Chapter Text
If there is anything that Xu Yien like other than apple and writing his own cultivation manual thanks to his unusual core is reading a novel, but not just a move but a very bad written one.
He doesn't know why, it doesn't make him angry let alone happy at all which is not very surprising since he was known to have the reaction as a laid back koala. He's just weird okay.
So imagine other suprise when the used-to-be disciple now a general of the angelic army that is so unreactive that he probably will just stare blankly at maniac that tried to cut him in half slammed shut a book a little to aggressively, heck even his past shifu Yunrie himself was shocked yet amused by Xu Yien action.
"Oh? This master didn't expect for his usual calm disciple to react so angrily over a novel. Is it that bad?" Yunrie asked, the god was intrigued and curious of the novel that is being gripped so tightly by his student that it might be ripped in any moment.
"It is" Xu Yien replied while taking a deep breath trying to calm himself down after he noticed the eyes that are on him. His shifu let out a small laugh as he poured himself for another tea.
"Oh dear never in this master life will he ever expected that a bad written novel to be his usual monotone student reason of negative reaction" He laughed, Xu Yien only sighed at his shifu laughter before turning his attention at the novel. In his defence the plot holes and the many unexplained lore not to mention the absolute ridiculousness of the setting isn't the one that made him react, but the past and the story of the supposedly 'main villain' of the story. For example,the fact that the chapter wasn't PUBLISHED AT ALL.
(Xu Yien has the access of the world tree so he can have the freedom to read anything including unpublished chapter of any novel.)
What makes it worse is Xu Yien was very sure this novel isn't just a novel but actually the story of a worldline since his shifu was the one that recommended it to him and from the fact that the novel come from the world tree itself.
The story it just so unfair not to mention frustrating especially when it comes to the 'main villain', Shen Qingqiu/Shen Jiu. When he first read it he already knows that the protagonist Luo bing....bing.. whatever something was an unreliable narrator and he has the gut feeling that not everything is what it seems since again...it was written in the protagonist point of view.
None of the characters were interesting except for Shen Jiu the villain of the novel. The way the man manage to climb by himself into such a high position with a broken cultivation thanks to his sorry excuse of past shizun is admirable yet no one even praised him! Absolutely ridiculous!
Xu Yien also couldn't help but feel a little relatable with the character. A child who felt that he doesn't belong to his sect just like how Xu Yien used to think that he doesn't belong in his now home thanks to the fact that he is a halfing. Yes you get it, Xu Yien is a half demon yet he is in heaven all thanks to his shifu who whoop his ass back when he was a mindless demon who is under influence by a demon tyrant then help him to get his shit back together.
Quite ironic for a half demon such as himself find the protagonist of the novel who is also a half demon like him so boring he rather watch paint dry.
Anyway enough of his story!
He found Shen Jiu story quite similar to his just his is least tragic then Shen Jiu because unlike the man he actually get help.
A slave turned into a peak master and a demon slave turned to a general a little different but still similar. Scoffed and seen as a waste of space by his other peak brothers and sisters (most are brothers)because of his weak cultivation just like how he was used to be scorned and hated because of his half demonic side. Only having they're shizun as the person who supported them, ah he felt like him and Shen Jiu are long lost brother or something, or maybe he is part of Shen Jiu soul that were scattered and fated to have the same fate as they're past self? Eh not really they aren't that one reader after all.
Xu Yien let out another sigh as he keep imagining thousands of 'What if' inside his brain while his shifu just stared at him in amusement.
"Is my disciple having a day dream right now? Care to share it with this master?" Yunrie asked interrupting his students train of thought, Xu Yien shaked his head then he stare at his Shifu. Ah that look Yunrie knows that look so fondly~
"Shifu"
"Hmm?"
"Is it possible for me to change someone fate for a better?"
Yunrie eyes twitched as he smiled elegantly at his dear student words.
Ah my dear Xu Yien, aren't you supposedly a half demon? So why do you have the heart of an angel. You're gonna give this master a heart attack.