Chapter Text
Shen Jiu hates group missions with his martial siblings.
To be quite frank, he just hates being around his Shidi and Shixiong. If he has to go out on a mission with his Shizun, he’d rather it just be the two of them. Everyone hated him from the moment he stepped foot onto Cang Qiong, and they all hate him even more now that Shizun deemed him head disciple.
But today’s mission was unavoidable. Shizun had taken only her best disciples, and this mission had been given to her directly by the sect leader.
Three headed spiders tended to be peaceful creatures. Many of the disciples on the beast taming peak took them as pets because of their docile behavior. They also had more emotional intelligence than most non-spirit animals. So while they were demonic, most people paid no mind to them.
It was a good thing those disciples keep them as pets, otherwise who knows how long it would’ve been before anyone realized something was going on.
The spiders had been acting up, then one morning the cultivators woke up to no spiders.
None. Anywhere.
After asking Qing Jing for help to go through any of their records for information on where the spiders could have gone, they came up empty. Shen Jiu could’ve told you they would come up empty before they even started. If the beast taming peak didn’t know about their own highly recorded pets, why would Qing Jing!?
But with no questions answered and even more arising, the matter was brought to the sect leader.
Now he had some information.
“Every thousand years, all the spiders come together in the nest made by the queen. It is there that a mass reproduction takes place. If we allow this to happen, the three realms will become infested with three headed spiders. And as cultivators, it will be our job to cut down on the invasive species messing with the ecosystem. But if we can cut down on their numbers while all the spiders are in one place, we will save ourselves the trouble. Fu Shimei, take some disciples along with you to deal with this,” the sect leader decided.
“Me!?” The Qing Jing peak lord complained. “Why not Wang Shidi, beasts are his specialty! Or Han Shidi, fighting is his greatest pleasure!”
“I cannot trust Wang Shidi to kill the spiders. He might leave too many alive for research purposes. And I can’t trust Han Shidi to reach the spiders nest based on our limited information and keep enough alive to keep the world’s ecosystem steady. You are the best candidate for the job. Plus, you recently appointed a head disciple. This will be good practice for you all.” The sect leader sipped his tea but did not look up at the Qing Jing peak lord. He never looks up from his work unless the matter was serious. This did not even come close to qualifying.
“Of course, Zhangmen Shixiong,” Fu Guiying grumbled, trying to keep her face polite. Her favorite author had just released a new book, and now she’ll have to wait even longer to read it!
At least, that was how the story went when Shen Jiu’s Shizun explained it to him. He had just barely convinced her not to bring her new book along. They needed to focus. They didn’t even know where this nest was!
“Shizun, we’ve been traveling for days with no new clues,” Shen Jiu brought up, staring at the forest scenery that hadn’t left his eyes for three days straight.
“Hush child,” Fu Guiying chided, clicking her tongue. She was obviously frustrated, but she couldn’t conjure up hints out of thin air.
Shen Jiu eyed his Shizun, knowing she had just jinxed them in her head.
On cue, everyone froze.
There was a person nearby. In the middle of the woods.
“Everyone, get behind me.”
The disciples moved behind their Shizun, following her orders. Who knew what was lurking. They all were on guard, swords out, as they walked towards the clearing that held human life.
The clearing held…a boy.
The boy was sitting cross legged, bent over and seemingly stuck in a continuous cycle of growing flowers and then letting them wither with what they could only guess to be spiritual power. Mud and dirt caked the boy, but his features could still be seen. He was wearing dark emerald robes that would’ve looked like black in the shaded forest if it wasn’t for the ray of light breaking through the leaves to paint the boy in a shimmering gold. The boys long hair was flowing freely behind him back, the black locks lying limp behind him in his sitting position.
He grew a flower, the deep crimson color reminding Shen Jiu of blood. Then he continued to pour qi into the already bloomed bud, causing it to shrivel in on itself and die.
Then he grew the flower again. Then watched it die.
Again and again. Like he was waiting for something new to happen without changing his action.
