Chapter Text
When Shen Yuan regains consciousness, his first coherent thought is that he suddenly, inexplicably, sort of, really wants to lick his own ass.
…
…?
Well.
That certainly deserves some serious introspection – but perhaps not when a storm is throbbing behind his temples. He’s lying sprawled out and prone, somewhere hard and… slightly damp. As his senses sluggishly return to him, Shen Yuan is made aware of a heat in his left leg, which teeters over into a burning ache the more he focuses on it. He can deduce by the sound of birdsong and the rustling of leaves that he’s in an area with some nature, though how exactly he got here is another question entirely.
Casting his muddled mind back, Shen Yuan tries to remember what happened in the events leading up to this point. He had just been released from hospital and was grateful to be back in his own apartment, away from sterile white walls and the smell of sickness. He recalls being hungry, because even after a whole (albeit, relatively short) life spent in and out of various medical institutions, he never really got used to the food they served. Foraging through his barren cupboards was an exercise in futility, but by some stroke of luck, Shen Yuan had found a couple baozi in the fridge from before he had been admitted. Shen Yuan remembers tearing a bun in half to sniff cautiously at its filling, before shrugging, deciding that the slime on the meat was probably just the sauce, and eating it anyway.
As always, hindsight is 20/20.
If Shen Yuan could strangle his past self, he would do so in a heartbeat, because the pain that lanced through his abdomen a few hours after his scuffed meal had left him gasping for breath – quite literally.
A slow unease begins to build in the pit of Shen Yuan’s stomach as clarity slowly sharpens the details of his memory. He remembers now, that the pain from the food poisoning had winded him enough to trigger an asthma attack. It’s not like Shen Yuan boasted a healthy constitution on a good day, but his lungs had always been terribly weak, and were more often than not the culprit behind many of his hospital visits over the years. Shen Yuan had always been forced to take them into consideration when doing anything, but he thinks that if they had been his only problem that day, he would have been fine. No, what he hadn’t counted on was his post-hospital body being shaky and weak, so much so that he didn’t have the strength to run and grab his inhaler before his lungs seized and he’d blacked out.
Yes, that’s right… He’d passed out on his way to the bathroom!
…So why isn’t he there right now?!
Blearily blinking his eyes open, Shen Yuan turns his head to the side and is met with shades of emerald and gold so vibrant they make his brain hurt. Squeezing his eyes back shut immediately, Shen Yuan takes a few deep breaths before trying again – this time squinting through one half raised lid to tentatively take stock of his surroundings.
Sunlight filters in through the gaps in the bamboo’s leaves, dappling the earth below in patches of warmth. It looks like he’s in a forest of sorts, and Shen Yuan takes a moment to appreciate the meditative peace the area inherently inspires. That being said, there’s something strange about this bamboo, because – isn’t it a little too big? Shen Yuan knows bamboo isn’t a small plant by any stretch of the imagination, but generally speaking, shouldn’t he, as a grown man, at least be able to see the sky through its canopy…? Alas, no matter how far back he cranes his neck, the stalks remain towered over him, green sentinels swaying gently in the breeze.
The quiet hush of nature is broken by the sound of distant footsteps, and his ears flick towards the sound. Shen Yuan looks around. Though he can’t see anyone, the footsteps are getting steadily louder – someone is definitely approaching.
And then he mentally backtracks because – his ears flicked? And also, is it just him, or is everything around him startlingly crisp? As in, 4K ultra HD crisp? Shen Yuan is pretty sure he doesn’t have his glasses with him, but even if he did, he’s certain he still wouldn’t be able to see this well.
Pushing himself up into a half slouch, Shen Yuan touches his face, and… he… he touches his…
He should be touching his face right now, but what Shen Yuan feels under his fingertips is decidedly not skin, but something soft and furry. Pulling his hand away, Shen Yuan looks down and baulks, because what he sees is–
–a paw.
A tiny, black, fluffy paw.
Stretching out his fingers, the paw before him extends its claws; balling his hand into a fist, the paw before him retracts its claws and curls into a squishy looking paw pad.
Ah , Shen Yuan thinks, feeling oddly serene now that he understands what’s going on. This is a dream.
As soon as he has the thought, an uncomfortable buzz fills the air and has Shen Yuan’s ears flattening, before a voice resonates from within his head:
[The System regrets to inform Host that he is incorrect. Host has died, and transmigrated to ‘Proud Immortal Demon Way’! Congratulations! Congratulations! Congratulations! Important things must be said three times!]
