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Chapter Text

There was a demon.

There was an immortal.

And that was how the story began.

The stories said that the demon was beautiful, with eyes darker than obsidian and a blooming sigal adorning his forehead. They said that he was seductive and alluring, with a face that could take away the beauty of the night sky. Despite his beauty, however, he was an evil beast—vile and despicable to the very core. With the sweetest smile, he could rip the hearts out of immortals and crush it in his hand, laughing all the while. A half breed who rose up the ranks and looked over the realms with the arrogance of a rightful king.

There was once an immortal; calm like the quiet ripples of a pond and as aloof as a slender-necked crane in a forest of bamboo. He was no strikingly beautiful war god nor an amiable peak lord in any way or sense, yet the disciples he taught grew to love him so and his kindness drew people in like how surely plants grew towards the sun. The immortal believed himself inferior in comparison to the rest of his martial brothers and sisters, unaware of his importance to the world.

But still, the stories told of the immortal’s peerless beauty and infinite wisdom. Stories describing him as a lone blossom on a spring tree that blooms when the rest have withered. When people become used to the big petals and lovely colors—pale soft blossoms would bloom and steal their breath away.

He was humble and lazy, but loved his disciples dearly and taught them with gentle care and kind patience. The immortal had a head disciple who was a young boy that adored his master as much as his master adored him. The boy was immensely talented in cultivation and was a very promising and bright-eyed youth. But, as the boy reached maturity, a nasty secret was revealed. The immortal’s head disciple was the half-demon, with the blood of the last royal bloodline flowing in his veins, making him the rightful heir to the demon throne.

Chaos spread throughout the peaks as the lords and immortals of the mountains came to exorcise the demon from their grounds. However, the immortal refused to see the demise of his disciple and argued against siege—reasoning that not all demons are bad and to see the good in his disciple.

The peaks refused to listen. In their minds, the half-breed should be slaughtered as ruthlessly as demons have slaughtered hundreds before them. A smaller sect leader charged forward, sword in hand, and stabbed straight towards the chest, bloodshed clouding his vision.

The sword hit its mark.

Red dripped onto the soft greens of the grass as a body laid between the insanity of the gods.

Blood poured out his chest as a sudden stillness fell over the clearing. The immortal’s body thumped on the ground as a shattered cry filled the air.

Now, the stories diverge here. Some say that he murmured something to his disciple, something soft and sweet, kind and loving before death claimed him. Others say that he pushed something to the demon’s chest, smiled, and died with a serene expression. The stories all diverged, some romantic—with a kiss and a sigh. Others heart wrenching and some that didn’t need any words at all.

The stories all ended in the same way, with the immortal closing his eyes, as if about to go to sleep, before his body melted into starlight, leaving behind only the clear scent of bamboo leaves and a folded fan, the edges tinted with a scarlet curse.

Shortly after, the demon sovereign, Luo Binghe, came to reign.

A sharp chime resonated in Shen Yuan’s ears, jolting him up.

[Welcome back! Congratulations!] The clear, robotic voice said, [Activating phrase, “Stupid author, stupid novel!” successful! Now entering <<Proud Immortal Demon Way>> Try your best to survive!]

“Huh?” Shen Yuan said groggily, as he braced his head in his hands, “What?”

[Hello!] The voice sang [This system is System 250! Happy to serve its fellow host! Please survive the story and try your best not to get killed!]

“What?? What system? Where am I?”

[Host is currently in <<Proud Immortal Demon Way!>> inhabiting the body of Shen Qingqiu!]

“System? Host? Proud Immortal Demon Way???” Shen Yuan didn’t want to believe it. Had he somehow transmigrated like those third-rate overused plot devices he’d seen in novels?

The last thing he remembered was falling asleep on top of his computer after eating some mantou and now you’re telling him that he somehow transmigrated into this shitty novel? Are you kidding me??

[Yes! The host is correct!] The system said, still annoyingly chipper.

“And I’m inhabiting the body of Shen Qingqiu?”

[Host is also correct! You are currently inhabiting the Qing Jing Peak Lord’s immortal body! You are currently equipped with Spiritual Energy +100 strength, Poker Face +95 beauty, Worn-out robes -1 beauty, Dirt and Mud -50 allure -20 beauty -10 grace!]

“What the fuck is with all these numbers?” Shen Yuan squinted at the glowing screen. “-50 Allure?? What the fuck would I need allure for? When I die, I just flutter my eyelashes to get out of hot shit???”

Shen Yuan, despite hating the fact, was an avid reader and commenter on the web novel, Proud Immortal Demon Way, and had read every single chapter of the series leading up to its finale. What he thought about it? Plot holes! Villains with an IQ lower than a piece of moldy bread! The 100,000+ words of absolutely nothing but the main protagonist and some lady or dude duking it out after defeating a monster or killing some minor villain before ultimately riding off into the sunset while rainbows farted out behind them! Shen Yuan had picked up the novel out of mild curiosity, seeing that it had terrible reviews but a high ranking in the sections.

And oh boy did it not disappoint. Shen Yuan almost had a coronary after finishing the second book. Papapaing with not one, not two, but FIVE! FIVE holy priestesses in some ancient temple after chasing away this one demon that never shows up again before adding them into his growing harem composed of 200+ dudes and gals!! He almost puked blood on his keyboard! Airplane Shooting Towards the Sky, Shen Yuan wants to strangle you with his bare hands! With one quick glance at the comments, he found that he wasn’t alone.

Sure, the beginning hadn’t been so bad Shen Yuan begrudgingly admits. A battered, poor child joining a powerful cultivation sect after being chosen by one of the peak lords but was humiliated by his fellow disciples and master for years before learning he’s got a royal demon heritage and paying back all the torture he was suscepted to? Shen Yuan would have read the hell out of that! But then Airplane Shooting Towards the Sky had to mess it up!

Shen Yuan had read the tags on the novel. He knew that the protagonist would be banging some dudes and gals and he was okay with that! As long as the plot and arcs were good, he would be fine with anything! But then Luo Binghe developed a demonic obsession for the main antagonist, Shen Qingqiu, who was also his master! Shen Qingqiu, being the scum villain and an overall child abuser, was disgusted by this and rejected his disciple’s feelings. THEN LUO BINGHE WENT CRAZY AND PRACTICALLY KILLED EVERYONE ON THE MOUNTAIN!!! Like, what the fuck??? Hello????? Was the author drunk when he wrote this book? Shen Yuan is confusion??

Then precious white lotus Luo Binghe turned into the cold-hearted demon king supreme that everyone knows and loves before creating a harem of 600+ wives and husbands, becoming a feared demon lord and going on side quests to get more booty to pound. And this was all in the first book!! And there were five others!!! Shen Yuan got a bruise from banging his head on the wall when he read it.

When the fans protested against Shen Qingqiu’s death, the stupid author made him come back alive! And he became a harem member! Not just any harem member, no, he was the first fucking husband and was basically treated like trash! And the system’s telling him that he’s Shen Qingqiu? He going to f**king die!

[Do not worry host! This system is on your side through and through and will try its best to make sure your purity is intact! Unless this host wishes it not to be?]

Not to be my ass! Shen Yuan has absolutely no qualms in sharing the same fate as the original! He’d rather suffer through lingchi from a hundred dirty socks than to go down that dark path!

“NO!” he hissed, “I do not want to end up anywhere close to Luo Binghe. I value my life and my dignity, okay?”

[My apologies, host,] the system said, not sounding sorry at all, [but refusing current objective: ‘Meeting with ML’ will lead to a deduction of -6969 points. Do you still wish to refuse?]

“Points?” Shen Yuan asked, “What are points?”

[Points are evaluated with how well you are progressing in the game! By completing important events and performing correct actions you get a certain amount of points! These points can be used by the host to unlock options to make situations easier or special contents.]

“What happens when I have no more points left?” he asked, looking at the small number bar at the corner of the floating screen with the number 100 in obnoxious green lettering.

[The host dies!]

“I what?!” Shen Yuan yelled, incredulous. “Why can’t I go back to my original world?”

[Oof, sorry man, no can do.] the system said, [I’m only here to give you instructions and to guide you through missions and options. Sending people to their original worlds is completely above my paygrade.]

“So, you’re basically useless.”

The system didn’t reply to his comment. Shen Yuan raked a hand through his hair in frustration before heaving a sigh.

“Fine, guess I’ll have to die then.” he muttered, “That’s so sad, System play ‘Despacito’?”

[This host will not perish, this system knows this.]

Shen Yuan didn’t believe the fake AI voice at all but he kept it to himself. Instead, he took the chance to take in his surroundings. He was standing in a forest, with long sweeping trees surrounding him. Next to him was a pond, its clear waters shimmering in the sunlight.

[You are currently in BaiLu Forest, dear host!] The system announced, finally making itself useful to Shen Yuan.

“Okay,” Shen Yuan patted himself down and peered at the trees, “What am I supposed to be doing right now?”

[Well, nothing really] the system said, being completely useless once again.

“Thanks.” Shen Yuan muttered sarcastically.

[The host is most welcome!]

The ground was dirty but Shen Yuan carefully sat on it anyway, staring at the swimming fish in the pond. That way he wouldn’t have the urge to strangle the system to its death. After some pondering and crying over his life choices, he turned to the system.

“So, I’m supposed to meet the main protagonist or else I lose points.”

[Host is correct]

“Well, how’s that supposed to go?” According to the timeline, Shen Qingqiu was magically resurrected during a time when Luo Binghe was debating with some other demon lords at an alliance to question his rule. Shen Yuan can’t just stroll up and be like, ‘Yo wassup! It’s me, your Shizun, back at it again with his usual child-abusing bullshit. My dear disciple, did you miss me?’ He’d be killed on the spot!

The system voice dragged him from his internal monologue. [Perhaps I should tell you that there have been these demons that have been watching you the whole time. Right behind those bushes.]

Shen Yuan barely had time to turn around before he was surrounded.

