Work Text:
It was the dead of night. Snow wasn't the only thing that blanketed this forest tonight, as aside from the occasional splashing of the Luo river currents, only silence could be heard.
Save for of course, a heavily panting man
It was approximately about 10 am currently, or maybe it's some other time he honestly doesn't know.
Like, Shichen? Incense time? What even is that? He hadn't even understood it when writing the damn thing! He cursed himself everyday for trying to write with that fancy ancient Chinese way of accounting time instead of just using the tried and true 24h format! If he had just done that, it would make this task and his paperwork a heck of alot easier!
Aside from a watch, what Shang Qinghua wished the most he had on him right now was a map. He had one that he bought for a good amount of money a moment ago, but it was whisked away from him by the cruel and merciless freezing wind when he accidentally slipped on a frozen rock.
“Hey system, you wouldn't happen to have a map you could generously lend me for the time being no?”
The system, in contrast to its usual loud and intrusive behavior, prompted to stay silent this time. Shang Qinghua wasn't surprised at this, as the system had been sulking all the way here ever since he unceremoniously went against its orders.
Curse his luck, his system and his story! He really wasn't kidding when he wrote that this was the coldest night of the year!
This turn of events was almost enough to discourage him to not go through with this idiotic mission he had assigned for himself.
But almost means almost. Nothing more, nothing less. His resolve was absolute. If it meant saving a life, this mission is the one thing he won't chicken out on.
Also helped that someone's life was at stake too.
This whole debacle started when Huan Hua palace invited the Sect Leader and numerous other sect leaders to an emergency meeting without any explanation as to why.
Naturally, receiving an invitation to a rival sect for a meeting without being given any reason why would lead to some speculation, especially with the peak lords.
“The nerve that Huan Hua bastards have to demand our Sect Leader to an emergency meeting for no reason! Zhangmen-Shixiong shouldn't go! It's obviously a trap!” Qi Qingqi loudly exclaimed.
“I agree with Qi-Shimei Zhangmen-Shixiong, an invitation like this right after the Qing generation has ascended? This whole thing sounds fishy” Wei Qingwei added.
Yue Qingyuan, who had by then had already been tired at the bickering of all the peak lords, just sighed and said “Qi-Shimei… Wei-Shidi… while I appreciate the martial camaraderie by your worrying about my well being, it is not as if I could just refuse to not go, there are probably plausible reasons as to why Huan Hua did this”
“Huh? Why can't you refuse to not go?” Liu Qingge offhandedly asked. “They're the ones being unreasonable here, and it's not like they can force someone as strong as you to come” he said concisely, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
“Liu-Shidi, instead of asking stupid questions like that you should perhaps use the brain you were born with first” Shen Qingqiu condescendingly told him from across the room.
At this, Liu Qingge’s face darkened, he abruptly stood up and glared at him.
Shen Qingqiu responded to Liu Qingge’s glare with an even scarier glare and they ended up having a glare off in the middle of the meeting room.
Unfortunately for Shang Qinghua, no matter how much he simply wanted to throw himself out the window right now, still had to play the designated Liu Qingge and Shen Qingqiu mediator role his asshole martial brothers had given him early on.
“Liu-Shidi! Shen-Shixiong! Please, there's no reason to get tense at a time like this! If you want to have a proper duel please do it outside of meeting hours!” Shang Qinghua’s voice tapered off a bit at the end when both Liu Qingge and Shen Qingqiu stopped their glare off to stare at him.
Fortunately, they did stop at the end and Liu Qingge returned to sit again. Much to the tired look of Yue Qingyuan.
Just as Shang Qinghua was about to let out a sigh of relief, Shen Qingqiu began talking. “Shang-Shidi, care to share something?” he inquiredly said.
Yue Qingyuan and all the adjacent peak lords turned their heads to look at him.
Shang Qinghua almost violently choked at being singled out by Shen Qingqiu like this, so much so that Mu Qingfang who was sitting beside him looked at him with worry.
Shang Qinghua, quickly regaining his composure, replied: “A-ahem… what does Shen-Shixiong mean by that?”
“There is no need to stutter Shang-Shidi, it's just that…” Shen Qingqiu let his sentence hang there a bit, lightly tapping his index finger against the table while staring at him.
