☆ Chapter 81, The Finale

"The Arrogant Path of Immortals and Demons" is a wish-fulfillment harem novel. This has been made clear from the very beginning.

Shen Qingqiu is a straight man, as heaven and earth can attest, and he has a clear conscience. He has defined himself in this way since birth.

So, if someone were to tell Shen Yuan, "Oh, you're going to get into gay relationships, and you'll get into a gay relationship with the male protagonist of this book, and you'll even be the one doing it yourself," when he first opens "The Arrogant Immortal Demon Path," a book so outrageously ridiculous it's practically a masterpiece of its own, he would definitely show them what it means to have your brains splattered on the ground.

Now, he floats in the void he passed through when he first entered this world, listening to the familiar local accent that the system, as always, sounds like Google Translate, spreading to every corner.

Hello, thanks to your tireless efforts and active cooperation, all metrics have met the requirements for the upgrade.

[The system is pleased to inform you that you have been promoted to a basic VIP user. VIP users can now enable the advanced "Self-Rescue" feature.]

[If your health drops to its lowest point, you can fully recover your health once.]

Fully revived!

This VIP treatment is seriously amazing!

Shen Qingqiu said, "Um... this self-rescue function can only be used once? It can only be used on myself?"

System: [Correct understanding.]

Shen Qingqiu immediately considered a very serious problem.

He first drew away most of the demonic energy from Luo Binghe's body, so even if he destroyed the Heart Demon Sword now, it shouldn't have any effect on Luo Binghe.

He initially thought he was most likely dead, and the child cried and begged to die with him. Now that he's used his self-rescue ability, he mustn't be foolish enough to commit suicide after him!

Shen Qingqiu hurriedly asked, "Where is Luo Binghe? How is he now?"

System: [Your current permissions do not allow you to inquire about total energy-related issues. Would you like to view your achievements history?]

Even though I'm a VIP, why can't I get a consultation?

Shen Qingqiu was extremely anxious, but he had long understood the system's quirks.

If it's not enough, it's not enough. If you're not allowed to ask, you're not allowed to ask. There's no use in being anxious!

System: [Would you like to view your achievements history?]

...Alright, it seems I have no choice but to see this. Shen Qingqiu waved his hand: "Look, look! Look now!"

Accompanied by a cheerful background music, the system slowly unfurled a scroll-like list of achievements:

[Avoid 20 or more landmines to remove the "Outrageous" tag and earn the "Slightly More Flaws" badge.]

[History's highest "B-grade" rating has surpassed 5000, earning the "Readable When There's a Shortage of Books" badge.]

[If you commit three or more instances of excessive melodrama, you will receive the "Most Bloodstained" medal.]

Remove unnecessary content and irrelevant side quests, and remove the "Invincible Water God" label.

[With the hidden characters completed, most plot holes have been filled, and the "full of plot holes" label has been removed.]

[The level of enjoyment has exceeded the statistical range, earning the "Almost Worth It" badge.]

[Meets system recommendation standards. One-sentence summary: The story of a love-struck, delusional teenager trying to destroy the world.]

Upon seeing this line, Shen Qingqiu: "..."

Absolutely irrefutable. [Manual goodbye]

Thinking about it carefully, it's true that from the moment he was reborn here, "The Arrogant Immortal Demon Path" transformed from a shameless, erotic harem novel into a melodramatic love story about a pure, innocent virgin with a twisted, eccentric personality.

However, looking at this row of gleaming medals, Shen Qingqiu secretly admired himself a little.

The author won't fill in the plot holes, so I'll fill them in myself! Isn't that awesome?!

In the history of harem novels, has any reader ever been as dedicated as him, filling in the plot holes and raising the book's reputation to this level, earning it so many accolades?!

Although the direction may have been slightly off, at least this is the true meaning of "If you can do it, then do it; if you can't, then don't talk nonsense!"

Suddenly, Shen Qingqiu noticed a small pink symbol "♀" in the upper left corner of the honor list.

He knew the symbols ♂ represented male and ♀ represented female, and found it a bit strange: "What does this symbol mean?"

System: [This indicates that all achievements listed are female-oriented honors.]

Shen Qingqiu: "...Are you kidding me?"

