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Chapter Text

Shen Yuan sighed as he collapsed onto his luxurious bed with its many pillows. He had just completed his mission in a science fiction world. Now, he was going to enjoy his time off. Next to his bed was an assortment of snacks and drinks arranged on a table. He takes a bag and starts munching on the contents.

It’s great to be S tier.

It may have taken him hundreds of worlds to ascend to the highest rank, but it was absolutely worth it. Recalling his time at the bottom of the ladder, Shen Yuan shuddered. At F tier, he was forced to constantly work. He lived in a cockroach-infested room and had to do all his paperwork there. Shen Yuan was only a little kid back then too. You’d think some child labor laws would apply here, but nope. On top of it all, the food was shitty.

But that was the past. He wasn’t that low-ranking transmigrator anymore. Shen Yuan had a fancy apartment now, and an assistant who does all his paperwork for him. He got plenty of vacation time. It would be another seven or eight months before he was required to go to a new world.

His thoughts were halted by a knock on the door. Shen Yuan tilted his head. It was probably his assistant, Xiao Jing, wanting him to double-check the paperwork. That man is so studious.

Still dressed in that skintight sci-fi outfit from work (which he would admit to being too lazy to change out of), he threw away the bag and got up from the bed. Shen Yuan stretched his muscles as he headed over to the door and opens it. In front of him was a tall man donned in luxurious black and red robes. A veil covered his face and the man’s crimson eyes gleamed as he took in the sight of the transmigrator. Shen Yuan leaned against the door frame and crossed his arms.

Someone is being improper.

Why was this stranger dressed like that?! Sure, Shen Yuan was also wearing his costume from a previous world. But! He is at home! Everyone knows you’re supposed to wear the uniforms when you are out and about. This must be some newbie trying to look fancy with his xianxia costume.

Shen Yuan raised an unimpressed eyebrow at the other man. “What do you want?” He asked coolly.

Normally he’d be nicer to novices, but he only just got off work. This stranger was interrupting his relaxation time! Shen Yuan had an important schedule of lounging around like a cat and idly eating snacks to complete.

The man stares at Shen Yuan in his form fitting outfit longer than necessary. Maybe the guy didn’t hear him? He was about to repeat himself when the man bows.

“Apologies, S tier Shen Yuan. This servant has been sent as a temporary replacement for Assistant Jing,” he spoke in a slightly bashful, but respectful tone.

He frowned. “Is Xiao Jing ill?” His assistant has always been so serious about work, no matter how many times Shen Yuan told him to relax.

The man stiffens at the nickname. “Assistant Jing is off attending other matters. He instructed me to give you this.” He handed him a glowing cube containing a System. “There is a new mission. Information regarding this world has already been sent to you. This servant has been told that it was of great importance that Elder Shen starts as soon as he can.”

What?! He should have had couple months before the next world!

Shen Yuan’s eyes flickered between the System and the servant before asking, “May this Elder be informed of your name?”

The man tilted his head. “This one is F tier Gongyi Xiao.”

Shen Yuan sighed. “As a F tier, you are aware of the consequences of delivering a system to the wrong person correct?”

Gongyi Xiao nodded earnestly and clasped his hands together. “Yes! Of course! I’ve heard so much about Elder Shen’s accomplishments. This servant believes that Elder Shen deserves to be pampered after his hard work, but Assistant Jing was in a hurry and strictly informed me to give this System to you,” the veiled man paused and his shoulders minutely slumped. “This servant is truly sorry that he must leave this burden. It’s not fair at all. S tier Yuan deserves better treatment than this.” His eyes were forlorn and pleading as he slightly lowered his fluffy head.

The overall effect made him resemble a puppy that had been rejected by its owner.

Shen Yuan’s mind screeched to a halt as he blankly stared at the adorable man. His hand twitched with the sudden desire to pat the servant’s soft hair. He flushed and scolded himself.

What is he doing? Gongyi Xiao may be young, but he is an adult! Petting his head would be inappropriate.  

He resists the urge. Instead, he coughs into his hand and puts away the System. “This Elder should be the one apologizing, I did not mean to question the orders given to you.” Shen Yuan gave him a reassuring smile. “This Elder appreciates your services. I’ll head out after I finish reading the files.”

Gongyi Xiao’s eyes lit up. The veiled man made a small happy noise as he bowed again. “Thank you, Elder Shen. This one will see you again in the future.” He gracefully walked away.

He really seems like a white lotus. Gongyi Xiao. He’s going to have to remember that name. Maybe he can offer to become his mentor after the mission.

Shen Yuan’s expression was soft as he sat down on his couch, picked up his tablet, and began going through the information.

Shen Yuan was nursing a massive headache as he slowly walked towards the platform. He basically spent an all-nighter reading through everything.

So! Many! Plot holes! Such a pity too. Maybe after a couple revisions it could have been great. It’s frankly a miracle that this thing became a world.

Granted, Shen Yuan tended to have higher standards than most. In one of his previous roles he had to play editor to a guy with the stupidest ID name. At least this world has some interesting monsters. This new role doesn’t seem like too much work either. He was basically a yes man.

He placed the cube into the console and stepped onto the platform. Shen Yuan stood there patiently as the system loaded. Right after the bar hits 100%, the doors to the chamber slam open. The last thing he hears is frantic shouting as he is sent into a new world.

[System successfully activated! Role Bound: Shen Qingqiu’s younger brother, “Shen Yuan”. Starting B-points: 100.]

What.

[Power source not detected. System will go into hibernation mode. Right now, there is only automated service. If you require service, please help yourself.]

His head spins a little as he blearily opens his eyes. Shen Yuan sat up immediately when he notices that the body he is in is smaller. 

Wait. Is he a kid?

That’s all wrong. He’s supposed to have transmigrated into an old man. Then he remembers what the System said.

Shen Qingqiu’s brother?!

The scum villain didn’t have a brother! He was pretty sure it wasn’t in the novel. Granted, Shen Yuan did speed read through it, skipping all the poorly written papapa scenes, harem drama, and a good portion of the romance (he has over 600 wives!). Why waste time slogging through all that mindless drivel when he could spend more time on reading the actual important things: the monsters and treasures!

Still, it was an obvious fact from the novel that Shen Qingqiu didn’t love anyone. He even threw away Sect Master Yue despite all his loyalty and indulgences. Why would there be this sibling character for Shen Qingqiu? Perhaps Shen Yuan was meant to be cannon fodder: to show more of Shen Qingqiu’s villainy when he eventually murders his own brother. That seems a bit excessive though. The guy was already a child-abusing serial killer. What other reason could there be? Then a thought flashed through his head.

This was a trap, wasn’t it?

Shen Yuan wasn’t supposed to be here! He should’ve realized that he wouldn’t be called back to work that fast! That Gongyi Xiao guy must have given him a modified system. Each system was attached to a specific role. Normally, it’s supposed to be existing ones. This role must’ve been created for Shen Yuan. And with the system in hibernation mode, it can’t give him any punishments or send him back home. In short, he’s going to be stuck here for a while.

…Man, he’s going to strangle Gongyi Xiao if he ever finds him. He’s probably somewhere around. Wouldn’t make sense to go through all this effort to keep him here otherwise.

Shen Yuan was snapped out of his thoughts when a crackling sound was heard.

He glanced down at himself briefly and paused. Shen Yuan took a closer look at his clothes and narrowed his eyes. Were those white mourning robes he was wearing? Was he attending a funeral? Then, he turns around and-

A hellish scene appears before him. It was a home being devoured by flames. A cacophony of screams and pleas arose from within it. Through the windows he could see mutilated corpses that were stabbed with a violent enthusiasm. The black clouds above had an ominous red tint to them from the fire.

…

Nope! He’s not touching that with a twenty-yard stick. Bye!

As he turns to leave, the sound of footsteps burst out of the house. Now outside, a blood covered ghoul was dragging a small girl into the shrubs with a sword in his hand.

Shen Yuan groaned internally. Fine! He’ll get involved with whatever this nightmare is. He can’t just run away and leave a child at a mercy of a monster.

“Leave her alone!” He demanded icily.

The dark figure threw his head around with a malicious glint in his gaze. Then he stiffened and his eyes become wide. The sword is dropped to the ground.

Shen Yuan took a step back. This person looks like a teenager version of himself! A very creepy, dark version of him!

“A-Yuan? A-Yuan, is that you?” The voice spoke with an unfathomable emotion. Dark green eyes bore into his as the light from the flames flickers across his face.

He froze. This person knows his name. Is this…Shen Qingqiu? Shen Yuan schooled his face into a remote and distant expression as he tries not to panic under the other’s intense watch.

“What are you doing?” He asked darkly.

Shen Qingqiu flinches. He glances down at his hands, and then makes hurried attempts to wipe away the blood. Instead, it just covers him more.

Shen Yuan frowned. It’s obvious this child just murdered a bunch of people. Who is he trying to fool?

Before he could think any further, footsteps approach them. A stranger steps onto the scene. They both turn to the newcomer. The man does not spare a glance at Shen Yuan. Instead, he looks and clicks his tongue at Shen Qingqiu. Or rather, Shen Jiu. He wasn’t Shen Qingqiu yet, was he?

“You didn’t kill them all?” He asked in a cruel voice.

Shen Jiu fell silent for a moment. Then he spoke up, “The people I want dead are dead. It would be pointless to waste time on them all.”

Ah, what a heartless statement! Truly an evil baby chick making his way into the world.

Wu Yanzi then turned his assessing gaze to Shen Yuan. In a blink, the man was in front of him. He grabbed his wrist and Shen Yuan tensed under his cold touch. Before he could wrench his arm away, Wu Yanzi released him and took a couple steps back.

“You didn’t tell me you had a twin.” He tilted his head with a calculating expression on his face.

Shen Jiu jolted at his words. He looked like he wanted to say something, but Wu Yanzi continued on.

“One of the things your master said was not wrong. Both of you have admittedly good innate talents, but the optimal time to begin cultivating has passed.” Then he gestured towards Shen Jiu.

“In addition, after suffering torture, even your bones are somewhat damaged. Your brother is in a better state. He may be able to climb a little higher. Although some success is possible, neither of you will be reaching the peak of your abilities. If it were a few years earlier, then it would be a different question.”

Shen Jiu gritted his teeth and clenched his hands. “That beast is not my master. Also, events have now reached this stage. Is there another path we can take? Are you giving us another path?” He coldly asked while walking over to Shen Yuan.

Shen Yuan glanced at Shen Jiu as he stood beside him. Wait. Is Shen Jiu using a royal we? Or is he actually thinking of having Shen Yuan join in their evil adventure?

Wu Yanzi gave a sinister smile. “I’m feeling kind today. I’ll let the both of you follow me.”

Shen Yuan’s eyes widened. He’s pretty sure Shen Jiu was supposed to go with Wu Yanzi by himself. It was an important part of his path to becoming a scum villain. If Shen Yuan follows him, wouldn’t that change something?

Destiny can’t be altered. Shen Qingqiu is an important bad guy. Without him, the plot won’t even happen. There would be no Emperor Luo Binghe. The system might be down right now, but destroying the story has its consequences. If he does something as disastrous like making the protagonist into a nobody, he will be severely punished and demoted when it’s all over.

Shen Yuan spoke up, “I have no interest in coming along,” he turned to Shen Jiu. “Go follow him by yourself.”

Shen Jiu froze as if he had been struck. Then he reached out and clutched at Shen Yuan’s mourning robes tightly. “Do you hate me for what I did? Is this what it’s all about?” He whispered and his dark eyes were filled with a deep hurt.

Shen Yuan was paralyzed. What? What? Isn’t this OOC? Why does he care about some npc brother who showed up out of the blue? Shen Qingqiu was supposed to be this cold, ruthless man. It looked like Shen Jiu was following that path too. He recently murdered a lot of people with little remorse! But then, what is this?!

With no reaction from Shen Yuan, he held onto him even tighter. Tears began forming at his eyes.

“Please! I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. There was never a moment I didn’t regret it! Don’t leave me. I know I’m awful. I know I’m a monster! But don’t…” He sobbed. “Please A-Yuan, don’t leave me alone.” Shen Jiu placed his head against Shen Yuan’s shoulder as he continued to break into pieces.

Shen Yuan felt like he couldn’t breathe. This child was in so much pain. What is he supposed to do?

He looked up and internally shuddered when he saw Wu Yanzi’s dark eyes watching them. It felt like ice cold water was poured down his back. Those eyes gleamed with a predatory intent. This man…whatever road he’s going to take Shen Jiu on isn’t going to be pleasant, is it?

Shen Yuan’s heart was squeezed. He hesitantly reached up and started patting the child’s back. The white sleeves of his robe became stained with red. Shen Jiu relaxed minutely under the touch as his breathing steadily evened out.

Shen Qingqiu’s fate cannot be changed. But all children deserve to be protected. As the only (not creepy) adult in the room, that responsibility falls to him. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much he could provide since he was stuck in a kid’s body himself. Even so, he can stay with Shen Jiu for a while. At least, until he’s finally safe within Cang Qiong Mountain Sect.

Shen Yuan softly spoke, “I’m sorry, gege. This brother did not mean to hurt you. We’ll go together.” He gave Shen Jiu a gentle smile and hugged his slender body.

Shen Jiu tensed for a moment, but then put his arms around him as well.

Chapter Text

Shen Jiu was a fool. He shouldn’t have waited. Qi-ge was most likely rotting away on some dirty road. What was he thinking? This wasn’t some fairytale. In his stupidity, he thought Qi-ge would come in like a prince and save them. And, in his wait, he got A-Yuan killed. His little brother has been dead for over a year now. He should’ve realized long ago that there will be no rescue.   

“Gege, stop worrying about me! I’m not that sick, I won’t leave you alone.”

Truly hilarious. His life was just one disastrous mistake after another. It was his fault A-Yuan was dead. His blood was on Shen Jiu’s hands. The past can’t be changed. But, at least today he can finally rid himself of the beast.

Shen Jiu’s heart soared as the blade pierced the flesh over and over. He could feel himself grinning as he went after the male servants who watched him get beat like an animal again and again. This wasn’t enough, this will never be enough. It wouldn’t heal his scars. It wouldn’t give him back his brother.

Through the halls of corpses, Shen Jiu returned to where his ex-fiancé was. He lifted Qiu Haitang up and dragged her out of the house. She may have been oblivious, but she was still someone who was kind to him. If she wanted revenge after this, he wouldn’t begrudge her.  

“Leave her alone!”

Shen Jiu threw his head around. His hand tightens on the grip of his sword and-

Shen Jiu wanted to laugh, cry, and scream. He had heard of things that would crawl out at night. Things that come when the ground is soaked red. They look like people who were long dead.

Even so, his heart stuttered at the sight of him. He couldn’t help but impossibly hope.

“A-Yuan? A-Yuan, is that you?”

The thing looked at him and asked, “What are you doing?”

He flinched. What was he doing? Talking to some mimicry of his brother. Still, a feeling of shame curled in his chest. Not for killing the household of course. They deserved it. But as he looked down at his blood splattered hands, he felt like a beast. He wasn’t human.  

After poorly attempting to wipe away the filth from his body, Wu Yanzi showed up. Then the unfeasible happened as he grabbed the imitation’s arm.

“You didn’t tell me you had a twin.”

What? He jolted at those words. Wu Yanzi is a cultivator, he would know if it was an illusion. Then, this is really A-Yuan? He came back! But how? Shen Jiu watched his body burned.

His mood darkened when he heard Elder’s assessment on his cultivation. He could’ve been better. He had the ability. Now it’s lost to him. He gritted his teeth and clenched his hands. No matter. He will be great. He will become powerful. No matter what he had to do, he will be a peerless immortal. And now, he’ll have his brother with him too.

For some impossible reason, his twin was alive once more. He decided to not care about the how or why, just that he’s here. He had another chance. Shen Jiu wasn’t going to waste it. He’ll protect A-Yuan this time. He won’t let them be separated again.

Unfortunately, his didi doesn’t like to make things easy.

“I told you, I’ll take care of everything! You don’t need to get yourself involved.” Shen Jiu shouted at his younger twin.

Shen Yuan sighed as he continued to wash his outer robe in the river. It has been three months since they’ve started traveling with Wu Yanzi. They both got new clothes since then. Not out of the kindness of the bastard’s heart of course. But rather, their robes were covered in blood and they look like they were doing some creepy twins cosplay.

Turns out Wu Yanzi was a shitty teacher. It’s only every now and then that he gave Shen Jiu a cultivation lesson. It seemed like he was more invested in teaching them how to be assholes.

Shen Yuan bit his lip. There was still some blood and dirt on his sleeves, and they were Not. Coming. Out. He’s really missing the conveniences of washing machines right now. Shen Jiu knitted his eyebrows.

“Look at you, getting upset over some worthless scum! Why are you trying to do my work? You are far too soft-hearted and weak.” He chided. “I’m his apprentice. You don’t have to do anything. Just follow me, okay?”

Upset? Shen Yuan wasn’t upset. He continued to harshly rub soap into the sleeves. Also, he can’t just sit back and watch a kid do a bunch of shady things! He’d prefer if Shen Jiu didn’t have to do any of it in the first place. But, since they are stuck with Wu Yanzi and he keeps ordering Shen Jiu to do these missions, the least he can do is take some of the burden away from Shen Jiu.

Besides, it’s not like this is the first time he had to do questionable things. He’s been forced to do many villain roles in the past. Granted, he wasn’t great at it. In fact, he almost failed every time. He was super glad when Xiao Jing became his assistant, as he made sure Shen Yuan didn’t have to do any more villainous roles. But still! He knows how to do shady stuff.

Shen Yuan put his outer robe aside and turned towards the lecturing child. “A-Jiu, I can’t idly sit around while you are in such danger. It would be irresponsible of this old man to do that,” he said mildly.

Shen Jiu paused for a moment, then burst in fury. “What? What old man? You are fifteen you fool! As your older brother, it’s my job to take care of you!” Shen Jiu spoke in a stern voice.

Ah, what an angry little child. It’s sweet that he wants to keep him safe.

Shen Yuan smiled indulgently. “Alright, gege. Why don’t we just agree to protect each other?”

Shen Jiu scowled, and his lips were tight.

“No!”

“Come on! Hurry up! We are almost there.” Shen Yuan shouted as he tugged Shen Jiu’s hand. He was currently dragging him to a forest near the town.

The three of them stopped into town earlier that day. Wu Yanzi promptly fucked off to a bar. He usually doesn’t come looking for them until the next morning. During these times, Shen Yuan liked to take Shen Jiu around. Sure, they might be serving as evil apprentices to a murderous master, but that doesn’t mean they can’t have fun!

At least that’s the excuse he gives to Shen Jiu. It wasn’t completely false. It was Shen Yuan’s attempt to give Shen Jiu some semblance of a childhood. It wasn’t enough, he knew. Just these small stolen moments of happiness. But something had to be done. If Shen Yuan didn’t do anything, Shen Jiu would just stay in the room and look at his cultivation notes.

Some of their previous excursions included going to local festivals, exploring the towns, and watching plays. That last one wasn’t really his go to choice. But, there was a surprising amount of cheesy romantic plays that were performed and quite a few of them didn’t cost money to attend. Back when it was snowing, he also attempted to have a snowball fight. He really underestimated Shen Jiu’s competitive streak.

Anyway, after looking around he realized this was the town that Luo Binghe met blood kink wife in. He can’t recall her name. The only reason he even remembered her existence was that there was a scene where he took her to the nearby forest to papapa and they encountered the Starlit Blood Butterflies. They weren’t a threat unless they sensed blood. In which case, they swarmed and drained their victims. With the protagonist there, the wife wasn’t in any danger.

Shen Yuan wanted a look at them. So, he was dragging Shen Jiu along to that crooked tree in the middle of the forest where the scene took place.

Shen Jiu sighed in exasperation. “A-Yuan, please tell me this trip will be better than that time we saw One Hundred and Sixty Shades of Blue.”

“Ahhh! Don’t remind me of that play!” Shen Yuan shouted back at him. “Don’t worry. We are going to see something interesting!”

Shen Jiu groaned, but still followed his twin anyway. They finally reached the tree and A-Yuan motioned him to sit down. He decided to indulge his brother and sat down against the tree. A-Yuan plopped right next to him. The sky was getting darker. Maybe he could use this time to practice meditating.

Shen Jiu wasn’t too sure what to make of these little excursions his A-Yuan has been insisting on. He’d rather focus on his cultivation. It was important that he became powerful. Powerful enough that nothing could hurt them. He’s been sharing his notes with his twin as well. It wouldn’t do if he was an immortal and his brother wasn’t. Shen Jiu will make sure A-Yuan gets to live for centuries this time around.

Still, he can’t deny that these trips can be amusing. He could tell that A-Yuan has been very stressed with Wu Yanzi. If these excursions can lighten his burden, who was he to refuse? Being in his brother’s presence also brought a warmth to his heart; there was a time where he thought he would never be able to see A-Yuan again.

After some time passed, they appeared. Glowing butterflies with swirling stars on their wings. They filled the night sky as they passed through. It truly was a spectacular sight. A-Yuan gave a little squeal right next to him.

“These are the Starlit Blood Butterflies!” He said excitedly. “They are nocturnal. Their main source of nutrition is blood and-“Shen Yuan continued on his lecture of the species.

 Some things never change.

Shen Jiu glanced at him fondly. As Shen Yuan droned on, his mind drifted to a time when Qi-ge was still around.

“Xiao Jiu! Xiao Yuan! I heard there’s an immortal cultivator fighting a beast right now!” Qi-ge ran up to them. The brothers immediately got up from the street they were sitting on.

“What? Where? I want to see!” A-Yuan exclaimed in childish enthusiasm.

“Take us there,” Shen Jiu ordered him. Qi-ge beamed at him and showed the twins where the battle was taking place.

The immortal was dressed in the finest golden silks. He gracefully sailed through the air as his shining sword pierced the bear-like monster. His movements were elegant when he used his fan to deal the final blow. As the lofty immortal stood above his defeated foe, Shen Jiu could only stare in awe. This. This is what he wanted. That will be him one day. He will make sure of it.

“That was such a cool monster! I wish I could be a beast tamer.” A-Yuan sighed wistfully. Shen Jiu looked at him incredulously and then scoffed.

“Leave it to you to be interested in the defeated party.” He continued. “Beast tamer is a ridiculous occupation. True power lies in becoming a cultivator.”

“Maybe one day we can go and be cultivators together,” Qi-ge suggested as he glanced at Shen Jiu.

Shen Jiu glared at him.

“Are you saying you want me to abandon my brother?”

Qi-ge quickly realized his error and waved his hands in supplication. “I’m sorry Xiao Jiu. I wasn’t trying to say that.” He said earnestly.

Shen Yuan decided to pounce. “Aww, it’s okay brother-in-law. Xiao Jiu knows what you really meant.”

Qi-ge and Shen Jiu froze as Shen Yuan smiled cheerfully.

“Wh-what? Don’t call Qi-ge that!” Shen Jiu sputtered.

“But he likes it!”

Shen Jiu glanced back at Qi-ge. Sure enough, his face was red.

“Qi-ge, stop that!”

“Do you think Qi-ge is still alive?” Shen Jiu absent mindedly wondered aloud.

Shen Yuan stopped his blathering and blinked at him. “What?”

Shen Jiu sighed. “I know, it’s foolish to keep thinking about it. Qi-ge never came back. He’s probably dead in a ditch somewhere.”

Shen Yuan nervously shifted around. Who the fuck is Qi-ge? Just based on the name alone, he’s probably one of the slaves that Shen Jiu grew up with. The novel never mentioned this! Seems like Shen Yuan is supposed to know him too. He wanted to bang his head against the tree.

Why couldn’t he have gotten a character sheet for this role? Shen Jiu hasn’t really pointed out anything wrong with him yet though. Hasn’t said “You don’t act anything like my brother.” So, he was assuming he was doing okay. Granted, he was just being himself and apparently that was very close to the real deal. Originally, he thought this was a role created for him. But Shen Jiu seemed overly familiar with his habits and was now referencing past memories. So, maybe the original Shen Yuan was always a character.

Shen Yuan decided to put those thoughts aside for now. Currently Shen Jiu wanted to know if this Qi-ge character was still around. He could make some guesses based on the plot. Shen Qingqiu was a very bitter man. Shen Jiu was referring to this person with a deep yearning. So, this was someone Shen Qingqiu cared about. If Qi-ge was still alive, Shen Qingqiu wouldn’t have been that bitter right? Perhaps he just never found him.

Emperor Luo Binghe would’ve found him though.

That man likes to be complete in his revenge. If there was a person the cold-hearted Shen Qingqiu cared about, wouldn’t Luo Binghe go out of his way to find him? He’d probably kill this Qi-ge character in a very brutal way. For extra sadist points, he’d make Shen Qingqiu involved in the murder process…

Wait.

It can’t be, can it? He always thought that Yue Qingyuan was killed in an overly gruesome way for a guy who didn’t do anything to Luo Binghe. The Sect Leader seemed to really care for Shen Qingqiu too. But if he really was Qi-ge, why would Shen Qingqiu treat him horr-

Qi-ge never came back.

…Fuck. That was a layer of tragedy he didn’t want to think about. Still, this wasn’t bad news. Shen Yuan was wondering how Shen Jiu would get to Cang Qiong Mountain Sect. Now he just needs to find out if Qi-ge has been named Yue Qingyuan yet. Once he’s been declared as the future Sect Leader, Shen Yuan could use the power of nepotism to get Shen Jiu in.

As the luminous butterflies fluttered above them in the night sky, Shen Yuan put his hand on Shen Jiu’s shoulder.

“There’s probably a good reason why Qi-ge couldn’t return. I have a feeling we’ll see him again one day,” Shen Yuan smiled reassuringly.

Shen Jiu didn’t reply. Instead, he looked down at the grass with a complicated expression on his face.

Wu Yanzi sat back as he ordered another drink. It’s been nine months since he took those brats in. Before that, he had been itching to get an apprentice for a long time. He’s been getting famous and it was annoying to have to deal with all those righteous cultivators by himself.

He had high standards of course. It couldn’t be just any person with good innate talent. They had to have the right nature and ambition too. While it might have been easier to just threaten a soft natured fool into becoming his apprentice, he wanted more than that. He might get killed one day. It was the hazards of the job. Wu Yanzi wanted his legacy to go on. A successor to carry on his cruelty and show a bit of his infamy long after he was gone.

Shen Jiu was a good fit for him. He was able to complete his test of murdering the Qiu. Wu Yanzi could tell he had an affinity for killing. He was surprised to see he had a twin though. His ability for cultivation was a little higher too. That was only a small part of the reason why he decided to let him come along.

There was a peculiar look in his eyes when they first met. It’s not something he’s seen anyone else have. The way his eyes surveyed the world around him. The way he looked at Wu Yanzi. It was vastly detached. Like he was an entity looking in on this world and saw it as a silly little story. It was odd to be looked at like he was puppet of a narrative and not a person. For a moment, he wondered if this child was human. Though, he’s never seen demons have such a look either.  

There’s potential for cruelty there.

It has gotten less intense and frequent since then. But every so often it still appears. The boy is a puzzle. There’s been other things that don’t quite add up. Shen Yuan had a distaste for violence and can get quite emotional about it. Yet, when they first started out, he was far better at killing then the older twin was. Shen Jiu killed things messily. Shen Yuan knew how to kill quickly and effectively. That skill gap has closed since then, but it was curious that Shen Yuan already had an assassin’s training with his personality.

Furthermore, he had a strange knowledge about beasts. He could name every single monster they came across and pinpoint their weaknesses. He shouldn’t have known those things. Especially since he was a slave boy. At one point he had taken Shen Jiu aside and asked him about their past. He had informed him that the boy had been ill while they were at the Qiu household, only to suddenly disappear one day. Shen Yuan returned the day he came to pick up Shen Jiu.

There were some missing parts to the story. He knew that part where he was gone was true though. Despite Shen Jiu’s feigned indifference, he had seen pain in the boy’s eyes. Still, one year to pick up lethal skill and beast knowledge that even Wu Yanzi doesn’t know was a bit much.

Wu Yanzi was debating on what he wanted to do with the younger twin. Shen Jiu is his main apprentice at the moment. His ruthless nature flows better. Shen Yuan may have an untapped darkness in him though. Would it be worth it to do more than the partial training he’s giving him now? There was also the concern that the two of them could eventually overpower him. If he only had one apprentice, he wouldn’t need to keep his guard up.

He still has some time before he must truly worry about that. Maybe he’ll just kill him. Shen Yuan is an unknown variable after all. If he keeps him around, he’ll have to take some precautions to ensure those twins are incapable of disobeying him. There are many ways to control people.

For now, he’ll observe.

Chapter Text

Shen Yuan might’ve forgotten something important in his plan to get Yue Qingyuan to help Shen Jiu.

Yue Qingyuan was the future Sect Master of the largest and most well-known Sect. Shen Yuan was a rogue cultivator of very questionable origins. Trying to get in contact with the ultimate do-gooder was as insurmountable as asking Luo Binghe not to have a harem. As Binghe’s countless dead rivals and hundreds of jealous wives can attest to, it was a no go.

It’s been over half a year since he made the discovery of Yue Qingyuan’s backstory. A couple weeks ago, he finally heard news about the head disciple. It wasn’t much. Just that the Sect Master’s head disciple, Yue Qingyuan, had returned a while ago from a mysterious mission he was on. He has been recovering at the peak ever since. It sounded like he was in a bad condition. When Shen Yuan attempted to send a letter out, the office he went to informed him that it was unlikely it would actually reach Yue Qingyuan’s hands.  

For those of prominent standing at Cang Qiong Mountain Sect, their letters were vetted to ensure no harmful letters get through. Since the head disciple was in a delicate state, it was even more stringent, and they were only letting in letters from well-established sources. So, Shen Yuan was somewhat stumped. It’s not like he can ask Wu Yanzi if they could just stop by the Cang Qiong Mountain Sect. The only other place he can imagine running into Yue Qingyuan would be the Immortal Alliance Conference, but that was almost two years away.

Shen Yuan looked up at the ceiling of his tent in frustration. Wu Yanzi and Shen Jiu went on an espionage mission for a shady client and left him here alone. Well, Wu Yanzi left him here to be a guard dog. Right before the client contacted them, they managed to get their hands on quite a bit of loot. They hadn’t gotten a chance to sell any of it yet. The evil mentor didn’t feel like carrying such valuables on a mission, so he ordered Shen Yuan to stay at the camp and keep watch. Asshole was too cheap to go into town and pay for secured storage. There’s still one more day before they come back.

Watching a storage pouch was dull as fuck. While Shen Yuan was a laid-back guy, there is a point where even he gets bored with idleness. There were some monsters around, but they were in a much deeper part of the forest. He promised Shen Jiu a while back that he wouldn’t go exploring alone after the whole demonic octopus incident. Shen Yuan was still sad about losing his favorite robe.

Anyway, the bad news was that it was unlikely any beasts would stumble upon his camp. He wanted to bang his head against the ground. This security work was so monotonous. Shen Yuan was starting to feel more and more like an unpaid intern. Which, he actually is now that he thinks about it. Shen Yuan wasn’t even supposed to be in this world. He’s doing all this overtime work for nothing. It’s not like he can just mess around either. The System might dock him points when it comes back on again.

Shen Yuan sighed. Maybe he should eat lunch? He wasn’t really hungry, but he needed something to do. He already did his exercises earlier. Shen Yuan had been practicing incorporating his fan movements with his sword work. Shen Jiu gave him a fan weapon a while back when they celebrated their “birthday”. Shen Jiu was an orphan, so he didn’t know the exact date. Shen Yuan wasn’t really sure when he was born either. He’s spent so much of his existence pretending to be other people and remembering their life facts that he’s forgotten his own a long time ago. Most Agency employees do after an extended enough time. Hazards of the job.

Not knowing one’s birthday wasn’t that big of a deal. But, Shen Yuan knows it’s good for the mind to have little celebrations now and then. He’s also noticed that the kid would occasionally make self-depreciative remarks, so Shen Yuan was hoping that an event to celebrate Shen Jiu’s existence would make him feel better. Thus, he picked a date in autumn and bought him a small pastry.  For his gift he gave him a jade colored hairclip that had a serrated edge on one side so that Shen Jiu could use it to cut through something if he ever found himself trapped and weaponless.

…Shen Yuan would like to point out that he wouldn’t normally give something like that to a minor, but the child really valued practicality and he’s already had a lot of experience cutting things up.

Shen Jiu was confused at first when he gave him the items. But then, it was like watching a flower bloom as his expression turned a little soft and he actually made a slight smile. Shen Yuan couldn’t help but grin. The kid was such a little ice queen, he should really open up more. Shen Yuan then sang a happy birthday song, which made Shen Jiu embarrassed and he demanded that he stopped singing.

Shen Jiu ended up surprising him back a couple days later by giving him a weapon fan as a “late” birthday present. The fan was dark blue and had a picture of a cherry blossom tree painted on to it. It wasn’t one of those high-grade ones, but it had its uses. While the fan could be used to make a strong wind, the wind would only go on for a short distance. He couldn’t use it to make blasts that could hurt the opponent. Its main use was to give himself a little breathing room during fights.

Shen Yuan had been very touched by the gesture. The birthday thing was only meant to be for Shen Jiu, but it was cute that he got him something anyway.

After a while, Shen Yuan decided to finally get up and leave the tent. As he did so, he also brought out some baozi from his bag. The sunlight was filtering through the trees when he came out. He sat down on a fallen tree trunk nearby.

Shen Yuan was halfway through his second baozi when an inhuman roar echoed throughout the forest. It startled him and he dropped his food. The red filling of the baozi marked his robes as he quickly went to catch it just before it hit the ground.

What was that?

He couldn’t tell. The distance of the source had distorted the sound. Whatever the beast was, it was still very far away from him. He wondered what had made it so angry that it roared loud enough that even he could hear it. Was it a territory dispute? What did it look like? Was it a beast he hasn’t encountered yet? It sounded interesting. Maybe he could-

Shen Yuan gave himself a light slap. No! He made a promise to not go looking for monsters alone! Shen Jiu would fucking murder him if he went back on it.

He couldn’t stop the forlorn sigh that escaped him as he finished up his meal. Shen Yuan annoyedly kicked at the tree trunk. Now he was back to doing nothing again. Maybe he should just lie on the ground and feel like garbage. That was a time-honored tradition, wasn’t it? He could watch leaves blow by while he was there.

Shen Yuan picked a grassy place between the fireplace and the tent and laid down on the ground. He spread out his arms and legs as he passively watched the sky. After some time, he slowly drifted off into a nap.

“Look! There’s a tent! Perhaps we can find someone to help us,” a man’s voice pricked his ears. Footsteps were approaching him. As he struggled to come back to consciousness, the stranger screamed.

“There’s a corpse here! We are going to die. We are dead!” The idiot sobbed hysterically.

Shen Yuan’s eyes immediately opened. He leaped up from the ground and took his fan out from his belt. He flicked it opened to partially cover his face and hide a little bit of the splattered red filling on his robes.

Fuck! This is so embarrassing! He forgot he still had food all over himself!

He struggled to keep his face completely impassive as he coldly glared at the man who caught him in such a state.

“You woke me from my sleep. What are you doing in this forest?” He asked the trembling stranger icily.

“Please spare us, oh great forest ghost! We did not mean to trespass your resting place!” The man continued crying.

What.

Was this man high or something? Is he having a bad trip? Before he could ponder further, a small girl stepped out from behind the man. She pointed a dagger in his direction.

“Leave him alone, demon!”

Shen Yuan stared at her. Even with half her face covered in a veil, he could tell that she would grow up to become a raving beauty one day. He clenched his hand around the fan. What was Liu Mingyan doing here?!

Then he heard some more growls from further off. Shen Yuan glanced behind them and in the distance, he could see a crowd of Obsidian Elephant-Boars attacking someone. His eyes widened. Normally they don’t leave their section of the forest! They must have chased these people here.

“Stay here,” he told them as he rushed off into the direction of the monsters. Liu Mingyan started to say something before he abruptly left, but he didn’t hear it. It would be bad if Bingge’s future wife got injured in his presence. Last thing he needs is to give them more ammunition to target Shen Qingqiu with. They have the same appearance after all. Anything he does might get attributed to Shen Jiu and his future role instead.

Speaking of the child, he was technically not breaking his promise to Shen Jiu. He wasn’t alone, so going after beasts is okay!

As he got closer to the fighting, he could make out the figure of a cultivator dressed in Bai Zhan Peak’s colors. His strikes against the beasts were ridiculously strong. With one blow, he could see blood spilling from the side of an Obsidian Elephant-Boar. Despite its injuries, the beast continued attacking.

Wow! Guess he’s meeting the family today.

Shen Yuan let out an impressed whistle. If this is him just as a head disciple, Liu Qingge must be OP as a Peak Lord. Hearing the sound, the teenager snapped his head towards him. Shen Yuan got a view of his face and wanted to fall over. What?! This guy is a beauty too! Not at all how Shen Yuan head canoned him to look like. What is in those Liu family genes?

“Leave!” Liu Qingge shouted at him.

Shen Yuan furrowed his brow. Hey! Just because he’s cannon fodder doesn’t mean he can’t help! Granted, the future War God was both stronger and younger than him…Damn, he could see why Shen Qingqiu got super jelly of this guy. Still, he wasn’t going to run away and leave a kid by himself.

“This cultivator is here to offer his assistance,” he smoothly informed him. Then he leaped into the fray and, with his sword, aimed at a specific skull area on one of the Obsidian Elephant-Boars. The blade slid into the spot and the beast stopped its movements. Shen Yuan turned to him. “That area on their skull is their weak point. Target it,” he said coolly.

Liu Qingge glanced at him for a moment, then nodded. With his newfound knowledge, the teenager was able to blaze through the monsters. There were a few points in the battle where Shen Yuan found too many of them were attacking him at once, but he was able to use the fan to keep some of them away while killing others. After thirty minutes, the last Obsidian Elephant-Boar died. The kill score was Liu Qingge: 14 and Shen Yuan: 6.

Shen Yuan smiled as he watched the beast collapse on the ground. Then he walked over to where Liu Qingge was. The cultivator was breathing heavily. Hmmm. Liu Qingge had been going through the beasts very quickly. Shen Yuan then noticed that he had a gash on his side.

“Fellow cultivator, you are injured! Please allow this one to help you. I can treat you at my camp,” he implored as he stepped forward.

“I’m fine.” Liu Qingge stated.

Child! You are literally bleeding!

Shen Yuan nodded and pretended to acquiesce. “Very well, I shall leave you to your business,” then he stopped like he just remembered something. “Oh! Two strangers came by my camp earlier. I think they wanted something.” They were screaming about me being a ghost demon. “A man and a little girl. Are they companions of yours?” He gently questioned. Not sure who the man is, but Liu Qingge wouldn’t leave his sister.

Liu Qingge searched his face. After a minute, it seemed like he came to a decision. “Where’s your camp?”

“Allow me a moment.” Shen Yuan then softly took his wrist and channeled some qi into it. Liu Qingge twitched under his touch but didn’t move. Shen Yuan couldn’t do much, but he could at least make it slightly easier for the future War God to walk back to his camp. Shen Yuan glanced back up at Liu Qingge’s eyes. “Follow me.” Shen Yuan let go of his hand and started walking.