Shang Qinghua’s mind was in a frenzy, did he do something wrong? Was he breathing odd? Did Shen Qingqiu find out about Mobei-jun? Did he do something? Was his breathing so odd to the point that Shen Qingqiu found out about Mobei-jun?
The Peak Lord’s heart was beating so loud that he was sure that his martial siblings beside him could hear them.
Damn you Shen Qingqiu! I bet you're deliberately not saying anything to unnerve me! It's working damnit!
“Shen-Shidi” Yue Qingyuan said.
These two words immediately reseted both peak lords' state of mind.
Shen Qingqiu snapped his eyes off of him and towards Yue Qingyuan, he immediately gave the Sect Leader something that he could only describe as the feeling of disgust when looking at a dead bug. That glare, if directed at the common man, would have probably left them in a puddle of tears. But Yue Qingyuan’s face was unfazed as always.
“What?” Shen Qingqiu emotionlessly asked.
“If you have any questions for Shang-Shidi, I'm sure he would answer them no problem, there is no need to let him wait” Yue Qingyuan concisely said.
Oh wow! Fuck you Zhangmen-Shixiong! He’s sure that he said that to help him, but wasn't there a way to do that without it making him look pathetic? If the tension was better, he’s sure that some of his martial siblings would have laughed at that!
Shen Qingqiu continued to give the Sect Leader that soul-crushing glare before returning back to the lofty indifferent expression of an immortal master. Turning his head to Shang Qinghua's direction again without so much of a response to Yue Qingyuan.
“What I had been meaning to say was… that since Shang-Shidi has had a thoughtful look all this time, that if he'd had anything to say, that's all.” Shen Qingqiu indifferently said.
Fuck! He did? Fuck! He trained for this type of thing, what the hell! Shen Qingqiu… you're too sharp for your own good!
Now that Shang Qinghua was the center of attention again, he acted quickly.
“A-ah no Shixiong, it's just that… Well, I've heard a while ago that the head disciple of Huan Hua palace, Su Xiyan, hasn't been seen in a while, disappeared so to say. I was just thinking that maybe this could be related to that…?” He hastily blurted.
At this, all the peak lords eyed him inquisitively.
“Huan Hua palace’s head disciple, Su Xiyan? She has gone missing?” Yue Qingyuan asked.
“From what I've heard, yes.” Shang Qinghua had no choice but to confirm it. People don't respect an unsure man after all.
“From what have you heard, Shidi? How are you so confident as to know?” Shen Qingqiu asked as he eyed him suspiciously.
“W-well, I haven't heard per se… It's just that, I've worked with many people who work directly with Su Xiyan on a somewhat daily basis, she is very popular in the Jianghu after all. And many of them have said that she hasn't talked to them nor have they seen her in a while, and some of my contacts that work near Huan Hua have said that the sect has been in a frenzy for a while, that could very well be related no? Now, what I'm saying iisn't an official statement or anything! It's more of like a general observation than anything else! It's not like I know anything about what goes on in Huan Hua palace it's just that-”
“Enough Shidi” Yue Qingyuan exasperatedly interrupted him while rubbing his forehead.
Even though he was basically told to shut up, he practically leaped for joy in his mind. Yapping was the proper form for getting what you want!
After hearing his hastily constructed babble, Shen Qingqiu rapped his fan open, hiding half of his face and calmly closed his eyes. “I see, forgive me for being a little presumptuous back then Shang-Shidi.”
Shang Qinghua breathed a sigh of relief
“Although…” Shen Qingqiu suddenly continued. He opened his eyes and stared at him attentively
“I recommend Shang-Shidi to speak up more in the future. I find that sometimes… Shidi knows more than he lets on”
Shang Qinghua instantly got chills all over his body.
Shen Qingqiu! You truly are the magnificent scum villain I wrote!
He faltered for a moment forgetting how to speak, before quickly replying: “O-of course Shixiong! This Shidi is grateful for Shixiong’s advice and will definitely be using it in future endeavors!
Yue Qingyuan once again looked exasperated at the two Peak lords, but before he could say something, a Qiong Ding assistant had come by the Sect Leader’s side and whispered something to his ear.
