Chapter Text
“Come with me.”
The words were involuntary. He doesn’t really know why he said it.
Luo Binghe hadn’t meant anything when he kissed the Nice Shizun. He was just trying to humiliate him. He was disgusted by the relationship Shen Qingqiu and the Soft Binghe had. He scorned what he had seen with all his heart.
But also he couldn’t have expected to feel what he felt when the Nice Shizun doted on him, indulged him. It wasn’t the same as when some of his particularly sweet wives did it, for their behavior was followed either before or after some sort of sex or dual cultivation (not that he was complaining).
The Nice Shizun didn’t expect it when Luo Binghe pulled him into his lap and kissed him. He was genuinely surprised, he was doing those actions because he didn’t like seeing him hurt.
Before he realized it, he had already taken off the paper seals of Xin Mo and slashed a rip in the dimension, creating a portal he quickly stepped through.
He looked back at the two and couldn’t help but bite his lip in jealousy. He needed a Nice Shizun too.
—
Luo Binghe allowed the portal to naturally close behind him after he stepped through it. Feelings he had long worked to get rid of coursed through his veins; jealousy, craving, inferiority.
Why couldn’t he have a Nice Shizun? Why did he have to be stuck with Shen Jiu? How come other versions of himself got treated with such gentleness, such respect?
Was it even possible the two Shizun’s were the same?
It wasn’t long after returning in which Luo Binghe decided to seek counsel with his most trusted advisor and right hand man, Mobei-Jun.
Mobei-Jun was the lone king of the Northern Desert. He had nobody by his side— Not a queen, a trusted servant, nor advisor. He was alone in all aspects of being, never having been able to find a trustworthy companion… Except Luo Binghe, of course, but their relationship wasn’t the friendly sort. It was more business oriented.
Luo Binghe could tell the demon anything, and chances are it wouldn’t faze him in the slightest. His assumptions were correct, when after he finished reciting the entire story, all Mobei-Jun did was slightly furrow his brow in contemplation. “Does Junshang wish to… resurrect Shen Qingqiu?”
A slight burst of violent qi filled the throne room followed by a small drop in temperature. The hint was very easily taken. Shen Qingqiu would be staying dead.
Throughout his life, Luo Binghe learned that whenever he wanted something, he had to work to get it. That Nice Shizun from the other world wouldn’t have stayed nice if he had taken him away, so he has to find a different solution. “This Lord wishes to have his own Nice Shizun. I want to take him as a wife.” Luo Binghe said, placing one of his hands on Xin Mo’s hilt and letting it rest there.
He had always considered himself to be fluid in his sexuality, it was just there was no man who could live up to his standards. Every male counterpart was either weak, ugly, dead after a month, secretly plotting an assassination attempt, or so emotionally stunted it made rocks seem expressive.
If he could have his own Nice Shizun, he would cross off all of those boxes. He had to have one.
Mobei-Jun barely nodded his head in understanding, taking a moment of silence before offering his input. “If Junshang found this ‘Nice Shizun’ in a different universe, perhaps he can be found again in another. If he once existed in this one, Junshang surely would’ve known him before now.”
The sentence “Or would have killed him.” was omitted, but it hung in both of their minds. If the soul of Nice Shizun was ever alive in this dimension and was cultivating but Luo Binghe had never crossed paths with him… Chances are he was killed in the burning of Cang Qiong Mountain. Perhaps in one of the sect wars that were waged beforehand.
The thought of it annoyed him. It was a waste.
“If this Lord wished to travel through the demensions, where would he start?”
Mobei-Jun didn’t hesitate for even a second before locking eyes with Luo Binghe and saying, “If Junshang looks, he will certainly find what he seeks.”
Luo Binghe clearly took those words to heart, because that night after he alerted his wives that he was not to be sought out, he made a rip in the universe and stepped into it. He allowed Xin Mo to control his next destination, figuring his sword would help him achieve what he wanted. It always has.
When Luo Binghe finally opened his eyes, he was stepping into a completely new world.
It seems he entered into someone’s private chambers if the bed and dresser were any give away. Almost the entire rest of the room seemed foreign, however. The walls were covered with large papers with unrealistic, stylized versions of people he did not know on them. There was a young woman with blue pigtails showing far too much skin, a man with incredibly short hair holding some sort of black notebook in his hand, and some man (again, with short hair) fighting an unknown type of gigantic and disfigured demon with the words “Attack on Titan” plastered on the painting.
