Chapter Text
It wasn't fair.
Luo Binghe thought in anger. How could that weak, miserable, crybaby version of himself get the kind shizun? The nice shizun who showered him with affection, sweet words - and this made Luo Binghe's blood boil - with hugs and kisses. Who permitted that crybaby to share his bed - to fuck him.
To make love to him.
It was unfair.
Luo Binghe's Shizun had been scum. A vile monster. A pathetic perverted lecher who'd abused and hurt him. Pushed him into the Endless Abyss. Thrown tea over him, had his disciples bully him, whip him, give him the wrong cultivation manual -
So how was it that that, that crybaby weakling of himself got the nice Shizun? How was it that, even if he wasn't the emperor of the three realms, even if he didn't have his harem of beautiful flowers, even if he didn't have the entire world at his command - how was his other self so happy? How was his other self so much at ease - to laugh and cry without a care? How -
How was he so in love?
Binghe had thousands of women in his harem - so much that he'd actually forgotten who was who. Once you've collected such number of beauties, naturally, you forget much about them. Honestly, Luo Binghe remembered only the very few of the wives who were fairly close to him - Ning Yingying, Liu Mingyan, Sha Hualing, Qiu Haitang. The latter was mostly because of their shared hatred towards Shen Qingqiu and how annoyingly whiny and complaining she was - but the point is, he wasn't in love with them.
Sure, he cared for them. He was fond of them - especially Ning Yingying and Liu Mingyan. Even Sha Hualing - though her jealousy attacks were starting to be more of a headache as of late. He gave them a place beside him - and they knew each of their roles very well.
But he wasn't in love.
Not in the way his other self was; wholly and completely. Fiercely, enough that his fear for that Shen Qingqiu had been enough to garner him enough strength to hurt Binghe. Because he'd dared to touch that nice Shizun. Devotedly, dedicating his entire being for one person. Mutually, because the Shen Qingqiu of that world hadn't hesitated a moment- not when he'd taken Binghe's injured self to his bamboo house and treated him, when he'd allowed his whims to hug and kiss him -
Binghe's blood boiled and heat coiled in his stomach when he remembered how it had been to hold Shen Qingqiu in his arms. How he'd writhed and gasped, how he'd kissed Luo Binghe back, how he'd whimpered Luo Binghe's name repeatedly -
Until he'd realised that this Luo Binghe wasn't his Binghe.
Rejection. That was what Luo Binghe felt when even the nice shizun used his spiritual energy to push him away as if Binghe had scalded him. It was a feeling he'd grown out of, with everyone indulging in his smallest whims, whether due to fear or desire.
No one refused Luo Binghe these days, unless they wanted to end up as another nameless corpse.
But Luo Binghe's shizun.... he'd rejected him twice. Once when he'd been a starry-eyed disciple eager to be under the guidance of the esteemed Qing Jing Peak Lord, and second when he'd seeked affection from a master who looked so similar to his master, but clearly not the same, if the way he basked in Luo Binghe's alternate self's love, if the way he returned that love was any indication.
Why couldn't his Shizun love him like that? Why couldn't his shizun be the caring mentor that other useless version of himself had? Why couldn't his shizun have been the one that loved him - was loved by him?
.... why was it Shen Qingqiu who'd managed to fill that hole in his heart?
The ache, the yearning that never went away even after he became Junshang. Master of the harem of a thousand beauties.
What did that other himself have, to be loved by his master himself? What had Binghe lacked? What did he do? Why couldn't Binghe have that? Weren't they the same? How could that Shen Qingqiu refuse to come with Binghe? They were the same, weren't they? If anything, he was better than that crybaby self of his.
How had he managed to sway his Shizun... to actually seduce him?
Did he impress his Shizun more? How did he impress him? Did he truly see something that Binghe hadn't? Just how did he receive love and acceptance from Shen Qingqiu, of all people?
... Would Binghe be able to do it?
Luo Binghe hated himself for that thought. He hated that after everything Shen Qingqiu did to him... Luo Binghe still wanted Shen Qingqiu's acceptance.