System: [The genre of "The Arrogant Path of Immortals and Demons" has been modified.]

Wait a moment!

Why was it categorized as female-oriented?!

No wonder this bizarre and melodramatic plot managed to garner so many accolades; it turns out it was categorized as a story aimed at women!

Why do female-oriented games have a "Can Still Masturbate" badge? What do they use to masturbate?!

Was this person relegated from the main site to the female-oriented section?!

No. The truth is far more terrifying!

Shen Qingqiu suddenly remembered that the interface had changed since the system upgrade, no wonder it looked familiar. The style and color scheme of this interface seemed...it seemed like that legendary Green Dingding Literature City!

The mouthful of stagnant blood that Shen Qingqiu had been holding back since the day he was reborn was finally spurted out by Shen Qingqiu after he learned the truth.

He stretched out Er Kang's hand towards the sky: "No—!"

There was a two-second silence in the room.

In a flash, a huge crowd of people swarmed around them.

Ning Yingying, Ming Fan, Qi Qingqi, Mu Qingfang, and a bunch of others crowded around the bed, chattering away. Shen Qingqiu's head throbbed from the noise; she couldn't hear a thing and bent over, clutching her head. Then she heard Liu Qingge say, "Get out of the way!"

As soon as he spoke, everyone else immediately shut up. The younger generation stuck out their tongues and slunk away. The empty seat was filled by Liu Qingge. He stood by the bed with his arms crossed, and Shen Qingqiu, finally finding someone reliable, grabbed him and asked, "Where's Luo Binghe?"

Liu Qingge's face darkened, and she said, "Dead!"

Shen Qingqiu: "...Dead?"

That can't be!

Did he really foolishly follow her in a suicide pact?!

Judging from Liu Qingge's expression, he didn't seem to be joking, and Liu Qingge never joked. Shen Qingqiu suddenly sat up, the movement so abrupt that a dull pain shot through her buttocks.

His face contorted in an instant, and with a thud, he collapsed again.

The reaction was so exaggerated that Liu Qingge seemed greatly frightened, taking three steps back awkwardly, as if he wanted to come up and talk to her, yet also wanted to run away. Qi Qingqi grabbed him and shrieked, "Look at you! Look at you! What have you done! I told you not to scare him, you've scared him so badly he's fainted again!"

Shen Qingqiu lay on the bed, raising her hand: "I didn't faint. I..."

My butt hurt, so I couldn't sit still for a moment...

Ning Yingying, who used to be most afraid of the Hundred Battles Peak Master, was now much bolder. She stomped her feet and vented her anger on Liu Qingge: "Uncle Liu, how could you do this? Even if you don't like A Luo, you know that Master has just woken up and can't take any more shocks. You... you still talk nonsense and curse him to die."

Mu Qingfang also said with a reproachful look, "Senior Brother Liu, this is really not good. Not good at all."

This was the first time Liu Qingge had become the target of everyone's criticism. He was not good with words to begin with, so he simply retreated to the table and snapped, "I'm not saying anything!"

Shen Qingqiu pressed one hand to his temple and the other to his lower back: "Someone tell me, is he dead or not!"

Qi Qingqi said, "You're not dead! That kid thought you were going to die, and he almost went with you. But then Junior Brother Mu said you were alright and still breathing, so how could he bear to die?"

Just as I expected.

Thankfully, things didn't turn out the way they should have!

Shen Qingqiu realized that Liu Qingge had just said those words in anger, but he was still taken aback for a second or two. Feeling a little embarrassed, he criticized, "Peak Master Liu, please don't do that. I only asked you first because I trust you. You've disappointed me greatly."

Liu Qingge glared at him. Shen Qingqiu wasn't afraid of his glare. He slowly sat up, choosing a position that wouldn't hurt his bottom too much, and asked, "What exactly happened? How did I end up back at Qingjing Peak? What about Burial Ridge? Where's Luo Binghe?"

Qi Qingqi said, "Don't worry about Burial Ridge, it was blown up a long time ago."

Shen Qingqiu repeated, "It exploded?"

Qi Qingqi said, "Didn't you and Luo Binghe destroy the Heart Demon Sword at Burial Ridge? When the sword broke, the whole mountain exploded."

