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Matricaria Chamomilla = Chamomile, and it has a whole bunch of different symbolic meanings and uses, many of which I feel fit this story…
I've been reading quite a few Original LBH X Original SQQ stories, and I quite like the ones where he brings SQQ back after killing/almost killing him, so here's my take on that particular concept.
Please read the warnings:
TW: SUICIDE ATTEMPT, SUICIDAL THOUGHTS/IDEATION, SELf-HARM, NON-CONSENSUAL DRUGGING, VIOLENCE, REFERENCES TO SEXUAL ABUSE AND CHILD ABUSE, REFERENCES TO TORTURE, MENTAL/PHYSICAL ILLNESS, MENTAL BREAKDOWN, HALLUCINATIONS, TOXIC RELATIONSHIP, IMPRISONMENT, PIDW-TYPICAL MISOGYNY ETC. Do not expect a happy story and don't read if this might upset you.
Also, almost completely one-sided LBH X SQQ (on LBH's side)
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Luo Binghe had always been one to complete any task he set his mind to, whether it was completing the chores piled onto him by his fellow disciples, getting revenge, or becoming the undeniable leader of the combined realms. No matter how difficult or impossible something supposedly was, he'd always not only succeed but exceed the necessary strength. It was something he took pride in. Failure wasn't an option- not because he was deluded enough to believe he was infallible but because it was simply fact.
Of course, one such area in which he had never needed to exert much effort was wooing the hearts of any maiden he desired. Though it certainly helped that he often saved many of them, really, he barely even needed to try to have women falling at his feet and begging him to marry them. His prowess in that area could be proven merely by reading the list of his wives and concubines- a list made essential in the first place by their number. He had never before been denied.
Well. Not by a woman, at least.
Or by anyone from his world at all, in fact, not after he conquered it.
No, the only person to have ever denied him was the very man who had made his life such a living hell back in his disciple days, the man who had thrown him into the Endless Abyss with uncaring, hateful eyes:
It was his Shizun, Shen Qingqiu, though not the exact one he'd been taught by.
Really, he had always wondered where that man who looked so much like his now-deceased Shizun had come from. He'd just appeared out of nowhere within a dreamscape, and though he looked like his ex-teacher, Luo Binghe could tell it wasn't really him- or, not the same him. His demeanor was off, the uncontrollable fear that should have been immediately obvious not even showing itself until he'd already pulled one of the scum's arms off.
At the time, Luo Binghe had just relished the chance to tear apart his old master again, bathing himself in the blood gushing out of him. Afterward, that Shizun had disappeared and Luo Binghe half-concluded it was all a part of his dreamscape that he, for once, hadn't had full control over, and he'd shrugged it off.
Until he ended up in that Shen Qingqiu's universe, that is.
And, oh, the enraging burn he felt at being rejected by him. How dare that piece of garbage deny him when he offered his hand?! How dare he choose that weaker, inferior, crybaby version of him instead, even though he clearly deserved him more. And how dare his own Shizun not treat him the way that other one had- how dare he not love him?! After so many women fell in love with him, loved him enough to die for him, how dare that scum not feel even the slightest flicker of that affection he'd witnessed in that other world? Clearly, it must have been possible, or it wouldn't have ever happened at all. So, what was it? What had been the secret key to unlocking his Shizun's heart, and how had that crybaby discovered it when he hadn't?
He didn't know, but he would find out.
Though, he didn't quite know yet what he would do with that key once he found it.
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As he did in other things, he succeeded in the first step to his plan: bringing that scum back from whatever hell he was currently residing in. It hadn't been the simplest or easiest of his trials, but he eventually found the Sun-Moon Dew Mushroom, and within a few years, the body created from its flesh was ready. With a little more effort, he also managed to find the man's soul and shove it inside. After that, all he had to do was wait a little longer for Shen Qingqiu to wake up…
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Waking was a slow process, his mind taking much longer than it usually did to rouse fully. Even then, he felt sluggish and confused, as though he was ill. There was something soft beneath him, but it wasn't the same as his bed on Qing Jing Peak. It was softer, actually, and it beckoned him back to sleep, making it hard for him to so much as try to lift his head from the pillow. His head was heavy, and so were his limbs. He hadn't ever had so much trouble waking up before, had he?