That within his heart the hopeful little white lotus who craved his shizun's acceptance, who thought of his shizun akin to God. Who wanted to impress him, to make Shen Qingqiu proud of him, to be a worthy disciple.
He scowled, clenching his hands in anger. That Binghe was dead. He was gone. Shen Qingqiu began killing that Binghe the moment he dumped hot tea onto his head - the only warm thing Binghe ever received from that monster - and he didn't stop until the very last strike where he condemned Luo Binghe to hell.
Shen Qingqiu had been the one who'd created the monster Binghe was. A psychopathic miserable creature who enjoyed the pain of others - a bastard who could never truly be happy.
So why did his heart race at the thought of having Shen Qingqiu - a kind and devoted shizun all to himself? Like the one who adored his other self?
Binghe's heart throbbed with pure want. He wanted that. He wanted the Shizun his counterpart has. He wanted the life that other fake ass version of himself had.
He wanted.
And Luo Binghe always got what he wanted.
-----------------
Luo Binghe wasn't really surprised when he found out that it wasn't easy for him to get himself a nice and kind shizun.
At first, he'd wanted the very same one that crybaby weakling had. Since that Shen Qingqiu refused to come with him, Binghe had initially thought that he'd simply return to that other universe and bring him back.
It wasn't kidnapping - Shen Qingqiu was in love with him, right? Well at least a version of himself. If he brought him here, made him the empress to rule by Binghe's side, wouldn't Shen Qingqiu be happier? He could give so much more than that useless version.
Sure, the Binghe the kind Shizun loved was not him, but he would learn, eventually, right? They were the same person.
It would have been such a foolproof plan.
But then Luo Binghe hadn't been able to open the portal to that universe. He'd tried several times, only to be unsuccessful, opening portals to other universes instead of the one he wanted.
Xin Mo had never been so disobedient.
Luo Binghe beat up most of his demon subordinates and had sex with several of his wives until he managed to stave off the anger that boiled in his chest.
Then he decided that if that universe's Shen Qingqiu was out of his reach for some reason, he'd pay attention to his shizun in this universe. If he wasn't meant to have the shizun of the other world, then he would have his shizun in this world.
Only that was just as hard as getting the nice shizun.
For one his shizun was a nasty pervert whose veins were filled with poison. His Shen Qingqiu was made from venom and broken glass and thorns, all sticking out, threatening to sear anyone if they ever came too close. So obviously, Luo Binghe would have his work cut out trying to get his shizun to tolerate him, let alone seduce him into bed.
And for the second part.... his shizun was dead. After Luo Binghe had teared his limbs off and left him to wallow in his blood and misery and helplessness, he'd returned to find a motionless torso on the floor, the lifeless eye still open.
Binghe.... did not take to his death very well.
Sure, he should have expected that Shen Qingqiu would die quite soon, if not for his injuries, then his broken heart. He could still remember his shizun's heart broken sob when Luo Binghe presented him with the broken shards of Xuan Su. It was probably the only time his shizun had shown any emotion, apart from the grunts and whimpers during the torture sessions.
Shen Qingqiu had crawled, pushing his mutilated body towards the broken shards of the sword. Luo Binghe had watched, amused over his shizun's predicament, though even then he couldn’t stop the feeling of bitterness that had crept into his heart. He couldn’t understand the relationship between Yue Qingyuang and his shizun. Yue Qingyuang had always favoured his shidi blatantly, sheltering him, even if he had all the power in the world to stop Shen Qingqiu's abuse towards his disciples, and his perverted lecherous acts towards women.
He hadn't lifted a single finger, except for the pitiable, laughable rebukes, if Shen Qingqiu went a little too far. His passivity was what had put him in Luo Binghe's death list. The man had no problem watching his shidi abuse his male disciples, beat them up, and bring them close to death with fucking fake cultivation manuals - perving on his female disciples as long as Shen Qingqiu remained happy.
And of course, Yue Qingyuang had been the only person his shizun had found some semblance of warmth and care for. So of course Yue Qingyuang had to die. Luo Binghe had taken great pleasure sending his shizun's legs to him. The fool had fallen for the trap easy enough.
