He goes through SJ's trama, it's not pretty, it's not good, he loses the one person he thought he could trust, but on some level he can't believe he ever waited for YQY to come back for him. His revenge is bloody, brutal, and angry.

He goes through it. He survives. It's what he's best ast, surviving. He claws his way to power, he's always hated feeling weak, and here, with stunted cultivation (again) alone (again) and freshly traumatized. He knows what wu yanzi wants and has no problems learning from him…

At least until WY pushes a bit too far and LB kills him in a panic. Ifk what happened then, how he gets into the sect, but he does. And... he finds he absolutely cannot sleep.

He's upset. He should be safe here, he knows this peak, there's bullies sure but he's cunning and cutthroat. But... he just can't rest. He goes to a brothel to blow off steam, he finally had the money for it, and being with a woman to blow of steam was all he did in his past life

He just wants to feel like himself again. Between dealing with ptsd (old and new, not that he knows he has it) and sheer exhaustion, he falls to familiarity.

But...

When he's there he just.... cant

So he sleeps. Doesn't do anything with anyone. But here, he's away from the sect that so hurt him in the past, and men, who so hurt him in this life

Later, when he gets a fake cultivation manual from an older disciple, he's hit with de-ja-vu. It's almost funny, to him. He remembers mingfan and starts idly daydreaming about acquiring some specific ants…

Haha but he doesn't want to throw away this chance yet. He still doesn't know what this strange life is. It's the same peak he trained on, the same peak he destroyed. But he recognizes no one, and no names sound familiar. At least... not until he gets promoted to peak lord.

"Shen Qingqi" and the second he can, he flees. He tries to leave the mountain in a dazed rage. He's almost numb with it. And then he can't leave.

OOC

he can't get out. He hasn't unlocked the ooc feature yet. He didn't even know it existed. He has to laugh then. He refuses to cry.

He has well and truly become the same monster who poured tea on his head. Who beat him senseless. Scorned and abused him. Who still holds more power over him than he'll ever admit.

We end this fic years later. As he watches himself climb up those stairs with bright eyes and a young, gaunt face. Hopeful and sad, clutching at the false jade pendant under his robes.

And he watches, bitter, envious, afraid and alone.