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Chapter Text

When the spikes struck Shen Qingqiu’s arm, infecting him with Without a Cure, half of his mind was occupied with the threat of the demons, and the other half busy ranting against Airplane’s naming conventions. The poison worked fast however, and after Liu Qingge had descended on the scene and stole all available coolness points, Shen Qingqiu had succumbed to it. He didn’t have time to think about the effects of the poison other than its fatality.

As Mu Qingfang finished checking the state of his meridians, and Shen Qingqiu thought back to the immense stupidity of this plot point in PIDW, he still didn’t bother to remember everything that Without a Cure did to the original wife. Mu Qingfang gave him a series of pills to ingest and instructions on how to mitigate the deadliness of the poison through qi circulation. Then, with a touch of hesitance, he added, “There could also be some unexpected changes to your body, but it’s not clear when that could happen. If anything out of the ordinary shows up, Shen-shixiong, I should be contacted immediately.”

Shen Qingqiu was just glad he was able to live his life not too differently from before. He was the scum villain! Since he couldn’t bed the protagonist like the little sister of PIDW did, this was the most favorable ending he could get. In his elation, one tiny detail escaped his attention, a detail that made itself known just a few weeks later.

After Luo Binghe gave him another incredible meal on par with those of a five-star michelin chef, Shen Qingqiu was left all alone while the boy ran to his classes. He laid down on the couch to read a novel, one he’d found by pure chance tucked into the shelves of the bamboo house. The original goods wouldn’t be found dead with this in hand. He wondered then how it could’ve ended up there among the cultivation and martial arts texts, but soon lost himself in the plot and the question was forgotten.

While his mind concentrated on the fantastical events of a boy ascending to god status at the age of seventeen and all the problems that came after that, he didn’t notice the weak tingles that ran under his skin. It’s only when they turned into a strong prickling that he put down the book. Never in his life had he felt a sensation such as this. Like a hand that is pushed onto boiling hot water and for a second feels only frigid cold, his whole body shivered, then thrummed with heat. This wasn’t the effect of Without a Cure, since Shen Qingqiu’s spiritual power flowed through his meridians uninterrupted, even despite the weight that now pulled at his limbs. Beads of sweat formed on his brow. He feared someone, or worse yet Luo Binghe himself, coming inside at that moment and seeing him in that state.

Shen Qingqiu’s vision swam for a moment, the weight becoming unbearable. Before unconsciousness pulled him under, he heard the book fall to the floor and wailed about not being able to know how the story continued.

The next moment, he was blinking in the same light of the day. He was still on the couch, covered from head to toe with a sort of giant and heavy cloth, and his body had lost any bizarre feeling he’d had. He sat up. The cloth fell down and he noticed the familiarity of it, the green and white colors the same as the robes he’s put on that morning. He tried grabbing at the fabric to examine it further, but when he looked down, his hands weren’t hands anymore.

White fur. Those two words repeated in his mind as he raised what just a few minutes earlier had been his fingers. Paws. He had paws. And just as he flexed them experimentally, a set of sharp and long claws emerged. With those, he could almost give the protagonist’s demon claws a run for their money! Shuffling around, he untangled himself from his robes and jumped to the floor. His body didn’t produce a sound. It moved with elegant swiftness, silent even as he ran to his private room and stopped in front of the bronze mirror.

A cat stared back at him. With its black round eyes and fur as shiny as spirit stones, if this was any other occasion, Shen Qingqiu would even call it cute. His mind, however, turned to well-trodden paths, to the person that caused all of his life problems and deserved the title of worst author that ever existed on the face of the planet. Airplane you fucking piece of shit! The fuck did just happen to me! Why the fuck am I a cat?!

He knew why. Because Airplane was a hack author who piled his novel with shitty tropes and clichés just to satisfy his hordes of horny readers. He didn’t have a single creative bone in his body. So when some of those fans asked for the sister that had been hit with Without a Cure to be brought back to the plot, what did the limp Airplane do? He made her a cat girl.

Explaining why the supposed poison-that-shouldn’t-have-a-cure also gave her cat ears and a tail wasn’t important. Airplane had skipped any explanation, because why should it matter? It was better to dive straight into the protagonist pounding the effects out of her body. But oh, no! What did they discover? No matter how much they went at it, the ears and tail didn’t disappear. Cue another series of rounds just to be sure. Ah, ah, ah!

So, why, oh why was Shen Qingqiu turned into a literal fucking cat?! He wanted to cry. Or vomit twenty liters of blood.

The cat in the reflection blinked. He didn’t know how long it would last. Maybe that afternoon, maybe forever. Maybe until the system decided he had to fulfill his role as scum villain. Could he do that as a cat?

His ears twitched just as his hearing picked up on the noises that approached from outside. Steps. Light, quick, agile. He would almost describe them as eager. A smell reached his nose. It was familiar in a vague sort of way, as if he’d never really paid attention to it until this very moment. The door to the bamboo house opened and the smell intensified to a thousand. “Shizun! This disciple is back from his lessons.”

Fuck. He couldn’t let Luo Binghe see him. Hidden behind the folding screen, he observed as Luo Binghe stopped before the abandoned robes on the couch and called for his teacher once more. And he saw the book Shen Qingqiu was reading! This was terrible!

When Luo Binghe made to come into his room, Shen Qingqiu sprinted to the window before the boy could realize he was there. One last hesitant “Shizun?” and Shen Qingqiu was out, his paws taking him far away from the bamboo house.

Mu Qingfang told him to go to Qian Cao as soon as something unexpected happened, but like hell he could actually go! If even the protagonist’s well-endowed pillar couldn’t solve this, Shen Qingqiu was screwed. He’d lost so many cool points when he’d protected Luo Binghe even knowing the boy risked nothing, how could he present himself in front of his martial siblings like this?! He would wait for the effect to end. If it didn’t, his new life as a cat didn’t seem that much harder to bear.

He dashed though the grass, ignoring the instinct to go right back to the bamboo house, and looked for a quiet place to nap.

He was woken up by a thrill. “Look, A-Luo! A cat!” Suddenly, a pair of human hands lifted him from the leaves he’d used as a cover. His body elongated into the air, his limbs paralyzed with shock as Ning Yingying smiled at him from above. “It’s so cute!”

At her side, Luo Binghe tilted his head and looked at Shen Qingqiu’s cat form with curiosity. “Isn’t it kind of familiar?” he murmured. If Shen Qingqiu still had sweat, he would be sweating ten buckets. There’s nothing familiar about this humble cat, protagonist, what makes you think that…

Luo Binghe’s face was so much larger than Shen Qingqiu was used to. With his keen cat vision, the details of his white lotus’ appearance were stark like ink on white paper. The strands of hair that curled against his forehead were a shade darker than the rest, matching with the color of his eyebrows. The tiniest of freckles dusted the bridge of his nose, while his cheeks held a permanent rosiness. Luo Binghe parted his lips in thought, red as rose petals and just as soft.

Shen Qingqiu wanted to slap himself. What kind of thoughts were those? “Red as rose petals”? Was he becoming Airplane or what?! And this was his disciple, those thoughts were too indecent to be paired with an innocent teenager!

Ning Yingying caught Shen Qingqiu’s lower body and tucked him against her chest. “It does resemble shizun a bit, doesn’t it?” Her free hand gave him a small pat, scratching behind the ear. Forget the ten buckets of sweat, he would be losing all his blood soon if she kept on squeezing him like this. The scratches did feel nice, though. His eyes narrowed pleasantly as Ning Yingying continued to pet him. “And it’s so lovely too, just like shizun!”

Who are you calling lovely, young lady! Affronted, he straightened in her arms, and she laughed. “I guess he didn’t like that.” Humming, she turned to Luo Binghe. “Maybe he likes A-Luo more.”

Before Shen Qingqiu could do anything, he was passed from one pair of arms to another. The new ones didn’t squeeze as much, but held him with caution and a hint of unease, keeping him slightly distant. “Shijie…” Luo Binghe sounded uncomfortable, as if touching a cat was the greatest hurdle he’d ever encountered. “A-Luo, you’re making him sad! Look at his ears!”

Shen Qingqiu had no idea what she was talking about. Why would he be sad?! And what of his ears? They were moving about without any conscious thought, it wasn’t like he could control whatever made them twitch this or that way.

“You have to keep him closer or he’ll fall,” she instructed. Luo Binghe shifted his arms a bit and finally tightened his hold on Shen Qingqiu, making the cat’s head settle against the steady thrum of his heart. What to do, what to do? He wanted to flail about, to force the boy into letting him go and spare both of them the embarrassment if Luo Binghe ever learned the truth. But he couldn’t risk hurting him. His claws were too sharp and Luo Binghe didn’t have his heavenly demon powers to heal himself yet. Better to keep pretending for now.

