Into This Wild Abyss
is a Scumbag System AU fanfic written on Archive of Our Own by HungryPoet.
Some protagonists have it really sweet, with all the power and women and adventures they could wish it. Unfortunately for Shen Qingqiu, he's the protagonist of a tragedy in which nothing ever goes right for him.
Contains the following tropes
- Achievements in Ignorance: Shen Qingqiu just wanted for demons to understand he wasn't an easy prey by beating the crap out of them. Unfortunately, demons really believe in Asskicking Leads to Leadership, so it resulted in the half-demon quickly rising as the new Emperor of demonkind.
- Adaptation Relationship Overhaul: Since this version of Immortal Proud Demon Way was focused on Shen Jiu as the protagonist, Shen Qingqiu lavishes attention and affection upon Ning Yingying, has a rather cold verging on hostile bond with Yue Qingyuan and Liu Qingge, and is wary of Luo Binghe.
- Bittersweet Ending: Airplane originally planned for Shen Jiu to commit suicide and get a Sun-Moon Dew Mushroom body in order to finally leave everything behind him and be left alone. Shen Qingqiu concedes it likely would be the only peace still open to the original goods.
- Broken Ace: Shen Qingqiu is from the Heavenly Demon bloodline, he managed to become one of the most respected cultivators in the most powerful sect in the Human Realm and is currently in line for the title of Emperor of the Demon Realm, he's a peerless strategist and fighter — and he utterly believes everyone will turn against him soon or later just because they can, and is unworthy of love after being traumatized by the Endless Abyss and forced to claim his demonic inheritance.
- Conditioned to Accept Horror: Shen Qingqiu is extremely casual about maiming himself after the Endless Abyss — he's got a Healing Factor, he's going to be alright no matter what! His martial siblings and disciples are completely horrified and beg him to stop hurting himself.
- Cruel and Unusual Death: The Old Palace Master is devoured whole by Xin Mo. People are not exactly torn about it, since he was trying to instigate a war with Cang Qiong over Shen Qingqiu.
- Even Evil Has Loved Ones: Several decades after their demises, Shen Jiu still treasures Ning Yingying and Yue Qingyuan. When he gets to visit the revised canon, he almost bursts into tears when he sees them and decides to leave them be, since they are safer and happier in this world.
- Eye Scream: The Old Palace Master isn't happy about Shen Qingqiu inheriting Tianlang-jun's eyes instead of Su Xiyan's, so he gouges them out. They grow back later, but the experience still isn't enjoyable.
- Fantastic Racism: Mankind's hatred for demons heavily influences people's actions — Shen Qingqiu would rather jump into the Endless Abyss than face his martial siblings as a half-demon (he belives they would kill or lock him away, they believe he was so ashamed of his bloodline he committed suicide) and the Old Palace Master whips several sects in a frenzy over the Cang Qiong Mountain Sect accepting a Heavenly Demon as their comrade.
- Generation Xerox: Tianlang-jun wistfully comments on Shen Qingqiu being very much Su Xiyan's child — not only he's almost her carbon copy, he inherited his cold personality and harsh intelligence.
- It Sucks to Be the Chosen One: Shen Yuan considers being transmigrated in Shen Qingqiu as winning the lottery for a stoning. Since the original goods has lost everyone he ever loved and is constantly under assault for his demon bloodline or because people enjoy torturing him in various extreme ways, it's hard to disagree with him.
- Laser-Guided Karma:
- Yue Qingyuan refused to give anything but apologies when asked for a reason why he abandoned Shen Qingqiu. After coming back to Cang Qiong, Shen Qingqiu refuses to explain why he jumped in the Endless Abyss and merely apologizes, bitterly aware that they have swapped roles.
"Not knowing hurts, doesn't it?"- The Old Palace Master stole Xin Mo from Shen Qingqiu in order to grow powerful enough to fight the half-demon on equal grounds. The cursed sword devours him whole.
- Like a Daughter to Me: Shen Qingqiu positively spoils Ning Yingying, letting her ride in his carriage, taking her shopping out and constantly worrying about her future.
- Meaningful Echo: Tianlang-jun softly musing that Shen Qingqiu is what's left from Su Xiyan is sweet in a heartwrenching way. When the Old Palace Master comments on Shen Qingqiu being what's left from Su Xiyan, it's horrendously creepy.
- Mistaken for Suicidal: Shen Qingqiu jumps into the Endless Abyss because he genuinely fears his own martial siblings killing him out of Fantastic Racism and knew he ultimately would escape. From Cang Qiong Mountain's viewpoint, one of their Peak Lords decided to kill himself rather than bear the shame of living as a half-demon, and it deeply impacted them.
