#and he is happy oh hes so happy and Shang Qinghua does have a happy life now with his beautiful wife ✨️💞

[nibbelraz]

Mobei overhears sy and sqh talking. Sy is crowing about how much binghe does for him, and sqh says "yeah well, happy wife happy life". Mobei ignores the peak Lord fistfight as he connects dots. Qinghua is always bending over backwards to make him happy. In fact, when he's unhappy, qinghua will do everything within his power to change that. Is... is he the wife? Man practically gains a halo of bliss while sy tries to choke sqh behind him

Oh I LOVE THIS he absolutely would consider himself the wife- not only that, he'd be so happy at being the happy wife of Shang Qinghua, the man that balances a whole peak and his kingdom so well like it's nothing, he would be clawing at the table thinking about it

He's so distracted that he doesn't see his poor husband dying but it's a small price to pay for this amazing revelation

[ticklygiggles]

A bored King and a poor ticklish servant | Mobei-Jun x Shang Qinghua 

A/N: A little gift for a very dear friend's birthday! I hope this fics reaches you! Happy birthday! 🎂 This is a fandom I haber never written for, and it's been sooo long since I read the novel, but I hope you enjoy it! We miss you! ❤️

Summary: What's a servant use but entertain his King? At what extend though?

This is not N$FW but there are mild mentions of things

“M-My King,” Shang Qinghua stuttered, shifting his position for the umpteenth time and groaning when he was forced back in place by a cold, firm hand on his hip. “My King… I've been sitting here for a while now, and with all due respect, you're not the most comfortable piece of furniture out there and something has been poking at me, maybe we could please move- 

“Shut it,” Mobei-Jun said against his ear and Shang Qinghua shivered, feeling the freezing breathing swirling into his ear canal. “I am working.”

“That I can see, My King,” he answered, his head nodding softly as he eyed the bunch of reports scattered across the desk. At first, he was willing to help Mobei-Jun, but when the Clan Leader simply sat him down onto his lap, silently ordering him to stay put. 

Shang Qinghua didn't put up a fight, after all it was useless, and it wasn't like he hated being there… but it had been ages. His butt was hurting and the blush spread across his cheeks everytime he moved and felt Mobei-Jun’s… ahem... He was a very gifted man, that was all he could say. 

There was nothing left but to resign himself, so letting out a long sigh, he leaned against Mobei-Jun's strong and muscular chest. It really was like leaning against a wall, but a little softer, just a little, but he was happy. No matter how much he looked at him, Mobei-Jun was definitely his best creation. A beautiful and handsome face chiseled in cold marble. A body that made his mouth water every time they were intimate. He has always been his favorite character and his ideal person, so being in his arms like that, well, maybe he was thankful that he accidentally electrocuted himself to death. 

Now they were even husbands! Destiny does have a million things prepared that one would not even-

“Haah! My King!” Shang Qinghua gasped heavily, squirming in Mobei-Jun's lap. “M-My K-King! We've talked about this before! You need to warn me before touching my bare skin with your hands! You are always so c-cohohold ahahand- ahahahaha!” 

Sudden, embarrassing giggles sputtered out as he felt a soft squeeze on his left side. Shang Qinghua squirmed, but Mobei-Jun's hand was latched to him. He didn't noticed until it was too late, one of Mobei-Jun’s had slipped one hand under his clothes and was now tickling him silly. 

“My Kihihing! Oh! Yohohou knohohow I'm teheherribly tihihihicklish! Y-You cahahahannot– 

“I said I'm working.” 

“Ihihi apohohilogihihize profuhuhusely, b-but yohohou reheheally- ahahahack, my Kihihing plehehehease!” 

This was terrible. Shang Qinghua never thought that Mobei-Jun would be so attracted to tickling him after two nights ago he discovered that Shang Qinghua's body was horribly sensitive to gentle, playful touches. Since that day, there wasn't a moment where Shang Qinghua wasn't laughing like an idiot if he was within a meter of Mobei-Jun's reach. He was grateful that at least Mobei-Jun kept his little games to himself when the two of them were alone, but still! His laugh sounded so silly and embarrassing. If Shang Qinghua could, his head would be buried inside the earth like an ostrich. 

Erratic and silly giggles filled the studio as one of Mobei-Jun's icy hands squeezed Shang Qinghua's side, skittered his fingers against his ribs, clawed at his tummy, pinched at his hip and also wiggled his fingers under his arm. His hand was so fast that Shang Qinghua didn't even try to stop him and simply wriggled like a fish out of water while laughing his head off. 

“Plehehehease, my Kihihing!” He begged again, feeling tears in his eyes as Mobei-Jun decided to settle under his arm, his whole body leaning to the opposite side. “Thihihis pohohoor sehehervahahant cahahan't tahake thihihis anymohohore! I'm vehehery tihihicklish thehehere!” 

Mobei-Jun simply hummed, but no matter what he said, he seemed deaf to his words. Shang Qinghua’s clothes were in disarray, his tunic open and falling off one of his shoulders. His face was definitely red and his laugh- no, he didn't even want to talk about it. 

Also... why was Mobei-Jun tickling him right at that moment?! Hadn't he said that he was busy with the silly reports of him? Ah, he probably had grown bored, right? And instead of giving Shang Qinghua a sweet, heated kiss, he decided to torment him with his biggest weakness. How was that fair?

“I need you to stop moving right now,” Mobei-Jun said, but his fingers kept wiggling under Shang Qinghua's arm, driving him up the wall. 

Shang Qinghua shook his head. “I cahahan't! I cahahahannohot! It tickles so bahahahd!” 

Mobei-Jun growled and Shang Qinghua squealed when he was suddenly manhandled into the wooden floor. Mobei-Jun straddled him as he gathered both Shang Qinghua's wrists in one of his hands. Shang Qinghua opened his mouth to ask what was going on, but only laughter came out. 

“NOHOHO, PLEHEHEASE!” He shrieked as Mobei-Jun used his free hand to wreak havoc in both his armpits. Shang Qinghua was in hysterics in just two seconds; he cackled and kicked, squirmed and pulled at his arms, but they barely flinched in Mobei-Jun’s grasp. “MY KIHIHING! I'm gohohonna dihihie!” 

Above him Mobei-Jun was smiling faintly, tender eyes tracing Shang Qinghua's features. Shang Qinghua was simply dying, laughing and jumping every time Mobei-Jun jumped from one underarm to the other. 

“HAHAVE MEHEHERCY PLEHEHEASE!” Tears of laughter clinged to his lashes and rolled down the sides of his face. He was definitely going to die again. And by tickling this time! Would his third death be also embarrassingly pathetic too? What a disgrace, he- 

“Ohohoho, gohohoodnehehess, thahahank you!” He said breathlessly as the tickling stopped. He went limp as his arms were released and gently moved down. “M-My Kihing,” he chuckled softly as Mobei-Jun gently touched his cheek. Shang Qinghua leaned against the cold hand. “If yohou w-wanted my attention so much, you c-could have a-asked.”

Mobei-Jun’s face remained neutral as he looked down at his husband, but Shang Qinghua had learned to read his expression and he clearly saw he was sulking. Shang Qinghua smiled, oh that was adorable. 

“Let this servant help you relax for a while, My King,” he said, wrapping his arms around Mobei-Jun's neck and bringing him closer to his face for a kiss. “This servant knows exactly what his King needs, leave everything to me- w-wahait! Watch your hands, please, if you tickle me I- ahahaha!” 

Ah, so he was feeling playful, huh? Well… it was alright, Shang Qinghua thought he could probably stand another tickle attack if Mobei-Jun wanted to torture him so much. It was the last thing he could do after being blessed with his perfect side character!

[spockandawe]

You know what I can't get enough of? Speculation about what the fictional novel Proud Immortal Demon Way says about its fictional author. Because it would be completely possible to make a story like this without that connection. I'm not sure I've read any other transmigration story where the author was a character, so just that addition adds a lot of interesting texture to the situation even without getting deep in the author's head, but it's so interesting how deep I can speculate in so many directions if I think about getting in his head.

And oh man, I could talk for AGES about how Shang Qinghua and his iconic protagonist reflect each other, but a lot of people have written about that already! Including in the medium of fic, which is my favorite way to consume that kind of crunch. So let's talk about familial neglect and mistreatment and the author's favorite character.

Honestly, when I look at how iconic this ship is, I'm astonished there aren't more hit novels where the author gets yeeted into their own book and has to navigate platonic or romantic relationships with their own characters. A lot of the parallels between Shang Qinghua and Luo Binghe are about them being alike in ugly and vulnerable ways, ways I don't think either of them likes about themselves, and regarding aspects of their personalities that I don't think they'd be happy discussing period. Like, Binghe very much hates himself, that's right there on the page. And Shang Qinghua is a ridiculous character, he's very funny, but he's also not stupid. He's very aware of who he is and what he is, and makes a decision to behave the ways he does. I'm typing this up because I was scrolling through an old chat looking for something and tripped across a conversation about shang qinghua and fawn trauma response.

He knows he does this thing! He has an easy opening to turbokill Mobei-jun while he's unconscious and decides to go the route of begging for his life and trying to ingratiate himself after Mobei-jun wakes up instead, which is a much trickier process. He says it himself, that Mobei-jun is his ideal, that he embodies everything Shang Qinghua wants to be, that etc. And that's hilarious and all, especially in light of the eventual romance and the clownery it takes to get there, but in classic svsss fashion, it also becomes a lot sadder when you add up all the pieces and see everything Shang Qinghua hates about himself.

In some ways he's an even more avoidant narrator than Shen Qingqiu, he deflects and jokes like a motherfucker, so it really is a matter of assembling all the pieces and seeing where there are gaps. But what really underscored the connection for me was Mobei-jun's reaction to parental neglect. Because that's what pushed Shang Qinghua into being an author in the first place, his parents divorced and remarried and kinda just.... forgot about him.

Mobei-jun's dad doesn't exactly do that, but he is operating without a mom in the picture, and rather than remarrying, he just chooses to ignore the thing where his shitty brother is persistently trying to kill his son. That really sucks! But Mobei-jun never shows the smallest hint of weakness or vulnerability over this, even when it would have really helped to use his words, like 'hi my uncle is coming to kill me and i trust you to protect me.' He's everything cool, aloof, arrogant, proud, all a bunch of adjectives that really do not apply to Shang Qinghua. Mobei-jun honestly looks like a boring character if you just stick to the main story, because he's so self-contained and controlled. Compare and contrast to Shang Qinghua, who accidentally outs himself as a transmigrator like two minutes after showing up and proceeds to be hilarious for the rest of the book.

(Brief aside to say that I don't think Mobei-jun is necessarily a happier or healthier person for all of this, lmao. The conversation that fawn reaction thing came from was talking about freeze (tee hee) versus fawn in response to threats or stressful situations. But that goes along with the svsss theme of people used to engaging with this universe as a fictional property coming to terms with the depth and complexity of other people's emotions and not just seeing them as simplistic not-real characters in a book)

(Additionally, this makes the ship hilarious as a take on 'opposites attract,' but also it gives me actual Emotions that Shang Qinghua's ideal who he wishes he could be, purely incidentally, he is able to value and love Shang Qinghua in a way that Shang Qinghua can't and doesn't seem to totally understand)

And what's very interesting here. Is that Shang Qinghua made these two characters, Luo Binghe and Mobei-jun. His protagonist ultimately reflects a lot of his own vulnerabilities and insecurities (secretly and quietly in pidw, much more.... overtly in svsss), and Mobei-jun corrects for his vulnerabilities and insecurities. He's the person Shang Qinghua wishes he could be, which is basically... the opposite of Shang Qinghua, to an almost comical degree. And he then gives Mobei-jun the VERY BEST plot armor he can devise. It's hard for a male character to exist near a stallion protagonist without getting swept up in rivalries/suspicions/etc and getting killed by the protagonist, but he makes sure that his favorite character is safe from these things. He's protecting the character he wishes he could be from the character whose faults most reflect his own. That is very sweet and weird and sad, and that's very reflective of the svsss experience, I think.

[tcfactory]

Silly thought of the day ft. a very helpful System:

Airplane is not happy with how the story turned out, especially now that he lives in it. The System is not happy with the world either because sure, it's not unusual for Literary Worlds to revolve around their Protagonists, but they are usually, you know, less boring? It's nothing but cheap villain plots and papapa in PIDW, not even a decent tournament arc or lasting rival in sight!

