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#especially Liu Qingge and Yue Qingyuan.
hallwyeoo · 10 months
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Anyway thinking about how post-canon Luo Binghe would try his hardest to be soft and worshipful in his touch, how Maigu Ridge made him afraid of himself, of what he could do. The abyss changed his perspective on how love works, yes, but his actions after it changed how he viewed what love could do.
It’s hard to view love as salvation, as pure and good and perfect when it killed the person you loved, when it twisted you beyond recognition.
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sunderwight · 4 months
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With moshang I think I'm equally fond of the possibilities/concepts where either Shang Qinghua is ludicrously attractive to demons in a broad sense (but doesn't realize it), or, where Shang Qinghua is just some weird little gremlin and everyone else cannot wrap their head around why THE Mobei Jun is so smug about seducing this man.
Or a combination, where no demon in their right mind would ordinarily look at Shang Qinghua and perceive a sex icon, but because such a high-ranking demon has clearly done so, they go "well there must be SOMETHING going on there" and then look closer and before they know it they're on the slippery slope to being horny about a guy who could help file their taxes or arrange to have their clan base's faulty plumbing fixed.
Basically it's all good. Demons en mass going "yeah yeah big scary dudes who punch good are a dime a fucking dozen around here, but do you know how hot someone who can skillfully use an abacus is?" vs demons going "the ice king is a respectable ruler but he has garbage taste in men, we all just smile and politely nod while he insists the weird rat guy he fixated on as a teenager is a catch" vs demons going "I really don't see the appeal -- wait he did what? he killed how many guys at once with 1 trick? he betrayed WHOMST? and lived?! and he knows how to get my door to stop making horrible squeaky noises?! okay yeah figures the king would marry him" but every option is a winner.
I'm also a big fan of both Shen Qingqiu and Shang Qinghua being not very attractive to demons in general, but it also being really common for demons to get super weird about first crushes and fixate hard on them, so in that sense they are completely normal choices for a couple of high-level demons to marry. Like the demon populace can appreciate the emperor actually landing his hot teacher and the king successfully marrying his teenage sweetheart. It's an idealized fantasy in terms of the scenarios, even if the actual guys are just weird humans. Nearly every average demon has lifelong daydreams about successfully seducing their first crush, so regardless of who those crushes turned out to be it's still a power move for LBH and MBJ to actually succeed.
Bonus if the fact that both SQQ and SQH are peak lords from the same sect leads to a bunch of demon kids developing crushes on the other remaining, unattached peak lords, and chaos ensuing. Especially for Liu Qingge. I think it would be funny for him to gain a flock of teenage demons with crushes, whom he keeps trying to fight off, only to discover that beating them up does NOT discourage them at all (actually makes the crushes worse). Or Yue Qingyuan getting mobbed like he's a pop star any time he makes a diplomatic visit to the demon realms. Sha Hualing deciding that she's just waiting for Liu Mingyan to become a peak lord before they make things official, since That's Obviously How It's Done, or Qi Qingqi doing a head count one day and realizing she suddenly has a bunch of unfamiliar "guest" disciples who sigh at her a lot and have funny-colored eyes...
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tossawary · 2 months
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Thinking about why and how Shang Qinghua left Cang Qiong Sect as a traitor after Shen Qingqiu faked his death (by actually dying) and also why Yue Qingyuan took Shang Qinghua back afterwards... it would be kind of fun to do an AU where Yue Qingyuan actually sent Shang Qinghua to go spy on Luo Binghe.
Like, let's say that Yue Qingyuan figures out that Shang Qinghua had SOMETHING to do with Shen Qingqiu's actions after the Water Prison. By general behavior, maybe, and also because Shang Qinghua did send a coded letter to Shen Qingqiu just before his escape from the Water Prison. Yue Qingyuan doesn't have to have even seen the letter or its contents to know that something is up here if he finds out about that.
Yue Qingyuan also canonically missed Sha Hualing's invasion because he was away organizing the Immortal Alliance Conference, so it's not unreasonable for Yue Qingyuan to belatedly figure out that Shang Qinghua (who almost certainly helped organize the event) possibly had something to do with the invasion of the conference too. Maybe this is the point where a whole bunch of little details over decades of acquaintance click together to form the greater picture.
So, a grieving Yue Qingyuan has caught a traitor, which is terrible for the sect, but a traitor can still be very useful. He doesn't really want Shang Qinghua managing the sect and spying on them now, and Luo Binghe has stolen Shen Qingqiu's body and kidnapped Mu Qingfang (briefly) and is now regularly having fights with Liu Qingge about it, so maybe it'll be preferable to an execution if Cang Qiong has an inside man of sorts? Especially when Luo Binghe is possibly very obviously trying to resurrect Shen Qingqiu (it's something that Mu Qingfang could easily guess from his time there and report back to his sect leader), which Yue Qingyuan probably doesn't actually want to PREVENT even if he would also like Shen Qingqiu's bones back so that the man he loves can rest in peace. Shang Qinghua can be a double agent! Thrown out under the guise of being discovered!
Shang Qinghua: "Sure, sure, sure. But what if I just ran away, huh? What if I just didn't do that for you?"
Yue Qingyuan: "What if I told the new Huan Hua Palace Master, Luo Binghe, that you sent Shen Qingqiu a coded message directly before he escaped the Water Prison and died?"
Shang Qinghua: "...Fuck. What happened to your bleeding heart, Shixiong?"
Yue Qingyuan: "It's not bleeding for you. If any of Luo Binghe's resurrection rituals work, let me know, hm? And try to save Liu-Shidi's life whenever possible."
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svsss-fanon-exposed · 5 months
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Exposing SVSSS Fanon: 2/∞
SHEN JIU VISITS BROTHELS ONLY TO SLEEP AND NOT FOR SEX
Rating: FANON - SUPPORTED
It is a widely-held belief in the fandom that Shen Jiu only visits brothels to sleep and for comfort, and never has sex with the women. However, the only thing that is directly stated is that his purpose for visiting brothels is for seeking the company of women, and because he feels more comfortable around women than men.
 Though Shen Qingqiu was unpopular among his peers, it wasn’t to the extent of being kicked out of the communal sleeping quarters. He just loathed being in close quarters with those of the same sex... ...Liking women wasn’t the least bit shameful, but treating women like saviors, cowering within their embrace and seeking courage from them…even without anyone saying it, Shen Qingqiu knew that was horrendously shameful.
There is nowhere that directly states he does not have sex while at the Warm Red Pavillion. In fact, after Yue Qingyuan sends Liu Qingge away during the confrontation, it states that:
One person’s [SQQ] clothes were mussed and disheveled, while the other’s [YQY] had not a thread out of place. 
It's often argued that the dishevelled and undressed state (a few paragraphs later, Shen Qingqiu is putting his outer clothes back on) is due to Shen Qingqiu having a fight with Liu Qingge, however, in this scene, Yue Qingyuan is able to stop the fight before Shen Qingqiu can even draw his sword, or before an intense fight can occur.
Yue Qingyuan saw that the situation didn’t look good and pressed Shen Qingqiu’s elbow downward, preventing him from drawing his sword.
It's important to note that it is uncertain whether the two had already come to blows at this point, or if Yue Qingyuan was able to prevent any sort of physical fight from occuring. It is also uncertain whether Shen Qingqiu's state of undress and dishevelment is from sleeping at the brothel, fighting with Liu Qingge, or the earlier fight with BZP disciple Ji Jue, which we do know actually came to blows-- maybe it is a combination of the three.
Therefore, it cannot be said with certainty that Shen Jiu does not have sex with the women at Warm Red Pavilion. However, even if Shen Jiu had undressed to sleep there, it still doesn't mean that he had sex. There's just as much, if not more likelihood that it is only for companionship. He is never described as being fully undressed, so while he probably didn't remove his outer robe just for a fight with Bai Zhan Peak, he was still wearing his inner clothes, which would be normal for simply sleeping in.
There is more evidence that he does not have sex with the women at WRP than otherwise, however, especially when considering the infamous exchange between SQH and SQQ in Bai Lu Forest:
Shen Qingqiu asked. “And where am I supposed to find a male virgin’s pee out in the middle of nowhere?” Once these words left his mouth, he realized that Shang Qinghua was gazing intently at him. “Why are you looking at me?! As for my former self—let’s not talk about that for now. You wrote Shen Qingqiu’s original character yourself. He’s unsullied without, degenerate within, always burning with lust. He had an affair in his youth and sought prostitutes as an adult. You think I’m still a virgin? And don’t point at yourself, Shang Qinghua was written the same way.”
