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Scum disciple’s Self saving system (SVSSS AU) Episode 6: the beginning of his change….?
This is gonna be a controversial opinion but here it goes, Luo Bingge would not have been able to win Shen Qingqiu over as "easily" as Luo Bingmei did. The main reason why Bingmei has Shen Qingqiu wrapped around his finger the way he does is because he followed Shang Qinghua's advice that the way to a man's heart is to act pathetic, Bingmei mastered the art of crying and acting vulnerable on command for the sole purpose of wooing his Shizun and it worked. Bingge would not have been able to win Shen Qingqiu's like Bingmei did because his way of pitching woo is to show off how strong, charming and invulnerable he is, things that Shen Qingqiu is already aware of and while he truly admires it he's also terrified of him. In order to Bingge to win this man over, he'd have to channel the vulnerable little boy the world did their best to kill and he dealt finishing blow and unlike Bingmei he doesn't have Airplane around to teach him the way to man's heart so poor guy would have a hard time until he finally had a mental breakdown where Shen Qingqiu got to see it, if so they'd be wed in a week
SVSSS jokes about how SQH or SQQ make modern references and everyone looks at them in confusion are all well in good. Great even, Im a big fan. But I want to play with the "standards of modesty / purity are different in modern vs ancient times" thing and have them make a reference that out of context (or even with context sometimes tbh) is just absoloutley awful down bad filth
Like. SQH is hearing someone stirring porridge or smthn and absentmindedly going, "heh. That's what good pussy sounds lik— wait. Wait no. Wait guys no. WAIT GUYS NO GUYS IM SORRY—"
SQQ looks at him in disgust from behind his fan as if he didn't have the same reflex joke thought
SQH, seeing some random, oddly phallic shaped plant he wrote into the world: twitches like a man who wants to open a comment section that does not exist then reflexively mumbles, "damn I should call her"
MBJ: Who the fuck is her
Day 1 - Scars
Shen Yuan – no, Shen Qingqiu – tried to track the history of his new body through its scars, but cultivation had long since wiped away all but the most grievous of its wounds. A faint line here, the smallest raised skin there; that was all there was to see, and yet he would swear that he could feel invisible lines tracing beneath his skin, nerves either overly sensitive or deadened. Despite this body's previous occupant's efforts, there was no denying the truth: this body once belonged to a slave.
Luo Binghe treasured the only scars that he allowed to remain on his body. They were a curse, a blessing; a gift, from the one he loved and wished to be loved by. Even in his darkest hours, he could tell – they're a sign that the man who gave them to him, never truly wished to kill him. (After all, if that were so – there would be no scars, for he would simply be dead.)
Shen Jiu hated, hated, hated his scars. Each and every one of them was a memory of pain, humiliation, failure and worthlessness. (And if the most painful scars were the ones that never left a physical mark, well. At least no one else would ever see.)
Yue Qingyuan cared nothing about his own scars, but each mark left on Shen Qingqiu's skin is a sign of how much he failed him. He knew the stories of some, of the first scars that they gained together on the streets, but the rest – oh, it ached to not know, but it pained him worse to imagine. Even then, those visible marks are nothing compared to what life has done to his Shen Jiu's mind – a fact hammered home when Shen Qingqiu seemingly forgets those scars and becomes a better man overnight.
Shang Qinghua, despite his clumsy nature, has somehow managed to avoid gaining many scars at all, somehow? His cultivation was more than enough to heal all the little cuts gained in computer-less paperwork, his king healed the frostbite that scarred the first time he visited the Northern Palace, and the demons his king sends to help kept him from ever scarring on his missions? How does he have less scars in a world filled with swords and monsters than he did in a world of cars and computers???
Luo Bingge's skin is flawless, perfect; untouched by any scars or blemishes. His wives enjoy running their hands along his smooth skin as he holds them close, pressing their warmth deep inside himself and delighting in their touch. All too soon, though, they will leave, and any warmth will grow cold; nothing and no one to ever leave a permanent mark upon him.
(Prompt here)
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MXTober Day 2 - Silk
Shen Qingqiu wasn't sure about many aspects of his new life as Shen Qingqiu, but he had to admit – the clothes felt nice on his skin, for as much as a pain they were to put on. Made of silk in whites, teals, and greens, he could almost feel like the Immortal he was now supposed to be. For all of his hidden venom and terrible life choices, he had to admit that the original goods otherwise had decent taste.
Luo Binghe hummed happily as he smoothed out his Shizun's silks, adjusting the robes so that they were neat and properly put away. He'd had to beg his Shizun for the privilege, but it was an honor to be the one to take care of his Shizun's robes, to clean the fabrics that would drape over that blessed body. To be the one who cared for his Shizun in all ways; big and small ways, ways both life-ending and life-changing, or ways unnoticeable and unmentionable; anything and everything his Shizun could ever possibly need or even dream of wanting.
Shen Jiu always took care with his appearance, his image; his posture, his decorum, his accoutrements. He wrapped himself in fine silks and simple yet expensive finery, luxuriating in the splendor even as he felt the imposter. His younger self could barely even dream of such luxuries, and yet – even as he felt himself surrounded by them now, he missed the honesty of the streets and the happiness of having someone beside him. (Now his life was a lie, and he was alone.)
