Chapter Text
Shen Qingqiu noticed something was wrong--very wrong--the instant he woke up in this world.
More wrong than having died and transmigrated. More wrong than being saddled with the universe's most unhelpful System. More wrong, even, than being in the body of the scum villain destined to be horribly tortured by the beloved protagonist.
There was something wrong with his body down there.
"System," he thought furiously while smiling at Yue Qingyuan and nodding along to whatever nonsense the man was saying. "What. The. Fuck."
[Can User be more specific? This System is here to assist ✧٩(•́⌄•́๑)و ✧]
"What is going on between my legs?!!!"
The detailed anatomical diagram that popped up in front of him made Shen Qingqiu choke.
"Shidi? Are you alright?" Yue Qingyuan was peering at him with concern. "I can get Mu-shidi if-"
"I'm fine," Shen Qingqiu gasped, still coughing.
Shen Qingqiu was not fine. "System, what the hell am I looking at?"
[In the book Proud Immortal Demon's Way, there are secondary genders! People are either-]
"I read the book! I know all that! What I don't know is why I'm looking at omega anatomy. Shen Qingqiu was a beta!"
It had been one of his defining character traits. Most of the Peak Lords and head disciples were alphas, a presentation that came with a buff to physical cultivation and an increase in prestige. They were leaders! Warriors! People that could command a room with the power of their scent alone!
The only exception was Shen Qingqiu--a common, unremarkable beta. He'd been jealous of his peer's abilities, and that jealousy had led him to become a twisted, cruel man that had tormented his own disciples for daring to have more potential than him.
That wouldn't be a problem this time around. Secondary genders hadn't existed in his original world, and so he didn't feel any particular jealousy towards his martial siblings. Honestly, as fun as the whole concept had been in fiction, it also sounded like a pain in the ass! There were ruts, and heats, and pheromones, and all kinds of pack bonding bullshit! Betas were exempt from most of that. They could sense pheromones, and they produced small amounts of their own, but they didn't have to deal with the difficult stuff. Who wouldn't want to be a beta?
[User is incorrect! Shen Qingqiu was not a beta]: the System said cheerfully.
"Shidi? Your face is turning red," Yue Qingyuan said, frowning.
"Are you accusing me of not knowing the source material? Shen Qingqiu was definitely a beta!"
[Luo Binghe thought he was a beta, and the story was told from his perspective]: the System said. [User gets to experience the world from Shen Qingqiu's perspective. There will be so much new content! You're welcome! <(￣︶￣)>]
"What!"
"Shen-shidi, what's wrong?" Yue Qingyuan was leaning closer now, his face worried. He reached towards Shen Qingqiu, then paused. He sniffed the air.
[Would User like to learn how to use cultivation to suppress his omega pheromones?]: asked the System. [Warning: lack of pheromone production in reaction to emotional stimuli will make others see Shen Qingqiu as heartless and cold!]
"Do it!" Shen Qingqiu thought furiously as Yue Qingyuan's pupils started to dilate.
[It will cost the user-]
"I don't care! Do it now!"
[As User wishes. Initiating tutorial mode…]
In the end, it hadn't cost him all of his B points to learn pheromone suppression--just most of them. But it had been worth it. Yue Qingyuan had shaken his head, confused when the strange new scent disappeared abruptly, and he'd left the bamboo house none the wiser. And now not only did Shen Yuan not have to deal with omega pheromones, but he could prevent heats! And reactions to alphas! He was practically a beta, really.
Except for…well.
He'd explored a bit after Yue Qingyuan had left. PIDW hadn't spent much time on male omegas, other than to mention that Mobei-Jun was one (and how could he not be? Another alpha would be too much of a threat to the protagonist!). There had been fan speculation about what was under the hood, so to speak, but there hadn't been any in-canon confirmations. He'd had his suspicions, of course.
And now he'd had those suspicions confirmed. Or had the world filled in its gaps based on his predictions? Either way, he was pissed.
He'd only seen women naked in porn (he'd never gotten much further with girls than a few dates and the occasional kiss) but he recognized a pussy when he saw one. The only difference was that instead of a clit, he had a cock--though one that was much smaller then he was used to. Not that he'd been exactly well endowed or anything in his old life! But now, depressingly, the only word that could really describe him down there was 'cute'.
When he'd tentatively felt around his new anatomy, one of his fingers had accidentally slipped between the soft lips there, and he'd felt a warm, strange wetness that had clenched reflexively at the sudden intrusion.
The wetness had concerned him at first. In the book, Luo Binghe had always been able to smell when an omega woman near him was aroused and producing….fluids…which was all the time, honestly, because Airplane was a hack author. Shen Qingqiu had worried he might accidentally reveal his presentation in a similar manner, just by accidentally standing near an attractive person, but the cultivated suppression took care of any excess arousal or bodily fluid production as well.
At least his chest was still flat! PIDW's author had definitely had a thing for chests. And milk. In this world, omegas lactated during their heats in order to seduce potential mates with proof of their fertility (and in order to sell extra chapters to kinky readers). Shen Qingqiu hadn't been totally opposed to it in fiction, to tell the truth--it had pushed all the right buttons for him in ways he preferred not to think too hard about--but having to deal with it in real life was another matter entirely.
Maybe only female omegas had to deal with that? Or maybe outside of heats--which he never planned to have--male omegas got to skip the whole breasts thing?
Whatever the reason, he'd take the win.
Omega instincts? Mostly repressed!
Scent glands? Completely non-functional!