What still surprised him was Shen Qingqiu's reaction. His shizun who hadn't cried even Luo Binghe had been tearing his limbs off, had actually sobbed looking at Xuan Su's broken shards. From that day on torturing Shen Qingqiu had been little different from torturing a dead body. Luo Binghe felt that anything left in Shen Qingqiu died the minute Yue Qingyuang did, and eventually his shizun slipped away from his hands.
To a place Luo Binghe can't follow.
His master had always been like this. Abandoning Luo Binghe. Pushing him away. Stubborn. Even his death had finally been at his own mercy, and he'd just died - even though Binghe had never said he could. Even in his death his master had thwarted him.
No matter. If his Shizun was dead, that meant Luo Binghe just needed to bring him back.
Luo Binghe stormed into the Water Prison that had been Shen Qingqiu's home now for years. There was no master to greet him with his rasped 'beast, ' or after Luo Binghe had torn his tongue out, angry noises. It was eerily quiet, and he didn't like it one bit. His master's body - or rather, the mutilated torso lay on the centre of the prison, still and unmoving.
The blood pooling around his shizun's body had long since dried up, but his shizun's body itself was still in good condition. Of course Luo Binghe wouldn't allow it to simply decay. He'd been feeding it spiritual power, ensuring that the body would not go into ruin. The corpse was all he had left of his Shizun after all.
"Shizun... this disciple is here to see his master. Tell this Binghe, Shizun... did Shizun miss this disciple? " He crooned, face twisting into a cruel smirk.
Shen Qingqiu didn't answer because he was well... dead.
Well, not for long. Because Binghe was going to bring him back.
He carried his shizun's body to his personal chambers, ignoring the servants that passed him fearful glances and confused stares. They all knew better than to pass around gossip about their Junshang if they valued their pitiful lives. Binghe ruled with an iron fist, and he rarely tolerated disobediance and disloyalty. Whether it was his wives or a servant it didn't matter, if they betrayed him, he will punish them. And after what he did to his shizun, it had become an established fact that Luo Binghe was very creative when it came to punishments.
"Shizuunnnn..." Binghe whispered, laying him down on his bed. "Please forgive this disciple. This disciple must now fix shizun's body. Binghe wishes his shizun to be complete, after all, "
"Shizun must forgive Binghe if it hurts, " He hummed, well knowing that this was just a corpse with no life in it.
Returning Shen Qingqiu's body parts back to him wasn't difficult. For someone with powers as proficient as Binghe's it was merely child's play. It had been his favourite way to torture Shen Qingqiu in the past, ripping his body parts off and then fixing them again, only to tear them back off to continue the cycle without fail.
With Shen Qingqiu's torso, Binghe had also preserved his master's arms and legs, along with his tongue and eye. He cast a watchful eye as his blood parasites fixed the broken body splayed on his bed, fascinated as the former Lord of Qing Jing Peak regained his limbs.
Of course it would take more time to return the body to its original state of beauty, but Binghe had enough time. He would restore his shizun's beauty, that grace fit for him to be Luo Binghe's Empress.
"Rest well, Shizun. This Binghe will definitely find a way to bring Shizun back to him, " He murmured and slipped out of his chambers, instructing his servants to forbid anyone from entering. Even his wives - no, especially them. The last thing Luo Binghe wanted was any of them finding Shen Qingqiu's repaired body and then proceeding to mutilate it. Liu Mingyan and Sha Hualing, hell even Qiu Haitang had the motivation and the capability to eviscerate it.
"Boy, you do realise that your Shizun is dead, do you not? "
Binghe scowled when Meng Mo reminded him of this very obvious fact.
"I'm aware, " He snapped. "Which is why I'm going to find a way to bring him back to life, "
If he could see Meng Mo right now, Binghe would say that he was rolling his eyes in exasperation.
"And what good would it do? Imagine if you did find a way to bring him back, against all odds. Would he even love you the way that other one did? He hated you for the most part, "
Meng Mo was being incredibly pessimistic, in Binghe's opinion. If that other weakling self could get his shizun to fall in love with him, then this Binghe could definitely do so as well.
"He could learn, I'm sure. I will be a much better instructor than my Shizun, and teach him to love me, and only me. Shen Qingqiu will be mine, after all, " Binghe declared, already thinking about a future where he could get his Shen Qingqiu to braid his hair and warm his bed.
