This au has just been in the forefront of my mind so! I thought I'd maybe expand (and change) it a lil bit!
SJ (and maybe someone else like LQG and / or MQF) are on a lil mission!
A town/village has reported that its neighbour has basically gone radio silent. Which is a *big* problem! They send goods between eachother!! It provides a stable economy!! Without them, this town/village is going to STRUGGLE. And winter's rapidly approaching.
When asked, the village/town head states that they haven't heard or seen anyone for 3 months. And here's the really interesting part:
Anyone they send to go check on them never comes back.
Cultivators included.
So they make the trek to the neighbouring village/town which is like max a week away (if this becomes mujiu or liujiu that gives time for development or smthn or a timeskip) and ......
Things seem to be...Fine?
People fill the streets, there are children running around, aunties gossiping, street sellers hollering. Even their journey through the forest nearby was smooth sailing. If, too silent.
But the vibe is just. Off.
It feels like there's eyes following them as they walk through.
SQQ (and co perhaps ) manage to find the town/village leader. A strange, harried-looking man. Rude too. Doesn't even try to introduce himself. Nor does he allow SQQ (and co perhaps) to do so.
He does, however, offer them lodging in his humble home, which SQQ suprisingly agrees to (we find out later it's because he saw bloodstains. Paired with the starting lack of servants and the mans strange insitence for them to stay? It seems this journey wouldn't be such a waste of time after all.)
Now I don't have much going on after this but the vibe is still very much off.
SQQ and LQG (I had him in mind for this idk) get seperated and SQQ rushes after a giggling, child-like shadow into an abandoned buolding that. Isn't so abandoned after all.
There's an extensive library and there's a child hunched over a shaded corner, flickering light emoting from a waning candle. From what can be seen, there's a brush held tight in his grip and a crushed inkstone to his right. SQQ approaches closer, despite sirens going off in the back of his head. He turns his attention to what the child was writing and. It's almost indiscernerable.
The characters are too thick, ink pooling at odd moments snd shaky thin at others. The child's grip is terribly wrong. But even then. He can make out " Cang Diong Sect" and "Qing Jing Peak".
The candle flares and SQQ's worst suspicions are correct. Long black hair lopsided, ruffled green and white robes, the slight bulge in the sleeve that most definitely harbours a bun swiped during lunch.
He stares at his former self:
Shen Jiu.
A shadow flickers in the corner of his eye.
Shen Jiu hissing drags his attention back. Just in time to see a deep inkspot spreading across the parchment, undoing hours of hard work. So it's no suprise when the writing utensils are swiped off the table with a resounding crash, ink splattering across the table and baggy disciple robes.
But by that time, SQQ had already turned away, laser-focused on the shadow slipping through a door.
It leads to an alleyway.
An alleyway with two children. Both in ragged, patched clothing. Feet bare and dirtied with grime. Both curled into eachother to conserve warmth.
SQQ freezes. Because this is--
The smaller child whispers urgently, shaking the bigger one in such a tight grip that there will no doubt be a bruise come morning.
"Qi-ge. Qi-ge, wake up." He hisses, fear he refuses to acknowledge coating his words.
SQQ can feel the cold seeping into his bones. The panic clawing in his chest. The stuttering pulse in the chest under his head.
"Qi-ge."
Longer pauses between laboured breaths. Qi-ge's skin is hot and clammy to the touch. The medicine isn't helping.
Qi-ge is going to die.
He strangles that thought and curls closer, clammy warmth reverting into chilly skin, as it had been doing for the past three days.
"Qi-ge." Dirt-crusted nails bite into flesh. If he holds on tight enough... He turns his head as close to the other boys head as he can," Qi-ge, I'm hungry."
Nothing.
Then, as he opens he opens his mouth to repeat himself, a hazy brown eye peeks under a fluttering eyelid.
He watches Qi-ge's mouth as it moves in a pattern he can't understand. Murmuring nonsense again most likely. Qi-ge had been doing that since yesterday. Shi-jie didn't say it was a bad sign, but she didn't have to-- her face had shuttered when she'd heard him yesterday herself. He didn't like Shi-jie much right now.
He tries to curl even closer so that it's difficult to discern where he starts and Qi-ge ends. He'll meld them together if he has to. Somehow.