Though with this passage one can make a fairly good argument that Shen Jiu was a virgin, since Shang Qinghua never directly refuted what Shen Qingqiu was saying, it still cannot be said with complete certainty.
The accusation that Shen Jiu was a lecher who was visiting brothels simply to satisfy his lust is canonically false. The real reason that Shen Jiu visited brothels was to seek comfort. However, it is not explicitly stated that the comfort he sought out never included sexual relations, which could still be seen as part of that comfort.
In conclusion, it is fairly likely that Shen Jiu did not have sex at brothels, and only slept there, however, since only the intention was disproved in canon, and not the actions themselves, it cannot be stated as a directly-confirmed, canonical fact and may be interpreted otherwise.
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ineffectualdemon · 2 months
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The problem with SVSSS Omegaverse AUs is if I want to keep it close to canon I have to ignore the fact that in any Omegaverse version Tianlang-jun was definitely the one to birth Binghe
Because I can't imagine an Omegaverse SVSSS where Su Xiyan isn't an Alpha who knocked up Tianlang-jun
Tbh if I was to write Omegaverse SVSSS Demon Omegas would be top of the food chain in the demon realm and omega/omega relationships are common amoungst top demons. Betas are second rank as they are useful for not losing their heads. Alpha's can be very powerful and respected especially when paired with a powerful omega, but most alphas are an oppressed minority and kept as pets by omegas.
Whereas it's more typical a/b/o dynamics in the human realm
And because of Airplane's bullshit Binghe is a human Alpha AND a demon Omega
Shen Qingqiu is an omega because of Shen Jiu angst but a byproduct of Without a Cure is it is basically a suppressant and Shen Yuan spends most of his time as Shen Qingqiu as basically a beta which helps him miss cues
Everyone thinks Shang Qinghua is a beta or they know he's an alpha but forget it because he acts more like a Beta. The only one who is always hyper aware he's an Alpha at all times is Mobei
Mobei and Sha Hualing are obviously omegas
Liu Qingge is a beta. This surprises most people but I argue that's why he's socially clueless
Yue Qingyuan is presented as an alpha because his Shizun wanted him to be but he actually is/was an omega though no one knows. Lots of potential for angst
My Qingfang is a beta
Qi Qingqi Alpha
Ning Yingying - Omega
Ming Fan - Alpha
Liu Mingyan - Alpha (people on the forums speculated that this is why she didn't get any sex scenes with Binghe but also forbidden romance was appealing)
Zhuzhi-lang....Alpha I think. Lends to how he lower rank in Demon society and has low self esteem
Linguang-Jun is a beta. The fact his nephew is an Omega and therefore more respected adds to his hatred
Which is all interesting but if it was Tianlang-jun pregnant Binghe would be raised in the demon realm by both his parents because Su Xiyan would burn down Huan Hua Palace to get to her pregnant Omega
Which means any AU I write is going to be far from main canon
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lizhly-writes · 1 month
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hi. we're back to svsss again. i read Asymptotical's Many an Ill to Cure yesterday. There was this line that sort of caught in my head:
If this bit of lore was true, then Yue Qingyuan was married to Shang Qinghua of all people, and that was about the only matchup he could think of that was possibly worse than pairing Shen Qingqiu with Liu Qingge.
and my brain.... ran with it. not for very long, because i really don't have a GREAT grasp of these characters and also i should absolutely be doing something else. but here you go.
At the ripe old age of twenty-something, Shang Qinghua had successfully lied and cheated his ass off to become the An Ding Head Disciple. It absolutely didn't mean his troubles were over -- it was still An Ding, and An Ding always meant backbreaking work, no matter how high up you climbed, and haha also there was still the entire fucking plot left. But at least he had a really nice house now! At least people had to pretend to respect him! At least the System wouldn't keep that fucking countdown clock in the corner of his eye about how he had X months to make Head Disciple before it nuked his brain into a crisp!
Overall, things were going about as great as could be expected!
Except for, you know, this... this one little thing.
"What???" Shang Qinghua said, when Shizun had first lobbed it at his head.
The Lord of An Ding Peak looked askance at him. Shang Qinghua cleared his throat and tried again. "Begging this one's pardon, but... but could Shizun repeat that?"
"You'll be engaged to Yue Qingyuan," said the An Ding Peak Lord.
Yeah, that's what Shang Qinghua thought Shizun said.
FUCK!
This was his fault. Like, literally everything was his fault, seeing how he was effectively God, but this was a mistake that he didn't have to make! You could argue about the violence and the papapa, but in the end, he was speed-writing a stallion novel for money so he didn't starve.
But the engagement.
Airplane-Shooting-Towards-The-Sky had been trying to explain exactly why so many young, beautiful, cold cultivators were so eager to get with Bing-ge, even if they seemed to hate literally any other person ever. He'd eventually settled on the idea that in PIDW, even cultivators weren't truly respected as adults until they were married. In other words, marriage was a requirement! A spouse was a job position! Of course Bing-ge's wives would sell out for the best possible candidate, even if they were ambitious power-hungry snakes without a romantic bone in their body! Especially if they were ambitious power-hungry snakes without a romantic bone in their body!
In fact, even the Peak Lords of Cang Qiong did it! They were even married to each other! Even the Sect Leader! Haha, it wasn't so weird after all!
God. It would have been fine if he left it without explanation. It wasn't even like he kept the explanation -- no, he wrote it and forgot about it, just like how he did with half of the shit he wrote sleep-deprived and running on caffeine alone. And now he was stuck with this.
"Do you have any objections?" Shizun said, and then Shang Qinghua had to go noooo, of course not, Yue Qingyuan was a mighty and handsome cultivator who topped the unofficial rankings for most eligible bachelor on Cang Qiong for three years straight! How could this lowly Shang Qinghua possibly have any objections?
It was super lucky that Shen Qingqiu was too busy being engaged with Liu Qingge to murder Shang Qinghua for the affront.
Anyway, that was how Shang Qinghua had ended up here -- alone with Yue Qingyuan, sitting across from each other and drinking tea. There was a plate of delicately shaped cakes sitting between them that Shizun had heavily suggested Shang Qinghua should make. You know, to show off his culinary skills to his... his fiance.
“Shang-shidi," Yue Qingyuan said, turning a cake over in one hand. There was some muffled yelling in the background. Shen Qingqiu and Liu Qingge were clearly having a great time of their own scheduled courtship meeting session.
"Yue-shixiong," Shang Qinghua said. "Hi."
Yue Qingyuan's smile didn't waver. "These are very good," he said politely.
Of course they were good. Shang Qinghua wouldn't have been able to successfully suck up to Shizun if they weren't good. It had taken a lot of practice! And sabotage! Practice AND sabotage!
"Haha, thanks," Shang Qinghua said.
Faintly, an explosion sounded in the background. Yue Qingyuan's brows furrowed slightly. "Shidi," he said. "Could you perhaps open the door?"
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tcfactory · 15 days
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Silly thought of the day: Yue Qingyuan's cultivation is plenty high to heal the scars from his sword incident without very visible marks - no discoloration, no obviously different skin texture - but there's one thing he can't cover up: you can clearly see where his shizun and the medicine peak lord cut into him to fix his meridians in the patterns in his body hair. It looks kinda stupid, in his opinion, but at least it's easy enough to fix.
So Yue Qingyuan is getting full body shaves (or waxes, idk which would be more fitting for this setting) like twice a year and between bullshit xianxia lotion and cultivation slowing down certain body functions, he's smooth all over. And it should be nobody's business, because xianxia modesty demands he's covered up all the time, but somehow the others find out about it. They are all still only head disciples and maybe it's a very hot summer so the open spars are done shirtless or their shizuns organize a team-bonding trip to a hot spring or something.
Especially the hot spring scenario would be funny because like. Shen Qingqiu is stewing in the water, in his personal nightmare of being in the company of several naked men (he's debating if it makes it marginally better or much worse that they are his fellow head disciples) with no way to hide his scars, and then his world gets upended by Yue Qingyuan being so smooth and delectable all over.
And it would be really humiliating that he's the only one reacting to this - Mu Qingfang knew about it and its reason already, Shang Qinghua doesn't think it's anything strange because he spends way too much time around Mobei-jun who's an ice demon and doesn't have much body hair to begin with, Wei Qingwei is mildly fascinated, but not enough to comment on it...