So they conspire together to change things. Small changes that are within acceptable parameters by System guidelines can still add up to meaningful differences and maaaaybe the System looks the other way once or twice so Shang Qinghua can mess with events that will spiral out into big backstory changes - like leaving a very well-forged report about Wu Yanzi's hideout being in a certain city on the desk of the sect leader. Wu Yanzi is a big enough fish that catching him would net the sect quite some fame, actually. So when the masters and their head disciples go to investigate they will be hosted by the Qius and would you look at that, Qingyuan's little slave brother really does have excellent aptitude, how much for that angry brat? They will take him.

Eventually things are changed enough that when Luo Binghe is born the System does an evaluation and oh no, they will have to change the genre and revamp the story and maybe the world as well, what a shame... The System can't high-five Airplane, but it would if it could.

So now they need a new genre, a new protagonist and probably a new story. They decide on harem romance, because it's a popular genre (makes it less likely that the world gets decommissioned due to bad audience ratings) and System likes harem shenanigans, it was the main reason why it volunteered to pilot PIDW before it realized that the world as a whole sucked and its superiors really needed to learn how to tag better, because there's a difference between a story with a harem in it and a harem story, you know.

But System is spoiled by having a transmigrator who cooperated with it and helped it flesh out backstory bits, so it really wants the new protagonist to be like Airplane in that regard. It would love to have Airplane as the protagonist, actually, but he's the Author already so it would be a conflict of interest and even System can't bend the rules that far, sorry. When it's time to pick a new Protagonist, it looks over the list of potential Beta Readers instead and zeroes in on Shen Yuan and his obsession with solving plot holes and writing pages long headcanon posts about PIDW beasts. He couldn't be any more perfect for their purposes!

The System's plan is as follows: take one transmigrator nerd, give him a suitable role (young Lord of the Beast Taming Peak returning from a decade-long expedition into the unknown reaches of the demon realm), equip him with an industrial strength wifebeam (guaranteed to work on any and all martial brothers and more!!!) and then sit back with popcorn and opera glasses and what the chaos unfold.

What could possibly go wrong?

[kingyoisland]

My Moshang Related headcannons:

- Moshang is Taylor swift coded and no one and I mean no one can tell me otherwise.

- Mobei Jun would like Hoizer and Florence + The Machine

- Shang Qinghua would like Flo Millie and Olivia Rodrigo.

- Mobei Jun did not find Shang Qinghua attractive at first. But his attraction to Shang Qinghua hit him like a truck. Like one day he’s pretending to sleep on his lackies bed. Then he looks over and Shang Qinghua has his hair down, the light of the candle giving his face a warm glow. His eyes trail over the scroll on his desk. He’s so still though and the flame reflects in his eyes something Mobei Jun couldn’t quite understand.

Then he sits up internally the elegant version of like ‘oh gods what the fuck was that. I need to go to fucking bed Now!! What.?!’

And down hill from there this man’s been a simp ever since.

- Shang Qinghua is Deeply Possessive. Like Binghe gets it from his daddy in this case because anyone who has courted Mobei Jun ends up on the kill list. He’s really good at hiding it making it seem like the murders are Mobei Jun’s ideas. I like the thought that Mobei Jun doesn't realize this about Shang Qinghua. Until a little demon child is like ‘yeah the honorable king is handsome.’ And Shang Qinghua looks pissed. Just death stares this fucking kid. Mobei Jun is very happy at this discovery.

- I feel like Shang Qinghua is richer than Mobei Jun. he doesn’t have Mobei Jun’s power and like servants or home. But if we compare human rich to demon rich Shang Qinghua is over Mobei Jun. Shang Qinghua and Mobei Jun have not realized that is the case.

- When Shang Qinghua moves into the Demon Realm full time. He does everything for Mobei Jun. He makes sure Mobei Jun just needs to sign off and battle and do whatever the fuck Mobei Jun wants to do. Shang Qinghua made this spoiled prince when he was in An Ding full time. It’s SO much worst that he now lives with Mobei Jun technically. He Spoils Mobei Jun Rotten!! Only the best food, Clothing, home, bedding, art, wine, and weaponry. Nothing less than Shang Qinghua’s high standards of Quality will be near his king.

- Mobei Jun’s kingdom becomes the most prosperous in all the demon realm. not just because of conquest. But because his people have the highest literacy rates and capitalism. They’re the first kingdom in the demon realm with like Grocery stores.

- After the Airplane extras Mobei Jun makes Shang Qinghua get him ready for the day and then at night helps him get undressed instead of having other servants do it. He does this so that he is sure to see Shang Qinghua every morning and every night. So he knows Shang Qinghua is accounted for every morning and night

It becomes their favorite part in the day despite how much Shang Qinghua complains he doesn’t complain about doing this. Just that he’s scared of fucking up at first. Eventually he does it so often it becomes second nature and he’s not even worried anymore. It’s so domestic and sweet and healing for both of them. Because no matter what Shang Qinghua touches him so gently. And his hands are so warm and at night they’re both tired so it’s the one time either of them are really quiet in each others company.

-It takes them 6 years to get together after the end of the airplane extras. Yes that fucking long they really need to know how to communicate and heal bro.

-I feel like Shang Qinghua doesn’t believe in marriage really. Like interpersonally he’ll congratulate people and like be happy for them. But he’s always said that he was never going to get married or anything close to that. He’ll say ‘I feel like it’s a waste of time for me I’ve never seen a marriage that lasted. What do I know about that.’ And this makes Mobei Jun depressed for a week and when Mobei Jun is depressed it becomes everyone’s fucking problem.

But obviously if Mobei Jun wanted to marry him Shang Qinghua would have a panic attack leave come back and say yes. Then host the Best fucking wedding for Mobei Jun on the fucking planet. It is EXTRAVAGANT!

He’s buy Mobei Jun a wedding ring. I don’t know why but I don’t feel like Bingqiu would get them but I know Shang Qinghua would get ones for him and Mobei Jun.

-I feel like at some point it be funny if they did a wife Swap with Bingqiu. Shang Qinghua gives Binghe a list of names of people who insulted Shen Qingqiu for marrying him and tells Binghe to have fun. Then goes about running the palace.

Meanwhile Mobei Jun just asked Shen Qingqiu to peel an apple for him because Shang Qinghua told him it’s bad to eat the skin. And Shen Qingqiu is having a fucking Aneurism.

[thestormthatrises]

Hey Moshang nation!

It's that time again! The time where I can't sleep because these boys just filled me with feelings and I need to shout them out!

SO!

MBJ managed to banish his uncle after SQH stopped LGJ from killing his king. They are both battered, weak And tired. But SQH still has strength to give MBJ a piece of his mind and worst if all, leave.

"You dare?!" The king roars, helpless in anger and fear.

"Oh I dare!" SQH replies, his face twisted into an ugly mixture of relief, borderline sadistic delight and heartbreak. "you will never see me again, my king" He sniffs. "Not in a million years" but even as he says it, he can already feel his heart crumble. It's painful. He truly loves this spoiled brat. He wished he'd known that he could've changed the story. Maybe they could've had a happier one.

"SHANG QINGHUA !"

"Good bye, my king..." He says with a smile. He leaves only to collapse outside of ritual's site. He struggles with the urge to go back, to apologize, to grovel and plead for mercy.

But it's too late. There's nothing left for him. The story is over.

Luo Bīnghé has his shizun. Cucumber bro has his story the way he always wanted it. The humans and demons found peace. His king has come to his power and rid himself of his greatest foe. Happy endings for all! Well, almost all. All who deserve it.

It's time.

It's time for him to go back. To go home where he belongs. Back to what he deserves.

SQH open the System's window and presses the 'Return' option.

*************

Airplane wakes up to the smell of burning hair, days old sugar and filth. He's home. No one comes to greet him but the sounds of his neighbors squabbling to his right. He's home. There is no one here but him. He's home. Was it all a dream? He's home. No one sees him cry.

Eventually he does stop crying. He's home. He hates it. But after all the years he's lived so far, he can't help but do something about it.

He's just an old, lonely man in a 20-something's body. He can't live like this. He needs to make this life mean something.

Third time's the charm, right?

He gets his shit a little together.

He cleans, for one. Deep cleans both the apartment and himself, needing it to cleanse himself from that dream. But-- It's funny. Seeing his old face after almost.... Decades? Centuries? Have passed.

He's not that different, funnily enough. More marred, less polished. But the same unassuming face, perfect for blending in a crowd and making no impression on people. He misses his old new face.

After getting the basics out of the way, he starts thinking bigger.

What should he be now?

He's been a failure of a son, a hack writer, a pitiful cultivator, a traitorous peak lord, a mediocre spy. He wishes he could've been more. Better. He tries not to but thinks of MBJ.

His phone rings.

Apparently, his new role turned out to be an actual, legit published author.

He has an agent now that makes sure he gets the best deal from PIDW, merchandise and all that. It's weird to have someone actually doing stuff for him, going to bat for him, fighting to get him the best.

He has a lot more money than before. Too much. He doesn't know what to do with it all. He thinks about his disciples and buying them trinkets for their birthdays. He thinks of MQF and WQW and what all this money could provide for them. He thinks of MBJ and thinks silly things.

He thinks of being a sugar daddy. He thinks about taking his king on a date. He thinks of how the Demon King would react to the modern world and all the things Airplane could buy him now. He thinks so much he doesn't sleep. And when he does sleep, he dreams.

He dreams about his king and being equals to him. Of standing with himon the castle parapets, side by side, looking out onto the beautiful north.

"Shang Qinghua" his king would call.

"I'm here" he'd say, placing a hand over MBJ'S.

But MBJ would never hold it back.

Even his dreams knew better than to tell him such an egregious lie.

Still...

It was nice just stand by his side and pretend.

"I'm here, my king"

*************

His book is going to have a hardcover. Who would've thought? Peerless Cucumber would've had a conniption if he knew. Airplane wishes he could see his face, his actual face, when he told him. It'd be hilarious!

....

Peerless Cucumber wasn't much of a friend but...

Was it strange that he missed him so?

The man hated him and his story but he was the closest thing to a friend Airplane had ever had. He was so mean and demanding. And he could've been just a dream.

But he also had a strange way of caring about SQH. Of sharing jokes. Of being Like a safe harbor.

Airplane knew that there was no way Cucumber bro missed him. He was too busy with his happy ending, for sure. Even if it hadn't been a dream, who in their right mind would spare a thought for SQH?

Still... He wished he could talk to the man, at least one more time.

Cucumber bro had a family. A family that like, cared for him and such. Maybe there was a last wish he could fulfill for him. Or tell them something for him. SQQ might've never seen him as a friend but Airplane Did. And that had to count for something right?

He doesn't sleep. And when he does, he dreams about things he misses.

He dreams of An Ding in the lull of the afternoon. The hot summer breeze coming from the windows agitating the many papers on his desk. His king, a cool presence on his right. SQQ lazily fanning himself before Him. Bīnghé watchfully observing them from SQQ side Sweets and perfectly brewed tea that his talented son had made on the table between them.

This never happened. SQQ would never share the treats LBH made with him. LBH wouldn't share his shizun with anyone. MBJ wouldn't have tolerated the heat.

But this was so nice, so different and... Well, it was almost like they were... Friends? No. A family?

Not in the traditional sense, of course. But in that way when people choose others to be their family. Like-- like he could rely on them. Like they cared about him.

It was... Nice. It was a nice dream.

"Thank you for this" he told LBH, lifting his cup in thanks. "Never have I tasted such a splendid blend"

Red eyes pinned him down in a flash. Aiya, such an intense stare on one's father! No need to kill the mood!

"I'm not doing this for free, Shishu"

Such a cold voice too! He wished that his dreams would allow his son to be kinder to him... Tho, he really didn't deserve it, did he?

"No, you do not"

Ah, well--

Wait.

"What???"

"Where the hell are you, Shishu?"

"What... What the fuck?!"

SQQ, who up till now has been in his poised immortal stance, sprang to life. He shut his fan with a snap and almost lunged at SQH. "AIRPLANE!"

"BRO??"

