Chapter Text
"We need ground rules."
[User 02 is mistaken. The basic rules have already been explained in depth to this User ( •̯́ ₃ •̯̀) ]
Shen Yuan drags his hand down his face. They have been going in circles for hours. Blah blah badass-points (stupid) blah blah quest lines (contrived) blah blah 'First Rate Classic!' (who asked!?) and so on. Frankly, at this point he's just tuning the thing out whenever it starts monologuing. "Yes, but I want new rules, on top of the old rules, to act as terms of engagement or at the very least boundaries between the two of us, as people now forced to live together."
[User 02 is mistaken. This System is The System; not a person, not alive.]
"Don't play semantics with me. Look, I've spent the last several decades doing my own thing! Clearly, based on your own assessments," he gestures to the secondary blue screen currently displaying the staggering 56,285 points to his name, "I'm doing just fine in that regard. I fail to see the problem with letting me continue as normal when all the metrics point to that being the best option!"
[ (｡ᵕ ◞ _◟) ]
[User 02 is forgetting that he is now in contact with Protagonist <Luo Binghe>. User navigating the true plot on his own would be suicide.]
He scoffs, disbelieving. "What, and the entire rest of my life here has just been one long footnote?"
[Incorrect! ₍₍⚞(˶˃ ꒳ ˂˶)⚟⁾⁾ User 02's actions outside the scope of the plot are unremarked backstory that didn't exist in the first place and whose effects wouldn't even make it to the narration's attention if not for User 02 earning the Protagonist's interest ദ്ദി(˵ •̀ ᴗ - ˵ ) ✧ ]
…
Would a lobotomy get rid of the System? Shen Yuan is considering it if only to see that obnoxious blue screen dissolve into wayward pixels. "You know," he bites out to stop himself from jabbing his fan through his forehead, "for something both not alive and not a person, you sure seem to have some very strong opinions."
[This System dispenses only facts.]
"Yeah, well, your facts are horseshit." He goes back to shoving his rations back into his qiankun pouch. He stews in silence long enough to get the rest of his camp packed up and is kicking at the smouldering ashes of his fire when he whirls on the System once more. "And another thing! I got Shen Qingqiu released from Huan Hua Palace at the trial instead of sentenced to the Water Prison. Can we even really still call the plot from here on out the 'true plot'? If he's not in the Water Prison, he's not going to be. Luo Binghe wouldn't stoop to reusing a plan."
[Protagonist <Luo Binghe> is destined to become Emperor of the Unified Realms and cement his legacy as the true beloved son of heaven, never to be outdone even by his heirs and descendants thousands of years hence. Main Event <Trial for the Ages> being changed does not affect this.]
"So is the true plot Binghe's march to emperor-ship?"
[The true plot contains multitudes.]
Shen Yuan raps his fan against his forehead just for something else to focus on. "Is the true plot just Binghe's destiny or not?"
[User 02 (˶ ‾᷄ _ ‾᷅˵) the true plot contains every Main Event that leads to the <End> of the novel. Changing only one Main Event does not result in a change in <Ending>. Every arc has its due place in the weave of narrative.]
"How many 'main events' do I have to change before I can affect the ending?"
[This is an unproductive question. Trying to do the bare minimum to advance will not work. The true plot will march on until such a point where it can no longer feasibly be supported. Trying to avoid it will only bring it faster.]
"Sure, fine, but if you expect me to just kick back and watch villages be razed during the unification or let desperate wives fall into his lap for the sake of a 'fated ending' then you've sorely misunderstood me." He'd always kind of known that the world as he knew it now wouldn't last. The same way he knew it snowed in winter and got unbearably humid at the end of summer. The unification of the realms has been quietly inevitable.
That doesn't mean that when it happens Shen Yuan has to let people suffer as collateral damage. The cultivators had enough power to figure things out for themselves, but the farmers? The every day merchants and children? He can't stop their lives from being upended—he doesn't have the power for that nor does he particularly want it. That'd require a level of idiotic heroism he won't even pretend to possess. But he can be there in the aftermath. He can staunch the wound before it becomes infected even if he can't block the blow.
[This System is still gathering information on User 02. Personalized quests and items will become available as this System continues to observe User 02's character.]