“Ah, it looks like it is time for me to go to Huan Hua palace, if something substantial happens I will let all of you know immediately. Thanking Shang-Shidi for the information he has given. This meeting is adjourned as I am taking my leave” Yue Qingyuan said all at once, he immediately stood up and left to go, much to the displeasement of many of the peak lords.
Once the peak lords all dispersed, Shang Qinghua walked back to An Ding peak with his mind in tatters.
He couldn't believe it. Even after spending decades in his own godforsaken novel and personally interacting with characters that originally existed as lines on his shitty computer, there had always been a little teeny tiny disconnect. But now,
The plot! It was really happening!
Okay, there might be a chance that this matter might be entirely unrelated to the plot, but it might not be!
Huan Hua palace just asking a bunch of warriors and sect leaders to a meeting with no cause given? That definitely sounded like they were starting to plan a sneak attack over a certain heavenly demon soon!
Coupled with the mysterious but not reported disappearance of Su Xiyan, these are definitely signs of Luo Binghe's birth origin!
Holy shit was this really happening?
Shang Qinghua obviously knows of Binghe's parents' backstory very well, he wrote it after all. But it was still very surreal experiencing it. Nothing about Tianlang-jun and Su Xiyan was ever mentioned in detail at all in the original novel, Tianlang-jun never made his planned appearance and he wasn't even sure if he bothered to reveal Su Xiyan’s name!
Hell, even he didn't care about them! Most of his thoughts regarding Binghe's parents were just of slight regret over losing that original Tianlang-jun outline he had destroyed when he accidentally poured beer over his shitty 7 year old computer.
Tianlang-jun and Su Xiyan in the past to him was just a passing memory. But now, even though they were characters he hadn't met just yet, they were nonetheless real and breathing people whose doomed fates and misfortunes would kickstart the plot.
Shang Qinghua didn't know what to think about that.
So he decided to not think about it at all.
He was going to throw himself into work and forget about it! Yeah!
Shang Qinghua went to his Leisure House and went into seclusion, barring himself of the outside world and burying himself in to the stacks of unfinished paperwork he had neglected up until now
Yes! Even though he hated paperwork more than he hated his parents, it was still more pleasant to think about than going through an existential crisis and crippling waves of guilt!
His sudden seclusion was met to the displeasure of many of the An Ding assistants and disciples. But it's not like they could do anything about it, he was literally doing and submitting paperwork, and the only person they could complain to is him! He was no longer the lowly An Ding peak glorified assistant that could be pushed around anymore! No, he was a full fledged Peak Lord now! He had all the power now!
Of course, that power… it… it wasn't that great… it couldn't even help the two people that needed it the most.
Hell, this power… it couldn't even guarantee to save his own future.
What?
Whoa whoa whoa hey now hey now let's not think about that right now haha! Less thinking, more paperwork please!
The dark days of seclusion in his Leisure House went by faster than he expected.
It's been… 2-3 weeks maybe? He doesn't know, he's never been good at time management.
No matter how much he wanted to ignore the world outside this little bubble, he still needed to face it eventually.
So, for the first time in weeks, Shang Qinghua faced the outside.
It was… kind of nice actually. Even though he was sorta a shut-in in his past life, he could still appreciate the brightness of a clear morning.
Shang Qinghua was in the middle of basking in the sunlight when an old feminine voice called out from behind him. “Oh? it seems that Peak Lord Shang has finally decided to come out of his hiding place.”
Startled, Shang Qinghua snapped his head to the direction of the voice, dropping some of the scrolls he was holding unintentionally.
The older woman’s previously judgemental expression immediately turned serious as she hastily picked up the dropped scrolls.
“Hallmaster Ming?!?! I-im sorry!”
Curse his luck! A minute into coming back to society only to be scolded by Hallmaster Ming! He wants to go home!
Hallmaster Ming, whose full name was Ming Yu, was the highest Hallmaster of An Ding, a particularly prominent Cang Qiong elder, and one of the leading causes of Shang Qinghua's numerous nightmares!. Her status in the story was that of an unnamed extra background character, as even Airplane was sure he hadn't written her at all. But though she was a mere speck in the plot, Shang Qinghua was already very well acquainted with her.