There were a few bookshelves, all filled to the brim with titles he found he also does not know.
In the middle of the room against a wall, there was a desk with some sort of glowing rock? It was difficult to tell what it was, it was something Luo Binghe had never seen before. There were words on the screen, so small that reading from a distance was almost impossible, but he could still make out “DUMBFUCK AUTHOR, THIS IS TRASH!!!” before his attention was diverted elsewhere.
There was a man sitting in a rotating, soft throne who turned around to stare. He was previously holding what appeared to be peasant noodles, but he dropped them when he saw Luo Binghe’s face. His hair was cut short, it was possibly a staple of men in this universe, and he had a pair of rectangular glasses that were being adjusted, as if the wearer couldn’t see his own eyes.
In his hands, Xin Mo hummed, and Luo Binghe had an extreme compulsion to step toward this man, to take him home. His sword had led him not only to a proper universe where his Nice Shizun lived, but directly into his private chambers. He’ll be sure to indulge it with spiritual energy later as a way of thanking it.
He stepped towards his brand new Nice Shizun and did something he hadn’t done in a long time, not since becoming a demon lord. He got down on one knee for someone he wasn’t proposing to, someone he had sworn would never be above him again. He took a breath and echoed what he had said earlier that day, to a different version of the same man, “Shizun, come back with me.”
He had the self respect not to lower his head nor phrase it as a question. He was not the same Soft Binghe he met in the other world, who would beg for something he wanted. He was better than that.
His Nice Shizun still hadn’t said anything after a full ten seconds, almost as if he was a doll. Luo Binghe was patient, so he waited. After another few seconds, the man stood up and placed a hand over his head, lightheaded. It seemed his shock was truly getting to him. Luo Binghe has seen a scene similar to this play out before. He was saving one of his wives from a demon snare, but she was struck with a poison. She was wobbly and needed to lay down, else she’d faint.
Luo Binghe swiftly got up off his knees and made it to where his Nice Shizun stood before placing a hand at the small of his back and lowering his voice, similar to the way he did while winning over a woman. “Shizun, let this disciple lay you down…”
His Nice Shizun had no arguments or resistance as he was pulled over towards the bed with blankets of much lower quality than the ones Luo Binghe was personally used to, but with pillows that exceeded even his own. As his Nice Shizun was laid on the bed, a small whisper escaped his lips. “…Luo Binghe..?”
Ah. Unfortunately, it seemed he had already met this universe’s version of himself. Perhaps they didn’t share a close relationship, if the surprise of seeing him was so off putting. There was no obvious fear either, so that was a good sign at least.
Luo Binghe dedicatedly shifted his Nice Shizun to lay upon the bed, looking around to see if there was any cups of water. “Yes, Shizun?”
For a moment, the room was quiet. Then suddenly, his Nice Shizun jumped at the words, after having finally contemplated the situation at hand and gone through everything that was said previously. “Who’s your Shizun?!”
It’s true, his Nice Shizun hadn’t looked the same as he did in the other universe, not just through his hair but his face was different as well. This one had softer features, a sharper jawline, and a smaller frame. Even his height had decreased a few inches. He certainly didn’t look like a scholar or mentor. With that in mind, was it possible he wasn’t a Shizun at all?
Perhaps he was never meant to be. There was always the possibility that the universe that contained the original Nice Shizun was faulty, giving way for a soul to wander.
Luo Binghe stood by the end of the bed and smiled the same smile that had charmed so many women. His Nice Shizun didn’t seem too focused on it. “This Lord apologizes, would Shen Qingqiu be a better fit?”
His Nice Shizun's face completely blanched, turning both pale and green at the same time. "No-! I'm not Shen Qingqiu!" He looked almost insulted at the misconception, clearly displeased with being mistaken for someone else.
After a moment of thought, Luo Binghe remembered that if he wasn’t a Shizun, he likely wasn’t a peak lord either. His original name would be the most accurate. “Of course, Shen Jiu.”
His Nice Shizun put his face in his hands and took off his glasses, rubbing at the bridge of his nose as if a strong headache was coming on. “Jiu? Nine? Really? I-… My name is Shen Yuan. Not Shen Qingqiu. Don’t call me that.”
Shen Yuan was a new name, one he had never heard before. Was it possible that the Shen Qingqiu he knew as a useless disciple and the Nice Shizun were entirely different? It makes sense. Shen Qingqiu would never have been so nice. The body must have housed two different souls, not just different versions of one.
