Work Text:
Hmmmm, okay, Shang Qinghua thought as he stared at the couple from across the street in the city of Yuoli, It is okay. It’s just a coincidence. No need to panic!
The boy in green leaned across the blacksmith’s shopfront to hand the one wearing black, working at the front desk a small glinting green jewel.
“I found this in the forest,” he flashed a smile, “Could you make it into a hairpin for me?”
The blacksmith’s son raised it to the light, the summer sun washing his face in colours of springtime. He glanced at his commissioner, “It’s uncut and dirty, though I suspect it’s an emerald. Who’s the hairpin for? I’ll personalize it for your sweetheart.”
Gaoren Lin grabbed Shilu Liang’s hand and twisted it to trace the veins on his wrist, “How about whatever you want? You’ll be the one wearing it, of course.”
Shilu Liang retracted his hand, attempting to give the stone back, “I’m not interested. Find someone else to flirt with.”
Someone grabbed his arm, jolting him out of his trance.
Liu Qingge shook him, “What are you looking at? Is it important? Can I fight it?”
The man had been stuck with Shang Qinghua after he’d broken the Bai Zhan training hall and needed it fixed. Yue Qingyuan had come up with the brilliant idea that he and Liu Qingge should travel together to meet the stone suppliers and ‘ensure the strength and quality of the stone’.
It was quite possibly the most boring trip Liu Qingge had ever been on. And he’d informed Shang Qinghua about this, many, many times. He was going a bit stir crazy.
Qinghua attempted to remove the iron grip his colleague had on his arm. He couldn’t even pry off a single pinkie finger and gave up after the man started to squeeze even harder.
Ouch. That’s gonna bruise.
“Let this shixong go shidi. And no, nothing worthy of your notice.”
BUT WORTHY OF MINE!!!
“Then why are you even looking?” Liu Qingge moved his grip from his arm to his shoulder and began to frogmarch him down the street, “We have things to do.”
Shang Qinghua got one last glimpse of the pair before they turned a corner and headed towards the stoneworker’s offices.
o0O0o
The Jewel Of My Heart was a surprisingly sappy romance novel Airplane wrote on the late nights he had free from the seemingly endless stream of orders sent to An Ding Peak. He’d sit down on his desk and write until his fingers became sore and his forehead was almost resting on the parchment. Sometimes he’d wake up with his cheek black with ink and an entire paragraph smeared until it was unreadable.
No one had read it, and he didn’t intend for anyone in the future to. It was much too personal for that. Although Airplane was notorious for writing romances with buff men and provocative women, Shang Qinghua wrote about innocent love and tooth rotting fluff. Oh how the mighty had fallen.
Shang Qinghua had poured his soul into those characters; both Shilu Lang and Gaoren Lin were nestled in a little place in his heart, right next to Mobei-Jun, free Wi-Fi and three minute noodles, the best things mankind had ever created.
Unfortunately it seems like the System hadn’t given up on it’s mission to fuck with Shang Qinghua.
System?! Shang Qinghua thought frantically as he poked at the glowing blue screen under the stonemason’s table, What was that?
What was what? This SYSTEM is not a mind reader!
You are a mind reader! YOU ARE READING MY MIND RIGHT NOW!?
Ouch! USER AIRPLANE should be nicer to SYSTEM!
Leave my novels alone! You’ve already desecrated on the remains of Proud Immortal Demon Way, don’t even think about sticking someone into Jewel Of MY Heart!!
This SYSTEM didn’t do anything!!!
The fuck do you mean ‘didn’t do anything?’ Gaoren Lin was RIGHT THERE?
... This SYSTEM needs to check something.
Holding music began to play. Shang Qinghua finally looked up from under the table to meet Liu Qingge’s eyes. There was desperation. There was depression. There was everything Qinghua wanted to see, revenge for the years of exploitation.
Fuck you Shidi. I killed you once, I’ll do it again.
Shang Qinghua watched in amusement as Liu Qingge’s shoulders slumped as the mason set out over forty different samples of stone.
“I’m extremely sorry,” Shang Qinghua began, noting his shidi lifted his head, probably in hope he'd call off the meeting and let him loose in the local forest, “I think I’m going to have to excuse myself. I suddenly feel rather faint. I’m sure Liu Qingge would be happy to pick his own stone. However, I fear my shidi hasn’t ever come with me on my past trips. Make sure to go over all the properties of the stone in great detail.”
