Shen Yuan has come to the decision that the best thing he can do after transmigrating is to fake his own death of a qi deviation in the Ling Xi caves and disappear. No human stick necessary if the protagonist can’t even find him. And, Liu Qingge will survive if there’s no scum villain to kill him!
Fate was not on his side. It turns out Liu Qingge really did have a deadly qi deviation in the caves, and Shen Yuan can’t just leave him to die! He’ll stabilize his qi and bolt as soon as the other man is stable.
However, Liu Qingge is a freak of nature. Practically as soon as he’s stabilized and Shen Yuan is ready to go, he wakes up. Shit.
Liu Qingge is no more happy with this situation. He owes Shen Qingqiu a life debt. Fml
Once he can convince Shen Yuan to not immediately leave, Shen Yuan makes him agree to help him fake his death and run away. Of course that honorless letch would run away from his responsibilities, but it’s not like he can say no….
LQG leaves the caves briefly for medical treatment (and to get supplies for SQQ to flee). Upon his return, they sneak out. SQQ is….. different on the road. A lot different.
He’s happy, excitable, smiling. Was he always really like this, hiding it under a cool mask in the sect? Is he playing at something? Was his life that bad as a peak lord?
Eventually they find a town in need of an apothecary. Shen Yuan buys the cottage and takes over the garden. It’s the perfect job, he can quote every plant from PIDW and its properties backwards and forwards. And with his knowledge of modern medicine, maybe he can actually help people in this world instead of just making his disciples miserable.
SQQ takes to the post like a fish to water. LQG has never seen him like this with other people- mere strangers of nowhere. But SQQ is smiling, helping people, doing charity work…. Had he always been this kind? This enchanting?
LQG makes the trip to and from the sect many times to check on SQQ and bring supplies. He’s hardly repaid a debt of life, so it’s the least he can do. He’s finding himself more eager to leave the sect than ever before. All the time he spends hunting monsters, it’s to bring rate ingredients to SQQ and take care of the beasts plaguing the villagers. The villages have come to expect them together.
The sect did not buy that SQQ died of a qi deviation that didn’t leave behind a body, and LQG poor lies did nothing to help. YQY and SQQ’s personal disciples have been pulling their hair out over his absence for the past several months. Eventually they follow LQG on one of his many trips from the sect, coming to an unremarkable village LQG has dragged a shorthaired beast to. In an apothecarian’s cottage, they find the missing peak lords leaning against each other by a fire, sharing a meal and talking like old friends….. more than friends is YQY is being honest.