SYSTEM 250 YOU TRULY LIVE UP TO YOUR NAME, YOU MORONIC SYSTEM!! He screamed internally.

[Does the host want to plan an escape route?] the system innocently asked.

‘Hell yeah, I do!’ Shen Yuan yelled at the system.

[The cost is 50 points. Does the host wish to proceed? (YES) (NO)]

Shen Yuan fervently jabbed the yes option.

[Processing current data...] A slight pause. [Sorry fellow host! Access denied! This action prevents the completion of the current objective, deducting -50 points!]

…

…

...Shen Yuan heard the callings of homicide whispering into his ears.

Then Shen Yuan realized that he was still very much surrounded by demons and snapped back to reality. He’ll deal with the system later.

“Hello,” he said coldly, steeling his face into a calm mask. “May I help you?”

The—judging from their attire—low-leveled demons snarled among themselves, giving Shen Yuan inexplicable looks. Then, after what seemed like an intense debate, one of the demons, a stubbly thing that barely went up to Shen Yuan’s shoulders, came forward.

“We have decided to capture you for our lord!” He said proudly, like a preschooler holding up his star sticker for their parents to see. “Be grateful for this opportunity, mortal!”

Shen Yuan blinked at the demon impassively, not impressed at all.

‘System, the current objective mission only says that I have to meet the main protagonist, right? Does it have a specific time limit attached to it?’

[No.] The system replied back instantly. [The mission only says that you must meet up with Luo Binghe and has not given a time limit.]

I’m definitely running, Shen Yuan thought. No way am I going to meet the demon lord supreme Luo Binghe in this state! His gray robes have been mended with red cloth! Red cloth! He looks like a freaking beggar! Shen Yuan’s not about to lose the little face that he had left.

And Shen Yuan had spiritual power! Barely on par with even 1/3 of Luo Binghe’s spiritual energy, sure, but powerful enough to become a peak lord in one of the most prominent sects in this world! Shen Yuan’s pretty sure that he could beat these demons no problem.

Just when Shen Yuan was about to run his first test run on a spiritual blast, a figure appeared at the clearing.

“What’s going on?” A nasally voice cut through the clearing. “What has dwindled you from your missions? Do you want to get beaten?”

The demons immediately scattered away from Shen Yuan, ducking their heads low and kneeling on the floor. Shen Yuan turned his gaze towards the sound, finding a demon riding a Black Devil Mare, a disdainful look in his eyes.

“My Lord!” The stubbly demon cried, “This humble servant has found him!”

“Hm?” The red horned demon turned, his eyes meeting Shen Yuan’s own before scoffing and turning away.

“Him?” The demon snorted, “To think that thing is the one.”

Shen Yuan frowned at the insult but didn’t retort. Shen Qingqiu was described as an out worldly beauty with the grace and poise of an immortal. However, this scum villain’s face was currently covered in dirt and leaves, so he certainly didn’t blame the demon for saying that.

“Yes, this servant agrees!” The underling said quickly. “But, that cultivator has a great amount of spiritual energy residing within him!”

Shen Yuan felt himself being scrutinized from head to toe but refused to shy away from the prying gaze, cooling locking eyes with the demon on the horse. Best bet, he thought, is that they let me go. Worse bet is that they kill me.

Meh.

Finally, the demon rolled its eyes and made some sort of gesture at his underlings. Before Shen Yuan even had a chance to run away, red cables looped around his hands, binding them tightly together in front of him.

“What are you doing?!”

“Taking you with me,” the demon said with a snarl, not even looking towards his direction.

Shen Yuan pulled at his ropes with his spiritual power, but it seemed like someone had pulled a plug out of a socket, no matter how much he willed his spiritual power to come out, it was blocked. These ropes must be—

“Immortal Binding Cables,” The stubbly demon said, “So don’t even think about escaping now.”

“Let it walk on foot, keep it away from the carriage, I don’t want to ruin the wood.” With that, the red horned demon turned around and galloped away, not bothering to wait for Shen Yuan or his underlings to catch up.

“Of course, Lord Hong!” The demons all replied obediently.

What the hell? It’s not like the wood will rot the moment Shen Yuan touches it, okay?? He’s not f**king radioactive!

Shen Yuan calculated his chances. There were about thirty demons around him, and each of them had weapons and sharp claws. Shen Yuan’s spiritual energy was blocked by the Immortal Binding Cables and he had no weapons whatsoever. The chances of a successful escape were slim, he realized. He’ll have to bid his time until he figures out a way to get these cables off of him and then bolt the hell out of here.

[At least you’re not meeting the protagonist anytime soon, right?] The system comforted.

Shen Yuan gave it an unsavory gesture in his mind.

Shen Yuan looked at the looming green mountains ahead of him and felt the cocoon of pure spiritual energy surrounding the group as they headed towards a long set of stairs.

“Excuse me,” he asked, “Where are we heading?”

No one answered him, not that Shen Yuan expected them to, he had been treated like air from the moment he was captured. The rope that stopped his flow of spiritual power was handed to one of the demons to hold onto and so he could only really go wherever they wanted him to go. And this certainly wasn’t the demon realm.

He had thought that he would be brought to the demon realm where he would bide his time until the right moment where he would escape, but the demon—Lord Hong went to a place that Shen Yuan thought that no demon would go to.

A cultivation sect.

Shen Yuan was confused. Why would any reasonable demon be going to a sect? With cultivators that could ultimately kill you? Shen Yuan doesn’t get it. However, maybe some of the cultivators at this sect are willing to free a poor, battered man being held captive by some demons. Shen Yuan’s willing to risk it.

“Walk up the stairs, no one’s going to carry you.”

Shen Yuan internally rolled his eyes. He knows how to get up a mountain without any help. It’s not like he lost one of his limbs. He calmly walked up the stairs behind the demons. Shen Yuan couldn’t help but stare at the gleaming ancient structures around him and was transfixed at one of the entrance gates. The mountains and attire seemed to be straight out of a drama set.

When a white-robed youth peeked out the door and saw the demon entourage, he wrinkled his brows in distaste but nonetheless let the demons through the gates. Shen Yuan was now even more confused than before. The boy, whom he presumed to be a disciple of the sect was obviously not pleased to see demons walking on their grounds but let them in with no second thought. If Shen Yuan wasn’t mistaken, he thought that cultivators and immortals had a rivalry with the demon realms since forever? Why were demons just casually strolling into mountain sects these days?

The youth gave him a curious once over when he realized that Shen Yuan had been staring at him, obviously wondering why a human was walking with a bunch of demons. He caught sight of the Immortal Binding Caple on Shen Yuan’s wrist and immediately a mixture of disgust and horror flashed over his face before turning and running off to who knows where.

Shen Yuan shrugged off the encounter, he was much more interested in what sect they had arrived in and what Lord Hong was planning to do here.

Lord Hong was a minor lord in the demon realms. Not powerful enough to ever be a threat to Luo Binghe’s throne but not weak enough to be counted as a medium-leveled demon. He was just a side character that Shen Yuan had not paid a single bit of attention to, so he didn’t really know his characteristics and what his normal behavior was. You can’t blame him, okay?! There were so many side characters that were introduced constantly and you can’t blame Shen Yuan for not remembering every single side quest that ever happened in the book!

So he was going swimming without goggles. He was practically blind to what was about to happen.

They walked along a path guided by another one of the disciples, a girl this time. Some of the disciples were practicing among themselves as they rolled past and Shen Yuan noticed that they were discreetly peeking in his direction. The demons were parading through a noble mountain sect with a flaming red carriage and a chained cultivator in tow.

If it were him, Shen Yuan would stare too.

However, Shen Yuan didn’t want any attention on him, so he silently shuffled behind the group hoping that he didn't stand out with his tattered robes and dirt-covered face.

Suddenly, he felt a weight on his leg that wasn’t there before and came to a stop. He looked down to see a girl clinging on his left leg peering up at him with big, dark eyes. The top of her head barely reached Shen Yuan’s waist.

“Hello,” Shen Yuan smiled down at her, unable to resist the absolute cuteness of her puppy eyes. “Are you lost?”

She shook her head, continuing to cling onto his leg, pressing her face into Shen Yuan’s thighs and he almost melted into a puddle right there and then.

“Hey! What the hell are you doing?!” Shen Yuan felt a sharp tug on the ropes, making him stumble forward. “Get a move on!”

Shen Yuan huffed in annoyance but didn’t bother to refute. He tried to move his legs to walk but found that the girl was still hanging onto his leg, refusing to let go.

Shen Yuan gave her a small knock on the head (with his elbow, his hands were still tied), “I have to go now,” he said softly, as she looked up at him, “I’ll come back later to play, I promise.”

The tiny girl made a face but reluctantly let go of him.

“Come on!” Shen Yuan was pulled forward by another sharp tug, “We don’t have all day, you mortal. The conference is about to start.”

Shen Yuan gave one last smile at the child before calmly walking forward again, refusing to bow his head at the stares he was getting. Disciples should be studying and doing whatever cultivator children should be doing! Stop staring at this old man!

They arrived at a large building decorated simply but lavishly, with white jade and light-colored wood and individually decorated sections for the guests and a higher platform that was probably for the host, seeing that it was dark red instead of the all-white. Shen Yuan looked around with barely contained interest. He just saw someone floating on top of a sword! He was sorely impressed.

“You,” Lord Hong gestured to Shen Yuan, startling him out of his reverie, “are to make yourself useful and do whatever the guests command you to do. Even those pisspoor cultivators on those chairs. Understand?”

Shen Yuan gave a short bow (that was what he was supposed to do, right?) before looking up at the demon.

Lord Hong scowled at him before stalking off like he usually did when faced with Shen Yuan’s presence. Okay, now Shen Yuan was insulted. Sure he was covered in mud and had the tackiest robes on. So what?? If it weren’t for these stupid ropes then he would have beaten you to a pulp and escaped already, you third rate side character!