"Teach him to love you? " Meng Mo sounded incredulous. "Boy, you cannot teach someone to love you. What if he never learns? "
"Then I'll enjoy taking him apart again, " Binghe snapped. "He's my Shizun, my Shen Qingqiu. If I can't have his heart, I will have his body. To do whatever I want. And he will be too powerless to fight me, "
Binghe was glad when Meng Mo fell silent. He was already on a mission very close to impossible, he didn't need reminders of it from his mentor too.
"Well, he made me this way, didn't he? My Shizun needs to take responsibility, " Binghe muttered, stalking into the library of the Palace. As one of the major sects, the Demon Lord was certain that there may remain the possibility of something that could be of use in his pursuit of bringing Shen Qingqiu back to life.
The demon lord settled down, calmly flipping through the many titles he'd selected, all written around the topic of soul summoning. Luo Binghe had always been studious, it was a pity his master held no regard for him. Even so, Binghe had sought to pursue many titles within Qing Jing Peak library, not that his cruel master had cared. Sinking down into deep concentration was of no concern to Luo Binghe, as he meticulously read through each of the scrolls and books containing anything regarding soul summoning.
As it was, soul summoning wasn't a method the Huan Hua disciples had practiced much, thus the materials available was limited, to say the least. While a soul could be summoned for questioning using musical cultivation, very least seemed to be found about the possibility of actually forcing a soul to reside in the body it existed prior to death.
Summoning a soul using a guqin should not have been a concern, but even so, as Binghe wondered about it, he was unsure about his personal capability with music. While Shen Qingqiu had been immensely proficient with the guqin, Luo Binghe did not have a musical bone in his body, and the only remaining disciple from Shen Qingqiu's tutelage could not be allowed to even know of Luo Binghe's attempts.
Musical cultivation was also the best possible method to summon a soul, excluding the possibility of awakening it in a body. It could greatly reduce the damage done to the essence of the soul, and to Luo Binghe, that was extremely important. He wanted a Shizun with perfect control of his mind and body, not a husk of the man. Besides, his Shizun was already morally decayed, and the last thing Luo Binghe wanted to cause him to be destroyed even more.
Deep in thought, Luo Binghe felt himself at a loss in a very long time. The ability to summon a soul wholly and to feed it to a vessel required a high level of spiritual power. Even so, in order for the body to function as prior, the spiritual energy thus provided must be from a cultivator at their peak. When Luo Binghe conquered the Human Realm into his rule, he annihilated most of the cultivation sects. That included most of the prominent cultivators as well, leaving Luo Binghe as one of the best of the age.
Luo Binghe could attempt to summon Shen Qingqiu's soul, and even if his musical capabilities left much to be desired, his spiritual power was more than enough to summon the soul without causing it damage. But the fact remained that Luo Binghe was a demon, and he regularly utilised resentful energy as well. Though his demon heritage served well for him to control it, and his methods to cleanse it, the same could not be applied to Shen Qingqiu. Resentment and spiritual energy often did not mingle well together, with each seeking to destroy the other, and thus could be fatal to the soul itself.
Shen Qingqiu already had a rocky foundation, prone to Qi deviation, the last thing Luo Binghe wanted to do was to damage it further. Even Luo Binghe was aware that taking away Shen Qingqiu's cultivation would not mould him to the kind and devoted shizun he wanted.
Pondering over the situation, the solution came from someone Luo Binghe least expected.
"Junshang.... my dear husband..... " A voice purred in his ear, and Luo Binghe sighed as a pair of hands began to massage his shoulders. He wasn't averse to any of his wives' attention and did his utmost to satisfy their needs, but now was really not the time.
"My wife... " Luo Binghe turned his head around to see the Little Palace Mistress smiling coquettishly, running her hands down his front. He attempted to push her hands away, trying to indicate to her that this was really not when he wanted physical intimacy.
As expected, the Little Palace Mistress pouted, and Luo Binghe internally cursed himself for wedding this spoiled whining brat. He appreciated the bloodlust she possessed in torturing Shen Qingqiu, but apart from that she really was the definition of a sheltered maiden insisting on her way. It was truly only her who would dare to bother the Emperor when he was clearly engrossed in his work.
