Of course, an unfamiliar ceiling is a cliche, but such... an unfamiliar wooden ceiling is somehow unexpected. And I remember that I wasn't intoxicated - I didn't even go for a beer before watching that anime. That's why the ceilings, that look like I'm somewhere out of my country altogether, are really unexpected. Coffee and food don't do that to a guy. You usually expect, say, a whitish hospital ceiling if it's unfamiliar and you don't remember how you got here.
Here. And where is it - here?
Out of habit, I lightly patted my hands around me. After a moment, I remembered that I'd separated from my wife a while ago, and I also broke up with my last girlfriend a couple of months ago. Therefore, the nobody being around was quite expected, although it still has not become the norm. At the same time, not only my loneliness in bed felt ubnormal, but the bed itself. I usually sleep under a blanket if I'm alone. Not under a silk sheet, for sure.
I decided to leave my rookery in a tested way - rolling to the floor into a push-up position. It seemed a bit childish, but I felt surprisingly energized.
Someone's strong hands fished me out of the air, preventing me from landing on the palms of my hands. And this someone spoke softly into my ear, sounding as if he had doubts about my sanity.
"Careful, Xiao Jiu, you must've lost your spacial awareness. We are at the Qingjing Peak. Everything's fine."
A man with long hair, neatly tucked into a special hairpin cap - fucked if I know what it's called - looked at me gently, while being unacceptably close. I drove my elbow into this insolent guy's snout, which resulted in my ass meeting the floor. After that I quickly crawled away when he let me go.
"And you... Who're you exactly? And why you decided to grope me right away? I'm an adult, somehow I'm able to figure out how to roll out of bed myself!" I looked into the eyes of this man, who stared at me like a battered mutt, but why would that be?
"Xiao Jiu..." this grown-up and pretty much huge dude almost whined at me, wow.
"Where do you see this Xiao Jiu here?" I snapped, jumping to my feet.
This made me stagger, and the man stretched out his paws again. I tried to escape it by sitting back on the bed. He grabbed my forearms anyways and searched my face with his insistant gaze. I was struck by a strange tremor from the top of my head to my toes - an unpleasant tremor, I must say, as if I wanted to either escape asap or vomit from disgust.
The reaction was clearly not mine - this body had some kind of problems with touch. I've never felt like this in my life. The closest thing is that time when I had to put some old man on a bench while waiting for an ambulance. I noticed that the man was sick and called it, but that guy obviously hadn't washed in days... several in fact, and generally had the appearance of an alcoholic and or homeless person. I wouldn't have bothered, of course, if it weren't for the initial idea in my head not to judge sweets by its' wrappers, books by the cover and all that stuff, and all in all the Lord of the Rings is my favorite book, so the fact that real gold does not shine, and not every wanderer is a hobo - that shit's clear, yeah. That situation, of course, was definitely not gold, but all people deserve normal treatment and salvation, so I remembered that case as an indicator of how different everyone's attitudes are. It turned out that the old man had alzheimer's, had a heart attack next to me at the bus stop, and there were no relatives interested in his life expectancy. I sent an ambulance off, but the feeling, both tactile - disgusting, and spiritual - filthy, remained in my memory and even passed into this world.
The man in front of me did not stink and did not say nasty things, I knew intellectually that I kept reacting somehow inadequately, but he was bigger, taller, shoulders wider, he hovered over me and tried to touch me - yes, it was just wrists, but before that there was closer contact, involuntary and unexpected. This body has had enough.
"Hands off!" I started growling at this odd obsessive jerk again, and he finally listened.
"I understand that you want to take the first place at the upcoming Conference, but you shan't work so hard!" The man went to the door and peeked out. "Mu Qingfang, take another look at him, please. He is being his usual..."
"Salutations to the User ahblyayourbunnywrote002 from the Self-Saving System!" said a cold female voice close to my ear.
A moment later, an odd bar appeared in my field of vision, similar to a hologram or as if I were in VR. But the world around us was too real for VR... So. Did I transmigrate?! That's the only fucking explanation there can be! But how? How?!
