The firebird flew clear out of Demonic Sect domain by the next morning. It was so scared of the vines poking against its high-valued plumage that didn't even give the usual high-strung cackle, which was a miracle in itself. They landed down within a dense forest at the base of a mountain. 

Medicinal herbs were abundant in the area, so Song Heqing went off to gather some to fix up his wounds. 

Qin Yan sat on a log by a stream, unable to keep standing. Birds chirped, the trees lush and flowers bright. The things around him weren't filled with demonic Qi and would give little nourishment. He knew even without seeing it...while they were flying Wangzi eradicated every last bit of his main body back at Phoenix Demonic Sect. A shock ran through him, then it was gone.

It was a risk he was fully aware of.

While his robes covered it, he felt his skin begin to dry and crack. His clonal body wouldn't survive much longer. 

Qin Yan's first time dying was in his sleep, he didn’t remember a thing…it made him wonder what happened. Was he really tangled in blankets to death¹The largest number of deaths that result from being suffocated in blankets are infants.? That uncertainty filled him with fear. This time, being fully aware of the fact he was dying somehow made it better.

He was just a person who kept to himself, he wasn’t cut out for this.

…how many would he have to kill before he was finally able to reincarnate like system S promised? Would it be worth it? Qin Yan really felt like he drew the short end of the stick. Like a leaf flowing within a stream current, he met the status quo as a human, meandering along. His parents cared about him, he had a few close friends and a few romantic relationships that flopped. It was all a pretty good life besides being lonely at times.

Not like now.

The forest teeming with spiritual energy cleared his mind, he could remember with clarity the faces of all of the people he’d slaughtered, many of which did not even follow Lord Wangzi by free will. Entering a novel world didn’t mean that the people seemed less alive or less cognizant. Every detail was as complex as the reality of his previous world. He was not a saint or philanthropist, he didn't particularly care about being nice to everyone, but he also didn't want to become a murdering maniac that couldn't even control himself.

Qin Yan spread his remaining hand over his face and muttered, “…what a mess.”

“What’s a mess?”

Song Heqing had returned from gathering, arms filled with the bounty of the forest. 

Qin Yan just flopped backwards on his log with exhaustion. Saving Song Heqing was the one good thing he'd done. 

The sword on the boy's waist looked too heavy for him now, but one day…wait. Wait a second! It doesn’t add up. The current Song Heqing is a precious cinnamon roll, albeit a little used to violence from staying at Wangzi’s place. Qin Yan had a hard time imagining he’d become a scum stallion that sleeps with girls left and right. 

“Ahem. It a mess…” started Qin Yan, finally responding after a great lag, “…if you don’t treat girls with respect. Treat them like human beings, how they deserve to be treated. Like how you treated me even though I was not human at all.”

Song Heqing scrunched his face in bewilderment. He decided not to question it and moved to set down the fruits, but as he did so, a folded paper fell out the front of his robes. He scrambled to pick it up.

“What’s that?”

The paper was covered mostly in blood, sullied further with speckles of ash, but it must have been tucked under Song Heqing’s belt and somewhat protected.

“It’s…” Song Heqing’s unfolded the paper and held it out to Qin Yan while averting his gaze.

It was an ink painting of a youth with long straight hair, a face showing the beginnings of handsomeness. He stood over twisting vines, a watering vessel in hand, pouring it onto the roots of an eggplant at his feet. Although the boy was not smiling, his expression was relaxed, and if not for the bloodied paper it would’ve been a peaceful scene. Naturally, it was Song Heqing watering Qin Yan in the garden, constituting their happiest memories together.

“Oh…” trailed Qin Yan, “Why do you have my drawing²QY drew this in ch. "Curious Eggplant"?”

“I, I…”

Song Heqing quickly took back the paper and folded it up, carefully placing it into his belt as though to buy some time for himself. He was blushing fiercely.

“I took it from your room.”

“Well, I hope you like it.”

“…I do,” Song Heqing gathered his courage, and his two amber eyes seemed to sparkle. "Qin Yan...do you know about Dao companions³Same thing as cultivation partner. SH purely enjoy's QY's company, he doesn't mean it in a sexual way(yet), even though he certainly has knowledge of sexual matters from being at Wangzi's.? They go through life together, travel and face the unknown, and never are apart...so we, u-um, are going to be companions from now on?"

