Chapter Text
For the last year since Shen Qingqiu helped Binghe stop mashing together the demon realm and the human realm, life has actually been good. It hasn’t been full of monsters or demon lords or creepy palace masters wanting to imprison him in their stupid creepy dungeons.
Shen Qingqiu has been able to find peace in his day to day for the first time since Binghe went down to the abyss. That was until Yue Qingyuan approached him for tea last week but wouldn’t give an answer as to why the head peak master of Cang Qiong wanted to see him. In other words… What the fuck did he do and how did Yue Qingyuan find out???
Shen Qingqiu sits in his room and contemplates what the fresh hell he’s done that has gotten his master’s attention enough for him to ask that they have a private meeting in his office. Around him the bamboo house is completely tidied and clean, thanks to a certain subservient disciple that is still trying to curry favor after the last few years of terror he reigned over Cang Qiong.
“Does Shizun wish for tea?” Asks said disciple, sitting properly at the other side of the low table. Luo Binghe’s curls were rather tame considering the humidity outside, the weather was on the cusp of turning for the worse, leaving a damp wetness to the air that made the skin sticky and curly hair spring into pinwheels.
“Not now, Binghe.” He said softly, frowning a little at the letter in his hands. Yue Qingyuan had a significant relationship with Shen Jiu, and it had been eating at him lately that he was not that man. He wondered if Yue Qingyuan was expecting his former childhood friend to be closer since the revelation of their past was made partially public during the fighting from last spring. “This master is tired. Perhaps you could draw this one a bath?” He asked, not glancing away from the elegant writing of his master to the eager man across from him.
In this world that Airplane had created there were some things that just didn’t make sense. One of those things was the gender roles and hierarchies of Proud Immortal Demon Way . Based on the information Shen Yuan knew before entering the book and from his own experience since transmigrating- it was very uncommon for a beta like himself to have an alpha like Luo Binghe trail after him so eagerly. Even as his Shizun it was a bit odd. After they managed to stop the two realms from colliding though, Luo Binghe had been very obedient and willing to listen to his master. Perhaps it was the embarrassing admissions made in the heat of the moment, but that didn’t mean anything, right? Saying he trusted Binghe to save the day had been… well. He’d definitely not be reiterating those words again without something to hide behind certainly.
“Yes, Shizun.” Replied Binghe before rising from the table where he was doing his paperwork. Usually Shen Qingqiu had kept paperwork in his office farther up the peak near the training halls, but today had been bad weather and he’d sent Binghe to fetch them for him.
If it is not too much hassle, this one would appreciate that Shen Qingqiu joins him for tea next Wednesday to discuss a private matter. It would be best to leave your loyal disciple behind, as he is still under speculation from the rest of Cang Qiong at the moment.
-Yue Qingyuan
The note wasn’t very formal, meaning it really was for his eyes only. After reading the letter again, Shen Qingqiu sighed and held the letter up to his candle and watched the parchment catch fire. He let it burn, placing the paper in the dish of ashes and incense where it crumpled as it burned, flaring up for just a few seconds before falling apart and burning out.
With the evidence done with, he stretched out under the table, even with a cushion the low table was a little hard on the knees. He hummed in satisfaction as his joints clicked before getting up. It was the beginning of autumn on the peak, and outside was reflecting it in the hazy humid coldness that seeped through the bamboo house walls. It would be time to take out the heavier blankets, especially for Binghe who still insisted he was happy with his small room and futon set up. The floor was just made of wood, and even with the stove burning to keep it warm and comfortable, it was still cold in the mornings.
Shen Qingqiu drew his hands behind his back as he slipped on his shoes and opened the sliding door. He looked about the scene in front of him, a heavy fog was crawling up the mountain side, carrying with it a damp heavy scent of trees and grass and water. The trees that encapsulated the small bamboo house were starting to change as the cold weather took its turn. He didn’t step off the patio of the bamboo house, simply looking outwards at the beautiful landscape as small groups of disciples wandered by in twos or threes. It was evening now, classes were finished for the day and they were likely on their ways to dinner. It was weird to not quite recognize the students this year, yet so much had happened since he’d chosen any students… It wasn’t strange to say he had lost a bit of touch with the goings on of Cang Qiong peak during his adventures the last few years.
He took a deep breath again, taking in that mossy wet scent. It was welcoming, reminding him of when he taught his little white lotus of a student his forms and how to cultivate a golden core. Those were the days. Before Binghe was presented as an alpha. Before he’d begun demonic cultivation. Before… everything.