They didn’t talk as they trekked back to his camp. Not that Shen Yuan didn’t want to. He had dozens of questions he wanted to ask the future Peak Lord. But he thought it would be better to make his inquires after he figured out the situation back at camp.

“This one would like to thank you, mysterious child!”

Oh god. It’s this fucker again.

When they got back, Liu Mingyan had rushed over to her brother and checked him over. She watched Shen Yuan for a bit. It seemed like she decided he wasn’t a threat, but he couldn’t tell what else she was thinking about as he took Liu Qingge over to his tent to treat him. He had some salves that he rubbed over the injury and then he bandaged it up.

The future Peak Lord was insistent on doing it all himself at first. Shen Yuan didn’t really trust him to do so. Liu Qingge seemed like the type of character who was shit at taking care of himself. Shen Yuan ended up winning in the end by opening the upper part of Liu Qingge’s robes and pointedly treating the wound. He saw the future Peak Lord flushed red from the anger of losing. Afterwards, he left the tent and Liu Mingyan entered it to talk to her brother.

While he was outside, he got ambushed by this useless adult.

“What do you want.” Shen Yuan wasn’t going to be nice to him. He had a pretty strong feeling that this guy was the reason why the siblings got into danger.

“Ah, I know I was a little rude earlier when I called you a corpse. It was an honest mistake.”

Shen Yuan narrowed his eyes at him. The npc shifted nervously.

“Hahaha. Well, let’s start over. My name is ---” Shen Yuan immediately deleted the npc’s name from his memory. This guy wasn’t a part of the PIDW plot. He’s not going to waste any brain space on him.

“Why are you here?”

The man seemed to slightly brighten up. Shen Yuan glared him back into submission.

“I have a son who is very smart and hardworking, you see.” Oh god, is he trying to tell him his backstory? “He’d been talking about a plant that grows in a special section of this forest. I thought I could get it for him.”

This guy’s IQ was in the negatives.

Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow. “You thought going into the monster infected part of the forest by yourself was a good idea?” It’s literally the one dangerous part in this whole area. He’s been here for days with no encounters.

“Eh, I made a mistake.” No shit, Sherlock.

He sighed. “How did you get two other innocent bystanders involved?”

The npc slumped. Good. He should feel guilty. “I didn’t know they were children! When I was running away from the beasts, I saw a flying sword overhead. I started to shout and scream for the cultivator’s help. I hadn’t even realized there was two people until they dropped down.”

Those Liu siblings were good kids. It was extraordinarily reckless of them to do that, but they were written to be honorable characters. Shen Yuan gave a considering look at the braindead adult.

“You are not injured?” He asked.

The npc shook his head. “No.”

“Then leave.”

The man stiffened. “But the dange-“

“That section of the forest is the only danger around here. I will give you directions and draw you a map back to the nearest town. Follow it exactly, do not be a fool again,” he coldly intoned.

Shen Yuan can’t have this npc around. He finally has a way to contact Yue Qingyuan! He’ll need to have a discussion with Liu Qingge about it. This idiot might muck up his plans if he stays.

“…Very well. I will follow your instructions.”

After the npc left, he heard the rustle of the tent folds opening. He turned to the siblings.

“Where did he go?” Liu Mingyan inquired.

Shen Yuan pointed in the distance where the silhouette of the idiot could still be seen.

“He had to leave. So, I gave him a map to get back to town.”

The veiled girl nodded. “I see. May this one have your name?”

“This one is called Shen Yuan,” he politely bowed.

“Thank you, Shen-xiansheng, for helping us. My name is Liu Mingyan and this is my brother Liu Qingge.”

Shen Yuan faked his surprise as he widened his eyes. “Are you disciples of Cang Qiong Mountain Sect?”

Liu Mingyan shook her head. “This one is not quite old enough to join.” Then she puffed out her chest. “My brother, however, is the head disciple of Bai Zhan Peak.”

Shen Yuan looked towards Liu Qingge and gently smiled. “That explains a lot. The way you defeated those Obsidian Elephant-Boars was breathtaking. You have such good techniques; I wish I could learn them.”

Liu Qingge paused for a moment, then spoke up. “You have some knowledge of the basics, but it’s obvious that whoever taught you gave you shoddy techniques. Did you start cultivating late?”

So direct! He’s glad Shen Jiu isn’t around. He would have already tried to strangle him by now.

Shen Yuan took out his fan and flicked it over his face. “Yes. I didn’t get an opportunity to learn until recently.”

Liu Qingge crossed his arms on his chest. “Despite your low cultivation, you were able to take out quite a few beasts. Your sharp mind is your greatest strength during combat. I think once you are given the chance to truly study, you will be a quick learner. You won’t be the strongest, but you can develop a good amount of power.”

Shen Yuan tilted his head. Where was he going with this?

“You helped me. We of the Liu family believe in repaying kindness twice fold. There are still a couple months before the next selection of disciples. While I cannot promise you’ll get in, I can help you train and take you to Cang Qiong Mountain Sect for the test.”

WHAT.

This character is intense! But, this is a good thing. Maybe. He’s offering this deal to Shen Yuan and not Shen Jiu. Could he convince him to take on Shen Jiu? But it’ll be another day before he comes back…with Wu Yanzi. Shen Yuan clenched his hand around his fan. What’s he supposed to do with Wu Yanzi? The man is not just going to let them go. What will he do if he finds out they’re leaving? Shen Yuan sighed. He will figure this out one step at a time.

“This one is most grateful for your offer. But, I would prefer it if you could give this chance to my brother. It is my upmost wish for him to join Cang Qiong Mountain. He will be back tomorrow.”

Liu Qingge hesitated. “My family has resources. I can offer training materials for you both. But, my sister and I can’t stay here overnight. We were on our way back home. Our parents would worry if we do not return soon. I have duties I must attend to tomorrow, but I can come back at night.”

Shit. That’s not going to work. They’ll be gone by then.

“That’s...We’ll be leaving in the afternoon,” Shen Yuan explained.

Liu Mingyan piped up. “Maybe we can give you directions to our place! You can come over!”

“We can’t do that either.”

Liu Qingge raised an eyebrow. “Why not?”

Shen Yuan faltered. “We have a master. He won’t let us go.”

The Liu siblings became alert.

“Are you in danger?” Liu Mingyan asked worriedly. “Maybe you should come with us now.”

This is not good. Now they’re fretting over him.

He lightly waved his fan. “Ah, there’s no peril! He would never hurt us,” he lied. “Also, I won’t leave without my brother.”

Liu Qingge scowled. “Who’s your master?” His shoulders were tensed.

Hahaha. Saying it’s Wu Yanzi, the notorious rogue cultivator who’s committed numerous crimes and murdered countless righteous cultivators, wouldn’t go well would it? These reckless kids might end up dying.

“My master is Heng Bai. He’s not important,” he nonchalantly answered. “It was very sweet of you to make such an offer, but I’m afraid I’ll have to decline. There is a favor I would like you to grant though.” He quickly fished out the letter from his bag. “Do you know Yue Qingyuan?”

Liu Qingge straightened. “Yes, I know Yue-shixiong. But for what busi-“

“We didn’t finish talking about your master,” Liu Mingyan interrupted. Her eyes were sharp.

Gaah! Your chronic hero syndrome is going to get you killed!

Shen Yuan smiled and slightly bowed his head. “I misspoke earlier. Our master cares about us greatly. He took us in when our previous home caught on fire. By “won’t let us go”, I meant he would be devastated if my brother and I left him.” The words tasted like ash in his mouth, but he endured it.

It was silent for a moment as the Liu siblings looked at each other. Unspoken communication passed between the two of them. Afterwards, Liu Mingyan turned her body towards Shen Yuan.

“Oh! So that’s the situation. This one apologizes for the misunderstanding,” she spoke remorsefully and clasped her hands together. After a second, she elbowed her brother.

Liu Qingge looked away and clenched his fists. “It’s…good to hear you are fine,” he seemed to struggle with the words.

Shen Yuan held his fan in front of his chest. “This one did not mean to make you worry. But, I would be most grateful if you can deliver this letter for me,” he said as he held out the letter again.

Liu Qingge reached out and took it. He glanced down at the envelope. “For Yue-Shixiong?” He inquired.

“Yes.”

A complicated expression appeared on his face. “I need to know what business you have with him.”

Shen Yuan frowned. “Why?”

Liu Qingge grimaced. “Yue-Shixiong is fine…physically. However, he hasn’t been the same since he rushed off Cang Qiong Mountain and came back. He smiles, but it feels as if he’s on the verge of shattering. The Sect Master has ordered to keep anything emotionally disruptive away from him. He has concerns of him losing control and doing something that will send him into a severe qi deviation.”

Oh. That doesn’t sound good. What did Yue Qingyuan witness in his time away from the sect that made him so vulnerable? Hopefully getting a letter about Shen Jiu wouldn’t be emotionally disrupting. Well, he must try anyway.

Shen Yuan sighed. “My brother and Yue Qingyuan were best friends before the latter entered Cang Qiong Mountain Sect. Xiao Jiu has been waiting for him for a long time. I wish to set up a meeting.”

In a couple months, there will be a tournament for small sects to compete in. Wu Yanzi had expressed interest in targeting it and stealing loot from the cultivators. Shen Yuan’s plan was to have Yue Qingyuan meet them there. There will be a lot of people around, so it would be possible to lose Wu Yanzi there. Then the three of them could scurry back to Cang Qiong Mountain before Wu Yanzi can catch up.

It was his best bet. It’s also the only place he knows for sure they’ll be at in the future. Wu Yanzi almost never tells them where they’ll be going to next.

“Will your master be around when you meet?” Liu Qingge asked.

“He’ll be in the general vicinity, but the meeting will be private.” If they don’t lose Wu Yanzi by the time they meet Yue Qingyuan, it would be bad.

Liu Qingge gave him a long and considering stare. “I’ll do it. He will get your letter.”

Tension suddenly released his body and Shen Yuan beamed at the future War God. Before he knew it, his arms came around Liu Qingge’s chest as he hugged him.

“Thank you! You don’t know how much this means to me. I’m truly in your debt.” He’s been panicking about this issue for months now. It will be great to finally ditch that trashfire of a man!

After a moment, Shen Yuan realized that Liu Qingge’s body was still as stone under his arms. He suddenly released him, and he could see that Liu Qingge was bright red.

Opps! Looks like he’s furious!

“Ah, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to touch you,” he spoke in an apologetic tone.

“…It’s alright,” Liu Qingge said gruffly.

Shen Yuan glanced over to the veiled girl and saw there was a strange gleam in Liu Mingyan’s eyes. He tipped his head to the side. Bingge’s future wife sure is mysterious. He can’t tell what she’s thinking half the time.

Liu Mingyan then gave a forlorn sigh. “Gege, as great as this is, we should leave now. The sun is going to set soon.”

Liu Qingge nodded and got ready to head out. As they stood onto Liu Qingge’s flying sword, Liu Mingyan waved her hands at Shen Yuan.

“Goodbye Shen-xiansheng! It was nice meeting you!”

Shen Yuan smiled and waved back. “It was a pleasure to meet you both.”

Liu Qingge watched Shen Yuan solemnly. “Don’t get hurt. We’ll meet again.”

In the next instant, the Liu siblings flew off into the sky

Shen Yuan kept his eyes on them until they were out of sight. Afterwards, he collapsed back down onto the grassy floor of the forest and grinned. Finally! They were getting somewhere! He just needs to hold out for a couple more months.

A short while later, he could hear the thumps of two people jumping off their flying sword. He frowned. Did the Liu siblings forget something?

In the next moment, Shen Jiu entered his view. Shen Yuan jolted and sat up. The teenager had a frosty expression on his face.

“A-Yuan! Why were you laying on the ground again? People are going to think you are a corpse if you do that!” He scolded.

Shen Yuan laughed. “A-Jiu! You’re back early!”

Shen Jiu had a fond, but exasperated look in his eyes as he helped Shen Yuan up. He patted him on his shoulders. “The job went more efficiently than expected. A-Yuan, how have you been? Did anything happen?”

“Yes, I am curious about that as well,” a dark voice said.

The twins looked over to their mentor. Wu Yanzi seemed serene as he idly sat near the tent and checked through his storage pouches. Even so, Shen Yuan made sure to keep his face impassive.

“It was dull,” he stated blankly.

Wu Yanzi hummed. “That’s too bad. Perhaps we can have a better arrangement next time.”

Shen Jiu tugged on his hands.

“Oh! A-Yuan, I found something interesting during the assignment. I know I have it somewhere around here…”

As the twins happily chatted with each other, Wu Yanzi kept a calculating gaze on them and thought back to what he had witnessed earlier.

Shen Jiu had been too focused on returning to his brother to notice, but Wu Yanzi saw it. As they were flying towards the camp, in the distance he could see two figures flying away. He could tell one of them was a high-level cultivator.

The bag of medicine was missing some salves and bandages.

It was dull.

Looks like that brat is finally making a move.

Chapter Text

“We should leave Wu Yanzi soon,” A-Yuan idly commented as he sat on the bed.

Situated at the nearby table, Shen Jiu paused in the middle of cleaning his daggers and turned to his twin. Although A-Yuan’s expression was calm, he could see him fidgeting with the fan he gave him. It appears that his didi is serious.

Shen Jiu carefully considered the suggestion. He has entertained ideas of disposing Wu Yanzi before, but he hadn’t been planning on following through on them so early. Perhaps in another couple years, once he has learned all that he could from the man. And when he could actually pull it off. As of now, even the two of them together may not be enough to kill Wu Yanzi. Shen Jiu couldn’t blame A-Yuan for wanting to leave preemptively though. His twin was soft. This life was truly not suitable for him. Shen Jiu did feel a tiny bit of guilt for dragging his brother along, but the alternative was to live and starve on the streets. He can’t…He can’t let it happen again. At least here Shen Jiu can actually take care of him. Still, it couldn’t hurt to see what his twin was plotting.

“I am not opposed to leaving, but where would we go?” Shen Jiu questioned.

“Cang Qiong Mountain.”

…Hmm. It looks like his didi’s scheming skills could use some improvement. Cang Qiong Mountain? Really? What a ridiculous notion. A-Yuan might as well say he was planning on marrying a heavenly demon. As his gege, it was Shen Jiu’s job to point out the flaws in his scheme and hopefully make him into a better conspirator in the future.

Shen Jiu scoffed. “Yes, the largest and most famous sect will be a simple matter to join. It’s not as if thousands try to enter every year and fail. It’s not like we are past the age of optimal cultivation. That would definitely not discourage any Peak Lord from choosing us.” He crossed his arms when he mentioned the issue of their cultivation. It was a subject that made his insides twist whenever he thought about it.

A-Yuan snapped his fan open and hesitantly glanced at Shen Jiu. “I have a way in.”

“What? Tell them our sob story and hope that they have bleeding hearts?”

“In a way, yes,” he plainly answered. Shen Jiu frowned at him. Then he clarified, “We’ll tell Qi-ge our sob story and use his bleeding heart to get us in.”

Shen Jiu stilled. He could feel a lump in his throat as he barked out, “What?”

“Qi-ge is at Cang Qiong Mountain. His name is Yue Qingyuan now. He’s the head disciple of the Sect Leader. With his help, we could become disciples,” A-Yuan explained.

“No. No, Qi-ge is dead. What nonsense are you spouting?!” Shen Jiu denied vehemently as he tried to keep the wall of emotions from falling on top of him.

Concern was blatant on A-Yuan’s face as he softly said, “Gege, he’s alive. I ran into a disciple of Bai Zhan Peak a while back. He confirmed it. Qi-ge seems to be in a sticky situation, but physically he should be able to come get us.”

Shen Jiu couldn’t breathe. His mind was a storm. A miasma of emotions surrounded him, suffocating him in its grasp. Relief, hope, suspicion, sadness, fear, and betrayal. Qi-ge has been alive this whole time. He was head disciple…and he never came back.

Qi-ge abandoned him.

Except his name wasn’t Qi-ge anymore, was it? No, he discarded their dirty past and got a new name. Yue Qingyuan. He had risen from ashes to become a phoenix. Why would Yue Qingyuan look back at filth like Shen Jiu when he had a bright and glorious future ahead of him? It was no wonder he never came back. Shen Jiu had been so foolishly devoted to him. Staying in that wretched house day after day. Bleeding, screaming, crying. He prayed every day for Qi-ge’s return like he was a god who could grant him salvation. But he wouldn’t. A-Yuan died, and Shen Jiu was…was-

To his mortification, Shen Jiu felt tears prickling at the edges of his eyes. Quickly covering his face with his hand, he turned away to stare blankly at the wall. His heart was beating rapidly in his chest. Shen Jiu clenched his other hand so tightly he could feel his nails leave imprints on his palm.

No, he wasn’t going to let this affect him! He was better than this. These fragile cracks in his heart, he’ll turn them into something useful. He wasn’t that wretched, sobbing child trapped at the Qiu household anymore. Tears were meaningless. It has never granted him mercy. Sentimentality was a vulnerability. It only chained him down. Not anymore. Instead of this sickening sorrow, he’ll transform it into fury. His pain won’t break him, he’ll turn it into armor. He’ll ripped all these useless feelings out like weeds.

“A-Jiu…?” A-Yuan called out in an anxious voice.

When Shen Jiu turned back to A-Yuan, the tears that were threatening to spill out had instead dried up. A coldness had settled in his chest. His body became relaxed as he smiled at his younger brother.

A-Yuan looked even more worried now.

“…Are you okay?” his twin faltered.

“I’m fine, A-Yuan. Better than fine, in fact. I understand now,” Shen Jiu darkly chuckled. “Isn’t it hilarious? Yue Qingyuan being head disciple? What a joke. What a useless person.”

A-Yuan furrowed his brow in a mixture of confusion and concern. “Qi-ge isn’t useless. He cares about you deeply. He’ll help you get into Cang Qiong Mountain. They can teach you far better than Wu Yanzi ever could,” he pointed out.

Shen Jiu laughs. “Oh? What makes you so sure he will help us? That oath breaker never came back.” He hissed on the last sentence and continued. “And what exactly was your plan to contact him? Come to the mountain and hope he is willing to deign us with his presence?” He mocked. After a moment, he frowned. “…Did you somehow convinced that Bai Zhan Peak disciple to send communication to Yue Qingyuan? Did you go begging for Qingyuan’s help?” He snarled.

A-Yuan lowered his head. “I see. You are still upset with him. I understand, but perhaps you can hold your judgement on him until we meet up. Qi-ge has a good reason for why he didn’t return. From what I’ve heard, he has been going through some troubles. It’s not-“

Shen Jiu interrupted him and sneered. “Yue Qingyuan’s been having trouble? Poor little head disciple. Not like we’ve been in one terrible situation after another! Not like how I had to spend years being tortured by a sadistic beast! He knew what was going on. Yue Qingyuan left us to rot.”

A-Yuan bit his lip as he tried to find the right words to say. “Qi-ge’s made some mistakes. I’m not asking you to forgive him. But he has connections we don’t have. It wouldn’t hurt just to have a conversation with him, right? I can do all the talking. A meeting has already been set. All we need to do is go to the place and wait for Qi-ge to show up.”

Shen Jiu froze. He wanted to laugh hysterically. A-Yuan’s plan was to wait. Why did his life had to revolve around that one word? Bile rose in his throat. His breathing became shallow as he recalls-

“A-Jiu, what do you want to do?”

Shen Jiu carefully considered A-Yuan’s question, before hesitantly answering, “I’d like to wait. It’s been two years, that should be enough time for Qi-ge to get some training. He should be back soon.”

His brother gently smiled. “Then that is what we’ll do. We’ll wait.”

His hands shook and he was feeling lightheaded. He slammed his fist against the table, jostling the daggers on top of it. “No! I’m not going to wait for him anymore!” Shen Jiu shouted out the answer he wished he said years ago.

A-Yuan startled and stood up. He reached out a hand to comfort Shen Jiu, but he swatted it back. His brother grimaced and looked away. “Perhaps-” he tried to reason again, but the chaotic swirl in Shen Jiu’s mind blot it all out.

“Stop! Stop trying to talk about things you don’t understand!” he clutched his head in his hands. “I waited for him. I kept waiting for him. I stupidly waited an-and because of me you died!”

A-Yuan gasped. “Wh-what?” He stammered.

Shen Jiu’s eyes widened. He got up from the table and took a step back.

What has he done?

He had told himself over and over that he wasn’t going to mention any of it. After a few months of reuniting with A-Yuan, Shen Jiu became aware that his revived brother’s memories were a jumbled mess. A-Yuan knew too much and yet knew too little. A-Yuan talked about Yue Qingyuan’s character confidently, but he would only ever blandly nod or noncommittedly answer whenever Shen Jiu reminisced about their childhood past. It was as if he never met Yue Qingyuan and had only heard about him. It appeared that most of A-Yuan’s knowledge was like that. He knew the summarized version of events, but he didn’t actually have those recollections.

Shen Jiu was somewhat glad when he realized this. It meant A-Yuan didn’t recall the Qiu household. In fact, he could tell A-Yuan didn’t know he was dead. That was something Shen Jiu was afraid of. A-Yuan remembering it: remembered that it was all Shen Jiu’s fault. And perhaps remembering it will lead him back to his grave. After all, some sort of magic must have been involved for A-Yuan to come back. He wasn’t sure what its restrictions were. It was the reason why Shen Jiu never sought to question him. He didn’t ask why A-Yuan suddenly knew how to read and write. He didn’t ask how he had bestiary knowledge. He didn’t even ask how he returned. He was afraid of shattering the bubble that kept him alive.

“…I’m sorry. I didn’t know that was what happened,” A-Yuan said quietly. His face was marred with sadness, compassion…and guilt. Shen Jiu didn’t understand. Why was A-Yuan feeling guilty?! The only fault he had was blindly trusting his older twin! Shen Jiu couldn’t protect him! Memories of the past began colliding in Shen Jiu’s mind and when he peered at A-Yuan, he could see the image of his dead empty eyes looking back at him.

Shen Jiu stumbled and gritted out, “It doesn’t matter. Any plan that relies on Yue Qingyuan will fail. He doesn’t care about us.” He concluded and bolted out the door, leaving A-Yuan behind in the room.

Uneasiness shadowed Shen Yuan as he paced around. With the Yue Qingyuan reunion coming up, he had thought informing Shen Jiu beforehand and not badly shocking him at the last minute would be the better choice. Instead, their conversation turned into an utter disaster! It has been a week since then, and Shen Yuan hasn’t had the chance to turn it around because Shen Jiu has been avoiding him like he’s ghost. Which, he kind of was to the kid. Guilt clawed at him again and he sighed.

It wasn’t the first time he’s had to masquerade as someone’s loved one, but to do so as someone’s dead felt especially despicable. At least with those other cases, the original souls would eventually be put back and all the actions he took in those roles would merge into their memories.

Problem was that the real Shen Yuan seemed to have died years ago. His soul was probably long gone. After Shen Yuan’s impromptu mission was done and he went back to the Agency, this body will stay vacant and Shen Jiu will lose his “brother” a second time. Shen Yuan’s heart lurched in his chest and he stopped his pacing. That was exceptionally cruel. By showing up, Shen Yuan had disrupted the child’s mourning process. It’s no wonder Shen Jiu was so emotionally invested in him as soon as he showed up. Shen Yuan had been unintentionally taking the role of family member that has come back from the dead.

Shen Yuan…really didn’t want to hurt Shen Jiu. There was already so much darkness in the child’s life. Giving a person hope and then ripping it away, that would cause some damage wouldn’t it? If Shen Jiu really does cut off his connection with his only ally, Yue Qingyuan, then there will be no one to help him recover when Shen Yuan dies. What would the child do then?

A significant part of himself wondered if he should stay. Immediately after thinking that, feelings of fear and anxiety churned in his stomach. Wouldn’t that be turning his back on the Agency if he did that? Shen Yuan wasn’t authorized to be here. He had heard doors slamming and people shouting right as he was transmigrating into this world. Shen Yuan grimaced at the memory.

Hopefully they aren’t too upset about him being here. It really wasn’t his fault. He was tricked into coming here! But that defense won’t hold up if he didn’t try returning when the System comes back up.

As tempting as it was to linger until Shen Jiu didn’t need or want him around anymore, dawdling too long also runs the risk of the Agency forcibly retrieving him. If they see him not making any attempts to leave as soon as possible, on top of being in a world he wasn’t supposed to be in, they might think he’s gone rogue and force him back before he disrupts the story.  

That whole event would be traumatizing for Shen Jiu to witness. It would be better for everyone if Shen Yuan went back without a hassle.

He combed his hair with his hand and groaned. This was a mess.

“Having some trouble?”

Shen Yuan flew back at the sound of Wu Yanzi’s voice. They were both standing outside at their camp. The moon glowed brilliantly in the inky sky and there was a slight breeze in the air. Besides the soft babbling of a nearby stream, the night had been very quiet.

After straightening himself out, Shen Yuan inclined his head. “This disciple was merely worried about his brother working alone,” he spoke blandly.

Wu Yanzi had given Shen Jiu a solo assignment. It has been a recent progress. At the start Wu Yanzi would do most of the chaos sowing and killing himself, then it came to Wu Yanzi watching over Shen Jiu as he practiced, and now he was seeing if he could be independent.

The master carefully watched him. Then he sat back down near the fire pit they had made earlier. He patted the ground next to him. “I would like to have a chat with my disciple. Have a seat,” he stated in a strict tone.

There wasn’t much of a choice. Shen Yuan internally braced himself as he walked over and sat at the spot Wu Yanzi had dictated.

“Such worry over your brother is not necessary. Shen Jiu is ruthless, there is nothing to fret about,” Wu Yanzi informed him as he took out his flask and twisted its cap open.

“This disciple is aware. But as his brother it is my duty to be concerned,” he mildly spoke.

“There’s no need for it anymore.” Before Shen Yuan could react, Wu Yanzi splashed the contents of the flask directly into his eyes. Scorching pain filled his sockets and tears immediately started leaking out. Everything was a black void as his hands came up to his eyes to try to rub away the liquid. At the same time, he struggled to move his legs quickly so he could stand and escape the man.

As he stood halfway up, Wu Yanzi kicked his legs from underneath him. Shen Yuan collapsed, and he tried crawling away from him instead. Dirt went into his sleeves as he used his hands to desperately clutch the ground and drag himself forward.

Shen Yuan was then forcibly shoved onto his back, his head bashing the ground hard. He hissed at the pain and thrashed wildly against the arm pinning him down. Everything was still a blurry mess and he couldn’t tell what was going on until he felt a glass vial against his lips. Shen Yuan clenched his mouth shut and swung his arm up above him. He could feel his fist make contact with skin and Wu Yanzi swore loudly.

The man retaliated and punched him in the stomach. Shen Yuan gasped, and Wu Yanzi used that opening to shove the vial into his mouth. He choked as the cold liquid went down his throat. Shen Yuan threw his fist again, but this time it met air as the man suddenly got off him.

Shen Yuan’s head spun as he struggled to stand up. His eyes recovered, and he was able to make out his surroundings once more. Using his sleeve, he wiped off the leftover liquid from his lips. Shen Yuan coldly glared at Wu Yanzi and took out his sword. Before he could use it to slice, Wu Yanzi’s voice rang out through the night air.

“Stand down. You are not allowed to harm me in any way,” he ordered.

After a moment, Shen Yuan’s body relaxes, and he swiftly puts his sword back in it sheathe. His eyes widened and he could feel panic boiling in his chest. Shen Yuan tried to go back to a fighting stance, but his body refused his wish.

“What?” He croaked.

Wu Yanzi bared his teeth. “Fun little concoction, isn’t it? Took me a while to get my hands on it, but I think it was worth it.”

A chill went down Shen Yuan’s spine. His breathing becomes shallow as he tries to not let the fear take over him.

“Wh-what kind of potion is it?” He stammered, emotions bleeding through more than he liked. His mind was working frantically. Shen Yuan had a pretty damn good idea of what it was. But it couldn’t hurt to play dumb and see if the evil asshole will divulge any additional information to him.

“Tsk. You haven’t figured it out yet? It’s a body control potion,” Wu Yanzi drawled. “There is a downside to it, however. The potion also slows down reaction time. Especially if the mind struggles against it. Not great if you want to use the slave in more than one battle. But for my purposes that’s fine,” he disclosed and step towards him. “I’m not planning on keeping you around for much longer,” Wu Yanzi said in a low threatening voice.

…Did he just trigger a death scene? This sounds like the beginning of the speech where the villain taunts the cannon fodder and kills him! The order was not to harm him, but it said nothing about escaping! Shen Yuan covered his ears and began running in the opposite direction. You can’t follow orders if you can’t hear them!

He managed to run a couple feet away before something slams into his back. The air is knocked out of him as he collapses onto the ground. In the fall, his hands uncovered his ears. Before he could do anything, a foot stomps onto his back and his body spasms from the pain.

“Don’t move,” Wu Yanzi coldly spoke. Shen Yuan’s body becomes limp. Wu Yanzi continued, “Don’t try to escape. Listen to my orders and do not attempt to block them out again. Do we have an understanding?”

“Yes,” Shen Yuan gritted out. Wu Yanzi stepped off from Shen Yuan.

“Stand up and pay attention.”

Shen Yuan stumbles a little bit before getting up and glowers at Wu Yanzi. The man continues to talk.

“You are not allowed to tell Shen Jiu anything. If he prods, you will make a reasonable excuse to cover any inconsistencies,” Wu Yanzi smirks as he drinks in Shen Yuan’s anxious expression. “Don’t be so glum, dear child. This master will not use this concoction on his true disciple. I’ve worked hard on him after all. It wouldn’t do to give him anything that would lessen his fighting ability and get him killed. As his master, my desire is for him to become strong. He’s starting to become weak because of you. If you happen to move too slow and get dispatched by an enemy, well that will leave my hands clean and my student can take out his vengeance on whoever kills you,” he says with amusement in his voice.

Wu Yanzi then considers him carefully. He straightens his body and looks directly into his eyes.

“Tell me your escape plan,” he dictated. “Answer all my questions truthfully and completely.”

Shen Yuan’s voice was forced out of his throat. “My plan was to meet Yue Qingyuan at the minor sects tournament and flee to Cang Qiong Mountain with Shen Jiu.”

Wu Yanzi raised an eyebrow. “You know the head disciple who is slated to become the Sect Master of the largest sect?”

“Yes. Yue Qingyuan was a slave that my brother called “Qi-ge”. At one point, he left to become a disciple of Cang Qiong Mountain. I sent a letter to him requesting his presence at the tournament,” he answered in a dull tone. Fuck! They are so screwed!

Wu Yanzi had a doubtful expression on his face.

“That’s your plan? You really think that a famous cultivator will come rescue some nobodies he knew from childhood and left behind?” He scoffed.

“He will. I don’t know the whole situation, but I know Yue Qingyuan is absolutely loyal to Shen Jiu. He would do whatever it takes to keep him safe. He will make sure Shen Jiu gets away from you,” Shen Yuan responded as he clenched his hands.

Wu Yanzi stroked his chin as he pondered about the information.

“Hmm. Looks like he’ll be a negative influence on Shen Jiu then,” a sly smile warped his face. “If he truly does come, the tournament would be the perfect place to set up a ploy and kill him. It would also be good to cut off any remaining connections that my student has,” he said with relish in his voice.

Mentally, Shen Yuan was screaming. He has failed. How did he mess up so badly? Because of him, a backstory villain who had only a sentence written about him might actually have a shot at killing one of the main cast members! While he was internally freaking out, Wu Yanzi spoke up.

“It’s best to be prepared. Tell me what you know about Yue Qingyuan and any relevant observations.”

“Yue Qingyuan is the good-natured elder brother type. He has a bleeding heart and can be manipulated into very obvious traps. The blade he carries is the Xuan Su sword, which he almost never draws. There’s probably something up with it. Even as a head disciple, he’s much stronger than you are. Right now is your best chance of killing him. If you wait too long, only Luo Binghe will be able to do it.”

Wu Yanzi frowned at him. “Luo Binghe? What role does he play?”

Shen Yuan’s eyes widened as the words tumble out of his mouth.

“Luo Binghe is the protagonist of Proud Immortal Demon Way. The story follows his journey into becoming Demon Emperor of the two realms.”

“…Why are you talking about a novel character in relation to Yue Qingyuan?”

Shen Yuan wanted to cry. Why did the System have to be down! If it was on, then it would prevent shit like this! Characters are not supposed to know the true nature of their world. Bad things tend to happen when they do. Lots of worlds have some sort of truth telling device or mind control potion. The Systems would circumvent those so that transmigrators don’t end up spilling the beans!

Shen Yuan bleakly answered Wu Yanzi. “Because we are all in a novel. Yue Qingyuan is one of the antagonists for Luo Binghe. While he isn’t evil, he is the strongest one there is. There’s no way a two-bit villain is going to be able to take him out when even the protagonist will have trouble doing so.”

It was completely silent for a minute, and then Wu Yanzi’s laughter shattered it. “Well, that’s certainly interesting. A novel, huh. I suppose it would make sense that this twisted world was made for the entertainment of others.”

Shen Yuan gaped. “You actually believe me?” Sure, it’s true. But it still sounds completely absurd!

He’s only seen a character get spilled the beans once before, and it took three tries before the girl actually believed it. The transmigrator who broke the rules had fallen too far into his role as her father and had been attempting to help his daughter escape destiny. Besides giving a character self-awareness, if he had succeeded the story would’ve been destroyed as she was fated to be the main antagonist. He got punished for it, getting stripped of his status and forced to live out the rest of his life in a world with no people. Another transmigrator had to become the girl in order to keep the story from collapsing.

With Shen Yuan’s System down, it’s not registering this breach of secrecy. If it was found out, his punishment wouldn’t be severe as it wasn’t voluntary. Shen Yuan would still rather avoid getting any more black marks against him.

Wu Yanzi tilted his head and looked at him with an inquisitive gaze. “I understand that it’s true from your viewpoint. But as someone who lives in this world, I do not care for it. Maybe this world isn’t real, maybe it is. That sounds like some pointless philosophical debate. Whatever the answer is, it doesn’t impact me at all. I’m still going to eat, drink, and kill whoever I feel like killing at the end of the day. The true nature of this world is of no concern to me,” he paused, and a curious expression appeared on his face. “I am aware there’s more going on than I know. You’ve never made much sense to me. If that is your view of the world, then who are you really?”

“I’m a S tier servant of the System.” Shen Yuan winced. Well, guess he’s just going to spill all the secrets out today!

“Servant of the Sys-tum?” Wu Yanzi tested the word. “What exactly is that?”

“Fate,” Shen Yuan stated and then continued. “My duty is to take on roles in order to ensure events progress as dictated or improve upon them based on certain guidelines.”

Wu Yanzi paused for a moment to absorb the information. “So, you are an entity of some sort that serves fate? Is that why you are pretending to be Shen Yuan?”

Entity? What is he talking about?

“My name is Shen Yuan and I am human.”

“Eh, you truly are a consummate professional,” Wu Yanzi observed.

Shen Yuan furrowed his brow in confusion. “I cannot lie to you right now.”

Wu Yanzi waved his hand. “You can unknowingly lie if it’s something you truly believe in. You just informed me that you wear the identities of other people to ensure fate occurs. Convincing yourself you are the person would help with the disguise,” Wu Yanzi pointed out and continued. “If you really are human, then tell me about who you were before becoming this servant of fate.”

Shen Yuan froze. He doesn’t want to talk about this. He doesn’t- “I wasn’t anyone of worth. Most of my memories have long rotted away. I was very young when I became a transmigrator. I’ve lived hundreds of lives since then. I’ve been other people far longer than I have ever been me. There is only one memory I can still recall to some extent: dying. The feeling of agony as I wasted away in sickness; I had been a terrified child who wished for someone to comfort him. I was deliberately left to perish on my death bed alone.” He swallowed and looked away. “Being a servant of the System is all that I am. I don’t have anything else,” he whispered.

This was something he didn’t like thinking about, let alone saying it out loud. He didn’t need reminders of how hollow he was. Without the Agency, he’d truly be nothing.

Who was Shen Yuan outside of being a transmigrator?

He was no one. His duty was to be whoever the System wanted him to be. He’s spent most of his existence behind masks. All the highs and lows of his experiences were through other people’s lives. All the relationships he’s ever had were made under layers of lies. Even now, he was pretending to be someone’s brother. Was there anything that truly belonged to him? He was the emptiest person around.

Shen Yuan didn’t even have a past. Judging from how he died, it was probably a life best forgotten.

He could feel the melancholy start to overtake him and he shoved it away into a box. This was why he didn’t like thinking about it! Whenever he became too contemplative of his life, all he could see is the faults in it. He had nothing to complain about. Shen Yuan was a high-ranking servant of the System; he didn’t need anything else. His life was fine.

“You’ve been convinced that you are nothing more than a puppet, haven’t you?”

Shen Yuan glanced up at him, uncomprehending his words. Wu Yanzi merely shrugged.

“Well, it’s not my issue,” he nonchalantly said and crossed his arms. The master gave him a calculating look. “As a servant of fate, you must have knowledge of the future. What does my future contain?”

“You die,” Shen Yuan stated, feigning a bored tone to try and rile up the man.

Wu Yanzi scoffed. “I know that. Everyone dies eventually, even immortals. Did I at least die fighting?”

He glared at him. “The details of your death are vague. All I know is you die sometime in the next few years. Shen Jiu gets to be free of your influence. Your legacy ends and nobody will care about you.”

Anger briefly lit Wu Yanzi’s eyes, but then they turned assessing. “But you do know about me, so I am still spoken about in the future correct?”

Shen Yuan paused, and then gritted out, “Yes, people will still know about your reputation decades after you are gone. They will be aware that you were Shen Jiu’s master.”

Wu Yanzi grinned. “And how will my successor fair?”

“He doesn’t continue your work. Shen Jiu becomes a Peak Lord of Cang Qiong Mountain.”

Wu Yanzi raised an eyebrow. “I know Shen Jiu’s nature very well. Are you really going to tell me he’s going to be as noble and good as those boring righteous cultivators claim to be?”

Shen Yuan faltered. “…No. His future self is not a good person at all.”

“What a surprise,” Wu Yanzi mocked. “Tell me what he does.”

“He abuses and ruins the talents of disciples he doesn’t like. He also kills two fellow Peak Lords. But one of the deaths was forced,” Shen Yuan added the last sentence, knowing most of it was still damning anyway.

Wu Yanzi laughed. “Well, he’s certainly surpassed my expectations! Pretending to be a noble Peak Lord while committing all these heinous acts.” His cold dark eyes gleamed under the moonlight. “It appears that I won’t be forgotten any time soon.”

Shen Yuan could only grit his teeth and lower his head. Wu Yanzi merely chuckled at his reaction and walked past him towards his tent. As he crossed him, he patted his shoulder.

“Best get some rest. I’ll have a lot of orders for you soon.”

Shen Jiu almost yawned as he watched the matches of cultivators from various minor sects. There was no one of real power here and everyone was fighting so honorably it was dull. No twists and turns as tricks were pulled out that would allow a weaker opponent to win.  