Mingfan squeezed his head to the bedside and said, "Yes, yes, Master, most of the mountain crashed onto the ice, creating a huge hole. Later, the ice on Luochuan melted. You and Luo Binghe both fell into Luochuan, and it was Uncle Liu who pulled you out."

Shen Qingqiu was just about to drink the tea that Ning Yingying handed him when, thankfully he didn't, otherwise he would have definitely spat it out.

"you"?

Shen Qingqiu glanced at Liu Qingge guiltily.

Holy crap, if I remember correctly (how could I possibly be wrong about something like that), he had just finished doing *that* with Luo Binghe!

Although Luo Binghe later dressed him, there were still some incriminating evidence left on his body. It would be strange if Liu Juju, with his keen eyes, couldn't see anything unusual.

No wonder Liu Qingge kept staring at him with such a stern look!

That's indecent and immoral!

Qi Qingqi rambled on, "She caught two in one go, clinging to each other like corpses, they couldn't be separated, and so many people were watching, how embarrassing..."

He fell off Burial Ridge in full view of everyone!

Shen Qingqiu was filled with remorse.

Despite all precautions, we still couldn't stop Chunshan Hen from having new material!

But given Luo Binghe's thought process, it was strange that he didn't take him away directly but instead obediently escorted him back to Qingjing Peak. Shen Qingqiu sensed something was amiss and pressed for details: "So where exactly is Luo Binghe now?"

Ning Yingying, ever obedient and filial, said, "Master, you've been asleep for so many days without waking up, of course he's gone to find you some spiritual medicine."

What kind of miracle cure are you looking for? He barely survived and is fully recovered; instead of kneeling by the bed waiting for him to wake up, why is this kid running around? Leave these chores to the underlings!

Ning Yingying muttered under her breath, "Wasn't it because all the senior uncles and masters kicked me down the mountain..."

Luo Binghe offended too many people in the Cangqiong Mountain Sect, so it was normal for him to be kicked out. But now he actually knows how to swallow his anger and obediently let himself be driven away. It's truly pathetic.

But it's alright, that's good.

Seeing that everyone looked normal and was still making a ruckus, Shen Qingqiu guessed that Yue Qingyuan was safe and sound, and still asked, "How is Senior Brother Sect Leader?"

Qi Qingqi said irritably, "So you do know how to care about your senior brother, the sect leader? He's not dead."

As expected, Yue Qingyuan's desperate fight at Burial Ridge did not exhaust his lifespan. It seems that Xuan Su's secret remains unknown to others.

Shen Qingqiu had just breathed a sigh of relief when suddenly, several golden fireworks exploded in the dark night sky outside. Listening closely, he could also hear the clamor of voices drifting from Qiongding Peak. He asked, "What's going on? It's so noisy over there at Qiongding Peak."

Mu Qingfang smiled and said, "Senior Brother Shen, you woke up at just the right time. You can make it in time for the celebration."

What kind of celebration? Shen Qingqiu thought with a big face, could it be to celebrate his eventual awakening?!

Liu Qingge seemed to have guessed what he was thinking and said, "The merger of the two realms failed, and we'll celebrate the 400th anniversary of the Cangqiong Mountain Sect together."

Shen Qingqiu decided to go to Qiongding Peak to see Yue Qingyuan first.

This celebration wasn't just attended by members of the Cangqiong Mountain Sect; many sects exhibiting in Luochuan were also invited. Shen Qingqiu saw many familiar faces.

Master Wuchen said with a smile, "It's fortunate that Peak Master Shen is safe and sound."

Wu Wang glanced at Shen Qingqiu with obvious disdain and walked away to another place.

Master Wuchen said, "Peak Master Shen, please don't hold it against Senior Brother Wuwang. Ever since I lost my legs in Jinlan City, he has harbored a deep hatred for the Demon Clan, and by extension, for Peak Master Shen..."

Shen Qingqiu touched his nose and said nonchalantly, "It's nothing."

Being looked down upon by an old bald monk is nothing!

He thought for a moment and asked, "I heard that Tianlang-jun was detained by Guisi Temple?"