Luo Binghe was silent for a few seconds before smiling, having found no issue in the fact they were different people. In fact, it was even better! Having a version of Shen Qingqiu as his wife would surely cause more than a few fights within the harem, pointedly with Liu Mingyan, Qiu Haitang, and Ning Yingying. “This Lord apologizes, A-Yuan. The mistake will never repeat again.”
Shen Yuan looked around his room and grabbed a small bottle that resided on the nightstand next to the bed. It seemed to be filled with some sort of medicinal pill called Aspirin. He took two out of the bottle before closing the lid and putting them both in his mouth, swallowing without a drink to follow.
He took a deep breath. “You’re… Luo Binghe, correct? Er- I mean, Lord Luo?” He cleaned the lenses of his glasses on his shirt, which Luo Binghe just noticed was short sleeved. The clothing differences in this world were very extreme, but he was used to his wives wearing odd or revealing outfits.
Luo Binghe nodded and moved over to sit on the edge of the bed. Shen Yuan gazed at him for a few seconds too long before realizing he was staring. He coughed in an attempt to hide his embarrassment. “Why does Lord Luo call me- this lowly one Shen Qingqiu? Why does he wish to… Take me?”
Luo Binghe had actually expected such questions would arise and prepared a pre-planned speech detailing the events that happened earlier that day. He omitted some facts, like how he asked the other Nice Shizun to return with him and the sort of relationship that was discovered. Just in case. He wouldn’t want his Nice Shizun getting too intrigued and falling for the Soft Luo Binghe.
Shen Yuan was an avid listener nearly the whole time, but somewhere throughout the story he began to look uncomfortable, as if he wanted to say something but didn’t dare interrupt.
“Does A-Yuan have a question for this humble Luo?” Luo Binghe asked, attempting to coax his Nice Shizun into a comfortable mindset.
Shen Yuan looked away for a moment, bunching up his shirt that he held in his hands. “Lord Luo… You kissed the other me, right?” Kissed was a very mild word for when they did. “Did I just let you do that?”
Luo Binghe thought about what response would have the best impact on Shen Yuan, so he was quiet for a second. “This Lord… Wished to humiliate the other Shen Qingqiu, believing the soul was the same as Shen Jiu. It was after a few minutes in which the other Shen Qingqiu pushed me off, upset.”
“Ah, I see. That makes sense, such a deep kiss from the protagonist must be truly shocking,” Shen Yuan mumbled under his breath, nodding at his own internal thought process. The new term of address caused Luo Binghe’s head to tilt in confusion, but Shen Yuan quickly waved his hand as a gesture to ignore what was said.
It was ignored, but not forgotten.
Shen Yuan finally began to relax upon hearing the entire story. He was silent, clearly trying to make sense of the situation. Every few seconds, he looked back to scrutinize Luo Binghe as if trying to see if he was real or not. He always caught himself and quickly looked away, a stern expression on his face.
Luo Binghe was the one who broke the silence, his patience running thin. He felt uncomfortable in such an unknown world, and the uncertainty of Shen Yuan’s agreement to come back or not was much stronger than his unwavering curiosity. “A-Yuan. Come with this lord back to his universe as his wife.”
Shen Yuan’s reaction was split into two separate portions. The first was complete surprise and perhaps a little bit of confusion. After a few seconds, it morphed into something else, embarrassment and mortification. Did he want Luo Binghe to marry himself instead? That was certainly out of the question.
“Bin— Lord Luo! You mustn’t expect me to agree to that! Become a wife?!”
Luo Binghe lifted an eyebrow. Was that the portion Shen Yuan was caught up on..? Maybe he wasn’t the sort of person who wanted marriage immediately. He wanted it slow… Binghe can do slow. “Would A-Yuan prefer a consort instead?”
Shen Yuan looked utterly scandalized, as if Luo Binghe had asked to take him right there and then. How funny. “No! Absolutely not!”
A slight moment of hesitation. “…Would Shizun be preferred?”
Shen Yuan didn’t snort, but it was a near thing. “What lesson could I possibly teach Luo Binghe? Out of the question!”
He did have a valid point. “How about as this lord’s disciple?” The idea set off some sparks in his brain that he quietly tucked away for later. Perhaps it had something to do with the power dynamic, especially considering his initial assumption of it being reversed.
“Lord Luo, I have no spiritual energy! I cannot cultivate and I have no interest in doing so.”
Even if you don’t, do you have to be so difficult? Just say yes, we don’t actually have to follow through with our roles.
