TheGildedAcorn

this is a man who, on unexpectedly reuniting with an alive version of the evil music teacher who ruined his life, not only allowed him to pet him (while sqq's limbs were in ripping range, c'mon) while going ?? but pivoted so fast to seduction literally the second it occurred to him. bing-ge hated the guy! that's kind of key to his origin story! shizun no good very bad and gets murdered about it! but shizun is nice for 0.2 seconds and suddenly sex is very much on the table

bing-ge is also the man who, after his seduction attempt failed and he got beaten up by bing-mei, turned for a dramatic come with me moment with, again, the suddenly nicer version of his evil teacher. who i cannot stress enough has been nice to him for like one tuesday afternoon, after a lifetime of Not Nice. and bing-ge is ready to run away into the sunset together already. admittedly he's run away into a lot of sunsets with many many women, but rarely has he looked so upset about it. he is shooting his shot with no reflection or apparent hesitation, it is literally his first opportunity to Bond with shen qingqiu for real and he is grabbing it with both hands, like go huge king but also say what now

bing-ge is also the World's Straightest Man with more wives than he's had hot meals, yet he reads like One smutty rpf about him and his old teacher and is like wait, you can DO that? and all of a sudden he is totally on-board with getting hot and heavy. not just with a dude, but with, again, the evil arts teacher who super ruined his life and their grudge has spanned forever but bing-ge is happy to just Forget all of that in exchange for some kissy time??

(screen caps from the ER translation) 

my piece for the #SVSSSBigBang! 

Except technically he got cursed shortly before embarking for the Immortal Alliance Conference (random demon, plant, old enemy seeking revenge, take your pick), it just didn't kick in until a few months later. So his amnesia takes him back to a few days before the conference.

The rest of Cang Qiong does their best to try and keep him calm and comfortable while Mu Qingfang works on a cure. Arguably it's a mixed blessing, given the depression spiral he was in before -- it's swiftly decided that trying to keep him up to speed on what happened since he was cursed is not ideal, the few times they try it he gets so upset at not knowing the particulars of why and how Luo Binghe "died" that he almost qi deviates. So instead, his disciples just trade off telling him that Luo Binghe has gone off on an unexpected mission, but will be back in a day or two. Ning Yingying starts crying the first few times, but Shizun just tuts about youthful feelings and assures her that Binghe will be back soon. Ming Fan handles it better, since even though he's surprised to find himself grieving his obnoxious shidi a bit, he's nowhere near overwrought and is mostly relieved that he can help his shizun keep his peace, even if it is as the expense of lying to him. The work it out where mostly it's Ming Fan who tells Shen Qingqiu that Luo Binghe is just away, and Ning Yingying who distracts him from noticing all the ways in which time has passed, while the senior Qing Jing disciples handle the administrative tasks that Shen Qingqiu is no longer fit for or might be distressed by (aka anything that reveals how much time has passed and that the IAC has come and gone).

Shen Qingqiu still goes to Jinlan City, mainly because he's such a high risk for qi deviations if/when something disrupts the illusion that Mu Qingfang doesn't want to leave him without either himself or Liu Qingge, but the plan is to investigate and be out of the city again by nightfall. That sort of falls apart when Luo Binghe shows up, and chaos ensues.

Because initially Shen Qingqiu doesn't understand. He thought he had a sudden new mission to run with his shidis, he still thinks it's before the conference, and that Luo Binghe is on a quest of his own (probably scoring another girlfriend for his future harem). So why did Binghe suddenly show up? Why is he with the Huan Hua Palace disciples? Why does he look older?

Meanwhile Binghe knows even less of what to make of his shizun's reaction to him. One minute he's greeting him as if nothing has changed, like a phantom out of Binghe's dreams, the next he's confused, the next he's frightened, then he's asking Binghe what's happened, and etc etc. The other peak lords are even MORE protective and suspicious of Luo Binghe's return from the dead and sudden new affiliation with a different sect, but Luo Binghe still manages to corner his shizun and run him down and feed him his blood.

Then the next day arrives, and Shen Qingqiu doesn't remember any of it. Huan Hua Palace and Zhuzhi Lang still set him up for trial and accusations, but the other peak lords object and explain the whole amnesia situation, Shen Qingqiu is terrified because as far as he knows he just went from Impending Abyss Situation straight to Luo Binghe is Out and Wants Me Dead Now, and Luo Binghe is slowly realizing that tomorrow his shizun isn't going to remember any of this.