Wu Yanzi was sitting next to him, looking mildly bored as well. They were both waiting for A-Yuan to come back and give a report. His master had asked his brother to do some scouting and figure out who should be their targets.

As he thought about his twin, Shen Jiu absent mindedly reached up to his hair and touched the hair clip that A-Yuan had given him on their birthday. While it did give him some comfort whenever he touched it, it also reminded him of their unresolved fight.

Guilt churned in his stomach as he thought back to that day. Shen Jiu knew he should’ve handled it better. Taking his anger at Yue Qingyuan out on his younger brother was truly unfair of him. A-Yuan didn’t deserve that. Shen Jiu wanted nothing more than to make up for it, but the argument had shaken the memories of A-Yuan’s death and they kept mocking him over and over.

It took over a week for him to be able to look at his younger brother without seeing the past. But at that point it seemed like A-Yuan had gotten upset at him for avoiding him and he started to do the same thing to Shen Jiu. Whenever he spoke to A-Yuan, his twin would only give clipped replies. Shen Jiu wracked his mind trying to figure out how to fix the issue.

If A-Yuan continued to not talk to him, Shen Jiu might be forced to use the final resort: obtaining a novel of questionable quality and gifting it to his younger brother. A-Yuan has always been obsessed with stories since they were little. That by itself was not a bad thing. But for some reason he seemed to really enjoy trashy stuff the most. Oh sure, he’d rant and rave about them, but Shen Jiu knew he wouldn’t spend so much time talking about them if he didn’t love them on some level.

As his older brother, he tried to guide A-Yuan into having better tastes. When Shen Jiu had learned to read, he would recite classical tales to him in the hopes it would turn his mind away from the low-quality stories they had heard on the streets. Shen Jiu went out of his way to avoid giving his younger brother any story he felt was not high class. He had a fear that listening to trashy tales would lower A-Yuan’s intelligence and lead him to emulating the incredibly idiotic characters that often starred in them.

But if he had to do it in order to have A-Yuan talking to him again, he will find something of very questionable quality to read. One good thing about A-Yuan’s sudden literacy was that at least Shen Jiu wouldn’t have to read such content out loud and lower everyone’s IQ.

After some time has passed, A-Yuan showed up again. His twin didn’t look at him as he informed Wu Yanzi of various targets. After he finished his report, he paused and said something else.

“The requested person has appeared.”

Shen Jiu almost flinched but calmed himself quickly. He had been pondering about their argument and, for a moment, thought A-Yuan was referring to Yue Qingyuan. It was most likely not the case. His twin wouldn’t let Wu Yanzi know about their former friend, much less inform him of his location.

“Master?” Shen Jiu queried.

Wu Yanzi smiled and sat back as if he was about to watch a great show. “Just dealing with a persistent righteous cultivator. I can handle it.” Wu Yanzi waved his hand and glanced at Shen Jiu. “I want you to go after that group of disciples Shen Yuan had mentioned. I’ll be there in a little while and observe how you handle the situation. If you need any help, call for me.”

Shen Jiu nodded. He stood up and started to make his way out. As he passed A-Yuan, he noticed his shoulders were tensed and he was gripping his robes tightly. He softly patted his younger twin’s arm.

“Is...is there anything wrong, A-Yuan?” Shen Jiu hesitantly asked, knowing his brother was still upset at him.

A-Yuan gave him a very forced smile. “Everything is fine. I am merely worried about being surrounded by all these cultivators.” Then he stopped and his voice dropped to a whisper. “A-Jiu…Please be careful out there. Things…may not appear as they seem,” he appeared to struggle with the words, not saying what he truly wanted to say.

“Don’t fret, I will be cautious,” Shen Jiu reassured him. The tension from A-Yuan still did not ease, but he could not offer any more words of comfort as Wu Yanzi expected him to follow his commands as soon as possible.

As he headed out to find an isolated location to trap the young cultivators in, he resolved himself to finally have that talk with A-Yuan after they left this place.

“Please don’t-“ the disciple begged before Shen Jiu silenced him by cutting through his neck. Blood painted the air and the body unceremoniously collapsed onto the ground.

He grimaced as he stood over the corpses of several young cultivators. Crimson splatters decorated his face and his hair was in slight disarray. Shen Jiu was still huffing after the exertion of fighting multiple opponents at once.

That was close. Hopefully Wu Yanzi has not arrived yet, he would’ve yelled at him for not silencing that cultivator faster. If the disciple had decided to scream instead of begging, it might’ve drawn attention.

Shen Jiu braced himself as he went on to the next part of what Wu Yanzi trained him to do: he began searching the bodies for any valuables he could take. Blood spread onto his hands as he grabbed the reddened clothes of the cultivators. While he was crouching down and combing through the pockets of one of the dead disciples, a gentle voice rang out from behind him.

“Xiao Jiu, is that you?”

Qi-ge.

Shen Jiu instantly got up and turned.  His breathe catches as sees that achingly familiar person. Yue Qingyuan stood a few feet away from him, with A-Yuan shrinking to the side with fear in his eyes. There was a part of him that wanted to check on his twin, but his body would not move at the sight of his former friend.

Yue Qingyuan had changed since he last saw him. He had grown into a tall and graceful figure. His features have become more refined. His flowing black hair was drawn delicately into a silver crown. The exquisitely made robes he wore gave him an air of elegance. He had the presence of someone who had come from noble lineage. Someone who had never known what it was like to starve. Every inch of him was a lofty immortal peering down at Shen Jiu.

To Shen Jiu’s horror, a wave of yearning rose within him. He took a step back, with his blood covered hands at his sides and the stench of corpses clogging the air. He could feel shame and disgust curl in his chest. They both grew up together. They both came from the same place. But while Yue Qingyuan managed to climb out of the gutter, Shen Jiu was still stuck there even after all these years.

The future sect master was pale, and distress was written on his face as he drank in the sight of Shen Jiu. Shen Jiu’s stomach sank even further as he thought about the picture he must be depicting.

Painted in crimson with his blade glinting ominously in the fading light, Shen Jiu stood over the mangled bodies of young cultivators like a demon. Did Qi-, did Yue Qingyuan think he was repulsive? Did he think he was an evil monster? Was he thankful in his decision to leave such a despicable person behind?

At that moment, all Shen Jiu wanted to do was to disappear from the future sect master’s eyes. But Shen Jiu was never one who would show weakness to anyone.

Instead, he glared at him and sneered. “What are you doing here, Yue Qingyuan?”

The future sect master flinched, as if he had been slapped. He must have been stunned, as he seemed to pay no attention to the corpses and took a couple steps towards Shen Jiu.

“Xiao J-“ Yue Qingyuan began.

“Stop! Don’t call me that! Get away from me!” Shen Jiu shouted and cursed himself. He had wanted to seem cold and uncaring, but the panic still laced into his voice anyway. Shen Jiu could feel his heart skip a beat whenever Yue Qingyuan used his childhood nickname. It was pathetic. Shen Jiu felt like he was a starved dog begging for scraps of affection.

Yue Qingyuan froze, turmoil evident in his body.

Shen Jiu did not notice this and called out, “Master! There has been an issue! I’ve been caught in sight. We need to leave now.”

Wu Yanzi should be nearby by this point. He should be able to hear him.

Grief twisted Yue Qingyuan’s face, his eyes were slightly reddened. Then it was replaced by a grim determination. “You can’t leave,” his voice was hoarse, but firm.

“Oh? And what exactly are you going to do? Do you believe you can apprehend me? Now that you are a righteous cultivator of a prestigious sect, you think can pass judgment on my crimes?” Shen Jiu taunted in a frosty manner, hiding the anxiety inside. He was truly terrified that Yue Qingyuan would attempt to do so. Even though the thread connecting them was frayed, he did not want to fight him.

Shen Jiu clenched his fists. Why was he even talking to him anyway? Nothing could come of this. Yue Qingyuan had made his choice long ago. It was foolish to stay here.

He turned away from Yue Qingyuan and began to leave him behind. Shen Jiu could hear the future sect master’s voice calling out to him once more.

“Wait! X-“

“A-Jiu, watch out!” A-Yuan warned with a panicked tone.

There was a sound of metal piercing flesh. A startled pained gasp escaped from Yue Qingyuan’s lips. Shen Jiu turned back around and stiffened at the sight.

“H-how could you do such a thing? I trusted you!” A-Yuan shouted in an anguished voice towards Yue Qingyuan. “I thought you cared for him! How could you try to hurt him while his back was turned? Did becoming a head disciple make you forget all the things A-Jiu did for you?!”

A-Yuan held his blade as it was stabbed through Yue Qingyuan’s shoulder. The sword had pierced from one end and came out the other with a red coating. Blood was dripping out of the wound and onto the ground. The future sect master’s expression was one of complete shock and incomprehension.

A-Yuan stared directly into Shen Jiu’s eyes with a steely resolve. “A-Jiu, you were right about him. Qi-ge never cared about you. He needs to die.”

Chapter Text

When he lowers his guard, kill him.

As Shen Yuan watched Shen Jiu and Yue Qingyuan have their disastrous conversation, he was desperately trying to figure a way out of the order. So far, the condition hasn’t occurred yet. As soon as he met up with the future sect master, he had been tensed around Shen Yuan. Even now, as focused as Yue Qingyuan was on Shen Jiu, he could tell he was still sparing some awareness on the younger twin.

Unfortunately, that broke when Shen Jiu started to turn away from the head disciple. Desperation seized Yue Qingyuan and he forgot that Shen Yuan was there.

When he lowers his guard-

Shen Yuan’s body began moving on its own. Flowing towards Yue Qingyuan like an arrow: his sword was aimed to pierce through his chest.

Inwardly, Shen Yuan was screaming and swearing up a storm. He frantically tried to reason with the demand.

Nononono! Wait! It said kill him, but it didn’t say in what way. Stabbing him in a non-vital organ could still lead him to bleed out to death! Right? Right?

The compulsion only lightened marginally, but it was enough to let Shen Yuan twitch his hand lightly. A combination of the twitch and Yue Qingyuan shifting slightly away at the last second, allowed Shen Yuan to deal a non-fatal blow to the future sect master.

Do whatever it takes to turn Shen Jiu against Yue Qingyuan.

Well, shit. Shen Yuan thought as his voice was forced through his throat.

“A-Jiu, you were right about him. Qi-ge never cared about you. He needs to die.”

Shen Jiu was broken into pieces. It was as if the blade that was currently piercing Yue Qingyuan had been struck through him instead. Agony shattered his dark green eyes and his face was ashen.

“I…” Shen Jiu faltered; his voice was rough. His hand was tight around his bloodied sword while conflict stilted his movements.

Shen Yuan felt the compulsion come over him once more as he hadn’t finished killing the future sect master. He wrenched his sword out of him at a tilted angle: doing further damage to his shoulder in the process. Yue Qingyuan stifled a pained gasp and more blood gushed out without the blade acting as a blockage.

His body moved again to attack Yue Qingyuan as soon as the sword was freed; but despite his wound, Yue Qingyuan was able to react in time and brought his sheathe up against the opposing blade. The future sect master winced and gritted his teeth. His injured shoulder did not agree with his movements.

“No! Don’t hurt him!” Shen Jiu shouted instinctively and paused. He shook his head and took a moment to collect himself. “It doesn’t matter what he did. There’s no point in wasting time on trash like him. Let’s just leave,” Shen Jiu said coldly.

A menacing laugh echoed around them and the three of them stilled.

“Your acting skills could use a little bit of work, Shen Jiu,” Wu Yanzi drawled as he appeared like a dark shadow onto the scene.

Shen Jiu’s face was emotionless as he turned towards him. “Master, I have already collected all the valuables from the slayed cultivators. That disciple is from Cang Qiong Mountain, killing him would take effort and time. There is no benefit in staying here.”

Wu Yanzi gave a wry glance towards the future sect master and tutted at Shen Jiu. “Are you so sure about that? That disciple is Yue Qingyuan. Judging from the determination in his eyes, I don’t think he’s going to let you go free after all the humans you’ve murdered. Even if you escape now, he will hound your steps. It would be best to take care of the obstacle before he becomes a sect master. Hesitation means that he’ll have the resources to hunt you down. Yue Qingyuan might even learn about all the other 'terrible' actions you’ve committed.”

The master waved his hand in Yue Qingyuan’s direction. “A righteous cultivator like him has no understanding of people like us. Those noble heroes could only ever spout nonsense about justice and destroy those who do not fit their definition of 'good',” he slowly spoke, and his words wrapped around Shen Jiu like snakes.

The older twin stood there resolutely, and his face was as impassive as distant snow. But Shen Yuan could tell that Shen Jiu was barely breathing through the stillness of his chest.

“I don’t have any such plans!” Yue Qingyuan furiously stared down Wu Yanzi. His expression became soft and pleading when he looked back at Shen Jiu. “Qi-ge has failed you. I don’t have the right to judge anyone. But I know this isn’t the life you wanted. Please let me take you back to Cang Qiong Mountain and help you obtain the education you truly desire.”

“He already has a master,” Wu Yanzi informed darkly as he moved towards him.

Chaotic emotions were clouding Shen Jiu’s mind before he was snapped out of it by the sounds of his master’s steps towards Yue Qingyuan.

“There’s no need for this!” Shen Jiu exclaimed and quickly walked to Wu Yanzi’s side. When the older twin saw the sinister intent on his master’s face, his eyes became sharp as he assessed the situation.

Shen Jiu lowered his head. “Master, please allow me to handle him. It was this disciple’s carelessness that led to him getting noticed by that pathetic cultivator. Let me make up for the mistake and kill him myself.” he requested, gathering a cold and hateful aura around him as he spoke. Shen Jiu’s eyes only held ruthlessness when they slid to the head disciple. “Yue Qingyuan is a former acquaintance of mine who thinks offering a spot in his sect can fix what he has done. He is a fool who assumes he can clean the slate so easily, not understanding the years of torture I’ve had to endure because of him. Dying a wretched death by my hand is the least he can do,” he sneered.

While Shen Jiu spoke, cracks in Yue Qingyuan appeared. As he stared blankly at the sheathed Xuan Su that was blocking Shen Yuan’s sword, he looked like he had aged many years.

Then a strange acceptance crawled onto his face and his posture became loose. Shen Yuan froze when he saw it. From his experiences, he knew that look very well.

It was the face of someone who was willing to perish without a fight. Someone who was willing walk into ten thousand arrows even if it was an obvious trap.

Someone who was offering his life away.

Gaaaah! Yue Qingyuan, you &#%!@ moron! Your death would fuck Shen Jiu over!

Shen Yuan glared at the head disciple as he furiously whispered to him over his blade, “What the hell are you doing? Do you believe your sacrifice will fix anything? You can’t protect anyone like this!”

Yue Qingyuan’s eyes widened at Shen Yuan’s words. A myriad of emotions flitted over his face. Shen Yuan couldn’t comprehend what the head disciple was feeling, but at the end Yue Qingyuan gave him a resolute nod over their clashing weapons. 

Wu Yanzi stopped for a moment and glanced down at Shen Jiu. His eyes turned calculating as he pondered. Then he turned back to where Yue Qingyuan and Shen Yuan stood in a “stalemate”. It was obvious the head disciple was going easy on the younger twin and was merely fending off his blade rather than fighting back.

“Shen Yuan go have a chat with your brother and do not allow him to interfere with the fight. Yue Qingyuan is too powerful for either of you to handle. I will kill him myself,” Wu Yanzi said, using the guise of a concerned mentor to order Shen Yuan.

Shen Yuan removed his blade from Yue Qingyuan’s scabbard and swiftly withdrew. Shen Jiu’s eyes widened, and he tried to make another move to keep Wu Yanzi away from Yue Qingyuan. But his brother grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

“A-Yuan, what are you doing?!” Shen Jiu hissed at him.

Do whatever it takes to turn Shen Jiu against Yue Qingyuan.

Shen Yuan felt his face frown at Shen Jiu. “What are you doing?” His mouth said. “Why are you trying to protect him?! Yue Qingyuan abandoned you to be a slave at the Qiu household while he went off to play righteous cultivator. Anything he says to you is him trying to assuage his own guilt.”

Shen Jiu looked away as he listened to A-Yuan’s words. “I know that,” he said quietly.

But I still don’t want him to die.

Shen Jiu knew he was a terrible human being. He has killed, lied, and manipulated others to save his own skin. Even if Yue Qingyuan hadn’t abandoned them, between the choices of watching his former friend soar above Shen Jiu or keeping him as a tattered boy that begged on the streets, he knew he would choose the latter option. Even now, his fingers twitched with the desire to rip that lofty immortal imagery from Yue Qingyuan and shove him back into the dirt with the rest of them. The idea of seeing Yue Qingyuan walk onto a shining path while Shen Jiu is left behind with only the darkness…The very idea made him cough blood.

Yet, despite all this fury and envy swirling inside him, he couldn’t deny a part of himself that had never withered away over the long years.

It was the part of him that whispered dreams of rescuing Qi-ge from whatever miserable predicament he was in that kept him from returning as Shen Jiu slept. During the day, he would entertain ideas of searching the lands for Qi-ge’s remains and burying him with his own hands. These imaginings accompanied Shen Jiu wherever he went, even though he has never been in any position to help anyone else. Whether Shen Jiu was being whipped, beaten, or ordered to kill: he had always spared a thought on finding Qi-ge and protecting him in whatever capacity he could.

It may be pathetic, but even now all he wanted was for Yue Qingyuan to live and be safe. If the future sect master didn’t want to associate with something like Shen Jiu after all of this…that was fine. Shen Jiu could survive never seeing him again, but he needed the knowledge that Yue Qingyuan was alive and well. He wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he had any responsibility in his death.

“I will not allow you to take them away, Wu Yanzi!” Yue Qingyuan loudly shouted his name.

The twins were startled by the noise and they turned their attention back to the confrontation of Wu Yanzi and Yue Qingyuan.

The head disciple faced their master with his hand pressing on the hilt of his blade. Wu Yanzi merely grinned and held his sword in his right hand.

The master launched forward to the side of Yue Qingyuan’s injured shoulder. His blade began its arch towards the wound. Once again, the head disciple’s reflexes were quick. Using his uninjured arm, he brought up the scabbard in anticipation of the blow. However, while the blade was making its way to Yue Qingyuan, Wu Yanzi discreetly used his free hand to bring out a dark talisman from his pouch.

Fear overtook Shen Jiu’s being and time slowed down. He frantically took out a dagger and was poised to throw it at Wu Yanzi’s back. In the next second A-Yuan knocked him to the side.

“What are y-!” Shen Jiu was in mid shout when a burst of light came between Yue Qingyuan and Wu Yanzi. The master was knocked back and the new person stood protectively in front of the head disciple. He was dressed in plain robes and his face was covered. His sword was pointed towards Wu Yanzi. Shen Jiu squinted and, after a moment, realized he could recognize the famous weapon. It was Cheng Luan.

“Idiot! Why didn’t you call us over sooner?!” Liu Qingge growled out at Yue Qingyuan.

“Ah, I’m sorry Liu-shidi,” Yue Qingyuan said in an apologetic tone and bowed his head.

“Are you okay?” A voice said behind the twins. Both Shen Yuan and Shen Jiu flew back from the other person. This stranger was also dressed similarly to Liu Qingge, but it was not hard to see the clues and assume that he was another disciple of Cang Qiong Mountain sect. Without seeing his blade, Shen Jiu couldn’t tell who specifically he was.

 “You brought support?!” Wu Yanzi snarled. His stance became rigid when he realized he was outnumbered.

Yue Qingyuan had a fierce resolve glowing in his eyes as he softly smiled at Wu Yanzi. The future sect leader spoke in a gentle voice, “Months ago I received a letter; it told me of a terrible master hurting those I care deeply for. Imagine how I felt when I learned that this man was the infamous Wu Yanzi, a dangerous criminal who has destroyed many lives and will not hesitate to do so to his own disciples. Did you truly think I would come here alone with no plan? Did you believe I wouldn’t come prepared to kill you?”

Chapter Text

“I’m sorry,” Yue Qingyuan whispered as he kneeled before a dilapidated grave. “I couldn’t keep my promise.”

The stone was cracked, but the worn-down characters of ‘Shen Yuan’ could still be faintly seen.

Apologies were useless things.

Even so, the words escaped his lips. Tears prickled in the corners of his eyes. Despite all his efforts to become a powerful cultivator, all he ended up was becoming an oath breaker. He failed to return. He failed to protect them. He failed his entire purpose for entering the sect.

Now all he had was the ashes.

Yue Qingyuan stayed in the ruins of the Qiu estate for two more days before returning to Cang Qiong Mountain.

Back at his peak, the head disciple carefully maintained his placid smile and performed the graceful mannerisms of a peerless immortal. He was so tired. So broken. It was almost second nature to him now: he had practiced countless times in order to copy the demeanor of his fellow distinguished classmates and not continue to stick out like the gutter rat that he is.

Yue Qingyuan could not afford to make his Shizun doubt him any further.

He knew his master cared about him, otherwise he wouldn’t have bothered giving him a second chance. He would’ve selected another disciple to become his successor by now. Even so, Yue Qingyuan needed to crush all possibilities of that occurring.    

Xiao Jiu might still be alive. Yue Qingyuan must keep his position. Once he becomes Sect Master, he would have the resources to search for him.

Until then, he needed to keep living.

Months slowly crawled by as he tried to keep the pieces of his mask together. He could tell he wasn’t completely succeeding as even Liu-shidi was treating him like he was made from porcelain. Still, he was able to maintain enough of an appearance that he regained some of his Shizun’s faith.

One afternoon, while he was filling out the paperwork his Shizun had entrusted him with, Liu-shidi barged into his room.

“Greetings, Liu-shidi. How was your journey?” Yue Qingyuan politely intoned, far too used to the disciple’s rudeness.

“Letter.” The Liu heir stated, then he handed him a letter.

Yue Qingyuan almost raised an eyebrow. Liu Qingge was the eldest child of the rich and powerful Liu family; such deliveries was a task far below someone of his station.

Despite the oddness of the situation, Yue Qingyuan opened the message and read it.

He froze.

What?

This…can’t be. Xiao Yuan was dead. People like the Qiu family wouldn’t waste money on creating a fake grave for a lowly slave.

Was Xiao Jiu pretending to be his brother? Why? Was he reminding him of his broken vows?

Whatever the reason, Yue Qingyuan will show up. His life has always belonged to Xiao Jiu. He will kill that monster Wu Yanzi even if it was the last thing he did.

After several minutes of pondering and blankly staring at the writing, Yue Qingyuan remembered that Liu-shidi was still standing in his room.

He gently smiled at him. “Thank you for delivering it. This shixiong is most grateful for his shidi’s service.”

“What did it say?” Liu Qingge questioned him.

…

Liu-shidi! This is a private matter!

Yue Qingyuan kept his ‘kindly older brother’ mask on, but internally he was confused. What was going on with Liu-shidi? He has never seen the Liu heir be so nosy in the affairs of others before.

There was a serious expression on the younger disciple’s face. “I believe Shen Yuan is in danger. That master of his does not have his best interests in mind,” Liu Qingge informed him.

Yue Qingyuan was startled. He had encountered the rogue cultivator? It also slipped his mind that Liu Qingge met with “Shen Yuan”…

“Were you harmed by Wu Yanzi? Did you see Xiao Yuan’s brother?”

“Wu Yanzi?!” Liu Qingge exclaimed, and he appeared as if he was about to qi deviate. “His master is Wu Yanzi?!”

Yue Qingyuan internally sighed and scolded himself. He was losing his touch. Liu-shidi hadn’t known about the situation.

Liu-shidi clenched his fists. “I wanted to take him with me, but Shen Yuan said he wouldn’t follow us without his brother. When my sister and I left, we did not get the chance to meet this brother of his.”

Hmm…so they only encountered one. That pointed towards his theory. Why didn’t Xiao Jiu come with them? Was there something else going on?

Liu-shidi asked, “Where are you going to join them?”

Yue Qingyuan raised his brow. “What?”

Liu-shidi crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m coming with you. Wu Yanzi is dangerous. You will need support.”

Yue Qingyuan paused. His first instinct had been to go alone, but now that he thought about it, perhaps bringing others along would be the more useful course of action.

“We should also contact the authorities and get their help with Wu Yanzi,” Liu-shidi suggested.

Yue Qingyuan shook his head. “No, we can’t. In fact, we need to keep this as secret as possible.”

The Liu heir frowned. “Why?”

“Liu-shidi, the Shen siblings are…slaves. They escaped from their masters. In the region for which the meeting will take place, there are laws against slaves who have run away from their owners. Furthermore, they are traveling with a criminal. Even if it was forced, some may consider them as accomplices in his deeds. If we try to seek out too much help, they could get arrested as well.”

Fortunately for Yue Qingyuan, becoming a disciple of a prestigious sect had set him free from his previous status. Even if someone found his “ownership” papers, they would not be able to drag Yue Qingyuan away. The cultivation world is considered separate from the world of ordinary people, and some of the rules run differently here. It is not to say that the cultivation world was more just. There were many righteous cultivators who have taken terrible advantages of civilians. Although there should be some laws against their actions, there wasn’t.

Liu-shidi paled. “Slaves?” He scowled and looked away. “That’s…horrible. They shouldn’t be treated as criminals for wanting their freedom!”

Yue Qingyuan merely nodded. He had always known the world was full of cruelty, but for someone who grew up in a privileged and honorable household, it must be a shock to Liu-shidi.  

“Then, it will just be us two?” Liu-shidi asked.

Yue Qingyuan paused. Would he and Liu-shidi be enough to take out Wu Yanzi? From what he knows of him, their cultivation should be better than his. In a straight up fight, they could take him out easily. But Wu Yanzi had a reputation of being full of tricks. He has been able to kill righteous cultivators with far more experience than the two disciples had.

It would be best to take a third person with them. Any more than that, and his Shizun would wonder what he was really doing. This cultivator had to be someone who would not get Xiao Jiu in trouble. Yue Qingyuan might have his hands full with Liu Qingge coming along.

While Yue Qingyuan adored Xiao Jiu and all his cleverness, he knew he wasn’t exactly the most…noble person around. He has most likely helped Wu Yanzi with his crimes. If Wu Yanzi planned to come to the minor sects tournament, it would not be for spectating reasons.

Hopefully Yue Qingyuan can reach him before anything happened. If they witness Xiao Jiu act in a villainous manner, Liu Qingge might not want to help him anymore. Yue Qingyuan was fairly confident he could talk the younger disciple down, but it would best if he didn’t need to do it for more than one person. The third member must be someone who would not debate with him about Xiao Jiu.

He’ll take Mu Qingfang with him.

He was neutral and not as easily prone to judgement like Liu-shidi. He could keep a secret. Having someone who could treat any injuries or poisons that Wu Yanzi might inflict on them would be useful as well.

“I will ask Mu-shidi to accompany us. In a few months’ time, we will come to the minor sects tournament under the guise of an information seeking mission,” Yue Qingyuan informed Liu-shidi.

He could say that he had been tipped off on a criminal from an anonymous source and request his Shizun to allow them to investigate it.

Liu Qingge agreed, and Yue Qingyuan prepared for the eventual reunion.

As the three of them headed towards the building of which the tournament was being held, Yue Qingyuan was the only one wearing his customary robes.

Like a piece of coal in a field of snow, he attracted the attention of people who recognized him as the famous head disciple of Cang Qiong Mountain. The other two were dressed to blend into the background.

Once they were inside, Yue Qingyuan walked off to find his person. Liu Qingge and Mu Qingfang followed him from a good distance. They decided that they would come over if they heard him shout Wu Yanzi.

Shen Yuan found him first. Yue Qingyuan’s eyes widened. He instantly recognized the younger twin. Although Xiao Yuan and Xiao Jiu had the same appearance, the way they held themselves was different. They could mimic each other, but not perfectly.

Joy burst out of Yue Qingyuan’s heart at the sight of Xiao Yuan alive. There was a bright smile on his face as he went to hug him. He may have failed him before, but this time he will protect the younger boy.

Then he stiffened.

Shen Yuan put his arms around him like he was a stranger and not an elder brother he grew up with. When Yue Qingyuan looked into his dark green eyes, there was no spark of familiarity within them. Shen Yuan merely saw him as the future Sect Master of Cang Qiong Mountain, and not as someone he had known for years.

Was this…really Xiao Yuan?

The way he acted was also not quite right. He spoke with much hesitation, as if the words were being forced out of his mouth. As their conversation progressed, his movements became stilted and broken. The more Yue Qingyuan observed him, the more unsettled he became. It was less like looking at a human and more like watching a puppet.

Who was this person?

Although he was uneasy, he decided it would be best to pretend he was Xiao Yuan for now.

His thoughts halted when he was led to Xiao Jiu’s location.

“What a touching little speech,” Wu Yanzi mocked. “I do admit, I shouldn’t have underestimated you. But just because you’ve brought more people, does not mean you’ve won. In fact, I hav-”

“Quiet!” Liu Qingge growled out and swung Cheng Luan at him.

Annoyance flashed across Wu Yanzi’s face and his blade clashed with Liu Qingge’s. The sound of metal screeched in the air as Wu Yanzi staggered back from the strength of Liu Qingge’s blows.

Then the Bai Zhan Peak disciple leapt away as he narrowly avoided the knife that was thrown at him from another direction.

Shen Jiu stared at A-Yuan in shock. Why did he steal his dagger to protect Wu Yanzi of all people?!

This was completely out of character for him!

Shen Jiu stilled. Wait, it wasn’t just this. A-Yuan has also been strangely antagonistic towards Yue Qingyuan. Shen Jiu had been too caught up in his own mess to think clearly, but his brother has been acting excessively aggressive. Even if Yue Qingyuan had tried to attack Shen Jiu while his back was turned earlier, his twin has always been more of a practical person. With the head disciple here to fight Wu Yanzi, A-Yuan would’ve put aside his anger and worked with him to take out the bigger threat first.

Instead, he had been pushing Shen Jiu to turn against Yue Qingyuan. The only person who would benefit from such an action was their master.

But why? Why would A-Yuan help him when all he wanted to do was escape from him?

Then images flickered through his mind.

A-Yuan’s terrified expression as he stood behind Yue Qingyuan.

His face full of conflict as he warned Shen Jiu; his voice hesitant as he left words unsaid.

Shen Jiu had thought A-Yuan wasn’t speaking to him out of anger from his avoidance, but perhaps something more was going on.

Shen Jiu reached out and gripped his younger twin’s arm. “What did you do to him?” His voice was as frozen as a winter pond and his eyes grew dark with fury as he stared down his master.

Wu Yanzi met his eyes coldly and said, “Shen Yuan, end it.”

In the next moment pain exploded in his arm as his brother stabbed it. Shen Jiu let go out of shock and A-Yuan moved to Wu Yanzi’s side.

Then his brother held his sword up to his own neck. The sharp blade began sliding across the skin, and a horrifying red line seeped out.

Shen Jiu’s eyes widened. He couldn’t breathe. “A-Yuan!” He gasped out, fear encasing his voice. He ran and-

“Stop,” Wu Yanzi ordered. A-Yuan halted his movement and Shen Jiu reflexively paused as well: he had been used to following his master’s commands. After a second, Shen Jiu shook off the training and sprinted towards his twin again.

“I would suggest that nobody moves, or I will order him to continue again,” Wu Yanzi loudly declared.

Shen Jiu gritted his teeth and stood still. He was in front of Wu Yanzi and his brother. Wu Yanzi had shifted A-Yuan behind him when he saw Shen Jiu run in their direction.

A-Yuan had only begun cutting when the master told him to cease, so the injury was a small slash for now.

Shen Jiu glanced over and saw that the Bai Zhan Peak disciple was an arm’s length away from him, with Yue Qingyuan only a little further behind.

“How sweet. It appears you have multiple people worried about your well-being, Shen Yuan,” Wu Yanzi mocked as he surveyed the scene. Then his dark eyes slid back to Shen Jiu. “We are leaving. Shen Jiu come with us. If anyone else even twitches, I will tell Shen Yuan to kill himself. Is that clear to everyone?”

Nobody said anything, but the anger in all their eyes was evident.

“Alright, let’s go.” Wu Yanzi stated and walked away.

A-Yuan followed him. After a moment, Shen Jiu did as well.

When they were some distance away, Wu Yanzi sighed and spoke up. “Shen Jiu, I truly did not want to do this. Despite the issues, I hope you will continue to be a good student.”

“You poisoned my brother.”

Wu Yanzi tsk at him. “Shen Yuan has always been a weakness of yours. He dragged you down. I know you care about him though, so instead of just eliminating him outright, I merely made him more compliable. Otherwise, you know he would never be suited for our kind of life.”

Shen Jiu clenched his hands; his face was cold as frost. “Don’t try to make it seem like you’re doing a favor for me,” he gritted out. “I won’t forget what you have done.”

“I’m not. I was only pointing out the facts. But if you want to be disagreeable, I should let you know that your brother has orders to die if I am ever killed. So, it might be in your best interests to let go of your vengeance. Hatred is not good for the soul after all.”

Both twins stared at Wu Yanzi and his utter shamelessness.

In a distance away, Yue Qingyuan felt like he was about to qi deviate.

No! He can’t just let it end like this. He can’t let them go. Who knows how many years will pass before he can find them again?! There had to be something he could do!

As Yue Qingyuan observed them, his eyes slid to Shen Yuan and the sword he was holding in his hand.

Maybe if he could…

Wu Yanzi was far enough to not notice if he moved. Yue Qingyuan swiftly crouched down and pulled a fistful of grass in his hand. He infused them with his qi and turned them into needles. Liu-shidi’s eyes met his, and Yue Qingyuan nodded to him.

At the same time he threw the grass, the younger disciple jumped onto Cheng Luan and sped through the air like an arrow.

Shen Yuan gasped in pain as sharp blades of grass pierced his hand. The sword fell out of his grasp.

Shen Jiu’s eyes widened in shock and Wu Yanzi immediately turned towards the direction from which the grass needles came from.

Before he could do anything else, Liu Qingge collided with him.

The air was knocked out of Wu Yanzi and he was sprawled onto the ground. Liu Qingge kicked him in his ribs and Wu Yanzi stifled a groan. He drew his sword and swiped it at Liu Qingge’s legs. The Bai Zhan Peak disciple took a step back, but Wu Yanzi was able to get a light cut on his leg.

Liu Qingge stumbled, and Wu Yanzi took the opportunity to stand back up.

In the next moment, an all-consuming agony blossomed on his face.

Shen Jiu’s sword glistened with blood as he had sliced at Wu Yanzi’s mouth, cutting his tongue out.

Wu Yanzi could only scream unintelligible: he will never be able to form words again.

Liu Qingge saw his state and moved in to finish him.

“Stop!” Shen Jiu shouted and shoved him away from Wu Yanzi. “You can’t kill him! My brother has orders to kill himself if he dies!”

“Then what do we do?! Just stand around and do nothing?!”

With their focus on each other, neither Shen Jiu nor Liu Qingge noticed as Wu Yanzi pulled out his set of dark curse talismans. Shen Yuan flinched in fear, and Yue Qingyuan shouted as he ran to catch up to them.

“Watch out!”

It was too late. Wu Yanzi aimed at Liu Qingge and activated his talismans.

In an instant, Shen Yuan shoved the Bai Zhan Peak disciple out of the way.

Liu Qingge could only freeze in shock as blood exploded from Shen Yuan’s back. The younger twin collapsed onto the ground. His eyes were closed.

“A-Yuan!” Shen Jiu screamed. His instinct was to rush over, but then he reminded himself that he had to deal with Wu Yanzi first.

With all his fury and hatred, Shen Jiu haphazardly stabbed his master multiple times. Wu Yanzi’s body was a mess when he was done.

He turned back to his brother and saw the unknown Cang Qiong Mountain disciple leaning over him. Liu Qingge was hovering close by.

“He’s still alive. His condition is not great, but it is treatable,” the disciple said as he brought out his medical supplies and equipment from his qiankun pouch. “Don’t worry, he’ll be taken care of. I’m the head disciple of Qian Cao Peak,” Mu Qingfang reassured him.

Relief bloomed in his chest as he hurried over to them. A-Yuan will be fine. Then a stab of annoyance pierced him as Liu Qingge continued to fret nearby like a mother hen.

What right did he have to be so close?! It was his fault A-Yuan got hurt!

He was about to shoo him away, when Yue Qingyuan came over and held his hand.

“Xiao Jiu, your arm is hurt.” He said as he grabbed bandages and a salve from his pouch.

Shen Jiu had forgotten about the injury that A-Yuan had inflicted under the poison. He tensed under Yue Qingyuan’s touch, but the head disciple was gentle as he rubbed medicine over the wound and wrapped his arm like it something precious. Afterwards, he continued holding his hand as he channeled qi into him.

Shen Jiu was very exhausted. He had fought a whole group of cultivators before going on to kill his master. The qi was a balm to him, but he wasn’t going to let Yue Qingyuan treat him like a child. He wrenched his hand away from him.

“I’m fine,” he stated. Then he paused and debated with himself. After a moment, he grabbed Yue Qingyuan’s arm and dragged him away from the others.

Once they were alone, he asked, “You’re a head disciple of Cang Qiong Mountain. That’s a very good position. Why…why didn’t you come back for me?”

“I…”

As the sun slowly faded into the horizon, Shen Jiu waited for his answer.

It never came.

He could feel the back of his throat itch, but he forced his voice to be steady. “Why don’t you continue? I’m waiting. I’ve waited so many years, it wouldn’t make a difference to wait this much longer.”

Yue Qingyuan stayed silent.

Shen Jiu crossed his arms in front of his chest and kept a cold expression on his face.

Internally, he could feel something shatter inside.

Pathetic. He already knew the answer back when A-Yuan first told him about Yue Qingyuan. Why did he bother to ask? Was he that desperate to have an excuse to wave away all the suffering he’s been through?

…He really was a starved dog begging for scraps of affection.

In a quiet voice, Yue Qingyuan said, “Qi-ge has let you down.”

A storm of rage, pain, and disappointment burst in his chest. He could taste the metallic flavor of blood in his mouth.

He could only laugh at the pointlessness of his situation. After all that time he spent wasting away his life, yearning for someone who would never come and watching as everything he cared about rotted away…

It didn’t matter. It was all meaningless.

After he finished laughing, he glared at him and sneered, “Is that all you have to say? Are you trying to make an apology? Don’t bother!”

“It’s useless. All your actions are useless. You’re useless. I don’t know why I had any faith in you in the first place!”

He turned and walked away from Yue Qingyuan. He took deep shuddering breaths as he tried to shut down his sorrow.

Once he came back to where the others were, the two disciples of Cang Qiong Mountain gave him an odd look but did not say anything.

Shen Jiu collected himself and asked. “How is my brother?”

“I’ve treated his wounds. They will take some time to heal, but it should be safe to move him to a nearby location. I suggest we take him back to our inn,” Mu Qingfang reported.

Shen Jiu stood still for a moment as he pondered. What was he and A-Yuan going to do now? They barely had any money.

…Wu Yanzi did though.

Shen Jiu moved over to Wu Yanzi’s corpse and looted it. Behind him, he could hear Liu Qingge make a disgusted noise.