Shen Qingqiu still felt sad for those days lost. It felt like they had gone by far too fast. His darkened lotus had grown like a tree that had been very well insulated during the winter. Kept warm and able to continue growing bigger every moment, until the end of winter when it was stronger and taller than its other fellow trees. The wind blew a particularly chilly breeze his way, making him shudder and hide his hands deep inside his sleeves.
“Shizun, the bath is ready.”
“Ah, thank you Binghe.”
As he began to soak, the softest whispers of pattering rain danced over his head against the roof.
--
Wednesday morning Shen Qingqiu got dressed and made sure he took special care to look nice for his master, fussing in the bronze mirror until Binghe came over and guffawed at the mess he’d made of his own hair.
“Just… Fix it. Please.” He asked, and Binghe did. Righting the hair crown and fixing any loose bits of hair that were supposed to be tied up in the bun on his head. Shen Qingqiu only felt pleased once it was to his liking, feeling antsy about every last detail.
He’d just finally gotten to know peace again! Shoot him for wanting this meeting to go well! For all he knew, he was about to get discovered as a transmigrator! He’d been having nightmares about it since he got that letter last week.
“Shizun is worried?” Asked Binghe as he retrieved Xiu Ya from its place and handed it to his master.
“I…” Shen Qingqiu hesitated before deciding that it was best to keep it to himself. “No, I just wanted to present myself properly for my Shixiong. Why don’t you see if you can find the thicker blankets in that chest while I’m away, it is beginning to get colder outside, afterall.” Shen Qingqiu knew that the task wouldn’t take very long, but it was a good distraction for Binghe while he was gone.
“Will you be gone for long?”
“I’m not sure, Zhangmen-shixiong did not say. I will be back before sundown.”
“Should this one prepare dinner then, for when you return?” Binghe asked, seeming unhappy that he wasn’t fully in the know of what was going on. He didn’t like that since being restricted to the bamboo house after the events of last spring, he couldn’t roam as he pleased. Especially when his Shizun left him at home like a maid.
“Mn. That would be nice, Binghe.” Hummed Shen Qingqiu, smiling minutely before gathering his things and taking his leave. It would take a few minutes to climb the stairs and pathways up to Yue Qingyuan’s office.
When Shen Qingqiu arrived, Zhangmen-shixiong was already waiting at the low table with an elegant tea set placed out for them to use. He’d never seen this set before, it looked like it was from the southern regions, with its white and blue patterns emblazoned with golden insignias and characters.
“Did Shen-shidi find his way alright?” Zhangmen-shixiong asked as Shen Qingqiu took his seat. Quietly he opened his fan and nodded, hoping to look much more composed than he felt. “Very well. That is good to hear.” He hummed before waving off the servants that stood in the room with them and had shown Shen Qingqiu to his place where he sat now. Xiu Ya was laid on the floor beside him, its scabbard catching the dim light of the candles in the room. All the doors were drawn shut, leaving the room a little darker than it usually was for midafternoon.
The air was very serious, making Shen Qingqiu want to squirm under those keen eyes watching him precariously.
“Let us begin, then.” Yue Qingyuan said, waving his sleeve and beginning to pour the tea for his guest. “There is something I need of you, Shen-shidi. I understand that you have been recuperating since the events at Maigu Ridge…”
Ah. So this is what this is about… He’s still nervous about having Binghe on the peak…
“Yes. But I am doing much better now, Zhangmen-shixiong needn’t worry himself.” He answered while accepting a cup of tea politely.
“That is good to hear. And Luo Binghe, he is… settling in well?”
“Mn. If you mean to ask if he is staying out of trouble, then yes.”
Zhangmen-shixiong laughed softly, shaking his head and bringing his tea to his lips for a taste. Only then did Shen Qingqiu take a sip as well. “I’m glad to see he is being obedient then. I’m sure it is hard for him as well, being restricted to the peak and bamboo house.”
“He endures it well.” Replies Shen Qingqiu. “He’s been very remorseful for his actions. I believe parts of his disobedience to the peak began with a bout of misinformation, after falling into the abyss as a child, he came to misunderstand his Shizun. I apologize for the trouble we have caused Zhangmen-shixiong.”
“No need, please. Shidi doesn’t need to apologize.” Zhangmen didn’t let him finish his bow, stopping his salute before he could continue farther. “That is not why I asked you here today, Shen Qingqiu.”