"Where are you? What have you done?!"

Done? He hadn't done Anything!

"Oh yes the fuck you did!"

Shit, he had to stop thinking out loud!

"You're--" Cucumber bro really seemed like he was going to strangle him. "We're inside your head, idiot. In your dream!"

Oh.

He was going insane, then.

Cool.

SQQ buried his face in his hands and garbled a scream.

"Shishu" LBH called out, darkly. He looked so upset. Probably because SQQ was in distress. "Where are you?"

"I'm ha ha Home? I think?"

"Where in An Ding are you?" LBH demanded.

"I'm-- I'm not on An Ding"

"What?!"

"Airplane, for the last goddamn time, where the hell are you?"

Airplane shifted his gaze from LBH to SQQ, back and forth before he settled on his fellow transmigrator and said: "Home, bro. I'm home."

Ok, it was kinda funny to see Cucumber bro's jaw drop.

"How--when-- I-- Air-"

"The story was over, bro. Everybody got what they wanted. I had to go."

"Did the system force you to go?!" Wow. It almost sounded like SQQ was concerned about him.

"This is such a weird dream, I swear to god"

"Airplane. Focus!"

"Aw, ok. Well... No? Like, The story was over and all that jazz and it gave me the option of returning? So I did?"

"Why... Why would you do that?!"

"Because, man!" He gestured to everything around them. "None of this is mine. You know? This world, the story, it changed. It didn't.. need me. Nobody needed me anymore and... I was tired, bro. I was hurt and I was tired so... I left." He shrugged, even if it still stung a bit.

"Airplane--"

"Shang-shishu, you must come back"

Airplane frowned. "Why? I've trained a lot of disciples before you came around If you need an accountant or a spy, you can have your pick, son"

This time, LBH was the one that frowned, looking a little perplexed.

"Airplane, listen to me-- No, *shut up*, just listen. This is a dream but it's also real, ok? We're in your dreamscape. You were SQH!! You helped me when I first came to CQ. You helped MBJ and LBH and you-- you did a lot of stuff. Stuff I didn't even know about until you were gone. All of it was real."

"But--"

"I said shut up. Airplane, the world is falling apart. Bīnghé is it's energy source but But you-- fuck, I don't know, where it's RAM? Processing unit? Memory? Things are disappearing, people are going from normal to their PIDW setting, MBJ has gone insane--"

"My king?"

"Seriously? That's what you're gonna focus on?!"

"Look whose talki--"

"Fine! He's tearing the realms apart looking for you and the things he's tearing aren't healing. There's this great big... Nothing! Just growing every day! Airplane, you have to come back!"

"Bro, I--"

"Airplane!"

"Bro, I can't! I don't know how!"

"Airplane!"

"I don't know!"

"Airplane--"

"I don't know! I don't know! I don't know, man! Fuck! JUST---"

"Air--"

"Leave me alone!" He screams.

And wakes up on the floor.

The neighbors upstairs are pounding down at him to shut up. It's barely dawn. It's cold and grey and dead and Airplane can't catch his breath.

He needed to go back...?

His king... Was looking for him...?

The world wasn't right without him?

What a fucked up dream...

He really should go out more. He should make some real friends. Two lifetimes under his belt and he has still not had a real, honest to God friend.

Maybe if he at least had one true, good friend, he wouldn't... He wouldn't consider this-- this mad dream.

....

There was no way LBH could reach him here. Not Bingmei, at least. He couldn't. He's not that powerful.

And if he was that powerful, surely he wouldn't have wasted his power trying to contact him of all people. His role in that works had only been to survive.

If anyone was invaluable to that plot, it was Cucumber bro.

He was the one that remembered every monster and every power up. Every bride and every foe. Everyone fell in love with Cucumber bro... So surely, the System would've just replaced SQH for SQQ as it's back up, right?

Of course, right.

It was all just a stupid dream.

It was best to let it go and just not think about it.

***********

But the thought lingered with him, as the grey of dawn was smeared with purples and pinks and reds and blues. He carried it through his morning routine and as he sat down to work on editing PIDW. It paralyzed his fingers, as he stared blankly at the screen.

Only one person had ever needed him.

Not all the time, he would never be that indispensable. But for a couple of times, for brief moments in time... Mobei Jun had needed him. And he had not failed him.

He stared at the name on his screen.

Shang Qinghua.

This was so stupid. The dumbest thing he ever allowed himself to linger on. Angrily, he erased that stupid name from the paragraph and made up another. It felt good. It felt right and oh so very wrong.

He copied the name and used it to replace that cursed thing.

There was no more Shang Qinghua. This dumb story didn't need a Shang Qinghua. Nobody had ever cared about him. *No one would ever miss him.*

Slamming the final replacement keys, Airplane pulled back and decided to make use of all that money.

******

He didn't sleep. And when he did, it was with the careful aid of prescribed medication that his fancy new shrink gave him. He didn't dream about his king anymore, which made him sad. He didn't dream about Cucumber and Binghe, either which was a plus.

So what if he woke up tired or sore, like he had been running away the whole night? So what if he felt too cold or too hot at night but couldn't wake up to do anything about it? So what if there was always something that he couldn't shake off, a touch that branded him every night?

The editing of PIDW was doing great and soon the first hard copies would hit the book shelves. There was a lot of buzz online when people heard there would changes, new material that wasn't in the self published version. Pre copies had surpassed their initial goals.

Airplane Shooting towards the sky was about to become a very wealthy man.

His agent and his publisher took him out to celebrate. It was weird. It was new. Nobody had ever toasted to hai health before. The added respectful titles to his name and patted his back. It was weird. It was... Kinda nice?

He drank too much and lost track of himself.

He didn't take his pills.

He didn't remember leaving the restaurant or how he got home. He remembered hitting the bed and it was cold and he thought of his king and how he wished MBJ could see him now.

Would his king be proud? Would he finally actually smile? Airplane had done it!

He had made PIDW legit

He had made PIDW better.

He had made sure that Shang Qinghua never ever would hurt his king again.

And with that in his heart, he fell asleep.

He didn't dream of An Ding this time. It took him a while to actually identify where he was. Everything was so... White.

But then just like a camera lense coming into focus, he saw him. Mobei Jun. His king. He was waiting for him.

Shang Qinghua rushed to his side, still so happy but not being able to recall why.

Ah well!Any chance to see his king was a happy one, he decided as he bowed to the demon king.

"I'm so sorry for making you wait,my king!" He couldn't erase the smile from his face. "I'm here now"

MBJ stared at him in that unreadable way of his, in silence and furrowed concentration.

"My king?"

"Who are you?" The ice demon asked.

SQH paused, his smile slipping from his lips. "Wha-- My king? It's me. Your servant. Shang Qinghua.

The demon's eyes narrowed. "No."

"... No?" What did he mean no?! Had MBJ forgot about him? Was he being fired?

"You can't be him."

"My king?? It is me. Why would you say that?"

MBJ points to the side and in that white haze a mirror sprung. Airplane stares at himself in all his disgusting, disappointing glory.

Ah.

Yeah...

... That.

It was hard to see anything under such an ugly facade, huh?

"Who are you?" The ice demon asked again and Airplane wondered if this was how Alice felt, when that question was hers to answer.

"Not sure." He replied. "I was so certain, a while back.I was the unwanted, for a while. Then I was the author. But that kinda morphed into being the peak lord and the spy. Sometimes... I almost felt like I was something else. Something new." he shrugged. "Sometimes I was Shang Qinghua. Now, I think I'm no one."

The demon king stared at him, unreadable and unreachable.

"God, I wish I could've been more for you. You were always my favorite. Even when you were mean and spoiled. Even when I didn't like you that much. You were always my favorite. You're still my favorite"

The ice demon didn't move but still Airplane felt him closer.

"I wish I knew I could be something more..." but the words are choked and wrong. He laughed, shaking his head. "Maybe I'll write us a new story, eh my king? Would you like that?"

"It would be just you and me. The world would be dangerous but maybe... A little less cruel? You'd take care of me and I'd take care of you? We'd overcome challenges together. We'd suffer lows together. We'd trust no one more than one another. We'd-- I'd find a way to make you happy. And you..."

His king arched a brow as his gaze intensified.

"You would be on your best behavior and... And--- you'd love me" why did it sound like he was crying? Fuck he didn't want to cry! Stop crying! "You'd love me and love me well. You wouldn't-- And I wouldn't-- "

"Shang Qinghua."

"It would be such a lovely story, my king. It truly would be. If only I could find a way for someone like you to fall in love with someone like me."

"Shang Qinghua..."

"I--"

A cold finger pressed against his lips.

"Shang Qinghua..." His king is so close. He missed him being this close. His mere presence invokes fear but also safety. "Come back."

Airplane shook his head again. "I can't."

Large, cool hands come up to cradle his face. "Come back."

"I can't...!"

Mobei Jun pressed his forehead to his. "... Come back to me."

What...?

"Come back to me..." His king purrs, keeping him close. "Come back to me... Please..."

He's going insane.

This time there's no doubt.

"Then we are both mad" His king say, his thumbs running the trail of Airplane's tears. "Come back to me..."

"You can't..."

"What can't this king do?"

"You can't want me back." This was another fucked up dream, wasn't it? "You said--"

"I was wrong."

"You would never say that. Not to me."

"And who are you to say that?"

"Nobody in the world knows you better than I do, my king!" He had not only made MBJ but also had to live with him! There was no way-

"Why is that?"

"Because I am Shang Qinghua!" He almost yelled, trying and failing to pull back from the demon's hold.

"And where is Qinghua's Place?"

*With you, my king*

But a sound screams at his ear before he can say it. Airplane wakes up with a start and groans noisely. Fucked up dream! Fucked! Up! Dream!

And yet he turned, chasing its shards.

Come back to me...

"My king..."

He gets up and changes the name back.

Shang Qinghua's place was always with Mobei Jun.

[web-novel-polls]

MXTX Side Characters Tournament Submissions

SUBMISSIONS ARE CLOSED

Rules

One character per submission. If you want to submit multiple characters, please do so in separate forms

No main couples (Bingqiu, Wangxian, or Hualian)

Preliminary polls may occur to decide whether or not to include other significant characters like Feng Xin, Mu Qing, or Liu Qingge. Minor but popular characters like Six Balls will be allowed.

Tag: #mxtx side characters tournament

Submission List below the cut (Dealer's Choice not included)

SVSSS

Zhuzhi-lang 

Submission 1: Snake boy my beloved

Submission 2: I love him

Shang Qinghua / Airplane

Submission (2): He's a sidekick and he's so sidelined that despite creating the universe he's treated as an afterthought - doubly a side character! But also? So relateable. He would absolutely have been on tumblr in his first life, he gets so excited about his blorbo who treats him terribly (until they finally get a happy ending in the extras - also! he has to wait for the extras to get his happy ending! very side-character of him). He holds the fascinating position of being mostly irrelevant to the story and yet without him the themes would totally fail. He deserves a win on something for once, okay?

Sha Hualing

Submission: Her cringefail losergirl swag has captivated me 

Mu Qingfang 

Submission: Ppl tend to completely forget he has a mad scientist side (see Jinlan arc) and if he gets into the tournament I'll have a reason to bring it up.

Daoist nuns triplets 

Submission: Authors of "Song of BingQiu" and the true culprits behind the ass wine extra. Stop crediting Liu Mingyan with their hard work! 

Mobei-jun

Submission: He's a demon tsundere who doesn't realize his human boyfriend is scared and easily squishable. Got demoted from king to cabinet minister during a hostile takeover but is pretty chill about it. Huge boobs.

Six Balls

Submission: When he was born he weighed as much as six balls. Current ball number unknown.

Helen of Troy*

Submission: uhm she isn't a Side character ? but she is referenced heavily by the main character and the subtext. This is integral to the plot of SVSSS because the subtext is where it's actually at. If all you do is read the book you will have several misconceptions of the plot. Anyway Shen Yuan!Shen Qingqiu is a metaphorical Helen of Troy within the story AND HE FUCKING SAYS THIS HIMSELF INSUSJSKS

*will have to pass a preliminary poll to be included in the tournament (<-thinks it would be funny to put her in)

Ning Yingying

Submission: Her glow-up in the SVSSS timeline is real! Instead of becoming Luo Binghe's childhood sweetheart, she roasts him for referring to her too familiarly. Love this for her. 