His shizun isn't going to remember their 'reunion', or their parting, he isn't going to remember the conference, and he isn't going to remember that Binghe is a demon.

Luo Binghe torpedoes the trial by withdrawing his accusations and siding with Cang Qiong, so that they can take Shen Qingqiu back to Qing Jing Peak while the claims against him are 'investigated' (read: buried). Then he cleans himself up, acquires a fresh set of Qing Jing disciple robes, a minor illusion charm that makes him look a few years younger, and heads back to Qing Jing Peak.

Everyone has some dubious sentiments about this, but there's not much to be done. Luo Binghe did side with Cang Qiong in the end, and whenever he shows his face, they can hardly explain to Shen Qingqiu why he shouldn't treat his favorite disciple the same way he always has. Liu Qingge watches them like a hawk, but nothing untoward seems to be happening apart from the sort of lying that the rest of the sect was already engaged in. Mu Qingfang redoubles his efforts to find a cure, but his efforts are undermined by Luo Binghe.

It's not that Binghe doesn't want Shizun to be cured. Eventually! He knows it wouldn't be good for him to keep on like this forever. But he needs to make sure that the cure won't restore the memories of what happened after he got cursed. He can't let Shizun remember the conference, or their original parting, or their real reunion. He needs this time to figure out what the best approach to explaining his situation to Shizun is, over and over again, until he gets it right. Until Shizun doesn't reject him. Or, if that's not possible, then he needs to make sure that he never learns about Luo Binghe's demonic heritage again.

The last thing he remembers is the attack on the Immortal Alliance Conference, and Shizun coming to help fend off the Ghosthead Spiders, but everything after... it's too foggy, he gets the strong sense that something bad happened, and that actually a lot of time has passed, but the particulars elude him.

Anyway, Binghe realizes that he's in the demon realms and that he's somehow gotten his hands on a very cursed-feeling sword. He uses the sword to help himself directly escape, then dutifully seals it, and of course he realizes that his demonic powers are a lot stronger. At some point his seal must have broken. He feels a spike of anxiety over it, over the prospect of being caught, but he quickly realizes that even without the seal, he can hide and subdue his demonic traits himself. His training with Meng Mo must have paid off.

Speaking of, the old Dream Demon has been suppressed to where Luo Binghe no longer has to hear his constant commentary any more. Thankfully. Binghe has to dig him out himself to ask if he remembers what Binghe's forgotten, but while Meng Mo can identify that some kind of dark miasma is occluding things, he can't remember either. He speculates that they might have been exposed to something from the Endless Abyss during the attack on the Conference, as that place is known to have a lot of creatures that feed off of memories. Part of its function as a prison entails disorienting the inhabitants, and since the gods abandoned it, many new horrors have mutated from that original purpose.

Luo Binghe hazards a guess that such a creature might have appeared, and in the course of tangling with it, he somehow was dragged to the demon realms. He must have grabbed a demonic weapon to help himself defeat it. But what happened to Shizun? Binghe knows himself well enough to know that only a few things can provoke him to recklessness. If Shizun was hurt...

Well, there's an obvious way to find out. Binghe returns to Qing Jing Peak, where he's subjected to a stunned reception, before being hurried right to his master. Ning Yingying tearfully explains that everyone was sure that he had died during the demon attack. Ming Fan even tests him to make sure he's not some sort of walking corpse or illusion! They find Shizun at a sword mound, at a sword mound for Binghe, and indeed when he first sees him, Shen Qingqiu looks like he's seen a ghost.

Shizun seems... hesitant. Suspicious, maybe, but of course he's less overt about it than Ming Fan. He doesn't look well. Luo Binghe prostrates himself to beg for forgiveness, and after a moment that feels almost too long, Shizun bids him get up and explain himself. Haltingly, Luo Binghe admits that he has lost most of his memory, and as such cannot explain everything even to himself.

For a while it seems almost like Shizun thinks he's lying about his amnesia, although Binghe cannot fathom why he would lie about such a thing. It would be a lot easier if he did remember! Then he could explain why he's apparently been missing for more than an entire year!