He bowed, and watched with an aura of smugness as he watched the light in Liu Qingge’s eyes go out and the stonemasons perking up, one of them signalling to an apprentice to bring out more samples for ‘our honoured guest’. Shang Qinghua waved goodbye to Liu Qingge, who was looking very defeated.
Shang Qinghua doesn’t know what’s keeping the man in his chair, considering the fact that he’d been blown off by the ‘war god’ before, but if he were to guess, it was most probably a ban from monster hunts until he got his paperwork sorted out.
Dodging the concerned attendants, Shang Qinghua slipped out the back door of the masonry office, onto a side alley reminiscent of the ones in Shanghai.
Shang Qinghua got homesick at the most random of times. Once, he sobbed inconsolably for hours when one of Mobei-Jun's demons accidentally served him a small fuzzy animal that looked way too much like Bao-er, Qinghua’s ex-hamster. Mobei-Jun had given him a strange look and handed the dish back to the trembling servant before giving him his own serving of noodles. Shang Qinghua hadn’t ben fed any cute animals since, so obviously the chefs must have learnt something.
Or that time one of his disciples cleared up his notes and found the music sheet Shang Qinghua had painstakingly written, each note being a process of trial and error. Tai Zhiheng had then performed The Imperial March from Star Wars in front of a passing Shen Qingqiu who turned an impressive shade of red and stormed off the peak, muttering things his disciples didn't want to translate. Qinghua didn’t know Shen Qingqiu knew so many languages!
However, when Tai Zhiheng had replayed the tune, slightly off beat and on a flute, his poor student was alarmed as he watched his Shizun’s eyes begin to mist up. The boy had then dropped the flute and bowed low and deep, begging for ‘Shizun’s forgiveness; this disciple will work on his musical skills’ and had run off before Shang Qinghua could reassure him that it wasn’t the skills but the song he was playing. Unfortunately this lead to an awkward situation of Tai Zhiheng serenading him with The Imperial March every time he saw Shang Qinghua. Which was often.
There was even that one time where he was visiting Mu Qingfang to take the peak’s orders. One of the Bai Zahn disciples was there nursing a large bruise on the side of his head due to his ‘Shizun performing a Three Headed Wyvern’s Fire Slingshot’ which sounded and awful lot like Liu Qingge picked up a fourteen year old and swung him into a wall Mrs. Trunchbull style. Another one of the disciples (this time from Qiong Ding peak) was shut into a room because she had ben infected with a sickness that ran rampant in the city she’d just visited. It had taken Shang Qinghua about four hours to explain to Mu Qingfang the concept of a vaccine which was fair, because it was medieval China and ‘stab them with a little bit of sickness to prevent the big sickness’ was not media advice anyone should follow. Especially from a man who you knew hadn’t slept in three days and regularly was sighted taking to himself.
SYSTEM is back online
“Jesus-” Shang Qinghua jumped torn from his thoughts, “What happened?”
SYSTEM is touched USER AIRPLANE misses our 24/7 service so much.
Shang Qinghua rolled his eyes, “I don’t have time for your bullshit right now. I just met a character form my novel. Not Proud Immortal Demon Way either, a different one. One I wrote while in here.”
┐(￣ヘ￣;)┌ This SYSTEM has checked with it’s manager-
“You have a manager?”
And it appears the since this is USER AIRPLANE’S world, USER AIRPLANE can manipulate elements not part of PROUD IMMORTAL DEMON WAY’S plotline via the medium of writing.
“So what your essentially saying is my only hobby is now endangering the safety of the world and everyone in it’s well being.”
Yes. Also, USER AIRPLANE has created terabytes more paperwork to fill out. Expect patchy service whilst we work on this.
“This is karma, System. This is a shitload of karma.” Shang Qinghua informed the blue screen as he pushed waked down the alley, back to the blacksmith’s to watch the romance of the century unfold, “I’m a god and everyone else can go suck it-”
o0O0o
Liu Qingge’s hairband snaps.
Liu Qingge’s hairband snaps.
Liu Qingge’s hairband snaps.
Liu Qingge’s hairband snaps.
Liu Qingge’s hairband snaps.
Shang Qinghua sighed and gripped his pen, Liu Qingge’s hairband snaps.
