☆, Chapter 48: Soaring Popularity
Luo Binghe said, "I should have warned you not to try anything with this face."
Suspended in mid-air, Sha Hualing's face was flushed red, and she choked out, "...This time...it really wasn't something I did on purpose..."
...He really holds grudges! Shen Qingqiu was shocked.
The man has been dead for five years, yet he still gets so angry at the sight of someone who looks similar. It seems he truly left Luo Binghe with severe psychological trauma.
Suddenly, Shen Qingqiu felt a sharp pain in his abdomen, as if his internal organs were being pierced by thousands of steel needles and silver threads.
Even with his overflowing spiritual power, it was useless at this point. His vision went dark, and he spat out a mouthful of hot blood that was red and black.
Luo Binghe's aura was extremely low, and the look in his eyes was that of someone staring at a dead object. The Heart Demon Sword trembled excitedly at his waist, humming incessantly, as if it were about to break free from its sheath.
He gripped the sword hilt tightly with one hand, his eyes glowing with an overwhelming blood-red light.
Shen Qingqiu wiped the blood from his mouth and was slightly taken aback when he saw this.
Logically, after entering the Demon World arc, he should have reached a relatively stable state. Absorbing one or two people each month was mostly just for consolidation.
But why does he feel that Luo Binghe's internal balance is getting worse?
It was even more turbulent and unpredictable than when he self-destructed and suppressed it.
As Sha Hualing was hoisted higher and higher, seeing Shen Qingqiu vomit blood, she knew that Luo Binghe had murderous intent and was manipulating the Heavenly Demon Blood within him, desperately pleading, "Your Majesty...you mustn't kill him...today is the full moon, he will definitely be useful, no one is more suitable than him..."
She wasn't really worried about Shen Qingqiu's life or death, but if she let Luo Binghe take the strange man's life in his rage, even if he didn't lose his mind due to the surge of demonic energy within him, she wouldn't get away with it.
Sha Hualing said hoarsely, "Even if you don't care about this, think... think about your..." She went all out and suddenly raised her voice, "Think about the Holy Mausoleum!"
Upon hearing the last two words, Luo Binghe paused slightly.
Shen Qingqiu was also taken aback.
The Holy Mausoleum is the final resting place of the high-ranking rulers of the Demon Clan throughout history.
Apart from the current supreme ruler, no other unauthorized personnel are allowed to enter; violators will be executed.
Over generations, the tomb has accumulated a vast quantity and unparalleled quality of magical artifacts and burial goods, making it a place that no one could resist coveting. Legend has it that the tomb also contains a heaven-defying artifact capable of bringing the dead back to life.
In the original novel, Luo Binghe, with Sha Hualing's inside help, successfully rose to power and infiltrated the Holy Mausoleum. We all know who ended up with those spoils. Sha Hualing's mention of the Holy Mausoleum at this time—is she perhaps reminding Luo Binghe that he can't do without her for the time being?
In any case, she has clearly found the right direction.
Upon hearing those two words, Luo Binghe's crimson eyes still gleamed with a ghostly light, while Sha Hualing's body suddenly slumped downwards, her toes barely touching the ground.
“The Sacred Tomb.” Luo Binghe slowly stroked the Heart Demon Sword with his fingertips, soothing the restless blade, and whispered, “That’s right, there’s also the Sacred Tomb.”
Just as Sha Hualing was about to catch her breath, Luo Binghe suddenly asked, "Are you threatening me?"
Sha Hualing was instantly terrified: "This subordinate wouldn't dare!"
...That's so tragic. She was one of the two leading ladies, how could she have fallen to such a state!
Before Shen Qingqiu could finish his sigh, he heard Luo Binghe snort.
It felt as if someone had suddenly grabbed his chest, and his whole body was lifted up.
His vision blurred, and his heart instantly felt as if it had frozen solid.
He looked down and saw Luo Binghe's hand pressed against the center of his left chest.
