“Luo Binghe can’t deny that the thought of what lurks within him is still disquieting. He still would rip his veins open and clean his blood of what it has, if only he could.”
So, I was rereading “Shen Yuan Of No Relation” and the way Luo Binghe talks about his demonic heritage had inspired me to make this piece
For @grubus 💗 Thank you so much for your beautiful work!
[ID: Scum Villain fanart of disciple Luo Binghe covering his eyes and forehead, his bright red huadian imprinted over his hands where it should be on his forehead. The background is dark, with a bright red halo behind Luo Binghe's head casting him in red light. End ID]
The new chapter of “Shen Yuan Of No Relation” has really inspired me quite a bit 😅 Thus, I present to you: Shen Yuan in somewhat of a “paint me like one of your French girls” pose (perhaps from one of LBH’s dreams🤭)
Thank you, @grubus, your work is like a muse to me 💗
Had a dream about syonr IAC arc today, that went something like this, so I decided to quickly sketch it out. What a pleasant coincidence that the fic updated today! Go read it - Chapter 61
‘“The bedhead is truly amazing,” Wei Qingwei says, “it is a fascinating peek into what Shen-shixiong must look like, before he is ready for the day.”
Shen Yuan slowly blinks at him.’
I was rereading “Shen Yuan Of No Relation” by @grubus and found this treasure! Decided to quickly sketch it and experiment with my style, while I’m at it
He reaches for it. Scrolls through the shop, until he reaches the section on chapters. They are all neatly labeled with numbers and titles, some costing more than others. The one he wants is one of the more expensive ones. Because of course it is.
( Unlock Memory for 500 B-points? Yes/No )
He looks at Binghe.
Shen Yuan takes a deep breath, and clicks Yes.’
Another little something for @grubus and my favorite fic “Shen Yuan of No Relation”.
Poor Shen Yuan is totally not about to cry, rereading one of the worst moments of his best friend’s life. Totally not.
On Luo Binghe's birthday and birthplace (along with the 24 solar terms and in-depth hydrology)
I didn't even set out to figure out the specific date. However, after delving into this rabbit hole for hours, I might as well share my findings and reasonings with someone. I'm not a mandarin speaker and english is my second language, so forgive me if I make any mistakes regarding a misstep in my interpretation or explanation.
If you do read the whole thing, just as heads up that it reads like a recipe blog with a bunch of tangents and dead ends and interesting tidbits. If you just want a straightforward answer here's the tldr:
Birthday: January 5th, 6th or 7th
Birthplace: Luoyuan Town (Luonan County, Shangluo City, Shaanxi Province)
posted originally on reddit by me
Now, for the ride
First of all a geography lesson: Where is the Luo River?
The bold part translates as: It flows from west to east through both Shaanxi and Henan provinces.
That narrows it, but we still have a ways to go. The Luo River is 447公里!! 447 Kilometers!! (or around 279 miles, a similar length to the Coosa River in the US). However, we have hints from the novel of where on the Luo River Binghe was born. During the confrontation with Tianlang-jun Wu Chen says this:
“In accordance with her pleas, this one helped her avoid the Huan Hua Palace disciples who’d come to capture her, then escorted her to the Luo River’s upper reaches. After that, he never saw any trace of her again. (Vol 3. P.292)
Admittedly, I'm taking the 7seas translation and even if I had access to the original text, I wouldn't be able to translate it myself, which is why I must reiterate that this analysis is for fun and should be taken with a grain of salt. The closest I've been able to guess after cross-referencing for hours is that it's referring to 洛河上游 (Upper reaches of the Luo River).
Alright, after more disclaimers according to my research there's various, somewhat ambiguous definitions of reach, so for the sake of simplicity (and my sanity) let's equate "upper reaches" with "upper course".
And we do have canon evidence of "upper reaches" meaning "upstream"
Those were the river’s upper reaches. What if someone downstream wanted to drink…? (Vol.1 P.227)
Little intermission!
Upper, middle, and lower reaches/courses are all mentioned in the novel!
Upper course: Just above, where (almost definitely) Su Xiyan died and Binghe was born.
