Chapter 55: Masochistic

Luo Binghe was incredibly perceptive.

He took another step forward.

"What do you think I would do to you, Master?"

Shen Qingqiu said sincerely, "I can't guess."

He never dared to guess the male lead's thoughts again. As it turned out, he was always completely wrong!

Luo Binghe extended his right hand. Shen Qingqiu remained expressionless, but her gaze couldn't help but linger on his fingertips, following his fingertips as she looked down.

That hand was long and slender, not like the hand of a demon who had taken countless lives, but more like a hand born to pluck the strings of a zither. It lightly brushed across his cheek, almost imperceptibly touching his skin.

Then it landed on his throat.

Whether it was an illusion or not, the hand was pressing on an important blood vessel in Shen Qingqiu's neck.

Shen Qingqiu stared straight ahead, his Adam's apple bobbing almost imperceptibly.

Luo Binghe withdrew his hand.

“My blood,” he said, his tone devoid of emotion, “is no longer available.”

It turns out that when his skin touched Shen Qingqiu just now, he was probing the suppressed Heavenly Demon Blood within Shen Qingqiu's body.

Luo Binghe said, "It seems that Master has had another extraordinary encounter in these few days."

Shen Qingqiu said, "What are you going to do? Give me another drink?"

Luo Binghe said, "Whether I drink it or not, I'll still run away. It's all the same anyway, so I might as well not let my master feel any more disgust towards me."

In front of others, he showed Shen Qingqiu no respect whatsoever, but in private, he suddenly became polite and refined, leaving Shen Qingqiu utterly bewildered. The more he acted this way, the more cautious she became.

“Master, please stay here for now. You are free to move around the underground palace if you wish,” Luo Binghe said. “I have people outside who will not enter the room. If you need anything, just summon them.”

Shen Qingqiu said, "Very thoughtful."

Luo Binghe stared at him for a moment and said, "Is there anything you want?"

Shen Qingqiu said, "Anything is fine?"

Luo Binghe nodded.

Shen Qingqiu said directly, "I want to see you as little as possible. It would be best if we didn't see each other at all."

Luo Binghe seemed completely taken aback by Shen Qingqiu's words, and his face paled.

Seeing this, Shen Qingqiu felt a sense of satisfaction, but it also felt like being pricked by a needle. After all, he had never spoken to anyone so sharply and mercilessly before.

The process of the blood returning to Luo Binghe's face was extremely slow. He said, "My master once asked me if I wanted to become stronger."

Shen Qingqiu said, "When I asked you that question, I think I also told you that becoming stronger is for protection, not for plunder and slaughter."

Luo Binghe said indifferently, "No. Only by becoming the strongest can I firmly grasp the people I want. I finally understand that waiting for you, Master, to come is not going to work."

He clenched his fist and forced a fierce smile. "So, once we're caught, don't even think about running away!"

After the troublemaker left, Shen Qingqiu tapped the system: "2.0, are you there?"

System: [Providing you with comprehensive and user-friendly online service 24 hours a day.]

Shen Qingqiu: "Uh, the directions are comprehensive enough, but let's forget about the user-friendliness. What are the current values ​​for each item?"

System: [B-grade rating 1330. "The Arrogant Immortal Path" has successfully removed the "Thunderous" tag and earned the "Slightly More Flaws" badge. Keep up the good work, and we look forward to the unveiling of your next mysterious badge. Enjoyment level 3840, Rage level 1500, Heartbreak level 4500. Still needs improvement.]

Very good. After his efforts (and self-destructive actions), this overused harem novel has finally gained some prestige. Although "a bit too many flaws" isn't a good review, it's still better than "utterly ridiculous." The heartbreak level is so high; Luo Binghe is actually a BLX (a person with a fragile heart), and his anger level isn't as overwhelming as I expected. I'm getting more and more confused.

Shen Qingqiu: "With such a high level of satisfaction, what can I exchange it for?"

System: [System tools can be upgraded.]