Still, he indulged her, winding an arm around her waist and pulling her close to his side.
"Is it that my wife needs a little attention from this husband? " He breathed into her neck, and pressed a kiss to the exposed skin there. She smiled in delight at his attention.
"Yes, this wife dearly missed her husband.... Junshang... my husband seems so tense, perhaps he may allow this wife to ease his worries.. ? " She preened at him.
Luo Binghe internally sighed. "Ah, my wife is correct in assuming her husband is under much worries. As much as I would love to allow my wife to steal her husband away, I would feel much more at peace if I was able to find a solution.. " He soothed her, hoping his spoiled wife would realise that he was very much busy, and leave.
Of course, she was nothing if not stubborn to the core. She pouted at Luo Binghe and peered over his shoulder at the scrolls scattered open all over the table. Her features twisted into a frown as she regarded the titles of the scrolls and literature, turning to look at Luo Binghe with concern.
"Is my husband interested in the mechanics of soul summoning?" She asked curiously.
Binghe gave a nod. Now that she had seen what he was perusing, there was no use in denying anything, as long as the reason why he was specifically interested in it was not mentioned.
"As a matter of fact, yes. " He nodded. "Certain circumstances... have made it important that I summon a few departed souls for interrogation. Alas, music has never been this husband's forte, and thus he is in a dilemma,"
His wife frowned. "Oh? But... soul summoning can be done via an array too, am I correct, my husband? "
It could be done. But again, Luo Binghe was faced with the same dilemma of damaging Shen Qingqiu's soul in the process. Not to mention, an array would require a willing blood sacrifice. Even Luo Binghe would find it difficult to find anyone willing to sacrifice their body, for Shen Qingqiu of all people. Besides, Luo Binghe wanted his Shizun in his own body, not someone else's.
"Indeed, but communication would prove to be a challenge, my beloved. Musical cultivation would be the best resort, if this husband had a cultivator of equal core development and remarkable talent in music, " Luo Binghe said regretfully.
His wife frowned, an alien look of contemplation twisting her features. "Well.. if its a cultivator of remarkable skill... then would an ascended immortal do? "
Binghe narrowed his eyes at that. As far as he knew, he'd eradicated almost all of the powerful cultivators of the time. Who was this ascended immortal he was just hearing about?
"My wife? Who is this ascended immortal you are referring to? " He asked cautiously.
Her brow furrowed as she tried to recall the details. "I met her a while back... a very long time ago... before I married my husband. She was praised as if she was a goddess by the locals, so I naturally had to investigate. I challenged her to a duel.. and this wife is ashamed to say she lost. If I remember correctly, she was immensely talented with the guqin, "
"Indeed? " Luo Binghe narrowed his eyes.
"The locals said that she is very elusive.. and no one truly knows where she comes from. After my shameful defeat, this wife was determined to seek a new duel, but no matter how I searched.. it was impossible to locate her. She may have gone into deep, secluded cultivation, as I'm certain my husband did not fight against her. "
His wife scowled at the mere reminder. Luo Binghe absently patted her hand, many thoughts racing within his mind. There was a chance he hadn't encountered her. He destroyed only the cultivators who sieged against him, and they were mostly from the prominent sects. He did not stop to think about the rogue cultivators, as about the people whom had held no hand in his suffering, he had no caring for. All things considered, he'd spared Mu Qingfang and Qi Qingqi of his former Sect.
His eyes gleamed. If he could find her...
"Then.. does my wife have any knowledge as to where I may be able to find her? " He asked.
His wife frowned again. "She is very evasive.. this wife only got to meet her by chance when she was helping some commoners. Even so, she wore a veil, and I was unable to see her face,"
"Is that so? " Luo Binghe hummed thoughtfully. He smirked. He could work with that. He pressed a kiss to his wife's hand. If all went as he planned, then this wife of his definitely deserved a reward.
"I feel that my wife was immensely helpful to this husband. Please retire to your chambers, this husband will visit shortly, " He hummed, grinning at the pleased sound his wife let out before gliding out of the room, pressing a kiss to his neck on the way.