As he relaxed against Luo Binghe’s warm chest, his scent enveloped him. It was a pleasant mix of sandalwood incense, ink powder and something Shen Qingqiu couldn’t place, even with his cat senses. His nose quivered, trying to catch more of the smell and examine it better. He didn’t notice his eyes closing or the deep vibration that started in his throat.

“He does like you…” Ning Yingying’s voice filled with wonder. “He’s purring so loud.” Shen Qingqiu snapped to attention. Was that him? That constant and low sound was him? A hand suddenly descended on his back, stopping him from moving. It buried in his fur, parting it between soft fingers, almost searching, but for what Shen Qingqiu didn’t know. He accepted Luo Binghe’s pats and lit a full mountain of candles for himself.

“I wonder how he got here,” mused Ning Yingying. She cast her gaze around the forest, as if the answer could be found among the bamboo shoots. Luo Binghe kept his hand on Shen Qingqiu, growing more secure in his caresses the more time passed. “He’s probably a spiritual beast that escaped from the other peaks. The barriers would’ve stopped him from ascending otherwise.”

Ning Yingying nodded, her grin extending into a full smile as she watched Shen Qingqiu. A tremor of trepidation ran along his back just as she said, “Let’s show the cat to shizun! Maybe he could ask for it to stay here with us.” Luo Binghe replied monotone, “Don’t we already have that little monster Liu-shishu brought the other day? Isn’t that enough?”

“But this kitty is so much cuter! Don’t you want him to stay?” The question made Luo Binghe’s hand pause, frozen over Shen Qingqiu’s head, just a short distance from his mouth. Instinct took over as his tongue darted to lick over the pad of those fingers. Luo Binghe startled with a light gasp.

Ning Yingying giggled. “That’s how he lets you know that he likes you.” Shen Qingqiu wished for her to stay silent, for everyone to stop talking and let him bury himself in the nearest hole. What the fuck did he do?! Why the fuck did he do that?! This was all Airplane’s fault for his shitty world-building and even shittier plot points!

Since finding the nearest hole meant leaving the protagonist’s arms, Shen Qingqiu settled for Luo Binghe’s robes. He pushed his face against them, his nose rubbing on the fabric until he felt like he could disappear inside it. The chest he was pressed against trembled with a breathy laugh. “You’re so affectionate, little shizun.” Please shut up.

To his martial sister, Luo Binghe said, “I will ask shizun about it, but I can’t guarantee he’ll say yes. Shizun might want to give the cat back to its proper peak.” Even buried in Luo Binghe’s chest, Shen Qingqiu heard the smile in Ning Yingying’s voice. “If it’s A-Luo, shizun will definitely say yes.” Ah? Is that right? Shen Qingqiu was sure he must’ve disagreed to some of Luo Binghe’s requests once or twice. Thinking about it, maybe it was that time, er, no, or maybe the other day, but no, he did agree in the end even then. Wait. Did he actually say yes to everything Luo Binghe asked of him?!

A low whine escaped him. The two quieted, their attention fixed on him. “Is he in pain?” asked Ning Yingying, “His tail is relaxed though.” Meanwhile, Luo Binghe resumed his caresses over the long curve of Shen Qingqiu’s back, slow but unrelenting. The tension fled from the cat’s muscles, until he tucked his face over the swell of Luo Binghe’s bicep and resumed his purring. He was a cat, for fuck’s sake. And cats purred, that was what they did. It was only natural for him to do it too. These children seemed to enjoy having a cat to pet, so there was no harm in indulging them a little bit.

“We should give him some food,” Luo Binghe suggested, “Who knows how long it’s been since he last ate.” Shen Qingqiu’s ear twitched up. Some hours had passed since he’d been able to eat something, and the emptiness in his stomach only intensified at the thought of Luo Binghe’s culinary exploits. He wasn’t human Shen Qingqiu though. Would they give him cat food, or whatever that was in this setting?

He didn’t need to wait long to know. The two brought him to the kitchens and Ning Yingying searched around while Luo Binghe kept him in his arms. “Some raw meat should do,” he told her. Shen Qingqiu bristled. Who the fuck gives raw meat to a cat?! Even the few times he visited his older brother in the modern world, his little ball of fur enjoyed delicate and gourmet cat food and would not accept anything else below that! Cat Shen Qingqiu deserved at least that much!

Putting his paws on Luo Binghe’s forearm, he let the claws extend, not enough to break the skin, but to make his distaste known. “Oh.” Luo Binghe took note of this with a scratch on Shen Qingqiu’s head. “He doesn’t seem to want that.” The boy hummed.

The warmth that surrounded Shen Qingqiu until that moment disappeared, replaced with the cold and hard surface of the floor. Luo Binghe had put him down. His boots moved away from Shen Qingqiu’s line of sight, leaving the cat sitting on the ground, blinking. He honestly expected more out of Luo Binghe. Leaving a cat to fend for itself just because it doesn’t like uncooked food?! Shen Qingqiu tapped the floor, slightly irritated. If this was how his white lotus acted, he didn’t want to know what a blackened protagonist would do.

A pair of legs stopped in front of him. Ning Yingying crouched and extended a finger to his face, as big as one of his eyes. Shen Qingqiu closed them in surprise when she bopped his nose. The girl smiled. “Just a moment. A-Luo will prepare you something very good.” Shen Qingqiu mentally slapped himself. Of course. What would his white lotus do in the kitchens, other than cook? It was obvious. No need to worry. He might even consider himself lucky, to taste the protagonist’s cooking with a cat’s improved palate.

While Luo Binghe was busy, Ning Yingying cooed at the cat, her voice growing more acute with every sentence. “You’re so cute, little shizun. Cuter than cute. And your nose is so pink. And little. And your fur is so soft. You cutie, cute, cute.” Shen Qingqiu wanted to die. This was torture, even worse than what the blackened protagonist could do to him. Shouldn’t she have a bigger vocabulary?! What use were his lessons if his students didn’t learn anything?! He shivered when Ning Yingying’s fingers grazed the top of his ears. “If shizun lets you stay here with us, I hope I can see you everyday.”

No chances of that, Ning Yingying. As soon as he gained his human form again, he was going straight to Qian Cao to beg Mu Qingfang to stop the effect in whatever way possible. If nobody knew this happened, nobody died of embarrassment.

Shen Qingqiu snapped up. A deep aroma reached his nose, smells stacked on top of each other, distinct yet perfect together. He ignored Ning Yingying’s protests and approached Luo Binghe’s boots where he stood in front of the stove. He could almost taste the flavors that swirled in the air. With a push on his hind legs, Shen Qingqiu propped himself against the boy’s calf, his paws scratching with impatience. The food was ready, wasn’t it? His disciple never made him wait when he was a human, so why should he start now that he was a cat?

“Little shizun is hungry, I know,” Luo Binghe said, looking at him from above. “It’s almost done.” Shen Qingqiu cried in his heart. Despite being a cat, he was still a human deep down, he still felt shame. His actions resembled a needy wife begging for her husband’s affections, crying because he would let her wait on their marital bed. He laid down on the floor, covering his face with a paw and hoping his human form would return soon.

The food was, just as everything about the protagonist, heavenly. Shen Qingqiu ate without stopping for a single breath, his mouth ravenous, until he was left to lick at the plate. When he raised his head, he found both Luo Binghe and Ning Yingying staring at him. “He’s so cute.” Yes, yes, he already heard that. Did animals tire of hearing the same compliments over and over? Luo Binghe took the plate and said, “Hm. He really is.”

What was he doing, singing praises for a mere cat! He should spare them for his wives! Shen Qingqiu licked his paws clean, ignoring the two humans and their sub-par compliment skills. As his tongue moved over white cat hair, a warm tingle spread through his forelegs and his belly.

“Did you like the food, little shizun?” Luo Binghe’s eyes shone, the same as when he stopped in front of human Shen Qingqiu after completing a task, waiting for his well-deserved praise. If Shen Qingqiu could talk, he would give all the praises he could, for Luo Binghe’s cooking was as delicious as ever. Even in cat form, he could at least make his pleasure known.

The problem was that he recognized the heat that enveloped his organs. He was turning back! In front of his disciples! Without any clothes on! Death would be a better mercy! Shen Qingqiu ran to the door and left the two humans behind, their concerned voices following him as he tried to lose them among the bamboo. “Shizun! Little shizun, don’t go!” cried Ning Yingying. Luo Binghe called for him with less urgency, but his voice seemed closer than the girl’s. “Are you going home? Did you hear something outside?”

Shen Qingqiu remembered that Without a Cure didn’t block his spiritual power. Human meridians, cat meridians, the difference didn’t matter right then. He infused qi into his legs and quickly distanced himself from his disciples, heading to the bamboo house with increased desperation. The window stood wide open, so Shen Qingqiu hopped in and dashed to the couch.

He skidded to a stop. The book was gone. His clothes were gone. The same sensation as that morning was pulling him under and he didn’t have anything to cover himself with. Running back to this room, he jumped on the bed and hid under the blankets. When his consciousness returned to him, he was kneeling, the higher part of his body covered by the bed sheet and a chill running through his spine. He shook himself free. His hands were his again. His legs, his torso, everything was back.