But then Liu Qingge walks in and looks at Yue Qingyuan like a god descended in front of him. Liu Qingge is staring and Shen Qingqiu is staring and they notice each other staring and through some unprecedented stroke of divine guidance they decide to have temporary truce for a bit, because clearly they are the only people here with functioning eyes.
And maybe if they work together it will exponentially increase their chances of getting to touch Yue Qingyuan in all his smoothness and that's worth having a truce over, probably.
This all ends with a very happy Yue Qingyuan and a very spicy LQG/YQY/SQQ sandwich.
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teufelsabbiss · 4 months
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Story-idea: de-aged OG!SQQ
(eventual Liu Qingge/Yue Qingyuan/Shen Qingqiu)
Can't be the only one who'd love to see a de-aged, amnesiac Shen Qingqiu bite someone's hand out of possessive over-protectiveness, because they dared to threaten (or just touch) Yue Qingyuan. Especially if most of the other peak lords see this.
Anyway, this is what sparked this story idea.
Shen Qingqiu hasn't been well for a while already and then gets into a big argument during a peak lord meeting, which causes him to suffer a qi-deviation. He ends up de-aged to his 12 or 13 year old self and only remembers what happened up to that point.
And holy shit, this is very clearly the opposite of a spoiled rich kid. He's malnourished, neglected and possibly mistreated. He also clearly speaks (and curses) like a street urchin. It's a pretty big shock to his fellow peak lords.
Except for Yue Qingyuan, who immediately tries shielding him from the others. Which isn't going too well at first, seeing how tall, strong men usually spell danger to Shen Jiu. Some of the others try with the best of intentions to get a hold of him to prevent more harm, like him tripping off the rainbow bridge or having an even worse qi-deviation etc. But naturally he's trying to run away from everyone who does. It gets very chaotic, until Yue Qingyuan draws Xuan Su an inch out of its sheath and stops any further shenanigans.
After that, Shen Jiu has a good look at his face and recognizes him as the adult Qi-ge. That Shen Jiu is still wearing (and tripping over) his own too big robes makes it easier for him to believe that he somehow de-aged. Then he pretty much hides in Yue Qingyuan's embrace.
Everyone always questioned why the sect leader is so partial toward Shen Qingqiu and how they first met. Now, with how they interact, they strongly suspect the two grew up together. Which means everyone realizes that Yue Qingyuan is likely a former street child as well. Contrary to Yue Qingyuan's expectations this actually makes them more appreciative of his accomplishments and friendship.
But now Mu Qingfang has to make sure drawing Xuan Su didn't cause lingering damage. Which in turn makes Shen Qingqiu question what's wrong. He's only getting an abridged version, but that's already enough for extreme concern and vile curses against Yue Qingyuan's shizun. Everyone is really shocked and baffled how much he actually cares about the person he usually couldn't even speak five phrases to before flying off the handle.
As for Shen Qingqiu, his qi-deviation was severe. No one can say for sure whether the de-aging will revert back or is permanent. For the time being it's best to assume it's the latter. He has to completely start over with his cultivation. And here comes the next big surprise for the others – Shen Qingqiu has outstanding talent. No wonder he was so salty about his comparably mediocre abilities before...
He can't perform his peak lord duties until he trained up to it again. Qing Jing is run by teachers, hallmasters and occasionally the other peak lords. There are no new disciples accepted and Shen Qingqiu is re-tracing and re-learning most things from his personal library. Most of the time he is on Qiong Ding, partly because he wants to be close to Qi-ge and partly because Yue Qingyuan is too worried to leave him alone on Qing Jing. It's also awesome for both to just enjoy being together without the misunderstandings and resentment poisoning them. Finally everything seems to go well.
Shen Qingqiu can't help admiring his Qi-ge. He's become so much more attractive as an adult. He already was in love before, but now these feelings get a lot more pronounced over the years.
Then Liu Qingge decides to teach Shen Qingqiu proper fight etiquette and gets more than he bargained for. Because Shen Qingqiu unexpectedly develops feelings for him as well. Instead of a treacherous viper threatening to kill him, he now seemingly has a smitten troublesome gremlin hell-bent on future marriage to deal with. Hearing that Shen Qingqiu is exclusively into men is yet again flipping assumptions about him.
Shen Qingqiu is rather torn about having feelings for someone other than Qi-ge in the beginning. But then he decides he wants both! He has always been greedy, why stop now? It doesn't take much convincing for Yue Qingyuan to agree to marry him later. Liu Qingge is a harder nut to crack, but he's immortal and Shen Qingqiu will be soon again as well, so he's ready for a long courtship.
When Luo Binghe joins the sect, he's accepted into Qiong Ding. He and Shen Qingqiu have a complicated relationship. Luo Binghe is very confused and a bit intimidated by knowing this teenager, who is only a few years older than him, is a peak lord who had an accident. And Shen Qingqiu thinks Luo Binghe is too naive and a pushover who needs to learn to stand up for himself. His brand of tough love and help is sadly sparking feelings in Luo Binghe that will ultimately stay unrequited.
Shen Qingqiu's courtship of Liu Qingge naturally includes gifts. Among other things a trinket of some kind that alerts him should Liu Qingge be in trouble. He has to more or less be bullied into taking it with him into the Lingxi caves, but it ends up saving his life. Shen Qingqiu knows something bad happens the moment the qi-deviation starts and he can alert Yue Qingyuan to go in and help. This finally fully convinces Liu Qingge that the courting isn't a long-running ploy. He's more receptive to the courting after this, even though the whole situation is still very strange.
Sha Hualing attacks the sect and is pretty handily defeated in the three matches. Shen Qingqiu wins the first fight, Luo Binghe is eager to impress him and barges in to fight Sha Hualing. Since he's very well trained, he wins. Shen Qingqiu sent a message to Liu Qingge as soon as the attack happened and he rushes out of seclusion to arrive just in time to easily win the third match and, with the combined attack of the others, chase the rest of the demons away.
Shen Qingqiu is drawn into Luo Binghe's dream realm and aids him, thus inadvertently strengthening Luo Binghe's romantic feelings towards him. Shen Qingqiu has no idea this is the case.
Shen Qingqiu accompanies Liu Qingge on his hunts and missions quite often. It's good practice for Shen Qingqiu's duties and opportunity to get closer. Yue Qingyuan and Liu Qingge get more fond of each other as well during this time. This makes Shen Qingqiu stress over losing both at first, but once they reassure him they intend to marry him as well as each other, this is alright for him.
Years later, both Shen Qingqiu and Luo Binghe are attending the Immortal Alliance Conference. Binghe's seal breaks and a cultivator from another sect attacks Binghe upon seeing him. Shen Qingqiu by chance arrives and knocks the cultivator out from behind. After thinking of ways to get Binghe out and realizing there's no way this could work without others noticing that he's a demon and getting the wrong ideas, he urges Binghe to jump into the Endless Abyss. His main concern is not so much Luo Binghe staying alive, but keeping Qi-ge and Liu Qingge safe. He's sure that would be in jeopardy with the sect under scrutiny for harboring a demon and consequently being suspected of responsibility for sabotaging the conference. Eventually Binghe does as he says.
When Shen Qingqiu turns 20 or 21 he is ready to take charge of Qing Jing peak again. Soon after, he, Yue Qingyuan and Liu Qingge marry.
Binghe comes back after three years and intends to propose to Shen Qingqiu, only to find he's too late.
Obviously this could lead to more drama or even another addition to the marriage. But I personally am really fond of Binghe/Vinegar and him pining in vain, so...¯\_(ツ)_/¯
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chuckduckling · 2 years
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No character is a stranger to being vilified in fanfic (for the sake of a ship, a plot contrivance, whatever), but when Yue Qingyuan is vilified by making him into a controlling and pushy yandere, it's always kinda funny to me.
Because I'm pretty sure any time YQY has to force anyone to do anything, especially Shen Qingqiu, he breaks out in hives. This man has had "parentified peacekeeper" baked into his bones since childhood — I mean, he was a child slave who coped by taking care of the other child slaves, it makes sense to me.
Hell, this was one of YQY's defining moments in the main book, supporting Shen Yuan as he left with Luo Binghe! (also, does anyone else get "SY craving daddy’s approval before running off with the local bad boy" vibes…just me...okay...)
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More rambling (and screenshots) under the cut...