Hallmaster Ming was, in all sense of the words, a strict, no-nonsense, rule-following tyrant that cared more about paperwork than the wellbeing of her own disciples!
Case in point, Hallmaster Ming was absolutely terrifying!
And worst of all… she had it out for him!
Ming Yu was an older woman of the same generation as the former An Ding peak lord was. In fact, she was the former An Ding peak lord's direct martial sibling, as they were both disciples of the Rong generation’s An Ding peak lord.
Although Hallmaster Ming was indeed a tyrant that viewed scrolls as more precious than human life, she was still a diligent and hardworking woman that was genuinely the best at her job. And that work ethic hadn't wavered throughout the years, so when the Qin generation ascended, she by all means should've gotten the job of An Ding peak lord.
But, being the hardest worker on An Ding peak didn't change the fact she was a woman of humble background.
So, the job was instead given to his Shizun, the former An Ding peak lord.
The title of peak lord was indeed impressive, but it still required a ton of work, particularly for An Ding peak. Furthermore, the former An Ding peak lord, who spent the majority of his life as the son of a wealthy merchant family doing nothing but lazing around, decided that the work was too demanding and gave most of it to Hallmaster Ming.
Because of this, Hallmaster Ming’s demeanor grew bitter over time, and it was only made worse when he arrived!
Shang Qinghua couldn't read minds, but he was really good at reading faces. And oh boy she did not have a pretty one when he was first introduced to her as the An Ding head disciple.
When Hallmaster Ming first looked at him, her first impression of him was definitely that of a scrawny and cowardly bumbling idiot yes-man who got here by kissing ass and daddy’s connections. Someone that had never gone through any real hardships in life that wouldn't do any real work and delegate it to other people. Just like his lazy Shizun had been.
Hallmaster Ming bro! I'm not like him, I promise! I'm in the same boat as you!
Ever since then, Hallmaster Ming had been Shang Qinghua's biggest nightmare. She would constantly lecture every action he took, scrutinize every word he spoke and denounced every decision he signed off on! Granted, not all of the scolding had come for no reasons, but all those reasons were all honest mistakes!
He’ll never forget the absolutely awful scowl Hallmaster Ming had the day of his ascension ceremony.
She hates him to the core and doesn't try to hide it!
And though he had gotten the lofty title of Peak Lord, he still didn't dare offend Hallmaster Ming in any way. If she spoke to him, his subsequent responses would always be: I'm sorry Hallmaster Ming! or You are absolutely correct, Hallmaster Ming! or Thank you Hallmaster Ming!
“Ah! I-im sorry Hallmaster Ming! I was careless and dropped the scrolls! Please forgive me!” Shang Qinghua squeaked.
Hallmaster Ming paid him no mind as if he was air, instead opting to carefully examine the scrolls he dropped for any damages as if they were her own baby.
“Hallmaster Ming…? A-are the scrolls okay…?”
Hallmaster Ming eventually turned her head to look at him, her expression was the same as if she was looking at a bug.
“The scrolls are fine. In spite of your careless handling of them.” She said with a scary tone.
“I really am sorry, Hallmaster Ming! Your arrival was unexpected and I let my guard down! Please forgive me!”
“Alright alright I get it! Stop apologizing, boy!” she exclaimed.
“I'm sorry! It won't happen- I-i mean sor- I mean! I mean…”
He promptly shut up.
She promptly glared at him.
They both stayed silent for a second
“Um… may this lord ask Hallmaster Ming if she needs anything from me? Hallmaster Ming seldom comes up here if not for a good reason. And this lord doubts that Hallmaster Ming would waste her valuable time climbing the peak top just to check up on this one.”
Hearing that last sentence, Hallmaster Ming’s face became aggrieved. “Hmph! You're right to think that boy! As if I would waste my time to check up on you lazing about in your leisure house! No! I was coming up here to drag you out of your seclusion!” She barked.
“Remember that you're a peak lord now! You have to build your reputation and presence right away and not spend all of it on your leisure house! Seclusion for 4 weeks without reason?! People have raised expectations for Cang Qiong cultivators ever since that sect leader brat captured a demon! Uplive it!”
