Chapter Text
Mo Bei was in pain.
He didn’t understand why the world just flashed in and out of his vision, but he could tell that he was moving. He didn’t know where the exits were, but he hoped that, whatever this ability was that helped him move around, it could help him find his way back home. But where was home?
The man who raised him for twenty years turned out to be a cultivator from the same sect as the people who had captured him and had caused all this pain. He knew that, by hiding his true identity, he could be protected from these people, but it didn’t make it hurt any less. His father still lied to him.
Mo Bei felt a sharp pain on his side, but he didn’t think about it that much. Everything already felt painful, what harm could one more bring him?
A cold fog surrounded his body as he phased in and out, but he didn’t know what the meaning to it was. If he could only see himself, he’d see the midnight black colour of his hair being replaced by silvery white, slowly starting from the crown of his head down to the tips. The colourful robes that he wore before he left were replaced by royal blue ones, constructed from a thicker and heavier material than his original clothes. On his midnight black cloak suddenly appeared embroidered snowflakes that sparkled under the light.
He didn’t look like the child of a melon farmer. Now, he looked more like a prince if anything.
Soon enough, he found himself out of Huan Hua Palace and inside a large forest. From a distance, he could hear the loud chattering of people. He could get help! He could ask them to accompany him back to Huan Hua Palace to save his father. Mo Bei felt a small glimmer of hope in his chest.
This nightmare, whatever it was, he could finally get out of it!
He stumbled out of the forest and into a dirt path. Mo Bei could hear the chatter coming towards his way, but the smile on his face suddenly fell when he saw the people who were approaching.
His eyes focused on the yellow robes of those aboard the cart, fear shaking his body. Had they found him so soon? But he had just run from them, hadn’t he!? Or was it possible that they were planning to fool him all along? They made him think that he was safe when in truth, he truly wasn’t!
Mo Bei didn’t even know how far he had travelled from Huan Hua Palace and he didn’t truly trust his new abilities just yet. It was possible that he hadn’t even travelled far to begin with.
He couldn’t be safe until he made sure that he was safe.
The cultivators onboard the carriage suddenly stopped their chatter when their carriage suddenly stopped moving. They talked amongst themselves for a little while before a small disciple got down to check on it. He noticed that the cultivator who had checked on it looked scared after seeing their cart’s frozen wheels. Good, at least they still knew how to fear others.
One of the cultivators in the cart got off and drew his sword and a few others followed him in suit. Mo Bei didn’t let them speak for much longer, allowing himself to succumb to his newfound abilities and, with a wave of his hand, icy arrows suddenly pierced the bodies of those damned cultivators who dared point their swords at him.
The cultivators began talking to each other again and then he heard one of them yelling, “I’ll go! I’ll really go!”
Mo Bei watched as the cultivator who cried out was peeled from his hold on the cart and thrown onto the ground. These Huan Hua cultivators, not only were they extremely cruel to others, but they were also cruel to their own people! However, it was quite fortunate on his part that the cultivator landed in front of him. It would make it much easier for him to get his revenge-!
“My king, please let me follow you for the rest of my life!” the cultivator suddenly cried out, grabbing him by the thighs and causing him to nearly fall over.
How stupid did this cultivator think he was, huh!? Mo Bei lifted his leg to shake the damned bastard off his leg, but he underestimated this human’s desire to survive. His eyes suddenly caught movement in the back and he swept his hand towards that direction, determined to not let anybody escape!
In a quick flash of silver light, the cultivators who dared run away from him fell to the ground, hit by thin strands of ice. The grip around his legs suddenly tightened as the stupid cultivator that clung on his thighs cried out, “My king, please accept me. I’m very useful!”
This sudden movement caused pain to shoot up one side of his body so he tilted his weight towards the other side. “Oh? What use are you?” he drawled, unsure if it was from the pain or the amusement of having a Huan Hua Palace cultivator begging for his life right now.
The cultivator began to talk, listing down all the reasons why he could be useful to him and Mo Bei ignored the sinking feeling in his chest when he found out that this stupid disciple was an An Ding Peak disiple and not from Huan Hua Palace as he expected. He remembered Shang Qinghua, who was also from the same sect and peak as this sticky fool. He wondered what the other would say if he found out what his fellow disciple was doing right now.
He couldn’t help but mock this disciple who was willing to betray his sect for the sake of saving his own skin. “With you as a spy, what year and month could you realise the magnificent feat of uniting the demon race and the human realm together?” he asked. He was aware that he was also being stupid by asking that question. After all, he didn’t even know that he was a demon until today.
“Don’t discriminate by peak, that isn’t very nice.” the disciple chimed.