Gongyi Xiao 

Submission: He is such a Good Person who didn't deserve his fate :(

Qin Wanyue

Submission: Scum Villain's wettest and most pathetic loser! Of course, she's so pathetic that she's constantly overshadowed by more bombastically pathetic characters, but I think she deserves her chance at recognition. 

OG Luo Binghe’s Harem

Submission: Binghe's harem the whole collection all of them together an amalgamation of all the wives 

Tianlang-jun

Submission: Incredible character who does it like him 

TGCF 

Quan Yizhen 

Submission: He's a good boi and thinking about him makes me cry a lil'.

Yin Yu 

Submission: The guy of all time. The most average god ever. Someone give him a break. His face is so average that Xie Lian thought it was fake 

Ling Wen

Submission: Girlboss. Did nothing wrong

Bai Jing (Brocade Immortal)

Submission: no 1 ling wen simp (just like me fr)

MDZS

A-Qing 

Propaganda: She's so smart. She tricked so many people into thinking she was blind for so long. Also, she was really kind and considerate. Like she didn't have to save all of those people from Xue Yang. Oh and she's an excellent judge of character and super brave. Really hope she wins, she's such a fun little genius girl

Su Minshan / Su She

Propaganda: Idk I just kinda like him

Submission 2: Look at him having his own life and grudges and friendships and priorities completely unrelated to the main characters! He was so right to curse Jin Zixun 

Wen Ning 

Submission: This poor guy dealt with so much shit in life, only to be killed, resurrected, and forced to deal with Wuxian's bullshit for years on end

Jiang Cheng

Submission 1: Extremely traumatized yet also somehow the most normal and functional by the end. Huge bitch but I (and at least one of the other characters) think he deserves to be even worse after everything he's been through

Submission 2: Simultaneously badass and the most cringefail man. Extremely funny and stylish but still manages to be very uncool. Cries a lot. Also he's lost a lot of tumblr polls—let's give him another shot! We definitely love him more than his dad did!

Submission 3: He's got mommy issues AND daddy issues. He loves his sister and his shige so much. He's traumatised and incredibly competent. He rebuilt his whole sect! He's an asshole (affectionate). He's purple! He's got the coolest weapon ever conceived. I'm so worried about his blood pressure basically all the time. 

Wen Qing

Submission 1: Doctor, mad scientist, war criminal, protective big sister... she has the range!!

Submission 2: Wen Qing my beloved!! She did surgery on a grape. Mad genius for real. Also a loving sister with a very sharp tongue and maybe no sense of how far is too far. Can't wait for them to find her alive in a Koi Tower basement!

Submission 3: Justice for my girl!!!! 

Submission 4: She's bitchy and pragmatic and cares deeply and did an unprecedented operation (experimental and nonconsensual!), what's not to love? Also she deserved better.

Jin Ling

Submission 1: He may be a brat, but he has a good heart and a friendly dog. He thinks he's the main character of a much less intense story which keeps almost getting him killed 

Submission 2: Bestest boy in the whole world. He's got a dog! A helicopter uncle! His dad's sword! Yeah he can be a little brat but he's SIXTEEN okay (or thirteen, or whatever, MXTX HELP) and he's got an incredible capacity for forgiveness. He's so good!

Xue Yang

Submission 1: No propaganda submitted

Submission 2: It's not that he's evil. He lacks empathy and he goes into a disassociative state and commits atrocities.

Xiao Xingchen

No propaganda submitted

Song Lan 

No propaganda submitted

Fairy (Jin Ling’s dog)

Submission: The cutest, smartest, and goodest doggo! She's the one who led WangXian to the Nie sword tomb to save Jin Ling! and led Jiang Cheng to Guanyin Temple to save Jin Ling! and led Lan cultivators to the temple to help Lan Wangji and Lan Xichen (and Jin Ling!)

Bichen 

Submission: this sword has been through a lot…

Lan Xichen

Submission: Pay your respects to the captain of the WangXian ship! Those idiots would keep pining for another 13282627 years if it weren't for him!

[chaoticgoodlawyerwrites]

I've held off due to the general strike but now here's the tumblr preview for the final chapter of HSY! (Yes, last chapter because I thought this concluded the story better than what I had originally planned.) This chapter is under 7k words, so the next update will be the full chapter.

---------

Don’t get him wrong; he was happy to be married and that Binghe was happy and in love with him and… he really wanted to sleep. 

He had rallied for their wedding night, anxious over his own appearance and wanting Binghe for himself in any case. But the night was certainly abbreviated by his own limitations. While Luo Binghe did his best to pamper and care for him, nothing he could have done would help Shen Qingqiu. 

And thus he did his best to hide it from him. 

While he missed his husbands, Shen Qingqiu slept like a rock the night before in Shang Qinghua’s preparation chambers, not even aware of Bingdi attempting to talk to him if he had tried. Somehow, the exhaustion was decreased but still there as Shen Qingqiu carefully painted Mobei-Jun’s huadian on Shang Qinghua’s forehead in wedding red, though he had charmed this particular blend to turn to blue with spiritual energy. 

“Bro, you good?” Shang Qinghua asked, tone subdued.

“Yes, why do you ask?”

“Well, you’re quiet. And you haven’t even attempted to insult me in like twenty-four hours. I’m kinda worried about you?”

Shen Qingqiu paused in his careful work and looked at his friend. Shang Qinghua was chewing at his lip (thankfully only the inner part because if he had stained his teeth red so help him…!!!) and wringing his hands. His friend really was concerned when Shen Qingqiu was the last thing Shang Qinghua should be thinking about.

He sighed and cut his eyes to the side of the room where an imperial guard was standing sentry. “I’ve had a tiring few days,” he said.

SQQ: bro I’m 2 months pregnant. I’m tired and trying not to act like it.

SQH: ooooohhhhh my bad

SQQ: don’t worry about it

“If you say so,” Shang Qinghua said aloud. “Do you think everything is well out there?”

“I do. I also think it doesn’t matter if there’s a hiccup because Mobei-Jun is marrying you no matter what today. You’ve both waited long enough.”

“Haha, yeah. I guess we have.” Shang Qinghua looked off to the side and that made Shen Qingqiu hesitate in returning to their preparations.

They were running out of time for this, but they would wait for the bride. Not sure how long, in Mobei-Jun’s case, but everyone else would sit tight.

“You okay?”

“Yes! I’m very happy! Just…” Shang Qinghua sighed. “You know, before? I never thought I would get married and now I’m. I’m lucky my King loves me so.”

“Are you worried he’s going to change his mind with the Original?” Shen Qingqiu asked in English, getting to the point.

“No, but I worry that he should, you know?” Shang Qinghua responded. “He’s been hurt, so hurt, but understanding. We’ve been talking as much as he can stand, really. I’m doing my best to reassure him, but the reality won’t ever not be the truth. I’m marrying another version of him and it’s not like my arm is being twisted, is it? I just think he deserves better, but he chooses me and I’m so grateful that he does.”

“I get it,” Shen Qingqiu reassured him, because fuck, how could he not. “But guilt is useless and you both made your choices. Don’t let your guilt get in the way of your happiness, especially not when it compromises his happiness as well.”

Shang Qinghua narrowed his eyes at him. “And where was this attitude, oh, a year ago?”

Shen Qingqiu sighed, “Mu-shidi works hard. Once I was able to be completely honest with him, that was pretty much the first thing he told me. I’m working on believing that myself, but just because it’s difficult doesn’t make it true.”

His friend stared for a minute then gave a long, low whistle. “I know he doesn’t get paid like elsewhere, but give that man a raise.”

“He does deserve a sabbatical.”

“Not like he’ll take it for like. A while.” Shang Qinghua flicked his eyes down to Shen Qingqiu’s stomach and back up. Shen Qingqiu had no response but to sigh and finish touching up the makeup. “Hey, do you think he takes couples?” 

“I think he would need to start prescribing himself if he did,” Shen Qingqiu said dryly and Shang Qinghua couldn’t help laughing. “Don’t move, dumbass.”

“Gods, can you imagine? He has his hands full with you. I think a peek into your husband’s mind would have the man running away screaming.”

“He’s not an actual psychologist, you know,” Shen Qingqiu said, not denying the idea. It was a miracle that either Luo Binghe was functional and relatively sane. “I was kinda taken on by necessity.”

“Necessity, he says. Bro, we’re remembering things differently.”

“Whatever. Stop deflecting and stay still so I can put this veil on you.”

[kirie-mitsuru]

First of all, I love Luo Binghe with every fiber of my being and I just want him loved so thoroughly that he can't, not even for a second, doubt that he is loved.

Which is why I need to know if Shen Qingqiu is explicitly banned by the system to tell anything to LBH? I read through the novel twice, but I don't remember this being a thing. I am too emotionally damaged by how traumatized my pure LBH is by everything SQQ did to him and them not talking about everything that happened between them at all even until the very end. Unless they did and I missed it??

By things, I mean:

1. Why LBH has to go through the Abyss

2. Why SQQ assumes LBH is the cause of everything going wrong to SQQ during Jin Lan arc

3. Why SQQ keeps rejecting LBH presence even after knowing tht LBH loves him as a lover

4. Why LBH lost all trust in SQQ after the many lies and rejection LBH went through

5. Why SQQ restrains his affection even when they are already a couple

6. Why SQQ still lets the rest of the sect and the human realm people bad mouth LBH despite knowing how wrong they are abt LBH

(Warning: The rest is just my word vomit on my frustration over their nonexistent communication and why I feel they need it, so don't read the rest if it bothers you! Read the tags before you read the rest at least.)

I love BingQiu only because I can't see LBH truly happy w anyone else and I know tht SQQ actually loves all of LBH, the good and the bad, throughout the novel. It's just his denial and so called God's POV blinding him from seeing LBH as himself instead of what SQQ expects from LBH.

It happened, I get it. Teen angst (from both of them, SQQ is in his early 20ies too), realization, character growth and all that, but it does not change the fact that probs ard 90% of LBH trauma is caused by SQQ.

Like being put, going through, and surviving this universe ver of Hell (which I think Shang QingHua glazed through w convenient time skip in PIDW?) because of and for SQQ. Watching the love of his life die in his arms for him and because of him (even though LBH is equally clueless on what even happened during Jinlan arc until he tortures the truth out of the Old Palace master)(and multiple times too). Believing that he is being hated and feared by the love of his life because of his genetics or gender, which he have 0 say on and painful coz no one else seems to care about gender for couples in the novel besides SQQ so how else would LBH translate tht as nothing but an excuse for SQQ to reject him.

Oh, of course, not forgetting Xin Mo, the mind corrupting OP sword that constantly tries to take control of LBH's mind, which SQQ was looking forward to for LBH to acquire to be OP despite knowing what it does to its user.

(Personally, the scene where LBH secretly watch SQQ, who just ordered him to go away, laugh and say nothing as everyone bad mouth LBH before agreeing to stay for these people after treating LBH like a shameful secret that he don't want anyone to know was the most painful betrayal SQQ had done. Because, at this point, SQQ knows LBH loves him and has been pursing him all these time instead of wishing SQQ harm, yet he never even try to clarify this to his sect siblings, laughing instead when they insult LBH. This scene hurts me so much because how can SQQ eff up so quickly after acknowledging that he had broke LBH's heart so so many times into thousands of pieces just a few minutes before. Does the realization mean nothing at all to SQQ? I hate SQQ a little bit here even tho I know he didn't mean anything and is just too lazy too correct these many ppl and hates confrontation. At least he knew he eff-ed up when he knew LBH was listening)

I get why SQQ does the thing he did which he does w the underlying intention of 'helping' LBH get all the good things he deserve (nevermind that SQQ's definition of best is never what LBH wants for himself) (a painfully perfect example of the path to hell is paved with good intentions), but LBH doesn't know and he deserve to know if only to help him overcome or minimize his trauma.