“Yes! What Hallmaster Ming says is absolutely correct! I will defini- wait, hold up, hold up, Zhangmen-Shixiong did what?”
“See! This is exactly why you shouldn't seclude yourself! You don't even need the cultivation! This is An Ding peak for god sake! All you're doing is depriving yourself of human interaction and sunlight! To the point you don't even get basic information like thi-”
“Hallmaster Ming I get it okay I get it! Just tell me what Zhangmen-Shixiong did already!” Shang Qinghua demanded.
Hallmaster Ming's expression immediately turned dumbfounded, this was the first in a long time that someone dared to bark back at her.
“You! Just because you're-”
“Hallmaster Ming! Save the scolding for later! Tell me now!”
“Uh- that… Yue brat, he… I don't know all the exact details but a few days ago he apparently participated in an ambush of the demon lord Tianlang-jun, and came back victorious. The entire sect, especially Qiong Ding has been in an uproar these days… he…”
Hallmaster Ming kept talking, but Shang Qinghua's mind was blocking it out, replacing it with deafening silence.
Tianlang-jun, he was suppressed already.
That meant Su Xiyan was going to die soon.
That meant the protagonist was going to be born soon.
That means the plot is going to start soon.
“Hey…”
“Hey kid! Are you listening to me??? What's wrong with you?!!?”
Shang Qinghua snapped out of his trance when Hallmaster Ming physically shook his shoulders.
“What's wrong with you brat? Why are you so pale?!? Don't tell me I have to drag you to Qian Cao!” she exclaimed.
“A-ah… I'm sorry Hallmaster Ming… I'm just a bit woozy that's all… I'll be excusing myself for the day.” He said, immediately turned around and booked it to his Leisure House and shut the door, much to the stupefied Hallmaster Ming.
The second he made it inside, his knees instantly gave up as he collapsed onto the floor.
Fuck, why was he so surprised? Didn't he literally go into seclusion specifically so he wouldn't have to witness nor think about this whole Tianlang-jun fiasco?!
He's spent decades doing this already! He's known since the beginning that this was a story that will inevitably be told! He’s entered the sect! He's sworn loyalty to a demon! He became Peak Lord! Why now?!? Why now was it so hard to accept?!!?!
These turn of events… they are inevitable!
But…
He…
He didn't want them to be.
He didn't want Tianlang-jun to be suppressed under a mountain just to make the protagonists' demonic heritage more mysterious.
He didn't want Su Xiyan to die just to leave the protagonist with a sad backstory.
He didn't want Luo Binghe to suffer all sorts of hardships in life, go through terrible abuse, and end up living his life in senseless bloodlust and rage just because the readers thought it was cool.
He didn't want to sit aside to let that happen under the confines of this story.
He wants to change it.
…
[Warning! Warning! This System highly advises against User’s actions.]
“System-dage… you've been repeating that line since days ago… don't you think it's kind of repetitive now? Also, with all this insistence on ‘warnings’ this humble one is beginning to think that all System can do is warn, not punish. Is this humble one’s assumption correct?”
[...]
“Yeah, thought so motherfucker”
“Um… pardon me sir?”
Shang Qinghua immediately snapped into sense, he hastily said: “OH! Um… it was nothing haha! Speaking of which, is the map available?”
“Oh- uh- yes sir! It'll be 100 coins for this one.” The seller replied
100 coins!!!
For one map!!!
What a scam!!!
Even though he was aggrieved on the inside, he still dutifully took out his money pouch and paid it. Although the price was indeed outrageous, it was still needed for his journey. You couldn't go into the vast Luo forests blind!
The way his money pouch significantly lightened still hurt though.
Nobody said that a safety mission was easy! This was a necessary expense in the grand scheme of things!
But also, nobody told him it was this expensive! He wanted to go home!
But alas, he had to stay. He had put in too much work and effort to get here!
In order to even be able to get the time to come here, he had to meticulously forge a letter from his family.