I mean, arguably, YQY's biggest canonical flaw is his inaction when Shen Jiu is abusing disciples. Scenes that involve YQY and SJ arguing, such as the brothel scene, or when SJ was interrogating Shang Qinghua, don't actually have YQY using his authority to make SJ do anything.
In fact, the brothel argument ends with YQY acquiescing to what SJ wants, promising to help cover the whole thing up, and even assuring SJ that he'll keep Liu Qingge silent!
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Every time YQY pushes past SJ’s “stay away I hate you” boundaries, it's also never motivated by control or disregard, but rather, it comes from anxiety about SJ's well-being. For example, when YQY takes advantage of the annual spars to bother SJ, this is what he's dying to talk about:
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And considering how we saw SJ shut down SQH when he was trying to help him out, after LQG misunderstood him, well…it's not entirely unreasonable to assume that if SJ is in trouble, he won’t ask for help. I mean, the whole reason YQY went to the brothel in the first place was because he was worried SJ was being bullied, and he was going to Qing Jing to help him!
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However, this is not to say that anyone has to see these as good excuses or justifications for pushing boundaries. If you find YQY's pushiness frustrating, regardless of the reason, who am I to tell you your feelings are invalid?
But from what I see in the text, YQY normally defaults to respecting SQQ's wishes, and when he acts to the contrary, he's motivated by very specific worries about SQQ's well-being — not a desire for control.
I do find YQY to be a flawed character, but sometimes...his vilification in fanfics...it just seems to be making things up, to the point that I'm like, who is this controlling authority figure??? Where did the real YQY go, the guy who assures outsiders that he'll definitely punish his subordinates, and then turns around and talks to them about dinner plans???
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I'm honestly curious what other people's thoughts are, because I do feel like I've come across this criticism of YQY's behavior in quite a few fanfics, and it always throws me off.
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zee-aka-pretty · 2 months
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I really want someone to make art of Shen Jiu saying these to other peak lords of Cang Qiong (especially Liu Qingge and Yue Qingyuan) or members of the Huan Hua Palace..
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captivis · 15 days
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I've been rereading svsss, playing fallout 4 and watching the new fallout show so here is my svsss fallout au! (I don't know if other people have already thought of this but I just had an idea and had to set it free into the world, also this isn't a fic or anything it's just a plot and a little bit or worldbuilding)
Disclaimer I couldn't include every plot point and some stuff had to be changed to better fit the fallout setting
Shen jiu and shen yuan are brothers living in a town for vault tec scientists and their families similar to the start of fallout 4, shen jiu is a vault tech scientist and shen yuan is a teacher at the local school. Luo binghe is one of Shen yuans students who moved in with shen yuan after his adoptive mother passed away, Shen jiu doesn't like Luo binghe much but as he's often away working binghe is both a student and companion to shen yuan who dotes on binghe. While she jiu is home the bomb drops and he, Shen yuan and binghe have to escape to the vault with the rest of the scientists (cang qiong sect) and are put into deep sleep cryopods. After some time when yuan wakes to see raiders opening Luo binghes pod and dragging him out, while conscious when yuan is unable to escape his pod to get to binghe however some other pods have also been opened, including Shen jiu’s he desperately tries to protect when yuans pods from the raiders who have been drawn to his attempts to escape. While trying to protect his brother Shen jiu is shot and killed, the raiders retreat and the cryopods reactivate forcing everyone back to sleep. Some time later the cryopods open and all of the cang qiong scientists and their families are let loose to run the vault but shen yuan and yue qingyuan are inconsolable, Shen yuan tries to confide in his close friends Liu qingge and IT analyst Shang qinghua however as time goes on qinghua becomes more and more nervous causing Shen yuan to feel more alone than ever. Finally shen yuan snaps and decides to find Luo binghe to save him, yue qingyuan has almost entirely withdrawn and poses no resistance so shen yuan sets out with liu qingge and Shang qinghua. After passing through the wreckage of their town the group immediately run into a firefight between raiders and a group of freedom fighters known as the minutemen, they aid the group and learn that these minute men intend to set up a settlement by the cang qiong vault which would provide security to the vault and safety to survivors. Liu qingge reluctantly joins this group in order to protect his family and home but only does so after insistence from Shen yuan and shang qinghua (note that Shen yuan could get the power armour as you do in the game but idk I feel the story can work with or without power armour heck maybe liu qingge takes the power armour to protect the settlement and help the minutemen further). The minutemen have only limited information but point the duo in the direction of diamond city, the nearest major settlement, the two travel through the wilds to get there but outside the city limits they are ambushed (either by raiders or ghouls) and Shang qinghua is taken allowing Shen yuan enough time to escape and reach the city walls.
Once inside she yuan seeks the help of an elusive private detective and is sent to aid him in a fight outside the city walls, Shen yuan provides aid and saves the life of a wounded detective by the name of zhuzhi-lang who in turn aids Shen yuan, providing information on an organisation known as the institution and are linked to disappearances and kidnappings. With the help of zhuzhi-lang Shen yuan makes it to one of the entrances to the institution however he is surrounded and arrested, taken deep underground to the cells of the institution. Deep within the institution shen yuan is visited by a grown Luo binghe, Shen yuan is overjoyed at reuniting with his lost student especially when binghe frees him from his cell and takes him into the viewing level of the institution. Here when yuan tries to catch up with binghe and quickly realises that he has changed quite significantly, making subtle comments about the fruits of his family's labour paying off which shen yuan brushes off albeit a little confused. Suddenly the institution is on high alert and people are streaming in killing everyone and anyone that crosses their path, binghe and shen yuan watch from above as chaos reigns, binghe assures when yuan that they're perfectly safe as this is his doing which does little to calm when yuan who has just watched the destruction of a society. When the bloodshed ends binghe takes shen yuan back to his fortress, the headquarters of the brotherhood of steel (kind of there's a bit of divergence with the brotherhood from fallout canon). Binghe reveals that he controls the brotherhood of steel as well as ghouls of the wasteland, furthermore binghe shares that during his childhood he had been a test subject for a vault tec science division (tianglang-jun wasn't a normal human I just haven't decided how he's not normal), here they experimented on him and treated him as a lab rat all following the orders of the team leader shen jiu. Binghe had been taken from the vault when institution scientists found records of this experimentation and the location of the vault and felt that binghe had the possibility of being a living weapon that they could mold. Shen yuan is devastated, his sweet innocent student had been treated as nothing more than a living experiment at the hands of his beloved brother who had sacrificed himself to ensure that when yuan could survive, he's confused and struggling to comprehend his emotions when the fortress is attacked. Word had spread that the brotherhood of steel had abducted a vault dweller matching Shen yuans description and so the minutemen and cang qiong survivors attack the headquarters to try and save him, in the firefight Shen yuan is grievously injured trying to protect binghe and in his panic binghe is distracted enough for liu qingge and mu qingfan to take shen yuan and use stolen institution teleportation technology back to cang qiong.
Shen yuan is in critical condition and requires medicines not available in the vault or settlement, however he is saved by a very unlikely ally, Shang qinghua, who had been communicating with a ghoul overlord by the name of mobei-jun, as an IT analyst and accountant for vault tec he had discovered about the experimentation program being run on children like binghe, mobei-jun and Shang qinghua; although he was being held in the north laboratories Shang qinghua managed to send secret messages to a young mobei-jun who was mutated enough to not only survive the blast but grow incredibly strong. Mobei-jun had received messages from qinghua upon cang qiong awakening and when he emerged to the surface mobei-jun had him brought to his stronghold in the North, Shang qinghua was pretty chill with however felt that maybe letting Shen yuan think he was dead wasn't the best idea so after gathering many rare and medicinal plant samples which had evolved following the bomb he returned to cang qiong. Here he found a critical Shen yuan and using the medicinal plants brought from the north he was able to help his friend not die, unfortunately no one told Luo binghe that. The brotherhood of steel attacked cang qiong in an attempt to take shen yuan’s remains (I reversed it because it worked better), the settlement is reduced to rubble and Pandemonium has erupted into the surface with cang qiong fighting Luo binghe to the last, this is until shem yuan breaks out of the bunker and calls for a ceasefire which is granted as Luo binghe couldn't steal a corpse if he wasn't dead. Shen yuan takes binghe to the wreckage of the house where they had lived in what they believed to be peace, they talk and talk and finally understand everything that they have gone through (I'm making the idea and I say they get healthy communication), it's here that Shen yuan realises that he feels a bit more than familial love for binghe. It's not perfect, binghe is still very much a morally grey person and shen yuan has lots of unresolved trauma but there's peace and love and a willingness to learn and change which allows for growth (and a fluffy ending for bingqui)
Other notes
Tianglang-jun had also been experimented on but was powerful enough that vault-tec locked him in the deepest levels of a vault after he fell in love with and impregnated one of their top scientists su xiyan, he remains here until shen yuan and zhuzhi-lang break into the long since abandoned vault and free him. He's still incredibly powerful but following his beloved dying and being locked underground for absolutely ages he decides to live a life of luxury in diamond city doing whatever he pleases.