Mo Bei couldn’t help but think about Shang Qinghua when he heard that line. It was something he knew the other would say, despite having known each other for a short amount of time. He looked down at the disciple who still clung to his legs as if it were his final lifeline. There was something familiar about him, he just couldn’t determine what.
He doesn’t get much time to think about it though, with him feeling like the ground had just given way to his body along with his vision suddenly going black.
“Uncle!” a little child called out to a tall and imposing man in grey furs. The little boy clung to the hem of his uncle’s cloak, looking up at him with bright blue eyes filled with wonder and amazement. “Uncle, are we really going to the human realm tomorrow?” he whispered in the older man’s ear when he was lifted up into his uncle’s arms.
“Of course, we are. Your uncle does not break his promises.” the boy’s uncle answered, his steel grey eyes shining in amusement. “I already asked permission from your father as well. We will be meeting a friend of mine in the human realm and he will give us a tour of the human realm.”
“Uncle has friends?” the little boy asked innocently, tilting his head to the side in confusion.
His uncle looked surprised at the child’s answer but chuckled in response. “Yes, your uncle has a lot of friends in the human realm.” he replied. “However, it isn’t often that we get to meet each other because of our different backgrounds.”
“I want to meet a lot of human friends too!” the little prince of the Northern Valley chirped. “Just like uncle!”
His uncle smiled at him and rubbed his nephew’s head, saying, “You are the heir of the Northern Valley, a powerful ice demon prince. I’m sure you’re going to meet a lot of human friends when we go to the human realm.”
When Mo Bei opened his eyes, he wasn’t in pain anymore and there was a heavy weight pressed up against his side.
His eyes widened when he remembered what had just happened and he suddenly pushed the sleeping cultivator to the floor. To his surprise (and a little bit of amusement), the cultivator suddenly scurried under a table like a little rat. Mo Bei watched him in silence and was taken aback when this little rat beat his chest and stomped his feet in what he assumed to be fake delight, saying, “My king, you’re finally awake— Do you remember who I am?”
The little mouse didn’t even look embarrassed when Mo Bei didn’t reply to him and continued to talk about some nonsense he didn’t have half the mind to listen to. All he could ask was, “What were you holding me for just now?”
“What did you say I was doing to you just now?” the cultivator stopped in his rambling, round cheeks flushing a light pink.
“You were holding me.”
“Your body was as cold as ice, I was afraid that you wouldn’t make it.” was the response he was given.
Mo Bei remembered his dream. The man he called his uncle in his dreams said that he was an ice demon. If this cultivator said that his body was cold, as an ice demon, shouldn’t that be natural. He told the cultivator as such, but he admitted that he was quite appreciative of the gesture.
This cultivator was from An Ding Peak, but he didn’t quite trust him yet. “Don’t make another move.” he warned, eyes narrowed. He was willing to betray his sect for the demons; there was no telling when this one would betray him as well to save his life. The cultivator leaned against the wooden leg of a table and curled into a ball. Mo Be refused to admit that it was cute.
“I don’t really have a goal, I just want to follow you for the rest of my life.” the cultivator meekly replied.
“You’re an An Ding Peak disciple.” There was always so much to do as an An Ding Peak disciple, why didn’t this one have a goal in mind?
“My king, listen to me, I’m still young. I still have opportunities to rise in status—”
“Get back!” Mo Bei yelled when he saw the cultivator peek out from under the table. No matter how much he told himself that this cultivator was not from Huan Hua Palace, he still couldn’t help but be reminded of them because of those yellow robes.
If he understood the events that transpired in just a day’s time, he was the heir to a noble demon clan in the north of the demon realm, but this little traitor in the making was already calling him a king? It wasn’t like he was going to correct him, it was quite a nice ego boost if anything. However, he needed to address the reason why this little cultivator wanted to help him.
“You assisting me, is it for those ‘opportunities to rise in status’?” he asked once he was satisfied with the distance between them.
Regardless of what the answer of this guy had for him, Mo Bei didn’t really care about it, but he was glad for the company. He wouldn’t have to go through all of this alone. He snorted to himself before lying down again in bed. He pitied the cultivator who didn’t have any place to sleep in so he made some room for him on the bed. It was up to the cultivator himself if he would take the opportunity or not.
More time passed by and Mo Bei eventually learned how to adapt to his new identity.
Ever since his abilities have been unsealed, he has discovered quite a lot of things about himself as a demon. In addition to the locked memories that he was now recalling, he now understood how some of his abilities worked. That thing he had done when escaping from Huan Hua Palace was shadow travelling, an ability that was limited to the members of the nobility of the northern clan. He was quite powerful too, if the chaos he had left behind in Huan Hua Palace was anything to go by.