Shen Yuan grits his teeth to hold back the wave of curses that want to break free. "Key word here is: observe. Silently. I don't need you commenting on my every action." He hisses.
[Understood. This System is entering Do Not Disturb mode ᶻ 𝘇 𐰁 (っ. -｡) ]
[If User 02 requires anything, he may ask and this System will answer.]
So, it'd still be listening in on everything, but at least this way he wouldn't have to keep up with it being so obstinate. He takes in a deep breath to recentre himself, and lets it go. He's got a long day ahead to get back on his usual route. His disciple should still be waiting for him there, and he doesn't want to leave her idle for too long.
She's the type to worry, and he hates burdening her heart.
The road itself is easy. The trees are waving gently in welcome. Their leaves are just starting to tip into gold and the air is crisp and clean in his lungs. Shen Yuan usually loves this part of his route. It's full of easy foraging and a light atmosphere that's hard to find in the city. It's all too tempting to slow down and enjoy wandering off the path.
Unfortunately, he's been in a pretty shit mood for the past few days. Owed exclusively to the sleep he's been getting. Which is to say: barely any! Every time he tries to get comfortable the System would pop up to needle him about his future plans. Two hours later when he'd stopped fuming, he'd close his eyes just to jolt right back up!
He's never had great dreams so really these new ones aren't anything out of the ordinary. It's just frustrating how long it takes to try and fall back asleep after he has one!
Now, as a cultivator—even a weak one—he can use his spiritual energy to substitute for his general mortal needs. He and inedia are close personal friends, after all. But inedia can't completely cure insomnia and it's out for Shen Yuan's blood!
If he were a normal man he'd probably be dead or at least crazy from sleep deprivation by now. As it is, he's just rather irritable at everything and has no patience for his typical wanderings. He sticks to the road and marches forward. Even the cheerful atmosphere of the woods are starting to get on his nerves. Like, fucking hell, what do these birds have to be so happy about, huh? Why's a swarm of jewel-like butterflies floating through the air? Don't they know he's trying to brood!? He scowls and kicks uselessly at the dirt road whenever his frustrations get too much.
Still, Shen Yuan makes good time and gets to the entry gates with about an hour of daylight left in the sky.
What greets him is Red Town—creatively named for their main export: fine red lacquer harvested from the surrounding thick forests of lacquer trees. What makes the trees so special is that the sap didn't need to be dyed to get to its final, bright red shade. The trees lived in harmony with a parasitic beetle. Carmine Burrowers would nest in the trunks of the trees and lay their eggs deep inside. Those that didn't hatch would be absorbed back into the trees as extra nutrition and gave the sap that brilliant red colour. The trees themselves were pretty structurally week as a result, but since Red Town and thus the forest were tucked into a valley, harsh winds and storms were a rarity.
Though, of course, Red Town is also infamous for its disproportionately large red light district. Despite the main residents being foresters and labourers, nobles and shrewd merchants often came by to stock up on lacquer for their big fancy mansions. Naturally, brothels, inns, and intimate eateries sprung up to take advantage of rich patrons far from home—and thus their scruples.
Much like the beetles, the red light district weakened the reputation of Red Town. However, for as many that came for the lacquer, just as many had started coming for the scandalously large pleasure houses and bringing their business with them. Not to mention, if a labourer wanted to celebrate a good year, where better to blow their money than the local parlour? Neither halves of Red Town's inhabitants could exist without the other. Trying to cut out the less dignified parts of Red Town now would be like running a sword through one's own stomach hoping to ease nausea. Both halves understood this, even if they didn't like it. The atmosphere is lively, with just the barest undercurrent of tension.
Often, Shen Yuan debates starting some kind of grass roots movement to get the name of the town changed, at least. Surely the citizens can't be happy with fucking Red Town of all things, right? Often, he's reminded it's absolutely none of his business, even if it bugs him. He runs through his old internal debate on the topic as he picks his way across the town to the only fairly priced inn around.
He makes sure to stop and talk with Auntie Lian, asking after her troublesome sons and commiserating on how difficult it is to get those darn kids to listen to their parents. With his payment for the rooms, he also insists on giving her a few sachets of mallow root tea for her cough as thanks for keeping her rates so reasonable.