Shit! He said my full government name. I’m in deep shit!
“Thanking Shixiong, then.” He put his arms back in his lap, waiting for his demise. “What is it that this one can do for you?”
“Well therein lies the issue. I need a peak lord to investigate something, but it must be discrete. And they cannot be an alpha or omega, due to the nature of the mission.”
“And with everyone else busy preparing for the next Immortal Alliance…” Shen Qingqiu nodded, already knowing where this was headed.
“Shidi understands then, that this one has no choice but to ask you, will you go on this mission for me?”
Instantly, a box appeared before Shen Qingqiu. One he had gotten into the habit of not seeing so often. God fucking dammit!
[Accept Moon Thistle Harvest Mission] [Yes] [No]
He curiously tried to recall any missions from the main plot that they had missed up until now or that he’d patched up. He couldn’t remember any bonus content either. Huh. Well, why not? He had Binghe on his side now! That meant that the powerful main character halo also transferred to himself right??? As long as Binghe was there, it seemed he wasn’t likely to die right? Thinking this, he selected. [Yes]
“Of course, it is my duty after all.” He bowed slightly with an incline of his head. “Please, do tell me the details, Zhangmen-shixiong.”
[Moon Thistle Harvest Mission Accepted!]
[+10 B points!]
Well isn’t this going to be interesting. I kinda thought the system was gone since it hasn’t appeared in months.
[The system was in hibernation during the recuperation process from Maigu Ridge. The system cannot go anywhere. The system is always here.]
What.
[The system has an update for you. Do you wish to accept and download files?]
Shen Qingqiu stared into his tea while Zhangmen-shixiong detailed to him his new mission, trying not to look irked at the chirpy voice of the system informing him he had a… a DLC?? To download??? He looked at the box floating over his tea and refrained from the tired sigh that wanted to waft out of his body. There was no option to say no either, so he really had no choice, did he?
[No, it is a required update.]
Fucking hell.
--
As he left Zhangmen-shixiong’s office later that afternoon, Shen Qingqiu finally let out that annoyed groan he’d been holding in. He wanted to throw a temper tantrum. He was finally at peace! Of course the system came back! How foolish had he been?!!!!
Only slightly furious, he marched back to the bamboo house, scroll in one hand, Xiu Ya in the other. The wind was cold again today, and it bit at his cheeks as he made his way back to the house. His mood was more than sour but he tried his best to hide it from Binghe who helped him set the table for dinner and offered to run another warm bath for his Shizun. Perhaps he didn’t hide his irritation as well as he thought.
That night he laid in bed, listening to the crackle of the wood stove that kept the house warm. It was still damp and chilly but Binghe had brought out the thicker winter blankets as he was told, and it made it easier to settle down. Although… That box was still at the top of his vision.
[New Update Downloading… 67% Complete.]
Just how big is this DLC? Jesus!
It had been downloading since he’d accepted the new update back in Yue Qingyuan’s office. Shen Qingqiu glared up at the floating box until he couldn’t keep his eyes open any longer. By the time he drifted off, it had only gone up by 4%.
[New Update Downloading… 70% Complete.]
[New Update Downloading… 73% Complete.]
[New Update Downloading… 75% Complete.]
--
By Friday he was already packed and prepared to leave at dawn, tiptoeing around the bamboo house so as not to wake Binghe. He left his disciple a note on the table, claiming he was going to visit Shang Qinghua about a mistake in Cang Qiong’s papers for the new incoming students. It was better than trying to convince him he could go on a mission by himself without Binghe trailing behind!
Binghe wasn’t even technically allowed to leave the mountain, as part of his punishment he was to stay there for the next two years repenting under Shen Qingqiu’s guidance and supervision. Mostly because everyone else was either scared of him or wanted to kill him. As it was, he was the only one left at the end of that long discussion (see: argument) about what to do with Binghe after everything ended. The man was a freaking demon lord okay?? If he didn’t want to listen he didn’t have to, but he did; for his Shizun. He seemed eager every day to repent for his actions to his teacher and the rest of the peak. After four months, he’d been doing quite well, there was no reason to tempt him.
Thus, Shen Qingqiu took off into the shadows before twilight, glad that Binghe had also taken out his warmer robes when he’d been taking out the blankets on Wednesday because there was a frost in the air. Clumps and clusters of crystalized water clung to the grass and trees, a beautiful spider’s web was covered in frosty lace by the patio of the bamboo house that he noticed just before taking flight on his sword.