Shen Qingqiu was overjoyed: "Good, good, let's upgrade!"

The system gave a soft "whimper" and began downloading the upgrade package shyly.

Shen Qingqiu thought for a moment, then suddenly asked, "By the way, what's this system tool called again?"

System: [Scenario-Based Little Promoter Deluxe Edition.]

Shen Qingqiu decisively closed the upgrade download box.

Damn it, the download is already complete, and they still deducted 3000 points from the "enjoyment level"!!! He's going to give it a bad review!!!

Frustrated, Shen Qingqiu sent a bunch of complaints and spam messages to the system and began his life under house arrest.

Luo Binghe was busy uniting with the Northern Frontier Demon Clan in the territory of Mobei Jun, while Sha Hualing seemed to have officially begun her disastrous undertaking—literally. In short, Luo Binghe had many people to eliminate and win over recently, and was probably too busy to spare any time, which is why he hadn't appeared yet.

Or perhaps Shen Qingqiu said something harsh that day, shattering her fragile heart so much that she dared not show her face.

Regardless of the reason, Shen Qingqiu was grateful.

If Luo Binghe continues to ignore him like this, isn't this the kind of life he's always been pursuing—a life of leisure, waiting to die, and living out his days in comfort?

Moreover, Luo Binghe did not use chains or anything to restrain him.

Bullshit!

For Shen Qingqiu to console himself like that, he must have lost his mind. He's not suffering from Stockholm Syndrome, getting overly grateful just because he's been fattened up a little. A happy life is something you create yourself, not something given to you by others, understand?!

Shen Qingqiu tightened his grip, and the book's pages tore with a crack, while an even louder sound of splitting bamboo came from outside the window. He lifted the curtain and saw a group of demon servants bustling about, peeking out to ask, "What are you doing?"

"Master Chen, what brings you out here?"

The servant was very enthusiastic and respectful, not at all like someone being spoken to under house arrest. He smiled and said, "They're planting bamboo here."

Shen Qingqiu was taken aback: "Bamboo?"

"Yes. You should know about this plant from the human realm. It's difficult to grow here in the demon realm, it won't grow, but Your Majesty insists on planting it here, so we all have to find a way."

Shen Qingqiu observed his strength and the way he channeled his energy; he was definitely not an ordinary handyman. The demons Luo Binghe had recruited were probably all handpicked from among the black-armored generals. To have these experts do odd jobs for him was a complete waste of talent.

That's not all.

For the first two days, Shen Qingqiu had no appetite, but on the third day he lost interest in eating altogether. He exchanged a few words with the fair-skinned, beautiful, and busty demon maid and ordered a meal.

He couldn't eat anymore after only a couple of bites.

The maid tilted her head and asked with a grin, "What's wrong, Master Shen? Doesn't it taste good?"

It tasted very good, extremely good. It was precisely because it was so good, so incredibly good, that Shen Qingqiu hadn't tasted anything like it in many years, that he couldn't eat anymore.

He put down his chopsticks: "Did the girl make this?"

The maid chuckled and said, "How could that be? I only know how to kill and eat raw, or wait for the meat to rot before eating. I don't know how to do things like this in the human world. It involves fire and a lot of firewood, rice, oil, and salt. It's too much trouble."

...Damn, so he's a fan of rotten food. Shen Qingqiu couldn't eat anymore.

Shen Qingqiu had long realized that this girl was being wasted on wiping tables and sweeping floors all day. Shen Qingqiu believed her style and skill were better suited to wielding a pair of axes and cutting enemies down like vegetables. It was quite possible that this was originally her job.

Shen Qingqiu remained silent and composed: "Who did that?"

The maid said, "Oh dear, I dare not say that. If I do, the king will kill me."

If you don't tell him, he won't be able to taste it?

Shen Qingqiu rolled her eyes, unable to tell whether she was annoyed or frustrated.

Luo Binghe is so annoying!