"Shizun."
Something was wrong.
"It's time to wake up now."
He tried to lift his hand, but all he managed was a twitch of the finger. Something touched his face, warm and slightly rough but not hard.
"Shizuuuuun."
Finally, he managed to turn his head a little, hearing the shift of fabric in his ears.
"Shizun. Wake up."
He dragged his eyes open, and though his sight was half-hazy, he recognized the figure sitting at his bedside.
And he screamed.
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Luo Binghe stared down at the now-living body of his Shizun, waiting for signs that he was waking up. It had taken quite a while, but very soon, he knew those green eyes would flutter open. The demon lord had taken care to make this body be as similar as he could get it to the original, though there were slight, subtle differences in the face. Not enough to make him look like someone else, but enough to notice if his old body had still been around for comparison. It mattered little, he supposed, since it was 95% similar and people changed over the years anyway (though, perhaps not people who had cultivated to the point Shen Qingqiu had). He could just pretend the tiny differences were the result of them being apart for so long, the passage of time altering appearances and fading memories. It may not be true, and he knew it, but he could pretend whatever he wanted.
Some time after joining the soul to the body, Luo Binghe had pulled it from the earth and cleaned it of all the dirt it had been buried in. Of course, he could have waited until he dug himself out, but the demon lord didn't want to risk Shen Qingqiu not being able to dig himself out and suffocating, after all the time and effort he used. It would be a true waste to have done all this just for him to die again so quickly. And besides, Luo Binghe wanted to be there at the moment he woke, so he could make it very clear to the man just who had done this 'favor' for him.
Now, his old master was laying in a soft bed, wearing clean robes, the simple kind one would usually sleep in. His hair was also loosely spread out beneath him, fanning around his head in an alluringly ruffled manner. Like this, he did appear as though he really had merely been sleeping this whole time.
Of course, he was also bound with immortal binding cables, intricately woven into two pairs of bracelets and anklets. Each one was fitted snugly against his skin so he wouldn't be able to wiggle them off, and they were too strong to be cut through- not that Luo Binghe had intentions to give the man something he could cut through them with in the first place. These bracelets were essential, as a body created using a Sun-Moon Dew Mushroom had a great deal of spiritual energy within it, possibly even more than Shen Qingqiu's body originally had in the first place. And it's not like Luo Binghe could just let him access his cultivation- he wasn't an idiot.
Suddenly, there was a slight twitch in the man's face, and Luo Binghe leaned closer.
"Shizun."
Another twitch. Luo Binghe could feel a wide grin spreading over his face.
"It's time to wake up now."
One of the man's fingers moved a little, and Luo Binghe found himself reaching out to gently place a hand on his cheek.
"Shizuuuuun."
Shen Qingqiu's head turned toward him a bit, but he still didn't open his eyes. Honestly, considering how long it had taken to even get to this point, Luo Binghe was starting to get a little impatient, which carried through in his voice:
"Shizun. Wake up."
Finally, Shen Qingqiu opened his eyes, revealing familiar emeralds behind his eyelids. For a few seconds, there was only groggy sleepiness, with no sign of the cold hatred the demon lord was used to seeing within them.
Then, those eyes widened.
And Shen Qingqiu started screaming.
Luo Binghe was momentarily taken aback. In all the time he'd tortured the man, screams were hard to come by, only elicited in a mere handful out of the countless sessions before his ultimate death. It took things like tearing his limbs off to elicit anything more than a grunt or moan. Really, he'd expected the man to sit up and glare at him, demand to know what he was up to, why he was alive, etc.
Instead, Shen Qingqiu was screaming like he'd never been more terrified, and though he seemed to be having a hard time controlling his new body, he was making some attempt to cower away from him. He was mostly still laying down, though, one arm making a weak (and ineffective) attempt to push himself away.