His celebration was cut short by a knock on the opened door. “Shizun?” Shock made Shen Qingqiu pull the sheet over his body once more. A mere folding screen separated him from Luo Binghe. “Don’t —” His voice sounded shrill and panicked even to himself. He coughed. “Don’t come.”

Was he a maiden who risked getting caught naked by the protagonist?! He was naked, but he certainly wasn’t a maiden! Even without a cat’s sharp senses, his cultivation allowed him to hear Luo Binghe’s uncertain steps on the other side of the screen. “Is everything alright, shizun? This disciple is ready to help.”

By the time Shen Qingqiu talked again, his voice had retrieved his usual steadiness. “This master is good. You can go.” He waited for Luo Binghe to leave the door and got up to close it. His heart still beat an irregular pace, and his hair! His cat form had such groomed fur! So what the fuck was this?! His hair looked as if a tornado had chewed and spit him out. Luo Binghe couldn’t see him like this. Shen Qingqiu’s image would be ruined forever. If the nakedness wasn’t enough, his disastrous hair certainly sealed the deal.

After quickly putting on some robes and adjusting his hair as best as he could, he strode out of the bedroom, one of his fans in hand, a perfect peak lord once again. In front of the table, he stopped. It’d been laid with several plates of food, many he usually adored, but he couldn’t eat them. His stomach was already full. Luo Binghe entered the room then, another bowl in hands, and smiled. “Shizun.”

Shen Qingqiu resisted the urge to close his eyes against the brightness that shined from Luo Binghe. Looking at him through human eyes was a different experience. Gone were the freckles, the various shades of darkness in his hair, the pink on his cheeks. Shen Qingqiu almost mourned his cat vision. Not to say that cat ears and a tail were useful, but at least the original wife had retained them perpetually! Why would he lose everything once he turned back to a human?! “Binghe, this master won’t be able to eat today.”

Luo Binghe took the news with a small frown. “Does shizun feel unwell? This disciple can send a message to Qian Cao if there’s anything wrong.” Shen Qingqiu almost waved the words away. And yet, calling Mu Qingfang with the excuse that he was ill killed two birds with one stone. So he reluctantly accepted.

The doctor gave him another prescription of pills, to be taken with the other ones. At this rate Shen Qingqiu would become a living pharmacy! He thanked Mu Qingfang and willed him to forget that his martial brother could ever turn into a cat. The days passed from there without any new complications. Sometimes his meridians would close and the primary effects of Without a Cure pushed on his body, but other than that, his cat body didn’t make grand returns.

It mostly happened during the night. He’d wake up, sweat sticking the robes to his skin, until he blacked out and the world suddenly enlarged around him. He’d revert to a human before the break of dawn, taste the protagonist’s food and soon forget about the experience.

The times his cat appearance made a comeback during the day were few and far between. Since Luo Binghe was always around, they had other cat-human meetings, sometimes only the two of them, sometimes with other disciples. His white lotus cooked him some tasty food every time. And every time, cat Shen Qingqiu ate until not a crumb remained. It wasn’t that different from their relationship as master and student.

Seeing the robes strewn around confused Luo Binghe, but he never asked Shen Qingqiu for explanations. The boy simply picked them up and put them to be washed. Shen Qingqiu considered himself lucky that Luo Binghe never suspected a thing. It worried him that the protagonist could ever come to discover that his teacher had such an embarrassing secret. With the years, that worry grew even more, as Luo Binghe became even stickier and wouldn’t leave Shen Qingqiu unless absolutely necessary. The boy’s determination to be a good student was commendable, but really! Wasn’t it a bit excessive?!

Shen Qingqiu didn’t need to worry for long. When the Immortal Alliance Conference came around, the problem disappeared. Now, if he turned into a cat, there was nobody in the bamboo house who could see him.

Chapter Text

If Shen Qingqiu had to give a rating to the Water Prison, it would be a failing 0. No services, no comfortable seating, and especially no heating! Huan Hua Palace would go bankrupt after all his negative reviews. And the guests! One who whipped you until your clothes ripped, the other who threw tantrums and almost destroyed the whole place. Not to mention the threat of death if he even tried stepping off the platform and into the water. All in all, it was a dreadful experience. A hundred negative points.

It’s not hard to imagine why Shen Qingqiu failed to meditate in such conditions. He sat on the stone floor, the immortal-binding cables keeping his arms and spiritual power blocked, his body as mortal as it could be. The cold seeped into his wet clothes until shivers ran along his skin. Now that Luo Binghe left him, Shen Qingqiu could wear his robe without any shame. It wasn’t like he wanted to snub Luo Binghe’s offer earlier! But how could he accept it when that same robe was the one the protagonist gave to his wives after a good old round, or twenty, of papapa?!

The black robe lay discarded on the ground where Shen Qingqiu had pushed it. Elegant embroidery adorned the collar, shining silver under the light of the torches, while shades of red replaced the black into the lower part of the sleeves, where crimson stitches formed the image of a phoenix. It clearly fit someone of importance! How could Shen Qingqiu just wear it in front of the protagonist?! He didn’t have any option now, so he draped it over himself with hesitancy. The chill in his bones slowly disappeared, and the tremors stopped.

One month. He only needed to last one month, and then he’d be free. Luo Binghe would be satisfied with his revenge, Cang Qiong Mountain would be spared, and everyone appeased. Shen Qingqiu could live for a month more, vengeful protagonists notwithstanding.

Luo Binghe had looked so angry at the suggestion of waiting for his teacher’s reputation to be completely ruined before starting the torture. Shen Qingqiu didn’t understand. He knew the protagonist! There was no way Luo Binghe would pass up the chance of having him all to himself. If Shen Qingqiu was rejected by the cultivation world by then, nobody would miss him. It was simply logical! Torturing him now was like preparing a cake and eating the dough raw before the cream was even ready. Where was the satisfaction?!

Wrapped in the robe, Shen Qingqiu cleared his mind to meditate. The biting cold receded, leaving only pleasant tingles behind. They warmed his hands, his arms, extending through his chest and legs. He drew the fabric tighter to keep the heat inside. It didn’t take long for the warmth to become boiling hot and a familiar sensation to overcome him. Fear filled his heart. It was happening again! Right now! Right where anyone could walk in! Black spots obscured his vision, weight pushing his limbs down, until he slumped to the ground.

When he woke, a curtain of darkness enveloped him. Shaking Luo Binghe’s robe off, he took a deep breath and checked to see that his body had truly turned into a cat. The paws were right. Fur still as shiny as ever, somehow. A white tail swished behind him. He was a cat again, and he couldn’t do anything about it, again. What if Luo Binghe decided he did want to torture him now?! He would see him! He would know the cat on the peak had always been his teacher! Shen Qingqiu couldn’t bear this humiliation!

The change brought one lucky thing. The immortal-binding cables didn’t have an immortal to bind anymore and now lay in disarray on the floor. His spiritual power sang through his meridians. It felt even better than usual. Was it that the cables worked as a double negative and somehow fought against his previous attack of Without a Cure?

Shen Qingqiu paced the length of the stone platform. Sizzling water surrounded him in every direction, so that not even a fly could escape, let alone a cat. The Water Prison’s reputation was well-deserved, after all.

He heard someone approach far before the slow rising of the stone path. Shen Qingqiu hid into the mix of green and black robes, waiting to see who decided to graciously visit him this time. It was Gongyi Xiao. “Senior Shen?” The young man took a few steps on the path before stopping with a look of alarm. “Senior Shen!” He ran toward Shen Qingqiu’s hiding spot. Shen Qingqiu could only see his boots twisting this way and that, maybe looking for the remains of his body in the water.

Did he recognize the black robe? Even then, if Gongyi Xiao accused Luo Binghe of murdering his teacher before the trial, the protagonist was still the protagonist! How could anyone believe the words of cannon fodder? Shen Qingqiu lit a candle for Gongyi Xiao.

“Senior, are you… still here?” Gongyi Xiao asked. Uh? Where else was he supposed to be?! Even if he was pushed into the lake, would his robes be left here? Who would strip him naked before killing him?! Shen Qingqiu didn’t answer. Without another word, Gongyi Xiao took a piece of paper from his lapel and put it on the ground.

It was a letter. From a man Shen Qingqiu very much wanted to strangle. His keen eyes could read it even from afar, and he flew through the contents with increasing panic. He watched as a balloon with the characters ‘one month’ miserably burst in his mind. What the fuck was this development?! Not only was the protagonist rushing toward Shen Qingqiu’s doom, now even Shang Qinghua wanted him gone as soon as possible! Shen Qingqiu needed to get out.

Gongyi Xiao was just starting to leave, when a white blur dashed between his legs and along the stone path. “Se…Senior Shen? Is that you?” The mechanism must’ve required someone to stay on the platform, because as soon as Gongyi Xiao tried following Shen Qingqiu, the water curtain dropped down and stopped him. On the other side of the cave, Shen Qingqiu silently apologized.

