Chapter Text
Shen Yuan didn’t want to die or reincarnate in Shen Qingqiu. Of course, he also doesn’t want to be dismembered by the protagonist of the absurd novel in which he is trapped.
His situation is frustrating and if it weren't for the system, he would have already tried to run away. But he is stuck and it doesn’t matter if he is afraid or tired of parasitizing one life that doesn’t belong to him or wants to cry for the family and friends that he has lost forever. Shen Yuan has no choice but to move on and fight to survive.
And he is exhausted. In a very short time, he has had to confront the skinner, then rescued Liu Qingge from a qi deviation, and now, when he finally believes that he can rest, Xiu Ya points at his neck.
For an incomprehensible reason, the real Shen Qingqiu stands before him. Although now both share the same body, the gaze of the original is icier and threatening. He has cruel eyes and his pulse doesn’t waver at attacking someone identical to him.
“Who are you?” He demands. His voice, posture, and movements are arrogant. Shen Yuan discovers that the scum villain is obviously just as dangerous as the protagonist. Maybe worse. The person who threatens him is unjustly cruel, has abused children, and would have let Liu Qingge die.
Shen Yuan is paralyzed with terror.
“Who are you?” He insists. “How dare you appropriate my body, demon?”
Shen Yuan doesn’t understand what happened, why before they were one and now two, but he knows that he is still as human as Shen Qingqiu himself.
The sword grazes his neck, scratching him, and Shen Yuan finally reacts.
“I’m not a demon!” He yells, almost crying. “We are in the Lingxi Caves, demons cannot hide their presence here.”
There are many things in the world of PIDW that don't make any sense and perhaps their unfolding is one of those inexplicable plots, but Shen Yuan knows the rest of logical worldbuilding. Trembling, he raises his hands in peace and tries to look into Shen Qingqiu's cold eyes.
“I don't know what happened either...”
“I felt your soul,” he cuts him off with an angry hiss. “You tried to steal my body. Kill me. Take away everything that belongs to me.”
The scum villain hates him with an intensity worse than Luo Binghe's and Shen Yuan understands that he will probably die again. And this time, no one will miss him. Because he is a thief, a usurper, he shouldn't have been there or interfered in Shen Qingqiu's life.
Yet his will clings to life. He has already died once and it is painful and pitiful and frustrating. The system has granted him a second chance which has been a farce. It is unfair.
He wants to live. He desperately wants to live.
“I didn’t want to! They gave me no choice!”
The system beeps in his head, warning him of the consequences of revealing the truth. Shen Yuan grimaces. He wishes the system had disappeared when their bodies doubled and Shen Qingqiu snatched Xiu Ya from him to corner him against a wall. Or that the system had stayed in Shen Qingqiu's head.
Shen Qingqiu narrows his eyes.
“What do you mean?”
“I will die if I tell you.”
His answer makes Shen Qingqiu's expression darkened even more.
“Then there is no point in letting you live.”
“Wait!” He screams before the sword cuts his throat. Shen Yuan's heart beats so fast that his chest aches. He takes a deep breath as he carefully chooses his words. “Right now I can't tell you the truth. Something prevents me from doing that.” He speaks slowly, watching the scum villain's reaction and the system's warnings. “But I can find other ways to explain myself.”
“Try,” he demands. “Give me a reason why I should let you live.”
“I know the future.”
The system beeps again and Shen Yuan raises a hand to his head. Wait! He demands before the system begins to deduct points. I have a plan.
It seems that he has finally caught Shen Qingqiu's attention, as there is a gleam of curiosity in his eyes. Xiu Ya, however, continues to rub his neck.
“Probe that.”
“When you leave Lingxi Caves, you will discover that Cang Qiong Sect is undergoing a demonic invasion. It is led by Sha Hualing, a demonic saintess. She will challenge you to three duels. You will win the first, she will win the second, and Luo Binghe the third.”
“Luo Binghe?” He repeats with surprise. “My useless disciple?”
His words make Shen Yuan angry, but he hides his emotions. He needs to convince the scum villain to follow the plot.
“Yes. It could be said that it is his destiny.”
For some incomprehensible reason, Shen Qingqiu purses his lips in a wry smile.
“Of course, that stupid child has a glorious destiny.”
Shen Yuan doesn't care what Shen Qingqiu is thinking or why he hates Luo Binghe so much. He only has one chance to survive and he clings to it desperately.
“Let's make a deal,” he proposes to him. “Come out and stop the demonic invasion just like I told you. And you will see that I am telling the truth.” He inhales before making a crucial decision. “If Luo Binghe doesn't fight, I will die.”
“Why are you telling me such an obvious weakness?”
“Because if I said the truth and the three fights happen as I have told you, you will save the sect. And it also means that I know the future. And honestly, your future sucks and you need me to survive.”
Shen Qingqiu huffs.
“You lie. Do you think I'm stupid? You have said that you will die if Luo Binghe doesn’t fulfill his fate and now you are trying to convince me that you can change mine. It is contradictory.”
“It’s not! Some events have to happen or I will die. And others that I can change. For example, I have prevented Liu Qingge from dying in a qi deviation. You can ask him.”
Shen Yuan waits, terrified and trembling, for Shen Qingqiu's verdict. The villain watches over him with slightly higher interest than an insect. His decision lingers for minutes until he finally pulls the sword away and Shen Yuan breathes in relief. He is no longer so terrified when Shen Qingqiu grabs his arm and drags him through the caverns.
Outside, a chaos of screams, the smell of blood, and the clash of swords await them. Shen Qingqiu nods indifferently and a gleam of interest in his ruthless eyes.
“At least this part of what you said is true,” he comments before dragging him along.
Instead of joining the battle and helping his disciples, Shen Qingqiu chooses a secondary path to Qing Jing Peak. Shen Yuan doesn’t dare to reproach him about anything. He is terrified of the calm and impudence with which he ignores that threat. In silence, Shen Qingqiu leads him to his bamboo house. Once inside, he ties his wrists with immortal cables and pushes him into a secondary room.
“If you tried to deceive me, I will kill you,” he promises before locking him up.