"I must tell you a secret, Laoshi. It's only for you, everyone else can bleed out of their noses until their skin runs dry." Auntie Lian winks.
"Of course, of course. Lian-er deserves only the largest sums from her customers." He agrees, even if he knows she's just being playful and doesn't really mean it. It's important to make your guests feel special, after all.
He bids her a good night and gratefully retires to his room upstairs. He opens the door and his disciple jumps to her feet to greet him.
"Shizun! You're back." Zhou An says, a relieved smile breaking across her face. "How was the road?"
Seeing her whole and hale takes a heavy weight off of his shoulders, leaving exhaustion in its wake. He groans as he sets his sword off to the side. "Same as always, I'm afraid. Did you keep out of trouble?"
"Mn, yes." He glances up to confirm this. By all accounts she looks fine. Her long, dark hair spilling down her back looks clean. Her dusty blue robes look neat, and her hands are clasped in front of her instead of fidgeting with anything. She isn't wearing her sword which says far more than anything else. "I went to the Cloud-Bound Swallow and picked up some of the local word while dispensing their medicine."
"Anything interesting?" He asks, scrounging around in his bag for his comb and oil.
"Mn."
She doesn't elaborate, no matter how much ample silence Shen Yuan leaves for her to fill in. He glances over his shoulder and frowns. Zhou An isn't looking at him. Her head is bent and there's a slight furrow to her brow. He pauses his search to give her his full attention. "Xiao An? Is everything alright?"
"While there, one of the women mentioned a rich group of cultivators had stayed two nights prior. All they could talk about was the upset at Huan Hua Palace. Some man who blew in and made a mess out of everything. Shizun…you never said where you were going." Her voice remains even. She's always been careful with her words. Even now, she doesn't cast an accusation at his feet.
He sets his bag back down and crosses the room to stand at her side. With a practiced flourish, his fan drops out of his sleeve and into his palm. He uses its tip to nudge her towards the bed. She sits, slowly, and he sits too. "Zhou An, the events at Huan Hua Palace were not ones I wanted you to see. They billed it as a trial, but it was just a set up to air out petty grievances. I went to draw attention. The kind I wouldn't wish on you."
She looks at him, then. Her brow has cleared but she's far from happy. "You say it's unsafe and still went on your own. Why didn't you tell me? Have you been planning for something like this to happen?"
"No, I haven't. But as soon as I heard about it, I had to go." He tries for a smile, and it slants to one side. "Turns out, the defendant was my brother."
"I thought he…"
"Mn. As did I."
Zhou An tucks her fingers together, very faintly frowning. "Shizun…is he-?"
"Stop worrying." Shen Yuan says. He's starting to chafe under all of these questions and he knows his voice is colder than normal. He clears his throat to warm it up. She won't ask again tonight if he makes it obvious he doesn't want to answer. She's a good disciple like that. "Consider that chapter: closed! And just in time for peak leafage season, too! Ah, once this old man gets some good rest, we'll be back on the road as usual."
She closes her eyes. "Of course. I will go request a bath for you. You must be exhausted." Zhou An takes a leaf straight out of Shen Yuan's book and makes her move before he can stop her. Standing, she heads for the door. "Tomorrow, we'll go to the Cloud-Bound Swallow. I believe I found our next client."
Ah, Zhou An really is too good. Letting her shizun keep his silence, waiting for him, preparing a bath, and even lining up their next job! He winces. Yikes, had he really scared her so bad? The door clicks closed and he sighs. "Ah, what on earth did I do to earn such a diligent disciple?"
[User 02 completed Ancillary Quest-]
"Shit, don't- don't call that a quest." Disgust churns sharply in his gut. The mere idea of assigning any kind of reward to that situation sucks, to put it mildly. He's very glad the System had been out of commission when it happened. He's not sure how he would've reacted to being paid for being better than filth. Not well, he imagines.
A new thought, equally disturbing, bubbles to the surface of his mind. Shen Yuan wets his lips before asking, "System, is Zhou An's fate one of the ones tied up in your," he waves his hand around in no particular pattern, "web of canon?"
[. . .]
[Minor Extra <Zhou An | Ou Yuwei> is no longer on the original path designated for her character.]
Shen Yuan grimaces. That isn't a no.
