Chapter Text
When Shen Qingqiu and Luo Binghe were suddenly whisked away to a strange room with a theater stage and seating, it was somewhat expected. They were the 'stars of the show' as it were. Even after the official end of their story the System didn't leave them completely alone, there were far too many stray wife plots for that.
What was less expected was that Liu Qingge, Qi Qingqi, Yue Qingyuan, Mu Qingfang, Liu Mingyan, Ning Yingying, Ming Fan, Mobei Jun, and Sha Hauling were also there.
Now, upon finding themselves in such a strange place, one might think that all these xianxia characters would be very confused and/or hostile, and would start demanding to know where they were or what was going on. And for one, singular second, they were very confused, but then they saw that Luo Binghe and Shen Qingqiu and the general sentiment became 'Oh damn it, not again!'.
You see, the leftover wife plots hadn't stayed entirely focused on Luo Binghe and Shen Qingqiu. After a while they'd started to draw in various peak lords, disciples, or demonic allies. In fact, one of them had gotten so out of hand that Shen Qingqiu's and Shang Qinghua's status as transmigrators had come to light. This, of course, caused much drama and upset.
However, once the two of them had time to explain everything in more detail, things had mostly settled down. Most of the peak lords hadn't even liked Shen Jiu after all, and were able to forgive Shen Qingqiu for his deception when they found out that some sort of supernatural force had essentially blackmailed him into it. The exception to this was Yue Qingyuan, of course, who did not take it well when he found out his childhood friend had actually been dead for years. The Peak Lords had needed to put in a lot of work to support him as he came to terms with that revelation. Luo Binghe had been mostly supportive of Shen Qingqiu being a part of that effort, probably because the revelation caused him to see the sect leader as less of a rival for his Shizun's affections. Yue Qingyuan had been attached to Shen Jiu after all, not his A-Yuan.
Shang Qinghua's circumstances had been accepted even more easily. Probably because he'd transmigrated into a baby, and therefore had not replaced anyone they knew. Also, because the transmigrators had managed to keep the existence of Proud Immortal Demon Way and Shang Qinghua's status as its author a secret from everyone. They both decided the existential breakdowns that could accompany that particular truth were entirely unnecessary.
That is why no one made any particularly angry or confused demands of Shen Qingqiu and Luo Binghe. Instead, their reactions were limited to numerous sighs and a few curses. Liu Qingge glared at the room as a whole, folded his arms and asked “Who touched what this time?”
“As far as I am aware, we didn't touch anything. We haven't been on any adventurous excursions or received any gifts that could be harmful artifacts in disguise recently.” Shen Qingqiu replied.
“Agreed. The last thing this lord remembers is laying in bed beside my beloved husband.” Luo Binghe said. He stealthily eyed Liu Qingge to see what his response to that would be, and was gratified to see his lips pull into a slight sneer before he schooled his features again. Shen Qingqiu lightly smacked Luo Binghe's head with his fan which made the demon lord give an exaggerated pout.
Qi Qingqi rolled her eyes. “Yes, yes, we're all aware of your status with each other. Does anyone else know what might have caused this?”
Everyone chimed in with how they had no idea what was going on or what might have caused this particular bit of chaos, and how they themselves had just been in bed or working late. Once everyone had finished these explanations, the stage area suddenly lit up. The familiar blue screen with white lettering was much larger than normal, making it so everyone could read it from their place in the audience seating.
~Greetings! Welcome to this inter-dimensional viewing experience!~
“Ah, it would seem we have been graced with this being's presence once again.” Yue Qingyuan's voice held all the icy cordiality of a leader meeting someone that they utterly despised but could not afford to outright offend. The sect leader had been able to move past Shen Yuan's part his Shen Jiu's passing, since he'd clearly had no say in the matter, but he was much less forgiving of the System's role in the whole debacle. It was only the System's immense power over the world they lived in that held him back from cursing it out whenever it appeared.
“Oh...oh I do not like it addressing everyone directly like this.” Shang Qinghua muttered. The only other time it had really done that was when everyone here had found out about him and Cucumber bro being transmigrators, and he did not want a repeat of a scenario like that. Especially considering the only real secret he still had was about his status as the author. He did NOT want to be stuck in a room with all these people if they figured that part out. Sensing his tension, Mobei Jun put a large, grounding hand on Shang Qinghua's shoulder. Shang Qinghua flinched before relaxing into it.
