Binghe‘s exclusive property

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Summary:

A very strange group of ghosts had made their way onto Cang Qiong Mountain. They were neither malicious nor resentful; actually they didn't really do anything but stick to Shen Qingqiu. It was truly a strange sight to behold. They were almost entirely white in color, faces distorted or gone entirely, bodies far too small and dressed in the simplest of garments.

They looked like children who had died before they even understood the concepts of life and death and their identities. Well, they looked like that because that's exactly what they were.

✧✧✧✧

Shen Qingqiu did not know how to raise children. Of course not. Why should a rich lordling waste his brain on matters that were the servant's to take care of.

Shen Jiu at least knew what not to do. Somewhat.

The scroll on the opal eyed children had revealed exactly nothing they hand't already known. A shichen and three fresh pots of tea later the two peak lords still did not know how to proceed. The only option seemed to do what Shang Qinghua had suggested.

SQQ: And that really is how shidi got rid of them in the past?

SQH: Well, I guess. I was still a child myself back then. I just played with them until they started to remember and then one day they were gone. I only figured out what probably happened looking back many years later, so no guarantee it's actually true. But it is our only option right now.

SQQ: Our?

The audacity of that rat. Over the course of the evening he had seriously develop the nerve to not only pull out one pouch of melon seeds after another from gods know where, but to also lose all sense of etiquette and propriety and just plop down on Shen Qingqiu's personal daybed to lounge around on as if he was in his own house!

SQH: I mean I can always leave Shen-shixiong to his own devices!

A melon seed was flung in a high arch before landing right in the rat's mouth.

Despite it all, Shen Qingqiu did not feel the anger he had expected to bubble up in his chest. His relationship to Shang Qinghua had always been... strange. They had never been close in any way but unlike his relationships to the other peak lords they had also never been outright antagonistic. As pathetic as that rat was, he had always been the most reasonable and easiest to work with out of all of their sect siblings. If anything, they had always shared an unspoken agreement that all the other peak lords were, simply put, idiots.

Until that morning he would've ripped Shang Qinghua to shreds for his audacity. Until that evening he would've outright killed him even, for figuring out some of his past, vague it may be. That evening however, the rat had come to help Shen Qingqiu on his own accord, done so discretely so no one else would know, and revealed something just as incriminating about himself as the opal eyed children had revealed about Shen Qingqiu. The Qing Jing peak lord had to acknowledge the two of them were more similar than he ever could have guessed.

As strange as it may be, he had to acknowledge the other man's presence felt... not bad. That he was far to weak and pathetic to ever become a physical threat also helped.

Shen Qingqiu huffed in amusement. If Shang Qinghua's eyes widened a little in surprise, Shen Qingqiu pretended not to have noticed.

SQQ: As I'm sure Shang-shidi is aware, this master doesn't exactly have the time to play games all day.

SQH: That's why I suggested to just treat them as if they were your kids for a bit.

Suddenly the room grew cold, a sinking feeling of dread churning in his stomach. He had been too preoccupied with the rat's antics to realize earlier, but now...

SQH: Sh– Shen-shixiong...?

At the edge of his vision he saw Shang Qinghua suddenly sit up, his gaze was fixated on the empty teacup he still held between his fingers.

SQH: Shen–

Suddenly the teacup was set down louder than propriety allowed, Shen Qingqiu's masks slipping back into place right where it belonged.

He scoffed.

On

and on

and on

and on

and on.

Neither of them made a move. Neither of them broke eye contact. Shen Qingqiu was the one who had started this, who had provoked the other, implications clear, and was now waiting for his reaction. But the other peak lord seemed like he was frozen in place processing what he had just heard.

It wasn't the first time he had used his atrocious reputation to his advantage, to distance himself from his sect siblings. On rare occasions it did come in handy, such as the peak lord meeting earlier that day. It was only thanks to that, that he had been able to conceal what the ghosts's presence revealed about his past. It was an extraordinarily effective technique. All he had to do was throw a single match and the whole room would be as if set ablaze, allowing him to flee the situation without anyone even realizing what he had done.

This however was anything but that.

Shang Qinghua was completely still, expression blank, just... staring at him, eyes only ever so slightly moving as if to study the scholar's face. Or was he? Shen Qingqiu couldn't quite pinpoint where the man was looking. At him? In front of him? Through him? To this, Shen Qingqiu did not know how to react. He knew how to deal with disgusted looks, backhanded murmurs, outright insults, and direct screaming even. But this... Shen Qingqiu had never encountered such a... non-reaction.

