Chapter Text
[Shen Qingqiu route: 100% completed. Download alternative story?}
Shen Yuan stared at the screen in front of him, trying to make sense of the Google Translate voice speaking to him. He felt his heart stop. He felt his breathing slow. His eyes had shut for their final time, so why could he swear they were open? He wasn't in any particular way religious, but out of all the afterlives he had heard about, he had never heard of one that featured Google Translate.
[Would the user like the alternative route?]
Shen Yuan gawked. Was this a system? This must mean he is transmigrating! Lame! He had read this concept a thousand times! Oooh, guy dies shortly after reading a novel and gets transmigrated into a character, becomes ridiculously OP and gets a shit ton of women with little depth other than the depth of their holes. He dares to say some are even worse than Proud Immortal Demon Way! Maybe… It is very difficult to be worse than that mess.
The first message pops into his head again. The system said Shen Qingqiu, didn't it? The system wanted to transmigrate him into the body of the Scum Villain that had thousands of readers crying for his castration? Forget the usual transmigration stories, he wouldn't even get to lay his hands on a woman before they were chopped off for touching the protagonists property! What had he done in his life to deserve such a fate? All he had done was try and get by in life before being brought down by illness and anger.
And besides, what is this about 100%? Systems aren't supposed to share save data. Is he just supposed to kick some other guy out of this role? Fuck no. He can suffer that fate, Shen Yuan did nothing wrong and he was not a selfless martyr.
[Would the user like the alternat-]
"Yes! Of course I choose yes! What idiot would choose to live that horrible life!" Shen Yuan shouted, not letting the system continue. He would take almost any other character! As long as he isn't the scum villain, he has a chance to get on Luo Binghe's good side before the plot goes wrong.
[Downloading alternative story: 13%]
Shen Yuan flipped through characters in his mind. Luo Binghe would of course be the best character to transmigrate into, even with all his pain, since he would become so OP later on. Some may be satisfied with being a female character, like Little Palace Mistress, who suffered no pain in her life and was only ever spoiled, by both sect and husband, but Shen Yuan was firmly a man, and had no desire to fawn over Luo Binghe as his little wife. Even certain other characters, like Gongyi Xiao and Yue Qingyuan would be acceptable! He didn't need something like reputation, so Gongyi Xiao's storyline wasn't too bad for him, and hey, maybe as Yue Qingyuan he could finally give Shen Qingqiu some of the punishment he deserved!
[Downloading alternative story: 99%]
[Download complete: 'Are flowers any sweeter in pairs' route unlocked]
What kind of name is that! It was clearly trying to sound poetic, but who is eating flowers? Does this mean he is transmigrating as one of the Qin sisters? Had they not had some of the better sex scenes in the novel, he could have easily forgotten they had even existed. Okay, he could work with being a woman now that he thought about it. This was his new life, free of illness, stress, and certainly no scum villain to bother him. This was a win, even if he would need to learn how to pee again.
[Good luck!]
Being dumped on hard, bamboo flooring when his body had, just the moment before, felt as weightless as air, was not the 'Welcome to your new home' Shen Yuan had been looking for. He hadn't even known there was somewhere in Huan Hua Palace that used bamboo flooring, and he was damn proud of his better than average memory when it came to things such as places and things, and even beasts.
He pulled himself up, looking around, and became very confused. Okay, that is a lot of bamboo, and was far less opulant than the sight he had been expecting. This certainly couldn't have been Huan Hua Palace, which meant his guess over who he was turned out to be wrong. His hand quickly lifted to his chest, giving a light squeeze over inner robes. His guess on gender had been wrong entirely. This must be the bamboo house, but if he is not Shen Qingqiu, nor a lady, he had very little idea of who he could be. There was always the chance he had been lucky enough to transmigrate as Luo Binghe, but a quick glance at the ink black hair falling around himself made it unlikely. While there had been a few times near the beginning of the novel where Luo Binghe had been described with such hair, after chapter 100, Luo Binghe's appearence had changed from the average Xianxia protagonist to someone a bit more stylised, with curly brown hair. Shen Yuan hadn't cared for the looks, and continued to imagine him as his original description, but the change had made it easier for him now.