Hormones? Barely there!
He could ignore it all, and so he did.
The first time he saw Luo Binghe, he was glad he'd shelled out the B-points for his pheromone suppression.
As an omega, Shen Qingqiu was responsible for the well-being of his pack's children. Seeing Luo Binghe's bruised and bloody condition and knowing that not only had he failed to protect Binghe from harm, but had in fact been the cause of it, had been a bit like being suddenly hit over the head with a frying pan. Even with his omega instincts firmly cultivated into submission, he'd still half-collapsed at the sight, causing Ming Fan to rush to his side.
"See what you've done, beast?" Ming Fan shouted, fluttering anxiously around Shen Qingqiu, trying to support him without daring to touch him. "Just the sight of you causes our Shizun harm!"
Shen Qingqiu waved him off as he steadied himself against the wall and stood back up, slipping quickly back into his immortal master facade. "That's enough, Ming Fan," he said.
"This disciple will fetch Mu-shishu-"
"This Master is fine. Ming Fan is dismissed."
Ming Fan's face was twisted with worry, but he was an obedient boy if nothing else. He bowed politely, then left, though not before shooting Luo Binghe one last venomous glare.
Shen Qingqiu took a deep breath, steadying his shaking knees. Had the original goods felt like this every time he'd beaten Binghe? Was he some sort of masochist? This felt awful! If it hadn't been for his cultivated suppression, he was sure he'd stink of distress and would be smothering the poor boy in healing balm and warm blankets.
He still kind of wanted to do that. And he was dying to feed poor Binghe a decent meal--the boy was far too thin! Intellectually Shen Qingqiu had known he wasn't getting enough to eat, of course, but seeing it…
Luo Binghe watched him warily as Shen Qingqiu crossed the room towards him. The scent of fear coming from him was a knife twisting in Shen Qingqiu's guts.
Shen Qingqiu gritted his teeth and tossed him a healing potion, jerking his hand out and back quickly to disguise the way it was shaking. "This is medicine," he said. "Don't let anyone see; they might think my Qing Jing Peak abuses its disciples." His voice was harsh--partly to appease that bastard of a system into not detracting OOC points, and partly because if he loosened his throat, he was afraid he'd start whining.
If Luo Binghe noticed anything was off, though, he didn't show it. He kept his head bowed, and when Shen Qingqiu inquired as to his age and cultivation level, he even offered up a shy smile as he apologized for his lack of progress.
Shen Qingqiu's heart clenched. It was like watching a puppy who'd only ever been kicked, but who still approached his master with a wagging tail, hoping for a head pat.
He wanted to pat Binghe's head.
Silly omega instincts, he thought as he dismissed Binghe. He crossed his arms over his chest, mostly to stop himself from reaching after the boy and burying his hand in those soft, fluffy curls. Whoever heard of wanting to pat another person's head? Truly, this secondary gender nonsense was going to be a pain.
The pheromone suppression was undoubtedly a lifesaver. His omega instincts were inconvenient, sure, but how much more intense would they have been at full force?
But it wasn't without its drawbacks.
Even after the OOC locks were lifted and he'd been able to soften his manner, his inability to produce scents made him somewhat of a social pariah. If someone was in pain and Shen Qingqiu didn't produce a sympathetic scent, then he was heartless, no matter what words of consolation he offered. If someone made a joke and he didn't smell right when he laughed, then he must be faking his response.
It was frustrating for everyone involved, and it caused enough offense that he found himself left out of most diplomatic events despite being the sect's head strategist.
[...You could just let people know your presentation]: the System said. [Omegas are valued.]
"Yeah, as breeding stock."
[That's not correct, and User knows it (￣ヘ￣)]
It's true that it wasn't the whole truth…but it wasn't wrong, either. Omegas were highly prized individuals, their fertility and relative rarity meaning that they were generally loved and doted upon and protected. Everyone dreamed of marrying one, or having one for a mother, or being the dashing hero and saving one from harm. But did anyone truly dream of being one themselves?
Plus, heats sounded unpleasant.
The only people who seemed to understand him were his own disciples. They were used to his lack of scent, and took his smiles and verbal responses at face value. Ming Fan even stepped in to fill the roles he couldn't, using the scent glands on his wrists to mark the other disciples and bind them together as a pack in a way Shen Qingqiu couldn't.
Luo Binghe had been excluded from that in the book, and the rejection from his own pack--the lack of familial scent and the pain that had caused--had been one of the major grievances he'd sought revenge for.
Shen Qingqiu made sure Luo Binghe got scented regularly this time around, no matter how much Ming Fan moped each time he had to do it.
The person who seemed to understand him the least was Liu Qingge.
"You didn't let Yue Qingyuan scent you at the meeting," Liu Qingge said accusingly.
Shen Qingqiu sighed. Liu Qingge had followed him back to his peak, and had kicked his door down while he was trying to enjoy tea with Binghe. Now he had to get a new door--again--and Luo Binghe was starting to smell like he was about to try and fight the war god all by himself.
"I forgot, Liu-shidi," he said. Also, Yue Qingyuan had been acting weird and kept accidentally calling him Xiao-Jiu, and Shen Qingqiu had wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible.
"You don't just forget that. You don't even smell like us anymore," Liu Qingge said. "If you don't want to be a part of our pack, why don't you just leave?"
Luo Binghe snarled--actually snarled, like some kind of adorable little rabid wolf--and jumped to his feet. Shen Qingqiu reached up to tap him on the head with his fan before he could do anything rash, like start a fight that would get him pancaked. "Binghe, please see to the dishes."
