Chapter 72: The Person Named Shen Jiu
Luo Binghe said, Youre not afraid of me anymore?
Not of the one outside. But the one in here, yes!
Luo Binghe raised a hand towards him. Come here.
If this was the original Luo Binghe after being blackened, no matter how he beckoned him, Shen Qingqiu definitely would have been so afraid that he wouldve just obediently gone over. But Shen Qingqiu still had the courage to fight to the death. However, the moment he turned around, that black-robed figure appeared in front of him, blocking his path. Shen Qingqiu was only a scant few inches away from knocking into him.
Shen Qingqiu violently backpedaled and narrowly avoided tripping. Luo Binghe reached out two fingers, tugging on his sleeve and pulling him back. He said gently, Why are you running?
Facing this face, right now Shen Qingqiu couldnt even hit him, nor could he be completely afraid of him. He still didnt give up and continued to knock on the System. This is really the original Luo Binghe, right? Its not this worlds Luo Binghe? What should I do to get through the punishment? Do I have to beat him? This isnt much different from you just sending me back to my original world, is it!
The System: Hello, while the punishment program is running
Shen Qingqiu closed the dialogue box.
Luo Binghe stared at his face for a while before he frowned and said, I keep feeling as if it seems like theres something different about you. Youre really Shen Qingqiu?
Shen Qingqiu blinked, maintaining his vigilance. Luo Binghe gazed at his face, looking a little perplexed before he slowly reached out and held Shen Qingqius right hand.
His palm was the same as always: dry yet ice-cold. Shen Qingqius heart was slightly moved, and he was about to say something when his right shoulder suddenly went cold.
In that instant, Shen Qingqiu didnt actually feel the sensation of his right arm leaving his shoulder. He only saw something fly away as half of his body grew light before he had time to react.
Up until a monstrous, enormous pain suddenly washed through his entire body and brain.
Luo Binghe just completely ripped off his right arm!
Upon receiving the heavy injury, Shen Qingqius body backlashed with a wave of spiritual energy all on its own. Luo Binghe struck him, and the energy immediately broke and scattered.
There was no way to stop the blood gushing out. Shen Qingqius vision blurred, and he might have heard someone screaming, but he also might not have. His ears were ringing too sharply, and he couldnt understand. He only wanted to quickly escape from this person in front of him!
He stumbled backward. After just a few steps, he tripped over the remnants of some charred bamboo, and he toppled, face-up, onto the ground.
The pain from losing an arm was too terrible, to the point that it even overwhelmed the feeling of his head smashing onto the ground. Luo Binghe calmly followed him. This time, he lightly stroked one of Shen Qingqius calves.
Human stick!
Right now, Luo Binghe was planning on making him into a human stick!
It hurt so much that it was hard to breathe. Shen Qingqiu used his remaining arm to grab onto Luo Binghe, shaking his head wildly as he gasped for air. Dont dont
Dont use that face to do something like this.
Luo Binghe used one hand to firmly restrain Shen Qingqiu on the ground. His gaze could nearly be described as sincere and affectionate.
He said gently, Its not as if this is my first time doing something like this. How is Shizun still so unaccustomed to it? Then, lets do it a few more times until you slowly get used to it. How about that?
In a heartbeat, a gut-wrenching agony spread rapidly from the base of his left leg throughout his entire body.
Shen Qingqiu couldnt bear it any longer, and he let out a bloodcurdling scream!
Suddenly, the Systems monotonous voice issued a notice: The punishment has finished.
The pain abruptly vanished, and Shen Qingqiu violently turned over and stood up before immediately collapsing onto his knees again. He didnt even have the energy to curse the System and slap it in the face as he half-knelt on the ground, watching his drops of cold sweat land in bursts, dazed.
A voice suddenly spoke from the side. What happened to you?
Only then did he notice that he wasnt the only one here.
In addition, it seemed as if he hadnt been pulled back to reality yet. This was still the dreamscape.
This cave also seemed a little familiar. It looked like the same cave that the Dream Demon hid in when he appeared as a black mist that first time Shen Qingqiu entered the dream all those years ago.
