Chapter Text
After making it this far, you would think a person like Shen Yanwai would have it easy in life. As the current Qing Jing Peak Lord of Cang Qiong Mountain Sect, he's already on the top of the food chain.
Yet he has a huge problem.
The last meeting with all the prominent sect leaders from many other big-name sects found that the batches of new disciples decreased over time. Those lazy bastards just dropped this headache of a task to Cang Qiong Mountain. Since they were the number one sect, they should handle it, those lazy bastards said. What a load of bullshit, and now their sect's problem was his problem.
A raging migraine is coming. Shen Yanwai can feel it.
His job is to find a way to have better relations with civilians below the mountain because, of course, better relations with the people below meant more future cultivators. They had to start somewhere. Why not start small with the people closest to them. The main problem here is that a person of his station has been isolated from the population for so long that he's out of tune with the outside world.
So like the gossip that he was, he offhandedly asks his cute, little spitfire of a head disciple, Shen Qingqiu, what he thinks they should do. The ever-serious Shen Qingqiu put much thought into his answer and said the most basic response required of someone his stature.
"The civilians need a more personal connection with us cultivators," Shen Qingqiu spoke, then added, "We may seem too lofty to them, so we need to find a way to build a connection with them."
Too bad for Shen Qingqiu. It sparks something in his shizun that will make him, later on, regret it.
"And how would we do that, my dear Jiu'er," the Qing Jing Peak Lord questions amusedly, mostly to tease his stoic and lofty head disciple. He wasn't so much as expecting a concrete response.
Shen Qingqiu frowns deep in thought.
Oh, how he wished to pinch his head disciple's cheeks and make him smile. His poor little meow meow kept being misunderstood by his peers. Though he did enjoy Shen Qingqiu's quiet company and keen mind, he would be much happier to see him have some friends!
Shen Qingqiu racks his brain in thought. They need to figure out a way to provide the citizens a direct way to communicate with them.
A one-time trip down the mountain wouldn't be enough to give advice and answers to the people.
That was what Shen Qingqiu suggested to his shizun.
"We can allow them to ask us questions and inquiries directly. And in return, we can answer their questions and send our messages to them."
A fatal mistake that Shen Qingqiu was soon to regret.
"Perfect, so when do you want to start, Jiu'er," the words were said so causally and cheerfully that Shen Qingqiu nearly missed them.
"...pardon?"
A mischievous smile appears on Shen Yanwai's face. Though he wanted to tease his head disciple further, he did feel bad for throwing his little head disciple into this headfirst. So the Qing Jing Peak Lord decides to throw his dear little Jiu'er a bone.
Waving his fan in a relaxed, carefree manner, he spoke.
"You don't have to go down the mountain to speak to those locals daily. How about this? You can post it on the town bulletin about your services, "Advice for the Wary: cultivation, romance, and everyday causes, " that way, we can test how this idea of yours works out."
Shen Yanwai didn't mention that it is also good practice for his dear head disciple to develop better people skills and...maybe get some friends.
"My head disciple is so smart for coming up with an idea like this," the Qing Jing Peak Lord happily praises.
"But shizun...I don't have the best reputation around here. Maybe someone else would be a better fit?" Shen Qingqiu was definitely trying to dodge this bullet. His shizun knew, and he wasn't budging. Not rising to Shen Qingqiu's bait.
"My sweet dear Shen Qingqiu, you will deal with situations like this as peak lord. You have to be prepared." The eyes directed towards him definitely scream, 'shizun is a scammer !'
But then, Shen Yanwai considered it again, "Ah...but, indeed, your reputation isn't the best...tell you what, how about we do it under a fake alias. A mysterious rogue cultivator that advises his fellow people... isn't that great?!"
Shizun whyyy
Much to the misery of Shen Qingqiu, they conducted his shizun's suggestions. They posted the information on the bulletin with the directions to a building that his shizun had bought to act as the center for the letters to come and go. Yet after waiting for weeks, only one or two letters arrived, which were all nonsensical. Shen Qingqiu thought it was a win for him. Perhaps this will show his shizun that he wasn't fit for a task like this?
He most definitely did not breathlessly rush into his shizun's office to disclose the tragic news.
Shen Qingqiu was never one to give up; however, he thought this was a lost cause and brought it up with his shizun. He forgot about one small detail. His shizun, too, was one to never give up. Shen Qingqiu has the displeasure of that reminder soon. There's a reason why Shen Yanwai is in the position of peak lord after all.
"Hmmm..." his shizun sets down the few letters they've received so far; thinking out loud, he murmurs, "it seems we need to change our marketing strategy."
A completely mad thought suddenly occurs to the older man, leaving a devilish grin on his lips at the discovery. Shen Qingqiu does not have a good feeling about this. His gut never lies.
"Jiu'er," never has Shen Qingqiu heard his name called so seriously from his shizun. It made him freeze up in attention.
"Yes, shizun?"
"Though I haven't mingled with the outside world for a long time, I'm sure there's one thing that hasn't changed about people. That is sex appeal. Isn't that right?"
Shen Qingqiu's face burns hot red as he stammers at his shameless shizun, "S-shizun, what----"
"If the people knew the person behind these...'Advice for the Wary' letters is a beautiful female cultivator. We could have an audience," Shen Yanwai said rapidly and excitedly.
"A male cultivator is a dime in dozen. A female cultivator, a stunning one at that, on the other hand, is a rarity. Who would listen to a mediocre male cultivator with no accomplishments in his name when a more beautiful lady could be heard from." If there was any lesson that Shen Yanwai learned in his life outside of cultivation, it would be that if you aren't blessed with beauty, wealth, or prowess, people may not turn to look in your direction. It is a sad reality they live in. However, one that he could easily take advantage of.
Dread pits at the bottom of Shen Qingqiu's stomach. No way was his shizun daring to do what he thought he would do. "Wait...shizun, you don't really mean..."
His shizun's face was that of some kind of deity graced upon him, that smile so tranquil and serene, but his words were anything but that.
"Yes, my dear Jiu'er..." his shizun drawls Shen Qingqiu's name teasingly.
"You are now Miss Jia Hua, the mysterious female cultivator. It can't hurt to try, right dear?"
Shen Qingqiu wanted it to fail. He desperately wanted it to fail.
Why didn't it fucking fail?!
Whatever God was watching him really said fucking, 'nah .'
'Miss Jia Hua' became a success overnight, becoming the rage of not just the villages below the mountain but also within the sect as well. Shen Qingqiu just kept getting more and more letters. He tries to answer each and every letter sincerely. Most of them were about romance or random everyday stuff, but he had received letters about cultivation, which counts as a success for his shizun.
"Oh my...I can't wait to see all those foul bastards' faces when they see next year's new batches," Shen Yanwai snickered. Though he is old, that doesn't mean he wasn't petty as fuck.
Poor Shen Qingqiu just stood there in despair as his shizun cackled like a madman. Is it too late to request a withdrawal from this task?
Fuck. Shizun whyyyyy