Liu Qingge’s hairband did not snap.
Liu Qingge continued on his rant about his ridiculous about of paperwork distancing him from Peak Lord duties. Mu Qingfang voiced all their thoughts and asked in a very dry voice, “And what duties are those?”
Shang Qinghua mentally high fived his Shidi.
Liu Qingge’s hairband snaps.
Liu Qingge’s hairband snaps.
Liu Qingge’s hairband snaps.
Hint: As the creator of this world and self proclaimed deity, USER AIRPLANE must really mean it when he uses his powers. The instruction must come from the deepest parts of his soul. USER AIRPLANE must need this and wholeheartedly commit. SYSTEM is unsure if the current instruction would work as this is not a life or death scenario-
Shut up.
“Maybe Qinghua should do it!” Liu Qingge thrust a finger at his from across the table, “An Ding is the paperwork peak!”
Liu Qingge’s hairband snapped with so much vigour it hit Yue Qingyuan in the face. Qinghua let out a shaky breath.
Huh.
“This Shixong would appreciate if everyone did their paperwork. An Ding is the managerial Peak, correct, but that is for sect matters. All personal peak documents should be completed by the Lord themselves.” Shang Qinghua stated as he gathered up his paperwork, shoving the loose sheet covered in ‘Liu Qingge’s hairband snaps’ in with other legal documents, “Meeting adjourned.”
As he walked out of the room, he heard Qi Qingqi ask, “Can he do that? I don’t think he can do that.”
“I mean, he just did? Are you complaining? Do you want to sit though three more hours of that?”
“Nope.”
o0O0o
So far Shang Qinghua knew three things about his power.
Anything he wrote down with enough intent became true. Jewel of My Heart was a pet project Shang Qinghua loved, and now his characters were running around Yuoli causing as much havoc as he could cram into a novel.
He could only add, he couldn’t re-write. Proud Immortal Demon Way’s plot wasn’t affected by Qinghua. Little Luo Binge would be rugby kicked into the abyss by star player Shen Qingqiu no matter how many times he wrote out ‘Immortal Conference will be cancelled’ or any other variation of it.
Thirdly, if he wrote too general... uh-
o0O0o
‘Fucks sake-” Shang Qinghua yelped as his paperwork got set on fire, “THATS NOT WHAT I MEANT-”
A scrap piece of paper, slowly shrivelled as the fire ate away at it.
I want my paperwork to not be my main problem anymore.
The door to his office creaked open and the end of a flute peeked in with the first few notes of The Imperial March playing.
“Not the time Zhiheng!”
“It’s so strange,” Yue Qingyuan mused, looking at the burning Leisure House, “The fire hasn't gone out.”
It seemed there was more paperwork than Shang Qinghua had originally thought. The fire had now climbed the stairs and was methodically burning every official looking scroll or parchment Shang Qinghua still had to fill in.
“It’s been fourteen hours. We’ve dumped water on it, checked for demonic influence and–” Yue Qingyuan cut himself off with an irritated look, “I’m so vey sorry Shidi. It seems all your hard work is burnt.”
“Shame” Shen Qingqiu muttered, “I’m sure you were looking forward to it.”
Shang Qinghua side eyed his shixong, “Mmmm. Well. There’s only one answer is there?”
“And what’s that.” Liu Qingge grunted, peeved that his tactic of hurtling point blank at the fire hadn’t worked and that he now sported second degree burns for his troubles.
“It’s god’s will. Obviously a higher power is orchestrating this whole situation.”
Mu Qingfang looed up from Liu Qingge’s injuries, “Oh?”
“This master proposes that we just... let it play out.” Shang Qinghua pitched his idea to the five, watching as Qi Qingqi waved off a little Liu Mingyuan, “Are we mere human cultivators meant to question the seniority and wisdom of the gods of our world?”
Yue Qingyuan looked at him with narrowed eyes, “No. I suppose not.”
They all looked at each other, and in that second, a silent agreement was made. Their Shizun’s must have been weeping from the heavens; the Qing generation was finally agreeing on something. It only look half a century. That agreement was: ‘this is not a today problem’.
Qi Qingqi sighed and turned to go, “Such a shame.”
“I think I hear my peak calling.” Mu Qingfang stood up, “Come on Liu-Shidi.”