“Are you alright there, sir?” He heard someone say.

Shen Yuan turned to look towards the sound. Oh, it was the disciple that led them there, was she addressing Shen Yuan? She looked to be about sixteen or seventeen, with braided buns that suited her soft-looking face. Shen Yuan glanced around to see no one else near him.

“May I help you?” he inquired.

She looked nervous, constantly glancing towards his hands and to his face. Shen Yuan’s hair was unbound and his face nearly unrecognizable underneath his long curtain of hair and the mud. She couldn’t have possibly known that he was Shen Qingqiu. However, she seemed both conflicted and horrified at something.

“Are—,” she swallowed nervously, glanced to see if anyone else was watching before steeling her eyes and staring Shen Yuan straight in the face, “Are you in trouble?”

Shen Yuan stilled. Is he in trouble? Well, he was captured by demons but he doesn’t think he’s in any particular danger right now. He just needed to find some way to escape. Should he tell her? Shen Yuan doubted that she would be able to help him, seeing that her build was non-threatening and didn't seem to be the type to have high spiritual energy. Before he could say something, a boy bound upright to the girl and pulled her away.

“Yingying! What are you doing here? The conference is starting, why are you all the way over here?”

“I was talking to the mister over here, Ming Fan,” she said, turning to the boy.

The boy gave Shen Yuan the evil eye, probably thinking him to be some sort of pervert. Shen Yuan didn’t pay any mind to the glare. He kne—

His mind blanked.

Yingying???

Ming Fan?????

Wasn’t Ning Yingying that female disciple that grew up with Luo Binghe and became his first wife?? And wasn’t Ming Fan the head disciple of Shen Qingqiu and joined his master in beating up poor Binghe??? Ming Fan was caught in the siege when Luo Binghe went rampage and killed basically everyone on Cang Qiong Mountain and died while defending Shen Qingqiu! He wasn’t supposed to be alive! And at this time Ning Yingying should have been in the demon realm, enjoying her luxuries as the first wife and doing what-must-not-be-named stuff with Luo Binghe!! Why were both of them at this sect conference that was held on top of this lovely mountain with thirteen different seats for every peak lord and a special guest???

….Wait.

No way.

Shen Yuan immediately grabbed hold of female lead number one, ignoring the shocked look on her eyes.

“Where am I right now?” Shen Yuan tried to keep the panic out of his voice, but judging from the shocked and confused faces he was receiving, it didn’t work so well.

Ming Fan grabbed his wrist, face furious, “What are you doing! Let go of her!”

“Ah, sorry,” Shen Yuan let go but he still persisted with his question, “But may this master ask where this conference is held?”

Ning Yingying, being a literal angel, smiled at him politely and said the exact words that Shen Yuan had been dreading, “We are currently in Qiong Ding Peak on top of Cang Qiong Mountain.”

[Congratulations!! Checkpoint: Cang Qiong Mountain has been reached!] The system chose that exact time to interject.

Thanks!! Got that!! Couldn’t you have told him earlier you damn system??? Wasn’t Cang Qiong Mountain supposed to be completely destroyed by now? Why was it still standing and not in smithereens in the ground? Shen Yuan was pretty darn sure that Luo Binghe had obliterated the twelve sects and all the peak lords by this point of the story? Why did it look like everything was still happy and nice? Was the timeline he traveled to wrong?

[No, you transmigrated to the correct time, when Shen Qingqiu was resurrected.]

Then why was everything looking so fine and dandy?? Shen Yuan thought. Was Shen Qingqiu still alive in this timeline? Did he transmigrate into a crossover or worse, a fanfiction??

[The fellow host has transmigrated to <<Proud Immortal Demon Way>>, not any other universe the host is implying.]

Then is the original Shen Qingqiu alive in this one? Did he accept Luo Binghe’s feelings? Shen Yuan highly doubted that.

[The host is currently inhabiting Shen Qingqiu’s body.]

I’m going to fucking uninstall you, you piece of shit, Shen Yuan thought venomously.

[That’s going to result in a deduction of 10,000 points! Plus, it’s impossible for you too! Though the host can certainly try!] It said in its stupidly chirpy Siri voice that made Shen Yuan feel a vein pop on his head.

Why didn’t you say something?? Like, “oh, the Twelve Peaks are still here and not acting as fertilizer on the ground! Sorry for not telling you??”

[Host never asked.]

Shen Yuan just about screamed in frustration.

Instead, he calmly said, “Oh, really? I’m afraid I wasn’t informed of this fact.” Then for confirmation, he asked, “Who’s the one holding the conference?”

Their faces changed the moment Shen Yuan asked them the seemingly innocent question. Ming Fan’s face twisted into something that almost looked like loathing and Yingying’s face screamed tension, like a wire stretched to a point of snapping. The head of Qiong Ding Peak was Yue Qingyuan, who was known as an admirable and gracious peak lord, he should be the one leading the meeting, right? So, why did they look so tense? Now that Shen Yuan looked back on it, it seemed like everyone had a sort of tension on their shoulders like they were preparing for some type of attack.

The system did tell him that he transmigrated into Proud Immortal Demon Way, and in the exact same timeline too, so why was this huge event completely stopped? Shen Yuan just didn’t understand.

“Let’s go.” Ming Fan spit out, not answering his question. This time, Shen Yuan didn’t try to stop them as they walked away.

Shen Yuan looked at the platform again, taking in the dark reds and the fifty different shades of black on the chair and table. From the books, Yue Qingyuan was described to have worn light colors and to have a modest composition. Despite the fact that Shen Yuan didn’t know what the sect leaders looked like in real life, he just couldn’t picture the Qiong Ding Sect Master in the extravagant red and blacks.

“Announcing the arrival of Bai Zhan Peak!”

That certainly stole Shen Yuan’s attention. His fanboy heart did a little jump in his chest. Liu Qingge was the peak lord of the infamous Bai Zhan Peak! He barely made an actual appearance in the first book but he was in all of the other ones! Liu Qingge was one of the other people that gave Luo Binghe an actual fight! And he was fucking cool when he did! Plus his nickname was cool too! Bai Zhan’s War God! Shen Yuan had internally fanboyed so hard whenever he made an appearance. Sadly, he was beaten by Luo Binghe and by default was taken into the harem along with all the other sect leaders, minus Shen Qingqiu.

But that was still fine with Shen Yuan! Since he was one of the few characters that didn’t turn into Miss Mary Sue whenever he got into danger after becoming an addition to the harem and Shen Yuan respected him for that! So, Shen Yuan couldn’t help it when he leaned a bit closer towards the middle to catch a glimpse of his face.

A tall, white-robed man walked forward, a sword strapped on his belt while a scurry of disciples followed orderly behind him. Shen Yuan’s expectations immediately startled to a stop. The author described Liu Qingge as a handsome beauty since his sister was the most beautiful woman in the world, but the book never went into full-on detail of what he looked like. The Peak Lord’s face was strikingly beautiful, but it was slightly ruined by the murderous expression on his face. It looked like he was about to stab anyone within a 2-meter distance.

The hall had seats on both sides of the main one. Liu Qingge strode to the second one down and aggressively sat down on the seat, still scowling and glaring at the air. His disciples all stood behind their master, face weary and beaten up. Everywhere Shen Yuan looked, there were bruises on every single disciple.

He frowned and clicked his tongue. That’s no way to treat your disciples at all! Shen Yuan didn’t care if Bai Zhan Peak did specialize in fighting! Couldn’t Liu Qingge show more care to his own disciples?

“Announcing the arrival of Qiong Ding Peak!”

Yue Qingyuan looks terrible, was the first thought that came to Shen Yuan’s mind. Like someone halfway to death’s door. Yue Qingyuan’s clothes were pristine and clean and his hair immaculate, but it was his eyes. His eyes sunk into his skull, no light shining through, like the eyes of a dead man. He walked slowly to the second seat closest to the head one and sat down wearily, like a thousand-year-old trapped in the body of a young man.

Shen Yuan noticed that no one said anything when Ming Fan and Ning Yingying led a group of disciples in light green and white robes to stand behind the seat closest to the main one. Ning Yingying had tears welling up in her eyes and so did many others but all the disciples stood tall behind an empty seat.

Shen Yuan’s heart felt constricted. It didn’t take much to figure out which seat that that one was for. Shen Yuan wondered why his heart thumped so painfully, they weren’t standing for him anyways.

Shen Yuan didn’t pay much attention to the rest of the peak lords, not even bothering to try and get a glimpse of Liu Mingyan, who walked dutifully behind her master, Qi Qingqi.

The more peak lords that showed up, the more tense everyone seemed to become,  simultaneously releasing a breath whenever the announcer called out a Peak instead of the person everyone seemed to be waiting for. Even Lord Hong, who was sat at the furthest from the middle, seemed rigid and anxious for the arrival of this mysterious person.

“Hey! You there! Fill up my cup.” Another demon demanded.

Shen Yuan walked over and filled his cup before another demand was yelled at him, accompanied by a tug at the Immortal Binding Cable around his throat. They had switched it when they realized that Shen Yuan wouldn’t be able to fill their cups with both his wrists bound. The red rope chafed Shen Yuan’s neck, leaving red marks, but at least his hands were now mobile.

Shen Yuan winced when one of the demons accidentally spilled a cup of wine over his robes. The demons were making a huge ruckus, laughing and yelling like it was a party. Look at Liu Qingge, you hooligans! He isn’t even touching his cup! You should all follow his example and stop spilling alcohol on me! Or even better, stop drinking at all!! This master’s legs are tired!!!

Alas, Shen Yuan felt another tug on his rope and calmly walked over to get dunked.

Suddenly a voice filled the air, calling out—

“Announcing the arrival of the Demon Sovereign!”

The air stilled.

Liu Qingge’s hands spasmed towards his sword.

Everyone held their breath, Shen Yuan included.

The demons. The dark-colored seat at the highest platform. The rigidness and fear of prey waiting for their doom. Oh my god, why didn’t Shen Yuan notice earlier?!