It felt like being shot in the gut with pure black demonic energy as ammunition. After entering the body, it exploded and spread throughout the body via the spiritual veins.
The system's suddenly sharp and clear notification sound gave him a headache:
[Tap verification successful!]
[Connecting to the main energy source, accumulating power!]
[System self-test shows normal operation. Thank you for using our service again!]
Isn't this touch verification a bit too advanced?!
The spirit within Shen Qingqiu's body was originally a full pool, but during this connection, most of it was drained in one go.
However, this aridity was only temporary. The physical body formed by Lu Huazhi quickly began to have spiritual energy flowing back into it. This flowing spiritual energy was then absorbed by Luo Binghe even more rapidly.
Shen Qingqiu felt like a power bank, inwardly roaring: How much money did I owe Luo Binghe in my past life?!?!
Luo Binghe exclaimed "Eh!" and withdrew his hand, saying, "It really worked."
This body was different from the previous vessels used for transmigration. It had been drained of most of its spiritual power and infused with a massive amount of demonic energy, yet it could still quickly and automatically replenish itself.
It seems that Saharei's elaborate efforts to capture this person are not without reason.
As soon as he finished speaking, Sha Hualing collapsed to the ground.
Having narrowly escaped death, she was still in shock. Despite her trembling knees, she quickly straightened her posture and knelt on one knee.
Luo Binghe said indifferently, "I don't care whether you did it or not. Just remember, don't let me see him with that face."
Sha Hualing hurriedly bowed her head and said, "Yes, ma'am!"
Luo Binghe casually cleaved open a spatial rift and stepped inside. He left without a word, his nonchalance bordering on outrageous, abandoning the two of them in the wilderness as if he didn't care at all about Shen Qingqiu's fate.
That's right. He doesn't need to care at all. Shen Qingqiu has drunk his blood now. No matter where he runs, it's not like he's escaping. He can just do a quick calculation and appear in front of Shen Qingqiu, who is in excruciating pain.
Shen Qingqiu suddenly realized: So, he's become Brother Bing's underling?!
At least Luo Binghe didn't recognize him. If he works hard under his wing, he might have a bright future! [What a load of rubbish!]
It's just once a month, isn't it?
You get used to it after a while!
Shen Qingqiu was bewildered when Sha Hualing suddenly grabbed at his face. He blocked with two fingers: "What are you doing?"
Sha Hualing gritted her teeth and said, "Didn't you hear? He just said he doesn't want to see your face again!"
Shen Qingqiu glared at her, then suddenly reached out and tore a piece of cloth off her sleeve.
Sahare screamed, "Why are you tearing my clothes?!"
Shen Qingqiu tore two holes in the gauze and covered his face, leaving only his eyes exposed: "My clothes are tattered enough, I'll borrow yours. Is scratching people's faces all you know how to do when you're in trouble? Just cover it up with a piece of cloth, why do you have to disfigure yourself?"
If it weren't for the fact that Luo Binghe would need to use this person once a month from now on, and that he had to be kept completely unharmed, Sha Hualing would have wanted to tear him to pieces on the spot.
Thinking it over, even if Luo Binghe despised counterfeits, he probably wouldn't like to see this face covered in blood. Sha Hualing had no choice but to swallow her anger and shout, "Let's go!"
"Let's go then. It doesn't really matter where we go now, so we might as well take it one step at a time and see what happens." Shen Qingqiu calculated that once Luo Binghe completely suppressed the Heart Demon Sword, he probably wouldn't need him anymore. A complete reunion in the martial world at that time shouldn't be too far off. As long as he was careful in everything he did and didn't let Luo Binghe discover that he had used Lu Huazhi to pull off a clever escape, everything would be fine.
Shen Qingqiu adapted to the role incredibly quickly, and then stepped into the crack. Sha Hualing was the last to follow, and the crack slowly closed.
She thought to herself that this person could be considered a colleague from now on, and asked, "What's your name?"
