XXX

His hands shook, and he couldn't quite keep ahold of the chopstick Luo Binghe had handed him. It was no surprise why. His arms tingled unpleasantly, his left hand even feeling a little numb. He couldn't even lean on his hands, forcing him to use his elbows instead. It was just like when he woke up and couldn't use his limbs, though this time, the lack of function was due to damage rather than atrophy.

The little beast frowned sadly, as if he actually cared whether Shen Qingqiu could use his hands. It's not like Luo Binghe had ever stopped feeding or bathing him, so it wasn't inconveniencing him in any new way, and obviously, the demon enjoyed when his old master suffered (despite any claims he currently made).

"I'll have the doctor keep working on your arms," the emperor sighed.

"I don't want your damned demon healer anywhere near me."

"Well, you're not going to be able to use your hands without them," Luo Binghe spoke scoldingly. "Next time, don't do this if you don't want to be 'tainted' with a demon's healing skills."

Luo Binghe spoke as if it was merely a matter of 'you shouldn't have done this if you didn't want to deal with the consequences'. There weren't supposed to be consequences- at least, not this kind. He was supposed to be dead. Why would he care about what happened to this body if he was no longer going to inhabit it?

Except, just as he had threatened, Luo Binghe wasn't letting him die. His demonic doctor had dragged him back from the brink of death and was forcing him to remain alive, with Luo Binghe continuing just as he had been in his personal attempts to keep Shen Qingqiu around.

He should have waited, timed his attempt better so it would have actually worked. If he'd just waited until Luo Binghe came and left, he would have bled out faster than someone would have checked on him. But he'd been impatient and desperate and unsure of if he would be found out, so he'd played his cards a little too early. And now here he was, alive and still under the beast's thumb. He probably wouldn't even be able to use a sword if it was sitting freely right in front of him.

This was ridiculous.

What was even more ridiculous, however, were the beast's renewed attempts to convince him that the rules of the games had changed. He was being 'kinder' now, doing a much better job of keeping his hatred and malicious intentions under that flawless mask of a face. If he had met the beast only now, he would have been completely fooled by it (even if he probably would have still hated the little beast for being nice as well). He played the part of the worried caretaker well.

But did this former disciple of his really think he would forget everything so easily? Did he think some handful of deceitful gentle interactions would trick him into forgetting that the little demon had tortured him? Did he think he would just brush away the memories of agony and despair because he patted him on the head? Did he even think he would forget the jealousy that led to him being in that state in the first place?

It was laughable, all too laughable.

"I brought you some tanghulu today. You can have it after you eat the rest of your food," Luo Binghe announced, moving on.

"Do you really think I'll be any more willing to eat your food when I know it's drugged?" Shen Qingqiu snarled.

Of course, he wasn't going to have a choice. He wouldn't even be able to eat on his own if he wanted to, but regardless, Luo Binghe would force him to eat the entire meal.

The drugged meal.

It hadn't taken very long for the former peak lord to catch on to the fact that the food was now definitely laced with something. About a week after he awoke, he realized that he was getting oddly drowsy after his enforced mealtimes. It would fade by the next day, only to return again after he ate. It wasn't even subtle.

Nor did Luo Binghe lie about it.

"It's just a mild sedative, Shizun," Luo Binghe told him once again. "It's just to help keep you calm."

"It makes me fall asleep."

"Well, yes, it does have a side-effect of making people drowsy," Luo Binghe agreed. "I'm not going to give it to you forever. Just for now."

"Bastard."

Sure enough, Luo Binghe made him eat, and just as predictably, Shen Qingqiu started to feel tired soon after. Before he left, Luo Binghe set him down in the bed. He wasn't quite falling asleep yet, as the drug tended to keep him in sleepy wakefulness for a few hours first, but it would come. It always did.

"Sweet dreams, Shizun."

XXX

"Here, I've brought you some more books to read," Luo Binghe said as he set them down.

"Why."

"You know why," Luo Binghe said instead of answering.

Shen Qingqiu rolled his eyes.

"I can't even hold them properly, you know."

"That will change," Luo Binghe told him. "The doctor said his treatments are working."

"I don't care if they work."

"Yes, you do," Luo Binghe disagreed. "You care whether your hands function or not."

"Maybe I've simply gotten used to not having arms," Shen Qingqiu spat.

At that, Luo Binghe fell silent, and Shen Qingqiu couldn't help feeling a spark of victory.

XXX

Luo Binghe had many wives, so many that he legitimately lost count of them and didn't even remember them all off the top of his head. Surely, they were all lovely, beautiful women, but honestly, no one could possibly expect him to remember so many women at once. As such, though his wives were plentiful, Luo Binghe didn't necessarily spend a lot of time with each one individually. Often, he spoke to them in groups, preferring the company of a handful of favored wives.

Among them was the first girl he had ever loved, Ning Yingying.

