Chapter Text
Life sucks. That was an unchanging fact that Shen Qingqiu had known for a long time now.
Not that he can really complain about that out loud. He was about ninety-seven percent sure that if he voiced those thoughts out, he’d immediately be answered with scorn for his “whining”. What was there for him to be complaining about? In their eyes, he was nothing but a pampered young master who probably became a Peak Lord with the astounding power of nepotism. He was a cruel shizun who revels in bringing pain and suffering to the little lambs that were his disciples!
The thought of seeing those hopeless (and infuriatingly full of potential) children sent a spike of anger to his nerves. Shen Qingqiu forcibly set down the teacup that he was about to bring close to his lips. He lacked the usual grace he commonly displays in front of others, not with the loud sound of china being all but dropped back down.
Good thing he locked himself inside his bamboo hut again. He didn’t need anyone acquiring any possible material that they can use to lord over him.
Unfortunately, due to his crass actions, the tea inside his cup spilled ever so slightly. It scalded the pale hands that held it tightly, and he had to withdraw his fingers with an annoyed hiss.
Leave it to humans to sully his mood without existing in the same room as him.
His own rippled reflection blinked back at him as Shen Qingqiu stared back at it. He briefly entertains that thought of having martial siblings that actually bothered to check their facts before throwing blind accusations. He wonders if those children would be less of an irritation to his eyes if...
If what?
Was there anything that could be done just so he’d be able to tolerate those brats even for a bit?
(He was just jealous of them, that was all. Jealous that they had a decent shizun at their age, jealous that they are living a sheltered life away from the hardships of the world, jealous of how he was expected to nurture whatever talent they were said to have when he can no longer improve his cultivation just for a stupid reason such as starting out late.)
He wonders what kind of beef the world has with him. It almost seems a bit personal, with the amount of bullshit he had to go through from childhood.
It wasn’t like he asked for all those things to happen to him! So why Shen Qingqiu, of all people?
Lost in his thoughts, he hadn’t noticed how his vision no longer sees the teacup before him. His eyes were clouded with a haze of some sort, preventing him from properly distinguishing everything inside his room. His qi crackled in the air, trickling in a threatening manner that would’ve alerted anyone nearby of his problem. Except there was no one near him. No one noticed even as he stumbles to stand up, the tea spilling to his own robes and scalding the skin underneath.
Ah. Shen Qingqiu was no stranger to what was happening.
Naturally, he threw all eloquence out of the window and said, “Fuck.”
Sweat dripped down from his temple despite the cool temperature of the room. He felt as if he was being burnt alive, even more so around his front where the cup was spilt. The table almost toppled as his side bumps to it, but he was unable to register the pain.
Inside his mind, Shen Qingqiu was releasing a barrage of Fuck, fuck, fuck, what the fuck, why now? Which would normally be uncharacteristic if he were to voice it out loud, but who was he kidding? His outer appearance may seem as impeccable and fluent to anyone else. Except no one would be able to easily erase and forget the kind of vocabulary he’s used when he was younger.
Now, where was he going? Why did he hurriedly stand up to head for his door? It wasn’t like he doesn’t know how to deal with qi deviations, and he’s already used to licking his own wounds behind the door without anyone’s help.
But at that moment, his body moved out of necessity, without regard for the thoughts of the person who owned it. A natural instinct that sensed trouble and therefore is hurrying to the first place it can think of to find help.
He faltered, having just realized what he was doing. Shen Qingqiu, with his pride that would rather people misunderstanding him than explaining the truth, stopped with a frightening clarity despite his state.
With a growing grin that bordered insanity and desperation, he gasped out, “It was never a good life anyway.”
His hand never reached the door.
It was Ming Fan who found his collapsed body. He’d only come to retrieve his shizun’s teacup after a certain amount of time has passed. As Head Disciple to a shizun that values his privacy so much, he was aware of long it takes for Shen Qingqiu to finish a cup of tea. With how fickle the immortal tends to be, it was important that he makes less blunder as possible.