You think he's completely evil, then a minute later he's all pitiful and ingratiating; you think he's a delicate, innocent flower, then he'll slap you in the face the next second; he's fierce, arrogant, and domineering to your face, but behind your back he's secretly up to no good. He's a complete idiot!

The maid cleared away the food and swayed away. Not long after she left, the curtain was lifted and a person wobbled in.

Upon recognizing the face, Shen Qingqiu's wickedness flared, and he unleashed a devastating attack: "Fuck you—"

Shang Qinghua quickly raised his hand to parry, and a sword still sheathed was held horizontally in the middle, deflecting the attack. He said, "Hey, hey, no, please don't. Shen Dada, you can't just mess with people right now. If you mess with me, I certainly won't have a good ending, and you can forget about that person letting you off easy either."

Shen Qingqiu roared, "You actually betrayed me! What about our friendship?! What about our shared hometown?!"

Shang Qinghua said, "What else can I do but sell? That's Luo Dada. Even if I don't sell to you, he'll probably figure it out. Why should I take more beatings for no reason? I'm not stupid. I choose to confess and get lenient treatment."

He spoke so confidently and shamelessly that Shen Qingqiu was shocked. Before she knew it, Shang Qinghua had already stepped forward and sat down at the table, slamming his long sword down on it with a "thud": "Let's not talk about this. I'm here to deliver something."

Shen Qingqiu looked again, and her hand had already reached out to touch it.

It was his sword, which had been shattered into several pieces by the dissipating spiritual energy during its self-destruction. The Xiuya Sword.

Shen Qingqiu still had a deep affection for it, so once he got his hands on the sword, he immediately forgot all about beating Shang Qinghua. He drew the sword out, and it was still pure white and bright, long and elegant, forged seamlessly, full of spiritual energy, without a single crack.

On the other end, Shang Qinghua rubbed his hands together and sighed, "Oh dear, I really... never imagined... the plot would turn out like this."

Shen Qingqiu: "The male protagonist of your harem novel has become gay. Shouldn't you be angry?"

Shang Qinghua said sincerely, "It doesn't matter. Anyway, the person she's interested in isn't me."

Shen Qingqiu gave him a friendly middle finger and bent down to wipe his sword. Shang Qinghua gave him a thumbs up: "Actually, there's no need to be so pessimistic. You have a lot of potential, a lot of potential. This powerful backer is strong and reliable!"

Shen Qingqiu said, "Go to hell with that golden thigh. At least it should be a thigh, not a real thigh. Where have I ended up clinging to?! In the middle of a thigh!"

Shang Qinghua: "The middle of the thighs is even better. The middle of the thighs is a man's key area."

If it weren't for the fact that the Xiuya Sword had just returned to his hands and he couldn't bear to use it for anything sordid, Shen Qingqiu would have really wanted to slice off a chunk of his thigh. Remembering the important matter, his expression turned serious, and he asked, "Since you're willing to be lenient for your honesty, then let me ask you, have you done any research or design for the character of Tianlang Jun?"

Shang Qinghua: "Why are you asking about Bing Ge's father?"

Shen Qingqiu said, "I'm not doing anything, I just find it strange that you don't seem to be making much of a fuss about the male lead's father. You know, you can write 500,000 words about multiple wives, so you could probably continue serializing it for another two years if it has multiple fathers."

Shang Qinghua perked up: "You have a good eye, you really are my loyal reader. Let me tell you, I originally planned to develop a large framework, with the setting that Bing Ge's father is the BOSS, but as I was writing, my computer crashed, I lost the outline, and I don't know many details anymore."

...Shen Qingqiu finally understood where all those pits came from: "So you just left it like this, all bumpy and uneven?"

Shang Qinghua said, "Actually, the bumps and potholes aren't a big deal, right? The main thing is that everyone enjoys watching it. The girls who needed to be pushed have been pushed, and the bitches who needed to be killed have been killed, so there's no need to arrange another BOSS."

Shooting planes into the sky and cutting the outline was fun, but the system filled in all the plot holes in this meticulous and responsible world!