The one next to him was precisely the Dream Demon.
Shen Qingqiu forcefully calmed himself down and asked in reply, Why am I here at your place?
The Dream Demon said, You entered an extremely powerful dreamscape, and it seemed like your primordial spirit was in danger of ripping apart. I wanted to intervene the entire time, but I couldnt. I tried many times before I suddenly succeeded just then, and along the way, I pulled you into the formation over here.
Before, he had the impression that the Dream Demon didnt really like him, but unexpectedly, when the Dream Demon saw that the situation wasnt good, he ended up pulling Shen Qingqiu out along the way. Shen Qingqiu felt slightly surprised, and he said sincerely, Many thanks, Elder youve helped me greatly.
The Dream Demon snorted. No need to thank me. Im just astonished that last time in the Holy Mausoleum, you actually managed to hang on until that brat woke up. You helped him quite a bit too. Helping him means helping this old man.
That kind of agony from having an arm completely ripped off was already deeply embedded into Shen Qingqius mind, and it was triggered any time that face floated up in his brain. Shen Qingqiu couldnt help but grip his right shoulder with his left hand. He had to take in several breaths of air before he could say that name without his voice trembling. Why dont I see Luo Binghe?
Usually, the one who tried the hardest and liked pulling him into dreams the most should be Luo Binghe. Basically every time Shen Qingqiu fell asleep, Luo Binghe would come over to disturb him. But this time, the Dream Demon actually beat Luo Binghe to it and pulled Shen Qingqiu into the formation first.
The Dream Demon grew depressed just thinking about it. How would I know? Ever since the brat learned how to control my nightmare technique, I couldnt enter his dreamscape ever again. In this world, only he dreams what he wishes to. I cant do anything about it.
If Shen Qingqiu couldnt see the adorable Luo Binghe as fast as possible, he felt as if his limbs would continue to hurt the instant he recalled that name. Could the young man who was a pure and innocent little white flower quickly come out and feed him a tranquilizer?!
The Dream Demon shot a glance at him. When he saw that Shen Qingqius expression was ashen, his lips pale, the Dream Demons face grew serious. That brat will come to find you on his own Why are you worrying? Before, werent you doing your best to avoid him?
Could this count as consolation?
As Shen Qingqiu looked at the Dream Demon, who was feigning disdain, he suddenly felt that this old man was a little cute.
He relaxed and sat on the ground. After a pause, Shen Qingqiu suddenly remembered something. Elder Dream Demon, when I was in the Holy Mausoleum before, I carried Luo Binghe east. On the way there, I met two people. One of them was a woman. Did you
Back then, Qiu Haitang had lost consciousness for a little. When she woke, she went crazy for no reason at all and ran away. Shen Qingqiu suspected greatly that when she was unconscious, she encountered something in the dreamscape. At that time, Luo Binghe was also unconscious, his head burning like coal, so of course, he didnt have time to invade Qiu Haitangs dreamscape. In that case, the most likely possibility was that the Dream Demon did something.
As expected, the Dream Demon twirled his beard and said, Just a little trick I did, thats all.
Even though he called it a little trick and pretend to be indifferent, he couldnt conceal the arrogant tone to his voice. Shen Qingqiu couldnt resist asking, What exactly did you show her?
Generally speaking, if the Dream Demon wanted to destroy somebodys mind, he would show her her own darkest and most painful memories. Could it be that the Dream Demon pulled out her memories of the Qiu clan being wiped out?
No, that wasnt right either. If that was the case, Qiu Haitang shouldnt have reacted the way she had the moment she opened her eyes and saw Shen Qingqiu. She shouldve overflowed with hatred and struck out with her sword instead, trying to stab several hundred holes in him. Why would she cry and scream before turning and running?
The Dream Demon: What I showed her wasnt her memories. It was yours.
Shen Qingqiu understood instantly. It was the bits and pieces of Shen Jius memories that were still remaining in his body!