"The WORLD IS THE PATH OF THE PROUD IMMORTAL DEMON SVSSS
Checking the operating system EVERYTHING IS FINE
This system supports the concept of development YOU CAN YOU UP, NO CAN - DON'T BE A PUSSY!
You are given the best opportunity to gain experience.
We hope you can avoid both the fate of the Scumbag Villain and the original plot of the novel in the Danmei genre!"
"What is Danmei..." I muttered to myself, and I heard a cough from the side right after.
"Indulging Beauty," said another man I didn't know.
He had a weird, thin mustache ruining his face, but his gaze was really kind and amused.
"Did Master Shen remember something?"
"For some reason, it feels like," my new voice was quite alright, albeit a little hoarse, no less low than in my real body at least. "Ahem. It feels like I'm in this state because of something called Danmei. This... is a genre in literature?"
"Qi Deviation because of the book you read?" the one who played the sad mutt now frowned and squinted at me.
"I'm shocked myself," I shrugged and confessed. "To be honest, the memories haven't even fully returned yet. It must have shocked me so much."
"Xiao Jiu!"
The man gasped and moved towards me again, to which I pulled Mu Qingfang towards me and hid behind him.
"You're the healer here, forbid the visits to your patient," I muttered to the healer's back. "I'm not in the mood for this nonsense right now. I wish I could remember something more, which I honestly don't. He's like a mother hen, by the God. And also calls me by this dog's nickname, and expects me to respond, ugh..."
"Shen Qingqiu!"
Mu Qingfang finally understood the assignment, put his palms out and went for the other man who never even introduced himself. Of course, I realize that I kind of watched this animation quite recently, and all these names were there, but in all honesty, I didn't care to remember them. It's like there was a limited space in my head, and I'm not in the fandom at all!
"The character is activated!
THE LORD OF
THE CANG QIONG MOUNTAIN SECT
QINGJING PEAK
THE SCUMBAG VILLAIN
THE TOUGH DISSEMBLER
SHEN QINGQIU
Weapon XIU YA SWORD
The Point Score Is 1099"
Information about the names and positions appeared above the heads of both lords of the Sect - in Chinese, of course, but for some reason I understood everything rather well. It's like someone loaded knowledge into my head, or maybe not all the knowledge of this body was lost. A question for future consideration, so to speak. It's still not my life, and to obey some kind of System? If this is the knowledge of the real Shen Jiu, then it is quite possible that his soul is still here.
I have no idea at all how this reincarnation actually works, and why it affected me at all - I am a baptized Orthodox Christian, but due to the peculiarities of education I did not have the slightest illusions about the origin of religions. In our world, without magic and demons, where both the worst and the best deeds are done only by people, where everything depends on whether a person has a moral core. Well. Or these attitudes of the so-called human community were distorted beyond recognition in the process of nurture, so that the person turns out either a shit one, or a weak one, or a broken one, or even a moral-deficient freak...
I didn't care much for following the rules of ancient societies for closed sects in the twenty-first century, to be honest, but understood how this moral code was created so that people could live together and not challenge each other to mortal combat for nothing. I was quite satisfied with the mortal sins and virtues of Christianity as a moral guideline, because I understood that the lack of restraint in these very sins causes spiritual decomposition and attraction of other sins, deterioration not only of the society around, but also of yourself. Even if you don't believe in one god or many gods, the basic rules of human Society allow you to keep a clear path, mind, and generally adequate response to what is happening. The main thing is not to suppress your reactions after all, but just to track them and not let them get out of control. And most often all the bad shit comes from the fact that someone in the formative years did not control themselves and did nasty things to a physically weaker person.
Having understood for myself the problems that came to me from childhood, and those problems that all people simply have and they just need to be fixed and rationalized to save energy, I just began to feel better, give in less to manipulations and pay more attention to my feelings, and not to how someone else will react to it. It seemed silly to me to spread acceptance on more mundane things that were relevant only at the time of the creation of those religious texts. Religion for me was something for other people who had not yet been enlightened about what's really important.