Someone would find Gongyi Xiao, eventually. They would also raise the alarm for Shen Qingqiu’s escape, so he needed to reach the exit of this enormous labyrinth of halls, and finally get his claws on Shang Qinghua’s neck! Why the fuck did he use fertilizer?! Fertilizer! For a plant that didn’t need any! Didn’t he know how to follow simple instructions such as ‘fucking wait’?! With the power of anger and qi, Shen Qingqiu ran through cave after cave.

His claws scratched on the floor as he froze. A couple of disciple guards were coming toward him. Shen Qingqiu backtracked and followed another path, before encountering the same problem and coming to a stop. He was screwed. How the hell was he supposed to escape the infamous Water Prison? Did Shang Qinghua ever think about that?! Shen Qingqiu put as much qi into his legs as possible, and readied himself for a speed race.

The first disciple guards gasped when he sprinted past them. The second pair shouted in surprise. Then, all hell broke loose. “There’s a beast in the prison!” “Catch the beast!” “White beast on the right! On the right!” “Don’t let it escape!” “There! Follow it!” Cries echoed around him as he dodged one pair of hands after another. Shen Qingqiu was a bit annoyed. He was clearly a beautiful white cat! Who the fuck would ever call him a beast?! Those Huan Hua Palace disciples could learn from his own students. Nobody on Qing Jing Peak had anything less than the best to say about him!

Corridor, corridor, cave, corridor, cave. The paths intersected each other in a loop, and without any light from outside, his sense of direction was completely muddled. The voices around him piled into a chaotic mess. “Catch it at any cost!” was what he heard, before a talisman whistled past his ear. Another grazed his tail as he charged past the legs of several disciples.

If he wasn’t in a body that wasn’t physically able to, Shen Qingqiu would laugh. Ah! Too slow! If a cat didn’t want to be caught, forget about ever catching it! And he wasn’t even a simple cat, but one loaded with a peak lord’s spiritual power! Their chase was utterly useless, ah, ah, ah!

Bending around a curve, he collided straight into a pair of boots. His body rolled back from the impact. As every cat worthy of this title, Shen Qingqiu didn’t lose his balance and landed on his four paws. His ears picked up the most minuscule of sighs.

A rumble of steps reached him. “It’s a cat!” “What’s a cat doing here?” “A cat? Wasn’t it a beast?” Shen Qingqiu wanted to cry. Yes! That’s right! A cat is clearly different from a beast! And this little, beautiful cat here has somewhere else to go, goodbye! Before he could sprint off, he felt a grip on the back of his neck keeping him locked in place. His body was raised in the air. Shen Qingqiu shook his legs, trying to free himself, but the hand on his scruff only tightened.

“This can’t be just a cat”, said the person holding him hostage. “It was too quick.” Shen Qingqiu recognized this disciple. It was the guy who’d spoken against him when he’d first met Luo Binghe, and the same who pointed out in front of every cultivator that Shen Qingqiu’s sower mark had disappeared during the night. Ah! What misfortune! Human or cat, this disciple held a deep grudge against him! Shen Qingqiu swayed as the hand on his neck shook him. “What do you think, Luo-shixiong?”

Shen Qingqiu felt the stab of a thousand arrows. He raised his gaze and locked eyes with Luo Binghe. Was his luck fated to end right when he needed it most? Shen Qingqiu managed to dodge trained Huan Hua Palace guards for a considerable time, yet the moment his escape seemed imminent, he just had to crash into the protagonist’s legs. From hugging them to crashing against them, would he ever be free of Luo Binghe’s thighs?!

Luo Binghe regarded the group of disciples. “It seems this cat has caused you great trouble. What happened?” Shivers! How could Shen Qingqiu not shiver at this obvious display of fake concern? Once again he flailed about, but the horrible disciple only gripped him harder. That would certainly leave a bruise! Would bruises transfer to his human body when he turned back?

A girl stepped up, her fingers playing with a strand of hair and lips puckered. “It suddenly appeared in the halls. We don’t know where it came from, Luo-shixiong, and it made us terribly worried. Can shixiong check if it’s a dangerous beast in disguise? I’m too frightened to do so.” Why couldn’t Shen Qingqiu cover his eyes? And his ears too. Young lady, this was too much! Reading about Luo Binghe’s exploits with all the beautiful maidens of PIDW was one thing, but experiencing it first-hand was so much worse! Shen Qingqiu was ready to give up on escaping if it meant this embarrassing spectacle stopped.

“Of course,” was Luo Binghe’s reply. Shen Qingqiu wanted to eat his own words. Escaping sounded especially sweet right now! He froze as a pair of hands lightly grabbed at his sides and freed him from the disciple’s bruising grip. Arms surrounded him in a firm embrace, and a sense of deja vu struck Shen Qingqiu. His face pressed against Luo Binghe’s outer robe — a new one it seemed — until the scent of his former student was all he could smell. Gone was the sandalwood incense and the ink, replaced by a mild flowery blend. Yet there remained that element Shen Qingqiu had never been able to identify, that he’d only ever found on his white lotus.

Luo Binghe’s voice enveloped him. “Your efforts in catching it are greatly appreciated. You can rest easy now. I will take care of the matter.” The words were laced with a layer of warmth. Shen Qingqiu wanted to weep. The fabrication! The deceit! The blackened protagonist was truly terrifying in his charm! Wait. ‘Take care of the matter’? He couldn’t! Shen Qingqiu had too little time to waste it on torture! Careful not to make his intentions known, he braced his paws against Luo Binghe’s forearm and geared up to run away as if death itself was chasing him. Which, it was.

Just when he tensed for the jump, Luo Binghe’s arms tightened around him and a hand settled on his back. It didn’t hurt, but pressed down hard enough to keep Shen Qingqiu unable to move. “I’ll have to ask you not to disturb me while I investigate it. If something pressing needs my attention, I’ll be in my personal rooms.”

It was just a cat! Wasn’t this too much effort to check a simple cat?! Thinking about it, maybe it was the better option. Shen Qingqiu would be out of the prison, first of all. The protagonist seemed intent on not letting him go, but surely even Luo Binghe had blind spots. Shen Qingqiu just needed to be quick on his feet! Er, paws.

The group of disciples nodded, eyes filled with adoration. Shen Qingqiu couldn’t fault them. Luo Binghe’s power was too strong! How could anyone resist the blackened protagonist’s charisma?! With controlled and steady steps, Luo Binghe made his way through the halls. Shen Qingqiu didn’t dare move. Just until they were out. Then he’d howl and bite his way to freedom. Luo Binghe wouldn’t ruin his reputation chasing a cat around, he was too cool for that! Shen Qingqiu’s chances of success were through the roof!

The hand that rested on his back curled into itself, nails dragging on Shen Qingqiu’s skin, then shifted slowly, caressing him. Fingers grazed his fur without actually touching it, sending a shiver to course through Shen Qingqiu’s body. What was this?! Did Luo Binghe forget how to pet a cat in his years away from Qing Jing Peak?! A chuckle vibrated through Luo Binghe’s chest. “You’re so tense. No need to worry, I’m not going to bite.”

What! Were! These! Lines! Didn’t Luo Binghe say these exact words to his wives before ravishing them? Why was he spouting such nonsense to a fucking cat?! Also, why the fuck was he lying?! The protagonist was known across all message boards to be a biter in bed! This situation was all wrong! Shen Qingqiu resisted the urge to squirm.

One of Luo Binghe’s fingers scratched the back of Shen Qingqiu’s ear, moving along the top of his head and then to the other. He soon added a second finger. His nails scraped lightly, then hastened, before returning to long and deep drags. Under the force of this onslaught, Shen Qingqiu closed his eyes and let Luo Binghe’s robe cover his face. He could feel his tail curling with pleasure. When he asked for better pats, he didn’t mean this! Was it too much to hope that Luo Binghe didn’t know the body language of cats?

The scratching moved from his ears to his neck, slow and drawn out. A sigh was ripped out of Shen Qingqiu. He would run away. Soon. Right after Luo Binghe turned the corner. No, better wait a little bit more. Even if they were out of the prison, Shen Qingqiu still didn’t know where the exit of Huan Hua Palace was. Waiting could reveal that important information. Then he’d bite Luo Binghe’s hand and go. Yes. That sounded like a good plan. Without a moment’s pause, those fingers reached around his cheek and moved to the underside of his neck.

Oh. That was… something. Thoughts scattered, Shen Qingqiu raised his head, eyes trembling from the bliss that a few scratches could give him. Slight tremors rumbled in his throat. Did every cat feel this way? If he ever found one again, he would make sure to give it all the scratches of the world! This treatment was just too good! He almost forgot who was giving it to him, until Luo Binghe breathed a laugh. “You really seem to enjoy this spot.” Shen Qingqiu blinked his outrage. How could he relax like this?! How could he lose sight of the goal this easily?! Fuck being a cat! He shook his head away from Luo Binghe’s wandering hand. It was now or never.