That guy could shove his sense of superiority up his own ass.

He took Wu Yanzi’s qiankun pouch and opened it. There was a stack of coins and a vial containing a peculiar liquid in there. He took the vial out and headed back to Mu Qingfang.

“I believe this is what Wu Yanzi used to poison my brother with,” Shen Jiu informed the medic as he handed it over.

Mu Qingfang carefully took it. He took off the cap and smelled the liquid inside. After a moment, he brought out more of his equipment from his pouch and tested the substance. He wrote down a few notes and took several volumes of books out.

As Mu Qingfang did all of this, Shen Jiu sat next to him and observed. He saw that the books were references for various questionable substances. They seemed interesting. Maybe he could ask to read some of them later while they wait for A-Yuan to recover.

After a while, Mu Qingfang pinpointed the name of the poison. He sighed.

“Unfortunately, the potion that was used on your brother is the type that continues even after the enslaver has died.”

Shen Jiu paled. Before he could panic any further, Mu Qingfang held up his hand.

“The good news is that there is an antidote for it. But I don’t have all the components for it. It will take several days to gather them. In the meantime, your brother will wake up in a few hours. We need to figure out a way to restrain him or knock him out. Otherwise, he will continue to follow any last orders Wu Yanzi gave him.”

Rapidly, Shen Jiu said, “I have something that could keep him unconscious. Give me a moment.”

He opened his own qiankun pouch and began pulling out his collections of poisons and weapons he had stored in there.

As he laid them out one by one, he cursed himself for not organizing better.

It was a mess.

He could feel Liu Qingge’s gaze on him.

“…”

Stop judging me, you brute!

“Wow! I’ve only seen some of these in my textbooks!” Mu Qingfang said with awe.

Shen Jiu was startled and glanced over to the medic. He was examining his assortment of poisons with a gleam in his eyes.

Mu Qingfang tilted his head and smiled at him. “You have an impressive collection.”

“Th-thank you?” Shen Jiu stuttered from surprise.

A mix of confusion and warmth danced in his chest.

He couldn’t remember the last time someone had genuinely complimented him.

As he shifted through his pouch, he finally grabbed the bag that contained the dried-up plant he was looking for.

Mu Qingfang’s eyes lit up. “Oh! That’s the Sleeping Beauty’s Spindle. That will work.”

…Shen Jiu didn’t know it was called that. Wu Yanzi had merely informed him the function of a few plants and how to use the poisons to commit crimes. He was mostly self-taught. Now that he finally knew what the plant was called, Shen Jiu was going to push it to the back of his memory and never use the silly name.

Honestly, such an overdramatic title for a plant seems like something that belongs in one of A-Yuan's trashy stories.

“We’ll crush it into a powder and give it to your brother later,” Mu Qingfang informed him.

Shen Jiu nodded and kept his face impassive when he heard Yue Qingyuan’s footsteps come near.

“The tournament is over. They have already noticed the missing cultivators. It won’t be long before they find out they’re dead,” Yue Qingyuan stated.

Shen Jiu sat motionless with hands folded on his lap. His lips thinned.

“Liu-shidi and I will go handle this. We will say that we encountered Wu Yanzi killing the disciples and have taken justice for them.”

Yue Qingyuan paused, and there was a pleading expression on his face.

“Xiao…Shen Jiu. Would it be acceptable for you to go back to our inn with Mu-shidi while we do this?” Yue Qingyuan asked, knowing Xiao Jiu would not want him using his old nickname when speaking to him.

“Fine,” Xiao Jiu coldly replied, not even glancing in his direction. He swiftly stood and gently lifted Shen Yuan up. Noticing his movements, Mu-shidi rose and assisted him. The scene was completely silent while they did this.

Liu-shidi raised a brow as he observed the uncomfortable atmosphere.

The future sect master stood by and watched Mu-shidi and Xiao Jiu leave with Shen Yuan.

Yue Qingyuan was still not too sure what to make of him. He had been under a mind control potion; perhaps all the differences could be explained away with that reason. Until he has been returned to normal, Yue Qingyuan will reserve his judgment.

Seeing the peaceful expression on Shen Yuan’s face as he was carried away, Yue Qingyuan was reminded of one of the last conversations he had with Xiao Yuan.

Two children wearing tattered clothing held each other’s hands as they ran through the alley.

Behind them, a large man chased their steps like a bull.

“Come back here, you little bastards!” He shouted angrily while holding his hand over his bleeding nose.

That had been Yue Qi’s doing. When he and Xiao Jiu had woken up earlier that morning, they had discovered that the younger twin was gone. Xiao Jiu had been frantic, and they decided to split up to look for him. Yue Qi found him first; the trembling boy had been getting harassed by this man. Yue Qi’s vision was filled with red and, suffice to say, it led to the current situation.

As they turned the corner, the other boy suddenly stopped. Before Yue Qi could question him, he picked up a rock and threw it directly at the man’s face. The man screamed and covered his bleeding eye. Yue Qi saw the opportunity and ran forward. He punched the man in the stomach. As the harasser stumbled, Yue Qi then kicked at his legs and made him fall. With his opponent sprawled on the ground, Yue Qi used his vulnerability to strike him out with his fist.

Both boys panted for a minute as the exhaustion of the chase caught up to them. Yue Qi then turned to him.

“Xiao B-, I mean Xiao Yuan. Are you hurt in any way?” He asked as he checked the younger child for injuries. Yue Qi was still getting used to his new name. A few days ago, there had been a public performance. It was on the street the twins were begging on and he came over to watch it together with them. Xiao Yuan became invested with one of the characters and decided that he didn’t want to be called Shen Ba anymore.

Xiao Jiu had been irritated about it at first. Claiming that “it was proof those rotten stories are getting to his head and now he’s naming himself after fictional beings”. Yue Qi wasn’t quite sure what his Xiao Jiu was talking about, but he didn’t see the harm in Xiao Yuan changing his name. They couldn’t use it when they were in front of their masters, but using the name outside should be fine.

“I’m fine, Qi-ge. I’m sorry I got you in trouble,” Xiao Yuan said with a guilty tone. 

Yue Qi gave him a reassuring smile and softly patted the younger boy on the back. He gently spoke, “Xiao Yuan has nothing to apologize for. It was that man’s fault for being horrible,” he briefly glared at the harasser and continued. “Let’s return to Xiao Jiu; we were worried when we didn’t see you this morning.” Yue Qi tugged on his arm and walked them away from the unconscious body.

As they moved down the alleyway, a thought occurred to Yue Qi. He turned his head towards the younger boy walking next to him and asked, “Why did you go off by yourself?”

Xiao Yuan fell silent. The quiet stretched long enough that Yue Qi thought he wasn’t going to answer, but then he said hesitantly, “…I’ve been thinking a lot lately. It has led me to a realization, and I was merely testing it out.”

Yue Qi tilted his head quizzically at the younger boy. “What kind of realization did you have that it encouraged you to leave without telling Xiao Jiu or I?”

Xiao Yuan flushed in embarrassment and Yue Qi mentally slapped himself. He didn’t mean to make him self-conscious. He opened his mouth to say some comforting words, but Xiao Yuan began mumbling before he had the chance.

“It’s nothing. I just…had some ridiculous ideas. That’s all. I was being stupid.”

Yue Qi gave him a serious look. “No, it’s not. If it’s something that makes you worried, then it’s something important. You can tell me about it. Whatever has been bothering you, I will not think it’s foolish.”

Xiao Yuan fidgeted with his hands for a moment before sighing. “…You and A-Jiu are different from everyone else.”

Yue Qi frowned. “What do you mean?” He asked.

“The two of you shine so brightly compared to the other slaves. Qi-ge is strong while A-Jiu is clever. You work together very well. It’s clear that there’s a destiny waiting for the both of you.” Xiao Yuan looked down at his hands blankly. “But I’m not like either of you. There’s nothing…special about me. In fact, I’m downright useless. Earlier I left to see if I could do anything on my own, and it only took an hour before I needed rescuing.”

The younger boy grimaced and continued. “With such a wide gap between us, I had been wondering if I would be able to stand with you and A-Jiu in the future.” Xiao Yuan hugged his arms around himself and his voice grew softer in the empty alley. “But now I know that I won’t be able to. I’m not strong enough. Th-there may be a day when Qi-ge and A-Jiu will continue their paths without me.”

A heavy weight settled on the older boy’s chest as he listened to his words. What was Xiao Yuan talking about? There wasn’t anything special about Yue Qi or Xiao Jiu. Had they done something to make the younger twin feel insecure about himself?

“That’s not true. Xiao Yuan is a very capable person. After all, I would not have been able to take down that man without your assistance.” Yue Qi gently pointed out. “And no matter what happens in the future, Xiao Jiu and I will always be with you.”

Xiao Yuan gave him an empty smile. “You don’t have to try and improve my self-esteem. I know you and A-Jiu care about me. I also want us to stay by each other’s sides even when we are old.”

Xiao Yuan sighed and glanced up at the grey sky. “But, it’s not up to us, is it? We don’t get a choice for how the future unfolds. This world doesn’t care about the desires of humans. Good people are given terrible fates all the time. As slaves, we are even more susceptible to the whims of others. One miscalculation, and it would be terribly easy to be sold off or die like siblings one through six. We have been standing on a precipice for years now; it’s only a matter of time before something gives way and forces us apart.”

Yue Qi frowned and shook his head. “We do have a choice. The future might be unpredictable, but it is ultimately shaped by our actions. If either you or Xiao Jiu were in danger or have been sold off, I would rescue you both as soon as possible. No matter what obstacles we face, I know we will reunite again,” he said with a determined voice.

Yue Qi had always been aware that their paths weren’t going to be easy. They were slaves after all. Most child slaves who reach adulthood either stay as slaves for the rest of their lives or become human traffickers themselves. Freedom rarely occurs for people like them.

Fate has never been on their side, but Yue Qi was not about to let it have its way so easily. He would do whatever it takes, sacrifice everything that he has, if it meant Xiao Jiu and Xiao Yuan would be safe for the rest of their lives. In fact, Yue Qi had been recently contemplating how to defy destiny.

The three of them had the ability for cultivation. Some time ago Xiao Jiu was able to create a makeshift knife with it. All they needed now was the education to access it fully. Yue Qi had heard of a cultivation sect located on a mountain that allowed anyone to join so long as they passed their tests. It didn’t matter what lowly position they had; they could be trained into righteous cultivators.

The initial escape wouldn’t be too hard. Fortunately, their human traffickers kept a loose leash on the children. The real issue would occur after they found out their slaves have escaped. Yue Qi still hadn’t fully formed a plan on how they would evade capture. He would also need learn how to get to this mystical mountain.

Once he had more information, he will present his proposal to Xiao Jiu and see what he thought of it.

Yue Qi fully believed his words to Xiao Yuan. They might be slaves, but that doesn't mean they have no choice. Fate might be against them, but that doesn't mean their actions cannot alter it. They have already come this far; he couldn’t allow himself to fail now.

Yue Qi was startled out of his thoughts when he heard Xiao Yuan’s soft laughter next to him.

“Qi-ge, choice is an illusion. Your actions cannot change anything if fate does not allow for it,” he said quietly.

Yue Qi was about to argue, but Xiao Yuan stared sharply into his eyes and asked, “Do you know why I changed my name?”

Yue Qi blinked at the sudden change in conversation, but he did not allow the confusion to show on his face as he replied, “No, I do not.”

“I’ve heard that names can define us. Although Qi-ge and A-Jiu see their names as a symbol of our brotherhood, ‘Shen Ba’ was always a sign of failure to me. I was the first one to get caught, and I dragged A-Jiu along with me. We were so young then; I can’t even recall what our old names were,” Xiao Yuan fidgeted with the sleeves of his robes as he spoke.

“Do you remember that performance we saw? A-Jiu might’ve found the plot ridiculous, but I couldn’t help but admire that Li Yuan character. Despite knowing he was nothing more than a puppet, he was still able to help the hero fulfill his dreams.”

“Watching it allowed me to see the bigger picture. Although there is very little I have control over, that doesn’t mean I can’t achieve anything,” Xiao Yuan said. “I don’t want the destiny of being a burden to A-Jiu. I hate that I keep failing him.”

Xiao Yuan looked back at Yue Qi with a hard resolve in his eyes.

“I changed my name for this reason: it’s a promise that no matter what happens in the future, I will ensure that A-Jiu obtains his dreams and lives a happy life.”

Uneasiness crept up Yue Qi’s spine as he listened. Xiao Yuan’s wish was very noble, but his admiration of Li Yuan did not sit well with Yue Qi. He thought the younger boy liked the character because of his dry wit; he didn’t realize it was for this dark reason.

Li Yuan’s fate was not one to admire. He sacrificed himself for the hero and died a truly sad death. The actor playing the hero had been subtle about it, but Yue Qi could see hints of the character’s continued anguished over his friend’s demise as he was being crowned. The triumphant music at the end felt hollow: the hero achieved all his desires at the price of losing the only person who had ever cared for him.

If Xiao Yuan found inspiration in a fate like Li Yuan’s, does that mean he places little value on his own life?

Was he not aware of how devastated they would be if he died?

The two of them were walking on the main road now. As the early morning shifted into business hours, the street became bustling.

The chatter was buzzing in Yue Qi’s ears as his mind spun with thoughts of what he should say to Xiao Yuan. Once they reached a less busy part of the road, he pulled the younger boy aside and hugged him tightly.

“Xiao Yuan, you are very precious to us. If…if anything happened to you, we wouldn’t be able to live with ourselves,” Yue Qi gently told him.

Against his shoulder, he could feel the younger boy frown in confusion. “Qi-ge, what are you talking about?”

“Your existence is important. Please take care of yourself. Even if you feel like it would make Xiao Jiu happy, don’t do anything that will cost you your life.”

“Eh?! I don’t have a death wish, Qi-ge! I am very invested in living! I was merely saying that we can’t control the future. Who knows what’s going to happen? But even if something did happen to me, I know you and Xiao Jiu will do just fine.”

Yue Qi pulled away to look at Xiao Yuan’s face. Although he seemed very sincere in his proclaimed desire for survival, he didn’t trust it.

Xiao Yuan has always been talented at being unaware of his own feelings. His ability to understand emotions in general was nonexistent.

He tried again.

“No, Xiao Jiu and I won’t be fine. If you died, we would blame ourselves because we failed to protect you. The best action you can take is to care for yourself and live. Please promise me you will take care of your life.”

“…Why would you blame yourselves? It’s not like it would be your fault. My hypothetical death would be a result of my own misfortune; it wouldn’t be anyone’s responsibility. But fine, I understand you. Don’t worry, I promise I won’t purposely get myself killed. Does that ease your fears?”

No, it didn’t. But Xiao Yuan was already walking away, thinking the conversation was finished. Yue Qi sighed, and he could feel a headache coming in.

He’ll talk to Xiao Yuan more about it tomorrow.

But the opportunity never came. The next day, the Shi Wu incident occurred.

Yue Qingyuan ran off to play the hero and damned them all.

The head disciple shook off the memory as he walked towards the building with Liu-shidi.

The past cannot be changed, and the future is unknowable.

They can only live in the present.

Chapter Text

Shen Jiu’s head was throbbing. He drowsily stared at the page, but the words slushed together into an incomprehensible mess.

He shut the book that Mu Qingfang lent him and put it aside carefully. His movements were sluggish, and he nearly dropped it onto the table next to him. After blowing out the candle, Shen Jiu shifted on the bed and closed his eyes.

In the black void, the throbbing continued.

It was almost like a heartbeat.

I need to rest. Otherwise, I won’t be able to function properly in the morning. Shen Jiu thought as he attempted to logic his way into sleeping.

It did not work.

His exhausted body cried for the sweet relief of sleep, but his mind would not give it to him. As he gazed at the darkness behind his eyelids, the stream of anxiety that has been dripping for hours continued.

How long will it take for A-Yuan to recover?

A-Yuan won’t stay like this forever, right?

What path would be the best for him and his brother?

Yue Qingyuan had said he could help them get into Cang Qiong Mountain, but could he really?

It wouldn’t be the first time he promised something and couldn’t come through on it.

How long will the other Cang Qiong Mountain disciples continue to help them?

Don’t they have more important tasks they could be doing rather than aiding Wu Yanzi’s ex-student?

What should he do?

Who could he trust?

The questions continued burrowing into his mind, and a sharp stab of unease pierced his chest. Shen Jiu’s eyes flung opened and he gripped his sheets tightly.

The walls of his room were closing in on him. Fear hung around his neck like a rope, and Shen Jiu could barely breathe.

He didn’t feel safe.

Shen Jiu flung off the blankets and got up. He quickly changed his robes and escaped the confining space.

He stalked quietly through the hallway of the inn. Moonlight spilled through the windows and the sound of crickets could be heard in the distance. The air was warm.

Shen Jiu took out the extra key the inn keeper had give him, and he opened the door into A-Yuan’s room. Softly closing the door behind him, he sat down on the chair next to his brother’s bed.

Seeing A-Yuan’s improved complexion compared to the sallowness of two days ago made Shen Jiu feel slightly better. Only slightly. There was still a hard tension in his body like there was a powerful predator nearby.

It would be better if his brother was well. A-Yuan had an issue where he would move around heavily while he slept. With his injuries keeping him still, it was almost like observing a corpse.

The flies-

Shen Jiu looked away, and his lips tightened. He forced the memory back and focused on simply listening to him breathe instead.

Shen Jiu resigned himself to staying awake for the rest of the night. Sleep has always been something Shen Jiu could only achieve under particular circumstances.

Back when he was little, he always slept in between Yue Qingyuan and A-Yuan on the floor. When he was dragged into the Qiu household, he barely slept at all. He felt too alone, and the constant fear of the beast hung over him. The only reason he got any rest back then was because Qiu Jianluo would exhaust him to the point where his body collapsed, and his mind was forced into unconsciousness.

Thus, came one of Shen Jiu’s most embarrassing secrets. He had difficulty sleeping by himself. The time period in which he slept alone was the most dangerous he lived in. His mind equated sleeping with someone nearby as safer than anything else. It couldn’t just be anyone though. Other than his brother, sleeping near men made him uncomfortable. It reminded him of Qiu Jianluo and all the male servants who would hurt him.

Women were different. He felt safe in their presence. If he weren’t so worried about keeping his money saved for whatever happens next, Shen Jiu would be sorely tempted to go to a brothel right now and rent a room so he can finally get some sleep.

Instead, he spent the next several hours sitting in a chair and blankly staring at a wall. The sunlight began peaking through the windows when Mu Qingfang entered the room.

The medic stretched his arms and yawned, before suddenly jumping back at the sight of Shen Jiu.

“Ah!” Mu Qingfang flailed about for a moment before collecting himself. “T-this one apologizes for his reaction. I did not expect to see anyone up so early.”

“It is fine,” Shen Jiu nonchalantly said. “Are you here to give A-Yuan his morning medicine?”

 Mu Qingfang nodded, and kept his face neutral as he observed Shen Jiu’s tired state. “I know you are worried for your brother, but don’t forget to take care of yourself.”

 “This one appreciates your concern,” Shen Jiu said reservedly.

There was worry in the medic’s eyes, but he didn’t say anything as he went and treated A-Yuan.

After Mu Qingfang was done, he turned to Shen Jiu. “Are you enjoying the book? I hope it wasn’t too dry. The author can get quite meandering in some of his earlier descriptions, but it improves greatly later on. However, if it is completely to your distaste…I understand and there are other books I could lend you instead,” Mu Qingfang said with a hint of uncertainty.

“Not at all. I have not gone through all of it yet, but it has been a fascinating read so far. I had not realized there were many different applications for Mingalo Roots.”

Mu Qingfang brightened. “I’m glad you like it! Truthfully, I enjoy the author’s writings, but I know it’s not to everyone’s tastes. If you have reached that point of the book, you must have read the entries on the Thousand Years Snow Flower and the Red Moon Scorpion Grass. Did you know if you mix them together, you can get-” Mu Qingfang proceeded to go on a long excited lecture about the various plant combinations and their uses. Shen Jiu listened intently and asked him a few questions here and there.

Interesting. He’ll need to make notes later. Shen Jiu could incorporate some of these substances into his future fights.

After an hour has passed, Mu Qingfang suddenly took note of the time. He sheepishly smiled. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to talk so much. Others have told me that I have a habit of rambling.”

“No need to apologize. I enjoyed our chat. Your knowledge is quite vast, and I am grateful to have an expert explain such subjects to me.”

“R-really? Well, I can tell from your collections that you are very knowledgeable yourself,” Mu Qingfang said as he absent-mindedly touched his hair. “Oh! Last night the local apothecary had informed me that they do not carry the rest of the ingredients. There’s a much larger apothecary about two hours away. From there, we should be able to get most of them. The last component comes from a beast that lives in a special forest. We’ll hunt for it after we have gotten everything else.”

Shen Jiu took a moment to absorb the information and asked, “When will we be leaving?”

“After breakfast. I had informed Yue-shixiong late last night since I thought you had been sleeping at that time.” Mu Qingfang said, taking in Shen Jiu’s weary eyes. There was a questioning edge in his voice.

“Mn.” Shen Jiu didn’t answer.

“Um, well it is almost time for breakfast. Should we head downstairs and see what they have?”

Shen Jiu nodded, but truthfully, he did not have much have an appetite. With all the stress the last couple of days have been piling on him, he hadn’t been eating as much as he should. If Mu Qingfang hadn’t asked him, he would have most likely gone back to his room to pack and wait for everyone else to finish their meal.

When the two of them walked down the stairs, a delicious aroma burst into Shen Jiu’s senses. He stared as Liu Qingge sat down at a round table with a wide selection of dishes delicately arranged on its surface. They were cooked by such skilled hands that they looked dazzling in the sunlight.

All of them were dishes he remembered salivating over when he was a slave - watching enviously from the streets as families laughed and ate the food in restaurants he could never enter.

Snow descended from the grey skies and painted the scenery in a silvery white veil. Soft melodies danced from shops that lined the road. Shen Jiu could see puffs of vapor emanating from his mouth as he shivered in his ragged robes and hugged onto Qi-ge’s arm like it was his personal fireplace.

Unlike Shen Jiu, Qi-ge didn’t seem affected by the cold. In fact, there was a slight redness to his face. Shen Jiu frowned. Hopefully Qi-ge wasn’t coming down with a fever.

A heavenly aroma wafted through the air, and Shen Jiu couldn’t help but stop and stare at its source. Through the windows of the restaurant, he could see a finely dressed couple smile as their waiter unveiled a plate of braised pork in front of them. Shen Jiu hugged Qi-ge’s arm tighter as he felt the pain in his stomach intensify.

In the winter months food became scarce for the children. Their enslavers only gave enough nourishment to keep them from dying. It has been two days since Shen Jiu had his last meal.

Yue Qi glanced over and saw the deep yearning on Xiao Jiu’s face. His eyes went to the dish that Xiao Jiu was looking at. Yue Qi made a mental note as Xiao Jiu tore away his gaze and continued tugging Yue Qi along.

A day later, Shen Jiu was scowling while huddled with his twin. It was almost afternoon, and there have been barely any people they could beg from. His brother didn’t seem too concerned. Instead, he had taken the opportunity to draw random shapes in the snow for the past few hours.

“A rabbit?” Shen Jiu guessed while looking at the deformed circle.

His brother pouted. “No, it’s a slime.”

“What’s a slime?”

“Some travelers told me it was a jelly like monster,” he explained.

“Oh, of course,” Shen Jiu nearly rolled his eyes at his brother’s beast obsession.

Footsteps crunched on the snow behind them, and both twins turned.

“Qi-ge?” Shen Jiu questioned when he saw two small boxes in the other boy’s hands.

Qi-ge beamed at him as he handed him and his brother a box. Shen Jiu opened it, and inside was a few pieces of the braised pork he had been staring at yesterday.

“H-how did you get this?”

There was a mischievous glint in Qi-ge’s eyes, and he winked at Shen Jiu. “That is a secret.”

Shen Jiu’s face instantly became warm. He put his hand up against his head. Was he getting sick?

“What about you? Did you get any for yourself?” Shen Jiu questioned.

Qi-ge shook his head. “This is for you. I know it isn’t much, but it’s something I’ve always wanted to do.” His smile was like a gentle stream of sunlight, and he tucked a lock of hair behind Shen Jiu’s ear. “My wish is for Xiao Jiu to obtain all that he yearns for. It’s a dream of mine that he can eat as he wants without worry of money. That he can do as he wishes without fear of masters. I hope one day I’ll have the ability to grant every desire Xiao Jiu has.”

Standing on a lonely snow-covered road with most of its common traversers hiding away from the cold, Shen Jiu couldn’t look Qi-ge in the eyes as he was currently about to combust. The strange warmth has spread all over his body now, and he felt an alarming amount of giddiness in his chest. Was Shen Jiu becoming delirious? What sort of illness was infecting him?

Off to the side, the younger twin coughed into his hand, “Please get a room.”

One of the dishes on the table was also a braised pork like back then. Shen Jiu’s stomach growled.

He tore his eyes away from Liu Qingge’s table and walked over to where the inn sold their food. He’ll just buy an apple and go back to his room. Hopefully Mu Qingfang won’t find him rude, but he can’t really sit in the dining area with such mouth-watering aromas wafting about.

“Hey! What are you doing?” Liu Qingge gruffly questioned.

Shen Jiu paused, and raised his brow at him. “Surely you have eyes that can tell you the answer?”

“Yes, and surely you can see that all this food isn’t just for one person. These dishes were ordered for the group to eat. Come over here and sit down.”

Although Shen Jiu’s appetite has been reignited, the authoritative tone in Liu Qingge’s voice struck a nerve in him. He was about to tell Liu Qingge he wasn’t hungry when Mu Qingfang grabbed his hand.

“Wow, thank you for inviting us over! This one appreciates the dishes Liu-shixiong has ordered,” Mu Qingfang cheerily said as he dragged Shen Jiu to the round table. He sat down and gestured towards the seat next to him. “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day! Since we are still growing and developing our cultivation, eating well is an important action we must take to stay strong. Don’t you agree, Shen-xiansheng?”

“…Fine.” Shen Jiu agreed after a moment and sat down. It was Liu Qingge’s money that was being spent, so he might as well take advantage of it. This way he could keep his own pouch closed.

Mu Qingfang looked around and asked, “Where is Yue-shixiong?”

“Being ridiculous.” Liu Qingge stated, and did not elaborate further.

As if summoned by his name, Yue Qingyuan walked through the front door of the inn. He smiled and nodded to all at the table.

“Good morning, I hope everyone rested well…” Yue Qingyuan drifted off as he took in Shen Jiu’s state.

Shen Jiu pointedly ignored him. He began taking food from the dishes and piling them onto his own plate.

Liu Qingge scowled at Yue Qingyuan.

Mu Qingfang didn’t know what to do with the awkward atmosphere. He was half debating on bringing his book out to read while he ate so he could ignore the problem.

Yue Qingyuan’s smile wilted a little, and he didn’t say anything as he took the last spot between Liu Qingge and Shen Jiu.

Shen Jiu couldn’t help himself and ended up sampling almost every dish on the table. He normally wasn’t a big eater, but all of these were foods he wanted to try since he was little. There was an inkling of suspicion at the back of Shen Jiu’s mind, but in between the constant headache and the fatigue that plagued him, it was soon dropped.

After the meal, he felt pleasantly full and comfortable unlike the past few days. Lethargy seeped into his body and before he knew it, Shen Jiu began drifting off…

A-Yuan fell to the ground like a shot bird; his body marred from Wu Yanzi’s attack. His eyes did not close, instead they stared directly at Shen Jiu: wide opened and filled with maggots. A-Yuan opened his mouth and gave a voiceless scream.

“It was a life best forgotten.”

Shen Jiu trembled as he tried to hide away in Qiu Haitang’s room. In the hallway, he could hear the beast’s footsteps slowly but surely walk towards him.

Leavemealoneleavemealoneleavemealone

Shen Jiu woke up and he instinctively gripped the nearest object as he tried to force down the panic threatening to devour him.

With his mind was in complete disarray, Shen Jiu buried his face into a silk spun cloth. He felt a hand pat his back reassuringly. Shen Jiu normally didn’t like just anyone touching him, but for some reason his body gradually relaxed.

After he was able to glue the pieces of his awareness back together, Shen Jiu suddenly realized the object he was clutching was Yue Qingyuan’s chest and he had smothered his face into his expensive robes.

Embarrassment burned Shen Jiu’s core and he immediately let go and backed away from the head disciple.

“Is…is everything fine? You were only asleep for a few minutes,” Yue Qingyuan faltered.

“There is nothing wrong,” Shen Jiu gritted out and glared at him.

Scrambling for a way to get off this subject, Shen Jiu asked, “Has everyone finished their meal? Will we be leaving now?”

It was obvious to see that Yue Qingyuan wanted to press the issue further, but instead he took a deep breath and sighed.

“Yes. Let us all pack away our belongings and meet back at Shen Yuan’s room in fifteen minutes.” Yue Qingyuan told everyone.

They all went their separate ways and Shen Jiu pretended not to see any of the concern gazes that were being thrown at him.

Shen Jiu was done after five minutes. He and A-Yuan did not have many belongings and was used to packing quickly while traveling with Wu Yanzi. He entered A-Yuan’s room first and waited as the others drifted in. Liu Qingge was next, then Yue Qingyuan, and finally Mu Qingfang.

Once Liu Qingge saw that all have arrived, he walked over to A-Yuan and began gathering him in his arms. Shen Jiu quickly stopped the Bai Zhan Peak disciple.

“Don’t touch him!” Shen Jiu growled.

Liu Qingge quirked an eyebrow. “He’s unconscious. Someone needs to carry him while we are flying.”

“And who said that was going to be you?” Shen Jiu coldly questioned.

“Alright, who’s going to carry him then?”

Shen Jiu crossed his arms. “I will.”

Liu Qingge paused and tilted his head. His eyes slowly slid over Shen Jiu.

Shen Jiu’s body was lean like a scholar’s, and not someone who had the muscles to carry his own body weight for two hours straight. Although cultivation can make appearances deceiving, Liu Qingge could tell from the fight with Wu Yanzi that his cultivation was not high enough for that to be the case.

He also noted the dark circles under the older boy’s furious green eyes, and the way Shen Jiu slightly slouched from fatigue despite his attempts to look powerful.

Shen Jiu could feel his face burst red from fury as Liu Qingge made no attempt to hide his gaze on his body.

“What are doing?” Shen Jiu snarled.

Liu Qingge shook his head. “Not strong enough.”

Shen Jiu’s eyes narrowed into dangerous green slits, and he hissed. “Are you calling me weak?”

“…Yes?” Liu Qingge replied, genuinely confused about why the other teenager was so upset at him. It wasn’t Liu Qingge’s fault that Shen Jiu’s body was as slim as bamboo! Plus, with his obvious lack of sleep, he probably shouldn’t be carrying something heavy at high speeds.

Shen Jiu nearly coughed blood at his words. He gripped the hilt of his sword and-

Yue Qingyuan rushed in between them like a teacher coming to stop two bickering toddlers. He waved his hands in supplication.

“Shen Jiu is very strong! Please do not take his words to heart; Liu-shidi is not the most proficient at speaking.”

“Oh, I believe he knew exactly what he was saying! Don’t try and flower his words.”

Yue Qingyuan gave up and slightly shifted directions. “As his twin, it is your decision on who can carry him. If you wish to be the one to do so, that is fine...” Yue Qingyuan hesitated when he looked at Shen Jiu’s tired face once more. “Or perhaps if Liu-shidi isn’t to your liking, I could do it instead?”

“No! You are even worse!” Shen Jiu shouted. If he let Yue Qingyuan help him, he might feel absolved of the past.

Mu Qingfang lightly raised his hand like he was in a classroom. “Shen-xiansheng, may I make a suggestion?” Shen Jiu turned to him. “As a medical professional, this one may be the best suited in handling an injured person over a two-hour period. I’ve been treating his injuries and I know how to avoid touching them during flight,” Mu Qingfang reasoned.

Shen Jiu debated with himself for a moment. Truth be told, he felt absolutely awful. He was already exhausted before they had their meal. Having that nightmare torched what little energy he had. Letting someone else carry him wasn’t a terrible idea. Shen Jiu only lashed out because he had been irritated at Liu Qingge. Mu Qingfang was the only option he had that wouldn’t make him lose face.

“Very well, I entrust him in your care.”

Mu Qingfang nodded and prepared. Yue Qingyuan collected everyone’s keys and went back downstairs to give them to the inn keeper.

Afterwards, they headed out.

“The Jaika berries will arrive tomorrow. Thank you for your business.”

Mu Qingfang and Shen Jiu gathered the items on the counter into their baskets.

“I appreciate that you came with me to buy the ingredients. It’s unfortunate they ran out of the berries, but at least we won’t have to wait too long for them,” Mu Qingfang commented.

“You are helping my brother. This is the least I can do,” Shen Jiu replied.

Mu Qingfang frowned. “I’m a healer, treating patients is my duty. Please don’t feel like you need to push yourself.”

“I’m not.”

He gave him a worried look. “Are you…having trouble sleeping?” Mu Qingfang asked. “If you are, I can make something for you. I didn’t bring any sleeping medicine with me when we left Cang Qiong Mountain, but since we are near an apothecary, I can purchase the ingredients now.”

“This one appreciates the offer, but I must decline.”

“It wouldn’t be a bother.”

“I am fine. Thank you,” Shen Jiu said in a tone that left no room for argument.

Mu Qingfang pursed his lips, but decided to let it go for now.

Once they reached their new inn, Shen Jiu and Mu Qingfang went into the medic’s room to put away the ingredients. Afterwards, Shen Jiu bid farewell to Mu Qingfang and headed towards A-Yuan’s room to check on him.

He closed the door behind him and paused when he saw the other visitor in the room.

“Oh! Good evening, I didn’t realize you were back,” Yue Qingyuan greeted.

“Why are you here?”

“I merely wanted to see him. I know I don’t have the right after what happened…but…” Yue Qingyuan faltered, and there was conflict in his eyes. “…I had been under the mistaken belief that he was dead. I am glad to see that is not the case.”

Shen Jiu’s thoughts halted at the mention of A-Yuan’s death, but then they turned calculating.

“Why would you think A-Yuan was dead?”

Yue Qingyuan briefly tensed, before putting back his calm façade. “A-Yuan has always been more prone to illness out of the three of us. I had been afraid that he would not survive the Qiu’s.”

“Don’t lie to me.” Shen Jiu hissed. He walked over to him and grabbed his robes with his fists. “You believed he was dead, not that you made a guess he could die. What exactly gave you that idea?”

Yue Qingyuan froze.

Shen Jiu ventured, “Did you perhaps see something? Something like a grave? A-Yuan’s grave at the Qiu’s estate?”

Yue Qingyuan opened his mouth for a moment, but then closed it. He stayed silent.

“You’re still not going to answer me?” Shen Jiu asked while clenching tighter on his robes.

Did Yue Qingyuan actually try to come to the Qiu estate, or was that just Shen Jiu’s wishful thinking? Why wasn’t he saying anything? Did he think Shen Jiu wasn’t worth giving an explanation to?

…Fine. He didn’t need it. Whatever excuse he has, it doesn’t change the past.

Shen Jiu’s headache was worsening, and the weariness was reaching into his very bones.

“I-“ Yue Qingyuan began.

“You know what? It doesn’t matter! It doesn’t change that A-Yuan died because of you! You killed him,” he sneered.

Deep down he knew he wasn’t being rational. Although Yue Qingyuan betrayed them, the one who murdered A-Yuan at the end was Shen Jiu. But he couldn’t stop himself from throwing his rage at Yue Qingyuan and his lofty perch.

Yue Qingyuan paled. “H-he truly died? Then…this really isn’t A-Yuan…” There was guilt in his eyes as he glanced down at the unconscious boy.

“What? Of course he’s A-Yuan!” Shen Jiu shouted at Yue Qingyuan as he shoved him away.

“You just said he died. Even if this person looks remarkably like A-Yuan, doesn’t his death mean he can’t be him?”

“Do you believe I wouldn’t be able to recognize a fake? You think I’ve been traveling with him for almost two years without being able to tell who he is? He’s my twin. No matter what changes he goes through, I’ll always be able to recognize A-Yuan’s soul.”

Yue Qingyuan looked away, and his lips thinned. “If he is A-Yuan, then how did he come back? Methods of true revival are unheard of. Only dark techniques can do something like this, and they come with a steep price. Those who are brought back are always incomplete. They are not truly themselves.”

“I don’t care. A-Yuan is alive. That’s all that matters.”

He sighed. “I know you love him, but if he was brought back by improper means, we need to know about it in case an issue arises. I will not take him away. It is simply important to have the knowledge.”

“No,” Shen Jiu said coldly. “Stay away from him. A-Yuan doesn’t remember any of the events surrounding his death. I don’t want you to force him to get those memories; it may hurt A-Yuan.”

Yue Qingyuan was startled. “He doesn’t remember?” Then he paused, “How did A-Yuan die? Perhaps he was able to survive what you thought killed him, and he only lost his memory.”

Shen Jiu stiffened, and he took a step back. “A-Yuan was dead, I can assure you of that,” he whispered.

“Xiao Jiu?” Yue Qingyuan instinctively called out when he saw the nausea on his face.

“Don’t,” was all Shen Jiu said before bolting out of the room.

The sun was falling into the horizon when Shen Jiu rushed outside. Stumbling through the woods behind the inn, he continued deeper into the trees until he was confident he was alone. He reached a stream, and fell onto his knees.

Shen Jiu covered his mouth with his hand and clutched his stomach while trying to stop himself from heaving.

All the exhaustion was collapsing onto him. A sharp knife was stabbing into his head. His vision was swirling, and he could feel bile rise in his throat.

Looking down at a haggard boy with desperate eyes reflected upon the stream’s surface, Shen Jiu could only feel disgust. He disrupted the water to destroy him.

Weak. Why was he so weak? Shen Jiu was barely functioning. How did Shen Jiu ever think he could take care of A-Yuan? He was a pathetic brother.    

"A-Jiu, you are the best brother I could ever have."

Shen Jiu’s eyes widened, and he tried to push the memories away.

Don’t think about it. Don’t think about it. Don’t think about it.

But the mantra did not work. Images of the past washed over him like waves in a storm.

Chapter Text

With its exquisite gardens overflowing with rare flowers and priceless heirlooms decorating its walls, the Qiu estate was a beautiful home. Yet the inside was brimming with monsters wearing human masks. Walking through its elegant halls, Shen Jiu could hear their mockery all around him.

“Those twins are a nuisance,” one voice sneered. “They are nothing more than mere slaves, and yet look at how they’ve taken advantage of the situation.”

“I know! Did you see how Shen Jiu sticks to young master Jianluo? The young master is already being kind by teaching that snake how to read and write, and he is still trying to garner more of his attention like a prostitute and her rich client.”

“I’m not too concerned about Shen Jiu. The young master will tire of him eventually. When he does, he’ll break him into his place. It’s Shen Yuan who’s the true swindler.”

“Eh? What do you mean?”

“He’s faking his illness. I’ve heard that he was perfectly fine before he came here. Lazy bastard is fooling us all. Probably thinks he could just lay in bed all day while the rest of us have to work.”