One thing he noticed while he was watching the cultivator eat was that he didn’t feel hunger anymore. Mainly, he lost his liking for human food and his stomach would churn at the thought of consuming the food that he once loved, which was a shame, given that he was going to miss the meat buns that his father often made for their meals. When he goes back to claim his birthright, he should find an alternative for it.
Additionally, the more he spent time with this cultivator, the more details he noticed about him. There was something familiar about him, but Mo Bei didn’t know what. However, he did remember that his father told him to ask Shang Qinghua for help when he’s in trouble too. Since this cultivator was from An Ding Peak, it would be safe to assume that he knows who Shang Qinghua is. He could also use this disciple as a way to talk to Shang Qinghua behind the scenes too.
He didn’t know why his father was always telling him to rely on Shang Qinghua, but it wasn’t like he had much of a choice either. Help was help no matter where it came from. As a cultivator, he would have an easier time going to Huan Hua Palace to check up on his father’s condition.
“... Shang Qinghua.” he called out to the cultivator in the room, who was sewing the rips and tears in his cloak.
“Yes, my king?” the other responded quite quickly, without looking up from his embroidery. That was weird, Mo Bei thought.
“You are from An Ding Peak, right?”
“Yes?” The response came out as a question. “My king, I don’t understand what you’re trying to say.”
“Do you know Shang Qinghua? From An Ding Peak?” Mo Bei asked.
“My king, my name is Shang Qinghua.” the other replied. “Is there something you need help with, my king?”
“No.” The response came out more forcefully than he expected.
“Okay? I will be here if you need anything else then, my king.” was the patient reply he was given before humming a low tune under his breath, filling the room with noise while Mo Bei gathered his thoughts.
Mo Bei didn’t know any other disciple from An Ding Peak. While he interacted with a few of the disciples who came to order melons from them, he wasn’t as familiar with them as he was with Shang Qinghua. He should have guessed that when he felt that the cultivator was familiar to him, but the cultivator looked so haggard — as if there was a heavy burden on his shoulders — that Mo Bei hadn’t recognised him immediately. However, it didn’t mean that he was going to reveal his true identity to the man just yet.
It was late into the summer night and Mo Bei found himself dreaming about memories of the past that he had once forgotten. He dreamt that he was running and running and running from something he didn’t know. Shadows threatened to grab at his ankles, but they never made the final move as if they were only there to scare him and nothing else.
He turned around when he had come to a dead end and he looked straight into the shadowy figures that have been chasing him since earlier. A soft and familiar voice from nowhere called out to him, “My king.”
A sudden flash of light cut through the shadows and Mo Bei found himself facing Shang Qinghua in his dream. “My king, I’m here to assist you.” he said with a smile before fading away from his sight.
Mo Bei opened his eyes and saw Shang Qinghua’s head slowly tilting forwards as his hands worked tirelessly to fan him down using two leaf fans. Even though he stopped judging Shang Qinghua’s desire to side with the demons for the sake of rising in power, he couldn’t help but wonder if that was all there is to it. Everybody wanted power — Mo Bei wanted power and influence too, during a time that seemed so long ago now — and he wondered why Shang Qinghua wanted that power in the first place.
He immediately closed his eyes when he saw Shang Qinghua’s head rise all of a sudden, blinking himself awake. Mo Bei pretended that he was still asleep, but he found that he couldn’t sleep anymore. When he felt the cool air that came from the fan disappeared and a heavy weight suddenly leaned against his side, it was only then that he could find himself falling asleep once again.
The next morning after that, Shang Qinghua clung onto his thighs again and begged to be let out to buy himself a meal. He rambled on about starving to death, but Mo Bei didn’t let him ramble on for long. Somehow, having realised that he now had the appetite of a demon, it slipped his mind that humans, like Shang Qinghua, needed to eat food to survive. His thoughts shifted to his father who was still in Huan Hua Palace. Since he was a former disciple there, he wondered if he was being given adequate treatment there despite being a traitor.
Was his father being given meals? Or had he managed to escape like Mo Bei had?
He looked out of the window of the room he was in and saw Shang Qinghua conversing with a group of people. He felt an eyebrow rise when he saw Shang Qinghua flop onto the ground. Surely, that must have hurt, but even he could tell that it was all an act. Mo Bei watched as the group picked him up and took him back with them, which suddenly caused Mo Bei to panic.
They’re taking Shang Qinghua away. What would he do without Shang Qinghua? He was a demon, he couldn’t very well go downstairs and ask for help. These people would just call the cultivators and hand him over to them instead of providing the help he needed.