Middle course: Where Tianlang-jun goes to merge the realms
Reflected within was a vast and tranquil river, flanked by verdant mountains and green fields on both sides. Embedded within those fields were scattered white roofs, some in rows and some alone.
“The sky above the Luo River’s middle reaches,” said Yue Qingyuan.
Above that scenery, a dark cavernous mass had appeared: a gloomy and treacherous mountain ridge, like a black skull pitted with crevices, pierced through the clouds. It crept forth from the roiling storm, hanging inverted as it stared emptily down below.
That was the Demon Realm’s Mai Gu Ridge.(Vol, 3. P. 264)
Lower course: Where Binghe's parents met.
On the way back to the palace, they passed through an old city at the lower reaches of the Luo River. Demons and monsters were on a rampage, and few survivors remained in the surrounding cities, but while investigating, Su Xiyan met a young man traveling alone.(Wu Chen about SXY and HHPM. Vol 3. P. 175)}
In the zzl extra there's no mention of the luo river regarding tianxi. But. There is one mention of it
As Mai Gu Ridge transformed into smoke and dust with a thunderous roar, an enormous snake plummeted down toward the heart of the Luo river, which glittered like silver scales. (Vol. 4 P. 138)
:")
(if i was tlj and a body of water had given me and taken everything I ever held dear, I'd also crash out and try to destroy it and everything else)
Intermission within an intermission.
Fun fact!
Did you know the human and demon realms in svsss/pidw work like the surface/depths of zelda totk? I've read svsss so many times and I've played totk for hundreds of hours but I hadn't put two and two together until doing my research for this.
In terms of geological features, rivers and mountain streams were the opposite of common within the Demon Realm. (Vol. 3 P.121)
A more in-depth explanation
Let’s offer an example: The Human Realm mainland had a river called the Luo, and the Demon Realm had the Mai Gu Ridge. These two places were located in different dimensions. But in the original work, after Luo Binghe used Xin Mo as a key to merge the two realms, Mai Gu Ridge was patched into the center of the Luo River and became an isolated island.(Vol 3. P.153)
End of intermission. Let's try to get back to the plot
So, as mentioned before, let's safely assume that the "upper reach" we're referring to is the river source, where it originates. And actually! We can use the same text I quoted at the beginning now highlighting a different part.
Translated as: The source is located in Luoyuan Town, Shangluo City, Shaanxi Province.
BING-O!
洛源镇!! LUOYUAN TOWN
As an added bonus, it was only established in 1949!
1949年，设洛源镇。
So, "back then" (though believe me that i recognize the irony in citing historical accuracy) there would've been nothing! Perfect for a runaway head disciple to give birth and bleed out to death. A grim image, but tell me this isn't the perfect scenery for it?
So! Yay! We found it! A satisfying answer, and yet, there are some things I have to address.
At this point of my research I became more critical of my source. Riverbanks are generally the birthplace of many civilizations! How can it be that such an important place is so recent? Thus, looking more into it, I noticed that my winning horse of an article is, in reality, just written by some guy with no sources to back him up. What brought this to the forefront of my mind was a comment thread
与大孑: 洛河分南洛河与北洛河。文章所说的是南洛河，北洛河发源于延安，经延安市、渭南市流入渭河。
MTL: With the big one: The Luo River is divided into the South Luo River and the North Luo River. The article refers to the South Luo River, while the North Luo River originates in Yan'an, flows through Yan'an City and Weinan City, and then empties into the Wei River.
MTL: Eqvor Lin 1: It is because of the name of the Luo River that the locals call a river to the north of it the Northern Luo River, and the two rivers are not directly related. The Luo in Heluo culture refers only to the Luo River mentioned in the text, and the root of Heluo culture does not come from the source of a certain river, but from the Central Plains centered on the confluence of the Yellow River and the Luo River.
So, for the sake of due diligence let's scrap everything and begin from the basics. Just typing 洛河 into baidu and opening baidu encyclopedia, which is conflicting as two different ones pop up. At a first glance, this one mentions 447 km and this one says 102 km. I'll ignore the latter for the moment, also because it mainly locates the river in Gansu Province and a sprinkle of Shaanxi when previously various sources mentioned Shaanxi and mostly Henan.