But gradually the suspicion fades, and things settle more or less back to their normal routine.

The other peak lords come by. Yue Qingyuan shows up within the hour of Luo Binghe's return, and is waiting outside when Binghe emerges with Shizun. Then Wei Qingwei and his demon-detecting sword show up (luckily, Binghe's control seems sufficient that the sword remains sheathed). Qi Qingqi, Mu Qingfang, and even Shang Qinghua all stop by, incredulous and fascinated and bug-eyed with disbelief in turn. Liu Qingge is off killing something, but he cuts his mission short when a messenger finally catches up to him, and returns early to glare accusingly at Luo Binghe and practically dog his heels for a week.

Everyone seems upset with Binghe, and Binghe feels upset right back at them. Just look at the state his master is in! What have they all been doing?!

Binghe's room is untouched from how he left it before the conference, apart from a few new layers of dust. He sets about cleaning and airing it out, and then immediately launches into a rigorous plan to rebuild his master's health. On the one hand, he is deeply touched that Shizun grieved him so much that he was wasting away. On the other hand, it's absolutely unacceptable for Shizun to actually waste away!

At first Shizun remains in bad condition. He hesitates over large meals, though he can be coaxed to eat simple foods, and his sleep is fitful and often incomplete. Sometimes he stares at Luo Binghe in ways that feel unnerving, and other times he looks near to tears as he brushes Binghe's hair and lets slip the occasional exclamation of relief, or reference to white lotus flowers.

Eventually, these moments become more infrequent. Shizun resumes eating regular meals, and helps find a suitable place to store the sealed demonic sword, and arranges for Luo Binghe to revisit Wan Jian's sword hall. He no longer sends Binghe on many missions, but that's fine, as Binghe doesn't want to go on them alone anyway. His sleep becomes more consistent and restful. His flares of Without-a-Cure become less frequent too, and his cultivation heals from the neglectful damage that was done during his turmoil.

But then.

Jinlan City.

Huan Hua Palace goes on the attack, producing allegations of Shizun's misconduct, some woman comes out to claim to be his fiancee, the sower demons claim he was aiding them, and the Palace Master accuses Luo Binghe himself of being the hidden son of Tianlang Jun and whips out an artifact that reveals his demon side.

They end up listening in more and hearing that they're scared of Binghe like '...why is SQQ terrified of the disciple he is actively mourning?...Why does he think his 'dead' disciple is going to kill him? what the fuck?'

Cue Jinlan city and seeing LBH alive and staring inently at SQQ who is terrified, none of them are happy with the water prion 'Did SQQ know this was going to happen? WHY WAS HE SO SCARED? Is he a seer? what is happening'

And then the LBH demon reveal and the self detonation the peak lords have to following conclusion

SQQ found out LBH was a dmeon at the conference he sent him away to protect him only he knew about demon obsessions and that LBH was going to come back for him so made mushroom bodies to escape. They've connected the dots (they have not) and they find out about MBJ and are like 'OH SQH is also being pursued by a demon and is scared so making a mushroom body to escape...we have connected all the dots'

They find where mushroom body is and SQQ escape plan is thrown into disarray when all his sect siblings are there and take him back to the sect and are talking about how they'll protect him and won't let LBH bridenap him.

SQQ and SQH are just like '...what are you talking about our demons aren't interested in us like that they want to kill us! Not bridenap us'

LBH/MBJ:...we could have just bridenapped them?

Just the entire sect is now cock-blocking LBH and MBJ and warding them out and you are courting them properly, no atticwifing.

LBH:.I'M ALLOWED TO TRY AND COURT SHIZUN

Shen Qingqiu: Binghe?! When did you get out of the Abyss?? And save me from what??

Luo Binghe, crying tears of joy: Thank god, Shizun. I heard from Shang-shishu that you were trapped in a closet, and that you've been there for years!

Shen Qingqiu: That motherfucker knew you were back, and instead of warning me he made a gay joke?!?!

Luo Binghe, hugging him: I promise to protect you and make sure you never get trapped in any closets again!

and binghe’s like “well alright! i guess you have a point, thing that is possessing my mind. mr. poisoned chalice. who is currently depriving me of the ability to be reasonable and makes me eligible to align with a certain personality disorder in the DSM-5. which I know of because it totally exists in a xianxia world!”