Chapter Text
Shen Qingqiu was not allowed to leave the stands.
He was the only one not allowed to leave the stands.
“I’ll find your disciples.” Liu Qingge had said.
That is, actually, not my main concern right now, but thanks for reminding me I have children in danger, it definitely helped!
So, of course, the plot changed to meet him.
Luo Binghe came careening–still within the grounds, but able to communicate from within with anyone in the stands-into the clearing nearby. He smiled up at Shen Qingqiu… and Shen Qingqiu felt fear for the future.
What... was going to happen with the Endless Abyss?
“Shizun! There are demons in the grounds! Unaccounted for ones! Are you–?”
“Luo-shizhi! You can’t just–oh.”
That fucking rat! Shang Qinghua! The peak lord who became a demon flunky without hesitation! He took it upon himself to help the demons conquer the Human Realm and committed all kinds of evil in the original Proud Immortal Demon Way!
Shang Qinghua smiled, but it rightly looked more like a grimace, “Shen-shixiong! There you are! Meeting up with you puts my heart at ease.”
Shen Qingqiu wanted to say something along the lines of, “At ease, my fucking ass!”
Unfortunately, though, he was a professional.
“Shang-shidi, as you approached, did you see a large demonic beast nearby?”
Luo Binghe was here, so the Black Moon Rhinoceros-Python should be nearby too.
Shang Qinghua froze, then stuttered a bit as Luo Binghe jumped over the ledge of the stand and checked Shen Qingqiu over.
As if he’d been the one in danger! As if the stands were what was overrun with demons!
Eventually, Shang Qinghua finally said, “A large demonic beast? That… There wasn’t one.”
Well, fuck. There wasn’t? That was the whole reason Luo Binghe’s identity was exposed in the original novel! How-?
“Shizun!” Luo Binghe inserted himself, shoving flowers in Shen Qingqiu’s face, “These! These might help Shizun’s Without-A-Cure!”
“Binghe, that’s preposterous-”
“Shixiong, I hate to interrupt…” Shang Qinghua said, interrupting, looking for all the world like he was desperately trying to not look horribly confused, “...but on my way here, we lost quite a few disciples from various sects. They were all future pillars of the cultivation world. The person who released these demonic creatures is truly poisonous and shameless, underhanded and vulgar, cruel to the point of insanity!”
Shen Qingqiu was speechless. Weren’t you the one who released those creatures? Are you really okay with using these lines to attack yourself? Although, if you don’t mind, that’s fine…
Then, the earth began to shake.
Luo Binghe lost his footing, and the flowers he was still holding fell from his grasp and flew off in the wind. Luo Binghe let out a semi-distressed noise, but focussed more on maintaining Shen Qingqiu’s balance.
Let me go, you silly boy! Who needs whose guidance here?
It was like a 7.8 magnitude earthquake.
And Shen Qingqiu, for one, could not mistake that.
The Endless Abyss had finally opened.
By the stands, to meet the circumstances.
Right. There.
Shen Qingqiu could sense that Luo Binghe was just as tense as he was, but, actually, acting fairly well, Shang Qinghua was doing just the same, on full alert.
The figure of a man slowly emerged from the shadows.
As soon as Shen Qingqiu saw that ice-cold face and aloof expression, he knew who it was. What is he doing here?? He shot a glance at Shang Qinghua, whose whole face had gone white. Shen Qingqiu wanted to laugh, but he was unable to.
WHY IS IT MOBEI-JUN, OF ALL DEMONS, AND NOT A FUCKING BLACK MOON RHINOCEROS-PYTHON??? I’D HONESTLY PREFER IT!
Of course, Mobei-Jun showing up meant that Shang Qinghua opened his big fat mouth, rushing forward, “Who is this distinguished one? Why have you come to this place?”
Mobei-Jun was clearly not impressed.
He tilted his head slightly at Shang Qinghua, before half-heartedly flicking his finger, which resulted in Shang Qinghua going flying into the air with a sudden force and promptly crashing into an old tree, and fainting. Blood spurt unceasingly from his mouth–spurting until Shen Qingqiu couldn’t help but respect him.
Well, looks like I’m up!
“A demon?” Shen Qingqiu said, getting into a fighting stance.
His sect-siblings had been insistent he not take Xiu Ya with him.
For safety.
Because he might overexert himself.
Luo Binghe flashed past him and stood in front of him.
Um.
“Binghe, stand down.”