He closed the windows of the room and stretched his fingers, hoping that it would at least help activate his newfound abilities. “Come on, come on!” he groaned. “Take me to where Qinghua is! Take me to where he is!” he added, closing his eyes tightly.
When he opened his eyes again, he found himself in a dark place. No matter where he looked, all he could see was the darkness that stretched endlessly without anything else in sight. Where was Shang Qinghua? Where—
A bright tear in the sky suddenly appeared to him and all he could see were trees passing by in his view. He couldn’t see Shang Qinghua anywhere, but he could hear people talking: the same people Shang Qinghua was talking to earlier. He could hear the familiar creaking of a wooden cart pulled by horses and that was when he found out that he had somehow hidden himself in the shadows of the cart.
Mo Bei held his breath unconsciously, as if cutting off the oxygen supply in his body would help keep his newfound ability active. He let go of it when he could finally hear Shang Qinghua shifting around in the cart and “waking up” from unconsciousness. Knowing that he was now safe and awake, Mo Bei was left to his own devices, now aware that his ability did not seem like it would go inactive for some time.
The trip in the shadows of the cart made him reminisce about the first time he had ever ridden in one. He was still a small child when his father brought him to town for the first time. Everybody in the cart with them whispered amongst each other, sending the two of them harsh glares all the while, but Liang Guiren had a calm face the entire time while Mo Bei was having the time of his life, listening to the hooves of the bulls that pulled the cart clopping over a dirt path and the creaking of the cart as it carried the weight of ten adults and a little child.
He didn’t know how much time had passed when he finally lifted his head from his thoughts. The horses had stopped moving; they were in Cang Qiong Mountain Sect now. Through the tear in the sky, he could hear people descending from the cart they had rode in, with someone he identified as Wei-shixiong helping Shang Qinghua from the cart and telling him to be careful.
“I don’t want to be apart from him,” Mo Bei muttered to himself and the tear in the sky suddenly closed. He was afraid for a good moment before the sky opened up again and he found himself hiding in Shang Qinghua’s shadow now. He didn’t know if Shang Qinghua noticed it, but if he did, there was no indication.
Shang Qinghua was brought to a hall where the dead bodies of his fellow disciples lay. Mo Bei could hear people he identified to be Cang Qiong's Peak Lords gently asking him questions, but they didn't last long. Apparently, Shang Qinghua was crying for his fallen seniors. He stayed there in silence, before the tinkling of tassel pendants echoed in their ears.
"Did that demon ask you to bring back some message or object?" a clear and gentle voice asked, but there was a hint of resentment in his tone.
"No?" Mo Bei heard Shang Qinghua say in response.
"Then that’s strange. Seven or eight people all died, if you don’t have some message to take to us why would you of all people be the only survivor?" replied the other person in the room.
"This… this…" Mo Bei wished that he had indeed left behind a message or else Shang Qinghua wouldn't be in this situation right now. Through the tear in the sky, he looked at the figure who was talking to Shang Qinghua with a frown on his face.
This cultivator… He'd remember his face.
The cultivator who was talking to Shang Qinghua suddenly smiled. "Junior Shang," he called out, "what was the reason you could escape unscathed and return to Cang Qiong Mountain?”
Shang Qinghua was quiet for a while before he suddenly had a coughing fit. Not long after, another cultivator spoke up, speaking about something that drew Mo Bei’s attention.
The demon race did not abide by the law, huh...
The more they spoke to each other, the more Mo Bei felt that this Yue-shixiong was a trustworthy individual. Because he defended Shang Qinghua, Mo Bei knew that he had to repay that gesture in the future somehow. When his peak decides to buy melons from him soon, he’ll give them a big discount. If Qing Jing Peak buys more melons from him, he—
Ah, right... He wasn’t a melon farmer anymore…
A few more conversations later, Mo Bei finally heard movement again. He could hear Shang Qinghua muttering to himself as he was guided to his new room in a place called Leisure House. At the very moment that Shang Qinghua had closed the doors to his room, Mo Bei wished to leave the dark abyss he was in.
A large tear appeared beside him and he decided to step through it. To his astonishment, the dark world around him melted away, replaced by the interior of Shang Qinghua’s room. He felt a bit disoriented by the travel and sat down on the nearest surface he could find. As he did so, Shang Qinghua suddenly turned around and dropped the cup in his hands.
“My king.” Shang Qinghua said, falling to his knees.
Mo Bei was relieved to be able to talk to him once again, but it didn’t show on his face. His father did once tell him that he wasn’t good at that. However, he could tease just a little bit, right?