His body leaped away. Or at least, it tried to. Shen Qingqiu found himself grabbed in mid-air, then tucked securely back into those arms, with Luo Binghe’s scent weaving itself all around him. “Did you really think you could run?” A cold edge sharpened Luo Binghe’s voice. “I can’t let you do that. This one still has to check your spiritual power, don’t you remember?”

Couldn’t he have done that before?! Couldn’t he do it now?! Why did Luo Binghe have to take him to his personal rooms, ah?! Since he was a cat, Shen Qingqiu wasn’t able to voice these thoughts in a comprehensible manner. Instead, he opened his mouth and put all his annoyance in a single drawn-out meow. Luo Binghe paused in his steps, before resuming. “Usually you’re much quieter.”

Shen Qingqiu tensed. Wha… What did that mean? Did he recognize him? Did he know he was Shen Qingqiu? Seemingly responding to this thought, Luo Binghe said, “A man of few words, indeed. And even then, when I get more than silence, it’s only biting contempt.” Shen Qingqiu’s hair stood on end. Luo Binghe knew. He was screwed. He was screwed! This was terrible! How could he stay in the protagonist’s arms when said protagonist fully knew who he was?! This was humiliating! The scum villain being a cat was already pathetic, but being carried around like a pet reached whole new heights of shame!

Shen Qingqiu squirmed, trying to shift in Luo Binghe’s iron grip around him. His body twisted until his paws landed on Luo Binghe’s chest. With the slightest pressure, his claws extended and ripped holes in the dark fabric. Shen Qingqiu started climbing. He heard Luo Binghe’s sharp inhale.

Just when his forelegs reached Luo Binghe’s shoulder, a force like a boulder crashed his body into stillness. He was plastered to Luo Binghe’s warm chest, squeezed against it by an unshakeable hold that stopped him from moving even a muscle. This was outrageous! He couldn’t even writhe in discomfort! A breath fanned the top of Shen Qingqiu’s ear. “I thought I told you. I can’t let you run away.” So why would he bring Shen Qingqiu to his rooms?! It didn’t make any sense! Just take him back to the prison!

Luo Binghe stopped. Before Shen Qingqiu could understand why, a door closed after them, and Luo Binghe’s arms around him loosened. Without waiting a moment more, Shen Qingqiu jumped. His paws landed on the cold floor of an enormous room, much bigger than his current body, adorned with several wall hangings and dark wooden furniture. Gold seemed embedded into everything, from the ceiling, to the finely weaved carpets, and even the little tiles under him. They were inside Luo Binghe’s quarters. What opulence! What luster! Not even Shen Qingqiu, as the second Peak Lord of Cang Qiong Mountain, had this level of riches! In comparison, his bamboo house looked like a rickety old hut.

In the middle of all this grandeur, Luo Binghe shined as only a protagonist could. He shook out his sleeves and took a few steps into the room. Shen Qingqiu couldn’t help retreating, a move that Luo Binghe tracked with narrowed eyes. “You resemble him in more ways than one.” Uh? ‘Him’? Who the fuck was he talking about now? Already confused from the previous sequence of events, Shen Qingqiu didn’t react. Luo Binghe huffed. “First my shizun rejects me, now you do too? Did I do something to you, little shizun?”

Oh. So he didn’t know. To him, this was just the cat that he’d seen around Qing Jing Peak. How Luo Binghe recognized it was the same animal, Shen Qingqiu didn’t know, but it was a lucky coincidence nonetheless. Luo Binghe wouldn’t hurt him then. Because ‘little shizun’ was innocent. After all the afternoons they spent together, he might even be a little fond of the cat!

With these thoughts in mind, Shen Qingqiu approached him. Fear forgotten, he let himself relax until his body naturally brushed against Luo Binghe’s boots, curving around his ankles. He was a cat, a cat, just a cat. He wasn’t human, he didn’t know concepts like shame or keeping face. He was a cat! Shen Qingqiu hypnotized himself into believing it. It didn’t help against the urge to slap himself for this embarrassing behavior.

Luo Binghe crouched in front of him, an expression almost pensive on his face. It was a fine and dangerously beautiful face, perfect for a stallion protagonist who could win the affections of hundreds of women across the realms. While most of Luo Binghe’s hair was held back by a silver guan, silky curls still framed his face, some of them even falling over his eyes. His irises gleamed despite the darkness that filled them, as if the crimson color that revealed his demon heritage could never be fully concealed. A smatter of freckles was visible on his nose. His cheeks had lost their natural childish roundness, and yet a faint rosiness colored the pale skin. The plump, soft lips curled at the corners. How many people had kissed them already? How many already had that privilege?

A hand descended on Shen Qingqiu’s head. Ah! What the fuck! He’d lost himself in thought! This wasn’t the time to lower his guard, what the fuck was he doing just staring at the protagonist?! As Luo Binghe petted him, Shen Qingqiu was reminded of their first encounter. Back then, his disciple touched him with uncertainty, as if Shen Qingqiu could run away at any moment. It was the same now. Compared to the touches Luo Binghe gave him on the way out of the prison, these felt like brushes of a feather. Without meaning to, Shen Qingqiu surged up against the palm of that hand, to push against it and make the pets harder. Luo Binghe’s eyes were trained on him. Ah, ah, protagonist! This is how cats act! Nothing suspicious about this one in particular!

“So you do remember who I am,” Luo Binghe remarked. His fingers brushed over Shen Qingqiu’s fur with more intention, while those dark and bottomless eyes observed his every move. Shen Qingqiu felt the attention like a second skin. It was peculiar, to be in the blackened protagonist’s presence and not fear for his life. To know that Luo Binghe might care for him, even if it was not really him that Luo Binghe cared about. It made a weird feeling settle inside of Shen Qingqiu.

Warmth filled his heart and released all the tension in his muscles. Is this what Luo Binghe’s wives felt? Not fearing the protagonist, but being secure in the knowledge that he would never harm them? So lucky! Shen Qingqiu sighed. While Luo Binghe continued to pet him, paying special attention to the underside of his neck, small bursts of heat sparked all over Shen Qingqiu’s skin.

No! Fuck! Shit! What the fuck, why now?! Shen Qingqiu snapped his head away from the touches. He was turning back! He wailed and cursed, and didn’t notice Luo Binghe’s stillness until he asked, “What is it now?” Without any other option, Shen Qingqiu meowed. “Does it hurt somewhere?” Luo Binghe placed his palm on Shen Qingqiu’s back, a gesture that would’ve been reassuring if this wasn’t the protagonist and if Shen Qingqiu wasn’t turning back into a fucking human! Shen Qingqiu ran to the door and scratched at it with growing panic. Luo Binghe tilted his head in thought, a move that reminded Shen Qingqiu too much of his white lotus, and asked, “Are you hungry?”

Him or Luo Binghe, one of them had to get out! If food was the thing that kicked Luo Binghe out of the room, Shen Qingqiu wouldn’t complain at all! A simple meow seemed to be enough to communicate his assent. As soon as Luo Binghe was gone, Shen Qingqiu’s legs collapsed. When he blinked, it was to see human hands splayed on those stupid little golden tiles. “Fuck,” he whispered in the silence. If he feared being a human stick before, now he was sure that was his future. Seeing Shen Qingqiu’s naked chest in the Water Prison made Luo Binghe turn away in disgust, to the point of offering his own robe to cover that horrible sight. How would he react if he entered his private rooms and found a completely nude Shen Qingqiu?! He would probably kill him on the spot, torture forgotten!

As always, his hair looked a mess, but Shen Qingqiu ignored it to search the chambers for anything to cover himself with. How long would Luo Binghe take to cook him something? Did it even matter? It only delayed the inevitable! This time, Shen Qingqiu would not escape the prison. Forget a trial! Forget a month or a week or even a day! He was dead! Since he was indoors, he couldn’t even go with his Sun-Moon Dew Mushroom body plan! How unlucky could he be?!

Just when he resolved to use a blanket from Luo Binghe’s massive bed, he buckled in pain. His knees struck the floor, but he didn’t even feel it under the roiling waves of pain that spread through his body. He panted. With every inhale, his lungs shrank under the oppressive weight on his chest. The blood in his veins boiled hot. Shen Qingqiu wanted to scream.

The next moment it all disappeared. As if it never happened. He trembled and tried to stand, and realized he couldn’t. The room had become bigger again, his body smaller, back into the form of a cat without any of the usual symptoms or the moment of unconsciousness before the transformation. Shen Qingqiu was so happy. Yes! He was spared!

His nose twitched. A scent called for him, delicious and familiar, and he didn’t waste a second to follow it. The door opened as Shen Qingqiu walked into the entrance room. Luo Binghe’s eyes shone seeing him. “Here, I made your favorite.” He put a bowl on the floor. The smell was enough to send Shen Qingqiu to the high heavens, but the taste… The taste! How long had it been since he ate Luo Binghe’s cooking? Too long!