The mutated children (Luo binghe, mobei-jun and sha hualing) have greatly decreased aging, radiation resistance, almost superhuman strength and durability as well as increased senses and an immunity to poisons but they can also control ghouls, particularly feral ghouls but they can influence cognitive ghouls as well, binghe is still the strongest with tianglang-jun but MBJ and SH each control part of the commonwealth and advise binghe.
Linguang-jun ran the northern science division which experimented on his own nephew.
Liu qingge is with the minutemen as I feel while he enjoys fighting he would also really enjoy protecting those who cannot protect themselves as well as fighting to protect freedom and teaching others.
Also I mainly focused on bingqui BC I love moshang and huaming (hualing/mingyan) but I know they're not everyone's cup of tea so I left them in there but ambiguous.
The institution - huan hua palace
Cang qiong + cultivation sects- vault tech
Demon realm -brotherhood of steel+ghouls
I wrote this all out before and it was like 10x better but Tumblr deleted my draft and I had to try and rewrite is from memory late at night so if anyone wants more info or details feel free to ask!
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If LQG could change one thing about his life, what would be?
Also, what do the peak lords think of SQH dating?
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And the other Peak Lords' reaction can be summarised with...
Liu Qingge: I've already answered once, but at least Mobei Jun isn't as present on the Peak as Luo Binghe... and he is definitely a lot less annoying.
Shen Qingqiu: ah, haha, well, as much as I enjoy poking fun at Qinghua I can say that their relationship has been accepted relatively easily... especially after all the other stuff between me and Binghe... (Still, Airplaine is an idiot for not noticing that Mobei had been courting him for decades...)
Mu Qingfang: In my case, I'm more relieved after knowing the nature of Shang-shidi's lover... the first few times I observed his bruises and bite marks I worried that he had ended up in an abusive relationship... Qi Qingqi: While I am not too thrilled about what Shang-shidi's lover is I have to agree with Liu-shixiong... (Not to mention how much fun my girls have writing about them *cough*)
Lin Qingshui: The moment I met Shang-shidi I knew what he would marry, after all the string of fate never lies kekekeke. Gao Qinggao: As a monk, I believe love should know no bounds or restrictions, we should not judge them. Amitabha.
Ruan Qingruan: I came to know about Shidi's relationship status after a night drinking with Qinghua (no one was available to try my new brew for only immortals) and he just spilt the beans about his "King" only after the big reveal I understood that he was speaking of an actual demon king...
Yu Qingtao: I also, connected the dots later... all my animals would stay away from Shang-shidi... he is most definitely scent-marked by Mobei Jiun hahaha.
Xu Qingli: I don't care, I believe romance is a waste of time.
Yue Qingyuan: I see Shang-shidi's marriage as a great opportunity between the realms, as cultivators we should always strive for peace. With Xi-Shen-shidi's marriage with Luo Binghe, we can create a long era of peace and prosperity for both realms.
.... Wei Qingwei: Wait, Shang Qinghua is married??
(This is set POST-CANON)
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svsss-fanon-exposed · 4 months
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Exposing SVSSS Fanon: 7/∞
SHEN YUAN WAS A SOCIALLY AWKWARD, INTROVERTED SHUT-IN BY NATURE
Rating: FANON - UNSUPPORTED
The common depiction of Shen Yuan in fanworks is that he was an antisocial shut-in who never left his room, spending all day reading and commenting on webnovels, and always focused on his computer or phone screen or a book. This is frequently coupled with the depiction of Shen Yuan as chronically ill, as something caused by this illness, but it is also generally used even when such illness is not featured, likely as part of the stereotype of someone chronically online who has the time to spend on making long-winded comments on online forums and reading a 20 million word novel in a short span of time.
However, while canon does not directly state otherwise, the depiction of SY!QQ's personality conflicts with this interpretation and portrays him on multiple occasions as someone who enjoys going out into the world, exploring, and interacting with others, to the point where it is used to deliberately contrast his nature with Shen Jiu's:
At the same time, how could he not want to go out and play? Up until now, he’d been hunkered down inside Qing Jing Peak’s Bamboo House, forced to fake being an awesome master of arts and literature, meaning everything he did had to be done “blandly”: blandly speaking, blandly laughing, blandly practicing the sword, blandly being a poser—bland to the point that he often had the urge to scatter a handful of salt over his head! What a damn pain! And now when he finally got a break to take a trip down the mountain, he was still trapped in his room because of the System’s stance that “the original Shen Qingqiu liked quiet and would be unwilling to mingle.” (7S Ch. 2)
During the years that Luo Binghe is in the Abyss, Shen Qingqiu spends most of his time off the mountain:
During these three years, other than occasionally asking Liu Qingge for assistance in clearing his meridians to treat his poison, requesting medicinal prescriptions from Mu Qingfang, and briefly visiting Qing Jing Peak to arrange leveling missions for his disciples, Shen Qingqiu spent most of his time wandering about the outside world. He passed the days leisurely until an urgent notice from Yue Qingyuan arrived to suddenly summon him back to Cang Qiong Mountain. (7S Ch. 6)
For someone who is a shut-in, especially when fearing (what he thinks is) his inevitable death, it would be far more likely that Shen Qingqiu would shut himself inside the bamboo house as much as possible. Instead, he copes by going out and exploring the world.
After he wakes up in his mushroom body, instead of going off to hide away in seclusion somewhere (which would have been in line with a shut-in, antisocial personality), he instead thinks to immediately try to establish relations with the demon realm:
The first step to starting his all-new life would, of course, have to be proceedings with which Shen Qingqiu was most familiar. First, for a prop, he needed a folding fan, one with a white silk base, decorated with an ink wash painting of mountains and rivers. Shen Qingqiu snapped the fan open and waved it before his chest, sending his long hair and whiskers flying. Perhaps his image wasn’t ideal and was slightly unsuited to said prop, but that didn’t matter. With a folding fan in hand / Badass act at my command... ...this actually opened up a new line of thought. These minor demons had never dared to do more than snoop and thieve here and there. But if he could supply them with an honest channel for small goods, perhaps within this world that revolved around cultivation and monster-fighting, he could forge paths into a new frontier based on farming and amassing capital? Shen Qingqiu irresponsibly fantasized for a while, then felt that if he were to accept underlings, they needed to understand each other’s cultural practices. (7Seas Ch. 9)
He has established good relations with his martial siblings and frequently spends time with them:
Whenever the sect siblings from Cang Qiong Mountain got together, the conversation never stopped, and any little remark could get played on forever. But today, their conversation was extremely short. They usually headed off to Zui Xian Peak to have a meal together... (7Seas Ch. 32)
He even goes so far as to invite Shang Qinghua to visit Qing Jing Peak, before he is aware that SQH is a transmigrator:
“They were harvested from the tea fields of my senior disciple Ming Fan’s family,” Shen Qingqiu said affably. “As for whether they’re high-quality, won’t Shang-shidi know if he comes for tea at Qing Jing Peak?” (7Seas Ch. 26)
Instead of simply hiding away in a house while waiting for Luo Binghe to recover from his deaging, Shen Qingqiu instead goes to get a teaching job:
Shen Qingqiu soon got so bored that his bones began to itch, so he casually took up work at the largest academy in the city. (7Seas Ch. 28)
Throughout the novel, Shen Qingqiu's characterization is consistently established as someone who gets bored when he is forced to stay in one place and do nothing. Unless there is someone providing him with adequate companionship (he didn't travel as much when LBH was on Qing Jing Peak, for example), or he is indisposed in some way, Shen Qingqiu is almost always going out to explore the world and meet people.
Because of the way that he is stressed and bored when stuck inside, and how he goes out to cope with that, it's fairly easy to say that Shen Yuan/Shen Qingqiu is an extroverted person.
Now, does this completely deny the possibility that he was a shut-in in his former life? Not necessarily. It does, however, make it far more likely that he is not a shut-in by nature, and that if he did spend all day in his room, it was likely due to some other factor, such as depression.