Yue Qingyuan felt awe and shame the first time he wore robes of fine silks. It was an honor, a reward, a privilege for working so hard and reaching this position. Yet even as he put on the finery, all he could see was Xiao-Jiu in rags.
Shang Qinghua was Peak Lord of An Ding Peak – the "janitor" peak, as he once heard it called; he should have no need for silks then, right? Yet have them he did, for official meetings, for negotiations, for socializing at parties – and for the Northern Palace??? It was too cold to wear them there, but his king would thrust robes of furs and silks into his arms, so – he couldn't not wear them, what if he upset his king???
Luo Bingge had a closet full of fine silks and fabrics, satins and jewels, but his favorite clothes were made of common cloths. He enjoyed standing before his subjects and wives and delighting in their awe, basking in their admiration… but he favored the simple clothes of adventure, more. He somehow felt more himself in the quiet of the woods, traveling along dusty roads, exploring the paths of the world – until, of course, something new demanded his particular brand of "attention".
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MXTober Day 3 - Blood
Shen Qingqiu's nightmares are full of blood – of other's, of his own, of Luo Binghe's. He can smell the iron tang in the air, can feel it dripping down his chin from his oddly hollow mouth as he watches Luo Binghe laugh and laugh, tears of blood running down his perfect face, as bodies of the people he now knows lie in dark puddles all around. When he wakes – please let him always be able to wake, please let this scene never be more than a dream – he can still taste the blood in his mouth. (Oh – he'd bitten his tongue to hold back his screams.)
Luo Binghe stared blankly down – Shizun was dead. There should be blood. His hands, his body, should be dyed an accusatory shade of red – marking him for all to see the sole reason for Shen Qingqiu's demise.
It took days for Shen Jiu to clean off the last of the blood from the Qiu household. It took only hours to get rid of the last traces of his master's latest victims. It would take an eternity to even begin to clear the red from his soul, as he stared at the shattered remnants of Yue Qi's sword.
There was so much blood on the cavern's floor, in his hair, in his eyes. Yue Qingyuan bowed down again and again, slamming his head into solid rock in obeisance as he begged for forgiveness, for the ability to leave and fulfil his promise. But the heavens had no mercy to spare, and the abandoned Shen Jiu, even less.
Shang Qinghua really wasn't all that fussed about the blood his king routinely spilled. As long as it wasn't anyone he knew or cared about (ha!), he wasn't that bothered by death. Now, it was a b//ch and a half to clean up, but that was a price well-worth paying in order to see his king covered in the blood of their enemies – so cool, so powerful and majestic!
Luo Binghe's life was a steady mixture of blood and sex: defeat the enemy, get the woman, then start all over again and again. The sex had come somewhat later in his life, but the blood had been with him since birth – the only question was whether that blood was his, or that of others. These days, he freely spilled the latter so that it would never again be the former.
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MXTober Day 4 - Trust
Shen Qingqiu knows that he cannot trust anybody in his new life. He is a pretender, and imposter; a body-snatcher and thief, stealing someone else's body and life. He knows that he'll do his best to do best by the world, but does that really make up for - no, the original was scum, it doesn't matter; can't matter.
Luo Binghe wishes he could trust his husband, he really does. In some ways, in many ways, he doses - he trusts Shen Qingqiu to be on his side in battle, to always offer him support and ad if necessary, and maybe even to love him - but. His beloved Shizun is built of so many inconsistencies and oddities, of decisions that make no sense and the absence of any explanations, even now. Yet still Luo Binghe puts his trust in this man, tries his best to believe him and believe in him, and he knows that trust will be richly rewarded in the end.
Shen Jiu trusts nothing and no one; it's a childish concept, just like safety and love and family. Such a fragile thing - no matter how easily given or difficultly earned, it can take only a moment to shatter forever. (Sometimes it takes years and years of waiting, draining away even as you try to hold fast, only to shatter when you finally see and realize-)
Yue Qingyuan wars in his heart with whether he can trust Shen Jiu- Shen Qingqiu. He can trust him in many things - to always act himself, to stand firm to his beliefs beyond all reasonable logic or sense, to remain stubborn and steadfast once he's chosen an opinion or action... But he cannot trust Sen Jiu to watch out and care for others, and even though he knows he should care - knows that he is leaving people unprotected and vulnerable to Shen Jiu's unfeeling cruelty and jealousy - he feels too guilty to do anything but leave him be.
Shang Qinghua doesn't trust his king, and his king doesn't trust him, and that's okay! What else could he expect from the relationship between a demon lord and his human retainer, ahaha? Aside from, y'know, that gruesome, almost entirely off-screen death coming up probably sometime soon in the near future.
Luo Bingge could always trust in others to be self-serving, to watch out for themselves first and foremost, then sometimes their friends and family second. Oddly enough, he found demons more trustworthy than humans - demons were far more straightforward most times, and you generally always knew where you stood with them. That didn't mean he actually trusted anyone farther than his weakest wife could throw them, of course, but it was always good to understand the motivations of those around him.
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MXTober Day 5 - Love
Shen Qingqiu completely understood why all the girls loved Luo Binghe – just look at him! His not-so-little disciple was growing more and more handsome every day; his smiles, ever more beautiful. His roguish charm and clever wit, combined with his excelling in every skill he attempted, would surely cause every soul he met to fall for him!
