XXX
Luo Binghe lifted one of Shen Qingqiu's arms over his shoulders and stood, pulling the other man up with him. This, of course, earned him a sharp look, even as the man's legs quickly began to give out at the knee. He didn't fall to the ground, though, as Luo Binghe's grip was firm.
"… L-Let go!" Shen Qingqiu hissed.
"You'd fall to the floor if I did, Shizun," Luo Binghe informed him. "You'll be able to walk on your own soon enough. But you aren't going to be able to do it any faster if you fight me here."
He pulled him up again, helping him find his footing.
"Be-eassst!"
Ignoring him, Luo Binghe took a step away from the bed, and Shen Qingqiu was forced to follow. They took another few steps in this way, Shen Qingqiu obviously struggling and clearly being displeased about it. The process of helping his Shizun learn how to use his new body would likely go faster if the former peak lord's cultivation wasn't sealed, but it wasn't as though Luo Binghe could simply un-seal it for that reason. He wasn't going to risk his Shizun pretending to be worse than he was so he could escape while his cultivation was unbound. And besides, he couldn't help feeling a little satisfied watching the man struggle to remember what it was like to have legs.
By the time they had taken those few steps, Luo Binghe could hear Shen Qingqiu's breathing become just a little harsher, so he turned the both of them around and walked him back to the bed. Once he was settled upright, Luo Binghe grabbed a tray he had brought with him when he entered the room.
"Alright, Shizun, time to eat," he announced.
Shen Qingqiu gave him another silent glare as Luo Binghe lifted a spoon of plain congee from its bowl. As expected, he kept his lips pursed shut when Luo Binghe tried to feed it to him.
"Shizun," Luo Binghe spoke as if he were speaking to a difficult child.
Still, he didn't open his mouth.
"Do you want to try doing it yourself?"
He maneuvered the spoon into the other man's hand, though it pretty much immediately dropped from his unwilling fingers. Part of it, he was sure, was Shen Qingqiu dropping it on purpose, seeing as he clearly hadn't even tried, but the man also still couldn't hold things very easily. He was able to hold larger objects now, but smaller ones like spoons or chopsticks still posed a challenge. So, that really left Luo Binghe feeding him as the only choice.
"See, this is why I need to do it for now," he told him. "Now, open up."
Shen Qingqiu still kept his mouth shut, his expression unchanging.
"Alright, if this is how you want it to be."
Not having much patience, Luo Binghe activated his blood within his old master and took control. Then, forcing his mouth open, it was a simple matter to get the man to eat the entire meal Luo Binghe had so carefully prepared for him.
Shen Qingqiu glared at him the entire time, but Luo Binghe could see the undercurrent of fear beneath it as clear as day.
XXX
When Shen Qingqiu died, he had, of course, expected to remain that way. Cultivation could extend your life, even turn you immortal, but once you were dead, that was it. You weren't supposed to bring back the dead- it wasn't even supposed to be possible.
And yet, here he was.
Somehow, that beast had managed to not only create a new body to replace what must have rotted away by now- he'd also managed to drag his soul back to the land of the living. Somehow. Part of him wondered whether everything that happened had merely been a long, nightmarish dream crafted by the demon lord, but that couldn't be the case. The ghosts of pain that haunted his limbs were too real for none of it to have happened.
Besides, he knew that Luo Binghe's hatred was too deep for him to be satisfied with just torturing him through dreams. Apparently, it was so vast that torturing and killing him just once wasn't enough. And so, here he was, alive again and awaiting a return to the days he'd faced before his death.
For whatever reason, Luo Binghe hadn't quite started the torture up again. He was clearly playing mind games with him (and even more clearly enjoying it), but he hadn't done much to him physically yet. Instead, he was playing some game of being a kind and caring disciple helping his Shizun recover.
What bullshit.
Shen Qingqiu's current theory was that Luo Binghe decided the torture would be more satisfying if he was able to struggle and spit at him. After all, the little beast had much more fun torturing him in the beginning than after he tore him apart. A docile victim was like a broken toy, and no demon lord would settle for playing with something broken.