Luo Binghe did not reply, and he did not leave. He calmly met eyes with Mobei-Jun, entirely unaffected by his imposing aura.
Mobei-Jun let out an “eh?” of curiosity, like he’d found something that had aroused his interest a little.
Shen Qingqiu lost a bit of patience, “What have I told you? What disciple has to shield his master?”
“One whose master has already been through quite the ordeal.”
! This child-!
“You are a disciple of Cang Qiong Mountain?” Mobei-Jun, completely out of left field, asked.
“Disciple of Cang Qiong Mountain, Qing Jing Peak, Luo Binghe, thanks this distinguished one for his acknowledgement.” Luo Binghe replied coldly, his tone sarcastic.
Do you want to die, Luo Binghe??!
Mobei-Jun sneered, “The immortal acts unlike an immortal, and the demon acts unlike a demon. Interesting.”
Hey! Back off, will you? I’ve had to… I’ve had to get used to being chronically ill again! It’s not something one gets used to immediately, all right!
Then Shen Qingqiu thought again for a second, and looked at Shang Qinghua. Oh, he was probably talking about him…
Luo Binghe had drawn Zhang Yang and left the stands again. “Shizun, he won’t let us go, I don’t think. Given your condition, this humble disciple thinks Shizun should run away.”
There was a silence as Shen Qingqiu processed what had just been said to him so respectfully.
Respectful, my ass! Who do you think I am!?
He was distracted, so he missed the part where the fight started, heightened, and Zhang Yang was broken into shards.
Mobei-Jun, also, was quickly, seemingly, growing bored, until Binghe used what Meng Mo had taught him to shoot out pure demonic energy at Mobei-Jun.
Mobei-Jun said, “Not bad. The Human Realm is not where you belong. Why not return to your origins?”
Okay, technically… WAIT.
Mobei-Jun had removed the seal, easily, that suppressed Luo Binghe’s demonic blood!
And then he just… fucking left??
Luo Binghe was breathing heavily, eyes vacant, until he saw Shen Qingqiu start to approach him. “Shizun…”
[WARNING!: The critical quest, “The Endless Abyss and Endless Hatred, a Sky Filled with Crystal Frost and Tears of Blood” has officially begun! If it is not successfully completed, twenty thousand protagonist satisfaction points will be deducted!]
Since when has it been called anything, much more something like that?? Also, hey, if I remember correctly, that number was ten thousand, not twenty!
“Shizun, am I-”
I’m going to have to push my favourite disciple–my favourite character of all time–to hell, and to hatred of myself.
By this point, after that amount of time, the window would have already minimised, but it remained up.
And Shen Qingqiu chose to shut down.
*****
Luo Binghe watched Shen Qingqiu take a deep breath.
“Shizun…”
Shen Qingqiu interrupted and asked him, “How long have you been practicing demonic cultivation?”
“Shizun, I can explain.”
“Binghe.”
“Two years. I started two years ago.” Luo Binghe said, biting his lip bloody, crawling on his hands and knees until he could grip Shen Qingqiu’s robes.
Shen Qingqiu sighed.
“Shizun…” Luo Binghe said, sitting back on his haunches and holding the robes around Shen Qingqiu’s thighs for dear life, “Shizun, this disciple has only ever followed you! The demonic cultivation-”
“Binghe.” Shen Qingqiu said, face devoid of emotion. “That symbol that now rests on your forehead is not merely the symbol of a demon, it’s the symbol of… of sin. The mark of demons that literally fell from the heavens, murdered countless humans, and have impossible to contain tempers. The causes, from ancient times, of calamity after calamity.”
Kid…
“Shizun!” Luo Binghe’s eyes were teary, he knew, but he couldn’t help it. “Shizun, you… you’re not going to kill me, are you? Shizun?”
“I don’t want to kill you.” Shen Qingqiu said, and Luo Binghe could tell he said it honestly.
But… he was only looking at Luo Binghe.
Not seeing him.
If Shen Qingqiu had been seeing him, he would see an expression of wonder, negative wonder, a wonder at what could make Shen Qingqiu look at him with absolutely no emotion whatsoever, as if he was looking at nothing, as if his eyes were empty and lifeless.
“Shizun…”
“You have to leave. Go. Will you go yourself? Or…”
Kid.
Luo Binghe let go of Shen Qingqiu’s robes, gathered himself, and scrambled to stand.
He reached forward as he cast Meng Mo from his mind as much as he possibly could.