“Following me for the rest of your life, huh?” he said.
Shang Qinghua had a frightful expression on his face after he said that. Was there something wrong with what he said? Or was it in the delivery? While he was busy wondering what was wrong with what he said, Shang Qinghua was trying to explain himself to him. Mo Bei returned back from his thoughts at the end of the rambling though and he said, “They told you to return and you just followed them back?”
It was a question, but the other didn’t seem to notice that, replying in an aggrieved tone. “What else could I have done?” he began, continuing on with his rambling. Mo Bei watched as the other’s cheeks flushed in enthusiasm as he continued and then, Shang Qinghua said, “I report to my king, and I’ve already become an inner disciple. Isn’t that showing ample drive? Doesn’t that have a lot of upward potential?”
Kissing up. He was definitely kissing up to him.
How cute.
When Shang Qinghua finally conceded, hugging his knees on a chair with an expression of despair on his face. Mo Bei leaned back against the bed and watched him with a shadow of a smile on his lips.
“We’ll continue tomorrow.”
Finding himself with nowhere else to go, he made himself comfortable in Shang Qinghua’s room in the Leisure House.
He didn’t know if he should consider himself lucky since nobody else in Cang Qiong Mountain seemed to notice his presence inside the sect. However it was a problem in the making given that the most powerful sect in the cultivation world couldn’t detect a demon in their presence, but he wasn’t going to complain about it. Not when it was completely beneficial to him right now.
Mo Bei could hide from his problems here, but he didn’t know how long he’d be able to hide. Based on his memories, he once had a home and a family. He had left behind a family who must not be aware that he was still alive. He still didn’t know if his father had survived the ordeal in Huan Hua Palace, but he wanted to check his old home. To see if his father had gone back. Once he was assured of that, he would cut off all ties with him.
Having raised him for twenty years must not have been easy for a cultivator, whose instincts were to rid the world of demons. This was the only thing he could do for him: return back the life that he had lost while raising Mo Bei.
It was already late into the night when Mo Bei shifted from his position on the bed. Shang Qinghua was sleeping comfortably on the makeshift bed he made on the floor and he tried his best not to wake him up as he walked to the door’s direction. Granted, Mo Bei could just travel outside of the room through the shadows, but the use of doors still made him feel a little bit human if anything. He had yet to touch the door when he heard a little voice call out to him.
“My king?” Shang Qinghua asked, rubbing his eyes as he sat up from the floor. “Where are you going?” he asked again, sleepiness slurring his speech.
“Do I need to report to you?” Mo Bei couldn’t help but snap. Maybe him being cooped up in this place for so long made him a bit touchy. Before Shang Qinghua could reply back, he added, “I’m sorry. I just need to go somewhere for a while.”
“But, what if you get caught?” Shang Qinghua asked, not even affected by Mo Bei’s attitude.
“I won’t.”
“You’re not sure about that. I’ll accompany you.” Shang Qinghua said, standing up from the floor and making himself look presentable.
Mo Bei felt sorry in his heart. All day, the cultivator was already working hard and now he had to forgo sleep just to accompany Mo Bei and his selfishness. He really did work too hard.
“Where are we going?” the cultivator asked as they walked out of the Leisure House. Everybody in An Ding Peak was asleep and they wouldn’t wake up even if Shang Qinghua and Mo Bei made a loud ruckus. After all, they were tired from their duties all day and an 8-hour sleep was the only rest they could have. “Do I have to prepare a cart?”
“No need.” Mo Bei said, waving his hand. In the space in front of them appeared a large rift that led to darkness. “You really don’t have to come with me.” he added, turning to look at Shang Qinghua who was looking at the rift with bright eyes full of awe.
“N-No!” Shang Qinghua cried out before covering his mouth suddenly. He looked around them before using a softer voice this time. “I want to come with you. I’m your attendant, it’s my duty.”
“Then you better hold on tightly. I wouldn’t want to lose such a capable attendant in travel.”
Shang Qinghua clung to the sleeves of his robes without a word and followed him inside the shadows. He didn’t exactly know how it was possible for Shang Qinghua to accompany him, but these were minor details. He’d look into the extent of his abilities when he finally could.
“This is so cool!” He heard Shang Qinghua mutter to himself as the world around them melted into the darkness. “Where are we going, my king?” Shang Qinghua asked.
“My home.” Mo Bei replied without looking at his companion. If he did, he’d see the expression of fear on the other’s face at the thought of icy deserts and freezing temperatures. Maybe he’d even see the regret in his eyes, kicking himself for wanting to accompany Mo Bei off to wherever.