I'm also sad that the main reason SQQ misunderstood LBH so much and expects the worst out of LBH is not even because of what LBH did. It's mainly the result of him reading abt Luo Bingge, punishment from the system, and his own cowardice to stop denying the truth. The only part LBH eff up is the blood parasite torture in the water jail thing, his blackening to the point 'lets end the world so there is only me and shizun' (which technically is due to the myriad of trauma caused by SQQ) and the last dub con scene which technically is orchestrated by the system due to SQQ's choice... why don't SQQ even expect it tho, all of his choices via the system prompts always led to him seducing LBH or in compromising situation w LBH and its the deluxe scene smtg...

... Yet the ending is just SQQ declaring he will always go wherever LBH go from now on (which he broke soon after coz LBH has to go to the demon realm and SQQ stays in the sect in the extras, which led to Luo Bingge showing up). Also, the extra just shows LBH acting pitiful to get affection and attention from SQQ (which is sad that he needs to be like this to get affection from SQQ, especially when internally SQQ 100% wants to pamper and love LBH already), their abrupt and private marriage.

Please, if I miss any scene they actually talk about their issues, do enlighten me.

(If there is any fanfic of them actually communicating w SQQ acknowledging his mistakes outloud and comforting LBH, or of SQQ 100% spoiling LBH, or going balistic when LBH is hurt, or dead LBH -especially considering tht his halo means near 100% his death caused by some form of suicide- which leaves crazy SQQ suffering and regreting everything he did to LBH, tell me too! I may or may not love yandere-for-LBH SQQ hehe. .)

[tossawary]

I've reread PINTWILF a few times now—amazing fic, thank you so much for writing it, I genuinely loved it and it felt like a complete world even though I don't actually know much about svsss—and I'm still a little unsure as to what exactly the world update after sy's appearance changed? definitely the basement under sqh's house appeared, as well as his requests to duan tianyu to look into the weepers eye.

sy also got given his backstory, but how much of that was fabricated? as in, did you intend on the sxy ressurection attempt always being a thing, and sy just got slotted in as a victim of that out of convenience? or did the update insert that WHOLE ressurection plot? did I miss anything that got added by the update?

Thank you! And, ha, I've heard that I few times now and somehow it keeps surprising me, though admittedly I have also read fic for stories I haven't actually seen or read before.

The World Update was the result of Shang Qinghua's accumulating Canon Divergences. One thing that you may notice is that before the World Update, Shang Qinghua was struggling with having points taken off him for messing with the plot, which he was (unwisely, perhaps) straight-up ignoring by the end. After the World Update, the System is no longer taking any points off him (I think, I can't remember exactly), though it does threaten to.

The World Update mostly just stabilized a lot of the changes that Shang Qinghua had already made. This was actually the System having his back, though it was terrifying about it.

Shang Qinghua isn't actually all that great at hiding that he's a transmigrator, especially when he's comfortable around someone. One of the biggest problems is that he went to go find Luo Jiahui and Luo Binghe, even though he shouldn't have known they existed, and brought them home with him, even though Shang Qinghua (the character within PIDW) should have no reason to know Binghe is going to be that important. He then proceeded to start telling Binghe ABOUT THE FUTURE disguised as BEDTIME STORIES.

Every time he talks about Binghe's future as someone super important, the System is basically going, "WHAT THE FUCK, DUDE, THIS ISN'T SUBTLE. IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE."

And Shang Qinghua JUST! KEEPS! CHANGING THINGS! He makes Mobei-Jun fall head over heels in love with him! He accidentally set up the House of Rejuvenation situation, then he took out Madam Hu (OC) AND Elder Lady Xia (OC), who were supposed to be future villains! He also set another future villain, Doctor Xu (OC), into the clutches of Huan Hua Palace, where the Old Palace Master could take advantage of him! He stole an incredibly dangerous and useful plot device from another future villain, the Garden Master in the Abyss (OC), and in doing so accidentally set up Zhuzhi-Lang freeing Tianlang-Jun and giving him all his powers back! And then Tianlang-Jun and Zhuzhi-Lang go back and kill the guy!

(Shang Qinghua's System: "Bro. What the fuck.")

HE SAVED LUO JIAHUI! He loves Binghe like a son! The protagonist of the world is now well-adjusted with a happy childhood! Also, he took Binghe to the House of Rejuvenation and failed to protect him completely, requiring OBVIOUS SYSTEM INTERVENTION. That was NOT Su Xiyan's work there.

(Shang Qinghua's System: "BRO. WHAT THE FUCK.")

And it's not just him! He gives Mobei-Jun way too much stuff! So Mobei-Jun can make all sorts of plot-altering movements, including the death of the future Xifeng-Jun (OC) and therefore replacing him with his younger sister (OC), kicking out Elder Lady Xia (OC), and making himself powerful enough early on to make his father jealous enough to crash the Immortal Alliance Conference! At the same time that Shen Qingqiu is out there with his new disciple, Fu Qiang (OC) from the House of Rejuvenation, kicking all kinds of corrupt, noble ass!

All this at the same time that Shang Qinghua is thinking to himself, "Oh, I wish I wasn't a transmigrator! I wish there was an explanation for why Shang Qinghua would know all these things! I wish we could just get the barest bones of a plot out of the way so that I could just live my life without worrying about that!"

(Shang Qinghua's System: "FUCK YOU. I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU EVERYTHING YOU WANT, BRO.")

And then Shen Qingqiu's qi deviation happens. Originally, the System was going to solve the instability of the Shen Qingqiu character by just replacing him with Shen Yuan. But then Shang Qinghua swoops in, tells Shen Qingqiu a bunch of things he hasn't established actual reasons for him to know, and kicks off a Qijiu confrontation (a necessary beginning to any sort of Qijiu reunion). Now, it LOOKS like Shang Qinghua nearly killed Shen Qingqiu there by stressing him with emotional revelations, and maybe he nearly did, but because Shang Qinghua told the truth, Shen Qingqiu demanded to see Yue Qingyuan and realized Shang Qinghua was telling the truth.

So when Shen Qingqiu deviates, he's not alone. Yue Qingyuan is RIGHT THERE to call for medical attention and to help, and Yue Qingyuan is a spiritual POWERHOUSE. And Shen Qingqiu doesn't actually want to die just to spite Yue Qingyuan now. So when Yue Qingyuan clings to him, he clings back and allows Yue Qingyuan (and Mu Qingfang) to help him, and QIJIU fucks up Shen Yuan's transmigration so badly that everything kind of breaks.

And Shang Qinghua's System is kind of like, "FOR FUCK'S SAKE!!!" But it's also kind of like, "FINALLY! Now I have an inarguable reason to FIX EVERYTHING (and blame it on the other guy)."

The System stabilizes every change Shang Qinghua has made, reworks the new plot Shang Qinghua has already been building, and dumps three new intertwined missions on his head to force him to get everything he wants. "The Lines That Cannot Be Crossed", "The Demonic Alliance Invasion", and "Death of the Author" are, honestly, all the same big mission, just divided into different parts. They all end up at the same place.

Calling it "Death of the Author" is perhaps a bit mean, but the System is more than a little frustrated by Shang Qinghua's denial, so it wants to wake him the fuck up to this new world.

"The Lines That Cannot Be Crossed": Gives Shen Yuan a backstory. Stabilizes the Doctor Xu and Huan Hua Palace situation. Takes Luo Jiahui's assumption that the seals on Binghe's demon side aren't just Su Xiyan's work, but ARE Su Xiyan, and runs with it, retroactively blaming the System's work on Binghe's birth mother.

If you asked Su Xiyan (and she answered truthfully), she only regained any sort of consciousness after the World Update (not that she knows about it) and that was slow-going. She was doing something unprecedented, but she was fully expecting to essentially destroy her own soul to fuel the seals. The System brought her back in and attached her to Luo Binghe, like, "HERE. FIXED IT."

To be honest, I didn't fully decide on how much of the Doctor Xu and the stolen golden cores business was the System's invention, because when I wrote it, with everything being from Shang Qinghua's POV, it didn't really matter. But looking back on it, yes, Doctor Xu was at least up to something very, VERY similar, given that Shen Qingqiu and Fu Qiang were already investigating him through his former patron, Lady Dan (OC), and the former patrons of the House of Rejuvenation. Given the Old Palace Master and the Holy Mausoleum in SVSSS, I think that the possibility of resurrecting Su Xiyan, the "one who got away", probably at least passed his mind, and then having Doctor Xu delivered to him was too much to resist.

I decided on Su Xiyan being the explanation for Binghe's seals somewhere around the House of Rejuvenation storyline, when I pulled the System intervention scene, and I knew before that that I at least wanted to do something with her ghost. Su Xiyan's future role developed into a full-blown potential resurrection when I finally firmly decided that I didn't want Shen Yuan to transmigrate into Shen Jiu, shortly before I wrote the World Update chapters, and I needed backstory for Shen Yuan's new role. (Seriously, Shen Jiu came pretty close to being killed off in PINTWILF. And I didn't know whether to leave Su Xiyan as a ghost or bring her back completely until, like, right before I wrote the chapters where they find her body.)

"Death of the Author": This one was about SHANG QINGHUA knowing too many things he SHOULD NOT KNOW. It dumped the basement and all that fortune-telling gear on him to explain to everyone else why he knows so much.

It was also meant to help him follow up on the Tianlang-Jun storyline and give him the Weeper's Eye so that he could find Su Xiyan when Tianlang-Jun inevitably popped up looking for her.

Looking back on it now, having Duan Tianyu and Yu Chaonan help him find the Garden Master's Abyss may have accidentally caused one of the Old Palace Master's minions to look more into that part of history, and Shang Qinghua could have accidentally pointed the Old Palace Master to the Weeper's Eye. So, it could also be a "DON'T LET YOUR ENEMIES GET THIS SUPER OP PLOT DEVICE" fix-it.

"The Demonic Alliance Invasion": Basically the System just straightened out the mess Shang Qinghua was accidentally making of demon politics, like, "I put all this work setting things up to throw Binghe into the Abyss and it's not NOT HAPPENING!" And it used this mission to force everything together and get that bare bones plot over and done with, like Shang Qinghua was begging for.

I think that's pretty much everything.

So, like, all in all, the System didn't actually... change that much? Shang Qinghua freaked the fuck out about it all, rightly, because it was terrifying. But the System was basically just smoothing out things that he'd already done to the world and changing the plot requirements to give him what he wanted.

(Shang Qinghua: "WHAT DID YOU DO???"

Shang Qinghua's System: "The question is: 'What did YOU do???'"

It's not clear in SVSSS how much control Shang Qinghua has over the System, but though it doesn’t seem to be especially conscious, it's definitely implied that Airplane Bro's desires for his story are actually being taken into account. He transmigrated first, after all. While the System might take some of Shen Yuan's desires into account, it does still force him to push Luo Binghe into the Endless Abyss. I would argue that it's when Airplane Bro finds out that Shen Qingqiu is another transmigrator, after the Immortal Alliance Conference, that the System finally throws the original plot being mandatory away completely. (And everything is complete fucking chaos after that.)

I put a lot of effort into trying to make the World Update feel seamless, with all the foreshadowing work I did for various plot elements, and inevitable. I feel like the System is a little more insidious and the world more natural if its manipulations aren't transparent.

[rarepears]

Got any new fic recs to share? 👀 Much appreciated ❤️

I'm not a fan of genderbender fics usually - because a lot of them just change the gender of a character so that something is now gay or het just Because and don't really do much to change the person's backstory/thoughts/personalities (if that makes sense? I'm not saying that a character has to change in personality, but their life is different because the world would see that character differently and thus react differently. The most obvious being a female character feeling more pressure to marry, have children, etc.). Anyways, this genderbender fic has some of the best character development and growth I've ever seen??? I literally cried, tears dripping down my face, reading this thing because oh boy oh boy did I feel all the emotions of the narrator. Everything was just so three dimensional, even all the facets of love that was described. Like come for the Liujiu, stay for the explorations of Luo Binghe's complex and Issues. (And OG!Shang Qinghua too.) I FELT SO MANY THINGS while reading make sure i die first by pennydaniels so GO GO GO.

In that same vein, reading female!Tywin Lannister and seeing how so many things change with Tywin being female and how many things don't change is so... exhilarating? A Lioness Still Has Claws by WickedTheRedHorse

for all those pages thumbed by Star_flaming could be a whole ass standalone romance movie on its own - the worldbuilding is just so good. The developing relationship is so detailed and deep and honestly it feels sort of like a modern version of uhhhh Jane Eyre - well, as much as Argus Filch can be a Jane Eyre lol. It still all fits within Harry Potter canon which makes this even better. Also you just gotta appreciate it when Filch is written in such a relatable way. He's got a phD in art conservatorship, is underpaid, and gets ignored by people who Don't Appreciate The Things That He Does.