Chinese philosophy, Buddhism and other mythologies have never been my strong suit. Therefore, I had no idea exactly how souls are reincarnated or should be reincarnated here. And I think that the System is also unlikely to respond, even though it has a unique opportunity to actually know this.
"The User can independently achieve this knowledge.
The System is not going to take away from the User the possible ways to get a new experience."
Does she also read my thoughts?! Though... That way I won't pass for a wacko for everyone around me. Are you always in touch, darling? Or is there something specific that provokes you to wiretap?
"The User does not need to call this System in this way.
The System cannot reciprocate."
Honey, start sounding like Grandpa Maxim, and then I'll stop.
"... Going back to the User's question, yes, this System is always in touch. Our existences are tied to each other."
Sounds stalkerishly romantic, ugh, yeah. She still hasn't changed her voice, so it's a she after all. And since we are so closely connected, I'll keep calling her the dearest, darling and honey - out of the wish for delusion, I guess.
"This System has already given you an additional 999 points for unlocking the AU information module of parallel worlds and The Actual Real Universe from this system. The User may not expect this System to change the address to a more affectionate one. This System has an existential crisis."
Well, at least it's not 666...
"Shidi?!"
Yue Qingyuan raised his voice while somewhere in the doorway. There he was being squeezed out by the healer of the entire Sect with varying success.
"Qingqiu, you didn't get up for two days and you were in a fever! Of course this brother was worried! Qingqiu! I am the head of Cangqiong, I have the right to know about the well-being of my subordinates!"
I rolled my eyes and decided to get out of bed anyway. I'm already feeling better, and the number of points is very much pleasing.
What can they be spent on? Honey, are there any options?
"This System offers the option of instantly unlocking all of Shen Jiu's memories and skills. The cost is 1000 points."
This uncle should be older than me, they are, as I understand it, cultivators here, and this is not a quick thing, if you're not the protagonist. I've heard about the xianxia genre, although I wasn't into it, I even read fanfiction briefly, so maybe this body is a hundred years old or something. And won't it turn out that we'll just merge our minds, and I'll add a lot of psychotrauma to myself? What do you think, sweetie?
"The system cannot predict the exact result of such an unlock, but it will help you get into the character."
Getting into the character is the last thing I need. And you're a sly one, I almost fell for it!
"The System does not understand the nature of the User's suspicions."
I get his injuries along with his memories and start behaving the same way as before, or even worse because I'm not God's blessed dandelion either. Well, in the end you will get me in the character. Yeah. And also brutally executed strictly according to the plot. She hopes that I will avoid my fate, uh-huh. Are you taking revenge on me for something, dearest?
"The System doesn't understand what the User is hinting at."
"Shen shixiong, I chased him away," Mu Qingfang exhaled and held out his palm. "Let me check your meridians in a more tranquil state, and I'll leave you as well. I will ask our colleagues and students what Danmei is, and why it could have shocked you this much."
Dear, I'll give you one point to find out what Danmei is.
"Ten."
Two.
"Eight"
Three.
"Seven!"
Alrighty, five. The last word. You agree?
"That's what the BoysLove genre called in Chinese.
The User loses five points.
The number of points is 1094.
Do you want to continue spending points on something that you would have learned anyway if you had only waited?"
I need to make sure I don't get outed. There are all kinds of obsessions and stuff, right? And unlike Shen Yuan, I'm not even close to being Chinese. So I don't even have an approximate knowledge of how to behave in such a setting. So of course I want to know what I can find out in another way!
"This System suggests making a list of necessary skills for Lord Qingjing and trying to buy them, User."
I have to talk to the healer for now, so I'll leave this task to you, honey. Our existences are tied to each other, so while I'm busy, I suggest you get busy too.
"User..."
Was it my imagination, or were these emotions?
"Mu-shidi, thank you for your concern," I said and turned couple of times, trying to figure out where the wardrobe is. I didn't find anything but still held out my hand to the healer. "I seem to remember what kind of genre it is, but not what exactly I read... Maybe it was too traumatic. My Qi couldn't handle it."
"And... what kind of genre is this?" He took my wrist and I felt a slight tingling sensation. This time there was no disgusting feeling, although there was a slight rejection.