In front of them appeared another tear in the black darkness that surrounded them. Mo Bei couldn’t clearly see what was on the other side and he was sure that Shang Qinghua was panicking over the unknown now, but there would be no reason to be afraid anymore. After all, he was just going back home.
Shang Qinghua was silently kicking himself when he heard that Mobei-jun was going to take him back to his home, but he didn’t expect that he would find himself in a familiar place instead.
It was already night time so there shouldn’t be a lot of people outside in the village, however they could hear noise and chatter coming from the outskirts of Wu village. He looked up at the demon beside him with an expression of disbelief on his face and asked, “My king, what are we doing here?”
Mobei-jun didn’t say a word to him, glancing down at him for a brief moment before he walked forward. Shang Qinghua followed behind him, wondering what the big deal was with Wu village. There was a reason why his king brought him to this village and he was going to find out what.
But he remembered that there was nothing remarkable about this village other than the melons Liang Guiren and his son sold. Could it be that his king was interested in those melons too!? He looked at Mobei-jun’s body though and thought that he already had a fine pair of melons and there was no need to search for better ones!
As they walked to the outskirts of the village, Mobei-jun opened his mouth to tell a story.
“Two decades ago, a young man with nothing but the clothes on his back and a small child in tow arrived in an unknown village near Cang Qiong Mountain Sect. He introduced himself as the son of a melon farmer from the south, who had been kicked out of his family after he had brought a child home. He begged the village’s head so he would be allowed to buy some land to raise his child in. However, he kept his distance from the village in the end because they saw the two as outsiders who didn’t belong to the village.
“They lived peacefully for years, relying on each other to survive. Occasionally, the villagers would come by to make trouble for them, but the child had a short temper and often fought with the villagers despite his father’s insistence that he shouldn’t. Other than that, things were generally peaceful for the two of them and their melon farming business soon took off when a well-known cultivator came to hear of their products.”
The commotion Shang Qinghua had been hearing since earlier grew louder the more they approached Liang Guiren’s home. He remembered the letter that he received from him about a few weeks prior. Up until now, he wasn’t able to understand what Liang Guiren had meant when he said that he trusted him enough to look after Mo Bei when his son would get out of control. After all, he didn’t know the family that well in the first place.
“One day, the child headed to town in order to buy medicine and fetch a doctor in town for his father who had fallen ill.” Mobei-jun continued on with his story. “When he had returned home, he found a group of cultivators in yellow who had taken his father captive. Without knowing why, the child was also captured by the cultivators because of something that his father had done twenty years ago.
“The child found out that the disciples who held them captive were from the same sect his father belonged to so many years ago. In addition, his father had colluded with a high-ranking official from the demon realm and was accused of hiding a demon child in the human realm. The two of them were brought back to his father’s former sect where the child found out that he was not even a human in the first place. With his powers unlocked, the child was unable to control the sudden surge of power inside of him and couldn’t help but cause a disaster in that sect. His father had freed the child from his restraints and told him to run, but the child didn’t know if his father had come out of the whole ordeal safely.”
Shang Qinghua knew that it was already late into the night. No one in this village should be awake at this time and he doubted that Liang Guiren and his son would be awake to indulge his king. Speaking of, wasn’t there something familiar with Mobei-jun’s story?
He could clearly hear the yelling coming from the direction of Liang Guiren’s home and could now see fire in the distance, illuminating the horizon like a rising sun.
“My king, we should go back.” Shang Qinghua called out to his companion, suddenly feeling apprehension. “If you want melons, I could sneak into Qing Jing Peak’s pantry to steal some for you—”
“Shang Qinghua, listen well. I’m only going to repeat this once.” Mobei-jun said, stopping in his tracks.
They could clearly see the commotion that was happening in the outskirts of the village now. A few women were counting and taking note of the valuable items in the pile of objects that they had brought out of Liang Guiren’s home while a few men were tearing down the house and the animal pens. Behind the house, out in the massive melon fields that Shang Qinghua remembered seeing the last time he was here, he could hear people yelling at each other and the familiar crackling of fire as it consumed the lush melon plants.
The village head could be seen standing beside a horse and a cart and was giving out orders to the rest of the villagers. Mobei-jun visibly bristled at the sight of him and Shang Qinghua was going to find out why.
“You asked me what we were doing here, correct?” Mobei-jun asked as he stared at the chaos that unfolded in front of them. His pale skin was illuminated by the warm glow of the fires that the villagers had set and his white hair reflected the light, looking like molten gold at the moment. Those ice blue eyes of his, however, had no emotion in them even as the fires gave his eyes an unnatural mix of blue and orange.