Qin Yan wanted to tickle the boy, and yet his arm would not lift up.

"I would want to, if I could," he replied.

Song Heqing was a little overjoyed, as though Qin Yan gave a definite 'yes', and said, "Is it about being a demon? For those problems, we'll visit an expert and find a way to fix it. Don't worry."

"Yeah."

...Song Heqing was a little taken aback by Qin Yan’s lackluster response. Waiting a bit, he really didn’t say anything else, so Song Heqing stealthily moved his pupils moved to the figure of Qin Yan lying on the log. As though having seen something terrifying his expression warped.

“What’s wrong with your hand?” Song Heqing hurried to grab Qin Yan's wrist.

It was turning chalk-white and brown, cracks like spider-webs appearing. Qin Yan couldn’t even muster the will to move a muscle, and closed his eyes.

“It’s enough if you don’t forget my name…though I don’t deserve it.”

“W-what are you saying?”

Song Heqing gripped Qin Yan’s wrist harder and pushed up his sleeve only to see the skin flutter to the ground in large flakes like frail, decaying paper. The decay reached up to Qin Yan’s neck, down to his ankles, it was all breaking apart.

Song Heqing's voice wobbled. “What should I do? Qin Yan?”

The rims of his eyes began to sparkle with tears, capable of capturing the heart of any with human emotion, and was perfect for a T.V. drama. But Qin Yan is a plant and was rather unmoved by his distress.

“There’s no fix. My main body has been destroyed by Wangzi. It doesn’t matter…I’m going crazy anyway.”  

Song Heqing was stunned for a moment, then it all seemed to sink in. It was why Qin Yan first refused to escape with him...because he couldn't. 

******************************Anger +621—

**Humiliation +6—

****************************************************************************Frustration +25,572—

"Why didn't you tell me?!" Song Heqing shouted, then became quieter, "Then I wouldn't have..."

Even with Song Heqing’s rare outburst, Qin Yan was nowhere near reaching 1,000,000 on any of the bars. But it was all right. The system was mysterious until the end, but it did show one thing concretely: Song Heqing cared about him. Qin Yan was happy knowing that. Sure, he never got the chance to spend a lot of time with him, but well, these things don’t always work out. 

Qin Yan gave a weak smile. “Sorry for bullying you…couldn’t help myself…”

Song Heqing shook his head, shoulders quaking and heart thumping in his chest violently.

“I-I’ll get an animal for you. That will save you.”

There was no reply.

Song Heqing bit his lip. His throat was constricting and making it hard to get any other words out, and the pallid face of Qin Yan was distorted as he blinked his eyes and sucked back his tears.

“No…don’t go…and…and this is all my fault anyway. I ruined Lin Hui'an's plan and got captured...so, don't give up...didn't we just make a promise?!” 

The hand Song Heqing grasped fell apart through the cracks in his fingers, scattering to the ground like ash. Qin Yan only had one arm left to begin with. Now he was reduced to zero.

Song Heqing couldn't hold back his tears anymore. They streamed down in large drops without stop, his eyes turning bloodshot. 

It was all very heart-throb, sob-sob, the maximum kind of dramatic death, but Qin Yan was not a character that spent lengthy minutes dying and saying last words, so he didn’t hear the protagonist’s speech of heartfelt gratitude and remorse. In fact, he put off letting Song Heqing know he was dying as long as possible just so he didn’t have to deal with a drawn-out sappy moment. 

Qin Yan’s chest and head were all that were remaining. He was being reduced to herbaceous detritus fit for fungi, arthropods, and bacteria to consume, but his expression was peaceful. It was as though having died with relief.

Song Heqing felt nothing close to relief.

Finally he found someone he could trust, someone who made him smile. He choked on another sob.

He was angry at Qin Yan for giving up so easily and angry at himself for being so foolish. His fingers curled into his palm ruthlessly until blood dripped down. He had to think of something. Anything that could save Qin Yan.

The only hope was Starlight on Obsidian.

Song Heqing whispered, voice hoarse from crying,  “I don’t want to be alone again.”

A black sword was pulled from its sheathe, glowing with a silver luster. Song Heqing pressed his palm against the cold blade and let his blood run down, then plunged it into the center of Qin Yan’s chest.