Shen Qingqiu is characterized as an extroverted person with an attractive personality, and while his internal monologue can be at times somewhat awkward, the way he is perceived by others is not so. He expresses no desire to hide away in his room all day and becomes unhappy if he has to. He likes to go out and experience new things and meet new people.
The idea that for no other reason than his personality Shen Yuan spent all his time in his room or was antisocial in any way is not supported by canon, and in fact there is far more evidence to the alternative.
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ineffectualdemon · 9 months
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Is the Character into Kink SVSSS
Luo Binghe: Very yes but not as much as the in universe RPF makes him out to be
Shen Qingqiu: says no but is actually a big Yes. Especially into making men cry for him. He will never admit it
Shang Qinghua: says yes but is too tired to actually do much most of the time. The spirit is interested the body can't be bothered. Champion dirty talker tho.
Mobei Jun: by demon standards not really except for the fact that he's the demon equivalent of a monster fucker. Gets really into Shang Qinghua's dirty talk tho
Liu Qingge: doesn't understand the question and doesn't under why people would fuck when fighting is more fun and satisfying. He does not realise this is related to Kink
Yue Qingyuan: thinks he's no because he has never indulged but if given time to experiment would be the biggest service dom in the world. Yes even more than Binghe
Shen Jiu: arrogantly says yes but really just wants to be pampered and pet and told he's good
Mu Qingfang: the kinkiest motherfucker ever
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thegoldenavenger · 3 months
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I wanted to draw art of this before vomiting words all over a post but!!! Undertale Binghe au
Just, Luo Binghe falling, not into the abyss, but into the underground. He's supposed to run into Shen Qingqiu, who guides him through the Ruins, tricking him the whole while. They are supposed to fight at the Ruins' exit, Shen Qingqiu snarling invective his way acting aloof and cold, at once prideful, arrogant, jealous, spiteful. Telling Luo Binghe that he can't make it out, that no one ever can especially not the likes of him. Luo Binghe is supposed to win, killing Shen Qingqiu before stepping outside the ruins door and leaving nothing (and no one) behind.
But instead, he meets a Shen Qingqiu who takes his tutorial duties very seriously! A Shen Qingqiu who sort of coddles Luo Binghe, and teaches him the puzzle mechanics of the underground, who has a small shimmering hope that he can just live with Luo Binghe here, in the cozy ruins of his home, reading and cooking together. This is definitely not how it happened before, even when Luo Binghe was new to this endless loop of nightmares.
But, whatever this new game, Luo Binghe finds the exit of the Ruins. And Shen Qingqiu fights him.
(The leitmotif here is Heartache, and oh! Shen Qingqiu's heart aches. How naive of him, to think he could sequester the protagonist in the small starter ruins. How short sighted of him to try and stifle the young hero... maybe next time...)
Luo Binghe wins, of course, but this time things are different. Maybe. He's been through this so many times it's hard to tell. But had Shen Qingqiu ever looked so sad beneath his aloof expression? Had his entreaties ever really meant anything? Why had he sounded just as trapped as Luo Binghe?
Luo Binghe finds himself with new, different memories as he walks out of the Ruins. They plague him as he makes his way through the next area. Each battle he encounters he remembers, "just stall for time and this master will be there to help." Each simpering fool that blocks his path he recalls, "just practice talking! Look, this teacher will go first."
He runs into Shang Qinghua, who cowers and runs from him. Mu Qingfang, who watches him with a cooly detached eye. Liu Qingge, who always strikes first and doesn't give in. Qi Qingqi, mocking him from her hiding places. Wei Qingwei is surprisingly easy to defeat after it all. And Yue Qingyuan, who looks straight through Luo Binghe no matter how many times Luo Binghe marches back through the gardens to him.
And all the while Shen Qingqiu's voice in his head: come! This master will guide you through these catacombs. Do not be afraid, my child. Which does Binghe prefer? Oh, but Binghe would not turn his nose up over one or the other? Truthfully, when this master first saw Binghe... it felt like seeing an old friend for the first time.
Prove yourself to me, that you are strong enough to survive!
All Luo Binghe has been doing is survive. The next time Yue Qingyuan strikes him down, Luo Binghe wonders if he, too, can do something different. Be something different.
Once again he awakes after the long fall in the bamboo grove at the beginning of the Ruins. Once again the Shen Qingqiu he meets is not the one he is used to.
(For his part, Shen Qingqiu isn't sure he really remembers anything from his first time around. But the very fact that vague familiarity keeps hitting him makes him suspect.)
Shen Qingqiu is still bafflingly kind to him. Taking his hand and leading him through the puzzles and traps. Stepping between him and any encounters might be troublesome. "Binghe prefers— oh, you never said... well. Binghe wouldn't turn his nose at either if he had a chance, would he?"
Luo Binghe stays, a little longer, in the ruins this time. He lets Shen Qingqiu coddle him. Brush his hair. Share tea and books and snacks with him.
But in the end, Luo Binghe has to leave the Ruins, and Shen Qingqiu has to fight.
And everytime, the Ruins is left without its Caretaker.
Luo Binghe keeps waking up in the bamboo grove, enough times he feels as if just underneath the ground is a pile of his own discarded bodies. Shen Qingqiu keeps showing up, and keeps smiling, and keeps leading him to his home.
The thing is, Luo Binghe thinks that this Shen Qingqiu would keep him, if Luo Binghe didn't have to leave the Ruins. This Shen Qingqiu would keep him in his slightly disheveled home, reading to him by the fireplace, and complimenting his cooking.
So, Luo Binghe tries. He tries to stay for as long as he can. When Shen Qingqiu takes him by the hand and leads him past the traps, says in his impossibly collected voice, "This master has always wanted to be a teacher... well, perhaps that isn't surprising." Luo Binghe tries smiling and says back, "Then this one will be grateful to learn from Shizun."
It is the first thing Luo Binghe has said, directly.
From then on, Luo Binghe talks through everything. He calls Shen Qingqiu Shizun, and asks questions about everything he feels he is allowed to, and, with this Shen Qingqiu, there doesn't seem to be a limit. He asks about the Ruins, the bamboo, the books in Shen Qingqiu's cabinet. He asks about the recipe cards on the kitchen counter. He asks about the boarded room down the hall. He asks about the journal with heavily red-lined corrections and critiques.
Shizun answers all his questions honestly, even if it is with a simple, "this master has forgotten."
They both want it to stay like this. But in the end, it cannot.
"Does Binghe not want to ask about the exit to the Ruins?" Shizun says one day.
Luo Binghe is, perhaps not quite as surprised as he should be. He always has to leave, after all. Still, he tries.
"This one doesn't need to."
"Hmm. I suppose you wouldn't."
Still, it happens. Binghe cannot find Shen Qingqiu anywhere, until he finds his Shizun at the exit of the Ruins. His face is cold. Aloof. Familiar.
"This master had thought to destroy the door," he says when Binghe approaches him. Luo Binghe cannot help the way his body tenses. He won't be trapped any more than he is forced to be by this hellish circumstance. As much as he wanted to play domestic with a Shen Qingqiu that seemed willing to indulge him, he liked knowing he could leave whenever he wanted.
"There's no need," Luo Binghe says.
"This master supposes not. What obstacle could stand in Luo Binghe's way if he wanted to leave? Hmm? What's that look for? Don't tell me Binghe doesn't want to leave?"
And the thing is, Luo Binghe does want to leave. He cannot stay in the Ruins forever. He has to leave the underground. But... "I don't want to fight you again." This is suddenly the most important thing. Luo Binghe does not want to fight Shen Qingqiu. Every time they fight, Luo Binghe wins, and that means killing Shen Qingqiu for the freedom to escape the Ruins.
He's done it more times than he can count, but this time it is too much, and, horrifyingly, he feels his heat spring behind his eyes.
"Oh," Shen Qingqiu says and he drops his fan.
The leimotif here is Heartache, and oh. Shen Qingqiu's heart aches.
"Then we won't fight. You don't have to prove anything to me. Luo Binghe is free to leave the Ruins he does not have to worry that this master will stop him."
"What?"
Shen Qingqiu reaches out to pat Luo Binghe's head, smoothes down his hair, and then hugs him. Luo Binghe stands, shocked.
"We don't have to fight?" He asks, again, just to be sure.
"Of course not. Does Binghe not listen when this Master speaks? Does Binghe only know how to fight with weapons instead of his words? Now, be good, when you leave."
Luo Binghe leaves the Ruins and Shen Qingqiu.