The body was burning hot when he opened the door. Ming Fan immediately had the first disciple he’d seen to get Mu Qingfang. He wasn’t new to seeing his shizun refuse to have someone check his well-being, but rarely was it that things escalate with him collapsed of the floor.
Mu Qingfang arrived not too late after. He was still a medic, after all. No medic was supposed to turn their back against any patient, even if they were his prickly shixiong.
Unsurprisingly, the news of Shen Qingqiu’s sudden fever and possible qi deviation reached the ears of the Sect Leader. Not too long later, there were now three Peak Lords cramped inside the tiny bamboo house. One unconscious, one exasperated, and one overly-worried. Ming Fan was told to return to whatever he was doing prior, which he only begrudgingly agreed to do because the Sect Leader said so.
Meanwhile, in another world, Shen Yuan proceeds to die choking on the expired yogurt in his hands, with his final thoughts spent cursing the author of Proud Immortal Demon’s Way for his shitty writing.
‘Shen Qingqiu’ opened his eyes. And Shen Yuan screams mentally.
Shen Yuan understood a few things since he’s woken up in this PIDW AU he found himself in.
First of all, he died in his original world. From expired yogurt, of all things. He never thought he’d die in such an embarrassing way. He knew he was sickly, but this—
Well, too late for regrets, he supposes.
Second, Shen Yuan transmigrated in that webnovel he’s been reading for a long time now. And as the scum teacher of the protagonist, of all people! He would’ve not complained even if he was shoved into the role of an average cannon fodder, but no! He was Shen Qingqiu! The scum villain extraordinaire™ ! The ultimate cannon fodder of cannon fodders and the only person who can keep a semblance of his IQ around the protagonist!
That still didn’t say much, considering he threw his disciple down the world’s version of hell and gave him scholarship.
He had a system in his head. Originally, Shen Yuan planned to get out of there as soon as possible, or maybe hug the protagonist’s thighs while Luo Binghe is still a white lotus. But of course his system had to stop him! Because he apparently cannot be OOC!
Shen Yuan wouldn’t like to die a second time, thank you!
He can still clearly recall the passage about the original good’s torture scene. That Luo Binghe had been utterly ruthless! Tearing the limbs hadn’t been enough, he even gouged out his former shizun’s eye!
If anyone were to ask him, everyone who teaches cultivation in this world deserves a hell of a pay raise, especially since none of them knew which one of their disciples were secretly a demon waiting to take revenge on them the moment they did something wrong. Why would anyone want to take that risk knowingly?!
Of course, no one knew of the mess that was happening inside his mind. Shen Yuan wore the face of the original Shen Qingqiu the best that he can, trying to act as aloof and cold as possible. The children around him all fell for his act, bowing respectfully as he passes by.
He was grateful for the fan, of course. It makes things a bit easier since he can just use it to hide his more uncontained expressions.
Not too long ago, he’s witnessed his disciples bullying Luo Binghe in the bamboo forest. Shen Yuan—now Shen Qingqiu, he supposes, happened to find a discreet way to prevent things for turning out too terribly as well as successfully acquired a key item that might help him in the future.
It was a bit difficult trying to understand that he really was in PIDW (or at least, an AU of it. There was no mention of the original Shen Qingqiu qi deviating in the book.)
Oddly enough, his system remains silent during the walk back to the bamboo hut.
Just as he was about to open the door, he heard a loud clatter somewhere nearby…
Shen Qingqiu flinched and withdrew his hand. He immediately started to look for the source. It sound…alarmingly close. And too similar to the sound of a body hitting something. He, of all people, would know. Before his transmigration, Shen Yuan tends to bump into everything in his apartment after days of locking himself inside his room.
The sound seemed to have come from the side room?
Trepidation crept up to him as he cautiously approached said room. He hadn’t been there before, not once. He didn’t even know why there was a side room in this hut. It wasn’t like the original goods would want anyone to his space!
…Maybe except for the ladies he visit in the brothel.
(He cringes at the thought of visiting the brothels. While the original goods frequent that place, he really didn’t want to do the same...
Oh god, what if the side room exists because the original has a habit of sneaking the ladies inside his Peak? Would he really be safe if he investigates that room?)
The door easily clicked and swung open.