“There’s just the question of where you are meant to sleep.” Yue Qingyuan started, “I guess Qiong Ding-”
“Qing Jing peak would be delighted to have you.” Shen Qingqiu spoke up from behind his fan, seemingly struggling through the words.
“Oh- Uh. Okay!” Yue Qingyuan’s eyebrows were raised comically high. He began to retreat, headed back for his peak.
The two watched his robes flutter out behind him as the Sect Leader almost sprinted away. Shen Qingqiu’s fan shut with a snap, exposing his pale face.
“I know you set you house alight.”
Shang Qinghua raised an eyebrow, “Uh-huh.”
“And that you’re consorting with demons.”
Oh shit, stay calm stay calm. Admit to nothing he doesn’t have a warrant its fine- fuck he’s not a cop uh-
“Uh-huh.”
Real intelligent Qinghua.
Shen Qingqiu stalked closer to him, “And now you’ve just burnt down the evidence I need to expose you to the Sect. Fortunately, you’re a little rodent who’ll break at the slightest hint of- what is that?”
“Zhiheng!”
o0O0o
Shang Qinghua hadn’t felt this threatened at a sleepover since his first life, after he found out his host had a basement full of mannequins.
Ming Fan, Shen Qingqiu’s head disciple opened the door and placed a tray of steaming food in front of them. Qinghua’s knees had started to go numb. Ming Fan bowed deeply, muttered some greetings and left the room.
Shen Qingqiu poured the tea for both of them, watching Shang Qinghua shift uncomfortably on the other side of the table. Then he did that thing annoying little siblings did when they wanted to annoy you without being told off and purposely slurped his tea.
Where did my cool, aloof villain go?? Shang Qinghua thought morosely, you’re meant to be untouchable! Not a pest!
“Qinghua.”
He jumped at Shen Qingqiu’s sudden (and rather informal) address, “Yes, Shixong?”
“Drink your tea.”
Shang Qinghua hastily took a few gulps under to pinning stare of his martial brother. The tea was piping hot and it burned his tongue. Tears prickled in the corner of his eyes. He blinked a few times and set the now empty cup down, praying Ming Fan hadn’t laced it with poison, or worse, laxatives. Shen Qingqiu poured another, filling Shang Qinghua’s cup to the brim.
“Drink.”
Tears streamed down Shang Qinghua’s face eventually wetting his collar. His tongue was both numb and on fire and his teeth ached. His throat felt like Shen Qingqiu shoved hot metal down and the forced him to drink acid.
“Pah.” Shen Qingqiu sneered, “Cut the act, traitor. You don’t need to pretend to be weak in front of me. What are your plans? Which demon faction do you belong to!”
This is karma for laughing at Liu-shidi’s burns isn’t it?
Unfortunately, due to some heavy traffic on the program, SYSTEM is currently unable to cater to your request. Please try again later.
Apparently annoyed at Shang Qinghua’s silence, the man flicked open his fan and snarled, “Stop crying! No one is here to see you! Answer my questions before I beat them out of you!”
Shang Qinghua felt his cultivation begin to heal his tongue, “I thont know ‘ah your talking about.”
“Oh please, drop your stupid whiney mask. You and I both know you’re capable of much more than the sect thinks you are.”
Shang Qinghua suddenly felt a wicked feeling curling in his stomach. The feeling that Shang Qinghua was about to fuck with someone.
“Oh yeah? And how would you prove that?”
“Yue Qingyuan is a fool. The second I go to him worrying about you, Shang Qinghua would be wiped from the records.”
That’s very true unfortunately. Every Peak Lord knew of Yue Qingyuan’s strange favouritism, granting every wish Shen Qingqiu voiced, no matter the price. However, Shang Qinghua knew everything about the pair, and that Shen Qingqiu held onto grudges like they were a holy gift.
“Ah, but you see Shixong, I know you’s rather hold onto your hatred and watch everything you’ve built burn to ash with you in the flames before you’d go to Sect Leader Qingyuan. Besides! Who’d believe you, a bitter, scheming man over me, the sect’s weakest Lord. ‘Qinghua, consorting with demons?’ They’d say, ‘that seems more of a thing Qingqiu would do!’”