Beyond the crack lay a long corridor, its walls intricately carved with a profusion of flowers, though the light was dim. Shen Qingqiu felt the place looked somewhat familiar and casually remarked, "Peerless Cucumber."
"A peerless cucumber?" Saka Rin murmured, then flew into a rage: "Are you making fun of me?!"
The more Shen Qingqiu looked around, the more he felt that even if he had never been to this place, he had at least heard descriptions of it. He was preoccupied with his next steps and completely ignored Sha Hualing.
Seeing that she received no response, she said angrily, "No matter what your background was before, now that you have drunk the blood of the Heavenly Demon, you belong to the Sovereign. If you have any rebellious thoughts, you will die a horrible death."
After turning a corner and passing several disciples dressed in familiar light yellow robes, Shen Qingqiu finally confirmed it.
This is the Illusionary Flower Palace. Luo Binghe's base of operations in the human realm.
However, it was very different from the Illusionary Flower Palace he knew.
The Illusionary Flower Palace should be magnificent and resplendent. Every piece of wood and stone should be the epitome of luxury. But this place can only be described with one word.
lifeless.
All the previous palace masters had a penchant for extravagance, and Luo Binghe was no exception. However, what he lavished upon was darkness. Even the lamps along the long corridor were barely lit.
In the blink of an eye, Sha Hualing changed into the robes of a Huanhua Palace disciple. Without deliberately exuding demonic energy, she looked no different from an ordinary beautiful young girl. The two followed Luo Binghe from a distance, seemingly lost in thought, through layers of halls, and finally took their seats in a main hall.
A moment later, a disciple came up to the hall to report something. He knelt down and said respectfully, "Palace Master, during your absence, Liu Qingge came twice more. She didn't see you. Once she smashed up the Linghua Department, and the other time she provoked the Jinhua Department."
Shen Qingqiu felt a tightness in his chest upon hearing this.
Could Liu Qingge be... seeking revenge for him?
Shen Qingqiu felt he had already wronged this junior brother enough, and thought he must find an opportunity to talk to him later.
Luo Binghe said, "Let him smash it. Is there anything else?"
This kind of "I don't care, I have plenty of money" attitude is incredibly arrogant!
The disciple glanced at him and said cautiously, "And also... the young palace master... wishes to see you."
Shen Qingqiu had expected Luo Binghe to summon his beloved concubine to the palace with a doting expression, but to her surprise, he remained indifferent. He seemed unwilling to say anything more, merely waving his hand wearily.
The disciple hesitated, "But..."
"But I'm already here!"
Shen Qingqiu felt a sharp pain in his teeth and skin as soon as he heard the sound.
The young palace mistress had already barged into the hall. Shen Qingqiu only glanced at her, slightly surprised.
This girl should still be in the prime of her youth, but she looked rather haggard. The slight blush on her face seemed to be from excessive makeup.
The young palace master looked up and stared directly at Luo Binghe: "You're back."
Luo Binghe glanced at her but didn't say anything.
The young palace mistress asked, "Have you found my father?"
Luo Binghe said, "The old palace master has gone into seclusion and is nowhere to be found."
This answer is so standard and lacks any sincerity.
Moreover, in Shen Qingqiu's memory and in the default common sense of various TV dramas and novels, the person who sits on the throne and says this sentence is usually the culprit who made the former leader "disappear".
The young palace master sneered, "That line again. Fine, I won't mention Father, I'll just talk about myself."
She said in a shrill voice, "If I don't go to find you, will you not come to see me?"
How could that be!
Is Luo Binghe the kind of person who would waste his talents by not pursuing girls he has the chance to date?!
Don't insult the male protagonist of a harem novel; that's his dignity!