Luo Binghe had to stop himself from catching Shen Qingqiu’s face in his hands, so he grabbed Shen Qingqiu’s hands instead and pulled them in between them, “Shizun, what are you saying? Shizun, look at me. You’re not even looking at me anymore.”
Shen Qingqiu put some qi into his hand and it surprised Luo Binghe so suddenly that he let go immediately and stumbled back.
Luo Binghe broke.
He felt the tears he had told himself to hold back run down his cheeks… and he broke, clutching his hands together over his chest, where his heart lay. “Shizun, snap out of it. Shizun, please. You… Even before your first qi deviation, when you hated me more than anyone, when every stray thought of you I had couldn’t help but allow me to wonder what it was that made you despise me so, you never looked at me as you do now. You always looked at me with something. Hatred, disdain, disgust, jealousy, perplexity, fear, happiness, satisfaction, exasperation, what I could only describe as love–only now you look at me as if I’m not here, as if something is working against you now and you choose not to have a single emotion. I am still me, Shizun! I am still your devoted disciple, I promise! This… this symbol of sin upon my brow doesn’t change me.” He hiccuped, and steeled himself, “Shizun, please-”
“Stop!”
Luo Binghe stopped. It was an abrupt stop, and Luo Binghe choked over his words as he stopped immediately. “Shi-”
Shen Qingqiu stepped forward and pushed at Luo Binghe before he could continue.
Luo Binghe stumbled; he lost his balance.
Briefly.
“Shizun. Shizun, please. Please.” He begged his shizun, his most loved, and knew that he couldn’t be heard.
Shen Qingqiu pushed again, and Luo Binghe’s footing wavered more, a foot pushed out, hovering over the chasm that was the Endless Abyss.
Luo Binghe looked at him, swallowed, and as Shen Qingqiu’s eyes widened, Luo Binghe stepped his other foot back and fell into the abyss.
****
They found Shen Qingqiu when all the demons had been cleared.
The spatial rift caused by the Endless Abyss had long since closed, they knew.
Liu Qingge couldn’t keep up with Yue Qingyuan as he rushed towards the stands.
When they neared where it had been, he saw out of the corner of his eye that Shang Qinghua was slumped against a tree, coughing blood.
Liu Qingge ignored him and walked, very sedately, to Shen Qingqiu, saying, “Shen Qingqiu.”
Yue Qingyuan was starting to check Shen Qingqiu’s pulse before his hands were batted away by Mu Qingfang, who had come from behind Liu Qingge, letting other medics gather around Shang Qinghua.
Yue Qingyuan’s eyes hardened, but he moved in acquiescence for Mu Qingfang.
Liu Qingge went to Shen Qingqiu’s other side as Yue Qingyuan gravitated towards Shang Qinghua.
“I can’t believe the fucking abyss not only fucking opened, but opened here.”
“Liu-shidi.”
Liu Qingge looked up, “Mu-daifu.”
Mu Qingfang glared at him, “Not now.”
“Where’s Luo Binghe?” Liu Qingge asked Shen Qingqiu, ignoring Mu Qingfang. “I was looking for him, but I couldn’t find him. Did he-”
He cut himself off when Shen Qingqiu moved to stand and stumbled his way behind them, collapsing again, when he came to something Liu Qingge noticed shined in the sunlight.
Liu Qingge heard a gasp from a disciple who had emerged from the woods. “Shizun…”
Ah… Shen Qingqiu’s head disciple.
The boy had led the recovered Qing Jing disciples into the area, towards the exit, and was now running to his shizun’s side, “Shizun, that sword can’t be…”
“Shizun.” Another said, “That can’t be Luo-shidi’s Zhang Yang, can it?”
A wave of whispers flowed around them.
“Zhang Yang?”
“They’re talking about Peak Lord Shen’s beloved disciple, Luo Binghe?”
“A sword shares its existence with its master. If the sword is broken, then where is he?”
“Could he have…?”
Someone from Zhao Hua sighed, “If this is really what happened, that’s truly a great pity. In the midst of all this, Luo Binghe had become the Immortal Alliance Conference’s top… ranker…” The disciple trailed off and pursed their lips when they saw Liu Qingge glaring at them.
“Heaven envies talent, heaven envies talent!”
Liu Qingge glared at everyone, now. A hush followed, complete silence.
Then, Shen Qingqiu looked up to the skies. “Qing Jing Peak’s disciple Luo Binghe,” he said, slowly, “fell to the demons and perished.”