MTL: It originates from the border between Lantian County and Luonan County at the southern foot of Huashan Mountain in Shaanxi Province
Alright!! So now we have a clear direction. Huashan Mountain/Mount Hua and both Lantian and Luonan counties and wouldn't you know :)
Baike Baidu:
地处洛南县境西部，东与保安镇接壤，南与商州区毗邻，西与西安市蓝田县相通，北与渭南市华州区相连
MTL: Located in the western part of Luonan County, it borders Bao'an Town to the east, Shangzhou District to the south, Lantian County of Xi'an City to the west, and Huazhou District of Weinan City to the north.
DOUBLE CONFIRMATION!!!
Although, in the spirit of academic integrity, I will share this passage also included in the source
MTL: The source of the Luo River originates from Muchagou (T.N. a gully) on the southeast side of Jianyu Ridge in Longfeng Mountain, located at an altitude of 2028.4 meters in the Qinling Mountains at the border of Huazhou District, Lantian County, and Linwei District in Weinan City, Shaanxi Province. Some say it is Longtan Spring in Luoyuan Town, Luonan County. [2] The Classic of Mountains and Seas states: "The mountain of Guanju (now Zhongling Mountain), where does the Luo River come from?" The Commentary on the Classic of Water says: "The Luo River comes from Guanju Mountain in Shangluo County, Jingzhao, and passes through the north of Xiong'er Mountain (now Lushi County, Henan Province) to the east. The saying 'Guiding Luo from Xiong'er' in the Tribute to Yu comes from Longtan Spring in Luoyuan Town, Luonan County.
So... yeah. Several possible candidates I guess. Pick your poison. I've chosen mine.
(this is a gully, not THIS specific gully, just a generic one. I share an image cause tbh i'd never heard of that term before)
Here's the gully from where it originates
And here's Luoyuan Town
They're pretty close!
Less than 3 miles from where it starts? I think that counts as "upper reach" enough.
Also, I know I focused mainly on the town and gully and completely breezed past Huashan/Mount Hua. Does anyone know if someone has placed it as a location in the novel? Because come on!
It wouldn't make sense for it to be Bailu Mountain (since HHPM's switcheroo wouldn't have worked), and iirc CQMS is inspired by Hunan Zhangjiajie National Forest Park (although I'm not sure if it's only aesthetically or also geographically)??
Still, Ah, it would be nice.
(Does anyone know where anything else is????)
ONE LAST LAST thing. Remember the confusion with the other 102 km potential Luo River? Well, we have even more candidates. I won't even be touching on them but if you'd like to know more you can check the info over here. Just know that the first sentence on the first point of the table of contents (which is name changes) says this:
洛河是一条古籍记载较多而又混淆较多的河流
MTL: The Luo River is a river that is both extensively documented and subject to much confusion in ancient texts.
And though it's also in Shaanxi IT'S 517+ KM (321+ MILES) AWAY !!!
HELL NO!
The last thing I'll say about the Upper Reaches Of The Luo River is that I found a blog post of a guy fishing there
Aaaaaand this is where I'll leave this one! I'll reblog this same post to talk about why I came to that conclusion for Binghe's bday.
I considered trying to figure out which is the town Binghe ended up in... but I can't muster up the willpower to do so at the moment and figure out historical settlements for mid-size villages. If there are any records of it to the public even. Anyone is welcome to do it tho! Pls let me know if you figure that, or know any other locations.
We have a location! And I honestly never set out to find it in the first place. It was all in service of figuring out Luo Binghe's birthday (technically that wasn't my starting point either but that's beside the point). Fortunately, this part is relatively straightforward after all the prep work.
What does canon say?
Immediately after birth, Luo Binghe was abandoned by his parents, swaddled in white cloth, and put in a wooden basin that was lowered into the Luo River. This occurred on the coldest days of the year, and it was only thanks to fishermen pulling him out of the water that he didn’t freeze to death as a baby. Because he’d been drifting along the Luo in the season when it was choked with thin ice, he was given the name Luo Binghe. (Vol. 1. P.8)
"Coldest days of the year" is somewhat subjective and can be a wide window of time depending on location.