“Who are you?” Fu Guiying asked hesitantly. The boy had yet to look up, showing no signs of recognition for the humans now standing beside him.
The boy looked up.
Green eyes that matched Shen Jiu’s own stared at him. The boys eyes looked dead. He looked haunted, like he had seen something he could never unsee.
Actually, the boy looked quite similar to Shen Jiu. Like they could be cousins or maybe even half siblings. They had all the same features, it’s just that the two boys wore them differently. Shen Jiu’s eyes were sharper than this guy’s wide doe eyes. But he looked more like a deer in the headlights. This boy had a more circular face shape to Shen Jiu’s diamond face.
Shen Jiu felt a shiver go down his spine. He didn’t like this boy.
“Who are you?” Fu Guiying tried again.
The boys eyes cut to Fu Guiying in an instant, like he was drinking her in. He stared at her for long enough to see into her soul. Then, and only then, did he speak.
“Shen…” the boy began, but his voice was raspy and broken, like he hadn’t spoken in quite some time. He swallowed, then tried again. “Shen..”
Jiu?
“…Yuan. Shen Yuan,” the boy, Shen Yuan, finished.
They even had the same surname.
“Shen Yuan, are you lost? What are you doing so far out in the woods?” Fu Guiying questioned, trying to get a read on this child.
Well, he didn’t actually seem like a child. He looked to be around seventeen, only two years younger than Shen Jiu.
“I woke up here. I was abandoned,” Shen Yuan answered, his face seeming to scrunch at the memory. Upset, he turned back to the ground, making and killing more flowers.
“Is there anywhere you can go? Anyone who will take you in?”
“No.” Shen Yuans reply was snippy, and he accidentally poured more spiritual energy into the flower, a small explosion going off. Shen Yuan huffed.
Shen Jiu wants to keep walking. This guy is weird.
“Has Shen Yuan seen any spiders recently?” Fu Guiying asked, trying again to get something useful out of this boy.
Shen Yuan perked up at the sound of spiders.
“Spiders are mating now. The queen achieves her goals to the West, bringing all to her nest. Her kin won’t let any rest, giving chase for all to watch. Yet even defeat does nothing to quench her quest. The trees hold her life, but trees also hold life for us humans, who she so desperately wants to best,” Shen Yuan said, almost like he was reciting something.
….
What the fuck.
Shen Jiu looked around to his martial siblings, wondering if they all heard such a nonsense riddle from this obviously insane man. His Shixiong and Shidi were looking at each other in confusion, giving him enough of an answer. They didn’t look to Shen Jiu, but he shouldn’t be surprised. They hated him, so they would never even share moments like this, moments that could build their bond as martial siblings.
Shen Jiu buried the bile building in his throat deep inside his heart, where all of his other dark emotions went.
“Where did you hear that, Shen Yuan?” Shizun asked, looking at Shen Yuan curiously. She had a new expression when she stared at the boy. She looked interested. That was never good. She had looked at Shen Jiu with interest on that first day, and just look at him.
“The book. Everyone knows the book,” Shen Yuan replied, going back to his flowers now that he had said his piece.
“Of course we know the book,” Fu Guiying continued, knowing not to question the boys source of information. “But I’m afraid I don’t have it as memorized as you. Could you help jog this masters memory?”
“That’s all there is. It’s very clear.” Shen Yuan sounded a bit offended that they needed more. Like he hadn’t just spoken in a riddle and a toddler could understand his words.
“Of course, thank you,” Shizun nodded, smiling at the boy. He didn’t look up at her, just continuing to play with his flowers.
Fu Guiying began to walk, her disciples hastily rushing after her.
“Shizun, where are we going?” A disciple whispered, looking back at Shen Yuan in fear.
“West,” she hummed happily.
“We’re trusting that lunatic?” Shen Jiu sneered. He really tried to trust his masters orders, but it’s hard when she goes out on whims like this.
“We have no other leads to go off of,” Shizun shrugged.
“But-“
“I am your master, you will do as I say,” Fu Guiying demanded, silencing all of her disciples at once.
So they began West.
…and eventually found the nest.
How!?