Maybe he wanted him to be able to run, to play the terrified little mouse that would ultimately be eviscerated by the cat's claws.
And so, Luo Binghe was putting on some farce about helping him regain the use of his body, reveling in Shen Qingqiu's weakness while he waited for an even more enjoyable game to begin.
Shen Qingqiu couldn't help but shudder. As hard as it had been for Luo Binghe to break him before his death, he had. By the end, Shen Qingqiu would have begged for death if he'd still been able to. He'd never been a stranger to pain and suffering, but that didn't mean he liked it, and honestly, there were few people who would have been able to withstand what he'd endured under the demon lord's hands without cracking at least a little. He felt no excitement about being dragged back to play this game all over again.
Even still, he didn't have much choice about regaining the use of his limbs. It didn't matter if he refused to cooperate with his 'treatments'- Luo Binghe would just control him if he tried. Not that he could really resist anyway, even without the blood manipulating his limbs into submission. He was just barely able to hold certain objects and stand with support. Taking even a single step unaided would just result in him falling, and he wouldn't have been able to push the beast away even if he had full strength in his arms.
So, with every day, he continued to inch closer to being tortured again.
But, it was inevitable, so even if it was much harder for Luo Binghe to force him to talk, Shen Qingqiu did practice speaking when the other man wasn't around. After all, words had always been a shield when he wasn't allowed to defend himself physically, so why should he abandon such a trustworthy weapon now?
"I… am…"
He was still only able to produce a few syllables at a time, though. For the most part, he knew what it was that he wanted to say, but his tongue found it hard to wrap itself around the words, as if it didn't quite know how to make the sounds. He had to remember the right way to position it before he spoke every syllable, making it hard for him to speak very many at once. And then, he seemed to exhaust himself rather quickly doing that, as if it was somehow physically taxing, and he would have to take a break.
"Sssshen… Qi-J-Qiu…"
XXX
"See, Shizun, you're getting the hang of it," Luo Binghe grinned as Shen Qingqiu managed to remain upright after he let go of him. "Now try to step toward me."
Shen Qingqiu leveled a sharp gaze at him, but he did try. He took about half a clumsy step forward before his feet twisted and he began to tip over. Of course, Luo Binghe had remained close enough that he grabbed him with ease, helping him balance back on his own feet once more.
"Good. Now try again."
This time, the older man was able to take two full steps before losing his footing. Feeling like it was a good time for a subtle reminder, Luo Binghe let him fall this time. His Shizun fell to his knees, catching himself with his hands, though his arms shook a bit at the effort.
"Oh no, Shizun!" Luo Binghe cried out. "Here, let me help you up!"
He pulled the man up a little roughly and sat him back down on the bed, giving him a concerned look that they both knew was fake.
"Did you hurt yourself?" the demon lord asked, lifting the hem of the other man's robes just high enough to see if he'd bruised his knees.
He did need to remind the man to not get any ideas about trying to escape, but he also wanted him to at least be able to walk, and bruised knees weren't going to make that any easier.
"Beassst! Don't tou-ch!" Shen Qingqiu hissed, indignant at the action.
He reached out and pulled a chunk of Luo Binghe's hair, a tactic he'd figured out, as it was the only thing he could do to replace a slap. The tug wasn't very hard, though. Really, it was more like the man was trying to get his attention than trying to pull his hair out.
Luo Binghe ignored it and inspected his knees. There was a reddish bump on one of them, and he was pretty sure it would end up turning dark after a day or two. So, he directed his blood parasites toward the area and told them to aid the wound's healing. That should make the bruise fade a little faster.
He dropped the robes, and they fluttered back into place.
"Alright, now give me your hands," Luo Binghe ordered. "I think you need to work on your hand strength if that child-level hair tugging is the best you can do."
XXX
"O-One… Two… Three four… fiiive…"
Shen Qingqiu clenched his hands with each number he counted. He was mostly trying to work on his voice, but he might as well get his hands working a little more while he was at it.
He could walk a few steps on his own now, but Luo Binghe seemed to think that wasn't good enough. So the farce continued.