A smirk had crept it’s way onto Shang Qinghua’s face but he quickly wiped it off. He steeled himself and took another sip of his burning hot tea, just to add to the affect when he asked, “So, Shixong, where shall I sleep?”
o0O0o
Shang Qinghua pulled the blankets tighter around his body. He could have sworn his Leisure House wasn’t ever this cold, even in winter.
He groaned and reached out, patting around in the dark for a candle. Instead of meeting the small table beside the (rather uncomfortable) matress, his palm met thick fabric. Fabric he knew. Fabric Shang Qinghua had spent fourty united states dollars on for a comission and over a week focusing on in the drafting stage of Proud Immortal Demon Way because his King only got the best of the best.
"My king?" Shang Qinghua croaked out, his voice patchy, likely from screaming so hard when he found a large toad had been smuggled into his bedsheets, probably by one of Shen Qingqiu's disciples.
With his eyes adjusting to the dark, Shang Qinghua could see that his (Boss? Greatest creation? Sexual fantasy? Friend?) King was standing over him. His skin was, as usual, lowering the tempreture of the room almost as rapidly as how the mood plundges whenever Shen Qingqiu enters a meeting. The demon held out a hand and suddenly the room was brightly illuminated with a cool blue light.
"Your house is on fire."
Still? FUUUUUUCK I have so much to catch up on.
Shang Qinghua blinked up owlishly, "I am aware. My King."
They looked at eachother for a while, before Shang Qinghua pulled the thin blanket even tighter, almost strangling his midsection. Mobei-jun huffed and unbuckled his cloak, letting it fall onto his servant.
What- Am I in charge of doing his dry cleaning?
Shang Qinghua sqinted at the cloak, noting the prtection talismans woven into it and the signature deep blue of the Northern Demons. It was thick and looked warm.
"My king, I-" Shang Qinghua looked up, blinking at the empty space Mobei-jun had once occupied. The light was slowly falling down, Shang Qinghua caught it and felt it harden in his fist. As he opened his hand, a small, gently glowing blue stone pulsed with light.
No one needed to know Shang Qinghua burritoed himself into the cloak and had the most restful sleep he had ever had. And no one needed to know he stashed the light in his robes either. Next to his heart, where it beat in sync.
o0O0o
Give me a plan B, in case I die.
"Okay- Well-" Shang Qinghua started, "I admit I didn't really think this one through."
It was three months after the Heavenly Fire Cleansing Of An Ding and the eleven other Peak Lords were all too happy to send him copies of paperwork. They were much less co-operative in helping him actually do it. There was now a four metre high pile of parchement in the corner of his office.
It was a nightmare.
Adding to the nightmare-ish things occupying his workspace, there was now a complete copy of his body starfished out on the carpet. Shang Qinghua assumes that if he died, he'd be transported into this body. However, he'd also assumed that his 'plan B' was a incorporeal, magical, distant thing as a failsafe. Not a corpse on his new rug.
In true Qing generation fashion, Shang Qinghua decided there and then that, this is not a today problem.
And he knew exactly the place to store this body. Some place no one besides him would ever look.
o0O0o
Qi Qingqi was not going to stand for this.
That slob Shang Qinghua had been doing everyone else's paperwork, and not hers!
Yue Qingyuan got the Sect's Emperial taxes back, Liu Qingge got the go ahead for a new training hall even though they all knew he'd only use it once a month and that utter cow Shen Qingqiu got a new set of guqins. Her girls were still struggling with no soap or new shoes, even though she'd put the request for financing and sourcing in two weeks ago!
As she entered his office, Qi Qingqi knew why. The lazy sleaze hadn't sorted any of the parchement out! It was just in a pile in the corner!
She huffed and strode over, begining to push away the papers, searching for her request form. The only problem was, they all looked the same.
Paper
Paper
Paper
Paper
Paper
Finger
Pape-
WHAT?
Qi Qingqi gaped at the pale digit, poking out of the pile. She then blew the pile apart with a small Qi blast, exposing... Shang Qinghua?
His head lolled to the side and as she checked his pulse, Qi Qingqi knew.'
Shang Qinghua was dead.
Shang Qinghua was dead.
He was dead. Qi Qingqi hadn't ever liked him that much but she certainly hadn't wanted him dead. Buried under his own work at that! She couldn't belive it, how could she and the other Lords not see the pressure Shang Qinghua was under? How could they bully him, knowing he was weak? How could they beat hurt him, knowing that he was the softest of them all. In that moment, Qi Qingqi wholeheartedly regreted ever hurting Shang Qinghua-
"Hey!" Shang Qinghua called out opening the door.