Luo Binghe didn't have to fight to leave. Did he ever have to fight at all? Or, he supposes fighting may be inevitable. But the killing wasn't, surely. If the Shen Qingqiu that Luo Binghe had first met, cold and spiteful, could turn around and hold Binghe's face so gently, so too could Luo Binghe find his way through the underground with a little more mercy?
Luo Binghe actually tries talking, this go around. He had tried it the first couple of times he had been made to traverse the Underground as young and naive as he'd been. But there was only so many times one could bash their heads against the likes of Liu Qingge before one had to give in to the inevitable. But was it inevitable?
Shang Qinghua smiles at him when they meet the first time (this time). He still looks nervous, apprehensive, but not terrified as he always had been before.
Shang Qinghua loops him into conversation, gossips with him about some of the locals, tells him about a collectable he'd never found before. Shang Qinghua, the same rat who hisses at him in the hall before Yue Qingyuan's garden, that judges him like the cowardly hippocrit he is—Shang Qinghua invites him to dinner, and makes nervous jokes with him.
Shang Qinghua sits across from him and says, "there's this door, by the ruins, it's always shut. But sometimes, if I knock on it, someone answers. I read him some of my novel—no you can't see it—and he tears it to shreds. Says it's something to occupy his time but... it's the most time anyone spends on me, you know? Then he asks me—well, tells me, really—that if anyone comes through the door I should maybe watch out for them? But, I'm, haha, a coward, so I tell him to shove it. Whoever could make it through him certainly doesn't need my help out here. But I thought... anyone who's lonely enough to put up with me and my shitty writing well. They have a certain integrity. I don't really know what I'm saying but—I'm glad it's you, who came out."
Luo Binghe tries talking to Mu Qingfang who is curious and suspicious into turns, but ultimately subsides when Luo Binghe recalls one of Shen Qingqiu's rarer books so he can properly quizz Luo Binghe on his recollections of its contents.
Liu Qingge is the first person to really drive Luo Binghe's new conviction to the edge. The man doesn't let Luo Binghe get a word in before he's being engaged in battle.
Surprisingly, Mu Qingfang and Shang Qinghua seem keen on helping him navigate around their mercurial martial brother. Mu Qingfang offers Luo Binghe various healing items to recover from encounters and advice on how to avoid him. Shang Qinghua tries his hand at bumbling deception ("I told him what you were wearing the last time we met! You've changed by now, right? You're very smart of course you've disguised yourself!") and mediocre distraction.
Luo Binghe still thinks won't be able to get through without falling into the inevitable cycle of violence again. He tells Shang Qinghua "Shizun said I should just stall and he'd be there to help but! That's not how it works at all. Even if we didn't fight he's not here with me! I'm still alone. And Liu Qingge wont! Listen! To anything I have to say!"
Luo Binghe doesn't say that he's afraid he'll have to kill Liu Qingge, and he'll be able to justify everything else all at once again. That he'll go back and see Shen Qingqiu and he'll have to kill him, too. To complete it all. Luo Binghe is so busy brooding he doesn't see Shang Qinghua's considering eye.
"You didn't fight at all?"
And then, the next time Liu Qingge corners Luo Binghe and Luo Binghe just cannot figure out how to disengage without murdering the man, someone throws a fan into Liu Qingge's face.
"Hah?" Liu Qingge sputters and whirls around.
"What are you doing, harassing some kid?"
And Luo Binghe knows that voice it's—
"Shizun?"
"Shen Qingqiu?"
That's him... standing for the first time out of the Ruins, looking shockingly disgruntled. He makes his way to Binghe and reaches put to pet Binghe's head.
"What am I? What are you doing? Shen Qingqiu! You disappeared for years, Yue Qingyuan—"
Shen Qingqiu levels the bitchiest glare at Liu Qingge that the man actually shuts up mid sentence. Then he sniffs and turns back to Luo Binghe.
"Binghe did very good, distracting that man until this Master could arrive."
"You're—shizun is here?" Never once before had Shen Qingqiu left the Ruins.
Shen Qingqiu's gaze softens.
"This master told you that he would guide Binghe through the catacombs and help you navigate the puzzles and traps here in the underground, did he not?" At binghe's nod he continues, "Well, what kind of master would this one be if he left Binghe to figure this out on his own."
(Shang Qinghua had hammered on the Ruins' door hard enough to bloody his fist. "BRO! Bro? You didn't even fight? Bro, this Luo Binghe has no idea what to do with Liu Qingge. He's getting his ass kicked!" "What do you want me to do about it?" "Anything! Before he decides to go back to murdering his way through the underground!" "He what?" "I mean—hypothetically. He could start—whatever! You're the one who told him his shizun would come kiss everything better—take responsibility for my son!")
Liu Qingge backs off begrudgingly, as Shen Qingqiu shepherds Luo Binghe away from the fight to gather reconnaissance and allies. That is, to have a gossip session with Shang Qinghua and Mu Qingfang.
Shen Qingqiu sweet talks Mu Qingfang into giving Luo Binghe a special item and then briefly refreshes his memory by yelling at Shang Qinghua and then starts helping Luo Binghe speed run the rest of his journey underground.
It's a little anti climatic, actually.
Shen Qingqiu distracts Liu Qingge everytime the man pops in to harrass Binghe's forward movement, entangling the him in confusing conversation and beguiling gestures until Binghe has enough time to sneak away. Shen Qingqiu waits for the right moment before accusing Liu Qingge of not being able to befriend Luo Binghe, egging on his competitive spirit until Liu Qingge accidentally becomes fond of Luo Binghe for his own merits.
That accomplished, Shen Qingqiu takes Luo Binghe through the rest of the underground. He guides Binghe to hidden items and fun places Luo Binghe had never bothered with before. He cuts Qi Qingqi's encounter in half with Mu Qingfang's special item, and turns Wei Qingwei's usually disappointing battle into a fun game that rewards Luo Binghe with his own spirit sword.
Shen Qingqiu drags Luo Binghe across the underground, sometimes back tracking, making sure Binghe is exposed to every part while still plowing through encounters. Luo Binghe, for his part, grips onto his new sword and follows his Shizun with starry eyes.
He's never felt so refreshed, he's never seen this horrid place in this light before. The horrendous slog of fighting and dying has morphed into a dream like sequence of moments he's building in his heart. He never knew how funny Shang Qinghua is, how knowledgeable Mu Qingfang is. That Qi Qingqi was pretty amiable when one approached with the perfect balance of respect. That Zheng Yang fit so perfectly in Luo Binghe's hand.
He could probably leave the amount of times Liu Qingge drops in on them to get into an argument with Shen Qingqiu, but even then... Luo Binghe hadn't known Liu Qingge could talk that much.
Or that, on Liu Qingge, a sternly frowning face could mean care.
"Yue Qingyuan is strong so. Here." Liu Qingge drops a set of light armor at Shen Qingqiu and Luo Binghe's feet in a clatter.
"Oh, Temmie Armor?" Shen Qingqiu says, and helps Luo Binghe into it.
"Don't..." Liu Qingge crosses his arm and scowls at everything in his radius. "Don't die. And don't kill anyone."
He leaves before Shen Qingqiu or Luo Binghe can say anything in reply. Shizun looks at Luo Binghe wryly, his fan already spread out to hid me his face.
"Well. Are you ready, Binghe?" He asks.
Luo Binghe takes a moment to think about it. Everytime before his battles with Yue Qingyuan have ended in stalemates, or an abyss so never ending Luo Binghe had chosen to start over just the same.
But this time he isn't going with the intention of winning by force, and this time he isn't going alone.
Shen Qingqiu is standing by his side, waiting for his answer, and Luo Binghe knows if he says that he isn't ready yet Shen Qingqiu will find another little diversion to help distract them both until Luo Binghe is ready. Maybe it will be another dinner date with Shang Qinghua, bullying the man's latest manuscript. Or maybe it will be getting Liu Qingge to chase them through the glowing crystal-lit caverns once more.
Luo Binghe still must face Yue Qingyuan and find his way free of the Underground, but somewhere along the way his priorities have shifted. He isn't the only one trapped down here, and, even if he'd known this before it hadn't mattered. Now, he realises he could potentially help free more than just himself.
Now, when Luo Binghe frees himself from the underground, he doesn't want to be alone when he steps into the sunlight.
