Chapter Text
Shen Qingqiu has had enough with this game of pretend. He has seen enough of his shidi’s suffering. What will he do though?…
Shen Qingqiu spends his time out with Shang Qinghua trying to learn more of this system that forces him into such stupid plot devices. Shen Qingqiu tries to teach himself code and of his modern days in this ancient word but is able to with slight change of wording his request, is able to convince the system to give him some books. As much help as it does the books only stay for a few minutes max but Shen Qingqiu has no problem as he knows most of information just needed a refresher. Back when he was a spoiled sheltered man he would distract himself with learning code and help with making games being a reliable job in his shut in life. Shen Qingqiu immediately tries to hack the system for good
And succeeds but with this liberty so does consequences as his form changes back to his original form
He doesn’t remember his original form any more along with Shang Qinghua
along with Shang qinghua’s but thankfully it is when they are in private and together. Their robes are changed for more coverage. They look at their appearance not much of a change besides their color palette. They look more like a sketch with their whites and slight beige for their skin.
Shang Qinghua unlike Shen Qingqiu he has more color to him with his cheeks being a bit rosy and his eyes still being the vibrant brown. But Shen Qingqiu is now pale white and more like a white snake with how his back has a weird symbol on his back and his skin now rid of the scars the original carried.
Shen Qingqiu finds he is able to cultivate better and faster and with this is able to use it as an excuse to go on a seclusion to cultivate his new form as Shang Qinghua tries to think of an alternative but eventually does the same, afraid if he ends up doing it alone it would cost his life if he tells the truth so he also goes to seclusion. After three months both return but with a plan as they will be having a peak lord meeting soon. Surprisingly even Liu qingge is present and not in another mission, in battle with a rare beast. Shen Qingqiu enters rather confidently as he experimented with the code and was able to turn on a sort of off button to the automatic translation since the start he never knew Chinese as well but the system to prevent too much ooc had an automatic translater for both sides, this can help further his evidence and also able to make the system visible for others to see.
As they both walk in the stares are immediate but quickly their stares turn to questions of interrogation but one of them, the brute immediately attacks but is barely deflected as his name is brute for a reason.
Shen Qingqiu
no Shen yuan doesn’t waver and instead talks without an automatic translated for them as he speaks his main language English. Even Shang qinghua isn’t that very good at English since he lived in China most of his life unlike Shen yuan who had the luxury of traveling with ease and learning multiple languages. Shen yuan says with a semi confident tone, “I am no harm. I come in peace and plan on explaining everything.”
Shang Qinghua catches on and translates, playing along and Liu Qingge stops himself from furthering his attack. Yue Qingyuan being the most perplexed by the whole ordeal ask with precision but wavers slightly, “And what exactly happened to our shidis, are they in harms way? And who are you…”
“We are your “shidis” and those you called shidis are long gone.”
Shen Yuan puts air quotations and answered rather blunt but since he is speaking English Shang Qinghua translates, hesitating at the last few words.
Yue Qingyuan is rather shocked at the revelation and ask with more curiosity rather than fear not fully believing his words, “what do you mean by “long” gone”
“Your Shen Qingqiu, Shen jiu died more than half a decade ago. He had a severe qi deviation and didn’t survive. An otherworldly system took over and took my soul, spirit whatever way of describing myself, was put into his body and forced to imitate him but over the years I been trying not to so I used the qi deviation to act clueless, “forgetting” most of my life”
Shen Yuan does the air quotations again for extra measure dropping most of his usual loft cultivator attitude and being more casual like the modern man he is. Shang Qinghua suffers having to translate this as he notices his fellow peak lords slowly covering their place and adding arrays finding them a potential threat but Shen Yuan doesn’t falter and even decides to occasionally comment in his “hometown” language to the arrays. Shang qinghua notices the restraint and grip Yue Qingyuan has on his spiritual sword despite the fact he shouldn’t be even considering it.
Shen yuan then goes back to Chinese but without his auto translator, aka system to aid immediately, his Chinese is slightly broken due to him not being fluent in it and even mixes a few words of his other languages making it that Shang Qinghua still nonetheless has to translate for them.
“We are from an era more advanced and more technologically developed. We don’t rely on libraries to hold information. We don’t rely on horses nor do we rely on letters to recieve messages. We are what we would call a modern man. We come from other worlds essentially where we are your author and reader”
Shang Qinghua tries to hit the target as much possible and nudges Shen yuan to continue and decide on using his automatic translator.
“Yue Qingyuan worry not as Shen Jiu died and had “consented” to this exchange meaning he is probably ruining my life doing whatever.”
the air quotes appear again but this time Shen yuan decides to show them the system
a blue hologram appears and the corruption shows as it glitches and tries to subdue Shen Yuan but he is handled it rather easily and explains as the peak lord corner them more and have risen their guard up. “This is the system that has caused this all. I have recently been able to disconnect from the system after years of limitations and even punishing me for not listening to their script. I’ve had enough.”
Shen Yuan tries to sound passionate but it’s really just the half truth as he doesn’t care for others much but can’t disclose that without being suspicious.