There was the chance he was Ming Fan, which settled in his stomach heavily. He could work with him better than Shen Qingqiu, but he too had been conspiring against Luo Binghe from day one. It would take a lot of work to save his hide. He looked down at himself. Or maybe it was all too late, he thought as he looked at his body. For a while in the novel, it had been described that Ming Fan had struggled to outgrow the added cushion of his youth, meaning that if he were Ming Fan in this slim body, it was already late into Luo Binghe's time on Qing Jing Peak.
Ah, now that he was looking, wasn't it strange he was wearing such few robes? Xianxia, beyond cultivation and the sorts, was often defined by the clothing and its layers. To be wearing so little was essentially him wearing underwear, and in someone else's house no less!
He slowly stood up. Whoever he was, maybe he could snag some clothing first, come up with a lie about a qi deviation causing amnesia and trying to get off with minimal punishment. His roleplaying days would not go for naught. If he remembered correctly, there were two rooms in which someone had lived in within this house during the story's plot. The main room, in which always held the peak lord of Qing Jing peak, and the side room, which had become Ning Yingying's throughout the time Luo Binghe was in the Eternal Abyss, only strengthening how scummy Shen Qingqiu truly was, wanting her beside him the moment the only person who could protect her was gone.
He truly hoped he was not so far into the plot that Ning Yingying was already living with Shen Qingqiu, and even if he was, her clothes would not be that of which he chose, which meant Shen Qingqiu's wardrobe, here he came. He stepped towards the door, and opened it up, hoping no one was home. Of course, with his luck, his eyes immediately found a sleeping figure.
The figure had to have been Shen Qingqiu, but he was shocked at how pretty the man was. It was easy to assume the man was ugly, to match how disgusting his character was. Shen Yuan would have never guessed he would have a beauty that could rival some of Luo Binghe's wives! How unfair, villain's don't deserve to be pretty, especially scum men! He stepped closer to the bed, intrigued by the man on it. Even in sleep he looked angry. Get a grip, or get some therapy and stop tormenting 12 year olds who are better than you. Everyone knows one of the facts of life is that there will be a 12 year old better than you, and the quicker you accept it, the better life is.
He had been staring for too long, he quickly realised as he tried to figure out why he looked so angry asleep. He needed clothes, and then he needs to get out of here and figure out who he is. He took a step back and turned to try and figure out where his clothes were, but was instead met with a haunting sight. It was true that Shen Qingqiu was far more pleasing to look at than he had been imagining, but the sight of the man was not nearly as pleasing through the reflection of his copper mirror. Especially when it was the image staring back at Shen Yuan!
[System: 100% installed]
He heard the system come to life, but it took until it's second message for him to answer.
[Congratulations! Congratulations! Congratulations! Good things must be said three times! You have unlocked the alternative option to Shen Qinqgiu's route.]
Shen Yuan felt his blood rush and his muscles contract. He understood the system wasn't a physical entity, but that sure as hell didn't stop him from wanting to hit the thing.
'System, if I have unlocked a new route, and have chosen said new route, why am I still Shen Qingqiu!' He was aware of the body, or maybe even corpse laying in bed, but he was still without a doubt Shen Qingqiu.
The system quickly gave it's answer.
[As your friendly local system, it is my job to take into consideration every universe everywhere as it plays out. This includes any universe in which you exist. The reason the Shen Qingqiu route was 100% completed upon arrival is that another version of you has already died and muttered the unlocking phrase, and has played through 100% of the content offered to him. As a system, I am always looking for ways to improve and offer more to new users, and the previous Shen Yuan had the complaint of 'Shen Qingqiu should have had a better chance'. This route has been created based off of his suggestion. His body has been duplicated and given to you, and now, four years before Luo Binghe joins Cang Qiong Mountain Sect, it is your job to soften his edges and make him a likeable character.]