Shen Jiu and his martial siblings could barely keep their jaws closed at this unexpected turn of events.
“You all kill the spiders. Kill three quarters of them before stopping,” Fu Guiying ordered, turning on her heel in the other direction.
“Where you are going, Shizun?” Shen Jiu asked. This wasn’t a test, this was definitely something they needed help from a peak lord for!
“To cut down some trees. That was apart of the boys riddle, after all.”
And so the eight disciples were left in the face of the huge crater in the ground now covered in spider silk and teeming with millions of creepy crawlers. This will be good nightmare fuel for a while.
It’s three hours later that the disciples decide they’ve killed enough spiders. Only Hao Shidi got injured, since the spiders only strength was in numbers. By now the queen had already been eaten to provide nutrients for the young she just produced.
But they had not found the queens daughter. If the queen was eaten, that means a daughter was born, who would be the next queen. That future queen was a danger if not handled correctly.
“Shizun, we finished,” Shen Jiu announced as they crawled out of the spiders nest. He was still pulling pieces of spider silk off of him. Shen Jiu would feel the ghost of cobwebs on him for weeks.
“Oh good. Look at what this master found,” Fu Guiying smiled brightly as she looked upon her disciples.
Never a good sign.
Still, the disciples moved in closer to see what Shizun was hiding in her hands.
When she uncovered her hand, there was a spider, making everyone jump. Fu Guiying laughed at all of them.
“Shizun, is that the princess?” Shen Jiu asked, seeing the pink mark on the spiders back.
“Yes, I found her hidden away in a tree. It seems Shen Yuan knew what he was talking about after all,” Fu Guiying revealed.
Right, him.
“What are you gonna do with the spider, Shizun?” Hao Shidi asked.
“I’ll give her to the beast peak. I’m sure they’ll love pampering her. Hopefully that will make her reign kinder to humans in the future when she’s matured to her full grown form.” Fu Guiying pet the spider in her hands, looking pleased with the newest creature she’d found. “Well, let’s head back now.”
No one argued with that.
Hopping on their swords, the cultivators took off, finally able to fly now that they had a set destination in mind.
But then Fu Guiying stopped. Dropped down into the trees. The disciples wondered for a minute if they should follow her, but their Shizun was back up before anyone could make the decision.
She had a confused Shen Yuan thrown over her shoulder.
“Shizun, what are you-!?”
“Say hello to your new Shidi everyone!”
WHAT!?
As a disciple Fu Guiying took in on the whim, Shen Jiu cannot complain about Shen Yuan.
But ughhhhhhhh.
Why did he only follow Shen Jiu around!? Now he had a constant shadow that speaks in riddles and is void of almost all emotion most times.
Is he like a cat? Sticking to Shen Jiu because he knows Shen Jiu wants nothing to do with him?
But if Shizun won’t even listen to the sect leader about Shen Yuan, what can Shen Jiu do? He’ll just have to put up with the brat until he forgets Shen Jiu exists. He doesn’t seem to have a great grip on reality, so it’s entirely plausible one morning he forgets all about Shen Jiu’s existence.
A guy can dream, at least.
Unfortunately, being Shen Yuans unofficial helper means he has more annoyances than constantly being trailed.
It means he should really be worried when the man disappears.
Although, to be fair, Shen Yuan doesn’t have all that many destinations. He’s either somewhere on Jing Qing, which is the most convenient option, or with another head disciple. And if it’s a head disciple, the two most likely options are Liu Qingge and Shang Qinghua.
Shen Jiu is not at all bitter that they already have their courtesy names.
Both head disciples are also creeped out by Shen Yuan, but they also are starting to get used to him. Liu Qingge will let the man trail him until the extra presence becomes annoying, and Shang Qinghua will usually make Shen Yuan help him carry things.
Shen Jiu hates having to pick him up. He hates Bai Zhan and he hates Liu Qingge. And when he picks Shen Yuan up from An Ding, the man gives Shang Qinghua this look that disturbs everyone who sees it. Shen Jiu gets the creeps whenever he drags Shen Yuan away from An Ding.