“I managed to rid of this system control and I plan on truly fixing this stupid world. If anyone tries to stop me I will make sure to destroy this world”
Shen Yuan says half bluffing but won’t go without a fight especially with his new ability of hacking
. Shang Qinghua is shocked and even more stress as the peak lord grip their own individual weapons or arrays. Yue Qingyuan breaks the silence first “How do you expect us to believe your bluff your barely improved your cultivation to a few months ag-“
“I don’t need cultivation if I have the power of the one who managed to exist beyond this world.”
Shen yuan says countering him with a demonstration of him creating a spirit sword alike to yue Qingyuan and doubles them creating a set.
“Is this enough to blow your minds?”
As expected the peak lords remain silent as if all agreed to not disclose any information accidentally. Shen yuan sighs and pushes Shang Qinghua to further explain
“Ah… We mean no harm and he is only bluffing.. I think but we are the same as always except Shen Qingq- I mean Shen Yuan. I was born here but my past life was in his world. I used to be the author to this world since back then this was all some novel I made to get food on my plate. I was dirt poor and I wasn’t as privileged so many of names and everything was of my doing. It seems my guilt and sorrow manifested itself into a world outside of my control and Shen Yuan had a passionate hate for this world that it cause his soul to transmigrate here after his death.”
Shen Yuan rolls his eyes and says trying to be formal but still sounds rather casual, “I am Shen Yuan back in my old life I was a simple person who just hated bad literature so my “act” was mostly real not like I care I’m gonna die the same fate nonetheless.”
Shen yuan drops the info rather blunt and careless
The peak lords remain tense but all the sudden Liu Qingge ask “so the Shen Qingqiu I’ve known these whole years were you, demon.”
Liu Qingge guards himself and ready to attack is stopped by Yue Qingyuan who remains calm and decides to remove the array shocking everyone including Shen Yuan who just shrugs it off immediately. “What happened to the real Shen Qingqiu” he says still rather suspicious but thinks that at least he is able to mourn him for real at least as he doesn’t blame the boy himself
“How old are you, Shen Yuan?”
“What? Why do you care?”
“You inhabit our shidi’s body at least let us know more about you.”
“I’m 22 years old”
“Meaning you were 17 when you died…
Shang Qinghua does a noticeable reaction and screams but not too loud just to show his shock at the fact, “WHY WERE YOU READING SUCH INNAPROPIATE BOOKS AT SUCH AN AGE?”
Yue Qingyuan stays rather calm unlike what he himself expected and ask him again “what truly happened to The Shen Qingqiu?”
“He is gone…. I don’t know. I’m so sorry Da-ge please forgive this dumb boy.” Shen yuan starts to hallucinate Yue Qingyuan as his Da-ge but before the situation gets worse Shang Qinghua saves the day by catching Shen Yuan before he starts to get a panic attack as he starts bawling silently. Yue Qingyuan quickly dismisses everyone with Liu Qingge and Qi Qingqi leaving reluctantly but before they leave she comments “Who will be the peak lord now.”
Not with a bad intent but rather just a blunt question but leave before anyone can really answer. Shen Yuan’s form changes to that of an adolescent almost like his confidence changes his appearance to whether shut in and regress or become big and bold. With everything being a blur he manages to catch Yue Qingyuan silent but comforting words nice since it reminds him back at his home. When everything was normal. He wakes up months later with his body fully shutting down and even his form taking a more adolescent form. Yue Qingyuan is next to him when he slowly stands but when he rubs his eye he notices Shang Qinghua also in a corner.
“I’m so pathetic.”
“It’s ok cucumber bro, at least we managed to get approval to keep you here. I’m to be quarantined and checked until they make sure I’m ok from all of mobei jun’s courting but I will make sure I will leave soon.” “I hope bro.”
“Cheer up bro, now if Luo Binghe comes back he won’t be coming to get you after he finds out the truth.”
“What makes you so sure. What if he still is mad and understandably so. It was still me who pushed him down the abyss.”
“We are here to protect you if it does. I mean Liu Qingge is probably just as strong as Luo Binghe I’m estimating.” The hamster pats the boy’s back and begins to try to make him eat the food the disciple left
“At least eat. Stop being pathetic and eat they understand your situation I explained it to them further so they won’t bother you.”
“What do I even do? I mean the can’t give someone whose practically the same age as Ming fan the title of a peak lord. And nonetheless the Shen jiu of your original novel is still alive.”
“WHAT, how do you know? Can you access him? And how would we get him? ….” Shang Qinghua starts muttering and more like asking himself with his excitement.
“Shen Qingqiu is alive.. I met him in a dream, like I wasn’t him but I saw his life and he is currently in the cell, he is alive since Ning Yingying found him before he would die from the shards.”
“Do you think his soul may have gotten swapped with his original fate. What if the original Shen Qingqiu of my novel died and the Shen Qingqiu of this world took over him?”
“Possibly, it’s only possibly able to get him through Xin Mo through its abilities but I doubt Luo Binghe would be able to do anything.” Shen Yuan shrugs it off and goes to his food and starts eating it despite it now being possibly cold
Hours pass and Shen Yuan doesn’t bother with much besides trying to do some work after convincing(didn’t try) Shang Qinghua to share the burden a bit which he agreed QUICKLY.