Xiu Ya was quick and silent, alighting easily outside the barriers of Cang Qiong and taking him away in minutes from the peak.
[New Update Downloading… 99% Complete.]
[Moon Thistle Harvest Mission Started!]
[Dragon Wing Moon Thistle Collected 0/15]
--
Shen Qingqiu was going to kill Airplane the second he saw him. What kind of fucking joke of a plant was this thing?? And why was it so hard to get a hold of???
[Dragon Wing Moon Thistle Collected 11/15]
The banner overhead had a counter and whenever he found one of these glowing prickly plants it would ding with a new count. The area he stood in was a moss wetlands type of scene. It was mostly water, but in said water were water ghouls that would try to drag you into the water (made that mistake twice already thanks) and drown you with their grubby pale hands. To say that Shen Qingqiu was soaked would be an understatement. The wet murky water was dripping from him in every way possible, making it hard to grip Xiu Ya as he slashed at the pathetic little demons trying to latch onto him like leeches. Then there were the fucking sprites, because why would there only be one demon guarding these weird glowing plants?
The sprites came in differing shapes and forms, some looked like fairies while others looked like a shadow with glowing eyes straight out of a horror movie. Each time Shen Qingqiu found one of the fifteen plants he had to harvest from this murky pit of grossness, he had to fight off at least one or two of these creatures. It wasn’t like it was difficult, but it was definitely more of a hassle than he’d anticipated it being. Not to mention that these plants, the Dragon Wing Moon Thistle, were uncommon in most regions so he had to travel deep into the southern part of the demon realm to find what he needed.
“Easy little sprite…” He coaxed a beautiful tiny humanoid creature away from the root while trying not to let his exhaustion show. She giggled and fluttered around him, her nude body glowing with her sparkling wings. Her voice sounded like a wind chime, tinkling softly as he grabbed the plant from the ground. Yet, the moment that stupid thorny plant was pulled from the wet cold ground, her image fluttered and changed. “Not again…” He complained to himself, bracing himself with Xiu Ya as the once beautiful miniature woman quadrupled in size and attacked him with sharp little teeth and claws. “OW!”
Determined, he managed to fight off the now bat-sized angry little demonic sprite. Shen Qingqiu grumbled to himself as he stuffed the weed into his qiankun pouch.
“Stupid sprites. Stupid weeds. Stupid-- Stupid me! Why did I think this would be easy?” He muttered, stepping back out of the swampy mess and back towards the shore of the pond-like wetland that he had been trudging through. His feet were cold, wet and going numb. Not only was he soaked to the bone, but even in the southern reaches of the demonic realm, it was still the beginning of autumn- which meant that with one small breeze he was shaking in his boots.
With a huff, Shen Qingqiu pulled out a soggy talisman, using his spiritual energy to activate it and instantly dry himself off with a flush of hot air. It wouldn’t be lasting long, as he would need to find three more of those weeds though. Every time he seemed to dry off, after picking about five or so of the plants, he would get pulled down again by a water ghoul or something like it. In the southern territories of the demon realm there were more beast-like demons, much like the animal kingdom.
He looked up at the sky. It was nearly dawn again. He’d been hunting down these weeds all day and night. He didn’t know if it would be worth taking another break or if he should try to just power through it to get home.
Next time Yue Qingyuan asks me to go on a stupid little mission I’m definitely taking Binghe! He thought, pulling his robes closer with a shiver. Even the talisman couldn’t stave off the inevitable chill of being soaked through over and over again throughout the night. He took a moment to circulate some more spiritual energy to warm himself. The last thing he needed was to get sick.
Shen Qingqiu glanced at his achievement bar, which marked the 12th Dragon Wing Moon Thistle gathered. Above that bar was another progress bar that was frozen.
[New Update Downloading… 99% Complete.]
Still, the bar hadn’t shown any progress! What the heck was taking so long? And what was this new update anyways?? At first he hadn’t cared, but now he couldn’t help that his curiosity was piqued. Maybe it was a new mod? Maybe he could stop having to do so much paperwork? Maybe it unlocked skins?? He could try different looks?
A cough interrupted his thoughts, bursting past his lips as the wind blew past again. With a shudder he sighed, he needed to finish this quickly before Binghe started misbehaving at home!
--
Ding! [Dragon Wing Moon Thistle Collected 15/15]
[Congratulations! You’ve completed the Moon Thistle Harvest Mission!]
[+5 B Points!]