Luo Binghe luxuriates in the love he feels for his Shizun, for the joy he feels every single day that he gets to accompany and assist the man he loves. He doesn't know what the future holds, but he'll hold onto this halcyon life for as long as he can. To make the food his Shizun eats, to wake just a room away and then go to wake his love when the time came, to savor the treasured intimacy of brushing his Shizun's hair… (As if they were already a real couple!!!)
Shen Jiu knew that only fools dared to love. To love was to invite pain and weakness into your life, to give another person power over you, the ability to destroy you. To love was to hurt, and Shen Jiu was the biggest fool of them all.
Yue Qingyuan knew that with love came pain, but it was a price well worth the cost. Even though the one he loved seemed to view it as a paltry offering, it was still something he wished to offer… If only he had the words to give.
Shang Qinghua surprised himself when he realized how much he loved this world – this world! That he wrote! He'd somehow found a life here, somehow found people who cared about him (though neither showed it well, tsunderes that they were) and people he cared about in turn! He was still overworked, yes, but – he'd found happiness, and comfort, and home.
Luo Binghe knew that love was real in this world, no matter how little he felt or was shown it nowadays. All he had to do was think back to his mother and remember the life they shared together – a life of poverty, but a life of love nonetheless. When he felt hopeless and small, tired and angry and lost, he thought of his lost pendant and those long-ago days, and felt warm.
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MXTober Day 6 - Death
Shen Qingqiu knew that he should fear death, and he did! He was going to do something utterly terrible, despicable, unforgivable, in order not to be sent back to his probably long-since rotted corpse! But… when there was a situation in front of him, any situation where the people he cared for could be hurt – he just… forgot, okay??? It's not a death wish!
Luo Binghe knew that death would not take him; not now, and not for many years yet. He hadn't suffered enough to be allowed to leave; he hadn't succeeded yet, and he refused to let himself fade before he accomplished his goals. (he wanted to die, he wanted to die, it was all his fault his Shizun was dead but he had to keep trying, had to bring him back, had to had to had to-)
Shen Jiu was familiar with death; it was an old friend, a companion following in his wake. Wu Yanzi had brought it with him when he'd arrived, but Shen Jiu had watched it visit before – the streets were no place to live, nor was the place of a slave. So, he felt no fear even as he gave death the offerings his master picked out – he only wondered if he were to die, would he follow Yue Qi?
What was death to a slave, to a sect leader? Yue Qingyuan's sword was stained with the blood of others – often demon, but not always. Still, he did his best to avoid any casualties – but if anyone truly threatened his Xiao-Jiu, all bets were f***ing off.
Shang Qinghua knew that he should be more bothered by death, by the often deadly lives surrounding him and that he wrote.
Shang Qinghua knew that most people would be more bothered by death, by so easily pledging allegiance to a demon who'd just messily killed his sect-siblings, but. He didn't care, really? They were just a**hole extras from the death-filled book he wrote, bullies who'd tried to get him killed, so why should he care?
Luo Bingge had long since grown tired of death, of indiscriminately dealing it out to his enemies and those under them. He still felt the buzz of satisfaction, the hum of power as their blood sated his blade, but… It was so empty, so pointless, and he was starting to wonder why he was still going through all the motions.
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Really?! Ahhh, okay!!! Here's some stories/authors I'd like to recommend! I ended up naming waaay more than I meant to, but! How could I not??? I love them so much!
I tried to include word counts along with the appropriate links and descriptions... and mandatory gushing, because! These are all! So good!!!)
I actually just finished rereading Nyoomerr's stuff myself, and, ahhh!!! Very good choice, I loved reading them!!! A++!
The one I'm currently most in love with is finished but not finished being published - so it has a guaranteed completion - and is a Luo Binghe time travel from the middle of book 2. By VeryCharismaticDragons, A Transmigrator and a Time Traveler Walk Into the Bamboo House is currently my absolute favorite time travel SV fic. Their characterization is amazing, and they pay attention to all the little details from the book! The characters are emotional in believable ways - Luo Binghe is trying so hard and he's still not okay and just- if I had to only recommend one story, it would be this one.
The Feels Whale - Just. Everything TheFeelsWhale!!! They write both short and longer fics, and I can't recommend just one!! What Dreams May Come (45k 15/16 chapters) - what if, during SQQ's 5 year dirt nap, he ended up in Luo Binghe's dreams? It is highly NSFW, so prepare for that - but hooo boy is there plot!! Achievement Unlocked (51k), where they end up temporarily reverse-transmigrating into Shen Yuan's world as a post-cannon extra! Binghe gets a System when he immediately chased after an unwillingly disappeared Shen Qingqiu - and Shen Yuan's backstory is more than it seems!! Tongfang (25k) is just. so good? It's a Shen Yuan transmigrates as someone else fic, and they pull it off really well?? He's still very much our Shen Qingqiu, just under a different name. ^_^ Dust and Broken Grains (5k) just got a continuation sequel and - just. LBH has a breakdown in Jinlan city and unlocks SQQ seeing him for himself early - nothing is fixed yet, but it's such a promising future!!! There'slso A World of Water and Crystal (38k), but I should really move on to the next author--
AMereDream. They write a bunch of really good, really meta fics! Lots of really great characterization!!! Continued is a super meta story taking place in a parallel version of SY's and Airplane's original world - I'll just copy these tags :3 Shen Yuan didn't die & aka what if the bingge vs bingmei extra got written into pidw and just. So much meta. 8 chapters, 14k, includes Shen Yuan livestreaming 25hours straight filling all of PIDW's plotholes via some of the comments section.