“Yes, my king.” Shang Qinghua replied, unable to take his eyes away from the sight of this handsome man. He really was much more handsome than he imagined him to be.
“The child in the story…” Mobei-jun muttered, his eyes glancing down to meet Shang Qinghua’s for a brief moment. “He was given the name Mo Bei, and he came back to the village to see if his father was still alive.”
The air in the village suddenly became cold.
Shang Qinghua didn’t know how to explain the wild thumping inside his chest when he realised that he could now see his breath due to the cold temperature around him. He looked back at Mobei-jun who still had a blank expression on his face, but there was a slight cruelty in his eyes that anyone could easily miss. Unless, of course, you were Shang Qinghua.
He looked down at the ground and saw ice travelling towards the direction of the village head. Everybody was starting to notice the cold air that suddenly appeared, causing confusion amongst those out front. However, people in the fields seemed to have not noticed it yet due to the fires they were setting off.
Shang Qinghua wondered if that was a good thing for them.
Ice captured the shoes of the village head first, keeping him trapped in place. He suddenly shouted out in surprise, causing the others to turn towards him. The men who were working hard to tear down the walls of the house lost all colour in their faces when they found out that they were also in the same situation. The few women who dared get involved all shrieked as they helplessly watched their husbands and brothers get swallowed up by the ice.
The men used their tools to hack at the ice to no avail while the village head was shouting curses to no one in particular. Shang Qinghua noticed that Mobei-jun seemed to want to make himself known but restrained himself for a while. It wasn’t the time just yet and his king seemed to know it too.
He wondered if his king was going to excel at dramatic entrances from now on, though. It seemed like something he’d excel in doing in the future.
“Hey!” the village head yelled to the people in the fields at the top of his lungs, hoping that they’ll be able to hear him despite the commotion. “Hey! Help us get out of this thing!”
Mobei-jun decided that this would be the right time to reveal himself. He stepped closer to them, making his presence known to them.
“Brother! Help us!” one of the men cried out. “We’re stuck in this ice!”
Shang Qinghua watched the corner of Mobei-jun’s lips curl up ever so slightly. He felt his heart skip a bit from how cool his king truly was.
“Oh, you should have asked help from someone else instead.” Mobei-jun replied before waving an arm in their direction.
Thin spikes made of ice flew from his fingers, accurately hitting the villagers who dared to covet what wasn’t theirs. Their screams filled the night and Shang Qinghua could only watch as bodies fell down to the ground. As Yue Qingyuan had said before, demons were not bound by law. He shouldn’t be surprised to see this, not when he had written this gruesome world into existence, but he couldn’t help but be taken aback by the action regardless.
“If you don’t want to see, you don’t have to look.” his king suddenly called out. Soon, the villagers who had been assigned to the fields came out to look at what had caused the screams and froze at the sight of the bodies that littered the ground.
Mobei-jun stood over them, completely unaffected by it all. Shang Qinghua didn’t want to assume that he had lost his humanity at this moment, after all, Mobei-jun was and always has been a demon. It was within their nature to do what it was that he was doing right now.
“That face… Mo Bei!?” A villager cried out, causing the others to erupt in gasps.
“Mo Bei? Liang Guiren’s son? What is he doing here!?” a young man exclaimed, looking at Mobei-jun with vigilance.
“If he’s here, then Liang Guiren must be close by too!” an elderly male cried out.
“Fool! Didn’t the village head tell us that that bastard had died back in Huan Hua Palace!? Those disciples even came by to tell him that!” a fourth replied.
Mobei-jun suddenly spoke up, his voice full of intimidation but his eyes held immense grief inside of them. “What did you say about my father?” he asked, approaching the villager who had spoken up.
The fourth villager took on a mocking tone in his voice with an expression to match. “Are you stupid? I said that your father is dead! Huan Hua Palace gave us instructions to take care of his belongings.” he said, lifting his chin up to look down at Mobei-jun.
Shang Qinghua wanted to light a candle for this stupid brother. He clearly didn’t know who he was messing with.
“And what is even with your outfit? Do you think you’re here to play dress-up!? Scram! Wu village does not want outsiders like you here!”
“It’s okay, you won’t stay to see it for much longer anyway.” Shang Qinghua saw the familiar flash of light from before when he first met Mobei-jun. Arrows made of ice pierced through the entire group, their bodies falling to the ground in the next moment.
The ground was covered with bodies and Mobei-jun stepped over them to head back to the fields where the fire continued to burn. Shang Qinghua stood beside him, trying to gauge his current mood.
“My king?” he called out when he noticed that the other’s gaze had become much too distant. “Are you okay?”