Slowly, a tall, black-robed figure walked through the threshold, no one else behind him except for ten other figures, all keeping a polite amount of distance between them and the black-robed figure.

Shen Yuan watched, transfixed as the man stole the collective attention of the room, walking towards the only unfilled seat in the room and sat down on the dark red seat. His soft curly locks flowed down to his waist, a few wisps fanning his face, his eyes darker than the deepest obsidian. His robes were stunning, fitting him like a glove, but simple enough for it to not be ostentatious. He was straight up the most gorgeous man that Shen Yuan had ever laid eyes on. Not that he was interested in anyone of the opposite sex, he was a straight man okay? But he knew something was beautiful when he saw it. And this man was perfection.

Shen Yuan raised his eyes to look at his fluffy locks before a flash of red stole his gaze away.

An intricate red mark bloomed between the man’s brows, straight in the middle of his forehead.

Shen Yuan stilled and at that exact moment the system popped a screen up with imaginary fireworks going off.

[Congratulations! You have completed the current objective: ‘Meeting with ML’! +20 points! Keep up the good work!]

SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT

THAT WAS THE MAIN PROTAGONIST!!

LUO FUCKING BINGHE!!!

HE WAS RIGHT THERE!

Shen Yuan was doomed. He needed to get out of this building. Immediately. He was going to be made into a human stick if he was ever found out! Whackity whack whack, if he didn’t get out soon his head was going to be in a shack!!

He slowly scooted further and further back and he could almost taste the freedom, feel at the edge of his fingertips before he realized that his neck was still tied up! His spiritual power was blocked! He couldn't go anywhere in this state! He had to think of something quickly!

Shen Yuan lowered himself at Lord Hong’s seat, careful to keep a respectable distance.

“Lord Hong, may this humble servant make a request?” Shen Yuan was careful to keep his voice soft and polite.

“What is it? I’m busy here.”

‘Yeah, busy drinking wine.’ “This servant was wondering if he could wash his face by the river and asks of this lord to free him from his bindings for a short time.”

“Why the hell would you want to wash your face? I thought mortals all like to be covered in filth?” he said, not even looking Shen Yuan in the eyes.

Shen Yuan wrinkled his nose at the comment but continued on, “While some people don’t wear clean clothes, it does not mean that they enjoy it. This servant merely wants to clean his complexion as to not sully this lord’s reputation. It would be foolish of me to have such filth on my face and so this servant asks for this lord’s permission to free him for a short time so that this servant can freshen up.”

Shen Yuan spoke quietly and swiftly, hoping that his plan works and that he didn't have to confront his disciple so soon.

Lord Hong snorted before gesturing to a demon and a wooden tub of water magically appeared.

“Just wash it here,” he said, going back to drinking, “It makes no difference whatsoever whether you find a river.”

Shen Yuan internally cried. Yes!! Yes, there is!! His chance of escape was just flying out the window! Sayonara second chance!

“This servant couldn’t,” Shen Yuan can’t wash off the only protection on his face! “He is troubling his lord.”

“What nonsense are you spouting? Our Lord just asked you to wash your face, so you should wash it!” One of the demon’s hissed.

“Shut your demons up.” A cold voice interjected.

Shen Yuan froze on the spot, not daring to glance up at the sound, all too knowing of who said that.

“Of course, this humble lord understands!” Lord Hong’s change from arrogance to meekness almost gave Shen Yuan whiplash.

But then, almost like a lever had been switched, the tension in the room suddenly sky-rocketed! Like, what the hell? Shen Yuan can almost feel the death threats in the air. In the book, Luo Binghe was the ultimate BOSS and while everyone does hate him (except for, like, half of his harem), no one had enough authority or guts to fully threaten him. Except, there Liu Qingge was, looking at Luo Binghe as if he was the vilest thing he ever laid eyes on. His hands kept inching towards his sword.

Yue Qingyuan too! The supposedly patient and kind sect master looked an inch away from performing homicide. Shen Yuan looked at Ning Yingying and Ming Fan and saw practically every disciple in their group either holding back tears or glaring at Luo Binghe like he murdered their whole families.

Also, Shen Yuan just noticed, why wasn’t Ning Yingying or Liu Qingge, or the ten other harem members present in the room wearing Luo Binghe’s demon sigil? Shen Yuan was sure that they were harem members at this time, so why did it look like Luo Binghe was alone? Did he not want to bring a soft meimei or didi to accompany him to this meeting? Did...did he not want to pound the booty after the conference like in chapter 450???

“Hey,” Shen Yuan felt his hair being grabbed, “you wanted to wash your face, so wash your face!”

He couldn’t hold back the pained hiss when the demon pulled his head down to the bin. Shen Yuan didn’t want to wash his face now! He could get exposed! But if he didn’t, he’s sure that the hair on his scalp would suffer. So he slowly scooped up water and, internally crying, began to wash his face as slowly as he could.

“Greetings to Lord Luo,” A forcefully respectful voice said, “May I ask what the point of this conference is? To call us all here?”

“There have been clashes in the western borders,” Shen Yuan heard the same cold, biting voice say, “The increase in feral demons and sacred beasts have been on the rise.” A pause, before, “The mausoleum has opened. Demons at rest have risen to cause chaos around my realms.”

“What has it got to do with us,” someone snarled, and with a peek through his hair, Shen Yuan saw Liu Qingge, looking ready to bolt out of his chair.

Luo Binghe said, “Because I’m afraid that it might affect your borders.” Though it seemed like, from the tone of his voice, that he could care less.

“Since when have you cared about the wellbeing of Cang Qiong Mountains?” Liu Qingge glared.

Luo Binghe looked uncaringly at Liu Qingge’s temperament, “Shizun cared for this place.”

“You still dare to call him that, you beast!?” Something in Liu Qingge seemed to snap as he stood up, hand gripping his sword. “After what you’ve done?”

Something cracked in Luo Binghe’s eyes as the demon mark on his forehead began to glow.

“You know nothing.” He growled, eyes flashing dangerously and it seemed like everyone flinched at those words.

Shen Yuan continued washing his face as inhumanly slow as possible, whatever drama they had, it has nothing to do with him! He didn’t even know if he transmigrated into the correct book! By now, no one was bound to be paying attention to him right? Should he just bolt? Wait no, there was an Immortal Binding Cable on his neck, how would he get that thing off??

[Would the host like the system’s help?]

Can you get it off of me? Shen Yuan thought sarcastically. Considering your great help so far.

[Initiating special mission: Meeting the ML 2.0, Generalizing…. Complete! System 250 ready whenever the host commands.]

Shen Yuan looked at the rising tension of the room and hastily pressed yes.

...In hindsight, he probably should have put less faith in the shitty Google Translate copycat.

“What is your subordinate doing here for the meeting anyway?” A panicked voice said, clearly trying to loosen the weight of the room.

Luo Binghe looked slightly surprised at that, the glowing coming to a stop, before switching back to his usual look of distaste.

“He’s here on the orders of bearing news of the western border. That’s where he resides.”

Then Shen Yuan felt Luo Binghe glance their way and quickly lowered his head.

Lord Hong composed himself from being addressed so quickly and bowed, “This humble one addresses His Highness. The western borders have been at war recently, with the escaped demons of the mausoleum running rampage throughout our territories.”

“This humble lord was informed that recently deceased souls have been at unrest with the extra demonic energy flowing from the escaped demons and have been ceremoniously seeking out places with high levels of spiritual energy. Slowly cultivating strength and waiting for the right moment to possess or create a body.”

Yue Qingyuan frowned, “If that’s the case, then they should be surrounding places with cultivation sects, but we have not experienced any strange instances recently.”

Luo Binghe gave a condescending scoff, “The souls at unrest are mostly grudge stricken mortals or revenge bent fools, it would be pathetic for the peaks if hauntings occurred within your ranks.”

Shen Yuan visibly winced at the barely hidden insult. Yue Qingyuan looked like he wanted nothing more than to throttle Luo Binghe’s throat—his serene smile reaching highschool teen movies kind of fake.

System! Shen Yuan pleaded, A little faster with breaking the binding cables, would you??

[Special Mission: Meeting the ML 2.0 is currently 85% complete! Please have patience, dear host!]

85% complete? But I haven’t even done anything yet!

“You said the souls are creating bodies? The creation of human flesh from nothing is impossible, no one has ever accomplished in creating a stable, living body from rocks and soil.”

Lord Hong sneered at Yue Qingyuan, all pretense of meek loyalty dispersing, “Have you ever heard of the Sun and Moon Dew Flower Seed? It grows at the edges of BaiLu Forest, next to a green lake.”

Shen Yuan felt a strange sense of foreboding.

“If a soul is planted in its roots and carefully cultivated with enough spiritual energy and Fengshui, a body will form from the seed.”

“And how do you know this?”

Suddenly, Shen Yuan's throat exploded in a searing pain and he felt the stinging pain of cut palms as Lord Hong suddenly pulled him forward. He lost his balance and (rather ungracefully) tumbled onto the ground.

“Because we found one.”

….

..WELL FUCK ME GENTLY WITH A CHAINSAW

Oh my god, how could Shen Yuan fucking forget how Shen Qingqiu was resurrected!!! He has brought shame to his fanboy heart!

[Congratulations!!! Special Mission: Meeting the ML 2.0 has been completed! Rewarding the host with +5 points!]

YOU SHITTY SYSTEM I ASKED TO BE RELEASED OF THESE RED STRINGS CURRENTLY CHOKING ME TO DEATH AND YOU GIVE ME THIS SHIT???

Loud cries jerked Shen Yuan from his internal cursing.

“Shen Qingqiu!!??”

Yue Qingyuan stood up….. And were those tears at the edge of his eyes?

….shoot.

Gasps filled the clearing. Shen Yuan looked up to see everyone looking at him, tears streaming down their faces. Ning YingYing was one of them.