(AMereDream Continued) Write Me Well is just - a fantastic look at Cucumber and Airplane and is also super meta. Short, 4k, and well worth the read. And the same name and now you know the truth (now forget and be content) for some SJ!SY goodness - I personally only really like this concept in limited scenarios. These are those limited scenarios. And- okay, I need to move on - just know there's more <3333
X_los. Just. X_los. Without A Clue (16k), where Luo Binghe stumbles into a good ending by finding the cure for Without a Cure early! Peerless Melons vs the Patriarchy, which is part of a genderswap series in which Shen Qingiqu (both original and new) is a girl - but still in love with Binghe, and still in denial about it. XD Anyways, Stan Shen Qingqiu (5k), where a new transmigrator (to acompletely different story) runs into The Shen Qingqiu, of Resentment of Chunshan renown - and finds a godsend of a senior transmigrator, bc this one is just. "running around half-baked." SVSSS Miscellany(53k) which is just. A bunch of cleaned-up, really fun twitterfics
Okay, you can't read Scum Villain Fics and not read Feynite's Scum Villain AUs! It's 41 different chapters for I think 23 different AUs - some have more continuation chapters - and is about 480k words, currently! There's an AU where instead of PIDW, Shen Yuan wakes up as a hecking dragon in a dragon world and it's just---! There's a "Supervillain" AU where he wakes up as a supervillain (SJ) in a world he'd never read about, but he can tell what kind of universe it is! There's so many different flavors, and all of them are so well-written!
FOR YOUR SHEN JIU AND SHEN YUAN NEEDS!!! Local 12 Year Olds Refuse to be Separated; What Happens Next Will Warm Your Heart by allula is just. Wow. I really really wish it was longer than the 47k it already is - it's incomplete, but was last updated Feb '21. Basically: What if PIDW had Fusion from Steven Universe, and Shen Yuan was not transmigrated into SQQ but as a slave along with SJ and YQY?
I Wish You Were My Husband by Feynite - 110k with a 320k companion and sequel piece - instead of writing PIDW, Airplane wrote - well. The summary goes: "Wherein Shen Yuan transmigrates into a harem intrigues romance novel (gay edition), Yue Qingyuan really fucks up, Liu Qingge is not suitable for his job, and no one even remotely sees Luo Binghe coming." And our poor Shen Yuan never finished the original novel - he died near the end of the first book in the huge series- so he has no idea what fate would befall the world... or his servant, who quickly became one of - if not his most - favorite people in this new world. Just. Really good, and the companion piece just keeps on giving! A Bingge crossover extra, SJ being reborn and SY and LBH taking him in, YQY realizing so many things (way too late, as always).
Can't we just skip to the end? (59k) by chaoticgoodlawyer and it's ongoing sequel, Don't You Know (That I'm Yours) (295k)!!! A really good time travel fic, where post-canon LBH swaps places with Disciple LBH, about a year before the Abyss! Our favorite Bingmei knows all about his husband, and wants to help give Shen Yuan (and his younger self) a better future without all their misunderstandings. However, this doesn't mean everything is easily fixed - as the 300k sequel (almost finished, but not quite!) shows! The relationship between Luo Binghe and Shen Qingqiu is just - adorable??? Amazing??? Really warm and loving and wonderful??? Aside from quibbling with 1 character's characterization (read below) I really really do recommend this. I've reread this so many times, and I know I'll keep rereading it in the future!!!
(Their Yue Qingyuan starts from the negative fanon version of him - always going Xiao-Jiu Xiao-Jiu, never letting him go, being more...idk, and where sqq is frustrated by him rather than feels like he's a good big-brother figure - and then following a very reasonable devolving as the story goes along. It makes sense story wise, but it's just - bugging me extra right now, and his ending is a bit much. but that's over 300k down the line of an otherwise fantastic story.)
The best Luo Binghe by Neery is a quick (10k) but good NSFW fic with fantastic characterization? It's a very fun and interesting exploration of Luo Bingge being dropped in a convention and just rolling with it - and picking up Shen Yuan cosplaying Shen Qingqiu, who is absolutely thrilled to spend time with the best Luo Binghe at the convention :3 (They also have a really good temp!Amnesia MBJ/SQH short story (14k), so good!!)
Sleeping Awake is a really well written short story (9k) by Azaisya, with a temporarily de-aged SJ waking up on his peak, running into LBH, and LBH handling the whole thing quite well (and getting waay more insight into the Peak Master he still wants to impress) and even leading him up to the Sect Master - where communication is eventually had :3
I don't know how well known this one is, but it was the very first MXTX fanfiction I ever read, and how I discovered Mo Xiang Tong Xiu in the first place, so I have to recommend it. An Easy Lie by Nythtak - Shen Jiu is Shen Yuan's older brother, and bonded with him over reading and criticizing this ridiculous story, PIDW. Shen Jiu dies while composing his last text to Shen Yuan, ranting about the story - which he promptly wakes up in. No fool, Shen Jiu quickly blends into the persona of Shen Qingqiu - even if he does end up almost slipping into his anger issues, which he had under control with therapy and his family in his last life. He gets a very nasty surprise when he realizes that he and the original scum villain share a personal name - and an even nastier surprise after he makes an shocking decision at the edge of the abyss. ...I'll go ahead and say that I ended up writing a companion piece from LBH's PoV for one of the chapters, so - I really do love this story, and thank it again for leading me into Scum Villain, The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, and even Heaven Official's Blessing.
ahhh, there's so much more!!! just - here is a link to my 60 SVSSS bookmarks that I rec&love the most!!
