Chapter Text
Luo Binghe’s eyes were unfocused. He doesn’t know what kind of drug he was made to induce but even his blood parasites have stopped working. The only thing that he remembers was drinking the tea that Liu Mingyan and Sha Hualing gave him and after that, everything was a blur. He heard commotions erupt in the background and the sight of white robes fluttering before his eyes completely shuts. And now, he finds himself weakened inside a rough carriage. Strangely, his head felt comfortable despite the constant rocking of the wagon.
“Shizun…” he muttered silently once he managed to clearly see the face of the man before him. It appears that he’s sleeping comfortably in Shen Qingqiu’s lap. The immortal is also in a deep slumber, but his expression would change from time to time, obviously uncomfortable.
Luo Binghe tried to sit up. However, in his struggle, Shen Qingqiu woke up. Wordlessly, the immortal forced him back to his previous position harshly. “Stay still, Junshang.” Shen Qingqiu said coldly, which made him frown. “I know you dislike being near this concubine, but this carriage doesn’t have enough room for two. Just bear with this concubine’s presence until we reach the territory of the Northern lord.” Shen Qingqiu added bitterly, before completely falling into silence. Luo Binghe did not dare to break the little peace that they had between them. He would rather not deal with the scum’s tantrums, especially when he's part of the harem that betrayed him. It appears that his main wives have conspired to usurp his throne. Luo Binghe would never forgive them. He favored and pampered them wholeheartedly, yet this is what he receives in return? It’s even more ridiculous how the most scorned member was the one who came to his aid. He doesn’t know what Shen Qingqiu is scheming when he helped him, nor does he wish to know but he better set the record straight. Shen Qingqiu will never get anything from him even if he lays his life down for him. Even if Shen Qingqiu dies, it would still never be enough to pay his dues.
“I do not know what you dream to accomplish by pulling this kind of stunt before this lord but Shen Qingqiu, know this…” Luo Binghe struggled to sit up. Shen Qingqiu did not bother to help him. It seems that looking at the void emptiness before them was more interesting for the immortal than to spare him a glance. Luo Binghe wonders why Shen Qingqiu saved him in the first place when his hatred for him is this immense.
The overlord reached for Shen Qingqiu’s face. He wanted those eyes to look at him, but before he could even touch his skin, Shen Qingqiu’s expression faltered. The immortal’s eyes trembled, and blood trickled at the edge of Shen Qingqiu’s lips.
“We’re here.”
Before he could even voice out his concern, Shen Qingqiu already exited the carriage. Luo Binghe wanted to follow. However, no matter how hard he tried, the state of his body did not allow him to move anymore. After a while, the carriage moved again, but Shen Qingqiu did not return.
At that time, he did not except that it would be the last that he would see him alive.
-
“Mobei, did you find him?” Luo Binghe looked down from his throne. Below him, the ministers and the concubines who conspired against him were bound together with immortal binding cables. Retaking his crown did not prove to be much of a challenge the moment he recovered. And now, to set an example, he will ordain punishment to those who dared to defy him and reward the ones who remained loyal to him, which is ironically, the most mistreated member of the harem. But then, there’s a problem. Luo Binghe cannot track Shen Qingqiu down. He couldn’t find his location because the blood parasites are not responding to his call, so he sent out Mobei Jun to search and find Shen Qingqiu.
“Junshang, Immortal Master Shen is dead.”
Mobei Jun already lost count of the times he relayed this message. From the moment the emperor arrived in the north, to the time they took back the throne, the overlord had asked him repeatedly to search for the dead immortal and each time, he gave him the same answer.
Shen Qingqiu died the moment he stepped out of that carriage. He chose to drive out their pursuers on his own because the lesser demon who was driving the carriage was not skilled enough to do so and even before then, the immortal was already wounded, a fact that Luo Binghe should be already aware of because the inside of the carriage that brought him to the gates of Mobei Jun’s castle was smeared with blood that is not his own.
“If you want to see him, his body should be inside his quarters—Inside the cold palace.” Mobei Jun added, but much to his dismay, Luo Binghe denied his words once more.
“No, you’re mistaken. Shizun is alive.” The emperor whispered in denial which only made the warden sigh.
Shen Qingqiu wasn’t loved or favored when he was alive. It was a known fact. The immortal was scorned by the emperor and was forced to marriage for the sake of humiliating the master who despised his own disciple. However, Luo Binghe’s hate wasn’t the only one that’s known.
Shen Qingqiu’s hatred to his own student that dates back to the emperor’s time as his disciple was also famous. But when Cang Qiong had fallen from grace, and when sect leader died, Shen Qingqiu’s anger to the emperor also started to dissipate. But because of that, Shen Qingqiu’s life started to take a different, more horrible turn. The members of harem who wanted to please their husband had stopped being intimidated and started to treat the immortal with malice. For fun, they humiliate him and the worst part was, the emperor watched all of this unfold and he did nothing to stop or even lessen the damage. Shen Qingqiu was shred of his last dignity and honor the moment he became the emperor’s woman. And the first time he retaliated, a potential heir of the emperor from Sha Hualing died which signed his doom to be imprisoned on the most isolated part of the harem, the cold palace.
However, even after that, Luo Binghe did not stop visiting the immortal which prompted to even more abuse from the discarded women. Hence, Mobei Jun can confidently say that Shen Qingqiu lived a life of misery under Luo Binghe’s obsession. That’s why he didn’t understand why the immortal came to Luo Binghe’s rescue when he made him suffer so much. Don’t get him wrong though. He is a loyal subject of the crown. Its just that, he doesn’t understand their actions. Luo Binghe who spurned his master when he was still alive and is now refusing to accept his death despite hating the man, and Shen Qingqiu who despised his disciple, yet came to his aid and laid down his life just to ensure that he survives, they were a puzzle to Mobei Jun who never experience what its like to be loved yet hated at the same time.
“You’re useless! You only lie to this lord!” Luo Binghe stood up. Like always, he runs from the truth. Mobei Jun can only sigh in exhaustion. It’s like this every time.
“Your majesty, what about the criminals?”
Luo Binghe turned, visibly annoyed.
“I don’t care. Burn them, boil them, do whatever you please! Do I have to spell out everything here?!”
The moment Luo Binghe left; Mobei Jun scowled. Luo Binghe was the one who said that he will personally give out their punishment today once Shen Qingqiu arrives. If he didn’t say that, Mobei Jun would have executed the lot already without much effort.
“You heard his majesty’s orders. Burn, boil, and execute them.” he ordered as the demons did his bidding. Mobei Jun wondered, when will Luo Binghe wake up to the reality that Shen Qingqiu was long gone.
-
Luo Binghe pulled Shen Qingqiu’s cold body in his embrace, hoping that his warmth can seep through the immortal’s body and wake him up. However, like his previous attempts, it ended in futility. Shen Qingqiu didn’t stir. Shen Qingqiu did not wake up. Aggrieved, Luo Binghe held the corpse of the immortal even closer.
“You can hate this disciple all you want. You can even beat and hit this disciple without fearing any consequence! Just… wake up, Shen Qingqiu.” Luo Binghe pleads, but his begging falls on deaf ears, because in the comforts of cold palace, only he was alive.
“Please, Shizun.”