“Shizun?” She whispered, “Is—Is it really you?”

Shen Yuan winced. Great. Now everyone was standing up, even Luo Binghe!

Lord Hong pulled again and Shen Yuan hissed painfully, hands coming up to tug at the rope. His efforts were fruitless and he gasped for air.

Liu Qingge finally drew his sword, pointing it at them. “Let go!” His face twisting into something furious and nasty.

“I’m afraid not, Peak Lord Liu, this is an undead soul. A wandering spirit. He should have long been banished to the Underworld to join his kind, yet he created a body and hung onto the slivers of his life. If anything, he should be stripped of the Sun and Moon Dew Flower Seed and cast to the deepest dungeons in the Demon Realm.”

“Don’t care,” Liu Qingge quipped. “Hand him over.”

Lord Hong finally let out his disdain, “This is not for someone like you to handle, you idiotic cultivator. This soul is evidence of the recent demonic uprising and can provide us with answers to what has been causing such an uproar lately.”

Shen Yuan didn’t know what the hell was going on and he couldn’t fucking care less. His face was gradually reddening and if someone didn’t get that damn rope off of him he was going to suffocate to death! His relentless tugging did nothing and his vision slowly became splattered in black dots. Great, this was how he was going to die. What a way to go.

Then Shen Yuan felt a swift slash of air next to him and the constricting weight on his neck disappeared. Shen Yuan instinctually gasped for air, coughing loudly, lungs burning. Suddenly something pounced on him, almost knocking him over.

A small child, with soft, loose hair and big, doe eyes, clung to his shoulder began glaring at Lord Hong. She bared her teeth at him and (surprisingly!) Lord Hong took a step back.

“Qingqiu!” Yue Qingyuan rushed up to him.

Loud cries of ‘Shizun’ surrounded him to what seemed like all Qing Jing Peak’s disciples rushing forward in a frenzied action.

Only Luo Binghe stood in front of him unmoving. He was staring at Shen Yuan, eyes wide and distraught.

“Shen Qingqiu! You—you!” An unfamiliar woman yelled at him (god EVERYONE was yelling at him.) “You bastard! You died!”

“Cucum—I mean, Shen-shixiong, how are you feeling?” A man squeaked at him.

Shen Yuan was so confused and dizzy from the recent choking event that he couldn’t stop the next words that came out of his mouth.

“Who are you?”

Then as suddenly as it began, the noise stopped.

Shen Yuan would have laughed at the expressions on their faces if he wasn’t so damn confused and in pain. This timeline was so messed up that he was 99.9% sure that he transmigrated into a fanfiction instead. He didn’t even recognize half of the faces that were staring at him.

“I don’t know you.” He snapped out, sounding harsher than he intended. Really, everyone was just crowding around him and it was making him uncomfortable.

A body pushed itself towards and Shen Yuan looked at his panting state. Why is everyone looking at him like that?? Like he’s just grown two limbs and reached godhood?? Amitabha, praise the lord??? He wasn’t some kicked puppy!

“Cu—I mean, Shen-shixiong. You—you really don’t remember any of us? Not even him?” the man wheezed, gesturing in front of Shen Yuan at Luo Binghe.

Shen Yuan looked up involuntarily and flinched back at the scarily murderous look he was receiving. He could almost see the ominous black cloud surrounding Luo Binghe. Oh, he was definitely unhappy seeing his childhood abuser and scum master back from the dead. If anything, the protag seemed even more distraught that Shen Yuan had flinched! Bing-ge! This master is scared of you okay? It’s a natural reaction!

“...no, my apologies.”

And thus, this elicited a new wave of tears that poured down the eyes.

Ning Yingying’s eyes watered, “S-Shizun! I’m-I’m so sorry! Shizun doesn’t deserve this kind of torture! Why do you have to suffer for the lives of other people! First, he loses his life and now his memories?! Why can’t someone else suffer instead!” She wailed, loud enough for everyone to hear every word.

“Qingqiu,” Yue Qingyuan tried again. Shen Yuan stared blankly at him. His face, if possible, became even more distraught, “Do you remember me? Qi-ge?”

Shen Yuan fished his memory for any familiar mention of the numbers seven and nine but all he could think of was that the ramen noodles at the grocery store were having a 9% discount.

The more time it took for Shen Yuan to answer, the sadder Yue Qingyuan seemed to get. After a while, Shen Yuan could only mutter a quiet, “Sorry.”

Liu Qingge pointed his sword towards Lord Hong (gosh, what was with him and pointing swords???), “What’s the meaning of this?”

Shen Yuan sighed. Finally, the attention was diverted from him! If he had to succumb to another pitying or distraught gaze, he was going to go crazy! Only Luo Binghe’s attention remained on him, making Shen Yuan uncomfortable at the scrutiny of his glare.

“What do you mean, ‘What’s the meaning of this?!’ This is a wandering soul! I don’t care what kind of useless scum he is to you, but he’s disobeying the laws set by the demon realm! He should have long died and reincarnated into a new being—”

Lord Hong’s head made a wet ‘slump’ noise as it hit the ground.

“Shut up.” Luo Binghe said, not even turning his head to glance at Lord Hong’s now lifeless body.

Shen Yuan couldn’t suppress the bodily shiver that overtook him at the sight of the body. Luo Binghe’s voice just then was monotonous and soft, his expression not changing one bit. Compared to Lord Hong—who was more like a proud skink, Luo Binghe was like a beast wearing the skin of an immortal. Shen Yuan knew that he would gladly rip off the limbs of his foes and stab people in the chest without a backward glance and he tremored.

Then, Shen Yuan realized that the small child was still standing in front of him, hands raised protectively. He immediately reached out and pulled her away from the body, not even thinking before embracing her. Children shouldn’t be staring at dead demon bodies! Especially a young child such as this one! She could get scarred for life!

“Don’t look at it,” He said, “Children should not see such things.”

The child went still in his arms, Shen Yuan guessed that she was traumatized by the bleeding body and hugged her tighter. Plus, Luo Binghe was giving him a strange look and Shen Yuan was slightly terrified and he wanted something to protect him. Even a big bad male protagonist wouldn’t think of hurting a child, right?

Finally, after what Shen Yuan thought was a really weird stare-off between the two of them, Luo Binghe finally spoke:

“Bring him back.”

Liu Qingge immediately stepped forward, “You cannot!” Shen Yuan internally cheered him on, Yes! Go forward Liu shidi! Don’t make me have to go with this dude!

Luo Binghe finally spared a glance towards the raging peak lord. Shen Yuan watched with fascination as Luo Binghe said something that sealed his fate, “He was captured by a demon who serves under me. By right, he is to go with me to the demon realms.”

“In the beginning, Shen Qingqiu was originally part of Cang Qiong Peak!” Liu Qingge yelled, now pointing his sword towards Luo Binghe, “You do not deserve to take him!”

Luo Binghe narrowed his eyes, exuding the very aura of pissed off. Shen Yuan felt very imposed. Two men were fighting over him! HIM!

“Shizun was my—”

This time, someone new spoke up.

“You do not deserve to call him that!” Ming Fan said, angry and loud.

“You, of all people, do not deserve to call him Shizun!”

“Yeah!!!”

A chorus of agreements rang out as if a dam had broken for a raging stream. Every disciple of Qing Jing Peak voiced their rage and fury out loud, every voice like a thunderstrike, increasing the rumbling storm that Shen Yuan could see brewing around Luo Binghe.

Shit, at this point, Luo Binghe was going to murder everyone in the room! What were they all thinking, to hurl insults at the protagonist, acting like he wasn’t going to get angry?? Also, what the hell, why were Shen Qingqiu’s disciples so loyal to their master? Wasn’t Shen Qingqiu a terrible child-abuser who doted on his female disciples like a perv?

“Ming Fan, stop it!” Ning YingYing said with teary eyes, “Don’t you know Luo-shidi is the one that is hurting the most? What would Shizun say if he was here?” At this, Ning YingYing glanced at Shen Yuan before promptly bursting into another fit of tears.

“You cannot take Qingqiu-shidi away,” Yue Qingyuan said with the most passive-aggressive smile Shen Yuan had ever seen, “He deserves to come back to Cang Qiong Mountain so Mu Qingfan can try his best to find a cure for him.”

Faced with all this nonsense, Shen Yuan could do nothing but continue to watch dumbly. You know what, he thought, he’s done. Absolutely done with this. Going with who? Talking about what? Shen Yuan was fucking tired okay? Plus he still had this kid in his arms and he really wanted to know if she was okay. Shen Yuan sighed, cradling the small child in his arms, gently putting her head on his shoulder. She’s been pretty much unresponsive ever since Shen Yuan had hugged her, only gripping tightly onto Shen Yuan’s robes.

“That’s enough,” he said, using the coldest tone he had.

Immediately everyone quieted. It would have been almost funny, looking at all those bulging eyes staring at him but at this point, Shen Yuan was too tired to properly process things.

“I’m not an object to be bartered around by the highest bidder,” he said coldly, “Instead of treating me as if I were livestock, young masters, maybe we could talk.”

Accidentally, Shen Yuan made eye contact with Yue Qingyuan and before he could take his gaze away, his mouth decided to speak for itself.

“You are talking as if I was a slave to be bought.”

Yue Qingyuan flinched away as if Shen Yuan had dealt a heavy blow to him. Unexpectedly, anguish showed on Peak Lord Yue’s face as if of all the things that Shen Yuan had done, this was the one that injured him the most. It was just a metaphor, Zhangmen-shixiong! What are you tearing up for?

“Xiao Ji—” Yue Qingyuan stopped before he could finish, leaving Shen Yuan wondering what he had intended to say. It seemed like Yue Qingyuan really wanted to say it.

“No one’s implying that, Shizun!” Ming Fan yelled, face pale.