“How about A-Yuan becoming this one’s Laoshi? This humble lord knows nothing of your world! That would certainly constitute teaching.”
Shen Yuan sputtered for a moment, trying to find a flaw in the line of reasoning. In the end, he couldn’t, but he mumbled some sort of denial and crossed his arms. What a stubborn man! “Well, what title would A-Yuan prefer?”
“Lord Luo! I can’t leave my life here! I have a family! Things are different here, you can’t just expect me to leave!” Luo Binghe hadn’t considered that argument since, well…
All of his other wives did. Not all, but most of them. Luo Binghe didn’t hold them hostage, he simply saved from from the life they lived before, which typically involved being locked away in a dungeon of sorts. They all can leave, but who would want to with their living conditions?
They all have their own lavishly decorated room, access to almost as much money as they want, the best meals in the entire demon realm (and for his more food-oriented wives, he usually would make an effort to cook their meals personally), the whole world’s entertainment at their fingertips, what more could they want?
The women who want their life to be detached from others are never taken as a wife. Perhaps that is why Luo Binghe is so against marrying himself to someone instead.
The problem is, he doesn’t want Shen Yuan to be detached. He wants to take him as a wife. If he was adamant about not leaving his old family, was it worth it to travel back and forth between dimensions just to have him?
After reminiscing about how the Nice Shizun had cleaned up his wounds, complimented him in a soothing voice, and praised him with an adorable resistance in his voice, Luo Binghe decided that he would gladly transcend dimensions for him. It wasn’t that hard anyways.
“This Lord will allow A-Yuan to return once a year,” He announced, slightly proud of how lenient he was being.
Shen Yuan pushed up his glasses on his nose and stared at Luo Binghe as if he was dumb. “Coming back one day out of a year? I have a family, they’ll know I’m missing. I don’t want to leave my life behind!”
Luo Binghe grumbled a bit. He didn’t want his wife to be distressed, but it was still bothersome being rejected for once. “Will six months be acceptable?”
Shen Yuan rolled his eyes and turned his head away, clearly dissatisfied with the way the conversation was heading.
Luo Binghe held back a growl that nearly escaped his throat before he took a deep breath. How stubborn! “Once a month.”
Shen Yuan looked a bit more hesitant, his face twisted in some form of contemplation before he eventually declared, “I need to refill my prescription every three weeks. I’ll get sick without it, a month is too short.”
“Three weeks, A-Yuan.” Honestly, the lengths he would go for a new wife were always extreme, but this was a new level of commitment.
“My lord…” Shen Yuan sighed, his resolve had all but disappeared by that point. It was obvious his resistance was only performative. For some reason, however, he still wasn’t formally accepting.
“Yes, A-Yuan?” Luo Binghe said, slightly leaning in closer. Even if he wasn’t a wife yet, he certainly will be.
“This… I don’t know. This is sudden. Come back in a day— No! A week! Come back in a week and you’ll have your answer! If not, I won’t be coming with you at all!”
Shen Yuan had somehow dropped nearly all formalities throughout the conversation and ended up falling back down in his bed dramatically and covering his head with one of his incredibly high quality pillows.
This time, Luo Binghe could not hide the growl that rumbled from his chest, but Shen Yuan did not hear it through the pillow and the sound of his own thoughts.
The constant rejection was cutting deep into Luo Binghe, it was starting to take a toll. Suddenly, his voice boomed, “Fine! This Lord will return in one week! If A-Yuan fails to make up his mind, this lord will take him by force!”
He’s also willing to take him by force if he says no. That part doesn’t need to be said out loud.
Shen Yuan took the pillow off his head and looked over at Luo Binghe, a weird, almost vulnerable look on his face. Before he could say anything in response, the demon had already unsheathed Xin Mo and cut a hole in the air, making a point to step through as fast as he could without looking like he was running away.
He wasn’t running away. Not at all. He just needed to control his emotions before he ruins the only chance he has of feeling what he felt with the original Nice Shizun. If he had a chance to have Shen Yuan come willingly, that would definitely be the best option.
As the lord of the two realms, who would even dare assume that he couldn’t get what he wanted? Luo Binghe never lost. Not since his mother died, not since he ended the rotten man that was his Shizun, and he will never lose again. A-Yuan was going to be his, no matter how long it took. All he had to do was wait.
…He’ll make back up preparations, just in case.
— — —
Almost five days had passed since Luo Binghe had left Shen Yuan in his own dimension, and things have not gotten better.