Shen Yuan blinks.
Oh, ok. Not a dream then! He’s just transmigrated to Proud Immortal Demon Wa… W…? What the fuck? He transmigrated? Into that shitty D-Tier novel Airplane Shooting Towards The Sky wrote?! Shen Yuan feels dizzy, and he has to shake his head to clear his greying vision. Like – sure, he’d read the novel… a lot, paid for chapters and extras and had become intimately familiar with the (scraps of) plot, enough to be enraged at its wasted potential – but that doesn’t mean Shen Yuan particularly liked PIDW, and it certainly doesn’t mean he wants to live in it!
Also, and perhaps more importantly – death??? What does the System mean he died? Shen Yuan just passed out! What kind of pathetic death would that be, anyway – after surviving countless touch-and-go illnesses, being bedridden for weeks in hospital after operations on his respiratory system – he refuses to believe his body decided an asthma attack was where it would draw the line. Have some pride, body!
This is unfair! Unjust! He wants a do-over, let him die again with dignity!!
Shen Yuan feels near-breathless after his tirade, though it had all been in his head. Because the thing is, while he’d like to yell, spit out expletives in between bouts of vomiting blood, when he actually tries, the only sound that leaves his mouth is a strangled, high pitched, “Mrrw!”
Shen Yuan’s headache is quickly bordering on migraine territory.
So he died, sure. And he transmigrated into quite literally the worst novel out there, okay. But that he wasn’t even human anymore? What had he done to deserve that?
Whether the System takes pity on him, or had just been waiting for a moment to chime in, Shen Yuan doesn’t know. Regardless, its mechanical voice rings out once more as it informs him: [Unfortunately an error occurred during Host’s transmigration, and his intended body was… made unavailable. Luckily, however, this System was able to find a suitable replacement nearby!]
Suitable? Shen Yuan thinks, too bewildered to even be angry. Are you implying a human and a cat are in any way the same???
The System manages to sound affronted when it responds: [Of course not! Host is no mere cat, but a spiritual beast!]
That tidbit catches Shen Yuan’s attention, and he finds himself intrigued despite his annoyance. He can’t help it, though, because while most of PIDW had been a raging dumpster fire, one of the few… scratch that – the only redeeming quality of the novel had been the beasts that roamed its world.
A reluctant excitement begins to build in Shen Yuan as all the possibilities of what he could be run through mind. Perhaps he was a Three Toned Racoon Wolf? Despite raccoons being a pest in his own world, he begrudgingly allows that Airplane had managed to make them sound super dangerous in PIDW… Or, wait! Considering how his paw is jet black, perhaps he’s a Venomous Panthalion? The monster’s poison was known for its rancid stench, though, and Shen Yuan can’t smell anything of the sort when he tries to catch a whiff of his own breath…
[Host is a Diamond-Eyed Lynx!] The System helpfully informs.
…A what now?
Trying to recall reading about such a creature, Shen Yuan frowns as he comes up blank. If this Diamond-Eyed Lynx had ever been mentioned in PIDW, he’s almost certain he would have remembered it – so the fact that he doesn’t… Ah, is he a spiritual beast so lame that even that pathetic excuse of an author didn’t bother to give it the most arbitrary of descriptions?!
Wilting, Shen Yuan looks down at his han– paws, eyeing them critically. Although they’re bigger than, say, a housecat’s, their size isn’t exactly something to write home about… Really, if Shen Yuan is being brutally honest with himself, he’s probably no bigger than the average dog. The disappointment that washes over him at the realisation is somehow worse than the initial shock of finding out about his less-than-human state, and Shen Yuan slumps back to the ground in defeat.
I’m worse than canon fodder, he mourns, because at least canon fodder has a reason to exist – a role, no matter how simple, to fill. Is Shen Yuan just supposed to skulk about in this bamboo forest for the rest of his pathetic, furry life? Why the hell was he even brought here in the first place?
In spite of his feline vocal chords, the sigh Shen Yuan lets out is uncannily human as he rests his head on his paws. His ears swivel and twitch at every new sound, and it has him wishing he had his old noise cancelling headphones with him to stave off this sensory overload… not that he could actually wear them in his current state. As it stands, Shen Yuan transmigrated to this world empty-pawed, and unless he has a secret inventory the System hasn’t informed him of, he’s just going to have to deal.