Luo Binghe wasted no time in walking out to find his right hand commander. With a situation as delicate as this, Mobei Jun was his best resort. Of course, Sha Hualing was more capable than him in terms of finding someone, but he doubted that his jealous wife should be informed of his quest to find the cultivator. She may think that he was attempting to gather another member to his harem, and even do her harm, which couldn't be allowed. She may be his one chance at reviving Shen Qingqiu.
His general was in the throne room, already at the table, poring over some maps and he glanced back when Binghe came in.
"Junshang, " He inclined his head respectfully.
Binghe gave him a curt nod. "Mobei Jun. I have a task for you. "
Mobei Jun narrowed his eyes curiously. "Is this about the disturbances in the West - "
"No, " Binghe interrupted impatiently. "I trust you will be able to take care of it in my stead. "
Mobei Jun frowned, but bowed his head, acknowledging Luo Binghe's command to annihilate enemies, easily wrapped in a small compliment.
Binghe ploughed on : "I want you to find all the locations where locals have been helped by a cultivator. A female cultivator. Immensely powerful, veiled and uses a guqin. Find out where she has last been seen,"
The instructions were... lacking to say the least. But Luo Binghe had confidence in his general. Mobei Jun gave a slow nod of acknowledgement, before inclining his head into a respectful bow.
"Then, Junshang, I shall take my leave, "
Luo Binghe gave a nod of approval. "I expect good news soon, Mobei Jun."
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It turned out that this cultivator was not so elusive. After Luo Binghe had merged the Human Realm and the Demon Realm, there seemed to have been many conflicts among humans and demons. Which Luo Binghe should have expected when he merged the realms, but all he had cared for was to stop his wives from whining in his ear. Even now, as long as it didn't threaten his rule, Luo Binghe cared very little about the commoners.
Nevertheless, his neglect regarding the locals was what had drawn her out of seclusion. From the reports Mobei Jun provided him, it became clear that while she had spent most of the past decades secluded from society, after Luo Binghe's merging of the realms had abandoned her seclusion to aid commoners.
Luo Binghe smirked as he listened to Mobei Jun's report. Female cultivator, covered underneath a veil, a guqin on her back. There was no doubt that she was the one his wife had talked about. And true to her word, Mobei Jun's report proved that she was extremely powerful, as she'd single handedly been protecting several villages located right at the border to the Demon Realm. Or what used to be the border.
"Well done, Mobei Jun. " He gave him a look of approval. "You're free to take your leave, "
Meng Mo began commenting the moment Mobei Jun left and Luo Binghe picked up Xin Mo.
"Are you sure about this? Summoning a soul, not to mention with the purpose of reviving the dead... how can you even be sure it will be successful? There are reasons that some things should never be attempted. "
"Shut up. " Luo Binghe snapped at him. "I am doing this. Shizun must be mine. "
"You foolish boy. You have the three realms under your command, countless beauties who adore you.... and yet you want more from a man who never showed you anything other than hatred? "
Luo Binghe scowled. "If that other weakling can get a Shizun who loves him, I certainly can. Now either you shut up and let me do this in peace, or you can be of some use, "
That shut Meng Mo up, and Luo Binghe slashed Xin Mo, creating a rift in the air. He stepped through it and appeared in a small run down village. He looked around himself, momentarily disconcerted by what he saw. While the villages near the borders have never been hugely prosperous, they also hadn't been this ruined. The place was deserted, with no people milling about, and everything about it screamed devastation.
For a moment, Luo Binghe was struck by the disaster wrought on the Human Realm. Disaster he had created. There was no doubt that these meagre houses were all that remained, and either others have left in search of better prospects, or that they've been killed by demons. According to Mobei Jun's reports, it was likely the second. Binghe swallowed, suddenly feeling a sense of detached horror at the havoc created on the lives of people who'd done nothing. Commoners. All in the name of his bloodlust.
Still, he had very little time to think deeper of it. Luo Binghe felt the sharp edge of a blade at his neck, and a low voice murmured,
"You truly have some nerve to come here, demon, "