Last few, I'm just going to drop titles and authors because I got too excited and ran out of steam (even though I really want to keep going on about all of them!!!):
Every Gamble Has A Price by Lost_Starlight - 78k alternate SQQ 1st (2nd) death
honesty is such a lonely word by chrysaliseater - not the most serious characterization, but really good anyways
It's A Trap! by WanderingMerchant - 58k for more SJ & SY!
Two for the price of one by Empressed - 45k SJ&SY!
The An Ding Peak Lord's Holy Cheat Sheet by JerichoJaspersJeromeJr - 6k MBJ and Airplane and just. I love when SQH is called out on building this entire world.
Raising The Scum Villain by Luunyscarlet - 52k SJ & SY quite good. Despite the weird circumstances, characterization holds up well!!!
A Pairing of Souls by Muzu - SY wakes up in the plant body early, and with an extra passenger ^_^
Bros before... well everything I guess by Icannotthinkofapenname Cucumplane frienship
Bonus Material by Ilthit - 11k pop up as 11 year old when SJ is burning down the Qiu
Keep Safe by Anonymous - 6k, SJ and SY can visit and travel back and forth as kids
creative mode by marquisguyun 3k cute little SY as SJ's baby
*vibrates intensely* Did you say Scum Villain's Self-Saving System????!!! Wpuld you like recs of any kind??? I have bookmarked 1,024 svsss stories (of varying qualities) and I would be happy to reccommend any based off anything you want to read. Long, short, a specific trope or idea- odds are pretty decent I can think of something, but I won't shove reccommendations at you without asking ^^;; But either way, ahhhh!!! Welcome to SVSSS!!!!
I have already gone through an embarrassingly large number of fics on ao3, including all of esama’s fics, all of nyoomerr’s fics, and many more, but I’d love to hear about some of your favorites!
(Also fics where Shen Yuan manages to make Shen Jiu’s life a little happier, either by rescuing him as a kid or just providing support somehow because fuck is that dude’s backstory tragic. Doesn’t excuse his future actions, of course, but I admit I have a weakness for fics where Xiao Jiu becomes a bit of a better person and manages to obtain happiness in the end. Read a few fics where they’re brothers or something and I just love their potential dynamic).
Art!!! Absolutely gorgeous art, that I did my best to write a fic for!!
Look at it! Look at it, and then try and blame me for having Shen Yuan calling Binghe every variation of 'beautiful' as much he possibly could whenever he caught sight of him!!!
First Meetings and Promises of Faith- AnnAisu
My piece for the bingqiu reverse minibang! I'm collaborating with @annaisu who brought the story to life!
They r SO drunk and about to make the best decision of their lives
I mean, if Airplane had suddenly stopped updating, that could certainly instigate a full read-through! And as the updates continously failed to restart, SY could get more and more emotional - anger for the sudden stop and lack of any resolution, worry over why tf Airplane disappeared, more anger at the disruption and lack of any more story - leading him to make careless mistakes with his food and cussing out both the book and the author-
Because, when you do read the Airplane extra where he dies, it reads as if it takes place after any random update - he was even almost finished working on the next chapter!! That's why he was freaking out about his laptop breaking!!
I'd actually been thinking about a time gap between their deaths as well, but I never connected it with the 20 day reread! I headcanon my Peak Lords as younger - YQY as a head disciple when facing down TLJ, SJ being so stressed about the IAC because it's (one of?) their first as Peak Lords, why SJ only has a few inner disciples and a 16 year old as his head disciple - and honestly, their behavior tracks closer to under 35 than, say, 70. As I read on one post some time ago - imagine a bunch of 20-25 year olds shoved in charge of a university, and suddenly a lot of things make more sense.
(I'm only applying this to SQQ, YQY, SQH, and LQG - the other Peak Lord's might very well be a few years to decades older, given that all Peak Lords ascend simultaneously, so the other peaks might have been waiting a while.)
SQQ says he doesn't want to think about how old his body could be, but that's no guarantee he's actually that old! I generally put my SQQ at around 30 when SY transmigrates in - making it 14 years since TLJ was sealed, so 16- and with YQY presumably a few years older-
So. 30. And if SQH is about that age-
Give SY a week or so before he ends up going back and rereading the entirety of PIDW, and the number of days matches up pretty well with the number of years, for bonus synchronicity!
...but all that about the Peak Lord's ages is kust bonus speculation, and not necessary to support the original point.
(Also about the "following for years" - it's never explicitly stated, but when SQQ talks about how rhe story changed direction during/after the IAC, its implied that he was there - or at least, that he knew about it - before it became popular. Or, at least, that's how I read it! I like an SY who became invested in the protagonist and the world, and then could never bear to leave!)
(And also f* the idea that he read it for the first time 20 days before dying - he has a Reputation on the forum board!!! Airplane was thinking (and having nightmares) of him years after he died and transmigrated!! He compared Peerless Cucumber to a nagging wife, not a nagging quick fling!)