Shang Qinghua continued, "Actually, there's an even more important reason. The main problem is that I don't know how to make it up anymore. Tianlang Jun's blood is purer than his son's, his martial arts are stronger, he became famous earlier, and his character is more impressive. I've thought about it for a long time, but I still can't figure out how the male lead should defeat him!"

Shen Qingqiu rubbed his forehead.

Oh crap.

If Tianlang-jun is really released, will Luo Binghe be able to defeat him?!

Perhaps we can use this to keep Luo Binghe in check?

Shen Qingqiu immediately dismissed this dangerous idea.

Trying to take advantage of someone whose capabilities you have no idea about is a recipe for disaster; you might not even know how you died in the end.

The conclusion remains unchanged: Chicory is so worry-free!

Shen Qingqiu slammed his fist on the table: "Tell me honestly, what other things have you planned but not written down? Pick the important ones!"

Shang Qinghua: "I don't know if it's serious or not, but there's one thing that's related to you, or more precisely, to Shen Jiu."

Upon hearing this, Shen Qingqiu felt a chill run down his spine.

Given Xiang Tian's penchant for masturbating, it would be a miracle if he were given any normal character design!

Shen Qingqiu covered his head and said, "You...you tell me. I can handle it."

Shang Qinghua began passionately discussing his writing philosophy: "I have many ideas about the character Shen Qingqiu. I hoped to portray him as a well-rounded, three-dimensional character—a scumbag, a sleazy person, but also someone with reasons for being scumbag and a righteous side. However, readers weren't buying it. As soon as I started writing that initial idea, they started criticizing it in the book review section. So, seeing the tide turning against me, I immediately changed him into a stereotypical, sleazy, and despicable person. But actually, he..."

Shen Qingqiu was concentrating intently when suddenly, several maids outside the room respectfully called out in unison, "Your Majesty!"

It's come at the worst possible time!

Upon hearing this, Shang Qinghua's expression changed drastically. He jumped three feet high as if his backside had been scorched by fire and rushed towards the back door: "Your partner is here. We'll talk about it later!"

"Don't go!" Shen Qingqiu reached out Er Kang's hand.

Screw your "we'll talk about it later"! Getting stuck at this point is even more unbearable than [an eyewitness saying "the murderer is actually..." and then spitting out blood and dying on the spot]!!!

As Shen Qingqiu turned around, the blue curtain was lifted, and Luo Binghe walked into the room with his head down.

He immediately put on a calm and composed expression.

His expression was not good because his (presumably very important) serious discussion had been interrupted. Luo Binghe's gaze first fell on the Xiuya sword in his hand before moving on to it.

After a moment of silence, Luo Binghe spoke first.

"How have you been these days?"

"It's good." It's indeed good not to see him.

Luo Binghe said, "It seems that Master has never rested."

Shen Qingqiu said, "If one can stop dreaming, resting is a good thing."

His meaning was very clear. Surprisingly, Luo Binghe wasn't angry.

His eyelashes drooped slightly, and he stood for a while, as if he had made a great decision, before he said in a low voice, "Although I concealed something from Master in the dream, what I said at that time was not false."

You really dare to say that!

Mentioning this made Shen Qingqiu furious; she wished she could raise her arm and slap him a hundred times.

The Luo Binghe in the dream was indeed much more adorable. Although the male lead was still the same, he was pitiful and tender-hearted, making even a straight man like Shen Qingqiu feel sorry for him. However, the more he felt sorry for him at the time, the more painful the slap he received afterwards. He stumbled and lost face, so it was no wonder he was furious.

Shen Qingqiu said, "I really don't know which of your words are true and which are false."

He also said that he didn't do the things in Jinlan City. Shen Qingqiu was 90% convinced at first, but now he doesn't believe a single thing.

Luo Binghe felt his blood rush to his head, his face flushed slightly, and he raised his eyelids, saying coldly, "Master is only angry that I lied to you, but if I hadn't done this, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to say a word to you right now."