“What?!” the voice exclaimed with righteous outrage. “No, that not acceptable. There should be consequences for such behavior. Perhaps he’ll finally pull his weight if he stopped getting free meals.”

The others clamored and agreed heartily.

It has been a month since he last saw his younger brother. The beast was…possessive of Shen Jiu. Qiu Jianluo didn’t like him out of his presence unless it was with young mistress Haitang. It took some prodding, but he was finally able to get permission from her to visit A-Yuan.

He’s heard unpleasant things from the other servants; Shen Jiu needed to make sure his brother was fine.

The older twin had been informed that A-Yuan was outside. It was spring, and the wind carried the gentle scent of flowers when he left the house. The warm afternoon sunlight trickled through the blossoming trees, and birds sang across the lush scenery.

“…Haah…haah….”

Shen Jiu’s blood froze when he heard the gasping sounds of someone struggling to breathe. He swiftly turned the corner, and A-Yuan was collapsed on the ground next to the axe he was using to cut the wood.

“A-Yuan!” He shouted in fear as he rushed over to him.

His brother flung his head up and immediately tried standing up. His legs gave out from underneath him, and he fell back to the earth like a puppet with its strings cut. Shen Jiu put his arms around him and gently lifted his twin. He situated him on the nearby bench and sat down next to him. At the back of his mind he noted that A-Yuan felt much lighter than normal.

“Ah…S-sorry to…in-inconvenience you A-Jiu,” A-Yuan wheezed and then lopsidedly smiled. “H-how ha-have you been?”

Shen Jiu ignored him and put his forehead against his brother’s. A-Yuan’s head felt like boiling tea against his skin. He moved back and looked at him sternly.

“You should be resting in bed! Why are you out here chopping wood?!”

A-Yuan waved him off as he kept a placating expression on his face. “I-I am well. It was merely a brief moment of w-weakness. I’m feeling better now,” A-Yuan said. Shen Jiu glared at him and A-Yuan continued. “T-the head servant gave this task to me today. I’ve been lazing around so much lately; it wouldn’t be fair to the o-others if I couldn’t do this. I just need a little break, and I’ll finish this up in a little bit. Why don’t you tell me about any new story you’ve read while I work?”

As A-Yuan talked, the blind panic in Shen Jiu’s mind receded and he was able to properly analyze his brother’s state.

A-Yuan’s face was gaunt, and his hair was brittle to the point that some of it might simply fall out. The clothes that fitted A-Yuan last time they saw each other were now loose on him.

“When was the last time you had a meal?”

A-Yuan froze. “Eh? J-just this morning.” He stammered as he looked away.

Shen Jiu knew he was lying.

Cold hard fury enveloped Shen Jiu’s entire being. The older twin regally stood up with war in his dark green eyes. A-Yuan noticed his twin’s merciless mood and quickly clutched at Shen Jiu’s robes.

“W-what are you doing?! I’m fine! Don’t get yourself into trouble!” A-Yuan rasped at him.

“Stop pretending,” Shen Jiu hissed at him. “It’s no wonder you haven’t been getting better. Those worms have been making your illness worse! You will die at this rate!” Shen Jiu increasingly raised his voice as the horror of the possibility struck him.

A-Yuan shook his head. “Gege, stop worrying about me! I’m not that sick, I won’t leave you alone.” Just as he said that, a sudden panic seized the younger twin. A-Yuan’s shoulders hunched as if he was being preyed on.

Shen Jiu became alert and he grabbed A-Yuan’s hand. “What’s wrong?”

A myriad of emotions flitted across his brother’s face. They passed by too quickly for Shen Jiu to read all of them, but at the end A-Yuan settled on resignation. “N-nothing. I just recalled that I was also supposed to collect the laundry today.”

“No, you’re not. You’re going to bed right now. I’ll take over your duties,” Shen Jiu dictated as he tried pulling him up.

A-Yuan swatted his hands away. “No! I can do them,” he insisted, then he paused.

An extraordinarily dark aura surrounded Shen Jiu, giving him a demonic presence. He glowered at his younger twin with the ruthlessness of a knife’s edge. If this was a play and the audience saw him on the stage, they would all assume he was the main villain about to murder an underling. Ominous music would be playing in the background.

A-Yuan could only sigh exasperatedly at the display. “Alright, I’ll go to bed soon. But before I do so, would you mind if we sit out here for a little longer? We haven’t seen each for a while; I wish to talk.” His brother patted at the empty spot on the bench.

Shen Jiu relented and sat down. For a minute, the two of them enjoyed the gentle afternoon breeze. They watched as a few of the delicate pink blossoms floated down from the trees.

A-Yuan spoke up, “A-Jiu, what are your plans for the future?”

Shen Jiu pursed his lips. “I won’t let your treatment continue. There’s a girl on the kitchen staff that I know, and I can persuade her to give you meals from now on.”

In a serious tone, A-Yuan clarified, “No, I’m not talking about the short term. I’m asking about the larger picture. Are you truly thinking of marrying Qiu Haitang? Or do you wish to attempt an escape? What is the dream that you want to achieve?”

Watching his brother’s solemn face in the sunlight, concern crept into Shen Jiu’s soul.

“A-Yuan, you keep asking about me, but what about you? Don’t you have your own dreams too? Weren’t you thinking about becoming a beast tamer at one point?”

Such an occupation was strange of course, but Shen Jiu knew that A-Yuan had a strong adoration for beasts. It wasn’t something Shen Jiu understood, but so long as it wasn’t something that would hurt his brother, he will support him in his interests.

A-Yuan laughed and then coughed from his sore throat. “It was just a silly thought, n-nothing more. It doesn’t matter,” he said apathetically. “I just want to make sure that you are following your desires. That you have thought about them and you’re not wasting your time for my sake. Whatever is your plan, we’ll follow it.” A-Yuan tilted his head at Shen Jiu and asked:

“A-Jiu, what do you want to do?”

Shen Jiu carefully considered A-Yuan’s question, before hesitantly answering. “I’d like to wait. It’s been two years, that should be enough time for Qi-ge to get some training. He should be back soon.”

His brother gently smiled. “Then that is what we’ll do. We’ll wait.”

“Young master, someone has been stealing leftovers from the kitchens.”

“Do you know who it is?”

“I have suspicions, but there has not been any evidence so far.”

“Hmmm…Such an ungrateful act must be punished.” Qiu Jianluo pondered for a moment, and grinned. “The perpetrator will never do it again.”

The next time Shen Jiu saw his brother was a mere thirteen days later. Qiu Jianluo and the rest of the family were visiting a sickly aunt in another province, and he couldn’t bring Shen Jiu along. Shen Jiu kept his servile mask on while bidding farewell to Jianluo, but internally he was elated to have some breathing room from the beast.

Without the Qiu family around, Shen Jiu didn’t need permission to visit A-Yuan. His mood was good when he entered his brother’s room. Then Shen Jiu halted at the doorway.

Perspiring heavily with his complexion an almost ghostly white, A-Yuan laid in bed with a bucket placed next to it. On the table was a meal that hadn’t been touched at all.

“A-Jiu, is that you?” A-Yuan weakly called out; his eyes were glazed.

Shen Jiu was broken out of his shock and he quickly came to his bedside. He glanced back at the tray and asked, “A-Yuan, have you been eating at all?”

A-Yuan feebly shook his head. “My nausea has been very strong as of late. I haven’t had the appetite for the last couple of days.”

Horror crawled up his spine. Food has always been a favorite of his brother’s, right below listening to stories. Shen Jiu has even had to stop A-Yuan from devouring fairly unpalatable things like expired meat buns. As long as it wasn’t bland, he would eat it. It was a concern of his that A-Yuan might one day end up marrying any fool who knew how to cook.

Shen Jiu frowned. “You can’t recover your strength if you don’t eat. Here, let me get you some water first and then try to at least take a couple bites.”

After retrieving a glass of water and helping his twin drink it, he held the bowl of noodles and used the chopsticks to take some out. As he brought it towards A-Yuan, he paused.

The smell…there was something slightly off with it. It was almost undetectable, but Shen Jiu always had sharp senses. He decided to take a small bite of the noodles, and then he immediately spat it back into the bowl. It was very faint, but he could taste the slight bitterness of the substance that was added to it. Shen Jiu got up and quickly rinsed out his mouth to make sure no trace of it remained.

“A-Jiu?” A-Yuan questioned.

“I’ll be back shortly,” he gritted out as he stomped out of the room, making sure to take the meal with him to dispose of.

He found Jie Xiulan, the kitchen servant who he had convinced to bring meals to his brother.

“What?!” She gasped, face turning pale. “It was poisoned?”

Shen Jiu studied her face carefully. The emotions do seem genuine, but still…

He raised an eyebrow. “Was Miss Jie not aware?”

Jie Xiulan vehemently waved her hands. “I made that whole batch of noodles earlier in the day. You’ve seen me serve it to the Qiu family before they left,” she halted, and her lips thinned. “A couple days ago I overheard Elder Kai making a complaint to young master Jianluo. I thought it wouldn’t amount to much, but…” She drifted off.

They both stood still as they contemplated the information. Shen Jiu hadn’t heard about it, but he may have been with young mistress Haitang when the meeting happened. He headed over to the kitchen, and Jie Xiulan followed him. They took out all the leftovers and Shen Jiu showed her how to check them.

Most of it had been dosed with the poison.

“T-this is too far!” Xiulan exclaimed.

Shen Jiu kept a focused expression on his face, but internally his heart was beating rapidly. Dread pooled in his stomach. It was only by mere luck that A-Yuan wasn’t already dead. If he hadn’t started feeling nauseous around the time the poison started being added into the meals, his didi would’ve been gone by now.

“Miss Jie, I apologize for my rudeness. This servant does not want to impose on you any further, but would it be possible for you to cook new meals for my brother instead of serving leftovers to him? I’m willing to recompen-“.

Jie Xiulan held her hand up and interrupted him. “No need. I’ll do it. I’m not going to let someone potentially die if I can do something about it.”

“I…Miss Jie, this one appreciates your kindness.”

Over the span of a couple weeks, A-Yuan was able to regain some of his weight. His pallor returned, and his fevers were not as intense. With Qiu Jianluo gone and Shen Jiu being able to spend more time with A-Yuan, it was the closest to peace he has ever felt at the Qiu estate. Shen Jiu still had to deal with the other jealous servants who spat on him for having the young master’s “favor”, but he’d rather deal with those imbeciles than that beast any time.

“A-Jiu, I’m sorry,” A-Yuan told him one day after Shen Jiu had finished reciting a poem by his bedside.

He was startled. “Why are you apologizing?”

“I’m a burden, aren’t I? You’re always taking care of me. A-Jiu is in a worse position than I am, and yet there is nothing I can do to return the favor.”

What nonsense was his brother talking about?! Shen Jiu narrowed his eyes at him.

“Someone who views their family as burdens is trash. Is that what you are saying of me?’

“W-what? No! But, I’m-.”

Shen Jiu stopped him. “As your gege, it is my duty to take care of you. There is no ‘favor’ for you to return. If you really want to make it up to me, then focus on getting better. That is the only job you have to do as didi.”

A-Yuan wryly smiled. “A-Jiu, we don’t actually know which one of us is older. You just decided to claim that title yourself. Maybe I’m actually the gege and I’m failing my duty right now.”

“No. I don’t need to know the time of our birth to know that I’m older than you. I’m your gege, you’re my didi. That is the law,” Shen Jiu said with absolute authority.

A-Yuan laughed, and a gentle expression eased onto his face. “Okay, okay. You’re right, gege.” He paused for a moment and glanced down at his hands. “I…A-Jiu, you are the best brother I could ever have.”

“Eh? W-why are you saying such a sappy line?”

The corners of his lips ticked up into a smile. “I just thought it was something important to say out loud. The both of us…are not good at communication. But I thought this would be a good time as any to try. There shouldn’t be any words that are left unsaid. Even if it seems obvious. And I want this to be known: no matter what hardships we have faced, there has never been a day where I wasn't happy to be your brother.”

Folding his hands on his lap, Shen Jiu looked away. A lump formed at the back of his throat.

There has been a fear at the back of Shen Jiu’s mind for a while that…he was failing A-Yuan. His brother has been so ill since they were bought by the Qiu household, and Shen Jiu couldn’t be by his side to take care of him most of the time. They were in a dangerous place, and Shen Jiu had no power to protect A-Yuan or himself. Yet despite Shen Jiu’s loss of strength, his brother continued to have confidence in him. He still thought Shen Jiu was good. Hearing A-Yuan’s words made the tension in his soul ease a little.

“...Thank you.”

Qiu Jianluo returned, and Shen Jiu was forced to spend most of his time trapped by his side.

Every day was an exercise in terror and unpredictability. Would the young master have him focus on his duties today? Or will he indulge in his sadistic side and torture Shen Jiu until he couldn’t move? Perhaps he’ll parade him around Qiu Haitang and the two of them could pretend to be friendly potential brother-in-laws in front of her. The proposal hasn’t fully gone through yet, with their parents being understandably worried about their daughter marrying a slave. While Shen Jiu was fond of mistress Haitang, he knew the true reason the beast wanted them to marry was so he could keep the both of them nearby.

Today Qiu Jianluo had decided to go with option number two. A few hours after Jianluo went to bed, Shen Jiu had forced himself to sneak out with his battered body. Everywhere but his face was littered with bruises. Shen Jiu wanted to do nothing more than to lie in his bed and not move at all.

Unfortunately, there was an important banquet coming up, and Jie Xiulan had been working nonstop on it with the other kitchen staff. She was able to sneak in a meal to A-Yuan during her busy schedule, but she had let Shen Jiu know she wasn’t sure when the next time would be. Thus, Shen Jiu had to stumble into the kitchen with a bag late at night, grab some nourishment, and take it back to A-Yuan’s room to tide him over until then.

A-Yuan fretted over him when he came in, but Shen Jiu dismissed his worries and handed him the bag. He couldn’t stay too long to chat with A-Yuan in case Jianluo woke up and requested his presence.

He had quietly closed the door to A-Yuan’s room behind him when a voice spoke up.

“What’s a rat like you doing up and about?”

Shen Jiu put on a calm mask as he turned and said, “Greetings, Elder Kai. This lowly servant was merely checking on his brother’s health. Why is an Elder such as yourself wandering the halls so late at night?”

The older man crossed his arms. “I’m doing some pest control. A certain ungrateful slave has been pilfering food from the kitchens.”

Shen Jiu tilted his head. “Is that so? Perhaps a certain head cook has not been completing his duties and serving everyone like he’s supposed to.”

He scoffed. “We serve the Qiu family and those who work under them. Since Shen Yuan has been a layabout, he isn’t included in that. Why should we give him the fruits of our labor when he does nothing to deserve it? No one is on your side. In fact, if I report what you’ve done to the young master, everyone will cheer me on.”

Shen Jiu hummed. “Do you truly believe that is what will happen? I have a different prediction. I don’t think anyone’s going to be on your side when they find out that you’ve been sneaking money out of the budget and lining your own pockets with it.”

Ever since Shen Jiu found out that Elder Kai had a grudge against A-Yuan, he had been investigating him. He supposed if there was one benefit to being kept in the beast’s orbit, it’s that he had access to the estate’s information. Shen Jiu had peeked at the accounts and noticed some of the numbers don’t add up.

He didn’t quite have the proof to pin it on Elder Kai yet, but the idiot didn’t know that.

The older man turned into a pleasing shade of purple as he sputtered, “S-shut up! You’re nothing more than a conniving snake!”

“I suppose that would make the two of us, thief.” Shen Jiu smiled coldly. “It appears we are at a deadlock. Perhaps Elder Kai should go back to bed now, he still has a banquet he needs to prepare for after all. Though I suppose he might not if he shoves all his work to those below him.”

Shen Jiu was about to walk away when the older man slammed him against A-Yuan’s door. He gritted his teeth to stop the hiss of pain from escaping his mouth as Elder Kai pressed into his bruises.

“You think you’re so smart, don’t you? Don’t be smug. One day someone’s going to get their vengeance on you. They’ll rip you apart and you’ll be nothing more than a worm writhing on the ground,” the older man sneered. He struck him in the stomach, and Shen Jiu struggled not to gasp from the agony. The hallways echoed with his footsteps as Elder Kai left.

Shen Jiu heavily leaned against the door as he tried to recover. After the pain subsided, he slowly got up.

That worthless insect! It’s a miracle he didn’t wake everyone up with his childish tantrum! Going around and hitting him in the middle of the night, who does he think he is?! Shen Jiu is going to make him pay for that.

Mood plummeting off a cliff, Shen Jiu grumbled as he walked away. He returned to his room and fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

The next couple days were busy for Shen Jiu. Qiu Jianluo made him write some last-minute invitations to the banquet and fill out various other paperwork that the beast should really be doing himself.

One morning, he was woken up by Jie Xiulan frantically shaking his arm.

“S-Shen J-Jiu,” she sobbed and hiccupped with tears streaming down her horrified face. “Shen Yuan is dead.”

At first, Shen Jiu couldn’t comprehend it. They were four simple words, so easily said.

And yet with that sentence, his world shattered.

No. Nononoonononono.

He ran out of his room in almost a blind panic. Fear was lighting every inch of his skin as he blazed through the halls.

Not his brother! Don’t take A-Yuan away! Don’t take awa-

When he finally reached his destination, the doorway was littered with broken dishes that were dropped when Xiulan made her discovery.

Shen Jiu stepped over the shards of porcelain and into the room. Immediately, a rotting stench strangled him as he looked at-

A-Yuan was on the floor and-

The b-body was-

There were hundreds of flies swarming-

His eyes were being devoured-

Shen Jiu threw up.

He forced himself back out of the room in order to breath. Everything took on a dream like quality to it. Nothing was real as Shen Jiu continued staring at A-Yuan’s remains, unable to tear his gaze away despite the horrendous state it was in.

…This wasn’t recent. A-Yuan must’ve died days ago. He must’ve died after…after Shen Jiu left him. And considering he was on the floor; he must’ve been trying to get help. Slowly crawling along the ground as his life gradually ebbed out…

Shen Jiu’s body locked up, and he couldn’t move as the weight of his failures stabbed through his chest. His twin lost his life, and Shen Jiu hadn’t even been aware of it.

After time has passed, others began catching on that something was wrong. The household became aware of the death. People rushed in and out of the room, and Shen Jiu could only blankly stand there like a ghost.

They examined the body.

“He died from a combination of his illness and food poisoning. Shen Yuan ate something expired, and it was too much for his body to take,” they claimed.

That was a lie.

Shen Jiu knew A-Yuan died from getting actually poisoned. He was trying to understand how. It shouldn’t have been possible. He and Xiulan went out of their way to prevent this. The meals should’ve been safe. They checked for it all-

Wait, did they?

Shen Jiu recalled the night he came into A-Yuan’s room, battered and tired. He had not been well when he gave him the bag.

Fear and doubt crept into Shen Jiu, devouring him from the inside.

He thought he had checked everything he brought to ensure it was safe for consumption.…but it was very possible that he was too distracted by his exhaustion and pain to fully pay attention. In his search, he may have overlooked a tainted meal. A meal that Shen Jiu then handed to his brother.

Did he get A-Yuan killed?

His heart stopped.

Did Shen Jiu murder his own didi? Was his blood on his hands? N-no he c-can’t…

T-they shouldn’t have stayed! As soon as they had found out about the poison, Shen Jiu should’ve dragged A-Yuan out of the Qiu estate! Getting executed for escaping would’ve been better than this! Waiting uselessly for Qi-ge to rescue them made him too complacent! It was all Shen Jiu’s fault-

“Ah, so he was the thief,” Qiu Jianluo commented idly and startling Shen Jiu from his thoughts.

The mess had been cleaned up. A-Yuan’s body was still in the room, but it was put into a bag and closed tightly so the smell would not get out.

Shen Jiu knew it was a bad idea, but he couldn’t stop himself from snapping. “Why did you poison the food?! They were leftovers, you monster!”

Qiu Jianluo grinned at him. “So, you know about it. Did you figure it out before or after you killed him?”

“Shut up!” Shen Jiu snarled, and he could see Qiu Jianluo’s amusement fade into something violent, but at this point he couldn’t care. A-Yuan was dead. “If you hadn’t decided to deal with this matter in such a way, he’d still be alive! You wanted someone to die!”

Qiu Jianluo’s eyes were black voids as his smile became cold and empty. “My dear Shen Jiu, I rescued you and your brother from the streets. Out of my gracious heart, I gave you shelter, clothing, and food. Everything you have is mine. Everything you are is mine. If I want to rescind my mercy, I will. If I want to rescind your lives, I will,” he spoke softly. Qiu Jianluo then gently grabbed Shen Jiu’s wrist. Revulsion crept into his very core, but fear kept him from wrenching it away.

Qiu Jianluo continued, “You are valuable to me, Shen Jiu. But your brother? He was a parasite. Even though you have the same appearance, he’s nothing like you at all. It’s disgusting. You wasted so much of your time thinking about him - it’s better that he’s dead now. His existence was worthless. It was a life best forgotten.”

Shen Jiu swung at him, and his fist made a hard impact on Qiu Jianluo's face.

Fury warped Qiu Jianluo’s expression into something truly inhuman. “You ungrateful beast! It appears I haven’t trained you well enough!” He hissed and tightened his hold on Shen Jiu’s wrist to the point of near breaking.

Qiu Jianluo tortured him.

Throughout it all, Shen Jiu didn’t scream.

Shen Jiu watched as A-Yuan was thrown into the pyre. The fire glowed brilliantly like an exploding star as it devoured the last remnants of his twin in this world.

It was a desolate funeral. Other than Shen Jiu, there was nobody else there. Jie Xiulan had been dismissed from her position and returned to her family.

The ashes were dumped into a bag and deposited into a grave. By the “benevolence” of the Qiu family, they buried him in an unused corner of their graveyard. Weeds grew in the unkempt area, and there were some leftover construction materials lying around that no one ever bothered to relocate.  

After the last scoop of dirt was laid upon the grave, Shen Jiu turned and slowly limped away. The wounds on his body were rubbing against the bandages as he moved, giving him shots of pain each time he took a step. The physician had told him to stay in bed, but he couldn’t abandon A-Yuan again. Shen Jiu dragged his damaged body out to see him one last time.

When he passed a worn-down bench, he stopped. His throat closed up. Two months ago, A-Yuan had sat on that bench and asked Shen Jiu about his plans. His brother had been ill and suffering under starvation, but he was still so concerned about Shen Jiu. And now that he thought about it, A-Yuan had never truly answered Shen Jiu on what his own desires were.

What kind of brother was he?

He didn’t know what A-Yuan dreamed of. He hadn’t even realized when A-Yuan died.

He didn’t pay enough attention on a task vital to A-Yuan’s life.

Shen Jiu went around touting how he was the older one, but in the end, he completely failed his duty to look after him.

What a joke.

Hysterical laughter bubbled out of him, and he could feel water prickling at the edges of his eyes. Shen Jiu collapsed on to the bench - further agitating his injuries. He didn’t care.

“A-Jiu?”

Shen Jiu couldn’t breathe when he saw a flicker of a white cloth in the corner of his vision. He turned his head, and it quickly disappeared into one of the many gardens of the Qiu estate.

Panic seized his body and Shen Jiu forced himself up to chase after it. His wounds opened and began bleeding once more as he ran through the foliage. The adrenaline allowed him to ignore his screaming injuries. Shen Jiu followed as far as he could before he lost track of where he was. His vision swayed as he stumbled around before suddenly freezing.

Surrounded by colorful lilies, A-Yuan stood before him donned in resplendent mourning robes that were as white as the deepest of winters. He tipped his head to the side while he observed Shen Jiu.   

It was almost completely silent in the garden save for Shen Jiu’s gasping breaths as he tried to recover. He gazed mindlessly at A-Yuan. After a while, he spoke up.

“Do you hate me for what I did?” Shen Jiu questioned in a small voice.

A-Yuan’s eyes were distant like snow on a mountain when Shen Jiu asked. His robes didn’t flutter as the wind blew through the garden, shaking the flowers.

A-Yuan had no answer to give, instead he turned his back to Shen Jiu.

Fear boiled in Shen Jiu’s chest and he took several steps towards him. The pain from his wounds finally pierced him and he fell onto the ground.

His brother tilted his head over his shoulder and glanced down at him for a moment.

Then he began walking away.

Tears streaked down Shen Jiu’s face. “Please!” He begged, bleeding and broken on the dirt. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry! There was never a moment I didn’t regret it! I know I’m awful. I know I’m a terrible brother! But don’t…” Shen Jiu sobbed. “Please A-Yuan, don’t leave me alone.”

Shen Jiu desperately reach out towards A-Yuan, and his hand touched the very edges of his robes. Or it would’ve, but his fingers went through the white cloth.

A-Yuan dissipated like smoke, and Shen Jiu found himself uselessly trying to hold onto something that was never truly there.

Shen Jiu closed his eyes, and he pushed the memories back down. After taking a few deep breaths, he felt the nausea recede. The headache and his exhaustion were still there, but it was more manageable now.

He must destroy his weakness no matter the cost.

If he could become an all-powerful cultivator, then he would have control. If he could become a peerless immortal, then nothing could be taken from him. If he was anything less than that, then he was worthless.

Shen Jiu had been indecisive about it before, but now he was determined to take Yue Qingyuan’s offer to come to Cang Qiong Mountain. Even if the head disciple didn’t truly have the ability to get him in, Shen Jiu didn’t need it. He didn’t need anyone. Shen Jiu had his own skills, and he will make it happen.

Shen Jiu slowly stood and brushed himself off. Forcing his posture to become steady and strong, he walked back to the inn.

Chapter Text

“Be careful, Shen-xiansheng. They say this forest has many beasts.” Mu Qingfang informed him quietly.

Shen Jiu nodded as the group entered their last destination. Sunlight filtered through the emerald leaves. Stepping through the vibrant, deafening silence was their constant companion. No birds were singing in the distance nor even a single cricket chirping. It was as if they were all alone in the world. The air was filled with uneasy tranquility.

Yue Qingyuan shattered the silence and asked. “Mu-shidi, could you go over the monster we are looking for?”

“Yes, Yue-shixiong. The last ingredient for the potion is hooves of a Wampus Horse. This shidi has never seen one, but they are described as a horse with humanoid features. They are capable of flight. It should be obvious when we encounter one. They are only active during the day. At night, they hide. Thus, it would be best to search for it with the few hours of sunlight we have left.”

Yue Qingyuan pondered for a moment. “It may be best if we divide the group. We can cover more ground this way. Mu-shidi comes with me. Liu-shidi, could you accompany Shen Jiu? We all have flares, so if anyone encounters the beast first, please set one off so we can provide support.”

Shen Jiu’s face twisted when he heard the words. Did he really have to work with that brute? He would prefer being with Mu Qingfang instead. But it seemed like the two disciples were already following Yue Qingyuan’s orders. The healer stood by the future Sect Master’s side while the judgmental moron walked over to Shen Jiu’s.

Fine, he could handle this. If they encounter the beast, he will just have Liu Qingge be the distraction while Shen Jiu sneaked up to kill it. 

After selecting a spot for all of them to return to in case nobody was able to encounter a Wampus Horse before sundown, the two groups went their separate ways.

Two hours passed of trudging through the quiet forest. Shen Jiu and Liu Qingge failed to even encounter another living being. At one point, they even tried flying above the forest to see if that could give them a better vantage point. Unfortunately, the tree leaves blocked the view of the forest ground. 

Liu Qingge frowned. “For a place that is claimed to have monsters, it is strange we haven’t encountered anything.”

Shen Jiu tilted his head and wondered. Looking over their situation once more, he realized something.

Shen Jiu spoke up, “Is it though? To have the forest fall silent as soon as we arrive, that must not be a coincidence. Perhaps these beasts are more intelligent then we thought. Four cultivators come into their territory with the intent to hunt. It may have risen alarm in them, and thus they avoid us on purpose.”

Liu Qingge crossed his arms. “If they can detect us so easily, then how are we going to find the Wampus Horse?”

“We might have to set traps. Do you have anything like that on you?” Shen Jiu questioned.

“No. I prefer to face my prey head-on.”

“Of course.” Shen Jiu sighed. Well, he had four nets in his qiankun bag. He’s not sure if they’re strong enough to hold a horse-like creature, but it would have to do.

The two of them quickly set up the nets at different locations. Once they were done, Shen Jiu saw they still had around hour of sunlight left.

“There is not much more we can do. Let us return,” Shen Jiu told him.

Liu Qingge nodded. 

They walked back to the agreed-upon area, but it appeared that Yue Qingyuan and Mu Qingfang had yet to return. 

Great. Now he had to suffer in silence with only the fighting obsessed idiot for company. He supposed he will just bring out Mu Qingfang’s book and pretend to read for a while. Shen Jiu felt too tired right now to fully absorb the information of a scholarly text.

As Shen Jiu took the book out of his bag to fake read, Liu Qingge spoke up.

“Are you alright?” He questioned.

Shen Jiu paused and glanced towards the Bai Zhan Peak disciple. “What?’

Liu Qingge pursed his lips as he struggled to find the correct words. “I noticed that you check on your brother a lot. With Shen Yuan back in town…it must make you anxious. On top of your obvious exhaustion from the last couple of days…”

A-Yuan being under the care of strangers without him there did make Shen Jiu uncomfortable, despite Mu Qingfang’s assurances that the small hospital would provide the best care. But he was not about to inform Liu Qingge of his emotional status.

“There is nothing wrong. I am fine,” Shen Jiu stated. 

Liu Qingge furrowed his brow. Before he could say anything, Yue Qingyuan and Mu Qingfang arrived.

“So, you weren’t able to find anything as well?” Mu Qingfang questioned.

“No. I think the beasts of the forest are deliberately avoiding us,” Shen Jiu responded.

Yue Qingyuan nodded. “That theory has also crossed my mind. Miu-shidi and I have set up twelve traps.”

“We set some traps on our end too,” Liu Qingge commented.

“Good. It is not perfect since we cannot guarantee that the beasts caught will be a Wampus Horse, but we will start from there. With night almost upon us, we should stop for the day.”

The others agreed. Liu Qingge collected wood and started a campfire. They used the provisions they bought in town to make a stew. After the group finished their dinner, everyone was left to their own devices. It was still early in the night. Yue Qingyuan was sitting near the fire, using the light to complete some paperwork. Mu Qingfang was grinding medicine, and Liu Qingge was cleaning his sword. 

With nothing to distract him, Shen Jiu could feel the wave of anxiety start to rise. Worries, fears, and insecurities plagued his mind. Not wanting anyone else to see, he left the camp. He only went far enough to have some modicum of privacy, and he could still see the light of the campfire from where he was. There was a fallen tree trunk nearby, and he sat down on it. Shen Jiu put his head in his hands as he tried to collect himself.

“Do you want to fight?”

Shen Jiu nearly flailed in shock. He glanced up and saw Liu Qingge leaning against a tree.

“What are you doing here?”

Liu Qingge shrugged. “I decided to take a walk and saw you sitting alone. You seem stressed. Fighting always made me feel better.” 

Shen Jiu rolled his eyes at him. The idiot had a one-track mind. He was about to retort when he was interrupted.

“Physical activity isn’t a bad idea for reducing anxiety, but I don’t think we should resort to fighting, Liu-shixiong.”

Shen Jiu turned his head towards Mu Qingfang. The healer saw his attention and nervously waved.

“Oh! I also happened to take a walk! I’m here by complete coincidence,” Mu Qingfang blatantly lied.

Shen Jiu internally groaned. He came here to be in solitude! Why is everyone showing up?! Is Yue Qingyuan going to be the next one?! He surveyed his surroundings, but a third person did not spontaneously appear. 

“How about we go for a run?” Mu Qingfang suggested.

Shen Jiu raised a brow at him.

Liu Qingge scoffed at his reaction. “You’ve been spending a lot of time by yourself the past few days. It doesn’t look like the isolation has been helping you. Why not change up your habits?”

Mu Qingfang jumped in. “It might be fun. With all the beasts avoiding us, we will be relatively safe. Please, Shen-xiansheng?”

Shen Jiu frowned as he debated on what he should do.

Liu Qingge crossed his arms in front of his chest and glanced at the healer. “Mu-shidi, perhaps we should leave him alone. Shen Jiu obviously does not have the resilience to run.” 

“What did you say?” Shen Jiu coldly questioned. He glared at the Bai Zhan Peak disciple with a soul-withering ferocity of a thousand snowstorms. 

Liu Qingge was immune. He merely cocked his head to the side and said, “You heard me.”

Shen Jiu stood up and drew out his sword. “I think a fight would be most appropriate right now. Someone needs to take your arrogance down a notch,” he hissed.

“With your low cultivation? Good luck.”

Shen Jiu’s vision exploded into a bright fiery red.

“I am going to murder you!” He snarled as he swung his blade at the fool.

“Liu-shixiong! Please don’t actually fight him!”

Liu Qingge scowled at Mu Qingfang as he dodged Shen Jiu’s sword. His hand was on the hilt of Cheng Luan.

Fury burst in Mu Qingfang’s dark eyes. “I swear if I have to take care of anyone’s injuries tonight, then I will hold you responsible! You better not ask me to treat you for the whole year!”

Disappointment marred Liu Qingge’s features as he took his hand off his sword and jumped out of Shen Jiu’s range.

“Come back here, you asshole!” Shen Jiu shouted.

“You pose no challenge to me with your terrible techniques. How about this? If you can catch me, I’ll concede defeat.” Liu Qingge proposed. Then he turned and ran.

“Terrible techniques?! I’ll show you terrible techniques!” Shen Jiu growled as he chased after him.

“Ah! Wait up!” Mu Qingfang pleaded, and he followed them.

Three hours later…

“I think you should surrender!” Liu Qingge shouted while standing on top of a cliff.

Shen Jiu was about to keel over, but he was not about to show weakness to anyone as he continued climbing the damn thing. He shot the arrogant fool a frosty stare or at least attempted to. With how high up Liu Qingge was, he most likely did not see it clearly.

“And…let…you win? No.” Shen Jiu slowly said as he wheezed.

“What? What did you say? I didn’t hear you!” Liu Qingge yelled.

“Haha. Why don’t we all head back now? It’s getting late.” Mu Qingfang loudly suggested at the bottom of the cliff in order to make his voice heard.

“I…” Shen Jiu was about to reply, but his vision began to sway. With his lack of sleep, he had been running on pure determination for the past three hours. But even willpower can only go so far, and his body was shutting down in protest. Everything faded to black as his eyelids closed against his will. His hands let go of the rocks, and he was quickly descending towards the earth. Mu Qingfang and the asshole shouted in alarm. The last thing he felt was a pair of arms reaching around him as he fell into unconsciousness.

Yue Qingyuan gracefully landed on the ground. He worriedly observed Xiao Jiu while hugging him against his chest. Mu Qingfang ran over to them, and Liu Qingge made his way down the cliff.

“He fell asleep. The exhaustion must have caught up to him,” Mu-shidi informed him.

Yue Qingyuan sighed. He had wanted him to get some rest, but this was too dangerous.

“Is he alright?” Liu Qingge asked once he reached them.

“Yes. But Liu-shidi, please refrain from goading him in the future. He has a rather competitive spirit.” Yue Qingyuan said.

Mu Qingfang glanced back up with surprise. “Eh? Yue-shixiong, have you been following us since the beginning?”

Yue Qingyuan placidly smiled. “I was merely having a walk and, by fortuitous luck, found all of you were here.”

“…You know you didn’t have to hide. If you came out earlier, you probably could’ve joined us.” Mu-shidi spoke up, not buying his excuse for a moment.

“He would not like that,” Yue Qingyuan said as he glanced down at the person in his arms.

Liu-shidi crossed his arms in front of his chest. “What is the situation between you two?’

“Hm? We were childhood friends,” Yue Qingyuan stated, though it was information Liu Qingge already knew.

“Your ‘friendship’ seems tense.”

There was a melancholy tinge to his smile. “It is because I let him down.”

Mu Qingfang tilted his head. “How did you let him down, Yue-shixiong? You came all the way from Cang Qiong Mountain to rescue him, did you not?”

“I was supposed to come a lot sooner.”

“Why didn’t you?” Liu Qingge questioned.

“I simply failed to do so.”

Li-shidi frowned. “Yue-shixiong does not seem like the type of man to ‘simply fail’ when lives are on the line. Did something happen?”

“No one is infallible, Liu-shidi,” Yue Qingyuan said politely.

“Are these vague statements what you told Shen Jiu?” Liu Qingge pointedly asked.

Yue Qingyuan tensed.

Mu-shidi looked at him worriedly. “It is fine if you don’t want to tell us, but perhaps you should inform Shen-xiansheng what happened. He seemed very upset when he returned from your private conversation at the minor sects tournament.”

Yue Qingyuan fell silent for a minute. Then he hesitantly spoke. “…What is there to say? Even if I did have an excuse, that doesn’t change the past.”

“Maybe he’ll forgive you,” Liu Qingge pointed out.

Yue Qingyuan softly laughed. It sounded hollow.

“No, he won’t. My mistake is inexcusable. I don’t deserve to be forgiven,” Yue Qingyuan stated.

“That is not for you to decide.”

Yue Qingyuan glanced back at Mu-shidi, and there was a serious expression on his face.

“Even if the reason were something frivolous, Shen-xiansheng deserves to know. This is an event that impacted his life. Understanding what caused it, even if it is terrible, is better than not knowing anything at all.”

“Are you sure it is better? A lot of preventable pain was caused because of my mistake. Wouldn’t the knowledge that he could’ve not suffered make it worse?”

Liu-shidi spoke up, “Shouldn’t that be his choice to make?”

The weight of Xuan Su bore down on Yue Qingyuan like a chain. “I don’t want him to be hurt,” he said quietly.

Mu-shidi fidgeted with his hands and said, “…I have not known Shen-xiansheng for long, but I think it is safe to say that he has already been hurt. I know Yue-shixiong has many regrets, but one cannot undo the damage. They can only recover from it. Perhaps learning about the whole situation is what will help him heal.” Mu Qingfang’s dark eyes met Yue Qingyuan’s with a hard sincerity. “That possibility is why you must give him the choice.”

Yue Qingyuan looked down at Xiao Jiu’s face in the moonlight. In his slumber, his expression was as peaceful as freshly fallen snow. Yet he could see the shadows under his eyes. When he was awake, Xiao Jiu would relentlessly push himself beyond measure. He forced himself to keep moving through exhaustion and pain, seemingly uncaring of his body in the process. It was as if he were frightened that pausing for a moment would destroy him.

Yue Qingyuan tightened his hold on Xiao Jiu. After a moment, he sighed.

“This shixiong will consider your suggestions. With Shen Yuan still under the effects of the potion, I do not want to add more to Shen Jiu’s plate. Perhaps when we have returned to Cang Qiong Mountain and they have settled in, will I tell him.”

“Very well, Yue-shixiong,” Mu Qingfang acquiesced. Liu Qingge only gave a slight nod and said nothing more.

Yue Qingyuan changed his carrying position so that Xiao Jiu was on Yue Qingyuan’s back instead. The four of them returned to camp. Once there, he gently set Xiao Jiu down and went on to make their sleeping arrangements. After tucking him in, he bid the others good night.