...actually you know what*, I'll check the canon myself tomorrow, but: do we actually know for sure that SY died immediately after finishing PIDW? because i remember he died cursing it with his last words, but not whether it was indicated that he died the same day as he finished reading.
Couldn't it happen at a later date? Because, like, just basing it on myself, there are some things that I finished 2 years ago and hated so much that I still have a rant pretty much lock'd and loaded, and I will start recounting it at the slightest provocation.** Couldn't it be the same case?
*inspired by a couple posts i saw before, about the discrepancy between SY following the novel for years (i didnt see this on my reread yet so idk source) and finishing it in 20 days (chap.1)
**yes, yes, the probability of transmigrating into woh/shl if i meet an unfortunate accident is something I have a healthy fear of
Err, sorry about the formatting of my first reply. >_< I was in the middle of something when I first saw your post, and had to jot down all my thoughts as fast as possible... and then tumblr was weird about the reblog visibility, as far as I can tell? >_< So, I'm sorry about that, and thank you for the reply!
(...and then upon looking back at this completed reply, I'm sorry about this one as well. I'm really not very good at it - the replying, that is, as well as just communicating in general-)
I'd like to respond to your further thoughts! Admittedly, this includes offering you a lot of... well, silly thoughts and headcanons that I am playing with, that I hope might spark within you new ideas or points of insights! Just, new perspectives that aren't necessarily correct - nor assuming that they are correct - but new angles to (re)examine, all the same!
I thought so! I wasn't completely sure that YQY facing down TLJ while still being a head disciple was canon, So I'm glad to hear I wasn't wrong there!
And yay for more support for not-old!Peak Lords! And for this IAC being one of the first their generation is facing! I always found that interesting - how, one of the first thing Yue Qingyuan says, is that Shen Jiu!Qingqiu needn't worry about presenting himself well for the Immortal Alliance Conference - especially since I'd also noticed the every-four-year event taking place three-years post-transmigration, meaning the last one should have already passed a year ago, and the next one shouldn't be for another three! Why would that be the first thing on Shen Jiu's mind/what Yue Qingyuan assumed to be foremost on Shen Jiu's mind as a source of stress?
I've got a few ideas in mind for that, though no proof for any of them, so: A)They're thinking of terrible the IAC were they met each other went, with SJ killing the other disciples and then his master, and then discovering that Yue Qi had presumably forgotten him or set him aside, which... yeah, would leave some pretty negative connotations attached to the event. B)The last conference went badly - either as a whole, or for 9!SQQ in particular. SJ is constantly in fear about his position and place in society, or similar, so any form of weakness might echo loudly even between occurrences...
or, my pet idea, C) Cang Qiong Mountain, still newly ascended to their position, did not all attend the previous IAC, either as a whole or in parts. They were still settling in, and taking in all-new inner disciples; they'll be prepared to give a much better showing after a few more years, and want to come out showing themselves as strong.
asdfhkasl a silly idea just occurred to me: D) According to the rules of the tournament, contestants found fighting can be banned for 12 years. What if SJ was banned from the conference after his misconduct at the earlier IAC, and the ban only just ran out? XD
(Or the boring option E) That they just recently went over a bunch of paperwork connected to the IAC - either individually or at a Peak Lord's Meeting - and thus it was fresh on their minds.)
...like I said - I have no proof for any of these, that's just some of the possible reasons I could come up with that SJ would be worrying himself so terribly with 3 years to go before the IAC.
(Skippable rant incoming)
BUT RELATEDLY. THIS IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY. THE THREE-YEAR SECLUSION IN THE DONGHUA IS A BESERK BUTTON FOR ME. (skip to [rant over] if you want to skip the SY levels of indignant ranting on a nitpicky subject-)
WE ACTUALLY. FOR ONCE. HAVE PRECISE DATES AND YEARS AND TIMES AND EVENTS!!! It's not like MDZS, where you're constantly wondering how long the Sunshot Campaign lasted! Or wondering for how long they were at the Burial Mounds! THERE'S NO HANDWAVEY-TIMELINES - WE HAVE DATES CLEARLY AND REPEATEDLY CALLED OUT!!!
Binghe is 14, and has already suffered under SJ for some time!!! Upon returning from the Skinner mission, SQQ spends 3. MONTHS. In seclusion, which immediately dovetails into the Sha Hualing's Invasion - in which LMY has no sword and is defeated, and Binghe barely manages to outlast and defeat his demon! 2 YEARS LATER, giving them plenty of time to train (and for Bingqiu to bond <3), these two will then go from faring poorly to RANKING THIRD AND FIRST IN THE ENTIRE IAC.
THE! IAC! TAKES PLACE! WHEN LUO BINGHE! IS! 17!!!
If SQQ spends 3 YEARS in secluded meditation, then Binghe and LMY have to go from "ehhhhhh" to fantastic practically overnight!!! WTF?????
Unless! You want!!! To destroy the timeline further!! And explicitly go against every single age and time frame mentioned after!!!
AFDHAKJLDHAKJSD
WHY WOULD YOU INTENTIONALLY THROW CANON OUT THE WINDOW WHEN IT'S BEEN TIED UP WITH A NEAT LITTLE BOW FOR YOU????????????????