That's right, Shen Qingqiu always turns and runs away as soon as she sees him. Even when they do start talking, for some reason, things get tense after just a few sentences, like now, with a strong sense of tension.

Luo Binghe unconsciously tightened his grip on the hilt of the Heart Demon Sword, his knuckles turning white from the force. Not only were his pupils red, but his eyes were also faintly red: "How could Master not have lied to me? You said you didn't agree with the division between the demon race and the human realm, but you changed your mind in the blink of an eye. After Hua Yuecheng's death, I summoned his soul tens of thousands of times in five years, failing repeatedly, yet trying again and again, never losing heart. Even so, I never doubted that Master despised me to this extent, preferring to abandon himself rather than see me."

As he finished speaking, his voice trailed off, rising in a tone that was both indignant and defiant: "Master certainly has every reason to accuse me of being a demon king who brings disaster to the world. But why am I avoided like the plague when I did nothing wrong? You lied to me twice, and I lied to you twice. Isn't that fair?"

...He calculated things too clearly!

An eye for an eye, that's definitely the type to seek revenge!

Even though he thought his calculations were correct, Shen Qingqiu couldn't help but say from the bottom of his heart, "You really hold a grudge."

Luo Binghe scoffed, "Master probably hasn't seen what I'm really like when I hold a grudge."

As he smiled, his expression gradually turned gloomy, and he said indifferently, "If I said that I only remember my master, not hate him, I probably wouldn't be believed."

Shen Qingqiu was secretly alarmed: "Calm down." Speak properly, don't change your expression!

Luo Binghe said in a deep voice, "Master, you have always been able to remain calm, but I can't stay calm."

Before Shen Qingqiu could react, he heard a thud and felt a sharp pain in his back. When he came to his senses, the two of them had already rolled onto the bed.

...It's been so long since I slept on this bamboo bed board, it's so damn uncomfortable!

Shen Qingqiu cursed: "Have you gone too far?!"

Luo Binghe pursed his lips and remained silent. Just as Shen Qingqiu was about to kick him away, he suddenly bristled.

A hand suddenly slipped under his shirt.

Holy crap!

Shen Qingqiu thrust his knee upwards, but Luo Binghe grabbed it with one hand and pressed it down.

Shen Qingqiu cursed a hundred times in his mind. He didn't want to be spread-eagled and lying on top of someone else! He immediately sprang up, used a clever trick, twisted his waist, and did a somersault, pinning Luo Binghe down on top of him.

Xiu Ya was drawn three inches from its sheath, its cold blade pressed against Luo Binghe's throat. Shen Qingqiu was also enraged, and sneered, "Playing the 'forced' game? Hmm?"

It's true that he's at the mercy of others, but don't expect him to obediently submit!

Luo Binghe was restrained from all three sides, including his neck, but his eyes shone brightly, showing no fear of the sharp blade at his neck. He grabbed Shen Qingqiu's wrist with one hand and braced himself on the ground with the other. The situation was about to turn around again, but Shen Qingqiu was not about to let him have his way. He thrust the hilt of his Xiuya sword into his acupoint. After a few rounds of fighting, they rolled off the bed in a chaotic mess. Suddenly, Shen Qingqiu realized what was happening.

Wait, this is a cultivation novel, what's with the hand-to-hand combat?! Why not use a cannon? Are you an idiot?!

He immediately raised his hand, unleashed a burst of spiritual energy, and delivered a thunderous punch to Luo Binghe's lower abdomen.

That punch felt incredibly satisfying; all of Shen Qingqiu's pent-up frustration and anger from the past few days seemed to burst forth. Just as he was experiencing unparalleled exhilaration, the system suddenly started beeping and buzzing with notifications:

【*★,°*:.☆\\(￣▽￣)/$:*.°★* 。 Congratulations~ Enjoyment level +500! 】

Shen Qingqiu: "..."

Holy crap, this guy is a total freak! He really is! A true masochist! He can't be satisfied without torturing someone! Getting 500 points of satisfaction from punching him! Even the system notifications have become flashy and romantic, and for the first time ever, they even have a floating account. I've never seen such a weirdo in all my years!