Let me introduce the 24 Solar Terms
The 24 solar terms refer to the 24 particular occasions indicating seasonal changes in the Chinese lunar calendar, established according to the change of the Earth’s position on the ecliptic (the orbit on which the Earth rotates around the sun). The 24 solar terms reflect the sun’s annual apparent motion, so their dates are basically fixed in the Gregorian calendar.
Another source
The terms consist of 12 pairs of major (sectional) and minor (middle) solar terms interlaced with each other., namely The 24 solar terms embody a complete circle of the sun and divide the circle into 24 segments, with each segment being about half a month long. In both the lunar and solar calendars, the Gregorian calendar date of each solar term is basically fixed, with minor differences of within one or two days.
And! Incredibly convenient for us
(...) The rest of the solar terms were initiated in the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC–24 AD). Hence most terms refer to the climate of Xi'an, capital of the Han Dynasty.
XI'AN! MODERN DAY XI'AN!!!! 90-ish Km (55-ish miles) away from the city center to our town! That's not a lot in the grand scheme of things.
We're going to focus on winter, specifically after Dongzhi (Winter Solstice) which happens around December 21–22. From this date there is 81 days until spring, 9 groups of 9 days.
九九消寒
This tradition is called “The Nines of Winter”- each nine-day period is a different stage of the season, well illustrated by this folk song-
一九二九不出手
So cold are the first and second Nines
That we do not dare hold out our hands
三九四九冰上走
During Nines three and four
Water freezes, on ice we go
五九六九沿河看柳
In the fifth and sixth Nines are to be seen
On the far bank of the river, the willows green
七九河开八九雁来
The rivers thaw during the seventh Nine
In the eighth we welcome the wild geese
九九加一九，耕牛遍地走
Winter sees an end in the last Nine days
When blossoms and flowers smile in spring
It's pretty cool! As far as I've seen there's a common version and then there's regional variations. Here I found one from Fengxiang County, Shaanxi Province.
[陕西凤翔县]
头九温， 二九暖，
三九、四九冻破脸，
五九、六九沿河看柳，
七九 八九 过河洗手，
九九归一九，耕牛遍地走。
MTL: The first nine days are warm, the second nine days are mild,
the third and fourth nine days faces frostbitten,
the fifth and sixth nine days are to admire the willows along the river,
the seventh and eighth nine days are to wash hands across the river,
the ninth nine days are the final nine days, and oxen are plowing the fields everywhere.
If you look up 3949最冷吗 (Is 3949 the coldest) you'll find most people agreeing around the country that yeah.
The terms consist of 12 pairs of major (sectional) and minor (middle) solar terms interlaced with each other., namely The 24 solar terms embody a complete circle of the sun and divide the circle into 24 segments, with each segment being about half a month long. In both the lunar and solar calendars, the Gregorian calendar date of each solar term is basically fixed, with minor differences of within one or two days.
And! Incredibly convenient for us
(...) The rest of the solar terms were initiated in the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC–24 AD). Hence most terms refer to the climate of Xi'an, capital of the Han Dynasty.
XI'AN! MODERN DAY XI'AN!!!! 90-ish Km (55-ish miles) away from the city center to our town! That's not a lot in the grand scheme of things.
We're going to focus on winter, specifically after Dongzhi (Winter Solstice) which happens around December 21–22. From this date there is 81 days until spring, 9 groups of 9 days.
九九消寒
This tradition is called “The Nines of Winter”- each nine-day period is a different stage of the season, well illustrated by this folk song-
一九二九不出手
So cold are the first and second Nines
That we do not dare hold out our hands
三九四九冰上走
During Nines three and four
Water freezes, on ice we go
五九六九沿河看柳
In the fifth and sixth Nines are to be seen
On the far bank of the river, the willows green
七九河开八九雁来
The rivers thaw during the seventh Nine
In the eighth we welcome the wild geese
九九加一九，耕牛遍地走
Winter sees an end in the last Nine days
When blossoms and flowers smile in spring
It's pretty cool! As far as I've seen there's a common version and then there's regional variations. Here I found one from Fengxiang County, Shaanxi Province.
