wouldn’t try to nurse Luo Binghe himself. Shen Yuan recalled the conversation he’d had with Shang Qinghua after Luo Binghe was born. 

     ‘“Dude, do you know what he’s going to be named? Now that he’s not going to drift down the Luo river, there’s no reason for his name to still be Luo Binghe! Hell, that might not even be one of the options for his name!” Shen Yuan looked away sheepishly, scratching his cheek. 

     “Well…” Shang Qinghua looked up at him in confusion. 

     “What? What is it?” Shen Yuan sighed. 

     “They…MAY have left his name up to me, since without me none of them would be there to take care of the child…and I MAY have just instinctively blurted out the first name that came to mind.” Shang Qinghua stared at him before cackling loudly, throwing his head backwards as his hand slapped at his knee like an old person. 

     “So he’ll still be Luo Binghe?” Shen Yuan nodded and Shang Qinghua cackled.’

     He shook himself out of his memories, turning to face Yue Qingyuan. “Well then, should we go and take care of things? I think today I should be able to separate the last bit of your soul from Xuan Su.”

     I guess Cang Qiong sect was really desperate to make sure their next sect leader didn’t die of stupidity.

     Once the sect leader had heard that Shen Yuan had not only found the difference between Yue Qingyuan and Xuan Su’s spiritual energies but that he’d also restored part of Yue Qingyuan’s SOUL , they had been pretty desperate to work out a peaceful arrangement between the human and demon realms. One of the conditions for Cang Qiong’s peaceful relations had been that Shen Yuan was supposed to help Yue Qingyuan. 

     I don’t think they could have been MORE vague as to what exactly that entailed, but I suppose it ended well. 

     Because Shen Yuan could feel the difference between Yue Qingyuan and Xuan Su, he’d actually begun separating the two, so that Yue Qingyuan would no longer be tied to his sword. Instead, he’d be able to live as a normal (extremely powerful) cultivator and his sword would be tied to his core instead of his life. 

     Upon finding out that 1, Shen Yuan was the little boy who Shen Qingqiu had met in town that helped him with Liu Qingge, and 2, Qi-ge was an idiot who tied his literal SOUL to his sword in an attempt to get to him faster, Shen Qingqiu had insisted on being present during each and every session. He wasn’t essential there, and several people complained that he was possibly causing trouble for others by being there, but Shen Yuan liked his company. 

     There were three people that Shen Yuan would consider family members even if at best they were really only close friends. 

     Airplane, because he could relax and use casual slang, even DRESS casually (so long as Mobei-jun didn’t see) around the fool. Airplane seemed happy to have a transmigrator friend too. He did complain though, that because of Shen Yuan’s interference in the main storyline his system had altered the end goal that he was supposed to achieve. He claimed that he now had the ‘impossible’ task of becoming the Queen of the Northern Demon realm. Oftentimes restating how in order to achieve that position, he would have to marry Mobei-jun. Looking at how Mobei-jun looked at Shang Qinghua like he was made of pure, fluffy gold, Shen Yuan thought the goal wasn’t really that hard.

     Mobei-jun was the second because with Mobei-jun, Shen Qingqiu could bounce ideas off the man without actually needing a response. Or they could just sit in silence. Even despite not doing a whole lot together, Mobei-jun was loyal and dedicated. If Shen Yuan needed his help, he was right there to do whatever was needed. … … … … He also made a great Uber.

     Lastly was Shen Qingqiu. Ah, Shen Yuan had never known that the scum villain could be so much more than that! That the scum villain wasn’t actually scum and that the man had the mouth of a sailor with the spiteful, depressed, running on caffeine mind of a Gen Z kid who could not care enough to hold back their true opinions. It made for some great conversations. After all, in the end, Shen Yuan was an internet gremlin with no one to rant to. 

     Shen Yuan glanced at himself in a mirror as they walked down the hall, leaving Zhuzhi-lang to watch over the family as Shen Yuan escorted the peak lords to a separate area. Wouldn’t want to accidentally set off the baby again. 

     I look nothing like I used to. Shen Yuan thought, looking away from the mirror. Instead of the hazel eyes he’d had in his first life, his lilac eyes in this life were soft and beautiful. His hair had truly become silver after Su Xiyan had insisted on washing it and brushing through it, leaving a smooth curtain of silver between him and everyone else. He had gotten used to having long hair, usually keeping it in a long braid, but there were times when he missed his short black hair and the ability to run his fingers through his hair in two seconds. His skin, once pale and sickly, had changed as well. If in the first life his skin had the color of someone on the verge of death, now he practically glowed with health. Despite being dead. 

     In the next mirror over, Shen Yuan caught a flash of purple on his head and smiled softly to himself. Tianlang-jun, after what had happened with the Old Palace Master and the sects had done something he really didn’t have to. Shen Yuan had been fine being written in as one of the heirs, even if everyone knew he wasn’t really part of the family. However, Tianlang-jun had found a capable tattoo artist and had them tattoo the heavenly demon mark on Shen Yuan’s forehead. 

     It failed of course, I am still a ghost. But, since he was so insistent, I’ve changed how I look again, keeping it on at all times. Except when he drags us to the human realm so he can watch this world’s version of porn. I really hope he doesn’t try that with Binghe.

     Shen Yuan smiled broadly as he walked, humming softly. 

     “‘Cause you’ll be in my heart. Believe me, you’ll be in my heart! From this day on, now and forever more. Oh, you’ll be in my heart. No matter what they say. You’ll be here in my heart.” 

“Always.”