His anxiety was constantly spiking whenever he thought of the idea that his Nice Shizun wouldn’t want to be with him. This time around, Luo Binghe hadn’t done anything wrong. His request wasn’t unreasonable, so why would Shen Yuan say no to him? Was it just a fault of his personality? Why was Soft Luo Binghe more appealing than this one?
It had gotten to a point that some of his wives were taking notice of it and casted a vote on who should go up and approach Luo Binghe about it. In the end, the woman they sent was Liu Mingyan— She was a good listener, rarely judgmental, and the chances that the exchange ended in sex were relatively low.
At night, she knocked on the door to Luo Binghe’s private chambers. She took a breath before gently calling out, “Husband.. This humble wife wishes to speak. May I enter?”
Luo Binghe was shocked that Liu Mingyan was at his door. Not once in their entire marriage had she sought him out personally, late at night, in such a compromising position. In fact, he can’t remember a time they’ve ever had sex. They met when he was still a young boy with little to no interest in anything besides cultivation, and even after growing up he had other wives who were more demanding than her.
He didn’t have an issue with that, he thought. “Of course, Liu-Shimei,” he said, putting a gentle smile on his face. Despite the proper term of address being ‘wife,’ it was unreasonable to call all of his wives by that. It would get too confusing! He tried to have a nickname or term of address for everyone, like ‘Yingying or ‘Ling-Er.’
Liu Mingyan opened the door, bowed in a respectful greeting, then closed it after entering. She made no signs of their meeting being anything more than a discussion, so Luo Binghe did not get his hopes up. “Husband, all of the other women are worried… You’ve been acting strange. Did something truly disturbing happen? You left the demon realm for three days, only to return apologetic but distant.”
Luo Binghe slowly let out a breath, he really should’ve expected this. He knew it wasn’t the best idea to tell a lie to his wives, but he’d rather not deal with the excess worrying and harem drama it could cause. “Come take a seat, Shimei. Let this husband explain…”
After nearly an hour of retelling the entire story, including the bits of meeting Shen Yuan, Liu Mingyan had a twisted expression on her face. It was difficult to tell if it was excitement or rage. “Excuse this wife’s anger, but Luo-Shixiong… Wants Shen Qingqiu to enter the harem? Simply because he was nice in another universe? Are their souls not the same? Is he not still the same person who killed my brother?”
Though Liu Mingyan spoke calmly, the anger bubbling up inside her threatened to overflow. She clenched at her own robes and balled the fabric up in her fist, attempting to regulate her spiritual energy. This was the expected response of such a story, which was another reason Luo Binghe did not tell any of the wives of his dimension travel.
“Liu-Shimei, please take a moment,” Luo Binghe said, standing up and placing a hand on her shoulder, making a dramatic show of transferring spiritual energy to calm down her meridians. “Let this husband explain.”
Liu Mingyan looked at him expectantly.
“This husband doesn’t believe the Nice Shizun’s soul to be the same as the one we know. My reasons for thinking so are extensive, but upon meeting Shen Yuan, I am nearly certain. They are separate people.”
Of course they are, Luo Binghe thought. There is no universe in which Shen Qingqiu is anything but cruel towards me.
The fire in Liu Mingyan’s eyes slowly faded, her meridians stabled out too. She took a deep breath and sat on the edge of Luo Binghe’s bed, holding her head in her hand. “I see… My deepest apologies, husband. I was so blinded by anger when you said Shen Qingqiu…”
Luo Binghe nodded, making sure to leave a good distance of space between them as he sat down as well. “Of course. It’s only expected.”
After a few minutes, Liu Mingyan seemed to have completely collected herself. This time, a different sort of fire bloomed in her eyes. “How is Shen Yuan like, husband?”
“Speaking only of the one in the unfamiliar dimension, he seems to be… strongly opinionated. He got embarrassed at the prospect of being a wife, but not disgusted. It was endearing. This husband can only hope he holds the same qualities that the Nice Shizun had.”
Of course, when relaying the story to Liu Mingyan, Luo Binghe had omitted the parts where he fell for the Nice Shizun because of the gentleness and softness of him. His wives were all kind, but none of them cherished him the way the Nice Shizun did the Soft Luo Binghe.
Liu Mingyan looked down at her own hands and nodded, her eyes crinkled in a giving way that showed she was smiling beneath her face covering. “It’s… Wonderful to hear that husband is branching out his tastes. This Shimei hasn’t heard much of cutsleeves, perhaps it may be best to do some research. It seems new.”