Watching SQQ in the first episodes was painful enough - they make him look like an idiot clown with the whole drinking the medicine, as well as ruining one of the first touching scenes and the go----amn turning point in Luo Binghe's life -
..........................
...Alright. I'll stop now. It just... hurts, to think about, and I feel better after imagining I'm like SY raging at some of PIDW's plot holes and inconsistencies.
[...okay. rant over.]
asdfh- I almost went and quoted the "spent twenty days binging from start to finish" line before I remembered you had just debunked that when picking through the literal Chinese translation. So, I guess I have nothing on that point -
-just to say that we probably can't really trust what SQQ claims as his memory. Sure, I totally believe that you forgot all about the IAC. It's probably also a complete coincidence that Luo Binghe was out on an assignment that took him away for weeks, and even trying to return as quickly as possible, he only managed to make it back three days before the IAC. Definitely not a completely plausibly deniable way to get Luo Binghe out of the IAC, nope. (another wild pet theory to play with)
..
Oh! I completely forgot about the existence of extras as a standard occurrence, until your other post mentioned it!!! YEAH, that would totally make sense!!!
(and yeah, a 4 year total-3 year productive streak makes sense with a slower start, absolutely!! I feel like after he lost his outline, upon being expected to still update consistently, he just threw as many words out as he could in frustration (and grief - ouch >_<) .)
🥺 But what about the Airplane and Shen Yuan left behind? I feel like Shen Yuan's life will be emptier without ever having a Luo Binghe, or even an Airplane... ouch! Airplane, though... just continues on his sad, probably unfulfilling life alone :(
...
I think that was it, plus a bunch of uninvited extra? ^^; Thank you again for your reply!
...actually you know what*, I'll check the canon myself tomorrow, but: do we actually know for sure that SY died immediately after finishing PIDW? because i remember he died cursing it with his last words, but not whether it was indicated that he died the same day as he finished reading.
Couldn't it happen at a later date? Because, like, just basing it on myself, there are some things that I finished 2 years ago and hated so much that I still have a rant pretty much lock'd and loaded, and I will start recounting it at the slightest provocation.** Couldn't it be the same case?
*inspired by a couple posts i saw before, about the discrepancy between SY following the novel for years (i didnt see this on my reread yet so idk source) and finishing it in 20 days (chap.1)
**yes, yes, the probability of transmigrating into woh/shl if i meet an unfortunate accident is something I have a healthy fear of
Okay, I promised a writeup of Luo Binghe voter fraud meme, and as Luo Binghe is currently in the finals of the poll this happened on, I figure now's a good time.
So! It all started when Luo Binghe, our beloved half-demon child, was submitted to @/hybrid-battle tournament - or rather, as it was called at the time, @half-being-battle. He won his first poll easily enough, but round 2 was a close battle where he and his opponent, Shantae from eponymous game, took the lead from one another a few times.
In the last ~12 hours, Binghe was losing slightly after a popular blog rb'd the poll with a call to vote for Shantae. However, SVSSS fandom caught this in time and passed the poll around some more. The poll ended with Luo Binghe winning with 51% of votes - or, as simple calculation will reveal, 14 votes lead.
We breathed out a collective sigh of relief, but too soon - as half a day later, someone sent this ask:
(x)
Initially the pollrunner wasn't intending to do anything about it, but then someone suggested a teamup option, and the poll for the option was made (x). It was rb'd by some SVSSS fans with the general sentiment of 'free our boy he did nothing wrong', but didn't gain real traction until:
@gaywarcriminals reblogged it with a small rant in Binghe's defense
@piosplayhouse rb'd said rant with addition of the image from vol.3 cover, of Shen Qingqiu holding Luo Binghe's hand, edited to look like SQQ is the one saying the text above.
This version of the post was circulated in fandom overnight, leading to 'Luo Binghe moves on alone' option winning by a large margin - and, ofc, to the birth of "Luo Binghe voter fraud" meme.
Though aside from this particular post being funny, there was another factor contributing to the meme catching on: how damn in-character it all was. The following sentiments were all repeated more than once in the post's notes:
Luo Binghe getting accused of crimes he didn't commit? Omg just like in canon!
Shen Yuan would absolutely buy bots to get his most beloved blorbo to win an internet poll.
It's just Luo Binghe's protagonist halo!
All of which made the situation fucking hilarious.
Then, the next day, tumblr user verycharismaticdragon (whoever they might be 😉) made some fanart about it, which possibly aided the spread of the meme too.
Also, SVSSS fandom surprised the mod with our chillness 😅
(x)
Since then, Binghe has been going strong in that poll - and now, he's in the finals! So make sure to vote for him; as we all know now, the real voter fraud is the friends we made along the way. And I do recommend checking Luo Binghe's tag on the poll for some fun propaganda we've been making, including a family tree by Pio and some more art by yours truly <3
But wait! There was also another layer to the voter fraud iceberg. The tl;dr:
At about the same time Luo Binghe vs Shantae ended, Hua Cheng was losing in round 1 of @/the-ghost-bracket, with something like 39% of votes to his name. In a desperate move, I linked his poll under my bingqiu voter fraud art, which gave him a boost to get close to a tie, but didnt flip the poll. The next day, I was explaining the LBH voter fraud meme to my friends, and mentioned Hua Cheng's poll too - which was when inspiration struck me, resulting in...
this post. [ID: art of Xie Lian with a wooden board which reads "Puqi shrine accepting donations in the form of votes for Hua Cheng in the ghost bracket", captioned "please help dianxia, he doesn't have the money for voter fraud"] Which gave the poll enough visibility for Hua Cheng to win with over 62% of votes in the end. (The link in the post is currently changed to round 2 poll, which HC was also initially losing. Srsly besties we gotta follow the tourneys to get our babygirls to win!)