The person, he notes, as he focuses (against his will) on their footsteps, is getting quite close now. They sound incredibly light footed, and Shen Yuan knows that had it not been for his recently upgraded hearing, there’s no way he’d have been able to differentiate between their approach and the whisper of the wind. Shen Yuan has the belated thought that, perhaps, he should be wary of meeting this person; he’s kind of hurt, after all, and even if he wasn’t, he doubts he’d be able to make any sort of hasty escape when he probably has to relearn how to walk.
…On all fours… because he’s… an animal now…
Overcome with self pity, Shen Yuan buries his head in his paws and lets out a warbled cry that resonates loudly through the forest. Fuck you, Airplane! Stupid author, stupid novel! And don’t think you’re any better, you shitty System! At least give me a human body, damn you!
The sound of the footsteps pauses, and then after a moment, they begin again – their trajectory changed, now heading in his direction. Shen Yuan is aware of this in the back of his mind… but is just too busy wallowing to care. The logical part of him chimes in that there’s probably nothing to be afraid of, anyway – considering how peaceful his surroundings are, could anything living around here really be that dangerous?
…In the end, Shen Yuan does try making his body smaller when the sound of rustling undergrowth belies the presence of a body passing through. While he still stands by his previous assessment of the situation, on the off chance that he’s wrong… Well, he’s in no hurry to experience a second death, to say the least – especially since he still hasn’t fully come to terms with his first. Plus, what if he died and ended up transmigrating somewhere even worse than PIDW? Unlikely, since Shen Yuan can’t imagine there being an author with even less writing talent than Airplane – but it was still a possibility!
No, Shen Yuan had better play it safe.
Keeping his eyes lasered in on where he’s certain the person will appear through the bamboo, Shen Yuan’s heart nearly falls out of his chest when a moment later, a shadow is cast over his body… from behind! Instinctually trying to scramble away, the combination of his injured leg and general lack of coordination has Shen Yuan making it two paces before he faceplants into the dirt with an undignified mrrp–!
“Oh?” Comes a voice from above, “What do we have here?”
Blinking up through twigs and soil, Shen Yuan’s mind grinds to a halt as one of the most attractive men he’s ever seen in his life looms over him. Th-That’s not to say he isn’t definitely, absolutely, 100% straight – because he is! But really, it’s just an objective fact. With willowy limbs hidden beneath flowing green robes, the man just looks like he belongs among the bamboo. His silken hair is pinned half-up with a silver crown, with the other half left to drape over his shoulder where he’s bent slightly at the waist to peer down at Shen Yuan. When Shen Yuan has to fight the urge to bat a paw at the black strands, he falls into despair.
“I thought I sensed a strange qi signature,” the man observes, oblivious to Shen Yuan’s inner turmoil, “but I can’t say I expected this.”
Prodding at Shen Yuan’s side with the tip of his shoe, dangerously close to his injured leg, Shen Yuan’s tail whips wildly as he smacks at the man’s foot with his claws. So good looks don’t equal a good personality, go figure! The man doesn’t seem at all threatened by Shen Yuan’s display of aggression, though, if the slight smirk that tugs at the corner of his lips is anything to go by.
System! Shen Yuan thinks, feeling his hackles raise in aggravation, Who is this bastard?!
Blipping into existence, the System responds: [Registering question… Unfortunately, Host does not have enough B-points for that answer!]
Huh? What the hell are B-points??
Quick to reply, the System says: [Registering question… B-points are a currency Host can earn through his actions in the world of PIDW. Earn enough points, and Host can buy many useful things – like the answer to Host’s previous question! Would Host like to browse the list of rewards?]
Th-There’s a shop? Shen Yuan feels blindsided. What in the name of microtransactions is going on?! But wait, that’s not important right now… Shaking his head, Shen Yuan can feel the System blip out of existence, the ringing in his ears courtesy of the System’s voice – could he even call it a voice, when it doesn’t have a body? – fading away.
Though he wasn’t able to learn anything substantial from that exchange, at the very least, Shen Yuan has managed to glean that the man before him probably isn’t just some faceless NPC – not if the System was willing to paywall his identity. With that being the case, it’s probably not a stretch to assume that the man is relevant to PIDW somehow, and that means… that Shen Yuan wants nothing to do with him! He was complaining about it before, sure – but the idea of staying in this bamboo forest forever sounds rather nice, if Shen Yuan’s only other option is to be involved with the story!
