An Alternate Lingxi Caves Encounter
I’ve been thinking about this for forever but mostly in bed on my way to sleep so I had to piece together the idea from sleepy fragments and I think I finally have it. An alternate way Shen Yuan and Liu Qingge “meet” inside the Lingxi Caves.
First, Let’s make an assumption here that I’m too tired to check the canon to confirm:
Before encountering the War God in the Lingxi Caves himself, Shen Yuan doesn’t know about Liu Qingge’s Qi Deviation. He knows Shen Qingqiu killed him in the Lingxi Caves but nothing else surrounding the War God’s death. He doesn’t know Liu Qingge was Qi Deviating, that Shen Qingqiu was trying to help, that Liu Qingge may or may not have turned the blade onto himself to prevent himself from killing Shen Qingqiu.
So let’s tweak something:
What if Shen Yuan was feeling a little more helpless, was a little less sure that being kind to Luo Binghe would save him in the end, was a little more certain the whole world would find a way to punish the body he was in, and in general, was a little more pessimistic about his whole situation. Maybe someone - Mu Qingfang or Yue Qingyuan - accidentally mentioned in his hearing that if Shen Qingqiu would stop getting into situations, it would be easier on everyone. Maybe Shen Yuan took that as it would be easier on everyone if Shen Qingqiu was removed from the picture entirely. And since this Shen Yuan is more jaded by his circumstances, he doesn’t consider anything like running away in disguise but something more … extreme.
So let’s set the scene:
Shen Qingqiu / Shen Yuan enters the Lingxi Caves as directed by the plot and the System. He is theoretically making his way deeper inside the cave system to find a spot to cultivate. He - in practice - is actually listening. And when Shen Qingqiu / Shen Yuan hears someone else in the caves, he puts the only plan he’s been able to come up with to remove Shen Qingqiu from the equation into practice.
Shen Qingqiu / Yuan rushes into the cave where Liu Qingge is cultivating normally and definitely not Qi Deviating inside with Xiu Ya raised in an attack.
See, Shen Yuan didn’t realize that his attack on Liu Qingge was supposed to happen on schedule, specifically when the War God was Qi Deviating. And this time, the System isn’t strong enough (or mean enough?) to force the Qi Deviation. So this Shen Qingqiu / Yuan faces the full force of Liu Qingge’s might.
As he planned.
And he isn’t planning to get out alive.
See, Shen Yuan decided the best way to remove himself from the situation is to have Liu Qingge kill him in the caves, instead of the other way around. This would remove the weak, hated, corrupt link and strengthen the sect by keeping the War God alive.
(There also may be some notes left in his bamboo house with instructions for what to do on Qing Jing if / when he’s gone that include sending Luo Binghe to train under someone who had previously shown he wanted the boy - Liu Qingge - to give the protagonist a chance to experience a real teacher - disciple relationship and hopefully lessening the little lotus’ hatred of the sect)
Liu Qingge is definitely surprised by the attack but it’s not unexpected in his opinion for Shen Qingqiu to attack him. He is, however, started than some people give him credit for and knows losing the second ranked Peak Lord would weaken the sect. So while Shen Qingqiu in front of him is silently and furiously attacking with Xiu Ya with what appears to be intent to kill, Liu Qingge is looking to demobilize his Shixiong.
Liu Qingge soon realizes something odd about Shen Qingqiu’s fighting style. First of all, the older man isn’t using his leaf technique or even any of his underhanded trick to get the upper hand. Second, it almost appears the Qing Jing Peak Lord is moving himself in the way of Cheng Luan instead of out of its path. He IS moving himself in the way of Cheng Luan.
When Liu Qingge pulls his sword out of Shen Qingqiu’s shoulder - his glancing sword strike almost became a strike to the heart when the other moved right into the sword’s path and even the War God couldn’t completely avoid the resulting hit - Shen Qingqiu / Yuan finally breaks his silence.
“Just stab me already,” he babbles, half drunk on the feelings of adrenaline and pain and blood loss. “Just kill me already and finally get rid of your evil Shixiong. Put the sect out of its misery of having a lecher, a scum, and make the world a better place.”
Liu Qingge just stands there stunned as he watches his cool, aloof Shixiong fall to his knees, blood trailing down the wall a sign of his movement, eyes wide and frantic and turning red with tears.
“Kill me, end me. Make sure my horrible reputation and evil deeds don’t spell the end of Cang Qiong. Do your duty as the War God and protector of the sect to get rid of its doom. Those who claimed I’m an evil star are right and if I stay,” here Shen Qingqiu chokes, “… stay alive then everyone on the mountains will die.”
He stands, shakily and bloodied, sword in his hand and aiming at Liu Qingge.
Liu Qingge tries to distrust the string of words but only manages “what…” before they are trading blows again, this time one side far more frantic.
“They’ve called me a lecher for seeking comfort from the only people who never sought to hurt me. They called me a lazy student for first being beaten instead of allowed to train then taught methods to harm myself by the man who called himself my teacher. They called my attitude a sign of my rich and idle upbringing instead of seeing the mask of a terrified fake, trying to fit in.”
Maybe it was the ghost of the original who could finally spill his mind that allowed the second Shen Qingqiu to reveal secrets he should have never known. Maybe it was the System putting words in the delirious man’s mouth to move the plot into a new direction. In any case, Liu Qingge was fighting against the distracted craze of a man preventing the War God from helping the Qing Jing Peak Lord’s sudden Qi Deviation.
Shen Qingqiu’s face is covered in tears and blood and he still keeps talking. “Let the Old Palace Master know he’s right to put me in the Water Prison like he’s long since wanted to do. Let the demons have my body to rend apart and feast on my severed limbs as payment for failing to help their leader. Let the boy…” he chokes again, this time on blood after Chen Luan’s hilt strikes his abdomen, but also on his grief and regret regarding the one he speaks about, “the poor boy, let him know his revenge is satisfied, his tormentor is gone and received the punishment deserved for horrible acts upon a child…”
Shen Qingqiu collapses now, a combination of blood loss and fatigue and Liu Qingge’s own actions to disable his Shixiong. The War God now leans over the smaller, older man who slumps against the cave wall, restraining his arms a preparing to something - inject qi to stop the deviation, knock him out so a healer can look at him, hug him… - when Shen Qingqiu looks Liu Qingge in the eyes with an unexpected clarity from a man speaking madness moments before.
“I never wanted to kill you. Please let me die before I have to. ”
And Shen Qingqiu slumps, unconscious and bleeding out his eyes and ears and mouth and the numerous cuts and wounds he received and Liu Qingge can finally contemplate the paradigm shift his worldview is experiencing.
Though not for long, his Shixiong’s Qi Deviation inexplicably ended but he’s still left with unsettled Qi and losing blood. Liu Qingge needs to take him to Mu Qingfang as soon as possible. He needs to have a serious conversation with the Sect Leader to discuss the safety of Cang Qiong if anything Shen Qingqiu said might be true. He needs to find his Shidi in charge of the artefacts to get permission to borrow the Talented Visionary’s Memory Viewer so his words cannot be doubted. And he needs to gather the Peak Lords so they can discuss what their Strategist believes - about himself, about how others see him, and about what to do with the tidbits of past and future he claimed. Especially since they’d likely need to work together to convince their apparently (and how long had this been the case) suicidal Second in Command that he is not disposable even in for the safety of the Sect.