Luo Binghe's turned to him, his eyes pleading. "But Shizun! You heard what he said to you! He's rejecting you from the pack."
"This master will survive," Shen Qingqiu said dryly. "Go."
Luo Binghe left the room, though not before throwing one last parting growl at Liu Qingge.
For his part, Liu Qingge looked uncomfortable. "I wasn't rejecting you," he said. "You're the one who avoided being scented. You're rejecting us. I don't understand why."
"I already explained: I forgot."
"People don't forget that sort of thing."
They do if they weren't raised in this sort of world! "It's the truth," Shen Qingqiu said.
"It doesn't make sense."
Shen Qingqiu was beginning to see why the original goods had killed him. "Liu-shidi, if you don't accept my explanation, then I have nothing to offer you. Unless you'd like a cup of tea? Binghe brewed it perfectly."
There was an angry cry from the other room. "Shizun! Don't let him have my tea!"
Liu Qingge shook his head. "No." He looked towards the kitchen. "You spoil that disciple. He'll be trouble one day."
Shen Qingqiu waved him away. Oh, if only you knew, Liu-shidi.
Liu Qingge was not an uncommon sight on Qing Jing Peak, unfortunately. He continued to swing by periodically to clear Shen Qingqiu's meridians after Sha Hualing’s demon invasion, and he always made sure to jostle Shen Qingqiu's scent glands while touching his wrists, as if trying to coax some accidental pack bonding out of him.
Liu Qingge would make sure his own wrists skimmed over Shen Qingqiu in turn. When Shen Qingqiu had pointed it out, he'd shrugged.
"You're pack," he'd said, his face flushing. "Someone should do it."
Being subjected to an emotionally constipated alpha rubbing his wrists on him wasn't the worst outcome that he could have faced from Without a Cure, Shen Qingqiu supposed. He could have died, or worse, more embarrassingly, been revealed as an omega.
He'd thought he had been revealed, at first. He'd felt his qi stagnate in front of everyone, and when he'd woken in his bed in Qing Jing, he hadn't been able to circulate his spiritual energy enough to continue the suppression technique the System had taught him. But the air had been clear of any new scent, and neither Ming Fan nor Binghe had seemed to notice anything wrong when they'd approached him with food.
[It takes a few hours for your body to begin producing enough pheromones to be detectable to the human nose!]: the System had informed him when he'd prodded it for an explanation.
"So I'm in the clear?" It didn't seem possible, but he actually seemed to be walking away from Without a Cure with no serious repercussions. Was this universe finally having mercy on him?
[So long as you don't go too long without your cultivation, then yes! (◠‿◠✿) ]
And with Liu Qingge around, he never even got close to that limit! As soon as his spiritual energy started to get muddled he could send for him or one of his other martial siblings, and he'd be sorted out long before it got bad enough for his cultivation to dry up completely, much less be completely without it for an extended period of time.
It did tend to make Binghe grumpy, though.
"This disciple is the one that caused Shizun to be infected with the poison. This disciple should be the one to clear Shizun's meridians," Luo Binghe said, sulking, as Shen Qingqiu wrote a note to Bai Zhan requesting Liu Qingge's presence.
Luo Binghe smelled upset, but there were undercurrents of jealousy, too. Ordinarily Shen Qingqiu wouldn't have been able to smell any more than the anger, but his nose always got more sensitive when his cultivation began to falter--pheromones might take a while to ramp up, but his nose was ready to go anytime.
His omega instincts were also quick to bounce back when his suppression failed. Luo Binghe's emotional distress made something in him ache to release a comforting scent, to pull him into a big hug and smooth away the pain.
He settled for patting Binghe's head.
Was his little sheep so sticky that his Shizun spending time with another Peak Lord caused him to drink vinegar? Truly those territorial alpha instincts presented early!
Luo Binghe leaned into the head pat as always. His nostrils flared as he seemed to catch a whiff of something.
"Shizun?" he said, hesitantly. "Is that..?"
It was far too early in his Without a Cure flare up for Luo Binghe to be getting any scent off of him, but Shen Qingqiu shoved the note at him quickly and put some distance between them just to be safe. "Deliver this to your Liu-shishu."
Luo Binghe stopped sniffing the air and returned to moping. "Shizun…"
"Now, Binghe."
Things took a turn for the worse when Ning Yingying presented.
It started with Luo Binghe approaching him nervously while the disciples were practicing their sword forms. Shen Qingqiu was overseeing them, stepping in occasionally to make small corrections or offer words of encouragement. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary until Binghe broke formation to grab his sleeve and pull him to the side.
"It's Ning-shijie," Luo Binghe whispered, his face flushed. "Shizun…she smells like…you know."
Shen Qingiu sighed. "Binghe, we talked about this. Use your words."
Luo Binghe blushed harder. "She smells like heat, Shizun."
Ah.
He quickly covered his face with his fan. "Thank you, Binghe. This master will take it from here."
Ning Yingying gave him a confused look when he pulled her aside and directed her to follow him. She clearly didn't realize what was happening yet--and to be honest, he couldn't really smell anything, either. Truly, the protagonist's nose was too OP!
The smart thing would be to take her to Qian Cao. There were rooms there set aside for such occasions, as well as for alphas' ruts, and the healers were experienced in handling such matters.
Taking her to spend her heat around strangers felt wrong, though. Every instinct in Shen Qingqiu rebelled against it, and dammit, he needed to get his meridians cleared again if his omega instincts were strong enough to throw a hissy fit over something like this.