[陕西凤翔县]
头九温， 二九暖，
三九、四九冻破脸，
五九、六九沿河看柳，
七九 八九 过河洗手，
九九归一九，耕牛遍地走。
MTL: The first nine days are warm, the second nine days are mild,
the third and fourth nine days faces frostbitten,
the fifth and sixth nine days are to admire the willows along the river,
the seventh and eighth nine days are to wash hands across the river,
the ninth nine days are the final nine days, and oxen are plowing the fields everywhere.
If you look up 3949最冷吗 (Is 3949 the coldest) you'll find most people agreeing around the country that yeah.
The terms consist of 12 pairs of major (sectional) and minor (middle) solar terms interlaced with each other., namely The 24 solar terms embody a complete circle of the sun and divide the circle into 24 segments, with each segment being about half a month long. In both the lunar and solar calendars, the Gregorian calendar date of each solar term is basically fixed, with minor differences of within one or two days.
And! Incredibly convenient for us
(...) The rest of the solar terms were initiated in the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC–24 AD). Hence most terms refer to the climate of Xi'an, capital of the Han Dynasty.
XI'AN! MODERN DAY XI'AN!!!! 90-ish Km (55-ish miles) away from the city center to our town! That's not a lot in the grand scheme of things.
We're going to focus on winter, specifically after Dongzhi (Winter Solstice) which happens around December 21–22. From this date there is 81 days until spring, 9 groups of 9 days.
九九消寒
This tradition is called “The Nines of Winter”- each nine-day period is a different stage of the season, well illustrated by this folk song-
一九二九不出手
So cold are the first and second Nines
That we do not dare hold out our hands
三九四九冰上走
During Nines three and four
Water freezes, on ice we go
五九六九沿河看柳
In the fifth and sixth Nines are to be seen
On the far bank of the river, the willows green
七九河开八九雁来
The rivers thaw during the seventh Nine
In the eighth we welcome the wild geese
九九加一九，耕牛遍地走
Winter sees an end in the last Nine days
When blossoms and flowers smile in spring
It's pretty cool! As far as I've seen there's a common version and then there's regional variations. Here I found one from Fengxiang County, Shaanxi Province.
[陕西凤翔县]
头九温， 二九暖，
三九、四九冻破脸，
五九、六九沿河看柳，
七九 八九 过河洗手，
九九归一九，耕牛遍地走。
MTL: The first nine days are warm, the second nine days are mild,
the third and fourth nine days faces frostbitten,
the fifth and sixth nine days are to admire the willows along the river,
the seventh and eighth nine days are to wash hands across the river,
the ninth nine days are the final nine days, and oxen are plowing the fields everywhere.
If you look up 3949最冷吗 (Is 3949 the coldest) you'll find most people agreeing around the country that yeah.
MTL: Among them, the three nine and four nine are the most critical, which is the coldest period of the year. Because at this time, the heat on the ground is the least, and the moisture in the air is not easily dispersed, the cold air is like a cover, firmly pressed down.
Another (Keep the Minor cold and Major colds in mind)
MTL: Conversely, the winter solstice receives the least amount of sunlight, while the coldest period occurs later, during the Lesser/Minor Cold and Greater/Major Cold, also known as the Third and Fourth Nine-Day Periods.
It also seems that in the north 39 is colder while in the south 49 is colder. (read the whole thing if any of this interests you. It's super cool and super thorough)
MTL: This difference is directly related to solar radiation. On the winter solstice, the sun shines directly on the Tropic of Capricorn, and the Northern Hemisphere receives its lowest amount of heat, but there is still some heat stored on the ground. After the winter solstice, the stored heat decreases day by day, and by the "Third and Fourth Nine" periods, the stored heat in the Northern Hemisphere reaches its minimum, naturally causing temperatures to drop to their lowest point.
How does this translate to the gregorian calendar? For this year, since Winter Solstice was on Dec 21 it goes as follows:
19: December 21 - December 29
29: December 30 - January 7, 2026
39: January 8 - January 16
49: January 17 - January 25
59: January 26 - February 3
69: February 4 - February 12
79: February 13 - February 21
89: February 22 - March 1
99: March 2 - March 10
So, our coldest dates happen between the 8th and 25th of January, which according to the 24 Solar Terms, it lands us between Xiaohan and Dahan
Xiaohan (Minor Cold)小寒 / 小寒5–6 January
Dahan (Major Cold)大寒 / 大寒20–21 January
Which one is the coldest? There's conflicting accounts both in the past and in modern day.