Shen Qingqiu was about to unleash another devastating attack, but Luo Binghe wasn't going to play along. With a flick of his right hand, he deflected Shen Qingqiu's shot, causing the attack to miss and smash a regularly shaped crater into the roof. But Shen Qingqiu's attack was a chain reaction; one missed strike was followed by a second and third wave of spiritual energy. Luo Binghe simply deflected the attacks without retaliating. Occasionally, he was hit, but he endured the blows without uttering a sound, tumbling and rolling through the air. Wherever he went, white light and sparks exploded, spiritual and demonic energy swirled chaotically, and devastating attacks flew everywhere.

Having been putting on airs for so long, Shen Qingqiu hadn't had such a brutal beating in ages. It was incredibly satisfying! Suddenly, a hand ripped open his inner shirt, skin against skin, and touched his waist.

Shen Qingqiu hesitated for a moment, then immediately slammed the hilt of his sword against Luo Binghe's forehead, cursing, "Beast!"

To do something like this at a time like this, what else is he but a beast?!

I beat him up, and the system gave me over fifty notifications, which increased my satisfaction level by at least 4000!

Luo Binghe resigned himself to his fate, saying, "Anyway, in Master's eyes I'm worse than an animal, so I might as well confirm it."

Shen Qingqiu was so angry she wanted to laugh. Looking for a beating, huh? She'd make sure he got what he wanted! Before she could unleash a combined "Get lost!" and a powerful double attack, her vision blurred and her body swayed.

Xiuya Sword fell to the ground. A dragging force, as if the soul were being pulled out of the body, assaulted it.

He merely froze, and Luo Binghe stopped moving, looking on with suspicion and extreme vigilance. In an instant, Shen Qingqiu's head was throbbing as if it were about to explode.

Countless fragments of images flashed rapidly before my eyes; sometimes it was a blank canvas, sometimes pitch black, and sometimes I seemed to see shadowy human figures. A sharp ringing in my ears pierced my eardrums with pain.

Luo Binghe then realized something was very wrong, turned over and sat up, reaching out to press him down. Shen Qingqiu was not held down by him, as if a pair of giant hands were roughly pulling his soul and brain out. Shen Qingqiu clutched his head and rolled and struggled on the ground.

Something was calling out, reaching out from all directions, hissing and tearing at his soul.

Even when the blood of the Heavenly Demon was being activated at its most fierce, Shen Qingqiu did not have the urge to scream like that.

Luo Binghe panicked and said, "Master, I... I was just trying to scare you. Don't take it seriously. What's wrong?"

Shen Qingqiu's body tumbled and rolled in Luo Binghe's arms. Luo Binghe half-held him and quickly used his spiritual energy to pass through Shen Qingqiu's body. Although there was nothing wrong, Shen Qingqiu's screams were indescribably shrill and terrifying, as if a red-hot iron had been directly inserted into his brain.

As Shen Qingqiu's heartbeat and pulse grew weaker and weaker, Luo Binghe began to tremble. At first, it was a slight shiver, but then it became more and more intense. Unable to support his body, he fell from a half-kneeling position to kneeling on both knees.

He tried everything, but to no avail, so he could only yell, "Men! Get in here!"

Author's Note: Thank you to whiterichbeauty for the rocket launcher, Night Love, Light Breeze and Quiet Rain for the grenade, and to Xi, zzzsl, Meat Bun, orli, Shadow, Withered Summer, Medicine Master, Sinking Boat and Pillow Water, Three Inches of Sunlight, Fruit Garden, Walking Will Fall Down, Chaotic Moon, Little Field Secret, Ren Jiale, Baomibai, Bingjiao, Mo Yi, Cooling Oil, Evil God, and Night Love Gn for the landmine.

I don't have time to post pictures today, but I'll continue tomorrow. I'll continue writing according to my original plan. Thank you everyone and GNS for your support.