Though it may be cool to see Luo Binghe up close, just once… The thought is an idle one, quickly discarded as Shen Yuan returns to his senses. Yeah, right! And risk running into the Scum Villain?? No thank you!
Pushing himself up onto his paws, Shen Yuan manages a few more wobbly steps before he buckles and hits the floor once more. The man above him scoffs lightly, and Shen Yuan feels his fur fluff up in humiliation as he cries a river of blood.
“Did you escape from Ye Shou, I wonder?” The man pulls out a fan and taps the tip of it against his chin in thought. “I wasn’t aware they raised creatures so… pitiful.”
Ah, really – do you think I want to look like this?! The words, naturally, come out in an aggrieved hiss.
Observing Shen Yuan for a few more moments, the man seems to come to a decision; bending over, Shen Yuan only has a split second to realise what’s about to happen before he’s being hoisted off the ground like a sack of potatoes – which is probably about as much as he weighs. Limbs akimbo, Shen Yuan yowls and digs his claws into the man’s robes in a panic, because he’s suddenly extremely high up and oh, isn’t this a wonderful time to discover a latent fear of heights?
“Calm down, you little beast!” The man grunts, struggling to contain Shen Yuan’s flailing, “I am trying to help!”
Well it doesn’t look like it! Shen Yuan cries.
The man huffs and readjusts his hold on Shen Yuan, flipping him over so he’s on his back. Being cradled like this probably is the most stable position for all involved, but the second Shen Yuan’s soft tummy is exposed to the world, an inexplicable, bone-deep dread permeates his soul. He’s struck with the urge to apologise to every cat who's stomach he’s tried to rub in the past, because he gets it now.
Redoubling his efforts to struggle free, Shen Yuan desperately tries to wriggle out of this evil man’s grip – uncaring of the drop to the ground, so long as it means he’s free. The man lets out a hiss of frustration through clenched teeth that rivals Shen Yuan’s own, and Shen Yuan hopes that means he’s gotten the message, because while he doesn’t want to marr that pretty, unblemished face… he’ll do it if he has to! He really will!
To Shen Yuan’s immense disappointment, the man doesn’t let him down. Instead, he shifts his hold on Shen Yuan once more, this time allowing Shen Yuan’s paws to rest on his shoulder as he presses him to his chest. Tail flicking back and forth, Shen Yuan processes this development. He’s… more comfortable – compared to before, anyway – and the animalistic panic in his chest has abated a bit. So… he guesses he’s okay with this.
For now.
When it becomes clear Shen Yuan isn’t going to attempt another leap of faith, the man mutters sarcastically, “So you can behave.”
And if that doesn’t ruffle Shen Yuan’s feathers – or, er, fur… But either way, excuse him for not acting like an obedient pet! It’s because he’s human, damnnit!
In response to Shen Yuan’s irritation, a growl sounds in the back of his throat – distorted, because his vocal chords are clearly unused to producing the sound. The sensation of it is strange and kind of ticklish, and it gets cut off prematurely when Shen Yuan lets out a wheezing cough reminiscent of his cat right before she hacked up a furball. It’s at that moment that a hand runs down his spine, and Shen Yuan feels himself freeze as the man begins to…
Pet him…?
Shen Yuan combusts.
Why is!! Another man!!! Petting him!!!! And, god, more importantly, why does it feel so good?! The man continues stroking along his back, and when Shen Yuan subconsciously arches his spine to chase after a particularly nice scratch, immediately decides then and there that dying a second time wouldn’t be so bad, actually.
After deeming him sufficiently settled, the man stops his ministrations in favour of holding Shen Yuan more firmly as he begins to walk. His steps are as light as they had sounded, and his gait is smooth to boot; rather than being jostled, as Shen Yuan had somewhat expected, he kind of feels like a baby being rocked to sleep. Loathe though he is to destroy his already paper thin face any further by admitting this – Shen Yuan is relaxed as hell, and he finds himself resting his chin on the man’s shoulder to observe his surroundings from this new vantage point.
The bamboo doesn’t seem nearly as intimidating now that he’s not on the ground anymore, and finally being able to see the bright blue sky alleviates some of the claustrophobia Shen Yuan hadn’t realised was simmering just below the surface. The sound of voices, far off in the distance, makes one of Shen Yuan’s ears flick, and he tilts his head in surprise. Does that mean he’s not in the middle of nowhere, then?