He had always cared a lot about what Airplane Shooting Towards the Sky mentioned before, concerning the portion of the original Shen Qingqiu that he hadnt written down. Shen Qingqiu immediately said, Could Elder please pull it out and show it to me?
The Dream Demon looked at him, but he didnt ask why Shen Qingqiu wanted someone else to pull out his own memories for him to see. He only asked, You dont remember them anymore?
Shen Qingqiu prepared to toss out some excuse about how his memories were damaged when he had a qi deviation in order to avoid the question. He nodded. Correct.
It had to be said that the probability of having ones memories damaged from qi deviation was still fairly low. But the Dream Demon didnt actually pursue the topic. Instead, he said, Its better not to remember some things.
Shen Qingqiu said, I earnestly request Elders help.
The Dream Demon: You really want to see it?
Shen Qingqiu nodded his head. The Dream Demon reached out a finger and pressed it against Shen Qingqius forehead. Close your eyes. Open them only when I let go.
Shen Qingqiu obeyed and closed his eyes. The Dream Demon spoke again. Your memories are badly damaged and are not complete. They skip over parts and arent continuous. You might also see people whose faces are blurry. This is caused by your own body. Theres no need to pay attention to it.
What he meant to say was that if there was a BUG, it was a problem with your bodys source file, not my technique.
Shen Qingqiu counted to ten in his mind, and when the pressure against his forehead disappeared, he opened his eyes. A thin young man with disheveled hair was kneeling on the ground in front of him, his upper body bound by hemp rope.1
This young mans face was pale, his chin sharp and his features pretty. But his face carried an irremovable sense of gloominess, and there were purple sections at the corners of his mouth and forehead. It was Shen Jiu when he was still young.
At Huayue City, when Shen Qingqiu escaped from Luo Binghes dreamscape formation, he inadvertently landed in the remnants of Shen Jius memories. What he saw was precisely this scene. With a glance around, he discovered that, sure enough, what he saw during his hasty glimpse back then wasnt wrong. This was a spacious room with a library and a bedroom linked together, separated only by a hardwood moon gate door. It was furnished lavishly, and exquisite calligraphy and paintings hung on the walls. It was impossible for a family that wasnt rich to obtain these so this couldnt be the lair of some human traffickers. 2
Shen Qingqiu crossed his arms and leaned against a nearby shelf that had many treasure slots on it, waiting quietly.
The wooden door carved with flowers and plants in front of him opened soundlessly.
Shen Jius head remained rigid and he didnt move, but his eyes swept upwards as the newcomers figure reflected in his irises.
A young man with luxurious clothing stepped over the threshold. When Shen Qingqiu saw that face of his, which looked 60% like Qiu Haitangs, he knew that this had to be the eldest member from the Qiu clan extermination: Qiu Haitangs older brother.
What he had suspected before was correct. No matter what, the days that Shen Jiu spent in the Qiu family wasnt like what Qiu Haitang said, nor had he been treated like family.
The youth strolled leisurely over to Shen Jiu and circled half around him. Shen Jius face was tightly drawn, his lips pressed together. Even though his expression was dark, his shoulders trembled slightly. He was clearly extremely afraid, but he was forcing himself to remain calm.
Suddenly, Young Master Qiu kicked him square in the back. Shen Jiu immediately sprawled onto the ground face-first.
Young Master Qiu chuckled coldly. What, you dont dare to hit back this time?
Shen Jiu landed with a nose full of blood and dust. He said lowly, Spare me, Young Master. I didnt know that was you.
Young Master Qiu said, You didnt know? You didnt know, and you still dared to provoke me!
He slapped Shen Jiu onto the ground with one hand, and Shen Jius head made a muffled noise when it slammed against the floor as two streams of blood flowed down his chin. Young Master Qiu seemed to derive immense pleasure from doing this, and he took great joy in slapping him like playing with a ball.
Shen Qingqiu continued to watch from the side, maintaining his silence. This happened over a dozen times before Shen Jiu finally couldnt bear it any longer and he shouted, What exactly do you want to do?!