(Shen Qingqiu is definitely the kind of undertale fan who never played the games himself but did watch all the playthroughs he could. He only has a general concept of the no mercy route (mostly bc Shang qinghua is not Toby "Radiation" Fox so his version of undertale is not nearly as impactful so a lot of the content is hidden or was dropped before released but also a little because he couldn't stand the emotional ringer of watching a heartless lets player kill his favorite characters!) so he thinks Luo Binghe is a generally sweet if misguided kid and does NOT realize binghe has been on an infinite no mercy loop through the underground. He wouldn't care if he did know, though, because he's crazy for Luo Binghe. That's just the kind of thing one does in a time loop!
Liu Qingge is so startled by Shen Qingqiu because he is so different from the stories he's heard about him. He keeps hearing people talk about how Shen Qingqiu abandoned Yue Qingyuan, how cold and merciless he was after Yue Qingyuan lost the war against Tianlang-Jun. Liu Qingge, ever Yue Qingyuan's right hand man, had personally vowed to avenge Yue Qingyuan should the chance arise. It's definitely why Liu Qingge is so determined to kill Luo Binghe himself. Yue Qingyuan has had to reap all the demonic cultivation to free themselves from the underground all on his own. To shoulder that kind of task by himself and then be faced with a child—with a demon with the face of a child, at least... well, the least Liu Qingge can do is share in that miserable task. And then Luo Binghe is trying to talk instead of fight like a demon should, and then Shen Qingqiu shows up not at all like the rumors painted him to be. Liu Qingge is so confused.
Shang Qinghua is having the roughest time. He isn't immune to the reset mind-wipe, but as the game dev he absolutely knows what's going on just with context clues. So he's just trapped in this nightmare world watching as everyone he knows is murdered over and over until one reset his door buddy is nice to him and Luo Binghe isn't trying to kill him on sight! Shen Qingqiu, why does your system let you dodge multiple plot lines???
Luo Binghe does end up freeing the Underground, that's just not the focus of this story haha. Something something zuzhi-lang, something something Huan Hua Palace, something something Yue Qingyuan falling over himself at the sight of Shen Qingqiu who is definitely NOT privy to the original goods' backstory haha)
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tcfactory · 1 month
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Silly idea of the day: Shen Qingqiu grills the System for answers about how to avoid the whole Abyss scenario and save his little cabbage favorite disciple until the System very reluctantly offers up the option to transfer the protagonist halo - and all the trials that come with it - to someone else if he pays literally all his points. It's a risky endeavor, but he doesn't see any other way to save Binghe from his suffering/blackening, so he decides to take the risk. After some deliberation he decides to transfer the protagonist halo to Mobei-jun. Based on his memories of PIDW, Mobei-jun isn't the type to be interested in world domination and Shen Qingqiu figures if any kind of wild plot is going to happen to the ice demon, it will be limited to the demon world + maybe Huan Hua Palace and that's it.
The System checks in with Shang Qinghua about what kind of story he would have written for Mobei-jun if he had the choice (SQH is vary of the System and answers 'found family and slowburn romance, maybe with a touch of a coming of age plot' because there's no way the System can make something horrible from that, right?) and accepts Mobei-jun as an alternative.
The protagonist halo is transferred with the click of a button; Luo Binghe loses that special spark that designated him for greatness, but at the same time, he is free of the weight of his fate as well. He's destined to live a life as ordinary as a half-demon cultivator's ever gets.
However, Shen Qingqiu is not required for the new story and keeping a 'troublesome' transmigrator around is too risky for the System, so it decides to swap Shen Yuan and Shen Jiu back. There is a high chance of Shen Jiu dying of qi deviation when he's shoved unceremoniously back into his body (his soul has been fragmented and damaged when the System replaced him with Shen Yuan) which would be the best outcome, as far as the System is concerned, because it would be a natural-looking death that nobody would bother to investigate. It's pure luck that Liu Qingge is lurking around, looking for a chance to thank Shen Qingqiu for saving his life in the caves, and can step in and stabilize Shen Jiu.
At the same time Mobei-jun, in the first hour of being the new protagonist, stumbles into a patch of very specific magic weeds and passes out.
Shen Jiu now knows of the System and has some vague awareness of the person who, as far as he can tell from the incoherent hints the System gave him, was kidnapped against their will and showed into his body and fate for the sake of raising some prophecised emperor of the three realms to power, a plan that was foiled by Shen Jiu's return. He doesn't know why this person acted so strange while in Shen Qingqiu's role (coddling those brats, especially that brat?! What was the stranger thinking??), but the System's remarks make something clear: the stranger knows something about the prophecy and did his best to avoid it, much to the System's displeasure.
So clearly the best course of action is to get them back and question them, somehow. But first Shen Qingqiu is going to Yue Qingyuan and shakes him until he confesses why he left Shen Jiu behind, because if he has to deal with a demon (?) or being that can erase him from existence at a whim, then he wants to know the reason. He's facing almost certain death here, it's the least he's owed!!
While Shen Qingqiu is grilling his soon-to-be-beloved-again brother and trying to come up with a way to keep being a decent teacher despite himself, just in case, on Qian Cao a young, amnesiac rogue cultivator wakes up. He was found in the borderlands, almost ripped to shreds by a herd of man-eating boars. He doesn't remember his name or his past or even his cultivation, but Mu Qingfang estimates him to be in his twenties. He has a very well-developed fire root and a sunny complexion, but he is haunted by dreams of ice, so they decide to call him Beilun (悖论 - paradox) for the time being. When Beilun recovers he asks to stay in the sect so he can learn proper cultivation again and after some rigorous testing - a balanced nature between physical and spiritual cultivation, not much of a head for arts, but excellent instincts for politics, trade and strategy - Yue Qingyuan snatches him up as a personal, soon-to-be head disciple (also maybe brand new adopted little brother, because Yue Qi can't help himself). Shen Qingqiu is initially unhappy about having to share Yue Qingyuan's brotherly affection with someone new, but soon warms up to Beilun himself when he realizes how ruthless the young man can be. Second big brother acquired!
Time passes. Shang Qinghua privately mourns for Mobei-jun when word gets back to Cang Qiong that the Northern prince has been missing so long that they wrote him off. His mourning is tinted by guilt, because he keeps getting distracted by the handsome new Qiong Ding head disciple. Yue Beilun is tall and suntanned and scarred, even years later still not fully recovered from whatever befall him on the edge of the demon realm, but every time he smiles at Shang Qinghua it feels like the world comes to a standstill.
So for one there's the glacially slow falling in love between Shang Qinghua and definitely-not-Mobei-jun. There's the forming adopted family with the two disasters in charge + still-absolutely-not-Mobei-jun. There are Shen Qingqiu's persistent attempts at being a good teacher and a better martial brother (with inconsistent degrees of success, but Liu Qingge is discovering a lot of new things about himself as the primary audience of Shen Qingqiu's self-improvement). There's the long search for ways to get Shen Yuan back from the System, which leads to a whole, wacky side-adventure when they learn the truth about Tianlang-jun and set him free while they are there to get the mushrooms.
Of course this New Plot can't happen without some drama. Beilun is accompanying the masters to the Immortal Alliance conference when the Endless Abyss opens up. Luo Binghe almost succumbs to a sever qi deviation when his seal breaks and Beilun rushes in to fight off the monsters attacking the disciples and falls into the Abyss - which is just the thing needed to break the curse on him...
So Cang Qiong is in mourning over the loss of Yue Beilun who many of them assumed will be the next sect leader based on Yue Qingyuan's strong attachment. Luo Binghe is confined to Qian Cao, half under treatment and half under house arrest on account of being half-demon until they can figure out what to do with him. At least the System has relinquished Shen Yuan, now that the mushroom body is grown enough, and after learning how young he is, he becomes the new replacement little brother of the sect leader and the (ex) scum villain, which is weird and confusing, but not in a bad way.
Meanwhile in the demon realm Mobei-jun makes his return (as far as people know he was training all these years in the Endless Abyss and he is monstrously stronger for it), takes over as Northern King and starts solidifying his power base with Tianlang-jun's help (rumors have it that he was the one who broke the Junshang out of his prison, a feat everyone thought impossible). After all, only a fool goes courting when their court is in disarray and now that he remembers all the things Qinghua has done for him, he has eyes for nobody else.
All the while the Old Palace Master watches the shifts in the demon realm and plots a new war against the demons. With such a cold and ruthless rising Northern King looming on the horizon, not to mention the vengeful Tianlang-jun, it shouldn't be difficult to whip the cultivators up into preparing for conflict...
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