Luo Binghe raised an eyebrow. Liu Mingyan had always seemed like the sort of woman you’d find in the cutsleeve romance section of any bookstores, but whenever she went, her eyes only ever lingered for a second before picking up something different.
He smiled. He didn’t mind if his wife had those sorts of hobbies. Part of him would’ve assumed she was asexual, if he hadn’t pick up the way she wished to duishi with some of the other wives… “Of course, it’s only natural to have curiosity. Does Liu-Shimei plan to find her research materials before the arrival of Shen Yuan or after?”
Liu Mingyan stood up from the bed, quickly hiding her excitement. “Before,” she said, voice as calm as she could make it. It was certainly admirable how quickly she was able to hide her emotions, Luo Binghe thought offhandedly.
“This Shimei will explain to the other women that husband was having difficulties wooing over a stubborn wife in an attempt to branch out his tastes. They will understand.”
Liu Mingyan bowed her head as a sign of respect before swiftly exiting the room, leaving it in the state she found it.
Just two more days.
— — —
Those two days passed by slower than any two days he’s gone through before. Luo Binghe even checked to see if he had somehow been placed under a poison that changed his perception of time. He hadn’t.
When the time came and Luo Binghe sliced a cut through the air and stepped through the portal he created, he was pleased to see that finding the new dimension was much easier than it was last time. He didn’t even need Xin Mo’s guidance.
When he entered the room, he felt a rush of relief seeing that it had remained more or less the same. The only difference this time was that the glowing box on the desk was no longer glowing, and the bed was made.
Shen Yuan was sitting on the bed, leaning as far away from the portal that had opened in the middle of his room as he could, pushed up against his headboard. Was he always going to be surprised at seeing it?
Luo Binghe, with another swipe of Xin Mo, effortlessly closed the portal and bowed to Shen Yuan respectfully, as if greeting a martial sibling.
Or a Shizun.
“A-Yuan, this lord is pleased to see you’re still here. You have made your choice, have you not?” Luo Binghe asked, plastering on a gentle smile to his face.
True to his word, he ended up making preparations for either scenario. If Shen Yuan said yes, then he didn’t need to use force to take him home, but if he said no… He could not bear the rejection.
Shen Yuan’s surprised expression lasted only a few seconds longer. “I can’t believe I didn’t dream you up,” he mumbled under his breath. He quickly caught himself and cleared his throat, embarrassed by his shameless display of his inner thoughts. “Of course I have! I said I would, didn’t I?”
Shen Yuan leaned over to his nightstand and picked up a few pieces of paper finer than anything Luo Binghe had ever seen before. It was amazing. “I… Made a list. If you agree to follow five rules, I’ll go back with you.”
Yes, Luo Binghe thought. I’d do anything.
…
That was a weird train of thought.
Luo Binghe didn’t let the confusion at his wayward thoughts show on his face as he spoke, “Of course. Tell this lord the rules, it certainly will be acceptable.”
Shen Yuan cleared his throat as he began reading off the list. “First,” he said, pushing up his glasses. “I want to return home once every three weeks! I need medicine that I have to get, and it’s also the longest period of time I can go without responding to texts before people get worried!”
Luo Binghe internally sighed in relief. This first rule was already agreed upon before, was it not? “This lord accepts the proposition.”
“Second, I’m not going to be a wife!” Well. That was a lie. “Luo Bing- I mean… My lord doesn’t have many male companions, right? Mobei-Jun is your royal advisor, but you can have two! It’s improper to call a man a wife! Do not be so shameless, I beg…”
Quite frankly, there was an overwhelming amount of information to unpack in that sentence. How Shen Yuan knew of Mobei-Jun’s existence and relationship to Luo Binghe was unknown, but all would be revealed in due time. It also seemed like he thought the demon lord’s intentions of marriage weren’t serious. His mind will change eventually. Additionally, the chiding tone he was using to gently reprimand was nearly identical to the Nice Shizun’s. It sent a thrill down Luo Binghe’s spine, another thing on the list of things to unpack at a later date.
“And the third?”
The embarrassment of the second rule quickly fizzled off Shen Yuan’s face as he continued, “I want a qiankun pouch. If I’m going to be moving, I want to bring stuff from my world, which brings me onto my fourth rule.”
Shen Yuan set down the paper for a moment to reach for another item on his nightstand. This time it was a book, and again, the quality was far superior than anything from Luo Binghe’s world.