You see Hallmaster! The Shang residence had really been met with a terrible incident! One that required their eldest son to come here immediately to save them! Don't make that face Hallmaster Ming… this matter is true and urgent! See! It even has an official state seal on it! And Zhangmen-Shixiong has already approved of this- H-hallmaster Ming?!?! WAIT HALLMASTER MING DON'T! DON'T KILL ME AHHHHH!
Shang Qinghua had already risked his butt coming here, there was no way he was gonna chicken out now!
Although coming here was already hard enough, the hardest challenge was yet to come, and that was to actually find Su Xiyan!
In the original novel, he really paid Su Xiyan no mind, she really was just the fridged mom. Of course he wouldn't write the details of when and where she died! His lazy writing was once again biting him in the ass!
Oh well, he made it this far, he was determined now! He had grown a steel resolve!
Luo forests, here I come!
And that was the story of how he got here! Sure, he was a little discouraged, but like he said in the beginning, his resolve was absolute! He could do this!
Of course, he was getting a little tired… he had been walking for who knows how long and-
Before he could continue his train of thought he fell and face planted right in the thick heavy snow.
Akh! What was he doing?!? Get up! Get up!
Fuck… it really has been too long… Su Xiyan wouldnt mind it if I waited a little right….? I-
His thoughts immediately halted when a sudden noise came into his ears.
It was the sound of a baby crying.
His body instantly springed up with strength he didn't know he had, and booked it to the edges of the river
Sure enough, when he made it there, he saw a baby. A baby that was wrapped up in yellow ripped robes laying inside a laundry basket.
That baby… that was his son!
His protagonist son! It was Binghe!
His Binghe!
His Binghe…
His Binghe! Who was currently rocking dangerously in a fragile laundry basket that was going who knows where carried by the strong and freezing currents of the Luo river!
AH! DON'T WORRY BINGHE! YOUR AUTHOR BABA IS COMING TO SAVE YOU!
He quickly took off his robes and plunged into the river. The water was indeed freezing, but he paid it no mind.
There was only one thing going through Shang Qinghua’s brain currently.
It was his son!
Shang Qinghua thanked the heavens that he was forced into swimming lessons in his past life! Even if it were just ways his father tried to get him out his sight he was still grateful to him too! All of that made him a pretty adept swimmer compared to his peers in the long run!
Though he was an adept swimmer, the currents of the Luo river was still unforgivingly strong and cruelly cold. Trying to swim parallel to the crushingly heavy unstoppable waves was indeed a monumental task.
Still, he persevered against the harsh raging waves, eventually trudging himself to where he was close enough to grip the washbasin. He arduously pushed his body and the washbasin towards land.
Once he got there he immediately collapsed onto the soft snow, deliberately this time! He had really used up a good amount of energy by now and was really tired.
He quickly regained his senses after once again hearing Binghe start crying again and stood up to inspect him.
Right now, even though he was still crying, he feels as though Binghe’s wailing had gone down a significant number. That's good right? Even a baby knew that it was better to be on land than a river right?
Binghe’s crying didn't cease, his sobs turned louder.
Oh shit right! There's a baby here to attend to dumbass!
Shang Qinghua hastily picked up his dropped outer robe and draped Binghe in it. Slowly picking up the little baby.
When Shang Qinghua fully cradled him, he could feel little Binghe’s body immediately soften. He felt like his heart was about to melt into goo.
Suddenly, the little one opened his eyes.
The action made poor Shang Qinghua's heart stop, as he stared into the baby’s starry dark eyes.
“O-oh hi there little one… hi… welcome to the world I guess…?” He said nervously, as if the baby could respond.
“M-my name is Shang Qinghua! And yours?- wait- I guess you already have a nam- hey hey hey! No no… don't cry don't cry… it's okay now… you're… okay now, okay?” He said as he soothingly rocked the baby in his arms the best he could.
In Shang Qinghua's arms, little Binghe's crying did eventually cease, gradually turning to small whimpers.
“Yes… shhh… see how nice it is when you're not crying? It's okay… it's okay…”
Shang Qinghua took out a plain piece of cloth to wipe Binghe's face carefully. When he went to retract his hand his pinky was suddenly grabbed by Luo Binghe!
His pinky was trapped between little Binghe’s small but strong fingers, not letting go.
Shang Qinghua's heart fully melted into goo.
“Ah!
