Chapter Text
Ming Fan was a transmigrator.
He had managed to piece together that little fact when he had learned that demons and immortality and magical creatures existed. Having to wake up in the feverish body of a ten-year-old kid in ancient China had been an additional factor.
But what had taken him from fantasy land to a piece of fictional media had been the transparent blue screen that had flickered into existence in front of Ming Fan's face that no one but him could see.
On one sunny afternoon on Qing Jing Peak, as he finished reading the text displayed on the screen, Ming Fan came to realize just what kind of world he had been dragged into.
Up the hill a little ways ahead, Ning Yingying trotted after their shizun, giggling all the while crooning for the man's attention. Their shizun, Shen Qingqiu, was an austere and cold man who seldom expressed kindness and patience for anyone, but when in the presence of his sole female disciple, the ice in his veins would melt fractionally.
Ning Yingying, the lone girl on a peak full of good-looking guys. Ning Yingying, who was conventionally attractive enough to garner attention but not too stunning to make her seem out of touch or lose her relatability. Ning Yingying, the only one who could defrost Ice Queen Shen Qingqiu because of her protagonist halo.
Who could she be but the heroine in an otome game?
And Ming Fan, the head disciple of Qing Jing Peak, was to be the info-dumping NPC. Or, at least, that was what made sense.
【Welcome to the world of Proud Immortal Demon Way! Help the protagonist reach a happy ending!】
【Shen Qingqiu - Xiu Ya Sword - Qing Jing Peak Lord
Age: ?
Height: 184 cm
Likes: tea, books
Dislikes: idiots】
Ming Fan glanced back up to watch the diminishing forms of both Shen Qingqiu and Ning Yingying. Floating above Shen Qingqiu's head was a heart icon and a percentage.
❤ 0%
That would have been shocking to see if it weren't for the fact that Ning Yingying was still just a kid. Shen Qingqiu wouldn't go for a child, after all, but he wouldn't stand a chance against his shimei's charms once she became of age, if his overt fondness for her was of any indication.
For a man of such a frosty exterior, Shen Qingqiu was going to be an easy target. But as for Ning Yingying's other options…? If Shen Qingqiu's information was anything to go by, Ming Fan doubted that he had anything useful to tell her. Well, that was a concern further down the road. What use was there trying to woo a man at this point in time? No forbidden student-teacher romance for now!
Ming Fan looked back at the screen. So…he was in something called Proud Immortal Demon Way? That was a rather…grandiloquent title. He had never heard of it, but based on the name, he assumed that Ning Yingying's harem would consist of demons as well. Or her rivals would be demons. Or the hidden paramour was a demon overlord.
No, wait, maybe she was the demon.
Ah. He could picture it now. Ning Yingying, living her life as a happy-go-lucky disciple, unaware of her true heritage as a demonic princess meant to inherit the throne of the Demon Kingdom.
Misunderstandings and betrayals were prime ingredients to make a love story spicy, and such spice was evident in Ning Yingying's future if she did choose Shen Qingqiu's route. Everyone and their grandmother knew that Shen Qingqiu despised demons, and him being a potential love interest would serve to make an interesting complex plot.
A beloved disciple being revealed to be a reviled demon? Imagine the conflict!
That aside, Ming Fan couldn't understand why this, uh, notification had appeared just now. He had been in this world for, what, four years now?
It would make sense that this thing - the…System - wouldn't have shown up prior to him becoming a disciple of Cang Qiong Sect, but what about last year when Ning Yingying had joined? She was the heroine, so shouldn't the System have manifested before then?
Unless there was something important was happening today.
Ming Fan wracked his brain for a moment until he remembered the disciple selection process. It was today!
Every year, hundreds of hopeful candidates would gather at the base of a mountain to participate in the trial that would determine whether they would be accepted into the one of the most highly honored cultivation sects: digging holes.
Someone had once told Ming Fan that digging holes wasn't just about digging holes. It was a way for Peak Lords to ascertain the candidates' stamina, perseverance, dexterity, spiritual energy, moral character… It all sounded like bullshit. It was just digging holes!
He suspected that some guy hundreds of years ago came up with the idea out of laziness, and no one bothered to come up with a better method of assessing any future disciples for the same reason.
Whatever. The point was that disciple selection was today, which meant that new people were coming.
Which meant that a very important love interest was coming!
This must be why the System hadn't activated until now. All the male leads hadn't been here until this auspicious day. Whoever Shen Qingqiu would pick must be the last guy that they were all waiting for!
