XXX

Unknown to the older man, Luo Binghe knew the answers to all the questions he was asking. Well, all except for Qiu Jianluo's name. Qiu Haitang had definitely mentioned it at some point, but he hadn't cared to remember it. And really, that was just meant to bring him to his actual question, which he again already knew the true answer to.

He had expected Shen Qingqiu to become enraged and violent, and while the man was clearly mad, he also quickly descended into fear. And that fear had just as quickly morphed into panic.

Luo Binghe realized that he wasn't exactly gentle in his methods, especially not with his Shizun. Perhaps even just mentioning these things was overly cruel in itself. But Luo Binghe wanted to know if the man was able to be honest about any of it, because really, he wanted to see if the former peak lord would value defending himself over his pride.

Of course, his pride had won.

Shen Qingqiu still hadn't admitted to anything Luo Binghe saw in his memories, but he certainly was panicking over the last question enough for him to count it as an answer. After all, people don't panic if there's nothing to panic about (or at least, not if they don't think there's something to panic about).

The man was breathing heavily as Luo Binghe stared down at him, and though he usually would have grinned at the sight, his newfound information just left him feeling slightly bad about it. The goal wasn't to make him panic. Perhaps he should have known better. Some of his wives had similar experiences with men, and he'd seen their reactions to certain words or actions, even certain objects.

"Shizun," he said again, making his voice more gentle. "It's okay. He deserved it, didn't he?"

The words didn't seem to help, as Shen Qingqiu just continued to stare at him in terror and pant like a dog in summer.

"I would have done even worse, you know."

Of course he knew. Luo Binghe had done worse. To Shen Qingqiu's own sect. To Shen Qingqiu himself. His revenge was always thorough, and if Luo Binghe had been in Shen Jiu's place, Qiu Jianluo likely would have been punished worse than even Shen Qingqiu himself.

A choked gasp made its way out of the panicked man's throat.

Luo Binghe cautiously took him by the arm and guided him over to the bed, Shen Qingqiu allowing it unconsciously, as he continued to stare far away. He had him sit and pushed his head toward his knees. It was a little trick he'd learned somewhere- the position helped people when they felt like they were going to pass out. Luo Binghe wasn't quite sure if that would happen, but the position did help those wives of his, and it's not like it would hurt. Then, Luo Binghe stopped touching him and sat back, merely watching until the episode ran its course.

The demon let out a breath.

That settled his other question, at least, the one he had asked only to himself.

He still wanted to own the man, but he no longer desired to toy with him, not in the way he had originally intended. The decision he'd been grappling with this entire time had finally been made:

He actually wanted to care for Shen Qingqiu.

Of all people.

XXX

By the time Shen Qingqiu had calmed down, he was exhausted. Reactions like this had grown rare as he got older, and with no one other than himself alive to know about what happened, there wasn't anyone who could remind him of it. He just had to be careful to avoid certain things, and it wasn't an issue. It wasn't like he allowed anyone else to touch him in the way the Young Master had, and at times, he enjoyed the feeling of fighting and never really felt fear when he did, as much as he would never admit to the occasional sick enjoyment of it (unlike certain other former peak lords). So he was fine. He didn't have to cry like a child and freak out like a lunatic-

Except why did Luo Binghe say all that?!

He can't possibly know what had been done to him. He said he investigated, but what was there to investigate?! The perpetrators and all the witnesses to those things were gone now- dead! He had killed them! Except… he'd let some of the servants live. Not any who had been privy to or participated in what happened, but had one who overheard or seen something survived? Even if they did, would they still be alive, as old as they would now be? And how had Luo Binghe found them, and why? He couldn't have found anything out from Qiu Haitang- she was entirely oblivious to her brother's perversions and violent tendencies.

What exactly did Luo Binghe know?!

"I hhhate you…," he rasped out as soon as he could, still not quite willing to uncurl himself from the position Luo Binghe had placed him in.

"I know," Luo Binghe said softly. "I apologize- I didn't realize you'd react this way."

He did. He most definitely did.

"Fuck you."

"Shizun."

"Why are you fucking apologizing? You've destroyed me and r-ripped me apart- and- and you're going to apologize for this?" he wheezed. "Don't make me laugh. Take your apologiesss and shove them down your damned throat."

"Alright," the demon lord accepted. "You don't like apologies, do you?"

"Bastard."

"Would you prefer an explanation instead?" Luo Binghe asked, though he continued before getting an answer. "Like I said, I've done some investigating, and I've discovered a few things. I wanted to see what you would admit to."

Shen Qingqiu flung himself upright and shot a fiery glare at the demon.

"Investigating my ass! The only person alive who knows what that beast did is me!" he growled. "So don't fucking act like you know something! Who did you ask, the dead?! What, is reviving ghosts your new hobby?!"

"I have my sources," Luo Binghe evaded. "The point is, you're a terrible, bitter little man who has done a lot of horrible things. But, a lot of horrible things have also happened to you."

Shen Qingqiu rubbed the bridge of his nose as a headache was building. What crap was this insane demon lord spouting now? He didn't know a damn thing about him- what 'horrible things'?! Who gave a shit?!