~There is no need to be alarmed! No one can be physically hurt in this space and no time is passing outside.~
“Why did you bring us here?” Sha Hualing demanded.
“We're not going to be given a trial or assignment or anything, right?” Ning Yingying asked with trepidation, remembering some of her Shizun's stories about previous demands the System had made and the punishments it threatened him with for failure. Luo Binghe must have thought about that too, since he put a protective arm around Shen Qingqiu.
~The only assignment is to watch what is shown. Breaks for discussion or rest will occur between songs, or if the audience is not paying attention to the show.~
“Songs? You want us to watch a play, a musical of all things? And just what do you mean by inter-dimensional?” Shen Qingqiu asked.
~This system can create images much more in depth than any play, but yes! The play is a musical! It is inter-dimensional because you will be watching what roles you yourselves would hold in another world, one much different from this one. It is a story called the Odyssey~
“We're going to see ourselves in Greek Mythology?” Shang Qinghua asked in surprise. He'd read the Odyssey once, sure, and knew some stuff about Greek mythology, but he never thought that would find it's way into this world. Just how much did the idle musings of his mind leak into this world while writing?
“Greek Mythology?” Mobei Jun asked.
“Ah, Greece is an country in the world we come from, my king. The stories from it's early history and mythology were fairly influential, and the Odyssey is one of its most well known stories. It has been a long time since I read it however, so there is much I don't recall about it.”
“Are you familiar with this story, Shizun?” Ming Fan asked. Shen Qingqiu nodded.
“I never intentionally studied it, but the main details were well known enough that I can recall some things. I can remember the names of the most powerful gods in the Greek pantheon, and I know the premise of the Odyssey. It is about a king who tries to sail home after a war is won, but he and his crew end up lost at sea for years due to the interference of various gods and monsters.”
“So we just have to watch this play and then we can get back to our lives?” Liu Qingge asked.
~Correct~
“Fine, let's get on with it then.” He found a seat in the audience area and sat down on the edge of it. He sat rigidly and stared at the stage, as if the force of his attention could cause this whole thing to start and end faster.
Liu Mingyan, Ning Yingying, and Sha Hauling all looked at each other. They'd all gotten drawn into enough shenanigans by now that they had developed a sort of truce for when these things occurred, something that bordered on friendship by now. Liu Mingyan shrugged, and went to sit by her brother. If this was a story that no one at home knew about, then maybe she could get some good writing inspiration here. Sha Hualing followed not far behind, and sat down next to her. Ning Yingying sat down next to Sha Hauling, and Ming Fan sat down on her other side after seeing that Luo Binghe had ensured there were no free seats near Shen Qingqiu.
Mobei Jun, Shang Qinghua, Shen Qingqiu, and Luo Binghe were all sitting together. Which left the remaining Peak Lords to sit in their own little group.
Mu Qingfang had thought about asking more questions, especially about why this had happened right now and how exactly the System could ensure that no one would be hurt here. But ultimately decided against it. Previous experience showed there wasn't much use in trying to get the System to give a straight answer when it didn't want to, and it would probably be easier and faster just to forge ahead and do his best to 'roll with it' as Shang Qinghua sometimes said.
Alright my brothers, listen closely
Tonight, we make the Trojans pay
Ten years of war, they've killed us slowly
But now we'll be the ones who slay
“I'm assuming this is the war and king that Shen-shidi mentioned.” Yue Qingyuan noted.
“Of course he's the king.” Liu Qingge complained upon seeing that the one singing looked like Luo Binghe's human disguise.
Shen Qingqiu was quick to wave this off. “Of course, he's the protagonist. I'm more interested in the other implications of this. From what I recall, Odysseus is almost entirely human. I wonder how much that will contribute to differences between you and this other version of you.”
Luo Binghe nodded. He'd sometimes wondered what it would be like if he'd been born fully human rather than half demon, and seeing this was likely the closest he'd get to having that answered for him. “I am reminded of my early forays into dreams, given how there are no defining features upon any of the other faces. The clothing actually looks like a mix between Huanhua palace sect robes and the robes of Qing Jing peak.”
“That makes sense I suppose, those were both places you once held authority in our world, so that must have gotten rolled together for this version of you. Though I wonder if that means these men don't have an exact parallel in our world or if the System simply didn't feel the need to fill in faces for 'characters' that aren't here...”