"Sex, romance and stuff between men."
Mu Qingfan's qi pricked me harder than before and pulled back.
"Shen-shixiong has something... against?"
I looked into the eyes of this man, probably a wonderful healer in this probably wretched world, and a strong cultivator, since he is also the Lord of the Peak here. I exhaled.
This world was written by a female author, and she wrote in the boyz love or danmei genre, as I have now learned, although it was generally unclear from that first season of animation I watched. Of course, it will not be considered normal to have something against being gay here. Of course, this is also a fantasy China, and in real China before the beginning of the twentieth century, they did not find any problem with this if I remember right. In general they had a slightly different thing, as I see it. Rather, make people working slaves and force them to walk in a formation alright, but not really care who they fuck and whether it is "morally" sound. The moral soundness question, if asked in this world, is cared for by, most probably, only highly spiritual personalities close to ascension, not everyone. So the thing is, that if I point out something I really am not into, which is considered quite normal here, then there will be suspicions.
"I have something against using my image and the image of my Shidi in such stories, without their knowledge and permission," I muttered, trying to lie credibly, of course, but Mu Qingfang believed me, and his face relaxed, because the statement was true in itself. "But in general I like women. I've been in a relationship before..."
I paused pointedly in order to pretend that it was painful for me to remember something - and it really was unpleasant. After all, I was married, I had girlfriends, and here I am in the body of some kind of cultivator that is on the path of perfection, and even in the world of BL novel, ugh.
"Shen Shixiong never told this brother about such a thing," Mu Qingfang chuckled and added, "It's no wonder you go to the Warm Red Pavilion. There are few women of our cultivation level. But this is a double-edged sword, if I may. You go to the courtesans, it reaches the noble ladies, and in turn the noble ladies do not want to have a relationship with you. It has come to the point that Qi-shimei discourages her students from visiting the library of this Peak... This master is only an observer in this situation, but since Shen-shixiong did not specifically want to discourage women with matrimonial plans with his visits to courtesans, then this master has doubts about the suitability of the other Shen-shixiong's strategies..." he trailed off.
The man continued to poke me with his Qi, checking my condition, thank the gods - silently. I decided to keep quiet and think as well.
System, I'll give you one point to find out if Shen Qingqiu went to the women, or just rested his soul? I watched The Apothecary Diaries, and there were definitely Spring Houses where people did not always come for sex, but rather to play games, drink, look at the Beauties, listen to music, relax.
"One hundred points, User!"
Five.
"Fifty?"
Ten! Last word, my dear. I can find out without you, and it's not that important.
"Fifteen..." the System literally groaned and mysteriously added. "I will take revenge."
Agreed.
"Shen Qingqiu never liked the company of men, preferring women. He comes to the Warm Red Pavilion to relax, discuss poetry and literature, and music. He did not have sex there, because he considered it coercion, although some girls felt a sincere desire to show him the advantages of carnal love and offered themselves. The opportunity to discuss poetry and art inside the Cang Qiong Sect was closed to Shen Qingqiu due to the spread of rumors about his depravity, and the presence of a large number of girls from Xianshu Peak in this kind of literature club. In childhood and adolescence, he was subjected to a variety of violence when he was in slavery and after..."
He was enslaved?! What kind of villain background is this?! And what do you mean by violence...
"User, here slavery is not something out of the ordinary, rather it speaks about the luck of this reincarnation of the soul for other people. Something rather shameful than defiant, if you're freed from it. And the User knows perfectly well what this System means by violence in this case."
It's fucked up. I feel sorry for him already. I forbid you to give me memories from those years, System. Even as part of your revenge. It's too cruel.
"This System cannot deny the User's judgment. Shen Jiu has a lot to pity him for. And I already know how to get revenge."
System?
"There's nothing wrong with the meridians, Shen-shixiong. The core is also intact," the man released my wrist and smiled quite sincerely. "I'm leaving, if you don't need anything else?"