"Okay, and? What, you couldn't help your damned curiosity?" Shen Qingqiu grumbled irately, still feeling shaky. "Not like I expect you to care about putting your nose where it shouldn't be."

Luo Binghe huffed.

"Let me finish, Shizun," he scolded lightly. "I'm trying to say that, as terrible as you are, you're not quite as bad as I thought, and seeing as I've already punished you pretty thoroughly…"

He had no idea what the beast was going on about. Whatever it was was nonsense.

"I won't torture you anymore," he eventually announced. "I mean it. I'll still keep you here as a prisoner, but I've tortured you enough for what you did. I've already tried to tell you that, but seeing as you never believe it and I know more about you now, I'm just going to spell it out plainly."

What the actual fuck.

This was ridiculous.

"You're insane."

"Not any more than you."

"No, seriously, who the fuck hit you in the head?" Shen Qingqiu asked, stunned. "You're supposed to get a hundred-fold revenge. You brought me back to life just to mess with me. You can't just change your mind all of a sudden."

"What, I can't act according to new information?"

He gritted his teeth before responding.

"No."

"Well, what would you prefer I do?" Luo Binghe asked. "I've gotten my fill of torturing you. But, you're already alive again. It's not like I'm going to just torture you for the hell of it now- that wouldn't even be fun."

So, what? Did he really expect him to believe that Luo Binghe would have gone through all that trouble and put his hatred aside just so that Shen Qingqiu could sit in some room for the rest of this second life? That he would just decide to drop the entire thing, after everything they'd done to each other, every scrap of hatred that laid between them? Luo Binghe would never do that. The beast wasn't one to give up, and he certainly wasn't one to forgive. He wasn't one to decide that enough was enough, either.

Shen Qingqiu wouldn't be here if he was.

"You're not Luo Binghe."

The demon's eyebrows creased just the slightest bit.

"Who else would I be?"

"I don't know! But you can't possibly be that little demon!"

"Once again, I am getting the sense that you want me to torture you," 'Luo Binghe' sighed. "So, I think that, between the two of us, you've won the battle of insanity."

Shen Qingqiu just shook his head, having absolutely no idea what he was supposed to do with any of this.

But then again, it's not like it mattered.

Of course, if this was really him, the little beast was lying.

XXX

Alone in his study, Luo Binghe let out a sigh. He felt just a little disappointed, though he really knew he shouldn't. Obviously, Shen Qingqiu would never believe him so easily. Luo Binghe could tell him that the sky was blue or grass was green, and he'd still refuse to believe him. His Shizun was a liar, and liars always expected everyone else to lie. And, well, Luo Binghe could admit to himself that he was no stranger to manipulation, to deceit. That didn't mean he was always lying, though.

Still, having any expectation that Shen Qingqiu would trust anything that came from his former disciple's mouth was laughable. Luo Binghe knew that just telling him outright that he wasn't going to be torn apart again wouldn't work. Perhaps, it had only convinced him of its inevitability even more, made him think it was another part of the game.

That didn't mean that Luo Binghe didn't have a little foolish hope, and it didn't mean that it didn't have to happen.

Though his original intentions were a bit unclear, even to himself, and certainly much more malicious than they were now, Luo Binghe did want the man to at least be aware that not being tortured was a real option here. Luo Binghe had thought, at the beginning, that if his plan to get Shen Qingqiu to fall for him didn't work out, he could just break him again to relive the joy of seeing the scum suffer (he'd also frequently considered just how sweet that suffering would be if the man did fall for him and he tore him apart again anyway). Now, though, his 'back-up plan' didn't seem quite so appealing.

He wanted to own Shen Qingqiu, own him more than pain or death or agony. He wanted the man to be his and his alone. He wanted Shen Qingqiu to choose to be with him, to not believe that suffering was better than remaining safe at his side. He wanted the man to live because Luo Binghe brought him back from the dead, to live because having Luo Binghe at his side was enough of a reason to keep living.

He also wanted him to stroke his hair, to give him tiny smiles, to listen about his military campaigns and courtly duties. He wanted him to lean on his shoulder and close his eyes and fall asleep knowing that Luo Binghe would kill anyone who dared to disturb him. He wanted him to roll his eyes and smirk and shout and blush and curse, all for him.

He wanted Shen Qingqiu to love him.

Of course, it would take time for that to happen. A lot of time.

However, he hoped that he would be able to get him to accept the lack of torture quite a bit sooner. Firstly, because that would help Luo Binghe convince him to care for him, and secondly, because it would hopefully decrease some of the self-destructive behavior. Maybe, if Shen Qingqiu wasn't as scared, he wouldn't want to die so much. And really, his biggest reason to be afraid now was the possibility of going through that again, wasn't it? Everything Shen Qingqiu cared about other than himself was gone already. He didn't have to fear for Cang Qiong Mountain or Yue Qingyuan (Yue Qingyuan). He didn't have to worry about his family getting hurt (had he ever?). He didn't need to worry about losing his home or his status.

All the man really had was his body and his mind.

He could one day have Luo Binghe, though. At least partly. But he would never have to worry about him in that way, either. He was too strong to need that.

So really, if he could just get the man to accept it, his general state should improve greatly, and that would just make it easier for Shen Qingqiu to be seduced to his side.

It just wouldn't exactly be easy.

XXX