“You said 'almost' entirely human, why do you say that? I thought you said your world didn't have demons?” Qi Qingqi asked.
“I would also like a little more knowledge about this war, since it seems we're starting before it has ended.” Mu Qingfang said.
This prompted Shang Qinghua and Shen Qingqiu to take turns explaining that Greek Mythology didn't have demons like this world did, but it did have a variety of monsters. Also, the gods often took mortal lovers, so it wasn't especially uncommon to have a little godly ancestry. They also explained how the Trojan War had been started when an argument between the gods resulted in the queen of Sparta, Helen, getting kidnapped by a Trojan prince. Sparta and it's allies attacked Troy in an effort to get her back. They also explained the plan concerning the wooden horse, since that appeared to be where the opening scene was taking place.
“So they're using trickery to win instead of their own strength?” Liu Qingge asked, clearly unimpressed.
“They aren't cultivators, just regular soldiers.” Mu Qingfang reminded him. “It may be a trick, but I can understand them trying that after ten whole years of war.”
Shen Qingqiu nodded in agreement. “In the end, you have to go with what works. What point would there be in continually throwing yourself at a wall when there's no noticeable change? Better to find another way past it then trying the same thing over and over and expecting different results.”
Liu Qingge scowled, likely thinking of what he himself had essentially done that while trying to get Shen Qingqiu's body back for 5 years. Shen Qingqiu, who completely missed this parallel, didn't notice the scowl, or how Luo Binghe smirked when A-Yuan seemed to side with him over Liu Qingge.
Think of your wives and your children
Your families wonder where you've been
They're growing old and yet you're still here
Do what I say and you'll see them again
(Yes sir!)
The next bit of the song did make Liu Qingge lower his walls a little. Like his shijie said, these were humans rather than cultivators. They would only live so long, and only have so long to spend with their families. If he'd been unable to see his sister for ten years while she was still growing up, even he might consider bending his morals a bit in order to get back to her.
“Well, that's one difference already.” Ning Yingying said. “The way he's leading the men right now is more like how he used to lead the disciples on Qing Jing, instead of how he leads the demons now.”
“Hm, yes, demons would be much more motivated by their commander threatening them if they didn't do well enough, or offering a more materialistic reward.” Sha Hualing agreed.
Mobei Jun nodded. Many demons would be quite happy to have so many opportunities for battle for so long. In fact, he himself would have preferred a ten year war over the unpredictable assassination attempts his uncle came up with over the course of his life. It also hadn't escaped his notice that both the Trojan War and his own problem had been caused by the stealing of a mate.
Diomedes will lead the charge
Agamemnon will flank the guards
Menelaus will let our mates through the gates to take the whole city at large
Teucer will shoot any ambush attack
And little Ajax will stay back
Nestor, secure Helen and protect her
Neo, avenge your father, kill the brothers of Hector
(Yes sir!)
“I hope that, in this world, A-Yuan also taught me strategy and sword forms.” Luo Binghe smiled fondly at his husband as his counterpart directed the mean around him.
“That will entirely depend on what sort of role my own counterpart plays in this.” he demured. They'd yet to see anyone familiar besides Binghe after all.
Yue Qingyuan narrowed his eyes in interest as individual names were called out. He thought that some of these people had on clothes that more closely resembled those worn by other sects in their own world. There were also a couple people that he thought might look like individuals he knew from Tian Yi Overlook or from minor sects. But they went by too quickly for him to be certain.
Find that inner strength now
Use that well of pride
Fight through every pain now
Ask yourself inside
What do you live for? What do you try for?
What do you wish for? What do you fight for?
(What do you live for? What do you try for?)
(What do you wish for? What do you fight for?)
Penelope
Penelope
And Telemachus
There were various noises of confusion when a hazy image of an unfamiliar young man was shown in Binghe/Odysseus's memories. First, because it was very rare to see an individual with such short hair in their world, and second because this person had an actual face yet they couldn't place who it was. That confusion was quickly resolved when Shen Qingqiu face-palmed and complained “Of course it gave me the role of the wife! Why did I expect anything else?!”
“Ah! So that's what you looked like back in the day, huh?” Shang Qinghua said. “Not bad, honestly. I can see what you meant when you said your mushroom body looked like a mix between your old self and your current self.”