Really, 'cause it sure seems like it! However, Shen Yuan didn’t dare to say his thoughts out loud, especially with all these people around him. Instead, Shen Yuan just raised his eyebrows, looking at everyone in the room. While some of them looked uncomfortable and offended, no one showed as extreme of a reaction as Yue Qingyuan. Whatever Shen Yuan quickly put it to the back of his mind.

Hey, system, Shen Yuan tentatively called out, can I ask for your opinion?

[Of course, the host can! The system is always here to reply!] The high-pitched voice rang out inside Shen Yuan’s head.

Should I go with Luo Binghe? He asked, Would it be safe for me? I already met him right?? That doesn’t mean I have to go with him, right? If Shen Yuan was being completely honest, it wasn’t as if he was really dreading going with the protagonist, but more of that he was afraid of what the protagonist might do with him and the child he was currently holding.

[Future missions would be accomplished much quicker and efficiently if the host stays within a close range with the protagonist.]

Shen Yuan sighed internally. He guessed that it would be something like that. Then, at the very least, he had to keep this child alive in his grasp. Shen Qingqiu might have been a child abuser, but Shen Yuan personally did not like to traumatize children for his amusement.

“Papa should come with us,” a soft and timid voice murmured in his ears, jolting Shen Yuan from his Shen Qingqiu bashing thoughts. The tiny girl in his arms finally moved, sitting up straight and staring at Shen Yuan with her brown orbs.

“Papa should come with YiYi!” she repeated again with a smile that blinded Shen Yuan’s innocent pupils. Holy fuck, those teeth could be a weapon just by itself! It took a moment before Shen Yuan fully processed her words fully.

Wait.

PAPA??????

Papa, a-as... as in me?????

Me, Papa???

Shen Yuan quickly spoke up, “I’m afraid that you’re confused, I am not your father.”

She shook her head from side to side, “No, you’re my papa.”

“Ah, no I’m pretty sure I’m not,” Shen Yuan set her down, patting at her robes. His arms had begun to feel numb from holding her for too long. “This master would know if he ever married some maiden and had such a lovely child like you.”

Liu Qingge unexpectedly choked, coughing loudly. Something probably went down the wrong pipe.

The girl frowned, “No, Papa is papa! I’ve seen the picture up in Father’s room! You look exactly like Papa!”

A soft, pained noise came from Luo Binghe, Shen Yuan figured that he was feeling annoyed at the interaction that’s happening right now. He understood. Anyone would feel awkward if a child went up to some complete rando and said that they were now their father. Plus, Shen Yuan was a guy! No way could he have given birth, period.

“No, I am not your papa.” Shen Yuan said sternly, trying to pry the child from holding his robes. It wasn’t that he minded her holding onto his robes—it was just that his robes were really dirty and Shen Yuan did not want to risk her expensive-looking clothes getting stained as well. Unexpectedly, she refused to let go and more than that, tears began to well up in her eyes which made it look like Shen Yuan was bullying her.

Oh my god, Shen Yuan began to panic.

“Does,” her lips quivered, “does papa not want Yiyi anymore? Is that why papa left me and father?”

Fuck! Shen Yuan took a peek at the sect leaders staring at the two of them and they were looking at Shen Yuan like he had just stabbed them all with a knife. Crap! Shen Yuan doesn’t condone child abuse okay!! He’s never once made a kid cry, and he’s not about to start now!!

So, before Shen Yuan could properly think about it, he blurted, “Of course not! I would never.”

Almost immediately, the girl smiles at him, looking like she hadn’t been on the edge of crying just a moment ago.

“That’s great Papa! Isn’t that great Father? Papa can come back with us now!” The girl turns back to her father, jumping excitedly. Shen Yuan looks at what she’s looking at and almost spits out his imaginary coffee.

Is...

Is that…

Luo Binghe???

Luo Binghe was the supposed father of this child?

Oh god. And Shen Yuan had been coddling and hugging the kid just moments ago! It was already a miracle that Shen Yuan wasn’t killed on the spot for touching the protagonist’s kid! He immediately backed up a few steps from the father and the child, hoping that putting some distance from the problematic people will maybe save his already doomed fate. Fuck! Shen Yuan was fucked! Just look at the murderous looks that Luo Binghe was wearing when he took a step back!

“No.” Yue Qingyuan was watching this all play out on the sidelines and his passive-aggressive face was twitching. “Qingqiu would never go with someone like you after what you have done.”

Luo Binghe’s eyes glowed a dangerous red and Shen Yuan saw his hand twitch towards a sword that had talismans plastered all over it. Liu Qingge scowled and rested into a battle stance, his gaze furious on Luo Binghe.

Ming Fan, face blazing red from anger stepped forward, “Yeah! Shizun would never go with you! You demon! Have you no shame for your actions!?” Shen Yuan almost fainted at the blatant taunting that Ming Fan was displaying.

Then, to his surprise, some of his disciples were actually agreeing with him! Of course, some sensible disciples, like Ning YingYing, were watching this drama play out and keeping away from the line of fire!

“That’s none of your business, it's Shizun’s.” Luo Binghe gave Ming Fan an indifferent glance.

“You won’t have him!” Liu Qingge repeated.

“Papa, Papa!” Yiyi was tugging at Shen Yuan robes.

The other Sect Leaders tittered on the edge of straight-out war and Luo Binghe looked like he was planning on tearing everyone’s limbs off!

What the FUCK was happening???

If going with Luo Binghe, even if it meant being turned into a human stick, was already much better than whatever the hell was happening at the moment! Plus, if Shen Yuan thought about it, dropping to the floor and hugging the protagonist’s thighs weren’t so bad! As long as he acted in line, then Shen Yuan could (probably) escape imminent death.

Shit! Liu Qingge was advancing towards Luo Binghe! Shen Yuan could not have that happen! So, in a moment of panic of Liu Qingge destroying his golden thigh, he screamed out, “You there, stop it right this moment!”

Liu Qingge tripped over his robes and landed face-first onto the ground, his sword sliding right out of his hand.

Shen Yuan didn’t have time to even question the action before turning towards Luo Binghe, looking at him fully in the eye since the first time he transmigrated. Luo Binghe looked back at him and something terrifying and sad seemed to be dancing in his eyes. Shen Yuan felt that there was something he was obviously not getting but he pushed the thought to the back of his head.

Mustering up his best impression of a cold and haughty immortal, he said, “I will go with you.”

Luo Binghe almost looked surprised, face oddly pliant, before a charming smile broke out and dazzled Shen Yuan’s eyes. That’s not fair! How dare the protagonist blind him with his beauty! Was this some sort of secret technique?

“Shizun is willing to come with me?” Luo Binghe’s voice was deceptively raw, his eyes glimmering bright with (what Shen Yuan believed to be) false hope.

The acting skills of the protagonist were truly amazing, Shen Yuan thought internally. Truly worthy of being praised. Shen Yuan could almost believe that he actually wanted Shen Yuan to come with him!

“Do I have a choice?” Shen Yuan said mildly, struggling to sit up from his kneeling position on the ground. Goddammit, his knees were fucking losers.

Ahh, Luo Binghe’s expression soured, as if Shen Yuan had said something distasteful. Shen Yuan’s spiritual powers were slow to come back and his weak-ass legs wouldn’t work properly. Finally, Yue Qingyuan came over and slowly assisted him up and Shen Yuan felt his hands shaking even more than his legs.

Just as Shen Yuan was about to strangle out a ‘thanks’, he felt the world tip over.

Warm, calloused hands lifted him up, one hooking his legs and the other a steady weight against his back. Shen Yuan’s face and left side of his body met black silk and an open collar that barely hid Luo Binghe’s collarbone and chest. It took a while for Shen Yuan’s mind to reboot and even then he could barely process what was happening to him.

A PRINCESS CARRY????

THE FUCK??

“Peak Lord Yue doesn’t need to help, this Lord will support Shizun.” Luo Binghe said, chest rumbling pleasantly against Shen Yuan’s ears. With that, Shen Yuan’s rationality came back to him and he pulled slightly away from the warmth that Luo Binghe was radiating.

“What are you doing?” Shen Yuan couldn’t help but hiss, “Put me down this instant.”

The hold was comfortable as hell and his legs wouldn’t be able to walk anyway but Shen Yuan dignity just won’t allow him to be in this position for more than necessary. Which is never. His outburst turned Luo Binghe’s attention to him and Shen Yuan craned his neck to stare at the beauty that is the protagonist.

“But your legs are weak,” that innocent voice didn’t fool anyone, least of Shen Yuan, who was the most observant of them all, “And this Lord is merely looking after Shizun’s body.”

“I am not weak enough that I cannot stand,” Shen Yuan lied, but he knew that it was a losing argument.

“Then I hope that Shizun will accept this disciple’s apologies,” Luo Binghe said, somehow looking both sad and pleased, “Because this disciple won’t let this Shizun go again.”

With that, Luo Binghe ignored any further protests that Shen Yuan made and carried him away to his (inevitable) doom

On the first day, Shen Yuan expected to be locked inside a dungeon.

On the second, he expected that he would be rippled from limb to limb

By the first week, Shen Yuan was less terrified and now on the edge of dying boredom.

Like, seriously, if this is how Luo Binghe treated all prisoners, maybe Shen Yuan should have brought some books! And Shen Yuan is pretty sure that the place he’s been living in is hardly considered a prison cell at all. For one, the place is way too luxurious and comfortable to be anything more than a guest room. The furniture was made of high-quality wood and cushions were placed everywhere for maximum comfort. Windows dappled around the walls, lighting the room in a warm glow that made it extra aesthetic and welcoming.

When Shen Yuan first entered the room, he was almost afraid of touching everything in fear of ruining the warmth of the room. But, when nothing came to him after days and days, Shen Yuan grew to appreciate how cozy everything was. The room constantly smelled like bamboo;( one of his favorite scents) what’s not to like about it?

All in all, he thinks that he’s been doing good for a convicted child abuser and overall deviant of the law. Almost too good, if he thinks about it. Shen Yuan was still expecting some rando dude to take him from his new safe haven and throw him in a cauldron of boiling oil. A bit extreme, sure, but cut him some slack okay?