The newest Qing Jing disciple was a small, scrawny boy with big soulful eyes. He was rather eye-catching in that adorable "pitiable sad puppy" kind of way. He was also wet, as if water was poured over his head, hence the hangdog expression on his face.
"Ming Fan," Shen Qingqiu said, his tone clipped, "take him away."
"Yes, Shizun," Ming Fan said, bowing. The kid scrambled onto his feet from his kneeling position and bowed deeply. He was shaking, Ming Fan noticed. Looked like introductions hadn't fared so well.
Ming Fan led the boy out of the Bamboo House. Once outside, the boy stopped shaking, but he kept his head hung low. The scent of despair was palpable on this one. Ming Fan also noticed the absence of a heart icon that should have been floating above the kid's head.
【Affection Percentages are calculated by those outside the protagonist who can directly impact the story and carry the most influence over the protagonist's development.】
Ah, what? So the final male lead wasn't this guy? But he was the only Qing Jing recruit! Did that mean that the male lead was on another peak?
Ming Fan couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. And worried. He hoped that it wasn't Bai Zhan. Those guys were assholes.
Shaking his head, Ming Fan refocused his attention onto the youngest disciple of Qing Jing, who was now staring up at him a little warily. He smiled, hoping to alleviate the tension. Poor kid.
"Hello, Shidi. This one is called Ming Fan, the head disciple of our illustrious peak. You may address this one as Da-shixiong."
"G-greetings, Da-shixiong." The boy's eyes widened as he ducked his head respectfully. "I am - my name - th-this one is called Luo Binghe. I - this one is honored to be here," he babbled, flustered.
"Well met, Luo-shidi. How about I take you to our dorms so that you can get changed, hm?"
Luo Binghe tentatively nodded and followed Ming Fan without a word.
On the way there, they passed by a few of their fellow disciples, who exchanged nods and looked at Luo Binghe curiously. Luo Binghe skirted a bit closer behind Ming Fan as though he could conceal himself. Whether out of nervousness or shyness, Ming Fan wasn't sure, but he was getting the impression that his shidi was the skittish sort.
At some point, Ming Fan had to bring himself to ask, "So, how did Luo-shidi get wet?"
Luo Binghe tensed before his shoulders slightly eased. He quietly replied, "Shizun…poured tea on me."
Oof.
"I - this one does not begrudge or bear any ill will t-towards Shizun. This lowly one must have done something wrong to have earned Shizun's ire," Luo Binghe stammered.
Ming Fan grimaced. Sure, Shen Qingqiu was a hardass, but he had never gone to this extent. Dumping tea on a kid? And for what reason? It seemed like Luo Binghe didn't know why either. Shen Qingqiu couldn't have done this unprovoked, right?
"Did Shizun make you brew him tea?" There must have been the obligatory tea ceremony that every new disciple had to partake.
"This one did."
"And have you brewed tea before?"
"This stupid one unfortunately has ever brewed tea for his mother when she was unwell. This one has never been taught how to properly prepare tea."
Ming Fan made a sympathetic noise. Perhaps that had been the reason! One of Shen Qingqiu's likes was tea - maybe the only thing that could bring that cold-hearted man any joy - so he probably had been so offended by Luo Binghe's attempt that he had to upend it on the offender.
Sheesh. Talk about dramatic.
"No need to be so hard on yourself, Luo-shidi," Ming Fan tutted lightly, patting the boy on his shoulder. "You're not stupid for not knowing how. You're just inexperienced. Fortunately, this da-shixiong is quite knowledgeable in making tea, so he shall teach you."
Almost startlingly, Luo Binghe's sad face transformed into a hopeful one, practically setting his features aglow. His lips parted into an awed "oh" as his eyes brightened as if there were stars in them.
"Really, Da-shixiong?" he gasped softly. "You would truly teach this one?"
Oh, how precious! No wonder he wasn't a male lead; his cuteness factor far exceeded Ning Yingying's! No, he was better suited as the little brother archetype, one meant to be spoiled and coddled! Knowing Ning Yingying's character, Luo Binghe ought to be set up with a doting big sister.
Ming Fan's smile broadened. "Of course! What's a da-shixiong for? If there's anything you need help with, let this one know."
Today certainly turned out to be quite eventful, having learned what kind of world he had transmigrated into and having acquired the cutest shidi in existence, but at least it had been interesting.