So: LBH voter fraud meme had even helped little bro Huahua out.
And thats about it! Since then, the scum villain fandom has been joking about voter fraud on all of our polls 😂
(Aaaand the last reminder to vote Bingbing in the finals. His opponent has been gaining lately and I think we shouldn't leave it to the protagonist halo this time.)
You're the best!!!! Thank you so much for the detailed breakdown and answer!!!
And, I'll be honest- I got so upset at the Donghua when they ruined the medicine scene, right at the very start, and could only bear watching in bits and pieces, so. I'm torn between wanting more Scum Villain content, and very much not wanting conflicting canon and characterization (especially not to the point of MDZS vs The Untamed)!
Do you know why everyone and their mother keeps saying that Sheb Qingqiu's secluded cultivation lasts for a year or 3??? Last I checked, wasn't he only in the cave for several months??
...I haven't seen a fic use that timeframe in quite a while - am I the delusional one??
Having intensively cultivated for several months, he could freely control his spiritual energy and had risen one level above his original cultivation base.
... nope, still as I remembered from the official book, page 85 in my copy. Even my old Exiled Rebels translation puts it as, "several months." Last I checked, 12 (or 36) months is far too many to simply be considered "several", so what am I missing? It just- throws off the timeline so badly and greatly increases the amount of time poor Binghe is stuck in the woodshed, for what?
Okay, so the 3 years thing comes from the donghua, no need to look further. It's one of those things that directly go against canon but have stuck in people's minds, similar to 'the washerwoman was the one to pull baby Binghe out of the river' and 'Shen Qingqiu fainted dramatically several times early on in his transmigration'.
Then, I don't believe I have seen 1 year myself, but if I had to guess, it may come from the fact that Binghe is 14yo prior to SQQ entering seclusion and 15 once he leaves. That said, an entire year makes zero sense considering what we know of the timeline.
Which is where I confess that I tore out some hair over the length of SQQ's seclusion when constructing the timeline for Transmigrator Time Traveler, because for me 'several' months means 3 to 5, but given all the facts, SQQ's seclusion had to last somewhere between 6 and 10 instead. (I went with 9 in the end, for the fic, cause I've read that 9 is a significant number for spiritual practices cultivation is based on? the source was a little vague so i don't know how true that is, but I needed a number.)
Nevermind, to the aforementioned facts. MXTX confirmed the date of the first chapter publication - Sept.21 - to be the date of SQQ's transmigration. (Small note: I'll be using modern months, even though SV's world uses lunar calendar, because it's easier to gauge weather and stuff. For characters in the novel, they might see those as different months/seasons, but that doesn't really affect our purpose here.) Luo Binghe’s 15th birthday - which Shen Qingqiu missed in seclusion - is in winter ('coldest day' which I after some research came to hc as jan6, though that's not particularly relevant, because...) Demon invasion happened on a 'hot day' (SQQ mentions it in relation to how SHL is dressed) - which puts it in May at the earliest, August at the latest. So these are the 'borders' we are working with.
Now, to my actual calculations. We know SQQ spent some time on the Peak after transmigration, before the Skinner mission that led to him going to seclusion. So I'm gonna say that happened in October at the earliest, December if you stretch it (though I feel like his tatas would freeze off if the Skinner left him half-undressed in December...) - but definitely not later, cause Binghe’s birthday has to happen off-screen. So if we take the longest possible time frame, October to August, we get 10 months. The slimmest possible window - December to May - gives us 5 months, but between the aforementioned boob hypothermia issue and the fact that May is a bit of a stretch for the 'hot day', I think that 6 months is the shortest you can go.
Which, again, doesn't align with my understanding of what should be described as 'several' months, but what can you do... tbh, im not sure MXTX thought all that hard about the timeline, which is understandable as a writer - but as a fan, frustrating
So yeah - definitely less than a year (and absolutely not 3, donghua), though the math gets fuzzier after that.
SVSSS jokes about how SQH or SQQ make modern references and everyone looks at them in confusion are all well in good. Great even, Im a big fan. But I want to play with the "standards of modesty / purity are different in modern vs ancient times" thing and have them make a reference that out of context (or even with context sometimes tbh) is just absoloutley awful down bad filth
Like. SQH is hearing someone stirring porridge or smthn and absentmindedly going, "heh. That's what good pussy sounds lik— wait. Wait no. Wait guys no. WAIT GUYS NO GUYS IM SORRY—"
SQQ looks at him in disgust from behind his fan as if he didn't have the same reflex joke thought
SQH, seeing some random, oddly phallic shaped plant he wrote into the world: twitches like a man who wants to open a comment section that does not exist then reflexively mumbles, "damn I should call her"
MBJ: Who the fuck is her
Shen Qingqiu, sword and fan dance
Brand new art.
Writing 人渣反派自救系統 (SVSSS, Scum Villian's Self Saving System). The 渣 and 反 (in red at the end) are written such that they form the character 愛 (ai4; love)
[eng by me]