You can't just confirm the multiverse is real like that! It's supposed to be a big reveal, not a side note in a ridiculous reasoning! This other version of him must have something wrong with him if he thinks the scum villain deserves a better chance. He's the scum villain for a reason. How is he supposed to make him a more likeable character when he was never given a likeable trait?
[Unused content is available to use.]
Shen Yuan glared at the system. 'I wasn't talking to you.'
[;-;]
Shen Yuan took in a deep breath. He could handle this. A system was a friend, no matter how annoying it was. In many stories, the transmigrator couldn't move through the story without it. He had to learn to ask the questions. 'What unused content is there for me to use?' he asked it.
[His backstory was cut 90% of the way down. Discover his backstory and find the hidden objective and likeability will raise by 1000 points.]
That's not an answer! What kind of system is this? Confirming the multiverse in one message and then acting stupid the next. 'You say that like it will help. How am I even meant to talk to the guy? He hates everyone but Ning Yingying and his prostitutes.' If the system wanted him to redeem Shen Qingqiu in any way, Ning Yingying's body would have been the best to be transmigrated into. Shen Qingqiu would actually be able to trust him, and since he couldn't be manipulated into sleeping with him, Ning Yingying's horrible section of her fate would be brushed past.
[Plot will always push forward. As long as the plot likes what you are doing, progress will be made.]
So, a character will act OOC as long as the plot point sounds cool? How could he have forgotten, this is an Airplane novel, where character's will happily be torn to pieces for the next porn or torture scene. Why not toss some random guy's goal as the next thing all must be paved around for?
He was going to keep arguing with the system when a small groan was heard from Shen Qingqiu. Shen Yuan froze. What was he doing! He had to get out of here! He shouted at himself, but as soon as he could get his foot moving, Shen Qingqiu's head fell to the side and his eyes opened sleepily. Shen Yuan stood there stupidly, and as Shen Qingqiu's eyes focused, they snapped open. He tore himself up from his laying position and pulled back so he was almost falling off his bed.
"You!" he cried, proving that even his voice was more beautiful than Shen Yuan had imagined. Although it wasn't as feminine as his face. "What are you doing stealing my skin!?"
"I didn't mean to!" Shen Yuan shouted, whatever plan he could have formulated leaving his head the moment he heard fearful anger. "I was given this body without asking for it." Stupid System! As if people could ever react normally to seeing their own face staring back at them like this!
"As if I would believe you!" he hissed. "Who gave you that body if you did not steal it? What being is so capable that he wishes to curse us both?"
He was about to announce it was the systems work and that he didn't even know it it had a gender, but then stopped himself. It was often a rule in these sorts of stories that it wasn't possible to talk of the system without punishment, and he was not sure of what he could say that could get him out of this mess. Despite being told Shen Qingqiu had the possibility to turn OOC, it likely wouldn't extend too far, and he couldn't just say anything and have it turn out alright. He heard the System speak again.
[As it is your role to not only make the plot better, and make Shen Qingqiu more likeable, but to explore content not accessed by the other Shen Yuan, it is up to you to explain the System. There was no System reveal in the original rewrite, leaving fans confused as to why Shen Qingqiu had a sudden change of heart. As you progress through the story, more options for revealing my existence will open up.]
[Reveal System to Shen Qingqiu?]
[Yes] [No]
Well, that solves one problem. He did often dislike when a protagonist found love and a home in a new world just to have everything strange about him brushed under the rug. Now, he had a chance to right this trope. Thank you Other Shen Yuan for doing all the hard work for him. Now he got a quest to tell him what to do.
"The System," he answered. He watched Shen Qingqiu's face twist in confusion. "It is a being capable of moving a soul to a different body. It can work through time and worlds." Shen Qingqiu's expression was not changing. Perhaps he should have called The System something like 'Changing of The Soul Transferer', that would have made it sound like it fit in this world more.
"Do not treat me like I am an idiot," Shen Qingqiu demanded. "Such a thing does not exist. And if it did, why am I still in my body?" No need to be such a smartass. Why did Airplane decide to make the main villain the lord of the Scholarly peak? He would have such an easier time if this were any other peak lord he had to speak to.