It was downright creepy. No, not just creepy. Disturbing.

Shen Qingqiu did not want to yield. He would not yield. Yet with every moment he felt the urge to look away grow stronger.

SQH: What did Shen-shixiong do that I shouldn't?

Suddenly everything was back to normal.

SQQ: Wh– what...?

SQH: Did Shen-shixiong do something that should make this one not trust him with the care of children?

Shen Qingqiu opened his mouth to reply but any words escaped him.

SQH: Rumors are just rumors, Shen-shixiong.

With a flick of the wrist and a loud thwack he opened his fan and disguised a deep breath to collect himself as a sigh.

SQQ: Yes, of course. Just rumors...

Shen Qingqiu's mind was going a million miles a minute. What the hell had that been? Whatever it was, Shen Qingqiu needed that man out of his house now. He could not tolerate another moment of his presence.

SQQ: It is quite late, shidi. Let us continue this conversation tomorrow.

SQH: Oh yeah sure! No problem.

He jumped off of the daybed. A flew melon seeds trickled down his robes onto the floor. He didn't seem to notice.

SQH: Uhh do– do you need any help getting them ready for bed?

SQQ: The ghosts?

SQH: Yeah like, with clothes... or a bath?

SQQ: You want me to bathe ghosts?

SQH: We– well yeah– I mean. Hey don't look at me like I'm stupid! They got enough qi to interact with stuff like they're corporeal so– also helps with the relaxation bit probably.

SQQ: Of course...

SQH: Well if you don't like it, don't! Not my problem. I'm leaving.

Without wasting another moment the An Ding peak lord stomped over to the entrance and swung open the sliding door. Only that it did not slide, instead standing firmly in place. Without the resilient body of a cultivator he would've ripped at least two nails clean off. Still, he yelped from the pain. He knew exactly where that tiny burst of qi that had kept the door in place had come from.

SQH: WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR?

SQQ: Stop screaming, you vermin! And use the backdoor.

SQH: ...

during one of his missions, in the treasure hoard of some dragon-like creature, he finds a golden, oval shaped hand mirror, its gaudy style more victorian based than anything (airplane you hack!), that doesn't seem to do anything when he looks into it. but when he does, it reveals the system's screen in his eyes.

he doesn't notice this, of course, because he can't see it, and the system, surprisingly, stays quiet.

the peak lords think he's cursed.

The peak lords find out and freak out...only instead of assuming that the child other parent is a concubine they think it's one of the other peak lords.

Shen Jiu: I found that brat on a mission he's not mine

Qi Qingqi: So you just happened to find a abandoned newborn who looks almost just like you while away on a nine month mission

Shen Jiu: Yes

Qi Qingqi:...

Just every single peak lord looking at all the others like 'Which one of you is the other parent?' just constantly looking between Shen Yuan and other peak lords trying to find similarities.

Shen Yuan terrified thinking all the peak lords are onto him when really they're just trying to figure out which of them gets to claim him as the other parent. (Also some of them really want to court Shen Jiu and are ready to propose... they're all been trying to court him for ages 1 look at Shen Jiu being all sweet with baby Shen Yuan and suddenly the wife beam KO'd all of them)

(Apart form Shang Qinghua who when people suspected him raise both hands like

SQH: NO WAY I DIDN'T HAVE SEX WITH HIM I COULDN'T HAVE I'M ENGAGED TO A DEMON...

Peak lords: Your what?

SQH:...oh fuck

MQF Internally: "I am curing a magic plague I cannot deal with SQQ having a Qi deviation right now and he definitely will if he has too many feelings about this. Shit fuck if he has a Qi deviation and dies Yue Qingyuan will actually kill me."

Feral little SJ who SY recused and is now super protective him, following him around like a duckling because 'Shizun has no self preservation instincts and is to nice'. A mini LQG who wants to fight and also mus protect SY, and then YQY who just wants to keep SJ safe.

All of them adore SY and when Bingge shows up all of them seeing how Bingge looks at SY and NOPE not their Shizun! We know how big your harem is like hell we're letting you take our Shizun and make him one of your hundred wives FUCK OFF.

Bingge is being cock blocked by horde of overprotective ducklings... who all look uncannily familiar.

All of whom know how to utilize puppy dog eyes and can distract SY from his wooing.