Ning Yingying, who had unexpectedly shown up in his office while he was just finishing up some battle plans.

"Yingying," he greeted, not displeased with her visit. "What brings you here?"

"A-Luo," the woman smiled at him. "Do you have a moment to talk?"

"Of course."

With his wives, a 'talk' could be anything from asking a favor to complaining about another wife to asking him about his day to informing him of some kind of plot. The likelihood of any possibility depended on the wife, and with Ning Yingying, it was probably not something too serious. After all, his other wives knew not to mess with one of his favorites, and if they tried, she was a pretty strong cultivator in her own right.

She came forward and sat next to him at his table, resting one of her hands on his forearm.

"So, what is it, a-Ying?" Luo Binghe asked gently.

The woman's face became more serious, mildly concerned, making Luo Binghe just a little worried in turn. Was it something serious after all?

"Husband…," she began. "I was just wondering how you are. You've been busy and distracted for a long time now, and this week, it seems as though something is worrying you. If there's anything I can do to help ease your mind, please tell me of it."

Well, perhaps he shouldn't be surprised that one of his favored wives would notice. He wasn't exactly announcing what he was up to, but he wasn't completely subtle in there being something.

"The main stress of it has passed," Luo Binghe told her. "You don't need to worry about your husband."

"Of course I'll worry about you," Ning Yingying disagreed. "What kind of wife doesn't worry about her husband? Why don't you tell me what it is before I decide whether I should be worried or not?"

He pulled her a little closer, moving his arm to wrap around her waist. Ever since their disciple days, Ning Yingying had been slightly spoiled and honest about her thoughts. If she thought something, she would have no problem saying it- so different from the masks her husband wore so easily. Over the years, her more childish and naive traits had matured, leaving her an honest woman who spoke her mind and knew when to push to get her way. Even still, Luo Binghe knew he could lie to her. He didn't have to tell her anything, or he could make something up.

But then again, her visit had given him an idea. Shen Qingqiu was going mad in that room, with only Luo Binghe as a visitor. Perhaps, he'd improve a little if someone else, someone he liked a little more, came to see him sometimes. Luo Binghe wasn't entirely keen on the idea, as he loved having his Shizun all to himself, but he was running out of ideas on keeping the man sane in his imprisonment. He also knew that Ning Yingying wouldn't dare to harm Shen Qingqiu unless he allowed it (perhaps not even then, as she'd always been fond of their Shizun), and she wouldn't go around telling people if he told her to keep the secret. She was probably the best 'visitor' candidate out of his wives.

So, maybe he could tell her, get her used to the idea of Shen Qingqiu being back, and depending on her reaction, he could bring her with him one of these days. If she reacted badly, he just wouldn't give her any more details, let her think that he was only continuing what he did in the past.

"Yingying," Luo Binghe spoke carefully. "You were always fond of our Shizun, weren't you?"

Of course, with the topic he spoke of, Ning Yingying took Luo Binghe's careful voice to be a mask to hide his anger. She had no reason to know that he was really looking to see if she became angry. As such, she tensed a little, caught off-guard.

"A-Luo, why are you asking me that all of a sudden?" she asked hesitantly.

"Before I tell you, could you answer me?"

She spent a moment looking at his face, looking for hidden signs that her husband was upset with her. In the end, she chose to speak.

"I know he treated you badly. He abused you and hurt you and threw you into the Endless Abyss. I haven't forgiven him for that," Ning Yingying explained. "But he was always kind to me. I wish he had been the same toward you."

Sitting back so he didn't crowd her, Luo Binghe nodded. That was about the same response as he'd gotten the last time he asked that question, and her actions over the years had proven it to be true. She did not admonish him for what he did to Shen Qingqiu, but she also preferred not to hear of it, as it was too upsetting for her.

But heavens did he wish for the same thing she did. Not that it ever would or could happen, not in this universe, at least.

"Do you think I was too harsh in his punishments?" Luo Binghe continued.

She shifted uncomfortably.

"It's not my place to say, a-Luo. You're the one he hurt," she answered. "And besides that, he's already dead. My opinion on what happened before that wouldn't change anything now."

She had no idea that it could, no idea that their old Shizun was alive and breathing right in the very palace they sat in.

"It's alright to say that you'd have preferred I used a more merciful hand," Luo Binghe sighed. "I won't be angry with you for it."

Ning Yingying looked away for a moment, quiet, before she responded:

"I don't know how I feel, husband. But I… I am not a fan of excessive violence. I think I would have just killed him outright, if I were in your place. But I am not, so I should not say what I would do."

Luo Binghe thought over her response, untangling her meaning away from her apprehension. Yes, she always would have preferred for him to have just executed Shen Qingqiu quickly rather than pursuing the prolonged torture he actually chose. Sometimes he wondered if she would be able to look at him if she actually saw what her husband had done.