In the original Proud Immortal Demon Way, she had only appeared in one chapter. Luo Binghe's ascendency to his throne was celebrated over 100 chapters total, and she had been there for barely a fraction of that time and still managed to be one of the most controversial elements of the entire arc. In a bid to end the new Emperor before he could rise to full power, several high families came together and purchased a wide bouquet of the finest roses, jasmine, lotuses, orchids, and daisies. Ou Yuwei had been one such rose.
While almost all of the dangerous flowers had their allegiances turned by the following extensive papapa scene, Ou Yuwei had not. In the midst of everything, she had begun to cry, shaking and insensate no matter what Luo Binghe or the other women did. He'd naturally stopped everything to attend to her, but no one was prepared for the reaction. In an instant, she'd snapped, clawing at Luo Binghe's eyes, ears, and mouth. He'd had to grapple her, and her heart gave out from how hard she struggled against him. He'd put all his focus into holding her still, attempting comfort, leaving him with a smattering of wounds that he shrugged off once she'd died. After, they'd discovered her slave brand hidden under a glamour and painted in a vicious red. She was supposed to have killed him. If she had, she'd be free. She'd wanted freedom more than she wanted to live, and she still died restrained.
A weed, planted in an inviting garden, driven mad by the unseen hand of the upper class, and one that hadn't even been saved by the protagonist's heavenly pillar!
To the average reader, it was unthinkable that any woman could possibly go against the beloved son of heaven! Didn't she know that sleeping with him would fix all of her problems? What a wasted opportunity for a new wife! And going crazy like that totally ruined the mood. Shen Yuan had broken five keys on his keyboard ripping into the chapter itself and all of the most obnoxious commenters, spawning a flame war the fandom had still been memeing when he died.
For the first time since getting out of the Endless Abyss, Airplane Shooting Towards the Sky had approached consequences to Luo Binghe's way of life! A challenge for his morals! A chance for him to reflect and grow, a chance for him to truly recognize what Ou Yuwei had gone through and how his own experiences compared! A chance for the Emperor Incumbent to be reminded of his humility and come together with the lowest of his new subjects!
And then? The next chapter introduces rival succubus clans needing a mediator.
Shen Yuan had snapped his keyboard into three pieces.
In this life, while he couldn't undo all of her hardship, he could still spare her the worst of it. "She's only eighteen." He says.
[Minor Extra <Zhou An | Ou Yuwei> is no longer on the original path designated for her character.]
"But you want to put her back on it, isn't that right?" Shen Yuan scoffs.
[꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱ This System cannot force characters to behave or react against their nature. Minor Extra <Zhou An | Ou Yuwei> has been greatly affected by User 02's involvement.]
[This System requests User 02 uncover other hidden depths to this world and doing so, unlock character complexities in larger members of the cast. This will further User 02's goal of turning the <Novel Full of Holes> into a <First Rate Classic>!]
[A <First Rate Classic> is meant to be a challenge. There are fixed points in the narrative but the results will rely on your hard work! YOU CAN YOU UP; NO CAN NO BB ᕙ( •̀ ᗜ •́ )ᕗ]
Shen Yuan buries his face in his hands and lets it sit there for one, whole minute. He feels, keenly, the weight of the past thirty four years on his soul. If this were a shitty far-too-detailed transmigration title it'd be something like…Thirty Five Years in a New World When Suddenly the Protagonist and Antagonist of the Original Plot Take Notice After a Heart Pounding Meeting?!
Shen Yuan snorts. His snorts quickly devolve into peels of breathless laughter.
Zhou An peeks back into the room, curious. "Shizun? What's so funny?"
"Xiao An! I was just thinking up titles to describe my life. What do you think of: My Midlife Crisis is Full of Tropes?!"
She steps fully into the room, expression serious. "To describe Shizun's life…perhaps, I See This Merchant Every Year but Now I'm Forty and Am Too Embarrassed to Ask for His Name?"
Unfillial!!! He told her that in confidence! "I Want Blue Robes but All They Have Are Grey so I Guess I'll Sigh All Day Instead of Finding a New Stall!" He shoots back.
"My Bones Hurt When I Move but I Refuse to Investigate Because I'm a Doctor So Wouldn't I Know Best?"