Young Master Qiu laughed maliciously. You belong to our family now. Naturally, I can do whatever I want.
Suddenly, a gentle and beautiful voice belonging to a young woman sounded from outside the door. Brother? Brother? Are you inside?
The moment Young Master Qiu heard his little sister calling for him, his expression changed, and he unbound Shen Jiu before he threatened him softly, Wipe your face! If you dare to say anything wrong, Ill kill you!
Shen Jiu was both afraid and resentful. A fierce glint flashed through his eyes, but he didnt dare to say anything despite his rage. He viciously wiped his face, rubbing away the dust and the blood from his nose, but the more he wiped, the dirtier it became. When Young Master Qiu saw this, he picked up a flower vase from the window and splashed the water inside onto Shen Jius face. Young Master Qiu changed his expression before opening the door, beaming. Why did Tang-er come over?
Shen Qingqiu finally knew how the original Shen Qingqius fawning on the surface but spiteful behind peoples backs character developed. It was most likely acquired and influenced by Young Master Qiu
Qiu Haitang wore an embroidered lilac robe and a pair of small white satin boots. The tips were embellished with jewels, and she was truly a delicate young mistress born from a flower bud. It was a different kind of beauty compared to her later allure, which was tempered through hardship. She stepped in through the door and giggled. I heard that brother bought somebody, and I came over to take a look.
She saw a teenager shrunk in the corner, his head hanging low. But his face was quite delicate and pretty, and her eyes lit up. She walked over before she said, all smiles, Youre Xiao Jiu, then?
Shen Jius face was already wiped clean, but he still looked quite unhappy, and he didnt answer her. Young Master Qiu stood behind his sister, his eyes threatening. He laughed and said, He doesnt really like to speak. His personality is quite strange.
Qiu Haitang took Shen Jius hand and said, Why dont you like to speak? Talk to me a little, please?
Her voice was soft and coaxing, her tone intimate, her attitude innocent and pure. Nobody could have the heart to embarrass her. Shen Qingqiu thought, When Qiu Haitang was a young woman, she was truly a bit similar to Ning Yingying. It turned out that the original Shen Qingqiu had always liked this type.
At first, Shen Jius face was stiff, but he still couldnt hold out against a young maidens gentle cajoling. His expression was one of silent enduring, and he turned his head, his ears slightly red. When Qiu Haitang saw this, she clapped and said, Brother, hes so much fun. No wonder you bought him even though you never liked to bring in people from outside. I kind of like him.
Young Master Qiu smiled fakely. I also quite like him.
When Shen Jiu heard the word like, he couldnt help but shudder.
At this point in the memories, the entire scene suddenly darkened.
The people present all swiftly vanished. Shen Qingqiu started before he immediately understood that the Dream Demons so-called rupture had occurred. Since the memories that the original Shen Qingqiu left in his body werent complete, the ruptures would happen extremely frequently. The previous memory had already ended, and now another one began.
The scene was still set in that room. This time, Shen Jiu wasnt bound, and he was lying on the ground with a swollen face as he picked viciously at the woolen rug on the floor to the point that his fingers were bloodstained.
Abruptly, two light knocks came from the door. A young mans lowered voice came from outside. Xiao Jiu, Xiao Jiu?
The moment Shen Jiu heard this voice, he suddenly moved and threw himself against the door. He pressed his face against the lock and said, Seventh Bro3!
The young man outside said, Quiet down, I snuck inside.
At first, Shen Qingqiu couldnt tell who the person outside was. When he thought about it again, he realized that the reason Shen Jiu had the character for nine in his name was because he was ranked ninth in the hands of the human traffickers. Naturally, there would be a one through eight as well.
However, Shen Qingqiu was truly a little astonished that Shen Jiu actually had a good friend with his kind of personality.
Rattling noises came from the door as if the person outside was shaking it. Shen Jiu said, Its useless. There are five or six locks on the inside and outside. The window is also locked.
The youth said worriedly, They didnt do anything much to you this time when the escape didnt succeed, did they?