Shen Qingqiu devoured everything in a few bites. When he raised his head, Luo Binghe chuckled. “Famished, aren’t we? Even your whiskers are all dirty.” No need to say it so plainly! Shen Qingqiu’s dark history didn’t need any commentary, thank you very much! Luo Binghe cleaned him with a tiny cloth, and Shen Qingqiu let himself be manhandled into the protagonist’s arms once more.

They went deeper into the chambers, until Shen Qingqiu saw that same massive bed again. How many girls had seen this room? How many had Luo Binghe already married? Shen Qingqiu wanted to slap himself silly. That was not the time! Before he could do anything, he was placed on an adjacent couch, with Luo Binghe’s hands spread on his back. “Let’s get started then.”

Foreign qi trickled into Shen Qingqiu’s meridians. He breathed deeply, trying not to wriggle out of Luo Binghe’s hold. It was too weird! When Liu Qingge helped him in fighting the primary effects of Without a Cure, it was swift and efficient, not a moment wasted. Shen Qingqiu never complained about the other peak lord’s rough handling. He was happy just being alive! This, however… Luo Binghe’s qi traveled alongside his own, reaching every single nerve and crevice. No efficiency! No swiftness! It was almost torturous in its slowness.

Above him, Luo Binghe gave him a little smile. “You’re clearly not a beast in disguise, but we already knew that, didn’t we?” The qi receded. “And yet, there is something inside you that makes me wonder.” Shen Qingqiu stilled. Nothing that made it clear he wasn’t a real cat, he hoped. “Did you get poisoned, little shizun?” Luo Binghe asked him, his gaze searching. “Your qi struggles through your spiritual veins as if you were, but I’m afraid I can’t heal you. Not like this.”

With quiet foreboding, Shen Qingqiu watched as Luo Binghe popped out a single, long claw and broke the skin on one of his fingers. A drop of blood swelled on it. “My blood can, however.” Shen Qingqiu weighed his options. If his mind had been a court of justice, forget trying to reach an agreement, everyone would be screaming their head off. Innocent or guilty? To drink it or not? Amidst the chaos, one single word seemed to be screamed the loudest.

Shen Qingqiu licked the pad of that finger. He was ‘little shizun’. No harm would come to him in this form. Drinking a heavenly demon’s blood wasn’t the best sensation, but at least this time Shen Qingqiu had the benefit of making the choice himself. Ah, ah, ah… Great. Such a meager consolation. As the blood settled uncomfortably in his stomach, he flinched. Bright red had filled Luo Binghe’s eyes.

A sneer grew on his face. “Does that scare you? Me, being a demon? Do you hate me for it, like shizun does?” Ehm! There he went, twisting Shen Qingqiu’s words again and drawing his own conclusions! First, Shen Qingqiu never said he hated Luo Binghe. Second, he didn’t fear him because he was a demon. Of course Luo Binghe was a demon, he was the protagonist! Being the only half-human and half-demon in all the realms is what made him special in the first place!

Shen Qingqiu tapped on Luo Binghe’s wrist. The hand that Luo Binghe had clenched in a fist opened, so Shen Qingqiu was free to give some more licks to it. This was the only way to convey his thoughts! He wasn’t human Shen Qingqiu. He couldn’t speak, nor retain the aloof silence worthy of his role as scum villain. Be gone, shame! Shen Qingqiu was suddenly crushed in an embrace. A thunderous heartbeat echoed in his ears. With a deep breath, Luo Binghe said, “It’s weird, really. You resemble him, but you act the exact opposite. Why did he run away from me? Why did he reject me from the first moment we met again?” His voice wavered. If Shen Qingqiu didn’t know better, he’d say Luo Binghe sounded sad. “I don’t understand, little shizun. I really don’t understand him.”

Shen Qingqiu was a little puzzled. The vengeful Luo Binghe of the novel wouldn’t hug a cat and express his own feelings for his traitorous teacher. He wouldn’t wonder about his teacher’s behavior toward him either. In fact, he didn’t. Luo Binghe’s mind had only been filled with schemes to take down Shen Qingqiu in the worst way possible, his hatred guiding all of his actions. This… This didn’t look like that.

“Isn’t it unfair?” Luo Binghe continued. “He smiles so easily with other people, but me, he scorns. He treats people like Gongyi Xiao with so much affection, but as soon as he sees me, his face fills with hatred.” Luo Binghe’s hold on Shen Qingqiu tightened. “Why didn’t he answer? Why keep silent now? Everything has already passed. He rejected me at the Conference and now tries to run at every occasion. It’s obvious what his feelings for me are. So what’s so difficult in admitting that he didn’t regret throwing me away?”

Shen Qingqiu meowed in outrage. What! Was! This! The blackened protagonist wasn’t supposed to say stuff like this! ‘I can’t wait to see his blood run’ or ‘He’ll regret the day he met me’ was more in line with what the original Luo Binghe would’ve said. What went wrong with his Luo Binghe’s blackening?! Pushing his head up, Shen Qingqiu raised his paws to Luo Binghe’s face, and meowed even louder. Luo Binghe only blinked. The red had dissipated from his irises. “Little shizun?” Shen Qingqiu headbutted his chin. Stop with the drama and start plotting! The protagonist had a villain to torture! Wives to marry! A whole empire to conquer! To his confusion, Luo Binghe sighed. “Isn’t it ironic? I don’t understand you either.”

Something crawled under Shen Qingqiu’s skin. He started, his instincts fighting against the feeling of the blood mites moving inside his veins, but when he tried lowering himself, Luo Binghe took his paws and kept them on his face. “Shhh. It’s going to be painless.” It was painless. That didn’t mean it wasn’t weird! If Shen Qingqiu had been able to, he would’ve smacked Luo Binghe right on those cheeks. A little warning would be appreciated! Pain or no pain, nobody liked feeling their own blood suddenly move! “I see,” Luo Binghe murmured.

What he saw, Shen Qingqiu would never know. A rumble shook the walls of the rooms. Luo Binghe’s head snapped up, his gaze hard. “It seems we have a guest.” Confused, Shen Qingqiu let out an inquisitive meow, low and extended. Luo Binghe placed him on the couch and gave him one last pat, amusement pulling at his mouth. “You’re going to stay here. No thoughts of running away again, are we clear?” Shen Qingqiu bristled. He wanted to give that smile a good scratch with his claws, but Luo Binghe had already left him. Well! Who was he to tell Shen Qingqiu what to do! What an unruly disciple! Shen Qingqiu was going to run! See what Luo Binghe had to say about it!

Those were his intentions, yes. The problem was that he couldn’t. No matter how he went at it, the rooms were all sealed with intricate arrays that worked to keep everything in and out, like a solid iron box closed with the most complicated lock in the world. Shen Qingqiu could rely on his peak lord’s strength, but it wasn’t enough. Maybe if he wanted to break the seals in a month. But he didn’t have a month! Thanks to Shang Qinghua, he didn’t even have a week! He poked at the arrays once more. No weaknesses! This was the classic ‘student that surpasses the master’! Shen Qingqiu wasn’t happy at all.

It didn’t help that the halls outside were filled with chaotic noise. Cultivators shouted incomprehensible words, while the walls continued to shake from time to time, as if a giant was trying to eradicate the palace from its foundations. What could be causing this level of destruction? To the point of getting the protagonist involved, even. Shen Qingqiu wasn’t worried for Luo Binghe’s safety. He was the strongest one ever! He could take hit after hit, and always come up on top! With his golden finger, he was literally invincible! He was safe. Shen Qingqiu couldn’t help straining his hearing further, waiting for familiar steps. Of course, as soon as Luo Binghe opened the door, Shen Qingqiu was ready to sneak away.

The fight stopped or moved to another section of the palace, because the noise outside ceased. What was happening?! Since Luo Binghe’s speedy return, the plot had been thrown into disarray to the point that Shen Qingqiu couldn’t safely rely on his knowledge of it. Even then, this part of the story was supposed to be all about the scum villain’s fall from grace. It never involved an enemy suddenly attacking Huan Hua Palace! Shen Qingqiu paced in front of the door. His senses, human or cat, told him something was wrong.

Then it didn’t matter anymore. The pain, the same that attacked him before, was back. Shen Qingqiu hissed, writhed, trembled, but nothing could stop the cutting feeling in his organs. Fuck! This was so much worse than the protagonist's torture with the blood mites. His claws dragged on the floor as he tried to breath. His lungs seemed to burst open. A pained whine was forced through his throat. And like that, it was over. His back collapsed against the door, the ground suddenly cold on the furless skin of his legs. What the fuck was this?! Why did this keep happening?! Shen Qingqiu didn’t have the strength to get up. Let Luo Binghe see him! What the fuck did he care anymore!