Bonus: MQF survived finds his way back wanders into Qing Jing peak that is not in ruins??? sees SY and reborn sect siblings and just like ... you know what life is weird enough this may as way happen and moves in as medic.

Moshang Bonus: SQH who was reborn as SQH is reborn and SY finds him SQH is not happy 'Goddamn you shitty system you got me killed and now I have to live again as an NPC! where is my refund I do not want to go through puberty a THIRD TIME'

Then meets cucumber bro while older and see's Qing Jing peak and just internally screaming

SQH 'BRO DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'VE DONE???'

SY 'Yes i've made a safe home for all these children who faced the consequences of YOUR HACK WRITING!'

SQH is the oldest there after SY so he's put in charge of the little 'monsters' whenever SY leaves... he hates it tyhey always try to run and follow SY, they've imprinted on him and he cannot keep them away from him.Also crying toddlers and kids whenever SY isn't there which airplane can't stop!

Not to mention every time his bro leaves he comes back with more kids! Bro you're worse than batman please stop!

Then one time MBJ comes along with Bingge on wooing mission (MBJ is meant to distract the children so that Bingge can talk to SY) only MBJ is moping because SQH accidentally died (SQH thinks MBJ killed him but it was an accident and MBJ has been in mourning for years)

MBJ sees SQH out of corner of eye and is gone he is there jsut staring at what he knows is his Qinghua! While SQH is screaming 'JHE'S GOING TO KILL ME AGAIN! oh no my king whose been taking care of you? Is he ok-forget that i'm going to dieeee AGAIN!!'

liu qingge sends it back after trying a few sips because it was disgusting and gave him both a headache and diarrhea

qi qingqui tried it and found the taste off-putting, but added a sweet syrup to her drink and then really enjoyed it. she had multiple cups and later found herself to be jittery, anxious, and couldn't sleep for two days. she has since sworn off it

yue qinguan appreciated the gift but didn't like the aroma (he could tell it was demonic) so he didn't try it but lied to mu qingfan and said he enjoyed it and to please send him more next time

at this point mu qingfang is about to declare this test a failure when enters shang qinghua coming in asking for more because he was finally able to calm down and sleep these past few days and shen qingqui also asking for more because its helped with his headaches

mu qingfang is quite pleased with these results and continues to happily supply the an ding and qing jing peak lords with more of the demonic stimulant and monitor them.

He's just confused listening and watching his Shizun who is not saying his own words but reciting something...he can tell and he is so confused.

LBH starts questioning and SQQ is freaking out and system is blaring and SQQ has no idea what to do...LBH has totally cottoned on to system knowing somethings going on and system ends up panicking and breaking ground beneath LBH's feet.

System is now in damage control mode because it can sense dangerous levels of anger points directed at it specially.

SQQ is wondering what he did wrong he said everything right? At least he didn't have to push Binghe but his poor little white lots will still be blackened he doubts he's dodged all the death flags.

System is encouraging him that no you will still die...we-YOU should hide...please.

System trying to get SQQ to run away from plot while LBH is chasing his future empress and what ever the fuck is in his poor Shizun's head/soul. (He tells MQF about it... he has all the peak lords helping him chase him down...expect SQH who is also on system lead road-trip for it to save it's own skin... cue MBJ joining hunt.

System: NEW MISSION FOR HOSTS HIDE!

SQQ/SQH: ...From what?

This is just. How the world looks. Everyone sees blobs until they get close.

It's a wonder his caligraphy is legable much less flawlees.

So imagine one day Mu Qingfang notices "hm.. Now that I think about it, Shen-shixiong squints a lot..." So he goes over to Shen Qingqiu and asks "Shen-shixiong, might this one borrow your eyes for a moment?"

Queue Shen Qingqiu having an impromptue eye exam much to his chargin. And Mu Qingfang looks at the results like HOOO BOY WE HAVE TO EXPIDITE THESE GLASSES SHIXIONG HOW DO YOU FUNCTION!? Meanwhile outside he's like "Shen-Shixiong this Shidi has already commissioned for a set of glasses to fit your needs. You will need to wear them from now on, and this shidi must insist on it as a healer."

The glasses arrive and Shen Qingqiu begrudgingly puts them on and promptly spends the rest of the day wandering his own peak getting lost in the beauty of it. He's never seen things so clearly before, it's nearly overstimulaitng. Paintings take on new light, he can recognize people from afar, he feels some peristant ache behind his eyes fade.