But there was no time to invite Liu Qingge over (even if there was, the idea of an alpha being near such a young omega during her heat made his hackles rise), and every bone in Shen Qingqiu's body was screaming that Ning Yingying was pack! She should be with the pack's other omegas--safe and protected until she was old enough to choose someone to share the experience with if she wished.
And it would be easier for her in the bamboo house, Shen Qingqiu reasoned as he guided her towards his home. Hadn't the book specified that familiar environments and scents would be calming? First heats weren't comfortable by any stretch of imagination, but they were also supposedly mild and fast compared to what she'd face as an adult. She'd have some cramping and a mild fever, but that was about it. It was nothing she couldn't sleep through in the comfort of her home peak.
Once they were back in the bamboo house, he closed the door and sat Ning Yingying down at his table.
She took the news well.
Had Shen Qingqiu spent most of the explanation hiding behind his fan? Maybe! But he'd kept his voice steady, despite his own discomfort. Ning Yingying had flushed bright red and teared up at the mention of her heat scent (he'd implied that he had detected it, not Luo Binghe, to save her further embarrassment), but she'd recovered quickly as she nibbled on some of the sweets Luo Binghe has set out earlier in the day.
"Your first heat will be uncomfortable, but it will be quick," Shen Qingqiu said. Not that he had personal experience! But this was PIDW lore, and he knew it as well as anyone in this world. "It should be over in less than a day. You're welcome to use my room if you wish--I have a guest bedroom I can use for the night. If there are scents you find comforting, let me know and I'll procure them."
"A-Luo's tea," Ning Yingying said. She gave him a watery smile. "Your ink, and some of the books from the library. Blankets from my dormitory bed. Maybe Ming Fan's robes--he smells like pack."
"I can do that." He eyed her cautiously. She was calmer now, but he could still smell the shock on her, as well as her nerves about her upcoming ordeal. And now--and only now--was he able to get faint whiffs of what Luo Binghe had scented earlier. That meant there wasn't much time, but…"Is Ning Yingying alright?"
She nodded hesitantly. "My mother was an omega. She always seemed happy. I know her presentation brought her a lot of joy. It's just…I always thought I'd be a beta, like my baba. Like you."
Oof. He grimaced. "Ning Yingying-"
"I know it's not so bad. I just need to get used to the idea." She smiled at him again, and now her tears were spilling over.
It would be inappropriate for a beta to hug her right now, so close to her heat. Shen Qingqiu hugged her anyway, and she buried her head in his shoulder and cried.
He knew Ning Yingying's heat scent was all over him when he opened the door. Luo Binghe was hovering just outside, and when he caught scent of Shen Qingqiu his face turned a strange shade of red before paling to white.
"Shizun..?" He sounded lost.
Ah, his poor little sheep! Of course he would be worried about his future wife being taken advantage of by his lecherous Shizun. Shen Qingqiu hurried to reassure him.
"Ning Yingying is safely sequestered in a room by herself, but she needs some items." He handed Luo Binghe a short list detailing what Ning Yingying had requested, along with some extra nesting materials and a basin and rags to wash with. "You'll need to come in and make the tea yourself once you've rounded everything else up."
Luo Binghe hadn't presented yet, so he was safe to have around Ning Yingying, though Shen Qingqiu had drawn the line at her taking Luo Binghe's room. She'd offered, reluctant to displace him for the night, but it wouldn't do to have her scent all over Luo Binghe's bed!
"Yes, Shizun." Luo Binghe still looked unsettled.
"Binghe will need to find a bed in the dormitories for the night, as well. I'll be taking your room while your shijie is recuperating."
"Shizun…will be sleeping in my bed?"
Shen Qingqiu frowned. "Unless Binghe objects…"
"No, Shizun! That's fine, Shizun!"
It didn't take long for him to return with all the items on the list. When the tea had finished, Shen Qingqiu gathered it all up and entered the bedroom.
Ning Yingying was curled up in the center of his bed, his few blankets and singular pillow arranged in a pitiful parody of nest around her. She was sweating now, her skin feverish, and she looked miserable.
"I have the supplies for you," Shen Qingqiu said, setting the nesting materials on the bed, and leaving the other supplies nearby.
She sighed in relief and grabbed weakly at the blankets and pillows. "Thank you, Shizun!" she said. A strange, rumbling noise filled the air as she buried her face in the familiar fabrics. She was purring, Shen Qingqiu realized with a start.
He left her alone in the room to arrange the nest to her liking. A largeish part of him wanted to stay, to try and help her during her first nest construction--but it would be his first nest, too. How could he instruct her in this, when he didn't know what to do himself?
Plus Luo Binghe would for sure turn him into a human stick if he--as a supposed beta--intruded on Ning Yingying's nest during her heat.
Luo Binghe was hovering near the door. He gave Shen Qingqiu an anxious look when he exited the room.
"Ning Yingying is alright," Shen Qingqiu reassured him. "She just needs time and some space, now. Let's work on your calligraphy while we pass the time."
As the hours passed, and Luo Binghe diligently copied poems while Shen Qingqiu worked through his backlog of paperwork, the scent from the bedroom--spring flowers and candy--grew stronger. Shen Qingqiu noticed Luo Binghe's cheeks were starting to look a little flushed. If it was to the point that even an unpresented kid was being affected, then it was time to call it a day.
"Binghe, please prepare dinner and one more pot of tea for your shijie. Then you can retire for the night."