No one else had entered the room since he woke up, neither servants nor people wanting to get their own revenge against him. Surprising, considering that at least 2 or 3 of Luo Binghe's wives would be quite pleased with the prospect of at least beating him up a little. He was pretty sure none of them would kill him again (unless they had permission), leaving that for their husband, but that didn't mean they couldn't rough him up a bit. After all, he wouldn't really be able to fight back. Perhaps Luo Binghe didn't want them to slow down his healing process and forced them to follow his temporary 'Don't torture Shen Qingqiu' thing, but he doubted it. If Liu Mingyan knew he was alive again, not even being tortured at the moment, she would definitely show up to do the job. She'd stormed into his cell once when he was alive and demanded to be allowed to join in punishing him. Luo Binghe had eventually convinced her to not dirty her own hands with his rotten blood, assuring her he'd get what he deserved
The hatred in her eyes as she left made him surprised she didn't return behind her husband's back regardless.
No, more likely, no one else really knew he was here. He was completely isolated, dead as far as the world knew, and entirely at the beast's mercy. Not that it mattered. It's not like anyone would come save him, anyway.
He only got to forty-seven before Luo Binghe showed up. Shen Qingqiu had no real way to tell the time here, so he wasn't sure if he showed up at the same time or not. He wasn't even sure whether he showed up every day, though it did seem so, or nearly.
"Hello, Shizun," he grinned at him. "What were you counting?"
Shen Qingqiu just rolled his eyes and didn't answer. Even if he wanted to, he hadn't really been counting anything at all. He just figured it was as good as anything else to practice speaking.
"Come on, I know you can talk. So why don't you just tell me?" Luo Binghe asked. "I'm curious~"
A sharp retort about the number of times he would stab the demon lord if he had something sharp floated through his mind, but he didn't want to bother saying it- all that would do is amuse the little beast.
"Nnnothing."
"Awe, well that's no fun, now is it," Luo Binghe huffed. "Well, time for breakfast, Shizun! Are you going to actually eat it today?"
Shen Qingqiu's lips pursed slightly. He wished he had a fan to cover it- he hated the way his facial expressions were so visible without one.
"Come on, if you're good, I brought candy."
With that offer, Luo Binghe went over to a short table and set down the tray of food. Then, he straightened back up and crossed over to the bed, getting close enough to catch Shen Qingqiu if he fell while walking to the table.
Except Shen Qingqiu didn't move to stand.
"You… don't need tooo- bribe. Me… l-like a child."
Luo Binghe leered down at him.
"Oh? So does that mean you'll actually eat willingly today?"
"No."
The demon lord let out a small chuckle, almost sounding surprised.
"Well, I guess I will keep treating you like a child, then," he told him. "Will you at least stand up by yourself?"
What was the point in that? Why would he willingly walk to the table if he wasn't going to willingly eat what was placed upon it?
"Ssstupid."
"Alright, then."
Luo Binghe, just as he had been doing every day since Shen Qingqiu returned, took control of the older man's body and had him go sit at the table. Today, Luo Binghe had apparently given him rice instead of congee. He must have deemed him able to eat it without inhaling the small pieces. There were also some vegetables to go with it.
"Last chance to eat willingly," Luo Binghe warned.
Shen Qingqiu just shot him a glare.
"Okay, then."
Luo Binghe, though Shen Qingqiu's control of his hands was getting better, still fed him by hand. Maybe it was because, although he could just about hold a spoon, chopsticks were still not possible. Or maybe it was less practical and more malicious. Perhaps it didn't ultimately matter, considering that Luo Binghe was forcing him to eat whether he used his own hands or controlled Shen Qingqiu's, but he suspected that Luo Binghe thought feeding him like he was a child was funny. It was just another way to chip away at his pride, but honestly, as prideful as Shen Qingqiu was, he was used to humiliation at this point. It grated on his nerves like nothing else, dragged him back to his insufferable childhood, but he could bear it. He lost more pride in giving in than in being forced.
So if Luo Binghe wanted to laugh, so be it.
At least he wasn't tearing his legs off again (yet).