He did care. Too much, in fact. Shen Qingqiu had to lean on the wall to walk. When he reached Luo Binghe’s bedroom, he swayed, almost falling head first to the floor, but used his last energies to take a few steps more. The bed fluffed up around him. Not only did Luo Binghe get sumptuous chambers, he also slept in a much softer bed than Shen Qingqiu! Fuck this! Where was the justice?! Shen Qingqiu wanted this bed too! It was soft, comfortable, warm…

Sleep pulled at his eyelids. No! This was so much worse! When he tried opening his eyes, they didn’t obey. He groaned in frustration, but even that came out muffled, just a light exhale through his nose. His thoughts repeated the same sentence. He couldn’t be seen like this. He couldn’t be seen like this! His shame pushed him to roll, his fingers taking the sheet with him and draping it over himself. At least, he wasn’t completely naked anymore.

He didn’t know how much time passed. The waking world kept calling him, keeping him only half-asleep and unable to fully fall into dreams. Despite this, when he woke, the exhaustion had disappeared. The problem was what awoke him. Shen Qingqiu blinked as the door to the room opened and Luo Binghe stepped in. What! The! Fuck! He abruptly sat up. His hand caught the sheet and brought it up to cover himself. Was he a woman?! Did he have a chest to cover?! He didn’t, but his hand didn’t lower. He could feel his expression breaking, betraying his embarrassment. Luo Binghe only stared at him. “Shizun?”

Shen Qingqiu stammered, “Get out.” Surprisingly, Luo Binghe obeyed. His voice traveled through the closed door clearly, speaking in a composed tone that did nothing to calm the nerves. “That’s my bed, shizun.” As if Shen Qingqiu didn’t know! Luo Binghe had only himself to blame! Why put the bed closer to the door, ah?! Shen Qingqiu would’ve happily fallen on the couch if it wasn’t so fucking far! “Do you have clothes in this room?” He wailed at the shamefulness of it all. “This master will need to wear some of yours.” Silence, then, “Of course. There is a door on shizun’s right. I keep them inside.”

Ah! A walk-in wardrobe! This protagonist of his was so spoiled! What did he even need a whole palace in the demon realm for, if he could live such a lavish life at Huan Hua Palace? But oh, Shen Qingqiu had forgotten. Where else would he place his hundreds of wives?! So why only two residences? Why not three! Four! No, he had to think bigger! One gigantic palace for every wife! That was the most appropriate solution, ah, ah, ah!

Shen Qingqiu wanted to die. The fact that he wasn’t already dead was a small miracle, one he was almost regretful for. Humiliating was too small a word to describe this situation. He grabbed blindly at the clothes and tried to reason with himself. Before he died, he had to find the right conditions, or the Sun-Moon Dew Mushroom plan wouldn’t work. So he had to live through the embarrassment. Just enough to escape. When he walked out, the bed sheet he’d carelessly dropped to the ground was back on the bed, as if he’d never touched it. Luo Binghe sat on the couch. His eyes blazed when they saw Shen Qingqiu.

Shen Qingqiu was so dead. What was he doing! Wearing the protagonist’s clothes! That was only reserved for his most favored wives! And they could only touch his outer robe, forget about anything else! And why would Luo Binghe permit it in the first place?! “Red is a good color on shizun.” And red was all Shen Qingqiu would become, if his face didn’t stop flaming! “You knew,” he said. “You knew I was the cat.” It explained his lack of surprise at finding Shen Qingqiu there. “For how long?”

Luo Binghe chuckled. “Shizun, I’ve known for quite a while now. That first time, it surprised me how a spiritual cat would act in such a way with people he just met. Shizun’s discarded robes and the cat running in the direction of the bamboo house were two more clues. When I discovered that the other peaks didn’t have any kind of creature that matched the description, I was sure. You could say I knew from the very beginning.”

From the very beginning?! Incensed, Shen Qingqiu replied, “So you brought me here despite knowing who I was. Did you enjoy mocking me? Did you have fun making a fool of your teacher?”

Luo Binghe lost all amusement. “I don’t remember mocking shizun as much as shizun doing it to me.” Shooting to his feet, he asked, “Is this disciple stupid, shizun? My mind cannot comprehend how your actions would change from disdainful at the mere sight of me, to affectionate. In my youth you always were. Human or cat, you always showed me affection. So why is it different now?”

Shen Qingqiu couldn’t answer. A dark look crossed Luo Binghe’s face. “You wield your silences like a sword. Earlier, when I asked, you answered. You couldn’t speak, but you still answered. What changed, shizun?” He took a few steps toward Shen Qingqiu, who kept still. Where else could he go? He was in Luo Binghe’s room, trapped by a full set of arrays he couldn’t break. Luo Binghe was now close to him, his breath fanning Shen Qingqiu’s face as he talked. “Shizun let this one touch him as a pet would, he ate the food I prepared, just like when I was young. You drank my blood, knowing exactly what it is and what it can do. Were those your real feelings? Or was it just an act to appease me? To fool me into thinking your heart doesn’t hold any hatred toward me? Which is the truth, shizun?”

Luo Binghe was too close. Too! Close! Shen Qingqiu’s palm shot up to stop him from advancing further. “I could ask the same questions of you. First you smile at me, greet me as a proper disciple, then you chase me through the streets and force me into drinking your blood.” Luo Binghe grimaced. “I remember shizun being the one who jumped from a window as soon as he saw me.”

“Well, you didn’t have to chase me!” Despite Shen Qingqiu’s hand between them, Luo Binghe took another step. “What should I have done, shizun? You keep on holding your silence! You never say anything, you run! What should I have done, just let you be and live my life as if you never existed?”

Shen Qingqiu’s heart throbbed. That thought had never crossed his mind. For Luo Binghe to ignore their shared history and leave him alone without doing anything was… incomprehensible. Out of character! Luo Binghe would never do that! “This master doesn’t expect you to be capable of that. Every action should be repaid a hundredfold, isn’t it? If someone slights you, you only retaliate in kind.”

Luo Binghe gritted his teeth. Hues of red started to brighten his eyes. “Shizun’s opinion of me has been made clear. You think I’m despicable, that my blood makes me a monster.” Shen Qingqiu fisted the fabric under his hand, and Luo Binghe continued, “I gave my blood to you against your will, that’s true. But, why did you take it again?” Another step. “Why did you willingly drink it, shizun?”

Shen Qingqiu wished to have a fan. To hide behind, to give himself some much needed air. Unfortunately, Luo Binghe wasn’t finished. “When I hinted at knowing who you were, even vaguely, you tried to escape my grasp. The moment I called you ‘little shizun’ however, all your reservations vanished. You…” Luo Binghe covered Shen Qingqiu’s hand with his own. “You reassured me, didn’t you? When I asked if you hated me, you… Why, shizun?” Those crimson eyes seemed to drill into his soul. Shen Qingqiu cast his gaze away, but Luo Binghe gripped his chin with his free hand and forced him to look at him. “Do you truly hate me, shizun?”

“No!” The word was ripped out of him. It burned on his tongue, leaving Shen Qingqiu scalding with heat. His heart was beating like a drum. Was he turning? But no, there was no pain. At his confession, Luo Binghe faltered. “No?” His thumb stroked along Shen Qingqiu’s chin. “Can that be true? Shizun, your actions don’t match your words. If you didn’t hate me, you wouldn’t have run.” Shen Qingqiu had the strong urge to bite that irritating finger. Instead, he said, “And you would’ve greeted this master with courtesy, I suppose.” Sarcasm dripped from his tone.

Luo Binghe hesitated for a moment. “In the prison, I asked if you regretted rejecting me. You stayed silent. You say you don’t hate me, but it’s difficult to trust you when everything you’ve done since we met has been trying to keep your distance from me. Shizun, should I believe you?” His tone had acquired a wavering note that unsettled Shen Qingqiu even more. “I gave you my trust once. I would’ve done anything for you, but you… You pushed me away. You gave this disciple the hope to be accepted despite his heritage as a demon, and then you crushed it.” A watery sheen covered the red of his eyes. “How can I believe that you don’t hate me, shizun?”

Shen Qingqiu’s breath hitched. Was… Was Luo Binghe crying? But that was preposterous! He was the blackened protagonist, how could he cry in front of the villain?! And yet, his words until now didn’t sound right to his character either. “Binghe…” Shen Qingqiu couldn’t help but murmur. At the sound of his name, Luo Binghe exhaled heavily. His thumb left Shen Qingqiu’s chin to stroke his cheek. “Shizun, I want to trust you.” His eyelashes trembled. “I would do anything to trust you again. Please, let me.” Shen Qingqiu had no idea what was happening. His mind had been overcome by a big overwhelming blankness. That must’ve been the reason why he nodded and said, “Alright.”

Tears gathered at the corners of Luo Binghe’s eyes. “You won’t run? You will stay… with me? Shizun?” What was he doing?! Was this appropriate behavior?! Shen Qingqiu couldn’t let Luo Binghe be seen like this! His palms came to frame that face — somehow even more beautiful, Shen Qingqiu noted with irritation — and dried the tears that fell on Luo Binghe’s cheeks. “Look at you, crying like a child. Did this master spoil you too much in youth?”