Qi Qingqi went for the throat.
o0O0o
When she came to, the first thing Qi Qingqi noted was that she was cold.
The second being she was chained up.
The third? Shang Qinghua was sitting infront of her, dressed in demon's garb.
"Filthy demon" she hissed, trying to twist out of the shackles, "How dare you use his face!"
'Shang Qinghua' raised an eyebrow, "I'm not a demon. This is my real face."
Liar!
Qi Qingqi rolled her eyes, "You can't trick me! Shang Qinghua would never betray his Sect!"
"... Really. Why's that?"
"He doesn't have the guts! Shang Qinghua would never consort with demons! You picked the wrong person. Shen Qingqiu would definetly fit your schemes more."
'Shang Qinghua's' lips twitched, and he reached into his robes, unearthing a small glowing stone and a ink stone and brush. He began grinding the stone, and Qi Qingqi continued on her rant, "But I guess since you're not playing the part of Shang Qinghua anymore you don't have to dress like him. That cloak is a dead giveaway. Northern Demon royalty? I heard they had almost died out. Liu-shixong will have a splendid time hunting you down and executing you."
"This cloak? Oh, I'd forgotten to give it back. I'm not demon nobility. And either way, Liu-shidi wont be hunting me down."
He began to wet his brush with ink. It was almost akin to a warrior sharpening their sword.
"Whatever gave you that idea? The moment they realise I'm in danger the whole sect will come to burn your palace to the ground."
A wet brush wrote strokes on her skin, and she could now see that the demon was painting the word 'FORGET' onto her exposed forearm.
"But they won't realise," 'Shang Qinghua' spoke softly, "In fact, if all goes to plan, you won't realise."
Qi Qingqi began to struggle, "Hey! Hey! What are you doing?"
"Goodnight Qi-shimei. Sweet dreams," 'Shang Qinghua' whispered.
Qi Qingqi's struggles grew weak as a haze took over her brain.
He couldn't do this! He couldn't- What was happening again?
o0O0o
"Wild night out." Shang Qinghua informed a puzzled Liu Mingyuan and readjusted the fireman's hold he had on her Shizun, "She probably won't remember anything from... midday onwards."
o0O0o
There were times when things went according to plan! Mostly.
I'm a genius, Shang Qinghua thought as he etched some characters onto the teapot, the greatest mind of our times.
The teapot suddenly felt heavy, the cool ceramic turning hot within a few seconds of the words being complete.
Endless coffee
o0O0o
Out of all the Peak Lords, Mu Qingfang had a quiet, secret favourite. Shang Qinghua of An Ding Peak almost never got hurt. He only visited the medical peak when he needed to order some new supplies. In turn, Mu Qingfang tried to complete all his paperwork on time, a gesture Shang Qinghua had often thanked him for.
So he was a bit worried when his favourite colleague turned up the their next Peak Lord meeting clutching a steaming teapot and thousand metre stare.
"He's consorting with demons!" Shen Qingqiu spat, pointing at Shang Qinghua, who hadn't sat down yet and was simply standing staring at the complicated numbers problem on the board, detailing the Sect's budget.
Qi Qingqi stood up and slammed her hand down on the table, causing the teacups to rattle, "Shang Qinghua would never betray his sect! How dare you say that!"
"I SAW HIM TALKING TO THE KING OF THE NORTHERN DESERTS! HE'S A TRAITOR!"
They all turned to look at Shang Qinghua doubtfully, the man was now muttering calculations under his breath. Mu Qingfang was considering the possibility that Shang Qinghua had eaten some mushrooms with hallucinogenic properties. The An Ding lord began pouring a liquid that was most definitely not tea from the spout into his mouth and swallowed it wth a sigh of relief.
"Put half of QIimgqiu's budget into Mu Qingfang's," He advised Yue Qingyuan, who immediately began writing this down, "Take a quarter of Liu-shidi's and invest it into buying cloth for the whole sect and reshuffle Qi Qingqi's finances."
"Are you feeling alright, Shang Qinghua" Mu Qingfang asked tentatively as Shen Qingqiu began spitting virol at the adjustments.