Master Wuchen said, “It can’t be considered imprisonment. I just want to have a good talk with him about Buddhism and help him slow down the decay of Luzhi’s body. After a few years when he has stabilized, I will go with him. At that time, he can choose to travel to the human realm or return to the demon realm as he pleases. I believe that he does not have any malevolent energy, and even if he did in the past, it should have dissipated by now.”

Master Wuchen's legs were destroyed by the Seed Sower in Jinlan City, and the Seed Sower was sent by Tianlang Jun, yet he was able to let it go, which made Shen Qingqiu feel admiration.

Moreover, his compassion wasn't indiscriminate. After their final farewell, Shen Qingqiu also felt that Tianlang-jun should no longer have any more of his world-destroying, childish antics.

The statement that "chuunibyou (middle school syndrome) has the power to destroy the world" is absolutely true!

After bidding farewell to the monks of Zhaohua Temple, the Taoist priests of Tianyi Temple stood beside the domed hall.

The three beautiful twin nuns were speaking softly and gently to one person, who turned out to be Liu Mingyan, whose face was veiled by a light gauze.

Watching Luo Binghe and his concubines gather together, vying for attention, Shen Qingqiu had a very strange feeling. He was as enthusiastic as before, but he could no longer watch with a wishful thinking mindset.

He glanced at her a couple more times. Then he heard the three sisters say in sweet voices, "Good sister, good sir, please write a word for us."

"Now that we've finally met the author, let's leave a memento."

They held a stack of colorful booklets and shoved them into Liu Mingyan's hands. The booklets looked very familiar. Shen Qingqiu was secretly puzzled, feeling that they were worth paying attention to. Just as she was about to walk closer to see what the three big characters on the cover meant, a shadowy figure suddenly flashed past her.

Shen Qingqiu caught up with him in two steps, grabbed the man, and said coldly, "You still dare to go up Qiongding Peak? Aren't you afraid Qi Qingqi will skin you alive?"

When he was grabbed, Shang Qinghua was so scared that he almost knelt down. When he heard that it was Shen Qingqiu, he breathed a sigh of relief, turned around and said, "What are you doing? You helped fight before, don't be in such a hurry to kick him out."

Shen Qingqiu: "You just came from the Dome Palace?"

Shang Qinghua: "That's right, don't be scared if I tell you. I might be coming back to continue being the peak master of Anding Peak."

Shen Qingqiu: "Yue Qingyuan asked you to come back?"

Shang Qinghua: "I'm a prodigal son who has turned back from the wrong path. I haven't done anything heinous, so why won't he let me come back?"

Shen Qingqiu released him, saying sullenly, "Sect Leader is just too kind."

Shang Qinghua straightened his collar: "Sigh, seeing my own novel completely ruined like this, it's just... indescribably infuriating."

Although she knew he was awkwardly changing the subject, Shen Qingqiu was stirred up by his words and sincerely agreed, saying, "Yes. He was too drunk. He acted recklessly and wildly, and I really don't know why."

Shang Qinghua said, "You can't say that. You might think it's all a waste of time and effort, but for Brother Bing, the meaning of the whole world might just be your pointless fussing."

...Damn, how could someone like that say something like that?!

Shen Qingqiu was startled: "Damn. You're not the original, are you?"

Shang Qinghua said seriously, "Don't be like that. I am also a young man with literary ideals, of course I have my own feelings."

Shen Qingqiu sneered: "What about your literary ideals? Why do I only see shameless fanservice?"

Add to that a daily writing speed of 10,000 words and the audacity to intermittently burst at 20,000 words. Without these qualities, who would even bother reading this utterly ridiculous novel!

Shang Qinghua spread his hands and said, "Do you think I started out writing shameless and immoral content? I used to write pure literature, but every single one of them flopped, so I had to find a more mainstream path."

Shen Qingqiu looked him over: "You don't seem upset at all."

Shang Qinghua said, "Why should I feel heartbroken? Rather than writing a harem protagonist, creating a more complex and eccentric protagonist like Brother Bing is more in line with my writing philosophy."

Shen Qingqiu concluded: "So, your writing philosophy is to write about gay men?"