“Shizun…” Luo Binghe grasped his hands. “Shizun, I’m sorry.” More tears dropped, making Shen Qingqiu’s heart ache even more. “Shizun, stay, please… I promise I will be good. I won’t scare you anymore. I was wrong to chase you, to make you drink my blood. I, I won’t do it anymore. So please…”

“Alright, alright. I will stay.” Shen Qingqiu didn’t know what he was saying, but seeing Luo Binghe’s crying face was just unacceptable! He would say anything to make it stop. “I will stay with Binghe. This master won’t leave you, he won’t run from you like he did before, so don’t cry, hm?” He was rewarded with a rise at the corners of Luo Binghe’s mouth, a tiny smile that warmed Shen Qingqiu to his bones.

It seemed that Shen Qingqiu couldn’t keep his thoughts to himself. “Is that truly enough?” he asked. Luo Binghe nodded. “Shizun is enough for me.”

Since Luo Binghe still held his hands in a firm grasp, Shen Qingqiu couldn’t smack him. “This master doubts that Binghe could be satisfied with such a simple promise.” Where was the revenge?! The resolution between them was too easy! Luo Binghe wanting Shen Qingqiu with him? Ah! Maybe to keep him close so he could torture him! When Shen Qingqiu raised his gaze to Luo Binghe’s red-rimmed eyes and the tear trails that fell to his chin, his thoughts wavered. This didn’t seem like a protagonist in search of revenge. Luo Binghe looked relieved, almost… happy?

“I am. What happened in the past doesn’t matter anymore. Shizun said he doesn’t hate me, and this disciple will trust his words. As long as shizun is by my side, as long as he doesn’t reject me, I will be satisfied.” Shen Qingqiu fidgeted. Those lines reeked of romantic intention, but how could they? There was no beauty to court here! He’d really appreciate it if Luo Binghe stopped saying stuff like that to him! “Then, will you return this master’s hands to him?” A glint shone in Luo Binghe’s gaze. “Can’t this disciple keep them for a little while?” Unexpectedly, his lips pressed a kiss against them. Shen Qingqiu started. “Binghe!” What the fuck?!

“Sorry, shizun.” Why didn’t he look sorry at all?! “I’m just so glad that everything is back to normal. This disciple has missed shizun immensely.” Shen Qingqiu tried tugging his wrists away, but no, he was locked in place. “Can we at least sit down?” He meant on the couch, yet Luo Binghe dragged him to the bed. The memory of being seen naked with only a white sheet to hide stirred a deep feeling inside Shen Qingqiu. What shame! Would he ever recover?! He cleared his throat. “Binghe must wonder what this master’s condition is, for him to turn into a cat.”

“This disciple already knows, shizun.” The words left Shen Qingqiu blinking in surprise. “How could Binghe know? Only Mu Qingfang should be aware of it.” Luo Binghe smiled as he trailed higher on Shen Qingqiu’s arms. “I did some research here and there.” When Luo Binghe said ‘some research’, it usually meant days upon days of careful studying, every little detail analyzed to perfection. “When shizun got hit by Without a Cure protecting this lowly one, the first attack was to his blood and spiritual power. However, many people ignore that the poison can react to qi in unpredictable ways. An ordinary person would die while a cultivator has the chance of surviving, it’s true, but the power of the cultivator poses a certain risk.”

While he talked, his fingers burrowed under the sleeves of Shen Qingqiu’s robe. They brushed against his skin, perfectly identical to the way he petted Shen Qingqiu in animal form. “To a weak cultivator the effect would be minor, giving them at most some feline features. Shizun is an immortal master. The power of his qi is immense, and the poison started to fight it.” Luo Binghe moved almost imperceptibly closer to Shen Qingqiu, following the draw of his arms. Shen Qingqiu was too engrossed in the explanation to do something about it. “That’s why shizun was turned into a full cat. The problem is that without the correct medication, the transformation is erratic and painful. Shizun, you haven’t taken the right pills for a while, have you?”

Shen Qingqiu had an annoying sense of deja vu. Wasn’t it enough that Mu Qingfang always asked him if he’d taken his medication? Why was his own disciple doing it too?! “I have taken them! Every month without fail, in fact.” So would they stop asking once and for all?! Luo Binghe shuffled even closer. “Shizun must know that once a month is too little for this condition.” Ugh. The protagonist’s memory skills were too much. Shen Qingqiu turned his face away. “Binghe doesn’t need to worry about me.”

“Shizun…” With all the advancing Luo Binghe had done, their legs were now plastered next to each other. “This disciple can sense your physical presence. My blood activated when you transformed back into a human, so I know shizun has been constantly changing all day.” As if Shen Qingqiu couldn’t feel more embarrassed! He huffed. “Didn’t Binghe use his blood to cure this master? I should be fine now.”

“Did shizun notice?” The question confused Shen Qingqiu. Of course he noticed! He was the one who accepted the blood to be cured, wasn’t he? Luo Binghe grimaced, in contrast with the way he was inching more and more into Shen Qingqiu’s personal space. “This disciple was especially angry at that moment. Shizun wouldn’t speak, and I thought that making you experience some pain alongside the poison treatment would convince you to say something, at least. This disciple knows the error of his ways, but he’s glad that shizun recognized his true intentions.”

Wait. Was Luo Binghe talking about their meeting in the Water Prison? When Shen Qingqiu had chosen the System’s option to stay silent and Luo Binghe then unleashed the blood mites on his organs? That was a poison treatment?! “This master didn’t know.” Luo Binghe’s face fell. “Oh.” He hummed in thought. “What I did when shizun was a cat was only a simple search. That is not sufficient to truly attack the traces of Without a Cure.”

“Without a Cure cannot be ‘attacked’.” Wasn’t that stating the obvious? There was no cure! It was literally in the name! The stupid-ass name Airplane had given to the most idiotic poison ever. “It can only be mitigated.”

Luo Binghe smiled. At some point or another, his hands had left Shen Qingqiu’s arms and now lay next to his hips. Shen Qingqiu was starting to feel weird at their seating positions. “Shizun is wise. It’s true, even my blood can’t fully cure this poison. But, when we met after so long, I wanted to use it to check on shizun’s condition, since it was this lowly one’s fault that he got poisoned. My methods were inappropriate, yet the results were the same.”

Shen Qingqiu was struck dumb. Firstly because his view of the events was completely upturned. Luo Binghe had never used the blood mites to torture him? It was only to…help him? The pain he felt, that was not due to Luo Binghe’s hatred or desire for revenge, but his anger at Shen Qingqiu’s actions? This revelation seemed too good to be true. The second reason why his words died in his throat was that Luo Binghe leaned too close to his face. With his arms blocking any way of escape, Shen Qingqiu was left to fall back against the bed. It wasn’t the smartest choice. Luo Binghe caged him even further by climbing over his body.

Was Shen Qingqiu a wife now?! Why was he on Luo Binghe’s bed, with his clothes on, and under him?! This didn’t make any sense! “Shizun…” What! What shizun! How could Luo Binghe call him shizun when he was basically straddling him?! “Shizun, did you know that finding information about Without a Cure is almost impossible?” Luo Binghe wasn’t touching him at all, and yet a weird itch traveled over Shen Qingqiu’s skin as if he did. He couldn’t wrap his mind around this turn of events. What the fuck!

“I spent months journeying over the mortal and demon realm to look for it. But how could I let my master suffer when the fault lies with this disciple?” One of Luo Binghe’s fingers brushed a strand of Shen Qingqiu’s hair away from his face. His hair was still messy! Goodbye image of an aloof immortal master! Luo Binghe chuckled. “Just when it seemed over, I found a certain scroll. It explained everything, from the effects on mortals to those on cultivators, even how to create it. The most important information it contained though was the cure.” Luo Binghe tilted his head, as if expecting pats for a job well-done. He wasn’t a teenager anymore! When would this behavior end?! Shen Qingqiu gulped.

“Does shizun want to know what it is?” Luo Binghe’s curls fell around his face as he lowered himself toward Shen Qingqiu. Just when Shen Qingqiu thought he might do something as insane as kiss him, Luo Binghe’s lips fell next to his ear. His breath sent a shiver down Shen Qingqiu’s spine. “But I think shizun knows the answer already.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” His tongue darted to wet his lips and Luo Binghe’s eyes followed the movement with interest. Breathing became harder than usual. No matter how much he tried to ignore it, his mind kept on coming back to the same thing. What the fuck! Luo Binghe’s mouth curled. “Shizun knew the flower at Jue Di Gorge wouldn’t work. He was so sure it would be useless, even back then. That’s because shizun knows what the true cure is, doesn’t he?”

Well.

It was only much later that Shen Qingqiu found out he was almost kidnapped by a giant snake.