Shen Yuan moves into the side room with Shen Jiu. He gets panic attacks and screams all night if left in the disciple dorms. Shen Jiu gets it, but why can’t the guy go to brothel like him! Why does he have to stay with him.
The whole point of the side room was that he didn’t have to sleep around men anymore.
Shen Jiu was livid when his Shizun decided on this. In protest, he went down to the brothel every night for a week straight. Best week of sleep he’s ever had, but he also succeeded in pissing everyone off. A true win-win.
That was, until, Shen Yuan followed him to the damn brothel.
Shen Yuan was frowning when he entered, the clearest display of disapproval he had seen on the man since they met two weeks ago.
“Don’t like it, leave,” Shen Jiu spat as he sat with his Jiejie’s.
Shen Yuan continued to frown, but he plopped down next to Shen Jiu, almost like it was in protest.
“Who’s this, A-Jiu?” Lihua-Jie asked, smiling at Shen Yuan.
“Shen Yuan,” the boy answered for himself. It was something he liked to say on his own, and quickly. Like if he waited too long, someone would answer. Shen Yuan seemed to be afraid they would get his name wrong, based on the little tests he’s run.
“Don’t mind him too much, he’s got some screws loose,” Shen Jiu warned in advance.
“Don’t be so harsh, A-Jiu!” One of the girls chastised, going to comb through Shen Yuans hair.
Shen Yuan flinched at the touch, tilting his head backwards to look at the girl behind him in the eyes. He didn’t seem scared, at least. Just curious.
“Hello,” she giggled. “You can call me Yaling-Jie. Can I touch you, A-Yuan?”
Shen Yuan blinked, then returned his head to its natural position and nodded, closing his eyes to enjoy the massage she started giving him.
“He won’t leave me alone,” Shen Jiu sighed. “Sticks to me like a leech. He even followed me here! I don’t know what to do.”
“I know it may not be the answer you want, but you might just have to start putting up with him. For whatever reason, this boy decided that you’re safe, so now you both have to deal with it. Drop him off with someone else he trusts if you get overwhelmed,” Lihua suggested, pouring tea for everyone.
“I can deal with him during the day. I just can’t sleep with him. No words can make that happen,” Shen Jiu stated firmly.
The girls looked around at each other, silently brainstorming.
Wan-jie was the first one to come to a decision.
“Why don’t we start off slow? A few of us will stay in the room and sleep with the two of you. Then over time less of us will be present and eventually just the two of you!” She proposed.
Shen Jiu’s face scrunched up, annoyed that they had actually come up with a solution. He didn’t want to sleep with Shen Yuan in the room. He just didn’t want to, plain and simple.
But he knows he can’t say no.
So Shen Jiu nods, burying his words and emotions once more.
How come he had to suppress his emotions for the boy who can’t express them?
The night went on after that. Shen Yuan fell asleep after his massage, his head laying in Yaling-Jie’s lap as she played with his hair. Shen Jiu felt a bit relieved that Shen Yuan had fallen asleep first. It made him feel a bit safer.
Lihua stayed up with him that night. Four other girls were sprawled in various places in the room, Shen Yuan and Yaling-Jie cuddling in a corner. Lihua played the qin until Shen Jiu finally drifted off, knowing Lihua wouldn’t let him be hurt. He was safe here. This was still his place, not Shen Yuans.
Shang Qinghua is going on a mission.
Shen Jiu could give two shits about this fact, but for some reason Shen Yuan felt the need to drag him all the way out here. Not too many people are loitering around here, but their Shizun did follow them. It isn’t often Shen Yuan takes interest in something, after all.
There’s a group of a dozen disciples standing around and waiting to leave. Shang Qinghua stands among them.
Shen Yuan seeks him out.
Shang Qinghua freezes up a bit, but he allows Shen Yuan to grab his hand and feel his palm.
Fu Guiying and Shen Jiu stare at the scene curiously.
“Your hand is still warm. Don’t worry, it will be cold soon,” Shen Yuan says, his tone sounding comforting despite the meaning his words seem to convey.