Qi-ge can't leave.
Qi-ge can't die.
Rattling coughs break his spiral and he scrambles to hit Qi-ge on the back. Perhaps too hard but. Whatever keeps him awake, right?
"Stop trying to talk, you fucking idiot!!"
A weak chuckle. Both of Qi-ge's eyes are open, if even barely. So he focuses on that instead of all the blood dribbling from Qi-ge's mouth.
Despite the scolding, Qi-ge's lips are moving again, a small palm pressing shakily against his cheek.
"This one is sorry.."
What?
"Qi-ge has failed you, Xiao Jiu."
Ah.
SQQ throws a sword glare at the fleeing shadow, ignoring the familliar well-adorned corpse behind him. It's sucked dry.
The shadow falls.
--
Okay I'm a bit tired so I'll just say the rest normally! (If my brain permits it). SQQ, considerably drained, stumbles strides over to the fallen figure. Its a child who looks eerily like himself but with the brightest green eyes with teardrop-shaped pupils.
Basically, the whole village is dead. (Yes including the village leader. LQ or SQQ or someone at some point figure out his name and say it. SY, of course, overhears. 'Qi-ge's' corpse was actually that guy) .
Suprise! Baby Eldritch Horror! Shen Yuan was puppetting them in an effort to avoid getting into trouble.
Someone had gone into the forest and disturbed his slumber. Then they'd severely mistreated him. So, SY, fresh out of hibernation and consequently, hungry as hell, ate them (after gaining their "trust" and their names). Which didn't satiate him at all. The cravings were too strong. So he kept going. Until blood flowed like a river through the village/town/city streets.
Essentially his reasoning for some of them was: " They were bad. I was hungry". He does feel bad for the collateral damage though. Which is why he stayed!!
This way they're practically alive, no? He has their names and their bodies! What else would be needed? (Souls, SY. They need their Souls... which is his diet. Or well more accurately it's Energy, or Qi. Which Souls have. Even the most miniscule amount. (Call me airplane the way I'm going to bs through worldbuilding)
Considering he doesn't truly have one (it's a bit shattered right now) it doesn't seem like much of a big deal).
Anyhow, I'd like to emphasise the fact that SY is an eldritch horror. Not fae, despite the aspects I'll be drawing from them. SY is just bored and decided it might be fun to play by their rules for a while. Or. Whatevers left of it after he bends them so hard they snap. He is bound by no rules on the mortal plane. But he's a lil baby eldritch horror so. He's not totally invincible. Pride doth come before the fall.
After he explains the " They hurt me. So I hurt them" ideology. SQQ studies him. I'm not sure what he's thinking here but SY has played his card at this point
("Who are you Mr.Cultivator?" "..." "If you answer, I'll answer your questions too!" "... This one is Shen QingQiu of Qing Jing Peak." "..? >:C No, it's Xiao Jiu!! Don't lie!" "???!" "Xiao Jiu shouldn't raise his sword against this ancestor anymore!!" Cue SQQ's hand lowering against his will. Xiu Ya clatters to the ground)
so SQQ now has an incredibly large liability.
The child weilds too much power over him. The best way forward would be to keep him close and reach a deal (and gather enough information for mutually assured destruction).
So he does.
He offers SY a place with lots of food as long as he refrains from using that name. SY pouts," At all? :C Not even in private? :/ Xiao Jiu should make better deals for this poor ancestor :C" (yes SY is a little gremlin shit)
Anyhow, somehow someway, the deal is moved to name usage only in private and only 7 uses. (SQQs eyes twitch at that). And the child will come with him peacefully. (He's still a little shit).
I haven't decided whether SQQ should figure out SY's name (Shenyuan as in abyss) when he introduces SY as his son or brother. But i feel like it might be funnier if SY introduces himself as "Shen Shiliu" or 16 (i got this idea from a fic but I cannot recall its name for the life of me my brain is melting :/) just to piss SQQ off further. What a lil troll.
And then shenanigans ensue!
(Yes SY can do mindfuckery to try and learn ppls names. That's what he did to SQQ. More power is gained that way. Because their subconscious gives it. Remember that rule bending? Bro's playing a whole different game lol)