"I see…," he spoke evenly.

She looked at him again.

"Why are you asking me about Shen Qingqiu after so long?" she questioned. "You haven't mentioned him in years. I thought you had your revenge."

He crossed his arms.

"Well… I've recently acquired some… new information," Luo Binghe started, not wanting to say it all at once. "I looked into some things and made a few discoveries about our old teacher."

"Discoveries? Like what?"

"A few… extenuating circumstances," he continued. "Of course, Shizun has committed many crimes, and not just against myself, but there are some parts of his past that provide some explanation for why he turned out how he did."

His wife continued to listen to him intently, her eyebrows furrowing the longer he talked.

"As I'm sure you remember, Qiu Haitang accused him of slaughtering her family. Which he did," the demon lord stated. "But your fellow wife never actually knew the real reason."

He smoothed out a wrinkle in his robe.

"Shen Qingqiu had been purchased by her brother as a slave, and his new life apparently hadn't been much better than what he had with the slavers. Qiu Jianluo beat him, locked him up, and committed all sorts of violence upon our Shizun. Ironically, it seems that much of the violence Shen Qingqiu inflicted upon me was the same as what he endured in his youth."

"What?!" Ning Yingying gasped in shock.

"Qiu Haitang was never made aware of it, so she only knew that her fiancé they had so kindly taken in snapped and killed her whole family one day," Luo Binghe informed. "I don't want to disturb you with the details, but from what I've discovered, I can honestly say I would have killed them as well. After all, I did kill the people responsible for my own abuse."

"Oh… I never knew that."

"Of course you didn't. There are few still alive who had any awareness of it at all."

"So, have you been wondering whether you should have shown him some mercy after all?" Ning Yingying questioned him. "Is that why you have been odd the past few days?"

"Not quite," Luo Binghe corrected. "That was just the preface for what I need to tell you. I need you to understand why I did what I have chosen to do."

The words were a half-lie. Luo Binghe hadn't known about Shen Qingqiu's past when he revived him. The point of bringing him back hadn't been to give him a second chance but rather for Luo Binghe to get something he wanted. But Ning Yingying didn't need to know that- she could be content with thinking that Luo Binghe had been moved to change his mind rather than knowing he was chasing a phantom from another universe. He didn't need her to think he was delusional.

"What exactly have you done, a-Luo? What does Shizun have to do with it?"

Luo Binghe took a deep breath. He couldn't take back what he was about to say quite so easily.

"How would you feel if Shizun wasn't dead?"

He paused.

"Anymore," he added.

She spent a long moment staring at him, and Luo Binghe thought that she might end up thinking he was insane anyway.

"… What does that mean, a-Luo…?"

He looked her in the eye, wanting to convey that he was telling her the truth.

"What it sounds like," Luo Binghe said evenly. "Shen Qingqiu…"

Another pause.

"I brought him back. He's alive."

The room fell into shocked silence, Ning Yingying's eyes widening almost comically as his words slowly settled in.

"It's… actually been quite a while since I did so."

.

.

.

Suddenly, the woman stood up, standing over him.

"You did what?!" she exclaimed. "Luo Binghe, how could you bring Shizun back to life and not even tell me?!"

Luo Binghe tilted his head up to meet her still-shocked gaze, and he kept his own expression neutral.

"To be fair, Yingying, most of your fellow wives would prefer he remained dead," he told her. "I think you can imagine the outrage of Qiu Haitang and Liu Mingyan."

"So you couldn't tell me?! He was my Shizun as well!" she shouted.

"A-Ying…," he spoke in warning, not wanting her shouting to be overheard, even though he had sound-proofing spells on the room. "I didn't want news to spread."

As he looked into her eyes, he wasn't sure what she would say next, but he let her choose her words without pressing. She looked somewhat outraged, shock twisting her expression into something that could be considered angry. He just waited for her to react.

.

.

"Let me see him!" the woman suddenly blurted out.

Well, that had been his plan, though he got the sense that she meant now. He hadn't exactly intended it to be a now thing, thinking his wife would need some time to process before she asked.

"Ah…," he replied. "I'm not sure that's a good idea, at least at this moment. Shizun is… he's been difficult recently."

She gave him an uncharacteristically deadpan look.

"… Do you expect any different?"

The blunt response shocked a laugh out of him, but he quickly collected himself.

"What I mean is," he elaborated. "He's not been feeling well."

"He's sick?!"

"Not exactly," Luo Binghe answered. "I'm speaking more of his mind. I suppose his body isn't in peak condition at the moment, either, though. I don't know if now is the best time for you to visit."

"If it's his mind, then it's the perfect time for me to visit!" Ning Yingying argued. "I'm sure you've had him locked up, so he must be lonely!"

"It's not just that…"

"Oh, just let me see him!"

XXX

Aaaand, Surprise! Yingying is here!

XXX