Plus!! Shen Yuan hasn’t even seen a glimpse of Luo Binghe since their affronted meeting a couple of days ago. When Shen Yuan tried to ask a servant about it, they just smiled awkwardly at him and whispered amongst each other. When he tried to bring the topic up with a maid that was bringing him robes, she hastily ran out of the room like it burned her.

Shen Yuan was beginning to think that this was a tactic in itself. Wreck his mind with numbing boredom before slicing him up when he faced no more resistance?

It was in the second week that something happened near Shen Yuan.

He was basking next to the window, letting the wispy rays of light warm up his robes when he heard the quiet pitter-patter of feet outside the door. Shen Yuan paid no mind to the sound, welcoming anything other than the customary silence of his room.

The door swung open. Shen Yuan sat up immediately and almost sighed in relief when he realized that it wasn’t Luo Binghe.

Instead, it was a girl with soft curls framing her face, wearing soft greens that blended in with Shen Yuan’s room. Shen Yuan automatically recognized her as the child that claimed to be his daughter.

“Hello,” Shen Yuan said with a soft smile framing his face, “What brings you to my room?”

YiYi, if Shen Yuan remembered correctly, brightened when she made eye contact with Shen Yuan and latched herself onto Shen Yuan’s thigh. Shen Yuan tried his best not to be flustered at the unexpected attention, but it was hard when YiYi looked up at him like he hung up the stars. It was definitely overwhelming.

“Papa! YiYi came to see you!”

She gave him a dimpled smile.

And Shen Yuan’s heart just straight-up melted.

Oh my god, he thought, stabbing me would hurt less than this.

Instead of smothering her cheeks, he coughed lightly and wanted to raise something to his face as a shield. Ice cold persona! Shen Yuan had to keep his reputation!

“This master is flattered, but surely a young lady such as yourself should be concerned with other more important matters other than me?”

“You’re my papa! Nothing’s more important than you!” Okay, now Shen Yuan was sure that her smile was a manipulating weapon on their own.

“Thank you,” he said gently, “But I’m not your papa and--”

“That’s okay! Father said that you don’t remember YiYi much but that’s also okay because YiYi doesn’t know Papa that well either.” Her bright and wondering face was laid on Shen Yuan’s lap, looking up at him and leaning forward as if she wanted to climb up.

Maintain the persona, he repeated to himself, maintain the persona

Still, Shen Yuan couldn’t help himself and gently patted the top of her head and somehow it felt right. As if he had done it all his life. YiYi couldn’t look any happier at Shen Yuan’s mindless action.

In the end, Shen Yuan settled with a soft “Thank you,” as his face involuntarily shifted into a smile.

“Let's go to the gardens! Father said that they were always your favorite!” She didn’t even wait for Shen Yuan’s reply before grabbing his hands with hers and pulling him up from his sitting position.

As they ran through the halls, Shen Yuan was surprised that no one dared to stop them. In fact, he was pretty sure all of them were staring up at him with molten eyes of fucking lava. Shen Yuan tried to reign the little fireball in, taking calm and leisurely steps in contrast to her wild and jumpy ones. He even had time to cheer over his new-found freedom from the confines of his chamber/prison!! He had been circulating spiritual energy throughout his muscles and meridians to keep his body healthy but nothing really beats a somewhat calm walk.

Hell, Shen Yuan actually thought this might have been a great idea!

Of course, that’s when everything went to shit, of fucking course.

“Father’s at a meeting right now with my uncles and it’s super important,” she lowered her voice as if telling a grand secret, “But he also said that if I go anywhere I have to tell him or else he’ll worry.” She looked shy and embarrassed but brightened once again, “But I know he’ll enjoy seeing Papa!”

Shen Yuan balked, “Wait, wha-”

Too late, Shen Yuan was already being pulled through a set of doors that he swore he didn’t see there before.

Immediately, everyone’s eyes fell on them and Shen Yuan promptly wanted to die.

Instead, he coughed and covered his face with his sleeve, shielding his face from the gawking stares.

Unaware, or simply just ignoring the eyes, YiYi beamed at a black-clothed figure standing at the head of the table and began sprinting towards him, letting go of Shen Yuan’s hand in the process.

Shen Yuan saw the scene play out in slow motion as she tripped over the hems of her robes and strange but gripping fear pierced through his body and he didn’t even realize that his body had moved. Shen Yuan raised his arms at an angle in which YiYi landed on the soft cloth of his sleeve instead of the bare, hard floor.

“You have to be careful,” he fretted, “,walk slower next time.” He retracted his sleeve, noticed a strand of hair blocking her face and mindlessly tucked it back to place with gentle fingers. He patted down her clothes, just a little, in case she got any dust on her lovely robes. It would simply be a waste with all the luxury that she’s wearing. He straightened and met gazes with brightly shining eyes.

Luo Binghe looked close to the verge of tears; his gaze burning into Shen Yuan’s own.

“Um,” Shen Yuan eloquently said.

[+15 Beauty and +5 Allure! Binghe’s heart is throbbing! Keep it up!]

The fuck did I do to be beautiful?? Look away???? Breathe?????

“Qingqiu,” Yue Qingyuan uttered softly and holy shit Shen Yuan completely forgot that there were other people in the room. Shen Yuan faced them, taking in the sight of stupidly beautiful men.

Yue Qingyuan’s hands were reached forwards; eyes weirdly gleaming, almost like a scholar looking towards lavish bookshelves. Liu Qingge’s eyes were flickering down between YiYi and Shen Yuan, looking as if he was trying to figure out an immensely difficult equation. The strange fidgety man from before, now decked in deep blue jewels and warm fur, wasn’t doing anything to hide his gawk. Shen Yuan absentmindedly thought that his mouth could catch house flies with the way it was opened.

“Yes?” He inquired politely, keeping up his charade of an innocent bystander.

Yue Qingyuan looked shattered but all Shen Yuan did was say hi?? Was everyone this dramatic?

“Ho-How is Qingqiu faring these past few days?”

Shen Yuan blinked towards Luo Binghe. How was he faring these past few days? He wasn’t terrible by all means, but it was horribly boring and Shen Yuan almost wilted in the suffocation of his cage, no matter how glided.

Perhaps he took too long to answer because immediately Yue Qingyuan’s eyes darkened. Liu Qingge unsheathed his sword and pointed it towards Luo Binghe.

“Where have you been keeping him?!”

Luo Binghe ignored him, focusing his attention on Shen Yuan.

“Is the room not to your liking, Shizun?” he seemed genuinely worried, “Have the servants been treating you wrong? I can have them replaced if you’d like.”

Shen Yuan frantically gestured for Liu Qingge to lower his sword. “I am fine! The room is fine! I simply get bored confined to the same walls for days on end, His Highness needn’t concern himself with such matters.”

Luo Binghe stepped forward and Shen Yuan got an even clearer view of the protagonist’s chest and was momentarily struck dumb.

Luo Binghe looked distressed, “Is Shizun not happy here?”

Shen Yuan was dumbfounded, “I-, this, I’m more confused than anything really. In this sense, I am not content with being thrown in the dark. If no one says anything then nothing really gets solved, does it?”

Luo Binghe looked struck, looking to the floor in what seemed to be... shame? What would he have to be ashamed about?

“Can we go to the gardens now,” YiYi whined, finally getting bored of the grownup talk. “I want to show Papa the gardens.”

Luo Binghe's face shifted quickly as he smiled softly at his daughter.

“Of course.”

YiYi grabbed Shen Yuan’s hand but they haven’t even paid their respects to the characters yet! It was impolite! Shen Yuan’s conditioned manners won’t allow him to just leave; he was a grown-ass respectful man.

“YiYi, you need to bow goodbye to your uncles and father,” Shen Yuan said gently.

She blinked up at him, “But why?”

“It’s proper manners,” he chided.

She nodded very seriously; looking up at him intently. Shen Yuan almost chuckled but held it in. He held his arms out, lowered his eyes, and gave an elegant, short, and cursory bow. From the corner of his eyes, he saw her clumsily copy him and discretely smiled behind his sleeves.

So cute!

[+20 Beauty +25 Elegance]

“We’ll excuse ourselves to the gardens,” Shen Yuan stated and YiYi immediately dragged them away.

Strangely, a part of him itched to drag someone with him, images of black robes and besotted smiles flashing through his mind before evaporating into mist as it was never there before.

They walked through a set of doors and Shen Yuan’s eyes were assaulted with bright foliage. It smelt like bamboo leaves and cold autumn rain and Shen Yuan saw green and flowers everywhere. A surge of familiarity swelled up inside him as he looked around the blooming plants. For a long time, Shen Yuan was positively speechless.

He walked towards a tree whose branches supported so many blossoms that its branches practically sagged in its weight. Shen Yuan looked up at the blossoms in wonder. In his past life, he was holed up in an apartment most of the time and barely had the time to take notice of things like this. Even if he did, he lived in the city—trees and grass were an anomaly.

He reached out to lightly touch a barely bloomed bud, a little afraid that he would accidentally hurt it with his fingers.

“Does Papa like it?” YiYi inquired softly, seemingly itching for praise.

“It’s lovely,” Shen Yuan replied, “How did your father manage to plant these in the Demon Realm?” Shen Yuan knew that the soil in the Demon Realm yielded little crops and was unsuitable for planting anything, even the most resilient plants.

“Papa liked them,” she simply said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Shen Yuan didn’t know what to say to that.

YiYi smiled, innocent and attractive, “Let me show you the clearing! Father said it used to be your favorite! Which means it’s also YiYi’s favorite!”

They walked through the greenery, Shen Yuan occasionally stopping to admire an especially cool flower or spiritual plant. It seemed as if the whole garden was bursting with calm and sensuous energy that curled around them in quiet welcome.