Shang Qinghua: "Do you look down on gay male protagonists? Literary writers and works of art all like to portray gay characters. Look at that,"

He counted on his fingers: "Brokeback Mountain, Pai Hsien-yung, Farewell My Concubine, classics, famous authors—they all like to write about gay men. You know, pure literature favors gay men?!"

Shen Qingqiu chuckled: "Writing a gay male protagonist is considered pure literature. Do you know Dingding Original Website? According to you, everything on it is pure literature?"

Shang Qinghua waved his hand: "I'm not communicating with you, you're a hater."

Just as Shen Qingqiu was about to say, "I only criticize, I don't support!", she suddenly heard Shang Qinghua humming and hawing.

What's with all this "human warmth, gratitude hard to repay, lips pressed together, wishing tonight to pass into tomorrow, day and night forever"? The key is that the tune sounds so familiar, so familiar that Shen Qingqiu's hands itched and teeth were itching. She pointed at him and said, "Shang Qinghua, what are you humming?"

Shang Qinghua continued humming: "I wonder if today will turn into tomorrow, how long will it take for the sun to set? The sun rises slowly, the autumn sounds rustle, the elegant sheath is empty, the cold water gushes forth, I weep uncontrollably, pleading pitifully, pleading but not getting what I want, and then I rise again..."

Shen Qingqiu asked incredulously, "I'll... I'll try singing one more line?"

Shang Qinghua said, "Shen Dada, why don't you listen to people? Don't just attack people like that. Bing Ge is going crazy. Let me tell you, this Chunshanhen is now equivalent to the Eighteen Touches. You two are legendary national homosexuals, you understand? What's the use of silencing me? You can't silence the mouths of the world..."

Finally, Shen Qingqiu got his wish and gave Xiang Tian Dafei Juju a good beating.

So despicable. Absolutely despicable!!!

Authors who dig holes and don't fill them, create terrible endings, and celebrate characters going astray in Siberia should be beaten to death!

After finishing the beating, he tidied himself up and buried himself in the domed hall. In the center of the hall, Yue Qingyuan stood with his back to him.

Shen Qingqiu stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Sect Leader, Senior Brother."

Yue Qingyuan suddenly turned around, a hint of joy on his face: "Little Nine..."

Shen Qingqiu said, "Senior brother, it's Qingqiu."

Even though she couldn't tell Yue Qingyuan the truth, Shen Qingqiu still hoped to make the distinction as clear as possible.

Even so, it may be somewhat cruel.

Yue Qingyuan paused for a moment, then lowered his head and said softly, "...It's Qingqiu. Junior Brother Qingqiu."

Shen Qingqiu glanced at the Xuan Su at his waist, but before he could speak, Yue Qingyuan said spontaneously, "Junior brother, there's no need to worry. After a few more months of seclusion, you should be fine for now."

Shen Qingqiu said, "Senior brother, then you must never impulsively draw your sword again in the future. Cultivation can be improved, and realm can be raised, but lifespan cannot be made up."

Yue Qingyuan gave a bitter smile and slowly shook his head, saying, "What can't be made up for is far more than just lifespan."

Stepping out of the domed hall, Shen Qingqiu walked slowly amidst the laughter and chatter of the young disciples along the way, and the clusters of fireworks overhead.

Before leaving, Yue Qingyuan said to him, "But the Cangqiong Mountain Sect will always be a place you can come back to."

He spoke with solemnity and seriousness, as Yue Qingyuan always did; he would always keep his promises. If he couldn't do something, he would do everything in his power to make up for it.

If only he really were Shen Jiu.

If only the original product could actually hear that sentence.

Shen Qingqiu slowed down, then suddenly, as if sensing something, looked up. He saw Luo Binghe running through the crowd, his face filled with anxiety, seemingly searching for someone.

Those around him reacted with all sorts of expressions upon seeing his face. Shen Qingqiu called out, "Luo Binghe!"

Luo Binghe also saw him and instantly moved in front of him: "Master, why aren't you on Qingjing Peak? Can you leave now?"

Shen Qingqiu said, "I should be asking you why you didn't wait at Qingjing Peak instead of running around outside."

Luo Binghe lowered his head and said, "No one in the Cangqiong Mountain Sect welcomes me. I can only secretly visit you from time to time. I didn't see Master in the bamboo house just now, and I thought you had left again, or that they had hidden you."