"If someone had thought to ask what I was doing there, and then believed the explanations, these stupid rumors would simply not exist. I don't molest women, I don't go to spring houses for carnal pleasures, I usually don't need anything there except pleasant company. And they like it, and I feel good, at least I get enough sleep there. Mu-shidi, I would have torn off the head of whoever started this rumor and propagated it, of course, but this case has already been passed, the reputation undermined. And Zhangmen Shixiong does not do better by his actions. Constant attempts to cover for me created the appearance that I was actually guilty of something. And I've told him many times to stop messing with it... Mu-shidi, you have a head on your shoulders, and you can think with it, not only shove food into it, because I've never noticed any condemnation from you... Not about that, for sure."
"Hmm," Mu Qingfang folded his arms and shrugged. "I understand that people's needs are different. And I never thought that Shen-shixiong was capable of forcing women into anything. It always seemed to me that Shixiong didn't want to tie the knot with a woman for pair cultivation due to his lack of choice. I thought you were trying the... alternative... way of replenishing and improving the ability to generate natural Yang energy. Such exercises are, um, one of the necessary types for this. It is much better, of course, to have a stable partner for cultivation. This shidi has not found one yet, but we have a large number of records from previous representatives of our School at the Peak. Achieving harmony with such cultivation is quite high."
"DING DONG The System has a Quest for the User
Which will allow you to cancel the OOC and change the ending!"
What?
"The increase in points is achieved by
CHANGING THE PLOT
THE DEVELOPMENT OF INTELLECT
MAKING THE PROTAGONIST HAPPY
THE DISCOVERY OF HIDDEN PLOT LINES
The user is unlikely to be able to do any of those without opening the OOC function!
Therefore, the System recommends accepting the quest!"
What kind of quest would that be?!
"The User must arrange with one of the other Lords to dual cultivate.
The first stage of the quest has begun: ASK THEM ALL (1/12)
Clarification: It is not necessary to ask all the Lords if the User finds a cultivation partner earlier!
Clarification: You can not go beyond the character until the OOC function is enabled!
Giving up the quest is worth 1000 points!"
And didn't I get out of this character with my previous words and explanations?..
"According to the calculations of this System, none of the User's new acquaintances thought that it was not Shen Qingqiu in front of them."
And dual cultivation is... Definitely with sex, right?
"The User can independently achieve this knowledge.
The System is not going to take away from the User the possible ways to get a new experience."
It's a yes or no question, System. Yes or no! Is there a canon quest option?! Well, the one with the Skinner demon?! System?!
I closed my eyes wearily and staggered.
"Shixiong!" Mu Qingfang held my elbow and poked me with his Qi again. "It's like you're on the verge of deviation again! What happened?!"
"I remembered that before my deviation, I ordered one unruly student to be locked in a woodshed. For some reason, I am sure that my students either forgot about him, or did something worse. I ask Mu-shidi to stay for a while or send one of his students to check on my student's condition. If the main disciple Min Fang did not cancel my punishment, though in common sense he should have, then Luo Binghe is quite likely in a bad condition. For his cultivation level, which remains low despite a year of training - year, Mu-shidi! - possible starvation can be harmful. Ugh... I'm starting to regret taking the kid from under the nose of Liu Qingge. I felt that the kid had good spiritual potential... Where is all this? Where?"
"Hm... Shen-shixiong is unexpectedly emotional about Student Luo. This Master is ready to take a look at the problematic student himself."
"I will be grateful and... We'll settle it later."
Mu Qingfang sat me down on the bed and quickly swept out of the small house that belongs to the head of Qingjing Peak.
A compassionate man. A good friend, probably. If he has time for friends with this madhouse at all.
System. This is your revenge, right?
"This System promised revenge.
But the System is kind and responsive.
And not vindictive.
It's just that my memory is bad.
I forget - and I take revenge again."
It was some weird attempt at humour, wasn't it?
Please let it be humor.
{ In the language of author the meaning of the word vindictive roughly translates into the word that means having evil-memory, which is why the whole pun/wordplay doesn't really work. Originally the System says that she doesn't have evil-memory it's just that the memory is bad so she doesn't remember if she takes revenge or not. If there's the same possible pun in English somehow - please tell me. }