The other peak lords now looked on in interest too. They never thought they'd get an opportunity to see the man that Shen Yuan had once been. It made Mu Qingfang wonder if short hair was common where Shen Yuan came from. Yue Qingyuan found himself looking away in discomfort. Liu Qingge thought that Shen Yuan bore some resemblance to Shen Jiu, and could maybe pass as his younger, kinder cousin. Ning Yingying and Ming Fan couldn't stop staring, and the former wondered if she could remember this image well enough to describe it to an artist when they got back. Liu Mingyan looked entirely too thoughtful for her own good. Mobei Jun and Sha Hualing didn't care that much.
Normally, Luo Binghe would have been torn between being pleased to see his lover's original face, and drinking vinegar over the fact that others now got to see it too. But right now, he was distracted by the fact that this version of his husband was holding a baby in his arms. Their baby.
He'd never really considered having children before. He already didn't like it when he had to share his A-Yuan with the Qing Jing disciples, and his dealings with his own father had been far from pleasant. But seeing a version of his husband, smiling at him while holding their child. Well...he was thinking about it now.
He was thinking about it so hard, in fact, that he didn't really notice it when his husband started talking to Shang Qinghua in a hushed voice.
“Please, tell me that none of your drafts every included mpreg. PLEASE.”
“No, no, I don't think so. I think there might have been a wife plot I considered that had to do with a plant that could grow a bio baby from two people who wouldn't be able to have one otherwise, but with that the baby comes from the plant instead of a person.”
“Thank goodness.” he said with a sigh. No matter which direction it went, he didn't want to think about a wife plot causing pregnancy. He REALLY did not want to experience childbirth, and the idea of Binghe experiencing pregnancy hormones was terrifying.
He did wonder why no one else was commenting on the baby though. Maybe they had gotten any baby questions out of their system when he had shown up with the de-aged Binghe and everyone assumed he was their child. The divide between humans and demons really had given humans some strange ideas about what demons could or could not do.
I fight for us
I fight for us
(What do you live for?) Penelope
(What do you try for?) Telemachus
(What do you wish for?) I'm on my way
(What do you fight for?) attack!
…music...
Augh!
Up until the sudden cry, the audience had been watching the battle with interest. It was much different than the battles they usually took part it, since none of these people had any cultivation or demonic strength. Liu Qingge in particular had been watching the swordplay with interest, as well as how the men used other types of weapons. Yue Qingyuan thought about how the individual blows didn't cause nearly as much damage as a cultivators, but due to sheer numbers the battle ground was just as chaotic. Sha Hualing sat up and paid more attention when the conflict well and truly started, enjoying the bloody scene much more than buildup and pining.
The audience looked on with confusion at the sudden appearance and disappearance of an enemy, trying to figure out what had just happened. Ning Yingying and Ming Fan even jumped a little. Liu Mingyan would have too, if she wasn't too busy suddenly thinking of a new character to write about based on the image she'd just seen of Shen Yuan and the longing in that other Binghe's voice. She just blinked when the sudden cry broke her out of those thoughts.
Who was that?
A vision
Of what is to come, cannot be outrun
Can only be dealt with right here and now
“Who is speaking right now?” Mu Qingfang asked.
“Based on how deep the voice is and the fact that we're seeing symbols to represent them instead of a person, I'm pretty sure it's got to be one of the gods.” Shen Qingqiu said.
“Probably Zues, since they had all that lighting. He's the king of the gods and was supposed to rule over the sky.” Shang Qinghua explained further. He was pretty sure the eagle was a Zues thing too, but wasn't completely sure so he didn't mention that.
“Wouldn't that be like the heavenly emperor descending to give someone a message?” Ning Yingying asked in awe. When her Shizun nodded, Ming Fan spoke up.
“It must be pretty important then, especially if he decided it had to be done in the middle of a battle.”
Shang Qinghua and Shen Qingqiu gave each other a look.
“Is he incorrect?” Mobei Jun asked.
“Uh, it's hard to say, my king. The Greek gods are very powerful, and sometimes help the heroes in stories, but...”
“They can also be petty bitches.” Shen Qingqiu finished.
That earned him looks from the humans and a smirk from Sha Hualing. Even after the revelation that he wasn't Shen Jiu, it was still pretty rare to hear the Qing Jing peak lord swear. Maybe seeing his old self caused him to let some of his old persona back in too. Or it could be because there was no chance of anyone not close to him hearing it, thus preserving what remained of his reputation outside the sect.