"I Have to Stay Up and Write Conversational Flowcharts to Streamline Communication with Strangers Every Night Until It's Perfect!"
"My Disciples Request All of My Baths and I've Forgotten How to Call for One Now That I'm Old."
"I haven't forgotten," Shen Yuan insists. "You all just keep offering before I can do anything!"
Zhou An smiles, ignoring him. "I'm Sixty Five and Still Take Time to Invent Titles Ranging in Humour for My Life Instead of Needlepoint or Furthering My Own Cultivation."
"Who is sixty five!?"
"I Just Turned Eighty and Am Now Averse to Both Getting Into and Drinking Water."
Shen Yuan braces his hands against his chest, his face twisted in anguish! "Zhou An, you're killing me! You're killing your shizun! Ah, then, I may as well die." He falls back dramatically on the bed.
Zhou An, ruthless as she is, perches down at his feet. "Old Man Found Dead in Inn After Light Teasing—Heart Too Soft, sources say."
With a horrendous cry, Shen Yuan gives one final, pathetic jerk before going still. Flexing his qi ever so slightly, he throws his voice to the far corner of the room. "Zhou An...if you're hearing this...the soul of your shizun has passed beyond this realm and into the next."
"Mn. Tragedy. I will erect for him a grand shrine and take his now-cooling bathwater for myself, then." Zhou An doesn't even bother trying to look upset.
"Fine, fine, hint taken." Shen Yuan sighs. They could banter around some more later. He slouches back upright. "Miracle of miracles! He has awoken. And will now stop getting all of his road dirt in your nice bed."
Her smile melts into something a little less perfect and it feels like victory. "This disciple thanks Shizun from the bottom of her heart. The other room should be unlocked and the key's inside for you."
He waves her off, scooping up his bag and sword once more. "Ah, Xiao An is too good to this old man. I'll see you in the morning, we can head to the brothel first thing."
"Sweet dreams," she dips her head and he mirrors her.
True to her word, the room next door has been left unlocked and a large, steaming tub has been set up right by the entrance. He settles in quickly, tossing his belongings onto the traveller's chest before stripping off his outer robes and folding them. His inner robes get the dignity of hitting the bed instead of the floor, but his boots go flying and he doesn't bother to track where they land. Sinking into the warm water is so wonderful it wipes his mind clear of absolutely everything.
He falls asleep in the bath two minutes later.
Shen Yuan dreams of small hands pressing up against his arm and smoke hanging heavy in the air. He wakes up to freezing water in the middle of the night and regretfully moves to the bed, though he doesn't fall asleep again. He stares straight up at the ceiling, breathing fast. Ah, what a shame, he was really hoping he'd sleep better on a real bed.
Once morning has truly come, he and Zhou An take breakfast down with auntie Lian before heading out. Red Town is always a little extra lively at both extremities of the day. The morning is reserved for labourers, the evening for entertainers. They get a few looks as they wander the streets, but nothing out of the ordinary.
The Cloud-Bound Swallow—the amount of innuendo and terrible puns in this already shittily named town did horrible things to Shen Yuan's blood pressure—appeared as a fairly standard brothel from the outside. Heavy on lanterns, draping gauze, bells and chimes from every arch or beam, and of course the sign itself written in a highly stylized hand. The heavy metal fixtures in doors and windows showed this was a brothel on the higher end, but not wallet-breaking.
The inside, though, is so full of cheap incense, he doesn't even stop to think before Shen Yuan deploys his fan to waft the air out of his face. Zhou An is too well-mannered to look outwardly jealous, but he knows she is.
"Your contact?" He prods.
"Cai Meihua, this way."
While the front hall allows for anyone to wander in off the street for an evening of entertainment, the actual rooms where the women stayed were tucked in the back of the building. They get a few more glances sent their way, but no one stops them. Zhou An must have alerted the staff they'd be coming.
Once they pass through a heavy, brocade curtain into the inner hallways, the over-the-top decor drops off and the lanterns are kept dimmer. The screen doors into each room are painted with different flowers and natural landscapes. His disciple leads them to a door painted with plum blossoms. Though, Shen Yuan notes the painter had a rather heavy hand—the petals came out more blobby than purposeful.