When Luo Binghe looked up, his pupils were dilated. He nodded, then hesitated. "Is Shizun really…I mean, Shizun seems so calm. Is Shizun unaffected by her pheromones?" Luo Binghe's face was full of awe. "If I become better at cultivating, will I be immune, too?"
Shen Qingqiu was immune because he was an omega! But just because Luo Binghe would be an alpha didn't mean he'd become a beast, unable to control his urges--at least, in theory. In PIDW he hadn't done much to resist his base instincts, even though he could have, and look where that had led him! To a bloated and unmanageable harem.
Perhaps this teacher could assist, after all.
"Cultivation can help some, but the true power will come from Binghe's mind," Shen Qingqiu said, using his best immortal-master-imparting-wisdom voice. "Binghe must remember that he can decide whether or not to give in to his body's desires. He is not an animal, and so shouldn't be guided by his animalistic urges."
Luo Binghe nodded eagerly. "I'll do as Shizun says!" he said eagerly.
Hopefully he would. Poor Ning Yingying deserved better than a life trying to manage Luo Binghe's menagerie of wives.
Ning Yingying was far enough into her heat that Shen Qingqiu didn't try to deliver the food to her bed. She thought he was a beta, and would probably--reasonably--see his approach as a threat. Instead, he waited until Luo Binghe had left, and then knocked on the door.
"I'm leaving a tray of food outside," he said. "I'm going to Binghe's room now, and the main house is empty. If you need anything, just shout."
She didn't reply, but a few minutes after Shen Qingqiu retreated to the side room, he heard the main bedroom's door open and shut as she collected her tray.
He settled down to read in Luo Binghe's bed, feeling content. That had gone pretty well, he thought! Ning Yingying would be through her heat by lunchtime, and then everything would go back to normal.
But the morning, when it came, brought new challenges.
He smelled Liu Qingge approaching the bamboo house before he saw him. Intellectually, he knew his martial brother was a good person, someone who would never raise a hand against an omega much less take advantage of a child, but that didn't stop the hair from standing up all over Shen Qingqiu's body as he scented alpha pheromones come close--too close!!--to the bamboo house.
He hurried outside, closing and locking the front door behind him. "Now's not a good time, Liu-shidi," he said.
Liu Qingge frowned at him. "It's past time for your treatment," he said, and then the smell on Shen Qingqiu registered. His eyes went wide. "Someone's in heat in there?"
"None of your business," Shen Qingqiu said, gritting his teeth against the urge to snarl at the man.
"Who?" Liu Qingge scented the air, then stared incredulously at Shen Qingqiu. "I only smell your two disciples. Don't tell me-"
"I'm not taking advantage of children if that's what you're suggesting," Shen Qingqiu snapped.
"Then who is in there? I can smell an omega all over you, and I don't smell any other adults nearby!"
"I was comforting a disciple that went into heat, that's all," he said. But he knew even as he said it that it wouldn't be enough. From an outside perspective, this looked bad.
In this world, omegas were treasured and protected. Taking advantage of one during their heat was considered one of the most heinous things a person could do, and taking advantage of a child omega would be a crime grave enough to ruin anyone, no matter their station. It had been accusations of such things that had eventually brought the original goods down.
Though now that he was thinking about it, those accusations had probably been based on instances like this one...
Liu Qingge was flushing red, now--not as a reaction to the heat smell, Shen Qingqiu realized, but from anger. He moved towards the door, making as if he was going to kick it down and barge inside.
Shen Qinqgqiu stepped to block him. "You're not coming in," he said, and something in his chest rumbled in anger.
He was growling, he realized, startled.
Liu Qingge growled right back--only his was louder, deeper, and more threatening. A proper alpha's growl, the kind that would make Shen Qingqiu want to curl up into a tiny ball if he hadn't had a nest and vulnerable child to protect.
"If you don't have anything to hide, then there's no reason I can't go in," Liu Qingge said.
"She's in heat! It's not appropriate for you to be in there!"
"You're right! It's not! And it's not for you, either." Liu Qingge moved forward again.
Shen Qingqiu tried to grab him, tried to stop him, but the war god was faster and stronger. Liu Qingge grabbed a fist full of his robes and tossed him away like he weighed nothing. He flew through the air, only stopping when he hit a tree with a resounding crack that split the air like a gunshot.
He slid to the ground in a pile of robes and jumbled limbs. The tree was probably broken now. It felt like his head was broken, too--everything was spinning in a nauseating, disorienting way.
A crash from the house caused him to jerk upright, just in time to see Liu Qingge step over the debris of the front door and disappear inside.
He keened.
"Shizun!" Luo Binghe had arrived--when? How much had he seen?--and was staring at him, horrified.
Shen Qingqiu grimaced. He was a cultivator! He could handle a few bumps. He quickly stifled that horrible, embarrassing noise that was coming out of his mouth and tried to circulate his qi, but Without a Cure had well and truly flared up. He was only able to direct a thin trickle of energy to ease his dizziness.
With his head somewhat cleared, he was able to stagger to his feet. Luo Binghe was at his side in a heartbeat, supporting him as he half-staggered, half-ran towards the house.
When he stepped over the shattered remnants of his front door (and really, Liu-shidi, he shouldn't have to have a monthly door budget!), it was to the sight of Ning Yingying standing in the threshold to the bedroom, looking mildly irritated as she argued with Liu Qingge. Her clothes were rumpled, and her hair was loose and messy--the look of someone who'd just woken up and scrambled to the door as fast as possible.