Though a stone pathway, the foliage broke away into a wide meadow. Surprised, Shen Yuan noticed bamboo trees planted around the clearing, creating an ethereal kind of space that seemed straight up from a fantasy novella. It seemed like the kind of place that Shen Yuan loved to relax and read his trashy novels at.

Shen Yuan couldn’t really imagine Shen Qingqiu liking such a tranquil place.

“Does Papa like it?” Shen Yuan startled, almost forgetting about the young child peering up at him with inquisitive eyes.

Shen Yuan smiled down at her, “Yes, it’s very tranquil.”

“Papa should relax! You might remember all the times that you and Father spent here!” She then dragged him under the shade of a looming willow tree; with her plowing into the grass while Shen Yuan carefully folded his legs under him.

He had to admit, the scenery was quite nice. The Demon Realm naturally had extreme temperatures; sweltering hot or bone-numbing cold depending on the areas one visited. Yet, in this small garden, the air was light and somehow, in a way Shen Yuan couldn’t understand, a soft breeze danced constantly through the air, bringing about the scent of morning dew.

Now Shen Yuan was curious; who would go through all the trouble to erect such an elaborate yet simple garden in the Demon Realm? Surely it couldn’t be Luo Binghe, of all people? Unless it was for one of his wives.

YiYi, who had been squirming around in the grass, got bored quickly and rolled herself on Shen Yuan's lap. Shen Yuan shifted a bit so she would be comfortable.

“Does Papa remember YiYi and Father yet?” She inquired.

Shen Yuan felt a stab of guilt, “Ah, well—,”

“That’s okay!” She gave him a small smile before going back to fiddle with the embroidery on his robes, “I don’t remember much from when I was young, so it’s fine if Papa doesn’t either. As long as you’re safe and happy; Father and YiYi will also be happy.”

Another stab of guilt, this time straight into the flesh of his heart. Okay, how the hell did Luo Binghe; sex maniac and all-conquering protagonist; manage to raise such a good kid? Shen Yuan’s notion of this being a fanfic he transmigrated into was getting stronger by the second.

Still— “I apologize,” He wasn’t the one that they wanted, “for leaving your Father and you behind and any inconvenience I may have caused with my death.” Shen Yuan stumbled on the words; finding them awkward around his tongue.

“Yeah, it sucks that Papa wasn’t there to see YiYi’s first monster capture. It was a fearsome Palace-Dwelling Cricket! Father and I both caught it and released it into Papa’s garden. Sometimes I still check on it, just to see how it’s doing.”

Shen Yuan’s heart, “Oh, really? It must have been a brutal battle then, I assume.”

“It was!!” She enthusiastically exclaimed, “Well, Father did most of the work, really—but I pointed and yelled out battalion tactics that Shang-shushu taught me!”

“How magnanimous of him to do so.”

“Yeah! He taught me cool words like ‘gun ‘em down’ and ‘yeet them out the window’! Shang-shushu is very funny.”

Shen Yuan choked on his spit.

“He taught you what???”

YiYi looked at him with blinking eyes, “He said to ‘vibe check’ the monsters that bully me.”

Shen Yuan took a deep breath, laid a gentle hand on YiYi’s soft curls, and gave her an inscrutable smile.

“Do you know where this ‘Shang-shishu’ is currently?”

_______________________________________

Shen Yuan felt like Alice in freaking Wonderland.

What’s with all these pillars of gold and jade, huh?? And who the hell was in charge of lighting, Shen Yuan has some very strong opinions to voice out. Whose bright idea (no pun intended) was it to light up these large, chunky corridors with nothing but Scarlet Ever-Burning Lanterns? Shen Yuan could admire the aesthetics of it, but walking through them? Trying to see three feet ahead of him?? Did anyone even think about practicality?

Plus, all these hallways looked to be the same. Everything was either red, black, or green. Mix them together and you get ultimate Demon Lord visuals but after a while, the color schemes just merged together into an incomprehensible pile of pretty.

YiYi had wanted Shen Yuan to stay with her in the garden; using the ultimate weapon of puppy eyes. Shen Yuan had almost caved until some demon attendants spotted them and immediately rushed over in a panicked frenzy.

It turns out that YiYi had been skipping out on her morning lessons to stay with him, and her tutors were scrambling around the palace in search of her.

It was only after Shen Yuan had firmly told her to go study did YiYi, extremely petulant, renounce the death grip on his robes.

“I’ll stay here and explore the castle, see if I can remember anything.” he chided, “Your education is important.”

YiYi looked as if about to cry, her attendants turning her back to move, her stopping as if remembering something, and turned around fast enough to give Shen Yuan whiplash.

She opened her arms and hugged Shen Yuan’s chest, burying her face in the front of his robes.

Her arms weren’t even long enough to reach his back yet.

Just as Shen Yuan was Windows ERRORing, she let go, looking the happiest that Shen Yuan had ever seen her before pitter-pattering away.

Shen Yuan was left there, arms raised and a strange, heavy sensation on his chest as the serene winds of green weaved through his hair. Oddly enough, Shen Yuan wanted to reach his hands out to hug her again.

And that’s when the system chimed in, deafeningly loud in his ear.

[Special Mission: Daddy and Daughter Bonding Time! (Complete)]

[Reward: +20 points! +10 Affection!]

[Keep up the good work, host!]

One thing led to another and here Shen Yuan was. Lost.

Horribly lost.

Every corner he turned seemed to lead to the exact same one as before. At first, Shen Yuan had thought of asking servants for directions but for some reason, there weren’t any? He’s been walking through random halls and he hasn’t seen a single soul.

Wasn’t Luo Binghe a Demon Lord? His palace should be brimming with envoys, servants, and palace ladies and men to serve him; but to Shen Yuan, it seems like the whole palace is bare of even a hint of life. Too unprofessional!! What if an intruder got in; there wouldn’t be anyone to apprehend them!

The worst part is Shen Yuan still doesn’t remember anything! Time heals all wounds his ass! He’d been cooped up in a cell for weeks, meditating, cultivating, and reflecting his poor, sad life and didn’t even hear a peep from the system except for today.

Hey, wasn’t there a saying if you keep to the left wall in a maze you’ll eventually find the exit? Shen Yuan plastered himself (elegantly) to the side of the wall and just began walking. Shen Yuan is sure he’ll make it somewhere! He’s optimistic goddammit.

Shen Yuan squinted at two extravagantly carved doors.

…

‘...Hey, system, can’t you help me out a little? I might just get lost and wither away in a room and no one will even find my dead body because of this stupid palace.’

[Would host like to activate (Secret Mission: “Mystery in the Inner Court” Reward: Unknown)]

‘Will it make me un-lost??’

[This system will direct the host towards the mission’s location if that’s what the host means.]

Shen Yuan couldn’t press accept fast enough.

[Initializing Database...Complete! Proceed to the door on the right and go straight until host finds Special Mission Room: (Luo Binghe’s Secret Study)]

…...

‘WAIT WAIT WAIT. WHAT!!’

[Time Limit: 2 hours. Failure to comply in the time limit will result in immediate account termination! The system wishes the host good luck!! (・∀・) ]

Shen Yuan curses every virus known to mankind upon this 250 system.

‘Rot in hell and die!!’

Shen Yuan raised his arms to push open the door on the right, checking left and right for any wandering demons before walking down the dimly lit corridor. The Scarlet Ever-Burning Lanterns flickered ominously, painting the dark walls in a crimson hue. Shen Yuan felt out of place in the soft greens and whites he currently donned. His heartbeat thumped even louder than before as he came to the closed door of Luo Binghe’s study.

He prodded at it and wasn’t surprised to find it unlocked. With this kind of security, Shen Yuan wasn’t the least bit surprised that Luo Binghe’s own personal study was left out here in the open. Actually, now that he thinks about it, who, other than dumb side characters and minor villains, would dare to actually invade his palace?? Only the dumbest people would shoot to infiltrate his study.

‘Then what does that say about himself?’

Cursing the system and all that forced him into this situation, he opened the door and walked in.

It was gilded; like everything else in Luo Binghe’s abode, with organized piles of paper and scrolls piled up in a corner.

For some reason, it was... weird. It felt like Shen Yuan had been here before. But there was no way, he’d been locked up ever since he got here and haven’t even had the chance to even walk around the palace until now.

He shrugged it off; it was probably nothing.

An incense burner was set up by a table, wafting smoke into the air. As Shen Yuan inhaled, he took in the scent of faint agarwood. Surprised, he automatically drifted over to it. He’s always like the scent of agarwood; it reminded him of his grandmother’s apartment, the days before he moved out.

But why would Luo Binghe have incense burners in his study? Demon noses were particularly sensitive to smells and many could only stand scents that they have a strong mental attachment with. This was the reason why Luo Binghe gifted his favorite concubines the same perfumes. It would overwhelm his sense if all his consorts kept changing scents. But, if Shen Yuan remembers correctly (which, during this whole transmigration process, proves that he doesn’t) none of Luo Binghe’s husbands or wives were particularly fond of agarwood??

Well, whatever, Luo Binghe’s lovers ranged from the hundreds if not to the thousands, perhaps one of the consorts favorite scents just wasn’t mentioned. Shen Yuan tapped at the system interface.

‘Yo, system, mind telling me what the hell I’m actually doing here?’

[Due to this being a Secret Mission, the system cannot give out any hints to help the host!]

‘Lil’ fucking piece of—”

Shen Yuan took a deep breath, the vanilla-ish musk of agarwood instantly calming his rage.

Fine, looks like Shen Yuan will have to figure this out himself.

He glances around the room, noticing white semi-translucent silk covering an entryway of some sort. It was so thin that it fluttered at the slightest breeze, reminding Shen Yuan of dragonfly wings. It was the only light-colored item in the room and by far the most eye-catching.

Shen Yuan, being the fool that he is, lifts the curtain up to see what was behind it.

The room was bare, with one small desk and hundreds of crumpled paper and inkstones just lying around.

A painting took up the whole mantle of the wall.