Hm, but then again… didn’t this guy mention something about me escaping from somewhere? Ye Shou, was it?
Considering the name doesn’t ring a bell, it’s unlikely that it was ever mentioned in PIDW – but if this man thinks Shen Yuan had come from there, surely it’s a place that deals with spiritual beasts? What an exciting prospect! It is also, unfortunately, one that would probably end with him being caged in some way, since he’s an animal now… Damnnit, and the thought of visiting sounded fun, too. Shen Yuan just can’t risk it, though. No matter his outward appearance, he’s still a human on the inside – there's just no way he’d be able to handle living in confinement like that, especially if he was made to live with other animals.
Deciding he’ll just sneak off once the man lets down his guard, Shen Yuan resigns himself to being carried. He doesn’t know where he’s being taken, but notices the way the bamboo slowly begins to thin out into something resembling a garden. A quiet burbling noise reaches Shen Yuan’s ears moments before he spies a large pond, the rippling surface of the dark water being the only indication of the fish that had just disturbed it. Shen Yuan’s eyes widen and his claws protract – tail twitching silently as he scours the surface for another hint of life. The man, having likely felt the small needle-prick sensation of Shen Yuan’s claws through his robes, follows the line of Shen Yuan’s laser focused gaze and clicks his tongue.
“Touch my koi and I can’t guarantee you’ll return in one piece.”
A-Aha… Of course Shen Yuan wasn’t entertaining such uncouth thoughts – he doesn’t even like fish that much, anyway! Nevermind that his mouth waters a little when he catches sight of a sunset coloured fin…
…Tearing his gaze away, Shen Yuan focuses on the house they are now approaching; he wonders if it belongs to this man, though it seems rather large for just one person. The second Shen Yuan thinks that, though, a person exits through one of the sliding doors of the main building and heads straight for them. The man holding Shen Yuan stiffens, and when Shen Yuan looks up at his face, sees that it has hardened to jade. It’s not as if the man had looked particularly gentle before – far from it, actually – but he looks downright hostile now as he scowls at the approaching figure.
It’s another ridiculously attractive man, because of course it is.
Hey System, Shen Yuan begins, because what are the chances of meeting not one, but two hot guys, all within the span of half an hour? He’s got a bad feeling about this. Who’s that?
When the System responds, Shen Yuan feels his heart sink. [Registering question: As stated before, Host does not have enough B-Points for that answer!]
Fuck.
“Shidi,” the man begins, icily, “Would you care to tell me what you are doing, unannounced and uninvited, on my peak?”
The intruder comes to a halt a distance away from Shen Yuan and the man, beginning to speak – but Shen Yuan can’t focus on a single word he’s saying because his thoughts are abuzz.
Shidi? Peak?? Shen Yuan's stomach flips like a pancake. There’s zero chance – just absolutely no way I’m on Cang Qiong… right? I must have misheard that man just now. Right?
…
Right, System??????
Letting out a reluctant beep, the System confirms Shen Yuan’s worries.
[Registering question: Yes, Host is currently on Cang Qiong. But why does he sound so upset? This System tried really hard to place him here, you know…?]
A string of colourful expletives paint the landscape of Shen Yuan’s mind as he curses the System to hell and beyond.
He’d like to reiterate, for those still unaware – just because he was, admittedly, an avid reader of PIDW, at no point did he ever wish he could experience it! He may have occasionally hoped for a clearer mental picture of some locations, especially those in the Demon Realm – but that was only normal, when over half of each chapter’s word count was allocated to tasteless smut.
Okay, so you’re on Cang Qiong – but, it could be worse! Shen Yuan tries to reason with himself. This shitty System could have dropped you off somewhere in the Endless Abyss, and then what? You’d get eaten in seconds. At least here, you’re safer, and–
An electric aura permeates the air, and Shen Yuan loses his train of thought. Whipping his head around, he watches in shock as the intruder (as he’s now taken to calling the second man) pulls out a mean looking sword – pointing it unabashedly at the man holding Shen Yuan.
Naturally, the man does not take to this development well.
“Liu-shidi, you dare attack me in my own home?" A sharp laugh. “As expected of Bai Zhan – nothing more than a group of brutes, their Peak Lord included!”
Extending his arm, the man makes a few signs with his hand; in the blink of an eye he’s gripping a sword of blinding light and pointing it straight back at this ‘Liu-shidi’.