“Well, I suppose that makes sense, considering the ridiculous fight that caused this whole war to begin with.” Qi Qingqi said with a sniff. Honestly, if her disciples got into a fight over something as ridiculous as who was prettier she'd have them running laps and writing lines for a month! She honestly didn't know what those gods could have been thinking.
Unbeknownst to the others, there was another reason the two transmigrators had shared a look. Normally lighting was colored yellow in stories like this, but the lighting they had showed for this Zues had been a familiar shade of blue.
Tell me how
I don't think you're ready
Luo Binghe bristled a bit at the implication that there was a foe he could not face. He had to remind himself that his counterpart, Odysseus was such an odd name, was only human and was being spoken to by a god. Still, it did fall in line with what A-Yuan said about these gods being petty. Why bother to give him a vision of an enemy only to tell him he wasn't ready to deal with said enemy?
Seeing Luo Binghe's consternation, Shen Qingqiu decided to distract him. “I've been meaning to say that Binghe's singing voice is very pleasant here. If he shares his counterpart's talent, then perhaps he could sing for me sometime.”
Luo Binghe suddenly focused entirely on his husband, and his grin turned wicked. “I would be more than happy to think up a private performance for my A-Yuan~”
Shen Qingqiu blushed and batted the other man's shoulder with his fan. “How about we start with a lullaby and go from there?”
A mission
To kill someone's son
A foe who won't run
Unlike anyone you have faced before
Say no more
I know that I'm ready
I don't think you're ready
Ning Yingying and Liu Mingyan gasped in shock when they saw that Odysseus had been lead to a cradle. The others were surprised to various degrees too, but were better at hiding it.
“All that talk and he just leads him to a baby? Even Junshang wouldn't have been hard to kill as a baby!” She Hualing complained.
“It would probably be tougher that you would think.” Shen Qingqiu muttered, thinking of what the system tended to do when Luo Binghe's life was threatened.
“I suppose we should take this a sign to be critical of exact word choices when it comes to these gods. I highly doubt any of us thought of a baby when this God King said that it was 'a foe who won't run', even if it is technically true.” Mu Qingfang pointed out.
“At this point I'm more interested in why a ruler of the heavens would tell someone to do something so evil and cowardly.” Liu Qingge said.
It's just an infant
It's just a boy
What sort of imminent threat does he pose, that I cannot avoid?
This is the son of none other than Troy's very own Prince Hector
Know that he will grow from a boy to an avenger
One fueled with rage as you're consumed by age
If you don't end him now, you'll have no one left to save
You can say goodbye to
(Penelope)
You can say goodbye to
(Penelope)
“Can these Greek gods truly know something like that so far in advance?” Yue Qingyuan asked.
“Well, there was a god of prophecy, so it's possible. Though like Mu-shidi pointed out, the exact wording is really important when it comes to prophecies.” Shang Qinghua explained.
The younger members of the audience all became momentarily distracted at the line 'consumed by age'. With the way cultivation halted aging after a certain point, they'd never really thought of each other or their elders becoming old in the way that other mortals did. It was a jarring thought.
Meanwhile, Luo Binghe had tensed, and his eyes narrowed at the players on stage. Even in this dreamlike place, he didn't appreciate any sort of threat towards his beloved. They'd already had one encounter with a version of himself that shouldn't exist, after all.
I could raise him as my own (he will burn your house and throne)
Or send him far away from home (he'll find you wherever you go)
Make sure his past is never known (the gods will make him know)
I'd rather bleed for ya (he's bringing you)
Down on my knees for ya (down on your knees)
I'm begging please (oh, this is the will of the gods)
Please don't make me do this, don't make me do this
The blood on your hands is something you won't lose
All you can choose is whose
Many in the room felt a shiver go up their spines as the last line echoed through the room. The Peak Lords and demons had their fair share of having to choose whose blood coated their hands, and knowing that not spilling any wasn't always an option.
They waited for a moment, but the stage had gone dark and stayed dark.
“Is that it?” Mobei Jun was the first to ask.
The System screen popped up then. ~As stated previously, a short break will be provided between each individual song, to encourage discussion and the let information settle. The next song will begin automatically when this System senses it is time.~
Liu Qingge scowled. “Great, even more time wasted here.”
“I'm not really sure it counts as wasted since the System said no time is passing outside of here.” Liu Mingyan pointed out pragmatically.