It was wrong. She should be still curled up, safe and warm, sleeping in her nest.
She would have been, if it hadn't been for Liu Qingge. Liu Qingge had his back to him, but Shen Qingqiu bared his teeth at him anyway as he began to cross the room.
"My heat's almost done, though. There's no reason to head to Qian Cao for the last couple hours," Ning Yingying said, her voice carrying the hint of a whine.
"Mu Qingfang needs to check you over," Liu Qingge insisted.
"But Liu-shishu…"
"That's enough. We're going now." Liu Qingge reached out to grab her.
It occurred to Shen Qingqiu later that, despite his lofty words to Luo Binghe about overcoming one's urges, he had far less experience controlling his instinctive responses than even the greenest disciple. He'd never lived in a world with secondary genders, or scents, or packs before. What little time he'd spent here, he'd done so while suppressing his body with cultivation. He was like a toddler--experiencing emotions and impulses for the first time, with no concept of how to process them or deal with them appropriately.
At least, that's what he told himself later. It made his actions easier to excuse.
Between one moment and the next, Shen Qingqiu was across the room and between Liu Qingge and Ning Yingying. Liu Qingge blinked at him, startled, his hand still outstretched to grab Shen Qingqiu's disciple, his pack, his child.
"Shen Qingqiu, you shouldn't be here. You-"
Shen Qingqiu bit his hand. Hard.
Once all the screaming and yelling had died down, and Liu Qingge had stemmed the spray of blood gushing from his hand, they all made the trek to Qian Cao together.
Mu Qingfang was not impressed.
"You had an omega in heat? In your room? With no one to chaperone?" His eyes were pure steel as they bored into Shen Qingqiu.
"I didn't touch her," Shen Qingqiu protested. "I wouldn't. I'm not an animal!"
Mu Qingfang looked pointedly at Liu Qingge's bandaged hand. "Clearly," he said, before escorting Shen Qingqiu into a room to stew by himself.
There wasn't anything to do except wait, and so Shen Qingqiu waited. And waited. And with every minute that ticked by, he could feel Without a Cure growing stronger, thickening and blocking his spiritual veins until his qi completely gone.
And still he waited.
When Yue Qingyuan finally showed his face, he looked grim and apologetic. His eyes widened as he took in the blood staining Shen Qingqiu's mouth and the front of his robes.
"Oh, Xiao Jiu," he said, his voice soft and full of grief.
"That's not my name," Shen Qingqiu snapped. He knew he probably should be nicer to the sect leader, especially after everything that had happened today, but he'd been waiting here for hours. His body would start happily pumping out pheromones at any second.
He needed to get his meridians cleared. Now.
Yue Qingyuan nodded. "Of course, Shen-shidi." Weirdly, being snapped at seemed to cheer him up slightly. He sat down at the table, and motioned for Shen Qingqiu to join him.
Shen Qingqiu gritted his teeth and did so.
"Shen-shidi, the Peak Lords have discussed the situation-"
"There was a Peak Lord meeting? Without me?" Shen Qingqiu pulled out his fan and covered his face with it, but not fast enough to hide his frown.
"You have to understand, allegations of this sort, especially ones concerning an omega, well…" Yue Qingyuan shifted uncomfortably. "There were concerns."
"Oh?" Shen Qingqiu's fingers tightened on the fan. Was he starting to produce a scent? There was a faint, sweet odor that hadn't been here when he'd first entered the room.
"We asked the disciple in question for her version of events-"
"You bothered Ning Yingying?" The fan creaked as Shen Qingqiu's fingers spasmed around it. "During her heat? Are you insane?"
The sweet smell took on a faintly sour tone, and shit--it was definitely him. Yue Qingyuan didn't seem to have noticed yet. Shen Qingqiu took a deep breath and tried to steady his emotions. People in the world could temper the intensity of their scents. If he could get through this conversation calmly, the scent would be almost unnoticeable, surely, especially beneath the lingering traces of Ning Yingying's heat. Then he could ask Yue Qingyuan to clear his meridians before he returned to Qing Jing, and no one would be the wiser.
Yue Qingyuan held his hands out placatingly. "She was almost through it by the time she arrived at Qian Cao Peak. We made sure not to discomfort her any more than necessary."
"It wasn't necessary at all! She could have been left to sleep it off in the comfort of a familiar environment," Shen Qingqiu said, and okay--staying calm through this conversation was going to be more difficult than he'd thought.
"The familiar environment…of your bed?" Yue Qingyuan gave him a long look.
Shen Qingqiu felt his face pale. "I didn't-"
"I know. And your disciple said you were very respectful and kept your distance during her time in your room. But Xiao-Jiu, you have to know how this looks."
He did. But- "If she isn't accusing me of anything, then what's left to discuss?"
"Some Peak Lords voiced concerns that she might be either intimidated by you or enamored with you, and so her testimony might not be entirely trustworthy. Others worry that you may have had unsavory plans, but hadn't had a chance to act on them before Liu-shidi interrupted."
"I see." Shen Qingqiu could feel his heartbeat in his throat. The original goods hadn't gotten into serious trouble until Luo Binghe's return! Had he messed things up so badly that he'd be sent to the Water Prison before the protagonist even blackened? "And what did the Peak Lords decide to do with me? Am I to be stripped of my title? Imprisoned?"
His scent was coming through stronger now. Shit shit shit shit shit.