You like misunderstandings right? You should, considering you are on my tumblr blog. So if you want to see Gojo come to all the wrong conclusions and generates a whole ass world ending conspiracy theory that he convinces so many people to be true... you got to read this yesterday: helping the world via murder, a guide by your local reformed terrorist by RK7200 Also JJK X Naruto crossovers are fun period.

If you read The King's Avatar, check out this gemstone in the fandom: Autumn Empire by EmpressFiend. We love getting a younger and older version of the protagonist running around, pretending to be brothers, as they decimate the competition.

Okay, here's my first warning, don't read this author if you don't like being baited with the MOST amazing premise and idea and then be left hanging without only 1 chapter to satisfy yourself. This author is very much the embodiment of "shine brightly but live a short life" if we are talking about how their fics get updated lolololol. I'm going to tell you though, reading about Kakashi and Orochimaru getting tossed to Tatooine is worth it: here i am coming, with the good news of me, and you hate it by QuenchiestCactusJuice99

Happy reading!

[vermillioncrown]

random alternate universe-ity snippet

"clap now? i can clap now, right?" zhu yunxun hisses urgently at shen yuan.

he rolls his eyes, and with his sharp clapping as one of the first few the rest of the audience follow suit. zhu yunxun quickly joins in.

"i was fighting for my life," she says sotto voce. they're leisurely leaving the performance hall.

"you philistine - this is literally one of the shortest symphonies there is!" shen yuan responds with scorn. "you're the one that wanted to come. i'm just here for milk tea afterwards."

"it's for extra credit," zhu yunxun explains shamelessly. "i didn't want -"

"you had a choice of this, or literally going onto campus for whatever musical they had as extra credit." he is giving no quarter today. "don't pretend -"

"- milk tea is also better in the city," she insists over his argument. "i'm here for milk tea -"

"- wait! you came!"

zhu yunxun freezes, and only by virtue of her facing shen yuan does he see her face contort and melt into the 'hi! i'm people' smile before she turns to face the older lan brother running up to meet them.

shen yuan tries not to roll his eyes. of course she'd drag them all the way to the regional performing arts center rather than stay on campus. she got to ogle lan xichen in a monkey suit.

"zhu yunxun, i'm glad you came," he says, slightly out of breath from running (and performing under hot lights for the last 45 minutes, probably). "it's a bit out of the way, compared to the musical -"

"i'd rather go for quality for my time," she responds with a smile (shen yuan feels literal chills run down his back at her 'people' act. this fucking nose-picker?!). "it's been a while since i've attended."

yeah, in fifth fucking grade, the con-woman!

"yeah? what did you think? the school's orchestra actually trades off with the regional philharmonic in this hall -" from anyone but lan xichen, it'd sound like bragging, "- so there's a high bar for us."

"you guys sounded fantastic," zhu yunxun says. (this statement, at least, is pretty sincere.) "my favorite..."

because shen yuan is a bro at heart, a bro bound by a covenant of secrets (shang qinghua's naruto fanfiction), a bro without a ride home if he doesn't act -

"the third movement. you listen to it nonstop." the thing is - that will probably be true as soon as they get back. zhu yunxun is nothing but predictable with her likes and dislikes. "lan xichen, good to see you - it was a great performance."

lan xichen shakes shen yuan's hand. "shen yuan, thank you. you look well; hope the same goes for your brother, too?"

"jiu-ge's doing fine. having fun on his own, though."

"did you guys come together?" lan xichen asks them both. "i can give you a ride back if it's more convenient?" that question was barely subtle in addressing zhu yunxun only.

"oh! um. we drove here. i mean, i drove us here. uh -" normally, shen yuan is privy to what causes his friend to have an answer meltdown. this time, it is inexplicable. yet still hilarious to watch all the same. "i wasn't... i didn't mean to bum rides from you back on campus - i don't normally drive my car around - it's not convenient - not that i was trying to use you - but you offered and i mean -"

lan xichen starts to laugh. "no, no - it's fine. i'm happy to drive you around; you're usually on the way."

"i am so sorry, i just made it weird," zhu yunxun puts her face in her hands. "i... i'm gonna go now." she turns and tugs shen yuan with her. "nice seeing you!" she calls without turning.

ah, the show was over.

"see you back on campus!" lan xichen's cheery parting comes in return.

=

"not a fucking word," she grits out, handing him his milk tea.

"i didn't even say anything," shen yuan says innocently. and because it's too fun to poke, "... yet."

they get into her modest little sedan, settling in before heading back towards campus via the expressway.

"pull up the maps for me," zhu yunxun demands, tossing her phone at shen yuan.

he taps the pattern to unlock the screen, but before he can pull up the maps app the phone buzzes with a message.

"hey, it's -"

she rips the phone from his hand.

"wow, you care a lot," shen yuan incredulously concludes.

"no, i care a normal bit."

"this is not normal."

"i'm always so normal."

he still saw the message before she took her phone away. and definitely, for zhu yunxun, this was not normal.

'i'm pretty happy i guessed right that you'd like the 3rd movement the best

even if it's not the same, i'd expect a dancer like you to appreciate a waltz :)'

any other person texting shit like that to his friend and she'd immediately demand a fist fight to reclaim her honor or dignity or whatever it was that she thought she had stolen (but clearly lacked in the first place).

her careful, two-handed typing and deleting, pensive face... not normal at all.

[writing-frenzy]

Plz let Airplane be EVEN MORE Awesome - Fic Rec Part Duo

*Stares at all the notes my last post got* Nice to know we are all just as Thirsty for the good boi as Mobei-Jun is.

So Thus, I have decided to make another! (Smashes the post button) Since there was a lot, I just decided to make another post.

here we go kids, more of that good Airplane love... alongside that good quality Moshang because I am biased~ 

(Plz share if you find more!)

a cup of vinegar, a spoon of sugar by Shamelesscooper - “Your timing certainly is impeccable, my lord,” Wei Wuxian groans, rubbing his back. “What brings you here for the second time in as many nights…?” “I left my cloak,” Mobei-Jun says, shooting Wei-Wuxian a dirty look as the bird demon shrugs his robe back on.“You certainly did!” Shang Qinghua exclaims, crossing his arms quite crossly. “You can’t just leave your things everywhere, my king!” Mobei-Jun’s hard stare refocuses on Shang Qinghua, and he can’t help but shrink back, hurriedly rummaging around in his qiankun pouch for the offending garment. As soon as Shang Qinghua finds it, Mobei-Jun takes it from his hands and throws it over his shoulders, breathing in a deep sigh as if it relieved him to have it there again. If you miss it so much, why did you even leave it behind?! Shang Qinghua almost wants to say, but he is quite fond of his head, actually, and would rather Mobei-Jun not take it off his shoulders, thankyouverymuch. 

--Shang Qinghua is tasked with escorting the leader of the Yiling Carrion Tribe to Gusu, and it'd be fine if only Mobei-Jun would stop poking his (gorgeous, beautiful, drop-dead handsome) head in!

*Evil grin* here we have a delicious rare side of Jealous Mobei, Shang Qinghua doing something that most MDZS fans dream of doing once, and a side of shamelessness from our favorite ‘Lovebirds’ XD Not to mention how steamy it gets~

-

You Will Never Step Lightly In The Dark by Janusoverlord - Shang Qinghua wakes up in the aftermath of Tianlang-Jun's rampage on Cang Qiong Mountain and has to navigate the delicate political situation he now finds himself in. Luo Binghe is building a harem with Shen Qingqiu as his first, and honestly most terrifying, husband. Yet, Luo Binghe seems to be turning his eyes to Shang Qinghua as a possibility as well. Excuse you? What is this? He didn't sign up for this!

Okay, make sure you read the tags kiddies because uhhh, this has some themes to it. It is also part of a series as well, but I read it stand alone and it does good with how it explains things; as it is...

Let me just say, Luo Binghe does not know what he just got into; all mortals will bow to the might of our lord Airplane! I really did like this and I am tentatively on the fence about reading the rest of the series, because the writing is so damn good but we will see how my ship cravings twist.

-

With Ink and Sword by xnemone - Shang Qinghua is appropriately nervous when he passes the Imperial Exams only to be assigned not to the Emperor’s palace, but to the barren lands ruled by a lord known to be as ruthless as he is cold. Although his friend and confidant Shen Qingqiu gives him a sympathetic smile and a mountain of furs before he sets off, Shang Qinghua feels less than reassured.He expects ridicule, a harsh regime, even rejection. What he does not expect is for Mobei-Jun to take one look at him among all the scholars and servants of his palace, and proclaim him his.

Now, this is such a good story, I love it, is makes me feel happy and squishy inside with the good Moshang, and you know what? It has my new favorite thing in the world!

Shang Qinghua calls Cucumber bro out! AND IT IS GLORIOUS!!! (Seriously, why does this not happen more often?)

-

Good Vibrations by Feynite -  In Shang Qinghua’s defense, this whole trope was originally something he’d only ever written in for Sha Hualing, for precisely one scene.

In which I actually feel ashamed for forgetting such a treasure. Like, Feynite is a wonderful wordsmith, invoking so many thoughts and good shit with their words and characters, and by god do I end up just loving them even more then before.

This story passes the Vibe Check! (Luo Binghe also gets a Vibe Check~)

-

From Your Perspective by cozycitywitch - It was nothing more than a curse, probably, and surly the witch doctor could fix it? So what else was Shang Qinghua to do inside Mobei Jun's body until the end of the night? He couldn't be blamed for his curiosity! He was only a man! Or the one where Moshang switch bodies and Shang Qinghua can't help himself.

Now, this is a lovely, spicy lime where while there is no big action or technical awesomeness going on, it does have some wonderful images; Shang Qinghua’s hamster body with the aura of a king, him showing off being intimating which means Shang Qinghua can indeed be scary, it is something that could happen if he has the motivation for it.

Not to mention this is just a hot story all around~ (My kingdom’s for My King’s POV on this~)

-

ham hunt by jets_adjacent - There's a wolf at Shang Qinghua's heels and his only thought is: Northern mating rituals are a pain in the ass.

This is a really, really good A/B/O fic; it also shows just how tricky and sneaky our Shang Qinghua can be, as well as a mischievous side I just love seeing in our favorite Peak Lord. And let’s not forget the spicy goodness of this fic, which is really tasty~ (And can I get a shout out for consent and negotiated kinks!)

-

In which healthy relationship skills are forcibly brought into Proud Immortal Demon Way by two bros by Rafaela271412421 -  Look, if no one is going to give these people friends and healthy relationships then by GOD, I WILL do it myself! It's about two bros bringing healthy relationships into PIDW both intentionally and not. Gods and deities, accidental and not, will also be included. Also, it's in bullet point format, so you’ve been warned.

ahahahahaahhahahahaahaha! I love this fucking outline/bullet points presentation, it is something I always end up going back to and giggling like an idiot. The is really a healing piece, my crops have been watered, my face is clear, and Airplane and Cucumber Bros go completely feral~ I love it, I want to propose marriage~

-

trinkets for a king by jets_adjacent - Shang Qinghua gives many extraordinary gifts to his King. His King finally catches on. --aka: Mobei Jun has never been courted by a human before.

So, this is a wonderful subversion of the ‘Mobei-Jun courts/plans his wedding to Shang Qinghua all the while said man is unaware’. like, it is so cute and I love jelly Airplane; it gives me life. Also, one of the few we see Airplane taking full advantage of all his author knowledge and using it for the devious plans~

-

The Southern King and The North Star by Luuplup - A series of meetings between the Southern King and a cultivator. The happy moments, the romantic moments, the sad moments.  