“Have you calmed down now? See how nice it is when you don't cry little one? You… You are so cute! You're the cutest baby I've ever seen in my life! You really are my son haha! Well, you don't actually look like me. I'm not that cute ha! No, you resemble Su Xiyan alot actually… you-”
Oh right.
Su Xiyan.
Shang Qinghua instantly ran in the opposite direction of where Binghe was flowing, clutching him in his arms tight so he wouldn't fall off.
He couldn't have been too late right?!? No, there was still a chance…
There was still a chance!
There was still a chance…
There was still…
Oh.
He was too late.
In front of Shang Qinghua, there lay a woman. A woman whose body was laying face first in the thick snow. A woman whose pale skin showed signs of terrible frostbite. A woman who was evidently dead.
A woman who, was unfortunately Su Xiyan.
Shang Qinghua failed at many things in life, in both his past life and this one. Such things came free with existing after all.
But this failure had probably hurt the most.
If… if he had been faster… w-would she…
He couldn't help it, his knees gave out under him. He silently knelt beside Su Xiyan and eventually built up the courage to check her pulse.
It was useless though, he knew the moment he saw her that he had been too late.
Even if this definitely wasn't the first time he's seen a dead body, he was still overwhelmed with the desire to puke.
Bin
ghe, perhaps sensing Shang Qinghua's change in mood, began to cry out.
Shang Qinghua hurriedly went to comfort him: “H-hey hey… it's okay… i-its.. okay… right?”
Right?
No, this wasn't the time to be thinking about this.
After he calmed down the crying Binghe, he lay him gently in the snow, went to a near and secluded area. He picked up his sword and began shoveling the heavy snow with it.
It wasn't easy, but Shang Qinghua’s strength as an immortal cultivator helped speed up the process.
It's not like that strength had been good for anything in the end.
When Shang Qinghua finished shoveling, the wide hole was approximately 4-5 feet deep. He would've gone for the traditional 6 if it weren't snowing heavily today.
Then, he carefully picked up Su Xiyan's cold, lifeless body and gently laid her in the hole.
He paused for a moment, braced himself, and went to pull down her eyelids, closing them shut for the last time. Before beginning to shovel the dirt back in.
He couldn't save her, so he had to atleast give her a proper burial she never got in the original story.
When he was done, he just stood there, silent.
If he hadn't slipped on that rock, would he have found her before she died?
If he ran faster, would she have lived?
If he had intervened from the beginning, would any of this have happened?
Yes, he thought.
Everything that has happened here today, was of his own doing.
For the first of a long time, he cried.
He honest to God cried.
Shang Qinghua, for most of his life, was regarded to most people as a coward. They weren't wrong, even he himself admits. Whenever there were signs of any real danger, he was always the first to scream, act dead, and run away from the present situation. He was by all means a coward.
Though he was a coward, he was still a man with dignity! He wouldn't cry unless he was under extreme pain.
He was definitely in extreme pain right now.
So, he cried.
He didn't even know why. It's not like he knew Su Xiyan personally. Hell, he literally wrote her death! He knew it was gonna happen!
But that thought didn't make the pain go away.
It hurt.
It hurt alot.
It-
“WAAAAAAAAH”
Whatever state of mind he was in before ceased. He hurriedly made his way to the crying little Binghe.
The tried man gently cradled the fragile but warm baby in his arms, rocking steadily as he cooed at the little thing in arms. “Oh… hey… sshh… its- um, oh god… what now?”
Yeah, what now?
When Shang Qinghua first came here, he hadn't really made a plan at all. His only goal was to save Su Xiyan and Luo Binghe from their original fates. But now that Su Xiyan was dead, what could he do now?
Well… there is one thing…
He had always referred to Luo Binghe as his son.
God, Hallmaster Ming is going to kill me two times over for this.
But that didn't matter.
He failed once, he wasn't going to again. The story changes here and now.
He stared at the little baby in his arms and let out a heavy sigh, then a big smile.
“Ah, I know it's a little late but, welcome to the world Luo Binghe! Starting today, I, surname Shang and given name Hua, will be the one taking care of you from now on!”
The man's future still looked unclear, but it felt a little warmer than before.