Yue Qingyuan's eyes widened in shock. "What? No, it's nothing so harsh! Xiao-Jiu, you haven't been convicted of anything, and your disciple swears to your innocence. Your behavior was just concerning. It was improper to treat an omega disciple that way, and then to go feral when Liu-shidi tried to intervene…well. That kind of loss of control could be dangerous. For everyone's well being, we decided that Shen-shidi should take a break from accepting new disciples."
Shen Qingqiu froze.
The thing was, he hadn't been planning on accepting any new disciples. What was the point, when Luo Binghe might come back and raze the whole peak to the ground in a few years' time?
But being told that he wasn't trusted to be around the children--that the pack thought so little of him that he was being separated from their young--made something in his chest snap. The snap caused a sharp, stabbing pain, and distantly, Shen Qingqiu could hear his fan clatter to the floor.
It wasn't just rejection.
He wasn't just unwanted.
His pack thought he was a threat, thought he would hurt the very ones he was supposed to help protect.
Silly omega instincts, he thought faintly as the world began to tilt to one side and Yue Qingyuan shouted something in alarm. He didn't even like kids all that much! It wasn't like he was aching to see little cute faces peering up at him, or hear the high-pitched shrieks of kids' laughter as they played between classes. It would be more peaceful with only older disciples around! It would finally be quiet!
It would be even quieter once Luo Binghe was gone, and the remaining disciples grew older and moved on with their lives, and there was no one to replace them.
There were hands gripping him, shaking him gently, and then there was a stench--acrid, stinging, and bitter, and strong enough to make Shen Qingqiu's eyes water, like someone was cutting onions right under his nose.
It was unmistakably the scent of an omega in distress.
Yue Qingyuan was still shouting, though what his words were, Shen Qingqiu couldn't guess--the ringing in his ears was too loud to hear over. The door to the room burst open, and then Mu Qingfang was there too, hurrying towards him with needles in hand. He knelt down on the ground next to Shen Qingqiu--and when had he fallen on the ground? He didn't remember that bit--and then Shen Qingqiu felt a faint pressure on his neck.
His vision had already begun to fade into black at the edges. At the prick of Mu Qingfang's needle, he slid the rest of the way into darkness.
He woke to the feeling of cool, soothing qi sweeping the crud out of his meridians. Shen Qingqiu breathed a sigh of relief. Finally.
With his qi restored, it only took a thought to redirect his spiritual energy to his scent glands, and the horrible stench around him began to fade.
"Stop."
Shen Qingqiu opened his eyes to the sight of Mu Qingfang frowning at him while passing healing qi through his wrist. Mu Qingfang's crisp alpha scent filled the air with the calming smell of mint, but even it couldn't overpower the sour smell of Shen Qingqiu's panic. "Don't you want the scent to go away?" Shen Qingqiu asked.
"I want the scent of omega in distress to go away because the omega in question is no longer in distress, not because the smell is being artificially suppressed," Mu Qingfang snapped. He was upset, Shen Qingqiu realized. Perhaps he thought Shen Qingqiu's ill health would be blamed on him?
"I'm fine," Shen Qingqiu reassured him. Had he really fainted at the idea of not being allowed new disciples? He grimaced. Stupid omega instincts. If he ever got a chance to be in the same room with PIDW's hack of a writer, he was going to strangle him.
"With respect, Shen-shixiong just had a qi deviation. An avoidable one," Mu Qingfang said, his voice tight. "If we'd known your true presentation, this whole misunderstanding could have been avoided."
"Apologies, Mu-shidi."
"But why did you do it?" Yue Qingyuan asked, looking for all the world like a kicked puppy. "Why hide this? Cang Qiong has never discriminated against omegas. I know not everywhere is so kind, but surely you know your martial siblings would keep you safe? You trust us to protect you, don't you?"
Shen Qingqiu opened his mouth, then shut it. What could he say? That it wasn't personal? That he wasn't trying to cast aspersions on his sect's abilities, but he was from a world without this sort of thing, and he hadn't really come to terms with it all yet?
At his silence, Yue Qingyuan's face fell. "If you don't feel safe, then this Qi-ge has failed you," he whispered. "But you'll be protected, Xiao-Jiu, I swear it." He leaned closer, and Shen Qingqiu could see that his pupils were dilated. He swayed a bit, and Shen Qingqiu realized Yue Qingyuan was scent drunk--not just from the overpowering scent of an omega in distress, but from the rising sweet pheromones of an omega nearing heat. Without his ever present cultivated repression, Shen Qingqiu's body was making up for lost time and jumping straight into his first heat in who-knows-how-long.
Was it possible to die of mortification? Shen Qingqiu was going to give it a shot. He pulled his hand back, but Yue Qingyuan followed it.
"I take it all back. I won't deny Xiao Jiu children," Yue Qingyuan said. His face was flushed, now, and his eyes were slightly unfocused. "Your Qi-ge will give you as many children as you want, as often as you want." His hand drifted down to cradle Shen Qingqiu's stomach as he spoke.
A bolt of heat shot through Shen Qingqiu's gut. Yue Qingyuan wasn't talking about the disciple selections--he was offering to give Shen Qingqiu children the old fashioned way, the way no one else in the pack could stand in the way of. He could picture it vividly: his stomach kept in a near-constant state of roundness as his peak gradually filled with the sounds of children playing. If they pushed it, they could have a dozen in as many years--more, if Yue Qingyuan could manage to father some twins.
