Chapter Text
Shen Yuan woke up around the time his Er-ge would usually drag him out the bed for school. He looked to the dip beside the bed and noticed that Luo Binghe had probably left not too long after he had woken up from that precious cotton candy flavoured dream. Truly the best dream a kitty cat could possibly ask for, he had a nice bed and an even nicer toy to paw at…those things being the unbelievably fluffy puppy from god knows where.
Once he was awake enough to somehow manage to swing his legs over the bed, he went over to the bathroom where Luo Binghe had been caressing something on his neck. Upon seeing Shen Yuan’s squinting gaze, the man perked up and showed Shen Yuan a glimpse of flustered panic before running away. Shen Yuan didn’t get why, but he found it cute.
Once he had thoroughly cleaned himself and prepared for the day, Shen Yuan and Luo Binghe were stepping onto the roads of Youdo Cheng once more.
Shen Yuan found that there were plenty of other cultivators roaming around the city too, though most of them were from the four major sects, such as Huan Hua palace, Cang Qiong mountain, Zhao Hua Monastery and Tian Yi Overlook, and incredibly powerful too. That, or they were graduates from their respective sects. It showed in their clothing and mannerisms.
Most of the demons didn’t mind them, but many of the ones managing shops that dealt with poisons, ink instruments or weapons were highly interested in them. If only the regular human folk were as simple as demons were, though then again, some demons were so simple that they’d attack anything that comes within a 100 metre radius of their territory.
After what felt like the 3rd Huan Hua palace disciple coming to greet Luo Binghe, Shen Yuan finally noticed that none of them came here for sect business, but instead business Tianlang-Jun had told them to complete, and what kind of business were they doing?
Getting the latest issue of A Lover’s Sorrow is a Villain's Victory, a romance novel about a stupid lover girl in love with the villain of the realm, the villain basically tries to get his creepy stalker away by beating her into submission and basically being absolutely vile, as a villain should, but the girl just keeps coming after him. Recently Shen Yuan and Tianglang-Jun learnt that the villain had a husband.
Shen Yuan bounded over to the nearest book store where a Huan Hua palace disciple with a snake perched on his shoulder gave him an already paid for copy. Shen Yuan took about five minutes too long talking to Zhuzhi-Lang before Luo Binghe had enough and pulled him away.
They walked around once more, hip to hip, exploring the city or watching people perform on the streets. At one point Shen Yuan wanted to stop and listen to a Succubus sing. Her voice was quite lovely, but it seems Luo Binghe had wanted to do something else instead. Probably dragging himself away from the basically naked curves of the woman in front of them. Wow, Luo Binghe was such a green flag!
Shen Yuan didn’t mind.
Luo Binghe dragged him away by the hand, the touch was warm and yet cooling, safe, it was safe, yes that was what it was, he felt safe, he felt full. Wow, he and his father must be born protectors.
Shen Yuan remembered feeling this any time Tianlang-Jun was training him, he felt this when taking care of Zhuzhi-Lang from childhood to adulthood, he loved feeling this and he’d love to feel it forever. One day, once Luo Binghe settles down, he wouldn’t mind settling down near him.
After a couple more shops and stalls, they went back to their room in the Inn and decided to rest there for a couple hours before going back out again.
Shen Yuan was trying to remember anywhere he could possibly visit that wasn’t already replaced by new things. Though as he both reminisced and grimaced as he recollected the memories he had made with Tianlang-Jun in the once small town now turned big city. He wondered if that Huli Jing was still roaming around. Shen Yuan certainly doubted that she had died, but he wouldn’t want to see one of his worst exes.
She and Li Zhankong were contenders for the worst ex, with Li Zhangkong’s slaughter of his new family just barely surpassing Teng-Bi’s constant infidelity during their time together and harassment after.
Their relationship didn’t even last that long. Shen Yuan did like her and felt like he could spend forever with her, but 5 months went by and it turns out she’s been cheating for 3.
