𝖧𝗐𝖺𝗅 𝗁𝗐𝖺𝖽𝖾𝗈𝗆 𝗆𝗈𝗄𝖾𝗎𝗆 𝗍𝗈𝖾 𝗂𝗅
𝗆𝗂𝗆𝖾𝗎𝗀𝖺 𝗌𝗐𝗂𝗃𝗂𝗋𝖾𝗎𝗅 𝖺𝗇𝗁𝖾.
𝖬𝗈𝗋𝗂𝖻𝗎𝗍𝖾𝗈 𝖻𝖺𝗅𝗄𝗄𝗎𝗍𝗄𝖺𝗃𝗂𝗇𝖾𝗎𝗇
𝖻𝗎𝗌𝗁𝗈𝖻𝗂𝖼𝗁𝗂𝗇 𝖺𝗇𝗁𝖾.
Luo BingHe walked...nervously. He peaked inside his Shizun's room which seemed to be quite neat.
'Shizun is as neat and clean as always. Such elegance...'
He spotted the man reading some scrolls on his table. His eyelashes were not too long or too short. His jade green eyes were half lidded and his mouth was pressed in a thin line. He was focused on whatever he was reading.
His adorned a light green and white robe and his hair was down. He didn't wear anything fancy, even among his high quality clothing.
Shen Qingqiu never wore clothes that were too fancy. But even then, right now, he was wearing clothes that were simple even among his simple and elegant clothes. He still didn't look any less beautiful.
Luo BingHe loved his Shizun. It was not a good thing to think. But he did love him. Maybe right now was not the right time. After someone took over the peak would be the right time to approach him.
He could wait.
Besides, it was not as if his Shizun loved him. At least not now.
Shen Qingqiu sensed someone and spoke, "Come in."
Luo BingHe took a deep breath and walked in, "Shizun..."
He called really softly, but Shen Qingqiu looked like thunder had fallen on his head. He swiftly looked up at his disciple, and took in his appearance.
He was still the same Luo BingHe, just that he looked a bit taller, had a demon clan mark on his forehead, and his face was a bit more handsome and refined than his teenage years.
After all, this BingHe was 20 years old.
He stood up, walked towards him, and touched his cheek. He was not dreaming, was he?
Luo BingHe was supposed to return five years later if anything. Only three years had passed. And here he was, standing in front of him.
"BingHe...you...is it really you?"
His voice was soft, shaky and hoarse.
It was for a different reason. But Luo BingHe thought it was because his Shizun missed him so much. He smiled, "It is me, Shizun. Luo BingHe. I survived in the abyss."
"You..."
'How did you get out of there so early?' That was the rest of the question. But of course he wouldn't say something like that.
Luo BingHe laughed softly, "Did Shizun miss this disciple?"
"Don't be silly. Everyone missed you."
"Ahahaha."
Shen Qingqiu's eyes turned sharp, "You, since when was there a philosophy that a disciple should protect the master?"
Oh shit. There it comes.
"Eh...I...wanted to save Shizun...there is no such philosophy..."
"By throwing yourself in the abyss? Really?"
"Ah..." he made an awkward smile.
"I couldn't just let Shizun get thrown there." He didn't want to reveal the fact that he knew that Tian Xing deliberately let him fall there.
'Ugh, this is awful. I know she did what she did for a reason, but it left so much loopholes in others' hearts. It better be worth it.'
He sighed, "Shizun, forgive this disciple. But now, I am here aren't I?"
Shen Qingqiu blanked out a bit hearing that sentence. He didn't expect Luo BingHe to return so soon.
"Yes...you are..."
_______________________
The next morning...there was quite the commotion.
"A-LUO????????"
"Ah...yes, I survived."
Ning Yingying held Tian Xing by the lapels, "Xing-jie, are you seriously a fortune teller?"
'Fortune teller my ass. She planned this out.' Luo BingHe snickered looking at her, to which she only winked at him, and then looked at Ning Yingying, "No. I just believed it."
"Oi oi oi, don't think we are gonna ignore that mark on your forehead." Spoke Ming Fan, "What is that about? You are a demon now?"
"Yeah...kind of? I am a half human, half demon."
"So a half-half bastard."
"Shut up. Seriously...that's the first thing you gotta say about me being a demon?"
"You can be a demon, but you are still Luo Binghe. That's the first fact."
'Ok so it was worth it. They don't really think much negatively of all demons anymore.'
Luo BingHe raised an eyebrow, "I heard there is another demon here. Who is it?"
"Did you call for me?" Peaked out Zhuzhi Lang from behind Ming Fan.
"Hold your trumpet. Who are you, first of all?"
"I am the demon in question. The name's Zhuzhi Lang."
"I see. Nice to meet you I guess."
'This is going way more off scenario than I thought. Good good. At least they ain't racist anymore.' Tian Xing thought gleefully.
The other disciples were surprised and greeted Luo Binghe one by one as well. It was amazing to look at. Tian Xing nodded, "Good. Things are going good."
Liu Qingge, who had coincidentally come to visit them, met him and spoke, "Oh you are back."
"You are not surprised, Liu-Shufu?"
"Not really. Everyone here kind of gaslighted themselves into believing you were alive, thanks to your Xing-jie."
"...How is it gaslighting? He survived." Tian Xing complained.
"But we didn't know that. We just believed in something that was near impossible. You made me believe it with your logic. So much so that I actually got gaslit and didn't mind being gaslit."
Luo BingHe facepalmed, "Can we not talk about it?"
Why were people talking about it anyway? He was back now.
Tian Xing sighed, "Alright. It's time for training. Ming Fan, Yingying."
"Yes."
"Training?" Asked Luo Binghe.
"Ah, the regular drill."
"Oh ok."