They'd be strong children, too. Yue Qingyuan had been the only real threat to Luo Binghe in the original story, and surely his children would surely inherit his strength. Something deep in Shen Qingqiu's bones wanted that, needed that. He gasped, and felt something warm trickle down his leg.
He was wet, he realized. By the way Yue Qingyuan's nostrils were flaring, he could smell it too.
That should have been embarrassing...but if they started now, Shen Qingqiu would have a child within the year, before the disciple selection was even held. Not only would he not be prevented from having children, he'd be getting one early! He spread his legs, just a little, and Yue Qingyuan surged forward eagerly.
"That's enough of that." Mu Qingfang grabbed the back of Yue Qingyuan's robes and pulled him back. Yue Qingyuan snarled, but Mu Qingfang drew a sign in the air, and the scent cleared. A moment later, Yue Qingyuan's eyes were wide and horrified.
"Xiao-Jiu, I didn't mean to-"
Shen Qingqiu jerked backwards. "That's not my name!"
Shit! Had he really been about to try and have a kid with this man? He didn't want kids yet! And he didn't even like Yue Qingyuan, at least not like that! It was all this stupid body's fault for coming pre-programmed with a pregnancy kink. Shen Qingqiu slammed his spiritual energy through his veins, ruthlessly clamping down on his pheromone and hormone production.
Mu Qingfang gave him a disapproving look. "Shen-shixiong, that isn't healthy. Your body and your cultivation could be damaged if you continue suppressing your nature."
"I'll consult Mu-shidi if I encounter any problems," Shen Qingqiu said. He got up and made his way to the door, ignoring the way his knees wobbled. "Unless there are any other matters to discuss, I'll return to Qing Jing."
Mu Qingfang and Yue Qingyuan glanced at each other, then turned identical worried looks onto Shen Qingqiu.
"Shen-shixiong, it's not right for you to be prevented from accepting children onto your peak," Mu Qingfang said. "None of the Peak Lords would punish an omega with a rejection like that. But unless we share that you are an omega, it's unlikely they'll change their minds."
"I wasn't planning on accepting any new disciples anyway," Shen Qingqiu said.
"Shixiong…"
"If it becomes a matter of life or death, then the other Peak Lords can be told," Shen Qingqiu said. "Otherwise, I'll consider my medical situation confidential." Did they have patient-doctor confidentiality in this world? Shen Qingqiu hoped so.
Yue Qingyuan was back to his kicked-puppy look. "But why? Omegas, especially ones as powerful as you, are considered blessings. Everyone would treasure you."
"I don't want to be treasured!" Shen Qingqiu snapped. "I don't want anyone to treat me differently." And he definitely didn't want whatever-the-fuck had just happened with Yue Qingyuan to happen again with other Peak Lords.
He headed back to Qing Jing after that. He had to wave away Luo Binghe's anxious fluttering, opting to retire to his rooms early. To his disappointment, Luo Binghe had already cleaned up--he'd been half-hoping Ning Yingying's nest was still there. He didn't have the materials or knowledge to make one of his own, especially while he was suppressing his own instincts so thoroughly.
He collapsed onto the clean, sparse bed, feeling strangely bereft. On a whim, he tried pulling the sheets into a circle around him.
It didn't make him feel any better.
Maybe he was doing it wrong.
Later, he'd wonder if he should have just given up his secret when Mu Qingfang had suggested it. Everyone treated him differently after that, regardless of what information they had.
Yue Qingyuan walked on eggshells around him, which was irritating but preferable to the outright hostility and suspicion he received from the other Peak Lords. Liu Qingge, as always, was the worst. He alternated between disgust and confusion, as if he couldn't quite bring himself to believe that Shen Qingqiu could be such a terrible person. He still came when Shen Qingqiu called for him, but he did so reluctantly, and he always sniffed suspiciously around the house while he was there as if looking for traces of other omega disciples Shen Qingqiu might have hidden away in his rooms.
Eventually Shen Qingqiu admitted defeat and turned to Yue Qingyuan for help clearing his meridians. The man was eager to help, but it was always uncomfortable talking to him. Not only was he deeply connected to the original goods (who'd died, and his only friend didn't even know to mourn him, and the less Shen Qingqiu thought about that, the better), but after the incident on Qian Cao, he'd become overly apologetic and his ever-present scent of guilt had gotten stronger.
Luo Binghe seemed to like his visits even less than he'd liked Liu Qingge's.
The dislike was mutual. "Shen-shidi, it's not appropriate for your disciple to be living with you like this," Yue Qingyuan said softly one afternoon after Luo Binghe left the room to fetch tea. "You're an unmated omega, and that boy shows all the signs of presenting as an alpha any day now. It's not proper."
Shen Qingqiu valiantly didn't throttle him, but it was a near thing.
Ning Yingying seemed blissfully unaware of the turmoil surrounding her. "They asked if I wanted to join Xian Shu Peak," she said, giggling, when Shen Qingqiu asked her how the Peak Lords had treated her during their questioning. "As if I'd want to leave Shizun and my shixiongs!"
Shen Qingqiu had been forced to have a long lie down after that. Suppressed instincts or not, the thought of other Peaks stealing his children made his blood pressure sky rocket.
Without a Cure flared up during the Immortal Alliance Conference, but not for long enough to affect his pheromones. When he pushed Luo Binghe into the Abyss his scent was as flat and unemotional as ever.
His instincts were in full swing, though. The hand that pushed Binghe shook, and his face ran with tears, and when Liu Qingge found him curled around the broken shards of his disciple's sword, he was whimpering as if he'd been the one who'd been stabbed.