Was he sending Shang Qinghua a death threat!?
If his face is anything to go off of, Shang Qinghua is equally disturbed by Shen Yuan’s reassurance.
Shen Jiu goes and drags Shen Yuan away before he causes any more of scene. At this rate, Shang Qinghua will run back to An Ding and refuse the mission. Shen Jiu wouldn’t blame him after that display.
“I wonder what that was about,” Shizun mused, helping lead Shen Yuan back to Qing Jing.
“I guess we’ll see when they return,” Shen Jiu replied, wondering if Shang Qinghua would return.
Shang Qinghua returns.
Only Shang Qinghua returns.
A demon, a powerful one, had ambushed the mission, leaving only the shell shocked Shang Qinghua behind. The man’s cowardice is probably what saved him. Maybe it was Shen Yuan’s warning that made the man overly cautious.
Fu Guiying seems disturbed by this turn of events. Shen Yuan must have predicted something, but even now his words didn’t make sense.
Shen Yuan wants to see Shang Qinghua. Shen Jiu takes him. He hopes his questions will be answered this visit.
Shizun said they couldn’t visit until Shang Qinghua was released from the infirmary, so they wait a few days. Shang Qinghua was low on injuries, so it didn’t take long.
The An Ding head disciple gets his own house. There’s too much work for him to have a small side room. That is where the two meet the mousy man.
“W-What are you two doing here!?” Shang Qinghua stuttered when he opened the door to reveal the two Qing Jing disciples.
Shen Yuan grabbed the man’s flailing arm, touching his palm again, just like he did last time.
“You’re finally cold. Congratulations, Congratulations, Congratulations, good things must be said three times,” said Shen Yuan, sounding happy. Shen Jiu was getting better at reading him.
Shang Qinghua froze at that.
“What?” Shang Qinghua asked in a language Shen Jiu didn’t understand.
“Airplane?” Shen Yuan responded, talking in what Shen Jiu assumed to be the same dialect.
“What-you-how-“ the rat sputtered, looking dazed. He seemed more shocked now than when he came back from his mission a week ago! What the hell had Shen Yuan told him?
Shen Yuan looked at Shang Qinghua, then at Shen Jiu, then back to Shang Qinghua. The two seemed to be having a silent conversation.
Shen Jiu started to feel uncomfortable, since he was definitely being mentioned in this conversation, but he had no clue what the two were saying.
“We’re leaving Shen Yuan. Now.” Shen Jiu grabbed Shen Yuan’s arm and dragged him away, not wanting to be here any longer. He came for answers but just has more questions than before. How annoying. And those two speaking that weird language. Shen Jiu didn’t like it.
It’s official. He dislikes Shang Qinghua.
‘System?’ Shang Qinghua asked anxiously once the door closed behind him. ‘Just who is Shen Yuan?’
[User 002’s privacy is of the utmost importance to this System!]
‘So he is a fellow transmigrator! But he seemed to be implying he transmigrated into Shen Qingqiu. But Shen Qingqiu was right there, still very much in control of his body!’
[User 002 was referring to their first attempt at solving the world of Proud Immortal Demon Way! User 002 managed to fix the storyline, but was unable to secure a happy ending. In exchange, the System generously gave User 002 a second chance to fix the story and obtain a happy ending! For User 002’s convenience, the setting has also been reset from a Danmei to a Stallion Novel!]
‘A danmei!? Who the hell did he turn gay? Don’t tell me it was Luo Binghe!?’
[User 001 is correct!]
‘Wait, so he turned the protagonist gay and fixed the story, but still died? How could he have died with the wife halo? At that point only the protagonist could…’
Oh.
‘But why don’t I remember all of this?’
[User 001 received his happy ending route! No need for memories since there is no need to change yourself. Keep doing your best User 001!]
Shang Qinghua isn’t sure if he wants the memories of that first transmigration attempt if keeping them turns you into a walking ball of trauma like Shen Yuan.
Maybe he’ll cancel out the scum villain. Or they’ll make each other worse. It’s hard to guess.