Liu Qingge spoke, "You know what? We should we spar one day."
Tian Xing snorted, "No thank you. I don't want to."
"Why? Afraid of losing?"
This time Luo BingHe snorted. But he didn't said anything. Tian Xing just shrugged her shoulders.
Shen Qingqiu came out of his chambers and asked with a raised eyebrow, "It's not even been the first hours of noon and you guys are causing this much commotion already. Luo BingHe, since you are here go train some disciples."
"Yes, Shizun."
Tian Xing laughed, "There are new disciples this year. Don't go too hard on them."
"Yes Xing-jie."
_______________________
Later that night, Tian Xing sat with Shen Qingqiu inside the bamboo house, "You know what, I feel like we should release Tanglian-Jun."
"Why?" Asked Shen Qingqiu.
"I want humans to form a treaty with the demons. To maintain peace."
"Do you think that's going to work?"
"Luo BingHe is his son. It definitely is going to work. If he doesn't agree, his son will just take the throne from him and agree to it."
Shen Qingqiu sipped his tea, "You know, you are quite cunning."
"I was never a good person, A-Qiu."
'Bullshit.' Thought Shen Qingqiu.
"Being cunning doesn't mean you are a bad person." Reminded Shen Qingqiu.
"How did you even get the idea that I was cunning? Whatever 'cunningness' I have is because I know the plot of the story."
"Bullshit alert."
"What the fuck?"
"Yep. You are bullshitting again."
"...I am not even gonna argue with you at that."
"Cuz I am right."
"Ugh, come to the main point. We need to look for Tanglian-Jun."
Shen Qingqiu sipped his tea, "Tanglian-Jun was trapped inside a mountain. What makes you think he will cooperate with us?"
"I will make him cooperate with me."
"...How?"
"I have my ways."
Truth be told, Tian Xing didn't know how to actually do it. She didn't even remember how to release the former Demon Lord. But she had to sound convincing so that this guy would stop keeping his keen eyes on her so much.
'This guy scares me more than whatever bullshit plot Proud Immortal Demon Way has.'
Shen Qingqiu eyed her, "Do you even know how to release him?"
"..."
"Yeah I thought so."
"I told you I am not cunning."
"Memory capacity has nothing to do with cunningness. You can be cunning and have a bad memory at the same time."
Tian Xing couldn't refute that. A very classic example of a cunning person with a bad memory was Wei WuXian. He was extremely clever, but had a very bad memory. Then again, he had a bad memory for things that he didn't consider important. For things he did consider important, he remembered them for years, no matter how small the matter seemed to others. Such as the promise he made to the Jiang siblings, especially to Jiang Cheng, to not tell anyone about falling from a tree in Lotus Pier and breaking his leg because Jiang Cheng didn't let him in his room that night. They were just little children when that happened. But even after he was summoned back as Mo XuanYu in the original story, he never told anyone about it, not even to Lan WangJi.
Tian Xing remembered them and suddenly became nostalgic. She hoped they were doing well this time, as she prevented the tragedies from happening.
"Xing-jie? What's wrong?"
"Ah, nothing."
Tian Xing smiled, "I was just thinking about stuff."
Shen Qingqiu nodded, "In any case, to bring back Tanglian-Jun, you will need BingHe."
"Oh he will agree."
"How do you know?"
"That disciple of yours is smart."
"I know that."
"Yes, he figured I let him fall in the abyss on purpose. And he also figured out that I have a plan regarding his father."
"...Okay that much was unexpected."
Tian Xing sighed, "I know right? He has turned cleverer."
"I hope he is not gonna figure out about us being transmigrators."
"He probably won't. That's beyond anyone's thinking here."
Shen Qingqiu sighed, "I can only hope so."
_______________________
Luo BingHe was just arranging his belongings here and there in his room, when he heard a knock.
"Come in please."
Tian Xing smiled, "It's me, A-He."
"Ah, Xing-jie, what have you planned next?"
"...I don't know what to say to you."
"Hahahhahahaha."
Tian Xing sighed, "Seriously, I am not a scheming woman you know."
"Bullshit."
"Not you too."
"Shizun said the same thing?"
"He did actually. Not literally, but he did."
"It's the truth. Sit here. Tell me."
Tian Xing didn't waste anymore time as she sat across the table. Luo BingHe sat on the other side of it, "Is it regarding my father?"
"It is. A-He, I am planning to create a situation where humans and demons can come to a peace treaty."
Luo BingHe nodded, "And you need my father for that?"
"I do. Your father had the power to make it happen. All we need is for the humans to accept it. I am not worried about Cang Qiong Peak, but the others..."
Luo BingHe frowned, "They might cause problems. I am the heir to the throne of the demon realm so, wouldn't it be better if I take the throne?"
"You are still a bit too young. I get it, you have amazing battle experience. But it takes more than that to run an entire realm."
"I suppose you are right." Luo BingHe's face turned solemn, "But I will still take the throne if anything out of hand happens. I don't trust my father. He has been trapped inside that mountain for who knows how long. I have very low expectations of him being sane."
"...You don't have any affections for your father?"
Luo BingHe sighed, "I never met the man. Of course I don't."
"Don't lie. You want to meet him."
"..."
He sighed, "The thing is, I do want to. But I don't think he loves me. And that doesn't mean I love him either. It's fine though. My parental figures have always been my adoptive mother and you."
"And your Shizun?" Tian Xing teased.
"...No..."
"Why not?"
"..."
Luo BingHe's face turned a soft crimson.
Tian Xing laughed, "Ayyyyy Xiao Luo BingHe."
"Ughhh Xing-jie."
[Xiao as in little.]
Luo BingHe knew, oh he just knew, that she knew about his big fat crush on his Shizun.
Tian Xing could only laugh and smile fondly afterwards.