Shen Jius temper suddenly surged up, and he cursed, They didnt do anything much to me? Are you stupid? Theyve locked me in here for two days already and broke both my legs. What do you think?!
In reality, Shen Qingqiu could see clearly that though Shen Jiu had suffered a beating and he couldnt walk, both of his legs were still fine. They were hardly broken. But the young man couldnt see the circumstances on the other side of the door, and he seemed to believe Shen Jiu. He said with guilt, Its all my fault.
Shen Jiu said angrily, Of course its all your fault! I blame you. We werent close with those newcomers, so what if we were stepped on a little? Why did you have to play hero! Are you afraid that people like us with such lowly lives cant bear it?! If you hadnt played hero, why would I have helped you? If I hadnt helped you, how would I have provoked him, and how would that Qiu guy have ended up buying me?! If he hadnt bought me, how would I have become like this?! Every two days I get beat up a little bit and every three days I get beat up a lothe plays me like Im a dog!
The young man repeated, Im sorry, its all my fault.
Sure enough, with Shen Jius personality, if he had friends, they definitely had to have incredibly good tempers. After several continuous apologies, Shen Jiu finally forcefully dispelled his anger and said, Whatever! Ive never valued that damn thing called loyalty. Ill give all my loyalty for this life to you.
The young man said gratefully, I know.
Shen Jiu said viciously, What the hell do you know.
The youth said, I really know. Seventh Bro will remember your loyalty. I will definitely repay it to you in the future.
Shen Jiu spat, What future! For people like you who are in the possession of human traffickers for your entire life, in the future, your fate will also be to become a human trafficker. No, youre a good person, so you cant be a human trafficker. At the most, youll just continue to beg for food.
The youth said, Xiao Jiu, I came to talk to you about that. Im going to leave. I came today to say goodbye to you.
Shen Jiu was startled, and he immediately sat up. Leave? Where are you going?
The young man called Seventh Bro said, I cant stay here anymore. The Qiu family has a lot of influence and wealth in the city. We cant possibly beat them, nor can we escape from them. There are so many cultivating sects in this world. Im going to join one and learn how to cultivate so I can come back and rescue you.
Shen Jius eyes suddenly lit up with a brilliant radiance. Seventh Bro, I heard theres an immortal mountain to the east that recruits disciples who are exceptionally talented each year. Are you going there?
The youth answered, I dont know but Ill go give them all a try. There has to be one sect that will take me?
Shen Jiu murmured, If I werent locked in here, I could also go with you He couldnt help but show the envy on his face as he pushed against the door, looking as if he was about to put some sinister plot in motion. Shen Qingqiu couldnt resist worrying slightly for the person outside.
After a while, Shen Jiu sighed again and said, Seventh Bro, from now on, you must not be so impulsive anymore. It ruins things every time. This time, I just got unlucky, but if youre still like this later when you join the cultivators sect, what will you do then? Be calmer!
Shen Qingqiu inexplicably found it a little comical that Shen Jiu was so young, yet he was still lecturing someone older than him. But the young man wasnt the least bit unhappy. Instead, he said, ashamed, Ill bear it in mind.
Because he had hope now, Shen Jius voice grew passionate. Hey, you have to remember what you said before. You must come back and save me!
Seventh Bro seemed to be earnestly nodding his head, and he said heavily, Okay. Wait a little, until I learn it all. Ill definitely come back and take you away!
The two of them stayed silent for a while, separated by a door. Shen Jiu asked, Did you leave?
The youth hastily replied, Not yet. I was waiting for you to speak.
Shen Jiu said, Seventh Bro, come closer. Let me take a look at you through the crack in the door. I dont know whether you will how many years will pass before I can see you again.
The young man laughed and said, You wanted to say you dont know whether Ill die outside, right? Okay.
Shen Jiu spat and said, You said that yourself! Dont blame me for saying something cruel.
He shifted closer to the door with difficulty and moved his face close to the crack in the door.
Shen Qingqiu was extremely curious as well, and he also moved closer. He passed through the extremely tiny crack in the door and looked outside.