…At Liu Qingge.
Which… means…
Shen Yuan’s pupils dilate as the identity of the man he’s clinging to hits him like a truck. The man, who just called Liu Qingge ‘shidi’ – a fellow Peak Lord – the man, with a terrible relationship with the War God of Cang Qiong.
There’s only one person he could be.
Blinking up, Shen Yuan takes in the visage of the Scum Villain with fresh eyes. He kind of feels like smacking himself in the head for not noticing sooner, because the bamboo forest and the green robes really are dead giveaways. He won’t berate himself too harshly for it though, since Shen Qingqiu would have never struck Shen Yuan as someone who would willingly help an injured animal. Maybe if Ning Yingying was around… but no, they had been completely alone in that forest. If anything, Shen Yuan is surprised the Scum Villain didn’t immediately drown him in that pond over there to ‘put him out of his misery’! It would be in line with all the other terrible deeds he’s committed over the years, after all.
Though obviously, I’m glad he didn’t…
Sword braced with both hands, Liu Qingge confirms Shen Yuan’s suspicions a moment later, when he shouts, “Your head disciple was in the wrong, Shen Qingqiu!”
“If Ming Fan attacked a student of yours, it would have been in self defence.” Shen Qingqiu spits, a fire in his eyes. “He wouldn’t be so foolish as to dishonour this Master with meaningless fighting, otherwise.”
Shen Yuan thinks these namedrops might end up giving him a heart attack. Still, at least he has a timeline to work with now. Ming Fan… if that boy is around, then could it be that Luo Binghe is as well? The thought makes Shen Yuan’s tail flick nervously. Even though he did entertain the idea of meeting the protagonist earlier, now that he’s actually faced with the possibility, he doesn’t think he can handle it.
Well, that’s something to worry about later, Shen Yuan thinks, as he feels the tension in the air grow thicker.
Neither of the Peak Lords look prepared to make the first move, which is great for Shen Yuan, considering he’s still firmly in Shen Qingqiu’s grasp. He isn’t sure whether the Qing Jing Peak Lord has forgotten about his presence entirely, or whether he’s confident enough in his fighting skills to face Liu Qingge with a cat in tow – but either way, Shen Yuan wants out. He refuses to be involved in this confrontation, not when there’s a very real risk that he’ll end up skewered by either Xiu Ya or Cheng Luan while it happens.
Letting out a warbled howl, Shen Yuan makes himself known to Shen Qingqiu with a well placed slash of his claws. He doesn’t break the man’s skin, because he doesn’t have a death wish, but the Peak Lord’s robes are in tatters at his shoulder by the time Shen Yuan is done. He has just enough time to admire his handiwork before he feels the world whoosh past him as he’s abruptly dropped to the floor.
Landing squarely on all fours, Shen Yuan can’t help the noise of pain he makes when heat shoots up his injured leg – but better this than a stab through the gut, that’s for sure! Limping away, Shen Yuan awkwardly settles himself a safe distance away underneath a neatly trimmed shrub, tucking his paws beneath himself as he watches the men stare each other down.
In the end, it culminates in nothing.
Watching Shen Qingqiu send his sword away with a flick of the wrist, Shen Yuan can’t help but feel a tiny bit disappointed as he realises he was actually looking forward to the fight. When will he ever have front row seats to a conflict between two Peak Lords again, after all?
Clearly, he’s not the only one upset by the change of plans. “So the Qing Jing Peak Lord is a coward,” Liu Qingge mutters, “How unsurprising.”
“Do not conflate propriety with cowardice,” Shen Qingqiu is quick to snap back. “We are in my personal space. Do you think I would risk destroying it, just to go along with your whims?”
The Bai Zhan Peak Lord narrows his eyes. “Then, the training grounds–”
“Are being used by my disciples right now, because it is the middle of the day.” Scoffing, Shen Qingqiu derides, “Common sense truly is a skill that evades you, Liu-shidi.”
Was… Was Shen Qingqiu always this ballsy?? Shen Yuan has to resist the urge to cover his eyes with his paws as he watches Liu Qingge’s frown deepen – his grip on the hilt of his sword tightening. God, will the War God end up killing the Scum Villain right here? Talk about major canon divergence! System, shouldn’t you do something about this?!
But as soon as Shen Yuan has the thought, Liu Qingge lowers Cheng Luan – albeit very reluctantly – and looks down at Shen Qingqiu with a mix of disgust and disappointment.