The image of his Shizun, looking so weak and pathetic and terrified, filled Luo Binghe with a certain kind of glee. He'd tried so hard to get Shen Qingqiu to look like this back then, and he'd never quite been able to achieve it, even when he'd managed to crack that perfect porcelain mask from time to time. And now, here it was right in front of him, and all it took was a single look at his face (and multiple years' worth of creating him a new body, but whatever).
Luo Binghe couldn't help leaning closer, bringing his face close to Shen Qingqiu's.
"Hello, Shizun," he grinned. "Did you have a nice nap?"
The man's scream abruptly cut off with a gasp. He tried to push away again but wasn't any more successful than the first time. Even though he clearly wasn't going to be able to escape anyway, Luo Binghe decided to position himself on top of him, trapping him between his arms and hanging above him.
"No? Oh, that's too bad…"
Shen Qingqiu's breathing was getting faster, and now, all he did was stare up into Luo Binghe's eyes. Luo Binghe stared right back, a facsimile of concern gracing his features.
"Aren't you glad to be back? I worked so hard for it, you know…"
Gasps began to punctuate his breaths, and Luo Binghe could feel the small trembles of his weak limbs beneath him.
Now was where his plans really began.
He raised his hand again, ignoring the flinch, and ran his fingers through the man's hair.
"It's alright, Shizun. You're alive again, aren't you?"
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Shen Qingqiu didn't calm down for a while, and when he did, he still just continued to stare at him.
"Nothing to say?" Luo Binghe questioned, amused. "Very well. I mean, you'd think someone would have something to say after being dead for so many years, but if you don't…"
He shifted so he was no longer hanging over him, moving to sit beside him instead. Placing a soft smile onto his face, he tried to make his voice sound as much like his younger self as he could.
"Shizun, do you want me to help you sit up?" he asked innocently. "Your limbs are a bit weak right now, aren't they?"
Shen Qingqiu's eyes darted to look at him, but he didn't respond. Knowing that the man most definitely didn't want the demon lord touching him at all, Luo Binghe gently pulled him up to a sitting position, allowing the man's body to lean against his shoulder. The former peak lord tensed, and though the man's head was slumped downward, hiding his expression, Luo Binghe wondered if he was finally glaring.
"Come on, Shizun, why won't you say anything? Do you not want me to hear your voice?"
The man made a noise, but it was only a small huff of air. Suddenly, an idea occurred to Luo Binghe.
"Awe, Shizun, you have your tongue back too, you know," he informed him. "I wouldn't bother to put you back together without your sharp tongue. It's one of your more distinctive traits, after all."
One of the man's hands moved a little, but Luo Binghe honestly wasn't sure what he'd been trying to do. Perhaps he'd wanted to smack him.
"… Be-assst…"
Had he really not known he could speak again? Or was he just giving in?
"There you go. Not too hard, now is it?"
He lightly took Shen Qingqiu by the chin and tilted his face up. Sure enough, that distinctive glare met his eyes.
"… Why… I…"
The words were soft and didn't sound quite right, not to mention that it wasn't even a full sentence. It seemed that, perhaps, the talking issue may have really been due to the difficulty. Well, he was sure the man would be spitting profanities at him soon enough.
"What is it, Shizun? You have to use your words if you want to be understood."
The glare grew harsher.
"… You…"
Shen Qingqiu tried to push him but just ended up slipping and falling to the side, his hair falling into his face. He didn't even try to right himself. Pathetic.
Luo Binghe sighed. Then, he stood up, grabbed Shen Qingqiu, and rearranged him on the bed. The small bit of struggle he was capable of barely even registered. With that done, he brushed his Shizun's hair out of his face to reveal a glare that had shifted back to fear.
"Don't worry, Shizun…," Luo Binghe smiled down at him. "You'll be back to normal in no time."
With that, Luo Binghe bit the pad of his thumb, brushing against Shen Qingqiu's lips before shoving the finger inside. His Shizun tried to turn away but was ultimately unable to do anything as the drop of demon's blood mixed with his spit and traveled down his throat.
Of course, he had already imbued this new body with his blood before the man even woke up, but this little bit of theater was a lot more fun than leaving it at that.
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