Of course, the food tasted very good. It always did, even on the few occasions that Luo Binghe had cooked for him back in his disciple days. If nothing else, the little beast had always been a good cook, though Shen Qingqiu loathed even admitting as much to himself, let alone uttering such things aloud. Even still, he wanted to spit it back out. No matter how it tasted, it was cooked by some disgusting, demented demon with a god complex so bad he'd practically made it a reality. Who in their right mind would trust food made by someone who tortured them?!
Only an idiot, and if nothing else, Shen Qingqiu wasn't stupid.
Eventually, the rice and vegetables were eaten, and though Shen Qingqiu expected the grip on his body to fade, it didn't. Instead, Luo Binghe reached for a small box he'd had sitting nearby.
"Hm, I wouldn't really say you were good since I had to force you to eat again, but I'll give you one of these anyway," Luo Binghe told him as he opened the box and took a candy out of it. "Open up, Shizun."
Of course, Shen Qingqiu still didn't have a choice and opened his mouth easily. The candy Luo Binghe dropped in was, as one would expect, sweet. It was hard, not something that was meant to be bitten, but rather, it was supposed to dissolve.
After that, Luo Binghe had him stand up again, Shen Qingqiu finding that his legs were taking him back toward the bed. Luo Binghe grabbed something, and though Shen Qingqiu felt a jolt when he saw him holding something small, after a second, he realized it was only a comb.
Shen Qingqiu let his gaze stare expressionlessly at the demon lord, trying to convey his exasperation (hoping it masked the moment of fear).
"Your hair is a mess," Luo Binghe explained. "It hasn't been brushed at all since you came back. Look, it's all knotted."
He grabbed a piece of Shen Qingqiu's hair as if to prove his point. Shen Qingqiu narrowed his gaze a little. It's not like it was his fault his hair was a mess. He didn't have a comb, and he wasn't sure he could even use one if he did.
"Don't give me that look," Luo Binghe warned. "I know you can't brush it yourself. Forgive this lord for having other things to do besides brush your hair."
Except he clearly wasted a lot of time with Shen Qingqiu. It was stupid, really, and if he had a problem with Shen Qingqiu's hair being a mess, then that really was his own responsibility.
Luo Binghe moved to sit behind him, taking out a bottle of oil as well, and suddenly, Shen Qingqiu felt the control of his body loosen and fade away. And then he immediately tensed, not liking that the beast was sitting so close behind him, where he couldn't properly see him.
"Don't move or I'll activate my blood again."
In rebellion, Shen Qingqiu turned his head and bit down hard on the candy, shattering it across his tongue. He chewed the pieces for a moment before swallowing them, continuing to stare directly at the demon lord.
Luo Binghe rolled his eyes.
"You think that'll somehow make me mad, but that's the first time you've willingly swallowed something since before you died, so really, I think I'm winning here."
Shen Qingqiu huffed and turned back around.
"Damn beassst."
Not saying anything in response, Luo Binghe began to run the comb through his hair. This quickly revealed a problem: his hair really was tangled quite badly at this point, and the comb kept snagging on the knots, pulling harshly at his scalp. Luo Binghe had started using the oil to loosen up the knots, but he still winced whenever a particularly difficult one was tackled by the comb.
But he didn't let out a single sound.
"Damn, I really should have remembered to brush your hair sooner," Luo Binghe mumbled, half to himself. "Somehow, I think this is worse than it was when I had you chained up. I guess laying in a bed will do that. And growing underground…?"
He didn't quite know what the demon lord meant with that last comment, but it gave him the tiniest bit of insight into how his new body had been made. What the fuck had this beast done exactly?!
"Ssshut up- ow!"
Of course, Luo Binghe pulled particularly hard right when he'd been speaking, so his attempts to keep the painful noise silent had failed.
"You always used to take such good care of your hair," Luo Binghe continued talking. "If the you from back then could see you now, what would he think?"
Shen Qingqiu didn't answer.
"Hm, maybe he'd be too busy thinking about how he dies and how he'll come back to be thinking about your hair," Luo Binghe mused.
He pulled again.
XXX