“This shidi will consider Shen-shixiong’s reluctance to fight, a testament to his skill. Should shixiong change his mind, though, this shidi will be waiting.”
Shen Qingqiu isn’t even given the opportunity to reply, because in the next instant, the Peak Lord of Bai Zhan is mounting his sword – giving Shen Qingqiu one last lingering look before speeding away. Shen Yuan can’t help but feel awestruck as he disappears, because sword flight looks just as epic as he imagined it. He briefly wonders if he’ll ever have the chance to experience it himself, but with his recently discovered fear of heights, Shen Yuan isn’t exactly sure how much he wants to.
Ears twitching, Shen Yuan hears the light tread of Shen Qingqiu’s footsteps, and peers out from under the shrub when the Peak Lord stops in front of it. Shen Qingqiu looks remarkably unruffled, all things considered – if it weren’t for the strips of torn silk hanging from his shoulder, Shen Yuan wouldn’t be able to guess anything had happened to the other man.
“Get out,” Shen Qingqiu commands, and Shen Yuan involuntarily presses himself into the ground at the harsh tone. Oh shit, is he mad about the robes? I had no choice, though!! “Don’t try to hide, you little beast,” Shen Qingqiu sounds impatient. “I can see your tail.”
Of course it had been sticking out.
Glaring at the traitorous body part for a few long beats, Shen Yuan hangs his head and accepts his fate. Crawling out into the open, he looks up at Shen Qingqiu with wide eyes. Maybe he’ll go easy on me if I make myself pathetic? It’s worth a shot. Shen Yuan isn’t sure how well the whole ‘sad puppy dog’ look translates over to his feline features, but when Shen Qingqiu only clicks his tongue and mutters a ‘pitiful, honestly,’ before picking Shen Yuan up once again – he thinks his plan might have worked.
Though Shen Yuan has never given it much thought before, the inside of Shen Qingqiu’s house is somehow exactly like he imagined. It’s airy and bright – the paper doors and many windows allowing for natural light to flood the space. The decor is simple, yet elegant; fans and framed scrolls of art are displayed intermittently on the walls, and when Shen Qingqiu brings Shen Yuan into a room he can only assume is the Peak Lord’s office, shelves filled to the brim with books abound.
Setting Shen Yuan down on a bamboo mat, Shen Qingqiu crosses over to his desk. His movements are as fluid as water when he kneels and pulls over a stack of parchment to the centre of the table. Uncapping his inkwell with a quiet ‘click’, Shen Yuan watches as the man dips a quill into it and starts jotting something down.
“I have work to do, so I’ll take you to Ye Shou later.” Shen Qingqiu points the feathered end of the quill in Shen Yuan’s direction. “Sit there and behave, and I won’t kick you out.”
Shen Yuan… isn’t quite sure why Shen Qingqiu felt the need to tell him any of that, because, while he actually does understand the man’s words, it’s not as if Shen Qingqiu knows that.
Maybe he just wants someone to talk to? Shen Yuan thinks, then makes a little mrrp noise in amusement, because – there’s no way. It’s probably a force of habit, if anything.
As Shen Qingqiu loses himself in his writing, Shen Yuan sneakily eyes the sliding door. It’s half open – Shen Qingqiu having not bothered to close it properly on the way in – and Shen Yuan knows that if he wants to leave, now is the perfect time. Getting to his feet, Shen Yuan stretches, back arching into a graceful curve. He… He sort of immediately wants to flop back down though… and it's then that Shen Yuan realises that he’s actually pretty tired. He supposes transmigrating will do that to a guy. There’s also the whole issue with his leg, too… hmm. It might actually be a smart idea to rest up for a while before he attempts his great escape – and Shen Yuan is not just saying that because there’s a patch of sun with his name on it.
Padding over to the golden light, Shen Yuan feels himself relax as he curls up into a ball – grateful for his fluff for the first time as he's able to use his own body as a pillow. A voice in the back of his mind tells him that he should probably be more careful, that although the Scum Villain hadn’t done anything to him yet… Well, he was still the Scum Villain.
But if he wanted to hurt me, he would have by now, Shen Yuan sleepily argues with himself, as warmth seeps into his fur and renders him utterly boneless. Plus, he’s busy with work. I’ll just nap for a bit and leave before he’s done.
What’s the worst that could happen?