“Mroww.”

Shen Jiu blearily opened his eyes. Up above he could see emerald trees grasping towards the vast sky. The morning air was crisp, and golden sunlight cast the forest in warm hues.

After a moment, Shen Jiu realized he was lying on a soft blanket. His outer robe was folded neatly aside with his shoes. A quilt covered Shen Jiu, but it was not too thick and did not make him overly warm in the pleasant morning temperature. He glanced around and saw almost everyone was sleeping in their own blankets near the extinguished campfire. Liu Qingge simply laid on the grass itself. With the weather so lovely, the others must have decided to take advantage of it to sleep under the stars.

Shen Jiu frowned. Wait, the last thing he remembered was climbing a cliff. How did he get here? Did someone put him to bed? Before the embarrassing implications could hit him, Shen Jiu was distracted by a whiny sound.

“Mrooorwww.”

Shen Jiu’s eyes widened, and he abruptly sat up. He turned around and-

‘Ah, I must still be dreaming,’ Shen Jiu blankly thought as he stared at a tiny fluffy cat that was floating two feet in the air.

The kitten’s fur was as black as the night sky, and its eyes were bright and silver like starlight. On its forehead was a scar.

A sad little meow came from the gravity-defying kitten as it watched him.

Shen Jiu’s lips thinned at the pitiful look that thing was giving him. “What do you want, little beast?” He sneered.

“Mrrrr.”

“Well, whatever it is, you are not getting it from me.”

“Mmrrrrrrrr.”

“That is simply how the world works. Never ask anyone for mercy. They will only hurt you more.”

“Mrow.”

Shen Jiu sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. This is nonsensical. He is sitting here talking to a hovering cat.

Why couldn’t he sleep normally? Just empty darkness would be fine. If he had to dream, at least don’t make it this silly nonsens-

“You are weak. Pathetic. You will never be anything but a slave,” Qiu Jianluo sneered.

“I promise I’ll come back to rescue you!” Qi-ge vowed.

“A-Jiu, you can’t protect me,” A-Yuan whispered.

Actually, this is acceptable. He wished all his dreams were like this.

“Meow?”

Shen Jiu shoved his face into his hands and groaned. He then glanced between his fingers and observed the floating kitten. It really was a black puff of fur.

…He kind of wanted to pet it.

Shen Jiu pursed his lips as he debated with himself. In the end, he reasoned that since he was in a dream, he might as well do whatever he wished.

He slowly reached out his hand towards the kitten and gently rubbed behind its ears. The kitten purred and pressed its face against his palm.

The fur was incredibly soft. It was like touching a tiny fluffy cloud.

After a few minutes of petting it, the small cat meowed at him again. Believing it did not want to be touched anymore, Shen Jiu took away his hand. The kitten became noisier. It wanted something.

Shen Jiu furrowed his brow at the attitude. Perhaps it was about time he got control of his dream. He gave it a stern look.

“If you desire anything from me, you must obey all my commands,” Shen Jiu dictated.

The kitten became silent and tilted its head.

“Stop floating in the air like a bird. Stand on the ground like a normal cat,” he said. This may not be reality, but he was going to demand that logic be followed.

After a moment, the kitten slowly descended onto the grass next to his blankets. It peeked back up to him with its silver eyes.

“Mrow?”

Shen Jiu nodded. Good, it followed his order. He should give it a reward to train it further. Shen Jiu did not have anything on him a cat would want though.

As he pondered, his gaze stopped on a sleeping form near him. Hmmm.

Yue Qingyuan might have something. Shen Jiu found out during their journey that the man always carried snacks on him like a squirrel. As soon as Shen Jiu showed any signs of hunger or thirst, the head disciple would immediately bring out a drink or a mantou for him to consume. He always promptly rejected his offers. Perhaps it was a habit Yue Qingyuan gained after escaping his life as a malnourished slave.

Shen Jiu shook his head. Well, this was a dream, so he might as well take what he wanted. He put on his outer robe and got up from his makeshift bed. Shen Jiu walked over to the head disciple and crouched down.

He fumbled with Yue Qingyuan’s robes for a moment before finally grabbing his pouch. Shen Jiu failed to notice that underneath his groping touch, the future Sect Master became unnaturally still and had most certainly stopped breathing. With the stolen bag in hand, Shen Jiu returned to his newly acquainted kitten.

He looked through the qiankun bag. The first thing he saw was the money pouch. He could tell instantly that the head disciple had quite the allowance. Shen Jiu felt a brief stab of annoyance at how rich Yue Qingyuan was while Shen Jiu was still trying to save every coin he had. Eventually, Shen Jiu found the container of which he kept the snacks. He took it out and rifled through it. He discovered a carefully wrapped bundle of dried fish. Shen Jiu grabbed one and handed it to the tiny cat.

“Mew!” The kitten made a happy noise as it chowed down on the fish. As it ate, Shen Jiu petted the fluffy black cloud.

“Shen Jiu?” Yue Qingyuan’s gentle voice rang out behind him.

Before his very gaze, the cat disappeared into thin air. Shen Jiu was startled and accidentally bit his lip. From the pain, his eyes widened.

Was he awake and hallucinating this whole time?! Shen Jiu swiftly brushed himself off and stood up as elegantly as he could. He turned and glared at Yue Qingyuan.

“Hello, Yue Qingyuan. What do you want?”

“Nothing. I only wanted to make sure you were fine.”

“Why wouldn’t I be?” Shen Jiu frostily said. “I-.” He suddenly stopped when he realized he was still holding Yue Qingyuan’s stolen qiankun bag in his hand. Internally, he could feel his thin face shatter into a million pieces.

What could he even say?! Shen Jiu thought he saw a cat and only took his bag to feed it fish?! That sounds pathetic!

Coldly meeting Yue Qingyuan’s gaze, Shen Jiu sneered and waved the bag in front of his face. “You’re so defenseless when you sleep! I easily robbed your qiankun bag from you. Seeing as how you can’t handle your own possessions; this is mine now.”

“That is fine,” Yue Qingyuan immediately said.

“You can’t have i-.” Shen Jiu paused when he registered Yue Qingyuan’s words. He slowly blinked at him.

What.

He must have misheard. There was no way…

Shen Jiu pointed at the bag in his hand. “This qiankun bag, I am stealing it. I will never return it back to you. You will never see any of your belongings again.”

Yue Qingyuan shook his head. “It’s not stealing if I give it to you.”

 Shen Jiu’s veins popped. “What kind of elaborate game are you playing?!”

“I’m not playing any game. If you truly want my bag, then you can have everything inside of it.”

Incredulity filled his entire being. “Do you really expect me to believe that? You are going to give me the qiankun bag that has all your money without question?”

“It doesn’t contain all my funds, but yes. You can take it.”

Shen Jiu coughed blood. How rich is he?! Was Yue Qingyuan using this as some strange way to gloat?! As if to say, ‘Look at how wealthy I am! I can let people rob me with little financial repercussions in my life!’

Shameless.

“Fine, be that way. If you are going to be a fool, then I am going to take advantage of it,” Shen Jiu sneered.

“If it makes Shen Jiu happy, then I do not mind.” Yue Qingyuan said as he smiled warmly at him.

Shen Jiu snapped. “Stop that!”

Yue Qingyuan tilted his head at him inquisitively. “Stop what?”

“That!” Shen Jiu gritted out as he stormed off.

After they ate breakfast, the group went out to check the traps Yue Qingyuan and Mu Qingfang had set up first. They found three monsters, but none of them were horse-like in appearance. Shen Jiu’s spirits were not optimistic when they headed over to his next.

“Do not worry, Shen-xiansheng. Perhaps one of your traps have gotten the beast,” Mu Qingfang tried to encourage him.

“I doubt it. I did not set up as many traps as you two did. Furthermore, they are simple nets. Even if I miraculously caught one, who knows if it would hold?”

“We won’t know until we check. But if we truly cannot catch it today, we can try again tomorrow. Perhaps we could go back to town and buy better equipment. This sort of hunt can take time, but don’t fret. We will catch it eventually.”

Shen Jiu scowled. “I would give anything to just catch a Wampus Horse right now! I don’t want A-Yuan to be under Wu Yanzi’s control a minute longer.”

“Meow.”

He stiffened. “Did you hear that?” Shen Jiu questioned.

Mu Qingfang looked at him puzzledly. “Hear what?”

“I…nevermind.”

As predicted, the first two nets didn’t catch a thing. When the group approached the third one, it appeared it would have the same result. Just as Shen Jiu was about to take it down, an unearthly screech reverberated throughout the forest. He instinctively stepped towards Yue Qingyuan’s side.

“What was that?!” Mu Qingfang exclaimed. They were all so used to the complete silence of the last two days, the sound felt like they were doused in ice-cold water.

Before anyone could figure out what was happening, a dark blurry shape rushed into the trap.

The thing thrashed wildly in the net, making it hard to clearly see it. But they could tell it had hooves.

“Mu-shidi, is that the Wampus Horse?” Liu Qingge asked.

Mu Qingfang opened his mouth to answer, but at that moment the beast broke free. It slid onto the ground and stood up.

Before them was a tall horse-like creature. The fur was a dark shadowy grey, and the mane was pure black. Its most noticeable trait was the head. It did not have the long face of a horse. On top of its slender neck, was a man’s head.

The human’s face was covered in that same dark grey fur as the rest of its body. There were heavy wrinkles around the eyes and mouth, making it appear around seventy years old. Dark crimson eyes surveyed the scene, as the four cultivators gaped at the hideous thing.

It let out a scream. If the voice wasn't so unnaturally deep, it would almost sound human.

Liu Qingge gritted his teeth and barked out, “Die!”

Cheng Luan was out, and he swung it towards the creature. In an instant, the Wampus Horse moved out of the way and kicked him with its powerful legs. Liu Qingge was thrown into the air and smashed against a tree.

“Liu-shixiong!” Mu Qingfang cried out.

The Wampus Horse turned its attention towards the healer and rushed at him. Yue Qingyuan moved Mu Qingfang out of the way, and the beast pushed him backwards. It reared up to kick him, but Yue Qingyuan, with his sword still sheathed, swung it hard against the beast’s joint. The Wampus Horse fell forwards.

Seeing the opportunity, Mu Qingfang drew out his sword and struck it into the beast’s flank.

The monster screamed and thrashed. The healer took it out to strike again, but then a strange crunching sound came from its back. Mu Qingfang’s eyes widened as he could see the bones move, and a pair of black wings burst forth.

“Ahhh!”

Even though he knew it was capable of flight, he didn’t know it summoned its wings like that!

Yue Qingyuan was also startled, and the Wampus Horse took the moment’s hesitation to make its escape. It swiftly flew into the air.

Shen Jiu immediately got onto his sword to follow it. The monster was incredibly fast, and the trees became green blurs as he passed above them. Standing on his blade, Shen Jiu drew a dagger from his pouch. He threw it at the Wampus Horse. The blade struck true into its back.

The monster stopped but continued flapping its wings. It turned its head towards Shen Jiu. Pure death glowed in its crimson eyes as it snarled at him.

Shen Jiu leveled a cold glare back and drew out another dagger. Just as he was about to throw it, the monster was instantly in front of him. Shen Jiu tensed at the sight of the towering creature and tried to back away, but before he could the monster bit his arm.

Pain shot through him as the mouth clenched strongly around his flesh. His hand automatically dropped the dagger, but he was able to catch it with his other hand.

Gritting his teeth, Shen Jiu slammed the blade onto the monster’s neck. Blood spilled from the wound, and yet the Wampus Horse continued to flutter its wings.

“Just die already!” Shen Jiu shouted as he plunged the dagger again.

It tightened its teeth on him, and Shen Jiu felt like his arm was about to be ripped off.

He bit his mouth to prevent a scream from escaping from his throat.

“Shen Jiu!”

“Shen-xiansheng!”

He glanced over and saw Liu Qingge, Mu Qingfang, and Yue Qingyuan flying towards him. Shen Jiu just needed to hold out until they arrived. He madly stabbed the Wampus Horse multiple times to make it give up. Instead, it retaliated.

The monster began dragging him off his sword. Shen Jiu’s eyes widened as panic boiled in his chest.

“Mrow.”

Go away little beast! This is not the time!

Wait.

Shen Jiu slowly blinked as he saw a tiny black kitten float hundreds of feet in the air. The monster panicked at the sight of the cat and quickly released his arm.

It immediately tried escaping again, but before it could go too far, it was sucked backwards.

On the kitten’s forehead, where there was once a scar, was now a gaping hole of pure darkness. It was such an unfathomable black that it was as if it devoured all light that reached it. The Wampus Horse beat its wings faster, but the pull was too strong. The entire body, bit by bit, was forced into the black hole.

Shen Jiu was snapped out of his astonishment and shouted, “Stop! I need the hooves for a potion!”

The tiny cat glanced at him with its silver eyes. Right before the legs were sucked in, the hole closed back into that seemingly innocuous scar. Bodiless legs began falling from the sky.

Liu Qingge dashed through the air and was able to catch them before they disappeared into the forest below. He stored them away in a qiankun bag.

“Mew!” The kitten exclaimed before floating over and landing on Shen Jiu’s head.

“Gaah! Get off me, you little beast!”

“Mmrrrr.”

Shen Jiu huffed and used his uninjured arm to remove the tiny cat from his head. He continued holding it in his hand while the others caught up to him.

Liu Qingge was the first to arrive. His lips thinned as he looked at the kitten. “You know that creature is not a real cat, right? Being so near it is dangerous.”

Shen Jiu looked at him coolly. “Don't worry, it doesn't eat fools.”

Liu Qingge shot him a glare. Before he could make a retort, Mu Qingfang and Yue Qingyuan arrived. The future sect master and the healer were traveling on the same sword.

There was an obvious fear on Yue Qingyuan’s face as he observed Shen Jiu’s wound. Mu Qingfang grimaced.

“Let us get back to the ground. I need to treat your injuries immediately,” the healer stated. Shen Jiu nodded, and they all flew back down into the forest.

While Mu Qingfang took care of his wound, the kitten took occupancy on Shen Jiu’s shoulder. It laid there as if it had no care in the world.  

After the medic finished the treatment, he observed the sleeping cat.

“Look how peaceful it is. One could almost forget it nearly ate the entirety of a horse.”

The tiny kitten paid Mu Qingfang no mind as it continued napping on Shen Jiu’s shoulder.

“Does anyone know what that…cat mimic is?” Liu Qingge questioned, and glanced over at Yue Qingyuan.

“Apologies, this shixiong’s knowledge of beasts is not extensive. I have never heard of such a creature,” Yue Qingyuan informed him.

“Well, it appears that it is a beast of this forest. Perhaps when we return to town, they would have information on it,” Mu Qingfang suggested.

“If not, A-Yuan could answer once he is cured,” said Shen Jiu.

His twin would be ecstatic. Shen Jiu could already imagine him giving a one-hour lecture to everyone in the vicinity.

Liu Qingge raised a brow. “Are we really going to take that thing with us? It may have helped earlier, but who knows if that pattern of behavior will continue. Furthermore, once we reach Cang Qiong Mountain, the beast will not be allowed inside.”

Yue Qingyuan watched Xiao Jiu. The picture of him with a sleepy kitten was quite…adorable. Yue Qingyuan knew Xiao Jiu would murder him if he could hear his thoughts, but it was true. Even though he knew the cat wasn't simply a cat, Yue Qingyuan could not stop his heart from warming at the soft imagery. He truly did not want to deny Xiao Jiu anything. But unfortunately, Liu-shidi was correct. The Peak Lords will not allow such a creature into the mountain.

Yue Qingyuan hesitantly nodded. “…He has a point. Shen Jiu, I know you have gotten attached to the creature, but it may be best to keep it in its own habitat.”

“Mrow.” The kitten blearily opened its silver eyes and gave a squeaky yawn.

“Attached? I am not attached to the little beast!” Shen Jiu insisted and proceeded to make no move to push the drowsy cat off himself. The expressions on everyone’s faces revealed their lack of confidence in his statement.

Shen Jiu scowled. He merely thought the little beast was useful! It did not mean he cared about it! He had no interest in keeping the fluffy cloud!

The kitten slowly blinked at him and gave a small headbutt against his cheek. In the next moment, the weight on his shoulder vanished. The kitten was gone.

“Did the cat just disappear?!” Mu Qingfang asked.

“Maybe it left,” Liu Qingge suggested.

A purring sound echoed strangely around them. Everyone froze as they thought about the implications.

The creature was still nearby. Its vanishing act only meant they could not see it.

“…”

“…”

“…Doesn’t this make it more dangerous?” Liu Qingge questioned.

“Meow.”

Yue Qingyuan clapped his hands. “We have obtained the last component of the antidote. Let us depart now,” he said with a placid smile on his face.

“Hey! Are we not going to talk about this?”

The future Sect Master was already quickly walking away.

Liu Qingge and Mu Qingfang glanced at each other.

Shen Jiu only crossed his arms and said, “You heard him. It's time to leave this forsaken forest.”

They returned to the small hospital in which A-Yuan was in. From there, Mu Qingfang used the equipment to make the antidote. They all watched as he administered it to A-Yuan. Unfortunately, they would not be able to see the effects right away. The small hospital had given him a dose of sleep medicine right before they arrived. It would be several hours before he awoke.

Now that they were there to take care of him, the group left and rented rooms at an inn. A-Yuan was placed in a bed, and Shen Jiu paced around as they waited. The kitten had somehow followed them all the way from the forest. It would occasionally come in and out of existence to check on them. Whenever it appeared, Liu Qingge would make a sour face like the cat had eaten all of his food.

“…Fate…Error? Why…System…” A-Yuan said.

Shen Jiu’s eyes widened. He immediately went to his bedside. A-Yuan was still sleeping, but he continued to mumble nonsense words.

“He must be dreaming,” Yue Qingyuan commented.

Shen Jiu did not say anything and quietly held his brother’s hand.

Chapter Text

"A-Jiu, w-wait! Wait for me!" A-Yuan huffed as he chased after his gege.

"What are you doing here?! Didn't I tell you to stay inside?" A-Jiu snapped as he turned and saw A-Yuan come up to him.

A-Yuan pouted, and he tugged on his brother’s sleeve. “Gege, I haven’t had so much as a cough for the past day. I’m fine now. You don’t need to be such a worry wort!”

“If you took better care of yourself, then maybe I wouldn’t need to! Come on, I’m going to take you back.”

A-Yuan panicked and clutched his sleeve harder as he refused to budge. “No! Please, can’t I stay with you? Being inside is awful. Everyone is out working. It gets too quiet and there is nobody there! I-I’ll be all alone,” A-Yuan begged. Fear clutched A-Yuan’s heart as he faced the possibility of spending the day by himself in the ratty sleeping quarters for the slaves.

A-Jiu’s fierce gaze softened, and he quietly said, “A-Ba, I know it has been hard, but I’m trying to protect you. This is for your safety.”

A-Yuan drooped and dejectedly looked at the ground. After a few seconds of watching A-Yuan have the expression of a kicked puppy, A-Jiu sighed and gently patted his brother’s head.

“Fine, you can come along. But only on one condition: if the weather gets cold, you will go back immediately." His gege said with a stern voice.

A-Yuan beamed. "I will!” His dour mood had instantly lifted when he was permitted to stay by his brother’s side.

A-Jiu rolled his eyes with an exasperated fondness, and he took his younger brother's hand. Together, they walked to A-Jiu’s preferred location. It was a bustling street lined with popular shops for the moderately wealthy. Being near the center of town, people often passed by on their way to work. It was a good place to ask for money.

When they reached the place, they were greeted by the sight of a familiar young boy. The handsome youth smiled brightly and waved when he saw the twins.

“Good morning, Qi-ge!” A-Yuan chirped.

"Shouldn't you be making your rounds right now?" A-Jiu stated in an emotionless voice.

A-Yuan glanced at his brother hesitantly. A-Jiu has been grumpier ever since Qi-ge changed roles many months ago.

Qi-ge was incredibly strong and brave. With the bearing of a hero, Qi-ge would always go out of his way to help whenever trouble arrived. He was a kind older brother to all the children, and everyone adored him. A-Yuan could easily imagine Qi-ge as the beloved protagonist of his own novel.

But, as much as A-Yuan admired the older boy, he had to admit that Qi-ge couldn’t act for shit.

Whenever Qi-ge had to pretend to be pitiful and beg for money, he would stutter so much that all observers would immediately walk away in mid-sentence. Predictably, he was switched into guard duty.

A-Jiu had wished to follow Qi-ge, but he was not allowed to. Out of all the children, his brother was the one who made the most money. On top of that, the adults had told A-Jiu that he was too small and not strong enough to act as a protector.

It made A-Jiu furious and greatly irked A-Yuan as well.

What nonsense were they talking about?! His gege was the best and most talented person around! Sure, he might not be as strong as Qi-ge, but still! Whenever A-Yuan got bullied, his brother would always come to his rescue and beat everyone up. He fought dirty and used all sorts of tricks to win, but with his cleverness, A-Yuan has seen him take down people twice his size.

It was dumb that their masters wouldn’t let A-Jiu be with Qi-ge. A-Yuan could tell A-Jiu was upset when he found out that he couldn’t spend as much time with Qi-ge anymore. Though of course, his gege wouldn’t admit that to anyone.

“I’m sorry Xiao Jiu. I know you don’t want to be a beggar anymore. Perhaps I could see if they are willing to change their minds now?” Qi-ge said, trying to placate him.

“Don’t bother. You are terrible at talking with them,” A-Jiu said stiffly and looked away. “Why are you here? You were already gone when I woke up this morning.”

“Oh, Shi San got into some trouble, and I had to help him. By the time I was done, it was almost time for you and Xiao Ba to leave. I wanted to see both of you before I went on patrol, so I came here first.”

A-Jiu pressed his lips together. “You’re always going off to save everyone. If you don’t let them face the consequences of their own mistakes, no one is ever going to learn anything.”

“Xiao Jiu, they have not been here as long as us. Some of the new ones need support. As the most experienced one around, it is my responsibility to look after them. No one else will.”

A-Jiu snapped. “Exactly! No one else would bother because everyone is busy looking after themselves!” His gege’s shoulders were tensed. “Qi-ge can be nice to those brats all day, but in the end, none of them will care about him. You’re so concerned with other people’s lives, but what about you? Who’s going to take care of Qi-ge?”

A-Jiu sighed as he rubbed his temples. “I guess it’s all left to me to keep Qi-ge safe because he’s too busy being a hero,” his gege said in an exasperated tone, but A-Yuan could tell there was affection in A-Jiu’s gaze when he glanced up at Qi-ge.

“Xiao Jiu…” Qi-ge drifted off, and he gently tucked A-Jiu’s hair behind his ear. “I promise I’ll look after myself. After all, I have to be in good condition to keep Xiao Jiu happy right?’ he said quietly while smiling at him like he was the first rays of sunlight he has seen in a long time.

A-Jiu kept an icy expression on his face, but A-Yuan could see that the tips of his ears became slightly redder. A-Jiu sputtered off some lies about how he didn’t care about Qi-ge that much, and at this point, A-Yuan decided it might be best if he gave his gege and Qi-ge some space. Perhaps if he wasn’t third-wheeling their conversation, they’ll finally admit their feelings for each other? He was a little nervous to go off by himself, but it was probably for the best.

A-Yuan quietly walked away while the two were in their own little world. Stopping at a couple stalls away, he loitered around and looked at the various trinkets that he did not have money to buy. There were other customers around as well, so the merchant did not pay much attention to him or attempt to shoo him away.

After ten minutes had passed, he felt a pair of hands cover his eyes and a young boy’s voice playfully whispered into his ears, “Shen Ba, guess who it is?”

A-Yuan did not guess who it was because his natural reaction to someone obscuring his vision was to instantly elbow them in the stomach.

“Gah!” The young voice made a small shriek and fell back.

Recognition lit up in his mind, and A-Yuan frantically apologized, “Ah! I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to hit you!” A-Yuan quickly came over to help the boy up. “Wang Shi, why did you sneak up on me like that? You know I don’t like getting spooked!”

Wang Shi bashfully rubbed his head when he got up. “I’m sorry, A-Ba. It’s just that I hadn’t gotten the chance to talk to you in a while and your health wasn’t good. I was really worried,” he said and scowled in the direction of A-Jiu and Qi-ge. “That demon you call a brother wouldn’t let me near you.”

A-Yuan frowned at him. “Wang Shi, I told you before not to call A-Jiu names. We are not going to continue this conversation unless you stop doing that.”

To be honest, A-Yuan thought demons were cool. They were stronger than humans, and they don’t even need to go through cultivation to live for a long time! On top of that, some of them got to have amazing traits like sharp teeth, glowing eyes, and horns! It was totally unfair. A-Yuan wished he got to have teeth like a shark instead of his lame human ones.

However, he knew that for some strange reason everyone hated demons. Maybe they were all jealous because humans don’t get to look as awesome? Well, whatever the cause was, telling someone they were a ‘demon’ was an insult. A-Jiu would be upset if he knew people were calling him that. A-Yuan wasn’t going to stand by and let that happen. Despite his ice king act, A-Yuan knew his gege cared a lot about what people thought of him.

Wang Shi’s lips twisted and then he sighed. “Fine, I won’t.” He peered back at A-Yuan and his face softened. “How have you been? You are not still sick, are you?”

A-Yuan grinned. “Nope! I’m all better now! I was super bored though. At one point I was debating with myself on if a treasure chest mimic is really alive, or just a cursed object. Sure, it has a mouth and eats stuff. But how does it poop…?” He drifted off and realized he was getting sidetracked. “But enough about me. How about you?”

Wang Shi laughed. “You’re always an interesting person to talk to, A-Ba. I’m fine. Same as always. Not much goes on with me.” Then in a shy voice, he added, “I missed you.” Wang Shi’s face became as red as a radish.

“Missed my daily monster facts, huh? Well, you are always free to talk to me whenever the thirst for knowledge strikes you,” he said airily.

Wang Shi became even redder, and he grasped his hand.

“…Is something the matter?” A-Yuan politely questioned when he did not let go.

A-Yuan would very much like his hand back, please!

“U-um, w-well I came here to ask you something…” Wang Shi drifted off and turned his head away as if he couldn’t bear to look at him.

…Did A-Yuan have something on his face? A-Jiu always complained about him being a messy eater. Wait. What if he had something stuck in his teeth the whole time he was talking to him?! That would be so embarrassing!

Before he could worry any further, Wang Shi blurted out, “A-Ba, w-would you like to spend the day with me?”

A-Yuan knitted his brow. “What?”

“Well, I know you usually follow your brother or Yue Qi wherever they go. But maybe today you could be with me? I’m usually near Mingyue Bridge. I know it’s harder to get money there, but Shen Jiu has a habit of taking the best spots… Anyway, it would be good to have different company, right?” He nervously chuckled.

“Die!” A furious voice called out. Before A-Yuan could even reply, Wang Shi got decked on the back of his head.

“Gah!” Wang Shi shouted as he was hit a second time in the last few minutes, and he let go of A-Yuan’s hand. A-Jiu quickly dragged him into the nearest alleyway and kicked him in the ribs a couple times. A-Yuan had been shocked by the suddenness and it took a few minutes before he followed them. When he arrived, he saw that Qi-ge was already there.

“Xiao Jiu, he is Xiao Ba’s friend. Please calm down,” Qi-ge said as he gently pulled him away from the other boy.

A-Jiu did not calm down, instead, he shouted, “You worthless insect! I told you to stay away from him!”

Wang Shi appeared like he wanted to strangle A-Jiu, but Qi-ge stood resolutely in front of his gege. Wang Shi glared at A-Jiu and snarled, “You’re despicable! A monster! You might’ve blinded Yue Qi and A-Ba about your true nature, but everyone knows what an awful person you are! It’s evil how you’re hiding behind people who are better than you’ll ever be!”

“Shout about good and evil all you want. It doesn’t change the fact that you’re nothing but a fool! I’m not going to let you drag my brother down with your stupidity,” A-Jiu sneered.

Wang Shi scoffed. “Oh please. The one who’s going to drag everyone down with him is you. Yue Qi and A-Ba would be better off if you weren’t around! All you’re good at is making trouble! Nobody likes you! Everyone would be happier if you just died!”

A-Yuan gasped. "Wang Shi, don't say that!"

Wang Shi glanced back at A-Yuan with conflict in his eyes. “A-Ba, I-.”

Qi-ge interrupted him. “I understand why you are upset. Xiao Jiu should not have hit or insulted you. I apologize for his behavior, but please refrain from such words even when you are angry in the future.”

“I’m not sorry,” A-Jiu bluntly stated.

Wang Shi snapped at him. “Well of course you’re not, demon! You don’t have the capacity to feel such emotions. It’s useless trying to talk to you!”

Rage burned in A-Jiu’s dark green eyes and he shouted back, “Then stop wasting everyone’s time and scram!”

Wang Shi hesitantly glanced at A-Yuan, and A-Jiu immediately moved to block his view. Wang Shi’s face scrunched up, and he clenched his fists. After a moment, he stormed away.

Qi-ge turned towards A-Yuan. “Xiao Ba, is everything alright?” he asked. “I’m sorry that your conversation with your friend got interrupted. I hope we didn’t damage your relationship.”

“What? Oh, it’s fine. We weren’t that close anyway, more like friendly acquaintances.”

“See? I told you, Qi-ge,” A-Jiu said as he lightly smacked Qi-ge’s shoulder. Then he looked A-Yuan over. “That mongrel didn’t do anything to you, did he?” he asked in a serious tone.

A-Yuan almost raised an eyebrow. Why was A-Jiu talking about Wang Shi like he was a dangerous snake? Wang Shi was the least threatening person ever, practically a mouse.

A-Yuan shook his head. “No, Wang Shi was just asking me to come with him. I think he was bored and wanted someone to play with. He was being a little weird about it though. Kept holding my hand for some reason and wouldn’t look me in the eye. Maybe he was coming down with something because his face was red.”

“What?!” A-Jiu fumed. “I’m going to murder him the next time I see him!”

Eh?! Why?

While A-Jiu continued to rant in the background, Qi-ge gave him a discerning gaze. “Xiao Ba, I want to make sure of something. You don’t like Wang Shi, do you?”

...Why was Qi-ge asking him if he disliked Wang Shi? Did he want to know if they were enemies now?

“I don’t hate him if that’s what you’re asking,” A-Yuan answered.

Qi-ge sighed and spent a couple seconds contemplating on his next words. “How did you feel when he touched you?”

“It was awkward. I wanted to pull my hand back, but I didn’t want to be rude.”

Darkness seeped into Qi-ge’s eyes when he listened to A-Yuan’s statement. In a stern voice he said, “Don’t feel that way. It’s not rude to enforce your own space. If someone’s actions make you uncomfortable, let them know. If they continue, then hit them until they regret living.”

“Don’t give them a warning, just beat them up!” A-Jiu snapped.

“Okay, I’ll keep that in mind in the future,” A-Yuan said to Qi-ge.

“Here, I’m going to show you a simple move you can do if someone grabs you against your will,” Qi-ge said as he showed him a stance.

Wait, are they going to have an impromptu self-defense lesson in this random alleyway?!

Qi-ge gave him the serious ‘Big Brother’ look. A-Yuan groaned, but obediently followed along. Fighting has never really been A-Yuan’s thing like it was for A-Jiu and Qi-ge. His skills weren’t as good as theirs. It took him some time before he picked up the move.

Throughout the lesson, A-Jiu gave out helpful advice such as “be aware of your surroundings,” and “don’t be afraid to poke out their eyes!”

After it was done, Qi-ge and the twins went on their separate ways. Qi-ge began his patrol, while A-Jiu and A-Yuan returned to their spot.

It can get really boring standing and kneeling on a street all day. A-Yuan and A-Jiu found joy wherever they could. For them, this meant talking to travelers and learning new things about the world outside their limited reach. A-Yuan liked to listen to whatever news there were, while A-Jiu tended to ask questions and look for specific information. Usually, it was about cultivation.

It was mid-afternoon when a kindly couple stopped by and indulged in the twins. They even shared some buns with the two children. A-Jiu was chatting with the husband who came from a merchant family. Their business sold goods to cultivators and he shared some stories of encountering them.

A-Yuan, meanwhile, listened to the news that the wife brought. The married couple had traveled all over the lands in the past year, and she recalled the events that occurred while they were there. However, A-Yuan could tell that in her recounting she was…censoring some of it. Probably because she didn’t think those parts were appropriate for children.

But A-Yuan knew exactly what she was covering up. He internally pouted when he realized what she was doing. A-Yuan was twelve! He wasn’t a dumb baby! He knew what adults did. And through his intelligence, A-Yuan noticed a pattern.

Why…Why were so many ancient artifacts related to papapa? Why did so many plants have aphrodisiac effects? Why did so many things, in general, have to do with sex?!

A group of adventurers got delayed in delivering medicine to a remote village because a monster they defeated exploded pollen onto them. A king had found an artifact that solved a famine hurting his country, but now there is a huge battle for the throne because activating it required - you guessed it - lots of papapa. Alliances and lifetime enemies were forged by the accidental ingestions of the seemingly infinite aphrodisiacs that plagued the land.

Countless troubles have been caused because people kept encountering these inappropriate items! It seemed like they were everywhere. If A-Yuan didn’t know any better, he’d think they were all living in a porn fiction written by a shitty author.

A-Yuan paused. After a moment, he examined the thought some more.

What if…that was really the case? What if the world they existed in was a story?

It was a silly idea of course. They were all living breathing human beings, not some characters in a book.

…But the more A-Yuan looked it over, the more convinced of it he was. Besides all that smutty stuff that occurred daily, there were just so many “coincidences” that occurred. That famed beauty just happened to get damseled right as a dashing warrior passed through the village. That incredibly powerful weapon just happened to be where the righteous cultivator needed it the most. Every important person just happened to have distinctive appearances. If you were average looking, you probably weren’t going to accomplish much in life.

As ludicrous as it sounds, maybe the world A-Yuan lived in was a fictional tale written by a perverted author.

Still, no matter what the reasons were for its creation, a story had to have a plot, even if it was a thin one. All characters had to serve some sort of function in it. Thus, he needed to ask an important question.

If this world was a story, then what role did A-Yuan have?

…He can’t really imagine himself doing anything important. A-Yuan wasn’t as brilliant as his gege, and he wasn’t as strong as Qi-ge. Perhaps he was just Bystander D, and his role was just to show up in the crowds as they cheered on the protagonists.

Wait. The protagonists.

If he had money to bet with, he would bet on A-Jiu and Qi-ge being the protagonists.

A-Jiu and Qi-ge always had that aura around them. It marked them out from everyone else. They had a presence that said they will be important one day. It was something none of the other children had. It was something A-Yuan never had. While everyone else faded to the background, those two shined brilliantly. They had a destiny. One day A-Jiu and Qi-ge will be part of the center stage.

This was fine with A-Yuan.

A-Yuan was never cut out for that kind of stuff anyway. Besides, being a main character seems like it’d be exhausting work! Sure, you get lots of treasures, but you have to run around every day and stop villains from destroying the world! That was way too much of a hassle. He’ll leave those responsibilities to A-Jiu and Qi-ge. They’re workaholics; they like that kind of stuff.

A-Yuan will just sit back and have his monster farm! He could wear a straw hat! Or maybe he should stick to beast tamer. Traveling the lands and becoming friends with monsters sounded really good too. A-Yuan had been debating between the two occupations for a while, but he has been telling everyone beast tamer whenever they ask because monster farmer sounded a little weird.

His gege can be the big important immortal. A-Yuan will just be the insignificant villager that spouts random dialogue about monsters in the background.

A-Yuan smiled and nodded to himself, much to the confusion of the traveler he was talking to. After a moment, he froze as something occurred to him.

Wait, that doesn’t sound right.

They were twins. Don’t they usually have a narrative thing going on? A-Yuan can’t really think of any tales where there were twins, and nothing is done with that relationship.

In stories with twins the options were: working together in the same role, turning against each other, or one of them dying tragically in the other’s arms.

As A-Yuan looked through the possibility of each route, uneasiness began to grip him. The very air around him seemed to turn stale.

…If this world was a story, then A-Yuan definitely wasn’t a main character. He wasn’t even a minor character. With how brightly A-Jiu glowed and how opposite of that A-Yuan was, he had a sinking feeling that he was just the backstory. To be specific, he was A-Jiu’s backstory.

A-Yuan knew he wasn't relevant. With no part in the narrative, it meant he was a tool for it. The purpose of his existence was to help give motivation or depth to A-Jiu’s character. What better way to do that then to take away someone A-Jiu cared about?

A-Yuan wasn’t meant to live. He was cannon fodder.

[ᴀ̡̠͐͆ᴄ̥̆ᴛ̩̠́͠ɪᴠᴀ̛͔̣̃ᴛ͖͕̆̐ɪ̻͂͜͞ᴏ̽͜ɴ̯̔ ᴄ̡͒ᴏᴅ̫̣͊͊ᴇ̻̉:̬̽ ".̷̡̫̙̈̏͌ͅᴎ̵̞̿o̷̰̦̳̣̳͍̐ỉ̴̧̡̘̞̯͉̮̤̗̌͠͝ͅƚ̶̡̥̹͉͖̳̪̐̈́ɒ̷̢͚̲̮̪͜͝ͅɿ̴̹̹̙̰̦̮̱̯̦̻̈́̈́̀͊̍̌ǫ̵̡̼̻̞͚̫̥̞̭̑̃̏͠ɘ̷̢̨̫͎̟̬̣̹̪̌͗̍͆́̈́ƚ̷̨̬̮̠͇̠̹͉̟̭̍̕ᴎ̶̮͛̈͛̈́̕͝i̶͔̲̦̳̻̱͗ꙅ̷͚͙̮͖̉͝i̴̮͇͈̬̮̤̍͛̍̒͊b̵̢̞̰̥̼̉̓̋͐͝ ̸̛͕̤̙̪̄̐̏͒̈́ͅq̸̛̮̓̊͛̊̾̇͝o̶͍̥͚̣͕̿̈́ƚ̷̪̬̰̙̾͋͛͆ͅꙅ̵̛̞̳̬͔͔̟̪̙̔̿̄̾̅̐̚” ꜱ͛͢ʏ̙͈͆̆ꜱ͓ᴛ͚͡ᴇ̳̺͌ᴍ ᴀᴜ͍̔ᴛ̤͋ᴏ͔͉̂͡ᴍᴀᴛ͔͎̇̌ɪ̹͕̈͛ᴄ̼͗ᴀ̺͗ʟʟ͇́ʏ̹̬̃͑ ᴛ̭̽ʀ̮̑ɪ̡̗̌̆ɢ͉̄ɢ̃ͅᴇ̹̹̒͠ʀ̲͌ᴇ̮̑ᴅ̭̖̿͝.̭̏]

A-Yuan’s vision greyed. A horrifying screech devoured his mind. He reflexively covered his ears with his hands, but it did nothing to lessen his agony.