Another really cute Role Reversal I find I greatly enjoy, with a very competent, beloved Lord Demon!Airplane :D it makes me happy when I read it, I end up wanting to hug something~ It seems like it will be a slow burn, what with our favorite moronsexuals, but oh is it delicious seeing the buildup~ 

-

under a wicked star by tagteamme - Caught unaware, Mobei Jun is kidnapped for leverage. On the eighth day, Mobei Jun is broken out of his trance by the sound of something being tossed into his pit. It’s a lot lighter than what they throw food down in. He realizes that today, he is not tied down.When he moves off the bed, he does not need the canopy post to support his weight as he stands up. The object on the floor glints in the firelight, and Mobei Jun crouches to pick it up. His face is immoving; slowly, he turns the An Ding peak lord crown in his hand, looking at the blood-soaked metal through the light.

SQH to the rescue! Alongside some good old fashioned angsty Moshang miscommunication but with Mobei-Jun’s POV this time, and some absolutely good steamy good times for all XD 

-

we seal our fate by ketolic (corrose) - All things considered, it really was sort of obvious. Hey! Anyone can be a genius in retrospect. Hindsight is 20/20! Besides, who can blame him! He'd never written about this facet of Mobei Jun's life before! Still...considering all the times he'd gotten his hands on Mobei Jun's sealskin, he's sort of shocked that it took him so long to figure it out.

:D This story makes me giggle uncontrollably, and still finds ways to unexpectedly stab me in the heart. I love it! Not to mention we get to see SQH be awesome! Sure, he flails around as he does it, but busts out the fighting moves and even fits a rescue in there! So good, so in character, I love every watery moment of this fic... good thing I’m so thirsty- (Is shot)

-----

But yeah! These are some more good stories I found, some a bit more- urrrr- thirstier then others~ you can find the first thing of Fic Recs Here! And Plz, share more awesome Airplane whenever you have a chance~

[tcfactory]

a fun idea on the "im gay and pissed about it" is the concept of "what do you mean i share tastes with shang shidi". qinghua mentions offhandedly that the sect is full of very handsome men who are strong and muscular and have the AUDACITY to wear respectable layers of clothing in heat and filth when he could be looking at their chests. sj nods along absentmindedly then hEY WAIT. WHAT. WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT. AND WHY DOES HE AGREE WITH YOU-

I'm snickering, because he would be mega upset that he's in agreement with Shang-shidi. At least he can blame the gay thoughts on Shang Qinghua, thirsty shidi is infecting everyone with residual horny.

Also, the fact that Shang Qinghua's (future) husband does walk around with his chest bared to the world a lot of the time makes this so much worse. Number 1 reason to turn CQMS into a demonic sect: shameless demon fashion.

...you know, that would make for a good comedy oneshot I think. SQH convinces the Sect to convert to a 'demonic' path to avoid all the plot and get rid of the stress of having to hide MBJ all the damn time. YQY agrees because this way nobody can hold SQQ's background under Wu Yanzi against him, LQG doesn't care as long as he can go hunt monsters, MQF is fine with this as long as they can maintain their reputation as 'decent people' (bc mortals care more about that than jianghu politics), WQW gets a shitton of new customers from the demon realm... the only one who would be strongly against it is QQQ, depending on how the mortal emperors would view a 'demonic' sect.

He convinces SQQ by gesturing at MBJ and his chest-out fashion like "this could be YQY and LGQ if we converted" and that holds more appeal than SQQ would ever admit. (QiJiu reconciliation fueled by too many horny thoughts? And then YQY 'bullies' SQQ into wearing the new uniforms and oh, there goes LQG. SQQ has two hands and with one he has to keep holding onto stupid sexy Liu-shidi so he stops walking into walls.)

And what better way to convert the sect than get TLJ out from under the mountain and pledge their allegiance to him? If SQH pulls this madness off in time they might even have a chance to save SXY! (Which would placate QQQ, especially after the Old Palace Master's garbage comes to light - she will be one of the main advocates of throwing the man in a pit of fire ants and watching him die a slow, well-deserved death.)

So OPM's manipulation is all out in the open and HHP is going under and I guess that's just barely enough to put them as "not a righteous sect and not an evil sect, but a secret third thing (weird)" which sure is a reputation to have, but not a bad one as such. Anyway, TLJ is the emperor of a whole realm and he's bankrolling them, so it's not like they need to play nice with the rest of the jianghu if they don't want to.

That sure would be a fun scenario for Shen Yuan to transmigrate into, huh? Lands as a nameless OC disciple (17 and very sassy) who's joining CQMS after his native sect was destroyed by some random catastrophe and he's making up all these elaborate plans in his head on how to help LBH out in the sect, only to find out that LBH (also 17 and very spoiled) is head disciple of Bai Zhan, getting kinda-but-not-really preferential treatment because he's the son of the sect benefactor. Also for funsies please imagine a Moshang spawn there too, because SQH developed an unfortunate habit of falling into every wifeplot ever (it's the System's revenge).

Trouble trios Ning Yingying+Sha Hualing+Liu Mingyan vs Shen Yuan+Bingmei+Moshang sprog unintentionally trying to outdo each other on who can cause their respective Shizuns the bigger headache. Shen Yuan isn't certain why he ended up in such a wacky AU fanfic setting, but Binghe is happy and handsome and keeps hitting on him cooking him snacks to make him feel welcome after what happened to his old sect, so he's enjoying his time too much to complain (much).

[delicioussshame]

Part Five of the Moshen Thing.

Shen Qingqiu waits to be announced before he enters Mobei-Jun’s quarters. He doesn’t want to disturb him for, if he’s honest with himself, is only personal gossip. He’s just really curious about what happened with Shang Qinghua? And if nothing happened Mobei-Jun might be depressed, and it’s not like Mobei-Jun is going to talk about his feelings on the matter to his entourage. It’s going to take all he has to get a few words from him if it went wrong, but he feels up to the challenge!

Turns out he won’t have to. He can tell from the relaxed way Mobei-Jun is standing and the faintest trace of a smile on his face that something very good happened since the last time he saw it. “How was Shang Qinghua?”

White teeth flash when he answers. “Fine.”

His fan, plum blossoms covered in snow, hides his own smile. “I see.” Hopefully they’ll be able to make it work. Shen Qingqiu has no trust in Shang Qinghua’s capacity to be a decent partner to anyone, but Mobei-Jun obviously disagrees. Shen Qingqiu wants to be the one in the wrong this time. “I wish you the best.” Since that’s how it is, he’s going to get all the dirty details from Airplane. That’s going to be way easier than trying to extract them from Mobei-Jun. “I’m sure you have better things to do than waste your time on me.” Like courting your new flame.

Mobei-Jun stops him from leaving by grabbing his arm. “Don’t go.”

He must have questions. Maybe he’s nervous now that he has to handle an actual relationship with a human? “Do you need something from me?” He keeps his tone calm and open. He doesn’t especially want to become their relationship therapist, but one does what one cans.

Mobei-Jun doesn’t let him go. “Thank you.”

Shen Qingqiu is flushed with pride. Look at this cold demon lord learning how to act like a person! Shang Qinghua better be grateful Shen Qingqiu warmed him up for him!

Emotionally! He meant emotionally! “I don’t need thanks. Just be happy.” He gestures at his arm, still caught in Mobei-Jun’s hold. “Though you might want to stop being touching me this freely.”

Mobei-Jun frowns. “Why?”

Shen Qingqiu waves his fan in amusement. “Shang Qinghua might get jealous.” That might have been fun. Airplane Shooting Towards the Sky deserves all the bullying he gets for having written this world. He shouldn’t have said anything.

“Why would he?”

Is that a hard concept to grasp? “It’s not really proper to flaunt your previous attachment when you have a new lover.”

“Previous.”

Shen Qingqiu starts to feel uneasy. “You did confess to Shang Qinghua, didn’t you? Or the reverse, it doesn’t really matter.”

This seems to make sense to Mobei-Jun. “Yes.”

“Then, he would expect fidelity.”

He can see the confusion on Mobei-Jun’s face. Shit. “Fidelity.”

“Most people only have one partner. They expect that partner to be loyal to them.”

“I’m a king. I might choose many spouses.”

Fuck. This is what you brought on yourself by writing a stallion novel, Airplane Shooting Towards the Sky! Your own love interest is planning on gathering a harem! “And you told him that?”

But he knows what he’ll hear before he does. “He must know.”

He might not. Mobei-Jun didn’t have any canonical love interest. “You need to tell him about it. As soon as possible.”

“Junshang doesn’t mind.”

Shen Qingqiu is not getting in, shit! Luo Binghe isn’t an example for anyone to follow! And Luo Binghe himself isn’t out there actively adding flowers to his harem without Shen Qingqiu’s input, which he would definitely need or they would be having Words. “He doesn’t matter. Shang Qinghua does. Talk to him.”

Mobei-Jun stays mute for a while. Shen Qingqiu waits in very awkward silence.

What he says when he finally decides to speak doesn’t help. “You wouldn’t mind?”

Shen Qingqiu chokes. He doesn’t want to be involved in this mess, thank you! “I thought this would end that once you had Shang Qinghua.” When he finally allowed himself to really think about it, it became obvious. Shen Qingqiu already has… a reputation in the demon realm for his unparalleled hold on the strongest member of their kind. The last thing he needs is to become known as a home-wrecker, thank you. As tentative as the relationship between Shang Qinghua and himself can be, he’s not going to ruin his chance at happiness for one of Binghe’s kinky wishes. “You won’t even miss me. Shang Qinghua is too much of a handful.”

Mobei-Jun seems doubtful

In other circumstances, Shen Qingqiu would be flattered. “Talk to him.” How did he even became the resident therapist, he will never know. Of all the anachronisms Airplane included, why not this one? A good therapist might just have saved Luo Binghe from himself.

Sadly, it would also have made for a pretty boring book. Shen Qingqiu can already hear the pleas of needing money and pleasing the audience.

Mobei-Jun frowns but nods.

Shen Qingqiu escapes from this hell he made for himself as fast as he can.

____________

And then nothing happens.

For weeks.

He means, lots of things happens, but not on the ice demon/fellow transmigrator front.

It is possible Shen Qingqiu hears nothing because they’re both not staying at Binghe’s palace and Shen Qingqiu himself has spent some time at the sect, but still. A letter would have been nice. ‘Hello, we’re doing fine, thank you for being our marital counsellor’, something of the sort. Or even ‘Never put your hand on my husband again, you trollop!’ He just wants to know!

“Shizun can stop fretting. Mobei-Jun will look over the castle while I’m visiting the Southern provinces. He can ask him himself.”

Shen Qingqiu shouldn’t be surprised Luo Binghe noticed his agitation. Very few things relating to him escape his husband’s attention.

Still, Shen Qingqiu knows why his disciple really requested Mobei-Jun's presence. Should he take it as a sign something went wrong? Or very right? “Mobei-Jun didn’t object?”

Luo Binghe snorts. “Why would he. He’s probably eager to put his hands on Shizun again.”

But Shang Qinghua! “Considering his actual status, I very much doubt it.”

“All this time, and yet my husband is still blind to his own charms. This disciple is very lucky. That way, Shizun won’t think of looking for someone else.”

Shen Qingqiu is torn between being flattered and sighing. Binghe, why are you still bringing that up? This master has no intention of leaving you.

That’s a subject he really doesn’t feel like revisiting again. Oh well, if Mobei-Jun is coming, he’ll surely bring Shang Qinghua along. Shen Qingqiu will get to the bottom of this himself.

____________

“Seriously, bro, what are you worrying about? Everything is fine.”

“Is it? Is it!? Your love interest has every intention of sleeping around with anyone he takes a fancy to and everything is fine!? Even you must have higher standards.” Shang Qinghua had very conspicuously arrived at Mobei-Jun’s side, looking less stressed than Shen Qingqiu had ever seen him, if no less hyper. Shen Qingqiu had detected the change in seconds. He knows when someone is getting laid right, okay? He’s intimately familiar with what that’s like, courtesy of basically being the heroine.

All he’d felt at the sight had been happiness for his compatriot and the other demon in his life. He had had no plans to disturb their bliss! So why are they having this conversation right now? Shouldn’t Shang Qinghua work on keeping his lover in check instead of trying to pimp him out?

“You’re exaggerating. It’s only you. He was already sleeping with you before he was doing me anyway. If anything, I’m the interloper.”

How is this his life? “I’m not romantically involved with Mobei-Jun, so of course I’m the one in the way.”

Shang Qinghua stays silent.

…What the fuck is that silence supposed to mean!? “Did you forget I’m married to the protagonist? I don’t need anyone else! I really wish people would remember that!”