Basically every single day…back then they had just met Zhuzhi-Lang and his scales were too fragile to handle the sun, so Teng Bi would go out and find rather exciting part time lovers, and she didn’t care about looks, no she absolutely did not. Shen Yuan once caught her with something that both smelt and looked like sewage water…
Shen Yuan broke it off easily, though he should’ve broken it off sooner. Besides, he had an adorable Zhuzhi-Lang to take care of now, why should he care about a Huli Jing who clearly had other priorities?
Unfortunately, the Teng Bi harassed Shen Yuan for about 10 years until she realised she was done with it. He silently wished that Tianlang-Jun had killed her too, but he found her desperate actions laughable and made fun of her in her face, which fueled her maddening obsession even more.
Despite all the luck Shen Yuan had absorbed throughout the day from children, rich vendors and a little from Xin Mo, when they finally got out of the inn in time for the night time salesmen to take over, Shen Yuan found himself standing right in front of her.
She had plenty of men with her now, she seemed to have accumulated a harem?
Shen Yuan begged and prayed that she wouldn’t remember him after all this time, but alas.
She did.
The moment she caught sight of those familiar ebony black ears and tail, she smiled ear to ear, not even trying to hide her smugness.
“Well well well, look who’s come crawling back! It seems as though my poor beloved A-Yuan has missed his chances!!! This Bi-er is already married to a harem who’s number is in the thousands!!!!”
She motioned for the men behind and around her to nod in response and fan out, creating a barrier to display their sheer numbers.
Luo Binghe looked down at Shen Yuan as another piece of Shen Yuan’s past had come to light.
Oh god, Shen Yuan couldn’t take this absolute bullshit!!!.
A fan flew up and into his hand from his qiankun pouch as he flicked it open and hid his face away from all their gazes in shame.
Luo binghe, ever the reliable man that he was, held Shen Yuan tight against him and sneered down at her.
“And what business do you have with my husband?”
Shen Yuan snapped his fan closed in shock!!
Binghe! You were supposed to help me get out of this mess, not dig my grave in deeper!!
Teng Bi gasped in shock, her clawed nails pointing to Luo Binghe and Shen Yuan. Shen Yuan’s tail wrapped around Luo Binghe tighter before deciding to go along with it.
“Y-yes…Teng Bi…I’m afraid that I’ll have to ask you to uhm let us pass?”
Teng Bi huffed indignantly, wow, it seems she hasn’t grown up even a little bit.
“Shut the fuck up!” she ordered, as if Shen Yuan had spoken too loudly for too long.
Luo Binghe was visibly snarling and Shen Yuan was visibly growing redder and redder as a crowd started to accumulate around them.
“I’ll let your ex-husband go A-Yuan, but you have to return to me!”
Shen Yuan really really couldn’t take it!!! What more could he not take?!?!?!
Luo Binghe smirked as Shen Yuan only continued getting redder and redder until finally he once again revealed his true self.
The heavenly demon marking on his forehead glowing red as it fluttered awake in joy.
Shen Yuan groaned and ended up showing his true identity along with him, not that it sparked much excitement throughout the demonic crowd, but if Luo Binghe stopped hiding then what's the point in him trying to enjoy this town as a local?
As Teng Bi studied Luo Binghe’s forehead and the bloodthirsty singing of Xin Mo, she recoiled and bent down in a bow, blabbering on and on about Junshang this and Junshang that.
Shen Yuan sighed and pulled Luo Binghe away before he could unsheathe Xin mo fully and possibly kill the very troubling Huli Jing though he wouldn’t mind it, it’d only cause even more uproar.
Unfortunately, it was too late.
Whispers of shock were already ringing throughout the crowd of people watching them.
“Junshang is married?!”
“Junshang is married to a man”
And even worse, “that's not a man, that's surely a girl!”
Or even, “well she’s certainly flat chested, though I guess we can’t complain she does have a pretty face”
Shen Yuan should just unsheathe Ni wen and hope that if he stabs hard enough he reincarnates into a butterfly.