He was suddenly pinned under the most intense stare Mu Qinfgfang had ever felt, "I can see sound and taste colour. I haven't blinked in over an hour. Liu-shidi keeps- Where is Liu-shidi?"
Liu Qingge had just returned from a monster hunt and was sleeping in. Previous attempts to wake the man were not successful, so everyone had just given up and discussed finances without him. Shang Qinghua dipped his fingers in ink and spelt out "WAKE UP' on the mahogany wall.
Thay all watched in wonder. Not the 'awe' wonder, but the type of wonder you get when you watch someone do something you knew they'd regret later.
"This is the man you think is betraying us?" Qi Qingqi rolled her eyes, "He can barely balance on his own two feet!"
Shang Qinghua swayed on his feet as if to prove her point.
"When was the last time you slept?" Mu Qingfang asked, steadying Shang Qinghua.
"Monday."
He did not know what a 'Monday' was, but it was safe to assume it was a while ago.
"How about," Mu Qingfang proposed, "You go back to your peak and-"
"He's here!" Shang Qinghua yelped, struggling out of his hold.
"Who!" Qi QIngqi yelled.
Shen Qingqiu stood up, "The demon!"
"Darth Vader! He's coming! I can't- He is not my father!" Tears began running down the man's face.
The Peak Lords exchanged a look. What????
Through the open window, the faint sound of an unfamiliar tune wafted in. Shen Qingqiu's face got even stormier, a feat Mu Qingfang considered almost impossible, and he stalked over, pushing Shang Qinghua.
"That is not a traditional cultivation tune!"
"I have to go!" Shang Qinghua bolted off, clutching his ears.
Liu Qingge slammed the door open, still dressed in sleeping robes, "Which one of you set a Five Headed Sonic Boom Rooster loose on my peak!?"
o0O0o
Qinghua would never get used to the whole 'teleportation' thing Mobei-jun has going on.
"There has been a poisoning attempt." Mobei-jun announced from the corner of Qinghua's office.
Jesus. Shang Qinghua's heart would give out soon!
"On who?" He looked up.
His king swayed slightly, the normal blueness of his skin now a worrying shade of pink. There were obvious beads of sweat on his forehead, something that doesn't happen in ice demons.
"Me."
Mobei-jun fell to the floor.
"Shhhhiiiitttt!" Shang Qinghua hissed, "System? What have they done?"
The NPC MOBEI-JUN has been afflicted with the poison VOLCANIC REED POLLEN.
What's the remedy?
There is none. All ICE DEMONS afflicted with this poison have died.
Shang Qinghua calls bullshit.There is NO WAY he's going to let his favourite character die to something so mundane before the plot actually starts.
"Qinghua," Mobei-jun groans, "This king has some final orders."
Yeah right.
"This servant would be pleased to hear them, after one final request."
"Anything."
Aiyah! Don't say that! I'm not your beloved wife!
"Shut the fuck up. This is not your end."
Shang Qinghua pulled the robes apart and began to scratch onto the grey skin, 'HEAL'.
o0O0o
Mobei-jun stood infront of his mirror at his palace.
Once again his little servant had defied the natural laws of the land and healed him. The poison used on him was fatal. He shouldn't have survived. The healers practically begged to examine him, to see what antidote had fixed their Lord.
Mobei had held off their requests untill the faint scratchings had gone down and the redness spelling out the simple word 'heal' disappeared. He watched himself place a hand on his chest in the mirror, covering the place Shang Qinghua - a god - had touched him.
His god.
o0O0o
Shang Qinghua got homesick at the strangest of times.
Case in point, he was sitting at his desk, munching on a pork bun when suddenly the loneliness washed over him.
Tears began to drip onto Yue Qingyuan's request form and his brush began to wobble.
I want a friend.
Shang Qinghua stared at the words he'd wrote on the back of an old manuscript. He quickly rubbed it off, the ink smearing across the paper. It was embarrassing. Shang Qinghua, the creator of this world was lonely? He was surrounded by his creations, the people he'd shaped and brought to life. How could he be lonely?
He huffed out a shakey laugh and continued on with his work.
Either way, there was nothing he could do.
o0O0o
On Qing Jing Peak, someone woke up, scratching his head and wondering if he was on a prank show.
Activation code: "Dumbfuck author, dumbfuck novel." SYSTEM automatically triggered.