“That’s something you don’t have worry about. Everyone knows you’re married to Luo Binghe. He’s not subtle about it. That’s not the point. The point is I knew, well no I didn’t know what I was getting in when I included harems in my story, but I did it anyway, the point is I expected this outcome okay? Luo Binghe being loyal to you is close to a miracle, not the rule. Getting Mobei-Jun is already more than I could ever have dreamed for. He’s not gonna go against the grain for me, and that’s fine. And if he’s gonna have someone else, who better than you? You’re not gonna marry him, and you’re not gonna ask him to leave me, so I don’t have anything to complain about.”

“…Are you fucking serious right now?”

Shang Qinghua pats his fucking shoulders like he’s a lady having the vapours. “Calm down. Keep breathing. It’s going to make sense if you think about it.”

“You allowing your lover to sleep around because you think you’re not good enough for him not to is never going to make sense.”

Shang Qinghua flinches like he just hit him. Good. Maybe he’ll understand how completely stupid he’s being. “Bro, that was way harsh. What did I ever do to you to deserve that?”

Shen Qingqiu just stares him down until he squeals. Please, Shang Qinghua knows exactly what he did, mainly everything around them.

“Not everyone has like, crazy powers of seduction that can make anyone fall for them, okay? Some of us have to content themselves with what they can have.”

Shen Qingqiu chokes. He does not have crazy powers of seduction, what the hell!

Not the point. “Did you tell Mobei-Jun that?”

Shang Qinghua’s eyes bug out. “So that I can look even more pathetic than I already do? No way, bro, no way. He told me he was eventually going to marry other people, I said I knew that, he kissed me, and then I-“

“Shut up! I don’t need to know about that!” He already knows more than enough about Mobei-Jun in bed! He really doesn’t need to know about Shang Qinghua! “Shouldn’t you have elaborated more?”

“And say what? Sorry, you’re not allowed to have an heir, you’re gonna have to let your bloodline disappear?”

“Are you seriously telling me you didn’t include mpreg in this mess? Or like, can’t he pick one of his nephews or something?”

“Excuse me, which part of stallion novel screams mpreg to you! Of course I didn’t include that! Not that I would be surprised if you fucking everything up caused a way for it to happen to exist! And yes, he could pick a member of his family as his heir, but then I would be stopping him from having children and that’s not cool. Tiny little Mobei-Juns running around with serious faces! Even your frozen heart must want to see that!”

…That would be heart-stoppingly cute.

So would all the tiny Binghes that were supposed to exist and that Shen Qingqiu ruthlessly culled by stealing their father for himself.

“…Bro, don’t be like that, that’s not what I meant, don’t be sad! They’ll kill me if you’re sad!”

Shen Qingqiu gets a grip on himself. Now’s not the time. “I’m not sad.”

“…Sure bro, you’re not.”

“You’re the one that has reasons to be sad.”

“Not really. I really am okay with it.”

Well, Shen Qingqiu isn’t.

Something is going to have to be done.

[satonthelotuspier]

Day / Chapter 7 of Liushen week, just in time!

You can read it all on AO3 or check the liushenweek tag on my blog for the previous days.

How To Catch An Aloof And Untouchable Immortal

Attempt 7 - Success

“Shizun! Shizun!” Ning Yingying’s voice was unusually loud, and he could hear the urgency in it, so he rose to meet her at the door of his bamboo hut.

“Shizun!” she came to a halt, trying to catch her breath, “Liu-shishu-,” she drew another breath and tried again, “Liu-shishu has returned. Yang-shidi said he was wounded…”

“Wounded?” Shen Qingqiu’s blood ran cold at that news, was this really to be the outcome?

He walked quickly back into his hut, collected his sword and his fan, and was striding away towards Bai Zhan Peak before Ning Yingying could even finish her tale. She blew out a breath and trotted along in his wake.

They reached Bai Zhan within a few minutes and made for the sturdy, wooden residence of Liu Qingge, tucked away from the disciple’s living quarters in a copse of pines.

There was hustle and bustle around the entrance, with Bai Zhan disciples coming and going, and Mu Qingfang’s voice, loud and angry, from inside.

“Liu Qingge, sit still, by all the gods.”

Sit? Shen Qingqiu’s heart settled into a more steady pace; if Liu Qingge was sitting and not laying then he couldn’t be too badly wounded, surely?

He stepped over the threshold, avoiding a running disciple.

“Liu-shidi, Mu-shidi,” he said loudly and cheerfully to announce his presence. They both looked at him.

“Shen Qingqiu, can you please have this fool sit still?” Mu Qingfang snapped, and Liu Qingge almost snarled at him.

“I’m fine.”

Actually, he wasn’t, considering the large slashes across his torso, but it wasn’t in Liu Qingge to ever admit otherwise.

“I beg your pardon, Liu-shidi, would you like me to come back when Mu-shidi has finished dressing your wounds?” It was quite rude to be stood around ogling a peerless beauty, half dressed, so he turned his back, turned Ning Yingying around by her shoulders, and opened his fan, beginning to waving it in front of his face, hoping it cooled the blush enough to hide it.

“Oh please.” Qi Qingqi walked through the doorway of Liu Qingge’s residence as he said it,, “Shen Qingqiu, it’s not like the whole of Cang Qiong isn’t aware you’ve already seen that and more. And done more than look at it.”

Shen Qingqiu felt the air become lodged in his throat as her words hit him full force. He choked.

All of Cang Qiong knew what now?

Liu Mingyan, ever present at the side of her Shifu, stomped her foot in irritation.

Liu Qingge, alternating between sheet-white and bright pink, could only make a strangled noise of confusion and despair.

“Brother, you’re breaking up my one true pair.”

“One true pair?” Shen Qingqiu parroted. This must be Airplane-bro’s fault corrupting Liu Qingge’s innocent meimei like that. Liu Qingge was going to hunt Shang Qinghua if he had, and even Mobei-jun and the demon realm might not be enough to stop him.

Liu Mingyan seemed to realise that one half of her one true pair was actually in attendance, and stilled, looking at the floor in embarrassment. Yue Qingyuan’s quest to stamp out those pervasive copies of Resentment of the Chunshan might now have a focus. He, himself, was going to have some rather strong words for Qi Qingqi, if what he now suspected turned out to be true.

For now, however, he had some face to save. If possible. His fan continued to wave, and he said, “This shixiong has no idea what Qi-shimei means.”

“Shen Qingqiu. Really. Who do you think you came to for the oil that night?” Mu Qingfang snapped, and Liu Qingge made a sound like he’d just been stabbed through the stomach.

Shen Qingqiu wished he, himself, had been. Then he could just happily die and avoid this conversation.

Due to his shock over being called out like that, Liu Qingge had been still enough to allow Mu Qingfang to finish tending his wounds, and the other began to dress them.

“It isn’t like everyone in the sect doesn’t know you’ve been in love with Shen Qingqiu for years, Liu-shixiong.” Mu Qingfang said, a mocking edge to his voice, probably in retribution for the other being such a difficult patient.

It was Shen Qingqiu’s turn to make a sound like he’d been felled.

Mu Qingfang paused as he finished fastening a bandage off.

“Oh, everyone except one person, it seems. Though this one does wonder where Shen-shixiong’s head has been buried for the last few years.”

Qi Qingqi drew in a breath, preparing to make a suggestion of where she assumed it had been, but Shen Qingqiu turned on her, pointing his folded fan, “Don’t, Qi-shimei,” he snapped.

Unusually, she obligingly pressed her lips together without making her comment.

“I think it’s time we checked out what the disciples are up to, Mingyan.” Qi Qingqi said, turning on her heel and sweeping out, followed by her head disciple, who frowned over her shoulder at her older brother.

Mu Qingfang coughed, rose, and gathered his things together.

“No activity for a few days until the wounds have healed together, Liu-shidi.” He turned his gaze on Shen Qingqiu, “And I mean, no activity.”

Shen Qingqiu pointed at himself with his fan, in question. What could Mu Qingfang possibly mean? When had Shen Qingqiu become such a sex-maniac in people’s minds that they thought he would try to have his wicked way with a Liu Qingge who was badly wounded?

With that, Mu Qingfang left, with a promise that he, or one of his disciples, would be back in the morning to redress the wounds. And he expected them to be undamaged.

The room was suddenly empty; it seemed everyone present had discovered more pressing issues elsewhere – even Ning Yingying had deserted him.

The silence in the residence was deafening.

They started at each other, both watching the other like they might turn into a viper at any moment.

Eventually, Shen Qingqiu cleared his throat, and pulled his thoughts together enough to find something to say.

“Liu-shidi…”

“Shen Yuan…”

The thread of sense he had managed to grasp hold of dispersed like smoke in the air.

“Liu Qingge,” he tried again, “is what Mu-shidi said true?”

Liu Qingge’s face and neck travelled through various shades of interesting colour, and his throat bobbed on a nervous swallow.

Shen Qingqiu could see the denial rise to his lips, could practically hear it being said before Liu Qingge gave it voice...but instead he huffed out a breath, turned away, and nodded. Just once. But it was a firm movement, definite.

Shen Qingqiu opened his fan again, but he was too uncoordinated and rough, and it tore, and one of the wooden ribs snapped. He jumped a little at the unnaturally loud sound of it reporting in the room, but he still tried to use it.

“Well,” he cleared his throat, searching for something to say to break the tense silence, “I accept your feelings, Liu Qingge.”

Liu Qingge’s gaze shot around to hold his, intense shock in their dark depths. “But...Shen Qingqiu, you have spent months hiding from me, after that night, how can you just say you accept my feelings now?”

“Of course I was avoiding you. I thought you would be angry at me, Liu-shidi!” He yelped as the other got up, and caught his wrist, moving the broken fan aside.

“You ran away because you thought I would be angry at you? I let you...we did that together.” Liu Qingge sounded disbelieving.

It was Shen Qingqiu’s turn to blush furiously, “Have you ever seen your resting bitch face, Liu-shidi? You are, without a doubt, an unparalleled beauty, but you have a gaze that could strike a dragon dead.”

“I’m a beauty?” Liu Qingge asked, and Shen Qingqiu tried to tug his wrist free.

“Liu Qingge, if you were any more so, you would have to wear a veil too.” Shen Qingqiu snapped at him, irritated at being unable to free himself.

“Shen Qingqiu…Shen Yuan…how do you really feel about me?”

Further struggling availed him nothing, so he stilled, “I’m not...completely unaffected...by you. Otherwise that wouldn’t have happened.” He drew a breath in, then, “Are you...comfortable, with knowing about who I am?”

“I knew you weren’t like him, almost from the moment you saved my life in the spirit caves, Shen Yuan. I didn’t know why, but I knew you were different from him. All your explanation did was give me the reason.”

Their gazes locked, but after a few moments Shen Qingqiu couldn’t bear the intensity. To break it he leaned forward and pressed their lips together. Ironically, it was easier to do this than be stared at by those dark, searching eyes.

At least kissing was something they had practised that night, and they automatically found the rhythm again, Liu Qingge let go of Shen Qingqiu’s wrist, and that hand slid into Shen Qingqiu’s hair to cup the back of his head, while Shen Qingqiu rested a hand on his shoulder to balance.

They pulled apart eventually, it was obvious things were heading quickly in a certain direction, and though Liu Qingge was happy to disregard Mu Qingfang’s explicit instructions, Shen Qingqiu wouldn’t be convinced on the matter.

“We don’t have to rush, Liu-shidi,” Shen Qingqiu said sternly in response to his arguments, “We have the rest of our lives. I’d rather wait than not enjoy it because I was worried about hurting you.”

And no matter how Liu Qingge tried to convince him, Shen Qingqiu would not be moved.

***

The Resentment of Chunshan suspiciously fell out of print shortly after Shen Qingqiu and Liu Qingge announced their relationship to the sect, Liu Su Mian Hua retired from producing pornography featuring the master and head disciple of Qing Jing Peak, at least for public consumption. Autumn’s Song, a novel featuring two beautiful, yet antagonistic, cultivators, inked by the Three Saintly Mothers, began to surface shortly afterwards. It could be reasonably assumed Liu Su Mian Hua refused to touch a novel in which such characters were the focus.