Luo Binghe clearly had no intention of accepting this kind of dignity. Several disciples of the Illusion Flower Palace came to the hall, ostensibly to comfort her, but in reality, they forcibly dragged the young palace mistress out. She shouted and yelled along the way, and Sha Hualing said, "The young palace mistress has enjoyed a life of luxury all these years, and apart from occasional confinement, she doesn't seem to have suffered any mistreatment, right? How can she be so wronged?"
The young palace master said, "Who do you think you are? How dare you speak to me like that in the Illusion Flower Palace?! How is treating me any different from raising a pig?!"
Shen Qingqiu used to observe the female protagonists' fights with a respectful but distant attitude, but today he had no interest in watching.
He discovered a very shocking reality.
Let's count on our fingers and do some serious calculations:
Sahare: Instead of taking me as a wife, I took me as a subordinate. I'm working myself to the bone, and the salary and benefits are really not good. ×
Liu Mingyan: They didn't even exchange the sword tassel, a token of their love. ×
Ning Yingying: After puberty, she no longer showed the same youthful, fervent infatuation with the male lead. It seems her "love-struck" phase automatically healed. ×
Little Palace Master: I already said that Luo Binghe only treats her like a pig. ×
Autumn Begonia: We agreed that after pulling Shen Qingqiu off his horse, we'd have a fun NTR session together with Luo Binghe, right? ×
Qin Wanyue: ...Where is Qin Wanyue? Shouldn't she be one of the main characters in the Illusion Flower Palace? ×
The three Taoist nuns: We haven't even seen a trace of them. If we had, there would be no need for Shen Qingqiu to act as a vessel for their transfer.
...
Judging from this, Luo Binghe is really... in a pretty bad situation!
You, the male lead of a harem novel, are you even up to par?!
He turned the once peaceful harem into a chaotic mess!
Shen Qingqiu quickly checked the system values. He was shocked to find that the "B-grade" score had soared to over 900!
Since many of the values seemed to have been added during sleep and offline states, no notification sound was received. Shen Qingqiu opened the points details (when did this points details thing even appear?), which contained a bunch of historical records.
[Ning Yingying: She's actually losing money. +100 for class.]
[Mingfan: The idiot supporting character. +50 in style]
[Liu Mingyan: Counter-dispel. B-level +150]
...
The ubiquitous scheming female leads and the idiotic cannon fodder are classic elements of harem-style erotic fiction. Now, female characters no longer fawn over the male lead, and the supporting characters seem to have improved their intelligence and wit, so the overall quality has naturally increased. Shen Qingqiu understands this.
But Luo Binghe didn't manage to pick up a single girl, and the system didn't even deduct his satisfaction level, which is illogical!
Does this mean that the male lead's enjoyment is no longer tied to him?
Or perhaps the male protagonist's "satisfaction" is no longer about this?
This… Shen Qingqiu couldn’t help but look up at Luo Binghe, whose expression was gloomy, and suddenly felt that he could not look directly at him.
What a sin! Did he somehow turn a perfectly good harem novel protagonist into someone with frigidity?!
Author's Note: Thank you to Sweet Potato Gn for the arrows and cannons, Shadow Gn for the grenades, One by One Wind Lotus, Walking Will Fall Down, Fruit Garden, _(:3」∠)_, A Liang, Xi, Meat Bun, Xiao Wang, Night Love, taotao, 13756211, Withered Summer, orli, BBingray, Sanji, Cooling Oil, Why Be So Active If You Don't Take Medicine Every Day, rasion214, Frog Laying Eggs, and Lifetime Gn for the landmines.
I just found out that long reviews can earn points! Great news! Those of you who wrote long reviews, check if you've received them... Why can't I load several long reviews on the right side of the page? TAT
Actually, I don't quite understand what everyone's concept of the "stand-in" trope is. The stand-in isn't the point; the point is elsewhere. And plots like "a stand-in becomes cannon fodder next to the male lead, or Master Shen is ignored"... those will absolutely never happen. Luo Binghe doesn't need a stand-in; he has a corpse.
Now, it's time to let Master Shen open the door to a new world.
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