Shen Qingqiu blinked at the sight of a neat room inside. It was surprisingly clean and tidy, as if whoever had been paying careful attention to the state of the place. Was it really a secret lover after all?
He didn’t want to talk to the original good’s previous lovers. That would be awkward…
“You’re here.”
Thankfully, it wasn’t a female’s voice that spoke up. But rather, a high pitched one typical of young children.
Shen Qingqiu breathed a sigh of relief. If it was a child, then it must’ve been another disciple. He didn’t know there was one that had special privileges, for the child to be sleeping in the side room rather than in the dorms. Briefly, he pitied the person. Because whoever it was that the scum villain pays attention to, there probably wasn’t a kind fate waiting for them.
He still remembers the abuse that Luo Binghe suffered, and how the Peak Lord preyed upon Ning Yingying.
His relief morphed into absolute horror as soon as he turned around to the kid who spoke up.
A young face stared back at him, probably around twelve based on how small he was. He wore the same clothes that every other Qing Jing disciple wore. But that! Wasn’t! The! Problem!
That child’s face looks exactly like a younger version of the face that Shen Qingqiu has! Shorter and less cold, but the similarities are just too terrifying! Was this supposed to mean something?!
“Baba?” the child tilted his head innocently and crossed his arms. “What’s wrong?”
He feels faint.
Baba. That kid called him baba, but he was too young to have a child, which means this child wasn’t his, and since this body wasn’t actually his as well but rather belonging to someone else, it means the original owner was the father of this child which means—WHICH MEANS WHAT???
SHEN QINGQIU HAD A CHILD?????
WHAT IS GOING ON.
AIRPLANE BRO THIS IS IMPORTANT INFORMATION HOW COULD YOU OMIT THIS FROM THE STORY?
System! He frantically called out in his mind, the only sign of his distress being the rapid fanning his hand is now doing. Who is this?!
The system beeped normally inside his head, but he can tell even the system is rattled. How he was able to tell that, he doesn’t know. There was something about the pause before it answers, and the slower words that flowed from it that hinted on how it felt.
Huh, interesting. He didn’t think the system can get shocked.
【New character unlocked: [locked], Song Yang.】
What do you mean locked?! He wept inside his head.
【Answer: The character 「Song Yang」is not a recognized character in the original novel.】
So, does that mean because ‘Song Yang’ never appeared in the novel, even the system knew nothing of him? But how was that possible? It was almost as if the system knew the ins and outs of the story. If he was assuming right, surely it also knows the reason behind the plot holes that Airplane bro left lying all around?
The system blared angrily as if offended by his assumption. It haughtily said, 【Host has no permission to access more information.】
Wow, okay. His system is temperamental. Noted.
How am I supposed to get permission, then?
【1. Raise your points. 2. Complete the story.】
Of course.
The child was still staring at him as if he’d gone crazy. Shen Qingqiu forced himself to smile. What does the original goods call this child? Surely, if he was called ‘baba’, then a more familiar name is suitable?
“Ah, Yang-er. It’s been…a while.”
Song Yang’s expressions contorted in extreme distaste. He looked so disgusted that Shen Qingqiu felt like he was in the wrong. “What?”
Meanwhile, Shen Qingqiu is crying tears of blood in the privacy mind. Should he not have called him with that name? Well, mission failed, he thought. Might as well be partially honest.
“This master regretfully informs that he’s suffered a qi deviation that might have affected his head,” he forces out, hoping his excuse sounds like it actually made sense. “This master asks…who are you?”
It was almost terrifying how a twelve-year-old stared at him as if he was looking at the soul under the body he was inhabiting. How scary! He has no doubt this kid is the original goods’ child! Only someone related to him could have this kind of vibe!
A chilling smile crept up Song Yang’s face. “Baba forgot about me?” the child asked sweetly. “How unfortunate. I’m your beloved son, remember?”
Shen Yuan screams louder in his head. This was so wrong! Is it normal in this world for children to look this scary? Shen Qingqiu how could you raise your child like this! Of course, he only narrowed his eyes outwardly and nodded.
AIRPLANE BRO, WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?