“I wonder how demons are able to stomach it. Killing people, I meant.” Mobei-jun replied. “Since I found out about my true background, it would seem as if death will be the only thing that will follow behind me.”
“That’s not true.” Shang Qinghua said. “I promised my loyalty to you, after all. Wherever my king goes, I will follow.”
Shang Qinghua wondered if his king would be able to survive the demon realm. It was much harsher than the world of humans. In addition, killing was a natural thing to them. If Mobei-jun wanted to claim his birthright, he would have to kill more and commit more atrocities.
“The road ahead will be difficult.” Mobei-jun said.
“I know, but your father instructed me to look after you.” Shang Qinghua revealed. “I didn’t know what it was for in the beginning, but I think that he meant this when he sent me that letter.”
He walked in front of Mobei-jun and looked at him directly in the eye. “The road to reclaiming your birthright will be difficult, especially because you’ve been raised in the human realm and do not know much of their customs, but I will be with you every step of the way.” he said. “This is our destiny, my king, and we will walk down this path together with you leading the way and I, your loyal attendant, will follow you.”
Mobei-jun bowed his head to hide the smile on his face. Shang Qinghua gently cried in his heart. It was a good thing that Mobei-jun didn’t really know how to express his emotions well or else it’ll be a danger to his heart. He shouldn’t have made Mobei-jun this handsome if he’d known that he’d end up transmigrating in PIDW after his death.
Since the system hasn’t penalised him yet, it means that he was on the right path. There might have been more deviances than he expected, but it all lead back to the original path in the end. At least, this time, he wouldn’t be alone.
The fire was slowly dying out now because most of the plants have been burned down already, leaving no fuel left for the fire to continue. When the rest of the village woke up later in the morning, they would see the carnage that had occurred in Liang Guiren’s home. Maybe they’d assume that everybody had gotten too greedy and killed each other in the process. The thought of an ice demon visiting the village in the middle of the night wouldn’t even cross their minds since the ice would have melted by then.
Shang Qinghua helped Mobei-jun rummage through Liang Guiren’s belongings, searching for anything that might be worth keeping. While they searched through the rubble of their home, Mobei-jun managed to find items related to cultivation in a hidden box inside his father’s room. They even found the sword that he once used too. The money they earned from selling melons was located as well and Mobei-jun gave it to Shang Qinghua to keep since he wouldn’t be able to use them anymore now that he was a demon.
Through his help, Mobei-jun was able to save some scrolls with his father’s writings, a box full of cultivation materials, and a few toys from Mobei-jun’s childhood that his father had kept. It was not even sunrise yet when they finally left, with Shang Qinghua insisting on leaving behind an offering to Mobei-jun’s father. His king looked quite grateful about it and they returned back to Shang Qinghua’s room in An Ding Peak in silence.
“Shang Qinghua, please keep the items safe for me.” Mobei-jun said once they’ve returned. “I will return back to the demon realm to settle things. When I come back, I promise that I will make you a Peak Lord.”
“Yes, my king.” Shang Qinghua replied, bowing his head in respect.
“When the villagers wake up later, they will probably ask for help from Cang Qiong Mountain Sect. I want you to help out in the investigation, make it look like the people there killed each other out of greed.” Mobei-jun added. “Remember, that night, we were never there.”
“Of course, my king.”
Mobei-jun nodded his head, his lips drawn in a thin line. A black rift appeared beside him, leading into the inky blackness of the shadows he travelled through. Shang Qinghua felt a bit relieved knowing that Mobei-jun was slowly learning how to adapt to his abilities.
“From now on, we will never speak of what happened in Wu village. I am no longer Mo Bei, the melon farmer’s son. He died along with his father in Huan Hua Palace.” After he said that, Mobei-jun turned to enter the portal and left the room, leaving Shang Qinghua alone with his thoughts.
The sun was now rising and he could hear shuffling in the rooms of his fellow inner disciples. It was a new day. Shang Qinghua sighed to himself as he hid all the items Mobei-jun had given him under his bed. In the future, he’d need a much better place to hide them in but this would have to do for now.
He didn’t feel tired anymore. Maybe the adrenaline from tonight hadn’t left his system completely yet. With a resolute nod of his head, he changed into a better set of clothes for today then left his room with his head held high. He pulled up the recent system notification that said, “Become An Ding Peak head disciple in three years.”
There were so many things to do in so little time, but he wasn’t worried that his king would go back on his word. Shang Qinghua was the author of this world; he knew what type of people his characters were. Until his king returns with a proper title, it would seem like Shang Qinghua would need to collect as many achievements as he could to ease their battles together.
First, he should deal with the villagers of Wu village. That seemed like a good place to start.