“I want you to build showers and proper toilets in your world! I don’t want to be unhygienic or to use the bathroom in an outhouse.”
The book that was quickly shoved into Luo Binghe’s hands had the words ‘Plumbing— An essential guide’ written on it. He didn’t know what plumbing was, but he was sure it could be figured out. “Anything, A-Yuan. What’s the final rule?”
The same blush from earlier was coming back once more, this time it was gentle. Shen Yaun’s eyes glanced to the side as he cleared his throat, diverting his attention to the list in his hands.”
“I don’t look like a man from your universe, right? I need long hair and robes and… Stuff. I’ll never be able to cultivate because my body doesn’t work like that, but still! I’m going to need hair extensions and new clothes! Will Lord Luo be providing those?”
I mean, it’s not like Luo Binghe didn’t already expect to be supplying Shen Yuan with a completely new wardrobe upon arrival. “It’s settled then… A-Yuan will be returning with this lord to the demon realm, where he will reside with my wives. Only since there have been no other living arrangements made, of course…“
A blatant lie, but who really cares?
For a moment, Shen Yuan’s eyes seemed to light up before he closed them, schooling his expression. How cute. “Yes, it seems that way. All that’s needed is a qiankun pouch and perhaps an extra day to pack all my belongings.”
Luo Binghe did not look impressed. “A-Yuan needs a full day? This lord has a qiankun pouch on him, would a single shi not be enough?”
As much as he tried to hide his impatience, his demon mark gave him away as it glowed red. Shen Yuan’s eyes were immediately glued to it, rapt in fascination and a bit of amusement. “Is my lord truly in such a rush?”
The slight smirk that was on Shen Yuan’s face quickly vanished, as if just realizing he was gently reprimanding a literal demon emperor who could kill him with the bat of an eyelid. He turned away and cleared his throat. “I mean… Yes, three hours is enough I suppose, I can always return.”
Luo Binghe gleamed in satisfaction. He didn’t even need to use Xin Mo to take his new wife. Sure, he’s hesitant, but it’s worth it.
“Lord Luo, can I see the qiankun pouch you said you have on you?” Shen Yuan asked, setting down his list on his nightstand before standing up off the bed and stretching out his arms. It seemed like he had been sitting on his bed for a while, perhaps waiting.
Luo Binghe reached into his sleeve and took out an empty qiankun pouch. Usually, this one would carry things like money or writing supplies, but it was emptied out by request of Liu Mingyan after their conversation two days ago.
When Shen Yuan got his hands on the pouch, he opened it and seemed genuinely surprised that it had an infinite amount of space in it. He started out by opening the pouch wide and leaning it towards Luo Binghe. “Lord Luo should put the plumbing book in here instead.”
Luo Binghe did as he was asked, which caused Shen Yuan to check out the qiankun pouch once more before moving on.
For the first hour, Shen Yuan was filling the pouch with what he deemed to be necessities. A toothbrush, toothpaste, and his own personal toiletries. He included a good chunk of low quality peasant food as well, and had emptied nearly all of his closets.
The two didn’t speak much, Luo Binghe was content in watching Shen Yuan with rapt interest, occasionally asking what certain things were. He was mildly intrigued, but not enough to maintain an entire conversation. He preferred to observe, for now.
The second hour was for entertainment. Shen Yuan had stood before his bookshelf for nearly 15 minutes debating on what to bring. “I don’t want to bring everything and leave this room too barren, but I’m unsure what I’d like to have with me. Binghe, do you think your wives would like Tokyo Ghoul or something more like Madoka Magic? Or perhaps they would want something deeper, like Animal Farm… Actually, I don’t want to be responsible for whatever consequences that may have…”
He often asked for Luo Binghe’s opinion on certain things, but always got distracted in his own mind and never sought an answer. Plus, it’s not like Luo Binghe was aware of the majority of the things Shen Yuan talks about.
Eventually, he emptied out a good portion of his bookshelf and was talking (again, to himself) about what sort of “modern” literature the harem would enjoy. It seems he even made his own books, because when he went over to where his desk was, there were multiple hand bound books all tied up and waiting.
Shen Yuan explained, “In this world, I have the ability to read books through a device that sort of works like a qiankun pouch. It has infinite storage for books, but it wouldn’t be able to function where Lord Luo lives. I had the books printed out and bound over the week.”
Luo Binghe’s attention was finally caught when he saw one book in particular. It was so thick, it likely would have passed as five volumes of an encyclopedia merged into one.