MTL: As the old saying goes, "Three whites during Lesser Cold mean plenty of food and clothing for farmers." During Lesser Cold, frost at night is called "one white"; water freezing into ice is called "two whites"; and snowfall is called "three whites." The appearance of "three whites" during Lesser Cold signifies extremely cold weather. A thick layer of snow covering the wheat helps retain warmth and moisture, laying the foundation for a bountiful harvest. The saying, "If the wheat is covered with three layers of snow in winter, you'll sleep on a pillow of steamed buns next year," illustrates this principle.
So! It is now my headcanon that the day Luo Binghe was born there were three whites. Evening frost, frozen water (not too frozen or otherwise he wouldn't have been able to float downstream on his little boat, maybe slush consistency?), and a thick layer of snow. ❄️❄️
Now, going into more hard numbers. Much more recent, but in 2021 the coldest temperatures registered on Shaanxi were on Jan 7th.
蓝田最低温达-16.9℃
MTL: The lowest temperature in Lantian reached -16.9℃. (1.58 F)
(though in the same article another source claims Lantian only reached -13.6 °C at its coldest)
Lantian! Remember Lantian? A quick refresh:
(The source of the Luo River is) Located in the western part of Luonan County, it borders Bao'an Town to the east, Shangzhou District to the south, Lantian County of Xi'an City to the west, and Huazhou District of Weinan City to the north.
LUOYUAN TRUTHERS WE KEEP ON WINNING!!!!!!
Cute detail! On this same cold day, the reporter mentions that the sky was beautiful
🥹Even in the midst of winter, in the coldest day of they year, I like to think the first thing Luo BInghe saw was a beautiful clear sky.
SO YEAH!!!!! YOU HEARD IT HERE FIRST!!!
And I hate to be saying this in this cultural zeitgeist. But according to all evidence, Luo Binghe's birthday, could very well be on January 6th....or 7th
Is that definitive proof? Well...
This netizen shows a temperature of -17°C on Jan 25th 2016 in Xi'an. Isn't that WAY too late on the season? What are we talking about!
从我知事开始，记忆里今天西安是最冷的一天了，都不敢出去了
MTL: As far back as I can remember, today is the coldest day in Xi'an; I don't even dare to go out.
"Today" is mentioned, so I can only assume OP refers to the same day he posted it.
So, I did read somewhere that if Xiaohan is cold af, Dahan is just chill. But if Xiaohan isn't "that cold" then Dahan is going to be HORRIFIC. I remember reading it. Somewhere. I can't immediately find it and honestly it's my last and least relevant addendum so this'll be the only time where i say "trust me bro". Either way, not like it serves us unless we hc that in that particular year early january wasn't super cold for some reason. In which case if you just want an
♒︎Aquarius Binghe♒︎
Then, you can be reassured you've got a lef to stand on. Potentially***
(***maybe I read it early on my research and it was about the south and that's why i didn't care for saving the reference. Oh well)
Thanks for reading if you've gotten this far! I'm completely normal about this novel and its characters. Yep. Anyway, if this info is of any use let me know! Also feel free to share this on twitter, bsky, discord, whatever the kids use. I just ask for credit and a link to see what's up. I'm sticking to tumblr and reddit so you can spread the word elsewhere if you so may choose.
Happy new years!!! I wish you a prosperous 2026. And well, lmk if you decide to celebrate Binghe's bday on my proposed dates this year! I'd honestly go on a three-day bender if I didn't have to return to work on the 5th....
‘Luo Binghe wraps his lips around the sliver of hawthorn left from before. It slides off the stick without resistance. There is no hardened sugar coating it anymore, only the pale flesh of the inside bared to the world, tangy as Luo Binghe chews. He licks his lips, chasing the last remains of sweetness to be found.
Shen Yuan is staring at his mouth.’
I was wondering what Shen Yuan saw at that moment, so I decided to draw it 😄
From Chapter 55 of “Shen Yuan of No Relation” by @grubus
snowghoul
kaledo-art
2087
turnnoffyourmind
vaporwave