“A-Luo, do you really think you, er, that the King in the play will go through with it? Do you think he'll kill the baby?” Ning Yingying asked hesitantly.
“I can't say what HE might do. There were plenty of things another version of myself did that I would never consider doing.”
Ning Yingying suddenly remembered how he had once told her that that other Luo Binghe had married countless women, one of them being another version of herself. She shuddered a little. She had a crush on Luo Binghe at one point, of course, and liked to think they were still friends, but she simply could not envision herself marrying him. She really couldn't see him being with anyone but Shizun.
“If we're talking about what I would do if placed in that situation...normally, I don't prescribe to the practice of killing an entire family in the name of conquest.”
Sha Hauling nodded in agreement. “Killing absolutely everyone is such a waste. It makes more sense to steal heirs or mates and turn them to your side.” This earned her a look from Mobei Jun which she ignored.
“But I think in this case, I don't think there is much choice but to kill the infant.” Luo Binghe continued.
“You would dare?” Liu Qingge thundered.
“What? How can you say that?” Ming Fan demanded at the same time.
“The logic is sound, considering what Zues said.” Shen Qingqiu explained. “Odysseus came up with multiple options to try and avoid the fate that Zues spoke of. He offered to adopt him, send him far away, make sure the baby wouldn't be told anything about his heritage so he wouldn't feel the need to take revenge, but Zues rejected them all. He even said 'the gods will make him know', implying that the gods would track this child down later in life to ensure that fate. So Odysseus has two options right now. The first is to let the baby live, thus risking that the prophecy comes true and also angers the gods because he directly disobeyed them. The second is to kill the baby, which would not anger the gods and also eliminates the possibility that he will grow up and seek revenge.”
Ming Fan looked taken aback. He didn't expect his Shizun to advocate for such a thing, even in Luo Binghe's indirect defense, but he also couldn't refute the logic of it, even if it was cold-hearted. But still, the idea of it was just...
Seeing his expression, Shen Qingqiu's features softened. “That is not to say it would be an easy decision to make, or to live with. It may even cause a host of other, unforeseen problems to arise. Yet the fact remains that this character has not been given any good options.”
“You would truly try no other way?” Liu Qingge demanded again, not so easily deterred.
“We don't know yet if Odysseus will try another way or not, but the fact remains that all of his suggestions for another way were immediately dismissed.” Shen Qingqiu gave the other peak lord a knowing look. “Can you so easily say what you would choose if you received such a message that directly threatened Liu Mingyan?”
“I would at least wait for the child to be older, able to make his own decision and present an honorable challenge, rather than kill him when he couldn't fight back.”
“So you would risk your sister's life and the fate of the sect by defying the gods instead? All for the sake of an individual you would likely end up killing later anyway?”
Liu Qingge scowled, but didn't say anything more. That either meant he was giving in to the idea that neither choice was good, or that he didn't see any point in further arguing a hypothetical.
Luo Binghe looked at Ning Yingying and nodded in agreement with A-Yuan's assessment. If he truly believed it was the only way to save his beloved from a gruesome fate, then he would be willing to commit such an atrocity. That did not mean he would enjoy it.
Ning Yingying wilted. She didn't like the answer, but also found herself unable to argue against it.
“It reminds me of some choices I've been forced into in the past.” Shang Qinghua admitted quietly, and Shen Qingqiu nodded agreement. Everyone knew right away that he was talking about the choices that the system had forced them into. 'If that blue means that the System is a counterpart to Zues, then I can see the parallels already.' Shang Qinghua and Shen Qingqiu both thought acerbically.
An uncomfortable silence followed. Mobei Jun set his hand on top of Shang Qinghua's head, a hand which was nearly big enough to cup his whole skull. Shang Qinghua seemed to find this comforting. At the same time, Luo Binghe scooted closer to Shen Qingqiu on the couch and let some of his weight rest on his husband, who had a similar reaction to Shang Qinghua.
“Hmph, first the ridiculous fight that started this whole mess, now this? I'm beginning to see what you two meant about these gods being 'petty bitches'.” Qi Qingqi said after the silence stretched a minute too long.
Hearing such words come out of Qi Qingqi's mouth managed to break some of the tension, and even earned a few chuckles from her fellow peak lords. And that seemed to be what the System was waiting for, since the screen suddenly lit back up and the next song began.