As Shen Qingqiu listened to his somewhat aggrieved explanation, she couldn't help but recall Shang Qinghua's words from earlier.

If he hadn't acted so unreasonably, Luo Binghe might have truly gone all the way to the dark side, becoming the ruthless youth in the original story and the punishment system who tore people apart with his bare hands.

Although he's grown into a neurotic, love-struck young man, he doesn't seem to be much better... but he still has some endearing qualities.

Shen Qingqiu sighed, "Knowing that I'm not popular, why did you send me back to Cangqiong Mountain?"

Luo Binghe said in a low voice, "I thought that when Master woke up, he would definitely want to be in the Azure Sky Mountain more..."

Shen Qingqiu slapped him on the forehead.

Even now, why is this child still so insecure, so stubborn, and so unable to see things clearly?

He said with exasperation, "Of course, I want to see you first!"

Luo Binghe received the slap with a thud, his face flushed red with excitement. His eyes began to well up with tears, and he looked like he wanted to say something but couldn't. Shen Qingqiu was about to burst into tears under his gaze when suddenly shouts and the sounds of swords rang out all around.

Yang Yixuan stood on the eaves of the domed palace and shouted, "That demon is bothering Uncle-Master Chen again!"

The call was met with immediate and enthusiastic support; some even shouted, "Attack! Attack them all!"

"This bastard actually dares to come!"

"Luo Binghe, you despicable demon! You dared to come to the Azure Sky Mountain Sect even once, you should be prepared to be driven down!"

No wonder Luo Binghe didn't stay by his side until he woke up. It turns out he was so "warmly welcomed" even though everyone in the Cang Qiong Mountain Sect hated him!

Shen Qingqiu said helplessly, "It seems you really can only come secretly."

Luo Binghe whispered, "I already told you I'm not welcome here."

Shen Qingqiu patted his head: "It's alright. I welcome you."

Amidst the shouts of battle cries from the summit, a mix of genuine and feigned cries, all eager to fight, came the clamor of those who thrived on chaos. But the majority were peaceful bystanders, turning a blind eye to Luo Binghe, this troublemaker. Shen Qingqiu, both amused and exasperated, said, "Why don't you take me away first?"

Luo Binghe didn't react for a moment: "Let's go?"

Shen Qingqiu nodded and said, "You can take me wherever you want."

Luo Binghe stared at him blankly.

Shen Qingqiu continued, "Didn't you say you weren't welcome here? Then let's go. The Demon Realm, the Illusion Flower Palace, wherever you want to go, your master will accompany you."

He didn't lower his voice. Besides the disciples of the Cangqiong Mountain Sect, the peak was also crowded with cultivators from various sects who had been invited to participate in the celebration. With their five senses being so sharp, how could they not hear clearly? They all pretended to be deaf and dumb, some watching the fireworks, and others laughing even louder.

Their cooperation, out of consideration for the Cangqiong Mountain Sect's reputation, was met with Liu Qingge's disapproval. She jumped down from the roof and, almost in a fit of rage, shouted at Shen Qingqiu, "Hey!"

Qi Qingqi was furious: "...I don't care anymore! Go wherever you want! Let them torment each other!...Mingyan, let's go! What are you still looking at!"

Shen Qingqiu turned around and frowned, "Why are you crying again!"

Luo Binghe hurriedly wiped his eyes, his voice trembling: "I won't cry anymore, I'll never cry again."

Shen Qingqiu felt like Tang Sanzang, who had gone through eighty-one tribulations and countless hardships to finally subdue a troublesome disciple and barely achieve enlightenment. Damn it, it was really too difficult. Let him cry it out; after all, that's just how Luo Binghe is.

There are lunatics, fools, love-struck individuals, and psychopaths. That's just how it is.

Shen Qingqiu took his hand, like leading a child, and asked, "Shall we travel together this time?"

Luo Binghe slowly raised his head, his eyes seemingly sparkling with a galaxy.

Palms pressed together, fingers interlocked.

Shen Qingqiu strode ahead, hearing Luo Binghe calling his name from behind.

He called softly, "Master."

In fact, the voice has never changed.

Consistent.