[ᴡ͔͝ᴇ̨̤͒̒ʟ͚̚ᴄ͉̔ᴏ̙̊ᴍᴇ͙͡ ᴛ̻̹̂̚ᴏ̟͒ ᴛ͙̄͢ʜ̺̓ᴇ͜͞ ꜱ͇͍̌̾ʏꜱ̳͝ᴛ̘ᴇ͚̿͟͝ᴍ̥.͎̘̒͋ ᴛ͓͠ʜ̦͗̀͟ɪꜱ͍̏ ꜱ̛̮-̮̭͞ꜱ̻͋ʏꜱ̅͜ᴛ̼͠ᴇ̩͗ᴍ̻̐ ᴏ͍̰̆̌ᴘ͇̀ᴘᴘ̙̭̉̈́ᴘ̝̈́-̨̥̊͋ᴇ͖͗ʀᴀᴀ̭̲́̿ᴛ̦̮̑͠ᴇ͎͘ꜱ̜̄ꜱ̲̙̓̚…̨͉͆͋ᴇʀ͓͡ʀᴏ̳̦̿͘ʀ̯.̇͟ ᴜ̣̎ɴ̗̓ᴀ̬̃ᴜᴛ̳̹̋͘ʜ̲̓ᴏ̳͛ʀ̡̙̈̕ɪ͔́ᴢᴇ̭͊ᴅ͓̐ ᴀᴄᴄᴇ̳̤̂̋ꜱ̰͡ꜱ̡̦̇͋ ᴅ͙͐ᴇᴛ̘͚̉ᴇ̙̳̐̕ᴄ̺͕͛̇ᴛᴇᴅ̢́.̬͒ ʀ͚͎́͐ᴇ̧̫́̉ᴍᴏᴠ̻̾ɪ̰̱̄̔ɴ̨̄ɢ͇̊-̡̼̃͗ ᴊ̺͗ᴀꜱ̥͌̇͜ɴ͖͌ɪ̞̥̔͑ꜰꜱ̂͟ ꜰ̢͠ᴋ̘͍͗̚ᴊ̘͑̓ͅᴀ̮̕ʜ̘̣́͞ꜱ̯͉͌̕ ᴅ̠̦̀ᴏᴋ̰̓ᴍꜱ̡̮̓̎ᴏɴ̩̦͐̑.͙̆]

A-Yuan collapsed and thrashed on the ground as that incomprehensible noise crushed him over and over. The stale air turned heavy and oppressive. A-Yuan choked, and terrified tears leaked out of his eyes.

“A-Ba! A-Ba, why are you screaming?!”

It was like he was in a deep dark hole, and he could hear voices from far away, but A-Yuan could not understand the words.

“No! It’s okay, it’s okay. Gege is here. A-Ba, please don’t-.”

“We need to get this child help now!”

A-Yuan could only vaguely tell that he was being lifted up. His awareness was rapidly fading as he was forced into unconsciousness. The last thing A-Yuan saw was the panicked face of his brother.

[ᴘ̢̑ʀ̮̞͑̿ᴏ͔̾ᴄᴇ̟̜̉̆ᴅ̰̀ᴜ̖̅ʀ̯̋ᴇ̬̑ ꜰ̬̌ᴀ̡͘ɪ̹̋ʟ͎̄ᴇ͎͐ᴅ̥̓.̯͗ ᴘ͔͒ᴏ̡͒ᴡ̥̕ᴇʀ ꜱ̡̔ᴏ̈͛͜͜ᴜʀ̛̤ᴄᴇ̗͋ ɴ̟̻̓͌ᴏ̩͇̔̄ᴛ̡̲͛͠ ᴅᴇ̜̙̊̕ᴛ͌ͅᴇᴄ̨̍ᴛᴇ͍͚͌͞ᴅ̥̒.̯̎ ᴇ͙̯͂̚ᴍ̬̉ᴇ̬̭͠͡ʀɢ̱̜̽̚ᴇɴ̨͌ᴄ͇ʏ̡̻͛̿ ᴘ͖͑ʀᴏ̛̙͍̓ᴛ̞͂ᴏ̞͆̕͢ᴄ̙̫͗͝ᴏ͊͟ʟ͜ ƚ̴̛̠͔͙̬̜͙̹̱̏̃̆̏͐̆̈́̀ᴎ̸̡͎͎̰̘͛̅̂̒̎̍̌̈́̚͝ͅͅɘ̵̮̤̮̖̮̊͑m̶̡̱̻̙̝̬̰̄̄͗͜ʜ̴̇̈ͅꙅ̷̯͕̮̤͔̮̈́̄̋͛̕͠͝į̵̰̜̦̫̜͈̖͋̒͛͑̆͘̚͝͠ͅᴎ̶͎̱̺̠̔ṵ̵̧̫͓̝̝̘̹̎̃̍͐͌̀͝q̸̡̧̰̻͇̯̪̝̞̐ ʜᴀꜱ͙̇ ʙ̧̿ᴇ̲͂ᴇɴ̧͋ ᴀ̩̿ᴄ͙̇ᴛ̟̀ɪᴠ̢ᴀ̘͠ᴛ̜͆ᴇᴅ̳͊.]  

“Xiao Ba, are you okay?” Qi-ge asked.

“Good morning, Qi-ge! I am doing great. Just getting my stretches in,” A-Yuan said in the most cheerful voice he could fake as he bended over and touched his toes.

A-Jiu furrowed his brow. “Since when did you wake up early by yourself to do such things?”

“Today!” A-Yuan replied glibly.

A-Jiu glared at him. A-Yuan smiled back.

“You’re not planning to do any strenuous activity, are you?” Qi-ge worriedly questioned.

“I’m fine! I just wanted to get some light exercise in.” A-Yuan pouted and turned away from them.

It had been several days since he had his revelation. A-Jiu and Qi-ge had panicked over his collapse, but evidently, nothing was wrong with him.

That was a lie.

Every now and then, A-Yuan could hear the distortion of an almost human voice next to his ear. Sometimes the voice would be broken up so badly that it was like a knife constantly butchering his head long after it stopped speaking. There were moments where A-Yuan felt like something was monitoring him. That pressure of being watched would squeeze his throat, and his heart would beat wildly as he desperately searched his surroundings to find some tangible answer to his apprehension. Nothing was ever there. Even when he tried to hide, that feeling would still come and go as it pleased. 

The random ebb and flow of these eerie sensations made him continuously on edge. He had no warnings when they would occur, and it took everything A-Yuan had to not visibly panic and flinch whenever it happened. During the times that he managed to relax, there was always a part of him that feared it would use that precise moment to strike. The constant anxiety was slowly chipping away at A-Yuan bit by bit.

But it wasn’t like he could just tell Qi-ge and A-Jiu anything. What could he even say? That A-Yuan was now being haunted because he found out that he was a fictional character who was slated to die? They would think he was going crazy.

Even in the scenario where they believed him, there was nothing they could do. A-Yuan was cannon fodder; the problem was the very nature of A-Yuan.

He wasn’t anything like them. A-Jiu and Qi-ge were so talented and courageous; it was no wonder they were important characters in this world. A-Yuan on the other hand…

A-Yuan had always known he was the mediocre one in the family. He’d be lying if he said it never bothered him. It wasn’t that A-Yuan was the competitive type or anything, but rather there were times where he felt…pointless. Anything A-Yuan could do, anything A-Yuan tried, A-Jiu or Qi-ge could do it better and faster than him.

A-Yuan was fairly smart, but A-Jiu was always quicker than him at picking up information and using it. A-Yuan had some skill in speaking, but Qi-ge was the one who could step into any situation and get everyone to listen to him. In their little group, A-Jiu was the cunning strategist while Qi-ge was the charismatic leader. All problems could be solved with the two of them there. Which was good and all, but it meant A-Yuan was the load for them to carry.

He had spent years trying to make up for it: to find a skill he could master, a role he could fill, simply so he could be of help rather than a burden to A-Jiu and Qi-ge. After a while, he came to the realization that he just didn’t have any exceptional talents. Amongst the three of them, A-Yuan was the underachiever. He was the useless one.

A-Yuan eventually accepted it and stopped trying. At least A-Jiu and Qi-ge didn’t seem to mind too much about taking care of him. It was fine. A-Yuan was a laid-back person anyway, he could find other things to fill up his time - like listening to silly stories or learning facts about beasts. He had told himself that it was okay that he didn’t quite fit in with A-Jiu or Qi-ge. At the end of the day, they were a family.

But it wasn’t fine anymore now that he knew why he felt like a mismatched floor tile. A-Yuan really didn’t belong here. He was so pointless that he was cannon fodder. He had no place at their sides.

A-Yuan was terrified out of his mind, and a part of him wished nothing more than to just hide behind his gege and Qi-ge. But that was the problem, wasn’t it? Being useless was what designated him into this fate.

It was why he is going to do an exercise regimen this morning. A-Yuan was trying to be more proactive. Maybe if A-Yuan changed himself, became someone different, he could alter his role. If he became stronger, maybe he could survive. If A-Yuan were better, perhaps he could stay by A-Jiu’s and Qi-ge’s sides in the future.

[W̡͎̮̉͂̕Á̖̪̱̙̦͒͊͠RN̖͇͎̮̜͒̉͆̔͡Ȉ̥̟̈N̥̓G̗͕̣͍̈̌̕!̞̰̅̃ Ą̰̿̍V̽ͅOI̩̼͐͆DA̙̻̎̈N̼͉͑C͕̫̈́͡E͚ Õ̧̯̊F͚̞̼̥͊̈́̄̂̚ͅ S̳̆H͈̲̱̍͆́E̱͙͙͌̃̀Ṅ̯͈̽ B̖̃Ả̭'̹̟͊̿̚ͅS̹͎̽̐ F̾ͅAT͓̍E͎͓̯̾̍́̕͢͝ͅ Ŵ̹̭̳͉̑̓̚Ị̧̐͝Ḻ̬̞̅̒͑L̘̲̫͑̍̏̚͜ LĘ̺̖̈́̈̇͒͜AD̥̥͒͝ Ţ͕̺̺̊͛̕͝O͔̦͉͉͂͆̕ S̺̠̰̆̓͞E̘͇͖̒̉̔̀ͅV̛̘̝̫̝̏͗͂͜E̻͔͇̩͑͆͗́͛͜R̛͈Ḛ̢̩͇̀̃̔ C̟͍̟̊̍̆ͅŌ͇͙͕̳̔̓̚N̛̩͓̼̥̄̄̽Ŝ̲̘̱͆̽E͚͑Q̛̺̝̉UẼ̩̎̓͜͢N̬͓̖͛͝͝C̠͕̏͋È͍̱̑S̼̄.̤̞̦̀̆͂]

“You’re bleeding!” Qi-ge exclaimed.

In the next moment, A-Yuan realized he could feel a liquid flowing down his mouth. Judging from the sharp sting buzzing on his lip, he must’ve accidentally bit it.

“You are so accident prone,” A-Jiu angrily muttered as he hurriedly grabbed a clean cloth. “Take better care of yourself!” A-Jiu scolded A-Yuan and wiped the blood off.

“I think Xiao Ba should consider doing exercises later, when he feels better,” Qi-ge gently suggested.

Although A-Yuan could see their mouths moving, their words were so muddied it was like listening through water. The hollow voice was drowning out everything. The room spun around him, but A-Yuan forced himself to stand steadily. He kept his mask on and gave his brother and Qi-ge a sheepish grin.

[ꜱ͚͙̫̪͈̊̾̇͊͆͆͜ʜ̺͈̺̥̱̑̿͗̒̉͢͠ᴇ͔̦̭̎̑̏ɴ̤͉̽́͟͞ ̰̹̻̩̓̇̎̒ʙ̨͖̱̹͈̬̾͆͑͊̿̕ᴀ̧̘̩͇̱͖̉͒̂͌̚͢͝͡’̥͎̲̳̉͒̾͑ꜱ̧̖̪̝̤̲͙̐̇̍̏̑͡͝ ̜̱̙̹̭̑̿̎͞͠ꜰ̡̥̤̤̳͔̅̏̃̆͗̐ᴀ̢͓̭̼̥͌͋͂̊͌̐̈́͜͟ᴛ͛͜ᴇ͖̃͝ͅ ̢̳̞̖̗̜̜̣͋͒̀̀̒̊͢͡ᴄ̨̬̩̱̍́͝ᴀ̟͕̙̰̯̮͉̘̿͒͛̓̎̌͘͡ɴ̡̨̨̦̙̼̥͕̬̔͗̋͛͑̏̋̕͞ɴ̭̰̗̌̑̕ᴏ̠͎̮̌́̕ᴛ̯͚͋̅ ̧̜̳̙͆̇̒̚ʙᴇ̡̣̥̗̳̪͈͍͌̾̓̂̓͒͘͡ ̪͡ᴀ̢̻̺͉͈͎̮̙̘̔̓̋̿̓̋̕ʟ͎̭͎͔͖͚̌͑̿͊͠ᴛ̧̠̫͓͉̻͈̌͗̅̈̏͠͠ᴇ̗̳͎͛̓͐͊͜͟͝ʀ̨̳̜̎̏͡ᴇ̬͛ᴅ̱̱̠̭̪̓̉̑̽.͕͚̾̚] [ꜱ̦̘̠̿̐̾ʜ͔̱̺̱̺̬̬͊̆̈́̂͛̚͡ᴇ͉̪̤͍̭̥̱͓͗̿̀̈́̄̈̌ɴ̭̯̝̟̥̪͓̏̅̃̈͐̒̿͘͢ ̲͇́̈́̚͜ʙ͔͡ᴀ̞͈̳̜̗͐̃̋̑̆’̰̬̬̺̝͖̘̆͐̈̽̐̅͝ꜱ̖͍̓ ͈̲͚̠̳̏̑̒ꜰ̢̯̥͈̌͗̓͆͘͢ᴀ̧̨̙̱̟̮͋͌̿̓́̔͟͜͟͠͠͡ᴛ̧̜͔̣̬̥̈̔̅̑͟͞͠͞ᴇ͕̳̯͗̔̒ ̛̼̻͔̬͍̅̊̇̾̂͜ᴄ̡̝̥͈̥̊̔̑̉̕ᴀ̡͖͖̬͎̲̠͌̋͛͛̓͆̇ɴ̛̞̠̗̣̞̤͕͎̮͌̈͐͂̅͝ɴ̖̝̯͑͠ᴏ̹̈͆ͅᴛ͙̭̞̍̈́̾̓͜ ͈͔̝̪̌̊͆̈̈́͜ʙ̮̓ᴇ̧̛͚̝̤̼̤̹́̃͐̇͝ ̧͙̩̺͈͓͚̻̳̠̃͋̀͒́̚̚͠͠͞ᴀ̨̠͖̠̥̐̉̿̄͝ʟ̡̱̬̞͈͒̀̉̃͠ᴛ̡̭͔̰̋̄͋͠ᴇ̢̢̱̗̝͋̏̏̃̚͢͡ʀ͈͂ᴇ͓̏ᴅ̢̛̛͈͖̦̩̳̓͐̌̀̓͜͜͡.̥̟͚͗͂͂] [ꜱ̟̝̹̲͐͊͝͝ʜ̥̽ᴇ͖̲̺̯͇̺͒̒͆̈́̐̿ɴ̠͙̙̮̀̑͒͘ ʙ̧̊ᴀ̨̻͍̣̻̀͐̚͘͠’̹̏̌͢ꜱ̰͕̠̐̀͒ ꜰ̛̼̣̰͈̪̻͕̠̋̊̄̓̃̄̐͘͘͟͢ᴀ̛̖̦̹̱̦͇̼̭̳̅͗̆͊̑̂͛̐ᴛ̢̭͖̠͍̑͒̓͂̐́͘͢ͅᴇ̠̼̳̤̣̩͓͕̾͒̃̍̇̃̚͜͡͡ ᴄ̱̙̘̺̝̗̃̃̎̋̀̈ᴀɴ̡̛͇͓͍̥͉̞͉͋͌̒̊͒̈́́̚͟ɴ̟̩̼͉̎̄͝ᴏ̨̛̛̳̻̬̬͚͍̘̭͓̒̆̑͛̐̌̐ᴛ̢͔̞̱͍͈̂̇̔̌̅ ʙ̨̢̛̹̳̙̏̊́̅͒͗͘͜͟ͅᴇ͔̭͓̱̎̑̕͘ ᴀ̱̇ʟ̙́̓͟ᴛ̤̼͎͑̏̑ᴇ̻̦̮͚̖̬̅͋͒̉͑͆ʀ̥͑ᴇ̝̞̳͔̞̎͑̾͐̓͜͝ᴅ̛̺̞̠̘̫̥̍̓͊̐̌̕͟.̣̭̤̥͙̑̈́̐͘͘] [ꜱ̧͚̱͉͈̮͓̆̔̂̈̑̋̈́̕͜ʜ̧̡͎̖͙̌͛͊̋ᴇ̙͓̓̌ɴ͍̀ ͎̯͈̣̹̽͗̔̍̈́̚ͅʙ̞͚̖͉͖̂͌̍̃̃ᴀ̛̫̲̲̪̗͙͙̟͛͑̍̊̒̄̚͢͟͠’̰͆ꜱ̨̖̦̝͈̯͌̋́̏͞͞ ̨̩͈̬̫͈̬̽͗͐̍̾͐̂͑͢͟͝ꜰ̮̼̻̙̭̖̤̑͛̿̑̕̚͝ᴀ̜̤̘̙͕̻͚̓͒̈͐̄͂͝ᴛ̡̱̯̹̯̽͊̽̂̍͛͢ᴇ̢͐̂͜ ̢̛̦̥̘̙̦̱͑̀̓̚͘͘͢͡ᴄ̻͛ᴀ̧̛͚̼̘̮͖̙͖̳͆̅̔̂͘͞͝ɴ̧̧̱͊̿̏͢͜͠ɴ̨̤̯̘̔͛̈̒͜͡ᴏ̹̺̀͠ᴛ͇͕̯̭͞͡ ̨̍ʙ̝͌ᴇ̗͇̂͑̀͢ ͉͙̩̭̘̅̀̽̆͛ᴀ̪͈͓̂̌̽ʟ͈͉̱̫̜͐̊̄̋̃͘͟ᴛ̡̗̠̬̱̺̐͌̊̾̀͜͡͞ᴇ̨͎̣̜̲̤͗̌̀̿̽̚ʀ̪̬͖̙͇̂̔̑͠ᴇ̢̡̪͈̣̬̦̘͓̈͌̂͛̂̄̊̚͟ᴅ̼͂.̨͉̟̽̾͡][.̷͎͚̽́ͅᴇ̵̧̬̯̂͊̊ᴄ̴͕̹̓̉ɪ̴̻̣̮̌̌ᴏ̵̛̙͗ʜ̶̢̣́ᴄ̶̞͗͆ ̶̘̻̊͊͘ᴏ̷̢͋̍ɴ̵̟̲̹̈̇ ̷̲̲̦̏͊ꜱ̷̗͖̓̋ɪ̵̩̎ ̵̰͌ᴇ̸̦̞́͒͠ʀ̴̡̜̈́͂͜ᴇ̵͒͜ʜ̵̡͓͗̽̕ᴛ̷̫͆ͅ] [.ʏ̠͙̫͖̅̂̐̇ᴀ̰͈̟͐͌͊ᴡ ̦̺̹͎̀̑̍͘͟͝ʀ̙̾ᴇ̮̉ʜ̳̹͇̈́͂͠ᴛ̬͋ᴏ͉͙̹̓̾͠ ̡̭͛͒ᴏ̱̺̮͛͡͠ɴ̤̾ ꜱ̩̞͑͒̾͟ɪ ̛̛̹̭̝̩̊͛ᴇʀᴇ̢͊ʜ̦̐ᴛ͓̪̦̍̒̿̚͟] [.̟̱̜̈́͑ᴇ̛̬͈̝̤̲̿̔̽͘ᴠ̦̓ɪʟ̣̐ ̺̹̾̏ᴏ͉͡ᴛ͔̏ ̰͔͋̽̕͢ᴛ̥͔̇̐ɴ̢̝̘̆͑̃ᴀ̢̖̰̌͐͠ᴇ̦̙̂̍̂̂͜ͅᴍ ̧̡̼̲̒͆̏͋ʀ̢̩̖̄̒̈́ᴇ̫̯̱͍̌̉̒͞ᴠᴇ̲͇̮͂̑̈́ɴ ̪̔ᴇ̢̟͐̓͆̄̑͟͢ͅʀ͇̫̼̏̋͡ᴇ̰̲͈͕͊̊͗͐͟ᴡ̳̐ ͈̱̃̎͟ᴜᴏ̡̛̘̺͆͠ʏ̭̑] [.̭͛ʏ̻̤̑̂ᴘ̡̢̬͕͖͛̎͋͠͝ᴘ͈͇͋̂̇͟ᴀ̣͎̠̓͗̚ʜ̧̨͙̫͆͒̉̿ ͕̹̠͖̝̃̿̊̋̓ᴇ̧̫̞̣̂̐͂̐ʙ̡̣̏͠ ̓ͅᴏ̡͔͖͚͋̽̅͠͝ͅᴛ̛̱̗̞̍̓ ̨̲̓͑ᴛ̫̩̠̼̗̾̇̾̿͡ɴ͍̭̻̄̒ᴀ̃͢ᴇ̭̻̇̂ᴍ̧̅ ̛͈̣̩̦̀̈̂ʀ͙͒ᴇ͎͇̊͝ᴠᴇ̥̖̑͆͜͝ɴ̧̛̛͙̜̝̋ ̛͕̭͆ᴇ̬̥̩̳̌̃̑͗ʀ̹͇͚͇̓̓̂ᴇ͔̖̂̾ᴡ͇͚̩̠̀͌͡ ̧̜͋̒ᴜᴏ̨̺̱̯̓̌̌̋ʏ͕͕̞̇͛͛] [.̮͈̟̳͊̓̕͞ᴜ̟̘̮̞̯͌̐̃̽͝ᴏ͕͍̑͆͒̚͟͢ʏ̺͇̮͚̅͞ ̝̻̹̎͐͘͜͝ʀ̨̛̫̦̈́͋͘͟ᴏ͖̀̊͟ꜰ̡̛͇̙͖̉̊̎ ̧͌͒ͅꜱ̺͉̝͋̈́͘ɪ̺̮͓͆̃͘ ̲̮̱̈̑̒͟ᴇ̦̋ʀ̭͚̾̉ᴇ̳̰͉̟͊̌̓͠ʜ͟͠ ͈̤͎̣̈̐͞͞ɢɴɪ̘̯̰̌̆͌̌͜ʜᴛ̟̟͉̰̌̒͆̕ᴏɴ̡͇͌̅]

A-Yuan’s fate cannot be altered.

A man was shouting at him. Anger spewed from his mouth, and his large form threatened to hurt him. But A-Yuan did not pay any attention to the human as he trembled from exhaustion. It felt like his very soul has been worn down into nothingness, and A-Yuan has lost the capacity to care about the outside world.

What day was it? How long has it been? It couldn’t have been more than a month, and yet it feels like A-Yuan has been plagued by this invisible entity for years. Days and nights have bled together into an incomprehensible mess. Why was it doing this? Did it hate him? Did it have greater purpose? Whatever the answer was, A-Yuan did not know.

What A-Yuan did know was this: all attempts to change, to be different, were all met with failure. His newest endeavor was no different. This morning he left A-Jiu and Qi-ge behind to test himself. He couldn’t even handle being without them for an hour without needing help. It wasn’t as if A-Yuan liked being alone, but he had to try. This small excursion ended up like all his other efforts: something would always prevent him from achieving his goal. In this particular case, A-Yuan had the bad luck of tripping into a foul tempered man. This wasn’t the first time a mishap had occurred. Every single time when he was working on altering his destiny, a coincidence would manifest itself to stop him.  

It was as if fate itself was ensuring he does not deviate from the script. As if A-Yuan could never be anything more than a helpless character whose sole function was to die in the background.

...

Had it always been that way? Was there ever a chance he could be something different? Did he ever have a choice? Perhaps A-Yuan has always been a puppet since he was born, and it was only until now that he realized it. After all, humans cannot alter the course of a river. It stands to reason that fate was the same.

Fine. This was fine.

A-Yuan might be an untalented cannon fodder, but there was one thing he was good at.

He was adaptable. Throw him into any situation, and A-Yuan will find a way to make it work.

When he and A-Jiu became slaves, A-Yuan learned to live in the moment and not let the guilt consume all his thoughts. Discover the world he was in was fictional? Alright, life shattering premise accepted! Having an existential crisis seemed annoying to deal with anyway. Finding out that A-Yuan had no choice but to die?

Well, okay…that was a little harder to work with.

A-Yuan had a healthy fear of death like the rest of humanity. There were a lot of things he wanted to do. Sure, he may not be as ambitious as his gege, but he still wanted to accomplish his goals – no matter how minor they were.

The idea that he wasn’t going to get to grow up…That he wasn’t ever going to have the chance to be anything more than a slave…or watch A-Jiu and Qi-ge become famous cultivators and finally have the lives they deserved…I-it was…it was…

No! This was all pointless. Having these emotions were useless. It wouldn’t fix anything. A-Yuan just needed to change how he viewed things.

Being an adult would’ve been lame anyway. What did adults even do? All they did was look serious all day and punished kids for not being so boring!

And all his dreams about monsters were dumb! Even if he had his freedom, doing something monster related was a ridiculous idea. A-Yuan probably would’ve gotten himself killed by the first beast he met.

As for Qi-ge and A-Jiu…well they never needed him. Out of the group, A-Yuan was the one who needed the most care. A-Jiu was often fretting over him. He was the chain that weighed his gege down. It was his fault that they were slaves in the first place. Without him around, A-Jiu wouldn’t have anything to hold him back. He could put his full attention on cultivating instead of having to look after his didi.

…Right, A-Yuan just needed to see this from a bigger picture. If everything has been predetermined, then that meant choice was an illusion. But just because A-Yuan was a puppet doesn’t mean he can’t achieve anything. He had to be like Li Yuan from that play they watched. Although A-Yuan will not be around to see A-Jiu as an adult, he can still help him.

A-Yuan would do whatever it takes to ensure A-Jiu fulfills his dreams. Considering he is a backstory character for A-Jiu, A-Yuan’s death was most likely a trigger for his gege to go on a journey to become a great cultivator. In that case, A-Yuan could accept his destiny. It will all be fine. In the grand scheme of things, A-Jiu will be better off without him.

At the end of it all, A-Yuan did not matter.

The young boy was shaken out of his thoughts when the man stomped on his foot.

“Don’t ignore me, you brat!” he screamed.

A-Yuan disregarded the pain and stared up at the large man. For a moment, the man froze as he looked back at the child. There was an uneasy expression that covered the adult’s face. Before A-Yuan could wonder about it, Qi-ge swooped into his rescue.

“Get away from him!” Qi-ge shouted, and he broke the harasser’s nose. The older boy quickly grabbed A-Yuan and ran.

“Xiao B-, I mean Xiao Yuan. Are you hurt in any way?”

“If it’s something that makes you worried, then it’s something important. You can tell me about it. Whatever has been bothering you, I will not think it’s foolish.”

[ɿ̶̸̧̬̠̩̪̳͔̻̬̂̾̈́̆̚͢͠͝ͅの̴̖̐̊͆͊ɿ̵̖̞͚͕̝͍̘̂ɿ̷̡͖̺̙̯̱̈͛͆͂͗̕ͅƎ̸͕͙̫̞͍̖̏̇̎]

“And no matter what happens in the future, Xiao Jiu and I will always be with you.”

[.̴̨̞͖̩͓̘̮͔̜̈́͜ʀ̷̘̘͖̂̆̀̾̈́͌ᴇ̶͎̖͓̭̾̒̾̈́͒͘ꜱ̸͎͓͉͖̘̈́ᴜ̷̡̛̛̯̲̥̟͙̲̹̱͌̾̉̚ ̸̦̆̆̑͂͘͝͠ᴅ̸̗̙͍͎̰̦̩̏̏̒̑̿ᴇ̴͓͉̦̰̑̍͊̾͌̇̓͝ᴢ̶̧͓̋̍̿̍̈̃̚͜͝ɪ̸̮͇̠̥̥͉̥̭̦̱̇̒̿͌̂͘ʀ̶̧̖͕̻̣̬̖̤̱͙̔̒̄͝ᴏ̴̲͍͕̱͔̰͔̫͔̦́͊͒̔ʜ̸̳̙̜̖̬͈͍̌̅̋͊͜ᴛ̴̗͖̔̿̉̕ᴜ̸̦̈́͋̈͂̈́̊̈̓ᴀ̸̢̭͈̼̹̂̄ɴ̷͚͈̹̟̟̺̠̘̘͋͊͊͌̚ᴜ̴̫͕̤̥͛̍]

“We do have a choice. The future might be unpredictable, but it is ultimately shaped by our actions. If either you or Xiao Jiu were in danger or have been sold off, I would rescue you both as soon as possible. No matter what obstacles we face, I know we will reunite again.”

[.̶̹̳̘̰͛̑̓̒̅̇̈͘͝͠ᴅ̶̡̟̼͓̲̼̙̠͚̄̑͆̐̃̉̈́͒́̃ᴇ̴͖̩̘͍͓̓̍̈́͐̈́͠͝͝ͅᴛ̴̨̡̱͚͎̘̙͉̐̋̉̋̐̕͜ɴ̴̼̠͖̗̩͖̩͈̺̟ᴇ̴̤̊̆̔̃͂̍͒͝ᴠ̴̨̧̹̺͎̙̳̊̒̇ᴇ̵͉̠̲̤͖͓̱̚ʀ̸̨̡̟̦͉̣̲̯̮̗̇ᴘ̵̦̫͍̪̰̽͜ͅ ̶͔̤͚̹̘̇̈́̓̊̑͝ͅᴇ̸̛͙̮̭̹̼̥̲̳̽͐̎ʙ̷̭̟͙̳̯̝͚̥͕̎͐̽̎̉͌͌̿̓ͅ ̴̂̋̈́͜ᴛ̴̛̼̬̘̞̄̊ᴏ̶̳̌͋ɴ̷͚̱͙̺̳̭̖̐ɴ̷̡͓̼͍͖̆̋͒͊̉̀͋͜ᴀ̷̧̡͇͚̙̬͚̬̍ᴄ̶̰̐̓̈͊̈̅̿́̎͠ ̵͚͕͑͂̍̆̔̍͊͘͘ʜ̸̫̳͉̽̄̽̎̓̒͘͝ᴛ̸̤̱͇̮̄̐͒͌͋̾̓̃ᴀ̶̢̲̫̥͕̼͓̳̰̅ᴇ̷̡͙͉͑̑̐̄̈́̊͆̈́̆͘ᴅ̴̖̙̻̘̄̚̚͠ ̷̺̜͖̒̾̂ꜱ̵̧̫̬͂̑’̵͙͖̳̠̫̳̰̮̆̌̆̈́͜͠ᴀ̶̩̙̥̘͙̘̱̏͑̏̀̒̂͂̊̋͜͜͜ʙ̴̳̞̘͑̃̀͆ ̷̨̼̪̲͎̻̐̂͑͌͐ͅɴ̴̧̨̨̜͇̜̰͋̊̉͊̍͋̕̕ͅᴇ̸̧̡̨̮̲͓̯͚͑̏̀͘ͅͅʜ̵̦̥̬̼̼͂̚͜ꜱ̸̨͙͓̞̈́̂̏͂͘͝͠ͅ]

Qi-ge has always been a comforting presence. A hero through and through. A-Yuan felt better with him around. It was a good thing that Qi-ge will be there for his gege. A-Jiu will probably be upset when A-Yuan is gone, but he knows Qi-ge will be able to help him get over it. Time will pass, and they will move on.

No.

Nononononono.

A-Yuan should’ve known it would get worse! Things usually hit rock bottom for the protagonists before it got better!

A-Yuan and A-Jiu have been sold. The new master was obsessed with his brother. Qi-ge is gone.

There was a slight shake to A-Yuan’s hands as he cleaned the massive floors of the Qiu estate.

W-what should he do? Is there anything A-Yuan could do? This is the first time A-Yuan has ever been completely on his own. The absence of A-Jiu and Qi-ge festered inside him like a wound. On top of it all, the moment they entered the Qiu household, a deep and terrifying chill took hold of him. It only took a few seconds afterwards for him to understand why.

A-Yuan was never going to see the outside world again. This was it. H-he was going to die in this horrible place. It made sense after all. Here was a low point for A-Jiu’s story. His brother was going to lose important things to this place; the final of which will be A-Yuan.

The Qiu estate will break A-Jiu, and it has been quickly making good on its promise. They have only been here for a few days, and A-Yuan could already tell A-Jiu was covered in bruises despite his efforts to hide it. He has never seen his gege so scared before.

A-Yuan was startled out of his thoughts when he almost knocked over the bucket. He looked down and could see his hands trembling greatly. A-Yuan frowned and gave himself a slap.

He needed to calm down! Panicking wasn’t going to fix anything! A-Yuan needed to look at the long term.

Things might be bad now, but they’ll eventually get better! They had to. Qi-ge made a promise to A-Jiu that he’ll rescue him. That’s a classic heroic vow! Qi-ge will go through a training montage, and he’ll come back at an appropriately dramatic time! There’s no way he could fail! Narratively speaking, it wouldn’t be satisfying if the protagonist never returned for his childhood sweetheart, right?!

[ᴛ̷͚̈́̽̍ɴ̶̢̡͔͑͠ᴀ̸̩̌̄ᴠ̸̬̰̇͌ᴇ̵̥̖̾͌̓ʟ̴̙͕̝̔ᴇ̸̝͉̉ʀ̷̜̏̕ʀ̷͎͔͓̈́ɪ̶̝̃͝͝ ̴̙͎̓ꜱ̷̭͙̇͜ɪ̷̡̱̙͌͌͆ ̵̨̯͗ᴛ̶̳͍͆̆ᴜ̷͕̀ᴏ̶̨̣͍̄̊ʙ̵̧̡̣̋͐ᴀ̸͙͚̚͝ ̶̳̂̋ᴇ̸̝͓̉͗ʀ̷̨̗͝ᴀ̷̩̇͆ᴄ̵͙̠̈̄ ̶͈͉̃͜ᴜ̴̫̖̥̂̈́ᴏ̵̣̉͝ʏ̸͈̄ ̸̞̙̒̂ᴇ̵̪̻̣̀͛̊ɴ̴̟̏̎̉ᴏ̶̣́ʏ̸̥͠ʀ̶̝̤̑͌ᴇ̶̠̲̓̈́̽ᴠ̷̛̰͒͆ᴇ̸͓͒̇̍]

Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!

A-Yuan stubbornly ignored the distorted voice and returned to cleaning the floors.

A-Yuan had made an effort to stay calm. He really did, but it was hard to relax when every second in this forsaken house was like stumbling through pitch-black darkness and one wrong step will send him plummeting down a ravine. He was painfully aware of every little move he made and tried to avoid the wrath of other servants. A-Yuan also strived to not overthink about the future, but the constant uncertainty gnawed at him.

How much time did he have left? A few months? A few weeks? What could he do before then? Was there anything he could do to help A-Jiu? Or would he just make things worse? What if today was his last day? Did he just waste all his time? Will Qi-ge arrive soon?

The unending anxiety chased A-Yuan everywhere he went. Furthermore, that thing has been more insistent than ever since A-Yuan arrived at the Qiu household. That amount of high-level stress over a long period of time has destroyed his health. He ended up becoming far sicker at the Qiu estate then when he was outside.

“It’s been an hour already, and you only got this amount of work done?! How lazy are you?!” the servant kicked A-Yuan’s bowed form as he continued screaming at him. A-Yuan gritted his teeth against the pain.

[ꜱ̷̧͌̍̒ꜱ̶̼͗̆͛ᴇ̴̗͚̺̏̉ʟ̴̡̦͗͝ᴛ̴̻̾ɴ̵͓̗̒̋͐ɪ̴͖͚͓̓͝ᴏ̷̹͈̭̈́͆̆ᴘ̵̰̅ ̵̨̘̯͆ꜱ̸̡̰̚ͅɪ̴̣̙͒͊̏ ̷̪͔̋͘ᴏ̴̹̦̥͌ᴅ̶̙̭͈̊͌ ̴̳̫͇͐͝ᴜ̴̝̗̔̉ᴏ̵̠̯̂̂͗ʏ̷̢̱͂ ̴̜̮̆ɢ̶̪̜̂ɴ̸̤͈̝͝ɪ̷̖̦͐ʜ̶̻͛ᴛ̶͚̣̇͊ʏ̴͎͔͖̐ʀ̵̢̱̈́ᴇ̶̞̾͛ᴠ̴̙̣̔̕̚ᴇ̷͈̋̊]

“Are you ignoring me?!”

“This lowly one would not dare to do so,” A-Yuan rasped and coughed into his elbow afterwards. His sore throat burned. He struggled to keep an attentive appearance even with his feverishly sluggish mind.

There was a disgusted look on the servant’s face, and he moved away from A-Yuan like he was a pile of trash. “Absolutely useless. You’re dismissed for today,” he said with derision.

A-Yuan bowed and left. Once he was in his room, he went straight to his bed and lied down.

[?̷͕̈̆͆ͅᴇ̵̗̽̉̌ᴠ̸͕͍͒ɪ̶͖̥̋̇ʟ̶̣̮͔̚ᴀ̴̦̾̀ ̶͊ͅᴇ̵̦͕͈͌ʀ̵̯̌̔͛ᴀ̵̪̟̗͗͝͝ ̴͓͖̇͝͝ᴜ̸̯̪̅̿ᴏ̷̦̝̓̄ʏ̶̜̟̿̃ ̶̱̤̘͊͝ʏ̸̙̹̐̐̚ʜ̵̖̋̓̕ᴡ̷̹̻̤̍̇̈́ ̷̠̜̼̒̅ʀ̵͓̌ᴇ̴̬̼̠̽͝ᴅ̴͚̩̞̌̌͝ɴ̷̡̬͂ᴏ̸̻͆ᴡ̶̦̹̮́ ̸̺̼͝ʀ̶͍͖̚ͅᴇ̵̘̳̊͊͠ᴠ̵̘̿́ᴇ̸̹͋͌ ̷̧̪̗̔ᴜ̵̘̟͆̂ᴏ̷͈̾͐ʏ̶̯͔̉̄̂ ̸̹͕̽̒̄͜ᴏ̶̢̳̎͜͝͠ᴅ̴̮̤]

He groaned and flipped his middle finger at the air. Predictably, the distorted voice continued to drone on. Knowing it would be a while before he could finally get some rest, A-Yuan got up to get a piece of scrap paper that he had hidden away. Laying back on the bed, he looked up at the picture.

Three small figures were drawn in a simplistic style. Tiny A-Jiu and Qi-ge wore fancy robes and wielded spirit swords. Facing off with the black silhouette of a demon, they had determined expressions on their round faces. Behind them, tiny A-Yuan was playing with a slime while wearing a straw hat. He seemed oblivious to the dramatic scene and was just having a blast trying to teach the slime how to fetch.

A-Yuan smiled. He remembered teasing A-Jiu a bit for making such a funny drawing. It has been months since A-Yuan last saw him. He missed his gege a lot. The Qiu estate was large, and his duties did not take him near Qiu Jianluo. Thinking about what A-Jiu was suffering through right now, there was a pang in A-Yuan’s heart.