- My God, What Have I Done?:
- Shen Qingqiu almost kills Sha Hualing — still a child in Demon society — for accidentally destroying his hair ribbon. He barely manages to stop himself, and the incident doesn't help his self-loathing.
- Gongyi Xiao is wrecked with remorse when he reports Shen Qingqiu's reapparition in the Human Realm to the Old Palace Master, leading to the half-demon being captured and tortured.
- Mythology Gag: Shen Qingqiu's perceived demise drives a wedge between Luo Binghe and Liu Qingge, leading them to brutally fight very often until he comes back.
- "Not So Different" Remark: After watching Yue Qingyuan truly getting loose, Shen Qingqiu comments on Xuan Su being very much similar to Xin Mo — both swords negatively impact their wielder and will ultimately kill them if used too carelessly.
- Obnoxious In-Laws: Zhuzhi-lang and Luo Binghe immediately start sniping at each other when they are introduced, to Shen Qingqiu's utter exasperation.
- Once Done, Never Forgotten: Shen Qingqiu muses that Zhuzhi-lang likely is doomed to be remembered by Cang Qiong as the snake that swallowed the half-demon whole in the middle of a battle.
- Right for the Wrong Reasons: After stumbling into the revised canon, Shen Jiu concludes his body has been stolen by the Skinner Demon — because Ning Yingying is alive and the other "Shen Qingqiu" is acting far too differently from himself. Of course, he doesn't know about transmigration, but he perfectly pegged the divergence point in the timeline and the reason why his alternate was so weird.
- Shell-Shocked Veteran: Being lost in the Endless Abyss for three years and a half was not good for Shen Qingqiu's sanity, making him indifferent to self-maiming and giving him paranoia about everything being out to murder him.
- Significant Wardrobe Shift: After escaping the Endless Abyss, Shen Qingqiu feels too disassociated from his Peak Lord self and decides to not put the white and green robes he brought in his pack, instead donning the red and black robes gifted by his new demon vassals.
- Spared by the Adaptation: Ning Yingying, Liu Qingge and Yue Qingyuan gruesomely perished in the original canon. Shen Qingqiu manages to rescue them in the revised version.
- Strong Family Resemblance: Except for the eyes, Shen Qingqiu very much is a male version of Su Xiyan. This is all the excuse the Old Palace Master needs to rape the guy.
- Too Bleak, Stopped Caring: In-Universe, this is Shen Yuan's complain about this iteration of Proud Immortal Demon Way. There is a difference between writing a tragedy and writing gratuitous torture porn, after all.
- Tragic Keepsake: Shen Qingqiu accidentally forgets to give Luo Binghe his black hair ribbon back. After escaping the Endless Abyss, he refuses to wear any hair decorations but this ribbon, and almost kills Sha Hualing for accidentally damaging it.
- Tragic Villain: Shen Jiu is a paranoid tyrant that assaults everyone he meets for potentially being an enemy — because people just won't stop assaulting him for his bloodline and his past, and losing everyone he ever loved reinforced his conviction that he cannot trust a living soul. His threat to keep Ning Yingying and Yue Qingyuan safe or else towards Shen Qingqiu sounds more like begging, and Shen Qingqiu actually considers letting him visit the Lighter and Softer world on a regular basis because the guy is just so broken from seeing his adoptive daughter and older brother safe and alive.
- Unreliable Narrator: Shen Qingqiu believes everyone is out for his blood and will hate him no matter what he does to defend himself. Shang Qinghua's viewpoint actually reveals the half-demon is respected by his demon vassals for his might and his startling kindness, and deeply missed by the Cang Qiong Mountain Sect to the point they would storm the Huan Hua Palace to rescue him.
- Wacky Parent, Serious Child: After resting a bit from being imprisoned under a mountain, Tianlang-jun is rather a Genki Guy from the careless kind that contrasts with his more somber son and nephew.
- Yandere: The Old Palace Master outright imprisoned Su Xiyan in the Water Prison and tried to force her to abort her unborn son because he refused to admit she would choose another love than himself. After her demise, his thwarted lust is reported on Shen Qingqiu, to the point he would drag the cultivation war in open war so long he can have the half-demon to his mercy.
- You Remind Me of X: Double whammy for Ning Yingying. Shen Jiu is implied to have seen her as a more innocent, sweeter Qiu Haitang, while it's hinted Shen Yuan was thinking of his younger sister the first time he really interacts with the girl.