"Because The System in this instance wanted to help you," he announced. For just a moment, the anger on Shen Qingqiu's face dissipated, leaving only shock and confusion. The expression did not last for long and was soon covered with anger once more.
"And now I am to believe that this 'The System' wants to help me? Why should I believe anyone wants to believe me, let alone some being so great it can not only replicate my body, but place a soul inside of it? You should learn how to lie before you try and pull tricks such as this." Every time Shen Yuan thought he had made progress with this man, he had a reason to argue back. The man was scum to the bone, but he was truly intelligent and did not listen to just anything. Ah, if only such a villain was in different hands. He could have been such a character if not drawn to idiocy by being near the protagonist. Still, if all yielded to plot, he just had to keep going until he found an argument that explained enough to work. He knew how to argue until people gave up. It was a miracle how few times he had accounts banned.
"Because it is the truth," he continued. "There is much information I can give you, enough so that you will need to believe me on at least some of it." Usually when transmigrating someone would need to have the skills of a poser, which he did possess, but the situation called for the other great skill needed. Bullshitting. "I am Shen Yuan, name completely coincidental, and I come from the year 2014 in a world without cultivation. In my world, there is a novel called Proud Immortal Demon Way, in which you are the main villain. You abuse children, push a child into hell, and then he comes back and tortures you, tearing you limb from limb, marrying your favourite disciple, and killing everything you should care about. Finally, after 200 years of plot, you are finally killed. See why The System may want to help you?"
Shen Qingqiu's face was twisted in shock and disgust. Shen Yuan was rather proud of himself for making him react such a way.
"You're lying. You must be lying. I would never abuse a child," Shen Qingqiu managed to defend, although his words were meek. He was definitely getting somewhere.
"You certainly would. If he was better than you, or had more than you had," Shen Yuan argued back. There was also the case of Ning Yingying, but that abuse was not what lead to his death. Although he would have to deal with that sooner than Luo Binghe, as she had joined the sect a year before he had.
Shen Qingqiu looked down at his sheets, at a loss for words. Shen Yuan had almost forgotten this aspect of him, how in his trial he had shouted and argued but the moment his own insecurities were brought up he shut down, as though not speaking could save him in any way. He should have come at this angle from the beginning. Had he known he had to make the scum villain likeable he would have paid more attention to him outside of his hatred! He was still unsure as to how he would even make him likeable. He was the scum villain for a reason, and Airplane wasn't a very good writer to begin with, leaving most characters annoying and/or boring. The fact that Shen Qingqiu was even hateable was a miracle.
"So," Shen Yuan began. "You can take my help, we can work through your issues, and you won't die a horrible death after centuries of torture. Do we have a deal?" It felt as though he was speaking to a small child, but Shen Qingqiu had the temper of a child.
"I do not have issues," Shen Qingqiu argued one more time before lowering his head more. "But I suppose my luck has finally come around if 'The System' has taken a liking to me. So, if I can be helped, then you better help me." Despite knowing this would happen, Shen Yuan truly hadn't expected it to happen this quick. One part of him wanted to argue that this was not what a scum villain should be, but it does make his job much easier. Shen Qingqiu lifted his head slightly. "What do I need to do to save my fate?"
Easier said than done, Shen Yuan thought. "The System tells me that I have to make you more likeable to readers, so we have a lot to work on."
Despite this agreement, it has not done half the job and softened Shen Qingqiu, so he was quick to argue. "I don't need to be likeable! What do I owe readers who I have not met and will never meet that makes me have to live by their standards?"
Bro, how do you live like this? Even I, whose greatest feat is being known as a major dick all across the internet, knows that one should strive to be likeable. You aren't afforded the anonymity that is given by the internet. Get a grip. He wanted to say such things, but there were many reasons he couldn't. It would be very difficult to explain the internet when Shen Qingqiu was still needing to catch up, it would overall make it much more difficult to speak to him if all he did was argue with him, and…
The door opened and a square-faced man stepped inside. His vision immediately went over to Shen Qingqiu before quickly darting to Shen Yuan.
Fuck.