He stared at the drawing for a long time. When that hollow voice finally stopped, A-Yuan set aside the paper. Closing his eyes, he drifted off into a troubled sleep.    

Well, shit.

Really. Really? Did they not think he was pathetic enough? Did those petty dickbags really have to kick him while he’s down?

A-Yuan would much rather do the work than be sick all the time! It’s painful when he has a high fever or coughs so much that his lungs felt like they were about to break!

But no, apparently they decided to starve him on top of everything.

Gaaaaaah!!!!

No! No, he can’t let them get to him. If there was one thing his brother taught him, it was to face his enemies unflinchingly. He will not back down. A-Yuan will continue on despite their efforts.

Still, his mood continued its downward spiral for many days. It wouldn’t be until A-Jiu visited him again that is was briefly lifted. Unfortunately, his gege decided to come at a bad time. That morning, the head servant had given him the task of chopping wood, and A-Yuan ended up collapsing from it. A-Jiu helped him up and put him on a nearby bench.

Oh great. He troubled A-Jiu again.

“Stop pretending,” A-Jiu hissed at him. “It’s no wonder you haven’t been getting better. Those worms have been making your illness worse! You will die at this rate!”

In an attempt to comfort him, A-Yuan shook his head and said, “Gege, stop worrying about me! I’m not that sick, I won’t leave you alone.”

[D̹͕̂̕ea̠͞t͓͎̉͗͟͞h̻̭̘͋̈́̓͠ͅͅ F͉̩͙̓̒̎la̤͇̓͡ģ͚̳͙̏̃͞͝ A̮͍͍̫̩͗̿̄̆͡ć̞t̜̓ị͓͈̦̀̏̆̑v̳̤̌̐a̧̰͐̈t͚͈͓̣͂̋̀͒̕ͅe̢̥̻̰͛̇̔͆ď̮̤̽.̳̤̤̅͘͠]

What. What? What did that mean?! Did he just trigger his own death sequence?!

Don’tPanicDon’tPanicDon’tPanic.

A-Jiu became alert and he grabbed A-Yuan’s hand. “What’s wrong?”

A-Yuan pushed away his emotions. “N-nothing. I just recalled that I was also supposed to collect the laundry today.”

A-Yuan had hoped that getting a timeframe would make it easier on him, but it was just the opposite. Knowing his death was imminent made him jump at every shadow and sound. It also crushed his hope. He was probably going to die before A-Jiu got rescued, leaving his brother all alone in this dangerous place. A-Yuan had also wished to see Qi-ge one more time, but it looked like that wasn’t going to happen either.

With everything piling on top of him, it got to the point where he didn’t eat even when he was given food. He felt bad about it because Jie Xiulan’s cooking was very good. He had eaten some of her meals before, but the last couple days A-Yuan’s appetite dwindled to nothing and he had been wasting them instead.

Unexpectedly, A-Jiu visited him again quite soon after the previous one. Normally there would be long gaps between visits, but A-Yuan was happy to see him. For some reason, his gege got angry and stormed out with the bowl of noodles after tasting it. A-Yuan was worried he was going to yell at Jie Xiulan, but when he returned, he assured him he didn’t. A-Jiu also shared with him some good news about the temporary absence of the Qiu family.

After that, things somehow got better.

Over the next couple of weeks, A-Yuan was able to spend more time with A-Jiu. As each day passed and A-Yuan continued to live, he began to feel less terrified. A-Yuan was able to regain some of his weight and his health improved.

Maybe he just misheard it?

Well, A-Yuan was still going to die eventually. But it still made him feel better that it wasn’t as quick as he thought. Hopefully, A-Jiu was right and Qi-ge will show up soon. In the meantime, he had to give A-Jiu as much support as he could. A-Yuan didn’t know why, but A-Jiu thought lowly of himself. He was going to give him an apology and let his gege know that he is an amazing brother!

A-Yuan sat on his bed and looked worriedly after A-Jiu closed the door. He could tell that Qiu Jianluo had tortured him extensively today, but his gege still went out of his way to bring him food. Feeling his stomach rumble, A-Yuan decided to take out a baozi from the bag. As he ate it and took sips of water from his cup, he quietly gazed out the window. Outside, the moon was bright and dark clouds lazily drifted across the sky. He glanced down and noticed a locust at the windowsill. He watched as it jumped…and then froze in midair.

A-Yuan frowned. He blinked, but it stayed suspended. The locust did not flap its wings. As A-Yuan looked around, he noticed everything has become unnaturally still. The trees and grass were not swaying, and the sounds of insects were completely gone. Was he hallucinating? He quickly placed his cup on the table next to his bed. It was best to not hold something fragile while he’s having a mental breakdown of some sort.

[User has been removed. Goodbye.]

He almost fell out of the bed when he heard the clearness of the voice. That pressure of being watched also disappeared as well. For the first time in years, A-Yuan felt light.

Wait. It’s gone? Just like that?

Before he could ponder any further, a stranger entered his room.

The man was dressed in silvery robes that shined whenever the moonlight touched it. Against the shadows of the room, the visitor appeared almost glowing. His features were elegant and refined. Strapped to his waist was a luminous sword sheathed in a silver scabbard. His ink black hair spilled over his shoulders as he stared in concentration at something.

W-what was a cultivator doing here?!

“How is there still an issue? I already fixed that errant System,” the man said quietly to himself.

System? What the hell is that?

“Excuse me, sir. May this servant ask what his visitor’s purpose is here?” A-Yuan politely questioned.

Was this master staying at the estate for the banquet the Qiu family was hosting? A-Yuan thought that having a righteous cultivator as a guest would be news that would spread like wildfire amongst everyone, but A-Yuan has been fairly isolated lately. A-Jiu probably forgot to mention it to him. Did this guy get lost and accidentally enter his room?

The man stiffened, and he swiftly turned towards A-Yuan. There was a cold darkness to the stranger's face that gave him an air of unearthly detachment. He looked down at A-Yuan as if he were nothing more than a mere insect that he stepped on. Suddenly, the painting of a distant immortal melted away as surprise entered the cultivator's eyes. He instantly adjusted his stance to be less regal and more opened and accommodating like a parent humoring a young child.

With a deep concern imbued in his voice, the cultivator asked, "what are you doing here? Only one person has been designated to this world. Did someone give you the wrong assignment?" He leaned down and requested kindly, "what is your name and rank? Perhaps I could help you find where you are supposed to be."

A-Yuan raised a brow. What was going on with this immortal? He acted strangely and his questions were odd. Was he drunk or something? Well, A-Yuan wasn’t about to argue with the man who has a sword.

“This is my room. My name is Shen Yuan, and I am a slave for the Qiu family,” he answered.

The man quickly glanced at a blank space in the air and his eyes widened slightly. He slowly blinked at A-Yuan.

“I...This doesn't make sense. What are you?” he asked.

A-Yuan crossed his arms in front of hist chest. Eh?! What a rude question!

“I’m human. As you can see with your eyes,” A-Yuan replied tartly.

“No, child, that’s not what I meant,” the stranger chided and stroked his chin. “You’re not a transmigrator, but you can’t be a resident either. The world is frozen right now while I try and figure out the errors. Only those who do not belong here can move.” The man looked at A-Yuan as if he was an incomprehensible puzzle. “Shen Yuan…do the names Shen Ba or Shen Jiu sound familiar to you?”

A-Yuan had no clue about most of the things this man said, but it was becoming obvious that he was of a higher power. Perhaps a god of some sort? Can’t hurt to play along and see if he could get any answers out of him.

“Shen Ba was my old name,” A-Yuan answered him, “and since I’ve given you my name, I think you should tell me yours. Why do you know about my brother and me?”

“You’re Shen Ba…and you changed your name?” the man stated slowly, as if he couldn’t quite believe it. He lowered his head in thought. “How are you still…,” he drifted off, apparently deciding not to finish his sentence.

“Hey!” A-Yuan snapped, “you keep asking me questions, but you don’t answer any of mine!” Then he froze. Oh fuck. He shouted at a being who could probably kill him with his pinky finger!

However, it seemed like the elegant man did not mind. He merely smiled at him.

“My apologies, Shen Yuan. You are correct, I’ve been terribly rude. Where are my manners?” he said in an almost overly remorseful tone and continued, “my name is Song Jing. As for why I know about you and your brother, it is because I am a follower of the preordained path. I know all those who are connected to fate.”

...Song Jing was being awfully vague when describing his position. Even though it seemed like he had a lot of power, he didn’t simply say he was an overpowered immortal or a god. Also, he mentioned ‘fate’.

“Are you the author?” A-Yuan asked.

Song Jing gave him a contemplative look. “An author? Well, writing is one of my hobbies, but I have never published a book,” he politely intoned.

A-Yuan narrowed his eyes. “I am aware we are in a story. There is no need to dance around it,” A-Yuan said.

“Hmm. Did someone tell you this?” Song Jing questioned.

“No, I figured it out because there are too many papapa-related objects out there. It’s obvious this world was set up as an excuse for adult scenarios,” A-Yuan expertly explained to the adult.

The man’s face was still as stone, but A-Yuan could see the amusement and mortification light up in his dark eyes. Song Jing covered his mouth with his hand and turned his head away. A-Yuan heard a long exhale from him as if his soul were escaping his body. It took several minutes before he would look at him again.

“Ah, I see,” Song Jing lightly laughed despite himself. “You remind me of my son. He was a lot like you, you know. Very clever and prone to interesting observations," he said with warmth in his voice.

“Thanks,” A-Yuan stated plainly. “Anyway, are you the author?”

“No, I am not. I am merely a servant of fate. My duty is to observe the story and ensure everything goes smoothly,” he explained.

“Oh.” A-Yuan was slightly disappointed. He was hoping he was the author. Still, this guy probably knows about the future. Couldn’t hurt to see if the man was willing to indulge him.

In his best “cute kid” voice, A-Yuan asked, “Elder Song, would you be willing to tell me how the story goes?”

Song Jing froze for a moment. A strong emotion flickered in his eyes and vanished before A-Yuan could identify it. He lowered his head in thought as he pondered about his request. After a few seconds, he smiled. “Normally, our policies do not allow characters to learn about the future. But for you, I will make an exception. Ask me what you wish to know.”

Great! A-Yuan already knew what his first question was going to be.

“When will Qi-ge come to rescue A-Jiu?”

“About one year and eight months from now,” he replied.

Well, okay…that was a lot longer than he expected. But hey, a late rescue was better than never, right? It did make him concerned though. Taking so much time to return didn’t seem like something Qi-ge would do unless he was gravely injured.

A-Yuan fidgeted with the sleeve of his robe and then asked, “Did something happen to him?”

“It will,” Song Jing answered as he sat down at a nearby chair, “Yue Qi had planned to come back after his first year of training, but his Shizun stopped him. He told him that he will only allow him to leave after he attained a certain amount of strength. In a few months, Yue Qi will start trying to use shortcuts to quickly attain power. It will eventually lead him to a severe Qi deviation. He will be forced into isolation for a year. With a little more patience, Yue Qi would’ve been able to rescue Shen Jiu eight months from now with far fewer complications to his health.”

A-Yuan sat there for a minute as he digested the information.

That doesn’t sound good. Serious health issues? He’ll have to let A-Jiu know about it so he could take care of him. Although Qi-ge was a dependable person for everyone else, he was very bad at looking after himself. Knowing him, he’d probably try to hide his health problems out of some misplaced sense of guilt.

Glancing back up at him, A-Yuan questioned, “are A-Jiu and Qi-ge still able to become great cultivators despite all the obstacles?”

Song Jing gave a slight nod. “Yue Qi will become a sect master while your brother will be a Peak Lord.”

A-Yuan smiled softly. It was comforting to have someone confirm to him that A-Jiu and Qi-ge will attain their dreams. Becoming a sect master and a Peak Lord? That sounded amazing. This meant A-Jiu and Qi-ge will be fine in the future, even when…even when A-Yuan was gone.

A wave of melancholy arose from within him, and A-Yuan was reminded of his exhaustion. It was already very late at night, and the adrenaline has worn off. He could feel his eyelids drooping down. A-Yuan knew he should tell Song Jing to leave soon after asking one more question about his own future.

But there was still another inquiry he wanted to make before it. It was similar in intent to his previous question, but there was a nagging worry worming into his soul. Before, he had been simply focused on getting A-Jiu his dream. But now that he knew for sure that his brother was going to achieve it, A-Yuan couldn’t ignore the other potential issues anymore. 

A-Jiu had the terrible habit of digging into his own wounds. He was never the type to let things be or to let himself heal. For every horrible thing that hurt him, A-Jiu tended to hold all of it close to his heart.

The abuse he endured under Qiu Jianluo and A-Yuan’s death…would he ever be able to let those scars fade? Or will he be wrapped up in so much self-hatred that his existence would continue to be torture even as a Peak Lord? A-Yuan’s insides twisted at the very thought of his gege remaining miserable even when he is living his ideal life.

In a small voice, A-Yuan asked, “Will A-Jiu be happy?”

Song Jing smiled. Gently, he told him, “Shen Jiu will be beloved. His most powerful disciple will care for him greatly and ensure he lives forever.”

Before A-Yuan could fully take in the information, Song Jing swiftly asked, “I noticed that you mostly ask questions about Yue Qi and Shen Jiu, and yet you never include yourself with them. Why is that?”

“I think you know why,” A-Yuan replied.

Song Jing quietly looked at him for a long moment, then he nodded. “Ah, so you are aware of your role?” he asked solemnly.

“That I am a backstory character for A-Jiu? Yes, I know.”

“You are taking it remarkably well,” Song Jing complimented, “I’m quite surprised your first question wasn’t to ask about your death.”

“Well, it was going to be my next question,” A-Yuan said as he glanced down at his hands. “Though I guess I was trying to put it off. I know it’s a role I’m going to have to fulfill at some point, but…I am afraid. There’s a part of me that doesn’t want to hear about it, but I suppose I should know what I’ll be facing.” 

Song Jing rested his chin on his hand with a sheen of interest in his eyes. “You would take on a role knowing it will bring you fear and pain?”

“W-wait, is it possible not to?”

A-Yuan had tried and thought it was impossible in the past, but without that voice constantly chipping away at his will and a servant of fate who would know…could he leave it?

Song Jing glanced at a blank space of air briefly before returning his attention back to him.

“For you? No. Your destiny is already in progress,” he stated. “But I am curious about what you do in the hypothetical situation. What if you could escape your role, but doing so would break the story? Would you still do it?”

A-Yuan took a deep, shuddering breath and clenched his hands. That was stupid. He shouldn’t have gotten his hopes up. After taking a few seconds to recollect himself, A-Yuan considered Song Jing’s question.

…Well, A-Yuan had already resigned himself to being cannon fodder years ago. If destroying the plot would hurt A-Jiu or Qi-ge, then he wouldn’t escape.

Looking into Song Jing’s eyes, A-Yuan answered, “I would stay and fulfill my role to the best of my abilities.”

Song Jing grinned and leaned forward in his chair. “You would be well suited as a servant of fate.”

“Thank you?” A-Yuan questioned in a hesitant voice.

“I truly mean it. You have exceeded my expectations. Only a child, and yet you would already be far better for the position than many of the idiots they let in these days,” he said, his tone almost becoming dark when he mentioned the other servants.

Song Jing tilted his head. “How about it? Would you be interested in becoming a servant of fate?”

What. This was a position people could be recruited for?

A-Yuan frowned and shifted on his bed. “…What does the job entail?”

“Well, for starters, you would be resurrected after you died.”

A-Yuan sat up straight as a board. “Wait, really?”

“Yes,” Song Jing stated, and then he waved his hand. “However, you will not be in this world. A servant of fate travels far and wide. When you die, you will be transmigrated into other stories. Since your role in this particular tale will be over, you cannot come back here.”

A-Yuan froze. “I…won’t ever be able to return? Not even after the story has been completed?”

“No, but you wouldn’t have been able to come back anyway if you simply died. At least by becoming a servant of fate, you will get to continue your life,” Song Jing pointed out, then he looked at him gently.

“A-Yuan, you are such a bright child who should have had a long future ahead of him. But this world was not created with fairness in mind. The destiny it has given you is sadistic and cruel, and yet you continue to be so brave. You deserve better than this. You deserve to live,” Song Jing said with a mostly serene voice, though there was a hint of grief in it.

A-Yuan's mind swirled. He gripped the blankets tightly and glanced back out the window. The scenery that greeted him continued to be unnaturally still.

Whatever decision A-Yuan made, he will never be able to see his gege or Qi-ge again.

…But one of those options would be easier on them.

“Xiao Yuan, you are very precious to us. If…if anything happened to you, we wouldn’t be able to live with ourselves.”

A-Yuan recalled the conversation he had with Qi-ge many years ago. The older boy had told him that he and A-Jiu would blame themselves if A-Yuan died.

But if A-Yuan became a servant of fate, then that wouldn’t be an issue. Even though A-Yuan’s death was not going to be their fault anyway, his continued existence would make it impossible for them to feel any guilt over it.

It was going to be very tough to explain any of this to A-Jiu, and A-Yuan could already imagine his gege going through a long stage of anger and denial…but this was the best option he had. Even if they won’t be able to see each other in the future, as long as A-Jiu knew he was still somewhere out there alive, his gege should be fine.  

“I accept your offer,” A-Yuan said.

Song Jing clasped his hands. “Excellent! I know you are going to be a great transmigrator,” he warmly told him.

“I’m grateful you gave me the opportunity,” A-Yuan replied, then he yawned.

Oh right, he should start wrapping this up. It would be embarrassing to dose off in front of his future employer.

“I need to go to sleep soon,” A-Yuan said, then he suddenly remembered that he hadn’t asked his last question yet. “But before you go, could you tell me when my last day will be?” he queried and internally cringed.

Okay, that was a really morbid question to ask right before going to bed. A-Yuan really regretted not asking this question earlier.

Song Jing went quiet for a few seconds, and then he sighed.

“Knowing it won’t do you any good,” he answered.

“Well, I’d still like to know. There is some business I must finish before then.”

“I understand,” Song Jing had a sympathetic expression on his face as he spoke, “but you are out of time.”

A bolt of pure horror burned through A-Yuan’s body and the walls of the room closed in on him. “W-what? How?!” he choked out.

“That baozi your brother has so graciously given you is poisoned,” Song Jing calmly replied.

“No! That can’t be true!” A-Yuan rejected vehemently.

“That is the fact. Your brother is the reason why you will die,” Song Jing stated.

Panic engulfed A-Yuan's mind. “M-my gege w-would never kill me!" he stammered. "You're lying!"

A flash of anger burned in Song Jing's eyes.

"Why do you have so much faith in him?" Song Jing asked in an icy voice. "He's scum," he snapped. Song Jing stopped himself and took a deep breath. “...I'm sorry. That was rude of me. But this is something you should know: Shen Jiu is a terrible person. In fact, you were lucky to have survived this long. He would have gotten you killed many weeks ago if it were not for your illness that prevented you from eating the poisoned food.” Song Jing's lips thinned. "You're not the only person he'll hurt either. Shen Jiu is a villain who will go on to destroy many lives in the future."

This man was messing with him. A-Yuan knew Song Jing was messing with him. But his mind couldn't help but stutter to a halt. A-Jiu, a villain? As in those evildoers who got crushed by the heroes? The characters who will suffer and die from karmic fates as everyone cheers on?

Song Jing was contradicting his own words. Earlier, didn't he say-. A-Yuan’s breathing became rapidly shallow as he realized something. Song Jing had never told him A-Jiu would be happy.

No! This…this-

"H-he's not a villain. He can't be!" A-Yuan said in denial.

Song Jing gave him a pitying look. “I realize your admiration for your brother is blinding you quite a bit, but I think deep down you know that Shen Jiu is a twisted person. Surely you can remember all the times he laughed in glee at the suffering of others. Or how about that time he lied to your friend Qi-ge about having his legs broken? You must admit that he exhibits some very dark traits.”

“A-Jiu isn’t evil,” A-Yuan desperately said, and to further illustrate his point he continued, “When Qi-ge went off to save Shi Wu, A-Jiu helped him.”

“Being completely evil isn’t a necessity to be a villain. As long as that person is willing to commit terrible acts, even if it was for good intentions, then they can be one,” Song Jing informed him.

“And whether or not you want to believe me, it doesn’t change the fact that you are currently dying because of your brother,” he said. In a sympathetic voice, he softly continued, “I know it is hard, but it is for the best that you let Shen Jiu go. He is the type of man to hurt those around him. Because of Shen Jiu, Yue Qi will suffer for years before dying a gruesome death. Countless innocent lives will be lost because of your brother’s actions. Out of the mountain of corpses that he will accumulate in his immortal life, your body will merely be the starting block.”

A-Yuan’s shoulders tensed. “Shut up! I’m not going to trust a word you say.”

The man stood up from his chair, and A-Yuan automatically flinched. Song Jing seemed to notice how terrified the child was, and he took a step away - giving A-Yuan more space. He carefully clasped his arms behind his back.

“Every word I have said is the truth,” Song Jing informed him.

“They might not be lies on some technical level, but I can tell you are twisting them to make me misunderstand the information.”

Song Jing sighed. “If that is what you wish to think, then I cannot change your mind.”

“Good, then leave,” A-Yuan said coldly as he gestured at the door.

“Very well. If you want anything from me, I’ll be in the hallway,” Song Jing said.

“Go back to your world!” A-Yuan snapped.

Song Jing shook his head. “A-Yuan, you are dying. You may not be feeling it now, but in an hour you will. Unfortunately, the poison that was in the food is not the most efficient. It will take many hours before you perish. In the meantime, the least I could do is to stay around and not leave a child to suffer by himself,” Song Jing explained, then he hesitated. “I know this is morbid, but if you wish, I could quicken the poison so you can have an easier death.”

A-Yuan froze. At the corner of his vision, he could still see the locust in mid-jump on the windowsill.

“…I see,” A-Yuan briefly closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Then he got up from the bed and walked up to Song Jing. In a remorseful tone, A-Yuan said, “I’m sorry for my outburst. Some of the things you said are…hard to accept. But I must accept it. If A-Jiu is really the villain, then there is nothing I can do for him.”

“He is. Shen Jiu’s destiny is unalt-.”

A-Yuan threw a punch while the silver-robed man spoke in hopes that he would be distracted enough to let his guard down.

Unfortunately, A-Yuan still did not stand a chance. Song Jing was a cultivator with fast reflexes.

The man instantly caught his arm and twisted it with ease. A-Yuan hissed from the pain and his knees hit the floor. Song Jing let go and A-Yuan could hear the metal shing of a blade being taken out of its sheathe. In a panic, A-Yuan scrambled backward until his back hit the edge of his bed. When he looked back up, the silver sword was suspended in the air and was pointed downwards at him. A-Yuan reflexively put his arms up even though he knew it would be of little defense.

A couple steps away, Song Jing stood there placidly.

“I am not going to hurt you, but I cannot have you attacking me. My sword will prevent you from moving any further from your bed,” Song Jing told him and sighed. “Your anger is understandable, but please stop. I only have your best interests in mind.”

A-Yuan glared at the man. “Don’t try to act benevolent,” he snapped, “everything is frozen right now. You are deliberately sticking around so that time won’t resume. I can’t get help or talk to anyone else with you here!”

He ate the food not too long ago, and the effects of the poison have not yet taken its toll on his body. There was a chance A-Yuan could still be saved. This man was staying here to make sure he died!

There was an incomprehensible emotion in Song Jing’s gaze. “Ah, you are truly a smart child. Unfortunately, I came to this world to fix an error, and I cannot leave until it has been resolved. Although I must complete my duty, I know you deserve better. This world does not care about you. Your existence here has been one long miserable journey, hasn’t it? Abandoned by your parents, turned into a slave, and sold to a cruel master. Don’t you want a life where you no longer have to struggle so pointlessly? A life where you could be content?”

“I don’t want any of it!” A-Yuan shouted and stood up, ignoring the sword that was still pointed at him. “I’ve known for a long time that this world doesn’t care about me, but this is still my home! A-Jiu and Qi-ge are here! It doesn’t matter what happens to me, but I will do whatever it takes to ensure their happiness.”

“You do not have a choice.”

A-Yuan stiffened. His voice was caught in his throat.

In the next moment, the sound of a sword slicing through air pierced the moonlit room. A-Yuan’s eyes widened, and he could see a startled expression flit across Song Jing’s face as the man turned sideways towards the noise.

Both of them stared at the dark portal that had randomly opened in the middle of the room.

A-Yuan broke out of his stupor first. He quickly glanced back at Song Jing and saw the silver-robed man was in deep contemplation as he tried to figure out what was going on. A-Yuan had no clue either, but he could use this distraction to his advantage.

A-Yuan quickly grabbed the cup that was set on the table next to his bed. With all his strength, he threw it at Song Jing’s face.

The cup shattered. Shards of porcelain cut gruesomely against the fair skin. Blood dripped down the left side of his face where the cup had hit. The eye itself was possibly damaged as Song Jing grasped his face and covered it.

Despite the pain he must be in, Song Jing was quiet. Before A-Yuan could do anything else, Song Jing swiftly glanced at something with his right eye and, with his free hand, tapped against empty air.

A-Yuan crumpled onto the ground. His whole body felt like it was burning and freezing at the same time. A-Yuan wanted to scream, but his throat suddenly became swollen and he could barely breath.

Song Jing stared at him as he vanished, the sword and remnants of the cup disappearing with him.

The portal was quickly fading as well. Before it completely dissolved, A-Yuan thought he could see a speck of a red within it.

For a few seconds, it was eerily silent, then sounds of life burst back into the room. He could hear crickets singing outside and people talking in the hallway.

One of those voices was A-Jiu.

Desperation gripped A-Yuan. His whole body was shaking, and the agony was unbearable, but despite it all he forced himself to move in any capacity he could. A-Yuan slowly crawled along the floor towards the entryway.

Fear crushed his heart when he heard a body being slammed against his door. Was someone attacking his gege?!

“You think you’re so smart, don’t you? Don’t be smug. One day someone’s going to get their vengeance on you. They’ll rip you apart and you’ll be nothing more than a worm writhing on the ground,” Elder Kai sneered.

Tears prickled at the edges of A-Yuan’s eyes.

He struggled to move faster, but his body continued at a snail-like pace. A-Yuan’s vision was steadfastly locked on the exit, then he heard his gege grumbling to himself as he started to walk away.

"A-Jiu, w-wait! Wait for me!" A-Yuan attempted to shout, but his throat was swollen, and his voice came out as a barely audible whisper.

In the darkness of his room, all he could do was lie on the ground and futilely reached his hand out towards the door.

A-Yuan was left alone.

“A-Jiu! A-Jiu, please don’t lea-.”

“Shh. Shhh. Don’t cry, I’m here,” Shen Jiu’s voice comforted him as he gently patted his back.

Like a spark, awareness suddenly lit up his mind. Shen Yuan slowly opened his eyes. The first thing he noticed was that his vision was blurry. The next thing was that his pillow was warm.

Shen Yuan immediately sat up. He touched his face and his fingers came away wet with water. He rubbed his eyes and his vision cleared up. Shen Jiu sat on the bed and looked worriedly at him.

His brain slowly connected the dots.

Hold up, was he crying?! Not only that, but he was crying on a kid???

This was so embarrassing on so many levels!!!!

Okay, from the outside it probably doesn’t look that bad. But Shen Yuan knows how ashamed he should be. He might be in a body of a teenager, but internally he’s an adult! An adult crying on a child is irresponsible!

While Shen Yuan was busy with the turmoil of having a thin face, Shen Jiu spoke up, “A-Yuan, you’ve been asleep for a while. Are you feeling well? After we administered the antidote, it appeared you were having nightmares for several hours.”

Shen Yuan stilled and furrowed his brow.

Nightmares? Well, that probably explains why he was sobbing. But what was he even dreaming about?

For a moment, there was a hollow ache that pulsed in his soul. Shen Yuan oddly felt like he lost something of great importance to him.

Then he shook it off. Whatever was in those dreams, it was gone now. No use in crying over spilled milk.  

“I’m fine,” Shen Yuan replied, then he finally glanced around the room.

Wow. He was really missing those spot checks, wasn’t he? There were three whole teenagers he had somehow failed to see earlier. Though to be fair to himself, Shen Yuan was disorientated, and his eyes were puffy from weeping.

Liu Qingge and someone who he assumed was Mu Qingfang (based on his peak robes anyway) were sitting at the table. Yue Qingyuan stood nearby with a complicated expression on his face.

“Some events occurred after you intercepted Wu Yanzi’s attack,” Shen Jiu started to explain and stopped. The urge to lecture overtook him, Shen Jiu leveled Shen Yuan a cold glare. “For future reference, don’t do that. There are many ways to deflect or stop attacks without idiotically sacrificing yourself. Even if there wasn’t, you are not allowed to do that again,” Shen Jiu chided him.  

“I’m sorry, A-Jiu. I panicked and didn’t think clearly at that time. I’ll do better in the future,” Shen Yuan dutifully said. He had to give respect to the kid. Back when he read the files, he did not expect Shen Jiu to be the caring type. Surprisingly, Shen Jiu would make a decent big brother, even if he were currently using his skills on someone who was older than him by a large margin.

Shen Jiu accepted his apology and continued to describe the events surrounding Wu Yanzi. Shen Yuan was formally introduced to Mu Qingfang. After Shen Jiu helped him get up from the bed and he got used to moving again, Shen Yuan looked at the four teenagers who went through all that trouble to cure him and smiled gratefully.

“Thank you for all your assistance. Without your aid, the situation would have been much worse,” Shen Yuan said.

“We are happy to help. You and Shen-xiansheng are important people to Yue-Shixiong. It’s good to finally meet you under less dire circumstances,” Mu Qingfang said.

“Getting rid of that scum Wu Yanzi was something that needed to be done,” Liu Qingge stated, then he glanced away. “Besides, out of all of us, you were the one who got the most injured,” he said and clenched his fists.

Oh right. Liu Qingge was the honorable type. He probably felt bad that Shen Yuan got hurt pushing him out of the way.

“I’d naturally be the most injured since Wu Yanzi overpowered me a couple weeks before and forced the body control potion on me. There wasn’t any way I would be leaving that fight without getting knocked out at least,” Shen Yuan reminded him.

Shen Jiu’s lips tightened, and it appeared that he was about to say something before the sound of Shen Yuan’s grumbling stomach interrupted him.

Shen Yuan could feel himself flush, and the transmigrator just wanted to muffle a scream into a pillow.

Looks like he’s not getting any dignity today.

Yue Qingyuan lightly chuckled. “It has been a long day. Why don’t we all get dinner to celebrate Xiao Yuan’s recovery?” The head disciple patted his robes and paused as if he had forgotten about something.

Liu Qingge crossed his arms. “Sure. It’ll be my treat.”

“Ah, thank you Liu-shidi.”

“Mn.”

Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow. He wanted to ask what was going on, but Mu Qingfang was already urging everyone out the door like they were an unruly group of ducklings.

“Alright everyone, let’s go!”

They were all sitting around a table at a local restaurant. It was family-owned, and the place had a homely feel to it. On the walls were simple ink paintings of flowers.

Shen Yuan was placed in between Shen Jiu and Yue Qingyuan. While they awaited their food, Shen Jiu had fretted over him. Eventually, he got distracted by Mu Qingfang and now they were talking about some new edition of a medicinal book that came out. It sounded interesting, but Shen Yuan did not have the background knowledge to fully understand their conversation.

There would be a couple more minutes before their food came out, and Shen Yuan was a little bored. Trying to not be overt about it, he glanced at Yue Qingyuan. The cultivator seemed to be staring in deep thought at his cup of tea.

Maybe he should strike up a conversation with him?

…The last time they talked Shen Yuan had sliced him with his sword while his back was turned and tried to frame him for it…

Well, at least Yue Qingyuan didn’t seem like the type of character to hold grudges!

Still, perhaps he should apologize about it. Shen Yuan had no control over his actions back then, but maybe the future sect leader would stop his occasional conflicted expressions whenever he glanced at Shen Yuan.

Shen Yuan tapped on Yue Qingyuan’s shoulder. When the black-robed cultivator turned his head towards him, Shen Yuan said, “I’m sorry that I stabbed you. Is your shoulder okay?”

…He definitely could’ve worded that better. Shen Yuan was blaming the sleep fog his mind was under after being unconsciousness for a while.  

Yue Qingyuan smiled warmly at him. “There is no need to apologize. It was not Xiao Yuan’s fault. The injury I sustained was minor and has healed since then.”

“Oh, that’s good,” Shen Yuan said and shifted on his seat.

“…”

“…”

Welp! This was awkward. What do they even talk about now? Shen Yuan had no idea what Yue Qingyuan’s past relationship with the previous Shen Yuan was like. If Yue Qingyuan wanted to bring up any childhood stories, all Shen Yuan could do was smile and nod. He had plenty of experience of that with Shen Jiu. Granted, Shen Jiu was dealing with the loss of a loved one and was willing to overlook any inconsistencies that Shen Yuan may have made. Which itself did not bode well for the future, but he’ll figure out that issue later. Anyway, did Yue Qingyuan even know Shen Yuan died? He might be suspicious of him.  

Shen Yuan was slightly startled when Yue Qingyuan decided to continue their stilted conversation. Holding his cup tightly, Yue Qingyuan spoke.

“Xiao Yuan, I am glad to see you well. You don’t know how much I-I…” he took a deep breath as he tried to find the words. Shen Yuan could see the heavy guilt in his eyes. “There have been many things I have done wrong. I am aware that my apologies are useless, and it doesn’t fix what happened to you, but I will spend the rest of my life working to make it up to you and Shen Jiu,” he said in a solemn tone.

…Man, Shen Yuan felt really bad for him. Yue Qingyuan is so young, and he already appears as if he is carrying the world on his shoulders. This setting was not kind to children. Most of them have to grow up way before their time. It made Shen Yuan’s heart clench to see a teenager haunted by guilt for failing to save his friends from a situation created by shitty adults.

“You have nothing to make up to me. I know you tried your best. It is in the past,” Shen Yuan said.

Yue Qingyuan shook his head. “But you don’t know. Your memories aren’t all there, are they?” Yue Qingyuan smiled at him. “I appreciate that Xiao Yuan is trying to help me feel better, but this is something I must do in order to atone.”

“M-memories? What do you mean?” Shen Yuan stammered. Wait. Did he somehow find out he is a transmigrator?

“You do not have to pretend around me. Shen Jiu has told me you do not recall many things. However, I am aware that you have suffered a lot. Do not feel pressured in regaining your memories if you do not wish to,” Yue Qingyuan said in a reassuring tone.

Oh, so Yue Qingyuan hadn’t found out. And it looks like Shen Jiu was excusing his lack of knowledge with amnesia. Granted, Shen Yuan did genuinely have memory problems but that was a different matter entirely. Remembering wouldn’t bring back the Shen Yuan who died.

The food finally arrived at the table and everyone dug in.

Mu Qingfang took a sip of tea and made an offhand comment to Shen Jiu, “I’m surprised the kitten hasn’t shown up once since your brother woke up.”

“Eh? Did you guys get a pet?” Shen Yuan questioned after finishing a bite of his noodles.

Liu Qingge scoffed while picking up a piece of pork with his chopsticks. “No, it’s a beast of some kind that decided to stalk Shen Jiu. It killed the Wampus Horse we were hunting.”

“You saw a Wampus Horse?! That must have been amazing! Those creatures are really smart. They can get very aggressive when scared, but if you manage to befriend one, they will stay by your side for life,” Shen Yuan gushed.

“Befriend them?” Mu Qingfang frowned. “Are we talking about the same beast? The horse with a human’s head?”

“Yes! Although they are normally very skittish, they can become quite friendly if you bribe them with enough fruits,” Shen Yuan said and then tilted his head. “But wait, you said a cat monster took one down? The Wampus Horse can be very hard to kill if you don’t know its weakness. You can stab the beast all you like, but the only way to make it stop would be to destroy the core located deep inside its chest.”

“Good to know for future reference,” Shen Jiu muttered.

Yue Qingyuan glanced at Shen Yuan. “The cat mimic can float, disappear, and open a vortex hole in the middle of its head. Do you know what kind of monster it is?”

Shen Yuan stroked his chin. “Hmmm. That is a bit hard to identify. There are three species that fit that description.”

Liu Qingge choked on his food. “Three?!”

“Yes, but don’t worry. Only one of them is malevolent.”

“…That does not make me feel better.”

Shen Yuan merely shrugged. “Those are the facts.”

“We should keep a look out for the beast so that the next time it shows up, Xiao Yuan can identify it,” Yue Qingyuan suggested.

“That is fine by me. Information is important,” Shen Jiu said.

After they finished the meal, they left the restaurant. The cool night air greeted them and there were vendors on the road selling various snacks and trinkets. Many people were out with their friends and families. Everyone walked at a leisurely pace and chatter filled the night.

As they headed back to the inn, Shen Yuan asked Yue Qingyuan a question.

“Is the next destination Cang Qiong Mountain?”

The black-clad cultivator glanced at him. “Yes, tomorrow we will begin the journey back. Once there, I will set out to get you and Shen Jiu into the sect. Qing Jing Peak has not gained any disciples in the past few years. They should have the space. The Peak Lord is known to be an eccentric and may be willing to accept new students despite it being past the time for the tests.”

Shen Yuan nodded and stayed quiet.

It won't be a problem. Shen Jiu should easily be able to become a Qing Jing disciple due to the narrative. Although Shen Yuan didn’t know much about the Peak Lord, they had to be written in a way where they would accept an orphan of unknown origins despite not attending the dig with everyone and promote them to be the next Peak Lord despite starting cultivation late and having other advanced disciples to choose from.

Shen Yuan wasn’t sure if the Peak Lord would be so accepting of him as well, considering he doesn’t have destiny to back him up and was meant to be cannon fodder. Shen Yuan's main focus has always been to get Shen Jiu into a safe place anyway. He wasn’t completely sure what he’ll do once Shen Jiu reaches Cang Qiong Mountain.

Shen Yuan had to stay in this world until Luo Binghe was born. The files didn’t list his birth year, and time doesn’t mean much to those with high cultivation, so it may very well be decades before he exists.

From a pragmatic viewpoint, Shen Yuan should leave Shen Jiu behind to minimize the risk of destroying the plot and just camp around the Huan Hua Palace until Luo Binghe is born to leave as soon as possible.

That was something he should do, but...

A strange hollowness filled his chest.

Shen Yuan dryly swallowed.

It didn’t sit right with him. Shen Yuan has been traveling with Shen Jiu for almost two years now. He had come to care for the frosty kid. Shen Yuan wanted him to be happy. But his fate...

Shen Yuan wasn’t supposed to be here. It wasn’t his place to make alterations to the story. With a role as important as Shen Qingqiu’s, any minute changes can have unintended consequences.

There would be serious repercussions for Shen Yuan if he tried to defy destiny. 

The transmigrator shook his head and sighed. Shen Yuan shouldn’t even be contemplating any of this. His assistant had always chided him for being too soft hearted.

Still, he couldn’t help but ponder...

Perhaps there was something Shen Yuan could do.

Perhaps he had a choice to make.