Zhou An knocks twice before sliding the door open. Their next client is kneeling at a low table. The woman is older, though she hides it well with heavy makeup. Her robes spill outward in plumes of pink on white. Her deep brown hair is halfway out of her preferred style and she startles when she sees them coming in.
"Zhou-guniang, you're...early." Cai Meihua says, drawing her robes closer to her body.
Zhou An offers her a shallow bow that Shen Yuan mirrors. "Apologies, my shizun wanted to see to your request as soon as possible. If you would prefer we step out and wait-"
"No need," the older woman sighs. With a practiced motion, she sheds the last few pins keeping her hair up and sets them down gingerly on the table. "I think I've seen your shizun around once or twice. May I be graced with your name, gongzi?"
Shen Yuan introduces himself and steps fully into the room, sliding the door shut behind him. "Lady Cai, I confess I know very little of your situation. As I understand it, you approached Zhou An when she was here a few days ago to dispense medicine."
Cai Meihua nods, her lips pinching. "You two may do business as apothecary, but I'd recognize a cultivator anywhere. The Madame is brushing everything under the rug, and I know the guards won't care. We need a heavier hand to set this injustice to rights."
He and Zhou An trade a look. "An injustice?" Shen Yuan prompts.
"Yes, one of the newer girls was talking about a man she'd fooled herself into falling for. Days of this, and then she disappears into thin air. Since she's new, the Madame isn't too put out. But I've seen the man come back here." Cai Meihua's hands go tight and pale where they're clenched on her knees. "I've seen him eyeing up the other girls, and now my A-Yue is missing, too. I have his description, but not his name. I want you to find him, find whatever's left of those two girls, and stop him from doing this again."
[Beginner Level Quest: Find the Fiend of the Cloud-Bound Swallow. Penalty for not completing this quest: 50 B-points.]
Well, he had more than enough B-points to refuse this request if he wanted to. Shen Yuan has no intention of doing that, though. "I see. Tell us the description, and then we can discuss payment."
[Quest accepted.]
He sits back and lets Zhou An run things for a while. She's a plenty capable fighter, but she could always benefit from brokering deals with their clients. It's good socialization for her enclosure! Plus, he wants to see what she makes of this whole situation. He's pretty sure he's got it figured out, but he won't call it certain just yet.
As he listens, he silently nudges the System. Since my B-points are so high thanks to quests like these, I'm just curious, how many quests have I completed so far?
[User 02 has completed 2,788 quests since transmigrating.]
He's very glad he's still got his fan wafting away in front of his face. Without its distraction he would've surely choked! Not that I likely will ever run out with over fifty thousand B-points to my name...but is there some sort of penalty for running out? You've only mentioned how to gain them so far.
[User 02 will be immediately ejected back to his original world.]
So, death. Shen Yuan frowns behind his fan. It really isn't a problem given he's apparently been banking his accomplishments this entire time, but still. Something to avoid.
"We'll be in contact when we have any further information." Zhou An says. On cue, the two cultivators rise as one and head for the door with another shallow bow for their goodbye.
Only after they're back out on the street does his disciple turn her eyes his way. "What do you think?"
"I have a theory," Shen Yuan shrugs. "I'm much more interested in hearing your thoughts, though."
Zhou An straightens up, her hands clasped behind her back. "This disciple suspects Cai Meihua, Shizun."
He lifts a brow and gestures for them to continue walking. "Is that so?"
"Yes. She was very insistent on approaching me initially, but now that she's met you, she was much more subdued. I suspect that she knows of you and your reputation—it's attention from someone more capable than she thought." Zhou An says.
A reasonable guess, though likely missing a more obvious answer. "Did you ever say your shizun was a man?"
She pauses, a small flush rising up the shell of her ears. "I said you were a cultivator. It could be assumed."
"It could, yes. But most female disciples study under female masters. I'm afraid we're a tad strange in comparison. Do you want me to share my theory, or would you prefer to take the lead on this one?" He doesn't want to force even more work on her. Especially after making her wait on no word for just under two weeks. But this was also a very good mystery for her to practice parsing.
"Let me try to figure it out." She says, her flush clearing away to make room for determination. "I will ask if I feel lost."
Shen Yuan snaps his fan closed with a wide smile. "Very well! Then, lead on, Xiao An. I'll be right behind you every step of the way."