He stood up from where he was lounging on the bed and gently picked it up from the bottom of the stack. Shen Yuan was too busy flipping through another book to notice until it was too late. When he looked up from his novel, he looked incredibly frantic, “Luo Binghe— My lord! Put that down! I haven’t explained that one yet!”
At the frantic sight of Shen Yuan grabbing for the book, Luo Binghe instinctively pulled it out of reach. Shen Yuan didn’t attempt to make another grab at it, he just started running his mouth. “Lord Luo, this humble one… Hasn’t explained his knowledge yet, right?! Will you let me speak? I’ll let you look through the book when I’m done, just listen.”
Luo Binghe remained silent, a small sadistic smile on his face. His wife was so cute when he was nervous, he thought.
Shen Yuan sighed and cleared his throat. “In my universe, how do I say? You’re sort of a character in a novel… The book you’re holding is called Proud Immortal Demon Way. It follows your life journey and has a certain.. focus on your spiritual energy.”
Luo Binghe nodded his head slowly, as if it didn’t phase him at all. It didn’t, actually. “Is that how A-Yuan knows of Mobei-Jun and my wives? Why he was so shocked to see me enter his private chambers?”
Honestly, Shen Yuan was more shocked than Binghe was. “I… Yes. Are you not upset? Or surprised?”
“Should I be?” Luo Binghe huffed out a laugh, turning the book over in his hands. “This lord knows he is real. Is it so far-fetched to imagine that in one of the thousands of dimensions he’s traveled, his life exists in a book?”
Shen Yuan went quiet as he thought about what was just said. It looked like the thought hadn’t occurred to him before and he was truly thinking it over. “I mean… I guess I can see it like that. But still. Don’t look in the book yet. I’m not done crossing out some of the lines.”
“Why does A-Yuan need to cross lines from my own story? It’s mine, surely I can read it,” Luo Binghe said, flipping open some of the pages and landing on a rather surprising scene. It was from when he had first taken Sha Hualing after their marriage night, and from the looks of it Shen Yuan hadn’t been able to cross out the scene yet.
Shen Yuan’s reaction was immediate, quickly snatching the book away completely ignoring how improper it is to steal from a demon lord. “Binghe!” he admonished, looking thoroughly scandalized like he had been caught reading someone else’s book.
The fact he forgot the formal term of address didn’t go unnoticed either.
“…I see. Is that what A-Yuan meant by a focus on spiritual energy?” Luo Binghe immediately jumped on the chance to do some light hearted teasing. From the small reactions he’s seen from Shen Yuan, it was safe to say he wasn’t the sort to read yellow books, so chances are he had gotten compelled by other factors of the novel to continue reading. “I assume A-Yuan enjoyed my book, then?”
Shen Yuan’s demeanor quickly shifted from embarrassment to something fiercer. “Lord Luo’s book… Was written by a man with nothing but lust on his mind! The story is interesting, but the writing is awful!”
Luo Binghe was partly shocked at the unintentional disrespect, but was much more focused on the new side of Shen Yuan he was seeing— an angry one. He didn’t say anything and let the man continue to rant as he returned to his packing.
“Binghe’s story was compelling, he may perhaps be the only good part of the book! There was so much unnecessary papa- Well, sex. I mean, obviously as it’s your life it’s not my business, but there was no need to include all of it, you know?”
He makes a fair point. I do require lots of dual cultivation for Xin Mo.
The next hour passed by in the blink of an eye. For a few minutes, Shen Yuan continued ranting about the writing of Proud Immortal Demon Way before finally regaining himself. After that, they settled in a smooth conversation about the finer details of the novel, what Shen Yuan did and did not know.
In the end, Luo Binghe decided he knew far too much about his life and far too little about the world itself, but there was nothing that could be done about it.
When Shen Yuan was completely done packing, he looked around his room. “Lord Luo… I’ve finished packing. Is it time to leave?”
Luo Binghe nodded as he stood up from the bed and removed Xin Mo from the hilt. “Is A-Yuan ready?” he asked, taking a step towards him. “As long as you hold onto this lord, it will be quick. Dimension travel is easy with a guide.”
Shen Yuan looked troubled for a moment but eventually nodded. He let his hand reach out and grab the back of Luo Binghe’s outer robe as the demon cut a hole in the dimension.
Luo Binghe looked back once more before bringing in Shen Yuan by his waist and hurriedly dragging him through the portal before he would hear any complaints or embarrassed protests.
They were going home.